"When will you leave?" I asked, not bothering to mask the irritation in my voice.
"Oi, oi, Leon-kun. You're hurting my feelings here. I just arrived, you know."
Sitting in front of me, acting like this was some kind of business meeting, with an annoying smirk on his face.
"Tch," I muttered, leaning back in my chair.
I could already feel a headache starting, but at the same time, his visit could be the perfect opportunity to figure out more about the supernatural world around me. I had some knowledge from the anime, sure, but let's be real, I knew nothing beyond the surface level. And Azazel? He was the real deal.
"Tell me, why are you really here? Oh wait—don't tell me, I think I know why," I said, raising a hand.
Azazel is still there with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Of course, he was here. After all, he mentioned that I am the most interesting thing to him at the moment.
I sighed.
"So what's the deal with you being a shareholder in my company?"
"That? Oh, that goes way back. I was around when the Mishima Corporation was just getting off the ground. Actually, I knew your grandfather personally."
What.
"Wait, you knew grandpa?" I asked, sitting up straighter.
My grandfather? Of course, Azazel knew him. Honestly, I should've seen that coming. The old man was a legend, even before I got reincarnated. Takeshi Mishima, founder of the Mishima Corporation, feared across boardrooms and back alleys alike. The kind of guy who made CEOs sweat and shadowy figures from the underworld negotiate instead of threaten.
Unfortunately, he died of old age a few years ago.
Still, it made sense now. Azazel being part of that picture? Yeah. That tracked.
Azazel smiled fondly, like he was reminiscing about an old drinking buddy. "Oh, Takeshi was a riot. Brutally efficient, completely ruthless, and way too smart for his own good. Had a mouth worse than yours, too. You'd have gotten along... eventually."
Takeshi Mishima had literally danced with devils, and also with fallen angels. Maybe he even danced with angels and gods.
"I always figured there was something more behind the way we operated," I muttered.
Our company's reach was too perfect, too comprehensive. We had branches in places that made no logical sense from a purely business standpoint. And the way our security operated... there were patterns I'd noticed but couldn't explain. Until now.
Azazel chuckled. "You think a company like Mishima just survives in the supernatural world by accident? No. Your grandfather made a deal—a smart one."
"Let me guess. He made friends with the monsters?"
"Not quite," Azazel said, leaning in with a grin. "He made business partners out of them."
He paused dramatically before continuing, clearly enjoying himself.
"See, normally, a human corporation with this much wealth and influence would've been absorbed into a supernatural faction decades ago. Devils, fallen, even a few gods—they'd fight over it, break it apart, use it for their own agendas."
"Sounds about right."
"But Takeshi? He flipped the script. He got all those factions to agree to a pact. Instead of trying to take over Mishima Corp, they'd buy in. Become shareholders. Each one gets a piece of the pie, no one starts a war, and the company stays 'neutral ground.'"
I blinked. "So… the Mishima Corporation is a supernatural joint venture now?"
"More like a supernatural stock market. And your family holds the majority stake."
I took a moment to let that sink in. My grandfather had connections to the supernatural world? That certainly explained a few things. To be honest, I was also puzzled about how this company managed to be the best in the world without any supernatural involvement.
Azazel grinned. "Your family's company is the Switzerland of the supernatural world. Profitable neutrality. And believe me, it's very profitable."
I slumped back in my chair, with everything making sense.
"And you're one of those shareholders?"
"Of course," he said proudly. "Been one since the beginning. I helped draft the damn charter."
Of course he did.
Supernatural politics disguised as economics.
"Do my parents know about any of this?" I asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
Azazel shook his head. "Doubt it. One of Takeshi's conditions was to keep this arrangement strictly off the family radar. He didn't want them tangled up in the supernatural side of things unless absolutely necessary."
"Right... "
To be honest, I am currently amazed at my grandpa, how he managed to do this while being a normal person, I have no idea.
"Still… gods and angels exist too, huh?"
"Oh, they're very real," Azazel said, nodding seriously.
"So… how does it all work?"
Azazel leaned back, crossing his legs as if settling in for a lecture. His eyes gleamed with that peculiar mix of ancient wisdom and mischief.
"The supernatural world operates like an ecosystem," he explained, gesturing with his hands. "Different factions, different agendas, different powers—all competing and sometimes cooperating for influence and resources."
"Like businesses," I offered.
"Exactly like businesses, which is why your grandfather's approach was so brilliant. He understood the language we all speak—power and profit."
I drummed my fingers on the desk. "So these factions—devils, fallen angels, gods—they're all just... hanging around Earth?"
Azazel laughed. "Not exactly. Most supernatural entities have their own realms or territories. Think of them as... different countries with their own borders, governments, and laws. Heaven, the Underworld, Asgard, and various realms exist adjacent to the human world."
"And they cross over?"
"Constantly," he nodded. "Some more openly than others. Most supernatural entities can move between realms with varying degrees of difficulty. Devils tend to be more active in human affairs than angels these days. Gods are... selective about their interventions."
"Which brings us back to your company."
"How so?"
"The Mishima Corporation sits at a unique intersection. It has legitimate business power in the human world and recognized neutrality in the supernatural one. That makes it invaluable." He gestured around at my office. "This building alone probably has representatives from a dozen different supernatural factions working in it, all maintaining the balance your grandfather established."
I nearly choked. "People in my company are supernatural beings?"
"Some," Azazel nodded. "Others are just humans with connections. Your HR director? Completely normal human. Your head of security? Full-blooded devil from a minor house. The cleaning lady on the executive floor? A kitsune who's been with the company since your grandfather's time."
My head was spinning. I'd been surrounded by supernatural entities this whole time without realizing it. No wonder some of them smelled weird.
I couldn't help but clench my fist, realizing how oblivious I had been to my surroundings. This is unacceptable.
"And they all just... work together? No problems?"
"Oh, there are problems," Azazel chuckled. "Supernatural politics don't disappear just because everyone's wearing suits instead of armor. But the incentive to maintain the arrangement is strong. Mishima Corp provides benefits that no faction wants to lose."
"Like what?"
"Access to cutting-edge human technology without supernatural fingerprints. Discreet financial services that work across realms. A neutral ground for meetings. Information networks. And, of course, profit." He shrugged. "Money talks, even to gods."
Great
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