In the state of Clock Up, Rhodes' vision was significantly slowed. His speed was so great that ordinary people wouldn't even know what had happened. However, his previous fight with Sathanael had taught him that super-acceleration wasn't invincible, so he was cautious with Augusta.
But when he saw the magic sword he'd "auto-looted" pierce through the old crone's heart with ease, he realized he had accidentally put her into a near-death state in a single move.
"She couldn't react?"
Sathanael had at least managed to exchange a few blows with him. But this mage, whose strength was supposed to be on par with Sathanael's, was taken out in an instant. On second thought, it made sense. The focus of a mage was on the word "magic." Mages in this world weren't like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, smashing skulls with a staff. Magic was their everything. Normally, they would never engage in melee combat.
Augusta, as a high-level mage, had a defensive barrier. However, her mana had been depleted from her fight with Lavinia, and the black magic she was currently channeling had forcibly drained most of what remained, lowering her defenses to an all-time low. Combined with the fact that Rhodes was wielding a magic sword specifically modified by Fallen Angels, this result was inevitable.
Just as Rhodes was about to finish the job, he felt a staggering wave of heat. The fire giant Augusta had created with her Longinus had reacted and was launching a deliberate attack. It couldn't hit Rhodes, but it stood between him and Augusta. Rhodes didn't linger; he dodged the attack and looked toward the still-dazed Lavinia. He dashed over, threw the mentally broken girl over his shoulder, and ended Clock Up. It wasn't an intense fight, so there was no need to push his body to its limit.
Whoosh—!
The fire giant's attack hit nothing but air, but the scorching purple flames still fell from the sky. They carved a deep purple streak across the black night before slamming into the position of Walburga and the others like a meteor. The mages gathered there scrambled to use their magic to escape. A massive explosion followed, turning the surrounding ground into scorched earth and igniting a forest fire.
After that strike, the fire giant—having lost its target—could no longer attack. Its form began to blur because the host, Augusta, had had her heart pierced; her life force was draining away like a receding tide.
Only then did Augusta react. More than the pain, what made her brain stall was the fact that she had been ambushed just as she was about to succeed! But in moments like this, those on the brink of death often unleash extraordinary power. Adrenaline flooded Augusta's system, and her pale body halted its descent. Her mana surged once more.
"Sacred Cross of the Chosen, O Purple Flame Priest!"
In an instant, purple flames erupted from her entire body. Normally, these flames could be separated to form the fire giant, but now they enveloped her, acting like a pilot's suit. Her body swelled into the form of a fire giant holding a massive cross. She glared at the figure carrying Lavinia.
Vibrant blood dripped from the pitch-black magic sword. Augusta realized that was her own blood and recognized the sword as the one Sathanael had used. The Fallen Angel had boasted about how suitable the sword was for him, only to vanish moments after the plan began. Enraged, Augusta swung a fist. The fire giant followed suit, its seemingly light swing turning the forest into a sea of fire. If an ordinary person touched even a spark, they would die instantly.
The purple giant's speed might be fast for an ordinary person, but for Rhodes, it was incredibly slow. Its massive size made its attacks look clumsy and heavy. Even with a "36D" beauty on his shoulder, Rhodes could easily dodge without using super-acceleration.
Watching Augusta's movements grow slower and slower, Rhodes originally planned to just leave, but a possibility occurred to him, so he stayed to play hide-and-seek. Walburga and the others had been caught in the crossfire of Augusta's own attack; they certainly didn't have time to worry about him.
"You damned... bug! Argh!" Unable to hit the slippery Rhodes, Augusta let out a powerless roar of fury. But the exertion only pulled at her wound. The hole in her heart was being held shut by mana, but the double drain of magic and a Longinus made it impossible to sustain. Combined with Rhodes' refusal to fight her head-on and the loss of Lavinia, her rage choked her.
The fire giant's movements slowed to a crawl until the purple flame became a mere flicker. "Argh!" With one final scream, Augusta plummeted to the ground in frustration. She died without ever understanding how they could lose when the plan was so perfect. She didn't even know where this man in glasses had come from! If she knew the man who killed her was the same Rhodes she intended to use as cannon fodder, she might have been angry enough to come back to life.
To Rhodes, killing Augusta was a net positive. Even with the glasses, there was always a risk of exposure. While exposure wouldn't change much, he felt that having an extra identity in this world was always better. And there wasn't even a system mission for this—he was truly acting out of the goodness of his heart.
Just then, Rhodes saw a unique purple spark emerge from Augusta's corpse. It behaved like a mouse emerging from its hole, peeking around before quickly trying to dash away. But Rhodes was faster. He activated super-acceleration and, while no one was looking, snatched the spark into his hand.
────────────────────────────────────────
🔥 Want more chapters & early access?
Support me here:
👉 https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
✨ Get:
• Early access chapters
• Full access to all released chapters
• Support the story you love ❤️
📖 High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (102 Chapters – Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────