Chapter 3 - A Gathering of Immortals

"My progress would be extraordinary among demons, " Adrian Blake murmured to himself as he stood in the cold night air of Kuoh town. Demons, especially pure-bloods, often live for centuries or even millennia, and training is a slow and methodical process. Decades can pass before there is even a minor improvement. But Adrian was not pure-blood. He was a hybrid, blessed or cursed with the blood of a brave warrior. It flowed through his veins like fire, raising his potential and talent. He slowly clenched his fists, the bones creaking as his sealed power retreated into his body. He had acquired the power not as a user, but as an intruder. The Divine Destroyer had become an ability within his system detached from Ddraig's soul. Yet it pulsed like an extension of his body rather than a tool. "I could probably use the Forbidden Move," he whispered, his voice low. But with his current strength, he would burn to ash before it finished charging. He exhaled, pushing away the chill of death that comes with such thoughts, but it didn't matter, this was a step forward. His eyes rose to the sky veiled in dusk. A flash of energy touched his senses, someone was coming fast. The repelling ward had collapsed when Donashik died, attracting attention like blood in the water. Adrian crouched and vanished like a shadow chasing panther, no more than ten seconds before a pink-clad figure landed in the park. Chiyoda Momo surveyed the destruction, rubble littering the ground and two twisted bodies. Raynare, the fallen angel, descended on black wings, her eyes fixed on the destruction below. Momo didn't move, her expression unreadable. "Fallen Angel?" she asked. She wasn't the only one. Another figure appeared, wings of black fire tearing through the clouds. Raynare's voice was snarl, "Magical Girl, did you kill my servant?" Momo's answer was simple, "I didn't. I sensed a disturbance and came here." Raynare narrowed her eyes, Momo's aura stable and refined, she wasn't lying, but she was strong and dangerous. "Why are fallen angels appearing in Kuoh all of a sudden?" Momo questioned. Raynare didn't answer, she didn't want to fight, especially with someone who, despite their title, still operated on the light side, albeit loosely. She flew away without another word, leaving Momo to clean up the mess. Elsewhere, Adrian covered two kilometers but his attention returned to the park, sensing both Raynare and Momo's presence. "Kuoh is a den of monsters, magical girls, fallen angels and devils. What else lurks here?" He thought, deeper he looked, darker the waters become. He decided to lay low and grow stronger before activating Through the Gate and traversing timelines. As he walked, he noticed a girl standing alone on the roadside under the streetlight. She was stunning, delicate features framed by red hair that fell to her waist. Her eyes shimmering with emotion, a sailor uniform hugging her body like divine hands sculpted it. Not tall, maybe 160 centimeters, every curve perfectly proportioned, a slight collar revealing a hint of cleavage and a short pleated skirt leaving much to imagination. Black thigh-highs hugged her legs accentuating her creamy skin. Adrian's mind stopped for a moment, a living goddess, but not lust stirred him, recognition. "Red hair and that aura, could it be Rias?" he wondered, but no, it didn't fit. In this time, Issei hadn't joined the devils yet, so no engagement with Rias, no peerage conflict, no trigger. He studied her closer, demonic aura yes, but different from Rais's. Youthful and unstable. "Not Rias but definitely a devil." The girl, Naruse Mio, shifted nervously, noticing Adrian's stare, she turned her head feigning ignorance, a blush touching her cheeks. "Where is Maria? She said it would only take a minute," her voice soft. Adrian frowned, searching his memory, over ten years since his awakening, faces and names blurring with time but something tugged his memory. He couldn't place her but her aura confirmed she was pure-blood, unlike him. His own aura a mix of demon and fallen angel blood, allowing him to hide his nature as human, but hers? Untamed and pure. He took a step towards her, planning to speak, confirm her identity, then paused. From the alley, dark mist formed, black mist coalesced into three figures, twisted and malformed, more curse than human. Cursed constructs, they approached