Once Sukuna got him and Delta into his pick up, he began the drive to Tokyo. As he drove back, he smiled with pride to himself that the Ten Shadows was doing its work. Agito and Mahoraga were just the trump cards he needed on top of his own.
It allowed him to hold his own and even press Makima the Control Devil. If not for her Contract with the Prime Minister of Japan she would have died many times in their fight. All he lost was an arm and that wasn't a loss as Delta got to eat it.
Through out the drive, Delta turned to him and she started licking his face clean.
"Delta, that is your blood, don't eat that."
"It is fine, Delta loves Master more."
'How can she be any more cute?'
"Tell me Delta, what did you think of my true form? Cool right?"
Delta nodded as she thought back to his true form.
"Master is cool, handsome, powerful, and like a Devil. You're like me, and your Cursed Energy is so cool. The way you sliced her apart, exploded her and stuff. I knew you weren't a weak human."
He could see her tail wagging and her eyes showing the admiration she had for him. It was similar to how Beam felt about Chainsaw Man as a Master to serve. Once he had that conversation with Delta, he made the rest of the drive and reached his house.
It was already quite late, so he was not sure if his dog sitter was still there. Knowing how her home life was, he was almost sure she was. When he reached his house and started pulling up, it was early morning as he had spent a long time in Hiroshima, then in Aokigahara Forest taming Mahoraga, and then Makima.
As he parked his pickup and he started to get out, the front door opened and his dog sitter came out. It was Kobeni Higashima who was born the same year as him just on January 25th.
They were nearly the same age since they were both born in 1977. She was one of the first people who signed up for his dog-sitting request because she was still in High School and he paid well when he was out hunting for a few days.
He paid 120 dollars a day to feed, walk, water, and clean up after his dogs. Since she was one of 10 siblings, she needed the extra money desperately. This was before her parents gave her the choice to be a Devil Hunter or a Sex Worker, but it wasn't far off.
When she saw him and Delta she smiled as he was always nice to her. However, she started turning beat red as he was shirtless with only his jacket. He had ripped his shirt when he transformed, but his pants had not ripped.
Just like Makima didn't get naked when he vaporized her, he didn't as well.
"W-w-w-where is your shirt?"
He smirked as he stood proud with his muscled chest exposed.
"I fought a strong Devil and didn't bring a change of clothes. Looks nice right?"
Delta nodded and gave a big thumbs up.
"DELTA LIKES IT!"
Kobeni shook her head as she tried to not start stuttering even worse. He then walked toward her and he started patting her shoulders and then her waist. She blushed as he was quite forward, but she didn't stop him.
She couldn't afford to lose this job with how her parents would react. Plus, he wasn't groping her.
"Are you eating ok? Your skin and bones and small."
She nodded with a fake smile.
"I eat ok, I am just skinny."
As she said that her stomach started grumbling. He sighed as he shook his head looking at her. Kobeni was the textbook definition of malnutrition and neglect since her parents favored her brother.
It was so bad they demanded she become a Sex Worker or Devil Hunter to send him to college.
"A slight breeze would knock you over girl. Are your parents taking your cash again?"
She didn't say it out loud, but the ashamed look on her face said it all.
"Kobeni."
She raised her hands and began shaking them like she usually did.
"It's fine, they need it more. I am just a waste of space after all."
Delta walked toward her and patted her head with her tail and ears drooping.
"Master, she is like a little sad puppy. I feel bad for her, what if a Devil eats her? We can't let that happen to her."
He felt the same way as Delta as he liked Kobeni.
"Come inside, I might as well feed you as I don't want you falling over."
As he opened the door, Kobeni was going to say that wasn't needed, but Delta picked her up by her shirt and dragged her inside. Once inside, Delta sat her at the table while Ryomen who was a good cook when he needed to be got ready to serve food.
As Kobeni sat at the table, Delta hugged her from behind as to Delta, Kobeni was like a sad little puppy that needed to be protected. Even the dogs came over to her to offer their support as they could sense how Kobeni was always sad.
If Ryomen was being honest he felt bad for her. Emotionally and Economically abused by her parents like some of his old Army buddies. Some joined to escape their families or try to make a future for themselves when they were hopeless.
While Delta and the dogs kept her company, he got to cooking so he pulled some ingredients to make Fried Chicken, Curry, and Rice. As he was getting that ready he turned to Kobeni who Delta was smothering in her breasts.
"Hey, Kobeni can I ask you something?"
She gasped as she pulled away and then turned to him.
"Yes."
"What do you want to do?"
She thought about it before smiling sadly.
"Go to College, but my parents say I am too stupid and I should just focus on sending my brother to College."
"For the love of God, your parents are trash."
She shook her head to try to make it clear that wasn't the case.
"No, they are trying their best, there are ten of us and he is the smart one, so it just makes sense, but-"
That was the telltale sign of abuse which she was. Even when she quit being a Devil Hunter, her boss slapped her because of her stutter. It was why he paid her so much out of pity, but it wasn't working.
"What do you think of becoming a Private Devil Hunter with me? I can teach you the ropes you can make enough money to not just separate yourself from your parents, but you can also help your siblings out."
Kobeni froze as being a Devil Hunter was scary and dangerous.
"But, I can die."
"You can die while crossing the street, you can die by accident, or killed by a Devil. Wouldn't taking the fight to the Devil's making money and taking your fate into your hands be better? If you need a Devil contract just make one with Delta and me too."
Kobeni froze as she looked at him seasoning the chicken. Once it was seasoned, and covered in panko,
"You're a Devil too?"
"You can think of me as one if you want, but would you rather make a contract with a Devil that will ask you to sacrifice parts of yourself or us who will only ask for some blood."
Kobeni turned to Delta who was smiling at her. She then remembered how Sukuna was always nice to her and he paid her a lot for just taking care of his dogs. She had seen how much money he made by Devil Hunting, but she was scared.
She was a coward who wasn't good for anything as her parents put it. She remembered what her Father told her last week.
'You so damn annoying, at least be of use for your brother. If you have to sell yourself sexually to that boss of yours, do it. Make him pay you at least and bring some use.'
It made her feel bad that her Father wanted her to sell herself to Ryomen.
"If I become a Devil Hunter, you will teach me?"
"I said I would didn't I? That way you can make enough money to buy food and clothes that are not hand-me-downs."
As he began to chop off the ingredients for the curry, wash the rice, and prepare the chicken she kept thinking about it. After a few minutes of quiet, she perked up.
"I WILL DO IT!"
The dogs started howling and Delta looked at her like a proud owner. As Ryomen saw that he almost laughed.
'Delta thinks of her as her pet. What would Kobeni think?'
When she noticed how loud she was, she turned bright red, but Ryomen came over and placed a plate of Fried Chicken, Rice, and Curry down.
"Here, eat and then you can make a contract with Delta. She is the Wolf Devil so she should be able to grant you a powerful body. In exchange, every time you use her power just a few drops of your blood should be fine.
Contracts don't have to be life-threatening, Devils just do that since they don't like humans. As for me, I will ask the same thing then you can access let's say my Cleave in a limited way. To use it, a few drops of blood will be fine, but our Binding Vow will be a bit different."
She saw him get serious so she sat up waiting for his answer.
"You can never tell anyone about my powers. You can never tell anyone that I was the one to give you this contract, and you have to take a vow of loyalty to me. Does that sound fair? If you agree, say I agree to the Binding Vow and Contract."
Kobeni thought about all of it and then nodded.
"I agree to the Binding Vow and Contract."
The moment she agreed, she felt a connection form to Delta and Sukuna. Through her contract with Delta, she would be able to access Delta's incredible strength and maybe more if she offered more of herself.
Through her Binding Vow with him, she could be able to use Cleave, but nowhere near as powerful as the original. More than likely she would only be able to launch a few slashes since she would become anemic to use it.
"There you are, now eat."
She picked up her fork as Sukuna preferred them to chopsticks. While she ate, he served himself and Delta food since just because they ate Devils, didn't mean they didn't like human food.
Once Kobeni finished eating, she even went for seconds showing just how truly hungry she was. When it was time for her to go, he offered to drive her home, but she chose to walk.
"No, I have troubled you enough. I can walk home."
She bowed before she left which made him shake her head.
'Honestly, that girl is so damn sad.'
"Oh well, I am making a difference after all."
Delta nodded.
"We have to make sure she lives since. She always smells sad and I don't like it. Like Makima said, I like humans, but not as much as she does."
"I like her since she is adorable to tease, plus, if I teach her right she has more potential than she realizes. Now then, want to go out to get me a suit for my meal with Makima?"
"OK!"
Once he cleaned up, Sukuna prepared to go to one of the more expensive stores to buy himself a good suit. He would show off since this meal wasn't just going to be a meal, it a determine if they fought to the death or agreed to get along.
A fist date with Makima of course was going to be dangerous and he was here for it since danger was just another form of fun.