Kuoh Academy – Battlefield
Azraelion remained motionless in the air for several seconds, staring at Gasper as if he were still trying to understand the provocation. The spear of light in his hand slowly grew as holy energy gathered around the blade, illuminating the black wings spread behind him.
"An inferior devil dares to call my defense pathetic?"
The contempt in Azraelion's voice barely concealed his irritation. He had expected fear or hesitation after displaying the power of his spears, but Gasper remained before him without showing the slightest concern.
Divine energy concentrated even further within the weapon. The pressure released by the spear made the surrounding air vibrate, and the Fallen Angel drew his arm back to launch the attack directly at Gasper's chest.
Gasper watched every movement without changing his posture.
'As if I'd let you.'
His crimson eyes glowed before Azraelion could complete the attack. The power of the Forbidden Balor View crossed the space between them and reached the Fallen Angel in the same instant.
Azraelion's movement stopped.
The spear of light remained suspended above his hand, still filled with energy but incapable of advancing. Even the golden sparks surrounding the weapon became motionless, frozen alongside the Fallen Angel's body.
Azraelion couldn't move his fingers.
Couldn't open his mouth.
Couldn't even blink.
Gasper observed the result for several seconds. His Sacred Gear had worked exactly as expected, but before he could decide how to finish the battle, Grayfia's voice crossed the battlefield.
"Do not kill him."
Gasper shifted his attention toward her.
That was when he realized Kokabiel had also been paralyzed.
The leader of the Fallen Angels remained several meters in front of Grayfia with all five pairs of black wings spread behind him. The smile was still frozen on his face, but not a single muscle responded.
Even the corrupted energy flowing around his body had stopped moving.
Gasper narrowed his eyes.
"It worked on him too?"
Grayfia showed no surprise. Her gaze quickly passed over Kokabiel before returning to Gasper, assessing the range and effectiveness of the Sacred Gear.
"You have become much stronger, Gasper." Her answer came with the same calm tone she used during their training sessions. "This result is normal considering the current difference between your power and theirs."
Gasper looked at Kokabiel again. Even knowing the Forbidden Balor View had evolved, he had not expected to paralyze such an ancient and experienced Fallen Angel so easily.
Grayfia noticed his uncertainty.
"Against a twelve-winged Fallen Angel, it would probably not work this way." She kept her tone objective. "But against Kokabiel and Azraelion, your power is sufficient."
The confirmation struck Gasper more strongly than he showed.
Until recently, Kokabiel had represented a threat capable of destroying all of Kuoh and starting a new war between the factions. Now he remained completely immobilized simply because Gasper had directed his gaze toward him.
'So I really have reached this level.'
The thought lasted less than a second.
Grayfia disappeared.
Gasper sensed only a slight change in the air before the supreme maid vanished from where she had been standing. No explosion of magic announced her movement, and the ground did not break beneath her feet.
By the time he understood what had happened, Grayfia was already behind Kokabiel.
A layer of ice spread across the paralyzed Fallen Angel's body, beginning at his feet before advancing over his legs, torso, and wings. The temperature dropped so quickly that the moisture in the air turned into tiny crystals.
CRRRRSH!
The ice completely engulfed Kokabiel.
Within seconds, the leader of the Fallen Angels was trapped inside a crystalline structure, unable to use his own energy even if the effects of the Forbidden Balor View were interrupted.
Gasper's eyes widened slightly.
'So fast.'
Before he could finish the thought, Grayfia moved again.
Her hand appeared around Azraelion's neck.
The Fallen Angel was still paralyzed, with the spear of light suspended above his hand, when Grayfia tore him from the air without the slightest difficulty. The movement was so fast that the divine weapon dispersed before he was even carried toward Kokabiel.
SHUUUM!
Grayfia crossed the battlefield while holding Azraelion by the neck. The pressure created by her movement scattered clouds of dust and fragments from the destroyed buildings, but she stopped beside Kokabiel without causing any damage to the prisoner.
Her free hand rose.
A silver magic circle appeared beneath Azraelion's feet, and ice spread across his body before he could react. His legs were trapped first, followed by his torso, arms, and black wings.
His face was the last part to freeze.
Azraelion's hateful expression remained visible through the translucent layer of ice, trapped beside Kokabiel's smile. The two Fallen Angels stood aligned in the center of the devastated battlefield like statues awaiting judgment.
Grayfia released Azraelion's neck only after making certain he could not escape.
"You may deactivate your power."
Gasper kept the Forbidden Balor View active for several more seconds while observing the two prisoners. The layers of ice were connected to Grayfia's magic and possessed enough strength to prevent any immediate attempt at resistance.
He closed his eyes.
The invisible pressure of the Sacred Gear disappeared, and the world around them resumed moving. Small fragments of concrete finished falling, dust swept across the battlefield, and the wind once again touched Gasper's wings.
Kokabiel and Azraelion remained motionless inside the ice.
Grayfia examined the two of them before turning toward Gasper.
"Return to Rias-sama's mansion." Her voice remained firm as another magic circle appeared beneath the prisoners. "Inform Sona-sama that the body of the devil belonging to her peerage will be delivered to House Sitri once the investigation is complete."
Gasper looked toward the destroyed room.
Tomoe's body still lay among the debris, surrounded by traces of holy energy and pieces of shattered furniture. The sight drained part of the satisfaction from their victory.
"Understood."
Grayfia moved her fingers, and a barrier of ice rose around the girl's body. The structure did not touch Tomoe, but it completely isolated the area to prevent any magical residue or evidence from being altered.
"I will not allow the body to be removed before we analyze the nature of the attack." Grayfia directed her gaze toward the spear that had destroyed the room. "We need to know whether her death was connected solely to Azraelion or to the same source responsible for the barrier."
Gasper nodded.
The logic was cold, but necessary. Tomoe's death had to be investigated before her body could be returned to House Sitri.
He looked back toward Kokabiel.
The ease with which the Forbidden Balor View had paralyzed that Fallen Angel still occupied part of his thoughts. Gasper knew he had become powerful, but he rarely had a clear measure of how far he had progressed.
Today, he had finally found a comparison.
Kokabiel was not weak.
Even so, he had been unable to resist Gasper's Sacred Gear.
Azraelion had not stood a chance either.
Gasper lightly clenched his hand as demonic energy circulated around his body. For the first time, he realized he had already surpassed many of the enemies he once considered serious threats.
Then he looked at Grayfia.
She had crossed the battlefield before he could follow her movements, frozen Kokabiel, captured Azraelion, and neutralized both of them before Gasper had even processed her first action.
'I became strong.'
The thought was immediately followed by another conclusion.
'But she is still far above me.'
The difference did not bother him.
On the contrary.
Now Gasper knew he still had room to grow.
"Yes, Grayfia. I'm leaving."
A crimson magic circle appeared beneath his feet. Before activating the teleportation, Gasper looked one last time at Tomoe's body and then at the two frozen Fallen Angels.
Kokabiel had been captured.
Azraelion also remained alive under Grayfia's orders.
But their victory did not change the fact that a member of the Sitri peerage had died before they managed to enter the barrier.
That consequence still had to be faced.
SHUUUN!
The magic circle shone brightly, and Gasper disappeared from the battlefield. The crimson energy dissolved into the air, leaving Grayfia alone before the two prisoners and the destroyed Kuoh Academy.
The supreme maid remained still for several seconds, looking at the place where her student had disappeared. During their training sessions, Gasper had still needed to concentrate to fully control the reach of the Forbidden Balor View.
Now he had paralyzed two Fallen Angels at the same time.
One of them was Kokabiel.
Grayfia shifted her gaze toward the prisoners as she reinforced the layers of ice surrounding them.
'You have become stronger, my student.'
Another silver magic circle began forming beneath Kokabiel and Azraelion. Complex containment lines spread across the ground, sealing their energy, movement, and any attempt at external communication.
Grayfia needed to discover who had created that barrier.
She needed to understand how Kokabiel had managed to conceal all of Kuoh Academy from her perception.
And she needed to know whether the Fallen Angels were acting alone or if someone more powerful remained hidden behind the attack.
The battle was over.
The investigation was only beginning.
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