And then, a massive bubble enveloped the entire surrounding area—me included.
BOOM
I myself was sealed inside a separate bubble as well.
"[Inevitable Punishment of the Holy Angel's Rainbow, Shining Star of the End]—sorry for the ridiculously long name. Inside this bubble, every kind of heavenly weather-based divine punishment will rain down. However, I've excluded you, Ikki-kun, from its effects."
So that's why I alone was wrapped in a harmless bubble.
"But before that… I think I'll test whether I can even trap him first."
Dulio-san raised his hand toward Crom Cruach.
In the next instant, Crom Cruach was wrapped in a bubble identical to the one surrounding me and immediately afterward, a storm of lightning, fire, ice, wind, and water erupted inside it.
BOOM
The interior of the bubble quickly became impossible to visually comprehend, as if reality itself had turned chaotic.
Then—
BOOM
It warped inward violently, as if struck from the inside.
Again and again.
Eventually, unable to withstand the pressure, the bubble burst outward from within.
Crom Cruach emerged from the explosion in a punching stance, completely unharmed.
Right… elemental damage like fire or lightning isn't about single hits. It's about sustained exposure.
To actually damage him, it would need to keep hitting for much longer.
"That's a first… My bubble got destroyed. And I've even been powered up as a Joker card due to the Heaven's crisis.
So in a crisis, even a Joker-type trump card gets a massive boost… that's basically like promoting him to a Queen-ranked Evil Piece.
"But it's not useless," Dulio-san added. "If I can stop him even for a moment, it still works as a bind-type restraint. By the way, this bubble around you, Ikki-kun, it won't stop you from attacking him, right?"
"That's fine. The bubble around you is just a boundary that prevents my attacks from affecting you. The downside is… his attacks can still reach you."
Well, that figures.
A prison that traps the enemy, blocks their attacks, and protects allies while allowing safe counterattacks would be way too convenient.
If Dulio-san could freely adjust its properties in real time, that would probably be harder than actually defeating Crom Cruach.
I activated my Balance Breaker, dual-wielding greatswords.
"Come."
Crom Cruach's single word became the signal.
BOOM
The entire bubble world erupted into weather worse than a supercell thunderstorm.
Only Dulio-san and I remained unaffected.
Even so, Crom Cruach moved flawlessly through the chaos, deflecting my strikes with bare-handed precision.
"Even without being a martial arts user, you can read every attack?!"
"I don't need technique. It's just instinct."
Instinct?! And it's that precise?! That's ridiculous.
I tried to blend into the storm, striking from hit-and-run angles.
But after several exchanges, when I retreated from another attack—
Crom Cruach followed instantly, sticking to me like a shadow.
"If you're hiding inside this annoying storm, then I'll make sure you can't escape. And at this range, you won't even be able to swing those greatswords."
He closed the distance beyond sword range—into pure hand-to-hand combat.
True enough, swords lose power the closer the grip gets to the blade's base.
I could switch to unarmed combat… but unlike summonable weapons, there's a higher risk of being grabbed. And more importantly, I didn't want to lose with "this level" of sword handling.
I deflected one of his punches with the flat of my right sword, then brought the left down in a vertical cleave.
"Too slow."
He caught the blade near the hilt mid-motion.
A slowed strike could never pierce his scales.
I smiled faintly.
"Second Secret Sword: Rend Armor!"
BOOM
Using the recoil of my entire body, I unleashed a zero-range shock technique.
A strike that could be executed even in near-complete immobilization.
At the same time, I concentrated aura into the exact point where he was gripping the blade.
Crom Cruach immediately released his hand and stepped back.
Blood dripped from his palm.
And retreating meant, he was once again inside Dulio-san's storm.
"Hmph. Unlike before, now lightning can travel nicely through your wound."
"…Honestly, Ikki, that's not something a person being electrocuted internally should say."
I agreed. He didn't even flinch.
If anything… he looked happier.
"However… something doesn't add up. Still, we can't exactly have a calm conversation like this."
Then Crom Cruach looked upward.
His human form shifted—only his head transformed into a dragon—and he unleashed a ridiculous breath attack.
BOOM
It shattered Dulio-san's massive bubble barrier.
That's absurd.
Issei's Crimson Blaster would look like a weak water pistol in comparison.
This was more like a fire truck hose of destruction.
Then Crom Cruach returned to human form.
"Arima Ikki. Why aren't you fighting at full strength?"
"I heard you possess a technique that boosts your power by using 'evil aura.' If you used it earlier, you could have cut deeper than that palm wound. Even before that, you should have been able to land more than scratches."
Well… yeah, I figured he'd ask that.
A battle-loving dragon like him wouldn't overlook it.
"Crom Cruach. Where are we right now?"
He tilted his head, but answered honestly.
"This is Heaven. What humans call Paradise in the Christian world."
"Exactly. This place is sacred. Pure. Full of cleansing energy. Anything like 'evil aura' gets purified immediately—or erased entirely by the environment itself."
"…Ikki-kun, don't tell me that means—"
Dulio-san's expression froze.
"Correct. This place is an unfavorable battlefield for me. I'm operating at less than half my normal strength here."
Right now, I'm basically like a Fire-type Pokémon using Rain Dance, or a Water-type using Sunny Day.
"And that means… you've got Dulio-san, whose Joker ability is boosted here, and me, who's weakened—an unbalanced duo against you."
Heaven, the so-called sacred "home field"… and I'm the one at a disadvantage.
Damn it. Saying it out loud is depressing.
"…Ikki-kun. I'll buy you something sweet later. Cheer up."
I was comforted like a child.
I-I'm not bothered or anything!
The atmosphere turned awkward, but the battle against Crom Cruach continued.
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100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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