Zeroy understood at a glance.
After all, the [Malice] and [Evil] pouring out from the other side were undeniable.
She didn't believe the male lead would already be able to bring out the Balance Breaker armor of the Red Dragon Emperor—and in this case, the opponent was a pest steeped in unforgivable evil, even with his physique transformed into that of a hulking brute.
"Patchi, take Aisia to those devils."
Zeroy cast a glance at the newly arrived Rias, confirmed that she had passed the good-and-evil judgment and bore no black mist, and thus knew that under these circumstances she could entrust Aisia to her.
As for herself, the moment she finished speaking, she donned Kagari, igniting into Flames, Reignite as she faced the attacker clad in the Red Dragon Emperor's armor.
The Red Dragon Emperor's gauntlet—thanks to its brutally simple nature—granted the most prominent boost in raw power. As long as the wielder wasn't a complete novice, even with just a bit of fighting skill, under the endlessly multiplying strength, they could display extraordinary might.
This would no doubt be a hard battle.
Two crimson novas clashed in the skies above Kuoh Town.
Each collision resounded with either crisp or heavy echoes, their terrifying shockwaves rippling ceaselessly through the heavens.
"Miss Zeroy!"
Aisia looked up anxiously at the sky, unable to stop herself from crying out.
"..."
Rias, busy erecting a barrier, glanced at the suddenly delivered Aisia, then back at the two stars colliding above.
"It's clear enough who's the ally here."
She could tell, of course, that the blonde girl was dragging the Red Dragon Emperor into the air.
Had the battle remained on the ground, Kuoh Town might have already been annihilated in just a few clashes.
Meanwhile, Patchouli was already battling the brute's two teammates.
Both sides were first-rank reincarnators; despite that, even among the first rank, there were gaps.
Her strength was among the very top of that rank.
After encountering Zeroy, she had widened that gap even further, surpassing the rest of the first-rankers.
These two had gathered some Longinuses, though unlike their captain, they hadn't been lucky enough to obtain a Longinus.
Ordinary Longinuses alone couldn't raise their power to any remarkable degree.
A one-versus-two was no problem for Patchouli.
She even had the leeway to help Rias set up a barrier while fighting, preventing Zeroy's battle from causing catastrophic destruction.
Though they didn't know much about Zeroy, the difference between them and Patchouli was plain to the two reincarnators.
In the early days, when veterans were still greenhorns, plenty of people had underestimated Patchouli's delicate, frail, even sickly appearance, thinking they could take advantage of her.
Now, all those people were history.
"Damn it... stop holding back, use everything, or we're all dead here!"
One reincarnator barked at his companion.
They had no wish to cross Patchouli; nonetheless, their lives were bound to their leader's.
Running was certain death.
So even with dread filling their hearts, they had no choice except to grit their teeth and fight.
At least with Patchouli, there was a sliver of hope—if in battle her chronic illness suddenly flared, everything might change!
It wouldn't strip her of all combat ability outright. If it were such a fatal weakness, they wouldn't fear her so much, and she wouldn't have made it this far.
However, it could open a gap, weaken her suppression, and give them a chance to breathe.
Her only weakness was the curse in her bloodline—albeit since Zeroy had already anticipated that, how could Patchouli not take precautions?
Before coming here, she had already drunk Zeroy's blood.
Now, even as she continuously unleashed all kinds of magic, her mana flowing like water, spells pouring down like torrential rain—
Her condition remained steady.
The radiance of the Seven Luminaries wove a dazzling spectacle around her.
Seven attributes combined at her command into countless forms of magic—
The ground melted into searing magma, storm-dragons carried countless razor shards of metal as they rampaged across the battlefield, and sun and moonlight interlaced into wheels of radiance that plowed through everything again and again.
The entire battlefield was lit by her magic, so many spells unleashed at once it was overwhelming.
A turret with no overheating, no cooldown, and infinite ammo looked exactly like this.
This style of combat had a name—saturation bombing.
Dodging was impossible. The only option was to meet it head-on.
Anyhow, Patchouli's magic was no hollow display. Her vast knowledge meant she was always refining her spells, and her abundant mana magnified their destructive force even further.
These two reincarnators stood no chance of blocking it.
At first contact, they were instantly overwhelmed and now could only desperately scramble to survive.
All they could do was throw their lives into delaying Patchouli...
No, wait—where was the captain? Save them already!
Wasn't the Lord of Crows supposed to be a rookie? Didn't he say she only acted strange for show? And yet here he was, armed with a Longinus, unable to gain an edge after all this time?!
Do you even know how to fight? If not, then hand the gear to someone who does!
Their captain, however, was faring only slightly better—
Though the Red Dragon Emperor's gauntlet couldn't amplify strength without limit, as a first-rank reincarnator, the brute had a solid foundation.
Even an ordinary devil could raise their destructive power to the point of easily shattering small mountains.
Much more so, a reincarnator nearly equal to Zeroy in enhancement level.
On top of that, he had triggered Balance Breaker, pushing Longinus's power to an explosive new height.
In pure clashes of force, Zeroy was being suppressed for the first time.
Although overall, she still held the advantage.
The gauntlet's limitations were obvious—it was a blunt-force gear.
Its core ability of doubling only applied to raw strength, not speed or technique.
Of course, with deeper development, it could significantly enhance other attributes.
For example, in its base gauntlet form, it only multiplied destructive power, offering no other boosts. Against Zeroy, in that state, the user's arm would be severed before they could even attack, losing the gear outright.
In Balance Breaker armor form, it still only multiplied destructive power, but the armor itself provided some boosts to speed and defense.
Nevertheless, clearly, this brute hadn't possessed it long. To have reached Balance Breaker at all showed rare talent—something even the male lead couldn't yet achieve—regardless, going further was out of the question.
So with her superior speed and technique, Zeroy could still suppress him.
Only that the match wouldn't be decided fast.
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]