Kaito was sitting on the couch, adjusting the bracelet he had received from Hephaestus on his wrist. Thalia, next to him, was doing the same.
"Are you sure you want to go without telling your friend?" asked Thalia, looking at Kaito, referring to Rias.
"I'm sure," Kaito replied firmly, tightening the bracelet on his arm. "Rias agreed to fight tonight, but Kokabiel's proposal is too convenient. He might be trying to buy time to finish something."
"You're right, Kaito. It's better not to trust Kokabiel, nya," said Kuroka, sitting on the arm of the couch, her feline tail swaying as she looked at him with a slight smile.
Thalia nodded, tightening the bracelet on her wrist.
Kaito and Thalia stood up, heading toward the door.
"Good luck, Kaito. And Thalia, show them what a real Queen can do, nya," Kuroka said with a teasing smile.
"You just make sure not to cough up hairballs around the house," Thalia retorted, laughing softly as she looked at Kuroka.
Kaito, ignoring their exchange of banter, opened the door and left, with Thalia close behind.
As they stepped outside, they were greeted by the sound of cars passing on the street and the murmur of people walking on nearby sidewalks.
Vruuum!
Kaito focused, his magic flowing smoothly, and he began to track Freed's magical signature, sensing the traces of energy left behind by the corrupt exorcist.
"This way," Kaito murmured, leading Thalia through a series of alleys and narrow streets.
The path took them to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. The place was poorly lit, with vegetation growing on the worn-down walls and the smell of rust and decay in the air.
Thalia stopped beside him, observing the surroundings carefully. "And the fallen angel? Do you think Kokabiel is here?"
Kaito shook his head, his eyes fixed on the warehouse ahead. "I still can't sense his presence, but there's something odd here. Let's go up and take a look."
Thalia nodded silently, following him closely as they climbed carefully, avoiding making noise.
When they reached the second floor, they crouched down and looked through the dirty window, from which they had a clear view of the interior of the warehouse. Inside, they saw a scene that made Kaito narrow his eyes.
In the center of the warehouse, several Excaliburs were shining, placed on pedestals or leaning against metal walls. A group of people in robes surrounded a short, elderly man with gray hair, a thick mustache, and glasses, dressed in a priest's outfit. He was drawing complex symbols on the ground with almost mechanical precision.
"That man near Freed... he has a strong magical signature," Kaito whispered, observing every detail attentively.
Thalia, beside him, focused on the elderly man and the Excaliburs. "Those swords... What are they planning?"
"Let's listen to what they're saying," Kaito replied, his voice a bit tenser, as they both concentrated to catch the conversation inside the warehouse.
...
Freed was impatient, his eyes gleaming with madness and bloodlust as he watched Valper work on the ritual preparations.
"Come on, old man! Hurry up with the preparations! I can't wait to cut those devils to pieces!"
Valper, on the other hand, was focused, his eyes fixed on the symbols he was drawing on the floor with precision. He looked up for a moment, flashing a confident smile at Freed.
"Be patient, Freed. We're dealing with sacred artifacts and an extremely complex ritual. If we rush it, everything could go wrong."
"I don't want patience, I want blood!" Freed retorted, his voice full of impatience as he glared at Valper with a fierce look. "You said this would give me enough power to take down those damn devils! I'm not going to sit around while they're out there, happy."
Valper adjusted his glasses, the Excaliburs' glow reflecting off his lenses. He gave a cold smile. "Yes, you'll have the power to cut down whoever you want, Freed. But if you don't let the ritual finish correctly, that power might end up destroying you."
"Blah, blah, blah! All I understand is that when this ritual is over, I'll be invincible! I'll cut those devils to pieces!" Freed laughed, a loud, insane laugh, waving his sword in the air with excitement.
Valper sighed, slowly standing up and observing the work he had done so far. "Yes, you'll have more power than any exorcist has ever had, but you need to keep control. The Excaliburs are not just ordinary swords. They have their own will."
Freed paused for a moment, looking at Valper with madness shining in his eyes. "If you're stalling, I'll be the first to chop your head off, got it?"
Valper laughed softly, slowly standing and observing the Excaliburs around. "Don't worry, kid. When the ritual is finished, you'll be able to control all these sacred swords as if they were an extension of your own body. You'll be able to annihilate anyone who stands in your way. And then, your bloodlust will be satisfied."
Freed licked his lips, the manic grin returning to his face. "Ah, that's what I like to hear. Finally, power worthy of me!"
...
Kaito watched the scene closely, and his suspicions were confirmed. Freed was about to gain even more power with Valper's ritual, which would make the situation much more dangerous. For Kaito, letting the enemy strengthen was foolish.
'Letting the enemy grow stronger is idiocy,' Kaito thought, his expression hardening. Beside him, Thalia seemed equally impatient, eager for action.
Thalia looked at Kaito, a determined smile on her face. "So, what's the plan?"
Kaito slowly stood, observing the movement of the mages around Valper. "I'll handle Freed. You take care of that guy, Valper."
"Great. I've been itching for a good fight," Thalia replied, clenching her fist as she felt electricity beginning to crackle around her.
With a silent gesture, Kaito extended his hands, and immediately the environment around them began to respond to his command.
Freed was licking his lips, eager for the ritual to finish, when suddenly, a strange sound began to echo through the warehouse. The ground trembled slightly, and, out of nowhere, the concrete floor began to crack, and thick roots emerged from the soil, rapidly transforming into trees that grew abnormally.
CRACK!
"What the hell is this?" Freed shouted, his eyes wide as he watched the trees rise around him. "I haven't even started playing yet!"
Valper, on the other hand, observed the chaos with a furious look. His meticulous work was being destroyed, the symbols on the floor stained by the blood of the mages who were struck by the trees' sharp roots.
"My ritual! Who dares to interrupt my project?" Valper shouted, his voice full of rage, desperately trying to salvage what was left of the symbols on the floor.
CRACK! CRACK!
The roots pierced through the mages, their bodies lifted into the air, and blood dripped down the branches, staining the ground where Valper had drawn the symbols.
Freed, with wide, furious eyes, unsheathed his sacred sword, swinging it in the air as he prepared to attack the trees surrounding him. "I'll cut down all these damn trees! Whoever you are, I'm coming for you!"
CRACK!
More trees grew around Freed, trying to surround him, but he cut through the roots with his sacred sword, moving with insane agility as he screamed in frustration. "I won't be stopped by trees! Screw you all!"
Kaito looked at Thalia, and they both nodded, already knowing what to do. With an agile movement, they dashed toward the glass window on the second floor.
CRASH!
The window shattered with a bang, shards of glass flying everywhere as Kaito and Thalia invaded the place. They landed in the center of the warehouse with precision, ready to face their enemies.
Freed laughed maniacally at the sight of Kaito. "Ah, finally! I was waiting for you, little devil! Now the fun begins!"
Valper, on the other hand, was furious, his eyes fixed on the trees that destroyed the ritual. "You... You ruined everything!"
'This guy ran away last time... what's changed?' Kaito thought, keeping his eyes fixed on Freed. 'Better not waste time wondering what goes on in this lunatic's mind.'
Freed swung his sacred sword with a manic expression, laughing insanely. "Come on, little devil! You're not running this time, are you? Let's see what you've got!"
Kaito frowned, ignoring the taunts. He knew Freed was unpredictable, but he couldn't let himself be distracted by his words.
On the other side, Valper shouted in frustration, desperately trying to salvage what was left of his ritual. "You ruined everything! Years of research, destroyed by your interference!"
Thalia looked at Valper with boredom, clearly not wanting to waste time on the old scientist's complaints. Her eyes narrowed as electricity began to crackle around her hands.
"Enough talk," Thalia said, raising her hand and firing a lightning bolt at Valper.
CRACK-BOOM!
The bolt shot through the air and hit Valper head-on, slamming him into the wall with a deafening impact. His body crashed down, unconscious.
Thalia took a step forward, observing Valper's body sprawled on the ground. "That was pretty easy."
Kaito shot a quick glance at Thalia, recognizing the effectiveness of his ally, but his attention returned to Freed, who was still grinning maniacally.
"Now it's your turn, Freed."
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