The sky above Kuoh split open.
A massive spear of divine energy—large enough to erase the entire city—hung in the air, crackling with terrifying power. The sheer pressure of it made my chest feel tight, as if the weight of an entire world was pressing down on me.
Kokabiel hovered in the sky, arms spread wide, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "Do you like it? This is the true power of a Cadre. I wonder… how many devils will survive once I bring it down?"
Rias's face was pale. Even she—the heiress of the Gremory Clan—knew that if Kokabiel released that attack, it would be over.
Akeno's fists clenched. Koneko's tail bristled.
Even Xenovia and Irina, despite their confidence in Excalibur, looked helpless in the face of Kokabiel's full power.
Issei was shaking. "D-Ddraig! Can we stop that thing?!"
[Boost!]
Ddraig's voice rumbled. "Not in your current state."
Fear rippled through the group.
But not me.
I exhaled slowly, gripping my sword tighter. The moment I had been waiting for—the true test of King's Wrath—had finally arrived.
I met Rias's gaze. "I'll handle it."
She flinched. "Yuuto, you can't be serious—"
I didn't give her time to argue.
With a single step, I launched myself into the sky.
The world around me blurred as I shot upward, my body moving faster than ever before. Thanks to Overdrive Mode, my speed, strength, and reaction time were at their peak.
Kokabiel's spear loomed above me—an unstoppable force of destruction.
But I was going to stop it anyway.
My system pinged.
[King's Wrath: Maximum Output Achieved]
• New Technique Unlocked: Celestial Severance
• Effect: A single strike that absorbs and reflects divine energy, capable of splitting even the heavens.
I grinned. This was it.
I raised King's Wrath, the blade glowing brighter than ever, its edge now infused with both demonic and holy energy.
Kokabiel sneered. "Are you really going to try and cut through my attack? You're insane."
I smirked. "Then watch closely."
The moment I reached the spear, I swung with everything I had.
Celestial Severance!
A blinding arc of crimson and gold light erupted from my sword, slicing cleanly through the divine spear.
For a moment, the world froze.
Then—
A massive explosion tore through the sky, the sheer force sending shockwaves across Kuoh. The divine energy collapsed, shattering into harmless particles of light that faded into the night.
I had done it.
I had cut through Kokabiel's strongest attack.
Kokabiel's expression twisted into something between disbelief and pure rage. "Impossible."
I landed on the ground smoothly, barely winded. "I told you. You'll have to do better than that."
Silence.
Then, a laugh.
At first, it was soft. Then it grew louder, until Kokabiel was cackling madly, his wings flaring. "Ah… I see now. You're not the same Kiba Yuuto from before." His golden eyes locked onto me. "What are you?"
I met his gaze, gripping King's Wrath tightly. "Just a knight who refuses to lose."
Kokabiel's amusement faded. "You've irritated me, devil." He raised his hand. "Now, die."
A surge of black lightning erupted from his palm, aimed straight for me.
I moved to counter—
But before I could react, a massive crimson blast intercepted Kokabiel's attack, forcing him backward.
I turned—
Rias stood beside me, her aura of destruction flaring wildly.
Her blue eyes were filled with fury. "That's enough."
Kokabiel sneered. "Oh? Has the Gremory princess finally decided to take this seriously?"
Rias stepped forward, power radiating off her in waves. "You came into my territory… threatened my people… and tried to kill my knight."
Her magic surged, the sheer intensity causing the ground beneath her to crack.
"I'm going to erase you."
The air ignited as Rias launched forward, hurling a massive sphere of destruction at Kokabiel. The Fallen Angel countered with a wave of divine energy, the two forces colliding violently in midair.
The battlefield became chaos.
Akeno joined in, unleashing torrents of lightning. Xenovia and Irina charged, their Excaliburs clashing against Kokabiel's defenses. Koneko rushed in, her fist glowing with raw power as she landed a heavy blow against the Fallen Angel's ribs.
Even Issei—shaking but determined—stepped forward, his Boosted Gear pulsing. "[Boost! Boost!]"
And me?
I vanished again, reappearing behind Kokabiel in a flash of light. My sword shifted, adapting to the energy around me.
I slashed downward—and for the first time in this battle—
Kokabiel actually bled.
He staggered, golden blood dripping from his side. His face twisted in shock and pure rage.
"You… little… vermin."
He raised both hands, preparing to unleash another attack—
BOOM!
A new energy crashed down onto the battlefield, pressing against us with overwhelming force.
I turned quickly—
And saw a towering figure in white armor standing at the warehouse entrance.
A deep, commanding voice rang out.
"That's enough."
Kokabiel froze, his eyes widening. "No…"
Rias's eyes widened as well. "It's—"
Xenovia's grip on Excalibur tightened. "Azazel."
The Governor-General of the Fallen Angels had arrived.
Azazel—one of the most powerful beings in the supernatural world.
His golden eyes flicked between Kokabiel and us, his expression unreadable. "I figured you'd go too far, Kokabiel. But this? This is just messy."
Kokabiel snarled. "Stay out of this, Azazel."
Azazel sighed, raising a hand. "No can do."
In a blur, he moved—one moment he was standing at the entrance, the next, he was behind Kokabiel, grabbing him by the throat.
Kokabiel gasped, his wings flaring in panic. "You—You can't—!"
Azazel smirked. "I can."
With a casual flick of his wrist, he crushed Kokabiel's energy, rendering him powerless. The once-mighty Fallen Angel collapsed, barely able to move.
A heavy silence filled the battlefield.
Then Azazel turned to us, his gaze settling on me.
"And you," he said, his voice full of intrigue. "You're… interesting."
My grip on King's Wrath tightened, my body still humming with battle energy.
Azazel grinned. "Let's have a chat sometime, kid."
And just like that, the battle was over.
With Kokabiel defeated, the immediate threat to Kuoh was over. Valper had been captured. The rogue exorcists were scattered. And the Excalibur fragments were secured.
But my mind was elsewhere.
I had evolved again—pushed my power beyond what I thought possible.
And now, Azazel had taken notice.
I had no idea what was coming next.
But I was sure of something.
All of this will become increasingly complicated.