Chapter 21
Cosmic Clash! Ryuma's Devastating Power!
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"Look who's coming..."
From above, the young man merely stared at Ryuma, who had just arrived, his eyes narrowing. He detected no aura emanating from Ryuma, concluding that he was just an ordinary human. The contrast with Dohnaseek was stark. His eyes widened, cold sweat dripping from his chin as he remembered Ryuma's true nature. He wasn't merely human; he was something more, something closer to death itself.
"Death..." That was the only word that escaped Dohnaseek's lips. His gaze froze, and even his voice trembled with terror.
"Death? Perhaps I agree with you, Dohnaseek. Since he came here, he is nothing more than death itself," The young man replied with a soft chuckle. He slowly spread his wings wider, his arms outstretched in a defiant gesture. "Those who come here lose all chance of leaving. Death will be the end of them."
"Ryuma?! What are you doing here?! We have to leave now!" Sona, bewildered and shocked by Ryuma's arrival, immediately ran toward him, grabbing his hand, but Ryuma didn't budge. "Let's go, quickly!"
"Just as I said." The Exorcists began to move in from all sides, blocking every escape route. The young man grinned widely, his gaze turning sadistic as it locked onto Sona. "You can't escape, my devil."
"Disgusting." Sona's eyes narrowed, her beautiful face contorted with rage. A magic circle began to form around her, signaling that the battle was about to resume.
"ho elohim, hi tsaar amok avuri." (Oh God, Your departure is a profound sorrow to me.)
All eyes immediately turned to Ryuma, filled with confusion, especially the young man who now realized Ryuma was not who he had imagined. Sona was equally perplexed, unable to comprehend a single word Ryuma spoke.
The words sounded foreign. She had never heard that language before. Her peerages were equally confused, none of them understanding what language Ryuma was speaking. His voice... it was utterly cold, as frigid as ice piercing through the night wind.
"ptiratcha hi tsaar lkhal haytsurim. biladayikh, haolam hazae margish kal kakh lo bseder." (Your departure is a sorrow for all living beings. Without You, this world feels so terribly wrong.)
"Ryuma?" Sona whispered, unconsciously stepping backward as she sensed something strange beginning to emanate from within him.
Whoosh!
The wind howled fiercely. Ryuma's gaze remained fixed on the floor beneath his feet. The Exorcists, sensing something amiss, jolted to attention and fell silent, recognizing the language he was now speaking.
Slowly, they all turned to face the young man, Dohnaseek among them, their gazes filled with curiosity and shock. Dohnaseek realized that Ryuma was using the same language he had spoken earlier, confirming one undeniable truth... That he was...
"Kaicho..." Tsubaki murmured, gently taking Sona's hand, though her eyes remained fixed on Ryuma and his astonishing secrets.
"biladayikh, haolam hazae ibid et darko. bney haadam haele, otam bney adam spikdat al kal ekhad mitanv, ani, hamalakiym slcha lhishhtakhavot, akhshav hishhtana. biladayikh, hem mabdim et darkam. biladayikh, hem mabdim et emunatam." (Without you, this world has lost its way. These humans, the very ones You commanded us, your angels, to bow down to, have changed. Without You, they have lost their way. Without You, they have lost faith in you.)
An overwhelmingly oppressive aura suddenly struck Sona and all her family—the same aura capable of repelling all devils, an aura possessed only by the sacred beings of heavenly prosperity.
The Exorcists, too, began to retreat, utterly stunned by the aura. In moments when they had lost their way and their faith, everything now returned to them. They all turned simultaneously toward the young man—their leader, their guide.
"Mhmmm... This sacred aura... You must be a holy being this world doesn't deserve." The wide grin on his face slowly faded as the young man himself was startled by the sacred aura now radiating from Ryuma's body. "Are you... One of heaven's messengers?"
"Ryuma... Who... Who are you, really?" Sona asked softly, her voice trembling. She never imagined Ryuma would harbor such a profound secret, one she knew nothing about. Seeing him here instilled in her a mix of worry, fear, and... admiration.
Ryuma remained utterly silent, frozen in place with his gaze lowered. Yet, an eerie phenomenon began to unfold around him. The ground trembled faintly at first, but the tremors grew stronger with each passing second. A faint glow materialized on the floor beneath Ryuma's feet, only to dim abruptly, replaced by a dense, pitch-black mist that billowed forth.
"He... He is..." Dohnaseek stammered, trying to tell the young man who Ryuma really was. But his fear was so overwhelming that he couldn't finish his sentence.
"I know... It seems you're one of heaven's messengers... But..." The young man murmured, his eyes fixed on the radiant light emanating from Ryuma's position. He was startled when a dense black mist suddenly replaced the light. "There's one thing that makes me doubt that."
Thump!
His gaze still sharp, the young man began to descend from the sky, appearing to be seated atop a massive, ancient crucifix, now weathered, covered in dust, and draped with cobwebs. It turned out that the room where he would perform the heretical ritual was within an abandoned, dilapidated church.
The statues of angels that once adorned the room lay shattered, the congregation benches were crumbling, and the sacred altar where holy rites had been performed was now desecrated. Slowly, Ryuma lifted his head, his eyes taking in the details of his surroundings.
Seeing the sacred place now desecrated made his blood boil. His eyes widened, and in that instant, they transformed, turning blood-red as he glared at the entire Exorcist army, Dohnaseek, and finally, the young man.
"Toratecha nishkakha, hem panu mimkha, Elohim." (Your teachings have been abandoned; they have all turned away from you, oh God.)
"Wait..."
The young man's eyes widened instantly as he felt an immense surge of power leaking from Ryuma's body. He had never sensed such an aura before. It felt profoundly sacred, yet something stirred unease in his heart. Beneath that holiness lay an infinite darkness—cold, merciless, and malevolent.
"Kaicho, we have to retreat!" Tsubaki immediately pulled Sona away from Ryuma, sensing the holy aura emanating from him. Allowing devil to remain near him would only weaken and make them vulnerable.
"Wait, Ryuma!" Sona still couldn't speak, frozen in place. She was certain Ryuma was hiding a great secret from her. Though her demonic soul screamed for her to flee immediately, she couldn't bring herself to move. She wanted to know everything about him.
"We never retreat. No matter what happens," The young man declared, commanding the remaining Exorcist forces to carry out their duty, regardless of the circumstances. "Remember that devils are merely vile creatures whose sole purpose is to make humans suffer."
"We should retreat. It's the best course of action for us now." Dohnaseek said in a panic, flying right beside the young man. However, his gaze remained fixed on Ryuma below, his eyes wide with terror.
"We never retreat. No matter what happens. If you want to retreat, do it! Then I'll replace you with someone else." But Dohnaseek's words only fueled the young man's fury. He immediately grabbed Dohnaseek by the throat and lifted him into the air. "Do what you think is necessary!"
"Arghh... I know... I'll do it!" Dohnaseek, writhing in pain, tried to pry the young man's grip from his neck, but this only made him tighten his grip on his neck.
"Do it!" The young man commanded coldly, immediately throwing Dohnaseek to the ground, where he landed with a thud.
"Damn..."
Writhing in pain, Dohnaseek tried to stand. He knew he couldn't run; if he did, the young man would hunt him down and kill him. But fighting Ryuma wasn't an easy choice either. He knew exactly what Ryuma was capable of, and killing him would be impossible for him.
But what choice did he have? Creating a spear of light, he aimed it at Ryuma while simultaneously ordering the Exorcist to advance.
"Advance! All you have to do is kill one man. Kill him...!" Dohnaseek shouted, trying to mask his fear. This way, the Exorcist would obey his orders without hesitation.
"im toratecha hi kal ma shenishar lkhal ekhad mehamalakiym sheyatsarta bhkhemlatcha...." (If the only teachings that remain are for the angels You created with Your compassion...)
"....az ani ekhsol et ele sheorkim mekhemlatcha!" (...then I will annihilate those who reject Your compassion!)
Whoosh!
The wind howled fiercely, whipping up dust and debris scattered across the floor. Sona swiftly conjured a magic circle to protect herself and her peerages, especially with the sudden emergence of an overwhelmingly powerful holy aura—and to her greatest surprise, it was emanating from Ryuma.
"What is this...?"
"Ahhh-!! Ryuma!" Sona screamed as a fierce gust of wind slammed into her, scattering her usually neat short hair. Her body trembled slightly as she sensed an aura she should never have felt.
Whoshhh!
Ryuma's eyes had turned blood red, glowing faintly in the swirling darkness that now enveloped him. A pair of wings—one angelic, one demonic—spread wide behind him. His left wing was pitch black, shedding pitch black feathers that drifted to the ground, marking him as a Fallen Angel.
His right wing was strikingly different from his left. Golden in color, it shed faint, luminous particles that briefly illuminated the surrounding area before fading, a clear indication of his affiliation with the heavens as a sacred being.
"Heavenly angels..." The young man murmured, his eyes widening as he recognized something he had seen before—a sacred being, yet also an unholy one. "A sacred creature, but with darkness within..."
"What are you waiting for?! Attack him!" Dohnaseek roared, brandishing his spear of light at Ryuma and ordering the entire Exorcist force to strike simultaneously.
Though the Exorcist hesitated to obey Dohnaseek's orders, having witnessed a true angel with their own eyes, they had no choice but to comply. Simultaneously, the Exorcist forces, armed with holy swords, charged toward Ryuma from all directions, leaving him no escape route. But as they leaped to strike him, Ryuma's wings instantly unfurled, forming a protective barrier.
Whooshh! Brakkk!
Under the onslaught of the Exorcist forces, Ryuma lowered his body slightly and spread his wings even wider. With a swift rotation, he unleashed a devastating sweep, sending the entire Exorcist flying. They crashed into walls and tumbled onto the hard floor, as if struck by an immense force. With just his wings, Ryuma had single-handedly defeated the attacking Exorcist forces, leaving them scattered on the ground.
"Kaicho... We can't stay here. Ryuma's holy aura is overwhelming." Tsubaki said, clutching her chest, feeling suffocated. Her body trembled slightly from the intense discomfort.
"Tsubaki, get everyone out of here!" Sona ordered sharply, leaving no room for argument. "I'll stay here with Ryuma. Whatever happens, I won't leave him alone."
"But, Kaicho..." Tsubaki's words trailed off as she saw Momo writhing in pain, fresh blood gushing relentlessly from her wounds, leaving her no choice. "I'll go see Rias-sama to heal Momo and Reya."
Swooshhh!
In the blink of an eye, Tsubaki and all of Sona's pieces vanished into the light of the teleportation circle, leaving Sona alone with Ryuma. Her eyes narrowed, fixed on Ryuma's back, scrutinizing every detail of his mismatched, opposing wings.
She had never seen anything like this before. While she was naturally surprised to see a hybrid between a fallen angel and devil—a relatively common occurrence—a hybrid between a fallen angel and a angel of heaven was something entirely different. For the first time, she was witnessing something she had always considered impossible.
"So, the heaven's messenger chose to side with the devil race over the teachings of God." The young man slowly rose to his feet, a wide grin still plastered across his face as he began nodding his head. "I understand now, I think. Even the angels of heaven can betray what they're supposed to do."
"Ryuma, you harbor so many mysteries. It's truly astonishing," Sona said, her voice tinged with awe. She began to approach Ryuma cautiously, her steps measured and wary, anticipating the slightest misstep that would cause him to turn and attack her instead. "You are a angel, yet... those black wings. You are also a fallen angel. How is this possible? Aren't fallen angels supposed to lose their place in heaven, their wings cursed to lose their light forever?"
Silence. Not a word escaped Ryuma's lips. His crimson eyes remained fixed on the young man, completely ignoring Sona, who now stood beside him. His fists clenched tightly as his gaze shifted to the small, bloodied girl writhing in pain on the altar floor. Her tiny body was still bound by chains, unable to speak, her large eyes filled with innocence, fear, and despair as she stared at him.
"Destroy them both!" The young man shouted, raising his right hand and conjuring a spear of light from nothingness. With a swift motion, he hurled the luminous weapon directly at Ryuma.
Blast!!! Boom!!
With a swift flap of his wings, Ryuma effortlessly deflected the young man's spear of light, redirecting it toward Dohnaseek's position. Fortunately, Dohnaseek managed to evade the spear, though it left a shallow gash on his left cheek. If he been a fraction of a second slower, the spear would have pierced his face. Ultimately, the spear of light slammed into the wall, shattering it and causing the entire church building to tremble violently.
"Not bad. I suppose you deserved your place in heaven. But no longer." Seeing his attack easily deflected, the young man spread his wings and soared back into the air. From above, he nodded to Dohnaseek, signaling him to move.
Receiving a nod from the young man, Dohnaseek knew what he had to do. He swiftly flew toward the little girl still lying weakly on the altar floor. However, Ryuma anticipated his move and reacted instantly. He spread his wings, creating a powerful gust of wind that whipped Sona's hair and clothes into disarray. His movements were lightning-fast; in an instant, Ryuma was airborne, his wings carrying him aloft.
"Leave him be. Haven't you found a worthy opponent here?" With a deep sigh, the young man hurled his spear of light at Ryuma once more, but again, it was evaded. "Am I not worthy of your attention?"
Ryuma's focus was divided. He had to save the little girl, but he couldn't ignore the young man who was clearly the strongest here. Though he was both a fallen angel and a angel, he was no longer the same as before. He couldn't afford to underestimate anything; what he once considered minor damage could now become catastrophic in his current state.
Just as Dohnaseek was about to seize the unfortunate little girl, a massive torrent of water suddenly struck him, sweeping him away. His eyes widened slightly, but when he looked down, he realized it was Sona who had intervened, also trying to save the child.
"Don't worry, Ryuma. I'll save the little girl. Leave it to me." Sona declared loudly, her voice brimming with determination and conviction. At that moment, Ryuma knew he could rely on her.
"eykh ata meez lasheker bmakom hakaadosh hazae! tumat et hamakom hazae, et haolam hazae vet haemuna shel kulam beeluhym!" (How dare you utter such lies in this sacred place! You have defiled this sanctuary, this world, and the faith of all in God!)
For the first time, Ryuma felt genuine anger at what they had done in this sacred place. A sanctuary meant for worship, prayer, and supplication to God had been desecrated, twisted into a site for rituals that even devils would never dare to perform.
He immediately opened his right palm, directing it toward the sacred sword lying on the ground. In that instant, the sword suddenly levitated on its own, shooting swiftly into Ryuma's hand.
"Is that telekinesis?" The young man's eyes widened as he witnessed a fraction of Ryuma's power gradually being revealed.
Following Ryuma, the young man also began to conjure a spear of light from thin air. Its radiance illuminated the surrounding area for a brief moment until the spear of light fully materialized.
His grin widened as he made his first move, swiftly closing the distance between himself and Ryuma. He thrust his light spear directly at Ryuma's face, but Ryuma didn't remain idle. He lunged forward, his sword clashing against the light spear, blocking the young man's attack.
"For years, I've been hiding, obeying their commands even as my hatred urged me to rebel." The young man said coldly, his eyes burning with rage and loathing as he stared directly into Ryuma's crimson eyes. "If that decrepit fallen angel hadn't restrained me, my plan would have succeeded long ago, before you even arrived to ruin everything!"
"Arghh!"
With all his might, the young man hurled his spear of light, sending Ryuma reeling backward and losing his balance. Seizing the opportunity, he swiftly conjured several magic circles around himself. From each circle, a spear of light materialized and shot toward Ryuma with blinding speed.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
The spears of light that had been hurtling toward him were now nothing more than shimmering fragments, scattering downward after Ryuma deflected and shattered them all with his sword. For a moment, he lowered his head again, watching Sona still locked in combat with Dohnaseek. Sona appeared to have the upper hand, her demonic power fully under control. She conjured two massive water lions, sending them to attack Dohnaseek.
"See where your enemy is!" Feeling belittled, the young man instantly flared with anger. He flapped his wings again and shot upward, pointing the index and middle fingers of his right hand at Ryuma.
Swooshhh!!!
A blinding light erupted from the young man's fingertips, startling Ryuma, who immediately snapped his head up to witness the intensifying radiance. His lightning-fast reflexes kicked in; he raised his sword as a shield, and just in time. The searing beam struck the blade, deflecting sideways and slicing through the wall like a laser cutting through flesh.
Ryuma's eyes narrowed. He knew he couldn't remain passive while the young man continued his relentless assault. He had to act and end this quickly. Slowly, he raised his right hand, conjuring a sphere of darkness surrounded by a dense black mist. The young man recoiled in shock at the sight.
"Darkness?" The young man asked, his jaw dropping as he froze for a moment. "A mutation of holy power."
The sphere of darkness grew larger and denser in his right hand, seeming to absorb the air and everything around it. The young man knew that no angel of heaven could wield such power; they were beings of pure holiness. Yet if Ryuma could use it now, one thing was certain: his sacred power had mutated into the most terrifying and cursed force in the world.
"You're full of surprises. That power... you know..." The young man slowly grinned, moving closer to Ryuma to get a better look at the mysterious force. "It's the most terrifying and cursed power imaginable. The fact that an angel can wield it might prove that angels aren't entirely holy."
"I may not be pure, but I will defend what God has given to this world—the love God has bestowed upon this world." Ryuma declared, his voice trembling with anger and sorrow, his eyes radiated crimson light.
Swoshhh!
Now Ryuma retaliated, flapping his wings forward to create distance between himself and the young man. The orb of darkness hovering above his right palm had grown larger, pulsing with a mysterious force that drew everything inward, like a black hole—the cosmic terror of the universe.
The orb of darkness began to shift, its color deepening to a dark purple. A visible vortex formed at its center, and Ryuma immediately hurled it toward the young man. The dark sphere spun through the air with incredible speed, drawing in everything around it.
"What?!" The young man's eyes widened as he saw the orb of darkness hurtling toward him with incredible speed, so fast that he felt his body being pulled toward it.
Ctass!!! Wshooshh!!
The young man reacted as quickly as possible, thrusting both hands forward, directly toward the approaching sphere of darkness. His eyes began to glow with a faint golden light in the night's gloom, and his palms emitted a faint radiance as well. With this, he conjured a shield of light directly in front of him.
Blarrrr!!
The young man's .shield collided with Ryuma's sphere of darkness, causing the church to tremble once more. Sona and Dohnaseek were both caught in the shockwave, dragged away by the force of the impact. Fortunately, Sona managed to conjure a water shield to protect herself, while Dohnaseek had no time to create any defense. His body was tossed and flung in all directions until a fatal incident occurred.
"Wait! Please! Help me!" Dohnaseek clung desperately to one of the shattered angel statues, pleading for help from the young man.
"Save yourself, Dohnaseek. The weak will not survive; only the strong will endure. This is the true battle!" The young man shouted, maintaining his shield of light against Ryuma's orb of darkness, which grew larger and stronger with each collision.
"Damn it! I've done everything you ordered!" Dohnaseek roared, his voice thick with rage, despair, and fear. Glancing back, he saw Ryuma's sphere of darkness had transformed into a massive black hole, drawing everything into its abyss.
"You did as I commanded, that's true. I thank you for that," The young man replied with a wide smile. "But the current you is vulnerable. I figured Kokabiel would eliminate you sooner or later. So, rather than wait, it's better for you to end here."
Dohnaseek's eyes widened in disbelief. After all this time, after doing everything they commanded, everything they said, he was being discarded like trash, about to be thrown away. The black hole created by Ryuma's sphere of darkness grew larger, its pull becoming overwhelmingly strong. Even the angel statue Dohnaseek was clinging to began to crumble and shatter.
"Damn you all! Cursed be you! Cursed!" Dohnaseek roared as his body was pulled into the air along with the angel statue he clutched.
The floor began to crumble and rise upward. Sona strained with all her might to maintain her barrier, desperate to avoid being sucked into the monstrous black hole that had materialized directly above her. She even dropped to her knees, clinging to the shattered floor while desperately maintaining her magic.
Dohnaseek's terrified scream sent a shiver down her spine. She knew that if she couldn't maintain her protective barrier, her fate would be the same as his.
As she looked up, Sona witnessed Dohnaseek being sucked into the black hole. His body stretched and elongated like spaghetti under the immense gravitational pull, his face contorted in agony, though no sound escaped his lips. Finally, it was over. Dohnaseek had endured unimaginable suffering in his final moments.
The moment Dohnaseek's body was completely absorbed into the black hole's core, the black hole instantly emitted light from its upper and lower poles, projecting a blindingly bright white beam skyward and another deep into the earth. The extraordinary gravitational pull that had been drawing everything inward abruptly ceased, causing the remaining building fragments to collapse downward.
Swosshhh!! Blarr!!!
Despite this, Sona maintained her magical barrier, sensing that something monumental was about to occur. Suddenly, the now massive black hole—nearly filling the entire building—exploded, pulverizing everything around it into dust. The resulting shockwave swept away trees in the surrounding area and erased the night sky's clouds without a trace.
Nothing remained of Dohnaseek; only rubble from the shattered building lay scattered across the devastated floor. A dense black mist filled Sona's vision, yet she could still sense an extraordinarily powerful aura above her, whether it belonged to Ryuma or the young man.
His gaze swept across the area, noting that even the Exorcist had vanished, meaning they had disappeared along with Dohnaseek. However, the little girl who had been chained to the altar earlier was still there, now unconscious and enveloped in a thin, pitch-black mist.
As quickly as possible, Sona stood up and approached the little girl, checking for injuries. To her relief, she found no wounds on the child's small body. Grateful, she hugged her tightly. Now all she needed to do was get out of here, but she couldn't.
She wanted to stay here with Ryuma, he had so many questions to ask, so many answers she needed to hear. But for the little girl's safety, she had to leave. So she scooped up her small body and fled the scene.
Meanwhile, Ryuma simply hovered in the air, his face expressionless, though his blood-red eyes burned with an intense sharpness. For a moment, he glanced down, watching Sona sprint away with the little girl, a flicker of satisfaction crossing his features. But the moment was fleeting, for before him now stood someone he never imagined he would encounter. The young man had transformed.
He now wore crimson-orange armor, emblazoned with a flame symbol on its chest. Two massive wings of fire adorned his back, distorting the air with their intense heat. The armor itself was engulfed in flames, culminating in an eagle-shaped helmet with a sharp beak. At the center of his forehead, a star with points aligned like the cardinal directions was crowned by an ornament resembling a drawn sword pointing downward, its tip reaching his nose. In that instant, Ryuma knew this young man was one of the Longinus Sacred Gear wielders, an existence equal to or even surpassing the Red Dragon and White Dragon.
"Flaming Stars Phoenix..."
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