~3rd Person POV~
The basement of the old church.
"Ha…huff…"
The cold darkness within the massive basement was dyed in a crimson hue by the dim flames of the torches along the stone walls, making it seem as if the place itself was burning within hell.
The musty odor of old stone blended with the scent of blood and the vapor of holy energy that was being distorted, rendering the surrounding atmosphere so suffocating that it was almost impossible to breathe.
At the center of the vast ritual hall—
A colossal crucifix stood towering above the high stone steps like a pagan sacrificial altar.
The glowing green lines carved across the surface of the cross pulsed slowly, resembling the veins of a living creature pumping fluids.
KRRRZZZT—
The low, crackling sound of static energy echoed faintly throughout the room.
And right at its center—
A blonde girl was pinned down, bound tightly by black chains.
"Ha…ah…huff…"
Asia Argento breathed in rapid pants, her face deathly pale, her body trembling slightly as if she were enduring some intense pain.
Every time the green lines on the crucifix flared up, her body would twitch slightly in response to the vibrations of the energy.
KRRRZZZT—
Beneath the stone steps of the altar.
A large number of stray Exorcists stood lined up around the ritual in silence.
All of them wore dull black cloaks that concealed nearly their entire bodies, leaving only their eyes to reflect the dim crimson light of the torches from time to time.
Some were chanting certain prayers in low, raspy voices, sounding like the whispers of spirits at a funeral.
And some tightly gripped pitch-black crucifixes, a symbol of faith that should have been pure, but was now stained with madness and darkness until not a single trace of holiness remained.
These people no longer possessed the soul of worshiping God.
No mercy.
No faith.
There was only an aura of madness and distortion wafting around their bodies.
It was as if they had already surrendered their souls to something else entirely.
At the altar—
"Now then, Asia... just a little bit more, and you will be liberated from all this suffering~"
"N-No..."
A sweet, melting voice that nonetheless concealed cold cruelty spoke from the mouth of a Fallen Angel.
The woman possessed sleek, jet-black hair that fell all the way down to her hips, and a beautiful pair of sharp, violet eyes brimming with mature cunning.
Her voluptuous, sexy figure was wrapped in a tight-fitting black leather outfit that accentuated her curves, resembling sadistic bonds—the kind that no human male could look away from after a single glance. And at the center of her back, two pairs of black feathered wings spread out, flapping faintly.
She was Raynare.
"...And in just another brief moment, I will obtain the power I have yearned for all this time."
Raynare murmured to herself, her voice trembling with excitement, as if she could barely contain her joy.
Her eyes stared at the ritual before her like a madman.
"With this power… I will receive love."
"And I will become a high-ranking Fallen Angel…"
"After that, I will trample every single one of those people who used to look down on me and laugh at me—"
FWOOOSH!
Right at that moment, a gold-and-black magic circle abruptly manifested in the middle of the basement aisle.
A vortex of energy gusted outward in all directions, causing the cloaks of the heretical priests to flutter wildly.
Raynare paused slightly, before immediately averting her eyes from Asia and turning toward the source of that power.
And stepping out of the magic circle—
Was a mysterious individual clad in a pitch-black suit.
His face was concealed behind a creepy smiling mask, a smile that seemed to harbor severe danger.
He stepped forward slowly before coming to a halt in the middle of the ritual hall.
Then, he bowed slightly with elegance.
With one hand placed over his chest and the other pressed against his back, it was a flawless gesture of respect, resembling a high-class butler.
…If one were to exclude that bizarre mask on his face, that is.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen."
He spoke in a polite, gentle tone, as though he had simply walked in to greet guests at an ordinary party, rather than this distorted ritual site.
"....."
Silence enveloped the basement for a brief moment.
The stray Exorcists all turned to look at the mysterious individual before them with vigilance, while some immediately began raising their light swords.
As for Raynare, she knitted her brows slightly.
"...Who are you? A Devil?"
Raynare asked in a freezing voice. Although her expression remained calm, her displeasure was clearly revealed through her gaze.
The ritual was so close to completion.
She never expected an unknown variable to suddenly pop up at a time like this.
The masked man let out a low chuckle in his throat before bowing elegantly.
"Oh, please forgive me."
"How terribly rude of me. Even though I am the one who intruded and interrupted, I have yet to introduce myself."
"My name is Hikage."
"And on this night… I have been ordered to clean this room…"
The smile on the mask gradually curved upward under the dull red light of the torches.
Before he uttered his final sentence in the most polite tone possible.
"...Of all the filth inside it."
"Huh? What the hell is he blabbering about?"
"Where do you think you are, to dare speak so insolently!"
The stray Exorcists began to voice their outrage in displeasure, some even gripping their weapons tightly, ready to lung at the masked man in front of them.
To them, this man looked no different from a crazed clown who had walked straight into their territory to pick a fight.
…But Raynare was the only one who did not think so.
Unlike her subordinates, her instincts were fiercely screaming a warning.
Her violet eyes narrowed into slits as she stared unblinkingly at the mysterious man before her.
'…What?'
She could sense it… that the opponent was definitely a "human."
Yet the energy from the magic circle just now was undeniably pure Demonic power.
That conflicting sensation caused Raynare's expression to grow increasingly grim by the second.
'How is this possible…?'
'Why can a human use Demonic power?'
She murmured in her mind, deeply confused.
In all her life, Raynare had never encountered this type of creature even once.
"To expedite my work, I kindly request everyone's cooperation. Please cast down the weapons in your hands and leave this room…"
"...If you do not wish to sustain unnecessary injuries."
"You bastard! Are you looking down on us?!"
"How dare you order us around!"
"What do you take us for, huh?!"
"Raynare-sama! How should we deal with that clown?!"
The voice of a stray Exorcist rang out, causing Raynare to snap out of her thoughts instantly.
She gritted her teeth slightly before shouting an order in a piercingly cold voice.
"Why are you standing around chattering! Go kill him!"
Raynare bellowed in irritation, pointing her finger at the intruder.
"Understood!"
"Everyone! Let's go!"
"Teach him some humility!"
The moment the roaring voices ceased, the stray Exorcists lunged toward the masked man with weapons in hand. Heavy footsteps stomped upon the stone floor, and loud shouts echoed throughout the basement.
"Oh... What a pity. Even though I had hoped that you all would—"
"—Shut up!"
An impatient Exorcist was the first to close the distance to the masked man.
"Yaaah!"
He swung his arm, slashing the light sword in his hand diagonally toward his shoulder with great force, intending to cleave the body in two.
Slash—!
The sharp sound of the light blade cutting through the air rang out, yet the blade met only emptiness.
The man beneath the mask smiled and did not dodge far away. He merely tilted his body out of the sword's trajectory with a movement as light as a feather drifting in the wind.
The split second the light sword grazed past his chest by just a few millimeters, his body spun gracefully to the enemy's side, with one hand still firmly tucked behind his back.
"If you are going to launch an attack, you shouldn't shout to signal your move. That lacks elegance... I give you a 4 out of 10."
"Are you going to keep blabbering!"
Suddenly, another Exorcist caught him off guard, catching him from behind the masked man.
"Got you!—"
He swung the light sword in a horizontal sweep, hoping to sever his head from his shoulders.
Flash—!
But before the razor-sharp light blade could touch his neck, the masked man simply tilted his neck and ducked his head slightly in a natural motion, as if he had calculated the distance in advance with absolute precision.
The light sword could only graze past his hair by a hair's breadth.
"Oops!... That was close. For the speed just now, I give you a 6 out of 10."
"Damn it! Stop dodging!"
Amidst the chaotic melee, no one noticed… that beneath the feet of the masked man, a black liquid was slowly oozing out.
It split into slender strands resembling the tentacles of a living creature, before silently slithering across the stone floor.
Those strands of black liquid flowed through the shadows in various directions until they climbed up the walls and completely seized the areas surrounding the dimly lit torches.
–Back to the battle.
Shiiing—
"Why can't I hit him at all!"
An Exorcist cursed aloud in frustration, retreating to regain his stance.
"Get your act together, you guys! There's only one of him. Surround him and launch a coordinated attack all at once!"
Another shouted orders to rally their morale.
Upon hearing the command, the stray Exorcists quickly moved into position, spreading out in all directions—front, back, left, and right of the masked man—firmly enclosing all escape routes like a tightly secured cage.
"Hahaha! After all that dodging, you're out of options now!"
One of them burst into a smug laugh, seeing the enemy completely trapped within their perimeter.
"Oh dear... You all are so impatient. Such boorish behavior is unbefitting of servants of God—oh, my apologies. I forgot that you are merely heretics."
"This bastard! Even when cornered, he still runs his mouth!"
"Don't waste time on him! Attack together!"
"Yaaah!"
They shouted from every direction, stomping their feet as they madly charged toward the same target. They positioned the tips of their swords forward, aiming to pierce through the body of the masked man standing at the center and obliterate him in a single strike.
"It is quite unfortunate that you haven't enclosed me on all sides... There is still one path left..."
Fwip—!
Bzzzxt !!
Instead of the sound of light blades carving through flesh and the splatter of crimson blood, it was the sound of conflicting energies of the same polarity clashing against one another that resonated deafeningly.
A blinding flash of white light exploded, searing the eyes. Their light swords thrust into and neutralized each other, as the central target had vanished without a trace in a fraction of a second.
Before a gentle, mocking voice drifted down from above them.
"...The upper path, of course."
"Huh?"
They exclaimed in confusion, quickly raising their heads to look toward the source of the irritating voice.
Their eyes widened in shock as they saw the figure of the masked man floating prominently in mid-air above their heads, slowly descending under the pull of gravity.
"Hey guys! He jumped up just now!"
"But wait—his body is in mid-air, so he can't dodge anymore!"
"Haha! You're really dead this time! Pierce him right from here!"
"Everyone, raise your light swords!"
Every stray Exorcist within the circle raised the tips of their weapons toward the sky.
Dozens of holy energy blades were thrust overhead, creating a collective crackling sound of electricity.
BZZZZXT—! The noise echoed in harmony, the bright white light reflecting upon the unsettling smiling mask.
"I would love to continue playing with everyone, but it seems my time doesn't exactly permit me to be idle. Therefore—"
Snap!
The masked man raised his finger and snapped it loudly.
Right at that moment…
Thwip—!
The black energy that lay dormant beneath the feet of the stray Exorcists violently erupted.
"–This game will have to be cut short right here."
Hundreds of black fluid strands were yanked upward from the floor simultaneously at high speed, snapping taut at chest level like a deadly net of chrome steel.
"W-What is this?!"
"Where did these ropes come from?!"
"When did that guy set a trap?!"
"Everyone, quickly back away from those black lines!"
"It is too late for that~"
The polite, playful voice of the masked man rang out, as his foot stepped onto one of the black threads, as if he were walking down a flight of stairs in mid-air.
Before those black threads began to branch out frantically.
Fwip—!
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip—!!
The strands of viscous black fluid whipped and intertwined like living organisms, weaving themselves into a colossal cobweb cage in the blink of an eye.
It completely ensnared the bodies, wrists, necks, and all movement paths of the Exorcists.
Each thread stopped just a few millimeters away from their skin.
Close enough for everyone to see the black liquid corroding the stone floor, emitting a faint sizzling sound.
Crssss—
"Calling this technique 'Spiderweb Cage' sounds rather cool, doesn't it, everyone?"
"Ugh…"
"I highly recommend that you do not move."
"Unless you wish to be dissolved along with one of your body parts."
Upon hearing that, the expressions of the Exorcists turned pale all at once.
Because they understood now.
If they made even the slightest wrong move—
Their bodies would instantly be sliced and dissolved into pieces by these bizarre threads.
Hachiman POV
'...Sigh...'
Did I overdo it with the theatrics?
Whoa, whoa, don't misunderstand and think I'm having a chuunibyou episode here. All of this is strictly out of necessity.
When a person needs to conceal their true identity, the best method that leaves absolutely no room for suspicion is to create a 'new character' that is the polar opposite of one's actual personality.
Hikigaya Hachiman is a cold, lazy, taciturn guy with dead-fish eyes who acts like he has zero motivation in life.
On the other hand, 'Hikage' is a masked butler who speaks with excessive politeness, uses extravagant vocabulary, enjoys mocking others with good manners, and behaves like a psychotic clown on a theater stage.
…They are complete opposites, so there's no way they could ever be linked together… right?
At least in theory.
But playing the role so intensely sometimes makes me feel like I'm performing in a low-tier stage play.
…Oh well, I'll think about that later. Right now, there's another case to handle.
It looks like the battle upstairs has started brewing as well.
I slowly turned toward Raynare, uttering the lines according to the role I had been given.
"Now then... Your subordinates are dealt with. As for the rest—"
Before the sentence could even finish—
Fwoom—!
A crimson light spear was hurled through the air, hurtling straight toward my heart as fast as a flash of lightning. I quickly tilted my body aside, narrowly evading its trajectory.
The crimson light spear that missed my body did not stop; it kept flying backward, crashing into the double doors of the basement.
Boomm—!
The sound of the explosion echoed thunderously throughout the hall. Dust, smoke, and wooden splinters scattered everywhere. The force of the explosion left a gaping hole in the doors, large enough for a person to easily walk through.
"That was exceedingly dangerous. Had I not dodged just now, I dread to think what state I would be in."
"Tch!"
I glanced at the aftermath of the light spear's explosion, which had left the doors utterly destroyed, for a brief moment.
Before turning my face back to her, who was openly displaying an expression of revulsion and frustration.
'A pity that spear didn't hit me, huh?'
Hmph, she's quite a fierce woman... Choosing to seize the moment when my guard was down to launch an abrupt attack without any warning is a solid decision when realizing one is facing a dangerous foe.
I have no intention of blaming or criticizing her in my mind. After all, only an idiot would willingly let their enemy stand around and finish their speech.
"What a terribly rude lady," I feigned a sorrowful, sarcastic tone. "Could you not at least let me finish speaking?"
"Shut up!"
It seemed she truly despised my performance.
"Tell me, whose side are you on?! Are you with that psycho?!" she barked, demanding answers with deep suspicion, her eyes glaring intently at my mask.
"I fail to understand what you mean," I asked back, tilting my head in an innocent yet provocative manner.
"Then why must you interfere with my plans?! Did I do something to you?!" Raynare retorted furiously, her violet eyes virtually ablaze with resentment over her crucial ritual being disrupted.
"I told you from the very beginning that I 'received orders'... Furthermore," I raised my finger, pointing at the blonde girl bound to the crucifix, who was currently panting heavily. "No matter which way you look at this, it is plain to see that your actions are wrong."
"Orders from whom?!" she snapped back, her voice hurried, though she couldn't hide the tremor laced within it.
I let out a low chuckle in my throat.
Before the smile on the mask gradually curved upward once more.
"It is someone you know very well... and likely the person you 'revere' the most."
"...?"
She knitted her brows, her expression confused, as if she couldn't yet figure out who I was referring to.
"I received orders from the great 'Azazel-sama' himself~"
"—!"
...Good grief.
It makes me want to vomit having to spout his name to make him sound so exalted.
"Azazel-sama?"
The violet eyes of the Fallen Angel widened in utter shock, her body freezing instantly.
"Precisely."
"Don't lie to me!" she shrieked back immediately, as if trying to drown out the trembling inside her heart. "Lord Azazel would never lower himself to involve a human like you!"
Even though her tone remained fierce, her gaze was noticeably beginning to falter.
'Hmm, she hates humans that much, huh?'
I gave a light shrug, entirely unbothered.
"Think whatever you wish."
"But one thing I am certain of..." I slowly stepped down from the black threads, one pace at a time, as though walking down stairs in mid-air. "...is that you planned and decided to execute this on your own without the knowledge of the upper echelons."
I walked down toward her step by step, keeping my gaze locked onto her eyes, which were frozen by my words.
"Furthermore... I am well aware that you are not alone in this incident. There must be several other Fallen Angels who willingly cooperated with you in this scheme."
"...H... How do you know that?!" Raynare gasped, her beautiful face losing its color in sheer panic.
Hmph... It was one of your own comrades. That girl wanted to hug me so badly that she ended up leaking her group's confidential information in a massive spill.
"The reason those other Fallen Angels secretly cooperated with you... is because they believed that once this achievement was successfully fulfilled, they would be able to elevate their status within Grigori, correct?"
"....."
Raynare bit her lower lip so hard it nearly bled. Her beautiful eyes trembled with increasing terror as her secrets were completely stripped away by this masked man.
"But you see... what you are illicitly doing is precisely the trigger that forced the upper echelons to send me here..." I slowly stepped off the black threads.
My leather shoes touched the stone floor.
Tok… Tok…
Before I came to a halt right in front of her, a mere two paces away.
"Or to put it another way…"
The smile on the mask curved upward in a chilling manner.
"...the very person you revere so deeply is the one ordering me to 'clean you up' and throw you away."
"N... No... That's not true! You're lying!!!" Raynare shrieked, instantly taking a step back, her face contorted with shock and fear.
"Lord Azazel would never do that! I did everything for him! For the Grigori organization! This achievement... this Sacred Gear will make Lord Azazel look at me! You're just a lowlife making up stories to scare me!!!"
Fear turning into wrath drove her past the breaking point. Her violet eyes widened so much that veins bulged around them. She no longer cared about rules, plans, or who the masked man before her truly was.
Buzz—
A crimson light spear gradually coalesced within her hand.
The hum of distorted holy energy echoed throughout the basement.
"Die! Go die, you filthy masked bastard!!!"
'Ah... She's completely snapped.'
…Well, it didn't deviate much from what I expected.
When the motive that once drove someone to do anything turns back to stab them in the back, causing everything they've built to crumble in an instant, the human psyche is left with only two choices: 'acceptance' or 'denial.'
And it seemed denial was the primary choice for this bird-winged Yakuza girl.
But it's understandable.
Sometimes, when faced with a reality too cruel to bear, people often try to erase and destroy it by any means necessary.
As if eliminating the source would make it so it never happened in the first place.
For this type of person… even if they understand the truth perfectly well, they still choose to deny it over and over again just to preserve the shattered fragments of their mind.
Perhaps lying to oneself feels less painful than accepting reality…
After forming the light spear, Raynare swung her weapon and charged straight at me almost instantly.
FWOOOSH—!!
With only a few paces separating us, the crimson light spear reached my form in a fraction of a second, leaving no time to dodge.
Yet in that critical moment,
Chrrr…
A black liquid rapidly poured out of my left palm. It coated my skin until it transformed into a chilling, pitch-black glove.
Before I thrust out the hand covered in that liquid...
GRAB—!
And caught the light spear directly, without moving a single foot.
"—?!"
Raynare's eyes widened instantly. She never expected me to dare catch a spear of holy energy—capable of blowing a human body to pieces—with my bare hand.
And when she looked closer, she was shocked yet again to find that the part of the light spear I was holding was being corroded by the black liquid, emitting a sizzling sound and dissolving right before her eyes.
"What did you do to my spear—ugh!"
She could barely squeeze out a few words. I capitalized on that moment, closing the distance in a flash, before swinging my right hand to firmly grip the Fallen Angel's throat, instantly cutting off all her words.
The sudden yank caused Raynare's body to lift slightly off the ground, her violet eyes wide with shock.
"Ugh…! Cough…!"
She instinctively tried to pry my hand off.
…But,
It was as if she were gripped by iron clamps.
No matter how much strength she exerted, it wouldn't budge even an inch.
"I believe struggling is futile…"
"Accept your fate."
"...Cough!.. N.. No!.."
Raynare continued to claw and struggle, using both hands in an attempt to pry my hand from her throat.
But no matter how much force she applied,
That hand did not move in the slightest.
"Now then…" I spoke in a polite tone, as if concluding a banquet. "Let us bring your role to an end here, Raynare-san."
I slowly increased the pressure of my grip.
"Gack—?!"
Her body instantly convulsed.
Her breathing turned ragged, her violet eyes wide with agony.
Her struggles gradually weakened.
The lack of oxygen left her body with no strength to resist any longer.
But in that exact moment—
She suddenly mustered a final surge of strength.
Grab—!
Raynare swung her arm and lunged toward my face.
Before violently ripping the mask away.
Clack—
The black mask slipped from my face, hitting the stone floor with a loud thud.
"—!"
The moment she saw the face beneath the mask,
Her body went completely rigid.
Her vision, blurred from the lack of air, widened once more in utter astonishment.
Because the person standing right in front of her... was someone whose identity she had previously suspected and questioned.
The friend of that psycho… Hikigaya…
"..Y.. You!.. It's—"
But she couldn't finish her sentence.
Her consciousness faded away first. Her eyes rolled back and went dark, and her body finally went completely still and unconscious in my hands, without having the chance to scream out her last words.
'It's finally over…'
I slowly loosened my hand that was squeezing her throat.
The body of the already unconscious Raynare began to go limp, leaning down according to gravity.
But before she hit the floor,
I quickly leaned forward, used one of my hands to grab her waist, and then hoisted her up onto my shoulder as if I were carrying a sack of rice.
"Ah—!?"
"Raynare-sama lost!"
"What should we do!?"
"Please don't kill us!"
"We surrender!"
The stray Exorcists screamed in panic,
upon seeing their leader getting taken down until she was completely incapacitated within a matter of minutes.
If you ask why I haven't killed this woman yet…
it's because I still have something I need to ask her.
After listening to the story from Kalawarna last time, there were still many lingering points in my mind.
And it seemed that this woman would happen to be the key to helping clear those things up.
Because of that, at least for now,
Raynare cannot die yet.
—Oh, I almost forgot.
I turned toward the blonde girl who was currently pinned to the cross,
before walking closer and reaching out with the hand coated in black liquid, hoping to melt the chains that bound her.
But before my hand could touch it—
a thought flashed into my head.
"....."
Uh…
Isn't my current position supposed to be the "protagonist's scene"?
…Wait a minute.
'Now that I think about it carefully…'
I glanced over at the stray Exorcists who were still stuck in my black threads, then looked down at the face of the woman I was carrying on my shoulder.
As someone who has read a fair share of manga, I know the truth of this genre's plot structure very well. A scene like this is a textbook formula. The protagonist has to smash through the door, and the script usually prepares to serve the grunts for him to deal with first,
before he fights the boss later to save the heroine.
It's like a process of gathering experience points, leveling up, or something like that.
Stray Exorcists = Grunts
Raynare = Boss
"..."
'Oh, shit.'
I accidentally skipped the steps, bringing down the boss in my hands before the real protagonist could even smash through the door.
At this rate, if that idiot opens the door and finds a room where the boss has already been taken care of, while the heroine is perfectly safe... wouldn't it look like I stole his job, stole his spotlight, and completely cut off the protagonist's growth quota?
This is definitely not good.
The script that was so carefully laid out, no matter how you look at it, it clearly feels like it was created for the "protagonist" to use as a springboard for his own self-development.
Plus, with a golden opportunity like this, I have no idea when there will be another script in the future that would favor sending that guy to make his big debut again.
…Damn it.
What on earth am I doing right now?
What should I do this time... what should I do...
Think, Hikigaya... think...
..
..
–!
Ah.. right.
I can just set up the scene and perform it myself, right? Since right now, all the "characters" and "props" are already fully placed.
Once I thought of a new plan to mess with them, I turned toward the stray Exorcists again, before raising my hand to snap my fingers once to release all the black threads confining them.
SNAP—!
The black threads confining them instantly dissolved and vanished.
"Ah…!?"
"We survived!"
"Does this mean he won't kill us!?"
The grunts scrambled and fell to the floor while blurting out exclamations of joy at surviving miraculously, without knowing in the slightest... that it wasn't mercy, but the first ghost ticket I was forcing upon them to play the role of punching bags in the next scene of this stage play.
But before that... I probably have to put this blonde girl in a condition that can trigger the protagonist into losing his mind first. Otherwise, the process of development and the explosion of hidden potential that I hope for will definitely not happen.
After all,
despair, anger, and the feeling of loss,
aren't they excellent fuel for awakening a protagonist's power anyway?
'Alright…'
'I hope the stage I went through the trouble of preparing will be successful, more or less.'
~ Issei POV ~
"...Pant... Ha... Ha..."
I frantically gasped for air into my lungs. My two legs scrambled to run down the incredibly dark and damp stairs of this church basement for dear life, with Kiba and Koneko-chan running ahead of me.
We had just freshly passed a battle from clashing with that twisted priest named Freed Sellzen.
That guy is a certified psychopath! His speech, his creepy, cackling laughter—it was hair-raising. Good thing Kiba and Koneko-chan kept him busy, allowing me to land a punch on him. Otherwise, I would have been sliced into pieces by that twisted priest already.
But forget about that for now! Right now, my head is completely filled with nothing but thoughts of that girl.
"Asia...!"
I squeezed her name out of my parched throat, while clenching my fist so hard that my nails practically dug into my flesh. That crazy bitch Raynare kidnapped Asia to this basement to perform some kind of ritual.
'Wait for me, Asia... I'm coming to save you!'
I shouted out in my heart while accelerating my pace, following the backs of Kiba and Koneko-chan, plunging straight down into the darkness below for dear life.
After passing the stairs, there was only a single pathway for us to head forward. The surrounding atmosphere was deathly quiet and hair-raising, with only the sound of the three of our footsteps echoing against the stone walls.
Then, we saw double doors, which should be the basement room where Asia was being held. What was strange was that the door already had a gaping hole in it.
"...What the hell happened here?!"
I exclaimed in a startled voice out of shock.
Kiba walked closer to the torn edge of the door and leaned down to observe it closely.
"Hmm... Judging from these traces and soot, it probably happened not long ago. It must have been just a few minutes before we arrived down here."
"Everyone, please be careful... I smell a strange scent wafting from behind this door."
Koneko-chan said with a stern expression. The look in her eyes became noticeably sharper than before.
I took a deep breath while steeling my resolve in my heart, gathering all the courage I had. At this minute, I don't care how grave the danger waiting inside is. What needs to be done right now and my single goal will absolutely never change!
"Alright, you two ready?"
I said in a firm voice while turning to look at Kiba and Koneko-chan.
Upon seeing the two of them nod back as a signal that they were fully prepared to go all out, I didn't waste any more time.
"Let's go!"
I ducked my head slightly and immediately dashed through the gaping hole of the door into the room.
The first sight that appeared to my eyes after stepping through the door…
Turned out to be nothing but a thickness of darkness so dense that I could barely see anything.
Even though with my current physical body, I should be able to see even in pitch blackness.
'Very strange.'
"Asia! Where are you, Asia!"
I shouted loudly until an echo followed.
But there was absolutely no sign of response. Only an uncomfortable, suffocating silence answered back.
"...Or could it be, did we get tricked?"
I gritted my teeth tightly and muttered in an extremely frustrated voice.
"No, you came the right way."
—!
"Who's there!?"
I barked loudly while instantly snapping my head toward the direction of that mysterious, deep voice. But because the surroundings were still dimly lit, it kept my eyes from seeing anything at all.
Before long, we heard the sound of a finger snap faintly coming from the darkness.
SNAP—!
Flap! Flap! Flap! Flap!
Suddenly, flames ignited from the lamps along the stone walls. The illumination spread down the line one after another, lining up deep into the inside of the underground hall, completely dispelling the darkness and revealing the sight ahead clearly.
And the image that appeared right in front of us... made my heart practically stop beating at that very second!
"Asia!!!"
I shrieked so loudly that my throat almost tore apart. My eyes turned to see Asia, who had not yet woken up. She was being bound to a gigantic stone crucifix, which towered high above the stone steps up ahead.
Right next to Asia's cross, there was a man sitting on a black chair. He wore a fine suit but completely concealed his face with a stark black, horrifying mask. He sat cross-legged at total ease while resting his cheek against the back of his hand... His posture and the aura radiating from him were exactly like a 'Boss' in a manga, without a doubt.
And the deep voice that spoke the sentence just now must belong to that guy, unquestionably.
Furthermore, down below was completely filled with exorcists.
"Welcome... the three brave ones."
The black-masked man greeted casually, yet laced with coldness. He slowly and deliberately stood up to his full height. The chair he was sitting on just a moment ago suddenly dissolved into a black liquid and vanished into thin air.
"You... Who the hell are you?! And what did you do to Asia!"
I pointed at his face and barked at him out of rage. The power in my left hand immediately began to tremble, responding to my surging emotions.
"And where is Yuma—Raynare!"
I snapped my head left and right, my eyes sweeping across the entire underground hall to find the main culprit. However, that woman who should be here to mock me wasn't anywhere in sight. There was only this black-masked bastard alone.
"Low-class devil... Do not dare utter the name of my beloved without honorifics like that."
Huh? Beloved?
What does that mean? This guy likes Yuma?
"Right now, Raynare-sama is not free enough to come down and play around with low-levels like you guys..."
The masked man spoke while tilting his head slightly. His voice sounded flat, yet it gave off a strange sense of pressure.
"As for the previous question about what I am doing to this girl... it is just as you see. I am extracting the Sacred Gear from this young woman's body."
"What the hell does that mean?!"
I barked back. My brain was starting to get completely confused and muddled. A Sacred Gear is a power that one is born with, isn't it? Can it actually be extracted from the body?
Kiba, who was standing beside me, chimed in with an uneasy expression.
"If that is truly the case... then that girl would..."
Kiba muttered while knitting his brows.
"Yes, it is exactly as you think."
The masked bastard responded to Kiba's words instantly in a playful tone.
Hmm? What the hell?
Why am I the only one who doesn't know anything here! And the ominous hunch in my heart began to cry out in warning upon seeing Kiba's expression just now.
I quickly turned to press him for answers.
"Kiba! What does that guy mean?! Tell me!"
"...Issei-kun... If a Sacred Gear is extracted from its owner's body..."
Kiba went silent for a moment, before gritting his teeth to speak the cruel truth.
"That person... will 'die'."
—!!!
That single word from Kiba was like a bolt of lightning striking right in the middle of my head, turning my brain completely blank for a moment...
Die? Asia is going to die?!
"No way... That's a lie..."
My body began to tremble on its own out of fear.
"Indeed... In fact, the entire process should have been completely finished before you guys even arrived here. But what a pity... a slight, severe error occurred during the energy extraction process, causing this ritual to fail, unfortunately..."
...!
Failed?
Those words were like a flash of light shining into my darkening heart instantly.
That means Asia isn't dead yet! She's still alive, right! My spirit, which had almost shattered a moment ago, soared right back to a hundred percent in the blink of an eye.
"However... because of that error and the backlash from the failed ritual itself, it caused this girl to be in a state of—"
"Shut the fuck up, you bastard!!!!"
I didn't care anymore about whatever analysis or bullshit error he was going to ramble on about next.
My sanity had completely snapped the moment I heard that Asia was still alive! The guilt, the anger, and the desire to protect that girl exploded out beyond control.
"Stay right there! Don't you dare move a single inch! Because I'm going to charge up there and smash your shitty mask to pieces with my own hands right now!!!"
[BOOST!!!]
The crimson gauntlet let out a roaring echo, responding to my frantic willpower. An aura of green demonic power exploded around my body, sending dust and smoke scattering. My two legs kicked off with all their might, launching my body straight toward the ritual altar above where Asia's body and that masked bastard were standing!
I'm going to kill him! I will get Asia back no matter what!!
"Hehehe... Your determination is admirable, but it will inevitably have to end right here."
Clap, Clap.
The moment that black-masked bastard raised his hands and clapped twice as a signal,
BZZZZXT—!!
The followers in rogue priest attire all stepped forward, surrounding us. They drew their light swords that flashed with a bright blue-white glow all at once. The look in their eyes was filled with bloodlust.
"Now then.. go take care of them~"
The cheerful yet irritating voice of that black-masked bastard ordered down from above the ritual altar.
"Tch! The grunts just had to show up and get in the way!"
Three or four rogue priests rushed in to block the path. The light swords in their hands slashed down toward me rapidly.
Clang—!!
But before the blades of light could even reach me, Kiba lunged across the front, using the sword in his hand to intercept that heavy attack just in time, causing sparks to fly wildly.
"Issei-kun! We will hold them off here! Hurry up and go help Asia-san, quick!"
Kiba shouted while counter-slashing his sword, sending the exorcists flying in different directions.
"...Get lost."
Boom—!
The sound of Koneko-chan's bare fist slammed full-force into another priest's face, sending him flying into the stone wall, shattering it into pieces. She turned to nod at me as a signal not to worry about the back.
"Thanks a lot, you two! I leave it to you!"
Seeing the path open up, I wouldn't waste even a fraction of a second. Two quick strides, I leapt over the stone steps, launching up toward the ritual altar above where Asia's bound body was, with that masked guy standing there waiting to confront me with a mocking smile beneath his mask.
"Yaaaaah!!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of my footsteps stomped frantically on the stone steps. Just two more steps... Just two more steps and I would reach him!
"You're finished! You mask—"
Before I could even finish spewing my insult out of my mouth, the view in front of me was blocked by a black leather foot that thrust out with the speed of sound.
It slammed full-force right into the middle of my face. The impact sent my body flying through the air, falling down from the high stairs to roll in the dust and crash onto the floor below with a loud thud!
Crash—!!
"...Ugh!... Damn it!..."
I covered my completely numb nose while coughing heavily, struggling to move my body up from the floor with great difficulty.
"Issei-kun!"
Kiba, who was tangled up with the priests, turned to shout in shock.
"Senpai!"
Koneko-chan's eyes widened as well, while she floored another rogue exorcist to quickly rush over and check on my condition.
"I-I'm fine! I can still go! An injury like this can't do anything to me!!"
I quickly forced myself up to a full stand, suppressing the pain, and shouted back so the two of them wouldn't have to worry.
Even though the truth was that kick just now hurt like hell and made my whole face go numb... But in a situation like this, I have to act cool first, damn it! How could I act like a coward and betray the trust they both worked so hard to open the path for!
I lifted my face, gritting my teeth hard, glaring up at the top of the stone steps. The black-masked man gently brushed the dust off the hem of his pants with an elegant demeanor, as if he hadn't exerted any strength at all.
"Did you think I would just stand still and let a low-level person like you stroll right in to assault me so easily?"
The deep voice escaped through the black mask down to me. It was so full of disdain and coldness that it was incredibly infuriating!
"...Furthermore, I really don't understand why you have to try throwing your life away to save this girl to this extent."
"What crazy bullshit are you talking about!!!!"
I screamed back at the top of my lungs.
"Asia is an important friend of mine! A friend coming to save a friend—does it need any other stupid reason?! I'm going to save her no matter what!!"
"Sigh... It seems you truly do not understand the situation yet."
That guy let out a long sigh. His voice sounded completely exasperated.
"What do you mean...?"
My heart skipped a beat. A bad premonition gnawed at my mind.
"I was about to tell you earlier, but you panicked and interrupted suddenly... So, let me tell you again, clearly."
The black-masked man took a step and came to a stop right next to Asia's bound body.
"Because of the error and the backlash from the ritual that failed due to carelessness... it caused this girl to be in a state where she has already 'stopped breathing'."
"..."
My entire world felt like it collapsed down in that very second...
The surrounding sounds, whether it was the sound of light swords or the sound of Kiba's fighting, suddenly vanished from my hearing for a moment. My brain was completely numb and blank to the point where I couldn't think of anything.
Stopped breathing...?
Dead... already?
"That's a lie... You're lying!!!"
I spat out in a trembling voice, trying to tell myself that it was just psychological warfare this guy made up to mess with my head. But looking up at the crucifix... the image of Asia whose head was slumped, no longer moving at all, it was the proof that drove the cruel reality right into the center of my chest.
The anger, the sadness, and the resentment were packed so tightly that my chest almost burst, causing my tears to stream down uncontrollably.
"...Why... Why does it have to be Asia...!"
I gritted my teeth so hard that blood seeped through my gums. The anger rushed up to choke my throat until my vision blurred.
I looked up at Asia's body on the crucifix, before shouting at the black-masked bastard above with a voice that was raspy and shivering from tears.
"What did Asia ever do so wrong to you guys for you to do this to her!! She's such a good person! She didn't even want this stupid power at all! She just... she just wanted to have friends like everyone else! Then why... why does a good person like her have to face this kind of shitty thing!!! Answer me, damn it!!!!"
The force of my emotions erupted along with a painful wail that went deep to the core of my heart.
However, that masked guy merely stood there crossing his arms, looking down at me with absolute stillness, before letting out a soft scoff from his throat.
"Hmm... Mmm... I can somewhat sympathize on that point."
He moved his feet closer to Asia's body a bit more and continued his ramble.
"But you see... for a woman who is that weak, innocent, and pure, if she forces herself to continue living and facing this side of the world, she will only end up becoming a prey anyway. She cannot handle it."
"You..."
"Therefore... think of it as my kindness to help extinguish her worthless breath starting from now, before she has to face an even crueler and darker fate in the future... Wouldn't that be better for her? Hehehe."
—Sanity completely snapped!!!
Those words spat out with such sickening indifference completely shattered the very last thread of my patience into absolutely nothing.
Kindness? Extinguishing her breath out of goodwill?! How the fuck dare you let those words come out of your mouth!!!
"You piece of shit!! I am never going to forgive you—!!"
I shouted so hard that the veins on my neck bulged. My rage transformed into driving energy, causing the gem on my left gauntlet to shine brilliantly.
[ BOOST!!! ]
The announcement multiplying my power echoed throughout the underground stone hall. Yet, inside my heart, it kept screaming that it was still not enough.
"More! Give me even more power, dammit!!!"
[ BOOST!!! ]
Still... still not enough! This much power is still not enough to beat that dickhead-mask in front of me into a bloody pulp!
The more I thought about Asia's smile, which I would never get to see again, the more my heart ached to the point of absolute madness.
As my consciousness was about to fade due to anger, Buchou's (President Rias) words suddenly flashed vividly into my blank mind.
'Issei... A Sacred Gear is driven by its owner's desires, you know. The stronger your desire, the more the Sacred Gear will respond and grant you more power.'
My desire right now...?
The reason I forced my legs to step all the way here... The reason I risked my life fighting these guys.
There is only one damn reason!!!
"Give her back... Give my Asia back, you bastard!!!!"
My heart and soul exploded with a frantic will to the absolute limit.
[ EXPLOSION!!!!!! ]
Suddenly, my red gauntlet began to emit a loud mechanical sound.
KRRRKK—!!
The crimson armor gradually expanded outward from the gauntlet like a living organism. Metal pieces resembling fangs and claws emerged to encase each part of my fingers one by one.
Simultaneously, the arm armor began to extend, covering everything from my wrist to my forearm.
A low, vibrating rumble of energy echoed from within.
BZZZZT—!!
A certain pressure began to radiate from the red gauntlet until even the surrounding atmosphere trembled slightly.
It was as if some monster was "awakening" from its slumber.
Righteous truth? Welcoming chapter? What a load of absolute bullshit... I'm going to use this fist to blow him away along with his rotten face!!!
"Prepare to die... you bastard!!"
"Can a low-class devil like you really do it~?"
"Shut your rotten mouth... I'm gonna fucking kill you!!! Yaaaaaaaaghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"
Thud!...Thud!.....Thud!
I kicked off with all my leg strength, lunging forward once again at a speed miles apart from before! Each stride was wider, farther, and faster.
This allowed me to take a mere 2 seconds to dash back up to the top of the stone stairs!
And the moment my foot stepped onto the final step, I sprang off my ankle, leaping into the air until my body hovered above him.
I cocked my left fist, encased in the red gauntlet, all the way back, compressing all the energy I had into this single fist to prepare to unleash it all at once.
"Go to hell!! You piece of shit!!!!"
Throwing all my body weight, I plummeted straight down from midair, mercilessly aiming for his disgusting black mask!
But...
Thuddddd—!
Instead of my right fist slamming squarely into his face as expected, the impact sent back a sensation as if my fist had struck a thick, solid steel wall instead.
"Just as I said... Did you really think a low-class devil like you could actually do anything to me?"
A mocking tone mixed with pity leaked out from behind the veil of energy.
In front of the masked guy, a golden-black magic circle appeared, blocking the space between my fist and his face, acting as a defensive barrier that my fist could not penetrate.
"Damn it!... I won't give up, dammit! No matter what, I'm gonna knock you down!! Yaaaaaaaagh!"
I gritted my teeth so hard they almost shattered, absolutely refusing to retreat. I stubbornly forced myself to maintain my balance in midair and pressed my left fist down even harder and heavier.
The red and green demonic power from the gauntlet exploded into sparks, clashing with the barrier and generating a crackling sound that resounded throughout the underground hall!
I shoved all my power into my fist recklessly. The green gem on the arm armor flashed brilliantly according to my emotions that erupted to the ultimate peak, fighting against the resistance of that golden-black magic circle.
Until finally...
Crack...!
The sound of the magic structure straining rang out faintly before small fractures began to crack open and spread across the surface of the barrier like shattering glass.
"Hmm... fascinating indeed. I never imagined you would be able to cause this many cracks in my barrier..."
The masked guy praised in a flat tone before closely inspecting my left gauntlet.
"But then again... it is well worth its reputation as one of the thirteen strongest Longinus—the 'Boosted Gear', the 'Welsh Dragon Over Dragon'."
"Yaaaaaaaagh!!!!"
I squeezed out my final roar while driving all my strength down into the knuckles of my fist.
Shatter————!!!!
The shards of golden-black magic glass exploded and scattered into pieces. His barrier was completely destroyed, allowing my fist to successfully pierce through his defense.
Unfortunately, that guy was quick to react. He swiftly sprang and jumped backward in midair before my fist could even touch the surface of his mask.
As a result, my left fist, filled with all my power, plunged straight down and smashed heavily into the floor of the ritual platform!
Thudddddmmmmmmmm!!!!
A massive force exploded with a resounding rumble until stone fragments and dust clouds billowed all over the area.
"What the fuck!!!!"
I turned to look at the perpetrator who had floated down to land softly on the ground a few meters away with sheer frustration.
He didn't give me a chance to catch my breath either. The moment his feet touched the ground, that guy rushed back toward me at high speed. A blurry black shadow approached in the blink of an eye while swinging his leg, aiming directly at my upper body.
'Are you gonna kick my face again! In your dreams!'
I cursed in my mind while quickly raising both arms to cross them in an X-shape, shielding my face and head to firmly prepare for the impact.
However—it did not turn out as expected!
The kicking trajectory that shifted upward at first suddenly snapped downward midway with perfect seamlessness.
This bastard used a feint! He faked aiming at my head to make me open up a vulnerability in my lower body, before the sole of his foot slipped through my defense, piercing into a front kick right at my chest and smashing squarely into my stomach!
Urgh—!!
A suffocating ache surged in my stomach. The air in my lungs was almost entirely squeezed out all at once. The heavy impact sent my body sliding and falling off the edge of the ritual platform above.
Rumbleeeeeeee—! Clatter! Crash!!
Before rolling and tumbling down the steep stone stairs completely defenseless.
Crashhhhhh!
Ultimately, my body fell down to lie flat on my back, slamming against the bottommost floor once again. Stone dust swirled around, coating my body in filth.
"...Urgh... Cough, cough! Damn it..."
I choked on spit and dust clouds while clutching my stomach, which was still twisted in pain. Agony shot through my entire body, but even so, my eyes remained locked onto the top of the stairs above without looking away.
"Dear, dear... What a truly foolish and witless devil you are. Nevertheless, I must praise your futile efforts as well."
He raised his hand to brush the dust off his clothes once more with a calm demeanor, like a winner holding all the cards.
Before he began to chant a teleportation spell, preparing to withdraw from this place.
"A pity that my role for tonight must end here—hmm?"
—Whoosh! Boommmmmmmmmmmm!!!!
Before that guy could even finish his sentence, a spark of deep crimson light filled with immense destructive power pierced through the darkness, striking his body as swiftly and fiercely as a lightning bolt!
Shatter! Rumbleeee!
The explosion from that mass of destructive power blasted into his body with a thunderous roar, forcing that guy to abruptly jump back to save his life from the mysterious attack.
"I won't let you escape anywhere..."
A cold, decisive voice, yet filled with authority and an intimidating pressure, echoed from the other side of the underground room.
"...!?"
I quickly snapped my head toward the direction of that familiar voice, which instantly pulled my consciousness back with hope.
"Buchou !!"
A massive crimson devil king magic circle, engraved with the beautiful Gremory clan crest, appeared in the center of the hall. And the one who gracefully stepped out from the magic circle amidst the remaining currents of destructive power... was President Rias Gremory, our master.
"Issei, are you alright?"
Buchou walked straight over to ask me with a face full of deep concern, as her eyes caught sight of my battered, filthy, and barely recognizable state.
"N-No problem, ma'am. I can manage."
I replied while forcing a dry smile and pushing myself up to stand straight, suppressing the sharp pain in my stomach.
Buchou walked over and stopped in front of me to check my condition to be certain, but then her eyes caught sight of something unusual on my left hand.
"Hmm...? That gauntlet is..."
The president's beautiful eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Ah... about this, I don't know either, ma'am. Out of nowhere, its appearance just suddenly changed on its own."
I lifted my left arm, which now had thick armor and sharp claws growing out of it, showing it to the president in confusion.
"Hmm... I see. I understand now."
Rias nodded gently as if she understood.
Following that, Buchou gradually raised her gaze to lock onto the masked guy standing above. The look in her eyes turned ice-cold, laced with a murderous aura.
"It seems you have taken very good care of my cute servant..."
The president's voice was flat yet powerful and chilly, causing the temperature in the underground stone hall to plummet instantly.
"With great pleasure, ma'am. I myself did not expect the big boss to show up personally like this either..."
That bastard masked guy spoke up while making a provocative gesture.
"...The next head of the Gremory clan, Rias Gremory."
"And who are you?"
Buchou asked back in a flat voice, her eyes glaring intently at him.
"My name is Hikage, a loyal subordinate of Raynare-sama."
"That woman...?"
Buchou frowned immediately upon hearing the name of that fallen angel woman.
While the situation was tense, I turned to ask Buchou out of curiosity.
"By the way, Buchou… how did you get here–Ugh!"
Before I could even finish my sentence, Buchou's slender, beautiful index finger, which carried a faint pleasant fragrance, reached out to gently press against my lips, signaling me to quiet down first.
"We can talk about that later, Issei... Actually, I should have arrived here sooner, but I ended up wasting time with three other fallen angels who ambushed me outside the church."
Buchou spoke in a flat voice as if chatting about the weather.
"That means Buchou dealt with them, right..?"
I secretly swallowed my saliva. To get ambushed by three of them and still make it out completely unfazed?
"Ha..haha..Buchou has a moniker, you know. That is 'Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess'."
After clearing out the exorcists around the area, Kiba walked in to join the conversation with a smile.
'Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess?'
What a badass name!
"Am I really in such a dangerous clan?"
I murmured to myself softly.
Hmm?
Suddenly, the atmosphere around us changed in an instant. A feeling of discomfort rushed in to assault me. It was suffocating, like a heavy stone weighing dozens of kilograms was pressing down on both of my shoulders until I could barely breathe.
What exactly is happening?
I quickly looked up toward the source of all this unease immediately, and it could be none other than... that bastard masked guy!
Around his body right now, a wave of black miasma was radiating terrifyingly. I could sense an aura of wickedness wafting from it, sending chills down my spine.
"Everyone, please be careful!"
Koneko quickly shouted to warn everyone with a visibly uneasy and tense expression. It seemed she could sense this danger much better than anyone else.
—Whoosh! Rumbleeeeeeee!!!
The wave of black miasma around that bastard did not stop there; instead, it kept intensifying and growing denser. The pressure from the magic power radiated outward until the surrounding air began to grow heavy and many times more suffocating than before.
"Urgh...!"
The expanding energy pressure blasted directly into us until we could feel the current of wind sweeping across our bodies. All of us had to quickly shift our feet, lower our stance, and firmly plant ourselves on the ground to steady ourselves, preparing to take the impact from the radiating power.
It's freaking terrifying...!
The strange aura packed inside that power made my body's instincts scream of danger, to the point where my two legs couldn't help but shake uncontrollably.
On top of that, there was a throbbing pain in my left arm as well, as if it was responding to that guy's waves.
'Damn it...! My legs are actually shaking! Move, dammit!'
I gritted my teeth, trying to force myself to fight against this discomfort.
But then... just as we were raising our guard to prepare for combat with everything we had...
—Flash!
Suddenly, all of that dense black miasma snapped and vanished back into the masked guy's body in the blink of an eye! It dissipated cleanly as if nothing had happened, leaving behind only dead silence inside the underground hall.
The heavy feeling on my shoulders disappeared, bringing relief, yet the tension instead doubled.
"It's gone...?"
I gradually lowered my arms, my eyes still fixed on the top of the stairs warily.
'What exactly is that guy planning!'
"It seems I have underestimated you all. The current situation is rather disadvantageous for my side as well... I do not intend to risk playing around with you any longer. Let us meet again next time, everyone."
That guy spoke up in his usual flat voice, though the tone felt heavier than normal.
Whoooom!
Fwoosh–
Right at that moment, the light from a magic circle flashed brilliantly beneath his feet. A golden-black light enveloped his body before he vanished into thin air, leaving behind only emptiness on the ritual platform above.
"What was that just now...."
"..More importantly... wasn't that magic circle from demonic power?"
Buchou murmured softly in confusion, her slender, beautiful eyebrows furrowing deeply.
Her eyes stared intently at the spot where his body had just stood without looking away.
Huh?
Demonic power? Was that guy a devil just like us?! He clearly stated himself that he was a subordinate of that fallen angel Raynare!
However, all of our thoughts at that moment were abruptly cut short when we remembered the most important matter right now!
'Asia!'
…..
Hachiman pov
On the quiet nighttime street.
Thud… Thud… Thud…
Thud…. Thud…
Thud..
The sound of shoes stepping on the concrete floor kept ringing steadily, alternating with the eerie silence of the night street.
The night wind blew through the fabric, stripping away warmth from the skin.
But it didn't help calm the flesh inside my chest even a single bit. Raynare's weight on my shoulder kept pressing down, yet what was heavier was the thought in my head that wouldn't stop bothering me.
'Actually, I should have arrived here sooner, but I ended up wasting time with three other fallen angels who ambushed me outside the church.'
'That means Buchou dealt with them, right.'
"..."
Yeah, that girl brought it upon herself. Because she did bad things, in the end, she got dealt with and shot down.
It was entirely the retribution for the deeds she committed herself, therefore... it has absolutely nothing to do with me.
Besides... between the two of us, we only met for a brief period of time. It wasn't that long or deep, it couldn't even be called an 'important person' to me... right?
'Can I hug you?'
Suddenly, the memory image and that coaxing voice of hers when she asked to come hug me flashed straight into my head, causing my heart to constrict with a sharp pain in my chest.
That's right... The reason she kept sticking close to me like that all the time was simply because in the past, I happened to reach out and help her.
In reality, I didn't even intend to help her, it was just that the timing happened to be right. That was all... It was purely a coincidence.
But why... why does it feel so suffocating and frustratingly irritating inside my chest...
Damn it!
I tried to squeeze out a hundred and eight reasons to make excuses in my mind, trying to act like a heartless rogue to cut myself off from this feeling of guilt and hatred toward loss.
'Hikage-sama'
Oh, for fuck's sake!...
No matter how I comforted myself with deadpan logic, it still couldn't be denied that the woman who used to come hug me, the one who used to give me that seductive, teasing smile... has now faded away into nothingness without me being able to do a single thing about it.
Thud… Thud…
After walking submerged deep within my own thoughts for a long while, my heavy legs finally brought my body to the apartment.
Thud…. Thud…
I carried the unconscious body up the stairs until I stopped in front of the entrance door to my own room. I stood still, looking at the door of the apartment ahead with a gloomy expression and gaze.
Before I reached out my hand to turn the doorknob.
Click—Clack!
"I'm back..."
I spoke my habitual greeting in a exhausted voice while walking through the door.
Hmm...?
The moment I stepped past the door, I froze as the delicious aroma of freshly cooked food floated over, hitting my nose squarely.
Plus, looking closely, the room inside which should have been pitch black had its lights turned on bright.
Who is it? Yoko-san?
No... unlikely. Today she clearly said she would go back to her ex-boyfriend's house to pack her belongings, there's no way she would be back this fast.
At the very least, even if she really hurried, it would probably take a whole 3 days since her ex-boyfriend's house is all the way overseas.
Thud!… Thud!… Thud!
While my brain was processing, suddenly, the sound of frantic footsteps rushing straight toward this door rang out rapidly.
And then, she appeared—
"Hikage-sama!"
My eyes instantly widened in utter shock. My heart almost stopped beating when I saw the woman in front of me...
The woman I thought I would never get to see in this world again.
"Kalawa—Ooph!"
Before I could even finish uttering her name, that girl ran over here before springing forward to jump into a full-force hug! Since I was still carrying Raynare's body on my shoulder, the impact almost made me fall flat on my back.
Kalawarna rubbed her smooth cheek affectionately against mine, left and right, tightly like a kitten yearning for its owner. And at that moment... I felt the moisture and warm drops wetting my cheek.
Glancing closely.
...It was tears.
Kalawarna was crying.
I stood frozen stiff like a stone... my head was completely blank.
I didn't have a clue what happened.
I had no idea why she was still alive.
But, you know...
The heavy feeling in my chest that felt like an iron weight dragging me down until I could barely breathe earlier…
The bitter and hopeless feeling when I thought she had died...
It all vanished completely in a single fraction of a second.
"...You dummy."
Grab...
I let out a soft sigh while moving my remaining free arm, reaching out to tightly embrace Kalawarna's body back, gently burying my face against her shoulder.
For now, let me stay like this for a while…
.
.