Chapter 358: You’re a monster now, aren’t you?
"...You really are too kind, Kou-kun."
Her words carried a softness that almost felt like it could break at the slightest touch. The smile on her face was bright, but at the same time, it was fragile. It was like glass that was reflecting the moonlight. Kouhei felt that if he said the wrong thing, that delicate smile would crumble and vanish right before his eyes.
"I... don’t know about that," Kouhei muttered, lowering his gaze slightly.
He didn’t see himself as kind. Not in the way Nagisa was painting him. To him, he was just someone who lived comfortably in the gray and he was never fully leaning toward good or evil. He wasn’t the type to leap in and help someone without hesitation, but he wasn’t the type to ignore suffering completely either. He simply went along with the flow of things, quietly following the current, even while others were drowning.
"If I were to call myself truly kind, then I’d have to say everyone else is too kind as well," he continued, his voice calm but firm. "Because honestly, I don’t think I’m particularly kind at all. I’m just... someone who goes along with everything, without really putting too much thought into it."
Nagisa tilted her head, her lips curling into a small smile. "I see... Well, maybe. But that, in its own way, is kindness too."
Her words lingered in the air as her eyes slowly lifted toward the moon above, her expression softening in the pale silver glow.
Kouhei took a quiet breath. This was the moment.
"Nagisa-san," he began, his tone heavier than before, "would you mind hearing out Yuzuha-san?"
Nagisa turned her head back toward him, her smile never faltering. "Even if everything I’ve been thinking is baseless, and even if the truth is that Yuzuha had her own reasons that I don’t need to know about... I don’t think I could ever forgive her."
"But... would you at least hear her out?"
She hadn’t outright rejected his suggestion. Even though she made it clear forgiveness wasn’t on the table, she hadn’t dismissed the idea of listening. Maybe, deep down, Nagisa wanted to know.
"Well... if it’s just that, then I suppose I can hear her out," she said after a pause. "But seriously, Kou-kun, I never expected you to be such a busybody. Color me surprised!"
Kouhei gave a small chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just feel like there’s something that needs to be settled between you two. Sorry if it seems like I’m pushing myself into it."
"It’s fine. If anything, it shows you care. That’s why I keep saying you’re kinder than you think. Too kind, really. I just hope you never change," she said warmly, her smile carrying a weight that pressed against Kouhei’s heart.
"Alright," Kouhei answered, smiling back at her.
For a moment, the night felt still, and the moonlight seemed to shine brighter than usual—like it was drawn to her, illuminating Nagisa more than it had any right to.
***
Yuzuha’s eyes fluttered open to the dull throb of a pounding headache. The ceiling above her was unfamiliar, the bed beneath her softer than she expected. Panic tried to rise in her chest, but before she could gather her bearings—
"You’re awake," a calm voice said.
She turned her head to find Yuuna seated nearby, watching her with composed eyes.
"Yuuna-sama..." Yuzuha whispered, surprise flashing across her face. "I see... so I lost, huh?"
"Yup," Yuuna replied bluntly, her tone casual but edged. "And Kouhei-kun was holding back the whole time. You should consider yourself lucky he didn’t take it seriously."
Yuzuha let out a weak, wry smile. "I figured as much the moment we clashed. The way he fought... it was obvious he wasn’t going all out against me."
Even now, she could still feel the lingering echo of his power—the aura of the fallen angel mixed within him. That had been enough to knock her out without resistance.
"So? What are you going to do with me?" Yuzuha asked after a beat, her voice calm but edged with resignation. "You’re not going to kill me, are you? Will you lock me away in some dungeon for the rest of my life as punishment?"
That was the fate her mind immediately settled on the moment she woke up.
"You know as well as I do that Kouhei-kun wouldn’t do that," Yuuna said with a faint smile. "But if I were still the leader, I wouldn’t hesitate. You’ve done unforgivable things with my brother. And what you did to Nagisa... in my eyes, you’re nothing short of a horrible person."
Yuzuha smiled bitterly, her lips trembling just slightly. "I don’t expect forgiveness or mercy. I know exactly what I am. I am a horrible person."
Yuuna leaned back slightly, studying her. "So you actually understand how awful you are, huh? I didn’t think I’d hear that from you."
"I’m more honest than you give me credit for, Yuuna-sama."
"Maybe so," Yuuna admitted. "But Kouhei-kun is the one you’ll need to speak with. So you’d better be honest with him too. You lost your duel. That means you won’t be running away again... like you always do."
Yuzuha’s smile faltered. The words hit harder than she expected. Because they were true. Running away was what she had always done—choosing escape over confrontation every single time.
"Fufufufu... very well. I’ll be honest with him," Yuzuha said finally, her laughter low and hollow.
Moments later, the door opened, and Kouhei stepped inside. His eyes locked with Yuzuha’s instantly.
And for the first time, fear gripped her. This boy—this human—felt more overwhelming than any demon she had ever stood against. Even Souichiro, with all his power, couldn’t compare to the sheer weight Kouhei carried in his presence.
"Hello there, Yuzuha-san," Kouhei greeted calmly.
His expression was unreadable, his tone smooth, leaving her uncertain of what he was truly thinking.
"I don’t think we’ve ever properly introduced ourselves," he continued. "My name is Okumura Kouhei. As you already know, I’m human... but also the current leader of the Kouhei Faction."
Yuzuha already knew this. She didn’t bother to interrupt, simply meeting his words with a faint smile.
"Of course I know you," she said. "You’re the talk of the town—there’s no way I wouldn’t. And besides, you’re the one the little flower entrusted her life to. So yes... I know who you are very well."
Little flower. She meant Nagisa.
There was warmth in her voice when she said it, even if it was faint. Despite everything, Yuzuha seemed to genuinely care for Nagisa.
"I want to ask you something, Yuzuha-san," Kouhei said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Why did you betray your clan and sell them out?"
"Because I felt like it," Yuzuha answered smoothly, a smile playing at her lips.
"I know that’s not true."
"Why? Why don’t you believe me, Okumura-sama?"
"Because your voice trembled just now when you said it was only because you felt like it."
"Huh?"
"If that was really the truth, your voice wouldn’t have wavered. Not like that," Kouhei said, his tone cutting through the air like a blade.
For the first time, Yuzuha’s expression stiffened, the smile slipping away from her face.
"And if that truly was the reason, your heart wouldn’t be pounding this hard."
He was seeing through her completely. With the power of Empathy—an ability he gained from Hina—he could sense the feelings others tried to hide. And right now, he could feel Yuzuha drowning in lies she told herself.
"It’s useless to lie to Kouhei-kun, Yuzuha. He’ll see right through you," Yuuna said sharply.
Yuzuha let out a bitter chuckle, though her eyes darkened. "And you still call yourself human? No... you’re a monster now, aren’t you?"
Well, Kouhei could admit to himself that he wasn’t normal anymore.
There was no way he could ever be a normal person again after everything he had gone through. There was absolutely no way he could live as a human again.
Calling himself human already felt like a stretch, because deep down he knew—he could never go back to being one.
But rather than hating it, it felt natural for him to embrace it now. After all, that was the only right thing left to do.
"What would I even get if I told you the truth, Okumura-sama? Would you cry for me? Or would you swear you’d save me from this drowning hell I’ve been stuck in, where no one ever dared to reach out their hand and pull me back up? Would you save the clan members I killed because of my actions? Would you save Nagisa’s parents?"
Kouhei couldn’t do any of that. He knew it. Saving someone who was already dead was impossible. There was no such thing as going back to the past and undoing the damage. There were many miracles that could happen, but that kind of miracle just didn’t exist.
So Kouhei stayed silent.
"Well, I never expected that from you anyway, so don’t worry," she said quietly. "It’s not like... I feel like telling you everything either. I’m sorry, but I just can’t. But you probably already know, don’t you? Since you’re reading my emotions with the power of a Primordial Succubus... I hated it. I never once liked it. If I had the chance, I’d go back in time and change it all. But there’s no going back. The only thing left is to swallow it down."