The enemy was vicious—and worse, time was quickly running out.
The Maou had told them to hold on for an hour, but the grim truth was this: in barely twenty minutes, the magic circle would unleash enough power to level the entire city.
Rias and her team might be able to survive the blast, but Kuoh itself would be reduced to ash.
Ryuichi refused to let that happen. His loved ones and friends were still here.
Sword of Kings in hand, he clashed head‑on with "Number One," the girl wielding the fused Holy Sword. His movements blurred as his clones darted around, hunting for openings. He was barely managing to suppress her—but defeating her swiftly was another matter entirely.
The combined strength of four Holy Swords granted her overwhelming power. Even with his evolved strength, Ryuichi couldn't bring her down quickly.
Above them, two sharp cries echoed through the night—Rias and Akeno.
Both had tried charging at Kokabiel, only to be swatted aside by his effortless counterattacks. Their magic couldn't even graze him. Coughing up blood, the two girls were sent hurtling backward.
"Rias! Akeno!"
Asia rushed forward at once, summoning the light of her Sacred Gear to heal them.
Ryuichi's brow furrowed.
Should he use it—the Eternal Twilight Citadel?
That forbidden technique could end the fight quickly. But if he unleashed it now, he'd have nothing left to face Kokabiel afterward.
No. He couldn't risk it. He had to rely solely on the Sword of Kings.
He made his decision in an instant, commanding one of his clones to take the Divine Cry Shield and guard Rias and Akeno.
Seeing Ryuichi's clone descend before them, Kokabiel only chuckled, amused.
"My, my… fascinating. That Sacred Gear of yours can be split into multiple parts, can it? If Azazel caught wind of this, he'd probably take quite an interest in little you."
As he spoke, Kokabiel raised one hand and flicked his fingers.
That single lazy gesture unleashed a surge of divine energy so intense that space itself rippled. In an instant, the blast reached Ryuichi's clone.
Though only a clone, its strength was undiminished. Ryuichi braced behind the Divine Cry Shield and caught the blow head‑on.
The impact slammed into him like a hurricane. The sheer force sent his body skidding backward through the air until Rias and Akeno darted up to catch him. Together, they barely managed to halt his slide.
Ryuichi exhaled heavily. The difference in power was staggering.
"I'll handle defense," he said quietly, shifting the shield. "The two of you focus on attacking. Once I finish off Number One, I'll come help here."
"Alright. Just… don't die on us."
He nodded lightly, sending the shield-bearing clone to hold the line while his true self turned back toward his fierce duel.
Even with the Sword of Kings amplifying his power, defeating Number One would take time. Her fused Holy Sword's might was no joke. She fought with the refined grace—and raw strength—of a High-Class Devil.
"I'll help you!"
A familiar voice rang out. Xenovia had arrived. She planted her Holy Sword of Destruction into the ground and swept her hand upward.
A glowing gate of light opened beside her.
From within, a massive blue‑gold sword slowly floated forth, heavy chains tightly wrapped around its blade, as if restraining something alive.
"Saint Peter, Saint Basil, Saint Denis, and Holy Mother Maria," she intoned firmly. "Hear my prayer—by the names of the saints that dwell within this blade, I hereby release you—Holy Sword, Durandal!"
With a metallic roar, chain after chain shattered and fell away. The sacred blade blazed free at last.
"Durandal?!" Valper's eyes went wide. Even Kokabiel looked momentarily stunned.
Number One's fused Holy Sword contained four of the seven fragments of the King's Sword—but Durandal was on an entirely different level, a legendary Holy Sword equal to the King's Blade itself.
Its rank far surpassed that of the fusion weapon.
Ryuichi raised an eyebrow. So that was the power he'd been sensing from Xenovia all along. He had always suspected she was hiding something—but he hadn't expected her to carry a fully awakened, legendary Holy Sword.
Where were all these girls getting these weapons, anyway?
Still, he couldn't help but smirk.
"Well, I've got my own King's Sword, so I'm not exactly jealous."
Valper, however, was losing it.
"Impossible! My research hasn't reached the level required to wield Durandal—!"
"Of course it hasn't," Xenovia replied coolly. "Even the Vatican can't artificially reproduce a Durandal‑compatible body."
"What? Then you mean—" Valper gawked.
"So that's it," Ryuichi murmured, realization dawning. "You're a natural-born Holy Sword wielder."
Xenovia's tone was calm, matter‑of‑fact. "Exactly. Unlike Irina and the others, I was born this way."
Valper froze, too humiliated to speak. He clenched his fists in seething frustration.
He had spent years creating artificial wielders and perfecting his Four‑Sword Fusion, only for a naturally gifted girl to stand before him—wielding a sword of legend that he could never produce.
The slap to his pride was almost audible.
Ryuichi gave Xenovia a quick, confident grin. "You take point—I'll back you up."
He wasn't the type to fight over credit, and besides, Durandal's destructive power was undeniable.
"Understood."
Without hesitation, Xenovia charged. Durandal blazed with divine light as she clashed with Number One.
White hair flowing, the experimental girl moved with blinding speed, matching Xenovia blow for blow.
Ryuichi seized the opening. Flipping his hand, he conjured a glowing sigil—the Seal of Magic Suppression.
"Let's shut down that sword of yours!"
The sealing mark shot forward and stamped flat against Number One's chest—
Tssk!
—and with an audible rip, her clothing tore away.
"Uh?" Xenovia blinked.
Ryuichi nearly choked. "Ah—right, that wasn't the intended effect…"
Number One didn't even flinch. Her face remained expressionless as she raised her blade and struck again.
The suppression hadn't worked.
Ryuichi frowned. Then he saw it—the sword itself was supplying power directly to her body.
So that's what this is… the Holy Sword controlling the wielder rather than the other way around.
"Pathetic," Xenovia muttered softly, slashing again. Blinding arcs of light carved deep wounds across Number One's body, but the girl continued to move, unfeeling, unbroken, still fighting like a puppet bound to its master's will.
Valper shouted from the sidelines, desperation edging into his voice.
"Use the final protocol! Burn every remaining factor in your body!"
And then Ryuichi felt it—a familiar, terrible pressure rising from within her.
That power… again.
She was burning her soul.
The same reckless, self‑destructive surge he'd felt before—igniting life itself to gain power beyond limits.
And this time, it was even stronger.