“Shinki-kun, how did you suddenly become so strong?
You even managed to kill the Main Family’s Black Ops.” An hour later, at an inn on the outskirts of Tokyo, Himejima Shuri, dressed in a kimono and still pale-faced, approached after finally calming Akeno down.
Shinki knew she had many questions.
However, some things were difficult to explain.
“I overheard that they were planning to make a move against you and Akeno, so I came ahead of time.” Rubbing his throbbing head, Shinki spoke with visible exhaustion.
With the amplification provided by the Winged Dragon’s power, his physical abilities had been greatly enhanced.
Even so, his excessively aggressive fighting style had still left him with a few minor injuries.
Fortunately, the Winged Dragon was a legendary divine being.
Besides boosting his strength, it also possessed a certain degree of regenerative ability.
That said, it still hurt like hell.
“Sister Shuri, we’ll leave here in ten minutes.
There’s no way the Himejima family will let you go.” His expression turned serious, a trace of concern appearing on his face.
With the strength he had displayed earlier, killing Himejima Shuhuang would have been possible.
But if he had done that, the situation would have spiraled completely out of control.
As a lone wanderer, he didn’t particularly care about the consequences for himself.
However, Shuri and Akeno would definitely face endless pursuit from the Himejima family.
Even if they eventually found Rias, the Himejima family wouldn’t simply let the matter rest.
“Then where are we supposed to go next?” Shuri wasn’t a fool.
But right now, she and her daughter had no one else to rely on.
The only person they could trust was the young man standing before them.
Shinki checked his phone and quickly located Kuoh Town through GPS.
One advantage of the modern era over ancient times was convenient transportation and the fact that getting lost wasn’t nearly as easy.
Under the current circumstances, the only way to escape the Himejima family’s pursuit was to reach Kuoh Town as quickly as possible and find Rias.
Although he had transmigrated into what was originally the anime world, he had no idea whether the Rias here would be as approachable as she was in the original story.
Still, it was worth trying.
If she truly was a good person, Shinki would still recommend that Akeno become one of Rias’s peerage members.
That way, he could rest easy, and one of the main storyline missions would finally be completed.
Ten minutes passed quickly.
The wounds on Shinki’s body had already healed completely, and after Shuri woke Akeno up, the group once again set out on their journey toward Kuoh Town.
…
Meanwhile.
After the Black Ops unit dispatched by Himejima Shuhuang had been defeated by Shinki alone, Shukou returned to the clan headquarters by himself.
The atmosphere inside the council hall was deathly silent, so oppressive that it made cold sweat form on one’s back.
Sitting at the head of the hall with a dark expression, Himejima Shuhuang asked, “Can anyone tell me what’s going on with that brat called Himejima Shinki?” “Clan Head, Himejima Shinki’s parents both died during an exorcism operation over ten years ago, leaving him alone.
Furthermore, he has consistently ranked at the bottom in every Shinto Arts and Shinto arts assessment.
We originally planned to assign him to miscellaneous duties within a branch family or expel him after he came of age.” According to the records, Shinki’s life was completely ordinary.
He was the textbook example of a dead-last underachiever.
Yet Shukou’s words couldn’t possibly be false.
Could a perpetual loser really wipe out an elite unit by himself?
Who would believe such nonsense without laughing?
“Could he have colluded with outsiders and obtained power from them?
Or perhaps he acquired some evil artifact?
After all…
aren’t there humans who possess things known as Sacred Gears?” The moment those words were spoken, silence fell across the hall.
Humans who carried Sacred Gears within their bodies were not uncommon.
These were treasures that only humans could possess.
Moreover, every Sacred Gear had a unique ability.
Some enhanced strength, some increased speed, while others could unleash fire, ice, and other forms of magic.
Some could even summon monsters from other races, or gods themselves, to fight alongside their users.
A human who possessed a Sacred Gear held the power to change the world.
Many great figures throughout history had once been Sacred Gear users.
The hall remained silent.
Within the Five Great Noble Houses, Sacred Gears were also regarded as symbols of impurity and heresy.
As a result, if someone within the Main Family was discovered to possess a Sacred Gear, they would be ostracized and expelled.
One member of the Shinra Family, one of the Five Great Noble Houses, had once been driven out for exactly that reason.
“No matter what, we must bring them back.” Having been humiliated by a junior, Himejima Shuhuang felt his dignity had been trampled.
The authority of the Himejima family could not be challenged.
They had to capture Akeno and bring her back.
“Yes.” As the response echoed through the hall, everyone dispersed.
The clan immediately began mobilizing personnel to track down Shinki and the others.
…
“The Himejima family’s blockade is already this fast?” Seeing police checkpoints set up ahead, Shinki felt like his head was about to split open.
Although the Himejima family was a hidden exorcist clan, it possessed tremendous influence throughout Tokyo.
In the world of High School DxD, human governments were astonishingly weak, barely even qualifying as background elements.
Every region was effectively ruled by one legendary race or another.
Only ordinary people remained unaware that the world had long since been divided among countless supernatural factions.
“Looks like we’ll have to take the back roads.” By plane or train, they could have reached Kuoh Town in less than half a day.
But under the current circumstances, using public transportation was out of the question.
Shinki muttered to himself.
Just as he was about to lead the mother and daughter away, he sensed a strange and mysterious aura.
…
Thanks to My Wife Kurumi Tokisaki for the reward.