Several days later, Kazuki found himself tasked with a covert mission by Rias.
"Find out what Issei and Koneko are up to," Rias ordered. "They've been sneaking off together after school, and it's obvious they're hiding something. Whatever it is, it might lead to trouble. I need you to investigate and stop them if necessary."
Kazuki tailed them from a distance, enhancing his vision and hearing with magic.
At the school gate, Issei and Koneko met up with Saji, a member of the Sitri peerage, before heading out of the school grounds. A short walk later, they regrouped with Yumi at a nearby park.
Yumi had been skipping classes and avoiding Rias's calls, so her unexpected appearance, looking healthy despite the situation, brought some relief to the group.
The four began wandering through the more desolate parts of the town, their actions clearly a ploy to lure out an ambush from the fallen angels.
As they roamed the quiet alleys, it wasn't uncommon for delinquents and thugs to take notice of Yumi and Koneko, their filthy, lewd gazes roaming over the girls' bodies with depraved intent.
Of course, such fools were promptly dealt with—Yumi and Koneko leaving them crumpled and defeated without so much as breaking a sweat. The two men, Issei and Saji, found their involvement completely unnecessary.
By the time evening melted into night, their search concluded without any tangible results.
Aside from helping to maintain the town's peace, they'd gained nothing, and the fatigue of days spent repeating the same routine was written all over their faces.
That's when everything shifted.
Out of nowhere, a white-haired priest appeared, brandishing a holy sword, and launched a sudden attack.
Yumi responded immediately, her hatred fueling the creation of a devilish sword in her hand, clashing against the priest.
Saji activated his Sacred Gear, Absorption Line, its black tendrils lashing out and wrapping around the priest to restrain him.
Meanwhile, Issei summoned Boosted Gear, but his and Koneko's close-combat styles left them hesitant to engage such a potent holy weapon.
Kazuki, ever the observant one, pulled out his phone and called Rias.
"Kazuki? What's going on?" Rias's voice was concerned as she answered after just a few rings.
"It's Issei and Koneko. They're with Yumi and, for some reason, Saji from the Student Council. They're currently under attack by some priest wielding a holy sword."
"...! What's the situation?"
"It's evenly matched for now. Yumi's holding her own while Saji provides support. Issei and Koneko are hesitating because of the holy sword. Wait a second—"
"Huh? What happened?"
"Looks like Issei just unlocked a new ability. He can transfer his boosted power to others!! This is gonna give him a lot more flexibility in combat."
Empowered by Issei's transferred strength, Yumi began pushing the priest back. Her onslaught with the devilic sword was relentless, each strike wild and deadly.
But the priest, despite being cornered, managed to evade her blows and retaliate with calculated precision.
"That priest is insane," Kazuki muttered, watching with narrowed eyes. "Even with doubled power, he's still holding her off… Oh, by the way, Issei called him Freed. Does that name ring any bells, Rias?"
"H-Huh!" Rias's voice turned venomous. "Yes, it does. He's a rogue exorcist—a lunatic who betrayed the Church to side with the fallen angels. I fought him before you joined my peerage."
'An old enemy, then.'
While the name stirred rage in Rias, Yumi, and the others were slowly gaining the upper hand against him. Among them, Saji stood out the most.
His Absorption Line was proving invaluable, restricting Freed's movements and sapping his strength, making him an exceptional support.
But just as things seemed to be turning in their favor, the situation escalated.
"Well, well," Kazuki remarked with a smirk. "Another one just showed up. An old priest named Valper Galilei. Heard of him?"
"No… I don't think I have."
"Figures. But get this—he's apparently the bastard responsible for purging the kids involved in the 'Holy Sword Project.' Yumi's absolutely seething."
"...What!? That monster!"
Before Rias could fully process what Kazuki had told her, reinforcements arrived.
Irina and Xenovia joined the fray, their holy swords drawn and ready.
Xenovia immediately clashed blades with Freed, her movements fierce and unyielding. Realizing the odds were stacked against him, Freed urged Valper to retreat.
"They're falling back," Kazuki noted.
"I'm going after them. Can you handle things here? They're heading toward the station—"
"Understood," Rias cut in decisively. "Sona and I will teleport there immediately."
"Good. See you later." Kazuki ended the call just as Freed and Valper made their escape.
Yumi, Xenovia, and Irina were quick to give chase. Not one to be left behind, Kazuki followed without hesitation.
By the time Rias and Sona teleported to the scene, they were greeted by an awkward sight: Issei, Koneko, and Saji all looking visibly sheepish, guilt written all over their faces.
Rias didn't waste time.
She ordered the group to kneel near a fountain, their expressions turning pale as her stern, crimson aura bore down on them.
With information already provided by Kazuki, she began interrogating them about their reckless behavior.
Issei, hesitant but honest, explained that they'd been aiding Yumi in her quest for revenge.
They'd negotiated with Xenovia and Irina, gaining their approval to work together to destroy Excalibur fragments.
Surprisingly, the two Church warriors had agreed to cooperate under the condition that their identities remained concealed.
The explanation only irritated Rias further. "So you'd defy me, but you'd listen to them? I should…"
Her attention was drawn to the sound of smacking nearby. "Smack, smack." Turning her head, she found Sona disciplining Saji with a series of firm slaps to his butt.
Rias smirked at the sight. "Hmm… perhaps I should adopt that method myself. It seems quite effective."
"I-uh, Yumi's been tracking Freed and the others..." Issei raised his hand hesitantly, his usual awkwardness plain.
"That's not an issue," Rias replied coolly, her voice carrying a teasing edge.
"Kazuki is already on her tail."
"Kazuki-senpai?!" Issei's eyes widened in shock, mirrored by Koneko's usually stoic expression.
After all, he had been observing from over 200 meters away, hardly something they'd notice.
"Leave Yumi to Kazuki. Now, as for you two..." Rias turned her gaze to Sona and her disciplinary activities.
Sona Sitri continued her relentless butt-spanking on Saji's backside, the rhythm almost mesmerizing. Issei and Koneko froze, pale-faced as they realized what was coming.
"Alright, Issei, Koneko," Rias cooed, a wicked smile spreading across her lips.
"Drop those pants and present those adorable little butts of yours! You'll be butt-punished"
The resulting chaos was punctuated by Rias's delighted laughter and Issei's horrified protests.
Under the moonlit sky…
The night transformed into a thrilling chase as Freed and Valper fled with the stolen Excalibur fragments.
Hot on their heels were Xenovia, Irina, and Yumi, their determination blazing. Not far behind, Kazuki pursued them, ensuring their efforts stayed focused.
Freed wielded Excalibur Rapidly, its speed-enhancing magic giving him an edge.
Valper, however, was surprisingly nimble for his decrepit age, a fact that unsettled Kazuki as he muttered a curse under his breath.
Yumi's natural speed as a Knight gave her a lead over Xenovia and Irina. Even so, Kazuki noticed her temper getting the better of her. She should've been soaring through the air to gain an advantage, but her focus on her vendetta against the holy sword dulled her usual sharp instincts.
Her performance in prior battles, both with Freed and Xenovia, had also been below par. The hatred she held for the Excalibur pieces clouded her potential—a vexing obstacle in truly unleashing her formidable skills.
Just as Kazuki was processing these thoughts, a sudden surge of malevolent magic flooded the air above.
It was suffocating, vile, and unmistakably dangerous. His muscles coiled instinctively, amplifying his body's reinforcement to its limits.
'Damn it, move faster!'
In the blink of an eye, Kazuki closed the distance to Xenovia and Irina, pushing them aside to protect them. He surged toward Yumi just as a massive beam of destructive energy rained down from the heavens.
"Yumi!" he roared.
"Huh—kyaaah!" Yumi barely had time to hear Kazuki's voice before his arms wrapped around her.
"BOOOOOOOOOM." The devastating magical attack struck the ground, creating a shockwave that hurled them like ragdolls.
Kazuki held her tightly, shielding her body as they tumbled across the asphalt, crashing into a guardrail. The impact jarred his spine, but his hold on Yumi never wavered.
"Ugh... Are you okay, Yumi?" Kazuki groaned, pain lacing his voice.
Yumi blinked up at him, her cheeks flushed and her breathing uneven. "K-Kazuki-senpai? Why are you—?"
"Forget that!" he barked, his eyes darting skyward, "Look up and stay tuned!"
Yumi's gaze followed his, her heart pounding. High above, a tall, elegant man draped in an ornate black robe floated against the backdrop of the moon. Ten ominous black wings spread out behind him, radiating authority and danger.
"Well, well," the man said with a smile, his voice smooth but cold, dripping with arrogance. "To think you managed to survive my attack. You must be Rias Gremory's little pawns."
He descended slowly, his wings shimmering in the moonlight as his aura pressed down on them like a tidal wave. Though he didn't offer his name, Kazuki recognized him instantly.
It was none other than Kokabiel, a high-ranking fallen angel of the Grigori.
This was no ordinary foe; they were face to face with a legend straight out of the pages of the Bible itself.
"Kazuki-nii!"
The shout snapped Kazuki's attention momentarily to the source, where Irina and Xenovia were rushing toward him. Even as they approached, he kept his eyes locked on Kokabiel.
"Are you two alright? Sorry about pushing you earlier," he asked, his tone calm despite the tension.
Irina quickly shook her head, "No need to apologize! Thanks to you, we avoided being caught in that blast."
"Exactly. You saved us," Xenovia added firmly.
The two arrived at Kazuki's side, their focus now shifting to the imposing figure before them.
"Is that...?" Xenovia murmured, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"Yes... You're Kokabiel, aren't you?" she demanded, her tone sharp.
Kokabiel smirked, his voice dripping with arrogance, "Indeed, I am Kokabiel, one of the fallen angels' most esteemed leaders. Welcome, servants of Rias Gremory, and holy sword wielders of the Church."