When Nero trailed Mana to the vicinity of the "gate" leading to another world, a group was already there, waiting like they'd been expecting this showdown for ages. Hiiro, Aine, Riki, and Sosei—none of them missing. Right now, with the crimson moonlight spilling from the depths of the streets and a horde of demons crawling out, Chisaya Aine had sealed the entire area in her barrier to keep the chaos from spreading.
Mana, looking like a hollow shell with lifeless eyes, was stuck outside the barrier. It wasn't enough to stop Nero, but she wasn't about to smash through it either. Instead, she jabbed her Yamato blade into the glowing wall, slicing open a small tear just big enough to slip through.
The moment she stepped inside, the barrier snapped shut behind her. In a flash, Nero had already switched outfits, trading her usual gear for a slick tuxedo—now she was "Samael," ready to play the part.
"Hey, you! Can't you just stand there and watch like a normal person?!"
The second Nero crossed into the barrier, a furious complaint hit her like a slap—quite the warm welcome. Her eyes flicked toward the source, landing on the one spitting venom.
It was Riki Shiina. She was nocking an arrow, glaring daggers at Aine, who stood a little ways ahead, and bellowing loud enough to wake the dead: "Do you have any idea how those random barriers of yours are screwing up my shots?!"
Aine clearly didn't dare talk back, just shrinking a little under the onslaught. Sosei, wielding twin blades, pulled back from the front line to play peacemaker. "Alright, Riki, chill. Aine's still new at this. Give her a break."
Hearing someone take her side, Aine perked up, her eyes flashing with a bit of gratitude—only to get steamrolled by Riki's next tirade. "A week isn't enough time?! How many times have I told her to watch where Hiiro and I are before she starts throwing barriers? Has she fixed anything?!"
"Riki…"
Hiiro's voice floated down from above, where she hovered in the air. Thanks to Riki's outburst, Aine had pulled back her barrier, and Sosei had stepped out of close combat. That left Hiiro as the only one still holding the demons at bay, and she was starting to falter.
"Sorry, Hiiro. On my way."
Hiiro was the only one Riki didn't snap at—probably because their teamwork as long-range fighters was usually seamless. No room for screw-ups there.
Riki drew her bow, firing an arrow that pierced through a handful of demons in one go. Her next shot switched to a scatter, unleashing nine short arrows that mowed down the closest ones. Without a word, she started charging up a toxic swamp arrow.
These demons were weak—way weaker than the training dummies Little Ace had scrounged up for them a few days ago. But everyone there knew what it meant when these puppet-like shadow demons showed up. It was a sign that they were about to make their move.
This was just the appetizer.
Fresh off her scolding, Aine forced herself to focus, ready to throw up another barrier to block the enemy. Riki hadn't said a word while drawing her bow, so Aine had to guess it was another straight-line attack. To cover Sosei, she split the demon horde down the middle with her barrier, leaving a clear shot for Riki's direction.
Big mistake. Riki's attack wasn't a piercing shot—it was a wide-ranging toxic swamp. The window Aine left wasn't nearly big enough, and, predictably, Riki exploded again.
"Are you deaf or just stupid?!"
Riki lowered her bow, storming toward Aine like a hurricane. She grabbed Aine's shoulders, spinning her around and shoving her twice for good measure. "Didn't I tell you to stop messing around and just watch from the sidelines?!"
"But…"
Aine started to protest. If she was just a tool to throw up barriers and trap enemies, were they even a team? She wanted to say it, but Riki wasn't having it, cutting her off with another push. "No buts! You—"
"Sounds to me like someone doesn't know how to talk like a human."
A figure perched on a nearby windowsill cut into their argument, voice dripping with sarcasm.
That snarky tone was like pouring gasoline on Riki's already blazing temper. Without missing a beat, she raised her bow and aimed at the figure. "Get out here!"
The figure on the windowsill—Nero, naturally—wasn't fazed by Riki's threat. She plucked off her top hat, spinning it on her finger with a smirk. "Whoa, now. Is that some fancy foreign 'hello' I'm not hip to? 'Cause I'm not quite catching it."
The jab, paired with her earlier mockery, came out slow and deliberate. "So, missy, you call that human speech?"
Riki, practically seeing red, let her arrow fly. In her mind, they were inside a barrier—anyone showing up now was probably tied to the demons. If they got hit, tough luck.
Sosei, who'd been about to step in and tell Riki to cool it but got upstaged by Nero's quip, gasped when Riki actually attacked. "Riki! What the hell?!"
Nero casually flicked a streak of blue energy, shattering the purple toxic arrow midair. She hopped off the windowsill, her cane tapping the ground as she fully revealed herself. "Well, well, we meet again, ladies. Need me to reintroduce myself?"
Among this crew, aside from that one time in the Crimson Moon world, "Samael" had crossed paths with Aine, Riki, and Sosei individually—though she'd never formally introduced herself to Sosei, hence the question.
"Samael, right?" Sosei called out Nero's alias, signaling she was in the know. She dipped her head slightly. "I'm sorry for my friend's rudeness, but as you can see, we've got a demon problem. Can we chat later?"
With that, she dove back into the fray, slashing at the demons.
Aine shot Nero a grateful look for bailing her out but stayed quiet, throwing up another barrier to back Sosei up.
Riki, on the other hand, froze when she got a good look at Nero. Her bow-wielding hand trembled slightly, clearly remembering the last time she'd mouthed off and got put in her place. But her stubborn streak won out over fear—she didn't back down, still aiming at Nero despite the shakes.
Nero smirked at the sight. "What, you need glasses? The bad guys are that way."
"…" Riki went quiet for a second, her bowstring loosening just a bit, but she didn't lower it. "Who the hell are you, anyway?"
(End of Chapter)