Asia

The following day, Eriri let Rias and the others go to class as usual while she strolled around Kuoh Town with Scarlet and Ophis, with Aoi Kujo and Lilliana close behind.

The group of five walking down the street drew quite a bit of attention, with nearly everyone turning to look. Eriri and her group were unfazed. This sort of attention was something she was used to whenever they went out in the Saekano World, so she no longer minded the passersby's stares.

Scarlet and Ophis, meanwhile, paid no mind to the human attention, and with Rias's generous allowance, Eriri didn't need to turn gold bars into currency this time.

They walked around enjoying the local delicacies along the way. Though it couldn't compare to Aoi Kujo's cooking, the food here had its charm. Despite the world being different, the layout of the cities was fairly similar, though Kuoh Town, compared to the Saekano World, lagged a few years in technological advancement.

Due to the powerful factions' careful concealment of their supernatural existence, most ordinary people were unaware of the world's dangers. Only a few individuals, those who had summoned devils, had glimpsed the other side of their reality.

By afternoon, they had toured most of the town, and school would soon be over at Kuoh Academy.

At that moment, Eriri noticed a somewhat familiar figure at a nearby intersection. A young blonde girl wearing a nun's habit and a white veil was standing by the roadside with a small suitcase in hand, glancing around in confusion as though unsure which direction to take.

Eriri's mind quickly identified the girl: Asia Argento, one of the original heroines in the story, looked just as the story had described—her appearance was both endearing and pure, entirely comparable to Rias and the others.

Asia appeared to have a gentle, almost clueless demeanor, which Eriri found rather adorable. However, it seemed she had arrived in Kuoh Town much later than in the original timeline. Eriri could guess why.

Back when they'd dealt with the Villains Chat Group in Campione's world, one member was a fallen angel from this very world, Highschool DxD. She was none other than Raynare, who had successfully defeated the original protagonist, Issei Hyoudou, and taken control of the Boosted Gear using the Villains Chat Group.

Of course, Raynare hadn't lasted long; Gabriel had quickly disposed of her in one swift strike. That conflict had allowed Eriri to retrieve the Boosted Gear, effectively removing it from the DxD world's power structure, leaving only the White Dragon Emperor.

In the original story, Asia had been exiled by the church as a heretic, having been tricked by a group of rogue exorcists led by fallen angels, luring her to Kuoh Town under false pretenses in hopes of claiming the Sacred Gear within her.

However, with Raynare's premature death, the plot had been delayed. Asia was lucky in that she arrived in Kuoh Town later than in the original timeline, avoiding a cruel fate that would have seen her Sacred Gear forcibly taken, leading to her demise and subsequent reincarnation as a devil's pawn.

Not wanting to leave Asia to a tragic fate, Eriri decided she'd intervene; after all, the innocent blonde nun held a certain charm for her. As for the devil responsible for Asia's fall from grace, Eriri had no intention of letting him die easily as he had in the original story.

Using her perception abilities, Eriri quickly detected a presence close to Asia. A knowing smile spread across her face as she took Scarlet and Ophis toward the disoriented nun.

"Hello, need any help?" Eriri asked.

Hearing her, Asia's eyes lit up. She quickly turned and saw Eriri, who, even with her innocent demeanor, couldn't help but pause for a second at her beauty. Though her reaction wasn't as extreme as others' might have been, she looked genuinely relieved.

"Hello, I seem to be lost," Asia said with a shy smile. "Um… could you please point me in the direction of this town's church?"

"You're headed to that church? We can take you there since we're out for a stroll anyway." Eriri didn't tell her she was being deceived by fallen angels. Asia was so gentle that she'd have to be shown the harsh reality of the world if she was to grow. Besides, this was the perfect chance to take care of a few fallen angels and a certain vile exorcist priest within the church. She could also deal with the pesky devil tailing Asia.

"Oh, thank you so much! To meet such a kind person must surely be a sign of the Lord's guidance." Asia's heartwarming smile was nothing short of charming.

After a while, Eriri and her group arrived at a worn, neglected church. Along the way, they introduced themselves, and Eriri got to know Asia better—so well that Asia even confided in her about her Sacred Gear.

As they entered, a white-haired priest with a deranged look and manic energy stepped out of the prayer room.

"Who do we have here? A nun? Did you bring me a gift? Dirty human filth mixed up with devils." The white-haired priest muttered, his eyes wild.

He held a lightsaber in one hand and a strangely shaped white handgun in the other, pointing it at Eriri's group. Eriri and her companions, having spent so much time around Rias and the others, carried faint traces of demonic energy, which the priest's sharp sense for demonic aura had picked up.

The priest, whose name was Freed, was on Eriri's list of targets. He was one of the Lost Priests, a rogue agent who had left the church.

"Please, don't!" Asia quickly stepped between Eriri and the priest. "I am Sister Asia Argento, and these are friends who kindly helped guide me here. They are not evil!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Devils are scum that must be purged, and any human who mingles with them has no right to live."

"Asia, come back. This is no longer a church. It's filled with fallen angels and rogue priests, and they lured you here to take your Sacred Gear. They're all scum," Eriri said sharply.

"But—"

"Trust me!"

Eriri pulled Asia behind her and stared coldly at Freed.

"And what's this? Who let a rabid dog loose? Did your master forget to leash you, or did you slip away?" she said, her voice dripping with contempt.

"You…!" Freed's face flushed with fury, veins throbbing at his temples. His expression twisted further as he muttered, "Seems you've been brainwashed by those devil scum. As a priest, it's my duty to send you to Hell to purify your soul!"

There was a gleam of depravity in Freed's eyes as he charged at Eriri, his lightsaber raised—not at her, but at her clothes.

Before he could strike, his lightsaber was wrenched from his hand and reversed on him, severing his own right hand at the wrist.

Freed stared at the bleeding stump in shock, the pain finally hitting him, and he screamed.

"Scum, scum, scum! Die!" Freed shouted, his face contorted in pain as he aimed his gun at Eriri, pulling the trigger repeatedly.

But each bullet, like the lightsaber, reversed course midair, striking him instead, leaving multiple three-to-four-centimeter holes in his body. Blood began gushing from the wounds, but this was far from over.

Each bullet that pierced Freed returned to strike him repeatedly, while Eriri calmly covered Asia's eyes and ears, knowing this would be too much for her gentle nature to witness so early.

Freed's screams echoed throughout the church as his body was shredded into pieces by his own bullets. When only fragments of him remained, Eriri waved a hand, and a light breeze scattered his remains into nothingness.

"Eriri… where did that priest go?" Asia asked, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity as she looked at the now-empty spot where Freed had stood.

"That lunatic priest is dead. Do you have any objections to what I did, Asia?" Eriri's gaze was intense as she placed a hand on Asia's shoulder. Asia shyly dropped her head, blushing under the force of Eriri's gaze.

"I don't mind. I trust you, Eriri. I'm sure you had a good reason."

Eriri gave an approving nod at Asia's response.

At that moment, four fallen angels flew out of the church. They had black wings—two men and two women.

"Where's Freed? I heard him yelling a moment ago," the leading male fallen angel muttered, his gaze turning to Eriri's group and instantly lighting up.

As fallen angels were created from angels who'd succumbed to carnal desires, they often harbored a lustful nature—even their leader, Azazel, was no exception. Eriri's beauty quickly grabbed his attention.

Then he spotted Asia in her nun's attire, his attention drifting from Eriri momentarily.

"The wielder of Twilight Healing? Perfect. Now that you're here, just hand over your Sacred Gear."

This fallen angel had been sent to replace Raynare after her sudden disappearance. He was the one continuing her plan to lure Asia here and take her Sacred Gear.

In one swift move, he lunged at Eriri and Asia, intending to capture them both. But his attempt met the same fate as Freed's. With just a glance from Eriri, he exploded mid-air, leaving only a few black feathers floating to the ground.

His body had burst into fragments before he even realized what had happened, and along with him, the three other fallen angels shared the same fate. Although they hadn't spoken, the greedy, mocking, and disdainful looks in their eyes revealed their true natures, enough to merit their swift end.

Eriri couldn't be bothered to engage in conversation with them and sent them all to their deaths in one effortless move.

...

In the void only a few meters away from Eriri and her group, Diodora watched them with a face full of terror. He had seen everything that happened just moments before. Right after Eriri had dealt with Freed, he had tried to slip away and come up with another plan, only to despair when he discovered he had completely lost control of his body. He couldn't even run or cry for help.

He understood that all of this was because of that beautiful girl—the one so beautiful it seemed to dull the very world around her, yet terrifying beyond measure. Diodora realized his pursuit of Asia had been discovered, and all he could do now was wait in despair for Eriri's judgment.

…

After dealing with the rogue exorcists and the fallen angels, the rest of the stray exorcists in the church scattered like panicked birds, each one fleeing in fear. However, they stood no chance of escaping Eriri and her group. Soon, every last rogue exorcist had been eliminated, and the church in Kuoh Town was returned to its abandoned state.

"Eriri, what should I do now?" Asia asked Eriri, looking at the empty church with a confused expression.

Asia had come to Kuoh Town because she'd lost her place in her hometown. She had clung to this opportunity, hoping for a new refuge. But now, with this supposed safe haven revealed to be a trap, her dreams had once again crumbled into dust, and she felt lost about her future.

"Asia, from now on, you'll stay with me. I'll be your home, and Aoi, the others, and I will all be your family, so you don't need to worry about anything." Eriri patted Asia's golden hair with a gentle smile. "And soon, I might have a big surprise for you."

Eriri was already planning to revive the God of the Bible soon. She could only imagine how overjoyed Asia would be to meet the very God she had believed in for so long.

Asia's eyes filled with tears of joy. "Yes! Thank you, Eriri! Please take care of me from now on!"

Then, Eriri brought Asia and the others back to the Occult Research Club room at Kuoh Academy.

Before leaving the church, she gave one last glance in Diodora's direction, instantly pulling him into a strange, temporary space she had constructed.

Diodora wasn't like the other fallen angels or demons she had encountered. While they might be driven by ambitions or twisted goals, Diodora was simply pure evil. Countless innocent nuns had fallen into his traps, deceived and defiled in his pursuit of nothing but suffering. His cruelty had crossed every line, leaving a trail of victims destroyed for no reason but his own twisted pleasure.

What awaited him there was a brutal cycle of deaths. He died again and again, only to be revived in full, experiencing new forms of excruciating torment each time. The space was filled with his soul-rending screams, yet no sound escaped its boundaries.

Diodora had already died over a thousand times, his mind nearing its breaking point under the relentless torture. Even when he was revived in full, his body was wracked with phantom pains that sent tremors throughout his limbs, beyond his control.

To the outside world, only a few minutes had passed. In the strange space, time flowed at a rate a thousand times faster under Eriri's control. With each hoarse scream, Diodora's journey of agony pressed forward.

…

The day of the Rating Game between Rias and Riser finally arrived, though Eriri and the others regarded it with indifference, their only interest being the amusement it might bring.

During the past few days, Asia had quickly become friends with Rias and her group, and her face seemed to grow brighter with happiness each day.

With the appearance of a familiar white magic circle on the floor, the maid-dressed Grayfia emerged in the Occult Research Club room, and a moment later, with a burst of flames, a blond man with a smug expression appeared in the room, his arm draped around a scantily dressed woman. Behind them, no fewer than fourteen women of varying appearances filed out from the blazing magic circle.

This was none other than Riser Phenex, the third son of the Underworld's Phenex family, and his fifteen servants, including his queen who leaned against him as he made his entrance.

"Long time no see, my lovely Rias," Riser declared arrogantly, his voice full of condescension even before the last flame had dissipated. Then his gaze fell on where Rias was sitting, but before he could begin admiring her beauty, he caught sight of Eriri, seated on the other couch, and was instantly captivated.

"To think such beauty could exist in the human realm," Riser muttered, his eyes gleaming with barely concealed desire as he gazed at Eriri, entirely focused on her. As the consummate playboy, Riser could hardly let such a chance pass him by. He let go of the woman in his arms and started moving toward Eriri.

Seeing him approach, Asia, who sat to Eriri's right, gasped in fright, clutching tightly at Eriri's sleeve.

"Well, I never expected Rias to have someone like you by her side," Riser said, looking Eriri up and down. "Very well, after I defeat Rias, you'll be mine."

Riser's words left everyone present stunned, with the exception of Grayfia and those on Riser's side. Even Ophis and Crimson looked his way, curious to see who this bizarre creature was that dared to address Eriri with such brazen arrogance.

He took a step forward, intent on touching Eriri's face, but before he could take another, he found himself completely immobilized.

Just as the first glimmers of panic began to set in, Eriri spoke from in front of him.

"I have to admit, you're bold. Who, exactly, gave you the courage to talk to me like that?" Eriri asked, her hands resting lightly on Ophis's back as she fixed Riser with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Frozen in place, Riser couldn't even respond. He could only watch her in silent horror, his gaze pleading as he realized that Eriri must be far from ordinary. To so effortlessly restrain him—a High-Class Devil—she must be at least at the Satan-Class. Even among the devils, Satans were the top-tier powerhouses. If Eriri intended to assist Rias in the Rating Game, Riser's chances of winning were already non-existent.

Yet even now, he failed to grasp the severity of the situation.

Indeed, Riser only feared losing the Rating Game—death wasn't even on his mind. His identity as a pureblooded devil from the noble Phenex family gave him confidence; to kill him would be to openly challenge the Underworld itself. Besides, Grayfia, a Satan, was right there, watching. He believed she'd never let Eriri kill him.

At this point, Riser finally stifled his desire for Eriri, refraining from letting it show as blatantly as before. Still, it was impossible for him to completely abandon his lustful thoughts toward her.

"Lily, give this presumptuous pest a harsh lesson. But don't kill him; Rias will still need him for the Rating Game later," Eriri said to Liliana, who stood at her side.

She couldn't even be bothered to personally deal with Riser. Besides, she had already applied some subtle tricks to him, ensuring that he would pay the price soon enough.

"Understood." Liliana, already brimming with resentment at Riser's earlier rudeness, didn't hesitate to step right up to him.

A gleaming, silver longsword appeared in Liliana's hand as if out of thin air. Resembling a military saber, the weapon reflected the deadly gleam of her fierce gaze, which she directed icily at Riser.

"That's enough!"

At that moment, Grayfia, who had remained expressionless up to now, suddenly intervened, moving swiftly to step between Liliana and Riser in an attempt to stop the impending strike.

However, compared to Liliana, Grayfia's strength was far from sufficient.