Boom—!
Just as Valper Galilei's voice fell, a massive spear of light shot down from the sky.
It stirred the atmosphere into a frenzy, creating a violent hurricane that shredded nearby trees into splinters, charging toward Koneko and the others with overwhelming might.
"Koneko…"
Yuuto Kiba's pupils contracted as he struggled to move his limbs, trying desperately to rush forward.
Because that attack was no longer something Koneko and the others could endure. As a member of Rias Gremory's peerage, he had once trained under the knight Okita Souji of Sirzechs.
He had personally witnessed the destructive force unleashed by an Ultimate-class devil.
And this current attack was even more powerful—more overwhelming—than the sword strikes of his master.
"Tch… couldn't they have just aimed at those two Church idiots? Why drag my little sister into this too…"
As that voice, sounding almost like a complaint, rang out, Yuuto Kiba noticed that the black cat beside him had vanished.
The next moment.
Two distinctly different energies intertwined, forming a pillar of black and white light that shot into the sky, directly colliding with the overwhelming lance of light.
Senjutsu, Youjutsu, and light force clashed fiercely in the air, the resulting energy backlash creating a tornado-like storm of spiritual power.
A piercing buzzing noise!
And shockwaves that seemed capable of blowing everything away like a raging hurricane.
After the violent energy surge dissipated, what remained hovering in the sky was a fallen angel with ten pitch-black wings.
On his fox-like face was an expression of savage cruelty that seemed to disregard all life.
"I thought you were just a bunch of small fries I could easily swat away. Didn't expect there to be a nekomata who can barely put up a fight. I guess coming out here wasn't a total waste."
The fallen angel's attitude was extremely arrogant, showing complete disdain for those beneath him.
But this was understandable. After all, the being now soaring through the sky—whose name was even recorded in the Bible—was the fifth seat among the fallen angels: Kokabiel.
"Ahh~ Even though I can barely withstand Kokabiel-sama's attack, I'll pass on a direct confrontation."
As the lingering smoke gradually cleared, the one standing protectively in front of the group was that seductive and lazy nekomata.
She still retained her previous languid, enchanting demeanor, but the originally neat kimono she wore was now in complete disarray.
The lower part of her dress had vanished entirely, leaving jagged, torn edges behind. The wide sleeves of her upper robe were also shredded into strips of cloth.
"Oh? So, nekomata, are you thinking of running away? If you do that, I'll just kill every one of your companions right here and now."
Perhaps because he had finally found an opponent worthy of some attention, Kokabiel showed no intent of letting her go, his eyes flashing with ruthless amusement.
"Well, when that time comes, I'll be sure to take my little sister with me. Those two girls from the Church? They've got nothing to do with me."
Kuroka waved her hand as she casually said this, without even looking at Xenovia and Irina.
Neither Xenovia nor Irina showed any signs of resentment.
As Holy Sword-wielders of the Church, they had now twice been saved by those from the devil faction. If they were rescued by them once more, they might honestly consider ending their own lives.
"Well now, this is getting interesting, but I'll deal with things on this side first."
Floating lazily in midair, Kokabiel shifted into a reclining position, as though lying on a bed, supporting his left cheek with one hand.
"Galilei, you didn't bring Rias Gremory here as agreed. Instead, you've stirred up a bunch of irrelevant people."
The arrogant, smug look Valper Galilei had earlier while facing Koneko and Irina instantly vanished.
In its place was a face full of groveling flattery. He didn't even have time to wipe the filth off his face and nervously rubbed his hands together.
"S-Sorry, Lord Kokabiel. We couldn't act too openly, or Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri might catch wind of our true objective. But we're about to capture two of Rias Gremory's servants. Given how deeply the Gremory family values their own, she won't just sit back and do nothing…"
The smell of scorched flesh began to permeate the air.
Galilei's eyes widened in dazed confusion, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
His gaze slowly lowered—there was a fist-sized black hole in the center of his chest. The scorched area around it was so thoroughly burned that not even blood flowed out.
"W-Why…"
"Why? Because garbage has no right to exist, obviously."
With a cold, dismissive tone, Kokabiel didn't even give Valper Galilei's remaining three exorcists a chance to react.
He flicked his fingers three times.
And just like falling dominoes, the three exorcists dropped to the ground one by one.
"My, my, what a brutally savage fallen angel. Your personality really does match the records to the letter."
"And you didn't take the chance to run earlier. What's the matter, nekomata? Are you stupid?"
Kokabiel nonchalantly rubbed his fingers as he spoke.
"Well, I did consider it, but I was already surrounded by four fallen angels. Escaping wasn't exactly an option."
Kuroka gave a lazy shrug and casually straightened the ribbon on her tail.
"Not bad judgment."
Kokabiel's face broke into a mocking grin as he raised his hand with a light wave.
Four fallen angels soared into the air simultaneously, each taking a position in one of the four cardinal directions, forming an encirclement.
Each of these fallen angels was no slouch either.
They had all reached near-High-class devil levels, clearly elite members—likely the trusted lieutenants of the warmongering Kokabiel himself.
"In my world, useless trash has no right to live. If they can't complete their mission, then they don't deserve to survive. As for Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri, I'll go take care of them at that school myself shortly."
As he said this, Kokabiel's gaze gradually shifted downward, locking onto Kuroka with a murderous glint.
"As for you lot, I'll be generous and kill you first."
Just as Kokabiel made this declaration, a polished leather shoe suddenly stepped down onto the center of his ten black wings.
A terrifying force, like a dragon's tail whip, slammed into Kokabiel.
"You damn filthy feathered freak—what do you think you're doing to my woman?"