Holding Leviathan and the Devil King Lucifer's younger sister captive, and on top of that seizing the Church's Holy Sword—if he could wield that sword himself, he would kill the two of them with his own hands.
Neither the Underworld nor Heaven would stand by and do nothing.
The precarious balance of their cold war would be broken in an instant, and the war that had been on hold for thousands of years would rage once more.
Just the thought of a grand three-way battle made Kokabiel's blood boil with excitement.
As for whether he could actually achieve his goal?
Kokabiel hadn't considered that question at all.
He was a high-ranking officer among the Watchers of the Son of God—a Fallen Angel who had once clashed with the God of the Bible in the Three-Way War and survived.
Even across the entire Three Realms, his power ranked near the top.
So what if Leviathan and Lucifer's little sister were pureblooded high-class devils?
With his strength, he could kill more than ten high-class devils single-handedly.
As for those Fallen Angels who had failed before, Kokabiel paid them no mind whatsoever.
Lesser Fallen Angels weren't even qualified to meet him.
In war, they were just expendable cannon fodder. If they died, they died.
After mulling it over, Kokabiel's figure vanished from the spot.
Down below, the apostate priest and the "ghoul" dared not stand up until long after he was gone. Only then did they each depart.
…
Elsewhere…
After Hikaru parted ways with the Hozuki sisters last time, they had been in more frequent contact than ever.
Given the special nature of the possessed, Hozuki Yayoi would send Hikaru an email every night.
There were no restrictions on what the email could contain—it could be a situation report or just mundane matters. Hikaru would give it a quick glance and, if it wasn't important, reply with only a brief response.
Besides dealing with the possessed and Kokabiel, Hikaru spent even more time each day clearing out the lingering souls within his Sacred Gear's internal space.
Even though he had temporarily lent out the "Soul Banner," he had other methods at his disposal.
Over the years, the residual souls of previous Red Dragon Emperors had accumulated, becoming something akin to a curse.
By now, Hikaru had fully incorporated Senjutsu (Immortal Arts) into his training.
Though he still needed time to master more complex techniques, removing a curse posed little trouble.
Day by day passed.
On the night before Saturday, within the deepest layer of the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet Sacred Gear, Hikaru finally purified the last wisp of the Red Dragon Emperor's remaining soul.
It was rather like clearing the final stage in a game; this last remnant was more stubborn than all those before it, but it couldn't hold out forever. After half an hour of using his Immortal Arts and life aura in a war of attrition, he succeeded.
In that moment, Hikaru's life aura—once scorching hot like the blazing sun—slowly faded, changing from a radiance so intense it inspired awe to a gently drifting, transcendent presence.
Even Hikaru himself could sense how obvious this change was.
"Hikaru, you…you feel different from before," Asia said worriedly. "Did something happen? Could it be from too much drinking and…other excesses? It's…it's all my fault. If not for me, you wouldn't have ended up like this."
At that, Asia's mood plummeted, blaming herself for the changes in him.
"It's not your fault," Hikaru replied, still in high spirits. In truth, it was the result of his Senjutsu breakthrough.
Originally, his life aura was burning and resplendent like the sun, but purifying the lingering souls over several days had tempered it to become internalized. Not only were his internal organs strengthened, but his lifespan also greatly increased—by at least a few thousand years.
"R-Really?" Asia asked, worried he was just trying to comfort her. But seeing his honest gaze, she immediately believed him.
"Come over here, Asia."
"O-Okay…"
Her eyes were already going hazy.
…
Spring breezes blew along the road, where flowers and greenery bloomed in competition.
At Eriri's invitation, Hikaru visited her home once more.
"Come in, come in—Eriri's already waiting for you in her room," said Sayuri, greeting Hikaru eagerly as she took the gift he brought. "I won't bother you two. There's still a while before dinner."
She bustled him toward the second floor, then covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Yet when she saw his tall figure, she felt an unaccustomed flutter in her heart and silently berated herself—he was, after all, her daughter's boyfriend. How could she allow such thoughts?
Upstairs, Hikaru knocked on the door, and Eriri's voice called out from inside, "Hikaru? It's open—just come in!"
~~~
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