Because the visitor had masked his presence, no one except Rhode noticed anything unusual—though Lavinia sensed a slight disturbance. Seeing Rhode head for the door, she prepared to follow, but Rhode signaled for her to stay inside.
"Be careful," the girl's voice trailed after him.
Rhode pushed open the door and saw a man standing in front of the manor, dressed in a loose black kimono. He had a high nose, a well-defined jawline, and a look that was mature yet handsome. His hair color was striking: his bangs were mostly gold, while the rest was as black as ink.
When he saw Rhode, a faint, knowing smile played on his lips. He possessed both the refined grace of a scholar and the imposing dignity of a ruler. Even though he had suppressed his aura to the minimum, he still exerted a massive, invisible pressure on anyone he met.
The System had already displayed his character panel.
Although there were differences between reality and 2D depictions, Rhode could easily recognize the distinct features of an Azazel. The visitor was none other than the Governor General of the Fallen Angels, Azazel.
"So, you're the one who killed Kokabiel. You're much younger than I imagined."
Azazel crossed his arms, looking Rhode up and down. He then frowned almost imperceptibly. Though Vali had told him this human was indeed the one who took down Kokabiel, based on Azazel's experience, Rhode didn't look like a powerhouse capable of handling a Fallen Angel leader.
The main issue was his eyes. For a human to reach a level where they could defeat Kokabiel, they should have gone through trials of blood and fire.
But what was with that look?
Rhode knew Azazel didn't come with friendly intentions, yet his expression, posture, and gaze didn't change at all. It was as if... he didn't even care that Azazel was there.
In truth, Azazel wasn't overthinking it. Rhode really didn't care much for him. It wasn't about power—it was just that Rhode had zero interest in men. If it weren't for Azazel's unique status, he wouldn't have even bothered stepping out of the house.
Besides, he had expected this day to come. It was just a bit later than he had anticipated.
"I thought you would have come looking for me sooner," Rhode said.
From that sentence alone, Azazel knew Rhode had seen through his identity, which left him a bit stunned.
Seriously, kid? You know I'm the Governor General of the Fallen Angels. Even if you aren't trembling in fear, you should at least show some basic respect. You're supposed to ask who I am, I'm supposed to announce my title, and then you give me a reaction like, 'What?! You're the boss of the Fallen Angels?!'
Being met with such calm made Azazel feel a bit of a "defeatist" slump. However, since Rhode was playing it cool, Azazel couldn't lose face.
"It seems killing Kokabiel has given you quite a bit of confidence. Young man, as someone who's been around the block, I advise you not to be too arrogant. The gap between Kokabiel and me isn't just a small step."
"If a young man isn't arrogant, is he even a young man?" Rhode retorted instinctively.
Upon hearing this, Azazel's expression shifted slightly.
Originally, he had taken advantage of the temporary lull in tensions between the Three Factions to see exactly who this human was and perhaps knock him down a peg before trying to recruit him.
After all, the reason he had rushed out of Grigori with the White Dragon Emperor, Vali, was to catch Kokabiel before anyone else did. Under his watch, even if Kokabiel were sealed, he'd at least be alive. There was always a chance a life sentence could be commuted one day. But death is final.
Azazel wasn't here for revenge. Kokabiel had committed a capital crime. But he did want to vent a little frustration. He thought he could use his status to pressure this human, but he hadn't expected to be shut down immediately.
This was a first for him since becoming Governor General.
"You seem very confident in your strength. In that case, how about the two of us have a little spar?" Azazel said, crossing his arms with a smirk. "Of course, you have every right to refuse. After all, you're facing the Governor General of the Fallen Angels—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call me the strongest of my race."
"Sure."
"If you're too scared, I can underst—wait, what did you say?" Azazel was in the middle of his grandstanding when he suddenly blinked.
"I said 'Sure.' Are you deaf?"
The trio of fallen angel girls hiding inside the house couldn't help but give their master a mental thumbs-up. To speak to the Governor General like that... At this moment, their admiration for Rhode completely eclipsed their respect for their former leader.
Azazel's face turned the color of a pig's liver. Seeing that Rhode wasn't playing along with his script, he stopped the nonsense.
"Fine. You've got guts."
"However, to stop people from saying that the Great Governor General of the Fallen Angels is a bully, I'll let you choose the location, the method, and the victory conditions. That way, no one can say I took advantage of my position."
[Azazel, Governor General of the Fallen Angels, has issued a new quest!]
[Quest: First Encounter]
[Objective: Withstand Azazel's assault until victory is achieved.]I'll get right on that. Here is the translation for the provided sections, maintaining the lighthearted yet action-oriented tone of the original.
[Reward: Azazel Favorability +20, Random Reward x1]
A quest actually popped up for this?
Rhode stared at the screen. And wait—winning actually increases Azazel's favorability? Is there some mistake? Is Azazel secretly a hardcore masochist or something?
The rewards felt a bit stingy, though. This was a battle against the Governor General of the Fallen Angels, after all. Even if it was just a spar, the system didn't need to be so penny-pinching.
"Let's go to the mountain behind the manor. We just need to set up a few layers of barriers. As for the victory conditions... you decide," Rhode said.
Since there was a quest, there was no reason not to complete it. Besides, this was a rare opportunity to trade blows with the Governor General himself. It was the perfect chance to gauge exactly where he ranked among the powerhouses of this world.
Hearing this, Azazel couldn't help but look at Rhode with a bit more respect. He had expected the boy to pick conditions that favored himself, but instead, Rhode had kicked the ball back into his court.
"Then let's judge the winner by whoever gets hit the most within a set time limit," Azazel suggested. He didn't want to make it too complicated; this wasn't a life-or-death struggle, after all.
Rhode had no objections.
Shortly after, Rhode and Azazel—along with Lavinia, who was in charge of the barriers, and the "cheerleading squad" consisting of Asia, Kuroka, Xenovia, and Irina—arrived at the site.
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (227 Chapters – Ongoing)
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