Chapter 4: The Stray Devil!
At the top of the staircase, Koneko Toujou stared at Akira with a slightly uncertain gaze.
That look made Akira tense up a little. He didn't even know why—but somehow, he had followed Koneko without a second thought.
"Senpai, please be careful~" (Koneko)
"I know." (Akira)
"Nn."
After watching him nod, Koneko gave a soft acknowledgment and began walking down the hallway.
The further they went, the stronger the metallic stench in the air became. Akira grimaced slightly.
Is my sense of smell always this sharp?
Then it hit him. Of course—it had to be the enhanced senses granted by his [Enkidu] Template.
After passing several apartment doors, Koneko finally stopped in front of one particular unit.
Her expression turned serious. From her pocket, she pulled out a pair of fingerless combat gloves and swiftly slipped them on.
"Senpai, please step back a little." (Koneko)
"R-Right." (Akira)
Akira retreated a few steps. Oddly enough, despite just meeting, the two of them already seemed to share some kind of unspoken understanding.
Normally, Koneko would've kicked out any outsider without hesitation in this sort of situation—but with Akira, she said nothing.
And Akira had a feeling he knew why.
The smell coming from this unit—the rancid, rotten odor that made his stomach churn—was exponentially stronger than before.
BOOM!
Without warning, Koneko smashed her fist into the metal door in front of her.
CRASH!
It collapsed in an instant.
She might've had a petite frame, but Koneko's raw power was nothing to scoff at.
Stepping into the living room, Akira was met with a disaster zone. Furniture overturned, decorations shattered, broken glass scattered across the floor.
Koneko's eyes scanned the ruined apartment before narrowing at the sliding door that led to the kitchen.
Tap… tap… tap…
She stepped forward quietly, eyes sharp, her aura slowly surging with magic. She was fully prepared for combat.
CRASH!
Just as she neared the kitchen, the sliding door exploded outward!
BAM!
No technique. No magic. Just brute force—something had punched straight through it.
As a Rook-type Devil, Koneko's strengths lay in her incredible physical power and defense.
Fwip!
Suddenly, a massive web fell from the ceiling—wrapping around Koneko in an instant!
And then a hulking shadow leapt from the kitchen.
Akira's eyes widened.
A spider monster…?
The lower body was a giant arachnid, but the upper half resembled a woman—albeit an inhuman one, and completely nude. Her appearance was… a bit too overwhelming to look at directly.
"Kehhehe~ Another Devil sent to hunt me down?"
The spider-woman's deranged grin widened as she loomed over the trapped Koneko, her eyes filled with scorn.
A Stray Devil—a former Reincarnated Devil who had betrayed their master, killing them and losing control over both their power and body. This was what they became—monstrous, mindless beasts.
Koneko struggled to break free, but the webbing was incredibly tough and sticky. No matter how much she strained, it wouldn't budge.
The spider-woman crept closer, her insane grin widening, saliva dripping from the corners of her mouth.
Once, she'd been a human who signed a contract to become a Devil—seeking power, perhaps salvation. But after betraying her master, the backlash of the broken contract had corrupted her.
Her blood and magic turned toxic. Her form twisted into this inhuman monstrosity. And now… she devoured both humans and Devils alike.
"Barely set foot in this city, and someone already sniffed me out. How annoying."
She glared at Koneko.
"You broke your contract and murdered your master. That's a grave sin." (Koneko)
Koneko's voice remained calm—completely fearless despite her situation.
"What do you know?! That bastard treated me like a plaything! He used my body like garbage—brought other Devils to join in… Was I supposed to just accept that?!"
"…"
Koneko fell silent.
She too was a Reincarnated Devil. But unlike this one, she had been fortunate. Her master—Rias—was kind.
At the doorway, Akira frowned.
From her voice, the monster's pain wasn't just for show. There was real suffering behind those words—likely far worse than anything she'd admitted aloud.
In anime, Devils were often portrayed as charming, powerful, and even cool.
But in this real world… a Devil was still a Devil.
They were mythical beings who looked down on humanity as lesser.
Among Devils, Reincarnated Devils were seen as the lowest class—little more than servants. It was no surprise many of them snapped, rebelling and killing their masters to escape abuse.
Not because they didn't understand the consequences—on the contrary.
But because, for them, it was the only path to survive.
It wasn't a sin. It was a desperate choice.
However, to the Pure-Blood Devil aristocracy, such betrayal was inexcusable.
The punishment: death.
And from a human perspective, once these Devils lost control and turned into monsters, they became public threats—bloodthirsty beasts that slaughtered innocents.
Like the family that lived in this apartment.
The blood pooled in the living room and the crimson splashes near the kitchen…
They made it painfully clear what had already happened here.
"DIE, YOU DAMN DEVIL SLAVE!!"
The spider-woman shrieked, her claws raised high, ready to rip Koneko to pieces!
ZzzzzRAT!
SPLAT!
Just then—a golden flash streaked through the air, aiming straight for the monster's arm!
With a harsh clang of metal, a sharp chain shot forward and pierced straight through the spider-woman's wrist!
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