18 The protagonist who slapped himself in the face

The atmosphere of the park suddenly became hushed and solemn as a presence so holy stole all the attention.

A silver sword with a gold and blue hilt in Eiji's hand left everyone dazed, especially Raynare and followed by Rias and Akeno.

As a fallen angel, Raynare was certainly no stranger to holy power as she herself could use it - for example to create her spear of light, she used some of her holy power.

Angels or fallen angels, all of them can use holy power because it is their special attribute which is basically a hereditary factor from their creator - the God of the Bible.

How strong each angel's divine power is certainly varies and she herself is actually only in the middle level which is slightly better among all angels in terms of divine power level.

The most powerful of course belonged to their father or creator.

The God of the Bible, he has the strongest holy power as the leader and creator of heaven followed by apostles like Michael and others who now have high status in Heaven.

For some reason the leader of Heaven now is Michael, but leave that aside.

The holy power she felt from the sword in the hands of that human named Eiji Seiya was very strong.

She wasn't sure if it was as powerful as the God of the Bible because she thought that was ridiculous, but she was sure it at least surpassed angels like Michael and the others.

And that was just from a sword!?

That human said that the sword was Sacred Gear!?

But this is the first time I've seen Sacred Gear appreance like that.

Are you sure it's really Sacred Gear? Not a sword made by the God of the Bible by injecting some of his sacred power or something!?

Rias and Akeno who were watching not far away were no less surprised than Raynare.

Although the reason was clearly different from Raynare, but there was no doubt that their expressions were a mixture of shock and other emotions.

In addition to surprise, Rias also had greed in her eyes, not at the sword, but at Eiji himself who had such a powerful Sacred Gear.

Even from here, although the golden and holy light emanating from the sword didn't hurt a devil like her.

But her devil instinct told her that if she became the enemy that was cut down by that sword.

She would definitely die and probably turn into ashes because the holy power emanating from the sword was so powerful!

If the sword or Sacred Gear was pitted against her brother.

Would her brother, the strongest devil in the underworld be able to withstand the full attack of that sword?

In her mind, her brother was the strongest figure so far that she was always overshadowed by his presence.

So he definitely wouldn't be so vulnerable if told to withstand a slash from Eiji's Sacred Gear, right?

Rias was honestly not sure, but whatever.

Now she just wanted to invite Eiji to join her peerage!

But given Sona's failure, she knew inviting Eiji would be difficult, even beauty tricks didn't work on that guy!

So she had to think of another way to persuade him!

Unlike Rias who seemed to be racking her brains, Akeno on the other side was just surprised.

She was purely surprised just because Eiji had such power.

Perhaps she was the only one in the audience who had been waiting to see if protagonist Issei could withstand Eiji's attacks?

Looking at the sword that emitted golden light and created a lot of fairy dust that flew tens of meters away.

Issei's expression became serious.

Damn, he probably underestimated that blonde bastard.

"Partner, I think you should immediately switch to Balance Breaker mode to increase your defense right now."

Ddraig even hastily suggested Balance Breaker.

Issei was a little reluctant, it was embarrassing to act so defensive when he had previously suggested that the other party attack him with the strongest attack.

Back then he even looked very confident as if withstanding the other party's attack was an easy thing.

If I go as far as using Balance Breaker.

Isn't that a bit of a slap in the face?

"Partner..." Ddraig urged.

"I know, I know... Let's activate the Balance Breaker right now!"

The moment Issei said that, the Boosted Gear shone brightly, even to the point of creating a pillar of green light and red flames that blazed and devoured his entire body.

There was a mechanical sound that the Boosted Gear entered Balance Breaker mode.

As the pillar of green light and red flames around his body subsided.

Now his entire body was covered by a red dragon armor with a tail, wings, green orbs and some golden spikes.

A green dragon aura roared from his body, forming a contrast of green light that clashed and tried to dominate the golden light from Eiji's side.

"Balance Breaker!?"

Raynare, Rias and Akeno were shocked.

Although it was not impossible for Sacred Gear users to be able to use the Balance Breaker mode which as the name suggests was a mode to increase the power of Sacred Gear to an advanced level.

But it is rare and not many Sacred Gear users can use it.

Issei was surprisingly able to do it?

The Balance Breaker power of Sacred Gear Longinus, Boosted Gear was even overrated!

No, actually it was also very powerful and at this moment a strong wind was blowing in the park.

A terrifying coercion like a dragon exploded from Issei's body.

It made them shudder, but it was a moment before they felt comfortable and safe after the golden light coming from Eiji grew stronger and clashed with the dragon aura coming from Issei.

Eiji raised his sword to the sky with both hands.

It's a slashing pose in a straight line like in the original work.

With a calm expression and his blue eyes that seem to glow.

Eiji didn't bother to comment on Issei activating the Balance Breaker, not even bothering to notice the girls' reactions.

When holding Excalibur and intending to perform the ultimate move.

He finally understood how powerful this sword was.

Damn, as expected of the heroine's weapon from that franchise.

After being upgraded by the system, this thing was extremely cheating.

Unlike in the original work, Eiji felt he could spam the ultimate skill many times with this sword.

Even now, he had the illusion that he could regulate the output of this ultimate attack.

Eiji certainly set the output and the Excalibur aimed at the sky was now shining even more brilliantly and creating a golden pillar of light that pierced the sky.

I'm afraid this move is making a lot of people interested in going to the park.

After all, their location was basically in the city and the golden pillar of light that pierced the sky must have attracted a lot of attention.

I had to do it quickly.

¶{Say "Ex....calibur!!"}

'Do I have to say it too? I'm sure I just need to swing this sword at Issei's head right now.'

¶{But the host... Isn't this a male romance? Cough, I mean the romance of the otakus}.

"...."

Eiji felt that shouting out the name of the move was a bit embarrassing.

In the end, he directly swung Excalibur which unleashed the ultimate attack towards Issei without saying anything.

¶{Noooooo!! Why didn't you say so!!!}

Miss System sounded unwilling, she seemed to really want her host to scream like that Chuuni teenager.

Seeing the pillar of light descending from the sky like a sword about to cut him down.

Issei felt a chill.

He hurriedly created a shield using his dragon aura and at the same time strengthened his defenses by doing "Boost, boost, boost" many times.

*Bang!

As the five-meter-wide golden-colored light saber slammed into his shield, Issei felt his body instantly pressed to the ground as he stood up.

The ground beneath his feet shattered, the facial expression inside his armor distorted.

I really underestimated that blonde bastard named Eiji Seiya too much!

"Partner!"

Ddraig also helped strengthen his dragon shield, but it seemed to be useless.

*Crack

A cracking sound was heard, and shortly after that Issei's dragon shield broke.

"Damn it!"

Issei cursed and coughed up blood at the same time.

Seeing that the light saber actually fell and slashed him.

He wasn't sure if he would still be alive after this?

*Boom!!!

A huge explosion occurred, Raynare, Rias and Akeno's vision was blinded by dust.

Some time after the dust gradually dissipated.

They could all finally see a wide and long slash mark like a straight line on the ground where Issei's body lay with part of his armor destroyed.

Issei himself looked injured and was bleeding profusely, but at least his body wasn't split in two or anything like that.

Now the boy was unconscious or possibly in a coma.

"Amazing... Even Boosted Gear still loses to that sword."

Raynare muttered, and she saw Eiji Seiya deactivate the so-called Sacred Gear before turning around.

There was greed in her eyes, that sword. She really wanted it!

But of course, she knew that it was difficult to get that sword from the human in front of her.

Raynare got up from the ground and said, "You, your name is Eiji Seiya, right? Thank you for saving me."

"If you hadn't come before, I might have been raped by that disgusting man."

She pointed at the comatose Issei, and then looked at Eiji with a pitiful expression that could make most men sympathize and want to hug her.

Raynare was certainly acting at the moment and she had a cunning plan to seduce the man in front of her.

As for the goal? Obviously it was for the Sacred Gear that the other party had!

Seeing Raynare like this.

Eiji winced and looked at the woman as if she was an idiot.

This woman was too narcissistic.

Actually everything done so far was purely just to thwart Issei's plan.

I didn't mean to save you at all!

And would your acting even fool me, Raynare?

Do you think I didn't know you were planning to seduce me into stealing my Sacred Gear?

Just like you wanted to do to Issei?

Heh, woman.

You're too confident.

He was about to say something, but at this moment someone's shout interrupted him.

"Don't be fooled by her, Eiji! This woman definitely has evil ideas!"

"Just like she deceived Issei Hyudou, she also wants to deceive you!"

A red-haired girl in a school uniform came out from the trees and bushes not far away.

It was none other than Rias and she was the one who had just shouted.

Beside her, there was also a ponytailed black-haired girl with violet eyes and a figure no less beautiful than Rias.

Eiji recognized who the girl was, but put that aside.

Looking at Rias and Akeno who came up to him and stood beside him as if flanking him from both sides - like I was hamburger meat.

And facing Raynare with a hostile gaze.

Eiji wondered if we were already familiar enough to call out first names and even stand this close?

We haven't even gotten acquainted yet!

Although I already know the identities of the two of you from the original work, but hey can you not be so familiar with me?

"Excuse me, but who are you two? I'm sure we haven't met before, although I know from the school uniform that you're from the same school as me."

"Also, why are you two here?"

[Even though I already know, I still have to ask. So you two should answer my questions].

[Rias, I understand this girl might be around here like in the original work to save the dying protagonist, but she doesn't even seem interested in Issei and pays more attention to me. I don't know why, maybe interested in my Sacred Gear?]

[But Akeno, you're here too? This is the first time I've seen you aside from the anime. I must say Akeno also deserves to be one of the heroine of the DxD franchise.]

[Her figure is not inferior to Rias.]

[Basically very beautiful.]

Asking questions and silently praising inwardly.

"That..." Rias just realized her mistake. Before this she forgot that she hadn't actually been directly acquainted with Eiji!

She recognized him from his inner voice, but there was no way she could say that, right?

As for Akeno? She giggled "Ara ara" and felt happy that Eiji praised how beautiful she was in his heart.

"Rias Gremory!"

Raynare who saw the red-haired girl suddenly shouted and immediately took a few steps back with a wary expression.

She naturally knew the girl because she was also aware that she was now in the other side's territory.

As the overseer of this city, this devil of the Gremory family certainly did not have a good relationship with fallen angels like her.

It could even be said that the two sides were enemies!

The other party might arrest her for infiltrating and making trouble in their territory.

Interrupted by Raynare, Rias frowned and she glared at the woman coldly.

"Infiltrating and trying to make trouble by committing acts of murder in my territory."

"As a fallen angel, you must know the consequences of your actions. Aside from this, the truth is that it must be you and your group too who have been making trouble in my territory lately, right?"

"I'll give you two choices. Surrender to capture or die?"

[Wow... Rias, I'm a little surprised that you can say such words.]

[That's kind of cool.]

Rias crossed her arms proudly, she was happy that Eiji praised her.

Unlike the others, Eiji's praise must be sincere and without ulterior motives because it came from his heart, right?

So I'm kind of happy...

"I..." Raynare ground her teeth, her expression looking ugly.

If it was before, she would have flown off to escape as soon as possible.

But now? Her wings had already been crushed by that disgusting human.

Issei, at this moment I even want to tear you to death.

If it wasn't for people like Rias Gremory being here to get in my way.

I would have killed you while you were unconscious!

She shifted her gaze to Eiji and made a miserable-looking Yuma expression.

"Eiji-kun, I'm a victim and I'm being mistreated... Can you help me? You don't know those two girls, especially Rias Gremory."

"She's actually a devil! And she's actually an evil girl who likes to manipulate humans to become her slaves! You shouldn't just trust her either!"

"Raynare! What are you saying!"

Rias was dumbfounded.

Raynare pointed at her face and added fuel to the fire by saying, "Hehe isn't that right? You like hunting down humans who have Sacred Gear to become your slaves? What I said is not wrong."

"Not wrong, but you said it the wrong way! Don't make me sound like a bad woman or something!"

Rias' gaze was so cold, she regretted not shooting Raynare right away and letting her ramble on.

She was worried that because of Raynare's words, Eiji was even more reluctant to join her peerage!

"Eiji, don't listen to her. What she said is true, but not everything. I'm not an evil devil, I'm a good devil."

"What Rias said is true, Eiji-kun. Even I, one of Rias' peerage members, I wasn't forced to join her peerage. Rias offered me many benefits and I agreed to them." Akeno spoke up and added, "It's actually not bad being part of Rias' peerage."

"..." Eiji.

"Hmph! Eiji-kun, don't be fooled! That black-haired girl is also one of Rias' slaves. She must have been brainwashed and it makes sense that she would defend her master, right?"

"Raynare, shut up! You keep slandering Rias, do you want your punishment increased for infiltrating devil territory?"

"Oh so what, you're going to kill me, evil devil?"

"..."

"Fufufu Rias, can I kill this woman right now?"

"Akeno... Just make her faint so she won't make any noise."

"Huh? Rias Gremory, you underestimate me!"

"..."

"So are you that strong?"

"I'll pierce your face with my spear of light!"

"Enough Raynare. To fight you, I alone am enough. No need for Rias to do it."

"You, you underestimate me!"

"..."

"By the way Eiji, why are you silent?" Rias turned to Eiji who continued to stand silently and asked.

That made Akeno and Raynare also turn their heads to look.

"Eiji, you..."

When Rias took the initiative to pat the boy's shoulder.

*Pop*

"Eh?" The three girls were stunned.

Why?

It was because Eiji who had been standing still suddenly exploded into particles of light.

His body disappeared and left only a note lying on the ground.

The note read "I still have to buy dinner ingredients and have to rush home. So you three can continue whatever without me."

"..."

"..."

"..."

---

A/N: If you want to read 5 advanced chapters with a faster update frequency than the webnovel, you can read it on my patreon whose link is below:

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By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)

A/N 2: Sorry for those of you who wanted Eiji to chant a magic spell or something to perform the ultimate move. He didn't do it in this chapter, but he will do it later. I mean shouting the name of the skill... Well, Eiji will try it in the next battle.