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Riser raised his head, staring dumbly at the youth standing atop the cliffside, arms spread wide as if embracing the boundless Earth.
He hadn't even noticed when he'd slumped down onto the ground.
This was not a suppression born rely from strength or combat ability—it was pure charisma, an overwhelming aura that surged forth like a titan whose very existence compelled reverence.
The Apex of strength…
The Strongest Under Heaven…
Each of these terms alone was sothing beyond mortals' reach, ambitions so vast that even those born with extraordinary talent or exceptional bloodlines would only cautiously dream of competing for them.
Yet Bokue had stated them so casually, so matter-of-factly, not as reckless boasting, but as a plain, unadorned statent of fact. It was an unshakable certainty that echoed clearly from his very soul—a belief he'd internalized and fully embodied through actions perfectly aligned with conviction.
The path of strength had no shortcuts. This truth was absolute.
Even Riser, who had relied solely upon his natural regenerative abilities thus far, knew all too well that the fruits one enjoyed were directly proportional to the labor invested.
He didn't know how many trials and hardships the young man standing before him—barely two years older than his sister—had experienced to reach this point. But he did understand one thing: Bokue undoubtedly possessed sothing he himself had never had.
When this young man clenched his fist, it could split open the Sky.
When he commanded flas, they could incinerate oceans of stars.
Riser himself had never even dared to imagine such feats.
So… this is his secret to strength?
The Phenex heir wondered in stunned silence.
But neither of them noticed that just a dozen or so ters behind them, within a cluster of bushes atop the cliff, space itself was subtly twisting.
That was the illusory camouflage barrier conjured by Kuroka using her Senjutsu techniques.
From the outside, it looked perfectly normal—at most, just a slight distortion in the swaying branches and leaves now and then.
But from inside, one would see the entire group of girls, who had previously been waiting back at the Phenex castle, crowded into a tight, cramped circle, hidden behind this flimsy shrubbery.
After all, the space atop these stone columns wasn't exactly spacious. Sparse bushes sprouted from rocky cracks, providing minimal concealnt. If they didn't crowd closely together, they'd surely be spotted instantly.
Right at the center of this cramped concealnt stood Kuroka, excitedly flailing her arms and exclaiming loudly in whispers:
"Way to go, darling! That's exactly why I chose you~ You're amazing! The world's strongest—right here, right now, nya~!"
In stark contrast, Koneko, who stood right in front of her, diligently serving as a makeshift pillow to support her older sister's ample chest, was much quieter. Her small mouth was slightly agape, eyes sparkling faintly with admiration.
Is this… the true nature of Bokue-senpai?
"Hey, hey! Stop flailing around—if you keep this up, you'll push us straight out into the open!"
Irina, who had nearly been elbowed thanks to a certain excited nekomata's enthusiasm, couldn't help but quietly complain from the side.
anwhile, Venelana, who stood gracefully at the back, safely distanced from the chaos unfolding in front, elegantly rested her cheek upon her palm and chuckled gently:
"Ara ara~ He's certainly worthy of being our dear Rias' boyfriend, isn't he? Saying sothing so charming even has feeling a bit tempted—what should I do~?"
"Mother…!"
Rias pouted bashfully upon hearing her mother's playful teasing.
"Just kidding, sweetie~"
Venelana laughed softly, waving away her daughter's embarrassnt, then turned her mischievous gaze towards the composed silver-haired maid beside her:
"How about you, Grayfia dear? Aren't you also just a bit tempted now?"
"...Eh?!"
Perhaps due to being slightly caught off guard, Grayfia hesitated half a beat before realizing she was the one being addressed. She glanced at her mistress, who was staring at her with expectation, then quickly looked toward Rias, who was also watching curiously. Slightly flustered, Grayfia managed an awkward yet polite smile, giving a gentle bow:
"Please, Venelana-sama, don't joke like that. Bokue-sama is already promised to Rias-ojousama; how could I entertain such inappropriate thoughts?"
"Hehe, is that really the case~?"
Venelana replied playfully.
Just as their conversation grew louder, Kuroka abruptly turned her head back, raising one finger to her lips in a silencing gesture:
"Shh shh shh~ Quiet down, everyone! If you keep talking this loudly, my darling will notice we're hiding here, nya!"
"Oh dear, sorry about that~"
Venelana offered an easygoing apology, smiling gently.
Rias, however, could only roll her eyes silently.
Seriously? Who had been yelling the loudest just now if not you, Miss Kuroka?
At this mont, Ravel Phenex—who had been quietly observing with wide-eyed astonishnt, jaw slightly slackened and stars practically glittering in her eyes—finally closed her mouth, swallowing nervously and cautiously whispering:
"So… does this an that Bokue-sama successfully convinced my brother?"
"Who knows, nya~?"
Kuroka humd thoughtfully, shrugging.
"My darling has already said everything he could. If that still isn't enough to make your brother pull himself together, then there's nothing we can do about it. We've done our part, after all…"
"Shhh—!"
Seeing that her older sister, who had just warned everyone else to keep their voices down, was now talking nonstop herself, Koneko quickly raised a finger, whispering urgently:
"Nee-sama, stop talking now. Bokue-senpai is looking this way."
"Eh?!"
Kuroka flinched, imdiately shutting her mouth.
But it was already too late.
Ahead of them, Bokue, who had been standing calmly near the cliff's edge, seed to notice sothing, turning his head slowly towards their hiding spot.
Oh no—had her chatty mouth given away their position?
But just as Kuroka panicked internally, she noticed that Bokue's gaze wasn't actually focused on them; instead, he seed to be staring upward slightly, above their heads.
Huh? Wasn't he looking at them?
Then… was there sothing in the sky?
Curious, Kuroka also raised her head to peer upward, and let out a quiet "Ah~" of realization.
A dazzling white-blue streak—like a cot tracing a path through the stars—was streaking swiftly across the Underworld sky, leaving behind a trail of brilliant stardust. Its trajectory rapidly shifted from a horizontal line to a steep diagonal descent.
The predicted point of impact appeared to be—
Three seconds. Two seconds. One second.
BOOM—!!!
The countdown in Kuroka's mind perfectly matched reality, precise as a rocket launch tir. Right as she reached zero, the dazzling streak of starlight violently collided directly into the summit upon which they stood.
A massive shockwave burst forth, akin to a teor plunging into the ocean and sending colossal waves radiating outward from the epicenter, violently scattering dust and debris in every direction.
At the heart of the explosion, Bokue stood unfazed—one hand casually in his pocket, the other calmly raised, effortlessly blocking the devastating blow from a silver-haired knight wearing sleek, futuristic blue-and-white armor, whose sword had swung down with montum built from an impossibly long acceleration through the sky.
Bokue sighed lightly, half amused and half exasperated:
"Oi, oi… It's barely been any ti since we last t. Was such an enthusiastic greeting really necessary?"
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