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That night, Mika and Rias were jolted awake by a powerful aura that permeated their apartment.
"Is that…Kokabiel?" Rias murmured, sensing the distinct demonic energy of a Fallen Angel. And in Kuoh Town, the only Fallen Angel with such power was Kokabiel.
They exchanged glances, quickly dressed, and went to the window.
There—hovering in the night sky, was a Fallen Angel with ten black wings.
Rias clenched her fists. Just as Mika had predicted, Kokabiel had appeared.
"This is our first meeting, isn't it, girl from the Gremory clan? Such beautiful crimson hair…it reminds me of your loathsome brother. Honestly, the sight of it makes me sick," Kokabiel taunted.
His words dripped with venom, his animosity palpable even to Akeno and the others, who had been awakened by his aura and were now standing behind Rias, observing the Fallen Angel.
Rias's expression remained neutral.
"Greetings, Fallen Angel Cadre Kokabiel. My name is Rias Gremory. Remember it. If you're here for some political maneuvering, you're wasting your time." Following Mika's plan, she feigned ignorance of Kokabiel's intentions, pretending everything was proceeding according to his plan.
This was Mika's strategy for weakening the enemy. After all, against an opponent like Kokabiel, he needed every advantage he could get.
And against a stronger foe, intelligence and strategy were paramount.
Kokabiel sneered, then tossed something towards them.
"Consider this a—gift."
They recognized the figure hurtling towards them as Irina.
Akeno quickly stepped forward and caught her. With Mika trying to maintain a low profile—she was the most suitable for this task.
As they saw Irina's bloodied and battered form, their faces hardened with anger.
Her injuries were severe, a result of her pursuit of the Stray Exorcist. They couldn't help but worry about Xenovia and Yuuto, who had also gone after him.
"Irina!" Akeno called out, but she only groaned in pain, unable to respond.
Kokabiel chuckled. "What did you expect? They found our base. We had to—welcome them. Though two of those little rats managed to escape."
Hearing this, they breathed a sigh of relief. They had been worried about Yuuto, fearing he might be killed by Kokabiel.
"Asia!" Rias called out, and Asia immediately understood, stepping forward to heal Irina as Akeno gently laid her on the ground.
A soft, green light enveloped Irina, her breathing stabilizing as her wounds began to close.
Akeno noticed that Irina's Holy Sword was gone.
"I'm not interested in negotiating with Satans," Kokabiel continued—as if oblivious to Irina's injuries.
"But toying with Sirzechs's sister before killing her—that might just provoke him enough to come after me personally. That wouldn't be so bad, would it?"
Rias glared at him, barely suppressing her anger. Everything was proceeding as planned. Grayfia was hidden in the shadows—ready to act. Kokabiel, against her, stood no chance.
He was nothing more than a clown—his arrogant boasts amusing rather than intimidating.
"So? What's your purpose here?" she asked, forcing herself to maintain a serious expression.
"I intend to use your territory, Kuoh Academy, as my base of operations—to start a war," he declared. Just as Mika had predicted, his target was Rias, hoping to use her as bait to lure out Sirzechs.
Rias maintained the charade. "If you do that, it will reignite the war between Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels!"
"Exactly what I want," Kokabiel replied cheerfully.
"I thought stealing the Holy Swords would be enough to provoke Michael, but he only sent a few Exorcist grunts and two Holy Sword wielders. How—boring. So, I decided to cause some chaos in Sirzechs Lucifer's sister's territory. What do you think? Isn't it—entertaining?"
"Entertaining?" Hearing his true motive, Rias's carefully constructed facade crumbled. While she had known his objective, his reasoning—was simply absurd.
"Y-you're a monster! A warmonger!" Rias spat the words out, her voice filled with disgust.
Kokabiel laughed. "You're right! I've been so bored since the Great War ended! Azazel and Shemhazai are so focused on peace; it's sickening! They're even collecting those useless Sacred Gears—wasting their time on pointless research. Those things are hardly game-changers. Unless, of course, it's something on the level of the [Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet]. But those are rare." He glanced at Issei—who shivered under his gaze.
"You want my Sacred Gear as well?"
"I'm not interested. But Azazel might be. He has a rather…extensive collection."
"Azazel—the Governor General of the Fallen Angels…" Issei's unease intensified.
Kokabiel spread his arms wide. "Rias Gremory! I will hold my Holy Sword battle here, in your territory, to ignite the war! The school attended by the sisters of two Satans…the concentration of magical power here is perfect for unleashing chaos! It's also the ideal location to unlock the true power of the Holy Swords. This place…will be my battlefield!"
Three Stray Exorcists, wielding Holy Swords, appeared beside him.
They held [Excalibur Rapidly], [Excalibur Nightmare], and [Excalibur Transparency]. The leader also carried the rope-like [Excalibur Mimic].
All the stolen Holy Swords, except for the one still in the Church's possession and Xenovia's Excalibur Destruction, were now gathered here.
Issei and the others tensed, seeing the Holy Sword wielders.
"What do you intend to do with the Holy Swords?" Rias asked.
Kokabiel simply laughed, his wings beating as he flew towards Kuoh Academy. "Let the war begin, Rias Gremory, sister of Sirzechs Lucifer!"
The three Exorcists threw flashbangs, the blinding light momentarily incapacitating Rias and her peerage. When their vision cleared—the Exorcists were gone.
....
"They're quick," Rias muttered, shaking her head, then turned to Mika, who was calmly sipping tea, Grayfia standing beside him, having poured it for him.
"Everything is proceeding as planned. What's our next move, Mika?"
He set down his teacup and addressed the group. "Since Kokabiel wants a Holy Sword battle, he won't join the fray immediately. After all, his true targets are the Satans, Lucifer and Leviathan, not a High-class Devil like you. Therefore, this 'Battle' is merely a—delay tactic. He's hoping to provoke you into summoning your brother."
"Exactly," Rias agreed with a nod.
"Therefore, we'll play along and lull him into a false sense of security. Engage those Exorcists, but don't kill them. Eliminate them from the game, but don't take their lives. Once Kokabiel realizes they're losing, he'll intervene personally. And once he attacks you, Rias, I can act without restraint."
Unlike other worlds, the power dynamics in this one were complex.
Killing a high-ranking member of another faction could have serious consequences, unless he planned to abandon this world permanently, which wasn't an option.
He had formed bonds here and was intrigued by its unique power systems.
To eliminate Kokabiel without repercussions, he needed a valid justification—self-defense.
"Understood," Rias nodded. She turned to her peerage. "Let's go. It's time to put this arrogant Fallen Angel in his place."
"Yes!" Issei shouted, his voice filled with enthusiasm, though the others were more apprehensive.
They headed towards Kuoh Academy.
Mika refilled his teacup, then stood up.
"Are you ready?" Grayfia asked.
"Yes. I'm just waiting for the—perfect moment." He put his hands in his pockets and headed towards the door, his presence fading until he was completely undetectable, even to Grayfia, despite her enhanced senses.
"May fortune favor you," she murmured, a subtle smile playing on her lips.
....
....
After leaving Mika's apartment, Rias contacted Sona, explaining the situation. She didn't mention Mika's plan to kill Kokabiel, simply stating that he had informed her of the Fallen Angels' plan.
Even so, the news shocked Sona. Learning that Kokabiel intended to hold a Holy Sword battle at Kuoh Academy infuriated her.
As Student Council President, she cared deeply about the school and wouldn't tolerate anyone disrupting its peace.
If she were strong enough—she would have confronted him herself. However, she was no match for Kokabiel.
She immediately summoned her Student Council and began setting up a large-scale barrier around the academy to minimize the damage from the impending battle—this also meant that Sona's peerage couldn't participate in the fight.
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