Staring at the towering church in the distance, Naruse Mio and Naruse Maria both looked visibly uncomfortable.
As Devils, approaching a sacred place like a church naturally made them feel uneasy.
Yet neither of them complained. Instead, they obediently followed Hayashi.
Compared to the constant fear and hiding from before, Mio was truly grateful for her current life.
Her pretty face blushed slightly as she stole a glance at Hayashi walking beside her, trying to calm the fluttering in her heart.
It felt as if, so long as this man—her Master—was by her side, the fear and unease that used to plague her heart had completely vanished.
Meanwhile, at the center of the massive church, Raynare stood before the others like an innocent high school girl.
Standing in front of her were her fellow Fallen Angels.
One was a tall, voluptuous woman with long deep-blue hair—a full-on domineering onee-san.
The other was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl dressed in gothic lolita attire.
Behind them stood a group of Stray Exorcists, lined up neatly, not daring to lift their heads.
They all knew very well that these three were people who could kill without blinking.
It was Raynare and her companions who had gathered this group of Stray Exorcists and formed the church organization here.
The two companions looked at Raynare in confusion, and the blonde gothic-lolita girl, Mittelt, was the first to speak.
"Why did you suddenly summon everyone? Weren't we supposed to be searching for that pure-blood Devil who wandered into this area?"
Since Mittelt had spoken, the blue-haired onee-san Kalawarner also asked, "By the way, what happened to Dohnaseek? It's been a night, and he's just gone?"
"That idiot Dohnaseek is dead."
Raynare's cold response instantly stunned Mittelt and Kalawarner.
"He's dead?" ×2
As they cried out in shock, Raynare continued indifferently, "The reason I summoned you here is for the sake of our Master."
"Master?" ×2
Still reeling from the last shock, the two were now hit with an even more explosive revelation.
They looked at Raynare in disbelief. They both knew very well how arrogant and vicious she was.
And now she had a Master? And even spoke the title with such devotion?
This utterly ridiculous reality made them wonder if they'd fallen into some kind of illusion.
Tap, tap, tap~~
Before they could collect their thoughts, the sound of footsteps echoed from behind.
They quickly turned to look.
Hayashi had arrived, strolling leisurely into the church with Mio and Maria following behind.
Seeing the rows of Stray Exorcists filling the hall, Hayashi clapped his hands in approval for Raynare's efforts.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Well done, Raynare. I'll be sure to reward you properly when we get back."
Hearing Hayashi's praise, Raynare was filled with joy.
She flashed a flattering smile and humbly replied, "It was all according to your will, Master~~"
"Raynare, you—!" ×2
Seeing Raynare bow and scrape like this, Mittelt and Kalawarner were shocked, but also quickly realized that Hayashi was the Master she spoke of.
Their gazes turned to Hayashi, but then they noticed the two people following behind him.
"Two Devils?"
"One of them seems to be the pure-blood Devil we're looking for."
Mittelt and Kalawarner exchanged a glance and reached a conclusion.
Raynare had betrayed the Fallen Angel faction!
The petite Mittelt stomped her foot and shouted, "You fools, they're the enemy!"
The Stray Exorcists snapped to attention, but before they could even draw their weapons, Hayashi raised his hand.
"Mio, take a good look at the true power inside you."
"My… power?"
As Naruse Mio blinked in confusion, Hayashi gathered surging magic power into the palm of his hand.
"Gravity Magic: Force Field Suppression!"
Buzz—
A violet gravity field suddenly burst forth, blanketing the entire area.
Every single Stray Exorcist felt as though a mountain had been dropped on their backs, forcing their knees to buckle as they collapsed to the ground.
"Aaahhh!!!"
Everyone struggled desperately, but the harder they tried, the heavier the gravity became.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Until cracking sounds echoed from inside their bodies, and blood splattered from their limbs.
In barely ten seconds, nearly thirty Stray Exorcists had lost their lives.
Thud!!
Mittelt and Kalawarner, who hadn't even had the chance to attack, swallowed hard in terror.
Raynare's gaze toward Hayashi brimmed with even deeper admiration and affection.
Stronger—he had grown even stronger!
An instinctual submission and ecstatic joy coursed through her, making her legs tremble with excitement.
Looking at the lifeless bodies of the Stray Exorcists, Mio turned her astonished eyes toward herself.
Was this really her power?
Without offering much of an explanation, Hayashi ignored the corpses.
Some Traits had dropped at random, but they were such trash that he didn't even bother fusing them.
As Hayashi approached, Mittelt and Kalawarner were completely rattled.
Should they fight?
Didn't look like they could win.
Exchanging another glance, the two of them nodded in sync and shouted, "Run!"
Black Fallen Angel wings spread from their backs.
But before they could take flight, Hayashi pointed a finger.
The violet gravity field expanded, and the invisible pressure crashed down upon them.
Thud! Thud!
The two immediately tumbled to the ground, face-planted in a full kowtow before Hayashi.
"What gave you the illusion you could run—courage?"
Hayashi looked at them speechlessly, squatting down as he lifted Kalawarner's chin.
That delicate, sultry face came into view.
No doubt about it—these Fallen Angels were seriously beautiful.
In terms of looks, Mittelt and Kalawarner were only slightly behind Raynare.
"Just who are you?!"
Kalawarner, full of fear, asked with unease.
Hayashi pinched her soft cheek and replied casually, "Just a passing Exorcist, that's all."
Then he released his magic power, drawing a Master-Servant Contract magic circle on the floor.
"Open your hearts—or your only ending is death!"
Hayashi's deep voice echoed in their ears.
Thinking of the gruesome sight of the Stray Exorcists just now, both women lowered their once-proud heads.
The glowing pink collar pattern etched itself onto their necks in an instant.
"If you don't want to offer yourselves right now, then go kiss Master's hand already."
Looking at her two former subordinates now reduced to her "fellow servants," Raynare spoke with a trace of pity.
They used to be under her command, and now they followed after her—so Raynare still cared for them a little.
"What kind of joke is this? Why should I kiss this man's hand, he's—Mmph ah!"
Just as Mittelt shrieked, the pink collar on her neck burst with light.
Kalawarner, startled and unsure of what was happening, was too distracted to kiss the magic circle.
As the spell on Hayashi's hand vanished, the curse descended upon her as well.
"Aaaahhh!"
The two women let out seductive cries in unison, writhing and rolling on the floor.
"It's here, it's here! This brilliant curse scene—I have to record this!!"
With a face full of glee, Maria whipped out a camcorder and began filming.
Naruse Mio was completely speechless. Why the hell was Maria carrying a camcorder with her? Did she already foresee this happening?