[Author Note: Sorry for the late upload, apparently I set the schedule wrong, again. Silly me.]
In front of the school gate, Kuoh Academy.
Everyone immediately sensed the barrier surrounding the academy as the sky gradually turned crimson, as if they were no longer in the real world but another dimension, a perfect copy of reality. Kousuke had long noticed the mysterious observers watching from afar, but he simply chose to ignore them.
He could sense several familiar auras: one felt distinctly like Michael, accompanied by two others likely to be angels, which was a surprise to him since he knew them. They were still humans when they attended the school today. He didn't know what kind of process they went through to change race to angel but it seems surprisingly quick.
The red-haired gentleman was almost certainly Rias's brother, Sirzechs Lucifer, also known as the Crimson Satan. Then the one who erected the barrier had to be Azazel, judging from the black wings behind his back.
He knew they were all here for him. Even Vali's sudden challenge was likely part of their plan. That meant he had to send a message, that provoking him wasn't a wise decision. Especially to those other hidden forces lurking behind the scenes, observing silently.
He already decided that an example must be made today, and Vali was perfect for that. As the current host of Albion, he should be tough enough to endure some ass whooping.
With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Kousuke calmly unequipped the white ring he always wore on his pinky finger since the day he returned to Earth. He'd only ever taken it off once as a joke to spook Sona.
But this time, it wasn't no longer for show.
Because today, they would witness a glimpse of the Hero who once destroyed the unkillable Demon God.
The Hero who burned down the dark continent just to eradicate demonkind for good.
The Hero who had long lost his humanity, yet whose longing for home kept his sanity intact.
The AnnihilatorHero.
"Sigh, that feels great," he muttered, stretching his arms. With the suppression removed, it felt like enormous boulders had been lifted from his shoulders. His red eyes shimmered ominously as he turned to Vali, then he vanished.
"10%."
"!!?"
The low voice echoed behind Vali. He instinctively swung his hand at blinding speed, but his body jerked sideways before he was sent crashing into the academy's building.
Before the smoke had a chance to settle, Vali launched himself skyward. His form had changed: a pair of gleaming white draconic wings now unfurled from his back, keeping him airborne. A smear of blood trailed down his cheek, yet his grin never wavered.
"Good, keep it up. 20%."
"Hah! You think I'll fall for the same trick twice?!"
The moment he heard the voice again behind him, Vali fired a barrage of projectiles from his wings. From that distance, missing was impossible.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"It tickles."
Before he could celebrate, the voice came again, this time from above.
Smack!
He only had time to glance up before a devastating fist crashed into his head, sending him plummeting into the earth below.
"Kousuke is… toying with him," Rias muttered in awe. She could feel it, he was growing stronger each time he muttered. That overwhelming power… was there even a limit?
"Remind me to never piss him off," Issei muttered. Watching his friend so effortlessly dismantle a powerhouse like Vali was sobering. What if someone like Kousuke had the Boosted Gear? He'd be a walking apocalypse, a single step could split Earth in half.
"Raaagh! Fine! You leave me no choice, Balance Breaker!"
Vali stood amid the rubble, bloodied but unyielding as his aura exploded outward. A storm of light engulfed him, and when it faded, he stood clad in the gleaming, high-spec Albion Scale Mail. The entire battlefield trembled as the pressure warped the space around them.
"Since you're so proud of your strength—then I'll make it mine! Divine Dividing!"
Vali roared, his voice resonating with Albion's as he drew upon the full might of the dragon by absorbing Kousuke's strength. He could feel it, the surge of power erupting within his body. He had grown far stronger, stronger than he'd ever been.
And yet...
"Eh? Alright then, 50%."
Kousuke barely reacted. He simply shrugged as if it were nothing. The moment he spoke, the ground under his feet shattered, and shockwaves tore through the air as he advanced.
Every step he took left devastation in its wake. The nearest building collapsed under his overwhelming pressure. The road split apart as if opening a path for him. It wasn't just power, it was cataclysm incarnate.
Kousuke had become a walking symbol of Destruction.
And that was his message to everyone watching. Fortunately Azazel was well prepared, otherwise this much damage in the real world would be extremely devastating and difficult to rebuild.
"Come on," he said before slapping away a glowing lance of energy speeding toward him with the back of his hand. "You can do better than this. Show me everything, or you really might die."
"Kuh! damn it!!"
Vali still had one trump card… however it wasn't something he could fully control just yet. It was a last resort. But to defeat the opponent before him, he might need to unleash it.
[Don't do it, partner. Your body can't handle it.]
"Shut up! I don't care! This is the fight I've been waiting for! I won't back down now!"
He clenched his eyes shut, taking a sharp breath. Kousuke crossed his arms as he wait patiently, curious what Vali was planning to do.
And then, the chanting begins.
"I, who am about to awaken—"
His voice merged with Albion's and the echoes of past possessors.
"—am the Heavenly Dragon who lost all to the principles of supremacy."
His armor began to glow with an unearthly light, the air trembling around him.
"I envy the 'infinite' and I pursue the 'dream'."
He thought of the strongest beings he'd ever seen. Of a certain Dragon God. That was his goal, absolute supremacy.
"I shall become the White Dragon of Supremacy."
When he opened his eyes, they were colorless—pale, empty, and unnatural. It was as if the invisible chains binding his soul had shattered.
[And I shall take you to the limits of innocence.]
A luminous, ethereal image of Albion emerged behind Vali, then fused with him in a roar that shook the sky. A brilliant white light engulfed him as he transformed. No longer a man wearing a dragon's armor, but something else.
When the blinding light faded, standing in his place was a humanoid Albion. This is the true form of the White Dragon Emperor.