Chapter 39 - Za Warudo

"I don't think you fully understand the mistake that you've made." Cebrail stated flatly to Seekvaira who stood before her boldly.

"Tsk! Enough senseless talking." Seekvaira says putting a hand on the ground.

Quickly a magic circle depicting the Agares family crest appeared on the ground in front of her and the earth gathered over it forming a large somewhat humanoid stone golem which towers over Cebrail.

Despite the difference in size Cebrail looks entirely unimpressed.

"Can you not talk and fight at the same time? Why does it feel like you Devils are taking this game far too seriously?" Cebrail asked in a dry but disappointed tone.

She had wanted to show off a bit to Roygun with some theatrics and explosions, but if the pink eyed girl in front of her wasn't going to play along, what was Cebrail even fighting for?

"Attack her." Seekvaira ordered her golem pointing towards Cebrail.

"Hmm…" Cebrail hums as the golem rushes towards her with its fist raised. A barrier enveloped the two as soon as it got close.

"Property, defense down." Cebrail waved her sword lazily, cutting the golem in two. The pieces fall on either side of the Angel and collapse into just regular rocks and dust. "...That was…okay…"

Cebrail was completely unimpressed though she felt like it would be genuinely mean to mock the girls' work since it seemed like it would be pretty annoying making golems on the fly like that.

"Wait…" As the dust from the golem settled she found that the Devil heiress that was once in front of her was now gone. "What?"

Looking behind her the flag was missing and at the top of the steps standing on the railing over Cebrail proudly was Seekvaira holding the flag on her shoulder.

"You think you're strong enough to be talking while fighting with me?" Seekvaira mocked Cebrail.

"The attacking team has acquired one flag!" Roygun announced to everyone in the castle over the loudspeakers.

"..." This was a first for the Seraphim Princess, for someone to get one over on her in this way. It should be impossible.

(If I try to leave with the flag she'll probably chase me. I'm not sure if I can beat her in a contest of speed.) Seekvaira thought staring down at the white haired Angel below her.

"Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!" Epis hadn't seen what had just happened either and it was super scary to the little hedgehog. Her master was all but infallible! How could this person get past her and steal the flag in an instant?

(The only option is to beat her then regroup with Rias and the others.)

Sensing her desire to attack Cebrail readied her guard but in a single blink she felt a pain in her stomach and her body flew backwards. Despite her surprise she regained her composure and back flipped before planting her feet on the ground skidding herself to a stop.

In front of her Seekvaira was lowering her leg, having kicked Cebrail in an instant.

(Speed?) Cebrail thought, but dismissed the idea. If it were speed at the very least she would be able to track it. Seekvaira would have to be moving at around light speed for Cebrail to just not see any sign of the girl moving at all. The Devil heiress wasn't capable of that obviously since light speed wasn't really possible for physical beings the way it was for Angels. Normally at least.

"Cheep??!?!??!? CHEEP???!?!?" Epis cried in confusion, another hit on her master which was completely undefendable! This Devil in front of her was definitely cheating somehow!

Cebrail didn't get more time to think as a fist connected with her cheek sending her flying into a wall with Epis just barely holding on.

Cebrail collapsed onto the ground face first, her hair spread out on the ground like a collapsed white curtain.

"What was that about me having a death flag?" Seekvaira mocked the Seraphim Princess lying on the ground.

Epis rolling out of her master's hair frantically dashed around her crying out and as Cebrail heard those cries for some reason they distorted becoming the voice of a woman from her past life.

"Melissa. You can't even kill a dog? A DOG?!?"

"Why must you do everything in your power to disappoint me? To disappoint the people?!?"

"And look at you. LOOK AT YOU! That dog shouldn't have been able to lay a finger on you and yet you were bitten."

"Melissa."

"What will happen when a stronger opponent comes along? What about when an even stronger opponent then that? Will you just die? Die like your father?!?"

"You're a Wargrave Melissa! Even after you die this fight will not end!"

"..." Cebrail layed on the floor for a bit listening to her former mothers voice while Seekvaira turned her back and began walking away.

"I hope not all Angels have as much misplaced confidence as you." Seekvaira stated coldly pushing up her glasses.

"Cheep! Cheep!"

"How dull." Cebrail's voice came from behind the Devil heiress making her turn around.

"You should just stay down, kid. It's obvious that you've met your match." Seekvaira proudly stated but seeing the Seraphim Princess stand up and face her without a single scratch she paused.

"What an overused ability. So much so that I've already figured it out. Spoiler alert… Dio did it better." Cebrail stated a bit jokingly despite her deadly calm tone. Her head was tilted up slightly so it almost seemed like she was looking down on Seekvaira still.

"What are you-" Seekvaira began but just as quickly as she had started speaking Cebrail was on top of her with her wooden sword coming straight down towards her head.

Just before the attack hit her dead in her forehead she paused time stopping Cebrail in her tracks.

Looking at the frozen Cebrail her eyes were wide with surprise as she breathed a bit heavily. This was a first for her. If the attack had actually hit she likely would have been if not knocked out then heavily dazed.

Despite Cebrail being paused there Seekairva still backed up a few paces.

"Tsk. 8 seconds have passed. Resume." Seekvaira said and time started back with Cebrail's attack finishing and hitting the floor cracking it to pieces. This was her limit, 8 seconds. After that it would be eating into far too much of her energy.

(Definitely knocked out.) Seekvaira thought seeing the damage done by Cebrails strike. The Angel had enhanced it with magic making it far more potent than the previous momentum would have implied.

"I missed." Cebrail said casually lifting her sword from the rubble that once was the ground. She clearly wasn't too surprised but had an interesting question for Seekvaira. "Why didn't you attack me?"

"..."

"Were you frightened?" Cebrail asked innocently. Though the girls silence had confirmed something she was suspecting.

"As if." Seekvaira responded simply containing her anger. She had a bad temper unbefitting of the heiress of the Agares family, because of this she had to work hard to hold herself back. Be reserved and more lady-like, that was what her parents would always say.

"I see… so you aren't afraid yet." Cebrail accepted Seekvaira's answer but her response seemed to irritate the Devil heiress that much more.

"Yet? You truly are a funny kid." Seekvaira stopped time once again and threw the flag down to go in for a punch directly Cebrail's stomach however just as it was about to connect a wooden sword parried the strike sending Seekviara off balance and instantly the second wooden sword was brought down on her shoulder sending pain through the Devils arm.

Seekvaira barely stopped herself from falling to the ground by taking a few clumsy steps. Holding her throbbing shoulder Seekvaira turned to look at Cebrail only to see the blade of a wooden sword smashing into her nose sending her to the ground.

Opening her eyes and holding her nose from the pain, Seekvaira saw a pair of striped panties along with a perfectly white leg raised high in the air.

"STOPPPP!" She shouted just before the foot that had begun coming down hit her in the face stopping time.

Seekvaira rolled from under Cebrail and staggered to stand still a bit dazed from taking a thick piece of wood to the nose.

"8 seconds, resume." Time began to move once again and Cebrail's axe kick collided with the ground completely destroying it and putting a large hole in the ground.

"Were you trying to kill me?!!?!?!" Seekvaira yelled.

"Well you seem to be taking this pretty seriously. And you've insulted me a few times already… so no, but maybe I should?" Cebrail jested though because Seekvaira didn't know her all that well and the Seraphims voice was rather monotone, the Devil heiress couldn't help but take it a bit seriously.

(What the hell is with this kid?) She thought stopping time once again.

Running towards Cebrail she planted her foot on the ground and set a high kick towards Cebrail.

Just before it connected Cebrail jumped backwards and threw her swords at Seekvaira hitting her not only in her chest but also in the opening of her skirt.

"OW!" Seekvaira cried losing her balance and falling in pain. "You-"

"It's a bit funny. No, perhaps even hilarious. You were talking some big girl words with your chest balloons sticking out like a sore thumb the moment you felt like you might be at an advantage. Yet now you're on the floor on your butt, with your panties out for the world to see." Cebrail looked towards her with a blank look and a thin streak of red light coming from her yellow eyes. "Red isn't your color by the way."

Seekvaira hearing this reached her boiling point, multiple big veins bulged on her head, her teeth grit so tightly they might crack she stood with her green Demonic Power roaring around her so much that it was visible to the naked eye. Her glasses broke and fell off with her overwhelming fury as she yelled. "LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN KEEP TALKING AFTER I KILL YOUUUUUU!!!!!!!"

Seekvaira had given up on lady like tranquility and calmness and had completely decided... to choose VIOLENCE!

–

"How interesting." Roygun said observing the battle between the Seraphim Princess and the Agares heiress.

(After only seeing the Agares Time Manipulation three times, Cebrail was capable of not only understanding what was happening but also finding a weakness without losing her cool.)

Indeed most who encounter something like an ability that stops time would probably be frightened or completely unable to even figure out how it worked. However Cebrail spotted one glaring flaw in it that she could exploit.

Just before Seekvaira hits connected she had to unfreeze time as anything she touched would simply be dragged into her time stop and be capable of moving.

(Though simply knowing that shouldn't be that much of an advantage since the reaction time required to defend against near instantaneous attacks is impossible for most people.)

For most people such a thing would be impossible knowing about it wouldn't do a thing to help you, but Cebrail wasn't a normal person by any means. The one second between the hit being thrown and the hit connecting was more than enough for her to defend herself.

(I'd say if she started playing rating games right now, mmm~ maybe top 30?) Roygun analyzed. She always thought best when she put things in rating game terms. (Though I wonder how she could possibly get like that? She's probably no older than ten years old but reaction time like that is developed after years of cultivating one's skill in real combat. Perhaps this is the famous "Solomon's Wisdom"?)

Roygun didn't have much of an answer but she did have to admit it was still impressive.

"Now let's see how the dark horse of the Astaroth clan and the black haired Angel are doing."