Chapter 44: Helping Ains

-with Kurumi, Tohka, and Flandre-

"... Ara Ara, I wonder what's the meaning of this, Ains Ool Gown"

Kurumi says as she covered her grin on her face with her right hand while staring at the skeleton bowing his head in front of them.

"... I hope that... you can help me with my current situation"

He said not being able to plead properly due to his skill that was forcefully controlling his emotions.

"Hmm... How to say this? We want to help you it's just that we have no way to help you with your situation, Ains"

Kurumi said while sitting comfortably on the sofa along with Great Red and Ophis while Tohka and Flandre was still asleep.

"... Is there are any other way?"

Ains asked with a hopeful tone as he stared at the 3 of them with his empty eye sockets.

"There is but it involves ripping your soul out of your body and transfering it directly towards your body but... It's impossible to do that since none of us have that kind of ability-"

Great Red stopped her words as a sudden image of a blond haired girl appeared inside her head.

"I guess except for one but they're currently not in the faction"

"Who?"

Ophis asked as she stared at her with curiosity.

"You don't know?"

Great Red asked while looking at her with a weird expression on her face.

"... Why are, you looking, at me, like that?"

"... You really don't know?"

She asked once again, looking straight at her confused eyes while Kurumi grinned from remembering a blond haired dhampirs who they saved from the Tepes Faction.

"No..."

Ophis asked, unsure why she felt offended of her gaze.

"It's Valerie Tepes, you know the girl who holds the Sephiroth Graal?"

"... But, it's ability, doesn't involve, manipulation of, souls especially, special cases, like him"

Ophis says while pointing at the skeleton sitting opposite them as Kurumi who was sitting quietly between them began to explain their theory to her.

"No, she can manipulate anything that involves life and death, that is the reason why she can pull a person's soul from the realm of death to revive them... You already know that guessing from your expression"

Ophis nodded her head as her and Ains attentively listened to her next words.

"Every information about the creation of souls, and all concepts regarding the realm of life and death are all forcefully injected in her head when she maxed out her skill... So it's possible for her to know how to directly rip his soul out of this body and directly transfer it back to his original body"

Kurumi explained in detail to both of them with a light smile on her face, causing Ophis' eyes to widened in surprise as she hasn't considered that possibility.

"The Sephiroth Graal is an extremely powerful sacred gear but... throughout history no one but Valerie was able to fully master the abilities of Sephiroth Graal, that is the reason why there is little information about it, so I don't blame you for not knowing Ophis... well I'm not sure since I was sealed inside the Tree of Life for thousands of years before the Great War"

Kurumi says as she tries to comfort her while patting her head like an older sister.

"It is weird that you don't know considering our age though"

"Shut up, baka-red"

"Calm down, you two"

Kurumi says as she patted both of their head since both of them took on the form of a little girl.

"Feels, nice"

"Stop treating me like a child, I'm a lot older than you"

Great Red angrily said as she pointed her finger at Kurumi's direction while Ophis closed her eyes to enjoy the warm sensation on her head.

"Just stop, her hand, if you don't, like it, baka-red"

Ophis advised as she leaned closer to Kurumi, causing Kurumi's thin black hair to tickle the tip of her nose.

"Tickles"

"You're spoiling her too much, you know"

"Ara Ara she's like the little sister figure in our faction due to her innocence. Even Lucias spoils her a lot by buying her everything that she wanted without hesitation"

"... Lucias, changed"

Ophis suddenly says as she opened her eyes, remembering the huge change in his personality when they met.

"What do you mean?"

Kurumi asked, confused about the changes outside the dimension because they still haven't finished their quest to get out of the dimension.

"He, became mature, and extremely sharp"

"Wasn't he always like that?"

"No, it's different"

Ophis shook her head sideways, trying to find the right words to describe the changes in his personality.

"I think she meant is, the Lucias now held no mercy nor empathy in his eyes. He only see two things now, an enemy and ally"

Great Red explained, ignoring the fact that Ains was still inside the room, carefully listening to their conversation since he too wants to know what kind of person will he give his subordinates to.

"His eyes, I've seen it before, he will kill, without hesitation if, it's an enemy or, a threat... but he fully, trust his allies. He isn't, hesitant to, order us anymore"

Ophis nodded her head as she followed Great Red's words with her own views about the changes within Lucias.

"How to say this... He became a lot more charismatic and sharp than before like he can see through our mind or something"

"He doesn't, reject our, advances anymore... except mating"

"Yeah, I find it kind of strange too since most males I saw before will not let go of such opportunity... I doubt his asexual or gay since he clearly reacts to our advances like what a normal male should... It's just that his hesitating on something"

"Hmm... It seems like a lot of things has happened inside our dimension, it's kind of sad that I wasn't there to experience it all"

Kurumi says in disappointment before placing her sight on the skeleton opposite them who was listening to their conversation attentively.

"Ara Ara it's bad to listen to a conversation between girls, Ains"

"Girls?"

Ophis asked in a confused tone as she stared at the red haired girl sitting on the other side of the sofa.

"What? I'm a girl, you know"

"Don't lie, baka-red"

Ophis reprimanded as she pointed her index finger towards the flustered True Red Dragon Emperor on the sofa.

"... So what if I'm a guy in the past!? I can give birth to a child now!"

"So you admitted it..."

"Ugh..."

"Ara Ara"

Kurumi smiled in amusement while watching the two of them bicker with a light smile on her face.

"Sometimes, its better to, accept the truth, baka-red"

"... You don't have to rub it on my face, Ophis... Wait, if I remember you also took the form of an old man in the past!"

Great Red loudly stated, slowly regaining her confidence as she stared at the expressionless loli beside Kurumi.

"That was, only my, temporary form, unlike you, who was male, from the start"

"...fine, you win"

She says as she lifelessly sat down on the sofa with a displeased expression on her face.

"For the Dragon of Dreams to admit defeat" (Kurumi)

"I can't really argue that much with her since she has full authority whether or not I can mate with Lucias"

Great Red shrugged her shoulders before staring at the lonely skeleton opposite them, listening attentively to their conversation.

"What are you starting at?"

"Huh? N-No, I was just intrigued by your conversation... but if what you said about Lucias is true... then I can entrust him my subordinates once I'm gone"

"Are you really sure about that? Most of our members are psychopaths, maniacs, or people that were forsaken in their previous dimension"

"No, I'm sure that my Subordinates are more suited within Lucias' hands... but I do hope that you take care of them"

Ains bent down his body in front of them, pleading them to take care of his and his guild members' when nothing can be done with his condition.

"You don't need to worry Ains, we'll take care of them... and also we might help you reattach yourself to the other half of your conciousness in the other dimension"

Kurumi assured him with a light smile on her face while Ains suddenly stood up from his seat from surprise and excitement from hearing her last words.

"Really!?"

Ains shouted as he looked down on the 3 of them who were casually sitting down on the sofa.

"Indeed, as you heard before, we might have a member that can remove your soul in that body and possibly reattach it to its other half on your dimension"

"Nah, I don't think manually reattaching it is needed since the laws of reality will definitely pull it back towards his body as soon as he is removed from that body"

Great Red followed as she placed her feet at the table like she owns the place.

"Well it's just our speculations so we still don't know yet, also if we fail we might directly damage you soul, Ains"

"As long as there's a possibility, I'm willing to take the risk... So please help me"

"Naturally since your now part of our faction, we will do our best to help you out" (Great Red)

[Kurumi has completed her quest]

[Flandre has completed her quest]

[Tohka has completed her quest]

-meanwhile with Flandre-

"Charge Vampire!!"

Flandre screamed with a large smile on her face while riding  a vampire of short stature and has the appearance of a buxom fourteen-year-old girl with extremely pale skin and fine facial features, kneeling down on the floor on all fours.

"Did you use mind-control on her again?"

Tohka asked as she stood behind them with a wry smile on her face.

"Mn!"

Flandre cutely nodded her head before ordering the young girl below her to crawl on the ground as she ride her from behind like a horse, moving aimlessly through the large halls of the headquarters.

"Hmm... where's the others?"

Tohka asked as she looked around the hall, trying to search for the glaring succubus from before that always followed them from behind.

"I put them to sleep"

Flandre answered as both of them arrived in front of a large entrance, an entrance to the treasury that Ains introduced to them when he was guiding the 3 of them around the headquarters.

"You want to go inside?"

Tohka asked, as she gazed at the ring placed on the ring finger in the young vampire's hand.

"Hmm..."

Flandre hummed in thought before ordering the young vampire to open the entrance of the treasury, revealing a large mountain of gold coins and jewelry inside the treasury.

"... Are we even allowed inside here?"

"We're just visiting"

Flandre said as she hopped on the young vampire's back, ordering her to crawl around the large treasury.

"How cool"

Flandre muttered with glittering eyes as she arrived in front of a large jet black wall behind the large mountains of treasures.

"Hmm..."

"Do you see something, Flan?"

Tohka asked as she held the jet black wall with her hand but froze when she felt the wall disintegrate into particles causing her to turn her head to look at Flandre's shining blood red eyes, while destroying the apparent 'eye' of the wall to remove it as it blocked their way.

"Let's go, vampire!"

Flandre shouted as she slapped her butt to make we crawl inside the long hallway covered with bright red light with several statues of decorated the side of the halls.

"... Wait a second, Flan"

Tohka blocked her path with a cautious expression on her face before removing the ring off of the young vampire's finger, throwing it on the large mountain of gold as all 3 of them entered the treasury without any problem.

"Ah! How honoured I feel for three beautiful ladies to visit my sanctuary! What a wonderful day it is!"

A loud excited and overly dramatic voice echoed through the empty halls of the mausoleum, causing both Flandre and Tohka to frown from hearing a familiar yet annoying voice.

"Let's go back" (Tohka)

"Ok" (Flandre)