Long time no see. Ishibumi here. High School DxD has now reached its sixteenth volume!
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Let’s talk a little about Gasper.
This latest volume of the series is basically Gasper’s homecoming story. We’ve witnessed his continuous growth throughout the story, and he’s undergone a considerable mental transformation compared to when we first met him. Well, he’s unlocked an astonishing new physical form this time, too…
From the first mention of his mutation piece, there was always a hint at something extraordinary, but still, he’s just too overpowering…
I like to call this new state of his Dark Gasper, or Gasper Balor.
His ability to stop time has reached an absurd level, shrouding a whole town in overwhelming darkness and spawning mysterious creatures, and his physical abilities have gone through the roof. He’s one formidable monster.
But what scares me most is Rias’s knack for picking up the best team members. She’s on par with her brother in that regard, well on the way to developing a Demon King–class Familia.
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Next up, Ddraig and Albion.
Our Two Heavenly Dragons have reached an accord! They’ve both grown after being forced to shoulder their emotional burdens, and now they’ve come to realize just how important they are to each other.
It’s been a long journey. At first, Ddraig regarded Issei’s passion for breasts with amusement, only to gradually find himself being overwhelmed by his host’s breast power and sinking into a deep depression. But by sharing his hardships with Albion, he’s starting to show signs of recovery. Their discussions with each other comprise the underlying theme behind this volume.
The fourth arc of the story will feature Ddraig’s resurrection as a catalyst for Issei’s further growth.
In a way, seeing Ddraig so inspired by Albion is one of the emotional highlights this time around, don’t you think?
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Now for a little on our heroines’ power-ups.
I wrote about Asia’s, Akeno’s, and Xenovia’s power-ups in Volume 14, so I decided to focus on Rias and Koneko this time around.
Rias’s newfound destructive ability is a one-hit kill technique so powerful it even brought down the evil dragon Grendel. It isn’t suited for Rating Games—this one will be reserved for real combat.
Koneko’s new moves are her purification technique and temporary physical maturation. The former will prove especially effective against evil dragons.
All that’s left are Rossweisse and Irina. Naturally, I also have plans for them.
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Let’s not forget our villains.
The ultimate boss this time around was none other than Vali’s grandfather, Rizevim Livan Lucifer!
He is without a doubt the son of the original Lucifer. In fact, there’s a moment in Volume 4 where Vali talks about his background, revealing that he’s the former Lucifer’s great-grandson. Obviously, this means he has both a father and a grandfather—and now the latter has emerged as the enemy mastermind. As you’ve seen, he’s completely unhinged, so no doubt he’ll continue to wreak havoc alongside Euclid and those evil dragons.
Euclid also made an appearance with a slavish copy of the Boosted Gear. I’ve been wanting to do a battle between the real Red Dragon Emperor and an impostor Red Dragon Emperor for a while now, so I took this opportunity to put it to paper.
Lilith, Ophis’s alter ego made from her stolen powers, will be fleshed out more in future volumes.
As for the number 666, Trihexa, that refers to the beast appearing in the Book of Revelation alongside the Great Red. Note that the name and setting are original to the DxD universe in this case.
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That brings us to the return of our handsome Holy Spear wielder.
Don’t blame me for spoiling it if you skipped straight to the afterword, but he’s back!
Cao Cao, master of the Holy Spear, has returned from the depths of hell.
He’s made a comeback, all so he can see Issei again! Just kidding! But I do want to highlight how his resurrection will intertwine with the story moving forward. Keep your eyes open!
Seriously, though, that bastard is sneaking up on our protagonist again… We’re up to Volume 16 now, and not only have our heroines all taken a liking to Issei, a growing number of male characters are starting to pursue him, too.
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We’ve finally put together a team—DxD!
The enemy this time is more perilous than ever, prompting the formation of a special response team.
That being said, Issei and the Gremory will remain the main focus of the story. I plan to bring the members of Team DxD into the forefront with each successive volume to showcase their unique talents. I’m thinking of having Issei team up with Dulio, Sairaorg Bael, and others for some team fights. I’m afraid we can’t just let everyone fight together just yet—with so many players in the mix, it would be too difficult to convey in writing. So the plan is to keep focusing on the Occult Research Club plus one or two other members at a time.
Think of it as an anti-terrorism team made up of those who have already interacted in the story. If we do see the full team come together, it would only happen around the climax to this fourth arc of the narrative.
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Lastly, some brief acknowledgments. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to Miyama-Zero and my editor H, as always!
In fact, by the time this volume is released, High School DxD will be celebrating its fifth anniversary. It’s all because of you, the fans, that we’ve been able to keep on going for as long as we have. Thank you!
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In the next volume, it will finally be time for a Rossweisse story! We’ll delve into the involvement of mages and other mystical figures, and we’ll also take our first look at the school Saji mentioned this time around, currently being set up by the Sitri and Bael Familias.