Night had fully settled over Tokyo, the city now glowing under a sea of neon lights and illuminated streets, and tucked within one of its lively districts was a refined Japanese restaurant where the Counter Corps had gathered.
Inside a private dining room, separated from the rest of the restaurant by sliding doors, Arthur and the others sat down seiza style around a large wooden table.
Spread across the table was an impressive array of food.
Perfectly marbled wagyu beef, fresh sushi and sashimi, golden tempura, a neatly arranged platter of gyoza, grilled yakitori skewers, miso soup, and lots of steaming bowls of white rice.
"Itadakimasu!"x7
They immediately began eating.
Dulio wasted no time, grabbing a slice of well-done wagyu beef and placing it into his mouth, his eyes instantly lighting up as he chewed.
"Oh, my God! It's melting! It's actually melting in my mouth!"
Heracles, seated beside him, excitedly picked up a piece and nodded in approval.
"Man, this shit is awesome!"
(... Can I have some?)
Regulus asked within Heracles' mind, curious about what wagyu beef tastes like.
Arthur, meanwhile, balanced between eating and managing the steady pace at which Lavinia and Valerie occasionally offered him bites, the two clearly enjoying themselves as much as the food.
"So, how was everyone's afternoon?"
Arthur said after swallowing a piece of sushi, glancing around the table.
Heracles and Dulio looked at each other and nodded.
"You're so not gonna believe what happened to us."
Dulio said, smiling.
Arthur blinked.
"And that is?"
"We fought a group of highly trained ninjas disguised as ramen shop staff."
Heracles continued, his tone completely serious.
Dulio raised a hand while chewing another piece of wagyu.
"We call them... Rameninjas."
Everyone paused.
"…Ramen ninjas?"
Jeanne repeated slowly.
"Rameninjas."
Dulio corrected, nodding proudly.
Heracles continued as if this were entirely normal.
"The weird part was the were using kitchen utensils as weapons. They even managed to push us away, and that is us without our Longinus or other powers."
Dulio swallowed.
"One of them came at me with a ladle, bro. A ladle."
Siegfried stared at them.
"And you two fought them in public… And won?"
"Yes."x2
The two eldest of the group replied.
Arthur leaned back slightly, processing.
He opened his mouth, then closed it.
"…Of course you did."
Lavinia let out a soft laugh beside him, clearly amused, while Valerie quietly giggled, trying to imagine the entire situation.
"And what about you two? How's your afternoon?"
Arthur asked, shifting his attention toward Jeanne and Siegfried.
Jeanne crossed her arms slightly, though there was a faint hint of pride in her expression.
"We participated in an event."
Siegfried, currently chewing, nodded before quickly reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a check, holding it up for everyone to see.
"10,000 yen, baby."
He said with a full mouth.
Dulio whistled.
"Not bad!"
Arthur smiled.
"Congrats. What was the event about?"
"An arcade event."
Jeanne answered shortly.
Arthur nodded, but then his eyes drifted to the small golden trophy sitting beside them.
It depicted two figures, a boy and a girl, wearing VR headsets, and leaning toward each other.
"Then why does your trophy look like two people kissing?"
Arthur asked.
"..."x2
Jeanne froze, and Siegfried choked slightly.
"I can... uhhh..."
Jeanne started.
"It's just... uhhh... "
Siegfried added.
Everyone else now paid attention to the two Exorcists, which made their faces turn red.
"Shut up, Arthur!"x2
Jeanne snapped, immediately cutting him off, and Siegfried agreed quickly, returning to his meal.
Arthur slowly leaned back, raising an eyebrow.
"Uhhh… okay?"
After a moment, the conversation settled again, the sounds of eating filling the room until Valerie suddenly spoke, her voice gentle but clear.
"You know… I really like this."
Everyone paused slightly, turning their attention to her.
Valerie held her chopsticks carefully, her expression soft.
"Being able to eat together like this… talking, laughing, bonding… I'm really grateful to be part of this super weird family of ours."
She smiled shyly.
There was a brief silence.
Then Dulio grinned.
"I agree."
He pointed his chopsticks toward Arthur.
"Doing all these things with my favorite cambion and his friends? Now that's what I call the best life."
Arthur slowly turned his head toward him.
"…Your favorite what?"
Dulio looked at Arthur.
"Did I stutter, junior?"
Arthur stared at him for a second longer before shaking his head.
"I'm not even going to question it anymore."
Lavinia smiled warmly, her gaze soft as she looked around the table.
"I agree as well. And even if some of the others aren't here right now… I'm still really grateful that we're doing this every time we can."
Heracles nodded firmly.
"Yeah... Meeting all of you has been one hell of an experience."
He looked at Arthur, smiling.
"I wanna thank you for that, Arthur. I mean it, dude."
Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly, but nodded.
"Thanks, man."
Siegfried leaned back with a small sigh, a smirk forming on his lips.
"I gotta admit… this is probably the most memorable time I've had."
Jeanne glanced at him before nodding.
"Same here. And honestly… we wouldn't be here if it weren't for our all-powerful leader… And closest friend."
She looked directly at Arthur.
All eyes turned toward him.
Arthur blinked.
For a moment, he didn't say anything.
But then he chuckled softly.
"…You guys…"
He scratched the back of his head slightly before looking at each of them, his expression genuine.
"Thanks."
He paused.
Then his voice softened just a bit.
"I'll be honest… I can't really imagine my life without all of you anymore... And not just you guys, but everyone else too… even if they're not here right now."
There was something sincere in the way he said it... something real.
A small smile formed on his lips.
"This… all of this... what we have right now…"
He reached for a bottle of Heineken beside him and lifted it slightly.
"…I wouldn't trade it for anything."
He raised it a bit higher.
"So let's make a toast."
He smiled.
"To us… to our family!"
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then one by one, they each reached for their own bottles.
"To us!" Lavinia said softly.
"To family!" Valerie added.
"To good food!" Dulio grinned.
"To friends!" Siegfried smirked.
"To victory!" Jeanne said.
"To awesomeness!" Heracles finished.
And together, they raised their drinks.
"Cheers!"x7
*Clink!*x7
The soft clink of bottles echoed in the room, as laughter followed soon after, and they continued their dinner, their bonds strengthened.
DxD
After dinner, the group stepped out of the restaurant, and they were satisfied and content.
Dulio stretched his arms above his head with a loud sigh.
"That… was perfection. I think I just reached enlightenment through wagyu."
Siegfried smirked slightly.
"You say that every time you eat something expensive."
"And I mean it every time, Sieg."
Dulio shot back without hesitation.
Valerie held her hands together in front of her, her expression soft and happy.
"Everything was really satisfying."
Lavinia nodded gently.
"It was. I'm glad we all got to experience it together."
Arthur walked beside them, hands in his hoodie pockets this time, finally free from carrying shopping bags by storing them in his Longinus, and a relaxed smile on his face as he listened to their conversation.
"Yeah, it was a good call to take the day off."
Jeanne crossed her arms, glancing at him.
"Don't let it get to your head. Tomorrow, we start working."
Arthur chuckled.
"I know. I know. After all, I'm the one who said it."
They eventually stopped near the roadside, the glow of streetlights casting soft shadows around them as Dulio called a taxi.
As the others continued making lighthearted remarks and the occasional laugh, Arthur's gaze slowly drifted.
The smile on his face faded, and his green eyes narrowed slightly, staring off into the distance, focusing on something far beyond what the others could perceive.
"Arthur? What's the matter?"
Valerie stepped a little closer, her eyes filled with concern.
For a second, Arthur didn't answer immediately, standing there silently.
Then slowly, he turned his head to look at Valerie, Lavinia, and then the others.
He smiled again.
"Nah, it's nothing, Val. In fact, why don't you guys go ahead? I'll catch up later."
He said casually, as if nothing had happened.
Lavinia blinked, clearly confused.
"Go ahead? Where are you going?"
Arthur scratched the back of his head slightly.
"Nothing important... Just gonna take care of a few errands. No biggie."
Jeanne narrowed her eyes.
"At this hour?"
"Uhhh, yeah... Don't worry, it won't take long."
Arthur shrugged.
Heracles stepped forward slightly, his gaze steady.
"Are you sure you want us to go ahead? We don't mind tagging along."
Arthur let out a small chuckle, waving his hand dismissively.
"Thanks, but seriously, relax. It's nothing serious."
He looked at all of them.
"Trust me… I'll be back in less than an hour."
A brief silence followed.
"Alright, if you say so."
Siegfried said with a small shrug.
Dulio nodded.
"Don't take too long, man. We might order room service without you."
Arthur smirked.
"You were going to do that anyway."
"…Fair point."
Just then, the taxi pulled up, its headlights cutting through the dim street as it came to a stop in front of them.
One by one, they began getting in.
Valerie hesitated for a moment before stepping inside, still glancing back at her boyfriend.
Jeanne followed, then Siegfried, Heracles, and Dulio.
Lavinia was the last one as she stood by the open door, her eyes locked onto Arthur.
"Are you sure you'll be fine?"
She asked softly.
Arthur smiled at her, raising a hand slightly.
"Don't worry, Lav. I'll be back."
She studied him for a second longer, then she nodded.
"Alright, I trust you."
And with that, she stepped into the taxi, and slowly, the vehicle drove off.
Arthur remained standing there, his hand still raised as he watched them go until they eventually, it disappeared into the city lights.
The moment they were gone, his hand lowered, and the smile on his face vanished completely.
Without a word, Arthur turned around and began walking.
Arthur carried himself deeper into the city, away from the lively streets and into quieter areas, where fewer people roamed, and the sounds of nightlife began to fade.
He moved through narrow alleys, past dimly lit buildings, and across empty sidewalks.
A few minutes later, he stopped before a massive structure.
Tokyo Dome.
Its lights were still on, illuminating the area, despite the complete absence of people.
Arthur's eyes scanned the surroundings.
"Completely empty."
He muttered quietly and stepped forward.
The sound of his footsteps echoed faintly as he walked further in, his gaze shifting left and right.
"So this is where you wanted me to come, huh?"
He said under his breath.
Arthur exhaled slowly.
"Alright then…"
The vast field within Tokyo Dome was silent as Arthur kept walking forward, and he didn't stop until he reached the center.
Arthur closed his eyes, drawing in a slow, deep breath as the cool night air filled his lungs, his shoulders rising slightly before settling as he released it just as slowly.
"You know, I was having a very good evening with my friends and girlfriends."
He tilted his head slightly, as if addressing someone he couldn't yet see.
"But then…"
Arthur's eyes opened.
"…you decided to ruin my good mood."
His gaze shifted upward, and standing atop the metal roof beams high above, barely visible against the structure, was a figure.
A boy with silver hair swayed lightly with the breeze, his blue eyes glowing faintly under the artificial lights as he looked down at Arthur, his expression filled with unmistakable excitement.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
But suddenly, the boy stepped forward and dropped.
From that height, the fall should have been fatal, and any human being would have been reduced to a bloody meat paste.
But Arthur simply watched as the boy descended slowly, the air around him subtly shifting as he lowered himself until his feet touched the grass without a sound.
The boy tucked both hands into his jacket pockets as a grin spread across his face, his eyes locking onto Arthur with a sharp intensity.
"At long last…"
He said, his voice carrying a mix of excitement and reverence.
"…after waiting for so long…"
He took a single step forward, then another, and then another.
"…we have finally met face to face…"
He stopped as his grin widened.
"…Sekiryuutei."
Arthur stared at the short teen in front of him for a moment, but then...
A small smirk formed on his lips.
"Right back at you…"
His eyes sharpened into slits.
"…Hakuryuukou."
In an instant, the atmosphere shifted.
Power surged through Arthur's body as crimson light flared briefly around his arms, and in an instant, the Boosted Gear manifested, its gauntlets forming over his hands with emerald gems gleaming faintly in the light.
At the same time, behind the boy, a silver light erupted, and a pair of light wings unfolded, with each feather formed from blue energy, illuminating the space around him.
For a brief moment, both of them were silent.
But then...
(Heheheh… It has been a long time, White One.)
The voice of Y Ddraig Goch rumbled from within Arthur's gauntlets, carrying a tone that was both amused and excited.
The boy's light wings flickered slightly, and then another deep voice responded.
(Yes, indeed… It has been far too long, Red One.)
Ddraig let out a low chuckle.
(It seems that… You have found yourself a powerful host.)
Albion hummed in agreement.
(As have you.)
There was a pause.
(I sense it clearly... The blood within your host carries the blood of a king, who is tied to our homeland.)
Albion continued, his tone shifting slightly.
The air grew heavier.
(It would seem that destiny has arranged for us the battle of the millennium, White One.)
Ddraig said, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice.
Albion responded without hesitation.
(I agree, Red One… The son of the new Lucifer against the descendant of the old Lucifer... It will be the greatest battle of all history.)
A faint surge of silver energy pulsed through the air.
(But in the end…)
Albion's tone sharpened.
(…me and my partner will reign SUPREME, Red One.)
Ddraig laughed.
(How arrogant of you, White One.)
A pulse of crimson energy flickered across Arthur's gauntlet.
(My partner and I…)
The air trembled slightly.
(…will DOMINATE both you and your host.)
Albion let out a quiet, almost amused hum.
(We shall see...)
Ddraig let out a quick grunt, agreeing.
(…Yes, we shall.)
Silence fell once more.
Arthur looked at his gauntlet-clad arms and asked.
"Are you two done with your little reunion and bragging about us, or do we have to wait until sunrise?"
Ddraig and Albion went quiet for a few seconds.
But then Ddraig and Albion hummed in unison.
"I think me and the White One are done, partner."
"Yes, what the Red One said, Pendragon boy."
The Two Heavenly Dragons agreed, which impressed the boy.
Arthur nods and returns his gaze forward towards the boy.
"Mind if I ask the name of my destined rival, Hakuryuukou? Or are you so arrogant that I'm not worthy of knowing your name?"
Now this time, it was the boy who stepped forward.
"Don't worry about me, Sekiryuutei. In fact, you're actually the only person in this world who is truly worthy of my respect and attention."
He said, his grin never faded as he lifted his hand slightly, pointing his left thumb toward his chest.
"To answer your question, my name is Vali Lucifer, 15 years old."
His blue eyes gleamed.
"I'm the descendant of Lucifer Morningstar, and the bearer of the Longinus, Divine Dividing, which holds the soul of Albion Gwiber."
His wings flared slightly.
Arthur watched and listened silently.
He already knew from his last life who Vali is, but he said nothing.
Instead, he stepped forward as well, placing his right palm on his chest.
"My name is Arthur Pendragon, 18 years old. The son of Sirzechs Lucifer, the descendant of King Arthur, and the current bearer of the Longinus, Boosted Gear, which holds the soul of Y Ddraig Goch... But I guess you already knew that."
After he introduced himself, the two of them are now facing each other in silence, standing only a foot away from each other.
Close enough to see every detail, and feel each other's presence without needing to move.
Arthur towered over Vali, his height casting a long shadow towards Vali's direction, his Boosted Gear gleaming faintly under the stadium lights as his emerald gaze looked down with quiet intensity.
But Vali stood unfazed by Arthur's gaze, looking up with his sapphire gaze locked onto Arthur's without even the slightest hint of hesitation.
His hands still resting casually in his jacket pockets, his posture relaxed as if he wasn't standing before one of the most dangerous opponents he could face.
The height difference meant nothing, but the difference in presence meant everything.
*Boom!*
A crimson-red aura flared around Arthur, rising like flames and wrapping around his body, which carried the Principle of Domination.
At the same time...
*Boom!*
A silver-white aura burst forth from Vali, shimmering like something far lethal, glowing brighter as it carried the Principle of Supremacy.
The air trembled, the blades of grass, bits of dirt, and small fragments of the ground itself slowly rose into the air, suspended between the two forces that were now colliding without a single strike being thrown.
The pressure spread outward, causing the center stadium roof to groan under it and the lights to flicker for a split second.
Arthur didn't move.
Vali didn't move.
They simply stared each other down.
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly, the faint glow of crimson reflecting within them as his voice broke the silence.
"I admit it, you've gotta lot of nerve challenging me in your current pathetic state..."
A brief pause.
"…Shrimp."
The word hung in the air.
Vali's grin widened, not offended, but amused.
"Oh? Is that so? If that's the case..."
He replied, tilting his head slightly as his aura pulsed once more, pushing back against Arthur's pressure without losing ground.
"You're gonna be so embarrassed when this 'Shrimp' is about to make you eat dirt..."
A brief pause.
"…Stilts."
The moment the word left his mouth, a surge of power exploded outward from both of them, their auras colliding violently at the center, creating a visible distortion as crimson and silver clashed, neither side yielding, neither side retreating.
Arthur's expression sharpened, Vali's grin faded into something more focused, and their eyes locked again in what appears to be the most intense staring contest in the world.
The ground beneath them began to fracture slightly, thin cracks spreading outward as the pressure increased, the floating debris around them rising higher, caught in the invisible storm created by their opposing energies.
Arthur's gauntlets tightened with a faint sound of metal scratching, and Vali's wings flared wider, the light feathers illuminating intensely.
Neither of them spoke... In fact, they didn't need to anymore.
Everything that needed to be said was already understood.
The Sekiryuutei versus The Hakuryuukou.
Standing face to face, waiting for either one of them to make the first move.
DxD
Hello readers!
Here's the second upload.
Do you readers like how I wrote the very anticipated first interaction between the Sekiryuutei, Arthur Pendragon, and the Hakuryuukou, Vali Lucifer?
If you did, then I can't wait to show you all the next chapter and all my ideas for their future 1v1 battles.
Thank you, everyone, and see you later!