Amid the crashing sound, Irina was knocked to the ground by Roy's powerful strike, toppling the end sofa behind her.
"I think it's better if you stay here," Roy said with a faint smile.
"We can deal with Kokabiel first and send you off afterward."
"Irina!" Xenovia shouted, leaping to her feet.
She tore the wrapping from Excalibur Destruction, revealing its blade.
A sacred aura, as potent as Excalibur Mimic, radiated from the sword.
Unlike Irina's weapon, Excalibur Destruction carried a ferocious edge, its destructive power living up to its name.
"I'm fine," Irina said, struggling to her feet.
Her face twitched with pain from her arm, leaving her feeling helpless.
As a speed type holy sword wielder, her constant training gave her decent arm strength, but Roy's single blow had overwhelmed her.
In raw power, she wasn't even in the same league.
"Xenovia, be careful. He's incredibly strong. Even you might not withstand him head on," Irina warned.
As partners, Irina knew Xenovia's strength well from their occasional sparring.
Xenovia was far stronger, but not so much that she could shrug off a direct hit from Roy.
"I'm not foolish enough to rely solely on strength," Xenovia said, gripping Excalibur Destruction with a grave expression, as if facing a formidable foe.
Trained by the church since childhood, Xenovia's swordsmanship was top tier among her peers.
In the anime, she had defeated Kiba in their first encounter, though his unstable mindset had hindered his swordplay.
Still, her ability to best him unscathed showcased her skill.
"Are you two sure you want to fight to the death?" Roy asked, his gaze indifferent.
The holy swords sacred aura was devastating to devils, but it had no effect on him.
Beyond their sanctity, only the swords sharpness and unique traits posed a threat.
In a contest of swordsmanship, Roy was confident he wouldn't lose to anyone.
"Your trump card must be a complete holy sword," Roy said, eyeing Xenovia.
"But even that won't give you a chance against me."
"A complete holy sword?" Rias asked, her shock evident as she looked at Xenovia.
The seven holy swords forged from Excalibur's fragments each rivaled mid tier Sacred Gears.
A complete holy sword, while not on par with a Longinus, was still formidable.
"You'll have to fight to find out!" Xenovia declared, stomping the ground and swinging Excalibur Destruction at Roy.
As Roy raised his blade to block, Xenovia altered her strike, aiming lower.
Knowing she couldn't match Roy's strength after Irina's defeat, she relied on swordsmanship to outmaneuver him.
Escaping the devils lair would require skill, not brute force.
She also sensed that Roy's weapon, the Hestia Sword, was at least as powerful as the Excalibur, rendering Excalibur Destruction's unique traits less effective.
"A feint?" Roy said with a light snort.
Xenovia's combat talent was undeniable, but her tricks were child's play compared to Roy's superior swordsmanship.
Her sudden change in attack reduced her mobility, leaving her vulnerable.
To counter such a feint, one needed either foresight or adaptability, and Roy had both.
Xenovia's attack failed, putting her in danger.
"Be still for a while," Roy said, dodging her strike.
He suppressed Excalibur Destruction with the Hestia Sword, pinning Xenovia in place, then raised his hand to her neck.
Xenovia's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, unconscious.
Roy caught her in his arms.
"Xenovia!" Irina shouted, furious at seeing her companion subdued.
"And if I do, can you beat me?" Roy said with a sneer.
Xenovia surpassed her in most areas, except speed, yet neither could match Roy.
With Xenovia down and the others still spectating, Irina had no chance.
"Agh, how infuriating!" she exclaimed, her frustration boiling over.
The lightning in Akeno's hands faded as she looked at Irina with amusement.
"Holy sword wielder, if you don't surrender, you'll face punishment later."
"Punishment?" Irina asked, startled.
"Ever heard of the Fallen Saint?" Akeno said with a kind smile.
"Fallen Saint?" Irina echoed, confused by the unfamiliar term.
"Not quite," Akeno said, her smile widening.
"Imagine Roy locking you in a room, letting you drown in desire until you bear a child for the devils side. You'd never return to the church."
Roy's hands twitched.
Akeno's boldness was something else.
"Dream on! I'd rather die than let you succeed!" Irina said, glaring at them with defiance, ready to face death.
"Die?" Akeno's smile grew sharper. "That doesn't matter."
"You know about devil reincarnation, right? If you die, we can use Evil Pieces to reincarnate you as one of us. You'd fully join us."
"Are you a monster?" Irina said, shuddering, her face paling.
As a Church member, death might lead to Heaven, a worthy end.
But reincarnation as a devil would mean hell, branding her a traitor and making her a global fugitive in the Church's eyes.
"I'm just an ordinary devil," Akeno said, her smile unsettling.
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