The Natural Enemy of Demonic Existences

As it turned out, Leo was right.

Barely an hour had passed, and Asuna Yuuki seemed to have already accepted the current situation, emerging from her room.

"Regardless, thank you for saving me."

In the garden gazebo, Asuna Yuuki, now changed into her own uniform, arrived under the guidance of a maid familiar. She bowed to express her gratitude to Leo and Yukino Yukinoshita, who were sitting together drinking tea.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing here right now, so... thank you, truly."

Asuna Yuuki spoke with utmost sincerity. Her long chestnut hair swayed with her bowing motion, creating a beautiful sight.

"Well, it's good that you can accept reality. Otherwise, I might have had to put in some effort to convince you."

Leo held a cup of black tea, sipping it leisurely while smiling at Asuna Yuuki.

"Sit down first," Yukino Yukinoshita said to Asuna Yuuki. "We are all companions. Although this guy is our master in name, he doesn't stand on ceremony, so you don't need to be so reserved."

Leo immediately shot a glance at Yukino Yukinoshita.

This woman had changed, too. She used to be aloof and unsociable; now she knew how to say such considerate things. It was as if the sun had risen from the west.

Little did he know, Yukino Yukinoshita was only showing a bit of empathy because she saw a reflection of her former self in Asuna Yuuki; she hadn't actually changed her nature.

At Sobu High School, Yukino Yukinoshita remained as solitary and unapproachable as ever, the undisputed ice flower in everyone's eyes.

Only Leo, relying on his status as her master, could handle her. If he were just a good-looking third-year student, Yukino Yukinoshita probably wouldn't even look him in the eye.

"Are you also... a peerage member of Leo?"

Asuna Yuuki didn't refuse. After sitting down next to them, she hesitated before striking up a conversation with Yukino Yukinoshita.

"Though I hate to admit it, that is indeed the case. I have no choice," Yukino Yukinoshita said with an expressionless face. "My name is Yukino Yukinoshita, and I am the Bishop of this guy... Leo Eligor."

"Yukinoshita?" Asuna Yuuki was slightly startled, surprised. "The Yukinoshita family?"

Clearly, Asuna Yuuki had heard of the Yukinoshita family.

"You know of them?"

Yukino Yukinoshita was somewhat surprised.

Although they were a prestigious family, the Yukinoshita family was merely a local powerhouse in Chiba Prefecture. Compared to the Yuuki family, a prominent clan in Tokyo, there was still a significant gap.

Tokyo was the capital, after all, while Chiba was just a subordinate prefecture. Even if their strength wasn't bad, many Tokyo elites viewed families like the Yukinoshitas as nothing more than wealthy country bumpkins, naturally looking at them through tinted glasses.

In terms of pure family influence, the Yukinoshita family had nothing that would warrant the attention of the Yuuki family.

Asuna Yuuki's father was the CEO of a large electronics manufacturer with a nationwide reach, while Yukino Yukinoshita's father was merely the president of a construction company. Though he also served as a prefectural assemblyman and perhaps had a bigger reputation in political circles than in business, he was, at the end of the day, just a prefectural assemblyman.

Asuna Yuuki's mother was a university professor with students all over the country and an extensive network of connections. Yukino Yukinoshita's mother, on the other hand, was merely a member of the local guardian association. Compared to the former's status and standing, there was quite a significant gap.

Consequently, while Yukino Yukinoshita knew of the Yuki family's existence, she did not think Asuna Yuuki would know of the Yukinoshita family.

Unexpectedly, Asuna Yuuki knew about her family.

Just as Yukino Yukinoshita was thinking this, Asuna Yuuki told her something that was not particularly pleasant to hear.

"Because I have met your sister, Ms. Haruno Yukinoshita," Asuna Yuuki said, telling the truth. "My brother was invited here by a prominent local family to attend a banquet. When we arrived, many local families came over to greet us, and Ms. Haruno was among them."

"She is beautiful and outstanding, with impeccable manners. My brother enjoyed chatting with her, and afterward, he gave her high praise, believing that she might be able to lead the Yukinoshita family to new heights."

Asuna Yuuki also had a deep impression of Haruno Yukinoshita. She admired her ability to remain completely composed and move with ease among the representatives of so many prestigious families. She even felt a sense of longing for that kind of person, feeling that was how a true young lady should act.

Unlike herself, who just numbly followed her family's arrangements, undergoing so-called elite training and being crafted bit by bit into a signboard to embellish the family's reputation...

At this thought, Asuna Yuuki's eyes dimmed slightly.

"Sister..."

Yukino Yukinoshita's expression became even more complicated, and she suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore.

Her sister was still as outstanding as ever, earning praise even from a prominent family from Kyoto.

Would she ever truly have a day where she could catch up to her sister?

Yukino Yukinoshita felt lost because of this.

The atmosphere in the gazebo suddenly turned cold. Both young ladies stopped talking, falling into silence, which made Leo chuckle slightly.

However, before he could speak, Asuna Yuuki was the first to recover.

Compared to becoming a devil and coming into contact with the supernatural world, the issues she faced at home didn't seem like much anymore.

"Ms. Yukinoshita is Leo's bishop, isn't she?" Asuna Yuuki looked at Leo and asked hesitantly, "Then what about me? Which piece was I reincarnated with?"

Since Leo had already explained the concept of evil pieces, Asuna Yuuki had no trouble understanding all of this.

But it wasn't Leo who answered the question; it was Yukino Yukinoshita.

"You are a knight."

Yukino Yukinoshita composed herself and spoke bluntly.

"Just like me, it is a piece with a value equivalent to three pawns."

Because Yukino Yukinoshita had been present when Leo took out the evil piece to reincarnate Asuna Yuuki, she knew which piece he had used and what position Asuna Yuuki now held.

"A knight?" Asuna Yuuki said, sounding somewhat surprised. "I am... a knight?"

It was no wonder she was so surprised. After all, according to Leo, the knight piece among the devils was characterized by speed and was clearly a melee unit.

And her?

She was just a young lady who had received an elite education—an education focused primarily on knowledge and etiquette, not athletic training.

Let her engage in melee combat?

Wasn't that just sending her to her death?

"Don't be surprised; this is the choice of the pieces themselves." Seeing Asuna Yuuki standing there in a daze, Leo finally set down his teacup and said, "Of course, there were three types of pieces that reacted to you: rook, knight, and pawn."

"Among them, the knight piece had the strongest reaction, almost rivaling the bishop piece I used to reincarnate Yukino."

"This shows that you have great potential as a knight; you simply haven't tapped into that potential yet."

As he spoke, Leo began to guide Asuna Yuuki.

"You, like me... and like Yukino, possess a unique power within you known as a sacred gear."

"Before, this power was dormant, but now that you are a devil and possess demonic power, your physique has undergone significant changes. You should be capable of awakening the sacred gear within you on your own."

"Close your eyes. Imagine the form of the strongest existence in your mind, and then approach It."

Leo's instructions sounded unremarkable, yet his voice seemed to carry a power capable of vibrating Asuna Yuuki's soul, making her inexplicably convinced.

Thus, Asuna Yuuki stood up, closed her eyes, and as Leo had instructed, began to imagine the strongest existence in her mind.

The strongest existence in her mind... or rather, the most overbearing existence, was her mother.

Her education had been tightly managed and supervised by her mother, and she had been under her mother's strict discipline since childhood. Consequently, in her mind, her mother's image was always intimidating, filling her with fear and reverence.

Now, recalling her mother's stern demeanor from the past, the emotions in Asuna Yuuki's heart were stirred.

Instantly, these emotions drove her demonic power, and the demonic power ignited her body, awakening the hidden strength within Asuna Yuuki.

Clang!

Beside Asuna Yuuki, a sword suddenly emerged from the ground, emitting a metallic ring.

The sword radiated a terrifying aura—sacred and powerful—causing Yukino Yukinoshita to jump up as if pricked by a needle. Leo also felt a stinging sensation on his skin, causing him to narrow his eyes.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!...

Swords continuously emerged around Asuna Yuuki. Each sword had a different appearance and even a different length; some were rapiers, some were katanas, some long, some short. Yet, without exception, they all radiated a sacred aura, forcing Yukino Yukinoshita to retreat again and again.

"What kind of sacred gear is this?"

Yukino Yukinoshita's face was filled with shock.

At this moment, she felt a threat from these swords that far surpassed the light swords used by exorcists.

If light was poison to devils, then these swords were nuclear weapons capable of erasing a devil's very soul.

Compared to these blades, angels and fallen angels who could manipulate light power were nothing at all.

The swords before her were the true natural enemies of devils.

And that was the reality.

"These are holy swords. They are sacred weapons created by those who have reached the realm of gods using magic or alchemy, and they are the natural enemies of all demonic beings."

Leo's voice echoed softly in the air.

"Including devils, any demonic being that touches a holy sword will have their body scorched. If they are struck down by one, they will be obliterated on the spot, with even their soul beyond salvation."

These sacred weapons were artifacts passed down through history, appearing in all manner of legends.

Excalibur, Durandal, Kusanagi no Tsurugi, Hauteclere... these legendary blades were all holy swords, sacred relics that would only find a wielder once every few decades.

And Asuna Yuuki's sacred gear was related to these holy swords.

Sacred Gear: Sword Birth — A rare sacred gear capable of creating holy swords with any attribute the wielder can imagine. As long as the user's skill is sufficient, it can unleash astonishing power.

This was Asuna Yuuki's sacred gear.