– Mizuki –

Calmly glancing at the five Fallen Angels surrounding her and Asia, Mizuki's eyes narrowed in annoyance, protecting the cowering nun behind her. What a pain in the ass, can't do shit without something going south. She hated this shitty town already.

Well, at least she was prepared for this. She knew they were going to attack eventually, and aside from Kokabiel and other cadres, Mizuki was pretty confident in her abilities to beat the hell out of them. They weren't that powerful.

They had to do an attack in the middle of town, which was pretty annoying, especially considering how people were all watching and recording this. Though, in all fairness, why should they care about collateral when their main goal was starting a damned war? Whatever, she needed to deal with them now. While making sure nobody was hurt.

"What's this? Some kind of cosplay act?"

"In the middle of the streets?"

"Why are they ganging up on two girls?"

"Should we call the police?"

"Damn, those wings look realistic as fuck."

Pain.

"You don't really have to do this, you know," Mizuki said, trying to convince them. "Just drop it. Go home. This isn't worth dying for."

Some hesitated, but their resolve and/or loyalty to Kokabiel was stronger than their clear desire not to fight. One tightened his grip on his light spear before charging at Mizuki, thrusting at her.

Mizuki sighed and side-stepped, grabbing the spear and elbowing the guy in the face, breaking the helmet instantly. With two quick blows, Mizuki used her ki and hit two pressure points in his chest before she swept him off his legs with a kick and slammed his head to the ground, knocking him out.

"Holy shit!"

"Dude, you saw how she moved?!"

"Are you sure this is some kind of play?"

That moment of hesitance was clear. They were forced to do this, so Mizuki had no reason to kill them. Not like she was going to anyway. Killing was the last thing she wanted to do. Having them suffer the consequences under Azazel was honestly a lot better. And they weren't devils, so she didn't feel as strong of an urge.

Kill them. A voice in her head whispered. Kill them now.

Ah, never mind. There it was.

Mizuki ignored it as she glared at the rest.

"Don't listen to whatever Kokabiel is telling you." Mizuki tried again. "Don't you have families to go back to?"

Once again, they hesitated but their will wasn't broken. Two more charged at the former Amon Agent, a male with swords and a female with a great axe. Mizuki's gaze sharpened as she pushed Asia out of the way, using an open palm to strike the former in the chest before twirling and kicking the latter's weapon out of her hand.

Mizuki moved quickly and circled around the female Fallen Angel, grabbing her by the arm and forcefully dislocating her shoulder, striking a pressure point in her side in the next instant. The woman fell to the ground, out cold.

What are you doing? Kill them. Embrace who you really are.

The other one finally recovered as the remaining two moved in to attack. Mizuki used her magic to cast arm guards and used them to block the swing of a sword as she responded with a brutal kick to the Fallen Angel's nuts, before rendering him unconscious with an uppercut.

They're enemies. They deserve to die. That's how the world works, and you know that.

The last two reached her at the same time, but Mizuki was ready for them. She backhanded the one behind her, making sure to hold back so he wasn't sent flying at the dumb fucking audience around them, then crouched beneath a horizontal slash, charging up her Touki and one-inch punching him in the chest, instantly knocking him out.

…What a weakling. The voice got louder, but Mizuki learned to live with it ages ago. You're a coward.

It could cry and whine all it wanted. She would never give in to those disgusting desires.

Act otherwise all you want. You will always be a remorseless killer. A monster.

There's no point in ignoring what you desire.

Kill them.

Mizuki would not kill without purpose ever again.

The one behind her couldn't even recover fast enough before Mizuki took him by the collar and slammed him against the ground, hitting him hard in the chest. This little 'play' caused the watchers to all cheer and clap for the show.

There, all of them are unconscious. Now to wait for the Majima Family to deal with this.

"Woah, you go, girl!"

"That was epic!"

"Goddamn, she looked like she barely even tried!"

Mizuki had half of a mind to tell them to fuck right off.

"Are you okay?" Asia asked in concern.

"Please, this was too easy." Mizuki responded with bravado. "I used to beat up all kinds of thugs back then, you kno–"

"Soft."

Mizuki froze, a horrible chill going down her spine as she instantly recognized the voice. Cold sweat ran down her face as she slowly turned around, watching the current leader of the Amon Clan standing in the middle of the crowd and staring at her directly.

"So soft." He repeated. "I almost didn't recognize you."

Mizuki's heart was pounding as she got in front of Asia, looking at her brother with a mixture of fear and anger. She couldn't hear anything else, not Asia's words of concern, nor the chatter of the crowd around them.

He glanced at the knocked-out Fallen Angels, his neutral expression never changing.

"It's pathetic." He continued. "The Rin I know would've killed them all in seconds."

"Don't you fucking call me that." Mizuki growled, clenching her fists tightly.

"Hm? Right, you go by 'Mizuki' these days." He corrected himself, and in the next second, he pulled out a gun. "Well, it doesn't matter."

"Stop–!" Mizuki tried to act, but it was too late as he shot one of the Fallen Angels in the head, making Asia flinch violently.

This got the crowd to disperse, civilians running and shouting at the crazy guy with a gun, some even tried to call the police, but Mizuki was sure that wouldn't help at all. She scowled at him in anger, feeling her magic rising.

Even more so when he shot every single one of them in the span of a millisecond. Mizuki only stood there watching, incapable of stopping him. In her current state, she didn't stand a chance against him. He'd kill her and Asia in a second if he wanted to.

Asia hugged Mizuki's back as she sobbed in fear and horror. Witnessing such an act was not healthy for someone as delicate and empathetic as her.

"Bastard…" She hissed. "They were no threat to you."

"They were." He disagreed. "They were defeated and they knew too much."

"Some random Fallen Angels knew too much?"

"Knowing of my existence is enough to put them on my kill list." He answered casually. "I had to do what had to be done."

What angered Mizuki the most was how she understood and even adopted that mindset once upon a time.

"You never changed, Jo." She claimed, scowl deepening. "As disgusting and heartless as ever."

"And you?" He tilted his head to the side. "Who once was the most talented, the most accomplished of the Amon– a legend… now turned into this pathetic excuse for a warrior who cowered and ran away at a moment's notice."

Mizuki felt the pure unadulterated loathing in his tone, and it made her happy. Good, he hated her nearly as much as she hated him.

"Ironic." She scoffed. "You're the one who let me go that night, disobeying the clan head's commands. You are the one that offered me peace as long as I didn't reveal anything about you or the Amon. You are the one that betrayed the clan by killing our father."

"Father was a fool." He responded easily, not acknowledging the other accusations. "His hubris and arrogance would've led to our downfall eventually. I got rid of him because I wanted to protect what I had. What I earned."

Bullshit. Mizuki thought but held her tongue. You hated him too. You killed him for revenge and greed. You wanted the clan for yourself.

But Mizuki didn't care about his motives of the past anymore. With how he was aiming the gun at her as she was frozen there, knowing a single bad move could end up with a bullet in her skull, she knew she couldn't fight him off or try to escape.

She didn't know what he was doing here or where he got the courage to even show up, but she had to know one thing.

"What are you planning?" She questioned. "What the hell do you want from Akane?"

"You are in no position to be interrogating me." He replied coldly. "So I suggest you stay quiet, or else the next bullet goes through your head."

Not really having other options, she listened, but her glare filled with hatred didn't falter as she gazed directly into his eyes. She didn't know what his plan was, but he was clearly preventing her from going to Akane. She could sense Majima and Saejima fighting something in the distance, which made her all the more nervous.

Mizuki hoped someone had gotten to her daughter already.

She was having a bad feeling about this.

– David –

He knew whatever he felt in the woods was going to be a trap. That's why he left Irina and Xenovia to investigate it on his own, but he had gotten careless. For a moment, he had thought they'd be fine considering that the Tojo Clan's eyes were everywhere in Kuoh, but then the power cut off.

And once it did, he knew exactly what they planned to do. He hadn't expected them to somehow neutralize the yakuza like this, or at least their security. Had he been a second too late, he'd have caused the deaths of the two girls.

Thank god he was quick enough to figure it out. He did not want the blood of two young girls on his conscience. But they still weren't out of the woods just yet. David knew how dangerous War General Kokabiel was. He wasn't even sure he was strong enough to handle him on his own.

The cadre was much stronger than he anticipated. He hoped his companions were having a better time against the other Fallen Angels, but he trusted Irina and Xenovia. Hopefully, reinforcements would arrive before they get seriously hurt.

David grunted as he deflected the holy beams coming his way, Galatine being more than enough to withstand and overpower Kokabiel's magic. He dodged and weaved, struggling to keep up with the cadre who rushed toward him.

The veteran exorcist leaped back, making distance between himself and his enemy. He swung his holy blade directly at Kokabiel, who, instead of blocking, took the risky approach and dodged instead, regardless of how close the sword was to his neck.

Kokabiel grinned, waving his arm as dozens of light arrows soared toward David from his right side. The Exorcist gritted his teeth and slashed in a wide arc, creating a powerful barrier that blocked the lethal spells.

However, that made him open to Kokabiel's next attack, and David failed to evade the kick to his side that sent him through several trees and crashing into the mountainside. He flinched but moved quickly as he blocked a spear that was an inch away from his face.

David glared at the slowly approaching Kokabiel, who had a wide, arrogant smirk on his face.

"You're quite skilled, Priest." The cadre praised. "Not many humans can reach this level of power without a Sacred Gear. You've convinced me. Perhaps you are worthy of wielding that blade."

"I have never looked for your approval, nor even thought of it, Warmonger," David responded with scorn. "You will not leave this town alive, on that, I swear to God."

"Do you now?" He laughed. "You poor thing. They haven't told you a thing, did they?"

"...Told me what?"

"Of course they didn't. Those damned cowards." Kokabiel snorted, then shrugged. "Well, I respect your bravery in facing me directly, so I'll spare you from this silly lie you're living in."

David narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip over Galatine, not really understanding what the cadre was saying. He sharpened his stance and–

"God is dead."

David froze.

But then his glare deepened.

"Mind games won't work on me." He said. "For your transgressions, I will cut you down."

David sprinted toward the cadre, who chuckled in amusement and excitement. The exorcist dragged Galatine across the grass before swinging it upward, creating a powerful beam of true holy energy that cut through half the area. Kokabiel barely dodged it, only suffering a cut on his cheek before he retreated back by flying.

David wasn't going to let him escape and dashed, jumping from tree to tree before leaping directly in front of Kokabiel, who once again, narrowly evaded his slash. The priest blocked the cadre's hammer of light, which shattered in contact with Galatine. However, the force of the attack still sent David to the ground.

He swung Galatine again and again, sending slashes of light at Kokabiel. The cadre, though grinning the entire time, seemed to have had enough of being on the defensive as he descended rapidly, avoiding the beams of light and crashing into David, destroying several trees and boulders.

David kicked the cadre off him, getting into a close-quarter clash. Kokabiel was slightly faster, pressuring him to block and parry without a window to counter. Fortunately, every single weapon Kokabiel made with his light broke on contact with Galatine. Unfortunately, he was fast enough to create a new weapon as soon as the latest one broke.

From swords to spears, hammers to axes, daggers to halberds, Kokabiel continued his assault, putting David on the backfoot. He even made guns and modern weaponry, showing extreme mastery in magic. The immense difference in experience and skill was obvious for the two.

"Where did your earlier confidence go?" Kokabiel shouted as their clash continued. "Was that all talk?"

David growled but did not let his words get to him. He waited for the perfect opportunity to turn the tables, slowly getting used to the rhythm of his enemy's movement. Finally, he saw it. A split-second opening that he exploited.

He blocked the slash of a sword, then crouched and tilted his head slightly to avoid the thrust of a spear, swinging his holy blade with the intention to cleave the cadre in half. Kokabiel's grin dropped as he realized the danger he was in.

Kokabiel managed to leap out of the way, but not without the sword cutting his side and stomach. He kneeled down and hissed in pain as true holy energy burned through the wide cut, damaging him significantly.

David knew that this wasn't enough to put him down. Perhaps if the cut went two inches deeper, but he was facing a cadre. A very powerful and experienced one. He knew this battle wouldn't be this easy.

"Devils aren't the only beings weak to holy energy," David said out loud. "You've lost the light of the Father. You gave in to sin and were cast out, abandoned by Him as you abandoned Him."

Kokabiel slowly stood up as his grin returned.

"'Abandoned' you say?" He chuckled. "Didn't you hear me? He is dead. He was killed by Lucifer in the Great War."

"Do you think I'd fall for the lies of a heretic?" David raised a brow. "You're out of your mind. The Lord resides in Heaven, as he always has."

Kokabiel remained silent for a moment, then he looked up to the sky.

"Oh, how I wish that were the case." He said with such sincerity that it left David puzzled. "If he was still alive, then perhaps we wouldn't be living in a doomed world."

"What the hell are you saying?" David questioned. "Have you lost it?"

Kokabiel looked back at him and then vanished out of sight. The exorcist responded just as quickly, spinning around and blocking the cadre's leg with his arm. David sharpened his senses as the fight continued, with his opponent becoming far more careful and sharper than before.

"You've fought well until now, David Cerro." Kokabiel praised, casting dozens and dozens of light spells behind him. "But I will not let you or anyone else stop me from getting my final wish."

"We will see about that."

David knew that the real fight only just started once Kokabiel released his immense magical aura.

– Xenovia –

The situation had gotten significantly worse once Kokabiel and David took their fight somewhere else.

Xenovia crouched under a wide swing of an enemy's light greatsword, slashing with her Excalibur Destruction. However, the Fallen was no weakling, and was fast enough to flap his wings and fly above her attack, sending several light rays at her from above.

The swordswoman sidestepped and barely avoided the magic, leaping at the flying enemy with a roar. Her quick movement was just enough to land a scratch on his leg, but a scratch was all she needed as her Excalibur Destruction erased half of the Fallen Angel's body, killing him in an instant.

Xenovia couldn't even see the dead body before another enemy took his place, slashing at her shoulder. She gasped and bit down a scream, twirling around and bisecting the heretic who managed to land a hit. She hissed as she put a hand on her injured shoulder. Not a deep cut, so it wasn't that serious, but still an injury.

"Xenovia!" Her partner cried out in concern, retreating to her side. "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine. Focus." Xenovia said, exhaling. "We need to stick close. They're strong and they outnumber us."

Irina growled threateningly at the two dozen Fallen Angels around them, her back against Xenovia's as the two prepared for the battle of their lives. They were at a massive disadvantage, and if not for their Excaliburs giving them a small boost in power, they would've died a while ago.

This was bad. They needed backup, but David was too busy with Kokabiel to help them, and while Xenovia was confident in her own skill in the way of the sword, she knew that wouldn't be enough. One of their first lessons, and one Sister Griselda always, always repeated, was to know when you were at a disadvantage, and to call for help when you need it. She took it to heart, of course. Griselda terrified her to no end, but she was practically a mother to Xenovia.

But what were they supposed to do now? How were they going to call for any kind of backup when they were cornered like this? Logically speaking, the yakuza girl had to be sensing what was going on, so she had to be on her way here and Xenovia would feel a lot more confident with someone like her on their side, but what was taking her so long? Had she been attacked where she was as well?

Several Fallen Angels attacked the two novice exorcists, prompting them to stand their ground. Irina sidestepped and evaded a stab of a spear, thrusting her own sword at the Fallen, who managed to take a step back. Unfortunately for him, Excalibur Mimic changed from a katana to a spear, going through his skull and ending his life.

Irina changed it back to a sword and blocked another strike, struggling in a battle of strength. Xenovia was moving as well, dancing around two enemies at once. She ignored the pain in her shoulder as she took out Durandal with her left hand, using it and an Excalibur Piece at the same time.

One of the Fallen angels attacking her was surprised and couldn't evade the power of Durandal's light as it completely vaporized him, leaving no trace behind. The other one flinched in shock and fear, giving Xenovia the perfect moment to turn to him and decapitate him with Destruction, his head erased before it hit the ground.

It was then that she felt danger next to her, jumping away just in time for a spear of light to miss her back and hit her leg. She took a sharp breath, glowering at the culprit. Bastard…

Irina's cry of pain shook her out of it, though. Xenovia's eyes widened once she saw her partner falling to the ground, bleeding from a nasty wound on her back. The Fallen that dealt the blow was preparing to kill her, but the blue-haired swordswoman couldn't let him.

Ignoring the pain, Xenovia took the spear out of her leg and sprinted forward, swinging and screaming in anger.

"Get the hell away from her!" She roared.

The Fallen Angel saw her and tried to retreat, but she was fast enough to stab him in the heart with Durandal first. Xenovia scowled as she stood by Irina, who slowly stood back up, wincing in pain.

"S-sorry…" Irina muttered.

"Don't be." Xenovia responded. "Just be careful. I'd be… displeased if you die."

Irina giggled, preparing to continue the fight regardless of her wound.

"I'd be sad if you died too."

There were still too many enemies, but just as several of them charged once again, reinforcements finally arrived.

Xenovia readied herself to parry a hammer swing, but then a small fist connected with the Fallen Angel's face, making her blink. The golden eyes of a white-haired devil met hers, then she nodded.

"Sorry." The devil said softly, stepping back as she saw and felt the holy blades Xenovia was holding. "We're late."

Xenovia wanted to respond but was interrupted by multiple blasts of different elements striking the Fallen Angels. Out of the woods, several devils made themselves known. The two heiresses and their peerages were here to help them.

Well, better than nothing, I suppose.

The Sitri and Gremory Devils landed next to the novice exorcists, looking at them seriously.

"You're injured." She noted. "Can you still fight?"

"For the most part." Irina responded.

"We'll be fine. We're more resilient than normal humans." Xenovia added.

"If you insist." Sona nodded. "Your leader is facing Kokabiel, I imagine?"

"Yes." The blue-haired exorcist nodded. "We need to assist him, but not before taking care of Kokabiel's subordinates."

"Then allow us," Rias smirked confidently. "Kiba, Koneko, Akeno, it's our time to shine."

Two of them – the females – responded positively to their King's commands. However, the blond male one looked at Xenovia and Irina with pure contempt, not tearing his gaze away from them. No, it was more accurate to say that he was glaring at their swords.

Xenovia narrowed her eyes.

"What are you looking at, Devil?"

His eyes twitched, but then he finally looked away, glaring at the Fallen Angels instead as he manifested two wind swords. She didn't know what his problem was, but Xenovia already hated him even more than the other devils.

Well, that didn't matter much.

They still had a battle to win.

– Akane –

Five, six, seven Fallen Angels surround me with their light magic weaponry. That's all? I mean, sure, they're a lot more powerful than the average Fallen Angel I've faced before, but this is kind of… I don't know. I don't feel as threatened as I thought I'd be. As long as I don't suffer a direct hit, I should be fine.

Well, to be honest, I expected Kokabiel himself to target me, but I guess he's planning to take care of the exorcists first, probably to secure the Excalibur pieces before moving on with his plan. I think. I can't sense the guy himself, but the holy weapons are being used.

Good. Assuming David can at least do his job for a bit and buy some time, I'd be able to quickly finish the armor before joining the fight. After I'm done with these guys. Hmm…

"Well done," Lucifer says as he floats beside me. "You evaded that ambush quite well."

"Wouldn't have been as smooth without your warning," I respond, not caring if they hear me. They're gonna die anyway. "...Thanks, I owe you."

Lucifer smiles but says nothing as I refocus on the enemy. That was a good surprise attack, though. I was too distracted by the lights cutting off and would've gotten hit if not for him. A quick look around the area told me that the entire town is out of power. Could this be from those 'Amon' Lucifer told me about?

And if all power was cut off, does that mean the yakuza aren't seeing this either? If that's the case, then that's very, very good for me. I don't have to worry about holding back– In fact, I can finally use Devour on something. If I'm able to devour all of their souls…

Then I might not even need the suit to fight Kokabiel. Damn, I really should thank the guy for sending these low-tier mobs my way. Though the yakuza are probably on their way here, so I should finish this quickly.

Once the Fallen Angels attack, I immediately cast all of my defensive spells and fly higher, raising my hands up and unleashing a rain of ice swords and spears. Most evade as one of them tries to block them with a barrier of light, but to his and even my surprise, the spells easily go through it, turning him into a frozen pincushion in the next second.

Level up X2!

What the fuck? I didn't even overcharge those, and he still died so easily.

Goddamn, how strong is my ice magic?

I am broken out of my shock when one of them manages to land a hit on me, slamming me with a hammer of light that sends me down toward the pavement and through a house. I grit my teeth and flip, getting back on my feet and ignoring the pain and screams of the house's residents.

Another tries to sneak up behind me but I see him, ducking under a blade swing before twirling and kicking him in the throat. I snap my fingers and several ice bullets soar toward the Fallen Angel, riddling him with holes. By the fifth bullet, he dies, falling and bleeding on the ground.

Level up X2!

That's two. Five more.

"Tsk…" I frown in annoyance.

Killing them like this means I won't be able to eat their souls. I need to leave them barely alive for Devour to work. I don't think I'm strong enough to do it without needing to damage them first. What a pain.

My eyes land on a terrified woman holding a small boy, looking at me in utter terror. Then I glance at the dead body of the Fallen Angel next to them, painting the wooden floor a deep crimson. Probably isn't a good idea to fight in the middle of town.

"Sorry." I say casually.

…Eh, I can just put the blame on these Fallen Fuckers. With a blackout like this, I very much doubt that the yakuza would be watching this. Also, it is technically their fault for starting the fight here, soooo…

With that in mind, I charge toward the third one, and with the difference in speed, he doesn't notice until I'm directly in front of him with an ice blade in my hand. I can hear him gasping in shock and terror, but he isn't quick enough to avoid his arm being amputated.

I feel a weird, but pleasant rush going through me as I hear his pained scream, so much so that I pause for a split second to try to comprehend this emotion, watching him groan and cry at his missing arm. Once I recognize what it is, I shake those thoughts off and send him to the ground with a kick, encasing him in a small prison made of ice.

I can't exactly see his face there with the dark helmet he's wearing, but I imagine the expression of excruciating pain on it, and that made me feel unreasonably good. Like, heart pounding and shivering in excitement kind of good. That's fucked, I didn't think the Sadistic trait would be this strong.

Now I'm not exactly against having this trait, not after feeling that, but I don't think I'd be in a good position if someone saw me like this. It's not really moral, after all, and this general morality that everyone seems to have is exactly what's stopping me from using Devour on everything I see.

…I hate playing the good guy.

I quickly turn around and parry a sword swing from one of the four remaining Fallen Angels, kneeing him in the stomach before grabbing him by the mouth and flash-freezing his insides with an overcharged spell. His body can't handle it and it explodes, casting a mist of frozen blood and blue ice as the rest of his limbs fall to the ground.

Level up X2!

I blink and click my tongue in irritation as I realize that I accidentally killed him. Shit, my body keeps moving on its own. I didn't mean to do that. Focus, Akane. You need them injured, but alive. You need all the power you can get before facing off against Kokabiel.

This is honestly a lot harder than it looks. They're too fragile… er, well, they aren't. Not for their level at least. My ice magic is just way too strong for someone of my current strength. Like, three ranks above what it should be, and I'm not really used to fighting without killing. This isn't the same as killing zombies in the dungeon.

Still, picking Cryomancer as my first class was the right decision. I really am a genius.

"Vicious," Lucifer comments. "Very good. Showing unrestrained brutality in battle makes your enemies afraid, and enemies should be afraid of you. Though, you did leave that one alive. For what reason?"

Ah, shit, he's gonna see me use Devour on that moron. I mean, it should be fine, right? I don't think he has the moral high ground to lecture me, assuming he even gives a fuck in the first place. Hell, this comment makes me think he'd be impressed rather than repulsed.

The three remaining enemies are all clearly scared once I look at them, giving them a cruel smirk that promises pain. They don't show any intentions of running away, though, which I do find rather admirable. They are soldiers, after all. They knew they were going to die in battle eventually. I might as well give them a nice clean death.

Though, I don't know if having your very soul eaten can be considered 'clean'.

The three all charge at me at once, one rushing directly toward me, one to my right, and one to my left. In response, I prepare a spell I've been working on recently, and once all are close enough, I release a powerful omnidirectional explosion, completely freezing all of them instantly.

I do hold back enough to not just kill them and quickly catch all three of them before they fall to their deaths. I'm pretty sure hitting the ground like this would shatter and end their lives immediately, and I don't want that.

Once I put them on the ground, I look for that other one I imprisoned. I should get his soul first. Before he bleeds out.

I spot him and rush toward him, ignoring the pleasurable emotion as I hear his cries and moans of pain, which is a lot fucking harder than it sounds. I dispel the ice prison and approach him, looking down on him as he finally acknowledges my existence.

Once again, I can't see his expression, but I know it must be one of utter misery and fear.

Delicious.

"What are you thinking?" Lucifer asks, tilting his head at me. "Torturing him?... Heh, you do like the sound of that, don't you? Though, I advise you to not waste your time here and instead assist your–"

I ignore the Devil God and finally activate Devour. My right arm turns as dark as the void, and to my absolute surprise, makes Lucifer himself flinch, his smile replaced by a look of shock, and eyes widening to match it.

"What is this…?" He whispers.

I already know I'm a pretty fucked up individual, but I feel extra fucked once I feel butterflies in my stomach at the prospect of absorbing someone's soul. Finally, my first real soul to devour, right here in front of me. No yakuza to worry about, nobody to see this…

Yeah okay, I guess I can see why that 'Neutral Evil' alignment never left my status.

Without wasting any more time, I grab the Fallen Angel by the collar and thrust my right hand into his chest. He gasps and chokes, trying to yank my arm out as I slowly pull his very soul out of his body. There is a lot of resistance– way more than the dungeon zombies, but I am able to overpower him until–

My eyes widen as I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder, forcing me to drop the fallen angel. I fly away and hiss once I see the bullet wound where I was hit, scowling at the culprit. It wasn't another Fallen Angel, but a smug-looking guy in black who seems to be around my age, arm outstretched and aiming a gun at me.

I look at the Fallen Angel, who is wheezing as he clutches his own chest, unbelievable terror radiating off him, and growl in frustration, extending my hand toward his head and shooting him with an ice bullet, killing him instantly. He was going to die from bleeding out anyway, so might as well get it over with.

Level up!

Now, who the fuck…?

Name: Shin Amon

Title: Shadow of the Successor

HP - 150,000

MP - 87,000

SP - 180,000

Race - Enhanced Human

LVL - 245

STR - 2551

END - 1004

DEX - 1312

INT - 1100

WIS - 890

CHA - 740

LUK - 100

Thoughts about you – Is very interested in you. Wonders how you hold up against him and the rest of the Amon clan.

Reputation - 10

Affection - 0

Obedience - 0

Loyalty - 0

So these assholes aren't devils. What the hell is an enhanced human, though? Well, whatever it is, he's tough. I can take him on, but I know nothing about the guy. The lack of information makes me a bit anxious. I don't know what I should be expecting.

For fuck's sake, Mom. Why the fuck didn't you tell me anything about them?

I stop the bleeding in my shoulder by recasting my defensive spells, knowing they can deal with a small wound like that and keep my blood in my body. I keep eye contact the whole time, recasting more swords to use and several Frost Spirits to protect me. The guy, or Shin I guess, snorts and puts the gun back in his coat, before suddenly vanishing out of view.

"He'll attack from behind," Lucifer warns.

I narrow my eyes and spin around, blocking a swing of his own ice sword that he got from… somewhere, prompting him to chuckle.

"Nice reflexes." He compliments. "You're not half bad. Exactly what I'd expect from my cousin."

Cousin?

I redirect and parry his blade before kicking him in the chest, slowly processing what he just said. Wait what? We're related? I have a cousin? Or is he saying this to get into my head?

I get those thoughts out of my head as I focus on the enemy in front of me. Questions for later.

So this is the Amon Clan, the assassin organization my mom was from. She really should've told me about them sooner.

"Be on guard." Lucifer says as my supposed 'cousin' gets back into his stance. "I can sense the same energy you have within him. Not as profound or sharp as yours, but he's most likely a descendant of a Yuki Onna as well."

That… pretty much confirms it. Also explains why he has an ice sword identical to the one I have.

"Any reason why he's faster than he's supposed to be?" I ask quietly, glancing at the sudden increase in his stats. "His power just spiked up."

"Touki." Lucifer answers simply.

That's the thing my mom uses in training. Shit. I still haven't figured out how to do that yet, and from what I know, it's something that gives a specific percentage increase in physical stats depending on your mastery. That's too useful, and too dangerous when enemies use it.

"Looks like you've found yourself a rather difficult foe." He smiles at me. "I'm interested to see how you handle this."

Yeah, sure, have your fun as I fight for my fucking life here.

Dick.

"Cousin?" I say out loud, trying to buy some time. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"What, did your mother never tell you?" He raises a brow. "Well, I'm not surprised. I was told that she was a coward who abandoned the clan."

For some reason, my anger flares at the casual insults he throws at my mom, making me tighten my grip on my sword.

"Get to the point." I narrow my eyes in irritation.

"I've already given you a topic to talk to her about. Ask her when you can, assuming you live to see another day." He shrugs, grinning. "I'm not sparing you any more time."

Well, okay, that does help actually. I was just wondering how I was supposed to confront her like, five minutes ago.

Once again, he vanishes from sight, but Lucifer was there to help.

"From above."

I stomp on the ground and force a beam of ice to protrude out of it, hitting Shin in the stomach and sending him backward. Not wanting to give him time to recover, I use a considerable percentage of my magic to barrage him with a dozen different pieces of ice weaponry, all flying at him at equal speed.

"To your right."

I answer the warning and swing my sword, blocking his slash as he easily dodges every spell I throw at him. I grit my teeth as I struggle against his higher strength before using my clearly superior magic to cast several ice pikes behind him. Shin's smile never leaves his face as he pushes me off him and flicks his left arm, creating some kind of a barrier that manages to block everything.

And in the next instant, he rushes toward me and punches me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me and sending me crashing back to my own house. I cough violently, struggling to draw a breath but force myself back up again, frantically looking around for him.

He's really fast and that's a big fucking problem.

This time, however, I hear him accidentally hitting some of the shit I have lying around the garage, which gives me just enough time to duck under his fist, using all of my strength to hit him directly in the chest. I can hear the sharp intake of breath before he's sent back to the road.

Careless. It is pretty dark in here after the blackout, so it isn't his fault for not seeing shit, but I'd expect more from an assassin.

Still, I rush him after that direct hit, continuing with my assault. He flinches as he sees me swinging my blade at him, barely evading his head being decapitated, but he doesn't see the giant hammer above him until it is too late.

A massive crater forms in the middle of the road, but to my surprise, he isn't turned into paste. His body flickers a strange blue glow, which reminds me of the same shield that Ed Guy used. Resistant to magic? Go figure.

Shin tries to get up, but I kick him right in the face and send him flying through several houses. He flips and lands on his feet, quickly avoiding a roundhouse kick from me and aiming to grab my leg.

But I've had this happen to me before, so I counter by casting a chain around his arm and dragging it back before I twirl and land an axe kick directly on his head. The force of the strike is so strong,it causes a shockwave that shatters the glass of every house around us

Shockingly, the guy doesn't seem to be that hurt from it as he straight up spears me back to my home, crashing through every wall and object he could find including the frozen Fallen Angels that I was saving up to devour before dragging me through the pavement.

Level up X4!

God fucking damn it. This motherfucker.

I try to get him off me by kicking and hitting his head, but he seems relatively undamaged. Seems, because he is damaged from what I can see of his HP. Shin drags his arm back as I'm still pinned to the ground, and throws a punch that I'm barely able to avoid.

The ground beneath cracks and shatters from the force as his fist makes contact with the pavement, making me think that this could've killed me. That was unlike his other attacks just now. What the fuck?

Acting quickly, I grab him by the collar and headbutt him, which does hurt me a bit, but it is enough to get him off me for a moment at least. I kick him away from me and jump backward, wiping the blood off my mouth.

He's tough alright, but I do have a good chance of beating him.

"You're doing quite well." Lucifer praises. "Keep it up, Akane."

Please, my body still remembers how to fight, reincarnation or not. I still fought hundreds of punks and gangsters before this dipshit.

…I am a bit pleased to know that a cousin of mine knows how to fight, though. That I can admit.

"You're good." He chuckles, rolling his neck as he stands back up. "Real good. Knowing you're no pushover makes me happy."

Oh look, he has the same idea. We really are related.

"But you're really unobservant, too." He suddenly says, making me pause. "Either that or just heartless."

I am about to ask him what the hell he meant by that before he looks back at the destroyed houses behind him, making me follow his gaze to see several dead bodies. It was at this moment I hear the cries and screams of despair and horror of the neighbors seeing their family members crushed by debris caused by our clash– the grieving cries of that same mother holding her kid's dead body, making me realize what I'd done.

…Oops? Damn it, I knew I should've taken this fight somewhere else. Eh, I can still put the blame on him anyway, so who cares.

"All these poor people. You dragged them into this fight." He snorts, looking back at me. "You killed them."

I don't respond in any way, making his smirk widen. I mean, yeah, but I don't really care.

"And I still see no guilt from you. Not even a speck of it. You're just like the rest of us." He laughs. "A real piece of shit, aren't you?"

I can feel Lucifer's gaze on me, but not an ounce of judgment from him. Feels like he's studying me, unlike this 'cousin' of mine. Honestly, I'm not sure what he's trying to do nor do I know how to respond. I don't know enough about him to really say anything.

"Shame. Thought you'd be different." He continues with a sigh. "If Aunty was here to see this, she'd be heartbroken."

This gets me to react for whatever reason. I scowl at the mention of my mother, feeling my magic bubbling up alongside my rage.

"Fuck you say?" I growl.

"Sorry, did I hit a nerve?" He states in a mocking tone.

I know he's playing me, but fuck him.

I rush forward and throw a right hook, which he easily evades by ducking under. However, even though I'm kind of pissed right now, I'm not stupid, and anticipate this by quickly casting another chain that pulls his leg back, breaking his balance.

Shin is not able to avoid the direct knee to his stupid face, breaking his sunglasses and probably his nose. He's sent flying backward, flipping a few times before landing on his stomach. He's clearly faster and stronger than me, but he seems to lack experience for some reason.

Like come on, I expected an assassin to see through that. I even prepared three more tricks behind it just in case. He does look my age, but I don't think that's an excuse for a literal killer for hire.

His attitude is weird, too. He doesn't seem nearly as malicious as you'd expect from someone like him. He's not fighting to kill me from what I can gather. Something tells me this fight would've not turned out well for me if he was.

That's when the backup finally arrives, though. And even though it's just one person, it does make me feel safer.

"Akane!" Ichiban calls out to me, rushing to my side with his Boosted Gear already activated. "Are you okay?! I sensed you fighting something. What's going on?"

"I'll explain everything later," I say, my eyes never leaving Shin's body as he slowly gets back up. "This guy is strong. Be careful."

"Who the hell is he?" He asks me, looking at my cousin. "Doesn't look like a Fallen Angel."

"He's human," I respond simply. "Likely an ally of theirs."

"Got it."

"Nah." Shin suddenly says. "I'm good, thanks."

Ichiban and I pause in confusion. Five whole seconds of pure bafflement passes as we watch him dust himself off, glancing at each other, then looking back at him.

"Fuck you mean, 'nah'?" The two of us question at the same time.

"I got what I came here for." He shrugs casually, looking directly at me. Black eyes, light blue pupils. His heritage is awakened, but why didn't he bother using magic all that much? Because of my resistance to ice? "We don't have to fight anymore. I'm gonna go now, actually."

"Like hell, we'll let you!" Ichi scowls.

"Listen, buddy, your friends really need your help right now," Shin responds with a solid argument. "The dumbass cadre might kill them otherwise. Help them out, alright?"

Ichiban doesn't give any counters to that, content with just glaring at him menacingly.

"Well, it's been fun." He says, taking something out of his pocket and pressing a button, making him suddenly flash blue. "And cousin?"

He grins at me.

"Looking forward to meeting you again."

With that, he suddenly disappears. I couldn't really sense him throughout the fight, but I can tell that he was being truthful when he said he was going to just leave. I don't know what it is that he wanted from me, but I don't like that he got it.

Well, that's one guy on the 'who to devour' list.

"He is gone," Lucifer confirms, making me sigh in relief.

Wait, how can he know that anyway? In fact, how did he know where he was going to attack from now that I think about it? I couldn't sense Shin at all during the fight. He was probably using the concealing tech the Fallen used.

…Something to consider. I need to ask him about it later.

"Woah woah woah, hold the fuck up." Ichiban stops me as I head toward my home. "That guy is your cousin?!"

"Now is not the time, Ichiban," I say seriously, rushing toward my suit. "I'll explain everything later. Get ready, we're going after Kokabiel now."

"Y-yeah, sure, but where are you–" He suddenly freezes, eyes widening in horror at whatever he's seeing.

I pause and frown, following his line of sight to the several corpses of the civilians in destroyed houses. I stop myself from hissing and put on a mask of sorrow, gently holding Ichi's hand and shaking him out of it.

"Bastards ambushed me," I say truthfully, following up with a white lie. "I couldn't really do anything to save them."

Lucifer audibly laughs at my lie, seemingly amused.

"You are far more callous than I thought you were." He notes with a wide and eerie grin. "It's comical."

"...I-I see." Ichiban swallows, glancing at me. "...Are you okay?"

"I am." I smile at his concern. "Let's go, Ichiban. We need to help the others."

He nods and follows me to the garage, the brutal and horrifying scene seemingly not letting him marvel at the armor I made. Alright, I have a few minutes to set this up. Too bad I didn't get any souls to devour, but hopefully, this will be enough.

I'm going to beat the ever-living fuck out of that dickhead for cockblocking me once I see him again, cousin or not.

The battle begins, and Akane's life is pain. Can't have shit in Kuoh.

Wrote this in like, two days. Fight scenes are so easy to write for me.