BOOM!

The slash I unleashed alongside Xenovia obliterated Nijo Castle's main keep with ease. Where the keep once stood, only a scorched wasteland remained, blanketed in soot.

"Phew." I exhaled, sheathing Ignis at once. Holding it any longer risked burning my arm.

Xenovia, hefting Durandal over her shoulder, wiped sweat from her brow. The blade had returned to its scabbard form.

"Nice attack, Xenovia," I said.

"Your power's impressive too, Issei," she replied.

We exchanged a high-five, grinning.

Then Saji shouted, practically vibrating with excitement. "You guys are way too fast! Just like that? You went straight for the kill?!"

"Yep," I said. "The sooner we wrap this up, the better."

"Still, that was overkill! That attack was insane!"

"What're you talking about? No holding back against terrorists," I shot back.

"Exactly," Xenovia added. "Interrupting our school trip deserves no mercy."

She was clearly still pissed about her ruined trip, though her expression suggested some relief after that strike. Tapping her new Durandal lightly, she mused, "Hmm. Fused with Excalibur through alchemy, this Durandal's not bad at all."

Fused with Excalibur?

I blinked, stunned, and Irina chimed in with an explanation. "Basically, the church fitted Durandal's blade with an Excalibur sheath. Excalibur's power tames Durandal's wild aura, and together, they amplify each other, boosting destructive force."

"Oh, like when Durandal resonated with Ascalon during the Diodora fight?" I asked.

"Exactly! That's what sparked this new Durandal."

A holy sword combining Durandal and Excalibur—talk about a game-changer.

Xenovia raised her blade, murmuring, "Ex-Durandal, perhaps?"

Ex-Durandal. Straightforward, but fitting.

Weren't there six Excaliburs owned by the church? The last one's with Arthur from Vali's team. What would happen if that final Excalibur joined Ex-Durandal? I'm kinda curious.

"Phew, that was close!" a voice called out, dripping with amusement. I turned to see Cao Cao, smirking, tapping his spear on his shoulder. The other Hero Faction members stood unscathed.

No way they tanked Ignis's strike unharmed. That mist around them—did it shield them?

"If we hadn't jumped to Georg's pocket dimension, we might've been toast," Cao Cao said, grinning. "You never fail to entertain, Issei Hyoudou."

Pocket dimension? Right, Georg's Fog of Extinction could pull that off. They must've dodged into another space to avoid the hit. Explains why they're untouched.

Siegfried let out a feral laugh. "Hah! As expected from the Red Dragon Emperor. For a moment, I felt death itself. Cao Cao, can't you let me have him?"

"No can do. He's mine to fight," Cao Cao replied.

Ugh, are they seriously fighting over me? Creepy!

Xenovia sighed. "I attacked too, but I guess I'm still no match for you, Issei."

"Cheer up, Xenovia!" I said. "Ignis is just a cheat, you know? Its wielder's on another level."

[Ehem. Pretty amazing, right?] Ignis's voice rang in my head, smug as ever.

No need to brag! I know you're incredible!

[Hehe! I'm just as amazing out of armor, you know.]

What are we even talking about now?!

[Admit it, you want to see!]

…Okay, yeah, I do.

[Partner… really?] Ddraig's voice groaned.

Don't judge, Ddraig. It's a guy thing.

"Time to start the experiment," Cao Cao declared, striking the ground with his spear's butt. Yasaka's body began to glow.

What the—?

"We'll channel Kyoto's energy through the Nine-Tails to summon Great Red. Georg!"

"On it," Georg replied, a bespectacled mage-like youth extending his hand. Magic circles of every kind—Nordic, demonic, fallen angel, black and white magic, spirit magic—swirled around him, symbols racing across their surfaces.

Rossweisse narrowed her eyes. "He's a formidable caster, it seems."

I'd heard Fog of Extinction's weakness was its user, but Georg seems like no slouch either. Trouble.

A massive magic circle bloomed beneath Yasaka's feet. It looked familiar…

[Dragon Gate,] Ddraig said. [Similar to the one that summoned Midgardsormr's consciousness.]

Yeah, it does resemble it, though with some differences.

ROAR!

Yasaka let out a primal bellow, her eyes wide, golden fur bristling. She was clearly not herself.

Georg spoke. "The array to summon Great Red is set, as is the sacrifice. Now we wait to see if Great Red's drawn to this city's power. Having a Heavenly Dragon and a Dragon King here might just help. Cao Cao, I'm stuck controlling this array—it's a beast."

Cao Cao waved him off. "Got it. Now, let's see… I'll take the Red Dragon Emperor. Sieg, you're on the holy-demonic sword guy, right?"

"Yep, let's finish what we started," Siegfried replied.

"Then—Jeanne, Hercules."

"Yo!" Jeanne answered.

"Hell yeah!" Hercules roared.

A blonde woman with a slender sword and a towering man stepped forward. "They're successors of Jeanne d'Arc and Hercules' souls," Cao Cao said. "Who're you taking?"

Jeanne and Hercules grinned.

Then, a new voice cut through. "I'm taking the Red Dragon Emperor."

All eyes, including the Hero Faction's, turned toward the voice. Even they seemed caught off guard.

Cao Cao gave a wry smile. "Didn't expect you here."

At the ruins of the keep stood a woman with long, pale purple hair tied back. Stunning, but her expression was ice-cold. She wore a form-fitting combat suit like Xenovia's, a sleeveless coat, two swords at her waist, and wielded two spears—one in each hand.

Dual spears? That's rare. Never fought that before.

Is she with the Hero Faction? She's not wearing their uniform, and the vibe's off.

Jeanne spoke up. "What's your deal? You never join our plans, and now you show up?"

Hercules growled. "Claiming the Red Dragon Emperor? Keep talking like that, and I'll crush you first!"

Both sounded pissed.

The woman glared at them. "Shut it. Want to die?"

A chill ran through me. What killing intent.

Jeanne and Hercules clammed up, silenced by her glare. Is she really Hero Faction? Seems like she and Cao Cao's crew aren't exactly buddies.

Cao Cao sighed. "She's Diarmuid, inheritor of the Celtic hero Diarmuid Ua Duibhne's soul… or so she claims."

Diarmuid closed her eyes. "I don't care about that. I just want to fight the strong."

"Sounds like Vali," I said. "So, you're Hero Faction?"

Cao Cao answered. "Technically. But she doesn't join our operations. They call her the 'Hero Faction's freeloader.'" This update is available on n̷o̷v̷e̷l̷f̷i̷r̷e̷.net

The faction let out collective sighs. Okay, she's just a weirdo with a lame nickname.

"Stop talking about me!" Rossweisse snapped, cheeks red. Adorable when she's flustered, honestly.

…Wait, did she read my mind?

The battlefield grew tense, the air heavy.

Cao Cao cleared his throat, addressing Diarmuid. "So, what's this about claiming the Red Dragon Emperor?"

"I told you. I fight the strong. I've wanted to cross blades with him for a while."

"No deal. He's my prey," Cao Cao said.

"He's mine," Diarmuid shot back.

Their glares clashed, killing intent sparking. Tension gripped both our side and the Hero Faction. Are they about to turn on each other? They don't even seem like allies.

After a few seconds, Cao Cao spoke. "Imagine you've prepped for ages to fight someone, and right as you're ready, someone snatches them. What do you do?"

"Kill the thief," Diarmuid replied.

"Exactly. That's me right now. I've prepared for this. I'm not handing him over."

Diarmuid clicked her tongue. "Fine, I'll let you have him today."

Cao Cao turned back. "Alright, Jeanne, Hercules—who're you taking?"

"I'll take the angel girl," Jeanne said.

"Then I'll handle the silver-haired chick," Hercules added.

"Diarmuid, you take Xenovia, the Durandal wielder," Cao Cao said.

"…Fine," Diarmuid replied, reluctantly nodding, her spear tips aimed at Xenovia.

So, it's me versus Cao Cao, Kiba versus Siegfried, Irina versus Jeanne, Rossweisse versus Hercules, and Xenovia versus Diarmuid.

"Be careful, Xenovia," I warned. "That Diarmuid seems like a serious fighter."

"She does. But I can't stay quiet when she's targeting you," Xenovia said, gripping Ex-Durandal's sheath. With a click, a mechanism triggered, revealing a hilt. She drew it—a second sword.

It splits?!

"Dual spears? Then I'll go dual swords. This suits me better," Xenovia said, her blades glowing with holy aura.

You got this, Xenovia.

"Saji, restrain Yasaka's movements. Miu, destroy that magic circle without harming Yasaka."

"Monster versus monster, huh? Leave it to me," Saji said.

"To stop that array, I'll need to block the city's energy flow…" Miu muttered, already scheming.

I trust you both with Yasaka.

Saji's body erupted in black flames, swelling into a massive, slender Eastern dragon. "Dragon King Vritra Promotion!"

ROAR!

The black dragon's flames, stronger and steadier than during the Loki fight, could bind and drain strength. Hopefully, it'd hold Yasaka.

I turned to Asia. "Asia, protect Kunou and handle healing."

"Yes! I'll heal everyone's injuries!" Asia said.

"Kunou, stick with Asia," I added.

"Got it! But—" Kunou hesitated.

"I know. We'll save your mom. I promise." I gave her a thumbs-up.

Facing Cao Cao, I raised my fist. "Let's end this quick, Cao Cao. Your twisted plans stop here!"

My killing intent shook the air, rattling gravel and cracking a nearby rock.

Cao Cao grinned. "Nice. This intensity feels good."

"I'll wipe that smug look off your face," I said.

"Smug? No, I'm just having fun."

"Keep enjoying yourself then," I shot back, drawing Ascalon from my gauntlet.

A moment of silence.

Then—

CLANG!

Our weapons clashed, sparks flying.

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