Chapter 28 - The Night She Should’ve Killed Him

(Raynare's POV)

The night was perfect.

The dim glow of the moon cast just the right amount of shadow, the faint rustling of leaves creating a quiet, almost eerie ambiance.

And in front of me?

A clueless idiot.

Issei Hyoudou.

Sitting on that bench, grinning like a fool.

This was almost too easy.

I tilted my head, my smile saccharine sweet, my fingers gently brushing against my collar as I looked at him with the perfect mix of shyness and anticipation.

"Issei-kun~," I said, voice soft, gentle. "Can you do something for me?"

His eyes lit up, excitement flickering across his face as he eagerly leaned forward.

Pathetic.

Internally, I scoffed.

"Ugh, I can't believe I had to play nice with this idiot."

"Seriously? A 'date'? This was almost insulting."

"At least make it challenging, you fool."

I took a slow step back, letting the moonlight illuminate my form.

Then—I spread my wings.

The soft, feathery black of a Fallen Angel unfurled behind me, casting a long shadow over the ground.

Issei's face froze.

His expression twisted from excitement to pure confusion.

"Yuuma…?" His voice wavered. "What are…?"

I smiled.

Not the gentle, innocent one I had been using all night.

No—this was cold. Sharp. Amused.

The kind of smile you give someone right before you kill them.

"Sorry, Issei-kun," I cooed, summoning a spear of light into my hand, the glowing weapon pulsing with holy energy.

"But I need you to die now."

His eyes widened.

He didn't even have time to scream.

I lunged forward, light spear aimed straight for his heart—

And then—

BOOM.

A shockwave of energy exploded out of nowhere, sending a dark pulse slamming into my spear.

The light weapon shattered instantly.

My body lurched backward, arms snapping up defensively as I stumbled away.

What?!

I spun around, my wings flaring as my instincts screamed at me—

Someone else was here.

But I saw nothing.

The park was empty.

The trees swayed. The wind whispered.

But there was no one there.

And yet…

A voice.

Low. Smooth. Amused.

"Oops."

The sound slithered through the darkness, every syllable dripping with casual confidence.

"Did I break your little murder plan?"

My breath hitched.

I whipped around, scanning the area.

Nothing.

No one.

But the attacks kept coming.

A pulse of energy struck the ground beside me.

Then another—brushing past my shoulder, too fast to react to.

I flapped my wings, twisting into the air—but another strike slammed into my side, forcing me to drop back down.

I hissed.

Where was this coming from?!

I couldn't see anything.

I couldn't hear anything.

But the magic was there.

Powerful. Silent. Relentless.

"This—This isn't right!"

"I don't sense anything! Who's attacking me?!"

"Is it the Gremory girl? No—this magic feels different!"

I crouched low, my wings curling around me defensively as my breathing turned ragged.

I had fought plenty of exorcists before.

I had fought devils.

I had even fought stray Fallen.

But this?

This was something else.

A presence I couldn't track.

A force I couldn't pinpoint.

A ghost in the night.

My fingers twitched.

I needed to fall back.

I needed to regroup.

I needed to get the hell out of here.

I flapped my wings, kicking off the ground in an instant.

And just before vanishing into the sky, I felt one last pulse of magic—

A final attack.

But it never struck me.

No.

Instead, it stopped.

Right before hitting.

Like it was just a warning.

Like whoever this was…

Let me go on purpose.

I clenched my teeth, rage boiling in my chest as I disappeared into the night.

Whoever that was…

This wasn't over. 

—————————

(Rias POV)

The moment we arrived at the park, the residual energy still lingered.

Faint traces of magic crackled in the air, invisible to most but impossible to ignore for someone like me.

And yet…

There was no one here.

No sign of a struggle.

No enemy left behind.

Only a single person remained at the center of it all—Issei Hyoudou.

The boy was frozen in place, eyes wide with shock, breathing uneven, hands shaking at his sides.

He had been moments from death.

And yet…

He was still alive.

My brows furrowed slightly as I stepped forward, my heels clicking softly against the pavement.

"She was about to kill him. But… something stopped her?"

I scanned the area.

No sign of Raynare.

No sign of the one who interfered.

But someone had.

Someone powerful.

I could feel it—a lingering presence, a ripple in the energy of the space.

It wasn't holy magic.

It wasn't devil magic.

It wasn't even fallen angel magic.

It was… different.

Beside me, Kiba frowned, his sharp gaze flickering through the darkened park as he analyzed the scene.

"No signs of a fight," he murmured, narrowing his eyes. "But… there was definitely magic here."

Koneko, standing at my other side, sniffed the air.

Her small nose wrinkled slightly.

She didn't look happy.

"Someone strong was here," she muttered, her ears twitching. "But they're gone now."

Akeno, ever the one to find amusement in chaos, tilted her head and smiled.

"Ara~ Seems like Issei-kun has a guardian angel."

I shook my head, my arms crossing as I studied the area once more.

No.

Not an angel.

Not even a fallen one.

This wasn't divine intervention.

This was someone else.

Someone who knew exactly what they were doing.

"Whoever stopped Raynare… was strong."

"And they don't want to be found."

"This just got interesting."

I slowly turned my gaze back toward the trembling boy in front of me.

Issei Hyoudou.

A boy who should have died tonight.

But instead—he was standing here, alive, because of an unknown force.

This couldn't be a coincidence.

I took a slow step forward, letting the tension in the air settle before softening my expression.

His brown eyes flickered up, still filled with confusion and fear.

"Issei Hyoudou…" I spoke, my voice calm yet firm. "Your life is about to change."

The night wasn't over yet.

And I was about to make sure…

That this boy stepped into a world far greater than he had ever imagined. 

——————————

{Malrik POV}

The night air was crisp, carrying the faint hum of the city in the distance.

From my perch atop a nearby rooftop, I watched the final act of tonight's little performance unfold.

Below, Rias was doing her thing—calmly explaining the supernatural world to Issei, reeling him in with that signature mix of authority and charm.

Kiba stood nearby, ever the composed knight.

Koneko observed silently, arms crossed, probably sniffing the air again.

And Akeno? She was amused as always, likely enjoying the theatrics more than she should.

As for Issei?

Well.

He looked like a goldfish that had just been yanked out of water and slapped with a philosophy textbook.

Wide-eyed. Confused. Processing at one frame per second.

It was… kind of hilarious.

I sighed through my nose, smirking to myself.

"Well, that solves one problem."

No death for Issei.

No naked Rias cuddling with him tonight.

Win-win.

My job here was done.

With that, I turned on my heel, hands slipping into my pockets as I walked toward the edge of the rooftop.

One last glance at the park below.

At Rias securing her newest pawn.

At Issei, still struggling to form coherent thoughts.

And then—

I stepped off.

A flicker of magic. A silent landing.

And just like that—

I disappeared into the night.

"Now, let's see what tomorrow brings."