As Siegfried and Jeanne finished planning, the black swordsman kept hurling fire and lightning downward, tearing across the ruined streets of Avalon.
Jeanne clenched her teeth, stepped out from the cover of the blade wall she had created, and shouted.
"Hey, over here!"
Her rapier glowed as she conjured and fired an array of holy blades straight at him.
The swordsman twisted his body midair, narrowly evading the barrage before pointing his demonic blades back at her.
"DIE!"
The black figure snarled, sending back a rain of demonic blades laced with fire, lightning, and ice.
Jeanne darted sideways as she swung her rapier, deflecting what she could.
Sparks and metal shards flew out as their exchange of blows and projectiles lit up the ruined rooftops.
The furious clash dragged on until Siegfried appeared behind the black swordsman. Silently, he raised Nothung, and the demonic sword's edges glowed with bluish energy.
With a single swing, he unleashed a swift energy slash that carved through the roof and struck the swordsman square in the back.
*Shing!*
"GRAAAAAHHH!"
The swordsman's screams rattled the air, and the armored figure howled as its black armor cracked and cut, sending it flying violently down the streets.
"Jeanne! Now!"
Siegfried yelled, and Jeanne seized the moment, pointing her weapon to the heavens as ten giant holy swords materialized high above the falling figure.
She brought her rapier down, and the massive swords descended all at once.
The impact was deafening, the ground shattered, and dust clouds billowed as the black swordsman was slammed deep into the earth, his body pinned beneath the weight of the colossal weapons.
The monster thrashed and roared, its limbs twitching as the glowing blades pierced through the ground and locked it in place.
Its guttural growls echoed through the broken streets as it struggled, only to be restrained further by the holy energy burning into its armor.
Siegfried dropped from the rooftop, landing with a heavy thud.
His Balance Breaker faded as he stored the rest of his swords.
He looked at Jeanne, his usual stoic face softening just slightly.
"That was pretty easy. You good?"
Jeanne exhaled, lowering her rapier.
"Yes."
She nodded firmly, though her chest still rose and fell quickly.
"What do we do with him?"
She asked, her gaze flicking toward the restrained enemy.
Siegfried raised Gram again and stepped closer to the pinned-down berserker.
His expression hardened as he leveled the crimson blade toward its chest.
"Simple. We kill this fucker before it gets back up."
Jeanne parted her lips, about to protest, when a voice called out from the distance.
"Is the action already over? What a bummer. I was hoping for a workout."
Heracles strolled into view, casually resting Regulus Nemea in its axe form on his shoulder.
Connla followed behind him, looking calm as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
"So, what did we miss?"
Siegfried's eye twitched as he faced the two.
"Where the hell were you two when this was happening? Didn't you hear the commotion?"
Heracles chuckled, scratching the back of his head.
"Well, funny story is that I heard there was a little movie theater on the other side of town. We went to check it out, but it turned out to be a musical movie about an orphan girl being adopted by some billionaire so he could be elected as mayor or some shit."
Connla shrugged.
"I had nothing better to do, so Heracles dragged me along, but we only recognized the fight after we finished watching the movie."
Jeanne sighed, shaking her head at her friends before asking.
"And where are Georg and Cao Cao?"
Connla stretched his arms before answering.
"They didn't come. Teleported back to Grauzauberer to see this kid named Leonardo. Something about making sure his babysitter doesn't turn him into the next Ash Ketchum or something."
Before Jeanne could reply, another presence approached.
Arthur and Lavinia arrived from the other side of the square.
Arthur summoned Excalibur Ruler in his right hand as he looked around, his sharp eyes immediately falling on the pinned black swordsman struggling beneath the giant holy blades.
"We're here! Where's the danger- Who's that?"
Lavinia asked, but paused as she looked at the black swordsman.
Arthur has gone silent for a moment with his brows furrowed as a strange thought crossed his mind.
(What the fuck… Is that Guts from Berserk? What's he doing here instead of screaming 'Griffith' at the top of his lungs?)
He shook his head, dismissing the ridiculous thought as he exhaled slowly.
"What happened?"
He asked the group, stepping closer while Lavinia remained quietly at his side.
Jeanne quickly gave a brief explanation of how the swordsman had appeared, how he had targeted her for some reason, and how Siegfried managed to wound him before she pinned him with the giant swords.
Arthur nodded silently, listening with narrowed eyes before walking toward the restrained foe.
The pinned black swordsman's head turned sharply the moment Arthur approached.
He noticed the gleaming holy sword in Arthur's hand.
Suddenly, it began thrashing harder, its voice echoing with pure hatred.
"YOU! GIVE THEM TO ME! I'LL DESTROY THEM! I'LL DESTROY THEM ALL!"
Arthur's gaze sharpened, but he kept moving forward until he stood directly before it.
He crouched down, holding Excalibur Ruler low, then slowly waved the blade left and right before the warrior's face.
The berserker's crimson eyes followed the motion like a rabid animal, gnashing its teeth in feral fury.
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Okay…"
He glanced back toward Jeanne, who spoke softly.
"It seems to be reacting violently to holy swords in particular. It seems to hate them."
Arthur's expression darkened as a vague memory stirred within him, recalling a certain blond-haired survivor of the Holy Sword Project.
(Could it be that… Could this guy be him?)
He thought, staring at the struggling figure.
His grip on Excalibur Ruler tightened as he turned fully to the others.
"All of you, get back. Jeanne, when I say go… release it."
Both Jeanne and Siegfried looked at him with wide eyes.
"Release it? Arthur, are you sure about this?"
Lavinia exclaimed.
Arthur nodded firmly, his expression calm but absolute.
"Trust me. I know what I'm doing, Lav. Jeanne, do you mind?"
Jeanne hesitated but eventually nodded, signaling the others to step back.
Heracles smirked, crossing his arms, while Connla sighed and muttered something under his breath about Arthur being reckless.
Arthur planted his feet firmly on the cracked ground. Excalibur Ruler hummed with faint light in his grip.
"Now."
Jeanne flicked her hands upward, and the massive holy blades vanished into light particles.
The black swordsman immediately leapt back, roaring as cracks in its black armor began to knit themselves together with countless miniature blades crawling like insects across its body.
Arthur's eyes widened briefly, genuinely fascinated..
"So the armor repairs itself with blades? That's... actually pretty badass, not gonna lie."
He muttered before smirking and lifting his left hand in a beckoning gesture.
"So you want to destroy this sword?"
He raised Excalibur Ruler high, the afternoon sunlight reflecting from the blade.
"Then come and break it."
The black swordsman roared so loudly that the air shook, its hatred boiling over as it crouched low, ready to pounce.
It created a massive blade and dragged it across the ground, and sprinted toward Arthur with primal rage.
Its form was messy but wild, every step cracking the stone beneath its armored boots.
Arthur tilted his head, his expression calm, and at the last second, Arthur shifted back with a fluid step, the colossal blade slamming into the cobblestone with a deafening crash, carving a fissure along the street.
Dust and rubble flew everywhere.
Arthur stepped onto the flat of the blade and, with one smooth motion, he pressed down and vaulted himself upward, his free leg whipping out and connecting squarely with the swordsman's face.
The impact rang and sent the armored figure stumbling backward with an angry snarl.
It tumbled clumsily across the street before slamming into the side of a broken cart, splinters scattering.
Growling, it pushed itself up, its helmeted head snapping back toward Arthur with seething hatred.
Several jagged blades erupted into existence around it, spinning violently before being hurled straight at Arthur.
The air hissed as the swarm of black swords flew towards Arthur, who didn't even flinch.
With one precise motion after another, he swatted every single blade away, sparks exploding.
The ease of his defense made him let out a small exhale through his nose.
"Is that the best you can do? I expected more from something that made this much of a mess."
Arthur's voice was flat, almost bored, his eyes locked on the figure with disinterest.
That taunt made the black swordsman's whole frame shake with fury.
It let out an animalistic roar and conjured two flaming swords, their fire crackling as the heat shimmered around them.
It rushed Arthur again, hacking wildly, each slash fast enough to split stone, each thrust aimed for a fatal point.
But Arthur's calm never broke as with each slash, he either slid the blow aside with Excalibur Ruler or twisted his body just enough for the strikes to pass harmlessly.
"Slow."
Arthur muttered as he batted aside a diagonal cut.
"Sloppy."
Another stab missed, grazing only the tip of his coat.
"Sad."
A flaming cross-slash was pushed away with his left palm resting lightly against his blade.
"Seriously?"
The creature roared, its frustration uncontainable.
It hurled the flaming swords aside in a frenzy, conjuring a massive weapon, far larger than last time, a giant slab of black steel brimming with raw hatred.
It raised it high, screaming out "DIE!" as it brought the blade down like judgment itself.
Arthur didn't move until the last moment.
With one hand, he lifted Excalibur Ruler, and the colossal black weapon met his holy sword with a clang that echoed like thunder across the ruined street.
Even with the impact of the blade caused the place that Arthur stood to become a crater, he barely shifted his stance.
With a sudden push, he shoved the giant sword aside, its owner stumbling from the force.
Arthur's free hand shot out, seizing the armored throat.
The swordsman thrashed, clawing at Arthur's iron grip as it was lifted clean off its feet.
Its growls turned into guttural chokes as Arthur's expression hardened.
"You're boring me... blondie."
His voice carried no malice, only cold disinterest.
With that, he slammed his forehead into the creature's helm.
A loud metallic crack split the air as a dent caved into the helmet's skull-like design.
The swordsman's body stiffened, and Arthur followed with a swift knee to its gut, forcing out a distorted groan as its frame bent around the blow.
Without letting go, Arthur heaved upward and then hurled the armored figure skyward.
Time seemed to slow as the dark swordsman spun helplessly through the air.
Arthur planted his feet firmly, shifted his weight back, and raised Excalibur Ruler like a baseball bat.
As the falling enemy dropped back down, Arthur swung his sword at the swordsman.
The strike connected, sending the black swordsman flying like a cannonball across the edge of Avalon.
The body plowed through the treeline, wood splintering as trees toppled one after another.
From behind, Heracles whistled loudly, his grin wide.
"And Pendragon swings! It's a Homerun, audience! It's a Homerun!"
He called out in a booming, mock commentator's tone.
Siegfried chuckled dryly.
"That's going, going... and it's gone."
Jeanne pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering.
"Are you two serious, right now?"
Connla crossed his arms, not saying a word but clearly biting back laughter.
Lavinia, on the other hand, tilted her head slightly, lips curving into a faint, amused smile.
The forest where the swordsman landed groaned as trees collapsed.
A faint sound of cracking wood and armor scraping could be heard in the distance.
The berserker groaned, coughing up blood as it tried to push itself up from the crater of roots and dirt.
Its helmet turned, glowing eyes flickering as it spotted Arthur walking toward it with steady, unhurried steps.
The redhead's sword was still at his side, but his posture was relaxed, his gaze drifting briefly upward.
The sky was painted in fading afternoon colors, streaks of orange and red bleeding across the horizon.
Arthur let out a low breath and said almost casually.
"This was fun and all, but let's wrap this up, shall we?"
The swordsman growled, rage vibrating in its frame.
"DAMN YOU!"
It roared, its voice guttural and strained.
Dozens of elemental swords erupted around it, flames, ice, and lightning, all converging around the swordsman.
Two larger swords, their blades made entirely from darkness, appeared in its hand.
With a burst of speed, the monster charged.
Its sprint shook the ground as it became a storm of blades closing in on Arthur.
But Arthur didn't move at first as his gaze followed its approach calmly.
"Wow, you're actually going feral."
Instead of raising Excalibur Ruler, he planted the holy sword into the dirt beside him.
"Maybe this will knock some sense into you."
Then he flexed his right arm and spread his fingers wide, curling them slowly into a fist, and drew his arm back, his knuckles tightening.
A radiant light burst from his body, a white aura flaring around his arm.
The air vibrated with pressure, and the ground cracked beneath his feet.
Jeanne's lips parted slightly.
"Touki."
She whispered.
Siegfried's eyes widened as he was shocked.
"What the... He can use Touki this whole time?"
Even Heracles was momentarily stunned before calming down as he recalled that, since Arthur explained to him what Touki is, then Arthur should have it too.
The black swordsman came within striking distance, blades raised to tear Arthur apart.
But Arthur kept calm, his fist clenched tighter, glowing brighter until the light burned the air itself.
And then he stepped forward and threw a single, precise punch.
*Crash!*
The impact was immediate.
The swordsman's chest caved inward with a sickening crunch as the aura-infused fist slammed home.
A distorted roar tore from its throat as blood spewed from the cracks of its helm.
Its body was launched back like a ragdoll, crashing through more trees, tearing up dirt, smashing through roots until it finally collapsed in a heap on the grass far beyond.
Arthur lowered his fist slowly, exhaling as the bright aura flickered and faded away.
For a moment, silence hung heavy over the scene.
He glanced down at his knuckles, his lips pressed together in thought.
"…Was that a bit overkill?"
He muttered to himself as he began walking forward, his expression unreadable while the others stared in stunned silence.
From a distance, the swordsman lay broken across the torn earth, blood seeping from cracks in the black armor as its pained growls dwindled into weak, rattling breaths.
Its vision blurred, only faintly catching the silhouette of Arthur calmly approaching, Excalibur Ruler slung over his shoulder like he had just finished a light workout.
Arthur stopped a few feet away, watching the once feral and relentless opponent lying there helplessly.
He exhaled, tilting his head as he muttered.
"Sorry, not sorry, dude. But I needed you to calm down before you start hurting somebody."
The swordsman let out one last snarl before its armor suddenly began to splinter.
Dark cracks raced across the surface before bursting apart into fading fragments of shadow, scattering like ash.
What remained lying on the ground was not a monster, but a boy.
Blond hair matted with blood, wide blue eyes barely open, his body small and frail.
He looked no older than twelve, his skin littered with bruises, cuts, and burns from either the battle or from previous experiences.
The boy weakly raised his head, blood dripping from his lips as he muttered.
"I-I… you…"
Before his eyes rolled back and his body slumped unconscious.
Arthur froze, his emerald eyes widening in shock at the sight.
For a brief moment, silence filled his mind, only broken by his own thought.
(I fucking knew it…)
He had suspected something when the black swordsman reacted so violently to holy blades, but now… the truth stood before him, bleeding and broken.
Arthur crouched down, brushing a few strands of blood-soaked blond hair away from the boy's face.
He let out a sigh, and without another word, he stored away his sword, then carefully lifted the unconscious boy in his arms.
The boy was light as a feather, probably from a lack of nutrition.
In an instant, Arthur vanished in a flash of red light via a teleportation circle.
Back near the ruined streets where the others had gathered, Arthur appeared with the boy in his arms.
Connla, who had been leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow at Arthur's sudden return.
"Well, that was fast."
Connla remarked, his usual amused tone carrying a faint edge of curiosity.
Lavinia's blue eyes immediately shifted to the boy in Arthur's arms.
She blinked in surprise, her lips parting slightly.
"Who's… that?"
She asked softly, her tone a mix of confusion and worry.
The child's state was clearly dire, and even she felt a pang of unease.
Arthur shifted his grip slightly, holding the boy as he spoke.
"This? Oh, this is the black swordsman."
He said flatly, as if announcing something mundane.
"..."
The group was silent.
Siegfried snapped his head toward Arthur, his sharp eyes narrowing.
"Wait... Arthur… you mean to tell me that this little kid is the same bastard that tried to kill Jeanne earlier?"
He demanded, his tone disbelieving, his mind struggling to reconcile the feral armored figure with the frail body of a boy.
Jeanne's own reaction mirrored Siegfried's disbelief.
She stepped forward, her eyes widening as she stared at the battered child.
"It can't be… For someone so young to wield that kind of power to force us to fight seriously…"
She whispered under her breath as she remembered the brutal exchange just moments earlier.
She looked at Arthur for answers, but his expression remained unreadable.
Arthur shrugged lightly, his face calm as if he wasn't holding the revelation of a possible Holy Sword Project survivor in his arms.
"Believe it or not, it doesn't change the fact that he almost tore this town apart."
Heracles, standing at the back with his massive frame, let out a low whistle and rubbed the back of his neck.
"If that kid's really the swordsman, then damn. Makes you wonder what the hell the kid went through to be like this."
Arthur adjusted his hold on the unconscious boy, glancing around at the group.
"Anyway, does anybody know where Asia is? This kid's in serious bad shape. He needs medical attention... and probably some therapy."
Just then, a cheerful voice called out from a distance.
"Hey, losers! Is it over?"
Everyone turned to see Dulio strolling casually down the ruined street, a crepe in one hand, powdered sugar dusting his chin.
Beside him walked Elmenhilde, who daintily nibbled at her own crepe with one hand, while the other held her parasol.
Arthur blinked, still holding the unconscious boy in his arms, as Dulio glanced at him and gave a thumbs-up.
"Nice work, Arthur. You really wrapped that up quick."
He took another huge bite of his crepe before continuing, his mouth still half full.
"By the way, if you're looking for Asia, she's back at your mansion after she just finished her errands. You should take the kid to one of the guest rooms."
For a moment, everybody was silent, except for Elmenhilde, who was eating her crepe.
Everyone stared at Dulio like he had suddenly sprouted a second head.
Even Lavinia, usually composed, blinked in disbelief.
Arthur tilted his head, utterly baffled.
"Wait… hold on. I have a what?"
His tone was flat, almost mechanical, as if his brain had short-circuited trying to process Dulio's words.
Dulio swallowed the last bite of his snack, then smirked at Arthur.
"You heard me. You have a mansion now. Big place, too. It's right where your childhood home used to be. Oh, and you're welcome."
Arthur blinked again, his mouth opening slightly, but no words coming out at first.
He glanced at the unconscious boy in his arms, then back at Dulio; his expression was one of disbelief.
"Okay…"
DxD
Hello readers!
Here's your chapter, so gimme the goods.
And by goods, I meant Power Stones.
Thank you, everyone, and see you later!