After helping maintain peace in Japan and knocking out a petty criminal, Akira's day had gone relatively smoothly without further incidents.
The eleven thousand yen he earned wasn't bad either. If he budgeted wisely, it might even cover next month's rent.
However, without him realizing it, the sky had gradually begun to darken.
More than that—the pedestrians who were just walking around moments ago had all disappeared. Not a single soul remained.
A strange, unnatural stillness enveloped the street, making Akira feel extremely uneasy.
"It's been so long… since I've tasted something this exquisite… That scent—so rich, so intoxicating. This is the first time I've encountered something this… divine."
A cold, spine-chilling voice echoed from every direction.
Akira tensed immediately, alert. The area around him had changed completely. The lively street he was just walking down now appeared old and deserted, dust covering the cracked pavement. The buildings looked abandoned—like they'd been forgotten for decades. This wasn't an ordinary road anymore. It resembled a ghost town.
Behind him, the sharp snap of something shifting in the air made him turn swiftly.
Standing there was a monstrous figure—part man, part serpent.
A humanoid body with a long snake tail, disheveled black hair like a madman, and a face twisted by an aura of madness.
Akira blinked. "Seriously...? I just fought one yesterday, and now another one shows up?"
"Don't be so tense, my delicious treat. That fear… it'll vanish soon enough."
The creature crept forward at a slow, deliberate pace—clearly trying to savor the fear in its prey.
"They're all coming out one by one, huh…" Akira muttered, narrowing his eyes at the Stray Devil before him.
Compared to the one from yesterday, this one was clearly on another level. Just its ability to distort the environment and confuse directions showed it was far stronger.
Akira hadn't even noticed when he'd been lured into this space. The street he stood on looked untouched by humans for years. He wasn't even sure if he was still within Kuoh City or not.
"Hm? No fear? Well, well… this 'little girl' is quite brave. But don't worry, the pain won't last long—it'll all be over soon~"
The words made Akira's stomach churn in disgust.
Even worse, this creature—male and serpentine in nature—was clearly a predator of women.
Akira was certain of one thing: this guy had completely mistaken him for a girl.
First the yellow-haired punk, and now this again?
His irritation peaked. "Okay, I get it—my face might be a little androgynous. But I'm a guy! A guy! Not a damn trap!"
The serpent devil hissed lowly, tilting his head with amusement. "Oh? Is that fear I see? No need to be shy… It'll be over soon."
Seeing Akira's shoulders tremble, the serpent assumed his prey was finally starting to break.
He'd kidnapped plenty of women before—and all of them screamed and trembled in fear. This one had been oddly quiet, but still within expectations.
Suddenly, a metallic clatter filled the air—heavy and deliberate, like chains dragging against stone.
The serpent froze. Something felt wrong—and he instinctively darted to the side.
A golden chain pierced down from above, crashing into the ground with tremendous force and carving a deep crater in the asphalt.
The serpent's eyes widened in horror. "W-What…!? That's a Sacred Gear!? You're not a normal human!"
Akira narrowed his eyes and gave a cold smirk. "Hey, when did I ever say I was a normal human?"
A low laugh escaped the serpent as he tried to shake off his nerves. "Hehe… Pretty little thing, even if you've got a Sacred Gear, I'm strong! I've killed devils from the Underworld, you know!"
"First of all," Akira snapped, "I'm a guy, you bastard. Second, don't lump me in with the devils you've fought."
Before the Stray Devil could react, golden chains whipped outward from every direction, weaving through the air like hunting serpents.
The serpent was forced into a panicked dance, leaping and twisting his massive frame to avoid the incoming barrage. The pressure was immense—he didn't even dare to touch the glowing chains.
"You're too focused on the chains," a calm voice whispered right behind his ear. "You forgot I'm still here."
The serpent spun around—
Just in time to see a blur of emerald green closing in fast.
A brutal impact struck him square in the lower back, sending his huge body hurtling through the air like a ragdoll caught in a storm.
Before he could even hit the ground, the golden chains surged forth, coiling around his arms, torso, and tail—tightening with crushing strength.
"D-Damn it… you bastard!"
Just like that, the monstrous Stray Devil who had been menacing and terrifying only moments before was now bound tightly, completely immobilized.
Although Akira's official rating was still that of a low-class devil, his raw physical strength clearly outclassed his opponent. Even Meguri—Sona's Knight—had been unable to break through the Chains of Heaven's defense.
Meanwhile, on a rooftop overlooking the scene, several silhouettes were quietly observing.
At the center stood none other than Rias Gremory.
She had rushed to the scene after receiving a direct order from the Underworld. The serpent devil wasn't just a runaway. He'd murdered two devil hunting squads sent to capture him.
After he entered Kuoh City, the mission to subdue him was passed on to Rias.
The moment she received the assignment, she raced to the area.
She had been watching since the instant the Stray Devil dragged Akira into this space using hypnotic magic. But she hadn't interfered.
She wanted to see for herself what Shin Akira was capable of. If needed, she could step in and 'save' him—using the opportunity to recruit him into her peerage.
But the result… shocked her to the core.
A powerful low-class Stray Devil—one who could even take down other devils—was defeated in just a few moves.
And Akira… wasn't even out of breath.
Rias remembered how, back when she was a low-class devil, she couldn't have even dreamed of such a feat.
In her Occult Research Club, aside from herself (a high-class devil) and Akeno (a mid-class devil), the others like Koneko and Kiba were still considered low-class.
Compared to them, Akira stood far above.
This wasn't just Koneko's report anymore—this time, Rias had witnessed it herself.
And it only made her desire to recruit Shin Akira into her peerage burn even stronger.
If she could make him her piece… her strength as a devil would soar to new heights.
Thank you to Joseph Sepulveda for joining my with $10.
Thank you to Big Brizzz for joining my with $3.50.
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