The realization hit Shuo like a jolt of lightning. Excitement surged through his veins as he unleashed his trump card—Perfect Susanoo.
A tidal wave of power exploded outward, blue energy crackling around him. Under the stunned gaze of friend and foe alike, a skeletal frame of deep azure materialized, wrapping around Shuo. Veins of blue light pulsed through the bones, the structure growing denser, taller, more imposing by the second.
From the back of the colossal skeleton, a pair of blazing blue wings unfurled. Then—one arm, two, three, four—each hand gripping a massive, gleaming sword.
In less than a heartbeat, a thousand-meter titan stood between Yamata-no-Orochi and the rest of the world—a Susanoo clad in fearsome tengu armor, radiating the aura of a demon god.
Chaos erupted.
"What is that power?"
"Shuo… he was hiding this all along?"
"Just the pressure—it's hard to even breathe!"
Rias and the others stared up at the mountainous Susanoo, disbelief written across their faces. Even Yamata-no-Orochi, a beast born of myth and terror, recoiled. Its serpent eyes flashed with panic, desperate to flee from the overwhelming force before it.
Size alone made the contest laughable. The Susanoo's shadow swallowed the battlefield, its presence suffocating, its power lethal. Yamata-no-Orochi, for the first time, felt the icy grip of fear.
But Shuo didn't give it time to run.
He struck—no sword, just a fist the size of a house, slamming down on one of the serpent's heads.
CRUNCH!
The skull shattered like a ripe melon, green blood splattering across the ground.
Before Yamata-no-Orochi could react, Susanoo stomped down, pinning the beast. One massive hand seized another head and tore it away, flesh and bone giving way with sickening ease.
Two heads gone in seconds. The serpent writhed in agony, its terror almost pitiful.
Shuo hesitated only for a moment. Mercy wasn't in the cards—not for this monster. Time to end it.
He gripped the Susanoo's four swords, each one a hundred meters long, and swung. The air screamed with danger as the blades descended.
Yamata-no-Orochi tried to dodge, but there was nowhere to go. Shuo's strikes were too fast, too ruthless. Four slashes carved the beast apart—heads and body torn asunder.
He didn't stop until all eight heads lay scattered across the battlefield, the serpent's reign of terror reduced to mangled remains.
Rias and the others hovered nearby, stunned by the brutality. No wonder Shuo had looked so confident—who wouldn't, wielding power like this?
Kiba, especially, was shaken. After witnessing that display, he silently vowed never to spar with Shuo again. Who knew if that giant sword might come down on him next?
The group gathered around Shuo. Rias, eyes wide with awe, spoke softly, "I thought training would help me catch up to you. But now…"
Before she could finish, Shuo turned, wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and drew her close. He inhaled her scent, then whispered comfort.
"Why so down? I'm your boyfriend, Rias. From now on, it's my job to protect you. That's what being a man means."
Rias blushed, but didn't pull away. If anything, she leaned into him, longing for the closeness to last.
Akeno, though, wasn't about to let the moment slide. She chimed in, voice teasing and sly, "Ara ara, I can't pretend I didn't see that! Rias, Shuo-chan is my man—how can you steal your own peerage member's boyfriend?"
She added, "But since I'm your peerage, I can be generous. If you're willing to be the junior wife and call me 'big sister,' I might just allow it."
!!!
Rias bristled, firing back, "What do you mean 'your man'? Shuo-kun is obviously mine! He just said I'm his girlfriend—Akeno, you're the junior wife! Right, Shuo-kun?"
Akeno didn't argue—she simply turned to Shuo, eyes sparkling. "Shuo-chan, I'm clearly the main wife, aren't I?"
Both women fixed him with expectant stares.
Shuo hesitated, then shrugged. "Well, technically… you're both junior wives. If we go by order, Tsubasa's the main wife. If it's about relationship, Ruruko is."
"…"
The bombshell left both girls speechless. Losing out to two underclassmen—both from the Student Council—wasn't something they'd ever imagined.
Rias looked crushed, her spirit deflated. Akeno, wide-eyed, pressed, "Shuo-chan, when did you get these girlfriends? How many do you have? Why haven't I heard about this?"
Shuo counted on his fingers. "Let's see… Tsubasa, Momo, Ruruko… Looks like everyone in the Student Council except Sona and Tsubaki has agreed to join my harem."
"…"
"Shuo-chan…"
"Shuo-kun…"
Both girls stared at him, wounded and forlorn.
Koneko, meanwhile, shot Shuo a withering look. "Pervert Nangong-kun. Total playboy. Hentai."
Shuo winced, but kept his composure. "Rias, Akeno, don't worry. No matter how many women I have, I'll treat you both the same. When we get married, it'll be together—a joint wedding."
Akeno smirked, her tone playful but resigned. "So you're opening a harem in broad daylight. Shuo-chan, you really are a heartbreaker."
But leaving wasn't an option. She'd long since given up on resisting him.
Seeing their helpless expressions, Shuo felt a pang of guilt. He wrapped both Rias and Akeno in a gentle embrace.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm a flirt, but I'll never abandon you. You two are the most important people in my life."
Rias reached up, caressing his cheek with a tender smile. "It's fine. Having lots of women just means you're exceptional. As long as you keep me in your heart, that's enough."
Shuo's heart swelled with emotion. To have a wife like this—who wouldn't be grateful? It was the mark of Rias's strength as the heir to the Gremory family.
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