The pink eyes on Mammon’s mask magically widened to fit her expression underneath. She was dressed in a white button-down top that appeared form-fitting and tight with a dark brown vest overtop. The mask was a different model than the one he saw her wear last time, appearing white with a black swirl over the left eye.

“L-Lord Naraka?!” Mammon cried out from behind the counter.

She lunged toward him, crashing headfirst into the grated bars separating them. Regardless, her arms still flailed about like a fishing line as she attempted to hug him.

Naraka stood motionless as a worried smile spread across his face.

—She always comes off more unaware than abreast… but I sense something within her. Perhaps she could be of assistance?

“Mammon?” he asked gently as she returned back to her seat, realizing there wasn’t a way to squeeze through.

“Y-You remembered my name! Oh my god, it’s like, destiny or something!”

—Or your nametag…

“Calm yourself, take a deep breath. Now tell me, why are you working here now instead of the Deepcut?”

Mammon turned away, a rosy blush appearing on her mask.

“It’s a long story, hehe. Rather embarrassing too.”

“Do I want to know?”

“Don’t worry! You act like I stole the delicates of every single Odokuro there before quitting the place!” she said in an excited huff. “Oh shoot, there I go again! Hahahaha!”

“That’s a very specific example, but anyway, I’m glad to see you again.”

“Y-You glad to—“

“Yes, I am. But more importantly, I need something from you. Call off for your break and we’ll meet up outside the bank at the sandwich place across the street,” Naraka said quietly.

“Oho? Very well then, my Lord~” Mammon said, her tone changing instantly to one much more serious and deeper. Her pink animated eyes changed to a purple hue.

Naraka nodded, not sure what he was getting himself into.

“Here, sell me some stamps.”

—That’ll make me look less suspect if anyone reviews the footage.

Mammon grabbed a collection featuring antiquated pots and urns, scanning them into her register and handing them to Naraka. In turn, Naraka took a single one-hundred sol coin from his pocket and slid it through the counter’s opening.

“Thank you very much, Lord Naraka! Please come again!” Mammon said in a surprisingly normal manner.

Something told Naraka instincts that his hunch was correct about her. She definitely held an air of professionalism when she wanted to. Could the ditzy degenerate persona all be an act?

Naraka slipped the stamps into his inner pocket. He turned with a flourish of his coat and made his way out of the line towards the exit. Walking outside, he inhaled the fresh air and walked back the way he came, hands in his pockets.

The sandwich shop in question was part of a pre-existing building used for general business offices. Naraka pulled the glass door open by its brass handle and walked inside. Looking around briefly, he spotted several mail slots for the various offices to his right along with a staircase and elevator upstairs. Directly in front of him was the restaurant.

Without much thought, Naraka went inside of the shop. It had several windows displaying the street lined with cars outside. A flat screen television was displaying the news at that moment, still giving updates regarding the hunt for Mura. The scent of freshly baked bread and cut vegetables tickled his senses.

—I better find a table and wait for her.

He snapped his fingers, causing a fizzle of electricity to short-circuit the two security cameras mounted to the ceiling.

“Finally! I was wondering when you’d get here!” a female voice said.

“What?” Naraka said, turning quickly to see what evaded his blind spot.

Sitting at the table was Mammon, sipping a large drink with a hoodie pulled over her uniform. The hood was up, allowing her pink twintails to slip out the sides and rest on her shoulders. Her mask was slightly lifted, allowing her pink lips to drink from the straw of her cup.

“You’re a quick one…” Naraka smiled.

“I try to keep a lot of things on the down-low, my Lord,” Mammon chuckled while keeping a cool tone. Some of her drink dribbled down her chin, but she just hoped her hero hadn’t noticed.

Naraka scanned the shop. No other customers were around, just a bored employee at the counter. Naraka approached the employee and flashed his lapel, which had an imperial brooch fastened to it.

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“Business of the Empire. I’ll have to request that you leave.”

The young worker looked at the pin, then back at Naraka, and finally back at the pin.

“Leave? But… then I’ll have to clock out—“

Naraka sighed and exuded a small pressurized ball of his tamashiryoku at the adolescent, causing the teen to instantly fall asleep and fall backwards onto the floor. Turning around, he walked back and sat at the table with her. He took a seat across from Mammon so he could look her directly in the face.

“I’ll cut to the chase. I’m in need of loyalists to a cause of mine; especially after the events that transpired yesterday. The matter is this: I believe you might possess a position that could prove useful to me and my compatriots.”

Mammon’s mask projected an entranced expression of wonder and excitement. Collecting herself, she nodded happily.

“Of course, my Lord. I’ll gladly serve you until death. I-I’m not sure if you’re aware, but I have a… certain set of skills. Something I acquired during my years as an Odokuro myself!”

—She was an Odokuro? Mammon certainly is full of surprises.

“I wasn’t fully aware, no. I have a feeling however this skillset involves… procuring things?” Naraka asked, taking subtlety into account.

“Why, of course! I’m a direct descendant of a famous, uh, procurer. My clan is descended from the infamous Hero Thief, Loki. Pretty cool, huh?”

Naraka was more intrigued than ever. Loki had been a staunch ally of the first Legendary Demon Hero, Tiamat. If there was anything Loki had been known for, it was her unique ability to disappear on a whim and without a trace.

“I’ll hold my applause for the sake of professionalism,” Naraka chuckled light-heartedly. “Nonetheless, I’m sure your ancestor would be proud of her descendant carrying on the family business.”

Naraka took a small beige card from his coat, rough in its texture with embossed runes etched on its surface. He flicked the card at Mammon, which she proceeded to snatch up between her fingers while still sipping from her beverage.

“That’s a transference card. Those runes will allow you to send a ouijagram to me so that we can keep in contact. It’s secure, so you don’t contact me through any other methods. This will be enough.”

“Awww, I can’t get your caller ID with this! There goes my excuse to take your picture for my phone…”

“Accomplish what I have in mind and I’ll allow you more than a picture with me. Deal?”

Mammon’s eyes lit up and she dribbled more liquid from her mouth before catching herself.

“Y-Yes! Roger!” Mammon smiled beneath her mask. “What’s the plan of action?”

“Wait, allow me to find somewhere more private.”

“But… how am I supposed to—“

Without warning, Naraka touched his finger onto her masked forehead and closed his eyes. Using simple magic, he projected his voice exclusively into her thoughts.

—Mammon, listen closely and don’t repeat anything I say aloud. I’m looking for corruption within the Empire and I have a few suspects. I’ll need you to research if the Jikininki Grendel possesses a vault somewhere in the city. Can you do this?

Naraka removed his finger, opened his eyes and waited for her to reply. She looked at him serious for a moment, then nodded her head.

“Good, thank you. If you can do this for us, you’ll be compensated appropriately.”

“W-Well! The good thing is he does have one, actually. Right here in the bank I work at,” Mammon whispered. “But the weirdest thing is that I overheard from an employee that he didn’t deposit anything inside the vault himself. He never does, it’s always someone else.”

Naraka furrowed his eyebrows in thought.

“Do you know if anything was placed in there last night?”

Mammon put a finger to her chin, thinking hard before suddenly recalling the events.

“Yes, a few random things! Well, maybe! Probably.”

“Are you absolutely sure?” Naraka said, his face stern.

“Positive-a-rino~” Mammon chuckled, crossing her leg over the other casually.

“Excellent,” Naraka said, lifting his finger up to her mask again.

“Oh shit you’re gonna go in my brain again—” Mammon exclaimed before falling into a trance.

—So here’s what I need from you, Mammon. If you’re able, I need access to Grendel’s vault. Those items are very important to my investigation; objects that will either be destroyed or never see the light of day again. All I need is for you to get me inside.

Naraka removed his finger and let Mammon reply after recovering control. The woman looked at him and folded her arms.

“Nope, it’s too dangerous,” she said with an uncharacteristic gravity to her voice. “If what you’re telling me is true, the last thing the people of Yomi need is for you to compromise yourself. Let me do it, I’m used to this sort of thing and I have the tools for the job.”

Naraka folded his arms as well.

“You don’t have to do everything yourself, my Lord. You can depend on me, I promise,” she said with an obscured smile. “I can use my power to make sure he never even knows it’s left the place.”

“Your power?” Naraka stated with a curious smile. “Can you show me?”

Mammon nodded and placed the drink cup down on the table. She brought her hand to the cup, touching all five digits too its surface. Suddenly, her hand emitted a pink aura and a second later, there were two drink cups on the table.

She threw her hands up in the air, as if just pulling off an impressive magic trick.

“Tada! I call it Double Take, it lets me make copies of whatever I want,” Mammon explained as Naraka looked on impressively, reaching for the duplicate cup to inspect it. “Thing is though, if anyone else touches the copy but me—”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Naraka’s fingers grazed the copy’s surface. Upon his touch, the duplicated cup dissipated into white haze and left no trace of its existence.

“… It disappears. Intriguing, Mammon. I knew you possessed something hidden away,” he said with a reassuring and proud smile.

“Oh, I got some more stuff hidden away if you wanna peak~?” she said with a flirty tone.

Naraka rubbed his head awkwardly and laughed.

“I think I’ll pass for now, thank you. Still, if you’re okay with this… then I’ll trust you. I have little doubt you’re one to turn against me.”

“Oh pah-lease!” Mammon said with a wave of her hand. “I’d rather cut my own throat than betray Lord Naraka! I’m your girl for life~! Or until you’re tired of me, hehe.”

Naraka stood up with a smile, bowing to her as he prepared to take his leave.

“Thank you again, Mammon. I look forward to hearing about your progress. Be safe.”

Mammon stood as well and bowed to Naraka, albeit multiple times in a row.

“You be safe, Master! I… can call you Master, right?” she said while waiting for a response.

Naraka took a few seconds to think it over before nodding his head hesitantly.

“Great~! I’ll contact you once the job’s finished!”

Mammon saluted him with a peace sign as he chuckled and began walking out of the building.

He had nearly reached the door before he heard her voice again.

“Wait!”

Naraka stopped and turned to face her.

“I… I don’t think he did it, by the way…” Mammon said quietly. “Your apprentice… Mura? He’s one of the few people who’s ever been nice to me, him and his friend… and you!”

She looked down at the ground, her hair dangling as she struggled to come out with the words.

“I just… I don’t think he’s capable of doing something like that. Saying things like that.”

Naraka walked back towards her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Neither do I…”

With a glimmer in his eye, he patted her shoulder and turned; walking out of the building as his disciple looked on with newfound hope.