The spear had already pierced through my stomach.
I didn't even register when it happened.
One moment, I was trying to back away, and the next—*shhk!*—the thin, glowing shaft of light stabbed clean through me, searing my insides like molten steel.
My knees buckled. I staggered.
Then—*Gough!*—blood sprayed from my mouth in a thick, crimson arc. The metallic taste flooded my tongue, and the pain finally reached me, sharp and unbearable, radiating from my gut like wildfire.
I looked down in disbelief.
The spear was still there. It shimmered with divine light, embedded deep in my abdomen, crackling with energy.
My trembling hands reached out instinctively, trying to grasp the spear, to pull it free. The moment my skin touched it, a scream tore from my throat.
It burned.
It burned like hell.
Sparks hissed off the spear as it branded my flesh. Smoke rose from my fingers. My skin blistered, charred black in seconds.
"Holy power..." I hissed, collapsing to my knees. "So this... is what that feels like..."
Every breath was a struggle now. My vision blurred. Pain was spreading through every nerve like a curse, twisting through me with every heartbeat.
I looked up.
Dohnaseek stood before me, calm as ever, already forming another spear of light in his hand. His expression was composed, almost clinical, like a surgeon preparing for the next incision.
"It must hurt," he said, watching me with amusement. "Light is poisonous to beings like you. A devil struck by holy power suffers greatly... and dies slowly."
The second spear fully formed in his hand, glowing with a more intense light than the first.
"I had assumed a weakened spear would be enough to kill you," he mused, "but your body is more durable than I expected. Impressive. But meaningless."
He raised the spear slightly, his voice devoid of emotion.
"This time, I won't hold back. Let's see how long you can scream."
He took a step forward.
Oddly, I wasn't panicking.
The pain was unbearable, the blood loss immense, and yet… my mind was strangely calm. Detached, even. Like part of me had accepted death was near.
So this is how it ends?
A gust of wind whipped through the street.
Then—*BOOM!*
An explosion erupted in front of me. The shockwave knocked me backward, and Dohnaseek reeled, stumbling back several steps. Smoke curled from the palm of his hand—the one holding the spear.
Blood dripped from a sudden wound across it.
He hissed in pain, glaring toward the source.
"Don't you dare touch him."
A voice. Feminine. Strong.
Footsteps echoed across the concrete as a figure strode past me, her presence like a rising tide of power.
Crimson hair fluttered behind her, catching the faint moonlight like a curtain of fire. Her figure was elegant yet commanding, her back straight with regal confidence.
Rias Gremory.
Even half-conscious, bleeding out, I could recognize her from a single glance. Or even just her silhouette.
She looked… gorgeous.
More beautiful than I remembered from any description or scene. And more terrifying.
Dohnaseek narrowed his eyes at her.
"...Crimson hair," he muttered. "You must be a woman of the House of Gremory."
She turned slightly, offering him a cold, confident smile.
"My name is Rias Gremory," she said firmly, power thrumming in every syllable. "And I'm doing just fine, Fallen Angel-san. But I can't say the same for you, if you lay another finger on my servant."
That word—servant—I don't like it.
Dohnaseek's expression twisted into a sneer. "Fufu... So the boy belongs to you. That explains your sudden appearance."
He flicked his hand, dispelling the remaining spear with a scoff.
"So this town is your territory," he said, tone thick with disdain. "Then I'll offer my apologies—for today."
He looked down at me, bleeding and crumpled at Rias's feet.
"But you should keep a tighter leash on your pet. Stray devils often get slain for wandering off where they shouldn't."
Rias didn't flinch. Her smile deepened, but her eyes were sharp, deadly.
"Thanks for the advice," she replied, voice like velvet over steel. "But this town is under my constant surveillance. And if you ever interfere again, I won't hold back next time."
Dohnaseek laughed softly. "I'll say the same to you, heiress of Gremory. Tread carefully."
Then he straightened, spreading his black wings wide.
"My name is Dohnaseek. I do hope we don't meet again."
With that, his body lifted into the sky, dark wings beating once before he shot into the night like a missile, vanishing among the stars.
Silence returned to the street.
I groaned, collapsing fully to the pavement. My limbs felt like lead. My body was cold, despite the burning wound in my stomach.
I could barely keep my eyes open.
But Rias crouched beside me, her expression softening.
"You idiot," she whispered. "You weren't supposed to get involved yet."
She touched my face gently, and then placed her hand over the spear. Her demonic aura surged—and the light dissolved into ash, allowing her to catch me before I fell backward.
Darkness threatened to consume me.
But before I blacked out completely, I heard her whisper again.
"I'll heal you... and explain everything later. You're mine now."
And then, everything went black.
~~~
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