Chapter 499: Dimensional Rift
The night continued, and so did the time belonging to Haruto and the two girls.
After tasting every inch of Bennia's skin, Haruto brought Nimura Ruruko to the balcony as well.
After the balcony came the living room, then the kitchen, the bathroom, the toilet...
Until the first light of dawn tinged the sky, Haruto had just finished with the two utterly exhausted beauties.
...
A month later, Rias and Sona graduated smoothly, followed by spring break.
For the past month, Haruto had been busy with the handover work between the Occult Research Club and the student council, while also helping the girls from the student council improve their strength in hopes of catching up to the women of the Occult Research Club.
Even though he was mostly a hands-off manager, it still left him feeling somewhat frustrated and weary—not physically, but mentally—as he had grown accustomed to a leisurely lifestyle.
The spring break was relatively short, lasting only about ten days. Just as Haruto was planning to take a proper rest, Sirzechs and the other faction leaders showed up at his door again.
"You can't be serious... You want me to go too? And with that guy Vali?"
Upon hearing their request, Haruto immediately began to complain.
"And of all times, why did you have to come now...?"
If they had come earlier, he wouldn't have been troubled by academy affairs; if they had come later, he could have at least rested for a few days and avoided the hassles of the upcoming semester.
"We just figured it out~" Serafall blinked, putting on a cute act. "We're counting on you, little Haruto. No one is more suitable for this than you."
"It's just some dimensional fluctuations, right? Even if we ignore it, it should be fine."
Haruto wasn't keen on going, especially for something risky with no clear benefits.
The issue was both simple and complicated. Due to the previous war, a trace of Great Red's—the True Dragon God Emperor's—power projection had appeared, alerting the faction leaders to something amiss.
Normally, even if space were shattered, it would be impossible to catch a glimpse of Great Red, because the Dimensional Gap and space are two entirely different concepts.
Shattering space doesn't necessarily mean entering another dimension.
Just as spatial slashes are merely a form of magical attack, while Toujou Basara's Dimension Lost is a rule-level ability, the two are completely on different levels.
After investigating during this period, they finally uncovered the real cause.
It turned out to be Loki's residual power, which had been continuously eroding the boundaries between dimensions.
Although Loki's attempt to trigger the Twilight of the Gods had failed, a portion of his power had already been set in motion.
After being killed by Haruto, he poured nearly all of his dissipating power and consciousness into this remaining force.
His goal was singular: to break down the dimensional barriers, cause collisions between the many worlds parallel to the Three Realms, and instigate a true Ragnarok.
Sirzechs and the others wanted Haruto to voluntarily enter the Dimensional Gap and deal with Loki's lingering power causing trouble inside.
As for why they didn't go themselves…
First, as faction leaders, they couldn't take such great risks personally. Second, their strength was insufficient, and they weren't exactly welcomed by Great Red.
Dealing with Loki's power was one thing, but if they encountered Great Red before locating that power fragment…
Returning unscathed would be a victory in itself!
Since Ophis felt close to Haruto, they speculated that Great Red might also harbor goodwill toward him.
Haruto didn't know what to say about that.
He himself still didn't understand why he and Ophis got along so well. Besides, Ophis and Great Red were both Dragon God Class, but they weren't the same person… or the same dragon.
"For all these years, it's only been because Great Red presides over the Dimensional Gap that we've maintained peace with other worlds. Perhaps if Great Red notices, it will take the initiative to eliminate that power."
Seeing Haruto's clear reluctance, Sirzechs persuaded again, "It's fine to return immediately if you sense any danger."
"That's right, even if you fail it's okay, but if there's an opportunity you should still try your best."
The old man Odin said gravely, "I never expected that bastard Loki would leave such a trick up his sleeve before dying."
"I know Loki, as the God of Deception, has numerous methods, but I didn't expect you, as one of the Norse gods, would only notice this now.Haruto couldn't help but sarcastically complain.
Odin sighed and slightly bowed in apology.
Glancing at Rossweisse standing in the Occult Research Club, Haruto didn't say anything more.
Rias had been trying to recruit Rossweisse to join the Underworld recently, offering much better conditions than those from the Norse side, and the results were indeed quite effective.
This future Hundred-Yen Valkyrie truly placed considerable importance on money.
If not for her formidable combat abilities, Haruto suspected any wealthy person could probably use money to lure her straight into bed.
Of course, Rossweisse was simple and old-fashioned but not foolish.
If anyone actually tried that, they'd likely receive a lightning magic spell from Rossweisse before they could even remove their clothes.
"Haruto-kun, please help out one more time~"
Serafall utilized her feminine advantages. Since everyone present was among allies, she didn't care about status or position, hugging Haruto's arm and beginning to act cute.
"If it doesn't work out, when you return, I'll have little Sona give you some rewards~"
"..."
Sona's pretty face flushed red as she glared at her annoyed, "No! If you want to give rewards, do it yourself!"
"Hmm~ That works too~"
Serafall rested her cheek on one hand, appearing suddenly enlightened.
Even though she knew Serafall was deliberately teasing her, Sona couldn't help but pout, "Sister!""
Haruto glanced sideways at the softness pressing against his arm from Serafall, not concealing the desire in his heart.
"Then it's settled. I hope Lady Serafall won't go back on your word."
"Eh?"
Now it was Serafall's turn to be dumbfounded. Everyone knew Haruto's personality - he clearly wasn't joking.
Serafall naturally sensed Haruto's interest in her too, but she never expected him to be this bold.
She quickly released his arm, smiling awkwardly at Sona, "Sorry, sorry, I was just joking earlier..."
After saying this, she specifically looked toward Haruto.
But Haruto completely ignored her, decisively discussing with Sirzechs, "I understand everything you've said. When do we depart?"
Since he wasn't the one who made the promise, Sirzechs also ignored Serafall's pleading look, saying, "The sooner, the better."
"Fine, I'll prepare my things and depart in one hour."
Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Serafall stamped her foot in anger, while secretly worrying about what to do when Haruto returned.
She was all talk - despite her usually sexy attire and enjoyment of teasing Sona, she had never even held hands with someone of the opposite sex.
She was the perfect example of someone who's all bark and no bite.
After the Three Factions War came the Underworld civil war, followed by becoming one of the new generation Satans. Even if she wanted to find a boyfriend, there was neither time nor opportunity.
Among the new generation Satans, aside from Sirzechs who directly married his former enemy Grayfia, the remaining four were all single for the same reasons.
Though it was called preparation, Haruto didn't actually have much to prepare. His main task was organizing the intelligence provided by Sirzechs and others.
Compared to Loki's power of duplication, he was more interested in the Dimensional Gap and other worlds mentioned by Sirzechs.
As top-tier figures within the Three Realms, they indeed knew about other worlds.
That made sense - they were aware of the Eternal Battlefield's existence and would personally participate when necessary, so naturally they understood the situations of other worlds.
Haruto only knew that EXE and FXF were adjacent to DXD, but he was completely in the dark about the specific circumstances of these two worlds.
These scattered pieces of information were something he had stumbled upon while searching online after feeling unsatisfied with just watching the anime.
After roughly understanding the Dimensional Gap and potential situations they might encounter, it was about time.
"Alright, let's go. Everyone's waiting for you."
Just after Haruto bid farewell to Rias and the other girls, Vali spoke impatiently.
Haruto glanced at him, "You don't have to wait. No one's stopping you from going first."
"Heh, without us leading the way, you wouldn't even be able to enter the Dimensional Gap."
Vali sneered, "If the old folks hadn't insisted I wait for you, do you think I'd want to go with you?"
As they spoke, the golden-haired man named Arthur summoned a golden magic circle, from which a sword radiating golden aura slowly materialized.
Besides the two of them, Bikou and Kuroka were also present, apparently joining this operation.
Haruto scanned the group and couldn't be bothered to continue bickering with Vali.
With his current strength, he could definitely force his way into the Dimensional Gap, but that would require too much effort. Moreover, such behavior would probably upset Great Red.
Anyone would be unhappy if someone broke down their front door and forced their way in.
"This is the Holy Sword passed down through generations of our Pendragon family - the Holy King Sword Caliburn."
Arthur adjusted his glasses and said seriously, "It can control space and cut through dimensions."
"..."
Looking at the sword, Haruto really wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but considering this world's various Sacred Gears, especially the thirteen outrageous Sacred Gears, he suddenly found it acceptable.
Compared to personal strength, this world's various powerful weapons had a much stronger presence.
If there was anything closer to this world's fundamental concepts than weapons, it would only be the even more absurd and elusive concepts of will and emotion.
With sufficiently powerful longing and emotion, it truly isn't impossible to defeat opponents three major realms stronger.
Haruto remembered that in the later stages, even the mighty Great Red had been beheaded within the Dimensional Gap by a human wielding a Sacred Gear.
This was accomplished through the weapon's immense power and the strength born from so-called longing and emotion...
It was precisely because of this that even though the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet had long lost most of its usefulness, Haruto still hadn't unbound it.
Simultaneously, he continuously deepened his emotional bonds with Rias and the other women.
When it truly came down to whose "cheat" was more powerful, he was confident he wouldn't lose to anyone.
As Haruto fell silent, Vali also ceased his provocations.
His personality wasn't the type to enjoy bickering - he'd only made those sarcastic remarks because he genuinely found Haruto irritating.
However, he didn't dare go too far. Haruto's strength had become completely unfathomable to him, indicating it far surpassed his own.
He finally understood why Sirzechs and the others insisted on bringing Haruto along.
Dealing with just a remnant power fragment of Loki was something they could handle perfectly well themselves, but if they encountered any other unexpected situations, that might not be the case.
With Haruto present, even if they truly encountered Great Red or even more terrifying Dimensional Storms, returning safely wouldn't be a problem.
Although Vali was a descendant of Lucifer and belonged to the Khaos Brigade, having been adopted by Fallen Angels since childhood, he maintained decent relations with their faction.
During times of need like this, they would even cooperate with each other.
Neither he nor his Familiars had caused significant damage to the Three Realms or various factions.
Rather than being a true member of the Khaos Brigade, he was more like a mercenary existing between various forces, solely for the purpose of defeating powerful enemies.
Since Sirzechs and the others didn't want to trouble Vali, Haruto naturally couldn't be bothered to deal with him either.
Having this White Dragon Emperor around could draw plenty of attention away from him.
Moreover, given Vali's personality, if anyone truly intended to harm Haruto, he might even proactively inform Haruto if he received such information.
As Vali would put it: "The only one who can defeat this generation's Red Dragon Emperor is me."
Furthermore, Vali disliked schemes and conspiracies, preferring direct confrontations.
And furthermore, Vali was smart enough not to pick fights with Haruto without confidence in victory, making him quite sensible and trouble-free.
Therefore, after careful consideration, Haruto felt keeping Vali around offered more benefits.
See, this situation proved it.
A faint golden light enveloped everyone's feet, forming a hemispherical shield that easily transported them into a strange, multicolored space.
With Vali leading the way and Arthur clearing the path with the Holy King Sword Caliburn, their entry into the Dimensional Gap proceeded incredibly smoothly - as effortlessly as young Haruto entering moist, slippery flower paths.
With a soft swoosh, everyone found themselves inside the Dimensional Gap.
This space had no distinction between up and down, left and right - not even the passage of time. The view consisted entirely of identical scenery: flowing, mixed multicolored hues.
"So this is the Dimensional Gap..."
Haruto observed with mild astonishment. Though his senses felt somewhat uncomfortable here, he could feel his power could be unleashed without restrictions.
In the Three Realms, he could clearly perceive limits on how much power he could exert before causing irreversible damage to the world.
But here, he felt no such constraints at all.
Haruto instinctively clenched his fist, channeling most of his power, then swung forward.
"Hah..."
As the teleportation ended, Arthur let out a light sigh, sheathing the Holy King Sword as he said, "As long as we remain within this domain, we won't be swallowed by the dimensional turbulence..."
Before he could finish, the so-called domain emitted a cracking sound like shattering glass.
Then, to Vali and his group's stunned disbelief, the spherical barrier domain completely shattered.
Everyone turned their gaze toward the culprit, their expressions shifting repeatedly.
"Um... if I said I didn't do it on purpose... would you believe me?"
Haruto retracted his fist, scratching his head with an awkward chuckle.
Vali's group desperately wanted to say they didn't believe him, but they could tell Haruto truly hadn't intended it. Judging from his relaxed—no, rather unsatisfied—expression, Haruto had clearly been holding back.
"Never mind, I'll deploy it again..."
Though the Dimensional Gap was dangerous, everyone present was fairly powerful, so a brief exposure wasn't a major issue.
Summoning the Holy Sword and re-establishing the domain, Arthur continued, "This domain of mine can't be maintained for long. If we haven't found what we're looking for by then, we'll have to turn back, or we'll risk getting lost in the Dimensional Gap."
Vali's group had visited the Dimensional Gap multiple times and frequently utilized this convenient ability. Arthur's explanation was mainly for Haruto's benefit.
Haruto noticed this too—Vali and the others were clearly familiar with their current situation.
"Don't worry about me. I tested it just now, and forcing my way through dimensions shouldn't be a problem."
"..."
This time, it was Vali's group's turn to be speechless.
"Even if you can tear through dimensions, relying solely on brute force makes it nearly impossible to return to your original world. Even if you do make it back, something terrifying could easily happen."
This explanation came from Kuroka, directed at Haruto.
Forcibly breaking through the Dimensional Gap meant neither space nor time could be guaranteed.
Messing up spatial coordinates was manageable—you could always try again. But if time went wrong, creating temporal paradoxes... even if Haruto weren't yet Dragon God Class, someone of that level would still face severe consequences.
Only those beyond Dragon God Class could ignore the power of the river of time.
That meant surpassing the Great Golden Immortal realm and reaching the 'Saint' level.
"Uh, understood. I won't act recklessly."
Haruto suppressed his eager excitement.
There was no helping it—after being confined in the Three Realms for so long without ever using his full power, he was genuinely itching for action.
No wonder those who reached a certain level of power all dreamed of breaking through worlds and ascending.
This feeling of being restricted by the world was truly unbearable.
Fortunately, compared to unleashing his full might, Haruto preferred staying with Rias and the others.
More importantly, the limitations of the DxD world didn't hinder his power growth.
If even his progress had been restricted, he'd likely have become one of those desperately seeking to break through worlds and ascend.
"Actually, there are other ways to avoid getting lost in the dimensional crevices..."
Just in case, Arthur shared another profound and mysterious method with Haruto.
"The stability of the dimensional crevices is connected to the thoughts of those trapped within. As long as you maintain intense longing, you can safely return."Intense longing.".. So it's this kind of extremely idealistic thing again..."
Haruto muttered and asked, "By the way, how long can this barrier last?"
"About one hour in the human world. Once the time is up, the barrier will automatically bring us back."
After a pause, Arthur glanced at Haruto and added, "Forcibly breaking it doesn't count, which is why we weren't teleported back earlier."
"One hour? That's way too short."
Haruto frowned and said, "Arthur, you're too weak. Can't you make it last longer?"
"Originally, I could maintain it for two hours per day, but you shattered the barrier earlier and wasted one hour."
Arthur adjusted his glasses and spoke expressionlessly.
"Uh..."
Haruto was momentarily stunned but still spoke with unjustified confidence, "Even two hours is still too short!"
Vali rolled his eyes, "This is a long-term mission to begin with, and it also depends on luck. Otherwise, why do you think those guys specifically sought us out... and you."