"Aaaah!!"
Screams erupted inside the family restaurant as people panicked and rushed for the exit.
"Ahahaha!!"
Yoru laughed wildly, clutching her stomach as she watched the fleeing crowd and the massive trench carved through the ground.
She could barely stand straight from laughing so hard.
But before even two seconds passed, the laughter stopped.
Asa seized control.
Her body stiffened as she stared at the distant ruins of the Tokyo Skytree. A deep, suffocating ache filled her chest.
She had been stupid.
How could she ever believe a devil?
Yoru, that damn monster, had used her body to cause such pointless destruction.
It was not just the Skytree. Every building along the path had been pierced clean through.
How many people had died?
Asa was not some saint.
Back inside the Eternity Devil, when she killed those men, she felt nothing.
But this was different.
Yoru did it for fun.
No reason, no logic, just because she wanted to.
"Ow, Asa, what the hell? Why are you taking control again? Give it back!" Yoru's voice still carried laughter.
Asa trembled, her voice hoarse.
"You lied to me. I'm not giving you control again."
Yoru clicked her tongue.
"Seriously? It's not that big a deal. I didn't hit Cael. I just blew up the Skytree. I've been suppressed forever, can't I enjoy one good shot?"
Tears welled up in Asa's eyes.
"If you wanted to shoot something, you could have just said it!
The Skytree was beautiful… why destroy it?
What kind of fireworks is that?
If you wanted fireworks… why not shoot Mount Fuji?!"
Yoru froze for a second.
Then her eyes lit up.
"Mount Fuji? That's actually a great idea. If I shoot an active volcano, it might erupt. That sounds fun as hell. You should try it, Asa. Even if you're weaker with guns, blowing off half the mountain would be easy."
Asa took a deep breath.
Then another.
"Why would I do that? I'm not a devil. I'm not a murderer."
Yoru scoffed.
"I am. So let me do it. Besides Mount Fuji, I wanna hit Senso-ji, Tokyo Tower, Meiji Shrine… tell you what, let me fire four more shots, then I'll give you the body."
"Idiot. Who would believe you again?"
Asa shut her out completely.
Fami tilted her head, calmly observing the chaos.
Once things settled, she spoke.
"Third Sister, power carries responsibility. Now that you've gained this strength, you should use it for something meaningful. I wanted to discuss the Death Devil…"
"Shut up, Fami."
Asa cut her off instantly, glaring at her.
"I don't want to hear you either."
No matter how slow she was, she could see it now.
Fami had been behind all of this.
The admiration she once felt for her was fading fast.
"I never asked for this power, and I'm not carrying any stupid responsibility!"
She stared at her right hand, her thoughts in complete disarray.
Meaningful?
Who the hell cares about meaningful?
The prophecy, the Death Devil, Fami, Yoru…
To hell with all of it.
Right now, there was only one thing she wanted.
She wanted Cael.
Badly.
She wanted to lose herself with him, to drown out everything else.
But…
Her hand moved to her stomach.
She could not be reckless anymore.
She had to think about the child.
She had to hold back.
Her phone rang.
Perfect timing.
"Hello… Cael…"
The moment she heard his voice, her emotions broke.
Tears streamed down her face.
"Cael… I… I…"
"It's okay. Take your time," Cael said gently.
He already knew she was physically fine.
Makima was with him, after all.
This was emotional.
Everything had hit her at once.
"Cael… I feel… really strong right now… Yoru… the Gun Devil… I… I want you… but I…"
Cael paused, then spoke softly.
"Come home first. We'll talk there. No rush."
"Okay…"
…
Back at Makima's house.
The moment Asa saw Cael, she rushed into his arms.
No words.
Just instinct.
She clung to him, kissing him desperately, as if trying to ground herself.
Her mind was still a mess.
If she could not go all the way, she would make up for it however she could.
…
Hours passed.
Night fell.
The two lay together, clothes disheveled, bodies close.
Asa's breathing slowly steadied.
Her mind finally cleared.
"The people Yoru killed… that wasn't my fault, right?"
Cael nodded without hesitation.
"Of course not. Don't punish yourself for something you didn't choose."
Asa smiled faintly and kissed his forehead.
"That helps… you really are my cure."
Cael frowned slightly.
Something felt off.
She was too calm.
Too restrained.
Normally, she would have drained him dry by now.
But today, she held back.
Taking advantage of her calmer state, Cael made a decision.
It was time.
"Asa… there's something I need to tell you."
She looked at him, already guessing.
"Go on."
Cael took a deep breath.
"Besides loving you… I also love Makima and Reze.
I like all three of you.
A lot."
Silence.
They stared at each other.
Asa's expression did not change.
She leaned closer.
"Okay. And?"
Cael blinked.
"You're… not mad?"
She blinked back.
"You still love me, right? You're not leaving me, so why would I be mad?"
Cael felt his head spin.
This was unreal.
A grin spread across his face.
Asa wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him slowly.
Then rested her forehead against his.
"I'm your most important girl, right?"
"Yeah. No question."
She smiled softly.
"That's enough for me."
Cael's breathing grew heavier.
This girl…
He really wanted to reward her properly.
But just as he moved, she stopped him.
"You can't."
"Why not?"
She looked shy, then pulled out a report.
"Because… you're going to be a father."
Cael froze.
"…A father?"
He stared at the paper, eyes wide.
Then suddenly rolled away, keeping distance.
Not out of rejection.
Out of fear.
Fear of hurting her.
"…I'm going to be a dad," he muttered, a grin breaking through.
Asa frowned and pulled him back.
"Didn't you say you love me? Stay close."
"I do. I just don't trust myself not to mess up…"
She smirked slightly.
"You don't have to hold back that much."
"Huh?"
Asa raised her right hand.
The black silk glove shimmered faintly.
"I just realized… this glove feels really smooth.
So…"
She leaned closer, voice soft.
"I'll help you another way."
"Wait, what?!"
From deep within, Yoru's voice exploded with furious cursing.
===
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