Quanxi, who had been casually sipping her drink, set her glass down with a quiet clink. "That's how it is," she muttered. "Newbies don't last long unless they're built for it."
Kishibe nodded, exhaling a long puff of smoke. "Survival rate in this job is abysmal. But that's gonna change."
He casually pointed toward the briefcase sitting beside him, the sleek metal casing adorned with the unmistakable logo—V-25.
Aki's gaze flicked toward it, brows furrowing slightly. "Kishibe-sensei… we're really going to use it? Right here and now? The vial Kang Woo created?"
Before Kishibe could respond, a sudden flash of golden sparks swirled in the air near the entrance. A portal flickered open, its edges crackling with energy. From it, Makima stepped through effortlessly, holding a plastic bag in one hand.
She barely glanced at the stunned expressions on the faces of Division 4 before her lips curled into a teasing smile. "Kishibe, weren't you suspicious of Kang Woo's creation before?"
Kishibe let out a grunt, taking another drag from his cigarette. "Still am. Doesn't mean I won't use it."
Aki immediately stood up, pushing his chair back. "Ms. Makima, please—sit in my place."
Makima merely nodded before settling into the offered seat with an elegant motion. She turned toward a passing waitress and, with an easy tone, said, "One beer for me."
The entire group, especially Division 4, froze for a moment.
Madoka, mouth slightly open, finally found his voice. "M-Ms. Makima… since when do you just open portals like that?"
Makima, completely unfazed, took off her gloves and adjusted her cuffs. "A few hours ago."
Aki and Himeno exchanged glances, while Kishibe merely chuckled, shaking his head.
Quanxi leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. " Now you're picking up some of Kang Woo's habits now, huh?"
Makima merely smirked, her yellow-ringed eyes gleaming under the dim restaurant lights. "Perhaps."
Makima casually touched her chest, feeling the steady but slowed rhythm of Kang Woo's heartbeat within her. It was calm—serene, even.
His emotions… they might be stabilizing, she mused internally. And this place, the peaceful atmosphere around me—it's easing his heartbeat. I can only hope that, when he wakes, the joy he lost begins to return.
She settled into the seat Aki had offered, adjusting herself comfortably.
Quanxi studied her with an amused expression. "So… how the hell did someone like you end up being chosen by Kang Woo?"
Makima barely reacted, only glancing at Aki and Himeno. "I assume you two already told them about his identity?"
Aki exhaled. "Only to Kishibe and Quanxi. We didn't tell Division 4."
One of the female members of Division 4 perked up, leaning forward with curiosity. "Oooohhh, what's this? More secrets about him? Ohhh—wait, is Kang Woo your boyfriend, Ms. Makima?"
Makima turned toward her without hesitation. "He is my husband."
A brief silence followed.
Then—several Division 4 members reacted at once.
"Wait—what?"
"H-husband?! That escalated fast!"
"Hold on, when did that happen?!"
Himeno just grinned, sipping her drink, while Kishibe smirked like he already knew this was coming.
Quanxi, however, narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly still processing that information.
Makima, unfazed, leaned forward slightly. ", Quanxi, would you like me to reveal his identity right here and now? Not that I mind."
Aki's face tensed immediately. "Please don't, Ms. Makima. Kang Woo's origins and identity need to be safeguarded. If word gets out… we don't know what kind of chaos it could cause."
Quanxi drummed her fingers against the table, eyeing Makima carefully before scoffing. "Tch. Fine. Keep your secrets for now."
Makima smirked and summoned Lucius' Grimoire.
Aki's eyes widened slightly. "Ms. Makima… isn't that Kang Woo's book? The one that lets you use his personal magic?"
Makima gave a small nod. "Indeed, Aki-kun."
With a flick of her wrist, the grimoire floated mid-air, hovering 100 cm above the table, its pages flipping open as though responding to her will.
Then, Makima summoned another book—The Book of Bandit's Secret, the artifact connected to her Skill Hunter ability.
Without hesitation, she picked up a nearby pen and began writing inside it, carefully copying the Bone Magic description from Kang Woo's grimoire into her own.
Himeno raised an eyebrow, smirking. "I thought only Aki snitched Kang Woo's stuff, but you too, Ms. Makima?"
Makima, without pausing in her writing, simply responded. "The grimoire is only loyal to Kang Woo. However, as long as he is asleep… at the very least, I want to copy the magic that Kang Woo treasures."
Kishibe, who had been drinking quietly, finally spoke up, his voice tinged with amusement. "let me get this straight—you're sitting there, casually taking notes from a certain man's book while he's asleep inside you?"
Makima gave him a calm smile. "I prefer to call it… preserving valuable resources."
Aki sighed, rubbing his temple. "Yeah, because that makes it sound any less suspicious."
Quanxi scoffed. "And people think I'm reckless."
Himeno snickered, nudging Aki. "See? Even Makima can't resist looting his stuff. You're not the only one with sticky fingers."
Makima flipped another page, still calm. "He will understand."
A beat passed.
Kishibe took another sip of his drink before muttering, "Or maybe he'll find it amusing. Hard to tell with that guy."
Makima only smirked at that, continuing her writing as the atmosphere in the restaurant remained warm and lively.
After a minute, Makima finally stopped writing, tapping the pen against the open pages of Bandit's Secret. "Pretty long," she mused, closing the book. "Still, I hope it's worth it."
Before she could put it away,
Himeno suddenly snatched Lucius Grimoire from the table and flipped through its pages. "How many magic spells are stored in this thing?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
Makima didn't seem fazed. "The only ones I can see currently are three—Body, Blood, and Bone."
Kishibe exhaled a long puff of smoke, tilting his head slightly. "The only ones you can see? You mean if Kang Woo held it, more would unlock? Like, for example, the time magic you used earlier?"
Makima didn't acknowledge the question. Instead, she placed a hand over the grimoire and uttered, "Eternal Fang."
In an instant, countless jagged bones shot out from her palm, spiraling upward like an array of spears. They punched through the ceiling, sending small chunks of debris scattering across the table.
The restaurant manager immediately panicked, slamming his hands against the counter. "HEY! You're gonna pay for that!"
Without even glancing at him, Makima casually pulled a large diamond from her pocket and tossed it toward him. The jewel landed on the counter with a heavy clink.
"Shut your mouth," she said flatly, her yellow-ringed eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. "Before I buy this whole restaurant."
The manager's anger immediately dissolved the moment his eyes locked onto the diamond. He hesitated, gulped, then quickly stuffed the gem into his pocket, muttering, "Uh… yeah. No problem. My mistake."
Himeno, still watching the bones protruding from Makima's hand, wrinkled her nose. "Cool… but disgusting."
Makima retracted the bones, letting them sink seamlessly back into her skin as if they had never existed.
Kobeni, who had been silently sipping her drink, finally spoke. "Ms. Makima, did you really have to use magic inside the restaurant?" Her tone was slightly exasperated, but her voice remained quiet.
Makima simply smiled. "Testing its application in different environments is necessary."
Quanxi, unfazed by the display, propped her chin up on one hand. " How does it feel, using his magic?"
Makima glanced at Lucius Grimoire, then at her own Bandit's Secret.
"Efficient," she admitted, her voice even. "But still incomplete. This grimoire isn't truly mine. It only responds to me because Kang Woo is asleep."
Kishibe, sitting across from her, narrowed his eyes slightly, swirling the liquor in his glass. "And when he wakes up?"
Makima met his gaze without hesitation. "Then it will return to him. The spell Eternal Fang I used earlier wasn't from Lucius Grimoire—it was through my Book The Bandit's Secret."
A heavy silence settled over the table.
Then—
Himeno, already slightly drunk, grinned and slapped Aki's back. "Oi, Aki, I bet you wouldn't last five minutes using magic like that!"
Aki shot her a deadpan look. "I wouldn't even try."
Laughter erupted across the table, breaking the tension. The rowdy atmosphere of Division 4's gathering took over once again, the earlier heaviness dissolving into alcohol-fueled amusement.
Kishibe shook his head, taking a sip of his drink. "This is the weirdest welcome party I've ever attended."
Makima leaned back slightly, fingers tapping against the Bandit's Secret, her expression unreadable. But inside her chest, Kang Woo's heartbeat remained steady, slow—serene.
Perhaps… he really is at peace.
Her yellow-ringed eyes flickered toward the Lucius Grimoire once more. Should I advance now using The Almighty to learn? Some pages are still missing, but… maybe, like Zangetsu's circumstances, it won't grant me the future sight I want. However… Her pupils sharpened slightly. It might let me see the descriptions that were previously transparent.
Before she could act, Aki interrupted her thoughts.
"Ms. Makima."
Aki's voice pulled her back to the present. He wasn't looking at her book—he was staring straight at her, his expression serious.
"I'm not going to ask about Kang Woo or whatever's between you two," he said, choosing his words carefully. "But… do you know the full details of The Almighty's abilities?"
A small smile tugged at Makima's lips as she reached for her glass, taking a slow sip of beer. Then, as if answering both his question and her own decision, she closed her eyes—and when she opened them again, her Almighty activated.
Two pupils appeared in each of her Yellow - ringed eyes.
"If you manage to outdrink me and get me drunk…" Makima's smirk widened. "I'll tell you."
Himeno nearly choked on her drink, slamming the glass down on the table. "Gulp—! There it is!" she gasped. "The terrifying eyes! The eyes that judge everyone as losers!"
Kishibe exhaled through his nose, swirling his drink lazily. "So this is The Almighty." He gave Makima a side glance, then muttered, "Kang Woo's version had three pupils—crimson. Yours are yellow, and only two."
Quanxi hummed, tilting her head slightly. " That means Kang Woo's and Makima's versions… aren't the same ?."
"Like it's inferior to his," Kishibe added bluntly.
Makima didn't react, simply taking another sip of her beer.
Aki suddenly raised his hand. "Waiter. One beer for me too."
Himeno, grinning like a maniac, slammed her fist on the table. "I'll take another too!"
Several other Division 4 members perked up at the challenge, their competitive instincts kicking in.
"Oh, hell yeah, a drinking match with Makima?"
"She's gotta lose eventually, right?"
"Does she even get drunk?"
Makima rested her chin on one hand, looking at them all with amusement.
Minutes passed.
She had downed eighteen large glasses of beer—and still showed no signs of dizziness.
Meanwhile, Aki and Himeno were face-down on the table, barely conscious, drooling slightly as their bodies gave up on processing the alcohol.
Makima, completely unbothered, continued writing. She transcribed the body magic spells from Lucius Grimoire into her own Bandit's Secret, calmly jotting down each detail.
Kishibe exhaled through his nose, watching her. "You're really taking this chance to copy everything Kang Woo has, huh?"
Makima didn't even glance up. "If you can't have the original, make a copy." A small smirk tugged at her lips. "Isn't that what your country always does, right, Quanxi?"
Quanxi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you're talking shit about China now?"
She leaned back, arms crossed. "I heard my country is planning to make another sun."
Makima didn't stop writing. She didn't even look at Quanxi. Instead, she remained utterly silent.
A brief moment passed.
Quanxi clicked her tongue. "Not surprised, huh?"
Makima finally responded, still focused on her notes. "They should just stick with their red sun flag instead of trying to create an actual sun."
She flipped a page, continuing to write. "Most countries bullshit about their capabilities, but the most realistic goal for our civilization isn't making another sun—it's colonizing the moon."
She tapped the pen against the page. "And yet, they haven't even managed to do that."
The table went quiet.
Quanxi let out a short chuckle. "Cold as always, huh?"
Makima ignored the remark as she flipped the pages of Lucius Grimoire, stopping at a newly unlocked section—Astaroth's Time Magic.
The Almighty had given her access to it, but as her eyes scanned the ancient text, she frowned. The language…
It was even more incomprehensible than Sanskrit.
Even though I unlocked the Time Magic section… she thought, if I can't understand the language, then it's useless to me.
Quanxi leaned over slightly, peering at the page. "More like stupid scribbles to me."
Before Makima could respond—
"BLAGGHHH—!"
A loud, disgusting retch tore through the restaurant.
Himeno, without warning, puked her guts out.
The entire Division 4 group freaked out as she hunched over, vomiting with zero hesitation.
Madoka recoiled. "Shouldn't Himeno-senpai be kissing someone instead of puking!?"
Fushi burst out laughing. "Himeno-senpai really outdid herself this time—this is her dumbest moment yet!"
But then—
The puke landed directly onto Lucius Grimoire.
A sickening splat echoed through the room.
Makima froze.
The entire table fell into an immediate, suffocating silence as everyone stared in horror.
The grimoire—normally an artifact of absolute power—was now stained with vomit.
And since Kang Woo was asleep, the book couldn't repair itself.
Makima's eye twitched.She slowly stared down at the ruined page.
Complete, dead silence.
Kishibe took a casual sip of his drink, watching her reaction. "...You enjoying your time here, Makima?"
Makima didn't look at him.
She simply exhaled sharply through her nose, fingers tightening on the book.
Then, flatly, she muttered:
"Worst time here."
The table exploded with laughter.
The laughter died instantly as an unnatural shift rippled through the air.
Suddenly—
The puke was gone.
Aki and Himeno, who had just been completely wasted, were now completely sober, as if they had never touched alcohol in the first place.
The group turned toward Makima.
Her two-pupil eyes were as eerie as ever—but now, her left eye was no longer yellow-ringed.
It was crimson.
Kishibe's cigarette paused halfway to his lips. A cold realization settled in his gut.
"Party's over," he said, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Thanks for coming, everyone, but we've got more important matters to discuss."
The Division 4 members, sensing the shift in tone, didn't argue. One by one, they stood and exited, along with the restaurant staff. The manager and waitress quickly followed, leaving only Makima, Kishibe, Aki, Himeno, Quanxi , reze , kobeni , and quanxi devil fiends behind.
Himeno, now fully aware of her surroundings, blinked as she looked down—
At the Lucius Grimoire. Still tainted in her puke. Her face went pale.
"I—I'm so sorry, Makima—"
"Save your apologies," Makima interrupted, not even looking at her. "I just discovered something."
A single drop of red splattered onto the grimoire's stained cover.
Makima raised a hand, touching her cheek.
Blood.
A thin, steady trickle ran from her left eye—the one that had turned crimson.
Aki, Kishibe, and Quanxi immediately tensed.
Makima's fingers pressed against the corner of her eye, feeling the slow warmth of the blood seeping down her face. Her expression remained calm, but in her mind—
I only used a small part of Almighty's future transformation… and yet, it's already taxing me?
Not to mention… I see no future where the grimoire restores itself. That's surprising.
Aki hesitated before speaking. "...Ms. Makima, can I ask—"
Makima didn't even glance at him.
"After my eye stops bleeding."
Makima exhaled softly, raising her hand. Darkness curled around her fingertips before slithering up to the corner of her eye, the shadows pressing against the wound like living threads, mending it enough to stop the bleeding. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.
She lowered her hand, the darkness dissipating.
"Do your fiends want to know about the Almighty, Quanxi?" Makima asked, her voice smooth yet unreadable.
Quanxi's expression didn't change, but her eyes sharpened. "Leave my fiends out of this."
Aki, who had been watching silently, finally spoke up. "Ms. Makima, are you finally going to tell us the secrets of the Almighty?"
Makima closed her eyes for a brief moment before reopening them, her gaze sharper than before. "Normally, I wouldn't. But what Himeno did just now…" She gestured toward the still-tainted grimoire. "It forced me into a breakthrough. More parts of its ability have unlocked." A slow smirk played on her lips. "So consider it a thanks."
Aki tensed. "What… does that mean?"
Makima leaned forward slightly, her yellow-ringed and crimson eyes gleaming under the dim light. "It means I want to see how you all react. How insane will you become when you hear the truth? Will you believe my words? Or will you suddenly resign from your jobs?"
Himeno forced a chuckle, but there was an edge of unease in her voice. "Still scary as ever, Makima."
Without another word, Makima raised her hand. Darkness surged from her palm, forming a dense, shifting dome that enveloped them—sealing the conversation within an impenetrable void.
Reze tilted her head, watching Kobeni with mild curiosity. "Kobeni, don't you want to join the conversation about Kang Woo's secrets?"
Kobeni didn't look up from her drink. "I already know about the Almighty," she murmured. "Kang Woo told me. It's a terrifying ability." She took a small sip before adding, "But he also said only Makima has the right to explain it, not me."
Reze raised an eyebrow, sensing something unspoken behind those words, but before she could press further, Kobeni turned her attention to one of Quanxi's devil fiends—the one called Pingtsi.
Kobeni frowned slightly. "It looks like you want to say something," she said, setting her drink down. "Your name is Pingtsi, right?"
Pingtsi nodded hesitantly. "Yes. I… I just wanted to ask," she hesitated before her voice lowered. "Will my mistress… be killed by Kang Woo?" Her hands clenched into fists, her expression unreadable. "If I must, I'm willing to trade my—"
"Hey!" Kobeni cut in, her voice sharper than usual. "No bad words like that."
Pingtsi blinked, startled.
Kobeni's grip on her glass tightened slightly. "Kang Woo is asleep," she said slowly. "Though… most of his good side is on its way to disappearing." Her voice wavered ever so slightly at the end.
Reze narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"
Kobeni remained silent for a moment, then suddenly wiped at her eyes, brushing away a single tear before anyone could call attention to it.
"Don't mind me," she muttered. "Just being myself, that's all."
( After this Chapter Kang Woo will Woke up )