The old stone path wound its way through Kuoh Town's quieter outskirts, where the echoes of footsteps resonated with a stillness rarely found near the city center. Ahead, the church loomed — tall, somber, and eerily quiet — its gothic spires stretching toward the cloudy sky. Despite its pristine facade, a quiet malevolence seemed to cling to the air around it.
Adrian Blake walked at a measured pace, hands tucked into the pockets of his long black coat, silver hair shimmering faintly under the overcast light. To his left, Mio Naruse walked with visible hesitation, her posture tense. On his right, Maria trotted closely, her steps light but equally uneasy.
For Mio and Maria, demons by birth and blood, the sanctity of the church felt like a suffocating weight pressing against their very skin. Even though they knew the building had long ceased to serve its holy purpose, the place reeked of residual divinity — and something darker buried beneath.
Adrian didn't miss the nervous glances Mio kept casting at the looming entrance. He said nothing, but the barest of smirks touched his lips. There was no need for reassurance. She would understand soon enough.
Maria clutched her small camera bag closer to her chest, fidgeting. "Master," she began, her voice almost a whisper, "do we really have to go in there? That place… it feels like it's staring at us."
Adrian paused. "It is, Maria," he said with dry amusement. "But not for the reason you think."
The girl blinked, mouth opening slightly, but Mio shot her a sideways look and shook her head, silencing any further protest. No matter how nervous she felt, there was no place safer than by Adrian's side. She knew that now. And despite the trepidation that clawed at her, she followed him through the heavy, creaking doors.
---
Inside the church, the stone floor had been polished clean, but the religious iconography was long gone. Broken stained glass windows let in slivers of pale light that dappled the pews. The altar had been stripped bare, replaced by a circle of blackened candles, and behind it stood Raynare, her long violet hair cascading down like a silken curtain. She looked strikingly innocent — her schoolgirl uniform perfectly neat, her expression serene.
But her eyes held a depth that spoke of anything but innocence.
Before her stood two other fallen angels — both powerful, both dangerous.
One of them, a tall, statuesque woman with dark blue hair and curves that stretched the limits of her dark leather outfit, exuded an icy, commanding aura. Kalawarner — the queen of frost and judgment, known among the stray exorcists as a ruthless enforcer.
The second was far smaller in frame — a girl no older than fifteen by appearance, dressed in gothic lolita attire, her golden hair styled into tight curls. Mittelt. Though she looked like a porcelain doll, the blood of dozens had stained her hands.
Behind them knelt nearly thirty rogue exorcists — broken men and women who had long since abandoned the Church and were now bound to whatever power would offer them shelter. All of them kept their heads bowed, not daring to raise their gaze in the presence of these three.
Kalawarner raised an eyebrow, folding her arms under her chest. "Raynare, what is the meaning of this? I thought we were focusing on hunting down that pure-blooded demon girl."
Mittelt's pink lips curled into a pout. "And where is Dohnaseek? He was with you yesterday, wasn't he?"
Raynare didn't smile. "Dohnaseek is dead."
The statement fell like a blade into silence.
"What?" both women said in unison.
Karavanna's eyes narrowed. "How?"
Raynare met her gaze without a hint of fear. "He made the mistake of insulting my master."
The silence turned cold. Even the exorcists dared not breathe too loudly.
"Your master?" Mittelt echoed, voice laced with disbelief. "You? You have a master?"
Raynare's face softened — not with submission, but with devotion. "Yes. And I would do anything he commands."
Kalawarner stared at her, speechless. She knew Raynare. Proud. Defiant. Manipulative. She was not the type to kneel for anyone. And yet, the way she spoke now, with that soft reverence… it was unnatural.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of approaching footsteps reverberated through the hall.
Every eye turned to the main entrance as Adrian Blake stepped into the candlelight, flanked by Mio and Maria.
His presence, though calm and unassuming at first glance, sent a ripple of tension through the room. He walked with the poise of someone who feared nothing — a predator who already knew the outcome of the hunt.
Adrian looked around the room, then gave Raynare a nod of approval.
"Well done," he said. "You've done exactly as I instructed. I'll reward you later."
Raynare's cheeks flushed with delight. She gave a graceful bow. "I live to serve you, Master."
Kalawarner took a step forward. "So, you are the one she speaks of." Her eyes flicked to the two girls behind him. "Two demons? And one of them… a pure-blood?"
Mitetto's expression twisted. "Traitor! You've betrayed your kind, Raynare!"
The exorcists stirred, the tension in the room rising fast.
Adrian raised a hand.
"Mio," he said, his voice calm, "do you want to see your power?"
Mio blinked in surprise. "My… power?"
He didn't answer directly. Instead, a violet glow flared around his outstretched hand.
"Gravity Magic: Force Field Suppression."
A sharp hum filled the air as a massive pulse of magic radiated outward. The very air turned heavy, and the ground beneath them groaned as though crushed under an invisible weight.
The exorcists were the first to fall.
Their knees buckled instantly, and they collapsed one after another, screaming as the pressure intensified. Bones cracked. Blood spurted from eyes, noses, mouths. The sound of agony echoed through the sacred space, turning it into a chamber of punishment.
Kalawarner and Mittelt remained standing — barely — but their faces were pale with horror.
Within seconds, the exorcists had been reduced to a pile of broken bodies.
Adrian stood in the center, unmoved, the purple ring of gravity still pulsing softly around him.
Mio stared in stunned silence, barely breathing.
She looked down at her hands. Was that… her power? Or his? Or both?
She didn't understand.
But she knew one thing.
She wasn't afraid anymore.
Raynare's chest heaved slightly with arousal and awe. "He's stronger… so much stronger…" she whispered, trembling with excitement.
Kalawarner's legs faltered. She exchanged a glance with Mittelt, who, for the first time in her life, looked terrified.
"Run?" Mittelt mouthed.
Kalawarner nodded.
They turned, spreading their black wings — and leapt for the ceiling.
But they never got more than a few feet.
Another pulse of gravity slammed them downward like swatted flies.
Bang! Bang!
They hit the ground hard, landing in groaning heaps before Adrian's feet.
He crouched beside Kalawarner, lifting her chin gently. Her skin was soft — and burning with humiliated fury.
"What gave you the idea you could run?" he asked, almost kindly. "Courage?"
Kalawarner didn't answer.
"Just an exorcist passing through," Adrian added with a half-smile.
A magic circle began to spin into existence at his feet, runes glowing in deep violet.
"A master-servant pact," Raynare murmured, eyes gleaming. "He's going to take them both."
Kalawarner and Mittelt watched in horror as the circle surrounded them.
Adrian's voice turned cold. "Relax your minds. If you resist, you'll die."
Both women hesitated… but the memory of the crushed exorcists still lingered in the air, heavy and vivid.
They lowered their heads.
The runes pulsed. Pink collar-shaped marks shimmered into being around their necks.
Adrian stood straight again. "If you want to avoid the consequences of disobedience, then start by kissing your master's hand."
Raynare chuckled. "Trust me — it's better than what comes next."
Mittelt opened her mouth in protest. "Kiss his hand? Are you insane? I would never—AH!"
The mark on her collar glowed fiercely, and she collapsed, writhing on the floor, gasping in pain and… something far more compromising.
Kalawarner froze in place.
In her delay, the magic flared again.
"Ahhh…!"
She joined Mittelt in a heap of squirming limbs, unable to contain the sensations overwhelming her body.
"Ahh… it's coming… this is gold! I need to record this!" Maria exclaimed, pulling out her tiny camera.
Mio stared at her in disbelief. "You brought a camera? Seriously?"
Maria grinned. "Call it a photographer's intuition."