Suzaku struggled to push herself up. Although she had blocked the nearly fatal blow, her body was still rattled by the shock. If she hadn't trained her body regularly, she wouldn't have been able to get back up. Even though she recognized the gap between her and Sathanael, her duty forbade her from letting him leave.
The moment she stood, several more bird-shaped flames shot out. Sathanael used Holy Light to manifest a sword and, with a few slashes, tore the flames to shreds.
"As expected of the Himejima Princess, your courage is commendable. But that is the only thing I can praise," Sathanael's voice was filled with undisguised amusement and mockery. Although he didn't know where the heads of the three Yokai had gone, capturing a stray member of the Four Gods was a stroke of luck. If he could extract the Vermillion Bird from her body and place it in an artificial Sacred Gear, would it create a weapon comparable to a Longinus?
With this thought, the corners of Sathanael's mouth curved upward. But just then, a massive pressure suddenly descended upon him. Like a mountain pressing down on his head, it forced Sathanael's feet three inches into the ground. Looking closely, a crimson Five Elements magic circle had appeared beneath him. Suzaku gritted her teeth, chanting an obscure incantation.
"By the Fire Star of the Nine Purples, transform into the flames of Mars!"
A powerful aura steamed up from Suzaku's body. That aura quickly took the shape of the Spirit Beast Suzaku behind the girl. Compared to the bird she had condensed in her palm earlier, this Suzaku was much larger. One could faintly hear its clear, ringing cry!
Sathanael felt a sudden jolt of unease. The gravity suppression was one thing, but the magic circle beneath his feet gave him a very bad feeling. A second later, a giant pillar of fire erupted from the magic circle that covered more than half the room.
The intense heat continuously baked the surroundings. Trapped with nowhere to retreat, Sathanael was instantly hit. A violent explosion and a deafening roar erupted on the spot. The fire pillar even pulverized the ceiling of the underground altar and pierced through the antique roof of the Okunoin main hall.
"Is that the Main Hall?" "What's happening?!" "That's Lady Suzaku's Spirit Beast fire!" "Dammit! Has an enemy appeared in the Main Hall?!"
The battle erupting at the center of the Okunoin made the exorcists look grim, while the Yokai and the mages of Oz fought with increasing excitement. The tide was in their favor! Once their respective leaders finished off the Four Gods and Four Fiends, the Five Principal Clans would meet their ruin today!
Explosions and screams followed one after another as panic spread through the area. Fortunately, in the chaos, the hosts of the Four Fiends accepted by the Clans managed to stabilize the situation, but no one knew how it would end.
Meanwhile, in the underground altar, Sathanael—who had been caught off guard by Suzaku—was now charred black. The combat suit under his black coat was melted in places, and smoke rose from his pale skin. Even his hair, which had resembled Sephiroth's, had turned into a black afro!
Rhodes, watching from the side, was stifling a laugh. However, on second thought, he was surprised that Suzaku's full-power strike hadn't killed Sathanael. Was the strength of a Fallen Angel leader really this absurd?
Before transmigrating, when he watched the original anime, the Fallen Angels seemed like minor characters compared to the powerhouses of other factions—acting all high and mighty only to be crushed by any truly strong person. Seeing one in reality, they were actually this fierce? Rhodes figured that even if you tied the Four Gods together, they might only be able to fight Sathanael to a 40/60 split.
The reality of the situation made him think of Himejima Akeno's background. Her father was also a Fallen Angel leader, named Baraqiel, and was known as "Holy Lightning" among the Fallen Angels. In terms of destructive power, he was even stronger than Azazel. Yet, the Himejima family still drove Akeno's mother to her death after he left and then hunted Akeno down. Did the Himejima family not fear Baraqiel's revenge? Of course, the fact was that Baraqiel never did seek revenge against the Himejima family.
Although Sathanael wasn't dead, he had suffered significant injuries. But such injuries were nothing to a Fallen Angel leader. Compared to the wounds on his body, he was more shocked and enraged that he had been played by a little brat!
Sathanael's face wore a dangerous expression. He looked at the solitary Suzaku with a cruel smile. With a crisp metallic ring, he drew a long sword from a sheath that appeared out of thin air. The blade was pitch black, and the edge, which should have been silver, was entwined with a large number of ominous blood-red patterns. It constantly radiated a spirit-chilling aura of madness and demonic energy.
The moment Suzaku saw that sword, she felt a killing intent lock firmly onto her. Although she still formed a hand seal, her spiritual power was almost completely spent. It was impossible for her to continue fighting. Although she was the successor head of the Himejima family, her control over the Vermillion Bird wasn't perfect. Furthermore, the reason she was the successor head was that she was the only miko in the Himejima family capable of summoning the God, Hinokagutsuchi.
However, using a god's power required a special summoning ritual beforehand—the Dance of Fire. But the Yokai attack had been too sudden, leaving her with no time to prepare.
"To be able to die by my hand is an honor for you as a human," Sathanael grinned hideously. The eight black wings on his back spread out like curtains at the end of a play, making Suzaku feel a trace of despair.
Just then, a cold mechanical voice suddenly rang out.
"Clock Up!"
The cold mechanical sound echoed. Sathanael reflexively turned to look, but his eyes saw no living thing. However, in the next second, alarm bells rang in his mind. A crisis of death suddenly descended, forcing the sword he had intended for Suzaku to take a sharp turn, placing it horizontally in front of his neck.
Clang—!
Orange sparks erupted in the dark night. The arm holding the sword was even numbed by the immense force of the shock. Sathanael was shocked. What just happened? Who was attacking him?!
Before he could think further, the same sense of lethal danger returned, and this time, the target was his heart. Sathanael swung his sword again, barely blocking the invisible attack. Yet, other than leaving behind sparks, the attacker remained nowhere to be seen.
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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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