Chapter 29

When he left the building, Razjeel immediately unfurled his black wings and flew at his top speed to get to the place where Ophis supposedly appeared. The ground cracked under the power of his wings, creating gushes of the wind.

On his way to Devil's territory, he raced his mind over every possibility that may occur. In the best case, Ophis wouldn't be there and he will come back, sending a formal apology later. In the worst-case scenario, he will be fighting with Ophis once again or rather fighting for his life. He clicked his tongue at the very memory of that. Someone may ask, then why are you heading there? It's because he had to confirm it with his own eyes and if something goes south, he has the most chances to make it out alive.

In just a few minutes he crossed the border, storming through the Devil's Border Patrols like a bullet. All they saw was just a blurry black figure and a moment later they were thrown away by the disrupted air.

"What the fuck?!"

"We are under attack!"

"C-call the higher-ups! A hostile crossed a border!"

Ignoring the commotion he caused, Razjeel continued flying deeper into the territory. Deciding to avoid more commotion he flew higher, which also helped him to better survey the area. He crossed the first bigger city and then he felt it. A faint presence, something akin to a gentle fragrant. He made a 90° turn and dashed like an arrow across the sky.

'It's here, it's really here. It's trying to conceal its presence...hah as if you could hide something like that...' Thought Razjeel. Now that he knew the Dragon of Infinity was there, the worst-case scenario started to seem more likely. 'I won't be able to best it. Not in my current condition... Sometimes I miss that sword, in situations like this it would become handy...'

As he was flying toward the source of the faint aura, the sounds of explosions and screams reached his ears. 'Could they be fighting Ophis? Those fools!'

Razjeel gritted his teeth in anger and irritation. He started cursing whoever was stupid enough to provoke Ouroboros Dragon. Like, come on! It's 2nd strongest being in this Universe!

Suddenly a gigantic surge of energy spiked to the sky, disrupting air, magic, and other energies.

'Welsh Dragon? But how? Did he take over that kid?' Razjeel speculated but he couldn't just jump to the conclusion. 'This is all a mess! What's happening here? Damn Devils!' He looked around and noticed that wherever his eyes fell, there was a fight. It looked like Devils were currently under attack. 'Damn it. They'll think I have my hand in this, but since when do I care for what they think? I'll deal with it later... There...'

Razjeel looked in a certain direction, he swung his wings and descended on the floating piece of ground. Now on the ground, he hid his wings and bowed his head in a greeting.

"Dragon of Infinity, Ophis, you have my greetings." He spoke formally and for the first time looking at the source of the presence that now was much stronger than it made even him feel overwhelmed. But the form he saw was nothing he would expect from the being like Ophis.

"It's you. So you. Truly. Came back. Angel... I felt. Your presence. Few months. Ago..." Said little girl, seemingly ten or fewer years old. Her tone was passive, indifferent and she spoke with littles pauses between every few words. Wearing a gothic-like outfit, she had long black hair and emotionless silver/gray eyes. But what really disturbed Razjeel was a part of her outfit, or rather the lack of it, where she had a slivers of tape on her breasts.

But Razjeel wasn't a fool. He met Ophis numerous times in different forms including that of the old man, young man, breathtaking beauty, or even its dragon form but it was only once. He always referred to Ophis by the form she took, for example, if it was a man, then Razjeel called him per 'he', and the other way around. And even now if she had this form of a little girl, it was still a girl that could possibly end this Universe.

"Yes, it took more than I thought to heal my wounds and he sent me to the deepest part of the Purgatory, but it still took more time than I thought would be." He said respectfully, trying not to provoke her. He glanced at her as she observed the commotion around them, the fight between Devils and the other group.

"I remember. What happened. To that. Woman... Are you...sad...?" He didn't even notice when she disappeared from her previous spot only to reappear in front of him, curiously scanning him with her eyes.

But more than surprised, he felt bad as always when whoever bring up that topic, his beloved Eve...

"Yes, I am..." Unconsciously clenching his fist he still decided to answer her.

"Sadness. Hatred. Loneliness. I can. Feel this. From you... Yet. There is. Something. Else. Even I. Don't understand..." She curiously tilted her head, as if she was contemplating over something, then she took a step forward and touched his chest. Her behavior wasn't anything strange to Razjeel as he get to know a long time ago that Ophis is emotionally dysfunctional, meaning she is incapable of understanding emotions, neither hers nor others.

Razjeel looked at her in silence, having nothing to say.

"It was. A moment. But you feel. Weaker. Are you...?"

"I am...for now."

"You don't. Have to. Be afraid. I'm not...mad anymore...? People say. Like that. Right?" Ophis noticing that Razjeel was tense and mistaking his clenched fist as a sign of fear, tried to reassure him. Razjeel always found it strange that Ophis interacted this way with him. She always tried to make a conversation with him, to sound like a normal person. Reason? When he asked her once her answer was "Because we are similar..."

Looking at her staring at him with her passive, yet strangely expectant eyes, Razjeel sighed and half-smiled. "That's good to hear. I'm glad."

Ophis stared for a moment before she nodded and walked back to her previous spot, tapping a place next to her.

"Sit here..." Although her voice was indifferent, it carried a strange pressure that makes it sound more like an order. But not for Razjeel, who was used to it. He sat next to her and waited for her to speak. It was a habit of her she tried to mimic from other people. Whenever she signed for him to sit near her, it meant that she wanted to talk to him.

"Then. Why are? You here. A-"

"Please, don't call me by that name... That man is no more..." Razjeel interrupted her, something he normally wouldn't do but suddenly happened unconsciously.

A little surprised Ophis glanced at him before she turned her head back to the battle in front of them.

"I. Understand. Then why. Are you. Here...Razjeel?"

"I wanted to know something. I wanted to know if you abandoned your neutrality and joined a faction." He said also staring at the fight.

"I did. They. Help me. So. It's fine..."

"They help you? How?"

"They said. They will. Help me. If I. Bless them. With mine. Power." Admitted Ophis.

Razjeel didn't expect that the Khaos Brigade was telling a truth, rather they were bluffing to scare them off or buy some time. But Ophis's statement was a game-changer. Just when he was busy with his thoughts, there was another eruption of energy in the place where he felt Ddraig was. And like in the first case, he also recognized that energy, it was Vanishing Dragon, Albion. 'Vali? What is going on there- Never mind. Forget it. Devil's problem.'

"Help you? With what? You can literally do anything you want to." He was curious what they had to offer for Ophis to agree to help them.

"Some time. Ago. He came. To my place. And disturbed. My peace... They offered. That they. Will help me. If I become. Their leader. And give them. My power." She said casually as if she wasn't talking about herself but someone else.

'So they used the opportunity that Ophis somehow needed help and they drag her into their organization... Making her their leader would scare off any faction that would have the potential to go to the open war with them. In the end, just her name is power. That was a smart move, but pretty risky.' Thought Razjeel quietly.

"I thought you don't care about something like world domination."

"I don't. I just. Want my place. Back. They. Will help. Me. And I. Will help. Them. That's. All." Ophis responded, swinging her legs back and forth.

"But help with what? What happened?" He narrowed his brows trying to figure out what was she talking about.

She hopped on the ground and pointed toward the sky, making a pistol with her fingers. Surprised by her actions, Razjeel observed her, then a place she was pointing at.

"To Drive. Stupid. Red. Out of. My home." She said and made a gesture as if she shot with her finger-pistol, only to disappear in a purple mist. "I will. Visit you. Again. Destroyer..."

But instead of being stunned by what she said and did, he suddenly jumped on his legs and unfurled his wings, warily staring at the sky. It was then when the crack appeared in the sky, bigger and bigger until it collapsed making a hole to the dimension full of bizarre colors. He felt something coming. Something as powerful as Ophis, a domineering presence causing the realm to shake.

"No fucking way..." Razjeel swore as he instinctively summoned a sword made of green flames, staring at the sky with an unpleasant expression.

There in the sky, a gigantic red dragon slowly flew out of the passage leading to the Dimensional Gap, overwhelming everyone with its mere presence. The Apocalypse Dragon ascended to the Underworld.