Dark clouds gathered in the sky, blotting out all light. Thunder rumbled, and a torrential downpour, like a breach in the heavenly river, pounded against the windows with a crisp, rhythmic sound.
Kocho Kanae nestled in Kaito Sora's arms, her face still flushed with satisfaction. She gazed at the relentless rain for a while before turning her head to look at Kaito, who had his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. A soft smile crept onto her lips.
She reached up and gently caressed Kaito's face, studying him for a long moment before finally wrapping her arms around him and snuggling closer. Her eyes drifted downward, curiosity piqued by what had just brought her to tears.
"What is it? Do you want more, my little kitten?" Kaito's voice broke the silence, his tone teasing.
Kanae, caught like a cat stealing cream, jumped in surprise. She quickly withdrew her hand and looked up to see Kaito gazing at her with an amused expression.
"I... I..." she stammered, her face burning red.
"If you like it so much, why not have another taste?" Kaito suggested, his voice low and playful.
Kanae's face turned even redder. She hesitated for a moment before finally crawling to the foot of the bed, her movements shy but determined.
Kaito let out a long, satisfied sigh.
Indeed, it's good to have a wife, but a maid is also essential. The ancients truly knew what they were talking about.
He patted Kanae's head affectionately, his attention shifting to the system panel that had just appeared before him. Earlier, he hadn't been sleeping—he had no intention of sleeping tonight. With his current physical condition, as long as he had sufficient magical energy, he could go ten days and nights without rest. But after fully claiming Kanae, he had received another reward.
[Condition met, trigger keyword!]
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the keyword: Time Zero!]
[Time Zero]: Create a domain centered around yourself. Within this domain, you can control the flow of time, speeding it up or slowing it down for others.
The domain expanded outward from him, with no clear boundaries. As he activated it, Kaito could feel Kanae's clumsy movements slow down dramatically. The sound of the rain outside also became sluggish, as if the entire world had been put on slow motion.
Feeling his magical energy deplete rapidly, Kaito deactivated Time Zero, a satisfied smile on his face. Although the energy consumption was high, the effect was impressive.
"How did you end up getting attacked by demons in Tokyo?" Kaito asked, his tone casual.
"I'm not sure," Kanae replied, her brow furrowed with worry. "I heard the demons launched a full-scale attack out of nowhere."
"Master, can you help us?" she asked, her voice tinged with desperation.
"It's not 'us,' it's 'them,'" Kaito corrected, patting her head. "From now on, you're quitting the Special Operations Division. You'll stay by my side where it's safe."
"Yes, Master..." Kanae began, but before she could finish, the phone on the nightstand rang.
Kanae tried to lift her head, but Kaito's hand held her firmly in place. With his other hand, he picked up the phone—it was Kanae's.
"Is this Kanae?" a gentle, worried voice came through the speaker.
Kaito glanced down at Kanae, who was looking up at him with a mix of frustration and pleading in her eyes.
"She's... busy," Kaito replied.
"May I ask who this is?" the woman on the phone inquired.
"My name is Kaito Sora."
The woman on the other end let out a relieved sigh. "Hello, I am Ubuyashiki Amane, the director of the Special Anti-Demon Operations Division."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Where's your husband?"
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Even Kanae, who had been diligently occupied, stopped and shot Kaito a look of reproach—something he had never seen from her before.
"My husband... passed away many years ago," Amane finally replied, her voice soft.
"Ah, my apologies," Kaito said, though his tone lacked genuine remorse.
"It's alright," Amane replied. "How is Kanae doing?"
"She's my woman now," Kaito stated bluntly. Before Amane could respond, he continued, "Actually, there's something I need to tell you. Starting today, Kanae will be leaving your division. As compensation, I've already killed Douma. Do you have anything else to discuss, Mrs. Ubuyashiki?"
Amane was silent for a long time before she finally spoke. "Thank you for your assistance. In that case, I have nothing more to say to Kanae. Just... please treat her well. She's a good girl."
"I know," Kaito replied before hanging up.
He then pulled Kanae up and positioned her in front of him. "Now, tell me about your division," he said, his tone commanding.
"Ah..." Kanae whimpered, her voice trembling.
Special Anti-Demon Operations Division Headquarters.
Ubuyashiki Amane sat alone in her dark office, the glow from the wall-mounted screens casting eerie shadows. The sounds of chaos and panic echoed from outside, but she remained still, her heart heavy.
The demon attack had come without warning. They had been completely unprepared. Members of her division across the country had been targeted, and in just a few hours, she had received reports of multiple Pillars—the division's strongest members—going missing. Countless lower-ranking members had also been lost.
The situation was dire.
While this wouldn't affect the overall stability of the Special Anti-Demon Operations Division, backed as it was by the government, nor would it threaten her personal safety, it still weighed heavily on her.
Her gaze fell on a photograph on her desk. In it, a woman with snow-white hair and dark eyes, her beauty almost otherworldly, stood beside a handsome man with a warm, radiant smile. The woman was Amane herself, and the man was her husband, Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the former head of the Ubuyashiki family and director of the Special Anti-Demon Operations Division.
But his age had been forever frozen in the year the photo was taken—the year of their wedding. On that very day, Muzan Kibutsuji and his demons had attacked, killing her husband and leaving the Ubuyashiki family without an heir.
Amane had survived, and with the support of her family, the priestly clan, she had taken over her husband's position, determined to avenge him and destroy Muzan Kibutsuji.
Everything had been progressing steadily. With a little more time, Amane believed she would have the strength to confront Muzan directly. All she needed was to confirm his hiding place.
But now, all of that was in jeopardy. After tonight, she didn't know how many of her members would survive. In her lifetime, she didn't know if she would ever get the chance to kill Muzan Kibutsuji.
"Kagaya," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What should I do?"
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