Stray Devils.
When a devil's servant rebels or kills their master, they become a masterless rogue, indulging their twisted desires and wreaking havoc wherever they go—these are Stray Devils.
Compared to Koneko, Stray Devils might be closer to people's imagination of what devils truly are—creatures driven by raw desires, murderous, vile, and utterly ruthless.
Evening had descended, setting the clouds aflame in hues ranging from fiery orange to deep violet, shimmering with gold and pale blues as the sunset washed the sky like rolling waves.
At the outskirts of Kuoh Town stood an abandoned warehouse, overgrown with weeds, rusted machinery, and discarded junk littered all over its dilapidated interior. Golden rays of twilight seeped through the shattered windows, illuminating drifting dust and the scent of decay—but above all, the nauseating stench of blood lingered, dizzyingly thick.
All because a Stray Devil was hiding here.
BOOM!
A torrent of flames erupted ferociously, devouring the filthy, nauseating air.
In the raging fire stood a grotesque beast, over five meters tall, four massive legs supporting its bloated form, a serpent-like tail, and a monstrous maw splitting open its belly. Its upper half, however, resembled a human woman, now shrieking with a sharp, ear-piercing wail.
"Oh, seriously—are you kidding me? This is your so-called Stray Devil? Isn't this just a chimera?! You're so twisted and ugly I almost puked yesterday's dinner. With a face like that, how do you have the nerve to keep living? And scaring people, too?"
Sparks scattered around Jeanne Alter, carried by the scorching wind. She tossed back her long hair disdainfully, not bothering to hide the disgust on her face.
"You puny human, weak and pathetic! How dare you look down on me?! You—"
The Stray Devil attempted one last defiant screech, but Jeanne had already lost patience with its worthless drivel.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
The horrifying, gut-wrenching sound of flesh pierced repeatedly echoed through the air.
Countless burning iron spears erupted from beneath the Stray Devil, piercing through its grotesque body, skewering it in place. Three spears thrust brutally into its mouth, silencing any further nonsense and robbing it completely of mobility.
"Trash like you can't do anything besides spout meaningless drivel. Your hatred amounts to nothing. Just die already."
Vast magical energy surged into searing flames, engulfing the Stray Devil mercilessly. It had no chance to beg for mercy before being completely incinerated in the inferno of Jeanne's wrath.
"They say birds leave no trace after flying past, but this—forget a trace, it's turned to scorched earth… Well, that's convenient. Saves me the effort of cleaning up."
With a lazy wave of her hand, Jeanne extinguished the roaring flames in an instant, leaving only charred earth and lingering waves of heat behind.
Beneath the fading glow of dusk, Jeanne Alter stepped irritably out through the warehouse doors.
Waiting quietly outside were Koneko and Ophis, standing silently while Jeanne dealt with the Stray Devil inside.
"Alright, the Stray Devil inside is done for."
Jeanne casually shook her hand, her eyes lazily drifting to Koneko. "Let's get started, then. Ophis, stand over there and watch. Don't interfere with our fight, got it?"
Though Ophis said nothing, she nodded expressionlessly and jogged a short distance away.
Staring at Jeanne, who stood tall and emanated powerful magic that couldn't be ignored, Koneko suddenly felt as though she was looking at a complete stranger.
Complicated emotions flickered through her golden eyes.
"…I don't want to fight you."
"That'll be a problem for me if you don't," Jeanne frowned slightly. "Because this is the fastest way I can think of to calm you down so you'll listen to my explanation."
"…I'm calm."
"Do you even believe yourself when you say that?"
"…"
Koneko silently averted her gaze.
"Tsk! Seems I'll have to force your hand."
Clicking her tongue, Jeanne spotted a rusted iron pipe at her feet.
She flipped it upward with the tip of her shoe, catching it effortlessly mid-air.
Instantly, intricate blue lines spread out from where her hand touched, covering the pipe completely like a circuit board.
"No need to worry about injuries. I'll hold back, though it might hurt a bit. Let me apologize beforehand."
Her arrogant, slightly mocking tone instantly sparked Koneko's anger, causing her eyes to sharpen.
"What an irritating attitude… Senpai, do you really think victory is assured?"
So what if she's a magician? Magic, after all, was merely humans crudely imitating the natural magic of devils. Moreover, even if humans could wield magic, their fragile bodies couldn't compare to a devil's strength.
Observing Koneko growing serious, Jeanne's lips curled into a meaningful smirk.
"Hmph. Who knows?"
Holding the pipe in both hands, Jeanne adopted a stance Koneko didn't recognize.
Kiba Yuuto, a fellow member of Rias's peerage, was an exceptional swordsman, and thus Koneko had a basic familiarity with various sword techniques.
Additionally, to fully utilize the monstrous strength bestowed upon her by the Rook piece, Koneko herself had trained extensively in martial arts, gaining sharp battle instincts.
Yet when Jeanne took up that unfamiliar stance, Koneko felt locked onto by a fierce, icy aura, a sudden chill gripping her heart like a vice.
"If you won't make the first move, then allow me!"
With those words, Jeanne surged forward. By the time Koneko reacted, Jeanne had already covered three-quarters of the distance between them.
So fast!
Without time to marvel, Koneko's fighting instincts kicked in. Her small fist whipped forward violently, aiming directly at Jeanne's head.
BOOM!
Jeanne's figure burst apart from the punch—yet Koneko's pupils instantly shrank, sensing no resistance at all.
Jeanne had vanished, leaving only swirling, mysterious clouds. Koneko's powerful punch had blown open a gaping hole in the mist.
Where did these clouds come from?
Before Koneko could understand, Jeanne reappeared from the mist on her left. Without seeing the strike clearly, Koneko felt a heavy impact to her abdomen, sending her flying uncontrollably.
[Mist Breathing, Fifth Form: Sea of Clouds and Haze]
Sliding across the ground, Koneko stabilized herself, eyes filled with shock as she stared at Jeanne standing calmly a short distance away.
Inhale—Exhale—
Jeanne drew in a deep breath. Exhaling, crimson flames surged from her mouth.
She twisted her body, eyes sharp, and swung her iron pipe—which now glowed with pale blue lines—through the flames, sending forth a roaring fiery tiger-shaped strike directly at Koneko.
[Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger]
Facing such a fierce assault, Koneko dared not underestimate it. Gathering her strength, she punched furiously, dispersing the blazing tiger. Yet Jeanne leaped from the flames immediately afterward, wielding the pipe.
Caught momentarily off-guard by Jeanne's sudden reappearance, Koneko adjusted quickly, launching a thunderous punch directly at Jeanne's descending weapon.
Earlier, Jeanne's strike had stunned Koneko with its pain—clearly enhanced magically—but Koneko felt certain the rusted pipe had limits, no matter how much it was reinforced.
Intending to shatter Jeanne's weapon, Koneko struck confidently.
Her deduction was correct—[Reinforcement Magic] depended entirely on the object's quality, not the user's magic. Exceeding the limit would only cause it to collapse.
Thus, Jeanne swiftly avoided direct impact.
The iron pipe shifted, weaving unpredictably like a venomous snake, slipping past Koneko's fist and striking her neck.
[Serpent Breathing, Second Form: Venom Fangs of the Narrow Head]
THUD!
Koneko crashed hard to the ground, frustration flaring in her chest. Her punch shattered the earth beneath her as she propelled herself up, delivering a devastating axe-kick.
Seemingly caught off-guard, Jeanne's pipe snapped under Koneko's full-force kick, the subsequent strike landing solidly on Jeanne's side, forcing her back several steps.
Jeanne straightened quickly, gripping the broken pipe, and Koneko charged again, unleashing her strongest punch yet.
BOOM!
The shockwave obliterated nearby pillars and swept debris upward violently.
Yet Jeanne remained rooted, utterly unmoved, with Koneko's full-strength punch resting squarely against her cheek, merely tilting her head slightly.
"That should've been your strongest strike. Feeling better yet?"
Gently, Jeanne embraced Koneko's slender waist, setting her down. Calmly, she continued, "As you see, I'm not only a magician but skilled with a sword and equally strong physically. Isn't that enough to prove my good intentions?"
"If I'd wanted to harm you, none of you would stand a chance."
She turned toward distant figures—Rias Gremory, accompanied by Kiba Yuuto and Himejima Akeno.
"I don't dislike confident people," Rias spoke proudly. "But be careful. Overconfidence brings swift defeat."
Whether Rias's words were bravado or genuine confidence, Jeanne couldn't tell.
Either way, it didn't matter. Jeanne had clearly held back in their battle—though just how much, only she herself knew.
---
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