Maou smiled down at Urushihara, his teeth glinting hungrily. "Relax. I know where we're goin' this time. We're just . . . makin' a little detour first."

He finished his statement with the air of a yakuza boss, rolling the mystery around with his tongue like he were enjoying a particularly delicious poison. There was a layer of comfort lying beneath his tone, which begged the question: which was the lie?

(The answer: neither.)