Cerberus charged, drool and the stench of rot trailing from its gaping jaws—a nightmare on three heads barreling straight for them.
Draconis faced one hellhound alone. It thundered forward, claws tearing up the scorched turf. Before he could close the gap, one of the beast's heads snapped open and spat a fireball—blazing, fast, impossible to dodge.
Draconis threw up his shield, bracing for impact.
BOOM.
The fireball erupted, flames swallowing him whole. The heat was suffocating—even with the Divine Lament Shield's barrier, the air sizzled around him, prickling his skin.
He didn't flinch. Magic surged, and he and his duplicate split off, attacking from two sides.
Draconis darted past the monster, Regalia Blade flashing—a clean arc aimed at one of the snarling heads.
The hellhound lunged, jaws wide to bite down on the blade. But it had misjudged. Draconis poured raw, furious magic into his sword, the edge glowing with lethal power.
With a single swing, he severed the head. Blood sprayed, the beast howled in agony, thrashing wildly.
His duplicate closed in, shield raised, and smashed down with brutal force. The impact shook the ground, flattening the hellhound with a dull, bone-crunching thud.
Up in the sky, Kokabiel watched, surprise flickering in his eyes as he studied Draconis and his twin. A slow grin spread across his face.
"Well now. That's interesting. Did the devils cook up a new toy?"
He hadn't seen anything like Draconis's duplicate before—clearly, the pawn promotion system was news to him.
Draconis pressed the advantage. Across the field, Rias and her team were hammering their own Cerberus.
"Too slow!" Akeno called out, stepping into the beast's path. Lightning crackled from her fingertips, striking the hellhound again and again, burning patches of fur to black.
Rias sprang from behind her, body arcing through the air, a whip of magic trailing from her hand. At the peak of her jump, she unleashed a torrent of destructive flame—raw, annihilating power.
Cerberus fought back, all three heads rearing and unleashing streams of hellfire. Magic collided midair, sending waves of heat rolling over the battlefield. The academy's lawn shriveled and burned, flames licking away the last blades of grass to reveal scorched earth.
But the beast had three heads—while two tangled with Rias and Akeno, the third was free to join the fray. It lunged, ready to tip the balance.
A petite shadow darted in.
"Hiya!" Koneko Toujou, fists wrapped in combat gloves, leapt high and drove a punch straight into the hellhound's skull.
THUD.
The impact sent the massive creature crashing to the ground.
Akeno grinned. "Nicely done!" Her clothes shimmered, transforming into shrine maiden robes. The change seemed to supercharge her magic—energy flared around her.
"Let me give you a little extra." Lightning exploded, golden bolts raining down, nearly drowning the Cerberus in thunder.
Akeno's reputation as Queen was well-earned.
Still, Cerberus was tough. Even battered and scorched, it kept fighting. Rias and her team couldn't break free just yet.
Draconis, meanwhile, kept one eye on Balba Galilei—the madman's fusion of the Holy Swords was nearly complete. If he succeeded, things would get ugly. And Kokabiel circled overhead, a predator waiting to strike.
Even in the chaos of battle, Draconis and the others had to split their focus: fighting for their lives, watching Kokabiel, and tracking the progress of the fusion. The tension was suffocating.
The four swords grew paler, less distinct—almost ready to merge. Draconis's eyes narrowed.
He needed to end this, fast.
He activated the Regalia Blade's full amplification.
WHOOSH.
Power flooded his body—tenfold what he'd wielded before. Invisible shockwaves rippled out from him, tossing his black hair in the magic-charged wind. His presence was overwhelming.
Kokabiel leaned forward, intrigued. "Hmm? Looks like you've got some real skill…"
Cerberus sensed the danger. Its claws gouged into the ground, muscles swelling as magic flared across its body. Flames erupted along its hide, and its speed doubled.
"Watch out for its hellfire!" Rias called out, never missing a beat.
But Draconis was done holding back. The Regalia Blade's amplification was tied to his limits—and now, he could handle ten times the boost. His growth was staggering. With that power, he could finish this.
He raised his silver blade, magic condensing along the edge until it formed a hundred-meter-long, purple-black greatsword. Ripples of force distorted the air.
Cerberus, desperate, launched a preemptive strike—a torrent of hellfire, dark as midnight, surged at Draconis. But his duplicate stepped in, shield glowing, barrier reinforced by the new power. The flames crashed against it, unable to break through.
Draconis gripped the massive sword and brought it down.
Kokabiel watched, amused. "That move looks familiar… Has the flavor of a Holy Sword. For a moment, I can't tell—whose is the real Holy Sword? Yours, or Balba's?"
Draconis didn't answer. He swung, aiming to end the beast once and for all.
—
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