On the far side of the battlefield, Koneko Toujou was locked in a brutal struggle with her three-headed hellhound. She fought hard, but close-quarters combat against a beast wreathed in hellfire was a losing proposition. Each time she landed a blow, the burning jaws snapped back, and the battle ground to a tense stalemate.
Xenovia, watching with a furrowed brow, marveled at how effortlessly Rias and the others had dispatched their own hellhounds. But seeing Koneko falter, she made her decision. "We're allies now—and we share the same enemy. This is as much our fight as theirs." Without another word, she charged in, Durandal gleaming in her hands.
Irina hesitated, torn by conflicting emotions, but then drew her own Mimic Holy Sword and joined Xenovia at Koneko's side.
The hellhound reeled from Koneko's punch, staggering just long enough for the two Holy Sword wielders to strike. Twin arcs of sacred steel flashed—two heads tumbled to the ground, severed in an instant.
Koneko seized the opening, eyes blazing. She pushed her body to its limit, channeling every drop of magic into a single, devastating punch. The last head exploded in a spray of blood and flame. The beast's massive body twitched, then collapsed, staining the earth crimson.
Kokabiel watched the carnage from above, lips curling in delight. "Impressive! I thought you'd at least be wounded, even if you managed to put down my pets. But you dispatched them without breaking a sweat." His eyes gleamed with manic glee. "No wonder you beat that Phoenix brat. With this strength, you're worthy of being called the Four Heavenly Kings of the Underworld's new generation. This is getting interesting!"
Shuo shot him a look of utter exasperation. Enjoy the show while you can, Kokabiel. You won't be smiling for long.
Meanwhile, on the other front—
Kiba Yuuto was locked in a deadly duel with a Stray Priest wielding a Holy Sword, while Balpa Galilei taunted him from a safe distance.
"I heard one of my test subjects escaped," Balpa sneered, "but to see you reduced to a Devil—how pitiful. Still, I should thank you. Without you failures, my research would never have succeeded."
Kiba dispatched the priest with a dark scowl, but Balpa's words gnawed at him. "Succeeded? What do you mean?"
Balpa's eyes glittered with twisted pride. "The compatibility factors you children possessed weren't enough to wield the Holy Swords. So I drew a new conclusion: I just needed to extract those factors from the most compatible subjects."
Kiba's blood ran cold. "What?!"
Ignoring Kiba's fury, Balpa produced a small, white crystal, holding it up to the light. "We crystallized those factors—this is the last one, actually. Not that it matters. We've already mass-produced them. Here, take it. Consider it a souvenir."
He tossed the crystal to Kiba, who caught it reflexively.
Xenovia's jaw dropped. "That's… That's what they implant in Holy Sword wielders during the blessing ceremony! So that's how they compensate for low compatibility…"
Irina stood frozen, horror dawning in her eyes. She'd never realized what had been put inside her body—until now. Guilt twisted her features as she looked at Kiba.
Kiba stared at the crystal in his palm, anguish etched across his face. Memories of lost friends surged up, tears brimming in his eyes.
He looked up at Balpa, voice shaking with rage. "If that's true… then why did you poison us? Why murder us all?"
Balpa laughed, cold and wild. "Why? Isn't it obvious? You were just raw material. Once you'd served your purpose, you were trash to be thrown away!"
Kiba's killing intent exploded. His eyes burned, handsome features contorted with hate. "Balpa—go to hell!"
With a single, fluid motion, he severed the priest before him—man and sword cleaved in two—then lunged at Balpa.
"Wait—you can't—!"
"Ah—!"
Balpa's plea was cut short. Kiba's sword flashed, and the mad scientist was reduced to bloody fragments.
Kiba staggered, staring down at the crystal in his hand, tears dripping onto its surface. "I finally… avenged you all…"
Suddenly, the crystal began to glow—a gentle, holy light. The radiance swirled around Kiba, coalescing into the faint, blue-glowing forms of boys and girls. Spirits of the lost.
Kiba's head bowed, voice trembling with grief and longing. "I've always wondered… Why was I the only one to survive? There were others with bigger dreams, who wanted to live even more than I did. Is it really okay for me to live on in peace?"
A soft song drifted through the air. One small girl's spirit tugged at his sleeve, smiling up at him. Tears spilled freely down Kiba's cheeks.
The spirits circled him, singing, their voices echoing in his ears:
"It's okay…"
"As long as we're together…"
"Accept us. Accept us…"
"…."
Kiba wept, overwhelmed, but finally managed a smile. "We… we're one. Thank you, everyone…"
The spirits dissolved into motes of light, merging with Kiba's body. The air thrummed with a sacred warmth.
Everyone watched in silence, smiles breaking through tears. Asia sobbed openly, unable to contain herself.
Suddenly, Kiba raised his Demonic Sword high and roared: "Sword Birth!"
In an instant, the blade erupted with both holy radiance and demonic power—two opposing forces fused into one. A new sword materialized in his grasp, its aura both sacred and wicked.
"Balance Breaker—Holy Demonic Sword of Twin Sovereigns!"
Shuo glanced around, seeing the looks of awe and confusion. He grinned, offering a quiet explanation. "That's Kiba's Balance Breaker—the Holy Demonic Sword of Twin Sovereigns. He's finally broken free of his past."
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