Taking advantage of the last few seconds of Eternal Twilight City, Ryuichi swung the King's Sword in a clean arc toward the spot where Kuoh's schoolyard used to be.
The field was already a wasteland thanks to the earlier barrage of supernatural attacks. As the King's Sword came crashing down, the remnants of rubble collapsed completely, revealing a deep pit beneath.
At the heart of the hollow, the core of the magic circle pulsed with an intense, blinding energy. Power was gathering fast within the circle—more and more by the second—and Ryuichi could feel how dangerously close it was to detonating.
Though it wasn't quite on Kokabiel's level, the coming explosion could still wipe out half the city, especially now that the barrier that once surrounded the battlefield was gone.
No hesitation.
Ryuichi leaped down, zeroed in on the heart of the magic array, and brought the King's Sword down like a thunderbolt!
The unstable magic swelled and crackled, as if ignited to even greater frenzy by his attack.
He raised his left hand. Overhead, the ancient black fortress that had floated above Kuoh all this time began to descend, casting its immense shadow over the landscape below.
The pressure from that monolithic city was suffocating, its weight both literal and spiritual bearing down on Ryuichi and everything within its reach.
A glint of hope appeared in Ryuichi's gaze as he looked up at the fortress.
All those days and nights of relentless training, all the desperate gambits to strengthen his abilities—now he could just barely control a fraction of the city's mysterious power.
He didn't know the fortress's full capabilities, but he trusted in his gut: so long as he had it, he could shield the city from whatever this trap was about to unleash.
Just then, the magic circle erupted.
A massive pillar of energy burst out, obliterating whatever remained of the field.
The shockwave expanded with vicious speed, tearing through the ruins and racing outward in all directions.
But as the force surged toward the fortress, something changed.
Golden veins snaked across the city walls, lines of light spreading rapidly through the entire structure.
The ancient fortress was waking up!
The Shield of Weeping Gods sprang from Ryuichi's side, spinning into the air with a flash of argent brilliance. Within moments, what little demonic energy he had left was being sucked from his body at a terrifying rate.
He gritted his teeth, pushing himself harder. He had no choice. If magic wasn't enough, he'd fuel the shield with his own life force. Maybe it was reckless. Maybe it would hurt. But as always, Ryuichi endured.
The very air seemed to shudder. Then, with a roar, a golden light beamed out from the heart of the fortress, blanketing the battlefield and everyone inside it.
Ryuichi watched as the blast from the explosion slammed into the golden barrier.
To his amazement, the catastrophic energy vanished like morning mist.
Within the reach of that light, everything was frozen—untouched, preserved. As if time itself had stopped.
It was… Stasis!
But on a mind-boggling scale: everything under the golden light was held perfectly still.
The circle's energy dissipated, leaving the world beneath the fortress untouched, unbroken.
An understanding blossomed in Ryuichi's mind.
This must be the Shield of Weeping Gods' true power.
If the King's Sword was capable of a one-use "King's Verdict," the shield held a supreme, area-wide defensive ability: "The Benevolent King's Protection."
Both required the overwhelming energy state of Eternal Twilight City to activate. That restriction alone was absurd enough to make most Devils despair.
What a broken combo these twin artifacts made.
Within mere seconds, the wave of destruction faded and calm returned. But Ryuichi had paid a steep price—his magic was nearly depleted, and he'd burned through much of his precious life force.
At least it was over. He could recover. The exhaustion, though—now that the fight was done—was enough to make him want to collapse on the spot.
Unable to maintain Eternal Twilight City a moment longer, the great black castle faded away. Ryuichi's body gave out and he tumbled from the sky.
Rias and the others moved as one, swooping through the air to catch his limp form.
Seeing Ryuichi's face so pale, Rias cradled him with trembling hands.
"Ryuichi… I'm so sorry you have to push yourself like this…"
Her gentle caress was soft and full of pain and love.
Asia, tears streaming down her cheeks despite her own exhaustion, pressed her hands over Ryuichi's chest and began casting Twilight Healing, pouring life back into him.
He didn't respond. No words left. No strength. His mind finally slackened, the tension gone, and the world spun madly before everything faded to black.
Ryuichi passed out cold.
The panic was instantaneous.
Seeing him unconscious, Rias and the girls couldn't hide their fear.
"We need to get him back—restore his energy and life force, right now!"
Without further delay, Rias and Akeno hefted Ryuichi's limp body and began carrying him away.
"Xenovia, please go explain to Sona-kaichou what happened here. We'll sort out the rest later," Rias called over her shoulder.
"Understood." Koneko nodded solemnly, gave Ryuichi one last worried glance, and hurried off.
By the time Ryuichi finally awoke, it felt like he'd drifted through endless darkness. He opened his eyes with effort, the pain in his head like needles. His first sight was a few strands of golden hair.
It was Asia, curled asleep beside him. Her adorable sleeping face seemed serene at last.
There were other quiet breaths around him, too. Turning groggily, he saw Rias, also sleeping soundly, her face more beautiful than ever even in exhaustion.
He could only imagine how long the two of them had worked, pouring their magic and care into reviving him. The thought softened his heart.
He let himself relax in the warm tangle of their skin and hair.
Now that he was conscious, the responsible thing to do was to focus on recovery. He forced his mind to concentrate, diving into a meditative state to replenish his magic and restore his depleted body.
Once he was feeling stable, Ryuichi let out a deep sigh, rolled over, and gathered Asia's small body into his arms. This time, he fell into a comfortable, dreamless sleep.
Or so he hoped.
Instead, Ryuichi dreamed—a hazy, feverish vision of being seduced by a succubus. No matter how much he wanted to struggle, his body refused to respond. The succubus drained him, sucking away his energy until he was left completely limp, foaming at the mouth, ready to die from sheer exhaustion…
He jerked awake, heart pounding.
The sensations from the dream lingered—his life force slipping away, the taste of the succubus's lips, the heat of skin-on-skin.
That's when he realized something was moving under the covers.
Ryuichi peered over—just in time to see Akeno Himejima emerge, her mischievous violet eyes glinting.
Their gazes locked in mutual shock and wordless confusion.
He glanced to one side—Asia and Rias still fast asleep, innocent as angels.
Why was Akeno in his bed, too!?
Worse, she was in the same disheveled, unguarded state as the others.
"You…" he started.
Akeno grinned. "Hehe, I knew you'd wake up soon. When I saw how lively you looked, I just couldn't resist showing you some… tender loving care."
She pushed herself up onto him, their bare skin pressed together, her body every bit as soft and inviting as Rias's.
Ryuichi felt his brain short-circuit. So the dreams… had been real? Sort of?
"Akeno, you… you tricked me…"
He slipped his arms around her tiny, perfect waist, enjoying every second.
Akeno just laughed quietly. "Can you blame me? For days, Rias and Asia have been hogging all your attention while I've been stuck watching. I came in early today to get my own turn. So? Did you like it?"
Ryuichi flushed, remembering his dream.
He had to admit—even compared to Rias, Akeno's technique was… mind-blowingly good.
"Yeah. I liked it," he murmured.
"How long was I unconscious?" Ryuichi asked.
"Three days and two nights. You went into self-preservation mode, so the four of us took turns giving you energy. You really drained us dry, you know."
"Wait… even Koneko?"
Akeno's teasing smile grew. "Of course. You should've seen her face—so cute when she's flustered."
Ryuichi coughed. "I guess I owe everyone a huge thank you, then…"
Akeno pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Just promise you'll take better care of yourself."
She paused, then suddenly looked past Ryuichi's shoulder.
Rias was glaring daggers at her.
"Akeno, what are you doing?" Rias's tone was frosty.
Akeno only smiled sweetly. "Just showing our adorable kouhai some love. Is that a problem?"
"I think I'm more than enough for him," Rias snapped.
With a devilish grin, Akeno ignored her, her teasing words only inflaming Rias's jealousy further.
"You're so selfish, Rias. Don't you want to share our precious kouhai?"
Rias had finally had enough. She called up her magic and blasted Akeno off the bed. Akeno unfolded her black devil wings and hovered midair, her lovely form on full display.
"You're so sly, Rias! Always hogging him for yourself. Let me have my moment!"
"No way!"
Rias seized a pillow, charged it with magic, and hurled it toward Akeno.
Akeno's fingers crackled with golden lightning. With barely a flick, she vaporized the pillow, white feathers raining through the room.
"…What's happening?" Asia mumbled in a sleepy daze, blinking at the snowstorm of feathers.
"Nothing. Go back to sleep," Ryuichi said gently, pulling her into his arms.
Her face bright and happy, Asia snuggled against Ryuichi's chest and closed her eyes, tuning out the chaos. Soon, she was asleep again, content and peaceful.
Ryuichi watched as Rias and Akeno's "battle" raged on, shaking his head in amusement.
Morning chaos, beautiful girls, and this rowdy love. If this wasn't paradise, what was?
He didn't mind the so-called "war zone" at all. Honestly, it felt… harmonious, in its own way.
Eventually, seeing Asia monopolizing Ryuichi, Rias and Akeno gave up their quarrel, pouting. For all their effort, the little nun had claimed the prize without even trying.
"So… anything happen while I was out?" Ryuichi asked with a smile, getting up and dressing himself.
"Not really," Rias replied, running her fingers through her tousled hair and throwing Akeno a look. "Because the school was destroyed, it's been closed for repairs since then."
"Uh… how long will that take? We can't just skip class forever."
"Relax. I've already sent someone to handle it. With magic, the whole place will be good as new in a week—no one will ever know it was gone."
Akeno, now dressed, added, "And thanks to Sona-kaichou's mind-altering spells, all the students have had their memories adjusted. Don't worry."
Ryuichi let out a sigh. Three days and nights out cold…
That meant Mai Sakurajima and the Nakano sisters were probably worried sick by now.
"Thinking about your human girlfriend?" Rias asked, a slight edge in her voice. Her desire to keep Ryuichi to herself was as fierce as ever—even if she knew it was impossible.
Ryuichi grinned. "I'll go see her today. I'll probably be out for the night."
"What!? You're not coming home?"
"Oh my, I'll be lonely…"
He rolled his eyes at their theatrics.
It was just like Akeno to sneak in while he was helpless and drain him for all he was worth, and now the big sisters wanted more even after that.
"Hey, it's normal to spend time with your girlfriend, right?" Ryuichi said, giving each of them a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the bedroom.
In the living room, he found Koneko sitting primly on the sofa, quietly watching TV while nibbling on a half-eaten strawberry daifuku.