Chapter [54]

Inside the House

Kaito looked at Kalawarner, his eyes cold and calculating. "Don't thank me yet," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "We're far from resolving this."

Kalawarner shuddered, the expression of relief quickly vanishing from her face. She realized she was far from safe. Kaito turned to Rias, maintaining his firm posture. "The priest we saw fleeing, Freed, must be the killer. He's the one murdering the humans who make contracts with the Devils."

Rias frowned, absorbing the information. "Freed? That makes sense. He's completely unhinged and has an intense hatred for Devils."

"Yes, yes, it was Freed! He's responsible! I had nothing to do with it! He's crazy, kills for pleasure. He killed all those humans!" she almost screamed, trying to absolve herself of any guilt, while her pleading eyes sought some sign of mercy in the faces of the Devils before her.

Rias scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Dealing with the Church is always a mess. They always bring more problems than they solve."

Kaito nodded in agreement. "We have many reasons to want to kill Freed, but now it will be difficult to know where he is."

Rias, recalling Koneko's abilities, called her immediately. "Koneko, come here."

Koneko, who was outside, heard the call and quickly entered the house. She looked at Rias, awaiting instructions. "What do you need, kaichou?"

"We need to track Freed. Can you find him by scent?"

Koneko sniffed the air, trying to catch Freed's scent. However, the intense smell of blood and death in the house hindered her sense of smell, making the task nearly impossible. "Sorry, kaichou, the smell of blood here is interfering. I can't smell anything."

Rias sighed, trying to hide her frustration. "It's okay, Koneko. You did your best."

Koneko nodded, clearly disappointed, and left the house, returning outside where the air was cleaner.

Kaito turned his gaze to Kalawarner, his expression hardening. "Who is the mastermind behind all this? Who is giving the orders?"

Kalawarner hesitated for a moment, looking at the floor. "Someone very important in Grigori," she whispered, afraid to reveal more.

Akeno, standing beside Rias, frowned upon hearing this. "Could it be Azazel?" she suggested, her tone serious and worried.

Kalawarner quickly raised her head, panic visible in her eyes. "No! It can't be Azazel-sama! He would never do this! Azazel-sama is our leader, he wouldn't do something like this!" she shouted, almost desperate, defending her leader fervently.

Rias and Akeno exchanged looks, aware that Kalawarner was telling the truth, or at least believed it. "If it's not Azazel, then who?" Rias pressed.

Kalawarner shook her head, her expression anguished. "I don't know! I swear I don't know! I just know that someone very important in Grigori is involved."

"So, you followed an order without knowing who was giving it? That sounds irresponsible even for a fallen angel."

Kaito asked Kalawarner, without showing emotion. But he already knew she was telling the truth.

Kalawarner, still trembling, shook her head frantically. "We had no choice! The orders came from a higher fallen angel, but we don't know exactly who. It could be any of the leaders in Grigori," she replied, her voice full of despair and fear.

Rias frowned, considering Kalawarner's words. "This complicates things even more. If we don't know exactly who is behind this, it will be difficult to track the source."

Akeno, standing beside Rias, seemed visibly frustrated. Her fists were clenched, and there was a palpable tension in her face. However, she said nothing, just keeping her gaze fixed on the ground. Rias noticed Akeno's frustration and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, murmuring something softly that only Akeno could hear. Akeno's frustration seemed to diminish slightly, but it was still present.

Kaito noticed the interaction but decided to ignore it, focusing again on Kalawarner.

"If you don't know who the mastermind is, then your value to us decreases significantly," he said coldly. "Rias, what happens when someone invades your territory?"

Rias took a deep breath and stepped forward, her expression severe. "When someone invades my territory, it is considered a grave offense. Depending on the circumstances, it can result in severe measures, including execution. We cannot allow our territory to be threatened or disrespected." She looked firmly at Kalawarner, making the seriousness of her statement clear.

Kalawarner, realizing the gravity of her situation, began to cry desperately. "Please, I only know that the orders came from a higher fallen angel. I don't know who specifically, but someone with a lot of power and influence."

Akeno, observing the situation with an impassive look, stepped forward. "Maybe we should just kill her, like we did with the others," she suggested, her voice cold and devoid of emotion.

Kalawarner began to cry desperately, her voice full of fear. "Please, no! I swear I'm telling the truth! I had nothing to do with the murders! It was all Freed's doing! I was just following orders!"

Kaito would normally have agreed with Akeno, given the history of fallen angels and the threat they posed. However, he realized that the situation was more complex, involving a leader of another powerful faction. He knew that if they acted rashly, they could trigger a series of even more dangerous events.

"Kaito, don't you agree?" asked Akeno, a little surprised by his hesitation.

Kaito took a deep breath, pondering the situation. "I would normally agree with you, Akeno. But considering this involves a leader from Grigori and could have larger repercussions, we need to act cautiously."

He turned to Rias, his gaze serious. "Rias, we need confirmation about the identity of this Grigori leader. And if it involves Azazel, as we suspect, we need someone with authority to deal with it."

Rias frowned, clearly pondering her options.

"I understand, Kaito," said Rias, her voice hesitant. "I can call my brother, Sirzechs. He has the authority and strength needed to deal with this situation."

Kaito crossed his arms, his expression hardening. "Then why are you hesitating? We have humans dying while you ponder pride and ego."

Rias bit her lip, struggling internally. She wanted to resolve this on her own to prove she could take care of her own territory, but Kaito's words made her reconsider. She knew she couldn't let her pride put more lives at risk.

Rias took a deep breath, her decision made. "You're right, Kaito. We can't let more people die because of our ego. I'll call my brother."

Kaito nodded, satisfied with her response. "Very well. I'll leave you with Kalawarner."

Before anyone could respond, Kaito teleported, disappearing in a flash of light.

Rias watched the spot where Kaito had disappeared, feeling a mixture of frustration and admiration for him. She turned to Kalawarner, who was still trembling on the floor.

"You got lucky," said Rias, her voice softer than before. "I'm trying to regain Kaito's trust, so I'll act more cautiously."

Kalawarner breathed a sigh of relief, realizing her life was temporarily safe.

Akeno, beside Rias, remained silent, but her mind was filled with worries. 'What if the higher fallen angel is my father? How will I deal with that?' She kept these feelings to herself, knowing she had to focus on the present situation.

Rias approached Akeno, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure this out, Akeno. Whoever it is, we'll find out and deal with it together."

Akeno nodded, a weak smile on her lips. "Yes, Rias. We'll figure this out."

Rias took a deep breath, turning to the door and calling for Kiba and Koneko.

"Kiba, Koneko, come in."

Kiba and Koneko entered the house, their expressions serious and ready to act.

"Rias, what will we do now?" asked Kiba, his gaze fixed on Kalawarner.

"We'll teleport back to the mansion," Rias replied.

Rias gathered everyone around her, extending her hands to form a magic circle. The magical energy began to pulse around them, creating a soft, constant glow.

Gremory Mansion

With a flash of light, Rias, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and Kalawarner materialized in the living room of the Gremory mansion.

Kalawarner, visibly frightened, looked around the room, realizing that any attempt to escape would be futile.

Rias, wasting no time, focused her magical energy and cast a communication spell. A magic circle appeared in her hand, and the holographic image of Grayfia emerged in the center of the circle.

"Grayfia," Rias began. "We need your help. We have a captured fallen angel, and there are suspicions that a leader of Grigori is behind the recent murders of humans in our territory."

Grayfia observed Kalawarner for a moment before responding. "I understand, Rias. This is a serious situation. I'm on my way."

Grayfia's image disappeared, and a few moments later, a magic circle glowed in the room, and Grayfia materialized in front of them. Her presence brought a sense of authority and security to the environment.

Grayfia looked at Kalawarner, her expression cold and calculating. "Is this the fallen angel you captured?"

Rias nodded. "Yes, Grayfia. She claims to be killing humans with sacred gear and that the orders came from a higher fallen angel in Grigori."

"I understand, Rias. This is a serious situation," she said calmly. "I will handle everything from here on."

Kalawarner began to tremble, realizing she was about to be taken by someone much more powerful. "Please, believe me! I was just following orders!" she pleaded, her voice trembling with fear.

Grayfia ignored Kalawarner's pleas, maintaining her impassive expression. She turned to Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko. "You did well to capture her and inform me. From this point, I will handle her."

Rias nodded, feeling a bit relieved to have Grayfia taking control of the situation. "Very well, Grayfia. We trust you to resolve this."

Grayfia then made a smooth movement with her hand, and a bright magic circle appeared around her and Kalawarner.

Kalawarner tried to resist, but the strength of Grayfia's magic was overwhelming. She was forced to move, feeling the pressure of the magical energy around her. "Please, no! I'm telling the truth!" she cried out in desperation, but her voice was drowned out by the increasing glow of the magic circle.

"It's no use resisting," Grayfia said coldly. "We will find out the truth, and if you are lying, there will be severe consequences."

With those words, the magic circle glowed intensely, and in a flash of light, Grayfia and Kalawarner disappeared, leaving the room in an uneasy silence.

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