Beep.
The phone rang a few times before it was picked up.
Higashiyama Naoto's voice came through, thick with alcohol and irritation. "Hello, you brat. What are you doing?"
Even through the phone, the stench of alcohol felt suffocating.
Kobeni's body trembled at her father's voice.
"D-Dad, I'm on my way home from work. Is... something wrong?"
"Tch. Can't I call you without a reason?"
"No, no, of course you can!"
"Honestly..." Naoto let out a drunken hiccup before speaking bluntly, "Your brother Kotaro needs money. Transfer twenty million yen to us as soon as possible."
"Eh?!"
Kobeni froze mid-step.
"T-twenty million yen?!"
"What's with that reaction?" Naoto snapped. "You've been working for years. Don't tell me you don't even have that much saved?"
"I... I..."
Her voice collapsed under the pressure.
She had planned to mention Yoru's medical expenses carefully, but her father's demand completely crushed that thought.
Twenty million yen.
He said it so casually.
Did he have any idea how hard it was to earn that kind of money?
If her family hadn't drained her dry over the years, she might have barely managed to save that much.
But almost everything she earned had gone straight to them.
She had barely spent anything on herself.
Now, the balance in her account was just over one million yen.
Even surviving was difficult, and that was only because Cael had advanced her salary.
"I what?" Naoto barked. "Kotaro is your brother. Your own blood. He needs money for his wedding. If you don't help him, who will?"
Kobeni's voice shook as tears streamed down her face.
"D-Dad... I really can't come up with that kind of money..."
Bang.
The sound of a table being slammed echoed through the phone.
Her legs nearly gave out.
"You ungrateful brat!" Naoto roared. "Think you're independent now?"
"All I did was ask for some money and you're acting like this?"
"Fine! Treat it as a loan!"
"N-no... that's not it..." Kobeni slid down against the wall, her strength leaving her. "Dad, I really don't have anything left."
"Since I started working... after covering basic living costs... I've sent almost everything to you..."
Her voice became hollow.
She had thought things would get easier after Kotaro started earning his own salary.
Instead, they demanded even more.
Twenty million yen for a marriage.
Did he really have to marry her?
Was that girl made of gold?
Naoto paused for a brief moment.
A flicker of clarity surfaced through the alcohol.
What Kobeni said was true.
But it vanished just as quickly.
"Baka!" he roared.
"I don't care how you do it!"
"Sell yourself, borrow, steal, rob, I don't give a damn!"
"Get twenty million yen in ten days, or we're done. You're no longer our daughter!"
Beep. Beep.
The call ended.
Kobeni wiped her tears, her expression blank.
"Severing ties... that would be nice..."
But that was just a thought.
She would never dare say it out loud.
Then—
A wet, dragging sound crept up behind her.
Black, slick tentacles slowly wrapped around her leg.
Splatter.
Foul-smelling saliva soaked into her trousers.
"Eh...?"
Kobeni looked up.
Her pupils shrank instantly.
A half-human, half-snake creature crouched on the wall, its two grotesque faces covered in pustules.
A Fire Devil that had slipped through the cracks.
Unlike the others, this one was cautious.
It hid during the day, avoided armed adults, and preyed on the weak.
And now—
It had chosen Kobeni.
A girl who almost collapsed from a phone call.
The easiest prey imaginable.
Kobeni's hand shook violently as she pulled out her small utility knife.
"D-don't come any closer..."
"Hiss!"
The creature grinned, its forked tongue flicking as it lunged.
"No—!"
Kobeni shut her eyes.
Shing.
…
Ten seconds later.
Kobeni knelt in a pool of blood, gagging.
The corpse of the Fire Devil lay in pieces.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably as the knife slipped from her grip and clattered to the ground.
"So much blood..."
Her voice cracked.
"These clothes are ruined... I'll have to buy new ones... that costs money..."
Tears streamed down her face again.
"I don't even have enough money... why does everyone keep pushing me around..."
…
Meanwhile.
Kanagawa Prefecture, Higashiyama residence.
Naoto lowered his phone, his face dark.
"Looks like we can't get anything more out of that useless girl. What the hell are we supposed to do now?"
Haruko frowned, equally troubled.
They drank in silence, the mood heavy.
They considered many options.
But one thing never crossed their minds.
Letting Kotaro give up the marriage.
To them, it wasn't negotiable.
The Saionji family had influence.
If Kotaro married into it, their entire family could rise in status.
Then—
A sly glint appeared in Haruko's eyes.
"Husband, I just thought of something. There might be a way to get money quickly, with no risk."
Naoto looked at her. "What way?"
Haruko smirked.
"We trade a bride price for another bride price."
"Kobeni is twenty-one. Perfect age for marriage."
"We marry her off and use the money to pay for Kotaro."
Naoto rubbed his chin.
"Not bad, but who would pay twenty million yen for her? She has no background."
Haruko let out a low laugh.
"Do you remember Miyazaki Koichi?"
Naoto frowned. "The one with the unmarried son?"
"I'm not talking about his son," Haruko said, shaking her head. "I mean him."
"Himself?"
"Exactly."
"His wife and son both turned into Fire Devils and were killed. Now he's alone."
"I've talked to him. Men like that are desperate, mentally and physically."
"We can use that."
"If we offer Kobeni, we might actually get twenty million yen."
Naoto narrowed his eyes.
"Still... why her?"
Haruko clicked her tongue.
"Because she's young."
"And her genes are good."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering.
"And more importantly, she's never had a boyfriend."
"That alone is enough to hook someone like him."
__
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