After making Nikuko experience heavenly pleasure multiple times, Light saw a message appear before his retina.

━━━━ ≪?¬ノᆱ ━━━━

[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully completed the task of subduing the older sister of the Chosen of Fortune! As a reward, you have received 300 Destiny Value points.]

━━━━ ≪?¬ノᆱ ━━━━

'It's time to go back,' Light thought.

With a swift gesture, he activated a magic circle and teleported back. As for the reward, the 300 Destiny Value points served as a fair exchange for his efforts.

"You're back..." Rias gave him an intrigued look.

Somehow, she felt a different aura emanating from him, even a peculiar scent she couldn't identify.

"Yes, mission accomplished," said Light.

In the Occult Research Club room, only Rias was present. The other members were likely busy with contracts or in training. Light could sense the distant presence of Koneko and her sister, Kuroka, as if their auras left an ethereal trail in the air.

"I'll be going now, see you later, Rias," said Light, preparing to leave.

"Light—" Rias began, as if wanting to add something. But before she could complete her sentence, he had already vanished from her sight, like a ghost dissolving into the mist.

━━━━ ≪?¬ノᆱ ━━━━

"Going to show yourself, or do I have to drag you out?"

Speaking under the cloak of the starry sky, Light seemed to be engaged in a solitary monologue. However, a shadow began to materialize in the air, approaching him almost imperceptibly.

"So you managed to detect me. Nothing less than I'd expect from the infamous Light Yagami!" The girl's voice sounded cold and cutting, tinged with a mix of respect and disdain. Her eyes shone with an intensity that rivaled the stars above, and the atmosphere seemed to grow denser with her presence.

"Golden Darkness," Light articulated, recognizing his adversary.

"Ah, you know me? That makes things easier," she replied, floating in the air with a pair of white wings. "Light Yagami, I have nothing personal against you. However, I've been hired to eliminate you. So, I ask that you die."

Any trace of emotion vanished from her eyes, making her resemble a machine programmed to fulfill a mission. Her right hand morphed into a sharp blade, and she lunged from the sky toward him.

Light dodged skillfully.

Without wasting time, she redirected her attack, now aiming for his neck. Light raised his index finger, where a small shield materialized instantly. The clash between the blade and the shield sent sparks flying in the night's darkness.

"Not bad, but this is just the beginning." She intensified her attacks, striking with renewed force.

Light, in turn, continued to defend himself skillfully with the small shield, each block resonating like a silent challenge in the night air.

Realizing her previous attacks were insufficient, Golden Darkness transformed her golden hair into several sharp blades and launched a fierce attack against Light.

Dodging nimbly, Light displayed an enigmatic smile and let out a restrained laugh.

"What's so funny?" The question seemed to irritate her, bringing a glimmer of emotion to her previously expressionless eyes.

"Ah, I knew you'd ask," Light replied, still smiling. "It's just that a joke occurred to me. But you wouldn't understand."

Annoyed, she transformed her foot into a spiky iron ball and, with a nimble spin, used gravity to increase both the speed and damage potential of her attack.

"Dawn's Boosted Aegis," murmured Light.

Upon activation, the mechanism manifested as a golden glove that covered Light's wrist up to halfway up his forearm. Pulsating red lines ran along the glove, evoking the characteristics of the Boosted Gear. At the center, an eye-shaped gem glowed with a luminosity reminiscent of the sunrise. When the shield was invoked, a translucent, shimmering barrier emerged from the gem, tinged in shades of gold and red, creating a spectacle of light that seemed to dance like flames.

"Boooom!"

The thunderous sound filled the air as Golden Darkness's transformed foot collided with Light's shield. With a slight effort, Light unbalanced her, forcing her to retreat.

"Light!"

From the sky, Lala descended in a rapid flight toward them.

"Lala?" Light turned to look at her.

"Are you okay?" Lala landed gently beside him.

Minutes earlier, Lacospo had informed her that he had sent Golden Darkness to assassinate Light. Although she knew of Light's strength, Lala couldn't help the worry that overcame her.

Golden Darkness fixed her gaze on Lala and said, "You are Lala Satalin Deviluke, aren't you? The princess of Deviluke, conqueror of the universe. Please do not interfere; he is my target." Her voice was cold but carried a tone of reluctant respect for Lala's royal stature.

Lala, in turn, took a defensive stance. "I can't let you do that! Light is important to me!" Her eyes shone with a mix of determination and innocence.

Light intervened, trying to ease the tension. "Don't worry, Lala, I'm just playing with Eva."

Lala clasped her hands together, looking relieved. "Ah, so that's it!" Whether she truly believed him or not was left open, but her expression seemed lighter.

"How do you know that name?!" Golden Darkness, who had regained her balance, shouted, her repressed emotions finally finding an outlet.

Light just laughed in response, which seemed to further stoke Golden Darkness's fury. "You bastard...!" If before she was focused solely on fulfilling her mission, now she also wanted to extract information from him. An inexplicable sense of dread began to seep into her being.

Lala, oblivious to the rising tension, commented, "Eva? What a cute name~" Her voice was innocent, almost as if she were in a world of her own.

Golden Darkness, now referred to as Eva, seemed uncomfortable with the nickname. "Princess Lala, please don't call me that..." Her voice carried a tone of discomfort, as if the nickname had touched a sensitive chord, adding another layer of complexity to the already tense encounter.

"The codename of this girl is 'Golden Darkness'," announced a distinct-looking woman who was approaching. Her green eyes and reddish-brown hair contrasted with her pink blouse, which subtly revealed the upper part of her bust. The blouse was fastened by a belt at the waist, and she wore a short black skirt and high socks of the same color. Her slender, mature body emanated an aura of sophistication.

Light turned to her: "Mikado-sensei."

"Ah, the school nurse!" Lala also recognized her immediately.

"I better not get involved in this," said Mikado, before walking away.

"Why did she come here?" Lala looked genuinely confused.

Light just laughed in response.

Eva, watching Mikado walk away, turned her attention back to Light. Her golden hair transformed again into weapons, and she lunged at him, shouting, "Light, die!"

Her attacks were easily blocked by Light's shield. Lala positioned herself behind him, clearly concerned.

"Light, does she want to kill you?" Lala asked, more as a statement than a question.

"Nah, she's just a little girl who was deceived by the person who hired her," said Light. "By the way, when a child does something wrong on your planet, how are they punished?"

"Ah, they get spanked on the bottom," Lala replied, making spanking gestures in the air. "Like this, pa, pa~!"

"Oh? That sounds interesting..." Light cast a penetrating glance at Eva, who seemed to shudder slightly.

Eva stopped and questioned, "Why don't you counter-attack, Light Yagami? I've heard you're not the type to go easy on a female opponent."

Light laughed and looked at Lala. "See, Lala? She was completely deceived by the person who hired her, but I bet one yen that she'll still want to attack me. Do you know why?"

Lala, hearing Light's question, tilted her head and said, "Maybe because she still doesn't understand that she's being manipulated? Or maybe she's too proud to admit she was wrong?" Her voice carried a tone of curiosity mixed with a dash of concern, as if she were trying to decipher a complex puzzle.

"Yes, pride," Light agreed. "As much as she hates the idea of being an assassin, there's a part of her that also doesn't hate it. Isn't it paradoxical?"

"What do you think you know about me, Light Yagami?" Eva retorted, her voice tinged with indignation. "You speak as if you know me, but what do you really know about my past, about the loneliness of living in this universe?"

"What do I know?" Light sketched an enigmatic smile, his eyes taking on a sudden coldness. "I know far more than you think, little girl."

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her. "Let me tell you a story, little Eva," Light began, his voice low and measured. "Once upon a time, there was a man who was raised to be a weapon by a certain country."

As he skillfully dodged Eva's attacks, he continued, "The man's earliest memories date back to when he was between 3 and 4 years old. At that time, he had to defeat other children his age, or he would be killed. And even after winning, he was subjected to experiments to further turn him into a biological weapon."

"Why are you talking about this? Stop!" Eva interrupted, visibly disturbed. Her own story began to resurface in her mind. Although she hadn't competed with other children, she too had been raised to be a biological weapon and subjected to numerous experiments.

"This man saw the other children who lost being killed in horrific ways. It was a warning: if you lose, this will be your fate," Light continued, unfazed. "So the man, or rather, the little boy at the time, persevered. After overcoming numerous challenges and climbing mountains of corpses to survive, he was deemed fit. At 12, he received his first mission: to exterminate an entire family because the husband was suspected of being a spy."

"Why are you telling me this?" Eva intensified her attacks, her blade cutting through the air with renewed strength and agility.

The sound of Light's shield repelling each strike reverberated in the quiet of the night, like a sinister accompaniment to the story he had just told.

Light went on, ignoring Eva's question: "After that mission, he felt terrible, of course. After all, although the man of the house was a suspect, his family was innocent. But he had to complete the mission; he was raised for it. And this pattern repeated several times, always justified by superiors as being for the 'greater good.' At some point, he even began to believe he was making a difference for his country. He saw himself as a sort of dark hero."

"Stop talking and attack me, Light Yagami!" Eva transformed her foot into a giant hammer and spun, increasing the speed and force of her attack.

"Booom!"

Defending himself with his shield, Light continued, his voice tinged with coldness: "Then, more than 30 years later, something unforgivable happened. The organization betrayed the man. They allowed the person he loved most to be subjected to indescribable torture, all because of a corrupt minister."

"Shut up!" Eva attacked again, her blade cutting through the air with renewed fury.

Light continued to defend himself and went on: "Little Fifteen, a young girl who, like him, was raised to be a weapon, was abandoned when she needed protection the most. Enraged, the man massacred hundreds of people in a certain country, whether they were innocent civilians or not. Of course, he ended up being hunted by the organization, but he had no regrets. His only regret was not being able to save Little Fifteen in time..."

"What does this man have to do with you or me? Why are you telling me all this?" Eva questioned, her voice laden with confusion and growing despair.

"It has everything to do with it, Eva," Light replied. "Because that man was me; the number one assassin of the Phoenix Organization, codenamed Felix. So don't tell me I don't understand. I understand perfectly what you've been through. But the difference is, you still have a choice, Eva."

"What choice do I have? You really went through all this? How is it possible? You're only 16 years old!" Eva was stunned. Then she remembered the voice she occasionally heard in her mind. 'Did he really have a past life?'

"In my past life," Light admitted for the first time, leaving uncertainty hanging in the air about his true intentions for revealing this story.

"You expect me to believe that?" Eva questioned, her voice tinged with incredulity and perhaps, just perhaps, a touch of hope.

"You don't have to believe it if you don't want to," Light replied, extending his wings that glowed in a halo of light behind him. "But listen well: Eva, be mine. Stop being an assassin. You have the capacity to change, and I can offer you a place where you can shine, where you no longer have to live as you do now. So, I say: Eva, become one of my Zodiac Goddesses. Reincarnate and have a new chance, a second life, just as I had. You don't have to forget who you were, but you also don't have to continue being that person. What do you say, Eva? Will you follow me?"

"Y... I-I..." For a moment, Eva almost agreed immediately. Something in his words, or perhaps some inexplicable factor, nearly made her say yes. But then she hesitated, frightened by the speed of her own thought.

"Eva, be like us! Light is amazing, and you also get pretty wings, look!" Lala interjected enthusiastically. Until that moment, she hadn't fully understood what was going on, but upon hearing Light invite Eva to join his Zodiac, the pieces clicked into place. Although surprised by the revelation about Light's past life, Lala wasn't the type to dwell on such details.

Watching Lala float with a pair of wings similar to Light's but adorned with ribbons of light in shades of blue, white, and even a touch of pink, Eva began to understand Light's proposal. She had heard about the reincarnation of Devils, but what he was offering seemed to be something different, something unique, evidenced even by the uniqueness of the wings.

Before attacking Light, she had studied a bit about this planet. She knew it was a world filled with powerful and diverse beings. And now, faced with this unexpected offer, she found herself pondering possibilities she had never considered before.

Light felt he was on the verge of persuading her. Each word that came out of his mouth had weight, an intent. His special ability, "Sincere Truth Manipulation," became more effective as he spoke, especially if his words were genuine. He was almost there, almost getting her to believe him.

Just at that critical moment, the sound of engines broke the silence, and a spaceship appeared, breaking the magical barrier that Amon had erected to keep ordinary humans at a distance. The ship hovered above them, and from an embedded sound system, a shrill and annoying voice resounded.

"What are you doing, Golden Darkness?! Why are you taking so long to eliminate a mere Earthling?"

Suddenly, a beam of light descended from the ship, touching the ground. From this brightness emerged an alien figure resembling a frog. His skin was green, his lips purple, and his ears pointed. He was dressed extravagantly, with a blue top adorned by a symbol that could very well be the crest of his home planet. A red cape floated behind him, rings adorned each of his fingers, and a green hat with a turquoise stone completed the ensemble.

"Ta-dahh! Lacospo has arrived for a visit!" He announced, displaying a grotesque smile and bulging eyes.

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