"Light…"
"That light is likely the souls of Yuuto's comrades, sleeping inside the crystal. The energy waves drifting across this battlefield, mixed with Yuuto's heartfelt turmoil, have finally set them free," explained Akeno-senpai.
Gradually, the glowing light coalesced into human forms.
"Everyone…" Yuuto whispered, stunned as familiar faces gathered around him.
"All this time, I kept thinking… Is it right for only me to survive? Is it right for me alone to enjoy life…?" Tears welled in his eyes, not from despair, but from gratitude and relief.
Now, a chorus rose, soft yet unmistakably powerful, filling the battlefield:
"A hymn…"
Asia, moved to tears, recognized the song.
Although demons are usually pained by hymns, none among us felt any of that.
"Hey, what's got you crying, Issei?" someone asked.
"Shut up, Ikki! You're crying too!"
"Yeah, but I'm not bawling like you…" he retorted playfully, wiping tears. In that moment, everything else faded away, what surrounded us was pure warmth.
The voices of Yuuto's comrades echoed.
"Accept the holy sword."
We couldn't do it alone."
"But together, we're strong."
"Even without God's gaze…"
"Even if God does not exist…"
"Our hearts remain,"
"One."
At that final word, a unique, warm, yet powerful energy ripple washed over us.
"It's warm…" Koneko murmured, astounded.
Bathed in comforting light, Yuuto slowly opened his eyes.
"Valper Galilei… my comrades never wished me to take revenge. But… if I let your malice go unpunished, more tragedies like ours will happen. As someone who suffered that pain, I cannot stand by!" His voice rang clear.
"Do it, Yuuto! Don't let their hopes die in vain!" Issei shouted, amplifying support.
"Yuuto, you can do this!" Rias cheered. Akeno, Xenovia, everyone joined in. Even though I'm still being carried, the support is overwhelming, please, can Koneko gently put me down soon…?
"…a little longer," Yuuto replied sweetly.
Don't answer before I even ask!
"Thank you… I will become the Lord's sword, and the sword of my comrades. My friends, you didn't abandon your hope? You didn't perish in vain, did you?! Demon-Sword Creation: Sword Birth!"
He thrust one hand to the sky; holy and demonic energy poured out, blending into one.
"Holy-Demonic Sword… Sword of Betrayer. The holy power I received, together with my own demonic strength, accept this!"
"A Holy-Demonic Sword? Impossible! Light and dark should never mix! Freed!!" Freed stumbled forward, hyper-emotional from the heartwarming moment.
"Your comrades' power inside you must not be misused," Yuuto said firmly. "You'll fall here, just like Valper." With Xenovia by his side, they advanced.
"Rias's knights, will you stand with us?" Xenovia called to Rias.
"I hope so," Rias replied.
"Then let's destroy this… Excalibur-bearer!" Xenovia plunged her Destroyer version of Excalibur into the ground, pointing at Freed.
She summoned golden ripples and chains from the air, and materialized a chain-bound, sky-blue sword.
"By the names of Peter, Basileus, Dionysius, and Mother Mary, I command you to free yourself! Holy Sword, Durandal!"
She gripped the sword's hilt; the chains shattered under its power, Durandal was free.
"This… Durandal? You handled it?!" Valper's shock was audible.
"I didn't handle it, I'm a natural-born sword wielder," Xenovia replied.
"She's the real deal… Freed, take her corpse intact. Reward depends on it," Valper said, commanding Freed.
Freed grinned gleefully as he advanced, but suddenly, his aura faltered.
"Freed. You inserted three Holy Sword crystals, so your body's resonating with your friends' souls. Their influence is controlling you! You're not just facing us, you're being faced by them," Yuuto said, pointing the Sword of Betrayer at Freed.
Freed snarled and attacked, splitting the sword's blade, but Durandal shattered the attack.
"A mere broken sword can't beat Durandal!" Yuan cried as Freed's Excalibur snapped.
Yuuto leapt forward and fought Freed in rapid swordplay. Each clash chipped away Freed's blade… until Yuuto severed both Freed and the broken Excalibur. Freed survived, but was incapacitated.
"Everyone… you see that? Our will has surpassed Excalibur," Yuuto declared gently, yet firmly.
He exhaled, facing Valper.
"Valper Galilei, it's time."
But Valper was muttering, lost in his own thoughts:
"…if light and dark can merge, there must be a balance-keeper… not just a Maou, but a god too…"
Before a gleaming spear of light pierced him, and Valper turned to dust before us.
"Valper, you were brilliant, your realization deserved better," Kokabiel said, descending slowly.
I felt Koneko let me down, finally free of the princess carry… and I think the others were relieved, too.
"Why did you kill your allies, Kokabiel?" Rias demanded.
"Used them. Now, I'll fight you myself, Rias Gremory," he replied, landing and staring her down.
"Excalibur's broken, your ace dead, why not just retreat?"
"Hah! That's no reason for me to go!" Kokabiel sneered.
What's up? You're a veteran, why aren't you scared? Rias offered to stand in for the Maou... but you've got zero support and no trump card. You'd run if you were rational!
Unless… you've got something else planned. If not another Cerberus…
At that moment, I realized something.
"Rias! Kokabiel's next target is the destructive spell, 'Heaven-Earth Collapse'!"
"What?"
"That magic circle's connected to him. Once the aura reaches critical mass, he can trigger it at will. If I were him, I'd wait for the Maou to teleport in, and then drop it to wipe out the entire town."
"So, that circle isn't aimed at the town?"
"Exactly! He's going to wait until the energy peaks, then detonate it! If the demon army doesn't arrive in time, exploding near you will still spark war, it's meant as a grand signal for World War II."
"…he wants to overthrow not just the three factions, but the Maou too? That arrogance deserves death!" Rias raged, wind swirling around her.
"Then destroy me, Rias Gremory! Face me as an enemy, not a random target!" Kokabiel raised his light-formed sword, tension like lightning ready to snap.
"…Can Ikki move yet? Koneko healed him?"
"Barely. He's on the brink, no spare energy for fighting."
"Understood. We'll handle Kokabiel. Ikki, stay with Asia."
"Yes."
"Issei, stand ready to transfer power! Others, delay him as long as possible!"
"Yes!"
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