Jayr POV - Nasuverse, Moon, Far Side, Sakura Labyrinth - 2030 AD
There isn't a countdown, nor any declaration.
The exact moment the silence settles, Ledram makes his move, but he doesn't charge forward, nor does he speak; he simply raises his hand, and the Darklings respond.
The entire horde shifts at once, spreading outward before collapsing inward in a perfect circle around Nero and me.
Boots grind against reinforced stone. Armour plates brush and clink in tight formation. The movement isn't rushed or chaotic, but it's very disciplined and precise. The circle tightens with mechanical efficiency until there isn't a single blind angle left.
For a brief second, the battlefield feels smaller, then hundreds, thousands of rifles rise in unison, pointing at us.
The sound is sharp and synchronised, metal sliding against metal, safeties flicked off, fingers settling on triggers. The dark barrels tilt upward with eerie coordination, their muzzles glowing faintly as shadow energy begins to gather inside them. The air itself grows heavier, tinged with the metallic scent of charged magic.
From every direction, the sound of gunfire comes next as it detonates in a single synchronised orchestra of death.
A wall of sound slams into the arena, overlapping cracks and thunderous reports merging into a single, continuous roar. The recoil pounds through the Darklings' ranks in rippling waves as muzzle flashes burst outward in blinding orange and sickly violet streaks.
The sky erupts in muzzle flashes as darkness-infused rounds scream toward us, weaving together into a storm of metal and shadow.
The bullets don't fly in straight lines. They arc and bend slightly, drawn together by some subtle coordination force, spiralling inward as if pulled by an invisible current. Thousands of projectiles tear through the air, carving black contrails behind them, the shriek of their passage slicing through the roar of gunfire.
The pressure hits first as the air compresses under the sheer volume of incoming fire, heat from the friction and discharged magic washing over us even before impact. Stone chips and fragments from earlier cracks lift and rattle under the turbulence.
But this isn't an attack with the intent of winning or taking us out in a single swoop, but it is a mere test meant to measure our capabilities.
There's restraint in it.
The formation holds. The volleys are controlled. The angles calculated.
Ledram and Oda Nobunaga are calmly watching everything unfold.
I don't panic and casually snap my fingers to add a bit of flair and cast one of the most recent acquisitions in my arsenal of spells, "True Dragon Star Magic... Invisible Barrier."
A transparent sphere forms around us, shimmering faintly with drifting stardust as the bullets strike it from every angle and completely stop, unable to do anything.
The barrier manifests without noise or dramatic flare. One moment, the storm is descending, the next, it meets an invisible surface. The first rounds flatten against it with dull flashes of compressed shadow. Then thousands more follow, colliding in rapid succession until the entire sphere is swallowed in a continuous halo of impacts.
Darkness-infused bullets slam into the surface and freeze there for the briefest fraction of a second, their momentum arrested instantly. Cracks of discharged magic spark outward on contact, only to fizzle and dissolve like mist against glass. Some rounds deform. Others simply disintegrate into drifting fragments of black light.
The sound quickly changes.
What was a deafening roar becomes a constant, muffled drumming, like heavy rain striking reinforced steel. The barrier absorbs it all without resonance, without echo. Even the shockwaves die the moment they touch its surface.
The barrier does not crack. It does not ripple. There is no visible strain in blocking thousands of darkness-infused attacks.
The stardust drifting across its surface continues to move lazily, untouched by the violence pressing against it. From the inside, the world beyond appears slightly distorted, warped by a thin layer of refracted light, but perfectly visible. Every muzzle flash, every recoil, every failed attempt to pierce through.
It simply exists, offering an ironclad, perfect defence.
This is one of the Star Magics I've learned in the Tensura Universe, quite a basic one too.
Inside the sphere, Nero stands tall, unfazed, her emerald eyes calm as the barrage continues without pause.
I glance toward Ledram through the rain of gunfire, and in an even and certain tone, I say, "Numbers are useless against me."
My voice carries clearly through the battlefield despite the constant roars of gunfire as I use a small bit of Spiral Cosmo to make sure I'm heard.
Then I lift my hand toward the sky and cast yet another spell of the same origin, "True Dragon Star Magic... Drago Buster."
The next instant, a single sphere of condensed stellar energy forms above my palm before it fractures and splits.
The orb hums with restrained pressure, bright enough to cast sharp highlights across the cracked battlefield. The air around it trembles slightly, as if reality itself resents holding that much concentrated energy in so small a space.
Then it fractures cleanly.
Hairline seams of light spread across its surface before it divides into dozens, then hundreds of smaller spheres, each no larger than a marble yet burning with the same compressed intensity.
They shoot upward into the dark sky in perfect silence.
For a heartbeat, the battlefield grows dim as the lights ascend, leaving only the fading muzzle flashes below. The fragments climb higher and higher, shrinking into points against the black ceiling of the arena.
Then they stop and stay suspended, hanging there for the briefest instant like a newly born constellation, and then they fall.
Raining down on my targets like a meteor shower reversed, like a constellation collapsing.
This time, they do not descend silently. The air screams as thousands of beams tear downward at once, friction igniting thin streaks of pale blue fire behind them. The temperature shifts sharply as compressed stellar energy displaces the surrounding atmosphere, sending hot gusts sweeping across the arena floor.
The beams rain down across the battlefield in precise arcs. They do not devastate the ground. They do not shatter the reinforced arena.
They curve mid-descent, adjusting by fractions of degrees, correcting for movement. Darklings attempt to scatter, some diving aside, others raising weapons instinctively, but the beams track them unerringly.
Each strike produces a tight, contained explosion of light-blue energy. Not large enough to damage the surroundings. Just enough to erase what it touches. The flashes are sharp and blinding, momentarily burning afterimages into the vision. Heat rolls outward in brief pulses, accompanied by the crack of displaced air snapping back into place.
Where a beam lands, a Darkling ceases to exist, leaving behind no remains and no lingering shadow, just fading particles dissolving into nothing.
Hundreds are erased in a mere second.
The battlefield becomes a rapid strobe of controlled detonations, light blooming and vanishing across the field in a relentless rhythm. The horde thins visibly, gaps opening in their perfect circle as one position after another disappears in silent annihilation.
Panic begins to fracture their formation.
Some attempt to fire upward. Others try to retreat. But it doesn't matter as the beams keep falling.
Within seconds, the gunfire falters. Then stops entirely.
The last few explosions flicker out, leaving drifting motes of pale light slowly fading into the air. Smoke curls lazily from scorched sections of stone, though the arena itself remains largely intact.
Silence settles again.
The Invisible Barrier protecting us dissolves into faint threads of stardust that disperse around Nero and me, as if the sky itself is exhaling.
The battlefield is now clear of Darklings.
Across the battlefield, Ledram's eyes narrow slightly while Oda Nobunaga exhales through her nose.
It is clear that at this point, they should understand that the Darklings will not win this.
The next moment, I feel the air shift, and this time, Ledram moves personally.
A Keyblade manifests in his hand, darkness coiling along its edges as he dashes forward, clearly aiming at me.
At the same time, Nobunaga kicks off the ground and leaps into the air, one matchlock flattening beneath her feet as if it were a surfboard while the other swings into firing position before she fires without any hesitation on her part.
The fired volley is not random but precise and with the clear intent of driving Nero and me apart.
Nero pivots immediately, Aestus Estus flashing upward as bullets ricochet from its crimson blade. Sparks burst with every impact as she deflects round after round.
She tries to advance and chase after her opponent, but Nobunaga rises higher, firing as she retreats through the air, keeping distance perfectly and kiting Nero away.
Yet, they are currently evenly matched as neither is able to gain a clear advantage over the other.
Meanwhile, Ledram closes the gap between us in a blur of motion, and I move to meet him while opening a portal to my Soulbound Territory without breaking stride and bring out my trusty Tactical Arms.
The massive blade slides into my grasp as it emerges, two meters of reinforced metal weighing over four tons.
I step into the swing instead of simply throwing it.
Tactical Arms cuts through the air in a wide, brutal arc, the sheer weight of the blade compressing the space in front of it. The weapon growls as it displaces the air, producing a low metallic resonance that builds as it descends.
Ledram doesn't retreat; his Keyblade rises to meet mine.
The collision detonates between us.
The heavy Tactical Arms meets the firm Keyblade with a concussive crack that blasts dust outward in a circular shockwave. The reinforced floor beneath Ledram's boots fractures instantly, spiderweb cracks racing away from the point of impact. The force travels up my arms in a violent tremor, heavy but familiar.
Ledram let out a strained grunt, but he holds, he doesn't buckle, nor does he grimace.
But I feel it, the fraction of give in his stance. His boots grind half an inch backward against broken stone before he locks himself in place, and then he pivots immediately.
There's no pause between defence and counter.
The Keyblade slips off the edge of Tactical Arms and cuts low toward my flank. The angle is tight and efficient, aimed to slip past the bulk of my weapon. I twist my torso and drag the flat of my blade down just in time. Sparks explode where the edges scrape past one another, the screech of metal biting against metal sharp enough to cut through the lingering echoes of earlier explosions.
He reverses the motion fluidly.
The Keyblade snaps upward in the same breath, dark aura trailing behind it as liquid shadow dragged through the air. The magic woven into the blade pulses faintly as the Magic energy layer over condensed darkness, precise and controlled rather than wild.
I step inside the arc instead of retreating.
The upward slash almost glances off my forearm as I shift my weight and bring Tactical Arms around in a tight, brutal backswing. This time, I don't just rely on mass as I let a thin thread of Spiral Cosmo reinforce the motion.
The second clash is louder and sharper.
The shockwave this time doesn't just crack the floor, but it lifts loose fragments of stone into the air before flinging them outward. Ledram's coat snaps violently in the recoil as he's driven back a full step and then another half.
The difference in raw power is there, but he doesn't lose rhythm.
His footwork adjusts smoothly, sliding into a new stance as if the displacement was intentional. He angles his body sideways, reducing his target profile, and the Keyblade becomes a blur of controlled motion followed by short, rapid strikes aimed at joints, wrists, and gaps.
He isn't trying to overpower me; he's probing for weakness, and I answer in kind.
The Tactical Arms isn't built for finesse, but in my hands, it becomes something close. I shorten my grip slightly, allowing faster transitions between guard and strike. The blade's weight becomes a pivot point instead of a liability. Each time his Keyblade darts in, I intercept at the last moment, steel colliding in bursts of sparks that light up the narrow space between us.
We close the distance further, too close for wide swings.
Our weapons grind together at the hilt, edges locked. For a brief second, we're nearly chest to chest, the air between us thick with heat and displaced magic.
I push, and he pushes back.
The ground beneath us fractures deeper under the competing pressure.
Then he twists sharply, disengaging and stepping to my side in a flash of speed. The Keyblade lashes out again, this time aimed at my shoulder. I rotate with it, bringing Tactical Arms up vertically to intercept. The impact sends a sharp vibration through my grip, a reminder that despite the difference in weight, his strikes carry refined force.
We separate by a single step and then collide again.
Blade rings against blade in rapid succession now, not single heavy impacts, but a flurry of exchanges. Each contact sends ripples of compressed air outward. Each miscalculation by a fraction of an inch would mean a clean hit.
The reinforced floor continues to splinter beneath our feet, cracks overlapping into a chaotic web. Dust rises around us in thin clouds, kicked up by sudden pivots and forceful steps.
Still, neither of us gains ground. He tests angles while I test pressure. He increases speed, and I increase force.
The balance remains as neither is able to find a decisive opening, nor gain a clear advantage.
Just two combatants measuring each other in the language of steel and shockwaves, then, without words, we both decide that this is enough, carefully testing out each other.
Darkness explodes outward from Ledram in twisting tendrils that lash toward me while streams of magic fire past him toward Nero.
Nobunaga's barrage intensifies, bullets striking with greater force, forcing Nero onto the defensive.
I feel the shift instantly as the pressure and the number of attacks increase.
Seeing that, I extend my will toward Nero and, through our bond, I infuse my Spiral Cosmo into her body and instantly expel it, recreating the effect of Artoria Pendragon's famous Mana Burst, further enhancing her capabilities and her offensive and defensive power to insane levels.
Her aura flares crimson-gold as her strength, speed, and endurance spike sharply, making Nero smile and exclaim, "Umu!"
She steps forward instead of back, her blade blurs as she keeps deflecting and blocking all of Oda Nobunaga's volleys.
At the same time, I cast again, "Sagitta Magica Series Glacialis."
Making a storm of ice projectiles form overhead and descend, freezing the darkness tendrils mid-lash and once hit, they crystallise instantly.
Seeing that, I swing Tactical Arms through them, and they easily shatter.
But that moment of motion opens a line as Ledram appears in front of me, Keyblade thrust aimed directly at my chest. He is very fast and clean in his execution.
I react without thought by chanting, "Dolor hic mundus cognoscet! Omnipotens Dis!!"
The spell unleashes a gravitational shockwave that detonates outward from my body, and as a result, the space around me rejects everything, including Ledram, who is blasted backwards violently, crashing across the ground, almost colliding with Nobunaga.
She's forced to veer sharply to avoid him, and that is all Nero needs as she takes advantage of this small opening to close the distance in a single burst.
With a decisive swing, Aestus Estus descends, but Nobunaga reacts just in time and raises her matchlock to block.
The clash sends her flying, crashing into the ground beside Ledram as dust erupts around them.
For a moment, silence returns, then they both rise at the same time, wearing a smile on their faces that isn't mocking nor dismissive but one of acknowledgement.
Then, Ledram says calmly, brushing dust from his clothes, "You're formidable. Both of you."
Nobunaga rolls her shoulder once and comments, "Now this is getting interesting."
Shortly after that, Ledram exhales slowly and declares, "Very well. It's time I fight like a Devil from the High School DxD Universe should."
At the same time, a portal tears open behind him and from it, figures begin to emerge.
One, then another, then many more. They are the members of his Peerage. I recognise many of them, some I've already seen or heard of before, like Elsa, who steps forward first, presence regal and composed.
Sara Pezzini, who steps through with the Whitchblade armour already covering her body.
Following right after them is Tsubaki Shinra, a bespectacled woman with long straight black hair that extends all the way down to her knees, with split bangs and heterochromic eyes, with a violet left eye and a light brown right eye, which are calm and calculating.
In the original story of High School DxD, she should have been Sona Sitri's Queen, but it is clear that Ledram changed that.
Right beside her, there is another familiar face, Kitani Reika, a tall young woman in her mid 20s with short blond bob-cut hair and blue eyes, with sizable breasts, dressed in a white lab coat with a one-piece black dress underneath, and shiny black high heels.
Then there are the other members whose identity I already guessed before Mirko and Chun-Li, who step into the battlefield with solid, grounded force followed by Aika Kiryuu.
Then the most surprising group emerge from the portal in succession, the Sailor Guardians, their presence radiating power in synchronised harmony, but not all of them.
Sailor Venus, aka Minako Aino, a young woman with light blue eyes and blonde hair.
Her sailor uniform consists of a white, chest-armoured leotard, a dark orange sailor collar with one white stripe, a dark orange choker, a dark orange skirt with a white puffy belt sat above it, and a dark blue bow at the chest and a light yellow bow at the back.
She has a reddish-orange chain around her waist, which she uses as a weapon.
She wears a pair of dark orange high heels, white gloves with three dark orange arm fittings at the ends that reach just below her elbows, and a dark orange circular brooch at the centre of her chest bow.
Her leotard has three white shoulder pads. A golden tiara with a light orange, oval-shaped gem is located on her forehead, and she wears orange stud earrings.
(Image Here - Sailor Venus)
Sailor Mars, aka Rei Hino, is a young woman with deep violet eyes and long black hair that shows off a slight purple tint.
Her sailor uniform consists of her tiara, which has a red gem in the centre. Six-pointed stars dangling from red stud earrings. Her plain red choker. Her sailor collar with three white stripes on it.
Her purple front bow with a circular red brooch. Her leotard, which has three white shoulder pads. Her gloves are elbow-length with three red bands at the end.
Her skirt and back bow are both dark red. She also wears shiny, dark red high heels. She wears her deceased mother's brooch, which is a red gem with gold accents on it, on her waist.
(Image Here - Sailor Mars)
Sailor Jupiter, aka Makoto Kino, a young woman with fair skin and a slim complexion, though she is slightly more muscular than most of her fellow Sailor Guardians. She has big emerald green eyes, long reddish brown wavy hair that she usually keeps tied up by a ponytail holder with two green balls.
Her sailor uniform consists of a white, chest-armoured leotard, a green sailor collar with three white stripes, a dark green choker, a dark green skirt with a white puffy belt sat above it, and a light pink bow at the chest and at the back of her skirt.
She wears a pair of short, dark green ankle-high boots with white ribbon laces, white gloves with three green arm fittings at the ends that reach just below her elbows, and a dark green circular gem at the centre of her chest bow.
Her leotard has three white shoulder pads. A golden tiara with a light green, oval-shaped gem is located on her forehead, and she wears pink rose earrings.
(Image Here - Sailor Jupiter)
Sailor Mercury, aka Ami Mizuno, is a young woman who has short, dark blue hair that reaches her neck and aqua blue eyes.
Her sailor uniform consists of a white, chest-armoured leotard, a blue sailor collar with three white stripes, a blue choker, a blue skirt with a white puffy belt sat above it, and a light blue bow at the chest and at the back of her skirt.
She wears a pair of blue short heeled knee-high boots with white triangular borders, white gloves with three blue arm fittings at the ends that reach just below her elbows, and a light blue circular brooch at the centre of her chest bow.
A golden tiara with a blue, oval-shaped gem is located on her forehead, and for earrings, she has three blue studs, three in her left ear and one on the right ear.
(Image Here - Sailor Mercury)
Sailor Uranus, aka Haruka Tenou, a young woman with short, pale blond hair and dark blue eyes.
Her sailor uniform consists of a white, chest-armoured leotard, a navy blue sailor collar with three white stripes, a navy blue choker, a navy blue skirt with a white puffy belt sat above it, and a light yellow bow at the chest and a navy blue bow at the back of her skirt.
She wears lace-up loose navy blue boots, as well as white wrist-length gloves with three navy blue arm fittings at the ends, and a navy blue circular brooch at the centre of her chest bow. Her leotard does not have any stripes on it, and her shoulder pads have three layers.
A golden tiara with a navy blue, oval-shaped gem is located on her forehead, and she wears a golden hoop earring in each ear.
(Image Here - Sailor Uranus)
Sailor Neptune, aka Michiru Kaiou, an extremely beautiful and delicate-looking woman of slim stature and average height, with deep blue eyes and wavy teal hair that falls just past her shoulders.
Her sailor uniform consists of a white, chest-armoured leotard, a dark teal sailor collar, and a dark teal choker with a dark green gem with golden accents attached to it. A dark teal skirt with a white puffy belt sat above it, and a dark blue bow at the chest and at the back of her skirt.
She wears lace-up loose dark teal high heels, as well as white wrist-length gloves with three dark teal arm bands at the ends, and a dark green circular brooch at the centre of her chest bow. Her leotard does not have any stripes on it, and her shoulder pads have three layers.
A golden tiara with a dark green, oval-shaped gem is located on her forehead, and she wears gold studs and has a planetary object surrounded by a ring dangling from them, made to look like her own guardian planet.
(Image Here - Sailor Neptune)
Sailor Pluto, aka Setsuna Meiou, is a young adult woman who has knee-length dark green hair partly tied up in a high bun and the rest hanging down freely and red eyes.
Her sailor uniform consists of a white, chest-armoured leotard with no shoulder pads and no sleeves, a black sailor collar, a black choker with a red bauble attached to it, a black skirt with a white puffy belt sat above it, and a maroon bow at the chest and at the back of her skirt.
She wears black knee-high heeled boots with white triangular arches, as well as white wrist-length gloves with three black arm bands at the ends, and a bright red circular gem at the centre of her chest bow.
Her leotard does not have any stripes on it, and her shoulder pads have three layers. A golden tiara with a garnet red, oval-shaped gem is located on her forehead, and she wears thick red earrings in the shape of arrows.
She also wears a chain around her waist, which has four space-time keys that she uses only for special circumstances to travel through various timelines and alternate realities.
(Image Here - Sailor Pluto)
Lastly, there is the only unknown figure among them, a beautiful and slim young woman with long black hair and brown eyes who is armed with a bow and arrows, which have clearly divine origin. In fact, now that I'm focusing on them, they feel Greek and quite similar to my brother-in-law, Apollo, just slightly off from what I'm used to.
With the presence of his Peerage, the battlefield shifts again.
Their numbers multiply, and the pressure increases exponentially.
Yet, I can't help but laugh softly and comment, "Hehehe... I have to admit. You have excellent taste."
Ledram raises an eyebrow before he chuckles and says, "I do try."
I gesture vaguely toward the gathered Peerage and say, "If we held a challenge to determine who possesses the superior harem, I assure you, I would win. Not because mine is bigger but because my wives are simply that exceptional."
A few of the women exchange looks while some others snort, and some even feel challenged and competitive.
On the other hand, Ledram chuckles again and says, "I have the distinct feeling we could become very good friends."
I smile back and reply, "After the battle."
He agrees and repeats, "After the battle."
Then my gaze sharpens as I focus back on the fight and say, "If you are going to fight like a Devil from the High School DxD Universe, then I shall respond in kind and fight like a Saint from the Saint Seiya Universe."
I dismiss Tactical Arms back into my Soulbound Territory before my hand rises to the silver Core Drill hanging around my neck, and I call out my oldest partner, "Crateris!"
The Core Drill shines brightly before Crateris appears in its Constellation Form beside me, and then it disassembles itself into the various pieces of armour that quickly equip on my body by themselves one after the other, following the classic sequence of legs, waist, arms, body, shoulders and head.
The Crateris Cloth settles over my body, silver armour gleaming faintly as the Spiral Cosmo ignites within me with even more fervour.
The atmosphere changes as Darkness thickens on one side of the battlefield while my Spiral Cosmo illuminates the other with a soft golden light.
Devil against Saint.
The next phase of the battle begins.