If Rhode hadn't brought it up, Rias would have forgotten all about it. Now that she remembered her original purpose, she felt quite embarrassed. Her initial plan had been to have a proper argument with Rhode.
After all, why did Rhode get to describe all her hard work up to this point as worthless? While it was true she had learned to do laundry, cook, sew, and clean, she did occasionally train her Power of Destruction, didn't she?! What did he mean by calling her a slacker and telling her to become a cook? Did she, a pure-blooded Devil noble, not have any pride?
And he had said she read a lot of useless books. Could strategy and analysis books related to Rating Games really be called "useless"?
Of course, she only dared to grumble those words in her heart now. In short, before this incident, Rias's impression of Rhode was more negative than positive. However, after her own reckless attempt to challenge Kokabiel resulted in her being suppressed by the Fallen Angel's power, Rias had been humbled. Rhode didn't just have a few tricks; he was the real deal.
"Uh... I, well... because of Koneko and Akeno, I originally intended to come and thank you."
For the first time in her life, Rias told a blatant lie. With so many people around, she couldn't afford to look too submissive. Some things were better discussed in private.
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"Eh?" Rias blinked, then realized what he meant after seeing his strange look. "But didn't I just thank you?"
"One thing is for the rescue; this is for something else."
"Oh, right..." Rias was nearly thrown for a loop by Rhode's logic, but she managed an awkward smile and thanked him anyway. "Thank you. I appreciate the trouble you've taken with Koneko and Akeno."
"Mhm." Rhode gave a slight nod in response.
"Pfft—!"
Watching this, Sona finally couldn't hold back a laugh. This man was quite interesting. It was rare to see Rias being poked and prodded like this by someone else.
"Black cat, let's go."
Rhode waved to Kuroka, who was still clinging to Koneko.
"Shirone, your sister is leaving now nya. Remember to think of me when you get home nya. Don't sleep too late nya... better yet, why don't you just come live with me nya~?"
"No thanks, Sister. I still have a lot of things to handle." Koneko pushed Kuroka's approaching face away with a look of distaste. However, she felt a bit tempted by that last suggestion. After all, she lived alone now; since she had reunited with her sister, moving in together in the future wasn't out of the question. Plus, it would make training more convenient.
Taking Kuroka with them, Rhode's group left the ruined city center.
After they departed, Rias took a deep breath and looked at the surrounding devastation, a headache-inducing expression crossing her face. The culprit, Kokabiel, was dead, so she had no one to vent her anger on. The city square was almost entirely in ruins. Although the number of casualties wasn't high, many people had witnessed the events.
"Rias, I will use the Student Council's power to help you as well." Sona knew the cleanup would be incredibly troublesome and took the initiative to offer help.
"I... thank you then." Rias instinctively wanted to refuse but quickly changed her mind. She realized that her previous approach of trying to shoulder everything alone was wrong. When faced with a problem she truly couldn't solve, refusing help would only lead to more trouble.
Furthermore, the severity of this incident made it necessary to officially notify the Underworld government.
On the other side, the White Dragon Emperor, Vali, had been flying through the clouds for about ten minutes. Despite this, he remained silent.
Albion, the White Dragon, was a bit worried about Vali's current state. "Vali, what's the matter? Your emotions are very chaotic right now. Why?"
"I..." Vali opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
His reunion with Lavinia should have been a happy occasion, but after seeing that man, his good mood had vanished instantly. Vali didn't know what this feeling was; he only knew that his chest felt clogged.
"I'm fine. Let's head back and report to Azazel first. Kokabiel's death will likely be unexpected for him." Vali's voice had returned to its usual calm.
"Alright then. But Vali, you need to regulate your emotions. You cannot let them govern your will, otherwise, it will be easy for the power to control you."
Vali was the most exceptional host Albion had possessed since becoming a Longinus. Naturally, Albion didn't want him to go astray. Even for a Longinus, finding a suitable host wasn't easy. He'd had several hosts who, after gaining power, began to commit crimes and were quickly killed, or who couldn't handle the power and suffered physical or mental collapses.
"Don't worry. I'm perfectly fine now." Vali took a deep breath.
He soon descended into a courtyard hidden deep within the mountains and forests. The dark night was quiet, save for the occasional cluttered sounds coming from inside the house. Sensing the aura of the man inside, Vali relaxed slightly and pushed the door open.
In the large room sat a single, lazy man. He had short black hair that was golden at the forehead and sides. His somewhat thin frame was dressed in a summer-style Japanese yukata. A cynical smile played on his lips, and the hand resting on his knee held a small sake bottle.
"Vali, back so soon? I thought you'd hang around there a bit longer," Azazel said with a smile. "Where is Kokabiel?"
"Dead," Vali said coldly.
"Dead? What happened?!" Azazel thought he had misheard at first, but seeing Vali's grim face, the lazy man sat up straight. "Don't tell me you forgot to hold back?"
As the mentor who had raised Vali, Azazel knew exactly how strong the boy had become. Even without using the power of Divide, once he activated Balance Breaker, he could have settled Kokabiel within three minutes. Being powerful and not a Fallen Angel himself, Vali was the best choice for capturing the traitor Kokabiel. If Azazel had appeared personally, it would have turned into a diplomatic incident.
"It wasn't me. Someone else killed him," Vali shook his head.
"Someone else? In the entire Three Factions, the only ones capable of settling Kokabiel aside from the Devil Kings are the Seraphs of Heaven. But none of them moved, did they?" Azazel's face was filled with doubt.
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