[Issei Side]

Thanks to Alice, my hunger’s taken care of.

Well… sort of taken care of…

“Hey, Alice-san… do you, uh, produce milk?” Miu asked, her face a mix of confusion and curiosity.

The other girls chimed in.

“That was definitely… you know, right?” Akeno said.

“Yes, but if it came out… does that mean Alice-san already has Issei-kun’s child…?” Rias mused.

“…The possibility’s high,” Koneko added.

“What!? When did you two!?” Irina gasped.

“Damn it! First Miu, now Alice beat me to it!?” Xenovia exclaimed.

“Wait, Xenovia! Even if they made a baby, it’s too soon!” Raynare countered.

“So they’ve been at it for a while…?” Asia whispered.

“Issei-kun! Making a child while we’re still students!? You need some educational discipline!” Rossweisse scolded.

Argh!?

Everyone’s ignoring the battle to focus on this!?

And Rossweisse-san’s mad at me!

Hold on a sec!

Alice and I haven’t done anything!

We haven’t crossed that line!

Alice, teary-eyed, shouted at them, “Wait, wait! I’m still a virgin! I haven’t done it with Issei!”

I get you’re panicking, but calm down!

You can’t just yell “virgin” in public like that!

Look!

The others not in this conversation are stunned!

Even Cao Cao looks lost for words!

“Uh, big brother… you didn’t do it, but it… came out?” Miu asked pointedly.

Ugh… Miu’s sharp observation hits hard!

True, Alice produced it, I drank it, and I recovered!

That’s why I’m shocked too!

Not just that I recovered, but why did milk come from Alice!?

Alice, blushing furiously, glanced at me and mumbled, “It’s… uh… willpower?”

Willpower…?

Wait, that’s what I told Alice when I returned from the other world!

It’s all about willpower!?

“Maybe because she’s a Switch Princess,” Ignis said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Rias-chan might produce some too.”

Because she’s a Switch Princess?

…That’s actually plausible…

I’ve powered up by touching them before…

Rias piped up, “That’s it! Issei, let’s try it with me! I’m a Switch Princess too!”

Rias!?

Why’s your voice so excited!?

Why’re you smiling so much!?

Why’re you so hyped!?

Can I really do that!?

I mean, I’m thrilled!

Sucking on Rias’s chest would be amazing!

“Wait a sec!” I shouted, pointing at Cao Cao. “I can’t keep ignoring him! He’s been waiting this whole time!”

Cao Cao’s been standing there silently, putting up with this nonsense!

I feel bad for the guy, even if he’s the enemy!

“””Oh… we forgot,””” the girls said in unison.

You forgot!?

Once the girls calmed down, I faced Cao Cao again.

Vali approached, whispering, “You remember his seven treasures, right?”

…Cao Cao’s abilities.

“I’ve seen the one that redirects attacks and the one that makes clones like Kiba’s,” I said. “Heard about a weapon-destroying one and one that seals women’s abilities, right?”

All of them are a pain.

Since I’m a guy, the women-sealing one’s useless against me, so I just need to watch for the other six… but it’s not that simple.

“Correct,” Vali said. “The rest are flight, forced teleportation, and a high-destruction sphere.”

Got it.

Flight, teleportation, and a destructive sphere.

“Thanks.”

The problem is identifying them… they all look the same.

Guess I’ll figure it out in the fight.

With that in mind, I took another step forward.

“So, my opponent’s the Red Dragon Emperor,” Cao Cao said, grinning eagerly.

“Oh yeah, I owe you for last time,” I said. “Plus, I haven’t shown you my full potential!”

Against him, Heavenly Wings is better than Heavenly Force or Heavenly Strike.

Sensing my fighting spirit, Cao Cao tapped his spear on his shoulder. “Interesting. Let’s see this new potential of yours.”

“You bet. Get ready! Here we go, Ddraig, Ignis!”

“Right! Facing the strongest God-Slaying Tool again! You can’t call yourself the Red Dragon Emperor if you don’t beat him, partner!” Ddraig roared.

“Show them the power of a true hero!” Ignis urged.

A blazing crimson aura erupted from my gauntlet’s jewel, enveloping me.

Sparks crackled around my armor.

WHOOSH!

The crimson aura swelled and burst!

“Forbidden Hand Third Layer—Celestial Aeos!!”

My armor shifted from red to vivid crimson, its form sharper.

Crimson wings sprouted—bird-like, their feathers scattering into sparkling red particles.

These wings should handle Cao Cao’s versatile abilities!

With Celestial Wings, I can entrust everything!

Cao Cao summoned his halo-like ring and seven spheres.

Last time, he was already in Forbidden Hand mode, but this activation’s eerily quiet.

Our gazes locked—and we charged!

We were already in the zone.

Now it’s a straight-up brawl!

“Elephant Treasure,” Cao Cao said, placing a sphere at his feet and soaring into the air.

That’s the flight ability!

I spread my wings and chased him!

“Accel Booster!”

“BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBoost!!”

“First move!”

I gathered energy in my fist, unleashing a barrage of aura pellets at Cao Cao!

He moved a sphere forward, creating a vortex that absorbed some pellets!

That’s the redirecting ability.

Like last time, they’ll come back from somewhere.

As expected—a vortex opened below, spitting the pellets back!

I swung my arm, deflecting them.

Some hit a building, collapsing its wall… Sorry, building owner!

“!”

I sensed something behind me and twisted!

A holy aura from Cao Cao’s spear grazed past!

Turning, I saw him smirking.

When did he get behind me—teleportation!?

“Warrior Treasure!”

Cao Cao moved a sphere forward, and it burst, creating nearly twenty glowing humanoid clones.

The clone ability.

Last time, these stalled me before his evil eye got me…

“Not my style to keep getting hit!” I shouted.

Eight large feathers—Feather Bits—shot from my wings!

They darted through the air, firing aura blasts from their cannons!

The blasts hit the clones, wiping them out one by one!

“Remote attacks, huh? Like Yuuto Kiba’s ability!” Cao Cao said.

“Pretty much! Perfect for crushing your clones!” I shot back.

As a Feather Bit hit a clone, it warped, creating a vortex.

He hid the redirecting sphere in one of the clones!

Adapting that fast… what a guy!

Space distorted behind me, and clones charged from the front and sides.

Dodging poorly could let Cao Cao exploit an opening.

“Then I’ll block everything!” I shouted.

Five Feather Bits formed a formation, their tips releasing aura to connect.

A clear-red, pyramid-shaped barrier surrounded me, blocking all attacks!

“Omnidirectional defense to match omnidirectional attacks,” I said.

Cao Cao looked intrigued. “Blasts and defensive barriers? Quite versatile. Maybe you can turn them into swords like Kiba’s and launch them.”

Oops… he figured it out.

Yeah, my Feather Bits can release aura blades to slash like Kiba’s seven swords.

Feather Bits have three main functions: blasts, slashes, and defense.

I adjust their formation based on the situation, making them versatile, though not as varied as Cao Cao’s Forbidden Hand.

They’re less powerful than Heavenly Force or Heavenly Strike.

“Your base attack power’s already high, partner,” Ddraig said. “A hit from your normal Forbidden Hand takes out most enemies.”

True, but my enemies are way too abnormal…

Even my powered-up forms barely work on them…

For now, I don’t need Heavenly Force or Strike’s raw power.

If I can land a hit on Cao Cao, I win.

Heavenly Wings’ versatility is perfect for him.

…If only he didn’t dodge everything so well.

I dropped the barrier, keeping my distance from Cao Cao.

“Man, you’re a pain to fight,” I said. “You even beat Azazel-sensei.”

“Governor Azazel, huh? I got the better of him last time, but who knows about next time,” Cao Cao replied.

“What’s that mean?”

“You can’t underestimate him,” Cao Cao said. “Researcher-types like him study their opponents thoroughly. For someone like me, who’s done for with one heavy hit, those guys are the scariest.”

Makes sense.

No way Azazel-sensei keeps losing.

Next time, he’ll probably have a new technique or weapon.

Kinda wanna see that…

“Back to fighting,” Cao Cao said, vanishing!

His presence flickered—above, below, behind, left, right!

Teleportation again!

Hard to attack when he’s jumping around like that.

Even if I use Feather Bits for omnidirectional defense, it’d just drain me.

A holy aura came from the side!

I dodged, firing aura pellets, but Cao Cao had already teleported!

Damn, what a pain!

His hit-and-run tactics are annoying, and he’s sending clones at me too!

I switched my Feather Bits to sword mode, slashing through the clones.

Clones are easy enough for Feather Bits.

The problem—

“Stop zipping around!” I yelled.

CLANG!!

Cao Cao teleported close, his holy spear clashing with my fist!

“You saw that!?” he said.

“Don’t underestimate me! I can track your aura’s movement. After seeing your teleportation so much, I can predict your next move!”

“Hahaha! You casually say something insane. I’m trying to make my movements unreadable!”

That’s why this fight’s such a struggle!

Your moves are a pain to track!

We shifted to close combat, but Cao Cao parried my punches and kicks, redirecting my aura pellets with his sphere and destroying my Feather Bit blasts with his weapon-breaking ability!

Destroyed Feather Bits can be remade, but Cao Cao’s adapting fast.

And that Medusa’s eye in his right socket!

Its petrifying ability is a nightmare!

In close combat, my armor gets petrified, forcing me to break and repair it each time.

He disrupts my rhythm, aiming his spear to pierce me!

Fine then—

I summoned Ignis, gripping its handle.

“This you can’t block!” I shouted.

I swung, the blade wreathed in scorching flames!

SCREECH!!

“Guh!”

Cao Cao blocked with his spear but grimaced from Ignis’s heat!

Now!

Feather Bits formed a triangular barrier behind him.

For the first time, Cao Cao looked panicked. “A wall to trap me!?”

Exactly.

Not for attack or defense.

It’s to disrupt your rhythm and keep you from escaping.

The remaining five Feather Bits targeted his spheres, preventing teleportation.

If he can’t get those spheres close, he can’t teleport!

“This ends it!” I shouted.

Ignis’s blade closed in on Cao Cao—

CRASH!!

A massive impact hit my back.

My armor shattered, fragments scattering.

“Gah…!?”

The shock crushed my lungs, stealing my breath.

What… was that!?

Falling toward the city, I looked up to see one of Cao Cao’s spheres where I’d been.

“General Treasure,” Cao Cao said, smirking. “I teleported the high-destruction sphere behind you with the teleportation treasure.”

That was the destructive sphere…!

What an impact!

He used his own ability to teleport it behind me…

“Guh…”

Blood gushed from my mouth.

A few ribs are broken.

I’m done…!

I didn’t expect he could do that!

Cao Cao aimed his spear, chasing me down!

Crap!

The pain’s numbing my body—I can’t move!

“You can’t move after that, can you?” Cao Cao said.

He knows I’m immobilized and is coming to finish me.

What a guy.

If that spear, brimming with holy aura, pierces me, I’m done.

Holy power’s poison to devils…

“Checkmate,” Cao Cao said, closing in.

At that moment—

“Don’t die, Isseeeeei!!” Miu’s voice screamed, her figure rushing toward me.

Is she crying?

Haha… don’t cry, Miu.

No one’s giving up.

I sure as hell won’t.

Leave you… leave all of you behind? No way I’d die like that!

I activated my Renkan Keikikou at full power.

Not its ultimate technique.

Something beyond—

Cao Cao’s holy spear pierced my chest.

In that instant—

My body turned to red particles and vanished—

——————————

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