Chapter 238: Throw It Over...
"Kouya-kun, something terrible happened!"
The moment the phone connected, Raphiel's slightly panicked voice burst out, trembling with urgency. It wasn't her usual teasing or calm tone—this was real fear. He could hear the background noise of hurried footsteps, the sound of her wings fluttering faintly before she restrained herself again.
Kouya said calmly, his tone flat, unshaken. "Speak slowly."
"Mm, it's like this..." Raphiel took a deep breath, trying to organize her words, and quickly said, "Alice sent me a message earlier. She overheard her mother's phone call and found out who tried to kill her. So she went to confront them alone. She said she had to confirm it herself."
Kouya: "..."
'Are you kidding me?'
'That person didn't even spare your mother, and you think you can talk things out? Are you trying to die for real?'
"Because that person is an uncle who's always been good to her. I heard from Alice before that her father passed away when she was very young, and she doesn't have any siblings. I guess she saw him as a father figure..." Raphiel's voice trembled slightly as she continued, her usual cheer gone. "Alice doesn't believe he could be that kind of person, so she went to confirm it herself."
"After getting her message, I got worried and called her, but she didn't pick up. When she finally did, a man answered... and his tone—his tone was cold, like he was mocking me."
'Yeah, classic. Walking into the wolf's den with your head held high. Touching, but unbelievably stupid.'
Kouya let out a sigh. He couldn't even find the energy to complain about that level of idiocy anymore.
"Why call me?" Kouya asked lazily.
Raphiel's voice softened into a desperate plea. "I have no other choice. I'm begging you... Kouya-kun wouldn't just stand by and do nothing, right? You always pretend you don't care, but I know you're not heartless."
'Don't think I'll just rush to help because you say that. I have no interest in saving fools.'
"Kouya-kun, please," she continued, her voice trembling, eyes glistening even though he couldn't see them through the phone. "I can give you something precious... anything."
'Don't think I don't know what you mean by that, Fuchiko. I don't want that kind of thing!'
"And besides," she added softly, almost whispering, "if something happens to Alice, wouldn't Vigne and Gabi-chan be worried too? They all care about her... and you too, right?"
That part, at least, was true.
They were all part of the same club. If someone suddenly got hurt or vanished, everyone would be shaken.
Kouya was silent for a long moment, then sighed. "Where is she?"
Raphiel immediately replied, voice quick and hopeful. "Downstairs, in front of your apartment building. I thought I should come to you in person."
"..."
Kouya shut off his computer, grabbed his jacket, locked the door, and went downstairs.
He'd barely taken a few steps outside when he saw her under the bright glow of the streetlight. The cool night breeze brushed against her long silver hair, making it shimmer like moonlight. Normally her expression carried a teasing smirk, but tonight her face was pale, serious, and tinged with anxiety. The faint glow in her eyes showed she was barely keeping her angelic power contained.
"Kouya-kun!" Raphiel's eyes brightened the instant she saw him. She hurried over, clutching her phone tightly in both hands.
"You're coming too?" Kouya raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I'll go with you," Raphiel said firmly. "If something happens to Alice, maybe I can help. My power might be limited here, but if her soul is intact, I can still heal her."
Kouya nodded slightly. As an angel, her holy light could heal injuries as long as the soul hadn't left the body. But using it without permission would bring divine punishment—it disrupted the balance of the human world.
"Where's Alice?" he asked again.
"I just called Alice's mother," Raphiel explained quickly. "She said the man is at a villa in the suburbs and told us not to act rashly, that she's handling it herself... but I could tell she was terrified. Her voice was shaking. She's not confident at all."
Kouya frowned. "Then why come to me?"
Raphiel bit her lip, her silver lashes trembling. "Because that man has an onmyoji with him. If they panic, Alice could be hurt—or worse. I just... I can't sit still knowing she's out there."
He looked at her for a moment. The determination in her eyes left no room for argument.
They left the apartment complex and hailed a taxi heading toward the outskirts. Streetlights passed one by one outside the window, the flickering glow painting fleeting shadows across their faces. The silence in the car was heavy; even the driver seemed to sense it and didn't speak.
At the same time—
Inside a Western-style villa.
The long dining table was draped in a spotless white cloth, candles flickering gently on silver stands. The aroma of roasted meat, fine wine, and truffle butter filled the air. Two maids stood by the walls, motionless, while several tall men in black suits lingered farther away, their expressions cold and watchful.
Alice sat stiffly in her chair, her small hands clenched tightly in her lap. Her face was pale, eyes wide but unyielding as she stared at the man across from her.
He was a composed middle-aged man, refined in appearance, wearing a neatly tailored suit and black-framed glasses. His movements were calm, practiced, almost disturbingly gentle.
He adjusted his tie, smiled faintly, and spoke in a soft tone. "Alice, why aren't you eating? I had the chef prepare foie gras and caviar just for you. You used to love those, didn't you?"
Alice lifted her chin, glaring. "Why did you hurt my mom?"
"Alice," Hideaki Koike sighed lightly, almost pityingly. "You shouldn't have come."
"I just want to know why!" she shouted, her voice trembling but fierce.
He shook his head. Just as he was about to answer, a bodyguard leaned in close, whispering something in his ear.
Koike's lips curled slightly. "Alice, your two friends are here."
Alice's eyes widened. Hope flared for a second—Kouya and Raphiel! They'd really come!
But realization quickly followed, chilling that hope. "How do you know them?"
"There are some things money can't buy," Koike said casually, adjusting his glasses. "But bribing a few maids? That's easy enough."
Alice froze. The maids… she glanced around at the silent women standing by the wall and felt her heart sink.
"You... you bastard!" she shouted.
"Enough, Alice. Don't push my patience." Koike set down his utensils, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and rose from his chair. "Let's see if your friends can truly rescue this 'trapped princess' tonight."
Alice puffed her cheeks, pretending to be angry, but fear was in her trembling fingers. When the bodyguard silently gestured, she hesitated, then stood and followed, her small steps echoing in the dim hallway.
They entered a hidden control room. Alice gasped. Dozens of monitors covered the wall, one enormous screen showing the villa's front gate. On it—Kouya and Raphiel.
Koike looked at the screen with mild amusement. "Your friends seem brave. Or reckless. Either way, I'm curious about them. But they're too young to know the truth of this world. See that gate? It's electrified. Touch it, and they'll be lucky to live."
...
"Kouya-kun, I think there's danger on that gate," Raphiel said seriously, her brows furrowing. Her wings twitched under her human disguise, reacting instinctively to the surge of energy ahead.
Kouya nodded slightly. The faint static in the air was obvious to him. The voltage was enough to kill—or at least paralyze—a normal person instantly.
The walls flanking it were over two meters high, lined with sharp, cruel spikes that gleamed in the security lights. Climbing over without tools wasn't just difficult—it was suicidal.
"What do we do?" Raphiel whispered. Her voice was calm, but her fingers trembled slightly. She could feel his steady presence beside her, cold but strangely reassuring.
If she revealed her angelic form, she could simply fly over, but that would expose her identity. Right now, she was confined to her human shell.
Kouya tilted his head, his sharp eyes catching the faint red blink of a surveillance camera above the gate. They were already being watched. There was no point hiding.
In that case...
He smirked faintly. "Give me your hand."
"Eh?" Raphiel blinked, startled. "W-Why?"
"Just do it."
She hesitated, then slowly extended her soft, trembling hand toward him. His fingers wrapped around hers firmly, the warmth startling her.
Before she could speak, the wind roared. The ground blurred beneath them, the air rushing past her ears in a deafening howl. Her stomach flipped as the world tilted violently.
Her breath caught.
The next thing she knew, she was soaring through the air, held tightly by Kouya's hand, the villa wall shrinking beneath them.
A shock of adrenaline, fear, and exhilaration hit all at once.
"T-Throw you—?!"
Wanna read ahead? Join my Patreon and support the story — up to 6 new chapters are published for you every day!: patreon.com/ArealMaster