Akari sat on the edge of her bed in her bedroom, wearing only her usual white crop top and black shorts, midriff exposed as always.
Asia sat beside her, still in her nun habit, looking small and a little nervous.
Asia fidgeted with the hem of her sleeves, her voice shy and hesitant.
"Sis… can Rias and her peerage win that game?"
Akari smiled confidently, reaching over to gently ruffle Asia's blonde hair.
"Of course they will. I trained them in all possible ways, hehehehe."
Asia looked down at her lap, her expression turning more hesitant.
"Did I… make the right choice by giving away my Sacred Gear to you?"
Akari's expression softened. She turned fully toward Asia and took both of her hands.
"Of course you did. And you mean that from the bottom of your heart."
Asia's green eyes met Akari's for a long moment. A small, genuine smile finally appeared on her face. She nodded slowly, the tension leaving her shoulders.
A few minutes later, Asia's eyelids grew heavy. She yawned cutely and curled up on the bed, falling into a peaceful sleep almost immediately. Akari pulled the blanket over her gently, watching the former nun rest with a fond look.
She stood up quietly, stretched, and decided she needed some fresh air.
"I'll be back soon," she whispered, even though Asia was already asleep.
Akari slipped out of the house and began walking through the quiet residential streets. The night air was cool against her exposed midriff, the stars bright overhead. She walked without any particular destination, simply enjoying the silence after the long training session in the dungeon.
Ten minutes later, she felt it — the unmistakable sensation of being watched. Multiple presences, hidden but not subtle enough.
Akari stopped in the middle of a dimly lit street, hands in her pockets.
"It's no use, fools. I know you're here. So stop hiding and show yourselves."
From the shadows of nearby alleys and rooftops, four figures emerged. Three males and one female — all stray devils, their demonic auras leaking out in ugly, uncontrolled waves. Horns, scales, and glowing red eyes marked them as fallen from proper devil society.
The female stray devil, curvaceous with sharp claws and a mocking grin, stepped forward first.
"Oh look who it is… a puny human with a Sacred Gear."
The first male stray, bulky and angry-looking, snarled.
"Why don't you just tell everyone our business, huh?!"
The third male, leaner and more feral, licked his lips.
"Can't we just deal with this bitch by ending her life?"
The female laughed cruelly.
"How about we just knock her out and have some fun with her first!"
The second male, the most aggressive of the group, cracked his knuckles.
"No. We kill this human now."
Akari's expression remained calm, almost bored.
"How about no… and you fuckers die instead."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the matte-black Fallen Ball. With a casual flick, she released its contents.
Kalawarner materialized in a swirl of dark energy, her fallen angel wings spreading as she landed gracefully beside Akari.
Akari gave her a simple order.
"Handle the female one. I'll handle the others."
Kalawarner bowed her head respectfully.
"Yes, Mistress."
All four stray devils froze in shock.
A fallen angel — a member of Grigori — was calling a human girl "Mistress"?
Before they could process it, Kalawarner moved. She summoned a golden light spear and hurled it with deadly precision, piercing straight through the female stray devil's heart.
The female screamed in agony as holy light burned her from the inside out. Her body convulsed once, then went limp, collapsing to the ground.
Akari didn't waste time.
She raised her hand and spoke clearly.
"Fiendfyre."
Black, sentient flames erupted from her palm, roaring to life with unnatural hunger. The three remaining male stray devils barely had time to react before the cursed fire engulfed them.
Their screams were horrific — raw, agonized howls as the flames consumed flesh, scales, and demonic energy alike. They thrashed wildly, trying to escape, but the Fiendfyre only grew stronger, feeding on their desperation.
The black flames then spread to the corpse of the female stray devil, devouring it as well.
For ten long minutes, the night was filled with the sounds of dying screams and the crackle of unholy fire. When the flames finally died down, nothing remained but fine black ash scattered across the pavement.
A sudden gust of wind rose, carrying the ashes away into the night, leaving the street completely clean — as if nothing had happened.
Akari turned to Kalawarner, who stood waiting obediently.
She stepped closer, cupped the fallen angel's face, and kissed her deeply, tongue sliding into her mouth in a slow, possessive kiss.
Kalawarner's cheeks flushed slightly, but she returned the kiss without resistance.
After a long moment, Akari pulled back and recalled Kalawarner into the Fallen Ball with a thought. The orb shrank and returned to her pocket.
"Wow," Akari muttered to herself. "Didn't expect some stray devils to show up just because of my Sacred Gears. But I should've expected that since I have two Sacred Gears in me."
She shrugged, a small smirk on her lips.
"Not my problem."
Akari turned and walked back home, the cool night air brushing against her exposed midriff. The street was silent once more, the only evidence of the fight already blown away by the wind.
She slipped back into the house quietly, checked on the still-sleeping Asia, and headed to her own bed.