Kiba Yuuto was completely drained of strength. It was clear he had no way of dodging the girl's next blow. Even though it was only the hilt of the sword, it was still the Holy Sword, Excalibur. A mere touch was enough to render him incapable of moving.
But the expected strike never landed. Instead, the hilt of the holy sword clashed against a chilling blade of obsidian black—long, sleek, and flowing like a stream.
"Yoru… Yoru-kun…"
Struggling to lift his head, Kiba Yuuto looked at the boy now standing before him, whom he hadn't even noticed approaching.
He knew he had lost—completely, even. If not for Yoru's sudden intervention, his defeat would've been far more disgraceful.
"Yoru… don't interfere. We lost," Rias spoke with a frown, disapproving of his independent decision. A loss was a loss—nothing shameful about it. After all, their opponent wielded Excalibur, a blade fatal to devils.
"Hey, hey, are we really continuing this? I thought this was supposed to be a friendly sparring match. Besides, with the holy sword's advantage, it's not even a fair fight."
Irina, trying to smooth things over, spoke light-heartedly. But Yoru completely ignored her.
"Kiba, do you know why you lost?" Yoru asked softly.
Kiba responded with a bitter expression.
"I was overconfident. In the middle of the battle, I abandoned my strength—speed—and instead tried to wield a power I couldn't control."
Genova's words echoed repeatedly in his mind, and the boy could only offer a bitter, self-deprecating smile.
"Not bad. You figured out your mistake quickly—you're not completely foolish." Genova replied in her usual condescending tone, praising him while maintaining her superiority.
"You're wrong. You lost because your weapon wasn't as good."
Yoru's cold words caught both Kiba and Genova off guard. Her smug expression froze instantly.
Before she could protest, Yoru turned his gaze to her and continued mockingly:
"Number one among the new generation? To me, without that holy sword in your hand, you're nothing. You said there's nothing your Excalibur can't destroy?"
"That's right! There's nothing in this world my Excalibur of Destruction cannot destroy!" Genova shot back proudly.
Yoru said nothing more. He simply rotated his wrist, aiming the same dark, cursed blade that had intercepted her earlier directly at the girl.
A chilling, deathly aura slowly spread within the barrier. Genova frowned, seemingly sensing the sinister nature of the weapon.
"Let's test it then—see if your Holy Sword is truly stronger, or if my Demon Sword is the superior one."
Seeing Yoru draw his Sacred Gear as if trying to reclaim Kiba's lost pride, Rias clicked her tongue softly. The enormous sword in Yoru's hand was undeniably a weapon of catastrophe—one even the flames of a phoenix would dim against.
"If it's a demon sword, then of course it can't match a holy sword," Genova scoffed. "A soldier personally named by the angels, huh? Let me see what makes you so special!"
She advanced without hesitation, raising her Excalibur of Destruction high and charging toward Yoru.
Just like the sword's name implied, Genova's fighting style was brute-force domination—overwhelming her opponent with sheer, absolute power.
But… what happens when your opponent's power exceeds your own?
Yoru swung his obsidian Demon Sword—radiating a frost capable of freezing the soul.
From the sky, a strange blue light arced across the air.
Rias and the others shuddered involuntarily. Even though the barrier was intact, the temperature in the area dropped to a hopeless, frigid low.
Genova swung her holy sword downward—her bangs and lashes already dusted in frost.
The swords clashed… but no sound was heard.
Genova's hands trembled. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
At the point where the Excalibur of Destruction, the supposedly indestructible sword capable of cutting through anything, met Yoru's demon sword—an ice-blue vein-like crack formed.
The glowing line spread in an instant, covering the entire blade.
"Holy Sword Excalibur...?"
Yoru smirked coldly. The cursed blade vanished from his hand.
Without sparing a glance at the stunned girl kneeling with her sword for support, he turned his back to her and walked away.
Excalibur is supposed to be a sword of victory—a sword of vows. Not a tool for bullying others under the pretense of divine authority.
If Artoria were to see how her sword was being used, she'd surely be furious.
Thinking of that noble girl who ruled as king, Yoru couldn't help but smile faintly.
"Genova… are you okay?"
As the barrier dispersed, Irina rushed over, concern etched on her face, seeing her comrade kneeling blankly with her sword.
"Genova…"
Standing in front of her, Irina gasped and covered her mouth in horror.
In Genova's hands was the Excalibur of Destruction—but now, the once ice-blue cracks had turned pitch black.
They were no longer cracks. They were fractures.
Countless dark, spiderweb-like fissures spread across the length of the sword.
"No…" Genova whimpered.
"Nooooooo!!!"
The girl cried out in despair. And then—the sword crumbled to dust.
Excalibur—was shattered.
The legendary Holy Sword of Destruction, said to break through anything, had been broken completely.
"She fainted?" Yoru turned back in slight surprise.
That girl, who had looked so strong before—had passed out just because her weapon was destroyed?
Ahh… just like I thought.
All that pride, strength, and confidence—they were all built on Excalibur.
Without it, they're nothing.
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