The last time he had encountered a wielder of a Holy Sword was back in that dimensional space, when he ran into the fallen angels' experimental group.
It was during that encounter that Ryuya witnessed a power that surpassed even High-class Devils, leaving a deep impression on him.
"Huh? You can actually recognize this as a Holy Sword. Not bad, you've got some knowledge after all."
Irina Shidou showed a bit of pride, revealing a small fang as she grinned.
"You'd better be careful. Mine here is the Holy Sword of Mimicry, specially made to counter devils like you. Oh, and by the way, Xenovia's sword is the Holy Sword of Destruction. If a devil gets wounded by either one, it'll hurt a lot~"
The girl's tone always carried a faint sense of pride. Perhaps that was simply Irina's personality.
Ryuya showed no fear. He had long since experienced the power of a Holy Sword.
"Thanks for the warning. But you should worry more about yourselves."
The moment his words fell, Ryuya attacked without hesitation. Even facing two opponents alone, he did not hesitate for a single moment.
"Irina, I'll deal with him alone first."
Xenovia gave a low shout, seemingly unwilling to gang up on him.
Holding her Holy Sword, she instantly vanished from her spot, charging forward with a battle-hungry stance to meet Ryuya's attack.
Clang!
Their figures flashed.
The King's Sword and the Holy Sword collided directly without any fancy techniques, producing a piercing metallic shockwave.
A destructive force exploded outward. Both Ryuya and Xenovia felt a tremendous power surge through them, forcing their bodies to slide backward uncontrollably.
"Huh? His weapon…"
Irina's eyes widened slightly as her gaze landed on Ryuya's King's Sword.
From it, she vaguely sensed an overwhelming aura of authority, like standing before a king in the prime of his glory.
Xenovia clashed with Ryuya once more. Facing both his magic power, which was no weaker than hers, and his Sacred Gear, she grew increasingly curious about the King's Sword.
Unlike the Holy Sword of Destruction she wielded, which was actually an incomplete product, the sword in Ryuya's hands seemed no weaker than a true Holy Sword.
It was clearly not an ordinary Sacred Gear.
From the very beginning, Ryuya had never feared Holy Swords. He had already learned about them from Rias Gremory.
The Church's original Holy Sword had once been the weapon of a king, a true King's Sword.
However, after a certain battle, that King's Sword was shattered. The Church gathered the fragments of the blade and used them to forge seven separate Holy Swords.
Although they were all Holy Swords, their power was far inferior compared to the original King's Sword.
And the one in Ryuya's hand… was also a King's Sword.
In terms of stature, the master of the Benevolent King's Sword and Shield had fought throughout his life, protecting countless living beings and bringing lasting peace.
He was worshipped by innumerable lives, revered by the land and its rivers and mountains, a king so magnificent that even gods admired him.
A sword and shield born from the life of such a benevolent king, blessed by the divine itself.
How could they possibly be inferior to other King's Swords?
"I underestimated you."
Xenovia looked at the calm-faced Ryuya.
The young man stood quietly, the silver blade in his hand shining brilliantly. Though he appeared still, his spirit and presence were steadily rising.
It was as if he were a king commanding thousands of soldiers, the will of all living beings condensed into one body, almost as though he had become the embodiment of faith itself.
Ryuya's mind remained tranquil.
As his strength continued to grow, he had become increasingly adept at wielding the power of the Benevolent King's Sword and Shield. The strength of this Sacred Gear was gradually being released under his control.
"You two should come at me together."
Ryuya spoke calmly. With a single step forward, his figure vanished.
Xenovia was able to keep up with his speed. Her strength was formidable, and among those at the level of Mid-class Devils, she could be said to have very few opponents.
But Ryuya was no ordinary Mid-class Devil either. What he was using now was only his normal level of demonic power. Many of his methods had yet to be revealed.
Xenovia clearly did not want to gang up on him, but at that moment both of them sensed that Ryuya's offensive suddenly became terrifying in the very next instant.
The King's Sword in Ryuya's hand erupted with magic power that multiplied several times over!
"What?!"
Irina cried out in shock. Without a moment to think, she leapt straight into the battle, joining Xenovia to block Ryuya's strike!
It had to be said that her judgment was extremely accurate.
At that moment, relying on the Holy Sword of Destruction alone, Xenovia would never have been able to withstand Ryuya's attack!
The King's Sword came slashing down with overwhelming might. The Holy Sword of Mimicry and the Holy Sword of Destruction were both knocked aside!
It was not that the two Holy Swords were weak. Rather, Irina and Xenovia had reacted far too hastily. Faced with Ryuya's sudden surge in strength, they suffered greatly.
The three swords collided together. Terrifying magic power erupted outward, and a violent gale swept through the surroundings, tearing everything apart. Around the small plaza where Ryuya and the others stood, a vortex of magic formed like a raging tornado.
Several nearby shops were blown into disarray. If Ryuya had not used his power of altering common sense beforehand to disperse the pedestrians in the area, this alone would have caused a great deal of unnecessary chaos.
Caught completely off guard, Irina and Xenovia were both sent flying, crashing to the ground in a rather miserable state.
Ryuya did not pursue further. The King's Sword in his hand dissolved into a streak of silver light and disappeared.
The two girls coughed lightly as they slowly stood up. The divine power within their bodies still felt unsettled.
Ryuya's previous strike had shown them no mercy. If they had failed to block it, they would certainly have been seriously injured.
"What kind of power was that? Your attack suddenly became several times stronger…"
Xenovia asked curiously.
"It's the ability of my Sacred Gear."
Ryuya did not hide it.
After successfully activating Endless Twilight Citadel during the Rating Game, Ryuya realized that the King's Sword also possessed incredible abilities.
Previously, he had always believed that the power of the Benevolent King's Sword and Shield lay entirely in the Divine Shield, which caused him to overlook the King's Sword. After realizing his misunderstanding, he naturally began to thoroughly explore the abilities of the King's Sword as well.
In the end, he successfully developed the King's Sword's ability to independently amplify his own strength.
Just like when Endless Twilight Citadel is activated and the Divine Shield gains absolute defensive power, the King's Sword can also independently trigger an enhancement.
Just now, Ryuya had used the King's Sword's ability, catching the two of them completely off guard and defeating them in one move.
"This time, consider it a lesson for the two of you. Asia is already a devil now and has nothing to do with your Church anymore. She will have a new life, so please don't come to disturb her again."
Ryuya spoke softly. Without paying further attention to the two Holy Sword wielders, he walked toward Asia in the distance, took her hand, and left.
Only after he had gone far away did Xenovia and Irina Shidou finally stop holding back. Both of them suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood at the same time.
"Uwaa… we got taught such a brutal lesson…"
Irina whimpered miserably…
...
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