"Man, I really thought you were gonna say no"
Issei admitted, scratching the back of his head with a relieved smile.
Motohama sighed heavily, looking at his classmate like a man who had just watched someone fail an open-book exam with the answers highlighted.
"You thought that while all of you were fighting a Cadre, I'd be at home enjoying my favorite show?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Crossing his arms, Saji Genshirou moved to the front of the group. The look he wore made it abundantly clear that he wasn't prepared to accept anything at face value.
"Dude, you're probably the last person I'd bet on doing something out of pure charity" Saji said "Let's be honest here. If it doesn't involve you or one of your girls, you're usually not interested-"
Before he could finish speaking, Sona turned her gaze towards him. The look she gave him made it abundantly clear that continuing would be a mistake.
Saji immediately fell silent. The confidence in his posture crumbled under Sona's stare, leaving behind little more than an awkward smile and a slow retreat.
"Well, I can't deny that" Motohama replied with a shrug. The faint smirk on his face suggested he found the entire conversation mildly amusing "That said, I'd prefer it if the Fallen Angel didn't destroy my house while pursuing his war plans"
'If I were being honest with myself, the only reason I was involved in this mess was the promise of a high-ranking Gacha ticket. Without that incentive, I'd have happily watched the entire town burn from a safe distance while lounging in a lawn chair with a bag of chips'
Yet lately, he had developed the unfortunate habit of worrying about other people's safety over his own, a condition he blamed squarely on the supernatural idiots around him and their apparent inability to survive a week without a crisis.
Sona raised a hand in dismissal as peerage members filed out of the room in small groups, their hushed whispers accompanied by occasional glances over their shoulders.
In the silence that followed, Sona and Rias approached Motohama together.
Sona sighed softly before adjusting her glasses.
"As usual, you've managed to avoid complicating matters considerably" Her eyes settled on him "You have the Excaliburs in your possession, don't you, Motohama-kun?"
Motohama considered the question with all the concern of a man being asked whether he'd remembered to lock his front door.
"Yes, The three of them"
His expression never changed, but his mind was already several steps ahead. The conclusion was difficult to avoid: Kokabiel had planted that particular revelation with deliberate care, tossing it into the room like a lit match and waiting to see what caught fire.
'The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. Any competent warmonger would have attacked without warning. Instead, the ten-winged psychopath had shown up solely to announce his intentions'
However, the logic became clear once he remembered that Kokabiel's true targets were not the inexperienced heiresses, but the current Satans themselves. That explained why the rogue angel had given them time to summon their overprotective siblings to the human world.
A war required the right participants, after all.
Rias stepped in front of him, her crimson hair shifting across her shoulders as her hands curled into fists at her sides.
"You should return them to the exorcists before Kiba finds out" she said. The concern in her voice was impossible to miss "You know better than anyone what those swords would mean to him"
Motohama gave a curt nod, though his thoughts were already drifting elsewhere.
"That's the plan, apparently" Motohama said, already facing away from Rias and Sona while his thoughts shifted to the task ahead and the magic within him responded in kind.
A blue magic circle appeared beneath his feet, its glowing patterns slowly rotating as magic gathered within it.
"Let me know when he makes his move" he said over his shoulder, sounding as though he were discussing an appointment rather than an impending battle.
Sona's brow furrowed as she stepped forward. His response had answered the question, but not quite in the way she had expected.
"You're taking the Excaliburs to the exorcists?" Sona asked, the question leaving her lips before she could stop herself.
Motohama let out a quiet chuckle as the light began to consume his form.
"No. There's someone I need to see before that"
He replied, his form dissolving into blue light as the teleportation spell carried him away.
. . .
"That's all I want from you, Benemune-san"
Motohama said, leaning against the balcony railing while the distant sounds of the city rose and fell beneath them.
He glanced sideways at the female Cadre, and for some reason, she seemed far more interested in him than the conversation itself.
The city continued to breathe beneath them, its distant noise drifting up from the streets below. Benemune remained silent until she finally shifted herself, breaking the silence between them.
"You really are a troublesome one, Motohama-kun" Benemune said with a weary smile "Most people would spend the next few days recovering after fighting the Hero Faction"
Motohama's gaze remained fixed on the distant silhouette of Kuoh Academy. To all appearances, the prospect of the coming massacre troubled him no more than a routine obligation.
"And yet, here I am still standing next to you," he countered, displaying none of the confidence usually exhibited by people whose trump card is believing in themselves really, really hard.
Benemune regarded him for a moment before a faint smile appeared on her face. In all her years among angels, devils, and fallen angels, she had met very few people who carried themselves quite like him.
Even Azazel, the Governor General of the Grigori, had admitted during a recent strategy meeting that Motohama possessed frightening potential. Given time, he could become one of the strongest humans in the world, if somehow he didn't get himself killed doing something reckless.
Figuring it was time to stop dragging things out, Motohama reached into his inventory and pulled out the items he had prepared in advance.
"For your cooperation, I'll throw in my two newest potions" Motohama said while two vials rested in his palm, their contents casting faint pools of light across his fingers.
Benemune tried to keep a straight face, but the way her eyes lit up the instant she saw the potions gave her away completely.
"So, do we have terms?" Motohama asked, watching her closely for any sign that she was about to pull a Loki and reveal that the real negotiation had only just begun.
Benemune managed to pry her eyes away from the potions long enough to look at him. Judging by her smile and the enthusiastic nod that followed, she was more than satisfied with the arrangement.
"We have terms"
With those three words, Benemune officially resigned herself from the potential complication to uninvolved observer.
Motohama returned the smile, looking less like a teenager and more like an executive who had just discovered that ethics regulations were merely suggestions.
'Now it's just me versus Kokabiel'
Motohama thought. His hand curled into a fist as the promise of a Rank 14 Gacha ticket quietly reminded him why he was willing to entertain this level of insanity.
His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as a surge of power rolled across the town. A moment later, he was staring at the violet light erupting around the academy and in seconds, expanding into a colossal dome that sealed the school away from the outside world.
A grin spread across Motohama's face as the barrier solidified around the academy. At last, Kokabiel had made his move.
'So, it begins'
Judging by the look on his face, Kokabiel's life expectancy had just suffered a noticeable decline.
. . .
Amid the eerie glow of the barrier overhead, a magic circle appeared on the running track and delivered Motohama into the heart of the crisis.
Before him, Koneko and Kiba fought with the stubborn determination of people who knew retreat was not an option. Opposing them, two towering Cerberus prowled across the running track, their acidic saliva hissing wherever it touched the ground.
Issei refused to yield an inch. Each announcement from the Boosted Gear was followed by another determined assault against opponents that should have overwhelmed him long ago
Roaaaarrrrr!
Beyond the wreckage of the gymnasium, Rias and Akeno pressed their attack against a monstrous winged creature whose massive sword seemed capable of reducing entire buildings to rubble with a single blow.
Rooooooaaarrr!
Suspended high above the academy, Kokabiel lounged upon a throne while looking down at the desperate struggles of Rias Gremory and her servants with an expression of pure sadistic glee.
Motohama's gaze swept across the battlefield, lingering on each clash in turn. A moment later, he understood. Every one of them had been occupied with trouble of their own. Only he and Kokabiel remained free to act.
Swoosh!
Two wings of violet flame flared into existence behind Motohama as he hurled himself upward, closing the distance to Kokabiel in a blur. And, In the blink of an eye, Motohama came to a halt before the suspended throne.
Kokabiel's grin broadened noticeably. Resting his chin against one hand, he regarded Motohama with the look of a man whose evening had just taken an unexpectedly entertaining turn.
"At last!" The fallen angel laughed openly "Now this is much better. Watching the others struggle was entertaining enough, but I've been far more interested in meeting you" His eyes narrowed at him with amusement "Though I expected more than a solo appearance"
With an unhurried motion, Motohama reached into the center of the magic circle and drew forth his newly forged sword. Purple light ran along the blade's edge, reflected in his eyes.
He pointed the sword at the Cadre and stared him down, unaffected by the immense pressure radiating from his body.
"That won't be necessary. I've been saving the pleasure of killing you for myself"
The fallen angel's laughter rang out across the battlefield which was far from offended, as he looked genuinely delighted by the response.
He rose to his feet as the throne unraveled behind him, scattering into the night like smoke. Extending his right arm, holy light gathered in his palm, condensing into a golden spear as the surrounding air crackled with energy.
Kokabiel's grin turned vicious, his eyes alight with the same battle-hungry fervor that had carried him through the Great War. For an instant, he looked less like a fallen angel and more like a man who had spent centuries waiting for the next battlefield.
"Let's not waste any more time!" Kokabiel said, while holding a light spear in his hand in excitement "One of the Satans is bound to arrive eventually, and I'd rather enjoy myself before that happens."
Crack.
Motohama glanced at the spear of light in Kokabiel's hand and found himself thoroughly unimpressed. For all its overwhelming power, it still looked suspiciously like an oversized glow stick.
The spear of light in Kokabiel's grasp continued to shine more intensely with each passing moment. Its glow spread across the academy grounds below, casting the battlefield into sharp relief. Watching the scene unfold, Kokabiel's grin only widened.
Motohama tightened his grip on the sword, and it responded immediately, vibrating softly in his hand as though it understood exactly what he intended to do.
They stood suspended above a forgotten corner of the world, yet the consequences of what happened next would not remain there for long.
'Let's see if you are worth Rank 14 Gacha ticket'
. . .
For supporting me and for advance chapters, you can check on
p a treon.com/opeler