[Serafall's POV]
After Hisashi told me to go support Natsu—Yami, I flew straight toward her energy signature. But something kept bugging me—why did Hisashi just let a member of the Old Satan Faction teleport away? That wasn't like him. He would never spare a devil from the opposite faction.
There had to be something he knew about Grayfia that she herself didn't. She had always felt that he had some grand plan for this entire war, but she never quite knew what it was. When she'd asked that one time, he told her it was for her benefit.
He wasn't a racist... Okay, maybe he was. But he didn't treat every devil the same. He got close to a select few, while the rest? He barely interacted with them.
Take me for example, he definitely loved me more than most devils. 'Why does it sound like I am trying to convince myself?'
He was always trying to cheer up. She thought they were happy. In recent years, she realised that he was afraid.
Afraid of being weak. Of losing everything. Afraid of being at the bottom of the food chain. The future.
He hides it under all the antics and mischief. His is always in the war, never truly taking a break. He is always think about what would go wrong.
I wish he could just get a moment to breath. To ease up a little. If he could just live without the weight of trepidation, I would never be happier.
He'd once told her that he had a dream—one where the Devil Civil War would cripple their faction so badly that the devil population would begin to collapse. And honestly? She could already see it happening.
Devils were... infertile, to put it lightly. It was possible to produce offspring, sure, but it took time. Patience. Dedication. Some had even given up on the endeavor altogether. Others spent hundreds of years before finally getting their own bundle of joy.
Sometimes she envied humans. Weak or not, they were the most fertile race to ever exist. Unlike devils, their fertility didn't fade as they grew stronger. No other race had that. Dragons had it worse, even.
Well, at least humans were supposed to be weak... or so she thought. If one human could awaken the Curse of Humanity and influence another, then no one was truly safe.
Thankfully, it was Sashi-tan—I mean, Tsuki-tan—who I was fond of.
Speaking of the other human he'd influenced... she was in the middle of an intense battle against the very woman who'd severed her arm. If not for Phoenix Tears, she would've been crippled—or worse.
The two women were locked in a deadlock, but in truth, one of them was clearly more injured. A purple-haired woman raised her arms and rained down countless spears on her opponent. Her deep red aura burned with malice.
Whenever she got a clean shot, the brown-haired woman would retaliate with a barrage of elemental attacks, trying to disrupt her footing. With the pain she was enduring, that was the best she could do.
I decided to conceal not only my aura, but also the killing intent that had begun to bubble up within me. I wasn't the type to hold grudges... but this woman had nearly killed me. She even made Hisashi cry that day. Now, he was out for revenge on my behalf.
And not just him. Natsumi, too. Katerea Leviathan had made two enemies she should've never crossed.
If one of them was already giving her hell... what would happen if she was ganged up on?
Oh wait. She already was.
I just had to wait for the right moment to strike. Activating my Illusion spells—the very ones that helped Hisashi overcome his fear of killing—I completely masked my presence. He had suggested using this tactic for sniping enemies from a distance.
Natsumi was doing a good job dodging most of the bombardment. I cast a spell that launched ice bullets, focusing on speed and sharpness. One of them buried itself deep in Katerea's leg, making her cry out in agony.
Natsumi immediately used Bringer Light to close the distance. Katerea, already anticipating it, countered with a well-timed punch to the gut. But against a seasoned warrior, she stood no chance in close combat.
Natsumi crushed her wrist with a grip that cracked bone. Katerea barely managed to block a jab to her face, but that left her open. A punch to the gut followed—she dodged it by a hair's breadth—only to eat a vicious kick that nearly snapped her neck.
Then came the barrage. Blow after blow to her face. She couldn't even think straight—each hit shook her brain like a bell.
I gaped, watching Katerea Leviathan get bitch-slapped into oblivion.
Hisashi could switch from nurturing to ruthless in seconds, but Natsumi wasn't like that. She could kill if she had to—without remorse—but she didn't enjoy it.
She couldn't even blame Hisashi. He had... issues.
The tan-skinned woman was now on the brink of unconsciousness. Natsumi kneed her in the stomach. Katerea hunched over, coughing up blood—then was elbowed to the ground with such force that the ground cracked beneath her like shattered glass.
I landed beside Natsumi, offering her a respectful nod. She'd just taken down a Satan-class devil without much difficulty. There were a few burns here and there, but she was holding up fine.
"I see you did a number on our friend here," I said as I descended, all ten of my wings on display.
Natsumi just snickered and shook her head. She deserved a bit more torture than that. "I wish I could just shock her awake, but I might wind up killing the 'Bat'."
She let out a sigh of satisfaction, glancing down at the broken woman at her feet. Beaten to a pulp—and Natsumi felt a spark of pride. She'd proven herself. She thought she'd need to use her new form, but clearly, that wasn't necessary. Not yet.
Then she frowned. Her thoughts shifted. Should they kill her? Hisashi had hesitated before—and not just with this one. That silver-haired woman too.
"Do you think these two are important to the future of your kind?" she asked. "Could it be related to that dream Hisashi had, when he awakened that new doujutsu?"
"I don't know," I replied. "He seemed unwilling to fight Grayfia... according to what you told me. But with this woman? He was downright hostile."
Natsumi nodded. "Yeah, but he hesitated afterward too. She must be important somehow."
"Then we spare her," I said. "She's our captive now."
I don't exactly know what Hisashi is preparing for. I can't even figure out why he sent Grayfia into the Descorrer dimension. All she knew, was that they were somehow important to the future.
Didn't make it any less annoying than it already is. Even Hisashi was reluctantly keeping her alive. He didn't seem bothered with Grayfia, but Katerea? Different story.
All of them wanted her dead.