Kaito subtly continued to monitor the auras of the Occult Research Club members using his (Aura Detection) skill. Asia Argento was safe and comfortable in his apartment, which in itself was a significant strategic achievement. Throughout the school day, Kaito maintained his usual composure, but he noticed that the club members seemed more preoccupied and tense than in previous days, as if sensing deeper movements, likely due to the emergence of a new devil contract or some mysterious supernatural activity.
He detected no direct signs of Fallen Angels actively searching for Asia, meaning her presence in the city hadn't yet drawn their full attention, or perhaps they didn't know her precise location. This granted him some valuable time. He understood that the Fallen Angels, led by Raynare and Freed Sellzen, would move to steal the "Twilight Healing" from Asia sooner or later. He had to be a step ahead, to reveal to Asia the truth of the world she was unknowingly a part of, and expose the lies and deception practiced by those claiming to be from the church that had intended to welcome her.
When the school bell signaled the end of the day, Kaito felt his heart quicken its rhythm. This is it. He headed directly to the back school gate, where he had arranged for Asia to wait for him. It wasn't long before he saw her standing there, dressed in her white nun's habit, a look of patience mixed with childlike anticipation on her face.
"Asia-san," Kaito said with a warm smile as he approached her, feeling the warmth of her pure aura.
Asia smiled shyly, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Yamada-kun. Thank you for waiting."
"I got a little lost," she added quietly.
"No problem at all," Kaito said, his eyes gleaming with hidden determination. "Let's go. I'll get you there safely."
As they walked through the city streets, which were beginning to be covered by the shadows of evening, Kaito noticed Asia's hidden anxiety. "Yamada-kun... aren't we going directly to the church? I heard it's on the outskirts of the city, and this seems like a different path," she said in a faint voice.
"Oh, Asia-san," Kaito replied, his calm voice expertly weaving the threads of his plan. "The church is actually a bit far. And there's a shorter, safer route I can take you through, but it passes through this neighborhood. This specific area is where I was sent to do some work today, so I wanted to make sure you were safe with me. I don't want you to get lost this late." His eyes held a hint of hidden cunning as he observed her reaction.
Asia looked at him with understanding, a slight expression of conviction on her face; she trusted his words, which seemed to carry genuine concern. "I understand. Thank you again, Yamada-kun, for worrying about me."
As they approached the target area, a seemingly ordinary residential neighborhood with closely spaced houses, Kaito activated his (Aura Detection) skill once more. Immediately, he felt several dark auras converging in one of the houses, towards a seemingly ordinary home whose aura screamed of evil.
[Freed Sellzen: Very Strong Exorcist Aura (Crazy/Dangerous Level).][Exorcist Renegades: 5 Weak Auras.][Demonic Aura: Weak but potent and depleted Aura (Koneko Toujou).]
They've already gathered, Kaito thought coldly. It's time for the confrontation. He looked at Koneko's depleted aura and felt a cold grip in his stomach. I expected to find Issei here to fulfill the contract, but Koneko's aura... this means events have already changed! His eyes widened in genuine shock. Koneko is the one who came to fulfill the contract, not Issei! Kaito hadn't anticipated such a drastic shift in the scenario, but he didn't let his shock show on his face. He had deliberately brought Asia to this place to witness the truth of the darkness hidden behind the veil of ordinary life, and to expose the lies and deception practiced by those claiming to be from the church. But now, he had to save Koneko too.
"Asia-san, I have a strange feeling about that house. How about we check it out? Maybe they need help," Kaito said, trying to sound as natural as possible, but he tightened his fist slightly, preparing himself. "But I want you to be very careful when we go inside. This place doesn't feel right."
Asia looked at him questioningly, a hint of hidden concern appearing in her eyes. "Careful? Why?"
"Just a strange feeling," Kaito said, repeating his usual lie, in a calm tone that carried an implicit warning. "Ordinary places can hide dangerous secrets. And I'm worried about you."
When they reached the house, it looked completely normal from the outside, with dim lights inside, but Kaito felt the danger emanating from within it like toxic smoke. The surrounding atmosphere was eerily quiet, a calm before a storm.
"Here it is..." Asia said softly, a clear expression of hesitation and fear on her face.
"Let's go," Kaito said, pushing open the front door, which was slightly ajar. It creaked loudly, the sound echoing through the space, creating a heart-wrenching tension.
Inside Freed Sellzen's Trap - Koneko's Fight
As soon as they entered, Kaito glimpsed the horrifying scene he had partially anticipated. A human male's lifeless body lay sprawled on the living room sofa, surrounded by a dark pool of congealed blood. This was the human who had summoned a devil for a contract, but he had been brutally murdered.
Then, in the corner of the room, he spotted Koneko Toujou, lying on the floor, her slender body covered in wounds and blood, barely able to move. Her aura was extremely weak, and her golden eyes held suppressed pain and anger, but her resolve hadn't faded. She had fought fiercely against Freed already, and he had almost taken her life!
Immediately, Koneko's golden eyes, which had been clouded with pain and exhaustion, turned towards the door. When she saw Kaito standing there, her weary eyes widened unexpectedly. An expression of pure shock appeared on her face, as if she had seen a ghost. Her surprise at seeing Kaito in this place, under these circumstances, surpassed any usual expression she might make.
"Welcome, healing nun... and bothersome companion."
A sarcastic, deranged voice echoed, and Freed Sellzen emerged from the shadows, laughing ferociously, his light sword gleaming with a sickly green glow like a monster's eyes, his own eyes burning with pure madness. The renegade exorcists surrounded him, smiling in triumphant malice.
Asia's eyes widened with intense fear, and her entire body trembled, as if on the verge of collapsing. "Freed-san!" she whispered, her voice quivering.
"You've finally arrived," Freed said, his voice insane and terrifying. "I cut down this bothersome human who wanted a trivial contract. And now, nun, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you have arrived yesterday and gone to the church as you agreed with Raynare-sama?" His insane smile widened, revealing his sharp teeth.
Kaito felt a cold grip in his stomach, not from fear, but from surprise and anger at this sudden scenario. The client was already dead! And Koneko was in this miserable state! This was never part of the plan. He hadn't anticipated such a radical and complex change in events from the anime. He had brought Asia to see the darkness for herself, to enhance her knowledge and protection, but now he found himself facing a double, perilous rescue mission, as he was not stronger than the renegade exorcist Freed at the moment.
Suddenly, the system's voice rang out, and a blue screen appeared.
[Urgent Quest: Rescue and Fortify!]
[Mandatory Objective: Rescue Kunieko Toujou from Freed Sellzen and his monks, and immediately Getting Asia Argento out from the danger zone.]
[Optional Objective: kill Freed Sellzen.]
[Optional Reward: A character summon ticket from all heavens and realms!]
"Koneko!" Kaito shouted, his voice a mix of shock and concern. Issei was supposed to come to fulfill the contract, get killed, and then be reincarnated! This is madness!
"I won't let you hurt her!" Kaito roared, stepping in front of Asia, shielding her with his body, every muscle tensing for combat. He activated his (Physical Enhancement) skill and felt power surge through his veins, his body coiled like a taut spring.
"A human standing with devils, what a sinner!" Freed Sellzen screamed, rushing towards Kaito with his glowing light sword, his face contorted with intense anger. "I'll cut you to pieces like I cut down the one who summoned a devil, and like I almost cut down this little devil!"
The Battle of Desperation - Kaito's Decisive Intervention
Freed rushed at Kaito with incredible speed, his light sword illuminating the darkness with a sickly green glow. But Kaito, thanks to his newly acquired (Combat Intuition) skill, managed to accurately read Freed's attack trajectory before it reached him. His first strike was fast and aimed at his heart.
Kaito narrowly dodged the blow, his body swaying lightly like a breeze, then unleashed a powerful, directed punch at Freed's face. It was a swift and devastating punch, carrying all the force his enhanced body could produce. His fist connected powerfully with Freed's face, creating a harsh, painful thud. Freed screamed in pain and stumbled back, falling to the ground, surprised by the strength of an ordinary human he never expected.
"What was that?!" Freed shouted, clutching his nose, which had begun to bleed profusely, his eyes burning with rage. "You're unnaturally strong!"
Freed began to laugh maniacally, as if enjoying the pain, while he fired two light attacks from his pistol, which he had drawn before Kaito noticed it, sparkling like small meteors in the air.
Kaito moved nimbly, his body dodging the attacks with astonishing skill, using all his combat experience and enhanced physical ability. But he realized that fighting like this would quickly exhaust him and put him in a very difficult position alone. He was buying precious time, trying to reach Koneko.
"Run, Asia-san!" Kaito shouted, fending off another attack from the mad exorcist, pushing him away with force. "Go hide behind that wall!"
Asia was trembling, her eyes filled with tears of terror, but she looked at Kaito with grateful eyes, then nodded and rushed to hide. "Yamada-kun..." she whispered, her voice choked.
"I won't let you hurt her!" Kaito said, his eyes gleaming with a red glow, as he began to deliver quick and effective punches and kicks towards Freed, utilizing his enhanced speed. Every attack he aimed was precise, causing his opponent to fall to the ground and suffer intensely.
In that critical moment, as Freed was recovering from Kaito's blow and preparing a finishing strike on Koneko, who was struggling to get up, Kaito lunged towards her again, like an arrow released.
"Koneko-chan!" Kaito shouted, his eyes gleaming with pure determination to save her. He rushed with incredible speed, using his (Physical Enhancement) skill to its fullest, reaching Koneko in a fraction of a second. He pushed her away from Freed's fatal blow.
And in that moment, when he pushed Koneko away, he didn't have enough time to dodge Freed's counter-attack. Freed's light sword struck Kaito's left shoulder, near his heart. It wasn't a fatal blow, but it was deep. Kaito felt a burning pain spread through his body, and blood flowed from the wound, staining his shirt, and he spat blood from his mouth.
"Kahaha! You fool! You sacrificed yourself for a devil!" Freed shouted with a mad laugh, his eyes gleaming with malice as he watched Kaito stumble back, clutching his injured shoulder. "What a disgusting sight!"
"Yamada-kun!" Asia screamed from behind the wall, her eyes wide with shock and incredible panic, as tears began to gather. Seeing her kind savior injured filled her with terror.
Koneko's golden eyes widened unexpectedly. She had seen everything. How Kaito, a human, had rushed to save her, and how he had taken the blow that was meant for her. She couldn't believe what had happened. He had sacrificed himself for her. An expression of pure shock and astonishment appeared on her face, mixed with a hint of pain and deep gratitude.
"You bothersome scum!" Freed shouted, and began to attack him, targeting his injury.
Kaito defended himself fiercely, dodging and parrying successive attacks with his enhanced physical skills and combat intuition, despite the bleeding pain from his shoulder. He fought with skill beyond that of an ordinary human, astonishing the Fallen Angels (who hadn't yet appeared at this location but were observing remotely from the abandoned church), and raising questions about his identity.
"Kaito-kun!" Koneko murmured, looking at him with wide eyes, a mix of shock and gratitude. She was receiving some slow self-healing, but she was still weak, and her wounds were bleeding.
In that crucial moment, a massive demonic summoning circle began to appear in the middle of the living room, glowing with an intense crimson light. Kaito felt strong, familiar auras approaching with insane speed through it. They had finally arrived!
A powerful crimson light erupted from the circle, and Rias Gremory, Akeno Himejima, Kiba Yuuto, and Issei Hyoudou descended into the house, their auras filling the space. Their expressions were serious, and their eyes held intense anger at seeing this trap, and at seeing Koneko injured, and Kaito fighting beside her.
"What's going on here?!" Rias shouted, her eyes gleaming with destructive power. "Renegade humans! And a faint scent of Fallen Angels in my territory!" Then she looked at the injured Koneko, a mix of concern and anger on her face. "Koneko! What happened to you?"
Koneko rushed towards Rias, leaning on Kaito for a moment, and tried to explain the situation quickly, her words coming out disjointedly due to her pain and anger. "Rias... Buchou... Freed Sellzen... killed the client... and attacked... and Yamada-kun saved me..."
Rias's eyes widened in shock, then her face turned to icy fury. She hadn't expected this loss or Koneko's condition. So, this is what happened. That scoundrel! Her gaze shifted towards Freed Sellzen, and her crimson aura began to spread with terrifying power, filling the room and pressing down on everyone within it.
"Freed Sellzen," Rias said in a low voice, but it carried an underlying threat that made the air freeze. "You have crossed the line. I will not forgive you for what you did to my servant, for harming my family, and for harming my friend!"
Rias began to advance, her intention clear: to eliminate Freed.
"Wait, Rias-san!" Kaito shouted, despite his pain, extending his hand to stop her.
Rias looked at him in surprise, then at his heavily bleeding injured shoulder and felt his pain. "Yamada-kun! You are badly injured! Rest, I will eliminate this madman!"
"No!" Kaito said, his voice steady, his eyes gleaming with harsh determination. "He's mine. You won't kill him."
Rias's eyes widened in even greater shock, then she looked back at Kaito in astonishment. "What are you saying?"
"This scoundrel," Kaito said, looking at Freed Sellzen, who was laughing maniacally, enjoying the confusion he had caused. "He dared to kill an innocent, to harm Koneko, and to try to kill a girl like Asia. And he defeated and injured me. I... I absolutely despise his kind. This type of human who enjoys suffering and pain." His eyes held an anger Rias had never seen before. "And there's also an important urgent system reward for killing Freed Sellzen. I want to eliminate him myself."
Freed began to laugh louder, looking at Kaito with mocking glances. "You fool! You're injured! And believe me, the next time I see you... will be your end!"
Freed took advantage of their moment of hesitation, and before Rias could react, he began to retreat rapidly. He dashed through a broken window and disappeared into the darkness.
"Freed! You coward!" Kaito shouted, burning with rage, but he was too weak to pursue. He clutched his injured shoulder tightly, and more blood flowed.
"I swear this," Kaito said in a low voice, but it carried a cold, dangerous tone none of them had heard before. His eyes gleamed with lethal determination. "The next time I find you, you scoundrel... I will cut you in half."
Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Issei looked at Kaito in astonishment and shock. The hatred and determination in his eyes were real, and frightening, and Koneko kept staring at him; no one knew what she was thinking.
Asia rushed towards Kaito, her eyes filled with tears, her small hands trying to apply pressure to his wound. "Yamada-kun! Your wound... it's bleeding so much! I'm so sorry!"
[Urgent Quest: Rescue and Fortify! - Completed (Mandatory Objective).][Optional Objective: kill Freed Sellzen - Failed.][Optional Reward: Summoning Ticket for a character from All Heavens and Worlds! - Not Obtained.]
Damn it! Kaito thought angrily. I missed out on the prize! But I'll get it... next time.
Asia stepped forward, already beginning to activate her sacred ability (Twilight Healing), a faint green light surrounding her hands. She placed them on Kaito's injured shoulder. The wound slowly began to heal, and the bleeding stopped.
"Amazing healing ability!" Kaito murmured, feigning astonishment.
Then Asia looked at Koneko. "Koneko-san! Aren't you injured too?!" Asia began to heal Koneko as well, who was looking at Asia and Kaito with a mix of confusion and gratitude.
"Yamada-kun," Rias said in a serious voice, after calming down slightly. "Koneko needs complete healing, and this mess here cannot be left like this. We must return to the club. There, you will explain everything that happened tonight."
"I understand, Rias-san," Kaito said, an expression of pain and determination on his face.
The club members returned to their building, accompanied by Asia, Koneko, and Kaito, who still felt a slight ache in his shoulder, but was filled with resolve. Events had changed drastically.