High School DxD_ Holy Behind the Gymnasium, Vol. 6

Copyright
Volume 6
Ichiei Ishibumi
Translation by Haydn Trowell

Cover art by Miyama-Zero
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are
the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any
resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is
coincidental.
HIGH SCHOOL DxD Vol. 6 TAIIKUKAN URA NO HOLY

©Ichiei Ishibumi, Miyama-Zero 2010
First published in Japan in 2010 by KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo.
English translation rights arranged with KADOKAWA CORPORATION,
Tokyo, through TUTTLE-MORI AGENCY, INC., Tokyo.
English translation © 2022 by Yen Press, LLC
Yen Press, LLC supports the right to free expression and the value of
copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to
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a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Ishibumi, Ichiei, 1981– author. | Miyama-Zero, illustrator. | Trowell,
Haydn, translator.
Title: High school DxD / Ichiei Ishibumi ; illustration by Miyama-Zero ;
translation by Haydn Trowell.
Other titles: Haisukūru Dī Dī. English
Description: First Yen On edition. | New York, NY : Yen On, 2020.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020032159 | ISBN 9781975312251 (v. 1 ; trade
paperback) | ISBN 9781975312275 (v. 2 ; trade paperback) | ISBN
9781975312299 (v. 3 ; trade paperback) | ISBN 9781975312312 (v. 4 ;
trade paperback) | ISBN 9781975312336 (v. 5 ; trade paperback) | ISBN
9781975312350 (v. 6 ; trade paperback)
Subjects: CYAC: Fantasy. | Demonology—Fiction. | Angels—Fiction. | High
schools—Fiction. | Schools—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.I836 Hi 2020 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020032159
ISBNs: 978-1-9753-1235-0 (paperback)

978-1-9753-1236-7 (ebook)
E3-20211222-JV-NF-ORI
CONTENTS
Cover
Insert
Title Page
Copyright
Epigraph
Life.0
Life.1 Say Hello to the Second Semester!
Life.2 Asia’s Troubles
Asia
Boss×Boss
Life.3 The Great Battle!

Ouroboros
Life.4 I Love You

Juggernaut Drive
Life.5 The Great Red!

Vali Lucifer
New Life
Afterword
Heroes
Yen Newsletter
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Can I stay by your side forever, Issei?
Page 1 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com

Life.0
When I glanced around, I found myself in an elegant Japanese-style room.

Not even a single scratch marred the woven tatami mats that lined the
floor. The room was filled with expensive-looking vases, and outside the
window was an exquisite traditional garden fitted with a deer scarer that let
out a refreshing, peaceful clap at regular intervals.
“Issei.”
A woman dressed in a white kimono appeared before me.
Asia?!
She knelt formally, bowing her head. This blond-haired, green-eyed
foreign beauty was so pure and sacred that I could hardly contain my joy!
She looked at me with warm, moist eyes and said, “Thank you for
everything you’ve done for me. I’ll be leaving to get married soon.”
Wh-whaaaaat?!
“Oh, Asia, look at you…”
“Asia! You’re so beautiful!”
At my side, my mom and dad were bawling their eyes out.
“Asia, you know you can come visit us whenever you want, right?” the
prez assured as she wiped tears from her eyes.
“Asia, leave everything here to us. We’ll be fine.” Like Rias, Akeno was
overflowing with emotion, too!
Huh?! Huuuuuh?! What on earth?! Asia?!
While I was paralyzed with confusion, my mom turned to me. “Issei, you
should congratulate Asia. She’s always been like a little sister to you, no?”
This was all happening way too suddenly! Why was Asia getting
married?!
Who was the groom?!
As if in answer, the one who had stolen my Asia’s heart made his

entrance.
Swoosh! A shoji door slid open, and a handsome pretty boy entered the
room.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I suppose I should address you as my
brother-in-law? I’m Diodora Astaroth, an incredibly wealthy high-class
demon. Heh-heh-heh, you can entrust Asia to me. I’ll satisfy her—you can
count on that!” With those words, he struck a handsome pose!
This was one of the high-class demons we had met the other day! He was
the heir to the House of Astaroth and part of the same family as Demon King
Beelzebub!
Ah, right! Now I remember!
Diodora had proposed to Asia out of nowhere at the end of summer break,
right after we returned from the underworld!
“Look how gorgeous he is! I’m so relieved!”
“Yep, and he’s rich, too. Maybe he’ll be able to look after us in our old
age, eh?”
This was unbelievable! Did my parents even know what they were
saying?!
“It’s such a relief to know that Asia will be with Diodora. I know she’ll be
happy with him.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
Even my Two Great Sisters, Rias and Akeno, were nodding along to it all!
Were they really okay with this?! Seriously?!
“Now then, Asia, it’s time for the ceremony. Let’s take the first step
toward our bright new future together!” With that, Diodora took Asia in his
arms, carrying her like a princess into the ceremony hall!
“Hey, you! I haven’t given my blessing yet!” I called out before taking off
after them.
Seemingly unconcerned, Asia merely waved back at me. “Issei! Thank
you for everything! I’m so happy now!”
Huuuuuuuuuuh?!
Hold on! Waaaaaiiiiit!
“Asia! Your brother doesn’t approve, though!”
I tried to give chase, but I couldn’t reach her in time…
N-no… Asia…
My beautiful Asia…was about to become…someone else’s wife…

“Are you all right, Issei?”
Asia, dressed in her pajamas, was staring at me with concern.
I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, snapping awake. Hurriedly, I glanced at
the clock and saw that it was morning, right around my usual wake-up time.
“…You’re still here, Asia.”
“Of course I am. You were calling out my name in your sleep.”
Ah, so that was it. A dream. So everything about her getting married was
just an awful nightmare.
I sat up in bed, a torrent of tears that I must have shed in my sleep
streaking down my face.
“I dreamed that you were getting married. Ugh, it was more painful than I
could have ever imagined.”
Asia flashed me a puzzled look but soon smiled back at me. “You’re such
a worrywart, Issei. It’s all right. I’m not going to get married yet.”
“Really? You mean it? I’d die of loneliness, you know?”
“Yes. It would be terrible if that were to happen,” she answered with a
broad smile.
Ah, my dearest Asia!
Seriously, if she did get married, I would be overcome with grief. Just
dreaming about it had already taken a huge toll on my mental state. I was a
wreck.
“…Ngh…”
—!
There was something moving under the sheets, right near my lower body!
Rising from under the blankets was…Koneko?! When did she get into my
bed?!
She wiped her drowsy eyes, then wrapped her arms around my chest and
promptly resumed snoozing. What was I supposed to do? Her body was so
petite, so soft…
Plus, she was wearing nothing but a white shirt! Talk about foul play! It
felt like her skin was pressing directly against mine…
“…Ngh… Meow…”
Koneko’s cat ears twitched up and down, her tail curling back and forth!

Having recently learned about her true form, believe me when I say that her
cuteness was practically lethal!
Hold on, if her tail’s sticking out, what about her underwear?! D-don’t
tell me… N-no, this is bad! I shouldn’t think about that!
After returning home from our underworld training camp, it had been
decided that Koneko would live with us going forward. I was fine with that,
but it felt like she was always sneaking into my room to sit on my lap or curl
up in my bed next to me…
That said, her biting tongue and willingness to lash out with a devastating
punch hadn’t changed… Still, I had to wonder if she’d grown fond of me.
I was at a complete loss as to how much I should dote on Koneko. I was
incredibly happy to discover this new side to her, though.
“Anyway, I’m glad all that about you getting married was just a bad
dream, Asia.” I breathed a sigh of relief as I stroked Koneko’s head.
At that moment—
“I wish that were all that there was to it.”
The prez must have woken up before me, as she was sitting at the foot of
the bed, reading a large pile of documents.
“Are those letters?” I asked.
Rias nodded. “Yes. Each and every one of them is from Diodora Astaroth.
Love letters, it seems. Not to mention the movie tickets, dinner invitations,
gift certificates, and all the rest. Some of the deliveries were so big that
they’re still waiting out on the doorstep. I wonder how many times he’s done
this now?”
Love letters?! Presents, even?! Yep, lately, these things had been arriving
daily to my house, and they were all addressed to Asia.
Ngh! The sight of that gentle-looking pretty boy flared up in my mind!
That bastard! Proposing to Asia the minute we got home from the
underworld!
Unsure how to respond to this attention, Asia offered her most profuse
apologies with each delivery. It was clear she felt responsible for the trouble,
but it wasn’t her fault! Asia hadn’t asked for this!
Two weeks had passed since we’d run into Diodora. Summer break was
over, and the second semester at school was about to begin. Nonetheless, my
anger toward that handsome bastard increased with each passing day.
I rose to my feet, my eyes glistening, and screamed at the top of my lungs,

“I’ll never let him have her!”

Life.1
Say Hello to the Second Semester!
With autumn on its way, classes had started up again.

The inauguration ceremony to welcome in the new term concluded
without incident, meaning that the next item on the agenda at Kuou Academy
was preparing for the September Sports Festival.
Additionally, this time of year never failed to exhibit a certain
phenomenon that always bugged me.
The number of my classmates who managed to come out of their shells
over the vacation, reaching new levels of accomplishment and refinement,
was always on the rise. In other words, they had made their so-called summer
debuts.
A great many of my peers used the time off as an opportunity to embark
on a bold change of image. Well, strictly speaking, the number was less than
last time when I had been a first-year, but there were still plenty of them this
time around.
Numerous guys had gone to beauty parlors and returned with new
hairstyles, and many girls had adopted overexaggerated cutesy looks.
Classmates who were previously dull and unremarkable returned for the
second semester with new, eye-catching visages!
I had been so taken aback last year! And so jealous!
I wanted to come out of my shell!
I was a male high schooler, just like the others! I wanted to dye my hair
and dress up and flirt with girls! At least once! Maybe then, I’d finally be
able to boost my popularity with the ladies!
Summer was the best chance to change your image and make progress
toward a high school guy’s ultimate goal! Yep, to get a girlfriend!
“And then you can graduate from your virginity, right? Summer is

practically a brick wall to guys like us,” my glasses-wearing buddy
Motohama remarked with a nod.
He was one of the two negative influences in my life.
“Hey, Motohama. Did you get that information we talked about?” I asked.
Another nod. “Yeah, Matsuda’s just double-checking it now.”
“Heeeeey! Issei, Motohama! I’ve got it!” declared the second negative
influence in my life as he barged into the room with impeccable timing.
Yep, judging by his reaction, it sure looked like he had.
“You were right, Yoshida in the class next door did do it over summer!
And with a third-year girl!”
“Damn him!” Motohama and I spat hatefully!
So it was true! That bastard Yoshida! Not only was he strutting around
with a flashy new look and a stuck-up attitude, he had lost his virginity, too!
“Rumor has it that Ouba in our class did it with a first-year as well.”
“Seriously?! Ouba?!”
I glanced around, only for the man in question to give us a wave and flash
us an invigorated grin! Daaaaamn him! That cursed post-virgin!
In what kind of world was it fair for him to throw away his chastity so
easily?! I wanted to get rid of mine!
Since the beginning of second semester last year, my two buddies and I
had been gathering intel on what our peers had been up to during the
vacation. It was a well-known fact that many high schoolers graduated from
their virginity over the long break, and as virgins ourselves, we desperately
wanted to know as much as possible!
I mean, how could you not be dying to know which of your classmates
were still young and inexperienced and which weren’t?!
According to our information, the percentage of guys who had learned the
carnal pleasures of sex had gone up this year compared to last! In other
words, most of the guys in our class had already done it!
For high school guys like us, whether or not you got to sleep with a girl
was a matter of status! And I hated the way those post-virgins looked down
on people like us!
Their eyes all but said, Ah, that poor soul still doesn’t know what it’s like
to have a woman!
Damn them all!
I laid my face down on my desk, clutching my head.

Argh! It wasn’t supposed to be like this!
I’d had a plan! This was supposed to be the summer I came into my own!
Instead, I’d been whisked off to the underworld! What kind of high schooler
spent his summer down in Hell?!
I did! Me!
And not only that, the majority of my time there was spent running from a
dragon hunting me! Sound unbelievable?! Of course it does! If I went around
telling people that my precious second-year summer break had been wasted
embroiled in a bitter life-and-death struggle with a literal monster, they’d
lock me up!
In the end, the only erotic thing to happen during my summer break was
our trip to the hot springs! That was it! Sure, that alone was fantastic
compared to what I’d once had, but the true pleasure beyond that should have
been within easy reach!
My first time with the prez! Getting into bed with Akeno! Making a baby
with Xenovia!
I hadn’t been able to do a single one of those things in the underworld!
Fortunately, neither Matsuda nor Motohama had experienced anything
during the break, either. If they had reached that stage before me, I would’ve
killed myself. Seriously.
“Greetings, Cherryboys,” a bespectacled girl stated, snickering as she
looked down her nose at us.
“Kiryuu! Have you come to laugh?” Motohama questioned, indignant.
Our assailant nodded. “Hee-hee-hee. Knowing you three, I was sure you
had an uneventful summer.”
“Shut up!”
“By the way, Hyoudou,” Kiryuu said, turning to me. “Asia has been
acting a little distant lately. I don’t suppose you know why?”
I did. It was because of Diodora, no doubt. Even I could recognize that
much.
She was acting unusually flustered during class, panicking whenever the
teacher asked her a question, trying to read her textbooks upside down, that
sort of thing.
That said, she was laughing like normal with the other girls right now…
Asia was one of the most popular figures in class, among both boys and
girls. It was easy enough to understand why. Not only was she an incredible

beauty, just talking with her was enough to heal anything afflicting your soul.
Some of the boys liked to talk to her more for that sense of healing than to
confess their love. Rather than approaching her out of desire, they sought her
out for that sense of comfort.
I couldn’t blame them. I also felt at ease whenever I was with her.
Realizing that I was watching her, Asia waved to me. She flashed me a
smile…yet there was something undeniably awkward about it.
Hmm, yep, she’s worried all right.
Diodora’s proposal to her had left me at a loss.
As I sank deep in thought, Kiryuu stared down at me with suspicion.
“What is it?” I questioned.
“Oh, nothing. It just seems to me that you’re having more luck with girls
this semester.”
—! Seriously?! Why?!
“Your face is more serious now, and with my eyes, I can see just how
sturdy your body has become. Some of the girls have even started calling you
a little wild.”
So that was it. I ran a hand over my cheek. I couldn’t deny that I was a lot
more fit and muscular now. That was what happened when you passed the
summer training with a dragon. Admittedly, I had gone survivalist-mode
during that time.
Still, wild, huh? I see. Heh-heh-heh. I guess people had noticed, then.
Perhaps my charms had leveled up? Was I finally catching some female
eyes?
“Heh-heh-heh, I’ve been working out. Well, you might even say I’ve
grown over the summer,” I admitted with a grin, cupping my chin in my
hand.
Kiryuu’s shoulders slumped. “…If only you weren’t so full of yourself.”
Wh-what’s with that look of disappointment…? I didn’t get it.
“E-everyone! This is big!”
All of a sudden, one of my classmates dashed into the room. What was
going on?
He took a mouthful from a bottle of mineral water that one of his friends
handed him, calmed himself a little, and then announced so that everyone
could hear: “There’s a new transfer student coming! A girl!”
There was a momentary pause, and then—

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!” The whole class erupted in shock.
“It may be an unusual time of year for it, but we’ll have a new face in our
class starting today.” So announced our teacher. Immediately, the whole
room bubbled with excitement.
I mean, seriously, it was a girl! Getting worked up was only natural!
Some girls were probably taken aback by the reaction of us boys, but even
they were curious to see who the new addition would be.
“All right, then. Come on in,” our teacher instructed.
The door slid open.
“Whoooooaaaaa!” swelled a cry of joy from the guys.
A tall, chestnut-haired beauty entered the room.
I, however, was far more shocked than thrilled by her appearance. So
much so that my eyes all but popped out of my face.
Glancing across the room, I noticed that Xenovia was just as stupefied.
It was a perfectly natural reaction! Anyone who recognized this girl as we
did would have been equally stunned!
The chestnut-haired transfer student bowed her head and introduced
herself with a soft smile. She was wearing a glimmering necklace around her
throat—a crucifix. Unlike the last time we’d met, her hair was done up in
pigtails now, but there was no mistaking her identity!
“My name is Irina Shidou. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
Yes, it was none other than Xenovia’s former partner, who had come with
her to Japan to retrieve the stolen Excaliburs earlier this year—Irina Shidou!
“Come with us for a minute, will you?”

During lunch break, Xenovia and I approached Irina—who stood at the
center of a ceaseless whirlwind of questions from our classmates—grabbed
her by the hand, and whisked her off to a place where we could have a little
privacy.
Irina was a former childhood friend of mine. She had moved overseas
back when we had both been kids, where she had received the blessing of the
Protestant denomination of the Christian Church and become a Holy Sword
user.

She had returned to our hometown with Xenovia a few months ago, after
several of the Excaliburs had been taken from the Church by one of the fallen
angel leaders.
Xenovia became a demon in Rias’s Familia after learning of God’s
demise, remaining with us in Japan. Irina, however, had returned to the
Church’s headquarters.
We hadn’t seen her at all since then… To think that she would pop up
again here of all places…
Yep, I was shocked all right. Completely flabbergasted. This didn’t mean
we were enemies now, did it? I mean, the three great powers had agreed to a
peace treaty. So what was she doing here?
“Howdy, Issei! And Xenovia!”
Wha—?!
She caught us both in a wide-armed hug!
“Xenovia! I’m so glad you’re well! Things might be a little awkward
between us now, given our new positions, but I’m still happy to see you!”
“Ah, yeah, it’s been a while, Irina. It’s good to see you, too… But is this
supposed to be some kind of punishment? I mean, that cross around your
neck kind of hurts…” Nonetheless, Xenovia smiled at her old companion.
A reunion of the former Holy Sword duo…
While I was busy sorting out my thoughts, Xenovia piped up with the first
question. “What are you doing here?”
Yep, it was a simple thing to ask, but clearly the most important.
“I’ve transferred here on Archangel Michael’s orders. I’ll tell you more
after school. You’re all based in the old school building, right?” Irina asked
with a cute wink.
I pulled out my phone and hurriedly typed a message to the prez. DID YOU
KNOW THAT IRINA SHIDOU IS HERE?
It wasn’t long before I received her response. YES. IT WAS DECIDED AT THE
LAST MINUTE. I’LL EXPLAIN AFTER CLASS. IN THE MEANTIME, KEEP HER COMPANY.
SHE IS STILL A TRANSFER STUDENT, AFTER ALL.
Ah, so Rias did know. Of course she did. This school was practically her
fortress. There was no way that Irina would be able to just stroll in without
the prez knowing.
I would just have to wait to find out what my old childhood friend was

doing here.
“Welcome to Kuou Academy, Irina Shidou.”

Each of the members of the Occult Research Club, along with
Chairwoman Sona from the student council and our instructor, Azazel, had
gathered in the clubroom after school. Incidentally, Koneko was sitting on
my lap. That had all but officially become her designated seat.
“Thank you, everyone! It’s great to be here! I’ve met some of you before,
but some of your faces are new. I’m Irina Shidou! I’ve come to Kuou
Academy as an emissary of the Church—or rather, of the angels!”
Clap-clap-clap.
We, the members of the Occult Research Club, applauded her self-
introduction.
From Irina’s explanation, I gathered that she had been deployed here as a
support member from Heaven. Thinking about it, I realized that Kuou
Academy already hosted demons and fallen angels, but no angels.
At the very least, with Irina here, it looked like we would be receiving
some backup from Heaven if needed.
With that, Irina started muttering things like “Praise the Lord” and
“Michael is great.” We all listened on with forced smiles.
Evidently, her faith was just as resolute as ever…
I turned to Xenovia. There was something I had been meaning to ask her.
“H-hey, Xenovia?” I asked quietly.
“What? And why are you whispering?”
“Irina doesn’t know about God’s death, right?”
“She didn’t when we parted ways, at least.”
I had thought as much.
Was this really a good idea? Everyone else here knew the truth. If Irina
were to find out from one of us, wasn’t it possible that the shock might drive
her toward doing something reckless?
And that’s when Azazel mercilessly blurted it out. “Hey, you do realize
that your biblical God is dead, right?”
“T-Teeeeeaaaaach! You can’t just reveal that to her all of a sudden!” I
cried.
Azazel, however, let out a sigh. “Idiot. She wouldn’t have been ordered

here if she didn’t know. This school is one of the most important areas of
cooperation between the three great powers. Anyone assigned here has to
know the truth to some degree.”
Irina nodded along to Azazel’s explanation. “Of course, Governor of the
Fallen Angels. Don’t worry, Issei. I’m aware of the Lord’s passing.”
Seriously? I really did feel like an idiot now for worrying about her!
“You’re surprisingly tough,” Xenovia observed. “I wouldn’t have thought
that you, with your devout faith, would be able to withstand the shock of
learning the truth.”
After a short pause, Irina’s eyes flooded with tears. She drew close to
Xenovia and all but shouted, “You think I wasn’t devastated?! The Lord is
my spiritual support! The center of my universe! The omnipotent Father of
all creation! And He’s deeeeeaaaaad?! I’ve spent my whole life living by His
teachings, so when Archangel Michael told me what had happened, I was so
depressed that I slept for a full seven days and nights! Arghhhhh! Oh, Lord!”
Irina wailed in lamentation as she laid her face down on the table. Well,
for someone so ingrained in faith, the death of God would come as a shock.
My family wasn’t particularly religious, so I didn’t have any firsthand
experience of what she must have been going through, but I did know that
when Asia had learned the truth, she had almost fainted.
“I know how you feel.”
“Me too.”
Asia and Xenovia tried to soothe Irina, the three of them embracing one
another in a tight hug.
Both Asia and Xenovia still regularly prayed to God. From what I could
tell, they were immensely grateful to Him.
“Asia! I’m sorry about calling you a witch last time! And I said such
horrible things to you, too, Xenovia! I hope you can both forgive me!”
The other girls smiled at Irina’s apology.
“I don’t mind. I hope we can all be friends from now on. We all believe in
and cherish the Lord.”
“Same here. It was my fault we parted ways like that. I was in such
turmoil that I ended up reincarnating as a demon. But I’m happy we’ve got
this chance to meet again.”
“Oh, Lord!”
The three broke out into prayer…

Was this a reconciliation of sorts, then? It had been a long time coming,
but I was glad to see the rift between them beginning to heal. So long as they
were happy, that was all that mattered.
Perhaps this was the birth of a Church Maiden Trio? That said, two of
them were demons…
“I’m guessing you’re Michael’s messenger?” Azazel asked.
Irina nodded. “Yes, Governor Azazel. Archangel Michael was worried
there wasn’t anyone representing Heaven here. He believed that lack of local
staff was an issue.”
“Yeah, he mentioned something like that when I spoke to him as well.
The great powers of Heaven and the underworld are all operating here, but
the only ones on the ground are Rias, Sona, their Familia members, and a few
others, myself included. That’s enough to keep things functioning, but
Michael is so uptight that he wanted an agent of Heaven to stick around, too.
Heaven’s already providing more support in the form of their backup system
than we could possibly ask for. I told him he didn’t need to bother, but he
obviously sent you to us regardless.” Azazel let out a resigned sigh.
Hmm, so that’s how it is.
It was a little strange that there were only demons and fallen angels here,
so it made sense for Heaven to want to send one or two of their own to keep
an eye on things.
That said, the prez’s fortress was really starting to feel crowded… At first,
there had only been a few demons. Now, fallen angels and members of the
Church were laughing over idle banter in the same room.
You never knew what life had in store, huh?
The prez had seemed a little disconcerted earlier, but it looked like she
was coming around to the idea after having discussed it with her brother, the
Demon King Sirzechs. There were undeniable benefits to keeping someone
from Heaven around, and Rias’s involvement in all this was a very
prestigious responsibility.
Irina suddenly rose to her feet and put her hands together in prayer. At
that moment, her whole body was enveloped in a flash of light—and brilliant
white wings sprouted from her back?!
Huuuuuh?! She looks just like an angel! No, hold on—is she an angel?!
Everyone else present watched in shock, except Azazel, who was unfazed.
“Irina Shidou, huh? Have you been Angelized?”

“Angelized? Is that even possible?” I gawked.
Azazel shrugged. “No, there’s no record of such a thing. That said,
scientists from Heaven and the underworld were working on theories about
the concept a while back…” He narrowed his eyes in thought while staring at
those luminous wings.
Irina nodded. “Yes. Archangel Michael gave me his blessing, and I was
reborn as an angel. Apparently, it was made possible by adapting technology
received from the demon and fallen angel factions.”
What on earth?! When had the cooperation among the three great powers
reached such a level? I had heard that the angels hadn’t been able to
reproduce or increase their numbers since God’s demise, but if they could
reincarnate humans to bolster their ranks, then that issue seemed solved.
So Irina was an angel now? Demon, fallen angel, and angel. Kuou
Academy now had all three sides.
Irina continued to explain. “The Four Great Seraphs, along with another
six noteworthy ones, devised a system to each recruit twelve Brave Saints,
ranking them from Ace to Queen. The role of King is reserved for the angel
leading the team.”
Azazel was following Irina’s words with obvious interest. He loved
talking about new technologies and that sort of thing. “I see. You took the
demon Evil Pieces system and merged it with the artificial Sacred Gear
technology that we fallen angels devised. Damn, you sure didn’t waste any
time putting it all to use, huh? I guess since the demon system is modeled on
chess, the angel one is based on cards? Well, a trump is what you call a
promoted card in a trick-taking game, so I suppose it makes sense. With God
dead, there’s no other way to get any more pure-blooded angels. This is a
way to rebuild your forces.”
Basically, the angels had devised their own version of the Evil Pieces
system. Who’d have thought that was possible?
“If that’s how it works, there should also be a Joker somewhere in that set
of cards, a particularly powerful figure. And the twelve members are also
modeled after the twelve apostles, I take it? Ah, that Archangel sure knows
how to keep things interesting.” Azazel began to chuckle to himself under his
breath. He did like to read into these things.
“Hey, which card are you, Irina?” I inquired, curious.
“I’m an Ace!” she declared, puffing out her chest. “Hee-hee-hee, I’m

honored to serve Archangel Michael! I don’t mind if I perish! The Lord
might have passed, but living as Archangel Michael’s Ace is purpose enough
for me!”
Her eyes were positively sparkling! There was even a large letter A on the
back of her left hand.
“Oh? So Michael gave you a new lease on life?” I muttered with a sigh.
“It’s preferable to her losing her mind,” Xenovia answered by my side.
Well, that was for sure. Working under a new master was better than
falling into despair over the loss of God.
“Also, Archangel Michael said that he was researching whether he could
stage a kind of Rating Game between Evil Pieces and Brave Saints in the
future! Right now, only seraphs have cards of their own, but he’s hoping to
expand the system to other high-ranking angels, too, so they can compete and
improve themselves like you demons do!”
The Rating Game?! Angels?! And between Evil Pieces and Brave Saints,
no less?!
While the members of the Occult Research Club were taken aback by this
announcement, Azazel looked impressed. “There are a lot of angels and
demons who don’t see eye to eye with their leaders about this newfound state
of peace. That’s only natural, I guess, seeing how long we’ve all been at one
another’s throats. Yet Michael’s sure thought this through. He’s basically
offering a way for everyone to vent their frustration on each other in small-
scale proxy wars. Not unlike the World Cup or the Olympics here in the
human realm.”
Was all this about providing disgruntled angels with an outlet for their
frustration? It looked like each of the three factions was adopting new
political measures to accommodate one another… Peace sure wasn’t easy,
huh?
“Does that mean we could end up fighting against a team of angels,
then?” I asked.
Azazel nodded. “Maybe in the future. I’d give it at least ten…maybe
twenty years. You rookie demons should be able enjoy yourselves plenty
before then, I’d wager.”
T-twenty years… That was a long time to wait. But then, demons and
angels did have long life spans.
“Sounds like it will be interesting,” Chairwoman Sona remarked coolly,

her enthusiasm plain to see.
“Interesting. Very interesting.” Kiba looked equally excited by that
prospect. Our Familia’s ace was raring to go.
“Ch-churches are scary…” Gasper wore a conflicted expression.
According to rumor, as the peace treaty didn’t include vampires yet, the
Christian Church was still conducting vampire hunts.
Indeed, the Church’s teachings hadn’t changed in any visible way, despite
our new alliance. They were working behind the scenes to cooperate with the
demon and fallen angel factions, however.
I had even heard something about them setting up dedicated teams to
prevent any new forms of evil from arising.
Both Rias’s Familia and Sona Sitri’s had been granted the authority to
arrest anyone from any of the three factions we believed presented a threat.
Admittedly, even with that right, I wanted to avoid such situations as much as
possible. We were all starting to get along now, after all…
Nothing beat peace.
I was just glad these new Brave Saints wouldn’t affect the Rating Game
for the time being. We had enough on our plate just dealing with the other
young high-class demons.
“I think that’s enough discussion for now,” Chairwoman Sona declared
with a smile. “What do you say we get our welcome party for Irina Shidou
underway?”
Irina glanced around at each of us once more. “Demons! Everyone! I’ve
been your enemy up till now, and I’ve even destroyed some of your kind!
However, Archangel Michael says that we all need to be friends from now
on, so I really, really want to get along with you all! Truly, I do! I’ll do my
best as the representative from the Church! I’m looking forward to working
with you all!”
And with that, Irina entered the ranks of Kuou Academy.
The members of the student council soon joined us to hold a festive
welcome for our newest student.
Irina’s first few days at school passed uneventfully.

“Yes, yes! I’ll do it! I’ll take part in the scavenger hunt!” she called out,

raising her hand high into the air.
Her eager nature had won her the admiration of everyone in class, boys
and girls alike.
We were currently in homeroom, deciding who would be responsible for
what activities in the upcoming Sports Festival.
…Ah.
I, on the other hand, was laying my head on my desk, letting out a
resigned sigh.
For some reason, arrangements had been made for Irina to live at my
house. During the summer, my family home had been transformed into an
extravagant six-story building with an additional three-floor basement.
Almost every member of the Occult Research Club had moved in, and
now Irina was living with us, too.
Well, there was plenty of space, so it wasn’t like it would make much of a
difference if we had one or two extra people staying with us. Unfortunately, I
was quickly realizing that keeping up with so many women under one roof
was surprisingly difficult.
Apart from my mom, they were all gorgeous young beauties! It was a
dream home for a high school guy like me!
Or so I had thought. Sadly, reality wasn’t quite so rosy. I had discovered
the truth to the saying “Three women make a market.” There may have been
plenty of room, but there was nowhere for me to relax…
For example, let’s say that Asia, Xenovia, and Irina all got together to talk
about girl stuff. It was practically impossible for me to get in on the
conversation! And then Koneko might join them, only excluding me further!
I was the only guy there, you know? What was I supposed to talk about?
Video games? Manga? What was I thinking, assuming that a sex-obsessed
teenager like me had anything in common with a bunch of young ladies in the
first place?!
I grew so lonely at times, I went searching for my two elder sister figures,
only to find the prez and Akeno engrossed in their own kind of girl talk!
Barging in and cozying up to them would only leave me feeling worse!
Arghhhhhhhhhh!
I was in a crisis! I was a mere gutless guy who couldn’t cope with having
so many attractive women around!
At this rate, how was I ever going to become a harem king?! Yet again, I

was forced to realize my own inability and incompetence!
In a harem, you had to be able to satisfy lots of girls all at once! If I was
already struggling, what hope did I have?!
I didn’t even know what to say to them!
Should I try to research women’s fashion or something?! Or maybe find a
stylish store somewhere to mention to them?!
I had no idea! What on earth were you supposed to talk about with a
group of girls?!
This was why I was so unpopular! And that realization only depressed me
further!
Still, it wasn’t like they were constantly shutting me out, so perhaps it was
still okay. We all got along fairly well, most of the time. The girls had their
own lives, right? Perhaps I was overthinking it all…
There were erotic situations every now and then. However, it was
downright terrifying when they started fighting with one another…
…Huh? Suddenly, I felt very strange. Wasn’t this the life I had always
dreamed of? Why was I so stressed?
Were harems supposed to be this hard to manage…?
Ugh… Tannin, down there in the underworld, tell me what to do. I’m
young and suffering.
“Hyoudou.”
Out of nowhere, Kiryuu spoke my name. She was standing in front of the
blackboard, which had lists of the various Sports Festival activities written on
it.
“There’s a tear in your shirt, under your armpit.”
“Huh? Seriously?”
I raised my arm into the air to double-check—and realized my mistake too
late.
Obviously, there was no rip!
“Okay, then! It’s decided!” she declared, scribbling my name up on the
blackboard.
“What?! No fair, Kiryuu!”
She got me! I had let my guard down, and Kiryuu had pounced!
Heedless of my complaints, she merely burst out into a lecherous laugh!
“Thanks for volunteering to take part in the three-legged race. You’ll be
partnered with…” She pointed her piece of chalk toward the girls across the

room…
Immediately, Asia timidly raised her hand into the air!
“Asia! The two of you can run together!”
And so, thanks to the Craftswoman’s machinations, I was paired with
Asia for the three-legged race.
The following day, everyone at the academy started practicing for the Sports
Festival.
My classmates and I changed into our tracksuits and were practicing on
the sports field.
“I challenge you to a race, Xenovia!”
“Bring it on, Irina!”
The two former Holy Sword partners were both charging across the
grounds, my classmates cheering them both on.
Seriously, what were the two of them thinking…? They were both so fast,
all but tearing across the concourse! Perhaps I should have expected no less
from a demon and an angel? Were the Sports Festival a girls-only affair, with
them on our side, our class might even win. Our only real competition would
be the members of the student council: the Sitri Familia.
“…They’re too damn fast. I can’t make out the movements of their
breasts.”
“You can say that again.”
“Still, you need to build up a good amount of speed to get them to
bounce.”
Matsuda, Motohama, and I—the so-called Perverted Trio—had our gazes
latched on to the movements of the girls’ chests.
Whether they were big or small, it was hard to keep your eyes off them
once they started swaying up and down like that! Tracksuits were the best!
Irina had a slender build, but she was considerably buxom. Come to think
of it, that bondage-like battle suit she occasionally wore displayed her body
quite well, too.
At that moment, a familiar voice called out to me. “Hey, Hyoudou.”
“Ah, Saji.”
It was my fellow Pawn from the Sitri Familia, carrying what looked like a

stopwatch and other measuring tools. “What are you doing?” he inquired.
“Keeping an eye out for bouncing breasts.”
“S-still the same as ever, I see,” he replied with a sigh.
Huh? Saji’s right arm was heavily bandaged. Was he injured?
“What happened there?” I asked.
“Hmm? Ah, this?” He pulled the bandage back a little—revealing a series
of snakelike marks all over the limb.
“…What the hell is that?” I questioned with apprehension.
“According to Azazel, it’s the result of the way I fought against you
during our Rating Game. Apparently, draining the blood of the Red Dragon
Emperor with one of my lines when you went into Balance Breaker mode
must have had some kind of effect on me. Even if the line wasn’t directly
linked to me, I’ve ended up absorbing something from you.”
“Seriously? Is it bad?”
“No, it doesn’t seem to have had any negative effects. It just keeps
making these things appear on my body. Like here, see?” He showed me a
small jewellike object on the back of his arm.
…At first glance, it resembled a gemstone, but I soon realized it was
identical to the jewels that characterized dragon-type Sacred Gears like mine,
Vali’s, and Azazel’s.
“…So you got cursed or something?” I asked.
Saji’s expression turned sour. “Ugh. Don’t say it like that. I’m worried
about it, too, you know… There aren’t a whole lot of good stories about
Vritra…” He paused there to regain his composure before asking: “By the
way, what are you competing in, Hyoudou?”
“The three-legged race. With Asia.”
“Gah! You bastard! As if I couldn’t be any more jealous of you! And here
I am in the bread-eating race.”
The bread-eating race, huh? That sounded fun, too, but I would stick to
running with Asia.
Jealousy was written large on Saji’s face, when two bespectacled young
women approached behind him.
“Saji, what are you doing here? We need to make sure the tents are set up
properly. Come on now.”
“The student council is already short on staffers, so you had better pull
your weight.”

Chairwoman Sona and Vice-Chairwoman Shinra were both chiding Saji,
their glasses gleaming.
“R-right, Chairwoman! Vice-Chairwoman!” he shrieked, flustered,
rushing to them.
The chairwoman and her deputy sure looked strict… Speaking of glasses,
that next head of the House of Astaroth down in the underworld also wore
them to a cool and serious effect. Did all demons with glasses possess that
characteristic?
Saji waved at me as he headed across the sports field with the chairwoman
and vice-chairwoman.
“Vritra…”
Huh? Did you say something, Ddraig? I thought to the dragon within me.
“No, don’t let it concern you. It just looks like being in contact with me
has accelerated his growth. At this rate, it won’t matter how many pieces his
soul was divided into.”
Seriously, I didn’t have a clue what any of that meant.
“Fafnir and Vritra are already near to hand. And you’ve already met
Tannin, of course. It looks like my present host is building connections with
each of the Dragon Kings…”
With that, Ddraig, contemplative, seemed to sink into a world of his own.
“Asia! Did your breasts grow over summer?”
“Kyagh! Kiryuu! D-don’t touch them, please!”
That pervert was sexually harassing Asia again. Seriously, it felt like I
only had to take my eyes off her for a second for her to get into trouble… I
would have to warn Asia about her once more. I mean, the innocent little
sister type in my life was already picking up a whole lot of erotic mannerisms
from the prez and Akeno…
In any case, it was probably about time that Asia and I got around to
training for our event.
I took what we needed for the three-legged race from our class’s
equipment area and knotted a rope that we could use.
“Asia! Let’s practice!”
“Y-yes!”
With a quick bow of her head to Kiryuu, Asia came running my way.
The other guys and girls in our class had already started practicing in
pairs. There were a few who were making good progress but many more who

couldn’t keep their movements in concert with each other. There were also a
good many who were clearly shy and embarrassed to be tied together.
I tied the rope around my leg and Asia’s.
“All right then, let’s go, Asia!” I said, taking a few trial steps and placing
my arm around her waist.
“O-okay!” Asia was clearly embarrassed, but that didn’t stop her from
putting her arm around my waist, too.
Hmm, her hair smells nice… Our bodies are all but pushing against each
other… Hers feels so soft…
No, I couldn’t! I had to shake off these thoughts! This was Asia we were
talking about! I needed to exercise self-restraint!
We both took a deep breath, exchanged nods, and stepped forward.
“All right,” I began. “One, two—”
Argh! Our legs got caught together, our balance crumbling!
“Whoa!”
“Kyagh!”
I quickly caught Asia in my arms before she could fall flat to the ground!
“…S-sorry. I guess I need to try to match your pace, Asia,” I said.
That was when I realized that Asia’s face had turned bright red. She
looked to be holding something back.
Huh? What? Hmm?
My right hand was cupping something delightfully soft…
Without me even realizing it, my hand had landed right on Asia’s breast
when she had begun to fall!
Hmm, it certainly felt larger than I remembered it being the last time I saw
it…!
No! It was wrong to feel her up like this! I pulled my hand away from it!
“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to!” I apologized.
What had I just done?! Asia was important to me, someone I treasured,
and I had grabbed her chest! But it had felt so good!
“…I-it’s all right… I’m okay with it. J-just tell me next time, please… I
need to prepare myself…”
Was she saying that it was okay?! No, I must have misunderstood! Asia
was misunderstanding! I hadn’t meant to touch it!
I stood there, self-loathing and a raging libido battling inside me. Once I
managed to slow my breathing, I said, “A-anyway, let’s keep going.”

“O-okay. I’m sorry, I’m no good at sports.” Asia looked crestfallen.
“That’s fine. The point is to match each other’s rhythm. It’s all about
working in combination.”
“C-combination…?” Asia questioned with her head adorably tilted to one
side.
Why did everything she did have to be so debilitatingly cute?!
“That’s right. We need to work together and take it one step at a time.
Once we get the hang of it, we’ll be able to take off at a run.”
“I understand.”
Yep. This was no different from my training. You just had to take it step
by step. Practice made perfect. I might not have been good for much else, but
I had learned that much.
“Let’s try it again, then!”
“Okay!”
And so Asia and I synced up our movements and slowly began to press
forward.
After school, I made my way to the clubroom with Asia, Xenovia, and Irina.
The other club members, the prez included, had arrived before us, each of
them wearing dark frowns.
Huh? What’s going on?
“Has something happened?” I asked.
“You could say that,” the prez replied with a nod. “Our next Rating Game
opponent has been decided.”
Ah. Already? I had heard that there were going to be several matches
among the six young demon Familias, starting with our recent bout against
the Sitri Familia. We were going to have to face each of them sooner or later.
I wasn’t particularly surprised by this, but the prez’s next words were
explanation enough for everyone’s dour expressions.
“Our next opponent…will be Diodora Astaroth.”
“—!”
That revelation left me speechless. Surely, this had to be some kind of bad
joke?

Life.2
Asia’s Troubles
“One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.”

Asia and I were behind the gymnasium, practicing again for the three-
legged race. Xenovia had come to join us. Lately, we’d been spending a lot of
mornings like this.
We’d improved quite a bit since that embarrassing fall, now able to run
together at the pace of a brisk walk.
“Ah! One, two! Ah! Three, four!”
Asia was doing her best to keep up with me.
Yep, it was all about daily practice. It was hard work, but with
persistence, we would pull through no matter how long it took. Heh-heh-heh.
I had come to realize the importance of perseverance after my many hours of
training with the prez, Azazel, and Tannin.
“Great. You’ve got a good rhythm going. How about you try running for
real now?” Xenovia suggested as she tightened the rope around our legs.
I glanced at Asia and saw her looking unexpectedly gloomy.
“…”
Huh? Is she worried about something…? That was pretty understandable.
Our next opponent was Diodora, after all. Ever since that announcement had
been made public, Asia had seemed somewhat depressed.
“Asia, is there anything you wanna talk about?” I suggested.
Her frown deepened for a moment before she responded, “…I don’t regret
saving him.”
Back when Asia had been a full-fledged member of the Church, she had
rescued a wounded demon from death with her healing abilities. These
actions resulted in the Church branding Asia a heretic and stripping her of her
role and position, setting off a sequence of traumatic incidents for her.

The demon whom she had saved was none other than Diodora. I had no
idea what he was doing there or how Asia had found him, but there was no
doubting that it was her innate kindness that had driven her to aid him. I
couldn’t blame her for that. She was a gentle soul.
After saving Diodora, however, Asia’s life had been thrown upside down.
Fortunately, she’d found a new happiness with me and the others.
All the same, it made me wonder. Would she have been better off
remaining as a Holy Maiden?
Recently, I’d been kicking around an idea. Would Michael allow her to
return to her former role if I asked him?
I had to admit, it seemed unlikely. If she returned to the Church or any
related institutions, her abilities could adversely affect the system that God
had put in place and that was maintained by the Church and its adherents.
Still, wasn’t it possible that she could recover at least a semblance of her
former life?
If I asked her, would she choose to go back there? But I was so afraid of
that possibility that I hadn’t found the courage to voice that question to her.
I didn’t want to lose Asia…
It was selfish of me; I knew that. Perhaps the prez would be able to do
something if I mentioned it to her…but I couldn’t.
I didn’t want to have to imagine life without Asia…
“…Issei?” the beautiful blond asked, tilting her head in concern. “You
look worried… And a little sad…”
“…Asia, if you could have your old life back, would you want it?”
“—.” Her eyes widened in surprise at this question.
Idiot that I was, I had just come out and asked it. Even though it risked
losing her. But I only wanted what was best for her…
My heart racing, I braced myself for Asia’s answer. I could feel my hand,
gripping her tightly, grow sweaty.
Despite my anxiety, her response was simple: “I wouldn’t go back.”
She was smiling. There was no hint of hesitation in her voice.
“Don’t you remember? I asked you whether I could stay by your side
forever. And you said yes.”
…Ah.
That had been before our battle against Riser Phenex’s Familia.
“I like it here. Kuou Academy, the Occult Research Club. I love everyone.

The president, Akeno, Azazel, Kiba, Xenovia, Koneko, Gasper, Irina,
Kiryuu…and you, Issei, and your parents. This new life that I’ve found is so
precious and important to me. Every single day is filled with fun. I’m so
happy to be with you all.”
Asia…
I—I really was stupid. I should have realized that she was happy with how
things were. Why did I have to ask such a stupid question of her…?!
I hugged Asia’s shoulders. “Right, you and I are going to be together
forever, Asia! I don’t ever want you to go off somewhere to get married!
Please don’t think too much about Diodora. No matter what happens, you can
always say no if you don’t like it, okay?”
Asia blinked back at me for a second before flashing me a bright smile.
“Yes.”
At that moment, Xenovia, her expression somehow remorseful, spoke up:
“…Asia, I want to apologize to you again. When we first met, I said some
pretty mean things to you. I still regret it… You’re always so kind. And
you’ve been willing to be my…f-f-friend…”
Whoa!
It wasn’t every day that Xenovia blushed like that. She had turned scarlet!
Asia took her hands in her own and responded with a broad smile: “Yes.
We’re friends, Xenovia.”
They were straightforward words, said with the utmost honesty.
Xenovia’s eyes teared up. “Thank you. Thank you, Asia.”
I nodded. Even I was getting emotional. Asia was such a gentle spirit, so
kind and caring. She was my pride and joy!
“Ughhhhh! That’s so touching…”
In the midst of that emotional scene came a loud sob.
I glanced around—only to find Irina watching.
“Irina. What are you doing here?”
“Hic, well… Xenovia invited me. She said mornings at Kuou Academy
aren’t to be missed. And she was right. Look at this beautiful display of
friendship. This must be another of the Lord’s and Archangel Michael’s
blessings…” Seeming deeply moved, Irina began to pray to the heavens.
“You didn’t join the Occult Research Club, though, did you?” I asked.
Irina wiped away her tears, her mood undergoing a sudden shift as she
gave me a big thumbs-up. “Nope, I went for another one. Or rather, I decided

to make my own!”
“So you’re starting your own club? What’s it called?”
“Oh-ho-ho, brace yourselves!” Irina declared proudly, puffing out her
chest. “It’s called Irina Shidou’s Love Salvation Club! Our mission is simple:
to save others without asking for anything in return! Ah, with my steadfast
belief, I’ll offer my love for the one true faith to these sinful pagans in the
name of the Lord and Archangel Michael!” Adopting a strange pose, the
chestnut-haired girl began to pray to the heavens once more.
Her eyes were positively glittering.
But what was with that name? It didn’t sound like the kind of club that
people would rush to sign up for.
“…Er, right. Well, good luck,” I responded as best I could.
“You can count on me!” Irina boasted, thumping her chest with her hand.
“And don’t be shy about letting me know if the Occult Research Club is in
trouble. Rias has asked me to help out with the race between the different
clubs, too!”
I let out a deep sigh. I guess that meant Irina would be joining us for the
Sports Festival.
“By the way, how many people are in your club?” I inquired.
“Just me so far! It isn’t official, so there aren’t any formal activities or
funds available. I still need to convince Chairwoman Sona.”
That wouldn’t be easy. The chairwoman was a tough one, as was her vice-
chairwoman.
It would probably take a long time for Irina to get her club authorized.
“Anyway, for the time being, my name’s been put down in the Occult
Research Club.”
Hold on, doesn’t that mean that she technically is a member?! Eh,
pointing that out now won’t accomplish anything.
In any event, I calmed myself and said, “Anyway, let’s keep practicing.”
Xenovia and Irina paired up for three-legged race practice, and off we
went.
“Phew. I—I’m a little tired…” Asia huffed as she tugged at her tracksuit.
We had spent much of the morning running and were now in the
storeroom at the corner of the school grounds to put away the ropes we had

used for practice.
Probably because I was so used to physical activity, I wasn’t particularly
tired, but I was nonetheless mentally exhausted having been constantly
worried about Asia. It was still early in the day, so I decided to take a break
in the clubroom before heading to class.
Just as I was about to leave, there was a click and the sound of a door
slamming shut.
I was locked in…! I glanced around, only to find Xenovia standing with
her back to the door.
Wh-what’s going on…?
Asia likewise tilted her head in confusion. “What is it? Xenovia?”
Xenovia’s expression turned serious. “Asia, I know what you did. It’s
commonplace for girls our age to have secret liaisons with boys.”
…
…Huh? What did she just say? I couldn’t believe my ears.
“S-secret liaisons?” Asia repeated with evident uncertainty.
“The kind where you get a boy to play with your breasts,” Xenovia
responded plainly.
—!
Wh-wh-what on earth?! How could she make an assertion like that in a
place like this?! And so suddenly?! And after locking us all in here?! And
with Asia present?! Seriously! I couldn’t comprehend how her mind worked!
To top it all off, she was clearly overthinking all that about secret liaisons!
“B-b-b-breasts…?!” Asia exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, her cheeks
turning scarlet.
“Xenovia! You can’t just start blabbering about dirty stuff for no good
reason!”
“Shut up for a minute, Issei. I’m talking to Asia. I’ll deal with you in a
second. Sorry about this, but why don’t you do some warm-ups over there in
the corner? This is going to be very intense.”
What exactly is going to be intense? Warm-ups?! What does she want me
to do, practice opening and closing my hand?!
However, Xenovia didn’t stop there. “There’s a girl in our class who’s
been hooking up with her boyfriend regularly. I’ve looked into it. She has
him play with her bust every day.”
Why is she just laying all this out so matter-of-factly?! And how exactly

had she been “looking into” this?!
“Asia. Don’t you think it’s time we experienced that for ourselves?”
Xenovia questioned, putting her hands on her friend’s shoulders and staring
into her eyes.
What?! When did this become so serious?!
“E-eek! Th-this… It’s all s-so soon…” Asia was at a total loss! Of course
she was! Her reaction was completely natural!
“Don’t worry. It sounds like it tickles a bit at first, but once you get used
to the sensation, it feels really good. I’m sure that if you can get used to being
close to each other, it will help you win the three-legged race.”
How far is she willing to take this?! Xenoviaaaaa?!
“…I-is that what he meant by c-combination…?”
You can’t seriously be falling for this! Are you truly okay with her
suggestion, Asia?!
Xenovia flashed the still-uncertain Asia a warm smile. “It’s okay. We’re
friends after all.”
“That’s true…”
“So let’s do it together. There’s nothing to be afraid of if we’re both here.”
“…R-really? D-do you think so…?”
Is that it?! Have they made their decision?! Xenovia, don’t poison Asia’s
innocent mind!
Seemingly deciding that the matter was settled, Xenovia faced me. “Let’s
do it, then. I want to practice making babies as well.”
“Hold on! You can’t possibly mean here… Well, I guess I have always
had a bit of a thing for this kind of atmosphere, but still!”
Xenovia, however, ignored me as she began to remove her shirt.
Plop. Her luscious breasts, cupped in a magnificent bra, appeared before
me!
Bah!
Blood shot from my nose at this magical sight!
Xenovia’s weren’t as huge as Rias’s or Akeno’s, but they were still more
than ample! But I didn’t have much time to stare in wonder before she
unhooked her bra!
Plop!
With nothing left to support them, those glorious tits bounced up directly
in front of me! Why did it feel as if all the girls around me were so

aggressively eager to strip down in my presence?! Ah, but her nipples sure
were an alluring shade of pink!
“I’ve never let anyone but Issei touch these. Do you remember how they
feel?”
Of course I did! I had burned that precious memory into my mind! I may
not have touched them directly, but I could tell that they were incredibly soft
and supple! I had assumed that, like the rest of her warrior’s body, they
would be firm and muscular, but I was dead wrong! Xenovia’s skin was so
beautifully flawless and smooth! Like gigantic, delicious marshmallows!
Suddenly, I recalled the incident in the pool equipment room! Back then,
completely out of the blue, she had suggested that we make a baby!
Did she have a fetish for storerooms or something?! Wasn’t a bedroom
the usual kind of place for this sort of event?! There was something
undeniably thrilling about this setting, but it clearly wasn’t normal!
“Come on, Asia. You too,” Xenovia urged, approaching her.
Heeeeey! What is she doing?!
She had put her hands on Asia’s tracksuit top and was trying to strip it off
her!
“B-but… I’m not ready yet…”
Asia squirmed back and forth, but she couldn’t stop Xenovia from
forcefully removing her clothes.
Before I knew it, Asia was down to her underwear! Her bra was too
incredibly cute!

“It’s okay, Asia. If you’re nervous, I’ll do it with Issei first, okay? You
can watch how we do it, and then you’ll know what to expect.”
“Huh…?! E-er…,” I fumbled.
“Heh-heh-heh. I’m kidding. I know you don’t want to let a latecomer like
me go first.”
“Th-that isn’t what I…”
“Today’s our chance. The president and Akeno aren’t here. This might be
our only opportunity to have a secret liaison with Issei.”
“—.”
Asia fell completely silent at that! Ugh, this conversation wasn’t going as
I had anticipated. I could hardly keep up! No matter what, I couldn’t shake
my gaze free from Xenovia’s milk-white breasts!
Click.
Xenovia stealthily unhooked Asia’s bra!
“…Ah.” Asia covered her exposed chest with her hands, her face flushing
a deep shade.
Yes, that’s right! That’s how girls are supposed to react, Xenovia! You’re
too forward! Thank you, though! I couldn’t have asked for anything more!
At that moment, Xenovia took my hand and pulled it toward her body!
“Whoa!”
I fell to the ground. When the dust settled, I realized that I was lying on
one of the mats we used in gym class!
Gah!
Something appeared on top of me, swaying back and forth! Breasts,
directly in my field of vision! Xenovia was straddling me!
She took my left hand and placed it on her chest!
Bah! My nosebleed wouldn’t stop!
I could feel a lethal suppleness course through my fingers as they dug in!
Xenovia’s erect nipple pressing into the palm of my hand was filling me
with an incredible thrill!
Hey, hey, hey! At this rate, I’m gonna reach my Balance Breaker all over
again!
“Issei… I—I don’t want to lose to the president again…” Asia, sitting
down beside me, took my free hand and placed it on her—
Plop!
It wasn’t as large as Xenovia’s, but my fingers could make out every soft

contour of that wonderful breast!
Asiaaaaa! I’m so happy to see how much you’ve grown! No, wait, that’s
not right!
“…Ngh…”
A sweet, intoxicating sound leaked from Xenovia’s mouth. My brain was
rendered completely powerless!
“Yep, I thought so. Having a man touch them is different. Completely
different from doing it yourself. Now, Issei. Asia and I are both ready. You
can start fondling them.”
Maybe that was easy for Xenovia to say, but I was supposed to be Asia’s
protector! Yet my lustful hand was massaging her chest completely on
instinct!
I mean, how could any man stop himself when faced with this?! Those
breasts were all but begging me to touch them!
The prez’s face flashed before my eyes!
Prezzzzz!
How I wanted to do this with Rias—a secret liaison, as Xenovia put it. If
she were to invite me to grope her like this, I—I…
Click!
The door suddenly swung open.
“…You were taking forever, so I… Wh-wh-wh-wh-what are you all
doing?!”
Standing in the entrance was Irina!
This was bad! Two half-naked girls together with a guy! There was no
explaining my way out of this!
Irina would probably have a distinctly Christian reaction, branding us as
filthy or some such…
“D-do that in bed! This place is filthy!”
It looked like she was more concerned about an altogether different kind
of filth.
After classes, I made my way to the clubroom.

I wished I could wipe the grin from my face, but because of what had
happened this morning, the sensation of Asia’s and Xenovia’s breasts had

lingered in my hands all day long.
A short distance away, Asia and Xenovia were busy playing reversi. I
hadn’t been able to make time to speak with them all day!
With the feeling of their tits on my palms, how could I?! I hadn’t been
able to concentrate on my schoolwork at all! Throughout class, the only thing
on my mind had been breasts!
Xenovia’s were wonderful. But Asia’s were… No! I shook my head, trying
to dispel those lewd thoughts! Asia was precious! I couldn’t think of her like
that!
Still, I couldn’t deny that her body was maturing… At this rate, she might
rival Rias or Akeno in, say, three years’ time…
I had heard that demons could use their powers to adjust their physical
appearances, at least to an extent. Was Asia perhaps unconsciously willing
her breasts to grow…?
No, surely that was just a wild delusion on my part… Were it true, it
would go beyond incredible…
“…What a lecherous face.”
Argh!
Half-expressionless, Koneko pinched my cheek.
“Ow, that huwts, Koneko!”
Perhaps it was my imagination, but it seemed that Koneko had started
acting increasingly strict lately, almost like the prez…
No, she was always there to douse my spirits whenever I let myself get
too fired up, especially when the object of my fantasies was one of the other
female club members.
I must have been imagining it, right? That had to be the case, and yet I
couldn’t convince myself…
“It looks like we’re all here.” Glancing across the room at each of us in
turn, the prez pulled out what looked like a video recording.
“This has records of each battle fought by the other high-ranking demons
we met in the underworld over summer. Our Familia is documented, too, of
course.”
Battle records. Right, we were supposed to watch a video of a match
today. A huge screen had already been set up in the room in preparation.
Azazel took his position beside the monitor and began to explain. “You
weren’t the only ones who fought in a Rating Game. Each of the other demon

youths did, too. There were two other matches after yours: the princely
House of Bael versus the Demon King Asmodeus’s House of Glasya-
Labolas, and the archducal House of Agares versus the Demon King
Beelzebub’s House of Astaroth. They’re your future rivals, so watch
carefully.”
“Yes,” we responded to Azazel’s stern instructions.
Worry started to form a pit in my stomach. Exactly how strong were the
other Familias? They were all supposed to be our peers, right? Did that mean
they were around our level?
I could see that the rest of the Occult Research Club likely shared my
concerns, as they each stared intently at the monitor. Even Koneko, resting on
my lap, focused all her attention on it.
“We’ll start with Sairaorg’s match… The House of Bael versus the House
of Glasya-Labolas.”
The prez’s cousin against that good-for-nothing brute, Zephyrdor!
Azazel started the video, and we spent the next few hours reviewing how
our future opponents battled.
It wasn’t long before everyone’s faces turned stern.
We were presented with overwhelming power, enough to make our
excitement ebb as soon as we started watching.
The thuggish Zephyrdor, having lost all his pieces, fought Sairaorg in
single combat, laying into his opponent with one strike after another.
The battle between their Familias was over. Both demons had strong
servants, and those members had all fought well, but this was a contest
between two Kings.
Astonishingly, Zephyrdor’s every attack was deflected with ease. Even
when he looked to have suffered a hit, Sairaorg fought back as though it was
nothing.
Realizing that his attacks were ineffective, Zephyrdor grew more frenzied
and impatient.
At that moment, Sairaorg unleashed a powerful flurry of punches!
Zephyrdor readied a sequence of defensive techniques, but the incoming
barrage tore through them like paper, Sairaorg’s fist digging deep into his
enemy’s stomach.
The strength behind that hit was obvious even through a recording—its
intensity was enough to make the pair’s surroundings tremble as though

shaken by an earthquake.
Zephyrdor fell to the ground in agony, futilely gripping his gut.
Sairaorg had used nothing more than punches and kicks, but his attacks
were on a whole other level! Whenever his target managed to avoid them,
they ended up half-destroying the buildings behind him. The whole
battlefield was a portrait of ruin and destruction.
It was as clear as day that being at the receiving end of one of those blows
would be fatal!
“…The despised new heir to the House of Glasya-Labolas, that infamous
degenerate, can’t even hold a candle to Sairaorg Bael. Is he really that
powerful?” Kiba narrowed his eyes in astonishment at what he had just
witnessed, his expression stern. If our Familia’s ace was concerned, we were
really in trouble. He was probably mentally calculating just what it would
take to defeat him.
On top of his raw strength, Sairaorg’s speed was nothing to sneeze at,
either. I had been unable to follow his movements fully, and Kiba had looked
totally focused while watching the recording. Had Kiba been able to keep up?
To think that Sairaorg could do all that empty-handed…
Gasper was quivering, clinging to my arm with all his strength. I wanted
to tell him to chill out…
“Rias, you and Sairaorg both have a tendency for throwing yourselves
into one-on-one battles, never mind that you’re both Kings. Normally, a King
can just let their pieces move forward and handle the match. You understand
that if you are defeated, it’s over for everyone, right? All of you from the
House of Bael are a little too hot-blooded, if you ask me.” Azazel let out a
sigh.
The prez blushed with embarrassment. It was true that she did tend to
throw herself in harm’s way more often than she should…
“So how strong is that Zephyrdor bastard?” I asked.
Rias was the one who answered. “Compared to others outside the six
Houses, he certainly can’t be dismissed as weak. However, he’s only just
stepped up to his current position since his family’s last heir died…”
Akeno continued where the prez left off: “In the official rankings issued
by the Rating Game Steering Committee before everyone’s formal debuts
over the summer, the House of Bael was placed first. Agares was second,
followed by Gremory at third place, Astaroth at fourth, Sitri at fifth, and

Glasya-Labolas at sixth. That assessment was calculated using the average
strength of each King and their Familia. Although it does look like the results
of the battles have upset that assessment, at least somewhat.”
“But only Sairaorg Bael is particularly outstanding, right?” I questioned.
The prez nodded. “Indeed. He’s a monster. Speculation has it that he’ll
rise to the top in short order once he starts competing in official Rating
Games. On the other hand, if we were to beat him, we would be able to make
a good name for ourselves.”
Right. If he was considered the rising star, defeating him would be a
testament to our prowess…
Unsure I wanted to hear the reply, I asked, “Is he stronger than Riser?”
Riser was supposedly immortal, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be
defeated. Still, he was an undeniably formidable opponent.
“I wouldn’t be able to say for sure without seeing them face off against
each other directly, but my suspicion is that Sairaorg would come out on
top.”
Ugh! He’s that incredible?! And we have to fight him before even being
able to take part in so much as one official Rating Game?!
“Well, let’s take a look at the graphs. Each group has been given this
information, just so you know,” Azazel stated before summoning up a
holographic diagram at the front of the room.
The faces of the prez, the chairwoman, Sairaorg, and the other three
promising demon youths appeared up top, with a grid divided into POWER,
TECHNIQUE, SUPPORT, and WIZARD quadrants below it. It was written in easy-
to-understand Japanese.
Next to that was another figure, this one labeled KING. The prez, the
chairwoman, and the girl from the House of Agares were ranked quite highly,
as was Sairaorg. Zephyrdor was the lowest placed of the bunch.
The prez’s highest stats were in the Wizard category—in other words, her
specialty was using her demon powers to unleash magic. Her Power level
was also decently high. When it came to Technique and Support, she was
only marginally above average, however.
And then there was Sairaorg.
His Support and Wizard skills were clearly his weakness, but the problem
was his Power level.

The bar rose straight to the ceiling! What an incredible growth trajectory!
That overwhelming potential was too much to contemplate!
Of the remaining five individuals, Zephyrdor’s Power level was the next
highest, but Sairaorg’s was still several times superior!
“Even in that one-on-one bout with Zephyrdor, Sairaorg didn’t put his all
into it,” Azazel explained.
So he hadn’t even been fighting for real there…? As I looked at his stats, I
realized they possibly exceeded mine when I activated my Balance Breaker.
Was it even possible to be that strong without drawing on the abilities of a
legendary dragon?!
“Basically, Sairaorg is a fighting prodigy,” I concluded.
I mean, no matter how you looked at it, his physical skills were literally
off the charts.
Azazel, however, shook his head. “No, he’s the first pure-blooded demon
from the House of Bael to lack any particularly unique talents. He didn’t
inherit his lineage’s affinity for destructive power, either. It’s his cousins, the
Gremory siblings, who seem to have taken over that legacy.”
—.
That was an unexpected revelation.
The prez’s mother was born to the House of Bael, and so had passed on
the family’s destructive talents to her own children, Rias and Sirzechs.
How ironic, then, that the heir to the House of Bael lacked his family’s
signature powers…
“But he’s still the strongest demon youth, right?”
“Only by doing something that pure-blooded demons wouldn’t normally
dare. That’s where his genius lies.” Azazel’s expression was stern.
“What do you mean?” I pressed.
“An intense amount of training. Sairaorg is a rare breed of pure-blooded
demon, one whose powers are the result of an excessive amount of arduous
work. All he has is his body, so he’s pushed it to its absolute limit.”
This all came as a profound shock to me. I had thought that all high-class
pure-blooded demons were naturally capable, endowed with unique powers.
Yet instead, the prez was blessed with ability, while Sairaorg wasn’t.
Rias wore a complex expression as she watched the continuing match.
As if recounting a well-told story, Azazel went on. “Ever since he was
small, Sairaorg kept losing over and over again. His peers possessed unique

powers and were distinctive high-class pure-blooded demons one and all, but
his path was stained with tears and blood.”
Perhaps that explained it. Sairaorg had exuded an altogether different kind
of pressure and confidence than the prez or the chairwoman.
“And that talentless individual was selected to be the next heir to his
House. That in and of itself was a great achievement. He’s the real deal, well-
versed in both the joys of victory and the humiliations of defeat. That said, in
his case, there is a secret to his strength.”
The recording of the match came to a close.
Sairaorg—that was, the House of Bael—had won.
In the end, the tough guy Zephyrdor retreated into the shadows in terror as
he announced his surrender.
That huge strongman had been reduced to tears. Sairaorg, for his part, had
nothing further to say and simply departed the battlefield.
“That punk guy is pathetic!” Had I not borne witness to Sairaorg’s
overwhelmingly intimidating aura, I might have laughed at Zephyrdor.
I sensed that victory was an obsession for Sairaorg. He was the kind of
man who wouldn’t compromise, no matter what the stakes.
It felt similar to Saji when he had come for me during our Rating Game…
Sairaorg was willing to stake everything on his quest to fulfill his dreams.
Now that the video was over, silence settled over us.
“I’m going to let you know now. After your match with Diodora, your
next one is against Sairaorg,” revealed Azazel.
“Seriously?!” I couldn’t contain my shock.
Azazel, however, merely nodded.
“Isn’t that a little too soon?” the prez asked suspiciously. “I thought we
would be facing Glasya-Labolas first?”
“He’s a lost cause.”
None of us knew how to respond to that.
“Zephyrdor was absolutely crushed in his last battle,” Azazel continued.
“That encounter has left him petrified with fear. He can’t fight anymore. His
spirit is broken. So the matches will continue with the remaining participants.
The House of Glasya-Labolas won’t be proceeding any further.”
The most striking image from that recording, the one that stayed with me
even now, was of Zephyrdor cowering in fear at the end.
That was the moment when his spirit shattered.

Perhaps that was what the prez had meant when she said Sairaorg might
be even stronger than Riser. As immortal as the phoenix might be, he
wouldn’t be able to keep on going if his mind were broken.
“You had all better be careful. He’ll come at you trying to crush your
spirits, just like he does all his opponents. He’s serious about that mission of
his, becoming a Demon King. He won’t compromise or hesitate, and he
won’t give you any ground.”
Azazel’s warning sank deep into my heart.
We couldn’t afford to let down our guard even for a second! Still, I hadn’t
gone through all that effort to unlock my Balance Breaker for nothing! I
would put everything I had into working with the others to take down
Sairaorg!
The prez took a deep breath. “Let’s focus on our next match first. We
need to see how Astaroth fights to prepare our strategy. I heard he defeated
Seekvaira Agares, the next in line to the Agares Archduchy.”
“Agares lost?!” I exclaimed.
That girl with the glasses whom Zephyrdor had confronted during the
banquet had been defeated? She had seemed quite powerful, as had her
servants…
And yet Diodora had bested her…
“Just as Sona’s performance against us was considered a remarkable feat,
so, too, was Astaroth’s against Agares. Keep in mind that Agares was
supposedly the second-most favored demon youth. When all is said and done,
the rankings were no more than predictions, after all. No one can tell what’s
going to happen once a match gets underway. That goes for any Rating
Game,” the prez explained.
By the sound of it, we weren’t the only Familia having a rough time. I had
realized this over the summer, but it felt all the truer now—anything could
happen in a Rating Game.
“That said, I never would have expected Agares to lose,” Rias said under
her breath as she began the next recording.
At that moment—
Flash!
A magic circle, one large enough only to transport a single person,
appeared in a corner of the room!
Huh?! What’s going on? Is someone jumping here?

I didn’t recognize the pattern.
“…Astaroth,” Akeno murmured.
There was a momentary burst of light, and when it faded, that slender
pretty boy was standing there wearing his usual innocent smile.
“Greetings. It is I, Diodora Astaroth. I’m here to see Asia.”
The prez and Diodora sat at a table, with Azazel joining them as an
adviser.
Akeno had prepared a pot of tea and was standing by Rias’s side.
We, the remaining members of the prez’s Familia, watched from the
corner of the clubroom. For some reason, this reminded me of when I’d first
met Riser. The atmosphere was practically identical, this sense of difference
in status between me as a low-class demon and Rias and Diodora as high-
class demons.
This time, however, it was Asia’s future that was on the line, not the
prez’s. The person in question sat beside me, her expression clouded. I took
her hand in my own, her nervousness reaching me through the silence.
The prez will clear up everything, Asia. So don’t worry. I’ll protect you no
matter what.
If worst comes to worst and he won’t listen, I’ll use my Balance Breaker.
Still, it could turn into a serious incident if I took on another high-class
demon. I had already caused the prez’s engagement to be called off by doing
that once before. But if I had to, I would do it all over again!
Diodora couldn’t possibly have known the depths of my resolve. He fixed
the prez with a gentle smile as he began. “Rias. I don’t want to beat around
the bush here, so I’ll speak plainly. I want to trade Bishops with you.”
Trading—a system by which two Kings could exchange Familia
members, so long as they were of the same Evil Piece. I had heard about this
from Ravel Phenex.
Bishops—in other words, Asia or Gasper!
“Yargh! Is he talking about me?!” Gasper cried, wrapping his arms
around his body.
I slapped him on the head. “As if. Calm down.”
My recluse underclassman had developed considerably during our stay in
the underworld. When I first met him, he probably would have reacted much

more hysterically. Something like, Kyarghhhhh! I-is he talking about
meeeee?! And then he would no doubt have shut himself away in his
cardboard box.
It was good to see him improving. Incidentally, he was making progress
overcoming his aversion to garlic, too.
…In any event, Diodora was undoubtedly asking after Asia. The moment
he said the word Bishop, Asia tightened her grip on my hand. She clearly
didn’t want to go.
“I’m asking, of course, after Asia Argento,” Diodora clarified without
hesitation, turning his gaze our way. That smile of his was just too damn
elegant.
Dammit! I was right! He was trying to steal Asia away from us! And not
just that, Diodora wished to seize her forcefully by trade! That wasn’t how
you married someone!
“In exchange, I would be willing—”
Diodora pulled out what looked like a document profiling his Familia
members, but the prez raised a hand to stop him. “I thought as much. I’m
sorry. You deserve to know this up front: I’m not interested in a trade. I mean
no disrespect to your own Bishops, but I have no intention of letting Asia go.
She’s an invaluable member of this Familia.”
She rejected him point-blank!
Whoooooaaaaa! Prezzzzz! I was moved!
There was no mistaking it! The reason she didn’t so much as look at the
catalogue was because, in her mind, there could be no comparing Asia to
anyone else! She didn’t even want to suggest that weighing Asia against
another Bishop was a worthwhile endeavor!
“Is that because of her abilities? Or her individual charm?” Diodora asked
calmly.
Th-that bastard! The answer is a resounding no! It’s time for him to pack
up and go home!
The prez gave him the best possible answer: “Both. I think of her as a
younger sister.”
“President!” Asia raised a hand to her mouth, her green eyes glistening
with happiness.
She was undoubtedly overjoyed to hear that Rias saw her that way.
“She’s a precious friend and member of my household. I care deeply

about her. Is that not reason enough? Besides, I don’t know how I feel about
trying to acquire a marriage partner through an exchange. I can’t quite
stomach being party to something like that, Diodora. Do you understand how
a marriage proposal is supposed to work?”
The prez flashed him a grin, but there was an unmistakable intensity
behind it. Although clearly trying to act polite, she was obviously pissed!
Diodora’s smile never wavered. It gave me the creeps.
“Very well. I’ll leave you for now. But I haven’t given up.”
He rose to his feet and made his way toward us—toward Asia.
She was clearly uncomfortable, but that didn’t stop Diodora from
dropping down to one knee and taking her hand in his own. “Asia. I love you.
Fret not—fate shan’t betray us. Even if the whole world stands in our way, I
shall overcome all obstacles to make my way to you.”
Not only did he spout all that crap, he raised Asia’s hand to his lips, about
to kiss it—
Snap.
At that moment, something broke inside me.
Before I knew it, I had placed my hand on his shoulder, pulling him away.
Then, with that silver-laced smile of his, Diodora said, “Let go, would
you? I can’t stand to be touched by a filthy dragon.”
Th-that bastard! How can he say that so innocently?! Is this his true
nature?!
I nearly went ape on that pretty boy, but at that moment—
Slap!
Asia’s hand slammed hard into Diodora’s cheek. She wrapped her arms
around me and all but shrieked, “Don’t say that!”
…I hadn’t expected her to strike him. But it was a welcome sight!
Diodora’s cheek turned red. Nonetheless, he still didn’t stop grinning. The
unwavering expression made my hair stand on end…
“I see. I understand… In that case, how does this sound? I shall defeat the
Red Dragon Emperor, Issei Hyoudou, in our upcoming match. And then,
Asia, you will accept my love—”
“There’s no way I’m going to lose to the likes of you!” I declared right to
his face.
None of this was for him to decide!
Still, if that was how he wanted to play, then it was fine. The situation was

easy enough to understand. If I wanted him to go away, all I had to do was
beat him.

“Red Dragon Emperor, Issei Hyoudou—I shall fell you during our next
Rating Game.”
“Diodora Astaroth, I’ll give you a taste of the full power of this filthy
dragon!”
Diodora and I exchanged glares. I couldn’t let him get his hands on Asia!
At that moment, Azazel’s phone began to ring. He exchanged a few brief
words with whoever was on the other end of the line before turning to us.
“Good timing. Rias, Diodora. The date for your match has been set. Five days
from now.”
We called it a day there, and Diodora made his way home through his
magic circle.
Don’t you dare show your face in this clubroom again!
With renewed determination, I set about getting ready for our match.
We received official confirmation of the venue and starting time from the
Demon King several days later.
“A high-class demon…”
It was late at night, and I was busy doing the rounds of my demon work.
Having finished with one client, I was cycling back to the school.
Thanks to my training in the underworld, I was now capable of leaping
through magic circles. Nonetheless, my clients had gotten used to me arriving
by bicycle and seemed disappointed whenever I used a magic circle to warp
directly to them.
Because of that, I was still biking. All that effort learning how to properly
use the magic circles hadn’t amounted to much.
Then again, my reputation as the so-called Cycling Demon could help to
boost the number of clients requesting me specifically…
Not only that, all this riding around did make for good a workout… Over
the past few months, I had perhaps become a little obsessed with training…
Anyway, as I pedaled my way back, I fell to thinking about high-class
demons. I had seen it firsthand down in the underworld, but they sure did
tend to look down on their lower-ranked kin…
The prez and her parents were exceptions to that rule, but it clearly
applied to Riser, Diodora, and most other high-class demons from old

Houses. Near as I could figure, reincarnated or lower-ranked demons were
basically trash to them.
It was completely unfair! But I wondered if their reason for mistreating us
was more complex. Maybe those demons, with their long, vaunted histories,
were afraid of us newcomers throwing our weight around? That would make
sense, but to be honest, I had no way of being certain.
After all, I was just a low-ranked reincarnated demon, desperately fighting
to be acknowledged.
“Phew. Who could have guessed that sports drinks could be so good?”
I stopped for a quick break in front of a vending machine, when—
Out of nowhere, I sensed a presence behind me!
Who is it?!
The figure that appeared out of the darkness…was a casually dressed guy!
What’s more, I recognized him!
“Hiya, Red Dragon Emperor.”
“Bikou! What are you doing here?!”
Yep, it was none other than that smiley-faced descendant of Sun Wukong!
This time, however, he wasn’t wearing his Chinese-style armor but the sort of
everyday clothes common among fashion-conscious young people. His outfit
wasn’t important, though. Why was he here?!
“I’m just accompanying my partner,” he explained, glancing over his
shoulder.
It can’t be!
A few paces behind him was…
“I haven’t seen you for a whole two months, Issei Hyoudou.”
It was Vali, wearing a white T-shirt and casual pants!
“Vali!”
I immediately raised my guard, readying myself for the worst!
This was bad! What did they want with me?!
“They say you’ve attained your full Balance Breaker? I’m glad to hear it.”
That overconfident grin of Vali’s really got on my nerves. Even now, he
was looking down on me.
“Yo, Mr. Wise Old White Dragon Emperor. Do you want to pick up
where we left off or something?” I demanded, preparing to activate my
Boosted Gear.
Vali, however, broke out into a chuckle. “You’re feeling aggressive today,

aren’t you, Issei Hyoudou?”
“It can’t be helped. You’re standing in the way of my future plans.”
“To become a high-class demon, right? I wouldn’t worry about that.
You’re well on track to get there in a few years’ time.”
Had the White Dragon Emperor just complimented me? All the same, I
doubted it would be so easy. I was putting my all into that dream.
“That isn’t what I came here to say, however,” Vali admitted.
“Then what do you want?” I pressed.
“I heard about your upcoming Rating Game. The one against the next heir
to the House of Astaroth.”
How did he know that? I guess he had his sources. Vali did belong to a
special team in a well-outfitted terrorist organization. They undoubtedly had
a considerable information network…
“What about it?”
“You should watch your back.”
Suspicious, but still not lowering my guard, I asked, “…What do you
mean?”
Vali merely shrugged. “You saw the recording of his other match, right?
Against the archduke’s dear little princess?”
Indeed, after Diodora had left, we had all sat down to watch the recorded
footage of his match against the Agares girl.
Diodora had won it single-handedly… His power had been so
overwhelming that his Familia members were only there for support.
As a Wizard-type, he employed a wide assortment of different powers—
stronger even than the prez’s—and had used them to crush the Power-type
Seekvaira Agares.
We all doubted our eyes when we saw that. I didn’t pay attention to the
match so much as to Diodora himself. Seekvaira seemed to have had the
advantage at first, right before her opponent suddenly powered up. Had
Diodora concealed his true abilities up until the last minute?
Azazel had apparently watched the match live, but even he was skeptical
of Diodora’s incredible increase in strength. It was completely at odds with
the data Azazel had received beforehand.
The prez had been equally astounded.
“Diodora has never been that powerful,” she remarked.
Both she and Azazel had been in agreement on that point.

That wasn’t to suggest Diodora was weak—his recorded high-class
demon powers placed only a little below Rias’s. However, his display during
the Rating Game left us all totally shaken.
How could he have improved so much in such a short period of time?
And the match had ended midway through with a confrontation between
the two Kings. Did all the demon youths whom we had met in the underworld
have a poor grip on basic strategy or something? Why were they all obsessed
with charging headlong into the thick of it?
From what I gathered, the big-name spectators relished this fresh
approach to the Rating Game, duels between Kings especially…
“Well, your high-class demon friends probably wouldn’t believe it
coming from me, but I thought you might hear me out,” said Vali.
…Was I supposed to feel grateful or something? I didn’t quite know how
to respond.
At that moment, a shadow appeared down the road.
Vali and Bikou must have sensed it approaching, too, as they glanced in
the shape’s direction.
Who now?!
Emerging out of the night—was a macho hunk dressed in a gothic Lolita
outfit…! And he had cat ears on his head!
Mil?!
He was one of my regular clients! Was he just passing by?! Him seeing
me while I was out on work suggested the involvement of some unknown
driving force!
The moment that he appeared, Vali blinked in surprise.
I, too, doubted my eyes.
“Meow,” Mil said, raising his hand in greeting as he strolled past.
“Those cat ears…is he the nekomata? I couldn’t sense him approaching at
all. Sage magic?” Vali asked Bikou, his expression stern.
As if!
Had Vali been anyone else, I would have roasted him with some clever
words!
“No, that’s… Is it some kind of troll…? A cat troll…?” Bikou tilted his
head in confusion.
I had no idea how to respond to this!
Nonetheless, thanks to Mil’s appearance, the tension that had fallen over

us was suddenly released. Even Vali didn’t seem as eager to engage in
combat.
Thank you, Mil!
“Okay, then… Let’s get going, Bikou.” With that, the White Dragon
Emperor and his companion turned to leave.
“Hold on! You came all this way just to give me a warning?” I demanded.
Vali let out a chuckle. “I was in the area, so I thought I might as well offer
my future rival a bit of friendly advice.”
“See ya, Red Dragon Emperor! Hey, Vali, let’s stop by that ramen
restaurant before we go!”
With that, the two of them disappeared back into the depths of night.
Argh! I just didn’t get it! What was the point of showing up so relaxed
like that after all the trouble he had caused us?! Vali was acting as if he was
just out for a stroll!
“Your rival is a strange one,” Ddraig said.
Yep! My thoughts exactly! I thought back.
“Then again, you aren’t exactly a paragon of normality, either.”
How rude.
“Still, I’m enjoying this.”
Huh? Where did that come from?
“It feels like out of all my past hosts, you’re the one I can speak most
freely with. You’re my first host who actually makes for entertaining
conversation.”
That’s because I’m so clueless and need your help all the time.
“…That might not be such a bad thing. You treat me as a fellow being, not
a tool.”
Hold on, Ddraig was a living being, wasn’t he?! Now it was my turn to be
jolted with shock!
You are the Red Dragon Emperor, right? D-did I misunderstand
something?
“Bwa-ha-ha. Yep, you’re a strange one all right.”
No matter what I did, I couldn’t understand these Heavenly Dragons one
little bit.

“So Vali showed up…”
After returning to the clubroom, I asked the prez to hang back after we
wrapped up the day’s demon business, and I explained what had happened.
She rested her chin on her hand, sinking deep into thought. “…We should
have sensed him if he entered the town… Yet I didn’t notice him at all. How
did he manage to conceal his presence so well? Sage magic? Or one of
Kuroka’s spatial barriers, maybe?”
She paused there, activating a small magic circle for communication. “In
any event, I’ll let my brother and Azazel know, just in case.”
After submitting her report, the prez flashed me a warm smile. “We
should be on alert about Diodora, too. I don’t know how much stock I can put
into Vali’s warning, but we should nonetheless remain vigilant. Now then,
shall we go home?”
“Sure.”
And like that, the two of us set off.
I pedaled my bicycle, with Rias sitting behind me. She wrapped her arms
around my waist, which caused her breasts to push up against my back. They
felt awesome!
Everyone else was probably already relaxing. Apart from Kiba and
Gasper, all the other club members had moved into my family’s house. Those
two were apparently living in an apartment nearby. Gasper had finally
worked up the courage to step outside the old school building. He was
growing up so fast.
Supposedly, he and Kiba were just around the corner so that they could
stop by whenever needed.
When we arrived home, the prez went straight to my room. The moment
she opened the door—
“Oh dear, Issei. Welcome home.”
Akeno was waiting in a sexy cosplay outfit!
“A-Akeno! What are you wearing?!”
It was a shrine maiden outfit, one clearly modeled on the appearance of a
character from a famous video game. It almost completely revealed her thighs
and breasts, covering only the bare minimum!
I couldn’t avert my gaze. It was awesome! She was so sexy! How
provocative, Akeno! If she were to spin around too quickly, her chest might
end up falling right out into plain sight! There was clearly no way she could

have been wearing underwear beneath something like that!
Akeno flashed me a mischievous smile. “Oh-ho-ho. Do you remember
what I said to you the other day? That I would dress up for you…? Do you
like it?”
Ah! Right, Akeno had mentioned something like that when she had found
me in the bookstore before our match against Chairwoman Sona! I had
completely forgotten about it, but she hadn’t!
“O-of course! It’s awesome!”
I was utterly smitten. My voice rang with joy. There was no greater
elation than this!
“Thank goodness. Oh-ho-ho. What shall we do? How about an
appreciation party? Or maybe…” Akeno traced a finger across her chest,
glancing suggestively my way. “Perhaps we could have a trial session in bed,
touching allowed.”
Gah!
Blood shot from my nose as I envisioned what she meant.
Obviously, I was up for that! I would have said as much, but my whole
body froze in response to the frigid, murderous aura welling up behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder, only to find the prez staring at Akeno with a
terrifying smile.
“…Akeno? What are you doing here?”
“Oh, Rias. There you are.” That response was clearly contrived.
At home, Akeno typically addressed the prez by her name. At school or
during the course of our demon work, it was always “President.”
“Of course I’m here. Issei and I share this room,” Rias replied, trembling.
“I see. Well, wait outside for a little while, then. I’m here to please Issei,
and you’ll just get in the way.”
The prez went motionless at those words, her voice shaking. “…Get in
the…way…?”
Whoaaaaa! A murderous crimson energy surrounded her! This was bad!
They were going to get caught up in another fight!
I could sense oncoming danger, but at that moment, three adorable figures
appeared in a corner of the room—Asia, Xenovia, and Koneko!
Hold on, why are they wearing sexy outfits, too?!
The designs were slightly different, but Asia and Xenovia were sporting
shrine maiden outfits similar to Akeno’s! And of course, that meant they

were showing an incredible amount of skin!
Whoa… Asia’s thighs were almost completely bare. She had great legs!
As the closest thing to a brother to her, I was conflicted! Those slim legs and
her gorgeous white skin set my heart on fire!
“Yep, it sure is easy to move in this. It isn’t really compatible with
underwear, but functionally speaking, I’ve got no complaints,” Xenovia
remarked.
Was she considering that getup entirely from a warrior’s perspective?!
And she had nothing on underneath it?!
“B-but without a bra…y-you can see right through it…” Asia blushed,
covering her chest.
Upon careful inspection, I could make out two delicious pink circles.
No! I scolded myself. No matter how beautiful they were, I couldn’t stare
at them like that!
I heard footsteps from my other side. It was Koneko sneaking up on me
while I was distracted, and she was clad in an animal costume!
She was showing much less skin than the others, but her cat ears and
swaying tail were beyond lovely!
“…Does it suit me-ow?”
That beckoning cat pose she struck at the end of her sentence pushed
Koneko’s destructive power to new heights! She was so cute! This petite girl
was adorable!
Are all our female club members cosplayers?! Is this a dream come true?!
“…I’ll get changed as well!” The teary-eyed prez, not wanting to be left
out, sifted through a pile of outfits at the far end of the room!
All of a sudden, this had practically become some kind of dress-up
tournament.
“Wh-what’s going on?” I asked Akeno.
“Well, when I told the others I wanted to fulfill my promise to you, they
said they wanted to join in. And so, here we are.”
Evidently, the others had joined of curiosity. Still, they all were blessed
with wonderful figures and superb senses of style!
Hmm, maybe I should try to take some photos later? I could use them to
fuel my late-night indulgences!
Click!
The changing room door swung open, and out came the prez in an erotic

demon costume! Her black bat-like wings fluttered back and forth so
temptingly!
“See, Issei? It looks so much better on me, don’t you think? No one
knows your tastes better than I do.” She struck a victorious pose, her breasts
quivering seductively!
“Yep! I love it!”
The prez sure had a strong sense of rivalry with Akeno.
“…”
Without saying anything, Akeno made her way into the changing room.
When she came out, she was wearing practically nothing more than a string!
Gah! My nosebleed wouldn’t stop! She was almost completely naked! A-
all it took was the slightest movement and I could see her nipples!
“Issei, you like revealing outfits like this best, no?”
I nodded forcefully, with absolute relish.
It was amazing… Something incredible was unfolding right in front of my
eyes!
“Issei. Raise a finger into the air for me,” Akeno requested.
Confused, I did as instructed. Akeno immediately grabbed ahold of my
hand and pulled it toward her breast!
Wha—?! It was so soft!
My finger sank right into that glorious tit!
Bah! The blood trickling from my nose was building up into a torrent!
An unbelievable suppleness, softer and more elastic than the most
sumptuous of marshmallows!
“Ngh… Th-this is amazing… Your finger, Issei… When I saw you face
down Diodora, my heart melted for you… You’re so strong and manly… I
can’t hold back any longer…,” Akeno breathed, her gasps electric.
A surge coursed through my flesh! She was just too damn sexy!
Akenooooo!
This was bad! At this rate, I would reach my Balance Breaker all over
again! I could feel it coming! I sure had been doing a lot of groping lately!
“…”
The prez took my left hand in her own! And then she placed it on her own
breast!
Plop!
My palm wrapped around that soft flesh! I was touching the breasts of the

Two Great Ladies at the same time!
Whoaaaaa!
“…Ah… Just as I thought, when you touch me…my heart races so…
Why does it feel so good…? The more you caress me, Issei…the better it
is… I could cry out in ecstasy… Ah…”
The blood pouring from my nose swelled to a flood in response to those
seductive sounds! I would end up dying of blood loss at this rate!
But I would never grow tired of the prez’s breasts, no matter how many
times I touched them! Her silky skin was smooth and elastic, the softest and
most delightful texture I had ever known! They were too big for me to fully
grasp in my hands, a perfectly overwhelming size! When I tightened my
fingers around them, a frightening sense of excitement coursed through me!
This was it! Yep, I was about to reach my Balance Breaker again, about to
unleash yet another new power!
Before I knew it, my right hand, merely poking Akeno’s breast a moment
ago, was now fondling it tightly! I focused the entirety of my attention onto
the palms of my hands, relishing that unbreakable pudding-like feeling! They
were clinging to my skin! This fresh, juicy tension was practically a flesh-
and-blood embodiment of the concept of woman!
Experiencing them as I was, I could feel the differences between Rias’s
and Akeno’s chests!
Are Akeno’s slightly softer, perhaps? Hmm, but the prez’s are much
springier!
As I felt them up, the girls exchanged baleful glares, all but sending
sparks flying across the room!
Then the prez, her eyes moist, charged toward the changing room. “I
won’t lose to you, Akeno!”
N-not a moment later, Akeno ran after her. “No, I can definitely
proposition Issei better than you can!”
“He said that I’m enthralling!”
“Do you expect me to believe that?! The other day, he admitted that my
body felt amazing!”
“You probably forced him to say that, right?! And when did you start
addressing him so casually?!”
“There’s no harm in it! I’ll call him whatever I like. Issei, Issei, Issei,
Issei, Issei! You’re a pain, Rias!”

“And you’re a dull clod, Akeno! I’ll never forgive you for this!”
The Two Great Ladies started quarreling even louder in the changing
room! I couldn’t tell whether this was a sign of deep friendship or not…
In the end, I could only conclude that they did in fact get along
remarkably well.
“…Issei. A tissue. Your nose is bleeding.”
Thank you, Koneko. Uh-oh. I really have lost a lot of blood…
“This won’t do. There’s no stopping the two of them once they start
bickering like this… Let’s go, Asia.”
“O-okay!”
Asia and Xenovia took me by my hands and guided me—dizzy with
blood loss—to the room next door.
All the while, the prez and Akeno kept shouting over each other while
changing.
“The match is in five days. So soon,” Xenovia said as she moved her
piece across the board.
In the room next to my own, she, Asia, Koneko, and I were playing the
demon edition of the Game of Life.
Each player started as a low-ranked demon, progressing through the
intermediate and upper ranks, eventually climbing all the way up to being a
high-class demon, while the winner took the crown as a Demon King. In the
real-life underworld, it wasn’t so easy to get promoted, but the game
nonetheless seemed to be as popular down there as it was in the human realm.
We were sitting around the table, and I had Koneko on my lap. I kept
getting distracted by the warm touch of her bottom pressing against me, but I
had to restrain myself.
After touching Xenovia’s, Asia’s, Rias’s, and Akeno’s breasts today, I felt
as if my brain was melting… I would be able to power myself all night long
with those sensations that still lingered on the palms of my hands.
Ah, if I had a lover, perhaps I’d be able to do that kind of thing twenty-
four seven…
I wanted nothing more than to build my harem as quickly as possible and
to throw myself into a world of tits!
Unfortunately, I must have been anemic, as unshakable dizziness and

hazy consciousness gripped me. Between my private life and my battles,
wasn’t I shedding a little too much blood? This was going to be a problem…
“—!”
“—!”
Rias’s and Akeno’s voices sounded through the wall. They did sometimes
go a little overboard.
At first, I had blamed myself for what had happened, but Koneko gave me
a word of advice. “…When they get like that, you’re better off just letting
them fight it out. There’s no point trying to stop them.”
As such, I had let them be. Hopefully they weren’t battling with magic in
there.
Ever since we had come back from the underworld, Koneko had made a
habit of offering me a great many tidbits of advice.
According to her, I needed to get a better understanding of young women.
A woman’s heart… If I could understand that, would I become more
popular with girls? What I would do to be a little more popular…
All of a sudden, someone knocked at the door. It was Irina.
“Wow. I just got home, and what would you know? Rias and Akeno were
having a huge fight. What a shock! Ah! Is that the Game of Life? Can I
play?!”
Irina had apparently been handling some errands at a distant church (not
the one formerly used by the fallen angels), but she was eager to dive right
into the board game.
“Is this a demon version? Wow, cool! Maybe even I, a reincarnated angel,
can get an idea of what it’s like to be a demon!”
As far as I could tell, she seemed to enjoy just about everything.
“Hee.”
Asia let out a small laugh.
“Hmm? What is it, Asia?” I asked.
She flashed me a grin. “I was just thinking about how fun this is.”
“Ah, me too. But where did that come from?”
“Issei, I love my life. And I love you all, too.”
“I know. Don’t worry about the next Rating Game. We just need to keep
doing the same thing we have been,” I assured, trying to encourage her.
Xenovia nodded. “That’s right, Asia. We’re friends. Anyone who tries to
hurt you will taste my sword.”

She was almost overly dependable. This was her way of trying to cheer up
Asia.
“Asia, let’s finish the game and take first place in the three-legged race at
the Sports Festival!” I said.
“Right!” she answered with a broad smile.
Yep. I—no, we—would protect Asia! We wouldn’t let Diodora have her!
Suddenly, the door swung open, and the prez stepped in. She was wearing
a bunny outfit. Had she and Akeno finished their costume combat? I could
feel my nose bleeding again…
“Sorry for barging in.”
“…?”
Everyone stared back at the prez blankly.
“I have news. We’re going to be interviewed for a TV show in the
underworld—a special feature on high-class demon youths.”
“…”
Each of us, myself included, was dumbfounded.
“““““A TV show?!””””” echoed a cry through the Hyoudou residence!
Asia
I—Asia Argento—was taken aback.

We were going to be on television. It felt like every single day living with
Issei brought yet more surprises.
Several months had passed since I had begun living in his house. Thanks
to Issei and the others, I attended school and made friends with Kiryuu,
Matsuda, Motohama, and everyone else in the class.
The president, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and Gasper were all incredibly kind
to me. Xenovia was the same age as me, and we had become best friends.
Irina was a good friend, too.
Issei’s father and mother were welcoming and generous, and life in Japan
was filled with fresh new things to see and experience. I had even gone to the
underworld for my summer vacation.
My life was bursting with tons of colors that I would never have even
imagined back when I was a member of the Church.
And then there was Diodora’s proposal… It practically had me quaking!
No one had ever proposed to me before. I’d had no idea how to respond.

However, Issei assured me that he would always be by my side. That was
all I needed. If I had him, I was content.
I was happy to spend my time with Issei, laughing, having fun…
Lord, please let me stay with Issei forever. Let me be with him until the
end of time. A-and if I could ask one more thing… I-if you can, please let my
next proposal be from him… I know that it’s selfish of me. But I love him, and
I want to dream a little. Just thinking about him fills me with joy. Lord,
please watch over me and the man I love.
Boss×Boss
“Sorry about bringing this to you over the phone, Sirzechs. It’s about the
suspicious death of the last heir to the House of Glasya-Labolas and the
astonishing growth of Diodora Astaroth’s powers…”
“So I was right, they are related. It looks like we demons still have some
issues to sort out.”
“I don’t have any concrete evidence yet, but if we take Vali’s warning at
face value, then Diodora… I’m thinking we’ve got no choice but to enact the
plan we discussed earlier… Sorry if I seem a bit down. Someone close to me
has just had an important event.”
“I’ve heard. It sounds like one of the leaders of the Grigori has gotten
married.”
“…Everyone’s always rushing into things. Worse, he was sleeping with a
woman from another faction behind my back… Dammit, am I the only single
guy left?!”
“Ha-ha-ha. Why don’t you settle down, too, Azazel?”
“No way. I live for my passions… A-and there are plenty of women out
there!”
“Indeed. Well, let’s start taking the necessary steps. I trust your plan.”
“Right. Leave it to me. Although we will be putting them through another
round of trouble…”

Life.3
The Great Battle!
“Ah, er, I—I’m… Yes, I belong to the Gremory Familia…”

I was sitting in front of the mirror in my room, practicing my public
speaking and smiling. I wanted everyone to think of me wearing a cheerful
grin, but all this rehearsing only got me feeling more nervous.
I mean, I was going to be on TV! Naturally, I wanted to leave a good
impression!
That night, the prez had received a call from Grayfia about the underworld
television station offering us an appearance on their program—and the offer
extended to every member of the Gremory Familia!
The Rating Games between the up-and-coming demon youths had been
broadcast throughout the underworld—ours included. The prez was already
famous as the sister of a Demon King, and our performance during the match
had increased her renown even more.
I had heard that a certain underworld magazine even ran a Rias Gremory
special edition!
Over the summer, I had realized how widely adored she was, and it
seemed like that popularity was only on the increase.
Apparently, clothes resembling the uniform of Kuou Academy were even
setting the fashion scene for demon girls. It wouldn’t be long before they
dressed the same as their human counterparts.

Squish!
Someone grabbed ahold of me from behind! I knew the feeling of these
breasts pressing against my back! Just as I suspected, I saw the prez was
staring into my eyes from the mirror.
“What are you doing, Issei?” she asked playfully.
“W-well, I’m getting ready for our TV appearance.”
“Heh-heh. Don’t worry about it. All you need to do is answer normally.
Most of the questions will be directed at me anyway.”
She began to pat me on the head to release my tension! Ah, Prez! My
doting, sisterlike Prez! How could I ever fault the way she cared for her
servants?
“You know, Issei, you don’t need to shoulder all that responsibility for
Asia yourself,” she said gently. “Lately, you’ve been thinking about Diodora
more than she has. Of course, I’m concerned about him, too, but you look to
me like you’re extremely worried about Asia. Do you blame yourself for
bringing her into our world?”
…The prez was incredible. I nodded, staring down at my feet. “…Yes.
But she said that she’s happy with the way things are now. And I do think it’s
all worked out for the best… But still, I—”
Squeeze.
The prez caught me in a gentle embrace and whispered into my ear,
“We’ll make her happy, Issei. You, me, and everyone else in this Familia.
You and the others all need to strive for happiness, too, okay? Otherwise,
you’ll make me sad.”
“…Prez…”
Her words brought tears to my eyes! Ugh! She was just so kind and
caring!
This woman whom I loved really was the best! I would follow her
anywhere!
She was right! She, I, and every other member of this Familia would all
support Asia! We would spend our days laughing together! And we would be
happy!
“Prez, I’ll do my best to look after everyone, myself included!”
Rias’s smile deepened at the sight of my determination. “Yes, I know you
will. My dear Issei.”

Before I knew it, the day of the television interview was upon us.
We members of Rias Gremory’s Familia made our way to the underworld
through our magic circle!
I hadn’t expected that I would be back so soon—it had only been a few
days since the end of our summer vacation, after all.
We found ourselves in the basement of what looked like a large city
building, in an area set aside for arrivals via warping. We were soon
pleasantly welcomed by a number of staffers waiting there for us.
“Thank you for coming, Lady Rias Gremory. And you, her Familia
members. Please, right this way.” One of those people, a producer, led us into
a waiting elevator.
Generally, the building wasn’t all that dissimilar to what could be found in
the human realm, but there were subtle differences—unfamiliar devices and
equipment that looked to be powered by demon energy, and the like.
There was also a poster in the corridor of the prez! With her crimson hair,
her exuberant grin, and her gorgeous appearance, she looked just like an idol!
At that moment, a familiar figure appeared at the far end of the corridor,
followed by close to a dozen other faces.
“Sairaorg. You’re here, too, I see.”
Yep, it was none other than the prez’s cousin, the next head of the House
of Bael.
He was wearing an aristocratic jacket over his shoulders, but his
appearance was as wild as I remembered. With my amateur eyes, I couldn’t
spot a single opening in his stance or bearing. Was he always ready for
battle?
The blond pony-tailed young woman behind him must have been his
Queen. She was a real beauty…
“Rias? Are you doing an interview as well?”
“Indeed. I take it that you’ve finished?”
“Not yet. We’re about to start now. I’m guessing we’re in different
studios. I watched your match, by the way.”
The prez’s brow furrowed slightly.
“We’re both quite new at this, aren’t we? It might take us a while to get
the hang of it.” Sairaorg flashed her a forced smile. Was he trying to offer

some encouragement?
He shifted his gaze in my direction. “No matter how powerful you may
be, if you keep repeating the same old tricks, you’re bound to lose. Your
opponents will take full advantage of any openings. Don’t forget, there are a
lot of unknowns when it comes to Sacred Gears. There’s no telling what they
might do or how they could interact. Compatibility is crucial. I learned a
great deal from your match with Sona Sitri. That said…” He paused there,
patting me on the shoulder. “I look forward to facing your extraordinary
power myself.”
—.
With those final words, he departed down the corridor.
…He had only clapped it lightly, but my shoulder felt strangely heavy.
Did the number one demon youth harbor special expectations for me?
How nerve-racking!
After exchanging greetings with Sairaorg, we made our way to our
dressing room, where we set up our belongings.
Azazel was apparently making an appearance on another program, so he
hadn’t joined us. Irina was staying at home, too.
Which meant that today was all about the Gremory Familia.
Next, we were taken to what looked like a studio. The staff were busy at
work, the preparations not yet complete.
The woman who would be interviewing us was waiting, and she came to
greet the prez. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Gremory. I’m the presenter
here at Underworld TV One.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Rias responded with a grin, shaking the older
woman’s hand.
“Now, as for the questions—”
With that, the prez, the staff, and the presenter started talking business.
My eye wandered, and I noticed a lot of tiered seats beyond the stage. A
studio audience! Whoa… Not only was this interview going to be live, there
would be a crowd watching in the room, too…
Damn, I was so nervous! Even if the interview was mainly about the prez,
all her Familia members would be expected to say at least a few words…
“…I—I—I… I want to go hooooome!” Gasper wailed behind my back.
It was a cruel twist of fate that had forced this sociophobic shut-in to
appear on TV.

You aren’t the only one anxious about this, Gasper. Be strong.
“Each of you will field a few questions, but please try to relax,” one of the
staff members called out to us. “Um, are Yuuto Kiba and Akeno Himejima
here?”
“Ah, that’s me. I’m Yuuto Kiba.”
“And I’m Akeno Himejima.”
The two of them raised their hands.
“You two should expect more questions than the others. You’re both
particularly popular.”
“Seriously?!” I cried in shock.
The TV station worker nodded. “Yes. Kiba is particularly popular among
our female viewers, just as Akeno is among our male watchers.”
I guess that did make sense. A handsome pretty boy and a breathtaking
beauty.
The battle against Sona Sitri and her Familia must have really put them on
the map. Mentally, I cursed Kiba. Some guys had all the luck! As for how I
thought about Akeno…that was complicated. She was one of my dear Two
Great Ladies, after all…
I stood there, unsure whether to rejoice or not. Perhaps noticing, Akeno
flashed me a grin. “Don’t worry, Issei. I only have eyes for you. I won’t leave
your side.” With that, she took my hand in her own.
Whoaaaaa! Akeno! I was moved by the depths of her affections for her
fellow Familia members!
Huh?! I could feel a piercing gaze boring into my back. I glanced around
—only to find the prez glaring at Akeno! She was sure keeping a strict eye on
her servants!
“Er, lastly, Issei Hyoudou?”
“Th-that’s me.”
Was I popular, too? Truth be told, I kind of expected that!
The staffer shook her head, however.
“…Oh, that’s you…?”
She doesn’t recognize me?! Whaaaaat?!
“I’m Issei Hyoudou. The Pawn. The Red Dragon Emperor…,” I began to
explain uncertainly.
Only then did the TV station worker seem to recognize me. “Ah! It is you!
I didn’t identify you without your armor. It leaves such a strong impression,

you see.”
It sure did! I had been armored for most of the last match, short though it
had been!
I suppose it made sense that I didn’t leave as much of an impression in my
normal state.
“Hyoudou, we’ll be holding your interview in a separate studio. The
Breast Dragon Emperor is particularly famous, after all.”
“The Breast Dragon Emperor?!”
What the heck was that?! I gaped in shock at this new nickname I’d been
branded with!
“You’re quite popular among young children,” the staff member
explained. “They’ve started calling you the Breast Dragon. You did keep
talking about women’s chests during your match, right? That gag has become
a big hit here in the underworld.”
Seriously?! A gag?! For kids?! What gives?!
Still, Breast Dragon… I suppose I had gone on about boobs for a while
during the match…
And of course, kids did tend to latch on to simple phrases like that. I guess
whether you were in the human realm or the underworld, children weren’t
much different.
“Bah… Why…?” I could hear Ddraig sobbing inside me.
Hey, hey, hey, come on now, what’s wrong?
“I, one of the Two Heavenly Dragons…the Red Dragon Emperor…a
being of fear and legend…”
He was seriously bawling his eyes out in there… His new reputation must
have come as an unpleasant shock.
Hmm, Breast Dragon Emperor… I could get used to that…
“Hyoudou, please follow me. I’ll show you to your studio.” With that, the
TV station worker handed me a special script as they showed me to another
room.
In my mind, I did my best to encourage Ddraig.
Now then, what was waiting for me next?
“If that wasn’t nerve-racking…”

After the recording, the other club members and I were catching our

collective breath in the dressing room.
It was clear that everyone was anxious over how the interview had gone.
No sooner did they enter the room than they leaned against one of the walls
or slumped down against the table.
From beginning to end, the show focused on several questions directed at
the prez. What did she think of her battle against Sona Sitri? What were her
plans from here? Which of the demon youths was she keeping an eye on?
That kind of thing.
Rias had answered each and every one of them without hesitation, never
forgetting to maintain her noble demeanor and friendly smile.
After all, her family could be watching, so we couldn’t afford to do
anything out of the ordinary. As the next head of the House of Gremory, she
gave an incredibly cool and levelheaded interview!
When the interviewer moved on to Kiba, there was a volley of shrill cries
from the audience. His popularity with the ladies really was off the charts.
And when Akeno’s turn rolled around, her male fans started crying out her
name in excitement.
During my segment, many kids shouted, “Breast Emperor!” It was an
indescribable feeling. I would never have expected to be so popular with
children…
When I equipped my amor, I must have looked like a costumed cartoon
character to them. That said, the fact that I kept on talking about boobs had
sparked interest in me for an altogether different reason.
Ha-ha-ha, I guess that was why they did my portion in a different studio.
“By the way, Issei, what did you film?” the prez inquired as she nibbled
on a sweet. “I’m sure they didn’t whisk you off to a separate room for
nothing.”
“It’s a secret. The staff asked me to not to tell anyone, not even my friends
or family, until it airs,” I answered with a mischievous chuckle.
“Okay. I’ll look forward to watching it, then.” Rias seemed to find that
prospect exciting.
We were preparing to leave when there was a knock on the door to the
dressing room.
Ah, what a cutie, I thought for a brief moment. A beautiful young woman
entered. Her hair was done up in ringlets that trailed down to her shoulders.
Something about her seemed familiar…

“Is Master Issei here?” she asked.
“Ravel Phenex… What are you doing here?”
Our eyes met. For a second, it looked like Ravel’s face lit up, but then a
sullen expression suddenly fell over her.
She hastily thrust a basket into my hands.
“Th-this! A cake! My brother—not Riser—has a program here, so I
thought I’d drop by!”
I didn’t quite know how to respond, but I accepted the basket and looked
over its contents.
There was indeed a delicious-looking cake inside. Masterfully baked,
actually.
Still, why was Ravel acting so bashful about giving it to me? She ought to
have been proud of her work.
“Did you make this?” I asked.
“Y-yes! Of course I did! I know how to bake at least! A-and I did promise
to make one for you!”
“Thank you. But you could have waited until we had tea together. I
thought that was the plan.”
“I—I’m not that tactless. You have a big battle coming up, don’t you? I
don’t want to take up too much of your time. But I thought I could give you a
cake, at least. You should be grateful!”
Hmm. I couldn’t tell whether she was being forceful or modest here…
In any event, I was touched that Ravel had gone through all this trouble
for me.
“Th-then I’ll leave you to it.” She spun around, her business evidently
concluded.
“Stop! Wait! Kiba?”
At my urging, Kiba summoned up a small cake knife.
I cut a thin slice and lifted it up to my lips.
A sweet chocolate flavor flooded my mouth. There was a hint of
bitterness, as well, but it wasn’t overbearing. Instead, it served to enhance the
taste of the cake. It was perfectly soft and spongy, too.
“This is delicious, Ravel. Thank you. I’ll eat the rest at home. Ha-ha-ha…
I don’t know when I’ll see you next, so I thought I’d let you know what I
thought before you left. We’ll definitely have tea together next time. If it’s
okay with you, of course.”

At this, Ravel’s eyes glistened, her cheeks flushing red.
Huh? I would have expected her to come out with some overconfident
retort, something like: Of course it is! Oh-ho-ho! But instead—
“…Master Issei, I’ll be rooting for you in your next match!”
With that, she gave us all a swift bow and quickly bolted from the room.
I glanced across at the prez.
Her eyes were closed, her brow knitted. The other female club members
were glaring at me menacingly.
Wh-what…? Why are they so angry?
And so, our interview was over. The next big event on our agenda was our
battle with Diodora.
A video from the TV station was delivered to my house shortly after that
day at the TV station. When I checked to see what it was, I couldn’t hide my
shock!
…I—I had had no idea this would happen… How am I gonna explain
this?
“Phew…”
I was standing in the changing room next to the large bathhouse in the
new first basement floor of my house, sipping on a glass of fruit-flavored
milk.
Ahhh, it was delicious! I rested my free hand on my hip and swallowed it
all down in a single go!
Even after taking a wash, I still couldn’t believe that such an extravagant
bathhouse had been installed in my family home. The Hyoudou residence had
been completely renovated over summer break and was now six stories tall,
with another three underground floors. There was even a full-sized pool in
the second basement. The girls seemed to be using it fairly regularly. Really,
this house was luxurious.
Thanks to this remodeling, there was ample space for all of our Familia
members to live together. My parents seemed happy at the changes, too, so I
guess it was all okay.
The bathhouse on the first basement floor had a fully stocked fridge

containing all kinds of milk drinks.
According to the prez, drinking milk after a relaxing bath was a must in
Japan.
She may well have been right about that. Her obsession with all things
and practices Japanese was extraordinary at times.
Incidentally, I had decided to try a different drink every day. The prez was
a fan of fruit-flavored milk, while Akeno, Asia, and Koneko preferred the
plain variety. Xenovia enjoyed the coffee-flavored one.
My long soak after all that practice for our upcoming match had left me
feeling wonderfully refreshed. Lately, I had to wonder if I’d become obsessed
with physical training. Restlessness settled over me whenever I wasn’t
working out. Strenuous effort had become part of my daily life.
When I stepped out of the bathhouse, I saw that the lights in the hall
across the corridor were switched on.
We had been using this large hall to hold film parties and various training
exercises. I had been practicing there, too.
The door was slightly ajar, so I decided to peek inside—and saw Xenovia
brandishing a practice sword.
She was wearing her training outfit and swinging her blade with great
effort.
I wasn’t sure at first whether she had noticed my presence, until she
glanced my way.
“…Issei?”
“Yo. I wasn’t trying to peek or anything. I happened to notice the lights
were on, so…,” I explained, stepping inside. “Are you practicing?”
“Yep. The match is fast approaching.”
“Sure, but you were exercising earlier today as well, right?”
Like me, Xenovia seemed to have increased the amount of time each day
that she spent working out. In fact, she was practicing so hard, she appeared
on the verge of burning out. It was like she was possessed.
When they had been sparring together earlier, even Kiba looked like he
was about to be overpowered by Xenovia’s ferocious enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, that overeagerness of hers had left her open to a counter.
“I’m…not as strong as Kiba,” she admitted frankly.
That was true. Xenovia may have been the stronger of the two back when
we had first met her, but that situation had reversed once Kiba’s abilities

blossomed and he developed his Holy Demon Swords.
“I realized it when I watched the recording of our last match. He wielded
the Durendal better than I can. In terms of basic talent, I can’t match him.”
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. Some part of her was jealous of Kiba’s
skills.
“From my point of view, you’re both amazing,” I assured, trying to cheer
her up.
The words sounded hollow, even to me, but Xenovia flashed me a smile
anyway. “Thank you. But I can’t forgive myself… I was retired during our
last match without contributing at all. That’s why I’m training. I won’t let
down my guard like that again.”
…So that’s what’s bothering her.
In our last match against the Sitri Familia, Xenovia had lost to Sona’s
vice-chairwoman Shinra and her Counter-type Sacred Gear.
Xenovia had undeniably had the advantage in terms of raw power, but due
to a type disadvantage, poor timing, and bad luck, Shinra had bested her.
After watching the recording again myself, I realized just how formidable
that technique was. The depth of the Rating Game was truly profound.
Strength alone wasn’t enough to ensure victory.
That said, I did think that we made for a super-powerful team when we
fought normally. It was just that carelessness could spell defeat.
“No matter how strong you are, there are always ways to lose. Raw
strength might be the easiest path to victory, but in team battles—Rating
Games especially—we need to consider whose techniques will have an
advantage over which opponents and work together… The road to becoming
a high-class demon sure isn’t easy, huh?” I let out a sigh, sitting down on the
floor.
Yep, the path to success and promotion would be a long one.
“Are you hoping to become a Demon King, Issei?”
“No. I’ve never even considered that… Why do you ask?”
“You’re planning to work independently of the president, aren’t you? You
want to climb the ladder, right?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”
“Asia said she would go with you.”
“Huh? Ah, right. We did promise to always stay together.”
“Take me with you.”

—.
Now this was an unexpected development…
“Why do you want to come with me?” I asked.
“Because it’s enjoyable being around you, Issei,” Xenovia responded with
a wide grin.
Huh. So I’m a fun guy?
“All right. I’ll think about it.”
“Thanks. I’m counting on you, okay?”
I didn’t really have a clear image of my future plans, but it sure would be
interesting to set up my own demon business with Asia and Xenovia.
As I sat deep in thought, head cocked to one side, Xenovia suddenly
paused in her sword training.
“You know, talking to you has helped me loosen up a little, Issei.” She
crouched down beside me, and—
A kiss! A kiss on the cheek! Whoaaaaa! Where did that come from?
Seriously, a kiss on the cheek!
“That’s to thank you. I’ll go for the lips next time. Heh-heh-heh, I guess
we should call it a day, then?”
With that, Xenovia took her leave.
All I could do was raise a hand to the cheek that she had so suddenly
placed her lips against.
“It’s time,” the prez stated, rising to her feet.

The day of our match had arrived, and we were all gathered in the
clubroom. Asia was dressed in her nun’s outfit, while Xenovia was wearing
that erotic combat suit of hers. Everyone else wore the usual Kuou Academy
uniforms.
We stood in the center of the magic circle and waited to be transported to
our destination.
Our opponent was Diodora Astaroth, the next head of the family that had
given rise to the Demon King Beelzebub. I didn’t know what kind of abilities
he had at his disposal, but there was no doubting that he possessed immense
demonic power, enough to defeat his previous opponents single-handedly.
Nonetheless, he was the enemy King. If we could take him down, the

match would be over! And we had more than one person on our side with
massive raw strength! If Diodora came at me, I would turn the tables on him!
However, I recognized the need for more than one strategy.
Gaining a Counter-type ability couldn’t hurt. Perhaps I should try to
learn one?
Sairaorg, for instance, was a supercharged Power-type fighter, the same
category I was in. If I was going to turn the tides of battle against him, a
reversal of some sort would certainly be useful… No Power-type fighter
could afford to turn a blind eye to a Technique-type opponent.
As I racked my brain, worrying over what I could do, Asia nervously took
my hand in her own.
I flashed her a wordless grin in return, tightening my grip around hers.
Right. First things first. We have to take care of Diodora.
I wasn’t about to let him have Asia. No matter what kind of demonic
powers he was packing, I would protect her!
At that moment, the magic circle at our feet erupted into light, and we
made the jump to our destination…
“…Are we there?”
As my vision recovered from the blinding glow of the magic circle, I
opened my eyes to find…
A wide, sprawling space.
Pillars spaced at regular intervals rose to the ceiling. Beneath them was a
floor of stone. I glanced around uncertainly before laying eyes on what
looked like an entrance to a huge temple sanctuary!
It was gigantic, like the kind of temples you found in ancient Greek
mythology. But this one seemed to be whole and intact, as if it had only just
now been completed.
As usual, the sky was pure white.
Is this our home base? I guess that means it’s time for us to get prepared.
Was this going to be another blitz-style match? Or maybe a long-haul one?
There was no way of telling, but whatever the case, I would carry out my
duties!
As I worked up the courage to declare as much aloud, I noticed something
curious. No matter how long we waited, there was no announcement from

whoever was supposed to be the arbiter of the match.
“…This is strange,” the prez observed.
The others were growing equally suspicious.
Had something happened over with the organizers? I tilted my head,
trying to fathom what could possibly have gone wrong, when—
A magic circle opened up in the opposite direction from the temple!
Huh?! Diodora?! Don’t tell me the battle’s already started!
I was panicking! We all braced ourselves for the worst!
However, there wasn’t just the one magic circle! Numerous other lights
popped up, surrounding us from every direction!
“…That isn’t the House of Astaroth’s insignia!” Kiba growled, readying a
blade.
“…I don’t recognize any of them,” Akeno added, her hand crackling with
electricity. “However…”
“They’re all demons,” the prez finished, taking in our surroundings with a
cutting gaze as her crimson aura enveloped her. “But if I remember
correctly…”
Demons crept from the teleportation arrays! Each and every one of them
looked ready to commit murder! They had us surrounded, their eyes radiating
death!
One, two, three… I stopped counting there, as there was no point trying to
gauge their numbers. It was well past anything reasonable or fair.
We were encircled by at least several hundred enemies—perhaps even a
thousand! The whole area around us was filled to bursting with them!
“Judging by those magic circles, they belong to the old demon regime
affiliated with the Khaos Brigade,” Rias finished.
—?!
That was enough to scare me out of my wits!
Seriously?! The Khaos Brigade?! Why are they getting involved in a
Rating Game between two high-class demon youths?! I get that they’re
terrorists, but why did it have to be our match?!
“Gremory, kin of the false Demon King—you will perish here!” one of
the demons declared.
To these guys, who backed the old guard, anyone related to the current
Demon Kings must have been a constant reminder of what they saw as
profound injustice.

“Argh!” someone screamed. I recognized the voice as Asia’s, but when I
spun around, she was gone!
“Issei!”
Up above!
When I turned my gaze to the sky, I spotted her being carried off by none
other than that Diodora scumbag!
D-Diodoraaaaa!
“Hey there, Rias Gremory and Red Dragon Emperor. I’ll be taking Asia
Argento off your hands now.”
How could he say something so absurd while still wearing that innocent
smile?
“Let go of her, you bastard! You coward! What are you playing at?! Isn’t
this supposed to be a Rating Game?!” I shouted after him.
For the first time, Diodora’s smile twisted into an ugly grin. “Just how
stupid are you? This isn’t a Rating Game at all. No matter how powerful you
all are, you can’t take on this many high- and mid-level demons by
yourselves. Ha-ha-ha. Die. The sooner the better.” From above, he gloated at
the prez.
“Are you with the Khaos Brigade? You’re despicable. You’ve defiled the
dignity of the Rating Game! And trying to spirit away my cute Asia…!” The
prez was fuming, her crimson aura exploding in wrath. She was seriously
pissed off now!
She was right, of course! I was infuriated, too! What made Diodora think
he was going to get away with this?!
“I thought if I worked with them, I would be free to do as I pleased.
Struggle as much as you like. In the meantime, I’ll exchange vows with Asia.
Do you know what that means, Red Dragon Emperor? It means I’m going to
make her mine. If you want to do something about it, come on up to the
temple. You’ll be in for a marvel.” Diodora let out a powerful laugh.
At that moment, Xenovia exclaimed, “Issei, the Ascalon!”
“Right!” I called back, activating the Holy Sword, detaching it from my
gauntlet, and throwing it her way.
“Asia is my friend! I won’t let you take her!” Xenovia’s eyes were
burning with rage.
She leaped into the air, lunging toward Diodora—only for him to loose a
barrage of magic projectiles, disrupting her stance. Nonetheless, Xenovia’s

blade sent out a wave of holy energy and scored a direct hit!
At least, it looked like one at first. Diodora danced lightly through the air,
dodging it!
Dammit! This isn’t going to be that easy, is it?!
“Issei! Xenovia!”
Asia was begging us to help! But at that moment, the air trembled with a
deep vibration, space twisting around both her and her captor.
Within a split second, they had both disappeared!
“Asiaaaaa!” I cried out into the empty sky, but there was no response.
…Argh! It happened again! I failed to protect her!
“Issei! Keep your head straight! We need to deal with the enemies in front
of us before we can go after her!” Kiba said, trying to rally my spirits.
He was right. Our way forward was simple. We only had to get through
this predicament, beat the living daylights out of Diodora, and take back
Asia!
Diodoraaaaa! I’ll never forgive you for this!
The demons who had us surrounded evidently served the descendants of
the old Demon Kings. My knowledge of demon history wasn’t all that great,
but if they got in my way, I would destroy every one of them!
Their hands started letting out a strange glow. They were planning to
attack en masse with ranged strikes!
According to Diodora, his army was composed of mid- and high-level
demons. Would we be able to defend against a volley from such a large
number of strong opponents?
Maybe it would be better to retreat to the shadows and take them down
one by one? Or even outright ignore them and charge for the temple?
As I frantically pondered over what to do, there came another shriek.

“Kyahhhh!”
That was Akeno! What happened?! I whirled to find a one-eyed old geezer
lifting up her skirt and staring lasciviously at her panties!
“Hmm, what wonderful buttocks. You young’uns have the best curves,
the tightest muscles…”
Th-that old fart!
I pulled Akeno away from him! Her ass was mine!
“You old lecher! Where the hell did you crawl from…?! W-wait! It’s
you!”
I remembered this guy! He had come to visit me in the hospital after I had
gotten all beat up during my last match.
If memory served me right, he was…
“Lord Odin?! What are you doing here?” The prez gawked in surprise.
Right! Odin! One of the Norse gods! A literal deity had appeared!
The old man stroked his snow-white whiskers. “Hmm. It will take too
long to explain… Let’s just say that the Khaos Brigade has taken control of
this Rating Game.”
So those terrorists did usurp the match!
“The organizing committee is meeting with representatives from each of
the various powers to respond to this threat. That said, it’s clear as day from
all this that Diodora Astaroth has allied himself with the old guard. He must
have received one of those serpents from Ophis. That’s the only way to
explain his sudden increase in strength. I hope you understand how much
danger you’re all in here. You’re going to need help. Unfortunately, the site
of this Rating Game has been sealed behind a powerful barrier. It won’t be
easy for any of you to break through, let alone destroy it. No, the only way of
lowering it is by defeating the one who fashioned it here on the inside.”
“Then how did you get in here?” I questioned.
“When I sacrificed my eye to Mímir’s Well, I gained intimate knowledge
of all manner of demon powers. This barrier is no exception.” Odin paused
there, flashing us his left eye.
There was a crystal-like object embedded in it, with what looked like
arcane glyphs flowing from behind the glass…
My whole body turned stiff as I gazed upon those symbols.
What a dangerous aura… I could sense that even Ddraig was cautious of
it.

“Our foe is the chief Norse god! Glory to he who takes him down!”
The followers of the former Demon Kings began to unleash their ranged
attacks all at once! With this many projectiles coming our way, we were in
trouble!
Just as we prepared to defend ourselves, Odin tapped his staff against the
ground.
There was a thunderous rumble as the many magic attacks burst in midair,
vanishing entirely!
“Oh-ho-ho!” the old man chuckled as he stroked his whiskers.
He was amazing! Perhaps I should have expected as much from a god!
That downpour of deadly projectiles had been nothing to him!
The expressions of the mid- and high-level demons gathered around us
soured. They were clearly shocked to learn that their attacks had been so
totally ineffective.
“Normally, I would be able to shatter the barrier myself, but it took all my
power just to get inside… Hmm, just how many opponents do we have here?
Ah well. Here, these are for you all. That good-for-nothing rapscallion Azazel
asked me to give them to you. Using an old man as his errand boy, that
wretched stripling…”
The geezer sure could gripe like no one’s business… Nonetheless, he
handed each of us a small communication device.
“Now go. Leave these fools to yours truly and get yourselves to that
temple. I’ll be covering your backs, understand? Be grateful.” With that,
Odin pointed his staff as a white aura gathered around us. “This will protect
you until you reach the temple. Run along now.”
“But Odin! Are you going to be all right by yourself?!” I asked, worried.
The elderly god, however, flashed me an amused grin. “For a youngster
with so few years under his belt to be concerned about me…” A spear
appeared in Odin’s hand. “Gungnir.”
With that one word, he hurled the weapon into the throng of demons, and
then—
Boooooooooom!
—an enormous amount of energy erupted from the polearm, the sound of
the explosion washing over the whole area!
—!
I couldn’t believe my eyes! That single attack had gouged a gaping tear

through the ground as deep as the eye could see! One blow had taken out
more enemies than I thought possible! Dozens of our would-be assailants
were simply gone!
What power! This was far beyond anything I was used to!
“Just so you know, even us old folks need to stretch our legs once in a
while. Now then, terrorist demons. Show me what you’ve got. This
doddering, aged fool is stronger than you might first believe!”
Was Odin making it clear that he’d been holding back?! Gods really were
in a totally different league…
A wave of nervousness swept through the army of demons. The chance at
a little glory wasn’t worth risking their lives, it seemed.
“Thanks! I’ll leave them to you, Odin!” After expressing her gratitude,
Rias turned to the rest of us. “Let’s get going to the temple!”
Wasting no time, we all dashed off, the sounds of Odin’s battle at our
heels.
No sooner did we reach the entrance of the temple than our

communicators all activated.
A familiar voice came through them.
“Are you all right? This is Azazel. I guess old man Odin gave you the
communication headsets? You’ve probably got a lot of questions, but let me
go first. Your Rating Game has been hijacked by followers of the old demon
regime working with the Khaos Brigade. The battlefield and the VIP viewing
lounge are flooded with attackers. However, we anticipated that this might
happen. All of the powers are working together to repel them.”
Azazel and the others were having a hard time of this, too, it seemed.
Hold on, what was that about having anticipated this attack…?
“There’s been a lot of suspicious deaths lately surrounding the Demon
Kings. We’ve suspected that followers of the old regime might have been
behind them. You probably heard that the last heir to the House of Glasya-
Labolas died in an accident, but in actual fact, the old regime got to him.”
…So Zephyrdor’s predecessor had been murdered by the Khaos Brigade,
then? Had he been targeted because of his relationship with one of the
Demon Kings?
“The masterminds are the descendants of the former Beelzebub and

Asmodeus. You remember how I defeated Katerea Leviathan? They hate the
current Demon Kings just as much as she did. We’re guessing this incursion
is meant to be another attack on a relative of one of the current Demon Kings
—possibly as the prelude to their plans for establishing a new world order.
What better chance could there be than this? We suspected that they might
try something after Astaroth’s last battle against the House of Agares.”
In other words, the old regime had schemed to interfere with this match
right from the very beginning. And they were aiming for relatives of the
current Demon Kings, along with the top brass of each of the main factions
who had come to watch. Odin was likely among the spectators targeted.
“So is Diodora even stronger now than he was before?” the prez asked.
“Those powers must be from Ophis. They probably hadn’t expected him
to use them in his last match. That, and the incident with the House of
Glasya-Labolas, pretty much gave them away, but it appears they’ve enacted
their plan regardless.”
That bastard is using power-ups from the terrorist boss?! That’s how he
won his last match?! I didn’t think Diodora could have ticked me off any
more than he already had, yet he had!
“As far as the attackers are concerned, so long as they can finish us off,
they don’t care whether their plans are exposed. All the same, this is a rare
opportunity to crush the followers of the old demon regime once and for all.
They’ve been causing trouble all over the world for far too long. That’s the
real reason why the current Demon Kings, the seraphs of Heaven, that old
geezer Odin, the Greek pantheon, Indra, and all those Buddhas have all come
here. We told them about our concerns, and they agreed to help. The only
thing they all care about is victory. They’re going all out against these
chumps from the old guard as we speak.”
It was essentially a joint proclamation that they wouldn’t succumb to
terrorism!
“…So this Rating Game is a wash, then?” the prez questioned.
“Sorry about that, Rias. Wars aren’t all that frequent, but when they
break out, this is what happens. We’ve put you all in harm’s way this time.
Keeping up the illusion of a legitimate match right until the very end was
necessary to draw them in, and sure enough, here they are. Still, you’re in a
dangerous spot, there’s no denying that. It took some convincing to get
Sirzechs to go along with it.”

“What would you have done if they killed us?” I asked as casually as I
could.
“I would have taken responsibility for that, too,” Azazel replied in all
seriousness. “I was willing to put my own neck on the line for this.”
If he was truly willing to go that far, then he really was dedicated to
eliminating the old guard…
As important as this conversation was, I had to tell Azazel about what had
happened!
“Teach, Diodora’s taken Asia!”
“—. I see. Either way, we can’t leave you there any longer. It isn’t safe.
We’ll find Asia. It’s about to turn into a real-life battlefield. The followers of
the old guard are still teleporting in. There’s a hidden basement in the
temple. It’s built to weather an assault, so hide down there until the dust
settles. We’ll eliminate these terrorists. The barrier surrounding the field
looks to have been created by Dimension Lost, a Longinus that the Khaos
Brigade has gotten their hands on. You can enter, but you can’t leave. It’s
one of the most powerful barrier-producing Sacred Gears out there. Not even
Odin will be able to destroy it.”
“Are you coming, too, Teach?” I asked.
“Sure, I’m already here. But it’s a big battlefield, and I’m a long way off
from you guys.”
“We’ll save Asia,” I declared.
“Hey, don’t you realize just what kind of situation this is?” Azazel’s
voice was tinged with anger.
War or not, I wouldn’t give in! There was no way I would give up Asia!
“I—I don’t really get all that complicated stuff! But Asia is my friend!
She’s family! I’m going to help her! I never want to lose her again!” I cried.
We could stand here talking all day, but we had no idea what that bastard
was going to try doing to her! Just imagining the possibilities was enough to
make my blood boil!
The prez flashed us all a fearless grin. “Sorry, Azazel, but we’re going to
head inside the temple to rescue Asia. The match might be ruined, but I have
a score to settle with Diodora. I’ll teach him what happens when someone
kidnaps a precious member of my Familia!”
Prezzzzz! I knew I could count on you! Right on!
“Azazel. We have the authority to take countermeasures against those

who threaten the alliance between the three great powers, do we not?” Akeno
asserted. “Now is the time for such action, wouldn’t you agree? Diodora has
betrayed the present demon authorities.”
Whoa! Right! We are supposed to have that right! Thanks, Akeno!
On the other end of the line, Azazel let out a resigned sigh. “…You kids
sure are stubborn, huh? Fine. There are no conditions this time around, then,
nothing to hold you back… Go wild! Especially you, Issei! Show that
traitorous Diodora the full power of the Red Dragon Emperor!”
Yeah! Got it, Teach! Thanks for this!
“Bet on it!” I shouted back, raring to go!
“One more thing, and this is important. The Khaos Brigade has done all
this knowing full well that we were onto their scheme. In other words,
whatever they’re hoping to achieve, they’re convinced that we can’t stop
them.”
What exactly could they be after…? I wondered.
However, before I could come to any form of conclusion, the prez nodded
in understanding. “Are you saying that they have a hidden ace?”
“Probably. We don’t have any idea what it is, but there’s no question
about it—this place is dangerous. The Rating Game has been interrupted, so
you won’t be retiring to safety upon defeat. Remember that. We can’t pull you
out if you find yourselves in trouble. Watch your backs.”
Our assailants were so confident that they were willing to keep going with
their plan even once it had been partly exposed. I had no idea what they were
trying to accomplish, yet it was clear what we had to do!
We would beat the living daylights out of Diodora, rescue Asia, and
escape to the basement under the temple! Sure, the fact we couldn’t be
transported to safety if we got into trouble was more than a little scary, but
we would just have to take down any opponents before they could get to us!
For a moment, I wondered why I always ended up facing such strong
enemies. Then something I’d heard before echoed in my mind.
The powerful flock to the presence of a dragon.
Was it because of the Red Dragon Emperor residing inside me that I kept
winding up in trouble…?
“Koneko, can you sense Asia?” the prez inquired.
Koneko pointed toward the temple, her ears twitching above her head. “…
That way. Asia and Diodora Astaroth are both in there.”

All right! Hang on, Asia! We’ll be there soon!
Everyone exchanged wordless nods before sprinting off into the temple.
The temple’s interior was gigantic, the main hall continuing into the distance
seemingly without end. Apart from the huge pillars lining either side of the
vast room, nothing else stood out.
When we finally reached the end of the chamber, another shrine-like area
came into sight. We passed through, only to find ourselves in another hall.
This process repeated several times, until at last, we detected the presence of
others ahead of us!
Everyone came to a sudden halt, readying ourselves.
At that moment, ten small, hooded figures appeared before us.
“Hey there, Rias Gremory and her Familia.”
—!
Diodora’s voice sounded through the temple! Where was it coming
from?!
“Ha-ha-ha. Oh, Red Dragon Emperor. There’s no use glancing around
like that. I’m waiting for you in the sanctuary up ahead… Let’s play a game.
Think of it as a substitute for our canceled match.”
What the heck was he going on about now?!
Was he projecting his voice with his demonic powers, perhaps? And what
did he mean by “game”?
“Think of this as a match between my pieces and yours. The rules are
simple—once you use a piece, you can’t use it again until you reach me.
Other than that, anything goes. In the first round, I’ll use my eight Pawns and
two Rooks. Just so you know, my Pawns have already Promoted to Queens.
Ha-ha-ha, eight Queens as my opening move! You’re fine with that, aren’t
you? After all, your servants are renowned for their abilities, are they not,
Rias Gremory?”
This was absurd! He was telling us to fight eight Queen-Promoted Pawns
along with two Rooks?! That was ten opponents in total!
With their hooded cloaks, I couldn’t make out the faces of Diodora’s
servants. If memory served correctly, his Pawns were all girls, though!
Damn, he’s one lucky bastard… A harem Familia… No, now isn’t the

time to be getting jealous!
“Very well. I’ll play along with your charade. Watch as I carve into your
skull just what my Familia is capable of!”
The prez was going along with it?! Seriously?! Was she really okay with
that?
“Are you sure about this?” I asked.
“We don’t have much choice,” Rias responded, glowering at our foes. “…
They have Asia as a hostage.”
—.
Right. There was no telling what might happen if we disobeyed and
provoked Diodora unnecessarily.
“Issei, Koneko, Xenovia, Gasper—you’re on,” the prez said, pointing to
each of us in turn.
Four against ten?! We’re a little short on numbers, aren’t we?!
“Gather around.”
At Rias’s order, we huddled together.
“We’ll leave the two Rooks to Xenovia. Don’t hold back. Crush them
with everything you’ve got,” the prez instructed, her voice at a whisper.
Xenovia nodded. “Got it. That’s my forte.”
She looked positively raring to go! Still, she was right. So long as there
were no handicaps or rules limiting her, Xenovia was capable of dealing with
two Rooks. She was a Power-type fighter, after all.
“Koneko, you take the offense against the Pawns. Use your sage magic to
disrupt the flow of their energy. Issei and Gasper, your job is to support
Koneko. But you are both the key to this fight. Issei, let Gasper have a taste
of your blood.”
“…All right.”
“Got it!”
“If you say so, President!”
We all nodded along in acknowledgment.
The prez had one more thing for me, however, speaking it softly into my
ear so that only I heard it. “Issei…”
“Right… H-hold on, what…?”
My voice trembled at what she had just told me.
Seriously?! Is she sure about that?
I asked Rias again to double-check, and she confirmed it.

All riiiiight!
I rejoiced from the bottom of my heart! The fear that had gripped me just
a moment ago had completely vanished!
I—we—could do this! We could win!
“Shall we get started?”
As Diodora’s voice echoed around us, his servants readied themselves.
I let Kiba make a shallow cut on my finger with his Demon Sword and
offered it to Gasper.
Throb!
I could feel Gasper’s heart pulsating. The next moment, a strange aura
enveloped his body, his eyes emitting a shadowy crimson gleam. His whole
bearing changed in a flash. Now we were ready!
Xenovia retrieved Durendal from its spatial rift, assuming a dual-bladed
fighting stance with Ascalon as she approached the two Rooks.
“We’ll be taking Asia back,” she declared coolly.
An unprecedented sense of pressure was emanating from her entire body.
Her gaze alone was acutely piercing.
“…I never had anyone I could call a friend. I always thought the love of
the Lord was all I needed.”
Whoosh!
Her two opponents leaped toward her. They were fast, especially for
Rooks! Xenovia, however, didn’t so much as flinch.
“Then I met people who were willing to treat me with kindness and
respect. Asia in particular always had a smile for me. And she was willing to
call me her friend.”
Xenovia, we’re all your friends and companions!
She evaded the Rooks’ heavy attacks with a melancholy cast to her eyes.
“…I said something terrible to Asia when I first met her. I called her a
witch, a heretic. But still, she treated me as if none of that had ever happened.
She was still willing to be my friend!”
Xenovia… Has that been bothering you all this time?
“That’s why I’m going to save her! My best friend, Asia!”
Whoosh!
Durendal released a destructive wave, hurling the two Rooks clear from
the field of battle.
Whirling, Xenovia swung the weapon up high, her voice rich with

emotion as she cried out, “Hear me, Durendal! I can’t stand to lose her!
Without her… Please! Give me the power to save my friend! Durendaaaaal!”
Boooooooooom!
Responding to Xenovia’s words, Durendal’s holy aura swelled to several
times its original size! It was massive! Even from where I was standing, my
skin tingled as though stabbed with countless needles!
Durendal…was glowing with an intensity at least ten times its original
strength…
Cr-crack!
Through no more than that sacred weapon’s incredible power, fissures
began to erupt all around Xenovia.
“I realize that I can’t handle Durendal well. It may be a long time before I
can control it as delicately and as precisely as Kiba does. But that won’t stop
me from going all out, from increasing its destructive potential to a ferocious
level!”
Xenovia paused there, crossing her two blades above her head. As she did
so, Durendal’s tremendous energy flowed into the Ascalon, its own holy aura
swelling in turn.
The Ascalon began to pulsate in concert with the Durendal, the two auras
feeding into each other.
“Go! Durendal! Ascalon! Help save my friend! Answer my caaaaall!”
Vast pillars of light erupted from the swords, gouging a gaping hole in the
ceiling of the temple! And with that, Xenovia brought the blades down on the
two Rooks!
Vrrrrrrrrrr!
The twin waves of holy energy merged, engulfing their targets!
Boooooooooom!
The temple’s foundation rocked! When the shaking subsided, I saw two
huge craters torn into the ground. Those pillars that had been caught in the
attack were gone, along with a distant wall. Even the ceiling up above was no
more! From what I could tell, that surge had decimated more than half the
temple complex!
An unrestrained Xenovia sure was incredible! What’s more, it was a holy
power! To a demon, that attack must have been lethal! Enough to annihilate
someone without leaving so much as a trace! And sure enough, there was no
sign of the Rooks!

They hadn’t seemed at all weak in the recording of their match against the
Agares girl. Heck, they had come across as formidable opponents, yet now…
If Xenovia had used that attack in our last match, the rule against
damaging the arena would have meant immediate disqualification…
Her breathing was ragged. From the look of it, she wouldn’t be loosing
another attack like that anytime soon…
Still, she had done her job. Now it was our turn!
“Koneko, Gasper! Let’s go!” I called.
““Right!””
That was what I wanted to hear!
“Meow!”
Koneko’s cat ears and tail stood up on end as she let out an adorable
sound! Yep! Her nekomata mode was enough to give me a fresh nosebleed!
Our remaining opponents were eight Pawns, each already Promoted to a
Queen! They may have been the strongest pieces available, but I had a hidden
tactic!
“First things first, it’s time for a Promotion!”
During a Rating Game, I could only Promote once I entered the enemy
team’s home base, but as the match had been called off, I could do it at any
time, so long as I had the prez’s permission!
I could feel the energy welling up inside me! I could do this!
“Boost!”
Next, I pushed my Boosted Gear as far as it would go!
“Explosion!”
My demonic powers rushed to my head! It was time to release it once
more, my forbidden ability!
“Arise, my lust! Go, my imagination! Expand, O world of my dreams!”
A mysterious state fell upon me!
“Prezzzzz! I’m a pervert! A sex fiend! But I’m activating this technique
for you! No, for me!”
With that vow, I locked on to the chests of the eight female Pawns
standing before me!
For the time being, I would just ignore the bewildered expression that the
prez flashed me.
“Boob-Lingual!”
This was it! My secret breast translation technique was working! They

wouldn’t be able to escape from this!
“Hey, breasts of all you Pawns! It’s time to spill your plans! Let’s start
from you over on the right!”
I closed my eyes, calling out to the chest of the first Pawn! And so, in
voices that only I could hear, they began to speak back to me!
“We’re going to take care of that meddlesome vampire first!”
“The three of us will deal with him!”
“Die, vampire, die!”
Whoa! I opened my eyes and let my two companions know what I had
just learned!
“That girl, that one over there, and that one, too—they’re going to go for
Gasper! Gasper, stop them in their tracks!”
“O-okaaaayyyy!”
At my instruction, my underclassman froze the three Pawns in question
with his Sacred Gear ability!
Caught in his field of vision, the Pawns stopped in place!
All right! He got them! My blood was doing wonders helping him control
his ability!
I turned to the next Pawn. “What are you guys up to?”
“Oh my, they’re completely frozen! Uh-oh, it won’t be long until they
realize that we’re after the nekomata!”
“Is this that terrible power of his, the one that lets him hear the voices of
our breasts? How terrifying! I was about to take down the nekomata, but at
this rate…! Don’t tell me he can see through any defensive techniques we
might try…?”
“The nekomata will catch on to what we’re up to!”
These ones are going to attack Koneko! Who do they think they are?!
Hold on, did they mention a countermeasure to my Boob-Lingual?
I guess that did make sense, though. How else could eight women hope to
attack us out in the open?
“Gasper, those three are targeting Koneko! Freeze them!”
“O-okaaaayyyy!”
With a flash of his eyes, the next three Pawns were immobilized!
Perfect! Now we just had to deal with the remaining two!
“Bwa-ha-ha-ha! We’re unstoppable! You eight Pawns might have
Promoted to Queens, but you’re crumbling in the face of our combo attack!”

I let out a sinful snort!
This was fun! So long as we were facing women, my technique would let
me read all their movements ahead of time! And with my friends beside me,
we could unleash the ultimate combo attack!
Once I knew the enemy’s plans, Gasper could freeze them before they
ever had a chance. Gasper didn’t have much combat experience, so he
couldn’t use his Sacred Gear well when faced with an unpredictable
opponent, but it was another matter entirely when I directed him!
Diodora must have miscalculated. He had failed to appreciate just how
formidable my Boob-Lingual technique truly was and had sent a team of
women against us! Even I was taken aback by how smoothly things were
going. My tactic succeeded even against those Pawns who had prepared some
defense against my mind-reading power.
Well, technically, I wasn’t reading their minds but rather asking their
breasts for advice. That subtle difference likely explained why their
countermeasures had been so ineffective.
Only two left. They were clearly terrified of our joint attack, cautiously
backing away.
Heh-heh-heh, you girls must be frightened, no? You know we can read
your every move!
“…Why do I get the feeling that you’re the bad guy here?”
Another biting comment from Koneko! I mean, she wasn’t wrong! Still,
this was all for the sake of victory! Our situation demanded that I sink into
depravity! Above all else, we had to save Asia. Thus, I would interrogate
those breasts to my heart’s content!
I slowly approached the paused Pawns, brushing my hand against their
clothes.
Rip!
The second I did so, their outfits came flying clean off, leaving them stark
naked!
Well, hello there! Aren’t we a beautiful bunch?
I hadn’t been able to glimpse their faces when they had been hooded, but I
recognized now that Diodora had a discerning eye when it came to women.
That pretty boy bastard infuriated me more every second! Damn if these
ladies didn’t have nice bodies, though!
As blood dripped from my nose yet again, I let out a victorious cackle. I

made my way to the other frozen Pawns, using my Dress Break technique on
them, too. One of them had huge breasts! I would have to save a mental
image of them for later.
Since they were all caught in Gasper’s power, I could do whatever I
wanted with them now.
“…Heh-heh-heh. Watch and learn. Once they can’t move, they’re
completely defenseless. I can destroy their clothes at will. When I combine
my Boob-Lingual and Dress Break techniques, I’m practically invincible
against women…”
I trembled at the possibilities. I never would have suspected that my
unquenchable sexual desires could develop into such might… Before me, the
two remaining Pawns were quivering in fear at the thought of my reading the
thoughts of their breasts, stopping them in their tracks, stripping their clothes
away, and beholding their naked flesh. I had to assume there was no greater
humiliation!
I remembered something that Azazel had said to me a while back: “He
who conquers breasts conquers the world.”
“Teach, I’m starting to think I’ll be able to overcome all tits one day,” I
muttered.
Yep, nothing would stop me from dominating these tits!
“Now then, what are you two ladies hiding?” With a vulgar grin, I began
to reach out to them, my fingers groping at the air, when—
Thud!
Koneko punched me in the face!
…Ow. That hurt, Koneko…
“…Let’s hurry up and knock them out, you sick freak,” she spat as she
knocked down the frozen Pawns.
I quickly motioned to Gasper, who stopped the remaining two.
There was no winning against Koneko. I did as she commanded.
When battling girls, there was nothing more powerful, nothing more
menacing, than my Boob-Lingual technique combined with Gasper’s time-
freezing gaze.
“Phew. We’ve won the first round.”

Koneko, Xenovia, Gasper, and I had easily defeated all eight Pawns and

both Rooks.
Before the battle, I had been apprehensive at the seemingly
disadvantageous situation, but we’d overcome the odds with little difficulty.
Just as Azazel had said, without any restrictions or rules holding us back,
we were an incredible team. Nonetheless, as Sairaorg had pointed out, we
could still lose if we allowed ourselves to grow complacent.
There was a lot more depth to battle than I had expected. If any of those
Pawns had been men, we would probably have had a real challenge ahead of
us. For once, I was grateful that Diodora was such a womanizer. I mean, that
was the only explanation I could think of for why he had recruited girls
exclusively. That was something I could relate to.
Those Pawns had been unable to draw on their abilities after Koneko had
used her sage magic to disrupt their auras, while Gasper’s time-freezing eyes
had suspended their consciousness long enough for us to tie them all up
against the pillars lining the room.
Now Diodora only had his Queen, two Knights, two Bishops, and himself.
“Let’s go.”
At the prez’s urging, we made our way into the temple sanctuary, where
three enemies awaited.
“…I saw these three on the recording. If memory serves correctly, these
are the two Bishops and the Queen,” Kiba said.
How on earth could he tell? They were all shrouded in the exact same
hooded robes. I couldn’t distinguish them. Had he worked it out from the
height? Or their auras?
Additionally, I had to wonder why Diodora dispatched his Queen in the
second round? Was his strategy simply to send in his strongest fighters, like
he had done with his empowered Pawns?
As far as I had been able to tell from the recording of their last match, the
two Knights were nowhere near Kiba’s level.
“We’ve been waiting for you, Rias Gremory.” So saying, Diodora’s
Queen lifted her hood to reveal her face.
Whoa! She was a real beauty! A mature, gorgeous blond with crystalline
blue eyes!
From memory, one of the Bishops was a woman and the other a man, but
as neither of them revealed their faces, it was hard to be sure. They both
excelled in Support-type skills.

In terms of raw demonic power, they were probably even more capable
than Asia and Gasper, though our Bishops’ Support-type abilities were better
suited to battle. After all, we had a healer and the ability to freeze our
opponents in place.
The real issue was undoubtedly the Queen. In her last match, she had
fought Seekvaira Agares’s Queen one-on-one and had ultimately emerged the
victor. Her fire demonic powers had been incredible.
“Oh dear, I suppose it’s my turn?” Akeno stepped forward!
“Yuuto, the two remaining Knights shouldn’t be too much for you to
handle alone.”
Hold on, the prez, too?!
Our Two Great Ladies were going to fight side by side!
“Oh, President. I can take care of these three by myself,” Akeno assured.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You may have a handle on your Holy Lightning
technique, but I won’t allow you take unnecessary risks. No, the best
approach is to minimize any damage we might receive here.”
Akeno’s Holy Lightning and Rias’s powers of destruction! Even
individually, they were daunting on the battlefield, and they were fighting
together now! There was no need to worry about such a dynamic duo!
At that moment, Koneko poked me from the side.
Hmm? What is it?
She motioned for me to bend down and whispered in my ear.
Hmm. Oh? I see, I see.
“Are you sure?”
“…Yes. It will help Akeno to power up.”
I didn’t exactly see how doing something like that would help, but if
Koneko was asking it of me, I was willing to try.
“Akeno,” I called out.
She glanced over her shoulder at me.
“Um, if you can take out this group, I’ll take you on a date next Sunday!”
I paused there, turning back to Koneko. “Hey, are you sure this will work?
I don’t think a date will be enough to—”
Zap! Bang! Crash!
Bolts of electricity exploded all around us. When I glanced back at Akeno
—her whole body was enveloped in a shroud of Holy Lightning!
“…Oh-ho-ho. Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho! A date with Issei!”

Whoa! Her expression was ecstatic as she hurled bolts from on high!
“How awful, Issei! You already have me! What are you thinking, inviting
only Akeno with you on a date?!”
Whaaaa—?!
Now the prez was tearfully entreating me! What on earth was going on
here?!
“Oh-ho-ho, Rias. This is proof that Issei’s affections have passed to me.
Isn’t it time for you to give up?”
“Wh-wh-what are you saying?! I—I don’t need to hear that from the likes
of you! Honestly, spewing your lightning everywhere all because of one d-d-
d-date!”
Huh? Huuuuuh? Are they having another quarrel?
“What was that? What right do you have to tell me what I can and can’t
do? I don’t see him making love to you. Maybe you just don’t have the right
charms?”
“Th-that’s not fair! Th-the other day…”
“The other day…?”
“…He touched my breasts while we were in bed.”
“…Wasn’t that just because he moves around in his sleep?”
“…A-and I kissed him. Twice.”
Damn, the prez’s voice sounded incredibly cute. She was acting like a
normal teenage girl.
“In that case, maybe I should kiss him right now. Three times. With my
tongue. Right in front of you.”
“Akeno! No! You can’t! I don’t even want to imagine your tongue in my
Issei’s mouth! He’s mine!”
…Just what were these Two Great Ladies of mine discussing in the thick
of battle? How had it come to another argument over me? I appreciated the
attention, but still…
Even the enemy Queen and Bishops looked to be at a total loss.
The Queen had evidently reached her limit, however, because her aura
burst into intense flame as she cried out, “That’s enough, you two! How dare
you ignore us to bicker over a man—”
““Shut up!””
Boooooooooom!
Akeno and the prez released an unprecedented blast of energy at the

Queen and the two Bishops! It was so huge and overpowering that a chill ran
down my spine just looking at it!
Rias’s destructive powers mingled with Akeno’s Holy Lightning, washing
mercilessly over their targets and annihilating surrounding portions of the
temple!
Plumes of smoke rose up from the Queen and two Bishops. Each lay
motionless on the ground.
It didn’t take an expert to see they were down for the count… And it was
all because they had tried to butt in on an argument between Akeno and the
prez…
This might sound strange coming from me, but our three opponents had
just suffered a terrible fate. This was what happened when you angered the
Two Great Ladies.
Unfortunately, Rias and Akeno’s victory didn’t put an end to their
arguing!
“What do you know about Issei’s body?! I’ve seen it all, every last detail!”
“You might have seen it, but you haven’t touched it or taken it inside you,
right? You’re just talk, Rias! I’m ready to accept him in me anytime,
anywhere!”
“Nghhhhh! Let’s put that aside for now. We’ll finish this after we save
Asia.”
“Indeed. Asia is like a little sister to me, too.”
Ah, they were finally in agreement on something!
And so, having defeated Diodora’s Queen and Bishops, we continued
forward.
“Asia, your father and I are looking forward to seeing you at the Sports
Festival.”
“We’ll be sure to capture your greatest moments on camera! Ah, you’re so
adorable when you run, Asia!”
Shortly before we’d set out for the Rating Game, my mom and dad had
been busy joyfully double-checking the video camera and making sure
everything was ready.
Months had passed since Asia started living with us, yet it felt like no time

at all. My parents treated her with the same love and affection that they
would have shown to their own child.
“Geez, you’re both acting like you’ve adopted her. I guess there’s no
place for your son anymore,” I complained to my mom.
“Oh? That’s because Asia is so much cuter than you are. If only you could
understand what it feels like to be the parent of such a lecherous son. Asia is
like a breath of fresh air.”
“Yep. Your mom is right.”
Dammit! I had practically lost the love of my parents! I couldn’t help
being a perverted high schooler!
“…I—I never knew my real parents…,” Asia stammered, her face turning
red. “Being with you all, I can’t help but wonder if this is what it feels like to
have a family… I—I’m sorry. I’m just here on homestay… I shouldn’t act so
familiar…”
“I think of you like a real daughter,” my dad stated without the slightest
hesitation.
My mom shone Asia a kind smile. “So do I, Asia. Actually, we were
worried about bothering you. You see, all we’ve had is our idiotic son, so we
were so happy when you moved in with us. Isn’t that right, darling?”
“Yep. Think of us as your real parents while you’re here with us in Japan,
Asia. This is your home, too.”
“That’s right. You’re welcome anytime. There’s no need to stand on
ceremony.”
I could see that my parents genuinely cared for her. They had accepted
Asia into their hearts.
Asia began to tear up. My mom and dad must have thought they had done
something to upset her, but she quickly shook her head to dismiss that
concern. “…I’m sorry. I’m so, so happy… Mother… Father… I… I…” She
was shedding tears of joy.
I moved to pat her gently on the head. “This is your home, Asia. Mom,
Dad, and I—we’re your family. And the prez and the others think of you that
way as well. You don’t ever have to worry about that. You’re welcome here
forever,” I said with an encouraging grin.
At this, she beamed. That smile of Asia’s was something that I wanted to
protect, that I would protect, at all costs.
We’re family, Asia. Your home is with us, okay?

So let’s go home, all of us.
I’ll save you, Asia! Just you wait!
We stepped into the next room of the temple sanctuary, expecting to find
Diodora’s Knights waiting for us. Instead, we were greeted by an unpleasant
yet familiar sight.
“Yo. How’s it hanging?”
It was a white-haired priest.
“Freed!” I exclaimed.
Yep, it was none other than that psycho! We hadn’t seen him since the
Excalibur incident. Apparently, he was still alive.
“You’re wondering how I’m still breathing, aren’t you, my dear little
Issei? Yes you are, yes you are. Sorry to break it to you, but I’m a hard guy to
kill.”
“Stop reading my mind!”
How did that bastard always seem to know what I was thinking?!
Hold on, what about the two Knights? Weren’t they supposed to be the
ones waiting here…? More appropriately, what is Freed even doing here?
“Oh, don’t tell me you’re wondering where those two dashing Knights
have gone?” That nutjob flashed me a repulsive grin.
He lifted his hand to his mouth, retrieving something that he looked to
have been chewing on—a finger!
“I ate them.”
What the…? He ate them…?
Koneko grimaced, covering her nose with her hand. “…That man is no
longer human,” she muttered with undisguised revulsion.
Freed’s lips curled in amusement as he let out an unmistakably monstrous
cackle!
“Gwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! After you dirty little demons cut
me down, that bastard Vali brought me back! Can you believe it?! And that
scumbag Azazel fired me! Meeeee!”
Blargh!
With a strange sound, Freed’s body began to swell, his clothes tearing as
what looked like horns sprouted out from his body! Not only that, he was

increasing in height, his arms and legs bulging several times their original
size!
“It was the Khaos Brigade that scooped me up after you all left me for
dead! Yes! They promised to give me power, and lo and behold! Gwa-ha-ha-
ha! They remade me into a chimera! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
A single bat-like wing sprouted from his back, and what looked like a
gigantic arm formed opposite it.
His face practically melted before our eyes, his mouth drooping to reveal
a set of protruding fangs, his skull elongating like a dragon’s head!
…What on earth?!
Then there were his arms and legs! His whole body was warped, mangled
beyond recognition! There was no sense whatsoever to its construction! Who
could have made something like that?!
The creature standing before us no longer resembled Freed in the
slightest.
Judging by their disgusted frowns, the other club members were just as
disturbed as I was.
The Khaos Brigade may have remade his body, but this…this was just too
horrendous!
“Gwa-ha-ha-ha! By the way, have you heard about Diodora Astaroth’s
little hobby? It’s titillatingly insane, enough to melt my heart!”
So now Freed was talking about Diodora?
“It’s his taste in women. He has such a voracious appetite, and he likes
nothing better than girls from the Church! Nuns are his favorite!”
His taste in women…? Nuns…?
Asia was a perfect fit for that description…
Freed’s grin widened. “He only preys on fervent, true believers. Do you
see what I’m getting at? His servants, the ones you all defeated just now, are
all former members of the Church! That goes for every member of his
Familia! They’re all once-famous nuns and Holy Maidens from all corners of
the world! Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Seriously something, huh?! That dandy demon kid
seduced the lot of them and reduced them to his playthings! Oh wait, that’s
what demons do, isn’t it?! Whispering in the ears of devoted Holy Maidens
and dragging them down to Hell! That’s what you call whispering with the
tongue of the Devil!”
“Hold on a minute. Then Asia—”

But Freed chortled in amusement before I could finish. “Who do you
think wrote the script for Asia’s fall from the Church? It was him, Diodora
Astaroth! The plot goes like this: One day, this precocious demon brat who
loved screwing religious sisters set his sights on an incredibly beautiful Holy
Maiden. The minute he saw her, he wanted to get into her pants. But she was
so devoted to the Church that he realized he was going to need to work out a
proper strategy to drag her out.”
…Hold up a second. I-in that case, Asia’s expulsion from the Church—
“But the dear Holy Maiden was such an inherently kind, gentle girl. After
digging around, the dandy demon kid heard that she possessed this incredible
Sacred Gear capable of healing even demons. And that gave him an idea. ‘If
someone were to see her healing dear old me, the Church will chuck her right
out!’ Wounding himself and living with a scar was a small price to pay if he
could screw her brains out afterward! And why not? That’s how that guy
lives his life!”
“…I don’t regret saving him.”
Asia’s smile as she had said those words flashed before my eyes.
…
What the hell? That is so, so…
As if to drive the insult home, Freed went on. “The little demon boy
realized that if she got kicked out of the Church, her only home, she would be
completely ruined. Without her faith in God, she would have nowhere to turn
but to him! Bwa-ha-ha-ha! What better way to spice things up than by adding
a touch of suffering! He could scoop her up from the depths of despair and
then defile her to his heart’s content! Corrupting her mind and body would be
a snap! What greater pleasure for a demon who revels in ruining holy
women?! Yep, that’s who he is! Diodora Astaroth likes nothing better than
deflowering the Church’s most faithful maidens! Bwa-ha-ha-ha!”
I…
Something was raging within me, unrestrained.
I was clenching my fists so tightly that blood had started seeping down
my fingers…
I was this close to taking a step toward Freed and unleashing my hatred on
him, when—
Kiba placed a hand on my shoulder. “Issei. I know how you feel. But you
should save your rage for Diodora,” he said, his voice positively frigid.

Yet all that did was fan the flames of my anger even more!
“Are you telling me to just—?”
I reached out to grab him by the collar and stopped.
His face…
Kiba’s eyes were brimming with the same fury that filled me.
“Leave Freed to me. I’ll shut that filthy mouth of his.” With that, Kiba
walked past me; even his gait screamed with rage.
His aura, filled with such raw, murderous anger, temporarily quelled my
own fury.
Kiba stopped a short distance in front of Freed, summoning a Holy
Demon Sword in his hand.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t that wretched little Knight who smashed me
up last time! I guess I should be thanking you for this upgrade! I’m a lot
stronger now, you realize? Enough to gobble up Diodora’s Knights like
potato chips! And now I’ve absorbed their skills, too! Freed Sellzen is
invincible now, Mr. Casanova!”
So he had literally consumed the two Knights?! He really was a monster!
Kiba’s response was short, chilling, and to the point. “The world would be
a better place without you in it.”
“Don’t get cocky now, kid!” Freed, indignant, began launching blade after
blade out of his own body, sending them bearing down on Kiba.
Whoosh!
His target, however, vanished.
Clang!
Suddenly, Freed collapsed into more pieces than I could count!
“When did you get so strong…?” gasped Freed’s head as it rolled across
the ground, his eyes frozen wide in shock.
Kiba had slain Freed in a single blow!
He must have struck in the blink of an eye at the first sight of Freed’s
oncoming attack, deciding the duel in an instant! Whoa… My eyes hadn’t
even registered the movement.
“…Heh-heh-heh. Well, it’s not like you’ll be able to beat Diodora or the
guys backing him. And you don’t have the faintest idea of the true horrors of
the Longinuses… Heh-heh-heh…”
Splat!
Kiba stabbed his blade through what remained of Freed’s head, ending his

life.
With a final swing of his blade, Kiba sent Freed’s blood splattering across
the ground.
“You can save that mouth of yours for the Devil in Hell.”
Our handsome pretty boy even gave a catchphrase!
…Daaaaamn!
I was a guy, and even I had to acknowledge just how cool that was!
Had Kiba leveled up again? It all happened so fast that I hadn’t even been
able to get a gauge of Freed’s strength. All I knew was that Kiba was
overwhelmingly powerful.
Freed…

It seemed that fate had thrown us into an unfortunate entanglement, but
now that he was dead, I didn’t know what to say.
Depending on how you looked at it, he was also a victim. Now wasn’t the
time to think about that, however. We had to save Asia!
“Let’s go, everyone!” I called.
Once more, we resumed our advance.
Diodora…
You are beyond forgiveness!
Ouroboros
I—Azazel—had eliminated a considerable number of demons allied with the

old regime from the Rating Game battlefield. My subordinates would be able
to deal with the rest.
Thus, I launched myself up into the sky.
The jewel that housed the dragon Fafnir was guiding my way.
It had begun to let out a brilliant glow the moment that Odin transported
me and my subordinates through the barrier.
I alighted in a corner of the battlefield in front of someone, the jewel
burning at its brightest yet.
A small-bodied girl with a graceful countenance received me. She was
garbed in a black dress and her similarly dark hair came down to her hips.
Despite noticing me, her eyes remained fixed on the temple in the
distance.
I narrowed my eyes, my voice soft. “I would never have expected to find
you here.”
The young woman turned toward me, her lips curling in a faint smile.
“Azazel. It’s been so long.”
“Weren’t you an old man the last time we met? I admit I much prefer your
newest form. What are you up to, Ophis?”
Yes, this was none other than the Ouroboros Dragon, Ophis! There was
no mistaking that ominous, unsettling aura. This was the legendary Infinite
Dragon, the head of the Khaos Brigade!
The dragon had taken the form of an elderly man during our previous
encounter but was now a small girl. Well, that was only window dressing.
She could change her appearance however much she pleased.

If Ophis had come here personally, then this operation had to be of special
importance to her…
She had been watching the temple, which no doubt meant that something
was taking place inside… Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to send
Issei, Rias, and the others in there…
“I’m here to observe. That’s all.”
“Watching on from afar, huh? Still, it’s quite surprising for the big boss to
make an appearance. I don’t suppose I could usher in an era of peace by
taking you down here and now?” I flashed Ophis a forced grin, pointing my
spear of light toward her.
The young woman, however, shook her head. “Impossible. You can’t
defeat me, Azazel,” she stated flatly.
She was probably right about that. I didn’t stand much chance by myself.
That said, if I could defeat her, it would deal a near-fatal blow to the Khaos
Brigade.
“What about the two of us?”
Swoosh.
With a powerful burst of air, a giant figure descended beside Ophis and
me—a dragon!
“Tannin!”
It was a former Dragon King!
I thought he was busy with the cleanup operation taking care of the
followers of the old Demon King regime; he must have finished early.
Tannin glared at Ophis with his huge eyes. “These demon youths are
fighting for their futures. You have no right to interfere, Ophis! You were
always so disinterested in worldly affairs! What prompted you to join hands
with these terrorists?!”
I nodded in response to Tannin’s question. “Don’t tell me you’re just
killing time. You’ve already caused enough damage.”
Since Ophis had taken the leading role in the terrorist organization, she
had lent her powers to a great many already dangerous individuals. The
number of dead as a result of her actions was climbing by the day and had
reached a level we could no longer ignore.
What exactly could have prompted her to ally herself with the Khaos
Brigade? I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. Why would the strongest,
most powerful being in existence, an individual who had long had no interest

in lesser affairs, decide to start meddling now?
Ophis’s response was beyond my wildest expectations. “A world of
silence.”
…
I blinked with incomprehension. “Huh?” I tried asking again.
This time, Ophis looked me square in the eye and stated, “I want to return
to a world of silence, my home in the space between dimensions. That’s all.”
—!
Th-that was her grand motivation? The space between dimensions? To cut
a long explanation short, a dimensional wall existed between the human
realm, the underworld, and Heaven, a boundary that separated each plane
from the next. It was supposedly an empty void filled with boundless
nothing.
I was aware that Ophis had been born there, and yet…
“…You’re homesick? If it were anywhere else, I might laugh, but the
dimensional void? Isn’t—?”
“Yes. The Great Red is there.” Ophis nodded.
He was presently in control of the dimensional void. Was Ophis trying to
find some way to draw him out so she could return there?
She hadn’t aligned herself with the followers of the old demon regime and
dissenters from the other powers on the condition that they help her drive out
the Great Red, had she?
At that moment, another possibility flashed before my eyes.
Right. Vali. So that’s your true objective!
Just as I came to that realization, a magic circle appeared beside Ophis as
someone teleported in.
It was a man garbed in an aristocratic suit. He bowed my way and flashed
me a fearless grin. “Greetings. I believe that this is our first time meeting in
person. I am Creuserey Asmodeus, heir to the true Asmodeus. As a
representative of the Khaos Brigade and of the true rulers of demonkind, I
entreat you, governor of the fallen angels, to face me in a duel.”
Ha-ha-ha, another one…?
Yet another one of the terrorist ringleaders had thrown in his chips.
“So you’re the old demon regime’s Asmodeus, huh?” I asked, scratching
my head.
Boom!

At that moment, a dark, explosive aura erupted from his body. Evidently,
he’d received some of Ophis’s power.
“Not old—I am of the blood of the true Demon Kings! I shall avenge
Katerea Leviathan!”
Is he Katerea’s lover or something? It hardly matters, I suppose. If I
could eliminate another one of the Khaos Brigade’s ringleaders, this was a
chance that I couldn’t pass up. I would have to accept his challenge.
“All right, then. Are you up for this, Tannin?”
“I’m not so uncouth as to interrupt a duel. I’ll keep an eye on Ophis.”
That dragon sure had a warrior’s noble heart… He was putting his good
qualities to waste sticking in his draconic form all the time.
“Fine,” I responded. “It’s getting a bit chaotic out here, but I’m guessing
those kids should have had enough time to reach Diodora by now.”
Ophis, however, shook her head. “I’ve provided Diodora Astaroth a
serpent. Now that he has consumed it, his powers have increased
exponentially. Defeating him won’t be easy.”
“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” I burst into laughter. She didn’t get it! She just didn’t
understand who she was dealing with here!
“Why are you laughing?” Ophis inquired, tilting her head to one side.
“A serpent, huh? Well, that’s something. But unfortunately for Diodora, it
won’t be enough.”
“Why not? My serpents grant tremendous power.”
“I’m telling you it won’t matter. Those kids couldn’t show off their full
potential in their last match because of all the extra rules, but now…”
Now, Diodora Astaroth was about to learn firsthand what all that training
with Tannin had done for Issei’s abilities.
That kid had spent the better part of a month being chased around by a
legendary Dragon King—the only one of his kind still at large. Tannin may
have held back a little, but a normal person wouldn’t have survived that
training. Heck, anyone else would have been killed on the first day.
Yet Issei had endured. He had returned to us alive and even managed to
unlock his Balance Breaker!
Ophis still didn’t comprehend what that meant!
I retrieved the jewel that contained the essence of Fafnir along with my
artificial Sacred Gear in the design of a short sword.
“Fafnir, I’m gonna need your help again. We’re up against Creuserey

Asmodeus! Let’s do this! Balance Breaker!”
In the blink of an eye, a full set of golden armor wrapped around my
body.
Issei, there’s nothing to hold you back now. Give him hell!
Just before I could engage my foe, another magic circle opened up nearby.
That insignia… I see you’ve deigned to make an appearance.
A crimson-haired Demon King emerged from that luminous burst of light
—Sirzechs.
“What are you doing here?”
The Demon King narrowed his eyes at my question. “I let my little sister
get caught up in our plan. The least I could do is help out. It wouldn’t be right
to leave everything to you, Azazel. I’d never be able to face Rias if I did.”
Geez, I should have expected as much…
“You damn moron. There’s no way they’ll talk,” I said, lowering my
weapon.
“Even so, as one of the reigning Demon Kings, I must try.”
The moment he laid eyes on the Demon King, Creuserey exploded in
rage. “Sirzechs! You blighted fraud! How dare you show your face?!
Because of you, all of you, we…!”
Face it, Sirzechs. These guys despise you and the other Demon Kings
more than anything else in the world. That’s just reality.
“Creuserey. It isn’t too late to talk. Even now, I wonder whether we were
right to banish the descendants of the old Demon Kings, to drive them into
the deepest corners of the underworld. Surely, there’s a better solution. I want
to negotiate with you and the other families. In particular, I would like you to
speak directly with the current Asmodeus, Falbium.” Sirzechs’s words were
sincere—and that was why Creuserey would have none of it.
It’s no use, buddy.
To begin with, these guys were never going to accept the word of one of
the present Demon Kings. That was pure naïveté.
As expected, Creuserey shouted, “How dare you mock me! You have
allied yourself not only with the fallen angels, but with Heaven, too! You are
a fraud! Unworthy to address me, a true Demon King! Know your place!”
I let out a resigned sigh. “You’re one to talk. You and your Khaos Brigade
have been recruiting the most dangerous outcasts from all three factions.”
At this, Creuserey’s lips curled in a self-satisfied grin. “We haven’t been

recruiting them. We’ve been using them. Those wretched angels and fallen
angels are no more than tools to be wielded by us demons. Mutual
understanding? Peace? Don’t make me laugh! Only we demons deserve to
flourish! The new world that we are forging will be ours! With Ophis’s gift,
we, the true Demon Kings, shall rule! Everyone else will be destroyed! You
and the false Demon Kings are a hindrance to be swept away!”
Ah, this was bad. He was mouthing off like a typical small-fry mid-boss.
Demonkind was already at risk of dying out, and he wanted to eradicate more
of them…?
Sirzechs, I know you’re conflicted over this, but you have to carry out
your duty as a Demon King. Guys like Creuserey, remnants of the old regime,
they’ve long since been on the path to their own destruction. Their beliefs,
their values, will always be at odds with yours. There’s no bridging that gulf.
Sirzechs’s gaze was filled with sorrow. “Creuserey… All I want is to
protect the future of our race. If we fail to safeguard our people, we will
never prosper. You can call me naive if you wish, but I will lead our children
into a bright new future. The underworld has no more need for conflict or
war.”
“How pathetic! Since when has that been the cherished desire of any
demon?! We exist to lure the souls of humans to Hell and to destroy angels
and God! I see now that there can be no reasoning with the likes of you!
Sirzechs! You are no Lucifer! I will annihilate you and your hypocritical
benevolence! You possess vast powers of destruction, and yet you haven’t so
much as raised a finger against the fallen angel standing right there beside
you! What right have you to call yourself a Demon King?! No… I, Creuserey
Asmodeus, a true Demon King, shall erase you!”
That outburst signaled an end to any discussions between the leaders of
the old and new demon rulers.
Sirzechs turned to the Ouroboros Dragon. “…Ophis. Am I to assume that
you aren’t willing to negotiate, either?”
“Not unless you will consume my serpent and pledge yourself to me. I
will also require you to relinquish control over the dimensional void
surrounding the underworld.”
In other words, she wanted obedience and the ability to close off the
underworld.
There was no way that a Demon King responsible for the well-being of

the underworld would accept such terms.
Sirzechs glanced up at the sky before closing his eyes. When he finally
opened them, they were filled with such frigid iciness that even I caught a
chill.
Confirming this reaction, Creuserey retreated to a safe distance and
gathered a huge mass of demonic energy in his hands.
“That’s it! Now we understand each other, Sirzechs!”
This was what he had wanted from the very beginning… Sirzechs, you
never had any chance of getting through to him. Yet you still thought to give
diplomacy a chance. You wanted to let him know how you felt and your plans
for the underworld.
Sirzechs held out his right hand, turning it palm up.
He began to gather demonic energy of his own, his aura taking on a
strange character.
It was his power of destruction.
“Creuserey,” he began, his voice echoing across the stage. “As a Demon
King, I will eliminate any threat to the underworld.”
“How dare you! You are no Demon King!” Creuserey hurled the power
gathered in his hands.
Sirzechs, however, didn’t recoil, instead shooting a myriad of small
spheres.
Wh-whoosh!
Creuserey’s attack dissipated the instant it came into contact with
Sirzechs’s.
Sirzechs’s orbs, however, continued to whirl through the air as if with a
mind of their own, carving through Creuserey’s every counter. The few
attacks that Sirzechs couldn’t eliminate, he handily evaded.
After a brief moment, one of those small orbs of destruction made its way
into Creuserey’s mouth.
Blargh!
Creuserey’s abdomen swelled up like a balloon. By the time it subsided,
his demonic powers had been greatly weakened.
Did that attack just destroy the serpent that Ophis had given him?
“Ruin Extinct,” Sirzechs muttered. “I’ve purged you of Ophis’s serpent.
Your power and strength will have returned to normal.”
With the source of his great abilities snuffed, Creuserey’s confidence

similarly dried up. Worry crossed his face.
This was my first time witnessing Sirzechs’s fighting abilities in person.
One of the reasons he was chosen as Demon King was his overwhelming
power. The man was capable of annihilating things so thoroughly that not
even ash remained.
Although Sirzechs had only conjured up a few small globes, their effect
was immense. He hadn’t needed to pour his attention into them nor make
them huge. He had produced a countless number of those miniscule
projectiles, manipulating them all simultaneously.
“Damn you! You’re no better than Vali! You Lucifers are blessed with
such power, but all you ever do is get in the way!” Creuserey cursed as he
lashed out again and again, launching more demonic energy.
Swoosh!
One of Sirzechs’s destructive orbs brushed against Creuserey’s abdomen,
gouging a gaping hole through him. Even such a small strike was enough to
deal considerable injury, destroying flesh on mere contact.
“…Wh-why…? How can I lose…against this fraud…?” Creuserey wept
in despair, blood spewing down his chin.
Sirzechs closed his eyes and slowly brought his arm down to his side.
At that moment, another barrage of destructive spheres shredded
Creuserey’s body into nothingness.

Life.4
I Love You
At last, we arrived at the inner sanctuary, where we discovered what looked

like a gigantic device of some kind.
It was embedded into the wall, a huge circular design fitted with jewels
and engraved with strange patterns and glyphs.
Was this supposed to be some kind of magic circle?
As my eyes fell upon the center of that device, I cried out at the top of my
lungs, “Asiaaaaa!”
She was tied down in the middle of it! Thankfully, she didn’t look injured,
and her clothes weren’t damaged. As far as I could tell, she was unharmed.
“You’re finally here.”
Diodora Astaroth emerged from behind the device. That meek smile of his
only fanned the flames of my rage!
I started the countdown for my Balance Breaker. Once it activated, I
would hit him with everything I had! At full force! I would shove my fist
right through that bastard’s face!
“…Issei?” Asia raised her head at the sound of my voice.
Her eyes were swollen.
She had been crying, and much harder than usual, judging by how red her
eyes were. Faced with this sight, I reached a sickening realization.
“…Diodora, did you tell Asia everything?”
I was referring, of course, to what Freed had revealed to us earlier.
I had hoped that Asia would never have to learn the truth.
My inquiry prompted an amused smile from the young Astaroth. “Yes.
We’ve gone over it all. Heh-heh-heh. I’ve been dying to show you. I’ll never
forget her face when I revealed how everything was my doing. I even got it
on video. Do you want me to play it for you? It really was splendid. No

matter how many times I watch the agony of realization creep over the faces
of fallen Church maidens, it never gets old.”
Asia began to sob.
“But it isn’t quite enough yet. She’s still holding on to hope. Yes, for all
of you. Especially your vile Red Dragon Emperor. Your rescuing her utterly
ruined my plan. That fallen angel—Raynare—was supposed to kill Asia, and
then I would swoop in, dispatch the fallen angel myself, and resurrect Asia
with an Evil Piece. Regrettably, I miscalculated. I assumed that even if you
tried to interfere, you wouldn’t stand a chance against Raynare. But then I
learned that you’re the Red Dragon Emperor. What an unlucky coincidence,
no? Because of you, my schemes have been delayed far longer than I would
have preferred. We’re finally back on track, though. Now I can enjoy Asia to
my heart’s content.”
“Shut up.”
Even I could hardly believe how low my voice was.
Something about Diodora’s character had initially convinced me he was a
petty villain. Instinct, perhaps. I couldn’t quite put my feelings into words,
but I had always thought of him as similar to Riser.
That assessment had been proven wrong, however.
He was no petty villain—he had sunk far lower. Diodora was a fiend, pure
evil!
What made him think that he could talk about love with Asia?!
I was even more infuriated than when Vali had threatened to murder my
parents.
My sense of self-restraint was already at its limit, but that didn’t stop
Diodora’s revolting soliloquy.
“Asia is still a virgin, yes? I like to break them in, you see. I would hate to
have to settle for a hand-me-down from the Red Dragon Emperor.”
This man…
“Ah, but then again, maybe it could be fun to cuckold the Red Dragon
Emperor?”
I’m going to hit him…
“Maybe I should take her by force while she cries out to you for help?”
“Shut uuuuuppppp!”
“Welsh Dragon: Balance Breaker!”
Something welled up inside me with explosive force!

“Diodoraaaaa! You…! You are the one person in life who I will never,
ever, forgive!”
A red aura flared as my Scale Mail wrapped around my body.
Perhaps my Sacred Gear was responding to my emotions, as I had entered
my Balance Breaker state without needing to wait for my two-minute
countdown to reach its end!
“Prez, everyone! Please don’t interfere with this.”
Rias paused but ultimately said, “Issei, we should defeat him together…
But it looks like there’s no stopping you… Give him hell, okay?”
I couldn’t have hoped for a better response. Yep, that was my plan
exactly.
“Ddraig, can you hear me?” I called.
“What is it, partner?”
“Just for today, give me everything you’ve got. No holding back.”
“…Very well.”
Diodora chortled joyfully as he watched me prepare.
His body, too, was soon enveloped by a thick aura—his pitch-black.
“Ah-ha-ha-ha! Amazing! So this is the Red Dragon Emperor! But I’ve
powered up as well, you know! With this serpent that Ophis gave me, I’ll kill
you before you can so much as—”
Boooooooooom!
I ignited the propulsion unit on my back and blasted toward him!
Thump!
My fist slammed forcefully into Diodora’s stomach before he could even
finish his sentence.
“…Ghk.”
Diodora bent over, his face contorting in agony.
It looked like he had been unable to respond to my speed. I pushed my fist
deeper into his body, trying to crush his internal organs.
“Gagh…”
He vomited up blood—along with the contents of his stomach.
Only then did I pull back my fist. “You were going to kill me before what,
exactly?”
Clutching his abdomen, Diodora staggered back. His confidence and self-
assurance from a moment ago had vanished along with that smile of his.
“Gah! How dare you?! I’m a high-class demon! The brother of the current

Beelzebub!” Diodora thrust his hand forward, casting a volley demonic
energy bolts my way. “My noble blood will never succumb to a lowly, filthy,
obscene reincarnated demon like you!”
The seemingly limitless projectiles rained down on me.
Nonetheless, I merely continued to step toward him without even moving
to dodge the attacks. A simple brush of my hand was enough to push them
aside, and those that I didn’t block simply ricocheted harmlessly off my
armor.
Thanks, Tannin. That grueling training you put me through has paid off. I
thought this guy was supposed to be stronger than the prez, but his attacks
aren’t intimidating in the slightest.
“Indeed. Your practice with the Dragon King has toughened you up
considerably. You may not have been able to make the most of that training
in your battle against the Sitri Familia, but with no restrictions on you,
you’re free to go all out. Your armor is noticeably more stable than during
your last match, too.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself, Ddraig. I hadn’t been able to display
my full power against Saji, but this time was different.
Against Diodora, I could unleash everything—with every intention of
utterly destroying him.
“In terms of raw might, you’re right up there with the best of them now.”
As I drew closer to him, Diodora’s attack let off as he tried to retreat to a
safe distance.
Booooom!
Once more, I activated the propulsion unit on my back, speeding toward
him.
At that moment, he forged a multilayered defensive barrier with his
powers.
“Vali’s was stronger than that.”
Smash!
I tore through it with ease.
Thud!
A blow to the face! I shoved my fist into him! Nothing could make me
feel better right now than this!
Diodora was sent slamming against the ground by the force of the impact.
Blood ran down his face, his eyes overflowing with anguish.

“…That hurt. That hurt, damn you! Why?! My strength should be
unrivaled! Ophis was supposed to have enhanced it beyond belief!”
I lifted Diodora up into the air—and pouring my aura into my fist,
punched him again! Another blow to the gut!
“Gah! Augh!”
And another one to the face! I wasn’t finished yet! I poured energy into
my hand and charged at that villainous bastard!
“I won’t be defeated by a disgusting dragon like yooooouuuuu!”
Diodora hurriedly erected a thick shield.
Slam!
My punch collided with that barricade, the impact stopping it dead in its
tracks.
This… What on earth is this?!
“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! See that?! My demonic powers are infinitely stronger
than yours! There’s no way a brute-force Red Dragon Emperor can defeat
me!” Diodora broke out into manic laughter.
“You want a taste of real might?” I cried back, mercilessly charging the
power of the Red Dragon Emperor!
“Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!”
“Auuuuuggggghhhhh!”
The propulsion unit on my back converted my aura into raw fuel, forcing
my fist into the barrier as hard as it would go.
Crack!
Small fissures formed in Diodora’s shield. And then—
Crash!
The entire thing shattered.
“Sorry about that. Brute force is all I have, so I can only push through
headlong. Still, against someone like you, it’s more than enough.”
Diodora gulped audibly, his face turning deathly pale.
“Don’t you ever make Asia cry again!” I shouted, hurling my fist at him
once more.
Snap!
My foe tried to block with his left hand, but I heard it break in response to
the force of the momentum as my punch smashed past it and into his face!
Thump!
I sent it straight into that gloating mouth of his, sending him flying

backward, crashing into a distant pillar.
He fell limp to the ground for a few seconds before clawing back to his
feet. “Impossible! I won’t be beaten! I defeated Agares! I’m going to crush
Bael! I won’t lose to a useless Gremory! Your only redeeming feature is your
endless affection! I am Diodora of the House of Astaroth!”
With that outburst, he held his hand aloft, summoning a group of pointed
cone-shaped objects that he sent flying at me like missiles!
I wouldn’t be able to dodge all of them!
I crouched down and leaped to one side, but that was the limit of what I
could do. I flicked away those projectiles that I could with punches and kicks,
but they realigned themselves in midair as if they had minds of their own!
Slash!
They circled around me, seeking out the thinnest parts of my armor before
skewering me with excruciating force.
Damn, but it huuuuurt! Diodora must have concentrated his demonic
magic into the tip of those objects and used them to bore holes in my armor.
He didn’t stand a chance fighting me head-on, so he’d resorting to this
underhanded tactic…
However, I was far from finished! I grabbed ahold of those thornlike
projectiles with both hands and yanked them from my body one by one!
My blood spilled out onto the floor.
Diodora, I noticed, was already preparing another wave of those missile
things, so I activated my propulsion unit and raced toward him.
Crack…
A dull sound echoed through the sanctuary. My kick had made contact
with Diodora’s right thigh and seemed to have snapped the bone clean in
half.
“Arrrrrggggghhhhh!”
Diodora’s face twisted in pain. He pointed his arm my way, rapidly
gathering more demonic energy to it. He was probably trying to blast me
back with as much power as he could muster.
I raised my hands, concentrating my dragon aura into my palms!
Vrrrrrrrrrr!
A red flash of light coursed down my right arm just as Diodora loosed a
concentrated explosion from his.
Boooooooooom! Our blasts collided in midair, pushing violently against

each other.
No way was that going to stop me!
“Goooooooooo!”
The increased power flowed from my Sacred Gear, charging my Dragon
Shot!
Kra-boom!
My Dragon Shot barreled through Diodora’s attack, grazing him and
smashing into the far wall of the temple building.
Nonetheless, Diodora again concentrated his powers into his fists.
Boooooooooom!
I slammed my fist into the floor, the strike causing the entire temple to
quake dangerously.
Diodora’s eyes twitched when he saw the massive crater. He trembled, his
teeth chattering.
I had aimed my Dragon Shot to miss him on purpose. I should have
finished him… Dammit. I was too softhearted…
Moving to stand before Diodora, I lifted him up into the air.
As I retracted the visor that masked my face, I glared at him with all the
intensity of my seething aura. “You had better not come near Asia again! The
next time you come anywhere near us, I’ll annihilate you once and for all!”
Diodora’s eyes betrayed his abject terror.
“Partner. He’s finished. You’ve crushed his spirit… Those are the eyes of
someone who has had the terror of a vengeful dragon engraved upon their
soul.”
…I know, Ddraig.
I released Diodora. He was quivering uncontrollably.
“Aren’t you going to end him, Issei?” Xenovia asked, pointing Ascalon at
Diodora.
Her gaze was so cold it could have frozen that bastard solid! This was
bad. She seriously meant to kill him!
“He might come after Asia again. Wouldn’t it be better to take his head
here and now?”
She was serious. If either I or the prez were to agree with her, she would
probably decapitate him in a heartbeat.
However, I shook my head. “…He’s the brother of one of the current

Demon Kings. Regardless of his involvement with those terrorists, if we kill
him, it could cause problems for the prez or her brother. Look, he already
knows he can’t beat us.”
The prez broke into a frown, closing her eyes in thought. She was clearly
furious as well, but it appeared she was willing to leave Diodora’s
punishment to the demon leadership.
Xenovia looked somehow regretful, stabbing Ascalon into the ground.
Doubtless, she’d been hoping to vent her anger on Diodora in some way. “…
All right. If that’s what you want, I’ll stop. But I’d like to say one thing…”
“Yeah, me too,” I added.
We both leveled our weapons at Diodora.
““Don’t you ever so much as speak to Asia again!””
Diodora’s head jolted up and down in agreement, his eyes glistening with
horror.
With the threat dispatched, our attention turned to his captive.
“Asia!”
We all gathered around the strange device that held her.
“Issei!”
I gently stroked her head. “It’s all right, Asia. We’re here to save you. Ha-
ha-ha, I told you, didn’t I? I’m here to keep my promise.”
Tears of relief began to course down her cheeks.
“It’s okay now. Once we get you out of here, we’ll escape to the basement
and wait for Azazel and the others to come and get us.”
Kiba and the rest of the Familia began to fumble around the device
holding Asia against the wall.
After a short moment, Kiba’s expression turned grave. “…I can’t free her
from it.”
What?! That’s absurd! I pulled at the restraints myself, and yet…
“Dammit! They won’t come off!”
Not even with my boosted Red Dragon Emperor powers could I tear them
loose!
We pooled our resources, trying to remove the shackles that restrained
poor Asia’s limbs, but nothing, not Kiba’s Holy Demon Swords, Xenovia’s
Holy Swords, or Akeno’s or the prez’s demonic powers could get her loose!
Even using the Boosted Gear to transfer my increased strength to Kiba’s
blades wasn’t enough!

What were these bindings?! Why couldn’t we break her free?!
At that moment, Diodora spoke up, his voice faltering: “…It’s no use.
That device can only be used once, and once activated, there’s no stopping
it… Not until Asia herself uses her abilities.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I demanded.
“It’s a unique barrier, made by a Longinus user,” Diodora explained
through ragged breaths. “It’s the same technique that was used to make the
field around the battle. Dimension Lost, the ultimate barrier-type Sacred
Gear. It creates an infinitely unfolding mist around the user. It’s supposedly
capable of sealing anything inside and even transporting its target into an
alternate dimension. In its Balance Breaker state, Dimension Create, it can
forge devices like this from its vapors. Once initiated, it can’t be stopped until
the process concludes.”
“What was this thing designed to do?” Kiba demanded. “What are its
abilities?”
“…It was set to activate once I or one of the others gave the signal, or if I
was defeated. As for what it does… It supercharges the abilities of the person
in the center—Asia—and then reverses them.”
Reverses them?
No way… Asia’s healing abilities had been inverted during our match
against the Sitri Familia. The effect had been…
Kiba must have realized what this meant, too, as he demanded, “What is
its range?”
“…This entire battlefield and the VIP viewing lounge,” replied Diodora.
We were all rendered speechless by this response! This was bad! The
healing potential of Asia’s Sacred Gear was enormous!
It was even capable of curing demons and fallen angels! If the Twilight
Healing was amplified and reversed with the scope of its power
encompassing the entire area…
“…Leaders from all the three great powers might be killed…!”
Everyone blanched at this shocking realization! If that happened, the
safety of the human realm, Heaven, and the underworld would be in serious
jeopardy!
“Did our match against the chairwoman give you this idea?!” I demanded.
Diodora shook his head. “…No, the Khaos Brigade has been toying with
the idea for a while. But your fight against Sitri proved that it would actually

work.”
The prez’s face twisted in anger. “A traitor from the fallen angels must
have made sure to provide that ability to Sona as a field test!”
The House of Glasya-Labolas, Diodora, the Khaos Brigade, and our
battle against the Sitri Familia are all connected… Argh! And this device was
made by another Khaos Brigade member equipped with a Longinus?!
Ddraig, can’t you do anything here? You’re a Longinus, too, right?
“No. Dimension Lost is a higher-ranked Longinus than the Boosted Gear.
Once it reaches its Balance Breaker state, it’s all but unstoppable.
Remember, there are other Longinuses more powerful than yours.”
Why did such an overpowered person have to be a member of the Khaos
Brigade?!
“…Ngh! What are we going to do…?!” I slammed the ground in
frustration.
“Issei, you should destroy it, even if it means—”
“Don’t say that! I don’t want to hear that, not even from you, Asia!”
“B-but at this rate, Azazel and Michael will be… All because of me… I
would rather—”
I put my hand on her shoulder and declared with absolute certainty, “I—I
made a promise to you, Asia! Never to put you through pain like that again!
I’ll protect you! Whatever it takes, I’ll do it!”
My vision blurred as tears ran down my face! Still, I was serious! I would
keep her safe, no matter what!
“Issei…” Asia, too, began to weep.
I put on a smile and said to her, “That’s why we’re going home. Together.
Mom and Dad are waiting for us.”
Vrrrrrrrrrr.
The device activated! Dammit! It was starting to move!
We threw all our demonic powers against it—Dragon Waves, magic
blasts, you name it—but nothing would so much as cause a dent!
Asia’s Sacred Gear looked to be affected by the contraption, too, her aura
being drawn into the device.
Sure, it was higher-ranked than the Boosted Gear, but why did this
Longinus have to be so strong?!
Wait, hold on… At that moment, an idea came to me. I looked over at
Asia. Right, it’s directly attached to her.

“Ddraig, I believe in you.”
“What do you mean there, partner?” the dragon asked with suspicion.
I reached out to Asia’s restraints.
If Ddraig’s powers weren’t enough by themselves, what if I used them to
fuel one of my crazy delusions?
“Asia, I want to apologize in advance for this.”
“Huh?” She tilted her head adorably to one side.
…This is all to save her. Sorry, Asia!
“Arise, my lust! My worldly passions! Dress Break! Balance Breaker
Boosted Version!”
The jewels embedded in my armor exploded with red light as my power
flowed through my hand into the restraints that bound Asia.
I was imagining her naked body! Yes, as stark naked as the day she had
been born! I had long since burned that image into my brain! Now, I
summoned it up once more as blood spewed down my nose!
Her white, silky smooth skin! Her supple flesh! Beautiful! That delightful
shade of pink! Her nipples!
And then…
Shatter…
There was the sound of metal breaking—and of clothes shredding!
As the bonds fettering Asia’s limbs crumbled, her nun outfit was blown
off, too!
“Kyah!” She bent down reflexively to cover herself.
Splurt!
That was the sound of blood spewing down my nose as I laid eyes on
Asia’s radiant, still-maturing body.
Yep! Her breasts were just as glorious and bewitching as I remembered
them!
Vrrrrr-vrrr-vrrr…
Likely because I had freed her from it, the device ground to a stop.
“Oh dear,” Akeno murmured, summoning a new set of clothing for Asia
with her demon powers.
The next thing I knew, the prez was tapping on my armor. “How did you
know your Dress Break ability would free her? Can that technique break
through anything attached to a woman’s body?”

“I—I’m not entirely sure, but the bindings were clasped around her wrists
and ankles, so I thought they might count as clothing as far as Dress Break
was concerned. So I imagined her naked and focused everything I had on
making her look that way. Maybe it wouldn’t work under normal
circumstances, but I was in my Balance Breaker mode, and I boosted my
powers as much as I could. Near as I can figure, I got lucky and found a
loophole.”
It was an admittedly unconvincing argument, but that was the best I could
come up with.
“Hmm. Maybe the strength of your fantasies helped as well,” Rias
responded, tilting her head to one side in thought.
In any event, Asia was safe! I had destroyed the device!
Diodora was clearly disheartened! But we were all okay! My lustful
delusions had saved my friends!
All right! Mission accomplished!
“Issei!”
“Asia!”
Fully clothed again, the blond beauty embraced me in a tight hug. If only I
hadn’t been wearing my armor! Regardless, I was overjoyed to have her
back!
“I knew you would come…,” she said.
“Of course. But I’m sorry it took so long. What he told you was horrible,
wasn’t it?”
Surprisingly, Asia shook her head, her smile warm and enveloping. “I’m
all right. I was shocked at first, but I have you now.”
Ugh! What a sweet soul! Don’t worry, Asia! I’ll never let anyone marry
you! I’ll cherish you forever!
Xenovia was on the verge of tears, too. “Asia! Thank goodness! If I were
to lose you…”
Asia helped wipe away her friend’s tears. “I’m not going anywhere. Not
with you and Issei protecting me.”
“Yep! I’ll be here for you! Always!” Xenovia declared with a nod.
Whoa, the friendship those two felt for each other was so moving… There
was no way I would be able to hug Kiba like that.
“President, everyone, thank you for coming after me…,” Asia said gently,
bowing her head.

“Asia. You don’t need to call me President all the time, all right? Not
when we’re in private. Think of me as your sister.”
“—. Okay, Rias!”
Now Asia and the prez were embracing each other. What a moving scene!
“Yaaaaay! I’m so happy! Thank goodness you’re back! Asiaaaaa!”
Gasper was bawling his eyes out.
Ah, and Koneko was patting him on the head!
With the device destroyed, I hoped we’d be able to make our way home
soon. Now that it was gone, everything should have been winding down.
Maybe it was time for me to dispel my armor and retreat to the underground
shelter with the others?
Then again, it would probably be best to keep it activated for as long as
possible just in case there was another surprise lying in wait for us
somewhere.
“Okay, Asia. Let’s go home.”
“Right! B-but I need to pray first.” She put her hands together, offering
her thoughts up to the heavens.
“What are you praying for?” I asked.
“It’s a secret,” she answered bashfully.
Flash.
At that moment, a dazzling glow flooded down from above.
Asia was suddenly engulfed in a pillar of light. When that luminescence
finally disappeared, she had vanished along with it.
“…Asia?”

Lord, will you hear my wish?
Please watch over Issei.
And also…
Let us keep on living happily together forever.

Juggernaut Drive
For a second, none of us knew what had just happened.

I turned it over a dozen times in my mind and still couldn’t comprehend.
Issei had just defeated Diodora Astaroth, destroyed his Longinus device,
and successfully rescued Asia. I—Yuuto Kiba—and the others had been
about to leave.
Yet at that moment, Asia had vanished inside a pillar of blinding light.
What happened?
“So one Longinus can destroy the work of another, huh? That good-for-
nothing mist-user, cutting corners. Looks like I’m going to have to change
the plan.”
It was an unfamiliar voice that spoke.
I turned toward it and sighted a man I had never seen before floating in
the air. He was dressed in light armor and a cloak.
The immensity of his aura sent a shiver deep into my core…
The president fixed the new arrival in her sights. “…Who are you?”
“This is our first time meeting, sister of the abominable false Demon
King. I am Shalba Beelzebub—the true successor to the Demon King
Beelzebub. Do not liken me to the kin of the pretender Demon King whom
you fought moments ago. Diodora Astaroth… How dare you use Ophis’s
serpent in your match against the Agares girl without my permission… I
should never have lent you my power. It is because of you that our enemies
caught wise. You are the height of folly.”
The old Beelzebub!
Why now of all possible times?! It sounded like he was the mastermind
that Azazel had mentioned earlier…
Diodora Astaroth was reduced to begging at the feet of the heir to the
original Beelzebub. “Shalba! Help me! Now that you’re here, we can kill the
Red Dragon Emperor! If the blood of the old and new Demon Kings work
together—”
Squelch!
A beam of light shot out of Shalba’s hand, mercilessly tearing through
Diodora’s chest.
“Pathetic. I told you all about that girl’s Sacred Gear, and you couldn’t

even take it for your own. No wonder you’re so useless.” Shalba’s voice
sounded disturbingly amused.
Diodora crumbled into dust before his body could even hit the floor.
Was that holy power? Like what angels and fallen angels wield? Had the
Khaos Brigade been researching how to arm demons with it?
At that moment, I noticed a strange device attached to Shalba’s arm…
Perhaps that was the source of the sacred light.
Then, did Asia…?
It looked like the others had come to that realization, too. Xenovia was
literally trembling with rage.
“Now then, sister of Sirzechs. I know this is sudden, but it’s time for you
to perish. I hope you understand why. We shall uproot the lineages of all your
false Demon Kings.” Shalba’s tone was frigid, his eyes dyed with hatred.
His loathing for the current Demon Kings looked like it knew no bounds.
To have his authority and nobility stolen away from him, not to mention his
seat as a ruler, and to be driven into the depths of the underworld must have
filled him with un unquenchable animosity.
“So now that you’ve murdered members of the Houses of Glasya-Labolas
and Astaroth, you’re moving on to the Gremory clan?”
Shalba’s eyes narrowed in amusement at the president’s question.
“Exactly. Your very existence is an affront to us. We, the true successors to
what you imposters label the old demon regime, are loath to endure you.”
Shalba let out a sigh. “Our plan ends here, however. We are defeated. What
can I say? I never suspected that the Boosted Gear, a mere mid-tier Longinus,
would triumph over Dimension Lost. But this mission has provided us with
considerable data for further endeavors. In that sense, at least, it was
worthwhile. You may have killed Creuserey, but we can weather that loss. So
long as I still stand, we can proceed—even without Vali. That is the power
and majesty of the true Beelzebub… Now then, as my parting act, I will end
your life, sister of Sirzechs.”
“You don’t have the gall to face the Demon Kings directly, so instead,
you want to murder their families?! You’re cowards, all of you!” the
president shot back.
“Not at all. First, we will make your false Demon Kings taste despair.
Then we shall give them the annihilation that they deserve.”
“You’re a fiend! And worst of all, you’ve murdered Asia! I’ll never

forgive you!”
The president was infuriated, her crimson aura flaring around her!
Akeno’s face similarly twisted in rage, her Holy Lightning crackling
around her entire body.
I would never forgive this, either! Asia… She had finally been able to
overcome her past! Her beloved Issei had helped her break free! And now it
was over!
Joy and happiness had been within her grasp, only for this monster to
snatch it away!
There could be no crime greater than murdering our precious companion!
Shalba’s life wouldn’t even begin to make up for what he had so casually
stolen, but I would destroy him all the same!
“Asia? Asia?” Issei stumbled forward, calling out her name. “Asia?
Where are you? Hey, come on. We’re going home. Mom and Dad are waiting
for us. Y-you’ve got to come out. H-ha-ha, you sure like to play around,
don’t you…?”
Issei…
He was searching everywhere, his legs barely able to keep him upright…
“Asia? Let’s go home. No one’s going to hurt you anymore. If anyone so
much as tries, I’ll thrash them! Come on, let’s go. Asia, we still haven’t done
the three-legged race at the Sports Festival yet…”
I couldn’t bear to watch.
Koneko and Gasper were both looking on in pain. Akeno averted her
eyes, her cheeks damp with tears. The president reached out to hold Issei in a
comforting embrace.

Grief was pooling within me…
“Prez, I can’t find Asia. We should finally be able to go home soon. We
need to go hide in that underground place Teach mentioned. But without
Asia… Mom and Dad said she’s like a daughter to them… And she thinks of
them as her real parents, too… She’s so important to me, to all of us… She’s
family…” Issei’s voice trailed off, his expression hollow.
The president stroked his cheek.
“…You! It’s unforgivable! I’ll kill you! I’ll carve you into oblivion!”
Xenovia screamed, lashing out at Shalba with Durendal and Ascalon.
“How futile.”
Pshing!
Shalba raised a defensive barrier, effortlessly deflecting the two Holy
Swords before hurling a blast of demonic power into her stomach.
Thud!
Xenovia crashed hard into the floor, her blades spinning through the air
before stabbing into the ground where they landed.
“…Give her back… Asia…is my friend…! She’s kind…kinder than
anyone else… So why…?!” Xenovia crawled across the ground, fumbling for
her fallen blades.
Shalba turned to Issei. “A wretched reincarnated demon and a repulsive
dragon. Your Gremory girl has bad taste indeed. Red filth, that girl of yours
has been banished to the edge of all dimensions. She will already have ceased
to exist… In other words, she’s dead.”
Issei’s gaze locked on to the floating Shalba.
He stared at him, unwavering. A strange shadow fell over his features.
Completely expressionless, his vision seemed to bore into Shalba’s face.
“Rias Gremory—withdraw. If you want to live, leave this place at once.”
It was Ddraig’s voice. He had spoken so that we could all hear him.
Withdraw? What’s going on?
The president seemed just as confused, as she glanced my way with
uncertainty.
Ddraig then addressed Shalba: “You, demon. Shalba, was it?”
Issei pushed the president away and rose to his feet.
“You…”
Lumbering like a dead man, Issei approached Shalba. Then, when he was
almost beneath the floating demon, Ddraig’s voice—an emotionless sound

that sent chills coursing through my body—sounded from Issei’s lips!
“You choose poorly just now.”
Booooooooooooooooooooooooom!
The temple quaked violently around us as a bloodred aura swept over
Issei, growing larger until it filled the entire inner sanctuary with a blinding
crimson glow.
My skin tingled at the presence of such incredible power! Alarm bells
were ringing in my head!
At that moment, a voice, practically a curse, poured from Issei’s lips.
And it wasn’t just his. No, there were a great many speakers combined, an
unearthly, ominous mix of young and old, male and female.
“I have awakened…”
“It has begun.”
“It’s starting.”
“As the Heavenly Dragon who usurped God’s hegemony…”
“It’s always like this.”
“Yep, he never changes.”
“I scorn the infinite, lament the illusion…”
“Sought after by the world…”
“Rejected by the world…”
“I am the Red Dragon Dynast…”
“It’s always power.”
“It’s always love.”
“Time and time again, you choose annihilation!”
Issei’s armor was transforming—becoming more angular and bestial, with

a pair of giant wings sprouting from his back. His hands warped into razor-
sharp claws, hornlike protrusions erupting from his helmet.
This was a dragon.
At that moment, every single one of the jewels on his Scale Mail lit up, a
scream in a myriad of voices crying out!

“““““““I shall plunge you into the frigid depths of the Hell of the Scarlet
Lotus!”””””””
“Juggernaut Drive!”
Booooooooooooooooooooooooom!
Everything around Issei was blasted away! The floor, the walls, the
pillars, and the roof were laid to waste by no more than the deathly power
radiating from his armor!
“Gyarghhhhhhhhhhh! Asiaaaaaaaaaa!”
He let out a monstrous roar, readying himself on all fours as he began to
beat his wings.
Whoosh!
He tore through the air so fast that I couldn’t follow his movements!
“Nghhhhh!” Shalba cried out.
I whirled and saw Issei, now in the shape of a human-sized dragon,
grappling with Shalba and tearing into his shoulder. Issei’s helmet looked to
have transformed into a razor-sharp maw lined with lacerating fangs.
Crunch…
That was the sound of flesh rending.
“Curse you!”
Shalba forged a spear of light with his right arm, attempting to hurl it at
Issei, but not before a dragon arm lashed out from one of the jewels
embedded in that suit of armor, catching the attack before Shalba could
follow through.
At that moment, a blade lanced from another of the gems, slicing Shalba’s
arm clean off!
“Gah!” The demon’s face twisted in agony as blood splattered onto the
floor!
Crunch!
Issei bit a chunk out of Shalba’s shoulder with a sickening sound before
descending back to the floor.
After landing, he spat the gory mass out onto the ground. The blood
seeped into his red armor, giving off a nauseating sheen.
“Gyagugagh! Gyugagh! Gwaaaaauuuuuggggghhhhh!”
Issei’s voice had already lost all semblance of humanity… From each

burning jewel studding his armor, a dragon’s arm or a needlelike blade jutted
forth. He was looking less and less like a person by the second.
“Who do you think you’re messing with?!”
Enraged, Shalba descended to the ground, releasing a blast of brilliant
light from the palm of his remaining hand!
Suddenly, the Red Dragon Emperor’s wings burned with a pale
luminescence, a terrific glow almost identical to that of the White Dragon
Emperor!
Just before Shalba’s beam found purchase…
“Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide! Divide!”
As that voiced echoed through the ruined sanctuary, the light of Shalba’s
attack diminished in size until it became no more substantial than a laser
pointer.
This was the White Dragon Emperor’s signature ability, which Issei had
stolen from him during their battle! To think that he could use it to this high
level!
“Vali’s powers?! Where did you…?! How many times must you stand in
my way, Valiiiii?!”
Shalba let out a furious cry, yet this time, it wasn’t a beam of light that he
unleashed, but a wave of demonic energy coursing toward Issei!
Swoosh!
Nonetheless, Issei diverted the oncoming barrage with a mighty flap of his
dragon wings.
—!
He brushed aside such an overwhelming attack so easily!
Hold on, does Shalba Beelzebub have a grudge against Vali?
Perhaps the descendants of the original Beelzebub and Lucifer were
naturally hostile toward each other.
As I pondered that, Issei underwent another transformation.
The gaping maw in his helmet had opened wide, revealing what looked
like a laser cannon in the back of his mouth! And it was lit up!
Pssssshhhhh!
A crimson beam shot from Issei’s mouth, racing toward Shalba and
severing his left arm. It didn’t stop there, however, carving a line through the
wall, floor, and ceiling.
Boooooooooom!

A tremendous explosion sounded in the distance! There was smoke and
dust everywhere.
“Nghhhhh!”
As Issei let out an ear-rending scream, his power swelled around him,
tearing a massive crater in the ground. The energy’s mere presence was
reducing the foundation of the temple to ash.
“Y-you monster! You freak! Th-this is your Juggernaut Drive?!
Impossible! O-Ophis’s serpent should have supercharged my abilities! I
should have surpassed anything the Boosted Gear was capable of!”
Shalba’s arrogance and confidence had given way to fear. His eyes were
white with panic as he stared across at Issei in abject horror.
The only thing we could do was watch in stunned silence.
The prez was wide-eyed, her whole body shaking. Akeno, Xenovia,
Koneko, and Gasper all watched Issei with dread plain on their faces. I
couldn’t stop trembling, either.
That thing wasn’t Issei anymore. We were staring at a real-life monster.
Issei, or rather, the Red Dragon Emperor, adjusted his posture, spreading
his wings as he leveled his gaze at Shalba.
There was a mechanical sound of something sliding into place—the armor
surrounding Issei’s chest and body opened up as the barrel of a launcher
emerged.
Vrrrrrrrrrr…
With a dull vibrating noise, Issei’s red aura gathered into the barrel of that
cannon, intensifying as it compressed into a single deadly mass…
With his wings outstretched to either side, his ominous crimson energy
swelled.
“Guh! I can’t die here!”
Shalba tried drawing a magic circle on the ground with his feet—when his
legs suddenly stopped.
“…Y-you’ve frozen them?! I can’t move!”
The eyes on the Red Dragon Emperor’s armor were burning.
Did it just use something similar to the ability of Gasper’s Sacred Gear?!
How much is this creature capable of?!
“Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!
Boost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Longinus Smasher!!!!!!!”

That voice, emanating from the Red Dragon Emperor’s Sacred Gear,
echoed through what remained of the temple.
At that moment, the incomprehensible mass of energy gathered into its
cannon erupted!
This was bad! At this rate, we would all be dragged into the destruction!
“President! We should fall back! We need to leave the temple!”
“Issei… I…”
The president began to stumble toward the dragon monster that was our
friend, but I grabbed her arm.
“I’m sorry for this!”
I lifted her up and began to run. Akeno lent Xenovia her shoulder as she
raced after us, followed by Koneko and Gasper!
“I-impossible…! I am the true heir to the blood of an original Demon
King! I still haven’t put Vali in his place! Beelzebub has always been
superior to Lucifer! Cursed dragons! Red and white alike!”
Boooooooooooooooooooom!
Shalba, along with the entire temple complex, was swallowed in the surge
of red light.
“Ugh…”
Once we had made our way out of the temple, I summoned a vast
collection of Holy Demon Swords to serve as a makeshift shelter and urged
everyone inside.
When the sound of the temple collapsing around us had faded, I released
the blades and surveyed our surroundings.
The temple complex had been reduced to rubble.
The device forged by the other Longinus still remained, but it was full of
cracks, with various parts broken clean off…
Is the Red Dragon Emperor truly this powerful…?
“Aughhhhh…!
Issei was standing in the center of the wreckage, sending a sorrowful roar
up into the heavens.
Even if he had lost his sense of identity, he still grieved for Asia.
Shalba Beelzebub and Diodora Astaroth were nowhere to be seen. The

fight should have been over, yet Issei’s armor showed no sign of
deactivating.
…What should we do? I wondered. How could I return Issei to his senses?
It seemed there was little any of us could do, save watch in sorrow.
“Looks like you’re in a bit of a bind down there.”
Another voice?
A rift opened above us, from which Vali, the White Dragon Emperor,
emerged.
Behind him came another figure, wearing what looked like ancient
Chinese armor. This was my first time meeting the second individual in
person, but I recognized Bikou, the descendent of the legendary Sun
Wukong, at once.
Lastly, a third entity arrived—an unfamiliar guy dressed in a business suit.
The sword in his hands possessed an incredible radiant aura, the likes of
which I had never before set eyes upon. I realized what it was immediately—
the Holy King Sword, Collbrande. That meant this was the man that Issei had
encountered a short while back.
“Vali.” The president was startled at this sudden entry, but she quickly
adopted a combat stance.
The rest of us did likewise, but there was no sense of hostility coming
from the three.
“I’m not here to fight, just to observe the Red Dragon Emperor’s
Juggernaut Drive. Too bad it’s incomplete. You’re lucky he initiated it within
an artificial battlefield. If he had done this in the human realm, he could have
destroyed an entire city.”
“…Is there some way to make him go back to normal?” the president
asked Vali.
“Seeing as it isn’t his complete Juggernaut Drive, you might be able to
reverse it. At this rate, he’ll shave away his life force until there’s nothing
left. In any event, the longer he’s like this, the greater the danger he’s in.”
So I was right, Issei was in danger…
Bikou suddenly approached me. In his arms, he was cradling a young
woman.
“Here, she’s part of your group, right? Your healer.”
That face…
“Asia!”

The president, Akeno, and the others all hurried to gather around her.
From what I could tell, she didn’t look injured. She was unconscious…but
breathing!
“She’s alive!” I cried out.
Everyone, including me, teared up at this joyful revelation! Thank
goodness! She was okay!
“But how…?” I muttered in disbelief.
It was the wielder of the Collbrande who responded to my question. “We
were investigating an entrance into the dimensional void around here when
we spotted her falling into it. Vali said he recognized her, so we picked her
up and brought her back. Quite lucky, that one. Had we not been there, she
would have perished.”
So that was it… Whatever the circumstances, I was simply relieved that
she was safe.
“Asiaaaaa!”
Having made sure her friend was all right, Xenovia fell to the ground and
wept. I set Asia down beside her, letting her cradle the other girl in her arms.
“Now, all we need to do is help Issei.” The president glanced back toward
him as he howled in despair. “Will he return to normal once we tell him that
Asia’s okay?”
Vali shook his head. “It’s risky. You would get yourself killed. But I
certainly won’t stop you if you’d like to try.”
Akeno and Koneko each approached him.
“I know we’re in no position to ask this, but can you help him? Surely
you, the White Dragon Emperor, can help bring him back?”
“…Please. We’ll do everything we can to help you. Whatever it takes to
save him…”
It was clear that they both cared deeply about Issei.
I had been confident that Vali would refuse, yet he rested his hand on his
chin, sinking deep into thought. “Hmm. Maybe if we could stimulate his
mind…”
“Couldn’t we just show him some boobs?” Bikou suggested, scratching
the back of his head.
The same idea had occurred to me, too, but I’d hesitated to verbalize it so
directly.
“Not when he’s like this. The best way to calm a dragon is through

song… But there have never been any songs for the Red or White Dragon
Emperors.”
“But there is!” interrupted a voice as a white-winged angel descended
from above—Irina Shidou.
“Wait, that’s Issei?! I heard what happened from Archangel Michael and
Azazel, but it’s that bad?!”
Though clearly surprised, Irina was nonetheless as spirited as ever.
“What are you doing here, Irina?” Xenovia questioned.
Immediately, the newly arrived reincarnated angel pulled out a
holographic projector, the kind frequently used by demons.
“The leaders in the viewing room and out on the battlefield already know
that Issei went berserk, so Lucifer and Azazel had me bring this secret
weapon! By the way, Odin was the one who helped me get here! He’s
incredible! A Norse god! And his beard is so huge!”
Her level of excitement was almost enough to break through the direness
of our situation.
The president took possession of the projection equipment, setting it up on
the ground. “I don’t really get it, but if my brother and Azazel think it can
work, then it’s worth a shot.” So saying, she took a deep breath and pushed
the button on the side of the device.
A huge holographic image appeared overhead.
Its abrupt appearance seemed to catch Issei’s attention, too.
What unfolded next was beyond my wildest expectations.
“Breast Dragon! Let’s…go!”
An image of Issei in his Balance Breaker armor appeared up above—
surrounded by countless young children.
“Breasts!” they called out around him in unison.
With that, a lively tune began to play as the projection of Issei and the
children started dancing.
Letters appeared—a title and lyrics.
Everyone watching went bug-eyed.
What on earth is this?

“The Song of the Breast Dragon”
Lyrics: Aza-Zel
Composition: Sirzechs Lucifer
Dance Choreography: Serafall Levia-tan
He’s out there in a far-off land,

Waiting for the sun to shine!
When it comes out, he searches far and wide,
Till he finds what’s on his mind!
Dragon! Dragon! Breast Dragon!
Squeeze ’em! Suck ’em! Breast Dragon!
They come in every shape and size,
But he loves big ones most of all!
Breast Dragon! Soar!
He’s down there in that far-off town,

Laughing all day long!
’Cause rain or thunder, it won’t stop him,
From touching what he loves!
Poke ’em! Stroke ’em! Oooooh!
He’s seen so many, he knows for sure,
He loves big ones most of all!
Breast Dragon! Go!
………
To say we were dumbfounded would be an understatement. None had the
faintest clue how to react.
After a short moment, I recognized this for what it was. It had
undoubtedly been recorded back when we had visited the television station in
the underworld. This was what Issei had filmed during his private session.
And that title! “The Song of the Breast Dragon!”
They had gone to the trouble of having him activate his Balance Breaker
and dance alongside small children. I was floored. Let’s not forget the credits,

which gave away those responsible…
What were they thinking?!
This was ghastly.
“…Ugh, breasts…”
Issei was holding his head in his hands, but my ears hadn’t deceived me!
He had just uttered a comprehensible word! But why breasts?!
“He’s listening!” the president exclaimed with tears of joy.
“…Why is he only responding to that…?” Koneko…looked crestfallen.
“Shidou, play it again!” instructed the president.
“Yep! Leave it to me!” Irina answered, pushing the button on the
projector once more.
He’s out there in a far-off land,

Waiting for the sun to shine!
When it comes out, he searches far and wide,
Till he finds what’s on his mind!
Squeeze ’em! Suck ’em! Breast Dragon!
They come in every shape and size,
But he loves big ones most of all!
Breast Dragon! Soar!
“Ugh, breasts… I wanna touch them…squeeze them…” Issei groaned,

still grasping his head in his hands.
He’s down there in that far-off town,

Laughing all day long!
’Cause rain or thunder, it won’t stop him,
From touching what he loves!
Breast Dragon! Go!

“I—I wanna feel them… Ugh… Suck them…”
Issei’s fingers were making some sort of gesture in the air! His razor-
sharp claws had disappeared!
“This might just work…”
“Vanishing Dragon: Balance Breaker!!!!!!!”
Vali activated his Balance Breaker, a suit of glistening white armor
immediately enveloping him as he flew through the air toward Issei with
incredible speed!
“Divide!” The White Dragon Emperor’s voice boomed. And as it did so,
Issei’s aura shrank considerably.
There was no mistaking it. Vali must have touched Issei as he flew past
and had activated his ability. It wouldn’t have been possible just a short time
ago, but Issei seemed to be slowly returning to his senses thanks to that song.
“Rias! Your nipples are what he needs now!” Akeno cried out.
“Huh?!” The president’s eyes all but shot out of their sockets at this
suggestion.
However, Akeno wasn’t finished: “He unlocked his Balance Breaker by
pushing his fingers into your chest, so it should be able to have the opposite
effect here as well. It would have been insane to approach him while he was
going berserk like that, but he’s starting to come around now!”
“B-but can my breasts really dispel his Juggernaut Drive…?”
“Of course they can! Mine won’t do the trick… Heh-heh-heh, as I feared,
you’re better suited for this role… I’m a little jealous, you know?”
If anything, Akeno’s expression was one of sadness.
I had no idea how to respond to all this. Breasts this, tits that… It was
absurd.
The president stole a glance toward Vali, but the White Dragon Emperor
averted his gaze. Judging by the sweat building on his forehead, he had
pushed himself hard and didn’t want to get involved any further. I couldn’t
blame him!
Bikou was pressing his hands against his stomach as if trying to hold in
his laughter.
Oh, go ahead. How else are we supposed to respond to this? Issei, how
boob-obsessed can you be?!
The president stepped forward, looking as if she had made up her mind.
“All right.” She proceeded toward Issei without even the slightest hesitation

in her step!
Are you really okay with this, President?! Is it me, or have you been
willing to do anything for him lately?!
The song continued to loop as she drew closer to him until, at last, she
stood directly before our transformed friend. Then she began to unbutton her
blouse.
Don’t worry, President, none of us can see you from back here…
“M-my…b-breasts…,” Issei murmured, having found what he was
looking for, and he reached out to her with trembling fingers.
Meanwhile, the song continued to play.

Breast Dragon! Go!
The next instant, Issei’s armor deactivated.

“…Rias Gremory…are your breasts like an on-off switch for him?” Vali
asked with complete sincerity.
Bikou, meanwhile, continued to guffaw. “Hey, that ain’t a proper thing to
ask!”
I didn’t know what to think anymore.
Issei, you really are a full-fledged Breast Dragon…

Life.5
The Great Red!
“Nnn… Huh? What happened?”

When I woke up, my Balance Breaker was gone. The prez and Akeno
embraced me tearfully, leaving me wondering what had occurred while I’d
been out.
I couldn’t recall it properly at all, but according to Kiba, I had gone
berserk and defeated that Shalba guy. It was all a blur to me.
Hold on, is that Asia who Xenovia’s hugging?! How?!
Perhaps noticing my disbelieving expression, Kiba explained. “Vali
rescued her.” He pointed to the individual in question.
Ah, so Vali is here, too… Why? Hold on, is he grinning?
When I asked for an explanation, I learned that it had all been a series of
fortunate coincidences.
All I really cared about was that Asia was safe.
“Asia! Asia!” I cried out to her.
She slowly opened her eyes. “…Huh…? Issei?”
She was okay! Thank goodness! My Asia!
Thud!
Just as I was about to embrace her in a hug, Xenovia knocked me away!
“Asia!” she called, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“X-Xenovia. What’s wrong? I—I can’t breathe…”
“Asia! Asia, Asia, Asia, Asia, Asia! I’ll always be your friend! Forever!
So don’t leave me ever again!”
Asia gently stroked her head. “…Yes, we’ll always be friends.”
“Thank goodness.” Standing beside me, Irina nodded, her own eyes moist.
I guess this means case closed, then? I breathed a sigh of relief.
No sooner had I done so than Vali called out to me. “Issei Hyoudou. It

looks like you’ve pulled through.”
“Yeah. Guess I owe you one.”
“Heh, don’t worry about it. Anyway, it’s about time. Look up.”
“…?”
My curiosity piqued, I turned my gaze to the white sky hanging over the
empty battlefield.
R-rip!
A gigantic hole formed above us, and there was something beyond it—a
figure.
“That’s…”
When I realized what I was looking at, my mouth hung open in shock.
The prez and the others appeared to be equally stunned.
Vali’s lips curled in a smirk. “Watch closely, Issei Hyoudou. That’s what
I came here to see.”
A huge crimson dragon floated overhead, moving majestically across the
heavens.
It was enormous! Much, much larger than Tannin! It had to be at least a
hundred meters long!
“There are two entities known as the Red Dragon. The first is the one that
dwells in you—the Welsh Dragon, the Red Dragon Emperor. The White
Dragon Emperor appears in the same legends and myths. But there is another
Red Dragon, an entity that appears in the Book of Revelation.”
“The Book of Revelation…?”
“The Great Red. Although he’s known by other names, too. Maybe
you’ve heard of the Apocalypse Dragon, the True Red Dragon, or DxD—the
Dragon of Dragons? He resides in the dimensional void, where he has been
soaring for eternity. We came here today to witness that for ourselves. These
battlefields for your Rating Games are forged by raising barriers on the edge
of the dimensional void. Ophis’s true aim today was to use this place to stare
into that expanse. Shalba’s scheme was never of any importance to her or
us.”
“But what’s he doing in there?” I asked.
“Who knows? There are a lot of theories… He is Ophis’s true goal—and
the opponent I hope to defeat.”
Vali’s opponent…?
His eyes looked more genuine than I had ever seen before.

“The enemy I wish to face most of all… The Great Red, the Apocalypse
Dragon… I hope to become the True White Dragon. It’s hardly fair that
White is always a level below Red, don’t you think? Once I defeat him, I’ll
reach that ultimate rank.”
So that’s Vali’s aim…
Well, everyone had a dream of their own, and that was his. Basically, his
reason for joining that terrorist organization was to fight a massive dragon.
I had known that he must have been doing all those bad things for a
purpose, but now that I knew what it was, his actions were borne home to me
all the more.
“How long it has been, Great Red?”
—!
A small black-haired girl in a dress had appeared out of nowhere, not too
far from us.
“Who’s that…? She wasn’t there before,” I wondered aloud.
Vali flashed me a grin. “That’s Ophis. The Ouroboros. The head of the
Khaos Brigade.”
Seriously?! She’s the head honcho?! What’s she doing here herself?!
Please don’t say she wants to fight me!
The girl—Ophis—lifted her hand into the air, pointing toward the Great
Red with a finger gun gesture.
“I shall take that silence for my own, one of these days.”
Swoosh.
Wings flapped.
Thud!
Something came slamming into the ground!
What now?! I thought. Fortunately, I recognized these latest arrivals. It
was Azazel and Tannin!
“Teach! Tannin!”
“Ah, Issei, you’re back to normal now. I was afraid to see what you might
end up doing, but I always suspected that song and the thought of breasts
would be enough to cancel out your Juggernaut Drive. It was boobs that
helped you unlock your Balance Breaker, after all. Geez, you’re as
predictable as they come. I guess this makes writing that little tune worth it,
huh?” said Azazel.
That theme had basically been the stuff of my dreams, but I couldn’t deny

that it was awful!
“Just so you know, that was Sirzechs’s idea. He and Serafall were so
excited about it that they even came up with the score choreography
themselves.”
I was taken aback to learn that it had been a joint production between the
leaders of demonkind and the fallen angels.
Tannin seemed to find it just as amusing as I did. “Ha-ha-ha, as expected
of our breast-loving Red Dragon Emperor! And would you look at that, I
guess this is what happens when you chase after Ophis.”
Both Azazel and Tannin were gazing up at the Great Red.
“It certainly brings back memories. The Great Red…,” the latter
remarked.
“Have you fought him before or something?” Azazel asked Tannin.
The dragon, however, shook his head. “No. He never spared me so much
as a second thought.”
Not even Tannin stands a chance against that Great Red…? Just how
powerful is he…?
“It’s been a while, Azazel,” Vali called. “I’m guessing you beat Creuserey
Asmodeus, then?”
“Ah, Sirzechs was the one who dealt with the old Asmodeus… Once the
leaders were taken care of, their subordinates were quick to flee. I heard that
Issei eliminated Shalba Beelzebub while in his Juggernaut Drive.”
“My brother?” the prez questioned.
“Once the barrier was down, he went back to the viewing lounge,” Azazel
replied before turning to the small girl-like figure still loitering nearby.
“Ophis. The followers of the old demon regime have all either surrendered or
been defeated. Now that their bosses are gone, they’re essentially finished as
a unified faction.”
“Yes, I’ve supposed as much already.” Ophis didn’t seem shocked or
disappointed in the slightest. Didn’t it bother her that she’d lost?
Azazel shrugged at that response. “Apart from Vali and his people, the
only other group of note with you guys was that band of Sacred Gear users,
right? The ones descended from famous humans. What are they called again?
The Hero Faction?”
The Hero Faction? So there are still other forces within the terrorist
organization? Ah, right. The Khaos Brigade’s whole deal is that it’s made up

of a ragtag assortment of dangerous individuals from a great many places…
“Now then, Ophis. Do you want to go?” Azazel pointed his radiant spear
toward the girl.
Was he about to start trading blows with the big bad?
Ophis, however, turned her back to him and stated, “I’m going home.”
Evidently, she didn’t want to fight.
Nonetheless, the people on our side weren’t convinced by that display of
indifference.
Tannin pulled his wings back, shouting after her. “Stop, Ophis!”
Yet the girl’s face twisted in an ominous smile. “Tannin. The Dragon
Kings are gathering together once more. This should be fun.”
Swoosh!
A faint vibration shook the air, and Ophis completely vanished.
Ah, she escaped!
Both Azazel and Tannin let out exasperated sighs.
“It’s time for us to leave as well.” Now it was Vali’s turn. He was just
about to enter a spatial rift that his suit-wearing companion had opened.
Seriously, they were all too quick to skedaddle!
“Issei Hyoudou… Do you want to defeat me?”
“…Sure. But you aren’t the only one I want to beat. I want to surpass
Kiba, and then there’s my buddy Saji. There’s a whole lot of things I hope to
overcome.”
“I could say the same. I have another target besides you. It’s strange, isn’t
it? The current Red and White Dragon Emperors have other things on their
minds more important than their fated confrontation. Maybe you and I are
outliers when it comes to dragons. It’s nice to have a diversion every now and
then… But I assure you, one day we will do battle.”
I raised my fist to Vali. “Yeah, let’s settle it. I’ll never let you halve the
prez’s or Akeno’s breasts.”
“You’re an interesting one… Get stronger, Issei Hyoudou.”
“See ya, Breast Dragon! You too, Switch Princess!”
Guh! That grin of Bikou’s never failed to rile me up!
Hold on, Switch Princess?
Looking to the prez, I saw she was turning bright red. What was going
on?
“Yuuto Kiba, Xenovia,” the suited man said to our two sword wielders. “I

am the heir to Arthur Pendragon. This here is the Holy King Sword. Please
call me Arthur. I expect to cross blades with you both one day. Until then.”
With that, Vali and his companions disappeared into the spatial rift.
For a second, I thought about following them—but they had just saved
Asia.
Had Vali done so on a whim? I had no way of knowing. In any event, I
had no desire to fight him here. One day I would. We would certainly meet
again, and I had to be ready.
I took Asia’s hand and flashed her a warm smile. “It’s time to go home,
Asia. For real this time.”
“Right. Mom and Dad are waiting for us,” she replied.
As I beheld Asia beaming at me, I slipped into unconsciousness.
Vali Lucifer
“Vali, I’ve heard from the bosses. That Shalba jerk was near death, but it
looks like he’s gonna pull through.”
“I see. He’s always been hasty. Everything’s do or die with him. Just like
our ancestors, chased into exile by the current demon government. Always
trying to rush things.”
“Apparently, everyone over in the old demon group wants you to be their
new leader. What are you gonna do?”
“Tell them I’m fine in my current position. I don’t desire any more duties
than I already have as an heir to one of the original Demon Kings.”
“Ah, then I guess they’re done for. The other factions are already racing to
take the top billing.”
“Katerea, Creuserey, Shalba—they all sought more than they could ever
hope to manage. If you’re going to adopt the title of a former Demon King,
you need to act with the dignity and pride that it commands.”
“So why did you help the Red Dragon Emperor and that healer girl of his?
That wasn’t like you.”
“I was bored. That’s all.”

New Life
“H-hmm…”
When I opened my eyes, I was in my bedroom.
Huh? What happened? I beat Diodora, met Vali, and then…what?
It felt like I had fallen unconscious several times over…
“Are you awake?”
I turned my head to the sound of that voice—and found the silver-haired
maid Grayfia watching over me.
A crimson-haired boy was standing beside her—Millicas. He was staring
my way.
“Issei’s opened his eyes, Mom!”
“Master Millicas, what have I told you about calling me that in front of
others?”
“Hmph. If you say so.”
When I sat up, Grayfia passed me a glass of water.
“Ah, thanks.”
As I sipped the drink, Grayfia activated some kind of small holographic
device.
Huh? What now?
A three-dimensional projection of a man appeared above it—Sirzechs. He
was dressed in unusually casual clothing. Had he sneaked out somewhere?
“Ah, Issei. You’re finally awake.”
“Y-yep!”
“Good work. I know it was hard, but thanks to you and Rias, we’ve
managed to contain the followers of the old demon regime for the time
being.”
According to Sirzechs, I had slipped into a coma of sorts after the battle
and hadn’t woken up for several days.

My Juggernaut Drive must have taken a considerable toll on my body.
Apparently, I couldn’t freely adopt that bestial form whenever I wanted.
But frankly, that sounded like it was for the best.
“Azazel spoke to Ddraig a few times while you were sleeping. It sounds
like your anger exploded past a certain tipping point when you thought you
had lost Asia, releasing the sealed power within you.”
So that was it. It was my uncontrollable fury that had triggered that
transformation.
Wait, Ddraig was still able to communicate while I was asleep, was he?
“In that state, your powers could even surpass those of God or us Demon
Kings, albeit only temporarily. But entering that state reduces your life span
considerably. You should refrain from using it again. Your death would cause
a great deal of sorrow. My sister would certainly be crushed…”
“Yes. I understand.”
I couldn’t remember exactly what I had transformed into, but I certainly
didn’t want to go through that again.
There would be no point to anything if I died. Maybe I had only gone
berserk because I thought Asia was dead, but even so, I didn’t want to
experience that again.
Sirzechs also informed me that the followers of the old demon regime in
the Khaos Brigade had fallen into disarray after losing their leaders.
Vali, despite himself being descended from one of the former Demon
Kings, had apparently expressed no interest in accepting their offer of
leadership. According to Sirzechs, they were essentially finished as a
meaningful fighting force. The surviving remnants had either surrendered or
fled deep into the darkness.
The Astaroth family had lost all credibility now that Diodora’s actions had
come to light. The fact that their next heir had been secretly aligned with the
Khaos Brigade hung heavily over their name, and the present head of the
family had been forced to relinquish his title and authority.
For the time being, the House of Astaroth had similarly lost the right to
have any of its members be considered as future Demon Kings.
The current Beelzebub hadn’t escaped being held at least partly
responsible, either. However, it sounded like he had been part of the group
that had been attacked by the Khaos Brigade and had fought the terrorist
group alongside the other three Demon Kings.

On top of that, the other Demon Kings had all thrown their support behind
him, so cries for him to take responsibility for the actions of his family had
subsided somewhat.
“Losing Ajuka Beelzebub right now would be a bitter blow for all demons
at present. His technical mastery is vital to our future programs. He was the
one who devised the basic theory underlying the Rating Game. We won’t find
anyone else of a similar caliber.” Sirzechs breathed out a sigh.
From what I gathered, there was a critical shortage of vital personnel in
demon society.
Maybe it was because I was the Red Dragon Emperor that Sirzechs went
on to tell me about Ouroboros. But that explanation only raised further
questions.
“Can I ask you something?”
“And what would that be?”
“Ophis… The head of the Khaos Brigade… Her goal is to get rid of that
huge dragon, the Great Red, so she can return to the dimensional void, right?
So if we help her, won’t she stop supporting the terrorists?”
Sirzechs shook his head. “No. Unfortunately, that would be unwise. The
prevailing theory at present is that the dimensional void is in equilibrium
with the various planes of existence precisely because the Great Red resides
within it. If Ophis—or Vali, for that matter—were to slay him and rule over it
themselves, there’s no telling what would happen to our world. We might
have been able to trust the old Ophis, but she’s changed too much.”
That certainly sounded serious, a breakdown of the stability between the
dimensional void and the various planes of existence…
Why did Ophis and Vali have to set their sights on something so risky?!
No wonder the leaders of each of the major factions were worried! Ngh…
There may have been a chance that I could defeat Vali one day in the future,
but what about Ophis? I didn’t want to have to be the one to fight her!
All I really wanted was to become a high-class demon and rule over a
harem!
“We will need to reconsider our plans for future Rating Games between
our up-and-comers. We can’t afford to allow terrorists to interfere again.”
“So are the matches canceled, then?” I asked.
“We will probably have to start over from scratch. But there is one match
that I very much look forward to seeing. A great many people here in the

underworld, and quite a few among the other powers, await it eagerly.”
“Which match is that exactly?”
“The one between Rias and Sairaorg.”
—!
Were people really looking forward to a confrontation between the prez
and Sairaorg, the number one demon youth, that much?!
Sairaorg’s words echoed in my mind. “I look forward to facing your
extraordinary power myself.”
If things hadn’t been interrupted, he would’ve been our next opponent.
“There’s a great deal of anticipation for the match between Sitri and
Agares, too… I suppose it would be Power versus Power and Technique
versus Technique.”
Sirzechs certainly did sound as if he were excited. Heck, knowing him, he
definitely was.
“In any event, we’ve asked you all to wait until we weigh up the situation
and decide how best to proceed.”
Undoubtedly, the higher-ups needed a bit of time to sort things out, given
that they had just suffered another terrorist attack. If they weren’t careful,
public opinion in the underworld might oppose holding more Rating Games
at all.
On a brighter note, it sounded like the Breast Dragon had become
incredibly popular with kids in the underworld.
“I’m thinking about writing a second song. Heh-heh-heh, I always
dreamed of being a musician back when I was a child. You don’t know how
happy I am that I’ve been able to make that dream come true.”
Sirzechs’s eyes were positively sparkling. Evidently, he’d poured his
passion into that work.
Suddenly, his tone turned serious: “You’re amazing, Issei.”
“I—I am…?”
“Yes. Children are the smallest demographic among viewers of the Rating
Game. Strictly speaking, viewers their age are practically nonexistent.
Watching adults fight each other is hardly entertainment as far as they’re
concerned. To tell you the truth, the only matches of any interest to them are
those between certain reincarnated demons—dragons like Tannin or non-
human creatures and the like. They probably think of those matches as kaiju
movies.”

Ha-ha-ha, kaiju films, huh? Tannin did kind of resemble the kind of
creature you’d see on the screen.
“I would be overjoyed if our future generations could look up to you—
even if just during your bouts.”
“Are you asking me to be a kind of superhero for kids?”
“Yes. I won’t force it on you, but I would appreciate it greatly.”
I didn’t really understand the full importance of the Rating Game in the
underworld… But if it was for the sake of the children…
“That’s the Breast Dragon!”
“The Breast Dragon Emperor!”
The faces of the kids who had cried out in joy back when I had done my
interview flashed before my eyes.
Part of me was getting excited by this idea. Never before had anyone
acted so happy just to see me…
“You’ll be putting your talents to waste if a harem is your endgame.”
That was what Tannin had said to me at the end of our underworld
training camp.
Sorry, Tannin, but building a harem is still my ultimate goal! After all,
what could beat being surrounded by beautiful ladies all day long?! That said,
having kids think of me like a superhero didn’t sound so bad, either!
Maybe I could attract a following among young mothers, too?!
M-married women! Young wives! Wonderful! Supposedly, hero programs
on TV are written with mothers in mind these days!
If I became famous, someone might make a live show about me one day!
Children would bring their moms with them to see it! And I might even be
able to meet some of them!
I had discovered a path to meeting a treasure trove of beauties from the
underworld!
Whoaaaaa! There are so many wives I can get my hands on! Sorry,
Tannin. I’m definitely going to become a harem king! I’ll even let other
people’s wives join my harem!
“Got it, Sirzechs! I’ll do whatever I can for those wives—I mean, those
kids! By the way, it sounds like someone’s cheering in the background.
What’s going on?”
I had been wondering what that noise was for a while now.
“Ah, right. Today is Kuou Academy’s Sports Festival. I’ve come to see my

little sister shine.”
Wh-wh-wh-what?! I quickly glanced at my calendar and clock to double-
check! Ah! Today really was the Sports Festival! I had slept in so late that I
had almost missed it!
“Grayfia, open a magic circle to bring Issei here to the academy, if you
would.”
“Very well.”
After thanking Sirzechs, I hurried off to get changed! I couldn’t afford to
miss taking part in the three-legged race with Asia!
Bang! Bang!
The sound of a starting pistol echoed through the air, followed by an
announcement for the next event: “The three-legged race is about to begin.
Participants, please line up at the starting position.”
My event had nearly begun!
The magic circle had sent me to the wooded area near the old school
building. I would have to hurry to make it to the sports ground in time!
“And the second-year three-legged race is off!”
It had already begun! Asia and I were part of the second group. Would I
make it?!
I bolted as fast as I could, making my way out onto the sports field.
“Issei! This way is faster!”
It was the prez! She had come looking for me!
Oh yeah! That path through the tents does look like a good shortcut!
“Hyoudou! You’re late! Go get Asia!” Saji called out to me as I passed.
“Sorry! Leave it to me!”
There it was—the starting line!
Asia…! Ah! She looked so forlorn, and she was about to tie her leg to that
of another guy from my class!
Not on my watch! I’m the only one who gets to run with her!
“Asiaaaaa!”
She glanced up at my cry, her eyes glistening as she scanned her
surroundings!
When she finally spotted me, she joyfully shouted, “Issei!”
I wouldn’t leave her alone! I would always stand by her!

“Sorry, I’ll take it from here,” I said to the other guy when I reached them.
His response was to pat me on the shoulder. “Of course! Take Asia and
go!”
Thanks for the encouragement! Just watch us! Asia and I have this in the
bag!
I crouched down, tying the rope around my leg and Asia’s.
“Issei! You made it!”
“Naturally. I’m your Issei, right? Whenever you need me, I’ll come
running.”
Asia looked like she might start sobbing all over again. We really had to
do something about that later!
“Group B!”
Our turn had come. We wrapped our arms around each other’s waists and
stood ready to go.
Bang!
The starting gun sounded!
“Let’s go, Asia!”
“Okay!”
From the very first step, we were in sync, picking up considerable speed.
“Issei! Asia! Go for gold!”
“You can do it, you two!”
The prez and Akeno were cheering us on!
“Issei! Asia! You can do it!”
“Gooooo! Isseeeeei! Asiaaaaa!”
“Do your best, you two!”
Kiba, Xenovia, and Irina shouted encouragement our way as well.
“Isseeeeei! Asiaaaaa!” Gasper called out to us in a loud voice.
“You can do it!” Even Koneko was excited!
“I won’t let you off if you drop the ball here!” Azazel said.
Teach! You can count on us!
“You came, Issei! Don’t worry, I’ll get the best part on film!”
“Issei! Asia! We believe in you both!”
Dad! Mom! Watch as your son and daughter snatch victory!
As Asia and I ran together across the field, I said, “Asia, I’ll always be by
your side. Don’t ever leave me.”
“—!”

It was obvious she was holding back tears, but she steadied herself and
concentrated her energies on running!
And then…
Bang!
Another shot from the starting pistol!
Asia and I had broken through the tape at the finish line!
“Yeeeeesssss!”
As we received the flag for taking first place, the two of us adopted a
victory pose!
Ha-ha-ha, see that, everyone?! See how fast Asia and I are together?!
“We did it! We did it, Asia!”
“Yes! We won, Issei!”
We grasped each other’s hands in joy!
See that? Together, we’re unstoppable! Whoa…
My elation suddenly wavered as I realized I was wobbling on my feet,
ready to fall over at any second. Weakness washed over me. My strength…
was spent. I had only just woken up from a coma. Maybe I’d overdone it a
little.
“Issei! Are you all right?” Asia asked as she supported my weight.
“Ah… Perhaps I got a little too excited.”
“Issei. Asia.” The prez approached, pointing at the gymnasium with a
smile. “Asia, there’s no one looking behind the gym, so go use your Sacred
Gear to heal Issei, if you would.”
“R-right!”
Sorry, Prez. Ugh. I felt pathetic. I was supposed to have built up
considerable endurance, and here I was about to face-plant…
Asia lent me her shoulder as we walked past the prez, when…
“Go for it, Asia.”
“—.”
Huh? Asia’s face flushed bright red for some reason…
Once we were out of sight behind the gymnasium, Asia set about healing
me. Ahhh, nothing beat that warm green glow that seeped through the body.
Once I felt a little stronger, I rose to my feet and flexed my arms a little.
“All right. I should be fine for the rest of the day now!”
“Issei…,” Asia began.
I turned around. “Huh? What is it?”

Asia was standing on her tiptoes. She leaned forward slightly, and her lips
pressed against mine.
All of a sudden, we were kissing. I didn’t know what to do!
U-uh-oh.
I felt like my head was about to explode…! I mean, sh-sh-she was kissing
me! Asiaaaaa!
She flashed me a warm smile, tilting her head to one side. “I love you,
Issei. I’ll always stand by your side.”
I was so overcome with emotion that I collapsed to the ground then and
there.
I…
I was so happyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

AFTERWORD
With the help of the on-off switch that is Rias Gremory’s magnificent breasts,
Issei Hyoudou transforms into the legendary Breast Dragon Emperor!
Hi, Ishibumi here. I did something stupid again. This disease of mine is
progressing rapidly, huh?
What did you think of “The Song of the Breast Dragon”? When I was
writing it, I kept imagining that Fujimi Shobo might want to release it as a
single one day.
Now then, with the end of this sixth volume, the arc that started in
Volume 3 has come to a close. This volume serves as a climax of sorts—the
action took off right from the get-go, and it ended with the same momentum.
You can also think of this one as a continuation of Volume 5. Issei’s raging
lust has now led him to fondling the breasts of many of the female club
members.
This time around, our protagonists wound up caught in the conflict
between the three main factions and the Khaos Brigade. At the same time,
Issei and his fellow club members fought desperately to save a precious
friend. I wanted to conclude things with a flashy confrontation, so unlike
their last battle, I let them go all out this time around.
If the first two volumes were like the initial part of the story, then the third
through sixth ones are the second. Volume 7 will kick off part three. In other
words, a fresh new arc!
I’ve left a few things unresolved, so you might be wondering whether we
can expect to tie them up during the next arc… You’ll just have to wait and
see!
I’m also hoping to have a battle against Sairaorg, the strongest demon
youth.

There were a lot of twists and turns along the way, but Asia has finally
found happiness, sharing a kiss with her beloved Issei! Will the two of them
live happily ever after?
What’s more, Irina made her return! She’s as peppy as ever, but now she’s
been made an angel and is enrolled at Kuou Academy with the others. Think
of her as completing the adorable Church Maiden Trio with Asia and
Xenovia.
As a Protestant, Irina practically ignores all the denominational
differences within the Church, but try to think of that as an original aspect of
the DxD universe. Here, Heaven represents all sects of Christianity.
Also, while the angels have adopted a system similar to the Evil Pieces, it
won’t be a major part of the narrative. Think of it more like worldbuilding.
Still, a mysterious Joker may make an appearance at some point.
I’ve learned that Ravel has developed quite a following among readers,
even if she hasn’t had a great many appearances thus far. You can expect to
see more of her from now on. I’m even thinking about making her a regular
member of the cast, depending on her reception.
Then we have Freed. Let’s give him a round of applause. He was a good
villain.
And Ophis made her entrance, too. She’s only just been introduced, but
I’m sure we’ll see her again.
Issei’s Juggernaut Drive was a bit creepy, huh? That Sacred Gear is still
full of mysteries.
Now then, on to my thanks.

To Miyama-Zero and my editors, we’ve done it! Volume 6 is out the
door! My deepest gratitude for all your efforts!
To my readers, thank you for your continued support! The series still has
a long way to go, so please stick with us! Issei’s story isn’t over, and neither
is anyone else’s!
Time for a little promotion! High School DxD will be decorating the cover
of the July edition of Dragon Magazine this May! Thanks to everyone
involved in making that happen! With sales rising steadily, we’ve now made
the cover! There will also be some special information inside, along with a
short story, so if you see it on the shelf, please buy a copy!

I hope to see you all again this summer in Volume 7!

Heroes
“Shalba Beelzebub has fallen. And the White Dragon Emperor Vali refuses to
step up to succeed him.”
“I see, I see. In that case, the Khaos Brigade’s old demon regime is done
for. Hmm. Maybe we shouldn’t have instructed our man with Dimension
Lost to hold back?”
“You’re one to talk. You were the one who ordered him not to get too
involved. Is it not for those with the blood of heroes to act, Cao Cao?”
“I wonder… I’ve been enjoying collecting new human material.”
“The first generation felt the same. But whether we like it or not, we’re
going to take action eventually. That thing inside you won’t permit otherwise.
Not the ultimate Longinus—”
“The True Longinus… Where does this spear point, I wonder? To
destruction? Or perhaps…”

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Translation by Haydn Trowell

HIGH SCHOOL DxD Vol. 6 TAIIKUKAN URA NO HOLY

English translation © 2022 by Yen Press, LLC

First Yen On Edition: February 2022

Yen On is an imprint of Yen Press, LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

ISBNs: 978-1-9753-1235-0 (paperback)

Life.3 The Great Battle!

Life.4 I Love You

Life.5 The Great Red!

Zerobooks USA ONLY

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When I glanced around, I found myself in an elegant Japanese-style room.

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With autumn on its way, classes had started up again.

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“Come with us for a minute, will you?”

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“Welcome to Kuou Academy, Irina Shidou.”

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Irina’s first few days at school passed uneventfully.

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“One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.”

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After classes, I made my way to the clubroom.

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