Chapter 26 The Predator’s Gaze

"You're tougher than I thought, I'll enjoy ripping that strength out of you!"

"I'm not an easy nut to crack, 'thing. '" The teenager was standing up, holding his weight on his left leg while doing so.

The monster threw herself at him again, ready to finish her job. "And this is why.

" He prepared himself again. 'If I can do it in the right time-' He thought; his eyes caught her, where she was heading, '-Now!' "Eat it!"

He jumped to the right, evading Perse's claws ready to strike his chest. At that moment he was next to her, his right arm clear to strike her open spot.

It all happened in a second, he threw himself at her and struck her jaw, sending the stray flying away from the impact.

"Wow, how did I do that?" Shinji exclaimed as he landed on the floor, looking at his right hand. He had more strength than before if he could just hit someone and send it flying the opposite way.

"That must be one of my devil traits that Himejima-san said, sweet!"

"You worm…!" Perse rose again, her right cheek wounded from the recent strike, her lips having blood on them. "How dare you lay a finger on me!?"

"Heh, you liked that?" The teenager gave her a cocky smile, making a 'come on' sign with his hand. "'Cuz I've got more where that came from.

" 'I hope those classes are worth something now, Hagiwara. ' He thought.

"This insolence won't go unpunished!" She launched herself again, this time she was faster than before.

Shinji was prepared this time, he ducked as he evaded the first attack, his instinct telling him where to go. As he recovered, Perse turned around to slash his gut and finish him.

He reacted just in time to jump back and miss her claws, tearing apart a bit of his clothes; he wasn't aware of the monster's smirk.

A large object hit his back, sending him flying to a wall nearby. The world around him spinned as he tried to recover, something grabbing his body and lifting it up like a paper.

"Looks like this is the end, Hero. " Perse said as she got close to him, he realized her tail got him.

"I'll make sure this time you lay down. "

'Dammit! I can't move!' He struggled in vain, searching for some way of releasing himself. 'I can't die like this, not again…!'

'You are weak…'

Thunder strucked the monster as her grip on the teenager loosened up, as he fell to the floor he saw a wounded girl lifting herself to a sitting position, her left arm covering the wound present on her chest.

"Kouki-kun! Are you okay?" Akeno shouted.

"Yeah, Himejima-san. Thanks.

" He stood up and gave her friend a thumbs up, calming her down.

"You damned devils!" Perse gritted her teeth. Those two were getting the best of her! How could they, some lousy low class Devils, damage the elegant skin of one of the feared monsters of Greece!?

"Kouki-kun, we need to keep her busy until Rias arrives!" The raven haired girl stood up, taking distance from the snake woman, lighting dancing on her fingers.

"You are not walking away from here!" As Perse's tail grew larger, blocking their surroundings.

"Screw it, it's up to us then. " The teenager sighed, preparing himself for the most difficult fight of his life.

He had to beat this monster before one of them died.

Debris was sent to their way, they separated from each other as they jumped back to evade it.

Perse was using the same tactic as before, she was taking them separately, the girl was dangerous at long distance while the other had a good luck hit on her, there was no doubt who shall fall first.

As she evaded an attack sent her way, Akeno cursed herself, how did it get so bad so quickly? She and Shinji were just patrolling the area and now are facing someone more powerful than both of them. 'Anytime now, Rias.

' She thought while thinking about what was delaying her King so long.

"Stop moving around you pathetic devil!" The monster exclaimed as she slashed the place the girl was standing, moving away and evading it. Her speed was not something the raven girl could match up with so she tried to gain distance and attack with lighting.

As the monster threw herself at Akeno again, she received an object directly striking her head, making her stumble back in surprise.

"Bulls-eye!" Shinji exclaimed as he had a grin on his face. "Don't forget I'm here too, freak!"

Perse's head was a mess, not from pain, but by the fact she was getting tired of this duo. They weren't even the best devils sent to hunt her down and they were already getting on her nerves, the trash can lid the kid throwed was just the last straw.

"Enough. " She proclaimed as she rose again.

"I've had enough of you two, I'll make sure you die today. " She closed her eyes for a second and, when she opened them again, a green light emitted out of them.

Shinji couldn't move, the second he looked straight into her eyes he was paralyzed, there was something on them that kept him looking straight at her, they were tempting him with the light they emitted. 'Not again!' He thought.

'Why can't I move again!?'

"And now that he won't interfere again, you are next, devil girl" She turned to face Akeno, naturally the raven girl stood up and tried to gain distance to evade her attacks.

'Damn. ' Cursed the devil queen as she jumped to her left to evade the monster's tail.

'I can't attack her while she moves so fast…!' Her thoughts interrupted as she was stricken by the monster's claws, crashing her to the floor.

"This is the end, little girl. " She heard as she tried to recompose herself, as the raven haired girl looked to Perse's face she was received by two orbs emitting green light.

'Ngh! I can't move!' She shouted in her mind, desperately trying to move a limb only to end up in vain.