The moment the word "Holy Sword" was spoken, Rias's expression turned grim.
At the same time, upon hearing Ituso's command, the man called No. 2 dismissed the light-blade weapon he had been using. In the next instant, a long sword radiating a sacred aura appeared in his hand.
The instant that sword materialized, every Devil present felt a chill run down their spines—like the instinctive dread of prey confronted by its natural predator.
Ryuichi's gaze swept over the shining blade. He didn't quite understand what kind of weapon it was, but every fiber of his demonic being screamed that it was bad news.
"That's… one of the six Holy Relics kept by the Church? How could it be in your hands…?"
Rias's crimson eyes narrowed as she stepped forward.
"Ryuichi, be careful. We'll take this one together."
"Got it."
Ryuichi nodded without hesitation.
It seemed Rias knew well the destructive potential of a Holy Sword—and she didn't intend to let him face it alone.
Ituso burst out laughing.
"Every experiment I've ever done was for this! To make humanity compatible with the Holy Sword! Look, look! This is the fruit of my research! Magnificent, isn't it? Glorious, isn't it?"
"So it's true," Rias replied coolly. "I've heard of the Holy Sword Project. That was your handiwork too, wasn't it?"
"Heh-heh-heh! So you've heard of it, have you? Yes, that project was originally my mentor's idea! Thanks to joining it, I was able to grasp the true essence of life and soul itself!"
With his arms spread wide as though embracing invisible glory, Ituso looked every bit the raving madman.
Rias took a deep breath. The situation was even worse than she'd thought.
For one of the Holy Swords—sacred relics guarded by the Church—to appear here of all places… Could that mean the Church itself was involved in this project?
There were too many unanswered questions to draw conclusions yet.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was defeating this man.
"All members—attack! Bring him down!"
Rias spread her fingers and issued the order.
Rather than risk anyone getting hurt, she chose the safest and most direct strategy: overwhelming force.
No. 2 swung the Holy Sword, and the divine power surrounding him grew even denser, surging like a storm.
Ryuichi raised the Shield of Divine Weeping to meet a slash head-on. The impact numbed his arm—and to his alarm, he realized some of the magic he'd poured into the shield had been erased. A prolonged battle would definitely be to his disadvantage.
"Holy Swords are ancient royal weapons passed down through ages of history," Rias warned him. "Don't let it touch you—even a scratch could be fatal."
At her words, she unleashed a burst of offensive magic.
But the Holy Sword's terrifying power soon became clear. Under No. 2's reckless, suicidal assault, their attacks were shattered one after another. Even Koneko Tōjō dared not take him head-on.
A Holy Sword's nature was to counter Devils—its damage to them was enormous. Even a grazing blow could bring agony far worse than being pierced by a spear of light.
Koneko, whose fighting style relied on brute strength and defense, suddenly found herself on the back foot under that divine suppression.
No. 2 attacked like a man possessed.
Rias and Akeno both grew visibly tenser; the opponent before them was no longer human but a rabid beast, heedless of his own life. Combined with the Holy Sword's might, even their coordinated assault felt clumsy and restricted.
"No. 2! Burn your soul's power! I created you for this very moment—kill them all!" Ituso screamed.
He had realized things weren't going his way—despite everything, Rias and her team had held their ground.
If this continued, No. 2's divine energy would soon run dry.
That couldn't be allowed to happen.
Clearly, Ituso had never realized that Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima were the strongest among this group.
At his command, No. 2 let out an inhuman roar. His skull began to glow, and faint human silhouettes rose from above his head.
"Those are… the souls of the humans you just drained?" Rias gasped.
Ryuichi's eyes narrowed. He could see the human souls twisting, burning—and with that, No. 2's aura exploded upward, growing wildly stronger.
"We have to stop him! That power—he can only use it for one attack at most!" Rias shouted, immediately forming layer after layer of defensive barriers alongside Akeno.
Boom!
No. 2 swung the Holy Sword. A colossal wave of divine energy erupted forth.
Fueled by burning souls and amplified by the Holy Sword's surge, the blast tore through everything in its path. The barriers that Rias and Akeno had hastily layered were shattered one after another in rapid succession!
Ryuichi and Koneko were forced to face the full brunt of the oncoming torrent.
The golden wave roared toward Koneko, who stood closest—
In that split-second, Ryuichi darted forward, pulling her into his arms.
Raising the Shield of Divine Weeping, he planted himself before her.
With a low shout, the shield blazed with silver-white light, and Ryuichi's eyes flashed gold.
For an instant, a miniature phantom of a black fortress shimmered within his pupils—an illusionary citadel of shadow and eternity. The Shield of Divine Weeping suddenly felt unbreakable.
—The Eternal Twilight Citadel.
Holy light flared as the golden wave slammed into Ryuichi's silver shield.
It was like the sea crashing against an immovable cliff.
The divine tide split apart, surging to either side, while Ryuichi stood unmoving against its fury.
Though he could currently draw out only a fraction of the shield's true power, he had finally revealed its hidden trump card.
Within the domain of the Eternal Twilight Citadel, everything about Ryuichi—his body, his magic, even his very existence—entered a state of timeless stasis.
As long as he maintained that state, no attack could harm him.
That same effect extended to the shield itself.
Unfortunately, with Ryuichi's current reserves, he could maintain this ability for only five seconds.
Five seconds of invincibility—
A "five-second hero," as one might jokingly say…
But in battle, five seconds was more than enough to decide the outcome.
When the divine wave finally dispersed, the ground on either side of Ryuichi had been scoured into deep trenches nearly five meters deep, the devastation spreading hundreds of meters outward in a fan shape.
Yet behind him—where Rias and the others stood—everything remained untouched.
Ryuichi had redirected the entire blast to the sides and remained standing unharmed.
He had taken the full force of that terrifying strike head-on—and aside from the heavy drain on his magic, he was completely unscathed.