As prearranged, Mio stepped back together with Isha.
Their role was simply to watch Renya's battle. They had entrusted the outcome of their revenge to him.
The reason was simple: Renya had forbidden Mio from confronting Zolgia directly.
"Are you serious? You're telling me not to avenge my father and mother?"
"Yeah, that's right. Zolgia is a cunning old Devil. It's far too dangerous for you as you are now. Leave everything to me. In return, I'll make sure Zolgia pays for what he's done."
"But…"
"Mio. This is my selfishness. I don't want you to face a bastard like that. Even if I kill Zolgia, it will leave deep scars in your memory. I won't allow that."
"W-what's with that... Y-you're not jealous, are you?"
"What if I am?"
"Ugh, you idiot."
After an exchange like that, Mio entrusted everything to Renya. Because she had realized that everything she was, was Renya's.
"Renya..."
"It's alright, Mio-san."
"Isha..."
Even so, Isha gently touched Mio's shoulder as she watched the battle worriedly.
"I don't know Renya-san very well... but I can see that he cherishes you, Mio-san. So I'm sure he'll win and come back for your sake."
"Isha... that's true. But you're a little wrong."
"Mio-san?"
To the puzzled Isha, Mio spoke with a proud expression.
"Renya... he's not fighting just for me. He's fighting for you, too."
"Mio-san... Y-yes, I will also believe and pray for Renya-san's victory."
"Don't."
Mio gently stopped Isha, saying that both she and Renya would get headaches if they were prayed for.
…
"Now then, I wonder if Leon-sama is about to face that lecherous Devil."
While Renya had stormed Zolgia's castle with Mio and Isha, standing on the drawbridge with the closing castle gates at her back was a maid with a beautiful silver ponytail, Sylpha Langlis.
After rescuing Mio and Isha, when Renya decided to go and defeat Zolgia, he chose Sylpha to accompany him from among his available Servants.
Upon receiving the contact, Sylpha sighed, thinking her master was always in the middle of some kind of trouble, yet she readily accepted, saying, "I'm the one for this."
Having prepared for battle, letting Renya and the others go ahead, Sylpha's purpose in holding this position was to guard their rear, preventing any interference with her master's fight.
Renya had already erected a barrier around the castle, blocking external teleportation and the like. Entry was impossible—physically or magically—without first breaking through the barrier.
Sylpha, who never for a moment thought her master could lose, faced forward with her back to the castle.
Just as Renya had entrusted his back to Sylpha, believing she would handle it, Sylpha also entrusted her back to him, never doubting his victory.
At Sylpha's feet lay a scene of countless corpses.
The foolish Devil subordinates of Zolgia had challenged Sylpha and been cut down.
"Well then, do you still wish to continue?"
She swung the swords in both hands to shake off the blood, drawing a semicircle on the bridge.
"You damn half-breed trash, risen from human scum!"
Calling her not a self-made Devil but a failed one, refusing to recognize reincarnated Devils as true Devils, the "Old Maou Faction" Devils hurled abuse, but such words could never shake Sylpha.
The Old Maou Faction Devils unleashed their prized magical power, but she cut even that down with her swords.
"I see. So this is the level of your power."
Not only that, but having grasped the power, Sylpha struck the magical energy bullets with the flat of her blades, reflecting them back at her opponents.
"What!?"
"Impossible!?"
"Wh-what kind of magic is that!?"
The Old Maou Faction Devils were struck by their own reflected magical energy bullets, letting out death rattles as they expired.
"Is this all you have? After all, you're just a branch of the already declining Old Maou Faction."
Regardless of old or current systems, many of the truly powerful—Demon Lords and High-class Devils alike—had perished in the previous wars.
This was the current strength of the Old Maou Faction.
So much so that they mistook swordsmanship for magic...
'Still, there are certainly some High-class among them, so I mustn't let my guard down.'
Sylpha steeled herself, re-gripping her twin swords.
'These are fine blades, but I likely won't be able to swing them at full power many times.'
There were few swords in this world that could withstand Sylpha's swordsmanship.
Even with famous blades, a few full-power swings were the limit.
"Damn... fine, bring it out!"
"That thing!? A-are you sure? Using it without Lord Zolgia's permission..."
"We've been using it for various things all along! I hate to say it, but killing that woman is the priority now! Do it before we waste any more resources!"
"Y-yes sir!"
Watching the commotion, Sylpha's eyes remained cold and clear.
"Hahaha! Just you wait, you maid wretch! Let the kin tear each other apa—gyaaah!?"
As the Old Maou Faction Devil crowed victoriously, Sylpha sent a flying slash to sever his head.
'Really, how much do they need to look down on others before they're satisfied?'
Having been looked down upon as a human, a maid, and a reincarnated Devil in succession, her patience had worn thin, especially since they had spat upon everything she had honed for Renya's sake. So she had severed the man's head from a distance.
'Well then... it seems the opponent has also played their trump card. Time to focus.'
Gripping her swords, watching the front without letting her guard down, Sylpha's vision caught someone walking from beyond the Old Maou Faction Devils' group.
'She's strong. At least far stronger than those Old Maou Faction Devils.'
Sylpha judged this upon seeing the figure.
Long golden hair tied up at the back of her head, long ears, and green light armor that prioritized mobility.
'An elf? No, her features seem more human than fairy... and more Japanese-looking, at that. A half-breed, perhaps?'
As Sylpha considered this, another Old Maou Faction Devil spoke up proudly.
"She's human! A Sacred Gear user freshly procured from a slaver, at that!"
'I see... the physical changes are due to her Sacred Gear. Truly, they do love to babble without being asked. I suppose that's the one redeeming quality of the Old Maou Faction—they reveal their secrets proudly and without hiding, thanks to their arrogance.'
As thanks, Sylpha sent a flying slash to sever his head as well, then addressed the girl anew.
"May I have your name?"
"...Name... I'm... I'm Leafa."
The girl, looking haggard, gave the name 'Leafa.'
With her Japanese features, it seemed unlikely to be her real name...
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