"Nah, there's no reason for me to do that," Kousuke said with a shrug. He wasn't the least bit intimidated or moved by the other's enthusiasm. After all, he wasn't a battle junkie—at least, not on Earth.
"Hah, you might be able to fool these people, but not me," Vali said with a knowing grin, stepping closer. "I can see it. Your fingers twitching. That faint smirk. Your body is screaming for action, you're just like me. A man who was born for battle."
"Well, yeah, I am handsome too, so you got that part right," Kousuke replied with a straight face, causing a few stifled laughs to ripple through the crowd. For once, everyone was relieved that he wasn't the type to be led around by the nose. After all, it would be a huge deal if he actually beat the current White Dragon Emperor.
Rias and her peerage, including Tsubaki, didn't once believe that he'd lose, even if his opponent was someone as powerful as Vali. They had seen his strength time and time again. Even now, he looked completely uninterested in the challenge, but with the way he smirked at Vali's words, maybe there was some truth to him being a battle junkie as well.
"…So you would fight me if you had a reason, huh?" Vali said, his tone dipping low with intent.
Without warning, he disappeared, vanishing like a flicker of light, and reappeared in front of Kousuke in less than a blink. In his hand was a thin blade, already drawn and pointed straight at Tsubaki's neck.
The tip never reached her skin however.
Kousuke's hand was already there, fingers wrapped around the blade's edge. The smile on Vali's face deepened as he tried to pull the blade free, only to find it wouldn't budge at all as if glued to his fingers.
The metal didn't cut his skin either. Instead, it creaked under his grip, straining against an inhuman strength.
Tsubaki blinked in confusion, only now realizing how close she had been to being used as leverage. She looked to her side, and the expression on Kousuke's face chilled her more than the blade ever could.
He was still smiling, but there was no usual warmth behind it. The corner of his lips didn't quite reach his ears, and his eyes turned into cresent moon.
"...So you think threatening the people I care about will give me a reason to fight you?" His voice was low, far too low for the weight it carried.
"Oh no..." Rias muttered. She could feel it, things were turning for the worse. She had never imagined Vali would target someone close to him. If this continued, the academy might not survive the aftermath.
She needed to stop them, at least direct the battle somewhere else. But she couldn't move. Neither could her peerage, nor Sona's. Her eyes flicked toward Tsubaki and Akeno, oddly, they didn't seem affected at all by the overwhelming pressure emitted from Kousuke.
Rias exchanged a look with her Queen, who nodded in silent understanding. Akeno was about to say something when Kousuke raised his hand slightly, silencing her before she could speak. It was as if he already knew what they were planning.
It seemed Vali's provocation had genuinely angered him. So Akeno could only glance back at Rias, an apologetic look on her face.
"That's right," Vali answered boldly, trying to maintain control.
Crack.
The blade shattered like glass in Kousuke's grip. Vali blinked as the shards hit the ground, but he didn't flinch. He expected this.
"You know," Kousuke said, voice low, "I've been wondering about my full strength ever since I returns, but I never get the chance to test it."
The air around him began to distort, warping like heat on pavement. Each step he took forward sent invisible shockwaves across the ground—small, imperceptible tremors that shook the heart more than the earth.
"And since you're so eager to throw your life away, I'll grant you your wish."
He looked up and Vali immediately noticed the changes in Kousuke. It was his eyes, the red glow in his pupils silenced the world. They glowed with two bright, focused dots of crimson. Vali instinctively rejected it as his breath hitched. Those aren't human eyes. It felt alien, overwhelming, and ancient.
However, he couldn't look away. It was as if something primal inside him recognized what stood before him. This wasn't an ordinary man. The crushing pressure gripped strongly at his beating heart, the figure before him is an existence that break the law of physics. It is beyond reasons.
Vali regained his senses when Albion voice reberated in his mind. It was loud and urgent, like a scared cat spooked by something in the dark.
[Retreat. Now. This one is not our match. I repeat—this is not our match!]
But Vali didn't move, the corner of his lips curled up. In the face of death, he had no desire to run away.
"Hahaha... this is it!"
He ignored Albion's desperate plea. For the first time in his life, he felt fear and excitement. He had been waiting for this. A true rival. A storm wrapped in human skin. He will defeat Kousuke and becomes the strongest!
...
A few miles away, in the sky.
"Shouldn't you stop him? Even I can feel how dangerous that human is from up here," Sirzechs said, his robe fluttered under the wind as he turned to the Fallen by his side. Crimson Satan was visibly restless, clenching and unclenching his hands as he weighed the risks. As one of the Four Satans, he couldn't just move around recklessly.
"I concur," said Michael, his voice calm but firm. "If they clash, the damage could be catastrophic." Floating at his sides were Xenovia and Irina respectively. Both bearing angelic wings now, indicating their recent transformation before this summit.
Azazel didn't answer right away. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, his eyes narrowed at the aura rising from the school grounds.
"I should stop it… I know I should…" he murmured, but he didn't move.
Kousuke Igarashi was part of the reason this historic summit had been called. He was a living enigma. The source of rumors, fear, and awe amongst the supernatural. His return had upended the balance. And now… this might be the only time they could witness his strength firsthand.
The Grigori leader was curious. It even eclipsed his obsession to Sacred Gears, just slightly.
Who exactly was Kousuke Igarashi? What was his connection to the witch from Britain? How did he get so powerful? What happened during his mysterious disappearance?
Azazel had many questions. But above all, he wanted to know just how deep Kousuke's strength went. So, in the end, he raised a massive, invisible barrier around the entire academy, powerful enough to contain even a clash of dragons.
Michael sighed. He understood what that action meant. And yet, he didn't stop him. Because truthfully, they all wanted to know the same thing:
Just how strong the human named Kousuke Igarashi is?