DxD: Scion of Lucifuge

"A hierarchy not based purely on strength is boring, if you ask me."

— Sukuna, Jujutsu Kaisen

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With that, Est transformed into the Demon Slaying Sword.

Roy grasped the sword, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked at the cyclopean giant.

He casually swung the sword.

An arc of sword pressure sliced through the air, seemingly tearing through space itself.

It flew towards the giant, covering hundreds of meters in an instant.

The sword pressure passed through the giant's body and continued onward.

The giant froze, then slowly collapsed.

RUMBLE!!!

The ground shook as the giant's lifeless body hit the ground.

"Such... incredible swordsmanship!" Ellis gasped, staring at Roy in awe.

Compared to her admired elder sister, this man seemed even more powerful.

"So elegant! As expected of the man I have my eyes on," Rinslet gushed.

"What?!" Claire exclaimed, thinking she had misheard. She looked at Rinslet in disbelief.

"Ahem, did I say something?" Rinslet feigned ignorance.

Claire wondered if she had imagined it.

"Well, it's getting late. We should head back. Staying up late is bad for a girl's skin, you know," Roy said with a chuckle.

"Really?" Claire, believing him, touched her face with a worried frown.

"Of course. Let's go back," Roy urged.

Rinslet had Fenrir carry the unconscious Rakka, while Ellis helped the fainted Reishia.

They didn't mention the duel again.

They left the Elemental Spirit World.

"You can head back now," Roy said, waving goodbye as he saw the three girls to their dormitory.

"Thank you, Roy!" Claire suddenly hugged him.

She felt guilty for causing him so much trouble with her antics.

Rinslet glared at her, grinding her teeth in frustration.

Roy patted Claire's head gently. "Go on. Get some rest."

"Okay." Claire nodded obediently.

"That sly cat..." Rinslet muttered under her breath once Roy was gone.

"What did you say, Chihuahua? You're the worst! You invited Roy to your room yesterday afternoon. Who knows what you did!" Claire retorted, her face flushed.

Rinslet blushed, remembering their kiss, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Hmph! You did the same, flat-chested girl!"

"You called me flat-chested again! Do you want to fight?!"

"Bring it on!"

"Are you two planning to start another fight in the academy?" Ellis interjected, asserting her authority as the Knight Captain.

Claire and Rinslet glared at each other, then returned to their rooms.

...

The next morning, Roy was relaxing in the courtyard, enjoying the black tea Akeno had prepared and petting Est.

Rias approached him, her expression troubled.

"Rias, why the long face?" Roy asked, setting down his teacup.

"It's about my peerage," Rias sighed.

"Didn't I tell you to wait? Velsaria Eva Fahrengart would be perfect as your Rook," Roy suggested.

Velsaria's Elemental Waffe was a powerful mecha, perfect for both offense and defense.

She would be an excellent Rook for Rias.

But what about Rias's original Rook, Rossweisse?

Well, Roy could always take her for himself.

After all, he had a soft spot for mature, single teachers.

"But Velsaria isn't at the academy. I can't even approach her," Rias lamented.

"Hmm..." Roy thought for a moment. It was true.

Velsaria wouldn't return to the academy until the Blade Dance was about to begin.

"Don't worry, Rias. The Blade Dance is coming soon. Velsaria will be back."

"By the way, how are things going with your other targets?"

"Not much progress," Rias sighed.

"Greyworth, the 'Dusk Witch,' is always out of reach."

"Freya Grandol, the academy instructor, is busy with her classes."

"And Ellis, the Sylphid Knight Captain, although I see her around, I haven't had much interaction with her."

Rias was getting anxious.

There were so many talented girls here, but she couldn't seem to recruit any of them.

"Haha, Rias, you're the most popular girl at Kuoh Academy. Don't give up so easily!"

"Show them your charm! I believe in you!" Roy encouraged her with a smile and a thumbs up.

Rias's eyes lit up.

She brushed her crimson hair back, her confidence returning.

"You're right. I can't give up now!"

With her confidence restored, Rias was radiant.

She hugged Roy and whispered in his ear, "Thank you, Roy."

"You're welcome, Rias. Just do this for me tonight..." Roy replied with a suggestive grin.

Rias blushed.

Est, who was sandwiched between them, almost suffocated.

Hearing their conversation, she puffed out her cheeks.

"Roy, I want to do that too..." she declared with a blank expression.

Roy and Rias were embarrassed.

They had forgotten about Est.

"Roy-kun! Claire and Rinslet are here to see you!" Shizuka announced, entering the room.

"Oh? They're here? I'll go see them..."

Roy, with a pouting Est in tow, went to the living room.

"Yo, Claire, Rinslet. What brings you here?"

"You're a busy man, aren't you? Today's the day our team participates in the school ranking tournament. Let's go!" Claire declared, grabbing Roy's hand and pulling him along.

Roy had no choice but to follow.

The school ranking tournament was held to determine the participants for the Blade Dance.

This year's Blade Dance was a team battle with five members per team.

Only the team that ranked first in the academy would qualify.

Claire and Rinslet dragged him to the registration area.

They were then transported to the Elemental Spirit World, where they faced a team of five.

"Hey, Claire, I'm not going to participate unless it's absolutely necessary. So, I'll leave the fighting to you," Roy declared.

He would only intervene if they were in danger.

This was a test for the two girls.

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With Roy there, they had nothing to worry about.

"No problem. Just watch my performance!" Claire said confidently, then glanced at Rinslet. "I just hope a certain idiot doesn't drag us down."

Rinslet glared at her.

"Who are you calling an idiot?"

"Whoever responds is the idiot!"

"Damn it... don't expect me to save you if you need help. I won't!" Rinslet threatened.

"You too. Don't be the first one to get eliminated," Claire retorted.

Rinslet fumed. She was no match for Claire in a verbal spar.

Roy sighed as they started bickering before even encountering the enemy.

"Cut it out, you two!" he scolded, lightly knocking their heads together.

"Save your arguments for later. Focus on the enemy for now!"

"Fine," they grumbled, obeying him.

...

Several minutes had passed since the match began.

Due to Claire and Rinslet's bickering, they were still at their starting point.

The enemy team was nowhere to be seen, but they were undoubtedly setting up an ambush.

Claire and Rinslet ran through the lavender-tinted forest, searching for the enemy.

Roy trailed behind them.

"Stray cat, watch out for the bushes on the left. There might be enemies hiding there," Rinslet warned.

"How would you know, Chihuahua?" Claire retorted, though she cautiously checked the bushes.

"Hmph! It's my intuition. If you don't believe me, that's your problem," Rinslet huffed.

Just then, several bolts of lightning shot out from the bushes, targeting Claire.

Claire, already alert, leaped onto a tree branch, dodging the barrage of lightning.

She summoned her Elemental Waffe, the Flame Whip, and lashed out.

The whip sliced through the air, cutting down the trees with ease.

The attacker, a girl with bangs covering her eyes, was revealed.

She was surrounded by pale blue orbs of lightning.

Her spirit wasn't very strong, just an unstable low-ranking spirit.

But it was more than enough to fuel her Elemental Magic.

But why was she attacking alone?

Roy noticed that her teammates were still far away, not coming to her aid.

Were they planning something?

He watched with interest.

"Hmph! A sniper who reveals their position is no different from a turtle on land!" Rinslet sneered, summoning her Ice Bow.

She loosed an arrow.

Thwack!

The girl, unable to dodge in time, was struck in the chest.

Since this was a designated training ground within the Elemental Spirit World, spirits could be used for physical attacks without materializing.

They could be transformed into pure power for their contractors to wield.

This meant that physical injuries were minimal.

However, the impact and pain were still real, and their spirits would suffer the same damage.

The girl collapsed, unconscious.

"Hmph! As expected, I'm the best!" Rinslet declared triumphantly, glancing at Claire with a smug grin.

She had single-handedly taken down an opponent.

"Damn it!" Claire was annoyed that Rinslet had stolen her kill.

She was the one who had forced the enemy to reveal their position.

"Good job, you two. That was excellent teamwork," Roy praised them.

Claire and Rinslet glared at each other, then looked away.

"Alright, let's move on. Did you notice that there was only one attacker?" Roy hinted.

The two girls paused.

They had been so focused on their rivalry that they hadn't realized the other girl was alone.

And they didn't know what the rest of the enemy team was doing.

They became serious.

They continued their advance, this time with more caution.

...

However, as they passed by a large tree shrouded in shadows, a black magic sphere shot out, striking Claire.

Caught off guard, Claire was bound by the dark magic.

"What is this?!" she exclaimed, struggling to break free.

Rinslet spotted the attacker, a petite girl cloaked in black robes.

She immediately attacked, firing several ice arrows.

But a black magic shield blocked her attacks.

"Corrosion!" the girl chanted in a cold, clear voice.

A black mist enveloped the area around them.

"This mist is corroding our power!" Claire realized the danger.

Rinslet leaped out of the mist's range, her brow furrowed.

She couldn't see the enemy in this darkness.

Just as she was thinking of a solution, Claire shouted, "Scarlet!"

"Meow!"

Scarlet materialized as a fiery cat and circled Claire, her flames incinerating the dark magic that bound her.

Scarlet then transformed into the Flame Whip.

"Damn you! You'll pay for that!" Claire yelled, cracking the whip.

The flames dispersed the black mist, revealing the attacker. Claire didn't hesitate.

She lashed out with the whip, striking the girl repeatedly.

The girl's magic defenses shattered under Claire's relentless assault, and she fell unconscious.

"Hmph!" Claire glared at Rinslet triumphantly.

Rinslet had done nothing during the attack. Claire had defeated the enemy on her own.

Rinslet crossed her arms and looked away, refusing to acknowledge Claire's victory.

They continued their search for the remaining enemies.

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