Issei's steps came to an abrupt halt.
In the middle of the park, right at the wooden table usually used for picnics, there was a sight that made him doubt his own eyes.
There—sitting casually, as if the world had never nearly fallen apart—
was Azazel.
And sitting across from him—
Jun.
" Azazel... Sensei?" Issei muttered reflexively.
Asia turned her head as well, her eyes widening slightly. "Eh…?"
On top of the table, a Go board was laid out. Black and white stones were neatly arranged, forming complex patterns filled with calculation. The summer breeze blew gently, rustling the leaves, creating an atmosphere far too peaceful for two figures who—just recently—had been at the center of supernatural chaos.
There was no oppressive aura. No pressure of existence and sign of battle.
Just two men… playing Go.
"You're very good at this?" Azazel asked, narrowing his eyes, his hand still holding a black stone.
Jun briefly lifted his gaze from the board, then smiled faintly.
"Heh, good at what," he replied casually. "I just learned it."
A white stone was placed.
Click.
Azazel's formation—which had looked dominant from the very start—collapsed instantly. His territory was cleanly severed, his lines of breathing sealed off, and in one simple yet merciless sequence, his advantage vanished completely.
Azazel fell silent.
He stared at the board for a long time.
Then at Jun.
Then back at the board.
"…You've got to be kidding," he muttered softly.
As a being known as one of the greatest geniuses in the supernatural world—someone who understood theory, systems, and strategy far beyond most races—Azazel could see it immediately.
This wasn't beginner's luck.
This wasn't coincidence.
This was structural understanding. A way of thinking that pierced straight into the core of the game, as if Jun wasn't playing Go… but reading a battlefield.
"You're sure you just learned?" Azazel asked again, his tone far more serious this time.
Jun shrugged lightly. "I'm just applying old habits. Seeing patterns, reading the flow, then cutting before the opponent realizes it."
Azazel chuckled softly, but behind his laughter was a glint of wariness.
"Truly a dangerous human," he murmured. "Even when relaxing."
On the other side of the park, Issei and Asia were still standing frozen in place.
"That's… Jun, right?" Issei whispered, as if afraid a loud voice would shatter the illusion before him.
"Yes," Asia replied softly. "He looks… normal."
That was the strangest part.
There was no Cheon Ma aura.
No Heavenly Demon pressure.
No trace of the presence that had made dragons and high-class devils hold their breath.
There was only a young man, sitting casually in a park, defeating the leader of the Fallen Angels… in a board game.
"Want to play another round?" Jun said lightly, his fingers already picking up a white stone as if the previous match had only been a warm-up.
Azazel burst into laughter, quickly raising both hands in surrender.
"Ahahaha—enough, enough! If this keeps up, my pride will be completely destroyed."
Then, as if only now noticing the two people in the distance, he turned and waved casually.
"Ah, Issei and Asia. Just heading home?" he said cheerfully, clearly trying to change the subject before Jun crushed his spirit again through the Go board.
Issei and Asia finally approached.
Issei's steps felt stiff. His eyes darted back and forth between Jun and Azazel, as if trying to reconcile the relaxed Jun in front of him with the terrifying figure who had fought Vali not long ago.
"Azazel-sensei…" Issei opened his mouth, then hesitated. "You—"
"Ah, you must be curious, huh?" Azazel cut in quickly. He grinned and hooked his thumb toward Jun. "Relax. He's not dangerous!"
Then he leaned slightly toward Jun.
"Right?" Azazel pressed, his tone teasing but his eyes sharp—a long-standing habit.
Jun clicked his tongue softly.
"Haaah… you guys really treat me like some wild beast," he complained as he leaned back on the bench. He then turned toward Issei and Asia, his gaze calm, almost warm. "Hmm, Issei. Asia. No need to be so tense. Even if I did some surprising things before, I'm still me."
He shrugged, then smiled faintly.
"Just think of me as an unemployed older brother."
A brief silence followed.
Asia was the first to react. She smiled gently, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "In that case… it's nice to see you again, Jun-san," she said sincerely.
That reaction loosened—just a little—the tension in Issei.
"Huh?" Issei scratched his cheek. "What kind of unemployed older brother are you… You fought Vali, you know that?"
Jun chuckled softly. "That was just a troublesome side job."
"What kind of side job is that!?" Issei shouted reflexively.
Azazel laughed again, clearly satisfied by Issei's expression. "Relax, relax. This world is full of strange people. You'll get used to it."
Issei let out a long breath, then looked at Jun with a more serious gaze.
"Jun… back then," he said quietly, "if I were in your position… I'm not sure I could've stood up to Vali."
Jun looked at him for a moment.
There was no lecturing tone.
No condescension.
Just a calm gaze, as if he were genuinely weighing Issei's words.
"Issei," he finally said, his voice flat yet steady. "There's no need to be so down. Even if I hadn't been there, you would've been able to handle it."
Issei froze.
"What…?"
"You just don't know yourself," Jun continued lightly, as if stating the most natural thing in the world.
"Don't know… myself?" Issei repeated, frowning.
Jun clicked his tongue softly, then let out a small sigh.
"Haah… are you there, Sekiryuutei?"
He looked at Issei's right hand.
Instantly, the green jewel on the back of Issei's hand glowed faintly, emitting a soft light. The air around them trembled subtly—almost imperceptibly, yet enough for the sensitive to notice.
A heavy, deep voice echoed directly in their minds.
[Nice to meet you, I suppose… Cheon Ma?]
Issei's eyes widened. "D-Ddraig!?"
Jun frowned slightly, his expression faintly annoyed.
"Tch… for some reason that feels irritating," he muttered, "even though I've proclaimed myself as such."
The light from the jewel slowly faded.
Issei swallowed, looking at Jun with mixed emotions—awe, confusion, and a hint of pressure.
"Even Ddraig…" he murmured.
Jun glanced back at him, this time with a nearly imperceptible smile.
"You carry a Heavenly Dragon within you, Issei," he said softly. "Yet you still see yourself as an ordinary high schooler who just happens to be strong."
He stood up from the park bench and lightly patted Issei's shoulder as he passed by.
"Someday, you'll realize it," he continued. "Not about how strong you are compared to Vali… but about why you stand, and for whom you raise your fist."
Issei fell silent, staring at his own right hand.
The green jewel on the back of his hand had already dimmed, yet Jun's words and Ddraig's voice still echoed clearly in his mind. His feelings were tangled—awe at being acknowledged, confusion at not yet understanding, and pressure from realizing the distance between "who he is now" and "who he should be."
Jun walked a few steps away, then paused briefly.
He slightly glanced back, his gaze now directed at Azazel, who was still sitting on the park bench with the Go board in front of him—black and white stones still scattered about, proof of a defeat he had yet to fully accept.
"That was fun, Azazel," Jun said casually. "Let's play again sometime."
Azazel flinched slightly, then let out a dry laugh as he scratched his cheek.
"E-eh… y-yeah, of course," he replied, trying to sound relaxed even though his pride as a genius had clearly taken a hit. "Next time I won't let my guard down."
Jun simply raised one hand and waved lightly without fully turning around.
"Well then, see you."
Without any intimidating aura, without the suffocating pressure like on the night of the conference, he walked away along the park path. His figure gradually grew distant, sinking into the trees and the light of the summer afternoon.
Issei stared at Jun's back until it disappeared from view.
"He…" he murmured softly.
Asia, who had been silent all this time, stepped closer and smiled gently. "Jun-san… he's a kind person, isn't he, Issei-san?"
Issei nodded slowly. "Yeah… but also scary."
Azazel stood up from the park bench, folding the Go board with a lazy motion. His gaze followed the direction Jun had gone, this time far more serious than before.
"He's not just strong," he said quietly, more as if speaking to himself. "He's standing at a dangerous crossroads."
Issei turned quickly. "Azazel-sensei…?"
But Azazel had already put his casual smile back on.
"Ah, forget it," he said, patting Issei on the shoulder. "What matters now—you heard it yourself, right? Even Ddraig acknowledged you."
Issei looked back at his hand.
In his chest, something pulsed softly.
Resolve.
Because he had begun to ask himself—for whom he would stand, and what he wanted to protect.