"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
On the outskirts of Kuoh Town, two figures raced through the forest, one chasing the other.
The figure in front was a petite girl with shoulder-length silver hair and a delicate, doll-like face. She was one of Rias's followers, known as the Toujou Koneko.
Every leap and turn she made cut through the air with unnatural speed.
"Hey, little devil ahead, you're not getting away from Lord Freed!"
Behind her, a white-haired man dressed as a priest grinned twistedly. "So, you won't just die obediently, huh?"
Glancing back at him, the Koneko grit her teeth. She had come to the outskirts to eliminate a large group of cursed spirits, and now, just after the battle, before she could recover her exhausted magic, she was being targeted by this madman.
"You must be an exorcist from the church. By attacking me like this, does the church want war?" she said flatly, continuing to run.
"So what?"
Lord Freed's smile twisted cruelly. "I am a Lost Exorcist. When I see filthy demons, I naturally must kill them all."
As he spoke, his speed increased, closing the distance between them.
The Koneko's steps began to falter. Her legs felt heavy, drained of the last of her magic power. Teleportation magic could have saved her, but Freed's experience with demons left her no chance to escape.
Even trying to call for help on her cell phone failed—there was no signal in the wilderness.
She had to squeeze out every ounce of strength, hoping to reach the town. But just then, her body wavered, and her magic was completely depleted. Weakness washed over her, and her speed dropped drastically.
"Oh, my lovely little devil, it seems you can't run anymore," Freed sneered, drawing a sword from his arms.
With a clang, the blade extended, glowing with pure white light.
"Am I going to die here?" the kitten thought, fear rising in her chest.
Swish!
A sudden flash of lightning appeared before her eyes.
Bang!
A dull sound rang out as she was enveloped in a warm embrace.
This feeling… so familiar.
Blinking, she looked up and met a pair of crimson eyes.
"… Arashi Hayata! Be careful—there's a Lost Exorcist behind you!"
She collapsed weakly into his arms.
"No wonder," Arashi muttered, holding her firmly to prevent her from falling.
Blushing, the Kitten protested. "Put me down! Holding me won't help in battle!"
"Don't worry. You're safe," Arashi said calmly.
Koneko blinked, still trying to process this sudden rescue. When did he become so strong?
"Another demon?" Freed's eyes widened as he took in Arashi. A twisted smile flashed across his face. "Excellent! A gift from God—two evil beings eliminated in one day!"
With that, Freed lunged.
Buzz!
Ripples of light radiated outward. The cold wind cut at Arashi's face. The ground tore apart under the sheer force, and the dazzling lightsaber of pure white magic slashed downward.
"Careful!"
Koneko wanted to fight back, but weakness gripped her body. She could only watch as the sword neared Arashi.
Yet, instead of being cut down, a crisp crashing sound rang out. The sword vibrated violently in Arashi's hand, unable to cut through.
"What?"
Koneko gasped. The power of light, angelic in origin, should have overwhelmed him—but it was stopped?
"How is this possible?"
Horror flashed across Freed's face.
Arashi muttered under his breath, ignoring him. Though his body was still demonic, his Original Magic had transformed him. The restrictions of light magic no longer applied—it was just another form of power to him.
"Damn it… what kind of monster are you?" Freed hissed, tugging at the sword in vain before retreating.
"Want to run?" Arashi said coldly, raising a hand.
Buzz!
A magic circle appeared in the sky. Thunder rolled across the heavens.
In the next instant, a bolt of blue lightning crashed down, carrying immense destructive force. It ripped through everything, shaking the land and sky.
"What… what kind of magic is this?" Freed froze, every cell in his body trembling. He didn't even have time to react before the lightning engulfed him.
Snap! Snap!
The ground shattered, leaving a massive crater and a charred corpse in the center of the smoke.
Koneko's jaw dropped. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Is this really Arashi? The thunder magic… it seemed even stronger than Himejima-senpai's.
But how could it surpass that? Himejima-senpai wielded super-level magic—said to rival the power of a demon lord.
"Okay, stop imagining things," Arashi said gently, tapping the Koneko on the head with a soft smile.
He could guess what she was thinking—but if she knew about his Original Magic, she would be even more shocked.