Irina's eyes sparkled with pride as she held her sword up for all to see. "This is the Holy Sword I wield—Mimic, the Sword of Kings!"
Shuo put on a look of exaggerated awe. "Wow, Irina, that's incredible! You must be really something."
She tossed her hair, basking in the attention. "Of course! I went through trial after trial before Mimic finally accepted me. Not just anyone can claim that."
Across the room, Rias and her friends exchanged glances, barely holding back their laughter. Even Xenovia seemed puzzled by their odd reactions. Why weren't they shocked? Why did they look so… amused?
Shuo, still playing the part, leaned forward with a hungry curiosity. "Say, Irina, would you mind if I took a closer look at your Holy Sword?"
Irina blinked, then smirked. "You want to hold it? Sure. Knock yourself out!" She handed the sword over with a sly, expectant grin.
Rias and the others nearly lost it. They knew exactly what Irina was thinking—Holy Swords were poison to Devils, and even for most humans, touching one would mean agony. Irina was clearly hoping to teach Shuo a lesson.
But they also knew something Irina didn't.
Shuo took the Mimic from her, turning it over in his hands, completely unfazed. He arched a brow, feigning disappointment. "So this is your so-called Mimic? Honestly, it feels more like a toy. Compared to my sword, this is… pretty underwhelming."
Irina stared at him, her mind shattering as she tried to process what she was seeing. Her precious Mimic—her pride and joy—dismissed as a child's plaything? Impossible.
The dam broke. Rias and her friends burst out laughing, the room echoing with their amusement.
Even Xenovia was left speechless, her worldview wobbling. She and Irina had risked their lives, survived countless battles, and earned the trust of their Holy Swords. And here was Shuo, a human surrounded by Devils, handling one like it was nothing.
"How are you not hurt? Wait—what did you just say? Did you mean you have a Holy Sword too?" Xenovia's voice trembled with disbelief.
Irina turned to stare at Shuo, eyes wide.
Shuo grinned, a wicked glint in his eye. "That's right. I've got a Holy Sword of my own. And trust me, it's a cut above these mass-produced knockoffs."
Irina's face went pale. "No way! There's no way a human hanging around with Devils could ever be chosen by a Holy Sword!"
She was about to launch into a full protest when Shuo raised his hand, holy light gathering in his palm. In an instant, a sword of pure radiance materialized, its presence overwhelming.
Both girls froze, rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
Shuo just laughed. "Go ahead, rub all you want. This is the real deal."
He held the blade up, letting its light fill the room. "Take a good look. This isn't just any Holy Sword—it's the legendary Excalibur of the Stars, the true Sword of Promised Victory. Yours are just alchemical imitations by comparison."
Irina and Xenovia were struck dumb.
"The real Excalibur? That's… that's impossible!" Irina gasped.
Shuo's grin only widened. "Believe it or not, I'm the master of the Star Sword. Want to see for yourself?"
Irina's awe quickly replaced her disbelief. "Really? Can I… can I hold it?"
"Be my guest." Shuo tossed Excalibur to her, adding with a smirk, "Honestly, you two are so naïve. Even now, you don't realize you've been set up."
Irina caught the sword, but her attention was already fixed on its brilliance. Xenovia, however, frowned. "What do you mean, 'set up'?"
Shuo's expression turned cold. "Isn't it obvious? The Church sent you here to retrieve the Holy Swords and take down Kokabiel, but it's nothing but a suicide mission. They've thrown you to the wolves. Typical Church—always so disgustingly ruthless."
Xenovia's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. "That's slander. I thought you might be decent, being a Star Sword wielder, but I see I was wrong."
Shuo shrugged. "You're overconfident. You can't even beat us, and you think you can handle a Fallen Angel like Kokabiel?"
Xenovia bristled. "If you're so sure, how about a duel? If we lose, I'll apologize to you and your friends—and admit you were right."
Shuo's lips curled. "Deal. But if you lose, you stay out of this mess. Fair?"
"Fine," Xenovia shot back, deadly serious.
Before Shuo could reply, Yuuto Kiba stepped forward, his eyes burning with resolve. "Let's make it two-on-two. I'll fight with Shuo against you both."
Xenovia sneered. "A Church witch and a failed Holy Sword candidate—now you're both consorting with Devils. How far you've fallen."
Aisha flinched under the insult, lowering her head. Shuo gently took her hand, offering silent comfort.
Yuuto's gaze hardened. "Enough talk. Let's see what the Church's Holy Sword wielders are really made of."
Irina scoffed, looking down her nose at him. "We'd never stoop so low. But since you've chosen to become a Devil, don't expect mercy."
Shuo put a hand on Yuuto's shoulder, voice low but steady. "Kiba, I'll handle Xenovia. You take Irina. But don't let your anger cloud your mind. We're on the same side."
Yuuto blinked, then smiled gratefully. "I understand. Thanks, Shuo."
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