The moon hung low over Kuoh, veiled in shifting clouds. The town below slept, quiet and unaware. But above it all, perched on a crooked radio tower, sat a presence cloaked in black wings.
A Fallen Angel.
Her golden eyes scanned the rooftops. Her aura, sharp like cold glass, pulsed faintly through the night. She wasn't one of Azazel's. This one operated on her own—rogue, curious, and dangerous.
Her gaze locked onto the school courtyard. A lone figure stood under the lamplight.
The transfer student.
Kurozai Ren.
No aura. No power signature. Not even a fluctuation in magic or spirit energy. It was like trying to sense a ghost through a brick wall.
"…No resonance," she whispered, eyes narrowing. "What are you?"
She leapt silently from the tower, wings catching the breeze. Her descent was swift and graceful, like a hawk preparing to strike.
She landed on a nearby rooftop, just a few meters from him.
Ren didn't flinch.
Didn't turn.
Didn't even blink.
"I know you're there," he said softly, almost bored. "You're not the first tonight."
She frowned.
"There were others?"
"A priest. Then a yokai. They ran too."
Her instincts pricked.
She stepped into the light. "I'm not here to fight. Just observe. You're… interesting."
Ren finally turned his head.
Their eyes met.
For one heartbeat, time stretched.
She staggered back slightly. Just a step.
It wasn't fear. Not quite. It was something deeper. Primal.
Like standing in front of something wrong. Something that shouldn't exist within this world.
"What… are you hiding?" she whispered, her voice cracking despite herself.
He tilted his head slightly, expression unreadable.
"You're curious," he said. "That's fine. Just don't look too close."
The next second, the air shifted—subtle, but unmistakable. Not pressure. Not magic. Something else. The space around him… bent. The very atmosphere recoiled.
[Cosmic Template Sync: 7%]Warning: Presence identified. Threat Level – insignificant.Predator's instinct… stabilizing.
The rogue Fallen's eyes widened.
No aura—but it felt like the void had looked back at her. Not a devil. Not a dragon. Not even a Sacred Gear.
Just emptiness with hunger behind it.
"I—" she stepped back again, wings twitching. "This wasn't worth it."
Without another word, she vanished into the sky—retreating fast.
Ren looked up at the stars. Calm. Unbothered.
Even the fallen can feel it…The difference between what I am, and what they think I should be.
He turned and walked away, his shadow long behind him.