28. Claria Belial Part 1

Kouske's POV

Due to Lavinia's insistence, I spent the entire morning and noon resting. It wasn't until the afternoon that she finally allowed me to venture outside.

I decided to meet Irina in the park. After spending some quality time alone with her, I made my way back home. However, after taking just a few steps, my attention was arrested by an approaching injured stray devil.

In recent times, the frequency of strays converging on this town has notably increased. As I observed through my familiars, Claria and her peerage were deeply embroiled in a fierce battle with a Cluster – a term reserved for strays that unite to form a group for survival. The rarity of such clusters made them formidable opponents, often cunning and capable of enduring for years. This encounter signaled a significant threat.

The Belial peerage, led by Claria, appeared to be on the losing side, facing imminent danger. The stakes were high, and the possibility of casualties among her peerage members loomed.

A stray morphed into a Rhinoceros caught my attention as it rushed towards me, bearing visible injuries—its left arm and one eye missing, boasting middle-class devil prowess. It was a clear indication of the increasing challenges posed by strays.

I decided to test my current control over Black Blaze Flare, creating multiple swords and spears with precision and compression. The Rhinoceros, initially nervous, charged toward me, underestimating a seemingly weak human child.

To his misfortune, a single spear made of cursed flames proved lethal, reducing him to ashes. As the stray perished, his thoughts seemed to dwell on a time when he served as a simple priest, a poignant reminder of the consequences of forsaking one's humanity for power, forsaking God.

Contemplating whether to intervene further, I weighed the options. Claria and her peerage were still in dire straits, contending with five remaining strays.

Considering the escalating number of strays, assisting them seemed more pragmatic, sparing me the inevitable hassle of dealing with the aftermath. Transforming into Akatsuki, I adorned a slime body suit purchased from the Shop and unfurled my wings, soaring towards the northern river.

From the aerial vantage point, I witnessed a gray-haired girl with tanned skin engaged in a fierce battle against two cat-faced strays, wielding her large nodachi with exquisite technique. Despite her prowess, the cat-faced strays proved formidable adversaries, their coordinated attacks leaving her bloodied and pushed back.

Observing Claria Belial holding her ground against a peak high-class stray, I sensed a deadlock. Spells were cast and neutralized with her bloodline magic, creating a tense standoff. Yet, behind her, two peerage members lay bleeding, adding an element of urgency to the situation.

Further away, three other members of Claria's peerage confronted two additional strays—one resembling an ox, the other a snake. The odds were against them, with a bishop attempting to halt their movements with ice spells, but struggling against the relentless assault.

Kouske maintained a vigilant watch from the sky.

Omniscient POV

<Senbonzakura >

Suddenly, black sakura petals cascaded from the heavens, a bewitching display. Yet, these were no ordinary dead petals; they were ablaze with fiery black intensity.

A momentary spell enveloped everyone, their attention arrested by the surreal beauty of the scene on this moonlit night. However, the enchantment was short-lived, disrupted when the petals made contact with a stray devil's skin, setting their entire bodies ablaze.

Screams filled the air as the strays futilely tried to extinguish the flames consuming them. Panic ensued as everyone scrambled to distance themselves from the infernal petals, which, seemingly guided by an unseen force, encircled only the strays.

While the strays grappled with the fiery onslaught, a figure draped in all-encompassing black materialized behind Claria, where her wounded peerage members lay.

Injured and alarmed, Claria attempted to create distance between the mysterious figure and her precious peerage. However, her injuries hindered her escape.

Observing the figure attempting to administer some kind of liquid to her two injured comrades, Claria's panic intensified.

"Stop! What are you doing to them?!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing through the chaos.

"Relax. I'm only trying to heal them. Otherwise, they might not survive," a calm and composed male voice emanated from the robed figure, adding an intriguing layer of mystery to the unfolding events.

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