Chapter 60: The First Meeting Between the Dragon and the Demon
Vigne took a deep breath, her long hair trembling slightly down her back as her golden eyes sharpened. A strange pressure filled the air around her as she suddenly called out, her tone uncharacteristically serious.
"Kouya-kun, come here! Quickly!"
Kouya blinked in surprise, confused by the sudden urgency in her voice. "Eh? What's going on? You sound... tense."
"I-I have something important to tell you. Something I can only say to you alone..." Vigne bit her lip hard, her cheeks faintly flushed with tension.
Something important? What the hell was going on now?
Kouya hesitated for a brief moment, scanning her expression. She wasn't joking—there was genuine worry there. Finally, curiosity won, and he walked toward her.
Kanna, holding her ice cream like a precious treasure, trailed after him silently. Her little steps made no sound, her wide blue eyes blinking once as she followed.
Then, just as Kouya reached her, Vigne moved. She stepped forward and grabbed his wrist, her fingers soft and trembling, pulling him protectively behind her. Her palm felt warm, slick with faint sweat. The firmness of her grip betrayed her anxiety.
Kouya stared, utterly lost. "Uh... Vigne? What are you doing?"
"Who are you?!" she snapped, her tone sharp as her crimson aura flared.
Kanna blinked up at her. The little dragon didn't speak—just kept holding her ice cream, looking up at Vigne with wide, unblinking eyes. The silence between them was heavy.
"You're... dragonkin, aren't you?!" Vigne hissed, narrowing her eyes. "I've seen illustrations in the Infernal archives—horns, tail, and that aura. There's no mistaking it!"
Though Kanna's concealment spell made her appear harmless to humans, a demon like Vigne could see right through it. The illusion shimmered faintly in her eyes—two horns glinting in the sunlight, a small tail swaying gently behind the child's figure.
Vigne tensed. "What are you doing here? Why are you following Kouya-kun? Are you planning something?"
Kanna blinked again and slowly took a bite of her ice cream, completely unbothered.
Kouya sighed inwardly. Here we go again.
So this was their first meeting. Vigne had clearly never encountered a dragon before. To be fair, it wasn't entirely her fault. Everyone in this city—angels, demons, and everything in between—hid their true forms. If you didn't go looking for trouble, you wouldn't find it.
Still, this was getting ridiculous.
He remembered earlier at the haunted house—he'd seen an actual tanuki among the "actors." Not a costumed human, but the real deal. And people had happily taken selfies with it. Oblivious. This city's definition of "normal" was already broken.
He cleared his throat. "Vigne, you've got it wrong. She's my cousin's kid."
Vigne froze. "Y-your cousin's kid? Are you serious!?" Her face twisted in disbelief. 'That's not a child—that's a dragon!'
Before Kouya could even respond, a familiar, mischievous voice cut in like a knife.
"Hello, police? Yeah, I'd like to report a kidnapping in progress." Raphael had her phone raised to her ear, her expression the picture of mock innocence.
Kouya's face darkened. You've got to be kidding me.
That smug angel continued, pretending to whisper urgently into the receiver. "Yes, officer, he's luring a poor little girl with ice cream... probably the ringleader of a candy-based trafficking operation."
Nearby, an old lady gasped. Her wrinkled face twisted in horror as she grabbed her chubby grandson's hand and pulled him away in terror. "Come, sweetie, don't look! Monsters like that snatch children!"
"Lady, your kid's the real monster here!" Kouya muttered under his breath, glancing at the snotty toddler who was licking a popsicle like it owed him money.
Another woman nearby hesitated, phone half-raised, her expression torn between fear and curiosity. It was clear she was seconds from calling the cops.
For crying out loud! You people really believe this!? Who would be dumb enough to kidnap a dragon!? One wrong move and she'd nuke the block!
"That's definitely a dragon," Gabriel murmured, strolling over lazily. She rubbed her eyes as if this were a chore. "Great. Guess I'll have to file another celestial report. Paperwork sucks."
"Gabi-chan!" Vigne hissed in warning.
Gabriel blinked, then sighed. "Right, right. Forgot the 'secret identities' thing again."
Without warning, she raised a hand and lightly smacked Satania on the back of the head.
"Ow! What the hell was that for!?"
"My hand itched."
"Then scratch yourself, not me!"
"Scratching hurts. This is more satisfying."
"You're the worst, you lazy angel!"
Kouya covered his face. The scene had officially devolved into chaos.
Vigne shot him an uneasy glance. "This really isn't... dangerous? She's... you know... one of them."
"Relax," Gabriel said, waving a hand dismissively. "Times have changed. Dragons aren't the terrifying monsters they used to be. Besides, she's way too cute to be evil."
Kouya nearly choked on air. Are you listening to yourself!? Cute equals harmless? Since when!?
Reality begged to differ. Half the prettiest faces in history were attached to the worst people imaginable! Bao Zheng and Zhong Kui looked terrifying but were saints, while Qin Hui and Gao Qiu had perfect grooming and zero morals!
Raphael smiled sweetly. "No need to panic, Vigne. Dragons wander out of the Chaos Sea from time to time. We can't really do much. Just... avoid annoying them."
Vigne exhaled slowly, the tension in her shoulders easing. "Alright... that makes sense."
But Raphael wasn't done. Her eyes sparkled with playful malice. "Though... are you two dating or something?"
Vigne froze like a deer in headlights. Then her eyes widened as she realized—she was still holding Kouya's wrist.
She yelped and flung his hand away like it was on fire, stumbling back with a bright-red face. Her tail puffed slightly in embarrassment. Her gaze darted toward Gabriel, but the angel didn't even glance at her. Somehow that made her even more flustered.
Raphael chuckled. "Didn't know Scumbag-kun had such charm. You really do juggle girls effortlessly."
Vigne groaned and turned away, her ears glowing red. "You're impossible..."
Kouya decided not to feed the chaos. "Kanna, come here."
The little dragon obeyed immediately, padding over and tugging at his shirt hem.
"Let's go sit over there. You've got to finish your ice cream before it melts."
"Okay," Kanna said softly.
They sat on a nearby bench. The park breeze carried the sweet scent of waffles and fruit syrup. Kanna carefully scooped another bite of ice cream and nibbled slowly. Her expression remained blank, but her tail wagged with quiet joy.
Passersby melted on the spot.
"Whose kid is that? She's adorable!"
"She's like a doll—so precious!"
"I want to take her home!"
Kouya pinched the bridge of his nose. God help me. She's just eating dessert, not auditioning for a commercial. This world's obsession with cute things had reached terminal levels.
Behind him, footsteps echoed softly.
Vigne approached slowly, her fists clenched at her sides. She looked torn, guilt and curiosity warring in her eyes. Her demon instincts screamed caution, but something gentler whispered trust.
Finally, she sighed deeply, letting her shoulders relax. The inner struggle faded, replaced by quiet determination.
Then, regaining her composure, she lifted her chin, eyes firm once again, and began walking toward Kanna with steady, determined steps