Chapter 24

"Your goal was never to finish this mess, was it?" I ask because something didn't make sense to me.

I used appraise magic to find out what they were trying to do with the cross and magic circle, and to my great surprise, it was one ritual to take sacred gear and another to try to take the evil pieces out of a stray devil.

But both the sacred gear extractor and the Evil Pieces removal ritual are not effective in their tasks.

They are trash toys.

"Hmph. Are you deaf? Haven't you heard me before? Our goal was never to make these oldies work," said Jeliel scornfully, who now finds himself tied to the floor.

"I think you still don't understand your situation. Let me clear it up," I snap my finger and...

"Aarrrrgggghhhh!!!!?" He screamed at the top of his lungs, as if he had been electrocuted.

"Answer my questions right and we won't have any problems with each other."

"You bastard," shouted Jeliel through a gnashing of teeth.

"If that wasn't your goal," I place my hand on my chin as I ponder the matter, "Then it was just to make noise. A little show, so to speak. You wanted to attract someone here, didn't you? It's the devils and Heaven faction, I guess?"

"Hahaha. Yes, but those cowards are too fearful to fall for the bait."

"You want war."

"Oh? Looks like your 'Professor' nickname isn't so outdated after all. You guess right. Our goal here is to provoke a great war, where we Fallen Angels will surely be the victors." Jeliel looked very proud when speaking of his own race.

Just the fact that they try to study a ritual to extract the Evil Pieces is reason enough for the devil race to want to interfere in the situation. The Peerage system is one of the lifebloods of their societies and discovering a safe method of reversing the transformation would be a severe blow to their powers.

And the ritual of taking sacred gear is like a slap in the face to the heaven faction.

"You must have someone to spread information about what you're doing to them. I have no doubt that it's including devils council members and some corrupt church members."

Jeliel's face went white as I seem to have guessed something he was likely to hide.

It seems the devils council has traitors among them. If I'm right, it's not just one, but many.

The only ones who benefited from the weakening of the peerage system would be the old Satan faction.

"I just don't understand why they're intertwined with the human murders, unless~"

It was clear.

The murders that spread in the human media was like a siren that screamed loudly for everyone, taunting the new four satan faction and heaven that they were now trying to extract the Evil Pieces and Sacred Gears.

It's as if they were acting like those young masters of Chinese stories, teasing everyone in the face and waiting for someone to come and hit them. Thus giving reasons to start a war.

"It's impossible for Azazel not to be aware of this," I frowned, "Are you guys stupid or something?"

From what I knew of the Canon, Azazel didn't want another war.

And even the most significant event like this would be Kokabiel's provocation in a future.

"HAaHhaha," He chuckled as if he'd heard a ridiculous joke. "Azazel-sama is too busy with his new red toy. He won't bother stopping us."

I frowned at that.

"Who is the killer?"

"Huh? Ummm," Jeliel looks confused by my interest in the killer of humans, for in his eyes, the killer was just an unimportant piece, "It's someone hired by Cassiel-sama. You may have defeated me, but you can be sure --- You wouldn't stand a chance with Cassiel-sama. HaHHHhaaahaa. I want to see in person as you die by his hands."

I bring my hand up to his head and he starts yelling, "No. Wait. I was just~."

CRACK

I snapped his neck and the fallen angel fell to the ground with a blank stare.

Was the person hired by 'Cassiel-sama' Hikimage? Well, it didn't matter.

In a game of chess you shouldn't have your actions plastered. With each move you must adapt and understand what your opponent is thinking.

It's time for me to be the bait.

I'm tired of a certain someone's cheap games.

Those hide-and-seek games weren't my type.

Hikimage wanted me? He would come to me and I would make sure to make him suffer.

After making sure to analyze the Fallen bodies, after all, it doesn't hurt to try...

I shake my head from side to side in disappointment because... As with harpy corpses, the information obtained from a fallen corpse, even though it was inanimate, wasn't as satisfying as using Appraise magic on objects.

In fact, the information obtained from them was even less, perhaps because their anatomies are more complex than harpies.

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Warning: User {Sharp Sexy Feather} wants to open a call. [Index] waits for GM permission.

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With permission granted, a 3d hologram appeared in front of me of the ninja harpy.

"Your majesty," she greeted.

"Before you tell me," I interrupted, "Have some harpies collect the corpses at the factory and take them to the research institute. As for the human sacred gear user..."

I look at the floor and I can see from afar that same stripper woman who is injured and unconscious.

"Heal her and treat her wound. Then take her to division zero. I want her disciplined and taught."

"Yes," she says upon hearing my command.

"Now say --- What were you talking about?"

"A group of devils is approaching your position. Permission to eliminate them?"

Devils?

"Give me their real-time image."

I clicked on one of the [Index] tabs and I could see through the eyes of {Sharp Sexy Feather}.

From atop a building, I could see through her eyes a group of four devils crossing the street four blocks from here. But most importantly all...

My heart froze and I say in a hurry.

"Nooo!! You are definitely not allowed to eliminate them!!!!" The thought of killing them and a certain siscon discovering my actions made my body go cold.

It was Rias Gremory and her Peerage.

I was nowhere near ready to deal with Sirzechs.

But the thing now was --- What were they doing here?

"What do we do then?"

"Mmm," I ponder briefly, before a smile breaks out.

This was the opportunity I was waiting for.

...

"Koneko-chan. Kiba," said Rias to her right. "You two take care of our vanguard. Akeno and I will take care of your back and attack with our spells. Do as usual."

"Right," they said in unison.

They were now inside the factory's grid gates. The look of the place is desolate and being at night is even more frightening.

Cut marks could be seen on one of the walls and several shards of glass had fallen outside. They were the windows that had been smashed by the 'Fighter' blow.

"Blood. I smell blood," Koneko said with a brief frown.

"Stay alert and take care of each other. Together we are strong," said Rias trying to be inspiring.

The large metal doors of the shed were held together by chains.

"Back off," ordered the redhead.

Her hands light up, pure crimson energy burning into her hands, before annihilating the chains and a part of the gate itself.

In which they finish pushing the now open doors and enter.

The factory silence was unnerving, but like devils they weren't that bothered.

"Ohh? Looks like we have new guests," said a masked figure over the center of the shed, seated on a walkway suspended in midair. "Unfortunately the party is over as you can see."

"Did you do this?" Rias asked not caring about the masked man's introduction.

All around they could see the fallen bodies of some priests and fallen angels.

"Ara Ara. I don't know you, but I can already see that we can get along very well," said Akeno with a sadistic smile upon seeing the fallen angels dead on the ground.

"Akeno," chided the redhead.

"Sorry."

Fortunately the fallen angels appeared to be only two-winged and only two of them...

But Rias still had to know more, before any moves.

"I'm Ria~"

"Rias Gremory, I know," said the masked man in a disinterested voice.

"H-How?" said the redhead tensing herself in combat mode.

Did that individual know about her?

"Hmm? Come on. It wasn't that hard to guess. Devil, red hair. Not to mention your brief demonstration on the gate's chains," said the masked man with a shrug. "You should get better at controlling your powers. If your intention was only to destroy the chains - you failed miserably. The poor gate didn't deserve all that."

Power of destruction only few individuals possess and it would not be difficult to link the image of it.

The redhead didn't even have time to blush with embarrassment, because...

"Buchou, watch out," Koneko shouted looking in the other direction.

Like a ghost.

The masked man was leisurely walking a few feet to their right.

"Teleportation?" Rias wondered as one moment he was in place and the next he just disappeared. The redhead quickly prepares the power of destruction in her hands and says, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Hmm?" the masked man who just walked past them turns around and says, "I didn't come here to fight you. After all, this wouldn't even be a fight in the first place."

"Are you underestimating us? Underestimating our king?" Akeno frowned while her hands also lit up with electricity.

Kiba creates a sword and gets into battle stance. And koneko raises her fists in the same way.

"See? You were so worried about my sudden change in position that you all forgot the most important thing."

"Huh?" The redhead says this with incomprehension, before looking down and realizing it.

Emitting no sound, magical disturbance, or even a sense of touch, they were now tied together by roots that grew out of the ground.

The power of destruction in her hands disappears and so does the lightning in Akeno's hands.

"See?"

Their magic was being drained, making it difficult to do magic.

These tricks wouldn't work as easily on enemies with a lot of experience. But playing with beginners was easy to distract them with [Mirror of Adonis].

The redhead, seeing her peerage trapped, an uncontrollable force surged inside her, "DON'T TOUCH MY CUTE SERVANTS!!!"

A crimson glow exploded from her entire body, completely obliterating the roots that held her back.

Holy moly, the power of destruction was terrifying.

Koneko was also struggling and in a few seconds she would also be released. Her physical strength is amazing.

Kiba was the second worst condition, the boy had a lot of dexterity but his physical strength was still inferior to the others.

But the worst of all was definitely Akeno.

She was tied up all over her body like it was a game of Sadomaso and she was panting. The brunette didn't seem to be trying to break free.

Seeing this, the masked man snaps his fingers and everyone's roots disappear.

Crimson Fury is confused upon seeing this and hears him say, "Like I said before. I didn't come here to fight. Ohh-- By the way, I must say you look beautiful in anger."

"Huh?" Rias didn't expect this and she is disconcerted to be off guard, "W-What? W-What do y-you think you're saying?"

"Another distraction," the masked man shakes his head from side to side and says, "You could be dead right now."

"This," she feels silly as she realizes that once again that individual has teased her.

"Anyway, I'm leaving this as a gift to you," the masked man points his fingers behind his own shoulders, on which they see a black cross. "This is why the fallen angels were here today. They wanted to find a method to extract sacred gear."

That was garbage and I didn't want it.

"Buchou, we can't trust him," said Kiba, still holding his sword.

"Mmmmm, we'll take it then," Rias decided not to antagonize him. At least not after seeing that guy didn't even look worried around them.

"Buchou," said Kiba in disbelief.

Rias shakes her head to the side as it looks like she still needs to work on the blonde swordsman's temper.

It wasn't simply his fault, but the masked man's banter hurt his pride. And it made him feel that his goal of getting stronger and avenging his dead friends was just a joke.

"If you'll excuse me -- I have someone to look for," the masked man says as he turns and starts to walk away.

"Wait," yelled the redhead.

"Huh?"

"You still haven't explained why you were after the fallen. If you didn't want the sacred gear extractor, what did you want?"

"My sister," the masked man said in an icy voice. "They took her and you are disturbing me right now."

"Your sister?" the redhead asked curiously.

"Yes, I was about to release her. But I decided to wait to meet the new intruders, which in this case were you."

Rias had to hold back all her pride and not let a slight scowl at being called an 'intruder'. But above her pride was her love for her Peerage.

"The fallen have a dungeon-like prison hidden in the factory. I'm going there to free her," said the masked man before turning and continuing, "If you'll excuse me."

"Wait. We're coming with you." said the redhead again.

"Why?"

"There must be other humans trapped that I intend to free them."

"I don't need help. I already intended to do this."

"I don't trust you. You seem to be the bad guy. The big bad wolf," Rias said as her cheeks puffed up angrily.

"Hmph. So follow me then," the masked man turns back toward the prisons.

But what none of them knew was the big smile I had under my mask.

Everything so far was according to plan.

Only the second part was missing.

...

When they all go down through the trapdoor that gives access to the stairs, they find themselves in a dimly lit environment with several cells around.

"Huh?" Rias looks confused as the stranger had disappeared into the hallway ahead, before he was next to her...

"What? Looking for me? I'm flattered by so much concern," said the masked man jokingly.

"Hmph! Of course not. I just don't trust you!" she said as she turned her face away.

"Buchou," said Koneko looking at the stranger.

"Umm?"

"Mmm, nothing. It must be my mistake," Koneko said absently

What Rias and not even the others noticed was... That masked man wasn't me anymore.

Opening one of the cells.

"Oni-sama?" said one of the girls stuck to the wall towards the masked man.

"Lya," The masked man runs towards the girl tied to the wall and says, "I'm glad you're safe."

"Buchou, they all have sacred gear here," Koneko said.

"Yes, we all feel that," said Rias, more concerned to see the 'sincere' acts of concern between 'siblings'.

Most of the people here were dead, or on the verge of it.

"That," Kiba checks the other prisoners at the walls, before his eyes widen, "Buchou. You need to see this. Quick."

"An angel? The gods of magic and perversion heard me. 97, 58, 89," said a weak boy on the wall, "This body I recognize from afar. I must be hallucinating."

"The dead student?" they said in unison.

Rias' face was surprised to see her measurements being said out loud, but she didn't much care.

She was a pervert at heart and didn't mind showing off.

"Fu fu fu," Akeno laughs at the scene and says, "Even though he's out of energy he still seems to be fine."

Kiba swings his swords on the chains releasing me, before I fall 'weakly' to the ground.

"The signs in his body are mild dehydration and anemia," said Akeno as he knelt down next to me and checked my 'status'.

"I feel a sacred gear on him," said Koneko.

"Oh?" Rias looks excited as it looks like she's finally taken a step ahead of her rival and was about to solve the murder case.

"Give this to him," said Rias as she handed her queen a seemingly ordinary pill, "It should help him a little."

Akeno does as her king says and applies the medicine.

My countenance seems to improve in a few breaths and I finally open my eyes.

"99, 60, 88? I can die in peace now," I say with a slight smile as I'm held to the floor by the brunette's arms.

"Fufufu," Akeno has a sadistic smile in my direction and I pretend to wince, before standing up abruptly.

"Akeno-senpai? Rias-senpai?" I look in the direction of the others confused and say, "You guys!? H-How?"

"You disappeared almost three months ago, ummm -- Sato-san?" said Rias uncertain what to call me.

"Three months?" I say yelling before coughing, "Cough. Cough."

"Hey," the blond swordsman puts his hands on my shoulder and says, "take it easy. Your body is still weak."

"What's your sacred gear? Is it powerful? Is it amazing?" Rias asked excitedly in my direction.

Even though she was excited, the redhead didn't forget to be cautious and still watched the masked man in the background hugging his 'sister'.

"Sacred Gear?" I look at her confused.

"I don't think he knows about it, buchou," said Koneko.

"Ohh, sure -- Ummm, close your eyes, try to imagine the most incredible power of all and channel that will to some part of your body. It might work," The redhead seems to be in a good mood, before noticing something and saying shyly. , "I mean -- if you're still feeling weak, you can try it some other time."

"No. I'll try," I say as I close my eyes and...

"Rasengannnnnnn!!!" I open my eyes sharply and with my palms outstretched.

A blue colored glove is on my wrist and I pretend to look at it in awe.

"Amazing, I did it," I said excitedly before going back to say, "I really am an amazing wizard. Haha."

"What a pity," Rias looks sad to see the glove on my hand. "It's just a twice critical."

"This is bad?" I ask innocently.

"Hmmm, well -- it's quite common actually," she said, trying to hide her sadness.

"The masked man is gone," said Koneko and Rias and company look at the place where he was before.

"Buchou. What should we do with him?" asked Kiba.

Rias sighs, before flashing a smile in my direction and saying, "Let's explain about the supernatural world to him and get him out of here. Twice critical or not, he is our Kouhai and we must help him defend himself."

Having sacred gear only meant one thing... He would need to learn to defend himself.

Rias wouldn't abandon him just for being twice critical.

Although she wouldn't reincarnate him as a member of her Peerage, it didn't hurt to help him.

Little did they know that this was all an act.

Sacred gear? A lie. With [Mirror of Adonis] I could fake one's aura and appearance easily.

This was just the beginning of my bait to catch Hikimage.

From the beginning I was intent on getting my normal life back so I could bring back Mr. Sato, I missed him.

The arrival of Rias and company was just the perfect alibe, taking all the suspicions away from my return.

Now that I'm stronger, I'm confident in dealing with Hikimage.

I would pretend I gave up looking for him and went back to my normal life. It would make him come after me in disappointment that I wasn't playing his little games.

As for me revealing 'having' a sacred gear? Both Rias and Sona wouldn't bother recruiting me into their peerage.

Twice critical was sh*t.