Akira glanced at the corpse of the Stray Devil he had just defeated—without a doubt, that one had been a mid-class devil, not some low-tier fodder.
And with that, one of his long-standing questions was finally answered: defeating a mid-class devil granted 3% progress in his Inherited Template.
Which made him wonder—how much would he gain from taking down a High-Class Devil? An Ultimate-Class Devil? Or even a Maou? Just how far could he push his Template that way?
[Identity: Transfer Student of Kuoh Academy]
[Rank: Level 4 (Mid-Class Devil)]
[Template: Enkidu (22.1%)]
[Noble Phantasm: Chains of Heaven]
[Talents: Consummated Shape, Beast King's Instinct]
Level 4—equal to a mid-class devil.
That was the result of all his training and effort over the past half-month.
"…Truly surprising. That Stray Devil just now—it was mid-class… and you defeated it."
Rias stared at the corpse with a serious expression. She would need to reassess her evaluation of Akira's strength.
At first, she had assumed the boy was only a low-class devil. But not only had he surpassed that stage, he had even defeated a mid-class one entirely on his own.
And to make it more shocking—Akira was younger than her. He had no noble bloodline or family backing him. Everything he'd achieved was purely from his own talent and effort. That alone already qualified him as a prodigy.
It was worth noting that even Kiba Yuuto, who wielded a Sacred Gear and was the same age as Akira, had undergone rigorous training since childhood. He had even once studied under Souji Okita—Sirzechs Lucifer's personal knight.
And yet, Kiba was still stuck at the low-class level, only now approaching the threshold of mid-class.
"...Only to protect myself," Akira replied calmly, without a trace of arrogance or pride.
To him, reaching mid-class wasn't something worth celebrating. He understood well—when the real story began, his enemies would be far more terrifying.
Forget the Maou—for now, he at least needed the strength of an Ultimate-Class Devil just to survive.
Still… with the new ability he had just obtained—Beast King's Instinct—he felt like a wild predator. If he wanted to, he could tear through everyone in front of him, including Rias and the others, with swift and ruthless force.
He needed time to fully adapt to this power.
Otherwise, there was a real chance he might react on instinct and endanger those around him. Just imagine—if someone tapped his shoulder from behind out of nowhere, they might be sent flying from a reflexive counterattack.
It wouldn't be out of malice or hostility—it would be pure instinct.
But Akira wasn't Enkidu. He still needed time to learn how to properly wield this new strength.
Because uncontrolled power... was nothing more than a disaster waiting to happen.
A fiery explosion of light flared through the clearing as Rias cast a powerful destruction spell, reducing the remains of both Stray Devils to ash.
One had been their official target. The other—though not currently marked by the Underworld—was fair game for extermination due to its Stray status.
While the others were still recovering from the shock of Akira's display of strength, Koneko continued staring at him intently.
As a reincarnated devil, Koneko hadn't come from a human background. She was a Nekoshō—a rare and powerful sub-species of Nekomata. As a youkai, her senses far surpassed those of normal humans.
And after Akira had taken down the second Stray Devil, his aura had changed completely. From a slightly crazy yet warm upperclassman, he had become an overwhelming presence—like a beast king in human form.
Koneko didn't know what had caused such a drastic transformation, but one thing was clear: what Akira had shown them just now… wasn't everything.
"Shin-san… may I challenge you to a duel?"
The sudden voice from Kiba Yuuto caught everyone off guard.
Even Rias was surprised—she hadn't expected Kiba to issue a challenge now, of all times.
"Huh? You want to fight me? Why?" Akira turned to him, a touch of confusion on his face. What sparked this sudden urge to battle?
"Because… you're strong."
Kiba's gaze was steady. There was no doubt or hesitation in his eyes. It wasn't emotion—it was the pure drive of a swordsman facing a superior opponent.
He had been stuck at the low-class level for far too long. His progress, both in swordsmanship and magic, had slowed down to a crawl—and it was frustrating.
His master, Rias, was currently bound by a marriage contract she didn't want.
As the knight she had once saved from the brink of death, Kiba wanted to protect her. But with his current power, he wasn't even close to capable.
And for a true swordsman… the best way to break through a bottleneck was through battle.
"…Sounds interesting. Alright, I accept your challenge."
Akira's calm voice carried no hesitation.
"Thank you…" Kiba bowed deeply, his tone sincere.
He knew full well Akira had just finished two heavy battles and was likely not in top form. In that sense, his challenge might be considered inconsiderate.
But he still went through with it—because the opportunity was too important to let go.
"Come, then. Show me the power of Rias Gremory's knight."
"Understood," Kiba responded with a firm nod.
He took a deep breath, and in the next instant, a flaming sword manifested in his hand.
Sword Birth—his Sacred Gear. It allowed him to create magic swords at will. As long as he had the energy, he could forge weapons of any element or type.
"I'm not a swordsman, so don't expect me to trade blades with you," Akira remarked flatly.
"I'm aware," Kiba replied.
A sharp, almost musical slicing sound broke the silence as Kiba launched himself forward with stunning speed.
A magic circle shimmered to life behind him, and from within it, the silver chains of Chains of Heaven burst outward, shining under the night sky.
Kiba's footwork was impressive—he wove between the chains with expert precision, parrying and redirecting them with his blazing sword.
And still, Akira hadn't budged.
That puzzled Rias and Akeno. As far as they knew, Akira's power centered entirely around those strange golden chains.
So far, he had never personally thrown a punch in any fight.
Only Koneko sensed something different. She had begun to realize… Akira might be hiding far more strength than he let on.
The battle escalated. Kiba's movements blurred as he darted in and out of reach, closing the distance between them in a matter of seconds.
In the span of a few breaths, he was already within striking range. The flaming sword in his hand slashed toward Akira's chest with full force.
He didn't know why Akira had allowed him to get this close.
But he was certain—Akira wasn't careless. There had to be a reason.
At the very last moment, Akira moved.
In one swift motion, his left hand shot out and clamped down on Kiba's wrist, stopping the sword mid-swing. His right fist followed immediately, driving into Kiba's chest with crushing force.
The air seemed to ripple from the impact.
Kiba's body was lifted off the ground and hurled several meters through the air before slamming against the earth with a heavy thud.
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