…
…What the hell was wrong with that…? Those kids were still just discovering their dreams. They were filled with hope… And this scumbag, this lowlife…
I stormed up to him, my aura radiating from every inch of my being.
“…I’m glad you’re a dirtbag. Seeing as you’re Grayfia’s brother, I figured you must have been struggling with self-doubt, probably even second-guessing yourself about teaming up with Rizevim. But you’re not.”
A swarm of wyverns burst from the jewels in my crimson armor. Yes, now that Ddraig was back, it was fully functional again.
“I was in two minds about whether I should go all-out against you… So I’m glad to see you for who you are. You’re a complete scumbag! Which means I don’t need to hold back! I’m going to beat you senseless and then deliver you to Grayfia!”
My aura burned like a roiling flame! Yep, this guy was going down! I was going to knock him out cold!
As the Red Dragon Emperor! As someone who held Grayfia in immense respect! As Rossweisse’s friend and ally!
“Stand back,” I said to Rias. “This won’t take long.”
“But, Issei…,” she began, worried.
“I won’t lose,” I said firmly. “Not again. This time, I’m taking him down.”
Rias, perhaps realizing the strength of my resolve, took a step back.
Euclid, meanwhile, bound Rossweisse with a rope of demonic energy before letting her go.
It was time for a second showdown between the real Red Dragon Emperor and this replica one. In terms of raw power, he remained leagues ahead, despite his Sacred Gear being a mere copy. He was probably more adept at bringing out its unique traits.
But I still wasn’t about to lose to him.
“I’m taking back Rossweisse,” I declared.
“I’m afraid not. I’m going to help her unlock her true potential,” Euclid declared blithely.
“She’s out of your league! But she’s my friend! You think I’m going to let you have her?!”
“Stop him, Issei! Even if you have to take me down with him!” Rossweisse called out.
…Rossweisse. I knew what I should have said to her now.
“I would never do that. I’m going to help you. And I’m going to stop him. That’s all.”
Euclid glanced about at the wyverns flying around me. “They were a hindrance last time, but I know better than to underestimate them now.”
As soon as he said that he ramped up his demonic energy, his aura rapidly swelling until it had enough mass to blow away the entire area! The force was enough to gouge a hole in the ground beneath him, sending cracks tearing through the earth.
…It was an insane level of power. If he unleashed that as a single blast, it would be enough to annihilate even a high-ranking demon. So this was his true strength.
But for whatever reason, it didn’t seem to measure up to Grayfia or Sirzechs. Yes, he was immensely powerful—much more so than I was. Yet it seemed vague and superficial.
…Well, I was paper-thin as well—but at least I was better than this guy.
“Let’s go!” he said, raising his hands in front of him and channeling his demonic energy.
“Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!”
A voice rang out from the replica Sacred Gear, amplifying his aura even more—a colossal level of raw power!
Not even I would emerge unscathed if hit with that. But I lined up my wyverns in front of me.
Euclid’s wave of demonic energy hit them head-on, when—
“Divide!” “Divide!” “Divide!” “Divide!” “Divide!” “Divide!” “Divide!” “Divide!”
With each wyvern the wave of energy hit, its strength was diminished by half. By the time it reached me, it was weak enough for me to sweep away with one arm.
Euclid, however, had seen this last time, so it couldn’t have come as a surprise. Indeed, the second he fired the burst, he darted toward me at high speed, channeling his demonic energy into his fists.
I fired off a Dragon Shot. Euclid moved to dodge it—but one of the wyverns appeared beside him!
“Reflect!”
Without warning, my Dragon Shot bounced off it, changing trajectory! Then it hit another, returning to its original path and flying straight for Euclid!
He spun around, ducking low to dodge it as he launched a fully charged punch at me! If I took that blow head-on, it would shatter my body along with my armor!
I poured my own energy into my arms, letting them swell to boost my defense!
“It’s useless!” Euclid laughed, unfazed. “That won’t stop me!”
Sure enough, his brutal strike slammed into my crossed arms!
The blow resonated through to my very core! And yet I maintained my guard. That unexpected development had Euclid freezing in surprise.
Seizing the moment, I unleashed a powerful punch right into his face with my Solid Impact Booster!
Euclid was thrown back violently, his replica armor severely damaged!
“…What’s the meaning of this?” he asked, staggering to his feet. “My punch was beyond your aura. You shouldn’t have been able to defend against it… But your power surged at the moment of impact.”
Exactly. He was an observant one, wasn’t he?
A small red wyvern was flying next to me. Euclid stared at it, stunned.
“…Don’t tell me that wyvern… It can reflect your Red Dragon Emperor powers?!”
Indeed. This was the ability I had worked so hard to develop. Ever since acquiring my wyverns, I had been trying to figure out how best to use them. They could divide and reflect, of course—but then I thought of this.
Yes. A Red Dragon Emperor wyvern could usher in entirely new fighting styles.
“Give it a go,” Ddraig had said at the time. “At the stage you’re at now, you might be able to manage it.”
I had to push myself to manifest that red wyvern. I was so close to succeeding when Ddraig went to accompany Albion, which put all our efforts on hold… Luckily, his efforts winning over the previous White Dragon Emperors proved a success, which gave me the final push I needed, making my envisioned technique a reality.
The wyverns flew around me, shifting between red and white. With just a single thought, I could make them switch between the powers of the Red and White Dragon Emperors.
Euclid shook his head in disbelief. “Impossible… Harnessing the powers of the White Dragon Emperor…and infusing them with your own…?!”
“A replica can’t do that, can it? Knowing how smart you are, I’m sure you know what’s coming next.”
“…Mixing red and white?!”
Indeed. I could alternate the wyverns’ powers at will. I could see he knew what that meant!
I dashed forward, the wyverns at my side! I sent a few ahead to scout the way, a few to the side, unleashing barrages of demonic blasts, and lined the rest up ahead of me and turned them red!
“I’m not going to lose to you anymore!”
I unleashed a flurry of Dragon Shots!
“Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!”
The power of my attacks surged as they went through the red wyverns, transforming into a colossal Dragon Shot that all but erased my opponent’s aura on impact.
Euclid took to the skies in an attempt to evade it, but then the Dragon Shot hit the white wyverns I had sent on ahead.
“Reflect!” “Reflect!” “Reflect!” “Reflect!” “Reflect!” “Reflect!” “Reflect!”
The attacks chased after Euclid, reflected high into the sky! He managed to dodge several of them, but it only took one hit to shatter his armor.
Come on, Ddraig. Let’s finish this.
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
Red wyverns gathered around me, amplifying my power.
“Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!” “Boost!”
The red wyverns latched on to my body and completed the transfer in a split second.
“Transfer!” “Transfer!” “Transfer!” “Transfer!” “Transfer!” “Transfer!” “Transfer!” “Transfer!” “Transfer!”
…!
…My aura flared to record heights, emitting a dazzling light that flooded our surroundings and temporarily transformed my Red Dragon Emperor armor into something extraordinary.
My chest and abdomen crunched and changed shape—and a cannon barrel popped out, identical to the one that appeared when I merged with the Great Red while using my Juggernaut Drive.
“The Boosted Gear’s forbidden ultimate technique. Longinus Smasher—made possible thanks to my connection with Albion!”
I turned toward Euclid and started charging my aura. Frankly, the intense mass accumulating in my gut frightened even me.
There was no way I could launch this thing toward the ground. I would need to throw my target into the sky to get a clear shot.
Euclid, sensing danger, turned to flee.
“…I hate to say it, but I can’t withstand that!”
But before he could run, he found himself restrained by magical ropes!
“Do you really think you can just insult people like that and walk away scot-free? Your demonic energy may be powerful, but it’s also wasteful. As far as this rope is concerned, I’ve enhanced it and eliminated all superfluous elements.”
It was Rossweisse! She had managed to break free from Euclid’s rope and turned the tables on him instead, all while refining it with her own techniques! She knew what she was on about!
“…Yes, you’re exactly the kind of woman I like!”
How could he still talk like that?! Unbelievable!
He pulled the rope binding him apart—but by then, he was too late. I had finished charging my cannon.
“Euclid Lucifugus,” Ddraig spoke. “There can only be one Red Dragon Emperor in this world. Your defeat is inevitable.”
Right. Exactly!
“There’s only one Red Dragon Emperor!” I cried as I unleashed a massive burst of aura from my abdomen.
“Longinus Smasher!”
The flood of light that struck him filled the sky with a deep, crimson hue.