Chapter 81 - Hunting and First Blood

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That night, as the clock struck ten o'clock, Sakuya-san, Kulshedra-san, and I prepared for the mission.

"Rey-sama, are you ready?"

Sakuya-san asked with her voice steady.

"Yeah."

I nodded slightly and affirmed her.

".... Good luck."

Scathach-sama said shortly from the sofa while calmly sipping a cup of warm cocoa.

Sakuya-san, Kulshedra-san, and I nodded slightly to her.

After that, we three exit from our mansion.

"Kulshedra-san, can you fly?"

I asked Kulshedra-san after we exited the house.

"I'm a water dragon basically, but yes I can fly either way. Why'd you ask?"

Kulshedra-san asked back with a bit confused look.

"Then, could you-"

"Wait. Don't tell me that you want me to become your ride?"

Kulshedra-san said with a bit lower voice and dark expression to me before I finished my sentence.

"Uhh.... Is that bad?"

I asked with a bit apprehension.

"Of course it is! I'm a Spirit Weapon not Transportation, nor a Pet! I'm a Dragon Queen, you know! It's a lese majeste!"

Kulshedra-san responded with a higher tone and a bit angry-sulk display as if she's been disrespected and offended.

"Uhh...."

I feel a bit awkward and don't know what to say because I never thought that she'll refuse it outright.

"And besides, you and Sakuya have your devil wings, right? Why don't you just use it?"

Kulshedra-san asked with her clearly still displeased.

"Well.... I just thought it'll tiresome that way."

Yeah. Honestly that's really what I thought.

Because from the information Mephisto-jiisama gave to me before, the Stray Devil recently lurking in a town which quite far from Nagano City even though it's still in the same Chubu Region. So I thought it'll be tiring if we fly just using devil wings to there. That's why I thought if we ride on Kulshedra-san in her Dragon form, it'll be easier and faster too.

"Then why not just use teleport?"

Kulshedra-san asked again with a bit frown.

"I still not really get used to it."

Again I'm not lying. I truly still didn't get really used to teleport. I always felt uncomfortable like nausea and dizzy after I tried it.

"...."

This time Kulshedra-san just silent but with flat expression as if she just heard some unbelievable lie.

"I'm not a ride! Go find another! Hmph!"

Kulshedra-san said with her arms folded on her chest.

"...."

I became silent and then facepalmed myself.

"Fine.... Let's just use the car."

I sighed and decided in the end.

But in my heart, I felt a bit vexed too and determined to summon something for transportation purpose at later time!

"Then, I will get the car."

Sakuya-san said and then left to the garage after she's just silently stood when Kulshedra-san and I have shenanigans earlier.

After Sakuya-san brought the SUV, we got on and then ride through the dark streets of Chubu.

The moonlight cast long shadows, adding an eerie ambiance to our journey.

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Our destination was a small town on the border of the Chubu region, where recent reports of eerie serial murders had surfaced.

As we arrived at around midnight, the town was eerily quiet with the streets deserted.

"Okay. Let's track this Stray Devil down."

I said calmly after we parked our car in some empty parking lot of a park.

We then moved silently with caution while scanning the surroundings for any signs of the Stray Devil.

Kulshedra-san who's now in black twin dagger forms for easier movements, her sense's on high alert and her connection with me enhancing my perception too.

And after we tracked the faint trail of dark, devil aura left from the crime scenes, we were led to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the town.

The building was dilapidated, its windows shattered and the walls covered in graffiti. It exuded an aura of decay and malevolence.

"This place reeks of dark energy."

Sakuya-san whispered with her eyes narrowed and her fingers ready with some throwing knives.

I nodded slightly.

"Stay alert.... Kulshedra-san, Spear-mode."

I warned Sakuya-san and asked Kulshedra-san to change form to a spear.

We then entered the factory with our steps echoing in the vast, empty space.

The air was thick with a sense of foreboding, and my instincts screamed that there's something here.

As we ventured deeper, we then heard an echoing chuckles.

"Hahaha.... Well, well, well.... What do we have here? It seems there are visitors."

After that voices heard, then we saw a man emerged from the shadows.

He looks like a tall, muscular man with tan skin and black beard. But behind that facade, he clearly have aura of Devil.

"So.... A brat and a maid. What a weird combination."

The man said with a cynical smirk.

But I felt a confused instead.

Because....

"You don't know me?"

I asked the man with a bit surprised expression but still alert.

"Should I know you? I'm sure you both are just the dogs ordered to hunt me. But I never thought that they'll only sent a pair of brats for this great me. Hmph. What an insult."

The man said with a conceited attitude and completely looking down on us.

"You really don't know me? Not even my face? Or my name? Rey Rofocale?"

I asked again while pointing to my own face.

"Are you famous? You're just a half-blood brat!"

He replied with annoyed face.

"...."

Welp.... I don't know what to say.

It seems he's an out of to date Devil.

After all, even though I'm not really famous like celebrity or even the Three Heiresses of Gremory, Sitri, and Agares in the Devil Realm, but because of my promotion ceremony which broadcasted on the Devil's TV Network, I should be at least be known, right? After all, they even said that I was the youngest Ultimate-class Devil added with other statuses like the grandson of Mephisto Pheles, and Head of the newly reborn Extra Devil Family.

As to how could he conclude me and Sakuya-san as the ones who was sent to deal with him, I think it's just because he could faintly felt Devil aura from us.

Unfortunately, he's just a Low-class and he couldn't see us, two Ultimate-class, as someone much stronger than him just because of our appearances of a pair of little boy with Half-Devil blood and a teenage maid Reincarnated Devil. And because of that, now I felt a bit pity to him.

"No matter. I don't mind having some midnight snack. Hahahahaha!"

The man laughed arrogantly and then dark aura coming out of him.

Then, his form twisted and change into monstrous, massive form.

It was a hideous amalgamation of demonic features with five meters tall, red skin, a pair of large bat-like wings, a pair of horn, sharp claws, and glowing eyes that burned with malevolent intent.

*Rrrrooooaaarrrrr!!!!!*

He let out a guttural roar with his presence exuding raw power and fury. He looks ferocious.

"So you're a Berserker Demon."

Berserker Demon. A term given to one of humanoid monster species with high intelligence. Their specialty was their [Berserk] trait which can get them few times stronger momentarily but with the price of their thinking ability. In their Berserk-mode, they'll driven by their instinct and become like a fierce beast and incarnation of violence.

Also, it was said that they might be actually have some relation with one of 72 Pillar Devil Families because they have quite similar trait, [Berserk] and [Fierce]. The difference is just [Fierce] doesn't make the user lose their ability to think. That's what differentiate them from Monster and Devil aside from the Devils also more civilized than the Monsters.

Sakuya-san and I then took stances for battle.

The Stray Devil then lunged at us with astonishing speed.

But we moved quickly to dodge.

I sidestepped the attack, bringing Kulshedra spear to counterattack with a swift, calculated strike. The spear's elemental powers flared, fire and lightning intertwining as they made contact with the devil's flesh.

*Rrrrooooaaarrrrr!!!!*

The Stray Devil howled in pain, its wounds sizzling from the magical assault.

But before the wounds closed up, Sakuya-san followed up with a series of precise, powerful strikes with her throwing knives. Her movements looks like a blur as she targeted the devil's limbs.

With our coordinated efforts, the Stray Devil was getting relentless, his attacks growing more frenzied with each passing moment.

But I uses my high proficiency in spearmanship to keep the stray devil at bay with each strike and parry executed with deadly precision.

Kulshedra-san's elemental powers surged, enhancing my attacks with bursts of fire, lightning, and etc. The deserted factory became a battlefield, the clash of elements, spear, throwing knives, and claws echoing through the empty halls.

Sakuya-san then threw her knives to four points on the ground around the stray devil. Then, a barrier of light erupted around the devil, momentarily trapping it with her Time Manipulation ability.

"Rey-sama, now!"

She shouted.

I quickly seized the opportunity, prepared to give a final, devastating blow to the stray devil.

Kulshedra Spear's black blade enveloped in her black flame as I thrust it forward, piercing the devil's heart.

*stab*

As I pierced the Stray Devil, the time barrier undone.

*RRRRROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!*

The demon let out a final, agonized scream before finally disintegrating into a cloud of dark energy.

Sakuya-san and I stood victorious.

The factory was silent once more and the oppressive aura dissipating as the Stray Devil's presence faded.

We took a moment to catch our breath as the adrenaline still coursing through our veins slowly recedes.

"Well done, Rey-sama. You handled yourself well."

Sakuya-san said with a smile and her voice filled with pride.

I nodded slightly with a sense of accomplishment washing over me.

"We did it together, Sakuya-san. Thank you for your help."

I said with a bit stiff smile back to her because I realized that I truly just took someone else's life.

"Hey. Don't forget me too.... Are you okay, my Master? You look pale."

Kulshedra-san said still in her black spear form in my hands.

"Yeah...."

I said shortly and looking down gloomily.

And then, without I realized, someone hugged me.

"It's okay, Rey-sama."

She just said that and then hug me tighter.

It seems she realized my undescribable cold, heavy feelings I felt and try to console me with her warm affection.

And then, we just keep in that pose for I don't how long in this dark, quiet, abandoned factory.

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