Chapter 23: Caught Red-Handed by Rias

"A real warrior doesn't need to say anything. You can see it in his eyes that he's prepared to kill and be killed."

— Kenshin Himura, Rurouni Kenshin

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Saeko flashed forward, appearing before the Stray Devil. She drew her katana and swung.

*Swish!*

A flash of steel, and the Stray Devil's massive arm was severed.

This Stray was the same one that had appeared in the original story's first encounter. Its power was only on par with a Low-Class devil. For Saeko, with her Mid-Class devil strength, it was an easy opponent.

However, Roy remembered that this particular devil could still control its severed limbs. If they weren't careful, they could still be injured.

"Rika, go and assist her," Roy instructed.

"Huh? But Saeko is..." Rika began, but Roy cut her off.

"This devil has a special ability. It's not as simple as it looks."

Rika nodded seriously.

"Understood!"

She rushed forward, but instead of joining the fight directly, she observed from the sidelines.

Her swordsmanship was average at best, unlikely to inflict any significant damage on the Stray. She focused on observing, hoping to discern the special ability Roy had mentioned.

Meanwhile, the battle between Saeko and the Stray Devil intensified. Lacking experience fighting devils, and hampered by the corrosive beams constantly firing from the Stray's chest, Saeko struggled to approach. She relied on her speed to evade its attacks.

Saeko's combat instincts were sharp. Spotting an opening, she closed the distance rapidly.

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

In a flurry of strikes, Saeko severed the Stray's remaining arm and both legs.

Without its limbs, the massive body crashed to the ground.

The thrill of battling such a powerful foe sent a wave of excitement through Saeko. Her cheeks flushed as she approached the downed devil, ready to deliver the final blow.

But just then...

"Look out!" Rika shouted, her voice filled with urgency.

She dashed behind Saeko.

The Stray Devil's severed arm suddenly sprang to life, reaching for Saeko with sharp claws. Even Saeko would be injured if caught by those talons.

Without hesitation, Rika threw herself in front of Saeko, her katana meeting the incoming claw.

*Bang!*

The force of the blow was immense, sending Rika flying several meters. But she had successfully blocked the attack.

Saeko's eyes widened.

Without a moment's delay, she swung her katana.

*Squelch!*

The Stray Devil's head was severed.

With its head gone, the disembodied claw fell limply to the ground.

"Rika, are you alright?" Shizuka rushed forward, checking on Rika's condition and casting a healing spell.

Though sent flying by the blow, Rika hadn't sustained any serious injuries. This was why Roy hadn't intervened.

"I'm so sorry, Rika-senpai!" Saeko apologized, bowing her head.

It was her carelessness that had put Rika in danger.

"It's okay, Saeko. It was thanks to Roy's warning that I noticed the severed arm could still move." Rika shook her head, deflecting Saeko's apology and giving credit to Roy.

Saeko turned to look at Roy, her eyes filled with even greater admiration.

"Alright, no need for self-recrimination. The devil extermination was a success, and both Saeko and Rika performed admirably," Roy announced, clapping his hands to bring the discussion to a close.

"Yeah! Yeah! Saeko-neesan was so cool!" Alice said, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"And Rika did great too!" Shizuka added encouragingly as she continued to heal Rika.

"Sigh, we didn't get to do anything," Yuriko sighed, sounding bored.

They had merely watched from the sidelines, unable to contribute.

"That's because Mom is too weak. You haven't even mastered Magic Bullet yet!" Saya quipped.

"Besides, even if you *had* mastered Magic Bullet, you probably wouldn't have been able to break through that Stray Devil's defenses," she added, recalling her observations.

Even Rika's sword had barely scratched it. Only Saeko, a Mid-Class devil, could sever its limbs with such ease.

"Saya, you didn't do anything either. You were trembling back there!" Yuriko retorted. As a mother, she couldn't let her daughter's criticism go unanswered.

Saya blushed, remembering her initial fear when the Stray Devil had first appeared in its full, grotesque form.

"Mom..."

Before Saya could retort, Roy interrupted.

"Alright, let's head back home first." This blood-soaked place wasn't somewhere they should linger.

...

Rika, fully healed by Shizuka, was now completely fine. Her injuries hadn't been severe to begin with.

Roy led the girls out of the house.

Just as he was about to activate a teleportation circle, a red magic circle appeared before them.

As the circle dissipated, Rias, Akeno, and Koneko materialized.

"Oh?" Rias looked at Roy and his group in surprise, wondering what they were doing here.

She had received a report about a Stray Devil and come to eliminate it.

Roy was equally surprised to see Rias.

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