Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! ————
Within the vast gymnasium, two figures—one in white and one in black—engaged at god-like speeds. The crisp, melodious sounds of clashing metal rang out continuously, weaving together into a beautiful symphony.
Two peerage devils of the "Knight" rank clashed fiercely under the gaze of a dozen onlookers. Their forms flickered and crossed as they sprinted, causing countless sword lights to frequently flash in the air, dazzling and brilliant.
Asuna Yuuki and Yuuto Kiba; one was the wielder of "Blade Blacksmith" and the other the wielder of "Sword Birth." The advantage of these two Sacred Gears clearly should have been the ability to create Holy or Demonic swords of various attributes, adjusting the weapon's properties based on the opponent and the situation to gain the upper hand. Yet, at this moment, both seemed to have forgotten this. They created only the purest Holy-attribute and Demonic-attribute swords, engaging in the most fundamental exchange of swordsmanship.
For a time, the sky was filled with the shadows of blades. Holy and demonic ripples collided incessantly, making the battle increasingly intense.
"Such incredible sword techniques————"
Among the Sitri peerage members maintaining the barrier, Meguri Tomoe—who, like Asuna and Yuuto, held the rank of "Knight"—watched without blinking.
She was also a swordswoman, hailing from a Japanese family of exorcists. Her swordsmanship was by no means weak, but compared to the two before her, she felt a sense of self-inferiority.
Especially regarding Yuuto Kiba; his sword skills could already be described as superb. He seamlessly integrated various styles of swordsmanship with a free-spirited flair, unconstrained by fixed forms. This made his blade elusive and difficult to predict. Combined with the god-speed provided by his "Knight" traits, one could easily be cut down if they were the least bit careless.
Asuna Yuuki was clearly inferior to Yuuto Kiba in terms of pure technique, but she had already become proficient in the Niten Ichi-ryu style, even touching upon the very essence of that school. She appeared like a lonely boat in a rainstorm, repeatedly on the verge of being swallowed by the sword light Yuuto unleashed, yet she always managed to retreat safely in the most precarious of moments. She remained extraordinarily calm amidst her opponent's onslaught, undaunted by danger and unshaken by her disadvantage, allowing her to continuously endure within that staggering offensive.
The two fought on, their speed so great that many struggled to keep up with their movements. All they could see was a dizzying array of flying sword lights, a testament to the battle's ferocity.
Ultimately, it wasn't the combatants who gave out first, but the swords in their hands.
Bang!
Bang!
When two abrupt shattering sounds occurred, Asuna and Yuuto simultaneously separated. The swords in their hands had shattered together, leaving only the hilts.
"The swords broke!"
Someone exclaimed, but it did not distract the two in the arena at all.
"Blade Blacksmith!"
"Sword Birth!"
Asuna and Yuuto shouted the names of their Sacred Gears simultaneously, creating a new Holy sword and Demonic sword in their hands.
However, this time, the weapons they produced were no longer simple Holy and Demonic attributes.
"Holy Flame Sword!"
Asuna created a Holy sword possessing both Holy and Fire attributes. With a sudden swing, she slashed out a vast sheet of flames imbued with divine power, sweeping toward Yuuto Kiba.
"Ice Void Sword!"
Yuuto Kiba created a Demonic sword possessing both Demonic and Ice attributes, releasing a staggering chill to withstand the incoming flow of fire.
Seeing this, Asuna swung the Holy Flame Sword again, releasing layer upon layer of fire. It continuously impacted the cold air released by Yuuto, eventually breaking through the frost and allowing the waves of fire to coil toward him.
The ice-attribute Demonic sword in Yuuto's hand shattered instantly, but he quickly created another. Thrusting it into the ground, a tall wall of water immediately rose, extinguishing the fire.
Asuna decisively discarded the fire-attribute sword and created several dagger-sized Holy swords instead. She actually threw them toward Yuuto. The daggers cut through the air with a whistling sound, flying toward Yuuto's shoulders, abdomen, and legs.
Yuuto apparently hadn't expected Asuna to use Holy swords as throwing weapons. Additionally, since these dagger-like swords seemed to carry the Wind attribute, their flight speed increased drastically. Caught off guard, he only managed to dodge the first few, but the last one grazed his arm.
"Guh————!"
As a small cut opened on his arm, a muffled groan of pain escaped Yuuto's throat.
"Yuuto!"
The expressions of Rias, Akeno Himejima, and the others changed simultaneously.
The wound was very shallow; for a devil—or even a human—it would be considered a minor injury. Yet, Yuuto felt as if his entire arm were being sliced off. Not only was the pain excruciating, but there was also a sensation of power draining from the wound.
Looking closely, black smoke was actually rising from the cut on Yuuto's arm. The divine power attached to it was purifying his demonic flesh, attempting to completely eradicate that part of his body.
This was the terrifying nature of Holy swords. Once they struck a demonic creature, they would immediately begin burning the opponent's flesh from the wound, slicing away the meat and potentially even damaging the soul. It was more frightening than lethal poison.
"Don't let her hit you, Yuuto!" Rias warned loudly. "If a Holy sword hits a vital spot, you'll disappear instantly!"
Yuuto Kiba, of course, knew that.
No one understood Holy swords better than him, and no one hated them more.
The stinging pain in his arm reawakened the shadows in Yuuto's heart, causing him to charge forward with a grim expression.
Asuna, however, stopped engaging him in a direct duel. She continuously created Holy swords of various attributes, either throwing them directly or tossing them into the air, controlling them to fall like rain toward Yuuto.
Clang! Clang! Clang! ————
Yuuto sprinted while swinging his Demonic sword to deflect the incoming Holy blades, steadily closing the distance to Asuna.
Asuna wanted to retreat to maintain her distance, but Yuuto seemed to have seen through this and suddenly shouted.
"Sword Birth!"
He poured out a massive amount of demonic power, pressing his palm against the ground. Demonic ripples filled the floor, spreading rapidly toward Asuna's position.
Immediately following, the demonic ripples materialized. Countless Demonic swords burst through the ground, piercing toward Asuna from all directions.
"!"
Asuna was startled. Just before her body was about to be impaled, she leaped high into the air.
"Not good!"
On Leon's side, Koyuki Yukinoshita and the others reacted.
They saw it; before Asuna had even jumped, Yuuto Kiba had already leaped into the air ahead of her.
Asuna's jump was like delivering herself directly to Yuuto. He kicked her squarely toward the ground.
"Ugh————!"
Ignoring the sharp pain in her back, Asuna quickly adjusted her posture and landed safely.
But just as she prepared for her next move, a Demonic sword extended and rested against her throat.
"You lose, Yuuki-san."
Yuuto Kiba held the sword in one hand while his other arm hung limply.
"————I lose."
Asuna froze for a moment, then bit her lip and released the Holy sword she had just created, letting it dissipate into particles of light.
"Gremory Peerage: One win."
Sona Sitri immediately made the declaration.
"Good job, Yuuto!"
Rias smiled and praised Yuuto, causing Akeno Himejima beside her to smile again.
"Get that treated quickly. Being cut by a Holy sword is no joke."
Akeno led Yuuto off the field.
"Sorry for worrying you," Yuuto apologized while obediently accepting the treatment.
"I'm sorry, I lost."
Asuna returned to Leon and the others, speaking with a hint of apology.
"You did very well."
"Yeah, how long have you even been practicing the sword?"
"You were amazing, Senpai."
Koyuki Yukinoshita, Utaha Kasumigaoka, and Mahiru Shiina all spoke up, offering her comfort.
"Your performance exceeded my expectations."
Leon was not disappointed; on the contrary, he was very satisfied.
And he certainly should have been.
Just as Utaha Kasumigaoka said, how long had Asuna been practicing?
Altogether, it hadn't even been two months.
In less than two months, she had formally entered the Niten Ichi-ryu style and could tangle with an opponent whose sword technique, speed, and Sacred Gear mastery were all superior. This greatly surprised Leon, making him re-evaluate the natural talent Asuna Yuuki—who could be called "The Flash"—possessed for swordsmanship.
To be honest, that exchange of sword techniques had been quite impressive.
As for losing to Yuuto Kiba, it could only be said that it was exactly as Leon expected.
Yuuto's talent for the sword was not at all inferior to Asuna's, his Sacred Gear was of the same tier, both were "Knight" rank peerage devils, and both had masters who were peerage members of a Devil King to teach them. The conditions were nearly identical.
With identical conditions, Asuna had only been reincarnated as a devil for two months, whereas Yuuto had been one for several years. He had been practicing swordsmanship, developing his Sacred Gear, and honing his "Knight" traits much longer. Naturally, he wouldn't lose to her in any category.
Therefore, in this "Knight vs. Knight" duel—this clash of Holy and Demonic swords—Asuna's win rate had been very low.
However, the next battle would be different.
"It's your turn next, Utaha."
Leon used Utaha Kasumigaoka's given name formally for the first time, no longer teasing her as "Senpai" or "Kasumigaoka-san."
Utaha's eyebrows twitched slightly. She lowered her crossed arms and walked out————
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