Seeing Ryuichi cut down his collaborator without hesitation, Kokabiel threw back his head and laughed.
"How delightful! How truly entertaining! But don't get ahead of yourselves, little Devils—" his voice dripped with arrogance. "That was only the opening act."
Still chuckling, Kokabiel finally rose from the dark throne hovering in the sky. His body drifted gracefully down, polished black shoes touching the ground with the calm confidence of someone who owned the world.
He wore a crisp black suit, looking almost human—almost. The only things betraying the monster beneath were his eyes… deep crimson, burning with wicked amusement and madness.
A bolt of golden lightning slammed down from the clouds without warning, roaring toward him.
Kokabiel didn't even flinch. His black wings unfurled, ten in total, radiating divine darkness. With a casual pulse of power, he erased the lightning in midair like it was nothing.
"Stay out of my way, offspring of Barakiel," he sneered.
The mention of that name made Akeno's expression tighten, anger igniting behind her usual calm smile. "Don't you dare compare me to that man!"
Nearby, Ryuichi's clone stood defensively, the Divine Cry Shield gleaming as it protected her. He caught every word.
Barakiel… one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels. The 'Thunder That Rends the Heavens,' said to rival Azazel himself.
Ryuichi's eyes flickered. Then… could Akeno be—?
Kokabiel ignored her fury and grinned wider, his voice echoing through the shattered courtyard.
"Rias Gremory, your servants are truly a fascinating bunch—the Nekoshou hybrid, the holy maiden who can heal Devils and Angels alike, the daughter of Barakiel himself, and that strange little freak who can multiply himself."
He pointed lazily at each of them, laughter rumbling from his chest.
"Ha ha ha! Just like your brother—you love surrounding yourself with misfits!"
Rias's blood boiled. "How dare you insult my brother… insult a Maou—and my servants! Kokabiel, your existence alone is a sin!"
Kokabiel tilted his head, taunting. "Oh? Then come and kill me, little sister of a Maou. I'm standing right here—your old enemy from the Great War. Are you sure you don't want to seize this chance?"
Rias snapped. "Enough!"
A magic circle flared before her, crimson energy bursting forth like an erupting sun. Flames roared into a blazing dragon, surging across the courtyard. The very air twisted and wavered under its heat.
Kokabiel laughed, unfazed. Forming a blade of pure light in his right hand, he swung with a single, fluid motion.
Sssh!
The fiery dragon split in two, dissipating into harmless sparks almost instantly.
Kokabiel stood untouched amid the swirling embers, a dark smile curling his lips.
Seeing no hesitation in him, Ryuichi and Xenovia darted forward together, swords flashing.
The Sword of Kings and Durandal both blazed with energy, crossing at Kokabiel from opposite sides.
CLANG!
With effortless grace, Kokabiel raised his light blade to block Durandal—then, with his other hand, conjured a second sword to catch Ryuichi's strike. Sparks and fragments of golden light flew as the three blades locked.
His expression never changed. He was relaxed—amused, even—as though holding off both of them at once was no more than a mild inconvenience.
A gust split the air above them. Ryuichi caught it a heartbeat before impact—Koneko had leapt high, diving down toward Kokabiel's undefended flank.
But she misjudged.
The Fallen Angel's black wings snapped wide, feathers shimmering like shards of obsidian. In the next instant, they hardened—blades of darkness slashing outward.
There was no time to dodge.
"Ahh!!"
Koneko cried out, crimson blooming across her pale skin as the razor‑edged feathers sliced her mid‑air. She crashed violently onto the ground below, blood splattering the dirt.
"Koneko!!"
Ryuichi's clone dove, catching her before she hit the ground a second time. The force drove him backward several steps, boots grinding deep furrows into the road. She was bleeding heavily, her body trembling in his arms.
"Hold on," he whispered, channeling demonic power through his hands to close the wounds.
"Ryuichi‑kun!" Asia ran over, activating her Sacred Gear—the Saint's Smile—bathed in golden light. Healing energy enveloped Koneko, knitting flesh and mending bone.
"I'm sorry…" Koneko's voice was small, guilt‑ridden. "I… I slowed everyone down."
"Don't you dare apologize," Ryuichi said softly, still infusing power into her. "None of this is your fault."
Under his magic and Asia's light, her breathing steadied, color slowly returning to her face.
Meanwhile, on the front line, Ryuichi's true body and Xenovia were enduring the brunt of Kokabiel's onslaught. Even in close combat, his power was monstrous—beyond high‑class Devil level, oppressive and unrelenting.
Two heavy impacts rang out as Kokabiel kicked both of them away with casual strength, flinging them backwards like dolls.
His blows weren't complicated, just devastatingly strong.
Xenovia hit the ground hard, rolled once, and forced herself upright—barely in time to see Kokabiel vanish and reappear before her. His light blade came down in a blinding arc.
She had no chance to guard. The blow sent her flying across the courtyard, crashing into the stone wall.
Kokabiel threw back his head and laughed. "Your masters are gone, yet you still fight so desperately. How amusing that the faithful and the damned should suffer together!"
Everyone froze, confusion flickering through the group.
"What… do you mean?" Xenovia managed, voice shaken.
Kokabiel blinked innocently. "Ah, whoops. Did I let something slip?" His grin widened wickedly. "Well, it's not like it matters anymore, does it?"
He spread his arms, amusement twisting into pure cruelty.
"Oh, fine then—let me enlighten you!" His laughter echoed madly through the night. "During the Great War—the Three Factions' war—besides the Four Maou, your beloved God also died! Every single one of them is gone!"
The words crashed down like a thunderclap.
Silence fell. Rias's team stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief.
Even Asia's healing light flickered, almost fading out.
Akeno gasped softly, her usual composure cracking, while Xenovia's expression turned pale as death.
Only Ryuichi's face remained unreadable.
A dead god? he thought grimly. Then what kind of "god" dies? In the end, they're just stronger beings—nothing more.
That thought, cold and pragmatic, steeled him further.
If even gods could fall… then anything could be defeated, with enough power.
But for Asia and Xenovia, the revelation was brutal. Both had been devout believers once—children of churches and miracles. Asia, even after being reborn as a Devil, had clung to her faith with quiet devotion.
Now that faith shattered before her eyes.
Xenovia's hands trembled. Durandal slipped from her grasp, the sacred blade landing on the ground with a dull clang. Her eyes were hollow, her body sinking to her knees.
"If… if God is already dead," she whispered, voice trembling, "then what of the love and strength He granted us? What meaning is left in everything we believed?"
The battlefield fell eerily silent except for the whisper of the wind.
Ryuichi looked at her quietly, his grip tightening on his sword.
The fight wasn't over—but for some, the greatest battle had just begun inside their hearts.