"I can do it, I can do it! It's not as convenient as what you described, but isn't that just a kind of curse? I can cast a special technique on someone that forces them to take an antidote at regular intervals. If they don't... they'll start itching all over until it kills them."
Kuroka blinked her big, innocent eyes as she casually described something that sent chills down Asia's spine.
"Perfect. You're hired."
Rod was more than satisfied.
He immediately dragged the three captured Fallen Angels out of the church.
"Three Fallen Angels? Are they from the Abyssal Fallen?"
Lavinia's expression instantly hardened.
A pressure unique to high-ranking magicians descended on the trio like a hammer.
Raynare, Mittelt, and Kalawarna all began trembling like leaves in a storm.
Who were these people?
The aura radiating from that woman felt no different from the big-shot cadres back in Grigori!
How had they ended up in the sights of this kind of boss-level team?!
Mittelt and Kalawarna silently cursed Raynare hundreds of times over.
So much for a plan with no flaws, so much for a "low-risk" operation!
The local devils may not have come after them, but instead they ran into something even more terrifying. How was a bunch of grunts like them supposed to stand a chance?
And then Raynare's eyes fell on the blonde girl standing behind Rod's group.
Unlike the others, who all looked like absolute powerhouses, this girl's presence was faint.
"You're... Asia Argento, the Holy Maiden?"
Raynare's memories surged forward as she stared in disbelief.
"Um? Y-You know who I am?"
Asia shrank back nervously.
Even though Raynare was a Fallen Angel, Asia still responded politely, just like a devout nun would.
"Of course I know you. The Sacred Gear you possess is rare and-"
Raynare suddenly froze mid-sentence.
It hit her all at once.
From the very beginning, their plan had been seen through. Someone had tracked them down, followed the trail all the way to Kuoh Town!
She was at a loss for words.
Who were these people?!
Just for one excommunicated Holy Maiden, the Church sent this kind of force to take them down? Were they all that bored?
Still, she kept those complaints to herself. Her life was literally in their hands.
Survival over ambition, always.
"Kuroka, do it."
Rod gave the order. Kuroka raised her hand and released a strange, smoky mist.
It quickly drifted into the bodies of the three Fallen Angels.
While they didn't feel anything unusual right away, Rod could clearly read the confusion and fear on their faces.
Kuroka explained the spell: unless they regularly received the antidote, they'd suffer unbearable itching ,followed by death.
The moment they heard that, all three completely gave up hope of escape.
...…
After leaving the abandoned church, Rod drove toward Kuoh Town's residential district.
Having visited years ago, he'd made a point of purchasing a house in anticipation of returning someday.
And today, that investment finally paid off.
He retrieved the key from his storage space and opened the door ,only to be greeted by a choking wave of dust.
Rod turned to glare at the trembling trio of Fallen Angels.
"Your first task is to clean this place from top to bottom before nightfall. There are cleaning supplies in the storage room. Figure out the rest yourselves."
"Lavinia, Asia, we're going into town. We might be living here for a while."
The two girls nodded without protest.
As Rod's group drove off, Raynare stamped her foot in frustration.
"Damn that human! How dare he boss me around like that?!"
She was a Fallen Angel! Cleaning was beneath her ,servants did that kind of thing!
"Yeah, but what choice do you have?"
Mittelt shrugged. "Honestly, it's not that bad. It's not like we can go back now without getting punished. At least that guy isn't killing us. We might as well stay and see what he's up to."
She spun around and changed into her signature cosplay maid outfit.
"Besides, that guy's really handsome. Way hotter than any of those geezers back in Grigori."
"Mittelt, you-"
Raynare trailed off mid-scold.
Because she couldn't exactly disagree.
Meanwhile, Kalawarna had already picked up a bucket and mop and begun scrubbing the dust-covered floor like a seasoned pro.
"What's up with her?"
Raynare asked, puzzled by her unusually silent companion.
"I'm guessing she's still traumatized," Mittelt replied in a whisper. "But don't be fooled by her straight-laced act ,Kalawarna's secretly kind of a freak. Honestly, I think she's already developed Stockholm Syndrome."
"What's that? Can Fallen Angels even get sick?"
"It's not a normal illness ,it's a mental thing. I'm not an expert, but that's what it looks like to me!"
With that, Mittelt grabbed a rag and got to work.
"Come on, let's get started. If the master comes back and the place isn't clean, we'll be in trouble."
"You guys are seriously..."
Raynare looked torn.
But after touching the still-healing wound on her neck, she quietly joined the cleaning squad.
...…
While the three Fallen Angels huffed and puffed through housework, Rod had already taken the girls into Kuoh Town's bustling downtown.
"Go buy whatever you need for daily life, skincare, clothes, girl stuff. Call me if anything comes up. I'll be walking around."
With that, the group split up, three girls and one cat going off on their own.
Rod strolled aimlessly through the shopping district.
Compared to other parts of Japan, Kuoh Town's city center was mostly the same ,just a bit less crowded.
After wandering for a bit, he slumped onto a bench and pulled out his phone.
"Check this out ,this guy's name is Carl..."
Nice.
Rod leaned back in satisfaction.
The reason he was so relaxed? He knew that the corpses back at the church wouldn't go unnoticed for long.
After all, Raynare and the others had paraded into the only church in a devil-governed town like they owned the place.
Even if Rias Gremory was just a figurehead, there was no way she wouldn't notice.
She probably hadn't acted yet because she was still evaluating the diplomatic fallout, whether the appearance of Fallen Angels would disrupt relations between the factions.
But within a day, tops, she'd definitely find the church... and the bodies.
Once that happened, it wouldn't be hard to figure out where Rod was staying.
All he had to do was sit back and wait for them to come knocking.
"Hello there! Please take a look!"
A cheerful, lively voice pulled Rod from his scrolling.
Standing in front of him was a girl in a maid outfit, complete with decorative bat wings on her back.
She held out a flyer to him, smiling brightly.
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