Since I was on a roll, I pushed through and got this written!
On the day of the match between the Gremory and Sairaorg teams, I arrived in Agreas with Kuroka, Ravel, and Irina.
Issei and the others were likely still caught up with media appearances, taking a different route on their way to the hotel we were staying at—a luxurious high-rise right next to the Agreas Dome, the match venue. Thanks to our status as affiliated parties, we were allowed entry as well.
"Still, a floating city in the sky? That's some romantic engineering. It didn't just start off floating like this, right?"
"No," Ravel replied. "Agreas is said to be a city constructed using the lost technology of the Original Four Great Satans. The current Lord Beelzebub has been analyzing it for years, but he still hasn't uncovered all its secrets."
"The Underworld is literally underground, so this whole 'floating city' thing carries a pretty ironic meaning," Irina added. "Ah, but if we're talking about floating cities, then Heaven's full of them!"
"Nyahaha, if Heaven were just some land connected to the ground, that'd be total false advertising," Kuroka quipped.
Just then, a live news broadcast lit up the large TV in the hotel lobby.
"Take a look! Rias-sama Gremory—heiress to the Gremory House and younger sister of Sirzechs Lucifer—has just arrived in Agreas with her team! Oh! And joining her is none other than Azazel, Governor General of the Fallen Angels, rumored to be the Gremory Team's advisor for this match! They'll be staying at the hotel next to the Agreas Dome to make final preparations before the match begins in less than seven hours! Tonight's showdown is one you won't want to miss! And of course, all eyes are on whether the Oppai Dragon will go 'smoooch!' on the Switch Princess's boobs! Back to you!"
...It was a professional report right up until the very end. And then it went straight into the gutter.
I caught a brief glimpse of Rias covering her face with her hand as she got into the limo. She was probably getting bombarded with those kinds of questions again...
"Anyway, they'll be here any minute. Let's go greet them... Kuroka, please don't tease President Rias too much, alright?"
"Nyahaha~ Yeah, even inside the hotel she might just blow the place up with her Destruction Magic."
We moved to the hotel lobby, and shortly afterward, the others arrived.
A bellboy guided us to a special room reserved for the Gremory team, designed for light warm-ups and rest.
But on the way there, a figure appeared from the opposite direction—a skeletal being in ceremonial robes, flanked by a group of masked figures in black hoods and skull masks.
Issei and the others were clearly startled, but honestly, after everything I've seen with Youkai, a walking skeleton doesn't phase me much anymore.
That said... the oppressive pressure around him, like something weighing directly on your soul—that part was definitely uncomfortable.
I could feel it clearly: his aura passed straight through the body and struck the soul directly. Must mean my soul-sensing abilities are getting sharper.
Azazel-sensei then stepped forward and addressed the skeletal figure.
"Well, well... The God of Death who dwells in the lowest layer of the Underworld—Hades himself. I didn't expect someone like you, who despises both devils and fallen angels, to come all the way up here."
"Fwahahaha! Says the crow himself. The noise of bats and crows has been most vexing lately. I came for an inspection... if I could, I'd lock the whole place down."
Hades responded with obvious disdain, completely looking down on us. So this is Hades...
"You grumpy old skeleton. You're still the only one in Greek mythology against the peace talks, huh?"
"Oh? And what will you do about it? Bury this old corpse like you did with Loki?"
With that single comment, killing intent surged from the Grim Reapers surrounding Hades, filling the corridor.
Their hands subtly twitched—were they readying their scythes?
"Try adopting a little tolerance, like Zeus or Poseidon," Azazel replied. "You're basically skin and bones—try slapping some manners on instead of flesh."
"The only thing I wear is this robe... and the souls of the dead," Hades replied coldly.
Tension crackled in the air. Honestly, the one I pitied most was the poor bellboy still trembling nearby.
Just as the standoff looked like it would drag on, Hades turned his... gaze toward me.
Wait, me? Not Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor?
"You there. You're the human who tore my Cerberus apart, are you not?"
Ahh... he means that Cerberus—the original one. Yep, I totally sliced off all its heads and diced the body into four parts!
"Yes. My apologies... But next time, I'd recommend not letting your pet off-leash. Rampaging through someone else's backyard—the human world, in this case—makes it less a watchdog and more a worthless mutt. At least train it properly."
I tried to wrap that in polite wording, but the message was clear. Not that this god deserves reverence anyway.
"You're a rather cheeky human... Interested in joining our mythology? Lately, all the souls we receive are far too obedient. A bit of rebellion makes for a much more entertaining torment."
I'm not into sadomasochism, especially not the skeleton-tormentor variety!
"Well, fine. I'll be watching tonight's match... Do try not to die. I haven't come to reap your souls just yet."
And with that, Hades and his entourage of death gods left.
"I'd heard stories from my Valkyrie senior back in the Norse days," Rossweisse said. "But that sensation—like your soul being gripped—is something you never get used to."
"Sensei, is that god... evil?" Issei asked.
Azazel made a complicated face.
"Who knows? The rumors around him never end. But no one's ever managed to get definitive proof. He manages human souls by the book, at least. The truth is, he just despises all other pantheons. And even if we did catch him doing something illegal, he's still considered a necessary god—no one can just erase or seal him away."
"I see. So because he does his job properly and there's no replacement, no one can punish him too harshly."
Exactly. Which is probably why he feels free to act like such a troll.
"And you better believe he's careful about destroying any evidence."
"Honestly," Azazel muttered, "he's one god I'd love to seal away like we did with Loki."
Later, we also met the overly muscular Greek gods, Zeus and Poseidon, as well as Tannin and Odin (who was being chased by an enraged Rossweisse), before finally reaching our designated room to rest.
Everyone began relaxing or warming up in their own ways.
Issei went jogging, Kiba was practicing his sword strokes, and Rias sat reading a book—probably saving her warm-up for later. Asia was playing with her familiar, Rasse.
As for me, I got called away by Azazel-sensei.
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
"Well... it's not confirmed yet, but I doubt we'll get any more info. Since you ran into him, I figured I'd tell you... about the Dragon Eater—Dragon Eater Samael. Again, this isn't confirmed, but you seem level-headed enough to hear it. Rias and the others... well, they're still too emotionally inexperienced in real battle. I'll leave it to you whether or not to tell Kuroka."
Whoa, getting that kind of trust from Azazel-sensei? Feels pretty good. And yeah, I was already planning to tell Kuroka.
"Do you know the name 'Samael'?"
"Yeah. The serpent who tempted Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of knowledge, right?"
And also the guy who tried to bring Moses to Heaven but got hit with a staff and lost his sight... Honestly, I'd go off the rails too after that.
"Exactly. That event made Samael the target of God's wrath and hatred. His essence became a curse—an extreme anti-dragon slayer. The Hero Faction believes even with the likes of Gram and facing beings like Ophis or Great Red, Samael might actually work. As far as I know, nothing else even comes close."
Yeah... Samael's terrifying.
In the original story, even beings on par with Great Red or Ophis would take tens of thousands of years for all mythologies combined to defeat. And Samael managed to split Ophis's power within minutes... Ten more minutes, and she might've been gone.
Talk about broken-level weakness exploitation.
"Anyway. Samael's currently sealed in Cocytus, the lowest level of the Underworld ruled by Hades... but that damn skeleton might just release it out of spite for our peace efforts. I've already mentioned this possibility to Michael and Sirzechs, but they couldn't believe it either. Honestly, neither can I. Samael's existence is basically taboo among all factions. I want this to be a misunderstanding."
Azazel sighed deeply... Half of this was probably just him venting to me.
Then again, politics is all about plausible deniability, isn't it?
"Hmm... This might not be a real solution, but Sensei—could we maybe... make something?"
I offered an idea for an item on a whim.
Surprisingly, he responded with enthusiasm.
"Hmm... Considering how often you get wrapped up in incidents, it could work. Samael is basically a biological weapon on a mythological level... Alright, I'll make something. Let me know if you think of any other ideas. If we just keep reacting passively, he's bound to set off something catastrophic one day."
So we talked about Hades and Samael... then I returned to the others, helping out with warm-ups, or just relaxing with Shirone on my lap, adjusting my aura with senjutsu as we chatted.
As the match drew closer—
"Hehe~! We got seats right with the Oppai Dragon fans! I'll be cheering everyone on there! And guess what—I'm the official cheer captain, flag and all!"
Thanks to the Gremory family, we had front-row seats.
While Irina was brimming with energy, I turned to Issei.
"Issei, Sairaorg and his team... they're powerful, in every sense of the word. To be honest, by the end of this fight, some of us here might be down for the count. You're not the type who can stay 'cool-headed with a fiery heart' yet, so let me give you one piece of advice."
"Man, you're really setting the mood with that whole 'some of us might fall' line... But yeah, I doubt I'll be calm when it comes down to it. What's the advice?"
"It's simple. Sairaorg is the kind of man who'll accept even your irrational fury head-on. Pour all of your emotions into him—no one else. That's all you need to do."
Just like how Koneko nearly lost herself when she fought her sister... If someone were killed not in an honorable battle but as an outlet for rage, the regret would be immense.
"Got it. All I need to do... is punch Sairaorg with everything I've got."
"Exactly. Simple, right?"
"Yeah... I feel like I'm completely relying on Sairaorg to keep me grounded, which is kinda lame, but if I ever feel like I'm losing control, I'll remember what you said."
Good. As long as you don't turn that power on the wrong person, you'll always be the Oppai Dragon.
"Um... Ikki-senpai, I have a favor to ask..."
Seeing that our conversation had ended, Shirone shyly approached.
"Hm? What is it?"
"If we win this match... could I ask you to kiss me first?"
Wha—!? Her blushing face and upturned eyes are too damn cute! Like she maxed out her stat points in adorableness! It's a completely different attack vector than Kuroka's usual seduction, and it's just as dangerous!
"My, my, Shirone-chan's gotten bold~"
"Indeed. But if I don't step up, Shirone will leave me behind. I have to win this match—to at least stand on the same stage as her... and then use the momentum to..."
Rias-senpai, are you giving off predatory vibes right now!?
Whatever, I'll ignore it. It's probably nothing serious.
"Mmm... I want Ikki-sama to praise me too."
"Well, I suppose I'll step aside this time. Ravel prefers a more atmospheric approach, huh? I'm more of the impulsive-attack type~"
"Yes. But I do admire the kind of kiss that happens naturally in everyday life... Still, Kuroka-san, perhaps you could go a bit easier on Ikki-sama. Sometimes, his aura flickers like he's about to lose control..."
Yeah. When your aura literally starts fluctuating from sheer restraint, that's when you know you're in trouble.
Ravel and Shirone usually just give me soft kisses on the cheek at night, but Kuroka... she goes all in—licking my neck, nibbling my ear, and melting my self-control. She does stop before I completely lose it, but still...
Honestly, just the fact that these girls are holding back for my sake probably means I'm reaching my limit.
But for Shirone, this is her first Rating Game since we started officially dating.
I want to grant her wish properly.
"Alright—then what if we lose? Still want that kiss?"
...I meant it as a comforting kiss, but wow, that sounded so corny out loud.
"No, thank you. That'll only make me more determined... But I would like a head pat."
Understood. I'll put my heart into it.
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