With a single punch, Koneko sent the massive monster hurtling backward, smashing through a wall before it finally came to a stop.
That was the power of the Rook—Koneko's special piece. With her overwhelming strength and nearly impenetrable defense, she had effortlessly blown away a creature several times her size.
"Akeno, it's your turn," Rias commanded calmly.
"Understood, President. Ara, ara~ what shall I do with this poor thing?"
Akeno Himejima stepped forward, her gentle smile like a warm spring breeze—yet the air around her vibrated with a surge of powerful demonic energy.
Rias turned toward Ryuya and explained, "Akeno's piece is the Queen—the most versatile class. She possesses the traits of every other chess piece."
That made Ryuya think of his own rank.
He knew he carried both the Knight and Pawn pieces, existing in a dual state—but so far, he had only experienced the Knight's speed. The Pawn's power remained a mystery to him.
Rias smiled knowingly. "The Pawn has a special ability called Promotion. When a pawn reaches the enemy's territory, it can evolve into any class except the King."
Ryuya's eyes lit up in realization.
So that was it—every piece held its own potential. Even his seemingly weakest Pawn piece could become something far greater.
As he pondered this, the sharp crack of thunder tore through the air.
He looked up to see Akeno raising her right hand, magic flaring around her like a storm. A moment later, a bolt of lightning materialized from the void—crashing down on the stray devil with a deafening roar.
"GRAAAAHHHHH!!!"
The monster convulsed violently, electricity coursing through its limbs as it shrieked in agony.
But even so, it refused to die easily. Roaring in rage, it gathered its demonic power once more, its aura flaring so fiercely that even Ryuya and the others narrowed their eyes.
"Ughhh… grrraaaahhh!"
The creature howled again—then, to Ryuya's utter disbelief, he noticed something bizarre.
Its… chest began to swell.
"…Huh?"
Ryuya's instincts screamed that this wasn't going anywhere good.
And sure enough—
The next second, those "things" stretched forward unnaturally, elongating in a grotesque, impossible way.
"Wait—what the hell—?!"
BOOM! BOOM!
Before he could even finish the thought, two massive beams of light blasted out—from her breasts.
The twin beams shot forward, slicing through walls as they went. Wherever they struck, concrete melted, and a sizzling sssshhhhh echoed through the air. The energy wasn't just destructive—it was corrosive and toxic.
Ryuya blinked. Once. Twice.
Those were definitely… boobs.
…Firing laser beams.
You've got to be kidding me.
Was this—
The legendary… Dynamic Light Wave?!
The sheer absurdity of the attack made his mind blank for a second, but his reflexes kicked in fast.
As the stray devil Baisa aimed both of her monstrous "weapons" at him and Rias, the twin beams tore through the air with unstoppable force.
Without hesitation, Ryuya stepped forward—placing himself between Rias and the incoming attack.
BZZZT!
A resonant hum rang out. A silver shield shimmered into existence before him.
Ryuya raised his left hand as if gripping something invisible—and the shield solidified, floating in the air before him. A transparent energy field rippled outward, intercepting the oncoming beams.
BOOOOM!
The entire building trembled. Above them, the already-decayed ceiling began to collapse.
Ryuya didn't flinch. He summoned the Sword of King, the blade flashing into his right hand. With several swift, precise slashes, he traced a glowing lattice of sword light overhead.
The falling slabs of steel and concrete—each weighing several tons—were sliced apart midair and sent flying aside by the energy barrier from the Divine Shield.
Ryuya stood there casually, one hand gripping his sword, the blade tip resting lightly against the ground.
He didn't even look like he'd taken the situation seriously.
Rias smiled softly and clapped her hands. "Not bad. Your reflexes are impressive."
"All thanks to your training, President," Ryuya replied calmly.
His composed tone only deepened the curve of Rias's smile.
She had already noticed—Ryuya's battle instincts were exceptional. That cool-headed decisiveness of his, the ability to act instantly without hesitation—those were the marks of someone who could truly dance on the edge between life and death.
"This guy's attack methods are seriously bizarre," Ryuya muttered, unable to hold back his comment. "Why would anyone attack from there of all places…"
"The more unexpected the method, the more effective it tends to be," Rias said with a small laugh. Even she hadn't anticipated such an unconventional attack, which was why her reaction earlier hadn't been as quick as his.
Though, to be fair, that level of attack wouldn't have harmed her anyway.
"True," Ryuya said with a sigh. "That move really was… quite something. A true Dynamic Light Wave."
Rias blinked. "…A what?"
"Mm. I just came up with a name for it," he said, tone utterly serious. "Don't you think it fits perfectly with what we just saw, President?"
Rias: "…"
His naming was too vivid. The image immediately replayed in her mind—the wobbling, trembling "source," and those wild, sweeping light beams flashing across the room.
Great… now she couldn't unsee it. The mental image was so spot-on it was impossible to look at it seriously anymore.
For once, the pure-blooded devil Rias Gremory was utterly speechless.
Meanwhile, seeing the stray devil still manage to attack even after taking a lightning strike, Akeno's smile faded slightly—replaced by something sharper.
"Ara ara… still that energetic? It seems I can give you a few more shocks, then."
CRACK!
A brilliant flash of lightning split the air, crashing down on the monster once again.
"AAAAAARGHHHHHHH!!"
The creature screamed in torment, its grotesque "Dynamic Light Wave" attack abruptly cut off. Its whole body convulsed uncontrollably as if it were on the brink of death.
But Akeno didn't stop there. Her serene, beautiful smile remained, yet there was a chilling aura behind it—an icy, terrifying pleasure in her expression as she called down a third bolt of lightning.
The gentle big-sisterly Akeno now looked like something far more dangerous.
Watching her, Ryuya could only stare in stunned silence.
Yeah… she was definitely enjoying this.
So she's not just the kind and elegant upperclassman next door—she's also a full-fledged sadist, huh?
Rias confirmed his thought without hesitation. "That's just how Akeno is. Even if an enemy begs for mercy, she won't stop until she's completely calmed down. She's a genuine masochist's nightmare—a true sadist through and through."
And so, for a full three minutes straight, the relentless lightning torture continued. Only when the stray devil was half-dead and twitching on the ground did Akeno finally hand it over to Rias.
The finishing blow was always Rias's job.
Rias stepped forward, looking down at the charred, trembling creature before her. Her expression was cold and commanding—like a queen gazing down from her throne.
"Any last words?" she asked coolly.
"…Ki…ll… me…" the demon croaked weakly, her voice filled with despair and pleading. Akeno's lightning had broken both her body and her will.
"I see," Rias replied, her tone frost-cold. "Then die."
She raised her hand, and an immense surge of crimson demonic energy burst forth.
BOOM!
A wave of searing red flames consumed the stray devil completely, turning it into ash in the blink of an eye.
When the shockwave faded, Rias's long crimson hair, still fluttering from the blast, slowly settled back into place.
The girl turned around, her elegant smile returning to her beautiful face.
"All right," she said brightly, "the extermination's complete."
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