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Koneko's punch landed squarely, sending the hulking monster flying backward until it crashed into a wall hard enough to leave a crater.
That was the power of Koneko Toujou's Rook—raw, unmatched strength paired with a body tough as iron. Something ten times her size didn't stand a chance.
"Your turn, Akeno," Rias said calmly.
"Understood, President~. My, my… what should I do with this poor thing?"
Akeno Himejima stepped forward with her usual spring-breeze smile—warm, gentle, and absolutely terrifying when you noticed the storm of magic rising around her.
Rias turned to Jack. "Akeno's piece is Queen. It's the most versatile one—she can use all the abilities of the other chess pieces."
That caught Jack's attention. He'd been wondering about his own piece.
He knew he was a hybrid—Knight and Pawn—but so far, he'd only felt the Knight's speed. The Pawn's abilities? Nothing.
Rias gave him a knowing smile. "The Pawn has a special ability called Promotion. When you enter enemy territory, you can 'promote'—temporarily gaining the powers of any piece except the King."
Jack's eyes widened a little.
So even the weakest piece had hidden potential…
As that thought sank in, thunder cracked ahead of him.
He looked up just in time to see Akeno raise her right hand, magic swirling around her like a storm. A bolt of lightning tore through the air and struck the stray devil dead-on.
"GAAAHHH—!"
The monster convulsed, limbs jerking uncontrollably as a guttural scream tore from its throat.
Even so, it refused to die quietly. Its aura flared again—dark, furious, unnaturally strong. Maybe it had absorbed too much power from the humans it had devoured.
The air trembled.
Jack blinked. Wait… were its boobs… inflating?
Huh?
Something felt very wrong.
And then—
BZZZAP! BOOM!
Two beams of blinding light shot straight out from the monster's chest.
No kidding—right from there.
The beams tore through walls like they were made of paper, hissing and sizzling as they corroded everything they touched.
Jack stared, slack-jawed.
Those beams…
They were literally shooting out of its breasts!
You've got to be kidding me—
Was this… the legendary Dynamic Light Beam?!
It was so absurd he almost forgot to react—but only almost.
The stray devil—apparently named Baessa—grabbed her own chest like cannons and aimed straight at him and Rias. The twin light beams roared toward them.
Without hesitation, Jack stepped forward and placed himself in front of Rias.
A deep hum filled the air.
A silver shield shimmered into existence before him, its energy field flaring just as the beams hit.
BOOM!
The shockwave rattled the entire building. Above them, the decaying ceiling finally gave way, collapsing in a roar of falling concrete.
Jack didn't even flinch. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the Sword of Kings and unleashed a rapid flurry of cuts. Blades of light crossed above him like a net, slicing the debris into harmless pieces. The shield's force field swept them aside.
When the dust settled, he was standing there—calm, composed, sword tip resting on the ground—as if he hadn't just deflected a pair of demonic laser boobs.
Rias clapped lightly, amusement in her voice. "Not bad. You're pretty quick on your feet."
"Just following your fine example, President."
That cool, offhand reply made her smile widen.
She could see it clearly now—his composure, his decisiveness. The kind of calm you only see in someone who's danced on the edge between life and death.
Jack exhaled. "Still, that was one hell of an attack. Why would she even use that part for firing?"
"The less expected the method, the more effective it is," Rias said with a laugh. Even she hadn't seen that coming—and for once, she'd been slower to react than he was. Not that such an attack could have truly hurt her anyway.
"Yeah, well, I've got to admit… that Dynamic Light Beam move really lived up to the name."
"...Dynamic Light Beam?" she repeated, blinking.
"Mm-hm. Just something I came up with. Don't you think it fits perfectly?"
Rias: "..."
It fit too perfectly. The moment he said it, her mind was filled with the horrifyingly vivid image of bouncing flesh and flashing light beams.
...Great. Now she'd never be able to unsee that.
For once, the pureblood demon heiress of Gremory had no words.
Meanwhile, Akeno's gentle smile hadn't faded—but her tone dropped an octave.
"Oh my my~ Still struggling, are we? Then let's try a few more volts."
CRACK!
Another bolt of lightning came crashing down.
The monster shrieked, its so-called Dynamic Light Beam sputtering out as its body convulsed violently.
Akeno didn't stop. A third strike followed, her expression still perfectly serene.
Her smile was angelic. Her aura, anything but. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet.
Jack could only stare.
Yeah… she was definitely enjoying this.
So the kind, big-sister type was also… a sadist?
Rias sighed softly beside him. "That's just Akeno. Even if an enemy begs for mercy, she'll keep going until she feels calm again. A true sadist, through and through."
Her words confirmed it.
Three minutes—and several lightning strikes—later, the stray devil was half-dead, twitching in a smoking heap.
Time for the finishing blow.
Rias stepped forward, her crimson hair swaying as she looked down on the broken creature like a queen before her subject.
"Any last words?"
The devil's voice came out hoarse, shredded with pain and desperation. "...K-kill… me…"
"So be it."
Her voice was ice.
A surge of red power erupted from her hand, engulfing the monster in flame.
BOOM!
The explosion of crimson fire left nothing behind but ash.
As the shockwave faded, Rias' fiery hair drifted gently back down. She turned, the smile returning to her face—radiant and composed as ever.
"All right. Mission complete."
"..."
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