The sound of clashing swords filled the training grounds.
Ryo moved like flowing water – precise, relentless and each blow perfectly timed.
Yusei did his best to keep up, but the pressure was overwhelming.
Every time their katanas collided, sparks flew, echoing off the empty walls.
The others watched from the side.
Alice had folded her hands and her eyes were wide open.
Yusei could barely parry the attacks.
Then, in a sudden rush, Ryo knocked the blade out of Yusei's hand and, with one clean motion, brought his own to the man's throat.
The fight was over.
"Amazing," the others thought, but no one spoke it out loud.
Yusei fell back and landed hard on the ground, sweat dripping from his forehead.
He gave a short, weary laugh. "With only one arm? Now I understand why your name carries weight."
Ryo sheathed his katana with a sharp click. His voice was quiet. "You're mistaken. I was only taking the credit of someone who is no longer here."
Shortly thereafter, he dismissed the others and told them bluntly: "You are all really strong, not only by strength, but by personality as well. Train more like this and you'll become crucial against Shinji."
They left, leaving only Yusei and Ryo in the now empty area.
Yusei retrieved his sword, but instead of leaving, he walked over, sat on the ground, and let the blade roll across his knees.
"You know," Ryo said, his gaze flickering to the weapon, "there's something strange about your sword. It doesn't feel... ordinary."
Yusei grinned proudly. "Sharp eyes. It's called Devilkiller."
Ryo raised an eyebrow. "You named your sword?" His tone was humorous.
"You don't?" Yusei shot back with a grin. Then he shrugged when he saw Ryo's blank expression. "Looks like you don't?"
He ran his thumb over the blade as if the name had a deeper meaning.
"A sword carries me through battle. I think the least I can do is name it. Not ordinary you say? In our district, we have a blacksmith—a brilliant guy who's obsessed with devils. He's found a way to bind parts of devils into objects. He calls it Devil Extraction."
"We had two researches for Devils too," Ryo said as he crossed his arms.
Ryo's expression didn't change but in his mind he thought, "Akechi didn't come to that conclusion or did he just not bother?"
"If you're curious," Yusei said casually, "I can give you the blacksmith's contact information. He doesn't like to talk, though."
Ryo didn't reply immediately.
Later, re-entering his office, Ryo pulled the research papers of Akechi that Sora had left there closer and reread them until the words blurred. He sighed and reached for the phone.
The line rang until the last second, then a rough, distracted voice answered. "I'm busy with blacksmithing. What's going on?"
"This is Ryo," he said simply.
The man on the other end fell silent, then laughed in surprise. "Ryo? The same one who fought on Rintaro's side? You're a fucking legend."
"It wasn't me," Ryo muttered. "It was more on Rintaro's side." He brushed aside the small talk. "I'm calling about the devil extraction. How does that work?"
The blacksmith exhaled, "Simple. I forge weapons the usual way, but while they're being crafted, I can infuse them with my aura, it's my blessing. Normally, that's pointless—hunters can just cover them in aura, for the same effect. But when I studied devils, I realized I could capture fragments of their aura and seal them in the steel. The devils don't lose anything noticeable and restore the lost aura in seconds. But the weapon—infernally sharp, unbreakable, light as air. It's a devil's amp, without the curse."
Ryo's eyes narrowed as he thought to himself, "Not at all the same as Akechi. So he didn't do that because it would have been a waste of his goal, since it doesn't glorify the devil's."
He nodded slowly, even though the blacksmith couldn't see. "Interesting, thank you. If I have further questions I'll call."
"Do," the smith said, then hung up without further talk.
His hand unconsciously wandered to the empty sleeve where his arm had lain. He thought of Shinji, of the abyss, of the next war looming over them.
Slowly, he picked up his phone again and dialed another number.
It rang only once before Kagami's tired voice answered.
"Kagami," Ryo said, his voice piercing the static. "I have a new priority mission for you."