"Very strong~"
Rias chuckled and said, "Destroying mountains and rivers with a single strike—this is what it means to be Gods and Demons."
"Then, what is the relationship between humans and Gods and Demons?"
Cao Cao asked, "Why have I never heard of the existence of these people?"
"Well, if you encountered a rabbit in the wild, what would you do?"
"A rabbit..." Cao Cao thought for a moment and said, "Hunt it, of course, and then..."
Having said this, Cao Cao paused.
He had already realized what Rias wanted to say.
In the eyes of humans, rabbits are prey, they are food.
When humans look at rabbits, some find them cute and want to keep them as pets.
Others see a cute rabbit, and tears of joy involuntarily drip from the corners of their mouths.
No one cares about how the rabbit feels.
In the eyes of Gods and Demons, humans are just rabbits.
As for why he had never heard of the existence of Gods and Demons... not to mention he was in the countryside where news and education were lagging behind.
Besides that, not all rabbits have seen humans.
Some rabbits in the wild can escape after seeing a human, while others will directly become a delicacy on the table.
This is only natural.
"Cao Cao... as in that Warlord from the Three Kingdoms period?"
The youth suddenly spoke up.
"That's right."
Rias nodded slightly and said, "Compared to being a Descendant of a Hero, it is your status as the host of a Sacred Gear that makes you a figure the Gods and Demons value and remain wary of."
"Being a Descendant of a Hero is just an identity, but being the host of a Sacred Gear... is tangible power."
"And you?" Cao Cao looked at Rias and asked, "Why did you come looking for me? Do you want to take away this weapon?"
"After all, you're a Devil, right? This weapon should be a huge threat to you."
Cao Cao recalled the vibration of the Sacred Spear just now and, combining it with Rias's information, made his judgment.
"No... you don't seem to have any hostility toward me. If such a precious weapon were in the hands of a child, everyone would want to seize it; you should have just killed me directly."
"And yet you told me all this information..."
"In other words, your goal isn't—or rather, isn't just—the weapon, but also its user?"
Cao Cao stared into Rias's eyes, trying to see something in them.
Then, Cao Cao saw a look of slight satisfaction.
He guessed right?
With a'snap', Rias flicked Cao Cao's forehead with her finger.
"Hiss... that hurts."
Cao Cao clutched his forehead, sucking in a breath of cold air.
This really hurt, it hurt like hell.
It was clearly just a forehead flick; he often played like this with the other children in the village.
Even though most of the time it was him hitting others, it shouldn't be this painful.
Could this be a Devil's ability?
This girl, she's so ruthless.
Cao Cao complained internally, however, after he was no longer in danger of losing his life, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Even though you guessed correctly, it also makes me very unhappy~"
Rias said, her voice full of mirth.
I don't see you being unhappy anywhere.
Cao Cao retorted in his mind, but he didn't say it out loud.
"Now, do you have any thoughts?"
Rias asked, "Now that you know the power you possess, is there anything you want to do?"
Hearing this, Cao Cao reached out his hand, and a long spear manifested in his grasp.
Looking at this Sacred Spear, Cao Cao's eyes were filled with complexity.
Cao Cao did not know the origin of this spear, nor had he ever heard of the existence of Gods and Demons.
But because these things had caused his family to be destroyed, he had to have some kind of reaction.
His parents' death caused him to grow up in an instant.
He felt sad, but he didn't go on weeping and wailing, nor was he excessively sorrowful.
After seeing his parents' bodies, the first thing he thought about was his own future.
He was slightly lost, not knowing what he should do, and that was all.
And at this moment, Cao Cao suddenly felt that the birth of this Sacred Spear seemed to have another meaning.
"What kind of reaction would a person hunted by a rabbit have?"
After an unknown amount of time, these words came out of Cao Cao's mouth.
Seeing Cao Cao's reaction, Rias couldn't help but smile.
As expected, this child has great potential.
Rias was a Reincarnator, and it hadn't been long since Cao Cao's parents were sacrificed to the heavens; from the start, the two were not on the same level in terms of thinking, worldview, and wisdom.
However, compared to ordinary children, Cao Cao's reaction was far too abnormal.
Geniuses really do exist.
But—a genius who only knows how to learn is meaningless.
His disposition and wisdom were also that of a genius!
Perhaps a prosperous age is coming; he is a true 'Born King'!
He was also, in a sense, a Sublime Person.
The descendant of an ancient king, born into the world with a Sacred Spear, parents sacrificed... If this world weren't called DXD, Dragon of Dragons, Cao Cao would probably be considered a protagonist.
Unfortunately, in the original work, he was fooled by that damned baldy, Indra.
Indra's nurturing of Cao Cao was real, but it was in the direction Indra wanted, which is why he grew up warped.
"Come with me."
Rias smiled and said, "I will give you guidance, give you resources, and give you freedom."
"I won't interfere with anything you do, and I can even become your backer."
"And the price?" Cao Cao asked.
Everything in the world has had a price tag attached to it from the very beginning.
Because he had ignored this point, his parents were dead.
They died from their greed, and also from his own stupidity.
The free things are the most expensive; after his parents died, Cao Cao had come to understand this point deeply.
"Grow to your heart's content, grow to an extent that satisfies me."
Rias smiled and said, "To see where you, as a 'human' unaffected by others, can think of, how far you can go, and in which direction you will advance."
"Isn't that very interesting?"
Simply for the sake of being interesting?
He couldn't see through her.
This person really is a Devil... Cao Cao had a realization in his heart, but he was not deceived by appearances.
Just as said before, the free things are the most expensive.
"What if I fail to reach your internal expectations and you aren't satisfied?"
Cao Cao asked in return, "Will you kill me?"
"Why must you think of me as so cruel?"
Rias said softly, "I wouldn't do something so excessive~"
"However..."
"However, I am providing resources, freedom, and safety."
Rias chuckled and said, "If you wish, you can even obtain endless life."
"Everything that ordinary people pursue is laid out in your hands for you to choose."
"Would you really have the heart to be a useless waste?"
Cao Cao fell silent upon hearing this.
Then, involuntarily, Cao Cao looked toward Rias.
The corners of her mouth wore a hint of a smile, but he could sense the seriousness in her words.
This person... really... really makes one not know what to say.
Is this trust?
It couldn't be called trust, but she did give him ample respect.
Giving him resources, power, and the right to choose.
What she wanted to see was merely how far he could go.
Just as Rias said, could he really have the thick skin to enjoy all this with a clear conscience?
But he quickly recalled his parents, which made his heart tremble.
"What if I fall?"
Cao Cao said, "Like... like them."
"If you fall, it only means you are just an ordinary person."
Rias said softly, "As for my feelings... well, I wouldn't say I'd be disappointed, I would just let out a soft lament... 'Ah, as expected, no miracle will happen'~"
Those words are so infuriating!
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