Chapter 52: Numbness

"As expected of the Phoenix Clan's bloodline…?"

"It's a perfect match with Phoenix Tears. While the Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker is powerful, it has a time limit. If this continues, the Red Dragon Emperor might be in danger."

Watching the battle unfold, many devil nobles sighed, their voices laced with admiration for the Phoenix bloodline and regret for Renji.

In a proper Rating Game, both sides would set detailed rules, including restrictions on overpowered items like Phoenix Tears. However, since Renji wasn't a true devil and this was more of a personal duel rather than a structured game, anything that fell within one's own abilities was fair game—including Phoenix Tears.

"Look, the Red Dragon Emperor… he looks like he's running out of strength."

At some point, a devil noble spoke up, prompting the rest of the spectators to shift their focus to the battlefield.

Renji, still clad in his crimson armor, suddenly released his Boosted Gear Scale Mail, reverting to just the gauntlet on his right arm before slowly descending to the ground.

To most onlookers, it appeared that his power had run dry. However, what they didn't know was that Renji had only been testing the Boosted Gear's capabilities. The entire battle up until now had simply been him gauging the artifact's strength.

For Renji, Riser Phoenix was nothing more than a punching bag—a convenient test subject for the Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker.

And after putting it to the test, Renji was more than satisfied. Just from activating the forbidden state, his power had surged into the realm of high-tier devils—perhaps even beyond. And that was with him still unpolished in wielding it. With mastery, the results would be even more terrifying.

"Partner, how does the Balance Breaker feel?"

A deep, ancient voice echoed in Renji's mind as a green gem embedded in the gauntlet pulsed with energy.

Ddraig, the legendary Red Dragon Emperor, had spoken.

Renji, still pleased with his findings, nodded slightly in response.

"It looks like you're at your limit. In the end, victory still belongs to me!"

Riser Phoenix, his body battered and his appearance disheveled, sneered condescendingly as he hovered above. Just like most of the audience, he mistakenly believed Renji had reached his breaking point.

Smugness radiated from him as if he were the undisputed victor.

Renji merely shook his head. With an almost casual motion, he reached into the void and pulled out a sword radiating an otherworldly golden light—a blade so brilliant it seemed to cut through the very fabric of reality.

The Sword of Promised Victory.

The legendary Excalibur.

"Impossible! That sword… could it be…?!"

The moment the sacred sword appeared, even those watching from afar—separated by the screen—felt its overwhelming presence.

Many older devils recoiled instinctively, their voices trembling in disbelief.

"The Sword of Promised Victory!?"

In the grand halls of the Gremory estate, both Sirzechs Lucifer and Zeoticus Gremory, the head of the family, exchanged looks of astonishment.

"There's no mistaking it. The brilliance, the craftsmanship—this is without a doubt the legendary sword of King Arthur!"

"But how is that possible? Wasn't the King's sword shattered long ago and reforged into the seven holy swords wielded by the Church?"

Zeoticus frowned, struggling to comprehend what he was seeing.

"Perhaps those seven holy swords were not as 'complete' as the Church led us to believe," Sirzechs murmured, his crimson eyes narrowing. "At the very least, what's in the Red Dragon Emperor's hands right now… is real."

"This boy…"

A strange glint appeared in Sirzechs' gaze as he studied Renji's figure on the screen.

"Renji-kun really never fails to surprise us~."

Back at the Occult Research Club, Akeno Himejima sighed with an amused, almost exasperated smile.

At this point, she had lost count of how many times Renji had shattered expectations.

In the alternate battlefield, Renji raised Excalibur skyward, its holy radiance intensifying until it engulfed the entire gray-hued dimension in golden brilliance.

A sacred aura pulsed outward.

Riser Phoenix, still in midair, felt his instincts scream in warning. His body recoiled at the sheer presence of the blade. Even at a distance, his very existence seemed to tremble in its presence.

Fear.

A fear so primal it overrode his pride.

Every fiber of his being recognized the sword as his natural predator.

"No… I won't lose!"

"I will kill you!"

But prideful as he was, Riser Phoenix refused to acknowledge his fear.

With a defiant roar, he flared his flames and charged toward Renji, hoping to strike before the attack could be unleashed.

"Boost! Boost! Boost!"

A deep, resonating voice echoed from Renji's gauntlet, amplifying the golden radiance of Excalibur.

Instantly, the accumulating energy swelled several times over, expanding like a miniature sun.

A golden storm erupted.

The sheer force alone sent Riser Phoenix hurtling backward, his body flailing uncontrollably in midair.

For the first time in his life, he was powerless.

Renji stood at the epicenter of the holy radiance, his grip firm around the Sword of Promised Victory, ready to end this battle in a single strike.

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