At the sound of the redhead's name, fear quickly appeared on the faces of those present. But by then, it was already too late.
One of the Fallen Angels tried to attack him from behind. Damon moved two fingers, and the man's neck twisted with a dry crack. Before the body finished collapsing, a current of air ripped the spear of light from his hand and fired it through another Fallen Angel's chest.
The mages reacted at the same time. Several magic circles appeared around Damon, rotating as they gathered energy..... The redhead closed his fist..... The air compressed around their arms. Bones gave way under the pressure, and the spells exploded directly in front of their faces.
Another group tried to flee between the remains of the buildings. Damon extended one hand toward them, and the Fallen Angels' wings folded under an invisible force. Their bodies were launched into the mages running behind them, breaking through their defenses before crashing into the ground among blood and black feathers.....Everything ended in a matter of seconds.
Mittelt barely managed to turn around before Damon was already standing in front of her. The god's hand closed around her head before she could react. The blonde screamed and tried to pull away, uselessly striking his arm while her wings beat in desperation. "Wait! I can take you exactly where Kokabiel is!"
Damon did not respond. His eyes locked directly onto hers. He could not have cared less about what she was offering. He already had a name and had no intention of wasting more time interrogating her. Without saying a word, his eyes glowed, and a pulse of divine power pierced Mittelt's mind.
The Fallen Angel's screams became much sharper.
Damon had no reservations about violating her mind. He searched through her memories without caring about the damage he might cause, tearing out enough information to understand where Kokabiel truly was. He saw fragments of Kunou being taken through a transportation circle and a military installation hidden within Grigori territory, far from its main headquarters and controlled by Kokabiel and his followers.
He also saw enough memories to understand that Azazel and many of his supporters had their attention focused on Kuoh. Kokabiel had simply taken advantage of the opportunity.
That was enough.
Damon withdrew his presence from Mittelt's mind. The Fallen Angel remained suspended between his fingers, her eyes unfocused and blood running from her nose. She tried to form a word, but Damon closed his hand.
The blonde's skull gave way with a dry crack. Her body fell face-first against the ground while Damon remained still for several seconds, processing the information he had just obtained.
Kokabiel had been intelligent in choosing his moment, but Damon still wondered whether Azazel could truly be that careless or whether he simply did not take his position as leader seriously enough.
He sensed Yasaka approaching before he heard her. "Lord Damon." The Kyuubi's voice came out tense. Her amber eyes briefly moved over the bodies, blood, and feathers scattered across the ground. "What are you waiting for? Let's go after my daughter."
Another explosion thundered in the distance. Two winged silhouettes appeared through the smoke, moving above the destroyed buildings.
Yasaka recognized them immediately."Tamiel and Armaros," she growled as her nine tails bristled behind her. "So Kokabiel isn't the only one involved."
The Kitsune clenched her teeth."Azazel will pay for this."
Damon moved to her side."It's not that simple. From what I saw in Mittelt's mind, Azazel isn't directly involved." Damon watched the two Cadres in the distance. "Although Mittelt was a low-ranking Fallen Angel. Her knowledge of the plan was limited."
Yasaka kept her eyes fixed on the distant figures wreaking havoc. "I don't care whether he's involved or not. I'm tired of his excuses when he has the ability to control his own subordinates." She slightly bared her fangs. "I've known him for years. He always finds a way to look the other way when it benefits him."
Damon did not want to argue with her. Honestly, he could not have cared less about the relationship between Azazel and Yasaka. The only reason he had intervened was because Kyoto was under Amaterasu's protection, and he remained the God of Order of the Shinto Pantheon. Restoring order within yokai territory was also part of his responsibility.
With that in mind, he began walking..."Where are you going, Lord Damon?" Yasaka asked.
"I'm going to find your daughter." The Kyuubi's expression immediately changed, and she took a step to follow him. "You don't have to tell me twice. I'm coming with you."
Damon shook his head and stopped in front of her.
Yasaka opened her mouth to protest, but Damon spoke first. "You are the leader of this faction," he said with a calmness that left no room for argument. "It is vital that you remain here and help your people, especially against those two." He gestured with his chin toward Tamiel and Armaros in the distance. "Judging by their number of wings, they are the leaders of this attack, so it would be better for your subjects to see you defending your faction. It will make things easier when this is over. If all your followers see you fighting to defend them, they will not question your ability as queen."
Yasaka felt the words pierce her chest. Part of her wanted to ignore him and go after her daughter herself. But she knew he was right, and this was exactly when she remembered why she hated her responsibility as queen so much: because she always had to place her duty above even her own emotions and personal bonds.
Her hands began to tremble at her sides. Her conscience would not allow her to abandon her faction to search for Kunou, not while her people faced all of this alone. The council would brand her a terrible queen.
Damon sensed the conflict within her and stepped closer. His blue eyes remained fixed on the Kyuubi's. "Do you trust me, Yasaka?"
The question surprised the Kyuubi with how direct it was. Even so, Yasaka did not take long to seriously consider her answer.
Amaterasu had spoken to her many times about Damon, but she barely knew him personally. They had only shared a cup of tea less than an hour ago, and remembering the direction that conversation had taken brought a faint sense of embarrassment.
However, despite having known him for such a short time, Damon had become the support she clung to when her mind had no idea how to react. He had kept her steady, stopped her from acting without thinking, and now he was willing to personally go after Kunou.
Finally, there was Amaterasu. When the explosion occurred, the Sun Goddess had not asked a single question. She had simply stood beside him. More than anything else, that settled something within Yasaka. This man was not like the others.
Yasaka remained silent. Her tails became still one by one."Yes. I trust you, Lord Damon."
Damon held her gaze and responded with the same confidence."Then don't doubt me. I will bring your daughter back." He turned slightly toward the battlefield. "Focus on what's in front of you and leave the rest to me."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
On the other side of Kyoto, Amaterasu's battle was already coming to an end.
The final mage barely managed to complete half of his magic circle before a pillar of golden light descended upon him, burying him in the ground and disintegrating his body within the flames.
Amaterasu slowly lowered her hand as her golden eyes swept across the area. Most of the enemies had been eliminated. Honestly, she could not understand what the hell those mages and Fallen Angels had been thinking when they believed they had any chance against her. At least a few of them had been intelligent enough to flee toward other parts of Kyoto. "Grayfia," she called without looking away from the city.
The maid approached immediately. "Amaterasu-sama."
Although Amaterasu was not exactly her mistress, she was still the closest thing to Damon's wife. Because of that, Grayfia did not hesitate to answer her call.
"Find Kuroka and Koneko. Make sure they're still alive. After that, help the guards evacuate anyone trapped beneath the rubble."
Grayfia looked toward the remains of the main building. A large portion of the sanctuary had disappeared beneath the explosion, although several structures surrounding the outer gardens were still standing. "Understood." The maid lowered her head before a demonic circle appeared beneath her feet, and she vanished without wasting any more time.
Amaterasu turned toward Rhea. However, before she could say anything, the Titaness raised one hand. "I don't need anyone to protect me."
"I know, but the last thing I want is for something to happen to my mother-in-law and…"
Amaterasu did not manage to finish. Two familiar presences descended from the clouds. A powerful gust of wind swept through the sky. Susanoo appeared in the middle of the storm with his sword drawn, observing the destroyed buildings and columns of smoke rising throughout the city. Kagutsuchi descended beside him, his body completely surrounded by flames.
"Sister, what the hell is going on?" Susanoo asked, tightening his grip around the hilt of his sword. "All of Takamagahara is about to descend upon Earth. We had to assure Izanami that we would come help you. Otherwise, who knows what the situation would look like right now."
A drop of sweat appeared on Amaterasu's forehead. She was not surprised. In fact, she had already begun wondering where the hell her companions were.
"The entire city is infested with Fallen Angels and mages from Khaos Brigade. It seems Ophis is causing trouble again," Amaterasu answered seriously. "Not to mention Kunou was also kidnapped."
The expressions of both gods immediately changed. The terrorist organization under the command of the Infinite Dragon God was known throughout the supernatural world. Any situation involving Ophis could only mean trouble."Where is Yasaka?" Kagutsuchi asked.
Before Amaterasu could answer, an enormous eruption of power swept through Kyoto. In the distance, the gigantic figure of a golden nine-tailed fox began rising above the buildings.
"There's your answer," Amaterasu said.
Susanoo looked in that direction and easily sensed two powerful presences. A dangerous smile appeared on his face."Two Cadres, huh?" The God of Storms let out a short laugh. A bolt of lightning descended upon him, and his body disappeared. He had no intention of missing the opportunity to beat down two Fallen Angels.
After Susanoo's departure, Amaterasu turned her attention toward the God of Fire. "Kill every Fallen Angel or mage you find. Cleanse Kyoto and, if necessary, all of Japan." Kagutsuchi nodded without asking any questions before disappearing in an explosion of fire.
With her orders given, Amaterasu took Rhea and they both disappeared in the direction of Takamagahara. The goddess's plan was simple: take Rhea somewhere safe and reunite with Damon as quickly as possible.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Underworld
Damon honestly could not believe he had returned to the Underworld so soon, but there he was, in one of the most distant regions of the vast Biblical Underworld, hundreds of kilometers away from the Devil faction.
He had to admit that what the Fallen Angels lacked in numbers compared to the Devils and Angels, they more than made up for with their technology. The place was infinitely more urban, a city of black steel and towering structures. Damon quickly swept his gaze across the sky, his omniscience proving extremely useful.
Dozens of patrols traveled through the airspace. Damon paid them no attention. His body passed between them, moving through the sky in a reddish flash and causing several wings to violently shake from the current of air he left behind. The first patrols tried to pursue him, but they barely managed to remain stable in the sky before losing sight of him.
The redhead extended his senses throughout the territory. Thousands of presences appeared within his perception, scattered among different bases and settlements. However, none of them mattered to him at that moment.
The information torn from Mittelt's mind guided him toward a region far from the main headquarters, hidden behind several mountain ranges. Kokabiel had chosen the location well. The installation was far enough away to operate without attracting too much attention, yet still remained within the borders of Fallen Angel territory.
Without wasting any more time, and after locating the base through Mittelt's memories, Damon allowed his presence to become known.... Within seconds, the sky above the base was covered by black clouds, and a heavy rain began falling across the entire territory.
Below, two guards were making their rounds along the perimeter. The first stopped and raised his head with a frown as the first drops struck his face. "Where the hell did this rain come from? There wasn't a single cloud in the sky a minute ago."
His companion did not even bother looking. "Why should I care? I have a woman from House Glasya waiting for me. She owes me after losing a bet, and I'm going to enjoy collecting more than you can imagine." A dirty smile crossed his face. "When my shift ends, I'm going to make her forget her own name."
"Focus," the first one growled. "Lord Kokabiel doesn't want anything going wrong tonight."
"Hmph. Kokabiel can wait." The second stretched lazily, not taking his eyes away from the clouds that continued to darken. "I couldn't care less about this rain. In an hour, I'll be warm and dry, and definitely not alone."
Both raised their heads at the same time.... A silhouette was slowly descending through the clouds, freezing the blood in both Fallen Angels' veins. "Who the hell is—" The man did not finish. He released a terrible scream and brought both hands to his face.
"My eyes! My eyes!"
Within seconds, every drop became extremely thin and sharp, falling toward the two Fallen Angels at an absurd speed. Thousands of needles made of water pierced their bodies.
The screams of the two Fallen Angels spread through the sky as small red holes began covering them from head to toe. Seconds later, both bodies plummeted toward the ground. Their screams drew the attention of other Fallen Angels, who quickly emerged to see what was happening.
Damon continued descending..... He had only one mission in mind: recover Kunou at any cost and restore order to the yokai faction, even if accomplishing that meant completely destroying the Fallen Angels.
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Thank you for reading )
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P@treon: Brotato up to chapter 173