Chapter 142: Interrogation, Execution
BOOM—!
Like a massive artillery shell exploding on the ground.
The destruction before them truly resembled the aftermath of a cannon blast.
However, what had cratered the earth wasn't a shell but a female Fallen Angel with black wings.
Her once stunning appearance was now utterly wretched, as if every bone in her body had been broken. The slightest movement sent excruciating pain radiating through her, leaving her unable to even scream.
This Fallen Angel hadn't actually been engulfed by the erupting silver sun—she'd merely been flung to the ground by the shockwave.
Had she been directly hit, she would have been dead for sure.
Thus, the Fallen Angel Raynare stared in terror at the smiling man before her. The compressed magical explosion had reached the level of a High-Class Devil.
And for this human, unleashing such an attack seemed to cost him nothing. It was unimaginable just how vast his magical reserves were.
What kind of monster had she foolishly provoked?
"You're a member of [Stray Devil Exorcists], aren't you?"
"You—GAAAH!"
She had been about to threaten him, but he stepped on her instead.
Under these circumstances, any normal person would drop the threats, right?
So where did her confidence to threaten him come from?
She'd wanted to say she had a powerful backer, hoping it would intimidate him.
"I don't like repeating myself. Answer, or I might accidentally step on you again."
"I... I am!"
Raynare had no choice but to admit it grudgingly under his dangerously amused gaze.
"Then, you know this not-too-bright nun beside us, don't you?"
"Eh—"
Asia fell silent, shooting him a resentful look for the insult.
"I don't kn—GAAAH!"
"Do you know her?"
"I don't—AAAAH! I do, I do!"
Bastard, bastard! I'll definitely kill this bastard! Raynare cursed the human endlessly in her heart.
"So, the fact that she coincidentally healed a devil, was discovered by the Church, expelled, and then taken in by you—that was all part of your plan, wasn't it?"
"No—GAAAAAAH!"
"I hate liars."
"I really don't know! AAAAH! I don't know! Wait, stop! Let me think!"
Raynare was genuinely in so much pain that tears and snot streamed down her face. This human was nothing short of a devil.
"Three seconds!"
That was all the time she got before he raised his foot again, making her face turn even paler.
"Countdown begins: 3... 0."
"GAAAAAAAAH—!"
Another scream. Did this bastard even know how to count down? Where were 2 and 1?!
"I-I remember now! I heard something!"
Raynare wasn't entirely clear on the details, but before this nun was expelled, she'd caught wind of rumors suggesting they'd anticipated her ejection from the Church.
"And?"
"N-nothing else! Really, nothing else!"
"Oh? Really nothing? What about your own thoughts on the matter?"
"I—Wait! I'll talk, I'll talk!"
Thus, Asia, standing nearby, suppressed her discomfort at witnessing Renji's ruthless interrogation of the fallen angel and finally understood that her arrival here had been part of a scheme all along.
This fallen angel had set her sights on Asia's power—more precisely, the Sacred Gear dwelling within her, the very source of her healing abilities.
The fallen angel intended to seize the Sacred Gear and claim it for herself.
"Lord Azazel is my superior!"
Taking advantage of the detestable human's momentary distraction, Raynare quickly spat out these words.
However—
"Hmm?"
The man seemed not to have heard clearly, causing Raynare's face to pale to the color of a corpse. She braced herself for him to step on her again.
"You said your superior is who?"
Instead of stepping on her, he asked with apparent interest.
"Lord Azazel!"
"Oh?"
The man showed not a hint of surprise, his reaction eerily calm. Could he truly not know?
"Lord Azazel is the Governor of the Fallen Angels, their leader!"
Surely, with such a clear explanation, he would realize the kind of person he had provoked?
Of course, Raynare's primary goal was to intimidate him. Some of her actions, such as attempting to steal the nun's Sacred Gear, had not been authorized by her superior. She had acted on her own, hoping to gain this power and earn Lord Azazel's favor—driven by her selfish desire for love.
"I see."
The next instant, Raynare's body stiffened. In his eyes, she saw—death.
"I curse—"
Crack!
The snapping of her neck silenced the venomous curses Raynare had intended to spew in her final moments.
"Let's go, Asia."
"Huh? J-Just like that?"
Asia's voice trembled timidly.
They were just going to leave the fallen angel's corpse here?
Wouldn't that frighten any humans passing by?
Come to think of it, despite the commotion in this alley, not a single person had come to investigate, as if the area were completely deserted.
"Don't worry. Someone will handle it, right?"
As soon as he spoke, a stunning red-haired girl, more vibrant than blood itself, stepped out from behind a tree.
"Even after hearing that Azazel was behind her, you killed her without hesitation. I can't tell if you're fearless or just ignorant."
The red-haired girl—whose voice was as melodious as it was astonished—was a third-year student at Kuoh Academy, the first president of the Occult Research Club, and the next heir of the Gremory Clan, a high-ranking devil family—Rias Gremory.
It was she who had set up the barrier, preventing the disturbance from alerting nearby humans.
The man had clearly known this, which was why he had interrogated the fallen angel so brazenly.
Of course, Rias remained highly wary of him.
The sheer power of that pure magic blast had rivaled that of a high-ranking devil, yet the man had shown no signs of exhaustion. He was clearly no ordinary opponent.
Thus, she and her four servants were closing in from four different directions.
If they deemed him an enemy, they would attack without hesitation.