"Red Dragon Emperor!"
Whoosh!
A man plummeted from the sky like a comet, a magical staff gripped firmly in his hand.
"Partner!"
"Right!"
Issei didn't hesitate. He leapt backward in a single fluid motion, putting distance between himself and Vali.
BOOM!
The man's staff slammed into the earth with earth-shattering force, carving a long, jagged trench into the ground where Issei had stood moments before.
"Kahaha! So you managed to dodge that? As expected of the Red Dragon Emperor." Bikou grinned widely, his eyes locked onto Issei.
Issei's expression remained ice-cold.
"You're a descendant of Son Goku, aren't you?"
"Kahaha! So you've heard of me? I'm flattered, really."
Ignoring the newcomer's banter, Issei turned his attention back to Vali.
"Vali... I win this round, don't I?"
Spat!
Vali spat out a mouthful of blood, his gaze piercing.
"That technique... what did you do?"
Issei merely shrugged, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.
"Why don't you take a guess?"
"That technique was designed to erase your very existence, Vali," Albion's voice echoed, tinged with uncharacteristic dread.
"And yet, this man managed to shatter your armor completely without laying a single finger on your physical body."
Compared to Vali, the Vanishing Dragon understood the true terror of Mist Dispersion Ex far more clearly.
Vali gritted his teeth in frustration.
"I hate to admit it, but you're right. Albion... should we go wild with Juggernaut Drive?"
"Stop. If you do that, he will surely follow suit, and there's no way the leaders of the Three Factions will stay quiet. Especially the current Demon Lord Lucifer—that man is dangerous."
Vali wasn't a fool. Despite his stubborn streak, he understood the gravity of the situation. If the high-ranking officials intervened, even he wouldn't be able to do much, even with Bikou's help.
"Hyoudou Issei! You win this time," Vali declared.
"But at our next meeting, I will be the victor!"
"Not a chance," Issei countered fearlessly.
"By the next time we meet, I'll be strong enough to beat you without even needing that technique."
Vali let out a sharp snort before vanishing into a teleportation circle alongside Bikou.
Suddenly, a red-haired blur rushed from behind and threw her arms around Issei.
Squish!
The warm, soft sensation was unmistakable. Issei knew instantly who it was.
"Thank goodness you're okay... If anything had happened to you, I—"
Issei turned around, returning Rias's embrace and pulling her soft body close. Rias froze for a moment, surprised, before burying her face deeply into his chest. Watching the usually composed Rias act so vulnerable was, for Issei, a reward in itself.
No one dared to interrupt the moment between master and servant; the others either closed their eyes or tactfully looked away. At that moment, the Dimension Lost barrier began to crumble, and the world shifted back to reality.
...
As the dust settled, the cleanup began. While the leaders of the Three Factions gathered to discuss Vali's betrayal, Azazel glanced toward Issei.
"Whatever the case, we're lucky to have at least one Heavenly Dragon on our side," Azazel remarked.
"You're right," Sirzechs added with a faint smile.
"Issei-kun is the key."
Nearby, Grayfia blinked her beautiful eyes, casting a quiet, lingering look at the young man.
Issei was currently swarmed. Koneko and Asia were practically glued to his side. Xenovia and Akeno were slightly more reserved, yet they hovered close, unwilling to leave his radius. Having already had her "monopoly" moment earlier, Rias stood to the side. She didn't interfere, though a flicker of jealousy was visible in her eyes despite her best efforts to hide it.
Because she hailed from Heaven and was now an Angel, Irina couldn't approach Issei as openly as the others. However, the intense yearning in her gaze spoke volumes about her feelings. Issei noticed, but he knew now wasn't the time to address it.
From a distance, Sona watched the scene, looking somewhat envious of the women in Rias's peerage. Shinra, standing beside her, felt the same. Both clearly wanted to be closer to Issei, but their positions made them hesitate.
Saji, meanwhile, seemed to be doing just fine—he had managed to build a bit of a harem of his own among the women of the Sona household.
Only Kiba and Gasper were left out of the romantic chaos. With their personalities, however, they didn't seem to mind. What was a harem to them? For now, the bond of friendship was all they needed.
...
"Cao Cao, are you sure you don't want to join in?"
A man wearing glasses questioned the handsome youth holding the Holy Spear. This was Cao Cao, the leader of the Hero Fraction.
"No," Cao Cao replied, spinning his spear with practiced ease.
"Even with the True Longinus, I'm not sure I want to gamble against the two strongest Heavenly Dragons in history just yet."
"Fair point. But with my Dimension Lost and Leonardo's Annihilation Maker, we wouldn't lose."
Cao Cao stopped his spear mid-air.
"Georg, you might be right. But in battle, one plus one isn't always two. It could be three, or even ten, depending on the variables."
Georg fell silent, unable to argue with that logic.
"That's enough for now," Cao Cao concluded.
"We need to make our own preparations."
"Understood."
In an instant, both Georg and Cao Cao vanished. They left no trace behind, leaving the messengers of the Three Factions Alliance with nothing but empty air when they arrived to investigate.
To be continued...