“Sayaka…why…?”
Yukina was heavily thrown off when she noticed Sayaka fighting with Koyomi Shizuka.
Sayaka was a Shamanic War Dancer, an elite in the Lion King Agency assigned even to the protection of figures of national importance. It was utterly unthinkable that Sayaka would turn against Koyomi, one of the Three Saints.
“So your vision strays even against an opponent like me, Yukina Himeragi!”
Not letting Yukina’s opening slip past her, Shizuri unleashed a savage slashing attack.
Shizuri’s crimson long sword was a demonic blade that increased in power using the demonic energy absorbed from the opponents it cut. It could also release demonic energy accumulated in its blade as a kind of shockwave. It wasn’t a weapon any human in the flesh could stand up to, but Yukina was the sole exception.
“Snowdrift Wolf—!”
Yukina’s spear caused the demonic energy covering the crimson long sword to dissipate.
Snowdrift Wolf, able to nullify demonic energy, was the mortal enemy of Shiziru’s Hauras. Losing the demonic energy stored within, Hauras was nothing more than a long sword with an unorthodox shape. In a fight of sword versus spear, having the weapon with the longer reach surely gave Yukina an advantage.
In spite of this, Shizuri swung down her long sword with a ferocious smile.
“It is futile! Hauras!”
“Wha…?!”
Yukina barely blocked the demonic energy blade Shizuri’s long sword unleashed a second time.
Hauras’s dissipated demonic energy had returned. Yukina knew the true nature of that black, malevolent demonic energy. After all, Yukina and the others had fought Beast Vassals with the same auras the night before.
“That demonic energy, it couldn’t be, the black Beast Vassals’…!”
“…It is the blessing of a paladin.”
When Yukina inquired, Shizuri averted her eyes and replied in a flat tone. Yukina’s voice ran ragged despite herself.
“Liar! You’re drawing that demonic energy straight from Akatsuki-senpai, aren’t you…?!”
“Th-this is my right as Kojou Akatsuki’s Blood Servant!”
Shizuri defiantly shouted back as she pointed the tip of her sword at Yukina.
Shizuri was an ogre, a rare species of demon. Provisional or not, her pact as Kojou’s Blood Servant provided her a far greater boon than Yukina’s prior case. She was able to use her supply of demonic energy from Kojou to unleash demonic energy from Hauras effectively without limit.
“Lay down your arms, Yukina Himeragi. Having betrayed Kojou, you cannot draw upon sufficient spiritual energy. You have no chance of victory!”
“…Eh?”
Yukina’s mouth stopped moving as she murmured. Shizuri’s casually spoken words drove a fact into Yukina that she’d desperately tried to ignore.
“Betrayed…I, betrayed…senpai…”
“Ah…no, wait…wait, please!”
Seeing how Yukina hung her head, shoulders trembling, left Shizuka unnerved. She thought Yukina might burst into tears. Keeping her crimson long sword raised, Shizuri looked around awkwardly.
“I admit that I went a little too far just now…! In other words, what I wished to say is, this battle is fruitless, so I wish for you to listen to reason…”
“…Even I understand that this battle is meaningless!”
Yukina screamed, interrupting Shizuka’s words.
Yes, this battle was meaningless. Shizuri and Kojou weren’t even Yukina’s enemies.
The ones Yukina should have been fighting were the Devas seeking to rule humanity through the fear known as Beast Vassal Warheads—Shahryar Ren and his coconspirators.
In spite of this, on top of Yukina’s own powerlessness, here she was trying to sacrifice Itogami Island’s innocent populace.
Kojou and Shizuri were blameless for trying to stop Yukina. Yukina understood this, yet there was nothing she could do about it.
Shizuri was suddenly assaulted by silence as Yukina vanished from her sight.
“Y-Yukina Himeragi?!”
Subconsciously sensing that something was wrong, Shizuri instantly backed away and went on guard, but by then, Yukina’s attack preparations were already complete using Paper Noise, the right of absolute initiative attack—
“But what’s right… What I should do… I don’t know any of that!”
“Nyaaa?!”
Yukina’s mighty thrust caught Shizuri’s unguarded right shoulder. She’d thrust with the butt of her spear but hadn’t held back at all. It was enough power to shatter the collarbone of even a resilient ogre.
She should have expected Shizuri would instantly twist her body and avoid taking a square hit. Even so, she surely had not escaped unscathed. Shizuri was thrown heavily off-balance, leaving her chest wide open.
“So this is the only thing I can do!”
Letting go of her spear, Yukina activated Paper Noise once more. Using blank time that did not properly exist, she moved right in front of Shizuri, placing both hands upon her heart to pound a decisive palm strike into her at point-blank range.
“Distort!”
“I thought that was coming!”
When Yukina appeared right in front of her, Shizuri, who should have been completely off-balance, slammed her own forehead into Yukina’s. The incredible blow sustained right between the eyes sent Yukina flying with ease.
“Gaaah…?!”
“…If it’s against humans, I can trade hits with the best of them!”
Covering her own chest as she coughed, Shizuri triumphantly curled up the corners of her lips. Yukina finally realized Shizuri had lured her in.
Shizuri hadn’t been off-balance at all. Knowing she couldn’t block Yukina’s attack, she’d immediately aimed for a mutual strike. She’d deliberately baited Yukina to attack from a direction she could counter with ease.
The damage was still heavy on both sides, and Shizuri had already played the ace in her hand. Shizuri would never be able to evade the next Paper Noise.
Instantly calculating as much, Yukina leaped in the direction of her relinquished Snowdrift Wolf. With the damage to her right shoulder, Shizuri could no longer use Hauras to emit demonic energy. She couldn’t attack at that range—she shouldn’t have been able to, at least.
“Radia—!”
From behind her uniform, Shizuri’s left hand drew out a second weapon. After the crimson Hauras, this was the second demonic blade belonging to the royal family of the ogres—the blue curved blade once wielded by Izea Nios, ogre acolyte of the Order of the End.
“Gaah…!”