In the Occult Research Club...
"Hmm, the town has been strangely quiet this week," Rias muttered while standing near the open windows. Her gaze wandered aimlessly, yet never strayed from the townscape outside the academy.
"That's a good thing. It means you and Sona are managing things well," Akeno replied while gently patting Issei's hair as he rested his head on her lap. He had just completed his contract work, and it seemed to have taken a toll on him—mentally, at least.
"I know, and I should be happy about it. But..." A frown formed on Rias's face. "I have a feeling something is going on in the background. It's just too peaceful."
"...I'd rather fight stray devils than do contract work. That demon-like human..." Issei muttered, his body trembling as he recalled his contractor. It wasn't that they were bad, per se—it was just emotionally exhausting being around them. But since they were his first and only client, he couldn't just quit.
"You're being too tense. Relax a bit, Rias~ like Issei-kun here~" Akeno said as she leaned down slightly, pressing her voluptuous breasts against his face. He was surprised at first, but quickly burst into a perverted giggle. However, his hands stayed neatly at his sides, as though something was holding him back.
"Mou! Akeno, stop doing that!" Rias huffed, pouting as she pulled Issei up and hugged him close to her chest.
'Boobs to boobs!' Issei thought. It felt like he had just ascended to heaven, only for God (ouch!) to drop him again. He wished he could stay like this forever—surrounded by boobs.
...
On the Street...
"Thank you for your purchase!"
Kousuke took a quick lick of the ice cream he had just bought from a street vendor. The cold, durian-flavored treat immediately made the heat more bearable. Unfortunately, he couldn't walk home with Tsubaki, as she had contract work to do. He had dropped her off at the bus station earlier, and he was already missing her.
If he had joined Sona's peerage, maybe he could tag along. But he preferred being human. Besides, he wasn't desperate for power—his blessings were more than enough. He touched the necklace around his neck, feeling it respond with a slight tremble. It seemed Tsubaki had been thinking about him too. The corner of his lips curled at the thought.
With light steps, he continued enjoying the ice cream as he walked down the street. Then, suddenly, he turned into an alleyway. It looked so natural, as if he'd walked through there many times before.
Before long, he reached a dead end. Still, Kousuke seemed calm, as if he had expected it. He had already finished the ice cream, now simply chewing on the stick while surveying his surroundings.
Swish!
Without warning, he twisted his body slightly, barely avoiding a sharp claw slashing at him.
"Hehehe, you dodged that? You must be lucky, human!"
A grotesque figure stepped from the shadows. Four additional arms extended behind her back, each tipped with dagger-like claws. Her upper body was still vaguely humanoid—feminine in shape, but twisted. Her lower half, however, was a nightmarish spider's body covered in coarse hair and armored plating.
A stray devil, he thought, a half-human, half-spider abomination.
"Aah~ I can't hold back anymore! I need meat! Human meat! Let me eat you!"
Her spider abdomen fired a silk thread at him. Kousuke stepped aside with casual ease, watching it embed itself in a nearby wall. He touched the thread briefly with his fingers, examining it with a thoughtful expression.
'Hmm, it's actually good quality thread,' he mused, before leaping back just as she lunged, slamming into the spot he'd just occupied.
Stomp!
"Stop running away! Aaagh!" she roared.
As she rampaged through the alley, Kousuke kept his distance with calm precision. He was evaluating her—strength, speed, weaknesses. Should he end her quickly or have a little fun first? Decisions, decisions.
'Hmm, so many choices.'
"Aargh! Why won't my attacks land?!"
"You know, for an ugly monster, you sure whine like a child," he quipped, standing atop a condenser unit. His mocking gaze only infuriated the stray devil further.
"I'll kill you!"
"Ooh, scary~" he teased, leaping just in time to avoid her claws as they shredded the metal unit with a loud buzz. She roared again and swung wildly, blinded by rage.
Then—
CRACK!
She screamed in pain, her lower body suddenly buckling. Kousuke now held a massive hammer, resting it lazily over one shoulder.
"That must've hurt," he said, glancing at the crushed, leaking spider half. "All that gooey mess... kinda reminds me of cheese."
"Aaaargh!!"
"Chill, girl. Well, I can't blame you."
He dismissed the hammer to his inventory and pulled out a white deagle—or at least something that resembled it, with a more mystical aesthetic. He casually pointed it at the stray devil and fired.
Swish!
There was no loud bang, only a silent, deadly bullet that pierced a clean hole through her stomach. She screamed as a burning sensation surged through the wound—an effect of the bullet's holy enchantment.
"With that hole in your stomach, I guess you're not hungry anymore?"
He fired again. One shot to each shoulder. The pain and purity of the bullets left her reeling in agony. Her desperation gave way to panic.
She turned and tried to flee.
"Hey, where are you going now? Are we playing tag?" Kousuke called after her, amused. "Alright~ if I catch you, you're dead."
Unfortunately for her, Kousuke had no intention of letting her escape. Ever since he encountered a stray devil after school, he'd made a habit of memorizing their scent. He now spent hours hunting them down whenever he had time.
Rias's intuition had been spot-on. The quietness in town? It wasn't natural. It was maintained. By him.
Hunting strays had become a favorite pastime for Kousuke. It reminded him of the good times in the Other World. He always made sure no trace of his hunt was left behind, knowing full well about the many supernatural factions. He even stored the bodies, just in case they'd be useful someday. For now, they were just... trophies collecting dust in his inventory.
"I'm Batman. Just kidding," Kousuke muttered with a smirk, perched on top of a streetlight.
'Yet another successful hunt,' he thought, heading home with a lighter step.