Bound by Infinity

Chapter: 31

Xenovia froze, the edge of my blade brushing against her throat. I could see the defiance in her eyes waver for just a moment as the reality of the situation hit her. Irina, still restrained by Rias and Koneko, looked between me and Xenovia, her nervousness evident.

"Enough," I said, my voice calm but firm as I pulled my blade away. Rias and Koneko followed my lead, lowering their weapons and stepping back.

Xenovia rubbed her neck, glaring at me. "You're bold, Devil. Very bold."

I smirked, crossing my arms. "Boldness isn't my only skill. But let's be honest—this tension isn't helping anyone. How about we settle this another way? A fight. Something to clear the air."

Her glare softened, replaced by curiosity. "A fight? Who's fighting who?"

I gestured toward Kiba, who stood relaxed beside me, his usual playful grin in place. "You and Irina against me and Kiba. Two on two. Simple."

Xenovia's lips curled into a confident smirk. "Fine. We'll show you the strength of the Church."

Irina hesitated, glancing at her partner. "Are you sure about this, Xenovia?"

"Positive," she replied, her confidence unwavering. "They need to learn their place."

We moved to the courtyard, a wide-open space under a perfect blue sky. The others followed, settling onto the sidelines to watch.

"This should be interesting," Akeno said, sipping her tea with an amused smile.

"Interesting? They don't stand a chance," Koneko said, her tone flat but certain.

Issei leaned forward, his excitement palpable. "Yeah, but watching Kouki and Kiba fight is always awesome."

I couldn't help but smirk at that.

Xenovia and Irina took their positions opposite us. Xenovia unwrapped the massive blade strapped to her back—Excalibur Destruction. The sheer size of it was enough to make most people hesitate, but I'd seen worse. The weapon's power radiated off it, and I could tell she was banking on it intimidating us.

Irina summoned Excalibur Mimic, transforming it into a sleek katana. She spun it deftly, her hesitation from earlier replaced by focus.

I stood with Kiba, relaxed, the Crucifix resting casually against my shoulder.

"Whenever you're ready," I said, my tone nonchalant.

Kiba unsheathed his sword, his grin widening. "Let's see what you've got."

"Don't underestimate us!" Xenovia shouted, charging at Kiba with her massive blade raised.

Irina followed, her katana slicing toward me in a blur.

The courtyard erupted into chaos.

From the corner of my eye, I watched Kiba dodge Xenovia's opening swing. The ground cracked beneath the force of her attack, but Kiba moved like water, fluid and untouchable.

"Too slow," he taunted, sidestepping another heavy strike.

Xenovia growled, channeling Excalibur Destruction's power. She swung horizontally, releasing a shockwave that tore through the earth. Kiba, however, was already in the air, his blade descending toward her.

She raised her sword to block, their weapons colliding in a burst of sparks.

"You're holding back," Xenovia accused, her arms trembling under the weight of his attack.

"Maybe," Kiba said, his grin infuriatingly calm. "Or maybe I just don't need to try that hard."

His precision was incredible. Every movement, every swing, every dodge—it all looked effortless. Xenovia was good, but Kiba was in a league of his own.

And then, he pulled his trump card.

Kiba stepped back, his eyes gleaming as he murmured, "Trace On."

In his hands, a perfect replica of Excalibur Destruction materialized, its power unmistakable.

"What?!" Xenovia's shock was almost comical.

Kiba twirled the massive blade with ease, his smirk never fading. "A Devil wielding a holy weapon. You didn't see that coming, did you?"

"That's impossible!" Irina shouted from across the field.

Xenovia's grip tightened on her own weapon. "How are you not being burned by it?!"

Kiba laughed. "Let's just say we don't follow the usual rules."

Irina lunged at me, her katana flashing in the sunlight. I raised the Crucifix, deflecting her attack with a metallic clang.

"Come on, Irina," I said, my tone teasing. "You're going to have to do better than that."

Her frustration was evident as she activated Excalibur Mimic's ability, transforming her katana into a massive spear. She thrust it at me, aiming for my chest.

I sidestepped, twirling the Crucifix casually in my hand. "Nice trick, but it's wasted on you."

"Stop mocking me!" she yelled, her strikes becoming more erratic.

I stayed calm, deflecting her attacks with minimal effort. It wasn't even a challenge.

"You're not taking this seriously!" she shouted, her voice cracking with frustration.

"That's because I don't need to," I replied.

With a burst of speed, I closed the distance between us. She barely had time to react before the Crucifix was at her throat once again.

"Yield," I said, my voice low but commanding.

Irina hesitated, her pride fighting against her better judgment. After a moment, she sighed and stepped back, lowering her weapon.

With Irina defeated, all attention shifted to Kiba and Xenovia.

Xenovia was panting, sweat dripping down her face as she struggled to keep up. Kiba, meanwhile, looked as though he were taking a stroll in the park. He wielded both his sword and the replicated Excalibur Destruction with deadly efficiency, forcing her to retreat again and again.

"You're done," Kiba said, disarming her with a swift strike. Her weapon clattered to the ground, and she dropped to her knees.

"I can't believe this…" she muttered, staring at the dirt.

I walked over, my shadow falling over her as I said, "Believe it. The difference in our abilities is obvious."

Xenovia looked up at me, her eyes narrowing in disbelief. "How? How can a Devil use a holy weapon?"

I shrugged. "More than half of our peerage can use holy swords. Heck, I can even create them."

"That's… impossible," Irina whispered, still reeling from her defeat.

I smirked. "I know. But I have a tendency to make the impossible possible."

The two exorcists left shortly after, their confidence visibly shaken.

Before they departed, Rias stopped them. "One more thing. Who stole the Excalibur fragments?"

Xenovia glanced back, her expression grim. "It was Kokabiel, one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels."

Rias nodded, her face unreadable as she processed the information.

Back in the Occult Research Club, we gathered to debrief.

"So, what's the plan?" Rias asked, looking directly at me.

I leaned back in my chair, letting my usual smirk settle in place. "We're going to mind the business that pays us—our own."

Rias sighed, but there was a small smile tugging at her lips.

Chapter 31: End