Deep in the pitch-black night stretched a vast, endless forest.
The trees here were unnaturally tall, their canopies so dense it made one wonder if sunlight could ever break through. The air was thick with moisture, carrying an eerie chill that made the place feel far less like a normal woodland and more like the kind of forest where legends said monsters or witches lived.
At the forest's entrance, a Teleportation Magic Circle descended from above, depositing four figures.
It was Leo and his three servants.
"Where… is this?"
Faced with the ominous forest, Yukino, Asuna, and Utaha all turned toward Leo instinctively.
"This is the Familiar Forest," Leo said as the girls focused on him. "Countless magical creatures live here. Some you've heard about in myths. Some have never shown themselves in the human world. But without exception, they're all beings with various abilities—devils can form contracts with them and take them as familiars."
The three girls looked into the depths of the forest again.
It was midnight, with no light sources anywhere. But devils had night vision, so the darkness didn't hinder them at all. They could clearly see the strange and wild landscape stretching inside.
"Magical creatures, huh…" Yukino murmured. "I didn't think a place like this actually existed."
Asuna and Utaha nodded in agreement.
But Leo let out a short laugh.
"Who told you this forest is in the human world?" He spoke casually. "This forest is in the Underworld. You're not in the human realm right now—you're in the Underworld."
The girls froze, eyes widening.
"T-This is the Underworld?!"
Asuna cried out.
"We really just came straight to the Underworld?"
Utaha echoed in disbelief.
They knew the Underworld wasn't exactly what myths described, but it was still the world where devils and fallen angels lived—and where the souls that didn't enter Heaven eventually went. They had never expected to arrive here instantly through the magic circle back at home.
"Normally, new devil servants like you can't use magic circles to jump directly to the Underworld. You have to enter through the formal human-world checkpoint first to register your entry. Otherwise, you'd be treated as illegal intruders and punished."
Leo noticed their shock and explained.
"But this time is special. I'm not here to visit home. I'm just helping my servant followers obtain familiars. So an exception was made and you're allowed to enter once like this. Next time, you must come through the proper channel."
He had asked Sona Sitri to handle the request and, with the Sitri House's submission, obtained temporary clearance.
Others didn't get this kind of privilege. But Leo, who had risen explosively in a matter of months and acquired three highly promising Sacred Gear users as servants, had caught the attention of many devil leaders—and they were willing to extend minor privileges.
"If you came in through the official route every time, it'd be way too troublesome. I wouldn't make you do that until we got a long break."
Leo continued, "But familiars are essential gear for devils. Even non-combat ones can relay messages, track targets, or handle mundane tasks. Very handy. So I don't intend to wait until vacation to get yours."
Since their club had been established and his retinue had taken shape, Leo decided to use this as their first club activity—to get familiars.
"Familiar Forest isn't the only place to obtain familiars, but the creatures here include some of the best. That's why it's the primary spot for devils to seek them."
Leo pointed toward the forest.
"This place has everything—from tiny slimes to full-grown dragons. There's even a Dragon King living here. The legendary Chaos Karma Dragon: Tiamat. She's the only female among the Five Great Dragon Kings and has lived here since ancient times. No devil has ever managed to tame her."
The girls' expressions changed.
Even Utaha, who had only recently learned about the supernatural world, knew the weight behind the term "Dragon King."
For humans, dragons were mythical.
But for devils, dragons were very real—and had shaped the world in countless ways since ancient times.
They existed in tribes or wandered alone, but all dragons were overwhelmingly powerful, embodiments of raw strength and freedom. Even normal humans instinctively saw dragons as mighty, mysterious, and colossal.
And Dragon Kings…
Were far beyond that.
They weren't rulers of all dragons, but compared to ordinary dragons, they were so overwhelmingly powerful they were given the title of "dragon kings."
There were five in total—thus called the Five Great Dragon Kings.
Each one possessed terrifying might, at least Maou-Class strength, and was legendary.
They were:
The Prison Dragon — Vritra
The Gigantis Dragon — Fafnir
The Mischievous Dragon — Yulong
The Sleeping Dragon — Jörmungandr
The Chaos Karma Dragon — Tiamat
Some had been slain by heroes, some revived, some taken in by factions, some worshiped as gods. Their names were everywhere in mythology.
Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon, was one such being.
In Mesopotamian myth, she was a sea goddess, mother of gods, incarnation of primordial chaos—her image appearing in countless stories and adaptations.
Of the five Dragon Kings, she was the one living the most freely now.
Vritra had been slain, his soul split and forged into multiple Sacred Gears.
Fafnir had been defeated and later revived, now surviving on contracts.
Yulong—the "little white dragon" from Journey to the West—had long submitted to Buddhism.
Jörmungandr slept eternally in the sea, waiting to awaken at Ragnarok.
But Tiamat?
She lived peacefully in the Familiar Forest, unbothered by anyone.
As the only female Dragon King and arguably the strongest, even ordinary Maou-Class devils couldn't handle her. They might even get killed. So devils rarely disturbed her.
"Don't tell me your familiar is that Dragon King?"
Yukino suddenly blurted out.
Leo twitched.
"…So I'm that strong to you?" He stared at her speechlessly. "What gave you the illusion that I could tame the strongest Dragon King?"
That was laughable.
Dragon Kings were beings far beyond the reach of ordinary Maou-Class devils. Leo, standing before Tiamat right now, would be nothing more than a small fry.
Even now, with his trait awakened, he could only barely fight a newly-advanced ten-wing Ultimate-Class Devil. If he fought someone like Miyamoto Musashi—a top-tier ten-wing—he'd be utterly crushed.
Even in the future, once he fully mastered Zenith Tempest and achieved Balance Breaker, he'd at best reach Maou-Class. Enough to fight normal Maou-Class beings—but Tiamat? Not a chance.
Only when he reached ten wings himself and then activated Zenith Tempest's Balance Breaker would he have a chance to compete with her.
As for now?
He hadn't even reached eight wings.
"Then what is your familiar?"
Yukino asked again, embarrassed at her earlier assumption.
She'd been swept up by the earlier talk. Hearing "female Dragon King" made her subconsciously assume her shameless master—who loved targeting aloof beauties—would try his luck. She forgot entirely how far off his current power was.
"My familiars are those in the manor. They've all signed contracts with me. They handle chores and assist with devil work—like delivering flyers."
Leo said without any enthusiasm.
"I used to focus only on becoming a High-Class Devil and inheriting the Eligos family, so I prioritized performance. I never contracted powerful combat familiars, just some magical creatures that can take human form. That's who you've been living with."
He cut the topic cleanly, waving his hand.
"Come on. I'll take you inside. Pick slowly."
Leo stepped into the forest first.
The girls hurried after him, disappearing beneath the shadowed canopy.
====
Extra chapter!
50 p.s for another
====
You can read up to chapter 124 on patreon.com/NiaXD.