"Crack!"
The moment Takeyo spoke those words, the armor encasing his body began fragmenting into particles of light.
He was voluntarily removing his armor.
If he wanted this fight to be thorough, then he'd meet Serafall head-on without defensive equipment. Of course, he retained the most basic amplifier, the armor remained in the space, automatically maintaining the anti-magic field that pervaded this dimension. As long as it existed, magical abilities would be severely suppressed here.
"Huh! Come on, then! Milky-tan will definitely eliminate the evil threatening So-tan!"
Serafall knew that destroying the armor would dispel the anti-magic effect in this space. However, she wouldn't make such a foolish move. Armor-type Sacred Gear Balance Breakers allowed their users to repair damage by consuming magical power, making it wasteful to expend energy attacking the equipment itself.
The most direct approach was to defeat the user outright.
"Then let's begin."
Takeyo smiled as two layers of white energy enveloped his body, one shimmering like moonlight, the other blazing like the sun.
Battle qi and immortal energy, perfectly harmonized.
"Boom!"
A tremendous surge of power erupted from Takeyo's form, radiating Maou-class pressure that distorted the very air around him.
But he wasn't finished yet.
Magic circles materialized across his body, glowing with intricate patterns as they spun into existence. Nordic runes, Celtic spirals, demonic sigils, Indian mandalas, different magical traditions from across the world merged seamlessly under Takeyo's absolute calculation of magical power attributes. Each spell enhanced his physical capabilities, stacking amplification upon amplification to achieve effects far exceeding their original potential.
"Huh! This is Milky-tan's divine punishment!"
Since Takeyo had stipulated she could only use magic on herself, then self-enhancement was exactly what she'd do. She refused to believe that one of the Four Maou would lose to a human in pure close-quarters combat!
"Divine punishment?"
Takeyo's smile widened.
[Incarnation: Boar!]
The manifestation of Verethragna's boar aspect merged with his body, granting him overwhelming physical power, the strength to trample mountains and shake the earth with every step. But that was merely one facet of this incarnation. It also carried an effect similar to his armor's anti-evil properties, further suppressing demonic abilities.
"Boom!"
The collision was primal and devastating.
Fist met fist.
Shockwaves capable of splitting oceans tore through the alternate dimension, crisscrossing in chaotic patterns that carved massive trenches into the landscape. The earth looked as though some colossal divine plow had repeatedly torn through it, creating countless ravines and jagged formations.
"Not bad..."
Takeyo flexed his wrist, observing Serafall as she winced from the impact.
"Hmph!"
Serafall flipped her twin tails irritably, then charged forward again with renewed determination. She had to protect So-tan's happiness!
"Yahhhh!"
Takeyo sighed. If Serafall was this serious, he couldn't afford to hold back.
When Serafall chose to engage Takeyo in hand-to-hand combat, her defeat was already predetermined.
Because Takeyo's magical power was effectively limitless. His self-enhancement spells would never fade, never weaken.
"Damn it! Is this guy not even tired?"
Serafall couldn't believe it. They'd been fighting at full intensity for two hours now, and this human showed no signs of exhaustion whatsoever.
Meanwhile, she was beginning to feel the strain. Her breathing had grown heavier, her movements slightly slower.
"Are you exhausted already? I expected more from a Maou."
Takeyo smiled calmly.
[Incarnation: Warrior with an Axe!]
[Divine Martial Arts!]
As another incarnation merged with his being, Takeyo's combat abilities surged to an even higher level. He'd only used two incarnations so far. Excluding the World Dragon Kurimo that didn't occupy an incarnation slot, he still had two remaining in reserve.
"Do you really think I'd start something I wasn't confident I could finish?"
"No matter what you say, unless you actually defeat me, I won't allow you and So-tan to be together!"
The magical girl Serafall remained as stubborn as Takeyo had anticipated, her resolve as unyielding as iron.
"Then I have no choice."
Takeyo created distance between them.
"What do you think about switching to armed combat?"
Golden ripples of spatial distortion appeared beside him.
"Bring it on!"
An ice blade materialized in Serafall's hand, frost spiraling along its crystalline edge.
"Very well."
A golden divine sword emerged from the spatial ripples, and simultaneously, the entire alternate dimension transformed. With Takeyo as the epicenter, everything was painted in radiant gold.
"By the authority of my words, I reveal the justice of the world!"
[Origin: Mithra | Incarnation: The Warrior Wielding the Golden Sword!]
"This is..."
Serafall didn't understand the significance of the golden blade that had manifested, but it didn't matter. Takeyo's intent and the knowledge gained through his Black Sky Krishna ability were already being channeled into the Sword of Revelation.
You bear the name of Leviathan.
But you are not the true Leviathan, you are one who claimed the throne of the Four Maou through force!
This was an undeniable truth. All the current Maou shared this characteristic. The genuine descendants of Leviathan were likely still wandering the world somewhere, bearing the actual bloodline characteristics of the Malicious Sea Serpent Dragon. Or perhaps they'd already been brainwashed and controlled by the God of Death. Katerea, who would later appear during the rebellion, was merely a powerless descendant who'd never inherited true authority.
You are among the new generation of demons who rose after the fall of the original Four Maou, one of the super-class devils with potential to transcend the very concept of Maou itself!
You and your allies raised the banner of reform, seizing both the throne and the title of Maou from the descendants of the true Demon Kings!
In an instant, the nature of the Sword of Revelation transformed. It became a sealing blade specifically designed to neutralize the current Leviathan Maou.
Although the spirit of the sword was its true power, achieving the same effect without vocalization was possible. Takeyo simply didn't have the habit of unnecessarily exposing his enemies' weaknesses. Of course, if they were true enemies, that would be a different matter entirely.
"Slash!"
The golden blade struck true, landing squarely against Serafall's chest.
As the Sword of Revelation dissipated, Serafall could feel her power rapidly draining away. The exhaustion and magical depletion she'd been forcefully suppressing erupted all at once, and her physical condition plummeted to critical levels.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for completing a plot check-in! Check-in rank: Gold!]
[Check-in plot: Proof of the Devil!]
[Plot summary: If you cannot even defeat a magical girl, how can you claim to complete the devil's storyline?]
[Congratulations to the host for receiving: The Holy Sword That Slays the Demon King, Est!]
[Holy Sword That Slays the Demon King: Since the main body and most of its power remain in the spirit world, this Est possesses only about one-tenth of its original strength. However, when fully unsealed, Est is undoubtedly a holy sword capable of easily slaying Maou-class beings. Additionally, its curse-breaking effect has been enhanced, and the flaw of backlash from accumulated curses has been completely eliminated.]
Hearing the notification of task completion, Takeyo dismissed the golden sword from his hand. He'd definitely shown mercy, otherwise, the consequences would have been far more severe.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Takeyo's chest rose and fell rapidly. While it hadn't affected his fundamental power, using the ultra-limited incarnation of World Dragon Kurimo was genuinely exhausting.
"Thud!"
The heavy sound of a body collapsing echoed through the dimension. This was Serafall, who'd lost both her demonic power and even her devil wings, falling unconscious to the ground.
"Ah... I think I forgot something important. How can she keep her promise if she's passed out?"
Takeyo scratched his nose sheepishly, then walked over and hoisted Serafall's limp form over his shoulder.
Since Serafall had temporarily lost her power, the alternate dimension began gradually dissolving.
"You can sleep on the sofa tonight."
Takeyo patted the unconscious magical girl's face, but she didn't stir.
"Why do I feel like some creep picking up an unconscious woman outside a bar?"
Carrying this peculiar mixture of guilt and amusement, Takeyo directly deposited Serafall onto his living room sofa.
"Bounce... bounce..."
Whether it was the sofa's elasticity or Serafall's natural buoyancy, she bounced twice before settling into stillness.
"Well then..."
A cleaning spell washed over Serafall's form, restoring her previously battle-damaged magical girl costume to pristine condition. While the torn outfit had admittedly looked quite appealing, he still needed to use this sofa regularly, so practicality won out.
"And this too."
Takeyo tossed a disc onto the coffee table beside her, then returned to his study.
As for the magical girl Serafall lying unconscious on his sofa? He had no particular interest in unconscious people. If he'd wanted physical contact, hadn't the entire fight provided enough? What he really needed right now was more study time. Learning was far more attractive than anything else.
Today's battle had taught Takeyo something important: most of what he'd learned so far consisted of relatively low-level techniques. Even when he used absolute calculation to integrate and sublimate various arts, they remained inferior in fundamental quality compared to truly advanced techniques.
It was time to learn higher-tier abilities.
Takeyo retrieved the crystal orb Ajuka had given him and began his studies in earnest.
Currently, Serafall's power was sealed and she wouldn't recover for at least a day or two. There would be no problems at home during that time.
Through his battle with Serafall, Takeyo had gained a clearer understanding of his own capabilities in this world. At the very least, transcendent-level beings couldn't kill him, not even with a surprise attack. As long as they couldn't eliminate him three times or more instantaneously, he was absolutely safe.
"So what I need to worry about are existences like the Infinite Dragon God, the God of the Bible, the Beast Emperor, Great Red, Trihexa, and ExE. However, none of them have any reason to attack me. I can relax a bit."
"Of course, that's assuming my injuries heal first."
Once his injuries fully recovered, even if his role in Vishnu's death was exposed, it wouldn't matter. He'd already secured Ophis's allegiance. If they had the capability, they were welcome to try taking her.
Sure, they might send the Dragon Eater Samael to reduce Ophis's power, but Takeyo could handle Samael himself without issue. Setting aside whether Samael could even restrain the double-digit dragon souls like Kurimo, even if he could, Takeyo had plenty of other methods at his disposal.
If a powerhouse from outside the dragon race faced Samael in single combat, even Artoria could likely handle it easily. After all, the holy spear still countered Samael, who was ultimately a fallen angel dragon.
After contemplating his future course of action and absorbing considerable knowledge, Takeyo finally went to sleep.
The next morning, Takeyo sensed Est's presence. She always did this, transforming into her human form after he fell asleep, then sleeping directly on top of him.
He didn't know if it was because Est had evolved, but Takeyo felt that her aura seemed even closer to his own lately. Perhaps it was because, from a purely mechanical standpoint, no one in the High School DxD world was as similar to him as Est. After all, they were both beings that transcended normal existence in similar ways.
Then again, maybe it was simply because she was physically closer to him? That dedication was truly admirable.
After washing up, Takeyo entered the living room.
"She's gone?"
The sofa where he'd left Serafall last night was now empty, not even a trace of her presence remained.
"Did she have enough power to open doors and windows? I remember my doors and windows have defensive enchantments..."
Curious, Takeyo activated his surveillance magic to replay last night's events.
In the middle of the night, Serafall had barely managed to struggle off the sofa, her movements weak and unsteady. She'd then searched through every room in his house, rummaging desperately for something.
When Takeyo watched her climb onto his bed and pat down his sleeping form looking for items, his expression grew increasingly complicated.
Eventually, she'd found what she was searching for in his study, a magic wand, specifically the one she'd left at his house during a previous visit. Using the residual magic in that wand, she'd finally managed to break through the defensive enchantments and simply... slipped out the window.
Takeyo stared at the empty sofa for a long moment, then shook his head with an amused smile.
What an utterly ridiculous woman, he thought fondly. And what an utterly ridiculous fight.