"I don't like it," Reya-san muttered. "Why give us time? He has more than enough power to crush us now. What is he waiting for?"
The question hung in the air. Was it a trap? A game? The silence from the enemy was more terrifying than an outright assault.
At that moment, a Tengu messenger landed before Yasaka and knelt. "Lady Yasaka. All divisions are in position. We are ready."
The Allied Interception Force took flight from the island in a synchronized surge of power.
Winged beings—Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels—beat their wings against the midnight sky. Human practitioners rode atop shikigami or the backs of flying Youkai. It was a sight that defied history: five different races, once enemies, now flying toward a single goal.
We weren't just targets anymore. Everyone here had something they loved, something they were willing to die for.
A voice crackled through the magically-enhanced earpieces distributed to every combatant. It was Suzaku Himejima.
"I am Suzaku, head of the Himejima Clan. We have no more time for words, so I will say this: Let us win. Let us survive, and let us return to our homes together."
The response was a deafening roar that shook the very atmosphere.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!"
The army charged toward the Gate. Simultaneously, a swarm of Evil Dragons began to pour out from the other side, turning the sky into a churning sea of black scales and fire.
"Move out!" Rias commanded. "The future of the world is in our hands!"
We spread our wings and accelerated toward the breach. Our role was simple: Offense. We were to punch through the line and strike the heart of the enemy's pseudo-world.
The first of 'D×D' to strike was Leesha-san.
"Everyone, keep moving forward! We'll provide cover!" she shouted.
"Full power mode, right?!" her fairy partners, Sally and Finna, chirped from her shoulders.
Leesha's twin magical pistols spat concentrated bursts of energy, puncturing the hides of the lead Evil Dragons. For every trigger pull, an enemy spiraled into the ocean below. Her speed was terrifying, her precision absolute.
Floating around her were her specialized armaments: Rifle Bits and Shield Bits. The Shield Bits formed a protective perimeter around us, intercepting stray fire, while the Rifle Bits danced through the air like lethal fireflies, thinning the enemy ranks before we even reached them.
"I'm going in as well," a voice said behind me.
A massive wave of holy energy erupted. I turned to see Yaegaki-san. The blade of his Amenomurakumo had transformed, manifesting the ethereal heads of an eight-headed dragon made of pure light.
The Holy Yamata-no-Orochi.
Yaegaki rode atop one of the heads, surging through the sky. He moved with a grace and lethal efficiency that made his previous self in Heaven look like an amateur.
"Go, Amenomurakumo!"
As he swung the physical sword, the seven spectral heads followed the movement, their massive jaws unhinging to swallow Evil Dragons whole. The concentrated holy energy within the dragon's gullet dissolved the enemies instantly, turning them into shimmering dust.
Xenovia watched him with wide, impressed eyes. "His movements... they're so much sharper. Not a single wasted motion."
"This is the man he was always meant to be," I noted.
This was the power of a Holy Sword and its master who had clawed his way back from the darkness to seize a future.
Xenovia turned to me, a fierce, predatory grin on her face. "Irina, Kiba. As fellow swordsmen, shouldn't we show off the results of our training? Durandal and Excalibur are practically begging to be let loose."
Her swords pulsed with a violent, holy resonance. It felt wilder than usual, yet perfectly in sync with her.
I flashed a challenging smile. "I couldn't agree more."
"Right! Let's do this!" Irina cheered.
Having survived the literal "Hell Training" under the strongest swordsman of another world, we kicked our wings into high gear and lunged forward.
We became a blur. Xenovia's raw power, combined with my and Irina's precision, carved a path of blood and light through the dragon swarm. We were the vanguard—the "Blade" of the Allied Forces.
Xenovia suddenly dived into the densest part of the enemy formation. "Come on! Durandal and Excalibur are a bit different tonight!"
Over a hundred Evil Dragons swarmed her, their roars shaking the air. She disappeared beneath a mountain of black scales, completely isolated.
But then, I heard it. A soft, confident chuckle from the center of the swarm.
"Heh..."
A blinding light erupted from the cracks in the dragon pile. A shockwave of holy pressure exploded outward, sent hundreds of dragons flying like ragdolls. The brilliance was so intense it forced the entire battlefield to look away.
When the light faded, a goddess of destruction stood in its place.
Xenovia was enveloped in a flickering, pale blue aura that resembled cold fire. Her signature blue hair had grown, flowing down to her waist, and her eyes glowed with the same haunting sapphire light.
She looked divine, yet terrifying—a beacon of blue illuminating the pitch-black sky.
But the most striking change was her swords.
"The blades of Durandal and Excalibur..." Rias whispered. "They've turned jet-black? Like Maurice's..."
Maurice-san laughed from the rear. "That's right! She cleared every trial I threw at her. She's finally mastered the use of 'Sword Qi.' Well, technically she just used it to amplify her existing power to absurd levels, but still—she's a monster now."
Maurice looked at the girl wreathed in blue flames and gave her a new title.
"The blade that sunders all... the Azure Flame Slaying Princess."
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