Finally, after knocking unconscious countless soldiers, several guardian apprentices, and some huntresses, Devyus managed to reach the outer limit — the great wall that surrounded Hinata-soul. Without a glance of nostalgia or regret toward the village he had once dreamed of purifying into an impossible peace, Devyus Venomania, the former Sixth Lord, leapt over the wall and immersed himself into the comforting darkness of the forest that encircled the village. His weapon-sisters still in his hands, the path toward his future home had begun not with an act of betrayal, but with a self-imposed sentence of exile.
The darkness of the forest surrounding the incubus's former home was absolute, but to Devyus's eyes it was as clear as daylight. His sight could easily adapt to the shadows, and even allowed him to perceive the aura of every living being — a gift that helped him avoid unnecessary trouble with the forest's fauna.
Even with trees all around him, the cold night air caressed his exposed skin, carrying the whispers of leaves and the distant howl of a wolf. But it carried something else as well — Devyus and his sisters sensed it immediately.
Before even perceiving their spiritual energy, Devyus had already recognized three familiar scents: the chrysanthemum and steel of Tsubaki, the cold chemicals of Slavy, and the subtle medicinal trace of Ohanatsuri.
Nine silhouettes emerged from the gloom, forming a perfect circle ahead of him, blocking every possible escape route. They were the leading captains of the Guard — the elite force he himself had once established to decentralize power and protect the village. Nine women, each one brought from a universe on the verge of collapse, each one gifted with unique abilities. And now, nine obstacles standing between him and his freedom.
Tsubaki Ryufang, Captain of the 2nd Squadron, stepped forward, her blonde hair gleaming beneath the moonlight, her face a mask of contained fury.
"Venomania. By the rank you once held, we grant you one final chance. Lay down your arms and return with us to face the judgment of the council."
Devyus smiled — a cold gesture that never reached his eyes.
"Tsubaki, ever so bound by the rules. Do you truly believe that the nine of you are enough to contain what Hinata-soul can no longer comprehend?"
"We'll find out," said a calm voice belonging to a Caucasian woman, her hair tied into an enormous, nearly impossible ponytail — Ohanatsuri, Captain Guardian of the 10th Squadron. She drew her Reiken, her gentle smile a false veil hiding the same deadly intent as always.
"I never had the chance to test myself against you, Sixth Lord."
"There's no better time than the present, Ohanatsuri-dono," Devyus replied with a smile. "Why don't you show me what I created? Though, for now, I must warn you — I'll refrain from using my Reiken."
"Yūgen: Leopard!" shouted a tan-skinned girl with tribal paint and heterochromatic eyes — Eagle Lionheart, Leader of the 8th Squadron. The tribal war paint glowed briefly on her face before her arms and legs transformed into the muscular limbs of a great feline. She dashed forward with supernatural speed, claws aimed to disarm Devyus.
Devyus didn't flinch. "Sisters. Suppression Mode. No permanent scars."
The guns in his hands hummed in acknowledgment.
ZAAAP!
A projectile of purple energy struck Eagle's shoulder — not to paralyze, but to redirect her momentum. The impact spun her midair, slamming her into a tree. Dazed, but still conscious.
"Jeange!" a girl's voice cried, and a massive feminine fist encased in armor smashed the ground near the incubus.
The earth beneath Devyus rippled violently. He simply leapt upward, and while airborne, the black pistol fired a burst of energy at the ground, creating a shockwave that countered the knight-girl's attack and sent her tumbling backward.
"Good attempt, Captain Medaka."
"Mezamero, Kali!" Ohanatsuri advanced, her Reiken shifting into a massive slender scythe. Devyus dodged the first swing and, with a swift motion, kicked the captain, who blocked with her scythe's handle — but the force was too much, hurling her into a tree.
"Sabrina, now!" commanded Ryufang.
Sabrina, Captain of the 5th Squadron — a woman with short blue hair — nodded and extended her hands toward her target.
"Psychic!" she cried, her green eyes glowing.
An invisible wave of mental force struck Devyus's mind. For a microsecond, his concentration faltered — just enough time for Tsubaki to unsheathe her weapon with inhuman speed, appearing behind the incubus with her Reiken: Kiba aimed straight for his spine.
But Devyus was millennia old. His mental resistance was of another order. He regained clarity instantly and, without even turning, Katherine fired backward, forcing Ryufang to retreat.
Motoko Aiyama, a beautiful woman with long black hair, Leader of the 6th Squadron, and Tomoe Phoenix — a muscular woman with long dark-green hair, Leader of the 9th Squadron and Motoko's rival — attacked simultaneously from both flanks, their weapons weaving a deadly net of steel.
"Catherine, scatter pattern," ordered Devyus. The red pistol unleashed a rapid volley of energy, forcing both swordswomen into a defensive stance.
BB, the android of the 7th Squadron, descended from above, her Reiken a beautiful katana glowing with numerous light streams as she attempted to distract him with rapid strikes to his legs. Devyus dodged BB with a twist of his torso and used Katherine to block the android's blade.
Medaka Knightly, the knight-girl of the 3rd Squadron, shouted, "JEANGE!"
A massive hand re-materialized above her Reiken, which had already transformed into a halberd. The giant spectral hand descended toward Devyus.
At the same time, Slavy, the clone captain of the 4th Squadron — a young woman with straight black hair and a cold, icy expression — raised her Reiken.
"Yūgen: Kinorochi!" The steel of her katana dissolved into a purple smoke that Slavy controlled flawlessly, directing it toward the ex-lord.
Devyus finally exhaled in mild irritation. He hesitated, torn between the respect and pain he'd feel from harming his dear comrades-in-arms — but he wished to end the battle swiftly and spare them further suffering.
"Circle Two — Activated."
His eyes gleamed with a violet light, revealing two small circles perfectly aligned within them.
His power surged. A horn of dark energy erupted from his forehead. His speed, strength, and spiritual force multiplied exponentially. The surrounding shadows elongated, engulfing Medaka, the other captains, and even the smoke of Slavy's katana — dragging her and the rest into the same vortex.
"Now, sisters! Full Impact!" The pistols in his hands glowed with blinding intensity. "Final Law Shot: Total Nullification!"
"Separate!" shouted Ohanatsuri, realizing what her ex-leader had done — gathering them all in one place.
But it was too late.
A single, massive projectile of purple and black energy — infused with the power of three fused souls — fired not at a captain, but toward the sky. Then, it burst apart into a rain of thousands of fine energy threads that descended upon the nine captains. It wasn't an attack meant to harm, but to suppress. Each thread sought out and found their spiritual pressure points, seals, and neural centers.
One by one, the captains fell. Tsubaki Ryufang dropped to her knees, unable to move. Ohanatsuri smiled respectfully before her legs gave out. Medaka and Slavy collapsed, unconscious. BB short-circuited completely, overwhelmed by the energy. Meanwhile, Motoko and Tomoe were hurled backward, crashing violently against several trees before coming to a complete stop — both entirely knocked out.
When silence returned to the forest, all that remained were ragged breaths and trembling bodies under the moonlight — the last defense of the village, defeated yet alive.
Devyus inhaled deeply, his horn retracting as he returned to normal. He walked among the fallen bodies of his former comrades, pausing briefly in front of Tsubaki Ryufang.
Still paralyzed from the immense impact, she stared at him with a mixture of resignation and shame.
"Your loyalty is admirable, Captain of the 2nd Squadron," he said softly. "But it's misguided. Protect Hinata-soul from its true enemies. I am no longer one of them — and, unfortunately for you, no longer your protector."
Without looking back, Devyus Venomania, the ex–Sixth Lord, turned and vanished into the darkness of the forest — leaving behind his former protectors, defeated but unharmed. The hum of his sister-guns was the last sound they heard before unconsciousness claimed some of them.
The message was clear: he could have killed them, but chose not to. Above all, out of the affection he still held for them — a bond that had protected them all in a near-paternal way. That would remain their eternal reminder — of his power, and of his mercy.
© 2025 D.S.V.
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No part of this work may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the explicit permission of the author.
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