DxD: Scion of Lucifuge

"It's not in me to give up. Quitting is not an option."

— Sakura Haruno, Naruto: Shippuden

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"Thank you, Roy-sama!" Lux exclaimed, approaching Roy with a grateful smile.

"Well, we did come together. But three of your teammates have been eliminated," Roy said, stroking his chin. "It'll be dangerous to continue with only two members."

"It's alright. We weren't planning to win anyway," Lux replied with a carefree shrug.

"Oh?"

"Because Roy-sama is here! You'll definitely win!" Lux's eyes sparkled with admiration.

"Well, we're heading back to our base now. What about you?"

Lux's expression fell.

Her team's strategy relied on her teammates stalling for time while she charged her ultimate attack.

But now, with three members gone, it would be nearly impossible for them to collect more Magic Stones.

Even if they survived the remaining three days, they wouldn't be able to reach the top four.

Lux quickly regained her cheerful demeanor.

"Roy-sama, I don't think we can continue. But I'm very grateful to you. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have even made it to the Blade Dance," she said sincerely.

Ever since Roy defeated her team, she had become a devoted admirer.

They had trained hard and defeated the team with the Beast spirits just to participate in the Blade Dance with Roy.

"Roy-sama, please fulfill my wish!" Lux handed him her Magic Stone.

"Are you sure?" Roy was surprised.

"Yes, we've made up our minds. We'll be cheering for you," Lux replied with a smile.

Roy accepted their Magic Stones.

"If you have any wishes, tell me. I'll grant them," he promised.

Lux's eyes widened in surprise and joy.

"We'll be waiting for your triumphant return! I'll tell you my wish then," she said with a playful wink, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Then, she and her remaining teammate dissolved into particles of light and were teleported away.

"They forfeited," Claire commented.

"Let's do our best, for their sake as well," Roy encouraged them.

"Yes." The girls nodded.

They returned to their base.

Fortunately, it hadn't been attacked.

...

The next day, after a good night's rest, the girls were full of energy.

"Look, someone sent this with a messenger spirit," Ellis announced, holding up a scroll made of animal hide.

She untied the string, revealing strange symbols that resembled snake-like patterns.

"What language is this?" Roy asked, confused.

"I have no idea," Ellis admitted.

"Honestly, you guys..." Claire sighed, then explained, "It's the script used in Eastern cultures. You should have learned this in the basic courses at the academy."

"I-I'm not good with languages," Ellis mumbled, her ponytail drooping.

Claire, being the diligent student, began reading the letter fluently.

Her expression turned serious as she reached the end.

"What's wrong? What does it say?" Rinslet asked.

"It's a challenge letter. From the Four Gods," Claire replied grimly.

"The Four Gods?!" Ellis gasped.

The Four Gods were the representatives from the Quina Empire, a powerful nation in the east.

And they were a team of formidable Elementalists.

The Quina Empire had a longer history than even the Ordesia Empire and had a record of impressive victories in past Blade Dances.

The Four Gods were known for their exceptional teamwork.

And their ace, Shao Fu, who wielded the Sacred Beast "White Tiger," was a renowned warrior.

Besides the Inferno, they were considered one of the strongest teams in the tournament, alongside the Dracunia Dragon Knights and the Holy Spirit Knights of Lugia.

"Their base isn't far from here. They've already defeated most of the teams in this area. It seems we're the only ones left," Claire explained.

"What does the challenge letter say?" Rinslet asked curiously.

"They're challenging us to a duel in a neutral location," Claire replied, rolling up the scroll.

The Blade Dance wasn't just a martial arts competition or a test of strength.

It was also a sacred ritual performed by noble maidens, a dance dedicated to the Elemental Lords.

Therefore, when teams wanted to have an all-out battle, it was customary to issue a formal challenge letter.

It was currently the fourth day of the main tournament, and most teams had already established their bases and strengthened their defenses.

In the initial stages of the tournament, most battles were chance encounters or ambushes.

But now that the tournament had progressed, teams would likely start issuing challenges to break the stalemate.

"So, what do you think?" Roy asked, gauging their reactions.

They could ignore the challenge, but...

"We have to accept," Claire declared after a moment of consideration. "Refusing a challenge would damage the reputation of Areishia Spirit Academy and Headmaster Greyworth."

"I agree with Claire."

"They have some nerve!"

"Let's crush them!"

As Roy had expected, the girls were eager to fight.

Roy had no objections either. There were only three days left in the tournament, and he was curious to see the fighting style of the Eastern team.

"They've set the duel for tomorrow morning. Ellis, please send a messenger to the Four Gods with our acceptance," Claire instructed.

"No problem!" Ellis nodded and summoned her wind spirit, Simorgh, to deliver the message.

...

...

Meanwhile, deep within the forest, far from Team Scarlet's base...

A clearing had been created by felling numerous trees.

In the center of the clearing stood a magnificent Eastern-style temple.

This was the base of the Four Gods, the representatives from the Quina Empire.

The team members were gathered before the temple, kneeling before their princess.

"My generals, share your thoughts with me," a voice commanded from behind a thin curtain.

The speaker was Linfa, the third princess of the Quina Empire and the commander of the Four Gods. She was even smaller than Milla.

Three girls, knelt before her.

"Princess Linfa, I believe it's unwise to fight Team Scarlet at this time," one of the girls, dressed in a green outfit, declared.

She was Rao Rin, the Elementalist who wielded the Sacred Beast "Azure Dragon."

"Why? Explain yourself." Linfa's voice was laced with displeasure.

Rao, however, continued calmly, "With your strength, Princess Linfa, and the combined might of the Four Gods, we could easily crush that insignificant team. However, I'm concerned that if we exhaust ourselves fighting them, we might be vulnerable to an attack from the Crimson Princess and her Inferno."

"I understand... Hakua, Shao Fu, do you agree with Rao?"

"If Rao says so, then I agree."

"I just want to fight strong opponents. The rest doesn't matter."

Hakua, the Elementalist who wielded the Sacred Beast "Black Tortoise," and Shao Fu, the Elementalist who wielded the Sacred Beast "White Tiger," expressed their opinions.

"Asking you two for your opinions was pointless," Linfa sighed from behind the curtain.

Rao, suppressing her frustration, continued her counsel.

"Princess Linfa, please reconsider. Although Team Scarlet is an unknown team, they are not to be underestimated. We have already collected enough Magic Stones to advance to the finals. There's no need to take unnecessary risks."

"I understand, but..." The princess's voice was troubled.

"I've already sent them a challenge letter."

"What?! Why did you do that without consulting us?! I've told you many times to discuss important matters with us first!"

"Well, aren't we discussing it now?"

"We should discuss it before making decisions!" Rao retorted, her respect for the princess momentarily forgotten.

"Send a messenger to cancel the challenge immediately!"

"I forbid it! A promise is a promise. We can't simply withdraw a challenge letter!"

"You... you're right. But..." Rao was speechless.

Shao Fu patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. As long as we work together, we can defeat both Team Scarlet and the Inferno."

"It's not that simple! Don't you know that Team Scarlet is the team with that male Elementalist? I heard he even defeated Leonora Lancaster. Even if we can defeat him, it won't be easy," Rao warned.

"Yes! That male Elementalist!" Linfa suddenly raised her voice.

"Princess Linfa?" The girls looked at her in confusion.

"I sent that challenge letter to eliminate that wicked tyrant! To deliver justice!" Linfa declared, her voice filled with anger.

"A wicked tyrant?"

"Yes! You must have heard the rumors. That infamous tyrant, Roy, not only surrounds himself with pure and innocent noble girls, but he also forces them to..." Linfa's face flushed slightly.

"I've indeed heard those rumors..." Rao shuddered, recalling the absurd stories.

"I heard that the Night Demon King forces innocent girls to do unspeakable things every night! And even worse, he makes them wear knee-high socks!"

"That's... disgusting."

"Absolutely perverted." Shao Fu and Hakua frowned.

"And not only that, during this Blade Dance, after defeating a girl, that Night Demon King, not satisfied with just that, even stole her first... first..."

"Her first kiss?"

"Hakua! Don't say it so bluntly!" Rao scolded, her own face turning red.

"Anyway... we have to eliminate that Night Demon King as soon as possible! We can't worry about the Magic Stones now!"

"You're absolutely right!"

"Wait, shouldn't we hear Rion's opinion?" Shao Fu suddenly interjected.

Rion Sharma was the last member of the Four Gods, the Elementalist who wielded the Sacred Beast "Vermillion Bird."

She was currently on a mission to scout the Inferno's base.

Rion was supposed to return before their meeting, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Could something have happened to her...?"

"Rion is not like you. She's cautious. There's no way..."

...

"I am grateful for your trust, Princess." A calm voice suddenly came from the forest.

"Rion, you're back! Why are you so late?"

"We were worried!"

A girl with red hair and a crimson outfit emerged from the trees.

She walked towards the curtain and knelt. "I have returned after completing my mission."

"Good. Report on the Inferno's movements," Linfa instructed.

"Ren (Rubia Elstein) and her team seem to have collected a significant number of Magic Stones. They are currently defending their base. I believe they intend to keep their Military Spirit in top condition for the final round. Now is the perfect opportunity for us to attack Team Scarlet."

"So there's nothing to worry about... Excellent! It's decided then! We, the Four Gods, will set out to eliminate that wicked Night Demon King, Roy!" Linfa declared.

The other girls nodded in agreement.

But no one noticed the sly smirk on Rion's face as she bowed.

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