"Ding! Mission complete. Congratulations, host—Flying Thunder God Technique acquired!"
A second chime followed almost instantly. "Ding! New mission: Defeat Yuuto Kiba."
Shuo froze, the familiar monotone of the system echoing in his mind. For a moment, his eyes gleamed with something dangerously close to glee.
Flying Thunder God? The legendary teleportation jutsu—pure, unfiltered anime cheat code. Mark someone, and you could pop up behind them at any moment, no warning, no escape. In this world, unless your opponent was absurdly overpowered, that technique was a permanent death sentence. And even if things went south? Instant getaway. No shame in running if it means living to fight another day.
He barely had time to savor his new toy before the system's next mission lit up like a traffic signal: Defeat Yuuto Kiba, head-on. Huh. Not exactly a nightmare scenario.
"Nangong-kun? Are you alright?" Tomoe's voice broke through his thoughts, her brows knit with concern as Kiba's greeting hung between them.
"Ah, sorry, Kiba-kun. Just spaced out for a second—something came to mind."
Kiba smiled, ever the gentleman. "No need to apologize. I was the one who interrupted your conversation."
"Hm? Kiba, what are you doing here?" Koneko piped up, her tone flat but curious. Usually, he'd already be at the Occult Research Club by now.
Shuo, meanwhile, had already pieced it together.
Kiba offered a mild, almost apologetic smile. "President Rias sent me. She noticed you hadn't shown up for a while, so she asked me to check on you. I didn't expect to find you defeating Meguri-san. I remember struggling quite a bit the last time I sparred with her."
Shuo shot him a look—part disbelief, part amusement. This guy… modest to a fault. Please. Tomoe's strength is maybe peak low-class devil, or just barely mid-class. Kiba, you're a bona fide peak mid-class devil. You two are a whole tier apart, and you're telling me you 'barely' won? If that's true, every other Holy Sword candidate might as well quit now.
"Kiba-kun, I heard from Meguri-san that your swordsmanship is exceptional. I'd like to spar with you—if you're willing," Shuo said, eyes bright with anticipation.
He couldn't hide it: the urge to fight, to test himself, to push his limits. With monsters and devils lurking just around the corner, he needed every edge he could get. Most of his system rewards so far had been the basic, white-tier stuff. Now, finally, a green-tier mission—no way he was letting this one slip away.
Kiba's eyes lit up. "I'd be honored. In fact, I've wanted to face you myself. Shall we head to the Occult Research Club room? It's a bit more… private."
"Works for me." Shuo glanced around at the Kendo Club's curious audience. No way he and Kiba could go all out in front of so many ordinary students—someone would get hurt, or worse, the building would end up in pieces.
"In that case, let's get going," Kiba said.
"Right."
The two of them fell into step behind Koneko, who led the way out.
"Wait!" Tomoe's voice rang out, halting them at the door. They turned, curious.
"Meguri-san, is something wrong?" Kiba asked.
Tomoe hesitated, face coloring. "I know it's a bit much to ask, but… I'm really interested in your duel. Would it be alright if I watched?"
She knew full well that sparring at this level meant showing cards you'd rather keep hidden, and outsiders usually weren't welcome. But the chance to see two swordsmen—both beyond her reach—go all out? She couldn't pass that up.
Shuo and Kiba exchanged a glance, then smiled.
"Of course. But just you, Meguri-san. Too many spectators, and Rias might not be pleased," Shuo said.
Tomoe's relief was palpable. "Thank you! I really appreciate it."
So the four of them—Shuo, Kiba, Koneko, and a glowing Tomoe—made their way to the Occult Research Club.
Inside, Rias and Akeno looked up in surprise. Shuo looked a little worse for wear, and Tomoe's gaze was practically burning a hole through him.
Rias wasted no time, turning to Koneko with a raised eyebrow. "Koneko, what happened? Why does Shuo look like that? And why is Meguri-san here?"
Koneko, as always, was perfectly calm. "Well, Nangong-senpai beat all the Kendo Club members, then challenged Meguri-senpai and won. Kiba arrived, and Nangong-senpai asked to spar with him. Meguri-senpai wanted to observe."
Kiba nodded, confirming every word.
Rias shook her head in disbelief. "I never imagined you'd beat Meguri-san with swordsmanship alone… I suppose my instincts were right. I didn't misjudge you, Shuo."
She knew exactly who Tomoe was—Sona Sitri's pride and joy. For Shuo to defeat her so easily was… impressive, even for Rias.
Akeno, meanwhile, wore her trademark teasing smile. "Ara ara, Shuo-chan, you're such a naughty boy. If you're going to do something like this, you could at least tell us. As your future girlfriends, Rias and I would have come to cheer you on!"
"!!!"
"Akeno!!"
"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Akeno said, hands raised in mock surrender. Rias's cheeks were tinged pink, and she couldn't quite meet Shuo's eyes. With Tomoe present, Akeno decided not to push her luck.
She shot a glance at Shuo, who looked a little drained, and turned to Koneko. "So what's up with Shuo-chan's condition?"
Koneko started to answer, but Tomoe stepped forward, flustered. "Let me explain!"
She launched into a passionate account of Shuo's swordsmanship—how he couldn't possibly be the shut-in the rumors claimed, how his fundamentals were flawless, how he must have undergone brutal training, and so on…
Shuo listened, mortified, wishing he could just melt into the floor. This girl's imagination is dangerous.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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