"What? Father called us to come home?" Sakura asked, shocked.
Asahi nodded heavily. "Yeah. He wants us to come back immediately. I tried to resist, but I couldn't. And it seems he already knows what happened to us."
Sakura fell silent, her face showing both reluctance and annoyance.
She didn't want to go back yet. Amon's business wasn't finished, and leaving everything behind like this made her uneasy.
Seeing this, Amon patted them reassuringly on the shoulders. "It's okay. Go back home first. I can handle this myself."
Sakura and Asahi exchanged embarrassed glances. Asahi cleared her throat and said softly, "Even if you say it's okay, it doesn't feel right. I'd be going against our father's wishes. So… you—"
Before she could finish, Amon pressed her shoulders firmly and said, "Asahi, don't worry. Honestly, you and Sakura have already helped me so much. That's more than enough to repay anything I've done for you. Just go back, okay?"
He didn't want their relationship with their father damaged because of his business.
He wasn't cruel. Besides, the two of them had been a huge help—especially in finding his aunt.
Asahi, whose shoulders Amon held, felt intensely embarrassed. It was the first time a man had touched her like that.
Earlier, Amon had called her name in a commanding tone, making her heart race.
She wasn't the type to be easily flustered, yet Amon's presence was overwhelming. He was tall—the tallest man she'd ever met.
Firm, strong, and exuding a mysterious aura, he made everyone around him feel both safe and comfortable.
Sakura puffed out her cheeks in a pout. She didn't know why, but seeing them so close made her a little jealous.
"O-Okay, I understand. Thank you for worrying about me," Asahi whispered shyly.
Amon noticed what she was thinking and couldn't help but smile.
After exchanging a few more words, Asahi and Sakura decided to leave immediately. Before going, Asahi handed Amon a gold-colored card.
Inside was one million Loran—a huge sum. At first, Amon wanted to refuse it, but Asahi insisted he accept it.
In the end, he kept it, promising himself that he would return it in the future.
Once they left, Amon turned to Robert and clasped his hands together.
"Thank you, Detective Robert. I will repay your kindness in the future," he said, bowing slightly.
Although he was the king of hell, on this earth he appeared as an ordinary man, unaware of much.
There was no harm in keeping an open relationship with Robert. Perhaps one day, he might need his help.
Robert smiled, drew on his cigarette, and exhaled the smoke.
"It's fine, kid. I did it because it's my job. By the way, I've been looking into you and found your name on the lost people list. That list first appeared ten years ago."
His eyes narrowed, carrying a weight of unspoken meaning.
"Lost people" was the name given to those swallowed by dimensional rifts or dungeons that appeared without warning.
Most of them had vanished ten years ago—right when the first dimensional rift appeared on this earth.
At that time, no one knew what was happening, so there were many victims. But over the next decade, safety protocols were implemented, and such incidents became rare.
Amon wasn't surprised by Robert's words. He had expected this to come up.
After all, Robert was a detective—it was natural that he would know about Amon's past.
"Yes, I am that missing person—Yagami Kishima," he admitted openly.
Robert studied him for a moment, then offered a small smile.
"Your life back then must have been incredibly hard. Congratulations—you've returned to this world."
Amon was taken aback by the words. He looked at Robert, still smiling warmly.
A strange warmth flowed through him. His life had indeed been full of hardship.
A thousand years… for a thousand years he had waited for the chance to return to earth.
During that time, every morning, afternoon, and night was spent hunting weaker demons.
He had a single goal: to become strong enough to survive in hell on his own.
Of course, it had not been easy. Nearly a hundred—no, thousands—of times he had faced death.
Without his perseverance, reaching his current position would have been impossible.
And Robert's words made him feel… happy. They felt like a reward for all the effort and suffering he had endured.
With a faint smile, he whispered, "Thank you…"
...
"Hah… I'm exhausted. Today's work was endless."
An attractive adult woman muttered weakly, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
Her face was nearly flawless, though faint lines of fatigue on her forehead and cheeks slightly softened her charm.
Her cream-colored hair was braided and draped over her right shoulder. A small pink ribbon tied to the braid added a touch of cuteness.
She wore a white shirt that accentuated her curves, but a brown apron covering the front partially concealed her beauty.
"Minami, have you taken out the trash? If so, head to the back warehouse. I need plastic cups for the customers. Hurry—the line's already long."
A cold female voice came from behind her.
Minami turned to see a woman with short brown hair staring at her with indifference.
"I… understand. I'll be right there," Minami replied nervously.
The woman nodded and returned to the restaurant.
Minami felt a twinge of annoyance but could do nothing. She was a new part-timer, not a permanent employee.
Meanwhile, the woman's senior colleague at the restaurant often piled her with exhausting tasks.
'This is what I have to do… all for the sake of those two girls,' she whispered to herself.
As she started walking toward the back, a sudden pat on her shoulder made her jump.
She spun around and saw three muscular men with rough, thuggish appearances grinning at her.
"Who… who are you?" Minami asked cautiously, taking a step back.
"Hehehe…" The man in the middle leered at her from head to toe. "Don't be afraid, beautiful. We just want to take you out for a drink at the nearest club. How about it?"
Minami's face went pale, and she stepped back again, her eyes wide with terror.
'Somebody… please…' she whispered, her voice trembling. 'Help me!'