Amon, Sakura, and Asahi stepped out of the dungeon.
Right outside, guards holding long-barreled weapons stood at a post not far from the door, patrolling the area. There were four of them in total, keeping watch over the surroundings.
"Wait a minute, Amon. I'll handle the guards first," Asahi said confidently.
Amon nodded slightly. "Thank you."
He knew she wanted to help him avoid the guards' suspicion and scrutiny.
But how? Amon had no idea. Maybe his guess was right—Asahi and Sakura really were the direct daughters of the Maeda family.
Once Asahi walked off, only Sakura and Amon remained. Sakura looked at him, guilt written all over her face.
Her mouth opened and closed, as if she wanted to speak but couldn't.
"What's wrong? Do you want to say something?" Amon asked curiously.
Sakura froze at his question, then lowered her head shyly, looking away.
"It's just…" She bit her lower lip before whispering, "I want to thank you. And I also want to apologize for my bad attitude. You saved me and my sister, yet I stayed wary of you the whole time. I... I'm really sorry."
She bowed toward him. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, as if they would fall if he didn't forgive her.
Amon was taken aback. He stared at her trembling form before letting out a small sigh.
"All right, I understand. It's okay. Don't bow like that—there are a lot of people watching, you know?"
Sakura was stunned. When she lifted her head and glanced around, sure enough—many eyes were fixed on her, filled with pity and curiosity.
Her face turned as red as a tomato, and white smoke seemed to rise from her body.
"I... I..."
She stammered, unable to find the words.
Amon chuckled softly and patted her right shoulder.
Black light flowed from his hand, spreading throughout Sakura's body.
The panic and fear that had gripped her moments ago slowly faded, and she regained her composure.
"Don't apologize to me," Amon said casually. "I understand your situation. When you faced that terrifying incident and someone suddenly came to help, it's natural to be suspicious of their intentions. I don't blame you—in fact, I get it. So, relax."
He didn't find Sakura's reaction annoying. What she did was only natural.
In hell, Amon had never trusted anyone—not even the demons who showed him kindness.
Hell had its own rules; trust and friendship were never completely pure.
Even after uniting hell, he still held on to that principle.
Except for Morrigan, Azura, and a few truly loyal demons, Amon trusted no one else.
"Amon..."
Sakura was so touched that tears fell from the corner of her right eye.
"Tsk! What are you two talking about? And Sakura, why are you crying? Could it be that you..."
Asahi's playful voice shattered the warm moment.
Sakura froze, her face turning red all the way to her ears.
"Y-You misunderstood! Amon and I weren't talking about that!"
She waved her hands frantically. But Asahi just smiled knowingly, as if to say, "I understand."
Sakura was deeply annoyed, but there was nothing she could do except look away in embarrassment.
Amon just smiled as he watched the two sisters interact. For some reason, they reminded him of Morrigan and Azura.
The sisters, with their contrasting personalities, often argued, and watching them always made Amon feel relaxed.
Asahi giggled and decided not to tease her sister anymore.
She turned to Amon and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Don't worry. I've informed the guards about you. You can leave without going through security or inspection," she said cheerfully.
Amon gave a slight nod. "Thank you. I owe you both a debt of gratitude."
Asahi laughed again, waving her hand.
"Don't mention it. You saved me and my sister from ruin. We should be the ones thanking you."
All of this had happened because of her mistake—she had brought Sakura, who had just awakened her powers, into the dungeon.
By chance, Sakura was inexperienced and too trusting, especially of strangers—two burly men and a fat one.
Unexpectedly, the three turned out to be evil, aiming to destroy their innocence.
Luckily, Amon appeared and saved them. Otherwise, the incident would have left a regret that could never be undone.
Amon said nothing. He had helped Sakura and Asahi purely on impulse.
At that moment, he thought he was in another world, not Earth.
But he was wrong—he was indeed on Earth, only it had transformed into something completely different from what he had imagined.
"Oh, right. What's your plan, Amon?" Asahi changed the subject. "Do you remember your family?"
Since Amon knew nothing about this world's conditions, Asahi assumed he was someone who had gone missing when the world underwent a major change ten years ago.
"Family, huh?" Amon furrowed his brow.
He had no family left except his aunt. Only ten years had passed, and by common sense, she should still be alive.
But the changes on Earth made that possibility unlikely.
It wasn't impossible that she had fallen victim to a monster attack.
Taking a deep breath, he looked intently into Asahi's eyes and said in a serious voice, "There's one person who is very important to me. But I have no way of finding her. Can you… help me?"
A flash of embarrassment crossed his eyes. Asking someone else for help was shameful—at least for him, the demon king.
Asahi couldn't hide her smile. Beaming, she said confidently, "Don't worry—I'll help you find the person you're looking for. I'll keep searching until I do."
Amon felt a faint stirring inside him. He looked at her earnest, sincere expression.
A smile bloomed unconsciously on his face as he whispered softly, "Thank you."