(Illustration: Yasaka, the Nine-Tailed commander)
The very second Akuto took the Dragon Saliva Flower—
"Boom—"
With a soft rumble, a faint tremor rippled through the upper layers of Tannin's domain.
"The Dragon Saliva Flower's origin is the Leyline Blossom. As expected, once you disturb a Leyline Blossom, the leyline itself is affected. Still, the impact isn't severe. As long as we replenish the dragon qi within ten days, it will recover."
"As long as the dragon qi is restored, this leyline can birth another Leyline Blossom."
"It's just… dragon qi from a Dragon King works when irrigating the Dragon Saliva Flower. But for refilling a leyline, Dragon King–level qi is a bit lacking."
"I wonder what method Yasaka, the Nine-Tailed general, will choose."
…
Just as Akuto said—
Kyoto, at that moment.
A golden-haired beauty in a gold kimono rose to her feet, worry clouding her gaze as she looked down toward the earth below.
"What's going on? Why did the leyline suddenly weaken?"
Leylines are vital to the Nine-Tails clan; a Nine-Tails can even merge with the leyline to fight.
If the value of a single tail is "1," then with Kyoto's leyline, the value of a Four- or Five-Tails multiplies severalfold.
In the original story, Cao Cao coveted Yasaka's power to fuse with Kyoto's leyline. He imprisoned her, intending to use her as the prime sacrifice to summon the Red Dragon God Emperor.
In truth, a lone Nine-Tails isn't qualified to summon the Red Dragon God Emperor.
What Cao Cao truly targeted were both Yasaka and Kyoto's leyline—only by offering a Nine-Tails harmonized with dragons and the Kyoto leyline together could that summoning succeed.
In short, Kyoto's leyline is of paramount importance to the Nine-Tails.
Sensing that something might be wrong with the leyline, Yasaka began investigating at once.
However… after a long search, she still couldn't find the cause.
There was no helping it. Kyoto's yōkai and the devils have always kept to their own wells and streams, never meddling with each other.
Yasaka didn't know that the leyline peaks on the fifteenth nights of the first and seventh lunar months because Tannin irrigates with his essence blood.
Tannin didn't know that on those same nights, beyond the full moon's influence, Kyoto's yōkai also hold rites that bolster the flow.
The leylines are important, yes—but Tannin was never going to proactively study how the Underworld's dragon veins resonate with the Human World's dragon veins, and Yasaka would hardly suspect that Kyoto's leyline might be entangled with the Underworld.
Now, however, the problem had grown serious enough to force Yasaka's concern.
"Kyoto's leyline isn't broken—only much weakened. But just because it won't cause trouble in the short term doesn't mean this can continue."
"Our Nine-Tails clan needs the support of Kyoto's leyline to bring forth the next generation. If the leyline keeps withering like this, our clan will end… with my daughter's generation!"
Realizing the gravity of it, Yasaka dove into the archives, frantically searching for a solution.
…
A day later, after scouring every text in Kyoto related to the leylines, Yasaka let out a helpless sigh.
No good—still no answer.
It wasn't a crisis that would explode this instant, but it was absolutely urgent.
The thought that the Nine-Tails might die out with her daughter's generation left Yasaka shaken.
…
In the end, she found only vague lines in the old books: if Kyoto's leyline undergoes an inexplicable change, the cause may lie in the Underworld below.
"Related to the Underworld… The Underworld is currently split among Fallen Angels, Devils, and Nether Gods. Of these, the Devils hold the largest territory, the Fallen Angels next, and the Nether Gods the least—since their true base, the Netherworld, lies below the Underworld proper."
"The Underworld adjoining our Kyoto belongs to the Devils. Which means… if I want to trace the root cause, I'll have to approach the Devils first…"
At that thought, Yasaka's head throbbed.
"Right now the Devils are in peace talks with the Fallen Angels and the Angels they once opposed. If those talks succeed… then Kyoto could justifiably open contact with the Devils."
In the original timeline, Yasaka only considered joining the tri-faction pact after the "Loki Subjugation" ended and the Norse pantheon entered the accord.
Now, with Odin not yet having arrived for the three-faction summit, making contact carried significant risk.
As Yasaka hesitated, a karasu-tengu courier arrived at her door and knocked.
"Yasaka-sama, a rather big piece of news has come from the Underworld."
"Oh? What is it?"
"The details are best seen firsthand, Yasaka-sama—please have a look."
The tengu quickly handed over the latest paper.
"Hm? The current Red Dragon Emperor defeated Dragon King Tannin? The juniors grow strong so quickly now?"
This "Sai Akuto" left a deeper impression on Yasaka.
After all, not long ago she'd seen news of his "stolen wedding." Back then his strength was only Maou-class. Who would've thought he'd so quickly become a super-powered devil above Maou-class?
Since the specifics of the battle hadn't leaked, Yasaka naturally placed Akuto in the Super-Maou bracket.
After all, Lord-God-class beings are vanishingly rare—an order of magnitude beyond Super-Maou.
Reaching Super-Maou this fast was plenty shocking. It wasn't as if this Akuto had leapt past Super-Maou and godhood in a single bound to become Lord-God-class… right?
…
Yasaka didn't know that before long, Tannin would be carrying this "junior" Akuto on his back to beg him to solve the leyline problem.
Nor did she know that Akuto was, in fact, the very culprit who had caused Kyoto's leyline to falter.
…
Meanwhile—
Even as Yasaka was still combing through the archives, Akuto had finished subduing the Underworld's dragons.
First, he transplanted the Dragon Saliva Flower to Kyoto in the Akame ga Kill world, then gathered all of that Kyoto's dragon qi and a host of super-dangerous species tied to its leylines, weaving them into the leyline nearby.
Next, using the Red Dragon Emperor's blood and the God of the Bible's knowledge, he kept the flower in its optimum state every moment, making it grow at extreme speed.
At last—after only a single day—Akuto successfully cultivated a second Dragon Saliva Flower!
And that was one day in the Akame ga Kill world.
In the DxD world—
Not even five hours later, Tannin watched with his own eyes as Akuto produced a second bloom.
"This—this is—!"
The facts were undeniable, leaving Tannin too elated to contain himself.
"This is the Dragon Saliva Flower you failed to bring to fruition in five hundred years," Akuto replied evenly.
"Raaaoooooh—!"
Staring at the two blossoms, Tannin loosed an ecstatic draconic roar.
"Akuto-sama, you are the sun of all dragons in the Underworld!"
Of course he was excited. With Akuto's power, if he could cultivate Dragon Saliva Flowers, then Dragon Apples—far easier—were a given.
As Dragon Apples and Dragon Saliva Flowers increase in yield, both the number and the quality of dragons will soar. How could he not be thrilled!?
Nor was Tannin alone. The vast ancient amphitheater held many Maou-class dragons today.
When Akuto presented the second Dragon Saliva Flower, Tannin nearly leapt with joy, and the surrounding dragons' eyes went wide.
And so, without anyone outside knowing, Akuto subdued every dragon in Tannin's domain.
Leaving one flower with the overjoyed Tannin and assigning him tasks, Akuto returned to the Human World.
…
Human World—Floating-Island Kyoto.
Led by Akeno, Akuto arrived before a great mountain.
A long stair rose ahead, lined with ranks of torii, proclaiming the place's sanctity.
Clearly, this was the approach to a shrine.
By Heaven's arrangement—or rather, per Akuto's own request—the handover of the "Blessed Holy Sword" would take place at Akeno's shrine.
"Welcome to the Kyoto shrine, Akuto-kun."
"Yes, Akuto-kun. I once lived with Mother at a shrine. After coming here, I arranged this place to match hers, in her memory," Akeno said softly, smoothing a lock at her temple.
Because of Akuto, Akeno could now speak calmly about her mother.
To her, her mother's passing was already part of the past.
Once Seekvaira gathers the other two materials, Akuto can bring her mother back to life.
…
"Akuto-kun, thank you for loving me—and for everything you've done."
Hand in hand before the shrine scenery she adored, Akeno slipped her arms around Akuto's neck and offered a maiden's kiss.
She kissed deep, and she kissed with devotion, letting Akuto roam, letting him draw in the refined fragrance of a true yamato nadeshiko.
With her succubus bloodline, she yielded openly to Akuto's lead—yet still looked the very picture of a demure beauty inviting his touch.
Akuto believed that even if he took Akeno right here, no one would interrupt.
But he wasn't that tactless.
Besides, he already had tonight's bedmate arranged; he couldn't accompany Akeno for the evening.
A full half hour passed.
Only when the appointed time drew near did Akuto finally let Akeno go.
Because his movements had been a bit rough, Akeno's carefully arranged hair had come loose.
Fortunately, Akuto had set more than a few girls' hair in order. He deftly retied Akeno's ribbon.
"Akuto-kun, you're as practiced as ever~ Did you learn that at Rias's place?" Akeno smiled, perfectly unbothered by his skill.
"Not only Rias. I've practiced on a lot of people. You don't get good doing just one person's hair," Akuto replied honestly.
"Mm? You really are honest… and greedy."
"But since greed is the engine of human progress, I approve of Akuto-kun's greed~"
Having watched Akuto win over the dragons with cold, hard results, Akeno had no complaints about his appetite.
For someone like Akuto, gathering many beautiful girls was only natural.
"So."
"Greedy Akuto-kun—answer me one question."
"What is it? Just say it, Akeno," Akuto raised a brow.
"All right, I'll be direct."
Akeno once more looped her arms about his neck, met his eyes, and parted her lips:
"If I haven't guessed wrong… Akuto-kun, you intend to make a move on my mother—don't you?"
At her words—
The once-noisy mountain wind fell still.
(End of Chapter)
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