The aura radiating from the man caused Suzaku to be on high alert. Even as the host of the Spirit Beast Suzaku, she felt a powerful sense of pressure from this tall man. It was even greater than that of the Great Yokai Inugami Gyobu outside.
Knowing the visitor was hostile, Suzaku's expression turned cold, and her slender limbs began to radiate a fierce heat and aura. Hidden in the shadows, Rhodes felt that even the air in the underground altar had become scorching.
Sensing Suzaku's approach, the Fallen Angel leader turned his silver eyes toward the girl with a look of interest. Suzaku felt as if he were looking right through her thoughts.
"So, it's the Princess of the Himejima family. But weren't you fighting those Yokai? To actually have time to come here... aren't you afraid the front lines will collapse?" The man's face wore a look of surprise.
"I believe my comrades and clansmen can hold off those Yokai. Besides, reinforcements from the Five Principal Clans are already on the way. Whether it's the remnants of the Utsusemi, the mages of Oz, or the people you brought—dead or alive, they will be captured."
"Please don't take it personally; after all, you are the ones who keep provoking trouble." Suzaku raised her right hand, and a cluster of red flames rose from her pale palm.
"You Five Principal Clans are truly the same as always—only finding excuses when defending yourselves. However, I have no intention of killing you today. I'll leave the rest for others to handle."
As his voice fell, a magic circle for teleportation appeared beneath the feet of the Fallen Angel, Sathanael.
"Trying to teleport? I won't let you succeed." Suzaku had been prepared. The flames in her hand shot toward Sathanael's figure.
Seeing the girl's attack, Sathanael simply waved his hand casually to disperse the fireball. However, Suzaku's intention wasn't to attack Sathanael, but to disrupt the teleportation circle under his feet.
Crack!
The magic circle was instantly destroyed by the burning flames. Sathanael, who was supposed to leave, was forced to remain.
"Tch. Humans really do play little tricks." Because there was a barrier created by the Oz mages outside, Sathanael's own teleportation magic was temporarily unusable. Seeing that he couldn't escape, a look of displeasure finally appeared on Sathanael's face.
"In the face of transcendent races, humans naturally need to be smarter to survive. I don't consider this a 'little trick,'" Suzaku said fearlessly.
In fact, judging by the current situation, "letting" Sathanael leave was clearly the best decision. The situation outside was uncertain, and Suzaku wasn't comfortable with her comrades' battle. If the Okunoin's barrier hadn't broken, she would never have left the front line.
But the "Treasure of Uji" sealed in the Okunoin, along with various other important treasures, had been stolen. If it were just ordinary treasures, historical records, or ancient texts, Suzaku wouldn't have been so reckless as to keep Sathanael here. But the remains of the Three Great Yokai were gone.
As the successor head of the Himejima family, she knew very well that the Three Great Yokai were not completely dead. As long as the seal was broken and they were given enough power, they could be resurrected. Maybe they wouldn't "destroy the world," but destroying the lands of Japan was certainly possible.
The Five Principal Clans had had some dealings with the Abyss Walkers led by the Fallen Angel in the past. They showed an unusual interest in Sacred Gears. Combined with the fact that the Grigori had even established a research institute for Sacred Gears, Suzaku had developed a bad premonition. Perhaps this Fallen Angel leader wanted to take the heads of those three Yokai and do something special with his knowledge of Sacred Gears. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.
Suzaku struck first. The aura that had been drifting around her body surged instantly, turning into raging flames that enveloped the girl. The temperature in the air skyrocketed, and even breathing into the lungs caused a burning sensation.
She swept her right arm toward Sathanael. A massive pillar of fire shot out instantly.
Boom—!
The blazing pillar of fire slammed into Sathanael's position. The terrifying heat even ignited substances it didn't touch, carving a long charred mark into the floor.
"As the Princess of the Himejima family, your strength is decent. You truly are the youngest and most outstanding talent of the Five Principal Clans!" Within the flames, Sathanael was protected by a powerful Light barrier. Suzaku's attack was completely ineffective, failing to leave even a scorch mark on him.
Suzaku's expression didn't change. She held her right palm upward, and the flames rapidly condensed into the shape of a Vermillion Bird. Accompanied by the cry of a living creature, the fire bird flew straight toward Sathanael with the speed of a gale!
Sathanael finally stopped intentionally posing. Although the gap between them was still obvious, Suzaku was, after all, the host of the Spirit Beast Suzaku. Sathanael could look down on Suzaku, but he couldn't ignore the power of the Vermillion Bird.
Hum—!
The atmosphere vibrated as Sathanael condensed a thick spear of Light in his hand. Suzaku's expression shifted, and without thinking, she threw herself away from where she had been standing.
Rumble—!
A second later, the Light spear, carrying rapid and violent power, crushed the fire bird and pulverized the spot where Suzaku had just been. If she hadn't dodged in time, she would have been in pieces by now.
Suzaku landed, her aura pushed to the limit, but her eyes were filled with unprecedented solemnity. The terrifying strength Sathanael displayed was daunting. If anyone else from the Okunoin had faced him, they would have likely been defeated in that first exchange.
How can I win? On her own, Suzaku couldn't see a glimmer of hope for victory. But if she could hold out until reinforcements arrived, there might be a way. Yet, on second thought, the plan for this attack on the Okunoin was very mature; every one of them had an opponent they had to deal with. The Fallen Angel leader, Sathanael, was an enemy outside of that expected scope.
Sathanael also knew very well that his power was greater than Suzaku's. Having no intention of staying for a chat, he decided to kill the woman obstructing him—or capture her directly. After all, the Spirit Beast residing in her body was also worth researching.
A second later, Sathanael suddenly lunged. His body turned into a black afterimage, his high-speed movement making the air shriek. He threw a punch toward Suzaku's chest!
Bang—!
Suzaku's body was immediately sent flying. Fortunately, she had managed to condense a flame barrier in time; otherwise, that single hit would have stripped her of all combat ability. The weakness of humans compared to other races was too obvious: their physical constitution was simply too weak.
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (102 Chapters – Ongoing)
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