Chapter 38 – The Devil Declares War

The night air was crisp as Haruto walked alongside Himari, the city lights flickering in the distance.

She clung to his arm, her warmth pressed against him. Her voice was soft, hesitant.

"My parents… they're worried about me. About us."

Haruto exhaled. Of course, they were.

After everything that had happened, after Ryosuke, after Kirisaki… and on my birthday...

They feared what he would drag their daughter into.

And they were right to.

Himari bit her lip. "I can't come to your place today, but on the weekend, I will."

He nodded, placing a hand on her head, ruffling her hair. "Don't worry about it."

She smiled, leaning into his touch before pulling away.

At the next street, they had to part ways.

Two different directions.

Himari turned, taking slow steps. "See you later, Haruto."

He lifted his hand in a lazy wave. "Yeah. See you."

And just like that, she was gone.

Or at least, she was supposed to be.

---

The Kidnapping

The moment she disappeared from his sight, he heard it.

A muffled scream.

Haruto's body moved before his mind even processed it.

His muscles tensed, and in the blink of an eye, he was already sprinting.

Then he saw them.

A black van.

Himari was struggling, her voice muffled by a cloth pressed to her mouth.

The Dogs of the Underworld.

Haruto's pupils contracted. They were back.

After all these years.

His feet crushed the pavement as he launched himself forward. The closest thug barely had time to react before Haruto's fist slammed into his skull.

Crack.

His head snapped back unnaturally, and his body crumpled.

Haruto tore the cloth from Himari's mouth, shoving her behind him.

"Stay behind me."

The remaining twelve men surrounded them, their faces hidden under dark hoods.

One of them stepped forward, voice smooth and amused.

"It's been a long time, Devil."

Haruto tilted his head, golden eyes gleaming under the streetlights. "You're still alive?"

The man chuckled. "We were there when you ruled the underworld as a child. Just a boy—twelve years old, yet already drowning in blood.

"The Revenants send a message. If you oppose them, you will regret it."

Haruto smirked.

"Regret?"

His fingers slid into his pocket.

A blade.

He flipped the knife between his fingers, its edge gleaming.

"You should be more worried about surviving the next five minutes."

---

The Devil vs. The Underworld Dogs

They came at him all at once.

Thirteen trained killers.

Their speed was inhuman. Their strength monstrous.

They were not ordinary opponents.

For anyone else, they would have been impossible.

But Haruto was not just anyone.

He was The Devil.

His body blurred, and in a heartbeat, his knife tore through the throat of the first man.

Blood sprayed as the second attacker lunged. Haruto ducked, kicking his kneecap backward with a sickening pop. The man howled, but Haruto had already moved on.

A blur of motion. A dance of death.

His knife plunged into a gut, twisted, and pulled free.

A fist shot toward his face, but he caught it mid-air, twisting the wrist until bones shattered.

The Devil had returned.

One of the Dogs pulled a gun.

Haruto grabbed a corpse and used it as a shield, the bullet sinking into dead flesh.

He lunged forward, shoving the knife straight into the gunman's eye.

Seven down.

The remaining six hesitated. Fear finally creeping into their movements.

Haruto licked the blood off his knife. "I thought you were supposed to be tough."

They roared, rushing him in a desperate attempt to overwhelm him.

He dodged a blade, catching a wrist and snapping it like a twig.

Another knife to the throat.

A skull caved in with a single punch.

A knee shattered beneath his foot.

A spine broken over his shoulder.

And then, there was only one left.

The leader.

The one who had spoken.

He stumbled back, fear finally consuming him.

"M-monster…"

Haruto smiled.

"I told you."

"You should've worried about surviving the next five minutes."

The knife plunged into his heart.

The leader gasped, blood spilling from his lips.

Haruto twisted the blade, eyes cold.

"Send a message to The Revenants in hell."

"The Devil is back."

He yanked the blade free, and the man fell.

---

Himari's Tears

The moment the last body hit the ground, Himari rushed forward, trembling.

"Haruto—"

She threw her arms around him, pressing her forehead against his chest.

"Don't cry," he murmured. "I'll handle this."

"You always say that," she whispered. "But who will handle you?"

He didn't answer.

Instead, he wiped the blood from his blade and tucked it away.

She grabbed his collar, pulling him closer. "Promise me… promise me you'll survive this war."

His fingers brushed against her cheek.

"I'll do more than survive."

She hesitated, then suddenly pressed her lips against his.

A deep, desperate kiss.

A silent vow.

When she pulled away, her eyes were red.

"I trust you."

Haruto exhaled, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Then don't let go."

---

The Devil Declares War

After dropping Himari at her house, Haruto walked into the night, his mind sharp.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone.

Leon picked up immediately.

"I assume you've made your decision."

Haruto smirked.

"I'm coming to the auction."

A pause.

Then Leon chuckled.

"So, you're finally stepping back into the underworld?"

Haruto's eyes darkened.

"I'm not stepping in."

"I'm taking it back."

He hung up.

The war had begun.

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To Be Continued…

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