Line 3

## Line 3: Merry Christmas

Cover of the third chapter

**Merry Christmas** (メリークリスマス, *Meri Kurisumasu*?) is the third chapter of the first volume and the overall third chapter of the *Devils' Line* manga series.

## Summary

The next morning after Line 2, Tsukasa realizes she's forgotten to return a book to her professor, so she decides to head over to the university. Before she heads out, she invites Anzai to have hot-pot with her. He agrees and tells her he'll meet up with her at the university after his coordination meeting.

At Bar Sakaki, Yanagi and Jill of F Squad and the bar owner, Sakaki, are discussing a new article regarding the Red-eyes that makes it legal for a devil and a human to have sex if a doctor is present. They both think it's a useless piece of legislation. Jill jokes that Yanagi can practice tranquilizing her when she and Anzai have sex. At this point, Anzai comes in and firmly denies that they are dating. Yanagi gives Anzai the sedatives he asked for. Jill and Anzai seem to have a dating history, and Jill asks him to come over since she's been seeing him less and less lately. Anzai says he's busy, but won't say why.

Tsukasa goes to Professor Ochiai's office to return the book and she's a little creeped out by how familiar he's acting, but she passes it off as overthinking. He invites her in to warm up and have some tea. He even offers her another book to borrow. As he hands it to her, he kisses her. Tsukasa freezes like a deer in headlights and Ochiai continues his advances.

Anzai waits outside and thinks about how strange he's been acting with Tsukasa and how dangerous their relationship could be. A crashing sound alerts him to the window of Ochiai's office. Tsukasa has broken a mug against the window pane and is bleeding. Ochiai has opened her shirt and lifted her bra. He shows no sense that what he's doing is wrong.

Seeing the blood, Anzai jumps up to the window and kicks it in when he sees what Ochiai is doing. He punches Ochiai repeatedly with all his might and fractures his skull. Tsukasa pulls him back to prevent him from killing him. Anzai tells her to call the police and leaves. In a public restroom, he uses a sedative on himself. When he sees Tsukasa's blood on his hand, he can't help but lick it off. He starts to transform again and he loses himself.

Two weeks later, Tsukasa is still reeling from that traumatic experience, but is trying her best to act normal by having a Christmas Eve party with Miwako and talking to her mom. She's worried she won't see Anzai again.

Anzai ends up getting suspended for two months for what he did to Ochiai. He goes up to Tsukasa's balcony and finds a Christmas present from her. It's a scarf. Since she hasn't locked the door, he goes in and sees her sleeping with his jacket on. He kisses her, which wakes her up and she tells him about the bad dreams she's been having. Anzai comforts her, embraces her, and promises they'll have hot-pot some time like they had planned.

## Chapter Notes

* Tsukasa is studying at Keio University.
* Red-eyes is the politically correct term for devils/vampires.
* Red-Eyed Race Principles, Article 113 states that devils and humans can have sex if a doctor is present.
* Jill is also a devil in F Squad.
* Yanagi is a doctor in F Squad.
* Tsukasa is sexually assaulted by Ochiai and rescued by Anzai.
* Anzai tastes blood for the second time.
* Anzai believes that humans and devils should live apart.
* Tsukasa gives Anzai a scarf for Christmas.
* Anzai comforts Tsukasa and helps her deal with her trauma.

## Characters

* Yuuki Anzai
* Tsukasa Taira
* Ryuusei Yanagi
* Juliana Lloyd
* Toshiro Sakaki
* Keiji Ochiai
* Miwako Toda
* Takashi Sawazaki