Kiba
"—Disappear."
The words slipped from Akeno-san's lips with a calm so cold it made my skin prickle.
In the next instant, the air screamed.
A vast mass of thunder erupted from her outstretched hands, twisting and roaring as it descended upon the Sitri [Bishop], Kusaka-san, like divine punishment made manifest.
Doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!
The sound alone felt heavy enough to crush bone. At the moment of impact, Kusaka-san desperately spread her hands, magical energy flaring as she attempted to counter the attack. For a heartbeat, the thunder stalled—then—
Light wrapped around her body.
And she vanished.
A retirement teleport.
Akeno-san lowered her hands, her expression eerily composed.
"It seems it was useless," she said softly. "She tried to counter thunder… but what I fired just now was lightning. Thunder and light."
The announcement echoed through the battlefield.
[One of Sona Sitri-sama's "Bishops" retired.]
Before anyone could even process it, Akeno-san's gaze snapped toward another target.
The [Queen].
Shinra Tsubaki-senpai.
Akeno-san raised her hands once more.
She had completely disregarded the ongoing battle between her and me. No—she had forgotten about me entirely. Her shock at losing Ise-kun, and the frustration of not being able to show him her lightning, had swallowed everything else.
It was terrifying… and awe-inspiring.
Perhaps because of that emotional storm, Akeno-san had crossed a boundary she herself hadn't realized existed. Her power felt sharper, purer, more absolute than ever before.
To think Ise-kun meant that much to her…
"Kuh!"
Shinra-senpai sensed the danger instantly and bolted, sprinting away with her naginata in hand.
Lightning tore through the air after her.
I sucked in a breath.
If a devil took that attack head-on, there would be no saving them. It wasn't just lightning—it was mixed with holy light, a devil's natural weakness. Just imagining it made my spine go cold.
Shinra-senpai barely avoided the strike, twisting her body and diving toward the interior of the department store.
I moved at the same time.
I won't lose when it comes to speed.
My legs pushed off the ground, and I chased after her, the scenery blurring as we entered the building. As I ran, I summoned a holy demonic sword into my hand, its familiar weight steadying my breath.
I caught up in an instant.
I thrust.
Our weapons clashed—my blade against her naginata—sparks flying as the impact rang through the store. She blocked, but I could feel it: hesitation. Uncertainty.
And that Sacred Gear of hers… I didn't know when she would use it.
Shinra-senpai abruptly reached into her pocket.
A small bottle.
She threw it toward me.
My instincts screamed, and I slashed it apart mid-air with my sword—
Liquid splashed across my body.
Holy water.
So that was it. The same tactic Ise-kun had used in a past Rating Game.
"If an opening is made even just a little—!"
Her voice sharpened as she pivoted, naginata flashing toward me.
I understood immediately. The holy water wasn't meant to defeat me—it was meant to force a reaction. To disrupt my movement. To create a gap.
But—
Zan!
Holy demonic swords burst forth from the floor around Shinra-senpai, blooming like metallic thorns. The sudden eruption shattered her formation, and the blades tore through her naginata, snapping it apart.
"The current me has no openings."
I pressed the advantage, summoning another wave of swords and firing them toward her.
In response, she raised that mirror again—the strange reflective artifact she had used earlier.
I weakened my swords at the last moment.
They struck just hard enough to destroy the mirror.
It shattered, but the backlash still slammed into me with double the force. Pain exploded through my body, and I grit my teeth as I staggered back a step.
…But I could endure this much.
I raised my left arm toward the ceiling, blood pounding in my ears.
"Petro, Basileus, Dionysius, Holy Mary," I called out. "Please listen to my voice!"
Space warped.
A tear opened in the air itself, like fabric being ripped apart.
I thrust my hand inside.
"No way!? That's—!"
Shinra-senpai's eyes widened in genuine shock as she realized what I was doing.
"In the name of the saints lodged within the holy blade," I declared, my voice steady despite the pain, "I release thee. —Durandal!"
I pulled it free.
The legendary holy sword emerged from the spatial tear, its presence alone making the surrounding air tremble.
Durandal.
Xenovia.
I'll clear away your regrets here and now.
Using the momentum of drawing the blade, I stepped forward and slashed.
The holy sword struck true.
Light flared violently, and Shinra-senpai cried out as serious damage tore through her defenses. Even then—she did not activate her Sacred Gear.
So she couldn't use it continuously.
"It was Xenovia's suggestion," I said, tightening my grip on Durandal. "If she ever became unable to fight, she would transfer the right of use to me. She said this sword was too good for her."
That was the truth.
Xenovia had taught me how to wield Durandal. How to listen to it, rather than force it.
And how could I, a wielder of holy demonic swords, use a blade like this?
Shinra-senpai spoke through the pain, disbelief clear in her voice.
"However… your holy demonic aptitude is—"
Light wrapped around her body as the retirement teleport began to activate.
"I had no past," I said quietly. "Because of that, I saw hell. But… I'm different now. After attaining Balance Breaker, it seems I can handle Durandal like this."
Buuuuuuuuuuuun…
Durandal hummed softly, releasing a calm, almost gentle surge of power. It wasn't raging like it did in Xenovia's hands. It wasn't screaming for destruction.
It was steady.
Peaceful.
"Kuh… this is…!" Shinra-senpai gasped. "You can handle it better than Xenovia-san!?"
I shook my head.
"…Xenovia has an aura that yearns for power. Perhaps Durandal responded to that. But I choose certainty over power. Ability over strength."
Even though I had tried to suppress it, the aftermath was undeniable. The floor had been cleanly sliced into two equal halves, the cut stretching far beyond where Shinra-senpai stood.
…I was definitely going to receive a minus evaluation for this.
"I thought it was a stubborn steed that wouldn't listen to its wielder," I muttered. "But it seems that's true. It cut more than I intended… controlling it is still difficult."
Shinra-senpai looked at me one last time, her eyes sharp despite the light enveloping her.
"…This is outside of our calculations, Sona. Even more than Hyoudou-kun… their true ace is—"
Her gaze locked onto me.
"The servant to watch… is Kiba Yuuto."
Light consumed her form.
[Sona Sitri-sama's "Queen" retired.]
I exhaled slowly, Durandal still humming in my hand.
"It's because I aim to surpass Ise-kun," I whispered. "No… the Sekiryuutei."
~~~
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