Unlike her friend Rias Gremory did not want to return to the human world. She did not want to lose her precious servants anymore. Too much had happened to her recently. Rias blames most of her problems on the hated Kiyoshi Zankoku. It was after his appearance that a dark streak began in their lives. Akeno focused on getting attention from this bandit, neglecting her own family, and then betrayed them altogether. Asia lost her mechanism, which fell into the hands of Shirone, as was later learned from spies. If not for this, the fate of the former nun could have changed. Zankoku did not save Kiba during Kokabiel's attack, which he also knew about, but kept silent. And most importantly, he kidnapped her "Bishop" to extract the mechanism, in which the dhampir died.
What happened made Rias look at life completely differently, helping the girl rethink a lot and grow up. She had fully accepted herself as the heiress of the Gremory clan and had taken advantage of all the benefits that came with it.
Xenovia had lost her main weapon. With the previous wielder of Durandal returning to active duty, he, as a stronger and more experienced fighter, seemed like a better choice to wield the holy sword than the young girl. The leaders of the three factions supported this decision, as in the hands of Vasco Strado, Durandal would be much more useful in the upcoming battles. Therefore, using her family's connections, Rias purchased the best demonic sword available. In addition, she was able to arrange for her to be trained by her brother's "Knight", one of the strongest in the Underworld.
Not only Xenovia was training under a trainer, but Rias and Issei as well. The heiress asked her brother for advice on the right training to develop her power of destruction. She was no longer going to be the weak and helpless girl she had been before. Rias planned to become stronger and take revenge.
Issei, however, was more emotional than the others. He blamed himself for losing his friends and his lover. Remembering his foolish behavior in the early days, Hyoudou mocked himself. "Become a harem king!" — was too much of a statement for such a weakling. Having high potential as a Sekiryuutei, he did not try to develop his power in any way, only shouted empty words, which is why he was unable to resist real threats when faced with them. The Rating Game with Raiser should have shown his incompetence as a fighter, but he did not fix it in any way, even despite Ddraig's advice.
His deteriorated relationship with his former partner was also something Hyoudou blamed himself for. The dragon often communicated with its host, telling instructive stories of past Sekiryuutei, encouraging and giving advice, and he in turn only created a reputation for them as the "Oppai Dragon". And instead of comforting the Heavenly Dragon and apologizing, Issei locked his consciousness in the mechanism, completely depriving them of the opportunity to become true partners. Even removing the restriction and the subsequent apology after the battle with Akeno, could not change anything. Ddraig no longer insulted or accused Hyodo, he only dryly answered his host's questions, not wanting to establish contact, most often remaining silent.
It was the events in the vampire castle that completely changed Issei. The guy completely immersed himself in training, along with his friends. The help of Surt, Lucifer's "rook", and all sorts of magical "doping" bought by Rias allowed him to quickly increase his strength, and additional lessons in the evenings for reincarnated devils allowed Issei to try to pass the test for promotion to the middle class.
During one of his training sessions, Hyodo was interrupted by Azazel.
— What happened, sensei? — The fallen man earned the title by helping the Sekiryuutei understand his Longinus, as well as telling him about many other sacred gears.
— Nothing special, Issei, — the man hurried to reassure his student. — I just want you to do something for me.
— I hope it won't take too long. I have a promotion exam in three days.
— Ha! You don't have to worry about that, you just need to meet one controversial character and that's it, — the fallen man's grin made Issei look at Azazel suspiciously.
— Sensei, what are you planning? — Hyodo didn't like the man's wording at all. — Who is this person?
— You will find out tomorrow, but do not worry, — the fallen one smiled reassuringly, — Your superiors are already aware and have given their consent.
***
— Azazel, this is an idiotic idea! — Serafall shouted once again at the fallen one's crazy plan. — I don't understand why you agreed to something like this, Sirzechs?
— Azazel's arguments were very convincing, — the scarlet-haired Satan answered innocently.
— Indeed, Serafall, — Ajuka intervened, — this is an excellent opportunity, considering the information received from Azazel's spies.
— Can we at least trust them? — the girl gave in, lounging in her chair.
— Yes. Tobio and Lavinia are my loyal subordinates, whom almost no one in the Grigori knows about, so they cannot be connected to us, — Azazel said with complete confidence. — Each of them has a Longinus in their hands and they were close to Vali. Tobio became a leader on par with Cao Cao after leading his previous group, so he has access to a lot of information.
— You were hiding two Longinus users?
— It's always necessary to have some aces up your sleeve, — the fallen one sat with a smug smile. — They were able to obtain very interesting news. As we already know, Ophis is only the nominal leader of the "Khaos Brigade" and does not lead them directly.
— Let's get to the point, Azazel!
— Okay, okay. You shouldn't be such a hot-tempered girl, Serafall, — the fallen one raised his hands in a conciliatory manner, in an attempt to calm the irritated Leviathan. — Because of Ouroboros' ultimatum, many in the organization have decided to make a move against Ophis. The main instigators are the "heroes", who have been moving too suspiciously lately.
— Do you want to use children as bait?
— Not quite. Having managed to get close to Ophis, it turned out that she is a rather naive person who is not interested in anything other than the spatial dimension. Therefore, we can pull her over to our side, depriving our enemies of the Ouroboros snakes' reinforcement. Besides, she wanted to talk to Ddraig about something.
— Hm... this is a good opportunity, — Ajuka drawled. — Ophis is a rather apathetic being. She should not harm Rias and her pieces.
— I agree. My sister has become more mature lately and will not act rashly.
— If you think so, then I have nothing to say in response, — although Serafall acted calmly on the outside, she was laughing loudly inside at the delusions of her "comrades". — Then let's move on to another matter. How is Michael doing?
— Brother is now actively replenishing his ranks with loyal members of the "Church", — after a long time in the laboratory, they managed to create analogues of "pieces of evil" for angels and fallen. — The Heaven system is already approaching a critical state, so he is preparing to attack Zankoku, and I will support him in this.
— What about the reaction of the others?
— We will simply accuse Shinto of aiding the "Chaos Brigade", — Azazel showed everyone an evil smile. — I am already preparing "evidence". After the meeting in Asgard, everyone will happily support us, we just need to give an excuse.
***
In one of the many residences in the Gremory territory, where the heiress of the clan had settled in to demonstrate her independence and focus on training, Rias and her remaining retinue were currently waiting at the entrance. Ten minutes ago, a message from Azazel had arrived about their arrival. Apart from them, the only other person present in the house was a single servant who had arrived from the main house while the rest had been given a day off due to a dangerous guest.
— Hello, thank you for agreeing to meet, — Azazel said as soon as he stepped out of the teleportation circle. Neither Rias nor Issei remembered the angel asking their opinion on this matter, only presenting them with a fact that was later confirmed by Lord Lucifer. — They will appear soon, but I ask you not to react abruptly and not to try to attack right away.
— Attack? Azazel, who is comin...,— Rias's demanding question was interrupted by three teleportation circles.
— Hello everyone! It's nice to meet you, — the blonde girl with a witch's hat on her head said happily. — My name is Le Fay.
— Good afternoon. Sorry to bother you, and thank you for your hospitality. I am Lavinia Reni, you can call me by my name, — the older blonde said, but all the attention of those present was focused on the last guest.
— It's been a while, Ddraig, — the little girl said monotonously. Each of the demons could recognize her as the embodiment of infinity — Ophis.
Rias' hands instinctively twitched in an attempt to summon the power of destruction, but she stopped herself, remembering the words of the fallen angel. Xenovia and Issei showed a similar reaction to their "King." They were ready for battle, but did not make hasty decisions.
— Yes, it was a long time ago, Ophis, — the awkward moment of silence was broken by a deep voice from the green crystal in Hyoudou's gloves.
— Well then, — Azazel clapped his hands, drawing attention to himself. Having overcome the most dangerous moment in his plan, he decided to direct the meeting in the right direction. — Since you have now met, I suggest we go to another room, instead of hanging around in the hallway, and finally get to the main topic.
— Okay, — the Gremory heiress muttered with a sigh, tiredly rubbing the bridge of her nose, — I hope you and your brother understand the danger you are exposing my clan and the devils in general to if it becomes known that we are hosting the leader of terrorists.
— Don't worry, all risks have been taken into account, — the man said with a cheerful smile, following the hostess of the house. — Besides, the Ophis is a special case. — None of the mythologies want to provoke the dragon god by declaring her as their enemy, and she herself is not personally involved in all these disturbances caused by the "Khaos Brigade", so it is better to fulfill Ophis's wish, — the fallen one lowered his voice so that his guests would not hear. — and if possible, pull her over to our side or, at least, separate her from the terrorists.
Understanding the desire of the leader of the Grigori, Hyoudou nodded with a determined look. The boy was going to fully justify his sensei's expectations. If he succeeded, then he would not only help the Biblical Union, but also increase Rias's reputation, which had fallen greatly due to the loss of half of her peerage.
— And what do you need from me? — Issei asked when they sat opposite each other, and the fallen one sat in a separate chair to the side of everyone.
— Why did you want to meet the current Sekiryuutei, Ophis? — Instead of answering, the angel asked the dragon his own question.
— I'm curious.
— Curious? — the fallen, the devils, and even the companions of Ouroboros were surprised by such a reason. — And that's the whole reason?
— Yes, curious, — plunging those around her into a stupor, the dragon turned her gaze to the maid who entered the room.
— Excuse me, — rolling the cart to the table, Grayfia moved the cups of tea and sweet snacks onto it.
Seeing the plate of cookies in front of her, the girl's previously lifeless eyes sparkled. Ophis immediately took the plate for herself, monopolizing the sweets. With a smile on her face, she enjoyed the food, completely ceasing to pay attention to those around her.
— Um... sensei, what do you want me to do? — the young man asked in confusion, not understanding how such a cute creature in front of him could frighten all the mythologies in the world with her mere presence.
— Just talk to her. Unlike the rest of the Khaos Brigade, Ophis is apathetic, only showing activity when fighting Great Red. Also, Issei, — Azazel's tone became very serious, — don't judge based on appearances alone. Ophis is beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals. She has the power to destroy both the human world and the underworld at her whim, and none of us can stop her.
This revelation did nothing to embolden Hyodo. The realization of the possible prospect only made him more nervous.
— S-say, Ophis, — he cautiously drew the attention of the girl who was finishing her second and last plate of cookies and looking expectantly at the nervous maid. — What exactly aroused your curiosity?
— In the past, you, the Two Heavenly Dragons, always mixed me as "infinity" and Great Red as "dream" into your spells. Ddraig, why did you want to become the king of domination?
Issei was confused. He did not understand what was being said and did not know how to answer, but his former partner came to his aid.
— Because of my death and imprisonment in the Boosted Gear, the only thing left for me is to increase my power of "domination", — when the dragon began to answer questions, Hyodo decided to rely on it completely, so as not to accidentally offend the "girl" in front of him. — Although, I do not think that a being originally born with such incredible power will be able to understand my desire for "domination".
— After all this time, you have not yet achieved "domination". And why do you need it if you are imprisoned in a prison?
— No, but I continue to gain strength so that... — the Welsh dragon's attempt to answer was interrupted.
— Is that why you decided to become an oppai dragon? — Although he currently did not have a body, Ddraig felt a sharp pain in his heart, and the little girl continued to inflict moral trauma with her words. — Do you want to achieve "domination" by feeling and licking someone else's breasts? Are you planning to surpass the Heavenly Dragons by becoming the Chichiryuutei? Your current host has already begun to praise your new title. Is this also part of your "dominance", Ddraig?
— Ugh... Even you, Ophis... Grrrr! Brat! — The room was filled with the fierce roar and growl of a humiliated dragon. — This is all your fault! Now, instead of fear and respect, my name is associated with this! Even Ouroboros calls me that. Grraar! I hate you, Hyoudou Issei!
— S-sorry! — The youth cried out in an instant. Apologizing was the only thing he could do for the dragon in this situation.
While everyone was shocked by the scene of the sealed dragon and its master's anger, Ophis was enjoying the show. In her hands was a new plate of snacks that Grayfia had brought, taking advantage of Ouroboros' distraction to talk. At the moment, the maid was experiencing a slight panic, seeing how quickly the sweets were disappearing in the girl's endless stomach.
— I'm curious, Ddraig, — the guest drew attention to herself again, still chewing. — I want to observe this host and its actions.
— Do whatever you want! — the dragon snapped. — I'm locked here anyway and can't do anything.
— Oh! — As if remembering something, Ophis began to rummage through her dress and, finding an inconspicuous pocket, pulled out a piece of paper. — I was asked to convey a message to you, — she unfolded the piece of paper, ignoring the reactions of those around her. — And Ddraig Goh, Red Dragon Emperor, did you have enough time to consider my recent proposal during a conversation that never happened? I'm 100 percent confident in my part, so the choice is yours, just decide within an hour after receiving the message. This cute little girl in front of you will pass on your answer to me. Anyway, see you soon!
— Ha-ha-ha! — As soon as Ophis finished, a loud laugh came from the Boosted Gear. All of the dragon's negative mood instantly disappeared when he easily recognized the author of the note, and the connection between this phoenix descendant and Ophis served as an answer to some of Ddraig's questions about the blond's entourage and his plans. — Wonderful! Simply great news! Tell our mutual friend that I agree.
— Okay, — Ouroboros shrugged, and the note in his hands disappeared into the black fog. — Done.
The message he heard and the sudden change in the dragon's mood, coupled with his answer, created a bunch of questions in the minds of the fallen and the devils, and the girl's companions were surprised by the very presence of the message, because in recent weeks she often spent her time with their group.
"What contract were you talking about? — Azazel could not understand this. — The concept of "recently" is a flexible concept for long-lived creatures. He spent the last fifteen years inside Issei and awakened only this year, and after that he was in the retinue of the Gremory heiress. Judging by her face, and the face of the guy himself, they do not know about any dragon contracts. So Ddraig made a deal with someone much earlier." — having made a logical, but incorrect conclusion, the man decided to try his luck.
— Tell me, Ophis, when did they give you this note?
— When he gave me the cake, he asked me to pass on a message when I met Ddraig, — the girl answered, swallowing another cookie.
Seeing how happily she was gobbling up the sweets, no one was surprised that the strongest being was hired to be a courier for one cake. If this became known to others, the world would be plunged into shock, and after that, there would definitely be those who wanted to use this to their advantage, so Azazel decided to keep the conversation a secret from everyone except his fellow leaders.
— What's this guy's name? — The fallen man's question made the girl think.
— I've heard him often called a "psycho" and a "sick bastard."
— Psycho? — Issei couldn't hold back his question when he heard such a description from the lips of a little girl.
— Uh-huh, — Ophis nodded, confirming. — That's usually what the people he's chained and tortured say.
The younger generation's spines tingled as they imagined such a scene, while Azazel's frown deepened. If such an "evil" being had influence over Ouroboros, nothing good could come of it, especially this agreement with the Red Dragon Emperor.
— How often do you see him?
— Whenever I'm bored or hungry, I teleport to his house to eat and rest, — Ophis finished the last of her dessert and found no new target, frowning. — Enough questions, I won't answer them anymore.
The man's eye twitched. If he hadn't met the embodiment of "Infinity" before and didn't know her manner of speech, he would have thought that he was being mocked. Realizing that he couldn't achieve anything else, Azazel gave up. The Fallen One didn't even try to ask Ddraig about this question. After creating an artifact that blocked the dragon from communicating with the outside world, he began to hate him almost as much as Albion.
— Then what do you say, Rias? Ophis wants to watch your servant, — although he asked this question, everyone understood that it was not in their power to stop Ouroboros from doing whatever she wanted.
— Issei has promotion exams soon, — the devil glanced sideways at Ophis and her "escort". — If you promise not to interfere with him or harm any of us, then you can stay.
— I promise.
***
The demons spent the remaining time before the exams in a very tense state. No one broke their promise and the guests behaved calmly. Le Faye and Lavinia turned out to be very friendly, but Ophis became the main problem for the residents of the estate. Ouroboros did not interfere directly in their affairs, but she was always nearby, carefully watching every movement with dark, empty eyes, leaving a tremor in her target.
Of all the demons, Grayfia suffered the most. The maid was the one who was eagerly awaiting the moment when Rias's group would go to take the exam. In these few days, the silver-haired maid had felt the breath of death more times than in her entire life, considering her participation in the civil war. Ophis demonstrated her love for sweets and endless appetite to the fullest extent, each time quietly appearing behind the battle maid, scaring her with her voice and asking for more "yummy treats".
— We are leaving, Grayfia, the exam will begin soon.
— Good luck with your figure, Rias-sama. All the best.
After Rias and her guests were teleported away, Grayfia promised herself not to touch or look at the baked goods for at least another year. In these two days, more disappeared into Ophis's stomach than an ordinary person would eat in their entire life.
After arriving at the stadium where the test would take place, the group split up. Rias and the others went to the observation post while Issei went to the prepared room. The Middle Class Hanging Exam was divided into a written part and a practical part.
Thanks to his "King's" instructions, the written part of the test was not a problem for Hyoudou. An hour later, he left the room and went to the next task. The practical test was a sparring match with an experienced Middle Class opponent. With the experience he gained from sparring with Surt often, the current Sekiryuutei easily defeated his opponent. Issei believed that even without the Boosted Gear, he could have won.
No one doubted that he would pass the exam successfully, so everyone went to the reserved restaurant to celebrate.
— Congratulations, Issei! Well done, Ise! — Xenovia and Rias congratulated their beloved, rewarding him with a light kiss.
Unfortunately, a more serious reward was not possible due to the ubiquitous little girl who often appeared at the most unexpected and inopportune moments.
— Congratulations on your promotion, Hyoudou-san. Congratulations, Issei-san! — Ophis and her group also congratulated the young man. They were currently sitting at the next table with the governor of the fallen angels.
— You dealt with that demon very well. Well done! — Azazel said, raising his glass. — To your health!
The group continued their feast, chatting cheerfully. The fallen one moved to the devils' table, and talked with Issei about further training, periodically distracted by tales from his long life. Then Le Fay joined their conversation when the topic turned to magical aspects. Lavinia, as a more mature girl, gave advice to Rias and Xenovia, while Ophis sat in the corner destroying a mountain of sweets.
Suddenly, the celebrants felt an unpleasant sensation roll over their bodies. Following this, a fog appeared, enveloping the people and the room itself.
— Lost Dimension, — the fallen one concluded with a gloomy look.
— Is this one of the Longinus, sensei? — Hyodo asked tensely, preparing to activate the Balance Breaker.
— Yes, it is. Prepare for battle, — a spear of light appeared in the fallen one's hands. — The owner of this mechanism is one of the leaders of the "Heroes", Georg Faust.
As soon as the man finished speaking, a fireball flew towards them. The attack could not cover even half the distance when it was struck by Rias's power of destruction.
— Not so bad, — a black-haired boy in Chinese robes praised them. He casually leaned the spear against his shoulder. Next to him stood a young man in glasses and a robe. — Greetings, Governor of the Fallen and current Sekiryuutei.
— So you didn't take the bait after all, Cao Cao, — Lavinia asked with a smile, taking the demons by surprise with her statement. — Tobio was hoping to lure you out, but it seems that didn't work.
— Unlike your previous leader, the battle maniac, this guy is too pragmatic. It was easy to predict the trap and identify the fake Ophis, but don't worry, I sent a group of fighters to him so that he wouldn't get bored.
— So, — Azazel spoke up, — you dragged us into this dimension in order to get to Ouroboros?
— That's right.
— Cao Cao is hunting me? — Ophis asked, joining the conversation.
— That's right. We need Ophis as a leader, but the "current you" is not suitable for that.
— I don't understand, — the girl tilted her head to the side, — You can't defeat me — you're too weak.
— That's the whole problem. You're very strong, but to tell you the truth, I have no idea how big the difference is between us. So I'll find out now!
Spinning the spear in his hand, he assumed a fighting stance, tightly gripping the shaft with both hands. The tip of the spear glowed with a bright light, bringing a huge sense of danger to the demons. Cao Cao's next move was so lightning fast that almost everyone lost sight of the guy. When he appeared, the tip of True Longinus was resting against Ophis's index finger, who casually blocked the hero's attack by simply putting her hand forward.
The boy was not satisfied with this outcome, so he put all his strength into the attack and shouted:
— Shine, god-slaying spear!
After his words, the spear began to emit a monstrous amount of light.
— This is bad! — Lavinia exclaimed, summoning a three-meter-tall ice figure in front of her. — Le Fay, Azazel-san!
Coordinating with each other, the three of them created a barrier that softened the light of True Longinus. Even in the snow dome, Rias and her peerage felt the effect of the light. They were afraid to imagine what kind of damage they could have suffered from a direct hit.
As soon as the light stopped coming from the spear, the barrier disappeared. An amazing sight appeared before them. Longinus was able to advance a measly ten centimeters before the tip of the spear was grabbed by the palm of the Infinity Dragon.
— The power that can destroy a high-class demon and weaken a dark god by half couldn't even penetrate Ophis's palm. It's simply astounding.
— Compared to me, you're pitifully weak, Cao Cao, — Ouroboros calmly replied, not letting go of her weapon.
— Hahaha! You didn't even attack me back, — the hero laughed, looking at the unperturbed girl. — It's because you can destroy me at any moment, right?
— Ha! — Lavinia spoke instead of Ophis. — While you were chatting, we established a connection. Come on, Le Fay, call him here!
A magic circle lit up under the young witch, releasing a bright flash. When the light disappeared, a dark-haired guy stood in the place of the girl with an unusual dog at his feet.
— There you are, Cao Cao, — Tobio said as soon as their gazes met. — I dealt with most of the group you sent, and my comrades will have no problem finishing off the rest, — he glanced around at the others. —I'm surprised. You're so confident that you only came with Georg.
— It's just that I know there are enough of us, — Cao Cao's lips grinned in anticipation. — Georg, summon him. It's time.
Focusing on each other, none of the others noticed the bright glint in Ophis's eyes and the raised corners of her lips. Everything was going according to her plan. She looked expectantly at the magic circle the human mage had created.