"Where did you get that sword?" Azazel asked, backing away to a distance.
"This sword? It's mine, obviously."
Don't ask Rhode where it came from. If you must know, just assume he forgot to turn off "Auto-Loot."
"That sword is called Aroundight. It's a Demonic Sword our Fallen Angels obtained during the past wars. It was stored in our armory until a traitor among us took it a few years ago."
Azazel had a deep impression of that traitor. His name was Satanael, a Fallen Angel leader who, like Azazel, was responsible for managing and researching Sacred Gears. He had even been a mentor to the "Abyss Handlers" in Grigori, teaching other Sacred Gear holders how to use their powers.
Unfortunately, he eventually betrayed the organization and brainwashed several students into leaving with him. While Azazel didn't know how the sword had ended up with Rhode, it wasn't hard to guess that things hadn't ended well for Satanael.
Considering Kokabiel had died at this human's hands, Satanael was likely pushing up daisies too.
"That is the property of the Fallen Angels."
"This is clearly my property," Rhode insisted, refusing to admit a thing.
"Hmph! There should be a Grigori emblem engraved on that sword, right there on the hilt."
Rhode looked down and realized there really was a tiny, almost invisible inscription on Aroundight's hilt.
However, his expression immediately shifted to one of righteous fury. "You actually dared to carve your organization's logo onto my sword? You're a bunch of bandits! No—you're worse than bandits!"
Azazel: "..."
That covers the current segment! Rhode's gaslighting skills are definitely on par with his combat abilities."I'm just a Fallen Angel who enjoys flirting with women, damn it! You're clearly telling barefaced lies!"
Azazel knew he wasn't getting that sword back. Satanael was a traitor, and since Rhode—acting as a mercenary—had taken it as a trophy from said traitor, there was no logical reason for him to return it to its original owners. If he wanted it back, he'd likely have to pay a much higher price.
Still, it left a bitter taste in Azazel's mouth. He was the Governor General of the Fallen Angels, yet he had been played by this brat several times over.
In the next instant, Azazel lunged forward, thrusting a Light Spear in his right hand toward Rhode. He was genuinely annoyed now.
But with a distinct mechanical chime, Rhode's figure vanished from Azazel's sight once more. If he hadn't been able to detect a trace of an incredibly faint presence, he would have thought Rhode had simply fled the scene.
What is wrong with this kid? How can he use that speed—which even I can barely track—repeatedly?
While Azazel wasn't the absolute strongest of all Fallen Angels, he was at the middle tier of the Maou-class. His eyes possessed extraordinary dynamic vision; he could see the trajectory of a Light Spear thrown by a God. Yet, Rhode's movement left no trail whatsoever.
Clang!
The Demonic Sword thrust out again from a devious angle. Though Azazel's body was sturdy—standard firearms or mundane cold weapons couldn't harm him—Aroundight was a Demonic Sword second only to Excalibur. Coupled with Rhode's strength as the wielder, Azazel didn't dare take the hit directly and had to keep parrying with his Light Sword.
Clang!
The collision between the Demonic Sword and the Light Sword sent brilliant sparks and flecks of light flying. Azazel felt his arm go numb. If his Light Power hadn't been dense enough, the Light Sword would have likely shattered.
But there was still a chance to win. The rules stated that success was determined by who could land more hits. As long as Azazel committed fully to defense, it would be difficult for Rhode to land a clean hit without going all out.
Even using only one hand, Azazel was still Maou-class. Besides, there was only a minute... no, including the time they spent talking, there were less than thirty seconds left. If Rhode hadn't entered his super-accelerated state, the minute would have long since expired.
The rules seemed to limit Azazel, but they placed the same constraint on Rhode.
Knowing he couldn't land a hit on Rhode, Azazel swept his right hand, manifesting several Light Swords that began to orbit him. He wasn't using ranged attacks, but the rules hadn't forbidden him from defending.
It was a bit shameless, and it certainly dented his dignity as Governor General, but it was better than losing. Besides, he was the leader of the Fallen Angels—being shameless was practically a job requirement. He was used to it!
Rhode, still in his super-accelerated state, had already anticipated Azazel's move. He attempted to strike before the defense fully formed, but Azazel was more alert than before, his guard ironclad. Once the light barrier was complete, Rhode couldn't help but mentally criticize the move. What is this, the Swords of Revealing Light?
At this rate, the match would likely end in a draw. While a draw against the Governor General would certainly force others to respect his power, all he'd gain was fame—he'd lose those sweet, sweet rewards!
Rhode had wanted to see how he stacked up against the world's heavyweights without relying on specific skills, but he could no longer afford to hold back.
The next second, Rhode shifted Aroundight to his waist, adopting a draw-stance. Before he even struck, the blade glowed with a dull, matte black light. When he finally swung, the thick atmosphere felt like a thin film being torn apart by scissors, leaving clean, jagged edges at the borders of the white shockwaves.
The moment the technique was unleashed, Rhode canceled his super-acceleration.
In the normal flow of time, the air let out an overburdened scream. The atmosphere was shredded by countless black-and-white sword lights. A powerful slash, carrying a crushing weight, descended upon the "turtling" Azazel.
Protection shattered. The Light Swords surrounding him developed countless visible cracks before exploding into nothingness, their energy dissipating into the air. As the slash hit the ground, it kicked up debris and dust, carving deep fissures into the earth.
As the air surged around them, Azazel's kimono fluttered wildly in the turbulence. He was internally reeling.
What kind of ability is that? Swordsmanship? Is there anyone else in this world who can pull off a technique like that?
He hadn't used a Sacred Gear, and he hadn't used magic. If a human had reached this level through pure training alone, they would surely be standing at the very pinnacle of humanity.
However, less than twenty seconds remained. Azazel hadn't expected their spar to end in a stalemate.
"Lavinia, take everyone and leave the barrier! Don't look this way!" Rhode suddenly shouted to Lavinia in the distance.
Lavinia didn't ask why. She immediately activated a teleportation spell, moving all the girls further away with their backs turned to the barrier.
"Watch out, Azazel! I'm unleashing my ultimate move!"
"What?" Azazel's heart skipped a beat. An ultimate move?
He widened his eyes, staring intently at Rhode with maximum focus, terrified of missing even the smallest detail. Then, he saw Rhode place a hand near his temple.
"One-Hundredfold Solar Flare!"
"Wait, what—?"
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (239 Chapters – Ongoing)
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