. . . "That's right..." I nodded, beginning to understand what Zehe meant. "Maybe that's one reason. But aside from the ones orchestrating this, there are third parties like the Sun God and the Demons. I suppose these bastards have no clue about the true purpose of this world and are just trying to take whatever they can, right?" "Indeed," Zehe replied with a nod. "Hm..." I drifted into deep thought. When classes finally ended, I stepped outside with my wives. After a brief goodbye—filled with hugs and kisses as they headed off to visit some Yakuzas—I quickly rejoined Frank's group. "All right! Karaoke time? I'm so excited!" I said cheerfully. "Ah, yeah!" Frank nodded. "Nice! I'm starving. I hope they've got some good lunch options," Matsuo added. "I want a huge hamburger," Erika groaned. "Hey, Kireina, what about your other friends? Are they really okay with you spending time with us?" Harumi raised an eyebrow. "Considering how... popular you are, I figured they'd make a fuss." "Not at all. We're good friends, and they understand," I said. "They're not jealous and mentioned they'd be busy anyway." "Huh... is that so," Harumi murmured. "Ah—huh?!" Her expression suddenly shifted, contorting with disbelief and mild irritation. Wait... did she realize I lied earlier? ... No—she was looking elsewhere. Toward the crowd of people walking near our school. There was... a familiar face. A striking young man, with features so delicate he could be mistaken for a bratty, cute girl. He had a slender frame, short red and purple hair, and golden eyes. Spiraling horns rose from his head, and he wore black jeans, boots, and a white blouse adorned with ribbons. A long, pointed tail swayed behind him, and his eyes occasionally glowed red, radiating a vampiric aura mixed with demonic energy. Huh, there he is... And he looks amazing. "Ah, why is he here..." Harumi sighed. "Hm? What's wrong?" Erika asked. "Who are you talking about—Whoa, who's that girl?" "She looks like a cute tomboy," Matsuo said with a grin. "She has horns?! Wait, does she know us?" Frank asked. "Guys, guys—that's not a girl. That's my big brother. He's two hundred years old!" Harumi shouted. "EHH?!" Harumi's "big brother" approached us, greeting us with a gentle yet mischievous smile. "Ah, so this is where you were, Harumi," he said, flashing sharp teeth. "I've been looking everywhere for you. So you're hanging out with these little humans? Why bother?" "Ugh, Mammon, maybe greet me first? I haven't seen you in six years..." Harumi said. "Right. How have you been, my cute little sister?" Mammon giggled, patting her head. "Ugh... I've been fine. What about you?" Harumi asked. "Mother said you could stay here as long as you wanted. What does that mean? Is the branch in America doing okay?" "It's fine," Mammon replied. "I came back to report a few things to the clan about what's happening in America... and also to meet someone else." "Someone else?" Hiromi asked. Mammon turned to me with a gentle smile. "Hello, Kireina~! I had no idea you were here," he said with a giggle. "Surprised?" "A-Ah... yeah, a little!" I laughed, forcing a smile. "So it's really you! This is the first time we've met in person after all those online chats. So you're really a devil, huh?!" "O-Online chats? Yeah... good one. Ahem! I mean, yes!" he stammered, growing nervous as Harumi stared at us with disbelief. "She's a friend. I also came to meet her. We're online friends—we bonded in... uhh..." "In an occult forum on the deep web!" I chimed in. "Yeah! That!" Mammon nodded frantically. "Huh... this is incredible. I had no idea," Harumi said. "So the guy she kept talking about was really you!" "I-I can't believe it! Kireina's already meeting with a handsome guy?" Matsuo cried. "Hey, we're just friends," Mammon said, shrugging. "I have no relationship with her beyond being good... good friends." "Hahaha, of course!" I nodded, patting his shoulder before lowering my hand and grabbing his tail. "Eek!" he yelped. "W-What are you doing?" "Nothing~ I'm just a fan of devils and demons in romance! I can't believe I got to touch a real devil's tail! Kyaaa!" I squealed like a fangirl. "E-Eh?!" Mammon looked horrified. "W-Well, okay... but no more touching! Um... so, are these your friends, Hiromi?" "They are..." Hiromi replied, glaring at me with a puzzled expression, clearly trying to figure me out. "And we were on our way to karaoke, so you can go back home." "What? Why so cold? I'm your big brother~!" Mammon said proudly. "Come on, let me tag along! Just for a bit. You boys don't mind, right?" "I-I mean... not really..." Frank said. "Sorry about earlier—we really thought you were a girl..." "Ahh... well, that's the price of being extremely beautiful, fufufu~!" Mammon said, clearly enjoying himself. "I recently started an acting career in America. I've already been in a few series and movies. Did you know?" "What? For real?!" Erika asked. "No way! I would've recognized you. I bet you starred in movies nobody watched." "Gah..." Mammon groaned. "I-I mean... I'm still building my career, okay?" "Big brother, we live for a very long time. I don't think we should be public figures if we can help it," Harumi said. "I'll fake my death later," he shrugged. "Maybe say I died by suicide or something, then I'll come back pretending to be someone else." "You love doing that, huh?" Harumi rolled her eyes. "Anyway, have you ever been to karaoke before?" "They have those all over America. No problem!" Mammon nodded. "All right then! I'm so happy my friend is joining us!" I said. "Shall we go, Mammon? Let's enjoy the day!" "Y-Yeah!" he nodded nervously. He had been acting cocky earlier, but once he realized our bond was still intact, he grew noticeably shy around me. Still, we headed to karaoke to enjoy the day with my new friends. We sang and ordered a ton of food. In the middle of our little party, Frank finally spoke up about something he'd been meaning to share. "So, a couple of days ago... I got this new spear. Pretty neat, right?" He revealed an angelic spear that radiated a presence nearly identical to White—my own spear. But that wasn't all. That presence... instantly recognized me. "Kireina-sama?! It's you!" "E-Eh?" I tried to play dumb as a giant, radiant angel emerged from the spear and hugged me. "You may not recognize me, but it's me—White!" "What?!" . . .