From the sky came deafening booms and blinding flashes. Azazel and Catria Leviathan were locked in an intense battle.
Azazel conjured several massive spears of light—far longer and thicker than himself—and hurled them at Catria. In midair, she deployed multiple defensive magic circles to block the incoming light attacks.
The shockwaves from their clash were tearing up the school grounds. Without the protective barrier erected by Sirzechs and the others, the new school building would have been reduced to rubble.
Fortunately, Kuoh Academy's campus was completely enveloped by a powerful barrier, keeping the surrounding residential area safe from such overwhelming attacks.
To Yoru's surprise, Catria—who he hadn't considered particularly strong—was managing to hold her own against Azazel for quite some time.
But eventually, she was driven back. Blasted from the sky and slammed into the ground, Catria lay battered and bloodied in a crater, looking up at the sky.
"What incredible strength… Governor of the Fallen Angels, I see I underestimated you," she admitted.
With that, she pulled a small vial from her chest and swallowed its contents—something that looked like a tiny black snake.
In an instant—BOOM!—the air quaked violently, and the entire campus shuddered under a massive surge of power.
"Hahaha… such tremendous power—let me feel it too," Catria said with a cruel grin as she slowly rose from the crater.
Her demonic energy instantly swelled, radiating an aura so overwhelming it could crush almost anyone present.
"What is that…?" Azazel said in shock—only for something even more unexpected to happen.
A blinding white light pierced clean through Azazel's abdomen. His eyes widened in disbelief as he was hurled through the air, crashing to the ground in a heap.
"Tch… so you chose this moment to turn against me, Vali," Azazel said with a bitter smile, clutching his wound.
"That's right, Azazel."
Bathed in dazzling light, the White Dragon Emperor, Vali, descended slowly in his Balance Breaker form, landing at Catria's side.
"The moment peace was decided, we struck. Catria kept you busy while I, the White Dragon Emperor, took the opportunity to attack you. If we can eliminate one of the leaders of the Three Factions, all the better. If the summit collapses because of it, that's even better."
"Well… I guess I've been had. I never thought one of my own would…" Azazel said self-deprecatingly.
"When? When did you turn?"
"On the way back to headquarters after capturing Kokabiel, I was approached. Sorry, Azazel—this side just seemed more interesting."
"Vali… has the White Dragon bowed to Ophis?"
"No. I'm only lending my aid. It was a very tempting offer, you know—'Don't you want to test your strength against the most powerful beings from every pantheon?' How could I refuse? Azazel, you hate war, don't you? But without war, you can't fight the strongest of the gods." Vali spoke with a wistful tone.
"I told you to 'get stronger'… but I never told you to become 'a cause for the world's destruction.'"
"It's fine. All I need is to fight forever."
"…I see. No… maybe I always knew, deep down, that you'd leave me. From the day we met, you've always longed to battle the strong."
"This whole operation—and all the intel—came from the White Dragon Emperor," Catria sneered. "Knowing his true nature, and still letting him go unchecked… that's unlike you, Azazel. In the end, you brought this on yourself."
Vali rested a hand on his chest, then swept his gaze over the gathered crowd.
"My real name is Vali—Vali Lucifer!"
"Oh… another descendant of the Old Maou, though I don't recall seeing you in the last war," said Sirzechs, the current Lucifer, calmly.
"I am indeed descended from the previous Lucifer. My father was the grandson of the Old Maou, my mother a human. Because I'm half-human, I was able to obtain the White Dragon's Sacred Gear. Pure chance, really. But a true-blooded Lucifer who is also the White Dragon was born. If there's such a thing as destiny or miracles, I might just be the definition of it."
Vali shrugged with pride, black devil wings unfurling behind him alongside his light wings.
"Are you ready, Azazel… and you, Seraphs and Maou?" Catria's voice was brimming with confidence, her eyes alight with power far beyond her earlier state.
"Tch… this absurd surge of energy—what exactly did Ophis give you?"
Catria smirked at Azazel's question.
"That's right—she's a dragon with infinite power. For the sake of world change, I borrowed a little of it. Thanks to that, I can fight you now. Wiping out all you fools here might not be impossible."
"Heh… and what gave you this courage? That borrowed power that isn't even yours?"
With the two Angels and two Maou maintaining the barrier, only Yoru stepped forward to speak.
"No matter whose power it is, as long as it's in my hands, I can use it. Be ready—earlier I ignored you so Vali could ambush that fool Azazel. But now you'll pay for insulting me."
Catria's words dripped with malice, but Yoru didn't even bother to acknowledge her—instead, he glanced toward the somewhat battered Azazel.
"Oi, can you still fight, you idiot governor?"
"Whose side are you on, you brat? Don't underestimate me." Azazel replied gruffly, then shifted his gaze to Vali.
"One last question, Vali—why go out of your way to attack me? Is it because I'm the weakest?"
"No… because you're the strongest, and the biggest threat."
Vali smiled as he answered, his stance relaxed and elegant.
"Tch… I don't know if that's true, but I'll take the compliment."
Azazel clicked his tongue, then pulled from his coat a short blade.
"That's…"
Catria's eyes widened in surprise and unease as Azazel leveled the tip of the short sword toward her.
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