The Yukinoshita residence, reception room.
Because the living room was already a mess, and with an outsider present, the three Yukinoshita women did not return to the living room but instead moved to the reception room.
This room was as luxurious as the living room and did not give the impression of being neglected, but the atmosphere inside was somewhat strange, making it difficult for anyone to speak first.
Upon closer inspection, Mrs. Yukinoshita and Yukino Yukinoshita, the two mistresses of the Yukinoshita house, were sitting properly side-by-side, appearing stiffly formal, more like guests than Leon, the actual guest.
Leon, on the other hand, sat very casually, independently sipping a cup of black tea, looking utterly relaxed, more like the owner of the house than the three Yukinoshita women.
Only Yukino Yukinoshita sat beside Leon, her expression subdued.
Looking at Yukino Yukinoshita like this, Leon put down his teacup.
"Still thinking about that fight just now?"
Leon instantly saw through Yukino Yukinoshita's preoccupation.
"...I should have won."
Yukino Yukinoshita did not stubbornly deny it as usual but said these words with some disappointment.
In her view, she had held the upper hand throughout the fight and had cornered Sharon, believing the victory would surely be hers.
But what was the result?
She was caught during a fleeting opportunity, resulting in a sudden reversal, and she nearly died at Sharon's hands.
This was utterly unacceptable.
Yukino Yukinoshita felt lost because of this.
However, Leon spoke bluntly, revealing the truth.
"That's just your illusion." Leon continued unhurriedly, ignoring Yukino Yukinoshita's astonishment. "I wrestled with that woman for three years and never managed to beat her once. Do you think you could win?"
"Admittedly, if you went all out right now, you might be stronger than I was before I awakened the 'Familiarization' characteristic. But that woman has already shown you with facts that this powerful strength cannot be used at will."
"You thought you could win because that woman was acting very convincingly, making you believe you could win, so you would recklessly squander your power until you exposed a flaw."
"I can tell you for sure: you cannot beat her right now. Even if your strength surpasses hers, she can still defeat you with her exceptional combat experience, countermeasures, and strategic calculation, causing you to lose again and again."
Yukino Yukinoshita bit her lip and remained silent.
She was naturally unwilling to admit defeat, but the fact was that she lost and nearly died. Saying anything more would just be stubbornness, only making her seem narrow-minded, unable to openly concede defeat.
With her sister and mother right in front of her, Yukino Yukinoshita didn't want to look so pathetic.
So, while swallowing the bitter pill of defeat, she couldn't help but say one thing.
"Is that person... Sharon Holygrail really human?"
She couldn't be blamed for asking.
Even disregarding combat experience, countermeasures, and strategic calculation, Sharon's performance was genuinely not that of a human; she resembled a super-person.
Can a human casually shatter ice pillars and debris?
Can a human sprint at speeds invisible to the naked eye?
Can a human leap around like a monkey, traversing walls and rooftops?
Can a human kick the ground hard enough to crack it and leap ten meters high?
Sharon could do all of this easily, completely unlike the priests Yukino Yukinoshita encountered last time at the unfinished entertainment facility.
Those priests' performance, in Yukino Yukinoshita's view, was still within the realm of what a normal human could achieve through training, but Sharon had completely exceeded that limit.
Ultimately, being able to single-handedly rival a High-Ranking Devil was inherently an abnormal thing.
Didn't Leon himself say that to deal with a High-Ranking Devil, one must form a team of Exorcists just to attempt it?
Therefore, Sharon's performance was indeed somewhat non-human, completely unlike an ordinary human being.
Leon glanced at Yukino Yukinoshita, who was thinking this, and then said, "There are also exceptional individuals among humans. They are definitely not as weak as you imagine."
"Take Sacred Gear users, for example. Ordinary Sacred Gear users might not have that much power; they're just people who know how to use special abilities. But for Sacred Gears like yours and Asuna's, if they were used proficiently by a human, do you think such a Sacred Gear user would be weaker than a Devil?"
"Besides Sacred Gear users, there are also Sorcerers and Senjutsu users among humans who have mastered extraordinary powers. They can also pose a threat to Devils."
The world also had what was called Sorcery and Magic.
Sorcery and Magic are powers that manipulate and generate supernatural phenomena by constructing formulas and spell arrangements.
Ancient Sorcerers and Mages believed that all phenomena in the world were governed by certain laws, and as long as these laws could be monitored, calculated, and guided, even humans could achieve the extraordinary.
Thus, they created the formulas capable of achieving this purpose, successfully triggering and manipulating supernatural phenomena. This was what was known as Sorcery or Magic.
In places like Northern Europe, Sorcery or Magic was even created by Gods and bestowed upon humans, so the system has developed into a very complete and powerful one, capable of reproducing some of the miracles of the Gods or the supernatural phenomena only achievable by the demonic power of Devils. The prospects are very impressive.
As for Senjutsu, it is a technique that manipulates the flow of life, capable of disturbing and hindering opponents, and causing damage to life itself. It is another power system whose origin can be traced back to ancient times. It is said to be a power that only Sages could master, so its might is considerable.
In summary, humans are not all mere ants in the eyes of Devils. Those who have mastered Sorcery or Senjutsu will not be utterly defenseless against Devils.
The Exorcism Formula Sharon just used was precisely such a power. It was clear from the commotion it caused that it was absolutely a power capable of threatening a Devil.
Of course, Sharon was not a Sorcerer or a Senjutsu user; she was actually more unique.
"The Church has a special institution dedicated to cultivating a specific type of warrior."
Leon suddenly disclosed a secret to Yukino Yukinoshita.
"The purpose of that institution's existence is to cultivate people who possess the bloodline of the hero—Sigurd."
Sigurd... Yukino Yukinoshita had naturally heard this name before.
He was the famous Dragon-Slayer Hero in legends, who once killed the Evil Dragon Fafnir and bathed in its blood, thereby gaining an invincible, immortal body.
To ordinary people, this was just a legend, but from Leon's tone, it was clear that this hero was a real person.
"That warrior cultivation institution uses genetic modification to artificially manufacture descendants of that Dragon-Slayer Hero by combining Sigurd's genes with several other different genetic structures. The warriors born this way inherently possess physical abilities far surpassing those of ordinary humans, making them, without exaggeration, superhumans among humans."
Leon explained calmly while drinking his tea.
"Humans who possess the genes of legendary heroes or powerhouses like this are not uncommon in this world. Although they are human, they are stronger than ordinary humans, which is why they can stand against external enemies like Devils and Fallen Angels."
Including the half-human Exorcist bloodline within himself, Leon thought silently, this could also be considered such an existence.
Then, he heard Yukino Yukinoshita's words.
"So, that woman came out of that warrior cultivation institution?"
Yukino Yukinoshita finally understood where that superhuman physique came from.
But Leon denied her conjecture.
"No, Sharon Holygrail did not come out of that warrior cultivation institution. The warriors who came out of that institution all have white hair, a clear distinction from her." Leon pointed out calmly. "She came out of another Church cultivation institution... or rather, a research facility."
"A research facility?" Yukino Yukinoshita was instantly stunned.
Leon glanced at her before speaking.
"This world never lacks madmen, especially humans. The more they glimpse the mystery and the extraordinary of this world, the more desperately they want to unravel the principles behind this mystery and the extraordinary, so they too can touch that domain."
"Since ancient times, every era of the Church has inevitably given rise to many heretics and fanatical believers. They believe that even if they violate the doctrine, as long as the results contribute to Heaven and to God, it doesn't matter."
"They colluded with the profit-driven high-ranking officials, and the result is that they would even venture into forbidden zones of life."
"There was one group like this. They thought that since they could artificially cultivate the descendants of heroes, allowing humans to possess the power of legends, could they also artificially implant the Devil Factor, allowing humans to possess the power of a Devil?"
At this statement, let alone Yukino Yukinoshita, even Yukino Yukinoshita and Mrs. Yukinoshita, who had been silently listening nearby, changed their expressions.
They were intelligent women and immediately understood what Leon was trying to convey.
"It seems you've already guessed it," Leon said flatly. "That's right, Sharon Holygrail is the result of that experiment."
"That research facility is now sealed because the test subjects either died immediately or directly transformed into half-human, half-Devil monsters, who were secretly purged by the Church."
"Sharon Holygrail might be the only successful case born from that experiment."
This was why Sharon was so strong.
Simply because she had the bloodline factor of a Devil flowing within her, possessing physical qualities comparable to a Devil.
"The reason why she is so ruthless and unscrupulous towards Devils may also be related to this." Leon smiled. "I don't know what she experienced in the past, but it certainly wouldn't have been a pleasant memory."
"Don't you think it's perfectly normal for someone like her to hate the Devil Factor within herself, and to hate the existence of Devils?"
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