"Hmph!"
Katerea snorted coldly, her pride wounded by Takeyo's casual dismissal. She had to defeat this man, this arrogant human who claimed he could surpass even Serafall Leviathan!
"Actually," Takeyo said with a slight smile, "my suggestion is for all three of you to come at me together."
A white holy sword materialized on the arm of his World Dragon Armor, its pristine blade gleaming with divine light. Then, a golden aura merged into the white blade, the combined radiance illuminating the twisted dimensional space around them.
[Holy Sword Est!]
[Loading... Loading target... Excalibur, the Holy Sword of Stars!]
[Loading successful!]
This was Est's new function after her upgrade, the ability to overlay other holy swords' properties onto her own essence, combining their powers into a single devastating weapon.
The fusion of the two holy swords greatly amplified Est's destructive potential.
Although Takeyo had activated his Juggernaut Drive, his version wasn't the berserk, sanity-destroying transformation typical of other Heavenly Dragon wielders. Instead, he'd liberated all of his draconic power while maintaining complete control, a Juggernaut Drive that preserved his rational mind and strategic thinking.
When using Juggernaut Drive, Takeyo could choose between a full dragon transformation or maintaining his humanoid form with enhanced capabilities. Right now, remaining humanoid allowed him to utilize swordsmanship alongside his overwhelming power. If close-quarters dragon combat became necessary, he could shift forms at any moment.
But against these opponents? His human form would suffice.
"What kind of Sacred Gear is that?" Tobio's eyes narrowed, his experienced gaze recognizing the threat. "I've never seen anything like it before."
Despite his reluctance to admit it, he could feel genuine danger emanating from Takeyo's transformed state. The aura alone was enough to threaten his life.
"It really is an amazing power," Dulio said with his characteristic gentle smile. "Amen. It seems Mr. Takeyo won't need our assistance after all."
"Mr. Tobio," Dulio continued, glancing at his Fallen Angel counterpart, "did you notice you can't use magic anymore?"
"Huh?" Tobio attempted to gather magical energy, then froze. "You're right."
As Dulio had observed, magic had become completely inaccessible. While this wouldn't significantly impact beast tamers like Tobio who relied primarily on their Sacred Gears, or natural elementalists like Dulio who commanded raw natural forces, it would be catastrophic for Devils who depended heavily on their demonic magic.
Meanwhile, the three so-called True Satans had discovered the same horrifying truth.
"What?!" Katerea's eyes widened in shock and rage.
The proud magic of the True Demon King bloodline, the very foundation of their power, refused to activate! Their magic circles flickered and died before forming, as if something had severed their connection to their own abilities entirely.
"You did this?!" Katerea glared at Takeyo with murderous intensity.
What method had he used?! Why couldn't their magic circles activate?!
"You'll find out soon enough," Takeyo said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
[Divine Annihilation, Aeon Balor, the Evil Eye King dominated by Time and Space! Release!]
In an instant, reality froze.
Shalba and Creuserey, who had been charging forward for melee combat, became statues mid-stride. Horror remained frozen on their faces, the last expressions they would ever make in this world.
"Mahatma Rama!" Katerea, who hadn't been caught in Takeyo's time manipulation, erupted with demonic power at her peak Demon King level.
Multiple magic circles overlaid themselves across her body, enhancing every attribute to its absolute limit. Despite her bravado, primal fear had taken root in her heart.
Still, she suppressed that terror and lunged at Takeyo, convinced that eliminating the user would break the time-stop affecting her allies.
"Sorry, but I'm not paying attention to you right now," Takeyo said dismissively.
He simply reinforced his armor with fighting spirit and immortality, then turned his focus entirely to the two frozen Old Satan Faction leaders.
There was no choice, with his current power, this represented his absolute limit. Simultaneously freezing time for both a half-step Transcendent like Shalba and a peak Demon King like Creuserey required his complete concentration.
To ensure mission completion, Takeyo had sacrificed control over Katerea in favor of guaranteeing these two executions.
If you can break through my defenses, I'll consider it my loss, he thought with grim amusement.
With that mindset, Takeyo poured all his energy into the holy sword blazing in his hand.
"Thirteen restraints released! Round Table decision begins, (seal thirteen-decision-start)!"
The brilliant light of the holy sword shot toward the heavens! Ethereal phantoms materialized around Takeyo, each representing one of the legendary Knights of the Round Table.
The violet-silver knight stepped forward first, Sir Bedivere. He struck his left fist against his heart, declaring loudly:
"Acknowledged, this is a battle against those stronger than oneself!"
This was why Takeyo had fused the Holy Sword of Stars with the Holy Sword of Destruction. The combination allowed him to bypass the Star Sacred Sword's original restrictions, liberating the thirteen seals regardless of battle conditions.
Even if the situation didn't technically warrant it, combining "this is a battle against those stronger than oneself" with other conditions would satisfy the requirements.
The girl in bull-horned crimson armor responded second.
"Acknowledged, this is a battle against evil!"
"Acknowledged, this is a battle to save the world!"
"Acknowledged, one must fight for the pursuit of truth!"
As each seal shattered, the holy sword's overwhelming magical energy distorted the surrounding space itself. Under this brilliant radiance, all evil would be annihilated!
"Acknowledged, this is the battle of kings!"
"Acknowledged, this is the sword that saves humanity!"
All thirteen Knights of the Round Table agreed to unlock the seals, acknowledging this blade as the Sword of Promised Victory!
"Ex, calibur!"
The light of salvation pierced through reality itself! The bombardment struck the two Old Satan Faction leaders with devastating force, catching them completely defenseless in their frozen state!
"Whoosh..."
Only wisps of blue smoke remained between heaven and earth. The two descendants had been utterly erased from existence!
"Holy shit..." Tobio swallowed hard, turning to his canine companion. "You sure you want to go up against that?"
"Woof woof woof woof!" Jin shook his head frantically. Even as a sacred beast, he knew better than to court death!
On the other side, Katerea finally understood what had happened.
Madness twisted her features.
Without her two Old Satan Faction allies, her chances of seizing the position of Demon King had become virtually nonexistent!
Takeyo had just deprived her of her lifelong ambition in a single devastating attack!
Of course, Takeyo neither knew nor cared about her personal goals.
"You!" Katerea's voice cracked with fury. "If you're a descendant of Mahatma Rama, then dying together with me would at least be meaningful!"
She twisted her arm at an unnatural angle, directly attaching it to Takeyo's armor in the form of writhing tentacles.
"Hahaha!" Katerea laughed maniacally. "These tentacles are formed from my very life force! They won't release until I'm dead! Just wait, you'll be joining Shalba and Creuserey soon enough!"
"Really?" Takeyo yawned.
If that's all you've got, why didn't you just die instantly? Didn't you see how I vaporized those two?
"Both of you, get out of here now," Takeyo called to Tobio and Dulio. "If you stay, you'll just get caught in the crossfire."
"Oh crap!" Both men's expressions changed instantly.
Takeyo could neutralize the problem with overwhelming force, they'd witnessed his affected area when his attack had shattered parts of the dimensional barrier itself.
This was the same alternate space created by the Dimension Lost user, wasn't it? If Takeyo unleashed that kind of power again while they were nearby...
The two who'd survived the previous blast exploded with their maximum possible speed.
Tobio mounted Jin, while Dulio used his strongest wind acceleration magic.
In short, they had one goal: Run. For. Your. Lives.
Katerea watched in growing horror as understanding dawned.
"The brilliance that surpasses the sun itself!"
"This body holds, "
"The Sun of Salvation descends upon the world!"
Within the gem embedded in Takeyo's chest, white radiance blazed forth!
[White Horse Avatar], Incarnation!
"BOOM!"
The white flames of salvation erupted from Takeyo's body in an all-consuming conflagration!
"Fwsssh..."
Where Katerea had existed, nothing remained. Her body had simply ceased to be at the point of contact with the White Horse Avatar's divine flames.
Not only her, even the dimensional space itself was threatened by existence-erasing heat! Space warped and scorched, twisted and burned, until Takeyo could glimpse the dimensional rifts beyond...
As the system notification chimed, Takeyo confirmed that Katerea had been completely eradicated from existence.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for triggering plot check-in! Sign-in level: Diamond!]
[Sign-in plot: Suppressing the Old Satan Faction's Power!]
[Plot: Eliminate the descendants who claim to be True Demon Kings yet never inherited the True Demon Kings' power, Shalba Beelzebub, Katerea Leviathan, and Creuserey Asmodeus.]
[Congratulations to the host for receiving the reward: Origin of the God of the Bible!]
"This thing?" Takeyo's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
The Origin of the God of the Bible? Wasn't the essence of the Biblical God essentially the Biblical God himself?
"Fuse," Takeyo commanded without hesitation.
His reasoning was simple, what was the Origin of the God of the Bible compared to his Ray Path? Besides, he was genuinely curious about what would happen when he integrated the Biblical God's essence.
[Ding!]
[Fusion commencing!]
[...]
[Fusion complete!]
"Hm." Takeyo released a satisfied breath.
This fusion had felt unusually comfortable. Moreover, his body had undergone significant changes, a trace of fluorescence now circulated through his form, radiating a sacred aura.
"Well now, that truly was amazing, Mr. Takeyo. I believe even God Himself would be surprised by your performance. Amen."
Dulio made the sign of the cross with quiet reverence.
Takeyo had performed exactly as promised, there had been absolutely no need for either him or Tobio to intervene.
"Mm?"
Takeyo was about to respond when he felt something strange, a subtle connection had formed between himself and Dulio.
"Could it be..." Takeyo frowned. "Is this because of the God of the Bible's Origin?"
He'd seamlessly integrated the Biblical God's essence, which meant the prayers of all Biblical God believers now reached him instead.
Within his body, a golden light circulated gently.
As if possessing innate understanding, Takeyo immediately identified this golden energy, the Power of Faith.
However, he had no intention of studying the Power of Faith at this moment.
Why? Because he still had an incomplete check-in to finish.
"Let's go," Takeyo said. "We need to support the others."
He was referring to Sirzechs's group, the ones maintaining defensive barriers to protect the Three Factions' mid-level combatants from the devastating magical energy fluctuations.
At that moment, the Three Factions' leadership were jointly supporting Takeyo's magic circle.
"This kid is genuinely ridiculous," Azazel muttered. "A casually arranged formation has this degree of power."
"I didn't feel this way before," Falbium admitted, "but after seeing Takeyo's performance today, I'm seriously considering retirement."
"By the way, Sirzechs, where exactly did you find this monster? He's far too abnormal."
"My sister Rias met him by chance," Sirzechs replied with a slight smile. "Perhaps this is what they call fate."
While the male leadership engaged in their "intimate" discussion, the female leadership conducted their own conversation.
"Hey, Serafall?" Gabriel's voice carried genuine confusion. "You really were defeated by Takeyo? In a single strike?"
Her naturally airheaded personality meant she asked directly what was on her mind, never considering how much this might irritate Serafall.
"Yes! That's right! What are you going to do about it?!" Serafall snapped defensively.
If anyone else had said that, perhaps she wouldn't be so annoyed. But Gabriel had always been her competitor. Being mocked by her rival stung far more than it should have.
Though Gabriel hadn't actually meant to mock her... in Serafall's interpretation, she absolutely had.
You do! You definitely have that intention! Serafall's internal monologue screamed. I know you do!
☆☆☆
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