The New Cloud Building loomed overhead, a steel-and-glass giant rising more than two hundred meters above the city. Crowds flowed in and out—restaurants, arcades, shops, all humming with life. Rias and her team materialized outside, a ripple of magic fading as they surveyed the scene.
If the fallen angels had a secret base here, so close to Kuoh Academy, it was the perfect hiding place—right under everyone's noses.
Rias shook her head, voice low. "Never expected their nest to be this close. Hiding in plain sight… classic."
Without the Devil Duke's tip, even Rias's network might have missed it.
Koneko wrinkled her nose. "Something stinks…"
Asia glanced at the bustling crowd, worry creasing her brow. "Are we just going to walk in? What if a fight breaks out? There are so many innocent people…"
Rias flicked her crimson hair over one shoulder, her confidence absolute. "Samuel's already made arrangements. If things get messy, magic will clear out the civilians. We go in. I want to see what they're up to."
She radiated calm authority—the kind that turned heads in the hallway and made you think twice before crossing her.
Draconis, both Knight and Pawn in Rias's Peerage, stepped forward without hesitation, leading the way. The building's first two floors were open and airy, nothing out of the ordinary. But beneath the surface, he sensed it—a familiar, unsettling pulse of divine energy. Fallen angel power.
Rias caught it too. She nodded, signaling a direction with her eyes.
Draconis moved ahead, eyes flicking to the security cameras overhead. The closer they got to the heart of the disturbance, the more cameras lined the walls.
Predictably, a squad of security guards appeared, blocking their path.
"Stop. This area is private property. Please turn back."
All human, but their faces were hard, hostile.
Draconis scanned them—their bodies radiated a strange, dormant power. Something wasn't right.
Rias stepped forward, lips curling into a cold smile. "Using zealots as gatekeepers? Fallen angels never change."
Her voice was icy, commanding. "You who worship fallen angels—step aside, now. Or I won't be so polite."
The guards shifted uneasily.
"Damn devils again! Activate the barrier—take them down!"
Orders snapped through the group.
Rias's eyes narrowed, her tone frigid. "Don't waste time. Knock them out and clear the way."
Draconis and Koneko surged forward, tearing through the guards like wolves among sheep. The humans' bodies flared with borrowed divine power, but it was no match for true devils. A few swift blows dropped them all.
A sudden gust—someone swung an iron rod at Draconis's back. He turned, ready to counter, when a flash of lightning split the air.
CRACK!
The attacker collapsed, twitching.
Akeno smiled sweetly, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Ara ara~ It's been ages since I got to cut loose. Maybe I overdid it…"
Draconis just shook his head. Akeno's sadistic streak was barely contained.
He moved to the heavy iron door ahead, unsheathing the Regalia Blade. One clean stroke sliced through ten centimeters of steel like butter. Draconis kicked the door wide, sending it crashing open.
Gunfire erupted—machine guns blazing from inside.
Draconis strode forward, unfazed, a simple magical force field deflecting every bullet. Rias and the others followed, calm as ever.
"You damned devils!" The shooters kept firing, panic in their voices.
Draconis blurred, moving faster than human eyes could track. In a heartbeat, he was among them—three quick slaps, and the gunmen dropped, unconscious.
Silence settled.
Akeno frowned. "Is that all? Just a bunch of fake believers with a little divine power boost…"
Rias's eyes narrowed. "Keep looking. It's never that simple."
Asia pointed to an empty hall ahead, uncertainty in her voice. "Over there… feels familiar…"
Draconis, closest, called back. "Angel statue."
The group approached—a massive, twelve-winged angel sculpture towered overhead. It radiated a strange holiness, but its naked form added an unsettling edge.
Rias snorted, unimpressed. "Whoever made this has terrible taste."
Her gaze settled on the statue's abdomen. She channeled magic, and a glowing portal shimmered into existence.
Akeno smiled. "An interdimensional gate. Someone's gone all out."
Rias's expression was grim. "Even I need family resources to craft a space like this. This isn't just a fallen angel hideout—it's a challenge."
She turned to Draconis. "Take point."
"Got it."
Draconis stepped through the portal without hesitation.
On the other side, divine energy surged—dozens of Light Spears shot toward him. He was ready, the Divine Lament Shield flaring to life and absorbing every attack.
Fallen angels filled the chamber—a full twenty, at least. Their numbers made one thing clear: Rias's team had triggered every alarm.
Rias and the others followed, launching their own assault. Magic roared from Rias, a torrent of fire sweeping across the room.
Two fallen angels screamed, incinerated before they could react.
"Damn it—it's the red-haired Ruin Princess!"
Rias's reputation preceded her. Even here, the enemy recognized her instantly—the Gremory heiress, beautiful, powerful, and absolutely lethal.
…
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