Volume 7 – Chapter 5 – Part 1 – The Various Differences From Last Year

Genshirou Saji's Soliloquy

— ○ ● ○ —

In our own dimension provided by Aaron-senpai, we [Team Sona Sitri] were training for our upcoming match. It's happening in a few days and everyone in the team is quite excited. But before then we'll be training here and also…

"Aaron said his base in the Dimensional Gap was ready. He's inviting all of Team [DxD] to tour it before opening it up to the public for the World Rating Game Tournament," Tsubaki-senpai suddenly said drawing our attention to her.

"It's finally done?" Momo asked. She looked eager to go, the same with Reya.

"According to Antares, it is. So he's inviting us for a tour, there are two large districts, the economical and industrial area, where the Rating Game stadium is and the residential area, which consists mostly of houses and a few small stores. However, he said he wouldn't open that up to the public for now since there's no one living there," explained Tsubaki-senpai.

"Then we'll accept it. That's where our match is going to be after all, it won't hurt to scout out the venue. Also, it won't be a stretch to call it the safest place in the world, minus [Sanctuary] and his own home in Kuoh," said President Sona. "It's tomorrow, so let's focus on training for now."

We all answered with a 'Yes, President' and continued with our training. I had been in my Balance Breaker the entire time. During the match between Master and Cao Cao, I saw Leonardo's Anti-Monster Balance Breaker of my armor do various things that I hadn't done before, so I tried to recreate them.

For the most part, they worked, but at the same time it felt strange. I was copying something his monsters did. Why didn't I think of it? I had 100 years to do things like this…although I did just focus on training my time limit and physical strength since I relied on that the most, like Master Sairaorg.

"What's with the serious face, Gen?" Ruruko asked me after she jumped towards me with her Sacred Gear.

"…It's just that, I was thinking of making new techniques with my Sacred Gear. We saw how the Anti-Monster used its powers, didn't we? I always thought that my lines were just too weak to penetrate into the ground. I mean, I made it snake around the castle of the Bael when fighting Bedeze Abaddon," I explained my thoughts to her.

"Hmm…then why not cover your entire body with those lines? Both with [Delete Field] and [Absorption Line]. I mean you won't be affected by them, right? So if you use your fists and legs to fight, you can still weaken them using those, and if attacks hit you, they'll be much less effective because of them," she said.

…! As expected of my girlfriend! She's a genius! I immediately tried that, I summoned some lines and started covered my legs, arms, and hands first. It took me a few tries but I was eventually able to do it.

"Ruruko-chan, try touching me while your body is covered with demonic aura!" I asked and she agreed to do it. Her body was covered and she reached out to touch my arms and once she did, her aura around her hand and body began to decrease significantly.

"You're a genius!!!" I screamed before getting rid of my lines and hugging her.

She blushed and looked quite smug. "Fufu, praise me, praise me~"

"That's interesting, Saji. I'll fire a weak attack using magic and demonic power, and I'll slowly increase the output. Let's see how much it can cancel or repel before reaching its limit," said President Sona as she approached us.

"A-ah, yes!" I shouted and let go off Ruruko before covering my arms, hands, and legs. I can essentially block attacks with my hands so that's why I hadn't covered my body yet, but I'll experiment with it later.

As soon as I was ready, President started firing a few magic attacks, which included fire, water, wind, and ice. I raised my right arm and blocked them; the powers were nullified because I increased my line's power. Normally [Absorption Line] would decrease the power slowly, and [Delete Field] would reduce the power slowly. However, I found I could increase the rate at which they 'take' those by increasing my own power and feeding it to my Sacred Gear. Hence, why those attacks vanished after making contact with my lines.

Meaning…

"Those lines are connected to your own power, meaning anything below it will instantly vanish…those won't work on Aurelia-san, Saji," President Sona said with a frown.

I sighed and said, "I feared as much. I guess I will have to rely on hand-to-hand combat with her then. Maybe using my [Blaze Black Flare] and [Shadow Prison] too."

I have to be creative in my fight against Aurelia-sensei if I want to have a sliver of a chance at beating her. Or at least force her to take me seriously. Even during our time in Aaron-senpai's dimension, she didn't take any of us seriously. She kept on laughing the entire time she fought us as a group. Even the President's tactics were nullified because of her using her raw power to destroy them.

It also depends on the type of Rating Game we'll have. If it involves tactics and strategies more, we may have an advantage, but they still have Ravel-chan, so it might not be that easy. Also, Aurelia-sensei herself is quite a tactical and strategic genius, according to Lianne-sensei. She just seems to prefer straightforward fights more often than not.

"Edel-san and Akaza-san are also on their team. Aaron also said that all three of them are of the new [Outer God] rank, so we're essentially facing three people at that kind of power level. On paper…we're outmatched from the very beginning. We have to hope that we have a game type where it involves another way of winning," said Reya as she joined us.

Aaron-senpai essentially lets them run loose while the games are played. In their other less covered matches, they completely dominated the other team. The only game so far where they 'struggled' was against Baraqiel-san's team, even then it was only because of Kishku-san and Ezeri-san were part of the team.

They also may have held back because Baraqiel-san was Aaron-senpai's father-in-law, as well as Akeno-senpai's dad. Although that's just my own speculation, so there's no real evidence supporting it.

Aurelia-sensei also got new members for her team, meaning we may see some changes to the overall team and how they'll function differently. The rest of the supernatural world still don't know anything about it, so it'll be a shock…especially with the former second ranker of the game and her peerage joining them. They'll definitely have a plethora of knowledge now.

"…We'll just have to wait until we know what the game type is and go from there. There's no use in worrying about it now. All we can do now is train and then do our best when the match starts. We just need to perform to the best of our ability and win other matches after to qualify for the main stage," I told them.

Ruruko-chan nudged my side and then hugged my arm. "Gen, when did you start speaking like that? Did Aaron-senpai influence you or something? Fufu~"

I scratched the back of my head out of embarrassment. "I just said my honest thoughts. We will most likely lose. Most of the crowd should be cheering for Aurelia-sensei too, but if by some miracle we win, then it'll be a big upset."

President Sona sighed with a smile. "Saji is right. The odds are against us and we will certainly be the underdog in this match, but all we can do is put our best foot forward. We didn't train for 300 years for nothing. Now then, let's go back."

She then walked away with everyone else, except Ruruko. However, I felt a pat on my shoulder and when I looked at who did it, it was Rugal-san.

"You're right. All we need to do is our best, and show them that [Team Sona Sitri] doesn't just solely rely on strategy and tactics. We can fight on par with Satan-class and God-class teams," he told me, smiled and walked off.

<<Right, right. The Great Dragon King Genshirou-senpai will stand beside Aaron-senpai soon. Keep fighting~>> said Bennia-chan before following Rugal-san.

Right…that's all we can do now.

Ruruko-chan ran after Bennia and the two of them started chatting. I looked down at my hand while clenching it. A year ago, we were utterly defeated by Rias Gremory-senpai's peerage in our Rating Game. Aaron-senpai was the one who had been helping them get stronger.

In a few days, we'll be facing Aurelia-sensei's team. We along with everyone in it are affiliated in one way or another to Aaron-senpai. Three of them are his subordinates…in a way, you could see this as a sort of revenge match because we're all connected to him somehow.

'I want to win…I want to win against them. I'll evolve even further during the match if it means winning!' I looked back up and thought I saw a silhouette of his back and grinned.

It's because we're from the same generation. I want to become stronger than him. But at the same time, I know I can't, but still, I want some acknowledgement from him. I'll do my best…I'll do it, I'll do it dammit! For President's dream, to prove myself to both Aurelia-sensei and Aaron-senpai and…!

To show that I've become stronger since that time! I'll show the world what the Great Dragon King Genshirou is all about…and I'll make my parents proud!

— ○ ● ○ —

Third Person Point of View

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In the underground supernatural society of China, in a certain building were two groups. One of them was the group named [Dogs of Tile City] and the other was the [Z-Team]. Both groups were considered powerful by the underground society and were notorious in the black market and caused a lot of trouble that were overshadowed by the Khaos Order.

"We've been in contact with Hades and are planning to attack the games in the future. He believes one of the Middleman's lovers has something he wants…whatever that is," said a male's voice.

"Is it the upcoming match between Sitri and Le Guin?" asked a feminine voice.

"No, it's going to be during a different time. Hades wants to send a different subordinate. The Grim Reaper Thanatos is being troublesome, so he's asking the Khaos Order for help in that regard," replied the male.

"Mind control perhaps? They're definitely capable of that," replied the female. "Also, why?"

The two who were talking to one another were the leaders of [Dogs of Tile City] and the [Z-Team]. Their members apart from their right-hands were in a different section of the building as they drank and ate the night away.

"He found out that he was planning on starting a rebellion. The Netherworld is in an uproar because of it. However, mind control is not beyond them, but a new Grim Reaper may be assigned to this, also…"

"Also?" repeated the female.

"No, it's nothing. Anyway, we'll be participating in that attack and we want to invite you and your team to participate as well," said the male.

The female—the leader of the [Dogs of Tile City] pondered for a few seconds before she shook her head. "I'll have to decline. We already have our hands full here. It feels like Ningguang and her annoying Divas have been stalking us for weeks. Around 40% of our members have been taken out," she told him.

The male, known as Leon sniggered at her. "The [Vortex Bunch] has already been defeated by the Middleman, so we along with the Khaos Order are left. Are you sure you want to go out in such a lame way?" he asked.

"They are highly trained warriors; we have no intention of sitting idly waiting for our demise. We have moved to another base and plan on making our last stand at that location. Also, if you accept that offer to join Hades, you'll have an even bigger downfall than us since you're actively going against Team [DxD]. Are YOU sure about this decision?" she asked.

An ominous aura seeped out of Leon as he stared at the woman with his dark purple eyes. "I was born like this; I am meant to incite chaos and destruction. I am a demigod, born from an evil god and a shitty human. If I wasn't meant to do such things, then what is my purpose in life?"

Silephia, the leader of the [Dogs of Tile City] sighed. "So you're just 'evil' for the sake of being evil? You know most people would just make fun of you," she told him.

"In those books, there are beings—things that are just born purely out of malice. I am too, I acknowledge that I am beyond redemption and anything of that sort. I was born into this world for one purpose only, and that's to bring calamity to as many people as possible," said Leon.

He pointed at her and added, "You are a normal human, you don't have a Sacred Gear or innate ability. You rely on magic and your own martial arts and combat experience. You're the weakest leader out of the four organizations. It's a miracle you managed to stay alive this long. Even though your bitch has innate fire abilities, she should in reality be the leader."

The woman beside Silephia glared at Leon as her orange eyes glowed. Silephia put her hand up to calm her friend down and she looked away in annoyance. Beside Leon was his right-hand man, who also grabbed his sword as he was ready to engage in battle.

"It's true that I'm only human, however I am doing all of this for more than to cause chaos or misfortune to others," she told him.

He yawned and picked his ear with his pinkie. "Yeah, yeah, so boring. Poverty of the village, you who had a strange name that's nowhere near being Chinese, blah, blah, blah. But during all of that you were forced to live the life of a criminal. I've heard stories of that kind a million times over," he said dismissively.

Silephia closed her eyes. "Even if you have, that is my truth and history. I cannot change it. It may not be anything 'big' or 'world-changing' in your eyes, but that's the boring life of a human who's forced to walk down this path…even still I'm doing my best for my small organization."

Leon heard enough and got up. "Well, there's no point in trying to convince you then. My group will be leaving China after today since we're going to be officially part of the Khaos Order. See you never then," he said and left the room.

His right-hand bowed to them before leaving. Even with his mean-looking demeanor he had respect for other parties, unlike his leader.

"I hate that asshole. Should I go kill him?" asked Silephia's right-hand.

"No, you would lose, Zi Xia. That demigod's Sacred Gear is powerful, your flames would be rendered useless," she told her friend.

"Tch, then what about that pricks sub-leader?" she asked. "At least he had some manners."

"He also has a Sacred Gear, a hybrid born from a monster-like dragon and a human. Rumors say that he and Leon fought for the group's leadership position and Leon won by a significant margin. Usually, he kills his opponents but he saw a lot of potential in him, so he made him his right-hand," explained Silephia.

"What's his name?" asked Zi Xia.

"Zialbes."

"Do we know any of the others who have Sacred Gears, you know, specifically?"

"I am unsure. However, there are four confirmed Sacred Gear wielders in his group," replied Silephia.

Silephia was a tall woman who stood at a staggering 5'10" in height. She had long white hair that was tied in a ponytail, and purple eyes with red pupils. She wore a slick black business suit, black gloves and a red tie. As mentioned by Leon, she was born as a normal human and lived in a poor village in China.

Her parents…were strange, and named her 'Silephia' which did not sound Chinese at all. However, she stood out from the rest of her peer. One was her height, the other was her will to survive and keep moving forward.

She wanted to pull her village out of poverty as most of its inhabitants would not go far in life, and would generally accept their fate there. It was a small farming village, where—if given the chance, the youth would leave for a bigger town or the grand city and make a living over there while also sometimes sending money back to their family in that small village.

However, one day a certain event happened that changed her life. A small group of criminals came into her village at night, ransacked the entire village and took most of the ones that lived there as hostages. Silephia did not want to die, nor did she want to see her family and friends die, so…she took a life that night—no, multiple lives.

A young girl with a slender body with not much muscle on her massacred the criminals. But fate was not kind to her as it made her friends and family fear her. It only became worse as not too long after she saved them, the police came and saw what had happened.

She didn't want to be arrested, and so she chose to run—she knew from that day onward she wouldn't have a normal life. But her luck did not end as she was taken in soon after by an unknown man. He was the original leader of the small organization called the [Dogs of Tile City].

That man who was around his fifties took her in, brought her up, trained her and treated her like a daughter.

It wasn't a normal life, nor was it always happy, but to Silephia it was enough. However, she never stopped thinking about her village, so one day she visited it, and saw that it had become even worse.

Most houses had been destroyed, the population was even worse and when she toured the village and saw some of her friends, they were shocked and terrified of her. However, she still offered them kindness and gave them food. She quickly found out what had happened after she left after her previous friends opened up to her.

The police apparently didn't chase after her, because of her age they assumed that she would come back a day or two later. They didn't think a young child would wander off too far, but they guessed wrong and after two weeks, they abandoned their post there and began the search for her.

They stopped the search after around three weeks and assumed she had died of starvation or some other cause. No one believed a young child like herself would survive for that long. However, after the police left, a different group came into their village. They could use so-called 'magic' and a few of them looked like wolves walking on two legs.

They stole everything they could and destroyed the village. The people there—her friends were powerless. Of course, after they told the authorities about this occurrence they were simply laughed at and they weren't taken seriously.

"…What happened to my parents?" she asked.

One of her friends pointed to an abandoned house full of holes and said, "They were killed there. The police assumed it was just a home invasion gone wrong and moved on. We live in a small village where nothing happens…they won't put much effort in for us."

Silephia always wondered about her parents after she left. She always wanted the best for them, because even after she killed those criminals, her parents weren't too scared of her, but they didn't have time to talk about it since the police arrived and she had to flee.

She never got to say her goodbyes to them. After speaking with them, she went to her former home, cleaned it up a bit and saw the makeshift graves of her parents in their back garden. It had been overgrown and hadn't been maintained. Upon seeing that, and the rest of the state of this quaint village, she vowed she would hunt those supernatural beings down and also help them out of poverty.

…And she did just that. With her new father figure, she hunted them down and killed them. After that, she began helping her previous village and even set up a small base of operations there. Everything began to look up for them, but another tragedy struck Silephia.

Her mentor and father figure was killed. She had no idea who did it, because the rest of his team, the ones closest to him were also slaughtered. The only culprits she could think of were either a different organization or…the growing hidden terrorist organization—the Khaos Brigade.

This…was one of the reasons that Silephia refused to cooperate with Leon and his group. Her hatred for that group hadn't waned at all, but she secretly supported the Middleman and Team [DxD]'s victories over the organization.

However, during that time, her group also grew and became prominent enough that when they moved locations they would be hunted down by the faction or pantheons in that country or area. Eventually, they settled back in her home country, China.

This is where they had been staying for the last 8 months. While slowly growing their own organization, but at the same time, Silephia knew that their end was coming soon. The 8 Divas, the new alliance between the Shinto Pantheon, Chinese Pantheon and Five Principal Clans, Sacred Beasts and the two Youkai Factions of Kyoto—the [Boundless Dragon's United Front].

They were closing in on various groups in their pantheons and countries. It didn't matter if they were small or big, they planned on taking them down slowly.

"…Let's start our own preparations. The Middleman and Team [DxD] should come for us sooner or later," she told her right-hand Zi Xia.

"Roger that. I can't wait to fight some of them," Zi Xia said as her eyes shone in excitement and anticipation.

— ○ ● ○ —

"Are you sure about that, Leon?" asked Zialbes.

"Most of their members are weak and can't keep up with us. Even if we're only a twelve-man group, we can do more damage to places and factions than her shitty organization," replied Leon. "They'll only hold us back."

As Leon said that, they arrived in a different room. With a simple gesture of his head, the rest of his team joined him and they silently left the place.

"Where are we headed to boss?" one of their members asked.

"Hades told me to bring us to a specific place, so we'll be transported to their base. Once there we'll be subjected to various experiments to increase our overall power," explained Leon.

"More power-ups, huh? Can't wait," replied the member.

The [Z-Team] came into a small wooded forest and entered it. The further they moved, the eerier it became. After some time, they felt themselves pass through a barrier and entered a small clearing. In it, a grim reaper stood with his scythe by his side.

<<Hades-sama is waiting. Come,>> it said and they quickly joined the monster.

— ○ ● ○ —

Once Leon and his group arrive in the organization, they followed the unnamed grim reaper. The interior of the base of the Khaos Order was mostly black and dark red. It was reminiscent of the design back in the medieval era, as there were many pillars and chandeliers in the place. The carpet beneath them was wine-red and underneath that, the floor was made of stone.

"Where are we being taken too?" Leon asked.

<<…You are being brought to Satanael and the Seekers of Truth. They are the leaders of research and engineering in the Khaos Order,>> replied the grim reaper.

Leon had only heard about her in passing as she had mainly remained in the shadows of the news in the supernatural world. But the group's name is widely known for being able to create the Divine Beasts, Cryptids and Artificial Sacred Gears as well as other various items for their organization.

They eventually arrived in a room that was white. The floors, the ceiling, the walls, and even the equipment were white. In the middle of it—was a woman with wine-red hair and she wore a white lab coat. With a smile on her face, she welcomed them.

"Welcome, [Z-Team]. We recently heard from Hades about your collaboration, we hope to use some of our new experimentation tool and technique on you," she told them. "I am Promestein by the way."

"Let's get started then," said Leon as he stood in front of Promestein and wanted to get experimented on.

"I'm glad you're on board on this—as the leader, you'll get the best treatment," she said and gestured for him to enter a pod with several wires attached to it, but all wires were into a hole beyond the room.

Leon nodded and stepped into it. He—who was born from an evil goddess and a cruel and sadistic human, Leon's life has been tragic since the day he was conceived. He does not and will not accept any kindness—he will simply live and die in any way he wants.

As the lid of the pod closed, his eyes also closed. Leon couldn't wait to cause as much destruction as he could.

— ○ ● ○ —

Aaron Toole's Soliloquy

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The next day came and everyone was preparing to go to our new home in the Dimensional Gap. I also had Cúntóir work on our new home—[Sanctuary]. I left it up to her since I knew she would make it as efficient as possible. We also spoke about the details concerning the [Tower of Perseverance] and she would make it to my specifications and a bit of her own.

I also spoke to her about Azathoth and why she hadn't spoken to her yet, but she just said she wasn't ready. Cúntóir is essentially a small part of Azathoth after all. However, she also gained her own personality and isn't anywhere near how Azathoth is in terms of personality and behavior.

Since I came back, I wanted them to interact, I've also brought this up with her during the 10,000 years together, but she just avoids the topic. I wonder if she feels conflicted when it's something to do with Azathoth.

Maybe seeing her 'creator' and in the flesh and seeing her just kind of 'robotic-like' is jarring for her? In the time she spent with me and my friends, she definitely went through an entire lifetime's worth of experiences.

As I sat in my office pondering these thoughts and sorting through documents, I received a text from my phone. It was on my desk and I looked at it. It was from Elsha and it told me to go to my restaurant since there were some guests there. I still had time before we left so it should be fine.

"Are we going, Master Aaron?" Cindy asked beside me.

On duty today was Raiko. Since Cindy basically follows me everywhere then my 'secretary of the day' has to share that role with her. Grayfia and her alternate between who comes with me. She approached the situation a little calmer and came to a compromise with Grayfia, unlike Sharon who teased her constantly.

So Grayfia likes Cindy a lot more—it's not to say that Grayfia hates Sharon or anything like that…

"Yeah, let's go. I'm curious who's here," I replied.

"You didn't use your powers to see who it was?" asked Raiko as we left my desk.

I shook my head. "If it's anyone that's considered, I guess, 'evil', then I'll know. However, if it's any more else that's part of the alliance then I won't be alerted automatically. It's better to have some surprises every now and then."

As we left my room, we came across several other people preparing, they know that they have their own room in the home in the Dimensional Gap home, so they're bringing some of them over. After everyone graduates from college, I'll most likely move to either [Sanctuary] or my Dimensional Gap base. I'll still use my home in Kuoh, but probably not too often. Maybe I will give it to my children down the line?

"Are you going somewhere, Aaron?" Aoife asked.

She was in front of me naked along with Kunou (in a towel) and Ophis (naked and in loli form). Yasaka and Kunou came to visit for the day since we were going to the Dimensional Gap. Why did they just run out of the bath like this…?

I put my hand forward, dried them off and put clothes on them. "…Yeah, I'm going to my resta—"

"Can we come? It's alright, right?" asked Aoife. Kunou and Ophis looked expectantly at me.

"Yeah, come along," I replied.

— ○ ● ○ —

Once outside and near my restaurant, we attracted some attention. On our way out of my home we came across Yasaka, Irene and Grayfia, so our group was even bigger now. Once we neared my restaurant, we saw a massive crowd outside. So we entered through the back instead.

Inside, I quickly headed to my office while the rest (minus Irene and Ophis who came with me). When I got there, Elsha appeared stressed as she looked at documents on my desk. She looked up and leapt towards me.

"Help! I can't do paperwork. It's not my strong suit!" she shouted and started shaking me.

"Didn't Belzard come with you today? He's pretty skilled at it, so where is he?" I asked. He wasn't in the room.

"He's out there entertaining customers. Didn't you see the large crowd outside? …W-well, he isn't the only one here," she said and had a strained smile on her face.

As I was about to reply, I heard a very familiar 'Fuhahahaha!' and a strange camel-like laughter. I think I have an idea of who came here today…well, their auras also felt familiar. I thanked Elsha and we made our way there. When we arrived, I saw one hell of a spectacle.

On top of the stage was a man dressed in a camel costume singing his heart out. Beside him, was…a very muscular man in a speedo and he had a giant apple mask on…this was Bapple-kun and the ones wearing those costumes were Zeoticus, my father-in-law and one of my friends, Sairaorg…

Bapple…apple…Bael…sweet lord… When I looked around my restaurant, everyone was actually having fun. They clapped and sang along to the very strange song that both of them were singing. It was a duet between a song about a camel looking for the greatest apples in the world. Said camel found friendship and love while he travelled to get that majestic apple.

Honestly, I was just—

[I'm speechless at this. What in the world is happening…?]

{Even Ddraig is confused by this…this has to be something very strange then…}

At a table, we saw a few others. [Team Imperial Purpure] and beside them the Gremory family with Misla Bael. Chysis was going crazy for Zeoticus as she shouted 'Zeo-tan' every now and again. Meanwhile, his wife, Venelana and Sairaorg's fiancé Silveteela along with Sairaorg's team had strained smiles on their faces.

"AAAPPPLLEE TOOO YOUUUU!!" Sairaorg screamed and raised his arms making the crowd go wild.

What in God's is that supposed to mean?! At the same time, Zeoticus made strange camel noises, and the crowd started shouting 'Encore!' and they started up again. This is going to be never-ending at this rate…

Elsha tugged on my sleeve and pointed…behind them. Behind Sairaorg—er, Bapple-kun and Gomorin was…Belzard and he wore…some kind of punk/rockstar outside. His normal green hair was in some kind of spiked-up Mohawk, and his clothes were very death metal-esque. He also was playing the drums rather passionately as he had his eyes closed while going at it.

"…No comment," I muttered to myself and started walking towards the two tables occupied by the devils. "Welcome…erm…may I ask how this started?"

"Isn't it obvious, Jin-kun?! It's the passions of youth! I would have joined as Satan Red, but Asteri stopped me," Sirzechs said while looking heartbroken. Asteri herself looked like she was going to snap on her husband while Millicas clapped along to the song.

Youth? Isn't like…your dad even older than you? He still considers his age…youthful…? I hope I have that mindset when I'm older.

[You are old though—10,000 years old in fact.]

'…Please stop, my heart can't take it if you keep reminding me, I'm still young at heart,' I replied and Ddraig cackled at me.

"S-Sairaorg-sama wanted to promote Bapple-kun in the human world, as well as show them that his company sold the apples to you for the food you make," explained Kuisha.

"Right…even though I told my idiotic fiancé that we could just do it normally, he insisted on doing…well, this," said Silveteela while rubbing her forehead in frustration.

"My condolences," I replied and looked back at the five still jamming out on the stage…five? Wait what?! Ophis?! Runeas?!

Ophis and Runeas had joined them on the stage, both wearing a headband that said 'Fight the Dragon Power' and began dancing with fans. Ophis was (luckily) in her adult form while Runeas stayed the same—while the other three on stage were surprised by this, they went along with it and the crowd went even wilder.

"W-when did Ophis and Runeas get over there…?" Aoife asked. She was even more stunned by the situation than I was. At times like this, I was grateful that she doesn't always just 'go with the flow' and is genuinely surprised by a lot of things in this world.

"Dragon God-chan and First-Generation-sama are enjoying themselves, why don't we just let them be?" suggested Venelana as she looked at me.

[She's giving you the 'fuck me' eyes, Partner.]

{Or she could just be looking at him normally?}

The two of them began arguing and I decided to ignore it. "Well, I usually let her do her own thing. Ophis is a free-spirited bird—er, Dragon."

"And me?" Irene asked while pointing at herself. I just smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up, earning me a pinch on the cheek.

Sighing at the scene, we decided to let this continue as we watched from a distance—although at some point Kunou also joined them making the place even louder than it had already been…

— ○ ● ○ —

"Fuhahaha! I'm sorry for barging in like that, Jin!" Sairaorg said and patted my back.

I smiled wearily and shook my head. "It's fine, the customers loved it and you guys had fun. But…" I looked at Magdaran who looked exhausted as he sat on a chair. Misteeta cooled him down with his magic.

"Fuhaha! I asked my little brother if he wanted to join me, unfortunately he declined," he explained and patted his brother, who died even further.

"I also took the opportunity to spread Gomorin to the human world. I think we should start broadcasting the show to at least Kuoh. What do you think, Jin? I know our daughter would be against it," asked Zeoticus. He was being spoiled by Chysis as she stood behind him.

"Fufu, I've wanted to dance on a stage in front of a crowd for quite some time now. But I didn't think it would be in front of humans—this generation is certainly interesting and fun," Runeas said as she ate some ice cream. "With that said, we were informed that your new home's construction has finally been complete? It's fine if we tag along, right?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh yeah sure, the more, the merrier, although we'll be covering a lot of ground in a short time, but after that you'll be free to explore," I told her and she gave an enthusiastic nod.

As we were about to continue talking, the door opened and in came…the Himejima family. Shuri, Baraqiel, Atsutarou, Akeno, Suzaku and my mother and Rias also accompanied them. However, Rias froze when she saw her family and father still in the camel costume (minus the head piece).

"…You guys are joining too?" I asked.

"I-I think I feel a bit sick; I'll go home…" announced Rias as she quickly turned around. However, Asteri stopped her and smiled at her. The heiress of the family accepted her fate and decided to come along…

Shuri came up to me and squeezed my cheeks. "You didn't inform us of this?"

"I did…? I sent a text to Akeno and dad," I replied. This time, Shuri shifted her attention to her daughter and husband. Akeno started pointing at Baraqiel which made Shuri march over to him.

Akeno let out a sigh of relief. She had just sacrificed her father for her own safety! She looked at me, smiled and gave me a peace sign with her fingers…

We spent the next hour in my restaurant as we waited for everyone else to be ready. Once they were, we finally travelled to my second home in the Dimensional Gap.

— ○ ● ○ —

"Holy crap!" Genshirou shouted.

I believe everyone with us shared the same feeling. From what I could tell we were in the economic and industrial zone. In front of us was a large stone monument. We were in some kind of circular plaza too. In the distance was an extremely enormous building that looked like a castle. That should be the Rating Game stadium.

All around us were buildings of various sizes and shapes—from what I could see, they were all made from stone with a few exceptions here and there. There were a total of six large canals that connected to the Rating Game stadium and they flowed into the far distance in those directions. There were also mountains in the distance that appeared to be part of the newly constructed base. In addition, there was an artificial sky with clouds and a sun.

"Welcome, Aaron-sama, everyone to the complete base in the Dimensional Gap! Allow me to take you on a guided tour," Antares said with a bow.

"We'll also tag along, Aaron-sama," said a blonde-haired elf. It was Inialos. He was the Deputy Leader of the [Guardians] here. Besides him was Vanbe, the leader.

"Even though no threat can come here, we'll be acting as guards for today!" Vanbe exclaimed happily while saluting us.

I nodded. "Alright, thanks. Let's start with the Rating Game stadium then since Aurelia's and Sona's match will be held there in a few days," I said and Antares agreed.

We started walking towards the large building and I walked beside him. We walked on a small path that was beside the large canals. Just beside them were large light poles that I would assume illuminates the streets of this place at 'night', which is most likely simulated to make it feel more real.

"The day and night cycles here are synced up to the human world, right?" I asked.

"Yes, it is. We believe you'll open this place up to the public, correct? If so, then jobs, businesses, and the like will open up here, and the residential district will also be filled with new families that move into the built houses, many may have lived in the human realm or other realms that synced their day-to-night cycles to the human realm," explained Antares.

"Yes, I will," I replied while looking around us.

This place is stupidly big. I would have no use for it, so I might as well treat it like a new…faction. Right, I haven't named that either, but most of the supernatural acknowledge that me and my shadow soldiers and [Electa] are essentially a new faction. This will only grow bigger in the future. I also have my other subordinates like Hirokazu, Bova, Apophis and Vasco Strada. Having a place like this would be great since they can live here.

I need to set up teleportation points to go to different places in the human world and the supernatural world to make it easier for them. As well as more security…speaking of security…

"What about the security of this place? The barriers, shadow soldiers, Nocturnes and [Guardians] are one thing. How about the rest?" I asked again.

Antares smiled and said, "With the help of Inialos and Claudira, we were able to create a system of identification. The second you try to teleport into this place it will activate. With the help of Cúntóir-sama it was possible to extract that information from this entire universe and beyond."

Antares points to our right. "That building that resembles a church is where they will be teleported to…well, below it. There are three rooms. The first one is for individuals who have not committed any kind of crime, the next one over is for the ones who have committed petty or small crimes, and the last one is for those who have committed large offenses. Take Diehauser Belial. He would be put there, but would be released shortly after if he does come here."

"The next step is the next stage, analyzing your personality and history. This will take into consideration your past and current personality and history. If it deems you a danger to this place, you will be rejected and teleported back to where or to one of the alliance's prisons," he explained. "It will also seal your powers for the time being while going through those rooms. Of course, they're also quite strong, so unless you're an [Electa] or an equivalent then you won't be able to break out of it."

"I'm assuming the identification process is also automatic? Knowing Claudira and Inialos they made some kind of supercomputer, right?" I glanced at Inialos while I asked that question.

He chuckled and nodded. "We did, and we recently moved the supercomputer to the finished condominium of 'that' place for 'them'," he said.

Ah, so they moved it to the new base for [EXE] then. That'd be useful. I'll assign the more tech savvy members to it, so they can use their skills more there since I did see a few of them loathe the subjugation mission.

As we continued to speak more about the place, we eventually arrived at the Rating Game stadium. We entered through the main door, but there were a few others. Once inside we were greeted by a large room with diamond, gold, and titanium furniture. The chandelier above was made of emerald and diamond…

[Er…he really went all out with this, huh?] asked Ddraig.

{Yeah…}

Ahead of us was a reception area with…Beru…? We approached him and he welcomed us.

"Welcome my Liege to the Rating Game stadium and to your new home," said Beru.

"Yeah glad to be here, but…when did you come here?" I asked.

Previously Beru was mostly in Ingvild's shadow, but since they've gotten a lot stronger, I removed them from there and let them do their own thing until I needed them for something. Beru himself liked watching me cook as well as cooking shows, so I was surprised he was being the receptionist right now.

"Beru! Are you doing well?" Ingvild asked as both of them high-fived with both hands. I heard that they got along, but I didn't think it was by this much.

When I glanced back, everyone else was looking around the place in shock or amazement. But the devils weren't as shocked.

"Hmm. Should we create this kind of room in our home?" Zeoticus asked Venelana.

"…That would be a waste of funds, dear," replied Venelana looking a bit tired.

"I like it, it's very…shiny!" said Runeas with Chysis agreeing with her.

Rias was also playing with Millicas, although she looked taken aback by everything. I thought the Gremory heiress would be used to this kind of luxury, but it looks like I was wrong. She saw me looking and smiled back at me while Millicas waved and came over to me.

"This place is incredible, Aaron-nii-sama. Will Rias-nee-sama move here when she marries you?" he asked innocently. Rias' face turned red upon hearing that.

"Hmm? Well, I have another home, but it's not ready…so I'll be alternating between here and there, as well as the one in Kuoh," I told Millicas and patted his head. "But I guess the home we'll mostly stay at is the last one that's called [Sanctuary]."

"[Sanctuary]…will we be invited to that place in the future?" he asked.

"When it's done, yeah we can go there," I told him and he ran away happily after that.

After a few minutes of exploring the reception area, Antares led us to the actual stadium and it was like a giant circular field with a circular concrete ground that's slightly elevated. There were also multiple seats on various levels around the circular arena.

"Another dimension is connected to the stadium. Depending on what the game type is, the two teams facing off against each other will be transported there. Unlike the other stadiums, there is an option for the audience to choose what type of field the two teams will face off in. For example…if they play [Scramble Flag], then they can play it on an appropriate field for it…or if the audience chooses something else—like an underwater setting, it would make it harder for both teams, and maybe more entertaining for them," explained Antares.

"T-that sounds like hell," said Genshirou. "We played [Scramble Flag] against Seekvaira Agares-san and it was already challenging on a field that was appropriate for that kind of game…"

Antares smirked and cycled through a few fields and there were quite a lot of them. Many of them were based on real world cities, towns, and villages in the human world. Some were based on the books of this world—the others based on different universes towns and cities and some were just made up by him and the G.o.B and [Guardians].

"A large variety…" mumble Sona. She must have been thinking of strategies as she saw some of them.

"Indeed, there are a lot," added Ravel as she smiled to herself.

Whatever strategy or tactics Sona has for those fields and game…they're going to be rendered useless by what this little devil has planned for them. I sighed and patted Ravel's head, confusing her, but she accepted it in the end.

"Aaron-senpai!" Genshirou suddenly shouted. "Please fight me!"

"Geeeeeeeeeen!!" Ruruko screamed before she grabbed him from behind and doing a suplex with him. A strange sound came out of Genshirou as he slammed against the ground.

Genshirou quickly recovered from being slammed to the ground by Ruruko and repeated his words. I looked at him and asked if he was serious and he said he was. With a sigh I agreed to fight him. Our group went to the stands to watch the match, but I had a different plan for this…

— ○ ● ○ —

"Wha—" Genshirou sat on the ground looking mortified at me. "How many more forms do you have after your [Diablos Dragon God]?! And what's that one called?!" he asked out of shock.

The match ended quickly. I had a small fistfight with him, and then he started using some new technique he made with Ruruko which would be very effective. Although…it was kind of dumb of him since he showed most of [Team Golden Rakshasa], and Ravel could probably make a plan to counter it…

"[Apocalypse AnswerArms]," I told him. "I have one with [Divine Dividing] too, but for more forms…well, you'll just need to wait till the future, huh?"

This version of [Apocalypse AnswerArms] was my own since I didn't have Ryuuteimaru. I just used my own dragon form and mixed my [Boosted Gear] [Queen] and [Diabolos Dragon God] forms and I ended up with that. It looks less like a spaceship and more like a robotic dragon, almost like my [Juggernaut Drive EX]. I could also adjust the size of it, so when we entered the different dimension and I transformed into it—I towered over everything as I adjusted it to the size of earth. It should be fine if I used it to knock out Tartarus in the future.

"It should be lunch soon; shall we head back to your home in here then? Everything should be prepared in advance, Aaron-sama," said Antares. After I helped Genshirou up, all of us made our way to my new home via a teleportation circle.

— ○ ● ○ —

Lunch was pretty amazing. My new home was essentially an even bigger castle than Runeas' (according to her). It was made of pure white stone and had purple-colored roofs. There was also a floor where it was dedicated to bedrooms just like my home in Kuoh, and various other ones with just storage spaces and the like. There was an entire floor dedicated to just ingredients stored in appropriate spaces with the right temperatures which was…amazing for someone like me who loves cooking. Even Grayfia, Raiko and Inaie were enamored by the place—the same as the Pleiades.

Right now, everyone was exploring the massive castle. I was alone in my office in this castle. It was much, much larger than the one I had in my home in Kuoh. Honestly, it felt more like half of my home in Kuoh had been turned into a home, that's how large it was.

"Man…this place is convenient as hell. I should take note and add some of these into my home in Kuoh and [Sanctuary]," I muttered to myself. I pressed a button beneath my table and a fridge came out of the ground beside me.

When I opened it, it was full of food and beverages. I took a carton of juice and a cup that was in there too. After I dismissed it after pressing the button again, the door to my office opened as I poured myself a cup.

"Ara? Jin-kun, or should I call you 'Aaron-kun' now?" asked Venelana as she came into my room by herself. She strolled over beside me and looked at me.

"Jin or Aaron is fine, I don't really mind," I told her and offered the cup of juice to her. She thanked me and drank the whole glass and I poured another one for myself and drank it. "How can I help you? Are you done with touring the place?"

"Mmm…" she muttered and unexpectedly sat on my lap. "First-Generation-sama and Chysis-sama are going to be here with the rest of them."

"Them?" I repeated.

"Shuri, your mother, and Misla Bael," she told me and put a hand on my chest.

[Partner…! I told you, didn't I?! The 'fuck me' eyes!!]

"Hmm. So they're done exploring for the time, huh? Well, that's fine, they're old—"

"Aaron-kun?" she said with a smile on her face while pinching my cheeks quite hard. As she was about to do something else, the door opened again and in came…an army of moms.

My own biological mother, Róisín Toole, looked panicked for some reason and ran towards Venelana and I and separated us rather quickly. Her cheeks became puffy as she squinted her eyes at Venelana. My mother, Róisín muttered 'Mmmm' while Venelana said 'Ara ara' at her. A weird standstill took place.

Shuri came over to me too and hugged the back of my head. "What are you doing here all alone? Shouldn't you be with everyone else enjoying your time here?" she asked.

"I was just going over some things to do with my restaurant and the upcoming Rating Game here. Even though it's going to be one of the safest places in the world, I just want to add a bit more during the day of the game, and of course, during other games held here," I told her.

"…I see… Aaron, I have to tell you something," she said and strengthened her embrace around my head.

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry for how I acted to you back last year. I was brought back to life so suddenly, and then I found out my only daughter was in that man's harem—I felt conflicted. Please understand I'm only human and accepting something like that…especially after being brought up in the Himejima clan and then being exiled—"

"I don't blame you. I understand. In my previous world and life, something like this would be too strange, and it would be shunned unless you were in certain religions that allowed harems to exist. Even polyamorous relationships were still not fully accepted in society back then, so I understand where you were coming from," I told her.

"Honestly, I only ever dated Aoife before being reincarnated here, so the thought of a harem was both strange and exciting that I wanted one. I was probably in over my head back then, but it's worked itself out. Anyway, I never held a grudge against you since I understood your worries."

After I told her that, she hugged my head tighter and kissed the top of my head while whispering 'thank you' and 'sorry' over and over. But I never held any grudge against her, nor hated her for how she acted. To me, when thinking about it, it makes sense. I was also essentially a random person that came into her life, so she probably wanted to see how I was before making her final judgement.

However, our little moment was interrupted when Misla trotted over and snatched my head away from Shuri's grasps and hugged me into her chest.

"Jin-kun~ it's been a while! Are you doing well? You've changed a lot since I last saw you! Thank you for looking after my son and his peerage!" she said and hugged me tighter.

"…Is my son…a MILF hunter?" my mother asked, almost sounding worried and sad. I pulled myself away from Misla's chest and looked at my mother. "Are you?" she asked.

"How am I supposed to answer that?" I asked back. Mom suddenly fell to her knees and covered her face.

"I just want to spoil my son-in-law," said Shuri.

"I'm simply doting on my son's friend. Is that a crime?" Misla asked and continued to hug me as I faced mom.

"Ara, ara~" Venelana said while touching her cheek with her hand. She neither denied nor confirmed what my mom said.

"I am no MILF, I am a GILF!" Runeas said proudly.

"Me too~" Chysis raised her hand after Runeas proclaimed herself as such.

They acknowledged themselves as that, huh? Should I be worried or something…?

My mom suddenly got up and pulled me away from Misla and Shuri. "You won't abandon me, right? I'm your mommy, right…?" she asked, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

She had never acted like this in our previous lives, but I didn't really mind. Maybe she was always like this? But she never got to act like it because of the man she was married—no, I did see some glimpses like this when we watched some shows or after she read a volume of a manga or light novel and came to discuss it with me. Cindy would also be there to comment on things since she would sometimes read something mom put aside for the time being.

I chuckled and hugged mom back. "I won't. Why are you worrying about this now? Jeez, I didn't think my mom was this clingy. Haaa…let's just go back to exploring this place then."

After that, we continued with our tour—I was mostly surrounded by older women, much to Lavinia and Akeno's dismay, so I had to spoil them further on that day.

— ○ ● ○ —

A day later, I was attending college by myself since I rarely go there. I was treated the same as in the high school division, with some liking me and others loathing me because of my 'harem-status' as they call it. Along with me were Higuro and Kikijo. We, the three idiots ate at one of the cafés on campus.

"Man, that fight between Sairaorg and Cao Cao was intense. I felt my blood pump during it!" Kikijo suddenly said.

"Right? Even Sakura and Yua were interested in it… Oh, by the way, Jin. What are your plans for the future? Being an immortal and all…" asked Higuro.

I nodded and told them about my plans on starting a new age of space for humanity, expanding my business and creating 'pills' to increase their lifespans by a certain amount. It would be available to the rich first and then made available to everyone else.

"Will you guys want to increase your life span?" I asked. "Or live and die like normal humans?"

They stop to stare at me for a bit, thinking about it. However, they didn't have much time to think since someone approached us.

"Hmm? Oh, it's the new President, Xenovia-chan," said Kikijo. "She's here for you, isn't she?"

"Probably. I might be leaving too, so see you guys. You can send me your answers via text or something!" I told them and they agreed.

"Nova, what's up? It's rare for you to come here," I said while arriving in front of her.

She grabbed my hand and held it before she started pulling me out and away from campus, so I made an avatar and had him attend the rest of my lectures for me. So much for staying for attending lectures myself. As she dragged me away, she explained why she needed my help.

Genshirou forgot something and she wanted to personally deliver it to him. She's such a weird and straightforward President, it makes me wonder how the day-to-day life in the high school division is with her leading them.

I knew where Genshirou lived, although I hadn't been there before. However, he did tell me where when I went to help the Sitri peerage cook for Serafall a few days before my first trip to the Shinto Pantheon. After teleporting near the home, we made our way there.

"He said he had something to do, so he left earlier along with some of the Sitri team earlier, but it's unlike him to forget to bring documents home," said Xenovia as we held hands. "Hmm, it's strange, we don't hold hands that often. Mine aren't too rough, right?" she asked.

"They're soft, mine are rough. Even as a warrior of the church, you still managed to keep yours soft, you know? Most hands become rough after doing repetitive things that use a lot of, I guess force and the use of your hands—like lumberjacks and farmers," I told her.

She brought our hands up together and while looking at it asked, "Do you still masturbate?"

Taken aback by her question, I just stared at her in response.

"I mean, you have a lot of women around you, so I doubt you would need to right? There's a lot of variety too. I recently heard of you and Shigune doing something called a 'thighjob' in the bath?" she asked. As she did, we walked past a group of high school girls whose faces turned red when they heard her.

"…Nova, this conversation isn't really appropriate for where we are…" Xenovia blinked a few times before looking around us.

"Oh, right, my bad," she said and also blushed. That's what gets her embarrassed? I still don't understand her at times…

We continued our journey and eventually arrived at a home. We went up to the door and rang the doorbell but after waiting for a few minutes, no one opened the door.

"He still might be out," Xenovia said and frowned a little.

"Someone's home, give it a little more time," I replied. She looked at me and nodded, and a few seconds later, it opened. A small girl with the same hair color as Genshirou came out. She also had the same gray eyes as Saji.

"…Jin Skyward-san and President Xenovia, right?" she asked. Beside her was a small boy who looked to be still in kindergarten. His face and knees had several band-aids on them. It seems like he fell or was in a fight.

We both nodded at her question. She bowed and said, "I'm Kaho Saji and this is Gengo Saji. We're his little sister and brother. Gengo, greet them.

"Hello," said the younger one.

Xenovia was surprised by the identities of these two, but I already knew. Kaho was in middle school, so she should be going to high school soon. But it was clear that Xenovia had no idea as she failed to greet Kaho and Gengo back. I shook her shoulder and she finally came back to reality.

She handed a document envelope to Kaho's hands and said, "This is for Saji—for Genshirou, your brother forgot to bring it back with him. Could you please pass it on to him? Also…"

I brought out a bag from behind me and presented it to her. "Here, a Castella cake for you guys," I said and handed it to them.

Kaho accepted it gracefully and bowed her head again. "Ah, I'm sorry, he does forget things at times…thank you for the Castella cake."

Xenovia turned around and said, "Well, we should get going now, that's all we were here for."

"Ah, please wait. W-why don't you two come in for a cup of tea so I can thank you properly?" she asked.

"Ah, well, we—" As Xenovia began to declined, I accepted. She looked at me questioningly and I just smiled back at her. So we joined them in their home.

— ○ ● ○ —

After getting settled inside of their living room with Gengo playing with a small [Boosted Gear] Scale Mail plushie I gave him as a gift, Kaho came back out with some tea and the Castella cake cut for all of us to tea.

Once she sat down, she asked, "You're the Dual Dragon Emperor and the wielder of [Durandal], right? I'll be cheering for [Team Golden Rakshasa] since their [King] is your subordinate."

Xenovia was surprised by this, but quickly accepted the fact that Kaho knew more about Genshirou's situation than she originally thought.

Looking around the room, the home as clean and tidy. There was a portrait of the three siblings hung up on the wall, and it looked like it was painted by Gengo who was still in kindergarten. It seemed like all three of them got along well.

"You know of our true identities? So in other words, Genshirou-kun's true identity too, right?" Xenovia asked.

Kaho nodded. "Yes, I know. But Gengo still doesn't know. We're not sure if we should tell him in the future or not…"

It was only natural that a kindergarten-aged child wouldn't understand even if they sat him down and told him. Worst case scenario, he would babble about it to his friends who wouldn't believe him.

But telling him down the line, I don't think either me or Xenovia had a say in that. It's entirely up to Genshirou and Kaho.

"I've also been watching the tournament matches. They have all been very fun to watch, and very exciting. Although I was shocked when you summoned a meteor on those two Gods, Jin-san," Kaho said with a strained smile.

"…Haha, well, I already intended to do it from the start," I replied. After that, Kaho revealed to us more and more about what she knew and what Genshirou had told her. She also told us her plans for the future concerning the supernatural.

Kaho told us about Genshirou's dreams and aspirations too. As she told us this—I looked over to one of the shelves that had another framed photo.

"That's a photo of our parents. Grandpa and grandma are also beside that one," she informed us.

"Mmm? Are your parents still at work then? Even at this time of day, some parents tend to start coming home, don't they?" Xenovia asked.

With a completely normal expression on her face, she said, "They've all passed away already. Our parents passed away shortly after Gengo was born, so it's been around five years. Grandpa died last year and grandma a long time ago."

Xenovia looked mortified as she started to bow her head over and over while apologizing.

"Ah…Gen-nii didn't mention it? I'm sorry, it seems I have said a bit too much then," she said and apologized too.

Genshirou isn't the type to tell everyone his life story. He's the silent type that tries to do everything by himself. I guess, the typical 'manly-man' who doesn't share his personal life that much.

"I again apologize. Ruruko and the others from the Sitri peerage didn't mention it before. Perhaps the former President and Vice President knew, and didn't mention it due to Genshirou-kun wanting to keep it a private matter…" mumble Xenovia.

No, everyone in the Sitri peerage knew of his circumstances, but chose not to tell the Gremory peerage. Momo told me in confidence, so I never once mentioned it to anyone else. It was during the 100 years we spent together, Sona also informed me after we started dating. However, I already knew before they told me.

The person who probably knew outside of it was Rias, and maybe Akeno to a degree? But everyone else didn't. Suddenly a loud bang happened and the door opened. Gengo who was previously playing with the plushie had entered the room again. I guess he left while we spoke and he had gotten change into new clothes.

"Onee-chan, I'm done changing!" he yelled and jumped on the same sofa as her.

Kaho smiled and patted Gengo on the head. "Okay good. Now come here and have some cake with us. I'll go get the handmade pudding that the grandma next door taught me how to make," she said and left the living room.

"Yay! Two snacks!" Gengo said audibly excited. Kaho quickly came back to the living room and softly karate chopped his head.

"Wait, have you said thank you to these two yet?"

Prompted by his older sister, the little brother immediately bowed towards us and shouted, "Thank you very much!"

Seeing the little guy this happy made smiles appear on our faces as he happily munched down the food.

Kaho nodded. "Good, you can watch some TV now," she said and turned on the television and put on some kids' shows. A popular children's show started playing and Gengo started chanting its name.

"I'm sorry, he has way too much energy at times," Kaho apologized and looked a bit troubled while watching Gengo eating the food and watching his show.

"It looked like he was crying earlier. Is everything okay?" I asked. Earlier, when Kaho opened the door, Gengo seemed like he had been crying since his eyes looked red.

With a troubled look on her face she said, "Ah, well, actually, he seems to have been fighting with an older boy pretty often recently. And that boy seems to have his own complicated home life since he's being raised by a single mother."

"…Children of that age feel sad or depressed, but don't know how to express it in a more healthy way, so they resort to violence to vent out their feelings," I told them and Kaho agreed.

"Our family doesn't have a father or a mother, and both grandpa and grandma have passed away too. However, the time Gen-nii and I spend together with Gengo is actually quite fulfilling. Some members of the Sitri peerage occasionally come over to help care for my brother, especially Ruruko-nee. The old couple next door also help us take care of him, so we're really quite fortunate," explained Kaho.

Xenovia inquired a bit more about Genshirou's family situation and learned more about him. Their father used to be a teacher, and their mother was a museum staff member. Both of them were engaged in education-related work, and both passed away five years ago in an unfortunate traffic accident.

Following that incident, their grandfather took care of them and they stayed together until last year. However, the grandfather who was taking care of them also passed away due to an illness. After that incident, and having no guardians left, Genshirou incidentally encountered Sona.

From there she learned about the Sacred Gear in him. This led to him becoming her servant and providing him with the means of support, and then they were eventually moved to this home.

Even when all of this was happening, Genshirou didn't tell me about his circumstances or ask for help. He knew I would, but he still didn't, it makes me wonder how he thinks of our friendship, although he did kind of hate me at the start. Unless he just assumed I already knew because of my seemingly 'all-knowing' powers.

Or he just didn't want me to worry or cause me trouble, although trouble tends to find me more times than not. Looking back at Gengo's painting, it was obvious that he started to understand some things—his parents weren't coming back and the only family that he had left were his older brother and sister.

Even after that, Gengo could still smile like that while watching his TV show. But…I do hope to make all siblings smile even more in the future…just a bit longer and they'll be reunited.

"Gen-nii has always said that he wants to become a teacher, right? That dream is something he suddenly focused on after he had become a servant of Sona-san. Before he became a Devil, I clearly remember him saying that he wanted to get a stable job as a municipal office worker," said Kaho with a pained expression. However, she continued.

"I think Gen-nii wants Gengo to see the path that mom and dad used to walk in life. Mom and dad weren't able to show Gengo how they worked, and that's why Gen-nii is engaged in education-related work, so that he can show it to Gengo."

Kaho smiled wearily and sighed. "I think Gen-nii is trying to act cool to make up for the roles of both mom and dad."

Xenovia and I couldn't utter a single word. Xenovia did look quite sad while looking at the two siblings. Afterward, we talked about school and the tournament for about ten or so minutes before bidding farewell to the Saji family.

When we left, Genshirou's little sister said to us at the door, "I'll be cheering for both [Team Rias Gremory] and [Team Golden Rakshasa]…but my support for [Team Sona Sitri] will have priority."

"That's fine. Cheer for your brother and his team," I told her.

On our way home, the sky had started to turn orange, and while looking up at the sky, Xenovia said, "Everyone has their own burdens to carry. At the start, I simply followed you and that peace you pursued…but seeing how a small family like that is facing hardships even when I'm taking responsibility for someone in the Student Council…it makes me feel a bit useless."

"…Hey, will tragedies like theirs stop if your peace is fully realized, Aaron?" Xenovia asked, her grip on my hand tightening. When I looked at her, Xenovia's face was full of uncertainty and doubt.

Involving the humans, letting them know that the supernatural is real. I'm sure even more problems will appear once that happens. Humans while flexible and adaptable to change—many in this day and age have issues with it. Those are just related to their own problems, if we add the supernatural, there will definitely be protests about us.

"I doubt tragedies like that will ever be completely stopped, but the things I have planned will certainly make them less likely to happen. Hopefully, after the supernatural involves the humans, we can make it happen. It'll take time though," I replied.

Xenovia looked at me then back up at the sky. I wonder what her life was like before she became involved in the church? Was she dropped off like Asia as a child and then she became a warrior?

"This is why I treasure and cherish the day-to-day happiness we have. Who knows when a war like the one with the Khaos Order might happen again, right? We still have the rest of the Khaos Order to deal with. The same with the Phantasma and Evie," she suddenly said after a bit of silence.

She suddenly let go of my hand and jumped forward. She stared at me and smiled. "I don't remember much about my past since all I've known is the church. However, I don't want our children to live like that—without parents, so let's make this world a better place for everyone through our own actions."

"…"

A year ago, I wouldn't have imagined words like that to come out of Xenovia's mouth. She would usually add 'For the Church' or 'For our Lord' or something like that. The fact that she wants to do it herself without wanting to do it for some kind of deity is…it makes me happy.

"…Yeah, that's why we—[DxD] exist. For now, let's go home." She agreed and we went home a little less depressed about the situation in Genshirou's household.

— ○ ● ○ —

Later on that night as everyone was unwinding due to our hectic day, I was approached by Griselda in my office. Before I could ask why she was here, she suddenly hugged me. Confused, I hugged her back.

"Griselda? Is something wrong?" I asked. Although I had a feeling it had something to do with Xenovia, maybe she went to her and told her about our conversation after we left Genshirou's house?

"…I don't know what happened between you and that silly girl, but what she told me just a few minutes ago had me in tears. Aaron, tell me what happened at Saji-kun's home," she asked.

I stared at her for a few seconds and recounted what happened and she kept on shaking her head and sighing. "Never in my life…first her speech and now this…" she looked up at me and asked, "what else do you have planned?"

"…What?" I asked back.

"I know that look, Toole-kun. What do you have planned?" she asked again slowly getting closer to my face.

I laughed and put my hands up. "Alright, listen up…"

— ○ ● ○ —

After Griselda left and after I finished my own work, I went up to the top of my home and called a certain someone with my phone.

"Hello? Jin-san?" a male voice asked.

"Hey, it's me. It's happening in a few days; do you want to see him and the rest of your kids?" I asked.

"…Yes! Of course, we've been counting the days for this to happen, thank you! We've also watched some of his matches. He's grown a lot…" said the male's voice. I could hear a female's voice in the background sounding excited too.

"Great, when it's time, I'll bring you guys with me. I'm sure he'll need a bit of encouragement during the game—hopefully with your help he'll get it," I replied.

"Yes, thank you!"

We spoke for a little longer before our call ended. Putting my phone away I turned around and saw that Lavinia was there.

"Are you doing your usual 'magic'?" she asked and hugged me.

"If I say yes, what will happen?" I asked. She didn't say anything else and simply hugged me tighter. In a few days, during Genshirou's match, something close to a miracle will happen—I wonder how he'll react to it?

— ○ ● ○ —

Third Person Point of View

— ○ ● ○ —

Having finished his work at Auros Academy, as well as having attended the strategy meeting for the upcoming match, Genshirou Saji returned to his house at dinner time.

"I'm home~" he called out at the doorway as he took his shoes off, and his little brother Gengo quickly dashed out to greet him.

"Welcome home, Onii-chan!"

Genshirou ruffled Gengo's hair as he walked into the living room.

"Hey, were you waiting for me to have dinner, Gengo?" he asked his little brother.

Dinner. The aroma of curry wafted out from the kitchen and into his nostrils. Since he had just finished work and a meeting on top of that, he was actually starving.

"Gen-nii, welcome home." His little sister Kaho seemed to be relaxing in the living room. As soon as she learned that her brother had returned, she immediately began to prepare the table for dinner.

Noticing that Kaho was acting mildly shy, Genshirou inquired. "…Is something wrong?"

Realizing that he had seen through her pretense, Kaho heaved a sigh and then began to explain.

"To tell you the truth, Jin Skyward-san and President Xenovia came over just earlier. Because you forgot some documents, they…"

When she said that, her eyes drifted toward the photo frame on the shelf which contained a photo of their parents. That was enough for Genshirou to deduce what had happened.

"…I see, so they know now."

Genshirou scratched the back of his head. He hadn't intended to conceal it from them, but he felt that such a topic wasn't something he had to bring up of his own accord, and so he never spoke about his family situation with Aaron Toole or Xenovia whom he worked with on the Student Council.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that you didn't tell them," Kaho said in worry.

Genshirou shook his head. "No, it's fine. Even though President Xenovia is a muscle head at times, she was known for keeping secrets, as was the case with Jin-senpai. Although it would be better if I spoke to him about it."

"Ah, by the way, Gen-nii…"

"Hmm?"

"He had that 'look' in his eyes. The one you told me to watch out for. So, I think he has plans for you…" said Kaho.

Genshirou Saji stared at his little sister before sighing again. "Jeez, now I'm in his sights, huh? I just hope it doesn't affect our upcoming match."

That was the kind of person Aaron was—but Genshirou already accepted that fact a long time ago.

'He won't tell them, right? Even if he did, Aurelia-sensei and everyone else on that team wouldn't hesitate to fight us at their full strength. If they do, I'll just take advantage of it and beat them up,' he thought.

"Come on, let's eat." Genshirou gestured for his siblings to join them and they started to eat.

As the three siblings began eating the curry that was prepared by Kaho and the kind grandmother next door to them, Genshirou Saji began to reminisce about the past.

Five years ago, his parents died in a car accident.

It had happened around half a year after Gengo was born. His father, a teacher left the school where he had worked at. He drove back home after picking up Genshirou's mother along the way. After they had joined up with each other, they began driving home together.

That was when tragedy struck as they got involved in a head-on collision with a truck where the driver had dozed off, and…their parents never returned to them. Genshirou Saji was just thirteen years old and had just started middle school when this happened. While his sister Kaho was just ten years old and a fourth-grade student.

As a result of the sudden loss of both their parents, the three siblings were thrust into an unimaginable situation. However, the one who stepped up and took responsibility of all three were their grandfather on their father's side. Their grandmother had already passed away, but their grandfather still took them in so they could live together, and he cared for them in the place of their parents.

However, even the grandfather who had been taking care of them also passed away at the beginning of last year due to an illness. When he lay on his deathbed in a hospital room, his grandfather called for him and gave him his last words.

"…Grandpa wanted to see you all grow up into fine adults…I'm sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't, Genshirou…"

When he watched his grandfather continuously apologize, Genshirou could not say anything except silently let tears roll down his cheeks. For nearly four years, their grandfather took care of them instead of their parents.

He had taken up that heavy burden and granted all of them their unreasonable demands as children even with his weak body. It was thanks to his grandfather that Genshirou had made it into high school with not much trouble and his little sister into middle school.

His grandfather even participated in school activities in the place of their parents. Whenever they had excursions or sports festivals, their grandfather prepared lunchboxes for them. Their grandfather also cared for Gengo.

With a faint, raspy voice, his grandfather murmured, "Genshirou…Gengo…will grow up without knowing his parents… Grandpa wanted to take good care of you siblings in place of your parents…so, Genshirou, as Gengo's older brother, you must take the place of your father."

That was his grandfather's request, a plea to the young man in front of him.

"I never imagined that I would have to entrust this kind of thing to you when you're still a child yourself. If you must hold a grudge against someone, then let it be me…"

His grandfather raised his thin and feeble hand to caress Genshirou's cheek. Shortly afterward, his grandfather passed away. The three Saji siblings became lonely and helpless again.

Even though Genshirou wanted someone to look after his younger siblings, he didn't have the financial capacity to do so. The reality that a high school student was unable to handle the situation weighed heavily on him.

The biggest problem was that they didn't have a guardian. It meant that the three siblings could be separated from each other. Just when he felt completely lost and his heart was filled with unease, Genshirou encountered Sona.

By sheer chance, Genshirou received a summoning leaflet near the local train station. Without giving it much thought, he returned home with it. When he voiced his uneasiness about the future whilst at home, the leaflet suddenly glowed—and the Student Council President of Kuoh Academy that he attended emerged from it. After learning of Sona's true identity, Genshirou explained his situation to her. Sona then performed a search within his body and discovered a certain item.

The Sacred Gear [Absorption Line].

After learning that such a Sacred Gear existed within his body, Genshirou successfully called forth its power, and formed a Master-Servant contract with Sona to reincarnate as one of her servants.

At the same time, he also joined the Student Council and gained the determination to work as her arms and legs. And so, with the support of the House of Sitri, Genshirou was able to move into this apartment.

Everyone who lived in this neighborhood was affiliated with the House of Sitri in one way or another. The residents who knew their situation acted with kindness toward the three Saji siblings. The money that Genshirou earned from working as a member of the Sitri peerage all went toward living funds to support Kaho and Gengo, as well as savings for the future.

Although they had gone through a turbulent period and faced various struggles, the Saji family could now enjoy a stable life.

After he reminisced over his earlier years, Genshirou inadvertently noticed the injuries on his younger brother. His face and knees had been plastered with band-aids. It was most likely a fight in kindergarten, which he immediately recognized.

Genshirou then asked, "Gengo, did you lose a fight?"

Originally Gengo had a smile on his face, but his lips suddenly twisted and he said with a disheartened tone, "…Acchan is so big that my tackles and punches don't work."

Genshirou knew that his little brother's opponent was a single parent child. The other boy's situation was just as complicated as the Saji family's. Realizing this, that boy wanted to vent his distress, and resorted to his fists. Genshirou was able to sympathize with the other boy.

Genshirou put down his spoon and said, "Listen up, Gengo. Your brother occasionally fights as well, and everyone he fights against is stronger or sometimes equal to him in strength. But your brother never cries when he loses, and he always moves forward. Do you know why?"

Gengo shook his head.

"It's because I want to let the other side know that no matter how strong they are, I won't lose to them. So, you also have to show them your strength, Gengo. If someone punches you twice, it's okay to return one punch to them. If they punch you three times, return two punches. If you do that, no one will ever think you're weak, Gengo."

That was Genshirou's approach to fighting. Especially before he received help from Aaron Toole and became astronomically stronger than most people, including Gods.

Even though he never defeated him in any of the sparring matches he had requested of him over the 100 years they spent together, he never gave up trying—he never stopped improving himself. At some point, he stopped trying to surpass him because after the truth was revealed to him, he knew it was impossible.

Instead, he wanted his full acknowledgement—not just as his friend, not just as his ally—but as fellow dragons of the same generation. That's why in his upcoming match, he would fight Aurelia Le Guin like his life depended on it. He also wanted her approval, as someone who trained under her.

Genshirou, had also gotten approval from his [King], Sona Sitri for this, even after his declaration after the fight between Sairaorg Bael and Cao Cao.

— ○ ● ○ —

"President, I have a request. If the conditions of the game allow it…I want to have a one-on-one fight against Aurelia-sensei."

His request was to have a head-on clash with Aurelia Le Guin. Genshirou was well aware of how unfavorable and unreasonable it was for their match. He knew that he wouldn't win, but that sliver of a chance still remained at the back of his head, and he wanted to try.

'I want to fight him and prove myself.'

Normally, such a request wouldn't be granted, but to his surprise, everyone in his peerage approved of it. Even the [Queen] Tsubaki Shinra.

Sona heaved a sigh and asked Genshirou," Saji, you're a smart person. You've made this request despite knowing that our team's tactics may fall apart… Are you truly that eager to fight against Aurelia-sensei?"

With a tight fist grip, Genshirou expressed his heartfelt feelings about many matters which also cocerned someone else..

"…The first time I saw that guy, I thought he was just an ordinary pervert. I thought that he became friends with Rias-senpai based on a chance encounter, and that it was simply his luck that made him the Red Dragon Emperor."

Upon hearing that one of the new students was some kind of big shot, Genshirou looked at him with contempt. However, the more things he heard about him, the more things he saw him do for the people near him and the supernatural world at large—his opinion of him changed.

He even helped him, the person who held him in contempt. He even helped him get a girlfriend, by telling him to broaden his horizons!

"But I was wrong. That guy's encounters with everyone, especially with Akeno-senpai, Lavinia-san and Kuroka-san were all because of his own hard work. Even after finding out the truth—after finding out what kind of insane power he has—he still works tirelessly. Not many people see it because he does it secretly, but I saw him multiple times working hard and training."

Genshirou Saji saw Aaron Toole working hard in secret in his [Pocket Dimension] during their 100 years together. Strangely enough, Aaron Toole felt embarrassed about showing his own training from others, so he did it in secret.

Sona closed her eyes and nodded. "That's right. Aaron is without a doubt, a hero. He is the embodiment of miracles and hopes, and he has continually been climbing a mountain to attain his current status. Even with the ridicule at the start, he kept on persisting."

She paused and opened her eyes and stared at Genshirou. "There is no guarantee we'll make it to the main stage and be able to fight Aaron during the final exhibition match. Even still, you want to fight Aurelia-sensei in our upcoming match?"

Despite his trembling body, Genshirou shouted, "Even so! I want to try to reach him, and in order for that to happen…we have to defeat Aurelia-sensei, Cao Cao's team, Master Sairaorg's team and various other God-class teams."

"…It's frustrating. We're part of the same generation but I can't win against that guy—so instead I'll have him genuinely acknowledge me! He left us all behind, but I want to try and catch up to him!"

Aaron Toole was a constant source of miracle-like phenomena, and combined with his powers, they only kept on occurring.  Genshirou was well aware of that.

Even so, they belonged to the same generation. They both possessed the power of a Dragon, and they both joined team [DxD]. Genshirou's efforts were no lesser than his, and his experience in fighting and surviving battles was not inferior either.

In his Devil Jobs as well, he did his best so that he wouldn't lose to Aaron Toole's job as the Middleman. But even after doing all that, he was still unable to win against his friend of the same age who belonged to the same generation.

Sona smiled a little and sighed. "…Really, Saji and the rest of you, you're all such foolish children when it involves that man…"

After taking a moment to adjust her mood, Sona proclaimed, "I intend to follow the plan that we just discussed earlier, but in any case, I will allow Saji to fight against Aurelia-sensei…perhaps it's my gut, but I feel like something akin to a 'miracle' will occur during the match."

"Aurelia-sensei has already accepted his challenge, and the entire supernatural world is expecting this fight to happen, so I can't really refuse. Also, [Team Golden Rakshasa] won't interrupt them. Aurelia-sensei will definitely tell them to stir clear."

She fixed her glasses and added, "It'll also be good entertainment for the Rating Game. If our actions are contrary to the audience's desires, that will also be detrimental for us. I'm sure most of the audience are looking forward to the battle between you and Aurelia-sensei after it being hyped so much."

After saying that, Sona laughed. "Saji, it doesn't matter what the outcome is so long as you demonstrate to everyone that you're stronger than last year. You have to show every faction how strong the devil named Saji Genshirou is. You showed them the start during our first Rating Game against Rias last year. Show them the new and improved version this year."

After hearing his master's words, Genshirou became emotional as tears threatened to spill from his eyes, but he held them in.

Sona added, "However, I will decide on the timing for when we launch an attack on Aurelia-sensei. Are you okay with that, Saji?"

"Yes!"

Sona and his comrades had accepted his one-off selfish request, which made Saji feel truly grateful to all of them.

— ○ ● ○ —

After he recalled those exchanges earlier in the day, his dinner with Kaho and Gengo came to an end. Later, after taking a bath with his little brother, Genshirou clapped his hands together and prayed in front of the photos of his parents and grandparents on the shelf.

'Dad, mom. Thank you for giving birth to me and giving me this Sacred Gear.'

The Sacred Gear System was generally considered to be a relic of the God of the Bible. Despite this, he still believed that the ones who bestowed this power upon him were the parents who had given birth to him, and the grandfather who had raised him up.

Because of the power given to him by his family members, he was able to provide food and shelter for Kaho and Gengo. Since he had become a devil, it was no longer possible for him to go to the same place as his parents or grandparents after death. Therefore, he would never again see his father and mother, nor his grandparents. But despite that, Genshirou still decided on this path. He chose the world in which he would be a devil.

'I want to protect this family. I want to continue living with Kaho and Gengo. But it's grown since Ruruko-chan will move in with me soon.'

…However, by becoming a devil, it meant that Kaho and Gengo would grow old and pass away far earlier than him. The time that they could spend together could be less than eighty years.

'When they see me with an appearance no different from my youth, will they still call me 'brother' and 'family'?'

It was something which Genshirou had always been afraid of, but right now, it didn't matter to him.

'Even if they start to resent me afterward, as long as they can live well and grow up into fine adults…that is enough. What I have to go through doesn't matter so long as Kaho and Gengo can live healthy lives.'

However, despite this mentality, Genshirou still had his own goals.

'Dad, I also want to become a 'teacher'. If I had known earlier, I would've asked you why you chose to become a teacher. I've always regretted it, so if I become a 'teacher', will I understand your feelings better? In that way, can I show Gengo?'

At the same time, a different kind of feeling also emerged from the depths of his body.

'But you know what…dad, mom, grandpa, grandma, the exhibition match, if we make it, that is what I eagerly look forward to, just as much as my dreams.'

Appearing in Saji's mind was the figure of a reliable comrade, senpai and close friend of the same generation. This was the person he wanted to defeat.

Kaho noticed Saji praying in front of their parents, and asked. "What did you pray for?"

"I made a promise to them that I'd beat Aurelia-sensei tomorrow," he said with a grin.

"After I take Gengo over to the grandma next door to look after tomorrow, I'll find some time to watch about an hour of the match. Sona-san also gave me a transportation magic circle."

"…If grandma is okay with it, then that's fine."

"Yeah, don't lose before I go."

"Of course."

Genshirou was eagerly looking forward to tomorrow's match. Because he could finally prove himself to everyone, to his senpai, and to himself.

The Great Dragon King Genshirou Saji was about to make his own legend.

— ○ ● ○ —

The day of the match. Both teams arrived at the tournament venue which was located in the Dimensional Gap, the [Dragon's Heart Stadium]. The enormous stadium was named after the Middleman, Jin Skyward.

A few enemies tried to sneak in, but they were swiftly dealt with by Aaron's [Electa], had their powers sealed and were put into the DxD Alliance's prisons.

Both teams had already lined up inside the arena, and the game was about to begin. All members of [Team Golden Rakshasa] and [Team Sona Sitri] had already assembled in the center of the stadium ring. Both teams stood in a line facing each other, waiting for that moment to arrive.

[Welcome, everyone! The Avezza Cup Tournament is about to begin today! Today's matchup is a battle between [Team Golden Rakshasa] which everyone has had their eyes on, and the [Team Sona Sitri] which belongs to the Satan Leviathan's younger sister, and one of the [Rookies Four]! Now, it's time for us to decide on the rules for this game!]

A variety of rulesets were spun around on the gigantic stadium screen like a high-speed roulette wheel. Shortly afterward, the ruleset was determined. What appeared on the screen was—[One Day Long War]! In response, both teams frowned. It was the first time for both teams to play such a ruleset.

[The ruleset has been decided to be [One Day Long War]! Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable! This is big! As the name suggests, this game type is a drawn-out battle that takes an entire day!]

This ruleset was the exact opposite of the [Lightning Fast] ruleset that had been used in the previous match between Sairaorg Bael and Cao Cao. It was long and drawn-out as the rules enforced a full-day time limit, during which both teams would traverse vast areas and take down their opponents.

Due to the size of the prepared field, the ability to search and locate an opponent became important, and it was a test of each player's stamina and endurance.

[Ahem, to all audience members and those watching from their televisions, due to the adoption of this rule, a long time is—]

While the announcer explained the rules to the audience, Genshirou Saji locked eyes on Aurelia Le Guin who stood before him. Genshirou himself was a [King], but he was a [Pawn] for this match since he was playing for Sona.

"Aurelia-sensei, today…we will have our revenge. For all those times you trained us in Aaron's dimension, we'll try to even the playing field today," Sona said coldly. "Since you're standing here before me and my team, I have to defeat you in order to achieve our goals."

Aurelia, with her usual demeanor smiled confidently. "Hoho? Then come at us with everything you have—we will obliterate all of you today…Genshirou Saji, I will be waiting."

"Today, I'll be the one that's victorious, Aurelia-sensei," replied Genshirou.

After both teams confirmed each other's intent, the announcer finally addressed both teams.

[Very well, it's time to teleport to the field! After teleportation, both teams will have access to the field's terrain, so please use that map to become familiar with the topography.]

— ○ ● ○ —

After both teams were transported to the field, Sona and her team immediately panicked.

"Hurry up and fly to the sky! Use defensive barriers too!" both Genshirou and Rugal shouted.

The rest of the team also felt it…so they immediately flew high into the sky—seconds later, the game field that was a vast plateau filled with rivers, forests and mountain ranges…was completely obliterated after a large and powerful golden aura wave swept through it.

The rugged terrain had become completely flat.

A single and powerful slash by the Golden Rakshasa herself, Aurelia Le Guin had flattened the terrain.

"…They really went this route, didn't they?" Tsubaki asked her [King].

Sona sighed and fixed her glasses as the rest of the team stared at the destroyed field. "This was within my calculations…we won't have too many plans and strategies left…Saji, go. It's her way of telling you to face her. Everyone else—go face your designated pieces as we discussed" ordered Sona.

"Yes!" they shouted in harmony.

[Oh my goodness! Aurelia Le Guin, the [King] of [Team Golden Rakshasa] just completely obliterated the field! Whatever tactics Sona Sitri had planned, just now—it had been blown away, literally!]

Sona Sitri had a weary smile on her face after hearing the pun that the announcer said. However, she also expected this to happen.

As she watched her team fly off to face their own fights, she slowly made her way to another person. "…Will I be able to fight her? I do hope so," she muttered to herself.

— ○ ● ○ —

Team Golden Rakshasa:

King – Aurelia Le Guin

Queen – Rossweisse

Bishop – Akane Himura

Bishop – Roygun Belphegor

Rook (2) – Scathach

Knight – Yoru

Knight – Haru

Pawn (2) – Ouryuu Nakiri

Pawn (2) – Bova Tannin

Pawn (2) – Ravel Phenex

Pawn (2) – Aoife Murphy

— ○ ● ○ —

Team Sona Sitri:

King – Sona Sitri

Queen – Tsubaki Shinra

Bishop – Momo Hanakai

Bishop – Reya Kusaka

Rook – Loup Garou

Rook – Tsubasa Yura

Knight – Bennia Orcus

Knight – Tomoe Meguri

Pawn (5) – Genshirou Saji

Pawn (3) – Ruruko Nimura

— ○ ● ○ —