The moment he saw her, Vali thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. But when he focused his gaze and clearly saw the girl's face, comparing it carefully with the person in his memories, an expression of utter disbelief crossed his face.
Although his expression was hidden behind the White Dragon armor, his slightly trembling body betrayed his agitated heart.
"Lavinia, why... why are you here?"
Vali's voice was no longer cold; it was laced with a tone that was almost a whimper.
Behind Rhode, Lavinia seemed to recognize Vali as well. Her delicate features shifted into an uncertain expression as she asked hesitantly, "Are you... Little Vali? Is it Little Vali?"
When Vali heard that voice, he finally confirmed that the woman before him was indeed the one he had met years ago. Back then, he had been far less mature, but Lavinia, whom he had only just met, had always treated him with great kindness. Knowing that he ate nothing but cup noodles every day, she often took him to restaurants for nutritious meals. When he was injured during training, she would patiently apply medicine to his wounds.
At first, he had been annoyed and threw tantrums at such unprovoked concern, but every time, the airheaded Lavinia had dissolved his anger with her gentleness. Over time, he had almost grown accustomed to it.
However, those days didn't last long. Because Lavinia had to investigate her master's tracks and hunt down witches from opposing factions, and Vali himself had to return to Grigori under Azazel's instructions, the two had been forced to part.
Though years had passed, Vali still frequently thought of the Lavinia who had been so kind—and occasionally teased him. He had thought that, given their respective fates, their paths would never cross again. He never expected that while carrying out this mission for Azazel, he would encounter her once more.
"Vali, is that the woman who used to take care of you?"
Just then, accompanied by the glowing gem, a mature and steady male voice rang out.
—Albion, the White Dragon Emperor.
This was the soul dwelling within Vali's Longinus, Divine Dividing. He was one of the two legendary Heavenly Dragons who had once been unrivaled.
"I... I don't know."
Vali wanted to step closer to see better, his voice full of hesitation. However, at that moment, he noticed Lavinia gently grabbing the man's sleeve and leaning in to whisper in his ear.
Vali also noticed the expression and look in Lavinia's eyes. Her eyelashes curved slightly, her cheeks were lifted, and the look on her face was one of expectation and tenderness. Being sensitive, Vali could tell that this was a different kind of tenderness than the one she had shown him.
"I..."
Witnessing this scene, Vali felt a tightness in his chest, like a breath he couldn't let out.
"What's wrong, Vali? Aren't you going to catch up with your old friend? I've heard you mention her to yourself quite often over the years," Albion asked, confused.
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Vali's eyes regained their icy gaze, appearing as cool and detached as usual. Immediately, the four pairs of light wings on his back erupted with a more divine radiance, like light particles spraying from a Gundam's thrusters.
The White Dragon Emperor took off at a speed exceeding escape velocity, kicking up a massive cloud of dust in the scarred city center of Kuoh. Rias and the others looked up to see a pure white meteor pierce through the thick, dark clouds and vanish.
It seemed it was about to rain.
Everyone looked at each other in confusion. The white figure's arrival had been far too strange. He had descended with the presence of a supreme powerhouse, looked around, said a few words, and then left as if he were in a desperate hurry—almost as if there was something here he was afraid to face.
Still, the departure of such a mysterious and powerful figure brought them no small amount of relief. After this battle with Kokabiel, they understood exactly how massive the gap was between them and the truly strong. Recalling their previous declarations of fighting Kokabiel on their own, Rias and Sona felt utterly humiliated.
On the other side, Rhode was quite surprised. When Vali had looked at him, he had felt a searing, surging battle intent from the boy. He wasn't particularly surprised; Vali was a battle maniac who, in the original story, joined the Khaos Brigade specifically to find strong opponents. Knowing Rhode had killed Kokabiel, he naturally would have wanted to fight. Rhode had been prepared, wondering if he could trigger a new mission from him.
To his surprise, the boy had suddenly "fled." He had no idea what Vali was planning. However, Rhode had also noticed that in the moment before he left, Vali had looked at Lavinia.
"Lavinia, do you know him?" he turned and asked.
"Mmh..."
Lavinia nodded, then pursed her lips slightly. "About four or five years ago, I met Little Vali. Back then, he was very small, only about this high..." She gestured with her hand. "He liked to act like a little adult and ate nothing but unhealthy cup noodles every day. Seeing him all alone, I took care of him for a bit. Later, we went our separate ways due to our own business. I didn't expect to see him again after all this time."
"Aside from his appearance changing a bit, Little Vali feels the same as before—always trying to act cool in front of adults."
"I just don't know why he suddenly left. If it really was him, I wanted to catch up properly."
"Sigh..."
Lavinia looked a bit dejected. Meeting an old friend only to have them leave without a word made her feel as though she were disliked.
Rhode was only slightly surprised that Lavinia knew the White Dragon Emperor, but he didn't pay it much mind. As for a love rival? That was even more impossible. Given his current relationship with Lavinia, they were only one "layer" away from being fully intimate. Once her period passed, they would likely reach a much deeper stage of their relationship.
After the White Dragon Emperor left, Rias, Sona, and their groups approached. Their expressions were somewhat constrained. However, thanks to their upbringing, they each thanked Rhode properly.
"Thank you truly for your help today. Otherwise, whether we would have survived is a question."
"The Sitri family will not forget today's favor."
Rias gave Sona a subtle glance before continuing, "I will send the reward later."
Rhode nodded, then asked, "I heard you intended to find me tonight. Was there something?"
"Uh..."
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (156 Chapters – Ongoing)
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