Rian's eyes glinted for a brief moment, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from where he had been standing.
DUARR!!!
Kokabiel didn't even have time to react as Rian's fist slammed into his right side, sending his body flying like a falling missile.
As he hurtled toward a classroom building, Kokabiel's body stopped mere inches from impact, just before the wall crumbled.
The reverberation of the Black Flash, triggered unintentionally, made the air itself tremble.
Everyone froze. Even Issei could feel the pressure from that punch raising the hairs on his arms.
Meanwhile, Akeno merely smiled softly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as usual.
Her purple eyes followed Rian's back. Quietly, she licked her lips with a predator's hunger, as if eyeing her prey.
"Fufu~" Akeno murmured softly. "He really is the type you can never predict… full of surprises."
On the other side, feeling the impact of the Black Flash, Kokabiel tried to rise… but his body trembled violently, and he coughed up a worrying amount of fresh blood.
"Uhuk… Uhuk… Ugh…" Kokabiel hacked and groaned, pain radiating through every inch of his body.
Seeing this, Rian paused for a moment, slightly taken aback. That wasn't his intention.
The strike had not been entirely serious. He had only thrown a regular punch amplified by Mana, with a push from Blue to focus the impact.
But… the outcome was far beyond what he had anticipated.
"…Oops," Rian murmured softly, one eyebrow raised. "Should I call this my luck? Or… is Kokabiel just having a bad day?"
There was a reason Rian said that.
In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, the Black Flash isn't just an ordinary punch.
It's a rare phenomenon that occurs when energy is compressed and manipulated within 0.000001 seconds after a strike makes contact.
The result? The punch's power surges to 2.5 times the user's maximum output.
And now, Rian—who already possessed abnormal physical strength—had just unleashed an attack amplified by Mana, precisely guided by Blue, and… somehow, it resulted in a Black Flash.
"…Alright, that's enough. Consider this… an elegant finale."
The air suddenly fell silent, as if even nature itself sensed what was about to unfold.
From Rian's index and middle fingers, formed into a gun shape, a red light began to bloom—a swirling, repulsive energy vortex, rotating slowly, twisting like living flames.
At first the size of a pearl, the light expanded to the size of a basketball, heating up, vibrating, and sending ripples of energy that cracked the ground beneath it.
Then, the Red compressed itself again. Shrinking back to its original size, yet with a mass and pressure that defied comprehension.
At that moment, the air itself seemed to explode in silence.
Even without direct contact, the Red emitted extraordinary energy vibrations.
Rian leaned forward slightly, adjusting his breath. Calmly, he whispered, "Red output at a full 100 percent. Thanks to that accidental Black Flash… consider it a bonus."
From the other side, the expressions of those witnessing the scene shifted drastically.
Issei's eyes widened, feeling the overwhelming pressure.
Akeno even took a half step back, her eyes wide. "That's not… ordinary demonic magic…"
Rias bit her lower lip. That aura… so pure, yet brimming with destructive power.
But the most perceptive was Koneko. The little girl froze, her ears twitching, eyes wide with confusion. Her cat tail flicked wildly.
"…Impossible…" she murmured softly. "That aura… it's not ordinary magic. Nor ki… it's… like holy energy… but also not…"
Koneko's face paled slightly. She stared at Rian with a mix of awe, confusion, and… a hint of fear.
"Why does the aura feel… positive? But… this is clearly not power from Heaven…"
Not far from there, a half-alert Xenovia was also taken aback. As an Exorcist, her body instinctively recognized the distinct vibration.
"That aura… it feels like a sacred artifact," Xenovia said, her voice trembling. "No… what… what kind of power is this, really?"
Meanwhile, Kokabiel, kneeling and powerless, began to show a look of disbelief. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
"…Is that… human power…?"
Rian, however, merely smiled faintly.
"…No."
Then, Rian took a deep breath, preparing to finish it all.
"Cursed Reverse Technique: Red."
His voice was soft but clear, echoing across the now eerily silent academy grounds.
The deep crimson light condensed at his fingertips, glowing like a tiny red star ready to explode.
But just before Red could be fired, the sky split with a blinding flash of white light, striking directly at the Kuoh Academy's magical barrier.
As fast as a lightning bolt, the barrier shattered. It cracked like a glass sphere dropped from great height.
Glowing fissures spread instantly before exploding into particles of light that vanished into the air.
From that flash of white light emerged a figure clad in white robes and armor, a silhouette blending knight and extraterrestrial being—resembling a Kamen Rider, yet far more majestic.
The figure stood beside Rian, gripping his wrist with one hand.
Tense. Firm. Stopping the Red from being unleashed.
Everyone froze, stunned.
But the most shaken of all was Kokabiel. The Fallen Angel trembled violently, his bloodied, weakened body quivering, yet his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Va-Vali…!?" Kokabiel whispered hoarsely, struggling for breath.
Vali Lucifer. The heir to Lucifer's bloodline, and the wielder of one of the most feared Longinus: Divine Dividing. The Heavenly Dragon. Albion, the eternal rival of Ddraig, the Red Dragon within Issei.
Tension on the academy grounds skyrocketed. Everyone present—even Rias and her Peerage, and Xenovia—could not hide their shock.
Yet Rian remained calm. With his Six Eyes, he had been aware of Vali's presence for several minutes. The man's aura had never escaped his sight.
Rian glanced slightly, narrowing his eyes, and said flatly, "So… why did you stop me? I thought you were just a curious spectator."
"Heh."
Vali's voice came from behind the visor of his armor: calm, yet laced with deep intrigue.
"To defeat a high-level Fallen Angel like Kokabiel with ease…" Vali said, his sharp gaze fixed on Rian, "you are no ordinary human."
"From your aura… no wonder 'she' is interested in you," Vali added.
(Note: The "she" Vali referred to was Ophis. You probably already guessed that, right? Not really a spoiler.)
Finally, Vali released his grip on Rian's wrist and stood casually beside him—not as an ally, but as someone assessing the possibilities.
"I'm curious… what would happen if we fought someday?"
Then his tone shifted, becoming heavier and colder. "And whether I'm a spectator or not doesn't matter. But I can sense it—you really intended to kill him just now."
Vali glanced briefly at Kokabiel, still kneeling and severely wounded. "Unfortunately… I can't allow that to happen right now. Someone wants him to stay alive."
Then, Vali's gaze slowly, deliberately, and firmly shifted toward Issei.
"You…"
In an instant, the air seemed to tighten again.
"Sekiryuutei."
His tone changed once more—not mocking this time, but testing. Judging.
"To be honest, I'm disappointed. With the power of the legendary Red Dragon, and yet you're still at this level?"
Vali lifted his chin slightly, his voice calm but teasing. "Still… I'll be waiting for you, until you're strong enough."
He turned his head toward the dark night sky.
"I want a proper fight. Don't bore me before that happens."
After saying this, without another word, Vali gripped the collar of the barely conscious Kokabiel.
With calm, measured steps, he approached a figure lying not far from the battlefield—a man in tattered clothing, still unconscious.
It wasn't Xenovia Quarta. It was Freed Sellzen—a corrupted priest, the one Rian intended to deal with after Kokabiel.
Without a word, Vali lifted Freed's body and shot into the sky.
Like a white meteor, Vali pierced the horizon, leaving a streak of light that split the night over Kuoh Academy.
Elsewhere, Rian halted the activation of Red, tilting his head up slowly to follow Vali's departure. He let out a sigh—not of fatigue, but of disappointment.
Vali's words were not wrong. From the start, Rian's intent had been clear: to finish off Kokabiel. With an enemy of that power level, he had expected to gain at least 5,000 Exp points—or more.
But now, his target had been taken away. All the stylish grinding he had done was wasted.