Chapter 53: Among Gods, Buddhas, and Dragons (3)
Rias was sitting next to Asia in front of Indra and Sun Wukong; they were better off now than they had been three days ago, after the battle ended. Out of respect for Rias's power and her warrior status, Indra offered her a place to rest at the foot of Mount Meru, which, well, was destroyed, but with the help of Sun Wukong and the rest of the Buddhas, a residence was quickly created.
They were all drinking tea, talking casually; or so it seemed from a distance, but Indra and Rias were having conversations of a... business nature, it was the only way the conversation could be described.
"I'll offer promising young people to attend your institution, Aeternum; I'll also ask a Buddha to teach some things!"
"I will not help you in your war efforts. Aeternum will not be designed for war, but rather a place prepared for such eventualities. I will not let them enter a war unless we are attacked or the entire world is in danger," Rias said calmly.
"Tch!" Indra clicked his tongue.
"And what do you plan to teach all those young people?" Sun Wukong asked curiously.
"I myself can teach them how to use spiritual power for defense, perception, and dominance. Similarly, I can have them awaken chakra and achieve sage mode. Only this will give rise to powerhouses in my eternity. Aside from that, I have Fafnir protecting the place, and I am absolutely certain of this, but he will also decide to teach some things to the students he chooses."
"You even have Fafnir on your side..." Indra commented with a snort.
"What do you think of people who oppose your position?" Indra asked, a little curious.
"Nothing..." Rias smiled intriguingly. "In the end, when they see how good it would be to send their children to Aeternum, I'll reject them all. They'll only regretfully watch how they missed their chance."
Indra looked at her for a few moments before laughing, "You're quite an interesting girl!"
"By the way, do you think I could spare some of your wine, Sun Wukong?" Rias asked, surprising the old man, but in the end, she simply sighed and tossed him a gourd of it.
"Why, though?"
"In the future, I'll leave it as a reward for high merit."
"Well... I think it's time to go," Rias stood up and said goodbye. Asia followed her, but not before bowing respectfully. When they had left the room, Sun Wukong looked seriously at Indra.
"Do you think she'll make it?"
Indra looked seriously at the spot where Rias had been sitting.
"Oh, she'll definitely make it. After all, I'm more afraid of her intelligence and cunning than her power." He smiled tightly, showing his teeth.
"She had the confidence to survive by fighting me, one of the most powerful gods. No, in fact, she even knew that if she had to fight all the Buddhas alongside me, she would still live. That little girl only used us to let everyone know how powerful she really is."
"Her goal wasn't to impress me or gain my respect; it was to alert and impress everyone! After all, news of this previous battle and its outcome will soon surface. There's no way anyone will find out with all the power we used."
"Of course, those who are suspicious and worried will also appear. But even if another god tries to fight her, she won't draw like she did against me, but will win. By using this, she will not only build a reputation for herself, but also for the future of Aeternum."
"Every step that little girl takes is finely and carefully prepared... Honestly, how terrifying," Indra sighed a little.
"Why do you think she'll win next time?" Sun Wukong's eyes widened slightly, surprised by Rias Gremory. But at the same time, he was curious why Indra thought Rias would win against any god she fought in the future.
"She hides it quite well..." Indra narrowed his eyes. "But just now, since she wasn't wearing that strange ring behind her, I was able to sense her soul better."
"Rias Gremory's soul is sublimating little by little, reaching levels that should be impossible for a mortal of the Devil race."
"Sublimation... of the soul..." Sun Wukong whispered in disbelief. Usually, this kind of thing happened to some humans or youkai like him. It was a necessary process for them to become Buddhas. And thanks to this, it was possible to reach planes like the Astral Plane or the Mental Plane.
"Indra, but she..." Sun Wukong stopped, exalted by what he'd heard.
"You're right, she can't become a Buddha!" Indra smiled again as he stood up, walking toward the exit of the room to look solemnly at the sky.
Sun Wukong only waited for a few moments before Indra turned his head slightly and looked at him out of the corner of his eye.
"In a little while... perhaps we'll be able to see the birth of the first Demon God... Although... Demon Goddess of Destruction doesn't sound bad either."
. . .
"Ha~.... Haa~.... Haa~"
Ragged breaths were heard throughout a huge hallway lit by crystals and lights. The walls were crimson red and shone dimly. In this place, rapid footsteps were heard along with heavy breathing. A man was running as fast as he could before reaching two enormous doors guarded by two people.
Inside the room, the four Maou were discussing alongside an entire council of pillar chiefs and elders. The meeting was truly important, as not only the new anti-Satan faction was present, but also the Great King's faction.
The meeting had only one purpose: to discuss what to do with all the lower-class Devils who have been causing a stir in the Underworld; to demand more equal rights and to stop the abuse against them. This uprising stems from Rias Gremory's battle.
However, at that moment, as they were speaking, shouts were heard from outside.
"You can't pass! The two factions and the Maou are in a meeting!"
"I know! But I have really important information! Lucifer-sama needs to know this! Let me in!"
The doors were forced open as the guards tried to stop the man.
"Lucifer-sama, please, it's important! This is about Rias-sama!" the man shouted.
"How outrageous!"
"You should know we're in a meeting!"
Men and elders began to shout angrily, but a shout from Sirzechs stopped them.
"Enough, that's enough!" Sirzechs shouted loudly, causing everyone shouting to shut their mouths; the Maou looked at the man and nodded for him to speak.
"Sir..." the man took a deep breath, calming his nervousness. "I have important information. I would have liked to report it sooner and not interrupt, but I made sure to verify this and make sure it's not false."
"Three days ago... Rias-sama was spotted in India, flying with another girl in the direction of Mount Meru."
Mount Meru... those words alone made many Devils turn pale. And, despite appearing calm, Sirzechs was afraid. His heart was pounding.
"After she arrived..." the man gulped before continuing, "The God Indra and Rias-sama began a battle. It is said that it lasted for hours, and that their powers even covered the sky and destroyed the earth."
"Mount Meru was destroyed in the battle! Rias-sama severed one of the god's hands, and the battle ended in a draw!"
Sirzechs slumped in his seat before remembering to breathe, but like him, the entire meeting chamber was deathly silent.
"Also..." the man continued, to everyone's disbelief.
"There's more?!" Serafall exclaimed.
"Yes... according to some spirits and lower-ranking warriors of Mount Meru, the Buddhas there began to call Rias-sama 'The Demon Goddess of Destruction.'"
"Is there... something else?" Sirzechs asked as he looked at the man.
"No... Lucifer-sama, that's all. I thought you should know because of the importance this could bring to the Underworld, which is why I hurried."
"This is truly outrageous, Lucifer-sama! How do you plan to stop your sister?!"
"It wouldn't be surprising if some gods grew wary of the Underworld, even more so than they already are."
"Do you think I can stop her now?!" Sirzechs shouted angrily. "Indra is already powerful without treasure! And you think I can stop Rias, who's tied with him?!"
That was true; Indra was at the top of the list of the most powerful existences in the world. Even Sirzechs was there, he wouldn't know what the outcome would be in an all-or-nothing battle against Indra. The reason for the outcome in the battle, though Sirzechs and the others didn't know, was the Domain Destruction Technique. This, coupled with her understanding and training of her Power of Destruction, allowed Rias to tap into the power of the gods, such as clairvoyance, mind reading, and several other things. Being capable of this and having her Power of Destruction at such a high level, they allowed her to keep Indra away from her. And, in the end, they were only able to face each other with their best attacks.
If Sirzechs were to fight a god outside of his domain, he could still win against powerful gods. However, even with all the power Sirzechs had, he would still be under the influence of the Gods' Domain if he fought in a place like Mount Meru.
In the end, no matter how intimidating his final form was, Sirzechs still had a limit.
Even with the personalities they had, the gods shouldn't be underestimated; that's just courting death.
The meeting chamber was completely silent; no one knew how to react properly yet. The news had been too shocking, to the point that some were now afraid to do anything against Rias Gremory.
And, unbeknownst to them, they were slowly falling into Rias Gremory's hands.
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