Rina jolted, her eyes widening slightly.
She realized one thing for a brief moment — she had made the wrong move.
The energy on Zekka's sword burst outward like a shockwave, not in the form of a slash, but as a blast of pure pressure that swept across the space in front of the dojo. The air trembled violently, wooden planks were lifted, and dust scattered everywhere.
"—!?"
Rina's body was blown backward, crashing hard into the ground. Her sword slipped from her grasp, spinning several times before landing in the soil at an angle. The wave of energy did not injure her directly — but it completely drained her stamina and concentration.
Her consciousness faded before she could rise.
The dojo that had been silent earlier was now in ruins. Wooden boards cracked, the side wall partially collapsed, and the yard was filled with traces of invisible slashes.
Zekka staggered.
His breathing was ragged, his knees nearly giving out. Tensei trembled softly, its aura slowly fading as if satisfied after a feast.
Zekka looked around.
On one side, Rina lay unconscious, covered by her cloak and the remains of clothing damaged by the impact of the energy — not seriously injured, but clearly defeated.
On the other side—
"…Eh?"
Zekka finally noticed another figure collapsed not far from the tree.
Jun.
He was lying on his back, his expression blank… yet his aura was dry, almost empty.
"…What the heck," Zekka muttered weakly.
He truly didn't have the mental energy to process this absurd situation.
Jun's consciousness slowly returned.
The first thing he sensed was the smell of old wood, the soft creak of floorboards, and the afternoon sunlight filtering through a half-open sliding door.
He opened his eyes.
A traditional Japanese room — the inner dojo. His body felt heavy, as if he'd been wrung out from the inside.
"…I fainted?" he murmured softly, almost in disbelief.
He lifted his hand. His Qi was still there, but thin. Very thin.
Jun turned to the side.
There, Rina lay on another futon, still unconscious, her breathing stable. Her sword was placed neatly against the wall — clearly someone had ensured the situation was safe before moving them.
Jun stared at the wooden ceiling.
'I… really collapsed because of that?'
He let out a long sigh. This was caused by the side effect of someone else's Sacred Gear that worked in a way… completely unreasonable.
'This is the DxD world — I almost forgot that fact,' he thought helplessly.
'I… really collapsed because of that?'
Jun sighed deeply, staring at the dojo ceiling made of old wood. His body felt light — too light — as if part of his energy still hadn't fully returned.
This was clearly caused by the side effect of someone else's Sacred Gear that operated in a way… ridiculously illogical
The wooden floor outside the room creaked softly.
Jun turned toward the sliding door just as a new figure appeared at the entrance.
A girl stood there.
Her posture was firm, the aura around her unstable — clearly someone who had just been exposed to a large amount of foreign energy. Her hair was long, her face mature for her age, and her gaze was filled with caution. She looked confused, as if she still hadn't fully understood the change she'd just undergone.
When their eyes met—
Jun immediately felt a thick awkwardness hanging in the air.
"Hahaha… hello?" Jun greeted awkwardly, lifting one hand slightly.
The girl flinched.
She stepped back half a step, nearly tripping over the threshold.
"W–Wah! Who are you!?" she shouted in panic.
Jun blinked.
"Okay, fair reaction," he muttered quietly, then raised both hands in a non-hostile gesture. "Calm down. I don't mean any harm."
Zekka — because it was clearly her — swallowed hard, still keeping her guard up near the door.
"Then… why are you here?" she asked quickly. "And why is your energy dangerous? Tensei said you're clearly not a normal human!"
Jun sighed.
"Long story," he said. "Short version — I followed you from the park because you were being followed by that woman. I thought there'd be trouble. Turns out… yeah, there was."
Zekka fell silent for a moment.
She glanced toward Rina, who was still unconscious, then looked back at Jun.
"…You're really not part of them?" she asked hesitantly. "Onmyoji?"
"Huh? No," Jun replied instinctively. "Why would I be part of those old-fashioned people?"
His tone was too natural to sound like a lie.
Zekka peeked from behind the door, this time a bit braver.
"R–Really?" she asked softly.
"Yes," Jun answered honestly. "My name is Jun Mizushino. I know Azazel — Governor of the Fallen Angels. If that helps."
"Huh!?" Zekka exclaimed reflexively.
This time not out of panic — but pure shock.
Jun's aura, still not fully stabilized, pulsed softly. Not threatening, but strong enough to make Zekka realize that the man before her wasn't bluffing.
Zekka unconsciously looked away.
"U–Um… okay," she murmured, her cheeks slightly warming from the pressure of the situation. "In that case… it seems you're not an enemy."
Jun watched her reaction with a flat expression.
'This kid is way too honest,' he thought.
But his thoughts were soon interrupted by something else.
The aura around the girl — Zekka — was still unstable.
The Demonic Qi that had been forcibly absorbed hadn't fully dispersed. The energy didn't merge — instead, it coated her body like a shadow, creating a strange visual illusion. Her silhouette looked slightly taller, more mature — not a real physical change, but a temporary effect of incompatible energy.
Jun frowned.
'…What is this.'
He could feel it clearly. It wasn't a transformation, not an evolution, nor anything permanent. It was more like a misaligned resonance — high-level energy "sent to the wrong address," manifesting itself randomly.
Before Jun could speak—
A pulse of light emerged from Zekka's chest.
"Huh?"
Zekka reflexively covered her chest with both hands, her face turning red not from embarrassment, but pure panic.
"W–Wait—wait! Not now!"
A cheerful, childish voice echoed directly from the Sacred Gear.
[Ne, ne Niisan! Can I have a little more of your energy? The last one tasted amazing!]
Jun fell silent.
Silence.
His eyes stared straight at Zekka.
"…Your sword," he said slowly, flatly. "Just spoke in a very dangerous tone."
Zekka let out a small scream.
"P–Psst! Tensei! Be quiet! Don't say weird things!!" She bowed her head, face burning red, clearly wishing she could disappear from existence.
[Eh? But that energy earlier was really incredible like high-quality wine!]
"BE QUIET!!" Zekka shouted while stomping her foot.
Jun let out a long sigh.
'I miss my peaceful days in the cabin.'
He raised one hand, slightly loosening his control over his Demonic Qi — just enough to pull back the remaining leaked energy. The air vibrated faintly, and the strange aura coating Zekka slowly faded. Her silhouette returned to normal, and the pressure in the room eased.
Zekka staggered slightly.
"Huh…?" She blinked, then looked at herself. "Back to normal…?"
"Side effect," Jun said briefly. "My energy isn't compatible with your Sacred Gear. If it lasted any longer, it could become a problem."
Tensei scoffed softly, sounding disappointed.
[…Tch.]
Zekka looked like she was about to cry.
"I'm sorry… really, I'm sorry," she said quickly while bowing toward Jun.
Jun let out a short sigh.
"It's fine," he said. "Besides, that was a pretty clever strategy—although the method was… very unorthodox."
Zekka lifted her head, her eyes widening slightly. "E–eh?"
Jun turned to her. "By the way, what's your name?"
"Ah—yes! Um… Zekka Miyamoto!" she answered quickly, as if afraid Jun might change his mind and leave.
"Miyamoto, huh…" Jun nodded slowly. "No wonder."
He glanced toward Rina, who was still lying unconscious on the dojo floor, her sword resting not far from her hand.
"It's obvious that person was targeting you," Jun continued.
Zekka reacted immediately, her face flushing from a mix of frustration and confusion. "I–I don't even know why she suddenly attacked! I seriously don't know her at all! Just because I'm a Miyamoto descendant, she started accusing me of all kinds of things!" She clenched her fists. "Her thinking is totally absurd!"
Jun observed her reaction for a few seconds, then murmured, "People usually don't wield a Sacred Gear just for a petty grudge."
Zekka fell silent.
Jun looked again at the sword near Rina. "Her Sacred Gear isn't ordinary either. Exodus Chariot… that name carries weight."
Zekka tilted her head. "Huh? Carries weight…?"
Jun shook his head. "No, forget it." He briefly recalled old tales—of a staff that parted the Red Sea, of a power that cut through fate itself. But he chose not to continue.
Zekka looked at Jun hesitantly, then gathered the courage to ask, "U–um… if I may ask… do you also have a Sacred Gear?"
Jun went silent for a moment.
"…Ah," he said softly. "Maw?"
Zekka tilted her head, clearly confused. "Maw?"
The air in the room rippled gently.
From beside Jun, something appeared—not a blinding light, not a magic circle—but something simple and strange. A small blue blob, translucent, bounced lightly in the air before landing on the floor with a soft sound.
"Maw~"
Zekka froze.
"E–eh…?"
The blue slime wiggled slightly, forming a tiny bump like a little hand, then waved cheerfully.
"Maw~ Maw!"
Zekka looked at it, then at Jun, then back at the slime. "I–is that… a living creature?"
"More or less," Jun replied. "Its name is Maw."
Zekka looked even more confused. "B–but… Sacred Gears are usually—"
"Not all of them are the same," Jun interrupted. "There are many types of Sacred Gears." He glanced at Maw, then continued, "Independent Avatar. A Sacred Gear that has its own physical form and will."
Maw puffed up slightly, sounding proud. "Maw!"
Zekka swallowed.
"S–so… a Sacred Gear can be like that too…?"
"It can," Jun answered briefly. "And sometimes, ones like this are the most troublesome."
Maw immediately deflated a little. "Maw…"