Hikaru already knew.
The gap between the Biblical God and the main gods of other mythologies is so huge, you might as well call it a bottomless pit.
Put it this way:
The strongest beings in the world are the Dragon Gods—one being the Red Dragon God Emperor and the other the Infinite Dragon God.
Slightly below them is the Beast of the Apocalypse, the "Apocalyptic Beast 666."
Back before the big three-way war, the Biblical God worked tirelessly in secret to seal Apocalyptic Beast 666, managing to pull it off without anyone realizing.
After that, still badly injured, He took on both the Underworld and the Fallen Angels at the same time.
He used a ton of power to handle the Two Heavenly Dragons, and before He disappeared, He even killed the four Great Satans of the Underworld. Not to mention, many Fallen Angel leaders also died by His hand.
Kokabiel is just one of those few who got lucky and made it out alive.
With just a simple sentence, Hikaru struck Kokabiel's biggest sore spot.
But Kokabiel, in his current state—"Zero," as they called him—had no choice but to vent his anger uselessly.
Oddly enough, as his life force faded, Kokabiel actually calmed down—and then started laughing.
Rias, Sona, and their teams looked really confused.
He was literally about to die, so why was he laughing? Did Hikaru accidentally scramble his brain?
Hikaru watched him, already guessing what Kokabiel was about to say. He wasn't planning to stop him—just stood there silently.
Kokabiel kept coughing up blood, his crimson eyes locked on Hikaru.
"Ever since the Biblical God died, humanity's reincarnation system has been messed up!
You can use Sacred Gear, Devil Magic, and I can even sense some sort of Holy Power in you. Three totally different energies are inside your body without blowing you to pieces!"
People who didn't know any better would just say these were the ravings of someone on their deathbed.
But there was one crucial point in Kokabiel's words that nobody could ignore.
"What did he just say?"
Rias was at a loss.
"He said… that the Biblical God is dead?"
"Probably just the nonsense of a dying man. The Biblical God is the ruler of Heaven—there's no way He could actually die."
Sona raised her glasses. She'd felt her heart skip a beat at first, but quickly got it under control.
Hearing this, Kokabiel opened his bloody mouth in a grin.
"Hahaha! Didn't think I'd learn something this interesting right before dying. So, you guys really had no clue, huh?
Just as I thought—nobody in charge would dare let their subordinates know. In that war between the three factions, not only did the four Great Satans get killed, but the Biblical God also fell!"
"No way! God is the embodiment of law and order, the Lord of Hosts, the one and only God above all other deities!"
Xenovia—gravely injured yet suddenly bursting with renewed strength—stood up to deny his words. She looked about as panicked as a diehard fan who just heard their idol had died.
The other church members tried to calm her and Irina down.
"Nothing's impossible. Even gods can die. Think about it: humans, who used to be nobodies, are now hot commodities for both the Underworld and Heaven. And the number of restless spirits roaming the earth keeps going up. That's because with God gone, the world's laws are screwed up—so messed up that devils and angels alike can barely keep it together."
"That's impossible… absolutely impossible…"
Xenovia mumbled, trembling. The strong, confident look on her face was replaced by total shock and denial.
She was a warrior forged by pure faith; her devotion to God was stronger than anyone's.
"Hahaha! Then go on living in your delusion forever!"
Kokabiel laughed like a madman. While he laughed, he kept his eyes on Hikaru, hoping to spot some panic or despair in his face.
But what floored Kokabiel was the fact that Hikaru's expression hadn't changed in the slightest. It was like the news of the Biblical God's death didn't matter to him at all.
To Hikaru, it didn't really matter if the Biblical God was alive or dead.
Actually, with God gone, the world's "system" that maintained everything started glitching—which he found rather convenient.
If the Biblical God were still around, He could've easily set up a rule preventing anyone from forcibly stealing Sacred Gears. After all, they were all His creations, and changing a rule like that would've been no big deal for Him.
"You're not surprised at all?"
Kokabiel looked disbelieving. If he could witness Hikaru losing his cool—just like the others—then Kokabiel could die satisfied.
But it wasn't meant to be…
Hikaru didn't answer. He just stepped forward. "Time's up."
Before Kokabiel could say anything else, scarlet magic blasted from Hikaru's palm, torching Kokabiel's body to ash.
But that wasn't all.
When Kokabiel's body was destroyed, a dark-golden, intangible substance drifted out from the ashes.
"Can't just let you waltz off and reincarnate, can I?"
Hikaru gave a faint grin, channeling his lifeforce into a binding spell.
He tried to trap Kokabiel's soul, which squirmed around like a slippery fish while it was also being pulled down into the Underworld.
Normally, even if Hikaru had perfected his technique, it would've been impossible to snatch the soul of a Fallen Angel leader.
But with the Biblical God gone, the entire system has been on the fritz, barely keeping basic things like faith and blessings intact.
Even Asia's ability to heal devils using holy light is a sign of how chaotic everything's become.
All these factors gave Hikaru just enough leverage to successfully lock down Kokabiel's soul.
After all, he wasn't about to waste such top-tier "nutrition." The Soul Banner would absolutely love it.
Without making a scene, Hikaru discreetly pocketed Kokabiel's soul. When he got the Banner back from Hozuki Yayoi's arm, he planned to use Kokabiel's soul for its next "offering."
When that was done, Hikaru turned to everyone else.
They still stood there, each person's face reflecting their own reaction—completely shaken by the revelation that God might be dead.
Even devils like Rias and Sona (and their parents) had grown up hearing stuff like "If you're naughty, God will come and get you," or "If you don't eat your veggies, you'll see God!"
But since they're devils, they could at least snap out of it when Hikaru got close.
Xenovia and Irina, though, were in a worse state.
They were warriors of unwavering faith. If God was gone, so was everything they believed in.
Xenovia looked pained; Irina's eyes were empty. It was like someone had broken their spirits.
Hikaru gave a silent sigh.
"Cult brainwashing," he mused, "really does ruin lives."
~~~
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