She spun around so fast she nearly tripped over her own feet and bolted out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Silas stood there under the running water for a moment, then let out a low chuckle.
"Guess she's not ready yet," he muttered to himself, turning back to finish his shower.
Down the Hall
Xenovia practically ran back to the guest room, face burning, heart racing. She slammed the door shut behind her and leaned against it, breathing heavily. Her mind was a mess. The image of Silas's naked, muscular body under the water kept flashing in her head. The way the water ran down his abs… the size of....
She shook her head violently, pressing both hands to her burning cheeks.
"Idiot…! What are you thinking?!" she whispered harshly to herself.
She slid down the door until she was sitting on the floor, knees pulled to her chest. From the master bedroom down the hall, she could faintly hear Rias and Akeno's soft laughter and voices.
Xenovia buried her face in her arms, completely embarrassed. 'Please god.' She begged.
Meanwhile, Silas finished his shower, dried off, and walked back to the master bedroom wearing only a towel loosely wrapped around his waist.
He was still smirking slightly at the memory of Xenovia's adorable panicked reaction, the way her face had turned bright red before she practically fled the bathroom.
'That was funny,' he thought, shaking his head in amusement. 'Let's get ready for Kokabiel.'
[Kuoh Academy]
The entire academy had been turned into a battlefield.
A massive, glowing barrier covered the sky like a dome, shimmering with powerful demonic energy. Rias, Sona, and their peerages had worked together to set up multiple layers of defense around the school grounds. Everyone was in position tense, alert, and ready.
Well… almost everyone.
While the others were scattered across the rooftops, fields, and hallways in a state of high anxiety, Silas sat comfortably on the highest point of the main school building.
He had casually created a luxurious reclining chair out of thin air and was lounging on it like he was at the beach.
Legs crossed, arms behind his head, he stared up at the night sky with a bored expression.
'I feel like going to the beach,' he thought randomly, watching the stars through the barrier.
Down below, the rest of the group was far less relaxed.
Rias stood on one of the rooftops with Akeno and Koneko, her expression focused but calm. She had outright refused to call Sirzechs or any other Maou for help.
"Why should we?" she had said earlier with full confidence. "We have Silas."
Akeno had simply smiled and agreed. Both of them now fully believed in his limitless power , especially after the previous night.
Issei was nervously boosting himself in a corner, Asia was praying quietly for everyone's safety though it hurt, and Kiba gripped his sword with white knuckles, clearly still affected by the earlier loss to Xenovia.
Sona's peerage was also spread out, with Sona herself coordinating from the student council room.
Even Xenovia and Irina who came later somehow, had came to help. Though they kept shooting awkward glances toward the roof where Silas was lounging.
Suddenly, the sky above the barrier cracked.
A massive surge of dark, oppressive energy filled the air as black feathers began raining down. Kokabiel's mocking laughter echoed across the entire academy.
"So… you actually prepared a little welcome party for me? How cute."
The fallen angel leader appeared high above the barrier, six black wings spread wide, radiating overwhelming power. His eyes gleamed with sadistic excitement as he looked down at the gathered devils.
Rias stepped forward, her demonic power flaring brightly.
"Kokabiel! Leave this place at once!"
But the fallen angel only laughed louder.
Silas, still lounging on his chair on the roof, let out a small sigh and leaned back further, crossing his legs.
"I'll let them fight," he muttered to himself. "Actually curious how far they'll go."
High above the academy, Kokabiel slowly materialized a massive, ornate throne made of swirling dark energy and sat upon it like a king overlooking his battlefield. A glowing portal tore open below him.
From it stepped a man dressed in elaborate papal robes, Valper Galilei. Four shimmering Excalibur fragments floated around him, humming with holy power. The mad priest's eyes gleamed with sadistic excitement.
"It's time to combine the four swords," Valper declared, his voice dripping with glee.
Kokabiel chuckled deeply, resting his chin on his fist.
"This better be quick. In the meantime…"
He looked down at the gathered devils and church agents below with a cruel smile and snapped his fingers.
A massive, swirling black portal ripped open in the sky. From it, a gigantic shadowy figure plummeted down, crashing into the school courtyard with earth-shaking force.
BOOOOM!
The ground cracked violently. Dust and debris exploded outward as a low, terrifying growl echoed through the night. When the smoke finally cleared, the beast stood revealed.
Cerberus: the legendary three-headed hound of Hell itself.
Each massive head snarled with razor-sharp fangs, drool dripping like molten lava. Its enormous body rippled with powerful muscles, red eyes glowing with feral bloodlust as it stared down at the group.
Rias stepped forward, her crimson hair flowing as demonic power surged around her.
"We must defeat that," she declared, voice steady and determined. "This is our test for today, to see how strong we've truly become!"
"Yes, President!" her peerage responded in unison.
Issei pumped his fist, Asia looked nervous but resolute, Koneko cracked her knuckles, and Kiba gripped his sword tightly.
"NOW ATTACK!" Rias shouted.
The entire peerage sprinted forward without hesitation, charging straight at the monstrous three-headed beast. Cerberus roared in response, all three heads bellowing as it lunged forward to meet them head-on, showing no fear whatsoever.
Explosions of demonic energy and holy light lit up the night as the battle began in earnest.
Silas watched from the rooftop, chin resting on his hand, a lazy smile on his face.
"Not bad," he murmured. "Let's see how long they last."
High above, Kokabiel laughed loudly, thoroughly entertained by the show unfolding beneath him.
TO BE CONTINUED