The streets of Kuoh were eerily silent as we made our way back to the Occult Research Club. The battle against the rogue exorcists had left me stronger, my newly evolved Blade Absorption still thrumming in my veins. But I had no time to fully explore its potential.
Because Rias's warning still echoed in my mind:
The Church's forces just arrived in Kuoh.
That changed everything.
It meant the original Excalibur users—Xenovia Quarta and Irina Shidou—were already here. And if they had come this soon, then the timeline had shifted even more than I anticipated.
Beside me, Issei was still panting from the fight. "Man… I can't believe we actually fought a guy with an Excalibur fragment. Those things are seriously broken."
Koneko, as usual, was unfazed. "You were almost killed."
"H-Hey, cut me some slack!" Issei groaned. "I still landed a few hits!"
I glanced at him. "You did better than last time. But you're still hesitating too much."
Issei scowled. "Easy for you to say, sword boy. You were moving like some kinda ninja out there."
I didn't reply. My mind was elsewhere.
If the Excalibur Arc was already beginning, that meant Valper Galilei, the rogue priest responsible for fusing the Excalibur fragments, was likely in Kuoh as well. And worse…
Kokabiel—one of the strongest Fallen Angels—was lurking in the shadows, waiting for his chance to strike.
I clenched my fists. If I was going to survive the battles ahead, I needed to evolve even faster.
And that meant testing my new ability as soon as possible.
The moment we arrived at the ORC, we were met with serious expressions from Rias and Akeno. Sona and Tsubaki were there too, along with a pair of new arrivals.
Two holy sword wielders.
One was a blue-haired girl in a nun's outfit, a massive greatsword strapped to her back. Xenovia Quarta.
The other was a cheerful-looking redhead, wearing a white and blue uniform—Irina Shidou.
So they're already here.
Xenovia's sharp eyes locked onto us the moment we entered. "You must be the ones who encountered the exorcists earlier."
I met her gaze evenly. "That's right."
She frowned slightly but nodded. "Then you already understand how serious this situation is."
Irina, on the other hand, grinned. "It's been a while, Issei-kun!"
Issei blinked. "Wait… Irina?! You're a holy swordswoman?!"
Irina giggled. "Yup! Surprised?"
Rias cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Enough introductions. Let's get to the point. Why are you two here?"
Xenovia stepped forward, her expression stern. "We're here under orders from the Church. Several Excalibur fragments were stolen, and we've tracked them to Kuoh. Our mission is to retrieve them and eliminate anyone who interferes."
She glanced at us, her meaning clear.
If we got in their way, they wouldn't hesitate to attack.
A tense silence followed.
Then Rias spoke. "You do realize you're in devil territory, correct?"
Xenovia didn't flinch. "We do. But this is a holy matter. These weapons cannot be allowed to remain in the hands of criminals—or devils."
My grip tightened around my swords.
I knew exactly where this conversation was heading. In the original story, Kiba had challenged Xenovia to a duel because of his hatred for the Holy Sword Project. And now, that moment was coming again.
But I wasn't going to follow the script.
I had different plans.
Xenovia turned to me suddenly. "You… you're a swordsman as well, aren't you?"
I nodded. "I am."
She studied me for a moment. "Then allow me to test you."
The room fell silent.
Issei gawked. "W-Wait, what?"
Rias frowned. "Xenovia, this isn't the time for—"
"This is a matter of strength," Xenovia interrupted. "If we're going to work alongside devils, I need to see if they're worth my time."
I exhaled slowly. This wasn't unexpected. And in a way, it was the perfect opportunity to test my new power.
I stepped forward. "Fine. I accept."
Rias sighed but didn't stop me. She understood that this duel was inevitable.
Akeno smiled. "Ara~ This should be interesting."
We moved outside to the training grounds, forming a wide circle around Xenovia and me. She unsheathed her massive Excalibur Destruction, the blade humming with holy power.
I summoned my own weapons—Life-Weaver and Limit-Breaker. But this time, I focused on my new ability.
The moment I activated Blade Absorption, my swords shifted, their edges shimmering with a faint golden glow. They had already started integrating the properties of Excalibur Mimic from earlier.
Xenovia raised an eyebrow. "That's… unusual."
I smirked. "You'll see soon enough."
We took our stances.
And then—
We clashed.
The force of Xenovia's first strike sent shockwaves through the ground. I barely managed to parry, my body vibrating from the sheer weight of Excalibur Destruction.
She was strong. Ridiculously strong.
But I was faster.
I activated Phantom Stride, my body flickering out of sight. I reappeared at her side, my swords slashing in a precise arc.
She reacted instantly, spinning and blocking my attack with ease. The impact sent sparks flying, but I wasn't done.
I willed Limit-Breaker forward, its pressure intensifying. Xenovia's movements slowed, her body forced to strain against the oppressive energy.
Her eyes widened slightly. "Tch—What kind of sword is this?"
I didn't answer. Instead, I pushed forward, my attacks becoming sharper, faster.
Every clash between our blades sent new waves of power into my system.
My swords were absorbing the holy energy from Excalibur Destruction.
The system pinged again.
[Blade Absorption Progress: 60% → 80%]
• Excalibur Destruction's properties partially integrated.
• New Effect Developing…
I grinned.
I wasn't just fighting Xenovia.
I was learning from her.
Evolving mid-battle.
Xenovia seemed to sense it too. She took a step back, gripping her sword tighter. "What… are you?"
I exhaled slowly, my swords still humming with newly absorbed power.
"A swordsman," I said simply.