According to Raynare's plan, Tatara and the ghouls weren't supposed to be here. However, they came anyway. Raynare was displeased with their insubordination, but with the ritual at such a critical point, she chose not to lash out and simply sent them to act as guards.
Tatara, however, did not leave immediately. His gaze fell on the man on the cross, and he asked, "...Can a Sacred Gear inside a human be removed?"
"Of course. Otherwise, why would I waste so much time playing games with this guy?" Raynare was clearly annoyed. "Hurry up and go! Don't you dare disturb me again while the ritual is in progress!"
"Understood, Lady Raynare," Tatara said, then led the ghouls away.
Returning to the surface, they stood under the moonlight.
"Lord Tatara, are we just going to let this go? Our brothers who were sent out are going to die. They can't win against the devils. That vile woman is obviously using us as cannon fodder!" a blond man said. His words resonated with the other ghouls. They had thought that by allying with the Fallen Angels, they could change their current situation and raise humans for food. But they didn't expect to be ordered to do menial tasks and dirty work every day.
"I know. That's why we'll all go down together when the ritual is close to being finished," Tatara said. He wasn't a turtle who would endure everything. Even though they were Fallen Angels, he couldn't keep putting up with this. Moreover, he was skeptical about the authenticity of the Fallen Angel Lord from the Bible. If he had met him in person, he wouldn't have had these thoughts. But he had been with the Fallen Angels for months and had not even seen a shadow of him. Instead, he was constantly being threatened and intimidated by Raynare using Kokabiel's name. This Sacred Gear usurpation ritual was the perfect opportunity for him to make a move. The ghouls were seen as nothing but food because they were too weak. If they could get a Sacred Gear, they could use its power to change their situation.
Tatara's plan immediately got a positive response from his subordinates, and they all waited with a murderous aura.
Meanwhile, in the basement, with the final preparations for the ritual completed, Raynare began the ceremony with the help of her two companions. The magic circle glowed, and Issei Hyoudou on the cross began to moan in pain. The principle behind usurping a Sacred Gear was simple. A Sacred Gear was bound to a human body, so to remove it, you needed a technique that could interfere with a biological organism. The side effect was that if the person did not receive immediate medical attention after the Sacred Gear was removed, their life force would be depleted, eventually leading to their death. But Raynare clearly didn't care about a normal human's life.
Soon, a green ball of light flew out of Issei's body. Seeing this, Raynare's face showed a look of anticipation. Just as she was about to grab it, the entrance to the basement began to shake. Tatara and a large number of ghouls attacked.
"You traitors!" Raynare's eyes nearly shot out fire. Because of her moment of shock, Tatara, who was the fastest, managed to get there first. As the leader of Aogiri Tree, his strength was comparable to a low-ranking Fallen Angel. Using his kagune as a defense, he braved the attacks of the three Fallen Angels and snatched the usurped Sacred Gear. The Sacred Gear looked like a gauntlet. Although he had never used it before, he subconsciously put it on his hand and desperately tried to activate its power.
"Boost!"
Following the sound of a mechanical voice from the gauntlet, Tatara's body was immediately strengthened. He charged forward with a speed that left afterimages. Raynare was caught off guard and was almost cut in half by the now-stronger Tatara. The all-out battle had begun.
When Luo Guang arrived at the church, he noticed the strange scene. The Fallen Angels and ghouls were fighting each other? Weren't they allies? He took a casual look and understood. It was clearly a case of a double-cross. The three Fallen Angels were outmatched. They were already wounded and wouldn't last much longer. They tried to break through the ghoul's encirclement, heading straight for the exit where Luo Guang was. Seeing a stranger appear, Raynare had no time to deal with him and only cared about escaping.
But Tatara wouldn't let them live. The previous fight had allowed him to take on three at once, and now he was full of confidence. Even when he saw Luo Guang appear, he swung his massive kagune, intending to hit them all.
Luo Guang, however, was more direct. He simply walked forward.
"Die!" Tatara's eyes were bloodshot. He had tasted the Fallen Angels' blood, and every cell in his body was boiling. Now, sensing Luo Guang's human scent, his predatory instincts were further ignited. With the Sacred Gear flashing, Tatara's power doubled again. A mere human who doesn't know his place!
Luo Guang didn't waste any words. He easily parried the kagune's attack with a casual motion and delivered a kick to Tatara's body. The immense force instantly shattered the kagune protecting his body. Tatara was sent flying dozens of meters, crashing into his companions, and didn't stop until he hit a wall.