"What's your name?"
"Yoru. But my adorable pet, I'd much rather you call me 'Master.'"
Yoru narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, clearly pleased, but Ophis looked distinctly unhappy.
"As I thought… you're no different from the others."
"There's a big difference. Would those people dare say such things to you? Even though you're so cute, no matter how evil they might be, the moment they see you, all they'd feel is fear, filling their entire hearts."
"They'd never dare come close to you, touch you, or think about defiling this cursed body of yours. Someone like me… simply doesn't exist for them."
Yoru's voice carried a strange, almost bewitching tone, as if imbued with magic. His hands moved without hesitation onto Ophis' small frame, doing what no one else would dare even imagine.
With his touch, Ophis' lips pressed together, a low, almost plaintive sound slipping out. Her pitch-black eyes blinked in mild confusion—this feeling was strange, but not unpleasant.
As Vali had said, Ophis wasn't an ignorant little girl. As the Infinite Dragon God, feared even by gods, she knew nearly everything about the world.
She simply didn't care. The world was dull to her, her own existence detestable—so she treated everything with the same apathy.
She understood perfectly why Yoru touched her like this, and what he meant by it. But she didn't dislike it—on the contrary, she found it curious… even amusing.
Was this what it felt like to be spoiled and cherished by one's master, like a helpless little woman? Ophis' dark eyes sparkled faintly, brimming with curiosity and longing.
She had never considered such a thing before—so now that it was happening, she found it unexpectedly interesting.
Ophis lifted her head again, gazing at the massive rift in the sky, at the colossal red dragon soaring eternally within it.
As if saying farewell, she lowered her head slightly and whispered in a voice barely audible,
"If there's a chance… I'll still kill you, you annoying thing."
Like a sulking little girl, she addressed the pinnacle of this world—the Great Red dragon.
As her words fell, a long, resonant dragon's roar echoed. The massive rift in the sky slowly closed, and the Great Red's figure vanished from sight.
"I'm leaving."
"Eh? Leaving? Why?"
Yoru froze for a moment. He had thought he'd already lured this little girl to his side, but now she was suddenly going.
"Because I've thought of something more interesting. If you want me to obey you… then why not wait until you've conquered me?"
Her eyes shone with an unprecedented brightness. Without giving Yoru a chance to respond, the space around her rippled, and her figure vanished from the plaza.
Yoru scratched his head regretfully. It seemed what he'd said had indeed piqued Ophis' interest—but perhaps he had pushed a little too far.
"Well, it looks like we don't have any reason to stay either. I hope next time we meet, you can surprise me even more, Yoru."
Vali, apparently unconcerned about what had transpired between Ophis and Yoru, was ready to leave.
To the Khaos Brigade, Ophis had never been essential. As their "leader," she had never participated in any of the organization's actions or plans. Her existence was symbolic—a symbol of overwhelming power.
In truth, Ophis had never cared about the Brigade at all. To the indifferent Infinite Dragon God, the organization wasn't even worth calling a way to pass the time.
"So she just left, huh…"
Yoru's voice carried a faint trace of disappointment as he watched the direction Ophis had gone.
"No surprise there, Yoru. You even managed to charm the Infinite Dragon God—impressive, impressive!"
Azazel was the first to recover from the shock. He strolled over, patting Yoru on the shoulder with a smirk and a conspiratorial wink.
"Why do I feel like I just got in over my head…"
Yoru touched the bridge of his nose helplessly. Conquer Ophis? Wouldn't that mean taking down the Khaos Brigade first?
Well… it didn't seem all that difficult now, but it would still be troublesome.
With Ophis and Vali gone, the Old Maou Faction had been completely abandoned. Seeing the situation, the devils aligned with them either fled or defected.
In truth, without the surviving descendants gathered together, the Old Maou Faction was already finished.
The long-standing problem of the Old Maou in the Underworld was finally resolved today—a cause for celebration.
Soon, word of the Khaos Brigade's retreat and the Old Maou Faction's collapse spread among the Three Factions, lifting morale for days.
After all, the gods and races had fought side by side—perhaps, after eliminating the Brigade, the world really could see lasting peace.
Of course, the little episode between Yoru and Ophis was kept as an absolute secret. The Infinite Dragon God's name was far too terrifying; if word got out, no one knew what kind of consequences it might bring for Yoru.
Summer vacation had passed, and the new school term had begun. Though autumn was approaching, the weather still felt hot. Kuoh Academy welcomed a new transfer student—Kuroka.
With a cute face like Koneko's but an alluringly mature figure, her arrival instantly caused a stir, her popularity rivaling that of the long-standing school beauties, Rias and Akeno.
Yoru's status as a servant to both Rias and Sona also became known among their peerages, but it caused no great uproar. Both sides cooperated to keep it secret.
Yoru himself felt the secret was no longer all that important, and had wanted several times to make Sona's position official, but the gentle girl always refused.
To Sona, titles didn't matter—Yoru's safety was what mattered most.
To this, Yoru could only sigh helplessly. He had almost made the Infinite Dragon God his pet—surely there was nothing left in this world that could threaten him, right?
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