Chapter 114

(AN: Thanks a lot for my new pat reon: Dawn and Nykolai C. Hope you all enjoy the chapter. Thanks and peace out girls scout!)

The DxD group is inside what appears to be monitoring or observation room.

The room size is quite big and there are hundreds of staff occupying this room but the room still looks quite spacious. There is a lot of advanced technology they've never seen before that is used by the staffs.

There's a picture of Issei mounted in the middle of the room wall. In the picture, Issei is sitting on a luxurious smiling gently while he's accompanied by Mertel and the other <9 Divines>.

All of them had a blissful smile adorning their face in this picture...

The girls from the DxD world went into a daze when they saw his gentle smile... Most of them went into their lovestruck and lovelorn mode almost immediately just by looking at this picture of his...

"From what I see... Only a few of you could have a chance to become an <Overlord> in terms of raw power." Mertel's voice snapped them out of their daze: "To become <Overlord> one needed to have a certain amount of achievements and also pass a specific test." Mertel continued her explanation.

"Can't we just challenge them and take their place?" Sairaorg asked her in a straightforward manner.

"You could. Typically a lower-ranked Overlord would challenge those that are ranked higher than them and if the challenger won, they would take the defeated Overlord territory and place... But I wouldn't recommend that for you." Mertel advised.

"And why is that?" This time it's Vali who asked.

"Well... To answer that question *Snap*." Mertel closed the device on her hand and snapped her finger.

All the staff in the room acknowledged her signal and then they opened a different monitoring window.

*Blink*

There's a window shown on a giant projection screen. In it, there's a list of words and images describing the <Overlord> system. It's drawn like a circular map.

"This is the <Hanging Garden of Babylon> at the center meaning our current location." Mertel pointed at the middle of the map.

All of them pay attention to her explanation closely afraid that they will miss something.

"And these numbers on the map you're seeing is the digit representing the <Overlord> strength and territory. In theory, seven digits are at the bottom ranks in the <Overlord> system but that's not always the case... There is a few strong <Overlord> residing in the seven digits territory since they are not really that interested in competing with the other <Overlord>." She speaks word by word clearly.

"The weakest <Overlord> tier is at the <Tier 5>... If somehow by chance you managed to defeat one of them, that doesn't mean you will instantly become an Overlord yourself. There is an adjudicator on duty that will judge your qualification and this is where your 'achievements' come in to help you."

All of them halted their breath hearing that the weakest of the Overlord is at the <Tier 5>... The strongest individual from their world excluding Great Red and Ophis are Shiva.

Even though Shiva is at <Tier 6>, it's hard to say if he could defeat all of the <Tier 5> Overlord by himself.

Just like Sora once said, Tier/Level is not everything... What if some of them could momentarily become a <Tier 6> themselves just like Vali could? And even if they won somehow, they won't be able to become an Overlord right away either since they needed to fulfill a certain condition for it... That's quite discouraging, to say the least...

"Besides... Are you sure you can defeat any of them at your current strength?" Mertel flashed a knowing smirk at them as if she could read their mind before she continues speaking: "And don't think that there will be no penalty if you were to challenge an Overlord and lose against them... You need to pay something in return. And as for what will the payment be... It's up to them. But there will be a referee who will observe the battle so there will be no further complication."

Most of them who were listening gulped audibly feeling nervous...

"You don't expect to just barge in someone's home and just challenge them like that without proper penalty now, did you? Our side also won't meddle with this affair... Even though you won't lose your life since it is forbidden to kill each other but if by chance that the <Overlord> you fought is greedy, then all I can say is, best of luck to you." Mertel said with a shrug.

Take Shuten and Ibaraki Douji for example... If they're in a good mood perhaps they would just shrug it off and just randomly ask for something. But if they're caught in a bad mood then... Suck to be you since your whole family belongings might just disappear in a snap.

If the challengers wanted to retaliate then the Overlords are allowed to take drastic measures such as killing them outright...

If they couldn't pay then they would be put into work until they're able to pay... No matter how long it takes.

If the result is a draw then obviously both party doesn't need to pay anything.

Vali and Sairaorg perhaps could be considered as her King's friends but if they thought that with his help they can escape any penalties then they're sorely mistaken.

Although, she's quite positive that they're not that kind of person...

"If you don't mind me asking, what is this 'Achievements' you're talking about? Do we need to do something big and be recognized by others or something? Maybe like a medal of war?" Sona asked Mertel.

"No, that would be too far fetched. Most conflicts in this world have already been dealt with. So you won't find any large scale war outside the Overlord contest." Mertel shook her head at Sona's question.

"The 'achievement' here is the achievement you get by doing a specific task, such as helping the population of this world or another world population with their problem. And to put it into easier wording, then you could say that it's like a Quest from an RPG game..." Mertel pointed her finger at another screen.

"All of you should be familiar with RPG games, right? It's just like that... You start at 'F' rank and the higher you climb the rank the better your 'achievements' would be. To become a seven digits Overlord, you need to at least reach 'C' rank..." Mertel shows them the rank requirement.

C rank = 7 Digit

B rank = 6 Digit

A rank = 5 Digit

S rank = 4 Digit

SS rank = 3 Digit

SSS rank = 2 Digit

EX rank = 1 Digit

Back then, when Issei just arrived in this world, the <Overlord> system doesn't exist. Only after he becomes the <Supreme Overlord> that this system came to be.

Those who are already at the "C" rank or even "S" rank could still take on an "F" rank "Quests" and they can still collect <AP> from it but it will take forever for them who want to advance to the next rank.

Let's say "F" rank quests reward is 10-20 points of <AP> per Quest. From "F" rank to "E" rank, an <Apostle> only need 20000 <AP>. But for someone at the "C" rank, they needed a whopping 20 million <AP> to become "B" rank.

And even if by chance they reach "B" rank from doing the "F" rank, what's the point when their strength is not up to par? It would only be a waste of time... Incidentally, someone at the "F" rank could take on a higher-ranked Quests to advance faster if their strength fits the criteria.

To avoid "newbie killer" case, an Overlord with a higher digit won't be able to challenge someone with a lower digit.

"...You can take on 'Quests' and gather AP(Achievement Points) at the <Guild Hall>. Of course, you need to register yourself first... Once you registered yourself, you will become an <Apostle>. And once you become an <Apostle>, you can pay the penalty of challenging an Overlord or challenge Overlord to a duel with AP instead of raw payment... Needless to say, this AP could also be exchanged for some other rewards as well." Mertel finished her explanation with a thin smile.

"I see... Then how about the 'Test'?" Sona nodded understandingly at Mertel explanation before she asks another question.

"Well... One of the tests is to see if you're harmful to the bigger picture or not. We can't have a rogue Overlord run amock in our kingdom now, do we? That would put shame to Ise-sama name... And note that once you're tagged as a rogue Overlord, an adjudicator would bestow judgment upon you. Whether you're going to be crippled or killed, it depends on how heavy your sin is." Mertel said in a warning voice.

Xenovia and Irina who heard the word "crippled" shuddered briefly... One of them is stripped away of her power while the other one is stripped away of their <Holy> element.

So calling them a "cripple" at this point is quite accurate...

"As for the other test..." Mertel sensed a familiar presence and glanced to the side and they all subconsciously followed her gaze only to see Millet standing nearby.

It's unknown just when did she appear there... Other than Mertel, nobody realized it.

Xenovia's body flinched when she saw Millet since she's the one who "crippled" her before... At first, Xenovia felt hatred towards Millet but when she finds out about the truth, all of her hatred changed into self-loathing...

"Millet-sama... May I know what are you doing here?" Mertel smiled wryly seeing Millet here.

"I heard that someone wanted to be an Overlord so I came." Millet said simply.

Then she gazes at Sona with an observant gaze. This in return, made Sona sweat a little thinking if she somehow provoked her by chance or something...

"*Sigh* I know that you're the head captain of the adjudicators but please remember that you're currently pregnant..." Mertel said with a sigh.

First, it was Lady Rossweisse then it's Lady Mertel... Don't they know how to take care of treat themselves better? It's great to see that they seem quite energetic but it's quite worrying to say nonetheless.

She doesn't want her King who's currently "away" to be worried... When he's not here then it's their duty to protect his wives.

If Issei could hear Mertel thoughts, he would've said, 'But you girls are my wives too though? And you're also pregnant yourself, you know?' while smiling wryly...

"Don't worry, it won't affect my performance in the slightest." Millet said to reassure Mertel.

"I'm sure it won't, but what will Ise-sama do if he were to know that you're out fighting someone when you're pregnant?" Mertel said with a questioning look.

Now this made Millet lose her cool...

"...I-If nobody tells him then I'm sure that he won't know about it..." She tried to argue.

"You know we can't do that, Millet-sama. And you of all people should understand why, don't you?" Mertel said with a knowing smile.

Of course Millet knows... Even she wouldn't be able to keep a secret from her Lord even if she wanted to.

Her calm face might fool the others but she couldn't fool her own Lord... When the time comes... She won't be able to escape from his "clutch" and in the end, she will spill the beans accompanied by some gasping sound.

As for why she's gasping... Only she knows... Maybe...?

"Errh..." Millet let out a stutter. Long gone was her serious and strict look and she looks like a child caught doing something bad by their relatives now...

"Now please go back, Millet-sama... Don't worry, I could just ask the other adjudicator for this job. There's no need for you to overwork yourself."

"U-Un... Then I leave it to you." Millet added the last part with a strict voice trying to get her bearings back. Sadly, she won't be able to fool anyone right now...

"Hai, you can leave it to me." Mertel said with a smile.

And with that, Millet disappears from the room just as silent when she first arrived...

From the moment when she arrived here, she doesn't even spare Rias's group a glance since she doesn't think they worth her time at all.

She only cast a glance towards Sona since she's feeling interested in her. If things went well then Sona might be their next sister after all... Even the reason why she came here personally was because of Sona.

As for the rest, she doesn't really care that much...

"Well... As you all might've guessed. The other test is to test your strength and mettle... You must be powerful and quick-witted if you wanted to become an Overlord." Mertel set her attention back to the DxD group once she saw Millet has left.

They all sweated after hearing Mertel words... Did she mean that they must be able to defeat an adjudicator? If the opponent is someone like Millet then... Their chance of winning is basically none...

Not a single one of them here could defeat a <Tier 7> peak like her...

"Don't worry, you will not face someone as strong as Millet-sama." Mertel said with a smirk seeing their nervous expression.

"...May we know who will be our judge?" Sona asked cautiously. She said their judge won't be someone as strong as Lady Millet... But will they be weaker or at least the same caliber as them?

Mertel smiled thinly before she pointed behind them.

Once again, their eyes follow suit and turn around towards the direction Mertel is currently pointing...

And soon Sona and the others get their answer...

A woman with slightly tanned skin is standing at the entrance, she appears as a young teenage girl with long white hair, tied back at either side with red tassels. She's carrying a very long black katana on her waist.

She wears a red and black dress bearing similarity to a short kimono and long European style coat, complete with high collar held closed by a rope tassel. She also appears to wear long black stockings.

Everyone from the DxD world recognizes this woman before them since they've seen her before during the meeting with the <Netherworld> representatives before...

"My name is Majin Okita Souji or Okita Alter for short but you can just call me Majin-san if you want. I have arrived in response to your request of wanting to become an Overlord under my absent Master's name." She spoke in a firm tone.

Even though her eyes seem quite sharp, overall, she's quite emotionless... At least in the outside. While on the inside, she's very passionate.

Okita Alter cares deeply for her master for granting her a life that should have never been possible... Her Saint Graph or should she say her soul is artificial and she could disappear anytime.

The reason why she's able to exist was because of the Holy Grail support but when the Corrupted Grail has been destroyed by her Master, she should've disappeared as well but her Master has shown her endless kindness by letting himself be the "linchpin" for her and the others...

Her roots as "Okita" remain the same. She takes on a "hitman attitude that will kill anything".

She has tried to express her gratitude multiple times before but she felt those times weren't enough...

'Master has given me everything. You gave me, who wasn't supposed to exist in the first place, somewhere to belong, a life and everything... I like Master and this world where you live. For example, even if this body's Saint Graph were to shatter, I would risk my everything to protect Master and your world' Was what she vowed in the past.

She tried sneaking into her Master's bed but she will always get caught by Jalter most of the time...

And when she tried enticing him, he would only give her head a gentle head pats much to her happiness and disappointment at the same time...

They all gulped audibly... Bikou for one wanted to shout out loud: 'What do you mean our judge won't be as strong as that Millet girl!? Even though it's basically true that she's not as strong as the former but this one is not so different either! Both of them are monstrous!'

"Hm? What's wrong? Why all of you being so quiet all of a sudden?" Okita Alter tilted her head to the side feeling a little confused.

"Oh! If you're worried facing me alone then all of you can come at me together. It would still count as a victory if you manage to defeat me that way." She acts as if she just realized something and proceeded to reassure them.

Their face started twitching a lot... Was it blind confidence in herself? Or was it a mockery? No... She has the strength to back up her words just now. And she truly meant what she said without the slightest of sarcasm in it...

They can feel it... Her towering strength when all she does is standing there without releasing a tiny bit of battle intent...

Mertel who saw their nervous face flashed a thin smile...

Okita Alter's strength is indeed lower than Millet but both of them had one thing in common... Their blade could nullify anything they touch albeit the former ability is much weaker than the latter.

Okita Alter is the one who's known as the one that cleaves Demons, pierce Gods and Heaven itself.

In other words, she could nullify even a God <Divinity> making her capable of slaying Gods...

For example, if Zeus divinity related to thunder or lightning then if he were to be faced with her then his divinity related to both would be nullified making him only be someone who possesses a lightning affinity.

A God without their divinity is nothing but another mortal who's just stronger than your average mortals... Especially if they're relying on their divinities most of the time making Okita Alter their worst nightmare as an opponent.

The only way to resist Okita Alter's ability is if the God she's facing has already reached the state of nothingness themselves... In other words, <True Gods> which is impossible for the current Gods from the DxD world.

Even Shiva isn't capable of defeating her one on one...

The judge for the test a newcomer is faced with shouldn't be at the caliber of Okita Alter. It's just Mertel messing around with them a little bit...

Sirzechs, Azazel, Michael, and Odin won't be participating in the Overlord test and only the young ones such as Vali, Sairaorg, Sona, etc will. They have their own reason but mostly related to increasing their strength in the end...

As for Rias Gremory's group... Forget about it. They're far too weak as of now and won't have the tiny bit of odds nor chance to become an Overlord... Not that they requested to become one in the first place.

Rias knows that currently, she and her peerage are not ready at all... They need more time to train themselves especially for Xenovia who basically started over from zero. But someday, in the future... Perhaps they could become an Overlord themselves but not now...

It looks like they know their limits, unlike before... Mertel thought to herself.

Mertel read some of their past histories before and she has to say that they're extremely foolish thinking to just tackle everything in their way thinking it all will be according to plan while their strength is below average... She even started thinking if there are some holes inside their brain or something? Perhaps there is, hence their stupidity.

If her King wasn't there with them then their fate should've been doomed a long time ago...

"So? Shall we start now?" Okita Alter gazed at them all.

She forgot just who's the one wanted to be an Overlord so she decided to just cluster them together...

"If you're not confident right now then you could just take some 'Quests' and come back later when you're ready", Mertel finally lent a helping hand towards them.

Right... She never said that they must take this test now, didn't she?! Only now that they realized that they've been tricked by Mertel...

Mertel laughed lightly seeing their realization face...

"Mm? We're not doing it now?" Okita Alter sounded a little disappointed.

"Y-Yes... We will pass the test for now. And once we're ready we-"

"Wait. I wanted to try now."

Just when Sona was about to politely refuse Okita Alter's invitation, Vali cut her off.

Bikou, Arthur, and Le Fay who heard Vali's voice sighed wryly... Looks like his bad habit is here again...

But since he's their leader, they need to tag along with him...

"Count me in." Sairaorg voiced out his words while he gets into his fighting pose.

"Me as well." Cao Cao next followed by Riser: "Me too."

Although most of them are feeling nervous, there's a little anticipation in their gaze as well.

Unlike Vali, they don't bring their peerage members along with them so they're basically on their own.

They wanted to know the difference between their current strength with someone like Okita Alter who should be a <Tier 6> powerhouse... Vali used his Balance Breaker right away and the others also readied themselves.

Sirzechs and the others who saw this started looking at each other before smiling wryly... Ah... Youth... They thought to themselves. They all then stepped away to give them some room.

Sona at first was tempted to join in as well but soon erased that thought...

"Wait, shouldn't they change place first?" Azazel asked Mertel.

"No need." Mertel answered simply which made them feel a little confused. What did she mean by that?

Won't it be bad if they fight here? All of the equipment and the staff here could be affected by their clash and that's a bad thing, right? Sure the room is big enough but it's still very risky nonetheless...

But soon they heard Okita Alter speak once again.

"Um, good spirit... But..." Okita Alter nodded approvingly at Vali and the others resolve but soon her voice is laced with a little bit of killing intent.

"Spirit alone won't be enough to let you win." At the moment she finishes speaking, Okita Alter's body disappeared right in front of their eyes.

They all had their eyes wide open seeing her suddenly disappear like that but Vali, Sairaorg, and Cao Cao instinctively guarded themselves... But the result has already been decided from the start...

"So, the judgment, adjudicator?"

"They all fail."

Mertel's voice resounded and Okita Alter's right after...

They all turned their heads only to see that Okita Alter is already standing beside Mertel. Her left hand is resting on top of her katana hilt.

"...What do you mean? We're still standing safe and sound, aren't we?" Riser voiced out his confusion.

"Safe and sound? Heheh... Are you sure about that?" Mertel chuckled lightly while Okita Alter doesn't say anything and she even closed her eyes acting like her job here is done.

"...What?" Riser is still clueless but not Vali and the others.

"...We lose..." Vali said in a low voice.

"Like I said... What do you-!?"

Riser then saw a thin red line across Vali's neck... If one looks closely, they could see that his <Balance Breaker> helmet is chipped at the neck part.

His neck which was covered in armor is slightly exposed but that is enough for Riser to see and also understand what Vali meant at the same time...

He hastily inspected the others and they all had the same trace on their neck... And as expected, even his own neck has the same red line coupled with a single drop of blood trickling down...

All of their body is covered in cold sweat immediately... If she wanted to kill them then they would've died just now...

Riser for one felt really alarmed, why is his Phoenix trait doesn't activate?! Normally, this tiny wound should be healed in a blink of an eye! So why won't it heal!?

He doesn't sense any <Holy> energy from his wound so he's utterly confused.

[...You're not her match, Vali... Unless you use the <Diabolos Dragon Lucifer> then you won't be able to put up a decent fight against her...] Albion said towards Vali...

There's an underlying meaning behind Albion's words which Vali caught... He said, 'You won't be able to put up a decent FIGHT against her'... Meaning that even if he were to use the Dragon Lucifer form, he still won't be able to defeat her and only capable of putting up a fight...

Albion knows from the start that Vali is not Okita Alter's match but since they're not in a death and life battle, he sees no reason to stop Vali from being reckless.

"...Amazing slash..." Arthur mumbled feeling awestruck... He couldn't see or sense just when did she do it...

"Heh, guess it's our loss then..." Sairaorg said offhandedly.

"Looks like it." Cao Cao sighed bitterly.

They're not really feeling that disappointed, rather, they felt happy knowing that they can still grow stronger. Seeing someone stronger than them just ignited their fighting spirit.

Perhaps this "fight" doesn't really mean much to Okita Alter but to them, it's a big boost to their determination. They will surely get stronger! They promised to themselves...

The reason why they wanted to become an <Overlord> in the first place is because of that very same reason.

They wanted to test their limit and see just how far they could grow in this new world where most inhabitants here are much stronger than them.

Sona and her peerage also felt a little bit excited.

This <Overlord> system is basically the dream Sona has been hoping for albeit a little different in scale... The <Overlord> system itself isn't that much different either if it's compared to the rating game back in their world but there is one major difference...

In the past, Sona states her dream of opening a school for Rating Game for all Devils regardless of their classes which was made fun of by the elder Devils.

Sona is very dedicated to her dream of opening a Rating Game School that is open to all regardless of their status, even going to a human school to learn of their system. And isn't that what the <Overlord> system basically is?

And no one would laugh at her dreams since as long as you have the strength and capabilities then anyone could become an <Overlord>!

Sure she's currently quite weak but she won't let this stop her... She will surely get stronger and become an Overlord herself in the future.

Well... Unknown to her, if her engagement with Issei proceeded without a hitch then... That very same dream of hers would be achieved much faster than she ever thought...

But, whether she would be willing to leave Issei's side by then would be unknown... Or should we say, whether she could leave her bed or not instead...? Just like a certain Princess often experienced because of her naughtiness.

Issei is sometimes mischevious like that regardless if his wives being naughty or not...

Mertel who saw their looks smiled secretly to herself... This day might be just the day where a good seedling for the Overlord system is born, she mused to herself.

Actually, Okita Alter is not a normal <Tier 6> peak. And if her difficulty is measured in a game system then she would be the hardest difficulty of that said game. And to make matter worse, she will keep increasingly getting stronger as well...

By the time Vali and the others reached <Tier 6>, she might be already at the <Tier 7> peak but reaching <Tier 6> and <Tier 7> is not an easy thing so it might take a while.

But that's something they won't know until later...

"No need to feel so disappointed, you can try again later." Mertel said some comforting words at them.

They nodded at her words.

"Is there any place where we can train?" Vali asked.

Sairaorg and the others also wanted to know the answer to this question.

"There is." Mertel nodded: "There's a training facility prepared but if you want to take a special course, you need to pay of course."

"Majin here has some experience being a teacher herself..." Mertel looked at the silent Okita Alter who has her eyes closed. Her stance is still quite menacing to their eyes.

But she's being very quiet for some reason...

"...Why is she being silent?" Azazel asked in bewilderment. But then they heard something...

"Zzz..." A light snore can be heard coming out from her.

"*Sigh*... Wake up, Majin-san!" Mertel shouted at her.

"Hah! I'm not sleeping, I'm not sleeping. Sleep... I fell asleep!" Okita Alter becomes startled. At first, she tried to deny it but soon give up the thought and decided to just admit it... Making excuses is too bothersome for her.

"Yes, we can see that... Seriously... You're the only one who can fell asleep during times like this..." Mertel rolled her eyes at her. Even during a fight, she could just doze off instantly...

Because of this "trait" of hers, Okita Alter often made her foes felt furious thinking that she's making light of them... Well, in a way, she does make light of them or the whole situation to be precise...

But don't think that if she were to fell asleep then there would be an opening. Even in her sleep, she could still counterattack. And in some cases, her counterattack is proven to be more fatal rather than her normal slash...

"..." They all are looking at Okita Alter speechlessly. Did she just fall asleep? More importantly, how did she fall asleep while standing still like that?

Vali's group had their face twitch a lot... Did they just lose against an airhead of all people?

"*Sigh* You all can follow Grayfia and Venelana to the <Guild Hall> or the training area if you want... Then I believe our small meeting here is done." Mertel said tiredly.

"Yes, thank you for your time. Now if you would excuse us." Michael politely said his thanks along with a slight bow followed by the others.

When they're about to exit the room, Mertel thought of something before calling Rias.

"Rias Gremory." She called out Rias's name lightly.

Rias is taken aback because she never thought that she will be called by Mertel. But she doesn't hesitate to respond to her call.

"Yes? How may I help you?" Rias said politely.

"Do stay here along with your team, I want to have a little talk. Ah, but Kiba-sama and Gasper-sama may leave. Oh, right... <Heal>." Mertel said simply before she cast a healing spell to those who were injured from Okita Alter slash.

The small scratch on their neck disappears soon after like it never been there in the first place much to their small amazement... Mertel healing spell is not based on the <Holy> element rather it's of the <Nature> element so the Devils are fine being exposed to her healing spell.

And the way she treated Rias compared to Kiba and Gasper is clear as a day... She called Rias with her full name without any honorifics unlike when she called Kiba and Gasper.

Sirzechs started to feel nervous when she heard Mertel's words. What did she want to talk about with his little sister? Everyone here knows that only Kiba and Gasper are treated differently than Rias and the others.

"No need to worry Sirzechs Lucifer, I only want to have a little chat with your sister and her friends." Mertel gave a slight smirk at Sirzechs.

"...May I know what you want to talk about with them?" Sirzechs tried to sound calm but he started to sweat a little feeling nervous.

Especially when Okita Alter is gazing at him so intently like that...

"Now that's a secret... But I can tell you that I won't harm them. This, I give you my word." Mertel still had the same smirk on her face when she's answering to his question.

"It's fine, onii-sama. We will be fine." Rias said towards Sirzechs trying to reassure him.

Sirzechs was about to say something else when Azazel grasped his shoulder.

Baraqiel is about to do the same thing since he's worried for Akeno but Odin also does the same thing as Azazel and holds him back.

When Sirzechs look at Azazel direction, the latter slowly shakes his head signaling to let it be... If they really wanted to harm Rias and the others then there's really nothing they could do whether they put their life on the line or not, the result won't change.

It would be very unwise to fight an unstoppable force like them... They have a better chance of fighting Shiva rather than fighting Mertel and the others.

"It will be fine, Sirzechs. You can trust lady Mertel." Venelana speaks softly to her son. She knows that Mertel won't go back on her words... If she said she won't harm Rias then she really won't.

Finally, Sirzechs can only give up and sighed bitterly.

And Only then they leave the room... Kiba and Gasper cast a worried gaze for Rias's group along their way out...

Once the door is closed. Mertel set her attention to Rias's party.

"You will use them for your little plan, Mertel?" Okita Alter asked Mertel with furrowed eyebrows while observing Rias's group.

"They are too weak..." Okita Alter mumbled discontentedly.

Her blunt words made Rias's group flinch slightly but they stood their ground nevertheless.

"Well, I admit that even though they're clearly lacking in many areas, I can still make use of them regardless..." Mertel proceeded to tell one of the staff to contact Da Vinci for her.

"Then, let's have our little talk, shall we?" When she's done sending a message towards Da Vinci, Mertel set her attention back towards Rias's team.

A calculative glint flashed across Mertel's eyes... Somehow, Rias and her team felt cold when they're exposed to Mertel's current gaze...

Whether what she has in mind for them is good or not... Only the future can tell...

...

When the DxD group is on their way... They came across Nobunaga walking towards their direction.

She's still in her 3rd form meaning the mature version of her.

"Hm?" She took notice of the DxD group almost immediately since she had vivid memories of them.

"Greetings, Lady Nobunaga." Grayfia and Venelana said their greetings.

"..." Nobunaga silently observes Sirzechs and the others. But then she saw Gasper and felt a little intrigued.

Gasper who sensed her gaze had his body flinched. Kiba instantly stepped in front of Gasper protecting him from Nobunaga's sight.

Nobunaga raised her eyebrows feeling amused by this sight before she steps closer. She raised Kiba's chin abruptly and started to observe the latter face up close...

"Hmm... So you're Master's friend, Kiba Yuuto, was it? Fumu fumu... Wahahaha! So how does it feel turning into a girl? And I have to say you look quite cute as well. You should change your name to Yuki or Yuko instead of Yuuto!" Nobunaga laughed out loud after her brief inspection of Kiba.

She felt amused by the sight of Kiba who was a former boy. She kind of can relate to him since she also has a male persona inside her body...

Semiramis could split their persona but they refuse her offer... At least for now, they don't have any intention of doing that. It's not like they're attached to each other or anything, it's because they're just too lazy...

If they share one body then when one of them "emerge" the others could take it easy...

Her burst of laughter made Kiba become taken aback...

"And this... boy? Gasper, was it?" Nobunaga pushed Kiba to the side lightly and look down at Gasper who started getting teary-eyed under Nobunaga observant gaze.

"...Are you sure he's not a girl? I mean, no matter how I look at him... He looks exactly like a girl." Nobunaga muttered confusedly. But soon she remembered a certain bubbly "Girl" with pink hair in Babylon and thought that looks can indeed be deceiving...

She doesn't realize her words just hurt Gasper's pride a little... Even though sh- he looks like this, he's still a boy alright. Thankfully Valerie is not here with him or it would be very embarrassing if she were to see this incident...

"Let me check if you still have your manhood there." Nobunaga extended her hand towards Gasper's specific location acting like she wanted to confirm something...

"Eeeek?!" Gasper shrieked loudly when he saw Nobunaga's hand. He hastily runs away from her clutch and hid behind Kiba's back once again...

"Hm? Why did you run away? I only wanted to see if you're really a boy or not." Nobunaga seems clueless about what she was about to do just now. She's indeed a bit clueless on stuff like this...

They all started sweating profusely seeing this act of hers... Everyone would've reacted the same way if a woman suddenly wanted to grab their family jewel alright...

"Well, forget about it then... So, what are they here for?" Nobunaga said dismissively losing interest while she took out her smoking pipe and asked Grayfia.

"They're here to register themselves as an <Apostle>." Grayfia answered politely.

"Hmm... Is that red mutt not here?" Nobunaga hummed uninterestedly while inhaling her smoking pipe.

The "red mutt" she's talking about is obviously Rias. She doesn't take Venelana and Sirzechs presence into account at all even though they're Rias's mother and elder brother respectively... But both of them knew of their daughter and little sister's folly so they have nothing to say...

"They're currently having a conversation with Lady Mertel." Grayfia answered once again.

"Oh?" Nobunaga's hand stopped briefly before she muttered to herself: "Why did Mertel wanted to talk to them... Does that mean... If it is... Hahahaha! I gotta see this for myself." Then without saying anything, she went towards Mertel's place with a quick step... But there's a big grin on her face when she left...

Sirzechs can only look on perplexedly at her departing back... Just what did Mertel want to talk about with Rias and the others that made someone like Nobunaga look so giddy? His worry could only grow along with Baraqiel...

...

A week has passed ever since Issei arrived at the Divine Phoenix Empire... He was inspecting the <Primordial Profound Ark> during his stay here. But he still hasn't gone inside the Ark just yet.

Although, when he's come into contact with the Ark, he now felt more certain that this Ark is indeed created by the Heretic God since the divine energy the ark is emitting greatly resembles the Heretic God energy signature.

This made Jasmine and Xun'er felt ecstatic. That means their chance of finding more <Seed> just increase...

But Jasmine felt suspicious why such a small plane like the <Blue Pole Star> contains so many legacies of the great Gods such as the Azure Dragon God, Phoenix, and the Golden Crow. And that dark abyss at the Azure Cloud Continent where they found Bai'er... That place is still a mystery to them until this day...

Issei doesn't feel that interested in its origin so it might be nothing special but then again... with his standards, what's considered "so-so" by him is nothing to scoff at either...

For him, it might be "so-so" but for them, it could be a priceless legendary treasure which is one of a kind and can only be encountered once in a lifetime opportunity.

On this star alone, they have found four <Seed> already... Did they somehow predict Ise's arrival in this world? No, that's impossible... He's only twenty-one years old which is mindblowing in and of itself...

When they asked him of his age before, they become so dumbfounded that they are at loss for words... Jasmine who considered herself as a genius has never felt so small and tiny... She thought that Ise age should be in the millions considering his strength but reality slapped her right in the face...

If they don't know any better then they might think that he's lying but he's not the type who would lie... Especially when it's just about his age.

In the upper realm, once someone has reached the <Divine Realm>, it is hard to tell someone age since their "growth" won't be the same as a cultivator on the <Profound Realm>.

Take Xun'er for example... She might look like she is in her twenties when Issei first met her before but her real age is already in the hundreds...

When Jasmine accidentally told Issei about her age, Xun'er felt nervous about how would he react when he found out about her real age. At first, she tried to stop her daughter but it's too late.

But much to Xun'er relief, there's nothing change from the way he looks at her... So that means he doesn't mind about something like age... She thought happily to herself.

Unknown to her, some of his wives back home can already be considered as "Ancient" and not just old... Heck, they can even be considered Xun'er great great great great grandmother and no one would find it weird if they were to know their true age...

If he were to judge someone just because of their age... His wives would beat him up to a pulp...

Even Tio who's still in her twenties is quite sensitive about her age sometimes... Needless to say about Semiramis and the others.

Issei is closing his eyes resting under a tree located nearby the lake of the Phoenix Perching Valley. Xiaotao is beside him giving his legs a massage.

In the lake shallow water, there are two young girls that seemed as though they were a fairy from a painting.

The older looking girl wore an elegant phoenix robe, but it was overshadowed by her glistening jadelike skin. Her back view, side view was all like a fairy from a dream. Without even looking at her face and just by her back view, one could tell that her beauty is absolutely stunning.

Her snow-white feet inside the pool water are mesmerizingly glistening making one want to take a bite out of it...

While the other girl who looks younger is wearing a similar white robe as the first one albeit with a different style. Her long galactic bright silver hair is tied into two buns, the hair in front of her forehead danced freely, complementing her white jade-like tender looks.

Her small tender jade-like feet mischievously danced around the water making one want to observe it closely and play with it gently to their heart content...

The first girl let out a melodious laughter while splashing the water lightly towards the second girl. She raised her jade fingers and gently released her hair tie, letting her shimmering long black hair scatter like a broken dam. Each strand of hair seemed as though it had its own life and danced in the air before falling onto her shoulder.

The second girl seemed to be smiling as well and even though there is no sound coming out from her small cherry lips, it seems that it doesn't hinder her from having fun in the slightest. Looking at the smile that currently adorning her smile, it's obvious that she's feeling happy.

All of these could only generate the word "perfection" in anyone's mind. Just one glimpse of their sight together was able to make a man lose control and go crazy...

But of course... If they still want to keep their lives, they shouldn't try their luck with these two fairies.

Even though the two fairies are very stunning, their guardian is not someone who would take those with ill-intent kindly... Zin is situated nearby them acting as their guardian.

If they wanted to try their luck they need to get past the guardian first but even if they somehow able to past... They still need to face the final hidden 'boss'!

These two girls are obviously Feng Xue'er and Bai'er.

"Little Bai'er, you're so pretty and cute! Ugh, why don't I have you as my little sister..." Feng Xue'er hugged Bai'er tightly while smushing their tender cheeks together.

"I really like your and Grandmaster Ise's hair… Because I like the color white, which is also the color of snow… When I was thirteen, Divine Phoenix City had a huge snowfall and that was the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. I felt that all of me was fused with the white snow… However, after that day, I have never seen snow again…" Feng Xue'er said blurrily.

She called Issei Grandmaster because Xiaotao is her Master hence that makes Issei her Grandmaster.

Issei who heard Feng Xue'er words opened his eyes slightly. There's a hint of pity in his eyes when he sees Feng Xue'er.

There's another reason why Xue'er being so protected other than her being the Divine Phoenix Empire beloved princess... Feng Xue'er is indeed the purest inheritor of the Phoenix legacy while the rest of her clan member is just that of a normal descendant.

Meaning that their phoenix bloodline is very thin... They won't be able to release the full power of the Phoenix even if they try their whole life.

While Xue'er would be able to use the Phoenix art to their full potential soon. It's only a matter of time...

After all, not only she inherited the Phoenix complete legacy but she also has the original Phoenix as her Master... Even though Xiaotao is only a soul residue of the Phoenix, she inherited the memories for it.

Not to mention, Issei himself could be considered a Phoenix God himself because of Paniverna's essence inside of him.

Sometimes, Issei would assist Xue'er training whenever he saw room for improvement in the <World Ode of the Phoenix> arts making the arts becomes even stronger than before...

Issei waved his hand gently towards Feng Xue'er and Bai'er direction...

Feng Xue'er felt a sudden cold wind whistled beside her ear and it seemed to let out a peculiar howl. But in the next second, her beautiful eyes stared dazedly at the sight in front of her, her eyes faintly trembling as stars shone within them.

Because from the sky, there are pieces of snow falling to the ground one by one.

Snow would continue to fall around their place...

A cluster of fortunate snowflakes landed in the palm of her hand, but after a brief instant, they were melted away by the power of her Phoenix flames. Feng Xue'er anxiously constricted her profound energy, and immediately after that, the snowflakes began to obediently gather on her palms. It was not long before the snow completely covered her palms, her phoenix clothes, and her long hair.

Her arms lightly danced in the air and a veil of snow immediately began dancing with her as well. The joy and wonderment in her eyes were reflected clearly on every single-crystalline snowflake.

"Ah! It's snow! Little Bai, it's snow!" Feng Xue'er could not contain her elation any longer and she let out a cry of pure delight.

Bai'er who saw this sight turned her head towards Issei's direction and she let out a joyful smile... She can tell that this snowfall is created by him...

Issei who sensed Bai'er smile let out a gentle smile of his own...

Xiaotao who's by his side also smiled gently at her master kindness. Even Zin also smiled even though it's not that obvious since she's still in her Dragon form...

Feng Xue'er happily skipped above the water surface towards the shore, both of her hands cupped the unceasingly falling snowflakes as she happily jumped about amidst the snowfall, as though she was a fairy that had found her home. Her happiness even seemed to have infected the atmosphere as the breeze became even more gentle.

"It's really snow… so cold, so beautiful." She happily exclaimed in excitement, each sound she made was like the sweetest music in the world. Immersed within the snowflakes and a thin layer of recently accumulated snow, she faced upwards as happiness blossomed on her smiling face, as if she had unrestrainedly released all her joy within the snow.

Bai'er also comes out from the lake and walks towards Issei's direction before she snuggled inside his embrace like a spoiled child.

Issei gently stroked her head which made her smile widen...

Feng Xue'er who was looking at the falling snow dreamily suddenly realized something and look towards Issei's direction.

"Grandmaster! Are you the one who created this snow!?" She hopped towards Issei's direction and asked him jovially.

Even though her royal father has told her not to come into contact or come close to any men. Xue'er doesn't feel the slightest discomfort whenever she's around her Grandmaster so she unconsciously forgotten her royal father's words.

Is it because of his Phoenix bloodline? Or was it because of something else? Xue'er doesn't really know but what she knows that whenever she's near her Grandmaster, she would feel really comfortable and happy.

Her Grandmaster is a very mysterious person, she has seen so many miraculous things during this past week. Like when he created that "spatial opening" for example... She has never heard of anything like that before.

Even her Master who is a Phoenix God treated him with such respect...

"Um." Issei nodded slightly at her question.

"How did you do it, Grandmaster? Can you teach me?!" Xue'er asked with glittering and hopeful eyes.

"Sadly, I can't." Issei denied her request with an apologetic smile.

"Eh... Why?" She felt a little disappointed hearing Issei's refusal...

"Because that profound art I just used belongs to someone else and they don't want their sect arts to be known by outsiders." What Issei used just now is the <Frozen Cloud Arts>. It belongs to the <Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace> so he can't just teach their art randomly.

"Ohh... Xue'er understands." Hearing his answer, Xue'er nodded understandingly and felt a lot better. That means that it's not like her Grandmaster doesn't want to teach her but it's because he couldn't.

Issei has his own Ice "arts" but since it uses Mana instead of Profound Energy, he also couldn't teach it to Xue'er as well...

"Thank you, Grandmaster!" Princess Snow smiled in elation feeling grateful for Issei's kindness.

She was already submerged in happiness and contentment. She spread out both arms and lightly spun inside the flying snow. Then, she adorably yelled at Issei: "Xue'er will dance for you, okay?"

Without even waiting for Issei to respond, she let out a joyful laughter as she picked up the corner of her skirt. Her flawless ankle and feet started to move around more rhythmically.

The pair of delicate feet that were pure and translucent, snow white and tender, stepped onto the white snow that was unexpectedly less fair than her delicate skin. Each of her toes was like the world's purest of pearls and jade, they were dainty, and glistened with the luster of gems.

The snowflakes still continued to float down... Inside the world of snowflakes, Princess Snow began to gracefully dance. The lower skirt portion of her beautiful phoenix robe fluttered with her elegant movements. Crystals of jade, one after another, let out an enchanting brilliance. Even the golden colored phoenix on her clothing seemed to be gracefully dancing...

Her delicate and tender body was like duckweed rippling on the surface of the water, like the willow branches swaying in the wind, and was so fantastical that it was like a dream... Even the dance of goddesses in the Heaven's palace, perhaps wouldn't be any greater than this.

Issei smiled thinly at her dance while Bai'er eyes are transfixed at Xue'er breathtaking dance... Xue'er happy laughter resounded beside their ears.

Soon, Bai'er stands up from Issei's embrace and walk towards Xue'er direction before she started copying the latter movement.

But since this is the first time for Bai'er trying to dance, she looks clumsy and rather than beautiful, she looks quite funny and cute instead. Issei who saw this chuckled lightly...

Xue'er who saw Bai'er struggling to follow her dance let out another laugh before she took Bai'er hands and started helping her to dance.

In no time at all, Bai'er started to get used to the new movement she just discovered...

The picture of their lithely dancing within the snow, which would've made anyone entranced, can only be seen by Issei alone... If they were to know of this then they would've drowned Issei with their tears of envy...

The snowflakes keep falling down until Issei noticed that they started to get tired... Only then he stopped the snowflakes.

The two young girls also stopped dancing as they looked at the quietly melting layer of snow beneath their feet. They looked at Issei, and said in a little breathless lovely voice: "My dancing, was it good?"

Bai'er still couldn't talk but her expression is conveying the same thing of what Xue'er just said, 'Was it good?'

"It's great." Issei nodded with a soft smile.

Xue'er had heard this sort of praise too many times in her life, but she still laughed happily: "Then… if Grandmaster Ise wanted to see Xue'er dancing again, just make more snow, okay? Xue'er will gladly dance for Grandmaster whenever he wanted!"

Bai'er also nodded profusely at Issei agreeing to Xue'er words. 'If big brother like Bai'er dance, then Bai'er will keep dancing for big brother!' Is what she would've said if she could speak. Issei who shared a connection with her smiled warmly.

Even though he couldn't exactly tell what she's trying to say, he still could the gist of it...

"All right." Issei readily agreed to her words. It's very easy for him to create snowfall such as this so he doesn't see any reason to refuse.

Xue'er hopped around happily once again when she heard Issei's response.

Soon, Xiaotao called Xue'er to start their training once again...

Bai'er fell asleep on Issei's lap feeling tired from all her activities from today.

...

-Divine Phoenix Imperial Palace, Phoenix Main Hall-

"This son and subject greet royal father." Feng Ximing said deferentially as he stood in front of Feng Hengkong.

With the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament getting ever so closer, it was still only secondary. What was most important, was that the Primordial Profound Ark's doorway was about to open. Even though no one had discovered the secrets of the Primordial Profound Ark in these several thousand years, there was no doubt that it contained a world-shaking treasure.

Therefore, even after every failed attempt, the appearance of the Primordial Profound Ark was still be regarded as an enormous occasion for Divine Phoenix Sect. Everyone within the Divine Phoenix Sect believed that if they discovered the Primordial Profound Ark's secret, and obtained its treasure, Divine Phoenix Sect's strength would be on an equal footing with the Four Great Sacred Grounds in the true meaning… even surpassing them was a possibility.

Feng Hengkong is the emperor of the Divine Phoenix Empire and Divine Phoenix Sect's Sect Master. Although he was over a hundred fifty years old, his entire person was unnecessarily white, with not the slightest of wrinkles. He had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, with his majestic heroic air, it seemed that he was at most forty years of age.

Feng Ximing is the Crown Prince of the Divine Phoenix Empire and Young Sect Master of the Divine Phoenix Sect. He looked around thirty and middle-aged.

Feng Hengkong is devoted to the survival and growth of the Divine Phoenix Sect and he treats Feng Xue'er as his entire world because she is the future of the sect.

Ever since he took the seat as Divine Phoenix Emperor and Sect Master, he has constantly been wary of competing with the Sacred Grounds and their greedy attention towards his sect. His worries only grew as the Phoenix Spirit weakened and eventually died, thus losing the only deterrence that his sect had against any ill will from the Sacred Grounds.

Before the Phoenix Spirit died, he bestowed its entire bloodline and soul to Feng Xue'er and instructed Feng Hengkong to protect her until she grew up and fully awakened her Phoenix Soul after a hundred years. Once her Phoenix Soul awakened Divine Phoenix Sect would have a new Phoenix God and would no longer need to fear the Sacred Grounds.

While Feng Hengkong truly treated Feng Xue'er like his beloved daughter and all he felt is true familial love, the same cannot be said for Feng Ximing...

He harbors deep lust and dangerous feelings for his own sister, Feng Xue'er. He is also quick to hatred and extreme actions.

Even between his brothers, he is the most obsessed with his sister Feng Xue'er... Feng Hengkong took notice of his unfilial son's behavior and beat him up for it but Feng Ximing is too obsessed with Feng Xue'er that it doesn't change his feelings at all...

Ever since then, he hid his feelings from his father fearing that he will feel his wrath once again... If he died, Feng Hengkong still has a lot of sons left. He could just replace him if he truly died...

When Feng Ximing arrived, he didn't even lift his head, as he faintly said: "What is it."

Feng Ximing's head was slightly bent, his posture humble: "Reporting to royal father, we've just recently received news from Spirit Earth Hall, a change has occurred on the profound seal on the ark door of the Primordial Profound Ark this morning. According to our past written accounts, this kind of change signifies that the ark door will open twelve days from now, a full four days earlier than we expected." Preparing for the Primordial Profound Ark was the reason why Feng Hengkong had very rarely appeared in public during this time frame.

Feng Hengkong raised his head, his face heavy: "Four days earlier?"

Feng Ximing nodded: "Yes. We had originally set the day after the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament as the profound ark's opening, but now, the profound ark's door is four days ahead of schedule, conflicting with the Seven Nation Ranking Tournament. And even if we shift the ranking tournament to an earlier date now, we still won't have enough time. Thus, in regards to how we'll handle this matter, I ask royal father for advice."

Feng Hengkong stood up as his brows slowly pinched. The Primordial Profound Ark's doorway would only open for twenty-four hours, every minute and second was incomparably precious, and it definitely could not be wasted. However, when he sent the invitation letters to the six nations previously, he explicitly indicated that the top three of the ranking tournament would be entitled to board the Primordial Profound Ark. If the competition was unfinished, how could the top three even board the Primordial Profound Ark when they didn't even exist? As for shifting the date of the ranking tournament to an earlier time, that was even more inappropriate.

But what caused this sudden change on the Primordial Profound Ark? This is the first time it ever happened...

No matter what, they need to handle this problem first... The duo father and son continued their discussion while unknown to them, the culprit of this anomaly is at their beloved daughter and sister side... If they were to know of this, Feng Ximing will undoubtedly be the one who will become outraged... Mostly due to jealousy.

Especially when he realizes how close Feng Xue'er with Issei is...

He hasn't seen her for a very long time now even though they're basically residing in the same palace... In his whole life, he doesn't even have the chance to touch a strand of her hair... He can only look at her from the distance.

The longing inside Feng Ximing's heart is very unbearable because of this to the point that it almost made him went mad...

If Feng Hengkong knew of this sinful thought of his, he would've slapped this unfilial son of him to death right this instant...

...

-Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace-

In the air three thousand kilometers above the palace, there were a pair of clear and limpid eyes silently observing down below…

This woman was as lithe and graceful as a fairy and her entire body was enshrouded in cloud and mist. It was impossible to make out her features clearly, and one could only vaguely see a pair of eyes that were as tranquil as an ancient spring.

Beside her was a young girl with an exquisite figure, completely clad in blue.

"The day of the calamity is arriving soon..." The white-clothed woman muttered softly.

"Master... are you still worried about them?" The young girl asked with caution and respect as she looked at her face.

The white-clothed woman faintly closed her eyes, "When I left all those years ago, I vowed to sever all ties with this place, and no matter what happened henceforth, I would count it as destiny and not interfere any further… perhaps that is already enough for it to persist for a millennium."

"And humans are not devoid of emotion. So even though I have made an oath to myself, how can I be free of worry?" The white-clothed woman said in an ethereal voice, "After all, it had started because of me… So witnessing its end will also completely sever all yearning and karma that I have with it."

"Master, this disciple is extremely curious. All those years ago, you had clearly recovered your profound strength and memories, so why did you still leave behind Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace before departing?" The blue-clothed girl asked in an inquisitive tone.

"....At that time, my profound strength was completely crippled and my memories were lost. It was a member of the Eternal Night Royal Family that rescued me from the claws of a profound beast. Not long after, the Eternal Night Royal Family were destroyed by a bunch of villains and scoundrels that called themselves Sacred Grounds now... After I had recovered my memories and profound strength, even though my heart was filled with hatred, I did not like killing nor did I belong to this world. So leaving behind Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace could be considered as my small repayment for this world…"

After saying that, the white-clothed woman's voice cut off abruptly. The blue-clothed girl was shocked for a while before she tried to sound out the situation, "Did Lord Realm King discover that we have left the Snow Song Realm?"

"Mn." The white-clothed woman swept her eyes downward for the last time before turning around and leaving it all behind. "We should return for now and come back another day. Don't tell elder sister that we came here. She had always borne a bit of a grudge towards me for leaving the Divine End Frozen Art in such a place."

"Yes, Master." The blue-clothed girl immediately nodded.

The white-clothed woman raised her hand slightly and both of them soon disappears from their place...

Unknown to them, the <Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace> they're observing is just an illusion...

If they could see the current Frozen Cloud, perhaps the white-clothed woman would feel taken aback since their strength is increasing by an abnormal rate.

Most of the Frozen Cloud disciples have already reached the throne level with Cang Yue as an exception since she just recently joined.

Being a throne is nothing much but to become a throne in less than a month from the Sky Profound Realm is not an easy task and most of them achieve breakthrough almost simultaneously.

Issei started to pick up the pace in assisting their cultivation progress. He would gather a large amount of profound energy into the palace which allows the girls to cultivate faster than ever.

Nobody realizes this abnormality since Issei's control over the profound energy already reaches perfection. Even this white-clothed woman herself doesn't realize this abnormality needless to say about those who are weaker than her...

When they disappear, Esdeath, Altair, and Sirius emerged at their previous location.

"Looks like they have left..." Altair mumbled softly.

"They indeed came from the upper realm. This traces of energy they left behind is not profound energy... It should be the Divine energy that Master has told us before." Esdeath said while she senses the traces energy left behind by their two "visitor".

It's completely foreign from this plane's energy.

"Ah... Shall we increase our cultivation then? <Divine Origin Realm>, was it?" Altair suggested.

"It should be... Xiaotao has informed us of it before. But we need Master help if we want to reach the <Divine Origin Realm> since the energy in this realm is not enough to increase our cultivation strength..." Esdeath responded to Altair's suggestion.

"Well, we're in no rush. We still need to increase our mana pool anyway. We can't be depending on profound energy alone... Just in case our future foes have the capabilities to seal profound energy." Altair said while she raised her hand and created a basic <Fireball> on her palm.

Sirius nodded in agreement with Altair's words: "Magic, more powerful than profound energy... More unpredictable and more flexible..." She said in a monotonous but firm tone.

"Indeed." Both Esdeath and Altair nodded along with her statement.

Magic/Mana is multipurpose while profound energy is not. Their Master is the only one who could mold profound energy to his liking as if they were clay... If it was someone else, it would be hard for them to mold profound energy that contains a different element than their own.

Take the Frozen Cloud disciples for example. Their profound energy is based on <Ice> so if they are given profound energy containing other elements such as the <Earth> element, they won't be able to use it.

Even another element such as <Wind> element is already pushing it...

"And it looks like Master won't be going to the upper realm anytime soon just yet. He said that he will stay with his concubines for at least two or three years as repayment of them helping him before." Altair said nonchalantly.

Of course Issei never said the word "concubines"... It's just her own decision.

But then again... If they're called concubines by him, whether they would feel angry or not is still unknown...

"Hmm, well, let's go back for now." And with that, the three of them returned to their previous post...