As if sensing the storm about to break, dark clouds suddenly drifted across the once-clear night sky, blotting out the full moon and plunging everything into gloom.
The road beneath was still brightly lit as the luxury car sped along, but even so, it was impossible to miss the streak of fire tearing through the dark sky like a meteor, plunging straight toward the vehicle.
Ravel Phenex spread her flaming wings and shot forward, a humanoid phoenix blazing through the night as she rapidly closed the distance.
Before she could reach the car, several streaks of light burst out from within. They transformed into translucent birds overflowing with radiance and swooped straight at her.
"…What are those?"
Ravel froze for only an instant. Flames immediately erupted from her entire body, and she charged straight into them.
"Boom!" "Boom—boom!"
The moment the transparent birds touched her, they were incinerated by the raging fire around her, exploding into ash with dull bursts.
They didn't slow her down in the slightest. Ravel kept flying toward the luxury car, and the people inside clearly couldn't sit still anymore.
The window slid open, and a figure leapt out with agile movements, landing on the roof. She was a girl about Ravel's age, perhaps a year or two older at most.
Slender and poised, with blonde hair and blue eyes, she was dressed like a maid. Her long hair was tied into a side ponytail, her calm blue eyes fixed on Ravel without a ripple. In her arms was a Barrett sniper rifle.
Ravel recognized her immediately.
"Ai Hayasaka."
She'd done her homework beforehand, so she called out the name without hesitation.
As Kaguya Shinomiya's maid and personal bodyguard—and someone who had undergone professional exorcist training—Hayasaka naturally wasn't lacking in insight.
"Phoenix flames… House Phenex, huh?"
Her voice wasn't light or airy, but it carried clearly on the night wind to Ravel's ears.
"So you're the famous young lady of House Phenex, Ravel Phenex. What business does a devil have with us?"
There wasn't much hostility in her tone, but the gaze pinned on Ravel was filled with unmistakable vigilance.
"My master wishes to meet your mistress."
Ravel flicked her eyes briefly to the Barrett in Hayasaka's hands, then smiled as she spoke, her manner calm and elegant.
"Your master?"
Hayasaka paused, genuinely surprised.
The daughter of House Phenex… had a master?
Was she someone's servant?
Who could possibly have the ability to make a Phenex serve them?
And why would that person want to meet her mistress?
Because of the Shinomiya Family?
Shock and confusion surged through her, but Hayasaka quickly pressed them down.
"If you want to meet my mistress, you should send a formal request. Not attack us like this."
That rebuke wiped the smile from Ravel's face.
"So you're saying that my master—Ravel Phenex's master—needs to submit a calling card and pay a polite visit just to meet a human tycoon's daughter?" Her voice sharpened. "A mere Shinomiya heir, with such a dubious background, thinks she's worth that?"
"Are you looking down on House Phenex… or are you looking down on my master?"
"Answer me, exorcist."
The flames around Ravel surged hotter and hotter, driving away the chill of night and replacing it with stifling heat.
Hayasaka's expression grew grave as she watched.
Phoenix flames could burn through even a dragon's scales. A human body was nothing more than dry paper before them—touch it once, and it would turn to ash instantly.
Pure.
These flames were nothing like Mahiru's violet fire, nor Leo's raging blaze.
The violet flames released by Incinerate Anthem were extremely hot, but their essence was Holy Power and Purification Power. The appearance of fire was merely superficial—the true danger lay in those forces.
The flames unleashed by Zenith Tempest, on the other hand, were an expression of natural power. Their temperature might not be extreme, but their scale was enormous, easily escalating into natural disasters.
Phoenix flames were different.
They were pure fire—blindingly hot, brutally destructive, violently combustible. Enhanced by the Rook piece trait, they could reduce not only fragile human bodies but even entire buildings to nothing in an instant.
Hayasaka couldn't afford to be careless.
"I'm sorry, but I can't hand my lady over to just any devil."
As she spoke, she quietly chambered a round in the Barrett.
"Then let me see what you're really made of, little maid."
Ravel didn't waste words. The flames around her expanded violently, shaping into a true phoenix as she dove toward the luxury car.
"Bang!"
Almost at the same time, Hayasaka fired.
In just 0.1 seconds, she raised the rifle, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The bullet tore through the air, piercing straight through Ravel's flames and chest.
"Hm?"
Ravel glanced down at the burning hole in her torso, raising an eyebrow.
"A special bullet engraved with exorcist Magic Formula, huh?"
No wonder it could punch through her flames and body. A normal bullet would've melted into slag before even reaching her.
Unfortunately…
"It doesn't do much to me."
The hole in her chest regenerated almost instantly amid the shifting flames.
"Immortal Body…?"
Hayasaka inwardly clicked her tongue, but she didn't stop. She kept firing, bullets streaking through the night and tearing through Ravel's arms, abdomen, even her head—each impact bursting into flame.
Ravel ignored it all, relying on her Immortal Body as she continued her charge.
"…In that case."
Seeing that the exorcist bullets were useless, Hayasaka abandoned the rifle. She pulled several talismans from her pocket and threw them.
In an instant, the Magic Formula inscribed on them lit up, transforming into translucent birds once more.
Only then did Ravel realize what they truly were.
"Shikigami?"
Shikigami were spiritual entities controlled by onmyoji. In essence, they were no different from the familiars devils used—just different names and methods.
Devils usually obtained familiars through contracts. Shikigami, on the other hand, could be bound by contract, forcibly subdued through exorcism, or even created temporarily through Magic Formula. Fundamentally, they were all about controlling external entities.
The talismans Hayasaka threw contained Magic Formula for creating shikigami. The moment they left her hand, they became bird-shaped spirits and attacked Ravel.
"Just hastily made familiars. You think they can stop me?"
Ravel tried the same trick as before, releasing flames to burn them away.
But the moment she did, the translucent birds scattered, circling around her. As they flew, they traced glowing paths through the air, forming a transparent barrier that sealed her inside.
"Boom!!!"
Realizing she was restrained, Ravel unleashed her flames in full. A violent explosion of fire blasted outward, crashing against the barrier.
To her surprise, even the overwhelming phoenix flames failed to break through. They were stopped cold.
"This is a special barrier designed for devils," Hayasaka explained calmly, pulling out more talismans. "The moment it forms, it creates a space that suppresses demonic power, weakening devils and preventing them from escaping."
"Even a High-Class Devil would need time to break free. That's more than enough for me to counterattack."
She threw the talismans. They turned into translucent birds again, flying above the barrier and circling until they traced a glowing magic circle in midair.
"Exorcist Magic Formula, maximum output."
As Hayasaka chanted, blinding lightning erupted from the magic circle, converging into a single bolt.
"Boom!!!"
Thunder crashed down. The lightning—capable of dealing massive damage to devils—shattered the barrier and struck Ravel directly, engulfing her completely.
Her flames fluctuated wildly as her body collapsed, as if blown apart.
"…Did I win?"
Hayasaka murmured.
This was her trump card. Many devils had fallen to it before—two High-Class Devils among them.
Still, she didn't truly believe it would threaten a phoenix of House Phenex.
And as expected—
"Impressive. A genius who made it this far with only one-quarter exorcist blood. That actually hurt."
As the lightning faded, countless flames gathered together, reconstructing Ravel's body.
She emerged completely unharmed.
Hayasaka's heart sank, and she couldn't help but sigh.
"Isn't that Immortal Body just cheating…?"
"Can't help it. Family inheritance. A gift from our ancestors." Ravel looked down at her confidently. "We descendants just have to accept it."
Their brief exchange had already let Ravel gauge Hayasaka's full strength.
Simply put, she was strong—on par with a High-Class Devil, comparable to elite warriors of the Church or exorcist families. Against Ravel herself, she was evenly matched.
But Immortal Body was unfair.
Even opponents stronger than Ravel would struggle to deal real damage to her. At most, Hayasaka's exorcist techniques and weapons could cause pain—not enough to crush her spirit or body.
Unless she wielded a Holy Sword or Holy Relics capable of erasing a devil's soul, like those that once made even an immortal being feel death's shadow…
Otherwise, ordinary exorcist power wasn't something Ravel took seriously.
"Once more," Ravel declared. "Have your mistress come out and come with me to meet my master."
It was a final ultimatum, domineering and absolute.
Hayasaka said nothing. She simply drew more talismans and stared back at Ravel, silently refusing.
Ravel stopped talking as well. Flames surged around her as she charged.
"Boom!!!"
Firelight flared, and a fierce battle erupted on the dark highway.
Inside the luxury car.
The moment Hayasaka left to confront Ravel, the air inside the cabin turned colder than ice, heavy and suffocating.
Kaguya Shinomiya sat in the center seat, arms crossed, her expression as frigid as frost. An invisible barrier seemed to form around her, repelling anyone who tried to approach.
She had long black hair with bangs framing her face, crimson irises, and a figure even more slender than Hayasaka's. Despite being the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya Family, she wore simple, unfashionable clothes.
Yet even that simplicity couldn't hide her nobility—or her icy aloofness. It made people instinctively want to keep their distance.
There was no doubt she was a cold girl—perhaps even colder than Yukinoshita Yukino.
And yet, in the cabin of someone so unapproachable, an uninvited guest had appeared at some point.
"I didn't interrupt your little show, did I?"
Leo Eligos sat casually across from her, leaning into the soft seat. He smiled as he met her icy gaze, completely unfazed by the chilling pressure around her.
Kaguya's crimson eyes rippled slightly as she looked at the man who had suddenly appeared.
"…Who are you?"
"Leo Eligos."
He gave his name without hesitation.
"Pleasure to meet you, Princess."
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You can read up to chapter 189 on patreon.com/NiaXD.