If it weren't for the fact that he could sense a distinct presence nearby, Satanael would have thought he was being haunted.
But ghosts? Please. Those things were beneath him. They wouldn't even last a second in his presence before being obliterated into dust.
Buzz!
A surge of danger flared behind him. Satanael instinctively swung his sword backward.
The black magic blade unleashed a massive crescent-shaped energy wave that ripped through everything behind him.
The shockwave didn't stop there, it cut clean through the entire main building of the Inner Sanctuary, slicing apart the centuries-old architecture in one devastating blow.
And yet, Satanael knew he'd missed.
Boom!
A roar tore through the side as something slammed into him at breakneck speed, the resulting impact flinging him across the battlefield and into the ruins.
Himejima Suzaku steadied herself against a broken wall, dazedly staring at Satanael's wrecked figure.
What just happened?
In her perception, everything had occurred in the blink of an eye.
Could it be that reinforcements from the Five Great Clans had arrived?
But no matter how she wracked her brain, she couldn't think of anyone in the clans capable of overwhelming a Fallen Angel cadre like that.
If Suzaku was confused, Satanael was even more so.
He knew exactly how the Five Great Clans were structured.
Aside from the Four Sacred Beasts and the Four Fiends, their only real threat came from the gods they worshipped.
But as a Fallen Angel cadre, Satanael had already spoken with several of those local deities since arriving in Tokyo.
As long as he didn't cause trouble in their shrines, they promised not to interfere.
Ironically, it was the humans, the so-called protectors of those gods, who were always so hostile to outsiders.
Satanael rose slowly. That hit to his ribs hurt like hell, he was probably down a few bones, but it wasn't serious.
He'd survived far worse during the Great Three-Way War, back when he'd been on death's doorstep.
"Come out, you rat," he growled, fury seething through his words. "Hiding in the dark like vermin."
Though the injuries weren't crippling, his pride was in shambles.
He, a dignified Fallen Angel cadre, had just been sucker-punched by someone he couldn't even see.
Of course, Rod had no intention of stepping into the light like an idiot.
This was a former general from a war with Heaven, going toe-to-toe was a terrible idea.
Instead, Rod kept his Clock Up active, whittling Satanael down strike by strike.
As expected, though he was effectively moving through a slowed world, Satanael's instincts as a warrior were sharp. Even if he couldn't see Rod, he could sense him, reacting on reflex.
Most of Rod's attacks only left minor damage.
Still, he wasn't particularly impressed. It was only the beginning, after all.
With his improved physical stats, Rod could now sustain super acceleration much longer than before.
All this ran through his mind in a flash.
The slowed world still surrounded him, Satanael had just gotten back to his feet.
His blood-red eyes were scanning… and locking onto Rod's position.
Clock Up wasn't invincible. In the world of Riders, there were plenty of monsters or Knights who found ways to counter superspeed.
Some even stopped time itself and kicked the supposed "King of Time" into the dirt.
The strength of super acceleration came not just from raw speed, but from exploiting information gaps.
And this kind of prolonged battle clearly wasn't to Rod's advantage.
He needed to end it now.
Reappearing beside Satanael, Rod noticed from those glowing red eyes that he'd been spotted.
Still, he pressed in.
Satanael barely managed to raise his black sword to parry Rod's strike to the abdomen, but that only meant he couldn't stop Rod's fist from slamming straight into his face.
Rod hadn't held back.
The punch launched Satanael into the air, though from Rod's perspective, it looked like he was floating in slow motion.
Finish him while he's down.
Rod didn't even bother with his Desert Eagle. Against a Fallen Angel cadre, conventional firearms were useless, even if they hit vital points, they'd only scratch the surface.
Unless they were high-powered energy weapons from the EXE universe's machine lifeforms.
Those bastards had tech that rivaled god-forged myth.
Satanael, now airborne, realized with growing clarity just who his attacker was.
He'd identified the figure, but recognition was useless when your body lagged behind your brain.
In less than a second, Rod had landed dozens of strikes.
He avoided vital spots, but wings were fair game, several of Satanael's black wings were torn or shattered.
Rod could feel his body nearing its limit. Clock Up wouldn't last much longer.
He could force it further… but his body might begin to break down.
"Damn it, without the Rider armor, I'm still too fragile."
The Knights from Kamen Rider Kabuto could maintain their Clock Up without strain, Rod had to do it raw.
With the ability ending, time returned to its natural flow.
The stench of smoke and dust thickened the air, while a cold night wind rushed in, cooling the sweat on Rod's back.
And in that moment, Suzaku finally caught sight of her savior.
Clad in an unfamiliar combat suit, with dark hair and a pair of plain glasses, the man radiated an oddly intellectual aura.
In his hand was a silver longsword.
The blade shimmered faintly, firefly-like motes drifting along its edge.
The energy it gave off felt holy, but not quite like the legendary Holy Swords she had heard of.
Suzaku narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing his face.
She didn't recognize him at all.
He definitely wasn't from her clan.
Could he be… some irregular residing deep within the Inner Sanctuary?
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