The 'Sword Saint' standing before us used a sword that was ordinary in every way except for its sharpness. Yet, he far surpassed the power of legendary holy swords because he was truly "one" with his blade.
Then what am I?
I think that was the question haunting her throughout this training.
"Haaa... Good grief," Maurice-san exhaled loudly. "You look like a simple meathead, but you're surprisingly complicated, aren't you? Well, I guess that's what being young is all about."
He reached out and placed a hand on Xenovia's head, ruffling her hair.
"Do you remember what I told you before we started? I told you I believe in your resolve and your potential."
"Yes..."
"Then you'd better start believing in it, too. Someone who doubts themselves will never break their shell. Besides, do you really think these guys want to hear you apologize?"
Maurice-san reached out and touched the blades of Durandal and Excalibur.
"These are legendary holy swords we're talking about. They aren't going to complain just because your growth is taking a minute. They're just waiting—patiently, eagerly—for the moment you finally shatter that ceiling. Because they already know the truth: you're almost there."
"Almost... there?" Xenovia looked up, confused.
Maurice-san nodded with a smirk.
"You fight entirely on instinct, but you're too dense to notice your own progress. I know it, Durandal knows it, and Excalibur knows it. You are moving forward. You're only suffering right now because you're snagged on the very last hurdle before the breakthrough. Just one more step, Xenovia."
He looked her straight in the eye.
"Keep going. I've walked the path you're on now. You can survive this. And once you cross over, you'll be—"
[Present Day]
An aura like a roaring blue flame illuminated the battlefield.
At the center of that brilliance stood Xenovia, her hair now grown out to her waist. In her hands, she gripped Durandal and Excalibur, both stained a deep, abyssal black by the sheer density of her battle spirit.
Rias-senpai's eyes widened in disbelief. "Is that... really Xenovia?"
I nodded in confirmation.
"It is. She broke through. She fought through the pain and the doubt, and that power is the result."
I turned my gaze back to the front.
Clad in blue flames, Xenovia locked her sights on the Evil Dragons swarming the area. Among them were mass-produced Grendels and Ladons, and even the new, giant-class Evil Dragons that Walburga had brought during our previous clash with the Church warriors.
I felt a massive surge of bloodlust directed at her. It seemed every dragon in the vicinity had identified her as the primary threat.
"GRAAAAAAARRRRRRGH!!"
The roar of countless dragons shook the air as the black swarm descended upon her as one.
"Xenovia!" Rias-senpai started to move to assist, but Maurice-san held up a hand to stop her. He was signaling that help wasn't necessary.
Most of the group looked at him like he'd lost his mind. But Irina and I knew better.
Because against opponents of this caliber, the current Xenovia didn't need help.
"HAAAAAAAAAH!"
Xenovia lunged forward, swinging Durandal in a wide arc!
She unleashed a slash of mingled gold and black. The fusion of holy energy and sword intent wiped out hundreds of Evil Dragons in a single stroke. One swing, two, three—with every motion of her blades, the dragons in the sky simply ceased to exist.
The mass-produced Grendels with their "indestructible" scales, the Ladons with their high-output defensive barriers—it didn't matter. They were helpless against the weight of her strikes.
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