High School DxD: Return of the Crimson Dragon Emperor

Chapter 147: Chapter 143: Knight vs. Knight!!

Both Kings stood at their platforms, rolling dice at the referee’s signal.

The result—

”Rias Gremory rolls a 2! Sairaorg Bael rolls a 1! Total: 3. Send out vassals matching that value!” the announcer declared.

Lowest number right off the bat!

Our options: Knights Kiba or Xenovia, or Bishops Gasper or Asia. Only Kiba or Xenovia can fight solo.

”Five-minute strategy time. Select your fighter. Pawn promotion is allowed upon reaching the field,” the announcer added.

Five minutes to pick. It’s basically decided.

As strategy time began, a barrier enveloped both bases.

”This prevents strategy leaks. Our voices can’t be heard outside, and lip-reading is blocked,” Kiba explained.

The giant monitor showed our faces obscured by Gremory’s magic circle. Bael’s team was the same.

We sat, and Rias spoke. ”Yuuto’s the choice. They’ll expect it.”

”Yeah. Asia and Gasper can’t go solo, and Xenovia might get outmaneuvered technically,” I said.

”I’ll overpower any tricks!” Xenovia boasted.

”Thought your technique improved, but still all power, huh?” I teased.

Classic Xenovia—pure power type, brimming with confidence.

Rias nodded. ”Xenovia could dominate most with raw strength, but revealing Ex-Durandal early isn’t smart. Mid-game’s better. Yuuto’s adaptability makes him ideal.”

Kiba’s speed and skill shine even if his abilities are known. Xenovia’s big moves risk being countered if exposed early, and she’d burn stamina or get hurt.

”They’ll read it, but I’m going,” Kiba said, adjusting his collar.

”Don’t lose,” I said.

”I’ll win,” he grinned.

The referee announced, ”Time’s almost up. Fighters, stand on the magic circle for transfer to the battlefield. Bases will be invisible until transfer.”

So that’s the circle’s purpose. Bases stay hidden to prevent last-second swaps.

Koneko added, ”Invisibility stops teams from changing pieces based on the opponent’s choice.”

Makes sense—knowing their fighter could prompt a counter-pick.

The barrier thickened, turning white, cutting us off. Kiba, with an earpiece mic, stepped onto the circle. It glowed, and he vanished.

As Kiba disappeared, the barrier lifted, and multiple screens appeared above our base, showing a vast green plain. Kiba faced an armored knight on a horse wreathed in pale blue flames.

”First match fighters appear! The battlefield: a boundless plain! Total value 3 brings Gremory’s lightning-fast prince, Yuuto Kiba! Rias’s Knight steps up!” the announcer roared.

”Kyaaa! Kiba-kun!” Women screamed.

Damn, our pretty boy’s a star! Lightning-fast prince, huh?

”From Bael’s team—” Before the announcer finished, the knight advanced, raising his helm’s visor.

”I am Beruka Furcas, Knight of Lord Sairaorg Bael!” he declared.

Furcas... ”House Furcas commands horses,” Rias said.

Right, I studied that. Very knightly.

”I’m Yuuto Kiba, Knight of Rias Gremory. Pleased to meet you,” Kiba said.

”To face the famed Holy-Demonic Sword Kiba is a swordsman’s honor,” Beruka replied.

”I look forward to our duel,” Kiba shot back, smirking.

Women screamed again. Show-off!

”Governor Azazel, that flaming horse?” the announcer asked.

”The Pale Horse, a high-tier beast from Cocytus, tied to death and ruin. Hard to tame—rejects even masters. Beruka’s mastered it, as expected of House Furcas,” Azazel explained.

Solid commentary, teach! He’s a natural.

The referee appeared via magic circle. ”First match, begin!”

Kiba conjured a Holy-Demonic Sword and dashed. ”Such speed! But my Altbrow and I won’t lose!” Beruka shouted. The horse neighed, vanishing.

”Fast!” I said. Even on-screen, I lost them momentarily.

But Kiba’s just as fast. Go get ’em!

Kiba accelerated, vanishing too. Sword clashes echoed, sparks flying. Only their collisions were visible—too fast otherwise.

They locked blades. ”Matching Altbrow’s speed? Impressive, Rias’s Knight!” Beruka said.

”Your horse-lance combo is flawless. I can’t strike the horse without the lance interfering, nor you without the horse blocking. Let’s try this!” Kiba summoned seven floating swords.

Beruka gasped. Those swords—last used in Kyoto—weren’t in Bael’s intel. As Beruka reacted, countless Holy-Demonic Swords sprouted from the ground.

”Remote-controlled swords!?” Beruka exclaimed, as his horse soared skyward, flying.

It flies!?

Kiba’s swords chased, weaving unpredictably. Beruka’s lance and horse’s flames deflected them. ”He’s countering!” I said. Their teamwork’s insane.

Kiba raised his sword. ”Thunder Holy-Demonic Sword!” Lightning struck Beruka.

”Too easy!” Beruka pulled a second lance from the horse’s flaming mane, slicing the bolt apart. Thunder crashed into the ground.

Kiba threw his sword, targeting Beruka’s guard. ”Child’s play!” Beruka countered, throwing his lance to deflect it, landing to draw another from the mane.

That mane’s a dimensional pocket? More lances?

Beruka’s a beast, countering Kiba’s new moves with ease. Sairaorg’s team is well-trained.

”Now my turn! Witness Altbrow and me!” Beruka charged, multiplying into over ten duplicates with his horse.

Kiba conjured another sword, but hesitated. ”The duplicates have real presence!?” I said. Too many for his seven swords.

Beruka’s copies attacked from all sides. Kiba blocked with his swords, but took hits. ”Blade Rain!” Kiba’s seven swords split, raining around him—his Siegfried move.

It worked then, but— ”Almost had me,” Beruka said, standing far off, lance ready. He’d dodged, dispelling his duplicates.

Kiba wiped blood from his cheek, smirking. ”Dodging that? Worthy of Sairaorg’s Knight. You won’t go down easily.”

”If we continue, you’ll outlast us. Your skill’s clear. But I’ll take a limb to weaken you for my lord!” Beruka said.

”That resolve makes you terrifying. So, I’ll show another possibility,” Kiba replied.

He’s using it! Perfect for this stalemate. Beruka’s resolve is dangerous—Kiba’s taking damage.

Kiba dissolved his sword, conjuring a holy sword. ”Balance Break!” A holy aura enveloped him. Swords sprouted from the ground, and dragon-helmed armored knights appeared, grabbing them. Kiba stood like a knight commander.

Beruka gaped. ”Impossible! Another Balance Break!? Your Holy-Demonic Sword was your Balance Break!”

Kiba’s original Balance Break is Holy-Demonic Sword Creation. But he gained another ability post-Cocabil: Holy Sword Creation, inherited from his comrades’ souls.

Inspired by Jeanne’s Holy Sword Creation Balance Break in Kyoto, Kiba developed his own with my help. I sparred with him using Tenbu—nearly killed him a few times. Thank Asia for healing!

”Glory Drag Trooper, a subspecies Holy Sword Balance Break,” Kiba said.

It grants his dragon knights his speed and skill, unlike the seven swords. Not fully mastered, but promising. Downside: no Holy-Demonic Swords in this state.

”I nearly died training with Issei-kun for this,” Kiba said.

”You told me to go all out!” I shouted.

”Sorry, could’ve held back,” I added.

”Make it up by training for my next possibility,” Kiba teased.

”You’re reading my mind!?” I yelled.

”Earpiece,” he said.

Then how’d you hear my thoughts!? Whatever, I’ll train with you.

Azazel, on-screen, grinned. ”Holy Sword Creation’s Balance Break is Blade Knight Mass, summoning holy sword-wielding knights. Kiba customized it into a dragon knight legion—Issei’s influence! Big sisters in the crowd are loving this!”

Stop it, teach! Creepy!

Kiba led his knights toward Beruka. ”Here I come!” The knights, nearly twenty, lacked Holy-Demonic power but overwhelmed with numbers.

Beruka charged, recreating duplicates. Knights and duplicates clashed, metal ringing. Both sets vanished.

”Splendid,” Beruka said, armor shattered from shoulder to abdomen, smoking from holy damage. Kiba won.

Beruka vanished in a retiring light. ”One of Sairaorg Bael’s Knights retires!” the referee declared.

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