Chapter 4: A True Man Should Not Submit to Others
About ten minutes after Renga left.
Several figures appeared near the Ghoul's corpse one after another.
They were all wearing raincoats, and occasional flashes of lightning allowed a glimpse of their faces.
All were women with distinct features.
Judging by their faces, they were not very old.
"President, it seems we're a step too late."
One of the girls spoke, a few strands of black hair peeking out from under her raincoat hood. Her face had the soft lines characteristic of Eastern features.
Her eyes were like a ray of morning light in a forest—clear and bright. Her skin was like newly bloomed petals, fair with a faint blush.
"It's obvious, and it's a cut wound—smooth and neat. It looks like the work of a skilled swordsman."
Facing the already cold, mangled corpse, another girl crouched down to examine it closely.
Wounds that ordinary people wouldn't dare to look at were as simple as common grass and flowers in her eyes.
"I wonder who did it?"
"It's unlikely to be the Doves among humans. Those ordinary folks aren't very strong and often move in groups. After killing Ghouls, they would only secure the scene and wait for the logistics team to handle the body. So, it might be an Exorcist or a Cursed Technique User."
"Rias, didn't some Fallen Angels sneak in a while ago? Perhaps it's a Stray Exorcist they brought with them."
The girl speaking was Akeno Himejima.
Both she and the girl named Rias were students from Kuoh Academy.
Of course, on the surface, they were ordinary high school girls, but in reality, they were Devils hiding their true identities.
Unlike the bloodthirsty devils portrayed in movies and TV shows, modern Devils looked exactly like humans and had even built a magical society and order far more advanced than that of humans.
Devils, Fallen Angels, Angels, along with some human factions and other forces, divided and ruled this world.
Kuoh City was part of the Devil territory, ruled by the pure-blooded Devil family Gremory's young lady, Rias Gremory.
Assisting her in managing the city were the Pawns she had gathered.
"The Ghoul was chased all the way here and killed. The perpetrator is highly skilled—the fight barely affected the surrounding environment," Koneko Toujou stated expressionlessly.
The white-haired girl who had been crouching to examine the corpse was even more petite than Akeno and Rias, appearing no older than a middle school student.
"No traces of holy energy. It might not be the work of an exorcist," Yuuto Kiba, the only male present, scratched his head and remarked.
"Since we can't identify the culprit, let's return for now. At least from the current information, it seems the perpetrator holds no ill will toward ordinary humans," Rias stood up, her expression troubled.
In recent years, for some reason, the numbers of stray devils, Ghouls, and exorcists had gradually increased.
This didn't even include monsters born from humans, such as evil spirits and cursed spirits.
The periodic attacks left her feeling overwhelmed.
If not for the assistance from human factions, managing this vast town with just her and a few Pawns would be impossible.
Kuoh Academy, Occult Research Club.
The activity base for Rias and her Pawns.
"Rias, regarding the dead Ghoul earlier, I have a theory. We might know the perpetrator," Akeno said while drying her damp hair with a towel after returning from a bath.
At that moment, a figure surfaced in Rias's mind.
"Are you referring to that transfer student, Renga?" Rias glanced back, her crimson hair swaying elegantly in the wind.
Her waist-length scarlet hair flowed through the air, complementing her snow-white skin perfectly.
Beneath her school uniform skirt were flawless, well-toned legs, showing traces of healthy exercise.
Mentioning that name evoked complex emotions in Rias, reminiscent of when she first learned of him.
"Back in the kendo club, didn't Yuuto have a match with Renga? In about five or six rounds, Yuuto lost to him," Akeno recalled, her tone growing reflective.
"Yuuto's kendo skills are widely recognized, yet he still lost."
"If not for that match, I wouldn't have known such a person existed in this school."
"Back then, Rias, you even considered having Koneko recruit him to become your Pawn. Do you remember what he said?" Akeno asked.
"Of course I remember: 'How could a real man willingly submit to others?'" Rias had been stunned when Koneko relayed those words—it was the first time she'd been rejected so bluntly.