Chapter 280: What exactly is this benefit you ntioned?
Kouhei had now officially taken the position as the acting leader of the Yuuna Faction.
Temporarily, the na had been changed to the Kouhei Faction—a placeholder until the day Yuuna was rescued and could return to her rightful place.
But until that mont arrived, Kouhei was the one holding the reins.
“Aria-san,” Kouhei called out from the back seat of the sleek black car Aria was currently driving. His tone was calm but firm, with a quiet authority behind it. “Let’s stop here.”
Without hesitation, Aria gently turned the wheel and smoothly brought the vehicle to a halt at the side of the road, parking it just along the curb.
The mont the engine died down, both Kouhei and Aria stepped out of the car together.
They were both dressed impeccably in formal attire with sharp lines, pristine fabrics, and a sense of elegant poise that made it clear they weren’t here for sothing casual.
No—this was serious. This eting was with soone of significance.
Right now, they were about to visit Mitani Chihiro.
A woman whom Kouhei had already crossed paths with once before.
She was the one who had previously attempted to align herself with Souichiro’s faction—an effort that had been completely dismantled by Yuuna, who had made the difference in power between them undeniably clear.
Even now, the Mitani Faction was licking its wounds, still reeling from the consequences of that conflict.
Their ho—a vast, old mansion with traditional woodwork and tiled roofs—stood in partial ruin, its western wing still damaged, its restoration barely underway. Ti hadn’t been kind to it since the clash with Yuuna.
Kouhei walked forward, his posture tall and composed, his gaze forward.
The mont he stepped onto the path toward the mansion, passing won nearby couldn’t help but take notice.
His sexual presence was radiating like heat from a fla.
And coupled with the finely tailored suit that hugged his athletic fra just right, it was no surprise that he drew eyes like a magnet.
“Is he… is he a celebrity? He’s wearing a suit.”
“He’s so goddamn handso… Who the hell is he?”
“A young actor? I’ve never seen him before, though…”
“Oh my god, he’s so hot! I wanna get his number…”
“Is that woman with him his girlfriend? Damn… they both look unreal. Like so kind of power couple…”
Within seconds, the soft sounds of squeals and excited whispers—’kya! kya!’s—spread among the nearby won, who could hardly contain themselves as they gawked.
Kouhei noticed the stares. Slightly tilting his head, he gave them a puzzled look, clearly unsure why they were reacting like that.
“Hmm? Is my suit weird or sothing? What do you think, Aria-san?” he asked, his brows drawing together slightly.
“It’s absolutely perfect, Kouhei-sama,” Aria replied with unwavering poise. “In fact, I believe it suits you better than anyone else could ever hope to wear it.”
Her voice carried with it an air of sincerity and conviction so absolute that Kouhei could only assu that nothing was wrong.
With that, the two continued their approach to the Mitani household.
However, just as they stepped onto the mansion grounds, a figure stepped forward and blocked their path.
“Who are you?!” barked a voice, loud and defensive. The man looked like a subordinate of the Mitani House, standing rigidly between them and the entrance.
Without pause, Aria instinctively moved in front of Kouhei, her stance sharp—her body ready to defend him at the first sign of hostility.
“I’m requesting an audience with the leader of the Mitani House,” Kouhei stated, his tone polite yet commanding. “I would like to speak with her personally.”
“Who the hell are you?! What business do you have with our Master?! Speak clearly!” the man demanded, his voice rising in suspicion.
“You’ve likely already heard about the situation,” Kouhei replied coolly. “The Yuuna Faction is currently in crisis. Our leader has been captured. At present, I’m the one in charge of the faction, now temporarily renad the Kouhei Faction. I’ve co here to ask for the Mitani House’s cooperation.”
“Our Master refuses to et with you!” the man shouted, his fists clenched at his sides. “It’s because of you that our house was left in ruins! Why the hell should we lift a finger to help you when it was your faction that did this to us?!”
“I believe it was only natural for the Mitani House to suffer those consequences,” Kouhei said sharply, his gaze narrowing. “You attempted to align yourselves with the Souichiro Faction during the power struggle between our side and theirs. Given the circumstances, we had to eliminate any potential threat before it could grow. We were simply cutting the root before it spread. I suggest you rember that.”
“Shut up!” the man snapped, his voice trembling with rage. “Leave now—or I swear, I’ll make you regret even stepping foot here!”
“Who’s there?”
A new voice suddenly echoed from the mansion’s entrance—
The man turned.
“Master. The forr Yuuna Faction has arrived… requesting your assistance,” he announced stiffly.
It was her—Mitani Chihiro.
The head of the Mitani Faction.
She stepped forward slowly, her expression unreadable.
“And what benefit,” she asked, her voice smooth yet distant, “do we gain from helping you?”
Kouhei looked straight into her eyes, his expression unwavering.
“Sothing you wouldn’t want to pass on,” he said, his words carrying weight.
Chihiro’s eyes narrowed slightly, studying him.
Sothing was… different.
The man standing before her now didn’t quite match the person she rembered from their last encounter. His presence, his voice, even his energy—it was as if she were speaking to soone entirely different.
A part of her was unsettled. Another part—curious.
What happened to this man? What changed?
At the sa ti, suspicion crept in.
“Sothing I wouldn’t pass on?” she repeated, lifting a finely shaped eyebrow. “And what exactly would that be?”
“I’ll explain the terms once we’re in a proper environnt for that conversation,” Kouhei replied. “And I want you, Mitani-san, to hear it directly from .”
Chihiro held his gaze in silence.
Sothing told her—this wouldn’t be just another eting.
She turned her head toward the guard, locking eyes with him briefly before giving a silent, subtle nod—a signal that, despite everything, it was alright to let them through.
The guard’s shoulders tensed slightly. Even with her permission, he still seed visibly hesitant. Uneasy.
It wasn’t that he doubted her authority—but rather, the man standing in front of him.
There was sothing off about Kouhei. Sothing he couldn’t begin to describe.
A strange, suffocating aura lingered around him—thick and heavy, like invisible fog clinging to his skin. It felt ancient. It felt wrong. Or maybe too right to belong to anything mortal.
It was like standing before a presence that transcended planes. As if Kouhei bore fragnts of heaven’s purity, hell’s malice, and sothing eerily human all at once.
A contradiction in form—anomalous and overwhelming.
That was the kind of impression Kouhei gave off now.
Still, the guard didn’t have the power to disobey. No matter how unsettling the feeling that clawed at his instincts, his master’s word was final.
He stepped aside without further protest.
And with that, Kouhei and Aria proceeded, their footsteps echoing softly as they advanced toward the heart of the mansion.
Even now, the building bore its wounds with quiet dignity. Deep cracks split across the walls like veins. Scorched sections of wood, broken beams, shattered decor—every corner whispered reminders of the chaos it had endured. The air inside still slled faintly of ash and smoke.
“Are you feeling guilty,” Chihiro said as she walked ahead of them, her tone casual, though laced with subtle bite, “that you’re about to ask for help from the sa person whose ho you helped reduce to rubble?”
Her words echoed slightly in the hall.
But Kouhei didn’t respond.
Not with words, at least.
He simply kept walking—
Eventually, they reached what appeared to be her personal room.
“Considering I won’t be placing any guards here,” Chihiro said as she turned her head toward him, “I assu you’ll extend the sa courtesy?”
The unspoken ssage was clear. Whatever happened in this room would remain between the two of them.
No witnesses. No protection. Just honesty—or deception, if either chose.
Kouhei gave a single nod in return, his expression unreadable, and stepped into the room.
Aria, without hesitation, halted just outside the door. She didn’t speak. She didn’t protest.
She simply stood there, keeping silent watch.
“Take a seat,” Chihiro said with a gentle motion of her hand.
Her voice had softened slightly, though it still carried authority.
She gestured toward a pair of chairs placed beside a round, polished table. A half-empty bottle of dark red wine sat at the center, surrounded by the low glow of a single lamp.
A glass had already been filled, its contents reflecting the golden light like blood swirling in crystal.
It was only now that Kouhei took in the full picture.
Chihiro was wearing sleepwear.
Thin silk clung to her curves in delicate waves, the fabric loose enough to expose her collarbones and one bare shoulder. Her skin glead faintly under the dim lighting.
The room itself was a ss of disarray.
Lingerie littered the floor—bras flung onto chairs, panties draped lazily over the back of a couch, a camisole tangled in the edge of the sheets. Sleepwear in various styles and shades lay scattered like remnants of a late-night storm.
‘It’s just like Yuka-nee’s room,’ Kouhei thought silently, his eyes flicking to the side as he pulled out the chair and lowered himself into it with quiet control.
Chihiro, anwhile, strolled across the room toward her drawer.
She opened it calmly, retrieving a second glass.
With slow, elegant movents, she returned to the table and placed it down before him. Then, wordlessly, she poured the wine—first filling the new glass, then topping off her own.
Kouhei had never drunk alcohol before.
But this wasn’t a casual encounter. This was a conversation that carried weight. One that would shape the direction of their factions.
And maybe demons preferred the formality of wine. The ritual of it. The intimacy behind the glass.
Chihiro picked up her own drink and circled around the table to her chair. She sat down gracefully, crossing one leg over the other.
She raised her glass to her lips and took a slow, deliberate sip. The rim touched her mouth gently, and she drank with practiced ease.
When she pulled it away, a soft pop sounded from her lips, a wet, elegant note in the quiet room.
Then, finally, her eyes t Kouhei’s again.
“And so?” she said, her voice now low and deliberate, each word rolling smoothly from her tongue. “What exactly is this benefit you ntioned?”
Reviews
All reviews (0)