The attack Vali had just unleashed was simply too powerful.
Even though the academy grounds where they stood were still quite a distance from the actual battlefield between Ren Kuroda and Vali, the aftershocks alone had reached them with devastating force.
That wave of energy hadn't outright killed them—but it was more than enough to leave them unable to continue fighting.
At the mont, Aisia was moving frantically among them, using her Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing, to tend to everyone's wounds. Not far from her, Issei stared toward the distant battlefield, his face full of frustration.
"That bastard Vali—was he trying to wipe all of us out just now?! Damn it! If I could just reach Balance Breaker, I'd beat the hell out of him!"
At his outburst, the green jewel embedded in his arm flickered, and the voice of the Red Dragon Emperor, Ddraig, echoed out.
"Partner, I'll be blunt—you don't stand a chance against the current White Dragon Emperor. Not even close. Leaving aside your pitiful magic reserves, which wouldn't let you sustain Balance Breaker for long… even if you did reach it, the gap between you and him would still be enormous."
"The current host of the White One is… exceptional," Ddraig continued, his tone turning more serious. "Across all our past hosts, only a handful have ever been able to wield Juggernaut Drive. And among those, even fewer retained their sanity while doing so.
"And yet this Vali… he's drawing out Albion's power to a level that's nearly identical to the dragon's original strength."
Hearing such an honest—and devastating—assessnt, Issei's face twitched in embarrassnt.
Of course he knew he couldn't beat Vali right now.
But co on—he'd just been trying to look cool in front of Aisia, maybe show off a little masculine bravado.
Who knew Ddraig had such terrible timing?
"Is this… really the power of one of the Two Heavenly Dragons at their peak?" soone muttered in awe. "Just the aftershocks of their battle are this overwhelming…"
"But what about Ren-sensei? He took that attack head-on… he's okay, right?"
After thanking Grayfia politely for shielding them, Sona looked around at the ruined landscape—what had once been the academy was now nothing but devastation—and her expression filled with shock.
Rias, anwhile, after confirming that she, Aisia, and the others were safe, lifted her gaze toward the distant battlefield again. Worry for Ren was written plainly across her face.
"After that last attack, this entire area is saturated with the White Dragon Emperor's aura," Grayfia said calmly. "But I can say with certainty—your Ren-sensei is still alive."
Her expression remained composed, though her eyes were fixed on the distant figure of Vali in the sky.
Up until now, the Underworld's understanding of Ren's strength had placed him roughly at the level of a Dragon King.
After all, defeating a Balance Breaker White Dragon Emperor and fallen angel executives already proved that much.
But what they hadn't anticipated…
Was that Vali could unleash power on this level.
That last attack had clearly surpassed the Dragon King class. Even Grayfia—or an average Demon King—couldn't confidently say they would survive it head-on.
And yet Ren… was still alive.
In that sense alone, he had already exceeded the bounds of an ordinary Dragon King—or even a Demon King.
In the past, Grayfia might have remained indifferent to the outco of their battle.
But now… she hesitated.
Should she step in and assist Ren against the White Dragon Emperor?
Though his relationship with Rias wasn't officially settled yet, once he defeated Riser Phenex, he would beco part of the Gremory family.
In a sense, Ren was already half one of their own.
Whether from the perspective of the Underworld—or as a mber of the Gremory household—Grayfia felt she had a responsibility to help him.
But if she left…
What would happen to Rias and the others?
There were too many powerful enemies gathered here. While Rias and Sona were talented young devils, in a battlefield like this, their strength still wasn't enough.
"Grayfia," Rias spoke up suddenly, as if sensing her thoughts.
Crimson power of destruction gathered in her hands, her expression resolute and confident.
"Go help Ren-sensei. We can handle things here ourselves. Don't underestimate us.
"If we stay protected forever, how are we supposed to grow? How can we achieve our dreams—and beco worthy heirs of the Gremory na?"
Grayfia fell silent for a mont.
"…Be careful," she finally said. "If you encounter an enemy you cannot handle, retreat imdiately toward Lord Sazex. He has more than enough power to ensure your safety."
After a brief mont of deliberation, she made her decision.
Ren was a combatant on the level of a Dragon King—and a potential future mber of the Gremory family. There was no way she could allow him to fall here.
Dark wings unfurled from her back as she prepared to take flight toward the battlefield—
But then—
A sudden chill ran down her spine.
The air itself had changed.
Grayfia, known as the strongest queen of the Underworld, possessed power rivaling that of a Demon King. For sothing to make even her feel uneasy…
It was beyond the comprehension of most beings.
And that presence—
That overwhelming, ominous aura—
Was coming from the direction where Ren and Vali were fighting.
If even Grayfia, standing at a distance, felt this way…
Then Vali, who stood at the very center of it all, naturally felt it even more intensely.
The battlefield had already been transford into a massive crater by the White Dragon Emperor's earlier attack.
And now—
From within that crater, sothing began to erge.
A thick, black substance.
It bubbled up like crude oil, viscous and endless, spilling out from the depths.
"Vali… it seems we may have awakened sothing far worse than we intended," Albion's voice echoed, tinged with unease.
"I don't know what that black sludge is… but it gives a very bad feeling. Just what kind of being… is Ren Kuroda?"
As one of the Two Heavenly Dragons, Albion was among the oldest entities in existence. Across countless ages, he had seen and learned much.
And yet—
He had no understanding of what lay before them.
Still, his instincts scread one thing:
Danger.
Absolute danger.
In the past, beyond his signature Divide, Albion also possessed another sealed ability—Poison—a power considered too dangerous to be used freely.
For the longest ti, Albion had believed that his poison was among the most lethal forces in existence.
But now—
As he looked upon the black, writhing sludge—
He realized sothing.
Compared to this… that "poison" of his was nothing more than a harmless lamb.
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