"What kind of magic was that?!"
"The Balance Breaker—he just wiped it out!"
Rias and Yubelluna's faces drained of color. Tenra's expression hardened, eyes narrowing.
That strange surge of power—what the hell was it?
His mind spun. He had a theory, but needed proof.
"Heavenfall Cloud Sword!"
Tenra raised his palm to the sky, summoning the might of Ame-no-Murakumo. Violet light erupted, painting the barrier space in a storm of purple. A blade of pure energy shrieked downward, splitting the gloom.
Bikou and Arthur felt the force in that strike and bolted, faces pale. But Vali didn't budge. He simply raised a hand and caught the blade head-on.
Under normal circumstances, that would have been suicide. But to everyone's shock, the sword vanished on impact—leaving Vali unscathed.
"Impossible..."
"So, this is your new power, Vali?"
The girls stared, disbelief etched across their faces. Tenra's gut twisted—he understood now.
If he was right, Vali had awakened Sacred Gear Nullification.
The ability to reduce any Sacred Gear's power to nothing. It was as if fate itself had crafted a perfect counter to Tenra's arsenal.
"Looks like you finally get it, Tenra Kamiyo. To defeat you, I had to awaken the power I hate most."
"You can steal and wield Sacred Gears without limit. I can erase them all. The battle between the Two Heavenly Dragons may be over, but our destiny isn't."
Vali's words hung in the air. Tenra nodded, face grim.
"Maybe this really is fate, Vali."
"I recognize you as my rival once again."
A ghost of a smile flickered across Vali's lips. Magic circles bloomed around him.
"Then let me show you its true power!"
Whoosh—thousands of light arrows tore through the air, raining down on Tenra.
Cursing, Tenra summoned his Blade Blacksmith barrier. But the shield, once unbreakable, shattered instantly as Vali's arrows tore through.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A demonic sword materialized in Tenra's grip. He parried frantically, but the blade snapped after only a few hits.
With so many powerful Sacred Gears, Tenra never bothered with ordinary weapons. He never needed them. Now, his greatest strength had become a crippling weakness—against Vali, he didn't even have a sword left to fight with.
No way to dodge. No weapon. No magic. Tenra braced himself, ready to take the barrage head-on—
"Tenra!"
A figure threw herself in front of him.
Akeno.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Ahhh—!"
Every arrow slammed into her body. She screamed, hurled backward, and crashed into Tenra's arms.
"Akeno!"
"Akeno-senpai!"
The other girls had managed to shield themselves with magic, escaping with only minor injuries. But seeing Akeno throw herself into the line of fire for Tenra, their faces went ghostly pale as they rushed over.
"T-Tenra... you're... okay... right?"
Her back was a mess—blood everywhere, her uniform shredded. Face deathly white, she smiled up at him, delirious and proud.
I'm so glad... I finally protected him, too...
Tenra's heart clenched, pain lancing through his chest.
How long had it been since he'd felt this? This raw, aching guilt. The helplessness of failing to protect someone precious.
"Oh god... the wounds are so deep..."
Asia pressed a trembling hand to her lips, tears streaming. She rushed forward, summoning her Sacred Gear to heal Akeno.
"Rias. Take care of her."
Expression blank, Tenra handed Akeno over to Rias and the others. He turned and walked forward.
"Tenra..."
He didn't say a word. But every girl felt it—
The fury boiling inside him, ready to explode.
Under their anxious gazes, Tenra stepped out. He raised his head, eyes locking on Vali above.
Cold, lethal intent.
"VALI!"
Scarlet and ivory armor erupted across his body. Power surged skyward, climbing higher and higher. The jewels in his armor flashed like strobes:
"Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!"
"Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide!"
He stomped down, shattering the ground. Tenra became a crimson blur, rocketing toward Vali.
"Tenra Kamiyo!"
Vali bared his teeth, battle-lust burning, and dove to meet him.
BOOM!
"AAAHHH—!"
They collided mid-air. A blinding sun exploded at the point of impact. Shockwaves tore through the space, fracturing the barrier like glass.
Long moments passed before the chaos faded.
Tenra dropped to the ground, armor dissolving. His face was pale, breath ragged.
Vali hung overhead, barely upright. Blood streaked his body; the arm that clashed with Tenra hung limp and useless.
Even nullification had limits. Push past them, and Sacred Gear power could still break through.
Tenra smirked coldly, ready for another round—
"That's enough for today, Tenra Kamiyo."
"What's wrong, Vali? Already calling it quits?"
Tenra's voice dripped with mockery.
"Injuring your woman was a mistake. But I only came today to say hello—to remind you our fight isn't over."
"Tenra Kamiyo. I'll get stronger. Much stronger. You'd better do the same. One day, our final battle will come."
Vali's eyes burned into him. Then, a teleportation circle opened. He vanished inside.
Arthur sheathed Caliburn, nodded respectfully to Tenra and the girls, and followed.
"Kuroka, you coming with us?"
Bikou hefted his staff, glancing down at Kuroka, who stood protectively before Koneko.
"No way I'm going back to that boring place. I'm staying with my Shirone from now on."
She hugged Koneko tight, voice steady.
"Shame. Well, hope you sisters find happiness. Oho ho ho—"
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