Line 41

Stand Back is the fourth chapter of the eighth volume of the Devils' Line manga series and the forty-first chapter.

Summary
Tsukasa's friend, Miwako, sits outside the hospital room while checking social media for any word about vampires. There's a rumor that a vampire's bite can spread vampirism. She grows even more concerned about Tsukasa's relationship with a devil. Tsukasa and Ishimaru walk right past her on their way to see Yuuki Anzai on the roof.

Yuuki can hardly believe his mother is on the phone wanting to talk to him. Since he was raised at an orphanage, he always thought his parents were dead. Kanou assures him there were reasons. Yuuki brings the phone to his ear and Midori answers back. Due to their complicated circumstances, she is unable to disclose everything at the moment (she's working to change that), but she wants to tell him at least what she can, now that he's an adult. Yuuki asks about his father, Tamaki. She tells him that Tamaki once had a human girlfriend who was assaulted and raped by a group of five men one night and because of that trauma, she committed suicide. After the men who raped her finished their prison sentence, Tamaki took action. He set out to kill them. Unfortunately, he lost control after killing them and ended up killing ten other unrelated people. He was sentenced to death, but because he developed an addition to blood, his sentence was postponed so he could be treated in medical research studies at ONL. And that's where Midori met him: in a cell, suffering from addiction. It wasn't exactly love at first sight, but she immediately felt concern for him, and fell for him soon after.

This reminds Yuuki of how he fell for Tsukasa. Midori tells him that it took time for Tamaki to open up and his fear of hurting humans has never gone away. Still, they searched for ways to be together and feel safe and she advises Yuuki to do the same. Yuuki is still pessimistic, so Midori tells him to take a break with Tsukasa until he can sort out his thoughts. And she reminds him not to fixate on the fact he's a devil because there's much more to a person than that.

Ishimaru brings Tsukasa to the roof and Midori ends the phone call. Tsukasa smiles without a hint of worry. After thanking her for saving his life, he tells her he was relieved to hear they can't be together for three months, because he won't be able to hurt her and he can use that time to think about what he wants. He promises to meet her again after the deliberation. Tsukasa is convinced and doesn't try to stop him. She says she'll look for a way to make their relationship work too. They part awkwardly and painfully. Tsukasa goes to be alone. She feels bad for pushing Anzai to do something he was uncertain of and cries silently to herself. Still, she is determined to move forward. Ishimaru goes to console her.

Six weeks later, Tsukasa is on the roof during lunch at university and typing at her laptop. An anti-devil demonstration is happening below. Miwako finds her and they start chatting. Miwako got a job offer to be a journalist, so she's started already. Miwako asks about Tsukasa's plans for the future. Tsukasa is still unsure since her interests have changed. She's tried a lot of new things: working at a lab, private tutoring, and soon she'll start self-defense classes, but she's not sure if those will lead to anything. Miwako is reminded of a flyer she saw and she hands it to Tsukasa. There is going to be a lecture about devils given by Midori Anzai at the university. Tsukasa is eager to know if she is related to Yuuki.

Chapter Notes

 * Yuuki Anzai talks to his mother, Midori, on the phone and she tells him the history of Tamaki before he entered ONL. She gives him advise about persistence and making his own choices.
 * Yuuki and Tsukasa meet one last time before the deliberation and they decide to put their relationship on hold until Yuuki can sort out his feelings.
 * Six weeks later, Tsukasa is trying to find a new way forward for herself and for her relationship with Anzai.
 * Miwako tells Tsukasa about a lecture on devils being done by Midori Anzai at the university.

Characters

 * Miwako Toda
 * Tsukasa Taira
 * Megumi Ishimaru
 * Yuuki Anzai
 * Akio Kanou
 * Midori Anzai
 * Takashi Sawazaki (no dialogue)
 * Feng Jing (no dialogue)
 * Tamaki Anzai
 * Julius Kurtz (no dialogue)