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After we arrived at a clearing near the Occult Research Club, Kiba and I walked a short distance apart and faced each other, our eyes locked in a focused gaze.
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The four girls stood a little ways off, silently observing us.
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"Kiba-san, shall we begin?"
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Instead of answering directly, Kiba gripped his demonic sword, a smile playing on his lips. "Let''s begin, Hibari-san."
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Seeing the demonic sword in Kiba''s hand, I didn''t waste any time summoning [Tensa Zangetsu], gripping it firmly with both hands as I faced him.
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Kiba Yuuto, as Rias''s Knight, possessed the [Sacred Gear: Sword Birth], which allowed him to create an numerous demonic swords.
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He was known for his incredible speed and swordsmanship.
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He also had a dark past..
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He and a group of children around his age were taken by the Church and subjected to a year of Holy Sword aptitude training.
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In the end, none of them were compatible with the Holy Swords, and they were all poisoned. Later, he was turned into a Reincarnated Devil by Rias, which led to his deep hatred for Holy Swords.
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"Is that your weapon, Kyoya-kun? It looks like an ordinary katana, but there''s something… different about it. Could it be an unrecorded Sacred Gear?"
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Akeno smiled as she studied me. Right now, I exuded an aura of danger.
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Rias focused on Zangetsu in my hands, then lowered her head slightly, smiling in agreement with Akeno''s speculation.
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"That sword radiates a dangerous aura. Even I feel a sense of pressure from it." Koneko commented, her eyes narrowed.
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Tomoe, standing beside her, also examined my Zanpakuto.
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"I see… I trust your judgment, Koneko." Rias gently stroked Koneko''s head, accepting her assessment.
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After all, before becoming a Devil, Koneko was a Nekomata, a youkai with heightened senses. It wasn''t surprising that she could sense something unusual about my weapon, and Rias trusted her peerage member''s instincts.
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"The match is about to start!" Akeno''s voice brought everyone''s attention back to Kiba and me.
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<Getsuga Tenshou!>
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Without any wasted movements, I gripped Zangetsu tightly and unleashed my ultimate technique right from the start. Black energy erupted around me, accompanied by crackling blue lightning!
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The lightning struck the ground around us, blasting out craters and leaving the onlooking girls speechless.
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This was an enhanced version of [Getsuga Tenshou]. I had infused it with the power of the [Rumble-Rumble Fruit], creating a lightning-enhanced slash.
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This was to counter the possibility of an opponent predicting and dodging the attack, which would leave me vulnerable.
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By using lightning to restrict the enemy''s movements, I could ensure that [Getsuga Tenshou] hit its mark. The result was a black slash surrounded by a torrent of blue lightning.
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"No way to dodge!"
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Kiba''s pupils constricted. The lightning was too fast. His body was already feeling numb. Even more troublesome was that the blue lightning surrounded him, leaving no room to escape.
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Kiba couldn''t help but curse inwardly. ''Who starts a fight with their strongest attack?!''
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The black slash reached him in an instant.
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With no other choice, he swung his magic-infused demonic sword to block.
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However, Kiba had underestimated the power of the attack. The moment his sword made contact, he was pushed back several meters before managing to regain his footing.
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Seeing that my attack had been blocked, I didn''t give Kiba any time to recover.
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I immediately followed up, my body surging with lightning as I charged at him, slashing. My speed was so great that all they could see were afterimages.
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Reacting quickly, Kiba turned and swung his sword to meet my attack.
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Clang!
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Our weapons collided, sparks flying from the point of impact. We were locked in a contest of strength, each pushing against the other.
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But in this brief exchange, beads of sweat quickly formed on Kiba''s forehead. It was clear that my sudden attack had put him at a disadvantage.
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As Kiba struggled to catch his breath, I swiftly brought my left fist forward, striking him in the chest. With a dull thud, Kiba was sent sliding backward until he crashed into a wall.
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Despite his disheveled state, Kiba had managed to block all of my attacks.
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"You''re really strong, Hibari-san! To force me into this state..."
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Kiba looked at me with admiration.
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However, none of the girls, including Kiba himself, noticed the subtle detail: during our brief exchange, I had secretly marked Kiba with the [Flying Thunder God] seal.
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I placed Zangetsu on the ground in front of me and sighed.
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"You''re too modest. You reacted quickly and countered my sudden attacks. You''re very strong."
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Sigh!
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As expected of a Mid-class at his peak, Kiba wasn''t so easy to deal with! My surprise attack only managed to make him a little disheveled.
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He hadn''t suffered any real damage. It seemed my plan to win with a quick strike had failed, but that was to be expected...
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Seeing the black slash and the potent lightning I had used, Rias and the others were speechless. They had never heard of such a style of swordsmanship!
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Koneko stared at me in disbelief. The image of me as a shut-in was deeply ingrained in her mind. She knew I was stronger than her, but she hadn''t expected me to be this strong!
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I was proficient in close combat, swordsmanship, and even ranged energy attacks, even pushing Kiba to this extent.
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"Hibari-senpai... is such a perverted bad boy."
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The white-haired, emotionless girl stared at me with a complicated expression, then mumbled under her breath.
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I was clearly this strong, yet I had pretended to be Average all this time. If Rias and the others hadn''t witnessed me killing the Stray Devil, I probably would have continued to hide my abilities.
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Rias was desperately trying to contain her excitement!!
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She felt an overwhelming urge!!
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She wanted to invite me to become her peerage member again, no matter the cost! She knew I had defeated Tomoe in kendo, but she hadn''t expected me to be this powerful!
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This was the first time she had seen Kiba in such a disadvantaged state.
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If I became her peerage member, then perhaps her engagement… Rias bit her lip, her fair cheeks flushing red!
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Akeno, seeing Rias''s expression, seemed to have guessed what she was thinking.
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She smiled but didn''t say anything. She was looking forward to seeing how this boy she had her eye on would grow in the future.