Chapter 145: Judgment from Him, Ten Thousand Bolts of Lightning Descend
He's King Solomon? What does that mean?
In Koneko's murmured words, did the "he" refer to this mysterious young man whose information was completely blank?
Was he the King Solomon from three thousand years ago, the one who made a contract with the original Seventy-Two Demon Gods?
Impossible!
Akeno refused to believe such a thing.
Koneko must not have finished speaking—the other party was probably someone connected to that legendary figure beloved by God.
Just like how the club president was a descendant of Gremory, the 56th of the Seventy-Two Demon Gods, the other party was likely a descendant of King Solomon.
But there hadn't been any news about descendants of King Solomon, and the president had told them to flee. Why would she say that?
Was the opponent extremely powerful? High-class devil level? Or perhaps... Maou-level?
"President, what did you say he is to King Solomon? What's his strength—?"
Koneko also seemed to think the other party was someone related to King Solomon and pressed for details.
The next second, Koneko's expression changed, as if she had heard something unbelievable.
Not only that, but the way she looked at that person also carried a hint of fear.
It was like an ordinary person living in a normal environment, unaware of the existence of devils and angels, suddenly encountering a ghost.
"I understand!"
Koneko's expression relaxed slightly as she abruptly hung up the phone.
"The president wants Akeno-senpai and Yuuto-senpai to head west immediately! There are people fleeing with the stolen sacred relic—King Solomon's Ring. You must catch them at once! I'll hold him off here!"
Koneko issued these instructions.
In other words, the so-called "run away" was actually about the opponent's accomplices escaping?
And they had stolen something belonging to King Solomon? They absolutely had to be caught, meaning this item was extremely important.
So, Akeno thought back to that day when Rias had nearly been forcibly summoned.
Because of this, Akeno didn't immediately follow Koneko's orders.
Kiba likewise didn't obey the instruction.
Instead, both of them tensed up to the extreme, entering a state of unprecedented seriousness.
"Hurry up and go, Akeno-senpai, Yuuto-senpai!" Koneko urged impatiently.
"Koneko, are you underestimating us as your seniors?"
The reason they hadn't moved was that Akeno could tell Koneko was lying.
She had hung up too abruptly, and did Koneko really think she hadn't noticed?
That phone had probably been crushed by Koneko, making it impossible to hear the truth from Rias's side.
The truth was likely that the three of them needed to run immediately—the opponent was an extremely dangerous individual.
Koneko's lie was clearly meant to buy time for the other two to escape. She intended to stay behind as a rear guard, probably planning to sacrifice herself.
"What did Rias say? Don't lie to me!!!" Akeno's expression turned unusually stern.
"I didn't—"
Koneko's voice caught. Koneko knew Akeno-senpai was serious now.
At this point, it was clear—none of them would abandon the others. None of the three wanted to leave anyone behind.
Then, there's only one option left—the three of us must fight together with all our strength and hold out until Rias arrives.
So—
"President said he—must be King Solomon himself."
He revealed the truth to everyone, making them understand who they must face with unwavering resolve, even at the cost of their lives.
"Huh?"
Akeno let out a rare, bewildered sound—one that didn't match her usual composed demeanor.
It wasn't that she failed to immediately grasp the weight of those words. Rather, it was precisely because she did understand that the impact left her stunned.
So, when she finally snapped back to reality, cold sweat trickled down her now-tense, delicate face.
The very thing she had just considered the least likely possibility had actually happened. They had truly drawn the worst possible lot.
The figure before them was that extraordinary.
A being like this would require at least a Maou-level opponent to handle.
No wonder Rias had told them to run!
But according to historical records, wasn't this one a wise king? A benevolent ruler who treated people kindly—surely he wouldn't be that brutal?
However, the key word was "people."
They were devils.
Moreover, during his era, the three factions hadn't been as hostile toward each other as they were now.
In this current age, devils frequently walked among humans, selecting them as servants.
Would King Solomon still treat devils with the same kindness?
The answer was no!
Taking a deep breath, Akeno's eyes instantly sharpened as she raised her hand toward the sky.
Crack!
In an instant, the sky erupted with blinding radiance, turning night into day.
A massive pillar of lightning descended, crashing down onto their target with devastating force!
She had struck first!
The colossal thunderbolt tore through the ground, its overwhelming energy unable to dissipate immediately, causing nearby streetlights and other electrical sources to short-circuit and die out.
A strike of this magnitude—one that could kill even a high-class devil if taken head-on—what effect did it have on him?
Akeno's gaze remained fixed on the impact site, where thick smoke swirled.
"Tsk…"
A sigh echoed from within the haze, and Akeno's expression darkened.
From the sound alone, it was clear—he was completely unharmed.
As the dust settled, the truth became evident. His body was encased in a dense layer of pure magical energy.
He had blocked her attack using raw mana alone, without even casting a defensive spell!
This wasn't something a high-class devil could accomplish. Even an ultimate-class devil wouldn't be foolish enough to waste their energy like this.
"So, I'll take this strike as your declaration of war against me, then?"
His soft murmur was followed by the sudden release of the condensed mana shielding his body.
In that instant, Akeno, Toujou, and Kiba felt an overwhelming pressure—like a mountain crushing down on them—making it hard to breathe.
This level of magical power far surpassed that of an ultimate-class devil. At the very least, it was on par with a Maou.
A second later, their faces paled further.
Countless magic circles unfurled, blotting out the sky in a dense, suffocating array.
Akeno recognized these formations—they were lightning magic.
Individually, each spell's maximum output only reached mid-class devil level. Any stronger, and the formation would collapse.
But this sheer quantity could trigger a qualitative transformation!
Even half of these strikes would be fatal!
Snap!
With a single click of his fingers, his judgment descended—ten thousand bolts of lightning rained down.