Rhode glanced at the still-resilient Kokabiel, thinking that the Fallen Angel race was truly ridiculous. If a human had taken such heavy damage, they would be dead or at least unable to stand. But for Kokabiel, that last round of attacks was likely only a minor injury.
A pure stat-monster.
It was no wonder Kokabiel dared to cause trouble alone; his defensive and destructive powers were both immense. While he hadn't reached the level of a Devil King, he was at least above an average Ultimate-class devil.
Meanwhile, Kokabiel's crimson eyes were locked onto Rhode. Although he couldn't see who had attacked him earlier, the current situation made the culprit obvious. The fact that it was a human who had made him look so pathetic sent Kokabiel's rage boiling over.
In all his long life, he, a cadre, had never been this humiliated! Even when he had clashed with the God of the Bible in the past, he hadn't been beaten like this! And to top it off, this guy was a human!
If it had been an angel, a god, or a devil king of the same level, Kokabiel wouldn't be this crazed. He swore to himself that he would not take another beating like that! Not even from the God of the Bible!
"I'll kill you!"
Kokabiel lunged, his feet tearing up the ground as he blurred toward Rhode. A sword of light formed in his hand, and he swung it downward with overwhelming momentum. Before the blade even landed, the resulting gale sent rubble and dust flying. The very air was sliced open, sending shockwaves in every direction.
The violent winds were so intense that Rias and the others couldn't even dream of intervening; even watching from a distance required them to worry about being caught in the crossfire. They had no choice but to retreat further.
"Shirone, are you okay nya?! Are you hurt nya?! You're covered in dust, let me check you nya!"
Kuroka, who had previously charged into the fray to kill a Cerberus, ran over and pulled the dusty Koneko into a hug. Her hands moved like they were motorized, patting Koneko down all over.
"I'm fine." Koneko pushed Kuroka away with a look of annoyance.
Despite the rejection, she felt a warmth in her heart. Was this what it felt like to be cared for by family?
"As long as you're okay nya! That damn Fallen Angel cadre, I'm going to scratch his face off nya!" Kuroka glared at Kokabiel, her eyes filled with killing intent.
However, as she was about to charge, Koneko held her back.
"Don't go, Sister. You can't beat him. Going there will only interfere with Mr. Rhode's performance."
"Fine nya, I'll let him off this time nya!" Kuroka nodded fiercely. Once she calmed down, she realized her strength was still vastly inferior to Kokabiel's. While she wouldn't be killed in one hit, she wouldn't last more than a few rounds.
"Are you Kuroka?" Rias asked, looking at the beautiful girl in the black kimono.
"Oops! Forgot to hide my ears nya!" Kuroka realized she was still a wanted criminal in the Underworld.
"I heard about your situation from Koneko. Until the truth comes out, I won't report you."
"That's great nya! Now I can come look for Shirone openly nya!" Kuroka's tail stood up in excitement.
"Kuroka?" Sona watched the energetic girl, finding the name familiar. She soon remembered the incident from a few years ago regarding a Stray Devil harming her master. However, seeing that Rias seemed to know the details, Sona didn't want to pry. The priority was still Kokabiel.
"Rias, who is that human fighting Kokabiel?" She squinted her eyes, unable to clearly see the action at the center of the battlefield even with a high-class devil's vision.
She couldn't track Kokabiel's afterimages at all, and as for the man who appeared only in flashes, there wasn't a trace to be seen. From her perspective, Kokabiel looked like he was shadow-boxing the air. If not for the increasing number of small wounds on Kokabiel and the way he was being knocked around like a punching bag, she would have thought his mind had snapped.
"He's... Rhode. He calls himself a freelance mercenary," Rias said after a moment's hesitation.
"A mercenary?" A look of surprise crossed Sona's face. Since when were mercenaries this strong?
In her eyes, most people calling themselves mercenaries only had a few tricks up their sleeves. They wore generic gear and hunted Stray Devils or vampires as bounty hunters. Even the strong ones were only at the level of a middle-class devil. There were indeed powerful humans, but almost all of them became subordinates to different factions—either joining Heaven or being reincarnated as servants by high-class devils in the Underworld.
A human capable of crushing a Fallen Angel cadre on the front lines might exist, but they certainly wouldn't be unknown!
Meanwhile, Kokabiel remained at a disadvantage even after getting serious. His opponent's speed was simply too fast. His eyes couldn't see, and his perception of their presence was blurred; only his years of combat instinct allowed him to hold on this long. Otherwise, he would have died in the first round of attacks.
Damn it! What is this bizarre ability?!
The more Kokabiel fought, the more alarmed he became. The pain from his wounds couldn't even cover the shock in his heart. When did a human this powerful appear on Earth?
Furthermore, the sword in the man's hand was extremely strange. It clearly possessed a holy nature, yet it was completely different from any Holy Sword he remembered. It was a brand-new Holy Sword he had never seen before!
Someone from the Church? It was possible this was the guy who had taken the three Holy Swords earlier.
Kokabiel held his sword of light across his chest to block. Though he blocked another fatal strike, the force behind the sword sent him reeling back, his hands numbing. It wasn't that he didn't want to use one hand, but if he did, his sword would be swiped away instantly.
Taking advantage of this, Rhode landed a heavy punch on Kokabiel's face. In the super-acceleration domain, the Fallen Angel's body slowly drifted into the air. Kokabiel's eyes were bloodshot; he was reacting too late every single time.
If only I could be faster, just a little faster!
The wings on Kokabiel's back moved with his will, sweeping toward Rhode like giant fans. They were much faster than his own limbs. Even so, Rhode dodged easily before the strike could land. Appearing behind Kokabiel, he swung his sword downward, avoiding a lethal area but cleanly severing one of the wings at the root.
Kokabiel was stronger than Satanael, but Rhode was also much stronger than he had been in Kyoto.
"Die."
A second sword, the pitch-black demonic sword Aroundight, appeared in Rhode's left hand. The blade flashed as it lunged for Kokabiel's heart. In that split second of mortal danger, the Fallen Angel's body reacted—but Rhode's true target wasn't there.
The Holy Sword in his right hand vanished, and he slammed his palm directly onto Kokabiel's face. Immediately, deep purple flames swarmed over the Fallen Angel's entire body.
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (156 Chapters – Ongoing)
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