Fun In Highschool DxD World

Izashi watched as Vali rushed toward him, his silver hair whipping through the air as he closed the distance with lightning speed. Izashi barely moved, extending two fingers to meet Vali's punch head-on. To his surprise—and annoyance—Vali's strike, infused with a substantial amount of Devil magic, stopped dead against Izashi's fingers.

Vali's eyes widened in shock, his disbelief clear as he tried to process what had just happened. "What the hell...?" Vali muttered, staring at Izashi, who stood unperturbed with a small, knowing smirk.

"Didn't expect that, did you?" Izashi teased, his tone light but laced with a hint of arrogance.

But before Izashi could respond, Vali's wings suddenly flared with a bright, radiant light.

"Divide!" Vali shouted, the blue energy of his wings intensifying.

Izashi's eyes flickered with surprise as a wave of powerlessness washed over him. His body felt strangely heavy, as though his strength had been siphoned away in an instant. In that fleeting moment of vulnerability, Vali capitalized on the opportunity, launching a swift tornado kick that caught Izashi off guard. The force of the kick sent Izashi hurtling toward the ground at breakneck speed.

As the earth rushed up to meet him, Izashi's instincts kicked in. He summoned a surge of Devil energy, using it to cushion his fall at the last second. The impact still cratered the ground beneath him, sending up clouds of dust and debris, but it was a far cry from the devastating collision that would have occurred had he not acted in time.

Pushing himself up from the ground, Izashi wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, smirking up at Vali, who hovered above with a smug expression. "So this is the Divine Dividing, huh? I'll admit, I was curious to experience it firsthand. But don't think for a second that I'm done yet."

A dangerous light flickered in Izashi's eyes as his battle intent flared. Around him, several red orbs began to materialize, swirling with the concentrated power of destruction. Vali watched warily, his senses on high alert as the orbs crackled with energy.

Izashi extended a hand, his smile turning predatory. "Let's see if you can dodge these or if you'll be forced to block them. Shall we give it a try?"

With a simple flick of his wrist, Izashi sent three of the ten red orbs hurtling toward Vali. The silver-haired devil's eyes narrowed as he deftly dodged the incoming projectiles, his movements fluid and precise.

But just as Vali was about to counter, a cold realization dawned on him. He felt a strange, unsettling sensation, and when he glanced back, he noticed that the blue energy on one of his wings was disintegrating. His eyes widened in disbelief. "What the…? When did he—?"

Vali quickly pieced it together, his sharp mind racing to make sense of the situation. "So, you can control those orbs even after you've launched them. Impressive. But I'm guessing there's a range limit, isn't there?"

Izashi didn't confirm or deny Vali's theory, merely smirking as if he found the speculation amusing. He wasn't about to reveal his techniques so easily, especially not to an opponent as formidable as Vali. Instead, he silently commanded the remaining seven red orbs to converge on Vali, giving him no time to breathe.

Vali's mind worked rapidly as the orbs closed in on him. 'From our brief exchange, it's clear that he figured out my ability to divide magic power with physical contact. These orbs, though… they'll disintegrate me even after I divide their power. Fascinating.'

Rather than attempt to dodge or block, Vali closed his eyes, seemingly surrendering to the inevitable. But Izashi wasn't fooled. He knew better than to underestimate Vali Lucifer, and his caution was soon justified.

A sudden, powerful aura erupted from Vali, the air around him crackling with energy as he whispered, "Divine Dividing: Scale Mail."

In a brilliant flash of light, Vali's body was enveloped by a shining white armor that emitted an overwhelming dragon's aura. The blue orbs embedded in the armor glowed with an intense light, and the wings on his back flared brightly.

Izashi's red orbs of destruction, which had been homing in on Vali, began to shrink in size, their power steadily being drained. Before long, they vanished entirely, absorbed by the Scale Mail's unique ability.

[DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE!]

The sound echoed through the air, each divide further weakening Izashi's attacks until they were nothing but harmless specks of energy.

Izashi couldn't help but smile at the sight, a mix of admiration and excitement in his eyes. "So, this is the true power of the Divine Dividing Balance Breaker. I have to say, I'm impressed. But if you think that means this fight is over, you're sorely mistaken."

With those words, Izashi unleashed a wave of his own magic, his aura flaring as he focused the power of destruction into his physical body. His muscles glowed with a red light, his entire form radiating an intense energy that crackled with destructive potential.

Vali observed Izashi's transformation with interest, his expression neutral, though his eyes gleamed with a newfound respect. "I see… You're stronger than I expected. But don't think I'll hold back just because of that."

With a shared understanding, they both rushed at each other once more, the ground shaking beneath their feet as they collided with explosive force. As they clashed, Vali's armor automatically began dividing Izashi's power.

[DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE! DIVIDE!]

Vali smirked, confident that this would quickly weaken his opponent. However, he was soon met with a shocking revelation—Izashi still had a considerable amount of power left, even after being divided fourteen times.

"How is this possible?" Vali thought, perplexed. His brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to figure out how Izashi was managing to maintain so much strength. But his opponent's confident smirk hinted that Izashi had anticipated this very scenario.

'Looks like my plan worked,' Izashi mused internally. 'He's only been dividing the magic I've been flaring outside my body. I kept the majority of my power contained within, only using a fraction to bait him. Now, I have more than enough to handle him.'

Izashi had been careful to keep most of his magic energy stored internally, flaring just enough to draw Vali's attention without revealing his full capabilities. It had been a risky move, but one that paid off in spades. By only allowing Vali to divide a fraction of his power, Izashi had managed to conserve his strength, leaving him with the upper hand.

Seizing the opportunity, Izashi closed in on Vali, his eyes locked onto the glowing orb at the center of Vali's armor. He was certain that this was the core of the Scale Mail, the key to its power. Without hesitation, Izashi's fists, now coated in the power of destruction, slammed into the orb with full force.

The impact was immediate. The power of destruction shattered the orb, sending a shockwave through Vali's armor. The white Scale Mail cracked and began to fall apart, pieces of it disintegrating as they lost their connection to the central core.

But as the armor crumbled, Vali acted on instinct. He lashed out with a powerful kick, aiming directly at Izashi's gut. The blow connected, sending Izashi skidding backward, but not before Izashi managed to land a solid punch to Vali's face.

Both combatants were knocked back, but they quickly regained their footing, their wings flaring as they slowed their descent. They hovered in the air, staring each other down with matching expressions of exhilaration.

Vali touched his cheek where Izashi's punch had landed, a grin spreading across his face. "You actually managed to destroy my Balance Breaker. That's something not many can claim. I underestimated you, Izashi Gremory."

Izashi shrugged, his smirk never fading. "You're the first opponent my age who's given me a real challenge. I have to admit, this has been a lot more fun than I expected."

Vali's grin widened, a strange glint of loneliness flashing in his eyes. He had spent most of his life searching for someone who could push him to his limits, someone who could truly challenge him. Until now, he had always assumed that person would be the wielder of the Boosted Gear, the fabled rival of the Divine Dividing. But standing before him was someone who could potentially fill that role—a rival who was more than worthy.

"Before this, I thought the only one who could be my true rival would be the Boosted Gear user," Vali admitted, his voice carrying a note of unexpected sincerity. "But now, I'm not so sure. You might just be the rival I've been looking for, Izashi."

For a moment, there was a flicker of mutual understanding between them, a silent acknowledgment of the loneliness they both shared as prodigies. In another life, they might have been allies or even friends. But here and now, they were destined to be rivals, two forces of nature clashing in a battle that would shape their futures.

Vali's expression turned serious as he continued, "If only I could use my Juggernaut Drive without losing control… I'd be curious to see if you could stand up to it."

He sighed, a touch of regret coloring his words. The Juggernaut Drive was a form so powerful that it could allow him to challenge even the likes of Azazel, but it came at a steep cost. The overwhelming power of the form would leave him drained and vulnerable, and there was always the risk of losing himself to the dragon's will. For now, it was a power he could only fantasize about using against someone like Izashi.

Izashi chuckled, his voice rich with amusement. "Juggernaut Drive, huh? I've got a way to deal with that, but trust me, it's not something I want to pull out just yet."