Sano Yuka's eyes widened in shock, her breath hitching slightly in her throat.
This was the very first time she had ever laid eyes on something —someone who bore two completely different wings.
On one side, the wings were unmistakably from the Sarushima Clan, carrying that same aura and grandeur unique only to them. On the other side, however, stretched a fallen angel's darkened wing, ominous and corrupted, carrying with it a dreadful sense of blasphemy.
It was unnatural. Something that had no right to exist in the world.
She had heard rumors before—that Kouhei possessed the ability to generate holy power. But this? This went beyond anything she imagined. She never thought he would literally embody it, as though his very being was both part demon and part fallen. Thɪs chapter is updated by novelFɪre.net
Angels, as well as fallen angels, were beings who could harness holy power. It was their ultimate weapon, a force capable of cutting through demons as if they were nothing more than fragile shells. It was absolute.
Holy power could burn away defenses, melting through even the strongest of barriers given enough time. There was nothing fair about it. It was overwhelming, brutal, and inescapable.
Demons had no true counter against it. It was the very core of their weakness, no matter how powerful or cunning they might be.
From the very beginning, demons were born into disadvantage. The battlefield was never even.
That was why the war between demons and angels had always been at a standstill.
The only edge demons had ever been able to cling to was sheer numbers. Endless hordes. Entire legions. But even then, defeat still clung to them like an inescapable shadow.
And now, standing before her, Kouhei embodied both the bloodline of a great clan and the essence of a fallen. He was something rare—something terrifying.
Her eyes sharpened, her entire body instinctively on edge.
"Are you planning to use that power against me?" Yuka asked, her voice steady, but her eyes were wary. "You could easily erase us from this place with just a flick of your fingers. I'd have no chance to escape, and even my faction members would be useless against you. Like me, they're not fighters when it comes to physical combat. If you're really going that far, then I'll have no choice but to undo the spell I cast on you." Her lips curled into a thin smile, though her tone was edged with warning. "But understand this—removing that spell carries its own consequences. The tension it'll create between the great families won't be something you can just brush aside."
She snapped her fingers sharply, the sound echoing like a crack in the tense air, then shifted her gaze toward the camera placed nearby.
"With modern technology, do you know how easily I could report all of this to the world?" she continued, her voice cool and deliberate. "I could spin this however I wanted. 'The leader of the Kouhei Faction, the Child of Anti-Prophecy, invading our territory and trying to attack us.' A simple narrative. The truth could be twisted in whatever way suited me. Because misguided, manipulated information is still information. And you, of all people, should understand just how powerful information can be."
And she wasn't wrong.
This was Sano Yuka—the woman known for her mastery over information. She could weave lies, craft truths, and manipulate the public with frightening ease.
Just as Kouhei could end her life right here in an instant, she could just as easily destroy his reputation, his future, and everyone he cared about, all with a flick of her wrist.
It was a balance of destruction. Two people who could ruin each other in completely different, yet equally devastating ways.
"You know as well as I do that I didn't come here to fight, Sano-san," Kouhei said finally, breaking the silence. His voice was calm, but there was steel beneath it.
"Oh?" Yuka tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly. "Not at all?"
"But Yuuna and Hina certainly seem to think otherwise," she added with a smirk, her words dripping with amusement.
"They're just on edge," Kouhei replied, his tone still even. "Probably because this isn't our territory. Besides… I did just recently die."
Yuka chuckled softly, her smile widening. "Yes, I've heard about your resurrection. That's why your body has changed, isn't it? Although… I didn't expect a fallen angel to play a role in bringing you back."
"I owe her my life," Kouhei admitted without hesitation. His eyes softened, if only for a moment.
He wasn't going to lie about that. Yui may have been a fallen angel, but she was the one who had pulled him back from the brink, the one who had given him another chance at life.
"And that woman told me this…" he continued, his tone shifting into something heavier, almost grim. "That the heavens will soon deliver the hammer of judgment upon Hell."
He didn't sugarcoat it. He didn't try to soften his words. There was no room for that—not when the truth carried such weight.
"What do you mean by that?" Yuka asked, her expression tightening, curiosity mixing with unease.
"I don't know exactly when," Kouhei answered, his eyes fixed on hers. "But Heaven will strike. They'll launch an attack on Hell and bring ruin to it. The reason I showed you my wings is because the one who gave me this power warned me about what's coming. Yesh is planning an all-out war. And with the strength they currently hold, there's no question they'll win."
Yuka frowned slightly, her mind racing. At first, it seemed ridiculous, impossible even. But the conviction in his voice, the sincerity in his eyes—it made it hard to dismiss.
"…Why are you telling me this?" she asked quietly.
"Because you're wasting your time looking at things that don't matter right now," Kouhei said firmly. "You're ignoring something far bigger. That's why I'm telling you. I need your cooperation. We don't have to like each other, but if we stand together, we might just have a chance to unite Hell against a common enemy."
"I see…" Yuka leaned back slightly, studying him carefully. "So the reason you attended that gathering before was to form connections. To prepare for this. So that when the war between Heaven and Hell begins, you'd already have their support. Am I right?"
"You're not wrong," Kouhei replied.
"And now, you're standing here asking for my cooperation too," Yuka said slowly, her lips curling into a faint smile. "Even from someone who cursed you?"
"I believe forgiveness is one of the better gifts this world has," Kouhei replied steadily. "It allows room for mutual understanding, and maybe even cooperation. Otherwise, I never would have considered working with Souichiro-kun after everything he did. And I wouldn't be here in front of you now."
That was saying a lot. Especially considering what Souichiro had done—not just to him, but to Yuuna as well. What Souichiro did was far worse than Yuka's curse, and yet here Kouhei stood, still willing to consider cooperation.
"Oh?" Yuka smirked, her eyes glinting with amusement. "And why should I believe you? For all I know, this could just be some elaborate lie—something you're saying just to free yourself from my curse."
"If you don't want to believe me, that's fine," Kouhei said, his tone steady but carrying a weight behind it. His eyes sharpened, the conviction in his voice cutting through the space between them. "But I'm telling you this because I feel like I should do my best to keep those who are my loved ones safe. And if it came to that, then even having to use anyone as much as I can, for as long as I can, to save those people from this impending danger… then I wouldn't hesitate."
Yuka felt something stir inside her chest at that moment.
She had never felt anything significant toward Kouhei before—not admiration, not trust, not even curiosity. To her, he had simply been another piece on the board, someone to use, or even someone to observe. But now… something shifted. Something cracked open inside her. His words carried an edge of raw sincerity that pierced through the surface, and before she realized it, she was seeing him in a different light.
He wasn't just another pawn.
For the first time, Yuka found herself considering him someone worth her attention. Someone… interesting.
"You manage to gain something from me, Okumura-sama," she said softly, her lips curling into the faintest of smiles. Her usual mocking tone was gone, replaced by something harder to define. "If you want cooperation, then I'm willing to do that. I will also uncast my spell as well."
She raised her slender hand, the movement gracefu. Then—snap.
The crisp sound echoed like a whip crack in the stillness.
Suddenly, Kouhei felt… nothing.
He blinked, tilting his head slightly as if expecting to feel a rush of warmth, a release, some trace of change running through his body. But there was nothing.
"I… didn't feel anything, though?" he muttered, confused.
"Fufufufu," Yuka chuckled softly, her laughter carrying a playful, almost mischievous melody. "You don't have to worry anymore. My ability is now gone from you."
Her words carried a peculiar calmness, and for once, she didn't sound like she was weaving lies.
Kouhei studied her carefully, searching her face for any flicker of deceit, but… she seemed to be telling the truth.
The realization washed over him like a wave, and relief settled deep in his chest. It was as though he had finally slipped out of unseen chains, breaking free from the invisible shackles that had been binding him all this time.
"Thank you," Kouhei said quietly, his voice genuine.
Yuka smiled at him then. A simple smile, light and almost unguarded. And strangely enough, Kouhei couldn't see the malice in it anymore.