The Golden Dragon Empress (HighSchool DxD)

Open House

"Yeah, so what do you want?" Natsuki asked, still glaring at Vali.

Vali smirked, and while Natsuki could feel his magic coming closer to her, indicating that he was moving towards her, Natsuki could not move fast enough to avoid Vali's hand wrapping around her throat.

Vali smirked, "Too-"

Vali opened his smirking mouth to speak, but quieted himself when two swords were suddenly thrust at him, both sitting less than a millimeter from his neck.

Kiba and Xenovia were standing behind the Vanishing Dragon, both using the speed their Knight pieces granted them to close the distance. The Holy Demonic Sword and Durandal were emitting an intense aura, the blades responding to the emotions of their wielders, feeding on their anger.

"I don't know what you're planning, but you're taking it too far. Now let go of Natsuki." Kiba growled.

"Your rivalry with Natsuki-san and Issei-san will not be starting here and not today. We won't let you." Xenovia added.

Vali turned his head to look at the sword wielding duo, his arrogant smirk still on his face, "Those are some tough words, and I might have been able to take them seriously if your hands weren't shaking."

Like Vali said, Kiba and Xenovia's hands were indeed shaking, causing their swords to tremble, their expressions tightening with rage. As Devils, they all had instincts not unlike the ones animals possessed, and their instincts were telling them to run, to get as far away from the apex predator before them.

"It's fine to boast, not knowing the difference between your opponent's strength, but between me and you, there is a decisive difference in power. You, who couldn't win against the likes of Kokabiel, won't be able to win against me." Vali snickered as Kiba and Xenovia reluctantly dispelled their swords, knowing that if Vali genuinely wanted to, he could kill them with ease. He was not Kokabiel, the Fallen who not only outmatched them, but made it very clear that the only reason the Gremory Peerage lasted so long was because the Fallen was toying with them.

A growl ripped through the air as Natsuki grabbed the hand that Vali still had on her neck, forcing it off. She squeezed Vali's wrist tightly, her eyes no longer burgundy, but a glowing gold as she glared at him venously, her voice becoming layered, something that had not happened since Riser appeared in the clubroom. "Shut your fucking mouth, you arrogant little punk. Keep on smirking and keep on talking; it'll just make it all the sweeter when I beat you into the dirt."

Vali looked Natsuki up and down, unbothered by the hold she now had on him, and to Natsuki's displeasure, still smirking. "You'd definitely be the more interesting combatant out of the two of you, you're more in touch with your dragon. But tell me, Sukehiro Natsuki, how do you think you and Hyoudou Issei compare to those with power in this world?"

"What do you mean?" Issei asked.

"I'm talking about your Balance Breaker; it looks quite incomplete to me, but still a four-digit ranking." Vali said, raising four of his fingers with his other hand. "On a scale of strongest to weakest, that is. I'd say between one thousandth and fifteen hundredth or lower. Although, for such a perverted owner, I bet it's even lower."

"Don't talk to him like that!" Natsuki all but roared.

Vali grinned, "There are a lot of strong people in this world. Even the Crimson Satan, Sirzechs Lucifer wouldn't fit in the top ten."

Are there really so many people stronger than Lucifer-sama? I honestly can't imagine it. Issei thought.

The Vanishing Dragon then raised a finger, "However, first place has long been decided; it's a fixed existence."