Chapter 346: Meeting, Part 1
"Kouhei?"
The sound of Hina’s voice slipped into his ears, soft yet trembling, pulling him back to reality. He turned his head and found her standing right next to him, her crimson eyes fixed on him. Normally, her gaze carried that sharp, unwavering confidence that always made her look unshakable. But now... there was something else behind those eyes. Worry. Uneasy, almost fragile worry.
I must’ve really made her anxious... Kouhei thought, guilt settling in his chest as he looked at her.
Without hesitation, Hina slowly reached her hand toward him. He responded instinctively, his own hand lifting to meet hers, their palms pressing together. The warmth of her skin against his felt grounding, like an anchor dragging him out of the storm in his head.
"Kouhei... a-are you okay?" Her voice cracked slightly, the strong façade she always put on breaking for just a moment.
"I’m just... a bit under the weather," Kouhei admitted, his voice faint but steady enough. "But I’m more or less fine."
Hina exhaled, relief softening her face. "...I see. Thank goodness... I really thought I was going to lose you again."
Her fingers wrapped tightly around his, gripping as though letting go would mean he’d slip away for good. The pressure of her touch made it clear—he had scared her more than he realized.
"...I’m sorry," Kouhei whispered, his gaze dropping. "I’m sorry for worrying you."
Truth was, he didn’t even understand why he had acted like that earlier. It felt like something, or someone, had forced its way into his mind, dragging out his most painful memories, replaying them over and over until they nearly broke him. If he had to put it together... it must’ve had something to do with that smile he’d seen during the gathering.
Whatever it was, it clung to him like a curse, slowly eating away at his mental strength.
He told Hina everything.
"I see..." she muttered under her breath, brows furrowed as she studied him carefully.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find anything wrong. If even Kazuhiro hadn’t been able to detect anything, then what hope did she have?
"...What if we asked Misuzu?" Hina suggested suddenly. "Her ability... it could expose who cursed you. She might even be able to see it through your past memories."
Kouhei blinked. That actually wasn’t a bad idea. In fact, it was the best option they had right now.
Hina didn’t waste another second. She called Misuzu immediately, and soon after, the others arrived as well, their concern palpable.
The moment Misuzu stepped forward, she wasted no time, activating her ability. Her eyes gleamed faintly as she dug into Kouhei’s memories, her presence weaving through the deepest parts of his mind.
Misuzu’s power was unique—she could peer into memories and, more frighteningly, bend them, alter them, erase them as though they were nothing but words on a page.
That was why mortals had never uncovered the existence of demons.
Whenever something too close to the truth slipped through, it was always Misuzu who covered it up, rewriting their memories into safe little summaries that fit the world mortals were meant to know.
But it was a race against time every single time. If she didn’t act quickly enough, secrets of the demon world could spread beyond control. And once it happened, it could take years before the truth was purged again.
Now, her ability traced back to the night of the gathering, her presence scanning through the crowd, searching for the thread that led to the caster.
Then—she stopped.
She saw her.
"...Sano Yuka." Misuzu’s voice was firm.
"Yuka?" Yuuna’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"It makes sense you didn’t suspect her. You probably never experienced her ability firsthand. But her power is Illusion Making. She used it to twist Kouhei’s fear—his fear of us dying, his guilt for blaming himself—and turned it against him, breaking him down mentally."
So that was it.
Yuuna frowned, recalling faint whispers she’d once heard. Rumors about Yuka’s ability had circulated before, but everyone dismissed it as weak, insignificant, unthreatening. No wonder she hadn’t realized.
"...Should we attack them?" Hina’s voice was sharp, anger seeping into every word. "How dare she target Kouhei with such a pathetic ability?"
"No," Kouhei interrupted before she could continue. His voice was calm, but his tone left no room for argument. "There’s no need. They haven’t openly shown hostility, and starting a fight now wouldn’t benefit us at all. If anything, it would only drag us into unnecessary conflict. For now... communication would be the smarter choice."
***
Not long after, Kouhei made up his mind to meet with Sano Yuka.
She wasn’t just another demon—she was one with her own territory. A faction leader. Summoning her to Hell wasn’t the answer. Instead, he chose to meet her in the mortal world.
A car carried him to the campus where she was known to be. There was no appointment as well as no prior arrangement. Kouhei simply arrived, hoping to find her.
He stepped out, scanning the area, before approaching the nearest student.
"Um..." Kouhei began carefully. "Is Sano Yuka-san here?"
The girl he addressed was a young student, around his age. The moment her eyes landed on him, her face turned bright red.
H-he’s so handsome... what the hell? her thoughts raced wildly, her heart practically skipping a beat.
It wasn’t an exaggeration.
Kouhei still carried the boyish charm of someone fresh into adulthood, but there was something else too. His body was muscular, his frame steady, and the way he carried himself gave off a maturity beyond his years.
To her, he looked like a man standing right on the threshold of true adulthood—young, but already powerful.
"A-ah... y-yes, Yuka-san is here..." she stammered.
Her thoughts spun in circles.
Wait... why is a guy this hot looking for the council president? Could it be... he’s her boyfriend? Ugh, of course. He’s ridiculously handsome, and Pres is gorgeous too. They’d look amazing together... Damn, what a bummer. If he’s already taken, then I don’t stand a chance. If I tried to compete with Pres, I’d just embarrass myself...
The weight of her own conclusion left her a little deflated.
"Thank you. Um, could you guide me to her? If that’s not too much trouble? Ah... your school doesn’t forbid outsiders from entering, right?" Kouhei asked politely, making sure he wasn’t overstepping.
"W-well, I can... call the president for you," she replied quickly, her voice a little shaky.
"Is that so? Then I’d be really grateful. Thank you."
That simple, genuine gesture—the way his voice carried both warmth and respect—was enough to send her heart into overdrive.
He’s not just hot, he’s polite too... A perfect gentleman. He’s literally a 10 out of 10. No wonder Pres might’ve caught him...
With her chest tight and her heartbeat thundering, the girl quickly turned and hurried toward the council office.
***
Sano Yuka was told that someone had come, specifically asking for her presence. The moment she heard the words, her lips curved into a smile, soft and elegant, but there was a strange sharpness lingering behind it. She didn’t know who the visitor was yet, but she already had a strong feeling about it.
Her instincts whispered the answer to her. It had to be him—the Child of Anti-Prophecy.
"Fufufufu..." A low, amused laugh slipped from her throat as she leaned back in her chair, the sound carrying a faint chill. "So, the Child of Anti-Prophecy finally realized that I was the one who cursed him. I would’ve expected him to writhe under its effects a little longer... maybe even break down before piecing it together. But to think he’d see through it this quickly..." Her eyes narrowed, her smile deepening. "Well, I suppose it must have been Misuzu who told him it was me."
Her vice president, who was always quietly present at her side, frowned at her words. "Isn’t that dangerous, Yuka-sama? Him knowing this early..."
Yuka tilted her head slightly, eyes shimmering with amusement, not a trace of fear on her face. "No. On the contrary, this is good. Everything is proceeding just as I expected. Though..." she paused for a second, her tone growing quieter, "it did happen a little earlier than I anticipated." Then she straightened her posture, the calm smile returning. "Well then... if he truly wishes for my presence, I’ll grant it. Let’s see what this Child of Anti-Prophecy wants."
She gave her orders with an easy flick of her hand, instructing them to allow him into the school grounds.
But Kouhei didn’t arrive alone. Yuuna and Hina were right beside him, walking in perfect step as though they had always belonged at his side. It was only natural—no faction leader with sense would walk into enemy territory unaccompanied. They had to follow him, not only as support but as shields, if things turned ugly.
The moment they stepped onto the premises, whispers spread like wildfire.
"W-Who are those people?!"
"T-They’re so hot, what the hell?!"
"Kyaaa! He’s so handsome! Is he an idol or something?!"
"Those two girls... they’ve gotta be models, right? Look at them... they’re stunning..."
"I wish I could be between two women like that too..."
Everywhere he went, the air seemed to shift. Students froze in place, their heads turning almost in sync as their eyes locked onto the trio. Murmurs turned into gasps, gasps turned into chatter, and soon the hallways were filled with an endless wave of awe.
Kouhei stood at the center of it, his very presence pulling in every gaze, every whisper, every single heartbeat. Yuuna and Hina flanked him like radiant guardians, their beauty so striking it was almost overwhelming for those watching. Together, the three of them seemed almost untouchable, as if they had walked out of a different world and stepped into this one.
Kouhei, however, felt a flicker of unease at the attention. The endless stares, the voices calling out in wonder—it pressed down on him like a weight. But even with that, he held himself tall, his expression calm, his stride unwavering. He refused to let himself look flustered. He remained as dignified as he could.
Because he wasn’t here to bask in admiration. He wasn’t here to show off.
He was about to meet another faction leader—someone who could very well turn out to be an enemy. The tension of that reality clung to him like a shadow, following his every step.
Still, a part of him held on to hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, they could talk this out. That there might be room for discussion, some way to avoid a pointless clash.
Because deep down, Kouhei knew the truth.
Their real enemy wasn’t each other.
The true enemy waiting above them all... was Heaven.