Rias spread her wings first. The movement was direct, without announcement, the thrust enough to lift her body off the ground in a single surge. Akeno followed at the same instant, her black wings opening in sync, the two gaining altitude quickly without looking back.
Gasper followed their movement with full attention, his focus fixed on the distant silhouette cutting through the sky on a direct course toward Yubelluna.
Asia took a short step forward, her body tense, her breathing uneven from the accelerated pace of events.
"Gasper, what do I do?"
Koneko adjusted her position beside her without speaking, her body aligned for frontal cover. Kiba and Saji were already moving several meters ahead, both attentive to the approaching enemy knights who still remained on the field.
Gasper turned his face toward Asia just enough to ensure eye contact.
"Koneko will take care of you, and Saji and Kiba will fight. You heal their injuries."
Asia nodded quickly, swallowing hard, her hands clasping together for a second before relaxing. She took a deep breath and stepped back, positioning herself exactly where Koneko had indicated, without question.
"I can do it." Asia said softly, more to herself than to the others.
"You can." Koneko replied simply, without turning her head.
On the other side, Kiba fully drew his sword, the blade aligned with his body. Saji flexed his fingers, shadows already adjusting around his feet, ready to react.
"They're approaching from the flank." Kiba warned, his gaze steady. "Two knights."
"I'll hold one." Saji answered without hesitation. "You focus on the other."
"Understood."
The rhythm of the field shifted again when a distant impact echoed above, the direct result of the first aerial clash between Rias, Akeno, and the enemy queen.
KRAAASH
The sound reverberated briefly, enough to mark that the battle in the sky had begun.
Asia looked up by reflex, but lost sight of the three almost immediately among movements too fast to follow.
"Gasper…" she called without realizing.
He was no longer beside her.
Gasper took two steps back, moving away from the center of the formation. His body leaned slightly forward, arms relaxing at his sides. The shadow beneath his feet began to expand, darkening unnaturally.
Asia turned at once.
"Gasper?"
The shadow climbed first over his ankles, then up his legs, wrapping around his body like a living layer. His proportions began to change, his torso shrinking, his arms elongating before merging into wings emerging from the darkness itself.
The human shape vanished quickly.
His body compacted mid-movement, bones readjusting with a short, dry crack, his silhouette narrowing until it assumed a smaller, denser form. The wings fully unfolded, firm membranes stretching wide, the head tilting slightly with small, sharp eyes reflecting the battlefield's light.
Asia brought a hand to her mouth, eyes wide, following every second of the transformation without being able to look away.
The bat flapped its wings once, gaining minimal altitude, then again, stabilizing in the air ahead of the group.
Koneko did not move, only watching from the corner of her eye.
"He's gone." Saji commented without turning his head, already moving to intercept the first knight.
"Yeah." Kiba confirmed. "Now it's on us."
Asia followed as far as she could see, her heart racing, tension mixed with forced confidence.
"Come back in one piece." she murmured.
In the sky, Rias gained altitude in a straight line, her wings slicing through the air without wasted motion. Akeno stayed half a step behind, adjusting her rhythm to avoid separating. The silhouette ahead reduced the distance with constant precision.
The enemy queen stopped midair and turned calmly, her wings spread to full amplitude, maintaining height and control of the space.
"Well, well, queen of bombs." Akeno tilted her head slightly, a smile forming effortlessly. "Did you come to greet us personally?"
Yubelluna remained suspended for a moment longer, her gaze shifting toward the replicated school building, where Riser's presence was clear even from afar.
Rias advanced half a step in the air, demonic magic enveloping her body in a dense, controlled glow without dispersion.
"Unexpected, isn't it?" Her posture remained stable, wings open only as much as necessary. "If you want to go back, you'll have to pass through me."
Yubelluna closed her fingers, points of energy forming once more around her body.
"Even if you defeat me, no one will defeat Riser-sama." The statement came direct, without hesitation. "This game is already over."
Akeno let out a low laugh, tilting her head slightly to the side.
"Such beautiful loyalty." Her tone carried obvious amusement. "Almost makes me feel sorry for you."
"Well, we'll see about that." Rias replied, the glow around her body intensifying for a brief moment before stabilizing.
Yubelluna answered at the same level. The demonic energy around her expanded, then compressed immediately, concentrating along her wings and arms.
"Then let's end this."
The three held their positions for a full second, none advancing, none retreating, every movement measured before happening.
On the ground, the clash was immediate.
Karlamine appeared at Kiba's side with fluid movement, her body entering his personal space without warning.
"You're more interesting up close." She ran a finger across her own lip, closing the distance. "How about we forget the game for a moment?" Her smile was slow, calculated. "I can be very convincing."
Kiba did not answer at once. He simply rotated his body half a step, creating space without losing the alignment of his sword.
Saji watched the second knight approach from the opposite flank, her posture direct, without any attempt at distraction.
"You thought I'd have to deal with the other one?" he said evenly, eyes fixed on Siris. "Great."
Kiba inhaled deeply and spoke without raising his voice.
"Koneko, Asia, stay back." The sword remained low but ready. "It's going to get dangerous."
Koneko nodded and pulled Asia back without discussion, keeping enough distance to stay out of immediate reach. Asia did not resist, only followed, her eyes lingering on Kiba for a second before stepping away.
Karlamine laughed softly and slid another step forward, her body nearly brushing against his.
"Such chivalry." Her voice grew closer. "That just excites me more."
Kiba raised his sword into position, the metal aligned with the center of his body.
"End of the conversation."
Karlamine tilted her head, the smile still there.
"Then come."
She moved first, sliding into range with a short twist of her hips, her blade rising from below in a treacherous angle. Kiba responded instantly, rotating his wrist and bringing his sword down to intercept.
CLANG
The metallic clash rang out dryly. The two blades locked for half a second before separating, sparks scattering through the air. Karlamine retreated a short step and lunged again, shifting her axis of attack, the tip of her sword aiming for Kiba's flank with calculated insistence.
Kiba rotated his body, dodging by mere centimeters, and answered with a direct horizontal slash toward her torso.
CLANG
Karlamine blocked with her own blade, the impact pushing her half a step back. Her smile did not fade. It only sharpened.
"You don't fight like an ordinary noble." she commented, adjusting her grip. "Interesting."
Kiba did not respond. He advanced again, his sword tracing a continuous arc, forcing Karlamine to retreat two more steps. The rhythm increased, the strikes following one after another without room for provocation.
CLANG
CLANG
On the other side, Siris did not wait for an opening.
She raised her Zweihänder above her head, arms firm, and brought the blade down with full force, aiming to crush Saji at that exact point.
Saji leapt back at the last instant, his body leaving the line by a hand's breadth.
BOOOM
The two-handed sword struck the ground violently, the blade embedding into the floor and kicking up thick dust in every direction.
Saji landed several meters back, his chest rising rapidly for a second before stabilizing.
"That was close." His voice came out tense, without hiding the fear.
Siris yanked the Zweihänder from the ground with a brutal motion, rotating her torso to clear the dust.
"Next time, you won't jump."
She advanced again, using the weapon's reach to maintain constant pressure. Saji stepped back once more, eyes tracking every adjustment of her grip.
"She wants to crush me in a single hit." Saji muttered quickly, more to himself than to anyone else.
Nearby, a bat crossed the air in a low arc, keeping enough distance to avoid interference. Its wings beat in controlled rhythm, adjusting height and angle to follow the clash without exposing itself. The trajectory shifted with calculated precision, always outside direct focus.
Another bat remained higher, weaving between structures and shadows. The routes did not repeat. One low, one high, covering distinct angles of observation. No sound beyond the restrained beating of wings.
Above Rias and Akeno, vigilance continued. One bat described a wide circle, then moved parallel to their path, varying its altitude according to the enemy queen's position. Discreet presence. Constant. Functional.
Far from the main battlefield, Gasper maintained a direct route toward the school building. In bat form, he gained speed, wings beating in steady cadence, body aligned to cross the distance without deviation. His altitude gradually increased, choosing the least exposed angle.
The structure grew quickly ahead. There was no hesitation. The trajectory was maintained until the final instant before the last adjustment.
Behind him, the clashes continued under relentless pressure. Ahead, the target remained fixed.
The next move would not be observation.
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