Kokabiel lay in the rubble of the factory, his mind reeling. He couldn't accept reality. Ethan hadn't even used a Sacred Gear, yet he was being dominated. This boy had been training for barely a year, but his combat power was reaching the "Super Demon King" threshold. With the Boosted Gear, he could probably take on two Demon Kings at once.
"Masaka! I don't believe it!"
Kokabiel stood up, his face a mask of blood and gore. He raised his hands, desperately gathering every scrap of mana he had left. A massive magic circle appeared behind him, gathering light elements like a miniature sun. It was his last-ditch effort.
Ethan looked at the gathering energy. If he let that go off, Yuuki and the others below would be incinerated.
"About Super Demon King level, huh? With the Gear, I could probably 1v2 easily," Ethan mused to himself. "If I had more mana and total fusion, maybe 1v3. It really does get harder to gap people at this level."
He seemed disappointed that he couldn't 1v6 people anymore like he did in the lower ranks. Every person at this level was a once-in-a-century genius; the margins for victory were razor-thin.
"In the end, it all comes down to the realm," Ethan sighed. He manifested the crimson dragon armor.
[BOOST!]
The mechanical voice echoed from the green jewel. With his power doubled, Ethan moved at a speed Kokabiel couldn't even perceive. He drove his fist deep into Kokabiel's chest.
The twelve-winged Fallen Angel's body folded at a sickening angle. Blood sprayed from his mouth like a crimson fountain. The massive light spell he had been charging detonated prematurely, sending a shockwave of mana that nearly knocked the girls off their feet below.
"Tch. Even a fraud has a lot of health," Ethan remarked. Despite the lethal-looking wound, Kokabiel was still breathing, though his spirit was broken.
The sleek, crimson dragon armor now looked like the avatar of death to the Fallen Angel. Every instinct Kokabiel had left told him one thing: RUN.
He didn't even look back at his summons or his subordinates. He beat his wings frantically, trying to put distance between himself and the "Red Death." He began to chant a teleportation spell.
Ethan wasn't about to let him go. He wasn't as fast as the White Dragon Emperor, but he was far faster than a dying Kokabiel. Six strange wings sprouted from the back of the red armor, and he became a streak of crimson lightning.
Ethan had already alerted Rias and the others via their soul bond. They were on their way, but it took time to mobilize and report to the higher-ups.
Ten minutes later, in a mountain range far from the city, Ethan caught up. He doubled his power five times using the Boosted Gear and threw a punch that looked like a laser cannon.
Kokabiel had zero defense left. He became a literal punching bag, carving deep grooves into the mountainside as Ethan hammered him.
Ethan had no interest in torture, but he was also wary of Fallen Angel reinforcements. Kokabiel was a criminal, but he was still a leader. The Fallen Angels wouldn't let him be killed if they could help it.
Ethan was right. Kokabiel had sent out a distress signal. Shemhazai and a fleet of Fallen Angels were already en route.
Ethan knew that a living Kokabiel would bring more political benefits to the Gremory family, but he didn't care. He wanted the bastard dead.
One minute before the reinforcements arrived, Ethan ended it. He crushed Kokabiel's skull and heart, leaving nothing but a mangled corpse.
When Shemhazai and his men arrived, they found Kokabiel's body embedded in the cracked earth. The twelve black wings were shredded, and the body was barely recognizable.
The mana in the air was still fresh. Shemhazai didn't even need to investigate to know who had done it. He pushed up his glasses, his expression unreadable.
"Let's go," Shemhazai said coldly. "Take the body."
"Governor..." one of the Fallen Angels whispered, his hands shaking. "Are we just going to let this go?"
"And what? Start a war?" Shemhazai countered. The subordinate looked away.
Shemhazai's faction wanted peace. Azazel's death had been accepted; Kokabiel's death would be no different. Kokabiel had been warned, and he had ignored the orders. He was a liability.
"Since he's dead, let him serve the race one last time," Shemhazai added. "Take the corpse to the research lab."
"Yes, sir."
When Ethan returned to the factory, the fighting there was also over. Rias and the girls were gathered around a tall, blonde woman with a massive chest and a high-fashion, aristocratic air.
Irina and Xenovia stood to the side, looking dejected.
"Ethan, look!" Rias said, pushing the sexy blonde toward him. "I told you Yuuki was a beauty."
"Indeed. You look stunning, Yuuki," Ethan praised.
Looking at the restored Yuuki Kiba, Ethan finally felt comfortable. No more awkwardness about her gender.
He was curious about what had happened while he was gone, but the girls had more questions for him. What happened to Kokabiel? Why did he look so different in his Battle Form?
Ethan had deactivated the Boosted Gear but remained in his Battle Form. His mysterious, beauty-mark-enhanced appearance clearly had the girls' hearts racing.
Sona and Tsubaki arrived shortly after with the Student Council to handle the clean-up and repair the factory.
Xenovia stepped forward, her expression somber. "The Holy Sword matter is resolved... we should head back."
Ethan noticed their black combat suits were shredded, exposing patches of milky-white skin and the curves of their waists. He also noticed that their Holy Swords were nowhere to be seen.