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The mad scientist's display immediately set Rias off.
"He's just a human, and he dares act this arrogant?"
"Ha! Then let me show you our masterpiece. Number Two—capture them. Don't kill them outright."
At Genzo Umon's command, the cage beside him slid open on its own. The boy inside, who had been completely still, suddenly opened his eyes.
They were a deep, vivid green.
Radiant patterns flared across Number Two's body, quickly forming into a suit of holy armor. At the same time, a blade of light took shape in his hand.
Rias, Jack, and the others all felt it—an unmistakable surge of divine power. It was… almost on par with a high-class devil?
In the next instant, Number Two launched forward. His speed was astonishing, easily matching Jack even with the boost from two Knight pieces.
Jack reacted instantly, raising the Shield of Divine Lament. The defensive barrier expanded to its limit.
Crack!
A sharp sound rang out. The barrier shattered in a single strike.
Jack's pupils tightened. He pulled the shield itself in front of him just in time—
Boom!
The light sword slammed into it.
His arm went numb from the impact, and his body slid back over a meter, forced back by sheer power.
Without hesitation, Jack countered with a slash. Magic power surged wildly as the Sword of Kings cut cleanly into Number Two.
But this time, the blade that could normally tear through holy power was stopped. It only blasted Number Two away instead of cutting him down.
As the dust settled, Number Two stepped out again—completely unharmed. The holy armor on his body gleamed brilliantly, untouched.
"Oh? Not bad," Rias murmured with a hint of approval. "To think your technology can push a human this far. You must have put a lot of work into it."
"Hahaha… surprised already? There's more where that came from!" Genzo laughed smugly.
"Heh. I'll be looking forward to it," Rias replied calmly, clearly not taking Number Two too seriously.
Then, watching Jack face off against him, she said in a steady voice,
"Jack, you handle him first. We'll back you up."
She meant to use this as a chance to sharpen his combat skills.
Jack nodded without hesitation. "Leave him to me."
Number Two was indeed a formidable opponent—perfect for testing his current strength.
Ever since his last breakthrough, he hadn't gone all out once.
Though Number Two's aura hovered near high-class devil level, it hadn't truly crossed that threshold. He was still within the mid-class range—an ideal sparring partner.
Even if Rias hadn't said anything, Jack wouldn't have let the others step in.
The Shield of Divine Lament began circling around him on its own. Tightening his grip on the Sword of Kings, Jack charged forward again.
The two collided head-on.
This time, both were ready. Neither gave an inch.
Magic and holy power clashed, whipping up violent gusts. The Sword of Kings glowed brilliantly, its light tinged with a deep violet-black from Jack's magic. Number Two's blade shone gold. Their strikes met again and again, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
Each clash distorted the air itself, forming visible waves. Neither side had the upper hand.
Wherever they fought, the ground shattered. Metal instruments in the lab were crushed like clay.
Both Jack and Number Two displayed destructive power far beyond ordinary mid-class devils—they stood at the very peak of that tier.
"My, my… Jack's magic has already grown this strong?" Akeno said, clearly surprised. "Didn't he just break through a few days ago?"
How had his magic surpassed so many mid-class devils in such a short time?
Number Two might not have reached high-class level, but among mid-class devils, he was top-tier. And yet Jack could face him head-on without falling behind…
"Because he's been training relentlessly," Rias said, her expression softening.
She had always known. Every day, Jack trained seriously. He handled contracts with complete dedication, and every night he used that dangerous Sacred Gear resonance method.
Day after day, he pushed himself to grow stronger. He never skipped a single opportunity to improve.
This progress wasn't surprising.
He had earned it.
Asia knew this well too. After all, she helped guide his training. The injuries he sustained during practice often made her heart race with worry—she wanted to make him stop more than once.
But she also knew he wouldn't quit so easily. So she clenched her teeth and endured it, healing his wounds again and again. In the process, her own abilities had improved significantly as well.
"Damn it! Number Two, what are you doing? You can't even handle a trash devil like that?" Genzo snapped, growing agitated when he didn't see the expected one-sided domination.
Before this, any mid-class devil spies who infiltrated had been torn apart by Number Two in moments.
As if responding to the command, the divine power within Number Two began to surge violently. His light sword grew even more dazzling as he shifted into an all-out, reckless assault.
Jack remained calm.
Facing the intensified attacks, he relied on the Shield of Divine Lament, steadily blocking everything. No matter how fierce the assault became, he held his ground.
Genzo wasn't a fool. It didn't take long for him to notice something off.
"That shield… what is it? Could it be… a Sacred Gear?"
"Oh? Sharp eye," Rias said with a smile, pride evident in her voice. Jack's performance clearly pleased her.
Thinking about it, he had never disappointed her. Truly flawless.
"Damn it… I see. If it's a Sacred Gear, then that explains it…"
Genzo muttered, then suddenly broke into a creepy laugh.
"But Sacred Gears aren't invincible. Perfect timing—let's test Number Two's real power! Watch closely. Even I don't know how this will turn out!"
Laughing madly, he gave the command:
"Number Two—use the Holy Sword!"
At those words, Rias's expression finally changed.
"The Holy Sword!?"
"..."
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