Even Kokabiel hadn't expected that a single piece of information would completely shatter the fighting spirit of two of his enemies.
Watching Asia and Xenovia's faith collapse before his eyes, he was so exhilarated that he nearly laughed himself breathless.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA…! This is too amusing! Just look at the state you're in now! Why didn't I reveal this truth sooner?!"
He laughed with unrestrained delight, while Asia had already broken down in tears.
"Pull yourself together, Asia," Koneko gently comforted her.
She understood all too well just how pure and unwavering the young nun's faith had been.
Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima could only sigh, a deep sense of helplessness weighing on them.
The situation before them left them completely at a loss.
"Why… how could this happen? Why wasn't there even the slightest hint before now?" Rias murmured, a trace of fear creeping into her heart.
She couldn't help but wonder just how much the higher-ups had been hiding from them. What was the true state of each faction now?
"Heh, this brings us to Michael. That guy really is something. He's taken over God's role, managing both angels and humans. In any case, the 'system' God used is still running, and prayers and faith are still being distributed as usual."
At this point, Kokabiel's expression turned mocking once more.
"But because of that, more and more believers are being abandoned. There are simply too many for him to handle. Naturally, the balance of power has been completely disrupted. Just like now… the boundary between the holy and the demonic has already vanished."
His gaze shifted toward Asia, the implication crystal clear.
God was dead. That was the only reason Asia could maintain her pure faith while serving as a devil. Otherwise, such a contradiction would never have been allowed.
"So it's Lord Michael who's acting in God's place…" Xenovia muttered. "No wonder… I was wondering why we hadn't completely broken down."
Kokabiel paid no attention to their heavy expressions. Raising his fist high, his excitement surged.
"I will take this opportunity to raise the banner of war once more! Perfect… I'll use your heads as my greeting gift. Even if I stand alone, I will continue the Great War and claim victory! I'll make Sirzechs and Michael understand that we Fallen Angels are the strongest!"
He spoke fervently, as if he had already seen his triumph, his expression filled with fanatic zeal.
Then suddenly, a calm and distant voice cut through the air.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Your ambitions are never going to come true."
"What?" Kokabiel immediately turned toward the source of the voice. It was Rias's devil servant.
Ryuya Kurobane calmly looked at the war-crazed fallen angel, his tone steady and unhurried.
"If ambitions were that easy to achieve, you wouldn't have spent thousands upon thousands of years fighting without any results. There are always strange, unexpected people popping up at critical moments, ruining everything."
"Shut up! What do you know?! War is full of variables! That's exactly what makes it so exhilarating to strategize and claim victory! We were just one step away from winning back then! Victory belonged to us Fallen Angels!"
Kokabiel snapped, his composure cracking. Ryuya's words had clearly struck a nerve.
Hearing this, Ryuya merely smiled faintly.
"The idea that victory was just within reach… you've probably believed that since early in the war, haven't you? Yet countless years have passed, and reality has already proven it—"
"It was nothing more than your illusion."
Your illusion…
Those simple words pierced straight into Kokabiel's heart like a blade.
There was nothing particularly sharp about them, yet they cut unbearably deep.
After all, Ryuya was simply stating the truth.
"…Bastard!"
Kokabiel's anger flared, his composure crumbling.
Rias and the others fell silent.
It had appeared.
The skill: [Never Lost an Argument]…
They couldn't understand how he managed to enrage someone so thoroughly with such a calm tone, but somehow, Ryuya had done exactly that.
Enraged, Kokabiel immediately launched an attack at Ryuya.
But by now, Ryuya had almost fully recovered. Provoking him earlier had merely been a way to buy time. The situation was already urgent—whether Kokabiel attacked or not, he was about to make his move anyway.
Seeing his opponent strike first, Ryuya showed no fear. The Divine Shield from his clone vanished instantly, reappearing before his main body.
Ryuya lifted his head. Beneath his black hair, his dark eyes ignited with a brilliant golden glow.
The sky trembled, and an ancient, boundless aura spread through the air.
The Divine Shield before him burst forth with dazzling radiance!
Facing a fallen angel whose power surpassed that of a High-Class Devil, Ryuya finally unleashed his ultimate technique—
—Endless Twilight Citadel!
Hummmm—
The air vibrated, ripples spreading outward in waves!
Rias and the others widened their eyes, hope flickering within them.
He activated it!
Ryuya's Balance Breaker!!
At this point, this might be their only chance!
Kokabiel's divine power roared forward. Facing the massive spear of light, Ryuya simply raised his left hand, fingers curling into a claw.
He would take it head-on!
BOOM!!
Blazing divine energy erupted. The spear of light exploded the moment it struck Ryuya's palm, completely obscuring him from view.
As the light faded, Ryuya reappeared—completely unharmed.
Demonic wings spread wide behind him as he hovered in the air, a silver King's sword gripped in one hand. The Divine Shield floated beside him, slowly revolving around his body.
The boy slowly raised his head.
Beneath his black hair, his eyes had fully transformed into gold. At their center lay a vertical, black crystalline pupil. Though his gaze remained calm, it carried an overwhelming sense of authority—terrifyingly imposing.
Above him, the rippling distortions in the sky grew denser and denser—
Until at last, an ancient city of unimaginable scale emerged, filling the entire sky.
The city stretched endlessly into the sky, its limits impossible to see.
Even more terrifying, what they could see seemed to be only a fraction of it. The rest remained hidden within the void, too vast to fully manifest.
In the distance, Sona Sitri and the others maintaining the barrier stared in shock.
No matter who it was, standing before such a colossal existence, an instinctive sense of insignificance welled up from the depths of their hearts.
"The size this time… it's even bigger…" Tsubaki Shinra's voice was hoarse. Standing beneath that city, her legs trembled uncontrollably. It felt like her fear of massive objects was about to kick in.
"President… do you think Ryuya can defeat Kokabiel?" she couldn't help but ask.
"…I'm not sure."
Sona shook her head.
After all, Kokabiel was a fallen angel executive whose strength surpassed that of a High-Class Devil. Who could guarantee victory against such a being?
And yet…
For some reason, Sona found herself expecting something from Ryuya.
She didn't know why, but every time she saw him—every time she witnessed his calm, composed demeanor—she couldn't help but feel that he was someone extraordinary.
As if… if it were him, he might really be able to create a miracle.
...
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