"President, could Mr. Eligos's 'Knight' possibly be—?"
When Kiba Yuuto's presence completely transformed, the smile on Himejima Akeno's face among the Gremory peerage vanished. She leaned close to Rias's ear and whispered.
"That's right. That should be the Sacred Gear 'Holy Sword Creation,' the same type as Yuuto's 'Sword Birth' but with the opposite attribute."
Rias hadn't expected the first peerage member Leon sent out to be a Sacred Gear user with the exact opposite attribute to her own member. Her face was written with astonishment.
It was no wonder even her own brother praised the potential of the Eligos peerage. A member with such a rare and powerful Sacred Gear would, if developed properly, become at least a High-class Devil in the future.
While her own subordinates were Sacred Gear users who were in no way inferior, one had to remember that Leon had only been a High-class Devil for a few months. Yet, he had successively recruited four members: one a possessor of a Longinus, and another a possessor of "Holy Sword Creation." To obtain such prime candidates so easily—his luck was simply too good.
However, for her own "Knight" to encounter a Holy Sword here... that was a bit of bad luck.
Looking at Kiba Yuuto's somber expression, Rias couldn't help but speak up.
"Yuuto, calm down. I think you should understand that it isn't a real Holy Sword."
Rias's reminder made Kiba Yuuto take a deep breath.
"I understand, President," Kiba Yuuto replied in a heavy voice. He then turned back to Asuna Yuuki and said, "My apologies, I was rude. Shall we begin?"
Kiba Yuuto seemed to have regained his composure, yet he did not return to his usual gentle demeanor.
"I'm ready whenever you are."
Though Asuna didn't know what was wrong with Kiba Yuuto, she replied politely.
"Be careful, Asuna."
Leon watched the scene silently for a moment before speaking. He knew exactly what was wrong with Kiba Yuuto, but he only offered that warning.
"I know."
Asuna nodded heavily, indicating her understanding.
Unlike Leon or Yukino Yukinoshita, she did not possess powerful magic detection methods, but having received instruction from Miyamoto Musashi during this period, she had developed a certain degree of martial insight.
In her eyes, Kiba Yuuto appeared slender, like a fragile, handsome youth, but in reality—judging by his walking posture, breathing rhythm, and the way he held his sword—he was undoubtedly a master of the blade.
Of course, he was still far from the realm of Miyamoto Musashi, who seemed full of openings but actually possessed none. Nevertheless, Asuna easily judged that his swordsmanship was superior to her own.
Fortunately, she wasn't without her own advantages.
Hum—
As Asuna slowly raised her sword, the rapier-type Holy Sword in her hand continuously released holy ripples, causing all the Devils present to instinctively show expressions of wariness.
Before them was a holy-attribute weapon far more powerful and terrifying than the light considered poisonous to Devils. Aside from Shiina Mahiru, who held a Holy Relic, even Leon felt his skin crawl at those holy ripples, instinctively wanting to stay away from it.
Kiba Yuuto was the same, but the moment that instinct arose, he rapidly suppressed it with his own emotions. Those emotions were the deep-seated loathing and hatred he had harbored for years.
He refused to retreat before a Holy Sword.
Thus, Kiba Yuuto raised his sword as well. Unlike Asuna's rapier style, his Magic Sword was a broad-bladed western sword.
"I'm coming, Yuki-san."
The moment those words left his mouth, Kiba Yuuto vanished.
No, he hadn't vanished; he had instantly turned into an afterimage, charging toward Asuna with startling speed.
Asuna's expression shifted slightly, but her actions were a step ahead of her thoughts. Her body leaped backward while she parried with the Holy Sword in her hand.
Clang!
Almost simultaneously, Kiba Yuuto's figure appeared before Asuna. The Magic Sword in his hand slashed like a streak of black light, slamming hard into the Holy Sword Asuna had raised, erupting in brilliant sparks and immense force.
Asuna was blown back by the blow, her body retreating rapidly. Her feet tapped the ground several times, and after a few leaps, she finally bled off the momentum and stabilized herself.
"So fast—"
Asuna looked at Kiba Yuuto with a grave expression, her internal alarm bells ringing at maximum volume.
The characteristic of a "Knight" is speed, so Asuna was not slow herself—in fact, she was the fastest among the Eligos peerage. Even Leon had to spread his Devil wings and fly to exceed her speed. If they were at the same level, Asuna would certainly not be slower than Leon.
Yet, Kiba Yuuto's speed was even greater than Asuna's. It was clear he had spent a long time developing and tapping into the full potential of the "Knight" trait.
"I'm continuing."
Kiba Yuuto gave Asuna only a moment's breathing room before charging again. His figure blurred as he swept toward her, gripping his sword with both hands and unleashing several flashes of sword light.
Asuna held her breath and then completely relaxed her body. Instead of retreating, the Holy Sword in her hand advanced, meeting his strikes with flashes of her own, letting the blades collide.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Accompanied by a series of metallic rings, the Holy Sword and the Magic Sword traded blows. As dazzling sparks exploded, the holy and demonic energies clashed against each other, sending shockwaves through the air.
Asuna and Kiba Yuuto engaged in a high-speed melee. One set of sword flashes was like a strobe light, striking incessantly; the other was like black lightning, hacking down repeatedly. For a time, they were evenly matched.
Clang!
After one more clash, the two separated. One leaped a great distance away, while the other skidded back several steps.
"—Impressive."
Kiba Yuuto was the one who had skidded back. Looking at Asuna, who had put distance between them, he spoke with surprise.
"Moving with the sword, changing with the momentum. Even when facing someone stronger, you maintain your calm, hold your stance, and turn a disadvantage into an advantage. This is Niten Ichi-ryu, isn't it?"
Kiba Yuuto had actually recognized Asuna's swordsmanship style.
"Yes. My style is Niten Ichi-ryu."
Asuna seemed somewhat surprised, but she answered his question.
"In that case, Miyamoto Musashi-san is your—?"
Kiba Yuuto clearly knew some insider information, his gaze flickering toward Sona Sitri in the distance.
"She is my teacher."
Asuna answered truthfully, causing Kiba Yuuto's expression to soften considerably.
"So you are the disciple of that Musashi-san. No wonder your skills are so outstanding."
Kiba Yuuto praised her from the bottom of his heart. He didn't know Asuna well, but he knew her master had only recently become a High-class Devil. Asuna couldn't have been a reincarnated Devil for long, yet she displayed such excellent sword skills. Her talent was truly extraordinary.
"Likewise." Asuna did not let down her guard. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Your swordsmanship seems to blend many styles. Could it be the rumored Tennen Rishin-ryu?"
"Yes." Kiba Yuuto seemed surprised that Asuna could see through his style. "Though I have studied the techniques of many schools, my swordsmanship instructor is Okita Souji of the Tennen Rishin-ryu."
Okita Souji, the genius swordsman of the Bakumatsu period, was the captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi—a group of samurai serving the Aizu Domain at the end of the Edo period. Along with Nagakura Shinpachi of the second unit and Saitou Hajime of the third, he was ranked as one of the three greatest swordsmen of the Shinsengumi. Though not a figure from hundreds of years ago like Miyamoto Musashi, he was still a historical legend from over a century ago.
Tennen Rishin-ryu was a school founded in the first year of the Kansei era (1789) by Kondou Kura-no-suke, a successor of the ancient Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, based on his own insights. It was a comprehensive martial art including swordsmanship, staff arts, jujutsu, and kiai-jutsu. Later, elements of the other arts were integrated into the swordsmanship, allowing it to survive to this day.
Most disciples of the school came from the Tama region—the outskirts of modern Tokyo, including Hachioji, Chofu, Hino, and Machida. Core Shinsengumi figures like Kondou Isami, Okita Souji, and Hijikata Toshizo were all practitioners of Tennen Rishin-ryu.
As Kiba Yuuto's instructor, Okita Souji, like Miyamoto Musashi, was a figure who had been reincarnated as a Devil before death. Though a figure from history, he remained active in the Devil world as a member of the current Great Satan Sirzechs Lucifer's peerage. Like Musashi, he was a "Knight" of a Maou.
While receiving instruction from Musashi, Asuna had read various books on sword schools at Leon's request. Additionally, Musashi had mentioned her fellow Maou "Knight" Okita Souji, praising his swordsmanship as superb and his talent as exceptional. Thus, Asuna had researched Tennen Rishin-ryu for a time.
She hadn't expected to witness it here.
"Niten Ichi-ryu against Tennen Rishin-ryu?"
"Now this is getting interesting—"
The spectators quickly grasped the current situation, and one by one, their faces filled with anticipation.
Kiba Yuuto felt the same. For some reason, the dark emotions in his heart had dissipated significantly, replaced by the anticipation and battle spirit of an excellent swordsman.
"Let's continue, Yuki-san."
Kiba Yuuto took an offensive stance, his eyes burning bright.
"Yes, come."
Asuna did not falter because of her opponent's strength. She centered herself, settled into her stance, and cleared her mind to zero.
The ripples of magic power began to appear around both of them, kicking up gusts of wind.
In the next second, both vanished from their spots and lunged toward each other—