Chapter 108: Gabriel and Satania's Fated Showdown
"Kouya, may we stay here?" Vigne's voice trembled faintly. Her pale face and pleading gaze made her look more fragile than usual, and even Kouya couldn't ignore that.
Seeing how close she was to crying, he sighed in resignation. "...Fine."
Her eyes brightened slightly with relief. "Thank you!"
"Gabi-chan!" Vigne turned sharply toward the lazy angel still slouched in the doorway, a trace of demonic authority slipping into her tone. "Remember to buy bug spray tonight—and clean your room properly! I mean every corner!"
"Yeah, yeah..." Gabriel yawned, stretching her arms lazily before nodding half-heartedly. Her golden hair swayed as she smiled faintly. "I'll do it later. Probably."
The group soon settled into Kouya's room. His space was tidy enough, though the faint smell of instant noodles and computer heat lingered in the air. Vigne still looked shaken, clutching her tea cup as if it were a sacred talisman.
Gabriel, perhaps out of rare guilt, poured her a cup of warm tea. "Thanks," Vigne murmured, taking a careful sip. "It's not even five yet—let's study for at least another hour before we head home, alright?"
"An hour?! That's torture!" Satania wailed, collapsing over the table like a dying soldier. "I can't endure this academic cruelty!"
"The exam is in two days!" Vigne snapped, frustration creeping into her voice. "Come on, Satania, focus! Finish these problems before you start whining again!"
"Vigne's being mean again," Rikka mumbled from behind her notes, pouting as she drew a tiny magic circle in the corner of her page.
Gabriel nodded in agreement, sipping her tea. "Totally mean."
Vigne glared. "You two are hopeless."
Meanwhile, Kouya had already turned his chair toward his computer. The glow of the monitor reflected in his calm eyes as he scrolled through the latest headlines. Studying? Not even on the radar.
The steady hum of the computer fan joined the sound of flipping pages and pencils scratching. Rain pattered softly against the window, the atmosphere cozy yet fragile—peaceful only on the surface.
Then, as expected, chaos came creeping.
"Kouya," Raphiel said suddenly, her voice lilting and sweet. "Do you have any snacks? Studying is such hard work, after all. My energy is running out."
Energy, my ass. You're not even studying—you're rereading Satania's ridiculous book After I Was Kidnapped by a Beastman...!
"No," Kouya said coldly.
Raphiel chuckled, undeterred. "You'll never find a girlfriend with that kind of attitude. In this book, the beastman works so hard to satisfy Lady Cirno's forbidden 'beep' and 'beep' cravings~"
Shut up! Don't casually say something so insane in such a sweet tone!
Raphiel sighed melodramatically. "So stingy. Not even a little snack? How disappointing." She shifted her posture, leaning gracefully against the sofa as she crossed her legs. Her silky voice dropped to a teasing purr. "How about this—if you give me a snack, I'll trade you these stockings."
Her silver hair shimmered in the lamplight as she adjusted her pose. The black stockings outlined the smooth curve of her legs, the light tracing along their sleek surface. Between the hem of her skirt and the dark fabric was a flawless strip of pale skin—the perfect, dangerous absolute territory that demanded attention.
"So? Fair trade, don't you think?" she asked with a faint smile.
Kouya didn't even blink. "No. Get out."
By the time their back-and-forth ended, Gabriel had already found the snack stash.
Kouya froze. 'She knows my room better than I do...!'
Gabriel puffed her cheeks. "Hey, these were the snacks I bought yesterday to repay you! You didn't even eat them. They'd probably expire before you noticed, so we might as well help you out."
Choosing not to argue, Kouya sighed, put on his headphones, and started a game. When he finally finished his match, he took them off—only to realize the air had turned heavy and electric.
He turned his head.
Gabriel and Satania stood in the center of the room, locked in an intense face-off. Their eyes clashed like drawn blades, invisible sparks bursting between them. The tension was so thick it made the hairs on his neck stand up.
"What the hell... I was gone for one game, and now it's the apocalypse?" Kouya muttered.
Satania's expression hardened. "Gabriel, today you'll finally witness the vast gulf between us!"
Gabriel tilted her head lazily, smirking. "You're still talking big after scoring ten points on your test? You'll never beat me, you idiot demon."
The air shimmered faintly, light and darkness twisting together in a silent storm.
The long-awaited angel-vs-demon showdown—was about to begin.
And then—
"Vigne, Vigne!" Satania suddenly blurted out. "Which one's better, Takenoko no Sato or Kinoko no Yama?! You're on the bamboo shoot team too, right?!"
The tension shattered instantly.
Vigne blinked, dumbfounded. "Eh? I—I think they're both good, actually..."
"No way!" Gabriel and Satania yelled in perfect unison.
"You can't say both are good! Takenoko no Sato is the ultimate snack of the gods!" Satania declared proudly, slamming her hands on the table.
Gabriel folded her arms and smirked. "Exactly. People who can't choose sides meet tragic ends."
Vigne's brow twitched as sweat rolled down her temple. "Then... fine, I'll pick Kinoko no Yama. It doesn't melt and get chocolate all over your fingers."
"What?! Nooo!" Satania wailed, collapsing dramatically. "Betrayal!"
Kouya rubbed his forehead. "Wait... Kinoko and Takenoko? You're fighting over snack brands?!"
His gaze fell on the empty wrappers scattered across the table. "So this whole angel-demon battle is about chocolate biscuits?!"
The eternal conflict of the snack world—the Great Snack War. For decades, Japan had been divided between mushroom and bamboo-shaped chocolate treats. Both were beloved, both made by the same company, and both had legions of devoted fans.
"Rikka, what about you?" Satania turned, eyes burning with hope. "You're on my side, right?!"
Rikka hesitated, then reached into her pocket, pulling out a coin. She flipped it high into the air and caught it deftly. Her expression turned solemn as it landed. "I choose Takenoko no Sato."
"Ahahaha! A wise choice, my disciple!" Satania cried triumphantly.
"You literally flipped a coin! That's not fate—that's laziness!" Vigne exclaimed.
Rikka's voice dropped low and serious. "No, this is destiny's judgment... ow, ow!" She flinched as Vigne flicked her forehead.
Satania grinned. "One-to-one, Gabriel!"
Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "Tch. Not for long." She turned her gaze toward Raphiel. "Raphiel, your vote."
Raphiel smiled, resting a finger lightly on her lips. "Oh my, such a deliciously difficult decision..." She tilted her head playfully. "Alright, whichever of you kneels down and barks like a dog three times will have my vote."
"What kind of ridiculous condition is that?!" Vigne shouted in disbelief.
Before she could even finish, a loud barking noise echoed through the room.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Satania was on her knees, hands posed like paws, grinning in victory. "See, Gabriel! I'm winning already!"
Vigne could only stare, clutching her head. "You actually did it! What happened to your dignity?!"
Raphiel chuckled behind her hand, eyes glinting with mischief. "Then I, of course, support Satania-Sama."
Gabriel pouted, cheeks puffed. "Hmph. Fine then. But... there's still one person left who hasn't voted, isn't there?"