While Elias and Azazel were talking in the warehouse, things were very tense back at Kuoh Academy.
In the dark Occult Research Club room, Rias stood by the window.
Her heart felt incredibly heavy.
Earlier that evening, Rias had looked into Yuki's eyes.
She had seen nothing but pure, dark anger and deep sadness.
Yuki wanted to destroy the stolen Holy Swords.
The swords were connected to a terrible, painful memory from her past.
The trauma was eating her alive.
Rias loved Yuki like a sister, but she realized she couldn't control her anymore.
The pain was too strong. Rias was terrified. If she left Yuki alone, she didn't know what reckless, dangerous things the blonde knight would do.
She might even throw her own life away just to break those swords.
Akeno stood quietly next to Rias.
She placed a comforting hand on Rias's shoulder.
Suddenly, Akeno's cell phone rang, breaking the heavy silence in the room.
Akeno looked at the screen and quickly answered.
It was Elias. She put the phone on speaker so Rias could hear.
"Akeno. Rias,"
Elias's calm, steady voice filled the dark room.
"I just found out what Kokabiel is really planning. Listen to me carefully. I want both of you to stay exactly where you are. Keep the rest of the peerage safe inside. I will deal with Kokabiel myself."
Rias gasped. She leaned close to the phone, her hands gripping the edge of the desk.
"Elias, wait! Please!"
Rias pleaded, her voice shaking with tears.
"What is wrong, Rias?"
Elias asked, his tone instantly softening.
"It's Yuki,"
Rias cried, feeling like a terrible leader.
"She ran away. She has gone after Valper Galilei and Freed Sellzen—the mad priest and the crazy exorcist working with Kokabiel. She wants revenge for what they did to her friends a long time ago."
Rias choked on a sob. It hurt her deeply to leave her friend behind.
"I wanted to stop her. I wanted to help her fight,"
Rias explained, her voice full of desperate pain.
"But I couldn't follow her. If I lead my Devils out there to attack the Church's priests, I will be doing exactly what Kokabiel wants. I will be the one who starts the war. I am completely trapped."
Tears finally fell down Rias's cheeks.
She had no one else to turn to.
"Please, Elias,"
Rias begged softly.
"She is out there all alone, and they are too strong. Please... save my dear Yuki."
The line was quiet for a second.
Then, Elias spoke. His voice was warm, confident, and completely reassuring.
"Don't cry, Rias. I've got this. I will bring her back to you safely."
Elias put his phone back in his pocket. His eyes were focused and serious.
He turned to look at Dee, who was still holding her bag of chips.
"Dee, it's getting late,"
Elias said gently.
"Can you go back home and make sure Asia, Xenovia, and the others are safe?"
Dee nodded happily. She knew Elias was angry, and she knew exactly what he was going to do.
"Okay, Eli! Don't be out too late,"
Dee smiled. In the blink of an eye, she quietly vanished into thin air, returning straight to the shrine.
Elias then looked at the two Fallen Angel leaders.
Azazel's lazy, fanboy attitude was completely gone. He looked like a true ruler now.
"Baraqiel and I will go do our jobs,"
Azazel said, his voice deep and commanding.
"As the big shots of the Fallen Angel faction, we have to clean up Kokabiel's mess. We will deal with his soldiers and stop the war from spreading. We will leave the rescue mission to you."
"Alright,"
Elias nodded.
Without wasting another second, Elias closed his eyes.
He reached out with his sharp, dragon-like senses, feeling the air for Yuki's magical energy.
As soon as he felt a spark of her power, he shot into the night sky, flying as fast as a bullet.
He arrived at an old, abandoned factory on the dark edge of town.
Loud crashes and the bright flashes of magic echoed from inside the broken building.
Elias quietly landed on a high metal beam near the ceiling and looked down.
He saw Yuki.
And to his surprise, Seiko was there with her, fighting right by her side.
They were surrounded by broken concrete and twisted metal.
Across from them stood two dangerous men.
One was Valper Galilei, an old, cold-hearted priest who looked at the girls like they were just test subjects.
The other was Freed Sellzen, a crazy, white-haired exorcist who was jumping around and laughing like a complete maniac.
Yuki and Seiko were giving it everything they had.
They had both summoned their Sacred Gears.
Their magical weapons glowed brightly in the dark, dusty factory.
They fought with all their bravery, trying to push the bad guys back.
But Elias could see the painful truth.
They were losing.
Yuki was panting heavily, her clothes torn and her arms covered in scratches.
The heavy sadness and anger in her heart were making her attacks messy and wild.
Seiko was trying hard to protect her back, but she was also getting very tired.
Valper just stood back, safely using dirty, tricky magic to block their attacks.
Meanwhile, Freed swung his glowing sword with terrifying, unpredictable speed.
"Is that all you have, little Devils?!"
Freed screamed happily, a crazy smile stretching across his face.
He moved faster than Yuki could see. He kicked Seiko hard, knocking her to the dirty ground.
Then, he raised his glowing sword high into the air, aiming right at Yuki's chest to strike her down.
Up on the metal beam, Elias felt his blood boil.
Rias had asked him to save her dear friend.
His eyes turned completely cold. He jumped down from the ceiling, his body falling through the darkness like a heavy, silent meteor.
It was time to show them what true power looked like.
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