Intermission

Suppose Someone Actually Said the Thing Time Travelers Always Say

“Dammit, Seta! Another all-night bender? You’re supposed to deliver a report today!”

“Ugh, Director Ishikura.”

“‘Ugh,’ my foot! You’ve been slacking off!”

“Have not! That last experiment was a success! I’ve earned a little R & R!”

“Geez. That’s why they call you the emperor of the night, or the demon lord. Don’t overdo it!”

“Who calls me that?! Last I heard, they were just playing on Seta and calling me Satan.”

“Akizuki and Eung.”

“Oh, the genius duo… ‘Demon lord’? Like one of the lab chief’s games?”

“Well, if you don’t want them calling you that, trying sleeping at night.”

“Director, I successfully made it rain! And you want me to plunge right into the next experiment?”

“Yes. Apparently, our final goal is to summon meteors.”

“Meteors? What possible use could that be?”

“Resource collection! Rare metals and the like…apparently. Good, right? Securing resources will help with your goal of stopping global warming, right?”

“Meteors seem so roundabout. It would be a lot more efficient to just summon oil… Well, except the smell.”

“Orders from our sponsor. No griping! And compared with some other divisions, your targets are generous.”

“Other divisions? I hear we’ve got people working on probability manipulation and biological restoration…”

“That reminds me! You blow your presentation today, and you won’t get off with a mere written apology!”

“You mean our sponsor will be there? The president of that emerging world power? Oh man.”

“That’s why I’m telling you not to party all night! And comb that bedhead! It makes you look like you have horns!”

“You’re such a nag! That’s why everyone calls you a snake.”

“They what?! I’m not done talking, Seta! Come back here!”

“…an? Satan?”

“! Wh-what? Oh, you’re…”

On the mountain above the cave.

Clouds hung low overhead, and Lloyd had been practicing his new technique when he’d noticed Satan staring into the distance and gotten worried.

Satan shook his head and grinned once more.

“What’s the matter?” Lloyd asked. “Something on your mind?”

“Oh, just lost in thought. Well? Getting the hang of it?”

“Yes! If I wrap a storm around myself, then I can hit my opponent with all of that! It’s a really good idea. So far, I can only get the wind around me, but that’s enough to let me fly at will!”

“…I know this was my idea, but…is it really that easy? So be it! Keep at it, Lloyd!”

“Yes! Controlling Aero and this new move are both your doing, Satan! I can’t thank you enough!”

“Y-yeah! Ha-ha-ha! Acquire new moves and prove yourself worthy of serving me!”

Satan didn’t seem used to being thanked and blushed slightly. Then he spread his hands like he had the world in his clutches.

Lloyd definitely wasn’t grasping what he meant by “serve,” so he just said, “I’ll do my best to serve!” He assumed it was some sort of teacher-student thing.

“Maybe this way, I won’t be such a liability in combat! Even in the village! I can fight off monsters with Chief Alka and Grandpa Pyrid!”

Alka— That name made Satan turn pale.

“A-Al…Alka?!”

“Chief Alka’s really incredible. She’s the one who taught me the rune to summon rain! She can even make meteors fall!”

“……”

“And… Satan?”

“…Ruka… That’s when… Eung and the president were…and then…”

“Satan?”

“…Oh, Lloyd. Just one question.”

“Yes! What is it?”

“What year is it?”