[Perspective: Alice]
"Haaaaaaaaaa!"
Sparks scattered alongside my shout.
A considerable amount of time had passed since I began fighting Vika.
Neither of us was unscathed... in fact, we were both marked by the battle. Cuts marred our cheeks, arms, and legs.
To an observer, we might look evenly matched.
However——.
"Ufufu. Light-based attacks are super effective against you Devils, aren't they?"
Vika smiled as she tapped the butt of her spear against the floor.
Yes. Even if our appearances suggested a stalemate, the damage I had taken was overwhelmingly greater.
A light aura——holy power——was seeping from the spear Vika wielded.
Vika spoke.
"Even a graze deals damage disproportionate to the size of the wound. Strong Devils can supposedly suppress the power of light, but my power is strong, too. No matter how much of a Princess you are, take enough hits and you won't be able to suppress it forever."
"...Gh!"
The holy power that invaded through my wounds lingered inside me, scorching my body from within. At first, it was manageable, but as the hits piled up—once, twice, three times—the burning pain intensified.
I was managing to endure it for now, but cold sweat was pouring from my entire body.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my sleeve and flashed a defiant smile.
"Not at all. If it's just this much, I can still go all day, you know?"
It was a bluff.
My knees felt like they were about to give out, yet I readied my spear.
Vika surely knew I was pushing myself.
But those words were not just a bluff; they were a way to rouse my own spirit.
I am standing.
I can still hold my spear like this.
Then——fight!
I spun my spear and charged at Vika!
Head-on, without any tricks or feints!
Vika switched her spear to her left hand and gripped a gun in her right. She aimed the muzzle at me and said:
"Nice♪ I like that kind of spirit♪"
The trigger was pulled, and a bullet was fired.
Spinning rapidly, the bullet flew straight at me.
I sliced the approaching bullet in two.
Bisected and charred black by my White Lightning!
She fired shot after shot, and I slashed, slashed, and slashed them all down!
Vika discarded the empty gun and this time deployed a magic circle.
Flying out from it were countless throwing knives!
Despite being thrown weapons, they were faster than the bullets!
"But that doesn't mean I can't see them!"
I entered the Zone.
Color vanished from my vision, and everything appeared to move in slow motion.
Slipping through the gaps between the slowly approaching knives, I closed the distance right in front of Vika!
"You damn big-titted womaaaaaan!"
I swung my spear with everything I had!
Vika responded in kind, swinging her own spear to meet mine!
As she parried my attacks, Vika tilted her head.
"The Princess has gotten a little bigger herself, haven't you? Isn't that good enough?"
Yes... my chest had grown.
My bra size had changed, too.
My growth spurt had finally arrived. I was in my prime growing phase right now.
Both Issei and I knew that.
But... but still——.
"They don't bounce as much as yours do yet! Why do you always wear such revealing clothes?! Especially the cleavage! Is it spite?! Are you doing it out of spite?!"
Seriously, this woman always wears clothes with a plunging neckline!
She jiggles them unnecessarily while fighting!
Even earlier, Issei's eyes had drifted to Vika's chest!
"I don't really intend to... But if I had to say, a lewd outfit makes me look more like a villainess, doesn't it?"
"That's your reason?!"
"Exactly. And I wear it well. The so-called 'hourglass figure,' as they say."
Saying that, Vika puffed out her chest, twisted her waist, and stuck out her hip.
"It might be fun to use these to seduce the Hero-kun♪ He's pretty cool, he's strong, and he looks like he's amazing down there, too. Maybe I should steal him from you girls and keep him all to myself♪"
...Monopolize Issei?
This woman... this girl...?
Issei... will be taken away?
No... something like that——.
"Noooooooo! I absolutely won't let yooooooooou!"
Half-crying, I swung my spear!
With full power!
Forgetting the pain!
Vika looked shocked at the weight of my blow.
"Oh my? Did I flip a weird switch?"
"It's true that he gets along with other girls! And he does lewd things too! But even so, no one monopolizes him! He is everyone's Issei! I won't let the likes of you have him all to yourself!"
"'Lewd things'... so he really does do them. Is the Hero-kun okay? I feel like there were quite a number of girls around him..."
"He's fine! That guy is bottomless!"
I mean, lately, he's even started initiating things a little more often...
And there was that time he did all sorts of things while half-asleep...
A-Anyway!
I won't let this girl monopolize Issei!
We clashed violently.
With every crossing of blades, the intensity increased.
The second blow was heavier than the first, the third heavier than the second.
The incessant sound of high-speed spear impacts echoed throughout the room.
Then, Vika closed the distance deeply.
She pressed the shaft of her spear against my hands and spun her weapon to entangle mine.
Realizing her intent, I spun my spear to counter it.
As a result of the sudden shift in the flow of power, both spears were torn from our hands and sent flying into the air.
Spinning round and round, they arced downward and stabbed into the floor right behind us.
Normally, both sides would jump back to retrieve their weapons.
But the enemy in front of me had no need to do that.
"Is this the end, I wonder? Looks like I win this time too!"
In Vika's hand was a Holy Sword she had created!
Pointing the tip to the heavens, she swung it straight down to slice me in two!
Having lost my weapon, I——.
"Like I'd just take that!"
I coated both my hands in White Lightning and caught the blade!
Vika's eyes widened.
"Shiraha-dori—Blade Catching?!"
I smiled fearlessly.
"Too bad for you. The one who taught me how to fight was that 'Sword Saint', you know? He didn't train me to be helpless just because I lost my weapon. Besides——"
I slammed a kick into Vika's stomach, sending her flying!
Chasing after Vika as she slammed into the wall——.
"I am his 'Queen'! I can't keep losing foreveeeeeeeer!"
My fist, clad in White Lightning, captured Vika——.
▽
"Phew! That felt good!"
I exhaled deeply.
I finally landed a solid hit on her!
"With this, I've managed to strike back at least once."
After murmuring that, I retrieved my spear from the floor.
I looked toward the spot where smoke was rising.
...I landed a hit, sure, but from past battles, I know she isn't an opponent who'd go down from just that.
As the smoke cleared, Vika became visible, buried in the cratered wall.
"Kah...!"
She coughed up a clump of blood and fell to one knee.
Despite taking significant damage, Vika smiled.
"Ufu, fufufu... Not bad. ...Can I ask one thing?"
"What?"
"...For a girl to punch another girl with a closed fist... isn't that a bit much?"
"That's what you're worried about?! You seem pretty relaxed considering!"
S-Sure, generally girls might slap... but a punch is stronger...
And even if she is a girl, she's an enemy, so I don't think there's any need to hold back...
I mean, she's not an opponent I can hold back against...
"Muscle-brain."
"Sh-Shuddup!"
I am not a muscle-brain!
Th-There are parts I can't deny, but even so, I'm not a muscle-brain!
Vika summoned a new spear and used it as a cane to stand up.
Then, she sighed once.
" beaten up this much, I'd say I have no choice but to use my trump card... is what I'd like to say, but it looks like we're done for today."
"...What did you say?"
"Because of some unnecessary interference. It's noisy outside, isn't it?"
"——!"
Hearing that, I looked out the window.
There, I saw a swarm of Evil Dragons filling the sky.
"This... this isn't something you guys did, is it?"
"No. We have a few Evil Dragons here, but those are different. That's Uncle Rizevim's doing."
So that old man shows up now...!
He really is nothing but a nuisance...!
Vika continued.
"He's probably targeting the Hero-kun. Uncle apparently got beaten to a pulp in Heaven, right? He's surely aiming for the moment Issei is weakened from his fight with Father. Tactically, it's correct... but I wish he wouldn't do unnecessary things. Honestly, it's just getting in the way."
Saying that, Vika sighed heavily.
[Perspective: Alice - Out]
▽
The Evil Dragons covering the sky roared.
A swarm so dense it felt like the pitch-black sky was falling was closing in on me.
An ambush right when I'm weakened after using my power to the limit.
They sure know how to do the nastiest things...!
I clicked my tongue, but then——.
『Issei, please leave this to us.』
A transmission came through the earpiece I was wearing.
In the next instant, countless beams of light flew from far in the distance, shooting down the Evil Dragons!
Sniping from a distance beyond even Asem's sensory range!
Tracing the beams back to their source, I saw——.
"Sally, Fina. Are you both ready?"
"Roger! Deploying Rifle Bits!"
"Roger that. Deploying Shield Bits."
A woman with pale green hair, accompanied by fairies with red and light-blue hair.
Responding to the two fairies' voices, multiple magic circles deployed.
Magical Guns emerged from the red circles, and plates embedded with jewels... no, shields, were summoned from the light-blue circles.
Six of each.
The Magical Guns flew freely through the air, spitting fire from their muzzles!
The flames pierced through the bodies of multiple Evil Dragons, burning their massive frames!
Even if they are mass-produced, that firepower burned dragons.
And sniping from outside detection range.
With the woman's arrival, the Evil Dragons shifted their attention to her.
They pounced one after another with eyes full of bloodlust.
Then, the shields emerging from the light-blue magic circles interposed themselves between the woman and the dragons.
The jewels shone——and cold air drifted around the shields, forming plates of ice!
The ice shields blocked the Evil Dragons' attacks with ease!
While protected by the ice shields, the woman with pale green hair pulled the trigger of her own Magical Gun.
Due to their intervention, the mass-produced Evil Dragons were already thrown into chaos.
The woman came to my side and smiled gently.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Issei."
"No, it was perfect timing——Leesha."
Yes, this woman's name is Leesha.
A comrade who supported me in Ast-Ahde!
An older sister figure to both me and Alice!
And——.
I shifted my gaze to the two fairies sitting on Leesha's shoulder.
"Thank you, Sally, Fina. You saved me."
"Right?! Nice moves by me, right?!"
"Ufufu, I am glad you are safe, Issei-san."
The lively-looking red-haired fairy girl is Sally.
The quiet-looking light-blue-haired fairy girl is Fina.
Simply put, they are familiar-like existences contracted to Leesha.
They support Leesha in battle.
I was surprised when I first learned this, but these two... are actually spirits who served the Four Great Spirits of Audier.
The Four Great Spirits are existences considered close to gods, governing Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind respectively.
Sally served the Fire Spirit, and Fina served the Water Spirit.
Thus, Sally can use the power of fire, and Fina the power of water.
...When I went to visit her after a long time, I was shocked to find Leesha had become friends with such incredible beings.
W-Well, the other person was even more amazing, though...
Leesha spoke.
"I thought about assisting you, Issei, but the two of you were moving too fast; I couldn't take a shot."
"Don't worry about it."
I mean, not to toot my own horn, but anyone who could keep up with that would be a monster.
"However, I wonder why he left?"
"Huh...?"
Left...?
I looked behind me.
——Asem is gone?!
Since when?!
I was stunned.
At that moment, a large video projection appeared in the sky.
Displayed on it was Asem, back in his usual young boy form.
『Man~, getting interrupted by random nobodies is such a buzzkill. So, I'm gonna go watch "The Karate Kid," you guys have fun okay? ☆』
"Hah!?"
『I'm in a cooperative relationship with Old Man Rizevim, sure. But when someone gets in the way while I'm having fun, I lose all motivation. Well, since we are cooperating, I won't erase the Evil Dragons that interrupted us. But in exchange, I won't fight anymore either. For today, at least. You guys can have a rendezvous with the Evil Dragons or something.』
"Oi, wait right there, dammit!"
『Not waiting~. "The Karate Kid" just started~. Today was fun, Hero-kun♪ I hope we can fight with full power again next time. See ya later~.』
Leaving those words behind, he cut the video feed.
That bastard, he seriously went home to watch The Karate Kid!
I could hear the actors' voices!
I could hear the music playing!
"Oiiiiiii! If you're gonna cut the video, cut the audio tooooooo!"
『Ah, whoopsie.』
Don't give me "whoopsie"!
It was pretty serious just a moment ago!
Asem was unusually serious while we were fighting!
Why did he go back to his usual casual vibe?!
"What's The Karate Kid? I want to see it too!"
Sally is getting interested in The Karate Kid!
Stop it!
Don't break the serious mood any further!
In the next instant, my armor deactivated.
"Huh...?"
I used my power to the limit and had reverted to normal armor... but I should have been able to maintain the armor still.
Ddraig-san, what does this mean?
Then——.
『Uhehe, uhehehehe. One boob... two boobs... three boooooobs...』
Ddraig?!
H-Hey, what's wrong, all of a sudden?!
I heard Senior Velzard's voice.
『Not good! The recoil from what he was enduring earlier has hit him all at once!』
『He was holding it back, and now it's flooded in! Ddraig, stay with us! ...Ddraig? Hey... Ddraig? Ddraig?』
Elsha-san called Ddraig's name.
However, there was no response from Ddraig.
『『Ddraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaig!!』』
What haaaaaaaaappened?!
What happened to Ddraig?!
It's no good!
Docking with the Oppaiser deals too much damage to Ddraig!
Even though he said "I fear neither breast nor butt" in the Vampire town!
『Ddraig, pull yourself together! I am here with you!』
Albion?!
You left Vali and came over here?!
『Vali is fine on his own. But right now, I am worried about Ddraig! We are the Two Heavenly Dragons! We swore to support each other and overcome this harsh era! We fear neither breast nor butt! Isn't that right?!』
『Al... bion...』
Ohh, Ddraig revived!
His voice is a little weak, but he regained consciousness!
However, the next words Ddraig uttered were shocking——.
『The milk... it closed in on me. Massive amounts of milk closed in and enveloped me...』
『Gh! That is...!』
『I managed to endure while we were fighting... But the moment the battle ended and I relaxed... it became terrifying... that terror seized me... aaaaaaaaah!』
Ddraig is losing his mind!
That was happening to you while we were docking?!
Albion shouted!
『Get a hold of yourself! Calm your heart! I will listen to your story slowly! I will accept it all! Let us overcome that terror together!』
『Albion...! You...!』
H-Huh... somehow both of them sound tearful...
Somehow their bond seems to have deepened even further...
Ignis... can't you do something about the Oppaiser's adjustments?
If Ddraig is going to ascend to heaven every time I dock, it's gonna be a problem...
『Hmm, well, let's try. Basically, the overflowing Nyuu-power invaded the Sacred Gear. We can probably figure something out, right?』
Please...!
For Ddraig's sake...!
『But, resupplying from the Switch Princesses is necessary. Ufufu, look forward to it when you get home♪ Go deepen your bonds with Alice-chan and Rias-chan♪』
...Yeah.
Oppaiser Readjustment: Confirmed! (LOL)
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