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He slowly drew a dagger from his robes—his earlier apprehension gone, replaced by a quiet confidence.
"I've always been fascinated by Sacred Gears," Azazel said, his gaze fixed on the blade.
"The God of the Bible was a genius, the only one I truly respect. However, he was too naive. Leaving behind creations like the Longinus and Balance Breakers, these glitches in his system, he disrupted the delicate balance between Gods and Devils, between the three worlds."
"But that's also what makes them so interesting."
Though his words seemed like a casual aside, the others could sense the immense power radiating from him, a quiet confidence that belied his earlier nervousness.
"Don't worry," Katerea scoffed, her voice filled with a condescending arrogance, "Once we've established our new world, we won't create such flawed things. The world will function perfectly well without them. And soon, we'll even enlist Odin's help to further reshape this world."
Azazel simply smiled, a mocking glint in his eyes.
"Valhalla? The Asgardians? You intend to conquer them as well? Your ambition is remarkable. However—anyone who tries to take away my entertainment must be eliminated."
His words hung in the air.
The dagger in his hand began to shift, its form changing as it erupted in a brilliant golden light.
He was now clad in golden armor, its design reminiscent of a dragon, with six pairs of wings unfurling from his back.
"That's Balance Breaker!" Katerea exclaimed, her earlier confidence faltering.
"A masterpiece—based on the White Dragon Emperor's Divine Dividing and other draconic Sacred Gears. I call it—Downfall Dragon Spear. And this is its simulated Balance Breaker state: Downfall Dragon Another Armor," Azazel declared proudly.
As an expert in Sacred Gears, Azazel's knowledge was unparalleled. And this—his creation, was a testament to his mastery. He was incredibly proud of his Downfall Dragon Spear, so much so that he wanted the entire world to know of its power.
But he had kept it a secret. Until now.
He had been forced to use it.
And he was thrilled.
"Let's begin round two. While two against one is hardly a fair fight, I believe I can handle it," Azazel said with a grin.
Unlike in the original story, where Issei had accompanied Rias, this time, it was Xenovia. While both were powerful, they weren't strong enough to participate in a Satan-class battle. And Azazel wouldn't risk angering Sirzechs or Mika by endangering them.
Therefore, he had chosen to face both Katerea and Vali alone.
While both were formidable opponents, he wasn't concerned. He knew the strength of the other faction leaders present at this meeting.
He simply needed to hold them off until reinforcements arrived.
Or so he thought.
As he, Katerea, and Vali clashed in the sky above, their battle a whirlwind of energy and destruction, two powerful auras erupted from below, drawing everyone's attention.
They were two beings of immense power, one a beautiful, dark-haired young woman, the other a warrior clad in golden armor.
They stood facing each other, their gazes locked, their focus absolute.
And as their powers clashed, the very air around them seemed to tremble, the pressure so intense that even the other combatants were forced to pause, their own battles momentarily forgotten.
"That's—Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God!"
"Why is she here? And who is she fighting?" Katerea exclaimed, her voice filled with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Her words drew the attention of Azazel, Rias, and the others, who now recognized the dark-haired girl.
"Ophis... She's here in person." Azazel's earlier confidence vanished, his expression turning serious. After all, Ophis was one of the strongest beings, a force of nature beyond comprehension. To see her here, personally engaging in battle—it was unheard of.
'Who could possibly be her opponent?' he wondered.
"That aura—while his appearance has changed, his essence is the same. It's Mika."
"But... he's that strong?" Azazel's earlier assessment of Mika, his belief that his power stemmed from a Sacred Gear, now seemed foolish.
Even a God wouldn't be a match for Ophis, let alone a Sacred Gear user.
Mika's presence here, his ability to face Ophis, was a mystery—a puzzle that intrigued and terrified Azazel.
———
Meanwhile, in the conference room—
"What's going on?" Sirzechs and Michael were struggling to maintain the barrier.
Katerea and Azazel's battle had already pushed it to its limits.
But now, with the combined power of Mika and Ophis, it was on the verge of collapse. Their clashing auras alone were enough to shatter the barrier, a testament to their immense power.
They quickly reinforced it, with Grayfia and Serafall adding their own power to the mix.
"Why is Ophis here? And why is she fighting Mika?" Serafall exclaimed, her voice filled with a mixture of frustration and confusion.
The others shared her sentiment.
It was a truly unexpected turn of events.
———
Mika stood in the void, facing Ophis, his heart pounding with excitement.
This was his strongest opponent yet. He had never shied away from a challenge, and this was the ultimate test of his strength.
Ophis, having accepted his challenge, had entered a combat stance, her own power surging. Mika donned his Cancer Gold Cloth—and then, with a thought, he released its limits, transforming it into a God Cloth.
He now possessed the power to face her.
But that was merely the entry fee for this battle.
He wasn't strong enough yet to challenge her. He needed to bridge the gap between them. And the key to that was his Falna—his first, and arguably most versatile, power system.
While its upper limit was the level of a God, and his current opponent was a Dragon God, a being capable of annihilating even Gods, that didn't mean his Falna was useless.
Its true power lay in its skills and magic.
His magic, having absorbed the essence of his other powers, was now incredibly potent. However, even at Level 9, it wouldn't be effective in this battle.
Even Mika, when using magic, didn't rely on the Falna system directly. He channeled it through his other abilities, amplifying and enhancing it. His Falna was a catalyst, not a weapon.
Therefore, even if he awakened a new magic, it wouldn't be useful in this battle.
His skills, however, were a different matter.
They were a manifestation of his potential, their effects predetermined.
And if he could awaken a new skill, it could significantly enhance his strength.
Could he?
Of course.
His Heaven's Feel ritual, which had transformed his very being, had granted him limitless potential. And with his complete mastery over the Falna system, he could now guide the awakening of new skills.
Facing Ophis, needing to bridge the gap between their power levels, he focused his will, and a series of skills materialized within his Falna:
[Dragonslayer]—An inherent advantage against dragons.
[Dragon Hunter]—A significant boost in stats when facing dragons.
[Dragon's Bane]—A skill that suppressed a dragon's power.
These were the skills he had chosen, each one designed to enhance his strength, weaken his opponent, and increase his damage against dragons. While their effects were limited, as his Falna hadn't yet reached the divine realm, they still significantly reduced the gap between him and Ophis.
"And now—for the final touch." He summoned Ascalon, the Holy Sword reforged by Yahweh, a Dragonslayer of immense power.
Even Ophis would be injured by its blade.
This was the source of his confidence, the reason he had dared to challenge her.
While such a weapon would be useless if he couldn't land a blow, as a master of Cosmo, with light-speed movement, he was confident in his ability to strike her.
He would hit his mark.
As they stood facing each other, Ophis, with her enhanced senses, felt the subtle shift in Mika's power.
"Are you finished? I can feel my power being suppressed. An interesting ability."
"And your own power has stopped growing. Are you ready?" Her voice, filled with a childlike curiosity, held no malice. She had given him time to prepare.
"Yes. I'm ready. Thank you for waiting."
"Then let us begin."
Mika charged forward, his body a blur of light, his speed so immense that no one could follow his movements. He appeared before Ophis, his sword drawn.
"Excalibur — Slash!"
He unleashed Shura's ultimate technique, a blade of pure Cosmo, its edge honed to a razor's sharpness, enhanced by Ascalon's power. He was staking everything on this first blow, hoping to gain an early advantage.
Their battle began with a clash of ultimate techniques, a shockwave of destructive energy erupting outwards, shattering the barrier, obliterating the surrounding buildings, and turning the entire school grounds into a wasteland.
The Magicians of the Khaos Brigade, caught in the blast, vanished, their bodies reduced to ash.
And Rias's peerage—having been warned by Mika, had retreated to the safety of Sirzechs's protection, emerging from the aftermath unscathed.
They were safe.
The battle had just begun...
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