Rhode didn't make things too difficult for the driver who was just trying to hustle for a living. He simply removed the steering wheel and shot out all four tires.
Upon entering the Vatican, Rhode sensed a trace of holy power in the air.
St. Peter's Basilica was the most iconic building in the Vatican and its most massive landmark. During the day, tourists and believers from all over the world flocked here. In his previous world, it was already crowded; in a world where supernatural power actually existed, the believers were even more fanatical. This was why Rhode chose to handle the mission at night.
As for "investigating"? It wasn't necessary.
The moment he entered the Vatican, the System mission provided all the clues he needed, even thoughtfully painting a bright red navigation line on the ground for him. If the System eventually added an "auto-pathing" feature, Rhode figured he could probably just go AFK and level up.
Following the red line, Rhode soon arrived at a private residence located as far as possible from St. Peter's Basilica.
The area was deserted. Rhode silently scaled the wall and entered the property. Finding a window left slightly ajar, he quickly caught the sound of a conversation coming from inside.
"Hehe... I didn't expect it to be this easy."
"Now, even for a 'Holy Maiden,' if she's found helping a Devil, there's no way she'll be able to clear her name, right?"
"What do you all think?"
Standing by the window, Rhode peered through the gap. He saw a slender, black-haired young man speaking with a smug grin. To Rhode's surprise, the man wasn't alone. There were several figures wrapped in black robes, their faces and lower features completely concealed by hoods and veils.
With Rhode's trained eyes, he could tell at a glance that the robed figures were all female.
"For the next few days, keep a close watch on everyone entering and leaving St. Peter's Basilica. Track everyone related to the Church. Once you find the Holy Maiden, follow her until she leaves the Vatican. I'll make my move then and bring her here."
A triumphant smile played on Diodora's face.
As a Devil whose specific fetish involved Church nuns and Holy Maidens, it only took a tiny bit of effort on his part to drag Asia Argento—the girl revered as a Saint—into ruin. He had used similar methods to successfully "obtain" many nuns in the past.
He only had to wait until he had Asia in his grasp before taking them all back to the Underworld to enjoy at his leisure.
"Oh? So it's this guy," Rhode thought. "No wonder he looked so familiar earlier."When Rhode heard the name "Asia," the pieces of the plot finally clicked into place.
In the original story, Asia Argento was a Holy Maiden of the Church, the bearer of the healing-type Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing (The Holy Mother's Smile). Because of her ability to heal wounds, the Church viewed her as a gift from the heavens. However, Diodora Astaroth—a Devil with a twisted obsession for nuns—had set his sights on her. He had intentionally disguised himself as a "kind, injured devil" to trick Asia into healing him, ensuring that other members of the Church would catch her in the act.
Once it was exposed that the Holy Maiden had healed a Devil, her reputation would be utterly destroyed. Diodora would then swoop in to "rescue" the exiled nun, leading her into a fate worse than death. It was a pattern he had repeated many times; while not every nun possessed a Sacred Gear, the process was reliable and highly effective.
"So, the main plot is about to begin?" Rhode mused.
He had visited Kuoh Town once before, but nothing had been triggered then. Surprisingly, the original protagonist, Issei Hyoudou, was nowhere to be found. Though it was strange, Rhode had left the town since no new missions had appeared. He figured that after completing this task, it would be worth making another trip to Kuoh. If he could trigger the main events of the original story, the rewards would likely be massive.
"Who's there?! Who's outside?!"
Diodora, who had been lost in the arrogance of his own scheme, suddenly whipped his head toward the window at the sound of Rhode's presence. A silhouette was cast against the glass.
"A thief?"
Diodora didn't sense the aura of a priest or an exorcist, which allowed him to relax slightly. However, there was a chance the intruder had overheard his monologue. To be safe, it was better to eliminate the witness. Diodora lunged toward the window, reaching out to grab the figure. As a pureblood High-Class Devil, his physical strength and speed were leagues beyond those of a normal human.
However, Diodora was greeted not by a neck to grab, but by a silver bullet.
The supersonic projectile tore through the air, erupting in a spray of blood right between Diodora's eyes. The Devil's body stiffened; he staggered back several steps but managed to stay on his feet.
"As I thought, once you run into the tougher Devils, conventional firearms start losing their edge," Rhode noted with a hint of disappointment. He actually quite liked firearms, but in a world governed by mythology, weapons lacking supernatural empowerment struggled to deal effective damage to High-Class beings. If they worked, the Great Factions wouldn't be bother with melee weapons—they'd just be nuking each other with missiles.
Diodora recovered, the searing pain in his forehead twisting his handsome features into a monstrous snarl. The moment he tasted his own blood, his rage ignited.
"You dare wound me?! Not even my uncle has ever struck me!"
Purple demonic power flared from Diodora's body. With a burst of speed, he unleashed a powerful blast of energy from his right hand. The exterior wall was instantly pulverized, and the excess energy whistled past to demolish several abandoned buildings in the distance.
"You really have no patience. This is the Vatican; exorcists and even Angels will be all over you in a heartbeat."
"You son of a...!"
Diodora was nearly driven insane by Rhode's calm, nonchalant attitude. You have the nerve to say that? You're the one who didn't play by the rules! You used a gun to sneak attack me! If he weren't already "injured" from his little masquerade, he never would have chosen to fight here.
But the brat was right. Diodora already wanted to retreat. He just wanted to take a Holy Maiden home to play with; he had no desire to provoke a horde of fanatical Angels. If a High-Ranking Angel showed up, he'd be in deep trouble.
The moment Diodora thought of fleeing, his killing intent wavered. Seizing that split-second opening, Rhode's figure abruptly vanished from Diodora's sight.
[Skill: Clock Up] [Effect: Upon activation, the user enters a state of super-acceleration, greatly increasing the speed of surrounding particles to allow free movement within a specialized time stream.]
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD
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