If the worst came to worst and Sairaorg lost control, Azazel-sensei was apparently planning to collect combat data up to the point we'd need to restrain him... Well, without any data, we wouldn't even be able to create support tools.
…Not that I know whether such tools are even possible to make.
While stretching my body a bit, a communication link from Azazel-sensei came through.
"Alright, everything's good on our end. The observation equipment is ready. You can start whenever you're ready."
Hearing that, we moved to recreate the same conditions we had this morning.
—And now, the real test begins.
"Alright then! Let's do this, Regulus!"
"Sir!"
"Promotion: Knight!"
Their voices overlapped in unison as Sairaorg and Regulus executed a Promotion to the Knight piece—an initial move to test the waters.
"How does it feel, Sairaorg?"
"Hm. My body feels more tightly charged than usual, yet strangely lighter despite wearing the armor… So this is the sensation of a Knight Promotion."
"Your aura's fluctuating slightly more than before, but still within stable parameters. Honestly, both you and Regulus seem well-suited to Knight and Rook. It's within expectations. Good! Try promoting to Rook, Bishop, and finally Queen. If everything checks out, we'll move on to the mock battle with Ikki."
Sairaorg and Regulus began cycling through the different piece promotions.
As expected, when they were promoted to Bishop, their aura began to waver significantly—and as a Queen, it became outright unstable. They had to cancel the form immediately before things spiraled out of control.
"I see… It's true. Unless we elevate each piece's power one at a time like Hyoudou Issei did, we won't be able to draw out Regulus's full potential as a Queen."
Issei, after all, steadily trains to stabilize the Cardinal Crimson Promotion using the Triaina method.
If Sairaorg were a prodigy like Vali, jumping straight to Queen would probably be viable—but both Sairaorg and Issei are the stubborn, hard-working types. Their training paths are likely to mirror each other.
"Though this might sound a little presumptuous, Regulus doesn't seem particularly bad with magic—not especially talented, but not hopeless either. In his armored state, he might be able to pick up at least a few minor magic techniques."
Of course, it wouldn't match the sheer force of a punch or kick from his well-trained body, but some supplementary techniques could still be handy. It would be a shame not to use magic at all now that it's become even partially available.
Naturally, compared to the Red Dragon Emperor's ability to convert all enhanced power into magic output, this approach would be more limited. Trying to mimic Issei's Dragon Shot is probably a bad idea.
For Sairaorg, punching the air is faster and stronger anyway.
"Magic is all about imagery. And in this case, the magic originates more from Regulus. So, for any new technique development, it should be something that both you and Regulus can strongly envision together."
"Agreed. I'll work with Regulus to shape something new. Are you with me, Regulus?"
"Yes, Lord Sairaorg! As you command!"
"That's enough magic talk for now. Time to move on to the mock battle. Sairaorg, fight while consciously switching between Knight and Rook."
And so, my mock battle with Sairaorg began.
Even without a unique power like Issei's Cardinal Crimson Promotion, the Lion Armor's upgraded state through Promotion allowed Sairaorg to surpass even Issei's specs in pure performance. However, he still wasn't used to the increased power and speed. His movements were stiff, and I—being a counterattacker—had a field day. I ended up winning quite easily.
After the match ended, Azazel-sensei teleported in, wearing his lab coat.
"Good work. All three of you. We got solid data from this. I'll create a support device to help stabilize Sairaorg's Bishop aura. Use it to get the hang of the Bishop form. Once your aura stabilizes to a safe level, we'll proceed to test Queen again."
"Yes. I'll be counting on you, Lord Azazel."
"Hey, I got to see a God-killing Longinus perform Promotion—damn fascinating. Plus, I witnessed Ikki's 'Dark Mode'—or should I say, 'Evil Mode'? Honestly, are you even human? That dark aura of yours would kill a normal person outright. Even being near it without direct contact drains people of the will to fight... You sure you're not some RPG final boss?"
"You're the only one calling me an vil, Azazel-sensei..."
"Well, too bad. The scriptwriters for the Oppai Dragon series loved the idea. The narrative's being rewritten to show your evolution from Evil Being to Evil God. So, get ready to be known as 'All Evil' real soon."
He mentioned bringing the idea up with Sirzechs in Carmilla's town... But the plan's already finalized!? That was fast—too fast!
Having wrapped up my work with Grigori—watchers of the children of God—I parted ways with Sairaorg and returned home. Now, in Issei's household conference room, we were reporting the results of everyone's training today.
We don't do this daily, but every few days we gather to compare notes and share insights. Sometimes it leads to unexpected breakthroughs or valuable ideas. Group discussions like this shouldn't be underestimated.
"—And so, I made progress with Ittou Gaki and Ittou Rasetsu, and I also spent time helping Sairaorg explore a new potential today."
"No way! The idea of Sairaorg promoting with Regulus's armor is both exciting and horrifying. I barely won our last match... If I don't develop something beyond my Cardinal Crimson Promotion soon, I'm gonna get left behind!"
Issei slumped dramatically. Irina stood up beside him.
"Okay, my turn! I received a revelation that my rank as an angel has increased! I've sprouted my fourth wing!"
She stepped back, assumed a prayer pose, and revealed two new pairs of white wings—totaling four.
Irina looked quite proud, puffing out her chest with a beaming smile.
Apparently, this means she'll now have fewer restrictions on using Heaven's items and privileges.
Still, considering angels can have up to twelve wings, and Azazel-sensei could likely provide better gear anyway, it's more of a hopeful start than a game-changer.
"I've been training surrounded by all these powerful folks and Longinus users, so my Sacred Gear's aura has improved… But I haven't reached Balance Break yet. I sparred with the Joker of Heaven today—got my ass handed to me."
Saji gave his report last. Despite his words, he didn't seem discouraged.
At first, he'd been depressed about not achieving Balance Break, but it's not something one attains easily—even in ideal circumstances. Heck, I needed a cheat and over a decade to reach mine.
In the end, what turned things around for Saji was his work as a teacher at the school President Sona built in the Agreas Territory of the Underworld.
Working with children who have dreams seems to have lifted his spirits in the best way.
And then there was our D×D leader, Dulio—nodding off and half-asleep since the meeting began.
According to Irina, the mere fact he shows up for meetings is a miracle in itself.
A rather cheap miracle for Heaven's trump card, huh?
========
Now that it's December, final exams were held, and today the results were returned.
The class buzzed with joy and disappointment as scores were handed back.
"Yo, Issei. How'd you do on the test?"
To Matsuda's question, Issei made a strained face and said he was "slightly above average."
Considering he's been getting tutoring from Rias and Akeno, that probably feels disappointing to him.
Still, with all the D×D training, he probably couldn't study as thoroughly as he wanted.
"Among us, the only one really good at academics is Ikki. Scoring around the average is already pretty respectable."
Thanks to my senjutsu training, my brain's been enhanced a bit. I've optimized my memory, so I skip over the hard-to-memorize stuff like history. I usually keep my scores around 90.
Not perfect—I still lose a few points to dumb mistakes or blank-outs.
Then I heard murmurs around the girls—specifically Xenovia's area.
Asia said Xenovia scored over 90 on average, with a few perfect scores. That's shocking, given how much she struggled with Japanese when she first transferred.
Asia herself is reportedly in the high 80s—also impressive.
"I've got a goal now. Just wanted to see how far I could push myself."
Apparently, Xenovia even beat Issei in Japanese—by a slim margin, but enough to rattle him.
Then Kiryuu approached, glancing at the Church Trio and Issei.
"Even Irina scored over 80 on average. If your future kids take after the dads, they're doomed."
"Wha—Ki-Kiryuu! Kids!?"
Issei completely panicked, stammering.
But the Church Trio responded calmly.
"Well, with the right environment and education, they'll be fine."
"Exactly! Like Xenovia said!"
"As long as there's love, they'll grow up to be good children!"
With those wifely lines, the class's male population collectively turned their death glare toward Issei.
...Not that they realized it.
"You bastard! We can't let this stand!"
"Die, Isseeeeeeeeee!!"
With Matsuda and Motohama leading the charge, chaos erupted again as Issei fled in panic.
As I watched from the sidelines, feeling smug and safe... Kiryuu strolled up next to me.
"Well, Arima-kun, maybe you'll be the first to have kids. That virginy vibe is totally gone now. And going from virgin to a four-way? Damn."
CLUNK!
The elbow I'd been resting my head on slipped off the desk with a crash.
"Wh-what?! How?!"
I couldn't even get the words out.
"Heh! Forgot already? My Size Scouter can see your astral body—even your soul!"
Oh right! I'd only just recently learned soul-sensing techniques, but she had already mastered something similar on her own... Her obsession with Eros is terrifying.
"Still, to think you made moves on multiple girls... Will you take responsibility?"
In Japan, polygamy isn't legally recognized, so that question was bound to come up.
"I told them already—I'll marry them all. If I can't do it in Japan, I'll take it overseas."
"Oh my, Arima-kun, so manly~. If Hyoudou really wants a harem, he should grow a backbone like yours."
While the class remained in uproar, Kiryuu stood from her seat.
"Anyway, invite me to the wedding, okay?"
With that, she walked over to Asia and the others... Sometimes, that girl has nerves of steel.
And so, another day in our hectic but treasured daily life passed by.