AN: IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally weekend~
I can sleep the whole day tomorrow~ and well finally able to touch my games~
Hehehe! Anyways here is the new chapter!
Enjoy reading.
PS. Thank you to Joldered for the power stones~
===== (Break)====
Astral Express, DxD World orbit..
Auras of crimson and white flared violently as the Heavenly Dragons unleashed their power side by side. Vali floated in the air before shooting down like a comet, while Issei charged straight toward Noah.
Noah's lips twitched upward at the sight of them actually trying to cooperate. He adjusted his hold on Solgratia's hilt, sliding his left foot forward and leaning just enough to let Vali's punch whistle past. The sheer force rattled the barrier Hajime had set to protect the audience.
Vali twisted, his wings snapping outward in a strike that Noah calmly intercepted with Solgratia's blade. A heartbeat later, Issei's Boosted Gear rang out—"Boost!"—and he dove with all his weight behind a crushing punch.
Noah let out a snort of amusement. With a smooth movement, he slipped between them and positioned himself in a safe distance. The impact of Issei's blow cracked the reinforced floor of the training arena, drawing gasps from the onlookers.
"Damn it, we missed again!" Issei muttered, sweat forming on his brow.
Vali clicked his tongue, eyes narrowing. "Stay sharp, Hyoudou. He's not invincible. We'll make him move."
Noah only smiled, rolling his shoulders as if warming up for a stroll. "Not bad. At least you're finally making me watch my footing."
Vali dropped in with a sharp kick, which Noah slipped past with ease. Refusing to let up, Vali unleashed a storm of kicks, punches, his wings cutting through the air and even the tail of his armor whipping forward. Issei, having shaken off the last exchange, rejoined the fray with wild punches and kicks. But no matter how fierce they pressed, Noah dodged their combined attacks with ease, his movements were smooth and precise.
"Hyoudou-kun, your strikes are still very unrefined and waste far too much stamina," Noah murmured, voice calm as if commenting on the weather. His eyes turned to Vali. "And you, Vali, have the power and skills refined from your training, but your rhythm and movement is still too predictable."
To prove his point, Noah released Solgratia, using only his bare hands. With one motion he redirected Vali's punch into Issei's path, letting their momentum collide. The instant Vali's back was exposed, Noah tapped a palm strike against him, sending him stumbling into Issei and knocking them both off balance.
Vali snarled, forcing himself upright. With a burst of speed he came again, fists and wings lashing out in a furious combination. Yet Noah guided each blow aside with effortless parries, twisting their angles away like he was redirecting a river. When Vali slashed his wings, Noah ducked low, then stepped in close with a knife-hand strike. Vali bent backward in a last-second dodge, letting his body fall before spreading his wings to launch himself back to a safer distance.
"Better," Noah said lightly, his expression unreadable. "But you'll need more than speed and stubbornness if you want to break through me."
Sensing the warning from the Force, Noah raised his arm just in time to block a turning kick from Issei. His eyes widened slightly as he noticed the boy had gotten creative, his leg was coated with fire magic. Letting out a low whistle of appreciation, Noah stretched out his other hand, summoning Solgratia with the Force.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, he swung toward Issei. The boy dropped, letting his body lay flat at the ground, narrowly avoiding the strike. With a shout, Issei spun, his legs snapping in a rotating kick aimed to knock Noah off balance. But Noah, as though he had predicted it from the start, simply twisted his body aside. His movements remained relaxed, precise, impossibly fluid.
"Damn it!" Vali roared, unleashing a storm of magical attaks. Noah gave Solgratia a light swing, each stroke cutting through the barrage before it could touch him. Issei used the opening to rush in, planting his feet and hurling an uppercut. With another resounding 'Boost,' he launched it with everything he had. "RISING DRAGON PUNCH!"
Noah turned smoothly, letting the punch go past him. The shockwave blasted upward, hitting the barrier around the arena. Issei gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his face. "Kuh!!"
"Nice try," Noah said evenly, a faint edge of amusement in his voice. With nothing more than a flick of his finger, he sent the brown-haired boy stumbling back, barely keeping his balance.
Vali immediately closed the gap, his wings slicing down in a sharp arc. Noah turned aside with ease, dodging as though gliding through a dance, then tapped the flat of Solgratia's blade against Vali's armor. With a crisp bang, Vali was blasted back several meters, sliding across the floor.
"Tch!" Vali clicked his tongue. "He's too slippery!!"
"He's reading us like an open book!" Issei groaned, clenching his fist. "It's like he knows where we'll strike before we even throw the punch!"
Across the room, the DxD onlookers were silent, eyes wide at the surreal sight—two Heavenly Dragons fighting with everything they had, and one man treating it like a casual sparring session.
"I expected Noah-san would win, but… isn't this a bit too much?" Sona sighed.
"It's like…. he's playing with two rowdy kids." Tobio grimaced.
"Not just that." Nonko's eyes narrowed. "He hasn't even used his weapon to attack seriously yet."
The realization hit the DxD team hard, making them truly see how wide the gap was between themselves and the Express crew.
"They aren't at Touya or Mahiru's level yet," Sirin said lazily, "but the potential to surpass them is there."
"Huh? What makes you say that, Sis?" Kiana asked curiously.
"These two don't just have the physical bodies of Devils," Sirin explained. "They carry the potential of humans and the strength of dragons."
"Oh," Kiana replied simply, munching her cookies. Her reply made Sirin's cheeks twitch in exasperation.
Back with Noah and the two, Vali and Issei were catching their breaths when Noah suddenly called out to Issei.
"By the way, Hyoudou-san. I've been meaning to ask… Do you have a reason why you want to be strong?"
"Huh?" Issei blinked, letting out a dumbfounded noise.
"I don't know the full details, but in Vali's case, it's to surpass someone," Noah said, tilting his head slightly. "The White Dragon wants to seek justice for himself against the one who wronged him."
Issei's eyes widened, turning to the silent Vali beside him who didn't deny it.
"He wants to prove he's better than that person. That he can be more than whatever they were," Noah added, before looking back at Issei with genuine curiosity and a small smile. "So what about you, Hyoudou-san? What drives you to keep pushing forward?"
"I… I'm not someone who thinks much about the future," Issei admitted, clenching his fist. "But if you want to know why I'm training so hard to get stronger, it's simple! It's so I can be the strength to my comrades and friends. Someone they can rely on! So I never have to feel that hopelessness again!"
His voice rose with conviction as he pointed the Boosted Gear at Noah, the gem flaring along with a shout of 'Boost!'
"Furthermore!! It's from my dream!!" Issei shouted with such conviction that not only Noah, but everyone in the room leaned in with curiosity. Another Boost! rang out as he raised his fist high. "BECAUSE I, HYOUDOU ISSEI, HEREBY ANNOUNCE!!!"
Vali narrowed his eyes, waiting for his destined rival to say his dream. Kiana and the rest of the crew all lean forward, not daring to miss the dream of Issei. Even the Slash/Dog team, Sitri Peerage, Amaterasu, Yasaka, Nurahiyo, the Seraphs, Cadres and the Maous waiting for the grand dream. But no one noticed the strained and stiff smiles of the Gremory peerage.
"I WILL BECOME A HAREM KING!!!" Issei said with grandeur.
The silence that came after was deafening. From the simultaneous sighs from the Gremory group, to the almost stumbling of the Sitri group, to the dead eyes of the Slash/dog team, to the dumbfoundedness from the Express crew. Each and every person in the audience looks at Issei as if he is an idiot.
"Ok?" Noah blinked and let out those words.
"Just you wait!! I will have a bigger and greater harem than you and Nagumo-san!!!" Issei declared. "For that I will become the strongest Red Dragon Emperor in history!! So prepare yourself Captain-san!!"
With another Boost, Issei braced himself to charge Noah again. But Noah rubbed his chin thoughtfully, catching sight of the "can't be helped" expressions on the Gremory team's faces. A grin spread slowly in his face.
Hajime, Kiana, and the rest of the Express crew didn't miss that grin. It sent a chill down their spines. What kind of scheme was their Captain cooking up now?!
"I see," Noah said, nodding with an innocent smile. "No matter what kind of dream you have, it's admirable to use it as a source of motivation. So how about this, Hyoudou-san? To make things interesting… if you manage to impress me in this duel, I'll find you members for your so-called harem."
"W-WHAT?!" Issei shrieked in disbelief, completely missing the dumbfounded looks of Rias, Asia, Akeno, Irina, and Xenovia.
"Oh no… here he goes again…" Kiana, Elysia, Lumine, and Sirin muttered in unison.
Hajime buried his face in his hand while Alice and Anisphia's jaws dropped open.
"A-are y-you….. for REAL?!" Issei stammered, eyes bulging.
Noah nodded at him with the same easy smile. "So what do you prefer? Bombshell Red hair? saint-like Blonde? The classic black-haired Yamato Nadeshiko? Maybe a sporty short-haired type? Or perhaps a cheerful brunette?"
Issei's shoulders trembled as Noah listed them one by one. The green gem on the Boosted Gear rang out—'Boost!' then again, and again—each interval shorter than the last. Vali, Hajime, Sirzechs, Azazel, Michael, Amaterasu, and the rest of the leaders noticed the sudden change in Issei.
Noah's smirk deepened as his eyes narrowed. "Ah, that's right… I remember now. You prefer the ones with, let's say, generous proportions, don't you? Big breasts, was it?"
The trembling in Issei only grew stronger as the boosts rang across the room, the tension finally making everyone realize something was about to happen. Noah tilted his head innocently. "So then… how about I introduce you to not just one, but twoF-cups?"
A sudden crimson aura exploded into the room, startling everyone. With a roar, Issei released a surge of power that broke the balance. Crimson light engulfed him, and when it faded, he stood clad in armor nearly identical to Vali's. He had done it—Issei had finally achieved the Balance Break of the Boosted Gear: Scale Mail Armor.
"...Did that idiot really achieve a Balance Break just because someone promised to help with his harem?" Nurahiyon deadpanned, rubbing his forehead.
"F-cups. Don't forget the 'F'-cups. Those were the final straw," Azazel added dryly as he downed a bottle of the crew's strongest liquor.
"Let's go, Draig!!! We've gotta show Captain-sama our burning passion!!" Issei roared, and in the span of a heartbeat fifteen overlapping cries of Boost! shook the room.
In less than a second, Issei appeared in front of Noah, his fist a breath away from connecting. Crowned Clown instantly raised its defenses, swirling protectively as Noah leaned aside to let the punch graze past. The force still slammed into his personal barrier, shattering it like glass and shocking Noah, Hajime, and the rest of the crew.
"No way…" Kiana muttered, eyes wide as her cookie slipped from her hand to the floor.
Even the usually cool Lumine's jaw dropped. The ever-cheerful Elysia's eyes widened as if she were witnessing the impossible. Sirin blinked out of reality entirely, slipping back into her quantum realm to double-check if she had landed in a different timeline or world, only to return and find, to her dismay, that this was the correct reality.
"Crap! I was so hyped I missed him!!" Issei groaned in vexation, stamping his foot. He turned toward the frozen Vali. "Oi, Vali! Why are you just standing there looking dumb?! Are you joining me or what?!"
Issei didn't even wait for an answer. In the blink of an eye he reappeared in front of Noah, fists and kicks flying. Noah raised Solgratia to meet him, the clang of steel ringing out as the boy's strikes grew faster, sharper, stronger with each passing second. Crowned Clown now moved actively to guard, its mask flashing as it defends Noah from the sheer force of Issei's blows.
"Ora! Ora! Ora!! Ahahaha! Come at me!! For the harem! For those blessed 'F'-cups!!" Issei laughed wildly, eyes burning with energy.
"...Albion, is this actually happening?" Vali muttered, still struggling to process how his so-called weak rival had gained such strength off a single promise from Noah.
[...I'd very much like to know the same,] Albion replied flatly.
As another 'Boost!' rang out, Issei gathered a dense sphere of demonic and draconic energy. "Take this!!! DRAGON SHOOT!!" he bellowed, hurling it at Noah from nearly point-blank range.
'Ah, crap…' Noah thought, vanishing in a shimmer as he disapparated to avoid the blast.
The beam shot past and smashed into the barrier, the entire room trembling from the impact. Guests held on to one another to keep from falling as Hajime exhaled in relief that the barrier had held. Reappearing to the side, Noah turned—only to find Issei already charging again, fists flying with relentless fury.
"Pfft—wahahaha!!" Vali burst out laughing at the sight. "That's more like it, Hyoudou Issei!"
Without hesitation Vali leapt back into the fight. The crowd could hardly believe what they were seeing, the tide of the duel had changed. The two Heavenly Dragons pressed Noah together, their rhythm synchronizing with every strike. Vali's kicks blended perfectly with Issei's boosted punches, forcing Noah at last to bring Crowned Clown forward and parry with Solgratia rather than simply dodging. For a brief moment, their combined assault actually pushed him back.
"Not bad," Noah admitted under his breath, his eyes twinkling with approval even as he blocked. "Now you're starting to fight like dragons."
With a sweep of Solgratia, Noah gained a momentary gap, but the two didn't give him a chance to breathe.
"Heavenly Dragon's…!!" Issei and Vali roared in unison as they prepared a combined strike. "...Breath!!!"
A torrent of crimson and white flames burst from their mouths, roaring toward Noah. His lips curved upward. pleased to see them naturally syncing their rhythms at last. With his goal met, he let out a small sigh of relief. Raising his free hand, Noah transfigured the flames into a flock of birds, stunning both Vali and Issei.
"Excellent," Noah said, his tone warm with approval. "This is what happens when you stop fighting alone and start trusting each other."
The birds dance gracefully around him, their wings trailing flames as Noah lowered Solgratia to his side. "Good. Now we can be assured this world will have enough time."
Before either could react, Noah moved. In a blur, he was already at Vali's flank, the flat of Solgratia striking armor with a sharp clang that sent him flying across the arena. In the same instant, Noah pivoted toward Issei, pressing his free hand gently against the boy's chest. A pulse of Force erupted, blasting Issei off his feet and slamming him into the barrier with a heavy thud.
Both hosts coughed and staggered as they rose, stunned at how quickly they'd been overwhelmed.
"Are both of you ready?" Noah asked, casually resting his sword at his side. His voice was calm, almost playful. "Because now, I'm going to take you both a little more seriously."
The temperature in the room seemed to rise, like standing under the midsummer sun. The circling birds ignited, and at Noah's gesture they dove toward Issei and Vali, exploding as they neared. Vali shot upward to escape while Issei dashed across the floor, weaving between the blasts.
The two glanced at each other, sharing a quick nod. Issei rushed at Noah with blazing speed. Adjusting his hold on Solgratia, Noah met the charge head-on. The shock of their clash rattled the audience. Vali saw the opening and dove in with a sharp axe kick.
Noah tilted aside, letting the strike smash into the floor. He swept his sword toward Issei, forcing him to guard. In that instant Issei grabbed Noah's arm, holding him in place long enough for Vali to move in and hold him. "Got you—!" Issei shouted. But Noah twisted smoothly and kicked Vali away, sending him crashing into Issei and making them both stumble back together.
Pouring a bit of Imaginary energy into Solgratia, the blade flared with flames as Noah swung it toward the two. A blazing sunflare slash tore across the room, but with a sharp 'Boost!' Issei stepped forward, launching his own Dragon Shot to intercept. The moment the two attacks collided, the explosion thundered through the arena, shaking walls and rattling the barrier.
As the smoke cleared, Issei dropped to one knee, chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Both still standing, the guests from DxD erupted into cheers, fists pumping at their resilience. Hajime let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "Not bad… they're tougher than I gave them credit for."
"Hyoudou Issei, are you still alive?" Vali called as he staggered back to his feet, shaking his head to clear the ringing in his ears.
"Yeah… barely," Issei groaned, pushing himself up on shaky legs. He forced a grin. "But don't worry—I'm not done yet. Now it's your turn."
Vali nodded as he floated into the air, his tone sharper now. "Noah Alden. You are strong—far stronger than I imagined." His voice rose as he glared down at Noah. "The power you possess runs deeper than anyone I have faced. Even my damn grandfather is nothing compared to you."
Noah raised a brow, watching him intently.
"I can even see that even Great Red looks small compared to you and your crew," Vali admitted with a strained sigh. His eyes, however, burned with resolve. "But even still! I'll show you my—our—will, even against impossible odds!!!"
Hajime's eyes widened, realizing what was about to happen. "Vali, don't!!!" he shouted, trying to stop him. But it was too late. Vali thrust out his hand, his Sacred Gear flaring violently as Albion's voice echoed: [Divide!]
What followed left everyone stunned. Vali's armor and Sacred Gear shattered, canceling his Balance Break in an instant. He coughed blood, his body convulsing before he lost consciousness and plummeted.
Noah blinked in surprise, frozen for half a heartbeat, before snapping back to reality. "Aresto Momentum!" he called, his spell catching Vali and lowering him gently to the floor.
"Va-kun!!!" Lavinia's desperate cry rang out as she sprinted toward him.
Alice hurried after her, already chanting spells as her hands glowed. She pressed them over Vali's chest, panic flashing across her face. "This is bad! His internal organs are ruptured!!"
Her complexion turned pale, but without hesitation she poured more power into her healing, trying desperately to stabilize him.
At the side, Noah stood awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "Uh… sorry, but what exactly just happened?"
"Vali just attempted to use his Sacred Gear to divide your power," Hajime explained, turning toward him. "If Issei's Boosted Gear doubles the user's power, then Vali's Divine Dividing halves the power of anything he touches."
"Haaaaah... ok….?," Noah said, tilting his head in confusion.
"I see… so that's what happened," Azazel muttered, running a hand over his face. Everyone turned toward him, waiting for him to elaborate. "Each time the user of Divine Dividing halves someone's power, that portion is transferred to him. Any excess power he can't handle is being thrown out through the light wings."
Noah blinked at the explanation. Kiana and the rest of the crew exchanged glances, quickly realizing what that meant.
"So when Vali got a piece of Noah's power… he was overwhelmed and his body couldn't take it, so he collapsed?" Lumine asked.
Azazel let out a weary sigh. "Exactly."
"But I didn't feel my strength get cut in half?," Noah pointed out.
"That's because you resisted most of the effect," Hajime answered evenly.
"Then, it doesn't make sense…?," Kiana said, tilting her head. "He got injured because he couldn't handle Captain's strength right? And now you're saying Captain resisted the effects?"
Hajime sighed. "That's right. Even though Noah resisted most of the Divine Dividing's effect, a small portion of his strength still transferred to Vali and that's what caused this mess."
Kiana blinked, then glanced at Sirin who looked at her with a wryly smile. "What Hajime means is that just because it can 'half' someone's strength doesn't mean it always takes half. Depending on the target's resistance, it can be anywhere between one hundred percent and nothing. And the small portion was absorbed by Vali almost instantly, that he didn't have the time to release it through the light wings."
"Ohhh…" Kiana finally nodded, before her eyes widened. "Eh?! So Vali exploded from just a portion of Captain's power?!"
Before anyone could respond, a loud thud rang across the room. They turned to see Issei lying flat on the ground, unconscious. His Scale Mail had vanished, leaving him back in his normal clothes.
"Ah?"
"!!!"
"Issei!!!"
The Gremory immediately went to check on him, Asia immediately used her Sacred Gear to heal him.
With both of his opponents down and out cold, Noah stood awkwardly in the center of the room.
"...I'm getting a weird sense of déjà vu," he deadpanned.