"Well, Asia, I really think you shouldn't go to the church in this city."
"Eh!?"
Asia, who'd been staring at the floor in silent misery, jerked her head up. Her eyes searched Shuo's face, confusion and worry written plain as day.
"Why, Shuo-san?"
He hesitated, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "The reason… Well, I just hope you won't get too upset when you hear it."
Asia caught the seriousness in his tone and nodded, her expression earnest. "It's okay. Please tell me, Shuo-san."
Shuo met her gaze, then spoke slowly, each word weighted with regret. "The church here isn't what you think. It's been taken over—Fallen Angels and a Stray Priest have seized control. They killed the original clergy. Now, they murder under the excuse of 'monitoring Sacred Gears,' pretending it's all for world peace…"
Asia just stared at him, stunned. The words seemed to freeze her mind.
She'd always known the Fallen Angels only saw her as a tool, coveted her Sacred Gear. But hearing it laid out so plainly—so brutally—was almost too much to bear.
"So… even the last place I could call home is gone." Her voice was barely a whisper, her eyes hollow and lost.
"Asia…" Shuo's heart twisted at the sight of her despair. He hesitated, then reached out, gently ruffling her hair in a clumsy attempt at comfort.
"Hey, don't be so down. Maybe it's just a rumor. The truth might not be as bad as people say. And even if you really have nowhere to go, you can always stay with me. I'll cook Chinese food for you every day. How about it?"
For a moment, Asia just stared, as if she couldn't process his words. Then hope flickered in her eyes—a single ray of light piercing the darkness.
"R-really? Shuo-san, can I really live with you?" Her voice trembled, but the longing was unmistakable.
"Of course you can. You're gentle and kind, Asia. I'd be lucky to have you around." Shuo smiled, brushing a strand of her golden hair behind her ear.
"Wah… Shuo-san!"
It was all too much. Asia burst into tears, throwing herself into his arms. She sobbed, clinging to him as if afraid he might vanish. For a girl who'd gone from honored saint, to exile, to someone else's tool, it was the first time in ages she'd found a place that felt safe.
Damn it. No matter what anyone says, I'll never have any love for that so-called Church.
Shuo hugged her gently, letting her cry herself out. "Just wait here for me, okay? We'll check out the church together. If you don't want to stay, you can come home with me. Deal?"
Asia nodded, wiping her eyes. She managed a small, grateful smile. In this moment, Shuo was her whole world—the only thing keeping her afloat.
The woods near the church were bathed in moonlight, silver beams filtering through the leaves and painting shifting patterns on the ground. Shuo walked with Asia at his side, her hand tucked firmly in his.
As they neared the church, a heavy, metallic smell filled the air. Blood. Thick, overwhelming, impossible to ignore.
Shuo's nose wrinkled. He'd killed before—stray devils, monsters—but nothing compared to the stench of death that clung to this place. There'd been a massacre here. No doubt.
A figure stepped from the shadows at the church doors—a man in priest's robes, white-haired, with a smile that was all teeth and madness.
"Well, well! Out for a stroll at this hour? Not the wisest decision, you know. There's a killer on the loose these days. So, young man, why don't you hand that little nun over to me?"
His voice was slick, mocking, and that twisted smile made Shuo's skin crawl.
Shuo didn't bother to hide his disgust. "What are you supposed to be? I don't have any reason to show politeness to a Stray Priest. Your name's Freed Sellzen, isn't it? That serial killer everyone's talking about—that's you, right? I can smell the blood on you. How many people did you kill tonight, you piece of trash?"
Freed's eyes widened, then narrowed as he broke into a wild, cackling laugh. "So you know who I am! Hahaha!"
He dropped all pretense, face contorting with glee. "You know, I just killed a high school kid like you. The look on his face when he died—pure despair. Delicious! And you have the nerve to call me trash? When you reek of devils yourself! You're the real filth among humans, kid!"
As he spoke, Freed drew a blade of light from his robes, the weapon humming with power.
"And you!" He sneered at Asia. "A fallen saint who heals devils, pretending to be all pure! Makes me sick!"
So this is a Stray Priest, Shuo thought. Just like devils have their powers, humans who serve the Fallen Angels can wield 'Light'—the same force that kills devils. He narrowed his eyes, sizing up the threat.
Asia trembled, her voice quivering with anger and fear. "You've betrayed the Lord's will. You're no true believer—you've fallen into evil. The Lord will never forgive you!"
Freed just laughed, high and shrill. "Forgive me? You're the real heretic! If not for that Sacred Gear of yours, you'd have died ages ago!"
"Asia, get back. I'll handle this freak." Shuo stepped forward, shielding her with his body.
Asia hesitated, then obeyed, retreating to a safe distance but never taking her eyes off the scene.
"DXD: Multiverse Journey"Ding! Sign-in character detected: Freed Sellzen. Mission level: White. Objective: Eliminate.
Not that I needed the system's approval. Scum like him doesn't deserve to live.
Freed sneered, raising his sword. "You think you can beat me, you little—"
He never finished.
Shuo's body blurred, moving faster than thought. In a flash, he was in front of Freed, his right hand clamping around the priest's throat. Blue lightning crackled along his arm.
"Thunder Dragon."
The sound was deafening—a crack, a sizzle, then the sharp, unmistakable scent of burning flesh. Two hundred million volts surged through Freed's body. His sword fell from limp fingers, light fading as his body blackened, smoking, almost unrecognizable.
Freed's head lolled, eyes rolling back. "Raynare… will never… forgive you…"
Shuo's lip curled. "Let her come. I'd love to take out the trash all at once."
With his current power, unless a true Satan-class monster showed up, he had nothing to fear. And if they did… Well, he still had aces up his sleeve.
Freed's body hit the ground with a dull thud, lifeless and smoldering.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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