Rias Gremory suddenly threw open the equipment room door, but as her gaze swept across the scene inside, her voice dropped to an icy chill.
Behind her, Akeno Himejima peeked in with her usual teasing smile.
"Ara ara, well well~"
However, despite the usual playful tone, there was something unsettlingly ominous about that smile.
"…Kazuki. I already told you that I accepted your relationship with Yumi, and I even acknowledged your desire to build a harem!! But this… doing it right under my nose… don't you think that's a little much?"
"…Yes. I'm sorry."
Kazuki was already on his knees in seiza position before he even realized it. He felt exactly like a husband caught cheating—because, well, that's basically what just happened.
"Yumi, explain the situation! Did you seduce Kazuki-kun?"
Turning her piercing gaze toward Yumi, Rias demanded an explanation.
"Yes, Club President. To begin with, this all started as part of Xenovia's sexual education—"
Without an ounce of shame, Yumi Kiba calmly and logically explained the entire situation.
She was so composed, in fact, that Rias actually seemed to be the one on the defensive. Maybe it was because Yumi was the only one here who had already fully claimed Kazuki for herself. That confidence made her strong.
"I see… So Xenovia wants to have children with Kazuki, huh?"
"Yes. Just as I consulted you before, I decided to do things the way I wanted. So I asked Kazuki-senpai for his help… but I was inexperienced. That's why Yumi showed me how it's done."
"..."
Rias clutched her head in frustration.
She couldn't accept the idea of Xenovia trying to have a baby with Kazuki, but at the same time, she couldn't go back on her own words. Her pride wouldn't allow it. Now, she was completely stuck.
"(Whispering) So Yumi-chan really is in the lead right now… I've been wasting time dealing with Rias when I should've been making my move!! And now Xenovia is jumping in too? At this rate, I'll never get my turn! I need to do something…"
Mumbling under her breath, Akeno was too lost in her own plotting to be of any help.
"Um, President? We'd like to take a shower. Do you mind?"
"Fine. Go ahead."
"Thank you. Come on, Xenovia."
"Mm. Excuse us, then."
After receiving permission from Rias, Yumi took Xenovia's hand and led her out of the equipment room.
"Well then, I'll be going too—"
"KAZUKI, you're not going anywhere."
"…Yes, ma'am."
He had tried to slip away unnoticed, but it wasn't happening.
And so, for the next hour, Kazuki Fuwa sat there as Rias gave him a thorough scolding.
In the end, his legs went numb, but considering the alternative, maybe he should count himself lucky.
With that, the fun at the pool had come to an end…
'Still, Rias and Akeno-senpai's swimsuits were absolute killers.' Issei Hyoudou already knew they had incredible bodies, but seeing them practically on display like that was another level of destruction.
Honestly, the guy couldn't help but envy the bastard who had both of them—his senior, Kazuki.
Of course, the other half of the time had been more wholesome. He had spent it teaching Asia and Koneko how to swim, which had been fun in its own way.
Meanwhile, Kazuki Fuwa had somehow ended up sandwiched between Rias and Akeno, receiving a long-winded lecture, while Yumi was locked in a deep, serious conversation with Xenovia.
'Those two had gotten pretty close, huh?' Issei thought.
As evening set in, the enjoyable time ended, and Issei was the first to finish changing, waiting for the others.
That was when he saw it, a flash of silver in the corner of his eye.
At first glance, the figure looked around his age, maybe a little older. Their long silver hair cascaded down to the waist, an unmistakable feature that immediately caught attention.
Dressed in a black blouse and white jeans, their androgynous appearance made it difficult to tell at first, but Issei's instincts weren't so easily fooled. The slight swell of her breasts and the sinful curve of her hips, even visible through the jeans, made it clear—this was a woman.
She was simply gazing up at the school building, yet the way she stood, the way she carried herself, was picture-perfect. A true beauty, like something out of a dream.
For a while, Issei just stared. And then, as if sensing his gaze, she turned to face him.
With a soft smile, she approached.
"Hey there. Nice school you've got here… Hyoudou Issei-kun."
"Uh… yeah, I guess?"
Issei let out an awkward laugh, trying to play it off. 'Who the hell is she? She isn't a student here that much was obvious!! A girl this gorgeous? There is no way I wouldn't have noticed her before. So how did she know me?' He thought for a sec.
Just as Issei struggled to remember her, she spoke again.
"Oh, right. This is the first time we're meeting face-to-face. I'm Vali. The current White Dragon Emperor, the 'Vanishing Dragon.'"
"W-what?"
"This is our second meeting, technically! 'The Red Dragon, Welsh Dragon'—Red Dragon Emperor, Hyoudou Issei-kun."
In that instant, [Boosted Gear] manifested on its own. It reacted to the presence inside her—the White Dragon Emperor, Albion.
Watching Issei's gauntlet appear, Vali's smirk deepened.
'Shit. Is she seriously trying to start a fateful Red vs. White showdown right here, right now? Could I even stand a chance against her at my current level? What the hell am I supposed to do?!' all these thoughts circled in his head.
Vali extended a hand towards him, her smile sharp and teasing.
"I'm surprised. You're actually fired up? But are you sure you wanna do this?"
Issei couldn't move. It wasn't fear, it was something else. Something about those golden eyes held him in place.
Her fingers were just about to graze his cheek when—
SHING!
Two flashes of silver steel pressed against Vali's throat.
One was Yumi's Holy Demonic Sword. The other, Xenovia's Durandal.
"That's far enough, White Dragon Emperor."
"We can't allow the battle of the Two Heavenly Dragons to begin in a place like this."
Their voices were calm, but their eyes were deadly serious as if they were ready to strike at the slightest movement.
Yet, even with two blades at her neck, Vali didn't flinch. She merely looked amused.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vali's voice actor, imagine Sawashiro Miyuki (She voiced Daki from Demon Slayer).
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