Meanwhile, in Leon's manor, in the underground training room...
Leon stood aside, watching Miyamoto Musashi mentor Yuuki Asuna.
"Don't worry about any 'Holy Swords' for now. You need to solidify your fundamentals first. Start by learning how to grip the sword, and only after your stance is perfect should you learn how to swing it. Teaching sword arts or techniques is too early for you right now."
Miyamoto Musashi was correcting Yuuki Asuna's gripping posture. She looked nonchalant, but the moment Asuna's stance showed any distortion, Musashi could instantly point it out and forcefully correct it. No matter how minute or subtle the deviation, it couldn't escape her eyes.
"Is this right?"
Under Musashi's guidance, Yuuki Asuna quickly mastered the correct grip. The object she held was not a Holy Sword, but a simple wooden sword conjured casually with magic. Anyone could tell the girl was a novice just by looking at her.
"Yes, yes, exactly like that. Just maintain this posture." Miyamoto Musashi seemed slightly surprised by Asuna's quick learning curve and genuinely praised her: "Although Miss Yuuki is clearly a layperson, she is unexpectedly a good prospect for swordsmanship."
Clearly, Yuuki Asuna's talent in the way of the sword was excellent, or she wouldn't have been chosen by Leon's Knight Piece.
Miyamoto Musashi taught Asuna several movements and various tips, and Asuna quickly learned and became familiar with all of them, which delighted Musashi.
"Female sword masters were almost unheard of in my era, making me an anomaly. Even in modern times, they are still rare. I didn't expect to meet a powerful female sword master of the future this time."
Miyamoto Musashi saw Asuna's future in her performance, and she became much more invested.
The result was that, unconsciously, Miyamoto Musashi was already teaching Yuuki Asuna the basic fundamentals of the Niten Ichi-ryū (Two Heavens as One School) style.
The so-called Niten Ichi-ryū does not refer to a two-sword style school of swordsmanship, but a school where one moves with the sword and changes with the situation.
Only when facing a strong enemy or destiny should one calm themselves, take a stance, and let their sword heart become zero—this is Niten Ichi-ryū.
Therefore, the Single-Sword style can use Niten Ichi-ryū, the Two-Sword style can use Niten Ichi-ryū, and even a Three-Sword style swordsman, like a certain easily-lost green algae-head who holds a sword in his mouth, can use Niten Ichi-ryū.
In a way, Niten Ichi-ryū is quite suitable for Yuuki Asuna, as her "Holy Sword Creation" can theoretically create and use countless swords. A style like Niten Ichi-ryū, which isn't limited by the number of weapons and can be performed with any quantity of weapons, will definitely allow Yuuki Asuna to maximize the advantages of "Holy Sword Creation."
Miyamoto Musashi likely realized this. Thus, she didn't teach actual sword techniques. Instead, she only intended to teach the fundamentals, explain the principles and essence of Niten Ichi-ryū to Yuuki Asuna, and let her comprehend and understand it on her own, ultimately forming her own Niten Ichi-ryū.
Although Yuuki Asuna didn't know Musashi's intentions, she listened very seriously.
Watching Yuuki Asuna absorb Miyamoto Musashi's teachings like a sponge, her posture becoming increasingly proper and her demeanor more like that of a female sword master, Leon could almost see the "Flash" Asuna, known as the demon of the raid, forming before his eyes.
"At this rate, Asuna should quickly become a combatant, right?"
Leon was very satisfied.
Yuuki Asuna's talent in magic power was not as high as Yukinoshita Yukino's. She wasn't even the most outstanding among Low-Class Devils, let alone Middle-Class. However, her talent in the sword was definitely not poor, hardly inferior to Yukinoshita Yukino's talent in magic power.
Yukinoshita Yukino took only a month to form basic combat strength. If Yuuki Asuna maintained this rate of progress, it would likely be about the same.
In a month, Yuuki Asuna should be able to rival stronger Middle-Class Devils. Furthermore, when facing Demonic Beasts, she might even be able to contend with existences on the level of Upper-Class Devils.
"They are both rare potential stocks. As expected of the heroines of their respective stories. I've really stumbled upon a treasure."
This also gave Leon a hint: perhaps he should focus on heroine-level figures and select his peerage members from among them.
Those who can become protagonists in their own stories generally have something exceptional about them. Even if they aren't High-Potential peerage members, they should be Mid-Potential ones.
Take Kasumigaoka Utaha, that woman is extraordinary. And the other two beauties of the Soubu High School elite circle—he should probably pay attention to them as well.
Although Leon had observed them before and confirmed that no Sacred Gears were lodged in them like in Yukinoshita Yukino, perhaps after he reincarnates them as Devils, their potential will be unlocked and attract Sacred Gears to lodge within them?
Sacred Gears are not necessarily innate. Some may transfer to the wielder's body midway through life.
Take himself, Leon strongly suspects that his "Zenith Tempest" only transferred to his body, making him its host, after he awakened the "Peerage Assimilation" Trait. Otherwise, having been a Devil for so many years, it would be impossible for him not to have noticed a Sacred Gear lodged inside him.
He was born a Devil in this life, a descendant of a pure-blood Devil family, and his other bloodline came from an Exorcist of the Church. It could be said that he was born extraordinary.
If he had been born with a Sacred Gear, it should have awakened long ago. Why would it wait until he was promoted to an Upper-Class Devil without even showing a hint of its existence?
His magic power sensing ability was already very strong; he could detect Sacred Gears in others' bodies. There was no reason he couldn't detect his own.
In light of this, Leon believed that his "Zenith Tempest" must have been attracted to him when he awakened the "Peerage Assimilation" Trait, making him the wielder of the second strongest Sacred Gear in this world.
By the same logic, those unowned Sacred Gears, under the operation of the Heavenly Realm's Sacred Gear System, could suddenly be attracted to someone, recognize them as their master, and lodge within their body.
The figures who become heroines in their respective stories, once reincarnated into Devils by him and their potential successfully developed, might very well become new Sacred Gear wielders.
"Speaking of which, my senpai (Utaha) is really patient. So much time has passed, and she still hasn't triggered the Devil flyer I gave her to summon me."
Leon inwardly grumbled, recalling Kasumigaoka Utaha, whose eyes were becoming increasingly disdainful toward him lately.
It seemed that ever since he started coming and going freely in the Service Club, and was likely accompanied by Yukinoshita Yukino wherever he went, the contempt and disdain in Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes had intensified.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, who originally called him "Demon-kun," now calls him "Perverted Demon-kun" with practically every sentence. Looking at her resentment-filled expression, one might mistakenly think that this Autumn Flower of Soubu High School wanted to start a romance with him.
Too bad, he didn't want a girlfriend; he only wanted servants...
Romance?
Not even dogs bother!
"If I can't get her, maybe I should shift my focus for now. I haven't paid much attention to the other two elite beauties recently."
A certain Devil thought this in a very philandering manner.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Leon raised his head as if he felt something.
He felt that the special magic circle he placed on Yukinoshita Yukino was entering a semi-activated state due to the appearance of a massive amount of magic power.
"Such immense magic power... Is Yukino getting serious?"
Leon narrowed his eyes, realizing something.
Glancing at Yuuki Asuna and Miyamoto Musashi, who were still engrossed in the lesson, Leon quietly exited the underground training room, activated a magic circle jump, and left the manor.
"Boom!"
It was the roar of the atmosphere.
As a blizzard-like cold wave raged between heaven and earth, the moisture in the atmosphere seemed to be sucked dry. It simultaneously condensed into ice and roared, causing endless amounts of ice to form in mid-air.
The ice converged with one another, quickly forming icebergs that were hurled toward the ground under the control of the three-meter-tall Ice Princess. The momentum was terrifying.
"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"...
The icebergs continuously slammed down like meteors, shaking the earth and kicking up violent impacts. Sharon, who was constantly leaping and dodging, was blown away several times by the cold, fierce gusts of wind.
"Ugh...!"
Sharon raised both hands, crossing them to block in front of her, but she still couldn't stop her body from flying backward like a cannonball, finally smashing into an iceberg.
In mid-air, Yukinoshita Yukino, with the Ice Princess floating behind her, continued her aggressive pursuit, wildly venting her magic power, causing new icebergs to form around her.
"Is this the power of a Longinus Sacred Gear...!?"
Sharon was facing an immense threat, cold sweat even dripping from her forehead.
It wasn't that she hadn't fought Sacred Gear users before, but this was her first time fighting a Longinus wielder.
Regrettably, this one time, she found herself in dire straits.
"Compared to ordinary Sacred Gears, the power of a Longinus is simply too exaggerated. They are not on the same level at all...!"
Sharon, who was capable of contending with Upper-Class Devils, was now being pushed to the brink by Yukinoshita Yukino, which showed how terrifying Yukinoshita Yukino was when using her Longinus.
The power to destroy gods or demon lords was clearly evident in this battle.
"Yukino!"
At the edge of the battlefield, which had transformed into a world of ice and snow, Yukinoshita Haruno and Mrs. Yukinoshita couldn't help but cry out simultaneously.
They were shivering in the cold wind, covered in a slight layer of frost, and were close to giving up.
"I must say, you two have truly immense courage. You dare to watch the battle from this location. Aren't you afraid of dying?"
At a certain moment, this voice entered the ears of the two Yukinoshita women.
Concurrently, an invisible barrier rose up, blocking the approaching cold current.