Ryusei stood before the abandoned mansion, she checked her system notifications again.
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[Quest Active: Stray Hunt - Viser]
[Objective: Eliminate the Stray Devil Viser before Rias Gremory's peerage arrives.]
[Reward: Viser's Soul]
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She cracked her knuckles. "Let's hurry up and finish this before they get here." She kicks down the double doors, her [Six Eyes] now permanently active.
"Another one come to die?" Viser purred.
———————————————————[Name: Viser]
[Race: Stray Devil]
[Level: 30]
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"Rika, come!"
Within seconds, Rika materialized beside her. The monstrous curse flexed her massive arms, her cycloptic eye locking onto the stray devil with a hungry gaze.
Ryusei unsheathed Kasaka's Venom Fang, and in her other hand, her Silverine Sword.
"I'm gonna enjoy eating both of you!" Viser lunged towards Ryusei and Rika.
"Damn your ugly."
Ryusei dashed out of the way just as Rika's massive fist crashed into Viser's monstrous face, sending the stray devil stumbling backward with a distorted screech.
Without missing a beat, Ryusei slid across the ground, weaving past Viser's thrashing limbs. Her Kasaka's Venom Fang flashed as she slashed at Viser's leg, the blade sinking deep into flesh.
The effects took hold instantly, Viser's movements became sluggish as the paralysis spread, and dark blood poured from the wound, the bleed debuff worsening with every second.
Ryusei moved like a shadow, her Kasaka's Venom Fang and Silverine Sword carving into Viser's body with ruthless efficiency. Each slash deepened the wounds, the venom and bleeding stacking to cripple the stray devil further.
Meanwhile, Rika was having the time of her life. She cackled wildly as she rained down brutal punches on Viser's grotesque face, each strike sending shockwaves through the abandoned mansion.
The stray devil shrieked in agony, her body jerking with every devastating blow.
Ryusei leaped back for a moment, watching as Rika continued her onslaught. "You're enjoying this way too much,"
As Viser turned to flee, panic evident in her grotesque features, Ryusei's eyes flashed a blue gleem.
"Get back here!"
She raised her hand, activating Lapse: Blue a skill derived from her cursed technique, Limitless she recently got.
Instantly, an immense gravitational force pulled Viser backward with unstoppable momentum. The stray devil shrieked, her body lurching toward Ryusei against her will.
"No running away now!" Rika cracked her knuckles laughing.
Viser thrashed, clawing at the ground to resist, but it was futile. The moment she was within range, Ryusei lunged forward, her Kasaka's Venom Fang slicing deep into the stray devil's abdomen. The paralysis effect took hold, leaving Viser immobilized.
Ryusei's eyes burned with fury as she moved like a blur, her Silverine Sword and Kasaka's Venom Fang carving through flesh with brutal efficiency. Viser's screams filled the abandoned mansion as her limbs were severed one by one, blood spraying across the walls.
"You don't get to run," Ryusei growled, her voice devoid of mercy.
Viser writhed, her monstrous form reduced to a limbless heap, choking on her own agony. Panic flickered in her grotesque eyes as she tried to beg, but the words never came.
"Rika."
At Ryusei's call, Rika surged forward, her massive jaw unhinging.
"Hahaha! You're mine!" Rika cackled before sinking her razor-sharp teeth into Viser's neck. With a sickening crunch, she tore the stray devil's head clean off, silencing her forever.
As Viser's body twitched one final time, a notification flashed before Ryusei's eyes.
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[Quest Complete!]
[Reward: Viser's Soul (Stored)]
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"Well, that was messy." Ryusei flicked the blood off her blade.
Ryusei gave Rika a glance. "You did good today, hurry up and eat. I know you're hungry."
Rika grinned, showing off her sharp teeth. "You know me so well." She wasted no time, her monstrous jaws opening wide, and in moments, she began devouring Viser's remains with frightening speed.
The sounds of bones crunching and flesh tearing filled the room, but Ryusei remained unfazed, leaning against a nearby broken pillar as she checked her system for updates.
The quest completion notification had already come through, and she now had the stray devil's soul safely stored away for later use.
"Try not to make a bigger mess than we already did." Ryusei says, watching as Rika eagerly consumes the corpse. Rika finished off the last of Viser's corpse.
"Done? Let's hurry up and leave now. Sense Rias and the others are coming."
As Rika licked the last of the blood from her claws, Ryusei turned towards the door, ready to vanish before Rias and her peerage arrived.
Ryusei returned home, stepping inside just as her older sister was putting on her shoes.
"Ryusei, there you are!" Haruka called out, glancing up at her. "I'm going to visit Mom at the hospital."
Ryusei froze for a second, her mind struggling to process the words. "Uh... Mom?"
Haruka gave her a strange look before sighing. "Yeah, I need to check and see if there's any progress on her waking up from eternal Slumber."
Ryusei felt a tightness in her chest, but she quickly masked it with a neutral expression. "Right... I see."
Eternal Slumber is a sleeping disorder that first appeared when humanity was exposed to the existence of mana and magic beasts.
Those who come down with this disease are intolerant to mana and as a result, typically begin to develop symptoms after being exposed to a human who radiates mana, namely a hunter, for an extended period of time.
Initially, the victim will begin to pass out against their will for much longer than normal before fully succumbing to the disease's effects and falling into a coma.
Haruka noticed the shift in Ryusei's demeanor and smiled softly, walking over to her. "You've been distant lately, Ryusei. I know things are tough, but we have to keep hoping. Mom would want us to."
Ryusei nodded slowly, not trusting herself to speak any further. She did inherit the memories of her current body, Ryusei and Haruka's father was a hunter who disappeared when Ryusei was 7. Their mother ended up falling into Eternal Slumber 4 years ago.
"I'll be fine," Ryusei said finally, giving Haruka a small smile. "I'll visit Mom soon."
Haruka gave her a warm hug, squeezing her tightly before pulling away. "Take care of yourself, Ryusei. I'll be back later tonight."
With that, Haruka left, leaving Ryusei alone in the quiet house.
Ryusei reached into her inventory and took out the Demon castle instant dungeon key.
"Let's see what this is all about,"
She stepped through the gate, and instantly, the world around her twisted and shifted.
Ryusei found herself standing in a nightmarish version of Kuoh Town. Ruined buildings stretched across the landscape, their skeletal remains engulfed in crimson flames. The sky was a deep, sickly red, swirling with ominous black clouds. The air smelled of ash and blood.
Before her stood a massive, burning fortress wrapped in thick, unbreakable chains. The Demon Castle.
And standing at the entrance, guarding the gate, was a monstrous three-headed beast.
Cerberus.
The hellhound's three sets of glowing crimson eyes locked onto Ryusei, its massive fangs bared in a feral snarl. Saliva dripped onto the charred ground, sizzling like acid as it burned through the stone. Each of its heads let out a deep, rumbling growl that vibrated through the ruined cityscape.
Ryusei swallowed hard, her instincts screaming at her to be careful. She quickly checked its stats.
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[Name: Cerberus]
[Race: Magic Beast]
[Level: 41]
[Compared to Player: Strong]
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"Oh shit."