"Ahhhh—garlic! It's garlic!"
"Koneko-chan, save me! Help!"
A storm of garlic cloves flew from around the corner, pelting Gasper as he scrambled away, shrieking and flailing.
Vampires and garlic—never a good mix.
"Hehehe… Vampires really do hate garlic, huh?"
"Sorry, Gasper-kun, but this is war."
Nimura Ruruko and Kusaka Reya kept up their relentless barrage, laughter bubbling between apologies that were anything but sincere.
It was Sona's idea—simple, but brutally effective. Gasper's Balor eyes were a pain to deal with, so neutralizing him first was a must.
"Gasper-kun, you really are a useless vampire…"
Koneko sighed, exasperated, and moved to intervene—but Nimura darted in front of her, fists raised.
"Koneko-san, I'm your opponent!"
Nimura's stance was solid, eyes blazing with determination. She might only be a [Pawn], but her close-combat skills were nothing to scoff at. She couldn't hope to beat Koneko outright, but she could buy time.
"Nimura-san, let's do this."
Koneko dipped her head politely, then launched herself forward. The two clashed in a blur of fists and footwork.
Meanwhile, Gasper lay sprawled on the floor, eyes spinning.
"Garlic… I hate garlic…"
The sharp, stinging scent made his head swim. Forget fighting—just staying conscious felt like a losing battle.
"Ah, such a cruel method to torment poor Gasper-kun. I must be a terrible person…"
"Forgive me, Gasper-kun. I'll put you out of your misery soon."
Kusaka Reya cupped her cheek with mock repentance, but her smile was all malice as she advanced on the helpless vampire.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion rocked the rooftop. Rias and Sona shot into the air, magic blazing.
"Rias! I've been waiting for this day—the day I finally face you head-on!"
"Me too, Sona!"
Twin magic circles flared to life, sending searing spheres of light and surging waves of water crashing together in midair.
On the rooftop, Akeno faced her own battle.
"Akeno-senpai, please go easy on me."
"Hope you're ready, Akeno Himejima."
Kusaka Reya and Shinra Tsubaki closed in, one weaving magic, the other unsheathing a long blade.
Akeno's eyes narrowed, sparks of electricity crackling around her.
Kusaka Reya, as a [Bishop], wielded serious magical power. Shinra Tsubaki, Sona's [Queen], was even trickier—deadly with both magic and steel.
Two-on-one. Not ideal.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
BOOM!
Across the mall, Irina and Xenovia were locked in fierce combat with Meguri Tomoe and Yura Tsubasa.
Irina and Meguri—both [Knights], both sword specialists—moved so fast their blades were just flashes in the air, invisible to the naked eye.
Xenovia's clash with Yura was a different story—raw power, brutal exchanges.
"Durandal!"
Xenovia leapt high, channeling the holy sword's power, and brought it crashing down.
Yura's eyes narrowed, but she didn't back down. She braced herself, hands outstretched—a shimmering shield materialized before her.
"Reverse!"
Durandal struck the shield with a deafening crash. Yura slid backward, gouging deep lines in the floor, but she held her ground.
"What was that?"
Xenovia landed, frowning at her sword's lack of effect.
In that split second, she'd felt Durandal's holy energy twist—converted to demonic power. Normally, holy energy devastated devils, but as demonic power, it was just a heavy blow. No real harm done.
"Artificial Sacred Gear—Shield of Spirits and Glory. I made a pact with spirits and housed them in my shield. It lets me change abilities—like turning holy power into demonic power."
Now that her trick was exposed, Yura explained without hesitation.
"An artificial Sacred Gear… Interesting."
Xenovia's eyes gleamed with excitement.
A strong opponent—just the way she liked it.
Outside the dimensional battlefield, the crowd was electric. Spectators cheered wildly, swept up in the spectacle of fierce combat and the charm of the girls themselves.
"Shirone, go get 'em! Beat her up, beat her up!"
In her black cat form, Kuroka wriggled in Tenra's arms, waving her tiny paws and yelling encouragement for her sister.
"Tenra Kamiyo, what's with your cat…?"
Sairaorg turned, baffled by the talking feline.
"What're you staring at? Never seen a cat talk before, you muscle-head?"
Kuroka tossed her chin with haughty pride, then went back to cheering.
Tenra just shrugged, while Sairaorg looked flustered. He'd seen talking cats—but never one this sassy.
"Lady Rias's [Bishop]—eliminated!"
Grayfia's voice rang out, echoing through both the arena and the projection. Gasper, utterly defeated by Kusaka Reya's garlic assault, was teleported out as the first casualty.
Tenra pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. Gasper had grown a lot, mastering his Sacred Gear and wielding impressive magic as a [Bishop]. But until he conquered his weaknesses, he'd always be a bit of a benchwarmer.
"Hah… hah… Koneko-san, you're amazing—but now there's two of us."
Breathing hard, Nimura Ruruko steadied herself.
"Gasper-kun might be hopeless, but he's still our friend and family. You hurt him—I'll make you pay."
Koneko's eyes locked on Nimura and Kusaka, her resolve hardening.
No more hesitation. No more running away.
Power surged through her. Under the gaze of everyone—spectators and opponents alike—a pair of fluffy cat ears sprouted atop her head. Koneko transformed, embracing her nekomata heritage at last.
Nimura and Kusaka tensed, faces grim.
They hadn't expected this. Koneko's trump card had just changed the game.
In the stands, Kuroka watched her sister's transformation with a swirl of pride and bittersweet relief.
She's finally accepted her power…
Tenra nodded approvingly, though his mind was already whirring with less-than-innocent ideas about Koneko's new look.
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