Life 6: The Devil's Other Work

As Noé was returning home, knowing what was coming once he returned, he made sure to shoot Tsuno a text along the way. And he wasn't at all surprised when he entered the house to find his friend already present and reclined on the couch, fingers tapping away on a controller as the TV blared with the sounds of an FPS the blonde was playing.

"First thing you do when we got a job is start a game?" Noé noted, Tsuno nodding as he didn't dare pry his eyes from the screen. "Well… least you came prepared."

"'Course! The threads you old man made for this kinda thing are stylish as hell anyway," Tsuno chuckled as he raised an arm up to accentuate the dark yellow jacket he was wearing. "I'll just be here while ya' put your things up."

"Just be done by the time I'm back."

"It takes you like a minute anyway!"

Tsuno chuckled as Noé vanished up the stairwell, letting out a few curses as he turned his full attention back to his game. When Noé came back down, he was now wearing a red jacket with a fur lined collar and cuffs, a dark shirt and pants beneath it with a chain hooked to the belt loops of the pants, and sturdy, heavy looking red and black shoes. With a nod of his head, Tsuno shut the console off and tossed the controller aside, both boys heading to the "office" door and striding in, finding Van, as usual, at his desk pouring over some documents.

"Hope we're not late!" Tsuno cheered, Van looking up as the teenagers entered.

"On time as usual actually," Van remarked. "As you would have guessed by now, we've got a new Stray to hunt down… or rather, two of them."

"Two?" said Noé, "I mean not like we haven't had to take down more than one before, but two together is still an oddity. Most Strays who get hits put on them tend to be pretty territorial."

"Apparently these ones decided they were better off sharing," Van stated, "Their names are Rev and Lear… oddly Shakespearean choice that last one. Let's see… ah, these two sticking together actually makes sense. They're runaways from the same Peerage and… oh, actual criminals in this case, having murdered their master before running off. And from the info we got… seems they've fully degenerated as well. No saving these ones it seems."

"Can't be helped," Tsuno hummed, picking at his fingernails. "Sometimes Devils just take it too far even for them, and it twists them entirely."

"Standing right here," Noé bit, Tsuno chuckling. "So that's it? Just a simple smash-and-grab?"

"Well… mostly," Van's state got a raise of the brow from both boys. "We'll also be accompanied by some others… you're newfound friends, Noé."

"Gremory's lot?!" Noé snapped, Van nodding. "Why are they coming along to one of our jobs?!"

"Zeoticus figured it would be a good experience for you and Rias both," Van clarified, Noé grumbling. "She has a Peerage, so can walk you through one's basic structure and how they work in a fight. Meanwhile, you and Tsuno can show that lot what you're capable of. Both sides benefit."

"Hey as long as I get to smash something's face tonight, I'm all good!" Tsuno stated, leaning into Van's view.

"Ugh, seriously? Can't even get a normal job without them being involved now?" Noé muttered, glancing at Van as the sorcerer gained a stern gaze. "Hagh, fine… but they better not get in my way. I don't like having to play pick-up for people who can't keep up with me."

"My my, Noé, from here you're sounding quite sure of yourself!" Noé cursed under his breath as Rias's familiar lilt hit his ears, turning to see the crimson haired girl and her group arriving. To his own confusion they were also in their school uniforms of all things. "We come all the way to this workshop and that's the first thing we hear?"

"Well it's true," Noé bit back, shutting an eye. "Slow me down, and I ain't gonna bother making sure someone keeps up. Not my style."

"My, quite sadistic of you," Akeno mused, then she turned to Van, "Also, please pardon our interruption, Sir Edelweiss. Please don't worry about Noé either, his rough attitude is actually somewhat amusing at times."

"I certainly hope we won't get in Noé's way," Yuuto mused, Noé shooting him an unpleased glance as the princely boy didn't waver at all from his pleasant demeanor. "Though I must admit I'm interested in seeing how the current Red Dragon Emperor performs more than anything."

"Don't get in our way either," Koneko stated, Rias chuckling at the quiet girl's addition.

"I do hope we can consider this a proper exchange of methods, however we feel about it," Rias stated, stepping over to Van, "I know it was a request of my father, but I do have to thank you for allowing us to join you. The full reward will be going to you, of course."

"Zeo is being generous as ever," Rias's eyes widened at Van's usage of shorthand in addressing her father. The man rose, stepping to the side of the room, "Let's not waste any more time on chatter than. I already have a passage to where the two Strays are hiding ready to go, so let's be quick."

Van stepped in front of the magic circle carved into a segment of the wall, running his hands along it's runic markings as he chanted under his breath. With a quick swipe that lit the circle up, the light then bent into itself as if forming a tunnel, then opening into an open passage that led outdoors, the rush of fresh, pine-scented air rushing into the office. Van waved ahead as he went through first, the teenagers following him in. What greeted them on the other side of the portal were the gates of an old mansion, rusted and creaking in the night air.

Towering thus over the walls was one of several old mansions Noé recalled being dotted around Kuoh Town. It wasn't unusual to find such properties across the nation, usually they were relics of previous era's westernization that were now left to rot as their purpose was long since served, but with nothing to be done about the land they were on either. The perfect place to hide for a supernatural entity.

"How about we have a refresher before we begin?" Van turned to the group, looking to Noé, "Noé, mind explaining the basics on a Stray Devil?"

"Really?" Noé sighed, putting his arms behind his head. "Stray Devils are Reincarnated Devils who used to belong to Peerages. For one reason or another, they ended up leaving. Common reasons are running away, murdering another member of the Peerage, or being cast out by their Master for not satisfying their demands. They usually have their Evil Pieces stripped from them if they were forcefully banished, but those ones are actually rare."

"And, what happens to a Reincarnated Devil whose Evil Piece has become disconnected from its King?" Van asked, pointing to Tsuno as the blonde raised a hand. "Tsuno."

"Strays like that usually begin to degenerate since their powers start running wild," said the boy, "If it goes too far then there's no going back, at which point the Devil is more of a monster than a sentient being anymore. They may still talk and think, but they're far from rational. As such, it's basic policy to put them down on the spot."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Despite the claims, plenty of Strays abandon their Masters for understandable reasons," Noé stated, Rias's eyes shifting to him. "Considering how Devils are by nature, most Reincarnations would understandably be dealing with some… clashing morals I guess we can say. A lot of runaways are just people trying to get out of a bad deal they either didn't know everything about or got tricked into… not every Devil plays nice when making their Peerage."

"… well, I can't deny that," Rias admitted, Noé only giving a hum.

"Though those ones usually get gathered up by the Association before they can be caught," he added, Rias's gaze returning to him. "Those people do call themselves 'where the wayward gather' after all. No better place to go if you want out of something shitty and wanna keep under the radar."

"You made the point," Rias muttered, Noé turning a finger in an ear. "Ahem. I'm actually quite impressed. You two clearly know your stuff regarding Strays. But tell me, Noé, do you actually know the particulars of how Evil Pieces work?"

"Never had a reason to care," Noé hummed, "And I am positive you would love to enlighten me, wouldn't you?"

"Well, we can save that explanation for after we find out targets, don't you think?" Rias mused, Noé rolling his eyes. "We shall follow you, Sir Edelweiss."

"Then let's get to work," Van turned, throwing the gates wide with a quick pull, "Be sure to be cautious, the space is gonna be tight while we look for the Strays."

The interior of the mansion was no better than its exterior in terms of the shabby state of it. Walls beginning to be more mold than anything from years of water damage, rotting wood that threatened to give out under every step, and various degrees of damage across the walls and ceiling. And a pungent, thick stench of blood seemingly baked into the air itself. It fit what Noé would categorize as the usual abode of a Stray Devil.

"Well, they've certainly made the place home," Yuuto noted, pinching his nose as he spoke. "Never a pleasant smell huh?"

"Eh, I'm used to it," Tsuno remarked, taking a deep sniff, then letting out an excited chuckle as his pupils narrowed into slits, and fangs had become quite visible in his mouth, "Gets the old instincts fired up!"

"… he's not human?" Koneko said.

"You seriously expect me to have a normal friend who comes along on shit like this?" Noé said, the short girl humming. "Let's just say when we're out, Tsuno uses a fair bit more of a complicated glamour than I do."

"I wear the beanie for a reason," Tsuno snickered, tugging at the black item on his head. "You'll see soon enough."

"On topic…" Rias spoke up, "What information do you have on our targets?"

"Aside from being runaways from the same Peerage, I also know what Pieces they had," Van stated, "Rev was a bishop, so expect decent skills with magic. Lear is a Rook, so they'll be strong and tough to physical hits."

"Hmm, I see…" Rias gave a thoughtful hum, then turning to the others as they stopped their procession. "Then how about this? Noé, Tsuno, you two can handle the Rook. I'm already aware Noé is a proficient melee fighter… and from your aura, Tsuno, I can tell you also like being in the front of things."

"And instead, you crack at the spellcaster?" Tsuno asked, shrugging. "Fine by me, if that's more your speed."

"No reason to argue. Wouldn't be fun if they couldn't take a hit anyway," Noé said as he stretched his arms, his fingers popping in a quick motion as he loosened up. "Alright, the Bishop is yours, so have fun with 'em… whenever we find them. Or…" Noé looked to the side, "They find us. We may wanna duck."

As they did so, one of the walls suddenly burst apart in a torrent of ice shards that filled the room like shrapnel. Noé's senses fired off as a shape emerged from the sudden mist made by the ice storm, shooting up alongside Koneko in that moment, both of their fists colliding with the shape charging at them. Whatever it was went flying into the opposite wall, more of the already damaged walls crumbling around it as it hit the floor. A second shape then became visible within the mist as the first one rose back up.

What faced the two were hardly human in form, not anymore at least. The one that Noé and Koneko had sent flying was a horrid, bipedal combination of lion-like and crocodilian features, while the second was sleeker, bird-like in shape but again bearing reptilian traits as well, giving its twisted, wing-like arms an odd shape to them, while feathers were also dusted with layers of ice as well.

"Seems we don't have to wait long," Van noted, rising first as the Strays let out hissing, clicking growls at them, "Not far enough gone to avoid planning, and even laying an ambush… you two must have known we were here already."

"Hahaha, obviously, human," the larger of the two growled, his voice a low grumble through his maw. "Walking into one's domain is often foolish."

"Well I'm certainly glad you're willing to talk," Rias mused. "I can assume you also know why we're here."

"The damned Marquis…" the bird-like Stray hissed, the clicking tone just betraying a woman in sound. "We figured… This backwater town would be excellent to remain in… who'd have thought… it was overseen by the Gremory of all clans?"

"Gremory and Sitri," Rias clarified, "Despite being 'backwater', this town has adequate protection. So, on the orders of Marquis Gremory, the two of you are to be put down for the crime of the murder of your Master."

"And what do you know, girl?!" Howled the larger Stray, likely Lear, "You know nothing of what we experienced under that fiend! He deserved the death we doled out to him!"

"Though… we can admit the pain we inflicted was most delicious… keheheheee…" Laughed the bird, Rev no doubt. "His terrified look on realizing his death was worth all of the trouble?"

"Worth twisting yourselves into actual monsters apparently," Noé snarked, smirking as the Strays shot him glares. "Just doesn't seem like a good trade is all. I'd sure as hell hate to lose this pretty face all 'cause I got pissed off enough to kill the guy I was working under."

"Cheeky," Lear growled, "Let's see how that face looks after we're done!"

"Let's take this easy, why not?" With a snap of Van's fingers, the charge Lear set himself into stalled, black walls shooting up around the Stray before enclosing him into them, like a flat cube of existence itself. Dull thuds could be heard from within, Van shaking his head. "Unfortunately, that barrier isn't going to be so easy to get out of. Gremory, you handle yours; we'll watch."

"Is this some kind of game to you?!" Rev shouted, Van nodding as he, Noé, and Tsuno approached the sealed box. "Bastards!"

"Try saying that when you're not the ones guilty of wanton murder," Rias stated, turning to the Stray, "There's a lot more blood than just your master's on your hands… this place wouldn't be so retched if it wasn't. A shame, really… humans should honestly be left out of the affairs of Devils lest we intend to Reincarnate them or make a contract… now you'll pay the price for that flagrant defiance! Ready everyone?"

"Yes, President!" The other three gave ready affirmatives, all four moving out of the way as Rev sent more shards of ice flying their way.

"So, how about it, Noé, ready for that lesson?" Rias shouted, her wings out as she lifted back through the air. "Since it seems appropriate, how about we go in order? Yuuto, my Knight! You get first pickings!"

"With pleasure!" Yuuto drew the sword at his hip, dashing forward through the storm of ice. Noé let out a hum as the blonde seemingly vanished, reappearing, and then doing so again as he closed the gap with the stray. When Rev took a swing at him with one of her talon marked wings, he sped away again, his sword flashing through the air and taking the wing with it. He was also sure to get a few more cuts in before dashing out as spikes of ice exploded around the furious Stray.

"Knight huh… considering Evil Pieces are themed on Chess… a knight's bit is odd movement," Noé remarked, Rias nodding as he caught on.

"Indeed," Said the girl, "Knights like Yuuto are granted the gift of incredible speed and agility. And as is clear, Yuuto is quite the swordsman, though Knights vary in their choice of fighting style."

"This is how the Gremory's engage in combat?!" Rev roared, "To give a lecture to some bystander?!"

"To be fair you're not exactly making it hard to get unfocused!" Tsuno called out, angling his head to the side when an ice spike was sent flying his way. "Feisty!"

"Koneko, you're turn," Rias said, the short girl nodding as she tapped her gloved fists together. "Koneko, like our trapped foe over there, is a Rook. Their trait is, as said…"

"You send a little girl to face me?" Rev cawed, her laugh following the same trend as Koneko approached her calmly. "How insulting, Gremory child! That you would…"

"Just shut it," Koneko deadpanned, her first flying forward and slamming into the Stray's gullet, sending the creature sailing back into the wall with blood and bile spewing from her fanged beak. "You talk too much."

"Is strength and powerful defenses," Rias concluded, "Despite being a Bishop, this one's spells wouldn't have a hope of even scratching Koneko. I did honestly hope for more of a challenge. Akeno, would you finish this one?"

"With pleasure," Akeno chuckled, lightning sparking around her hands as she then blasted a wave of ice away in an instant, "Oh my, how rude! Rias does need to finish her explanation to our cute provisional… So how about you remain quiet?"

With a boom like thunder, Akeno cast her hands forward, lightning blasting from her palms and colliding with Rev. The Stray screeched as her body spasmed from the stream of electricity coursing through it, Akeno's soft, yet rather sadistic chuckles following as the blast ended, only to be followed by another. And another. And another.

"Akeno is my Queen," Rias said, glancing at Noé as Akeno continued her 'task', "And as such she is my strongest Piece. The Queen provides its holder with the benefits of all other Pieces as one. As such, the choice of Queen is a rather important one for the King. You need to be sure not to waste it. Akeno took it quite well. And…" Rias spared a glance to the now rather crispy looking Rev as Akeno loosed one more blast of lightning. "She's also quite the sadist."

"Hm, I can dig it," Noé remarked, Rias looking at him with eyes fluttering in surprise, "Don't think anything too funny. I'm not an M… but, I can roll with hot and kinky."

"My my, quite the flatterer, aren't you?" Akeno mused, and one could almost feel how excited she was as she stepped away from the spasming Rev, "She's yours to finish, President."

"Thank you," Rias nodded as she stepped over to the Stray, looking down at her with a slightly disappointed look, "Anything to say for yourself, o' Stray Bishop?"

"Just… end me…" growled Rev.

"Happily."

Rias's right hand sparked with an inky, vanta-black energy as she raised it towards Rev. The blast that she loosed coated the Stray in an instant, bursting through the air, leaving nothing but a pile of ash where the Stray had been. And within that pile, a dull-grey Bishop chess piece was spotted. Rias picked the piece up, rolling it in her hand.

"Normally, an Evil Piece would return to its master once the host is dead, but…" Rias sighed as she turned the piece over a few more times, "In this case I will need to have it returned by other means. I may as well explain the remaining ones. Bishops, again as already noted, gain increased ability for Demonic magic. And then there's Pawns, the weakest pieces yet also the ones with the most potential."

"Promotion," Noé stated, Rias nodding. "Makes sense… get into enemy territory, and then swap in for one of the other Pieces… and by that of course it would ideally be Queen."

"Indeed," Rias mused. "Though sometimes when Reincarnation occurs, one may need to use more than one Piece to get the job done. It can vary case by case. It's actually not uncommon for a Pawn to have 2 Pieces used on them, for example."

"I see…" Noé hummed. He then stepped away from the black cube behind him, the Boosted Gear flashing into form on his arms. The thudding still hadn't stopped the whole time. "Now I'd say it's our turn. Tsuno, ready?"

"Of course I am!" Tsuno chuckled as he pulled his beanie off. As the rest of his golden hair came free, what the article was truly hiding was made apparent: A pair of sharp, slender horns rising from the boy's forehead, deep red in tone as they peeked through the strands of gold. "Ah, finally gettin' to let the puppies out again. Not fun keeping them out of view all the damn time."

"How unexpected," Rias hummed. "I didn't think your friend was an Oni of all things… and clearly not some minor one either."

"Hahaha! Oh trust me, if I told you who the Oni blood comes from, you'd flip!" Tsuno cackled. "But that ain't important right now. Let's just get to fighting! Get out here, Golden Eater!"

In a flash of lightning of his own, in Tsuno's hand formed a sword the same size as himself. It's wide blade was dark black and edged by gold, the very edge more like a serrated chainsaw than a proper sword, not to mention the secondary, shorter handle further up the wicked looking blade's flat. Noé had remarked when he'd first seen the weapon it was all too fitting for an Oni, a claim Tsuno was happy to oblige by.

"Alright, it's coming down," Van snapped his fingers, the boys shooting back as the barrier shattered, the next punch Lear was throwing whiffing through the air before him. The Stray took a moment to take in his surroundings, his eyes falling on the ashen smear that used to be his companion. And once it sunk in, he loosed a furious roar before charging forward, Noé stopping the charge dead with a left hook, holding the Stray in place and only skidding back a few feet.

"Damn you lot! Is taking your own freedom such a crime?!" Lear bellowed, Noé already cocking back his right fist.

"Not when you end up taking innocent lives," He stated, the gauntlet glowing in response to another Boost. "So shut up and take the beating!"

Noé's cocked back fist shot forward, slamming into Lear's head like a bullet. The Stray was sent rocketing back, slamming through the wall and to the room beyond. As the gauntlet hissed with a stream of steam, Tsuno leaped through the new hole, his sword revving as he grabbed the secondary handle.

As Lear was rising back up, he threw a fist for the incoming Oni, Tsuno slamming the revving up sword onto said fist. Lear screamed as his fist was torn into, blood spraying across the floor as the chain-blade ripped through flesh and bone in brutal fashion. Tsuno ripped the sword free with a hard swing, the Stray retreating as his now limp arm dragged across the floor, smearing the carpet in dark blood all the while.

"Y'know…" next the Stray knew, Noé was now atop his back, flicking through his phone as he set some headphones into place. "You were talking a lot of mad shit. Though it seems you're not that tough."

"Try saying that once you're a smear on the ground!" Lear threw his fist up, twisting it around to try and hit Noé… only for him to casually use his free hand to block the punch, still scrolling through his phone. "Are you trying to mock me right now?"

"Yeap," Noé nodded. "Now what would be a good track… ah, this one! Some Aranda wouldn't hurt for an asskicking."

"Just don't leave me out if you're getting into gear!" Tsuno called out, picking some bits of flesh and bone off of his sword.

"I'll leave some for you," Noé chuckled, pocketing his phone and recalling the Boosted Gear. As the gauntlets reformed, he dug the claws of his left hand into the first he was holding. With a wrench of his arm, he ended up carrying Lear around into the air, rolling the massive foe around and slamming him into the floor, leaving a crater as the Stray coughed out blood.

"Damn you!" A ball of dark energy gathered at Lear's mouth, loosing as a direct beam that hit Noé dead on, rocketing up and to the ceiling. Lear smirked through his bloodied maw as the dust caked the air. "How's about that you prick?!"

"Not bad!" Lear's eyes widened as the dust cleared, revealing Noé, standing on the ceiling, a glow at his feet as he looked down at the Stray while shaking an arm. "I actually kinda felt that one!"

"The hell…" Lear growled as he rolled back upright, snarling at Noé as he dropped from the ceiling with a flip, landing in a crouch with his gauntlets starting to glow. "I thought there was a messy scent mixed in here… you're no typical Devil."

"Half-Devil, to be precise," Noé snickered, the air ringing with a clang as he slammed his gauntlets together, "Which is why I've got this little thing… but, no point talking!"

"So there isn't!"

Both rushed forward with fists ready. The two blows collided with one another at full force, the air whirling from the collision of the hits. There was a brief pause, then Lear reared back as his arm burst in a swirl of bloody marks, stumbling away as he roared. And matching the furious roar, a continuous beam of dark power raked across the hall, Noé jumping away as the beam carved across the floor and to the ceiling with reckless abandon. When the beam rushed towards him, Tsuno used his blade to block it, the shot bouncing off of the flat as it finally began to dissipate.

With a nod from Noé, the Oni launched into the air, the blade revving hot as he came down. Lear swung his limp arm upwards like a whip, snarling through the blow as the blade collided with the limb. Tsuno's already wild grin widened even further as the blade went deeper this time, severing the limb as Lear tried to whip him about. With an excited yell, Tsuno rolled in the air as lightning sparked around the blade, raking it down the Stray's side. And with a roaring boom, the Stray was shot through the wall in a massive bolt of lightning.

"Hahahaaa!" Tsuno cackled, licking off some of the blood that had gotten on his face as he and Noé approached the newly made hole leading outside. "That seriously all you've got?! Aren't Rooks supposed to be tough? That hide barely held up to my Golden Eater a bit! Laaaaame!"

"Then I take it you're bored now?" Noé hummed, batting aside a dark ball with a quick swipe of a hand.

"Peh, it's no fun when they can barely put up a fit," Tsuno crouched and set his sword across his shoulder, looking down at the snarling Lear with a gaze totally lacking the bloodlust from before, only apathetic boredom now. "He could at least do something like, I'unno, degrade further and turn into something bigger!"

"Don't jinx it…"

As if the universe wanted to spite Noé, a booming roar from Lear drew their attention. The dark energy gathered around the Stray grew in intensity, his body bulging and warping. With another roar, the energy coating Lear's body burst away, revealing his form further enlarged and warped, his wounds quite inconveniently healed as his now scale covered arms slammed into the ground, a barbed tail lashing the girl of the yard as pure red eyes glare up at the two hunters.

"Well shit…" Noé sighed, and Tsuno stood straight as the excitement came back to his eyes. "Let's make this quick! Ddraig, release!"

[EXPLOSION!]

Noé's aura surged as he shot from the hole in the wall, streaking through the air and colliding right into Lear as the Stray threw a boulder sized fist forward. Noé's arm suddenly courses in that dark energy again as he swung, the air sparking with flecks of crimson as his and Lear's fists met once more. The Stray roared as those sparks of dark crimson flashed across his arm. His second arm came down like a hammer, Tsuno meeting that one head on. His sword landed clean, the chain-blade sparking against the scales instead of quickly cutting into it. The Oni flashed a smirk as Lear's swing didn't stop, slamming right into the ground at full speed, yet sparks still flew within the dust, showing Tsuno had planted himself right into the crater feet first.

"Now that's more like it!" The Oni cackled.

"Keep him right there!" Noé shouted, Tsuno obliged by shifting Lear's arm to the side, spinning the blade around and smashing it right through the scales as electricity flew from the blade.

Noé slid under Lear's tail as it swiped at him, shifting his right arm as the gauntlet adjusted. Panels shifted slightly, emerald light flaring and then forming into a blade that extended from above the hand. With a push from his left hand, Noé shot up, the energy blade colliding with the center of the tail, the thick scales coating it heaving under the blow.

Wrapping his left arm around the tail as tightly as he could as he carried into the air, Noé attempted to lift the Stray upwards, yet he stayed firmly in place as he dug the claws of one hand into the dirt, and his feet even further in. So all Noé got was the tail starting to lash about as Lear attempted to throw him off, violently so as the tail swung up and down, side to side, slamming into the ground over and over trying to either smash the one clinging to it or send him flying into the woods.

"Alright, guess screwing around is done!" Noé growled, raising his right gauntlet up. The blade flashed as it extended, sparks of crimson flashing across it as he drove it down. The blade of energy cut into the scales, severing the tail and sending dark blood flying as Noé was sent sailing through the air as Lear roared in pain. Flipping around, Noé landed on a tree and launched himself from the trunk, the arm-blade flashing once more as Lear turned towards him.

A blast of dark energy shot from the Stray Devil's maw, colliding with Noé's projected blade, stopping him in his tracks as the burst was sustained.

"Tsuno!" Noé extended his left hand, the Oni rushing over. And as the two clapped hands as if one were tagging the other in, the Boosted Gear gleamed…

[TRANSFER!]

The surge that had at first been used for Noé passed along, Tsuno's aura bursting upwards as he shot down the length of Lear's sustained beam, lightning trailing his feet as he sprinted ahead. His blade revved once more, sailing for Lear's neck and connecting as golden sparks of lightning arced from it. With a roar from the Oni, the blade was sent flying true, severing the Stray's head from its neck in a flash of gold.

"Ahhh, about time it actually got a bit interesting!" Tsuno cackled as he stood atop the corpse of the Stray as it collapsed to the ground, sticking his sword into the dead flesh as Noé approached. "Was the power-up necessary though?"

"Consider it insurance to make sure we killed it quickly," As Noé reached the corpse, he laid a hand on the still warm flesh. A silver magic circle of his own formed at his palm, and as his drew his hand back, a dull-white rook piece drew out from the body, dropping into Noé's palm. He turned around, spotting Rias and company standing at the hole in the mansion, looking various degrees of impressed at the display as Van approached from behind them. "So? What'd you think about that one, Princess?"

"Well, if one would call you a failure at one part of a Devil's job…" Rias only chuckled when Noé raised both of his middle fingers at her. "When it comes to this one, I would say you're exemplary. Excellent job. Seeing the Red Dragon Emperor in action was quite the treat."

"Well lookit that, she actually complimented ya'!" Tsuno chuckled, Noé rolling his eyes at the Oni.

This part, at the least. Noé thought. This part is easy enough for me to handle as is. But… knowing my luck, something might be around the corner that might make this more complicated. For a moment, Noé's mind drew back to that priestess he had met the other day. Asia, the girl with a Sacred Gear. He still wondered why it was this of all places a girl with such a valuable item would be sent to. No matter how he'd thought about it since, it didn't make any sense.

And when things didn't make sense… Well, Noé knew from experience it was best to trust his gut things tended not to be right in such cases. But he supposed allowing things to play out as they were was the best course.

For now.