[Perspective: Kiba]
"Yuuto! Xenovia! Irina! Is it over on your side?"
Former President Rias called out to us as she saw Xenovia, Irina-san, and me approaching.
Having finished our battle with Ewald Cristaldi, the three of us had moved to the replica of Kuoh Academy. We came to assist Former President Rias and the others, who were engaging the group of warriors led by the former wielder of Durandal, Vasco Strada.
Just as we arrived, the situation on the school grounds, where the battle was supposed to be taking place, underwent a change.
——The area surrounding Kuoh Academy was covered in those rainbow-colored bubbles.
Not only the group of warriors, but our comrades as well were all weeping uniformly.
It seemed the rainbow bubbles created by Dulio-san's Sacred Gear had reached this far.
Former President Rias asked us.
"Are these bubbles from our side?"
"These bubbles were created by the Joker. Apparently, they make people recall their most precious memories and dull their will to fight."
It was Irina-san who answered that question.
Dulio-san, the creator of these bubbles, remained behind on the other side. He seemingly had things he wanted to discuss with his master, Ewald Cristaldi, and the warriors, so he sent us ahead here.
Anyone who touches these bubbles loses their will to fight.
Even Ewald Cristaldi was no exception.
However, there was one person whose fighting spirit did not dim in the slightest, even in this situation.
"Well, well... aren't these beautiful soap bubbles?"
Vasco Strada wore a smile on his wrinkled face.
In his hand was the Durandal Replica.
...Judging by the state of the battlefield, it seemed everyone else hadn't engaged him yet.
Vasco Strada cast off his priestly vestments.
Beneath the clothes lay layers of thick muscle that one would not expect from an old man over eighty years of age.
Combined with his tall stature, the pressure emanating from him was tremendous.
——His Eminence Strada is a bona fide monster.
Those were the words Ewald Cristaldi left with me just before we came here.
To make even a man considered a monster say such a thing.
Facing him now, I feel like I understand why.
Just him taking a single step forward sends chills down my spine.
Is this really human power...? Such a question involuntarily floats to mind.
Vasco Strada spread his arms and spoke with a deeply etched smile.
"Now then, shall we begin our lesson in doctrine? Children of Devils, learn well."
A dense pressure was unleashed.
Just how much power does he...
Xenovia spoke.
"The Durandal Replica. I hear its power is less than a fifth of the original... but in the hands of His Eminence, that limitation likely does not apply."
The same was true for the Excalibur Replica.
The Excalibur Replica wielded by Ewald Cristaldi displayed power far beyond my imagination.
It is safe to assume the swordsman before us possesses power equal to, or perhaps even greater than that.
The first to make a move were Xenovia and Irina-san.
Xenovia spread her Devil wings, and Irina-san her two pairs of pure white wings, dashing forward at high speed.
Vasco Strada showed no sign of moving, not even taking a stance.
It wasn't carelessness or a show of余裕 (composure/leeway).
That expression was as if——.
Xenovia swung Durandal!
But....
"Gh!"
Just like the other day, Durandal was stopped by his fingers alone!
"Your Eminence, pardon my rudeness!"
Following Xenovia, Irina-san slashed with Hauteclere.
However, she too was stopped, her blade caught between his index and middle fingers!
Both of them had put their full strength into those strikes!
To stop them with just his fingers...!
Having their swords caught, the two of them were then thrown magnificently!
"Then, take this magic!"
From the rear, Rossweisse-san deployed countless magic circles, firing a full burst of mixed elemental spells!
Against a human, such an attack would leave not even a trace behind.
However, he didn't even try to dodge.
The moment the magic was about to make a direct hit, he extended a single finger.
With that thrust-out finger, he touched each spell at high speed.
In that instant——the touched magic dissipated into mist!
Rossweisse-san was stunned by this result.
"...Did you dismantle the spell formula itself?!"
"Magic is calculation. If you strike it with a logic that breaks the equation, cancellation and destruction are possible. Young users, in particular, lack refinement; many spells are just for show, mere appearances. Find a slight fray, and as you can see..."
"...Gh!"
Rossweisse-san looked like she was at a loss for words.
I can understand Vasco Strada's logic.
But Rossweisse-san's formulas are sophisticated.
Are you saying he found a slight fray in them in that split second...?!
Suppressing my shock, I kicked off the ground and slashed at Vasco Strada with the maximum speed I could currently muster.
Although I was considerably exhausted from the battle with Ewald Cristaldi, my Holy Demonic Sword was sharpened even further.
The blade was clearer than ever, and the Knight King's power within it was heightened.
Seeing my charge, Vasco Strada smiled and gripped the Durandal Replica.
"A good expression, young swordsman."
In that instant, my Holy Demonic Sword and Vasco Strada's Durandal Replica scattered sparks!
A wave of power assaulted me the moment we collided!
Even though he merely blocked it, it felt like my arm was going to be torn off!
But the Holy Demonic Sword did not let its mixed aura of Holy and Demonic fade.
Rather, it was growing stronger.
It was absorbing the holy aura from the Durandal Replica and enhancing its own holy attribute.
As I moved at high speed, Vasco Strada swung his sword with agility unbelievable for someone over eighty.
Our swords clashed repeatedly, scattering sparks in the air!
If it were me from a little while ago, I wouldn't have been able to exchange blows like this.
The reason I can cross swords with this man called a monster right now is because Sword Birth is responding to my feelings.
Sword Birth once took power away from me.
That was, as Dulio-san said, because I had foolishly forgotten the feelings I had when I reached this power.
This power exists to protect.
To protect the people precious to me, my precious comrades.
That is why I——.
"For my Master, for my comrades——I shall swing my sword to protect!"
Shouting this, I generated fire and wind from the blade!
A storm of flames swirled around the Holy Demonic Sword!
However, before the flames could completely engulf him, Vasco Strada slipped out with speed the eye couldn't track.
——Now!
I raised the Holy Demonic Sword high——and swung it down in one go!
Countless swords were released from the blade!
A rain of Holy Demonic Swords possessing every attribute—fire, water, lightning, wind—poured down all at once!
When moving and then stopping, there is a slight delay before shifting to the next action.
With this——.
Vasco Strada nodded approvingly in the face of the approaching rain of swords.
"A fine sword stroke. It conveys just how much 'heart' you put into your blade. But——it is too honest."
Vasco Strada stabbed the Durandal Replica into the ground and pulled back his right fist.
The muscles in his right arm expanded to an impossible degree.
"Hmph!"
With a shout of spirit, a straight right punch was unleashed!
The pressure from the fist alone gouged the earth and shattered the rain of swords into dust!
Not stopping there, the pressure surged forward toward me, who had unleashed the rain.
I leaped far to the side to evade it, but the building behind where I had been collapsed from the shockwave of the fist pressure!
"Just the aftershock of the fist did that?! Is he on par with Sairaorg?!"
Former President Rias raised a voice of shock.
Xenovia explained.
"His Eminence's punch is called the 'Holy Fist.' Even his punches are imbued with holy power. If we Devils take a hit, it will be massive damage!"
Destroying a building just with the momentum of a fist...
It would be possible for possessors of overwhelming power like Sairaorg Bael or Issei-kun... but for a human old man to do it...
No, deciding it's "impossible" just because he's human is the wrong way to think.
Among the humans I have seen so far, there were those who surpassed even Devils with tough bodies.
Even Issei-kun before he reincarnated as a Devil was stronger than Former President Rias or me at that stage.
The hero wielding the lance shining with golden light, the swordsman from another world.
I have seen many humans who exceeded my... our imaginations.
This old man before my eyes is simply one of them.
"I'll go!"
Gasper-kun, transformed into a beast of darkness, leaped out!
Perhaps influenced by Issei-kun, Gasper-kun in this state is belligerent and prefers head-on clashes.
In daily training, he grapples with Issei-kun in hand-to-hand combat.
Both Issei-kun and I are constantly amazed by his growth.
Gasper-kun slipped through Vasco Strada's 'Holy Fist' and closed in!
Vasco Strada readied the Durandal Replica, causing a dense holy aura to surge from the blade!
Gasper-kun, transformed into a beast of darkness, launched a fist from his massive body!
However, Vasco Strada parried it lightly with the blade of the Durandal Replica, or perhaps just with his body movement!
Gasper-kun tried to suppress Durandal, but he was pushed back by the immense holy wave, and part of his dark cloak was stripped away!
From the stripped area, a bit of Gasper-kun's flesh was visible.
"What is this strength of the Holy Sword...?!"
Gasper-kun jumped back.
Repairing the stripped dark cloak, he opened his ominously glowing red eyes.
『Then, I'm going!』
Saji-kun, clad in jet-black armor, let his cursed flames boil over.
His Balance Breaker, finally achieved during the defense of Auros.
That power possesses the strength to push back even the purple flames of a Longinus.
Saji-kun shot out multiple lines, attempting to connect them to Vasco Strada's body.
In response, Vasco Strada swept the Durandal Replica horizontally.
A fierce chill ran through us!
We hurriedly lowered our posture!
Then, something passed over our heads at high speed and——.
Zuzuuuuuuuuuun...
When we looked in the direction of the sound, several of the buildings created in this field were collapsing.
They didn't just collapse.
They were cut cleanly into top and bottom halves.
A diagonal cut... causing the upper part of the cut section to slide off and collapse.
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