Chapter [17]

In the damp darkness of the abandoned church, malevolent laughter echoed off the walls. Raynare was sitting on a broken bench, her expression filled with scorn as she spoke about Kaito. Beside her, Mittelt and Kalawarner laughed along, their eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction.

"You should have seen his face when I attacked him," said Raynare, laughing loudly. "He actually believed I was just an ordinary girl."

Mittelt, with a mischievous smile, shook her head. "Ah, Raynare, you're a master of deception. But I still can't believe he fell for it so easily. So pathetic."

Kalawarner, always poised and elegant, added: "It's ridiculous. He should have been easy prey. It was almost no fun."

Raynare frowned, but the smirk of disdain never left her face. "Yes, yes, but the fun part was seeing the despair in his eyes. He had no idea what was coming."

Suddenly, the church door burst open, and Dohnaseek entered, visibly irritated. "I hate this city," he grumbled, walking towards the group. "This place stinks of devils."

Raynare raised an eyebrow, curious. "What happened now, Dohnaseek? You seem more annoyed than usual."

Dohnaseek stopped in front of them, crossing his arms with a glowering expression. "While patrolling the city, I sensed a significant and unusual magical power in an alley. It didn't seem to be from an ordinary devil."

Mittelt tilted her head, intrigued. "Different how? Do you think it could be a powerful devil or some other being?"

Dohnaseek shook his head, thoughtful. "I'm not sure. But whoever it is, this power cannot be ignored. It could be a threat or an opportunity. We need to investigate."

Kalawarner crossed her arms, a cold smile on her lips. "Maybe it's a chance to discover something useful. Who knows, it might be something we can use to our advantage."

Raynare, feeling a new wave of determination, nodded. "We need to act quickly. If there's such magical power out there, we can't let the devils or any other faction capture it before us."

As the fallen angels prepared to leave the church, the atmosphere of conspiracy and urgency hung in the air. They didn't know that Kaito was alive, and the idea of investigating this new magical power filled them with anticipation.

Hyoudou House

It was a Friday morning when Kaito woke up to go to school. The sun was still rising, casting a soft light through the curtains of his room. He stretched, feeling his muscles relax after a night's sleep. He still had a lot to think about after the incident with Hiro and the conversation with Rias.

Kaito got up and went to the bathroom, washing his face with cold water to fully wake up. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, noticing again the changes in his appearance. His eyes glowed with an unnatural intensity, and his skin was clearer than ever. He sighed, still trying to get used to his new reality.

After dressing and grabbing his backpack, Kaito went down to the kitchen, where Miki was preparing breakfast. The smell of toast and fresh coffee filled the air, bringing a sense of familiar comfort.

"Good morning, mom," said Kaito, sitting down at the table.

"Good morning, dear," replied Miki with a smile. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept well," lied Kaito, trying not to worry his mother with the thoughts that had kept him awake for much of the night.

As he ate, Kaito couldn't help but think about what he would face at school today. Nanami's reaction and the problems with Kenji and his friends still weighed on his mind. He knew he needed to be prepared for anything.

After finishing breakfast, Kaito said goodbye to Miki and left the house, walking towards school. As he walked through the streets, he tried to keep his mind focused, but the feeling of being watched lingered.

Kuoh Academy

Upon arriving at school, Kaito found Hiro at the entrance. Hiro looked a bit down but smiled when he saw Kaito.

"Hey, Kaito," Hiro greeted. "Everything okay?"

Kaito nodded, trying to appear confident. "Yes, everything's fine. How about you, how are you feeling?"

Hiro shrugged, looking a bit confused. "I'm okay, just... a bit tired, I guess. But thanks for helping me yesterday."

Kaito smiled, placing a hand on Hiro's shoulder. "No problem, Hiro. We're friends, right?"

"Ah, Kaito, I forgot to tell you," said Hiro, laughing nervously. "I set up a double date for us last night. I thought it would be fun."

Kaito raised an eyebrow, confused. "A double date? With who?"

Hiro smiled, though a bit hesitantly. "With Yumi and Ami. They're in the second year. It's going to be Saturday night."

Kaito frowned, surprised. "Yumi and Ami? Why did you agree to that?"

Hiro sighed, looking a bit embarrassed. "To be honest, Kaito, the two are more interested in you. I just thought, maybe there'd be a bit left for me."

Kaito shook his head, disapproving. "That's ridiculous, Hiro. You should value yourself more. It's not worth going out with someone who's not really interested in you."

Hiro laughed, trying to downplay the situation. "I know, Kaito. But I'm not planning to marry them. I just wanted someone for my first kiss, after all I'm already 16."

Kaito sighed, nodding. "I'm about to turn 16 too and haven't kissed anyone yet."

Hiro smiled, trying to cheer him up. "That was before, Kaito. Now you might not realize it, but you're on par with the school prince, Yuuto."

Kaito remembered Kiba Yuuto, who was also part of Rias's Peerage. "Kiba is popular and has many fans, but I don't have good memories with women."

Hiro placed a hand on Kaito's shoulder, speaking sincerely. "Not every girl is a Nanami in life, Kaito. You can't let one bad experience define all your interactions with girls."

Kaito, internally, shuddered at the memory of Yuuma, or rather, Raynare. Hiro had no idea how deep the scar Raynare had left on him was. He had been betrayed, attacked, and killed by someone he trusted. That experience left him wary and fearful of opening up again.

As Kaito and Hiro talked, the bell rang, signaling the start of classes. "Let's go in," said Kaito, trying to push away the disturbing thoughts.

The two friends entered the school and headed to their classroom. The first classes passed without incident, with Kaito trying to focus on his studies and ignore the curious looks he received from his classmates. During the break, he and Hiro decided to go to the cafeteria.

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