Devouring Angels with Demon’s Sword - Chapter 11
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It had been about thirty minutes since Jinya Kochou escaped from the Detached Cell on his own and began heading home.
A figure, moving lightly across rooftops and soaring through the air, landed in the alley.
“──Yukariko here. I’ve arrived at the designated coordinates.”
The figure was a woman dressed in a strange outfit—wearing a hakama with laced-up boots, and a long coat covered in metal fittings.
She had dark skin and white hair that flowed down to her waist, a tall woman with an appearance far removed from that of an ordinary Japanese person.
〔Thank you for your efforts. How about the entrance?〕
“…I don’t see it. It seems the portal has already closed.”
The woman, Yukariko, spoke into her wireless earphone, frowning as she did so.
Her report indicated that the victim, who had been swallowed by the Detached Cell that formed here, was likely no longer alive.
〔I see… Understood. Please proceed with recovering the sword.〕
“Roger that.”
Yukariko lowered her eyes briefly, as if in prayer, then slowly extended her hand.
“Get drunk──“Shutendouji”
In the darkness of the evening, her golden eyes began to gleam.
The moment she reached out into the empty air, a spray of blue mist burst forth, and in her hand appeared a sword.
The blade alone was over five feet long, a massive weapon classified as a “nodachi” or “ōdachi”—a great sword with a shallow curve.
Resting the broad blade on her shoulder, Yukariko began searching for something.
──When a Detached Cell closes upon the death of its captive, it leaves behind a faint seam.
Commonly referred to as a “Stigma,” this trace is only visible while one’s Body Enhancement Extra is active.
Furthermore, a second-stage Demon Sword, one that has regained its name, has the ability to forcibly reopen that seam.
Void Swords, now only obtainable from Detached Cells, were invaluable.
That’s why the Demon Sword Association regularly dispatched those with special abilities to search for them.
Officially, it was under the guise of swift rescue operations for victims, but in reality, human life was secondary.
At least to the higher-ups in the Association, recovering Void Swords was the primary objective.
“…?”
As Yukariko’s golden eyes scanned her surroundings, her expression grew puzzled.
Covering her left ear, where her earphone was placed, she spoke into the communicator with a note of confusion.
“Are you sure this is the right spot? I’m not seeing any Stigma.”
〔What…? That’s impossible…〕
The seams left by the Detached Cell fade over time and eventually disappear.
But they don’t close completely in just a few dozen minutes.
There were two possibilities.
Either the investigation was flawed and they had the wrong location, or…
〔…Could it be… that the victim escaped… on their own?〕
“That’s absurd.”
Yukariko shook her head in disbelief.
“Forget the Lesser Angels, or even the Archangel we’re talking about. Weren’t you the one who identified the ‘Saint’ here?”
If that was the case, the combat ability would be at least Sixth Rank.
“No novice Demon Sword user could handle something like that.”
Dismissing the idea outright, Yukariko leaped onto the nearest rooftop.
“I’ll search the surrounding area for now. Once I’ve recovered, I’ll request another scan.”
〔…Please do. I’ll contact you once we have results.〕
Ending the call for the moment, her golden eyes scanned the area once more.
However, the narrow paths, lack of streetlights, and poor visibility made it difficult to see anything.
“This is going to be a tedious search.”
She clicked her tongue quietly.
Then, bending her knees slightly, she crouched low.
In the next moment, Yukariko’s outline blurred dramatically──and just like that, she vanished without a sound.