I furiously kicked the large wooden podium at the altar, splintering it in half. Behind it, a hidden stone door cracked open, trembling under the force of my rage. A gust of stale, cold air spilled out from below, accompanied by faint echoes of screaming.
Without hesitation, I plunged down the narrow staircase carved into the stone, the air turning heavier with every step.
The temperature dropped so sharply that my breath became fog, but the burning fury inside me drowned every sensation of cold.
At the bottom, I emerged into an expansive underground chamber. The ceiling soared high above, covered in twisted symbols. Candles flickered weakly, casting grotesque shadows over dozens of priests in dark hooded robes arranged in a ritual circle.
And in the center—
Asia's screams tore violently through the silence, raw and agonizing.
She was chained to an enormous cross of black metal, the structure pulsing with sickly green light. Strange lines resembling circuits crawled across its surface, sending electric shocks through her body again and again. Each surge tossed her fragile frame violently, her voice breaking with pain.
A rage unlike anything I had ever felt gripped my chest.
"I'll tell you this only once."
My voice was so cold it felt inhuman.
"Let Asia go right now and maybe I'll spare your life."
A figure stepped forward from the crowd. A fallen angel woman, dressed in little more than a black leather bikini, wings spread arrogantly, smirked. Reynare.
"Stupid human," she spat. "I don't know how you managed to get here, but don't think you can"
CRACK.
Her sentence ended abruptly when her face slammed into the stone floor so hard the impact cracked it. I hadn't moved an inch. The [Ruler's Authority] became an invisible hammer, pinning her skull into the ground like a nail.
Gasps and panic filled the room.
"You've made your choice."
My voice echoed like distant thunder.
In the next second, dozens of black beams exploded from me ripping through the chamber like a storm of darkness. Antimagic tore the robed priests apart before they could scream, incinerating their souls and equipment alike. Holy glyphs shattered like glass. Flesh and cloth became dust.
Silence.
I walked toward Reynare, lifting her off the ground by the throat. Her legs kicked desperately in the air.
"W-Wait... please..."
Her voice trembled, raw fear coating every word.
"Can we... talk...?"
I tightened my grip, cutting off her breath. Her wings shook violently, feathers scattering across the floor.
I didn't spare her another glance.
I turned toward Asia, who trembled weakly on the cross, tears streaking her face. With a surge of Antimagic, I infused power into my hand and pressed it against the structure. The moment my energy flowed into it, the circuits exploded with sparks and the extraction ritual shattered violently.
Asia gasped in relief her body finally still.
Her eyes found mine, glowing faintly with gratitude even while wet with tears.
"Arthur-san… thank… you…"
She smiled softly radiantly before her eyes closed and she lost consciousness.
Reynare's lifeless body hit the ground behind me with a dull thud.
Using telekinesis, I lowered Asia from the cross, handling her as gently as if she were made of glass. Her small frame felt weightless in my arms.
Princess-carrying her, I headed upward.
Since I couldn't use Shunpo while carrying someone, I used the [Ruler's Authority] to lift us both into the air, hovering through the night sky toward my home.
---
I placed Asia carefully on my bed, pulling the blanket up to her shoulders. Her breathing steadied, peaceful.
Then I pulled out my phone and contacted the others.
"I handled it. Asia is safe. I'm home, preparing to rest. I'll explain everything tomorrow."
After briefly recounting the battle, I ended the call.
Exhaustion finally washed over me.
I took a long, silent bath, letting the blood and soot dissolve into the water.
Then I returned to my room and lay down beside the sleeping girl, closing my eyes.
I was ready to sleep.
---
The next morning, a chill woke me. After opening my eyes, I saw Akeno standing beside my bed, looking at me with a smile, but for some strange reason, her eyes didn't seem to smile at all.
Then I looked down at my chest because I felt something heavy on top of me and saw Asia sleeping comfortably, her arms wrapped tightly around me. She had fainted last night, and since I didn't have anything to change her into, she was still wearing the thin white nightgown she'd arrived in.
"Fufu~ I hope my cute boyfriend has an explanation for sleeping with another woman…"
Akeno's sweet smile remained, but a dangerous aura leaked from her tone. Her expression was both seductive and terrifying.
Before I could speak, she leaned down slowly, brushing her lips against my cheek in a deliberate kiss - soft, but filled with quiet warning.
"Good morning, Arthur~"
Her voice was calm, but her eyes burned with jealousy.
Just then, a voice came from the doorway.
"Akeno, did you wake Arthur up…?"
Rias peeked into the room and froze mid-sentence, staring at the scene: Asia asleep on top of me, Akeno standing over the bed, and me looking like I'd been caught in the middle of a crime. Rias blinked, then quietly backed out of the room and closed the door without another word.
After about an hour, the four of us were sitting in the kitchen having breakfast together.
"That's why my boyfriend offered me a place to live in this house too, right?"
Akeno spoke with a sweet voice that carried a faint tinge of threat.
Arthur nodded vigorously.
"That's right, you can live here with us too."
Rias wasn't sure what had happened upstairs, but she had known Akeno long enough to recognize when her best friend was dangerously angry. So she silently ate her meal, pretending not to notice anything.
They had both insisted on checking on me today because they were still worried about my injuries, and since it was the weekend, they decided to spend the day here.
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Rias Gremory, heir to the Gremory clan and a devil."
Rias politely greeted Asia, although she initially wanted to warn her about getting involved with someone from the church. But after hearing her story how she had been excommunicated for healing a devil and then deceived and almost killed by fallen angels she couldn't help but sympathize with her.
Now that she agreed to live here as a servant and friend, I also offered her a place at Kuoh Academy. Thanks to Rias's family influence and her connection with the student council president, enrolling Asia wouldn't be an issue.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both."
Asia smiled brightly, relieved and genuinely happy. She had awakened not long ago and learned what had happened—Arthur had gone alone to rescue her and saved her life.
Not only did she now have a safe home, but she also found two new friends who treated her with kindness, regardless of being demons.
"Anyway, what will happen now? Do you think the fallen angels will seek revenge? I killed three of them, after all."
Arthur's voice was calm, but the fight still burned behind his eyes.
"I don't think so. They were low-ranking individuals, so their leaders won't bother seeking justice for them."
Rias answered while sipping her tea.
"What cruel leaders! Is it like that in all factions?"
"It won't be like that if you join my peerage…"
Rias casually extended another offer.
"You know I'm not very interested in that."
A week had passed since he started working with them.
"I had to try. Anyway, since you seem fine, I'll go to the Underworld to report what happened. Akeno, you can stay here if you want."
The black-haired girl finished her meal and stood up.
"No need. It's my job to go with you. Also—"
She leaned down and gently kissed my cheek again.
"I'll be back tonight with my things to move here~"
After both women left, I was left alone with Asia.
"Since your luggage is gone, we have to go buy you a lot of things today."
I couldn't recover Asia's suitcase during the rescue.
"Thank you so much, Arthur-san. I don't want to trouble you, but I don't even have clothes to wear, so… I'll accept."
She didn't even have underwear now, so she had no other choice.
"Don't worry about it, I'm rich anyway. And also—you can drop the honorifics. I'm not used to them."
Asia shyly smiled and said,
"In that case… I'll call you Arthur."
'Isn't this girl way too cute?'
After breakfast, I lent her some of my clothes and then whisked her away to the mall.