As the heavy doors of the council chamber closed behind Barbatos, the atmosphere remained tense, like the lingering heat after a wildfire. The meeting had abruptly ended after his unsettling departure, leaving everyone—especially Yuta and Charlie—feeling the weight of the moment. They followed Carmilla out of the room, her usually commanding presence darkened by the frustration that simmered just below her surface.
Carmilla walked ahead, her fists clenched, and the silence between them was heavy. Neither Charlie nor Yuta dared to break it. The elegant hallways seemed to stretch endlessly, and the echoes of their footsteps only deepened the discomfort. Yuta glanced at Charlie, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern. Charlie, usually so quick to reassure him, seemed lost in her own thoughts.
Finally, they reached a private room. Carmilla stopped abruptly, turning to face them. Her eyes, sharp and piercing, swept over Yuta and Charlie with a mixture of frustration and warning. "You did well," she began, though the compliment felt thin, merely a formality. Her voice was tight with unspoken rage. "But I need you both to understand something." She stepped closer, her presence commanding the small space. "Barbatos didn't back down because he wanted to. There's something he's plotting. I don't know what, but whatever it is, it might involve both of you."
Yuta felt his heart sink. The weight of Carmilla's words pressed down on him, though he maintained his composure. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to piece together the coldness in her tone.
Carmilla's eyes darkened, frustration etching lines into her otherwise pristine features. "You don't engage with him," she snapped, more sharply than intended. She took a breath to steady herself, then continued. "Barbatos is dangerous. Every word, every action of his is a trap, a game you're playing before you even realize it. If you value your lives—both of you—you'll stay as far away from him as possible. Whatever this was today… it wasn't over. It's just beginning."
Charlie, her usually bright and hopeful demeanor dimmed by the tension, nodded. "We'll be careful, Carmilla," she said softly as she got close to her. "Thank you. Really, for everything today. Without your help—"
Carmilla's expression hardened before Charlie could finish. "Don't thank me yet." Her gaze shifted toward Charlie, her eyes narrowing. "You need to start being careful. More than that, you need to protect him." Her words cut through the air, sharp and unyielding. "You're the Princess of Hell. If you can't defend Yuta, then what use are you?" Her voice lowered, but the intensity remained. "This isn't just about today, Charlie. You have to be better. Stronger. If you don't want more trouble, stop being useless."
Charlie's cheeks flushed with shame, and her eyes dropped to the floor, a knot tightening in her chest. She gave a small, stiff nod, but the hurt lingered in her expression. "I… I understand," she whispered, her voice strained.
Yuta, sensing the shift in Charlie's demeanor, stepped forward, to hear what Carmilla said to Charlie. But before he could, Carmilla waved them both off, as if exhausted by the whole ordeal. "Just go. And remember what I said."
Charlie nodded again, her shoulders heavy, and gently took Yuta's arm, guiding him toward the exit. Yuta hesitated, casting a last glance back at Carmilla, before following Charlie down the hall.
As they walked, Yuta couldn't help but feel unsettled by Carmilla's words. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. "What was all that about?"
Charlie forced a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "It's nothing," she said softly, though Yuta could see the weight of her own self-doubt behind her words.
But Yuta wasn't convinced. The shame in her expression told him more than her words ever could. And yet, despite everything, Charlie kept that same smile—a fragile attempt to reassure him, even when she was the one carrying the burden.
"Charlie..." Yuta started, but she gently squeezed his hand, her smile widening just a little.
"I'll be fine, Yuta. We'll get through this." Her voice was soft but determined.
Yuta looked at her, sensing the unspoken struggle, but chose not to press further. Instead, he nodded, knowing that for now, he needed to trust her.
Lilith sat in her office, papers strewn across the floor like a whirlwind of incomplete answers. Frustration gnawed at her—this was supposed to be simple, a routine investigation into a peculiar soul. But the deeper she delved, the more the puzzle seemed to stretch into something uncomfortably vast.
"Memory loss?" she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. "Fine, that happens. But this file—" She stared at Yuta's records, pages filled with scrambled words and nonsensical symbols that defied even her understanding. "Why does it feel like I'm chasing a ghost?"
She leaned back, pinching the bridge of her nose. Yuta was a Cursed Sorcerer—there were still some of those around. Typically, Hell didn't concern itself with them; Heaven took care of cursed souls. But Yuta being in Hell? That was something different, something wrong. And to complicate matters, Charlie had found him.
For a moment, Lilith had considered doing what any logical being would—hand Yuta over to Heaven. Let them clean up this mess. But when that cold logic clashed with the warmth of seeing her daughter smile again—genuinely smile for the first time in years—it froze her in place.
"Damn it, Charlie…" she whispered to herself. For millennia, Lilith had ruled with precision, her decisions untouched by sentiment. But this was different. Yuta wasn't just a mystery—he was the source of Charlie's hope. The one bright spot keeping her daughter grounded. And that tethered Lilith's hands.
She sifted through the endless documents, desperate to find something that would unlock the enigma of Yuta Okkotsu. His file—useless. His death—a mystery. His past—a void. She had reached a dead end.
Then her eyes caught a date. October 31. Her hand hovered over the paper as she re-read the report. Thousands of lives lost… all in the span of five hours. And the cause? Simply listed as "Curse."
That wasn't the most alarming part. What chilled Lilith to her core was the fate of those souls—neither ascending to Heaven nor descending to Hell. Modified. The souls had been altered, their essence rewritten...
Lilith's hands trembled as she pieced it together. Whatever happened on that day was no mere tragedy. It was deliberate. And it was ongoing. "Those poor souls..." she murmured, her mind racing. How could something so massive—thousands of souls, entire lives—be wiped out, with no trace left behind?
She shot up from her chair. The more she thought about it, the more enraged she became. Heaven should have informed her. A catastrophe of this magnitude could disrupt the balance between realms. If souls were being manipulated, how had they allowed it to go unchecked?
But no one had told her. Not Heaven, not the angels, no one. "Did they think they could just leave me and Lucifer in the dark?" she growled under her breath, clenching her fists. "And now Yuta… he's tied to all of this."
Lilith glared at the papers strewn across her desk, feeling an unfamiliar rage burning within her. Heaven might have thought this was their problem to handle, but with Yuta now in Hell, it was hers too.
She went to take some air, leaving the room, there is too much trouble already… not only with Yuta, but with her life itself.
Lilith lingered at the door of Lucifer's office, watching him quietly from the threshold. He sat behind his desk, head slightly bowed, meticulously arranging a small collection of rubber ducks—one that looked like her, the other resembling him. The sight should have been endearing, but instead, it tugged at something deep in her chest.
Lucifer, once the embodiment of rebellion, now spent his time crafting tiny figures—symbols of a family that felt more fractured than united.
She stepped inside, her footsteps soft against the polished floor. As she neared him, her hand lightly touched both of his shoulders from behind, startling him just enough to make him jump.
"Oh, hey sweetie." His voice held a half-hearted cheer, but when he turned to face her, holding up a freshly-painted rubber duck—this one modeled after Charlie—the brightness in his eyes was unmistakable. "Look what I made! It's great, isn't it?"
He practically beamed, holding up the duck for her to inspect, the excitement in his voice palpable. Lilith's expression stayed neutral at first, but as she looked closer at the tiny Charlie in his hands, something softened. A quiet chuckle escaped her lips, and she allowed herself a small smile.
"It's… great, hun." Her voice was honest, carrying more warmth than she'd intended. Lucifer's grin widened, his sharp teeth glinting as he reached for the other two ducks—the ones resembling him and Lilith—carefully placing all three together. He cradled them in his arms with a childlike glee, making them squeak with each playful squeeze.
"Now the family's complete," he said, his tone bordering on wistful. "And they're all so happy."
Lilith watched him for a long moment, her smile fading as her thoughts clouded. His joy seemed genuine, but she knew it wasn't. Not really. Not deep down. Her fallen angel, the once-proud Morningstar who had defied Heaven itself, now retreated into these simple creations—his way of coping, his way of holding on to something that felt like it was slipping through his fingers.
The relationship between Charlie and Lucifer had been deteriorating for years. What was once a close bond between father and daughter had thinned to nothing more than polite exchanges, barely more than formalities. The distance between them wasn't just physical—it was emotional, too. Charlie's obsession with her dream to rehabilitate sinners had driven a wedge between them, a wedge that Lucifer was helpless to remove.
Lilith could see how much it pained him. Charlie's determination reminded him too much of his younger self—back when he too was filled with dreams of change, with visions of a world where everyone thrived under the light of his father's kingdom. But those dreams had been crushed. Over and over, Heaven had rejected him, his father had silenced him, and in his pride, Lucifer had refused to give up.
That refusal led to his downfall, his rebellion, and eventually… to the curse he'd cast upon humanity in his desperation.
Now, he watched Charlie walk a similar path, and it terrified him. He didn't want her to learn the way he had learned—that some dreams were simply unattainable. He feared that, like him, she'd be broken by the weight of her ideals. But what could he do? She was as stubborn as he had been, and no amount of cautioning or warning seemed to sway her.
So now, instead of fighting, instead of confronting his fears head-on, Lucifer made rubber ducks. It was his way of pretending that everything was still okay—that their family was still whole.
Lilith sighed inwardly, her gaze softening as she looked at her husband. She understood him better than anyone—better than even he understood himself at times. He was afraid, and rightly so. The weight of millennia of mistakes hung heavy on his shoulders, and the prospect of watching his daughter follow in his footsteps… it was unbearable.
But even with all the stress and all the doubt that gnawed at her, Lilith kept her head high, because that's what he needed.
Lucifer's focus was fixed on the small rubber duck of Charlie as he continued his delicate work, but there was a cautiousness in his voice that Lilith couldn't ignore. "So… found anything about Charlie's new friend?" he asked, trying to sound casual, though the slight tremor betrayed his concern.
Lilith leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples in a futile attempt to ease the tension. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing," she replied, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "This is more complicated than it should be."
Lucifer frowned but kept his eyes on the duck, turning it in his hands. "Weird… I mean, it's not like a sinner to forget everything from the fall." He said it lightly, as if trying to minimize the weight of the situation. But Lilith's discomfort was palpable.
She shifted uneasily, her thoughts clouded with what she had kept from him. The truth gnawed at her. Yuta wasn't a regular soul—he was a Cursed human. And that particular detail… she hadn't shared with Lucifer. She wasn't hiding it out of deception, but rather out of care. The subject of Curses was one of the few things that rattled him. His connection to the creation of Curses—his own guilt—was a wound that had never fully healed. Mentioning it would only stir that turmoil, and she wasn't ready to push him into that state.
"Still…" she murmured, trying to suppress her own frustration. "This isn't a typical case. I think I'll need to go up to Heaven and see for myself."
Lucifer's reaction was instant. He shot up from his chair, his previous calm shattered as he looked at her with wide, startled eyes. "Wait, you're serious?" His tone was laced with disbelief. Lucifer rarely showed such urgency, and it was a testament to how much the mere mention of Heaven affected him.
Lilith met his gaze, her hand reaching out to cup his face. Her touch was soft, firm, meant to ground him. She could feel the tension in his jaw loosening under her fingers as he exhaled slowly. "This isn't normal, Luci," she said gently, her voice steady. "Besides… it's the least I can do for Charlie. This is her first real friend in a long time."
There was a flicker of pain in Lucifer's eyes at the mention of Charlie, and Lilith saw it. He felt helpless, knowing he had lost that bond with his daughter, that he couldn't protect her in the ways he used to. His shoulders slumped slightly as he sighed.
"But… are you sure you want to go alone?" His voice had softened too, more pleading now. "I-I can come with you, you know, if you need me." The offer was genuine, and Lilith could hear the unspoken worry behind it. He hated the idea of her dealing with Heaven without him by her side, hated the thought of her being in that realm where his former family could easily turn their eyes on her.
Lilith shook her head, offering him a small but reassuring smile. "No, Luci. You need to stay here. I can handle this. Besides, I don't want to deal with your family giving us those judgmental stares the entire time we're up there."
Lucifer chuckled lightly, though it was laced with unease. "They're good at that, aren't they?"
"Infuriatingly so," she teased, her thumb brushing against his cheek.
He sighed again, deeper this time, but he nodded. "Alright, hun… just promise me you'll be careful. Heaven's not the same place it was when we were there."
"I'll be fine, Luci," she assured him, pulling him closer for a brief kiss on the forehead. "This is about Charlie. And I won't let anything happen to jeopardize that."
Lucifer stayed quiet for a moment, his hands resting lightly on her arms, holding her in place. His worry still lingered, but he trusted her. "Just… come back to me, okay?"
Lilith's smile grew a bit more tender, and she kissed him softly on the lips. "Always."
With that, she turned and left the room, leaving Lucifer standing alone, his fingers still absentmindedly holding the tiny duck version of Charlie. He stared at it for a long time, before placing it back with the others, a sigh escaping him as the weight of worry returned to his heart.
As Lilith walked down the halls, her mind churned with unease. The weight of the secrets she carried gnawed at her—secrets she had kept from Lucifer. It wasn't that she wanted to deceive him, but shielding him from the truth about Yuta, about the massacre caused by Curses, seemed kinder. He didn't need to know… not yet.
But it still made her feel sick.
She was on her way back to her office, hoping to collect her thoughts, when she spotted one of her butlers leaving the room. Their eyes met, and the imp froze in place, his nervousness evident from the way he fidgeted.
Lilith narrowed her eyes. "You? What were you doing in my office?" Her voice was low, commanding, though she immediately recognized him as one of the more timid servants. She regretted how intimidating she could be, but it was hard not to elicit that reaction.
The imp stammered, fumbling over his words. "O-oh, your majesty… I was just, uh, getting your delivery… the package." His eyes flickered toward the box he held, his hands shaking slightly.
Lilith glanced at the package, its simple brown surface giving away nothing. Her attention shifted back to the imp. She had always noticed how he trembled in her presence, no matter how gentle she tried to be with her staff. This one was particularly skittish. But today, something else was off. Her gaze sharpened, and that's when she saw it—stitches, neatly sewn into the skin on the left side of his forehead. They were too precise, too intentional in their placement to be an ordinary injury.
"What happened to you?" Lilith's voice softened slightly, though it still carried its natural firmness. She bent down, reaching out to touch the stitches with a light hand.
The imp flinched, clearly embarrassed by her proximity. "I-it's nothing, your majesty. Just an accident that happened today." He looked away, his cheeks flushing a faint red as her fingers brushed over the raised skin.
Lilith furrowed her brow, her confusion deepening. Something didn't sit right. The shape of the stitches was too deliberate. She straightened, rising to her full height, casting a long shadow over the small imp.
But she said nothing. Instead, her piercing gaze stayed on him, searching for something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"Um… if you'll excuse me, your majesty… I must get back to my duties," the imp mumbled, backing away nervously before quickly scurrying down the hall. His footsteps echoed against the stone floor as he disappeared from sight.
Lilith remained still, watching him retreat with narrowed eyes. There was something off about him today—something beyond his usual timidity. She could feel it gnawing at her senses, an instinct telling her there was more beneath the surface.
She stood there for a long moment, the shadows around her deepening as her thoughts raced. Something wasn't right. She had seen enough in her lifetime to know when something sinister was lurking beneath the mundane. She'd investigate further, but for now, she allowed the imp to leave as she went back to her work.
Now… off to heaven… right?
"And then… we can do trust exercises! It'll be fun!" Charlie exclaimed, her voice bright and filled with excitement as she and Yuta strolled through the dimly lit streets of Pentagram City.
Yuta walked beside her, listening intently, his hands shoved into his pockets. They had been walking for quite some time now, heading back to the hotel after that tense Overlord meeting. Carmilla hadn't exactly bothered to send them back in a car—or maybe she'd just forgotten. Either way, they didn't seem to mind the walk. Charlie was buzzing with energy, and Yuta found himself enjoying the way her enthusiasm lit up the dark and chaotic surroundings of Hell. Her passion for redemption had ignited something in her, a confidence that made her glow.
As for him… well, he couldn't help but feel a little doubtful. Some of her ideas seemed, perhaps, a bit too… hopeful? Maybe even silly. But then again, he didn't know much about how redemption worked down here. If anyone could figure it out, it would be her. So, he trusted her instincts.
"Yeah… hopefully, they want to do those things," Yuta said, offering a soft, sincere smile. Her joy was contagious, and he couldn't help but smile when she was this excited.
Charlie beamed even brighter. "Aaah, so much to do! But first, we should start by fixing up the hotel. Make it a bit more… welcoming, yeah?" With a flick of her wrist, a small flame portal appeared in her hand, from which she pulled out a piece of paper. Almost instantly, she began sketching at a rapid pace, her eyes focused and determined.
Yuta blinked in surprise at how fast she was drawing, his eyes widening slightly. "You're… really fast," he muttered, impressed by the speed at which her pencil flew across the page.
In a matter of seconds, she had drawn a full layout of the hotel, complete with rooms, activity spaces, and potential renovations. She shoved the paper toward him, her excitement practically radiating off her.
"This is just the start! I'm so excited!" Charlie bounced on her tiptoes, barely able to contain herself.
Yuta chuckled softly, shaking his head as he glanced at the paper. "One step at a time… we've got a lot of cleaning to do before anything else," he said with a playful smirk.
Charlie responded with a series of high-pitched, excited grins, her eyes sparkling as she continued to talk.
"O-oh! And the name!" she suddenly exclaimed, eyes widening as an idea hit her. "What about… Happy Hotel?" She thrust the drawing in Yuta's face, her enthusiasm never faltering.
Yuta leaned back, examining the sketch. "That's a nice name, I guess… but—" His words trailed off mid-sentence, his body going rigid as something shifted in the air. His eyes narrowed, scanning the area around them.
Charlie stopped bouncing and turned to look at him, her expression confused. "Yuta? W-what's wrong? Is the name that bad?" There was a hint of embarrassment in her voice, but Yuta didn't respond, his gaze focused elsewhere.
He had felt something. Something familiar.
A sharp, prickling sensation danced across his skin, a signature pulse he knew all too well. He turned his head toward a shadowy alleyway, eyes narrowing as the darkness seemed to warp. The air was thick with the presence of cursed energy.
Charlie followed his gaze, her eyes widening when she spotted what he was looking at. "I-is that a centipede? It's… a bit way too big," she stammered, her voice tinged with both fear and fascination.
Yuta didn't take his eyes off the creature. "Are there animals like this in Hell?" His voice was calm but tense, the grip of his cursed energy tightening as he prepared for what might come next.
Charlie swallowed hard. "I-I mean, yeah… but… not like this."
The centipede's body shimmered in the dim light, its many legs skittering across the ground with a menacing rhythm. Its eyes glowed faintly, and Yuta could feel it—a sickening, familiar pressure. It was the same energy he had... cursed energy.
"Don't tell me…" Yuta thought, his mind racing. "A cursed spirit?" The realization sent a chill down his spine. How could a cursed spirit exist here, in Hell? Didn't Lilith said that there couldnt be here?
Before he could piece it together, the massive centipede lunged at him, its speed unnaturally fast for its size. Yuta barely had time to react as it charged forward, its segmented body slithering toward him like a living nightmare.
"Yuta!" Charlie gasped, stumbling back as the creature closed in.
Yuta's eyes flicked toward her for a split second before he set his jaw, his focus snapping back to the incoming threat.
The centipede wrapped around Yuta's arms and torso with terrifying speed, its segmented body constricting him as its sharp mandibles sunk into his flesh. A sudden shock of pain shot through him as the creature tore into his arm, gnawing through muscle and bone until it devoured half of his right arm. Instinctively, Yuta unleashed a surge of cursed energy, the force so intense that it blasted the centipede backward, sending it skidding across the ground with a hiss.
He grimaced, preparing to use his cursed energy to obliterate the cursed spirit once and for all, but before he could act, Charlie's voice cut through the chaos like a whip.
"Yuta! Don't use it! Don't use your power!" she yelled, her usually cheerful tone now laced with panic. Her eyes were wide with alarm, reminding him of Lilith's warning. He couldn't let himself slip—not here, not in the middle of Pentagram City. Dozens of eyes were already on them, some staring in horror, while others—inhabitants of Hell—were simply indifferent, as though this kind of madness was an everyday occurrence.
Yuta clenched his jaw, his cursed energy receding as he reluctantly pulled back from the brink of unleashing it. His brow furrowed as he stared down the writhing centipede.
"So… I'm supposed to just punch it to death?" he muttered under his breath, clearly frustrated. He could feel the cursed energy surging in his veins, desperate to be used, but Charlie was right. This wasn't the place for it. He flexed his fingers, watching as his cursed technique worked swiftly to heal the missing half of his arm, his muscles knitting back together in seconds.
The centipede, undeterred, lunged at him again, its grotesque body moving with unnatural speed. This time, Yuta was ready. He sidestepped the attack, dodging the snapping jaws with ease before driving his fist into the creature's side. The impact was brutal, sending a tremor through the ground beneath them. The centipede crashed into the street with a sickening crunch, leaving a massive crater where its body had landed.
Yuta thought it was over. The centipede lay in the crater, twisted and battered. But before he could catch his breath, the creature lunged with a horrifying speed, its grotesque maw sinking into his leg. In a flash, half of his limb was gone, devoured by the ravenous spirit. The shock hit him first—followed by pain—but Yuta gritted his teeth, barely holding back a scream.
The centipede vanished beneath the concrete, burrowing deep before he could retaliate. Yuta cursed under his breath, his body trembling as he focused cursed energy into his mangled leg. Muscles reformed, skin knitting itself back together until the limb was whole again, though the ache still lingered.
"It didn't die from that!?" His thoughts raced, eyes narrowing as he tried to track it, feeling for the cursed energy still lurking beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, Charlie stood frozen, staring at the chaos unfolding around her. The sharp scent of fear filled the air, but underneath that, there was something worse—guilt. Carmilla's words haunted her, echoing in her mind like a cruel taunt: "You need to stop being useless for him." Useless. That's what she had been. Here was Yuta, fighting a monstrous cursed spirit in her city, while she… she was just standing there, useless.
No. She shook her head. She couldn't let that be true. Not anymore.
Yuta's eyes darted around, searching for the centipede's cursed energy. He felt it—dark and pulsing—moving toward a cluster of sinners nearby. His heart sank as the realization hit him. The cursed spirit lunged at them, and before Yuta could act, it tore through their bodies, consuming them one by one. Their screams filled the air, drowned out only by the sickening sound of the centipede's jaws crunching bones and flesh. With each sinner it devoured, the creature grew larger, its monstrous form swelling, becoming more grotesque and horrifying with every bite.
"I have to stop this" Yuta muttered, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way to kill it. Every hit he landed earlier had been without cursed energy. Maybe that was the problem. It became obvious—he'd need to gamble everything and ignore Lilith's warning. He had no other choice. The cursed spirit was growing more dangerous by the second, and more lives were at risk.
Without hesitation, Yuta let his cursed energy flood through his body, his aura flaring like wildfire. He could hear Charlie's scream of warning, but the world seemed to slow. Too late.
Something massive crashed down on him.
Charlie gasped, her heart seizing in her chest as a shadow loomed over Yuta. The ground trembled as a giant cursed spirit appeared, its form grotesque and terrifying—like a sumo wrestler, but with a grotesquely round head that was completely void of a face. It had flattened Yuta beneath its immense weight.
"Y-Yuta!" Charlie cried, her voice trembling with panic. Fear surged through her, but it was quickly consumed by something else. Anger. Determination. She couldn't just stand by anymore. Not this time.
Her body shifted, transforming in a flash of demonic power. Her maroon horns spiraled from her head, her eyes darkening with red sclera and glowing white irises. Her fingers lengthened into sharp claws, and black streaks marked her face. Flames crackled in her palms as she locked onto the faceless behemoth.
Without hesitation, Charlie unleashed a wave of hellfire at the cursed spirit. The flames roared to life, scorching the creature's thick skin. It let out a guttural, hollow roar, its body writhing in pain as Charlie pressed her attack, determined to give Yuta the chance he needed.
Underneath the weight of the cursed spirit, Yuta felt the pressure ease. The creature's grip loosened as it tried to swat away Charlie's flames. This was his moment.
With a surge of power, Yuta punched upward with all his strength, his cursed energy exploding from his fist. The impact was brutal, sending the faceless spirit flying through the air. Its massive form crashed into a nearby building, the structure crumbling under the force of the hit.
Yuta stumbled to his feet, his body bruised and aching but still standing. He turned to Charlie, a grateful smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks… you saved me."
Charlie's demonic form flickered slightly, her flames still crackling in her hands as she gave a small, determined nod. "No more being useless" she murmured, her voice low but steady. "We're in this together."
Yuta's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat as he looked at Charlie—fire crackling in her hands, determination burning in her eyes. It was a side of her he hadn't seen before, and for a moment, it left him speechless. Then, a small smile tugged at his lips.
"Alright then… together," he said softly, the words carrying a weight of trust that surprised even him.
But as they stood side by side, Yuta's gaze shifted to the faceless cursed spirit, still writhing from Charlie's attack. His smile faded as a realization dawned on him—Charlie's flames weren't just fire. They held a trace of cursed energy. Enough to hurt it. He stared at the flames licking at her fingers, piecing it together. Could she…?
Before he could voice his thought, a cold chill ran down his spine. Yuta's senses sharpened. More presences—dark, twisted, and hungry. His cursed energy was drawing them in like a beacon.
He turned to Charlie, urgency replacing his calm. "More cursed spirits are coming," he warned, voice low but firm.
Charlie nodded, her eyes narrowing as she spotted the centipede slithering toward them, alongside the faceless sumo wrestler spirit, both lunging at them with deadly speed. Charlie's fire flared brighter as she moved, catching the centipede by its body before it could drag her away. Her feet dug into the ground as she fought against its force, gritting her teeth.
Meanwhile, Yuta braced himself as the sumo spirit's massive fist came crashing down. He caught the blow with both arms, his knees buckling slightly under the weight, but he stood his ground, muscles straining against the creature's sheer strength.
The sumo wrestler cursed spirit wasted no time, swinging its other fist at Yuta with surprising speed. "How can something so big move like that?" Yuta barely had time to react—until a familiar force surged beside him.
Rika's arm manifested in an instant, blocking the incoming punch with ease, her presence heavy and looming. Yuta gasped, glancing at her in disbelief. She'd only partially summoned herself, but her sheer power was undeniable.
Rika's head materialized at Yuta's side, her single eye blinking innocently as she peered down at him. "Yuta… what's going on?" Her voice, despite her monstrous form, sounded sweet and childlike.
"I need your help, Rika. We have to deal with this quickly," Yuta said, his voice steady though his mind raced. He wasn't sure how much he could push her without her fully manifesting.
Rika tilted her head thoughtfully before her mouth curled into a grin. "Okay." Her head vanished as quickly as it appeared, her fist tightening around the sumo spirit's hand. Bones crunched under her grip as the cursed spirit roared in pain, and without hesitation, Rika summoned her other arm, crushing the creature's second hand with a sickening snap. Both of her massive arms hovered protectively over Yuta, ready for whatever came next.
On the other side of the battle, Charlie's frustration was growing. She grunted as the centipede thrashed against her flames, dragging her further away despite her best efforts. "Stay fucking still, damn it!" She growled through clenched teeth, setting the creature ablaze. The fire roared to life, burning through its writhing form. For a moment, it seemed like she'd won. But in a grotesque display, the centipede tore itself in half, regenerating its body from the severed section, now whole again.
Charlie's eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh, come on!" She spat, her demonic form flickering as her frustration mounted. The cursed spirit was relentless, and it was becoming clear she'd need more than just brute force to deal with it, but now she notices the lots of cursed spirits going towards her.
Just as Charlie was about to release a burst of fire from her palms, she froze. Her eyes widened in confusion as the familiar streets of Pentagram City vanished in an instant, replaced by the grandiose interior of her hotel. The sudden shift left her disoriented. She blinked once, then twice, trying to ground herself.
"What…?" she whispered, her flames flickering and fading as the surroundings solidified.
She turned sharply, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw her mother standing beside her. Lilith, towering and ethereal as always, her ever-flowing blonde hair glinting in the dim light of the hotel's lobby. Charlie's eyes searched for an explanation, her voice barely escaping her lips.
"Mom?"
Lilith's violet gaze was calm, almost unreadable, as she regarded her daughter. "I decided to take some measures," she said, her voice smooth yet tinged with a note of exasperation. "Just in case."
Charlie's confusion deepened, and she instinctively glanced toward the other side of the room. There, Yuta stood in the aftermath of the battle, Rika's massive arms still hovering protectively over him, covered in the blood of the cursed spirit. Yuta's face was a mix of exhaustion and surprise as Rika casually tossed away the decapitated head of the cursed spirit, the dismembered head dissolving into nothingness.
Her mother's sigh pulled Charlie's attention back. "Both of you are unbelievable…" Lilith murmured, her sharp gaze sweeping over the remnants of the chaos. There was no judgment in her tone, but something about her expression betrayed weariness—an old exhaustion that tugged at the edges of her regal facade.
Charlie shifted uneasily, her hands clenching into fists as a wave of guilt washed over her. She had failed again—hadn't she? She was supposed to protect Yuta, help him fight, prove to herself she wasn't useless. But once more, her mother had intervened. The weight of Lilith's expectations pressed down on her, heavy and suffocating.
"I—I had it under control, Mom," Charlie stammered, though the words felt hollow in her chest. Her flames flickered back to life, but they lacked the confidence and strength from earlier.
Lilith arched a brow, her towering figure casting a shadow over Charlie. "You had it under control?" Her tone was as gentle as it was piercing. She gestured toward Yuta, who was still catching his breath as Rika dissipated back into nothingness. "From where I'm standing, it seems like you were about to be overrun."
Charlie flinched but said nothing. She didn't know how to respond, her mind swirling with frustration, self-doubt, and shame.
Lilith let out a tired sigh, her hand briefly resting on her daughter's shoulder. "This isn't meant to belittle you, Charlie. I was also careless this time… I should've known that there were going to be cursed spirits now"
Charlie looked down, her chest tightening.
Lilith's expression softened slightly. "I'll help you this time" she said, her voice carrying a rare note of tenderness.
End Of Chapter
Writer: Me here praying that Lilith in the canon does have a understandable reason for leaving her husband and daughter for 7 years because it would be sad otherwise lol
And Yuta lives in the manga! :D