Rod glanced at Kokabiel, who still had strength left, and felt that the Fallen Angel race was truly outrageous. If a human had taken injuries like that, even if they survived, they wouldn't be able to stand again. Yet for Kokabiel, that previous round of attacks could only be considered light damage.
A pure stat monster.
No wonder he dared to come alone. Both his defense and destructive power were extremely high. He might not reach Maou level, but he was at least above the average Ultimate-Class Devil.
Should I use the Phantasm now? Rod hesitated for a moment. No, Kokabiel might die instantly. I'll test my other skill first, then finish him with that.
...
At the same time, Kokabiel's crimson eyes locked onto Rod. Although he hadn't seen who attacked him earlier, it was obvious from the situation who the culprit was.
And the fact that a human had reduced him to such a miserable state made his anger surge instantly.
In all his years as an executive, he had never been humiliated like this. Even in past clashes with the God of the Bible, he had never been beaten so badly. And now it was by a human.
If it had been an angel of equal rank, a Maou, or some other supreme being, Kokabiel wouldn't have reacted so violently.
He swore to himself that he would not be beaten like that again. Not even by the God of the Bible.
"I'll kill you!"
Kokabiel stomped the ground and shot forward, turning into a blur as he charged at Rod. A sword of light formed in his hand and slashed downward with overwhelming force. Even before the blade landed, the wind pressure alone sent debris and dust flying. The air split, and shockwaves spread outward.
The violent gust forced Rias and the others to retreat. They couldn't even watch safely without risking being caught in it.
"Shirone, are you okay, nya? You're not hurt, are you? You're covered in dust, let me check you, nya!"
Kuroka, who had earlier rushed into the battlefield and killed a Hellhound, ran over and hugged Koneko tightly, her hands moving frantically over her.
"I'm fine."
Koneko pushed her away, looking annoyed, though warmth flickered in her heart.
"That's good, that's good, nya! That damned Fallen Angel executive, I'll scratch his face off, nya!"
Kuroka glared at Kokabiel with killing intent, but just as she was about to rush forward, Koneko grabbed her.
"Don't go, Sister. You can't beat him. If you go, you'll only affect Mr. Rod."
Kuroka stopped, then nodded fiercely. "Fine, nya. I'll let him off this time."
Once she calmed down, she understood the gap between them. She wouldn't be killed in one move, but she couldn't last long either.
"You're Kuroka?"
Rias looked at the beautiful girl in the black kimono.
"Ah! I forgot to hide my ears, nya?!"
Kuroka suddenly remembered she was still a wanted devil.
"I heard about you from Koneko. Until the truth is clear, I won't report you."
"Really, nya? Then I can openly come see Shirone from now on!"
Kuroka's tail stood up happily.
"Kuroka…?"
Sona found the name familiar and soon recalled the stray devil incident from years ago. Seeing that Rias already knew, she chose not to interfere. Kokabiel was the priority.
"Rias, who is that human fighting Kokabiel?"
Even with Ultimate-Class vision, Sona couldn't see clearly. She couldn't track Kokabiel's afterimages, and the man fighting him was almost impossible to perceive. From here, it looked like Kokabiel was fighting the air.
If not for the increasing wounds on his body and the way he was occasionally flung around like a sandbag, she might have thought he'd gone mad.
"He's… Rod. He calls himself a freelance mercenary."
Rias hesitated before answering.
"A mercenary?"
Since when were mercenaries this strong? In Sona's view, most so-called mercenaries were mediocre fighters hunting stray devils or vampires for bounties. Even the stronger ones rarely surpassed mid-level devil strength.
Powerful humans did exist, but most eventually joined Heaven or became servants of high-ranking devils. A human capable of overpowering a Fallen Angel executive would not remain unknown.
Meanwhile, even fighting seriously, Kokabiel couldn't change his disadvantage.
Rod's speed was too fast.
So fast that Kokabiel's eyes couldn't follow, and even his perception of killing intent was blurred. Only his long-honed battle instincts kept him alive. Otherwise, he would have died in the first exchange.
What kind of ability was this?
The more he fought, the more shocked he became. The pain from his wounds couldn't suppress his astonishment. When had Earth produced such a powerful human?
And that sword, though it carried sacred properties, it was completely different from any Holy Sword he knew.
A brand-new Holy Sword?
Was he from the Church? Perhaps the three missing Holy Swords had been taken by him.
Kokabiel raised his light blade horizontally to block again. He stopped another lethal strike, but the force behind it drove him back, numbing his grip.
If he held the sword with one hand, it would be knocked away instantly.
Even so, a heavy punch struck his face. In Rod's accelerated perception, Kokabiel's body lifted slowly into the air. His bloodshot eyes widened. Every time, he reacted just a little too late.
If only he were faster.
His wings flared, whipping toward Rod faster than his limbs. Yet Rod dodged easily.
Appearing behind him in the next instant, Rod swung downward, avoiding a fatal blow and severing one of Kokabiel's wings at the base.
Kokabiel was stronger than Satanael had been.
But Rod was also stronger than he had been in Kyoto.
"Getting anxious now?"
A black demonic sword, Arondight, appeared in Rod's left hand and thrust toward Kokabiel's heart. When Kokabiel sensed death approaching, his body reacted, but Rod's true target was not his chest.
The Holy Sword in Rod's right hand vanished. His palm slammed directly against Kokabiel's face.
Deep violet flames instantly spread across the Fallen Angel's entire body.
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