"Hup! …There, that rocky outcrop looks like the best vantage point."
Using my Partner's power to leap into the air, I spotted a suitable cliffside. Estimating the distance mid-flight, I used the surrounding trees as stepping stones, sprinting through the air with the momentum of my jump. The footing was treacherous, but I recalled the lessons on balance and center of gravity I'd received from Masaomi. Treating even the traversal as training, I closed the distance in seconds.
"I've found a good spot. I'm going to scout ahead and confirm it's safe. Is the heading still correct?"
I pressed my hand against the sigil to respond. This communication magic was incredibly convenient—like a hands-free radio. While it was a bit risky in the middle of a direct fight since it required a hand to stabilize the connection, it was a godsend for scouting and search-and-destroy missions.
It had been five days since our training in the Underworld with Tannin began. Given the Dragon King's reputation, I had been terrified he'd put me through the same meat-grinder combat training he gave Issei, but the reality was quite different. Still, this was exactly the kind of training I—or rather, we—needed. It was a curriculum that utilized the harsh environment of the Underworld in a way that neither the Association, Azazel, nor Ajuka could replicate.
"…Hm."
My pseudo-Senjutsu pinged. I sensed a biological presence ahead. I immediately halted my movement and melted into the shadows, focusing my consciousness through my Partner to sharpen my perception. The target's aura was steady and unchanged; they hadn't noticed my approach. Based on the quality and volume of the energy, I judged the target was well within my ability to handle. If it had been a monster like the Red Dragon Emperor whose aura swells mid-fight, I would have just sat down and cried.
In my sessions with Azazel, he had placed a heavy emphasis on presence detection and aura sensing. My mentor once told me that the first skill a person lacking raw power should master isn't how to survive a crisis, but how to ensure the crisis never happens in the first place. Combined with Senjutsu, I could use my Sacred Gear to sharpen my senses to a degree of precision that Azazel called "remarkable."
'Professor, my only real attack is still Ruin Javelin,' I had complained once. 'Is it really okay that all my Gear training is just sensing things?'
'You've read manga and played games, kid. You know how vital support and detection are,' he'd replied. 'You aren't a front-line brawler; you're the backbone that keeps the heavy hitters alive. And once you combine your Concept Nullification with high-level sensing, you're going to be something truly terrifying.'
'Terrifying...?'
'To get there, you need to sharpen your instincts. Here, I'm sending you today's menu.'
Since the Kuoh incident, Azazel had become swamped with work, making face-to-face meetings rare. Instead, he'd send me these insane training programs via magic communication. There were "Electric Playing Cards" that shocked me if I pulled a Joker, and "Detection Dolls" tuned to hunt me down. Those things were exhausting; they required constant nervous energy, and the penalty for failure was physical pain.
He taught me that a Gear's sensing precision peaks when the host is in immediate danger. Therefore, my "training" was designed to ensure I suffered if I failed to detect a threat. The cards looked like magic tricks to an outsider, but they were meant to refine my ability to sense a "bad draw" before it happened.
The worst were the "Assassination Dolls." To me, they were cursed objects. They would erase their presence and attempt to shock me with lightning. They carried a trace of aura; if I detected them, they stayed still. If I didn't, I got fried.
Lately, he'd adjusted them to change their aura levels. Now I have to measure the target's strength as they approach. If the aura is lower than mine, I engage. If it's equal, I stay alert. If it's higher, I retreat immediately. Currently, it's only during training hours, but he's already threatened to activate them during my daily life at the Association and while I sleep. I understand the necessity, but the mental fatigue of constant vigilance is brutal.
'The survival rate of you and your comrades depends entirely on your ability to read the board,' Azazel had said. 'You are lucky to be surrounded by elite warriors. Your job is to create an environment where they can fight at 100% without having to look over their shoulders.'
My comrades' survival rate. When he put it that way, I couldn't slack off. I was rarely alone; I was usually with Lavinia or Masaomi. Azazel noted that while they were powerful, they were heavily skewed toward offense. They could do detection, but they weren't specialists. If I could fill that gap, they would be invincible.
I felt a small surge of pride. A year ago, I couldn't even sense a person standing behind me. Now, I was a radar for monsters.
"Lavinia, there are four monsters ahead. Low aura, but they're airborne and moving in a scouting formation. Looks like they're searching for something."
"Harpies? The half-human, half-bird types?"
Rin, being Underworld-born and raised, was an encyclopedia of local monster lore. It made things much easier. In my gaming terms, they were 'Harpuia.' According to my memories, they were from Greek myth, but here they were likely the descendants of creatures that migrated from the human world eons ago.
<'Harpies the Plunderers,' huh?> Lavinia mused.
"Absolutely not! If they looked like giant birds, I might have the stomach for it, but I draw the line at eating things with human faces. And I definitely don't want to watch you do it."
When we're with other dragons, they can eat whatever they want, but I asked Rin to hold back while humans were around. Watching a humanoid creature get devoured is the stuff of nightmares. To Rin, most things in the Underworld were just "food," but the dragon elders had taught her not to eat intelligent humanoids because it "causes political headaches." I was thankful for that.
As Lavinia predicted, the Harpies eventually decided the forest was empty and flew off. I exhaled in relief and signaled the others. There was no point in starting a fight and drawing more monsters to our location when we were trying to set up camp. Avoiding unnecessary combat was a core part of the mission.
"Alright, area is clear. The rock formation is solid. Lavinia, hop on Rin and get over here."
Rin wasn't actually transforming into a magical girl; she was just using her demonic power to return from her "plushie size" to her original two-meter form. It was a well-known fact that the dragons were obsessed with human television. Serafall's magical girl show was a hit among the hatchlings, and since Rin was a girl, she was a die-hard fan of Magical☆Levi-tan. Is it my destiny to be surrounded by magical girls? I wondered. Where did I go wrong?
We secured our sleeping quarters before nightfall. As usual, Lavinia set up the barriers and camp, while Rin and I handled food and intel. I was hoping to find our target soon, but so far, we had nothing. We knew he was in this area, but he hadn't left a trail.
"Whoa!?"
Rin, enchanted with Lavinia's invisibility magic, landed right in front of me, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. I coughed, wiping grit from my mouth. Seriously, learn some landing etiquette.
I was about to complain, but Rin immediately pressed her snout against me, chirping, "Kanata, praise me!"She looked like a two-meter-tall engine of destruction, but she was still a total child. I gave in and patted her, and she let out a satisfied, vibrating purr.
"Good work on the scout, Kanata," Lavinia said as she hopped down. "I'm glad we found a good spot before it got dark."
"It's high ground, so we have a clear view of the surrounding area," I noted. "It'll make a perfect base for our search."
"Indeed. Rin, do you smell any other monsters?"
"Hmm... nothing strong. No one is nesting here. It's probably because of that plant over there."
Rin pointed with her snout to a sickly, brightly colored weed clinging to the rocks. I pulled out the Underworld Flora Encyclopedia Mephisto had lent me. Apparently, the plant was toxic to the touch and emitted a scent that was harmful if inhaled for long periods. That explained why the area was abandoned. Cutting or pulling it would only spray toxic sap everywhere.
"Let's burn it and then freeze it," I decided. "Rin, give the rocks a light roast. Lavinia, freeze it immediately so the fire doesn't spread. Let's go! Fire!"
"Roger! Milky Fire!"
"You two are far too synchronized for my comfort," Lavinia sighed. "Manifest—Absolute Demise."
With Rin providing the raw firepower, we were making great time. Having a dragon on the team was incredible; Rin's flames were the kind of "Attack Power" I'd always envied. Throughout our journey, we'd used her fire to literally bulldoze through any obstacles. With Lavinia on standby to douse the flames, it was a flawless "Brute Force" strategy. I was starting to enjoy it.
"Great job, both of you. Thanks."
"Piece of cake!" Rin chirped. "…Is Kanata going to do anything?"
"What are you talking about? I have the most important jobs: cleaning and deodorizing. We need a comfortable base! It's called 'right person, right place'!"
"Whoa! 'Right person, right place'! That sounds super important!"
Rin wagged her tail excitedly while Lavinia watched us with a motherly smile. I felt a bit embarrassed being looked down on by two "girls," but I refused to be a freelancer in my own party. I got to work.
I thrust my Partner into the walls and floor of the alcove, using my power to "Erase" the toxins, the smell, and the dirt. Partner, I appreciate you letting me use your god-slayer powers for janitorial work, but you can stop sending me the 'pity' thoughts. I'm working hard here!
With the base secured, we prepared for the night. We had gathered some fruit on the way, so hopefully we'd catch some proper game soon. It was day five of our Underworld survival training. As long as I had my Sacred Gear, I knew we'd make it.
***
"A hunt?! For a Stray Devil!?" I had shouted a few days ago.
"Exactly," Azazel had replied. "Tannin wants you two to hunt down a Stray Devil lurking in his territory."
After the explanation of my Gear's nature, Tannin had laid out our curriculum. I had expected more "Dragon Tag," but this was a different beast entirely. We were moving past monsters and into the realm of hunting high-tier heretics. Even Lavinia had blinked in surprise.
A Stray Devil. The words made my blood run cold. It was a Stray Devil that had been the catalyst for my entry into the Under-world. I still remembered the feeling of that first encounter: the stagnant, sickening air; the raw malice; the twisted creature playing with lives; and the small life I had managed to save. I'd never forget it.
"Apparently, a Stray is using my territory as a hideout," Tannin had explained. "We have reports that it's cannibalizing monsters to build its strength in secret."
"Devils eat monsters? We've eaten lizard meat here, but is it different?"
"Unless you're born a beast," Azazel said, "Devils and Fallen Angels process and cook their food. A creature that eats monsters raw—bones, souls, and all—is no longer a Devil. It's just a beast."
"Yikes..."
Azazel's description was revolting. When a Devil allows their demonic power to rampage, their instincts override their reason. They transform into the shape of their own twisted desires. Sirzechs once mentioned he'd turned into a black cat as a child, so Devils are naturally shapeshifters—but for a Stray, the transformation is a permanent, grotesque mutation born of a broken mind.
"Is it a Reincarnated Devil?" I asked.
"No, an original Low-Tier," Azazel replied. "Similar to a Stray Exorcist or Magician. It committed crimes in the Underworld and was judged a liability to the administration."
So, a creature with a dangerous ideology, like the Stray Magician I first fought. It started low, but by devouring monsters and its own kind, it had likely grown significantly stronger. We had to stop it before it became a true threat.
"But why hide in a dragon's territory?"
"Tannin's territory is vast and mostly left in its natural state," Lavinia explained. "It's full of monsters and beasts that serve as prey. Normally, no Devil would dare trespass on a Dragon King's land. That makes it the perfect 'blind spot' to hide from the Underworld authorities."
Furthermore, because the high-class dragons regularly patrol for dangerous monsters, the area is actually quite safe for mid-to-low-tier creatures. A clever Stray could live a long time here if it avoided the dragons' notice.
"A Devil who had been tracking it contacted us," Tannin added. "We know it's in my territory, but the land is dangerous and crawling with monsters. Searching every inch of it would be a waste of my dragons' time."
"And nobody wants to wander into a dragon's nest if they don't have to," I noted.
Tannin had originally planned for us to hunt monsters, but he decided this Stray was a "perfect fit" for our current skill levels. I wondered if he was being a bit too casual about our safety.
"Kanata Kuramoto. As I said during your contract with Rin, the dragons of this land owe you a debt," Tannin rumbled. "No dragon will hinder you or your partner as you traverse these lands."
"I still haven't quite processed the 'debt' part," I admitted.
"Whether you're aware of it or not, it is the result of your actions. Take the benefit. I'm entrusting this to you because of your detection skills and Lavinia's magic."
"Ours?"
Lavinia and I exchanged a look. I had the Gear and Senjutsu; she had her repertoire of spells. Azazel shrugged and provided the subtext.
"Even Tannin would take forever to find this guy. Dragons aren't built for precision work; they're built for annihilation. They could find the general area, but it's easier for them to just incinerate the entire forest than to look for one small target."
"Wait, but—"
"Exactly," Azazel grinned. "Tannin doesn't want to destroy his own territory. And if the Stray notices a dragon actively hunting it, it'll just flee to the human world where the food is easier to catch."
"——!?"
"To a dragon, this Stray is a gnat," Tannin explained. "I accepted the request as a Lord, but my flames are too expensive for such a petty target. I will kill it if I find it, but a dragon cannot hunt a mouse with its eyes bloodshot. Not unless it touches my Reverse Scale."
Azazel's warning hit home. I knew what happened when a Stray reached the human world. I'd seen the aftermath at the harbor. I'd killed that Stray—indirectly—but the rage I felt then was still vivid.
If the Stray had actually harmed the dragons, they'd be all over it. But it was just "nibbling" on the wildlife. Tannin, despite being sensible, still had the pride of a dragon; he viewed the Stray as beneath him. His subordinates were busy with their own duties. And a dragon's sheer size and aura made them terrible at stealth. The target would see them coming miles away.
"The Devils know this," Azazel said. "Officially, it's a hunt. In reality, they just want the gnat removed from Tannin's land before it escapes."
"The previous pursuers already let it slip once," Tannin rumbled, his voice full of authority. "I will not allow a second failure. If it is to be settled, it will be on my land. I will not have it claiming more victims."
Tannin was acting the part of a King, taking responsibility for a mess he didn't create. I found myself respecting him even more.
"If my dragons move, the target will flee. Therefore, I leave it to you—the elite practitioners I have acknowledged. A Low-Tier Stray, even an empowered one, is no match for you two. It will certainly be easier than landing a hit on me."
"Well, put that way..."
Most things are easier than hitting a Dragon King. I knew I had grown over the past year. This was probably better than the "Monster Hunter" training Tannin had originally planned.
"Don't feel pressured," Tannin added. "Even if you can't kill it, finding it and pinning it down is enough. We will be right behind you."
"…Honestly, that sounds like a 'can't-fail' mission."
"Don't get cocky, Kanata," Azazel warned. "This is dangerous for you specifically. Lavinia has experience, but you have never been in a 'kill-or-be-killed' situation with a Humanoid."
"Kill... or be..."
I was speechless. Azazel was right. A "hunt" meant the target would fight to the death. If it was dangerous, we had to kill it. We couldn't let it reach the human world. And I realized that in the future, my most likely enemies would be humanoids—not monsters.
Lavinia could fight. I remembered her standing her ground against a Stray Magician when we first met. But I had never engaged in lethal combat with something that looked like me. In Kuoh, Shidou and the others weren't trying to kill me. The Bael Devils in the park? I was so high on "Magical Girl Adrenaline" I barely remember the fight.
"You've never even faced true malice," Azazel noted. "One reason you've kept your 'surface world' values is that you haven't been exposed to the toxins of the Under-world. The Kuoh incident was just a tiny sliver of what's out there."
"The world is full of malice," Tannin added. "You have been 'lucky' enough to walk this far without feeling it. So lucky, in fact, that I have to go out of my way to create an environment where you have to face someone with malicious intent."
"I guess I have everyone to thank for that," I muttered.
I realized Mephisto and the others had been sheltering me. My existence was a secret, and I had powerful backers. As Tannin said, I was incredibly lucky.
"…It might be more than luck," Lavinia whispered.
"Lavinia?"
"If Kanata's Partner really does have a will," she said, her eyes fixed on me, "it might have been guiding him away from malice. Gears are sensitive to the host's danger. Kanata, you said your 'bad feelings' have a 100% accuracy rate. I think you're unconsciously filtering for malice."
"What...?"
I hadn't realized it. I did avoid people who gave me a "bad vibe," but I thought that was just common sense.
"It's possible," Azazel said.
"Wait, seriously? He can do that?"
"Look at your track record, kid," Azazel pointed out. "You befriended a Longinus wielder on sight. You entered the protection of an ancient Devil on sight. You fluffed my wings on sight. You fired an 'Oyakodon' missile at a Dragon King on sight. You befriended a Devil and a priest on sight. You had a Satan wipe your nose. You talked an Emperor into a strike. If any of those people had harborbed true malice toward you, you'd be dead a dozen times over."
"When you list it all like that," Tannin mused, "it's a miracle he's still this carefree. We must be as soft as he is for allowing it."
Tannin, don't say that with such a distant look in your eyes. I only felt safe with them because I knew them from the books! ...But it was true, I'd never felt a "bad vibe" from any of them. I'd felt "danger vibes"—usually when the adults had a "great idea" involving magical girls—but never malice.
Was I really running a "Malice Sensor"? Partner, talk to me... stop glowing mysteriously. We've been together five years; I know when you're avoiding the question.
"It's just a theory," Azazel shrugged. "If the Gear was really protecting you from malice, it would have steered you away from the Stray Devil or the Kuoh incident entirely."
"…Or," Tannin added, "if Kanata possessed a strong will to intervene, or if the Gear judged the encounter necessary for his growth, it might have stepped aside."
I stayed silent. Meeting the Stray Devil gave me the resolve to enter this world. Meeting the Stray Magician led me to Lavinia and Mephisto. The Kuoh incident let me break the chains of the "original plot." I know I'm a coward, and I'm indecisive. If I'd been steered away from every conflict, I'd still be standing still.
I touched my chest, feeling the Gear's pulse. He had been with me since I was born. My other half. I'd spent four years alone, with no one to rely on but him. That isolation had birthed my wish for him to have a soul.
If he was really guiding me... making sure I met the right people and avoided the wrong ones... then I was fine with it. Honestly, I'm a gullible kid; I'd probably get tricked by a scammer in five minutes without him.
"If I really have a 'Malice Sensor,' then I'm just lucky, right?"
"The fact that you can think that way is why you and your Gear get along so well," Azazel laughed, patting my head. "A normal person would be consumed by paranoia."
"Why? It's convenient! It's helped me out!"
Azazel's gaze was pitying. "You really are an idiot, aren't you?" his eyes said. But I didn't care. I had no reason to reject my Partner. If he was helping me, I was grateful.
"If that's who you are, use that sense to survive," Azazel said. "Sometimes you have to walk through the fire. Running isn't wrong, but eventually, you'll have to stand your ground."
"And when that happens?"
"Malice comes in many forms. Learn them. And build a network of people you can trust. Once the world learns of your Erasure, everyone will want a piece of you. Some will try to use you. The 'Innovator' of the Grau Zauberer... make sure you're ready to carry that name."
Carrying a name, huh? It felt like Issei carrying the title of "Breast Dragon." He didn't ask for it, but he chose to live up to the expectations of those around him. He became a hero.
I didn't want to be a target in a world full of death flags, but I knew I couldn't hide forever. I had to grow.
"And while you're at it," Azazel added, "keep honing those Underworld survival skills. Learn how to track and scout while you hunt that Stray."
"Wait... this isn't a day trip?"
"Of course not. A Stray hiding from dragons won't stay near the nest. We've traced its movements to a sector five or six days away on foot. A dragon could get there in an hour, but you need to do this the human way."
A dragon would be too loud; the target would flee. And the Stray likely needed to keep devouring monsters to stay ahead of the search parties. We had to move fast.
"Do you have a map of the territory?" I asked.
"…No," Tannin rumbled. "No one uses them."
"Nobody dares enter a dragon's land, so there was never a need for a map," Azazel added.
Great. Six days in a monster-filled wilderness with no map. We're going to get lost in ten minutes.
"Fortunately, you have a guide," Tannin said. "Rin is young, but as the Chief's daughter, she has the geography of this land memorized. She needs to know the feeding grounds and the territories of the other dragons."
"So Rin is coming with us?"
"Consider it her first official duty as a familiar."
Rin wagged her tail excitedly. I'd forgotten she was a high-ranking dragon's daughter. She was smart, and she had magic. I felt a bit better knowing she'd be with us.
"The night is deep," Azazel concluded. "Rest until morning. I'm heading back to Grigori, but I'll be back once the hunt is over. Be ready for your visit to headquarters."
"My schedule is way too packed... By the way, what is Lavinia going to do while I'm at Grigori?"
"I... Mephisto has given me permission to return to 'Her' house for a while," Lavinia said, her voice sounding uncharacteristically light. "It's been a year, so I plan to stay for a bit."
'Her' house. I sensed a history there. Lavinia hadn't been home since I joined the Association. Mephisto and Lavinia had likely discussed keeping my information away from this mystery woman until they were sure of my path. I felt a bit guilty for keeping her from her home.
Lavinia looked at me, her gaze full of resolve.
"Kanata... Mephisto gave me permission to tell you about my past today. I suspect his condition for me telling you was that you first learned the truth about your Gear."
She took a breath and clasped her hands over her heart.
"…It is not a happy story. And I cannot tell you everything about the relationship between 'Her' and the Association yet. But... will you listen?"
"Of course! But not tonight. We're both exhausted. Let's do it after we've had some rest. There's no rush; tell me when you're ready."
Between the Dragon King duel, the contract, and the Gear revelations, it had been a long day. Lavinia had been through a lot. She looked more shaken than I was by the news of my Partner. We both needed sleep.
Lavinia nodded and excused herself, heading to the sleeping quarters. She looked lost in thought.
"…Kanata," Azazel said once she was gone.
"Yes?"
"Regarding Lavinia... I've only heard the stories from Mephisto. But by chance, you possess the one thing she wanted most, and the one thing she lacks. To her, you are incredibly 'bright.' So bright it's almost blinding."
I have what she wants? I was the one who relied on her for everything. I felt like the one lacking in that relationship. Azazel gave a sad, knowing laugh.
"Lavinia is stubborn. Her core is as solid as ice. But people like that... when their axis breaks, they become the most fragile things in the world."
"Lavinia... fragile?"
"Remember this, Kanata. She needs a place to belong. And you have become the wedge that keeps her anchored. That's why she was entrusted to the Association in the first place."
I realized then that Azazel was talking about a side of Lavinia she probably didn't even see herself. He was warning me to be the anchor she needed.
"Mephisto gave his permission because he's entrusting her to you. It's a lot to drop on a kid, I know. But are you ready to shoulder whatever it is she's carrying?"
"…I don't know if I'm 'ready' in the way you mean. But no matter what she's carrying, it doesn't change what I'm going to do."
'Kanata, I want to help you. I want to be your strength, however small. So please, let me into your life.'
Lavinia's words from months ago had saved me. They gave me the strength to choose my own path. Now, it was my turn.
"I'm not letting go of her hand," I said with a smile. "That's all I can do as her partner."
Azazel and Tannin both chuckled. It was a simple answer, but they seemed to like it. I knew that for someone like me, a complicated resolve would just lead to overthinking.
If she wanted to go somewhere, I'd go with her. If she was lost, I'd pull her back. I just had to hold her hand. I knew she wasn't the type to pull away.
Between the Stray Devil hunt and Lavinia's past, the reality of the Under-world was starting to come into focus. It was going to be hard, but I'd take it one step at a time. This world really is ruthless.
I shrugged and headed off to bed, a faint smile on my lips.
***
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