A few minutes later, the group arrived at the edge of the abandoned warehouse district.
The area was a forgotten corner of Kuoh—rusted chain-link fences sagging under their own weight, cracked asphalt overgrown with weeds, and row after row of derelict factories looming like silent giants under the moonless sky.
Streetlights here had long since burned out or been smashed, leaving only the faint silver glow of starlight and the distant city haze to see by.
The moment they crossed the invisible perimeter, every supernatural sense in the group lit up like a flare.
A thick, oily demonic aura pulsed from the central warehouse ahead—corrupted, hungry.
It reeked of desperation and old blood, the kind of signature that made even the air feel greasy.
Silas hung a few steps behind the others, hands in his jacket pockets, purple eyes scanning the shadows with casual interest.
' Let's see what they can do,' he thought, a small smile tugging at his lips. ' Well, not that I don't already know. In the series, they're strong for mid-tier threats… but against actual heavy hitters? They struggle. Issei usually has to bail them out with his plot-armor dragon boost. I might change that tonight. Just for fun.'
Koneko didn't wait for a plan.
Without a word, the tiny Rook broke into a sprint—her small frame blurring with sudden, explosive speed.
She reached the massive metal sliding door in three heartbeats, planted her feet, and swung her fist in a perfect, compact arc.
BANG!
The impact echoed like a cannon shot. The heavy steel door didn't just open—it crumpled inward, hinges screaming as they tore free. The entire slab flew backward, skidding across the concrete floor inside with a deafening screech of metal on stone before slamming flat and sliding to a stop against a stack of rotting crates.
Dust billowed up in a thick cloud.
The peerage walked in calmly, stepping over the wreckage like it was just another Tuesday. Silas followed last, ducking slightly under the bent frame, smirk widening.
The interior was pitch black—unnaturally so. No ambient light penetrated more than a few feet; the darkness seemed to drink it greedily, pressing in from all sides like living ink.
Normal humans would have been blind. Devils, however, saw perfectly. Every detail stood out in crisp monochrome clarity: rusted machinery, broken conveyor belts, scattered shards of glass crunching underfoot.
A small, round object bounced once, twice, then rolled to a stop right in front of Koneko's sneakers.
She tilted her head, golden-hazel eyes narrowing. Slowly, deliberately, she bent at the waist and picked it up—a child's rubber ball, faded red with cartoon stars printed on it.
The instant her fingers closed around it—
A guttural, earth-shaking **ROAR** erupted from the blackness ahead.
Something enormous exploded out of the shadows—massive jaws lined with jagged, yellowed teeth snapping shut inches from Koneko's face. The beast was grotesque: a hulking, gray-furred quadruped the size of a small truck, eyeless head dominated by a gaping maw, claws like scythes gouging furrows in the concrete as it lunged.
But Koneko didn't flinch.
Her fist was already cocked. Time seemed to slow for a heartbeat—then she drove it forward in a piston-like strike.
**BAM!**
The punch connected dead-center with the beast's snout. The impact force rippled outward in a visible shockwave, cracking the air itself. The stray devil's head snapped back violently; its entire body lifted off the ground and hurtled backward like a ragdoll. It crashed through a brick support pillar, pulverizing it into dust, then slammed into the far wall hard enough to leave a crater of shattered masonry and twisted rebar.
Silence followed—broken only by falling debris and the stray's labored, wheezing breaths.
In the unnatural darkness, the creature's true form was perfectly visible to everyone present.
A half-naked, emaciated devil torso sprouted grotesquely from the back of the gray-furred monster—like a parasitic rider fused to its host. The man's skin was pallid and stretched tight over sharp bones, eyes sunken and glowing faintly yellow. Long, greasy black hair hung in strings over his face. Below the waist, he melded seamlessly into the beast's spine, tendrils of corrupted demonic flesh linking them together in a nightmarish union.
The man-thing lifted its head slowly, lips peeling back in a rictus grin that showed too many teeth.
"Hmm… that usually works," it muttered, voice hoarse and hollow, like wind through a broken flute. "Kids love the ball. Come running every time."
Rias stepped forward, crimson hair glowing faintly in the dark like embers. Her expression was calm, almost pitying.
"That's how it lures people," she said quietly, eyes locked on the abomination. "Mostly children, from what the reports said. Offers them a toy, draws them in close, then… feeds."
The stray chuckled wetly, pushing itself upright with trembling limbs. Chunks of wall rained down around it.
"Clever little devils… always ruining my fun."
Rias didn't respond to the taunt. Instead, she glanced back at her peerage—sharp, commanding.
"Get into formation."
They moved instantly, practiced and fluid.
Kiba drew his Sword Birth in a flash of silver light, taking position to the left flank—ready to cut off escape routes with blinding speed.
Akeno stepped to the right, eyes sparking with restrained lightning, demonic energy already crackling faintly at her fingertips.
Koneko cracked her knuckles once, planting herself directly in front like an immovable wall—small but radiating raw, terrifying power.
Rias remained at the center, Power of Destruction beginning to gather in her palms—black-red energy swirling like liquid void, ready to erase anything it touched.
Silas stayed a few paces back, arms loosely crossed, watching with genuine curiosity.
The abomination rose fully now—beast body crouching low, it's grinning widened.
"Let's see how long you last, little devils…"
Rias's eyes narrowed.
"Begin."
Kiba moved first—Sword Birth already drawn in a flash of silver light. He dashed forward with blinding speed, leaping high and twisting mid-air like a coiled spring. His blade came down in a precise arc aimed at the stray's exposed neck.
The beast reacted instinctively, jerking its massive head aside and snapping its jaws wide to catch him.
Kiba didn't hesitate. He twisted his wrist at the last instant, reversing the swing into a thrust. The sword plunged straight into the soft underside of the creature's maw.
**Splatter!**
Dark, viscous blood sprayed in a wide arc, splattering the concrete. The stray let out a guttural screech that rattled the remaining windows, thrashing wildly. Kiba yanked the blade free and dropped lightly to the ground, already rolling out of range as the beast reared back in agony.
The next second, Koneko blurred forward—her small frame a streak of black hoodie and white hair. She slid underneath the staggering monster, planted her feet, and drove an uppercut straight into its underbelly.
**BAM!**
The impact echoed like a thunderclap. The stray's entire body lifted off the ground, launched upward in a helpless arc, gray fur smoking from the sheer force.
Akeno stepped up calmly, violet eyes glowing faintly. Twin red summoning circles flared into existence above the airborne beast, crackling with restrained power.
**CRACKLE—BOOM!**
Golden-yellow lightning lanced down in thick, jagged bolts, slamming into the stray mid-flight. The air ionized with ozone; the creature's fur scorched black, skin blistering and splitting as electricity coursed through it. It screamed—a raw, piercing wail of pain and fury—but the barrage held it suspended, unable to escape.
Rias walked forward unhurriedly, crimson hair swaying like liquid fire. A larger, intricate red magic circle bloomed in front of her palm, swirling with black-red void energy.
"That was a nice warm-up," she muttered, almost to herself.
The circle pulsed once—bright crimson light flashed, blinding for a heartbeat.
Then silence.
The stray devil simply… ceased to exist. It left no ashes, remnants or anything really. Ths power of Destruction had erased it completely, down to the molecular level. The unnatural darkness in the warehouse lifted like a curtain being drawn back, normal shadows returning.
The space went quiet again, save for the faint drip of cooling metal somewhere in the rafters.
Silas stepped forward from where he'd been leaning against a rusted support beam, arms crossed, expression genuinely impressed.
"That was impressive," he said, nodding slowly. "You guys are really coordinated. No wasted movement, perfect timing. Almost like you've done this a hundred times."
They turned to him, breathing a little heavier but smiling—proud, relieved.
Kiba sheathed his sword with a soft click, wiping a stray drop of blood from the blade.
"Yeah… it took a couple of practice runs to get it right," he admitted modestly. "But we've had good teachers."
Silas chuckled. "Looks like you've been doing this for years, honestly. Guess I won't be showing you my power anytime soon. You don't seem to need the help."
Rias walked up to him, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes bright with leftover adrenaline.
"Don't rule that out," she said softly. "There are strays all over Kuoh—some tougher than this one. We could go hunting more often. You'd fit right in."
"True," Silas replied, tilting his head with a small smirk. "But that would get a bit boring after a while."
Akeno laughed—light, teasing, stepping closer so her shoulder brushed his.
"Do you have a performance issue, Silas-kun? I'm sure we can fix that up quickly~"
The suggestive lilt in her voice was impossible to miss. Silas felt the temptation flicker—her violet eyes, the way she tilted her head—but he just laughed it off, low and easy.
"You'll see what I can do when the time comes. For now… enjoy the suspense."
Koneko padded up quietly, stopping right in front of him. She looked up with those big golden-hazel eyes, expression flat.
"…Fraud."
Silas raised an eyebrow, then reached down and gently patted the top of her head—right between the cat clips. Her white hair was surprisingly soft under his palm.
"I'm not Yuta now," he said, amused.
She didn't pull away. Didn't even flinch. Just stood there, letting him do it for a few seconds longer than usual.
Kiba blinked, confused. "Who's Yuta?"
Silas withdrew his hand with a small grin. "Don't worry about it. I should get going now. See you all tomorrow."
Before anyone could respond, he simply… vanished. There was no flash , sound or ripple in the air. He was just gone, like he'd never been standing there.
The peerage stared at the empty space for a heartbeat.
Rias sighed, rubbing her temple. "I hate it when he does that."
Akeno pouted dramatically, crossing her arms. "It would have been better if he disappeared with me."
Kiba's eyes widened. "Yeah—wait, what!?"
Akeno just laughed—soft, melodic, and utterly unapologetic.
Koneko, meanwhile, reached up slowly and touched the spot on her head where his hand had been. A faint pink dusted her cheeks.
"…Pervert," she muttered under her breath. But she didn't sound mad. Not even a little.
TO BE CONTINUED