Chapter 1
The Devil of Akatsuki
(Part 2)
It happened about a thousand years ago.
As the sun set and the world was wrapped in darkness, I flapped my wings toward a place called the Kingdom of Almania after hearing a certain rumor.
The area was surrounded by forest, and even if there were towns or kingdoms nearby, none stood out.
It was a truly tiny country — barely large enough to be called a town.
Demons usually paid no attention to small, remote places like this. I myself hadn’t cared at all — not until I heard that rumor.
When I drew near the kingdom, I thought, “I see now…”
For such a small nation, I could sense an unusually strong magical presence.
A barrier surrounded the kingdom, designed to react if a demon crossed it.
It even distorted the scenery to create illusions — had I flown by without focus, I might never have noticed it at all.
A normal demon would never be able to sneak inside unnoticed.
Hidden deep within nature, protected by a massive barrier that must have taken immense magic to sustain…
It was far too suspicious.
It was as if they were shouting, “We’re hiding something precious.”
The barrier was troublesome, but not insurmountable.
Few demons besides me could manage it, but if I suppressed my magic power to the absolute minimum, I could slip through.
Doing so caused my wings to vanish and reduced my physical strength to that of an average human — but the advantage of entering unseen far outweighed the cost.
Landing atop a tall tree near the outer wall, I concealed my power and leapt from branch to wall, slipping inside.
The castle in the town’s center seemed the most suspicious, so I made that my destination.
After confirming no one was below, I inserted my fingers into the cracks of the wall and silently climbed down.
Now that I was past the barrier, I could afford to loosen the suppression a little — enough to manifest my wings if needed — but using actual magic was still impossible.
If human magic had evolved further, even sneaking in this way might have been impossible.
I was fortunate to have acted when I did.
Flying would draw attention, so I advanced on foot.
Perhaps because this was a mountain town, there were many lamps, yet the shadows were deep — ideal for someone used to stealth like me.
Once near the castle, I observed from afar.
Aside from the central building, one separate, tall tower caught my eye — a faint light glowed in the room at its peak.
I could feel a strong power emanating from there.
An experimental lab, perhaps?
It didn’t seem wise to rush straight into the castle where the people were — better to start there first.
I crept closer, checking for guards.
Climbing the wall slowly risked being spotted, so I summoned my wings for only an instant and soared up to the balcony in one leap.
From the shadows, I peered through the window.
Inside, a young man sat on a chair, staring absently at the ceiling.
“Bingo…”
The words escaped me before I realized.
I could sense from him the same kind of magic that surrounded the barrier outside — the power to repel, suppress, and seal demons.
So this was the rumored human born to seal the immortal demon.
Yet… was this all?
For a human, his magical power was impressive — but to me, it was nothing.
A demon’s lifespan depends on the strength of their magic.
Our souls and our magic are one, and the flame of our power burns without end.
That is why most demons live shorter lives than humans.
Once our flame burns out, we vanish completely — no reincarnation.
But in exchange, our physical abilities surpass those of humans.
And some of the stronger among us live far longer.
The magic fused into my soul is exceptionally potent.
Rather than fading, my flame grows stronger the more I live, the more I burn.
Because of that, I have no concept of lifespan — even if my body were cut in half, I could heal instantly with magic.
I knocked lightly on the window, then stepped out of sight.
I figured someone of this level wouldn’t pose much threat even if they attacked me.
If things got serious, I could simply unleash magic — destroying the barrier, the humans, and even this kingdom if I wished.
Such was the difference in power between us.
The young man noticed the sound.
After a brief pause, he slowly opened the window — how careless of him.
As he moved to close it, I slipped my hand through the gap and flung it wide open.
Startled, he stumbled back into the room.
“Good evening. Pleased to meet you.”
I stepped inside.
The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by a small lamp near the window.
It was a dull space — a neatly made bed, a desk, a few simple furnishings.
Not a single weapon or tool of interest.
The young man stared at me wide-eyed.
Stared — but… something felt off.
“…Beautiful.”
“Huh?”
The unexpected reaction made me freeze — and that brief pause was my mistake.
In that instant, he unleashed magic toward me.
Scarlet chains sprang forth, wrapping around my neck and slamming me into the floor.
Even for a demon, such a sudden and merciless counterattack was surprising — perhaps this human was stranger than I’d thought.
It didn’t hurt — not in the slightest.
I could easily break free if I wanted, but curiosity got the better of me, and I remained still.
Gone was his vacant look.
His eyes now shone with crazed excitement.
His cheeks flushed, lips curling into a wide, ecstatic grin — a bit of drool even trickled down.
A chill ran up my spine.
“Wow! Incredible! A woman this beautiful appearing before me… What a miracle! A gift from the heavens, perhaps?!”
…Heaven? I’m a demon, actually, I tried to say — but his energy was so overwhelming, no words came out.
Was he even hearing me? I doubted it.
I’d never met a human with such a violent swing of emotion.
He used the chain like a leash, pulling my face up close to his.
Our eyes met at point-blank range.
A tingling sensation ran down my back — I could easily push him away, yet my body refused to move.
It wasn’t magic. Just… something in his gaze.
His crimson eyes, filled with madness, stared without blinking.
It felt as though I were being drawn into their depths.
An illusion? No — he hadn’t the chance to cast one.
I wanted to look away, but couldn’t.
In that moment, I was utterly captivated — by the eyes of a mere human.
“It’s love at first sight! Please, become mine!!”
“…What?”
For a few seconds, my mind blanked.
In all my long life, I’d never been so bewildered by a confession.
I must have looked quite dumbfounded, because he pressed his hands to his cheeks and blushed like an innocent maiden.
How on earth did this human see me?
And that was how…
…we first met.
Even now, I still think it was a shocking encounter.
Looking back, perhaps I too had fallen for him at first sight.
Those ecstatic smiles, that madness in his gaze reflecting only me — even now, remembering it sends shivers of joy down my spine.
My master was indeed a strange human… but it made me realize that my own tastes were just as strange.
All in all, it was a miraculous day.
From there, our bond slowly deepened — until I became his servant.
But that’s a long story for another time.
A thousand years later, after many twists and turns, we meet again.
Freed from my seal, I reunited with my master.
It was the first time I’d been outside since the sealing.
From the state of that underground chamber, I had guessed as much — no sign of people coming or going, the town reduced to ruins.
To be honest, I’d never liked that country, so I felt nothing for its loss.
If anything, I was relieved no one remained to interfere.
Still, I was deeply grateful — and guilty — that he had come to find me, all the way to such a remote place.
By the time we reached the old gates, night had fallen.
The northern mountains were bitterly cold, so my master suggested we camp for the night.
He had brought all the necessary tools for camping.
With practiced hands, he built a simple triangular shelter — a tent, he called it — lit a fire, and boiled some water.
He poured the hot water into a wooden cup, mixed in some black powder, and a nostalgic aroma filled the air.
Ah — coffee.
It seemed one no longer needed to grind beans nowadays. How convenient.
I had wanted to help, but unfamiliar tools left me useless, merely watching.
Seeing my frustration, he smiled gently.
“You’ll learn soon enough. You always do.”
“Here, coffee. You liked it, didn’t you? Hope it still suits your taste.”
“Thank you. It smells wonderful — I like the balance of bitterness and acidity.
To think coffee can be made without grinding beans… how curious.”
“This kind’s called instant coffee — you just dissolve it in hot water.
There’s the traditional kind too, but it’s more work, so let’s stick with this for now.”
He took a long sip of his milk-filled coffee and sighed contentedly.
To think I could speak with him like this again — it felt unreal.
That sealing sword had supposedly been forged by sacrificing his entire existence.
I had given up hope of ever seeing him again.
Yet here he was.
The bitter taste of coffee, the cold night wind, the warmth of the fire — all told me this was no dream.
Then he said:
“Oh, and Dia — could you maybe stop calling me ‘Master’? If possible.”
He placed his cup down and looked at me.
“Oh? Is it inconvenient?”
“Not exactly. It’s just… it feels awkward.
Besides, the world’s changed a lot since back then — being called that might draw attention.”
“Draw attention, you say?”
“Yeah. And… I’d rather you call me by my name.”
He looked away shyly.
His name… come to think of it, I hardly ever used it a thousand years ago.
I’d never imagined he wanted me to.
“Oh, but — please don’t use my old name. Honestly, I don’t even remember it.
Call me by my current name.”
As he said that, a cold wind swept past, scattering dry grass into the air.
In the distance, the sky began to pale with dawn.
The night was ending.
The rising sun behind him made his silhouette glow — I squinted against the brilliance.
There was something divine about that sight.
“Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Akatsuki.
I look forward to being with you again.”
I answered softly, “Yes.”
Without thinking, a smile spread across my face.
It still felt like a dream, but step by step, I would walk beside this person once more.
In the distance, I heard the gentle chirping of birds.
A new day had begun.
