After Rias's detailed explanation, Caleb felt like he might have been set up. If it weren't for the Martial Arts Faction's specific breakthrough requirement, he might have already advanced to A-rank through Dual Cultivation.
But there was no telling... Rather than waiting for the Mid-Tier Magic Power Extraction that he didn't know when he could extract, it was better to try the Martial Arts Faction's breakthrough method first. If he extracted the skill and still couldn't break through, he would still have to use this method anyway.
Caleb's idea was unanimously approved, and Rias and the others happily handed the subjugation mission over to him.
"Akira, the subjugation mission is up to you." Akeno Himejima smilingly produced a stack of documents. "We can finally go clear up the backlog of contracts we've accumulated." "I feel like my strength hasn't improved much because I haven't completed contracts in too long."
Aside from cultivating on their own, Devils could accumulate power by fulfilling contracts with humans. Otherwise, Rias and the others wouldn't bother responding to the summons of ordinary people. Due to his Dual Cultivation ability, Caleb looked down on this method and rarely bothered to complete similar requests.
"No time to lose, I'll set off now." Caleb stood up and walked to the center of the room. "The previous fight was utterly unsatisfying."
Rias commented, "Although it's not fully confirmed, Akira really does seem like the Martial Arts Faction type."
"Ara ara~" Akeno Himejima laughed cheerily as she unfolded the magic circle. "He likes close-quarters combat, his enthusiasm for fighting is high, and he feels absolutely no guilt about attacking enemies psychologically..."
Caleb: (?_?)
Say no more. The more they talk, the more I feel like I've been set up.
Waiting for the teleportation magic circle to complete with an expressionless face, Caleb immediately stepped inside.
In the deep, silent forest, a figure materialized out of thin air. Caleb held onto a tree trunk, shaking his slightly dizzy head. It seemed he still needed to adapt to spatial transfer using a magic circle for the first time.
After resting for a few seconds, the dizziness vanished thanks to his formidable physique and spirit. He looked up to observe his surroundings. He could see the spire of a church. Mhm, the location is correct. This is where that Imp ( - a type of mountain demon/goblin/ape-like monster) was last seen.
The term 'Stray Devil' didn't just refer to Devils; the emphasis was on the word 'Stray.' All beings who broke the rules, evaded jurisdiction, harmed humans, or betrayed their masters were classified here. It could be a Devil, a spirit/Yokai, a Fallen Angel, an Angel, a half-breed, or even a human.
Caleb's target today was an Imp. According to the intelligence, this creature enjoyed attacking children and taking them into the deep mountains to eat. The last attack was three days ago, and it had been hiding in this forest ever since.
After confirming that Akeno Himejima hadn't teleported him to the wrong place, Caleb activated his [Insight Eye], and magic power slowly flowed within his body. In the deep, silent forest, thick branches and dense leaves rustled slightly in the breeze. Moonlight filtered through the treetops, scattering sparse patches of light.
Caleb stood in a small clearing. In his [Perception], the entire scene began to sharpen. A strand of magic power emerged like a thread, connecting his senses to the world. He could feel the vitality of the earth, the life force of the trees, and the resonance of everything around him. And... the hidden threat within.
During the summer, Caleb hadn't just focused on martial arts and Dual Cultivation. Having acquired three new talents, he naturally needed to utilize them to increase his overall strength. His goal was to become the perfect, Six-Dimensional warrior. Under the effect of the [Perception] talent, Caleb quickly mastered Scrying Magic and Perception Magic. Paired with his [Insight Eye], his intelligence gathering capabilities instantly caught up with his fighting strength.
[Spirit Affinity] was a talent related to contracts. After learning a few contract spells, Caleb found no immediate use for them and set them aside. As for the [Tenacity] talent, its effect could be summarized as 'growing stronger the longer the fight lasts,' increasing physical and mental durability. Its effect was relatively minor for the current Caleb, but since it was a passive, constantly active effect, it was still a decent talent.
The range of his perception gradually deepened. Suddenly, Caleb's vision became strange and wondrous. The outlines of the trees began to blur. The entire scene seemed to melt together, with only one shadow becoming increasingly clear.
Deactivating the Scrying Magic, Caleb slightly smiled. "Found it."
Confirming the direction, he deftly moved through the gaps between the branches, rapidly approaching the target. It wasn't until Caleb was less than ten meters away that the ferocious, monkey-like Yokai finally reacted.
"Good luck. My first encounter is with a B-rank opponent." With that, Caleb decisively struck. A murderous Lightning Spear instantly condensed, then violently thrust towards the Imp's head. The Imp's eyes flashed red, and it rapidly dodged. After narrowly avoiding the attack, it glared at Caleb sinisterly. "Magician... why are you attacking me?"
Caleb had no intention of explaining. He simply channeled magic power, activating the red crest on the back of his left hand. Seeing the strange, fragmented circular crest, the Imp's eyes narrowed. Its form violently inflated, changing from a small monkey-like creature to the size of a gorilla.
"So, it's a little Devil from the Gremory family." The Imp asked darkly, "Where is your master? Where are they hiding?"
"You don't need Buchou to deal with you."
"Arrogant brat!" The Imp condensed a mass of pitch-black demonic energy. The malevolent and powerful energy wave attacked Caleb. Caleb dodged sideways. The black energy wave smashed into the ground, black smoke permeated the air, and dust flew up. After the dust settled, a bottomless crater appeared where the ground was hit, surrounded by spider-web-like cracks.
"Is that all?" Caleb chuckled, condensing another Lightning Spear. At the same time, he relentlessly launched various low-level, instant-cast spells at the Imp. The Imp's speed was extremely fast, and all the magic attacks missed. However, Caleb had also managed to close the distance. Caleb used the Lightning Spear as a sword. His sharp attacks occasionally ripped away chunks of flesh from the Imp. The Imp was only slightly faster than Caleb. In terms of strength and skill, it was absolutely no match for Caleb.
After holding on for a moment, seeing that escape was impossible, it gathered its demonic power and took a hit from Caleb's spear, forcefully boosting its strength again.
The familiar sensation reappeared. Caleb sensed that 'membrane' even more clearly than in the ranking battle. This is it, he thought, becoming even more excited.
"Berserk mode, huh... It's just what I needed!" Seeing Caleb push forward instead of retreating, the Imp inwardly cursed him as a lunatic. However, having used Berserk mode, it had no way out. If it failed to kill or repel Caleb before the Berserk mode ended, it would be the one to die today.
BOOM!
The fierce battle startled a flock of birds, and also attracted an uninvited guest. A pitch-black feather mixed in with the flying birds slowly drifted down. A sparsely-dressed Fallen Angel stood atop a tree branch. The bright moonlight illuminated her alluring profile.
"That Imp used Berserk mode. It's normal for it to have that kind of strength..." Looking at the two fighting fiercely below, Raynare, who had returned to her true Fallen Angel form, was filled with surprise and uncertainty. "But what is going on with that new Devil? It's only been two months, and he already feels like he's almost A-rank strength?"
The difference between A-rank and B-rank was in the essence of life. In terms of raw combat power, it was not entirely insurmountable. It wasn't until S-rank that there was a qualitative change in fighting capability. Three B-ranks could surround an A-rank and put them in danger, but three B-ranks could, at most, take three hits from an S-rank. One hit each, no more.
Under the observation of his [Insight Eye], Caleb discovered Yūma Amano. Seeing that the opponent had no intention of intervening, he was slightly disappointed. The Imp in Berserk mode did put some pressure on him, but it was still insufficient. Caleb looked disheveled but was actually not badly injured. Seeing the Imp's movements grow slower and its strength diminish, he stopped wasting time, disappointed.
[Physical Mastery], [Mirror Reflect], [Sword Heart], and [Lightning Flash] were simultaneously deployed. A golden-yellow Lightning Spear condensed. Using the spear as a sword, he fiercely thrust at the Imp's fist. The stalemate lasted for an instant. With the 50% boost from [Mirror Reflect], the Imp's fist was the first to crumble. Then, the Lightning Spear forcefully pierced through its arm. Accompanied by the Imp's painful wail, the Lightning Spear pierced through its shoulder and into its skull.
SPLAT—
CRASH!
The horrifying shriek ceased. The Imp's massive body slowly fell to the ground. As its life force gradually faded, it slowly reverted to the size of a monkey. After shrinking, the bloody hole in its head looked even more gruesome.