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Jack was getting really fed up with this disgusting excuse for a priest.
Sure, he'd been reborn as a demon now, but deep down he still sided with humanity. And after seeing that humans and demons could actually get along pretty well, he'd thought that was a nice thing — maybe even worth protecting.
Demons had their own laws, after all. Those who ran wild and broke the code — the so-called "Rogue Demons" — were hunted down by both angels and demons alike.
And this priest in front of him? He was no different from one of those rogues.
A sudden scream tore through the clash of their battle.
"Ahhh!!"
Both men turned toward the voice.
…A familiar face?
"Asia?" Jack's eyes narrowed slightly.
The blonde nun standing there was someone he'd met before.
Was she with this lunatic priest too…?
The priest, Freed, grinned like a maniac."Well, if it isn't my dear assistant, Sister Asia! What brings you here? Finished setting up the barrier already?"
But Asia didn't answer him. She stood frozen, staring at a woman's body half-buried under the rubble — just enough of it showing for her to realize what she was looking at.
"Oh? Thank you for that adorable scream! Right, I forgot— it's your first time seeing a corpse like this, huh? Go on, take a good—long—look! This is what happens to idiots who fall for a demon's tricks!"
Freed's crazed laughter and manic words made the nun's face go deathly pale.
"No… this can't be…"
Her whole body trembled. She staggered back a few steps, eyes filled with confusion and fear.
Seeing that, Jack finally understood.
So she didn't know what was going on.She wasn't working with this psycho priest after all.
Yeah, that made sense. Someone that pure and naïve could never stomach something as vile as murder and desecration.
His gaze hardened as he turned back toward Freed.
He began channeling more power — much more.
The Sword of Kings in his hand pulsed with violent demonic energy.
Vmmm—
The blade trembled with a high, eager resonance, like it was thrilled to taste battle again.
Jack took a deep breath, his legs tensing with power—Then he was gone.
He moved faster than the eye could track, a blur of motion and killing intent.Freed, for all his insanity, wasn't weak; his instincts kicked in just in time. He swung his light sword to block in the direction of the incoming power.
Clang!
Steel met light — but in the next instant, a massive force surged through the contact. Freed's arms went numb, his weapon smashed backward into his own chest.
"Guh—!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was thrown like a rag doll, crashing into the far wall.
BOOM!
The impact echoed through the building. The wall caved in completely.
That strike was so heavy, it was a miracle the priest wasn't cut clean in half.
Even before his reincarnation, the Sword of Kings had been powerful enough to slay a fallen angel in one blow. Now that Jack's strength had grown so much, its power had become several times more terrifying.
He nodded to himself, quietly pleased.
That strike might've looked unassuming, but that was only because he'd kept the energy tightly condensed. No flashy lights, no waste — pure, controlled power.
He'd learned his lesson: those dazzling sword beams might look impressive, but they burned up too much energy.This time, he'd mastered control so perfectly that even Freed hadn't sensed the danger — and paid the price for it.
The priest hit the ground, gasping, coughing up more blood. Jack didn't hesitate. He charged in again to finish the job.
"Not good— time to bail!"
Freed's eyes flashed with fear. Realizing he was outmatched, he yanked a small orb from his pocket and smashed it against the floor.
Fwoosh!
A burst of blinding holy light exploded across the room. Jack winced — his skin burned painfully wherever the light touched.
"Tch— damn it."
He had no choice but to pull back, summoning the Shield of Divine Lament to block in front of him.
When the radiance finally faded—Freed was gone.
"Ran away?" Jack muttered, frowning. Annoyance prickled in his chest.
A holy flash grenade? Really? What a dirty trick…
Damn it.
He turned—and saw Asia standing there, staring at him blankly.
Or more precisely, staring at the black demon wings unfurled behind him.
"Mr. Jack… you're… a demon?"
"Why were you with someone like him?" Jack's tone was calm but cold.
Until he knew where she stood, he wasn't about to let his guard down.
"I—I was just following orders from the Church. I didn't know…"
Her gaze shifted toward the half-buried corpse again. Her face went pale, her lips trembling.
"You saw it yourself," Jack said evenly. "That man's insane."
"…I'm sorry."
She looked lost and helpless, then seemed to force herself to focus."Mr. Jack, let me heal you first—your skin's been burned…"
A gentle light bloomed in her hands.
Holy light?
Jack opened his mouth to refuse, but then froze.The pain in his skin—the burns from that damn flash—were fading fast.
Wait a minute… wasn't she a nun?How could holy magic heal a demon?
His eyes dropped to her hands.
Two silver rings glowed faintly on her slender fingers, pulsing with an overwhelming energy of life. The power flowed into him, warm and soothing.
"A divine artifact…?"
He murmured the words under his breath.
He wasn't a clueless rookie anymore — he could tell her power wasn't her own. It came from those silver rings.
"Yes," Asia said softly, smiling faintly. "It's a blessing from the Lord. These rings are called The Virgin's Smile. I thank the Almighty for granting me this gift—the power to heal others."
Jack fell silent.
Something told him those rings weren't simple trinkets.
A nun who could heal a demon? That was absurdly powerful.
The Virgin's Smile lived up to its name — within moments, every burn on his body had vanished. Jack finally relaxed a little, lowering his guard toward her.
"So, what are you going to do now?" he asked. "Heading back to the Church?"
He studied her expression carefully.If she said yes, he'd have to think very hard about where they stood.
"I… I don't know…"
Her voice trembled. Freed's cruelty had shaken her deeply. She clearly couldn't bring herself to go back and work under him—but leaving the Church entirely… that was another kind of terror.
Jack was about to say something when he suddenly sensed movement.
A faint magical pulse in the air.
He turned his head—and saw a crimson teleportation circle flaring to life in the distance.
Looked like Rias and the others had arrived.
"..."
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