[18] : Another Encounter with the Nun

The term "Fallen Angel" is self-explanatory—they were once angels who lost their divine blessing, the white feathers of their wings stained black upon exile.

Even though they've fallen from grace and lost their angelic standing, Fallen Angels aren't the same as Devils.

Nor can they return to being angels, so they remain a separate faction unto themselves.

A thousand years ago, there was a major war between Heaven and the Underworld.

Three forces took part:

—The Angels, led by God.

—The Devils, led by the previous Satans.

—The Fallen Angels, following their Governor.

They fought for dominion over the world—an all-out battle of no return.

Yet this war, which everyone expected to drag on forever, ended abruptly in an almost laughable manner.

The Two Heavenly Dragons—the Red Dragon Emperor and the White Dragon Emperor—blundered into the battlefield and devoured the leaders of all three sides in a single gulp.

Outraged, the three factions unleashed everything they had on the intruders, shredding them into thousands of pieces and even sealing away their souls.

By the time they'd taken care of the rogue dragons, all three factions were left battered beyond recognition—both enemy and ally. Had they chosen to continue fighting, they might have wiped each other out completely.

So the angels withdrew to Heaven with their gravely injured God, the devils reeled from the death of their Satans, and the Fallen Angel faction also limped away, scattered to the winds.

In the end, nobody "Won." All three sides lost.

Among the losers, the devils were hit hardest. Their Satans died in action, and the pureblood devils were nearly decimated—leaving only a few family branches.

For instance, Rias's clan, the Gremory household, is one of the few surviving pureblood devil lines.

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"So… what are the Fallen Angels plotting by popping up now…?"

Bokue Keikain pondered this question on his way home from school.

Earlier, Rias had warned him about potential Fallen Angel activity near Kuoh Academy.

By rights, the devils took the heaviest casualties in that ancient war, but if you compare overall survivors, the Fallen Angels lost even more.

Their numbers were always smaller, and many of them died in that great conflict, scattering whatever remained. Reorganizing what was left would've been tough.

Hmm… no clue.

Not wanting to overthink it, Bokue shrugged. In his view, it didn't matter whether they were devils or Fallen Angels—if they minded their own business and didn't stir up trouble in the human world, everything was fine.

But if they did go out of their way to cause chaos? He'd deal with them the same way he did that Stray Wolf-Devil.

If you won't get a proper visa from the Demon District, then enjoy your next life.

He muttered under his breath and shook his head.

"Anyway, better get home—Kuroka's bound to fuss if I'm too la—huh?"

Just then, he sensed a faint ripple of Spiritual Power in the air—like a pebble dropping into still water.

It reminded him of what he'd sensed back when Sukuna expanded his Domain with Busujima-senpai nearby, but far weaker and not evil in the least. If anything, it felt immature—familiar, even. A barrier technique?

Coming from a line of Onmyōji, Bokue knew the feel of Exorcism Barriers. This was a simple "repulsion" barrier used to keep people away.

But why here, in a quiet residential neighborhood?

Usually, a repulsion barrier is placed around a large building when a spellcaster suspects something "unclean" inside but can't pinpoint its location. That way, random civilians won't wander in while the sorcerer hunts down the threat. It's the magical equivalent of police tape.

But this area is all single-family homes. No big apartments or multi-level mansions. Searching wouldn't be that hard, plus… he wasn't picking up any sign of curses or evil auras here.

Curious, Bokue altered his route home and slipped through an alley that led to the source of the barrier's power—then stopped at the sight of a familiar figure.

It was none other than Asia, the blonde nun he'd bumped into that morning.

She still radiated that same gentle, kind presence—quietly humming as she worked on what appeared to be the finishing touches of a repulsion barrier around a house.

"Asia?"

Bokue didn't bother hiding himself; he walked right up and called her name.

She jerked upright like a startled rabbit, the headscarf on her blond hair nearly bouncing off in the process. But the moment she recognized him, her alarm melted into joy.

"Oh—Bokue-san! You're on your way home from school? What a coincidence—uh…"

She paused, eyes widening. A flicker of embarrassment replaced her smile.

"Actually… I'm setting up a repulsion barrier, so if you're here… that means I… messed up?"

"No, your technique's fine. It just doesn't work on me for certain reasons."

He tried to comfort her as he stepped closer to the house. "Anyway, Asia, what're you doing?"

"Oh—it's, um… my job!"

Her timid face brightened at that word. "Thanks to your help this morning, I made it to the local church. The priest in charge is inside Exorcising something, and since I couldn't really help with that, he let me handle the repulsion barrier."

Exorcising?

Bokue frowned. He hadn't sensed any evil presence in this neighborhood… was there really something to expel?

It was hard to believe they had a better sense for these things than He did, the acting heir of the Keikain line.

A hint of unease stirred in him. Circling around Asia, he pressed down on the front door's handle and pushed it open.

A stench of blood wafted out, thick and pungent.

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Update Schedule: 21 Chapter/week.

Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter