3rd Person POV
Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima flew at the front, their bat-like wings carrying them above the narrow forest road.
Kiba, Koneko, and Issei followed on the ground, all of them keeping their eyes open as they advanced.
Rias then lowered herself near Issei.
"Issei..." she said. "Are you sure there's a building at the end of this road?"
"Yes, President," Issei said while keeping his breathing controlled. "Asia once told me about an abandoned church, and I've accompanied her there before when she got lost."
"Asia?" Rias asked.
The name was familiar.
It was the same name listed in Kiba's report—the Holy Maiden from the orphanage.
Rias had decided to take a gamble on this church. It was within the narrowed search area, and the others had already been checking the surrounding areas, even though the search was not yet complete.
But an abandoned building was the perfect place to hide.
As Rias blinked, a flash of light suddenly rushed from the side, coming from inside the forest.
Whoosh!
It crashed into Rias like a speeding truck, forcing her backward and driving her into the forest.
"President!"
Rias's peerage screamed as they stopped in their tracks, but Rias herself screamed as loudly as she could.
"Who told you to stop?!" Her voice echoed through the forest. "Keep going!"
Her voice grew quieter and quieter as she disappeared into the forest.
Akeno then flew low toward the others.
"Let's go..." she said. "We'll continue to the abandoned church. That's her order."
"But, Akeno-senpai."
"Believe in our President, Issei-kun." Kiba placed a hand on his shoulder. "She won't be defeated that easily."
"Yeah..." Koneko nodded.
Akeno then flew up again.
"I'll be the one who leads."
Before they could march forward, a giant white sigil appeared in the sky and began raining beams down on the group, making them jump and scatter around, leaving gaps between them.
"Hello, pretty boy."
Kalawarner suddenly appeared beside Kiba, who had just landed. He immediately reacted by summoning a sword.
"Too slow..." she said as she kicked Kiba in the gut, sending him crashing backward. "You're the most troublesome one. Even without my Holy Spear, you're quick to notice me."
Kalawarner looked up.
"Dohnaseek! Now!"
A smaller white sigil appeared, sending a beam toward Kiba.
"Oh my~"
Akeno flew in front of Kiba and deployed a massive sigil, blocking the beam of light with it before the sigil slowly vanished into a thin line and disappeared.
"Don't think we're that easy to deal with."
"Now..." Kalawarner cursed under her breath. "The most capable one with magic is here. Seriously, how did you return so fast?"
"Fufufu~" Akeno licked her lips. "The pattern of your friend's magic is quite difficult to detect, but I'm better with magic than my peers. Of course, I could evade it without having to dodge too far."
Electricity began to manifest around Akeno's body.
"Like what just happened to Rias..." she said with a smile. "Seems like your main tactic is ambush, not direct confrontation, isn't it?"
"Hey, Ray, your plan is already busted."
Koneko suddenly appeared behind Kalawarner, lowering her stance as she swung her right fist toward the side of her stomach.
Kalawarner blocked it with her lifted foot, but the impact still sent her flying backward. She then used her crow-like jet-black wings to regain her balance in midair before landing.
She didn't want to waste too much energy.
"The loli heavy hitter is also here," Kalawarner said. "Are you perhaps Mike Tyson's daughter? You hit like a truck, girl."
"Annoying," Koneko answered.
Akeno then helped Kiba up. His injury was actually serious, as he kept coughing while she supported him with her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Senpai," Kiba said, clutching his stomach. The pain felt like something burning inside him.
"It's okay, Kiba-kun," Akeno reassured him. "She seems to have used Holy energy when she kicked you. Just take a little rest and leave her to us."
"Yeah..." Kiba answered. "Be careful. Her energy control and deployment seem to be very precise, and it looks like she doesn't deploy it all the time. Koneko-chan didn't hurt her fist when she hit her."
"Are you implying she conserves energy?"
"Probably."
Kiba straightened his posture before deciding to sit down and monitor the sky while he rested.
"Or she couldn't use it throughout her whole body."
"I see..." Akeno followed Kiba's line of sight, which helped her quickly locate a Fallen Angel in the sky. "Good job, Kiba-kun. As expected of my junior."
Akeno then looked at Koneko.
"Koneko-chan..." she practically shouted while waving her hands. "Be careful of her Holy energy in her hands and feet. I'm sure you can sense it faster than Kiba-kun, who just rested there and ate some dirt!"
"That's hurtful, Senpai."
After Koneko gave her a thumbs-up with a poker face, Akeno quickly flew into the sky and saw multiple white magic circles forming around the Fallen Angel, but her lightning had already been deployed toward him.
The Fallen Angel abandoned his spell and dodged the lightning that passed by him.
"Her magic is fast..." the man said. "I'll get struck if I keep casting my magic."
"Nice choice of outfit~" Akeno then levitated in front of the Fallen Angel. "Gray trench coat, white shirt with a matching ascot, black pants and shoes, a pair of black gloves, and a black fedora... Are you perhaps trying to be the King of Pop?"
The man named Dohnaseek simply shrugged.
"I mean... who wouldn't be his fan?" He adjusted his hat, striking a pose reminiscent of the figure she had mentioned. "Even among Fallen Angels, he's a hit."
"Good point."
Meanwhile, as Koneko took her stance and Kalawarner observed her, someone suddenly came out from the forest with leaves stuck in his hair and clothes.
"Ouch..." Issei said as he scratched his head. "I jumped too far and crashed into some bushes. Good thing a tree decided to be my cushion."
Kalawarner's eyes widened.
"Issei Hyoudou," she said. "You're alive?"
"Huh?" Issei then looked at the woman who had just spoken, his eyes widening in surprise.
"It's you!" he said. "You killed me and asked if I was alive?! How dare you play with a man's heart?!"
"No..." Kalawarner said. "That's impossible, unless..."
She quickly understood why Issei Hyoudou was currently with the Gremory peerage.
"You're reincarnated into a Devil, aren't you?" She chuckled before laughing. "That's stupid! You even gave up your humanity and became their slave? That's hilarious."
Her laughter gradually died down as her eyes sharpened and her tone of voice turned cold.
"This is why humans are..."
"Keep talking..." Koneko said as she was already beside Kalawarner, swinging her right fist toward her stomach.
Kalawarner caught the punch, causing Koneko's eyes to widen.
"I didn't forget about you, little Tyson," she said. "I purposely lowered my guard."
"You... baited me?"
Koneko tried to launch a left straight, but Kalawarner simply twisted her wrist, swept her feet, and used her momentum to throw her toward Issei.
With some acrobatics, Koneko regained her balance, but she accidentally landed on Issei's face.
"Gah!" he screamed as her shoe pressed against his face with the full weight of a teenage girl.
"Sorry," Koneko said simply. "And don't peek at my panties, pervert."