The word "Holy Sword" wiped the last trace of calm from Rias's face.
At Ituzo's command, Number Two let his light sword vanish. In its place, a long blade materialized, radiating a sacred aura so intense every devil in the room felt a chill—a primal warning, as if their natural predator had appeared.
Draconis's eyes narrowed on the weapon. He didn't know its name, but every instinct screamed danger.
Rias stepped forward, voice low. "That's one of the six sacred relics the Church keeps locked away. How did it end up in your hands?"
She glanced at Draconis. "Be careful. We fight this one together."
Draconis nodded, no bravado or protest—just trust.
Clearly, Rias understood the Holy Sword's destructive power. She wasn't about to let him face it alone.
Ituzo's laughter bounced off the walls. "All my experiments—every last one—were to make humans worthy of wielding the Holy Sword! Look! This is my masterpiece! Isn't it magnificent?"
Rias's reply was ice-cold. "So the rumors of the Holy Sword Project were true. Your handiwork?"
Ituzo spread his arms wide, like a prophet embracing his revelation. "My teacher started the project. Thanks to him, I've unlocked the secrets of life and soul!"
He looked utterly unhinged—one more puzzle in a room full of them. Rias took a steadying breath, feeling the weight of the moment. If the Church was involved, the implications were massive. But right now, only one thing mattered: victory.
She snapped her fingers. "Everyone—take him down!"
No heroics, no risks. Overwhelm him.
Number Two swung the Holy Sword, and his divine power surged. Draconis met the slash head-on with the Divine Lament Shield. His arm went numb, and he felt some of his magic unravel—attrition would be a losing game.
"Holy Swords are ancient kingmakers," Rias warned. "Don't let it touch you, or you'll regret it."
She unleashed her own magic, but the Holy Sword cut through their attacks with terrifying ease. Number Two fought like a rabid animal, heedless of his own safety. Even Koneko hesitated to engage—devils were vulnerable to the blade, and even a glancing blow could bring agony far worse than a light spear.
Koneko, usually a fortress of strength and defense, found herself on the back foot.
Number Two's onslaught forced Rias and Akeno to get serious. He was all reckless fury, and the Holy Sword's power made their group assault feel clumsy and desperate.
Ituzo screamed, "Number Two! Burn your soul! I made you for this moment—kill them!"
He finally saw the truth: Rias and Akeno were the strongest here, and Number Two was running out of steam.
Number Two howled, voice inhuman. His skull lit up, and ghostly figures—human souls—hovered above him.
Rias gasped. "Those are the souls from earlier?"
Draconis watched, eyes sharp, as the souls twisted and burned. Number Two's aura exploded upward.
"We have to block this!" Rias shouted. "Burning soul power means one strike—no more!"
She and Akeno layered over twenty magical shields in front.
Boom!
Number Two's sword unleashed a tidal wave of divine force. The power of burning souls, amplified by the Holy Sword, smashed through their shields, shattering them one after another.
Draconis and Koneko faced the wave head-on.
The golden surge roared toward Koneko. In a flash, Draconis moved—snatching her into his arms, planting the Divine Lament Shield between them and the oncoming storm.
He shouted, and the shield blazed with light. Gold flashed in his eyes, and for an instant, a miniature black citadel flickered in his gaze. The Divine Lament Shield felt utterly unbreakable.
Endless Dusk Citadel.
Sacred light crashed down. The golden wave slammed into the shield like the ocean pounding a cliff—and split, forced aside. Draconis stood firm, unmoved.
He could only channel a fraction of the shield's true power, focusing it all on its core. But in that moment, the shield's ultimate ability revealed itself.
Within the domain of Endless Dusk Citadel, Draconis's state was locked—untouchable. As long as he held the ability, nothing could harm him. The shield itself was just as invincible.
The catch? With his current magic, he could only hold it for five seconds.
Five seconds of true invincibility—a "five-second hero," as the old joke went.
But five seconds was enough.
When the wave subsided, the ground on either side of Draconis had been gouged out into trenches five meters deep, the force fanning out for hundreds more. Behind him, Rias and the others stood unharmed. Draconis had redirected all the power to the flanks—he himself was untouched.
He'd weathered the storm. His magic was drained, but he was still standing.
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