The world flipped upside down, and Draconis Yi was caught completely off guard.
This wasn't some schoolyard bullying or a honey trap—it was a full-blown supernatural nightmare.
If it had been a couple of punks, he'd have handled them without breaking a sweat. But this? This was gods and monsters, and Draconis wanted to swear at every deity in the book.
He'd never imagined the world could be this insane.
No time to wonder why the girl wanted him dead. Survival was all that mattered now.
Run. Run like hell.
She'd chosen this deserted park for a reason—she clearly couldn't attack in public. Good. That meant escape was possible.
He mentally traced his route back, recalling every alley and turn from earlier. He'd mapped it out, just in case. Now, those precautions were about to save his life.
"Flash bang!!"
Draconis shouted, yanking something from his pocket and hurling it at Yuma Amano.
The fallen angel flinched, dodging instinctively. The object smashed against the fountain rail—his phone, shattering into a spray of plastic and glass.
For a split second, she froze. Then she realized—Draconis was already sprinting away.
"Pathetic," she spat, her voice cold as ice.
Raynare—the fallen angel—shot into the air, wings beating hard. In a blink, she was above him, lightning spear aimed straight for his heart.
Wind howled around her, the pressure almost suffocating.
Draconis felt danger in his bones and dove forward, rolling. The spear crashed into the ground where he'd just been, detonating stone and earth.
The shockwave slammed into him as he scrambled to his feet, sending him tumbling through the dirt.
Raynare sneered. His speed was laughable. She gestured, and the lightning spear snapped back to her grip. With a beat of her wings, she was in front of him before he could blink.
Thunk!
The spear drove straight into his side.
First came numbness, then a pain so sharp it blotted out thought. Draconis's mind roared—death was close.
Run through. Bleeding out. Dying.
But he'd already died once. The fear didn't hit as hard. Maybe he'd reincarnate again. Hell, maybe he'd get lucky next time.
Still, dying like this—so pointlessly—was infuriating.
Rage flared. He twisted, lunged, and clung to Raynare, arms locked tight around her.
"Filthy insect! Get off me!" she shrieked, slamming her elbows into his ribs. Blood sprayed from his mouth.
But Draconis wasn't letting go. He ripped the fruit knife from his pocket and drove it into her eye.
Raynare howled in pain, divine power surging as she flung him away. He crashed to the ground, dazed.
She yanked the knife from her eye, the wound knitting itself closed—but her face was a mask of fury.
How dare this pathetic human wound her?
Humiliation burned hotter than pain.
But something didn't add up. She stared at the fruit knife, ordinary steel, nothing special. How had it cut her at all?
Draconis coughed blood, propping himself up with shaking hands. His body was wrecked, but his eyes burned with defiance.
The wound in his side throbbed, life leaking away. But he was calm—he'd already died once. Facing a monster like this, dying was almost expected. Hurting her at all was a win.
He glared up at Raynare, black eyes cold and unwavering.
Damn heaven. Not only did it skip sending him a beautiful angel girlfriend, it dispatched a fallen angel to murder him.
Fine. He'd remember this. If you're listening, God, don't let me reincarnate again—unless you've got the guts.
Raynare felt the sting of his gaze. No fear. No begging. Just icy defiance.
Her rage boiled over. She summoned another lightning spear, aiming to obliterate him—body, soul, and everything in between.
"Die, insect! Let your ashes scatter in the wind! Blame the god who shoved a Sacred Gear into your worthless body!"
She hurled the spear, a streak of lethal light.
Sacred Gear?
What the hell was that?
Was that why she wanted him dead?
Whatever. If he really had a Sacred Gear, now would be a great time for it to show up and murder this psychotic bitch.
He stared at the incoming light, emotionless.
Time slowed.
Just as the spear was about to strike, a flash erupted from his chest—a silver-white shield materialized out of thin air, intercepting the attack.
BOOM.
Smoke cleared. Draconis was still breathing.
He stared, stunned, at the floating shield before him—silver, gleaming, substantial. Behind it, a matching sword was embedded at an angle, a ruby set in its crossguard.
A sword and shield. His saviors.
"A Sacred Gear?!"
Raynare recoiled, eyes wide, retreating two steps in sudden fear.
Draconis hadn't expected it either. Too bad he'd found out so late.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the sword, yanking it free.
Shing!
The blade sang as it left the shield, power flooding into his battered body.
Pain blurred his vision, but rage sharpened his senses. He channeled everything he had into one desperate, furious slash.
Light exploded from the sword, forming a pillar that crashed down on Raynare.
The force was monstrous. Raynare's pupils shrank to pinpricks—danger screamed in her mind. She tried to dodge, but the sword's pressure pinned her in place.
She felt unstoppable power descend, ripping apart the divine energy clothing her, carving bloody lines across her skin.
"No—! Lord, save—"
The sword light swallowed her whole.
Stone shattered, the park torn open with a three-meter-deep scar that radiated for dozens of meters. Black feathers filled the air, drifting down like ash.
Dead. Completely annihilated. Her ashes scattered to the wind.
Draconis slumped, leaning on the sword, dropping to one knee.
"…Worth it."
He whispered, consciousness slipping away.
Footsteps echoed nearby… slow, deliberate.
Tap… Tap…
Draconis forced his head up. Before darkness claimed him, he glimpsed a familiar figure—a flash of brilliant crimson hair swirling in the night…