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"Alpha Leader approaching the east entrance, possible contact with hostiles. Stay alert, I don't want any surprises."
With a whisper into the radio on his chest, a masked soldier moved stealthily along the outside of an old two-story house. From the windows, faint sources of light could be seen, indicating someone was inside.
"Alpha One, copy. We've got eyes on it. Nothing's getting in or out."
A response came through the soldier's earpiece, prompting a satisfied nod. Not far behind him, another soldier followed in silence. Inside the house, voices and laughter echoed carelessly. Five or six people, the soldier didn't have an exact number, but he knew it couldn't be many more.
The masked soldier stopped abruptly when he heard footsteps, raising his hand to signal his partner to halt. Before long, a robed figure exited through the back door, passing right by them without noticing their presence in the shadows.
The two remained completely still. Once it was clear no one else was coming out, the masked soldier signaled for his partner to keep watch. Resting his rifle against his sling, he drew a blade that gleamed as it left its sheath.
The second soldier aimed his weapon at the door while the masked one crept up slowly on the distracted enemy, who seemed just about ready to pull down his pants to relieve himself.
"!"
Before he could, a firm hand clamped over his mouth, pulling him back while a deep slash opened across his throat. Blood gushed as he struggled futilely, the light fading from his eyes as his body stopped twitching and slumped to the ground.
"Aren't you going to hide the body?" the second soldier whispered as the masked man—his leader—returned.
"None of them are getting out alive. It doesn't matter."
His answer was emotionless. No more questions were needed.
The leader stood by the back door, pressing his ear against it. Voices could still be heard, though they didn't seem to be coming from the room directly beyond. Some were definitely upstairs, and the others... in the living room?
There was no way to be certain, so in the end, there was only one way to find out— the hard way.
"We're going in. Eliminate the targets. Prepare the flashbang."
"Yes, sir."
With a quick setup that took no more than four minutes, the two were ready. The leader exchanged a look with his partner—everything that needed to be said had already been said.
"Alpha One…"
"Alpha One, copy."
"We're going in."
!
The door swung open, the leader entering first with the second soldier right behind him. No targets in sight—clear.
With a rapid internal mapping of the house, the leader signaled. His partner nodded, pulled the pin from a flashbang, and threw it into the next room.
Bang!
A deafening blast erupted, followed by groans of pain. The two soldiers stormed in, their trained reflexes instantly identifying and eliminating the enemies with precise single shots. No waste.
"Sweep the other rooms. I'm heading upstairs."
"Copy."
With that area clear, the leader moved toward the stairs, rifle raised as soon as he heard desperate footsteps.
!
A target appeared at the top of the stairs, and before even a full second passed, his body fell forward with a hole in his head. The leader caught the corpse mid-fall, shoving it aside so he could continue ascending unobstructed.
"AAAAH!"
As soon as he reached the top, he turned to see another enemy already upon him, a blade descending toward his head—only to be blocked by the leader's rifle.
The attacker shouted something in a strange language, but the soldier paid no mind. Sidestepping another swing, he countered with a brutal rifle strike to the jaw.
The enemy staggered, but his survival instinct kept him from collapsing completely, his body spinning in an attempt to slash the soldier's abdomen.
!
Just as the blade seemed about to connect, the leader abruptly grabbed the attacker's wrist and delivered a barrage of punches to his face until the man's body went limp.
"Lieutenant!"
Having heard the struggle, the second soldier rushed upstairs, his eyes widening at the sight of a bloodied enemy at his superior's feet.
"Anyone else?"
"Negative, sir!" The soldier quickly regained his composure. He had seen far worse.
"Alright." With that, the leader removed his helmet and then his mask, revealing a handsome face with a small scar on his cheek. "That makes six dead, one neutralized."
"Wait, did you check the rest of the rooms on this floor?"
The leader ran a hand through his brown hair, leaning against the wall as his eyes scanned the two doors ahead.
"If anyone else was here, they would've come to help." He pointed to one of the doors, then touched his earpiece. "Besides, I only heard two voices upstairs during recon."
"Damn it, Lieutenant Adam. Your lack of concern sometimes..."
Adam smiled, shrugging at his sergeant's reaction.
"Trust me, it's always the same. But if you're feeling uneasy, go ahead. I'll wait to signal the others to move in."
The sergeant nodded and moved forward. Adam wasn't offended by the lack of trust. Watching him go, he pulled a lollipop from his vest pocket and began unwrapping it.
The soldier cautiously opened the first door—nothing but filth.
"...!"
But as soon as he opened the second and peeked into what looked like a bedroom, he flinched in shock. Adam immediately raised his rifle.
"Lieutenant..." The sergeant pointed toward something in the room. "You'll want to see this."
"What—" Adam moved quickly, rifle at the ready. But the moment he saw what his sergeant was referring to, he lowered it.
"Oh..."
Curled up beside a bed, a terrified child trembled, staring at them with one exposed eye, the other hidden behind her thin arms wrapped around herself.
Adam stared for a moment, then his eyes drifted to the bed. A pale woman lay upon it—clearly lifeless for at least a day.
"Damn... Animals." The sergeant removed his helmet, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. It wasn't like he hadn't seen scenes like this before, but it never got easier.
"..." Adam surveyed the room. Filth everywhere. Stained sheets. It didn't take a genius to understand what had happened—what that child had witnessed.
She wasn't just scared. She was horrified. Her fragile body seemed like it hadn't been fed more than what was needed to barely survive… Likely meals meant for the mother, who gave them all to her child.
They had used the woman like an object—in front of the child, forcing them to witness not only that atrocity, but her slow death from starvation and disease.
Truly... animals.
"Colby..."
The sergeant straightened at hearing his name, turning to Adam seriously. "Yes, Lieutenant?"
"The one I beat down..." Adam stepped forward, watching the child tremble even harder. "Tie him up. We have business with him."
"..." The sergeant stared at his superior's back for a moment, then turned to leave. "Gladly, Lieutenant."
Silence fell over the room once Colby was gone. Adam, watching the traumatized child, let out a helpless sigh. That sense of powerlessness always hit him at times like these.
Probably, for a day, he'd been too late to save her mother… Maybe…
No. He'd had that internal debate a thousand times. "Maybe" didn't matter. The only thing that did was what he could do now—and going forward.
Getting lost in regrets only slowed the mission.
As a soldier, he knew that better than anyone.
Raising both hands in a non-threatening gesture, Adam crouched slowly to the child's level. It seemed to work, if only slightly, as her trembling began to ease.
But it was clear it wouldn't be enough... Maybe nothing ever would be. Still, Adam wanted to offer her the tiniest bit of comfort. She was a fragile, innocent child who had been forced to see what no one—especially no child—should ever have to see.
He didn't expect to be her savior. Her light.
Adam just wanted to be her chance.
Pulling the lollipop from his pocket, he unwrapped it, letting the sweet strawberry scent fill the air as he extended it slowly toward the girl.
Her chance to keep going—despite everything.
"Hey..."
The child stared at the candy with tearful eyes, her once trembling body now visibly calmer.
"Let's go home."
With a gentle, comforting smile, he waited until the child found the courage to reach out and take the lollipop, nodding in satisfaction when she finally did.
Maybe she'd never fully recover... But at the very least, Adam wanted to make sure that didn't become reality.
Everyone he saved, he wanted to see them well. And he would fight for that.
. . .
Adam blinked back to the present, his mind clouded with memories of his life as a soldier. Standing by the window, he watched Asia chatting with Kiba, Issei, and Koneko. The sight brought a smile to his face. Now he understood why his thoughts had wandered.
Fortunately, with Asia, he had managed to avoid the worst.
Memories like that haunted him from time to time, but seeing Asia's genuine smile… it brought him peace.
It was like a natural sedative...
"..."
As Adam observed the group through the window, Rias and Akeno, in the kitchen, watched his back with curious eyes.
They didn't need to exchange words to know what the other was thinking.
Adam wasn't telling them the whole truth. Of course, Rias wasn't particularly bothered by that—everyone had a right to their secrets.
Besides, she could tell Adam truly cared about Asia. The way he looked at her, the way he smiled... None of it seemed fake. And if it was, Adam was good enough to deceive even a devil's senses—which she doubted.
She had no real reason to mistrust him. After all, he hadn't done anything against her peerage. The death of the Fallen Angel? Pure self-defense. Saving Asia? Odd, but not impossible. A coincidence, maybe.
Normally, she wouldn't concern herself so much with someone. But Adam was… different.
The way he acted, the way he spoke, his calm demeanor even when talking to demonic nobility… And his presence—it was just so damn pleasant.
Rias found herself drawn to him. And she wasn't the only one. Akeno and even Koneko seemed to feel the same. Especially Koneko.
Rias hadn't missed her rook's not-so-subtle stares.
Pheromones, maybe? Rias couldn't say. But she knew for sure—Adam was no ordinary human.
That's why she wanted him as her magician. But his refusal had thrown a wrench in her plans. Even when she tried to persuade him by listing all the benefits, he confidently declined—as if the idea didn't appeal to him at all.
It annoyed her a little. But in the end, what could she do? She wouldn't force someone into her peerage.
Rubbing her face, she sighed, contemplating her next move.
Luckily, not having him as a magician didn't mean she couldn't maintain a friendly relationship. Maybe in the future, he'd change his mind.
She could even offer help without any contract—just to strengthen their bond.
The idea seemed promising. All things considered, it might just be the best move.
Someone so mysterious, with power just as enigmatic… Even if Rias didn't like thinking this way, she was still a peerage leader. Losing the chance to have such a powerful ally at her side? That would be unacceptable.
That's why she didn't want Adam slipping through her fingers. Not just out of curiosity—but because he might be crucial in times of need.
With a small smile, she crossed her arms over her chest, nodding to herself with a confident expression.
Yes, that was it! Strategic reasons!
…
Akeno watched Rias silently, suspicious of her sudden shift from contemplative to confident.
She didn't know exactly what her leader was thinking—but she had a feeling… it was just an excuse.