Without warning, Vali moved first.
His left hand shot upward in a sharp, explosive motion, aiming directly for Arthur's chin, the speed of the strike cutting through the air with a faint crack.
But Arthur already anticipated this.
His right hand came up just as fast and caught Vali's incoming fist.
Their hands collided, and a shockwave burst outward.
The impact rippled across the ground beneath them, kicking up dirt and scattering the floating debris, the air itself trembling from the sheer force of that single exchange.
[BOOST!]
Ddraig's voice echoed from Arthur's Boosted Gear as it doubled Arthur's already monstrous strength in an instant.
[DIVIDE!]
At the same time, Albion's voice echoed from Vali's Divine Dividing as it halved Arthur's multiplied power, and Vali absorbed the other half.
Arthur's eyebrow lifted slightly.
(So this is what Divide feels like.)
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
(You got to admit… It's a pretty neat ability.)
Vali's eyes widened.
(What?)
He could feel it.
He had only used one Divide, and already he was nearing half of his maximum limit.
(How strong is this guy?!)
Vali clicked his tongue and immediately pulled back, his wings flaring as he launched himself backward, creating distance between them in an instant.
He hovered in the air for a brief moment, and he smiled; excitement burned in his eyes.
"I knew it… I knew this wasn't gonna be easy…"
With a powerful flap of his light wings, he shot forward in a blur.
"Show me what you got, Sekiryuutei!"
His speed tore through the air as he closed the gap in less than a second, his body twisting mid-flight as he launched a flying kick straight toward Arthur's head.
Arthur leaned just enough, his body bending backward, mimicking Neo's Bullet Time, as the kick passed by his face by mere inches.
Vali's eyes narrowed as he twisted mid-air, immediately turning back and launching himself forward again.
This time, he went for a barrage of punches and kicks.
Each strike came faster than the last, his movements precise, aggressive, and relentless as he aimed to overwhelm Arthur through sheer speed and number of attacks.
But Arthur remained calm as he dodged each attack effortlessly or redirected with the slightest movement of his hand.
A punch brushed past his shoulder, a kick was gently pushed aside, and an elbow strike met nothing but air.
Vali's frustration began to rise; his attacks grew faster, sharper, and more desperate.
(Why can't I land just one hit on him? And why is he just dodging?!)
On the other hand, Arthur's expression didn't change.
To him, this felt slow and disappointing.
"Is this supposed to be the power of the Hakuryuukou?"
His eyes narrowed slightly as he tilted his head, slipping past another strike.
"I'm unimpressed."
Suddenly, Ddraig spoke to him.
(Don't underestimate him, partner. The brat may be weak, but even the weak have ways to defeat the strong.)
Arthur deflected another kick with the back of his hand and dodged another punch.
(I know that, but I can't help it, Ddraig. This battle, if you can call it that, is very disappointing.)
After hearing his words, Vali gritted his teeth, clearly offended.
"Don't get cocky! You ain't seen nothing yet!"
He spun mid-air, raising his leg high before bringing it down in a powerful axe kick, aiming to crush Arthur where he stood.
But this time, Arthur's hand shot up and grabbed Vali's ankle.
Vali's eyes widened.
"SHIT!"
Before he could react, Arthur slammed him down to the ground, hard.
"Language."
The ground shattered beneath the impact, dirt and debris exploding outward as Vali's body bounced from the force, a sharp cough escaping his lips as blood spilled from his mouth.
Arthur stood over him, releasing his grip as he spoke calmly.
"Here's a word of advice, kid."
Vali's vision blurred slightly.
"Never be too eager to face your opponent. It gives away your intent."
Before Vali could even process the words, Arthur sent Vali flying with a single kick.
Vali's body shot upward into the sky like a projectile, the force knocking the air out of his lungs as his consciousness flickered.
(Partner! PARTNER!)
Albion's voice rang out sharply.
(Vali, wake up!)
Vali's eyes snapped open just in time.
He stabilized himself mid-air, his light wings spreading wide as he regained control, coughing hard as he forced himself to breathe.
Below him, Arthur stood there waiting.
Vali wiped the blood from the corner of his lips.
"Okay, then... How about this?!"
A massive white magic circle formed in front of his hand, and a barrage of icicles rained down from above.
"Eat this, you redhead!"
They tore through the air toward Arthur.
Arthur blinked.
"Seriously?"
The icicles crashed against Arthur, causing the ground around him to erupt into explosions of ice and mist spread across the battlefield, obscuring everything from view.
Vali hovered above, breathing lightly as he lowered his hand.
"Did that get him?"
But before Albion could answer, a voice echoed from below.
"One of my girlfriends is the wielder of Absolute Demise, and let me tell you, her ice is far colder than this lukewarm crap."
Vali's eyes widened.
The mist began to part, showing that Arthur stood there, completely fine and not a scratch.
The cold air dissipated around him as he brushed a bit of frost from his hoodie, his expression mildly unimpressed.
"Did you really think that a little bit of ice was enough to hurt me?"
Vali stared at him, then he chuckled.
"Yeah… I didn't expect that to work. But I'll never know unless I try."
He rolled his shoulder slightly, his grin returning.
Slowly, Vali descended, landing lightly on the ground once more, his wings folding slightly behind him as he looked at Arthur with renewed excitement.
Then, he raised his hand, gesturing Arthur to approach him.
"Your turn, Sekiryuutei."
His grin widened.
"Give me all you got! No holding back!"
Arthur stared at him.
He tilted his head slightly, his expression shifting as if he had just witnessed something completely ridiculous.
"No."
Vali blinked.
"Huh?"
"I said no."
Arthur repeated plainly.
Vali frowned.
"What do you mean, 'No'?"
Arthur let out a quiet breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly as if the entire situation had suddenly become tiresome.
"You wanna know why I even bothered coming here?"
He said, his voice calm but sharp.
"Because YOU are the White Dragon Emperor... or Hakuryuukou for short. My arch-rival, whom I am destined to battle against. One of the many reasons why I even trained hard until my body broke and transformed into the person that I am today. The only person in this world whom I initially thought was my equal."
Silence fell between them.
"And here I thought you were gonna challenge me in a REAL fight. But lo and behold, you showed up unannounced and offered me... whatever the hell this is."
Arthur gestured towards Vali's short figure.
Vali's grin faded.
"What are you trying to say?"
Arthur sust took one step.
"I get it, kid. I mean it. You're young, reckless, and obviously stupid, but you have so much room to grow and reach MY level. In fact, I might even call you, Potential Man... Heh."
He chuckled a little after saying the last part.
"But so far…"
His gaze hardened.
"…you've done NOTHING but disappoint me."
The words hit harder than any strike.
Vali's fists clenched.
Arthur didn't stop.
"You can't even touch me long enough to land another Divide. And even if you did manage to do so…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…you're already reaching half of your limit."
Vali's breath hitched.
Arthur could see it clearly.
The way Vali's aura fluctuated ever so slightly after using Divide.
"You've already filled half of the tank with just one Divide. At this rate, you'll reached you max strength after one more Divide or two."
Arthur continued, his tone almost analytical.
Vali's teeth gritted, his hands trembled slightly at his sides.
Then Arthur delivered the final blow.
"Wake up to reality, kid. With the way you are right now…"
Another pause.
"I'm WAY out of your league... And you're WAY over your head."
"..."
Vali went silent, his silver hair covering his eyes.
For a split second, everything stopped.
But then...
"YOU..."
*BOOM!*
Vali's silver aura flared violently, erupting outward in a massive shockwave that tore through the ground, carving cracks beneath his feet.
"YOU ARROGANT BASTARD!!!"
Vali yelled with raw anger.
His light wings spread open, and he shot upward like a comet.
He tore through the air, smashing straight through the ceiling of the Tokyo Dome, metal and debris scattering as he vanished.
"..."
Arthur stood there, unmoving.
Ddraig's voice echoed in his mind.
(Did the kid just throw a tantrum and leave?)
Arthur hummed softly, glancing up at the hole in the dome.
"I was trying to piss him off to get him to fight me seriously. And maybe even get him to power up mid-battle."
He placed a hand on his hip.
"I didn't expect him to rage quit."
Ddraig let out a low chuckle.
(Well, you do have an odd talent for enraging anyone you meet for the first time, Arthur. But I think you might have overdone it this time.)
Arthur shrugged slightly.
"…Maybe."
Just as he considered returning to the hotel.
*WHOOOOOSSSSSHHHHH!*
A sharp, piercing whistle cut through the air from above.
Arthur's eyes shifted upward through the massive hole in the dome.
(Something is coming.)
Suddenly, a really, really, really fast streak of silver light descended from the sky like a falling star.
It was Vali, his entire body radiating with raw power.
His aura blazing brighter than before, his light wings trailing streams of blue energy as he dove downward at insane speed, the air around him warping from the sheer velocity.
"TRY AND DODGE THIS, ASSHOLE!"
His voice roared as he came crashing down, his leg raised high before slamming downward with devastating force, aiming directly for Arthur's head.
Arthur didn't dodge, not even a step.
At the last possible moment, he raised his right arm and blocked it.
*BOOOOOM!!!*
The impact caused a massive shockwave to erupt outward, the ground beneath Arthur cracking and collapsing as the force spread across the crater, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions.
Vali's eyes burned with intensity.
[DIVIDE!]
Arthur's strength is cut in half again.
And once more, that stolen power is absorbed into Vali.
But this time, Vali's body tensed and his aura flickered violently.
He had reached his limit.
Fortunately, the excess energy was released from his Light Wings in unstable surges.
Arthur noticed immediately, and his lips curved slightly.
"Better... But another word of advice."
Vali's eyes widened slightly.
[BOOST!]
Arthur's gauntlet pulsed, doubling his power once more, completely offsetting the effects of Divide in an instant.
"If you're gonna do a surprise attack..."
Arthur's gaze sharpened.
"…Don't give away your location by yelling."
And then he vanished.
Vali's pupils shrank, and he quickly turned around.
(Where did he-?!)
Before Vali could react, Arthur appeared right behind him, grabbed the back of his head, and then slammed him down to where he stood.
Vali's face was planted into the ground where Arthur had been standing just moments ago, the impact creating a small crater inside the bigger crater, the force echoing throughout the entire stadium.
At the center of it all, Arthur stood there, his hand keeping Vali's face down to the ground.
Dust hung in the air, slowly settling around the broken ground where Vali lay face down, his body barely moving after the brutal impact.
Arthur stood over him for a moment, his crimson aura flickering softly before gradually calming, his expression returning to that same cold, unimpressed look.
"By the way, I just remembered something. What was it you said earlier?"
Arthur tilted his head slightly, as if trying to recall something in the middle of an ordinary conversation.
Vali didn't respond.
"Oh yeah… Now I remember."
He looked down at the boy beneath him.
"You were going to make me eat dirt."
Arthur let go completely and straightened his posture, taking a step back as he glanced down at Vali's current state.
"But look at yourself. You gave it everything you had, yet I barely had to move to make you fall."
Vali's fingers twitched against the cracked earth.
"You tried so hard and got so far, but in the end, it doesn't even matter."
Arthur continued, quoting one of his favorite songs from his past.
Silence followed.
Arthur turned slightly, his eyes drifting away for a brief moment as if contemplating something.
After thinking it through, he spoke again.
"You know, I think I finally get it now."
He looked back down at Vali.
"You haven't unlocked your Balance Breaker yet, have you?"
Vali's body stiffened, but Arthur's gaze didn't waver.
"If that's the case... Then you are, by far, the weakest White Dragon Emperor in all of history, Vali Lucifer."
A small, humorless chuckle escaped him.
"Heh... Lucifer... What a joke."
Arthur's eyes narrowed as Vali's fingers dug into the dirt.
"I bet your father beats the ever-living shit out of you every single day for being such a disappointment."
A faint tremor ran through Vali's body.
Arthur continued without hesitation.
"And your human mother…"
A pause.
"…I almost feel bad for her."
His tone carried pity.
"That poor woman has to birth and raise such a pathetic little runt."
Vali's breathing became uneven.
"I also bet she suffered for it too… Maybe worse."
Arthur turned away and began walking.
"If you're able to survive this, then you'd better start praying."
He said without looking back, his voice echoing through the battlefield.
"And apologize to God… for existing in MY world."
He paused briefly.
"You don't even deserve to die by my hand, brat."
And then, he kept walking away from the crater where Vali is.
The only sound left was the faint crunch of grass and debris under his feet.
Ddraig's voice broke the silence.
(I think you took that a bit too far, Arthur.)
Arthur didn't stop.
(Despite being obviously weaker than you, he still faced you head-on. That alone deserves a bit of respect.)
Arthur exhaled quietly.
"First of all, whose side are you on, Ddraig?"
Ddraig didn't answer immediately.
Arthur continued walking.
"And second of all, if he can't handle a few words, then he doesn't deserve my respect."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And besides… I have my reasons. If it works, then-"
*BOOOOOM!!!*
A sudden surge of power erupted behind him.
Arthur stopped.
A massive shockwave exploded outward from the crater, sending debris flying once more as the ground trembled violently beneath the force.
A pillar of white light shot upward, piercing through the hole in the dome.
Arthur closed his eyes for a brief moment.
Then he smirked.
"Well, well, well. That was fast."
He turned around and looked forward.
From the center of the crater, Vali hovered in the air.
But everything about him had changed.
A white dragon armor now covered his whole body, forming perfectly around his shorter frame, its design reminiscent of Arthur's own Scale Mail yet distinctly his own, adorned with glowing blue jewels, and his pair of light wings had expanded further.
(Divine Dividing's Balance Breaker… Divine Dividing: Scale Mail.)
Ddraig's voice rumbled with recognition.
Arthur rolled his shoulder slightly, his own aura beginning to rise again in response.
(So that was your plan all along.)
Ddraig added.
Arthur neither confirmed nor denied it.
When Vali lifted his head, his eyes met Arthur's.
Gone was his previous excitement and frustration.
What remained was...
Pure.
Raw.
Fury.
"Damn... It actually worked."
Arthur's smirk widened slightly.
The moment Arthur's words left his lips...
Vali vanished.
A blur of white light cut through the air, and in the next instant, he was already in front of Arthur, his expression twisted with silent fury as his left fist drove forward with explosive force.
Arthur reacted instantly with his gauntlet-clad arms crossed.
The punch connected, and a deafening impact echoed through the stadium as a shockwave erupted outward, the force of the collision cracking the ground beneath Arthur's feet as he was driven backward, his boots carving deep lines into the dirt.
[DIVIDE!]
Arthur felt it again.
Arthur's strength was split in half and absorbed by Vali, but this time, Vali's power surged due to the amplified power of his Balance Breaker.
Arthur was sent flying through the air, slamming into the rows of bleachers behind him, the metal structures crumpling on impact as chair after chair snapped and shattered, piling on top of him in a growing heap of debris.
The stadium went silent.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Vali just hovered, his eyes locked onto the wreckage, and his wings flickering.
*Boom!*
The entire pile exploded outward.
Metal and debris were blown away in all directions as a burst of crimson energy tore through the wreckage, sending fragments scattering across the stadium.
Arthur stepped forward, brushing a piece of broken metal off his shoulder, then casually dusted himself off as if he had just walked through a mild inconvenience rather than a direct hit from his destined rival.
"…Not bad."
He said, his tone carrying a hint of approval.
Vali didn't respond.
Arthur moved his right arm, and from his right hand, he summoned the Excalibur Nightmare.
Arthur grasped it firmly, then casually rested it on his right shoulder.
[BOOST!]
His crimson aura flickered once more, and this time, there was a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Now that you've powered up..."
He simply raised his left hand and gestured for Vali to approach him.
"…Show me what you got, Hakuryuukou."
DxD
Hello readers!
I actually had some free time to create and upload this chapter, so give me your Power Stones.
Before anyone asks, the next chapter will be uploaded soon.
Thank you, everyone, and see you later!