Over the past few weeks, Takeyo had realised something important. Despite the abilities he had acquired through his sign-in system and the incarnations of Vishnu he had absorbed, he had not yet had the opportunity to test his full strength.
"I'm guessing you've gained the power of one of the incarnations that descended that day, haven't you, Takeyo?" Ajuka asked, his light blue eyes studying his student with casual perceptiveness.
"That's right," Takeyo confirmed without hesitation.
There was no denying it. Ajuka Beelzebub wasn't just one of the Four Great Satans — he was arguably the most intellectually gifted being in the Underworld, a genius whose analytical capabilities rivaled even Azazel's. Lying to him would be both futile and insulting.
"Your body contains the power of Rama," Ajuka continued, his green hair catching the light as he leaned forward slightly. "And more specifically, you possess the power of Rama from another world entirely."
As always, Ajuka's assessment was accurate. From the outset, he had sensed something unusual about Takeyo's abilities. When his student claimed to have awakened a hero's bloodline, Ajuka had a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right. After returning home and conducting extensive research, Ajuka finally discovered the true nature of Takeyo's power.
Power from another dimension!
The Rama who existed in the High School DxD world — the seventh avatar of Vishnu in this reality — did not have powers nearly this potent. Even Vishnu himself lacked such overwhelming strength. The conclusion was inescapable: Takeyo's incarnation must have come from elsewhere.
"Yes, something like that," Takeyo agreed, his tone measured.
He knew full well that Ajuka had seen through his cover story. The truth was more complex than Satan realised, but partial truths were easier to maintain than complete fabrications.
In reality, whenever anyone tried to investigate Takeyo's true nature using magic or supernatural perception, he always appeared to be just an ordinary human. Not even Ophis — the Ouroboros Dragon, and one of the two most powerful beings in existence — could penetrate this veil. If she had not personally witnessed Takeyo absorb the incarnations that day, she would never have believed that this seemingly ordinary person could possess such extraordinary power.
Ajuka had come to the same conclusion when he first examined Takeyo: he was completely ordinary and utterly unremarkable — indistinguishable from any other teenager walking the streets of Kuoh.
However, Takeyo's performance during training sessions told a different story altogether.
The conclusion was straightforward. Takeyo possessed a talent that even Ajuka Beelzebub could not detect. Given that Ajuka was one of the world's strongest beings and was organising the upcoming international Rating Games, there could be only one explanation.
This power originated from outside of this dimension.
"You don't need to worry about my intentions, Takeyo," Ajuka said, his expression softening into something almost paternal. "After all, we are master and apprentice. Until you're strong enough to stand on your own two feet, the Underworld will provide you with the best shelter and protection.'
He rested a hand on Takeyo's shoulder. Despite the immense power they contained, his touch was gentle.
"But once you've achieved that strength, I expect you'll protect the Underworld in turn. That would only be fair, wouldn't you agree?'
"An equal exchange," replied Takeyo, smiling slightly. "Or perhaps a mutually beneficial transaction." I understand the terms perfectly, Sensei.'
The relationship that Ajuka proposed was not exploitative; it was a partnership. The Underworld would invest in Takeyo's development by providing him with resources and protection during his early, vulnerable years. In return, Takeyo would lend his strength to their cause once he had matured.
"Exactly," said Ajuka, clearly pleased with Takeyo's understanding. "The reason I wanted to conduct these tests today is to help you grow faster. Without sufficient data on your current capabilities, I can't design an optimal training programme for your future development.'
His words conveyed a sincere commitment. Ajuka was impressed by Takeyo's progress in his studies. Since he had accepted him as a student, Takeyo had absorbed demonic magic theory at an almost frightening pace.
Ajuka was concerned that, without comprehensive baseline measurements, he might not be able to keep up with Takeyo's progress.
"All right then," sighed Takeyo, accepting the inevitable. "Let's get this over with."
In truth, he had been anticipating this moment ever since Ajuka discovered his identity. In preparation for this exact scenario, Takeyo had programmed his sign-in system to generate a false power signature — a fabricated strength level that could be detected and measured by others.
No matter how thoroughly someone probed Takeyo's abilities, they would only perceive the strength he chose to display. They could not see his true power. Since people tend to believe what they see, they would accept these false readings as fact rather than accept the results that showed him to be human.
"Excellent! Let's go then.'
Those words caused an intricate green magic circle to materialise beneath the feet of Ajuka and Takeyo, glowing with power.
The teleportation magic activated immediately.
As the emerald light faded, they disappeared completely from the human world.
"This is your testing site," Ajuka explained, gesturing at their surroundings. "I apologise for the rushed arrangements, but I only had time to create this pocket dimension at short notice."
They stood in a strange liminal space, a bubble of reality carved out of the void between worlds. Although only temporarily, the environment was stable enough for their purposes.
"It'll work fine," said Takeyo, glancing around with genuine interest.
Creating stable dimensional pockets required extraordinary spatial magic skills. Ajuka's ability to construct one at such short notice was proof of his position among the Four Great Satans.
"Then let's begin."
Takeyo's confidence was well-founded. His automatic operating system was more than just a convenient tool: it was a sophisticated defence mechanism that would continue to function even if he lost consciousness or sustained a fatal injury.
The system had multiple layers of protection built into its core programming. If Takeyo were to be killed by an ambush or overwhelming force, the system would automatically detect the hostility of the attacker, determine their threat level and nature, and then unleash Takeyo's most devastating incarnation ability in a final, powerful burst designed to annihilate their killer.
Which incarnation is used depends on the enemy's characteristics and vulnerabilities. For instance, when facing a divine opponent, it might utilise Buddha's defensive authority. Against a physical powerhouse, it might use Rama's divine armaments. If the enemy relies on special abilities, Kurma's adaptability could be employed.
Takeyo had implemented it as a precautionary measure against instant-kill techniques or assassination attempts. It was uncertain whether he would ever need to rely on it, but he preferred to have contingency plans for every possible scenario.
Despite his current strength, there are still many beings in this world who could kill him if they caught him off guard. It's better to be safe than extinct!
"The test begins!" Ajuka announced, his voice taking on a formal quality. "First assessment: Physical strength!'
These words marked the official start of Takeyo's examination.
"Although you treat me with complete sincerity, Sensei, I still can't reveal my full strength here," Takeyo murmured to himself.
He had already established his public persona and cover story. Now, he needed to stick to that narrative consistently. For this test, he would only demonstrate the abilities he claimed to have derived from the Rama incarnation.
The system he had carefully constructed for himself demanded this level of discipline. It was much safer to reveal only some information than to expose everything.
"Here goes."
Takeyo slammed his fist into the testing device prepared by Ajuka: a sophisticated magical instrument designed to measure physical strength.
Boom!
The impact reverberated through the pocket dimension like a thunderclap.
"The physical strength assessment is complete," said Ajuka, examining the results with barely concealed surprise. "High-class Devil tier, upper range."
The corner of his eye twitched slightly. He distinctly remembered Takeyo claiming that his base strength had only just reached the mid-class devil level weeks earlier. The measurements he had taken at that time had confirmed this: solidly mid-class, nothing more.
If Ajuka had not known for certain that Takeyo was telling the truth, he would have seriously doubted those earlier readings.
"Speed assessment," Ajuka continued, initiating the next test.
Several measurements were taken over a period of several minutes.
"Peak high-class devil level," announced Ajuka as he recorded the data.
"Reaction time assessment... High-class, devil-tier, upper range.'
Each result was impressive, showcasing the kind of abilities that would make Takeyo a formidable combatant by any reasonable standard. However, there was one test that made Ajuka feel genuinely apprehensive.
"Sacred Gear evaluation," he said at last, taking a deep breath.
It was this part that genuinely concerned him. Not because of the potential danger, but because of what it implied.
"According to what you've told me, your Sacred Gear contains a treasury of divine weapons. How many are actually stored within it?'
The question carried significant weight. If Takeyo's claims were true, he would have access to weapons forged by the Hindu pantheon's gods and Buddhas. The scope of such an arsenal would be staggering.
Ajuka had carefully avoided considering the even more disturbing possibility that Takeyo might possess not just one, but several Vishnu incarnations. The odds of this seemed astronomically low, and the implications would be enormous if it were true. It was better to work with more conservative assumptions for now.
Nevertheless, even if other Vishnu incarnations had descended upon human hosts unaware of their power or manifested undetected, having Takeyo — with his awakened Rama incarnation — firmly allied with the Underworld was crucial.
Had the other pantheons discovered wielders of different Vishnu incarnations, the Underworld would have had an equivalent force with which to maintain the balance of power.
According to Ajuka's analysis, the beings that had descended that day came from a completely different dimension, probably because Vishnu had crossed dimensional boundaries. Ajuka suspected that other gods and faction leaders had likely come to the same conclusion.
However, Rama is considered one of the ten primary avatars of Vishnu, one of the most powerful manifestations of the Preserver God. In terms of raw capability, it is not inferior to any other incarnation.
This particular incarnation was even more intriguing because its abilities differed substantially from those of the Rama they knew in their own world. This divergence was one of the main reasons why Ajuka wanted comprehensive testing data.
Ajuka asked him a question and Takeyo shook his head slowly in response.
"To be honest, I don't know the full contents of the inventory," he admitted. 'Currently, I can only access lower-tier weapons from the treasury. The higher-grade divine armaments are still sealed away until I become stronger. I'll need to reach a much higher power level before I can access the truly legendary weapons.'
The answer was truthful, if just a bit incomplete. If Takeyo had had access to the very best weapons in Rama's arsenal, even a glancing blow from one of those divine weapons would have seriously injured Kuroka during their confrontation. Instead, he only managed to knock her back and cause moderate damage.
However, there was still a substantial gap between his current access level and the treasury's full potential.
"I see," said Ajuka, nodding in understanding. "Let's proceed with evaluating what you can currently access."
As he spoke, Ajuka couldn't help but feel a hint of melancholy. Some people were simply impossible to compare to fairly.
Even among the devils, Ajuka was an extraordinary talent in his youth. He led his generation, regardless of the knowledge or opponents he encountered. Every challenge he encountered became a stepping stone towards greater strength and understanding.
Even at his most powerful, Ajuka was limited by the usual progression of power. At his best, he could only defeat the strongest opponents in the same tier as a Mid-Class Devil. However, against High-Class Devils, he had no realistic chance of victory.
But what about Takeyo?
Although he technically still registered as Mid-Class in terms of base power, this student of his had all the capabilities of a High-Class Devil. He had learned magic at an astonishing pace. What's more, he possessed multiple supernatural abilities that were akin to cheat codes in a video game.
How could anyone hope to compete with that?
Ajuka found himself wondering if recruiting Takeyo as his apprentice was a form of self-inflicted torture. Despite being older, the difference in their learning capabilities was vast, almost comically so.
Nevertheless, watching Takeyo grow up was fascinating. Despite his youthful appearance, it occasionally made Ajuka feel his age.
"I'm ready when you are, Sensei," said Takeyo, preparing to show off the power of his Sacred Gear.
The testing would continue for hours yet, but both the teacher and the student understood how important it was to establish an accurate baseline.
The future of the Underworld could well depend on the data gathered here today.
...
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