The White Dragon Emperor, Vali Lucifer, flanked by two companions, wore a cheerful smile on her gorgeous face.
"Vali! Kill that monster!! No, take me and run! Hurry, hurry the fuck up!!"
"Shut the hell up and stay down."
Shalba's pathetic screams were cut short as Bikou silenced him with a thrust of his Nyoi-Bo staff.
"...What's your end game, Vali?"
"I told you, didn't I? Shalba here... we can't just let him die. He's the top dog of the old Maou faction. If they find out he was killed by you, there'll be those bastards screaming for revenge and causing a shitstorm. That sounds like a pain in the ass, right?"
Kazuki had to admit it would be a massive pain. If they came after them directly, that was one thing, but if they started targeting completely unrelated students at Kuoh Academy, it would be a fucking nightmare to deal with.
"If we show those fuckers what happened to Shalba here, they'll have no choice but to get the picture, right? That the old Maou faction is finished."
"I see. Rather than killing him and making him a martyr for revenge, you keep him alive to show the fate of those who oppose us. Clever."
The voice of Azazel suddenly came from behind. It seemed he had come as backup.
"Azazel-sensei."
"Hey, good work, Kazuki. And long time no see, Vali... Fine. I'll leave Shalba in your custody."
"Is that alright, Sensei?"
Kazuki asked warily.
"Sorry, Kazuki. Leave this to me for now... Vali, your real aim is to crush the old Maou faction and draw him out, isn't it?"
"..."
At Azazel's words, all expression vanished from Vali's face. 'Him... could he mean...!?'
"Kazuki-senpai! Azazel-sensei!"
At that moment, Issei's voice called out. Turning, they saw everyone running towards them.
The thunderous noises had ceased. It seemed the battle between Kazuki and Shalba was over. Issei didn't think for a second that his senpai could lose, but he was still worried.
Seeing Rias start running, Issei and the others followed.
As he ran, carrying the unconscious Asia on his back,
[Watch out, partner. The white one is coming.]
Ddraig suddenly warned him. Vali was coming. Bracing himself for another twist, Issei picked up speed.
At the scene, besides Kazuki and Vali, there was the unconscious Shalba, a man in Chinese-style armor who seemed to be Vali's companion—Bikou, if he remembered correctly—a handsome, blond, bespectacled man in a suit, and Azazel.
"Kazuki-senpai! Azazel-sensei!"
When Issei called out, the seniors turned. At that moment, his eyes met Vali's.
"Vali...!"
"Hello, Issei-kun. ...Hmm, you've achieved Balance Breaker... You seem to have gotten stronger again. I'm happy as your rival."
Vali said that, but she also had gotten stronger again.
Even though Issei had achieved Balance Breaker, he still wasn't Vali's equal. 'Just you wait, I'll definitely catch up and surpass you!'
"...What the hell are you doing here?"
Hiding his complicated feelings, Issei asked.
"To retrieve Shalba, and... it's about time, I suppose? Watch, Issei-kun."
Vali turned her gaze skyward. Then,
Crackle! Crackle-crackle!!
With a sound like electric discharge, a hole tore open in space, and something enormous began to manifest.
"What is that---!?"
Everyone who saw it was stunned. What appeared was a crimson red dragon. It was fucking enormous! Easily over 100 meters. That ridiculously huge dragon swam leisurely through the sky.
The 'Newly Appeared Crimson Dragon God-Emperor, Apocalypse Dragon' — Great Red.
The great dragon called the 'True Dragon' recorded in the 'Apocalypse'. Vali's goal was supposedly to one day fight and defeat it, to become the 'True White Dragon God-Emperor'.
"Great Red... it has been a while."
Suddenly, a young girl with black hair, wearing a black dress, appeared right beside Issei.
As he widened his eyes in surprise at who she could be, Vali answered with a wry smile.
"'The Infinite Dragon God, Ouroboros Dragon' — Ophis. The current leader of the 'Khaos Brigade.'"
'T-this little girl is the enemy boss!? What is she here for? She's not here to fight us, is she!?'
"I will one day certainly obtain silence."
Saying that, Ophis made a finger-gun gesture towards Great Red.
As they watched Great Red gradually shrink away, Issei suddenly felt a gaze from Ophis.
"…"
'S-Shit, scary! What's with this girl? She's been staring right at me! Fucking terrifying!!'
"I shall return."
"Wait, Ophis!!"
Soon, ignoring Azazel's attempt to stop her, Ophis vanished just as abruptly as she had appeared.
'What the hell is that all about...?'
"We should be going now as well."
By the time they noticed, Bikou had torn a rift in space and tossed Shalba into it.
"Issei-kun, do you want to defeat me?"
Just before stepping through the rift, Vali asked.
"Of course. But you're not the only one I want to surpass. There's someone right beside me I've set as my goal."
"I feel the same. I also have someone other than you I wish to defeat. We both have targets to prioritize over our destined red and white showdown. I suppose that makes us a strange pair of Red Dragon Emperor and White Dragon Emperor. But---"
"Yeah---we'll definitely settle it someday."
Issei thrust his fist out towards Vali. Seeing this, Vali smiled cheerfully.
"I'll look forward to that day. Grow stronger, Issei-kun."
Leaving those words behind, Vali threw herself into the spatial rift.
"Yumi Kiba, Xenovia. I am Arthur Pendragon. A descendant of the King of Knights, and the wielder of the Holy King Sword, Collbrande."
As the blond, bespectacled man in the suit—Arthur—said this, not only Yumi and Xenovia, but everyone, starting with Rias, changed their expressions and all looked at Artoria at once.
"Hoh!!!!"
For some reason, Artoria was wearing a smile filled with an intimidating pressure.
"I look forward to the day we can cross blades as fellow holy sword users. Now then."
Leaving behind a refreshing smile, Arthur disappeared into the spatial rift.
For some reason, an unbearably awkward atmosphere flowed among them.
"W-well, at any rate, it's settled for now. We have a lot to report, so let's head back, everyone."
Rias Gremory clapped her hands pan pan as if to change the air. 'Right, let's go home.'
"This time for sure, let's go home, Asia. To our home."
Issei spoke to Asia, who was still asleep on his back. He thought he saw the sleeping Asia smile.
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