Sakurako inhaled deeply, her sharp senses straining to pick up even the faintest trace of the fallen angel—the one who had twisted Watanabe into sothing monstrous, only to now be facing her reckoning at the hands of Yuuna and the others. This was her duty. She had been tasked with locating the being, and she had no intention of failing.
But sothing was wrong.
The ominous presence she had been tracking monts ago had vanished, slipping away as if it had never existed. The thick, corrupted mana that had once painted the air like a suffocating fog was gone, leaving nothing behind.
Her eyes narrowed. This didn't make sense.
Unbeknownst to her, the fallen angel in question—Yui—was just above her.
Perched at the edge of a nearby rooftop, she sat leisurely, one leg crossed over the other, her elbow resting against her knee while her chin was propped against her palm. Amusent danced in her eyes as she observed the half-demon, half-werewolf below, who was desperately trying to locate her. A mischievous grin curled her lips.
Behind her, massive black wings fluttered softly, their dark feathers shifting like shadows given form.
She was untouchable. Invisible.
Sakurako would never find her—not with the divine protection that cloaked her, a remnant of the blessing she had carried before her fall. Even in corruption, that power had remained. It erased her presence completely, making her undetectable to those who sought her out.
And then, she felt it.
A shift.
The corruption she had planted in Watanabe had been purged. Its presence was gone, wiped away entirely.
Her creation had been undone.
Yui let out a soft sigh, a feigned disappointnt lacing her voice.
"Aww... Watanabe-san and the others already lost..." she murmured. Yet, despite the words, a certain brightness flickered in her gaze, as if she were anything but displeased.
Her lips curled slightly as she tilted her head. "And here I was hoping she'd last a little longer. Oh well. I suppose I acted too soon in corrupting her."
A casual shrug, a nonchalant flick of her wrist—her tone made it sound as if this entire ordeal had been nothing more than a passing distraction.
A ga.
And perhaps, for her, that was all it had ever been.
After all, Yui had spent centuries indulging in temptation, whispering sinful desires into mortal hearts, twisting them until they surrendered completely. Breaking them had beco second nature, an art she had long since perfected.
She couldn't even rember when she had first beco like this.
Nor did she care.
The years had blurred together, stretching into an eternity where nothing truly mattered—except for the thrill of corruption.
"But the fun I'm having now... it's leagues above what I felt back then." Her voice dropped to a whisper, almost reverent.
And she knew exactly why.
Kouhei.
If she had never t him, if she had never seen him—this exhilaration, this thrill—she never would have experienced it.
Her smirk deepened, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes.
"I never would have had this much fun if I hadn't t you, Senpai." A slow, sultry chuckle slipped from her lips. "You should take responsibility for this."
Her wings shifted behind her, feathers ruffling in the night breeze as she traced a single fingertip along her lower lip.
What should she do next?
Her mind buzzed with possibilities, each one more enticing than the last.
"I can't wait for our next round, Senpai~" she purred, tilting her head back to gaze up at the sky.
The vast darkness stretched endlessly above her, the moon casting its cold silver glow over her form.
It was beautiful.
And beneath it all—she was already plotting.
***
Sakurako's ears drooped, her tails curling inward as she lowered her head in frustration. She had failed to track the fallen angel. The weight of her failure sat heavy in her chest as she relayed the news to Yuuna, who had finally woken up after the intense battle against the corrupted one.
Yuuna, still too weak to stand, remained propped up against her pillows, her body drained to the point of immobility. The sheer amount of mana she had expended had taken a severe toll, leaving her bedridden ever since the fight. She hadn't even been able to attend school.
The others, however, had recovered remarkably well. Though they had sustained injuries, none had suffered the sa level of depletion. Their wounds had been swiftly nded by Yumi's healing, and even Kouhei—who had shared his mana with Yuuna during the fight—had not been confined to bed for long.
Weeks had passed since that fateful confrontation, yet despite the ti, the tension had not eased. The city had been rebuilt, its wounds patched as if the destruction had never happened. The mories of those who had witnessed the battle had been carefully erased, ensuring normalcy resud. And yet, for all their efforts, the fallen angel who had orchestrated it all remained elusive, vanishing without a trace.
Even with Sakurako's keen senses, her relentless searching had led to nothing but dead ends.
Still, Yuuna smiled at her, warmth radiating from her expression despite her weakened state.
"It's okay, Sakurako. You've done more than enough." Her voice was gentle, soothing, like a breeze brushing against weary skin. "In fact, I should be the one thanking you. Even knowing how difficult it was, you kept searching. That ans more to than anything."
Sakurako's ears twitched, her tail perking up slightly at Yuuna's words. A glimr of pride shone in her eyes, the desire to let out a triumphant howl bubbling up inside her.
She had spent all this ti searching in her true form, her striking features on full display. Yet, whenever she passed by ordinary people, they rely mistook her for soone in an elaborate cosplay—eerily realistic, but nothing more than that. The fact that she had risked exposing herself just for this search spoke volus, and Yuuna was deeply grateful for it.
The door creaked open, and a familiar presence stepped into the room.
"Yuuna-san."
Kouhei's voice was calm yet filled with quiet concern. He carried a tray of food in his hands, the al carefully prepared by Kozue.
Sakurako took a step back, recognizing the mont for what it was. Without a word, she turned and quietly left, leaving the two alone.
The mont Yuuna saw him, her smile deepened, her eyes softening with an emotion Kouhei couldn't quite put into words. It was warm, yet sothing about it held a quiet pull that sent a strange heat creeping up his neck.
He placed the tray gently on the bedside table before speaking. "Are your legs any better?"
Yuuna shifted, testing her mobility before offering a small shrug.
"I can swing them a little and take a few steps, but aside from that, I think I'll still be resting here for a while."
Kouhei nodded. "That's good. You should focus on recovering for now."
For a mont, the conversation seed to settle, but then, Yuuna's lips curled into a playful smirk. A teasing glint flickered in her eyes, sothing mischievous lurking just beneath her expression.
"You've brought food again." Her voice was light, almost sing-song. "Why don't you feed yourself?"
Kouhei blinked. "Eh?"
Yuuna giggled softly, tilting her head as if amused by his reaction. "Co now, Kouhei-kun. Shouldn't soone bedridden be properly taken care of?"
A sigh escaped him, but the exasperation in it was laced with sothing else—sothing almost fond. Resigning himself to her whims, he dragged a chair closer to the bed, settled down beside her, and picked up the bowl of soup. Carefully, he scooped up a spoonful and brought it toward her lips.
But Yuuna made no move to accept it.
Instead, she simply gazed at him, her expression expectant.
"It's hot, Kouhei-kun." Her voice was sweet, but there was sothing undeniably sultry about the way she said it. "Blow on it for ."
Kouhei's breath hitched, but he said nothing. Instead, he did as she asked, softly exhaling over the spoonful of soup until the steam dissipated.
Only then did Yuuna part her lips, allowing him to gently place the spoon between them, feeding her with a patience that made her smile.
"It's very delicious." Yuuna murmured, savoring the warmth of the soup as it spread through her body. "I have to thank Kozue for bringing food again."
Kouhei watched her intently before offering a small smile. "I'm glad you like it. I helped out a little too."
Yuuna blinked, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. "Oh, really? You and Kozue? Now that's unexpected." Her lips curved into a playful smirk. "Did she nag you the whole ti?"
Kouhei exhaled, shaking his head. "Well, I'd say she helped more than she hard, so I'll give her that." As he spoke, he scooped up another spoonful of soup, bringing it close to his lips before gently blowing on it.
Yuuna tilted her head slightly, watching him. "I never would have thought Kozue would warm up to you enough to actually work with you on sothing." A soft chuckle escaped her lips. "As expected of you, Kouhei-kun. You really are special."
Her words carried a weight she hadn't entirely intended, slipping past her lips in an almost subconscious whisper.
Kozue always hated n. She kept them at arm's length, never letting them too close, and yet Kouhei had managed to bypass that wall, even if just slightly. That alone was enough to shift Yuuna's perception of him.
He was special.
Not because he was the Child of Anti-Prophecy—not because of any grand fate tied to his existence.
He was special simply because he was Kouhei.
"Did you say sothing?" Kouhei's voice pulled her from her thoughts, his gaze flickering with curiosity.
Yuuna blinked, then quickly shook her head, a small, knowing smile playing at her lips. "Nothing."
As she watched him, the thought lingered in her mind.
How much will Kouhei change the destiny of those around him?
How much will he alter fate itself?
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