To keep things simple.
It was an ordinary day.
Everyone went about their usual routines, time passing quietly and without disturbance.
Late at night.
In the bedroom.
Tonight was Asa's turn.
She clung to Cael like a body pillow, arms wrapped tightly around him as she slept.
Cael's hand rested gently on her abdomen, slowly rubbing it as he hummed a soft nursery rhyme to the unborn child.
"Clap your little hands,
Stretch out your fingers,
Where are your eyes?
Your eyes are here,
Point them out with your finger…"
The melody had a calming effect.
A faint, silly smile appeared at the corner of Asa's lips. Her breathing gradually softened, becoming steady as she sank deeper into sleep.
When the clock passed half past midnight, Cael leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips.
Then, moving carefully, he slipped out of her arms and eased himself out of bed.
Asa frowned slightly in her sleep, her hands shifting restlessly. Cael reacted instantly, grabbing a body pillow and placing it into her embrace.
Feeling something to hold onto, she settled down again.
Cael dressed quietly and stepped out of the room.
"Sorry, Asa. I'll be back soon."
Tonight, he planned to slip out without telling any of them.
This was not about messing around.
It was about Reze.
She said she did not care, but if something truly happened to her foster parents, she would feel it.
Letting his woman be upset, that would be his failure.
Besides, he hated sitting still while someone else pulled the strings.
That kind of passive waiting pissed him off.
He wanted control.
Tonight, there had to be a result.
Alexei and Sofia.
Alive, he would bring them back.
Dead, he would at least recover their bodies.
The moment he stepped outside, Cael activated his abilities.
A layer of dark energy spread across his body, then he used the Earthquake Devil's power to alter his vibration frequency.
A faint hum passed through the air.
To small creatures like rats and cockroaches, Cael disappeared.
It was a trick he had recently developed. Those creatures could only perceive certain frequency ranges.
By shifting outside that range, he became invisible to them.
The same principle applied to humans.
He called it Assassin's Pace.
This was mainly to avoid Makima.
She had many good traits, but she also had a habit of keeping tabs on him at all times.
He could deal with it, but honestly, it would be exhausting for her if she never rested.
The night in Shinjuku was bright with city lights.
Maintaining Assassin's Pace, Cael walked into the commercial district and entered a 24-hour convenience store.
He grabbed a cart and headed straight for the food aisles.
No hesitation.
He cleared everything.
Soon enough, he walked out carrying nearly fifty kilograms of snacks and packaged food.
He made his way to a quiet park and stepped onto the grass.
Low-frequency vibrations spread outward, driving away any nearby animals.
Only then did he deactivate Assassin's Pace.
He dropped the bags onto the ground.
"Fami, I know you're watching. This is for you. Get out here."
A flicker of distortion appeared in front of him, like static on a screen.
Fami's figure gradually took shape.
As always, she tilted her head slightly, eyes fixed on the pile of food.
She crouched down and immediately began picking through the bags, stuffing snacks into her mouth without pause.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
With crumbs clinging to her lips, she spoke unclearly.
"Brother-in-law, food like this, you gotta handle it carefully…"
Cael clicked his tongue, crouching beside her.
He grabbed a drink, stuck in a straw, and pushed it toward her mouth.
"Slow the hell down. I'm not stealing it from you. Drink something before you choke."
"Fanks…"
About five minutes later, more than half the food was gone.
"Burp."
Fami leaned slightly to the side, gathering the remaining bags.
"I haven't been this full in ages. Brother-in-law, you're a good guy. I like you."
Cael ignored that, his eyes drifting to her stomach.
It made no sense.
She had easily eaten over twenty kilograms of food, yet her stomach remained flat.
"If you're curious, you can touch it."
Her tone was calm.
"Ahem, I'll pass." Cael looked away. "I didn't come here for that. I've got something serious, and you're probably the only one who can handle it."
Fami didn't answer right away.
Instead, she asked, "You figured out my other ability. How?"
Cael shrugged slightly.
"Not hard. Since we moved in, you've shown up seven times during meals."
"And sometimes, food locked in the cupboard just vanishes."
"Combine that with your devil name, and it's obvious."
"You can teleport to places with food, right?"
Fami raised her brows, a faint smile forming.
"Heehee."
"Yeah, cut the cute act. You ate my stuff, so now you work for me. Fair deal."
"Of course. Very fair, and honestly, pretty fun."
Cael didn't waste time.
"Fami, do you know anything about Reze's foster parents?"
In terms of gathering information, Fami was not much weaker than Makima.
In certain situations, she might even be better.
Makima relied on controlling those weaker than her.
Fami had no such limitation.
As long as something could feel hunger, it could fall under her influence.
Even stronger devils were not exempt.
Fami wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and licked it clean.
"I do."
Cael's gaze sharpened.
"Are they alive?"
She paused briefly.
"Barely. Somewhere between alive and dead."
Cael let out a breath.
Good enough.
"They're alive."
He nodded.
"Then send me to the Soviet Union. I'm getting them out of the KGB."
Fami frowned slightly.
"That's far. Using my ability consumes Satiety."
"If I send you that far, it won't be enough."
Cael pointed at the remaining food.
"Then keep eating."
"I'm already full."
She patted her stomach, her answer making no sense.
Cael frowned.
"That's contradictory."
"It's not." Fami shook her head calmly.
"My Satiety has two parts, physical and mental. Both matter."
"You've filled the physical part."
"The mental part is still starving."
Now it clicked.
Being full was not enough.
She needed stimulation, something interesting.
Cael clicked his tongue.
"Then fix that fast. If you need anything, I'll help."
Fami smiled faintly, her tongue brushing lightly across her lips.
"There is a simple way."
"Don't drag it out. I'm in a hurry."
She looked straight at him.
"Cael, kiss me."
===
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