Starting from Zero to Build a Demon Family
Chapter 22 - Saeko Busujima – From Now On, I Am Yours

Chapter 22: Saeko Busujima – From Now On, I Am Yours

“Save the world?”

“Sure.”

Lynn agreed to Saeko Busujima’s request without a moment of hesitation. No matter what the request was, he would always agree first. After all, how and when it would be completed was entirely up to him.

A warm smile spread across his face as he said considerately,

“I have two plans. One is more aggressive, and the other is more conservative. Which would you like to hear first?”

Can it really be done? Saving the world?

Saeko Busujima’s eyes widened with astonishment. She had asked the question tentatively, only intending to see how Mr. Demon would react. But to her surprise, he didn’t just agree—he offered two plans!

It seemed that an apocalyptic crisis, one capable of annihilating humanity, was no more than a trivial matter to this man. Mr. Demon’s power might be far more terrifying than she had imagined.

And to think, he was much more agreeable than she’d expected—nothing like the grotesque figures from mythology. He looked nothing like the demons she’d heard of in stories.

Pushing aside the chaos in her thoughts, she considered his words for a moment and replied, “Let’s hear the aggressive plan first.”

“The real threat in your world right now is the undead, correct?” Lynn walked to the window and looked down at the swaying, crowded mass of corpses below.

“That’s right,” Saeko nodded, her voice heavy. “This crisis broke out suddenly this afternoon.”

She turned to him and said seriously, “I don’t know the full extent of the situation yet, but with a virus this contagious, it’ll spread at an uncontrollable speed once it starts. Worst case scenario, it could engulf the entire world.”

She knew all about zombie movies. As a young person, she’d seen plenty. But she never thought humanity’s fictional nightmares would become reality. The image of a world overrun by the undead left her silent.

“And what’s worse is that, even now, not a single military unit has shown up,” she added grimly. She had already begun preparing for the worst.

“No problem,” Lynn said with an easygoing tone. “Even if the whole world ends up like this, I can always cleanse the surface, right?”

Granted, with his current power as a high-ranking demon, it might not be feasible yet. But that didn’t mean it would always be impossible. There was no time limit on saving the world. He could wait until he became a Demon King, a Transcendent, or something even stronger.

Until then, this world of the dead could quietly serve as nourishment for his followers.

Cleanse… the surface? Is that what I think it means?

Saeko Busujima’s eye twitched as she looked at Lynn. There wasn’t the slightest hint of a joke in his expression. Not even the most powerful human weapon could achieve that kind of destruction. But Mr. Demon might be able to. Still…

“If you really do that,” she said softly, “the human survivors could be wiped out too, right?”

“Along with the undead,” Lynn shrugged. “That wouldn’t be my concern.”

Truly befitting of a demon. He looked human, yet…

Saeko glanced at the nameplate on his uniform: Private Shuchiin Academy. Demons go to school, too?

She pushed the question aside. It wasn’t important right now. Instead, she decisively abandoned the aggressive plan.

“Let’s hear the conservative one instead.”

As expected. Lynn’s smile grew warmer. “This one’s much simpler.”

He turned toward her, a slight grin on his lips.

“I’ll grant you the power to grow strong enough to save the world. Once you reach that level, you can decide for yourself how to save it.”

Lynn had only two goals in this world: establish a stable experience-farming system for his followers and recruit more subordinates. Saeko Busujima was unquestionably a worthy candidate.

Hearing his second plan, Saeko stood still in surprise. Truthfully, she hadn’t been thinking about saving the world.

At least, not yet. Her first priority was survival. But the power to eventually save the world—that, she needed. She needed the strength to survive in this nightmare. The strength to protect others.

She glanced quietly at Shizuka, who was still playing the role of the team’s mascot.

“Meow meow meow?”

She still looked completely clueless. Was Busujima really discussing how to save the world with Mr. Demon?

Demon? Save the world? Put together like that, it sounded like some sort of absurd joke. Yet the Demon had actually proposed serious plans. He must be… a good person!

Shizuka’s eyes lit up as if she’d made a grand realization.

Without someone to watch over her, Shizuka wouldn’t just be killed by the undead—she might be killed by human survivors. And in some ways, that might be worse.

Humanity in the apocalypse…

Saeko sighed quietly, then declared firmly, “I’ll take the second plan.”

The power to grow strong enough to save the world—surely that would be enough to survive.

“So quick to decide? Aren’t you going to ask what the cost is?”

Her gaze remained calm. Not even the mention of cost stirred her expression. She’d learned at five that nothing came for free. Especially not when dealing with a demon.

Shizuka gasped. “Eh? There’s a cost?”

Some people near thirty still didn’t understand what she’d learned as a child.

Ignoring Shizuka, Saeko met Lynn’s eyes and said with resolve,

“If you find me worthy, you can take everything from me—my body, my soul, my emotions, even my memories.”

All she needed was power. Enough to survive. Enough to protect her friends. Even if it meant giving up everything. And if she did grow strong enough, perhaps saving the world could come as a bonus.

Lynn was silent for a moment before grinning. “That’s quite the resolve. But don’t worry. All I need… is you.”

Saeko blinked in surprise, then smiled radiantly. “Thank you for finding me worthy. From now on, I am yours.”