No one could see what had just happened. All they saw were the ink-wash-colored cracks erupting in the air above the ruins, and Rhodes making the motion of sheathing a sword he had never seemed to draw.
What had occurred? The others didn't know. But Sathanael knew all too well.
Before the space was torn asunder, a piercing shriek rang in his ears. He had already charged in front of Rhodes, his sword of Light only centimeters away from crushing the mortal's head. But it was too late.
Sathanael's world began to separate. Like the compound eye of an insect, his vision was partitioned into countless fragments. The vitreous humor of his eyes leaked from his ruptured orbs. As this scene played out, Sathanael's entire body collapsed like a set of Lego bricks hit by a hammer, spilling across the ground in pieces.
Rhodes glanced at the remains of Sathanael—who couldn't possibly stand again—and let out a quiet sigh of relief. "He shouldn't be getting back up after that, right?"
If he had stood up after that, Rhodes would have opened a portal and bailed immediately. Fortunately, even Fallen Angels had to obey the laws of life and death. Rhodes had heard from Griselda that when humans or Angels who believe in God die, the sinless return to Heaven while the guilty go to Purgatory. Fallen Angels, having betrayed their faith, simply had their souls vanish into nothingness upon death.
Sathanael was definitely dead.
Just then, the system notification rang in Rhodes' mind.
[Mission: "Stop the Abyss Walkers" Successful.] [Rewards: Church Reputation +20, Skill: 100x Solar Flare.] [Skill: 100x Solar Flare (Converts internal energy into high-intensity light, creating a flash that temporarily blinds enemies. Note: Sunglasses won't save you!)]
Rhodes gave the description a quick glance before moving on. He still had another task to finish. With that in mind, he looked toward Himejima Suzaku, who seemed to have been woken by the tremors of the last attack.
Suzaku was staring at him. Seeing him look her way, she started to stand up to greet him and ask for the identity of this senior, but he simply gave her a slight, playful wink before dashing out of the innermost sanctum of the Okunoin.
By now, Rhodes was the center of attention. He was the one who had killed the powerful Fallen Angel leader. Even at the end, no one knew exactly what technique he had used. None of the Five Principal Clans or the mages of Oz possessed such a move.
Seeing Sathanael fall, the mages, the Utsusemi members, and the Abyss Walkers began to look panicked. Their overwhelming advantage had been overturned in a heartbeat.
"Unlucky. Looks like we have to retreat," Walburga muttered, glancing toward Rhodes. Though she felt a surge of curiosity, the bone-chilling aura radiating from him made her shiver involuntarily. If even Sathanael couldn't stop him, she certainly couldn't. Even her Master with a Longinus would have a hard time!
"Weak Fallen Angel... to fall so quickly!" The Great Yokai Inugami Gyobu cursed under his breath. They only needed to hold on a bit longer! Why did they always fail at the critical moment?
But there was no helping it. Since things had reached this point, he had to retreat. Otherwise, he would just be throwing his life away. With that thought, Inugami Gyobu's massive body swelled, and he spat out a large sphere of condensed demonic energy.
Rumble—!
The compressed energy hit the ground and exploded violently, sending exorcists flying. Inugami Gyobu then leaped with a speed that defied his massive bulk, attempting to leave the battlefield. His companion, Ura, also saw the situation turning south and tried to escape into the earth.
However, someone wasn't about to let them leave. A free mission reward couldn't be wasted!
Rhodes, in the middle of a Clock Up, quickly caught up to the two Yokai. He didn't even need to use a Dimension Slash; he simply used his holy sword to dismantle their bodies.
"Their defense is this weak?" Rhodes was a bit surprised. Compared to Sathanael, the physical constitutions of these two Great Yokai were far inferior. They weren't even on the same level.
The heads of Inugami Gyobu and Ura flew high into the air before falling to the ground.
[You have successfully defeated the Great Yokai Inugami Gyobu and Ura.] [Calculating Damage Rewards...] *[Rewards: Item: Momotaro Dango 5.] [Item: Momotaro Dango (Can be fed to tame beasts. Ineffective against humans. Duration: 30 minutes.)]
The reward was... questionable. But it was expected. Inugami Gyobu and Ura had been fighting the Okunoin forces for a long time; Rhodes' total damage contribution probably wasn't that high. If he had killed them from the start, the reward might have been better. Still, Rhodes didn't dwell on it; something was better than nothing.
He checked his empty mission log. Standing beside the Yokai corpses, Rhodes looked back at the people of the Okunoin. Though he didn't know if they were friends or foes, his actions of killing Sathanael and the Yokai were clear. The exorcists didn't view him as an enemy. However, seeing him look their way, the more cautious among them grew wary. His gear clearly didn't belong to any of the Five Principal Clans, especially at a time like this.
"Thank you for your assistance, Senior. On behalf of the Himejima family, I offer you my highest respect." A familiar, weak voice called out.
Suzaku stood in the distance, bowing deeply to Rhodes. With her as an example, the others in the Okunoin followed suit. A chorus of gratitude filled the air. Rhodes didn't speak. Regretting that no new missions had triggered, he swiftly left the Okunoin battlefield.
As he departed, the exorcists let out a collective sigh of relief. The pressure this mysterious man exerted was immense. Powerful Great Yokai were slaughtered in an instant, and even the legendary Sathanael had died by his hand. If he had been an enemy, the outcome would have been horrific.
Amidst the ruins, Suzaku stared at the spot where Rhodes had disappeared, unable to look away for a long time. Even though she didn't know him, she felt as if she had seen him somewhere before. But no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't find the thread.
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (102 Chapters – Ongoing)
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