In the center of the alley, the small white dog advanced with single-minded determination. Satania's slender legs trembled as she instinctively retreated, her eyes fixed on the approaching menace. The irony was not lost on any observer—a self-proclaimed demon from Hell, who supposedly commanded legions of the damned, was terrified of an ordinary stray dog. Her demon identity, it seemed, was purely for show.
"Ah! My pineapple bun!"
Her scream pierced the evening air as the little white dog lunged. Its jaws closed precisely around the packaging of the pastry clutched in Satania's hands. With a triumphant wag of its tail, the dog trotted off, head held high like a conqueror returning from battle.
"Waaahhhhh…"
Satania stood alone in the aftermath, her arms flailing helplessly as she sank to the ground. Tears welled in her eyes. "My pineapple bun… Why do you always steal mine? Sob…"
A laugh escaped from the alley entrance. Satania's head snapped toward the sound, and her mind promptly ground to a halt.
Hozuki Nozomi stood there, watching her.
Her cheeks ignited. The embarrassment of being seen in such a pathetic state by this man—the same man who had haunted her dreams more times than she cared to admit—proved too much for her fragile composure. Her eyes rolled back, and she slumped to the ground in a dead faint.
Hozuki Nozomi quickly crossed the distance and scooped her up. He looked down at the unconscious demon in his arms, a helpless sigh escaping him. "Why did she faint?"
She was completely defenseless. The thought crossed his mind that he could do… something. He dismissed it quickly. She might be foolish—adorably so—but she was still a demon. A demon so inept that even a stray dog could bully her out of her pastry. The sight made him want to bully her a little too.
He adjusted his grip on her light, weightless form and carried her toward the park. As he passed the alley entrance, his gaze flicked to the corner where Raphiel had been hiding. The silver-haired angel hadn't moved, her large eyes fixed on the scene with undisguised interest. He gave a small wave toward the exposed flash of silver, and a moment later, Raphiel emerged from the shadows, a bright smile spreading across her delicate features.
"Hozuki Nozomi, do you need help?" Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
"Raphiel, right? Would you mind taking Satania home?" He shook the plastic bag in his other hand. "And please give her this."
The bag contained the baumkuchen he had bought earlier. Raphiel's smile widened as she understood—he wanted to compensate Satania for her lost pineapple bun. "Of course," she said sweetly, reaching out to accept both the unconscious demon and the pastry. "Leave it to me."
Hozuki Nozomi carefully transferred Satania into Raphiel's arms. Despite her penchant for mischief and her habit of toying with the little demon, Raphiel was an angel at heart. There was no real malice in her.
"Thank you, Raphiel."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Raphiel watched him go, then glanced at her halo. It had brightened slightly, but only a little. Her lips formed a small pout of dissatisfaction. When Gabriel had helped Hozuki Nozomi, her halo had brightened significantly. Why was her own increase so minimal? Perhaps it was because she hadn't had close contact with him. Next time, she would have to rectify that.
For now, she had a foolish demon to deliver home. Honestly, fainting in an alley like that—wasn't she afraid of being taken advantage of? This adorable idiot would probably count the money for anyone who sold her.
Meanwhile, Asada Shino was making her way home. The evening streets were quiet, the sun dipping below the rooftops and casting long shadows across the pavement. As she passed an alley entrance, three figures suddenly emerged, blocking her path.
Her heart seized. The boys—young men, really, with unkempt facial hair and hard eyes—brandished daggers, their movements aggressive and deliberate.
"Asada! Stop right there!"
Shino recognized their faces. Her delicate frame trembled, and she instinctively stepped backward. "Endo… what do you want?"
"What do we want?" Endo twirled the dagger in his hand, a bitter laugh escaping him. "Revenge, of course."
His companions moved to flank her, cutting off any escape. Shino's back pressed against the alley wall.
"Asada, do you have any idea what we've been through? Everyone despises us now. They look at us like we're filth." Endo's voice cracked with rage. "We told everyone who made us do it! We named names! But that bastard still won't let it go. Why did he have to announce our extortion to the whole school?"
His knuckles whitened around the knife. "My father had to kneel before the principal. Kneel. And he still wouldn't take back the announcement!"
The three men closed in, their voices overlapping in a chorus of grievance and fury. "You and that guy made our lives hell, but you get to walk around like nothing happened. It's not fair!"
Shino pressed herself against the wall, her body trembling. "What… what do you want? Do you want money?"
Endo's gaze traveled over her—the school uniform that accentuated her slender figure, her delicate legs, the gentle curve of her chest, her pretty, frightened face. A slow, ugly smile spread across his features.
"We're here for revenge. Against you, and then against him." He licked his lips. "We want money. And we want you."
He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Asada, you're really cute. Just be a good girl. Let us have some fun, and we won't hurt you. Sound fair?"
Shino's legs felt like jelly, but she forced herself to move. Her shaking hand plunged into her bag and emerged with a small canister of pepper spray. She aimed it at them, her voice barely steady. "Don't come any closer! Don't touch me!"
Endo and his companions exchanged leering glances. "She says don't touch her," one of them mocked.
"Then we definitely have to touch her," Endo replied with a grin. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small object. "Asada, look at this! We know your weakness."
It was a toy replica gun. But to Shino, who couldn't see the details clearly in the fading light, it was a weapon.
Bang.
The memory crashed over her—the robber, the gun, the sound that had changed her life forever. Her eyes lost focus. The pepper spray slipped from her fingers. Her trembling body went slack, and she crumpled to the ground, trapped in the nightmare of her own mind.
Endo laughed, exchanging triumphant looks with his companions. "It worked! Shino, we're coming for you."
Their eyes roamed over her prone form, over the pale skin of her arms and legs. One of them swallowed hard. Endo reached out, his fingers stretching toward her chin, ready to tilt her face up—
"That's enough, scumbags."
The voice cut through the alley like a blade.
Endo's head snapped toward the sound. His companions froze. Instinctively, they lunged toward Shino, knives raised, hoping to take her hostage—
A blur of motion.
Three bodies flew through the air, propelled by an impossible force. They crashed to the ground in a heap, their screams cut short by the impact. Endo lay with his chest caved in, his eyes staring sightlessly at the darkening sky. His companions scrambled backward, their faces masks of pure terror.
"He's… Endo is… Ahhhh!"
"Shut up."
A foot pressed down on the screaming man's cheek, silencing him instantly. Hozuki Nozomi stood over them, his expression cold, his eyes holding no trace of mercy. He looked down at the three men who had tried to harm Shino, and he felt nothing but contempt.
He bent down and gently scooped Shino into his arms. She was still trembling, her body wracked with tremors, her eyes unfocused and distant. A flicker of pain crossed his face as he looked at her.
As he carried her toward the alley entrance, he paused.
A snap of his fingers.
Dark flames erupted from the three bodies, consuming them in an instant. There were no screams, no time for regrets. Endo and his companions were reduced to ashes, their very souls obliterated from existence.
Hozuki Nozomi had never taken his eyes off Shino. The magic he had placed on her allowed him to sense when she was in danger, and he had expended a portion of his power to teleport directly to her side. These men had been given a chance to walk away. Instead, they had chosen revenge. They had chosen to hurt her.
They had made their choice. Now, they faced the consequences.
His arms tightened around Shino's trembling form as he carried her into the night. His eyes softened with something tender, something protective.
She was safe now. She would always be safe with him.