Koneko Toujou's strike landed squarely, blasting the massive monster backward until it crashed into a wall and stopped with a thunderous crack.
That was the power of Koneko's Rook Piece—her terrifying strength and immense defense. With sheer physical force, she had sent a creature several times her size flying like a ragdoll.
"Jeez… Akeno, it's your turn."
"Understood, President. My, my—whatever shall I do?"
Akeno Himejima stepped forward with her usual serene smile. Her tone was gentle, but the air around her vibrated with an overwhelming surge of magical power.
Rias turned slightly toward Ryuichi, explaining, "Akeno's Evil Piece is Queen. It possesses the traits of all the other Pieces combined."
That made Ryuichi think about his own.
He knew he held a hybrid form between Knight and Pawn, but so far, he'd only experienced the Knight's speed. The Pawn's abilities remained a mystery to him.
Rias smiled knowingly. "The Pawn has a special ability called Promotion. When you enter enemy territory, you can promote—transform into any Piece type you wish, except King."
Ryuichi's eyes widened slightly.So that was it.
Even the weakest Piece on the board carried hidden potential. His seemingly low-rank Pawn wasn't so weak after all.
He was still processing that when a deafening crack of thunder split the air.
Looking up, Ryuichi saw Akeno raise her right hand, her fingers wreathed in lightning. Magic swelled around her like a storm, and a massive bolt of lightning shot down from the heavens, striking the Rogue Devil head-on.
"Gahhh! Aaaaaaahhh—!"
The monster convulsed violently, limbs twitching as its distorted scream echoed through the ruins.
But it refused to die so easily. Fueled by desperation, it poured every ounce of corrupted magic power into its next attack.
Perhaps because it had devoured its own master—and countless humans—its magic reserves were horrifyingly strong. Even Rias and the others narrowed their eyes at the surge.
"Guhhhh… ahhhh…"
The creature howled, and to Ryuichi's alarm… its chest—specifically those—suddenly began to swell.
"…Huh?"
A cold sense of dread crawled up Ryuichi's spine.
In the next instant, the twin orbs elongated.
Wait. What.
BOOM! BOOM!
Before he could even process what he was seeing, two blinding beams of energy erupted from the creature's chest—
Right. From there.
The twin beams sliced through the air, vaporizing the walls they touched. The ground hissed with a toxic, corrosive sound as the light disintegrated everything in its path.
Ryuichi saw it clearly.Those beams—
They were literally breast lasers.
…You've gotta be kidding me.
This is—this is the legendary Dynamic Light Beam?!
Ryuichi's mind blanked for half a second at the sheer absurdity of it, but his instincts reacted instantly.
The monster—Baisa—was now gripping her own chest, aiming both energy cannons straight at him and Rias.
Without hesitation, Ryuichi stepped forward, placing himself between them.
Vmmm—!
A silver glow flared before him as a shimmering shield materialized out of thin air.
His left hand rose slightly, gripping the handle of the invisible construct.
The Divine Shield of Sorrow formed, projecting a transparent barrier that caught the incoming beams head-on.
BOOOOOOM!
The building trembled violently. Above them, the decaying ceiling finally gave way and collapsed.
Ryuichi, calm as ever, summoned the Sword of Kings. With several swift, precise slashes, he created a dazzling web of sword light overhead.
Tons of concrete and steel bars that came crashing down were instantly shredded into fragments. The debris was then repelled aside by the shield's energy field.
When the dust cleared, Ryuichi stood casually in the center of the ruined hall—one hand resting lightly on his sword, the blade's tip grazing the ground. It was as if he hadn't just deflected a pair of demonic breast lasers and prevented a building collapse.
Rias clapped softly, smiling. "Not bad at all. Quick reflexes."
"Must be thanks to my President's fine guidance," Ryuichi replied with mock modesty.
That only deepened her smile.
She'd already realized it—Ryuichi's battle sense was exceptional. That calm, decisive composure under life-or-death pressure… it was something not even many veteran Devils possessed.
"…Still, what the hell kind of attack was that?" Ryuichi muttered. "Why would anyone shoot beams from there?"
"The more unexpected the technique, the more effective it is, don't you think?" Rias replied with a faint chuckle. Even she seemed a little taken aback by the bizarre method—it had caught her off guard just as much as Ryuichi.
Not that such an attack could ever truly harm her.
"Fair point," Ryuichi said thoughtfully. "That 'Dynamic Light Beam' was definitely… unexpected."
Rias blinked. "…Dynamic… what?"
"Mm. That's what I just decided to call it. Don't you think the name fits perfectly, President?"
Rias: "..."
For a moment, her elegant composure cracked. The mental image he'd just painted was too vivid—her mind immediately replayed that scene: the jiggling, the beams, the utter ridiculousness of it all.
Great. Now she couldn't unsee it.
For once, the proud Rias Gremory was at a complete loss for words.
Meanwhile, seeing that the Rogue Devil still had the nerve to attack after all that, Akeno's gentle smile turned dangerously cold.
"My, my… still feeling lively, are we? Then I suppose a few more shocks won't hurt."
Zzzzap!
Another bolt of lightning crashed down from above, engulfing the creature in blinding light.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH—!!"
Its screams were agonized, and its obscene light beam attack was completely cut off. Its body convulsed, smoke rising from every inch of its skin.
Akeno, however, wasn't finished.
Her smile remained kind, almost affectionate—but the aura around her was icy, oppressive. The gentle priestess had turned into an angel of sadism.
Ryuichi stared wordlessly.
Yeah…She was definitely enjoying this.
So not only was Akeno the perfect big-sister type, she was also… a full-blown masochist's nightmare.
Rias sighed softly beside him. "That's just how Akeno is. Even if the enemy surrenders, she won't stop until she's completely satisfied. A genuine sadist through and through."
Ryuichi didn't doubt it for a second.
The torture continued for nearly three full minutes before Akeno finally relented, leaving the half-dead Rogue Devil twitching on the floor.
The final blow was always Rias's job.
She stepped forward, her crimson hair flowing behind her, her every motion radiating authority.
"Any last words?" she asked coolly, looking down at the broken creature like a queen addressing a condemned criminal.
"…K-Kill… me…"
The voice that came out was faint, trembling with despair. Whatever pride or malice it once had was long gone, burned away by Akeno's relentless punishment.
"I see," Rias said softly. "Then die."
With a single motion, she unleashed a wave of pure crimson magic.
BOOM!
Flames exploded outward, engulfing the Rogue Devil completely. The body turned to ash in seconds, scattered into nothing by the swirling heat.
As the shockwave faded, Rias's long red hair settled gracefully around her shoulders once more. She turned back toward her team, her smile returning—calm, elegant, and breathtaking.
"All right," she said brightly. "Mission complete."