Ryusei walked Aika through the quiet, dimly lit streets, the fading sunset casting a warm glow over the neighborhood. The silence between them wasn't awkward-it was comfortable, a gentle hum of presence and shared moments.
They stopped in front of Aika's house, the porch light flickering on as they approached. Aika turned toward Ryusei, her hand still loosely holding onto the taller girl's.
"Well," Aika said softly, a hint of mischief playing at the corners of her smile. "Thanks for walking me back."
"No problem," Ryusei muttered, eyes flickering anywhere but Aika's. "It was... nice."
Aika tilted her head, stepping a little closer. "You know... my parents aren't home."
Ryusei blinked. "Okay?"
"I'm just saying..." Aika leaned in a little more, her voice lower, more teasing now. "Would you like to come inside?"
Ryusei's face instantly turned a deep shade of red, her pale blue eyes going wide. "W-What!?"
Aika giggled at her reaction, clearly enjoying the chaos she just caused. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. Maybe."
Ryusei groaned and rubbed the back of her neck, trying to keep her composure. "You really are a menace."
"Yet here you are," Aika grinned, stepping up to her door. She turned back one last time, softer now. "But seriously... I had a great time. Let's do this again, yeah?"
Ryusei met her eyes, still flustered but managing a small, real smile. "...Yeah. Definitely."
With a wink, Aika slipped inside, the door clicking shut behind her.
Ryusei stood there for a moment, exhaling hard and muttering to herself. "It's getting late..."
Ryusei was walking home alone, the cool night breeze brushing against her skin, the streets mostly empty at this hour. The buzz from her time with Aika still lingered in her mind, a small smile tugging at her lips... until something off caught her attention.
She paused mid-step in front of a house. The porch light was off. Every window was pitch black. But the front door... it was wide open.
Ryusei narrowed her eyes. Something didn't sit right.
Ding!
A blue screen suddenly flashed in front of her eyes.
———————————————————
Emergency Quest Triggered!
[Objective: Protect Issei Hyoudou!]
[Failure Condition: Issei's Death.]
[Reward: ???]
———————————————————
Her stomach dropped.
"What the hell...?" she whispered.
Then she heard it-a scream. Muffled, but definitely Issei's voice. Agonized. Terrified.
"Shit!"
She dashed forward without a second thought, cursing under her breath as she kicked the door open the rest of the way and bolted inside.
The stench of iron hit her like a truck.
Her eyes widened.
Blood. A massive pool of it soaked into the carpet of the living room. Furniture had been overturned. A broken photo frame laid shattered across the floor. And right in the center of it all-Issei, slumped on the ground, barely conscious, a jagged wound through his side.
Standing above him was a tall man dressed in white with a dark cloak, pale silver hair and red eyes locked onto Issei's broken form. In his hand was a light sword, faintly glowing.
The man turned his head, sensing her presence.
Ryusei's pale blue eyes were glowing now, her system flaring, body tense.
"Who the hell are you?" she growled, reaching into her hoodie and gripping the hilt of her dagger, Kasaka's Venom Fang.
The man merely smirked, resting the sword on his shoulder. "You weren't supposed to be here, little girl."
"Too bad," Ryusei said, stepping forward, cursed energy crackling around her feet. "Now get the hell away from him before I tear you apart."
Ryusei's body froze mid-step.
Her eyes, sharp and glowing, had caught something else beyond Issei's wounded body. Just a few feet away-crumpled against the wall like a broken doll-was Asia.
Her green eyes were barely open, unfocused. Her golden hair was tangled and disheveled. But what made Ryusei's blood run cold... was the state she was in.
Her clothes were torn, the front of her dress completely ripped open, leaving her chest exposed. Bruises were forming along her arms and neck, and blood trickled from a cut on her forehead.
Her wide green eyes met Ryusei's.
"R... Ryusei..." Asia's voice was barely a whisper. "Help..."
Ryusei's body stopped moving. For just a second, the entire world went silent.
"...Asia."
The name fell from Ryusei's lips like a whisper, a tremble running through her whole body.
The man didn't even flinch. He simply looked over his shoulder with a smug sneer. "She tried to stop me from killing the boy. A foolish act of kindness."
That was all it took.
SNAP.
Something inside Ryusei broke-violently.
A pulse of cursed energy exploded from her body, pink and black lightning tearing through the floor beneath her feet. The air in the room shifted, became heavier-oppressive.
Her eyes glowed a savage, blinding blue as her dagger began to tremble in her grip, reacting to her rage.
"What... did you do to her."
The man cocked an eyebrow, amused. "Touched a nerve, did I?"
Ryusei's head lowered slightly as shadows curled up around her shoulders. Rika's faint silhouette formed behind her.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Ryusei screamed.
Ryusei's anger burned hotter than a forge as she watched the man rush toward her with his sword raised high, the gleam of holy light reflecting in his eyes. The air crackled with tension, and Ryusei's grip tightened around her dagger, the cursed venom within it swirling with a dark, deadly energy.
"I'll kill you for what you did to them!" Ryusei roared, her voice filled with venom and pure, unrestrained rage.
Without hesitation, she shouted, "RIKA, COME!"
A pulse of cursed energy surged through her body, and in an instant, her arms were encased in large, jagged steel plates, shimmering with a faint pink hue. The cursed metal clinked as it shifted, the power of Rika's manifestation
The man-Freed Sellzen-grinned maniacally, his red eyes filled with a disturbing, almost insane fervor. He charged forward, the sword of holy light crackling with power as he swung it down at terrifying speed.
"Bring it on, human!" Freed taunted, his voice dripping with cruel amusement.
Ryusei's eyes glowed an eerie blue as she activated her [Six Eyes], pinpointing Freed's every movement. Her body moved like a blur, evading his strike by a hair's breadth before launching herself at him. With her steel-encased arms, she met his sword with a loud clang that echoed through the room, the force of their clash sending shockwaves through the floor.
"You're not getting away with this," Ryusei hissed through gritted teeth.
Freed stumbled back from the impact, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. He hadn't expected her to be this strong. He raised his sword again, but this time, Ryusei was already on the move. With a fluid motion, she darted to his side, her dagger flashing out to strike.
But Freed was quick. With a twist of his body, he blocked the dagger's path with his holy sword, sparks flying as metal collided with metal.
"Pathetic." Freed sneered. "You think you can defeat me?!"
She growled, her steel-clad fists tightening into fists. "I'm going to make you regret hurting anyone. Especially her."
Her gaze shifted briefly to Asia, who was still lying on the ground, that alone enough to push Ryusei over the edge. With a primal scream, she surged forward, Rika's steel arms now glowing brightly with cursed energy.
She collided with Freed, her metal arms slamming into him with such force that it sent him skidding across the floor, leaving deep gouges in the ground where his body scraped against the stone.
Freed barely regained his balance before Ryusei was on him again, her movements so fast that even his trained eyes had trouble keeping up. The steel arms were like sledgehammers, each strike faster and heavier than the last.
Freed swung his sword desperately, trying to parry her strikes, but Ryusei's precision and rage were too much. She twisted her body, dodging his attempts to retaliate while continuously pressing the attack.
she spun around, her steel arm glowing with cursed energy as she drove it forward. Freed's eyes widened in realization as she punched him in the chest with a powerful force that sent him flying backward, his body crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.
Ryusei stood over him, breathing heavily, her steel arms still glowing with an ominous energy.
Freed groaned as he tried to push himself up from the rubble, his body battered and broken. His once-proud demeanor had shattered, replaced by fear as he realized the girl standing before him was far more powerful than he could have ever imagined.
"You're nothing more than a rat," Ryusei spat. "And I'll make sure you never harm anyone again."
She raised her dagger, preparing to finish him off when suddenly-clink, clink-a metal object fell from Freed's robes and rolled across the floor.
Ryusei's eyes snapped to it, and her gaze hardened.
"A bomb?" she muttered under her breath. "You coward."
Freed grinned weakly, blood dripping from his lips as he staggered to his feet.
"I'll be the one who takes you down," he hissed, his voice barely audible. "You think you've won?"
He activated the device, and the bomb began to tick.
Ryusei's heart skipped a beat.
"No!" she shouted, but it was too late.
The bomb detonated with a massive bang, sending shockwaves through the entire house. The explosion shook the walls, knocking Ryusei back, her body slamming into the floor hard as the world around her erupted into flames.
The air was filled with the smell of burning debris, and Ryusei's ears rang with the aftermath of the blast. Her body ached, but she pushed herself up, eyes blazing with fury.
She looked around, Asia and Freed were gone.
"No..." Ryusei muttered, her voice barely audible.
Ryusei's heart pounded in her chest as she looked up and stared at Freed, who held Asia in his arms, taunting her with a cruel grin on his face. The sight of Issei unconscious on the ground only fueled her anger. Her hands tightened into fists, her steel arms gleaming with the cursed energy, ready for the fight ahead.
Freed chuckled as he held Asia tightly. "You think you can save her now? You're too weak. No one can stop me, especially not you."
"Shut up!" Ryusei shouted, her voice filled with rage and determination. With a swift motion, she launched Kasaka's Venom Fang from her hand, the dagger cutting through the air like a flash of lightning.
It pierced Freed's shoulder, and the venomous poison quickly began to seep into his system. His smug grin faltered, replaced by a grimace of pain as the poison and paralysis buffs from the dagger began to work its magic.
Freed staggered back, his grip on Asia loosening as the venom began to take effect. But before Ryusei could close the distance to finish the job, he quickly barked out orders to the fallen angels who were surrounding them. A few of them swooped down and grabbed Asia, pulling her away from Freed's weakening grasp.
"You think this is over?" Freed hissed, his voice strained from the poison. "I'm leaving, but remember this-I'll be back."
With a final glance at Ryusei, he and the fallen angels took to the air, disappearing into the night with Asia in tow.
"No!" Ryusei shouted, her voice filled with frustration. She rushed forward, but it was too late. Freed and the fallen angels were already gone, their wings flapping in the distance. Her hands clenched into fists, her body trembling with rage.
"Fuck!"
Her hand twitched, her steel-armored fist crackling with cursed energy. She had one chance to strike, and she wasn't about to waste it. Without another word, she charged at the nearest fallen angel, her fists raised high.