The world was a blur of pain and fading crimson light. The last thing I saw was Rias, a vengeful goddess wreathed in hellfire, and the last thing I felt was the crushing weight of my own exhaustion. The Boosted Gear's scales retracted with a faint whisper, the red light dying as my consciousness flickered and went out. There was no sound, no final thought, just a silent surrender to the void.
***
The end for the Fallen Angels was swift and merciless.
As Issei collapsed, a single, flawless, crimson magic circle appeared beneath him and Asia, gently lowering them to the ground and shielding them from the coming storm.
Rias did not move from her position in the ruined wall. She didn't need to. Her power was an extension of her will.
"Kiba," she said, her voice cold as interstellar space.
"Understood, President."
In a flash of silver, Kiba was a phantom among the stunned Fallen Angels. His sword, *Holy Eraser*, was a blur. Dohnaseek, still clutching his broken nose, had only a moment to widen his eyes before the demonic sword flashed, and his form dissolved into motes of fading light. Kalawarner, trying to stand on her shattered knee, met the same fate, a clean, silent end from a blade that moved faster than thought.
Mittelt, enraged and desperate, tried to launch a volley of feathers at the unmoving Rias. They never reached their target. A barrier of crimson energy, shimmering like heated blood, materialized in front of Rias, vaporizing the feathers on contact.
"How… how dare you!" Mittelt shrieked.
A sweet, melodic laugh echoed through the church. Akeno floated gently down from the broken ceiling, her hands clasped together as if in prayer, a beatific smile on her face. "My, my. To think you would try to harm our dear President."
Lightning, thick and purple, crackled to life between her fingertips, illuminating the ruined interior with its violent light.
"Holy Lightning."
A fork of raw, demonic electricity lanced out, not with a roar, but with a sound like tearing silk. It struck Mittelt square in the chest. Her scream was cut short as her body convulsed violently before she too dissolved into nothingness.
That left only Raynare.
The leader of the group stood alone, her face a mask of terror and insane fury. She looked from the dissolving remains of her comrades to the implacable Rias, to the unconscious Issei.
"This isn't over, Gremory!" she screamed, backing away and beginning to form a teleportation circle. "He has something! Something important! We will—"
She never finished her threat.
Rias finally moved. She raised a single, elegant hand. A sphere of concentrated, roiling demonic power, darker than blood, larger than a cannonball, materialized above her palm. It hummed with the sound of pure annihilation.
"Power of Destruction."
She didn't throw it. She simply willed it forward. The sphere shot across the church, silent and inevitable. Raynare's eyes had just enough time to register absolute horror before the sphere touched her.
There was no explosion. No dramatic blast. Raynare, her teleportation circle, and the section of the wall behind her simply ceased to exist. Erased from reality as if they had never been.
Silence descended, broken only by the crackle of dying electricity and the faint drip of water from a broken pipe.
***
Consciousness returned to me in soft, painful waves. The first thing I was aware of was the absence of the cold, hard church floor. I was lying on something incredibly soft. The second was a dull, throbbing ache in every muscle and a sharp pain in my ribs. The third was a voice, gentle and laced with worry.
"...he will be alright, won't he, President?"
I forced my eyes open. The opulent ceiling of the ORC clubroom swam into focus. I was on one of the large sofas. Turning my head, I saw Asia kneeling beside me, her hands clasped tightly together, her green eyes red-rimmed from crying. Standing behind her was Rias, her expression unreadable.
"You're awake," Rias stated, her voice calm but carrying an undeniable weight.
I tried to sit up, a groan escaping my lips as the pain in my ribs flared.
"Please, don't move!" Asia pleaded, her hands fluttering nervously. "You're badly hurt!"
"Koneko is fetching some healing salves," Rias added. "You pushed your body far beyond its limits, Issei. You are fortunate the damage wasn't permanent."
My gaze shifted from Rias to Asia, then around the room. Kiba was cleaning his sword by the window, offering me a small, approving nod. Akeno was preparing tea, her usual serene smile back in place. We were safe. We had made it.
The memory of the fight rushed back—the Boosted Gear, the overwhelming power, the desperate defense.
"Raynare... the others..." I managed to croak.
"Gone," Rias said simply, the finality in that one word leaving no room for doubt or further questions. "They violated my territory and attacked my servant. Their fate was sealed the moment they did so."
Her sapphire eyes then fixed on me, a storm of questions brewing within them. "But that is a matter for later. First, you will rest and recover. And then, Issei Hyodo, you will explain everything. Starting with how you knew about Asia, and most importantly... what that power you manifested truly is."
I let my head fall back against the cushion, closing my eyes. The system interface was passive in my vision, the quest to save Asia still marked as **[ Incomplete ]**.