Badr raised an eyebrow. "A Stray Devil? That's rare."
"Not really. It's just that most Stray Devils don't require our attention. They're usually handled by our subordinates," Akeno explained with a smile.
"So, how strong is this one?"
"Quite strong. Likely close to a high-class devil, which explains why it's evaded capture for so long," Rias said with a smile. "Though it's no match for us, let's go together. Think of it as a group outing."
Since it was a near high-class devil, Badr couldn't ignore it. While it posed no threat to him, it was dangerous for Asia, Koneko, and the others. He had to be there as a precaution.
"Let's go then. I'm free."
Badr smiled faintly. With no client requests, he could vent his frustration on this Stray Devil.
The six of them stepped into the magic circle, arriving on the rooftop of a tall building.
"It's in there?"
Badr looked at the building across the street. He could sense numerous human presences and a faint, nauseating demonic aura.
It was definitely a Stray Devil. Only those completely consumed by their desires emitted such a repulsive aura.
"That's the one. Let's go."
Rias led the way, elegantly waving her hand. Demonic flames melted the building's glass, allowing them to enter.
A shrill alarm blared, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Soon, a group of heavily armed humans appeared at the end of the corridor, blocking their path.
"Huh? The scent of holy bullets..." Rias murmured in surprise.
Badr and the others also sensed it. The humans' weapons were loaded with bullets specifically designed to harm devils, effective even against mid-class devils.
"President, it seems someone is aiding them," Xenovia said softly, her brow furrowed. The presence of holy bullets meant someone within the Church had illegally sold them to humans.
Moreover, these humans were different from ordinary people. They had been imbued with holy energy.
They were supposed to be exterminating a Stray Devil. Why were so many humans guarding this place...?
"It seems this is more complicated than it appears," Badr said calmly, observing the humans. "These people are in league with the Stray Devil."
A flicker of anger flashed in Rias's eyes.
...
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Chapter 134: Stray Devil Again! The True Mastermind!
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"No wonder she's been able to evade capture for so long. Turns out she has human accomplices. The people behind this must have connections to other devils and the Church."
Badr smiled, realizing things were getting interesting.
After all, anyone able to acquire this much weaponry and manpower must hold considerable influence within human society...
...
Over a dozen guns were aimed at Badr and his companions. These human mercenaries were bold, seemingly unfazed by the presence of devils.
"How do you want to handle this?" Badr asked Rias.
"Just knock them out."
Rias couldn't be bothered with these humans. She'd seen far too many corrupted by devils to be surprised. It wasn't unusual, considering it was practically the devil's traditional business model...
Nowadays, devils had simply adapted their strategies to fit the times. It wasn't even a matter of turning over a new leaf.
Badr didn't care either. Despite being human once, he felt no particular sense of kinship with them.
If Rias had ordered him to kill them, he wouldn't have hesitated. They were pointing guns at him, making them enemies in his book.
Having grown up an orphan, subjected to countless cold stares, he'd seen enough of human nature to last a lifetime. It was a wonder he hadn't developed an antisocial personality. Feeling a sense of belonging with humanity was simply out of the question.
At the very least, he'd been happy since becoming a devil. He had people he could be honest with, people he genuinely enjoyed conversing with, without having to feign enthusiasm for the sake of social interaction.
His classmates at Kuoh Academy whispered that Badr had become aloof after joining the Occult Research Club.
In reality, he'd always been faking his social interactions, inwardly disgusted by them. Now, he wasn't even bothering to pretend.
Though predictably labeled as aloof, he was content.
Not having to care about others' opinions was truly liberating.
Rias, Akeno, Asia, Koneko, Mai Sakurajima, and the Nakano Quintuplets, these were people he could connect with, and he enjoyed spending time with them, flirting occasionally, finding it amusing.
As for pointless social interactions, he'd rather pass...
Thus, the human mercenaries blocking their path vanished in an instant.
They lay scattered on the ground, unconscious. Thanks to Badr's restraint, they would wake up in roughly a day.
Rias smiled, stepping over the bodies and leading the way inside.
A locked metal door stood in their path. Xenovia stepped forward and, with a single kick, sent the several-ton door flying.
As Xenovia held her high kick pose, Asia frantically tried to cover her skirt...
Rias, meanwhile, surveyed the room, spotting a group of middle-aged, balding men huddled in a corner.
She approached them with a smile.
"Greetings, gentlemen. I am Rias Gremory. I would appreciate your cooperation."
"Y-You're a devil, aren't you? Why are you invading our property...?"
One of the men, shielded by the others, spoke, forcing a calm demeanor despite the evident fear in his eyes.
He knew that anyone capable of breaching his "high-security" building like this was not normal.
"Heh, since you know about devils, that saves us some time."
Rias elegant smile vanished, her expression turning cold and authoritative. "Tell me who is behind this, who instructed you to consort with devils and the Church."
"I don't know what you're talking about. I learned about devils from my old butler, a member of the Church. I have always maintained a neutral stance, never interacting with your kind."
The man seemed to have regained some composure, his speech becoming clearer.
Rias presence radiated authority, filling the room with a palpable pressure.
"Do you think I'll believe you just because you deny it? I can sense the presence of a Stray Devil. Akeno."
"Yes, Buchou."
"I'll leave them to you. We'll go after the Stray Devil. It's trying to escape."
"Understood."
Akeno Himejima accepted the task with a smile. Despite her beautiful and alluring appearance, the way she looked at the group of men conveyed a sense of danger.
"Ara ara, so many new playthings to entertain myself with."
Akeno's gentle voice was melodious, but the golden arcs of lightning crackling around her fingertips, framing her stunning face, created a starkly contrasting image, beautiful yet menacing.
The men's legs began to tremble at the sight.
Soon, screams of pain echoed through the room, accompanied by Akeno's delighted laughter...
Badr accompanied Rias and the others in pursuit of the Stray Devil. As for those humans, under Akeno's methods, they would undoubtedly reveal the truth soon enough...
Suddenly, Koneko Toujou nudged Badr's arm.
"Koneko? What's up?"
"Leave the next opponent to us. Can you refrain from interfering?" Koneko's golden eyes were filled with determination.
"It's a devil nearing Ultimate-Class strength. If you're confident you can handle it, I can provide backup."
Badr didn't refuse. He understood their desire to grow stronger.
"No problem, we can take care of it," Koneko stated firmly.
Xenovia chimed in, patting her chest. "Don't worry, I'm here too."
"Alright, then I'll look forward to your performance."
Badr smiled. He had faith in Koneko and Xenovia's abilities. Although the Stray Devil was close to Ultimate-Class, it wasn't quite there yet. With their foundation, they had a fighting chance.
Rias felt a pang of nostalgia. She used to be the one providing backup for Badr. Now, the roles were reversed, and he was protecting them. It was a bittersweet feeling.
But Badr was a prodigy, something she had anticipated when she invested ten pawn pieces in him.
Heh, thinking about it, she had certainly made a great investment.
"Could you hold this for me?" Koneko handed Badr a small bag she was carrying.
"...I've been meaning to ask, what's in here?"
Koneko's lips curved into a subtle smile.
"...Cakes and snacks. they'll probably get crushed."
"..."
Badr took the bag, unzipped it, and found an assortment of neatly packaged cupcakes...
Right, as a Nekomata, Koneko had a massive sweet tooth. She snacked practically every chance she got...
He casually slung the bag over his shoulder. The presence of the Stray Devil was growing closer. Xenovia took the lead, cleaving through a door with her sword, forcing their way inside.
Whoosh!!
A stream of foul-smelling pus shot towards them, only to be annihilated by Xenovia's demonic power.
"Ugh, disgusting."
Xenovia muttered in disgust, her gaze fixed on a woman inside the room, her expression filled with revulsion.
The woman, transformed into a Stray Devil, let out a hideous cackle.
"Heh...Kukukuku~ So many pretty faces. How delightful... I'll tear your faces off, bit by bit, Gahahahaha..."
Koneko frowned at the grating sound and charged forward without hesitation.
...
Without a moment's pause, Koneko unleashed a punch.
Empowered by her [Rook] piece, her monstrous strength caused her fists to generate sonic booms. The female Stray Devil, caught off guard, was sent flying by the impact.
Thud!
The woman slammed into the wall, embedding herself in the concrete.
Only then could Badr and the others clearly see her face, marked with purple-black lines that seemed to be carved into her skin.
"Those are... Life Marks, aren't they? Sifyra, I never thought you'd fall so far," Rias said coldly.
Life Marks were residual traces left behind after a devil completely absorbed a human's life force. They lasted for a maximum of three days, each mark representing a human life taken.
The female devil had twelve Life Marks on her face.
In other words, she had killed twelve people in the past three days alone.
"Bastard... you dare damage my beautiful face...?"
Sifyra, the Stray Devil, was clearly insane, high on the rush of stolen life force.
Absorbing life force brought intense pleasure and euphoria; the sensation of increased life energy was highly addictive.
Initially, this dark path did provide a small power boost, but the gains were minimal.
And the more one indulged, the more life force was required to gain further strength. Eventually, one could kill every human on Earth and still not become significantly stronger!
This method of power gain was fundamentally flawed, which was why even the devil race had forbidden it. Only reckless Stray Devils resorted to such practices.
Facing this crazed Stray Devil, Koneko showed no fear, engaging Sifyra once more.
Their fierce exchange of blows echoed through the room, efficiently demolishing the building around them...
However, Sifyra, having absorbed so much life force, was indeed stronger than Koneko, gradually gaining the upper hand.
Fortunately, Xenovia intervened. Her strength rivaled that of a typical high-class devil, shifting the tide of the battle upon her arrival.
With Asia providing support from a distance, Badr and Rias watched for a moment before relaxing.
This Stray Devil posed no real threat.
Badr kept his senses sharp, seemingly bored as he stood there, but in reality, he was closely monitoring the fight.
With Koneko leading the assault, the battle raged, threatening to bring down the entire floor as the ceiling began to crumble.
Xenovia supported Koneko, demonstrating a rare display of tact by knowing when to intervene and help during Koneko's training exercise.
Badr found a spot to sit down, glancing at the bag Koneko had entrusted to him. Remembering the cakes and snacks inside, he opened it and began leisurely enjoying a treat.
Rias couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"...Why are you eating Koneko's snacks?"
Badr chuckled. "Watching a movie is always better with snacks."
"..."
Rias was speechless. Anyone who didn't know better would genuinely think he was at a movie theater.
And so, Koneko Toujou and Xenovia teamed up, giving the Stray Devil a thorough beating. Under their relentless assault, the building's roof finally collapsed...
Rumble...
Dust and debris filled the air. Badr raised a protective barrier, blocking the dust cloud as he continued to happily munch on Koneko's snacks.
Watching beautiful girls fight was far more entertaining than any movie...
He watched the spectacle with great relish, while Koneko and the Stray Devil, Sifyra, fought with increasing intensity.
Koneko attacked with all her might, while Sifyra transformed into a monstrous figure nearly three meters tall.
This was a characteristic of Stray Devils. Their corrupted souls twisted their appearance and physical form, making them grotesque.
In stark contrast to the destructive battle raging around them, Badr sat calmly, popping cakes and snacks into his mouth, leaving Rias at a loss for words...
Boom!!
With a final, resounding crash, Koneko and Xenovia sent Sifyra flying. She skidded across the floor, sparks flying in her wake, finally coming to a stop at Badr's feet.
After three floors of the building had been obliterated, the battle had finally concluded.
...
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Chapter 135: Sweet Reunions! I Want to Be With You!
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The colossal demonic form lay sprawled on its back, providing a clear view of Badr perched atop a crumbling wall, his calm expression betraying a relaxed demeanor.
"...My cake..." Koneko Toujou returned, her voice flat as she noticed her snack bag, now mostly empty in Badr's hands.
"Uh, well, watching you all fight so spectacularly... I couldn't help myself," Badr mumbled, a touch embarrassed as he looked at the depleted bag.
