As soon as they charged onto the battlefield, Rias and the others wasted no time — they struck with full force from the very start.
Crackling arcs of lightning danced wildly around Akeno Himejima, her graceful hands glowing as she hurled a massive sphere of thunder straight into the enemy formation. The explosion of light and sound was followed by a numbing wave of electricity that rippled through the ranks of the Fallen Angels, paralyzing them in an instant.
And the very next moment, Koneko Toujou was already there.
The petite girl dashed straight into the enemy line like a silver bullet, her small fists carrying terrifying power as they smashed into a paralyzed Fallen Angel's chest.
Boom!
With a scream, the Fallen Angel was sent flying like a cannonball, his body carving a deep trench across the ground for over a hundred meters before finally stopping.
Without missing a beat, Koneko spun around, grabbed another Fallen Angel by the arm, and — with monstrous strength — swung him over her shoulder. His body whipped through the air like a ragdoll before slamming into the earth with a heavy thud!
After two strikes, the poor man wasn't moving anymore — barely breathing, barely conscious.
It was almost hard to believe such brutal carnage had been dealt by someone as small and delicate as Koneko Toujou.
Then came the counterattack — a burst of holy light streaked through the air. Two Fallen Angels chanted simultaneously, their bodies glowing with divine power.
Even after their fall from grace, they still retained the ability to wield sacred magic. Blinding radiance exploded outward, and Koneko's eyes narrowed sharply — these weren't low-level enemies.
They were high-class Fallen Angels.
Holy light bullets rained down like meteors. Koneko barely had time to cross her arms in front of her body before one of the blasts hit.
Boom!
The impact launched her backward several dozen meters. But thanks to her [Rook] attribute — the raw strength and defense bestowed upon her — she managed to endure the hit head-on.
Her expression didn't change. Glancing down, she noticed only a faint burn along her forearm. It was nothing serious.
Her clothes, however, hadn't been so lucky. She hadn't focused her magic on defense there, and the result was a torn uniform — her midriff now bare, her slender waist and smooth stomach glinting under the light, the skirt frayed and hanging unevenly.
Seeing Koneko surrounded, Ryūichi naturally couldn't just stand by. With his King's Sword in hand, he charged in right after her.
While he didn't have Koneko's monstrous defense or raw power, his Divine Armament, the Sword and Shield of the Benevolent King, gave him formidable offense and defense — putting him nearly on par with her.
As his strength continued to grow, the true might of his Sacred Gear had begun to reveal itself.
The sword was meant for attack — a blade of pure authority, sharp enough to pierce even the radiant armor of the Fallen Angels. When Ryūichi unleashed his full power, the destructive capability multiplied severalfold.
But the true heart of the artifact lay in the shield.
Forged in the blood of a righteous king, the silver shield carried within it the immense power known as Eternal Citadel — a barrier that, once fully unleashed, rendered its wielder virtually invincible.
Ryūichi could still only draw out a fraction of that power, but even so, with just the shield's normal protective field activated, he tore through the enemy formation like a storm.
Now that he had reached the rank of Mid-Class Devil, the Fallen Angels' attacks couldn't even scratch him.
Unfortunately, he still hadn't completed the promotion test, so he remained officially a Low-Class Devil.
Not that it mattered — his combat power already placed him among the strongest of the mid-tier.
With Ryūichi and Koneko holding the frontline together, Asia Argento stood behind them, her [Twilight Healing] and "Smile of the Holy Mother" constantly mending their wounds and bolstering their strength.
With that solid defense in place, Rias and Akeno were free to unleash their magic without restraint.
And unleash it they did.
Boom!
An enormous blast tore through the air, lightning snakes slithering across the sky. Akeno's sweet smile never wavered, even as she blasted seven Fallen Angels out of the air in one go.
"Wh–why are they so strong?!" one of the Fallen Angels shouted, his body twitching from the electricity running through him.
"My, my…" Akeno tilted her head with a kind smile. "You still seem full of energy."
Her tone was soft — but her next strike wasn't.
The wave of magic surging from her body made the remaining enemies flinch in horror.
"W–wait, wait! We don't have to fight like this! The Great War's been over for hundreds of years!"
What answered him was a thunderbolt as thick as a tree trunk.
BOOM!
When the smoke cleared, the poor man was sprawled on the ground, smoke rising from his hair.
"Oh dear, did he say something about surrendering just now?" Akeno wondered aloud, her head tilting to one side. Then, with a cheerful smile, she added, "Well, too late now~."
Seeing how powerful this group of Devils was, the remaining Fallen Angels knew escape was impossible. Desperation filled their eyes.
"Fight to the end! Lord Kokabiel will avenge us!"
Holy energy surged violently from their bodies, the aura intensifying by the second — they were preparing to self-destruct.
Ryūichi looked up calmly, eyes narrowing as the Fallen Angels began to glow. With a flick of his wrist, a violet-red magic circle appeared in his palm, followed by a gleaming silver seal.
"Go."
With that single word, he sent the seal flying.
A small familiar, flapping its tiny wings, carried the silver seals into the air. In rapid succession, snap! snap! snap! — each one struck the glowing Fallen Angels.
Instantly, the field of Anti-Magic and Sealing Force activated. The Fallen Angels froze.
Then—
Rip, rip, rip…
A series of sharp tearing sounds filled the air. Their magical energy dissipated all at once, their garments in tatters — and before anyone could react, the Fallen Angels were left covered only in the faint shimmer of violet seals, each one glowing with the character for "Seal" on their bodies.
"Wha—?!"
The stunned Angels lost altitude and tumbled unceremoniously to the ground.
"What kind of power is this?!"
"You… you pervert!"
Dying in battle was one thing — but this was humiliation beyond measure. Their screams turned to furious shrieks.
"Beast!"
"Lewd Devil!"
They shouted at Ryūichi, faces red with fury and embarrassment.
Ryūichi just looked calm, expression unreadable. Beside him, Koneko finally spoke up:
"That's pretty low."
"...Really?" Ryūichi sighed. "Whose side are you on?"
"The women's side," Koneko replied flatly.
He exhaled, scratching his cheek. "It's not like I'd ever use that on you."
"Even so… it's still lame," she muttered, lips pouting slightly.
Ryūichi gave a helpless shrug, flicked the floating seal in front of him with his finger, and said under his breath:
"One of these days, my good name's gonna get ruined because of you."