The hour had already begun its steady crawl toward late afternoon by the time Al and his entourage descended toward the lobby of the Alasia Group's branch office.

The mellow amber glow of the sun—slowly sinking toward the horizon—filtered through the vast glass walls, scattering warm reflections across the polished surface of the pale-gray marble floor that gleamed like still water.

The atmosphere inside the building had grown noticeably quieter.

Several employees had just finished their work, others were packing their bags, and the soft hum of the air-conditioning combined with scattered footsteps created a tranquil, almost ceremonial backdrop.

Al and the others had spent the last several hours discussing spiritual threats—most notably Al's intention to 'educate' Daraka and the Norvalien family with a lesson they would not soon forget.

And now, with the meeting wrapped up, it was time for Al to 'return home' and resume the façade of the dutiful son of the Virellano family.

Al walked at the front alongside Ai, while Sebastian, Reina, and Hans followed a short distance behind.

A formation of bodyguards trailed them, creating a dominant and unmistakably disciplined procession that naturally drew attention.

As they passed through the lounge area, a number of employees instinctively paused in their activities.

Curious glances flickered their way—several wondering who the young man in a school uniform was, walking so casually and so closely beside the CEO.

Most of them, of course, had no idea who Al truly was.

Alasia Group was not entirely staffed by Al's own people—or, more precisely, by DIAR.

The majority of the employees were ordinary locals, recruited without ever being informed that the corporation they had joined was secretly controlled by entities as dangerous as the DIAR.

This was not merely an act of disguise.

It was a practical necessity—a workforce requirement—as well as a deliberate strategy to integrate Alasia Group into society and bridge the DIAR's existence with the human world in a sustainable way.

These employees would one day become the very first witnesses to the truth: that Alasia was, in reality, an organization of DIAR.

They would become the first gauge—the test of whether humans could accept the DIAR's presence after years of sharing the same workplace, struggles, and successes.

But for now, only five years had passed.

For Al and for Alasia as a whole, such a short span of time was nowhere near enough to reveal their true nature.

Especially not when the magic associations were relentlessly monitoring every single movement the DIAR made.

Revealing themselves now would be far too great a risk.

And so, no employee dared speak out of turn.

None dared stare too long.

They simply bowed slightly in respect as the group passed.

Al and the others reached the front entrance, where the company car was already parked, engine running, prepared to take him home.

"Hmph… I suppose that's enough for today," Al remarked casually to Ai. "Time for me to go back and continue my very special mission over there."

Ai's reluctance was subtle, yet unmistakable—an unwillingness to part with him even for a moment.

But there was nothing she could do except lower her gaze and reply softly,

"As you wish, Master."

She wanted to bow properly—deeply, the way she always did in private—but the watching eyes of the employees made such a gesture impossible.

All she could manage was a small incline of her head, something that resembled a polite nod more than a servant's salute.

Al let out a light chuckle.

"Relax. I'm still under police supervision, remember? I'll have to stay close to you for a while."

His tone was comforting, teasing even.

"So that means we're going to have plenty of opportunities to meet again after this."

Hearing that, Ai instantly remembered the situation and her expression brightened.

"Understood, Master," she answered, her voice carrying an excited tremor. "Then I'll make all the necessary preparations right away."

Al nodded lightly.

He instinctively raised his hand, almost patting her hair as he always did—only to stop himself at the last second, remembering where they were and who was watching.

Ai noticed the aborted gesture.

A faint restlessness flickered in her eyes, the disappointment soft but present.

Even so, she chose not to make an issue of it; she simply responded with another small nod.

Al let out a faint exhale.

"Well then, we'll be going," he said.

He turned toward Sebastian. "Come on, Sebastian."

Sebastian nodded and moved forward.

"As you command, Master."

Al pivoted and began walking toward the car at an unhurried pace, throwing a casual remark over his shoulder,

"Reina, Hans—make sure she doesn't do anything ridiculous, okay?" he said, deliberately teasing Ai.

Ai's face tightened into an adorable scowl, a trace of annoyance slipping through, while Reina and Hans couldn't help letting out small, amused laughs.

"Of course, Master," they replied in unison.

And the car drove away.

Ai and her group remained at the entrance, watching the vehicle until it completely disappeared from view—almost as if the simple act of seeing him off felt like something precious that deserved ceremony.

Even after the car vanished, Ai lifted her hand and swiped it gently through the air, brushing through the faint residue of Al's energy and presence still lingering there before it dissipated.

She closed her fingers slightly, as if feeling those remaining traces in her palm.

Reina and Hans exchanged warm, knowing smiles.

To ordinary people, Ai's reaction might look excessive.

But to those who knew how Al had been the very reason Ai was still alive, it was not only understandable—it was inevitable.

"Even his lingering scent in the air—look at you, Queen. You really can't bring yourself to let it fade away anymore, can you?" Reina teased lightly.

"That's our Queen," Hans added in an easygoing tone. "The most loyal person in the entire world when it comes to her Master."

Ai let out a small laugh—gentle, yet overflowing with meaning.

Her gaze drifted toward the now-empty road ahead, and a quiet smile blossomed on her lips.

Her thoughts had already drifted far away, piercing through the present and reaching into the depths of memory.

---

Flashback

Several years ago, in the Dimension of Azzaleth…

A realm where time twisted beyond reason—one hour there felt like a hundred in the human dimension.

Ai, only eight years old back then, was almost unrecognizable compared to the woman she would become.

Her body was painfully thin, bones jutting out beneath dull, wounded skin. Her hair was damaged—patchy, uneven, some parts growing, others no longer capable of it.

Her face was asymmetrical, warped with unnatural swelling, as if tumors had grown unchecked.

Her breathing was always ragged, sometimes hitching due to lingering poison or unresolved internal injuries.

She looked more grotesque and terrifying than the beasts or djinn that roamed Azzaleth.

In that realm… she was no one.

No—not even that.

She was nothing but a lost creature, surviving by chewing on beast carcasses and wild, half-poisonous plants.

Poisoning, infections, starvation, insect bites, underground toxic fumes—they were her everyday companions.

She had lived nearly three months in Azzaleth time.

It was a miracle she hadn't died.

Though, many times, she wanted to die… but some deep part of her was afraid, as though she still had something left unfinished in the world.

She no longer remembered the warmth of restful sleep.

She no longer remembered what dreaming felt like.

Every day was nothing but survival.

Every night was nothing but hiding—from beasts, from djinn, from anything that could crush her effortlessly.

In the damp, mossy, suffocating caverns where light barely reached, Ai had become something feral.

Even her ability to speak properly had begun to fade.

Until one day… when she had finally reached despair.

A massive beast appeared—four eyes, eight legs, its roar strong enough to make the ground tremble. Ai simply stared.

No running.

No hiding.

Not even tears.

The monster lunged, slamming her around the ground like a cat toying with a dying mouse.

Her bones felt like they were shattering, her senses fading, her tiny body tossed around until she hit the ground hard.

She knew this was the end.

Her gaze drifted to the long, endless night sky above, and she whispered in a frail, broken voice:

"After surviving this far… I'm really going to die here, huh… I couldn't even… get revenge on them, haha."

Words that should never come from the lips of an eight-year-old child.

The beast approached, jaws open wide, ready to devour the pitiful, deformed girl lying helplessly in the dirt.

Ai stared blankly.

Fear existed—yes—but her will to live had been worn thin long ago.

"If I die, then… I hope in my next life…"

"…I'll have someone whose hand I can hold… someone who will protect me from the world's cruelty… someone who…"

But before she could finish that faint, trembling wish—

BRAK! BRUK!BRAK! BRUK!

SLASH!SLASH!

Strange sounds echoed through the clearing. Ai didn't understand. She fell still.

The monster's breath stopped.

The crushing aura vanished.

Slowly—painfully—she lifted her neck, practically broken, just enough to see.

Her vision was blurry, fading, but she caught a silhouette.

A boy—skinny, dirty, ragged—but surrounded by a strange aura that made the dying world around him feel… more alive.

She didn't know if he was some kind of djinn.

But despite everything, she felt he was human.

The boy drove a black blade deeper into the beast's body before pulling it out.

That alone shocked Ai.

Through the ringing in her ears and her blurring sight, she forced her fading focus—and indeed, the beast was lying lifeless, its body being cut open by the boy as if he were searching for something inside it.

When he found a purple crystal, he pulled it out, turned toward her, and smiled.

That smile…

"After almost half a year… I finally found another human," he said with innocent relief.

"I'm really happy."

He extended his hand.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked gently.

Ai didn't know why, but tears spilled down her dirty, wounded cheeks.

Her trembling hand—always filthy, always injured—reached out and touched his.

It was warm.

A warmth that made her want to live again.

But her consciousness didn't last long.

She passed out, utterly vulnerable, not knowing whether this stranger intended to help her or abandon her.

Yet somehow… she smiled.

A relieved, peaceful smile.

A long time passed before she woke up.

When she finally did, she was lying in a warm, sheltered place. There was a bed, a table, a chair, some simple furniture—not luxurious, but human.

A place so shockingly different from the freezing, rocky caves she had been clinging to life in.

Beside her sat the same boy who had saved her.

She didn't know what to do.

She barely remembered how to interact with another person.

Her distrust toward djinn extended equally toward humans—both had only ever caused her suffering. In her eyes, they were the same.

The boy introduced himself—Al.

A young human who had been trapped there far longer than she had.

He didn't ask Ai to trust him.

He simply showed her—through actions—that he could be trusted.

Especially in a foreign world where the two of them were the only humans… and had no one but each other.

Slowly, Al brought her with him on his journeys—searching for a way out, teaching her, showing her glimpses of light, giving her knowledge, survival skills, a sense of direction.

Ai felt guilty at first.

She owed him her life—she felt she should sacrifice herself to repay him.

She saw herself only as a burden with her weak, sickly body.

But that desire to repay him eventually deepened into something else.

The longer they stayed together, the more she saw herself reflected in Al.

Two souls who still had reasons to live—though their reasons were drastically different.

Al lived for the people he loved, whom he desperately wanted to return to.

Ai lived for the people she wanted to destroy.

Al was strong, capable—someone to rely on.

Ai could do nothing except survive.

But when she understood him more… she realized something.

Al was an incredibly lazy young man.

He lived alone for so long that he could hunt food but was too lazy to cook it;

he was often filthy because he was too lazy to wash his clothes;

he needed plenty of sleep, but had to constantly stay alert.

Ai discovered one weakness she could fill.

His laziness.

And if she wanted that lazy man to enjoy his laziness even in the middle of that harsh, unforgiving life… she made a decision.

A decision strange enough that even Al questioned her sanity.

She offered herself—no, insisted—to become his servant.

His slave.

A role she claimed not out of humiliation, but out of determination.

The insistence from Ai was so overwhelming that Al had no choice but to accept.

And from that moment… Al became her master.

A master forced into the role by a girl who had decided she would dedicate her life—body and soul—to him.

---

Back to the present.

Ai smiled softly as she gazed up at the sky, its colors bleeding into a warm, expansive orange.

How could I ever be anything but loyal to him… when he was the one who dragged me out of that hell and gave me a life worth living? she thought.

She turned toward her subordinates, her expression calm yet carrying a piercing sharpness beneath the surface.

"'Loyal' and 'faithful' are nowhere near enough to describe what I feel toward him."

A faint smile curled on her lips—warm in shape, ruthless in tone.

"Because I don't need to be loyal to him… I belong to him. And I always will."

Hans and Reina chuckled quietly, exchanging a knowing glance before nodding.

They felt it too—that same indescribable bond with Al.

The same man who had saved their lives in ways no one else ever could.

"I agree," Reina said softly.

Hans nodded again, firm yet gentle.

Together, the three of them walked back inside, a wave of nostalgia accompanying each step.

Every one of them knew: their true journey had barely even begun.

Yet all of it—every victory, every loss, every future they now dared to hope for—had started from a single, simple encounter in Azzaleth.

From the small, outstretched hand of a boy who had redefined the meaning of 'life' for a group of once-dying souls…

and for a little girl who had since grown into the woman standing here now.

--

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