As the sun dipped below the horizon, night slowly settled in. The sky, once glowing with the colors of sunset, faded completely into darkness.
By now, the streets had begun to empty. People were either heading home to have dinner with their families or gathering in restaurants for evening meals, filling the night city with a gentle warmth.
It wouldn't be long before most of the city fell asleep.
But for devils, this was when they truly came alive.
"Alright, let's welcome Mahiru to the team."
Inside the mansion's dining hall, Leo's call marked the start of a small welcome party.
"Welcome, Shiina-san."
"...Welcome."
"Eat whatever you want. Don't hold back."
Utaha was the first to respond to Leo. Yukino hesitated for a beat but still spoke up, a little stiff. Only Asuna smiled warmly at Mahiru and guided her closer.
The long dining table was piled high with dishes—steaming hot, fragrant, and beautifully arranged. But these weren't made by the mansion's familiar chefs.
Asuna had cooked everything herself.
Leo had come up with the idea of hosting a welcome party on a whim, but Asuna had immediately shown interest. She volunteered to take charge, rushed into the kitchen, and ended up preparing an entire feast.
"Thank you, senpai."
At first, Mahiru seemed a bit tense, as if she wasn't used to such a lively atmosphere, but her pure smile soon broke through as she accepted everyone's kindness.
"Is there udon? There should be, right?"
Musashi was here too—and she had the nerve to place an order. She looked at her disciple with a face full of expectation, practically glowing with longing.
"There is, sensei. Please enjoy it while it's hot."
Asuna respectfully set a bowl of udon in front of Musashi, earning an immediate cheer from her.
"Nothing beats udon!"
She happily slurped her noodles, and the others started digging in as well.
"This is amazing." Kasumigaoka Utaha praised between bites. "Your cooking really is the best, Asuna."
Living alone, both Utaha and Yukino knew how to cook for themselves.
But compared to Asuna, at least in terms of skill, Utaha readily admitted defeat.
She was convinced that among everyone in the manor, Asuna's cooking stood at the top—possibly even outshining the familiar chefs.
But Asuna didn't see it that way.
"Yukino's cooking is great too. I don't think I can beat her."
Her words immediately shifted everyone's attention toward Yukino.
She wasn't wrong.
Yukino might be aloof, sharp-tongued, and cool-tempered, but no one could deny her competence.
She cooked well, she handled housework perfectly—she excelled to the point of near flawlessness.
Asuna was good too, but she had only begun seriously studying cooking after reaching high school. She had developed an interest while her family, claiming it was good practice for becoming a bride someday, didn't stop her. But even now, Asuna had been cooking for barely two years. Compared to Yukino, who was skilled in all household arts, she felt lacking.
"Your cooking is already excellent, Asuna." Yukino said calmly. "Even if I were the one cooking today, it would probably turn out about the same."
She was capable, yes, but she wasn't a professional chef. She didn't think she could surpass Asuna by much.
"Both of you are amazing, alright?"
Utaha suddenly felt like she had taken a loss in the "competent young woman" category and muttered in mild frustration.
She was probably the worst cook among the boys and girls here.
Her cooking wasn't terrible, but compared to Yukino and Asuna—who were both naturally talented—there was no competition.
And honestly, as a future novelist, she treasured her delicate hands far too much to subject them to heavy kitchen labor. Typing was more her style.
So Utaha had never seriously studied cooking. She might not be worse than boys who didn't cook at all, but compared to these two masters, she was hopelessly outmatched.
The fact that even the newcomer might surpass her didn't help her mood.
"I remember—you're really good at cooking too, aren't you?"
Leo asked, holding a perfectly balanced piece of hamburger steak with his chopsticks, smiling at Mahiru.
"I'm okay." Mahiru replied modestly. "If senpai is interested, I can cook sometime."
This angelic girl might actually be the hidden master chef in the room.
After all, she'd been formally trained since childhood.
Someone who used to take care of her once told her that if she wanted to win the heart of someone she liked in the future, she needed good cooking skills.
So among everyone here, Mahiru was likely the one who had studied cooking the longest—longer even than Yukino or Asuna.
"Hey, Shiina-chan, can you cook something for me sometime?"
Musashi—actual age and seniority the highest in the room—had no shame whatsoever. She openly admitted she knew nothing about cooking besides holding a sword, and she looked at Mahiru with bright, expectant eyes.
"I want oden!"
Mahiru was a bit overwhelmed by Musashi's enthusiasm and hesitated in confusion, unsure whether to agree.
She still didn't know Musashi's true identity—or what kind of figure she was around here.
"Okay, sensei, eat your udon first." Asuna stepped in to rescue Mahiru. She smiled helplessly at Musashi. "I'll make oden for you next time."
"Right!" Musashi cheered again.
She didn't care who made it—good food was good food.
Pure-hearted as always.
"If you want to cook later, there will be plenty of opportunities." Leo said lazily as he picked up another tender piece of fish. "I've decided: from now on, whenever we get a new servant, we'll hold a welcome party."
They hadn't done it before because they had too few members and it wasn't necessary.
But now Leo had exactly four servants—so celebrating each new addition wasn't too much trouble.
It also helped strengthen bonds and prevented the group from feeling distant despite their numbers.
"That's a great idea. I approve."
Asuna clasped her hands together excitedly.
"Agreed."
Yukino thought for a moment, then nodded. She didn't love lively gatherings, but she didn't dislike them either. And if she needed to cook, she wouldn't mind helping.
"So I just joined at the perfect time?"
Utaha muttered, bewildered.
She had only joined a few days ago—and yet all the new members after her were getting welcome parties. It felt unfair.
"You're looking at it wrong." Musashi laughed. "Isn't it great that you get to attend every welcome party and enjoy the food?"
Utaha shot her a glare.
The group continued chatting and eating, the atmosphere warm and lively. If the students at Kuoh Academy saw this, they would surely be stunned.
A boy with the highest popularity at school, four of the academy's most untouchable beauties, and even the legendary swordswoman—all gathered around a table, eating like a close-knit family.
No one would ever have guessed such a scene existed.
Mahiru certainly hadn't. Watching everyone, she felt something rise in her chest—an emotion she had never experienced before.
She had never eaten at such a warm, rowdy table in her life.
Her parents never cared for her, and the servants at home would never dine with her. For sixteen years, she had almost always eaten alone, surrounded by cold silence.
So this—this warmth and joy—was entirely new.
"Is this... what it feels like to become a devil?"
Mahiru wondered quietly as her expression softened into a radiant smile.
Once everyone was full, the cleanup was left to the familiars.
Then Leo announced something before leaving.
"Next weekend, I'll be taking all of you to Kuoh Academy. You'll meet two friends who live there."
He had put off telling them until now.
"Kuoh Academy?"
"Is this about Shitori-senpai?"
Yukino and Asuna reacted immediately. Both had met Shitori Sona before.
"Yes." Leo nodded. "You'll be meeting Sona and another High-Class Devil's servants. It'll be a good chance to interact."
"So make sure you're prepared. Don't embarrass the Eligos servants."
"They're all devils of the new generation. You'll probably end up working together in the future, so it's good to meet early."
With that, Leo left the dining room, leaving the rest to discuss among themselves.
The rest of them exchanged glances before standing up one by one.
"Shiina-san, I'll take you to the study."
"Okay. Thank you, Yukinoshita-senpai."
"Asuna, want to spar with me later?"
"Sure. Please go easy on me, Utaha-senpai."
Everyone scattered, each heading off to improve themselves.
The night carried on, warm and peaceful—something few devils ever experienced.
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