"Urgent situation, come for a meeting immediately!"
As the saying goes, the fewer the words, the bigger the problem. Griselda was so busy she didn't even have time to call. But Rhode had a general idea of what was happening. Thanks to the teleportation anchor, getting to the Celestial Realm was no trouble. After letting Lavinia and the others know, he headed there.
He walked straight into Griselda's office, pushing the door open without knocking. Griselda, Xenovia, and Irina, who were in the middle of a discussion, all turned to look at him.
"You're finally here, Rhode." Griselda's expression was uneasy, and she didn't feel like joking about his intrusion. Aside from her superiors, he was the only one who dared to barge in without caring if a secret meeting was in progress. Griselda hadn't been used to it at first. Although she was a human, she was a leader in the Celestial Realm, with a status higher than that of a normal angel. Rhode had started by kicking the door in; after being scolded a few times, he had switched to pushing it open.
Xenovia and Irina didn't look happy to see him; they just nodded coldly, their expressions even grimmer than before.
Griselda didn't waste time and went straight to the point. "Over the past two days, we've uncovered the truth."
"Three Holy Swords were stolen. The culprits are several stray exorcists who were excommunicated from their respective churches recently. The mastermind behind them is indeed a Cadre of Grigori... his name is Kokabiel."
Griselda wanted to see surprise on Rhode's face, but seeing that he was as calm as ever, she continued, "Kokabiel is no ordinary Fallen Angel. He survived the Great War and is an enemy of God recorded in the Bible. It is said he once even clashed with God himself."
At those words, Xenovia and Irina's hearts sank to the bottom. But Rhode already knew the plot. Kokabiel was a turning point in the story of High School DxD.
In the past, Rias and her group had only dealt with small-scale skirmishes. But with Kokabiel's appearance, the enemy's power level was about to skyrocket, leaving everyone—except the "Breast Dragon Emperor"—completely behind the power curve.
What was even harder to fathom was that even after nearly being wiped out in one go by Kokabiel, Rias and her team still wouldn't think to train or improve themselves.
Of course, Rhode had already altered the plot. He had ensured that Akeno and Koneko, who wouldn't have had a change of heart until a dozen volumes later, accepted their bloodline powers ahead of schedule.
"Because the Holy Swords carry special markers, we traced the stray exorcists to Sardinia. However, when we arrived, the swords were already gone. Only a few stray exorcists remained behind to guard the place, and we managed to get all the information we needed from them."
It was a blatant setup. Kokabiel's goal was to let the Church know exactly where the Holy Swords were going, which was why he had his subordinates leave such obvious trails. Consequently, after being captured by Xenovia and the others, the stray exorcists confessed everything without much resistance.
At this point, Kokabiel's plan was halfway to success.
"While we aren't entirely sure what Kokabiel is planning, we can be certain that the Holy Swords must not remain in the hands of the Fallen Angels."
"I have already consulted with the higher-ups. Your primary objective is to recover the Holy Swords. If that is impossible, you must destroy them at all costs."
"Yes!" Xenovia and Irina snapped to attention.
However, a look of confusion quickly crossed their faces.
"Lady Griselda, will we have any other reinforcements? With just the two of us, we might not be able to handle Kokabiel. After all, he is a Cadre."
The two girls were confident in their skills, but their opponent had once clashed with God Himself. That gap in power was not something even a Holy Sword could bridge.
"Regrettably, there will be no other reinforcements," Griselda said, spreading her hands helplessly.
"Huh? Is it really just the two of us?" Irina's eyes widened in shock.
How was this any different from a suicide mission? Of course, she didn't fear death; in fact, she was willing to die for the Church and for the glory of God. But this was clearly a trap.
"Yes. The higher-ups have made their decision. However, considering the long journey ahead, I have applied for extra mission funds for you."
At these words, the two girls fell silent, but they quickly puffed out their chests. This was a mission valued by the Seraphs of Heaven. They could not fail. Even if it cost them their lives!
"Rhode, what about you?" Griselda turned toward the young man.
If it were a simple search mission, she wouldn't interfere with Rhode's choices. But knowing the opponent was Kokabiel, she didn't want him stepping into such danger. At the same time, she was loath to let Xenovia and Irina face such a powerful foe alone. But she couldn't refuse orders from above. She didn't even understand them herself.
As for Rhode, he was a mercenary. He had a perfectly legitimate reason to decline. This was, after all, a power struggle between Heaven and the Fallen Angels. If possible, she didn't want unrelated parties getting involved.
Rhode: "Don't worry, I understand everything now."
Griselda breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you understand."
The next moment, she saw Rhode pull out two Desert Eagles and say expressionlessly: "So, my current mission is not just to recover the Holy Swords, but also to take down the evil Fallen Angel Kokabiel, right?"
Griselda: "..."
No.
What exactly did you 'understand'?
However, Rhode's attitude was firm, and she couldn't talk him out of it. Meanwhile, Xenovia and Irina's opinion of Rhode soared. They had been feeling uneasy, but seeing that they finally had one reinforcement—even if they didn't know if the three of them could take on Kokabiel—at least the success rate wasn't virtually zero anymore.
After leaving the office:
"Thank you, Rhode."
"I used to think you were just a lazy, lecherous mercenary who was only in it for the money. I had no idea what Sister Griselda saw in you. But I've changed my mind now. You're still lazy, lecherous, and greedy... but you're very brave." A smile broke across Xenovia's face.
"When we come back after winning this battle, you're treating us to dinner!"
"Mmhmm! And I won't mind you sneaking peeks at Xenovia's and my chests anymore! Amen." Irina added her approval.
Rhode found it a bit hard to keep a straight face. So that was the image they had of him.
And what was wrong with sneaking a peek? If a beautiful girl wore a skin-tight outfit right next to him and he didn't look, he'd respect that man for being a statue!
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (144 Chapters – Ongoing)
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