Second-year high school sumr.
I was supposed to get a girlfriend this year and live it up, full-on youth mode.
Maybe even have a gentleman's hangout with Matsuda and Motohama.
Sure, I'd train, too.
But there's a limit to everything.
BOOM!
A deafening clash echoed through the sky.
"Argh! Why's my training always like this! Damn it!" I shouted.
My fist slamd into Tannin-ossan's massive dragon claw, sending shockwaves rippling.
"Doing this without your Sacred Gear!?" Tannin roared.
Yeah, I'm fighting a giant dragon bare-handed.
Sa old, sa old?
Nah, not quite.
Because—
"You're too focused on Tannin, Issei!" Tiamat's voice cut through.
In her human form, she unleashed a barrage of magical blasts.
Yup, I'm taking on two Demon King-class opponents bare-handed.
A few days holed up in the mountains, and my tracksuit's shredded. Top's gone, and my pants are basically shorts now.
"Tch! Promotion: Knight!" I yelled.
I couldn't dodge her magic barrage, so I promoted to Knight, zipping out of the way.
My training's got two goals.
First, Azazel-sensei's task: master the Pawn piece's Promotion trait.
Second, my own goal: get better at wielding Tenbu Zenon.
It's my strongest form, but the duration's short. Azazel-sensei said stronger enemies might show up, so I need to master it. That ans boosting my physical abilities.
It's like my usual training with Tiamat—just cranked to insane levels.
"Take this!" I roared, forming massive ki blasts in both hands and hurling them at Tannin and Tiamat.
"Hmph! Too weak!" Tannin swatted them away.
As expected.
My real move cos next.
"You're the weak one, ossan!" I shouted, darting behind him the mont his focus shifted.
I landed a flying kick to his back.
"Guh!?" Tannin grunted in pain.
Hell yeah! Payback for my burned tracksuit!
Then—
"Issei, this isn't one-on-one!" Tiamat's voice ca from behind.
I turned, and—
BOOM!
I hit the ground hard.
Ouch! I barely blocked with Hard Qigong, but a direct hit would've been bad. Tiamat's rciless as ever!
"Fighting two Dragon Kings bare-handed is reckless," Ddraig said.
Yeah, no kidding…
For now, I'll focus on toughening up my raw strength. Helps with learning the piece traits, too.
"Feeling it yet?" Ddraig asked.
Kinda. I'm getting the hang of the power flow when I promote.
Over these past few days, I've found the Rook and Knight pieces suit best. Their traits sh well with my Renkan Keikikou body enhancent, giving a big boost when combined.
The Bishop trait's good for ki blasts, but it doesn't fit my fighting style.
"What's up, Red Dragon Emperor? Giving up?" Tannin and Tiamat taunted, floating above .
I stood, brushing myself off. "Yo, I'm just getting started!"
Break's over. Ti to dive back in!
I spread my demonic wings and charged.
Two hours later, lunchti.
"Hey, you're going at it," a voice called.
Azazel-sensei popped out from the trees, dressed in a kimono.
"Sensei! What's up?" I asked.
"Ca to check on you and bring so food. How about a break?" he said, smirking at the surroundings.
I glanced around—craters everywhere, scorched trees. It looked like a warzone.
Damn, the terrain's all ssed up… That mountain over there's gone.
Hope the Gremory folks don't chew out…
Tiamat nodded. "It's about ti. Let's rest. Any more risks overwork."
"Aye," Tannin agreed. "You must be hungry, kid. Can't fight on an empty stomach."
True, I'm starving. Been going non-stop since morning.
Guess I'll take the break.
"This is so good!" I said, devouring Azazel's food delivery. "Haven't had a proper al in ages!"
"You're eating Rias's dish, Miu's, Asia's, and Akeno's. Dig in. Rias and Akeno were practically sparking while cooking," Azazel said.
"Hell yeah!" I grinned. Everyone made this for ? Gotta savor it! I can feel their love!
"Taking on two Dragon Kings and still in one piece? Impressive," Azazel said, clapping my shoulder.
"Don't joke! I nearly died out there! Tannin's flas are insane!" I protested.
"Haha! They match a teor strike!" Azazel laughed.
What!? That's the kind of dragon I'm fighting!?
I wanna go ho!
"You're alive after facing us. That's sothing," Tannin said.
Only 'cause you're holding back! I'm not crazy enough to take on two full-power Dragon Kings without my gauntlet.
"So, you used to Promotions yet?" Azazel asked.
"Getting there. I know which pieces suit . I'll keep training with them."
"Good. Your training's simple: master Promotions, then train as you like."
Feels like he's dumping it on …
Azazel flipped through my training log. "This is intense. I didn't plan for this level of crazy. Pairing you with two Dragon Kings was for Balance Breaker practice, not bare-handed fighting."
"Gotta go hard to get stronger. Vali's probably powering up, too," I said.
Vali Lucifer, the current White Dragon Emperor. I barely beat him last ti with Tenbu. Next ti? No guarantees.
Then I rembered sothing. "Hey, can Vali use Juggernaut Drive? He tried during our fight…"
Juggernaut Drive forcibly unleashes the Two Heavenly Dragons' power, granting god-like strength but shaving your lifespan and sanity—a dangerous move.
"Yeah, he can, by burning his massive magic reserves. Lasts about ten minutes, depending. You ever tried it?" Azazel asked.
"Nah, Ddraig showed footage from the gauntlet's records. I don't want that power," I said.
The Juggernaut Drive records Ddraig showed were brutal. Users didn't stop after beating enemies—they destroyed everything, even what they swore to protect. I'd never go there.
Azazel pressed further. "That power you used against Vali—what was it? I've studied Sacred Gears for ages, seen plenty of Red and White Dragon Emperors. None ever unleashed anything like that. Not even Vali."
Knew he'd ask eventually.
I hesitated, but the gem on my gauntlet glowed.
"That power is beyond Balance Breaker, born from my partner's pursuit," Ddraig said.
Azazel tilted his head. "But Balance Breaker's the pinnacle. So reach variant Breakers later, but this felt different."
"Exactly. My partner's Balance Breaker is standard. This—Second Layer Balance Breaker—is his evolution, answered by the Sacred Gear. Only unwavering resolve reaches this realm," Ddraig explained.
"…So, Sacred Gears and God-Destroying Gears still hold mysteries," Azazel muttered. "But still…"
He kept mumbling. Guess my power's that rare? Ddraig was shocked at first, too.
"Both Red and White this generation are freaks," Tannin muttered. "White wields Juggernaut, Red reaches beyond Balance Breaker…"
"On another note… what do you think of Akeno?" Azazel asked.
"Great senpai," I said.
"Not that. As a woman."
"Super hot! Definitely girlfriend material!" I grinned.
Her S-mode's a bit scary, but regular Akeno's kind, with cute girly monts.
Azazel nodded, relieved. "Good answer. I've gotta look out for her, for a friend."
"Barakiel-san?" I asked.
"Yup. He and Shemhazai are old buddies. We did dumb stuff back in the day. Now they've got wives and kids. Shemhazai's got a demon wife, Barakiel's got Akeno. anwhile, I'm… ugh," he sighed.
Is he bumd about being single?
"You not getting married, Sensei?" I asked.
"…I live for my hobbies. Plenty of won out there," he said, staring into the distance.
Guess marriage is a sore spot.
"That's why I worry about Akeno. Probably ddling, but whatever," he said.
"You're such a busybody," I teased.
"Just bored. Ended up raising the White Dragon Emperor, too."
Nah, he's just a softie, looking out for , Vali, and everyone.
"So, I'm leaving Akeno to you, too," he said.
"Leaving her how…?"
Protect her in fights? I'd throw myself in front of danger for her.
"You're an idiot, but not a bad guy. You'd treat her right," Azazel said.
"Sensei, you're losing ."
"Haha, that's fine. I trust you'll figure it out."
"Uh, okay… I'll protect Akeno. All my friends, actually—I'd put my life on the line."
"That's what I like to hear. Makes feel better. Now, about Koneko…"
"Koneko-chan? What's wrong?" I asked.
He sighed. "She's pushing too hard. Overdid my training nu and collapsed this morning. Total overwork."
"She collapsed!?" I gasped.
My junior's in trouble? Overwork, no less…
"Asia's healing fixed her injuries, but stamina's another story. She's bedridden for now, absolute rest."
That bad, huh?
Wait—I got an idea.
"I'll heal Koneko-chan," I said.
"You?" Azazel raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. If I regulate her ki to boost her healing, she'll recover faster."
"Hm… Right, you use techniques like senjutsu. Perfect timing—I was told to bring you back."
"Bring back? By who? Rias?"
"…Veneelana-sama," he said.
Veneelana-san's calling !?
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