52 Sacred Gear Hunting (5)

"It's a bit distracting..." Otto muttered, unable to resist glancing at Ingvild's enormous breasts, which were as large as Rias' mother's.

"There's a reason why female warriors of the past wore less armor," Brynhildr joked. "They meant to distract men on the battlefield."

"Anyway, use a fire-based Maximum Technique," Otto ordered as Brynhildr happily obliged.

"Maximum Technique: Chaos Meteor." At her command, the clouds darkened and gathered, and the air grew heavy with pressure.

The serpent, sensing the threat, attempted to counter the massive meteor by summoning several dragon heads to blast it away.

*SCREECH*

Despite the serpent's desperate efforts, the meteor crashed down, burying the creature and shrouding the surrounding area in steam.

"This seems more troublesome than Ddraig," Otto complained. They were fighting on Nereid Kyrie's turf, and he was holding back to avoid hurting Ingvild and losing the chance to steal her sacred gear.

"Maybe it's because Ddraig hasn't fully awakened, and this one has."

"It does feel like a boss fight..." Otto observed the serpent's futile struggle against the meteor.

Seizing the opportunity, he moved stealthily towards the serpent's core, where Ingvild was.

"Mahoraga!" Otto summoned Big Raga to deal with the serpent, using the distraction to focus on pulling Ingvild.

*SCHEECH*

The serpent screeched in agony as Big Raga engaged it, allowing Otto to inch closer to Ingvild. His heart were still calm with anticipation, as he needed to keep his cool at all times, this was his best chance to secure another good sacred gear.

While Mahoraga wrestled with the serpent, adapting to its elemental attacks, Otto made his move.

"Hello," Otto greeted as he grabbed Ingvild's arm, pulling her towards him as the serpent's form began to dissipate.

"Don't you think she's hot too?" Brynhildr teased while Otto carried Ingvild.

"Is it just me, or have you become more perverted since we first met in that gloomy place?" Otto remarked, noticing Brynhildr's increased boldness since his reformation at Muramasa's smithy, where she had transformed into a spear.

"Well... maybe you're imagining it," she replied, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

"Now... what to do with her," Otto mused, looking at the unconscious Ingvild in his arms.

"Wake her up like a sleeping beauty, hehe. Maybe she'll wake up from her sleep disease," Brynhildr joked, though it was clear she didn't believe it would work.

Standing on the water, Otto pondered how to wake her. His mind was a jumble of ideas, none of which seemed feasible.

"Should I curse her to have nightmares?"

"Would that even work? You need to cure the illness to wake her up."

"Has there ever been a case where they were cured?"

"Nope, but forcing someone to have nightmares could get us into trouble since we're in her inner world. Who knows what her nightmare would be?"

"Then what do you suggest?" Otto asked, frustrated.

"I don't—kiss her," Brynhildr replied mischievously, having no better ideas.

"I'm not playing around, Hildr. We need to get out of here before someone checks on her," Otto said seriously.

"Just kiss her. She looks like Sleeping Beauty in your arms right now."

"..." Seeing no other option, Otto dug his hand into her, trying to absorb the Curse Energy inside her.

"Oh, why are you doing that?" Brynhildr asked, thinking Otto was going to harm the girl.

"Maybe the cause of the sleep disease is the Curse Energy inside her. There's no way I'm kissing her while she's asleep."

"That makes sense... No one can control Curse Energy like us. Still, why not try kissing her?"

"Nah. I think I've got it under control." As Ingvild's Curse Energy diminished, her complexion improved.

"See, it's working," Otto said, relieved.

'Wait... How do I even ask her about her abilities when she doesn't know she has them?' Otto realized he hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Hildr, is there a way to hypnotize someone?" Otto asked, hoping for a solution.

"No? How would I know that? I don't use immoral runes like that," Brynhildr replied.

"So there is something like that?"

"If you count charm runes, then yes."

"Tell me about it—" Otto began, but his vision flashed as he was abruptly returned to the outside world.

"..." He looked at Ingvild who was about to wake up as her monitor rung to inform the nurses.

"..." Otto gazed at Ingvild as she began to stir, the monitor by her bedside beeping to alert someone.

"Nevermind... Mission failed. We'll get it next time," He sighed, resigning himself to the fact that he would have to attempt to acquire her sacred gear another time.

As Otto prepared to teleport out, Ingvild's groggy eyes fluttered open, and she caught a glimpse of Otto's Chamber disguise.

"Mmm? Who are you?" she asked in a hoarse voice, struggling to speak after years of slumber.

"Goodbye, and have a good day... or night?" Otto replied uncertainly, unaware of the time in the human world. Golden inscriptions surrounded him as he vanished entirely.

Moments after Ingvild woke up, the hospital buzzed with activity, the arrival of a famous individual causing a stir.

"..." Otto watched from a distance, observing the lively person greeting everyone with enthusiasm.

"Good thing you got out of there..." Brynhildr remarked, recognizing the newcomer.

"That's Serafall Leviathan, the owner of the hospital, right?" Otto inquired, already knowing the answer from her unmistakable magical girl attire.

"Yup, even though she's not a descendant of the Leviathan like Sleeping Beauty, Ingvild, Serafall has enough power to be recognized as the Leviathan," Brynhildr explained, recalling Serafall's prowess from the war.

"But to think she would become like this..." Brynhildr trailed off, confused by Serafall's cheerful demeanor compared to her serious past self.

"Maybe everyone can change..." Otto shrugged, making his way towards the exit, trying to remain inconspicuous.

...

"Thank you, everyone—!" Serafall cheerfully sent off the last of her well-wishers, waving as they left after receiving her handshake.

"Now, where were we?" Switching back to a serious tone, Serafall headed towards Ingvild's room.

"Oh, you're really awake!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm, giving Ingvild a warm and friendly welcome.

"Who are you?" Ingvild asked, her eyes scanning the room for the mysterious figure who had disappeared.

"Hello, I'm Serafall Leviathan. But you can call me Sera-chan. I'm currently the Satan Leviathan. Unfortunately, your clan went through some tough times." Her tone became somber, recalling her role in the downfall of the old Satan Faction.

"Where is he?" Ingvild inquired, making Serafall furrow her brow in confusion.

"Who's he?" Serafall asked, assuming Ingvild was referring to an old friend. She hoped for a name to help locate this person.

"The person who was here and disappeared..." Ingvild clarified, her voice tinged with urgency.

"But there wasn't anyone here. I think you should rest," Serafall replied, concerned that Ingvild might be hallucinating as an aftereffect of the Sleep Disease. She believed no one could have breached Ingvild's highly secured room.

'If that were the case, no one should've known about her existence... To prevent the old faction remnants from potentially coming after and harming her.' Serafall thought, suspecting a betrayal within her faction.

"No, I swear I saw someone right there," Ingvild insisted, pointing to the corner where Otto had teleported out.

Following her gaze, Serafall found no abnormalities or traces of magic.

'Maybe I should review the hallway cameras,' she thought, considering the possibility that someone had indeed sneaked past the door undetected.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, In-chan. Could you describe this person for me?" Serafall asked, smiling wryly.

"He wore a vest and had a strange mark on the side of his face," Ingvild described, though she hadn't gotten a clear view of Otto's features.

"A strange mark..." Serafall murmured, recalling a vague glimpse of someone leaving casually while she entertained her fans. This piqued her curiosity and concern.

Turning her attention back to Ingvild, Serafall offered a comforting smile. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out. For now, focus on getting your strength back. You've been through a lot."

As she left the room, she needed to investigate this potential threat from the old Satan Faction. She swiftly made her way to the security office to review the footage from the hallway cameras.

In the security office, Serafall watched the footage intently. She replayed the moments before and after her visit to Ingvild's room, her eyes scanning for any anomalies. Suddenly, she noticed a brief flicker in the video—a telltale sign of a teleportation spell. Her eyes narrowed as she rewound the segment and played it again, focusing on the subtle distortion.

'So, someone did something suspicious, but who? And how?' she thought, feeling a mix of confusion and frustration. The glimpse of the teleportation had been fleeting, offering no clear answers.

Determined to uncover the intruder's identity, Serafall questioned the guard responsible for monitoring visitor logs. After a detailed inquiry, she discovered that the individual had signed in under the name Vincent Fabron a reincarnated Devil from France. This information only deepened her curiosity and concern.

Returning to the footage, Serafall scrutinized every frame. The man in question moved through the corridors with an air of calculated nonchalance, his vest and partially obscured face matching Ingvild's description. Yet, the strange mark Ingvild had mentioned remained elusive in the grainy video.

'Who is Vincent Fabron?' Serafall pondered. The name didn't appear in the hospital's database or in her extensive network of contacts, raising further suspicion. How had he managed to teleport in such a secure area without triggering any alarms in Ingvild's room?

Serafall expanded her investigation, ordering a comprehensive sweep of the hospital for any lingering magical traces that might reveal more about the teleportation spell. She also used her private intelligence network, seeking any information on Vincent Fabron that could provide a clue.

As she awaited reports, Serafall couldn't shake the feeling of whether or not was responsible for Ingvild's awakening. She needed to protect her and ensure that the hospital's security was airtight.

...

"Hmmm, too bad I couldn't get her Sacred Gear," Otto sighed as he left the hospital and headed towards Lucifaad, the capital of the Underworld.

"You didn't even prepare that much," Brynhildr reminded him.

"At least she woke up, so next time we meet I can easily steal it from her after she knows more about her ability." He looked on the bright side. He didn't know much about Nereid Kyrie, so he couldn't just hypnotize her and make her answer his questions.

"Where are you going, good sir?" the conductor asked.

"Bonjour, my friend. I would like to go to Lucifaad," Otto replied politely.

"A-alright?" The conductor was taken aback by the unexpected French greeting.

"Are you going back to the human world?" Brynhildr asked.

"Yeah... I don't have much to do in the Underworld anyway. There aren't any oceans or great views to even visit," he stated. His primary purpose was to snag a Sacred Gear, and sneaking into some territories was too risky for a human like him.

Not to mention that Rias and the others might still be looking for him.

'I hope Ingvild doesn't snitch on me by telling Serafall.' He thought. He knew she had seen him the moment she woke from her slumber.

...

-Chapter End-