"This is bad. Loki intends to sacrifice his life to wipe out everyone here."
"Huh? You mean he's going to blow himself up?"
"Exactly." Ddraig's tone was heavy, treating the situation as a genuine threat.
Issei racked his brain, searching for a way to eliminate Loki first.
"I don't mind, but the Longinus Smasher possesses incredible destructive power—especially given how massive your base power has become."
"In that case, I—"
Suddenly, a Nordic magic circle glowed brilliantly in the sky. A giant hammer emerged from the void, slowly descending until it landed firmly in Issei's hand.
"Mjolnir?"
"What?! That damn Odin! How dare he interfere at a time like this!" Loki's voice was laced with pure hatred.
"Loki, this is your end..."
Issei lifted Mjolnir without any assistance from Ddraig, relying purely on his own physical strength and magic, which now approached the level of a Super Devil.
"Damn it! You can't defeat me here, Red Dragon Emperor!"
Loki attempted to flee, but a crimson barrier suddenly manifested, trapping him inside.
"Lord Loki, it's over." Rias winked her crystal-blue eyes, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"Gkh!" Loki hissed in fury, biting his lower lip until it bled.
Issei swung Mjolnir. It shattered through the crimson barrier and slammed directly into Loki's body.
"Arghhh!" Loki's scream echoed for a fleeting moment before he was sealed by Mjolnir's power.
Boom!
Issei set Mjolnir down and turned his attention to Dino.
"Hey, who are these guys? They're not exactly friendly." Dino raised his hands, breaking into a cold sweat as the Vali Team surrounded him.
"Vali, don't even think about taking him with you," Issei warned.
Vali shrugged, his tone casual. "I just wanted to see an existence from another world that rivals a Demon King."
"Hmm. And what do you think?"
"Strong enough, but he hasn't caught my interest yet."
"You total battle-maniac!"
Arthur Pendragon adjusted his glasses, staring straight at Dino.
"Are you a swordsman?"
Dino gave a slight nod.
"Care to test your skills against me?"
Arthur drew Excalibur Ruler, leveling the tip of the blade at Dino. Dino instinctively jumped back, dropping into a defensive stance.
"That's one terrifying sword."
Arthur adjusted his glasses again. "The same could be said for yours."
The atmosphere grew heavy as the two locked eyes.
"Sorry, but fighting is off-limits here. We're all exhausted after dealing with Loki." Issei stepped between Dino and Arthur.
Arthur let out a sigh, looking visibly disappointed. Issei rolled his eyes and looked at Vali.
"Is everyone in your group a battle-maniac?"
Vali gave a small, relaxed shrug.
"Good grief. Just leave if you're done here," Issei muttered.
"Before that, I have a request."
"If it's about Fenrir, you can take him."
"Ise?!" Rias cried out, looking confused.
"Eh? Are you sure?" Vali's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yeah. I don't feel like raising a dog, so take him if you want."
"Hahaha! Calling the owner of fangs that can kill Gods a 'dog'... you truly are a worthy rival." Vali smirked, looking genuinely amused.
Issei simply shrugged. Rias looked like she wanted to argue, but she chose to trust Issei's judgment.
"Arthur!"
"Understood." Arthur plunged Excalibur Ruler into Fenrir's forehead, taming the ferocious wolf in a matter of seconds.
"Hyoudou Issei! What do you think happens next?" Vali asked, standing with his back to Issei.
"Chaos—if the villains of two worlds unite. I can't even imagine the horror they'd bring."
"Hahaha! True enough. But I look forward to it, because I'll be the one to crush them!"
With that, the Vali Team departed, taking Fenrir with them.
Rias deactivated her combat mode and placed her hands on her hips, demanding an explanation. The others gathered around as well, their curiosity piqued. Seeing their expectant gazes, Issei came clean about Vali.
"So, Vali isn't exactly on the side of the villains?" Rias asked.
"Even so, it's not good for us to be seen acting friendly with them," Akeno added.
"I don't care what outsiders think, as long as we're okay." Issei gave Akeno a warm smile.
Thump-thump!
Akeno froze, her heart racing. She nodded back with a shy, flustered expression.
"I trust Issei-senpai's decision!" Koneko chirped.
Issei smiled thinly and patted Koneko's head. The girl looked blissful; her ears twitched repeatedly, and her tail swayed happily.
"Alright, let's head back. You're coming with us, Dino!"
"Sigh, I know. Back to the place where the monsters gather, right?"
"Don't call them monsters! They're the leaders of the Three Factions and a God from mythology!"
"Fine, fine. I'll keep that in mind." Dino's tone was lazy and entirely unconvincing.
Rias narrowed her eyes skeptically.
"Relax, this guy won't be able to do anything to hurt us," Issei whispered.
Rias's cheeks flushed pink, and she nodded bashfully. Sensing the jealous glares from several other girls, Issei coughed awkwardly, pretending not to notice the tension in the air.
To be continued...
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