New Life
It was almost sunrise. Having finished the battle, we returned from that field after retrieving Ravel and the others. We went back up, and were resting in the station. I was dead tired after using Gift several times, promoting to True Queen, and also from fighting Grendel. I went to sit on the chair alone at the resting area of the station after receiving treatment from Asia. Kaichou and the others left the station to give a report about the matter, and were speaking to the staff. Gasper was taken away by the rescue team. Asia and the others went with him. It seemed like Gasper wasn't in a life-threatening situation...but the hidden power within him that I'd witnessed for the first time was creepy. Just what on earth was happening inside Gya-suke's body? ...But, the defence of that Grendel. The Dragon Slayer was supposed to have worked. Kaichou did say this.
"...I don't know the truth about their experiment, but that Grendel...withstood a Dragon Slayer. There's no doubt that his defence is exceptional. But it's certain that he has some kind of power added to him. Receiving so little damage from the crimson armour state Ise-kun with a Dragon Slayer is impossible."
Did he attain a resistance to Dragon Slayers? Was such thing even possible? Ddraig had come back, so there wouldn't be any downsides to start developing a Dragon Blaster and Crimson Blaster with the Dragon Slayer ability from Ascalon added, which was suggested by Rias and Kiba... I would need a technique which could take down that brutal Dragon... But, their 'experiments'. The thing about the Phoenix was just the sub-experiment, and their true purpose was to have Grendel clash against us. And the one who brought that Dragon was...Lucifuge. He introduced himself as Grayfia-san's younger brother. ...There certainly were some similarities. The aura he emitted after taking off his hood was the same as hers. With that aura, he could intrude here, and it might be possible for him to let the Magicians do so as well. In the end, we couldn't retrieve the interior of the thing which produced the fake Phoenix Tears. It looked like we had to get information from the Magicians we caught. ...Unbelievable things certainly have occurred during Rias's absence. And the things about the Vampires and the pact with Magicians were still waiting for us... So the Khaos Brigade would be standing in our way once again, huh... I looked up at the ceiling. Shalba, Cao Cao...and this time, it was Lucifuge and the Dragon that was supposed to have been exterminated.
"Ise-sama...I have brought your tea."
Ravel handed me a can of tea which seemed to have been bought through a vending machine. Koneko-chan was also next to her. I took it from her. Ravel and Koneko-chan sat next to me. A moment of silence. A bit later, Ravel said.
"...I, won't forgive them."
She said it clearly. Ravel's eyes were glowing so strongly that I couldn't believe she was crying a moment ago when she saw the factory made by the Magicians.
"I won't forgive an act like that."
Koneko-chan took Ravel's hand.
"...Me too. That's why, be strong, Ravel."
Koneko-chan said that while putting on a smile, and then left.
Ravel suddenly blushed.
"...Ise-sama, can I talk a bit about something which happened a long time ago?"
She then said it as if she had made up her mind.
"I had my heart shaking with excitement when my butler told me a story about heroes. I had my young heart filled with the dream of wanting to become a woman who can support such a hero. But as I gradually got older, I forgot about it without realising it..."
Ravel then looked straight at me.
"But that dream came back naturally. His master...seeing Ise-sama who fought Riser onii-sama for the sake of the woman he likes, the dream that I had when I was young came back to me gradually...and when I realised it, I was researching every single piece of information about Ise-sama. You are very straight-forward, curious about girls, and are very honest about your own desires. But you are passionate, very thoughtful of your comrades, and keep on walking forward to pursue your dream. That shine is something which isn't present around me in the upper echelons of society."
I...was shining? Ravel continued.
"I want to stand beside and watch over Ise-sama's dream. That's the dream I started to have from a single thought. My selfish illusion... The reason why I came here is because of my own selfish thoughts... But, I was really happy when I was appointed Ise-sama's manager... And I also hope that I can remain working beside you from now on as well..."
But I wasn't able to protect this girl back at Kuoh Academy...
"...I wasn't able to protect you at Kuoh Academy."
I shook my fist with frustration. Ravel shook her head.
"You did come to rescue me. Ise-sama, you came to rescue us, even going so far as to fight that enormous Dragon. I am safe. I am alive. I believed in you."
Ravel took my hand, and showed me her bright smile.
"I believed that my hero would come to rescue me. I was very happy. I just wanted to tell you this..."
...Ravel. You believed in me that much... It made me happy. Seriously. I was starting to think how wonderful it would be if she continued to come with me. If she remained my manager, I couldn't tell how helpful that would be. I said this with a different attitude.
"Ravel, I will get even stronger. ...Looks like my objective is getting bigger again. If it's okay with you, will you continue to be my manager from now on as well?"
"I also have the ambition of wanting to stir up the heat with you as well!"
She really knew how to say it. That was why she felt reliable, this small-built Ojou-sama that is.
"Yeah, I got it. It will be helpful if you can support my brain, which is quite lacking. But first, we need to beat up those guys who made a fool out of the Phoenix! A factory like that isn't allowed to exist!"
"Yes! I won't stand down without doing anything!"
Ravel took out a single sheet of paper from her pocket. There were several magic circles and magical symbols written there.
"These are the symbols that were on the capsules and the devices in that field, and the shape and symbol of the magic circle they activated to investigate about me. I also have confirmed this with Koneko-san, so there is no mistake."
...Every little detail such as the magical symbols for the spells were written on it. So Ravel memorised this much just by seeing it once. Ravel said this while putting on a strong smile.
"I have already informed the staff of the Underworld and Heaven about these magical symbols and magic circles. I'm also planning to send this back to the House of Phoenix. We can find out quite a lot from this information. We, the House of Phoenix, will be pursing what they are trying to do with these fake Phoenix tears! In addition, things like those capsules may be floating within the Dimensional Gap after the destruction of that field. Also Sona-sama and I put a marking on them with our demonic powers at the very end, so if they are still safe, then I'm sure they can find it by relying on the demonic powers of the Sitri and I. I have informed the research team of the Underworld about this. Even if it takes time, we will retrieve as much information about them as we can. I will make them realise that it's the end of their luck by capturing me!"
So those small magic circles that Ravel and Sona-kaichou released at the end had the role of acting as a marking, huh. This girl and Sona-kaichou sure were shrewd! The Khaos Brigade and the Stray Magicians still didn't know about this. This girl was the immortal Phoenix. Even her mentality was getting stronger, just like her immortality. Looks like having captured Ravel would return back to them big time. After a while, Riser showed up.
"Ravel! Are you okay!? It took me some time coming here, but I came to aid all of you while bringing my servants and...eh, what!? I-It already ended!?"
It seemed like he was worried about Ravel after hearing the report. Man, Ravel sure had a good brother!
Romania
The territory of the Vampires. I, Azazel, had entered there. We borrowed a car when we arrived in Romania, and were progressing through the mountain road. The road without any surface was bumpy, and the car had jumped several times. The fog was quite thick. We did receive a map from the Vampire who belonged to the Carmilla Faction just in case. It was planned for me to separate from Rias and Kiba, who were also riding in the car with me. I would be going to Carmilla. Rias and Kiba would be going to the House of Tepes. We would be moving there together, and I would join back with them after talking to Carmilla. I hope it didn't turn into a situation where we had to call Ise and the others... Now then, I wondered what Asia was doing with Fafnir, whom she was looking after. Even if Ophis acted as the mediator, her talent to make a pact with monsters, no, Dragons and make them obey her was terrifying. ...Rassei, Ophis and Fafnir. I could only think that she was born with something which allowed her to grasp hold of Dragons. It might have been unavoidable for her to meet Ise as soon as she entered Japan. —Then, I caught sight of Rias, who was thinking about something, in the mirror. I spoke to Rias, who was sitting in the back seat.
"Are you worried about your boyfriend whom you left in Japan?"
"...I would be lying if I say that I'm not. He...no, those girls who love him have a more daring approach than me."
"It seems like your husband will bring more storms from now on as well."
"I am prepared. Since I decided to love that person, I will accept everything."
I teased her, but Rias answered normally. Oho, your dignity as the legal wife sure was showing up. She didn't panic even though I said the word husband. There was no doubt. They were a husband and wife that looked good together like the people around them said.
"...Looks like we will be arriving at the area where the local staff from the Vampires' side are waiting for us."
Kiba, who was sitting in the passenger seat, had the map opened, and was staring at the compass used by Devils. Rias then asked.
"What happened to Cao Cao? You did receive a call yesterday, correct?"
Ah, that. I received the report of the aftermath from that bastard Śakra.
"It seems like Indra punished all of the Longinus possessors from the Hero Faction. That includes Cao Cao, Georg, and Leonardo. But according to Indra, he confiscated the spear and sent those three to Hades."
Though, he didn't hand us the Holy Spear. That bastard Śakra is probably in possession of Dimension Lost and Annihilation Maker as well. It would make him look like the one who finished off the Hero Faction. Even though he lent his strength to them. He used them to the very end, and he attained a reason for being in possession of the Longinus.
[It can't be helped for Śakra, who punished the Hero Faction, to be in possession of the Longinus for a temporary time.]
He attained a very good excuse. So we were in a situation where it was hard for us to complain. Heracles and Jeanne that we captured had given up their connection with Śakra...but I wondered how deep they were connected with that cunning Śakra. ...Damn, the one who defeated them were the young Devils, you know? He stole the good parts at the very end!
"...For him who was aiming to become the poison against supernatural beings."
Kiba muttered. Indra's voice came back to my mind. He did speak about Cao Cao.
[Hahaha, that brat moved around without thinking about what he wanted to become. That's why he failed. If he wanted to become strong as a human, then he shouldn't have relied on Medusa's eye. Since he spoke of being a hero while being half-assed, that made him fail. As the result, that eye became fatal. Laughable, right? Laugh at him. At the end, he turned into a clown.]
Yeah, if he had continued to fight as a simple human, then the Holy Spear would have lent its strength to his will.
So it ended for him because the 'will of the God from the Bible' determined that 'Rather than the ambition of the host, the dream of the Sekiryuutei who is a Devil and a Dragon is better', huh.
[——The ones who will hunt monsters are human heroes. So there was nothing that the shitty brat who went beyond a human to become a snob could do.]
Regarding that, I agreed. Having Indra say that was the end for him. But, just like Ise, there was a young side to Cao Cao. Wanting to become someone was the part of being young. And wasn't the one who put such ambition in that youth of wanting to become a hero you, eh, Śakra-sama? Śakra said this to me after that.
[Well, to me, the Oppai Dragon, who is a Devil and is calling himself a hero, is also quite a clown, you know? What's the point of a Devil being a hero? Isn't it the desire of the Devils to deceive humans and control them from the shadows? No matter how much he lives on by saying innocent things, the group of those young Devils on your side are also evil and vicious Devils that live on by using humans, you know? No matter how far he goes, he is still far off from being a real hero. It's just child's play.]
...I wouldn't deny all of that. But the Devils, the Underworld was changing as well. That was why they would collapse if they continued to have the old structure of the world of Devils. ...But forcing him to become a hero, huh. Was I doing the same as well...? Rias then asked.
"What is Śakra trying to do? The God of War who let Cao Cao loose, who taunted Hades indirectly, and who brought chaos to each faction. Azazel, did you ask about his true ambition?"
"Yeah, that guy wants to create people who can oppose the God of Destruction, Shiva. He believes that wars will give birth to strong people."
...Though I didn't know how much of that was the truth... It seemed like Indra would do anything in order to win against Shiva.
–Then a communication-type magic circle came to me. It appeared automatically next to my ear. I then received a call from the other side. This was just a call I received at fixed times. I would communicate with them directly afterwards. —! ...I couldn't believe my own ears at the information I was getting.
"...Grendel...and Lucifuge...?"
...W-What was going on...? So something insane was going on in Japan again! Grendel!? Shouldn't that guy have already been eliminated!? And the Khaos Brigade? This matter went around inside my head. The Vampires that got possession of the Holy Grail, Stray Magicians, the Khaos Brigade that was reorganising itself, the members of the Khaos Brigade that were appearing at the places Vali was investigating, the survivor from Lucifuge, and the appearance of the legendary Dragon that was supposed to have been eliminated. ...Maybe they were all connected? The timing was too perfect. A situation which made me think that it was something that couldn't be avoided. If everything tied into one thing...then there wasn't anything more dangerous...!
And Euclid Lucifuge... I had browsed through a bit of data about him before. The rebellion that happened between the Devils in the past, the internal conflict between the old government and the anti-government which had Sirzechs as their ace. Grayfia's real brother's living or dead status became unknown during that time. That was Euclid Lucifuge. Officially, he was said to be dead, and I had heard that Grayfia said that she didn't think her brother was alive. He happened to be alive, and he was the one who was leading the organisation...? No, even if he had the strength to do so, there was something missing from him which would allow him to become the head of those crazy bastards. That was charisma. Even if they weren't as famous as Ophis, they still needed a person who deserved the place of being a Boss. It was the Lucifuge who had been standing next to those who stood at the very top since their birth. So I couldn't think that Euclid was the new Boss.
...So who was the mastermind behind it? Who was the core member that brought the Khaos Brigade together within this short time...? Did they make a new Ophis from the power of Ophis that they stole? That's possible, but that would mean they needed someone very strong who could manipulate the new Ophis. The strong person, that was the new Boss. Hades and Śakra...no, they couldn't be. The former would definitely get exiled by the Chief God Zeus if he caused another stir. The latter...Indra's main objective was the battle against Shiva. Even if they were plotting something between them, there would be no merit for them to become the Boss of the terrorists. The Khaos Brigade that was hated by each faction, and was the gathering of the hated ones from each faction... The one who would be at the top was either someone strong who was turned into a puppet, or simply a bastard who was insanely crazy. I hit my own knee to release the ill feelings that I was carrying. Khaos Brigade... The organisation of terrorists that had gathered those who were dissatisfied with the current structure of each faction. The Bosses who had actually been controlling them had changed several times. Shalba Beelzebub from the Old Maou Faction, and Cao Cao from the Hero Faction. They were still active even after losing Ophis. No matter how it changed inside, the existence of the Khaos Brigade was going to stand in our way. The organisation itself would continue to be active, no matter how many times we crushed them...
"Rias, Kiba looks like something troublesome is going to happen."
While driving through the mists which you couldn't see through, I started my discussion with them about what happened in Japan, and how we would be coping with it from now on...