Despite his hostility, Siegfried didn't make a move. Jeanne drove a car, taking Rhode through the city to a quite grand and luxurious manor in the suburbs. Since there was no need to worry about being eavesdropped upon, Jeanne introduced the place to Rhode openly.
"This is the Khaos Brigade HQ."
After getting out of the car, Rhode looked at the impressive manor. He didn't quite understand why the Khaos Brigade HQ would be in such a conspicuous location. He had expected something like the Umbrella Corporation from Resident Evil, with a secret underground base.
As if sensing Rhode's confusion, Jeanne explained with a light smile. "I was confused at first, too. But this is Romania. Even though it's only a thousand kilometers from Rome, the Church's influence can't reach here. Likewise, the influence of Fallen Angels, Devils, and other pantheons is very weak."
"And that's because... this is the country of Vampires."
Mentioning vampires, Rhode immediately understood. Most people's first impression of vampires was Count Dracula. The most famous Bran Castle was located in Romania. Rhode had dealt with vampires before; his main impression was that unlike Stray Devils, they liked living in groups, loved night clubs, and spent their days doing nothing but partying.
This was due to the unique nature of the vampire race. Their appearance was almost identical to humans. Unlike Stray Devils—most of whom suffered a magic overload after leaving their masters, becoming deformed and forced to hide in dark, damp buildings—vampires could blend into crowds freely. Aside from being unable to stay in the sun or holy light for long, they had few weaknesses. Most importantly, vampires were highly popular among modern youth. Rhode felt this was inextricably linked to Hollywood's Twilight.
In short, the reason the Khaos Brigade set up HQ here was clear. Although the vampire race currently only inhabited two cities surrounded by barriers, Romania was still their sphere of influence. And since the vampire high command didn't interfere in human society, the Khaos Brigade had found themselves a prime spot.
Of course, in Rhode's view, the Khaos Brigade likely picked this spot because the vampires were an easy target. The vampires claimed to have noble blood, but they had very few powerhouses. They only had two True Ancestors, and in terms of strength, they couldn't compare to the Devil Kings or the Fallen Angel Governor General.
Before entering the manor, Rhode's group was stopped by a Fallen Angel. This wasn't a surprise. The Khaos Brigade was a group of people who couldn't stay in their respective factions or who had ambitions and chose to band together. More importantly, the brigade didn't care about origins or race; anyone could join if they wanted. Especially since the nominal leader was Ophis. Most members were there for her name.
After Jeanne showed her ID, the three of them entered. Compared to the simple barrier outside, the manor's interior barrier was much more special, with several layers overlapping. Its strength was not inferior to the five layers covering the Inner Sanctuary. Aside from concealment and repelling people, its main purpose was likely to guard against Ophis. Currently, Ophis was the poster girl for the Khaos Brigade. Countless underworld factions were drawn to her, wanting a glimpse. If Ophis left on a whim, the brigade would collapse.
Though Rhode felt these barriers likely wouldn't stop Ophis if she really wanted to leave. Otherwise, she wouldn't be called the world's strongest.
Inside the manor's largest building, many figures were coming and going. Stray Devils, Stray Fallen Angels, Stray Exorcists, humans, witches, vampires... even people from other pantheons. It was quite a melting pot.
Just then, a girl in a Gothic Lolita dress suddenly appeared before Rhode. She had a happy smile on her face as she leaned forward slightly, revealing "mountain peaks" that weren't as full as others.
"Oho~ Rhode? Is it really you? I didn't expect to see you here! I thought you'd been wiped out by my master's Longinus back in Kyoto!"
The girl appearing before Rhode was Walburga. Back in Kyoto, she had been a member of the witch group that teamed up with the Abyssal One and Utsusemi to attack the Five Great Houses.
Rhode was also surprised to see Walburga. He thought these witches would have gone back after their group was scattered. He hadn't expected to meet her again.
"Little Rhode, who is she?" Seeing Walburga, Jeanne instinctively felt a sense of repulsion. It likely had to do with Walburga's status as a witch.
"Walburga. She's one of the witches I met in Kyoto. Her master died there," Rhode said with a shrug. Although he was the one who had killed her master, under the disguise of the glasses, no one would recognize him.
"That's because my master's skills weren't up to par. And who would have known a guy in glasses would suddenly jump out? That guy was incredibly strong! He soloed Master in an instant. It gave me quite a shock~"
"Oh right, Rhode, do you want to join us witches?"
"No."
Jeanne was the one who refused for him. She stepped between them, looking down at the smiling Walburga. "Our Hero Faction members share the same ideals and ambitions. We are different from you witches."
"Sounds like an old stick-in-the-mud~ But I didn't expect the Hero Faction to have such a beautiful girl. Truly a miracle."
"Thanks for the compliment. But enough chatter; we only care about whether Ophis is actually here."
"You mean the Dragon God? She's here, of course. But seeing her won't be easy. The Devils who went in before have been hogging her for quite a while now." Walburga gave an innocent smile. "Oh my, I heard they're descendants of the Devil Kings from the Underworld. Quite the VIPs."
Descendants of the Devil Kings? Aside from the Old Satan Faction, it couldn't be anyone else.
The leaders of the Three Factions were only just starting to think about a meeting due to the Kokabiel incident, yet the Old Satan Faction already knew. It seemed that besides the Church, the Underworld was also full of moles.
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (200 Chapters – Ongoing)
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