[Perspective: Kiba]
Dulio stepped forward.
He stood before his master, Ewald Cristaldi.
Ewald looked upon his disciple and asked, "Dulio. You were hailed as the strongest in the Church. For what purpose do you fight?"
"——So that everyone can live in peace. Isn't that the only reason anyone ever needs?"
He answered his master's question with a full, radiant smile. It was a smile of boundless kindness.
The man known as Heaven's "Trump Card" spread his ten pure-white wings. Clad in a golden aura, he began to concentrate light in the palm of his hand.
But it did not take the form of a spear of light, nor a sword.
What appeared was——a soap bubble, shimmering with the seven colors of the rainbow.
Leaving Dulio's hand, the bubble multiplied into countless others, drifting not only throughout the barrier but spreading beyond it. The battlefield froze. Every combatant stopped, captivated by the fantastical sight of rainbow bubbles blanketing the area.
Dulio spoke.
"An application of Zenith Tempest. I call it——Speranza Bolla di Sapone."
Rainbow-Colored Hope.
One of the bubbles drifted down into my hand and popped, fragile and fleeting. In that instant, a nostalgic memory resurfaced in my mind.
It was a memory of that facility. A memory of the time I spent with them.
'Hey, when we get out of here, what do you guys want to be?'
We spoke of our dreams. What we would become when we went outside. What we wanted to do.
'I think I want to be a painter. I want to draw a picture of Lord Jesus and win an award.'
'I want to be a Sister. Oh, but being a florist sounds nice, too.'
'I... I think I'd just be happy if we could all live together as friends...'
I had said the same thing she did.
Yes. As long as I was with everyone——.
That was enough.
I didn't care about Excalibur...!
Everyone had dreams. Everyone had hope. We just wanted to live like normal children...!
Sacred Swords, aptitude factors... those were just supposed to be the means to achieve our dreams...!
How could I... how could I have forgotten even this?
I had accepted their feelings once before, yet somewhere along the way, I had let it slip from my mind...!
They never desired revenge...!
They only wanted to live...!
And what they entrusted to me was the same...!
I... I am...!
Her voice echoed in the back of my mind.
'Live for my sake, and for your own.'
The crimson-haired woman who saved me. The person who wished for my happiness, who is as dear to me as a sister.
'Go cool your head and think about what's really important. Then come back. We'll be waiting for you, always.'
Those were the words he said to me once.
When I was consumed by vengeance against Excalibur, that was what he told me.
What exactly... have I been learning as I chased his back all this time...?!
I thought I understood, but I didn't understand anything...!
I've forgotten what matters most twice now...!
...Rias... President, Issei-kun... I truly was... truly was a colossal idiot.
Looking around, I saw that everyone on the battlefield was weeping. Weapons fell to the ground as they simply stood there, crying.
Dulio spoke softly.
"Those bubbles make anyone they touch remember the things and the people most precious to them. That's their only ability. But since it was the power I wanted most, I adapted my technique to create it."
So, the rainbow bubbles possessed such a property...
A power kinder than anyone else's.
Instead of using the might of a Longinus for destruction, he used it for something entirely different——.
However, there was one who gripped his sword even after being touched by the bubbles.
Ewald Cristaldi, though tears streamed down his face, still held Excalibur tight.
"Even so! If we do not see this through to a conclusion, our uprising will have been for nothing! Dulio!"
"——In that case, let us settle this."
Sister Griselda spread her six wings, gathering light in her hands to form a bow and arrow. I had heard of this once before—the unique ability of the Queen of Hearts. It was not meant for attack, but rather——.
Irina-san stood up in response.
"Hauteclere, lend me your strength! As someone who once wielded Excalibur, I have to strike at least one blow in retaliation!"
Spreading her four pure-white wings, Irina-san launched herself forward!
Watching her back, I turned my consciousness inward.
It happened then——.
Two powers, Holy and Demonic, surged from my body.
It felt similar to when I fought Siegfried after he turned into a devil—when I surpassed Balance Breaker and reached a new stage.
But this was decisively different.
The power overflowing now was clearer than ever before. The opposing forces of Holy and Demonic were becoming one, manifesting in a new form.
I reached that realm once again.
My appearance hadn't changed. But I was cloaked in an aura far quieter, far more pristine than before. The blade of my Holy Demonic Sword was without a single blemish; it was so magnificent that even I, its creator, found it beautiful.
I steadied my breathing and opened my eyes.
I kicked off the ground and dashed forward.
My body, my heart—they felt light.
I felt as if I could fly anywhere.
As Irina-san and I charged, Ewald Cristaldi created layers of clones to confuse us. Even though she had taken damage and wasn't in top condition, Irina-san's movements were lighter than before the battle began, and she cut down the clones one after another.
I leaped high, vaulting over the heads of the decoys to strike at one specific clone!
That clone's eyes widened in shock.
"Impossible...! You saw through it?!"
"Saw through"... wasn't quite right.
I just felt it.
Which were the fakes, and which was the real body.
"Haaaaaaaaaa!"
I swung my sword straight down!
Holy Demonic Sword and Excalibur collided violently!
The moment he caught my blade, Ewald Cristaldi's face twisted in pain. That single strike, imbued with the power of destruction, must have resonated deeply.
"——Gh! You cracked Excalibur, even if it is a replica?!"
It seemed I had dealt significant damage not just to him, but to the Excalibur Replica as well.
Then, as our blades locked, something astonishing happened.
My Holy Demonic Sword began to absorb Excalibur's holy aura, using it to strengthen my own holy attribute. The sacred aura enveloped both my sword and my body, raising my output even higher.
Ewald Cristaldi voiced his shock.
"You absorbed the holy waves of Excalibur with a demonic sword to heighten your own holiness?! Is such a thing possible?!"
Excalibur, temporarily drained of its holy waves by my sword, saw the cracks on its blade widen further.
And there, Irina-san swung Hauteclere down!
"Hauteclere! Unleash the power of purification!"
Answering its master's will, Hauteclere released its attribute!
Hauteclere possesses the power of purification. Taking that head-on would erase the fighting spirit of even the warriors' great mentor.
However——.
"Hah!"
With a flash of pure willpower, Ewald Cristaldi withstood it!
Even as his emotions were being stripped away, he endured through sheer spirit?! Responding to his resolve, the Excalibur Replica began to regain its lost holy waves.
At that moment, an arrow charged with immense light power flew from behind us. It struck Irina-san in the back, and her body began to emit a blinding light!
"My arrows enhance the power of angels!"
Yes, that is the ability of Sister Griselda, the Queen of Hearts. An angel struck by her arrow sees their power skyrocket temporarily.
With Irina-san's power boosted, Hauteclere's strength and properties intensified.
My Holy Demonic Sword had drained the holy waves, leaving him vulnerable, and now the enhanced Irina-san delivered her strike.
Under that blow, the Excalibur Replica reached its limit.
——The blade of Excalibur snapped in two.
"——Sensei, here I go."
Dulio announced.
Vast thunderclouds filled the sky. Sharp, freezing air flowed through the area, encasing Ewald Cristaldi's legs—and the broken Excalibur he still refused to release—in ice.
And then——.
A massive bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, shattering the cross-shaped barrier and engulfing the mentor of the warriors.
▽
Ewald Cristaldi lay on the ground.
With the Joker's strike as the final blow, the warriors' teacher had fallen.
Thanks to the healing of a female warrior under his command, he seemed to have avoided death, but the power of the Longinus was tremendous; he could not stand.
Seeing their teacher fall, the other warriors had already lost their will to fight.
Ultimately, this battle ended in our victory.
Lying on the ground, Ewald spoke to Dulio.
"...If you had created those bubbles from the start, you could have won much more easily. No, had you used Balance Breaker, you could have easily swept us all away in an instant."
He was right.
If Dulio had used those bubbles earlier, the warriors would have lost their will to fight immediately. If he had used Balance Breaker, the tide of battle would have swung instantly.
But if he had done that——
"A warrior can't be satisfied unless he speaks through his sword. I just decided to wait a while before using it. Better to let it all out than to leave things unfinished, right? Besides, I've decided only to use my Balance Breaker on opponents who are hopelessly stubborn or villains with absolutely no intention of repenting."
"...Good grief. You are soft... sweet. You always have been... Dulio, this is your win. Do as you please. But, let the others go. I was the one who brought them here. The blame lies solely with me."
Ewald looked as if he was ready to accept everything. He intended to take the fall for all the crimes committed here.
But the warriors raised their voices in objection.
"Wait, Dulio!"
"If you must kill, kill us! Sensei only responded to our feelings!"
"We are the ones who should be punished!"
The warriors stood up, desperate to protect their teacher. This sight alone proved how deeply respected this man was.
But their teacher shook his head.
"...Everyone here has had their lives ruined by Devils or Vampires. I was the same. We couldn't find a way to live other than by defeating them... Come, punish only me. These children can change their way of life from here on out."
His expression was different from the harshness he had shown before; it was incredibly gentle. This must be the man's true face.
"...I'm not gonna do anything, you know?"
Sighing, Dulio simply sat down on the spot.
His teacher looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"
"If I took you down, I'd just be resented for it, wouldn't I? Besides, if you're alive, you can eat all the delicious food you want... There are too many people in this world who don't know how precious that is."
The disciple answered his master's question with a carefree laugh.
It was a gentle smile, one that made the battle just moments ago feel like a lie.
Tears welled up faintly in Ewald Cristaldi's eyes.
"...Soft. You really are... too sweet."
[Perspective: Kiba - Out]
▽
"Guaaaaaaaaah!"
My scream echoed through the area.
I took a massive hit and was buried under rubble.
My armor was smashed in places, exposing my flesh, which was stained red with blood.
I was completely cornered.
"Come on, come on, try harder. You'll never beat me like that, you know?"
A carefree voice drifted down from the sky.
Looking up, I saw a young man looking down at me, floating with a black castle at his back.
His appearance reminded me somewhat of Vali. He was wearing a white hoodie as usual, but on his left arm was a black gauntlet. Beneath the hood, the young man's blue eyes were locked onto me.
Yes, that young man is Asem.
Apparently, he can change his body depending on the situation, and this is his combat form. He had shifted from the appearance of a young boy to a young man not much different in age from myself.
"Ahaha♪ Your power is great, but it's not enough. And here I am, engaging you in a purely physical brawl, just the way you like it."
Our fight had punched through the room we were in earlier and spilled out to the exterior of the castle, but I was being completely overwhelmed.
I was using Cardinal Crimson Promotion (CxC), yet I couldn't make a dent in him.
Worse, I was getting dominated in pure hand-to-hand combat.
None of my attacks were landing; it was a completely one-sided beatdown.
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