After Ise-kun and Asia-san disappeared from the battlefield, there were only four of us left, including meâKiba Yuuto, my master Rias-buchou, Akeno-san and Koneko-chan.
The enemy had three people left. Kaichou, Shinra-senpai, and the remaining [Bishop] student council member.
âWe had lost half of our members.
A game where one side was supposed to dominate was full of major upsets right from the beginning. The side that was said to be superior had also lost half of their members. I could already hear the comments of those high-class devils watching us from above.
Buchouâs estimation will surely fall. But, we couldnât let it fall any lower than this.
Ise, the mood-maker of our team, had disappeared. This wasâŠhuge. I somehow endured it, but what was going on in Buchouâs mind? If Asia were still here, she would be in shock.
Our current membersâwouldnât change for the moment. Even if there had been a shocking impact just now, as long as it didnât affect the battle, there was no problem, butâŠ
Asia had also been unexpectedly taken out. The so-called [Reverse], which had been chosen to be used when she activated her healing ability, and moreover her area-expansion version. So the opposite of healing was damage âŠAsia-sanâs healing ability was enormous. The damage caused by [Reverse] must have also been unimaginable.
More importantly, Asia had exited in an instant. The opposing BishopâHanakai-san had also disappeared from the attack she gave. Most likely, they had predicted beforehand that the healing ability could be expanded and that it would be used, and made tactics against it. They must have also taken into consideration that Asia-sanâs area-expanded healing would heal without distinguishing between enemies and allies. If reverse had been activated when more than one ally was being healedâŠWe could have also been completely wiped out. What terrifying tactics.
So you thought that far ahead, Sona-kaichou. However, even so, to have the intention of sacrificing her servantsâŠI could feel that their power of unity was greater than ours. Because she believed in her members, they could display such feats of strength.
On the other hand, Iseâs technique wasâŠI couldnât say anything anymore. But, if the opponents are limited to women, it may become quite threateningâŠWait, this wasnât what I should be thinking about, though.
Sona-kaichou hadnât aimed at winning with immense power, but instead at using counters that made use of us, who did possess immense power. This was the original Rating Game. You couldnât easily win with just power!
Buchou stood up and looked above. She must have been focusing on Kaichou, who was on the roof.
Even though Ise-kun had been lost, Buchou was calm. As expected of a [King]. Since if the [King] didnât function and act, the game would be affected.
âKoneko, can you feel her spirit?â
Buchou asked Koneko-chan this.
âYes. I couldnât detect it before, but now I can sense Kaichouâs spirit on the roof. I think that the barrier from before was false illusion that made it look like Kaichou was inside it, and also a special decoy that made anyone unable to perceive the actual personâs spirit and location.â
Her cat ears were moving timidly, seemingly searching for Kaichouâs spirit.
Your cat ears are very cute, Koneko-chan. Koneko-chan was also a battle-ready state, even if Ise-kun had disappeared. I was thankful for this. With this, we can fight sufficiently.
I pointed my sword at Shinra-senpai and the other servant from the Sitri group.
âNow then, how shall we do this? As two blade-users, shall we decide it by the blade?â
Shinra-senpai responded to my question.
âThat is also fine. In chess, when a pawn is promoted, in most cases they become [Queen]. However, the battle situation changes if they promote to [Knight] instead depending on the setting. There are also a lot of differences between actual chess and the Rating Games, butâthis will be a good match.â
The battle between me and Shinra-senpai was decided. Besides her, there was only the opposing [Bishop]âKusaka-san, butâ.
At that moment, Akeno entered my sight as she gave off a crackling golden aura from her entire body.
Akeno-sanâhad a cold look in her tear-soaked eyes and was giving off a strange aura.
ââŠEven though I tried to show Ise-kun my determinationâŠâ
She went forward a step on with wobbly and shaky legs. I could feel a strong pressure in that step that couldnât be expressed in words.
ââŠEven though I tried to overcome itâŠby using this hateful power in front of himâŠâ
Akeno-san slowly raised her hands in front of her andâ.
âI wonât forgive you.â
She showed the natural face of her S-side! The number one state that Akeno-san shouldnât be touched in! Impossible, to think that the usually calm Akeno-san would react to losing Ise-kun like this!
ââDisappear.â
After that brief anger-filled declaration, a great mass of thunder sprung forth from Akeno-sanâs hands and swooped down on the Sitri [Bishop] Kusaka-san!
Doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!
âReverse!â
At the instant of impact, Kusaka-san spread out her hands and tried to reverse the thunder, butâ.
Bigagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagagaga!! The violent thunder wrapped around Kusaka-san!
Kusaka-san couldnât reverse the thunder and directly received Akeno-sanâs attack!
And at the same time, she was wrapped in light and disappeared!
âIt seems it was useless. She tried to reverse the thunder, but what I shot just now was lightning. Thunder and light. The reverse of the light portion wasnât enough to reverse it all.â
[One of Sona Sitri-samaâs âBishopsâ, retired.]
ââThe power couldnât be overturned when the power being reversed was changed.â
Just as Akeno-san said, it seemed that their training wasnât enough for them to master the power of [Reverse]. Akeno-san then pointed her hands at the [Queen] Shinra-senpai!
Akeno-san had already disregarded the battle between me and senpai! She had forgotten me in her shock over losing Ise-kun and her anger at not being able to display her lightning power to him!
It may be that, as a result of that, Akeno-san was able to conquer that power, but what an unexpected development. To think that Ise-kun meant that much to Akeno-san!
âKuh!â
Shinra-senpai felt the danger to her body and started running away from here!
Kah! Dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!
The lightning extended straight towards senpai! If a devil was hit directly by that, they would be helpless! Since it was mixed with the power of thunder and the power of light, the weakness of devils, just imagining getting hit by that power was terrifying.
However, Shinra-senpai avoided the lightning and tried to escape into the interior of the department store.
I swiftly ran after her! I wonât lose when it comes to speed!
While dashing, I created a holy demonic sword, and when I caught up I stabbed at her! My blade was blocked by her naginata, but I didnât know when she would bring out that counter Sacred Gear!
Shinra-senpai took out a small bottle from her pocket. â[Phoenix Tears]! So the Sitri [Queen] had theirs!
She threw the small bottle at me and cut it apart with her naginata. The liquid inside was poured onto me!
âReverse!â
Shinra-senpai shouted that! She intended to change the immense healing power of the tears into damage the instant it hit me! I quickly changed my holy demonic sword into a sword of water!
Bishah!
The wave of water mixed together with the tears. When mixed with something else, the tears lost their effect. And as a result, the [Reverse] also lost its meaning!
âIf an opening is made even just a little!â
Senpai sharply turned her naginata towards me!
I see, the attack just now was to make me block and step out. Howeverâ.
Zan!
Holy demonic swords bloomed in profusion around Shinra-senpai! The multiple holy demonic blades that sprouted out from the floor destroyed senpaiâs naginata.
âThe current me has no openings.â
When I tried firing a second bout of swords at her, she made the mirror from before appear in front of her. I weakened the swords as much as possible and they stabbed with just enough power to destroy the mirror.
Barin! Dooooooooo!
The short-lived mirror broke and the impact was returned to me with double the damage, butâI could endure this much! I clenched my teeth in pain and raised my left arm towards the sky.
âPetro, Basileus, Dionysius, Holy Mary. Please listen to my voice!â
Space warped and a tear was created! I stuffed my hand into there!
âNo way!? Thatâs!â
Understanding the meaning of this, Shinra-senpai was shocked.
âIn the name of the saints lodged in the holy blade, I release thee. âDurandal!â
The item I took out from the space was the legendary holy sword, Durandal!
Xenovia! Iâll clear away your regrets here and now!
Following the momentum as I took Durandal out, I slashed at Shinra-senpai! The holy sword hit, and serious damage was given to Shinra-senpai.
Even in that situation, she didnât activate her counter Sacred Gear. So she was unable to use it continuously.
âIt was Xenoviaâs suggestion. That, in the case that she became unable to function and fight, she would transfer the swordâs right of use to me, since this sword is too good for her.â
Thatâs right, Xenovia had taught me how to use Durandal.
And how could I, who possesses holy demonic swords, use Durandal, you ask?
âHowever, your holy demonic aptitude isââ
Shinra-senpai said that as she was wrapped in the light of retirement teleportation.
âI had no past. Because of that, I saw hell, butâŠIâm different now. Thanks to attaining Balance Breaker, it seems I can also handle Durandal like this.â
BuuuuuuuuuuuunâŠ
Durandal was emitting a quiet and peaceful surge. It wasnât letting out a violent and rampaging surge like it did with Xenovia.
âKuh! This isâŠ! You can handle it better than Xenovia-san!?â
Shinra-senpai said that, but I didnât think so.
ââŠSince Xenovia has aura temperament that desires power, Durandal may have also reacted to that. But I choose certainty over power. Ability over strength.â
I had intended to suppress its power, but even so the floor had been cut into two equal halves up to quite a distance away from the shockwave of slashing Shinra-senpai. It seemed I would receive a minus evaluation because of this.
âI thought that it was a stubborn steed that didnât listen to the words of its wielder, but it really seems to be true. It cut more than I thoughtâŠSo controlling it is still difficult.â
ââŠ! This is outside of our calculations, Sona! Even more than Hyoudou-kunâŠ! Their true ace isâŠ! The servant to pay attention to isâŠKiba Yuuto!â
Shinra-senpai left just those parting words and disappeared from this place.
[Sona Sitri-samaâs âQueenâ, retired.]
âItâs because Iâaim to surpass Ise-kun, no, the Sekiryuutei.â
Mortifying. It had been mortifying for me. The loss against the Phoenix family. Ise-kun, you werenât the only one who was filled with feelings of frustration and mortification back then.
âSince Rias Gremoryâs true [Knight] was taken out without being able to protect my master.
Even though I had finally attained Balance Breaker, the power of me and my comrades couldnât connect with Kokabiel, and I couldnât enter the battle against the Hakuryuukou either. I hadnât been helpful at either of those times.
Mortifying.
It was mortifying for me, Ise-kun!!
Thatâs why I trained from scratch under my teacher. Truly from scratch. I learned from the sword basics again.
Perhaps telling myself that I wasnât like you, I also kept doing straightforward training to the point of foolishness. If I simply prided myself on attaining Balance Breaker, that will be where I degenerate into weakness!
ââMore than anything else, I hate it seeming like the only servant is the Sekiryuutei.â
You may be aiming at Vali. But my only goal was to be my masterâs sword, and stand as a partner next to you, my comrade.
Rias Gremory had not only the Sekiryuutei, but also the âKiba Yuuto of the Holy Demonic Swordsâ. Because I wanted to say that, Iâ.
ââIâll also promise the same as you promised. I will never make my master Rias Gremory cry again.â
The only remaining opponent wasâthe [King], Sona Sitri-kaichou.
The roof of the department store. The sky outside was white, empty of anything. Because it was within the space of the game.
Our remaining four members had gone there. In front of us was Sona-kaichou.
Kaichou turned her gaze towards us and smiled bitterly. Buchou asked.
âSona, why on the roof?â
âThe [King] must survive until the end. That is the duty of the [King]. If the [King] is taken out, the game would be over, right?â
ââŠYes, I didnât question the profoundness of that.â
âRias, Saji won against the Sekiryuutei. Neither Ise-kun nor you made any mistakes. âPlease don't make light of that child. You arenât the only ones that are desperate.â
âYes, I could sense it with my body. âNow then, letâs settle this, Sona.â
Buchou took a step forward. Does she intend to do this one-against-one?
She was a person that wouldnât listen even if stopped. In that caseâ.
âIf I sense danger, Iâll enter to help immediately. I wonât listen to your selfishness.â
ââŠâŠâ
Buchou didnât react to my words, but she should have understood. If Buchou was close to losing, I wouldnât pay attention to her protests and enter to help as well.
If the [King] was taken down, it was over. I canât let you get taken out, Rias-buchou.
Then, the battle between best friends startedâ.
An aura of water gathered around Kaichou, and gradually formed something. This was no ordinary amount of water. Looking at it, the water seemed be collected from everywhere within the department store.
As expected of the Sitri family whose specialty is water magic. I had heard that the older sisterâs specialty was ice, while the younger sisterâs was water.
In her magic, Buchou carried the power of destruction. An attack that destroys the opponent. Without hesitation, Buchou fired magic bullets at her friend Sona-kaichou! The number of bullets was endless like that of a machine gun!
The bullets were only about the size of a softball, but I could feel magic of high purity in each shot. It seemed that the results of Buchouâs training were also coming out. That she wasnât attacking showily was because of the rules.
Zabun. Zabaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.
Sona-kaichou manipulated the water and made it into a wall, stopping Buchouâs attacks. The instant that Buchouâs magic hit, the water was also annihilated at the same time, but because she was gathering it from the entire building, it was unlimited.
âNow then, Rias. I shall thoroughly display my water techniques to you.â
Kaichou transformed a large amount of the water with magic, turning it into many hawks that flew in the air, serpents that slithered on the ground, valiant lions, wolves that herded together, and several huge dragons as well.
So she can make this many different things at once! Her magic skill surpasses that of Buchou!
âJust as I wished for, Sona!â
Smiling fearlessly, Buchou piled compression upon compression of her power of destruction and made a countless number of magic bullets in the air. Those without enough power would vanish from just one of those shots. To have condensed that many of them, it seemed that Buchou had built up her magic power fairly well in her training.
Both excelled in the quality of their magic, but looking at it like this, Buchou stood out in power while Kaichou stood out in technique.
Both of them stood ready. Then, the two of themâunleashed their attacks at each other at the same time.
[Resign confirmed. It is the victory of Rias Gremory-sama.]
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