章節 5: Kazuki Entering the Game

Then Ravel straightened, her voice laced with seriousness. "It seems they've arrived."

Kazuki sighed, feeling a headache creep in. If Issei wanted to be the "Harem King," inventing moves that women hated was not the way to go.

Then Ravel straightened, her voice laced with seriousness. "It seems they've arrived."

Behind her, four figures emerged—the remainder of Riser's peerage, excluding their Queen. Two Pawns, one Knight, and a Bishop stood ready for battle.

And then the worst-case scenario was announced, to make matters even tougher; Rias had accepted Riser's challenge for a one-on-one duel.

"What the hell is she thinking?" Kazuki muttered, frustration rising. "A King shouldn't take to the battlefield like this!"

There was no time to waste. Kazuki turned to Issei, his voice firm. "Issei, go. Protect the 'King'!"

"But, Senpai, with these numbers—"

"If the King falls, it's over! Prioritize what's important!"

Even Yumi chimed in, her tone was resolute; "Kazuki-senpai is right, Issei. Leave this to us and go!"

Gritting his teeth, Issei hesitated only for a moment before nodding. "Fuck it... I'm counting on you two! I'm sorry!" With that, he bolted toward Rias.

Riser's peerage watched him leave, their confidence unshaken. They didn't even bother pursuing him, clearly convinced that they could deal with Kazuki and Yumi first.

Ravel smirked mockingly. "Oh, how heroic. 'Leave this to us!' Such a dramatic line, but if you get taken out instantly, it's all for naught."

"Don't worry," Kazuki replied, his eyes narrowing.

"We're not just holding the line. We're taking all of you out and catching up to Issei."

"My, how confident. Just so you know, we have no intention of engaging in duels. We'll overwhelm you with numbers," Ravel said, her smirk growing.

Before she could finish her sentence, Kazuki blurred into motion, appearing in front of their Knight in the blink of an eye. With a sharp, precise punch, he sent her flying.

"Riser Phenex's Knight has retired."

The Knight landed several meters away, unconscious, her armor bearing a dent where his fist had struck.

The other members of Riser's peerage stared, wide-eyed, unable to process what had just happened.

"W-What did you do?!" Ravel exclaimed her composed facade cracking.

"Fuwa Enmei-ryu: Tiger gun," Kazuki said nonchalantly, shaking his fist. It was one of the techniques passed down from his grandfather—a body-strengthening strike powered by both physical prowess and magic.

He didn't wait for them to recover. Pouncing on the beast girl, who was still stunned.

"Nyah?!" she yelped, leaping away from his left roundhouse kick, only to be struck mid-air by a right roundhouse that had been perfectly timed to intercept her escape.

"Fuwa Enmei-ryu: Double Dragon Kick," Kazuki announced.

Originally, the Double Dragon Kick was not an Enmei-ryu technique, but a technique used by the protagonist's rival. However, the goddess who reincarnated his was vague and allowed Kazuki to use not only Enmei-ryu techniques but all of the techniques from Shura no Mon.

In fact, his grandfather taught him this technique as an Enmei-ryu technique.

"Y-You jerk!" the other Beast girl shouted, lunging at him with fury.

She aimed for his head, but Kazuki planted his feet and met her charge with an uppercut. Timing it perfectly, he followed through with a second blow, sending her soaring.

"Fuwa Enmei-ryu: Fugaku."

"Riser Phenex's two Pawns have retired."

It had taken Kazuki just about twenty seconds to take down three of Riser's peerage.

The silence that followed was deafening. Even Yumi, Kazuki's ally, stood there in shock, her expression frozen in disbelief at his sheer efficiency.

Ignoring the stares piercing into his back, Kazuki set his sights on the remaining Bishop, sprinting toward her with deadly precision.

"Ah...!" The Bishop's face twisted in fear as she realized she was the next target. Trembling, she raised a magic barrier, desperation evident in her movements.

"Too slow."

While charging forward, Kazuki picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it with all the force his magically enhanced arm could muster.

The projectile zipped through the air like a bullet, shattering the Bishop's barrier into fragments. She barely had time to react before Kazuki was upon her. He leaped forward, flipping in midair, and brought both heels down in a brutal axe-kick.

"Fuwa Enmei-ryu: Axe."

The impact sent the Bishop crumpling to the ground, unconscious.

"Riser Phenex's Bishop retired"

Yumi, meanwhile, had managed to finish off her own opponent, the enemy Knight.

Her sword glinted as she stood victorious over her fallen adversary. With only Ravel, the Queen, and Riser himself left to oppose them, the tide of the battle was shifting.

Ravel narrowed her eyes, her tone laced with disbelief. "What are you? You're clearly no ordinary Pawn. The piece's value doesn't match the monster in front of me."

"Just a mere Pawn who dabbled in martial arts during his former life," Kazuki replied curtly, brushing her off.

Suddenly, another announcement rang out:

"Rias Gremory's Queen has retired."

The chilling news caused Kazuki's stomach to drop.

'Akeno had fallen.' Barely a second later, a deafening explosion shook the area. Instinct took over, and Kazuki moved without thinking, grabbing Yumi and pulling her into his arms.

"Wha—!?" Yumi's startled cry was drowned out by the roar of the blast. The spot she had been standing on a heartbeat ago was now a smoking crater.

The air crackled with lingering traces of destructive magic. If Kazuki had hesitated even slightly, Yumi would've been eliminated.

"You okay, Yumi?" he asked, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Yumi looked up at him, her cheeks faintly flushed. "Y-Yes... Thank you, Kazuki-senpai."

Her voice trembled, but her gratitude was genuine. Kazuki's sharp gaze shifted skyward, locking onto the source of the attack.

Hovering above them was Riser's Queen, her expression a mix of irritation and amusement, "Tch, he got away."

"That Queen..." Kazuki growled under his breath.

She was trying to pick off their team one by one, the same way she'd taken out Koneko and now Akeno. He clenched his fists; 'Not this time.' Kazuki thought.

"Senpai," Yumi's voice interrupted his thoughts, resolute and calm. "Leave her to me."

Kazuki turned to her, startled. "Yumi?"

"Riser is immortal, a Phenex. Issei might not be able to protect Rias on his own. You need to go. Please... I'll handle this," she insisted, her blue eyes unwavering.

Kazuki stared at her for a moment, her determination piercing through his hesitation.

Finally, he nodded. "I'm counting on you."

Yumi gave him a fierce smile. "Take care of our King, Senpai."

With that, Kazuki turned and sprinted off without looking back.