"Depends on the situation, I guess... but I'm no hero or savior. Even if my reputation takes a temporary hit, if I can stack up victories and shift public opinion, that's good enough for me."
Even if I can't win everyone over, there'll still be people who support me. But if I take this approach and end up losing... my image will crash hard. People will say, "Guess he was just a small fry after all."
"Still, even if I play smart, I won't play dirty."
"A number of reincarnated devils—like Rudiger Rosenkreutz, for example—are often seen as 'not wanting to fight anymore.' Perhaps this is what they mean."
I imagine high-class devils hate the idea of losing to someone they see as a "lowly human." They probably don't want to fight someone who's desperate enough to claw their way to victory.
A loss like that would leave them open to all kinds of gossip in noble circles. …Wait. Now that I think about it—if Ravel ends up marrying a human like me someday, will those rotten noble devils mock her behind her back?
Ah—damn it. Just thinking about it pisses me off.
But changing the views of those twisted bastards isn't easy. The simplest way might be for me to become overwhelmingly powerful—god-level, maybe—so the Underworld can't ignore me. Still... that's not exactly realistic, is it?
Anyway, I'm getting off track. That stuff's important too, but right now, I should be focusing on Issei and the match.
Just now, Regulus told Sairaorg to wear him—and Sairaorg shouted him down. But then Issei stepped in and urged him to do it.
"Not just me—we are going to take down the strongest version of you, right here and now! What's the point of winning if it's not against your best self?!"
"Nyaaha~ He's being all gritty and passionate. Not bad at all. What about you, Ikki? Are you not into that hot-blooded stuff?"
"Nah, I actually like it. If it's a real fight, that's one thing—but if it's a game and there's nothing really on the line, I wouldn't mind going all-out like that."
"Ufufu... You really are a man, aren't you, Ikki-sama? Even if you say things like that, it just shows you're someone who prioritizes what he wants to protect."
…Didn't expect them to praise me like that.
"I just know my own limits. I'm not strong enough to protect everything. So I'll at least try to protect what I can reach."
I'm no hero. That title suits Issei better.
"But as you grow stronger, the things within your reach will also grow—little by little, but surely."
"Well, I do like getting stronger~ And if it helps Ikki out, then maybe I'll work a bit harder too. Ravel can't just sit around being protected all the time—she has to be strong enough to protect someone too, nya~"
"Absolutely!"
Ugh... My future wives are way too devoted. I might actually cry.
As I fought to hold back emotion, the camera showed Sairaorg donning a majestic golden lion-themed armor.
That's Regulus's forbidden balance breaker—Regulus Rey Leather Rex, the Lion King's Hide.
Issei, witnessing the transformation, activated his own "True Chariot" form and launched a full-powered attack—but it was caught with one hand.
"Is that all you've got?"
With a quiet murmur, Sairaorg drove his fist into Issei's stomach, shattering his armor and sending him flying flat on his back.
The armor vanished, and what remained was Issei's body—twitching slightly at the fingers and lips, eyes completely unfocused.
He hadn't retired yet, probably because he barely clung to consciousness.
"Issei!!"
On screen, President Rias, now healed by Phoenix Tears, rushed to his side, lifting his upper body gently.
"Issei! Come on! Open your eyes! Stay with me!"
"Hyoudou Issei. Is that really all you've got...? I'll give you three minutes."
Sairaorg said this calmly, stepping back to give them space.
Around us, the crowd of kids—the ones who loved the Oppai Dragon—looked like they were about to cry.
No, some already were crying.
"Don't die, Oppai Dragon!"
"Come on, get up! Get up, Oppai Dragon!!"
Then Irina stood up and rallied the children.
"The Oppai Dragon always gets back up! So believe in him—and cheer him on!"
And from that cheer section, a rising wave of support spread throughout the audience. Though… yeah. The "Oppai!" chants were definitely problematic.
Still, maybe those cheers did reach him.
Because suddenly, just like in Kyoto, Rias's chest began to glow—and Issei latched on to her breasts like a newborn baby!?
"Kyaaaaah"
Some mysterious censoring light hit the screen—but the arena erupted in chaos.
Wait, WHAT!? Wasn't he just supposed to stand up dramatically or something!?
"W-WHAT'S THIS!? Ladies and gentlemen, take a look! Hyoudou Issei—better known as the Oppai Dragon—despite clearly being unconscious, has just buried his face into Switch Princess's exposed underboob and is now SUCKING! Yes! He's sucking hard! This must be pure instinct! From the sound alone you'd think it's 'chu-chu' level!"
Whoa, calm down announcer. You're way too into this.
"Uwoooooooon! Uwooooooooooooooon!!"
There it is! Ddraig's crying on live broadcast over his host's utter humiliation!
Eventually, seemingly satisfied (with what!?), Issei pulled away. His body was enveloped in a crimson light, and as it faded, he stood—his armor transformed once again.
"Uwoooooooon! Uwoooooooooon!! Partner! I… I'm so PROUD!!! Waaaaaah!"
"Hey! Ddraig!? What's gotten into you!? Look, I'm back! You don't need to cry like that!"
…Yup. Judging from that, he probably doesn't remember a single thing he just did.
Makes sense, given how out of it he was.
Then Rias asked him:
"I-It's fine, Issei! Don't worry about it! More importantly—what is that new armor?!"
"Yes, it seems I've become the 'True Queen.' But that's not all! My base abilities have skyrocketed! People kept saying I had no talent, so I never skipped training. But I started wondering—was there really no way to develop talent itself? The hint came from... oppai. If boobs can restore lost power—even lifespan—then maybe they could also fill in what I lacked. When my life force was on the brink of running out, I used that boob-power—'New Power'—as a foundation to revive myself. This boosted my core stats. It's based on my favorite manga, Drag-Soball—a power-up resurrection inspired by its main character's unique biology! I call it… NEW BorN!
Oh yeah… that manga where you power up every time you nearly die. Typical Issei.
Guess this is his version—using New Power, the "boob energy," to boost his natural potential.
"…But that should've required an insane amount of New Power. Where did you even get all that energy from? There's no way Rias's Oppai Flash alone could've covered it. It should've just been a theory..."
"Hmm. Well, Hyoudou Issei!… I'll let him explain it himself."
Sairaorg was about to explain when a blast of destruction magic from a teary-eyed Rias narrowly missed his face—taking off part of his helmet.
Guess even he realized that was not the time to be tactless.
Still, wow. That was some serious magic she unleashed just now—completely unintentionally.
"I'm curious, but it can wait. For now, let's name this armor... 'Crimson Cardinal Promotion – True Red Dragon Emperor'… Rias-senpai, I know we were going to talk after the match, but I can't hold it in anymore! I'll say it here and now! I'll protect everyone who supports me—and the woman I fell in love with! I LOVE YOU, RIAS GREMORY!!!"
Sairaorg let out a hearty laugh at the bold confession, and the battle resumed. But with both armor and base strength amplified, Issei quickly overpowered Sairaorg.
"Incredible strength! But if I fall here, I'm unfit to call myself the heir to House Bael!"
His knees were already trembling from Issei's blows, but he kept advancing, refusing to fall.
Moved by that spirit, Issei didn't hold back. He launched him with a fierce blow and unleashed a second charged blast. Sairaorg vanished into the explosion.
When the smoke cleared, he lay collapsed at the center of a massive crater.
In a way, the scene mirrored Issei's earlier defeat—but in reverse.
Even the audience's reaction had a similar energy.
And then, a child in the stands cried out:
"Hang in there, Lion-san!"
Sairaorg's finger twitched.
"Stand up, Lion-san!!"
Little by little, power returned to his limbs.
It was a much smaller voice compared to the cheers for the Oppai Dragon—but it still mattered. There were kids who genuinely admired and rooted for Sairaorg Bael.
And he would never ignore a voice that reached out to him.
If Issei could rise from their support, then he had no right to stay down after receiving the same.
With his aura surging again, Sairaorg stood once more—battered but unyielding.
What followed was a simple exchange of fists.
Blow after blow, their armors broke apart, unable to keep up with the damage.
Finally, with most of his armor gone, the lion-shaped Regulus emblem on his chest—now only half intact—spoke:
"Enough, Red Dragon Emperor. My master—Sairaorg-sama—has been unconscious for some time now."
Still standing, his body frozen in mid-punch, Sairaorg collapsed into unconsciousness. Issei caught him and embraced him tightly, tears streaming down his face.
And with that, the Gremory team was declared victorious.
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