A mere Low-Class Devil daring to provoke them—
the three Fallen Angels were seething with fury.
"You ignorant little fool," one of the women hissed, her black wings trembling with anger. "I'll show you tonight what true pain really feels like!"
She turned sharply toward her two companions. "Stephanie, Lainster—leave this brat to me. You two go finish capturing Asia!"
"Seifer, don't get careless," Stephanie warned, her tone steady even in anger. "That kid's holding a Sacred Gear."
"I know," Seifer replied dismissively, her lips curling.
So what if he has a Sacred Gear? she thought. He's still just a low-tier Devil. There's no way he can draw out its full power.
But she hadn't expected that Ryuichi had absolutely no intention of fighting her one-on-one.
The moment Stephanie and Lainster tried to slip past him to attack Koneko Toujou and Asia behind him, Ryuichi's gaze turned cold.
His figure vanished from sight—
the power of his [Knight] piece exploding in a burst of speed so sharp it startled all three Fallen Angels.
So fast!?
Lainster barely sensed the rush of air behind her before a sharp sting flared at her neck—
the primal combat instinct of an Angel screaming a warning.
A blade of light formed instantly in her hand. She raised it just in time to block.
In the very next heartbeat, Ryuichi was already in front of her.
His silver longsword flashed down in a devastating arc.
Clang!!
The shriek of metal rang through the air.
Lainster's light blade caught the strike—but the sheer force behind it slammed through her arms and sent her stumbling backward, boots grinding against the stone.
She steadied herself after several steps, glaring at the young Devil now standing calmly before her—one hand holding his shining weapon, eyes cool and unreadable.
"I don't recall giving you permission to leave," Ryuichi said evenly.
That calm, almost detached voice made Lainster's expression twist.
I was… pushed back?
Impossible.
It was an utter humiliation.
How could a low-class Devil push me back!?
Rage contorted her beautiful face.
"Damn you!" she shouted, wings flaring. "You're dead!"
Driven purely by anger now, she lunged, her light sword gleaming as she poured divine power into every swing—
completely forgetting her original mission to capture Asia.
Watching from a distance, Seifer smirked. "Well, looks like I won't have to dirty my hands. That kid's as good as minced meat once Lainster loses her temper."
But Ryuichi's reaction wasn't at all what she expected.
Rather than retreat, he met Lainster's furious charge head-on.
Crimson demonic energy surged through his sword, and the King's Blade sang—an almost joyous ring that echoed through the night.
Their blades collided in a storm of sparks and light.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The furious rhythm of metal striking metal filled the air like a blacksmith's forge.
Sacred Gear versus Light Sword—each clash thundered with explosive force.
In mere seconds, they exchanged more than a dozen attacks.
Both combatants moved at blinding speed.
Magic and divine power erupted unchecked, each impact bursting outward in shockwaves that tore across the plaza.
Wind howled.
Stone tiles cracked and lifted under the force.
Koneko and Asia struggled to stay standing as the shockwaves whipped their hair and skirts violently, but neither dared to look away from the fierce duel before them.
Even Koneko couldn't hide her astonishment.
He's… keeping up with a High-Class Angel?
Crash!!
A single stomp from Ryuichi shattered the flagstones beneath his feet.
Within moments, the once-smooth plaza was pitted and broken from the sheer power of their exchanges.
Lainster's frustration grew with every strike.
She had poured her full divine power into the fight—and still couldn't overpower a supposed low-class Devil.
It was unthinkable.
"Enough!" she screamed. "Die!"
With a burst of divine radiance, she unleashed her trump card—
the Judgment of the Angels.
Though she had long since fallen, the power of her former holy arts had not faded. This attack would obliterate him completely.
"Is that brat really this troublesome?" Stephanie murmured, glancing at Seifer. Both women exchanged uncertain looks.
For someone to force Lainster into using Judgment… could he truly be just a low-tier Devil?
Above them, a colossal sword of pure holy light condensed in the clouds.
Even Rias and Akeno, locked in their own battle nearby, turned in surprise at the surge of energy.
But Ryuichi stood calm beneath the blinding glow.
He raised his left hand—fingers spread wide.
A silver shield materialized in midair and shot upward, intercepting the descending holy blade with a deep, resonant boom.
Divine Weep.
The devastating light shattered harmlessly against the invisible barrier.
Within the shield's glow, Ryuichi stood unscathed—his black hair whipping wildly in the gale, dark eyes as still as deep water.
He hadn't expected anything less.
Divine Weep could easily block an attack of that magnitude.
But now… the real fight was about to begin.
He knew the Fallen Angels wouldn't underestimate him anymore—and if all three attacked at once, even he wouldn't be able to hold out for long.
Still—
that didn't mean he was out of options.
A faint grin curved his lips.
Lowering his blade, he tilted it toward the ground and looked up at the trio of scantily-clad Fallen Angels with a cool, arrogant gaze.
"Why don't the three of you bird-brains come at me together?" he said.
The sheer audacity of his words left everyone stunned.
Behind him, Koneko and Asia both stared as though seeing him for the first time.
Even Rias and Akeno paused mid-battle, blinking in disbelief.
"My, my…" Akeno murmured, a rare flicker of surprise in her voice. "Our little man is getting bold."
Across the field, the Super-Class Fallen Angel sneered, her voice dripping venom.
"Arrogant little insect. Big talk for someone whose tongue probably gets its exercise licking your mistresses' filthy—"
Before she could finish, Rias's killing intent exploded.
"How dare you!" she roared. "You think you can insult my servant? He's worth ten thousand of you!"
Scarlet demonic energy erupted from her like a storm.
Flames roared across the battlefield, consuming the three Fallen Angels before her in a blazing inferno.
At the same time, Ryuichi's taunt had completely enraged his own opponents.
"I'll tear your mouth open and shove your teeth down your throat!" Seifer screamed.
All three Fallen Angels attacked at once—
black wings beating furiously as divine light lanced toward him from every direction.
Koneko and Asia's hearts pounded in their chests.
Three Fallen Angels at once—even Koneko herself couldn't block that kind of onslaught unscathed.
But Ryuichi didn't even flinch.
A crimson magic circle bloomed across his palm, expanding outward as dark-red sigils whirled around his fingers.
A moment later, a square silver talisman engraved with coiling dragons shot forth from the circle.
Seal of Demonic Suppression.
Ryuichi's black eyes blazed with focused light.
"—Forbidden Magic."
Hum!!
A ripple—colorless yet visible—spread through the air in an instant.
All three Fallen Angels froze mid-flight.
Their bodies jerked as the divine power inside them faltered—
and then, as if their wings had suddenly lost strength, they plunged straight down from the sky.