As if sensing the gathering storm, dark clouds suddenly drifted across the originally clear night sky, veiling the full moon and plunging the world into dimness.
The road where the luxury limousine traveled was brightly lit, but even so, one could clearly see a streak of fire cutting through the dark sky like a falling star, descending straight toward the vehicle.
With flaming wings unfurled behind her, Ravel flew as swiftly as a humanoid phoenix, rapidly closing the distance between herself and the limousine on the road.
However, before she could reach the car, several streaks of light shot out from the vehicle, transforming into overflowing, transparent birds of light that swept toward her.
"What is that—?"
Ravel was momentarily startled, but her reactions were sharp. Her entire body erupted in scorching flames; she lunged toward the transparent birds, her form shrouded in fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
As soon as the transparent birds touched Ravel, they were instantly incinerated by the raging flames surrounding her, triggering a series of muffled explosions.
This didn't hinder her in the least. Ravel continued her flight toward the limousine at an undiminished speed, forcing the occupants of the car to take action.
As the car window slid open, a figure leaped out with agile grace, landing on the roof and coming into Ravel's view.
It was a girl who appeared to be roughly the same age as her, perhaps a year or two older at most. She had a slender build, blonde hair, and blue eyes, dressed like a maid. Her long blonde hair was tied into a side ponytail, and her blue eyes were as calm as a deep well, staring straight at the incoming Ravel. In her hands, she surprisingly held a Barrett sniper rifle.
Ravel recognized her identity at a single glance.
"Ai Hayasaka."
Due to her prior investigation, Ravel knew her target well and called out the name directly.
As Kaguya Shinomiya's maid and personal guard—one who had undergone professional exorcism training—Hayasaka naturally possessed keen insight.
"Phoenix flames... A Phenex?"
Hayasaka's voice wasn't particularly light, but it reached Ravel's ears, carried by the night breeze.
"It seems you are the famous daughter of the Phenex family, Ravel Phenex. What business does a Lady Devil have with us?"
There wasn't much hostility in Hayasaka's tone, but the way her eyes remained locked onto Ravel told a different story: she was on high alert.
"My master wishes to meet with your mistress."
Ravel cast a subtle glance at the Barrett in Hayasaka's hands before replying with a smile, her demeanor exceptionally calm and elegant.
"Your master?"
Hayasaka was stunned, her expression filled with genuine surprise.
The daughter of the Phenex family actually had a master? Was she someone's servant? Who could be so capable as to have the daughter of the renowned Phenex family of the Devil world serve as a peerage member? Furthermore, why did they want to see her mistress? Was it for the Shinomiya family?
Shock and doubt filled Hayasaka's heart, but she quickly suppressed them.
"If you wish to see my mistress, you could have sent a formal invitation properly instead of attacking us directly like this."
Hayasaka's accusation caused the smile to fade from Ravel's face.
"Are you implying that my master, the master of Ravel Phenex, must send a formal invitation and visit respectfully just to see the daughter of a human financial tycoon?" Ravel's tone grew sharp. "A mere daughter of the Shinomiya family—and one of such ambiguous origins at that—what right does she have to expect my master to pay a visit?"
"Are you looking down on the Phenex family? Or are you looking down on my master?"
"Answer me, Exorcist."
The flames erupting from Ravel's body grew even more scorching, driving away the night's chill and replacing it with a stifling heat.
Watching this, Hayasaka's expression and gaze became extremely grave.
The flames of the Phenex family were capable of burning through dragon scales. Human flesh was nothing more than a piece of paper before them, turning to ash the instant it made contact. These flames were different from Shiina Mahiru's purple fire or Leon's blaze; they were pure.
The purple flames released by the "Chief Mourner's Crucified Stand of Purple Flame" were high in temperature, but they were essentially composed of holy and purifying power; the fire was just an outward form. Leon's flames, released by "Zenith Tempest," were a manifestation of natural power; while the temperature might not be as high, their scale was immense, capable of creating terrifying natural disasters.
In contrast, the Phoenix flames of the Phenex were pure fire—high temperature, high attack power, and violent combustion. Now reinforced by the "Rook" trait, these flames could instantly incinerate a skyscraper, let alone a fragile human. Hayasaka had to be on guard.
"Regrettably, I cannot simply hand over the Young Lady to a devil."
As Hayasaka responded, she quietly chambered a round in her Barrett.
"Then let me see just what you're made of, little maid."
Ravel didn't waste any more words. She expanded the flames around her, transforming into a true phoenix, and dove toward the luxury limousine.
Bang!
Almost at the same moment, Hayasaka fired. It took her only a tenth of a second to raise the rifle, aim, and shoot. The Barrett bullet sliced through the air, closing the distance in an instant to pierce through Ravel's flames and her chest.
"Hmm?" Ravel looked at her flaming chest and raised an eyebrow. "Special bullets engraved with exorcism formulas?"
No wonder it could pierce her flames and penetrate her body; any ordinary bullet would have melted into molten iron before even touching her.
Unfortunately—
"That's useless against me."
The hole in Ravel's chest closed almost instantly amidst the flickering flames, returning to its original state.
"The Phenex immortality?"
Hayasaka was inwardly clicking her tongue in annoyance, but she didn't stop. She continued to chamber and fire, sending Barrett bullets through the night sky to pierce Ravel's body. Flames erupted from Ravel's arms, abdomen, and even her head.
Relying on her powerful immortality, Ravel completely ignored Hayasaka's attacks and continued her charge toward the limousine.
"In that case—"
Seeing that the exorcism bullets were completely ineffective, Hayasaka stopped relying on firearms. She pulled several talismans from her pocket and threw them at Ravel.
Instantly, the formulas on the talismans glowed brightly, transforming into transparent birds of light once again.
Only then did Ravel see their true nature.
"Shikigami?"
Shikigami were spiritual entities or creatures commanded by Onmyoji. They were essentially the same as the familiars used by devils, just with different names and methods of use. Devil familiars were usually magical beasts obtained through contracts, while Shikigami were sometimes contracted, sometimes forcibly subdued through exorcism, and sometimes created through short-term formulas.
The formulas on the talismans Hayasaka threw were for the creation of Shikigami. They turned into transparent birds and launched an attack.
"Just some temporary familiars. Do you think they can stop me?"
Ravel tried to repeat her previous tactic, intending to burn the birds away. However, the moment she released her flames, the transparent birds scattered and began circling her. As they flew, they left behind glowing trails, constructing a transparent barrier that trapped Ravel within.
Boom!!!
Realizing she was restrained, Ravel instantly unleashed her flames, letting the surging fire explode outward. The rolling blasts struck the transparent barrier. To Ravel's surprise, the powerful Phoenix flames failed to break through; they were actually held back.
"This is a special barrier meant for devils. The moment it forms, it creates a space that suppresses a devil's magic, weakening them so they cannot break free."
Hayasaka took out several more talismans as she spoke.
"Even if you are a High-class Devil, it will take you some effort to break this restraint. And that is enough time for me to counterattack."
With that, Hayasaka threw the talismans. They once again turned into transparent birds, flying above the barrier holding Ravel. They circled each other, eventually sketching a magic circle in mid-air.
"Exorcism formula, maximum output—activate."
Hayasaka chanted the incantation, causing blinding lightning to erupt from the magic circle. The lightning converged toward the center of the array until it condensed into a single bolt.
Boom!!!
In the next second, the thunder crashed down. The lightning, designed to deal massive damage to devils, shattered the barrier holding Ravel and slammed into her, swallowing her whole. The flames on Ravel's body fluctuated violently, causing her body to scatter and collapse completely.
"Is it over?" Hayasaka whispered.
This move was her trump card. Many devils had fallen before her because of it, including two High-class Devils. However, Hayasaka didn't believe for a second that this move could truly threaten a Phoenix of the Phenex family.
Sure enough—
"As expected of a genius who has grown this far with only a quarter of exorcist blood. That actually hurt a little."
The moment the blinding light dissipated, countless flames gathered together, reforming Ravel's body. Ravel appeared before Hayasaka completely unharmed. As Hayasaka's heart sank, she couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"Isn't this immortality a bit too much of a cheat?" Hayasaka began to complain.
"It can't be helped. It's family heritage, a gift from our ancestors. We descendants can only accept it."
Ravel looked down at Hayasaka from above, her attitude suggesting victory was already in her grasp. That brief exchange had allowed Ravel to gauge the full extent of Hayasaka's strength.
Simply put, the opponent was indeed skilled—not inferior to a High-class Devil or the high-level warriors of the Church and exorcist families. She was roughly on par with Ravel herself. But the immortality was too unfair; an opponent of the same level, or even someone stronger, would find it nearly impossible to deal real damage or overcome it.
Even if Hayasaka used exorcism formulas and weapons, she could at most cause Ravel some pain. She was far from being able to crush Ravel's spirit or body to the point of defeat. Unless she possessed a Holy Sword or a Holy Relic capable of erasing a devil's soul, there was nothing to fear. Just as Riser had felt a threat of death from Asuna Yuuki and Shiina Mahiru back at the Gremory mansion, Ravel would only be wary of such things; ordinary exorcism power wasn't enough to bother her.
"I'll say it one more time. Have your mistress come out and follow me to see my master."
Ravel issued her final ultimatum, her overbearing nature on full display.
Hayasaka said nothing. She simply pulled out a handful of talismans, her silent refusal clear. Ravel didn't say anything more either; her flames surged as she lunged at Hayasaka.
!!!
Accompanied by the rising firelight, a fierce battle broke out on the highway under the cover of night.
Inside the luxury limousine:
When Hayasaka left the cabin to engage the attacking Ravel, the air inside became colder than ice, feeling as if it had frozen solid.
Kaguya Shinomiya sat in the very center of the cabin with her arms crossed. Her expression was as cold as frost, silently rejecting anyone's approach and forming an absolute territory around her.
She had long black hair with bangs on both sides and crimson irises. Her figure was even more slender than Hayasaka's. Despite being the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family, she seemed to have no interest in fashion, dressing simply. Yet, even this simple attire could not hide her nobility—or rather, her coldness—making people instinctively want to stay away.
Undoubtedly, she was a very cold girl, perhaps even more distant than Yukinoshita Yukino.
Yet, inside the carriage of a girl who could make anyone flinch from approaching, an uninvited guest had somehow appeared.
"I hope I haven't interrupted you watching the show?"
Leon sat directly across from Kaguya Shinomiya, leaning against the soft seat. He met Kaguya's icy gaze with a smile, completely ignoring the freezing aura surrounding her.
Kaguya looked at the man who had suddenly appeared before her, her crimson eyes flickering slightly.
"Who are you?" she asked coldly.
"Leon Eligos."
Leon gave his name without any hesitation.
"I look forward to our time together, Princess."
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