◉◉◉◉◉
Though Vritra's soul had been split into fragments and sealed within multiple hosts—
Even a fragment of the Evil Dragon King could slaughter a handful of fallen angels as easily as spitting.
That was precisely why Anos had never tried to seize the Sacred Gears of Issei Hyoudou or Saji.
Compatibility was one issue.
The far more important reason?
He wasn't suicidal.
Unfortunately—
Even if he didn't court disaster, others certainly would, The fallen angels before him were prime examples.
"Haaaaa!"
Golden light streaked across the sky.
Several radiant blades descended, cutting through the air toward Vritra's raging soul.
"Holy energy… Sacred swords?"
Anos narrowed his eyes and looked toward their origin.
There she was.
The blonde girl he had spoken to earlier.
"Sacred Gear: Sword Creation, Blonde hair. So she's the descendant of Jeanne d'Arc."
More accurately—
The inheritor of Saint Jeanne's lineage.
"When an evil dragon appears, the saint's descendant rises to slay it, Very heroic."
His tone carried mild admiration.
His expression did not.
This wasn't a legend.
It was reality.
Vritra in life had been a Dragon King.
At minimum, peak Satan-class power.
Now he was merely a fragmented soul.
Weakened once by death.
Weakened again by division.
Weakened a third time by unstable consciousness.
If the true Dragon King had rampaged—
Kuoh would already be gone.
"Sacred swords and holy power are effective counters to evil dragons," Anos murmured. "But her level of purity isn't enough to suppress Vritra's malice."
"Judgment, does Jeanne currently have the ability to suppress this remnant soul?"
[No.]
The answer required barely a fraction of processing time.
"She's charging in blindly… Does she not realize that once a parasitic Sacred Gear loses its host and eliminates its immediate threat, it enters a confused, dormant state?"
Only someone like Sairaorg Bael would willingly clash head-on with a rampaging God-tier Sacred Gear.
If not for the silver chest—
Anos wouldn't be here either.
A few seconds later—
Exactly as predicted.
When Jeanne's sacred blades pierced Vritra's soul—
The outcome twisted.
The dragon's corruption devoured them.
The sacred swords blackened.
They fell.
Corrupted into demonic blades.
"What—?!"
Jeanne's violet eyes widened in disbelief.
Was the disparity that vast?
"Quality and quantity," Anos muttered. "Both are against you."
Only when the difference in purity was overwhelming would holy power be swallowed outright.
It was similar to how destructive energy dominated ordinary demonic power.
And beyond purity—
There was a scale.
Limited by a human vessel, and without a Sacred Gear that amplified her like Boosted Gear or Divine Dividing—
Even with Balance Breaker—
She stood no chance.
"Tch!"
For a split second, retreat flickered across her face.
But she crushed the hesitation instantly.
She was the descendant of a hero.
She would not retreat.
Absolutely not.
Certainly not just because she lacked allies.
"Miss, that's enough."
A familiar voice echoed beside her.
From above.
She looked up.
The "ordinary passerby" she'd spoken to earlier was standing midair.
Flying.
So he wasn't ordinary at all.
"You're not this dragon's opponent," he said calmly. "Leave it to me."
In her eyes, he had been nothing more than a handsome civilian moments ago.
Now—
He extended his hand.
From his sleeve, an ornate formation plate shot outward.
[Grand Combination Formation — Tenfold Absolute Seal]
The same formation he had once used to lock down the Ark Sphere's descent zone.
His strongest pre-forged array.
As it expanded, layered formations unfolded across the sky like overlapping constellations.
Tenfold Absolute Seal was a massive composite array refined through six months of relentless binary optimization.
Even Ajuka Beelzebub, master of demonic formulae, could not have refined it further at this scale.
And Anos?
He could continue refining indefinitely.
Once Vritra's soul was fully sealed within its dimensional boundary—
The formation contracted into streams of light and vanished.
He had no intention of fighting publicly.
Jeanne stared, stunned, as the dragon's remnant disappeared.
"You… who are you?!"
She felt her worldview wobble.
Was she truly the descendant of a hero—
If a random passerby could outperform her so effortlessly?
Anos smiled faintly.
"I'm just a passing Kamen Rider."
Before she could respond—
A transfer array ignited beneath his feet.
He vanished.
He had no time for introductions.
If he delayed too long—
The seal might break.
And that would make this entire operation very expensive.
"Wait—!"
Jeanne reached out—
But the mysterious "Kamen Rider" was already gone.
◉◉◉◉◉
~Support with 300 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◉◉◉◉◉
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!