Hades, the King of the Underworld…?
Hearing Odin say this and seeing everyone's shocked expressions, Yoru's mind was already turning over many thoughts.
The reason that earlier sneak attack had worked so well was partly because he had been caught off guard—but more importantly, Hades' power had stirred a violent reaction from the Sin of This World within Yoru's body.
The black mud he had buried deep inside himself—suppressed so thoroughly that he'd almost forgotten about it—had started to stir again, making him rather irritated.
Still, Hades' appearance had given Yoru an idea. Perhaps… if he could somehow devour Hades, maybe—just maybe—he could completely resolve the problem of the Sin of This World.
His eyes flickered with uncertainty at the thought. Devouring Hades… if he said such a thing aloud, others would surely think he'd lost his mind.
"Hades… his power should place him among the top ten in the world's rankings," a familiar voice suddenly spoke.
Looking toward it, a rift split open in the empty air. From it stepped out some familiar figures—White Dragon Emperor Vali, a man in ancient Chinese armor who was none other than the Monkey King's descendant, Bikou, and finally, a handsome young man in a suit holding the Holy King Sword, Arthur Pendragon.
"Vali!"
Everyone was startled by his sudden appearance. In an instant, their battle readiness soared to its peak.
"I'm not here to fight, only to watch," Vali said calmly. "I just didn't expect to hear something this interesting—Hades, Lord of the Underworld, one of the world's top ten powerhouses… he's also one of my intended targets."
"So you're not here to fight? Then Hades hasn't joined forces with your Khaos Brigade?" Sirzechs asked with some uncertainty.
Vali simply shook his head.
"The little White Dragon Emperor, huh? Even though I don't know why the Red Dragon of the Heavenly Dragons hasn't appeared, don't start thinking you're some chosen one. Otherwise, even among the Heavenly Dragons, the White Dragon Emperor could end up nothing more than scattered dust," Odin said with amusement, casting a few appraising glances at Vali before offering the warning.
"This must be the Norse Chief God, Lord Odin. A pleasure to meet you. I am Vali, the White Dragon Emperor, and these are my companions—Bikou, the Monkey King's descendant, and Arthur Pendragon, heir to King Arthur. As for being some 'chosen one,' I've never thought that way. My only goal is to keep fighting the strongest opponents I can find," Vali replied politely.
Bikou, however, spoke with a grin. "Ohhh, so this is the Norse Chief God, huh? Nice to meet you, Lord Odin. I'm Bikou, descendant of Sun Wukong."
"The descendant of that monkey from Journey to the West, eh? Speaking of which, it's been ages since I saw that old troublemaker. He sure made a mess back in the day."
"Y-yeah, the original should be doing fine… ahaha." At the mention of the first Monkey King, Bikou could only laugh nervously and back down.
"Enough small talk," Sirzechs said, bringing out the full weight of a Maou's authority. "Members of the Khaos Brigade, what is your purpose in coming here? You can tell us now."
The oppressive force of his presence made it hard for Vali's group to even speak. Yet Vali didn't answer directly—instead, he lifted his gaze to the sky.
Sensing something unusual, Yoru also looked up toward the blank white expanse overhead.
Everyone's attention followed… and then—
Whoosh!Whoosh!
A massive hole opened in the sky, and from it emerged a colossal form.
"That is…"
Seeing the being that emerged from the rift, every Maou, the Governor of the Fallen Angels, and even Odin's face turned grave.
From that gigantic body emanated a discomforting presence—it was the will of the world itself.
Vali's lips curved into a faint smile. "Take a good look, everyone. That's what I came here to see. That is our Khaos Brigade's true target—the strongest being in existence."
High above, an enormous crimson dragon swam majestically through the air.
"There are two beings known as the 'Red Dragon,'" Vali continued, eyes narrowed. "One is the ancient Welsh Dragon you destroyed—the Red Dragon Emperor, from which the White Dragon Emperor and I share our origin. But there is another 'Red Dragon Emperor.' That one… is the crimson dragon spoken of in the Apocalypse itself."
"The True Red Dragon God Emperor, Great Red—the mighty 'True Dragon.' It resides in the narrow gap between dimensions, flying there endlessly. We came here this time to confirm its existence. The Rating Game field is set up within a corner of this dimensional gap. For Ophis, this was the true goal—Shalba's operation meant nothing to us."
"My ultimate opponent—the one known as 'DxD,' the True Red Dragon God Emperor, Great Red. I want to become the 'True White Dragon God Emperor.' Always being just a step behind the Red… what kind of White would that be? Someday, I'll take Great Red down."
For the first time, Vali's eyes held an unshakable seriousness, leaving everyone speechless.
"Great Red, it's been a long time," a sudden voice said.
It came from a black-haired girl in a black suit, standing far too close to Yoru's group for comfort.
"I've come as promised," she said softly. Her gaze shifted from Great Red's massive form… to Yoru.
Though many stood beside him, Yoru knew without a doubt that she was looking at him.
Her pitch-black eyes, chaotic and bottomless, met his own dark gaze filled with boundless curiosity.
"The Infinite Dragon God… Ophis?" Azazel's face twisted in shock the moment he recognized her.
"No way—Ophis is this little girl?!"
Rias and her peerage could only stare speechlessly at the small, impossibly cute girl before them.
Vali confirmed it with a wry smile. "Yes, she's Ophis—Ouroboros, the leader of our Khaos Brigade."
---
Access more chapters at patreon.com/dzeref887