"Yelena Alekseeva, Daniel Lopez… they're our targets!"
Mael declared, walking alongside her brother through the forest that stretched past the coastline. Leaves on the bushes and treetops wilted and fell under their feet; the darkness seemed to follow them as dusk settled in.
Their clothes stirred even the branches, creating a strange current of air that would have intrigued any observer — if there were any. Luckily, they were alone… for now.
"Did Asmael ever say why those two? I mean… there were plenty of other targets, right?"
He spoke up less subtly, kicking stones out of his path and scaring off small animals as he went.
Even when they couldn't see him, they could feel his wicked presence.
Even the birds were fleeing that patch of forest, abandoning their flight paths and retreating from the sky altogether.
"No!" she snapped, folding her arms tightly. "He just said that by taking both of them out, we'd force Luciel to make the next move. But what's that gonna be? Those two don't even trust us. I feel like the annoying kid nobody wants around! Don't you feel that too?"
"Of course I do," he grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck like he was trying to brush off the discomfort. "But… well, it's probably because of that idiot Bezeel and that bastard Azaael. Both of them betrayed Luciel — and they were basically family. So yeah, it's no wonder there's no trust left. Can't really blame them, can you!?"
He said it, but not even he seemed convinced. His eyes dropped to the ground for a moment, carrying a trace of guilt — or maybe frustration. He knew that alliance was fragile, like cracked glass — one wrong move, and it would all shatter.
"Yeah… damn it! That's probably why he sent us out so soon. Three days until we start the plan, so until then, we've gotta lie low!" she complained, rolling her eyes. "Ugh, what a pain! Why don't we kill time at that, hmm… Beel's bar, huh?"
She clasped her hands behind her head.
"Beel's bar? Are you out of your mind? He's another traitor!" He raised an eyebrow, offended but not entirely surprised — it was absurd, but not unexpected.
"What? What's he gonna do? He's not even a demon anymore! He's basically just… a bartender."
"That's what worries me most… It's always the ones who seem harmless that make the worst move. You're too naïve, Mael."
Their eyes locked.
"Come on, let's just have one drink… some moonshine?" she teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes, like it was the most innocent idea ever. "Did I say it right?"
"Yeah… but… moonshine? We're not drinking that, idiot! Something way better: wine! And preferably something expensive!"
"Of course, Your Highness!"
Between snarky jabs and muffled laughter, they finally reached the end of the trail that twisted through the dense, gnarled forest.
The woods gave way to a sudden break in the treeline that opened onto asphalt — a jarring contrast between the spectral world they inhabited and the mundane normalcy of the living. The Doko Highway stretched ahead of them, paved and busy, cars whipping by at high speed, coming and going nonstop.
A rusted sign, half-covered in moss and graffiti, read: DOKO HIGHWAY – 78km to Saisho (capital) — with poorly drawn arrows pointing east and west. A faded map showed the connection to the neighboring city-state of Chūgoku, though the ink was nearly gone.
Mael stopped at the roadside, watching the cars flash past like streaks of light and noise. Every car that crossed through his body made a faint disturbance in the air, like an invisible ripple, but none of them ever made contact.
Leviel followed right behind.
"Anyway… we'll need to avoid those damned exorcists until the big day. So how do we do that?"
"Possession! There are billions of humans who can't even use their aura. These three days, we'll just blend in, disguised as humans." A devilish grin spread across his face — no one knew better than him how to slip among the living. "I'll drink plenty of wine, spend some unlucky mortal's gold. I'm gonna have a blast. Don't know about you!"
"Easy for you, you glutton… And me? What am I supposed to do? Go fishing the whole time? First with my mouth, now… with a rod?"
"Exactly. Go fish for envy instead. That'll calm your anxious ass down!"
"Smartass…"
He shot back, a little annoyed, as the demon lifted his gaze to the sky, focusing on the subtle shift of light on the horizon. Nox rose slowly above them, its presence dominating the firmament while Aurora faded, turning almost translucent as she retreated, giving way to the one behind her, who crept forward to claim her place.
The changing of the deities.
And… that very same sight reached Yamasaki, leaning against the hood of his car, parked right on the crossing that split the tracks of a street cutting through the city. Night had finally swallowed the sky above the tunnel entrance to the Sangai train station. His expression was all frustration — he'd been waiting for over an hour, and neither of them had shown up.
"Where the hell are they…" he muttered, kicking the tire with his heel and then landing a punch on the door.
The impact was solid enough to dent the metal slightly, but he wasn't mad enough to really do damage; it was more frustration than fury.
"Hihi…"
Echoed from behind him.
"Um…"
An unexpected sound that almost made him jump. He spun around.
"I'm here, oh Yamasaki!" Amai appeared out of nowhere.
She wore a black coat that reached down to her knees, split at the waist like a skirt, fluttering gently in the cold wind. He couldn't help but notice her bare legs exposed to the chill.
"Aren't your legs cold?" he asked bluntly, lifting his gaze to meet hers.
"Why?" she shot back, a half-cocky smile on her lips, waiting for him to say something more — but then realized, a bit awkwardly, that he might've been staring a little too much.
"Nothing… Anyway, why're you late, huh? You and that guy in the suit said you'd be here over an hour ago!"
"Ah, I…" She made a nervous gesture, flicking her hair back. "I forgot my car was in the shop. Had to take a taxi — and it was a nightmare finding a decent one. Nothing stops in front of my clan's headquarters!"
She glanced around, realizing it was just the two of them — no one else.
"And the other guy? Not here yet?"
"Ah, that… Well…" She started, but paused, noticing again how perfectly put together she looked — every detail of her appearance screaming vanity, from her polished nails to her perfectly brushed hair. "Never mind… no, as you can see… he's not here."
She always looked ready for a party, no matter the mission — always flawless.
Her restless energy reminded him of a teenager itching to drink for the first time.
"Well, if Arthur doesn't show up… hm…" She turned her gaze toward the tunnel, the darkness too thick to see the other side, then turned her back to him. "Fine, if he's not here in ten more minutes, we're going in alone, okay?"
"Got it!"
"Perfect…"
She narrowed her eyes, staring into the black void.
"…So deep. There's gotta be something powerful down there, don't you think!?" she remarked, still locked on that darkness.
"There's probably nothing…"
Until his voice broke the silence.
"Nothing?" She raised an eyebrow, incredulous. "You probably haven't even read the stories, have you? They say more than a hundred people kill themselves in there every year. Most of them men, frustrated with life, leaving kids and wives behind. Too tragic for there to be nothing, don't you think?"
"Yeah…"
"When something that strong happens, it leaves a mark — a black stain the soul leaves behind when it ascends. But think about it…" She turned to him, serious. "Countless marks like that? If there's not a calamity living in there, I can't even imagine what it is." She casually leaned against the car.
It was the perfect moment to shift into a more human conversation. They'd waited long enough — and maybe, just maybe, it was good for them to actually hear each other out.
"Not all dark energy gains consciousness… Sometimes it's just… an accumulation. A forgotten stockpile of suffering. A well of echoes."
"You, of all people, should know that, huh? Impure exorcist!" she teased, twirling a strand of hair around her finger with a sly grin.
That damn grin.
"Yeah, well… I know a bit more than most, but it doesn't make me a genius." He shrugged. "I know it flows according to the thoughts that spawned it. It's probably just a mass — too many acts to unify all that in a single mind."
"Wow, you almost sound dedicated when you talk like that. Nothing like the lazy bum I heard about!"
"Someone called me a…"
But before he could finish, they both heard footsteps pounding toward them, along with ragged breathing.
Arthur emerged from the far side, where the tunnel began for anyone coming in — drenched in sweat like he'd run a marathon. Breathless, his face flushed, hair a mess, shoes in hand, completely barefoot.
"Sorry, guys…" he panted, letting out a long sigh as he tried to catch his breath.
But Shirasaki already had her arms crossed, shooting him a look that mixed impatience with smug judgment.
"That was terrible, mister!" she said theatrically, before bursting into a laugh at her own performance.
"Clown…"
The sour tone nearly made him turn back the way he came.
He was a pain. He always was. And apparently, that wasn't going to change anytime soon.
The mood only didn't sour completely because… well…
"I nearly… crapped myself!" Arthur blurted out without missing a beat.
They all burst into laughter.
In that moment, no one really cared about the delay. His pathetic state — sweaty, barefoot, shoes in hand — said everything: he'd crossed the entire city on foot just to be there.
And in the end, that was enough.