Chapter 365: Ichinose family’s business

Ichinose Haruna.

A name that carried weight by itself.

From the very beginning, she had been someone different—born with gifts that most people could only dream of. Her IQ was said to be around 200, a number so unreal it almost sounded like a rumor. She wasn’t just smart—she was sharp, quick, and able to see through things most couldn’t even begin to grasp. But her brilliance didn’t stop at her mind. She had the body to match. She was athletic, built through endless training and discipline, and right now, she was studying politics, a field that demanded both brains and charisma.

That combination—intellect and physical skill—was terrifying. It made her someone not just impressive, but dangerous. And with that, she became the type of person others couldn’t help but fear.

She had a talent for reading everything around her, as if the world was just an open book. Even from a distance, even without being there, she could piece things together and see them for what they really were.

Everyone knew her as the successor of the priestess.

The current priestess was none other than her grandmother—the old lady of the Ichinose family, the same woman who raised both Haruna and Hiyori.

That old lady was the one whose handbag had once been snatched, and it was Kouhei who ran after the thief and returned it to her.

The priestess’s role was unique, something between sacred and military. She wasn’t just a symbol of the Church, like an idol people could look up to. She was also a fighter, someone who stood at the frontlines against demons and any evil beings that plagued the earth. Her very existence was tied to the Demon Hunter Association (DHA). Within the Church, she was revered, practically worshipped, but at the same time, she held power that could command the DHA itself.

And Ichinose Haruna—who was already part of the DHA—was destined to inherit that mantle. There was no one else suited for it. She was the only possible choice.

The only thing missing was that she hadn’t awakened her powers yet.

The priestess lineage traced back to angels. Descendants of divine blood, people who carried within them a fragment of holy power. But only a handful—just around 5%—ever managed to awaken it. That was why priestesses were celebrated like miracles.

Even so, people were sure of it. That Haruna would be the one. She had everything else like mastery in swordsmanship, years of strict training, discipline hammered into her from birth, and achievements stacked on top of each other. She had studied martial arts since she was young and mastered each one with relentless drive. She didn’t just learn. She conquered. With such a record, there was no doubt why everyone looked at her as the rightful heir.

And because she was so sharp, because she had seen and learned so much, she was able to notice things most wouldn’t. She could see through truths others overlooked.

Like Kouhei.

She already knew what her little sister had only recently started whispering about. That boy—Hiyori’s classmate—was the Child of Anti-Prophecy. She had gathered enough information to know exactly who he was. He wasn’t human anymore. He had become a faction leader, controlling an army of succubi, with Mitani Chihiro, Momoka Yuki, and Sano Yuka by his side. He even had the recognition of the Great House of Sarushima and, surprisingly, the admiration of Sarushima Souichiro.

All of it pointed to one thing. That Kouhei wasn’t just strong. He was a serious threat.

On top of that, rumors spread that the strongest ancient fallen angel was helping him. If that was true, then Kouhei wasn’t just a threat—he was a ticking catastrophe.

And to make things even worse, Hiyori had fallen in love with him.

That, more than anything, amused Haruna.

She had known for a while that her little sister was secretly in love with someone, though she hadn’t known who. Now, finding out that it was Kouhei—the family’s enemy—put her in a strange position. Should she tell Hiyori outright that falling for a demon was unacceptable? Should she step in, forbid her from ever going near him again? Both approaches would work. Hiyori had always been obedient, always someone who followed the family’s guidance.

But Haruna found herself wanting to watch it play out. Amusement, after all, had always been something she craved.

“Hey, Hiyori-chan? Who is that boy?” she asked, her tone light, almost playful, as the two of them sat together in the car on the way home.

“H-He’s… a classmate,” Hiyori muttered, her face instantly flushing pink.

Haruna almost burst into laughter. Her sister, blushing like that, was such a rare sight. She had always thought Hiyori would never care about things like love. She just didn’t seem like that type. Compared to Haruna, she was clumsy, awkward, and nowhere near as intelligent.

At best, Hiyori was just above average. And that was exactly why Haruna adored her. Because while Haruna was raised to be exceptional, forced to climb higher than everyone else, Hiyori had been allowed to be… normal. Ordinary. And for Haruna, that was refreshing.

“A classmate, huh? Fufufu… doesn’t look like it to me. There’s definitely a spark between you two. What is that, exactly?” Haruna pressed, her smile mischievous.

“N-Nothing! I told you, he’s just a classmate!” Hiyori shot back quickly, her face burning red.

“Don’t get so defensive,” Haruna teased, grinning from ear to ear. Watching her little sister fluster was endlessly amusing.

Soon, the car rolled to a stop in front of a massive estate—the Ichinose residence. The manor was enormous, sprawling and maze-like. To anyone unfamiliar, it was the kind of place you could get lost in for hours. Even Hiyori, who had lived here since birth, had gotten lost inside multiple times.

The driver stepped out and opened the door for them. Both sisters climbed out gracefully.

At the front garden, they saw an old woman tending to the plants, a watering can in her hands as she carefully gave life to the flowers.

“Good evening, both of you,” she said, her voice calm but carrying a weight of authority, even as she quietly poured water onto the soil.

“Good evening,” they replied in unison, bowing deeply.

This was Ichinose Chiyo. The current priestess. The one and only living human carrying holy power.

Decades ago, during the demon invasion sixty years back, she had stood at the frontlines and fought. It was her leadership and strength that brought humanity victory. She was the founder of the DHA itself.

Now, though, she was just an old woman. Time had caught up to her, and her retirement was looming closer with every day.

But even now, none of the descendants had awakened holy power. With only a 5% chance, there was no guarantee it would even appear in this generation.

And yet, in everyone’s eyes, the answer was obvious.

When that time came, the one chosen would be Haruna.

However, there could still be other variables at play, ones that might shift things in Hiyori’s favor as well, even if the chances seemed slim right now.

“You both are quite late,” Chiyo said calmly, her voice carrying that subtle sharpness only grandmothers seemed to have, the kind that instantly made you feel like you’d done something wrong even if you hadn’t. Her eyes lingered on the two girls, patient but pointed.

“Hiyori-chan was flirting with a boy, that’s why we’re late. Sorry, grandma,” her sister said in a sing-song tone, dragging the words out just enough to make it sting.

“N-Nee-chan!” Hiyori’s voice cracked as it shot out, bouncing off the quiet of the garden. Her face turned red so quickly it looked like steam might burst out of her ears. “Ah, i-it’s not like that!”

“Fufufufu…” Chiyo chuckled softly, her wrinkles deepening with the curve of her smile. “You should bring this boy over and introduce him to our family. We’ll need to know him.”

“Ohhh, did you hear that? Grandma’s actually willing to consider him, Hiyori-chan! Aren’t you happy?” her sister pressed, clearly enjoying every second of her embarrassment.

“I-It’s not like that, I already said!” Hiyori protested again, her voice trembling between frustration and panic.

The truth, however, was harder for her to deny. It wasn’t like she didn’t have feelings for Kouhei. In fact, the more she tried to brush it off, the more obvious it became to herself. Her heart always betrayed her, racing so hard it felt like it might jump out of her chest every time she stood beside him. Talking to him earlier had only made it worse—or rather, clearer. Hiyori was, without a doubt, in love with Kouhei.

But the problem wasn’t about admitting her feelings. It was the question of whether such love could ever truly take root, whether it could blossom into something real. And deep down, somewhere she hadn’t yet allowed herself to think about, the answer seemed bleak. There were far too many reasons why it might never work.

The first obstacle was her parents. They wouldn’t accept it—there was no way they would. But beyond that, the biggest wall between them was something she hadn’t even realized yet. Kouhei was her enemy.

Her family’s livelihood, their mission, their pride… was all about exterminating demons. Kouhei not only walked that path but led others down it. He commanded a faction of demons, and on top of it all, Kouhei himself had become a demon.

From a distance, if you stripped away all the danger, it almost sounded like the setup for some star-crossed romance, something bittersweet and almost poetic. But reality had a cruel way of twisting those kinds of stories. Rivalries and love rarely ended with happy endings. More often than not, they burned out in tragedy.

Of course, Hiyori had no clue. For her, right now, she was just a girl stumbling over the feeling of falling in love for the first time, caught up in emotions she couldn’t control, unaware of the storm that would eventually come between them.

And little did she know… one day, she would no longer just stand beside Kouhei as a girl in love—she would stand against him, as his enemy. That part of the story hadn’t arrived yet, but it lingered on the horizon, waiting patiently like a shadow that couldn’t be outrun.