________________________________________________
The moment the Gorehounds lunged, Kiba moved first. His sword stabbed into the earth, and in an instant blades erupted from the ground—jagged steel pierced through skulls, skewering the first wave of Gorehounds mid-leap.
The beasts barely had time to yelp before they died instantly, their twisted bodies falling limp—blood pooling beneath them.
But dozens more came.
Snarling, howling, relentless.
Kiba's blade flashed, cutting them down as fast as he could—his movements precise, his footwork flawless.
But it wasn't enough. His missing arm threw him off. His balance was different. His swings, though still deadly, were just a fraction slower than before and against this many enemies—
It mattered.
A Gorehound got through.
Its fangs sank into his side, tearing into his flesh before he could react. Kiba gritted his teeth, slicing its head off in retaliation—but more followed, overwhelming him.
Claws ripped at his uniform, teeth snapping inches from his throat. He fought to keep them back but then, suddenly—
They were knocked away.
A gauntleted fist collided with the nearest Gorehound, sending it flying into another with a sickening crunch. Issei stood beside Kiba, his Boosted Gear glowing faintly. At only two boosts, his punches and kicks weren't lethal to the abominations—but they were enough to knock them away, break their bones, send them sprawling.
But not kill them.
And the Gorehounds kept coming.
His heart pounded in his chest as the Boosted Gear's chant echoed in his mind.
[Boost!]
The moment the third boost activated, everything changed. His next punch caved a Gorehound's skull in instantly. Then his next kick snapped a monster's neck in one clean blow.
With full force, aimed at their heads, he could now kill them in one strike. He kept moving, crushing the beasts one by one, but they were still coming, still too many.
Until—
Koneko tore through them like a storm. A Gorehound lunged at her. But she didn't even bother to dodge. Its jaws clamped down on her shoulder—but barely pierced her skin.
Her fist smashed through its skull, sending brain matter splattering onto the ground.
Another pounced from the side—
She caught it mid-air, gripping its ribcage.
Then—
She squeezed.
The sound of cracking bones filled the air before she ripped it in half. More came and she met them head-on.
Every punch tore a Gorehound to pieces.
Every stomp reduced their bodies to pulp.
Her raw strength overpowered them completely.
The only nuisance?
The acidic spray from their blood.
Every time she shattered a Gorehound, its corrosive fluids splashed onto her, sizzling against her skin. She gritted her teeth as the minor burns stung her flesh.
But she didn't stop.
She didn't care.
Nothing would stop her from crushing them all.
The clash of battle filled the air—Gorehounds lay in shattered piles of flesh, their corpses littering the battlefield. For a moment, it seemed like they were gaining ground.
But then—
A heavy, wet squelching echoed through the night.
Slow. Lumbering.
The Corpsebrutes had finally arrived.
Their grotesque, bulging masses of flesh shambled forward, their bloated, towering frames dwarfing the devils before them. Their stitched faces were blank, their mismatched, eyes staring emptily. Veins black as ink throbbed beneath their stretched, swollen skin.
They weren't fast.
But that didn't mean they weren't strong
And they were getting closer.
Issei charged ahead, fists clenched, confidence surging through him. He was at his fifth boost now. His blows could now tear apart the gorehounds in an instant.
He wasn't afraid.
He lunged at the nearest Corpsebrute and threw a full-force punch directly into its grotesque body.His fist collided with its body—a dull, sickening impact.
The bloated monster staggered slightly, its flesh rippling from the force.
But that was it.
It didn't go flying.
It didn't collapse.
It simply… absorbed the impact.
Issei's eyes widened.
"What—?"
Before he could react, massive arms snapped around him. A crushing, bone-grinding bear hug. The Corpsebrute locked him in place, its monstrous strength squeezing the air from his lungs. Pain exploded through his ribs. He heard the creaking, the groaning of his bones, the threatening snap of pressure building. He struggled, but its flesh engulfed him, its mass pressing against him like a suffocating vice.
His heart pounded.
Then—
[Boost!]
His sixth boost activated.
With a roar of defiance, he flexed every muscle in his body and broke free, tearing himself from the monster's grip.
He didn't hesitate.
A Dragon Shot formed instantly in his gauntlet, crackling with power. With a furious punch, he slammed it directly into the Corpsebrute's chest.
A point-blank explosion.
The creature lurched back, massive chunks of its torso blown apart—its thick, stitched skin finally rupturing.
For a second, Issei thought he had won.
Then he saw it convulse violently. Its bloated form expanded, veins bulged grotesquely, flesh stretching to its absolute limit—
And then—
It detonated.
A wave of black acidic blood erupted outward, far stronger and more deadly than anything the gorehounds had.
Issei barely had time to curse. He knew this was going to hurt and possibly melt him into a puddle of flesh and bone. But before he could react—
A small figure moved.
Koneko.
She threw herself in front of him, her back turned toward the incoming explosion. The acidic blood splashed against her, burning through her uniform instantly.
Her scream of agony pierced the battlefield.
Chunks of her flesh and muscle peeled away, sizzling as they sloughed off her back, hitting the ground in wet, meaty plops.
Her breath hitched, her body trembling violently, her skin now raw, burned, exposed.
But she remained standing. Her teeth gritted in sheer defiance.
Another Corpsebrute lurched toward them.
Rage burned in Koneko's golden eyes. She lashed out, fist slamming into its gut with everything she had. The impact sent it crashing to the ground, shaking the earth.
But even that wasn't enough to kill it.
It was already slowlyrising again.
Kiba moved like a blur, leaping high into the air. A new blade formed in his left hand—a sword of ice, glowing with a cold, sharp gleam.
His body twisted mid-air, and descended like a spear.
The tip of his frozen blade plunged deep into the Corpsebrute's bloated mass.
Then—
He twisted the hilt.
A surge of icy magic detonated, sending sharp, jagged shards of ice tearing through the creature's insides.
The acidic blood that should have exploded outward was instantly frozen solid, locking the monster's corrosive insides in place. The Corpsebrute twitching violently, its grotesque body locking in a frozen death pose.
Finally, it stopped moving.
Issei gasped, rushing to Koneko's side. She was still standing, but barely. Her back was ruined, burned flesh exposed to the cold night air. She was shaking, blood dripping from her torn skin and flesh—but she still clenched her fists, her eyes burning with fury.
Issei's jaw tightened.
He quickly took his jacket off and covered her body—her top was ruined so he did this to cover her itty bitty titties.
As much as his love for boobs still hasn't waned but just more hidden—this wasn't the time to appreciate them.
Issei didn't lose focus.
A Gorehound lunged from behind—jaws stretched wide, fangs gleaming.
Without looking, Issei whipped his leg back in a brutal kick, sending the creature crashing into the ground with a sickening crunch.
Two more pounced from the sides.
He caught them both by the throat, crushing their windpipes before slamming them into the ground.
Their skulls shattered on impact, gore splattering beneath them.
Koneko, her body trembling in agony, her burned flesh still sizzling, let out a guttural growl. Her eyes blazed with fury as she grabbed a Gorehound by its tail, swinging it into the air.
Then—
She swung it like a club.
The first hit sent another Gorehound's body splitting in half, its insides spilling onto the ground.
The second crushed another's ribcage, leaving it a twitching, bloody mess.
The third reduced the one in her hands to an unrecognizable pulp, the remains slipping through her fingers.
Then she finished them off with a final stomp to their skulls. Her chest heaved, her body screaming for relief, but she wasn't done.
Not yet.
Kiba, despite his wounded state, moved with swiftness.
His frozen blade flashed—plunging one each into the grotesque, bloated forms of two more Corpsebrutes. As he passed by them without looking back, he snapped his fingers—the swords detonated inside the corpsebrutes as ice raced through their bodies, freezing their acidic blood before they could explode.
They twitched.
Then, stopped moving.
Two more monsters gone.
But the battle was far from over.
Suddenly—
A deafening crack.
A bullet of sharpened bone tore through the air, shattering the ground near Issei's feet.
Then another.
And another.
The Curse Marines had joined the fight.
Their bolters thundered, spitting out lethal barrages of bone-shard rounds.
The bullets ripped through debris, tearing chunks from the ground, forcing Issei, Kiba, and Koneko to scramble for cover.
They couldn't stay out here.
Not against this kind of firepower.
"Inside! Now!"
Issei shouted.
Together, they rushed back into the gym. The moment they burst in, the already terrified civilians panicked further. The sight of their saviors—bloodied, burned, exhausted—only deepened their horror.
Cries of fear rose in volume, people clutching each other, some whispering prayers, others too stunned to move.
But not a single one dared to run.
They were too afraid.
Afraid of the monsters outside.
Afraid of the monsters watching them.
Afraid of the fact that even the ones who saved them were now struggling to survive.
Outside, atop a crumbling, ruined house, he watched. He had been watching the entire time. Commentating as the fight raged on in his view.
And now—
He laughed.
Not a chuckle.
Not a smirk.
A loud, unrestrained, childlike laughter, his body shaking with amusement.
"Woooo! That was amazing!"
He cheered, clapping his hands together. His patchwork face twisted with delight, his eyes glowing with sadistic glee. He leaned forward, grinning wildly as he mockingly cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Yo, MR.HAREM PROTAGONIST!"
His voice was filled with fake excitement—like he was talking to an old friend.
"I gotta be real with you, bruh! I expected WAY more than this!"
He laughed, shaking his head
"Like damn, is THIS all the great Boosted Gear can do? You're out here getting folded by some mutts and meat shields!"
His grin stretched wider.
"You're kinda looking like a bum right now."
His tone dropped—sharp, mocking.
"Nah, scratch that. You've ALWAYS been a BUM! YA BITCH!"
His gaze flicked to Koneko, his smile turning cruel.
"And look at you, little kitty~"
He snickered, tilting his head.
"Jumping in to save him? Oh my god, that was SO cute!"
His grin split wider.
"But do you know what's EVEN CUTER? THOSE SMALL TIDDIES OF YOURS, AY YO! BARK! BARK! BARK!"
Mahito shouted with a perverted sneer while hip thrusting the air.
"Too bad you're barely hanging on! You're what? One or two fights away from dropping dead?"
His fingers wiggled playfully.
"Tick-tock, Koneko-chan~ I wonder how long you'll last."
Then his eyes landed on Kiba.
His smile turned mockingly sympathetic.
"Damn, Kiba, bro…"
He whistled.
"Losing an arm AND still trying to swing a sword? You ever think about early retirement?"
He grinned.
"Oh wait—never mind. You're about to be retired REAL soon!"
Then—
He threw his arms out wide.
"Well! This is fun and all, but we gotta keep the show going, right? I mean, I came all the way out here for a REASON!"
His eyes gleamed.
"So tell me, Issei—how much more do I have to take from you before you finally break?"
His laugh rang out across the battlefield.
And the siege continued.
________________________________________________
The distant booms of explosions rattled the air, shaking the very foundation of the school. Rias, Sona, Akeno, and Tsubaki stiffened, their gazes snapping toward the windows.
Before they could even speak a word, they were interrupted—
By the sound of gunfire.
A deafening, unrelenting barrage tore through Kuoh Academy, the walls around them shuddering violently as a hail of bolter rounds ripped through stone, glass, and furniture alike.
"Get down!"
They barely had time to react before the windows exploded, shards of glass raining down as the Curse Marines fired indiscriminately into the school. The roar of bolter fire drowned out everything, the room shaking under the relentless onslaught. Each round of bone-shard bullets pierced through walls, embedding deep into desks, chairs, the very floor beneath them.
Akeno gritted her teeth, pressing against the ground as chunks of debris crashed around her.
Then—
A new sound.
A warning.
The deep, sickening whistle of incoming projectiles.
"Move!"
They scrambled to escape as the first Gorenade detonated.
A monstrous wet explosion sent blackened viscera and bone shrapnel blasting through the room, ripping apart anything it touched.
Another explosion.
Then another.
Room by room, the school was being systematically destroyed.
The walls shook, acidic bile melting through the halls as the building groaned under the assault.
Rias gasped for breath, gripping her head as the shockwaves sent a ringing through her skull. They had to move.
Abruptly the gunfire shifted, their attackers' attention seemingly drawn elsewhere.
A brief, fragile respite.
But then—
A new horrorarrived.
The sound of claws scraping against walls.
Heavy breaths, guttural and hungry.
Suddenly—
Shadows lunged through the shattered windows.
Gorehounds.
Eyes glowing with feral hunger, their forms twisting unnaturally as they moved.
They didn't hesitate.
They charged.
Tsubaki moved first.
Her new Naginata flashed, a blur of silver and magic as she twirled it effortlessly. The first Gorehound leapt at her—only for its head to go flying, its body collapsing before it even realized it was dead.
Another lunged—
She twisted, sidestepped, her blade slicing cleanly through its skull.A pack rushed her at once.
But then—
A flash of light.
Her Mirror Alice activated, reflecting their attacks back at them—sending two hounds flying as their own momentum crushed them against the walls. Within moments, she had cleared the first wave.
Blood and shattered bone littered the floor around her.
"Let's go!"
Sona called, breathing heavily.
Rias nodded sharply, wiping blood from her cheek.
"The roof."
She said, voice firm.
"It's high ground. We can see everything from there. And we'll have space to cast without being boxed in."
Akeno grinned despite the chaos, sparks dancing along her fingertips.
"Sounds fun ufufufu~"
As they ran, dodging debris and acid, Sona and Rias reached out with their magic comms.
Sona's heart hammered as she tried to connect with her peerage. Her magic had barely recovered, but she forced it to work, reaching for Reya, Saji, Momo—
Nothing.
Her fingernails dug into her palms.
No response.
Her jaw tightened, frustration bubbling beneath her usually calm exterior.
Meanwhile, Rias managed to connect to Kiba. His voice came immediately, sharp and strained.
"Rias—we're under attack!"
Her breath hitched.
"Kiba, what's happening?!"
His reply was grim.
"The Curse Marines are focusing everything on us. They're hammering the gym with their guns. Koneko's hurt—badly. Asia is healing her, but we're barely keeping those dog-like monsters out."
The next words that he told her sent a cold chill through her spine.
"Mahito is here."
Her sapphire eyes hardened, burning with a growing, seething rage.
This wasn't just an attack.
This wasn't just chaos.
Mahito was playing with them.
And he was winning.
They reached the roof.
Now they could see the full scale of their situation.
But they were interrupted by yet another wave of abominations.
The rooftop shook under the relentless claws of the Gorehounds as they scrambled up the walls. They came from all directions charging towards them.
Sona stood at the center of their formation, her body still too weak to push her magic circuits.
She was vulnerable.
And the Gorehounds smelled it.
Akeno exhaled slowly. Her lips curling into a cruel smile. Her eyes remained closed, serene in the face of chaos. Lightning crackled at her fingertips, and in a single bright flash, her outfit shifted—her signature miko priestess attire now draped over her body, the enchanted fabric boosting her magic exponentially. With one hand raised toward the sky, she called forth her wrath.
A dome of lightning exploded outward, sparks jumping and crackling in the air.
The wave of Gorehounds that touched it were instantly paralyzed, their bodies locking up mid-movement as arcs of electricity surged through their flesh. They let out guttural yelps, their bodies jerking violently, muscles spasming uncontrollably.
They were stunned—but not dead.
Not yet.
That was Tsubaki's cue.
She moved swiftly, her Naginata slamming into the ground. A ripple of magic burst outward, water flooding the rooftop, spreading out in a thin but effective layer—
All except the small dry spot where they stood.
Akeno's lightning met Tsubaki's water.
And the effect was instantaneous. The stunned Gorehounds convulsed harder, the electricity amplified tenfold through the soaked rooftop. Their snarls turned into pained, choked cries, their bodies thrashing helplessly, unable to escape the currents locking them in place.
They were sitting ducks.
And Rias finished them off.
Her crimson hair whipped around her, her sapphire eyes burning with fury as the Power of Destruction surged around her fingertips. With a single sweeping motion of her arm, amassive wave of pure destruction tore across the rooftop. It rushed forward like a roaring tide, swallowing every Gorehound in its path.
They didn't burn.
They didn't bleed.
They were simply—
Erased.
Their bodies vanished in an instant, reduced to nothing but scattered ash in the wind.
Across the rooftop, another wave of Gorehounds attacked them.
Akeno turned toward them, tilting her head slightly, her smile turning razor-sharp. She lifted her hands, electricity dancing between her fingers.
A moment later—
A concentrated bolt of lightningripped through the nearest Gorehound.
The moment it hit, the energy jumped—
Sparks leapt from one body to the next, chaining through the pack, lighting them up in a blinding display of raw power. They howled, their bodies jerking violently, the scent of burning flesh and ozone filling the air.
One second.
Two.
Then—
They collapsed into smoldering husks.
Charred. Lifeless. Dead.
Akeno exhaled, her smile never fading.
"That's much better~"
The rooftop fell silent.
Only the faint crackle of electricity remained in the air.
But then the rooftop rumbled.
A deep, gut-wrenching vibration rippled through the school, growing stronger, closer—
Then—
BOOM.
The entire floor beneath them exploded.
A massive, towering form burst through the rooftop, shards of stone and debris raining down as a gaping toothless maw lunged toward them.
A Harvester
It moved with terrifying speed, its slime-coated maw stretching impossibly wide—
Ready to devour them whole.
They dodged, wings unfurling as they launched into the air, narrowly escaping its grasp. They thought they had a moment to breathe—
But from the distance, a mocking voice rang out.
"Tsk."
Mahito clicked his tongue, lounging casually atop his ruined perch. Then, cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted.
"Hey! Hey! Flying is a NUH-UH, bitches!"
His voice dripped with amusement, his grin stretching wide.
Then, with a lazy flick of his fingers—
The sky attacked.
Four Seekers—grotesque, floating masses of eyes and flesh—had been watching from above.
Unseen. Unnoticed.
Now, at Mahito's command, they plummeted downward.
Fast.
Silent.
Deadly.
None of them saw it coming.
The Seekers slammed into their backs, knocking the air from their lungs and sent them crashing down.
One by one—
They crashed through the ruined rooftop.
Down.
Through the school.
To the first floor.
They hit the ground hard, the impact leaving them dazed and gasping. But before they could recover—
The Harvester followed.
It slithered through the massive hole in the ceiling, its huge form squeezing through the building, its massive bulk crushing desks, lockers, walls—
It only moved faster.
Sensing weakness.
Its open maw lunged—
Straight for Sona.
Tsubaki moved on instinct.
With a burst of speed, she grabbed Sona in one arm. Barely avoiding the gaping maw snapping just inches behind them as she dashed past Rias and Akeno.
Akeno's eyes narrowed, her body aching, but she refused to stay down. Her fingers crackled, and she unleashed a blazing torrent of lightning, the bolts dancing and chaining across the Harvester's armored body.
But—
It barely reacted.
Its scales absorbed most of the current, only small burnt patches of its flesh smoldering in return.
It just kept moving.
Rias followed up, raising her hand, her Power of Destruction swirling in her palms. She fired multiple, blasts, striking cracks into its armor, chipping away at the bone-like plating. But even as her magic peeled off pieces, the exposed skin underneath was still thick, tough—
And it was already slowly starting to heal.
Undeterred.
It was coming for them.
Fast.
And they were running out of time.
And so they ran.
Bursting through classrooms, down hallways, dodging debris as the Harvester tore through everything in its path.
Walls collapsed behind them.
Lockers were crushed into twisted metal.
Every spell they threw at it only slowed it for seconds before it shrugged it off and barreled towards them
They had no choice.
They had to get out.
Reaching a window, they didn't hesitate—
They leapt through it, shattering the glass, landing on the ground outside.
But the Harvester didn't stop.
It erupted through the wall behind them, its gaping maw wide open—
And this time, it was mere inches from devouring Tsubaki and Sona whole.
Time slowed.
Sona knew she was pushing herself too far. That she ran risk of crippling herself if she used her overworked circuits any more. She knew her magic circuits were screaming in protest.
But she didn't care.
She clapped her hands together, forcing her damaged magic circuits to activate.
Her voice rang through the night.
"Piercing Water!"
Aconcentrated, high-pressure beam of water shot from her hands, aimed directly into the Harvester's open mouth.
Due to its quick activation and her weakened state Sona's magic was weaker than intended.
And yet—
Unlike their previous attacks—
This worked.
The water spear tore through the soft tissue, piercing deep, cutting flesh and nerves as it ripped through the creature's throat. It let out a horrible, wet screech, its body convulsing violently in agony. It reared back, thrashing wildly, its entire form shuddering as pain finally registered.
Sona gasped, her legs buckling, her vision swimming. Her body was burning from overuse. Then she collapsed and lost consciousness.
The Harvester kept thrashing around, its massive, grotesque form convulsing from the pain of Sona's Piercing Water.
For the first time, it was vulnerable.
And Tsubaki didn't hesitate.
With every ounce of strength she had, she hurled her Naginata like a spear, aiming for the exposed, wounded flesh where its armor had been torn away.
It flew through the air, as a streak of silver and magic—piercing deep into the Harvester's insides, embedding firmly into its pulsating flesh.
The monster let out a wet, choking screech, its entire body jerking from the impact.
But before it could react—
Akeno struck.
Her lips curled, her eyes flashing with cruel delight.
With a single, graceful motion, she raised her hand, fingertips crackling with electricity.
A bolt of lightning erupted from her palm, striking directly onto the Naginata's hilt.
The weapon acted as a conductor, the electricity racing through the metal, surging deep into the Harvester's insides. Its thrashing turned into violent spasms, its massive form locking up, paralyzed from the sheer surge of power burning through it. The scent of scorched flesh filled the air as its body shuddered uncontrollably—
Its movements stopping entirely.
That was all Rias needed.
She finally had a moment to stand still, to concentrate.
Her sapphire eyes narrowed, her hands slowly pulling apart, a glowing, crackling mass of destruction forming between her palms. The very air around her distorted, warping under the sheer pressure of her power. Dark crimson energy swirled violently, condensing, growing larger, crackling with pure destruction.
Finally—
She fired.
A massive beam of destruction erupted forward, the very ground beneath her cracking from the force.
The moment it collided with the Harvester, its body exploded.
Its entire head—gone.
Its upper body—disintegrated.
The once-monstrous beast was reduced to nothing but a torn, smoldering mass, half of its entire body simply erased from existence.
What was left collapsed in a heap, its twitching, charred remains letting out one last shudder—
Before finally, going still. Dead.
________________________________________________
The ORC club room trembled from the distant chaos, the sounds of explosions and battle echoing through Kuoh. Saji and Momo snapped to attention, their bodies tensing.
Something was wrong.
They turned toward the door, already moving to contact Sona—
But then—
The sharp shatter of glass.
They froze.
Their eyes snapped toward the source. A broken window, shards of glass glittered on the floor, the cold night air seeping in.
But…
There was nothing there.
No movement.
No presence.
No attacker.
Just an overwhelming, suffocating sense of dread.
A creeping, unnatural sensation crawled down their spines. Like something was watching.
Breathing.
Waiting.
Their hearts pounded as they searched the shadows, scanning every corner, every flicker of movement—
But the room was empty.
And then—
A scream.
The blood-curdling cry of terror tore through the halls.
Saji and Momo whipped around, eyes wide with fear.
"Reya!"
Without hesitation, they ran. Their footsteps pounded against the floor, their breath ragged, desperate. They raced up the stairs to the room where they had left her to rest. Saji threw the door open—
And froze.
The bed was empty.
The blankets were a mess.
And Reya was gone.
Saji's stomach twisted.
"Where is she?"
He muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. He turned back toward Momo—
"Momo, Reya isn't here! I think someone took her—"
He never finished the sentence.
Because when he fully turned around…
Momo was gone too.
His breath hitched.
His pulse thundered in his ears.
"M-Momo?"
His voice shook. His throat tightened, dry and cold.
He looked left.
Nothing.
He looked right.
Nothing.
"What the fuck is going on?"
The words barely escaped his lips—before he felt it, a sudden pull, a strange lightness.
Then—
His world tilted. For a moment, he didn't understand. And then he saw them—
His legs.
Flying through through the air.
A hot, searing pain exploded through his body. Shock delayed the agony by a split second—just long enough for him to look down. The only thing left of his legs were bleeding stumps.
So cleanly cut.
So precise.
So fast—
He hadn't even felt the blades pass through.
Then the pain hit him.
Saji screamed. His voice tore through the empty halls, raw, desperate, agonized. He crawled backward, blood pooling around him, his arms frantically dragging him away from nothing.
"HELP! SOMEONE—"
His trembling hand shot to his ear, reaching for his magic communication spell—
But before he could activate it—
His arm was gone.
A sharp, silent blur—
And his right arm was severed at the shoulder.
A heartbeat later—
His left arm followed.
Saji collapsed.
Limbless.
Helpless.
His body twitched uncontrollably, hot tears streaking down his face as he bled out onto the floor. His vision blurred, his breath coming in shaky gasps—
And then, finally, he saw them.
A pair of hands—humanlike, yet wrong—wrapped around his face, lifting him into the air.
And in the dim light—
He finally saw what had taken Reya and Momo.
The Stalkers—three of hhem.
Towering, unnatural creatures. Their smooth, pale skin shimmered, shifting like chameleon camouflage, blending into the darkness. Their mantis-like scythe arms dripped with fresh blood—his blood.
And in their lower, secondary human-like arms—
They held Reya and Momo.
Struggling.
Thrashing.
Their mouths silenced by inescapable grips. Their eyes wide with absolute terror.
Saji tried to scream—
But the hands embracing him into its body tightened.
Then—
One of its hand went to his throat and squeezed.
His vision flickered.
And the last thing he saw—
Was the Stalkers vanishing into thin air.
Taking Reya and Momo with them.
And then—
Darkness.
________________________________________________
The gym trembled with tension, the air thick with the stench of blood, sweat, and fear.
Issei and Kiba stood at the entrance, their bodies battered but unyielding, their breath heavy but determined.
Outside, the horde never stopped coming.
Gorehounds and Corpsebrutes clawed and snarled, throwing themselves at the doors, trying to break through and massacre everyone inside.
They couldn't allow that.
They had saved these people.
They had fought for them.
And they weren't going to let them die now.
With every lunging abomination, their blades and fists met flesh.
Kiba's sword danced—a green blur carving through twisted bodies with graceful swings. The wind sword he created in his hand was helping increase the speed of his movements while also being incredibly sharp—parting flesh and bone with almost no resistance.
Issei's fists thundered, every strike shattering bone, crushing muscle, tearing apart the gorehounds and knocking the corpsebrutes away so Kiba could finish them off.
Reaching his new limit of 8 boosts brought him to a strength on par with Koneko's full strength.
It was all due to the dragonification of his left arm. Even with the draconic transformation being suppressed, it was still changing him. His physique was evolving, his body adapting—his natural limits were pushing higher as well as his connection to the Boosted Gear becoming deeper, allowing him to withstand the strain of Boosting more efficiently.
This was his new power.
This was what he sacrificed for.
And it was paying off.
Despite the dangers and Ddraig's implications of it being his death sentence—Issei believed it was worth it.
Now they weren't just fighting, they were slaughtering. But despite their efforts, the horde pressed on, wave after unrelenting wave. And the Curse Marines were nowhere to be seen—that worried them.
"Kiba! We should take this outside!"
Issei called, kicking a Gorehound's head clean off its body.
"Agreed! Better to keep them out here than let them break inside and terrify the civilians even more!"
Issei nodded and they moved together, stepping past the doors, out into the open, dragging the battle away from the gym.
Inside, Asia worked tirelessly, her Twilight Healing shining across Koneko's burned back. Her face was strained, her breathing shaky, but she never faltered.
She had to keep going.
She had to keep the others calm.
She had to keep Koneko alive.
She had to be their hope.
Kiba, now fully adapting to fighting with just his left arm, was getting hit less and less. His movements became smoother, his footwork sharper, his bladework deadlier.
No wasted strikes.No wasted energy.No unnecessary openings.
He spun mid-step, flourishing his blade, and then—six Gorehounds lost their heads in an instant.
A single motion.
One fluid sweep.
Their decapitated bodies collapsed in a heap as Kiba dashed forward, cutting down another swarm with deadly grace. Then, as his sword was bathed with fresh blood, he turned his gaze toward Issei.
"Issei!"
He slashed through three more Gorehounds in a flash.
"Use Promotion!"
Then—
He vanished into a blur of motion, reappearing on the other side of the battlefield as a dozen more monsters fell apart at his feet.
Issei blinked, realization hitting him.
"Oh! You're right!"
His Boosted Gear flared, his aura surging outward.
"Promotion: Queen!"
The moment the words left his lips—
Power flooded his body.
His muscles tightened, his speed sharpened, his reflexes heightened to a different level. His body felt lighter, yet denser at the same time.
His punches carried more weight.
His movements felt effortless.
The mysterious energy inside him pulsed brighter—roaring like a crimson flame as it wrapped around him, converging mostly on his fists
A Corpsebrute lumbered toward him, its massive, bloated form swaying with each step. Issei didn't hesitate. He lunged forward and—
BOOM.
A single punch tore through its body, ripping it apart from the inside out. The acidic blood inside erupted, but Issei was already gone, moving too fast to be caught in the explosion.
Another Corpsebrute charged—
He sidestepped it effortlessly, his foot twisting into a sharp pivot—then he delivered a rising uppercut so powerful, the creature's entire upper torso exploded into mist.
The Gorehounds? They were nothing now but a joke to Issei. No matter how many came, they couldn't keep up with him.
He was too fast.
Too strong.
A pack of them lunged at once—
Issei's eyes hardened.
He exhaled—
Then he moved.
His fist whipped forward, and the first Gorehound exploded into chunks. His kick sent another flying, its body twisting unnaturally before splattering across the pavement. A downward strike crushed a third into a bloody pulp, its bones snapping like twigs under his sheer strength.
Each punch reduced bodies to mist.
Each kick turned monsters into smears of gore.
He was no longer struggling.
His full power now with 8 boosts and promotion reached low-tier High-Class strength.
He was stronger than a Curse Marine now.
And the battlefield belonged to him.
________________________________________________
The air inside the gymnasium was thick with fear and desperation.
Asia's hands glowed softly, her healing light pouring into Koneko's ravaged back.
The damage had been horrific—at first, her spine had been fully exposed, the acid having burned through layers of flesh and muscle, leaving raw bone glistening under the harsh lights.
But now—
It was better.
Now at least her spine was no longer exposed. The muscle had begun to regrow, but her back was still raw, red, and bloody, the skin yet to heal.
Koneko's breathing was labored, her body trembling from the pain, but she was still conscious—still fighting through it.
Asia's breathing was ragged, sweat dripping down her forehead as she continued, her hands shaking from exhaustion.
"Just a little more."
She whispered to herself, silently praying in her mind while she was healing.
Then—
The ground rumbled.
It was faint at first.
Like a distant heartbeat beneath their feet.
But then—
Koneko's ears twitched sharply.
Her body tensed.
Something was coming.
Her golden eyes widened in alarm as her head snapped up.
"RUN!"
BOOM.
The floor erupted.
A monstrous gaping maw tore through the center of the gymnasium like an exploding earthquake, sending chunks of wood, steel, and concrete flying in all directions.
Screams filled the air as people were flung like ragdolls, their bodies colliding against walls, floors, and debris.
The Harvester had arrived.
It burst from the earth like a nightmare, its segmented form twisting as it rose into the air, its bone-like armor plates glistening under the flickering lights.
The closest civilians never stood a chance.
But the real nightmare just began.
As the Harvester's jaw unhinged further, a new terror emerged.
From the depths of its maw, three massive figures stepped forth—Curse Marines.
They landed with a heavy thud. Without hesitation they opened fire. The roar of their bolters was deafening. The first volley of rounds ripped into the helpless crowd—
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
Bodies exploded apart—limbs severed, torsos ruptured, skulls shattered. Blood sprayed the gym floor like a crimson tide, painting the walls in a macabre display of slaughter.
People scrambled for cover, but there was none.
Nowhere to run.
Nowhere to hide.
The cursed grenades came next.
The Curse Marines lobbed Gorenades into the crowd, their twisted, pulsing, organ-like explosives spinning through the air before landing among the survivors.
Detonation.
The room shook violently as explosions ripped through human flesh, their horrifying payload unleashing shrapnel of bone, shredding those caught in the blast.
Those who weren't immediately torn apart suffered something far worse—
The black bile within the grenades erupted like a flood of tar, splattering onto their bodies. And that's where the screaming truly began.
Flesh melted.
Skin sloughed off.
Eyes boiled in their sockets as the victims clawed at their faces, their fingers peeling away like wax under an open flame.
The lucky ones died instantly.
The unlucky ones lived long enough to feel their own bodies dissolve.
And the Harvester wasn't idle.
It slithered through the chaos, its massive body crushing the wounded beneath it, swallowing whole those too slow to escape.
The gym had become a slaughterhouse.
And the butchers were just getting started.
Asia could do nothing but watch in horror. Her mind was fractured, her body paralyzed, and her faith shattered. Tears poured endlessly from her wide, unblinking eyes.
She was catatonic, trembling in a silent fugue of despair as screams filled the gym. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps, each one choking on the scent of blood and burning flesh. Chunks of mangled bodies rained down like grotesque confetti, splattering her face, her clothes, her hands.
A severed arm landed beside her, fingers still twitching.
Another—
A woman's half-melted face, eyes frozen in agony, mouth open in a silent plea for help.
Asia didn't move.
She couldn't move.
Her prayers had failed.
Her healing had failed.
She had failed.
Beside her, Koneko squeezed her eyes shut, tears spilling down her cheeks, her whole body shaking with suppressed sobs.
"Make it stop…"
She whispered, clenching her teeth so hard they ached.
"Please… just make it stop…"
But it didn't stop.
She could still hear everything—
The squelch of bodies being torn apart, the gargled cries of those drowning in their own blood, the shrill, desperate screams of those who hadn't died yet.
The air was thick with the scent of death, a choking miasma of blood, bile, and burning flesh.
She wanted to vomit.
She wanted to scream.
But she couldn't.
Because she knew it wouldn't save anyone.
She curled into herself, her small frame trembling, her claws digging into her arms so hard that they drew blood. She had already hated her yokai heritage—
But right now—
Right now, she couldn't help but hate it even more.
She hated hearing every single heartbeat stop.
She hated smelling the boiling flesh of people who were still alive.
She hated—
She hated how weak she was.
And then—
A small voice cut through the horror.
Weak.
Barely above a whisper.
"O-Onee-san..."
Koneko's eyes snapped open.
And there, in front of her—
Timmy.
The smallest of the children she had saved.
An eight-year-old boy.
One of the kids she had personally saved outside, one of the few she had tried to comfort.
She remembered his tears, how he had sobbed alone in the corner of the gym until she sat beside him. Remembered how he had told her, in a shaky, broken voice, that his big sister had died saving him. That it was his fault. That he had watched, helpless, as the Curse Marines defiled her to death before his very eyes.
Koneko had held his hand as he spoke, had whispered soft reassurances, had told him stories, had tried—tried so desperately—to make him smile.
And he had.
For just a moment.
He had smiled.
But now—
Timmy wasn't smiling.
He was dragging himself toward her, his tiny hands clawing at the blood-soaked floor, his eyes wet with agony.
Both of his legs were gone, melted away to the bone, leaving behind charred, smoking stumps.
He reached out to her with a fragile, trembling hand.
"O-Onee-san... please... h-help..."
His voice shook with pain.
His lips quivered as he sobbed.
"It... it hurts so much..."
Koneko's hands shook violently as she reached out—
She was going to take his hand.
She was going to hold him.
She was going to tell him it was going to be okay.
She was going to—
CRUNCH
Koneko's mind went blank. She felt something warm splatter against her face.
She didn't even blink.
She didn't register what had just happened—
Until she saw it.
Timmy's eyeball rolled past her knee, its blue iris still wide with fear, before it disappeared into the pool of blood beneath her.
His little hand—
The one she had been reaching for—
Fell limp.
The boy's tiny, broken body convulsed once before going completely still.
Asia's breath hitched violently, her silent horror breaking into a ragged, shuddering sob. They both slowly looked up. And standing over Timmy's corpse—
Was a Curse Marine.
The hulking monstrosity towered over them.
His flesh-sticthed robes was slick with fresh gore. His head tilted slightly as he regarded them. He let out a low, guttural chuckle, the grin on his face widening.
Then, he pressed his boot down, twisting it—
Grinding the last remains of Timmy's skull into pulp.
The other Curse Marines stood behind him, watching.
Smirking beneath their hoods.
The massacre was over.
The Harvester had slithered away, its belly filled with the living—prisoners destined to be dragged to Mahito's twisted experiments.
And now—
Now, the only ones left alive in the gym were Asia and Koneko.
The Curse Marines had left them for last. A deliberate choice. They had slaughtered everyone else—
And now, they were going to take their time.
The leading Marine took a slow step forward towards Koneko. He pulled his pants down, his meat slapping on her forehead.
Her face scrunched up in disgust before she just closed her eyes.
He was somewhat disappointed that she just submitted and accepted her fate but he continued on with a lecherous smirk as he grasped the back of her head and guided her lips to the tip of his schlong.
"Hehe, here comes the choo choo train! Say aaahh~!"
He shivered as he felt her warm breath on his shaft and leaned his head back to immerse himself for the oncoming bliss—
And then Koneko bit his dick off
"YEEEOOOUUUWWWCCHHH! WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK YOU LIL BITCH! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO M—"
Curse Marines don't actually feel pain anymore ever since they've been transfigured by Mahito. He was just so utterly shocked about his dick being bitten off that he didn't even see the claws that ripped straight through his throat—separating his head from his body.
The moment Koneko closed her eyes, she made her decision. She would lose herself to the power of Senjutsu. She would embrace the madness.
To use Senjutsu was to open one's soul to the energy of the world itself. A power so ancient, so primal, that it could reshape the laws of the world and bend reality to their will at the hands of a master of senjutsu.
With the basics of Senjutsu, one could sense the life force of others, heal wounds, or imbue their very strikes with soul-searing damage.
But it came with a risk.
An extremely dangerous risk.
For when one draws in the world's energy, they do not take in just its life—
They take in its malice.
The hatred of the earth.
The fury of the storms.
The darkness that seeped deep within the core of the world itself.
To wield such power was to walk the edge of oblivion—
And Koneko was about to step off that edge.
She knew the dangers.
She knew what this power had done to her sister.
She had spent her entire life fearing this path—
Resisting it.
Denying it.
Because she had believed—hoped—that if she walked this road, she would end up like Kuroka.
Lost.
Consumed.
But in the face of these monsters, in the face of their merciless slaughter, of their mocking laughter, of Timmy's broken corpse at her feet—
She no longer cared.
If she was going to die, then she would die as a beast.
Not a victim.
Not a plaything.
But as a beast of rage and power.
And so, she let go.
She let the Senjutsu flood her.
She felt it surge into her soul—
And with it came the malice.
It was like a thousand voices screaming inside her head, whispering, snarling, urging her to destroy, to tear, to kill. Her sanity cracked under the pressure and then—
It snapped.
A tremor ran through Koneko's small frame.
Her muscles bulged, her veins darkened, and the air around her distorted, warping under the sheer force of the Senjutsu coursing through her soul. Her forearms erupted with a coat of soft, ghostly white fur, her nails extending into razor-sharp claws, gleaming like polished steel.
Her legs morphed, her feet becoming feline in nature, covered in the same ethereal fur that crawled up to her knees. Her ears twitched, her nose flaring as she inhaled the thick, metallic scent of blood that now seemed to ignite something primal inside her.
Her face contorted into a feral snarl, whiskers sprouting from her cheeks, her once soft, features now twisted into the visage of a predator.
Her golden eyes burned red, filled with something far beyond rage—
Something primal.
Something monstrous.
That's when she bit off the disgusting piece of meat this bastard tried to put in her mouth.
Koneko lowered herself, her muscles coiling, her claws tensing.
Her breath came out in ragged, animalistic huffs, her tail twitching, the very ground beneath her cracking as raw Senjutsu energy pulsed around her, forming a visible aura of shifting, unstable white flames.
She was no longer Koneko Toujou.
She was something else.
Not a devil.
Not yokai.
Just a beast of wrath and destruction.
And she was going to tear them apart.
Piece by piece.
Then—she moved.
It was not a step, not a dash—
It was a blur, a white-hot streak of death.
The nearest Curse Marine barely had time to register her approach before his world turned upside down—
Because his head was no longer attached to his shoulders. A single swipe of her claws had cleaved it clean off, sending it spinning through the air in a gruesome spiral, a torrent of thick, dark blood spraying like a fountain from his severed neck.
The other two finally stopped laughing. Their instincts screamed and they reacted instantly.
A barrage of bolter fire erupted in a deafening roar, the cursed rounds ripping through the air toward her in a relentless storm.
But it did nothing.
With her power now reaching near ultimate class levels she could shrug off nearly anything these curse marines could throw at her.
The bullets struck her body, but the wounds were shallow, the sheer density of her enhanced muscles and the pulsing Senjutsu energy knitting her flesh together in seconds. Even the gaping wound on her back, once exposing raw flesh and muscle, had vanished as if it had never been there.
She felt no pain.
Only rage.
And then she was upon them.
The first Curse Marine raised his bolter in a desperate attempt to block her incoming strike—
A futile effort.
Her claws tore through the weapon like it was made of paper, slicing through the the writhing mechanisms, the stock, and finally—
Through him.
A spray of blood exploded from his torso as four deep gashes carved into his chest, exposing muscle, bone, and his lung. He staggered back, choking—but that was not enough to put him down as his flesh started to regenerate.
The second marine, a brute wielding a twisted, transfigured axe, lunged from behind him and letting his injured brother have time to heal. The cursed weapon swung low, its jagged edge biting deep into Koneko's side—
But then it stopped.
The blade should have cleaved her in half—
But her body did not yield.
She had tensed her muscles the moment the strike landed, and the axe, no matter how monstrous, could dig no further. Her head snapped toward him, her glowing, predatory eyes burning into his soul.
Then—
She ripped him open.
Her claws tore into his abdomen, his stomach bursting apart, intestines spilling out in a tangled, blood-drenched mess.
"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING BITCH! YOU KILLED BOB!"
His shout was cut short as her hand speared into his chest, fingers wrapping around his still-beating heart—
And then she squeezed.
The wet pop of his heart bursting apart was drowned out by the gurgling sound of his blood leaking through his mouth, his body going limp in her grasp before she let him collapse to the floor, a ruined husk.
Her side wound?
Already healed.
But then—
A sudden force slammed into her from behind.
The last Curse Marine had blindsided her, his massive hand wrapping around her face, lifting her off the ground as he charged forward at full speed.
CRASH!
He drove her headfirst into the ground, the sheer force cracking the floor, sending shards of debris flying. But he didn't stop, he kept running, dragging her along the surface, her face grinding against the floor, skin tearing, blood streaking behind them in a gruesome trail.
And then—
She roared.
A deep, inhuman, guttural snarl that vibrated through the very bones of the marine that held her.
She retaliated, her hands shot up, claws digging deep into the arm that held her—
And then she ripped it off.
Not cut, not sliced—
Ripped.
The Marine let out a grunt as his own limb was torn straight from his body, blood gushing like a geyser. He stumbled back, but she was already upon him.
A single swipe—
And his legs were gone.
His body collapsed instantly, hitting the floor with a grotesque thud. But Koneko wasn't finished. She grabbed his remaining arm and ripped that off too.
And yet she kept going.
Her claws lashed out again—
And again—
And again—
Each strike tore away more flesh, more muscle, more of him, until what remained was nothing but an unrecognizable pile of meat and bone.
She stood over the ruin of his body, chest heaving, her fur matted with fresh, steaming blood, her claws dripping with carnage.
Before she could take another breath, another strike came from behind. A brutal dropkick had crashed into her back, the sheer force of it snapping her spine in half with a sickening crack.
Her world spun as she was sent hurtling forward, her body slamming into the cold, blood-soaked floor, skidding across the torn remains of those who had died mere moments ago.
She snarled, trying to push herself up—
But body refused to move until her healing caught up, leaving her vulnerable for a few seconds—
And the enemy knew it.
Heavy, thunderous footsteps approached from behind, each one filled with hate, with vengeance.
She turned her head, her glowing feral eyes locking onto the impossible sight before her.
The Curse Marine she had killed—
Whose heart she had crushed—
Whose guts she had torn open—
Was still alive.
His wounds were gone, his flesh restored as if she had never touched him. He grinned, his monstrous, curse-warped body towering over her crumpled form.
Because Curse Marines, by Mahito's design, could never truly die—
So long as their head remained attached to their shoulders, and at least one of their two hearts still beat within their chest—
They would always heal.
They would always rise again.
And now, he was back.
Angry.
Vengeful.
And merciless.
With a savage roar, he lifted his transfigured sword—once was the jagged, corrupted blade of his fallen brother—the first curse marine that Koneko had killed
"VENGEANCE FOR BOB!"
And then—
He drove it straight through her gut.
The jagged blade impaled her straight through the stomach, its uneven, cursed edges tearing through flesh, organs, and shredding her insides as it punctured clean through her back and buried itself deep into the floor beneath her. A vicious howl of pain ripped from her throat, her body convulsing, muscles spasming as her blood spilled freely onto the ground.
But he wasn't done.
He twisted the blade—
A slow, agonizing rotation, the serrated metal grinding against her entrails, the cruel edges slicing deeper into her intestines, her stomach, her organs.
"Hurts, doesn't it?"
He laughed.
Then—
He stomped.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
And again.
His boot smashed into her skull, the sheer force fracturing her skull, sending blood spilling across the floor in wet, violent splatters.
Her vision blurred.
Darkness crept in.
She could feel the jagged sword still lodged inside her, tearing, and scraping against her stomach.
But even then—
Even with her skull fracturing and her guts being torn apart—
She refused to break.
She could feel it—her body was already healing, even as the pain threatened to swallow her whole. And then, through the haze of blood and agony—
She saw her chance.
The next time his boot came crashing down, she lunged.
Her jaws snapped shut around his ankle. Her fangs sank through the flesh and bone.
The Curse Marine let out a furious snarl, trying to shake her off—
But it was too late.
She held him in place—
And then, with a savage roar, she slashed out with her claws—
And severed his leg completely.
He collapsed, falling while curses and roars filled the air.
Koneko snarled, her abdomen tensing as she pushed her body forward and with one brutal flex, she snapped off the tip of the transfigured sword still buried in the floor. Then with a low, guttural growl, she wrapped her fingers around the blade's handle—
And ripped it from her stomach.
The serrated edges dragged against her guts, her intestines spilling out momentarily before her senjutsu's healing took over, pulling her organs back into place, sealing the wound within seconds.
Faster than he could react—
She pounced.
Landing on his chest, pinning him beneath her, her claws dug into his throat, her wild, beast-like eyes glowing with pure predatory rage. She could hear his ragged breathing, feel the trembling of his regenerating body beneath her—
But she didn't care about anything else but killing the prey right in front of her.
She gripped his head.
And she pulled.
She yanked.
"AAGGHH! LORD MAHITO WILL MAKE YOU DEVIGGERS PAY!"
He resisted as hard as he could. Raining blows upon blows on her body—
It didn't matter.
His flesh stretched.
His spine popped.
His veins snapped.
RRRRRIIIPPP!
His head tore free from his shoulders, blood gushing from the exposed gory mess where his neck once was.
She barely even looked at it before discarding it like trash.
She rose, her body covered in gore, her breath coming out in ragged huffs. Her eyes scanned the room, her claws twitching.
Looking for more.
More to kill.
More to rip apart.
More to sink her claws into.
Her eyes spotted Asia.
She stood there, frozen in place. Her face was pale, her hands trembling, her green eyes wide with horror. She had seen everything, seen Koneko butcher them, tear them apart, and rip them limb from limb like a rabid beast.
And now—
That same beast was looking at her.
Asia swallowed hard, her lips trembling, but still—
She took a step forward.
"K-Koneko…?"
There was no response.
The white-haired girl simply stood still, claws twitching, eyes unblinking, her breath ragged, her body still shaking from bloodlust.
Asia took another step forward, tears welling in her soft green eyes.
"Koneko, it's me… i-it's Asia…"
The beast did not recognize her name.
It did not recognize words.
It only recognized one thing—
Blood.
And Asia had none on her.
That needed to change.
Koneko took a step forward.
Her claws twitched.
Her breathing grew heavier.
Her pupils were slits, her mind completely lost in the haze of violence.
Asia did not move.
She simply closed her eyes, her head lowering in quiet, resigned acceptance.
If this was how it had to end—
Then she would not run from it.
She would not fight Koneko.
If she was going to die—
Then at least, she would die by a friend's hands.
Koneko raised her claws—
Asia took a shaking breath—
And just as Koneko was about to strike—
BOOM!
"KONEKO! ASIA! ARE YOU OKAY?!"
A voice.
A familiar voice.
A voice that shook her soul.
The gym doors burst open—
And there stood Issei.
________________________________________________
Issei stood frozen at the entrance of the gymnasium.
His breath caught in his throat.
The stench of blood and melting flesh filled his nostrils, thick and suffocating, searing itself into his mind like a nightmare given form.
The gym—once a place of safety, of refuge—
Had become a slaughterhouse.
Mangled bodies, some unrecognizable, were strewn across the floor in grotesque heaps. Limbs were ripped from their sockets, intestines coiled like serpents across the blood-drenched ground. The remains of the dead bubbled and festered around the small pools of black acidic bile on the floor.
The walls dripped with blood.
The air was thick with suffering.
And it was all his fault.
His hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood. His lips quivered, teeth clenching so tightly he could taste the iron tang of his own frustration. His body shook, not from fear—
But from pure, helpless rage.
He was supposed to protect them.
He thought he was doing the right thing by drawing the battle away.
And because of that choice—
They had died here because of him.
His vision blurred with fury, but then—
A faint, trembling voice reached his ears.
"I-Issei…"
His heart lurched.
He snapped his attention forward—
Asia.
She stood near the center of the carnage, trembling, her hands clasped together, clutching at her own chest like she was trying to keep herself from falling apart. Her eyes were wide, shimmering with fresh tears—
Not only from the horror of the scene around her—
But also from what stood before her.
Koneko.
She was still.
Too still.
Like a predator frozen in time, caught between the urge to kill and something else—something deep within her soul. Her claws hung at her sides, stained red with fresh blood, dripping onto the already saturated floor. Her feral eyes locked onto Issei, unblinking, flickering with instinctual hunger—
But she wasn't moving.
And she didn't know why.
Something was stirring inside her.
Something aching.
Something pulling her back.
But the madness whispered.
Kill.
Rip.
Tear
It was all she knew, all that existed in this twisted haze of malice and fury.
She should be attacking—
So why wasn't she moving?
Issei took a slow step forward.
Then another.
His voice was gentle.
Soft.
Filled with a warmth that cut through the suffocating malice like a blade of light.
"Koneko… It's me."
She twitched—but didn't attack.
Asia swallowed thickly, eyes darting between them.
"S-She's not herself right now, Issei…"
She whispered, voice shaking.
"She's… lost."
Issei nodded slowly.
He could see it.
The way her body trembled slightly, like a caged beast unsure if it should strike or retreat. The way her breathing hitched, as if something deep inside her was begging for release.
She was still in there.
And he had to bring her back.
So he stepped closer.
And spoke.
Spoke from his heart.
Spoke like his words were the only thing keeping her tethered to this world.
"Koneko… I know you can hear me."
Her ears flicked.
"You're stronger than this. You're not a monster. You're not a beast."
Her claws twitched, but she still didn't move.
"You're Koneko Toujou."
His voice wavered, raw with emotion.
"You're my friend."
Something in her flickered—
Something deep.
"You're someone I care about. Someone I need."
Her breath hitched.
"I swore I would protect you, no matter what."
His voice broke slightly, but he kept going, kept pushing.
"And I will—"
His fists trembled.
"Even if it's from yourself."
Her eyes widened.
Issei stepped closer, desperation filling his voice, spilling from his soul.
"I need you, Koneko. I—"
He swallowed.
"I want you here. With us. With me."
And for a moment—
Everything was silent.
Then—
A single tear slipped down her cheek.
Then another.
And another.
Until she was shaking, unable to stop them from falling.
Her claws curled inward, her breathing came out sharply, and her body trembled with something she hadn't felt in what seemed like an eternity.
Warmth.
Love.
She let out a shaky breath, her face flushing crimson as her mind reeled from the emotions crashing down on her all at once.
Her lips quivered.
Then, with a furious cry, she threw herself forward and slammed into Issei's chest.
"BAKA!"
Her arms wrapped around him so tightly it was almost crushing, her small frame trembling as she buried her face into his shirt.
And there—
She broke.
She sobbed.
Loud, raw, unrestrained sobs wracked her body as she clung to him, her fingers digging into his back like she was afraid he would disappear if she let go.
"I-I hate you, idiot!"
She cried against him.
"You—You always say stupid things—always making me—f-feel things—"
Her voice cracked, breaking into another sob.
Issei smiled softly, wrapping his arms around her, holding her just as tightly. He ran his hand gently down her back, his touch reassuring, grounding her, letting her know that she was here.
Issei momentarily buried his burning rage and despair at his failure in his gut. He was just glad that both Asia and Koneko were still alive. Still here. Still in one piece.
His feelings didn't matter right now, all that mattered—
Was that she was safe. And that was good enough for him.
"That's okay."
He whispered against her hair, closing his eyes.
"I'm here."
And for the she believed him with all her heart.
Kiba skidded to a halt at the entrance of the gym, his breath hitching as his eyes took in the nightmarish slaughter that had unfolded before him.
But then—
He spotted them.
Asia. Koneko. Issei.
They were ok.
His heart eased for a moment, relief washing over him.
But he saw it—
Something moved.
A flicker of motion in the corner of his eye.
A figure twitching amidst the carnage.
One of the Curse Marines.
Kiba's breath caught as his eyes locked onto the mutilated, barely-recognizable soldier. His entire body was riddled with deep, ragged claw marks, his flesh torn open in places where Koneko's feral assault had eviscerated him.
But he was still alive.
Barely.
The marine was on his knees, swaying unsteadily, his breath coming in wet, gurgling gasps as his shredded body desperately tried to regenerate. His left arm was completely gone, nothing but a jagged stump of bone and sinew.
His right arm, however—
Had almost fully reformed.
And in his trembling fingers—
He clutched a bolter.
With agonizing slowness, he began to raise it, locked onto Koneko's back. The marine's lips curled back, exposing broken, bloodied teeth in a twisted mockery of a grin.
He was going to take one last shot.
Kiba's eyes widened in horror.
"ISSEI, BEHIND KONEKO!"
Time slowed.
Issei's body reacted before his mind did, his instincts screaming danger. He whipped his head around, eyes locking onto the half-dead Curse Marine, watching as the barrel of the bolter inched higher, aiming directly at him and Koneko.
There was no time to think.
Only act.
Issei grabbed Koneko and yanked her behind him, using his own body as a shield. And in the same breath—
His gauntlet blazed to life.
["EXPLOSION!"]
The moment he activated the ability, all his boosts were sacrificed for a singular attack that's twice his overall current power. His aura flared, the sheer pressure of his draconic power warping the very air around him.
A glowing crimson sphere of condensed dragonic energy materialized in front of the gauntlet of his left arm, pulsating with violent, destructive force.
He punched forward.
DRAGON SHOT!
His fist collided with the sphere, and in an instant—
It detonated into a blinding emerald beam.
The the beam screamed across the gym, a concentrated blast tearing through the space between them in a heartbeat.
The Curse Marine's eyes widened.
His finger barely brushed the trigger—
Before his head was obliterated.
Then collapsed forward, a lifeless heap of steaming flesh.
Silence.
The only sound left was Issei's ragged breathing, his body trembling from the strain of using the ability, explosion.
But it was over.
The last enemy had fallen.
And this time—
They would stay down.
A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the blood-drenched gym.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Then came the voice. The sound was mocking, condescending, dripping with sarcasm and cruel amusement.
"Well, well, well. Look at you sad little shits. You actually survied. Hooray~!"