[Third Person POV]
A vast, white void stretched endlessly—up, down, left, right, all featureless. The space was as expansive as the training field beneath Gremory territory, with a towering ceiling.
Koneko, Ravel, and Gasper, kidnapped from Kuoh Academy, stood there, wrists bound by magical ropes, unable to move freely.
"Koneko-san, Gasper-san, are you okay?" Ravel asked.
"I'm fine. Gasper-kun?" Koneko replied.
"I'm okay… Where are we?" Gasper said, scanning the surroundings.
The trio tried to grasp their location, but nothing made sense. The only others present were the mages who brought them here.
"Welcome, Princess of the Phoenix House," a voice echoed.
They turned to see a figure in an ornate silver robe, hood obscuring their face. The voice suggested a young man.
"You're… the mastermind?" Ravel asked.
"Indeed," the robed man answered promptly.
Ravel pressed further. "Were you the ones contacting Phoenix House associates?"
She'd heard stray mages, expelled from the Association, were involved. This man, claiming leadership, likely gave the orders.
"First, take a look at this," he said, snapping his fingers.
A wall on the right sank, revealing rows of liquid-filled cultivation capsules connected to machines. Inside, figures floated.
(Are those… people?) Ravel thought, puzzled.
Some had adult builds, others childlike, but all were motionless, as if dead, with magical sigils etched onto their bodies.
The man spoke. "As a pureblood Phoenix, you know how to create 'Phoenix Tears,' don't you?"
"Of course," Ravel nodded.
Phoenix Tears
Crafted by a pureblood Phoenix through a special ritual, tears are shed into a consecrated chalice within a magical circle. The tears must be shed without emotion—emotional tears become mere personal tears, not Phoenix Tears.
Ravel knew this well.
"This is a 'factory' in the dimensional interstice," the man said. "For producing Phoenix Tears."
The trio gasped. Mephisto Pheles had mentioned fake tears circulating in the black market, but they hadn't imagined this place was the source.
As they reeled, the man dropped another bombshell. "Those in the capsules are clones of high-ranking Phoenix devils."
A devastating truth, especially for Ravel, the Phoenix House's eldest daughter.
"N-No…" Ravel's voice trembled.
His words cut deep. The clones, treated as mere tools for tear production, wounded her heart.
"We've succeeded in creating potent restoratives using them, but they're inferior to the real thing," the man continued dispassionately. "Copying Phoenix traits has limits. So, we kidnapped Phoenix associates for direct information. But only a pureblood would know certain details, so we brought you here."
His cold, detached tone—viewing the clones as objects—tore at Ravel's heart further.
"That's… cruel… Why clones…?" Ravel sobbed, tears streaming. Normally resolute, she was overwhelmed.
Koneko and Gasper called out, but she couldn't hear them. The man, unconcerned, ordered his mages, "Begin. Handle her carefully."
With that, he left. The mages surrounded the trio, preparing a magic circle and setting up measurement devices.
"Let's do this," one mage said, raising a hand toward Ravel.
"Gaaah!" Gasper's eyes glowed, freezing the mage's movements.
The sudden rebellion stunned the mages. Gasper shouted, "Koneko-chan! Take Ravel-san and escape! I'll hold them!"
Though bound, Koneko's strength might break the ropes. Gasper aimed to buy time, hoping help would arrive if he stalled long enough. As the only boy, he felt compelled to protect them.
(I have to protect them!)
But—
"You vampire!" A mage outside Gasper's view struck him, breaking his focus.
"Take that!" The mage kicked Gasper's stomach, making him crumple in pain.
"Gasper-kun!"
"Gasper-san!" Koneko and Ravel cried out.
The mage sneered, pointing at Gasper. "Blindfold that vampire. We can't have him stopping us again. And tighten the nekomata's restraints."
"Sure thing. Idiot thought he could resist. We're just doing tests—wouldn't have hurt if he stayed quiet," another mage said, blindfolding Gasper and reinforcing Koneko's bonds.
Koneko struggled, but the enhanced restraints held. She couldn't find a way to escape with Gasper and Ravel.
"Now, let's try again, Phoenix princess," a mage said, raising his hand. A magic circle spun with arcane symbols.
Then—
A new magic circle glowed at Ravel's feet, not cast by the mages. They frowned, but the light intensified, bursting and enveloping the area.
When it faded, Ravel was gone.
"You dared kidnap my precious juniors. Ready to pay, filthy mages?" said Hyoudou Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor, standing with his 'Queen,' Alice Audilia.
[Third Person POV End]
[Miu POV]
"Where… am I?" Ravel asked, disoriented, as the magic circle's glow faded.
"You're at our house—Alice-san's room, to be exact," I said.
"Miu-san!?" Ravel exclaimed.
"Yup. You okay? Let me undo those," I said, freeing her from the magical restraints.
Ravel rubbed her wrists, whispering, "I was just… How am I here?"
"I swapped your location with big brother and Alice-san's," I explained.
It was a teleportation swap spell. During Issei's promotion exam, the Hero Faction pulled something similar, and Lufey and Kuroka swapped Vali and Fenrir's places. Issei suggested it as a precaution, so I learned the spell from Lufey, tweaked it, and secretly marked Ravel. If she was taken, we could retrieve her and let Issei tackle the root of the problem.
"Sorry for not telling you. It was just insurance, and we didn't want to worry you," I said.
Good thing we planned ahead. I never imagined they'd attack Kuoh Academy in broad daylight, involving civilians.
"B-But Issei-sama… and Koneko-san and the others…!" Ravel panicked.
I understood why. The daytime attack was unexpected, but so was Koneko and Gasper's kidnapping. My spell was only for Ravel.
"No worries. Big brother's not alone—Alice-san's with him. And I stayed here to inform the president and others," I said, smiling reassuringly.
Those two getting taken down? Unlikely. Few could match them.
The plan: Issei and Alice fight while I protect Ravel. Then, we prepare and join them. I've marked them, so I know their location.
Phase one succeeded. Now, to inform the others.
I checked Ravel's condition. Her uniform was intact, no visible injuries or magical tampering. But tear streaks marked her cheeks, her eyes still wet.
For Ravel to cry like this… She must've seen or heard something awful.
"What… happened?" I asked gently.
"Ugh… Miu-san… I…" Ravel burst into tears, clinging to me, sobbing loudly.
What happened to her? Normally, I'd press for details immediately.
But for now…
"I've got you," I said, wrapping my arms around her trembling form.
The mages who caused this will pay.
They'll learn the cost of making her cry.
[Miu POV End]
Issei's role was brief this time, but expect him to shine next episode!
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