[34] : Black kitty

Draconic Deus.

Earth.

Japan - Tokyo.

[***]

"Tsk," she clicked her tongue in evident annoyance.

'Are these ultimate-class devils really this idle?'

Kuroka sighed.

Although she had once been a fugitive hunted by both bounty hunters and devils, she had recently found some measure of peace.

After spending years hiding among the Youkai, she had made friends who kept her away from constant danger.

However, there were still stubborn devils who sought to capture her.

Were they looking to curry favor with a Maou by handing her over?

Or was their pride simply unable to accept that a mere 'slave' had killed her master?

—Flap!

On the rooftop of an abandoned building, Kuroka observed the four devils pursuing her with disdain.

Escaping would be easy with teleportation, but she didn't have time to activate it—those idiots weren't giving her the chance.

To make matters worse, they had placed a barrier over the area, preventing any escape.

"I should've brought Le Fay... She would've ignored this ridiculous barrier with her magic. But I didn't want to bother her," she muttered with some frustration.

Kuroka, a young woman who had once been a Youkai and was now reincarnated as a devil through the [Evil Pieces] of her dead master (whom she had killed with her own hands to protect her beloved sister), now found herself cornered.

Her hair as black as the night, her matching kimono, her slender figure, and her golden cat-like eyes stood out under the moonlight.

She had come to investigate the disappearances of Youkai, intending to return a favor to Yasaka, who had helped her in her darkest hour.

But instead of clues, she found trouble.

Now, she was alone, with no backup from her friends.

One against four?

She could defeat them one by one, but together… that was a different story.

Kuroka wasn't reckless.

She still had unfinished business with her sister, so she decided not to take any risks.

Without hesitation, she fled. At least she had already called for help.

—Flap!

"Stop running, you troublesome, stupid criminal. Why don't you surrender?" one of the devils shouted from the air, his wings extended as he looked down at her.

The rooftop of the building was high, and the full moon loomed behind him.

"Your friends won't make it in time. You're surrounded."

"A weak devil like you could never make me surrender—nyaa," she replied disdainfully as she activated her senjutsu to sharpen her senses and avoid any surprises.

The devil, offended, responded with a string of curses she ignored.

—Flap!

"Four ultimate-class devils came specifically to capture you; you should feel honored," another devil proclaimed arrogantly.

Kuroka laughed mockingly, looking at them as if they were children pretending to be important.

"Honored? To stand before a cowardly and ugly fool like you? Nyaa, not even in your wildest dreams, nyaa," she retorted with a mocking smile.

The devil, irritated, insisted:

"A wandering criminal like you, who had no qualms about killing her own master, should be chained in a cell, awaiting the sacrifice that will teach other slaves their place."

Kuroka narrowed her eyes, a dark smile forming on her lips.

"If I could kill that scum again, I'd do it a thousand times," she declared fiercely.

But at the thought of her sister, her expression shifted.

She clicked her tongue, a mixture of sadness and anger.

"Why waste time with her?" another devil interjected. "Let's attack already. Then we can have our fun with her or turn her in for the reward."

The others nodded, and as they continued to spew vulgar remarks, Kuroka felt her rage growing inside her.

[*]

Kurumi observed the spectacle from the top of another building, clearly disgusted.

Those filthy devils were repulsive to her; their vulgarity was no different from that of a group of brainless barbarians.

From her privileged position, she watched as the four devils attacked Kuroka with various demonic spells: fire, ice, and other elements rained down on her with the clear intention of killing her.

It didn't seem like they were holding back.

Weren't they supposed to capture her?

Despite everything, Kuroka defended herself skillfully.

It was evident that she had more talent and strength than each of them individually, though the problem lay in the numbers.

"Ara, ara, is this what they call Youjutsu? How fascinating. Youkai truly possess a unique mastery in handling their Youki to perform magic. Oh, but this talent doesn't stop there, does it? Their senjutsu also has a touch worthy of admiration," Kurumi commented thoughtfully, resting a finger on her cheek.

She continued to observe from the shadows, deciding whether to interfere.

As a decent woman, she couldn't allow Kuroka to fall to those barbarians if she ended up losing.

Besides, helping her wouldn't take much effort.

…

Kuroka used illusions to confuse her opponents, creating multiple copies of herself or spells that appeared real, while the real one attacked them from unexpected places.

Thanks to her Senjutsu, she could hide her presence, making it extremely difficult for the devils, even if they were ultimate-class, to locate her.

Frustrated, the devils began to use more demonic power, destroying the surrounding area.

This forced Kuroka to defend herself with barriers, which temporarily dispelled her illusions.

However, she quickly created new ones.

She also used a poisonous mist that weakened her opponents, followed by black flames of intense heat.

Taking advantage of her illusions, she attacked them while remaining hidden.

At one point, she managed to trick one of them with an illusion and incinerated him with her flames, eliminating him completely.

"She's good... You can tell she's used to fighting multiple enemies at once," Kurumi murmured to herself, not taking her eyes off the scene.

Despite Kuroka's resistance, after killing another devil, the remaining two became enraged.

One confronted her in close combat while the other supported him from a distance, finally managing to put her in a tight spot.

The situation became complicated, and the fight reached a stalemate.

Without further delay, Kurumi stepped forward, and her figure vanished into the shadows.

[*]

Kuroka dodged the devil's melee attack, disappearing into the thick poisonous mist while creating more illusions.

At the same time, she used her Senjutsu to hide her presence and reinforce her body.

"Bitch! Come out right now!" the devil yelled furiously.

The exhaustion was evident in his voice.

They had tried to destroy the entire area with wide-range attacks, but the mist made it impossible to locate her.

To make matters worse, two of them had already fallen.

"Come out—!" he tried to roar again, but he didn't finish.

—Bang!

A punch reinforced with Senjutsu and wrapped in black flames struck him directly in the face, burning his skin and disorienting him.

"Bitch!!!" he roared as his demonic power exploded in response.

With a swift movement, the devil managed to grab Kuroka by the arm, though he frowned as he felt something strange.

Kuroka's body was too hard to be flesh, but he didn't hesitate and threw a punch reinforced with demonic power.

—Boom!

Kuroka's body was struck, but within seconds, it vanished, revealing that it was nothing more than a piece of wood.

"Another illusion?!" he exclaimed, stepping back nervously.

That cat always attacked from the shadows of her illusions.

A sudden, burning pain in his chest interrupted his thoughts.

—Pierce!

Kuroka's right hand, in a knife-like position, pierced his heart.

The black flames began to consume him from within as she spoke with a mocking smile.

"Well, well, aren't you ashamed, nyaa? A group of pureblood devils crushed by a younger… and more charming woman, nyaa."

The devil, unable to believe what was happening, watched as the black flames devoured his body.

Weren't they ultimate-class devils?

Weren't they four against one?

How could this be happening?

"…Damn…!"

"Shut up, nyaa! Your ridiculous villain monologues bore me. You're probably so insignificant you're not even among the 72 Pillars, nyaa. No one will remember you, so do us all a favor and just die, nyaa."

The flames burned furiously.

—Fwoosh!

The devil's body was completely consumed.

He didn't even have time to say his final words.

Kuroka prepared to return to her illusions and the mist, but her skin suddenly tingled.

Her senjutsu warned her of an imminent attack.

—Bang!

A blue lightning bolt lit up the building, advancing toward her through a magic circle.

The last devil, from the sky, beat his wings, his face betraying fear as he looked at Kuroka.

She reacted instantly, covering her body with senjutsu and using her youjutsu to create a protective barrier.

—Bang!

The lightning struck the barrier, but her exhaustion was evident.

The defense broke quickly, hurling her against a wall.

—Boom!

The wall crumbled, and Kuroka crashed through another and another, until she lay trembling on the ground.

...

...

'Le Fay...? Why is she taking so long...? Vali... Bikou... Arthur... Shirone...'

Kuroka was injured and exhausted.

Although she had managed to kill three opponents of her same level—a feat worthy of praise—the effort had pushed her to her limit.

And there was still one more devil.

'Is the barrier preventing Le Fay from locating me…?'

With that doubt in mind, she staggered to her feet.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the holes she had created when she was sent flying by the magic attack.

She looked ahead and saw the last devil approaching slowly.

"You… you're still alive? Monster… Is this why you're an SS-class fugitive?" he said in a tone that was equal parts incredulous and terrified.

"It seems we underestimated your strength… three of us, dead by your hands…"

Despite his approach, the devil couldn't hide the fear in his eyes.

"Hehehe…" Kuroka let out a cold smile.

"Do you feel it, nyaa? That fear crawling through your bones. How pathetic… Wouldn't it be better to run with your tail between your legs, coward, nyaa?"

She was trying to buy time, even though her body was at its limit.

"Cough!"

A thread of blood escaped her throat.

She was covered in wounds, her kimono shredded by the impact of the magic attack, but her golden eyes still radiated an intensity that made the devil hesitate for a moment.

"Shut up!" he shouted, trying to regain his resolve.

"There's no way I'll let you live after killing three of us. If I kill you and report it to the Underworld, all the credit will be mine, since those three no longer exist!"

The words made Kuroka look at him with disdain.

"What else could I expect from you, nyaa? Don't get me wrong, I know there are good devils out there… but most of you purebloods are always the same, nyaa: unpleasant, disgusting, and treacherous to the core."

As she spoke, an illusion began to envelop the room.

"Cough!"

The effort was too much, and the illusion crumbled, leaving her exposed.

The devil, seeing his opportunity, conjured a magic circle in his hands.

"You're already weak… so accept your fate…"

—Crackle!

A lightning bolt shot toward Kuroka.

She tried to create a barrier, but her body wouldn't respond.

In her mind, she could only think of one name:

'Shirone…'

…

…

…

"Ara, ara… a devil and his lackeys surrounding a lady at this hour, in such a gloomy place. What an unchivalrous scene, don't you think?"

A melodious voice interrupted the moment.

Kuroka and the devil turned, bewildered, toward the source of the sound.

—Crackle!

The lightning bolt, about to finish Kuroka, was stopped dead by a white hand covered in a bloody aura that emerged from the shadows.

"Here, I'll give it back to you~."

The hand twisted unnaturally, aiming at the devil.

"Wait—!"

—Bang!

The devil didn't have time to finish his sentence.

The lightning, transformed into a javelin, pierced his stomach.

Before he could react, more hands emerged from the shadows, wrapping around him and lifting him into the air as they strangled him.

"Arrgghh…!"

The pain in his stomach was unbearable, and the hands didn't even let him speak to beg for forgiveness.

Only distorted screams filled with agony escaped his throat.

"Ugh, what a disgusting voice… Do us all a favor and be quiet, will you?"

One of the hands covered the devil's mouth as Kurumi walked calmly toward Kuroka.

Without haste, she knelt in front of her, and a magic circle began to form in her hand.

However, after a few seconds, she canceled it.

"I was going to use a light spell to heal you, but… now that I think about it, you're also a devil, aren't you? Ah, right, the [Evil Piece], I suppose. Light would be rather problematic for you…" Kurumi murmured, bringing a finger to her lips. "Hmm… so, what should I do? Call Danna-sama, maybe?" she concluded, as Kuroka watched her, confused and unsure of what to say.

"Who are you…? Why… are you helping me, nyaa…?"

Kurumi pondered for a few moments before responding.

"Reason? Who needs one? I sensed your little skirmish from afar and decided to snoop around. But when I saw these brutes… ah, I just couldn't resist the urge to get rid of them. Trash like this deserves nothing else. And, as a kindhearted lady, I couldn't bring myself to return home knowing you were about to die here, right?"

Kurumi stood up after saying this and contacted Aiden to come.

Kuroka, still wary, used her senjutsu to check if Kurumi had bad intentions, but she found none.

"I see… It seems you're being sincere, nyaa," she murmured, relaxing a little.

Then, she let her guard down, though only slightly, and added, "Thank you for helping me, nyaa."

Without the strength to defend herself, the only thing she could do was give thanks.

"Do you have somewhere to treat your wounds, kitty-chan?" Kurumi asked with apparent interest.

"My friends… should be on their way. And kitty-chan?" Kuroka blinked, confused.

They had never called her that.

"Ah, it's simple. I don't know your name, and since you're a cute youkai with cat ears, it seemed like a fitting nickname." Kurumi smiled calmly, tilting her head slightly. "But if your friends are already on their way, I suppose I don't need to worry about you, right?"

Kurumi shifted her gaze toward the devil.

The body was already motionless, its empty eyes reflecting a slow and excruciating death caused by the wound in its stomach and the strangulation of the shadows.

Kurumi, showing no interest, let the body drop to the ground.

"My name is Kuroka, nyaa," said Kuroka, observing the corpse with satisfaction.

"Ara, well, my name is Tokisaki Kurumi," Kurumi responded, introducing herself with the false surname she had adopted in this world.

As they talked, they felt the barrier break, and four presences approached quickly.

Footsteps echoed in the air, followed by a voice filled with concern.

"Kuroka! Are you okay? I'm so sorry it took me so long."

A blonde girl with a hat on her head and a broom in her hand came running toward them.

However, upon noticing Kurumi's presence, she stopped abruptly, held back by a blonde boy standing behind her.

Alongside them, a monkey-shaped youkai and a young man with silver hair cautiously watched Kurumi from the other side of the room.

"Ara ara, what a peculiar group you have here... Two humans, a youkai, and, oh, a half-devil," Kurumi remarked with a light smile.

Kuroka couldn't help but chuckle as she saw her companions finally reunited.

"Yes, nyaa, she's not an enemy, nyaa. She's the one who saved me, nyaa," Kuroka explained, calming her companions.

Le Fay was the first to approach.

Seeing Kuroka's injuries, her face filled with worry and guilt, knowing she had taken too long to decipher the coordinates Kuroka had sent due to the barrier.

"I'm sorry…" she murmured through tears, while Kuroka weakly laughed.

"It wasn't your fault, Le Fay," Kuroka reassured her with a tired but gentle smile.

"If I had let you help me and we'd come to investigate together, none of this would've happened, nya."

Despite her words, Le Fay couldn't help but cry as she hugged Kuroka and helped her stand up.

Arthur, the blonde boy, and Bikou, the monkey youkai, thanked Kurumi, who responded with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Even Vali, the silver-haired boy, joined in the gesture of gratitude before conversing with Albion, the dragon within his [Sacred Gear].

'She's strong,' Vali said mentally.

'[Yes... she's stronger than you. Though, I must admit, I can't calculate her strength with absolute precision],' Albion replied serenely.

After a while, Vali suggested taking Kuroka to Azazel to heal her.

However, before they could act, a spatial distortion opened right beside Kurumi, putting everyone on high alert.

Everyone except Kurumi, who, completely calm, spoke in a relaxed tone.

"Danna-sama, you took your time."

From the distortion emerged Aiden, who cast a quick glance around before responding calmly:

"I was busy helping Mukuro and the others set the table, but it seems I'll miss dinner now."

[***]

End of the chapter.

(•_•)

A/N:

Was it forced how Aiden and Kurumi met Vali's team?

Yes.

Do I care that it's forced and that some "critics" will say nonsense and blah blah blah...?

Yes... but I'll try to ignore those comments, as many of you suggested.

Here's a picture of Kuroka I found somewhere:

[Image]

*

Anyway, thanks for reading.

Peace out!

*