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Asia's heart was a mess of panic, worry, and gratitude all at once.
Jack was already badly injured… and now, just to save her, he was forcing himself to endure even more damage, taking those attacks head-on.
Tears blurred her vision as she immediately activated Twilight Healing, pouring all her power into restoring him.
Only then did Jack feel a bit better—but he knew the real danger hadn't passed yet.
Snatching Asia back under the cover of Rias and the others' assault was only step one. What mattered now was how they were going to escape the fallen angels alive once the attack died down.
Right now, he and Asia were deep inside enemy territory.
Rias and the others were just as tense, watching the two of them closely.
They understood Jack's plan. They had seen him shield both himself and Asia with the Divine Tear Shield. Their hearts tightened with worry.
Hold on… come back safely…
Rias quietly began gathering magic again, preparing to step in at any moment. She knew that the instant their current barrage of flames and lightning faded, Jack and Asia would be hit with a combined attack from the three fallen angels.
They had to intervene immediately—or it would be too late.
Himejima Akeno's expression had long since turned serious.
The real question was: how was Jack supposed to survive their first strike?
No matter how fast she and Rias were, they couldn't be faster than enemies already right in front of him.
He had to endure at least one round of attacks on his own.
But in his current condition… could he?
They feared the worst—that his injuries would leave him unable to resist, and he'd be killed in a single blow.
After all, two of those enemies were on par with high-class devils like Rias.
As the flames and lightning began to fade, Jack knew it too—
The real crisis was about to begin.
He took a deep breath and spoke to the girl in his arms.
"Asia, heal me with everything you've got."
The moment he finished speaking, he connected with the Nioh Sword and Shield.
The Sacred Gear responded instantly. His body trembled.
Crash… crash…
At that moment, everyone clearly heard the sound of waves.
They froze.
This wasn't imagination—it was the sound of magic power surging violently through his body.
"That's…" Akeno covered her lips, eyes widening.
Sacred Gear resonance.
Jack had triggered resonance, forcing all the magic in his body into a frenzy.
It was a path of evolution open to all beings—using willpower to connect with the world and push beyond one's limits.
But it was incredibly dangerous. One mistake could destroy the body… or kill him outright.
Yet right now, he had no other choice.
He was already at his limit. He had planned to attempt this breakthrough later—but Asia being captured had forced his hand.
If that was the case…
Then he would gamble everything here.
If he could break through to mid-class devil level, then blocking even a single combined strike from the three fallen angels would be possible.
That was all he needed.
Just one hit.
After that, he could leave the rest to Rias and Akeno.
His body trembled as violent magic surged through him, resonating with the world.
Pain crashed over him in waves—like mountains collapsing, like oceans roaring.
His vision filled with bloodshot veins, but he clenched his teeth and endured in silence.
Rias's words echoed in his mind:
"A Sacred Gear is connected to its wielder's thoughts. With enough willpower, its strength can be pushed higher and higher. But it all depends on how long your will holds—and how much your body can endure."
So as long as his will was strong enough… and his body didn't collapse… he could break past his limits.
Asia was healing his body. That part he could ignore.
The rest depended on him.
Then here and now—
He would break through the limits of a low-class devil and ascend to mid-class.
His consciousness sank into a dark mental space.
Before him stood the radiant Nioh Sword and Shield… and behind it, a vast, ancient black city.
His gaze fixed on the bronze bell hanging atop one of the towering bastions.
Without hesitation, he hurled his will straight at it.
Dong!!!
The impact rang out.
The bell's echo rippled outward—into reality.
"What was that sound?!"
Even the three fallen angels flinched.
While fending off Rias and Akeno's attacks, their eyes were drawn to Jack.
From that bell's toll, they felt a terrifying presence—something vast enough to crush them utterly.
As the sound echoed, Jack's Sacred Gear blazed with light. The magic inside him surged even more violently.
Pop—pop—pop—
Wounds burst open across his body. In an instant, he was covered in blood.
"Ah!"
Asia cried out, heart aching as she poured all her power into healing him.
Inside his mind, Jack growled:
"Again."
Dong!!
The second toll rang out, ancient and distant.
He could feel the bottleneck loosening.
This path of evolution truly lived up to its danger.
The pain was unbearable.
It felt like his soul was being torn apart.
Normally, breaking through wouldn't hurt this much—but he had chosen the most extreme method.
The price was pain multiplied dozens of times over.
Still, he clenched his teeth.
He had to break through.
If he didn't, he would die here.
Asia might die too. Rias might be forced into a marriage she didn't want. And Mai Sakurajima…
In that dark space, Jack lifted his head and stared at the bronze bell.
His gaze gradually calmed.
His will condensed into form.
He stepped forward, fists clenched, and struck the bell head-on.
Dong!
Dong!
Dong!
Three consecutive blows.
Three long, echoing tolls followed.
His body exploded with blood once more, instantly turning him into a crimson figure.
But in his mental world, the ancient black city began to change.
From beneath his feet, brilliant golden patterns lit up—spreading outward in all directions.
Like an ancient beast awakening.
Back in reality—
Rias and Akeno's suppression finally faded, and the three fallen angels attacked immediately.
"Die, brat!"
At that exact moment—
Jack's magic power surged tenfold.
His eyes snapped open.
Within his pupils appeared the reflection of that massive black city, golden lines spreading across it.
Golden light flooded his dark irises—
Transforming them into dazzling, piercing golden eyes.
Faintly, the outline of that ancient city flickered within them…
"..."
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