The sun was high above Kuoh as soft music filled the small café.
Sun Jing sat by the window, idly stirring her iced tea with the straw. Her magenta eyes drifted toward the streets outside, watching couples and friends walk by.
"...Still can't believe I agreed to this," she muttered, resting her cheek on her hand. "Guess there's no harm in hanging out for a bit."
She was dressed in a sleeveless white and red shirt with a hood, green baggy pants, and white sneakers.
'Man, I hope she didn't forget…' she thought, resting her chin on her hand.
After a few more minutes, the café door opened with a soft chime. Sun Jing looked up—only to nearly choke on her drink.
Standing there was Aika Kiryuu, wearing a tight brown jacket over a black top that hugged her curves, a short plaid skirt, and dark stockings. She had that familiar mischievous smile on her face as she spotted Sun Jing.
"Yo~! Sorry I'm late! You wouldn't believe how long it took to pick this outfit," Aika said, sliding into the seat across from her. "You like?"
Sun Jing blinked, her cheeks heating up a little. "Uh… yeah, it looks good on you," she replied awkwardly.
Aika grinned, leaning forward with her elbows on the table. "Heh, you're blushing again. Guess I really do have an effect on you, huh~?"
Sun Jing groaned softly and looked away, pretending to check the menu. "You're impossible…"
Aika laughed and waved a hand. "Relax, relax. I just wanted to thank you for coming. I don't usually hang out with anyone from class, but you seemed… fun."
Sun Jing smiled faintly. "Well, I didn't have anything better to do anyway."
After finishing their drinks, the two spent the afternoon wandering through Kouh Town. They grabbed ice cream from a street vendor, Aika snapping photos of Sun Jing every chance she got—especially when a drop of ice cream smeared across the blonde's cheek.
Everything was going fine… until they ran into him.
"What the—?! What the hell are you two doing together?!" Issei Hyoudou blurted out, eyes wide as he pointed accusingly at Sun Jing and Aika.
Sun Jing froze mid-bite of her ice cream. Aika, on the other hand, immediately tightened her hold on Sun Jing's arm, smirking like a cat that had found its prey.
"The better question is," Aika countered, "what are you doing with a pretty girl like her, Hyoudou? Did the world end and no one told us?"
Issei puffed up his chest. "H-Hey! I'll have you know this is my date! Yuuma Amano and I are in love!"
Sun Jing's gaze drifted to the girl standing beside Issei. Yuuma was undeniably beautiful—long, silky black hair that swayed gently in the breeze, violet eyes that seemed to shimmer unnaturally. Her small smile was polite… but to Sun Jing, it felt strange.
Aika, oblivious to the tension, tugged Sun Jing's arm. "C'mon, Jing-kun. Let's not ruin our day teasing perv-boy."
"Y-Yeah…" Sun Jing muttered, still feeling Yuuma's eyes following her as they walked away.
The rest of the afternoon passed more calmly. They went to a small theater, where an off-brand movie that reminded Sun Jing of an old Digimon film was playing.
By the time the movie ended, the sky had dimmed into twilight, and the streets glowed orange under the setting sun. Aika waved goodbye with her usual grin, promising to send Sun Jing the photos she'd taken.
Sun Jing smiled faintly, watching her leave. "She's weird… but fun."
Night had fallen when Sun Jing took a shortcut through the park on her way home. The path was dimly lit, and the only sound was the faint rustle of leaves. Then she stopped—her eyes widening.
A body lay sprawled near the fountain.
"...Issei?"
The boy lay sprawled across the ground near the park fountain, blood staining his shirt, his breathing shallow and ragged.
A few meters away sat Yuuma—or what used to be her.
She looked different now. Taller, sharper, her once sweet expression replaced by something dark and malicious. Her violet eyes were now a chilling crimson, and two black, feathery wings stretched out from her back.
"...So," Yuuma purred, crossing her legs as she smirked. "You noticed me back there too, didn't you? I could feel your aura even then. You're not like the rest of them, are you, blondie?"
"Who… and what exactly are you?" Sun Jing asked, her tone calm but edged with quiet anger.
Yuuma smirked, brushing a strand of black hair over her shoulder as she stared at the blonde. "You humans really don't know anything, do you? I suppose it doesn't matter now."
Her crimson eyes gleamed. "My name isn't Yuuma Amano. That was just an alias. My real name is Raynare, a Fallen Angel of Grigori."
"Fallen… angel?"
Raynare chuckled, her wings stretching out, feathers falling like ash in the wind. "I killed that boy because he possessed something called a Sacred Gear. Tools of power that shouldn't exist in human hands."
She raised her hand, and a bright magenta light coalesced into a sharp, glowing spear of pure destructive energy. "And now that you've seen this, I'm afraid you'll have to join him."
With a smirk, she hurled the spear forward.
The attack sliced through the air with a sharp crack—but Sun Jing didn't even flinch. She simply shifted her weight to the side, tilting her body just enough for the spear to whistle past her harmlessly. Her hands rested casually on her hips as she glanced over her shoulder.
The light spear exploded behind her, vaporizing several trees into splinters and leaving a smoking crater in the park soil.
Raynare blinked. "You… dodged that?"
"Barely had to move," Sun Jing said, her tone deadpan. "Guess I expected more from a so-called fallen angel."
At that moment, her system flickered to life in front of her eyes:
[Quest Alert!]
Title: Fallen Wings, Fallen Pride
Objective: Defeat Raynare, the Fallen Angel.
Reward: +2 Levels, Skill Unlock Chance]
Sun Jing sighed, lowering her hand and cracking her neck. "So let me get this straight," she said, her magenta eyes glowing faintly with mana. "You killed that guy because he had some special item—something he probably didn't even understand?"
Raynare sneered. "That boy's existence was a threat. He had to die."
Sun Jing's expression changed to boredom. "That's… kinda dumb, he's just a pervert who can barely hurt a puppy."
"What?"
"I mean, seriously," Sun Jing said with a small shrug. "You're out here murdering high schoolers over some magical artifact instead of, I dunno, getting a hobby?"
Her sarcasm only infuriated the Fallen Angel further.
"You insolent brat!" Raynare roared, conjuring two more light spears in her hands. "I'll tear those lips off your pretty face!"
Sun Jing smirked, the pink aura of her Fairy Aura beginning to bloom around her body.
"Try it then."