Kaito swallowed. He had concluded that Vlad's knowledge of the outside world was limited to what the man himself had experienced up until death. He hadn't expected Vlad to have figured that out. As Kaito frowned, wondering if Vlad had been able to hear even when the stone was cut off from mana, a truly unpleasant smile floated to Vlad's face. "Until just now, I had essentially no ability to perceive the outside world. That was but simple conjecture. After my death, that would have been the natural result of her running across the Grand King. The woman is far more vicious than I. As far as combat goes, her specialty lies not in her personal strength but the cruelty of her tacticsâ€”while she is inferior to me, she is stronger nonetheless." Vlad readily acknowledged that fact. His eyes half-closed, he spoke as if waxing nostalgic about the past. "Fiore and I were friends even before we made our demonic contracts. We would liven up balls together and transfix men and women alike. While we were quite close, however, our ideologies were at stark odds. I focused my efforts on what would come after we had taken controlâ€”prioritizing my bonds with my comrades, preparing a successor, and readying my army, although that army was annihilated after Elisabeth and I had our falling-out and I was capturedâ€”whereas Fiore paid no heed to such things and instead held the individual, that is to say herself, in sole regard." "Yeah, I can believe that." "She rejected my principles and refused to aid in rescuing me from the Church, but at least she took our long years of friendship into account and refrained from taking any selfish actions. But with my death, no doubt she's stopped holding herself back. Any lower-ranked demon whose brain she sticks her needles into will become her puppet." Kaito narrowed his eyes. A brain-shaped needle had been stuck in the back of the Governor's neck. "So that's what that needle was..." "Once the needle's been placed, pulling it out will accomplish nothing. The only one immune to her needles is the Kaiser. She likely won't take control of those ranked close to herâ€”the King, the Grand Monarch, and the Monarchâ€”but most of the rest of the demons are probably already her pawns, their hearts free for her to wrench out as she pleases. And faced with her specialty, Sacrifice, even Elisabeth would be at a disadvantage." As far as Kaito knew, the demons held a great deal of attachment to their own lives. Even though they mercilessly slaughtered others, they would balk at the thought of meeting the same fate. That was precisely why none of them had been able to use Sacrifice, as it would have required giving up their own heart. However, the Grand King, Fiore, was able to take advantage of it by using her comrades as scapegoats. She could probably only use it as many times as there were demons remaining. ...Dammit. Kaito bit down on his lip. Vlad, taking pleasure in seeing his pained expression, continued. "And? Is that all you wished to ask me? As far as Fiore is concerned, that's the sum total of the useful information there is to know. May I take my leave now? Not that I would mind wiling away time making idle banter, mind you..." "I have...one request." "Ah, music to my ears. Ask away." A wicked smile crossed Vlad's face. Kaito clenched his fist. As he was then, Vlad wasn't contracted with the Kaiser. But even on his own, demonic was a perfectly apt descriptor for him. Vlad Le Fanu was a man who constantly probed at the weaknesses in people's hearts. Knowing just how foolish it was to ask a favor of such a man, Kaito raised his voice. "Could you teach me how to use magic?" "...Oh?" Vlad frowned in surprise and then leaned back in his beast-rib chair and crossed his hands. "That wasn't what I was expecting at all. I had been quite certain that you would ask me how to go about freeing Elisabeth from Sacrifice's influence." "When Elisabeth wakes up, I'm gonna follow her lead as far as dispelling Sacrifice goes. If I asked you, there's a fair shot that you'd teach me a method that would end up killing her." "How rude. I would never tell you such a lie." "I find that hard to believe." "It's true! How could I bear using your filthy hands to kill my dear Elisabeth? As I no longer have hands to crush her slender throat myself, I wish merely for her to keep living so that she may continue suffering. I wish for her to suffer foolishly, helplessly, and endlessly, until eventually she meets the same fiery end as I." "You've got some fucked-up tastes." Vlad ran his tongue across his lips as Kaito derided him and then shrugged lightly. "While it feels odd to come out and admit it, people with healthy tastes generally don't form contracts with demons. Their very existences are wicked and twisted... But in any case, why seek instruction from me? Wouldn't you be better off simply having Elisabeth teach you?" "When we faced off against the Grand King, I was just baggage. I need to get stronger and fast. And one other thing..." "One other thing?" "I can't rely on Elisabeth." "Oh?" Vlad opened his eyes wide in an abrupt show of glee. Kaito met his crimson gaze. Ever since he'd arrived in this world, all his experiences had taught him one thing. The Torture Princess was a terrible sinner and a cruel woman. And if the need arose, she could even be merciless to those who'd earned her trust. If Kaito asked, she'd probably have been willing to use her torturous means to train him in the ways of magic. However, she'd probably choose the specifics of her methods herself. And while she could be callous toward Kaito, she wasn't a monster. And that means...she probably won't push me hard enough for me to become truly useful. Dark magic was accompanied by pain, and the power of demons demanded it. Lastly, Kaito's body was accustomed to pain. When he'd put those three truths together, Kaito had realized the key implication therein. And to check if he was right or not, he needed Vlad's help. Vlad was a man who had once trained Marianne, an ordinary tutorâ€”and a woman Kaito himself had killedâ€”into a necromancer. No doubt he would gleefully cast open doors that Elisabeth wouldn't have dared touch. The reason Kaito had hidden Vlad's soul from Elisabeth was to obtain information and knowledge. It would have been too much of a waste to simply throw away access to the memories of the Kaiser's contractor. But if not for the current situation, Kaito wouldn't have had any intention of actually summoning Vlad. Rational as he was, though, Kaito could be rash and cruel when it came to matters involving himself. As long as he didn't fall into madness like Marianne had and all he did was receive education, the only person this decision would affect was him. After making that judgment, Kaito continued making his request. "I won't let you do to me what you did to Marianne. But you asked me to become your successor, so you must know some way that I can make full use of myself, some way that Elisabeth doesn't." "Oh, that I do indeed." A beastly grin crossed Vlad's face. However, he wiped it away a second later. Then he spoke in a calm, gentlemanly tone. "I see the makings of one who can surpass Elisabeth in you, after all. You understand pain, and you can regard wounds with a calculating eye. But in spite of that, you act strongly when driven by hatred, and you possess a fastidious side as well. You're a person with great capacity for malicious growth. However, it seems that you reject the notion of taking from others. That will make it difficult for you to develop, but...you did come out of your way to ask me for help. First of all, there's one thing you're suited toward that I can teach you right now." As Vlad spoke gently, he opened both his hands. He was clearly plotting something. Even though he realized that, Kaito nodded. The disparaging remark the Grand King had thrust at him still rang in his ears. "And as for you, lover boy, do try to get a bit stronger." She was totally right. I need to become strongerâ€”I need to prepare for the worst, going forward. At this rate, I'm going to lose all the things that I worked so hard to obtain. Kaito thought back to all the sadistic things the Grand King had done and said. She clearly numbered among those who took things from others. Even compared to the other demons, whose very lives she took advantage of, Fiore was in a league of her own. At the rate things were going, Kaito was going to remain a member of the oppressed and have everything taken from him. That was something he refused to let happen. But in order to surpass the trials before him, the only chip Kaito had to gamble with was himself. He slid it forward; however, he didn't take his hand off the chip just yet. Sensing his caution, Vlad continued talking in his coaxing voice. "The fact you were able to summon me means that you learned how to activate magical devices, correct? The next lesson is the practical test. Carve a deep wound in your flesh and then, using the pain as your anchor, gather the mana flowing through your blood. Once you've gotten used to gathering it, try to merge its heat and your pain within your body. Then, when you can clearly feel the mana atop your palm, use your voice to set it off. That should allow you to give it form." Kaito looked down at his bloody palm, which still clasped the stone. After passing the stone to his other hand, he began gathering mana around the pain of his wound. The wound gradually grew hot. As he felt the heat and the pain mix together, it reminded him of the injuries he'd grown so used to in life, and he felt a faint weight atop his hand. However, it still didn't have a form. Kaito envisioned the closest thing he could to the heatâ€”fire. "â€”La (become)." As he whispered, a golden flame rose into the air. It quickly vanished, but Vlad clapped his hands. "Brilliant. For a beginner such as yourself, it's quite rare to become so proficient with pain so quickly! Unfortunately, though, the magic that technique will allow you to use is limited. Generally, turning the pain of others directly into mana is by far the most efficient method. To that end, you'd need to consume the flesh of a demon..." At that point, Vlad licked his lips again. Then he whispered, his voice dripping with the cloying sweetness of honey. "...or summon a demon yourself." "Master Kaitooooo! Where are youuuuu?!" Suddenly, Hina's voice rang out. As it did, Vlad's body began crumbling. Apparently, he planned to beat a retreat of his own volition before they could be discovered. How gracious of him. From the tips of his toes, his body transformed into black feathers and azure flower petals. The phantasmal petals and feathers swirled as they were sucked back into the stone. "Master Kaitoooo!" Kaito could just make out Hina's voice from a distance. Before long, she'd end up making her way into the underground corridors in her search. Kaito was at a loss for what to do. It'd probably be better for me to go out on my own. But I don't think there's any way I'm going to be able to hide this wound on my hand. After pondering his options for a moment, he shoved the bare stone into his