The moment Midori's heels clicked out of the room, the tension dissolved.
Chairs scraped. Bags zipped. Students murmured as they filed out, eager to escape before she changed her mind and assigned a second project.
Takumi didn't move.
He sat still—eyes distant, spine slightly hunched—like someone whose soul hadn't fully returned from war.
His bandages itched. His heartbeat was steady, but his mind wasn't.
Inside him, emotions he didn't even know he had were stirring.
Anger. Regret. Fear. Anxiety. This are emotions left by Takumi.
It was happening again.
He clenched his fists under the desk.
"Damn it…"
His body wasn't made to handle this.
The lust energy—his lifeline as an incubus—was near empty again. He'd exhausted it, drained it raw from the fight.
Without it, the chains were breaking.
Raizen Kuronaga—the ancient incubus of hell—was cracking.
And in its place, Hanazawa Takumi—the pathetic, anxiety-riddled university loser—was clawing his way back.
It wasn't just power. The lust energy was what kept his demonic instincts dominant. It was what stabilized his memories, sharpened his mind, dulled his vulnerability.
The less he had… the more human he became.
And being human meant weakness. Fear. Hesitation. Especially in this fragile body.
Even his memories were slipping—centuries of skill, knowledge, and instinct from Hell… dissolving into fog.
His human brain couldn't contain it all without the stabilizing anchor of lust energy. Without it, his mind would unravel.
"…Shit."
His chest rose with a shallow breath. He needed to replenish as soon as possible.
Lust energy wasn't just arousal—it was his life-line and currency.
Raizen cultivated by absorbing pure, unfiltered lust—from women, from groups, even from himself.
The stronger the desire, the more beautiful and wild the source, the richer the energy.
The more people involved, the more chaotic the heat, the faster his core could absorb and refine it.
It was a high-risk, high-reward system… but this world was perfect for it.
He just had to stop acting like a damn virgin every time a girl leaned too close.
He raked a hand through his hair and let out a quiet sigh.
Just then—
"Yo, you going?" a student muttered near the door. "That club in Astro District's gonna be wild tonight."
"Yeah, I heard there's a festival—they're doing fireworks, DJs, and some cosplay contest or something."
"Hella girls. And half of them already drunk."
His ears perked up.
Festival? Girls? Lust-filled chaos?
Takumi slowly turned his head toward the voices, eyes narrowing.
Astro District.
A place built like sin. Nightclubs. Neon-lit alleyways. Pop-up raves on rooftops. Underground dance battles. Fashion shows.
Even demons in hell would've raised a brow at its energy.
Takumi stood up—too suddenly.
Ryo, still packing up his things, jumped. "Wha—?!"
Takumi didn't say a word. He grabbed Ryo by the sleeve and began dragging him out of the classroom like a man possessed.
"H-Hey! What the hell, m-master? I haven't even zipped my bag yet!"
"Shut up," Takumi muttered, already halfway to the door. "We're going out."
"Going where?!"
He glanced back.
A wild, crooked grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Partying."
Ryo was scared and made up an excuse, "I-i have assignments to do…"
Raizen looked at him while he is dragging him in a serious tone "you said you wanted learn to try, watch me and take notes"
Ryo stared at him—first in awe, then with a flicker of determination. He gave a firm nod.