The Corridor of Time rippled around them like water disturbed by stones, its ethereal walls pulsing with chronological energy. Takeyo moved through the temporal stream with practiced ease, his companions trailing behind him, the young Grayfia and the dragon loli Kurimo, both struggling to match his pace through the dimensional pathway.
Takeyo had no precise destination in mind. His method was simple: arrive somewhere in the timestream, locate True Red, and ask for the appropriate temporal coordinates. If the time period he reached wasn't suitable, for instance, if reaching that era would cause him to disappear due to his strength exceeding the timeline's tolerance, he'd simply jump again after gathering information.
Through this methodical approach, he should achieve the desired result.
"BOOM!"
The corridor abruptly terminated ahead. Without hesitation, Takeyo surged forward with both companions in tow, bursting through the temporal boundary!
"This is..."
Young Grayfia's hand instinctively rose to cover her mouth as she witnessed the scene before them.
They had emerged into a shattered reality. The world stretched out in ruins, torn apart by a conflict of apocalyptic proportions. This entire dimension had been reduced to fragments because of a battle between two beings of unimaginable power.
One combatant radiated golden sacred light that seemed endless, a luminous figure shining with divine brilliance. Its opponent was a monstrous beast of grotesque majesty.
The creature possessed seven heads arranged across its massive frame, each head distinct: leopard, bear, wolf, lion, and others, crowned with diadems bearing the unholy number 666. Its body appeared to be a chimera assembled from countless beasts, radiating primitive power and savage fury.
This was the Beast recorded in Biblical prophecy. Its form seemed stitched together from various creatures, yet the whole somehow transcended its parts, embodying pure destructive instinct.
"ROOOAAARRR!"
In an instant, countless magical bombardments slammed into the Beast Emperor's body. All seven heads simultaneously unleashed roars that shook the very foundation of reality!
The sound waves physically tore through the alternate dimension, carving fresh devastation into earth already destroyed beyond recognition. The ground itself lifted and scattered like ash in wind.
Violent. Brutal. Chaotic.
These were the immediate impressions everyone received after seeing Trihexa, the Trihexa.
Even more impressive than the sacred figure opposing it, this was the apocalyptic monster recorded in the Book of Revelation. One of the strongest existences in all of DxD's cosmology.
"The Beast Emperor and the God of the Bible?" Takeyo's frown deepened. "Which means we've arrived at that moment in history?"
This was problematic. While other historical events might be relatively safe to observe, the battle between the God of the Bible and Trihexa was absolutely critical, a pivotal event that could have cascading effects on the future if altered.
Ultimately, the God of the Bible had sealed Trihexa at tremendous cost. If this outcome changed, who could predict the catastrophic consequences?
In fact, the mere fact of Takeyo's arrival had already triggered a mutation!
The golden figure seemed to notice Takeyo's presence and turned its gaze toward their location.
Takeyo's eyes met those of the sacred being.
Through his enhanced vision, Takeyo clearly observed the figure within that endless holy radiance.
The being emanated absolute divinity. Ordinary mortals witnessing it would be instantly captivated by its sacred presence, compelled to worship. But what truly shocked Takeyo was something else entirely.
That's right... she.
Takeyo's eyes hadn't deceived him.
"The God of the Bible is... female?"
The corner of Takeyo's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Given this world's tendency toward unexpected character interpretations, he supposed such a possibility wasn't entirely unreasonable.
As Takeyo processed this surprising revelation, the God seemed equally startled by what she saw.
Their reactions mirrored each other's perfectly.
The God stood motionless, her white robes seeming to radiate holy light of their own accord. Her eyes resembled stars, pure black pupils that somehow conveyed an otherworldly quality.
Mysterious. Compelling. Drawing one to explore further.
Such feelings stirred within the God's heart, sensations she had never experienced before.
She continued examining the human youth before her, searching for answers. Then she sensed it.
He possesses an aura remarkably similar to my own.
However, during the brief moment when she and Takeyo locked gazes, disaster struck!
"GRAAAOOOOWWWW!"
Trihexa, having just endured the God's magical assault, suddenly charged directly toward her!
The God reacted instantly, rapidly constructing defensive arrays in front of herself.
But... it was too late.
Trihexa's seven heads roared in unison, and the hastily erected magic circles shattered like glass!
Under normal circumstances, the God's defensive formations would have withstood Trihexa's assault. However, because Takeyo's appearance had distracted her for that critical instant, her concentration had wavered. Her defenses were incomplete.
The figure wreathed in brilliant holy light vanished from Takeyo's view, directly into Trihexa's gaping maw.
"What the hell?!"
Witnessing the scene before him, Takeyo wanted to curse aloud.
When you're in combat, you maintain focus during battle, understood? This wasn't some casual sparring match!
"CRUNCH!"
Trihexa's dragon head opened wide, and a dim golden figure fell from within its jaws.
The God's body bore horrific injuries, wounds that even Phoenix Tears would struggle to heal. In that single instant, Trihexa had inflicted catastrophic damage upon her!
Though the God of the Bible possessed immense power, she remained essentially a mage-type combatant. When facing attacks of this magnitude, her relatively fragile physical form couldn't withstand the brutality.
"This is seriously problematic."
Takeyo's eyes narrowed as he made his decision.
He'd just finished declaring his intention not to interfere with the battle between the God and Trihexa. He certainly hadn't expected reality to immediately prove him wrong, with the God ending up in this state precisely because she'd been looking at him during the fight.
Was this some kind of karmic joke?
Using the incarnation of Vamana the Dwarf, Takeyo instantly appeared beside the fallen God.
Her breathing had become extremely weak. Destructive energy and the unique essence of Trihexa rampaged through her body, continuously eroding her life force.
"You... are you from... the future?"
The God spoke haltingly, her voice barely a whisper.
That was correct, she had stared at Takeyo because his entire being radiated powerful temporal energy. Combined with detecting a portion within him that resembled her own essence, how could she not be curious?
"Yes, yes. Now stop talking and conserve your energy."
Takeyo sighed, placing his hand on the God's back. He channeled the healing and immortality aspects of his World Dragon Kurma incarnation.
White light enveloped the God's small frame, beginning to mend her injuries.
Takeyo had already assessed her condition. The wounds she'd sustained were far more severe than being bitten directly by Fenrir's God-Killing Fangs.
At this point... fighting Trihexa again was impossible for her. Or rather, even attempting such a battle would inevitably result in defeat.
"Don't you understand? This means I owe you now."
Takeyo shook his head helplessly, coming to his decision.
Perhaps this was fate? Having obtained the God of the Bible's divine essence in his own time, was he now required to fulfill the God's mission in her place?
The whole situation felt absurdly circular, but Takeyo couldn't deny the logic.
"Hah..."
He exhaled slowly.
It seemed there was only one course of action available.
True Red certainly wouldn't be any help dealing with Trihexa, that much was obvious.
"Since this is my fault, then I'll make up for this mistake."
Takeyo looked at the God seriously as he spoke.
He'd already made his choice.
The reason was simple: he knew exactly what would happen if he fought Trihexa. His injuries would increase somewhat, and he'd be ejected from this timeline.
To actually defeat Trihexa, he'd need to use his Ultra-Limit Incarnations. Currently, he existed in a state where using power beyond normal incarnation levels would definitely expel him from this temporal space.
However, he couldn't simply abandon the situation. Who knew what harm would result otherwise? If the God of the Bible died here instead of during the Great War against the Four Great Satans, the ripple effects on the future world would be incalculable.
Among other consequences, the historical record Takeyo knew stated that the God of the Bible died fighting the Four Great Satans, not here against Trihexa.
"What do you mean?"
The God's delicate eyebrows furrowed. If she understood correctly, this youth intended to defeat Trihexa himself?
Setting aside everything else, she understood that using power beyond Devil-class levels would cause temporal rejection. Furthermore, she doubted how a seemingly young human could possibly defeat Trihexa. Even if he could somehow manage it, the final result would be his disappearance from this timeline.
Such an outcome wasn't what she desired. She still had many questions to ask him!
"My meaning is very simple..."
Takeyo smiled slightly, gathering the God into his arms as he turned to face Trihexa.
The Beast Emperor's posture, originally radiating pure tyrannical fury, now seemed to convey... mockery?
The attitude was obvious. Trihexa considered its ambush successful and no longer viewed either of them as threats. Whether Takeyo or the God of the Bible, in its eyes they were merely lambs awaiting slaughter.
"It seems I'm being severely underestimated."
Takeyo's smile sharpened, his gaze transforming into something predatory.
This was the look reserved for prey, for inferior creatures!
At that moment, Takeyo noticed the notification that appeared above Trihexa's heads.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for triggering a plot sign-in! Sign-in level: Diamond!]
[Sign-in plot: The One Who Seals the Beast Emperor!]
[Plot details: As the possessor of the God of the Bible's divine essence, isn't it reasonable to assume the responsibility of defeating and sealing Trihexa?
Use your own power to seal the Beast Emperor!]
[Sign-in time limit: 1 day]
[Remaining time: 1 day]
"Do you intend to fight it? Are you insane?" Anxiety colored the God's voice as her composure finally cracked. "You cannot defeat Trihexa!"
Like everyone else, this diminutive God could only perceive Takeyo's surface-level strength. What could someone who hadn't even reached Transcendent-class possibly accomplish? Even with divine tools at his disposal, he might at most reach Transcendent-level power.
"Whether I'm crazy or not, you'll see soon enough."
Takeyo's lips curved into a confident smirk as he regarded Trihexa with the gaze of someone examining prey.
Now that he'd made his decision, Takeyo had no intention of hesitating. Besides, he had this sign-in quest to complete.
"GRAAAOOWWW!"
Trihexa seemed displeased by Takeyo's presumptuous attitude. Roars erupted from all seven of the Beast Emperor's mouths. The distant, violent sound seemed capable of grasping minds directly. Even young Grayfia, watching from a distance, displayed an expression of pain.
"Your business, I'll handle it for you today!"
Takeyo declared again.
Trihexa?
Sorry, but I've already killed Durmado, the Sea Dynast Prime who matched True Red's power level!
"Handle it... for me?"
The God's eyes flickered with strange emotion.
She had never heard such words before. Regardless of when or what the situation, she had always handled her own responsibilities. After all, she was the supreme deity of her pantheon.
But now... a human youth was saying this to her?
Subtle feelings stirred within the God's heart.
"Yes! I'll do it for you!"
Takeyo's eyes narrowed as an aura representing both violence and sanctity erupted from his body!
[You are the beast that razed continents!]
[Any existence of evil will sleep eternally within your fangs!]
[You are the beast of salvation!]
[You are the manifestation of divine will and power!]
[Before me!]
[Show your violent sanctity!]
[Third Incarnation: Varaha the Wild Boar!]
"SQUEEEAL!"
The incarnation of the wild boar represented absolute destructive power! The legendary beast that used its tusks to uplift entire continents manifested from Takeyo's being!
But it wasn't finished yet!
[You possess radiance that transcends even the sun!]
[With this body...]
[The salvific sun descends upon the world!]
The White Horse Incarnation!
In Trihexa's momentarily bewildered gaze, the massive boar avatar slammed directly into the Beast, hurling it bodily from the ground!
The Wild Boar incarnation delivered physical suppression and devastation, while Kalki's White Horse incarnation inflicted magical destruction.
Meanwhile, Takeyo had his own preparations to complete.
As the God watched in amazement at the two incarnations that were actually suppressing Trihexa, if only barely, a golden sword materialized in Takeyo's hand.
The Sword of Victory gleamed with the light of promised triumph.
"Now then," Takeyo murmured, golden energy crackling around the blade, "let's see how an Apocalyptic Beast handles the weight of divine judgment."