Chapter 327: Search
Kouhei and Chihiro were cruising through town, weaving in and out of side streets, alleyways, and main roads in an almost aimless rhythm—but with a sharp sense of purpose.
There was something dark out there. Kouhei could feel it like a needle scratching at the back of his skull.
He sat in the passenger seat, one hand pressed lightly against the window as he scanned the world beyond the glass. Chihiro had her hands on the wheel, silent but stead with her eyes flicking across traffic with the kind of focus that didn’t need words.
It was kind of wild when he really thought about it—him and Chihiro, rolling around together like this. Just a few months ago, they would’ve been at each other’s throats... Well, Yuuna’s throats, actually... But now? Now they were allies with them being at the same faction and having the same goal. She answered to him now, which was still surreal as hell.
People changed, sure, but this? This felt like rewriting fate.
Their search went on for a while. The streets blurred by under the midday sun, hazy and too quiet, until something caught Kouhei’s eye and that someone was standing alone near a cafe.
Takahashi.
And judging by the way he was standing around awkwardly, glancing at his phone and the entrance, he was probably waiting on someone.
Kouhei narrowed his eyes. Curious.
"Chihiro-san, can we pull over for a second?" he asked, never taking his gaze off Takahashi.
Chihiro gave a curt nod, not even asking why. She just slowed down and parked along the curb like she already knew it was important.
Kouhei stepped out of the car and made his way across the street, hands in his pockets, eyes locked on Takahashi.
"Takahashi-kun," he called out, his voice was calm.
Takahashi blinked, looking up from his phone. His expression twisted into one of pure confusion. He tilted his head like a dog hearing a weird noise.
"...Who the fuck are you?" he asked bluntly, brows furrowed.
He stared at Kouhei like he was trying to solve a puzzle. Something about him rang familiar, but nothing clicked.
"You don’t recognize me?" Kouhei asked, tilting his head slightly.
Takahashi squinted harder. His eyes scanned Kouhei’s face, searching for something and anything.
"...Wait, what the fuck?" His eyes suddenly lit up with realization. "Is that you, Okumura?!"
Kouhei smiled faintly. "Yeah. It’s me."
"No fucking way, man!" Takahashi let out a half-laugh, shaking his head. "You look completely different! What the fuck even happened to you?! I almost didn’t recognize you!"
His tone was a mix of disbelief and borderline awe. Kouhei could tell he wasn’t just surprised—he was kind of freaked out.
"Where the hell have you been, man?! Amemiya-sensei said you were just on some break or something, but then you just disappeared. The whole damn semester went by without a word, and now you show up looking like some badass from a video game."
Kouhei gave a wry chuckle. "Yeah, well... a lot’s happened. But that’s not why I’m here."
Takahashi raised a brow, folding his arms. "You seriously coming out of nowhere just to ask me something? You know I’m kinda in the middle of something, right? But whatever—make it quick."
"I will," Kouhei said. "I wanted to ask if you’ve seen Himeno-san recently. In the last month or so."
"Yui-chan?" Takahashi frowned, clearly caught off guard. "Why the fuck are you asking about her?"
"I just need to know," Kouhei said. "It’s important."
Takahashi gave a shrug, confused. "How the hell would I know, man? I haven’t seen her. Not once. She hasn’t even come back to school."
Kouhei’s expression darkened just a little, his eyes narrowing. That just confirmed it—Yui had completely vanished since the day of his resurrection.
"Alright," he nodded. "Thanks for the info."
Takahashi looked like he wanted to ask something else, but instead just muttered, "So... that’s it?"
"Yeah. That’s all I needed." Kouhei turned to walk away. "Thanks for giving me a minute."
Takahashi watched him leave, still visibly thrown off by the sudden reunion and how different Kouhei had become.
Then, just as he was pulling himself back together, a gorgeous woman approached him. She slid right up next to him without hesitation and wrapped her arms around his, pressing her massive, soft breasts against his side. It was almost cartoonish how instantly red his face turned.
She was stunning. The kind of girl you only met once in a blue moon. He’d met her at a mixer just last week—and since then, he’d been fantasizing about losing his virginity to her. Tonight might actually be the night.
"Takahashi-kun~" she purred sweetly, her voice like warm honey. "Did I keep you waiting long?"
That smile—goddamn. It was radiant, dangerous, and laced with unspoken promises. And she smelled so good, it almost made his knees buckle.
"N-No, not at all! I just got here," he stammered, trying to play it cool.
She glanced at Kouhei’s retreating figure.
"Were you talking to someone just now?" she asked.
"Huh? Nah. Nobody important," he said quickly, brushing it off.
The woman looked back one more time. Her brows furrowed slightly.
"...He looked kinda familiar," she murmured.
Something about Kouhei’s face—it tugged at a memory buried somewhere deep. She felt like she’d seen him before, but... couldn’t quite place it.
Still, the feeling passed. She smiled again, dismissing the thought, and leaned in closer to Takahashi as they walked off together.
***
Back in the car, Kouhei slipped into the passenger seat again. Chihiro looked at him, waiting for something, but he said nothing.
They resumed driving, but the atmosphere was a little heavier now.
Eventually, Kouhei broke the silence.
"...Sorry for dragging you around for nothing."
Chihiro shook her head, her voice calm. "It’s fine. I’m part of your faction now. This is what I signed up for."
At least she didn’t seem bothered. If anything, she was still as focused as ever.
But just as they turned onto a narrow, quieter road, Kouhei froze.
That feeling.
That twisted, corrupt energy—he felt it again.
But this time, it wasn’t faint. It was pulsing. Closer. Right on top of them.
He bolted upright.
There was no way Chihiro could make a U-turn here—it was too tight. So without hesitation, he acted.
"Chihiro-san, wait here!" he shouted as he threw the door open.
"Kouhei-sama—wait!"
But he was already gone.
He darted down the road like a shot, his coat flapping behind him, feet hitting the pavement in a rhythm that matched the pounding in his chest.
His eyes scanned everything—rooftops, alleys, windows.
’Where is it?! Where the fuck is it coming from?!’
And then—he stopped.
His breath caught.
Someone was watching him.
He looked up.
High above, standing on the ledge of a rooftop like a shadow carved from dusk, was a figure.
Their voice drifted down—smug, amused.
"As I thought... there’s a demon around here."
The figure had two large wings, and they stretched out behind him like broken feathers. Gray. Neither holy nor damned.
"I was told that if I just let my energy spill out, someone like you would come sniffing around. Honestly didn’t think it’d work. But hey—looks like someone took the bait."
Kouhei’s eyes focused on the figure’s back.
Two wings.
Gray in color.
That meant one thing.
A fallen angel.
And he was definitely the source Kouhei felt earlier. But Yui’s power was stronger. More overwhelming. This guy’s presence, while sinister, didn’t even come close to matching hers.
"I want to ask you something," Kouhei said, his voice calm but serious. "Do you have any idea who and where Himeno Yui is?"
"Who the fuck is that?" the fallen angel scoffed, narrowing his eyes.
"A fallen angel. Just like you... but much stronger in presence," Kouhei replied steadily.
"Stronger? Ha!" the fallen angel barked out a laugh. "You think there’s someone stronger than me? That’s impossible. No one was ever more powerful than me."
With a dismissive smirk, the fallen angel let himself drop from the air, his black wings flaring out to slow his descent. The moment he touched the ground, the earth cracked beneath his feet from the impact.
"Now then, demon bastard, why don’t you just stand there and take your beating like a good bitch?" he said, cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders. His knuckles popped loudly as he clenched his fists. "Resisting me is fucking futile."
Kouhei let out a soft sigh. "Well... I guess it really is a waste of time, after all," he muttered.
And then—suddenly.
A sword materialized in Kouhei’s hand.
In an instant—
"NGhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...!"
The fallen angel hit the ground.
’What the... what just happened...? Why the hell am I lying down?’
He didn’t even manage to blink before a blinding flash of light struck—and now, he was on the ground.
Groaning, he forced his eyes open, though the searing pain made it almost impossible to focus. His body ached, his senses dazed.
But he made himself look up.
And when he saw him—he shuddered.
The man he’d thought was nothing but small fry now stood over him, sword pressed tightly against his neck. Kouhei’s eyes, which had once looked ordinary... had turned a deep, terrifying crimson.