"Heh! My full-powered Dragon Blaster packs a serious punch, but the recoil's just as insane. If I don't brace myself hard enough, it sends me flying in the opposite direction!"
"What!? Red Dragon Emperor, are you saying… you willingly took that recoil!?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. Even if your barrier only broke for a split second, charging in full force while blasting from point-blank range makes it easier to break through and escape! …Though I did slam into the ground hard enough to knock the air out of my lungs."
Looking more closely, the ground behind where Issei-senpai had been trapped is deeply gouged out. He must've crashed into it at full speed.
"Hah! Nice one, Hyoudou! Turning a self-destructive flaw into strategy, is that Arima's influence?"
"Don't lump me in with that lunatic!"
Saji-senpai, who had been fighting alongside me against Grendel, cheered upon seeing the situation shift in Issei-senpai's favor. If Issei-senpai managed to defeat Ladon, we could join forces to take down Grendel and support Ikki-senpai's team. Not all of us could go, but Issei-senpai, with his power to transfer abilities, would be the most effective to send.
No, more than that. If Ladon falls, the barrier surrounding this entire region should collapse. We could then immediately contact the Demon Lords and have the army dispatched.
But then, a massive surge of energy appeared out of nowhere and rushed in at incredible speed.
"Watch out, Issei-senpai!"
"Huh?—Gahhh!!"
My warning came too late. A red comet-like figure slammed into Issei-senpai and sent him flying.
"Well, well... you really think you've got time to be looking away from me?"
In that brief moment of distraction, Grendel focused solely on his prey took advantage and struck me with a massive fist, sending me flying.
"Toujou-san!? You bastard! Your fight's with me!"
Saji-senpai, seeing me knocked away, unleashed a storm of attacks: black flames, dark-line restraints, and a prison of fire, everything he had, to draw Grendel's attention away. That was entirely my mistake.
I crawled from the rubble of a collapsed house, and then, from behind me, I was bathed in a gentle green light.
"Shirone-chan! I'll heal you now!"
Akeno-senpai's familiar was carrying Asia-senpai, who sent healing magic my way—just in time. Perfect timing, Asia-senpai.
At the same moment, also riding Maru, Ravel unleashed her forbidden magic in a synchronized full burst with Rossweisse-san's spells. Their combined magic bombarded Grendel, forcing him back.
Flawless support fire.
But then, my attention shifted—there was a new enemy on the battlefield. A red, dragon-shaped full-body armor...
"That's a fake Red Dragon Emperor's Boosted Gear Scale Mail!? You show up now, Euclid!?"
Issei-senpai shouted, but Euclid ignored him and addressed Ladon.
"Ladon. You and Azi Dahaka are the key to our plan. We can't have you bowing out so easily."
"…You'd do well not to interfere so casually in a dragon's battle. If this keeps happening, I may choose to oppose you—dust or not. If it were Grendel, he would've snapped by now."
Ladon's voice was low and warning. Euclid stroked his chin in thought, then turned back toward him.
"Understood. I'll take that into consideration from now on."
Having seemingly smoothed things over, he continued.
"How is Lord Azi Dahaka? We may be overcommitting forces—Apophis included."
"He sensed Apophis entering the fray and got fired up. Said something like, 'Then I'll enjoy myself even more!' So I left him to it. I figured trying to stop him might result in my own demise. I just hope he doesn't forget that one of our goals lies in Agreas… but that's up to the D×D team and the Emperor now."
Don't just shift the consequences of your chaos onto us...
Explosions in the far-off city of Agreas are growing more intense. Reinforcements may no longer be an option.
"DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE ME!!"
Issei-senpai charged at Euclid with a punch, but Euclid caught it head-on.
"Hm. A battle between Red Dragon Emperors would be intriguing, but I was just warned not to overstep. Besides... I'm not your opponent, am I?"
THUD!
"Gah!?"
Euclid's kick slammed into Issei-senpai's side at close range, launching him into another barrier—trapping him once more.
"No. I am your opponent."
"Then I'll just blast you away like before, Ladon!"
"That won't work again."
With those words, a spherical barrier re-formed around Issei-senpai. But this time, the outermost layer had a single hole—right where his cannon would fire.
"If your strategy relies on escaping the instant you break through, then all I need to do is leave one layer intact. This barrier isn't for defense—it's to cut off your retreat. Don't expect the same tactic to work twice."
Euclid then turned toward Rossweisse-san and addressed her with a twisted smile.
"Please wait a little longer. Once I've finished here, I'll come for you first."
...That was the creepiest kidnapping announcement I've ever heard.
"I'm not a stalker. She simply won't thrive at your side. She'll be far happier with me. If she comes willingly, I'll shower her with love."
His inner thoughts leaked out mid-sentence, and I'm fairly certain he meant every word. That's what makes it so disturbing. Rossweisse-san even shuddered.
She hugged herself and edged toward the far side of Maru, putting distance between her and Euclid.
"I'm not going anywhere! My place is with the Gremory peerage!"
"Then I'll just destroy that place—and you'll be mine. Once I've taken you, I'll remove anything that troubles you. Though… a few people may die right here first."
With that, Euclid took to the sky and launched a volley of magic blasts toward the academy.
Some were intercepted by Rossweisse and Ravel's dual-layered barrier. But not all of them.
"I won't let you!"
Using my flame chariots, I stopped one blast with a shield of fire. For the last one, I covered myself in fighting spirit and intercepted it directly.
The impact was worse than getting hit by Grendel earlier. It seems Euclid's fake Scale Mail has even more destructive power than the Holy Grail-enhanced Grendel.
"Guh…!"
Asia-senpai's healing magic reached me quickly, but my entire body was numb. Even if my physical wounds are gone, my brain can't keep up with the pain signals.
"Oi, Euclid! Are you trying to steal my prey now!?"
"You're mistaken, Grendel. I targeted the academy. She interfered on her own."
What a load of crap! Even if President's barrier protected the top floors, letting terrorists destroy a school for underprivileged children would cause irreparable damage.
You can rebuild structures. But you can't erase the stain of "a school overrun by terrorists." That kind of scandal could cripple the academy's future.
Our auras swelled with righteous anger.
"…You. You aimed at the academy… at the children inside."
Among us, Saji-senpai's aura stood out the most—burning with a dark intensity fit for an Evil Dragon. His Sacred Gear must've reacted to his overwhelming rage.
"Guhahahaha! What's this? Still not enough? But you're giving off an aura that reminds me of the old Vritra. Guess I forgot—targeting that school does get you guys riled up. Well then, how about this!?"
Grendel took a deep breath and unleashed a flamethrower-like breath—not a fireball, but a continuous inferno—straight toward the academy.
Saji-senpai cloaked himself in black fire and intercepted the blast head-on. But the enemy was a Dragon King-class threat revived and enhanced by the Holy Grail. Saji's flame wasn't enough. His entire body began to burn.
Asia's healing light barely reached him through the sheer intensity of Grendel's flame. He was being incinerated alive.
I tried to rush in and interrupt Grendel, but Euclid blocked my path.
"Oh no, you don't. With the Red Dragon Emperor restrained, you're their strongest force. I'll hold you here."
"Get out of my way!"
I struck at him, but he dodged effortlessly and countered with a punch.
I evaded using a technique I learned from Ikki-senpai, but the following barrage was too fast and powerful. I couldn't keep up—I was struck and hurled backward again.
Blood trickled from my lips. I think my insides took damage.
"Shirone-chan!"
"Asia-senpai! Focus on Saji-senpai's healing!"
If she stops for even a moment, his full-body burns will consume him completely. We'll lose him in an instant.
Rossweisse-san and Ravel are still defending against waves of mass-produced Evil Dragons, while firing spells at Grendel and throwing support at Euclid to protect me. But at this rate, Saji-senpai will die.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
[Saji! Retreat immediately! We can rebuild the school later if we must! But if you die to protect it, it'll all be meaningless!]
Her desperate voice came through the communicator.
But Saji-senpai stood firm, the black fire around him burning hotter than ever.
"Thank you… President. But… I can't. I won't retreat!"
"There are kids in that school—kids who found hope there. Kids who call a stiff, awkward, clueless teacher like me 'sensei' with a smile! I'm sorry, President. But if I retreat now… I'll erase their smiles with fear. I refuse to let that happen!"
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100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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