Cao Cao was hurled backward, skidding dozens of meters before slamming into a cluster of ruined buildings. Yet, he emerged from the wreckage completely unscathed, instantly launching a counter-strike with the True Holy Spear. The beam of light tore through the debris, acting as a lethal surprise attack aimed straight for Issei.
[Partner!]
"I'm on it!"
Issei gritted his teeth and reinforced his armor to its limit, bracing himself to take the impact of the Holy Spear head-on.
Boom!
This time, it was Issei's turn to be sent flying, launched hundreds of meters into the clouds. The momentum behind the True Holy Spear's strike was relentless, crashing into him with the sheer, unstoppable force of a tidal wave. Even if it wasn't a finishing blow, the raw destructive power was enough to severely wound a being on the level of a Demon King.
Cracks began to spider-web across Issei's armor, looking as if the entire suit might shatter into pieces at any moment. Inside, Ddraig was pushing himself to the brink, pouring every bit of energy into maintaining the armor's integrity just to keep Issei's body from being crushed.
"Ddraig, I appreciate your effort..."
[Hahaha! This is my job, don't sweat it.]
"Right. Then let's take down the wielder of the Holy Spear together."
[Why bother holding back when you have that ability to wipe him out entirely?]
"He's being controlled by a skill. If there's a way to save him, I want to take it."
[And just how do you plan on doing that?]
"Who knows? For now, I'm just going to drain his stamina until he can't fight anymore."
[I see. In that case, you'll have to force him to exhaust the power of his Longinus.]
"That's exactly what I was thinking. But this mode clearly isn't enough to bait him into using Truth Idea."
[Then let us use it...]
"...I, who have transcended destruction and rebirth,
am the Heavenly Dragon who swallows madness itself.
Fate cannot bind my will.
Neither God nor the Abyss can subdue my soul.
The power that was once cursed now bows before my command.
Destruction is my crown, and dominance is my breath.
Awaken, O Red Dragon that surpasses calamity—
let the world witness the true ruler of eternity... Sovereign Juggernaut Drive!"
A blazing crimson aura erupted, illuminating the entire battlefield in a blood-red hue. Luminous, Hinata, and Rias all froze in their tracks, their breath hitching as they felt an astronomical spike of power converging at a single point.
Even the brainwashed members of the Hero Faction ceased their movements, paralyzed by the overwhelming pressure radiating from the Sovereign Juggernaut Drive. Their eyes trembled with an instinctive, primal terror that defied explanation.
Meanwhile, Cao Cao stood his ground, gripping the True Holy Spear in a state of total readiness. The spear began to emit a brilliant, celestial radiance—a light so blinding it rivaled the intense crimson glow of Issei's transformation.
Rumble!
The Dimension Lost barrier groaned, clearly unable to contain the collision of two peak-tier Longinus powers. Fractures began to splinter across the sky, spreading in every direction like a breaking mirror.
Realizing the situation was spiraling out of control, Luminous barked out an order.
"Hinata, Rias! Subdue the others immediately!"
"Understood, Lady Luminous!"
"..." Rias nodded with a grim, serious expression. To be honest, she wasn't fond of taking orders, but she had been a split second slower than Luminous to realize the danger.
In terms of raw power, Rias and Luminous were superior to Hinata. However, when it came to sheer combat efficiency, Hinata was in a league of her own.
Rias quickly neutralized Leonardo, Luminous took down Georg, and Hinata efficiently incapacitated Jeanne, Heracles, and Siegfried in one fell swoop.
[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]
Cloaked in the Sovereign Juggernaut Drive, Issei continued to condense a terrifying amount of energy to strike at Cao Cao. Cao Cao didn't flinch; his face remained a flat, emotionless mask, as if he felt no fear toward the monster standing before him.
"He seems awfully confident in that Holy Spear..."
[Naturally. It is a high-tier Longinus, after all.]
"True. But you're not planning on losing to him, are you?"
[Hahaha! Nice provocation. Don't worry, I can handle this.]
[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]
As if finally sensing the mounting threat, a single bead of sweat rolled down Cao Cao's face.
"To think a descendant of a legendary hero is being puppeted by some foreign entity... how pathetic," Issei muttered.
Cao Cao's brow twitched violently, seemingly reacting to the mockery. The True Holy Spear shone even brighter, its holy power concentrating to such a degree that the dimension could no longer hold it back. From a distance, the pillars of crimson aura and holy light clashing looked like the harbinger of the apocalypse.
Rias, Luminous, and Hinata braced themselves for the inevitable shockwave.
"Take this! Longinus Smasher!!"
At the exact same moment Issei fired, Cao Cao unleashed Truth Idea to intercept the blast.
BOOM!!!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
VWOOM!
The artificial dimension shattered instantly upon impact. The explosion merged with the collapsing fabric of reality, creating a chaotic vortex. Rias, Luminous, Hinata, and the Hero Faction members were all swept up by the shockwave, swallowed into the void between the artificial world and the human realm.
Suddenly, a blinding flash of crimson and white light tore through the Japanese sky, illuminating every corner of the nation without exception.
To be continued...Anvanced Chapter patreon.com/AgamYupi02