"A winner doesn't ask how the world is, but how it should be!!"
— Sōsuke Aizen, Bleach
<><><><><><>
[ -With your Blessings - 3/4 Even 5 Chapters Daily- ]
[ -Push the Story Forward with your Power Stones- ]
<><><><><><>
Now free from the concern for Asia's safety, Roy no longer needed to hold back.
"Asia, stay here and wait for me. I'll take you home soon," Roy said with a reassuring smile.
"Okay..." Asia clasped her hands together, returning a gentle smile.
For her, this person who had rescued her from despair was everything.
"Ahahaha, I can't believe my ears! Asia, you're going home with a 'devil'? Have you finally fallen so far as to consort with devils?" Raynare erupted in mocking laughter, deliberately emphasizing Roy's demonic nature.
Roy remained silent, his gaze fixed on Asia. He had faith in her.
Asia was momentarily taken aback by Raynare's words but quickly recovered.
"I trust Roy-san, whether he's a devil or a human. Compared to him, you Fallen Angels are the wicked ones!" she declared, her gaze unwavering.
Asia had been indoctrinated by the Church, taught that devils were the most evil creatures in existence.
However, after this experience, she realized that devils weren't as evil as she had been led to believe. On the contrary, she now saw the Fallen Angels and the Priests, who had pretended to accept her, as far more wicked than any devil.
"Hahahaha, how amusing! To be called evil!" Raynare's expression was strangely gleeful. She seemed to relish the label.
But her twisted smile quickly morphed into a mask of rage.
"I'll kill you!"
Asia flinched, hiding behind Roy.
"Don't worry, Asia. I'll take care of her," Roy reassured her, turning his attention back to Raynare.
"Hahaha, you think you can defeat me just because you dodged my light spears...?"
"Do I?"
Before Raynare could finish her sentence, Roy was upon her.
His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw.
"Iai Slash!"
*Swish!*
The draw was so fast it was almost invisible. A thin line of blood appeared on Raynare's neck.
A moment later, blood spurted forth.
"Impossible..." Raynare clutched at her throat, but the bleeding wouldn't stop.
"Azazel and Kokabiel won't let you get away with this!" she choked out.
"Heh, let them come. I'll be waiting." If those two Fallen Angels came, his sister Grayfia wouldn't stand idly by. And given enough time, Roy himself would become a force to be reckoned with.
Raynare's body finally collapsed, her last words echoing in the air.
Just then, Saeko and the others arrived in the basement.
"Roy, are you alright?!"
"Roy-chan, let me see if you're hurt!"
...
Seeing that all the enemies were dead, the girls rushed to Roy's side, checking for injuries.
"I'm fine! I'm not hurt at all!" Roy said, exasperated.
But Shizuka, ever the worrier, insisted on examining him.
"Are you hurt, Roy-san?" Asia asked, her voice full of concern.
Seeing Shizuka's hands wandering a bit too freely, Roy rapped her on the head. She wasn't checking for injuries; she was taking advantage of the situation!
"Ow!" Shizuka clutched her head, finally calming down.
"By the way, Saeko, what happened to the Stray Exorcist?" Roy asked, turning to Saeko.
A satisfied smile spread across Saeko's face. "As you commanded, the Stray Exorcist is dead."
"Well done, Saeko!" Roy gave her a thumbs-up.
"Hmph, thanks to *someone*, we almost let that Stray Exorcist escape," Saya muttered.
"Oh? What happened?" Roy asked curiously.
Yuriko chuckled nervously, tugging at her daughter's sleeve.
But Saya ignored her, refusing to give her mother any face-saving opportunity. She recounted what had happened.
During the fight with Freed, the other girls had been using Magic Bullet to keep him from escaping.
However, due to Yuriko's carelessness, he had almost managed to grab her as a hostage. Fortunately, Saeko had reacted quickly.
If Yuriko had been taken hostage, Freed Sellzen would have undoubtedly used her as leverage to escape, and their mission would have failed.
After hearing Saya's account, Roy looked at Yuriko. As a mature woman, she shouldn't have made such a careless mistake.
However, since her body had been reconstructed, her mental age seemed to have regressed somewhat, and she frequently bickered with Saya.
Of course, her lapse in judgment was also partly due to her insufficient magical power, which had allowed Freed to break through her Magic Bullet.
Seeing Roy's gaze, Yuriko lowered her head like a child caught in the act. She regretted arguing with Saya, especially now that the incident had been brought to Roy's attention.
Roy placed his hand on Yuriko's head, startling her. She braced herself for punishment.
"Alright, since everyone's safe, we'll let it go this time. However, there will still be consequences. We'll discuss this back home."
<><><><><><>
If you Like the Story, Please Leave a Review
Every 250 PS = Bonus Chapter!
...