Sacred Gear Shadow Light

Shadow Light

Chapter 45

Silent Omen

The spar was in full swing as the 2 peerages tried their best to outdo Naruto's, amid the intense atmosphere of the sparring arena, a sudden disturbance caused everyone to falter momentarily. A shimmering magic circle appeared in the very centre of the arena, and Diodora Astaroth, driven by obsession and arrogance, stepped forth, expecting to take everyone by surprise.

'YES! I'M HERE! YOU WILL BE MINE RE-'

However, his timing couldn't have been worse.

In that split second, multiple spells, unleashed from various directions as part of the ongoing spar, converged upon the unexpected intruder. A torrent of lightning from Akeno, a crystal lance from Saeko, an ice shard from Reni, and a stream of blood from Alice all found their mark simultaneously.

Diodora, who had anticipated making a grand entrance and seizing control of the situation, was instead caught completely off-guard. The amalgamation of attacks slammed into him with unrelenting force, causing a massive explosion of energy that sent shockwaves throughout the arena.

The dust and smoke from the explosion hung thick in the air. When it finally cleared, the sight that greeted everyone was one of utter disbelief: Diodora, one of the most well-mannered younger Devils, lay sprawled and severely injured amidst the remnants of his misjudgment.

The participants of the spar, momentarily unified by this unexpected turn of events, exchanged bewildered glances. The audacity of Diodora's entrance, followed by its instant, unintended consequence, left the arena in stunned silence. The implications of this unforeseen twist loomed large, and the atmosphere was thick with uncertainty.

Unfortunately for Diodora, this caught Naruto's attention and with no mercy, a shadow ensnared the Astaroth Heir, banishing him from the Arena as sudden as he appeared.

"Continue," is the only reply Naruto gave.

The air around the sparring arena crackled with residual magic, the setting sun casting long shadows that danced on the ground. The 4 girls, whose attack hit Diodora stood in a semicircle, their expressions a mix of confusion and surpirse.

Upon hearing Naruto's command to continue, 3 of their minds (Reni, Alice and Saeko) rebooted and readily slipped into a ready stance unlike the stunned posture of Akeno. Though not directly part, Rias and Sona looked dumbfounded as well, unable to process the quick turn of events.

The clone didn't speak, he let the peerage do the talking and as he expected, Alice released blood mist, shaking everyone out of their stupor and suddenly remembering where they were before the surpirse, they jumped into action, continuing the spar.

For the 2 Kings, this is a monumental moment as Naruto only trained them till now and didn't participate (even through his peerage) in an official spar. Sona and Rias want to make a good impression in their first attempt, as they can feel the changes in their minds and magic due to his training.

While the blonde's peerage stood poised, their eyes focused and their stances ready. Kazehana adjusted her grip on her wind scythe, her lavender eyes shimmering with calm determination. Saeko twirled her katana with a practised ease, her every movement exuding grace and lethal precision. Alice shifted her weight, her lithe form ready to spring into action. Reni stood slightly apart, her aura radiating both confidence and an underlying gentleness as she redied her ice to attack.

A sudden burst of magic from Tsubaki marked the start of the renewed spar. Being the most versatile one with her mirrors, Tsubaki's eyes narrowed as she sent her mirror shards towards Kazehana. The elegant Rook responded with equal swiftness, her hands weaving through the air as she conjured a barrier of wind, simultaneously sending the scythes to intercept the mirror shards. The mirror shards shattered upon impact, the fragments scattering harmlessly around her.

Rias' team, not to be outdone, launched their own offensive. Akeno, with a mischievous smile, called forth a bolt of lightning, directing it towards Saeko. The Knight moved with blinding speed, her katana slicing through the air as she deflected the lightning bolt. The energy crackled around her blade before dissipating into the ground.

"Is that all you've got, Akeno-chan~?" Saeko taunted, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Akeno's smile widened. "Not even close, Saeko-chan. Fufufu."

Just like that, the spark reignited leading to an intense battle, the members of the peerages moved with precision and coordination. Tsubasa, Sona's Pawn, darted towards Alice, her agility matched only by her ferocity. Alice met her charge head-on, their forms blurring as they exchanged a flurry of hand to hand blows. The sound of clashing steel and the crackle of magical energy filled the air, each strike resonating with power as Kiba charged on Saeko.

Sona observed the battlefield with a keen eye, her mind racing with strategies. "We need to disrupt their formation," she called out to her team. "Focus on separating them!"

Koneko responded to the command with a nod. She charged towards Kazehana, her small frame belying her immense strength. With a powerful leap, she aimed a punch at Kazehana's midsection. The wind barrier shifted, redirecting the force of Koneko's punch and sending her skidding back.

Kazehana's voice was calm and composed. "Impressive strength, Koneko-chan. But you'll need more than that to break through."

Koneko's eyes narrowed, her determination unwavering. "Then I'll just have to hit harder."

Reni observed the battle with interest. She understands why her King wants to make them strong, but making his peerage fight them is ridiculous in the blonde bishop's mind. 'Am I missing something?' she thought and expanded her senses, while her hands moving gracefully as she conjured a barrier of ice around Alice as she was bombarded by Tsubaki, Momo and Kiba.

The protection allowed Alice to focus on her offensive, her movements becoming more aggressive and precise. Saeko, meanwhile, adjusted her stance, her blade flashing in the dying light as she parried Akeno's continuous lightning strikes.

'There you are!' Reni caught Naruto's magic signature, sitting in the Club office. 'Now what are you doing?' She pondered and sensed a cold yet warm feeling signature near him. She knew that signature. 'Oh my, how naughty, my King.' Reni giggled in her mind as she understood the reason behind the spar.

With new found understanding, she jumped back into the spar, kicking the intensity of the spar a notch as the 4 of them pushed both peerages to their limits. Tsubaki and Rias coordinated their attacks, their combined power, mirrors deflecting and intensifying PoD creating a formidable force and directing it towards Naruto's peerage. The ground trembled under the force, cracks forming as the energy surged forward.

Kazehana and Saeko stood side by side, their combined defences forming a wall of wind and crystal. The wave of energy crashed against their defence, the impact creating a shockwave that rippled through the arena. They knew full well how to counter the Power of Destruction. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring the view for a moment.

As the dust settled, the figures of Kazehana and Saeko emerged, their defenses holding firm. The exertion showed in their laboured breaths, but their resolve remained unbroken.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Alice launched herself towards Tsubasa, her agility unmatched. With a swift motion, she unleashed a series of powerful blood strikes, each one aimed with precision. Tsubasa struggled to keep up, her defences faltering under the relentless assault.

Reni, seeing an opportunity, raised her hands and unleashed icy spikes from the ground, surrounding Tsubasa and cutting off her escape routes. Trapped, Tsubasa had no choice but to focus on defence, her movements becoming increasingly desperate.

Seeing her Rook in trouble, Sona jumped to save her, unleashing a Water tiger while sending hot water to melt the ice trap Reni layed, saving Tsubasa. Rias landed beside her, fed up with Naruto's peerage constantly pushing them. She looked at Sona and both of them came to a silent mutual agreement.

"This will end here. You will face us." Rias proclaimed, pointing towards Reni and the blonde Witch only smiled at that.

Rias, with a determined glint in her eyes, raised her hands high, the crimson strands of her hair flowing like flames in the breeze. The very air around her seemed to vibrate as she channeled Power of Destruction around her. The energy coalesced into dark, pulsing armour that thrummed with destructive potential. "Now, let's see how you handle this," Rias voiced, a mix of challenge and excitement in her tone.

Beside her, Sona, ever the strategist, was already weaving her attack. Her fingers moved with precision, tracing sigils in the air that glimmered with a subtle blue light. "Water Dragon's Might," she intoned, and from the ground surged forth serpentine columns of water, their surfaces shimmering with a magic.

Across the field, Reni's lips curled into a knowing smile as she prepared her own spell, her hands drawing intricate patterns that sparkled with frost. "Winter's Embrace," she whispered, and the temperature around her dropped precipitously. Ice crystals began to form in the air, growing in size and number, driven by her will to nullify the forces of destruction and water.

As Rias released her armour of destruction like a missile, they joined Sona's rising water dragons with unstoppable force. The blue and red joined, creating a destructive purple dragon, pulsing with power from the 2 Devil Heiresses.

Reni's smile didn't fade as the air filled with a sharp, crystalline tinkling with her ice crystals sweeping across the field, carried by a silent, cold wind. The Winter spread like a snow blizzard and as the two attacks met, a loud BANG was heard, breaking Sona's protective barrier around the arena due to the sheer magic and potency of the attacks. Only Naruto's barrier withstood the collision. Everyone paused their battles to find the source of the sound.

As moments passed, the struggle for dominance slowly shifted to Reni's favour, PoD and Water being too uncooperative, so thought Rias and Sona. To no one's surprise, the Winter managed to supress the destructive Dragon and dispersed.

Rias, observing the effectiveness of Reni's attack, couldn't help but nod in respect. "Impressive, Reni. Your control is as formidable as ever," she called across the field, her voice carrying a mix of admiration and the thrill of competition tinged with fatigue.

Sona, too, acknowledged the strategic interplay, her analytical mind already parsing through the results for future encounters. "It seems we are well-matched today," Sona responded, her expression composed yet her eyes shining with the thrill of battle and exhaustion.

Though they didn't show it, Rias and Sona have been pushing themselves for the past few hours and they can feel exhaustion catching up with their peerages as well. Even the high stamina Kiba and Koneko are showing signs of exhaustion for Rias and Tsubasa and Momo are already slowing down.

Understanding that others can't keep up, Naruto called out, "That's enough for now. Everyone, gather around," his voice resonating across the field. Relief spread through everyone's bodies as all members didn't want to give up to save face for their respective Kings and the official call to end helped them maintain dignity for Sona and Rias.

And Cut!

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