Evening!
Ayato and Artoria strolled along a sunset path.
"How has Koneko been lately?"
"Improving quickly. Her talent is quite good."
Artoria nodded: "Given time, she will probably become very strong."
"That's only natural, given her bloodline..."
"What's wrong, Master? Why did you stop mid-sentence?"
Artoria was startled, then followed Ayato's gaze.
Under the setting sun, a man was walking towards them.
This man had silver hair and quite heroic features.
"A Devil?"
Sensing his aura, Artoria raised an eyebrow.
She felt this man possessed magic power unique to Devils.
He was the strongest Devil she had ever seen, aside from her master.
Moreover, she also sensed the power of a dragon within him.
A Devil having the aura of a dragon was quite incongruous.
"Not just a Devil. He is the White Dragon Emperor of the Two Heavenly Dragons."
"What?"
Artoria's pupils contracted: "He is that Fallen Angel's White Dragon Emperor?"
"But he is clearly a Devil. How could he have joined the Fallen Angels?"
Hearing this, Ayato shook his head and said: "The relationship is complicated. I'll tell you another time."
Artoria nodded and said: "But regardless, he could be an enemy, right?"
Her expression was somewhat eager to try.
After becoming a Devil, her strength had increased considerably.
Especially after gaining the power of the blessing.
She was also looking forward to meeting an opponent.
How strong was this White Dragon Emperor, exactly?
"So you are the seventh earthly king."
Seeing Ayato's arrival, the silver-haired man's gaze flickered: "Finally, I've been waiting for you."
Accompanying his voice was an invisible oppression and tension.
Artoria's expression sharpened, and she assumed a defensive posture.
Fighting spirit!
Quite a thick fighting spirit.
Only a warrior who had been tempered through countless trials would have such condensed fighting spirit.
"White Dragon Emperor, Vali!"
Ayato's expression was calm as he spoke: "You've been deliberately waiting for me here, haven't you?"
"That's right. A Campione born from a Devil has piqued my great interest."
Vali grinned: "Let's fight, oh god-slaying king."
"For me, if I encounter a strong opponent and cannot determine victory or defeat, I would not rest in peace."
The moment his voice fell, astonishing magical power rippled, shaking the surroundings like a tide.
"White Dragon Emperor!"
Artoria shouted, already positioning her sword in front of Ayato, facing Vali directly: "Whoever you are, I will not allow you to raise your blade against Master-sama in my presence."
With just the action of holding her sword, the invisible pressure in the air had completely vanished.
"I see. You are also a respectable strong warrior."
Vali's pupils contracted, his voice full of fighting spirit: "State your name."
"King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon."
"So you are that Servant."
As he spoke, Vali stared intently at Artoria: "Since you want to defend your master, I will defeat you first."
Artoria didn't speak again, simply raising her invisible blade.
"It seems there's no role for me at the moment?"
Ayato spoke playfully: "But you two can't fight here, can you?"
As he spoke, a giant magic circle enveloped the three of them.
Whoosh!
With a flash of light, the three figures disappeared.
When they reappeared, they were in a rural area.
"Haha, this is indeed a good place to fight."
Vali laughed, full of fighting spirit: "Legendary King of Knights, let me defeat you first, and then challenge that Campione."
Boom!
As his final words fell,
Two figures quickly converged in mid-air.
At the same time,
Vali directly raised his right fist, extending and bending his arm, and threw a punch bundled with surging magic power.
Swoosh!
The invisible sword, wrapped in the Invisible Air, instantly cut across the sky.
Facing this punch, Artoria adjusted to the optimal sword-stance in an instant and struck Vali's fist.
Boom!
Fist and sword met.
A terrifying roar echoed through the world.
A tangible hurricane surged out, uprooting trees in all directions.
Even the ground cracked open, as if split in two by a legendary holy sword.
The violent aftershocks seemed never-ending, even threatening to spread towards Kuoh Town.
"Really. Such a big commotion. I don't want Rias to complain."
Ayato smiled helplessly, then said solemnly: "Wind, by my name, you will transform into an invisible barrier, enveloping this battlefield."
Under his words, the air thousands of meters away began to condense, forming a giant barrier.
Rumble!
Beneath the terrifying aftershocks, the barrier did not move at all, like a horizontally placed dam, capable of intercepting raging waves.
"You actually wounded me. Is this sword the legendary Excalibur?"
Looking at the blood on his fist, Vali immediately retreated.
"The one surprised should be me. You blocked my sword with your flesh and blood, suffering only light injuries."
Artoria showed a vigilant expression.
She had held nothing back in that sword strike.
"Don't sell yourself short. To show you my respect, I will now go all out."
As Vali spoke, a pair of shimmering wings, like exquisite works of art, spread from behind him.
At the same time,
A thick and delicate white armor completely covered his entire body.
"What is this?"
Artoria felt, in an instant, that the surrounding air had become extremely heavy.
The feeling Vali gave off had completely changed.
It was as if he had transformed into a true dragon.
"That is the Balance Breaker of his Sacred Gear, Divine Dividing."
Ayato's voice rang out at the right moment: "The so-called Balance Breaker is the ultimate level of Sacred Gears."
"When each Sacred Gear wielder ascends to this realm, they can bring out the power of their Sacred Gear to an unbelievable extent."