The wind in Kuoh Town that afternoon carried a certain heaviness—like the moment before a summer storm. It whispered between the trees and buildings, stirring nerves and instincts alike.
Adrian Blake felt it before he saw it.
Standing in the park's open clearing, he glanced toward the sky. His silver hair caught the breeze, and his eyes narrowed.
They were here.
Moments later, a flare of dark light split the clouds.
Descending with malevolent grace, Raynare hovered just above the treetops, her fallen angel wings spread wide. Her gaze locked not on Adrian, but on the girl trembling a few feet behind him—Maria Naruse.
So that was it.
It had never been about Hyoudou Issei. He'd simply been collateral. The true target all along had been Naruse Mio.
Adrian processed the realization quickly. He didn't show it, but something tightened in his chest. And when his eyes flicked to Maria, her clenched fists and the fear etched across her face told him she understood it too.
And still... she stood her ground.
A step forward brought Mio beside Adrian. She didn't speak, but he felt her magic stir. The aura coiling around her was unmistakably fierce—like scarlet flame given form.
Adrian moved slightly aside, giving her space, and she offered him a small nod.
Raynare, seeing this display of defiance, chuckled.
"Well, well. It was you who killed that idiot Dohnaseek, wasn't it?" she said, voice lilting with amusement. "And now you think you can stand against me?"
Adrian's gaze sharpened. His instincts buzzed—not just with tension, but with something deeper. A calculation.
Raynare wasn't just toying with them. She was confident. Deadly confident.
And that made her dangerous.
Beside him, Mio spoke at last, her voice low and charged. "I don't care what you are. Fallen angel, devil, monster... You murdered my family."
Her eyes burned.
"I'm not letting you leave here."
She raised a hand, magic swirling to her palm, forming a burning red sphere. The moment it solidified, she launched it into the air like a comet.
It soared toward Raynare.
But the fallen angel barely moved. With a flick of her wrist, a gleaming spear of light materialized and shot downward like a bolt from heaven.
It pierced Mio's attack in mid-air, shattered it, and kept going.
Adrian barely had time to react before the spear struck the ground just feet from where they stood, exploding in a shower of sparks and pressure.
Raynare laughed—loud, cold, unshaken.
"Is that it?" she mocked. "You think parlor tricks will save you?"
Adrian caught Maria's trembling shoulders from the corner of his eye. He turned, reached out, steadying her.
"We're not done yet," he murmured.
But even as he spoke, Raynare raised both arms.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of spears formed above her in a glimmering lattice of deadly light.
She dropped her hands, and the sky rained fury.
Mio and Maria reacted instantly, their combined magic shielding them in a curved barrier of shimmering red and violet. The first few impacts shook the ground, but the shield held—for now.
Adrian remained still, watching.
This wasn't the moment to act.
Inside the barrier, Maria's voice rang out. "I need time! Can you hold it?"
Mio grit her teeth. "I'll try."
The shield pulsed brighter as more magic surged into it. Flames wrapped around its edge, strengthening its form. It wasn't just defense—it was a declaration of will.
Maria, now free to move, unfurled her demonic wings and shot upward. She wasn't built for magic attacks, not like Mio—but her physical strength was something else entirely.
"Come down here and fight me, you feathered freak!" she shouted.
Raynare turned with a bemused expression. "Really?"
A spear formed in her hand once again, brighter and faster than before. She threw it just as Maria closed the gap.
Maria twisted midair to dodge, but it grazed her shoulder, searing flesh. She hissed, barreled forward, and struck out with a vicious punch. Raynare's shield caught it, but the force sent her back several meters.
Then she retaliated. Another spear launched.
Maria couldn't dodge this time.
Adrian moved.
Faster than anyone expected, he closed the distance between them in a blink. His left arm—now encased in a crimson gauntlet—intercepted the spear with a sharp clang.
The magic didn't even faze him.
"Boosted," he whispered.
The words echoed with unnatural force.
With a squeeze of his fingers, the spear shattered like glass.
Raynare's expression froze.
Adrian stepped into full view now, the Boosted Gear pulsing on his arm, its red surface glowing faintly. A power ancient and terrible slumbered within it.
"Sorry," he said flatly, brushing dust from his coat. "I hate being underestimated."
With that, he vanished.
Raynare barely had time to blink before Adrian was in front of her. His right fist glowed, energy compressed into a single point.
"Bengquan—Piercing."
His punch hit the center of her light shield.
And broke through it like paper.
The impact lifted Raynare and flung her backward, tearing fabric and armor alike. Her body arched from the blow, a gasp of pain leaving her lips as she crashed into the asphalt far below.
A crater formed where she landed.
Adrian dropped after her, landing lightly beside the fallen angel. He reached down, grabbed her by the collar, and hauled her upright.
Raynare wheezed, blood staining the corners of her mouth.
"You... monster..." she croaked.
Adrian didn't reply.
He dragged her back toward the others like discarded garbage. When he reached the girls, he dropped her to the ground with a thud.
Maria and Mio were frozen.
Adrian looked at them, expression unreadable.
"Go home," he said.
His voice was low, firm, final.
They obeyed.
—---
Later, the small villa Adrian had claimed as home was quiet—almost too quiet. The lights flickered on with a soft click as he stepped inside, Raynare's limp form tossed over one shoulder.
He dropped her onto the floor of the living room, then collapsed onto the couch with a heavy sigh.
The girls entered behind him, silent. Maria and Mio stood together, heads lowered like children expecting punishment.
Maria glanced up first. "Y-Your memory... it wasn't affected by my magic, was it?"
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Please. That kind of trick only works on civilians."
She fell silent.
Mio opened her mouth, but Adrian held up a hand.
"You want to ask why I played dumb?" he said, tiredly. "Why I didn't say anything?"
He leaned back.
"Maybe because having two cute 'sisters' handed to me for free didn't sound like a bad deal."
The corner of his mouth twitched, though it wasn't quite a smile.
"Unfortunately, that peaceful life didn't last very long."
A long pause.
Then he looked at Raynare's unconscious body.
"I'll be collecting interest."
—---
Far above, unseen by all, another presence watched from the rooftops.
A woman stood there, her red hair gleaming like fire under the fading light of dusk. Her figure was tall, graceful—commanding.
Rias Gremory.
She'd arrived moments too late to intervene, but just in time to witness everything.
And now, as she gazed down at Adrian Blake—silver-haired wielder of the Boosted Gear—she felt a flicker of curiosity, and something else.
Recognition.
"So," she whispered, eyes sharp, "he's not just an outsider."
Her fingers curled lightly over the railing.
"This one... might be fun."