Omniscient POV
Kouske had just returned from the Sabnock territory to Kuoh after finishing his meeting with Lord Agares.
Not long after the meeting had finished, Sakuya contacted him, saying that Lavinia had brought the White Dragon Empress, who wished to meet him. Without much delay, he returned.
The moment he entered the room, the sight that greeted him was almost absurd.
Valerica was half-buried in Lavinia's bosom, her small face pressed against the older woman's chest while Lavinia cheerfully alternated between sipping tea, nibbling on cake, and trying to feed Valerica in between.
The size difference between them was staggering in more ways than one. Lavinia's chest nearly swallowed the poor girl's head whole, while she hugged her from behind like a child being pampered by her mother.
"Here, here—say 'ahhh,'" Lavinia chimed, cheerfully pressing a fork toward the girl's lips.
Valerica scowled, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Hmph! I can eat by myself. Stop treating me like a damn child!"
Yet despite her words, she didn't put up much of a fight. She let Lavinia continue fussing over her, only muttering under her breath, her sour expression betraying just a flicker of concealed embarrassment.
Kouske quickly noticed how unusually fond Lavinia seemed of the girl. She almost glowed with delight as she went on, chatting animatedly. But it seemed Sakuya wasn't in the room.
"You'll also like it here, V-chan. Everyone in the house is really nice," she said brightly.
Then she went on, her tone bubbling with fondness as she told her about each one. "...Gaspie's a little shy—she's brilliant with computers but stays in her room most of the time. A true hikkikomori! I'll introduce you two properly when she's in the mood. And then there's—"
Lavinia suddenly stopped mid-sentence as her gaze lifted toward the doorway. Valerica, too, turned her head. Both had noticed Kouske's presence. He was already standing there silently, watching them.
"Kō-kun!"
Lavinia shot up from her seat, her eyes sparkling as a radiant smile spread across her face. Before he could say a word, she was already on her feet, flinging her arms around him in a fond embrace. Her soft hair brushed his cheek as she held him close.
"I missed you so much," she murmured, her voice filled with the same warmth as always.
"I missed you too, Rey-chan," Kouske replied with a smile, hugging her back.
Because of everything that had happened recently, Kouske had been busier than ever. The Underworld was in chaos after the attack on Rizevim's castle, Diodora's supposed execution (though in truth, he had been handed over to the Church through a backdoor deal), and the rampant gossip about the Sabnock heir killing a Cadre. All of it kept the Underworld abuzz.
Kouske had seen more visitors in the past few days than ever before. Many sought to build ties with him, recognizing the power he had displayed and the benefits of his weaponry and the Akatsuki businesses he represented in his territory.
On the other hand, Lavinia had been just as occupied, managing the Slash Dog team's transition into their new life in the Demiplane while balancing their stays between the Grigori dorm and Akatsuki's school for gifted children. She was also training alongside them, guiding them whenever needed.
Because of all this, it had been difficult for the two of them to see each other daily.
As Kouske and Lavinia shared their moment, Valerica's lips curled into a feral grin, a spark flashing in her sharp eyes as she fixed her gaze on him.
Even at this distance, she could feel it—he was strong. Very strong.
The mere thought of crossing fists with him sent a thrill racing through her veins. She was, without doubt, a battle maniac.
Even though Kouske was using his skills to hide that he was the host of the Black Dragon King, his base power was already at the Satan-class level.
Even Albion couldn't sense Vritra within him, though he could still feel the immense strength Kouske possessed.
Inside Valerica's mind, Albion's calm, steady voice broke through her excitement.
'Do not be reckless, child. That man is not what he seems. You saw what he did to Satanael. His strength is not to be taken lightly. Did you not come here to meet Vritra's host? Don't get sidetracked.'
Valerica's grin only widened, her sharp teeth flashing.
'Don't ruin the fun, Albion. I know, I know. But still…' Her heart drummed faster, fists clenching with restless anticipation. 'It's been too long since I've felt this kind of excitement. I can't help it—I want to fight him too.'
Noticing the intense gaze on him, Kouske finally turned toward her. His eyes softened, his smile calm.
"Hi, I'm Kouske Miyamura. I heard you're the current White Dragon Empress. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"Fight me!" Valerica declared without hesitation.
"Not even a greeting, huh?" Kouske said with a small sigh, though he wasn't the least bit surprised. He had already guessed that was exactly the type of person she was.
"V-chan! Is that what you say when you meet someone for the first time?" Lavinia scolded her, her voice a mix of exasperation and fondness.
"Hmph! Why would worthless things like greetings matter? All I care about is whether I can get a fight," Valerica shot back, crossing her arms and looking away defiantly.
"Mou~. Bad girl," Lavinia pouted, puffing her cheeks at the younger girl.
"And why should I fight you? What's in it for me?" Kouske asked.
"Heh! If you refuse, I can start by destroying this building. Then the ones close to you. Will you still stay calm and not fight me properly then?" Valerica said with a smirk, locking eyes with him.
"So you want to hurt Lavinia?" Kouske asked in a low but steady voice.
"Huh?—No! Why w—" Valerica started, but Lavinia was already in front of her, clasping both of her cheeks tightly and pulling.
"V-chan, you shouldn't threaten others like that. Especially about destroying my home and my family," Lavinia said, pulling her cheeks hard, her voice so cold that, for a moment, Valerica saw a dark, dull light flash in her (Lavinia) eyes, sending a chill down her spine.
"Ow, ow! O-oka… okkay… [Stop!] I wuh… jus' j-jokin'… [I was just joking]," Valerica stammered, struggling to pull Lavinia's hands from her face. After a moment, she finally succeeded.
"Don't joke about things like that, V-chan~. Someone could accidentally lose their lives, after all~," Lavinia said, mumbling the last part as the light returned to her eyes.
Valerica had never seen her like that—it felt like escaping a bomb. Lavinia soon returned to her cheery self, gently petting her and asking if it hurt.
Just as they were talking, Kouske, who had been lost in thought, suddenly looked up at them. "Okay. I will fight you. But I have a condition," he said.
"Huh? Why would I need to follow any conditions just to fight you? I can attack you right now, you know," Valerica said, a bit annoyed.
"V-chan," Lavinia said, placing a hand a little too firmly on Valerica's shoulder when she realized Valerica was about to attack. Valerica looked at her and sighed.
"What is it that you want?" Valerica asked.
"How about this: the loser has to obey one thing the winner says, no matter how long after it's asked to be fulfilled. Don't worry, I won't ask anything too difficult," Kouske said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Huh? Is that it?! Then you'd better get ready to fulfill my wishes," Valerica said with a grin, getting ready to fight.
"Wait. Not here. I have a place in mind," he replied.
"Okay," Valerica said.
"Oh, yeah. Rey-chan, why don't you go meet the others while we finish our little spar?" Kouske said.
"Huh? But—" Lavinia started, but Kouske interrupted her.
"Now, now, go. You should go meet the others," Kouske said, making her leave.
After that, he led Valerica underground to a training room he had prepared.
"Let's get started. You can make the first move," Kouske said, which obviously made Valerica furious.
She had already been irritated, and it was suspicious that he had sent Lavinia away like that. Now, underestimating her like this pushed her over the edge.
'Stay calm. He gave you the first move. Get close from the start and attack. Remember, his clan trait can hit from a distance. The closer you stay, the better the chance to use Divide. But… I still can't tell if using Divide is a good idea...,' Albion kept repeating in her mind.
Valerica calmed herself as wings of blue light sprang from her back. The word Divide reverberated from her wings as she dashed toward Kouske, hand extended, ready to touch him—since using Divide required physical contact, with a 10-second cooldown before it could be used again.
Kouske didn't move, just as he said, giving her the first move. The moment her hand touched him, Albion's voice echoed the word Divide from the glowing wings, which blinked with energy. In an instant, Kouske's power was halved.
But the stolen power was so immense that Valerica's body could barely contain it—she felt as if she might burst. Even Albion hadn't anticipated the staggering difference.
He had thought they could use at least one Divide safely, but since Kouske had kept most of his power hidden, even he (Albion) wasn't fully aware of his (Kouske's) true strength.
'Valerica! Quickly discharge that power!' Albion shouted in her mind.
She quickly conjured a fire spell, hurling all the stolen power at him. Kouske teleported out of the way.
From a distance, he unleashed multiple spears enhanced with pain through his clan trait. Valerica didn't have enough time to dodge, and all the spears struck her, forcing her to the ground as they pinned her limbs. Immense pain coursed through her body.
"Do you admit defeat?" Kouske asked.
Valerica tried to get up, gritting her teeth, but she couldn't remove the spears pinning her to the ground. The pain intensified with every movement.
To her surprise, some of the spears were siphoning both her stamina and power.
On the verge of losing consciousness and unwilling to admit defeat, Albion finally called out to Kouske. "We… we admit defeat."
Valerica shouted in protest. "No! I can still—"
"Boy," Albion interrupted firmly, "she's in no condition to fight. Let's stop here."
"And Valerica, it's better to know your limits. Learn from this defeat and become even stronger."
Reluctantly, Valerica's shoulders slumped. "Fine… I admit it…"
Kouske made all his spears disappear and poured high-class potions from Akatsuki over her. The moment the liquid touched her, her strength returned, mental fatigue melted away, and even her stamina recovered. Soon enough, she was back to normal—able to fight again.
She glanced at him, thinking of challenging him once more, and it seemed Kouske was thinking the same.
They fought again and again, and each time, Kouske defeated her brutally, causing excruciating pain.
This was why he had sent Lavinia away; he didn't want her to witness it. His anger had been sparked when Valerica threatened someone he cared about. No one ever got away with that. He was punishing her, defeating her as brutally as possible.
As for the rewards for each victory, Kouske planned to collect them years later. He wasn't in a hurry. He could make her do things—or make her wear things—whatever he wanted when the time was right.
She was around his age but still had the bratty looks of a child. Waiting was the wise choice for now.
After a long time, Kouske returned upstairs, leaving Valerica in Lavinia's care. Lavinia had been worried about why it was taking so long and whether anyone had been seriously hurt.
She placed Valerica in her room, and the exhausted girl fell asleep almost instantly.
But Lavinia couldn't understand why Valerica was grinning and blushing so much in her sleep.
Kouske had thought he was punishing a battle maniac, but it seemed he had opened a new door for her—a door that would come back to bite him in the ass later.
What would the world do when faced with a more battle-hungry—or rather, masochistic—White Dragon Empress who would defeat anyone daring to oppose her?
Later that night, Kouske's mind was full, replaying the events of the past few days. A few days ago, he had gone to meet Azazel as Akatsuki, to tell him what Baraqiel had witnessed during Kouske's and Satanael's fight, and about Ophis as well.
Azazel already knew that Satanael had made contact with Ophis. Akatsuki informed him about the Khaos Brigade and that Rizevim was with them, too.
What surprised Azazel most, however, was when Akatsuki revealed that Ophis had now left the Khaos Brigade aside, meaning they wouldn't have to worry about her becoming an enemy.
It was a relief to hear, though it also piqued his curiosity. 'How had he convinced Ophis, of all people?'
Still, for now, it worked in his favor and for his organization. He knew better than to press further.
As Kouske reflected on all this, he rested his head on Sakuya's plump legs while she gently caressed his hair and massaged his scalp. "What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.
"Nothing important. Where were you today?" he replied.
Sakuya then brought out a bag containing sixty dragon scales—scales from Ophis, the Infinity Dragon.
They were his payment for allowing her to stay in that secret space inside the Demiplane. Kouske had requested it at that time.
At first, Ophis had said she could simply kill him and take the space, but when Kouske explained that the space would collapse if he died—and with it, her 'Silence'—Ophis had stopped and accepted his proposal at that.
He had also cautioned her not to imprison him here for his safety, saying he would hate that. He could destroy the space if necessary, even at the cost of his life, and if needed, he could be louder than Great Red. He laughed quietly to himself, remembering.
Ophis had just looked at him and let him be. It had happened on the day he fought Satanael.
Now, Ophis would pay them with dragon scales from time to time. He could not go too frequently to disturb her; a visit every couple of months would suffice.
He had told her that only he and Sakuya would come, as Sakuya was also learning Space Magic, and Ophis had agreed. Today, it seemed, Sakuya had gone to collect the scales. Kouske would also visit her occasionally.
He had instructed Sakuya to make delicious food for her. The fruits in that space would be enough, but if Ophis became hooked on Sakuya's god-like cooking, then it would be checkmate.
Ophis would be more flexible with them in the future. After all, Kouske had already made up his mind about using that annoying loli when Ophis had tried to interfere with him killing Satanael.
Perhaps, someday, he could even make Ophis the mascot of the Akatsuki organization.
It would serve as a deterrent against Shiva or Indra for a while, especially as the organization's fame rose. But that was not the time yet. For now, it was something to consider for the future.
[A/N: How is the chapter? Leave a comment.
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