Back with the others.
The taxi came to a smooth stop in front of the luxury hotel as the group stepped out one by one, the quiet entrance standing in stark contrast to the chaotic and eventful day they had just experienced.
Dulio stretched as soon as his feet touched the ground, letting out a loud yawn as he rolled his shoulders.
"Man… I'm stuffed. If I eat anything else tonight, I might actually transcend."
Jeanne shot him a flat look.
"You said that earlier."
"And I meant every word, Jeanne."
Dulio replied without missing a beat.
Heracles, meanwhile, stood still for a moment, his gaze drifting toward the distant skyline as if searching for something.
"Arthur is taking longer than expected."
Siegfried shrugged casually as he adjusted his jacket.
"He's probably something dirty with some Asian chick."
The moment those words left his mouth, two pairs of eyes locked onto him.
Lavinia and Valerie were both staring at him... menacingly.
Siegfried froze.
"Wait... That's not what I wanted to say. I mean that he-"
He said quickly, raising both hands defensively as a bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
" What I mean to say that he's like- like he's buying adult toys! Yeah! For you two!"
He blurted out, gesturing wildly.
"..."x2
Valerie's face was stone cold, while Lavinia smiled sweetly.
Siegfried immediately regretted everything.
"I made it worse, didn't I?"
Heracles leaned slightly toward Dulio, lowering his voice.
"He should really stop digging his own grave with his words alone."
Dulio nodded solemnly.
"He should have stopped three seconds ago."
Siegfried slowly stepped back.
"I'm just going to pretend I didn't say anything."
"Yeah... You should, idiot."
Jeanne said dryly.
Dulio let out another yawn, stretching his arms again.
"Anyway, I'm not waiting around for our friendly neighborhood redhead. I'm heading back to the room."
He pointed toward the entrance.
"Maybe I'll order room service. Something light. Like… everything."
Jeanne immediately cut in.
"No."
Dulio blinked.
"No?"
"We have work tomorrow morning, remember?"
She said, her firm tone immediately killed Dulio's enthusiasm.
"Oh yeah… Right."
He muttered.
Lavinia nodded in agreement.
"She's right. We should rest soon."
Valerie followed with a small nod.
"Yes… we shouldn't overdo it."
Heracles crossed his arms slightly.
"Agreed."
Siegfried sighed.
"Guess that settles it."
"Alrighty, then, kiddos."
Dulio said, shrugging.
"Let's just go inside, and-"
*Flash!*
All of a sudden, a flash of light cut through the night sky.
Everyone stopped what they're doing.
"What the hell was that?"
Siegfried asked, his tone serious.
They turned around.
Far in the distance, a pillar of silver light shot upward, piercing the sky for a brief moment before fading just as quickly as it appeared.
Silence followed.
Heracles narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What are the chances that was related to our leader and friend, Arthur?"
Dulio crossed his arms, thinking for a second before answering, completely serious.
"About as high as Snoop Dogg."
A pause.
"That's… very high..."
Siegfried admitted.
Lavinia's gaze remained fixed on the spot where the light had appeared, her expression shifting from calm to focused.
"We're definitely not ignoring that."
She stepped forward, and a massive blue magic circle suddenly formed beneath their feet.
Valerie immediately stepped closer to her, nodding.
"We should check it out, guys."
Dulio shrugged.
"I'm down."
Heracles gave a small nod.
"Me too... It may be something pretty cool."
Siegfried summoned his Demon Sword, Gram.
"Yeah… I've got a feeling its something pretty cool."
Jeanne didn't say anything as she simply drew her blade via Blade Blacksmith.
Lavinia's magic circle glowed faintly as she activated the teleportation spell.
"Hold on."
The magic circle flared, and in the next instant...
They vanished.
DxD
The group reappeared at the far back of the Tokyo Dome, right along the highest rows of bleachers.
For a brief moment, no one spoke.
But then...
"…What the hell happened here?"
Siegfried muttered under his breath as their eyes slowly adjusted to the scene before them.
What they saw was devastation.
The entire stadium had been reduced to ruin, rows of seats were shattered and twisted, entire sections collapsed into jagged piles of metal and debris.
The ground below was no longer a field, but a battlefield littered with craters of varying sizes, and above them is a massive hole tore through the ceiling.
"Everyone, look over there. At the field."
Jeanne pointed forward.
"Is that...?"
Valerie whispered, gesturing at the battlefield.
At the center of it all was Arthur.
His Boosted Gear summoned and activated, and resting in his hand was Excalibur Nightmare.
And in front of him was Vali.
Encased in his Divine Dividing: Scale Mail, his white armor shining brilliantly.
"Wait a minute... Those wings..."
Dulio muttered, his eyes widened.
"Uhhh... Who's the shrimp that looks like an albino version of Arthur?"
Heracles questioned, his eyes watching the scene in front of them.
Siegfried looked closer at where they're looking, and then his eyes widened.
"Holy fucking shit. That's...!"
"...The White Dragon Emperor."
Lavinia answered, her eyes narrowing.
The two Dragon Emperors were currently engaged in an intense high-speed exchange of blows.
Blurs of red and white streaked across the ruined stadium as they clashed mid-air, their movements too quick for the untrained eye, each collision sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
On one side, Vali attacked relentlessly, throwing punch after punch, each one filled with silent fury, his expression cold and focused as he drove forward with everything he had.
On the other side, Arthur smiled, even as he parried, deflected, and countered everything thrown at him with ease using his Holy Sword.
"Not bad, brat! You're actually putting some effort!"
Arthur called out mid-clash, his voice carrying across the battlefield.
Vali didn't respond, but punched harder.
Arthur swung his blade again, but this time, Vali caught it.
Both hands clamped onto Excalibur Nightmare's flat side, making Arthur's eyes flickered slightly.
"Oh?"
[DIVIDE!]
Vali used Divide, twisted his body, and spun.
Using the sword as leverage, he rotated violently, dragging Arthur along with him before releasing, and sending him crashing down.
Arthur shot toward the ground.
*Boom!*
But he landed on his feet, causing the impact still shattered the earth beneath him, forming yet another crater that spread outward in jagged lines.
Vali didn't stop there.
He raised his hand, and multiple white magic circles formed around him, glowing intensely as they aligned toward Arthur below.
Dozens of lightning bolts erupted simultaneously, tearing through the air and raining down toward Arthur.
Arthur looked up, and he smirked.
"You're getting better, kid."
He lifted Excalibur Nightmare, and in an instant, multiple illusions of Arthur appeared.
Each one sprinted across the ruined field, darting in different directions, weaving between the incoming lightning bolts as explosions erupted all around them.
The ground shook as each strike landed.
One by one, the illusions were destroyed as the barrage continued.
Vali hovered above, his eyes scanning the battlefield in silence.
"Where the hell did he go?"
He muttered.
Suddenly, he sensed a presence watching him from behind.
Vali turned sharply, and from a distance, he saw Arthur sitting casually on one of the bleachers, leg crossed over the other, and in one hand is a bucket of popcorn while on the other is a large soda.
He took a long sip, completely unbothered, before raising the popcorn and tossing a handful into his mouth.
"Yo!"
Arthur smiled and waved.
Vali's eye twitched.
"You're doing good, junior! But can you do anything else besides sucking?!"
Arthur grinned.
Vali's expression darkened.
His Light Wings flared violently, the blue energy feathers glowing brighter and brighter as his aura surged once more.
[MERCURY!]
Albion's voice echoed from his light wings.
A surge of power exploded outward and the wings fired beams of concentrated blue light shot out in every direction, bending unnaturally mid-flight as they curved toward Arthur, tracking him with great precision as they accelerated at immense speeds.
Arthur's eyes widened slightly.
"What the?"
*BOOM!*
The beams struck him head-on.
Explosions of light erupted across the bleachers, the force tearing through the structure as fragments scattered into the air, the entire area engulfed in blinding blue light.
The barrage continued relentless, until it finally stopped.
Silence fell once more.
Vali hovered in place, breathing heavier now as he lowered his arms slightly, his chest rising and falling as he exhaled loudly.
"I... I finally got him…"
Vali panted.
*Clap*
*Clap*
*Clap*
*Clap*
Vali's eyes narrowed.
He looked down, and he saw that Arthur stood below, completely unscathed.
His sword embedded into the ground beside him as he brought his hands together in a slow clap, a proud smile on his face.
"Impressive... I didn't know you could do that."
Arthur said honestly, tilting his head slightly.
"What else you got?"
Vali stared at him.
"How…? How the hell did you got out of that unscathed?"
He demanded, his voice shaking slightly.
Arthur smirked.
"Fuck you, that's how."
Vali's wings flared once more, the energy within them gathering rapidly as the blue glow intensified as another barrage of Mercury was about to be unleashed.
[MERC-]
"Hold it!"
Arthur's voice cut through the air sharply.
Vali paused.
The energy flickered, and for a brief moment, the battlefield went still again.
Vali frowned slightly, his arm lowering just a fraction.
"What?"
Arthur raised a hand casually.
"Before we continue, I just wanna say something."
Vali's brows furrowed.
"You're seriously pausing our fight for a quick chat?"
Arthur ignored the tone completely.
"First of all, I didn't expect you to improve this fast. Honestly? I thought you'd take longer to get here."
He admitted, tilting his head slightly as he looked at Vali with genuine interest now.
A small grin tugged at his lips.
"Guess it only took a few words of encouragement."
Vali's eye twitched.
"Fuck you!"
Arthur immediately pointed at him.
"Language."
"You literally said it first!"
"Yeah, but I'm older than you, so it doesn't count."
Vali stared at him in disbelief for half a second before clicking his tongue in annoyance.
Arthur let out a small chuckle before his expression shifted a bit more serious.
He reached back, and Excalibur Nightmare vanished, dissolving into light as he dismissed it.
"Second, a few moments ago, you piqued my curiosity."
Arthur continued, rolling his shoulders slightly, cracking his knuckles, then stretched his arms as if preparing for something more physical.
"But now… you've got my attention."
Vali's expression tightened.
Arthur smirked.
"So because of that…"
He added, his tone turning almost playful.
"...and because I feel like making a JoJo reference…"
He raised his gauntlets slightly.
"...I'm gonna show you what I REALLY got."
Vali's eyes widened just slightly.
Arthur's voice dropped.
"Balance Breaker, Boosted Gear: Scale Mail."
A surge of power engulfed him as red dragon armor formed across his entire body with glowing green orbs embedded throughout, a pair of dragon-like on his back, and a tail extended behind him, swaying slightly.
The pressure in the stadium skyrocketed.
Vali went silent, and Arthur tilted his head slightly, the faint green glow behind his visor locking onto him.
"So, you wanna guess what's my next move, brat?"
Vali didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he slowly descended until his boots touched the ground.
Then, he started walking toward Arthur in a slow pace.
Arthur's smirk widened beneath his helmet.
"Oh? You're approaching me? Instead of flying away, you're coming right to me?"
His tone carried amusement as he opened his arms.
Vali's lips curled into a small smirk of his own, his blue visor burning with determination.
"I can't beat the ever-living shit out of you without getting closer."
Vali replied, understanding the reference.
Arthur let out a quick chuckle.
"Oh ho! Then come as close as you like!"
He began walking forward as well.
The distance between them closed until they were face to face.
As they took their last step forward, in that instant, Vali struck.
But Arthur moved faster.
[BOOST!]
Arthur's leg snapped out, and struck Vali's ankle.
The impact disrupted Vali's balance instantly, his body dipped and dropped to one knee.
Arthur looked down at him, letting out a small laugh.
"What's the matter, brat? Your shoelaces untied?"
Vali's teeth clenched.
His breath hissed through them, but then he chuckled.
"Tch!"
He pushed himself back up, rising to his feet again as he looked up at Arthur, his expression regaining that fierce edge.
"Was that supposed to hurt, hotshot? Because I barely felt anything but a tickle."
Vali asked, rolling his shoulder slightly.
Arthur chuckled.
"So the little runt's starting to talk back…"
His tone turned slightly amused.
"…Finally."
He moved.
[BOOST!]
Arthur's fist shot forward.
Vali raised his arms and blocked.
The impact pushed him back.
[BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!]
Arthur threw a series of punches at Vali, who blocked them all.
His feet dug into the ground, carving lines through the dirt as he was driven backward, each hit heavier than the last, the repeated Boosts stacking Arthur's power higher and higher.
Vali's eyes narrowed.
He waited, and ducked, slipping under the next punch, and swept Arthur's legs.
[DIVIDE!]
Arthur's body is weakened and tilted.
But instead of falling, he did a clean side flip carried him over the attack, landing smoothly a few feet away.
Vali didn't waste the opening.
[DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!]
He surged forward and a barrage of kicks followed, each one fast, precise, relentless as they slammed into Arthur's guard, forcing him backward this time, his body sliding across the ground before he regained his footing.
"That wasn't so bad, kid."
Arthur straightened up and began walking forward again.
Vali remained silent.
Arthur stopped just a few steps away.
"But how about this?"
Vali's eyes narrowed slightly.
Arthur raised a finger.
"Let's do a test of strength, speed, and precision. Boosts and Divides only."
A faint smirk formed beneath the helmet.
Vali scoffed.
"Why the hell would I agree to that?"
Arthur shrugged casually.
"You don't have to."
He tilted his head slightly.
"But I guess you're just scared to face me in a simple exchange."
Vali's expression darkened.
"You really know how to piss people off, prick."
He muttered, but stepped forward.
They stood only two feet apart, with Arthur towering over Vali.
And then, at the exact same time....
Their fists shot forward, cutting through the air with explosive force before colliding dead center.
*BOOOOOM!!!*
A violent shockwave erupted outward, cracking the ground beneath them as crimson and silver energy clashed in a blinding flash.
[BOOST!]
[DIVIDE!]
Ddraig and Albion's voices rang out simultaneously.
Arthur's power doubled, and is halved by Vali.
Vali grinned beneath his helm, his eyes blazing with excitement and fury.
"BRING IT ON, SEKIRYUUTEI!"
Arthur's own grin widened, his stance firm as he pushed forward.
"SHOW ME MORE, HAKURYUUKOU!"
They unleashed everything.
Punch after punch.
Blow after blow.
A relentless barrage of fists collided between them, each strike meeting the other with perfect timing, their knuckles smashing together again and again, each impact producing explosive bursts of force that echoed like thunder throughout the entire stadium.
[BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!]
[DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!]
The voices continued nonstop with every strike.
Arthur's power doubled again and again with each consecutive punch.
Vali's power halved Arthur's, absorbed the other half, and repeated in perfect rhythm.
Neither yielded nor stepped back, even as the ground beneath them shattered further, debris lifting into the air as the continuous shockwaves blasted everything around them away, clearing the battlefield into a widening circle of destruction.
From the bleachers, the others watched in stunned silence.
"Holy shit... Is that a motherfucking JoJo reference?!"
Heracles breathed, his eyes wide as he leaned forward, barely able to process what he was seeing.
Valerie stood frozen, her hands clenched tightly against her chest.
"…Arthur…"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"This is the first time I've ever seen someone trade blows with him like that…"
Jeanne crossed her arms, her gaze locked onto the battlefield.
"This isn't just a fight anymore. This is turning into something else entirely…"
Siegfried nodded beside her, his expression serious.
"Yeah… How the hell does this even end?"
Neither of them had an answer.
Lavinia remained silent.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched closely, analyzing every movement, every fluctuation in energy.
"Something's off…"
Dulio, standing nearby with his usual relaxed posture, suddenly tilted his head.
"Yeah, I see it too."
He muttered, noticing it as well.
"Hey, guys. Look closely."
He called out, pointing toward the center.
The others focused harder, and they saw it.
Arthur and Vali continued their relentless exchange, fists colliding over and over again, their fists refusing to stop, and slowly... they began to rise.
Their feet lifted from the ground, but the two still continued their rush attack.
[BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!][BOOST!]
[DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!][DIVIDE!]
As they clashed, Arthur's crimson aura and Vali's silver aura grew, expanding outward, and colliding violently with one another as their power intensified beyond what the stadium could contain.
And then, something new emerged.
A pinkish hue began to form where their Dragon Auras collided, the energy warping unnaturally as it twisted around them, distorting the space itself.
The very fabric of the space around them began to ripple as if struggling to contain the sheer force of their clash.
"What the hell is that?"
Siegfried whispered.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble.
At first, it was light.
But then, it got stronger.
The entire stadium began to shake, cracks spreading further along the structure as debris fell from above, parts of the already damaged dome beginning to collapse under the strain.
At the center, Vali laughed.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!"
A wild, almost unhinged sound escaped him as his grin widened beneath his helm, his punches growing faster, stronger, more aggressive with every passing second.
Arthur laughed too.
"HEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
A deep, exhilarated laugh as he matched Vali's pace, his own power continuing to rise, his strikes hitting harder and faster as the clash intensified.
Neither of them could land a clean hit.
But neither of them cared.
They were enjoying the moment.
Heracles clenched his fists on the railings, bracing himself against the shaking ground.
"These two are gonna bring the whole place down!"
Jeanne nodded sharply.
"We need to do something!"
Siegfried shook his head immediately.
"And what exactly do you expect us to do?!"
He gestured toward the battlefield.
"If we get anywhere near that, we'll get pulverized!"
Another explosion of force erupted as their fists collided again.
Silence fell for a brief moment.
The truth of that statement hung heavy.
"Heheheh..."
A chuckle came from Dulio.
"You guys are hilarious sometimes."
He said casually, and they all turned toward him.
He pointed at himself with a grin.
"Have you all forgotten that your No.1 favorite senior is the Strongest Exorcist of today?"
They stared at him, unimpressed.
"Oh yeah... I forgot."
Siegfried deadpanned.
Heracles raised a brow.
"Are you sure, dude? I thought Old Man Vasco was the strongest."
Jeanne sighed.
"This is not the time for jokes."
Their remarks caused Dulio's "maiden" heart to break and he wept comically.
"Y-You guys are really mean..."
He cried, making sniffling noise while the place was crumbling.
But, Lavinia spoke.
"This is not the time for jokes."
Everyone turned to her.
She looked at Dulio, her expression calm but firm.
"Dulio... do something."
Her voice carried trust.
Dulio blinked, but smiled afterwards.
"Relax, princess."
He stretched his neck slightly, stepping forward as his usual lazy demeanor shifted just enough to reveal something more beneath.
"I got this."
DxD
Hello readers!
Fun fact, my favorite Stand from JJBA is Rubber Soul's Yellow Temperance.
My personal reasons is that it is one of the most underrated Stands in the series.
It is impervious to physical attacks, immune to freezing or burning, and can grow stronger by assimilating organic matter.
The only weakness is the Stand User themselves, so all they have to do is to hide themselves inside Yellow Temperance.
Comment down below what's your favorite Stand, and for the love of DIO, don't you dare say Speedwagon.
Thank you, everyone, and see you later!