Southwest of the academy.

The sky and ground swarm with mass-produced evil dragons.

“Get out of my way!”

I cut through the dragons, advancing.

Two sinister auras ahead.

One’s new, but the other I know.

—Evil Dragon Grendel.

That tenacious aura is unmistakable.

It took a Tianwu armor strike, was halved, and still came at me.

Kiba and the others said even after Rias’s new finisher left it as just a head, it kept fighting.

A crazed dragon with a few screws loose.

Aggressive, brutal.

It finds joy in killing, not just fighting.

No escape this time.

Today, I’ll end it.

Permanently.

As I swing my fists, I think of ways to ensure Grendel’s demise.

Then—a massive purple flame pillar catches my eye.

A cross-shaped blaze.

“What…!? Why’s that here!?”

It was supposed to be in the north, fighting Rias and the others…

Did it deliberately move here…?

Bad feeling about this!

Heart pounding, I speed up toward the scene.

Moments after spotting the purple flames, I arrive—and lose my words.

“This…!”

“Why won’t it break!?”

Koneko and Sitri’s first-year, Nimura-san, are trapped in a spherical barrier, their movements sealed.

They pound it from inside, but it doesn’t budge.

“Come, evil dragons!”

“We’re your opponents!”

“You won’t reach that school!”

Fathers in battered armor wield spears and swords, bravely standing their ground.

And—

Saji lies collapsed, smoke rising from his body.

Did he take a direct hit!?

A cackle echoes from above.

I look up—a figure stands on a magic circle in the sky.

“Whoops, my bad! Got carried away and threw a super-strong cross!”

Valpurga of the Purple Flame!

She… she did this to Saji!

Grendel, nearby, looks up, complaining.

“Hey! Stop interfering when I’m having fun, you damn witch!”

“Oh, my! Just a little fun, no harm, right? That devil boy was so desperate, I couldn’t resist bullying him!”

Saji, smoking, lies motionless.

That flame’s a holy relic!

To us devils, it’s worse than poison—a lethal blow!

A direct hit like that, Saji…!

“Saji!”

I scatter the attacking dragons and rush to him.

Cradling him, I see…

“…Hyoudou… you came…?”

His voice is faint, barely there.

His skin’s scorched, blood flows freely.

His left leg is swollen blue, clearly broken.

The purple flame… it’s erasing him!

“Stay with me, Saji! Can you hear me!? Answer! Hold on, I’ll heal you!”

I search my pockets.

Phoenix Tears—given by Ravel’s dad as a promotion gift.

I’ll use these to—

“Tch!”

I grab Saji and leap back.

A massive purple cross rises where we stood.

I glare at the sky, shouting, “Stay out of my way, Valpurga!”

“Well, it seemed like the perfect moment to strike. Missed, though.”

Valpurga hurls purple flames at me and Saji!

Damn it!

I don’t have time for this vile woman!

I switch to Heavenly Wings, deploying Feather Bits.

Five bits form a pyramid-shaped clear-red barrier, shielding us.

Now’s my chance!

I open the vial and pour the tears on Saji!

No way I’m letting him vanish!

He’s got dreams!

“Saji! Don’t die! You’re gonna be a teacher! No time to sleep here!”

I call out desperately.

His left hand catches my eye.

A sacred gear on his hand, with a line extending from it.

Following it—I see it connects to Grendel’s foot.

Saji’s words flood my mind—

—Hey, Hyoudou.

—The kids… they call me ‘teacher.’ Me, of all people… still got a long way to go.

—Hyoudou, working with the kids here made it clear. I’m definitely becoming a teacher. Gotta hit mid-rank devil first, though.

—But I’ll make it, no matter what.

Saji speaks, voice hoarse.

“They… wanna destroy the school… it’s where… it’s where…”

He mutters, struggling to stand.

The Phoenix Tears closed his wounds, staving off erasure, but the holy relic’s damage is too much.

He can’t move.

His consciousness must be fading.

Yet…!

“I won’t let them… I won’t…!”

Saji’s trying to protect the school, the kids… to stand against Grendel!

I grab his shoulder, stopping him.

“Idiot…! You… even in this state…!”

Saji, you’re seeing those kids’ smiles, aren’t you?

That’s why you’re facing an unbeatable foe to protect them.

Tears fall as I speak.

“You did great…! You held out till I got here! You protected that school, Saji!”

So—

“Leave the rest to me. I won’t let them touch the school or the kids.”

I cover Saji with a Feather Bit barrier and step toward Grendel.

Grendel grins wide.

“Well, Red Dragon Emperor! Perfect timing! That brat wasn’t enough fun!”

Beside him stands a dragon-shaped tree… no, a massive wooden dragon.

Its face-like part splits, revealing a mouth, with red-glowing eyes in the hollows.

It speaks, locking onto me.

“First meeting, current Red Dragon Emperor. I’m Ladon, ‘Insomniac Dragon, Guardian of the Treasure Tree.’ I specialize in barriers and seals… Pleased to meet you.”

So this dragon sealed the area.

Skilled in defense and sealing, huh?

I heard it was defeated in one of Hercules’ trials by Hydra’s venom.

No such convenient item here, and with the Holy Grail’s boost, it wouldn’t work anyway.

I glance at Grendel, Ladon, and Valpurga above, asking, “Just to confirm… why target the school?”

Grendel answers.

“Was told wrecking that school would get serious fights. That brat was no fun, though! Vritra might’ve been better, but a weakling with a grafted gear? No match for me! Crushed him like trash! Guhahaha!”

…Thought so.

Saji wouldn’t back down from that.

He’d fight to stop them, no matter what.

I approach the barrier trapping Koneko and Nimura-san.

They look tearful.

“Issei-senpai…”

“Hyoudou-senpai… is Saji-senpai…?”

“He’s fine. Phoenix Tears worked.”

Nimura-san sighs in relief.

——————————-

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