[20]: Ophis-chan

Draconic Deus.

Earth.

Pacific Ocean.

[***]

'What a cheater…' commented Tohka, watching as the gigantic western dragon disappeared through the dimensional rift.

'I share the same opinion. No matter how many times Danna-sama "killed" or gravely injured him, like cutting off his wings, he healed as if those wounds were just a dream,' responded Kurumi calmly, though a glint of annoyance shone in her eyes.

'Nushi-sama, are you alright?' asked Mukuro, concerned as she observed Aiden hovering in the air.

Aiden, with his gaze fixed on the sky, watched as Great Red's barrier vanished. He finally responded:

"I'm fine… just tired. That stupid dragon forced me to expend all my Reiryoku and magic power. Even though it's already regenerating, it still exhausts me."

With those words, he began descending slowly, stopping at sea level and standing on the surface as if it were solid ground.

'Shouldn't you seal your inverse form again?' asked Miku, her tone showing evident concern.

'Yes. Negative emotions are starting to accumulate here, and we're all feeling uncomfortable. You should do it quickly,' added Nia, crossing her arms.

'Alright, I'm counting on you, Mukuro and Miku,' Aiden replied indifferently.

'Understood,' they both responded in unison.

Without wasting time, Mukuro and Miku moved to another part of Aiden's soul, where the imposing [Tree of Life/Death, Sephira/Qlipha] stood.

The tree, a crystalline structure of deep crimson, radiated a sinister aura that seemed to pulse with its own life.

Ten branches stretched out in different directions, each tipped with crimson Qlipha crystals emitting dense, dark energy.

Miku, with firm determination, invoked [Gabriel], her keyboard and musical organ.

Immediately, her fingers danced over the keys, and she began to play the piano while her voice rose in a soft chant.

"~~♫~♫~♫~~"

The first notes of a melody emerged, filling the air with a harmony that resonated deeply, enveloping the soul in a soothing hymn.

Miku's [Requiem] was so powerful that Aiden felt as though part of him was being lulled to sleep.

However, he offered no resistance.

Gradually, the crystalline tree began to shift in color from deep crimson to pure blue.

The Qlipha crystals also returned to their original Sephira state.

The malevolent aura surrounding Aiden gradually dissipated.

His astral armor, once stained with darkness, regained its original black color, and the halo above his head, shaped like a crown with thorns, transformed into white with black edges.

"[Michael]," Mukuro whispered as she stepped toward the tree.

With a confident motion, she inserted her key directly into the tree's surface.

"[Segva]," she pronounced as she turned the key to the right, as if locking away something deep and dangerous.

[The ability: Inverse Spirit has been deactivated.]

[The Demon Kings have been sealed.]

[Deactivating Inverse Mode…]

[Inverse Mode deactivated.]

The process worked flawlessly. Aiden let out a sigh of relief, finally returning to his normal state.

'Phew, done, Nushi-sama,' said Mukuro as she and Miku returned to the part of Aiden's soul where the others were.

"Thank you for that," Aiden replied with a slight nod.

'Good job, Muku-chin,' Nia commented, giving a thumbs-up in approval.

'Good job, Miku-san,' added Yoshino timidly as she approached Miku.

Miku, with a wide smile, immediately hugged her.

'Ah~ My little sister is so cute~! Praise me more~!' Miku exclaimed, squeezing Yoshino against her chest.

'I can't breathe…!' Yoshino gasped, suffocating between Miku's "soft monsters."

In the emergency, Yoshinon, the small puppet, sprang into action, striking the "monsters" with all its might to rescue its friend.

Miku couldn't help but laugh as she watched the scene.

"Ugh~!" 2x.

Two tongue clicks echoed simultaneously.

Kotori and Natsumi glared critically at those weapons of mass destruction.

Then their gazes slid downward toward their own bodies, specifically their "cliffs."

"…" x2.

Without saying a word, Kaguya and Yuzuru patted them on the back, perfectly understanding what was going through their minds.

"Affirmation: you don't have to feel bad; Aiden likes them like that," Yuzuru commented in her usual neutral tone.

Kotori and Natsumi instantly raised their heads as if they had seen an angel.

"Yes! Aiden is a lolicon; you don't have to cry," added Kaguya with a triumphant smile.

"Are you calling me a loli?!" Kotori exploded, confronting her.

"But aren't you?"

"No! I'm still growing…!"

"Yes, you're right, Kotori… Cheer up… Don't give up; someday you'll grow…" Kaguya tried to console her, but the pitying look she gave her was worse than any words.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Aiden rolled his eyes, listening to the chaotic conversation in his soul.

With a sigh, he prepared to leave the area, still standing in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

But just as he was about to go, someone appeared before him.

A figure floated in the air, just at his height.

It was a girl with black hair, equally dark eyes, and a gothic dress that gave her a mysterious aura.

"…"

"…"

Both remained silent for a moment, observing each other.

Aiden could only think one thing:

'Why do problems always come looking for me?'

[***]

Draconic Deus.

Earth - Japan.

Tokyo - At X Café.

[***]

After that peculiar encounter with the "other strongest being in the world," Aiden found himself sitting in a café, calmly eating a burger.

The table he was at had an invisible barrier, designed to distort any conversation and prevent it from being clearly heard from the outside.

The burger's flavor was good, so Aiden quickly devoured it.

Next to him, Miku was sitting with an unusual companion on her lap: Ophis, the "other strongest being in the world."

Miku offered her sweets, while Ophis, with her monotone tone and minimal expressions, responded with comments like:

"More" or "Tastes good."

Aiden, along with the others in his soul, silently observed the scene, not quite knowing what to say.

Despite how surreal the moment was, they couldn't help but think that the loli was surprisingly adorable.

However, the reason Ophis was sitting on Miku's lap, letting herself be fed like a little child, remained a mystery.

Finally, Ophis fixed her gaze on Aiden and asked an unexpected question:

"What are you?"

"A person? And seriously, that's the first thing you say to me?" Aiden replied, confused.

"Who are you?" she corrected without flinching.

"My name is Aiden. As for what I am... let's say half-human and half something else. And you? What are you?" he asked, watching as Miku stretched the expressionless girl's cheeks.

"I am infinite," Ophis replied simply.

"Incredible," Aiden and Miku said in unison, unable to resist how cute she looked as she declared that.

"Anyway, why did you appear before me?" Aiden asked, grabbing another burger as he tried to understand the situation.

"I saw you fighting Baka-red," Ophis answered.

"Baka-red?"

"Yes."

"Surprisingly, that nickname suits him well," Aiden admitted, nodding.

'I agree,' Kotori chimed in from his soul, giving the nickname her approval.

"I saw you fighting Baka-red and wanted to ask if you'd join me," Ophis continued bluntly.

Everyone fell silent for a moment, surprised by the proposal.

"Why do you want me to join you?" Aiden asked.

"I want you to help me defeat Baka-red," Ophis explained.

"Impossible, at least not now. I'm not strong enough," Aiden replied honestly.

"Together, we can defeat him," she insisted.

"No."

"..." Ophis stared at him in silence, and Aiden felt as though he was intimidating her with his refusal.

"Darling, don't intimidate Ophis-chan," Miku scolded him with a slight pout.

"..." Aiden sighed, giving in.

"Please?" Ophis tilted her head slightly, and everyone in his soul thought in unison: 'Cute.'

"Anyway, why do you want to defeat him?" Aiden asked, intrigued.

"To reclaim my silence," Ophis replied.

"?"

"The dimensional gap was my home, but one day, Baka-red came and kicked me out."

"Can't you just share the dimensional gap?" Aiden suggested.

"…Noisy…" Ophis replied with a vague expression, but her response was quite clear.

Ah, she was right. That dragon was extremely noisy.

"I see. But sorry, I can't help you," Aiden concluded, sighing.

He knew the Great Red was necessary to protect the world from constant invaders—a fact he exemplified himself.

Though annoying, that dragon served an important role, whereas Ophis seemed to have no interest in intervening in the world's affairs.

"…" Ophis said nothing more but continued to observe him while chewing the chocolate Miku had just placed in her mouth.

When they finished, Aiden paid the bill, leaving a gold bar since he didn't have cash, and then they left.

However, as they walked, Ophis silently followed them for hours.

Aiden tried to shake her off several times but was unsuccessful.

Finally, as night fell, Ophis stopped and said something before disappearing:

"See you."

Aiden sighed in relief but didn't lose sight of his main goal: finding a place to live.

[***]

End of the chapter.

(•_•)

A/N:

I wasn't planning to upload a chapter today since I only post five chapters a week, and today wasn't the day.

But, what can I say? Inspiration struck, and I managed to write this chapter anyway.

So here it is.

Thank you for reading! ~

*