Mistakes Were Made

The sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows over the road as Zack walked, his thoughts focused on the day’s events. The fight with the troll had drained him, but he felt stronger now, level 10 bringing with it new power, new possibilities. He adjusted the strap of his bag, thinking about the new skill he’d acquired and the strange, flirty exchange with Moka earlier.

The forest surrounding the road was dense, the trees standing like silent sentinels as he made his way home. The cool evening breeze rustled the leaves, but something felt off. Zack slowed his pace, his instincts tingling with the faint sense of danger. Then, a sound—faint at first—cut through the silence.

“Help… please… someone help…”

Zack’s ears perked up. The voice was soft, weak, almost swallowed by the forest’s natural sounds, but unmistakable. He stopped in his tracks, eyes scanning the treeline. The voice was coming from the woods, far off the road. Without a second thought, he stepped off the path, moving silently through the underbrush.

The further he walked, the hotter the air around him became. Sweat began to bead on his forehead, an unnatural heat rolling in waves from deeper within the woods. Something wasn’t right. His hand instinctively hovered near the cursed blade at his side.

Pushing through a particularly thick patch of trees, Zack finally broke through to a small clearing. His eyes narrowed as he took in the scene. A young woman, her crimson hair striking against the green backdrop, was struggling, half-stuck inside a large metal pipe that jutted out from the ground like a cruel snare. She was beautiful—her long red hair cascading over her shoulders, her face flushed with frustration and embarrassment.

But it was the man standing over her that caught Zack’s attention. A tall, blonde-haired man was leering down at her, his face twisted in a cruel smirk, watching her struggle with a disturbing sense of satisfaction. The air around him shimmered with heat, like a fire was simmering just beneath the surface.

Zack didn’t say a word. He wasn’t the type to talk in moments like this. His eyes locked onto the blonde-haired man, and he could feel the malice radiating from him. It was clear that this wasn’t just a chance encounter—this was something deliberate.

Without hesitation, Zack reached out with his mind, summoning his zombies. Twenty-five rotting figures emerged from the trees, their pale, decayed bodies shambling forward in eerie silence. At the same time, Zack sent his Dark Spirit into the shadows, instructing it to drain the man’s energy. The spirit moved like a wraith, unseen and undetectable as it approached the blonde man.

The man—who had been so focused on the trapped woman—finally noticed Zack’s presence. His smirk twisted into a sneer. “What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded, his voice dripping with condescension.

Zack remained silent, his face unreadable. He didn’t need to explain himself. His undead army moved closer, encircling the blonde man.

“You’re interrupting something important,” the man continued, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. “This is a private matter. A couple’s outing, if you will.” He gestured toward the trapped girl with a mocking flourish. “Rias and I were having a bit of fun, but you’ve decided to play the hero, haven’t you? How quaint.”

Zack’s expression didn’t change. He watched the man closely, waiting for the right moment.

The blonde man sighed dramatically. “You really don’t know who you’re dealing with, do you? I’m Riser Phenex, a noble devil from the House of Phenex. You’ve probably heard of us—we’re quite famous in the Underworld. Fire, immortality, all that.”

Riser grinned arrogantly, his eyes gleaming with superiority. “And you… well, you’re just some fool wandering into things you don’t understand.”

Zack didn’t flinch. Instead, he silently directed his Dark Spirit to begin draining Riser’s energy. The spirit obeyed, its shadowy form wrapping itself around Riser’s body, invisible to the naked eye. Riser didn’t seem to notice at first, too busy boasting about his noble heritage.

“You see, Rias is my fiancée,” Riser continued, his tone smug. “We’re meant to be together, and she’ll realize that soon enough. This little game is just a reminder of who’s in control.”

Zack’s hand tightened on the hilt of his cursed blade. He could feel the energy shift as his Dark Spirit started its work. Riser’s body tensed, the arrogant smirk on his face faltering as a sudden wave of fatigue washed over him.

“What the—?” Riser blinked, his hand going to his chest as if he could feel the energy being pulled from his body. He staggered slightly, confusion flashing across his face.

Zack seized the moment. He sent a mental command to his zombies, urging them forward.

Riser’s eyes widened in surprise as the undead lunged toward him, their decaying hands reaching out. With a snarl, Riser thrust his hand forward, conjuring three massive fireballs in an instant. The fireballs exploded outward, incinerating several of the zombies in a flash of searing heat.

“You think these mindless corpses can stop me?” Riser barked, his voice growing desperate as the energy drain intensified. “I’m a Phenex! I can’t be beaten by the likes of you!”

But Zack didn’t respond. He was focused, his mind sharp as he continued to send wave after wave of undead toward Riser. The fireballs were powerful, but each one drained more of Riser’s rapidly dwindling energy. The Dark Spirit had latched on fully now, its tendrils of dark energy sinking deep into Riser’s body, feeding on his strength.

Riser’s movements became sluggish, his fireballs weaker, smaller. His breathing grew labored, his arrogant façade crumbling as he realized he was losing. “No… this can’t be… I’m… I’m a devil… a noble… I can’t… lose…”

Zack watched impassively as Riser’s knees buckled. The once-powerful flames that had surrounded him flickered and died, leaving only the oppressive heat lingering in the air. Riser’s body finally collapsed, his energy completely drained by the Dark Spirit.

As Riser fell to the ground, the Dark Spirit pulsed with newfound power, feeding off the negative energy it had absorbed. Zack could feel it—something was changing. The spirit, once a shadowy wraith, began to shift, its form twisting and expanding. It was evolving, growing stronger from the dark energy it had consumed.

Zack watched with quiet satisfaction as the spirit took on a new form, its shadowy body solidifying into something more tangible, more dangerous. It hovered above Riser’s unconscious form for a moment before retreating back to Zack’s side, awaiting its next command. 

He returned his monsters to storage to help them heal faster. 

Zack stepped forward, his eyes shifting to Rias. She was stuck her hips were locked snug in the pipe. It was a scenario straight out of a porno. 

She was drenched in something he caught some on hid hand and sniffed it, water. How could water stop Rias Gremory of all people? 

Holy water might do the trick. Zack nodded the thought felt right. He grabbed the edge of the pipe and bent it giving her room to wiggle out. 

Zack had barely taken a step away when he heard Rias call out, her voice carrying a new tone of warmth and curiosity. “Wait,” she said, and Zack paused, turning back to look at her.

Rias Gremory was a sight to behold in the dimming light of the forest. Her crimson hair, long and flowing, cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall of flame, shimmering in the soft light of dusk. Her beauty was undeniable, a mixture of elegance and raw power that made her presence impossible to ignore. But what struck Zack the most was the intensity in her eyes—deep, scarlet orbs that seemed to glow with both gratitude and something else, something curious and perhaps a little daring.

As she stood there, brushing dirt off her clothes, Zack couldn’t help but notice the way her outfit clung to her curves, particularly the swell of her chest. Rias’s iconic large breasts were impossible to overlook, her voluptuous figure perfectly accentuated by the tight uniform she wore, which seemed slightly disheveled from the struggle. She stood confidently, completely aware of the attention her body drew but entirely unfazed by it. If anything, it seemed like an unspoken part of her charm—something she didn’t need to flaunt but that everyone noticed all the same.

“You saved me,” she repeated, her voice softer now, but the weight of her words hung in the air. “I don’t usually need saving, but I guess this was an exception.”

Zack said nothing, his expression unreadable as always, though he couldn’t deny the intensity of the moment. He was used to danger, used to fighting monsters and dealing with creatures far beyond the scope of normal human life. But this? This was different. Rias wasn’t a normal girl, and neither was he.

She took a step closer, her hair catching the light one last time before the sun dipped below the horizon completely. The forest around them was darkening, the shadows growing longer, but Rias’s presence seemed to stand out against the encroaching night.

“At least let me thank you properly,” she continued, her lips curling into a soft, teasing smile. There was a playful energy about her now, as if the danger from moments before had vanished, replaced by a different kind of tension. “You’re not just going to disappear into the woods like some mysterious hero, are you?”

Zack’s gaze flickered to her face, then back toward the darkening treeline. He wasn’t one for lingering or making small talk, but there was something about her—a mixture of gratitude, flirtation, and confidence—that made it hard to simply walk away.

Rias bit her lower lip thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing just slightly as if she were sizing him up. “You’re different, aren’t you? Strong… quiet…” She tilted her head, her long red hair swaying with the motion. “I like that.”

Zack remained silent, his hand resting casually on the hilt of his cursed blade. He could feel the dark spirit nearby, hovering in the shadows, waiting for his next command. But right now, the danger had passed. The real threat—the arrogant devil named Riser Phenex—was unconscious at his feet, drained of energy. It was just him and Rias now.

She pulled out her phone, a sleek device that looked out of place in the rustic forest surroundings, and tapped the screen a few times before holding it out toward Zack. “Give me your phone,” she said simply, her smile widening as if she already knew he couldn’t refuse. “You’re not the kind of guy who leaves without a trace, right? Let’s at least stay in touch. You know, in case you ever feel like saving me again.”

Zack raised an eyebrow but complied, pulling his phone from his pocket and handing it to her. He wasn’t sure why he did it—maybe it was the ease with which she asked, or maybe it was because he had no reason to say no. Either way, Rias took the phone from his hand, her fingers brushing against his as she did.

“There,” she said after a moment, typing in her number and saving it with a quick flick of her thumb. “Now you have my number.” She handed the phone back to him with a wink. “Feel free to call me anytime… for coffee or, you know, if you run into more trouble.”

Zack took the phone, sliding it back into his pocket without a word. He didn’t feel the need to explain himself or make promises. His world was dangerous, filled with creatures and battles most people couldn’t even imagine. But Rias? She wasn’t most people. He could see that clearly now.

As she stood before him, her large breasts rising and falling with each breath, her confident smile still playing on her lips, Zack couldn’t help but feel that this wouldn’t be the last time they crossed paths. There was something about her—a presence, a power—that intrigued him, even if he wouldn’t admit it.

“Thanks for saving me again,” Rias said, her tone lighter now. “I’ll have to find a way to repay you properly one day.” She gave him one last, lingering look, then turned, her long red hair swishing behind her as she began to walk back toward the road.

Zack watched her for a moment, the faintest hint of a smirk crossing his face as she disappeared into the shadows. He didn’t need thanks. He didn’t need acknowledgment. But somehow, having Rias’s number in his phone felt like a step into a different kind of battle—a battle he wasn’t entirely sure he was ready for.

With a final glance at the unconscious Riser, Zack turned and melted back into the forest, the shadows closing in around him as he moved silently through the trees. His dark spirit trailed behind, now more powerful than before, its newly evolved form pulsating with dark energy. The road ahead was uncertain, but Zack knew one thing for sure: his path was only growing more complicated.

And for some reason, that didn’t bother him one bit.

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