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"He saw me," Ophis thought, her gaze locking with Mika's.
While surprised by his perceptiveness, she wasn't particularly concerned. She knew he possessed unconventional abilities; his presence here was a testament to that. Therefore, his ability to see through her concealment, while intriguing, wasn't unexpected.
Ophis smiled, and in the next instant, vanished.
"Found her." Mika, his eyes fixed on the spot where Ophis had been sitting moments before, felt his heart pound in his chest.
It was his first encounter with Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God.
She was as beautiful as the legends described: With long, flowing black hair and a youthful, almost childlike appearance.
However, her beauty held no appeal for him.
He was captivated by her power: The sheer, overwhelming force of her existence. Since her birth, she had been one of the strongest beings.
'I have to fight her...'
Suddenly, she reappeared before him.
"Are you a traveler from another world??" Ophis asked, her voice soft and gentle, yet her words struck Mika with the force of a thunderbolt.
'She knows? But how?? Was it my Light-Speed Punch? I haven't done anything to reveal my origins—'
His mind raced, countless thoughts and possibilities swirling within him. He quickly composed himself.
Mika earlier confusion was replaced by a cool, calculating calm.
"I am. How did you know?" He decided on honesty. It was unlikely Ophis was bluffing. She must have had concrete evidence.
"Your aura," Ophis replied, her gaze unwavering. "It doesn't belong to this world."
"My aura? What's...wrong with it?" Mika instinctively checked himself, but he couldn't sense any abnormalities.
He was puzzled. "Could you be more specific?"
"Your life form. While you appear human, with some Demonic traits, your underlying structure is unconventional. It doesn't conform to the established norms of this world."
"I see..." He finally understood. Just as he had noted before, while different worlds might share similar phenomena or species, their fundamental compositions were always different.
Even two seemingly identical worlds, upon closer inspection, would reveal subtle, yet significant, differences. They were, in a sense, like unique fingerprints, each world possessing its own distinct...signature.
And Ophis, with her unique origins in the Dimensional Gap, could perceive these differences, these subtle inconsistencies that even Mika himself had overlooked.
The more he understood, the more he respected her power. And the more he respected her power, the more his fighting spirit ignited.
"Why are you here? Do you have any companions?" Ophis asked, interrupting his thoughts.
Her close proximity allowed her to sense not only his otherworldly nature but also his potential. His life force, though still evolving, was immense.
He wasn't a God, not yet. His form hadn't undergone the final, qualitative transformation. Therefore, he shouldn't have been able to traverse the Dimensional Gap alone.
She suspected he had allies.
Mika was about to answer, then hesitated. He looked at Ophis, at her expectant gaze, and he understood.
She had an agenda. Her simple, almost childlike innocence, as described by the Devils and Angels, was a facade, a carefully constructed illusion.
Or perhaps—not an illusion, but a reflection of her true nature.
Either way, she wasn't easily manipulated. And he wouldn't try.
Instead, he decided to play her own game.
"You want to know? Defeat me, and I'll tell you everything."
He had no illusions about his chances of winning. However, in a battle against such a powerful opponent, survival was his primary objective.
By offering her information—something he knew she desperately wanted—he had created an incentive for her to hold back, to not use her full power.
It was a dishonorable tactic, a manipulation of her desires, but he had no choice. This wasn't a battle he could afford to lose. Of course, regardless of the outcome, he would still answer her questions. He had made his decision.
"You want to fight me?" Ophis understood instantly.
While her nature might be simple, she wasn't a fool. She had lived for eons, her understanding of power and motivation refined through countless encounters with other Gods and powerful beings.
The title of "Strongest" was always earned through battle.
And while the current generation of Gods might fear her power, she had undoubtedly faced their predecessors, earning her reputation through countless victories.
"I do. I want to experience your power firsthand," Mika confirmed, his earlier pretense of calm replaced by a raw, unfiltered battle lust.
"Very well. As you wish—" Ophis replied with a nod.
Normally, she would have hesitated, but Mika's offer, his knowledge of other worlds, was too tempting. It was a chance to finally reclaim her home.
Ophis would do whatever it took...
———
Meanwhile, in the conference room—
Sirzechs and Michael were maintaining the barrier, their combined power barely containing the destructive force of Azazel and Katerea's battle.
"If they continue like this, the collateral damage will be immense," Sirzechs murmured, his gaze fixed on the swirling vortex of energy outside.
As the rulers of their respective factions, they had a duty to protect not just their own people but also the human world.
They couldn't allow such a destructive battle to take place in a populated area.
Only Serafall remained idle, her role to act as a reserve force, ready to intervene if necessary.
Their forces, with Gasper's time stop neutralized, would soon be joining the battle, and they still had Vali, the White Dragon Emperor, to contend with. Sirzechs suspected he was an even greater threat than Katerea.
Mika was also present. And Sirzechs had faith in Mika's ability to handle any threat, even one as powerful as the White Dragon Emperor.
Therefore, with two Satan-class beings ready to intervene, both Sirzechs and Michael remained calm, their expressions unreadable.
Besides, Sirzechs had his own trump cards. He was one of the world's top ten strongest. He wasn't afraid of a challenge.
"I wonder how Rias is doing..." Sirzechs murmured, his thoughts drifting towards his younger sister.
——
Rias and Xenovia, having passed through Mika's spatial passage, arrived at the old school building, the headquarters of the Occult Research Club.
Gasper, bound and gagged, was being guarded by several Magicians. Unlike the fodder outside, these were elite soldiers, their auras radiating a palpable sense of danger. They were clearly the Khaos Brigade's main force.
Rias was unfazed, however. With her own power and Xenovia by her side, she had nothing to fear.
Before becoming a Devil, Xenovia had been a skilled Holy Sword wielder, capable of defeating High-Class Devils.
Now, as a Reincarnated Devil, her strength had increased dramatically.
And thanks to Mika's training, her combat skills had reached an even higher level. She had spent countless hours sparring with him, learning his techniques, honing her skills.
Her innate talent for swordsmanship, combined with Mika's guidance and enhanced by her Falna and the Bloodline Awakening technique, made her one of the strongest members of Rias's peerage, second only to Mika and a Balance Breaker Issei.
In fact, she might even be able to defeat Issei in his Balance Breaker form, her mastery of swordsmanship and her Durandal, a Holy Sword incredibly effective against Devils, giving her a significant advantage.
With Xenovia by her side, Rias was confident in her ability to handle any threat.
——
Just as she was assessing the situation, Gasper saw her, and his earlier despair returned.
"Buchou! Please! Just kill me! I can't live like this anymore! My stupid eyes... I can't control them! I'm a coward! I'm useless!" He wailed, his voice filled with a desperate plea, his tears flowing freely. He was ashamed, disgusted with himself for being captured, for being used as a weapon against his own comrades.
"Don't say foolish things, Gasper. I will never abandon you. I told you when I reincarnated you: your new life is for me. You will live for me, and you will find your own purpose," Rias replied, her voice firm yet filled with a gentle warmth.
Gasper, however, was inconsolable. "I can't! I'm just a burden!"
"There are no burdens in my peerage. You are my servant, my family. I will never abandon you."
"Such... touching words," a mocking voice interrupted them.
It was one of the Magicians guarding Gasper...
"How foolish. To use a vampire with such dangerous potential in a conventional manner. You Gremory Devils are all the same—powerful but naive; your sentimentality a weakness we'll gladly exploit." She laughed, her voice filled with a cruel amusement.
Rias's eyes narrowed, her earlier compassion replaced by a cold fury.
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