Chapter 184 (cont.): The Confrontation—A Sister's Last Stand
In the very next breath, Black Kuroka lunged forward. And just like that, White Yin—her younger sister—was caught off guard and pressed into her embrace.
"Let… let me go!" came the panicked protest.
"Nope, not letting go, meow~ It's been ages since I hugged my precious Yin!" Kuroka purred mischievously, squeezing her sister tightly and burying her face into her chest.
Of course, this wasn't heartfelt affection. It was spellwork. In that fleeting second, Kuroka had used a binding technique to immobilize White Yin. Her body was locked in place, unable to break free.
"Yin, you know..."
Kuroka didn't interrogate. She didn't demand information. Instead, she chatted casually, flippantly, like two sisters catching up over tea—as though the undercurrents of war and betrayal didn't swirl around them.
And then the mood shifted.
"How about it, Yin?" Kuroka asked sweetly. "Come with your big sister."
White Yin trembled. Her body reacted before her heart did.
"No—no!" she cried, voice cracking.
Her expression betrayed her conflict. She knew that if her sister truly intended to take her away, there would be no stopping it. Her power was insufficient. Resistance would be futile.
She didn't want to be separated. Not from Rias-senpai. Not from Akeno.
Had this been the past, she might've gone—out of fear. Back then, the peerage wasn't strong enough to fend off Kuroka. And Yin had worried her sister might hurt them.
"Why?" Kuroka asked. "What's the point in staying with them? The world is about to plunge into chaos. They'll be on the frontlines. Wouldn't you be a burden to them?"
Those words hit like daggers.
"Don't you want to learn to master your own power? I've learned, Yin. I'm strong now, meow~ Follow me and I'll teach you too."
Temptation laced her tone. Seductive. Persuasive.
Once, Kuroka had never intended for her sister to shoulder the burden of their unstable heritage. Yin had always been the domestic cat—the one best suited to warmth, stability, and safety. Adopted by the Gremory family, she was given a peaceful life, free from the predatory instincts Kuroka herself embraced.
But things had changed.
The internal politics of the Devil clans weren't their only threat. Now there were whispers of external invasions—forces that threatened the very fabric of their world. The Gremory family would be swept up in the storm, and Yin could not remain a passive spectator.
"If war breaks out," Kuroka continued, "they'll be the first casualties. I won't let you be dragged down with them."
Yin trembled. Her hands clenched.
She had always known, somewhere deep inside, that she was the weakest of Rias's peerage. The smallest. The least capable in battle. And if a calamity did strike, she might hold everyone back.
"I… I…"
Her voice cracked again.
"I'll go wi—"
"No, you won't, Koneko."
A gentle voice interrupted. It was like silk sliding across stone.
Kuroka's smile twitched. She turned toward the far side of the abandoned classroom, where the air shimmered unnaturally.
And then—two silhouettes emerged.
One was Rias Gremory. The other was the mysterious man Kuroka had come to investigate.
They had been here the entire time. Hidden in plain sight.
Kuroka hadn't sensed them. Not even a whisper of presence. That meant one thing: their concealment magic was leagues beyond her own. It wasn't Rias—no. That level of stealth came from the man.
She had only sensed the spell dissipating just now. He was withdrawing his aura deliberately.
"Return her, Kuroka!" Rias snapped.
"Return?" Kuroka scoffed. "Try taking her, meow~"
The moment the words left her lips, the space around her distorted.
She activated her spatial technique—transferring both herself and White Yin into a forest realm in the blink of an eye. The scenery blurred, twisted, and resolved into a sea of trees.
Except… it didn't stabilize.
Just as the transfer finished, space trembled violently again—and two figures appeared beside them.
Kuroka's heart clenched.
They had followed her. Forced their way into her teleportation.
Unbelievable.
Only two possibilities existed: either they knew her technique perfectly, or they had reverse-engineered it on the fly.
Clearly, it was the latter. Which meant one horrifying thing.
His power… was at least on the level of a Devil King.
She initiated another transfer.
Then another.
And another.
Five jumps in total. Each time to a new location, more remote, more arcane.
But on the fifth transition, something changed.
The moment she landed, he arrived—simultaneously.
This wasn't brute-force pursuit. He had copied her spell.
And not just mimicked it—mastered it.
By the third or fourth jump, she had sensed echoes. Like someone rehearsing the spell for the first time. But now?
Now he executed it with the precision of a seasoned practitioner.
"This form of teleportation," the man said calmly, "is much more stable than the standard Devil variant."
She stared at him, wide-eyed.
He… learned her celestial art in real time?
What kind of monstrous talent was this!?
"Take her down," the man said, eyes still fixed on Kuroka. "If you let her escape now, I'll be disappointed, Rias."
"I won't let you down," Rias answered, stepping forward.
She focused—and in the same breath, transformed.
Gone was the schoolgirl guise. Gone were the modest garments formed from condensed magic.
In their place shimmered the robes of a Demon God—tailored and regal, forged from pure magical force.
Her transformation was seamless.
But it made her slightly uncomfortable—as if she had hurriedly donned regal armor without washing off the battlefield's grime. It clung to her, sticky and unnatural.
Still, she stood tall.
Kuroka's flippant demeanor evaporated.
This wasn't a game anymore.
Her opponent was dangerous. Lethal.
But then, she realized something shocking.
Rias wasn't planning to fight her personally. She had delegated that task.
Was Kuroka being underestimated?
Sure, Rias was a prodigy among young Devils. Her crimson hair had earned her the title "Scarlaced Princess of Destruction." But her strength had always rested in the High-Class tier.
Kuroka? She rivaled the Ultimate-class Devils. Among them, she was elite.
She had once stood toe-to-toe with Cadre Leviathan herself—Azazel's rival in might.
Even if she hadn't defeated her, she hadn't lost either.
So where did Rias's confidence come from?
Then she saw it.
The energy around Rias ballooned—swelled—shattered thresholds.
"No way," Kuroka whispered.
Cold sweat traced her jaw.
Just this morning, she had infiltrated the school. At that time, she'd observed Rias. Her power had been clear: High-Class Devil.
Now? It was Demon King class.
She hadn't misjudged—it was a transformation that occurred today.
Rias had ascended in a matter of hours.
How?
How was this possible?
If Rias had truly possessed that strength earlier, she would've sensed Kuroka immediately. But she hadn't. Which meant…
The power was new.
"Is this the day... Rias becomes one of the Demon Gods?" White Yin murmured from Kuroka's arms.
Kuroka blinked.
So it was true?
Today marked the beginning of a new order?
She narrowed her gaze.
"Demon God," she whispered.
The term aligned with ancient plans. Solomon's legendary project to elevate the seventy-two pillars to divine status.
Her body stiffened.
She sensed it now—the same energy signature as Baal.
The same abnormal frequency as the mysterious Demon God who had devastated Vali.
It was Baal's power.
So Rias Gremory had inherited the seat of Baal? The first of Solomon's Demonic pantheon?
A leap beyond comprehension.
From High-Class Devil to apex Demon King… in a single bound?
It was absurd. Terrifying.
If Rias was just an ordinary Devil King, Kuroka might stand a chance. Escape might be possible.
But this? This wasn't a typical battle.
Even retreat was futile. The man could trace her across realms with ease.
All she could do was fight.
She drew upon her entire arsenal—celestial techniques, demonic spells, youkai essence—and fused them.
A sphere of energy coalesced. Dense. Volatile.
She launched it.
Rias responded instantly.
From her palm erupted a magic orb blacker than the void. It surged across the battlefield and collided with Kuroka's spell midair.
The result?
Kuroka's energy was obliterated. Her projectile disintegrated instantly. Rias's spell continued—barely veering—passing within a meter of Kuroka's shoulder.
BOOM.
An explosion roared in the distance.
When Kuroka turned, the mountain behind her was gone.