Kokabiel couldn't suppress his disbelief. 'What? Someone who can match me? Who the hell is this guy?' He growled internally, his blood surging with excitement.
'This sensation... I haven't felt it since the Great War! Hah, this is exhilarating... truly exhilarating!'
For the first time in centuries, Kokabiel felt alive, a wicked grin spreading across his face as joy overtook him.
"Then how about this!?" he roared, channeling his power.
A massive surge of energy began pooling in Kokabiel's hands, far greater than the blasts he had used earlier while hunting down Valper. The condensed magical energy pulsated dangerously, its sheer intensity promising obliteration if it hit directly.
Kazuki Fuwa's lips curled into a smirk. He raised both hands, focusing all his energy on his gravity control. Slowly, a dark vortex began to form between his palms, swirling ominously.
"Take this!" Kokabiel bellowed, releasing a colossal energy blast.
The beam hurtled toward Kazuki with devastating speed, but just before impact, it disappeared—sucked into the black whirlpool Kazuki had created. Not even a trace of the attack remained.
"What the fuck!?" Kokabiel shouted, eyes wide in astonishment.
Kazuki chuckled darkly, the vortex dissipating from his hands. "That's a little trick I call a Black Hole."
After regaining the memories of his past life and merging with the Guyver's powers, Kazuki Fuwa had spent countless nights training, pushing his abilities to their limits.
He had focused on perfecting the Guyver's gravity control, not just for offense but for defense. By maximizing its capabilities, he had succeeded in creating a vortex so powerful that it could consume even light itself—a literal black hole.
This was the first time he had used it in battle, and it worked flawlessly.
Kokabiel burst into crazed laughter. "Hahaha! Magnificent! You, my dear warrior, are magnificent! This is it—this is the kind of fight I've been craving!"
Kazuki's expression hardened. The magical circle in the sky—the ritual Kokabiel had been stalling for—was nearly complete. There wasn't much time left.
"It's time to end this, Kokabiel," Kazuki said coldly, emanating a crimson aura that matched his bio-armor.
Without hesitation, he launched himself at Kokabiel, who responded with a barrage of light blasts. Each attack was devoured by the black hole Kazuki held in his left hand, as he continued his relentless charge.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA" With a roar, Kazuki's fist shattered through Kokabiel's protective field.
"Gahhh!" Kokabiel cried as the force of the blow sent them both crashing to the ground.
A massive cloud of dust rose as they impacted, obscuring the battlefield. Kokabiel staggered to his feet, his body trembling under the strain. His injuries were severe, with blood dripping from numerous wounds.
'Damn it... I never thought I'd take this much damage. Rias Gremory has some monstrous subordinates under her.'
Kokabiel had dismissed her Peerage as insignificant, focusing only on her Queen, Akeno, and the Red Dragon Emperor. Yet here stood her Pawn—a warrior wielding power beyond anything he had prepared for.
'Even so... I'm not finished yet. Come at me! Show me what else you've got!'
Summoning two blades of light, Kokabiel steadied himself, only for a crimson shadow to burst through the dust, charging straight for him.
"Fool!" he snarled, slashing his swords across Kazuki's bio-armor. The sharp edges cut deep, blood spraying from the wounds on Kazuki's shoulders.
"Urgh!" Kazuki grunted, momentarily stopping in his tracks.
Kokabiel grinned viciously, intending to end it there. But Kazuki's right hand shot forward, pressing against Kokabiel's chest.
'What does he think he can do in this state?' Kokabiel thought, sneering.
He prepared to strike a fatal blow when a sudden, gut-wrenching pulse erupted through his body.
----Thump!
Kokabiel's entire frame spasmed violently as if his very essence was being torn apart.
"Gah!" he coughed, blood spilling from his lips as his strength drained away.
'What the... what the hell did he do to me!?'
Unable to maintain his foothold, Kokabiel collapsed against Kazuki, barely clinging to consciousness.
Kazuki whispered, his voice low and resolute. "Fuwa Enmei-ryu Secret Technique: Empty Wave."
Kokabiel's vision blurred, darkness creeping in as his body refused to respond. He barely managed to choke out a question…
"You... What is your name...?"
Kazuki stared down at the defeated fallen angel. "Pawn of Rias Gremory, the Guyver—Kazuki Fuwa."
Kokabiel's lips curled into a faint, broken smile. "I won't... forget... that name..."
And with that, Kokabiel's consciousness faded, his mind forever etched with the name of the man who brought him down…—
"Haaaahhhhhh!"
The synchronized shouts of Yumi's Holy Devilic Sword and Xenovia's Durandal echoed as the two warriors destroyed the last of Cerberus's heads.
"This is the end!"
With Issei's transferred power surging through her, Rias unleashed her destructive magic. The fiery crimson energy enveloped the massive beast, obliterating it completely.
It had been a challenging enemy, but the group managed to prevail. However, one question lingered in Rias's mind. 'What about Kazuki?'
A loud crash interrupted her thoughts. Her gaze snapped to the source of the sound—a rising plume of dust. As it cleared, the figures of Kazuki, still clad in his Guyver armor, and Kokabiel, crumpled in defeat, came into view.
Kazuki was bleeding profusely, the light swords embedded in his shoulders sending crimson streams down his armor.
It was the first time Rias had ever seen Kazuki in such a state. Yet, in the next instant, Kokabiel coughed up blood and collapsed against Kazuki before falling to the ground, lifeless.
The magic circle Kokabiel had conjured to summon chaos began to fade, its light dimming until it vanished completely.
"...Did we... win?"
Kazuki had defeated Kokabiel, and the ominous circle had been neutralized.
Finally, Kuoh Town was safe.
Rias, overwhelmed by relief, prepared to rush to Kazuki's side when two figures bolted past her—Akeno and Yumi.
"Y-Yumi?! Akeno?!"
"Kazukiiiiiiiiii!! Kazuki-senpai"
Before Rias could comprehend what was happening, both girls clung to his arms, their faces flush with emotion.
'What the hell?!' Rias thought, stunned.
She suspected Akeno harbored feelings for Kazuki, but Yumi did too. Judging by Yumi's expression, it seemed this ordeal had drawn her closer to him. Rias couldn't help but wonder if she, too, had looked like that—like a woman in love.
Soon, the rest of the group gathered around him.
Asia, too short to reach Kazuki's shoulders, gently guided him to sit down and began healing his wounds.
Akeno and Yumi, however, remained glued to his arms. Issei was animatedly speaking to Kazuki, while Koneko nodded silently at his side. Xenovia and Irina, having reunited, shared a brief but heartfelt moment of camaraderie.
Despite the mix of devils and church warriors, who were supposed to be sworn enemies, the sight of them all together felt oddly natural to Rias.
Then, without warning, a streak of light shot from Kazuki's forehead.
"Eeeeek!"
The startled cry drew everyone's attention to Valper, who was attempting to crawl away.
"Pathetic," Kazuki muttered, firing the beam to halt Valper's escape.
"Tch. Looks like Freed got away," he added, glancing around. "That slippery bastard... What should we do with this old man, Rias?"
Rias looked around and realized Freed had indeed disappeared. 'When did he manage to escape?' Her eyes shifted to Valper, still frozen in fear.
"Yumi," Rias said, turning to her knight. "What do you want to do?"
Yumi stared at Valper, her gaze cold and piercing. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.
"I leave it to you, President."
Her response surprised Issei, who immediately interjected. "Seriously, Yumi? That guy's the one who killed your comrades, isn't he? Don't you want revenge?"
Yumi rose to her feet, her expression resolute.
"No, Issei. I've realized something." She placed a hand over her chest, where her comrades' spirits seemed to reside. "They wanted me to find happiness, not to be consumed by hatred. I can't forgive him, but I won't stain my hands with vengeance either. As a servant of Rias Gremory, I can't act on personal grudges that could bring trouble to her."
"Yumi..."
Yumi walked over to Rias and knelt before her, bowing deeply.
"President... I betrayed your trust and our friends. I don't have the words to express my regret."
Rias gently cupped Yumi's cheek, brushing away a tear with the same tenderness she had shown in the past when she had been overcome with sorrow.
"But you came back to us, Yumi. That's all that matters. Don't let their sacrifices be in vain, okay?"
"Yes... President, I swear anew. I, Yumi Kiba, as the Knight of Rias Gremory, will dedicate my life to protecting you and our comrades."
"I accept your vow," Rias said softly, pulling Yumi into a comforting embrace.
"Welcome back, Yumi."
'It seems like Yumi-san has managed to reconcile with Rias-san. Seeing moments like this makes me realize that, even though they're devils, their feelings about cherishing their comrades aren't so different from ours,' Irina thought to herself.
At that moment, a deranged, out-of-place cackle echoed through the area.
"──Kukuku, I see... So that's how it is... The Holy-Devilic Sword, a fusion born from two opposing elements that should never coexist... Something like this shouldn't even be possible unless the balance between holy and devilic was completely destabilized... In other words, not just the Maou, but even God must have..."
Valper Galilei muttered incessantly, his voice laced with a feverish madness that unsettled everyone present.
"What the hell are you rambling about?" Xenovia demanded, her Durandal pointed at the man. But he paid no attention, lost in his own obsessive delusions.
"Kokabiel! Is that so!?"
"...that's right, Valper," came the calm yet ominous reply.
Kazuki Fuwa's breath caught. The one who answered Valper was someone he'd hoped never to hear again.
"Kokabiel!? You're still alive!?"
Rias's voice trembled, sharp with both disbelief and tension. Kokabiel, lying immobilized, let out a bitter chuckle.
"...Relax, Gremory. That Guyver's strike rendered my body useless. What a monster you've added to your peerage, Rias Gremory."
"He's not a monster," Rias snapped, her crimson eyes fierce. "Kazuki is my most precious man."
Her words sent an unexpected sting through Kazuki's chest, a sharp pang that he couldn't quite shake off.
"Kukuku... Is that so? Well then, Valper, it's just as you suspected."
"What? What are you two talking about!?" Xenovia barked, her voice edged with confusion and frustration.
Valper, with an aura of a mad prophet, uttered a revelation that shook everyone to their core. "It means the God we are meant to serve no longer exists in this world."
"What!? No... that's impossible..."
Xenovia's voice trembled as her faith shattered, her confusion raw and unfiltered.
Kazuki understood her turmoil; such a statement upended everything she believed in.
Kokabiel, ever the showman, began his story.
During the Great War, God had fought the Four Great Maou to the death, resulting in mutual annihilation. What followed was devastation for all sides: angels left bereft of their God, devils stripped of most of their high-ranking leaders, and fallen angels reduced to a fraction of their former power.
The factions, weakened to the brink of extinction, had no choice but to rely on humanity to sustain themselves.
Fallen angels could grow their numbers by causing angels to fall, but pure angels could no longer be created without God.
Devils turned to Evil Pieces to reincarnate humans into devils, and fallen angels sought to intermingle with humans to reproduce.
Beside Kazuki, Xenovia collapsed to her knees, her face a mask of despair. The others wore similarly stunned expressions. Asia, in particular, seemed on the verge of breaking, her body trembling violently as she clung to Issei for support. She murmured incoherently, barely able to stand under the weight of the revelation.
Kazuki clenched his fists, stepping forward with a glare that could pierce through steel.
His voice was steady but filled with an unmistakable edge. "What the hell is your point in telling us this? Are you just here to mock Asia and the others for praying to someone who isn't even there anymore?"
"Kukuku... Nothing so grand. Call it my way of settling the score," Kokabiel sneered, his voice dripping with malice even as he lay incapacitated.
"Damn bastard," Kazuki spat. "Rias! What are we doing with these two?"
Rias crossed her arms, her tone decisive. "We'll hand them over to my brother's reinforcements when they arrive. They can deal with this."
But before they could act, a voice, calm yet commanding, cut through the tense air.
"Ah, could I ask you to wait a moment?"
The voice came from above, belonging to no one present. Everyone turned toward the source, their eyes widening as they beheld the figure who had appeared without warning.
Bathed in the faint light of the moon, a pure white silhouette hovered in the sky. Clad in a shining full plate of pristine white armor, the figure radiated an otherworldly light.
Eight luminous wings of light stretched from its back, cutting through the darkness like blades.
Every eye was drawn to the ethereal being, its presence both awe-inspiring and suffocating.