Chapter 349: Safe?
Yuka was still standing there, her lips curved into a faint yet unmistakable smile as she watched Kouhei and his faction members slowly leave the school grounds.
The scene around them was loud and restless. A wave of squeals and excited voices filled the air as many of the female students couldn’t contain themselves. Their gazes were all directed toward Kouhei, their shrieks echoing in the hallways, and the sound of them almost bounced off the walls.
It was only natural, though. Kouhei was, without question, a striking young man. His looks were sharp, his aura carried weight, and his presence seemed to pull people in without effort.
But not everyone was watching him. The boys, on the other hand, were sneaking glances—not at Kouhei—but at Yuuna and Hina, their eyes following every move the two girls made.
Yuka, however, had her eyes locked only on Kouhei. Her smile was calm but unreadable, and the way she stared made it seem like she was enjoying something no one else could see.
“Yuka-sama,” a voice called out gently from beside her.
Yuka tilted her head slightly, breaking her thoughts for just a second.
“Yes, Asami?” she replied, her tone soft, almost playful.
“Why did you agree to cooperate with the Child of Anti-Prophecy?” Asami asked carefully, her brow furrowed. “The way you said it… it almost felt like you’re just trying to hold out until he cracks or breaks down.”
Yuka blinked once before answering. “I don’t really know myself,” she admitted with a light shrug.
Asami frowned. “Don’t you think that might’ve been a bit rash?”
“Rash? No, I don’t think so,” Yuka answered without hesitation. “I’ve never been the kind to act without thought. But…” she let her words hang for a moment, her gaze still fixed in the distance, “…I realized something. That man—he already knows my power doesn’t work on him anymore. And yet, instead of running away, instead of trying to turn me into an enemy, he still came here. He still asked for my cooperation.”
Her words carried weight.
Yuka’s ability was one of torment. She could trap people in nightmares, her spells weaving into their minds. Though it only worked for a limited time, she could layer it, one nightmare over another, until the victim was drowning in endless fear.
She had planned to put another one on Kouhei this very day. To drag him down into her illusions again. But something stopped her.
For the first time in her life, Yuka’s chest tightened with a strange rush.
Something thrilling. Something that made her heart pound harder than even the day her father won the election for Demon King.
And that was why—without hesitation—she chose not to curse him again. Not because of pity, not because of hesitation, but because it felt natural.
Because she believed something far more exciting was about to begin.
“I’m honestly shocked, Yuka-sama,” Asami said after watching her closely.
She had noticed it already. The way Yuka looked at Kouhei wasn’t just curiosity. It was something else.
She was beginning to like him.
Whether it was real love or just interest was hard to tell. But the feeling was there.
“Fufufufu… Even I was surprised myself,” Yuka admitted, a small laugh escaping her. “I didn’t think I’d come to like him.”
Her words weren’t filled with hesitation—they were calm and confident.
It wasn’t necessarily the kind of liking that came from romance, but rather because he was… interesting. Unique. Worth watching.
But even if others misunderstood her intentions, Yuka didn’t care.
“Anyway, we should go,” she finally said with a wave of her hand. “We still have reports to finish by the end of today.”
“Yes, Yuka-sama,” Asami nodded, following her lead.
And so, the two of them turned away and walked back toward their office, the echo of their footsteps fading down the corridor.
***
At the same time, Kouhei sat inside the car, the quiet hum of the engine filling the silence.
Aria had taken the wheel, and he was leaning against the window, his eyes lost in the blur of the outside scenery as it passed by.
For now, a sense of relief washed over him. The fact that Yuka had agreed to cooperate was enough to loosen the knot in his chest.
Deep down, he already had a hunch. The curse placed on him—it had already disappeared the moment he woke up earlier.
It didn’t seem like something permanent. No, it had a limit and a time frame. And when it ended, it faded completely. That alone was enough to make Kouhei silently grateful.
Because of that, he had wanted this chance—this opportunity to bring someone like Yuka, someone skilled in manipulating and handling information, to his side. As an ally.
“Kouhei-kun, are you really sure about this?” Yuuna’s voice broke the silence. She was seated in the back, her eyes catching his through the reflection in the rearview mirror.
Kouhei looked up, meeting her gaze.
“I’m sure,” he said plainly. “Sano Yuka-san is an incredibly reliable ally. But if she were to be our enemy… she’d be a nightmare to deal with. That’s why I’m taking this opportunity to form ties with her now, before things can turn ugly.”
Yuuna didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know… I still feel like she’s planning something behind the scenes.”
Kouhei couldn’t deny it. He still didn’t fully trust Yuka himself. There was always something in the back of his mind, reminding him of the risk.
But at the same time, he knew it—Yuka was someone they needed.
“For now, we’ll just have to wait and see,” he replied quietly, turning his gaze back to the window, watching the world blur past as the car moved.
“Still,” Hina smirked from the side, her voice teasing, “it looks like your charm even worked on her, Kouhei. As expected of you.”
Kouhei blinked, his brows furrowing slightly.
Was that really the case? He didn’t think so.
He never considered himself to be particularly attractive. In his mind, he was still just… average. Normal.
But appearances didn’t matter anymore, not in the world he was walking in now.
As he thought that, something outside caught his eye.
Walking down the street were two figures—both of them female.
“…Ichinose-san?” he muttered under his breath.
His chest loosened at the sight.
Seeing her alive, safe, and smiling after everything—after Masayoshi had killed him—brought him relief he hadn’t even realized he was holding onto.
She looked like she was living peacefully, happily. And that was enough for Kouhei.
Most of all, he was glad that Hiyori hadn’t been dragged into the world of demons.
Yes, she had seen them once.
But Misuzu’s power had erased those memories. She had rewritten them, shaping them into something harmless, preserving the fragile barrier that kept the human world from discovering the truth.
And so, Kouhei allowed himself to feel at ease for the first time in a long while.
***
Meanwhile, deep in Hell…
Yuzuha was struggling to return to the Sarushima Mansion.
Her head was pounding mercilessly, every beat of her heart sending sharp pain through her skull. Her ears rang endlessly, drowning out the sounds of the world around her.
Her vision blurred, everything ahead of her distorted and hazy. Yet her hands still gripped tightly onto the reins of the demon horses pulling her forward.
Every movement felt heavy and every breath labored.
But finally… finally… she made it back.
The mansion loomed before her.
And then, someone came to see her.
The sound of footsteps echoed softly across the floor, sharp and heavy, like the presence of someone who owned every space he walked into. Yuzuha stiffened slightly, her body recognizing the voice even before her mind processed it.
“And so, have they left hell completely safe?” asked Souichiro, his tone calm yet carrying a weight that pressed against her chest.
“Yes… Souichiro-sama.” Yuzuha lowered her head in a respectful bow, her voice barely more than a whisper. Her hands trembled slightly, but she pressed them firmly against her thighs, hiding the unease behind the practiced obedience of a servant.
Souichiro’s lips curled, a faint shadow of mockery flickering across his expression. “It really is disgusting how easily you bow like this, Yuzuha. But I suppose that’s natural, isn’t it? You are our slave now, after all.”
Slave…
After the battle between Souichiro and Kouhei, everything had changed. The five leaders of Souichiro’s faction were now nothing but shattered remnants. Most of them had fallen, their lives snuffed out.
And Yuzuha… she had been left alive, but not free. She had been bound instead, stripped of her will, her name forced beneath the crushing weight of the Sarushima family.
Why?
Because she had sinned. Because her hands were stained with too much blood, too much darkness, too much weight that no god or spirit could ever forgive. Her sins couldn’t simply be washed away. No prayers would cleanse them. And so, this was her punishment. To live as a slave. To serve. To bow.
She had once chosen to join the Souichiro Faction, not because she admired them, not because she craved power, but because she had someone—someone precious—to protect.
Nagisa.
The one person in her shattered world that gave her reason to endure everything. The one fragile light she had vowed to shield no matter the cost. Every betrayal, every sin, every cruel deed she committed—she bore them willingly, just so that Nagisa could remain safe.
Nagisa had been her anchor, her reason, her everything.
But now… Nagisa no longer needed her.
Someone far stronger, far beyond Yuzuha’s reach, had already taken that role. Someone who could protect Nagisa in ways she never could, in ways her blood-stained hands had failed to achieve.
So what did it matter anymore?
It didn’t matter what became of Yuzuha. It didn’t matter if she was chained, humiliated, or discarded like trash. Her body, her soul, her freedom—they were worthless compared to the life she had fought to shield.
At least Nagisa… at least her beloved niece, the one she had sworn to protect even if it meant sinking deeper into sin, was safe.
That thought alone brought her a small relief. A fragile, fleeting sense of peace that, for the first time, allowed her weary heart to rest.
Now… now she could finally let go. She could finally feel the weight slide off her shoulders. She could finally breathe.
Or so she thought.
“Are you really sure… that she is safe?”
Her eyes widened. Her breath caught. She turned her head slowly, dread sinking into her bones, her body heavy like lead.
And then she saw it.
Nagisa’s body.
Lifeless. Cold. Her skin pale, her frame collapsed in a way no living person should ever fall.
Her corpse.
The sight shattered everything inside Yuzuha. Her knees nearly gave way, her heart stopped, her lungs burned with a suffocating silence.
And standing there, over Nagisa’s body, drenched in the undeniable truth of the scene before her…
The one who had killed her was—
Kouhei.