The sudden crack of thunder that erupted from the dark alley startled every passerby in the vicinity. People on the distant streets jumped and turned their heads, whispering to one another with puzzled, uneasy expressions.
After all, today's forecast had predicted clear skies with no signs of rain. Yet dark clouds had suddenly appeared, lightning had crashed down, and just as quickly, everything returned to normal. It was unexplainable—unnatural, even.
But while the passersby gossiped and speculated, Shangguan Binghen simply stood in place, staring at the charred corpse of the spider-like devil. A trace of awe flickered across his eyes.
> "So that's what happens when your Fate Value drops into the negatives... Pretty damn unlucky. Struck by lightning on a clear night."
Ding!
> Quest Complete — Stray Devil Subjugation (Reward: +20 Fate Points)
Current Fate Points: 45
The system's mechanical voice echoed in his mind, bringing him back to the present.
> "Thanks, Ling'er. If it weren't for your warning, I probably would've been caught in that blast too."
He exhaled lightly and offered his gratitude through his thoughts. He'd been dangerously close to the blast radius earlier—if Ling'er hadn't advised him to back off, he'd have walked away with more than just a scare.
> "No need to thank me, Master~ That's my job!"
Though her tone was modest, Binghen could hear the pride in her voice. He chuckled quietly but didn't point it out.
> "Alright, time to head home."
He sheathed Ice Whisper, slid it back into its sword case, and slung it across his back. With one last discreet glance toward a certain rooftop, he turned and jogged off into the night, leaving behind the scorched alleyway.
---
"President, he's fast—but his attacks lack power."
Atop a nearby rooftop, a teenage boy in Kuoh Academy's uniform stood with the night wind brushing through his short golden hair. His sharp features were striking—on par with Shangguan Binghen's.
> "In terms of speed, I'd say he's even faster than you, Yuuto,"
Rias Gremory replied, her crimson hair flowing like silk behind her. Arms crossed beneath her ample chest, she watched Binghen's retreating figure with a thoughtful look in her eyes.
"As for his lack of offensive power... that's normal. Right now, he's just a talented human swordsman. Even if he comes from a family of traditional cultivators... it's a shame."
She trailed off, not finishing her sentence. A rare flicker of regret passed through her eyes.
> "Let's go, Yuuto."
Rias shook her head and turned away. Her curiosity toward Shangguan Binghen had only deepened.
The stray devil tonight had been meant as a sparring target for Kiba Yuuto. But unexpectedly, Shangguan Binghen had wandered into the area first. So the two had held back, observing silently. They had planned to step in if things got out of hand.
But they never expected Binghen to dominate the fight.
And certainly not for a bolt of lightning to strike the enemy dead.
> "Right."
With a nod, Kiba activated a teleportation magic circle, and the two disappeared from the rooftop.
Even as a pureblood High-Class Devil, Rias had been subtly affected by Binghen's Body Sense Suppression. After all, the ability wasn't single-target—it passively altered the sensory perception of everyone in range.
---
Later that night, Shangguan Binghen finally arrived at his small rented apartment. After locking the door, he flopped down on his bed and exhaled in exhaustion.
His mind, however, was still processing everything that had happened.
The battle against the stray devil had shown him both his strengths and weaknesses.
Thanks to Body Sense Suppression, he had completely overwhelmed the enemy. Against humanoid low-class devils, he could probably even achieve one-hit kills.
But against beast-type devils like that spider creature?
He couldn't even break through its defenses.
His swordsmanship was refined. And while he had learned the basics of cultivation arts, they were purely utility-focused—detection, spiritual sensing. No offensive capabilities at all.
In fact, he'd only sensed Rias and Yuuto's presence through those arts, though he'd pretended not to notice them.
He'd also sensed the spider devil's ambush beforehand thanks to those same techniques. If not for that, the initial strike would've caught him off guard.
> "I'm still too weak... If I run into even a slightly stronger Mid-Class Devil, I'm finished."
He clenched his fists.
> "And in this world, Mid-Class Devils are everywhere. Countless."
His ice-blue eyes burned with resolve.
He had to become stronger—not just for himself, but for the one person who had always believed in him.
His sister, Shangguan Yuyan.
> "The Shangguan Clan... everything they owe me, I'll take back with my own hands."
> "Master, if you truly want to grow stronger quickly, I recommend entering another dimension~"
Ling'er's sweet voice rang out once more.
> "You can only travel once a week, and the opportunity doesn't stack. Plus, side worlds are more likely to trigger hidden quests~!"
> "Another world, huh… I get it. But not tonight."
Binghen let out a yawn, rubbing his eyes.
He was drained—physically and mentally.
> "I've been running on adrenaline all day. If I enter an unknown world in this condition, that's just asking for death."
A wise call. Going into a volatile dimensional mission while exhausted was reckless.
> "Good night, Master."
Ling'er's voice softened as she watched him finally drift into sleep.
The only sound left in the room was the faint ticking of the clock.