Tokyo, Shinjuku Ward.
Asa Mitaka held a small pair of scissors and cleanly cut the ribbon.
Applause followed, along with the crackling of firecrackers.
In a lively yet controlled atmosphere, Cael's funeral home, Rest Pavilion, officially opened.
The shop did not use a typical family name.
Cael figured that if he wanted to grow something big, raw strength alone would not cut it. A good name mattered.
He was terrible at naming things, so he left it to his wives.
After discussing it, they agreed a name from X would stand out more.
Asa did not know much about that culture, so she stayed quiet.
Makima and Reze handled it easily.
Reze suggested "Rest Pavilion," simple and direct.
Makima proposed "Hall of Quiet Reflection," inspired by classical literature, implying a place for silent mourning and remembrance.
Cael liked both.
So he wrote the names on paper, drew lots, and Rest Pavilion won.
Today was just the opening ceremony, not the first business day.
And where there was a ceremony, there had to be guests.
Besides his family, Cael invited members of Public Safety's Special Division 4.
They were colleagues in a deadly line of work, so having ties to a funeral home made sense. If anyone died, the arrangements could stay in-house.
Himeno, Hayakawa Aki, Power, and others showed up.
Even Kishibe came.
At the moment, Kishibe was under Makima's control. Parts of his memory and perception had been altered.
Otherwise, he would not have let go of what happened to the Prime Minister so easily.
Despite looking like a washed-up drunk, Kishibe still had the influence to mobilize armed forces.
Makima saw value in keeping him alive.
Japan was unstable, and someone like him could still hold things together when needed. Public Safety needed that.
The new policy forcing twelve-hour workdays also helped keep him sober.
Kishibe suddenly sneezed.
Lately, he often felt like his head was empty, like something was missing.
Since Cael's place was opening, he came to clear his head.
He took a swig from his bottle and looked at Cael.
"Congrats. With devils tearing through Japan, people are dropping everywhere. Your business is going to blow up."
Cael sighed.
"That is not something to celebrate, Kishibe. I would rather stay out of business, honestly."
Kishibe hiccupped and glanced at Makima beside him.
"If you hate being busy, tell your woman to approve my resignation. I will come work for you."
He looked irritated.
The higher-ups had rolled out a ridiculous policy. Twelve-hour workdays, weekly reports, pointless bureaucracy.
If Makima had not blocked his resignation, he would have quit already.
Cael forced a smile.
"We are not hiring. You are still useful where you are, so deal with it."
There was no way he would hire Kishibe.
The man looked like he could drop dead any day.
If he was hiring anyone, it would be someone young.
And preferably not male.
Reze usually handled the shop, and she was too attractive. Cael had no interest in dealing with idiots getting the wrong ideas.
"Whoa!"
Himeno pointed at Cael, eyes wide.
"Cael, you basically admitted what Kishibe said. You and Makima are actually a thing?"
Before Cael could answer, someone jumped in.
"Shut up, Barf Girl!" Power slapped Himeno's hand away and spoke loudly.
"What is the problem? Cael is practically running things here. Even if he has thirty wives, it is normal!"
"Exactly!" Beam added. "Chainsaw Boss is a legend. Three thousand wives would make sense!"
"Finally, someone gets it!" Power nodded, satisfied.
"Stop talking nonsense," Hayakawa Aki said, clearly annoyed. She turned to Cael and the women beside him, then bowed slightly.
"Sorry, Miss Makima. They do not filter what they say. I apologize on their behalf."
Makima blinked, her expression calm.
"It is not a misunderstanding."
Aki froze.
"Huh?"
Cael decided to stop dancing around it.
If people were going to talk, he might as well make it clear.
He pulled Asa, Makima, and Reze closer.
Then he kissed each of them, one after another, without hesitation.
When he turned back to the group, his voice was steady.
"Power is right. Asa, Makima, Reze, they are all my wives."
He paused briefly.
"This August, I am marrying all of them. Show up if you want free food."
Silence.
The humans present all shared the same thought.
This had to be illegal.
The fiends reacted differently.
Power and Beam looked like everything was perfectly normal.
The Angel Devil quietly ate ice cream, oddly amused.
The idea of someone like Makima being tied down by Cael gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.
"Miss Makima..." Princi muttered, looking devastated.
She could not understand it.
Why would someone like Makima get married?
Why not remain untouchable?
And more importantly, what did her kiss feel like?
Princi had followed her for years and barely received a pat on the head.
Yet this guy could just take that from her so easily.
She missed the old days.
Back when Makima would tear her body apart to travel between worlds.
Even that pain felt better than this.
Galgali, the Violence Fiend, clapped calmly.
"Congratulations. I wish you all a long and happy life together, and many children."
Despite his nature, he appreciated peaceful moments like this.
"Thanks." Cael gave a small nod and gestured toward the building.
"Ceremony is done. Get inside. There is food, and I paid for it, so do not waste it."
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