The Demon Gets a Phone... For Some Reason

Kenzo cursed inwardly as he crossed the border into the Neutral Grounds and the sense of his magic vanished. Unlike when he went to get his passport, he would not be able to rely on the intimidation factor of his magic to push his way to the head of the line. For today was the day he got himself an iLac. All his guildmates had one, and he felt left out, though he could not see the purpose of the device. After a while, he could stand it no longer. He had to get one himself and see what all the fuss was about.

To that end, here he was in the Neutral Grounds, seeking out the factory that would give him an iLac. Fortunately for him, the crowds weren't as thick as they were in Hargeon. He couldn't summon his aura of heat to push people out of his way. Instead, he relied on his natural intimidation. It wasn't as effective as magic, but a tall man wearing a militaristic uniform striding along with a firm gait and a figurative thunderhead on his brow was sufficient to clear the way enough for him to walk along uncontested.

After half an hour's searching, he finally found the proper factory. There was a long line, but this time Kenzo had expected it and planned ahead. It was just after the factory opened its doors, and he had plenty of time. A happy coincidence was that the iLac wasn't as popular an item as a passport, and the line was considerably shorter. He had no problem waiting for this one.

He got in line, then pulled out his secret weapon. A tome with no magical properties, so it wasn't negated by the anti-magic field around the Neutral Grounds. The only magic it possessed was the power to give knowledge, and that was good enough for Kenzo. It was a book of magic theory, specifically dealing with rune magic. The Demon Slayer found it of considerable interest, and an idea tickled at the back of his mind whenever he read it. He'd found the tome in an abandoned library, as well as a few others that contributed to his interest.

Thus with a book to read and pass the time, Kenzo needed only to keep half an eye on the line and take a step forward whenever the young woman in front of him did. After some time went by, he noticed that said woman was making coy glances over her shoulder at him, then quickly looking away and making a pretense of rearranging her hair, ensuring it framed her fulsome face and generous bosom in an attractive way. The Demon Slayer sighed and shook his head to himself. He supposed he was reasonably attractive, enough to draw attention. He was tall and well-built, with piercing, discerning golden eyes and long hair that some women found appealing. He was also wearing a uniform, which made any man or woman look good, and was reading from a large book with a fancy leatherbound cover that was probably making him look intelligent. The fact that he was ignoring the woman likely also contributed.

With another inward sigh, he stole a glance at the woman. He supposed she was also reasonably attractive, but there was a problem. He was already spoken for, so to speak. He didn't consider his relationship with Illya to be official or anything, but he liked her, and he thought she liked him in return, and he didn't want to betray her trust. So he rebuffed the woman's advances by dint of ignoring them for his book, and in time she'd collected her iLac and left, looking somewhat disappointed. Then it was Kenzo's turn, and he stowed away his book for the time being and too collected his device. Then it was time to return home.