Published: March 21, 2026
The Demon King's eyes turned to me. Hesitantly, Yoru pushed herself up from where she had been crouched on my shoulder. She wanted to drop to the ground, but I stopped her. The one most likely to be killed here was the hero, but probably the next most targeted was Yoru. As Lattice Nail had said earlier, Yoru had been placed on the lowest level of the labyrinth by the Demon King to carry a message to me and to free his wife's soul; it would have been better for the Demon King if Yoru had died. There was also the danger of Mahiro’s magic circle being deployed as a surprise attack, so I wanted her to stay where she was—on my shoulder.
Still, why had the Demon King suddenly decided Yoru was unnecessary? He had kept her close enough to be called “the Demon King’s right arm,” and if what Yoru and Lattice Nail said was true, she was a vessel containing his wife’s soul. Normally he would guard such a thing carefully to prevent it from breaking. If it were me and there was an object containing Amelia’s soul, I would never let it out of my sight. More than that—why place it inside a living creature?
“So, what is it you want to say to me, Black Cat?”
“My name is not Black Cat. I am Yoru. I am no longer your monster. And I, Yoru, am not a vessel for your wife’s soul—I am from now on the familiar of my master, Oda Akira, and I will fight to stop you. I will not return to you. I came to pay my farewell today.”
Yoru declared to the Demon King in a crisp, resolute voice.
Although she had shown clear hostility toward Mahiro and Aurum in the Brute Labyrinth, this was the first time she had spoken of breaking with the Demon King out loud.
“So you noticed Misty’s soul.”
The Demon King narrowed his eyes and murmured softly.
“...You were a failed experiment. I should have disposed of you the moment you gained self-awareness. I did not expect that instead of Misty’s own consciousness, a monster consciousness would form centered on Misty’s soul. I can’t know how it affects Misty’s soul without extracting it. What a problem... For a long time, you were useless to me.”
Yoru sucked in a breath.
I see. The Demon King wanted Misty Hermes to keep living, to retain a consciousness even if her form changed, by placing her soul inside a living being. That must be why he didn’t create Yoru with some hideous monster form like other demonic beasts. And Yoru’s extra skill, “Transformation,” might originally have been intended to return Misty Hermes to her human form.
What even the Demon King didn’t expect was that the consciousness that would emerge wasn’t Misty Hermes’s, but Black Cat’s. If Misty Hermes’s consciousness had become Black Cat instead, perhaps the Demon King would not have tried to resurrect his wife—or we might never have been summoned from another world.
“It doesn’t matter to me if you are no longer mine. Just return my wife’s soul and that will be enough.”
“That would still mean killing Yoru. Think of another way and come back.”
I couldn’t help but speak out at the Demon King’s unacceptable words.
I had stayed out of Lattice Nail’s conversation because it concerned them as parent and child, but Yoru is my familiar. This time I would interfere as much as I liked.
“Hmm. Well, for now, that will do. Be at the right place at the right time.”
With that cryptic remark, the Demon King permitted Yoru’s independence and her status as my familiar.
He flipped his hand and made a motion as if cutting something with a chop. I felt as if an invisible thread connecting Yoru to the Demon King—the familiar bond—had been severed. Whatever had linked the Demon King and Yoru was cut. Now the Demon King could not see through Yoru’s eyes, nor control her. Only her contract with me remained.
“Thank you for permitting it...”
Yoru bowed her head, holding back emotion. Then she curled up again on my shoulder. That was all she wanted to say.
Still, I hadn’t expected her to say goodbye to the Demon King here. On the ship she had only said she wanted to stop him; perhaps from overhearing the conversation between Lattice Nail and the Demon King she realized that wouldn’t be enough. It seemed she had resolved to oppose the Demon King even if it meant becoming his enemy.