If Rod hadn't brought it up himself, Rias would have completely forgotten about that matter.
Now that she thought about her original intention, she felt extremely embarrassed.
At first, she had planned to confront Rod and argue with him properly.
After all, what right did he have to dismiss all of her efforts so far as completely worthless?
Sure, she had learned how to wash clothes, cook, sew, and clean, but she also practiced her Power of Destruction from time to time.
What did he mean by saying she had completely given up and should just become a housewife?
She was a pure-blood devil noble, didn't she have any dignity?
And he even said she had been reading a bunch of useless trash books.
Books on strategy and analysis related to the Rating Game, how could those possibly be considered trash?!
Of course, she only dared complain about these things in her head now.
In short, before this incident, Rias's impression of Rod had been more negative than positive.
But after she had foolishly tried to challenge Kokabiel and ended up being completely suppressed by the Fallen Angel executive's power, Rias had finally become honest with herself.
Rod didn't just have a few tricks up his sleeve.
"Uh… I… because of Koneko and Akeno… I originally planned to thank you."
For the first time in her life, Rias told a lie.
After all, there were too many people around right now. She couldn't afford to appear too humble in public.
Some matters could be discussed privately later.
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"Huh?"
Rias froze for a moment. After seeing Rod's puzzled expression, she finally reacted.
"But… didn't I already thank you just now?"
"That's separate. This is another one."
"Oh… okay…"
Hearing that nearly left Rias completely confused, but she still forced a smile and said,
"Thank you. And thank you for helping with Koneko and Akeno."
"Mm."
Rod nodded lightly in acknowledgment.
"Pfft!"
Sona finally couldn't hold back her laughter after witnessing the scene.
This man was quite interesting.
After all, it was rare for her to see Rias suffer such a defeat in someone else's hands.
"Black Cat, let's go."
Rod beckoned to Kuroka, who was still clinging to Koneko.
Reluctantly, Kuroka released her sister's hand.
"Shirone, big sister's leaving nya. Remember to miss me when you get home nya. Don't stay up too late at night nya. Actually, why don't you just come live with big sister nya~~~"
"That won't be necessary, Sister. I still have a lot of things to deal with."
Koneko pushed Kuroka's face away with slight disgust.
However, she did feel somewhat tempted by that last suggestion.
After all, she lived alone anyway. Now that she had reunited with her sister, moving in together wasn't impossible.
Training together would also become much more convenient.
After bringing Kuroka along, Rod and his group left the ruined city center.
Once they were gone,
Rias took a deep breath and looked around at the devastated surroundings, a headache forming on her face.
Kokabiel, the culprit behind everything, was already dead, leaving her with no one to vent her anger on. The central plaza had practically been reduced to ruins.
Although the number of casualties was low, many people had witnessed everything that happened earlier.
"Rias, I'll use the Student Council's resources to help you as well."
Sona knew how troublesome the aftermath would be and took the initiative to offer assistance.
"I… thank you."
Rias instinctively wanted to refuse but quickly changed her mind.
She realized that her old habit of trying to handle everything alone was wrong. When faced with problems she couldn't solve, refusing outside help would only make things worse.
Moreover, the severity of this incident meant it was necessary to formally notify the Underworld government.
...
Meanwhile,
The White Dragon Emperor Vali had been flying above the clouds for about ten minutes.
Yet despite that, he remained completely silent.
Albion, concerned about Vali's condition, finally asked,
"Vali, what's wrong with you? Your emotions are very unstable right now. Why?"
"I…"
Vali opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
Reuniting with Lavinia should have been something joyful.
But after seeing that man, his good mood had instantly vanished.
Vali didn't even understand what this feeling was.
All he knew was that his chest felt unbearably heavy.
"I'm fine. Let's go back and report to Azazel. Kokabiel's death should be something he never expected."
By the time he finished speaking, Vali's voice had already regained its usual calmness.
"Very well. But Vali, you must always regulate your emotions. You cannot allow them to control your will. Otherwise, you may easily be manipulated by power."
Since becoming a Longinus, Vali was the best host Albion had ever encountered.
Naturally, Albion didn't want him to stray down the wrong path.
After all, even for a Longinus, finding a suitable host wasn't easy.
Several of Albion's previous hosts had either abused their newfound power and been swiftly killed, or their bodies and minds had collapsed under the strain of that overwhelming strength.
"Don't worry. I'm perfectly fine."
Vali took a deep breath.
He quickly descended into a courtyard hidden deep within a mountain forest.
The pitch-black night was silent.
Only the occasional clatter from inside the house broke the stillness.
After sensing the presence inside, Vali relaxed slightly and pushed the door open.
Inside the spacious room sat only one person.
He had short black hair, though the strands near his forehead and temples were a wheat-gold color. His somewhat slender frame was dressed in a summer kimono typical of the island nation.
A carefree smile hung on his lips, and the hand resting on his knee held a small Japanese sake bottle.
"Vali, back so soon? I thought you might stay there a little longer and have some fun."
Azazel said with a grin.
"Where is Kokabiel?"
"Dead."
Vali replied coldly.
"Dead? What happened?!"
At first Azazel thought he had misheard.
But when he saw the stern look on Vali's face, the previously relaxed man immediately sat up straight.
"Don't tell me you forgot to hold back?"
As the one who had raised Vali, Azazel knew his strength better than anyone.
Even without using the dividing ability, once Vali activated Balance Breaker, he could defeat Kokabiel within three minutes.
With his immense strength, and the fact that he wasn't a Fallen Angel, Vali was the best candidate to capture the traitor Kokabiel in Kuoh Town.
If Azazel had appeared personally, it would have escalated into a diplomatic matter.
"It wasn't me. Someone else killed him."
Vali shook his head.
"Someone else? Among the Three Factions, the only ones capable of defeating Kokabiel, aside from the Maou, would be the Seraphim of Heaven. But none of them made a move."
Azazel's face filled with shock.
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