Several days had passed since the meeting with the vampires.
The day after the meeting, Elmenhilde contacted us, informing us that Rias and her group would depart Japan tonight, bound for the remote mountains of Romania.
That day, after school, I was training with Miu and Alice. There was still some time before Rias's preparations were complete, and Juna and the others were handling the arrangements. As a guy, and with Miu and Alice being unfamiliar with the underworld's intricacies, we'd likely just get in the way.
So, I decided to train with them instead.
"Hah!"
"Take this!"
I sidestepped a spear tip hurtling toward me with ferocious speed. Dodging Alice's attacks required exaggerated movements—her spear was cloaked in white lightning, and getting too close risked electrocution.
Even after dodging, I couldn't let my guard down. Alice instantly adjusted, unleashing a flurry of thrusts, predicting my movements with uncanny precision.
Her attack power and speed were on another level when cloaked in that white lightning. And since becoming a "Queen" through devilification, her output had skyrocketed.
"Tch!"
I left an afterimage of my aura to throw her off. Her speed was too much to track with my eyes alone—even Alice would lose sight of me.
Circling behind her, I aimed a hand chop at the perfect moment. Got her!
But the instant I struck, Alice's form warped and vanished—
"An illusion?!"
"Never let your guard down, big brother."
Looking around, I was surrounded by countless small magic circles, too many to count. My little sister was pulling out all the stops.
Glancing at Miu, I saw Alice standing beside her, smirking confidently. So, the moment I moved behind her, she created an illusion and forcibly teleported herself—evidenced by the glowing transfer magic circle at her feet.
Miu, now a "Bishop" through devilification, had honed her support skills, clearly boosting her abilities in this area. This mock battle showed how well their roles complemented each other.
But I was in trouble if I didn't break free. As the magic circles unleashed a barrage—
I slipped into my "Zone," a world drained of color, where everything moved in slow motion. I could see every attack's trajectory.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The spot where I stood exploded, kicking up dust. Wiping sweat from my brow, I exhaled.
"Phew… Facing you two without armor is brutal. Your teamwork's unreal."
"You dodged that? You're something else," Miu said.
"I thought we had you," Alice added.
That was dangerously close. An illusion and a forced teleport? I didn't see it coming!
"You two are a nightmare in combat, but put you in an office, and I'd be nervous," I teased.
Ravel and I were still handling the mage evaluations alone. My household could use someone who's good with paperwork. Miu and Alice have potential, but… during the Kokabiel incident, Miu was inexplicably fixing the school building, and Alice handled the vampire meeting well enough.
Alice pouted at my comment. "I can't help it! That stuff makes me sleepy."
"A princess, and that's your excuse?" I retorted.
"Nina always handled that kind of thing."
As for Miu…
"It was fun at first, but… everyone started looking the same. Sorry," she said, a bit apologetic.
Ouch. A harsh critique from a high-level mage! But she's not wrong—it's like what Azazel-sensei said about cannon fodder. There weren't any standout mages yet. Well, there was that one gorgeous, sultry mage…
As I mulled this over, two figures entered the training room.
"Red Dragon Emperor, sorry for intruding," Lufey said.
"Nyahaha, just popping in!" Kuroka added.
Since that time, these two occasionally visited the Hyoudou household—especially Kuroka, who raided our fridge for milk and even ate my pudding once! My post-bath dessert, gone! Lufey always apologizes profusely, so I can't stay mad.
"Gonna borrow this spot," Kuroka said, summoning a magic circle that spat out several thick books.
Curious, I peeked at one. It had diagrams of the human body and aura-like energy emanating from hands.
"Sage arts?" I asked.
Kuroka grinned. "As expected of the Red Dragon Emperor-nyan! These are about aura, sage arts, fighting spirit, and life energy."
I got the gist—I manipulate the same primal "ki" energy. But Kuroka's already mastered this stuff. Why read about it now? Developing a new technique?
Lufey chuckled. "She's studying how to better teach her little sister."
Impressive! Kuroka's stepping up as a big sister.
Tracing a book's cover, Kuroka said, "Shirone's been learning 'ki' from you, so she's got the basics down. But your style and sage arts differ in application."
True. Sage arts don't have things like hard qigong. Similar, yet distinct in crucial ways.
"Take care of Koneko-chan, okay? Don't teach her anything weird," I said.
"Like naughty stuff-nyan?" Kuroka teased.
Hmm… tempting? Koneko's gotten bolder since we met—her sitting on my lap feels amazing!
But I digress. Placing a hand on Kuroka's head, I said, "Like I told you before, get along with Koneko. I'll help you reconcile whenever you're ready."
They're the only two sisters in this world. I'd spare no effort to help them mend things. I think Koneko gets it, too. The day they laugh together again isn't far off.
Kuroka's eyes widened, then she burst out laughing. "Nyahaha! I get why Shirone likes you. You're way more charming than some pretty boy."
"Thanks," I said, shrugging. Being the Red Dragon Emperor's no walk in the park, though.
Lufey changed the subject. "How's it going with the mages?"
"Eh, so-so. Too many candidates. We're filtering through paperwork, but no one stands out… right, Miu?"
"I didn't say that!" Miu protested.
Alice smirked. "Pretty much did."
"You guys are mean!" Miu huffed.
"Calm down," I said, patting her head. "Ravel said something similar."
Miu's adorable reactions never failed. Lufey smiled. "You guys are always so close."
"Yeah. You and Arthur are tight, too, right?"
"Yes, my brother's always good to me."
According to Vali, Arthur's quite the sister enthusiast—though Kuroka's no different. Wait, am I, too…?
Miu thanked Lufey. "Thanks for the other day. It was really helpful."
"My pleasure. I'm glad my formulas helped."
Must be magic-related. "What'd she teach you?" I asked.
"You know, that thing," Miu said.
Oh, that. With unsettling intel coming in, I'd consulted Miu, who apparently got Lufey's help.
"It's perfect for catching them off guard," Lufey said. "I was surprised when Miu asked. You haven't told them, right?"
"Nope. Don't want to worry them. Plus, it'll trip up the enemy. Though I'd rather it not come to that," I said.
I hoped for peace, but the risk was real. Better to be prepared.
The conversation shifted to my new familiar, Skíðblaðnir, now the size of a small ship in the training room. Miu and Alice were awestruck.
"Take us somewhere on it!" Miu said.
Maybe a beach trip? Skíðblaðnir grows with my aura and has plenty of potential. Sky-flying harem palace, here we come!
Kuroka asked, "Got a name for it-nyan?"
"Ryūteimaru! Fits a Japanese ship, right?"
"Lame," Kuroka shot back.
Hey! It's Ryūteimaru, and I'm sticking to it!
As I protested, Asia entered. "Issei-san, everyone."
"What's up, Asia?"
"Rias-oneesama says they're leaving Japan soon."
"Earlier than expected," I noted. It was still evening.
"The weather cleared, so the jet can fly," Asia explained.
"Alright, let's go."
I led Miu and the others out.
In the Hyoudou household's underground, a massive transfer magic circle awaited. The Occult Research Club, Alice, and Sona gathered to see Rias, Kiba, and Azazel-sensei off.
To reach vampire territory, they'd teleport to Europe, then take a chartered jet. Vampires' barriers required multiple travel methods—teleport to Romania, jet, then a car up mountain roads.
Rias, Kiba, and Sensei, bags in hand, approached the magic circle. Rias and Kiba would visit the Vladi family directly, while Sensei would contact the Carmilla faction first.
Rias hugged Gasper tightly. "I'll protect you, Gasper. Don't worry. I'll handle things with the Vladi family."
"Yes, Buchou…" Gasper leaned into her embrace.
Rias's maternal side was shining. I'm a little jealous!
…Okay, reel it in, Issei.
Rias turned to Juna. "Juna, take care of everyone."
"Of course, Rias."
I fist-bumped Kiba. "Look after Rias. Not that you'd let me down."
"Naturally," Kiba replied.
With Kiba's skills and Rias's growth, they'd be fine.
Sensei grinned at Sona and Rossweisse. "Take care of the school, Sona-kaichō♪ Rossweisse-sensei♪"
"Get back soon. We're busy," they replied in unison.
"Cold response, huh?" Sensei muttered.
With year-end approaching, losing a teacher was tough for them.
"Don't goof off," Reyna said with a menacing smile.
Sensei could get sidetracked… Reyna was keeping him in check.
Sensei addressed us. "Those mages targeting the Phoenix folks are trouble. Stay sharp."
"Yes!" we replied.
Sensei called to Asia and Ophis. "Asia, it's up to you now. Get advice from Ophis. With a Dragon God by your side, you'll manage. I'm counting on that divine protection."
"Y-Yes, it's embarrassing, but I'll do my best," Asia stammered, blushing.
"I'll watch over Asia," Ophis said.
What were they up to? Asia's red face piqued my curiosity.
After final checks and farewells, Rias, Kiba, and Sensei stood in the magic circle's center.
"We're off," Rias said.
The circle glowed, Juna confirmed the spell, and light flooded the room. When it faded, they were gone.
Leave it to us. We'll hold the fort.
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