On the other side, in the lovers' hotel.
While Katerea and Himejima Karatachi were being dealt with, Sai Akuto held Yuma Amano tightly as she drifted into the deepest sleep.
Of course, in the physical sense, Akuto had never left at all.
From the moment he gained Yuma, Akuto had stayed close, feeling her warmth and steady breathing.
Night fell.
Yuma finally woke.
The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was Akuto's familiar, handsome face.
For some reason, Yuma felt Akuto was even more irresistible than before.
"Good evening, Yuma-san." Akuto gently stroked her long black hair with a smile.
"Good evening, Akuto-kun. So it's already night?"
Feeling that Akuto was still with her—close enough to sense his heartbeat—Yuma's gaze grew complicated.
Right now, she carried the sorrow of needing to make a decision, the joy of their intimacy, and the quiet relief of Akuto never having left her side.
Had she awakened to find him gone, she didn't know what she might have done.
She shifted slightly, nestling closer, as if savoring the rhythm of Akuto's presence against her.
Akuto's brow twitched, then he chuckled softly and kept smoothing her hair.
"That's right, Yuma-san. It's night already."
"If I'm not mistaken, when you first woke, you seemed a bit flustered. Worried I wouldn't be here?"
Saying that, Akuto caught her delicate foot—still in white socks—and teasingly scratched the sole.
"Hmph! I was just wondering whether Akuto-kun is the kind of scum who turns his face the moment he gets a girl's most important thing."
Yuma fought the tickle and shot him a fierce glare.
After becoming truly involved with Akuto, she'd relaxed in certain ways, letting more of herself show.
"Hahaha~ Yuma-san, you're adorable." Akuto hadn't expected her to worry about something like that.
As expected of a fallen angel who'd once been an angel—pure in certain places.
"What's so funny? I've seen far too many men like that!" Yuma huffed in protest.
"You've seen many? But... didn't you say you'd never dated?"
"I haven't. But I have read shōjo romance manga!"
Since getting involved with Akuto—both to avoid exposing herself and to better understand men—Yuma had crammed countless romance comics.
From them, she learned what love between a man and a woman should be, and realized what she felt for Azazel was only respect.
"So Yuma-san studies love through romance manga~"
Akuto's smile turned playful.
"What, is that not allowed?"
Flustered, Yuma suddenly wanted to bite that infuriating-yet-lovable tongue of his.
"N-no... I just think you're very cute, is all," Akuto said, reining his grin in a little.
"Hmph! You're totally making fun of me!" Yuma puffed her cheeks.
"I'm not teasing you. I really think you're cute."
"By the way—did you know that while you were asleep, I stepped out for a bit?" Akuto shifted to honesty.
"Stepped out... for a bit?"
Yuma frowned. She'd assumed Akuto had remained by her side the whole time.
"That's right—just stepped out."
"And this... is what happened then."
Akuto raised a hand and projected a slice of his own memories into the air.
"—Huh?!"
Surprised, Yuma didn't even have time to react before a flood of images poured into her.
She was shocked.
Because she had never seen Akuto reveal to her that he knew she was a fallen angel.
Doing this was clearly laying his cards on the table—peeling away the last thin veil between them.
Very soon, scenes rippled through Yuma's mind.
From them, she learned exactly what Akuto had done while he was "away."
While she slept, Akuto split off an avatar and went to the skies over Ryoukuu City.
Then, with ease, that avatar crushed the Old Maou Faction's conspiracy set over the city—and even captured a large number of prisoners.
Only one regret: a female devil used a special teleportation array she'd never seen before and escaped Akuto's pursuit.
Yuma recognized her—the one who had assigned Yuma her task: Katerea Leviathan.
As expected, even that delinquent Katerea was no match for Akuto-kun.
Yuma clearly saw that Katerea had boosted her strength with a special method.
Already a Ten-Winged devil, after using the Core of Evolution she should have reached Twelve-Winged, on par with Azazel.
And yet, even so, she lost to Akuto and was forced to flee via that special array.
Watching Yuma's astonishment, Akuto continued:
"Because I intervened in Ryoukuu City, your outpost in Kuoh Town will most likely be abandoned by the Old Maou side. They may even dispatch people specifically to strike your base."
"So, Yuma-san—you have no retreat."
He laid out her situation plainly.
"Akuto-kun, don't tell me... you're saying you can take me in?" Yuma pressed her lips together, her gaze sharpening again.
So that's why he was revealing himself: while she slept, he'd already advanced the board to where she had no choice left.
"No. What I'm saying is—you can stay by my side."
Akuto knew Yuma was proud. Though she had little reason to be proud, he still chose a gentle hand to embrace her willfulness.
Because he truly liked Yuma.
Because, in this world, Yuma was his first girlfriend.
Staring into Akuto's clear, irresistible eyes, feeling his warmth and steadiness, Yuma parted her lips and asked the question she cared about most:
"Akuto-kun, when did you learn my true identity?"
Even when Akuto's bloodline infusion technique had pushed her to the brink, Yuma had never unfurled her fallen wings.
If so, when had he figured it out?
"If I said—from the very beginning—would you believe me?"
"Eh? From the beginning?"
In other words, the day she confessed to him?!
"Why? If you knew from the start, why did you accept my confession?" Yuma asked a very foolish question.
Women become foolish in love—Yuma embodied the saying perfectly.
Akuto tapped her rosy lips and answered in a calm, resolute tone:
"Because I've liked you since the very beginning, Yuma-san."
"Eh?"
At his reply, Yuma's violet eyes dilated; her mind went blank.
Akuto loved the look of surprise and dazedness on this self-styled proud, slightly airheaded fallen angel.
"If I hadn't liked you from the start, why would I confess first? Why take you on dates?" he added.
[Obviously because you wanted to 'speedrun' me by confessing first!] Yuma roared inwardly.
But after the complaint, something clicked.
[Wait... isn't that also what someone who likes me would do?]
She had felt deceived because she believed Akuto was supposed to be ignorant—then learned he'd known everything.
But if he'd known from the start, then from another angle, he had confessed despite knowing she was a fallen angel.
Not only confessing—he then did all the things only couples do.
Undeniably, that was how someone seriously pursues a girl.
It wasn't "Akuto liked the human disguise." From the beginning, Akuto liked her—the fallen angel.
"You!"
"Don't think you can trick me with sweet talk!"
Her words were thorny, but the corners of Yuma's mouth kept trying to rise. Noticing her expression slipping, she hurriedly rolled her eyes to reset herself.
Clearly she was delighted.
Clearly she was thrilled that Akuto liked her true self.
And yet she kept up the cool act.
Clearly she was anxious, afraid of the Band of Calamity settling accounts with her.
And yet she guarded her dignity, unwilling to plead first.
Clearly she was a "wicked" fallen angel who had never dated.
Yet the moment someone said they liked her, a smile bloomed.
To Akuto, this Yuma was almost too adorable—adorable enough to make him want to swallow her whole right now.
A few minutes later, Yuma finally organized her thoughts.
As Akuto said, there was no more retreat.
"Akuto-kun, if I choose to stay by your side... can I obtain this 'happiness' you speak of?" Yuma looked to him with a hint of hope.
In the past, proud Yuma had never looked at him like this.
"I can't guarantee it absolutely. I can only say—I'll do my best."
"...Haa~"
"Alright. Since Akuto-kun is willing to make that promise, I'll believe you."
"Akuto-kun, my name is Raynare, Fallen Angel Raynare."
"Of course, if Akuto-kun prefers, you can still call me Yuma Amano. After all, that name carries our first meeting."
"The words to follow are what the fallen angel Raynare wants to say to you—not the fake identity Yuma Amano."
Yuma bent slightly, pressed her lips together, and showed the same pure, earnest expression she'd worn two months ago when she confessed.
"Akuto-kun, I've liked you for a long time."
"Please... will you go out with me?"
Seeing Yuma reveal her truest self before him, Akuto felt immense satisfaction.
A few seconds later, he gave the same answer as before.
"Yes, Yuma-san. I've liked you for a long time too. I'd be happy to date you."
At his response, Yuma's pupils quivered, violet irises misted with pink, heart-shaped light.
Finally, she threw her arms around Akuto, eyes brimming with feeling, and offered him a maiden's kiss—full of conviction and love.
Savoring her ardent reply, Akuto drew her close and, with a slow, steady pressure, deepened the embrace as the scene faded to soft, breathless warmth...
(End of Chapter)
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