The sheer kinetic force of Finn's punch blasted Vali Lucifer miles away.
The White Dragon Emperor became a silver blur, violently crashing through the air before slamming into the reinforced concrete of a distant skyscraper. The impact was so devastating that it nearly shattered the magical barrier designed to keep the destruction contained, threatening to unleash absolute destruction upon Kuoh Town.
"Thank you, Akeno!"
Rias and Sona breathed a heavy sigh of relief as Akeno poured her Demonic Power into the barrier, desperately reinforcing the spatial walls to contain the apocalyptic fallout of the clash.
"It's fine," Akeno replied, though she looked slightly helpless as she watched the dust settle in the distance. "But don't expect the destruction to stop. Once Finn-sama is provoked, he absolutely will not stop until his target is completely dead." She paused, letting out a soft, amused sigh. "However... it seems his current opponent is weak, so the city should be fine."
"...."
Everyone stared at her in absolute disbelief.
Weak? Was Vali Lucifer—the terrifying White Dragon Emperor—genuinely considered weak?!
Even Kokabiel, who was aware of the absolute monster Vali was supposed to be, lay pinned in the dirt, completely dumbfounded by how effortlessly the Cadre's 'savior' had been swatted out of the sky.
Yet, for Issei and the entity residing within his left arm, the shock of Vali's defeat was violently overshadowed by the weapon currently resting in Finn's hand.
"That sword..."
Deep inside the Boosted Gear, Ddraig felt a violent, primal chill run down his draconic spine as he sensed the dark aura radiating from Finn's blade.
"W-What the hell is that sword?!" Issei gasped, a suffocating, instinctual horror gripping his heart. His draconic instincts screamed at him that if Finn merely scratched him with that black steel, he would die instantly!
I absolutely cannot provoke him! Issei thought frantically.
It might seem incredibly strange for Issei and Ddraig to back down. Ddraig was, after all, one of the legendary Heavenly Dragons—an ancient calamity that had rampaged across the world, bringing absolute terror to Gods, Devils, and humans alike. Meanwhile, Issei was a famously reckless, hot-blooded teenager who would normally throw his life away to protect Rias or satisfy his perverted urges.
So, considering how closely Finn was interacting with Rias's peerage, wasn't it weird for the protagonist to be this terrified and obedient?
Not at all.
First, Finn had previously humiliated them, delivering an agonizing, bone-crushing defeat at the Underworld party that left permanent scars on their pride. They knew perfectly well that Finn possessed terrifying, Ultimate-Class power—easily hovering just a single tier below absolute anomalies like Sirzechs and Ajuka.
If Ddraig were in his prime, he wouldn't fear the Balam heir. But now? Shackled to a weak, inexperienced human host, Ddraig knew that aggressively challenging Finn was literal suicide.
Furthermore, Issei wasn't entirely blind. Unlike Riser Phenex—who was aggressively lustful and constantly tried to force himself onto Rias—Finn displayed absolutely zero romantic or perverted interest in the Crimson Princess. Finn was entirely aloof. His only priority in Kuoh seemed to be indulging his Queen, Akeno.
More importantly, Finn was uniquely, terrifyingly cruel.
When Rias had shown Issei the classified Underworld footage of a ten-year-old Finn cold-bloodedly slaughtering the elite assassins of the Himejima Clan, Issei had violently shuddered. If Finn were that ruthless as a literal child, what would he do now?
If Issei provoked him and Finn decided to casually snap his neck, Rias and Sirzechs would likely just mourn him in silence. They wouldn't dare declare war on the Balam Pillar to avenge a low-class Pawn. The cost of fighting Finn vastly outweighed the value of Issei's.
Issei had already died once. He knew exactly how cruel the supernatural world was. Next time, in an official Rating Game, he swore he would show the world the true might of the Red Dragon Emperor. But right now? Facing the terrifying, suffocating aura of Finn's drawn blade? Issei chose to survive.
"That sword...?!"
Kiba, Rias's Knight and resident sword expert, physically shuddered as his eyes locked onto the dark steel.
"Um... Akeno-san, what exactly is that weapon?" Xenovia asked nervously, leaning slightly closer to the Queen.
"That is Balmung," Akeno answered smoothly, ensuring everyone in the vicinity heard her.
"B-Balmung?!" Irina gasped, her twin-tails practically standing on end. "The demonic sword of the legendary Germanic hero, Siegfried?!"
"Exactly," Akeno nodded. "When Finn-sama was ambushed by the Hero Faction in Hong Kong, he slaughtered their vanguard and confiscated the sword for his collection. I never expected he would find a use for it."
"....."
A heavy, terrified silence fell over the peerages.
"W-Who is Siegfried? What kind of hero is that?" Issei asked, completely out of the loop.
"..."
Rias sighed helplessly at her Pawn's lack of historical knowledge. "Siegfried is the legendary hero of Germanic mythology, Issei. He is famously known as the absolute Dragon Slayer."
"DRAGON SLAYER?!" Issei shrieked, his face draining of all color.
"Yes," Rias nodded grimly. "Legend states that Siegfried used Balmung to butcher the evil dragon Fafnir, bathing in its blood to achieve invincibility. Finn owns that Demonic Sword now. Don't get anywhere near it, Issei. You might just be the host, but you carry a dragon's soul. That makes you weak to the Dragon Slayer affinity. Do you understand?"
Issei nodded so fast his neck cracked. He mentally swore to avoid Finn at all costs!
He knew he probably looked like a massive coward, but he didn't care. That was the brutal reality of the supernatural world. He was currently powerless, his arm was permanently mutated, and he desperately needed Finn's resources to heal him.
Moreover, looking at Finn, Issei felt a strange sense of defeat as a man. Even standing near Rias—with her incredible charm and impossibly massive breasts—Finn hadn't so much as glanced at her cleavage. Finn possessed an iron will. It made Issei genuinely wonder why he couldn't control his own perverted impulses.
"....."
Inside the gauntlet, Ddraig remained completely silent. It was deeply humiliating for a Heavenly Dragon to hide, but he knew how fragile his host was. If Ddraig spoke up and provoked the Balam heir, Finn might just swing Balmung and end them both.
Ddraig could sense the cold hostility radiating from Finn. Is my reputation genuinely that terrible? Ddraig wondered. Thinking back on the destruction he had caused while alive, and the endless troubles by his past hosts, Ddraig realized he probably deserved the Devil's intense caution.
Meanwhile, Finn briefly glanced down at Issei, finding the boy's behavior incredibly strange.
He is so docile.
Finn mused internally.
It was highly out of character. Thinking back to the author's previous novel of this universe, Issei was usually a reckless, brain-dead idiot who constantly charged into danger for the sake of breasts. Yet, on this specific timeline, Issei was displaying genuine caution. At the very least, he was smart enough to recognize that he didn't want to die today.
Miles away, buried deep within the rubble of a shattered office building, Vali Lucifer was not okay.
"VALI! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"
Albion's panicked voice echoed inside the cracked, sparking silver armor. Vali lay completely paralyzed in the debris, his body shattered from the sheer, destructive force of Finn's single punch.
Yet, while his bones screamed in physical agony, it was nothing compared to the absolute devastation of his pride.
Vali felt entirely hopeless. He had charged in, fully intending to utterly humiliate the Devil who had crippled Tobio Ikuse. Tobio was an older brother figure to Vali—a comrade who had protected him in the past. Finn had ruthlessly stripped Tobio of his Longinus and his magic, turning him into a powerless human.
Clenching his bleeding fists, Vali tasted copper as he glared furiously through the dust. He knew exactly how dangerous Finn was. But to fall in a single strike? To be completely treated like trash?!
"Albion... do it!" Vali roared, coughing up blood.
"YEAHHHHH!"
Pushing his body far past its biological limits, Vali forced himself to his feet. Driven by pure, unadulterated hatred and a desperate need to avenge his shattered pride, the White Dragon Emperor chanted the forbidden words.
"Empireo Juggernaut Overdrive!"
A blinding, destructive surge of silver energy erupted from the ruined building. The sheer density of the aura caused a secondary earthquake, sending violent shockwaves that rattled every window in Kuoh Town. A massive, towering pillar of divine light shot into the heavens, attempting to physically crush Finn with its oppressive pressure.
Standing amidst the storm of flying debris, Finn didn't even flinch. He simply rested Balmung casually against his shoulder, looking at the blinding silver light in the distance with half-lidded, thoroughly unimpressed golden eyes.
"Idiot."