"Yes, she's Ophis—Ouroboros. The leader of our Khaos Brigade."
Seeing the shock on everyone's faces, Vali spoke with a wry look, as if even he felt helpless about his leader's appearance.
To be honest, this little girl standing before them had nothing about her that matched the word "majestic," much less the imposing title of Infinite Dragon God.
"Ophis… why would she look like this…?"
While Rias and the others were still murmuring in disbelief, Yoru had already begun walking toward the seemingly harmless girl. By the time Sirzechs and Azazel realized what he was doing and tried to stop him, it was already too late.
He crouched down in front of her, carefully studying Ophis, while everyone behind him instinctively held their breath, terrified of doing anything that might anger this being.
As Yoru drew closer, the girl's cold, expressionless face shifted quickly—her eyes filled with wariness and distaste.
"That hateful feeling… you're just like that one."
Ophis' voice was cool, her face unchanged, but Yoru only smiled.
Just as he'd suspected, the power of Nyxthanesha had a strong effect on Ophis—enough to make her submit, even. Or rather, enough to make her want to submit.
But Ophis was still one of the pinnacle existences of this world. Though her own power was restrained by Nyxthanesha's, it wasn't enough to force her to bow down outright.
The girl's feelings toward Yoru could be summed up as a strange mix of fear and familiarity—familiarity from sensing a dragon power of the same origin, and fear from recognizing that his power surpassed her own.
"Why dislike me? Our powers share the same source. Why not become my pet? I'll make sure you live happily every day. With such a cute face, you shouldn't be frowning all the time."
Before the stunned eyes of everyone present, Yoru gently stroked her black hair, and at the end, even tugged at the corners of her mouth to form the faintest smile.
"You—you little brat, are you looking for death?!"
Azazel snapped out of it and yanked Yoru behind him protectively. The Black Dragon King Tannin and the Norse Chief God Odin also stepped forward warily to confront the calm-faced girl, afraid she might lash out at any moment.
"What are you all so worried about?"
Finding Azazel's reaction amusing, Yoru stepped out from behind him once again.
"She's not going to kill me. Or rather… she doesn't have the ability to."
Confidence—or arrogance. Faced with a girl who exuded a pressure so intense it left others speechless, Yoru's tone was calm and unshaken.
Neither Azazel nor Sirzechs knew what to say. They had long since grown used to Yoru's arrogance, but this scene still left them at a loss for words.
They didn't think he was joking with his life—if he dared to say such things to Ophis, then he truly believed it. Which meant… it was the truth. Ophis didn't have the ability to kill him.
"Ophis. I can call you that, right?"
"…"
Her black eyes, like an endless, chaotic void, locked onto Yoru. For a moment, it felt like the cycle of reincarnation was turning and the world was reshaping itself.
Azazel and the others tensed, ready to strike the instant anything went wrong. Even Vali's face turned serious. No one dared speak, no one dared break the silence. The air grew heavier and heavier—until Ophis' soft voice finally broke it.
"I don't like you. You're like the red one… unpleasant."
Yoru didn't know who this "red one" was, but seeing the adorable girl speak like this only made him chuckle.
"You're lonely, aren't you, Ophis? Drifting endlessly in chaos, with no one in this world who truly understands you. If there's anyone who can… it would only be me, wouldn't it?"
At his words, her eyes widened slightly in surprise, and the calm mask she wore showed a faint flicker of emotion.
"Isn't everything dull? Haven't you been searching for something? I can give you what you want."
Ophis didn't answer directly, but in the infinite chaos of her gaze, anyone could see her hesitation… and her interest.
Ophis, swayed? How? She might look like a little girl, but she was no child. How could such simple, almost childish words move her?
No one could understand it—except Vali, whose eyes narrowed in thought.
As the White Dragon Emperor, he was extremely sensitive to the power of dragons. He was also the only member of the Khaos Brigade who had never accepted Ophis' "snake" to enhance his power.
Vali had his pride—he would grow stronger, yes, but never by relying on external power.
Through Bikou and Arthur, he had heard about Yoru's sudden leap in strength. At first he hadn't believed it, but seeing him now left no room for doubt.
Yoru had indeed grown stronger—so much so that even Vali couldn't see his limits.
This power… it was familiar. The same root as Ophis' power, the same origin as his own White Dragon power. The power of dragons.
But what was it exactly? The Red Dragon Emperor's power? Impossible. The Red Dragon Emperor's power was only equal to the White Dragon's—it couldn't give such overwhelming, despair-inducing pressure.
No… this felt just like standing before Ophis herself—the same helplessness, the same crushing sense of inevitability.
Could it be… that the being behind you, the one who granted you this overwhelming dragon power that even the Infinite Dragon God Ophis fears… is that one?
With that thought, Vali drew a deep breath, lifting his gaze once more to the sky… to the great crimson dragon flying eternally through the silent void.
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