On the gray-white plains of the alternate dimension, two figures crossed paths like phantoms.
Genichi showed no mercy just because Himejima Akeno was a woman.
He understood very well that in a battle at this level, pity and hesitation were both fatal.
Besides, Akeno was no helpless girl in need of protection. She was a powerful combatant only one step away from becoming a high-class Devil, and the strongest fighter in Rias's peerage.
So from the very beginning, Genichi's attacks held nothing back.
He closed the distance, his right fist clenched tight. Dense demonic power wrapped around his knuckles as he punched through the air and drove his fist straight toward Akeno's face.
If that punch landed cleanly, Akeno would be black-and-blue for quite a while.
Don't hit people in the face?
Sorry, Genichi had no such rule.
Akeno watched the incoming fist, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes.
This boy really dared to hit her?
Even so, she remained perfectly calm.
As a lightning shrine maiden with countless battles behind her, an attack of this level was not enough to hurt her.
She raised her hand, her pale palm stopping Genichi's fist with perfect accuracy.
Bang!
Fist and palm collided. Surging demonic power exploded between them, kicking up a violent gust.
Akeno caught the punch steadily. The smile on her face was still gentle, but a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.
"Kōhai-kun, you still don't know how to treat a lady."
Her voice was soft, but there was a faintly gritted edge to it.
Inside, she was even angrier.
This boy really had the nerve to go for her face?
Even if he was going to hit her, couldn't he at least pick somewhere else?
What was he trying to say by aiming straight at her face?
Genichi looked at her, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
"You're joking, senpai. A fight is a fight. Gender doesn't matter."
Akeno's smile stiffened for an instant.
Good. Very good.
Since he wanted to put it that way, then Onee-san would not hold back either.
Without the slightest hesitation, Akeno directly mobilized her demonic power.
Golden lightning danced over her body, crackling and snapping through the air.
She raised her other hand, and a thick bolt of lightning dropped from the sky, crashing down toward Genichi.
Genichi's pupils contracted slightly.
Lightning was too fast.
Akeno's grip on his hand suddenly tightened.
Her hand clamped around his wrist like an iron vise, locking him in place and preventing him from breaking free.
"Naughty kōhai-kun need to be taught a proper lesson."
Akeno's smile remained gentle, but that gentleness now carried clear triumph.
But Genichi had already prepared for this.
The instant the lightning struck him, he activated the ability of Shadow King and swapped places with a shadow.
Boom!
Lightning fell, striking Genichi's body with perfect accuracy.
Golden arcs of electricity crawled over him, letting out a piercing crackle.
Akeno watched the scene with satisfaction.
Now this boy should understand how dangerous she was, right?
But in the next second, her expression froze.
The hand she was gripping was gradually turning transparent.
When she lowered her gaze, she realized that what she held was not Genichi at all, but a strange, pitch-black human figure.
The figure had no face and no features, only a vague humanoid outline. It stood there silently, allowing her to hold it.
The real Genichi had appeared not far behind her.
"Flame Volt!"
There was no prelude. No chant. No incantation.
The shadow directly cast magic.
A scorching flame shot from its palm, forming a massive fireball that slammed toward Akeno.
The flames contained dense demonic power, and their force was astonishing.
Akeno's pupils shrank sharply.
She wanted to dodge, but it was already too late.
Boom!
The flames struck Akeno directly, swallowing her whole.
At the same time, the pitch-black shadow was consumed by the flames as well.
Scorching fire exploded across the plain, sending a wave of heat rolling outward.
In the distance, Rias saw this scene, and her violet eyes tightened sharply.
What was that pitch-black shadow?
And what was with that fire?
When had Genichi learned magic like that?
Countless questions flooded her mind.
But now was not the time to ask them.
She kept her eyes fixed on the battlefield and waited for the flames to fade.
The fire gradually dispersed, revealing the figure within.
Akeno stood in place, looking somewhat disheveled. Parts of her clothes were scorched, and her hair was slightly mussed.
But the smile on her face remained.
Only now, that smile no longer held its previous gentleness. All that remained was pure excitement.
"Interesting."
She spoke softly, a dangerous light flashing in her eyes.
"Genichi-kun, you're far more interesting than I imagined."
The shadow had already been completely burned away, turning into a wisp of black smoke before vanishing.
But Akeno knew that it had only been something Genichi summoned. The real him was still standing over there.
She looked at Genichi, her eyes filled with fighting spirit.
"Next, Onee-san is going to get serious."
As soon as she finished speaking, an even denser surge of demonic power erupted from her body.
Golden lightning leapt around her, forming armor made of electricity.
Her hair rose within the electric glow, and she looked like a goddess of thunder.
Genichi watched her, his gaze turning solemn as well.
He knew that the real battle was only beginning now.
"Come on."
He spoke quietly, and his demonic power began to surge as well.
The shadows beneath his feet started to writhe. One dark figure after another crawled out from within, standing in dense ranks behind Genichi.
Those black shadows had no faces and no features, only vague humanoid outlines, yet they radiated a suffocating pressure.
Akeno looked at them, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes.
"So this is what you used to replace yourself just now?"
Genichi nodded slightly.
"Shadow King. The magic I'm best at."
Akeno smiled.
"What an interesting spell."
She raised her hand, lightning gathering in her palm.
"Then let Onee-san see just how much lightning that magic of yours can withstand!"
The moment her voice fell, countless bolts of lightning descended from the sky, striking toward Genichi and the shadows.
Genichi remained calm. With a thought, the shadows scattered instantly.
Some charged into the lightning. Some rushed toward Akeno. Others vanished into the darkness, lying in wait for the right moment.
Lightning crashed down, striking the shadows.
The black figures trembled violently under the bolts, but they did not immediately dissipate.
They endured the lightning and continued charging toward Akeno.
A trace of surprise flashed in Akeno's eyes.
Those shadows could actually withstand her lightning?
Though it was only ordinary lightning and she had not used her full power, being able to endure it was still no simple feat.
She raised her hand, preparing to cast an even stronger spell.
But at that moment, the shadow beneath her feet suddenly surged.
A black figure emerged from the darkness and grabbed her ankle.
Akeno's body jerked to a stop.
In that instant, another shadow had already rushed in front of her, its pitch-black fist smashing toward her face.
Akeno shifted sideways and dodged, but more shadows had already surrounded her.
They surged in from every direction like a tide, encircling her completely.
Far behind the shadows, Genichi stood quietly, watching the scene unfold.
His face held no expression.
But his eyes gleamed with cold light.
Akeno looked at the shadows around her, the corner of her mouth curling into a smile.
"Interesting. This really is interesting."
She spoke softly, while the lightning around her began to churn wildly.
"But this level of power still isn't enough to trap me."
As soon as she finished speaking, a massive pillar of lightning dropped from the sky, swallowing every shadow around her.
Boom!
Lightning exploded. The shadows were instantly scattered, turning into black smoke and fading away.
Akeno stood within the lightning, completely unharmed, though her breathing had grown slightly uneven.
She looked at Genichi, her eyes full of excitement.
"Genichi-kun, if you have any more tricks, use them."
Genichi looked at her in silence for a moment.
Then he smiled.
There was a trace of appreciation in that smile, a trace of fighting spirit, and even a hint of excitement he himself had not noticed.
"Fine."
He spoke softly.
The moment his voice fell, his figure vanished from where he stood.
In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of Akeno, his fist wrapped in dense demonic power as he slammed it toward her.
Akeno neither dodged nor retreated. She threw a punch of her own to meet him head-on.
Bang!
Their fists collided. Demonic power exploded between them, whipping up a wild gust.
The two were forced back several steps at the same time, then charged forward again at the same time.
Fists and feet clashed. Demonic power surged. Lightning and shadows intertwined.
The battle entered its fiercest stage.
In the distance, Rias watched the scene, her eyes filled with complicated emotions.
There was surprise. There was relief.
And there was a pride she could not quite put into words.
This boy was her servant.
His growth had already surpassed her imagination.
And this battle was still far from over.
(End of Chapter)
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