The brute let out a roar of pain, swinging his fist down like a mountain to crush Zeroy.
But she had anticipated it. With a beat of her flaming wings, she barely slipped past, her blade slicing across his knee joint.
The armor's defenses crumbled under her relentless assault, cracks spreading like a web.
"How is this possible... how is this possible, how is this possible!?"
He howled, his destructive mana surging wildly, trying to force Zeroy into a head-on clash with a wide-area attack.
"How can you be this strong! Just die already!"
But his movements were growing sluggish—the Balance Breaker of the Red Dragon Emperor was draining him, leaving him gasping for breath.
By contrast, Kagari's flames burned hotter and hotter around Zeroy, like her will itself, unquenchable.
"It's over."
Her voice was low. In a flash, her Striker blade wrapped in Hellfire pierced forward, a crimson gleam stabbing straight into his chest at the Red Dragon Emperor's core.
At the same time, she invoked her title's intimidation effect.
The moment their eyes met, the man's attempt to counterattack froze, as if paused in time. In the next instant, Zeroy's blade drove unhindered into his chest.
The blade pierced the core, bursting into searing firelight. The armor shattered, Hellfire igniting the brute from within. Crimson flames replaced blood, gushing from every seam.
His roars turned to despair, fear, and chaos.
Zeroy withdrew her blade, floating in the air, its tip dripping scarlet. Her emerald eyes looked down coldly at the burning figure thrashing below.
When the brute finally fell still, several orbs of light rose from his body, and Zeroy seized them all.
Each was a Longinus, and among them, the crimson orb was the Longinus [Boosted Gear].
She immediately tested it.
She equipped it to her right hand, casually triggered its doubling effect, and swung her blade skyward.
Even without Hellfire, the slash streaked across the heavens like a vast crimson crescent moon.
"Not bad."
...
"Miss Zeroy!"
As Zeroy descended, Aisia rushed to her almost instantly.
The blonde girl's steps were hurried and unsteady, her blue eyes brimming with worry.
"Please, let me heal you at once!"
Though Zeroy had held the advantage throughout the fight, she now looked unusually worn out.
Her armor had faded, and her once clean clothes were torn in many places. Blood seeped from several wounds, soaking the fabric until even the breeze could not stir it.
Her left arm hung unnaturally at her side, red dripping steadily from her fingertips.
A bright trail of blood ran down from her brow, cutting a stark mark across her pale face.
The brute's defense couldn't withstand her attacks—but her defense hadn't withstood his either.
Though she had evaded most of his strikes through skill and speed, some of his desperate counters had grazed her.
And powered by a Longinus, even the aftershocks of his blows were enough to tear the ground apart—what chance did flesh and blood have?
Even a glancing blow inflicted heavy damage.
"I'll be fine."
Zeroy reached out, ruffling the nun's golden hair and veil in reassurance.
Her state wasn't as bad as it looked—mostly surface wounds, though her arm bone had small fractures.
That came from trying to parry and redirect attacks to gain openings; however, his multiplied strength had exceeded her expectations. Deflection lessened the force, though not enough to prevent injury.
Still, a few healing spells would mend it quickly.
Otherwise, Patchouli wouldn't still be on guard against Rias's group—she'd already be tending to her.
Yet, seeing how worried the girl was, Zeroy didn't stop her from healing.
"This time, I've caused you all a lot of trouble. I'm sorry."
Zeroy turned to Rias and the others.
"It's us who should be thanking you," Rias shook her head.
Halfway through the battle, she realized this Red Dragon Emperor hadn't just arrived in Kuoh Town—he must have been hiding here for some time.
Because she recognized him.
He had once attacked a fellow student within her territory, stealing a Longinus from them.
They had clashed again when she pursued him and fought.
If she hadn't called for aid from her brother in the Underworld—and if he hadn't happened to be free to respond quickly—she might not have survived.
At the time, the brute had declared his intent to enslave her and her peerage...
Because of that, her brother had given her many items, including barrier tools.
Without them, even with the purple-haired magician's aid, she wasn't sure they could have contained the aftershocks of Zeroy and the brute's battle.
After all, those shockwaves were at least Demon Lord, if not Super Demon Lord level—a casual strike could raze mountains and forests, a serious one reshape the landscape.
She had thought he'd been scared off then.
Never imagined he'd still be lurking in Kuoh Town.
If not for today, who knew when he would strike again—and whether she'd have another chance to call her brother for help.
After all, no one expected that brute to possess the Red Dragon Emperor's gauntlet.
"If you don't have urgent business, please allow me to invite you to my home as honored guests. As the territory's ruler, and personally as well, I must express my gratitude."
She paused, then explained: "The Red Dragon Emperor was our enemy as well. We had no chance against him, so your aid was critical."
That said, there were still questions.
Who exactly were these people? Why were they here?
They seemed to know the Red Dragon Emperor's group. What was their relationship? And why did both sides have the same ability to strip Longinuses from corpses?
And... the blonde killer? Could it really be this girl, this beautiful elf-like maiden?
Well... that was secondary.
The first two questions mattered most.
Regardless, Zeroy had saved them, resolved a dire crisis, and shown no hostility—only goodwill.
At the start of the battle, she had even entrusted her non-combat companion to them for protection, such was her trust.
So first, they would show gratitude. The rest could come later.
"If there's ever anything I or the Gremory family can do, please, tell us."
...
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