[Kiba's POV]
"Ahem… Well, I certainly didn't expect the store manager to call at a time like this."
Walz cleared his throat and offered a dry, wry smile… but honestly, our shock far outweighed his.
Why in the world was he getting a phone call now? How did a battle deciding the fate of the universe somehow turn into a conversation about part-time jobs?
"Y-You actually work…? Frankly, I find that far more shocking…"
Rias, our former president, had a subtle twitch near her eye. I couldn't agree more. These people hadn't just blended into the human realm—were they actually enjoying themselves?!
Walz flashed a bright, cheerful grin. "Well, initially it was just a way to gather intelligence on this world, but…"
"Once you get into it, it actually gets pretty fun," Razul chimed in.
"The pay is low and the shifts are brutal at times, but the rewards are immense! Job satisfaction is everything! Ah, the sheer beauty of labor!"
""Right~?""
Why were they suddenly waxing poetic about middle-management work ethics?! What on earth do these guys do on their days off?!
"Ugh… I wish Lord Azazel would take a page out of your book…"
Rayner was practically weeping. Teacher Azazel, just how much grief do you cause that poor woman?
Then, Rossweisse stepped forward with an intensely curious look on her face and asked Walz:
"Out of curiosity… what kind of work do you do?"
That's what you're asking?! Sure, we were all curious, but she actually said it out loud!
With everyone's eyes glued to them, Walz answered Rossweisse's question without a hint of shame—
"I'm a clerk at Don Quijote, among a few other gigs."
"I work at a ramen shop, too."
They were far more integrated into the workforce than any of us could have ever imagined.
▽
"Well, as nice as it would be to keep chatting about our personal lives, we can't linger on it forever, can we?"
With that, Walz drew his sword from its sheath.
His relaxed expression vanished in an instant, replaced by an eerie, suffocating pressure. Just meeting his gaze felt like he was peering directly into the depths of my soul. No, he was seeing through us—that was the sight-granting power bestowed upon him by Asem.
Razul slammed his fists together, a blazing aura surging from his entire body. He hadn't even struck yet, but the sheer force of his presence was overwhelming. During the Auros Academy incident, his raw strength was enough to corner Issei in his Heavenly Martial state. In close-quarters combat, he was easily Issei's equal—if not his superior.
Maurice spoke up, addressing Walz.
"Personally, there's still a lot I don't know about this world, so I wouldn't mind hearing more about how you boys live."
"Yes, it sounds like something we could discuss over a few drinks."
At those words, Maurice let out a slow sigh.
"I suppose it's improper to say something like this in a place like this… but I don't want to kill you two."
—!
The words took us completely by surprise, but even our enemies, Walz and Razul, widened their eyes in shock.
"We've crossed blades only twice. Just twice, but I like to think I've come to understand you—not everything, but enough. What you two truly desire is—"
Just as Maurice reached the crux of his thought, Walz placed an index finger to his lips.
"Sword Saint, perhaps it is best you leave those words unsaid. On this battlefield, we are enemies—even if the future we wish for happens to be the same. Still… fufu, 'you don't want to kill us'? That almost sounds as if you're confident you can win."
"Well, on my own, I wouldn't have much confidence surviving against the two of you if you unleashed your true power. I might be able to drag you down with me for a mutual kill, though. That's why we're going to defeat you—to stop you."
Razul smirked at the declaration.
"So you've looked right through us, huh? But are you sure about this? Setting the 'Sword Saint' aside, those kids behind you look like they're way out of their depth."
Razul gestured toward us with his chin.
Could our power really reach the realm of the gods? When put like that, it was a hard truth to swallowed. We had grown stronger, without a doubt, but there was always a higher peak. Against opponent of this caliber, how far could our current strength actually take us…?
Yet Maurice simply chuckled, a fearless smile spreading across his face—as if Razul's skepticism was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.
"Heh, heh, heh… You think it's impossible? You think a few brats with barely two decades of life under their belts can't bring down a god-class entity? Don't underestimate them. The path these kids walked to reach this point was anything but soft. They're far tougher than those sheltered gods you defeated in your cozy little environment. Or are you trying to tell me you think they're weak?"
"Nah, not at all. The fact that they're standing here right now is proof enough of their strength. Plus, they've got the Sword Saint's stamp of approval. I'm looking forward to this."
The aura radiating from Razul swelled dramatically. His face twisted into a grin pure battle lust, casting a chilling aura that gave me goosebumps just standing nearby.
Walz turned to us, his own intent to fight laid bare.
"Now then, how shall we proceed? Personally, I would love a one-on-one duel with the Sword Saint, but I am also eager to test my skills against the wielders of the Holy-Demon Sword and the Holy Swords…"
Walz deployed a series of magic circles around his hands. They were complex, ancient arrays I had never seen before, layered endlessly atop one another. The glow intensified until it was nearly blinding—
"Wha…?!"
When the light faded, someone gasped in disbelief.
Standing right in front of us were two Walzes.
One of the two spoke up calmly:
"This is similar to one of the trump cards the Norse evil god, Loki, used when he fought you in the past. A clone created through forbidden magic. Its capabilities are nearly identical to mine… though its base specs are slightly inferior."
"Talk about being overly prepared," Maurice muttered.
"Well, it did cost me a small slice of my lifespan to create." Walz offered a wry chuckle at Maurice's comment.
During that infamous raid, when Loki faced the two greatest Heavenly Dragons of all time—Issei the Red Dragon Emperor and Vali the White Dragon Emperor—he had thrown his own clones at them first. Once they defeated the clones and let their guard down, Loki landed a devastating surprise attack with his own hands.
Walz was doing the exact same thing now… No, while the structure of the clone might be the same, his tactical approach was completely different.
Walz placed a hand over his heart.
"I shall face the Sword Saint. My clone will handle the three Holy-Demon and Holy Sword wielders. I must say, watching your growth throughout these battles has been nothing short of astounding!"
"Man, I'm getting super pumped for this!"
Right after Walz spoke, the clone blurted out a line completely out of character! Even the real Walz stared at his clone with a visible question mark floating over his head.
"Oh? Don't tell me… did you read the manga sitting in my room?"
"Indeed. I had quite a bit of downtime while waiting."
If the original lacked tension, the clone inherited the exact same flaw! Did he really have to replicate that part of his personality?!
A-Anyhow, Yuuto Kiba, Xenovia, and Irina were up against the clone. Since he mentioned watching our previous fights, he undoubtedly understood our newest techniques.
Furthermore, Walz stated the clone was virtually identical to him. That meant—
"Yes, precisely, Yuuto Kiba. I possess almost the exact same abilities as the original. Which means I, too, have the power to see the future and read your mind."
He must have read my thoughts just now. The clone of Walz confirmed it with a polite smile.
I gave a firm nod. "I see. In that case, I'd like to ask how you differ from the original."
"You can ask him yourself after you defeat me."
A remarkably high hurdle… But I suppose I'll leave that part to Maurice.
"HAAAAAAAH!"
"ZEAAAAAAAH!"
The clash between Maurice and the original Walz had already begun. Maurice's twin blades collided with Walz's sword, sending shower of violent sparks into the air.
Maurice shouted over the sound of clashing steel:
"Yuuto! Xenovia! Irina! Show me you can beat that clone! If you lose, I'm multiplying your training regimen by a hundred!"
"Yes! I know you three can do it! I'm cheering for youuuuu!"
"Whose side are you even on?!" I blurted out.
Why was Walz cheering us on alongside him?! What was his endgame here?! And more importantly, Maurice was an absolute demon! A hundred times that training?! We'd literally die!
"Kiba, Irina—we are winning this, no matter what. Even I couldn't survive a hundred times that hell!" Xenovia declared fiercely.
"Right! We're winning!" Irina agreed.
Leave it to Xenovia and Irina to find their ultimate motivation in fear of our master's training! But honestly… I was thinking the exact same thing!
I pushed my Sword Birth to its second tier, manifesting the Crimson Dragon Knights. Xenovia flared her blue-flamed aura, her hair lengthening as she entered her full-power state. Irina unleashed a radiant golden aura, coating herself in holy power of purification.
As we clad ourselves in our respective powers, Walz's clone smiled and drew his blade.
"Shall we begin then? Though I am a transient existence born of forbidden magic, I am still Walz the 'Gazer.' Defeating me will pave the way to your future. —Try and defeat me. Cling to that future with your own hands!"
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