Chapter 18 - Betrayal
According to Raynare's plan, Tatara and his group weren't supposed to be here. Yet they came anyway.
Their insubordination annoyed her, but with the ritual about to begin, she restrained her anger and ordered them to guard the perimeter.
Even so, Tatara lingered.
His gaze fell on the man bound to the cross, and he asked, "Is it truly possible to extract a Sacred Gear from someone's body?"
"Of course," Raynare snapped, clearly displeased.
"Why else would I waste time playing house with this fool? Now get out! Don't bother me until the ritual is complete!"
"Understood, Raynare-sama," Tatara replied.
He led the other ghouls outside, where they exchanged glances under the moonlight.
"Tatara-sama, are we just going to let this slide?" a blond ghoul protested.
"Our brothers who caused the diversion will likely die—they can't defeat the devils. That woman is clearly using us as cannon fodder!"
The others nodded heatedly. They had hoped aligning with the Fallen Angels would improve their circumstances, allowing them to herd humans for food.
Instead, they were bossed around for dangerous, menial tasks daily.
"I know," Tatara said. "Once the ritual nears completion, we'll head back down together."
Tatara was no pushover. Even if they were Fallen Angels, he wouldn't endure this forever.
Besides, regarding the legendary Fallen Angel from the Bible, Kokabiel, he had his doubts.
After months of allegiance, they hadn't glimpsed him—only Raynare invoking his name to intimidate them.
This Sacred Gear extraction ritual was the perfect opportunity to act.
Ghouls were prey only because their powers were weak.
But if they obtained a Sacred Gear, they could harness its strength to change their fate.
Tatara's followers shared his ambition.
Meanwhile, underground, with preparations complete, Raynare and her two companions began the ritual.
A magic circle glowed brightly, and Issei Hyoudou, tied to the cross, groaned in pain.
The principle behind forcibly extracting a Sacred Gear is simple: it's bound to the host's body, so removal requires a technique that disrupts their biology.
The drawback is that without immediate care, the host's life force drains until they die.
Raynare, of course, cared little for a mere human's survival.
Soon, a glowing green orb emerged from Issei's body.
Raynare's face lit with eagerness, but just as she reached for it, a tremor shook the basement entrance.
Tatara and the ghouls launched their assault.
"You traitors!" Raynare's eyes blazed with fury.
In her momentary shock, Tatara, the fastest among them, reached the Sacred Gear first.
As the leader of Aogiri Tree, his power rivaled a low-class.
Using his kagune for defense, he endured attacks from the other two Fallen Angels and seized the Sacred Gear.
Though unfamiliar with it, Tatara instinctively donned the gauntlet and channeled its power, shouting, "Boost!"
A mechanical voice echoed from the emerald gemstone, and Tatara's body surged with strength.
Moving at blinding speed, he charged.
Caught off guard, Raynare narrowly dodged his augmented strike, and a wild melee erupted.
When Evan arrived at the church, he found an odd scene: the Fallen Angels and ghouls had turned on each other.
Weren't they allies?
A quick glance revealed the truth—internal betrayal.
The three Fallen Angels, wounded and overwhelmed, fought to reach the exit where Evan stood.
Spotting a stranger, Raynare ignored him, focused solely on escape.
But Tatara, intent on leaving no survivors, swung his massive kagune to wipe out everyone, including Evan.
Evan, however, was faster.
He stepped forward.
"Die!" Tatara's eyes glowed red.
High on defeating three Fallen Angels and fueled by Evan's human scent, his beastly urges surged.
The Sacred Gear flashed, doubling his power again.
A mere human? He'd kill him easily!
But Evan didn't waste words. He casually deflected the kagune's blow, then delivered a swift kick to Tatara's chest.
The force shattered his kagune defenses, sending him crashing through several ghouls before slamming into the wall.
From the rubble, Tatara rose, dazed.
Didn't I just steal the Sacred Gear?
How did this happen?
He was stronger now—neither Fallen Angels nor local devils could match him.
Humans were mere fodder!
Driven by that belief, Tatara crawled free.
His kagune and flesh regenerated rapidly, hardening into armor.
Like the late Noro, he possessed formidable healing; even decapitation was a minor injury.
His tail-like kagune extended four or five meters, fanning out like wings.
Even Yoshimura Kuzen from Anteiku Café in his prime couldn't match him.
Mid-class Fallen Angels or devils would struggle against him now.
The other ghouls watched silently, their strength too weak to join the fray.
Yet they radiated confidence, certain that with the Sacred Gear, "Tatara-sama" could slaughter anyone.
"Finish him, Tatara-sama!"
"Soon we'll feast freely on human flesh!"
"Forget humans—we'll devour Fallen Angels too!"
For so long, they'd cowered in shadows; now, they dreamed of stepping into the light.
Rumors spoke of vampires founding a nation in Europe. The ghouls envisioned a country of their own.
Meanwhile, the three Fallen Angels, cornered with no escape, huddled together, their faces grim.
"Who is that guy?" one asked.
"No clue. But he looks human," another replied.
"Human? Then he's dead for sure. Let's find another way out—those vermin dared betray us!"
The two seethed, their ample chests heaving with fury.
Raynare, however, squinted at the newcomer.
"Evan?"
"Raynare, you know him?"
"I've never met him, but while infiltrating Kuoh Academy, I heard of him—top grades, extremely handsome, supposedly even more striking than Azazel-sama."
"What? More handsome than Azazel?"
The two were stunned.
Azazel, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, was renowned for his captivating presence.
But as torchlight illuminated Evan's face, they paused.
He was undeniably striking.
Still, this was no beauty contest, and the ghouls wouldn't spare him.
Tatara launched his attack.
With his power doubled again, his body was encased in hardened kagune, a winged juggernaut charging with unstoppable force. Evan neither dodged nor retreated.
As Tatara closed in, Evan drew back his right fist, body coiling slightly, then struck.
He wanted to test his physical limits.
The punch tore through the air with a piercing shriek.
It landed with a thunderous boom, shattering Tatara's kagune armor like dust.
Evan held little back, the blow punching through Tatara's torso, destroying his kakuhou and most of his organs.
Silence fell. Everyone stared at Evan in disbelief, including the three Fallen Angels. They swallowed hard.
Is that really a human?
How can a human be this strong?
From start to finish, Evan used no demonic power or magic—just raw strength.
He'd defeated an SS+ ghoul, amplified by a Sacred Gear, with one punch.
At S-rank, a ghoul could rival a low-class Fallen Angel or devil in melee.
At SS or SSS, they could overpower low-class angels or devils and challenge mid-class ones.
With a Sacred Gear, they might even face high-class foes.
Yet one punch had ended this "traitor" ghoul.
If Evan weren't human, they'd suspect he was a high-class devil specializing in physical power.
Ignoring the onlookers, Evan approached Tatara, who clung to life.
He didn't glance at the Aogiri Tree leader, instead crouching to pick up the red gauntlet.
"Why?" Tatara rasped.
"All we wanted was a world where ghouls could live as equals. Why stop us?"
Evan tilted his head, his voice cold.
"Your words are as senseless as your mind—utter nonsense with zero self-awareness."
A world where ghouls live equally?
If they'd lived quietly like Anteiku's staff, no one would've bothered them.
At Evan's retort, Tatara exhaled his final breath and died.
After pocketing the gauntlet, Evan turned to the remaining ghouls.
Wherever his gaze fell, the ghouls trembled.
"Brothers, let's take him down together!" one shouted.
They charged, but in seconds, dozens lay dead, not one left alive.
Blood soaked the floor, and the three Fallen Angels huddled in a corner, shivering.
Evan gave them a cursory glance, then lost interest.
He sensed Rias approaching.
Besides, another matter demanded his attention.
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