"…Was it all a dream?"
The question echoed through Eiji's mind as he stared at the ceiling, unmoving.
Sunlight streamed softly into his room, dancing across the posters, shelves, and untouched homework like nothing had changed. Like he hadn't died in an alley, like he hadn't been pierced through the chest, and like a beautiful devil hadn't whispered damnation into his ear.
But his hand—his right hand—told a different story.
A falcon-shaped seal glowed faintly with red-black runes that shifted beneath the skin, like ink that breathed.
Not a dream.
Reality.
Eiji sat up slowly, the sheets falling from his bare torso. His heartbeat was steady. His chest bore no wounds-no pain, not even a scar. Yet he could still feel the moment claws had ripped through him, could still taste blood on his tongue.
He brought his hand to his forehead and sighed.
"…Guess I'm a half-devil now. Great. Freakin' great."
When he left the house, Tokyo looked as mundane as ever. The train was packed. A girl was live-streaming herself eating boba. Salarymen were already shouting into their phones.
But to Eiji, everything felt different.
Every footstep, every noise, every breath of mana in the air—he felt it all.
Too clearly.
His eyes flickered with faint silver when he caught his reflection in the window. He quickly adjusted his bangs to cover the glow. Even though he mainly looked human, he felt like a walking lie.
Don't let them see it. Don't let anyone know.
Especially not… that power inside him.
The Eye.
It was still sealed, slumbering beneath layers of flesh and will. But it stirred. It remembered the countless worlds he had survived and the powers he had consumed.
And it wanted out.
Lunchtime. School rooftop.
Eiji nibbled a sandwich, alone in his usual spot where no one came. The wind tousled his hair as he stared out over the city, lost in thought.
"Kuroryuu."
He blinked.
Standing behind him was a tall, graceful figure—a third-year, by the uniform.
"Uh… yeah?" Eiji raised an eyebrow, already wary.
"I'm Riku Shinseira," the boy said, calm and distant. "Come with me."
Eiji tilted his head. "And if I don't?"
"I won't ask twice."
"…Dude, are you always this dramatic, or is this your pickup line?"
For a split second, Riku's eyes shimmered gold. Not threatening—more… amused?
Without a word, he turned back and walked away.
And against all logic, Eiji followed.
The old building behind the school hadn't been used in years. Dust covered the walls, and the floors creaked with every step. The windows were boarded or cracked, and everything smelled like forgotten stories.
At the end of the third floor, Riku opened a rusted door.
Inside, the air changed.
It pulsed.
Like the room was alive with energy—old, powerful, devilish.
Three people sat inside.
The first to look up was a girl with an elegant posture and legs crossed like royalty. Her hair, a mix of indigo and violet, fell down her back in waves, tied at the end with a crimson ribbon.
"Ayaka Ryuzen," she said, giving Eiji a once-over. "So you're the new stray Seraphina dragged in."
"I prefer the term dangerously handsome, but sure."
She smiled faintly. "Cocky. That won't last."
Across the room, another girl sat perched on the windowsill like a cat, chewing melon bread.
Short silver-black hair, pale eyes with slit pupils, and the unmistakable aura of someone who hated small talk.
"Miya Tsukinari. "I hate perverts."
"…I see we're gonna be best friends," Eiji muttered.
She didn't blink. "Touch me, and I break your fingers."
"Duly noted."
And then… she appeared.
From the shadows of the inner chamber, bathed in soft light, walked the girl from his nightmare—and salvation.
Seraphina Falcor.
Silver hair tipped in black curled down her back like woven starlight. Her crimson eyes locked onto his, her heels clicking against the wooden floor like a countdown.
The room quieted.
"You've awakened," she said softly, her voice like velvet laced with steel.
Eiji's breath hitched. "So it… was you."
She approached him, gently touching the seal on his hand. The moment her fingers met it, the runes flared with heat.
"You belong to me now."
Eiji's throat dried. "That whole dying-for-you thing… You weren't kidding, huh?"
"I never joke about contracts."
Her gaze pierced his. "You are my servant. Your soul is bound to me. You will live for me… and die for me."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Even Ayaka and Riku stood still, watching.
Despite the overwhelming power pressing down on him, Eiji found his lips curling into a grin.
"Sounds intense. Do I at least get a cool badge or something?"
Seraphina raised a brow, surprised, then smiled.
"You get survival. Earn the rest."
Later That Night – School Rooftop Again
Alone beneath the stars, Eiji leaned against the fence, staring at the city's lights.
His heart was calm.
His body was tense.
His hand was warm with the devil's mark.
And somewhere deep inside, his Eye pulsed.
Still sealed, huh? .
No one knew.
Not Seraphina.
Not Riku.
Not even the other devils.
Only him.
And it would stay that way.
He closed his eyes.
"I'm not gonna be your puppet," he whispered to the sky. "I'll play along. Learn your rules. Wear the mask."
His lips formed a smile. Not his usual pervy smirk—but something colder.
"But when the time comes… I'll show you what I am."
End of Chapter 2