"Two Holy Sword users from the Church, and a member of Rias Gremory's peerage... Tch, why is it always nobodies that show up?"
Valper Galilei's face twisted with clear disgust—not only toward devils, but also toward the Church.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. That last punch had hit him hard—he felt like his organs were completely jumbled inside.
"Go, Irina! Someone this wicked cannot be allowed to live!"
Raising her "Sword of Destruction," which resembled a large western knight's sword, Xenovia's expression darkened further. She drove the tip into the earth.
At the point where the sword struck, an invisible shockwave exploded forward. The yellow soil cracked apart, pine trees—roots and all—were flung into the air, and the earth split into a deep, jagged trench.
"You're right, Xenovia. Someone like this doesn't deserve to live," Irina declared, her resolve firm.
Even if the Church was flawed now, that didn't justify turning to darkness. And this man wasn't even a victim—he was the perpetrator.
Without hesitation, Irina turned into a blur. Within moments, she was directly above Valper Galilei, thrusting her thin, whip-like sword straight at the back of his head.
"Cheap trick," Valper Galilei sneered.
With a flick of his wrist, he raised his sword to block.
Clang—!
The point of Irina's sword struck the flat of his blade, sparks flying.
"Extend—!"
Hovering in midair, Irina's expression grew sharp. Her red lips parted slightly.
The tip of her sword vanished, transforming into four golden beams of light that shot from four directions in a simultaneous strike.
This was the power of the Holy Sword of Mimicry.
As the name suggested, it could shift into any form, altering itself at will based on the user's intent.
It was a perfect ability for taking down opponents on first contact.
But…
Valper Galilei's hands were instantly coated with two spheres of immaculate, pure light. He swung his fists four times in succession, blocking all four of the incoming sword strikes.
"What's wrong, surprised?"
Valper Galilei's mocking expression didn't change in the slightest.
"You should know, I'm the one who carried out the Holy Sword Project. Back then, I personally studied every Holy Sword that remained in the Church."
The sudden counter to her assault and Valper Galilei's ridicule caused Irina to fall into a momentary daze.
And it was at that very moment—!
Blinding white light rapidly expanded in Irina's vision.
A condensed sphere of explosive light gathered in Valper Galilei's hand surged toward Irina. It was just one second away from blasting the spirited girl into an unrecognizable mess.
"Oh, yoo!"
But before he could do that, Koneko appeared. Sensing the danger, Valper Galilei quicly leapt to safety, just narrowly avoiding the fist of the cute nekomata.
"I was about to say, when did Rias Gremory's peerage start having members of your caliber?"
Valper Galilei's eyes widened in alarm as he glanced at where he had just been standing. That spot was now a deep, elliptical crater.
"I've been part of the club president's peerage for a long time."
Koneko said in a low voice, her shoulders carrying the just-rescued Irina Shidou.
...
A warm current of energy flowed through Kiba's body. His dislocated internal organs and torn tendons were gradually healing under the gentle warmth of the energy.
His consciousness slowly returned.
The taste of rust filled his mouth.
His blurred vision gradually cleared.
"Whew! You owe me big time for this one, boy. Once we're back, you better pay me back handsomely."
A seductive voice rang out beside Kiba's ear.
"She… she really looks like Koneko…"
That was Kiba's first thought upon seeing the woman before him as he regained consciousness.
"That's right, sweetie. I'm Shirone's big sister, the strong and adorable nekomata, and also Vilan-kun's peerage member and lover—Kuroka, nya~"
It was her usual short and overly self-confident self-introduction.
But it was also the most direct way to explain her identity.
At the very least, after hearing Kuroka's self-introduction, Kiba immediately accepted both her identity and her treatment.
It wasn't just that Kiba believed in her words or the effectiveness of her healing—
It was more that, in his current state, he didn't feel like there was anything left in him worth scheming over.
"That's… Koneko?"
White cat ears and a seductive feline tail. Her two slender yet athletic legs sprinted rapidly across the clearing, her tightly clenched fists wrapped in blazing white flames.
And his greatest enemy—Valper Galilei—was being forced into retreat by the fierce assault of his kouhai.
Every time Koneko's punch missed and landed on the ground or trees, whether it was organic or inorganic matter, it would instantly disintegrate into a fine powder.
Seeing the destruction before him, it became clear why, even though Valper Galilei's strength was slightly above Koneko's, he dared not receive her attacks head-on.
Because anyone who did—might just end up like those tree trunks.
"What… is that?"
Even Kiba's hatred had been temporarily pushed aside. He couldn't help but voice his confusion to Kuroka.
"That's Senjutsu~ Unlike me, Shirone is the type who specializes in merging Senjutsu with physical combat. By striking with her ki and injecting it into the opponent's body, she can trigger destructive effects all the way down to the atomic level."
Kuroka explained with a proud smirk, causing Kiba to involuntarily break into a wry smile at her smug tone.
And then he fell into silence.
Now he was starting to doubt whether he had truly been away from Rias's side for just three days… or three years.
Otherwise, how else could Koneko have made such terrifying progress?
It was like getting hit in the chest with something Valper Galilei. Galileo was sent flying, scraping across the ground and crashing hard into a tree trunk.
Cough—!
A mouthful of bright red blood was coughed up from Valper Galilei's lips.
"Don't worry. I won't kill you. I'll bring you back to face judgment from the president."
Through the hazy dust, Koneko's crisp voice rang out.
"Pah—!"
"Judged by a devil? Don't make me laugh. You think I'm not running away because I'm trying to act tough in the face of this situation?"