Chapter 14: Showcase
After relocating to a clearing in the forest behind the Old School Building, Vahn observed with intrigue as Kiba, who was first up to demonstrate his abilities, produced a stylish-looking sword with a white blade and a gold, gem-encrusted hilt in a flash of blue light, explaining, "My ability or, more accurately, my Sacred Gear is known as Sword Birth. It vests me with the power to create various swords with unique traits and properties."
Flourishing his sword in a series of smooth arcs, producing trails of light and afterimages, Kiba appended, "And as Lady Rias's Knight, my speed is several times faster than it otherwise would be," before getting into a firm, two-handed stance and stating, "Ready when you are, Koneko."
"You asked for it," responded Koneko, her expression and tone flat as she effortlessly stabbed her fingers into the hardened ground before flipping it like a tatami mat, sending a chunk of earth larger than herself hurtling at Kiba with the speed and momentum of a small car.
Moving faster than Vahn could see, Kiba's body briefly disappeared as the chunk of earth neared him. An instant later, he was a few meters ahead of where he had been standing, the chunk of earth separating into dozens of smaller chunks as he relaxedly sheathed his sword into its accompanying sheathe.
Taking over the explanation, Rias, standing with her arms crossed and sporting a proud expression, stated, "As you can see, Kiba is a talented swordsman. Koneko, on the other hand, possesses considerable martial skill, strength, and durability alongside enhanced senses and exceptional flexibility."
"Make me angry, and I'll send you flying..." said Koneko, making double peace signs while modeling padded, fingerless gloves.
"I'll be careful," replied Vahn, nodding with a clear expression that left Koneko staring at him blankly, spreading her index and middle fingers open and closed as if she were snipping something.
"My turn~" hummed Akeno, sporting a sleepy-eyed smile as she raised her left hand, causing dark clouds to converge overhead and the sky to appear as a mass of shifting purple hues. Vahn was already wide-eyed upon seeing this, so Rias promptly covered them with her hand, sparing him from being temporarily blinded as a bolt of lightning struck Akeno's figure. When next he could see, Akeno was modeling the red and white outfit of a Shrine Maiden, creating a unique contrast between the pitch black, bat-like wings protruding from her back as she ascended into the sky.
"As my Queen, Akeno possesses tremendous Demonic Power," explained Rias. "She is also adept at multiple forms of Magic, including teleportation and the creation of barriers, but her primary attribute is..."
Punctuating Rias's explanation, Akeno made a vertical cutting gesture with her left hand, causing several bolts of golden lightning to rain down on the clearing, devastating the terrain with a series of explosions. It was an awesome display of power, but Vahn was far more surprised that her target was Koneko, the tiny, white-haired girl crossing her arms to protect her face but otherwise tanking the attack head-on.
"Don't worry," said Rias, patting Vahn's head reassuringly as she added, "Akeno knows how to hold back, and Koneko's durability is much greater than the average Rook's. Though, there are some side effects of being too tough..."