Twilight descended over the town.
"Shiho is really working hard. She actually ditched her Master to keep training."
Although Arlen complained aloud, a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
No Master would ever dislike a Servant who was so desperate to become stronger.
He walked out of Kuoh Academy, but instead of going home, he lingered in the shadows near the school gate, waiting.
"He's out."
Arlen watched a brown-haired figure step out, carrying a schoolbag. His eyes turned cold.
That was his target: Hyoudou Issei.
Arlen held nothing but malice toward this so-called "protagonist."
More importantly, he wanted the [Boosted Gear]—the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet residing within him.
Arlen moved his fingers subtly. A magic circle flashed and vanished in an instant.
At the same time.
Issei, who was walking his usual route home, suddenly stopped. The familiar street seemed to distort.
"What the hell? Why is there no one around?"
Looking at the empty, silent street, Issei felt a chill run down his spine. It was as if he had stepped into another dimension.
He started to run.
Suddenly.
A handsome young man appeared directly in his path.
"Excuse me, I seem to be..."
Issei's words were cut short by a blast of freezing air.
Snap.
In an instant, Hyoudou Issei was encased in ice, turned into a life-sized sculpture with a look of confusion frozen on his face.
"Stay on ice for now. I'll figure out how to extract the Sacred Gear later."
Arlen stepped forward. A dark red magic circle flashed over his hand, and Issei's frozen figure vanished into his dimensional storage.
"Hmm?"
Just as Arlen was about to leave, he paused.
"The aura of Light?"
As a Devil, Arlen was naturally sensitive to Holy power. Even without trying, he could feel it prickling his skin.
"However... why doesn't it hurt?"
Usually, a Devil would feel nausea or pain near Holy energy. But Arlen felt nothing.
"It must be the Progenitor Devil bloodline. It removed the racial weakness."
Arlen muttered to himself and decided to wait.
A moment later.
A man wearing a priest's cassock with wild white hair emerged from the alleyway.
"Yo! What do we have here? A Stray Devil?"
A twisted, manic grin appeared on Freed Sellzen's face. He smelled of blood and madness.
"A Stray Exorcist," Arlen noted with disappointment.
He had hoped for a Fallen Angel, since they knew how to extract Sacred Gears. This guy was just a maniac.
"Hahaha! That's right! Yours truly is a Stray Exorcist!"
Freed laughed crazily, pointing his gun-sword at Arlen.
"Those cowards in the Church abandoned God long ago; only I have the qualifications to serve Him."
"And you... a filthy Devil wandering in front of me? You must be a gift from God!"
Arlen looked at him with indifference.
He walked forward calmly, hands in his pockets.
"My, my. Approaching me willingly? Shouldn't a lowly Devil be trembling in fear?"
Freed's expression twisted into rage. "It's all because those soft bastards let you Devils forget your place!"
Click.
Freed activated his weapon. A blade of pure Holy Light extended from the hilt.
"Repay your sins! Die for me, trash!"
With a roar, Freed lunged, swinging the sword of light down at Arlen's neck.
CLANG!
The blade of light struck Arlen's shoulder, but instead of slicing through flesh, it sounded like it had hit a solid iron wall.
Freed's eyes widened in horror. His strike hadn't even scratched Arlen's skin; it only singed his clothes.
"This... this is impossible!"
The Devil hadn't even used Demonic Power to defend himself.
Why?
Freed was wielding genuine Holy Light. It was the absolute nemesis of all Devils. Why was it useless?
"It seems my theory was correct. Light can't hurt me."
Arlen nodded to himself, ignoring the stunned priest.
"Damn it! What the hell are you?!"
Freed gritted his teeth, instinctively trying to jump back.
BOOM!
Before he could move, a fist slammed into his chest.
It was just a burst of pure physical strength, yet Freed's chest collapsed instantly. His ribs shattered, and his body was launched sideways like a cannonball.
He hit the concrete wall with a sickening crunch.
SPLAT!
He didn't even have time to scream. His body exploded upon impact.
Arlen retracted his hand, his expression calm. He looked like he had just swatted a fly.
He waved his hand, using magic to clean up the blood, and vanished into the night.
...
Late that night.
Shiho dragged her exhausted body down the road toward the villa.
"Training... is really tiring."
"But it was worth it."
She muttered to herself, a tired smile on her face.
Seeing the shock on Rias and Akeno's faces gave her a real sense of accomplishment.
Most importantly...
She had learned a Super-Tier spell: [Thunder Strike].
Shiho looked up at the stars, feeling a peace she had never known before.
"By the way... my Demonic Power is empty again..."
Remembering how Arlen "refilled" her energy, Shiho's cheeks turned bright red. Her heart beat faster, not just from fatigue.
Ten minutes later.
Shiho saw a familiar figure standing in front of the villa gate.
"This is the address..."
Miyano Akemi looked at the luxurious house, frowning slightly.
She had heard that the Organization's lab had been destroyed. She assumed her sister was being held captive or hiding in a safe house.
But this place... it didn't look like a prison.
"Nee-san, you made it."
At this moment, Shiho appeared, smiling radiantly—a rare sight for her. "Why are you standing out here? Come in, quickly."
Akemi froze, staring at her sister.
...Since when does Shiho smile like that?