Chapter 27. From Battlefield to Ramen Nights

Later that night, he found himself unable to sleep. The pulsating light from the orb made him restless, so he grabbed his jacket and headed out for a walk.

The night was eerily silent, with the occasional rustle of leaves breaking the stillness. In his room, Satria sat cross-legged on Riverside, appreciated the offering from Peter Parker.

It's a happy meal packet. 

As he bit into the hamburger, a faint rumble broke the peaceful ambiance. His senses sharpened instantly. He stood, scanning the area.

The sound grew louder, turning into the pounding of hooves against the ground. From the shadows of the nearby forest, a grotesque figure emerged—a Stray Devil with the head of a horse and a humanoid body, its eyes glowing with unholy hunger. 

"Eat... Eat... Hungry!" the creature roared, its voice guttural and distorted.

Satria sighed, placing the empty Happy Meal box gently on the ground. "Figures. I can't even enjoy a meal in peace."

The Stray Devil lunged.

"Dark Platinum, Cover Fire."

Satria's Stand materialized, its fists igniting with black flames as it unleashed a barrage of fiery punches.

"Ora... Ora... Ora... Ora!"

Each blow pushed the creature back until it slammed into the far wall, leaving a crater behind.

Satria approached, his eyes cold. "Any last words?"

The Stray Devil groaned, its voice weak. "Please... kill me."

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Gladly." With a swift standing kick, he decapitated the creature, its body collapsing in a heap.

"Rest in peace, poor soul." He set the remains ablaze with a snap of his fingers, watching solemnly as the flames consumed the body.

Suddenly, he felt a presence.

"Show yourself; I know you're watching me."

From the shadows emerged a silver-haired girl in a rebellious outfit, her smirk as sharp as her gaze.

"Interesting," she purred. "A human capable of defeating a Stray Devil with invisible force. What are you?"

Satria raised an eyebrow. 'Who the hell is this? Never saw her in DxD.'

Even the Black Dragon was puzzled.

[Fatalis: She's not in your memories either. Be cautious, brother]

"Polite introductions come first, lady," Satria replied casually.

The girl chuckled. "Fair enough. My name is Valiana, wielder of the Divine Dividing, one of the Longinus. You may know me better as the Vanishing Dragon, Albion's host." 

Satria's smirk faltered for a moment. 'Wait, Vali... is a girl here? What kind of AU is this?'

[Fatalis: Unexpected, indeed]

"Since you're introducing yourself," Satria began, stepping forward, "I'll do the same. My name is Shidou Matsumi, but call me Shin. I'm a 16-year-old high school boy you can find everywhere. My hobby is not your business. My dislike is not your business. My dream is not your business too. Nice to meet you."

Valiana blinked, then scowled. "That explains nothing, you bastard!"

Before she could say more, Albion's voice resonated in her mind. "Careful, Valiana. There's something inside him—something dark and powerful. It might even surpass my strength."

Valiana crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "Fight me, Shin. Show me what you're hiding."

___________

[Special Quest for Shin]

[Defeat the White Dragon Emperor in Duel]

God of Hope: "Hmm... Does your world even have a White Dragon Emperor too?"

Batman Junior: "Can you livestream this fight? I'm curious to see what you've got."

Ice Sadist: "@God, do you know who this White Dragon Emperor is?"

God of Hope: "Oh, I do. He's a battle maniac and one of the wielders of the thirteen Longinus."

King of Knights: "Longinus?"

God of Hope: "In simple terms, Longinus are weapons created by the God of the Bible to protect humanity from supernatural forces. Think of them as divine cheat codes."

Spider-Man: "Do you think my world has anything like that?"

Batman Junior: "A weapon created by the God of the Bible? Knowing my world's track record, it wouldn't surprise me at all."

Kazuma-sama: "Forget that! Where's the livestream? I want to see Shin get his ass kicked."

Shin: "I'll kick your ass first before she can kick my ass and sure, behold my awesomeness!"

________________

Satria sighed as he accepted the inevitable. With a single tap, he activated the livestream function, connecting to the group chat.

Standing in an open clearing, the imposing figure of the White Dragon Emperor, Vali, loomed over him. Her silver hair swayed in the wind, and her icy blue eyes gleamed with excitement. The air crackled with anticipation as her aura radiated raw power.

'I already saw this coming... A battle maniac, of course,' Satria thought, sweatdropping at the situation.

"Hoo~," Valiana smirked, her tone teasing yet challenging. "So, what do you say? Shall we begin?"

Satria scratched the back of his head, feigning disinterest. "Yeah, about that… What's in it for me if I win? Honestly, fighting isn't my thing. I'd rather be in bed cuddling with her or playing Blue Archive right now than wasting time punching people."

Vali's grin widened. "If you win, you can do anything you want to me." Her voice dripped with confidence, and her eyes glimmered with the pride of a dragon.

The comment sent the chat into an uproar.

______________

Pervert Sage: "Hehehe, Shin-kun, you lucky dog! Can you ask her to model for my next book?"

Emilia: "Disgusting. A pervert is an enemy to all women."

God of Hope: "...Wait, Vali's a woman in this world? What the hell?"

King of Knights: "Control yourself, Pervert Sage, or you'll regret it."

Evil Spirits: "Ara-ara~ Shall I join you if we need to punish this lecher?"

Pervert Sage: "I-I'm sorry!"

____________

"You okay? It's not right, lady, to offer yourself like that." Satria's voice was tinged with faux seriousness as he crossed his arms. Then, with a sly grin, he added, "What if I… you know… do something to your body if I win?" He licked his lips dramatically and made an exaggerated perverted hand gesture, hoping to unsettle her.

The chat instantly erupted:

__________

Evil Spirit: "This guy is no better than Pervert Sage and Trashzuma."

Kazuma-sama: "Excuse me! I'm not that bad!"

Pervert Sage: "Shin-kun knows how to seize opportunities in adversity. A true inspiration."

God of Hope: "I take back what I said. I thought he was a decent guy."

Spider-Man: "He's weird… but he's our weird guy."

Pervert Sage: "He's a man of culture. Don't judge him too harshly. Honestly, I'm proud of him."

Batman Junior: "This guy's hopeless."

____________

Valiana tilted her head, completely unfazed by Satria's antics. Instead, she smiled—a mix of challenge and amusement in her expression. "I don't mind. We dragons always search for worthy males to be our mates. If you win, you can do anything you want to me. Anything."

Before Satria could respond, she stepped back, and her body glowed with a radiant light. Her figure began to shift and grow, scales glistening as her balance breaker form emerged. White metal wings unfurled behind her, and her piercing eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Prepare yourself!"

Satria's jaw slackened, and a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. 'Wadehel… I… I was just trying to scare her. Now she's even more pumped to fight me!'

He took a deep breath and readied his stance, muttering under his breath, "Note to self: don't poke the dragon. Literally."

[Fatalis: Are you an idiot, brother?]

"Of course Not! No choice." Satria shrugged off her criticism and summoned his driver and belt. He stood firm and shouted, "Henshin!" A burst of energy enveloped him, and his body was covered in sleek, black armor.

Valiana tilted her head, intrigued by his transformation. "That's an interesting Sacred Gear you've got there. What's its name?"

Satria smirked. "It's name is... Not your business," he replied coolly, fully aware that he was only irritating her further.

Valiana's brow twitched. "Bastard. Don't mock me!" she shouted, dashing toward him with incredible speed.

Satria observed Valiana's charging form with the calm precision of a battlefield tactician. 'She's fast, but predictable. Overcommitted to frontal attacks. Let's see if she can handle disruption.'

"Dark Platinum, stop time!" Satria's voice cut through the air, and everything froze. In the suspended moment, he sidestepped her strike with ease, then landed a precise left elbow to her stomach. "Time will resume," he said as the world returned to motion.

"Ugh!" Valiana cried out as the force of his blow sent her flying. Her armor cracked and splintered from the impact, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth. She coughed violently. "What was that? I couldn't even see him move."

_____________

Spider-Man: "He doesn't hold back, even against women."

Kazuma-sama: "He's one of my kind. Go, Shin! Teach that bad girl a lesson."

God of Hope: "Is he… stopping time?"

Ice Sadist: "You noticed, huh?"

Batman Junior: "Wait, what? Is stopping time even possible?"

Evil Spirits: "Of course, it's possible."

_________________

Valiana stood, shaking off the pain. "You're fast," she admitted grudgingly. "But let's see how you handle this." She took to the air, unleashing a barrage of demonic energy blasts.

Satria remained calm. 'Classic zoning technique. She's trying to force me into a bad position.' He analyzed her attack pattern like a Pro Player reading an opponent's lane strategy. He dashed through the gaps in her blasts with precise footwork, closing the distance. 

"You're not the only one who knows how to zone!" he shouted, slamming his card into his Dragvisor. "Strike Vent!" A black dragon bow materialized, and he fired a high-arc arrow into the sky.

The arrow burst midair, raining black projectiles toward Valiana.

[Albion: Brace yourself!]

Albion's voice echoed in her mind as she conjured a energy shield to withstand the arrow storm.

"Too easy," she muttered, unaware that Satria had already closed the distance.

"Lesson one: never lose track of your enemy," Satria said, appearing at her side. He delivered a silat tepuk selasih (palm strike) reinforced by his mastery of momentum, aiming directly for her ribs. The impact sent her crashing to the ground. 

___________

[Chat Room Reactions]

Batman Junior: "That's some next-level baiting. He used the arrows as a distraction."

God of Hope: "He's Good. Divide the enemy's attention, exploit positioning, and strike where it hurts."

Kazuma-sama: "Stop making him sound cool! He's just lucky!"

Evil Spirit: "Ara-ara, someone sounds jealous."

______________

Valiana staggered to her feet, gritting her teeth. "I've had enough! I won't lose to you!" Her body began to glow ominously.

[Albion: Juggernaut Drive, she'll use it here of all places!]

"Hey, crazy girl!" Satria called out. "No need to blow up the town for a sparring match!"

"Shut up!" she snapped, continuing her chant: "I, who shall awaken—"

Satria sighed. "Dark Platinum, stop time."

As the world froze, he calmly walked over and In one seamless motion, he shifted his weight, coiling his body like a spring, and released a devastating punch aimed directly at Valiana's midsection. 

"Black Dragon Shoot."

The punch connected with explosive fire force, carrying the weight of his momentum and martial precision. The impact unleashed a shockwave that shattered the remaining pieces of her armor and sent her flying across the battlefield, skidding to a halt several meters away.

Valiana coughed, her body trembling as she struggled to stand. "H-How… what was that?"

Satria walked over, looking down at her with an expression of calm confidence. "The Black Dragon Shoot. A move designed to end fights decisively. And guess what? It worked." 

As reality resumed, Valiana crumpled to the ground, glaring up at him in frustration. "You coward! At least let me finish transforming!"

___________ 

Ice Sadist: "Why should he wait for you to power up? Foolish girl."

Pervert Sage: "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! Black Dragon Shoot for the win!"

Batman Junior: "Unbelievable… his form was flawless. That wasn't just raw power. That was art."

Spider-Man: "She didn't stand a chance against that."

Kazuma-sama: "Ha! That's how you teach a bad girl a lesson."

King of Knight: "What a gentleman! Beats her up and then gives her a pep talk."

Evil Spirit: "Ara~ Ara~ he's surprisingly thoughtful after all that destruction." 

God of Hope: He's a warrior, through and through. I'd spar with him myself if I could."

_____________ 

Satria crossed his arms and turned off the livestream, shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation. "You think I'd let you transform and destroy the whole town? You really take me for an idiot, huh?" He sweatdropped and poked Valiana's forehead with his fingers. "Checkmate."

Valiana gritted her teeth, visibly frustrated, but there was a hint of respect in her eyes. "Damn it. Even if your methods are underhanded, I can't deny you won fair and square." She looked up at him, crossing her arms. "So? What do you want from me?"

Satria smirked and shrugged, his tone light. "Relax. I was just messing with you earlier. Are you okay?" He extended a hand to her, his expression softening.

Valiana blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink as she grabbed his hand and let him pull her up. "Yeah, I'm fine… mostly," she muttered, brushing herself off.

"So," Satria asked, "what's the plan now?"

Valiana shrugged, her casual demeanor masking her fatigue. "No idea. My schedule's clear tonight."

He chuckled and tilted his head. "How about ramen? My treat."

Valiana's eyes lit up at the word ramen. Her exhaustion vanished in an instant, replaced by an almost childlike excitement. "Seriously? Ramen? Of course, let's go! I know a great place nearby." Without waiting for a response, she grabbed his hand and started dragging him along, her injuries momentarily forgotten.

[Albion: This is… unexpected. She's acting like a completely different person]

'Shut up,' Valiana snapped internally, though her blush deepened as she realized how giddy she felt.

Satria, meanwhile, chuckled at her enthusiasm but quickly noticed her uneven steps and the occasional wince she tried to hide. He tugged her to a stop. "Hold on, Valiana. We need to take care of those injuries first."

"Huh?" She blinked, then grimaced as the adrenaline began to wear off, and the pain returned. "Ouch… yeah, maybe you're right. Can you help me, Shin?"

She looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes, the kind of puppy-dog expression that would make most people cave instantly. Satria sighed, shaking his head with a small smile.

Without warning, he scooped her up into a bridal carry.

"Ready to go, princess?" he teased, grinning at her stunned expression. 

Her face turned bright red, and she immediately tried to cover it with her hands. 'Waaaah! What was I thinking, asking him to help like that?! Now he's carrying me like this? He's too close! Wait… he's actually kind of cute up close… and his body…' Her gaze flickered to his arms. 'Muscular. Really muscular. And he called me 'princess'? How dare he—'

She squirmed slightly but couldn't bring herself to push away. 'Why can't I be mad at him? This feels… nice.' Despite herself, she let out a small giggle.

[Fatalis: Is this your true plan, brother?]

'Plan? What plan?' Satria frowned, confused.

[Fatalis: Oh, nothing. Just… good luck]

Valiana's embarrassment didn't stop her from giving directions to her favorite ramen spot, her voice quieter than usual as she adjusted to being carried. Satria, on the other hand, carried her with ease, amused by her shifting expressions but saying nothing.

As they walked under the glowing lights of the city, Satria couldn't help but smile. This unexpected turn of events felt strangely… enjoyable.

To be continued.