It was still early for dinner.
Cael and Makima walked into the Sea Heart Tunnel of the aquarium. Above them, massive sheets of glass curved overhead while schools of marine animals drifted silently through deep blue water.
The entire tunnel glowed with a dim oceanic light. Fish, rays, and slow drifting shadows passed above their heads. The quiet pressure of the ocean surrounded them, creating a strangely peaceful atmosphere.
For most people, the deep sea could feel suffocating.
For others, it was strangely comforting.
Makima gently tugged on Cael's hand while chatting with him. Earlier, they had wandered through the amusement area outside the park. There were plenty of small games and attractions scattered around.
They tried a few of them.
Then Cael stopped.
He quickly realized Makima was not truly interested in any of it. She only played along because he was there.
That would not work.
After all, Makima was technically the client of this date.
Cael had to find something she actually enjoyed.
"Speaking of that," Cael said, shifting the conversation toward her, "Makima, you don't seem that interested in games. What do you usually do for fun?"
"Hobbies?" Makima paused briefly.
"My hobby used to be walking dogs."
She looked at him calmly.
"Now my hobby is walking dogs and walking Cael."
"..."
Cael stared at her.
Well.
That was certainly a unique hobby.
He raised both hands in surrender.
"Alright then. Let me ask you this. Do you like walking dogs more, or do you like walking Cael more?"
Fight nonsense with nonsense.
Makima was a devil. Trying to understand her using normal human logic was pointless.
Makima tilted her chin slightly upward.
"I definitely like Cael more."
Her tone remained calm and emotionless.
"My love for dogs is similar to how I view humans. They are loyal and easy to command. Clever in some ways, foolish in others. Watching them can be interesting."
She continued walking beside him.
"But in the end, they are only pets."
"They are not irreplaceable."
"If a pet dies accidentally, I might feel sad for a day."
Before they realized it, the tunnel ended.
The exit opened into a bright outdoor area. The sudden winter sunlight spilled across the ground, warm and gentle.
Makima tightened her grip on Cael's hand slightly.
"But Cael is different."
Her voice carried a quiet certainty.
"Cael is not just my good friend."
"He is my lover."
"The only irreplaceable person."
"If Cael died..."
Makima's voice softened slightly.
"Only a long and miserable life would remain for me."
"If that happened, I would probably discard this life, erase my memories, and restart in Hell."
Cael blinked.
Hold on.
Good friend just got upgraded to lover?
Diagnosis at a glance.
Makima's cognitive problem had clearly gotten worse.
He coughed lightly.
Still, it seemed to be a harmless kind of worse.
To be honest, Cael felt genuinely moved by what she said.
At first glance, Makima's words sounded like a simple promise of dying together.
But if someone actually thought about it, the meaning was terrifying.
Makima had a strong habit of confiding in him. She had already revealed several horrifying secrets to Cael.
One of them was the fact that devils reincarnate after death.
Another was the absurd contract she had signed with the Prime Minister of Japan. Any damage done to Makima would be transferred to Japanese citizens.
So if Makima truly wanted to die and reincarnate in Hell, she would first need to actually die.
That was where the real problem appeared.
How do you die when you have unlimited extra lives?
For Makima to truly die, more than one hundred million Japanese citizens would have to die first.
And considering Makima was a devil, she was absolutely capable of causing something that insane.
All Japanese citizens could collectively say, "Thanks for the sacrifice."
Cael rubbed his chin while thinking.
For him, Asa, Makima, and Reze were all his girls.
None of them were allowed to die.
Everyone had to live.
If fate simply reset everything after death, then what was the point of reincarnation?
Cael continued sorting through his thoughts.
As Asa's official boyfriend, Makima's recovery therapist, and Reze's favorite troublemaker, he really should care more about their safety.
Makima had over a hundred million lives. Unless she ran into some absurd rule-breaking monster, she was practically impossible to kill.
Reze was a Weapon Hybrid. Her survival method was similar to his own. As long as she drank blood and pulled her pin, she could revive again and again.
As long as her heart was not destroyed, she would be fine.
Then there was Asa.
Cael suddenly frowned.
Asa had absolutely no survival mechanism.
Her strange fusion with the War Devil did not even count as a proper Fiend. Her recovery ability was actually worse than a normal Fiend's.
Cael sucked in a sharp breath.
That was bad.
Then he realized something even worse.
Asa was also Japanese.
That meant Asa was technically one of Makima's spare lives.
If Makima's contract with the Prime Minister activated one day, there was a one in a hundred million chance that Asa could be chosen as the unlucky victim.
Cael stared into the distance.
Holy hell.
That was an absurdly high probability.
This was definitely a problem.
He took a deep breath and looked at Makima.
"Makima."
"I understand what you meant earlier."
"I like you a lot too."
"So I want to ask you for a small favor."
Makima's eyes curved slightly with happiness.
Cael's approval clearly pleased her.
"Of course," she said softly. "I can satisfy any request."
Cael inhaled slowly.
"I want you to change Asa Mitaka's nationality."
"You can do that, right?"
Makima froze for a brief moment.
She immediately understood what he meant.
Changing Asa's nationality would prevent Asa from becoming one of the sacrificial lives tied to Makima's contract.
Makima looked at him quietly.
"Alright."
"I can do that."
She agreed easily.
However, a faint trace of resentment appeared in her gaze.
Even during their date, Cael was still thinking about Asa Mitaka.
Her chest felt slightly uncomfortable.
The frustration was surprisingly strong.
Cael noticed the change immediately.
"I'm sorry, Makima."
He spoke honestly.
"I didn't mean to ruin the mood."
"You know Asa is just a normal girl fused with the War Devil."
"She only has one life."
"She's fragile."
"I don't want Asa hurting you, and I don't want your situation hurting Asa either."
Cael smiled slightly.
"You two are both my wings."
"If either of you gets hurt, it'll break my heart."
When a patient had an emotional reaction, the best solution was gentle reassurance.
Makima's expression softened noticeably.
Cael had placed her before Asa in that sentence.
To Makima, that counted as a small victory.
In reality, this outcome was exactly what Cael expected.
He won this round.
At that moment, Makima caught a faint scent of paint in the air.
She turned her head.
Not far away, a young girl with a butterfly painted on her face was carefully mixing colors on a palette.
Makima remembered something.
Cael had once done Asa's makeup.
Her mind immediately became active.
If Asa had it, she wanted it too.
"Cael," Makima said, pointing toward the stall. "Let's try that."
Cael glanced over.
"Sure."
It was rare for Makima to show interest in something.
Of course he would agree.
When the stall owner noticed them approaching, she quickly stood up and greeted them.
"Welcome!"
She smiled brightly.
"My name is Sasaki Aya, a free artist traveling wherever inspiration takes me."
"Face painting is only 800 yen."
Cael frowned slightly.
"Sasaki, did you paint that butterfly on your face yourself?"
"Of course," she said proudly. "I did it in front of a mirror. It looks good, right?"
Cael stared for a moment.
By normal standards, it was acceptable.
But when it came to makeup, Cael was a professional.
From his perspective, the paint job was terrible.
The color layering was messy.
The depth was inconsistent.
The blending was almost nonexistent.
In simple terms, the whole thing was full of flaws.
Honestly, even Reze could probably do better.
This girl's skill level was dangerously close to Asa's.
Cael suddenly felt his professional instincts itching.
He really wanted to fix that face.
Still, it was her own work.
He decided to keep his mouth shut.
Makima's face was perfect.
Allowing someone with this level of skill to paint on it would be like vandalizing a masterpiece.
Makima, however, had a completely different reason.
She wanted Cael to paint her.
He had done it for Asa.
Naturally, he should do it for her too.
A strange competitive feeling appeared.
Makima looked at the artist.
"Miss Sasaki, we would like to paint it ourselves."
Sasaki Aya looked hesitant.
"You two aren't artists though. I'm a professional."
Cael smiled slightly.
He guided Makima into the chair and picked up the palette.
"It's just for fun. I won't damage your tools."
Sasaki sighed.
"Fine."
"If you're doing it yourself, I will only charge 300 yen."
Cael did not reply.
He was already focused on Makima's face.
All forms of makeup followed the same basic principles.
If Cael could sculpt a convincing face from flesh and bone, simple face painting was child's play.
The only difficulty was deciding what suited Makima.
Makima liked walking dogs.
Morning glory patterns might work.
The rings in her eyes matched geometric designs.
Her personality also carried a mysterious aura.
Stars might fit that feeling.
Stars naturally connected to the ocean and the night sky.
At that moment, Cael looked like a true artist.
His brush moved quickly and confidently.
Twenty minutes passed.
Finally, Cael forced himself to stop.
Makima's face was simply too perfect.
It made him want to keep adding details forever.
But any more paint would ruin the balance.
Beside them, Sasaki Aya had been silently watching the entire process.
Her jaw slowly dropped.
This was insane.
This guy was clearly a professional pretending to be an amateur.
She immediately grabbed her camera and took several photos of Makima.
Then she suddenly opened her cash box, grabbed a stack of bills, and shoved them into Cael's hands.
"Master!"
"I'm the one who should be paying you!"
"Thank you for letting me witness such incredible face painting!"