The moment Leo Ash was wounded, Mei and Durandal, with perfect coordination, placed themselves between him and Kevin.
They didn't turn back to check on Leo Ash's condition. It wasn't because they weren't worried about his injuries.
It was because after clashing with Kevin once, they both knew that in front of an opponent of his caliber, even a moment of distraction would lead them to a fate far worse than Leo Ash's.
Rather than making some senseless gesture to show their concern, they tacitly agreed that the best thing they could do now was buy time for Yuna to heal Leo Ash's body.
Seeing Leo Ash sent flying, Yuna immediately dashed to his side, preparing to use the power of Rebirth to heal his wounds.
However, as the Herrscher of Death, Yuna realized something the moment she activated the authority of Rebirth.
Leo Ash's actual injuries were far lighter than they appeared.
Before engaging Kevin, Leo Ash had already made preparations.
He had temporarily become a Herrscher using the Blank Key and the Seven Thunders of Retribution, but he had had far too little time to test his powers.
Unable to properly use an Imaginary Barrier, Leo Ash could only layer a suit of mana-woven armor and an energy-protective suit made of dimensional energy between the Blank Key and his body before the fight.
And yet, even with all that, he had still been wounded by Kevin's attack.
The terrifying frost had pierced his body, and the freezing temperature it brought was stripping the heat from him.
*Damn it, I thought that attack would just be a probing jab for Kevin.*
*No, my judgment was probably right. But a probing jab from Kevin, combined with his sense of timing in battle, is a far greater threat than a full-power strike from an ordinary Herrscher.*
*And while ice isn't as purely destructive as flames, its accompanying 'freezing' effect will slow us down.*
*I'm such an idiot.*
*From the very beginning, I never should have had the idea of 'stalling for time'.*
*Right now, Kevin hasn't figured out our fighting style, and he hasn't finished digesting the power he absorbed from Chiyou.*
*This is arguably the 'weakest' version of Kevin we'll ever face.*
*If we give him enough time, Kevin, whose combat experience far surpasses the four of us, will start developing countermeasures to our tactics.*
*On the other hand, if he fully absorbs Chiyou's power, we might not be facing Kevin [Parvati], but Kevin [Chimera].*
*I can't stall. Even if I want to wait for Su to arrive with reinforcements, I have to fight with the intent of crippling him!*
"Senior!"
As if sensing Leo Ash's thoughts, Yuna spoke in a panicked tone.
"Don't move! Your body is already—"
"Damn it..."
Pushing himself up from the ground, Leo Ash looked at Kevin, who was forcing Durandal and Mei into a steady retreat, and spoke with utter unwillingness.
"This guy... how can he be so strong..."
But at that same moment, Leo Ash suddenly grabbed Yuna's wrist, making a move she never expected.
Yuna's eyes widened in shock, and she stared at Leo Ash in disbelief.
*Senior is forcibly connecting to the Gem of Serenity inside my body?!*
*And not only that...*
*His connection with the Seven Thunders of Retribution hasn't been broken!*
If she weren't worried about disrupting Leo Ash's plan, Yuna would have shoved him away to interrupt his insane act.
But she knew she couldn't.
Leo Ash was resorting to such a desperate measure purely because the enemy was too strong.
Because the enemy was too strong, and he was too weak, Leo Ash had no choice but to drain his own life force to connect to two Herrscher Cores simultaneously and amplify his combat power.
She was already a burden to Leo Ash because of her weakness. If she let her emotions get the best of her and held him back again...
Just the thought of it made Yuna suppress her impulses and actively cooperate with Leo Ash's attempt to connect to the core.
Meanwhile, Mei and Durandal, fighting against Kevin, were under pressure that completely surpassed their imagination.
They could both clearly sense that their opponent was definitely not using his full strength.
But even so, just facing the current Kevin, they couldn't land a single damaging blow.
No, perhaps that wasn't entirely accurate.
Both the Herrscher of Thunder's judgment and the Fog of Decay from Abyss Flower had, in fact, struck Kevin's body.
But after being hit, Kevin showed no intention of retreating, continuing his fierce assault on the two of them.
It would have been one thing if Kevin were only mentally resolute.
But in the midst of battle, they made a terrifying discovery: the parts of Kevin's body they had struck, which should have shown signs of decay and disintegration, were merely 'slightly damaged'.
And then—then those wounds were completely repaired by Kevin's sheer regenerative ability.
Although their attacks weren't their absolute strongest, the power Kevin was displaying was simply overwhelming.
If disintegration and decay, which were so effective against biological enemies, couldn't inflict significant damage, then if this continued...
*We can't win.*
Though it felt like boosting the enemy's morale while crushing her own, this was the only conclusion Mei's mind could reach.
*But even if I can't win, I have to hold this man back.*
*I can't let him hurt Leo Ash.*
*In the past, Leo Ash protected me, and now...*
*—It's my turn to protect Leo Ash!*
The Herrscher of Thunder, who had been silent all this time, could feel the intensity of Mei's Honkai Energy continuing to rise.
[Hey, hey, Mei, are you insane?!]
[At this rate, even with the Honkai supporting you, using power beyond your body's limits will still—]
*I know that, of course, but...!*
*If it's for him, I don't care what happens to me!*
"...Interesting."
Sensing the more powerful Honkai Energy erupting from Mei, Kevin, who had just forced Durandal back, chose not to attack Mei. Instead, he waited for her to unleash her strongest strike.
*This era's Herrscher of Thunder is clearly much stronger than the one from our time.*
*So this is the power a Herrscher with 'emotions' can unleash, using those feelings as a driving force?*
*Impressive.*
*But still not enough.*
"Raiden Mei..."
Durandal, forced back, watched the lightning crackling around Raiden Mei and immediately made her decision.
*Using Little Jo's power now might be too risky.*
*But if I use the properties of the crystal of Reason and the crystal of Domination to support my attacks, it shouldn't cause any instability in the World Bubble.*
Watching Durandal draw a weapon that shouldn't exist in this place, Kevin was genuinely surprised to see that long-lost armament appear here.
Truthfully, neither Mei, now attacking with her full power, nor Durandal, attempting to augment her own combat abilities with the two great crystals of 'Immortal Blades', possessed the ability to threaten Kevin's life.
But as he watched the two of them charge toward him, Kevin felt an inexplicable... sense of crisis?
However, facing the incoming pair, Kevin chose to get a little more serious, even though he didn't think they posed a major threat.
After all, a Herrscher of Thunder pushing past her limits, and this descendant of his with incredible skill and ridiculously high energy levels, were both formidable opponents in their own right.
"Warriors of this era, you have fought hard enough, but..."
At that moment, Kevin activated a portion of the power within the Gem of Haste, channeling it into the Might of An-Utu.
The white-haired warrior wielding a greatsword, the golden-haired knight dual-wielding her weapons, and the Far East samurai erupting with lightning all simultaneously unleashed their power upon the enemy before them.
And in the next instant...
"How could this... be..."
Mei, who had borne the brunt of Kevin's firepower, not only had the lightning around her completely dissipated, but was sent flying by his attack, her consciousness beginning to fade.
Durandal, protected by her Godsbane Armor and her own considerable strength, did not fare as poorly as Mei.
But after that exchange, Durandal saw the truth clearly.
Unless she risked the World Bubble's stability and had 'Immortal Blades' create that suit of gilded armor, then attacked with both Abyss Flower and Immortal Blades simultaneously, the enemy could simply ignore most of her attacks with his monstrous regenerative abilities alone.
"Descendant of the Kaslana family, you too have fought hard enough."
Looking at Durandal, who was now supporting Mei, Kevin spoke with great satisfaction.
"Your talent is no less than mine. It's just that you do not yet understand how truly powerful you are."
"You've been spouting all sorts of nonsense from the very beginning to disrupt my focus."
Durandal, after sheathing her holy sword, spoke bluntly to Kevin while healing Mei's injuries with Abyss Flower.
"I am no member of the Kaslana family."
"...I see."
Sensing the energy fluctuations coming from Durandal, Kevin nodded slightly and continued.
"Not only do you possess the Kaslana Stigmata, but the Schariac Stigmata and the Schariac Holy Blood also reside within you."
"After this battle is over, I personally suggest you investigate your own history."
"Perhaps you aren't interested in your past, but if you can fully master the powers of both the Kaslanas and the Schariacs, you will undoubtedly be able to protect even more people."
*...Is this guy serious?*
Seeing that Kevin wasn't taking this opportunity to attack her, Durandal felt a faint belief in his words budding in her heart.
She was, indeed, someone who had lost her memories. If she had been a Kaslana and a Schariac before her amnesia, then many things would start to make sense.
Why the ever-busy Archbishop Otto chose to become her doctor and life mentor—because she carried the bloodline of two of Schicksal's Three Great Houses.
Why she displayed talent far superior to that of an ordinary child—because the Kaslana and Schariac families were indeed experts in fighting the Honkai.
Looking at it this way, what he was saying seemed more and more plausible... No!
*What am I thinking!*
*The enemy is the enemy. No matter how much sense he makes, it's no reason for me to get distracted now!*
"Alright, the two of you have lost the strength to fight. Please step aside."
Shifting his gaze from Durandal, Kevin looked toward Leo Ash, who was still lying on the ground.
Only now, as Kevin focused his attention on Leo Ash, a smile suddenly appeared on his face.
"As expected, Leo Ash. You haven't disappointed me."
Previously, the battle between Kevin, Durandal, and Mei had been too intense, which had prevented him from immediately noticing the energy fluctuations around Leo Ash.
But now, as he watched Leo Ash with his full concentration, Kevin truly felt that he had reaped a huge surprise this time.
Leo Ash, who seemed to have been instantly defeated and sent flying by Kevin just moments ago, had actually suffered no serious injuries at all.
And the reason that Herrscher of Death hadn't joined the battle wasn't because she was healing him, but because she was channeling all the power from the Herrscher of Death's core into the Blank Key.
Realizing that Kevin had discovered the abnormality, Leo Ash couldn't be bothered to pretend anymore.
Although they were currently fighting, Leo Ash knew very well that the harder he hit Kevin, the happier Kevin would be, in a sense.
That was why Kevin hadn't interrupted Mei's ultimate attack while she was charging it, nor had he preemptively struck Durandal when she drew her holy sword before she could unleash its power.
As the true number one double agent of World Serpent, Mr. Kevin Kaslana...
—was practically begging for someone to knock him to the ground and tell him that the Stigmata Project was a pile of crap and that he didn't need to carry it out.
And now, the energy fluctuations continuously emanating from Leo Ash gave Kevin a stronger sense of crisis than the previous two combined.
Objectively speaking, this sense of crisis wasn't overwhelming, but having it was better than not.
"Heh, so generous of you."
Leo Ash, who had been continuously absorbing power into his body, finally stopped playing dead and opened his eyes to look directly at Kevin.
As the energy intensity around him continued to rise, Leo Ash slowly floated into the air and used his power to teleport the exhausted Yuna to Durandal and Mei's side.
"Bianka, take them and retreat first."
"Then you—"
"I'll be right behind you, of course. Don't be such a mother hen."
Looking at her two companions who had exhausted all their strength, Durandal's heart was filled with bitterness.
Just based on energy intensity alone, Leo Ash now far surpassed Durandal at her peak.
Although he didn't say it out loud to spare her pride, they both knew—if she stayed, she would only be a burden to him.
Faced with this situation, Durandal decisively chose to grab the two of them and quickly leave the scene without another word.
*First, I'll get Mei and Yuna to a safe area, then I'll come back...*
*After Leo Ash unleashes his next attack, regardless of success or failure, his body will be in a terrible state from overusing his power.*
*I hope the power of Abyss Flower can still repair his broken body.*
At that moment, Durandal suddenly thought of someone.
Not Rita, who hadn't participated in this operation, but Otto, who had been missing for several days.
Durandal didn't trust Otto's character, but she trusted his mind.
In her opinion, if Otto were still at Schicksal HQ, he would undoubtedly be able to formulate a rational plan in a short amount of time to command everyone against this powerful enemy.
But now, the Archbishop's position was temporarily being filled by Theresa.
Durandal's feelings about Theresa were the opposite of her feelings about Otto.
She trusted Theresa's character, but she didn't believe Theresa had the ability to properly plan and command in battle.
*At such a crucial time...*
*—Lord Bishop, why, of all times, are you still missing in action when a powerful enemy is at our gates!*
But no matter how the young woman roared in her heart, no one else could hear her inner voice.
Leo Ash, now floating in mid-air, found that even with Mind Like Still Water activated, his mind could not completely calm down.
The reason was simple.
He felt an intense, throbbing pain throughout his entire body.
Connecting the Blank Key via the Key of Thunder wasn't a particularly risky move for him.
But directly connecting to a second core and storing its massive amount of Honkai Energy within his body was enough to make Leo Ash, who was originally under little strain, feel the Honkai Energy eroding his flesh.
And that wasn't all the power he was using now.
The lightning wings that had originally appeared behind him, resembling those of a bird, had now transformed into the pitch-black wings of a bat.
Glyph - Lord of Dread, activate!
Then, a gilded cross materialized behind him, its color slowly shifting from gold to crimson.
Grand Cross, activate!
While frantically drawing upon the mana within his body, the Stigmata on Leo Ash's right hand appeared, the character upon it changing to [D].
Stigmata power, activate!
Feeling a slight loss of control over his emotions, Leo Ash already foresaw the future he was about to face.
However, for the sake of this one ultimate strike, he still chose to drain the endless dimensional energy from the [Sphere - The Wavering Scales], concentrating it at his fingertip.
Sphere - The Wavering Scales, activate!
And then, with his heart as the foundation, he would transform his sword into a god!
At that moment, a black cross-shaped star appeared between the brows of the floating Leo Ash.
"A god is the pinnacle of change; it shapes all things, yet cannot be shaped itself!"
After activating all the power within him, a phoenix-like emblem appeared in the sky behind Leo Ash.
But in the next instant, that phoenix emblem transformed into a bat emblem, radiating a sinister aura.
Phantasmagoria, activate.
This was the ultimate technique Leo Ash had secretly developed during his three years in Su's trial illusion, fusing all of his various powers through Precision Control.
Truthfully, after incorporating the power of the [Glyph - Lord of Dread], this move had become even more powerful, but also much harder to control.
But Leo Ash could no longer afford to care about such things.
Mana, Glyphs, Dimensional Energy, Honkai Energy, Herrscher Energy, Herrscher Authorities, Phantasmagoria, Edge of Taixu...
As all these powers converged at his fingertip, Leo Ash's aura climbed to an unprecedented peak.
"Kevin, you've always wanted someone to surpass you, right? Well then..."
"—First, try taking the full force of this sword!"
"Phantasmagoria—Sword God!"
As she heard Leo Ash's utterly desperate roar, Durandal, still retreating with her two companions, couldn't resist looking back at him and Kevin.
With a battle cry, Leo Ash unleashed his ultimate attack on Kevin.
And the look of 'nonchalance' that had been on Kevin's face was, naturally, gone.
If one were to ask what Kevin was feeling right now, it would be pure elation.
Leo Ash's strength had far exceeded his expectations. Just proving that much made this trip worthwhile for Kevin.
But just because Leo Ash was strong didn't mean Kevin would just stand by and let himself be killed.
What Kevin needed was 'a warrior who could defeat Kevin'. Under that premise, the most he would do is allow his opponent to fight at their full potential; he would never just stand there and let them kill him.
But this time, as Kevin tightened his grip on the Might of An-Utu, he was clearly much more serious than before.
Might of An-Utu, Zeroth Power, activate.
Might of An-Utu—Unleashed!
As the two immense energies collided in mid-air, everyone's vision was momentarily stolen by the blinding light.
But in the next instant, the clash between the two was decided.
Leo Ash, floating in the air, slowly descended from the sky to the ground.
And Kevin, who had delivered the powerful blow, stood motionless on the ground, his eyes vacant as if he had lost consciousness, though his body bore no terrible wounds.