"Hahahaha!" Kokabiel's laughter echoed across Kuoh Academy, twisted and manic. "The God you worship so devoutly died in the Great War! That pathetic deity who preached love all day met his end alongside countless demons and devils!"
"God... God is dead?"
Xenovia's world shattered in an instant. Her holy sword slipped from her numb fingers, clattering against the ground as she collapsed to her knees. The foundation of her entire existence, everything she'd trained for, believed in, fought for, crumbled into dust.
"No! Then who has been granting us blessings all this time?!" she gasped, desperately grasping for answers.
"Who else? Michael, of course, that insufferable angel who can't stop crying 'God, Lord God~' every waking moment!" Kokabiel sneered. "What a joke! God is dead, the original Satan is dead, yet here we are pretending the war never ended. How pathetically entertaining."
"You're lying!" Xenovia's voice cracked with anguish.
"Lying? Oh please!" Kokabiel's crimson eyes gleamed with malicious delight. "If the war had continued after their deaths, it would have been our side, the Fallen Angels, who emerged victorious! But Azazel, that coward, refused to keep fighting!"
Azazel: I feel personally attacked. What do you mean 'God is dead, Satan is dead, but I'm alive'? I just had the good sense not to get myself killed! Is survival a crime now?!
"In any case... you want to restart the war right now, don't you?" Takeyo asked, his tone casual despite the gravity of the situation.
As he spoke, he coughed, a wet, harsh sound, and golden blood spattered from his lips.
"Takeyo!" Rias materialized beside him instantly, her crimson hair swirling as she reached out with deep concern etched across her features.
"I'm fine," Takeyo assured her, gently touching her hair. "Didn't Sona already have someone check me over?"
Don't worry about Kokabiel's scheme just yet.
"Hm?" Kokabiel frowned, studying the young man more carefully. Something about him seemed familiar...
Then recognition struck.
Isn't this the same brat who coughed up blood while beating Phoenix to a pulp at that recent engagement ceremony?
The broadcast from Demon King Sirzechs had been aimed at the Underworld, but word had spread far and wide throughout the supernatural community.
Kokabiel suddenly remembered: Sirzechs' sister was involved in that incident, wasn't she? If he wanted to kill her and trigger a war, it made perfect sense for her allies to intervene.
"So you're the Mahatma Rama?" Kokabiel's lips curled into an anticipatory grin. "Planning to team up with the crimson-haired Ruin Princess and the Red Dragon Emperor? If you can entertain me properly, I welcome the challenge!"
He gestured theatrically, every inch the gentleman, though those who knew him understood how hollow that facade was.
"No," Takeyo said softly, a predatory smile crossing his face. "I alone will be more than enough."
"You? Alone?" Kokabiel burst into mocking laughter. "Are you telling jokes now? I have to admit, you've successfully amused me!"
His expression shifted, the false politeness evaporating. "How arrogant! Do you think you're the first Mahatma Rama, the actual avatar of Vishnu?!"
"Well, we'll see about that," Takeyo replied calmly. "This was originally a matter between the Three Factions. But if human heroes insist on getting involved, I can't just stand by and watch."
"In that case, " Kokabiel's voice dropped to a menacing growl. ", I'll have to throw your internal organs and blood across this academy! Let your screams of agony echo before Sirzechs and Serafall! Let them mourn before their sisters' corpses!"
A massive spear of light materialized in his hand, easily several meters long. With enough power to obliterate Kuoh Academy entirely, he hurled it directly at Takeyo!
"Well, well. I was planning to let you live a bit longer," Takeyo murmured as the light spear approached.
He simply raised one hand.
A faint white glow emanated from his body, pure, radiant, and ancient. Then, with a casual flick of his fingers, he struck the approaching spear.
Crack... crack-crack-CRACK!
An ear-splitting sound filled the air. The light spear shattered like glass, fragmenting into countless particles of light that scattered across the night sky.
"What?!" Kokabiel's eyes widened in shock.
Before he could process what happened, a golden sword materialized in Takeyo's hand, radiant, covered in flowing script!
[With the authority of my Word and Spirit, I reveal the truth of the world!]
Words swirled across the sword's surface, ancient and powerful!
[Kokabiel, ancient Fallen Angel, member of the Cadre rank. You survived the Great War against Heaven and the Underworld!]
[Unlike Azazel, who Fell because of the love in his heart, you Fell because of the battle-lust in your soul!]
[You cannot accept peace. You crave war. You exist only for conflict!]
The Sword of Words, capable of slaying Kokabiel, formed in mere moments!
"This sword!" Kokabiel's every instinct screamed danger. "Extremely dangerous! I absolutely cannot let it hit me!"
His mind processed the threat instantly.
But even as the thought formed,
Whoosh!
A black shadow flickered before his eyes.
SEAR!
The sound was sickeningly organic, like flesh roasting over open flame. An agonizing sensation exploded across Kokabiel's body!
"What... how, ?!" He barely saw movement.
Splurt!
Black-red blood erupted from his mouth as he staggered backward!
"Gah!" Kokabiel tried immediately to heal himself with magic, but discovered with horror that his demonic power had vanished completely!
He couldn't even activate the most basic spell!
Splatter.
The golden sword in Takeyo's hand dissolved into shimmering particles, fading into the night air.
He'd already completed his attack, using the incarnation of Vamana to approach at incomprehensible speed, strike with the Sword of Words, and return to his original position before Kokabiel could even react.
At the limit of the speed Takeyo could currently deploy, Kokabiel possessed barely enough perception to sense the attack, but absolutely no ability to counter it.
"Don't worry too much," Takeyo said conversationally. "You simply can't use even a trace of demonic power anymore."
He smiled, announcing this devastating truth as casually as discussing the weather.
"What?! What kind of ability is this?!" Kokabiel snarled through the blood. "Is it a Sacred Gear?! Or a divine weapon?!"
He couldn't comprehend how he'd lost all his power in a single instant!
The truth was simple: if one's strength exceeded the level Takeyo possessed when invoking the Sword of Words, they would retain some power. But if they were weaker...
Zero power remaining meant only one thing, Kokabiel was far too weak compared to Takeyo's current abilities.
"Well then, Kokabiel," Takeyo said, walking slowly toward the injured Fallen Angel. "I have a question for you."
"What... what do you want to know?" Kokabiel stepped backward instinctively, his battle-hardened instincts screaming that the smiling young man before him was far more dangerous than any Beast King or dragon.
"If a Fallen Angel loses his wings..." Takeyo's smile widened. "Can he still be called a Fallen Angel?"
The moment those words left his mouth, golden ripples appeared behind him in mid-air.
A holy sword emerged from the ripples, streaking toward Kokabiel!
SHHHNK!
The blade pierced through one of Kokabiel's black wings effortlessly. Black feathers scattered across the academy grounds as he screamed in agony.
"You, !"
Before Kokabiel could finish his protest, another golden sword flashed through the air, severing his second wing!
"I request, !" Kokabiel tried to invoke his right to detention and trial by Governor Azazel of the Fallen Angels.
THUNK!
Takeyo didn't let him finish. A third sword struck Kokabiel's chest, silencing him instantly.
He had no right to speak now.
Only the right to be judged.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
One by one, holy swords materialized and struck, methodically removing each of Kokabiel's ten wings. The Fallen Angel's agonized screams echoed across Kuoh Academy, punctuated by the sound of feathers falling like black snow.
After setting the Three-Phase Blessing Sacred Gear to automatic mode, Takeyo turned toward Yuuto Kiba.
"Kiba, could you show me your Balance Breaker?" he asked politely. "I'd like to examine both a regular holy sword and a holy-demonic sword, if you don't mind."
"Of course," Kiba replied without hesitation, materializing two blades. "That's no problem at all."
He handed over both weapons, one radiating pure holy power, the other containing the conflicting energies of light and darkness merged into a unique synthesis.
"Thank you."
Though Takeyo could analyze their composition with his eyes alone, physical contact allowed for much more precise examination.
As he accepted the swords, a familiar chime sounded in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for completing a location sign-in! Sign-in level: Silver!]
[Sign-in location: Yuuto Kiba's Holy Sword!]
[Congratulations to the host for receiving the reward, "Sage Arts: From Beginner to Transcendence"]
["Sage Arts: From Beginner to Transcendence": A comprehensive tome recording all sage techniques in this world. Learning progresses through five stages: Beginner, Proficient, Master, Perfect, Transcendent. Each stage must be completed before advancing to the next.]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for completing a location sign-in! Sign-in level: Silver!]
[Sign-in location: Yuuto Kiba's Holy-Demonic Sword!]
[Congratulations to the host for receiving the reward: Weapon Enhancement Stone!]
[Weapon Enhancement Stone: Can be inscribed on any weapon to improve its quality! Ineffective on weapons of extremely high quality.]
"I'll use it on Est," Takeyo decided immediately, checking the compatibility and applying the enhancement to his sword spirit without hesitation.
He only had two true swords in his arsenal, all others grew alongside his strength. Given the choice between the Star Sword that couldn't manifest as a girl and the Demon Slayer Holy Sword that could transform into the adorable Est...
The choice was obvious. Besides, once Est recovered her original power, she would match the Star Sword's capabilities anyway.
After examining the Holy-Demonic Sword for a few moments, Takeyo returned both blades to Kiba.
In that brief contact, his Sacred Beast Creation Sacred Gear had undergone dramatic evolution. He could feel it, soon, he would be able to create an entirely new type of Balance Breaker.
"So, Takeyo?" Rias approached once he'd finished, her voice uncertain.
After everything she'd witnessed, she was still reeling from the shock!
What had she just seen?!
Kokabiel, a Cadre-level Fallen Angel who'd survived the Great War, had been rendered completely helpless by Takeyo! No resistance at all!
Actually, calling it "defeated instantly" might be incorrect. Kokabiel was still alive, still wailing in agony.
But in another sense, this was far more terrifying than instant defeat. The ability to strip away all of an enemy's power in a single moment...
Takeyo's strength is absolutely overwhelming, Rias thought. As expected of someone who couldn't be reincarnated even with all eight of my Pawn pieces!
"What is it, Rias?" Takeyo asked, suppressing a yawn.
"The matter with Kokabiel..." Rias hesitated. "Should we capture him... or..."
By all rights, killing Kokabiel could trigger another war. After all, Rias didn't yet understand Azazel's remarkably laid-back personality.
"Kill him," Takeyo said simply. "His goal was to murder you and start a war, correct? Creatures like that are curses upon the world."
"You're right," Rias agreed after a moment's consideration. "I agree with your assessment."
From a political standpoint, she might want to preserve Kokabiel's life for the sake of preventing conflict. But personally? A powerful enemy who'd openly declared his intention to kill her was still breathing. If she had the opportunity to eliminate that threat...
The personal choice was clear.
Just as Rias finished speaking, a man's voice called out from the sky above.
"Excuse me! I promised to take him back alive!"
Rias looked up.
There, silhouetted against the moonlight, stood a silver figure, proud and imposing.
Silver armor. Blue gems adorning the breastplate.
His identity was unmistakable: Vali Lucifer, the White Dragon Emperor!
BOOM!
With a sonic explosion, Vali dove toward Kuoh Academy below!
He intended to break through the barrier in one powerful charge, seize Kokabiel, and bring him back to Azazel for judgment!
He might be rebellious, but Vali still listened to Azazel's words. After all, Azazel had raised him, effectively an adoptive father.
However, Vali's thoughts represented the ideal scenario.
Reality, as always, proved far less accommodating.
At the exact moment he was about to impact the barrier, all the defensive energy concentrated precisely at the point of contact with Vali's armor.
WHAM!
The barrier didn't break.
Instead, Vali ricocheted backward like a ball bouncing off a wall, tumbling through the air in an undignified sprawl before catching himself with his wings.
"What the, ?!" Vali steadied himself, staring at the shimmering barrier in shock. "That barrier... it's far more powerful than I expected!"
The academy's defensive field had demonstrated properties he'd never encountered before, adaptive reinforcement at the point of impact, turning his own momentum against him.
Inside the barrier, Takeyo smiled faintly.
Welcome to the party, White Dragon Emperor. But you'll have to wait your turn.