High School DxD: Return of the Crimson Dragon Emperor

Chapter 328: Chapter 318 The Sword Veteran

Shinra-senpai used her counter-type Sacred Gear, ’Mirror Alice,’ to form mirrors in front.

Her Sacred Gear’s ability is to reflect the impact of a broken mirror back at the opponent with double the force.

The warriors lined up in the rear fired a volley of light-infused bullets and long-range Sacred Gear attacks, but the countless mirrors deployed in the air doubled those impacts and returned them to the opponents.

Beside Shinra-senpai, Yura-san readied her Artificial Sacred Gear, ’Twinkle Aegis.’

This gear creates various offensive and defensive measures depending on the attribute of the contracted spirit.

Even now, she was creating a barrier of flames with the power of her contracted spirit.

Attacks that slipped past Shinra-senpai’s mirrors were burned to nothing by Yura-san’s flame shield.

The attacks of the warriors, who were supposed to have taken the initiative, were completely blocked by the Sitri peerage’s ’Queen’ and ’Rook.’

Furthermore, to prevent the two of them from being directly targeted, a barrier from the ’Bishop’ Hanakai-san’s Artificial Sacred Gear was protecting them.

Having their long-range attacks completely blocked, the warriors’ next move was an assault by their vanguard.

Gripping their weapons, the warriors charged in with battle cries.

Former President Sona’s orders flew.

[We will respond with our attackers as well.]

Moving on that order were the ’Pawn’ Nimura-san, the ’Knights’ Meguri-san and Bennia-san, and the ’Rook’ Loup Garou-san.

I, along with Irina-san and the other ’Brave Saints’ members, joined in here.

We vanguards crossed swords with the Church warriors.

From their movements, I could tell that every warrior had experienced a fair number of battles.

Moreover, the weapons in their hands were swords and spears of light, holy water, and crosses—all things that inflict damage on Devils!

However, we have survived passing through death’s door many times.

If they are at the level of the warriors before us——

”They are no match for the current me!”

I swung my Holy Demonic Sword and defeated several of them at once.

Though I say defeated, I had dulled the blade, so I didn’t kill them.

They hadn’t caused any deaths in their coup.

Of course, they couldn’t complain even if they were cut down. Their weapons were naked blades too.

Still, if I can avoid killing them, that would be best.

To sever the chain of vengeful hatred, I want to avoid casualties as much as possible.

>

”This too must be a trial.”

Moving at high speed, Bennia-san and Loup Garou-san, who was swinging both arms wrapped in magical flames dynamically, muttered to each other.

In this situation, Bennia-san was attacking opponents with the dull part of her scythe.

Loup Garou-san was also holding back his power considerably.

Bennia-san’s Grim Reaper scythe shaves away the soul of those it cuts, potentially leading to death.

And Loup Garou-san, being a werewolf, is a magic warrior possessing brutal offensive power.

If either of them wanted to, they could easily kill their opponents.

Yes, we who are here are fighting while suppressing our own power.

From the opponent’s perspective, this is nothing but ’holding back.’

Ewald Cristaldi, who was simply staring at the battlefield from behind the warriors, must have realized that as well.

Shinra-senpai roared.

”Kaicho! Conditions are met!”

[Yes, Tsubaki. Reach it. Everyone, fall back!]

Reach it...?

Don’t tell me——

Under Former President Sona’s orders, we distanced ourselves from Shinra-senpai!

Simultaneously, Shinra-senpai uttered the words of power!

”——Balance Break!”

Then, three monsters emerged from the mirror!

A monster wearing a hat, a large mouse, and a bipedal rabbit wearing clothes!

[That is Tsubaki’s Balance Breaker, ’Nostalgia Mad Tea Party.’ The Balance Breaker has an activation condition, which is countering a certain number of times with the mirror. The monsters that appear from the mirror each emit a unique ability.]

The large mouse went to the warriors and breathed gas from its mouth.

The warriors enveloped in the gas stumbled in their steps before collapsing to the ground one after another.

[The ’Dormouse’ forcibly puts all opponents within a certain range to sleep.]

An ability to force sleep!

Indeed, the warriors around that mouse were completely fast asleep!

”Hyahaaaaa!”

”Ooooooh!”

Warriors screaming as if they had lost their minds!

Every time the clothed rabbit hopped, ripples spread out, and the moment they touched the warriors, those warriors began to rampage as if insane!

[The ’March Hare’ turns the consciousness of those within a certain range violent. And——]

Former President Sona’s gaze turned to the last one, the slender monster wearing a hat.

The moment that monster’s eyes locked onto the warriors, their eyes became hollow and——

”U, Uwaaaaaaa!”

”N, n, nooooooo!”

They began to be frightened of something.

They started swinging their weapons at something invisible.

[The ’Mad Hatter’ shows hallucinations to opponents within a certain range. If subjected to these three abilities, any opponent can be removed from the battle. The only ones who can escape this would possess an overly resilient spirit, or be completely unrelated to such emotions from the start. At the very least, there are no such abnormal opponents here. It has no direct power, but the method to whittle down the enemy’s strength does not need to be raw power.]

What a terrifying ability.

Monsters with diverse abilities appearing from inside the mirror.

There must be others besides these three.

After all, the names of the monsters are taken from Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass.

”This would be scary to face in a game next time. They clearly have bad compatibility with us, the Gremory team.”

This ability is a type of ’trap card’ or ’lock-down.’

It’s true for Shinra-senpai’s Balance Breaker, but many of Saji-kun and the other Sitri retainers are technique or wizard types.

But they also have members who can push with power, like Saji-kun who reached Balance Breaker, or Loup Garou-san.

Previously, Azazel-sensei praised the Sitri team as having better balance among their retainers, and I truly think that’s correct.

Even with Issei-kun who is strong in both power and technique, our team leans too heavily toward raw power.

Then, responding to my muttering, Former President Sona said:

[Fufufu, we won’t lose next time, Kiba-kun.]

Yep, I really need Xenovia to buckle down and polish her technique!

She needs to learn how to deal with more technical opponents!

Just when I think she’s finally picking up some technique, she ends up pushing with power in the end!

[However, Kiba-kun. Is there not a more terrifying opponent nearby? ——Issei-kun and the Red Dragon Emperor’s retainers are abnormal at this stage, you know?]

”Hahaha... That... I cannot deny.”

Now that Issei-kun has become a High-Class Devil, he can participate in Rating Games leading his own retainers as a ’King.’

He doesn’t have all his pieces yet... but even at this point, things are getting ridiculous.

I see... for some reason I hadn’t thought about it, but eventually, I’ll end up clashing with Issei-kun too.

When that time comes, how well will I be able to fight...?

As we defeated the Church warriors one after another, and Shinra-senpai’s Balance Breaker became the decisive blow that collapsed their battle line, that man finally gripped his sword.

”——Stand back.”

The low, heavy voice silenced the battlefield in an instant.

The warriors who had been raising their swords lowered them, opening a path for their mentor to pass.

”From here on, I will take the field.”

——The former wielder of Excalibur, Ewald Cristaldi, makes his move.

[Kiba Side Out]

(Author’s Note: I thought this in the original work too, but Shinra-senpai’s Balance Breaker ability is scary, isn’t it? Next time, I’d like to add a bit more original content.)

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