"My Familiar, fall back!"
The busty woman with bat-like wings bore several injuries across her body, but without hesitation, she transformed into a bat and flitted away, vanishing just before the robed figure could land a fatal blow. The attacker moved to pursue, only to leap back as a bolt of lightning struck the ground where they had just stood, scorching the stone.
The robed figure turned toward the newcomers—Rias and Akeno stood before them, power radiating in waves.
"Are you a stray exorcist?" Rias asked coldly, her crimson eyes narrowed. "I'll forgive your ignorance once—but let me make it clear. I'm Rias Gremory. I manage this town alongside Sona Sitri, who will be arriving shortly. Now... explain yourself. Why did you attack a member of my Peerage?"
"Rias Gremory... the Ruined Princess of House Gremory," the figure muttered. Then, more firmly, "Attacking your Peerage member? You mean the witch?"
"Asia is no witch. She's part of my family—my Peerage."
"She abandoned the Lord and became a devil. That makes her a witch in my eyes. It is my duty as the Lord's sword to bring salvation to the lost sheep."
Rias's eyes glinted with fury. "A fanatic, then. Good riddance."
Red lightning surged around her body as her crimson hair began to float, charged with demonic energy. She raised her arm—and with a crack, a bolt of lightning shot toward the robed figure.
Clang!
The figure parried it with their glowing holy sword, the impact sending a shockwave through the air. In a flash, they charged at Rias, blade aimed to strike—but were stopped as a black bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of them.
"Fufufu... I won't allow you," Akeno said, her smile shadowed by sadism. Raising a hand, the sky above darkened in response.
The robed figure instinctively raised their holy sword in a defensive stance.
Boom!
A bolt of lightning crashed down from the heavens, striking their sword. They withstood it—but more followed in rapid succession. One after another, lightning rained down as Akeno unleashed her wrath.
"So you can defend against that? Then how about more!"
Despite the barrage, the figure advanced, deflecting the lightning strikes with precise swings that redirected the energy into the ground. Their movements were calculated and unyielding.
"This is nothing to my Durandal!"
"Really? Then take this—Power of Destruction!" Rias shouted. Her eyes flared, and countless crimson orbs materialized around her before launching toward the robed attacker.
Sensing danger, the figure dodged rather than confront them. Explosions rang out as the orbs collided with the earth, each leaving behind massive craters—like chunks of reality had been erased.
...
"So that's the Gremory's signature ability... the Power of Destruction, said to annihilate anything in their path," Kousuke muttered from a distance. He was in awe, yet observant. Each orb erased part of the terrain like a rubber wiping out ink—but he noted a flaw. 'She lacks control,' he thought.
If Akeno had been fighting in close quarters, she might've been caught in the blasts. Rias must have known her own weakness, compensating with sheer volume. But even overwhelming power means little if it doesn't land.
The robed figure moved like a seasoned swordmaster, slipping through the gaps of each explosion by mere inches. When evasion wasn't an option, they used their sword to strike the ground, kicking up dirt and debris to intercept the orbs.
As the battle intensified, Rias suddenly received a mental message from Koneko: 'President, Asia is safe.' Relief washed over her—then focus returned.
This exorcist was no ordinary stray from what she noticed. Their swordsmanship and battle awareness suggested formal training—perhaps even authorization from the Church. Rias narrowed her gaze, they must have comes into the town for a reason. She would get her answers—by force, if necessary.
"Akeno, stand back!"
The moment she stepped forward with full intent to finish the battle, the robed figure sensed the shift in pressure and charged, sword raised. But just as the blade closed in—
Clang!
"Boost! Boost! Boost!"
Issei had intercepted the strike—parrying it with the back of his transformed left arm. Red dragon-like scales shimmered across his arm, the green jewel at the back glowing ominously from the charge of stored energy. Sparks flew as the holy sword clashed against his hardened scales.
The force of the impact sent a gust of wind in all directions, dust spiraling outward. Issei stood his ground, grinning confidently. His arm ached from the sheer force behind the strike, but he didn't budge.
"You're not getting through me that easily!"
Then he reached forward, his dragon-arm fingers brushing the edge of the attacker's robe.
"Dress Break!"
There was a flicker of energy—followed by a distinct snap!
A magical pulse rippled through the air, then came the unmistakable sound of fabric tearing.
Rip!
The enchantment activated in full. As if struck by an unseen force, every piece of clothing the exorcist wore unraveled at once—disintegrating in a flutter of threads and dust. Their cloak, tunic, leggings, belts—all torn apart into nothingness.
The robed figure froze, stunned. Kousuke watching from the distance blew a whistle before saying, "that's my boy."
Issei blinked. He had expected an angry priest or a grizzled warrior—perhaps even a bald monk. Instead, the person revealed beneath the robes was a young woman with a curvaceous figure. Her short blue hair shimmered under the moonlight, and a single fringe dyed green added an exotic flair. Her ample chest bounced slightly from the sudden loss of fabric, and her skin flushed a deep red.
The expression on Xenovia's face shifted from rage to sheer disbelief. "W-what did you do!?"
Issei opened his mouth, then closed it again. His brain stalled.
[Come back to your senses, partner!]
The voice of Ddraig echoed in his mind, snapping him back to reality. His eyes darted away quickly, his cheeks burning.
"I-It was just a countermeasure! I swear!"
The exorcist, now humiliated and flustered, backed away instinctively, covering herself as best she could with her arms. Her earlier composure had completely evaporated.
Even Rias, still pulsing with demonic power, paused at the sight, blinking slowly. Akeno covered her mouth, failing to suppress a giggle.
And just like that, the tide of battle had shifted—not through overwhelming force, but through sheer, absurd disruption.