Night.
After a long and tiring day, Asa finally finished her shower and sank into the bathtub to relax.
Yoru took control of the body and adjusted the water temperature slightly higher.
The warm water quickly flushed their fair skin red.
Many families in Japan had a furo, a traditional home bathtub. According to local custom, people cleaned themselves first and then soaked in the bath to relax after a hard day.
Usually, elders bathed first, followed by the younger members of the household. If there were guests staying overnight, they normally went last.
However, Cael and Asa had no elders living with them, so those traditions did not really apply.
Their way of thinking was also far less conservative.
After confirming their relationship, Cael and Asa often preferred to bathe together.
Unfortunately, it had been a while since they last did that.
The shop's business had been booming lately.
Cael and Reze often worked overtime late into the night. Asa simply could not keep up with the physical stamina of those two monsters.
So she usually left earlier.
Reze worked full time and could devote all her time to the shop.
Asa, on the other hand, was still a university student and had to divide her energy between work and studying.
Asa sighed quietly.
I really want to graduate early.
"Hmph hmph hmph."
Yoru leaned against the edge of the bathtub while scrolling through a phone, humming happily.
"Asa, Yoru sounds pretty happy," Asa said inside her mind. "What are you so cheerful about? Did you finally realize Cael can't possibly be your daughter?"
"Tsk, it's not about that."
Yoru pouted briefly, then her lips curled into a smug smile.
"I'm happy because part of my power has returned."
"Huh? How did that happen?"
"Hmph hmph."
Yoru brushed her wet hair back with satisfaction.
"You should thank Kiga for that. Without that crazy woman, my power would not have recovered this quickly."
"Kiga?"
"Oh... you mean the Hunger Devil."
Asa frowned slightly.
"I really don't understand why your sister has so many names. But what does she have to do with your power returning?"
Yoru squeezed some body wash into her hand and began lathering herself.
"After the Falling Devil appeared, gravity across the world went completely abnormal. Countries everywhere were thrown into chaos."
"In that kind of disaster, governments will naturally spend massive amounts of money and resources on disaster relief."
"Disaster relief requires supplies, right?"
"The demand for resources skyrockets, and there is never enough to go around."
Yoru grinned.
"When humans want the same resources, they start fighting."
"And fighting leads to war."
"In that moment, humans remember me. They fear me."
Yoru closed her eyes and savored the feeling.
"My body tells me something interesting."
"Humans have already started fighting."
"People who enjoyed peace for too long are finally beginning to remember the terror of war."
"Oh. Congratulations," Asa replied flatly.
Even after saying that, Asa suddenly felt a strange thought rise in her mind.
This was objectively a terrible thing.
Yet her first reaction had been to consider Yoru's feelings.
Did that mean her thinking was already drifting toward devils?
Was that... anti human?
Asa quickly shook the thought away.
Why should she worry about all of humanity?
What did that have to do with her?
It was not her doing.
When she had been bullied, humanity had not exactly rushed in to save her.
Yoru might be a devil, but she had saved Asa's life from the class president.
The only people Asa cared about were the ones who cared about her.
As for grand ideals about humanity, she had no interest in them.
Seeing Asa's indifferent response, Yoru became irritated.
"Asa, what kind of reaction is that?"
"Are you looking down on me? Do you think I haven't become stronger?"
"No, that's not it."
Yoru's chest rose and fell angrily, foam nearly sliding off her shoulders.
"Asa, open your damn eyes and watch."
With that, Yoru reached toward the shelf beside the bathtub.
"Towel Sword."
Whoosh.
The white towel instantly transformed and flew into Yoru's hand like a weapon.
Asa stared in shock.
"Ah... that..."
Yoru proudly swung the towel sword.
"Hmph hmph. See that?"
"I can use my ability even without touching the object first."
But Asa's attention was somewhere else entirely.
"Yoru."
"What?"
"Don't turn random stuff into weapons."
"Towels cost money too."
"..."
…
"Hoo."
Reze exhaled deeply and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
She set her watercolor brush down with a soft clack.
Looking toward the changing room, she called out.
"Boss, the customer's Hatsune Miku is finished. Come check it."
"Alright."
Moments later, Cael stepped out wearing casual clothes.
As soon as he entered the room, a paper figure caught his eye.
It was Hatsune Miku.
The craftsmanship was shockingly detailed, and the height perfectly matched the official setting of 158 centimeters.
Cael blinked.
"Whoa. Hatsune Miku. And it's fully colored."
Reze smiled proudly.
"Hehe. My skills aren't bad, right?"
"Not bad?" Cael laughed. "Reze, with this level of craftsmanship you could run your own damn business."
"Huh?"
Reze tilted her head with an innocent look.
"Is the boss saying that because he wants to fire me?"
Cael inhaled sharply.
Only now did he realize that this Russian girl had a dangerous habit of making suggestive jokes.
"If you keep talking like that, I'll start docking your salary."
"Nyah nyah nyah. Cheapskate."
Cael ignored her childish teasing and stepped closer to examine the paper Hatsune Miku.
The more he looked, the more impressed he became.
Reze's talent was honestly ridiculous.
Even simple funeral paper items looked like works of art in her hands.
Cael rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Five stars."
"It's so good that burning it later feels like a damn waste."
The paper Hatsune Miku was actually a funeral order.
The deceased had been an unmarried otaku in his thirties.
According to his family, he disliked people and loved the virtual singer Hatsune Miku above all else.
So the family requested a life sized paper version to be cremated with him.
They hoped Hatsune Miku would accompany him in the afterlife.
Cael clicked his tongue.
With craftsmanship like this, the guy would probably be thrilled in the afterlife.
Reze blinked her emerald eyes playfully.
"If you like it so much, I could make another one and put it in your bedroom."
Cael rolled his eyes.
"Why don't you just fold yourself and put yourself in my bedroom instead?"
Reze paused.
"Ah... well..."
"If you're serious, it's not like I would refuse."
Ding.
The ringing phone interrupted her sentence.
Cael glanced at the caller ID, his expression turning slightly strange.
"I'll take this."
He walked to the courtyard and stopped near the wall.
"Hmm?"
Reze narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"What kind of call needs to be taken in secret?"
"Don't tell me..."
"It's so late. Does Makima need something?"
Meanwhile, on the other end of the call, Makima was lounging on a sofa surrounded by a sea of dogs.
"I just wanted to talk to Cael."
"I saw you finish work earlier, so I called before you went to sleep."
Cael sighed and instinctively looked up.
A crow sat on the courtyard wall, staring directly at him with round eyes.
He rubbed his forehead.
"Could you at least give me some privacy?"
Makima's voice remained calm.
"Cael doesn't like it?"
"I'll try not to let you notice next time."
"Yeah... sure."
Cael sounded unconvinced.
"Anyway, get to the point."
Makima slowly sat up, lightly licking the corner of her lips.
"I want Cael to fulfill the promise you made."
"Tomorrow."
"I want you to spend the entire day on a date with me."
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Powerstones?? (´ε｀ )
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