Surging flames erupted violently, their roaring, thunderous voices like wild beasts tearing through the deep shadows. In an instant, the dark, dense forest became a sea of flames.
The rampaging flames destroyed everything, turning all they touched into ash.
Yet, somehow, Bikou and Kuroka still stood.
"That damn fire-repelling spell again? Tch! Why does such a disgusting ability even exist?"
Jeanne Alter grumbled in annoyance, brow furrowing deeply. The weakness of her straightforward attack style became painfully obvious—no matter how powerful she was, her singular approach could be easily countered. Strength alone wasn't always enough to tip the scales unless it reached a dimension that rendered all tricks and cunning utterly meaningless—true, absolute dominance.
Clearly, her flames hadn't reached that level yet. Azazel had frequently remarked that Jeanne Alter possessed the most terrifying magic reserves he'd ever seen, second only to Ophis herself. Still, her strength remained at the Maou-class, considerably short of the monstrous beings ranked among the world's top ten.
But what else could she do? Fire was her specialty.
The instant Jeanne unleashed her Noble Phantasm, Bikou wasted no time, grabbing Kuroka and running—not teleporting, not using flashy magic, but simply sprinting away at blinding speed. With the protective fire-repelling shield enveloping himself and Kuroka, he smashed aside spears of dark flame and shattered barriers with his staff, breaking through the sound barrier as he fled far away from Jeanne.
Their opponent had someone to protect, which naturally limited her mobility. As long as he and Kuroka escaped before Jeanne fully reacted, they'd be home free... or so Bikou thought.
It was a solid plan—except Bikou had severely underestimated the situation.
Not far into their escape, they abruptly collided with an invisible wall so firm it made Bikou see stars.
"This is... a barrier?!"
A chill raced up Bikou's spine, eyes wide with shock. "When did such a sturdy barrier form?"
A heavy dread sank into Bikou's heart. If they didn't quickly shatter this barrier, the explosive witch would catch up in moments!
"Extend! [Ruyi Jingu Bang]!"
With a piercing whistle, Bikou's staff extended explosively, hurtling toward the transparent barrier with lethal intent.
He held nothing back. Such an attack could severely injure even a top-tier devil. Upon impact, tremendous shockwaves burst forth, sending fierce gusts of wind blasting outward.
But Bikou's eyes widened in disbelief at the scene before him:
The barrier didn't budge—no cracks, not even a ripple.
Kuroka quickly followed suit, hurling black orbs of malicious, corrosive energy like a meteor shower. Yet when the smoke cleared, the barrier remained spotless, flawless, utterly unscathed.
"As expected... nya," Kuroka muttered, tension tightening her face. Though disappointed, she wasn't surprised. Her mastery of barriers surpassed Bikou's, so she immediately recognized the sophistication and durability of this particular barrier. Her attack had been merely an attempt to test it. Unfortunately, miracles didn't happen today.
"The craftsmanship of this barrier is extraordinary... but that's not the worst part. It contains terrifyingly dense magical energy. Even a Maou-class devil at full strength might fail to scratch it... Nyaaa! Is the creator of this barrier swimming in so much magical energy they have to waste it like this?! This is beyond excessive, nya!"
The closer Kuroka inspected, the more absurd the barrier appeared. Even draining two or three Maou-class devils dry might not supply enough magical energy to construct something like this. Using such extravagant measures to trap the two of them, neither even at Maou-class level, seemed wildly disproportionate.
Kuroka stomped her foot in frustration.
At that moment, a suffocating heaviness abruptly pressed down on Bikou and Kuroka. A searing, ember-filled breeze surged from behind, turning the air itself an intense, scorching crimson.
"Leaving empty-handed after sneaking away with Koneko-chan? Not planning on paying the toll?"
Jeanne Alter appeared, still dressed in her black dragon-patterned coat. Her mere gaze pinned Bikou and Kuroka in place with oppressive, burning intensity.
"Did you really think it'd be that easy?"
They'd underestimated her…
Facing that crushing presence, like the weight of a mountain range, sweat evaporated instantly under the extreme heat. Bikou could only smile bitterly.
She wasn't merely strong or fiery—her mastery of magic was equally terrifying.
"Our intel said you should still be in Kuoh Town in the human world…"
"I placed a hidden magical marker on Koneko, precisely in case something like this happened," Jeanne explained coldly. "The instant she was endangered, I sensed it and teleported straight here."
"Hey, are you some paranoid mom terrified of letting her kid out of your sight? Isn't this taking precautions a bit far?"
Bikou genuinely shuddered at Jeanne Alter's extreme vigilance.
"Yeah... sometimes I wonder about that myself," Jeanne admitted irritably. "When did I become someone who worries this much? Unfortunately, everyone around me keeps getting themselves into trouble. Honestly, maybe I'm just a naturally anxious person?"
It was rhetorical—Jeanne certainly didn't expect answers from a monkey and a cat.
Hmm…a monkey and a cat.
"Monkey and cat... they might smell strange if burned. Maybe I'll just slice you both instead."
Her lips curved maliciously. She seemed disturbingly serious—at the very least, her murderous intent was utterly genuine.
Her cold, razor-sharp bloodlust sliced across their skin, chilling even through the blazing heat.
Yet Jeanne didn't draw her sword or charge forward. Holding Koneko protectively, melee wasn't practical. Instead, she raised her free hand, conjuring a roaring sphere of concentrated flame.
The blazing fireball grew denser, hotter, radiating heat like a miniature sun. Stone and steel would melt instantly upon contact with it.
Jeanne aimed the burning sphere directly at Bikou and Kuroka, its searing red glow illuminating their tense faces.
But suddenly, she flung it toward another corner of the barrier instead. The golden-red fireball, deceptively slow, flew rapidly, and at that moment, an inorganic electronic voice echoed sharply through the air.
"[Divide—]!"
"[Divide—]!"
"[Divide—]!"
With each repetition, the blazing fireball weakened slightly. Yet when it crashed down, it still unleashed a devastating wave of heat and force, scorching the earth and warping the air.
Amid the crimson explosion, a brilliant flash of silver appeared, glaringly out of place.
Vali had arrived, clad in his silver-white Balance Breaker armor, breaching Jeanne's barrier.
"We meet again, Jeanne," Vali's voice echoed calmly. "Still terrifying as ever, I see—though viewed another way, it means you haven't grown much since last time."
Despite his confident words, Vali's inner thoughts were far from relaxed.
He raised his armored hand toward Jeanne like a cannon, only to swiftly lower it again.
"As I thought, I still can't attack you directly. Your ability remains as troublesome as ever… I hate having such a persistent weakness."
Vali's aura was noticeably stronger than before, clearly having grown in power. By comparison, Jeanne hadn't visibly improved at all.
How many powerful opponents had Vali fought while she was busy babysitting?
Jeanne was painfully aware that her own strength was essentially borrowed. Even her martial and magical knowledge was useless without a strong body and vast magical energy. Achieving further growth would be extremely difficult. Yet hearing Vali casually mention her stagnation irritated her immensely.
"Seems your mouth has grown faster than your abilities. Have you forgotten how you fled from me with your tail between your legs? Want me to help jog your memory by smashing your face into the ground a few times?"
Her fierce, savage aura surged, an unstoppable force like a hurricane or tidal wave, enveloping Vali and his companions. The scene felt like Jeanne alone had surrounded them entirely.
Standing beside Vali was another man—a blond figure wearing a black suit and glasses. Yet it wasn't the man who caught Jeanne's attention, but rather the sword he carried.
A holy sword—and no ordinary one either. Its blade emitted a cutting aura capable of slicing space itself, giving Jeanne an instinctive sense of danger.
She'd encountered several holy and demonic swords in this world—the Sword of Kings she wielded, Yuuto Kiba's [Sword Birth], Xenovia's [Durandal]—but none matched this unknown blade's lethality.
[Durandal], fully unleashed, might match its brilliance, but Xenovia wasn't remotely capable of that yet. She could barely even channel [Durandal's] light through other blades—a bit embarrassing, really.
But this holy-sword wielder stood beside Vali, clearly an ally or subordinate.
"I didn't come here to fight," Vali spoke abruptly. He genuinely lacked battle intent—but that was more due to his inability to hold hostile intent against the Dragon Witch.
"It's not your choice whether we fight. It's mine."
Jeanne's arrogant declaration unleashed another storm of flames, heat relentlessly rising as if without limit. Even outnumbering her four to one, and with her holding a burden, Bikou's group felt the deadly tension, as if a single mistake would mean instant death.
Through his helmet, Vali replied:
"Here's something you'll definitely care about—the current Red Dragon Emperor and his companions are in trouble. The Old Satan Faction has trapped them during their Rating Game."
After a pause, he continued, "Normally, remnants wouldn't pose a threat after you defeated Shalba... but now Loki has intervened, bringing Fenrir, the legendary beast with god-slaying fangs. Even gods die from its bite. Without quick intervention, the Red Dragon Emperor won't survive. Sirzechs and Azazel are blocked out, but you might still break through."
Jeanne listened silently, eyes growing cold and sharp.
Vali felt encouraged, pressing further, "Every second counts. I'm sure you understand—saving them is far more urgent than wasting time here."
"Heh." Jeanne sneered suddenly, derisively amused.
"You think eliminating you all would take much time?"
That one remark silenced Vali completely.
Slowly, Jeanne raised a single finger toward the sky. Magic surged explosively from her, spiraling upwards with overwhelming force. A moment later, thirteen crimson magic circles materialized, hovering ominously overhead.
"Can your fire-repelling spells and [Divide] block this?"
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T/N: EXPLOSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!