Inside, Issei clutched his leg where Freed had shot him. Blood stained his pants near the wound as he gritted his teeth, trying not to cry out again. The pain was sharp and burning, far worse than anything he had expected from what was supposed to be a simple devil job.
Freed laughed uncontrollably, his voice echoing through the room like a madman who had long since lost all reason.
"How I enjoy the cries of a devil!" he shouted as he laughed, his expression twisted with delight.
Then he suddenly turned, hearing someone step inside.
His eyes first landed on Asia. Then they shifted to the person beside her.
Freed immediately froze. The moment his eyes connected with Silas, his entire body stiffened.
It was like staring into death itself.
There was no warning, no visible pressure in the air, and yet every instinct in his body screamed at him that the person standing there was far more dangerous than anything he had expected tonight.
'Who the fuck is that?!' he thought.
Asia, meanwhile, was too shocked by the scene in front of her to think straight for a second. The dead client's body lay on the floor, blood pooled beneath him, and the smell of iron hung heavily in the room. But when she saw Issei bleeding, her expression changed immediately.
She hurried over to him and knelt beside him, her hands glowing with a soft green light as she began healing the wound.
Issei blinked down at her in surprise, the pain in his leg slowly fading as warm light spread through it.
At the same time, Silas calmly walked over to Freed, who still couldn't move. The exorcist was gripping his gun tightly, but his fingers had gone stiff.
Silas simply reached out and took the weapon from his grasp.
Freed didn't even try to stop him.
"Nice design," Silas said as he looked it over, turning it slightly in his hand as if he were examining some random toy.
Freed's face twitched.
That calmness snapped him out of his fear just enough for madness to take over again. Mustering his strength, he suddenly pulled out his sword.
A white blade extended from the hilt—a sabre of holy light, sharp and gleaming as sacred energy crackled faintly along its edge.
With a crazed grin, he stabbed at Silas.
"Ahahaha! Dumb demon got cocky!" Freed shouted. "You must have some stun technique! I better finish you of—"
He stopped.
His voice caught in his throat as he looked down.
The blade had hit. But the tip was broken . There was no blood, or a wound. Not even a scratch on Silas. The holy blade had failed to even dent him.
Freed's eyes widened in horror.
'What the fuc—'
Before he could finish the thought, Silas casually flicked his wrist.
CRACK.
He pistol-whipped him across the face with the gun. Freed's head snapped to the side and his body dropped instantly.
He passed out on the spot. Silas sighed lightly, as if disappointed by how easy that had been.
He then turned toward Asia.
She was watching silently, still shaken by the dead body, by Freed, and now by what Silas had just done.
Her hands trembled slightly.
"Let's go," he said simply as he turned and began walking out.
Asia hesitated for just a moment, looking back at Freed's unconscious body on the floor, before quickly getting up and following Silas.
Behind them, Issei slowly stood as the last traces of his injury disappeared under Asia's healing.
He stared at Silas's back with wide eyes.
'I knew he was strong… but not that strong. The sword didn't even dent him,' he thought.
Then his eyes dropped to the place where he had been shot.
'Maybe that's why Rias-taichou likes him,' he thought bitterly as he followed them outside.
Outside, the night air felt colder after everything that had just happened.
The barrier still shimmered faintly around the area, sealing off the house from normal human eyes.
Silas stood there with Asia beside him.
"I'll take you back," he said.
Asia looked up at him, still processing everything, but she smiled softly and nodded. The very next second, the two vanished.
A faint ripple of energy passed through the yard as they disappeared.
When Issei finally stepped out of the house, limping slightly out of habit even though his leg had already healed, he looked around.
And saw that they were gone.
His eye twitched.
"What the fuck!!"
...
Outside the church, Silas and Asia stood beneath the fading night sky. The street was quiet, with only the distant hum of traffic and the soft rustle of leaves moving in the breeze. The old church behind them looked peaceful from the outside, almost gentle, which made what had just happened feel even more unreal.
Asia was still shocked by the teleportation.
The moment her feet touched the ground again, she looked around in confusion before quickly remembering who she was with. That brief shock faded, only for her expression to dim again as her thoughts returned to what she had witnessed inside the house.
Her eyes lowered. She looked down, clearly troubled by it all.
Silas watched her quietly for a moment.
'How do I do this?' he thought as he sighed, lifting a hand to rub the corner of his eye. He wasn't the best at comforting people.
Still, he kept his voice calm.
"I'll come get you tomorrow and I'll show you around town," he said with a small smirk, choosing a lighter tone on purpose.
Asia slowly raised her head. For a second she looked surprised. Then she smiled and nodded.
The sadness in her expression softened a little.
"Cool then," Silas said. "Well, you should get some rest. If you need help, raise your energy, alright?"
He said it casually, but his gaze remained on her long enough to make it clear he meant it.
Asia nodded again.
"Thank you… again."
"Don't mention it. See you tomorrow," he replied before vanishing.
A faint ripple passed through the air where he had been standing, and then he was gone.
Silas reappeared back at his apartment. The room was quiet and dim, lit only by the city glow coming through the balcony window.
He stood there for a second, hands in his pockets.
'Wonder if Issei made it back home,' he thought.
He shrugged, deciding it wasn't his problem for now, and headed to take a shower. Soon the sound of running water filled the apartment as he washed off the night before finally settling in.
....
The next day.
Silas went to school like normal. Classes dragged by as usual, teachers talking, students half-listening, and the hours moving slower than they should have. He sat through it all without much interest, his mind already on what he planned to do after school.
But as soon as the last bell rang, he got up and left.
He headed straight for the church.
When he arrived, he saw Asia already waiting for him outside. She stood near the entrance with her hands lightly clasped in front of her, dressed neatly as always, her blonde hair moving slightly with the afternoon breeze.
The moment she saw him, her face brightened.
"Did I make you wait?" he asked as he walked up to her.
"No, I just got here," she replied.
Silas looked at her for a moment, then laughed a little.
Asia blinked, confused, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him.
"It's nothing," he said. "Let's go."
He turned and started walking, and after a second she quickly fell into step beside him.
'It's supposed to be the other way around,' he thought.
TO BE CONTINUED