"A real warrior doesn't o say anything. You see it in his eyes that he's prepared to kill and be killed."

  — Kenshin Himura, Rurouni Kenshin

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  Saeko fshed forward, appearing before the Stray Devil. She drew her katana and swung.

  *Swish!*

  A fsh of steel, and the Stray Devil's massive arm was severed.

  This Stray was the same ohat had appeared in the inal story's first enter. Its power was only on par with a Low-Css devil. For Saeko, with her Mid-Css devil strength, it was an easy oppo.

  However, Roy remembered that this particur devil could still trol its severed limbs. If they weren't careful, they could still be injured.

  "Rika, go and assist her," Roy instructed.

  "Huh? But Saeko is..." Rika began, but Roy cut her off.

  "This devil has a special ability. It's not as simple as it looks."

  Rika nodded seriously.

  "Uood!"

  She rushed forward, but instead of joining the fight directly, she observed from the sidelines.

  Her swordsmanship was average at best, uo infliy signifit damage oray. She focused on , hoping to dis the special ability Roy had mentioned.

  Meanwhile, the battle between Saeko and the Stray Devil intensified. Lag experience fighting devils, and hampered by the corrosive beams stantly firing from the Stray's chest, Saekled to approach. She relied on her speed to evade its attacks.

  Saeko's bat instincts were sharp. Spotting an opening, she closed the distance rapidly.

  *Swish! Swish! Swish!*

  In a flurry of strikes, Saeko severed the Stray's remaining arm and both legs.

  Without its limbs, the massive body crashed to the ground.

  The thrill of battling such a powerful foe sent a wave of excitement through Saeko. Her cheeks flushed as she approached the downed devil, ready to deliver the final blow.

  But just then...

  "Look out!" Rika shouted, her voice filled with urgency.

  She dashed behind Saeko.

  The Stray Devil's severed arm suddenly sprang to life, reag for Saeko with sharp cws. Even Saeko would be injured if caught by those talons.

  Without hesitation, Rika threw herself in front of Saeko, her kataing the ining cw.

  *Bang!*

  The force of the blow was immense, sending Rika flying several meters. But she had successfully blocked the attack.

  Saeko's eyes widened.

  Without a moment's dey, she swung her katana.

  *Squelch!*

  The Stray Devil's head was severed.

  With its head gohe disembodied cw fell limply to the ground.

  "Rika, are you alright?" Shizuka rushed forward, cheg on Rika's dition and casting a healing spell.

  Though sent flying by the blow, Rika hadn't sustained any serious injuries. This was why Roy hadn't intervened.

  "I'm so sorry, Rika-senpai!" Saeko apologized, bowing her head.

  It was her carelesshat had put Rika in danger.

  "It's okay, Saeko. It was thanks to Roy's warning that I noticed the severed arm could still move." Rika shook her head, defleg Saeko's apology and giving credit to Roy.

  Saeko turo look at Roy, her eyes filled with eveer admiration.

  "Alright, no need for self-recrimination. The devil extermination was a success, and both Saeko and Rika performed admirably," Roy announced, g his hands t the discussion to a close.

  "Yeah! Yeah! Saeko-neesan was so cool!" Alice said, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

  "And Rika did great too!" Shizuka added encingly as she tio heal Rika.

  "Sigh, we didn't get to do anything," Yuriko sighed, sounding bored.

  They had merely watched from the sidelines, uo tribute.

  "That's because Mom is too weak. You haven't even mastered Magic Bullet yet!" Saya quipped.

  "Besides, even if you *had* mastered Magic Bullet, you probably wouldn't have been able to break through that Stray Devil's defenses," she added, recalling her observations.

  Even Rika's sword had barely scratched it. Only Saeko, a Mid-Css devil, could sever its limbs with such ease.

  "Saya, you didn't do anythiher. You were trembling back there!" Yuriko retorted. As a mother, she couldn't let her daughter's criticism go unanswered.

  Saya blushed, remembering her initial fear wheray Devil had first appeared in its full, grotesque form.

  "Mom..."

  Before Saya could retort, Roy interrupted.

  "Alright, let's head bae first." This blood-soaked pce wasn't somewhere they should linger.

  ...

  Rika, fully healed by Shizuka, was now pletely fine. Her injuries hadn't been severe to begin with.

  Roy led the girls out of the house.

  Just as he was about to activate a teleportation circle, a red magic circle appeared before them.

  As the circle dissipated, Rias, Akeno, and Koneko materialized.

  "Oh?" Rias looked at Roy and his group in surprise, w what they were doing here.

  She had received a report about a Stray Devil and e to elimi.

  Roy was equally surprised to see Rias.

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