With the battle against Asem behind me, I turned my sights toward the gate leading to the Fifth Heaven.

Just as the gateway came into view, however, I spotted several silhouettes.

It was the Church Trio—Irina, Asia, and Xenovia—along with Touji-san.

And there, collapsed upon the ground… was Yaegaki-san.

Lying beside him was the blade he had wielded, the Ame no Murakumo.

『The reaction from the Yamata no Orochi has vanished,』 Ddraig observed.

He was right. That overwhelming torrent of malice had completely dissipated. There was no trace of the Evil Dragon’s presence.

Instead, my vision was filled with the divine radiance of two Holy Swords.

Irina’s Hauteclere and Xenovia’s Durandal were enveloped in a sacred aura. Typically, standing this close to Holy Swords releasing such power would feel like needles piercing my skin. Yet, strangely, I felt a sense of comfort. My heart felt calm.

Ignis spoke up from within his blade.

『Hauteclere possesses the power to purify the hearts of those it cuts, does it not? Perhaps we are witnessing that effect.』

I see.

Irina’s sword cleanses the soul. It seems its aura had touched the Ame no Murakumo, purging it of its corruption.

Clutching the painful wound on my chest, I walked toward Irina and the others. Asia, noticing my approach, let out a small shriek.

“That wound! Are you alright, Ise-san!?”

“Yeah… took a nasty hit earlier. Sorry, but can you patch me up?”

“Yes! I’ll heal you immediately!”

Asia placed her hands over my chest, bathing the injury in a soft, pale green light. Even a wound that had cut down to the bone was nothing before Asia’s Twilight Healing. In mere seconds, the flesh had knit together perfectly.

“Thanks, Asia.”

I offered her my gratitude, then turned my gaze to Irina.

“Ise-kun…”

“It looks like you managed to save his father.”

“Yeah…”

Irina’s eyes were heavy with sorrow as she looked away. following her gaze, I saw Yaegaki-san lying on his back, staring blankly at the sky, while Touji-san knelt beside him, weeping openly.

“Yaegaki-kun…” Irina’s voice trembled. “I know… no matter how many times I apologize, what I did can never be forgiven. I said earlier that I would spend my life atoning for it. I know that probably sounds incredibly naive to you. But even so… I…!”

Large teardrops fell from her eyes as she struggled to weave her words together. Yaegaki-san remained silent, his eyes fixed on the heavens.

I walked over and knelt on one knee beside him. His gaze shifted slowly to me.

“…The Red Dragon Emperor, is it?”

I nodded silently. After exhaling a short breath, I spoke.

“A long time ago, I lost someone precious to me, too. And on the flip side, I’ve taken things from others. I’m a sinner, same as anyone. That’s why I think I understand how both you and Touji-san feel.”

Back in the hospital room, I had told Touji-san to face his sins. But in truth, I had been speaking to myself as well.

Regardless of the circumstances, both Touji-san and I have committed crimes. Touji-san hurt Yaegaki-san; I have hurt and killed many on the battlefield. When I first met Asem in the vampire city, he called me a murderer.

He was absolutely right.

“I don’t think the sins Touji-san and I committed will ever go away. But we decided to carry that weight. For us… choosing death is just the easy way out. It’s running away.”

Die to atone?

True, death is terrifying. I don’t want to die.

But death is instant. Does a fleeting moment truly balance the scales for the mistakes we’ve made?

—If you die, it ends there. Does that change the world? No. The world keeps turning even if you’re gone. What are you fighting for? Why did you pick up the sword?

—If you truly intend to atone, then don’t accept death. Atone with your life.

—Live. Live, struggle, and survive. Think about what you can do. Carve that sin into your heart. Don’t look away. Face it head-on.

That was what Maurice-ossan used to tell the members of the Knight Order. Some of the younger knights were nearly crushed by the guilt of taking lives on the battlefield. That old man would drill those words into them.

Back then, I was powerless, just a kid listening from the sidelines. But now, I understand the true weight of his words.

That is why I don’t believe I can make up for anything with something as cheap as death.

There was one more thing I needed to say to Yaegaki-san.

“Yaegaki-san… It’s true that you hated the Church and the Devils of the Old Satan Faction. But… isn’t the person you can’t forgive the most yourself? For failing to protect Cleria-san?”

Asking this was a gamble. It was the kind of question that could make a man fly into a rage.

But Yaegaki-san listened quietly. Finally, he opened his mouth.

“…You are… exactly right. I hate the Church that tore us apart. I hate the Old Satans. That grudge still burns.”

“Yeah.”

“But… if I had only been strong enough to protect her back then, none of this would have happened. If I had saved Cleria, I would never have needed to take up the sword of revenge.”

He whispered the words, staring into the endless white sky.

He was remembering the man he used to be.

There is hatred, yes. But outweighing it is the regret of failing to save the woman he loved. He has been trapping himself in an endless loop, asking questions that have no answers.

—What should I have done back then?

That is the face he is wearing now.

“I want to ask you one thing,” Yaegaki-san said.

“What is it?”

“Is there someone you love?”

“There is.”

“What if… someone appeared to tear you and that person apart? Would you—”

“I’d protect them.”

I answered before he could even finish. It was a question that didn’t require a second of hesitation.

“I’d protect them with everything I have. I would twist dimensions and shatter the very laws of the world if that’s what it takes to keep them safe.”

There are people who love me. Miu, Alice, Rias, and the others… they told me they love a guy like me.

And I love them, too.

I swore to protect them, to walk this path with them forever. So, no matter what comes, I will defend them to the end.

Yaegaki-san’s gaze shifted to Irina.

“Then tell me… could you, a Devil, save that Angel over there?”

“I could. Like I just said—I’d twist dimensions and break the world’s logic to do it. Irina is one of my precious people, too. Angel, Devil… none of that matters. As long as your feelings connect, you can understand each other. The only thing that matters is the ‘heart’ that cares for the other person.”

Differences in race are trivial.

If the feelings are real, you can bridge the gap. In a way, isn’t that everything?

Tears began to stream from the corners of Yaegaki-san’s eyes.

“…Is that so… You’re right. Even we…”

I extended my hand toward him.

“We can understand you, too. Our feelings have already reached each other, haven’t they?”

“Ah… We are…”

Yaegaki-san tried to lift his body to take my hand.

At that instant—

I drew Ascalon from my gauntlet with blinding speed.

I swung it behind me with a full-force backhand, triggering a massive explosion at my rear.

Irina, Xenovia, and Asia looked on in shock, but then—

“Oh my, oh my? Did you spot me?”

A voice that curdled my blood just by hearing it reached my ears.

I turned my head toward the source. Standing there, looking at us with a feigned expression of wonder, was a silver-haired middle-aged man.

“You’re soft. If you want to catch me off guard, you need to completely erase your presence. —Rizevim.”

Rizevim Livan Lucifer!

The leader of the new ‘Qlippoth’, and the piece of trash responsible for the devastation of the vampire city!

“I just came to check on things, hoping for a beautiful tragedy of revenge, but it turned into some touching melodrama. I thought I’d throw in a little heckling from the audience.”

“Read the room, you shitty geezer. That was clearly not a moment for you to interfere.”

“But he played his role so well! He explained the truth behind the incident with the Old Satans and Heaven, and he served as a fine host for the Ame no Murakumo. His part is over. Besides…”

Rizevim pointed a lazy finger at Yaegaki-san.

“That guy is basically a corpse anyway, right? No problem if I kill him! Hyahyakhyakhya!”

“…”

He tried to kill Yaegaki-san for a reason as petty as that. He resurrects them with the Grail, only to casually try and erase them when he gets bored.

He toys with life endlessly…!

“The vampire town, the school in the Underworld, and now this. Why do you do these things…?”

Valerie, and the children at the Underworld school… they just wanted to be happy. They were working toward that simple dream.

And this bastard tries to ruin it all.

Rizevim answered with a flat, uncaring tone.

“Hmm? Well, mostly just for this old man’s amusement.”

“…”

Vali… I understand how you feel now.

…I want to kill him from the bottom of my heart. I want to erase him.

Anyone would want to kill a scumbag like this…!

I wanted to wipe this filth from existence right now…!

Then, a voice came from behind me.

“…Why did you protect me?”

It was Yaegaki-san.

“Like he said, I have already died once. I am a dead man brought back by the power of the Grail. Why would you…”

I gave him my answer.

“Because you’re alive right now, aren’t you?”

“——!”

Yaegaki-san’s eyes widened.

I continued.

“Even if it was the Grail that brought you back, you are here, living, talking to me. That’s reason enough to protect you.”

With that, I stepped forward.

Crimson aura erupted from my entire body as I stood between Rizevim and the others.

Ddraig, how’s the Gear?

『Barely holding together. You can manage Balance Breaker. Second and third gears are usable. But Illegal Move Triaina and the promotion power-ups are impossible.』

Good enough.

The adjustments were faster than I expected. That helps.

So, what about that ‘Penetrate’ ability?

『Sorry, but it won’t be ready in time. We were too busy adjusting the Sacred Gear itself… I told you not to use Trans-Am…』

Ddraig sounded exasperated.

Yeah, about that… I’m seriously sorry. I apologize from the bottom of my soul.

『Honestly, Partner, you’ve been treating the Sacred Gear way too roughly lately! Think about me, the one who has to fix it every time! This last adjustment had to be done at high speed—it was a nightmare!』

Whooooaa there!

Ddraig-san is pissed! Was it that bad?!

No, really… I am sooooooorry!

I prostrated myself in my mind!

I won’t use Trans-Am until the adjustments are done!

…But that means I can’t use ‘Penetrate’.

‘Penetrate’—one of the abilities Ddraig possessed in life. It allows attacks to bypass defenses and abilities. According to Ddraig, it might even be able to slip past Rizevim’s Sacred Gear Canceler… but if it’s not ready, it can’t be helped.

“Hmm? does the Red Dragon Emperor-kun want to play with this old man? Hyahyakhyakhya! Alright, I’ll take you on!”

Cracking his knuckles, Rizevim accepted my challenge.

I entered Balance Breaker—transforming the armor into wings of light.

Spreading my wings, I closed the distance in an instant. I clenched my fist, aiming straight for his hateful face—

Just before impact, he lightly touched my armor.

In that split second, strength drained from my body. The armor vanished instantly, leaving me in my mortal form!

“Useless, useless. Powers boosted by Sacred Gears don’t work on Uncle, remember? Did you forget already? Now then, how about a Lucifer Punch!?”

With a mocking tone, he threw a fist at me.

“Not yet!”

Before it could dig into my gut, I blocked his fist with a knee strike. I backflipped away to create distance.

…I see.

When he touches me, it doesn’t just cancel that specific part; it dispels the entire transformation.

There’s still so much we don’t know about his ability, the Sacred Gear Canceler. The logic behind it, and naturally, its effective range, are a mystery.

Since he erased my Agni last time, using the bits for an all-range attack is pointless. If they touch him, they’re nullified.

Then, the next thing to try is…

I deployed all the Feather Bits. I aimed every turret at him.

Rizevim laughed scornfully.

“Hmm? Did you forget what I just said? Powers related to Sacred Gears don’t work on me.”

“…I know!”

I leaped forward, firing the bits simultaneously!

Eight beams of crimson aura struck him, and as expected, they misted away upon contact!

But I kept firing, again and again, even as they were erased.

Using that distraction, I closed the distance—

“Just let me hit you once!”

My fist was wrapped in red aura!

If he touches it, the armor vanishes and my strength drains. I know that.

That is why—just before he touched me, I dispelled the gauntlet myself.

What remained was a fist reinforced solely by my own Touki—my life force.

An attack that uses absolutely no power from the Sacred Gear. It falls outside his ability’s logic.

“Take this!”

With a roar, I smashed my fist into Rizevim’s face!

However, my punch was caught head-on.

“I am Lucifer’s son, after all. I’m plenty strong even without the Canceler. Without your Gear, you’re just a small-fry Devil, aren’t you?”

“Don’t bet on it. If I’m a small fry, then the guy losing to me is about to be a microscopic fry!”

From there, I assaulted him with every martial art I knew! A barrage of punches and kicks!

I used the wings of light to accelerate, then dispelled the armor on the limb just before impact.

Each strike was coated in kneaded Touki. It wasn’t as strong as the armor, but it still packed significant destructive power. The shockwaves alone were shaking the air around us.

My base ability is said to rival a High-Class Devil. That means these strikes are on par with the attacks of a High-Class Devil.

And yet, this shitty geezer…

“Hyahyakhyakhya! This is just the right amount of exercise for Uncle!”

He was parrying them calmly!

The son of the previous Maou Lucifer. An irregular existence whose power is in a completely different dimension from others, leading some to doubt if he is even a Devil at all—one of the 『Transcendents』.

His personality is garbage, but he is undeniably strong! He’s keeping up with my speed and catching my attacks with ease!

“In that case!”

I parried his fist and—

“Ascalon!”

『Blade!!』

I ejected Ascalon’s blade from the gauntlet!

The Holy Sword appearing out of nowhere grazed Rizevim’s cheek!

“Ouch! You little brat, you actually did it!”

“Tch! Just a scratch!”

I clicked my tongue at the result.

However, the damage from the Holy Sword was real; smoke was rising from the cut on his cheek.

Even if he is called a 『Transcendent』, a Devil is still a Devil. He’s weak to holy power.

Suddenly, two shadows leaped out from behind me.

“Ise!”

“We’ll back you up!”

Xenovia and Irina rushed in, weapons in hand.

The three of us closed in on Rizevim together!

“Hah!”

“Take this!”

Xenovia and Irina slashed at him, but perhaps due to the energy they spent fighting Yaegaki-san, their movements lacked their usual sharpness.

Rizevim stopped the attacks of both Holy Swords by pinching the blades between his fingers!

“Durandal and Hauteclere! Ooh, seeing these two swung together makes me nostalgic! Plus, you’ve got Excalibur mixed in there… this feels… nice♪”

“Is that so! Then how about we add Ascalon to the mix!”

I gripped Ascalon and swung it down at Rizevim’s head!

“Hah-ha! Try cutting me with this!”

Rizevim swung his arms, forcibly throwing Xenovia and Irina right at me!

I cancelled my attack mid-swing to catch them both.

And right then—

“Here, have a Lucifer Beam♪”

A beam of magic light fired from his fingertip pierced straight through my left shoulder.

Intense pain surged through my body, likely due to the density of the magic.

“Guh…!”

“Ise!”

“Ise-kun!”

Xenovia and Irina looked at me with worry, but I shouted at them.

“Don’t worry about me! Focus on the enemy!”

He wasn’t done yet.

“That’s right♪ Looking away from me right now isn’t very polite.”

Rizevim closed the distance instantly!

Xenovia and Irina’s eyes widened, but they were too slow—they took the full brunt of the magic blast he unleashed!

Asia sent healing aura to us from the back, so the wounds closed quickly, but…

Rizevim stomped on my chest as I tried to stand!

“Even if you heal, what happens if I inflict fatal wounds over and over again?”

He pointed his palm at me and fired magic bullets like a machine gun!

The powerful blasts tore through my mortal body!

Flesh was gouged out deeply; blood sprayed into the air.

Asia was healing me from a distance, but because Rizevim had me pinned, the damage was outpacing the recovery. My wounds were only getting worse.

“Gah…! You… bastard!”

“Consider this thanks for that scratch! I think I’ll take my time hurting you here! Hyahyakhyakhya!”

Rizevim smirked as he watched me drenched in blood.

Seeing me unable to move, wounded and suffering, he seemed to delight in piercing my arms, legs, and stomach with magic bullets one by one.

“Stop iiiiiit!”

“Let Ise-kun go!”

Xenovia and Irina slashed at him simultaneously to save me. Finally, Rizevim took his foot off my chest.

Xenovia mixed speed and destruction, swinging her sword at high velocity, but Rizevim dodged effortlessly.

“How about this!”

Xenovia used Durandal’s mimicry ability to turn the blade into a whip, but he caught it with his bare hand, yanked her toward him, and buried a kick deep into her stomach!

“Gah…!”

Coughing up blood, Xenovia was sent flying far into the distance!

“Xenovia! You monster!”

Irina flared Hauteclere’s holy aura and slashed, but even that was caught by Rizevim.

“Your technique is good. But at this level, you won’t reach me.”

As he spoke, Rizevim drove a roundhouse kick into Irina’s body.

“Kah…!”

Just like Xenovia, Irina was blasted away with tremendous force.

Myself, Xenovia, and Irina… we had all taken significant damage.

I was in the worst shape, my body riddled with holes. That bastard… doing all this over a single scratch.

He turned his palm toward Irina and Xenovia.

“Anyway, might as well hurt the Devil-girl and the Angel-chan a bit more, too!”

Magic swirled in his hand, targeting the two of them.

But then—

“Hey now, is that any way to treat the benefactor who brought you back to life?”

“You are no benefactor. You are my… no, you are our enemy.”

Clutching the Ame no Murakumo, Yaegaki-san pointed the blade directly at Rizevim.

——————————-

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