A swarm of jet-black Evil Dragons hovered over the town, perched to attack all at once. Just thinking about it sent a chill coursing down my spine.
There were hundreds of them. More than hundreds. Far more than we had encountered in Romania, and that number had been enough to lay the castle town to waste.
Even the volunteer fathers were horrified to see the horde of Evil Dragons.
After leaving the school building, we did one final check of the grounds as we prepared to head for our respective posts.
“Stick to the plan,” Chairwoman Sona said, stepping forward. “I need you all to spread out across the school and work in pairs to take on the enemy.”
And so we split up, taking up our posts across Auros Academy to intercept the Evil Dragons. We had agreed on the following pairings:
Rias (King) and Bennia (Knight)
Kiba (Knight) and Vice-Chairwoman Shinra (Queen)
Xenovia (Knight) and Yura (Rook)
Akeno (Queen) and Meguri (Knight)
Irina (Ace) and Hanakai (Bishop)
Rugal (Rook) and Kusaka (Bishop)
Saji (Pawn) and Koneko (Rook)
Me, Issei Hyoudou (Pawn) and Nimura (Pawn)
In essence, we were combining firepower with defense and arranging everyone into support, rearguard, or vanguard units. Chairwoman Sona and Gaspy took their positions in the schoolyard, with Gasper going into his dark mode to churn out as many of his creatures as possible, ready to dispatch them under the chairwoman’s directions.
We asked the volunteer parents to go house-to-house to check if any residents had yet to evacuate. Of course, if the Evil Dragons went after them, we would have to do everything we could to help. That was the most we could offer without stretching ourselves too thin. To be honest, they weren’t a particularly strong fighting force, so it would be best for them to avoid combat as much as possible.
“Issei,” the chairwoman called out. “About that thing we talked about…”
I nodded, activating my messenger—my familiar, Skidbladnir. When I first received him, he had been no larger than a toy, but my little Ryuuteimaru had since grown to the size of a boat.
“Asia, use Ryuuteimaru to move around the battlefield,” Rias instructed.
“Yes!”
Ryuuteimaru had learned to pick up considerable speed. He wasn’t quite as fast as Kiba, but he could still travel short distances in no time at all.
“A mobile healer is an easy target, so stay on guard, Rossweisse,” Rias said, turning to her.
“I know,” Rossweisse said, stepping forward. “I’ll be her shield, and I’ll provide as much covering fire as I can for everyone else.”
She was the perfect person for the job. She could protect Asia with her defensive magic while launching long-range attacks from aboard Ryuuteimaru—and since she wouldn’t have to worry about moving around by herself, she could dedicate her energy to her magic.
“…”
Kiba wore a difficult look… Right, he hadn’t finished fine-tuning the Gram yet and wasn’t at a level where he could safely wield it. Frankly, I was afraid he might try something reckless. He wasn’t always the type to see reason, after all.
“Vice-Chairwoman,” I began, leaning over to whisper in his partner’s ear. “Kiba might act on impulse, so keep an eye on him. He might try using the Gram even if it cuts into his own lifeforce. If it looks like he’s going to throw caution to the wind, can you step in and stop him?”
“Understood.” She nodded.
“This is your chance to make a strong impression,” I added with a faint grin. “Go for it!”
The vice-chairwoman was totally smitten with Kiba, and this could be the perfect opportunity for her.
“Wh-wh-what are you talking about?!” she stammered, her face turning bright red. “I—I—I…”
Whoa, she couldn’t be more flustered! Her eyes were darting all over the place!
“…?”
Kiba, meanwhile, tilted his head in confusion.
I happened to overhear the Sitri Familia’s two newcomers talking. Bennia wore an awkward smile, while Rugal was as expressionless as ever.
“I just signed up, and I’ve already been thrown into all sorts of tough battles. Talk about bad luck!” bemoaned Bennia.
“…That’s our fate,” replied Rugal.
Yes, it was bad timing, wasn’t it…
They both did an exceptional job supporting the classes at the school. Bennia had run a lecture on Grim Reapers, while Rugal mixed martial arts with magic in his live demonstration.
Both, I felt, were finding their footing.
With our final checks complete, a Communication-type magic square—the kind mages use—began to unfold in the middle of the schoolyard.
A moment later, a figure appeared in its center.
It was a young woman in a purple gothic Lolita outfit, complete with a frilly parasol. She looked like a doll in her early twenties, with an alluring beauty—yet I couldn’t help but feel there was something sinister about her.
“Greetings, demons,” she said with a sly grin. “I’m Valburga, one of the leaders of Hexennacht. We’re going to get to know each other super well, I hope!”
I had never seen this woman in my life—yet several of the others seemed to recognize her name.
“Valburga of the Purple Flame,” the chairwoman whispered. “The wielder of the Incinerate Anthem…”
—!
I was at a loss for words! Sh-she was the wielder of the True Cross?!
Valburga’s grin deepened. “I’m here under Uncle Rizevim’s order to set your souls ablaze with my dragon companions. I do so love it when people fawn over me! It makes my flames burn all the brighter.”
Her chirpy voice grated on my nerves, and the aura surrounding her set my teeth on edge. She seemed to have a tough personality, in spite of her tone of voice…
“We’ll unleash the battle soon. Tell me, dearest friends, are you prepared?”
One and all, we glared back at her—prompting Valburga to feign fear.
“Oh, how frightful. You demons are positively furious! Oh-ho-ho. This will be fun.”
—.
That ugly grin of hers sent a chill coursing down my spine… There was no mistaking it—this girl could kill without so much as a second thought. If I went easy on her, I would be reduced to ashes.
Valburga looked us all over once more. “Which of you is the famous Rossweisse?”
…Rossweisse? We all glanced her way, inadvertently revealing her.
“Just so you know, I’m to bring you back safe and sound.”
“…? Bring me where?” Rossweisse demanded.
“To Euclid,” Valburga answered, twirling her parasol over her shoulder. “He’s head over heels about you. Ah, how I wish a dashing young gentleman had eyes for me!”
…He wanted Rossweisse that badly? Just for what she knew, or for her talents as well…?
Rossweisse shook her head. “I’m not leaving with you. I’m going to fight.”
“I hoped you would say that!” Valburga smirked, before lifting the hem of her skirt to bid farewell. “Very well, demons. Let’s have us a splendid battle, shall we?”
With that, the magic square disappeared.
…So she just wanted to show her face before the fight?
“I hate people like that,” Xenovia spat. “They get a kick out of staring people in the eye before going in for the kill. It’s disgusting.”
Yeah, that was the impression I got from her as well. She was mocking us.
Rias breathed a heavy sigh, then forced herself to flash us a reassuring smile. “Are you all set, everyone? Let’s go! We may be facing terrorists and mass-produced Evil Dragons, but just remember how many tough spots we’ve squeezed ourselves out of in the past. I know the odds don’t look good, but we’ll pull through! We can’t afford to die here!” she declared confidently. “We’ll blow them all away, just like we always do!”
“Right!” we (the Gremory Familia plus Irina) responded as one.
On the Sitri side, the chairwoman was addressing her own people. “If we lose, the school will be decimated. Our dreams and hopes have taken root here. We can’t just build a new one… No, we won’t let it be destroyed. It’s ours to protect. That’s what we’re fighting for.”
“Right!”
The Sitri Familia, along with the volunteer dads, were raring to go!
With that, we split up and took our posts!