"Haha... Did I see right? You couldn't bear to damage the corpse? Are you a necrophiliac? Disgusting, truly disgusting, Devils are garbage!"
Freed mocked, his originally handsome face twisted into a sneer.
Badr was getting annoyed by this disgusting priest.
Although he had been reincarnated as a Devil, deep down he still sided with humanity, and seeing humans and Devils getting along peacefully, he thought it was pretty nice.
Devils had their laws too, and Stray Devils were hunted by both Devils and angels alike.
The priest in front of him was no different from those Stray Devils.
Suddenly, a scream interrupted their battle.
"Ah!!"
Both of them turned to the sound.
... An acquaintance?
"Asia?" Badr's eyes darkened.
The girl standing there was the blonde nun he had encountered before.
Was she with the priest...
And the priest grinned wickedly:
"Oh, isn't it my assistant Asia-chan? What's up? Finished setting up the barrier?"
But Asia didn't respond to them, instead looking at the direction of the buried woman's body, her face pale.
"Thank you for your cute scream! Oh right, Asia, it's your first time seeing such a corpse, isn't it? You should look closely, this is the fate of those deceived by Devils-"
Freed laughed wildly, speaking in a neurotic tone, causing the blonde nun's face to turn white.
"How could this..."
She seemed to have suffered a great mental shock, stepping back shakily, her expression deeply troubled.
Badr, seeing this, suddenly understood.
It seemed Asia didn't know what had happened.
She wasn't with this priest.
Indeed, such a pure and holy girl wouldn't be involved in such gruesome acts.
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Chapter 26: Echoes of the King Sword, Faith in Question
His gaze turned cold as he looked back at Freed;
He began to increase his magical output.
The King's Sword in his hand instantly emitted a surging wave of magical power.
Buzz~
The blade lightly trembled, as if excitedly yearning for battle.
Air was rapidly drawn into his abdomen, and his legs suddenly exerted force!
Badr's figure vanished from the spot in an instant, moving at a speed too fast for the naked eye to catch.
Although Freed was neurotic, his skills were not weak. At this moment, he instinctively met the direction of the magical attack with his light sword. With a clang, he blocked the incoming King's Sword.
However, in the next moment, he felt an immense force surge along the blade. The light sword in his hand was violently slapped back, smashing into his own body.
Freed's body immediately tilted backward and flew out, spewing blood wildly in mid-air!
"Blagh-"
Boom!!
Freed crashed into the wall, producing a loud bang, causing the wall to collapse.
Badr's powerful and heavy strike almost split him in half!
Even before Badr became a Devil, the King's Sword could kill a fallen angel in one blow. Now that his power had greatly increased, its might had multiplied several times.
Badr nodded in satisfaction.
Though the strike seemed ordinary, it was due to the extremely restrained power, unlike the previously radiant sword strikes that scattered energy.
Such dazzling sword light, though beautiful, wasted much energy. The recent strike, with precise control of magical power, caught the priest off guard, leading to a significant loss.
Seeing the priest bounce off the wall, fall to the ground, gasping for breath, and coughing up several mouthfuls of blood, Badr charged forward again without a word, intending to finish him off with one blow.
"Not good! Escape!!"
Seeing himself unable to match Badr, a trace of fear flashed in Freed's eyes. He took out a bullet from his pocket and slammed it to the ground.
Swish!!
A blinding holy light burst forth, severely affecting Badr, causing his skin to sting unbearably.
He had to halt his attack, summoning the Shield to block the light.
When the holy light disappeared, Freed was nowhere to be seen.
Escaped?
Badr frowned, feeling quite displeased.
How despicable to use a holy flashbang...
Damn.
Over there, Asia was staring blankly at Badr.
To be precise, she was staring at the black Devil wings behind him.
"Mr. Badr is... a Devil?"
"Why were you with someone like that?" Badr asked, his tone indifferent.
Before determining her stance, he obviously didn't trust her.
"...I, I followed the church's arrangement. I didn't expect..."
Asia looked at the half-buried corpse under the wall, her face turning pale in fright.
Badr calmly said, "You saw it yourself; that guy is a madman."
"...I'm sorry."
Asia spoke with some confusion and helplessness, then tried to muster her courage. "Mr. Badr, let me heal you first. Your skin is burnt..."
Saying this, a soft light radiated from Asia's hand.
Holy light?
Badr was about to refuse, but then he felt the burned areas healing rapidly.
...Isn't this girl a nun?
Doesn't she use holy magic?
How can she heal a Devil like me?
Badr looked at Asia's fingers.
On her delicate white hands, two silver rings had appeared, continuously sending surges of life force into him, making him feel very comfortable.
"Gear?"
He murmured.
He was no longer a novice; it was clear that Asia's ability came from these two silver rings on her fingers.
"Yes, this is the power granted by the Lord. These rings are called [Twilight Healing], thanks to the almighty Lord for giving me the power to heal others..."
Badr fell silent.
He thought this thing seemed extraordinary...
Even though she was a nun, she could heal a Devil. The power of [Twilight Healing] was indeed remarkable...
With the extraordinary effect of [Twilight Healing], Badr's burns healed in no time, and he finally relaxed his guard towards Asia.
"So, what are you planning to do now? Are you going back to the church?"
Badr stared at Asia. If she intended to return, he would need to carefully consider their stances.
"I, I don't know..."
Asia looked bewildered. After witnessing Freed's cruelty, she was clearly shaken and reluctant to work with him again. But this also meant leaving the church, didn't it?
Badr was about to say something when he sensed something and looked into the distance.
A demonic teleportation magic circle appeared; it seemed Rias and the others had arrived.
...
The magic circle's light faded, and Rias appeared with Akeno and Koneko, exuding a strong presence.
Upon arrival, they saw the nearly ruined house. The small cottage on the outskirts had been almost razed by Badr and Freed.
Rias immediately spotted Badr, her eyes scanning his entire body. Seeing he was unharmed, her previously stern expression softened a bit.
To her, Badr was still in the novice period, a time when he needed their care. If something happened to him now, it would reflect poorly on her as his master.
"What's the situation? Did you encounter someone from the church?"
Rias spoke, already noticing Asia beside Badr, her brow slightly raised.
As a High-Class Devil, Rias was particularly sensitive to the church's aura and instantly recognized Asia's identity.
Usually, encountering someone from the church wouldn't lead to immediate conflict, but there certainly wouldn't be any friendly interactions. Seeing Badr standing calmly beside Asia, she refrained from attacking.
Badr nodded towards the three:
"Yes, it was a priest. We fought as soon as we met."
After speaking, he looked apologetically at Koneko: "Sorry, I just arrived, and your summoner was already killed by that guy."
Koneko's eyes flickered, looking at the ruins. Her keen sense of smell had already discerned the situation upon arrival.
"It's not your fault. I'll avenge her." Koneko seemed angry.
Though usually expressionless, after spending time together, Badr could sense her subtle emotional changes.
"It's my fault. I didn't expect a Stray exorcist to target the client. I miscalculated."
Rias spoke solemnly. For any Devil, such an event would be troublesome.
Badr was surprised: "He's not a regular employee?"
"What kind of priest would randomly kill humans? Didn't I tell you that angels and gods care about humans too? Regular exorcists wouldn't behave like that."
Rias experience far surpassed Badr's. Her explanation helped him understand that not all priests were as evil as the one he had encountered.
"Just like Stray Devils, Stray exorcists are exorcists expelled from the church. They delight in wanton slaughter of Devils, their twisted nature rejected by the church. Only the fallen angels would accept them."
Akeno explained, her expression sour when mentioning fallen angels, not as cheerful as usual. However, Badr didn't notice this at the moment.
Seeing Badr safe, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and turned their attention to Asia.
"From what I heard, you're not part of the regular church. It seems the fallen angels have targeted you," Badr analyzed Asia's situation.
Indeed, the fallen angels must have their eyes on her Gear, [Twilight Healing].
This simple girl was likely deceived by them.
"I've wanted to ask since I arrived. Badr, what's with this nun?"
Rias tone was slightly displeased.
Clearly, Devils didn't like being around church members.
Badr introduced Asia.
"I see, she's a servant of the fallen angels. In that case, she has no relation to you. She should leave immediately."
Rias evidently didn't want any association with a church nun.
Badr pondered. Knowing the fallen angels' ill intentions, he didn't want to see this naive girl fall into their hands. Having once been pushed to the brink of death by fallen angels, he understood the experience well.
"President, why not turn her into a Devil too?"
He suddenly suggested, surprising everyone, including Asia.
"Huh?"
"Badr... what are you saying?"
Rias and Asia spoke in succession.
"I'm not speaking without reason."
Badr calmly explained:
"First, Asia possesses the Gear [Twilight Healing]. Despite being in holy orders, she can heal even a Devil like me. Her power is exceptional."
Hearing this, Rias became intrigued, gesturing for Badr to continue.
Seeing her interest, Badr smiled and said to Asia:
"It's precisely because of this that the fallen angels are targeting you. I'm sure they want your Gear."
Asia, shaken, recalled past events. Realizing the truth, she felt conflicted. Though targeted by fallen angels, her loyalty to God was unwavering.
"Is that so? But, I can't become a Devil... Almighty Lord, please forgive me..."
She prayed helplessly.
Badr bluntly shattered her hopes:
"...The church here is controlled by fallen angels. The distant waters can't put out a nearby fire; your Lord can't help you now."
He revealed a devilish smile to Asia:
"Regrettably, the only ones who can help you now are us Devils. Otherwise, you won't escape the city. A holder who loses their Gear will only face death."
Asia was shaken by this reality. She knew Badr wasn't lying, but her devotion to God made her very conflicted...
"Haha, it seems this is a tough decision for her."
Akeno laughed, chatting with Rias. She also supported Badr's suggestion and knew Rias was tempted too.
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Chapter 27: When Tears Turn to Hope
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Seeing Asia's troubled expression, Badr spoke quietly:
"Asia, you have no other options. Haven't you realized the true intentions of these Fallen Angels?"
Badr had no good feelings towards the Fallen Angels.
Even though Rias had explained that there were good Fallen Angels, unfortunately, Badr hadn't met any of them yet. Instead, he had encountered many who did nothing but cause trouble.
Maybe his persuasion worked, or maybe the harsh reality hit her, but Asia replied weakly:
"I-I understand... I trust Badr-san won't deceive me... You are a good person."
Badr: "..."
...Please don't give me the "good person" card right now.
Seeing that Asia finally agreed, Rias, who had been cold before, now smiled warmly:
"That's great! We welcome you, Asia. But first, you should take off that nun's outfit filled with holy energy. It makes the devils uncomfortable. Sorry, Asia-chan..."
Without waiting for Asia's consent, Rias waved her hand and with a surge of magic, Asia's nun outfit tore apart and fell off...
Asia was stunned for a moment, then crouched down in shame and panic, crying softly:
"Ah! Badr-san... d-don't look..."
Badr: "..."
I don't look away.
...
Is there really no need to block the bathroom?
Under the cover of night, Badr and Koneko buried the human client who had been killed by a stray exorcist.
This work could have been delegated to subordinates or familiars, but Koneko insisted on doing it herself, so Badr accompanied her.
"That guy's definitely coming back."
Badr looked at the makeshift grave with a heavy expression.
As devils, they weren't afraid of the Stray Exorcist, but their clients were ordinary humans. How could they stand a chance against such threats?
"It's my fault for not responding to her summons in time. Otherwise, she might not have died," Koneko said, feeling depressed and guilty.
"It's not your fault."
Seeing Koneko's dejection, Badr patted her shoulder to comfort her.
"The next time we meet this guy, we won't let him get away."
Badr spoke softly, determined to be more careful and ready to defeat him next time.
"Please call me when that happens," Koneko said seriously.
"Yes, I will."
Badr replied calmly, sensing Koneko's determination.
Not far away, Rias performed Asia's reincarnation ceremony.
She gave Asia the Bishop piece.
The piece integrated into Asia's body as Rias finished the incantation.
This marked the addition of a new companion to their group.
Badr and Koneko returned to find Asia adjusting to her new form, now wearing the Kuoh Academy uniform made of magical energy.
"Asia, how do you feel?"
"I feel light... Am I really a devil now?" Asia asked nervously.
"Ah, it's normal to feel a little uncomfortable at first," Akeno said, looking at Badr. "Now you're a senior devil, so take care of your juniors."
