[79] : Holy Sword? Not Even Worth My Attention

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Bokue Keikain wasn't the type to easily lose his temper. In fact, his temperament was usually quite good. Among onmyōji, he was even jokingly described as "too laid-back to ever be disciplined."

Even when facing enemies, he rarely got truly angry. After all, what was the point?

Who would get irritated by someone they could dispatch with a single punch?

But this time, Bokue was genuinely irritated.

Setting aside his childhood friend Irina, he had absolutely no connection with this girl before him. Yet, she dared come here lecturing him, judging him, and acting as if she were here to teach him a lesson?

Just who the hell did she think she was?!

Now, the living room was engulfed in overwhelming golden spiritual pressure, the dazzling radiance permeating every inch of space.

Just as Wing from Hunter x Hunter described Nen:

When activated with goodwill, it feels like a gentle spring breeze; when triggered by ill-will or killing intent, it can inflict unimaginable harm.

Spiritual power worked in the same way.

For Rias and the others bathed in Bokue's spiritual aura, the sensation was merely like basking in warm sunlight—comfortable and pleasant.

But for Xenovia, who was targeted directly by his irritation, it was a wholly different experience.

From Xenovia's perspective, it felt like having a hundred Giant Easter Island statues pressing down on her shoulders, a force vastly surpassing any pressure she'd experienced even during her harshest church training sessions. She desperately tried to maintain her footing, gripping the Holy Sword in her hands tightly… but it wasn't enough.

Thud!

As the weight continued to mount, Xenovia could no longer withstand it, her fingers gradually slipping loose from the immense pressure. The massive Holy Sword crashed to the ground beside her, and she collapsed instantly onto her knees.

This was Bokue Keikain's strength.

The gravity spells that other elite Onmyōji struggled to execute, draining nearly all their spiritual energy, were as simple to Bokue as breathing—The mere overflow of his spiritual power due to emotional fluctuations easily eclipsed anything others could produce intentionally.

In this state, if an opponent lacked sufficient strength, Bokue could even crush them outright using spiritual pressure alone.

"A-Ah, Xenovia! Are you alright?!"

Seeing her companion on the verge of collapse, Irina rushed forward to help.

Yet, oddly enough, the overwhelming pressure that had been steadily increasing vanished entirely the moment Irina touched Xenovia.

Xenovia jerked upright, gasping for breath as beads of cold sweat streamed down her pale, strained face. The moisture quickly soaked through her battle attire beneath her white robe.

Without a doubt, if Irina hadn't intervened just then, prompting Bokue to retract his aura, Xenovia would unquestionably have been crushed!

Supporting her now pale and slightly shaking companion, Irina whispered softly in frustration:

"Xenovia, you should've known better. Bokue isn't the type to hold back just because his opponent is a girl~."

"I—I don't… need mercy from… someone colluding with Devils… it's a disgrace to any Church warrior!"

"You really are something else, Xenovia…"

Irina sighed helplessly.

They had come here on an official mission, after all. If things kept going like this, they wouldn't even manage to complete their task.

"Alright, alright. Let's talk business already."

"Hm."

Bokue responded quietly, acknowledging Irina to continue.

Irina took a gentle breath and spoke carefully:

"Hey, Bokue… do you remember the Holy Sword from our church branch back in Kyoto, when we were kids?"

"Yeah, I remember. Why?"

As soon as Irina mentioned it, Bokue easily recalled the sword she described. Its appearance resembled Artoria's famous blade from Fate/Grand Order—a classic, oversized Western broadsword.

Definitely not his style.

Irina continued:

"Well, originally, the Church crafted six Holy Swords. Right now, besides one that's missing, three have been stolen by Fallen Angels. The remaining two are Xenovia's Sword of Destruction, and mine—the Sword of Mimicry."

Saying this, she lifted her Church robe slightly, indicating a delicate ornamental band wrapped around her arm.

That, apparently, was the Holy Sword after it transformed into its mimicked form.

But wait a minute—six Holy Swords, one missing, three stolen by Fallen Angels…?

Hold on—Fallen Angels?

Remembering something particular, Bokue murmured aloud:

"Actually, a while back I did eliminate a group of Fallen Angels. I think the leader was named Raynare or something, and there was also that Freed Sellzen I mentioned earlier. But I didn't notice them carrying any Holy Swords."

"Are you sure?"

Xenovia suddenly interjected.

Bokue glanced at her.

"Yes, I'm sure. What about it?"

The blue-haired girl pursed her lips tightly.

"Given your involvement with Devils, it's entirely possible you might have hidden or kept the swords for yourselves. After all, Holy Swords are deadly weapons against Devils—injuries from them cause incredible pain and could even directly kill them. Considering there are only six of these sacred weapons created in total, each is extremely rare and precious."

"…So, you think I've hidden or stolen your Holy Swords?"

Bokue rolled his eyes, bored.

"I doubt it. Your oversized Western swords might be okay as decorative models to hang on a wall and look cool, but even if you offered one to me, I'd decline. They're beneath me."

"What did you just say?!"

Hearing Bokue blatantly belittle the Holy Swords of the Church, Xenovia bristled furiously, preparing to stand up and argue again.

Thankfully, Irina quickly grabbed hold of her, smiling apologetically towards Bokue.

"Now, now~ We're definitely not here to accuse you or anything. We just wanted to confirm a few things and make sure you guys aren't collaborating with Fallen Angels. That's all."

"Is that so? Then you have nothing to worry about regarding that."

Bokue shrugged nonchalantly.

Irina nodded slightly, smiling again.

"I figured as much. In that case, we'll be on our way. See you around, Bokue~. After we wrap up our work, I'll come visit you again… C'mon, Xenovia."

Bokue didn't respond further. Instead, he silently watched as the two white-robed girls exited the room, until a soft, timid whimper brought his attention back.

Lowering his head, he saw Asia still nestled in his embrace, cheeks flushed pink with shyness and embarrassment.

Meanwhile, sitting close beside him, Rias narrowed her eyes subtly, an unspoken question clearly shining within—

—"Done hugging yet?"

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