Welcome to the next chapter of The Twin Dragons, but before starting. Let us answer some reviews:
altajir95: Thanks. And I'm sure that was a big surprise for the people reading it, Kazuki training alongside the strongest human (at this point), Vasco Strada; with Raynare training alongside the remaining Grigori leaders, while Mariah is being trained by Souji Okita alongside her brother. Thanks, I'll continue doing it.
Ancient Sith Tulak Hord: Yes, Kazuki has started to follow his path as the Hakuryuukou, instead of following behind Rias and the others. It's kind of an all too common thing, which is the reason that I'd made Kensei and Kazuki the kind of characters who'd understand the other girls' feelings for them. But, it took Kensei some time, considering that he was still maturing as a person. I'd guess that her character would be somewhat like her, and she'll appear earlier than canon, considering she came around the time of the Azazel Cup.
Lorenzo Macchiavelli: Well, Lucina hasn't known him for that long like Sona.
Phantom Reaper: Well, it was the same thing for Issei and I thought that it'd fit him. It's a great thing he and the others gained their own house, same as Rias and the others, but they could've told him that they were giving him a house. Trust me, it's big enough for Kazuki, as well as his harem and it is a good thing that Asia and Kazuki became more familiar with one another. There's going to be more about that house revealed in the future, it'd be cool if that was the case.
Well, Lucina has her responsibilities as Serafall's Queen and a maid-in-training, but it would be cool if she could come there on her breaks. Considering that he'll be at a higher level compared to humans and the situation of Kaitou will be revealed, as well as his grandchild. His relationship with Sairaorg is going to be about the same as Issei's relationship with him. Yes, all of their training over the summer will be an intense one for them, most notably Raynare, who's training with all the Grigori leaders. No doubt, both are in too much of a rush for grandchildren; more so since they're going to be having a lot of them in the future, all things considered.
There's no trouble, I'm happy that you're putting this much thought into these questions.
1. I don't think that'd be possible using Divine Dividing. But, if it's simply removing it, then it sounds as if Ajuka would be capable of doing that. But, you're right, all Sacred Gears grow and evolve based on their owner, Longinus or not, some can evolve into one too.
2. I'm all ears if you want to leave reviews for Team DUSK too.
3. I thought that it'd be pointless to write another DxD one, considering that it'll simply be me rewriting a lot of scenes once again when I reached different points in the current ones. I meant to add Valerie to Kazuki's harem because someone once suggested it. I think that Seekvaira would be a good match too since she's about the same as Sona and has an interest in Mecha Anime. All of them sound like a great match for him, but I don't know much about Suzaku, Lavinia, and Roygun, though. For Latia, it would be that weird considering that Lint's in his harem too, and she's related to Freed.
4. Trust me, I have something planned for the beating that Kazuki is going to be unleashing on Diadora.
5. I haven't found one either, not that I looked for ones in that particular one. I think that I could come up with an interesting character.
Guest: It does sound like something she'd do just to mess with him.
Guest 2: It does sound hilarious for them, as Kazuki had to change his hairstyle because everyone had confused him and Issei for one another.
Guest 3: Because she's a part of Ophis, Lilith inherited her curiosity about things, so it wouldn't be that it would be possible to inherit her attachment to Kazuki too. Ophis is the Dragon God, there's nothing that anyone can do to her if she does come and go from his home, as well as wearing a maid outfit if hears he does love maids.
Guest 4: In canon, Divide didn't work on Loki, because I assume it was because he was a God. So, it'd be impossible for him to Divide the power of someone who represents the Infinite. More so, as Ophis could give her power to someone. I mean, using Divine differed from Boost, since it's detrimental to the person it's used on. But, it would simply show the amount that Gabriel does care about him.
Guest 5: Kazuki does plan on creating his team, and Ravel would end up joining his team in the future too. So, she'd be the perfect person to join his team considering her considerable knowledge and strategies, which can work alongside him. And Ravel would be free as she doesn't have a King to order her around as her mother doesn't compete.
Guest 6: I have something planned for that situation, and it's going to make sense considering what'd be happening at that point.
Guest 7: I do love the idea of Gasper being a wingman and using Forbidden Balor View for Valerie's benefit in being with Kazuki.
Guest 8: No doubt, considering that Kazuki is their rival, he's going to be having power-ups that'll lead to his development as the strongest Hakuryuukou. And that might be the most appropriate thing to call him at that point. Because of the current Sacred Gear he has, there are going to be some interesting tricks soon.
Guest 9: Yeah, he plans on creating the Newspaper Club, and using it as his base for the rest of his team and their operation during school. I can see either of them acting as the club adviser, but Gabriel is more believable considering that Xenovia would be terrified every single day.
Guest 10: It'll be interesting if that happens as despite losing Rias, Riser still cares about Ravel far more than his previous engagement.
Reviewer Requiem: Well, she is still a dragon, so she could create her own Dragon Gate, I mean, she is a Dragon God. And that'd be hilarious if she summoned Kazuki out of nowhere, with her sharing a banana with him, considering that'd been established.
Guest 11: I'd guess that Asia would have that kind of strong relationship with him at that point, differing from the canon relationship with Issei.
Guest 12: Yep, the Oppai Dragon program is going to come up as soon as the summer ends, considering he's his brother's rival, then he'll be involved in it. I have an idea about what their part in that program is going to be once it comes up.
Guest 13: I wouldn't be surprised if each of them has their maid outfit. I wouldn't put it past Serafall to force Lucina to wear a magical girl outfit at least once in the past.
Kazuki's Training Part 1
On that morning, the two were supposed to be leaving, Kazuki and Asia packed up whatever the two would need for this trip. At the train stations, the two were joined by the Gremory Group, who'd be heading to the Underworld using a secret path. It was something that he'd heard about from Sona a long time ago, but, of course, Issei had looked on confused about the fact their group was there.
Aside from the Gremory Group, who were dressed in their school uniform, treated as their appropriate uniform for the group. The boyfriend-girlfriend couple consisting of Kazuki and Asia looked dressed as if the two were going on an actual vacation. He was dressed in a cool-looking outfit, while she was dressed in a sundress with a hat that went well with it.
"Alright. I'm guessing that you two would be heading to the place that Sirzechs recommended as a proper place for you two to train."
Azazel, was there too to join the Gremory Group on their trip into the Underworld, giving out the usual nonchalant atmosphere he became most well known for.
"Yeah, apparently, one of Lucina-san's tasks was to hand this key over," Kazuki said, holding out a key meant to open up whatever place Sirzechs recommended for them. "So, I'm guessing that Raynare was sent off to Grigori for her summer training."
"Hahaha, it's going to be interesting for all of us training one fallen angel together. But, she won't be training until one of us finishes whatever training regimen we wrote up for her. We all have faith that Raynare could end up being the next person who'll replace Kokabiel as a Cadre in the future," Azazel said with faith, but then started wearing a dangerous smile. "All she'll need to do right now is to survive our training and also potential bodily mod…never mind that last part."
"What was that last part? I think that I heard something about modifications."
Kazuki asked, staring at Azazel with an odd look, causing him to become more worried about Raynare because he didn't know that much about the other leaders. But, based on Raynare's fears about training with them all and the fact he knows about Azazel's odd quirks, it wouldn't end well for her.
"Well, we'll be heading off to the Underworld. So, I guess that means we'll be seeing you two near the end of the summer in the Underworld."
Rias said smiling as she turned to Kazuki and Asia, who nodded their head.
"Yeah, I guess so."
Kazuki replied, with a casual look.
"Y-Yes! I'm nervous about going to hell while alive! I-I thought I'd like to go there to die!"
Asia nervously replied, obvious enough as a woman of faith, it would be odd for her to be heading straight to the Underworld. Something that caused Kazuki to turn his attention to her with an amused look while placing his hand on top of Asia's head.
"That's fine."
"Well, I'll be heading there too. I want to meet the person who acted our my brother's teacher."
Mariah pointed out with a nonchalant look that went against Asia's nervousness.
"Haha."
Kiba couldn't help giving a wryly smile at his younger sister's enthusiasm about meeting Kiba's teacher.
"Oi, Kazuki. We're going to be training to become stronger for the future fight against the Khaos Brigade," Issei said standing in front of his younger brother. "So, don't be surprised when I end up becoming stronger than you."
"Nii-san," Kazuki looked on at his older brother's confidence. "You're going to become stronger, there's no doubt about that."
"Hahaha, that's right."
"But, you becoming stronger than me might be outside of your current level."
"Eh, you jerk!"
Having heard his brother's response, Issei's emotions flared up in an intense with his competitive nature starting to come out. It was among the brotherly moments between the two that caused the group around them to laugh, in addition to noticing their bond. Kazuki held out his balled-up feet in front of Issei without showing anything aside from a casual smile.
"Let's see, which ends up being stronger than who then."
"Alright, then I'll prove that I'm going to be the strongest one."
Both the brothers bumped fists with one another, sharing the same smile on their faces.
After that interaction, the Gremory Group started heading to the secret entrance leading to the Underworld, but it was done in groups. Seeing as their group was heading out, Kazuki and Asia head off to their train, which will be talking them to their chosen location.
Stepping onto the train, Kazuki and Asia took a seat, after putting their belongings at the appropriate spot. Both sat next to each other as the other passengers continued about their own business. Amid this, the two looked forward to seeing what place Sirzechs ended up recommending to them.
"Hmm, I can't wait to see what this new place is."
Asia almost couldn't maintain her excitement from seeing whatever place Sirzechs prepared for them, something that Kazuki agreed with.
"I was surprised that Sirzechs-san prepared something such as this for us. Since Lucina-san handed this key to me, I couldn't help but wonder what this place would be like. Of course, as this is something the Maou, Lucifer has in his back pocket then it must be quite the surprise."
Kazuki said, staring at the key did look like any normal key, but there was the faintest hint that it read the aura he gave off. So, it means that whatever this location was, it meant that it must be something special no one else could enter.
"Um, wouldn't it have been easier to travel to the closest place using a magic circle?"
"Maybe, but I think that it'd be fun to travel on foot. I mean, if we traveled through magic circles all the time, then it means we won't get to enjoy the scenery," Kazuki replied, as Asia seemed to understand that and smiled. "That is unless you don't want to walk around with me."
"N-No, I didn't mean…."
"Pft…."
Kazuki couldn't contain his laughter, as he glanced out the window as Asia seemed to start pouting.
"Muu, Kazuki-san, you're teasing me, aren't you?"
"Huh, was I now?"
Kazuki asked back, feigning ignorance while whistling innocently, something that didn't make matters better as a couple of small hits on his shoulder came from Asia.
"You are teasing me."
Asia said as she continued smacking Kazuki's shoulder repeatedly. But, none of these punches had much power behind them considering she wasn't a fighter. As Kazuki laughed, he could see that their interaction have caught the attention of others.
"Just looks at that. Those two must be a couple."
"Of course, there's no one who could be that adorable and not be one."
"Aw, what an adorable couple."
Kazuki and Asia couldn't help but blush faintly at the comments the two were receiving from multiple people on the train. The two continued riding on the train for almost half an hour, during which the two conversed together while eating the food and drinks Asia prepared.
Soon enough, the two arrived at a more rural area, where there were multiple mountains around them, giving off a more peaceful feel. After stepping off the train, the two walked a good distance to arrive at this location, where the two started relishing the calm atmosphere.
"Wow, this sure is peaceful."
Kazuki said, looking around the surrounding area, where the people were.
"It looks so beautiful here."
Asia stated with sparkling eyes, continuing to look around at the different new places she'd just witnessed around her.
It wasn't simply them, there were others around them, who seemed to note the two weren't from around here, as it looked closer to a farming town. Soon enough, a scent caught their attention, as a man ran a barbecue stand, causing them to turn there.
"Oh, that smells good."
Asia said, smiling at the smell.
"Then let's get some," Kazuki stated, Asia happily followed behind him as the two stood before the stand owner, then pointed at the two orders they wanted. "Uh, I'd like two of these."
"Alright, coming up. So, I take it that you two are not from here."
"You're right, we're from a town called Kuoh."
"What's your business here? If you don't mind me asking."
"Well, it's summer vacation. And a friend of mine's brother handed over someplace here so that we can remain there and relish the quiet."
"Is that so? Then you must be talking about that house out in the mountains."
Having heard Kazuki's comment, the male stand owner seemed to realize that it must've been the most rational response for their presence.
"House?"
"Well, it's kinda a superstition around here, if you head out into a certain part of the mountains out there, then it'll result in you returning where you started. But, there was some rumor about someone managing to make it closer than anyone else and was said to have found a big house," the stand owner replied. "Of course, simply a superstition and nothing more. But, no one heads out there anymore, not that there's a reason to anyway."
"Is that so? Well, I guess we'll see once we get there."
"I'm sure you will. Well, here are your orders," the store owner said, with Kazuki handling the payment for the food he handed to them. "I'm surprised, though."
"About what?"
"Well, it's nothing much. I just think that teenagers nowadays shouldn't be in much of a rush."
At his comment, Kazuki and Asia looked flustered at the implication behind it, but then the two started walking off in another direction. Amid this, the two kept eating the barbecued meat kabobs in their hands, enjoying the taste of the meat.
"Mmh, this is so good!"
Asia couldn't contain her happiness as she ate the kabob in her hands.
"No doubt about that, it seems as if that place Sirzechs-san prepared for us seems to be the source of rumors all around this town. Well, it makes me more curious since it seems as if no one can approach that place, because of some barrier that returns them to their original location."
"Hah, I wonder if that home has a good kitchen and supplies."
"Well, I'm sure that anything we need could be found in the town around here."
"That's good. I want to be sure that I can make Kazuki-san all that he'll need."
"What'll I do without you?"
"Hehehe."
Asia couldn't help laughing as Kazuki said that while placing his free hand on top of hers.
Believing that it'd be best for them to see the house first, Kazuki and Asia started traveling up the mountains with the basic directions. As one would expect it was a long journey up the mountains, but for Kazuki, it wasn't that hard a task. For Asia, it was noticeable that she had some difficulties in transferring the mountains. Her breathing was becoming heavier as time passed, but Asia persevered.
He offered to assist her, but she shook her head and wanted to continue going forward through her strength alone. Kazuki couldn't help smiling as he'd heard that comment from Asia, allowing her to press forward through her willpower.
Afterward, the two found themselves reaching their destination, being surprised about what they found reaching the top. In front of them, there was a finished mansion made of wood, with other additions added around it, some of them being flowers planted around the area too.
"Wow, this is someplace."
"I know, there are some beautiful flowers planted around here too."
Asia said, looking around to find flowers she hadn't seen before planted in the garden that was within her sight; almost causing her to rush there, but she held herself back.
"Oh, look at this," Kazuki walked up to find there was a note pinned on the front door and went over to retrieve it. "Well, let's see what this says."
Dear, Kazuki-kun,
So, this place is something that I used to come to from time to time in the Human World, but I haven't used it in a long time, because of my duties as a Maou. I thought for a long time that it'd be a shame that it's not being used as much anymore. Not knowing what else to do, I believe that it'd be right if I give this vacation home to you as a present, Kazuki-kun. It hasn't been used in a long time, but I made sure that it remained clean in case I could find any use for it. Before the summer break, I asked a friend of mine to see if he could add some new additions to the place. There's a good training room that he added.
P.S. I guess the entire mountains and forests belong to you now. So, I'm guessing this area if yours now. Don't be worried, there's no one around the entire area where someone can sense or hear anything that happens in the mountains.
Sincerely, your favorite and charismatic Crimson Satan, Sirzechs Lucifer.
"Eh, so this house and area is mind. Wow, that's come present."
"Oh, so this your home now?"
"Yeah, well, this is our vacation home."
Kazuki said as he turned to Asia with a smile on his face, something that caused her to fidget in place about the idea of this place is theirs.
"Oh, that means, I can add more flowers to the garden here. I can see spots where flowers haven't been put."
"Well, let's take a look inside."
"Yes!"
Kazuki and Asia approached the front door, holding the key in their hands before inserting it into the keyhole.
Unlocking it, the two entered their wooden mansion to find that it was rather well-furbished with all the things that people should need. From what he could see, there was a decent kitchen, dining room, and living room, where a flat-screen was positioned. Causing Asia to look around mesmerized by the interior design, in addition to the fresh and new smell inside.
"Wow, the interior sure is beautiful too."
Asia said, looking around the mansion's interior.
"It sure is spacious inside this vacation home. I wonder where this training room is supposed to be," Kazuki said, feeling nothing but gratitude for Sirzechs handing this place over to them. "I wonder where this training room that he mentioned is supposed to be. But, first, let's see what this house has to offer."
"Yes!"
Agreeing with him, the two started going over the contents of the wooden mansion, viewing all of the brand-new things inside. Of course, there were multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, a male and female bath, a study that held an assortment of books (Sirzechs granted him those too), and the training room that Sirzechs' friend installed. It was a pure white room that had instructions, but it sounded as if it was a prototype.
"Well, this is one amazing place to call a second home."
"It's amazing. I found some amazing ingredients and was able to prepare this tea and snacks."
Asia stated, putting the tea and snacks between them, something the two enjoyed as the ingredients used for the tea seemed high-class. It was more noticeable as the two drank them, feeling a different kind of flavor neither of them tasted before. No doubt, it was something that one would expect for someone who was among the famous peerages and clans in the Underworld.
"It's delicious. I'd expect nothing less from the Maou, Lucifer, who comes from the Gremory Clan. I haven't tasted tea this high-class before."
"Same."
Both seemed to agree with that, as the two seemed intent on the peace around here.
"So, I'm guessing that Vasco Strada knows about this location too. I mean, Sirzechs must've known that Gabriel-san planned on making him, my teacher. And so, he must've been informed about this place."
"It seems so. I'm still kinda nervous about meeting his Eminence after all this time. But, I'm also excited too."
Asia stated, still feeling nervous about meeting an old colleague after all this time. He could understand that all things considered, based on how she was treated after being excommunicated. To be honest, Kazuki wasn't able to stop himself from being excited about meeting the person said to be one of, if not the Strongest Exorcist.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Both heard a knocking sound on the door, then he stood up to see who it was. But, considering that no ordinary person could come to this place, he had a couple of guesses.
"Well, it can be either Sirzechs-san, Azazel, or even my new trainer."
Standing in front of the door, Kazuki turned the knob and opened it, then before looking at the person standing in front of him, started introductions.
"Hello, who…are…you," Kazuki paused, realizing the person standing in front of him was far taller than he initially thought. His head started raising to find the person, almost shakily as a man close to two meters tall stood in front of him. At the corners of his mouth, it started twitching as if the words were removed from his mind aside from a couple of words. "Oh, my god."
In front of him, the man was two-meters-tall, an elderly man with wrinkles, but the fact that his physique created a vast contradiction. He had an incredibly thick neck, chest, arms, and legs, all of that looked far bigger than anything on Kazuki, such as his limbs and waist.
"Buon giorno, young man. I take it that you're the Hakuryuukou."
The older man kindly greeted something that caused Kazuki's surprise to be dimmed down.
"Oh, buon giorno," Kazuki greeted back, in the same language as the older man, something that surprised him as there wasn't anything wrong with the pronunciation. It only spoke to the young man's knowledge about such things. "Yes, I'm the Hakuryuukou. My name is Kazuki Hyoudou."
"Oh, I didn't expect that," the old man kindly stated. "My name is Vasco Strada. I've come from the Vatican under a personal request from the Seraph, Lady Gabriel."
"Ah, his Eminence!"
Asia, walked behind Kazuki to see who their visitor was and couldn't hide her surprise to find that it was the man sent to act as her boyfriend's trainer.
"Ah, it's been a long time, Sister Asia. I'm glad to see that you're in good health and it seems as if you're happy."
"…yes, I am."
Surprised, at first, Asia smiled and nodded her head about Vasco's casualness in talking to her, even though she'd been excommunicated.
"Would you like to come in? Or, would you mind talking outside," Kazuki said, not knowing whether or not Vasco would be comforted coming inside. "Asia here prepared tea and snacks moments ago, so they're still fresh."
"Oh, that sounds good. It seems as if Sister Asia has learned some new things."
Vasco said, entering the vacation home with surprisingly no effort, standing much higher than Kazuki, who wasn't able to believe such a person could become this muscular. Despite the vestments he wore, the muscles looked a lot closer to armor instead of flesh. At that, the two started heading in the direction of the seating area, where the veteran exorcist sat down.
All three remained quiet, eating the snacks Asia prepared, while then drinking the tea. The peaceful atmosphere returned as the three seemed to relish in the remarkable taste.
"Ah, this is a good tea and snack, Sister Asia."
Vasco complimented with nothing short of honesty.
"T-Thank you. I met a wonderful woman who took me in and taught me about preparing things like this," Asia, in a rather flushed way. "Well, that woman happened to be Kazuki's mother, who treated me as if I were a part of their wonderful family. And…I, doubt you'd want to hear about that his Eminence."
Asia paused, wondering if Vasco, one of the Vatican's most important members would want to continue hearing all about her time spent in Japan.
"No no no, please, I'd love to hear more about the time you spent in Japan."
"H-Huh?"
Asia looked surprised, and happy after hearing that Vasco showed an interest in her life after the Church.
"Yes," Vasco showed nothing short of a kind smile at Asia's question. "If we're being honest. After the officials of the Church decided to excommunicate you, I tried finding you."
"R-Really?!"
Asia looked surprised about that, even Kazuki unable to find the slightest hint of deception behind his words.
"Of course. I could tell that from the first time we met that you were a devout follower and a pure girl who couldn't turn away someone in need. It might be wrong to me to say this, but I don't blame you for the choices that you'd made in healing a wounded person," Vasco said, reaching his hand out and petting her head; his one hand alone covered her head. "I was worried that you might be in a terrible situation, but I'm glad to see that you managed to find people you could depend on. I'm truly glad you're in good health."
"Eminence Strada."
Asia uttered as she felt herself becoming teary-eyed.
Kazuki felt happy for her considering that Asia was worried about Vasco not liking anyone after she'd been excommunicated. But, he was glad it wasn't the case, as the exorcist in front of him was, in fact, one of if not the kindest ones to Asia.
"Well, if you don't mind. I would love to hear more about your experience in Japan," Vasco said, showing more of his interest before turning to Kazuki. "I know that I was asked to come here to act as an instructor, but there's still some time before we get started."
"That's fine. I understand that it's been a long time since the two of you met. So, I don't mind if the two of you get to catch up with one another."
Kazuki pointed out, showing no issue with the situation.
"You're truly a kind individual," Vasco said smiling about the offer placed right in front of him, glad about the one who'd become the Hakuryuukou. "I'll proceed with what I have in mind for training after this. I couldn't help finding it interesting that Lady Gabriel asked me to train such a person, more so that such a person is a believer too. Well, that'll come along after we finish this chat. I am quite interested as it seems as if you two are more than friends."
"…!"
"…!"
At that, Kazuki's and Asia's faces turned bright red, amusing the strongest Exorcist, who felt that from the interactions between them.
They continued along with the conversation from there without much tension in the air, instead, their conversation made it look as if they'd bonded more. Vasco felt glad that she'd been found by a good family and even found a man who'd protect her no matter what happens.
Almost half an hour passed, and Kazuki found himself dressed in appropriate training wear, something surprising as it was something Gabriel prepared for him. He couldn't help admitting that it was well-made and fit him almost as if it was a glove.
"Though, where did she get my measurements from?"
Kazuki wondered about that fact, as no doubt, that wasn't something that had come about during a conversation between them.
"I wouldn't underestimate Lady Gabriel. I was surprised, it does look as if she holds you in high regard because she looked happy after handing it to me to deliver."
Vasco stated.
Both young man and old man stood in another part of the mountains, surrounded by the collection of trees that'd surrounded them. As Vasco removed the upper portion of his clothing, revealing the almost armored muscles he hid underneath them.
"Yeah, still kinda worried about her finding out my body measurements to make this outfit for me. Well, whatever, I'm looking forward to this training since I heard that you were supposed to be the strongest human there is."
"You flatter me. Not that I would be bold enough to make such a claim, it's simply something that people started saying," Vasco said amused at Kazuki's comment. "For as long as I could remember, I simply trained my body to the extreme. I believe that as long as you take care of your body while maintaining your faith, then power will build up within your soul."
"Yeah, I don't doubt that."
"I can tell that you've trained yourself well enough. I'd heard that you recently awakened as the Hakuryuukou just over a month ago. But, even before that, it looks as if you'd trained in martial arts, which makes me wonder what your reasons were."
Vasco seemed curious, as, from Kazuki's stance, he wasn't trained to the same degree as the exorcists that he'd met before. He wasn't an amateur, at least not under the usual standards, but he trained himself enough to reach a suitable point.
"Well, for the longest time, I was weaker than the children who were my age. So much so that I couldn't play with the others my age, not even my older brother sometimes. After Iri-chan, well, Irina, left to become an exorcist, I'd began training to become stronger. I did whatever physical training that I could manage as much as possible, but it was rough for me," Kazuki explained as Vasco listened on with interest. "Then, I started entering clubs that taught martial arts, but the instructors simply taught me the basics. But, I worked with it and even learned to pace myself without overworking myself."
"I see, that must've been hard for you. But, you did persevere where most would've surrendered and accepted it would be impossible. I heard about the situation from Lady Gabriel, and in the end, it seemed as if you resolved it after sacrificing your human heart for a dragon heart," Vasco said, as Kazuki wasn't surprised that Gabriel gave that information to him. "I won't question your methods, all things considered, it might've been the choice in front of you. Few, if any abilities in the world can fix someone's body, and the chances of running into such a person are even rarer."
Kazuki could see that Vasco considered and was considering the things in front of him, as he was serious about the fact he was training him.
"Before we start training, I'd like to see the state of your Balance Breaker."
"Oh, alright," not finding that request weird at all, Kazuki stood straight up and activated Divine Dividing's Balance Breaker. "Balance Break."
In that instance, a white aura started overflowing from Kazuki's entire body, before taking the form of the Vanishing Dragon's Scale Mail armor.
"Hmm."
Sensing the aura radiating from Kazuki, Vasco looked interested as it was one of the first times that he witnessed the Balance Breaker of a Heavenly Dragon. At the raise of a hand, it seemed to be a signal for him to stop doing what he was doing.
"Alright, that's all I wanted to see," at that Kazuki released his Balance Breaker and stood on the ground without being donned in armor. "Despite it being viewed as a longtime threat to the Church and the Three Factions as a whole, it truly is a breathtaking armor. I heard that it hasn't been that long since you awakened it, but the aura it's releasing is a good start. So, I'll first start your training with one suggestion."
"And that would be?"
"Try spending the entire summer without using your Divine Dividing. Do you understand the reason why?"
Vasco suggested and asked, causing Kazuki to become surprised at that suggestion.
Despite that, he started thinking about the reason behind not being allowed to use his Divine Dividing, which was and would be an important weapon in the future. Once that thought crossed his mind, Kazuki did receive a good enough reason behind that.
"Is it over-reliance?"
"Hahaha, that's good. I heard from Lady Gabriel that you were quite a brilliant person. But, it's good to hear that answer come out from you," Vasco couldn't help laughing at Kazuki's response as he found himself feeling glad he got the right answer. "You're correct. I see this a lot among the Church's warriors and personal experience. I know these abilities were bestowed upon your children by God, but you'll end up relying too much on them to win a fight. If the time comes when you'll be unable to use your Sacred Gear, then you'll just find yourself at a serious disadvantage. There's no secret behind my strength, I simply trained myself, never got my belief in god, and then power built up within my soul."
Hearing Vasco's speech, which held nothing but conviction and belief in his training, caused Kazuki to feel simply nothing but respect for him. He didn't have a Sacred Gear, let alone Durandal at the moment, but it didn't look as if Kazuki could defeat him even if he'd gone all out. Kazuki had nothing short of doubts that he would be able to touch the Exorcist once. Besides, not utilizing Divine Dividing during this month-long training session would be a lot more beneficial to him.
"Alright, I can agree to those terms."
Kazuki nodded his head in agreement, showing no falsehood behind his words and the conviction he released.
"Hahaha, I like the look in your eyes! Don't be worried about it, I know that using Dividing Dividing would become an important thing in the future. But, improving your base strengths would simply result in your Balance Breaker becoming much stronger than simply mastering it," Vasco declared, then stood in an unarmed fighting stance. "In this sparring session, I think that I'll start by seeing where you're at in terms of hand-to-hand combat. And then, I would like to see where you're at in terms of wielding a sword."
"Alright."
Kazuki said, standing in a prepared stance himself.
From the stance alone, Kazuki could tell that there wasn't the slightest opening in the veteran Exorcist's stance at all. From Vasco's perception, his new student's stance looked like the culmination of the martial arts that Kazuki learned, despite being the basics.
"Hmm, he's quite the interesting young man. At most, I can tell that he learned Karate, Judo, and Taekwondo at whatever martial arts clubs he entered. It's a shame he couldn't learn as much as the other children. But, simply learning their basics did build up a good foundation for him to develop his fighting style."
Vasco thought before beginning their sparring session.
Kazuki went forward, as Vasco remained in the same position, wanting to test out his new student's skill before going on the offensive. He leaped forward, aiming a spin kick straight at the veteran exorcist who raised his armor-muscled arm to block. Not surprisingly, Kazuki couldn't even move his arm in the slightest, almost as if he kicked a wall made of thick steel.
Landing on the ground, he started aiming a quick barrage of kicks that came from either leg without lagging right behind either much. It was surprising as the rhythm and timing behind each attack weren't all that far behind one another. After moving his hand once to push one of the kicks back, Kazuki found himself being flung back from that alone.
"Why does it feel as if a finger flick from him can send him backward too," Kazuki said, landing on the ground in a manner that wouldn't cause damage from the impact. "I doubt that I can do much, but I might as well try my hardest despite the odds!"
He kicked off the ground, going straight for Vasco with a straight punch aimed at his stomach.
"…!"
As expected, Kensei found himself feeling the impact himself rather than Vasco feeling it. Of course, him hitting a man with almost armored muscles wasn't the brightest idea. But, there weren't many options in the battle, so he continued with the barrage of punches and kicks. Kazuki ensured to mix in the punches and kicks so that it wasn't made easier to predict what would end up coming next.
Their "sparring" match continued for at most fifteen minutes, with Kazuki being the person who'd fallen onto the ground sweating a bunch. His "opponent", on the other hand, remained standing seeming to be thinking about all Kazuki's movements and actions.
"Alright, I can tell that you're movements and attacks have been trained more than most. Based on what I heard, you do take training seriously without letting anything slip. I have a good idea of what you're training will end up detailing based on our fight."
"I'm ready for anything."
"I like that enthusiasm," Vasco said, not holding back the laughter that'd escaped from his mouth. "First off, at the start of the morning, you'll begin a thirty-minute jog through the mountains and town. Then a complete set of one hundred push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, squats, and burpees. After that, we'll be sparring unarmed, then armed using the weapons you collected from the former Exorcists. I'll increase the sets by another hundred by the end of the week. I'll also discuss an alteration in the meals she'll prepare until the summer end and afterward. It might be intense, but this will be the fundamentals in increasing things such as strength and endurance."
"Alright, I'll continue with this training until the end. Even after the summer ends, I'll continue using this kind of summer training as a reference."
Kazuki stated, not letting how intense the training would sound for others get to him. In the past, no matter how hard the training became for him, no matter how much his weak body held him back. Kazuki continued to train to the point of exhaustion, all to become stronger.
"Alright, then get to training!"
"Right, his Eminence Strada!"
Kazuki replied, showing determination on his face.
After that, Kazuki started on with the training plan that Vasco laid out for him to build up strength and endurance for combat. Something that the veteran exorcist couldn't help but find admirable about the young man, feeling glad about being chosen to act as his trainer. He didn't know what to think when Gabriel asked him to train one of the Heavenly Dragons.
From there, he continued the rigorous training assigned to him, he ran around the mountains, the forests, and all around town for half an hour. During all that, the people around town looked on surprised about the amount that he continued running around town. Returning to the forest, he kept on with the workout regimens assigned to him without skipping a beat.
Once the training was completed, Kazuki found himself resting in the large bath built in their new vacation home, feeling his muscles being completely worked out.
"Hah, resting in the bath after a long workout feels amazing!"
Kazuki couldn't help making that declaration.
It made him glad that he did end up starting all that physical training earlier on in life, something that would have likely made this kind of training extraneous. Though, he couldn't help admitting that he did find that training to be almost too much. But, the lunch that Asia prepared, is something that Vasco gave hints at as a means for giving out proper nutrition to someone.
"Hah, I'm wondering what this training is going to end up leading to. He's right, strengthening my base strength is going to lead to greater benefits for Balance Breaker than simply mastering it. Huh, and that's something else I'll need to think about too."
[And that would be?]
Albion ended up coming out and speaking, surprising Kazuki for a moment.
"Well, looks like someone decided to speak up on a whim again," Kazuki replied jokingly. "I started thinking about the potential development of Divine Dividing in the future. I mean, not that I plan on abusing it, but among them, it does include the Juggernaut Drive."
[I'm not surprised that you brought that up. Well, I might as well explain what the Juggernaut Drive is.] Albion said as a sigh escaped from his mouth. [To call it something higher than Balance Breaker wouldn't be accurate, because there's nothing above Balance Breaker. In far simpler terms, the Juggernaut Drive is something that releases the seal placed on Ddraig and me. For Sacred Gears with particularly powerful creatures sealed within them, there's a seal placed on them to ensure the power doesn't go out of control.]
"Ah, I see. So, that Infernal Drive that Vali was preparing to use was the same as that."
[Yes, it'd be the same as that. But, ours is different from hers and the ones of other powerful beings called the Breakdown the Beast. Despite the benefits, it's more like a curse that causes the user to run wild using their lifespan as fuel. Most of the previous owners I had ran wild with that power, destroying the entire environment around them. It's a power that the God of the Bible thought was too dangerous for humans to wield, and it's turned into more of a curse.]
"Huh, what does that mean?"
[Well, the previous owners' consciousness remained inside of the Divine Dividing and Boosted Gear, something that'll force their current owner to activate it depending on the situation. If Vali had activated Infernal Drive, then it could've likely caused our Juggernaut Drives to resonate with it.]
"So, no previous Hakuryuukou tried mastering it?"
[No, there's been some who tried it, but failed to do so. Among them, two owners showed more potential than the others. A man and woman, who would become the Strongest Hakuryuukou among all the past owners.]
"It's surprising to hear you mention the previous hosts. If that's the case, then I'm sure those two left that good of an impression on you."
[You could say that. The first was a man named Charles Bright, born into a rich family in the Human World, he brimmed with talent but often made it a habit to explore anything he found interesting. It was almost as if he had no fears, he'd defeated a Sekiryuutei who activated their Juggernaut Drive. And the second, a woman born in the Norse Faction who soon became known as an unsung Hero there named Ingrid.]
"Norse Faction? Oh, you're talking about the religion from Northern Europe, right? She was born from there, huh" Kazuki said surprised, not expecting to hear such a thing from Albion, but that made him all the more interested in her. "So, was she strong?"
[That's an understatement, she was formidable enough to be known as the Strongest Hakuryuukou thus far. But, she wasn't a pure-blooded human. Born as the daughter of a female Elf and a male Human, she awakened the Divine Dividing earlier than others. She achieved Balance Breaker earlier and showed great intent on becoming the first person to master the Juggernaut Drive. It felt as if there was nothing that girl couldn't achieve, she'd even bested two Sekiryuutei.]
"So sounds like an awesome person."
[Yeah, in many ways she was like you too. She had her kind moments and often tried talking to me from time to time, no matter how much I ignored or stopped talking. However, she ended up falling, not to another Sekiryuutei or a Longinus user. But, to a legendary Dragon, no calling him such a thing is too good for him.]
"What happened?"
[A dragon from the Norse Faction, an evil one at that, released a miasma in an area where people were living out of boredom. All the people living there were affected by it and managed to avoid it. But, Ingrid no matter what it did to her charged in at close-range and fought. It wasn't something that even an Ultimate-Class Devil could do and come out unscathed. In the end, she did kill that dragon, but she withstood that miasma and even breathed in some of it too. There wasn't much anyone could do for her aside from making her death easier.]
Kazuki could hear from his conversation about them that Albion did like his previous hosts more than the others he had in the past. And almost felt saddened about how Ingrid met her end.
[Well, that's about it regarding the previous Hakuryuukou. If you learn anything from here, then consider what path you'll be pursuing at the Hakuryuukou. And in attempting to access the Juggernaut Drive in the future.]
"Well, I might not have been among the supernatural for that long, but I know that even the toughest curses could be broken under certain circumstances. If I can't solve that puzzle, then I can't call myself the true Hakuryuukou now, can I?"
Kazuki continued speaking with nothing short of confidence in himself, something that Albion did also see from both his previous hosts too. It was faint, but a feeling of happiness started welling up within the Heavenly Dragon, as the three hosts he encountered changed him a lot.
[Then, I can't wait to see what you do.]
At that, Albion stopped speaking as Kazuki enjoyed the open air right above his head as the stars could be seen overhead. Soon enough, he heard someone entering the male bath house and he assumed that it was the sole male in the house.
"Ah, Eminence Strada did you," Kazuki turned around, but instead of finding Vasco Strada, he instead found his girlfriend wearing a towel around herself. "Asia, I wasn't expecting you?"
"A-Ah, yes, I wanted to share a bath with Kazuki, like we normally do."
"That's fine. But, did Eminence Strada leave?"
"Yes. I said that it would've been fine if he remained here, but he said that someone offered him a place to stay in the town down the mountains," Asia said, before starting to become nervous and started poking her fingers right up against each other. "Also…."
"Also?"
Kazuki looked interested and almost confused about Asia's sudden pause.
"His Eminence said that wouldn't feel right if he invaded the private time and home of two future husbands and wife. He mentioned he bathed once before leaving."
"Ah, I see."
Kazuki couldn't help giving a wryly laugh.
He then looked on to find Asia removing her towel and showing off her nude body to her boyfriend, who couldn't ever stare at his girlfriend. Not wasting time, she walked forward before entering the hot bath along with him as the good temperature resonated with her body.
"Ahh~ This water feels great~"
Asia melodiously said, finding herself leaning her head against Kazuki's shoulder. He couldn't agree more about this bath's temperature is just right for the exhaustion the two built up from their respective training.
"So, how did your training go, Asia?"
Kazuki asked, not asking that previously during their conversation during lunch, instead, the two conversed about things outside of that.
"It went well, I think. Before leaving, Azazel-sensei said that I should expand my Twilight Healing's range so that it'd be possible to heal several people at once. I also started learning more about magic from his Eminence who said he knew some things about it," Asia said, as she continued resting her head on Kazuki's shoulder without letting go of her relaxed look. "His Eminence also gave me a training regimen too that'll help me build up some strength and endurance too. But, he said that it wouldn't be that hard for me."
Kazuki smiled as he heard that Vasco had given Asia a physical exercise regimen too, something that meant she would be able to survive more on the battlefield. It would also benefit her more than usual, he didn't want to say it out loud, but Asia still had that clumsy streak of hers. So, doing Vasco Strada's training would be the most helpful thing in the world for her.
"Well, if it's Asia, then I'm sure that she'll be able to pull it off. I heard Azazel once point out that you're already far better than anyone else who has the same sacred gear. Also, as long as you're putting effort and desires into it, then you're Sacred Gear is going to respond to that."
"Heh. I'll be training so that I could be of use to Kazuki and the others," Asia smiled, wrapping her arms around his while continuing to nuzzle against him. "I haven't been able to do much in battle, but I'll be sure to be of more use in the future. Even if you said that I've been more than enough, I want to be able to do more. So, I'll become strong enough to survive you, as your girlfriend."
"…."
Kazuki couldn't find the right words to describe the gratitude that he felt at that moment, so he simply smiled as a hand touched Asia's cheek.
"…Kazuki?"
Asia seemed surprised about that, as his finger brushed against her cheek.
Both leaned forward to one another without needing to utter a single word, then their lips pressed against each other. It didn't take long as their lips began meshing with one another in a nearly unspoken synchronistic rhythm, the same could be said about their tongue.
"K-Kazuki-san…."
Asia couldn't stop herself from moaning at the pleasant sensation that built up within herself. His free hand started roaming to her waist, then started moving upwards, and neither ceased kissing the other. Not that much time passed as his hand started rubbing against her still budding breasts.
"Ngh."
Asia flinched for a moment, at the suddenness of those actions, then the gentle pressure she started feeling from Kazuki's hands groping her. His fingers started pressing onto her breast as her nipples hardened from the good feelings building up within Asia's chest. Her waist twisted and moved around from the pleasure building up within herself right then.
"Aah~"
Asia moaned as she continued feeling Kazuki's touch on her breasts. It didn't help as the most unexpected was the fact his fingers pinched her nipple with the gentlest pressure. In all that, their kissing wasn't interrupted, while he continued groping her. Between them, the wasn't simply the pleasurable feeling, but the show of genuine love the two shared for one another.
"Kazuki, we shouldn't be doing this in the hot bath."
Asia said, not wanting to do something such as this in the bath.
"Don't be worried. It was mentioned in the letter that whatever foreign material entered the bath will be removed, it was an addition added to ensure it wouldn't be dirtied and easier to clean. So…."
"Iyah!"
Asia was surprised as she felt Kazuki's hand go in between her legs, feeling his fingers brushing all across the entrance leading into her. Her body twitched at the suddenness of this, but her moans didn't end there as she felt fingers entering her. Kazuki could feel the constricting sensation around his fingers, as he started mentioning his fingers inside her.
Amid that, Kazuki couldn't tell whether or not Asia was becoming wetter, because the two of them were inside the hot bath. She'd gotten used to this all from the previous relationships between them, but then the feeling was something that resonated well with her.
"Kazuki, d-do you want to…in here…?"
Asia nervously asked.
"…Yeah."
Kazuki replied leaning forward in front of Asia, and at the mutual agreement between the two of them, the couple started making love in the hot bath.
Several minutes later, Kazuki found himself resting in the large bed located in his bedroom, clothed with Asia, all but asleep beside him. He thought that it wasn't needed for them to go another round in the bedroom, more so as Asia was exhausted.
"Hmm, man, there's so much that I need to think about for this summer training. First, there's the training that I'll be doing with Vasco Strada. Second, there's whoever Azazel planned on getting to become my second teacher. Third, there's improving what I have now. And fourth, there's thinking about something beyond my Sacred Gear," Kazuki pointed out, continuing to speak aloud. "Speaking to him made me realize that he's right, there's so much reliance that comes from using a Sacred Gear. If that's the case, then the most obvious choice would be to come up with something that can be as strong as one."
With that thought in mind, Kazuki wondered about what would come about from that. He was aware that outside of Sacred Gears and Magic, there were some people out there with special powers. As Vasco said, anything was possible soul if he trained and maintained his belief.
"I wouldn't know where to start with doing something like that aside from training myself. Uh, I might ask him this after we start training again tomorrow. I might even contact Azazel tomorrow too, I'm sure that Grigori has some kind of knowledge about the subject."
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Oh?"
Kazuki seemed surprised as he found out his phone started beeping, meaning someone was contacting him. He reached his hand out, wondering who would be contacting him this late at night. He looked to find the contact info read: Sona Sitri.
"Sona-san? I wonder what she wants."
Not wanting to wake up Asia from the conversation, Kazuki got out of bed, then walked into the quiet living room, where he wouldn't be worried about her. After taking a seat on the couch, he answered the call and then started the conversation.
"Hey, Sona-san. You doing alright?"
Kazuki asked.
[Yes, I'm doing fine. There is no real emergency or anything of that particular nature.] Sona replied as he could hear that she did sound normal, with nothing wrong. [As embarrassing as it might sound, I couldn't sleep nor can I find anything to pass the time. I'm in the middle of thinking about too many things.]
"Nothing is embarrassing about it. I couldn't sleep either," Kazuki replied, sounding more natural in talking to Sona compared to others. "I was in the middle of thinking about something that I could develop that wasn't part of my Longinus."
[Well, I'm sure that you'll be able to figure it out. You're someone who's managed to achieve things that not even a reincarnated Devil could do in a month after being reincarnated.] Sona stated, sounding amused from talking to her underclassmen. [Each time I look at you, it feels as if you could do anything as long as you put your mind to it and succeed. I became curious considering that your trainer in question was THE Vasco Strada. I heard all about his exploits as the strongest human from rumors and all of them are miraculous, to say the least.]
Kazuki could hear that Sona sounded as if she was taken aback by Vasco Strada's capabilities as a human, all without a Sacred Gear.
"Yeah, but the training isn't what most would've been capable of enduring for more than two days. No doubt both Nii-san and Saji would be crying on the first day."
[Hah, I can see that. Those two aren't by any means weak, but their similar stubbornness…and other things likely would've pushed them forward.] Sona couldn't hide her laughter as she found it easy to hold a conversation with Kazuki. [It sounds as if you're holding up well on the first day.]
"Yeah, aside from the fact that I got thrown around from the simplest actions from him. If he was serious, then it'd be likely I would've been thrown into another mountain, three mountains away," Kazuki replied, wearing more of an amused look. Over the phone, he could hear Sona laughing herself. "I was given a rather rigorous exercise to complete near the summer, and who knows, I'll probably continue with it. He stated that I was forbidden from also using Divine Dividing."
[I can see the reason why already. He's a human without sacred gear, but Vasco is strong enough to be the most powerful human. If you rely on something too much, then lose it, you won't be able to do much without it. But, at the same time, sometimes that ability is your sole lifeline.]
"Same, for people such as Nii-san and Saji, their sacred gears are the reason they can fight. Well, that's the point of this training and what we'll all end up experiencing in the future. Both of them are going to become stronger no matter what. If not, because those two want to be strong for their Kings."
[Yes. Rias and I are lucky to have found such loyal servants who'll follow us no matter what.] Sona said over time, but there was a faint pause from her. [Well, it's ironic considering the situation right now.]
"Did something happen over there?"
[You could say that.] Sona replied. [The meeting between the young Devils happened as planned but there was a certain situation. All the young Devils who showed more promise, me, Rias, Sairaorg…Seekvaira, and Diodora all gave out their goals for the future.]
"For some reason, she paused at Seekvaira."
Kazuki laughed internally.
[Well, things went as expected when I uttered my dream.]
Sona stated, causing a sigh to escape from Kazuki's mouth as he leaned forward.
"Let me guess, those Old Devils laughed and mocked your dream about opening a Rating Game school for devil children no matter their ranking or status. I'm guessing that your sister wasn't all too happy about hearing that."
[That's about it.] Sona said, seeming to let a sigh escape from her mouth. [I don't care what anyone thinks about it, I'll continue to pursue that goal so that those children can have a future too. I learned about all that during my time spent at Kuoh Academy and talking with all the students there. So, even if I'm laughed at, or ridiculed for it, I'll ensure that my dreams come true.]
Kazuki could hear the conviction behind Sona's words and then realized a long time ago that she'll continue pursuing this goal no matter what.
"That's the reason that I respect you so much," Kazuki said, causing Sona, who he almost guessed was smiling over the other end of the line. "You're dream is for the benefit of those children and the Underworld itself. There's a bunch of talented people out there with potential no different from pure-blooded Devils, likely more. But, due to the current situation, none of them can realize that potential, because of the higher-ups' system that continues to keep them down at the bottom. For no reason other than maintaining an ancient belief, they'll continue holding all those potentially strong Devils back. No matter what happens, I'll be supporting you."
[Kazuki-kun. I thank you for that.] Sona stated. Though Kazuki couldn't see that, Sona was wearing the brightest smile on her face, something he'd regret not seeing. [But, you'll need to root against Rias and the others because it seems as if we'll be competing with one another in a Rating Game for the Young Devils.]
"Well, that is ironic. Since I said what I said, I'll stand by it, even if it means that Nii-san whines at me wondering why I'm not supporting him," Kazuki said, as he could hear that Sona was beginning to yawn over the other end of the phone. "Well, it looks as if talking fixed someone's situation."
[Yes, it looks as if I'll be getting to sleep soon. I'll talk to you again, Kazuki-kun.] Sona stated as she said the last couple of words. [Good night.]
"Good night, Sona-san."
After telling one another good night, the two hung up the phone as a sigh escaped from Kazuki's mouth.
"It's stupid that people are talking bad about her dream without seeing the overall benefits of it," Kazuki leaned back crossing both arms behind his head. "Hah, but since I'm serious about supporting her dream. It means that I need to become strong enough to keep that promise."
As that entered his mind, he continued thinking about the means for him to become stronger.
Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Sitri Castle, in particular, Sona found herself holding the phone she just used to contact Kazuki in her hands. Dressed in her blue nightgown without her glasses on, she found stared straight at the ceiling without uttering a single word.
"Hah, before anyone else, I talked to Kazuki-kun," Sona said, as she started feeling the exhaustion starting to get to her.
It felt as if the concerns in her mind started fading and the young King was able to relax without a care in the world. "W-Well, aside from my peerage, Kazuki-kun has been the one person that I could talk to without ever thinking about it. …I never considered contacting Tsubaki, first."
Sona started feeling her drowsiness starting come closer and closer without seeking to fight against it, turning to the side and putting her phone on her desk.
"I don't know much about what it means to like…or love someone," Sona said, as her eyes began coming closer and closer to closing shut. "But, Kazuki…kun…is…the…closest…."
At that, Sona found herself falling asleep without issues and looked peaceful throughout the entire process.
A/N: And there goes the next chapter of The Twin Dragons, well, this was the beginning of their summer training. Kazuki received a new vacation home and land as a Sirzechs gift, which came from the fact he helped during the Riser Incident. Vasco Strada made his appearance, having his conversation with Asia, treating her no different from before. I believe the highlight was him beginning of Kazuki's training, which is a rigorous one without Divine Dividing.
I thought that it'd be good if Kazuki learned earlier on that he shouldn't be too reliant on Divine Dividing, something the others learned later on. There was more mentioned about the previous Strongest Hakuryuukou. Near the end, Kazuki shared a conversation with Sona, who was in the middle of wondering about her feelings.
Also, in regards to who'll be added to Kazuki's harem next. I've received comments about Valerie and Seekvaira. There was also an interesting suggestion of Latia and Iryuka, both of whom were introduced later on in the story.
I hope that you liked the chapter, until next time.
Issei's Harem: Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Xenovia, Lucia, Tsubasa, Kiyome, Aika, Elmenhilde, Yasaka, Kunou, Bennia, Roygun, Ingvild.
Kazuki's Harem: Sona, Raynare, Asia, Irina, Lucina, Mariah, Kuroka, Ophis, Rossweisse, Ravel, Le Fay, Gabriel, Jeanne, Lint, Tiamat, Lilith.