Asia was overwhelmed with panic, worry, and a deep surge of emotion.
Ryuya had already been badly injured before…
And now he was enduring all this again—taking those devastating attacks head-on—just to protect her.
With tears in her eyes, she immediately activated twilight healing, pouring all her healing power into him.
Ryuya's pain eased somewhat, but he knew—the true crisis hadn't even begun.
Using Rias and Akeno's attack as cover to retrieve Asia was only the first step.
Now came the real problem:
How to escape from the Fallen Angels alive.
He and Asia were literally right in the middle of the enemy formation.
Rias and the others were equally tense.
They had understood Ryuya's plan the instant he acted, and when they saw him shielding Asia with the Shield of Kings, they felt nothing but fear and hope.
Please… hold on. Come back safe…
Magic began to gather again—
Rias was already preparing to rush in and assist.
She could clearly foresee what would happen once their previous bombardment faded:
the three Fallen Angels would immediately launch a combined assault on Ryuya and Asia.
She had to be ready to strike the instant that happened—otherwise Ryuya and Asia would face certain death.
Akeno's expression had turned completely serious.
The real question was:
How could Ryuya possibly endure the first combined attack?
Even if she and Rias reacted at full speed, they could never move faster than the three Fallen Angels already standing right in front of Ryuya.
He would have to withstand that first joint strike alone.
But in his condition?
Could he even survive a single hit…?
They truly feared Ryuya might be killed instantly, unable to resist at all—
after all, two of the Fallen Angels were Super Angel-class, comparable to Rias herself.
As the last remnants of flame and lightning dissipated, Ryuya understood perfectly…
The real danger was now.
He took a deep breath and said softly to the girl in his arms:
"Asia… heal me with everything you have."
The moment he spoke—
he called upon the Sword–Shield of King.
The sacred gear responded instantly.
Ryuya's body trembled—
Crashhhh… crashhhh…
Everyone could clearly hear it.
The sound of roaring waves.
Eyes widened in shock.
They were not amateurs—they all understood immediately:
That sound was magic surging violently through his body.
"What is…?" Akeno covered her lips, eyes trembling.
Sacred Gear Resonance.
Ryuya had triggered sacred gear resonance in this situation—causing all his magic to boil and roar within him!
This was a path of evolution every being could pursue—communing with sacred gear through sheer will to improve oneself.
But it carried terrible risk.
One misstep would leave the body crippled—or dead.
But Ryuya had no other choice now.
He had already reached his limit after the contract enhancement. He had planned to return later and attempt a breakthrough through sacred gear resonance…
But Asia had been targeted by the Fallen Angels.
So now, he had to gamble everything.
If he could break through to Mid-class Devil level here—he might just be able to withstand one full-powered strike.
And he only needed to withstand one.
Just one.
The rest could be left to Rias and Akeno.
Ryuya's body was trembling violently.
Magic surged through him like a collapsing mountain, like tidal waves crashing again and again.
Bloodshot veins crawled across his eyes.
He clenched his teeth, refusing to utter a sound.
In his mind echoed Rias's teachings:
"Sacred gears resonate with the host's thoughts.
With sufficient will, a sacred gear's power can be pushed to incredible heights.
But everything depends on how long the host's will can endure…
and whether the body can withstand it."
Meaning—
As long as his will held firm,
and his body endured…
he could surpass his limits with the sacred gear's power.
With Asia healing him, he could ignore the damage to his body for now…
Everything depended on how strong his will was.
Then let it be here.
Let him break through the bottleneck of a Low-Class Devil…
and step into Mid-Class Devil right now.
Ryuya's consciousness sank into the pitch-black mental realm.
Before him stood the radiant Sword–Shield of Kings…
and behind it, the colossal, shadowy black city towering into the void.
His gaze lifted to the top of the battlements—to the massive bronze bell hanging there.
Without hesitation, he threw his will forward and rammed into it.
"DONG!!!"
His spiritual impact struck the great bell—and the shockwave burst out into the real world.
"What sound is that!?"
The three Fallen Angels trembled.
Even as they resisted Rias and Akeno's blazing attacks, their eyes drifted toward Ryuya uncontrollably.
From that bell's toll, they sensed a vast, overwhelming aura—a force that felt capable of annihilating them outright.
And as the bell echoed, the Sword–Shield of Kings blazed with even greater radiance.
Ryuya's magic surged violently, as if ignited.
Pupupupu—
Several wounds split open across his body at once, blood spraying.
In the blink of an eye, he became covered in crimson.
"Ah!"
Asia panicked, her heart aching as she stared at the boy with tightly shut eyes—
she poured every drop of her sacred gear's healing into him.
Inside the mental realm, Ryuya growled:
"Again."
"DONG!!"
The bell's toll rang out like an echo from ancient times—
long, deep, resonant.
He could feel it.
The bottleneck had loosened.
This path of evolution was as dangerous as it was powerful—
Ryuya felt pain beyond anything he had ever known.
Too painful.
It felt like even his soul was being torn apart.
Normally, even breaking through wouldn't hurt this much…
but Ryuya had chosen the most extreme method possible.
This was the price.
Dozens of times more agony.
And yet, he clenched his teeth and endured.
He had to break through—
or he would die here.
And if he died, Asia might die too.
Rias would have to face a forced marriage she didn't want.
And Sakurajima Mai…
Inside the mental realm, Ryuya raised his head.
His gaze steadied as he stared at the bronze bell.
His spirit condensed into a clear shape—
he clenched both fists, took a step forward, and punched the bell with absolute resolve.
"DONG!"
"DONG!"
"DONG!"
Three strikes.
Three thunderous, lingering bell chimes.
In the real world, Ryuya's body burst into bloodlines—
in an instant, he became a figure drenched entirely in red.
But in his spiritual world—
The ancient black city beneath his feet ignited with blinding golden lines,
spreading outward like veins of light.
As if…
an ancient titan sleeping beneath the world had finally awakened.
In reality, Rias and Akeno's suppression faded.
The moment their attacks ended, the three Fallen Angels launched at Ryuya at full speed.
"Boy! DIE!"
And in that exact moment—
Ryuya's magic exploded, swelling tenfold in an instant.
His eyes snapped open.
In his pupils appeared the phantom outline of a colossal black city,
its walls etched with rapidly spreading golden patterns.
Golden light flooded his once-black irises—transforming them into fierce, dazzling golden eyes.
Deep within them…
the silhouette of the ancient black city flickered ominously.
---
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