I see. In the sense that it ignores defenses, it really is like Rias's finishing move. I couldn't believe Reisha had developed such a terrifying trump card while I was out. If I ever took a direct hit from that, it'd be game over.
"Wait, you figured all that out just by watching it once?" I asked Ignis.
『Of course. Your big sister is the strongest, after all! V-V!』
"Yes, ma'am! My mistake for asking!"
I did notice, however, that the bits Reisha was controlling seemed a bit sluggish after that shot. It clearly wasn't a move she could spam.
As I flew, Miwa and Alice converged on my position. Both were in their Shin-ki forms. Miwa was keeping Bell occupied, while Alice had been providing wide-scale support for the entire Coalition.
Both of them gave me radiant, relieved smiles.
"Good morning, Onii-chan. You finally made it."
"You kept us waiting too long, you sleepyhead."
"Sorry, sorry. I'll make up for the delay with interest," I said with a wry smile.
Alice's cheeks flushed a soft pink. "Well, obviously. And if you want me to forgive you... you have to give me a big, tight hug later."
"Hey! Alice-san, no fair! I want a big hug too!" Miwa chimed in.
Yep. Alice and Nina really are sisters. Their requests are identical. Dammit, they're both too cute!
I wanted to pull them both into a hug right then and there, but given the state of the world, I had to exercise some self-restraint.
As I was agonizing over my internal "sister-meter," Diarmuid—who had been busy skewering Evil Dragons nearby—turned toward me. He looked even more flustered than Alice, fidgeting shyly as he spoke.
"Um... ah... G-Good morning... Nii-ni."
"Wh—... Huh...!?"
Nii-ni?! Not 'Big Brother,' not 'Onii-chan,' but the weaponized cuteness of Nii-ni?! What is this sensation?! This warmth?! This... this overwhelming urge to ascend to a higher plane of existence?!
I couldn't handle it. Hearing that from him was—!
"GHOFF! BWEH!"
Blood geysered from my nose. No, it sprayed from every pore in my body.
『PARTNER?! Are you really going to die of a Sister Complex right now?! Get a grip!』
"Wait—Issei?! Isn't that way more blood than usual?!" Alice screamed, her voice echoing across the battlefield.
I roared, even as I felt my consciousness fading into a blissful, crimson haze.
"I can't help it! He said 'Nii-ni'! Do you hear me?! Nii-ni! Fwaaaaaaaah!"
『ALICE! Stop him this instant! He's going to have a stroke and die of pure bliss!』
"You idiot! You total sis-con! Don't trigger your fetish at a time like this!"
"Diarmuid-chan is so cuuuuuuuute!"
"『LISTEN TO US!!』"
"BUHAH!"
A synchronized verbal lashing combined with Alice's "White Lightning Punch" slammed into me. The impact was so great it actually cracked my helmet.
The shock to my skull finally brought me back to reality. Ugh... so this is the power of the Diarmuid-effect. Truly terrifying. I nearly died of terminal 'moe'.
Alright, it's settled. Once this war is over, I'm making a photo album for Diarmuid. I will capture every second of his adorable daily life on film!
Miwa gave a strained, sympathetic smile. "Well, I can't blame him. Diarmuid-chan is incredibly cute."
"Right?! I know, right?!" Ever since he started being honest with himself, he hasn't looked a bit like he did when we first met. He's so cute it's actually a health hazard.
Alice let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Honestly... I don't care if you're a sis-con anymore, just hurry up and go end this. I'm holding back a lot of things myself right now... You remember our promise, right?"
"Of course. We're going home together. It's a promise."
After parting ways with Miwa and Alice, I pushed even deeper into the enemy territory.
Suddenly—a surge of pitch-black aura lunged at me from the flank!
My instincts screamed. I pulled into a mid-air barrel roll, narrowly dodging the strike, but the tip of one of my dragon wings brushed against the darkness. The edge of the wing melted instantly, as if dipped in acid.
This darkness... it erases anything it touches?
I looked toward the source of the attack.
"So, you're Apophis."
«A pleasure to finally meet you, current Red Dragon Emperor. Indeed, I am Apophis.»
Floating in the air was a handsome, tanned man dressed in priestly robes, clutching the Holy Grail in his hand. He looked human, but the aura radiating from him was gargantuan.
So this was it. One of the legendary heads of the Evil Dragons, ranked alongside Crom Cruach.
"I don't have time to play with you. Step aside."
«When I made my pact with the god of that other world, he told me not to lay a finger on you... but alas, it seems I am a dragon after all. The prospect of facing a true powerhouse has my heart racing.»
"Another battle maniac, huh... Dragons really can't help themselves, can they?"
«Are you not the same? To have your soul captivated by an opponent who forces you to transcend your limits... surely you have experienced this?»
I couldn't argue with that. Fighting people like Sairaorg-san or Vali... there was a part of me that genuinely enjoyed it. The thrill of clashing souls, of putting everything on the line against an equal—it's an intoxicating feeling. I had to admit he was right.
"You're remarkably composed for an Evil Dragon," I noted.
Most of the Evil Dragons I'd met, starting with Grendel, were completely unhinged. Even Crom Cruach was more "dragon-like" in his intensity. But the man before me was different.
«I enjoy combat above all else, but I find it insulting to be lumped in with crude brutes like Grendel or Nidhogg.»
I see. So even among the Evil Dragons, the truly powerful ones have some semblance of sanity? Well, he was still controlling Trihexa and picking a fight with the entire world, so "sane" was a relative term.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"