Kasaki entered the office, greeted by a panoramic view of the entire shore. The abandoned boats below reminded him of the pressing need to stabilize Black Gold. With Misuki dethroned, the urgency to secure the people's freedom and reactivate oil production weighed heavily on his mind. While he lacked expertise in the latter, he trusted Yojiro and the other elder men in Black Gold to handle it competently. As he settled into Misuki's opulent chair, crafted from gold like much of the office's furnishings, a knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," Kasaki called, retrieving papers from a drawer and laying them out on the desk.

"Hi," Kishira greeted, entering the room.

"Kishira!" Kasaki's eyes lit up at her presence. "Please, take a seat." He motioned to the chair opposite him. Kishira sat down, and Kasaki couldn't help but notice a change in her appearance, though he couldn't quite pinpoint it.

"You look... different," he remarked, intrigued.

"Oh, you noticed," Kishira chuckled, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I just had a shower and combed my hair."

“Oh, that’s it, then.”

“How are you?” Kishira asked him, putting her hands on top of his.

“Well, very stressed.”

“That, I can tell,” she caressed his hands softly.

“Thank you for everything, Kishira, you’ve been a great support for me,” Kasaki, said, returning her touch with equal tenderness.

"What's happening now? What's our future going to be like?" she inquired, emphasizing the word 'our' as if to encompass not just the fate of the Black Gold kingdom but also their personal future together.

"We need a new ruler and find the two missing children. And as for myself, I find I'm in need of a wife," Kasaki remarked, the mischief evident in his tone as he gazed directly into her eyes, a hint of flirtation dancing in his expression.

“You can have it all,” she said, flushing again. She realized she just couldn’t help it when talking to him.

“Yes,” Kasaki continued, decided to make a move. He really liked Kishira, and he was now a man, a young one, but a man still. "We'll decide on the ruler later. As for the children, we'll find a way to undo Misuki's pacts with Satan. But as for a wife, I want her now." With determination, he leaned in, his lips meeting hers in a tender kiss. She didn’t see it coming, but she closed her eyes as Kasaki’s lips touched hers. It was a moment of bliss, confirming what both had been feeling but hadn't yet spoken aloud. Kasaki's courage, his resolve, had won Kishira's heart. She could no longer deny her love for him.

“You've saved my life twice now. I really needed a kiss,” she said finally when they pulled away.

"Mikamoto entered the room, coughing apologetically for not knocking. "Kasaki, sorry to interrupt, but you have to see this," he said urgently.

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Kasaki stepped outside to find Tinoue in the yard, blood dripping from his wrists onto the ground. "Satan! I offer you my soul! I invoke you here! Satan! Let me see my sister, take me to you as well!" Tinoue cried out desperately.

"Tinoue!" Kasaki rushed towards him. "What are you doing? This is dangerous. You're losing too much blood!"

But Tinoue was inconsolable, continuing to invoke Satan despite Kasaki's pleas.

Kasaki called for Yojiro, who arrived promptly from the library. "Master, we need to act. Tinoue is trying to summon Satan on his own, and he's injured himself in the process. He's beyond reasoning. What should we do?"

The master frowned in concern. "Stop him!"

"But he won't listen," Kasaki replied.

"Kinsu, restrain him, by force if necessary!" the master ordered, his tone firm.

Kinsu swiftly disarmed Tinoue and restrained him, despite Tinoue's resistance.

"Find someone among the civilians with medical knowledge to tend to his wounds," Yojiro instructed. Turning to Tinoue, he added, "You must understand, Tinoue, summoning Satan isn't a simple task. He's not interested in souls tainted by darkness like yours. But we'll do everything we can to help you find your sister, if it's possible."

Tinoue nodded silently, tears streaming down his face, but he seemed more composed.

"Tinsu, take him to clean and treat those wounds," Yojiro ordered.

Tinsu nodded and escorted Tinoue away.

As they left, the master refocused on Kasaki and Mikamoto.

"Satan is drawn to young, innocent souls," he continued. "I've come across some information in the library, but it's uncertain. An ancient tome on black magic mentions rituals for summoning Satan, but I'm skeptical whether it's fact or fiction."

"The issue lies with those missing children," Mikamoto interjected. "I'm clueless about this whole dark magic thing, but we must find a way to rescue them."

"I'm not well-versed in this matter either," the master admitted, with a shrug.

"Who might know about this?" Kasaki inquired.

"The only person I knew who could shed light on this is now dead. Zizu, the charlatan wizard Mikono killed," the master revealed.

"Then we must seek out another wizard who can provide us with answers," Kasaki declared.

"I believe I know someone who may know something," the master said suddenly, as if remembering something crucial.

"In that case, master, you should track down that individual and bring them here. Meanwhile, I'll work on reactivating the oil production at the plant. Our people are running low on #BG power, and relying on energy transfers isn't sustainable in the long run," Kasaki suggested.

"Agreed. I'll return tomorrow at noon," Yojiro confirmed.

"Very well, Yojiro. I'll await your return," Kasaki responded.