“Ikuse-san!”
After Ikuse-san told the black dog — Jin to sit down, he said to us
“Since our opponents are experts in assault and assassination, you guys will also need the experts in hunting them down.”
Ikuse-san glanced up at the stadium and smiled as he said
“Also — I don’t want to see any unnecessary interruptions creep into Vali and the others’ game.”
Yeah! That’s really encouraging to hear! The Slash Dog team has come along to help us in protecting the venue! “Exactly! We can’t let them get in the way of Va-kun’s game.”
The person who said that was a beautiful blonde-haired witch who wore a white witch’s hat and a robe — Lavinia Reni-san. The next person who greeted us was a beautiful and high-spirited onee-san who had her hair tied back and wore an agent’s uniform. “My name is Minagawa Natsume! So you’re Oppai Dragon-kun? I really wanted to meet you! I’ve been following all of your TV shows, you know?”
After her, the next person to greet us was a brown-haired man with a white cat sitting atop his shoulder. He was a handsome dude who looked like a delinquent. “Ah—, my name is Samejima Kouki. Well, I also like big breasts I guess.”
Minagawa-san tightened the grip of her hand around Samejima-san’s head and then said
“There are still a few other official members of the team. We’ll introduce them to you all later.”
Although the Slash Dog team had come over to help us, I still intended to decline the offer. “Ikuse-san, this is something we’re doing on our own. We only came to guard this place because we worried that the game could be subject to an attack. …You guys are all important agents of the Grigori, so I’d feel bad if you guys came to guard this place with us when we don’t even know if there will be any enemy activity—”
Before I could finish, Ikuse-san interrupted me
“We’re here to accompany you. It’s precisely because you guys plan on doing your best that we decided to accompany you. What I said earlier was also my intuition.”
“—.”
…I was speechless. All members of the Slash Dog team also nodded in agreement with their leader. Their enthusiasm really moved me! Ikuse-san said
“Before Azazel left, he also said this to me. —You should join their adventures sometimes.”
Samejima-san stroked the head of the small cat on his shoulder as he said
“The Nekomata girls are being targeted by the Grim Reapers, so as men, we have to fight back against those Grim Reapers with everything that we’ve got. As a cat user, I’ll definitely help you guys out.”
Minagawa-san also nodded enthusiastically
“Yep, that’s right, we may be a special task force specialised in spying and assassination, but we’ve always enjoyed having passionate battles!”
Ikuse-san stuck his fist out. “Let’s allow them to have a wonderful showdown. It’s up to you and us to protect them. It’ll be best if nothing happens. But in the off-chance that something does—”
I also stuck my fist out and bumped with Ikuse-san’s fist. “We’ll beat them down.”
“We’ll cut them down.”
Ikuse-san and I declared at the same time as we made up our minds! Like this, we guarded the venue along with the team led by Ikuse-san to deal with the enemy whom we still weren’t sure would show up yet, Thanatos—. I hope you guys will have a wonderful game. —Vali, Rias! The –tan honorific is a more affectionate and moe variant of –chan. Another name for the Gautama Buddha. A god in Buddhist mythology who is said to be the king or judge of hell. A formal sitting position that would convey respect in this situation. A being dedicated to Buddhahood. They could also be termed as an ‘enlightened one’. Super Devils are also known as ‘Transcendent Beings’. This is something that gets lost in translation. The ‘hiki’ is used when counting small animals and shows here that the father saw them as nothing more than that. In English, the closest thing might be a ‘litter’ of kittens. A demon king from Journey to the West whose true form is that of a giant white bull. Originally a sworn-brother of Sun Wukong, they later end up as enemies. At the nearest vending machine from the player’s waiting room in [Fafnir Stadium], Vali inserted his coins so that he could buy something to drink. After putting in the correct amount of change, Vali was just about to press the button of the sports drink that he wanted to have, but he was beaten to it by a slender finger that reached over from the side. After taking the plastic bottle out of the pickup tray, that person offered it to Vali. “Va-kun, you choose that drink every time you have an important battle.”
The person who held out the drink was — a witch who wore a white cloak, Lavinia Reni. She was a woman who couldn’t possibly be any more familiar with Vali. “…You also came huh.”
Lavinia replied to Vali with a gentle smile. “I came.”
After Vali received the plastic bottle from her, Lavinia said
“In comparison to Va-kun, there might be more members of [DxD] who are cheering for the princess-sama of the Gremory House. After all, not long ago, Va-kun was still doing bad things.”
Vali thought to himself that Lavinia still talked to him in the same old way that she always had. “I don’t need anyone’s support…”
Vali quietly said. Lavinia’s hands suddenly reached over towards his face. Lavinia held Vali’s face and smiled as she said
“—I will always be on your side, okay Va-kun? That’s why I’ll be cheering for you.”
—Her gentle and calming smile is still the same as ever. To Vali, ever since his mother…aside from his mother, this was the gentlest womanly smile that he had seen. Vali broke free, and turned around. “…You can do whatever you like.”
He impatiently answered her. “I will. But, I need to do a bit of work while I cheer for you…”
“Work?”
Vali felt as though something had happened as he turned to look back…her smile was still just as soothing. “You don’t have to worry, okay?”
Vali realised that trying to pursue the matter any further would not result in a satisfactory reply to him. “…I see. Then, I’m going. Thanks for the drink.”
Vali walked back towards the waiting room. “Do your best, Va-kun.”
Although Lavinia’s words of support echoed from behind him, Vali continued to move forward without concern. When he had almost arrived back to the waiting room, Albion laughed lightly as he asked Vali
[Fufufu, how does it feel to have your princess cheering for you?] “Whatever.”
She was the first woman who had responded to him with a smile aside from his mother—. The support from that person seemed so dazzling, warm and privileged. We dispersed around the venue according to the plan that Ravel had come up with, and whilst we get ready to respond in case of an attack, an explanation of the rules of the game was in progress. <<The rules are — BOARD COLLAPSE!>>
On the huge screens that were set up around the venue, the decided ruleset was announced. <<This is a rule which means that the field will begin to collapse starting from both ends.>>
The commentators discussed the rules with each other live. <<That’s right.