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The moment the words "Holy Sword" were spoken, Rias Gremory's expression turned serious.
At Genzo Umon's command, No. 2 dismissed the light blade he'd been using. In the next instant, a longsword radiating sacred energy appeared in his hand.
The moment it materialized, every demon present felt a chill crawl down their spine. It was the instinctive dread of facing a natural enemy.
Jack glanced at the sword. He didn't fully understand what it was, but his demonic instincts screamed that it was bad news.
"One of the six holy relics kept by the Church? Why is it in your hands…?"
Rias stepped forward, her gaze darkening. "Jack, be careful. We'll take him together."
"Got it."
He nodded without hesitation.
Clearly, Rias knew just how destructive a Holy Sword could be. She didn't want him facing it alone.
Genzo burst into laughter. "Everything I've done—every experiment—was to make humans compatible with the Holy Sword! Look at it! This is the result of my research! Well? Impressive, right?"
"I see. I've heard of the 'Holy Sword Project' before. That was your doing too, wasn't it?" Rias said coldly.
"Heh, didn't expect you to know that. It was my teacher's project. Joining it is what let me explore the true essence of life and soul!"
He spread his arms wide like he was about to embrace something unseen, his behavior bordering on madness.
Rias took a slow breath, realizing just how serious the situation had become. A Holy Sword from the Church appearing here… did that mean the Church was involved in this project too?
Too many unknowns. No time to figure them out now.
Defeating him came first.
"All members, attack!"
She spread her fingers and chose the safest, most direct option: overwhelm him together.
No. 2 swung the Holy Sword. The already dense holy power around him surged even further.
Jack raised the Shield of Divine Lament and took the blow head-on. His arm went numb, and worse—he realized the demonic energy he'd infused into the shield had partially been erased.
That meant a drawn-out fight would be disastrous for him.
"Holy Swords are ancient weapons passed down through history," Rias warned. "Don't let it touch you. Even a scratch will hurt like hell."
She launched a spell as she spoke.
But the terrifying power of the Holy Sword quickly became clear. With No. 2 fighting like a man with nothing to lose, he shattered their attacks and even forced Koneko Toujou to hold back.
Holy Swords were inherently lethal to demons. Even the slightest graze caused pain far beyond being pierced by a spear of light.
Koneko relied on brute strength and defense in combat, but under the suppression of the Holy Sword, she was pushed onto the defensive.
No. 2 attacked like a rabid beast. Rias and Akeno Himejima grew more serious.
He was fighting like a mad dog now, throwing his life away. Combined with the Holy Sword's power, even their coordinated assault felt constrained.
"No. 2! Burn your soul power! I created you for this moment—kill them!" Genzo shouted.
He could see things weren't going well. Even against them, No. 2 hadn't gained much ground.
At this rate, his holy power would run dry.
That wouldn't do.
Clearly, Genzo had underestimated Rias and Akeno. They were the strongest ones here.
No. 2 let out an inhuman roar. His skull began to glow, and phantom figures—human silhouettes—appeared above his head.
"Those are… the souls of the humans from earlier?" Rias gasped.
Jack narrowed his eyes as the souls twisted and ignited. No. 2's aura skyrocketed.
"We have to block this! Burning soul power means he can only unleash one attack!" Rias shouted.
She and Akeno immediately formed over twenty layers of magical barriers in front of them.
Boom!
No. 2 swung his sword.
A massive wave of holy power erupted.
Fueled by burning souls and amplified by the Holy Sword, the attack was overwhelming. Layer after layer of barriers shattered instantly as the wave surged forward.
Jack and Koneko were forced to face it head-on.
The wave rushed straight toward Koneko—
In that critical moment, Jack moved.
He appeared in front of her, pulled her into his arms, and raised the Shield of Divine Lament.
With a low shout, the shield flared with blinding light. At the same time, golden brilliance filled his eyes.
For a fleeting instant, the shadow of a massive black city flashed within his pupils.
The shield's presence changed completely. It felt unbreakable.
Endless Dusk City.
Radiant holy light crashed forward. Under Rias and the others' tense gaze, the golden wave slammed into Jack's silver shield.
Like waves crashing against a reef, the attack split apart, surging to either side.
Jack stood firm against the onslaught.
Right now, he could only draw out a fraction of the shield's true power, concentrating it onto its physical form. Even so, its ultimate ability finally revealed its might.
Within the domain of Endless Dusk City, everything about Jack entered absolute stasis.
As long as he maintained it, no attack could harm him.
And that protection extended to the shield itself.
The only problem…
With his current reserves, he could only hold it for five seconds.
Five seconds of being a real man.
Still, five seconds was more than enough to decide a battle.
When the wave finally dissipated, the ground on both sides of where Jack stood had been obliterated, carving trenches nearly five meters deep. The residual force spread outward in a wide arc for hundreds of meters.
Behind him, Rias and the others were completely unharmed.
He had redirected almost all the destructive force to the sides.
And he himself stood there, perfectly intact.
After tanking such a terrifying attack, the only price he paid was a heavy drain on his demonic energy.
"..."
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