Suzaku quickly dismissed that theory. If he were a hidden powerhouse of the Okunoin, there was no way he would wait until now to appear. No matter how much one wanted to avoid the world, you wouldn't wait until your home was destroyed to come out, right?
Furthermore, the Holy Sword in his hand alone was enough to show he wasn't from the Five Principal Clans. There were many exorcists who used swords in the Clans, but a Holy Sword—aside from being a treasure of the Church—would be treated as a heretical Demonic Sword within the Clans' territories.
Beyond that, Suzaku couldn't guess his identity.
"Could he be an exorcist from the Church? If that's the case, it makes sense." Sathanael had betrayed the Grigori, and Fallen Angels had always been prime targets for the Church. There were historical records of Fallen Angels infiltrating the Clans' territories and being hunted down by Church exorcists. That was likely it.
However, Suzaku didn't dwell on it. The urgent matter was how to deal with Sathanael. With that thought, she nodded slightly to Rhodes, communicating with her eyes. Before Sathanael could show any intent to attack, she rapidly formed several hand seals and pointed both hands toward his position.
Although doing this would completely destroy the Okunoin mansion, since the Treasure of Uji was no longer there, the reconstruction didn't matter. Besides, the mansion had already been sliced in two by Sathanael.
"From the south of the four directions, I call upon the response to my voice! Ruler of the Four Gods' fire, Suzaku!"
Following her cry, a massive Five Elements magic circle appeared above the girl's head. The red patterns expanded with the red light, and a violent vortex of flames erupted from it. Then, after another ringing cry, a giant Vermillion Bird descended, causing the surroundings to fill with scorching heat once more.
"Go!"
Suzaku controlled the bird to fly toward the sky. The giant bird flapped its flaming wings as it ascended, releasing staggering heat with every beat, before diving down like a missile. In an instant, a massive firestorm erupted over the Okunoin.
"Rude brats! You think you can kill me like this?!" Sathanael, who had scrambled to his feet, was livid.
Beaten into a state of losing his composure by Rhodes, he no longer possessed his usual reason. He raised his right hand, and a spear of Light rapidly took shape. But it didn't stop once it reached the size of an ordinary spear. The Light spear continued to swell until it was the size of a utility pole....He then hurled the spear directly at the diving Vermillion Bird.
Swish—!
The thick spear of Light tore through the atmosphere with ease. After drawing a brief, meteoric trail across the sky, it violently collided with the Vermillion Bird.
First came a blinding flash. Holy Light and firelight simultaneously released intense radiance and heat. A second later, the shockwave triggered by the atmospheric turbulence followed in its wake.
Debris on the ground and the half-destroyed houses of the Okunoin were blown away. The exorcists and Yokai standing nearby were caught in the blast and sent tumbling through the air. The violent tremors lasted for several seconds before finally subsiding.
When the shockwaves dissipated, the entire battlefield fell into an absolute silence, broken only by the crackling of burning flames and the sound of collapsing ruins.
Rhodes brushed the dust off his clothes and looked around. Both the Vermillion Bird and the spear of Light had vanished. It appeared they had fought to a draw.
However, Rhodes could sense the tyrannical aura still radiating from Sathanael. As for Himejima Suzaku, he glanced back to find her collapsed atop the ruins, covered in dust. Though she was still breathing, it was faint; that final strike had clearly exhausted the last of her strength. She was likely out of the fight.
Just then, accompanied by a ripple in the atmosphere, Sathanael stood amidst the burning wreckage of the Okunoin with a predatory expression. He raised his hands again, and the surging power of Light began to coalesce into another spear.
Rhodes noticed, however, that the spear was forming much slower than before.
"You ignorant mortals... you shall all be destroyed along with this place!" Sathanael spat.
The ambush should have been a glorious success, yet the operation had turned into this mess. He, a grand leader, had been beaten into such a pathetic state by a brat who had come out of nowhere. His rage burned as fiercely as Suzaku's flames, and his eyes were locked onto Rhodes with pure killing intent.
"If you were actually capable of doing that, you wouldn't have needed to resort to a troublesome ambush in the first place," Rhodes chuckled.
Sathanael's face twisted in fury. He intended to wait for the spear to finish forming and wipe out every human in the area. His "allies" no longer mattered. To die for the great Sathanael was their honor!
Regarding Rhodes—his primary concern—Sathanael could feel that the youth's power had weakened significantly. Clearly, that speed which even he couldn't react to had taken a massive toll.
But Rhodes wasn't about to give Sathanael the chance to recharge. He swallowed the Senzu Bean he had been holding in his mouth. In an instant, his physical stamina and mental energy were irrationally restored to their peak.
"Clock Up!"
Accompanied by the emotionless mechanical voice, Rhodes entered the realm of super-acceleration once more.
"What?" Sathanael was startled, a flash of horror crossing his eyes. This human can still use it...
Before he could finish the thought, Rhodes' attack landed. Because Sathanael was focused on condensing the spear and blinded by rage, he could no longer react.
Rhodes struck first at the magic sword in Sathanael's hand. His own blade aimed for the wrist, instantly leaving a wound deep enough to show bone. Simultaneously, he tore off the remaining black wings. Deprived of the power supply, the spear of Light rapidly flickered and vanished.
Sathanael was knocked off his feet. His magic sword fell to the ground, and the blood pouring from his body practically dyed him into a "little red man."
Struggling to rise, Sathanael glared at Rhodes, who had just exited Clock Up. "Enough! You damned mortal! I am the great Sathanael! A Fallen Angel!"
Just as the words left his mouth, Rhodes crouched slightly, placing his holy sword behind him in a draw stance. Due to the intensity of the fight, this area had become the focal point of the entire battlefield. Whether they were from the Okunoin, the mages, the Yokai, or the Utsusemi members, every eye was fixed on this spot.
Sathanael condensed a basic sword of Light and flew toward Rhodes, gritting his teeth.
In the next second, Rhodes' frame seemed to flicker. Time around them appeared to freeze as countless black and white slash trajectories manifested out of thin air. Like a shattered mirror or the claw marks of a world-tearing beast, they wove together into a lethal cage around Sathanael.
The space itself seemed to let out a groan of over-exhaustion, and the dense atmosphere shattered completely amidst a series of crisp explosions.
By then, Rhodes had already sheathed his sword.
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (102 Chapters – Ongoing)
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