Chapter 434: The Village’s Killing Intent

“If we’re going on a date… um… I guess we should buy clothes, and then…”

Yuki Nonaka rummaged through the shoulder bag she was carrying, pulled out a copy of The Dating Guide, and actually started reading it on the spot.

She had never experienced anything like this before, so she genuinely had no idea what people were supposed to do on a date.

Takumi didn’t try to guide her. Instead, he simply stayed beside her and encouraged her.

Still not very confident, Yuki cautiously took Takumi’s hand and led him toward a clothing store.

She didn’t know much about fashion terminology or how to coordinate outfits, but with the female clerk’s advice and her own instincts, she tried on one outfit after another, showing Takumi the most beautiful side of herself.

“Mm~ Takumi, what do you think?”

Yuki pulled aside the curtain and stepped out of the fitting room, turning once in front of him.

Dressed only in her underwear, she fully displayed her tall, slender figure.

Her curves carried a different kind of allure from Mio’s sensuality. Yuki instead possessed a clear, almost translucent beauty.

Takumi immediately raised a thumb in approval.

“You look beautiful, Yuki. It suits you perfectly~”

“Really? That’s good.”

A cherry-pink blush spread across Yuki’s flawless pale skin.

Seeing such a shy expression on someone with her normally quiet and composed demeanor only made her even more captivating.

Meanwhile, outside the store, everyone who had been tailing them was blocked by a barrier and unable to approach.

“Have we already been discovered?”

“So what if we have? Yuki’s still with him.”

“Just wait. This is our mission.”

The group exchanged glances before silently settling down in a corner to wait.

Only one person noticed that she seemed able to pass through the barrier.

After hesitating for a moment, she stepped forward and entered the department store.

“…”

The two companions who saw this immediately frowned.

What the hell? Why the double standard!?

Unfortunately, neither of them could cross the barrier, so they had no choice but to remain where they were.

The female demon who had come from the Underworld also fell silent and cautiously reached out toward the barrier.

When she realized that she could pass through as well, even her usually aloof expression showed a hint of confusion.

He saw through everything? Then last night… did he already know I was watching him too!?

Zest’s expression stiffened.

After a long silence, she chose not to enter the barrier.

She thought about it for a moment, then turned around and left.

If she had already been exposed, there was no reason for her to remain.

Besides, she had never wanted to become Takumi’s enemy in the first place. She had only come to monitor his movements under orders from the war faction.

Scenes she had witnessed earlier replayed in Zest’s mind.

She lightly bit her lip, a watery sheen appearing in her beautiful eyes as a blush spread across her sensual brown skin.

Those things… did he deliberately let me see them too?

Uu~~ How can there be such a bad man?

I should hate him. What he does is similar to Zolgear…

N-No, it’s different. They all chose it willingly, and he isn’t disgusting to look at like Zolgear.

Zest muttered quietly to herself, her thoughts filled with Takumi.

From the very first moment she saw him after receiving the order to monitor him, she had been deeply attracted to him.

And for some reason, seeing Takumi’s relationships with Mio, Maria, Tohru, and the others had stirred a faint sense of longing in Zest’s heart as well.

Her power originated from “chastity,” an innate talent of her bloodline.

As a member of the war faction, she had been engaged to Zolgear under orders from above.

Zest didn’t like Zolgear and had never been intimate with him.

Moreover, precisely because of the nature of her bloodline ability, even Zolgear didn’t dare violate her.

Their relationship had always been maintained more like an alliance.

Until today, when she accepted the order to come monitor Takumi.

The war faction intended to make a move against him and had already instructed Zolgear to deal with him.

With complicated emotions swirling inside her, Zest let out a long breath and flew toward Takumi’s home.

According to the plan arranged beforehand, Takumi was supposed to be away right now.

Zolgear should already be making his move.

By the time Zest departed, Yuki Nonaka had finished choosing the clothes she wanted to buy.

She had originally planned to pay for them herself, but Takumi beat her to it.

“Yuki, if I’m your boyfriend, then I should be the one paying. I can afford to support you!”

Takumi’s declaration of himself as her boyfriend left Yuki completely unable to refuse.

Shy yet delighted, she stood there with a sweet smile, savoring every second of the moment.

Until someone suddenly grabbed her hand from the side.

Yuki hadn’t sensed anyone approaching before the contact, so she turned her head in surprise.

“?”

The instant she saw who it was, Yuki sharply drew in a breath.

It was someone she knew extremely well.

The girl had a slender, delicate figure, her tight combat suit outlining graceful curves.

Her long purple hair was tied into a single ponytail, while her pale, youthful face possessed refined and attractive features.

Her golden eyes were exceptionally cold, making her look from a distance like a valiant female warrior.

“Kurumi~~”

Yuki called out the girl’s name.

It was none other than her younger sister, Kurumi Nonaka.

The moment Yuki saw her dressed for battle, she knew this matter would not end easily.

Kurumi spoke in a calm voice.

“The [Village] has officially made its decision. New orders have been issued.”

“The time for catching up is over… Onee-chan.”

The moment Kurumi said those words, all the strength seemed to leave Yuki’s body.

The worst possibility she had imagined had finally come true.

Back when Takumi had still been relatively weak, the Village had been willing to leave him alone, partly out of consideration for their old ties, but as his strength continued to grow—and after he aligned himself with the Underworld and became the head of House Morax—his existence had gradually come to be viewed as a threat to humanity.

At least, that was what the Village’s higher-ups believed.

They were afraid Takumi might still resent the fact that the Village had expelled him in the past and eventually turn his anger against them.

Yuki had already reported that Takumi had no such intention, but they remained afraid.

And after Takumi demonstrated his ruthless methods again and again, the old men in the Village leadership who feared for their lives could no longer sit still.

Realizing this, Yuki stopped walking and refused to follow Kurumi.

Her expression darkened.

“Then what does the Village intend to do to Takumi?”

“He hasn’t done anything wrong!!”

Faced with her sister’s accusation, Kurumi lowered her eyes.

Her previously cold voice could no longer remain steady.

After several seconds of silence, she drew a deep breath and forced down the sadness inside her.

Just like Yuki, Kurumi had grown up alongside Takumi since childhood.

How could she possibly bear to hurt him?

But Kurumi had been raised and trained as a Hero and warrior.

The principle of [Obey the Village’s Orders] had long since been deeply engraved into her heart.

After struggling internally for a long moment, Kurumi finally steadied herself and tried to keep her emotions under control.

“The [Village] has reclassified Takumi from a provisional S-rank surveillance target to an S+ extermination target.”

“This is the official decision.”

“That’s why we came here—to fulfill the duty of our clan.”

Kurumi’s voice trembled as she spoke.

Even so, she still conveyed the orders she had received.