The things Asia had spent the whole night worrying about never happened.
Although Rhode had every intention of interacting with the heroines, he wasn't that desperate.
The night passed without incident. The next day, as promised, Rhode took Asia to wander around Milan.Because she had seen so little of the world, almost any novel trinket was enough to make Asia incredibly happy. Rhode kept a constant eye on the System map, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Eventually, he allowed himself to relax, settling into the role of an ordinary tourist and "caretaker."
The next day.
Seeing that the mission remained stagnant, Rhode was preparing to take Asia out of Rome. However, as they were checking out of the hotel, they were informed that someone had left a letter for them.
Upon opening it, Rhode found that the contents were directly related to the mission targets he had been searching for. The letter introduced the senders as an organization of "Independent Exorcists," claiming their goal was to provide support to freelance mercenaries like Rhode and expressing a desire for an in-person meeting.
It was a pathetic excuse for a hook.
Rhode had lived in this world for several years and had never heard of any "Independent Exorcist" organization. Currently, exorcists only fell into two categories.
The first was the official exorcists enlisted by the Church. They received the blessings of God and the Angels, using holy water and holy light to banish evil and sin.
The second category consisted of those discovered to be psychopaths—individuals who felt pleasure while killing Devils or other beings, eventually developing a distorted urge to target all species indiscriminately. These exorcists were typically excommunicated. To prevent them from harming society, most were "liquidated" in secret.
However, a few managed to escape justice. These were known as Stray Exorcists.
As for "Independent Exorcists," Rhode hadn't met a single one besides himself. In the supernatural world, if you wanted to survive, you generally had only two choices: be powerful enough to stand alone, or join an organization for mutual protection. Furthermore, Rhode had never received an invitation from any civilian organization in all his years here.
Therefore, there was only one truth. This so-called organization was, in fact, a group of Stray Exorcists.
At that moment, the System map marked their location.
"They didn't show up yesterday. Was it because they hadn't arrived yet?" Rhode didn't waste much time thinking; he intended to go to the meeting directly.
Looking at Asia, he considered his options and decided it was better to keep her by his side. The fact that they sent a letter made the situation clear. If he left her here, someone would likely come to snatch her the moment he turned his back. It was better to keep her in his sight; even if an emergency occurred, he would have a way to handle it.
Rhode found a quiet spot and explained the contents of the letter to Asia.
"An exorcist organization? Is it the one you belong to, Mr. Rhode?" Asia asked, looking quite pleased. In her eyes, there seemed to be no distinction between a regular exorcist and a Stray Exorcist. She likely had no idea what a Fallen Angel even was. If she did, her faith in God would never allow her to willingly follow Stray Exorcists to Kuoh Town.
Rhode explained the dangers to her, explicitly stating that people were after her Sacred Gear.
"But why...? I'm not the only one in this world with healing powers," Asia said, utterly bewildered.
"But you're the only one who can heal Devils and Fallen Angels," Rhode said with a light chuckle. "So, do you understand how important you are now? To get their hands on you, those Fallen Angels won't stop at anything."
"Then... what should we do?" Asia panicked.
"It's simple. You just need to stay behind me at all times."
"...Okay." Asia had no strong opinions on the matter and left everything to Rhode's judgment.
Rhode's plan was straightforward: head to the Stray Exorcists' stronghold in Italy, then play it by ear. It was a perfectly rigorous plan! Since any plan was prone to unexpected changes, Rhode simply decided to meet those changes with a flexible response.
Shortly after, guided by the System map, Rhode arrived at an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. The walls and nearby roads were long-neglected and crumbling. The derelict buildings were full of holes and the factory grounds were overgrown with weeds. Suffice it to say, no legitimate organization would meet in a place like this.
Just as Asia was wondering how they would get inside, Rhode suddenly scooped her up by the waist. With a single leap, he cleared the three-meter-high perimeter wall. After a few more jumps, he easily reached the roof of the factory floor.
Peering down through the gaps in the decaying ceiling, he saw several Stray Exorcists lounging about, resting in various spots.
"Stay here," Rhode whispered. After checking the map to ensure there were no hidden red dots, he instructed Asia to wait in place.
The girl stood obediently, covering her mouth with her hands. Rhode had already warned her that a battle was about to break out. Although her wish was for world peace, she understood that some things simply could not be stopped.
With the girl settled, Rhode jumped down from the rooftop, dropping over ten meters.
The Stray Exorcists, who had been resting under the orders of a Fallen Angel, heard the rushing wind of his descent. They looked up to see Rhode falling from the sky, and for a moment, they were utterly stunned. Does jumping from several stories high not kill people anymore?!
Before they could react, Rhode pulled out his Desert Eagles mid-air and opened fire. In an instant, several Stray Exorcists had holes "opened" in their heads, slumping to the ground with expressions of pure shock.
By the time Rhode landed, only one Stray Exorcist remained in the abandoned factory. He wore the silver-white uniform of a Church exorcist, with cross patterns embroidered on his collar and back. He was a white-haired man, roughly the same age as Rhode, and his expression was one of pure surprise.
He was the sole survivor. When Rhode had drawn his guns, this man had pulled out a Light Sword and successfully parried the bullet aimed at him. Though his companions had been slaughtered, there was no trace of sadness on the man's face; instead, he broke into a manic, cackling laugh.
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (53 Chapters – Ongoing)
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