“Curse you!” Armor managed amid his roars of pain. “You dare oppose me, Rishia! You weakling!” He was blown backward by the explosion but managed to land safely and then roared again while charging at Rishia.

“Haah! Knife Rain V!” Rishia immediately leapt backward, turning the vassal weapon into a short dagger and throwing it forward. The knife proceeded to divide up into many more knives, creating a rain of blades much like the Hundred Sword skill that Ren had used in the past. Armor roared in response.

“Power Break III!” Armor smashed through the rain of daggers, like some boar charging forward, and struck at Rishia; Rishia placed a hand on Armor’s wrist and flipped backward, then used his back as another stepping stone to leap through the air.

“Shadow Bind IV!” Rishia proceeded to throw a short dagger at Armor’s shadow.

“Gah . . . I can’t move! I see what you did there! Shine Axe Burst III!” Armor immediately realized that his shadow had been pinned and used a skill that made his axe light up, freeing himself.

I was just impressed by how incredible Rishia was in action.

“Look at you, flipping around! So these are the cowardly human modifications you’ve been put through by the shield demon king?” Armor snarled. He hadn’t learned a thing. He was still using a cursed weapon himself.

“There’s nothing cowardly about this. This is how I use the power that Naofumi, my master, and so many others have taught me!” she replied. I recalled everything that Rishia had done since we discovered she had a talent for Hengen Muso Style.

“Can you afford to get distracted?” Miyaji taunted Itsuki.

“I’m not.” Itsuki was indeed continuing to interfere with Miyaji’s attempts to enhance his women and Armor.

“You are such a pain in the neck!” Miyaji whined.

“That’s my line. I won’t overlook you trying to interfere with Rishia’s duel,” Itsuki replied. He was involved in his own full-on performance duel with Miyaji. Raphtalia and I were taking out the skills that came flying in from Miyaji, while Raphtalia’s skills and techniques and Raph-chan’s support were dealing with his women and their attacks.

If we had just one or two more people on our side, we could turn the tide. If someone else would show up, like Rishia did, we could start to push them back. Either that or if Glass finally saved Kizuna. That would work too.

Then I noticed that the dull, dead-looking gemstone on the musical instrument vassal weapon Miyaji was holding had started to glow with a faint light. Itsuki appeared to have noticed it too, because he was looking back and forth between Rishia and Miyaji.