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Under the cover of night, the city was still alive with traffic and noise.
Neon lights shimmered endlessly, but high above it all, on the rooftops of towering buildings, Jack sprinted forward. He moved like a bird in flight, weaving across rooftops with effortless speed.
With a demon's physique, sprinting and leaping dozens of meters at a time was nothing special. He shot toward the bustling intersection ahead at full speed.
At the same time, near that very intersection, in a nearby park—
What should have been a lively nighttime spot for strolling was now completely deserted. Several figures stood locked in confrontation.
On one side were Rias and her group.
On the other, six fallen angels—three men and three women—with black wings spread behind them.
Compared to them, Rias's side looked thin—just four girls.
Hostility hung thick in the air. As for the park's usual crowd, they had long since vanished, their memories subtly altered to keep them away.
"Asia, we finally found you."
One of the male fallen angels smiled gently. "Leaving the Church to join the devils… that really breaks our hearts."
"Exactly," another female fallen angel chimed in with a teasing laugh. Her outfit was outrageously revealing, bordering on nonexistent.
Actually, all three of the women were dressed like that—if it could even be called clothing. Just a few scraps of black fabric.
Compared to them, Rias and the others looked practically conservative.
Like rogue devils, these fallen angels had long abandoned any original ideals. They were creatures ruled by desire, indulging freely in whatever they pleased. Dressing like this wasn't surprising at all.
Asia trembled at the sight of them.
After being guided into Rias's peerage by Jack she'd realized that devils weren't at all like the monsters the Church had described.
Here, she'd made friends. Real friends. Something she had never dared to imagine before.
Back in the Church, she had once been called a saint. But because her power could even heal devils, she was labeled a heretic.
Later, some people even began coveting the Sacred Gear within her.
Asia might be innocent, but she wasn't stupid. She could tell who genuinely cared and who was pretending.
Especially after that mission… when a priest traveling with her brutally killed a human woman right in front of her.
From that moment on, any goodwill she had toward the Church vanished. That was why she had joined Rias so readily.
What she didn't expect was that they wouldn't let her go.
Earlier today, after finishing a contract job, she had been spotted. They almost captured her.
Thankfully, Jack had anticipated something like this. Rias had already made preparations. Asia managed to summon them in time and avoid disaster.
Seeing Asia too scared to speak, Himejima Akeno gently took her hand.
"Don't worry. No one's going to hurt you."
That was enough to steady her. Asia nodded firmly. "Mm!"
Aside from Jack, Akeno was the one who took care of her the most. A kind and gentle senior.
Watching the fallen angels' arrogant expressions, Rias let out a cold laugh and stepped forward, one hand on her hip.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Attacking Asia out of nowhere… what exactly do you think you're doing to my cute servant?"
Her tone was icy. A crimson flame flickered to life above her raised palm—beautiful, elegant… and deadly.
"Heh. We're just taking back our saint," one of the men replied with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Since when did the princess of the Gremory family start stealing what belongs to others?"
"Saint?" Rias scoffed. "Asia is a devil now. My adorable servant. And you think you can lay claim to her?"
"What a joke. You think we're afraid of you?" one of the female fallen angels sneered. "The Gremory clan isn't that impressive. Just a bunch barely clinging on."
She lowered her voice sharply. "Enough talk. Kill them. Take Asia back. The Twilight Healing must not fall into someone else's hands!"
Rias's expression darkened. "You're welcome to try."
Crack!
The fight erupted instantly.
The fallen angels struck first, hurling spears of light. But before they could reach their targets, golden lightning crashed down from the sky, shattering them midair.
"Oh my… looks like I'll have to get serious tonight."
Akeno smiled sweetly, her eyes curving into crescents. But the moment she moved, her power surged.
Her clothes dissolved into light, reforming in a flash into a shrine maiden's outfit.
The fallen angels' pupils shrank.
"The Thunder Shrine Maiden…"
A flicker of wariness passed through their eyes. Akeno's presence alone was enough to make them uneasy.
Still, they had the numbers.
Six against four. And on Rias's side, only three could actually fight. Asia was more like a mascot—no real combat ability at all.
"Raynare, go capture Asia," the leader ordered one of the women. "We'll handle the other three."
To ensure success, they had sent only elites this time—at least high-ranking angels, including two at the level of super angels. They had come prepared for opponents like Rias.
Raynare nodded and took to the air, searching for an opening.
Rias and the others frowned inwardly.
They were outnumbered. The situation was bad.
Even with Rias and Akeno's strength, the enemy had two top-tier fighters. They wouldn't be able to move freely. At best, the two of them could hold off three opponents.
Koneko might handle two on her own.
But Asia… how could she possibly stop even one fallen angel?
Where is Jack…
A trace of worry flickered through Rias's mind, though her expression remained calm, her presence unwavering.
"Akeno—blast them out of the sky."
"Yes, President."
Akeno smiled and rose into the air. She lifted her hand toward the heavens—
And the sky itself responded.
Crack!!
Golden lightning twisted like wild serpents, tearing down from above and engulfing the fallen angels in its range.
Their expressions darkened.
"Arrogant!"
They shot upward together, divine power surging as spears of light formed in their hands and launched forward in an instant.
"..."
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