'W-What… what's happening to me? My body… it feels so heavy… and my head's spinning… dizzy…?'
Yuzuha's thoughts staggered with her eyelids fluttering as her vision swayed. She still had so much stamina left to burn and she knew that. Her body wasn't at its limit and it was not even close. And yet, for some strange, infuriating reason, her strength was being sucked out of her all at once, leaving her weak and shaky.
Throb… throb… throb…!
Her pulse hammered inside her skull with each beat making her temples pound harder.
'Is it because of his punches? Tch… no way. That can't be it. Hits like those… they shouldn't be able to do this to me. My body shouldn't be this fragile. So why…? Why am I feeling this way?'
Her breathing quickened as her knees wobbled beneath her. The pain from the strikes wasn't unbearable. In fact, she could endure worse. That wasn't really the problem at all. It was something hidden inside those punches, some kind of unseen force that crawled under her skin and twisted at her insides, making her head feel light and her body heavy.
The echo of those blows rang again in her mind with each of the impact replaying and each one stealing a little more of her consciousness away.
'This has to be it… it must be the power of that fallen angel. That's the only explanation. Otherwise… there's no way he could be doing this to me…'
Her jaw clenched tight, her teeth grinding in defiance, refusing to admit defeat.
'I never had a chance from the beginning… not against him.'
Her eyes, which had become very hazy and unfocused, slipped to the side. The weight on her chest grew heavier. Then, like a flame being snuffed out, her vision blackened as she collapsed.
Her body hit the ground with her unmoving.
Kouhei slowly approached her, his footsteps crunching faintly against the ground with his eyes fixed on Yuzuha's shrinking frame as her body shifted back into her human form.
The torn remnants of her maid uniform clung uselessly to her body. Shreds of cloth dangled over her pale skin, and along with her underwear, it had been ripped away in the fight. Against his will, Kouhei's gaze fell on her exposed breasts. His eyes widened for the briefest second before he instantly turned his head away, his cheeks stiffening with embarrassment. He didn't mean to, but he caught the sight of a woman's breast. A woman he wasn't particularly close to.
But it was already too late. The image had burned itself into his mind.
"…Looks like you've won, Kouhei," Hina said, her voice calm but edged with approval.
Yuuna folded her arms, her brow furrowing. "Still, I can't help but wonder… what the hell was her deal? For her to come all the way here and pull something . I thought, just like Souichiro, she would've calmed down by now. But apparently…"
Misuzu stepped forward, her tone even. "If you want, I can search through her memories. I'll be able to see what she's really hiding."
"Don't do that, Misuzu-san," Kouhei cut in immediately. His voice was firm and resolute. "I'd rather hear her reasons from her own mouth."
Because maybe… maybe she was holding onto something she couldn't say. Something she'd buried so deep she couldn't even bring herself to share it.
Kouhei felt strongly—it had to be connected to Nagisa.
Nagisa, meanwhile, stood nearby, her entire body tense, her eyes locked on Yuzuha with a murderous glare. Her bloodlust poured off her in thick waves, filling the air like the stench of iron. Anyone near her could feel the raw hatred that boiled inside her chest.
But Yuzuha… Yuzuha didn't give off the same feeling. Not at all. She wasn't radiating rage. She wasn't throwing back the same venom. Instead, there was… nothing.
If anything, it almost looked like Yuzuha didn't hate her.
Her face was calm, almost too calm, as though anger wasn't something she could summon against Nagisa.
It had to be because of the past.
Kouhei knew the truth already. He knew that Yuzuha had betrayed their clan, selling out their hidden location to the slavers.
The oni were prized in the world of war and survival on Hell because they were beings with bottomless stamina, monstrous physical strength, and bodies built for combat and labor. They were the perfect frontline soldiers, and because of that, slavers hunted them like prized cattle. Nagisa's clan in particular was renowned for their sheer power and endurance, making them an irresistible target.
And the moment Yuzuha had revealed their hiding place, the slavers came. They swarmed mercilessly. Nagisa's father and mother were killed in the bloodbath that followed.
That was why Nagisa's hatred burned hotter than fire.
But even though Yuzuha acted bitter in return, Kouhei couldn't shake off his doubt. Her bitterness didn't feel real.
Almost as if… she was deliberately forcing herself to hate Nagisa. Or worse—she wanted Nagisa to hate her.
Why? For what reason would she want that?
Unless… there was something deeper and something buried beneath the betrayal that no one else could see.
*** The source of this content ɪs ⓝovelFire.net
Later, Yuzuha's unconscious body was laid in Kouhei's room to recover. Aria stood guard like a hawk, her sharp eyes fixed on Yuzuha, ready to strike the instant she stirred and do something.
Outside the mansion, Kouhei was training with his sword.
The air cracked with each swing, the steel humming as it sliced through the empty night. Sweat dripped down his forehead, his breathing sharp and steady as he drilled himself harder and harder.
Hina stood nearby, watching with that familiar soft smile. She didn't say a word at first, simply watching him work himself ragged with her eyes glowing with pride.
When he finally stopped, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths, Hina walked up to him, holding a towel in her hands.
"Good work, Kouhei," she said warmly.
Kouhei wiped his forehead with the towel, letting out a faint chuckle. "Honestly… it doesn't even feel like I did anything."
Hina shook her head gently, her voice soft but firm. "No, Kouhei. You did something incredible. You really should give yourself credit."
Kouhei smiled faintly. Having Hina by his side—it warmed him in a way words couldn't.
But then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Nagisa. She stood alone on the veranda of the mansion's second floor, her figure outlined against the pale moonlight. She wasn't looking at anything specific—her eyes were fixed ahead, but her expression was distant, lost, as though her mind was wandering someplace far away.
"Go to her, Kouhei," Hina said quietly, her smile still gentle.
"…Thank you, Hina-san."
Leaving her side, Kouhei stepped into the mansion, climbed the stairs, and walked onto the veranda.
Nagisa didn't notice him right away. Or maybe she did, but chose not to react. She kept her eyes ahead, unmoving and silent.
For a moment, Kouhei hesitated. Calling out to her felt like the obvious thing to do—but something inside him resisted. The atmosphere around her felt fragile, like if he spoke now, the delicate stillness would shatter and she would vanish like mist.
So instead, he moved quietly to her side.
"…Hello there, Kou-kun," Nagisa finally said, her voice low but steady. "You climbed a lot of steps just to get here. Are you sure you don't want to be with Hina right now? Tonight's supposed to be hers, isn't it?"
"Hina-san told me to come up here… to be with you," Kouhei answered softly.
"…She's really considerate, huh?" Nagisa murmured.
Kouhei turned to look at her. From this angle, her side profile looked stunning, but there was something else about it—something fragile. Her beauty felt like glass, so delicate that even a whisper could crack it. Words piled up in his throat, but nothing came out.
"It's alright, Kou-kun," Nagisa continued gently. "I'm not… really bothered by what you did to Yuzuha. If you want to lock her up, or talk to her, it's fine by me."
"Is that so?" Kouhei asked, his tone quiet and careful.
"Well… since you're the leader now, I can only nod along, right?" she joked faintly, but then her expression turned more serious. "Joking aside, I know you're just doing what a leader should. But don't expect me to get along with her. Someone like her… I'll never forgive. Not now and certainly not ever."
"I see…" Kouhei muttered.
He understood. Yuzuha was the reason Nagisa's parents were dead. Asking her to forgive that—wasn't fair. For Nagisa, forgiveness wasn't just difficult. It was impossible.
"…That's fine, if that's how you feel," Kouhei said slowly. "But still… whatever reason she had, whatever drove her to betray like that… I think it's worth at least hearing her out. After that, if you still can't forgive her, then that's your choice. But maybe… just maybe, you'll see something different."
Nagisa's lips curved faintly, her eyes softening as she whispered, "…You really are too kind, Kou-kun."