Inside one of the most heavily protected rooms in the base, Kunou, the princess of Kyoto and Yasaka's daughter, was currently sitting in a chair that was obviously far too large for a ten-year-old girl.
Her small hands rested on her legs, tightly gripping the fabric of her miko outfit as she tried to keep her back straight. Her fox ears remained lowered, and her tails were wrapped around the chair, betraying the fear she was trying to hide. The little Kitsune had done everything possible not to cry, at least not in front of any of her captors.
Kunou knew that, as Yasaka's daughter and the future leader of the yokai, she was not supposed to show weakness in front of bad people—or at least, that was what her mother had always taught her. However, knowing those words and actually being able to follow them while trapped in an unfamiliar place, probably far away from her mother and surrounded by beings with black wings, were two completely different things.
Especially now that she was standing before what, from Kunou's perspective, could only be described as a rather ugly monster.
The man had pale skin, red eyes, and a face so sharp it looked as though it had been designed specifically to frighten children. His black hair stood up in spikes, two long strands fell along the sides of his face, and every time he smiled and showed his teeth, Kunou had to make an effort not to look away.
As the princess of the yokai, she had obviously seen oni, the occasional deformed spirit, and even some yokai that looked as though they had crawled directly out of a nightmare. However, none of them had ever possessed such an unpleasant face.
Kunou did not know whether all Fallen Angels looked like that or if Kokabiel had simply been very unlucky when he was born….. Of course, she had no intention of saying that out loud. Insulting someone much stronger while he was holding you captive was probably not a very good idea.
The Cadre watched her with an amused smile, clearly enjoying the way Kunou tried to pretend she was not afraid and the different expressions crossing her face, completely unaware that the girl was calling him ugly in every possible way.
"I must admit, you're rather brave for a child," the Cadre commented while looking her in the eyes. "I expected more tears. Perhaps a few screams asking for your mother." Kunou kept her gaze fixed on him, her lips pressed firmly together.
Kokabiel circled the girl several times before stopping behind her and placing one hand on the back of the chair. He then leaned down until he was only a few inches from her neck. "But you're still afraid, aren't you, little Kunou?"
At the closeness of his voice, Kunou trembled slightly, causing the Fallen Angel's smile to widen. "You can hide it all you want. I can hear it in your breathing. I can feel your body trembling. It's magnificent."
The Cadre licked his lips, letting his long tongue slip out and causing Kunou to squeeze her eyes shut. "M-My mother will come for me." The girl's trembling voice echoed through the room, but she still managed to finish the sentence firmly.
"Ohhh, I couldn't agree with you more, Kunou-chan. It would make me very happy if your mother came all the way here for her precious little daughter," Kokabiel replied without hesitation, almost excited by the thought of Yasaka begging him to release her.
Kunou was slightly surprised by his response as the Cadre stepped in front of her again. "In fact, that is the only reason you are still alive."
Some of the color drained from Kunou's face, but she did not lower her head. "My mother will kill you." At the girl's firm declaration, Kokabiel burst into laughter. "No, little fox. Your mother will come here and kneel before me." His eyes slowly moved over Kunou with delight. "Then she will accept every one of my conditions, because she will know what will happen if she refuses."
Kunou felt a knot form in her throat. "You don't know my mother."
"I believe I know her better than you imagine." Kokabiel leaned closer to her face. "Yasaka may pretend to be a great queen in front of her followers, but beneath all of that, she is still a mother. No mother would allow her daughter to die because of pride."
Kunou wanted to respond, but the metal door opened before she could.
A young man with short, messy black hair entered the room carrying several documents beneath one arm. He wore rectangular glasses and a long red high-collared coat that reached almost to his ankles, fastened by several black straps across his chest and waist. Underneath it, he wore dark clothing, along with purple pants and black shoes.
Unlike Kokabiel, there was no amusement on his face. His expression was serious and calculating, and he barely spared Kunou a glance before focusing entirely on the Cadre.
The Fallen Angel straightened when he saw the human belonging to the Hero Faction. "Georg, finally. How is the operation progressing?"
Georg hesitated for a few seconds before answering and pushed his glasses upward with two fingers, as if he had already expected that question from the Cadre. "We've lost contact with several groups deployed throughout Kyoto," he reported calmly. "According to the reports, the yokai responded much faster than we expected."
Kokabiel made a sound of annoyance. "Don't worry about that. Tamiel and Armaros will handle it. That's why I sent them."
Georg said nothing in response to the Fallen Angel's extreme confidence. It seemed that successfully capturing Kunou had caused the Cadre's ego to swell.
Even so, he maintained the same neutral expression outwardly. Internally, however, he disagreed with the way Kokabiel had directed the operation. If everything had been entirely under Georg's command, he would never have abandoned Kyoto merely to kidnap a child.
Kunou was useful as a hostage, that much was true. However, capturing Yasaka directly would have been far more efficient. She was the real piece needed to complete the ritual, not her daughter.
But Georg could not do much about it. The orders from above had been clear: use the Fallen Angels, take advantage of Kokabiel's resources, and make everything appear to be an operation originating from within Grigori. Once Yasaka surrendered to protect Kunou, they could force her to use her connection to Kyoto's spiritual ley lines and prepare the summoning of Great Red.
The plan was risky, but it made sense.... The only thing that bothered the human was Kokabiel's personal motivation. The Cadre appeared to be completely blinded by his desires toward Yasaka.
Georg made a slight grimace..... Working with Kokabiel had proven far more unpleasant than he had expected. Merely watching the way he tormented the girl was already beginning to irritate him. Not because he personally cared about Kunou, but because he preferred to keep everything under control until the plan was complete.
Simply put, Georg was not the kind of person who played with his food.... That almost always ended badly.
The human fixed his gaze on the Cadre. "Don't pressure her too much."
Hearing that, Kokabiel turned to him, lifting an eyebrow in clear irritation. "Don't tell me you're worried about this little fox now."
"My only concern is the operation," Georg replied, completely unaffected by the Cadre's irritation. "Kunou is the reason Yasaka may cooperate with us. If you go too far, you could cause the exact opposite reaction."
The Fallen Angel's red eyes narrowed. "I know how to handle a hostage. You don't need to tell me what I should or shouldn't do."
Georg shrugged. "If you say so."
For several seconds, the room fell into a deathly silence. "Be careful, human. Let me remind you that I am the reason you have access to this base, my soldiers, and Grigori territory." A dangerous smile returned to Kokabiel's face. "Without me, you would never have made it this far."
Georg adjusted his glasses. Obviously, he could have easily argued against Kokabiel's claim, but there was no reason to waste time arguing with a pawn.....
As the human stayed silent, Kokabiel was ready to gloat, but then the whole room suddenly trembled. The lamps flickered several times. Kunou's head snapped upward while Georg and Kokabiel both turned toward the door.
A second explosion rocked the base, this one much closer. "What the hell is happening?" Kokabiel growled.
The metal door burst open, and a Fallen Angel entered with blood covering his face and his breathing ragged. "Lord Kokabiel! An intruder is attacking the base. He has already eliminated several guards."
Kokabiel frowned. "Is it Yasaka?"
The soldier swallowed nervously. "No, sir."
"Then kill him! What the hell are you waiting for? Do I have to do everything myself?" Kokabiel shouted furiously, causing the kneeling Fallen Angel to tremble beneath his leader's anger.
Georg narrowed his eyes and quickly extended his senses throughout the base.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Outside, the sky became a battlefield within seconds.
Dozens of Fallen Angels emerged from the base, rapidly spreading their wings. Without hesitating, they formed spears of light in their hands and fired almost simultaneously, creating a rain of golden projectiles that crossed the sky from every direction toward Damon.
The redhead moved both hands out to his sides. A solid dome of air formed around him and began spinning rapidly. The spears struck it one after another, but instead of crashing or exploding, they were deflected and sent flying in every direction toward the sea of Fallen Angels surrounding him.
A Fallen Angel with a single pair of wings had the misfortune of being the first to receive the unexpected counterattack..... He did not even have a second to scream.
The very same spear one of his companions had thrown only seconds earlier pierced his right wing and pinned him against one of the base's towers. Blood began running down the structure while he released agonized screams.
Another Fallen Angel tried to avoid the spear heading toward him, but instead collided directly with one of his companions. Both began spiraling downward just as the projectile tore through them from side to side.
Within seconds, the horde of Fallen Angels who had bravely emerged to confront the redhead scattered in panic. They shouted orders at one another while searching for cover behind any structure capable of standing between their bodies and their own weapons.
"Spread out! Spread out!" one of them shouted, but half of those still in the air did not even wait for him to finish the sentence.
The screams multiplied..... While many descended toward the center of the base and began crowding beneath the only roof that remained intact. However, just as they were beginning to lose all hope, an enormous spear of light shot out from the center of the installation.
It was so dense and bright that it seemed to split the sky in two..... Damon was slightly surprised by the unexpected amount of energy and moved to the side. The tip of the spear passed only a few inches from his face before tearing through the tower behind him. The entire structure collapsed in a rain of rubble and dust.
The explosion of energy expanded in every direction, illuminating the base with a blinding white radiance that forced the Fallen Angels to cover their eyes.
The thunderous sound took several seconds to arrive. When it finally did, it shook the ground beneath everyone's feet..... Damon landed on the rooftop of a nearby building, his long red hair whipping in the wind created by the detonation.
A figure emerged from the smoke and lingering light. Kokabiel walked out from the remains of the explosion while slowly applauding. His red eyes shone with sick amusement.
"Impressive," he said, his voice carrying across the entire battlefield. "Truly impressive. I didn't expect the King of Olympus himself to appear in my territory." His smile widened. "It seems I underestimated Yasaka's friendships."
At his side, Georg emerged through the lingering light, his expression completely serious as he observed Damon from a distance. Upon seeing their leader, the Fallen Angels who were still hiding recovered some of their courage.
"Look! It's Kokabiel-sama!"
"We're safe!"
Excited shouts spread among the soldiers, all of them convinced that their leader's arrival meant the attack had come to an end....
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