Life.3 The Group of Heroes has Arrived-2

"That fellow was also transferred here, but she is still sleeping at the restaurant. I placed a strong barrier over her, so it should be fine for now."

S-So that's what happened... T-True, it would be unthinkable for her to battle in her drunken state. However, Sensei, I will be responsible for support. In contrast to our state of alert, the other side made no signs to prepare. ...Are they that confident? Or do they have some sort of secret weapon? After all, the Hero Faction has gathered many Sacred Gear users. It was such a pain to battle against Sacred Gears. There were all sorts of weird powers which made things very unpredictable. That was the scariest thing. Anyway, we can't show any signs of weakness! —A short boy stood next to Cao Cao. Cao Cao said to him.

"Leonardo, I'll let you handle the Devils with your monsters."

Only one request, but the boy remained expressionless and lightly nodded. Instantly, shadows appeared from under his feet and rapidly expanded. ...I felt a sensation as if something cold was crawling on my back. How should I put it, a certain fearfulness could be felt from the shadows. As the shadows grew, they reached the level of covering the entire Togetsukyou. And then, they expanded and gradually took form! Arms, legs, heads, eyeballs, wide gaping jaws, separating. It wasn't only one, but ten, no, hundreds!

"Guuuu..."

"Chomp!"

"Gobble!"

With a deafening roar, these monsters appeared out of the shadows! ...Shadows with monsters appearing out of them, oh! Rather than appear, perhaps created or 'made' was a better description! These monsters had black skin and were standing upright on two legs. Their bodies were solidly built with rough and thick hides. They also had very sharp claws and bared their teeth. These monsters formed a line and stood in the forefront. ...What was this? The boy's power was...? I couldn't help making swallowing sounds in my throat as I was shocked by the boy's power. Sensei spoke softly at this time.

"[Annihilation Maker]..."

Annihilation...? Maker? Maker meant creation...right? Cao Cao laughed in response.

"Correct, this child carries one of the Longinus. A different threat compared to my True Longinus, but a most deadly Sacred Gear nonetheless."

Longinus... This kid also owned a Longinus. He was a Longinus user...eh? What the heck!? Is this a Longinus free market now!? I basically knew nothing about them other than Vali's and my own, so all these new developments are just a real pain... And then, the countdown finished and I entered Balance Breaker! The red aura enveloped me and formed into armour. Now I can have a good fight, but...

"S-sensei, there's something I don't understand..."

Completely confused, I asked Sensei. Sensei began to explain.

"Like you, that boy possesses one of the Longinus. Currently, there are thirteen confirmed Longinus. Among the Grigori, there are also Longinus possessors. And amongst all these Longinus, the properties of that one over there, in other words, its abilities, are deadlier than Boosted Gear or Divine Dividing's."

"S-stronger than me?"

"In terms of pure power, of course your Boosted Gear and Vali's Divine Dividing are far ahead. However in terms of abilities... Kiba's Sword Birth can create countless Demonic Swords. This you can understand, right?"

"Y-Yes."

"Annihilation Maker is the same. It can create countless demonic beasts. For example, those massive fire-breathing monsters over 100m tall you see in movies can be recreated by sheer will. The ability to create monsters from imagination. Isn't that a disaster? This ability, depending on the user's capability, can create on the scale of hundreds, or even thousands. Like Dimension Lost, this is one of the worst bugs in the Sacred Gear system. Dimension Lost is also extremely dangerous depending on the user. Once the mist reaches the scale of countries, it can transfer an entire country and its people into the Dimensional Gap to be destroyed."

—! U-Unthinkable...!

"No matter which one, aren't they the worst Sacred Gears!?"

Sensei could only force a laugh.

"Well, up to now, none of them have reached such levels, although there were a few close calls in the past. However, it is unprecedented to have gathered three of the four top-tier Longinus, True Longinus, Dimension Lost and Annihilation Maker. From birth, these possessors should have been under surveillance by the Fallen Angels, Angels and Devils... But twenty years have passed, so were we too careless...? Or someone deliberately hid them... Compared to the past, almost all current Longinus possessors have been very difficult to find."

Sensei looked towards me. ...So basically, I was also one of those who were successively classified as 'dangerous Sacred Gear, kill him', and then 'actually, it's not' and finally 'no, it really is a Longinus!'. Was it related to this? Sensei continued.

"...There must be some kind of cause and effect relationship going on in the current age. It could be said that the first Longinus Sacred Gears were bugs or errors of the system. In turn, these Longinus have their own tumultuous developments beyond our expectations. Though this is just a hopeful, but not far-fetched hypothesis... watching Ise's development makes one feel like all the current Longinus as a group are undergoing incredible changes... Bugs, errors, no, evolution? No matter what, though it includes me, perhaps those in charge of researching and maintaining the system have been too naive? Eh, Michael, Sirzechs?"

Sensei seemed to have started an endless dialogue with himself... But no matter how you look at it, wasn't a Sacred Gear to create monsters truly strange and dangerous? And it was described as more dangerous than my Sacred Gear! That is to say, depending on the user, it can create monsters like Tannin-ossan, a Dragon King, and Fenrir, that monstrous wolf, on a mass-produced scale! Annihilation! The world will be annihilated!

"Sensei, what weaknesses do these deadly Sacred Gears have?"

If Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing have weaknesses, then surely...?

"Target the user's body. Of course, there are also cases where the body is extremely strong, but it still doesn't compare to the threat of the Sacred Gear. The current Annihilation Maker user is still in a developing phase. If he had already mastered it, then they would have been sending demonic beast armies to every faction by now. The only way to defeat him is to take him out now before he matures."

Cao Cao laughed wryly as he heard Sensei's words.

"Arara, it feels like Annihilation Maker has been figured out. It is as you say, Governor of the Fallen Angels. This child still has not matured his imagination or productivity—except that he has focused on one specialty; monsters that target the opponents' weaknesses, the antimonsters. The current demonic beasts are ones which counter Devils."

Cao Cao pointed his finger at a shop in the area. A monster opened its mouth—

Bzzzzzt!

A beam of light appeared. And in that instant—

Boom...!

The shop was blown away by an intense explosion!

"An attack of light! This fellow is...!"

Amidst the strong wind of the explosion, Sensei snarled angrily.

"Cao Cao, you bastard! You sent assassins to all the major factions to collect data for the antimonsters!"

"You are half-correct. Weren't there black-clad members among the Sacred Gear users we sent out?"

Yes! Those black combatants! Those hated things which dispersed into mist when hit!

"Those are also monsters created by this child. These things deliberately took on the attacks from the various factions of Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils, Dragons and Gods from all mythologies. Though they were wiped out, they gathered plenty of good data for this child's Sacred Gear."

"Those strange black men were for collecting data!"

"Not only did the number of Balance Breaker users increase, but the development of the antimonsters also advanced. Thanks to that, antimonsters targeting Devils, Angels and Dragons have been created. At maximum output, the current anti-Devil antimonsters can produce light equivalent to that of a Mid-class Angel."

Collecting data to make antimonsters at the same time as increasing the number of Balance Breakers amongst Sacred Gear users. ...Is he trying to show how well-prepared or smart they were? These guys, they are dangerous without bound! Sensei glared with contempt, but immediately began to laugh.

"But Cao Cao, that means you have yet to create God-killing beasts."

"..."

Cao Cao did not deny Sensei's words.

"How did you figure it out?"

Sensei replied to me in a tired voice.

"If they could, they would have already done so. And then they would have used them on us as well. There is no reason they wouldn't attempt it if they have the resources to launch simultaneous attacks at the different factions. And who knows how the world would change if Gods from various mythologies were killed. To this point in time, they still cannot create God-killing demonic beasts. Though this is all we know, it is still important news."

I see! They don't have God-killing demonic beasts! Ah, but such a thing does exist. The image of that gigantic wolf flashed in my mind. Cao Cao pointed his spear at us.

"If it's a God, then I will kill it with this spear. Come, the battle begins—now."

This was the declaration of war!

"Gobble!"

Making terrifying roars, the antimonsters charged at us! Kiba and Xenovia went and stood in the front-line.

"Kiba, please make me a Holy Sword."

"Understood. After all, you're more suited to a two-sword style."

Kiba quickly created a sword in his hand and tossed it at Xenovia, who had already begun to advance. Catching the Holy Sword in mid-air, Xenovia wielded it along with Ascalon and dived straight into the ranks of the enemies! Slashed by Xenovia's sweeping attacks, huge numbers of antimonsters were easily vanquished! True to a Power-type Knight, this penetrative power was unbelievable! Ah, a monster opened its mouth to release a beam of light—

Bzzzt!

The beam travelled to just before Xenovia, but Kiba deflected it with his Holy Demonic Sword, sending it into a building in the distance and causing it to collapse.

"If it's this level of light, it's fine as long as we don't get hit."

What a cool and handsome Knight! That's right! Possessing god-like speed, there is no problem as long as Kiba doesn't get hit!

"No, let's just kill them all before they hit us."

Slicing and pulverising the monsters with Ascalon and the holy sword, Xenovia answered like that. Though they were both Knights, their battle styles were entirely different! And both their philosophies sounded so right!

"Cao Cao, would you like to be defeated by me?"

Sensei took out the Dragon gem, Fafnir's jewel, and then his entire body was wrapped in the golden armour of the artificial Sacred Gear. At the same time, he extended his twelve black wings and rushed at Cao Cao with high speed.

"To be able to fight the Fallen Angel Governor recorded in the Bible, that would be a great honour!"

Cao Cao landed on the shore of the Katsura River, his face smiling fearlessly as he raised the Holy Spear. The front portion of True Longinus opened to release a golden aura which shaped itself into the blade of a spear! The instant it opened, it was as if the entire air shook. ...It could only be described as holy and solemn! Just gazing at it made my body feel tense and suffocated! Even for a non-believer, the influence of that spear was that strong!?

Crash...!

As Sensei's spear of light clashed against Cao Cao's Holy Spear, violent shockwaves were created! This impact created waves and disturbances in the Katsura River, splashing water everywhere! Water droplets fell upon Togetsukyou like a violent rainstorm. As Sensei and Cao Cao attacked each other and carried out their battle, they gradually moved downstream along the shore of the river.I will leave Cao Cao to Sensei! Let us take care of the rest! The first priority was the key to our group battles; setting up the defensive wall for Asia who was responsible for healing. Normally our team had Buchou commanding, with Akeno-san supporting her and providing suppressive fire, Koneko-chan providing offense and support, and Gasper in the role of scouting and support. Even long-range bombardment from Rossweisse-san was not here. Though we had Sensei and the Angel Irina providing super powerful offence, the balance of the team has been broken by the absence of those five. We needed a new formation. Kunou also needed to be protected at all costs. In this place, she was more important than us. She should be placed behind Asia. Should Xenovia be the vanguard—?

...Think carefully, think carefully, think carefully! Words like 'I don't get it' or 'I can't do it' are unfitting for a future King! If it was Buchou, how would she act? What would she do in a time like this? I'd better think carefully! Oooooh...! At the end of my wits, I finally came up with my strategy!

"Xenovia! You will guard Asia and Kunou! Also, use the holy aura to blow away any enemies who get near!"

I gave orders to Xenovia! Even though I wasn't Buchou, but please, Xenovia, listen to me!

"Acknowledged!"

Oh, oh! Xenovia answered me, and quickly retreated to protect Asia! Think again! What would Buchou do if she were here? Though it was a sudden encounter, this was a real battle! I had to make full use of the second years here! My pitifully few brain cells began to work rapidly again! Spurt! My nose is bleeding from thinking too hard! ...Eh? Nosebleeds? It was possible to have those in situations unrelated to erotic things!? Our opponents have arranged anti-Devil antimonsters. No matter how we deflect their attacks, damage would be huge if a hit connects. Suddenly, Kiba's ability flashed in my mind.

"Kiba! You can make those light-devouring Demonic Swords, right?"

"Eh? Yes, I see!"

Kiba quickly understood my question. How impressive, Kiba! Under Kiba's feet appeared several of those swords of darkness he used against Freed in the battle against Raynare, and he tossed them at his Devil teammates!

"These swords only have a hilt in their normal state! You have to channel demonic power into them to form the blade of darkness!"

Kiba supplemented. At the same time, I continued giving orders.

"Xenovia, in times of danger, use this as a shield to absorb light! Asia, even though you're not used to swords, hold on to it! It's better than nothing!"

"Got it, Ise!"

"Y-Yes!"

Xenovia and Asia both answered me! Xenovia put the sword hilt into her skirt pocket. She will use it in emergencies!

I held Kiba's sword.

"Hey, Ddraig. Let's apply this sword's power to the gauntlet."

[Reckless actions like that could endanger your life... But in this case, it should be fine for a short while. Don't overdo it.]

"That's good enough. I'll plug it into the gauntlet where Ascalon was extracted from!"

I placed the light-devouring sword of darkness into Ascalon's socket! Immediately, something like a dark shadowy shield appeared over the left gauntlet. It worked! This should provide a fair degree of defence. Next! The Angel Irina! I turned to Irina.

"Irina! Sorry, but could you take Xenovia's place in the frontlines with Kiba? As an Angel, light isn't a weakness for you, right?"

"Though Angels can still be hurt by light, it is not a critical weakness like for Devils. Got it! I-I will go! I am Michael-sama's Ace after all!"

Irina flapped her pure white wings and flew to Xenovia's former vanguard position. Summoning swords of light, Irina charged left and right from the air, breaking apart the formation of the antimonsters, and then looked for opportunities to slaughter them in one fell swoop. ...Great! Though the tactics were a little complicated, I have given everyone orders! I haven't wasted my time by Buchou's side watching her command! Next was me! The position between Kiba's group of forwards and Asia's group of defenders, the midfielder position!

"Asia, promote me to Bishop!"

"Yes!"

As I spoke and Asia consented, I became the Bishop! My dismal demonic power limit was raised. The reason I chose the Bishop was to focus on the Dragon Shot! Come taste it! I knew what was well within the abilities of my demonic power; clumsy attacks of pure concentrated magic. In terms of pure power, they weren't bad at all!

"Let's go! Dragon Shot unleashed!"

Doooo! Doooooonn! Doooo!

As I used the shield of darkness, I bombarded the antimonsters and the Hero Faction with a barrage of medium-scale masses of demonic power! Though the members of the Hero faction all dodged, many of the antimonsters were hit by my attacks and were destroyed! At the same time, the shield of darkness absorbed the light fired from the enemies! Excellent! A beam of light aimed at Kunou was also deflected by a Dragon Shot.

"Kunou! Please step a bit further back!"

"S-Sorry."

If the Kyoto princess got hurt, things would be serious. After all, she was just a young girl. It wouldn't do for her to enter the battle. Xenovia also attacked from the back, using Holy Sword pulses to snipe at the antimonsters in front. Suffering Xenovia's and my attacks, the antimonster squad rapidly disappeared. However, the shadows stirred beneath that kid and created new monsters again and again. Damn it! Was there no end to this!? But we cannot give up! To mass produce these things, there must be a limit to stamina and concentration! But the rate this kid is going is way too fast! The occasional attack from the antimonsters hit our group, but Asia could heal them instantly, so it wasn't a problem. Yes, Asia was our life line! Really, Asia-chan is too wonderful!

...Only sending antimonsters against us. Up until now, those Hero Faction bastards have done nothing other than dodging our attacks. It makes me mad! Are they just going to let the monsters fight and just watch? Just as I was thinking that while firing Dragon Shots, a few shadowy figures suddenly advanced towards me! They were uniform-wearing girls. Were those clothes the uniform of the Hero faction?

"Let us handle the Sekiryuutei!"

Spears, as well as swords, flashed with chilling light as they attacked me.

"—Stop. Women cannot win against the Sekiryuutei."

A gentle-looking man with white hair and several swords hanging at his waist warned them. Hmph, that was right. Girls cannot defeat me! I quickly concentrated magic in my brain. This was one of the few types of magic I could manage...

"Breasts, liberate your words! Pailingual!"

I released magic in the direction of the girls, and instantly, a mysterious space deployed with me as the centre! This technique was too perfect!

"Come, breasts of the ladies! Let me hear your thoughts!"

The breasts began to speak in a voice that could only be heard by me and Ddraig!

[Use a feint to make a mockery of him, and then attack all at once.]

Ah, so they are planning on a joint attack.

[I will attack from the right.]

This one is from the right!

[I will attack straight.]

This one will come at me straight! Muahaha! Hearing the voices of breasts, I had a feeling of omniscience! Hmph, let me read your breasts well!

"Yo! Ho!"

All their attacks were evaded!

"Impossible! How could he know all our movements!?"

One of the girls was very surprised.

"Impossible, how could we have been read!? Our joint attacks should have no openings!"

I showed an extremely bored smile towards these surprised girls.

"Of course it's possible! Let me reveal it! Your breasts! Go! Dress Break!"

I yelled out the name of the move! Yes, while I dodged their attacks, I had already made contact with their clothes! With the sounds of 'papaba', their clothes were blown apart most spectacularly!

"I-iyaaaaaaaah!!"

"He cast a spell on our clothes... They're all gone!"

The girls screamed as they attempted to hide their naked bodies! Woohoo! Everybody trained well! What golden proportions! Oh, nosebleed... a nosebleed came again...! Overcome with shame, the girls escaped into a nearby house. Hmph, as long as the opponent is a girl, neither my hand nor my delusions will rest! Where else could you find such an exhilarating time defeating enemies with these spectacular godly skills! Pailingual and Dress Break are invincible!

"W-What a vulgar technique! I've never seen anything so despicable..."

Kunou was completely shocked by my moves. Described by a little girl that way, I felt a great hit to my self-esteem.

"Truly, it is impossible for females to win against the Sekiryuutei. Unless they have an iron will and the ability to ignore shame...it's truly difficult for young women. True to the name of the Chichiryutei, I have now witnessed the legendary breast skills. But these are useless against males."

The elegant gentleman spoke. Even though it was a calm analysis, it still made me feel embarrassed.

"Who would want to use them on men!?"

I retorted forcefully! The man smiled, as if very much amused! He then turned to the rest of the Hero Faction to speak.

"Everyone be careful. He is the least talented Sekiryuutei in all history and is lacking in strength. However, he doesn't indulge in power and is a dangerous Sekiryuutei who doesn't lose control. A person who holds great power, but does not fall to arrogance, is one who has nothing to fear. Do not be careless."

...Really, so much praise is embarrassing.

"...To be described that way by enemies."

Yes, it was the first time to be praised this way by enemies. No, it wasn't really praise, but more like a reminder... Still, it was the first time. The man tilted his head slightly upon hearing my words.

"Is that so? Current Sekiryuutei, from our point of view, you are far more dangerous than you realise. Similarly, your companion, Vali, is the same."

I-It felt like sitting on a pincushion! What is going on? This was the first time! Though Sairaorg-san also praised me, but even for the terrorists to say so... These fellows who don't look down on me are especially tricky!

"Next, I guess it's time for me to act."

The man took a step forward and released his swords from his belt.

"It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Gremory servants. I am Sieg, the descendant of the Hero Siegfried. My companions call me Siegfried. What you choose to call me is up to you."

The frail looking gentleman, Siegfried's face made Xenovia realise something as she showed shock and surprise.

"...I felt I've seen you before somewhere. It was true after all?"

To Xenovia's question, Irina nodded.

"Yes, it must be. Judging from the multiple Demonic Swords on his waist, there is no doubt."

...? What was going on? Since he had white hair, I could only be reminded of that person—Freed.

"What's going on, you two? You know something about that handsome guy who's like a White Kiba?"

"White Kiba... That's going a bit far, Ise-kun."

Don't say it like that, Kiba. It's just an example. Xenovia responded to my query.

"That man is an Exorcist, a former colleague of Irina and mine. He was a top warrior in the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Churches, 'Demonic Emperor Sieg'. He has the same white hair as Freed because they were trained by the same organization. It seems to be the side effect of some kind of experiment..."

—! Exorcist! Someone related to the Church! By the way, he's similar to Freed? Thinking of that guy makes me sick.

"Sieg-san! You betrayed the Church, betrayed Heaven!?"

Irina screamed. Siegfried's lips curled happily.

"I guess you could call it betrayal. I now belong to the Khaos Brigade, that's why."

Hearing those words, Irina became angry.

"...Why!? Betraying the Church and joining an evil organization leads to eternal damnation!"

"...This is making my ears hurt."

Siegfried laughed.

"What's wrong with that? Even in my absense, the Church still has the strongest warrior. As long as that someone stays, the loss of me and the Durandal user Xenovia can be covered. However, who could have expected that person to become the Joker candidate for the Brave Saints? Anyway, enough of the chitchat. Aren't you sword wielders very capable? Xenovia, the Durandal user, Shidou Irina, the Ace of Michael, the leader of the Angels, and Kiba Yuuto of the Holy Demonic Sword."

Challenging the swordsmen, no, the three who were related to the Church, Siegfried's sword in his hand began to gather demonic power. ...This sword gave off a very unpleasant pulse. Was it a Demonic Sword? It felt quite similar to Kiba's created swords. —! Suddenly, Kiba's Holy Demonic Sword slashed with god-like speed. Blocking the Holy Demonic Sword directly, there was no damage at all to the unpleasant demonic power gathered upon Siegfried's sword.

"Demonic Emperor Sword Gram. For the strongest Demonic Sword, a strike from the Holy Demonic Sword is nothing."

The two entered close-quartered combat... It has been quite a while since the last time I witnessed Kiba fighting so intensely with someone! The two swiftly retreated and readied their stance. Immediately, they began clashing violently, creating sparks everywhere.

"...A match for Kiba... No!"

Gradually, Kiba was being suppressed, and a rare serious expression could be seen on Kiba's face! God-speed Kiba's movements were—being captured! With movements and slashing attacks faster than the eye could follow, the opponent was still keeping up in a composed and matter-of-fact manner. Can he clearly see through that kind of speed...!? Even when he pretended to attack, none of Kiba's feints were successful in baiting Siegfried! On the other hand, he used the minimum necessary movement to evade Kiba's attacks. When he thrust the Demonic Sword in his hand, Kiba had to dodge with his full attention. There was no room for counter-attacking! ...Even Kiba in Balance Breaker was being dominated...! One of the Hero Faction members explained to the stupefied me.

"In our organisation, though they reside in separate factions, 'Holy Royal Sword' Arthur and 'Demonic Emperor Sword' Siegfried are equally renowned. Holy Demonic Sword Kiba is not their match."

He's equal to that Arthur!? That guy, who easily toyed with Fenrir's child!? T-Then Kiba now.... Though I was worried, someone appeared to join in their duel. It was Xenovia. Slashing without hesitation from the side, she began to assist Kiba.

"Xenovia!"

"Kiba! You cannot win alone! Even against your wishes, I have to participate!"

"...Uh, thanks!"

At this moment, Kiba set aside his pride as a swordsman and attacked simultaneously with Xenovia.

"I will join in too!"

From the outskirts, Irina also entered the battle, forming a three-on-one situation. Xenovia's dual wielding, Kiba's Holy Demonic Sword, Irina's sword of light, the three of them attacked at once! It was no longer possible to capture the speeding blade tips with my eyes as the four of them battled with intensity... But even against three opponents, Siegfried only used a single sword! Kiba's god-speed created afterimages as he repeatedly tried to disrupt Siegfried's attacks from blind angles. From above, Xenovia was slashing down with a massive holy aura! Furthermore, Irina was gliding through the air rapidly as she thrust her sword of light towards the back of Siegfrie''s hand! This simultaneous attack—! I was certain of victory. However, Siegfried flipped his hand and casually blocked Irina's attack without even turning his head back! At the same time, he drew another sword from his waist using his free hand. With a flash of silver—one of Xenovia's downward slashing swords was broken! That was the Holy Sword Kiba created! With a fantastic sound like that of glass shattering, it was destroyed! Siegfried calmly spoke.

"—Balmung. This is the power of one strike from the Demonic Sword of Norse legends."

—! Another Demonic Sword! However, Kiba's dead angle attack still hasn't ended! There was an opening and it shouldn't be possible to evade, for both of Siegfried's arms were already wielding Demonic Swords! With a horizontal flash, Kiba sliced towards his abdomen. In that instant—

Clang...!

The sound of metal. Kiba's Holy Demonic Sword was just stopped by the Demonic Sword Siegfried drew out from its sheath!

"Nothung. This is also a legendary Demonic Sword."

The third Demonic Sword! No, what was even more surprising was that Siegfried's two arms were already wielding swords and couldn't possibly hold a third sword. His two arms were occupied. However, a third arm had grown from his back to draw that sword, blocking Kiba's attack! ...W-what was that arm!? An arm covered by things resembling silver scales. It was almost like my left arm when it became the arm of a Dragon's! This arm grew out from Siegfried's back! Siegfried laughed at our immense surprise.

"This dragon arm? It's Twice Critical, a very common Sacred Gear, but mine is a little different, since it's a subspecies. It grows something like a dragon's arm from my back."

—Twice Critical! I've heard of it! It's an inferior Sacred Gear ranking below my Boosted Gear. A Sacred Gear that should be in the shape of a gauntlet... A subspecies! Growing an arm out of one's back! Siegfried held two Demonic Swords in each hand, with the arm on his back holding a third. ...A three-sword stance! Witnessing this scene, Kiba's expression became even more serious.

"...We are both Sacred Gear users. However, even ignoring the attributes of his swords, am I unable to surpass him even in the use of the Sacred Gear...?"

"By the way, I haven't entered Balance Breaker yet."

—A harsh reminder! Constantly repeating their experiments, members of the Hero Faction could not possibly be unable to use their Balance Breakers. Dominating Kiba, Xenovia and Irina all at once in just his normal state! This guy is too strong! With a rustling thud, Sensei landed in front of us, who were caught in a crisis. At the same time, Cao Cao returned to the centre of the Hero Faction. As their attacks repeated, they circled back to their starting point? I took a glance downstream at where they had come from; the ground had turned into a smoking wasteland! Waaaaaaaah! From a while back, there had been loud crashing noises which made me suspect dramatic occurrences. Arashiyama's scenery has been entirely destroyed! Sensei knew this was an artificial space, so he mercilessly used his biggest spears of light... A few spots on Sensei's armour had shattered... The black wings were also in a messy state. Cao Cao's uniform and Han Chinese attire was also torn in many places... However I find it more amazing that a human did so well against the legendary Fallen Angel Governor! ...Was this the Hero Faction...? Heroes... True Longinus...

"Don't worry, Ise. Neither of us went all out. We were just testing each other out a bit."

Sensei's so-called little testing resulted in the complete destruction of the area downstream! Cao Cao cracked his neck audibly and said.

"What a great Devil servant team. I guess these are the servants of Rias Gremory, well known amongst the new generation of Devils. We intended to have a fight without exerting ourselves, but you guys turned out with a great performance. If my theories are correct, the one who gathered this unnaturally strong group is your power, Hyoudou Issei. Despite your lack of natural talent or demonic powers, I believe your ability to attract others by holding dragon powers is top-notch among all the past Sekiryuutei. Look, isn't the Dragon gathering power right now? It is truly conspicuous in both good and bad situations, as all kinds of legendary existences attack, and you encounter each of the Dragon Kings, and gather all these Chichiryuutei supporters. These are all evidence of that. Even in the absence of their King, you handled the situation and organised the servants with outstanding calmness. They were naive and flawed arrangements...but nonetheless, you may turn out to be a terrifying opponent if you train well in the future."

"..."

I had never considered such things. Everything that has happened so far...was because of me?

Cao Cao's spear was pointed at me.

"That's why, we don't intend to make the same mistakes as the Old Maou Faction. We truly believe that, in the future, you will become the most dangerous Sekiryuutei. This applies to the other servants as well. If we eliminate you all now, perhaps we may even gather some useful data for analysis."

Is that how they saw my, no, our development? It was true that there was a fundamental difference in the way they treated us, unlike the Old Maou Faction, who saw us as a bunch of stupid kids. ...Frustrating! How do I handle opponents like these!? Up until now, I've only faced opponents who treated me as a fool, thus providing openings... Sensei questioned Cao Cao.

"One more question. What are the motives of your Hero Faction?"

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and said.

"Governor of the Fallen Angels. You may find it surprising, but it is incredibly simple; we just want to know the limits of what it means to be 'human' and challenge them. Furthermore, humans will be the ones to defeat Devils, Dragons, Fallen Angels and other supernatural races. No, definitely, it is humans who will win."

"You want to be heroes? After all, you are the descendants of, cough, heroes."

Cao Cao raised an index finger and pointed to the sky above his head.

"—This is just a little challenge presented by frail humans. Under the heavens, how far can humans go? That is what we wish to try."

—Humans, eh. ...How far can they go as humans... Was this their objective? No, there must be other motives as well. Sensei sighed and said to me.

"...Ise, do not be too careless. This guy is an enemy worse than the Old Maou Faction and Shalba Beelzebub. All your opponents here are very strong, especially this guy, who is just as dangerous as Vali."

The same as Vali... Vali also gave off this feeling of having no bottom line. Possessing the ultimate Holy Spear was also quite a threat... As Sensei gathered our group, the Hero Faction also shifted their formation. All this time, they had been endlessly creating more antimonsters. It really seemed limitless. Also, the Hero Faction held back without attacking. However, our opponents seemed to be ready. It looks like the second wave will be the real battle. They have more Sacred Gear users, right? And there were also many who could enter Balance Breaker. I keep getting swept into these crises. Will that goddess show up to save me again? No, it's not right. I sure don't want to receive direct protection from the great God of Breasts... Just as I was thinking—

Clap.

Right in between us and the Hero Faction, a shining magic circle appeared... The crest on it had never been seen before.

"—This is."

Sensei seemed to know. Who? A Fallen Angel? As we watched with surprise at the light before us—an extremely cute foreign girl appeared, dressed like a mage. ...A-A girl? I was shocked. The girl wore a huge hat and a cape. It really was the attire of a mage... Her age looked like a middle schooler's. Her body was quite slim. The girl turned towards us, who had gathered around in a circle, and deeply bowed her head while smiling radiantly.

"Nice to meet you all for the first time. I am Le Fay, Le Fay Pendragon. I am the mage belonging to Vali's team. Please take good care of me."

—! Va-Va-Vali's team! W-Why would Vali's teammate come to this place!? Sensei asked the girl, Le Fay.

"...Pendragon? Who are you to Arthur?"

"Yes, Arthur is my elder brother. He always takes care of me."

She's that cool gentleman's younger sister! To think he had such a cute little sister! Sensei scratched his chin and said.

"So, Le Fay. Like that legendary Witch, Morgana Le Fay? It has been said that Morgana and the hero king, Arthur Pendragon, were blood-related..."

There were twinkling stars in Le Fay's eyes as she looked towards me.

"U-Ummm..."

She walked to me and held out her hand.

"I-I-I am a fan of the Chichiryuutei Oppai Dragon! I-If you're not too busy, can you shake hands with me!?"

...

Eh, this... I was completely taken by surprise and didn't know how to react. For something like that to be said in the middle of this tense battle... Still, I went 'thanks...' and shook her hand.

"Done!"

She seemed extremely happy... Hmm... What did this child want? Cao Cao's side was also shocked and puzzling over the matter, looking very much troubled... Finally, it was Cao Cao who scratched his head and asked.

"So, it's Vali's side. What's the matter?"

Without any hesistation, Le Fay responded to Cao Cao in all smiles.

"Yes! I came to bring a message from Vali-sama! 'I thought I told you not to disturb me!', that's the message oh♪. You need to be punished for trying to put us under surveillance, oh~~."

Crash...!

Immediately following Le Fay's adorable announcement, the ground began to shake violently! What was this shaking!? An earthquake!? It was already hard to keep standing! Asia and Kunou were unable to maintain their balance and fell onto their bottoms.

Crack!

It was the sound of something sliced open! Looking towards there, the ground had swollen up, as if something huge was about to burst through! Tearing the ground apart and creating clouds of dust, what appeared was—!

"Guuuuuuuuuuutz!"

A massive giant-like thing was roaring!

W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-What was that thing!? That huge...enormous thing like a giant!? Stone? Rock? It wasn't clear what kind of material it was, but it was definitely constructed out of inorganic material. Its arms and legs were also huge! Its height was at least ten metres! Sensei looked up to the giant and yelled!

"—It's Gogmagog!"

Le Fay answered Sensei lightly.

"Yes. This is one of the strong characters in our team, Gogmagog or Gogz-kun♪."

Gogz-kun♪!? There's such a cute nickname!?

"Sensei, that moving rock giant is...?"

Sensei explained to me. Sorry, Sensei, I keep needing clarifications from you today!

"Gogmagog. It's something like a golem that was placed in the Dimensional Gap and was floating there in a state of suspension. It seems to be a mass-produced weapon of destruction created by ancient Gods... They should all have been deactivated by now."

A golem! I see! So that's why it felt so inorganic!

"That kind of thing exists in the Dimensional Gap!? What deactivated, that guy is moving!"

"Ah, this is the first moving one I have encountered. I have too many questions. Though it was said that they were deactivated and placed in the Dimensional Gap... But to be moving! This makes me so interested...!"

Oh, no, it's here again. Sensei's eyes were shining like a child's... Sensei keeps getting delighted by things like divine creations, ancient weapons and such stuff. However, he immediatly recovered and started muttering to himself.

"I see. Last time, what Vali was checking out when hanging around the Dimensional Gap wasn't just Great Red..."

Le Fay answered Sensei's concerns.

"Yes, it was Vali-sama who detected Gogz-kun's existence. Ophis-sama once mentioned discovering this giant that could move in the Dimensional Gap, so we went there again to search for it."

"Hey, so what other fellows are in the team...?"

I asked Le Fay about the members other than Bikou, Fenrir, and this golem now. Knowing I will be fighting Vali one day...it really made me feel uneasy.

"Yes... Currently, there's Vali-sama, Bikou-sama, brother Arthur, Kuroka-san, Fenrir-chan, Gogz-kun, as well as me, seven in total."

I see. Only seven of them. That was all? But still, it's too much! That Vali, he keeps gathering all these criminals!

"But Sensei, if Great Red is there, why would the Dimensional Gap have that kind of giant...?"

"The Dimensional Gap is quite troublesome to handle, but there is actually quite a bit of leeway. All Great Red wants to do is swim around freely in the Dimensional Gap and does not pose any real threat. He is a special existence, so none of the factions place Great Red in their rankings and categories. All he cares is swimming freely unhindered in the Dimensional Gap..."

Just as Sensei spoke to this point, the golem raised its giant fists at the Hero Faction.

Roar!!!!!

Accompanied by an incomparably loud sound of smashing, the golem smashed Togetsukyou in one hit! Oh nooooooooooo! That is the famous sight at Arashiyama! Thankfully, this is just a dimension that replicates Arashiyama! The golem's attack slaughtered massive numbers of antimonsters while the members of the Hero Faction retreated, hiding on the other side of the river.

"Hahahaha! Vali's angry! It looks like our surveillance was discovered!"

Cao Cao laughed in a loud voice, and pointed his spear at the golem.

"Extend!"

Woosh!

The tip of the spear suddenly extended, piercing the shoulder of the golem! The giant golem lost balance and fell onto the ground! Wow, what an impact! That golem must have been heavy! Just by falling over, it created such a huge shockwave, and everything nearby was shaking! That spear knocked over the giant golem with just one hit! It can extend, and it can also produce an energy blade! It has so many functions! However, the bridge was wrecked. We can only fly across, right? As I considered the next step, a figure entered my view on the shore. In front of the Hero Faction, there was someone shaking and staggering, unable to walk properly. She was a silver-haired woman—Rossweisse-san!

"...Hey. Itsh sssooo noisshy people can't ssssleep (hic!) properly here!"

—She's still drunk!? And she's angry to boot! The arrival of the drunk made the members of the Hero Faction look at one another in puzzlement. However, they intended to attack whether she was affiliated with the Gremory servants or not! T-this is bad! In that drunken state, Rossweisse-san was in danger! I must go over to help! —As I thought that, we all rushed forward. However...

"Whatssh the matter? You want a fight? Sho! I'll ssshhhow y'all the power of old man Odin's former bodyguard Valkyrie!"

As Rossweisse-san yelled, an unbelievable number of magic circles appeared all around her. It wasn't just ten or twenty!

"Tassste my Norssssh magic which countersssss all attributessss, all fairiessss, and all divine exisssstencessss!"

From the terrifying number of magic circles, out spewed a frightening number of magical attacks which filled the sky, changed their trajectories, and finally fell upon the Hero Faction like a heavy rainstorm! W-Woah! This was unbelievable! Fire, light, water, thunder and magical attacks with all sorts of attributes swept everything aside and approached the Hero faction! Whether it was houses, shops, roads or electrical poles, everything turned into dust and disappeared without a trace! ...Though I already knew she was a master in magic, I never thought the great Valkyrie-san could blow away an entire town! Thinking about it, it should have been obvious from the way she took part in the battle against Loki. B-Buchou has really recruited someone powerful... If that's the case, she will really shine in the Rating Game. Suddenly, mist appeared into view. Though it felt like the magical attacks were about to hit the Hero Faction, a youth wearing a uniform with a feathered cape produced mist from his hand and deflected all the magic! —! That was the mist user! He can defend against that kind of magical attack!? Mist slowly spread from the mist user's hand, eventually covering the entire Hero Faction. Cao Cao spoke from within the mist.

"There are a bit too many interferences. However, it was a fun opening ceremony. Governor Azazel!"

As if enjoying things, that guy announced to us.

"Tonight, we will be using Kyoto's special leylines and the Kyuubi leader, and turn Nijou Castle[10] into a great massive experiment! In order to stop us, please come and participate!"

The mist thickened. The mist that started out beneath our feet spread to the chests and approached our faces. And then slowly, our entire view was blocked by the mist and everything disappeared.

"Hey, everyone has returned to the original reality! Put away your weapons!"

Sensei reminded us. We were finally back at the real Arashiyama! T-This was bad. I immediately released my armour—

...

In the blink of an eye, the mist disappeared—and we were back at the crowded streets next to Togetsukyou. Other than us, the tourists crossed the bridge as if nothing had happened. ...The bridge was intact. We were back to the original world.

"Hey, Ise, what's going on? You're making a super-scary face?"

Matsuda stared at my face. I-I see. We had just crossed Togetsukyou.

"...It's nothing. Nothing at all."

Having answered so, I exhaled deeply. All the other servants had serious expressions as well. The battle just now had been far too dangerous. It was impossible to revert our moods so easily. ...Le Fay was gone. It was the same with that giant thing. Did they disappear at the same time as the mist?

Crash!

Sensei angrily struck an electrical pole.

"...Speaking rubbish...! Experimenting on Kyoto...? Don't underestimate us, kids!"

Wow... Sensei was really mad! I haven't seen Sensei this angry for a long time.

"...Mother. Mother didn't do anything...but why...?"

Kunou's body trembled. I could only stroke her head, unable to do anything else. Cao Cao's sudden attack, and his announcement of the experiment at Nijou castle.

Buchou, it looks like our school trip has come to a totally unexpected climax.