"DXD: Infinite Loot System"Chapter 349: Hunting Cao Cao
Tenra lounged in a battered armchair, eyes half-closed, letting exhaustion seep away. Behind him, Maru's hands worked gentle circles over his shoulders, pressing the fatigue from his muscles. Across the room, Bülent set down a tray, the steam from freshly brewed tea curling in the air.
"Maru, Bülent—you two should get some rest."
Tenra opened his eyes, voice soft but insistent.
"We're fine, really."
Both girls shook their heads, stubborn as ever.
"That's an order. Go. Now."
He didn't raise his voice, but the command was clear. They'd been running themselves ragged for days, faces pale and drawn, yet still insisted they weren't tired. Tenra wasn't having it.
"Yes, Lord Tenra."
Reluctantly, they bowed and slipped out, leaving him in the quiet.
Tenra poured two cups of tea and glanced at Grayfia, who stood off to the side, hands cradling a floating magic array. Ribbons of light and runes streamed through the air, data flickering faster than any human eye could follow.
Grayfia hadn't just been guarding Tenra these past days. She'd been the nerve center of the entire coalition—receiving battlefield reports from every front, analyzing, calculating, dispatching orders, rerouting supplies and reinforcements. Her workload rivaled that of the Maous themselves.
He'd barely seen her rest. Cold as she was, she was still family—his sister-in-law. Tenra figured he owed her at least a little concern.
"Grayfia, you should take a break. Even just a few minutes."
She didn't look up. "I'm busy."
"Work's important, but if you collapse, it'll hurt more than just you. The whole coalition would feel it. You need to pace yourself."
He'd grown used to her icy tone, but he still tried.
"This is nothing. I won't collapse."
"If you're bored, Kamiyo Tenra, go find your own peerage. I don't have time for idle chat."
She shot him a frosty glance, irritation flickering beneath the surface.
Tenra gave a wry smile, feeling the sting. Some things never change. No point in pushing—he didn't want to be a nag.
"My apologies, Sister-in-law."
He paused, then added, "If you get any word on Cao Cao, let me know."
The title caught her off guard—a flicker of surprise, then her expression softened, just a touch. She nodded.
Cao Cao. Leader of the Hero Faction, architect of this chaos. He'd been everywhere since the war began—a man and a spear, unstoppable. Reports said he'd killed several lords and dukes already, leaving devastation in his wake.
Only the Maous could stand against him, but even they risked death if struck by that Holy Spear. The loss of a Maou would cripple the Underworld, so they held back unless things truly reached the brink.
Tenra, though, had volunteered to hunt Cao Cao. He'd faced him before, and besides the Maous, few in the Underworld could hope to match him. Tenra was the obvious choice.
He'd asked Grayfia to keep tabs on Cao Cao's movements, but every time intel came in, he'd arrive too late—Cao Cao gone, his victims left behind. The near-misses were starting to grate. Maybe next time, he'd catch the bastard in the act.
Tenra closed his eyes, letting the silence settle. Grayfia's magic continued to hum, data swirling. For a while, neither spoke.
He drifted into a half-sleep, time blurring, until a tap on his shoulder snapped him awake.
Grayfia stood over him, gaze cool and direct.
"Tenra Kamiyo, you wanted news on Cao Cao? Intel just came in."
Tenra's fatigue vanished. He was wide awake in an instant.
"Tell me."
Blood soaked the ground. Roygun Belphegor knelt, clutching her abdomen, face drained of color.
She was the head of House Belphegor, second-ranked in the Rating Games, and hailed as a Bomb Queen—a peer to Serafall and Grayfia in power.
But today, she'd suffered a defeat beyond anything she'd ever imagined.
Before her stood Cao Cao, that bastard, his legendary Holy Spear piercing through her Queen.
"Lady Roygun... please... run..."
The Queen's body was unraveling under the spear's power, yet she clung desperately to the weapon, buying precious seconds for her king and comrades to escape.
Roygun's teeth ground together, fury burning, but she dared not move. One careless twitch from Cao Cao, and her Queen would be dead.
"Tsk, tsk... What a magnificent Queen. I'm genuinely moved."
Cao Cao yanked the spear free and kicked Roygun's Queen aside.
Even a devil's vitality couldn't survive that kind of damage.
She was beautiful, like her king, but Cao Cao wasn't the type to spare a pretty face.
"CAO CAO!"
Rage boiling over, Roygun unleashed the last of her magic. Thousands of magic circles erupted around Cao Cao, blazing with light, detonating in a single, cataclysmic blast.
BOOM!
"AHHH!"
The scream wasn't Cao Cao's—it was Roygun's.
When the smoke cleared, Cao Cao stood exactly where Roygun had been. Roygun herself, bloodied and broken, had taken the full force of her own attack.
"This move's called Horse King. Swaps my position with the enemy's."
He grinned, smug. "Impressed, Lady Belphegor? Not bad, right?"
Despair settled in Roygun's heart. She'd already been mortally wounded by the Holy Spear, now her own magic had finished the job. She could feel her life ebbing away.
Her peerage, herself—none had escaped. A total, crushing defeat.
"You and your peerage are the first to give me such a good fight in days. I appreciate it, Lady Belphegor."
He raised the Holy Spear, eyes glinting cold.
"Now, allow me to send you off properly."
The spear flashed, aimed straight for Roygun—
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