3rd POV
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When Arthur snapped his fingers, Alfia felt something change. It was as if the very source of her existence had been severed from her former world.
'!!... What is this…?' (Alfia)
Alfia was utterly stunned. An instinct deep within her told her that it had truly happened.
'…This makes no sense!… I don't know how, but my instincts are telling me that all the time I spent in that world… all of it has vanished…' (Alfia)
Her body began trembling unconsciously, and cold sweat trickled down her cheeks.
'Just what kind of being is this man…? He rewrote everything that happened in that world so effortlessly… It's completely different from the gods of Tenkai, who couldn't even tamper with time…' (Alfia)
Alfia slowly exhaled, trying to calm herself.
"You felt it, didn't you? Arthur has 'ended' your role there. The entire history of your existence has been erased…" (Abernyu)
Seeing Alfia trembling, Abernyu explained calmly.
"You don't need to worry… Even though Arthur is a being who could erase a world with a mere thought, he is not the kind of existence who would do such a thing on a whim. Besides, if he were truly cold-blooded… you wouldn't be standing here speaking with him right now." (Abernyu)
Hearing Abernyu's explanation, Alfia gradually felt relieved.
"Furthermore, you are now a member of the family… If any threat arises, Arthur can deal with it easily. So there's no need to be anxious." (Abernyu)
Watching Alfia calm down under Abernyu's reassurance, Arthur gave a slight nod. He had, of course, been fully aware of the fear she felt.
Alfia had never feared the end of herself. What she feared was the end of her sister. She feared the possibility that Meteria might disappear without ever experiencing the life she had always longed for.
Knowing the extent of Alfia's excessive worry, Arthur felt both amused and slightly irritated at the same time.
"... Alright, Alfia. Now it's time to fix your physical condition." (Arthur)
Without waiting for her response, Arthur immediately healed her. He did so by ending everything that weakened and endangered her existence. In an instant, her previously pale complexion regained its vitality.
To describe Alfia's former condition bluntly— previously, every movement she made had felt as though her entire body were weighed down by something unbearably heavy. Even breathing had caused pain throughout her body.
Every time she fought, she did so in constant agony. It was as if she were an absolute monster battling while burdened by curses— poisoned, paralyzed, and with a body that refused to function properly on the battlefield. And yet, despite all that, she had remained one of the strongest fighters in history. It was like fighting someone crippled by polio, asthma, and cancer—only for that person to utterly crush you without the slightest difficulty.
But now, Alfia felt as though she had been reborn. Moreover, her body had returned to its peak condition.
"You are now in perfect shape. Welcome to the family." (Arthur)
Arthur gave a small smile as he looked at Alfia.
"Thank you… I don't know how I can ever repay all of this…" (Alfia)
Hearing her uncertain voice, Arthur casually waved his hand.
"There's no need to overthink it. You've already joined us… Just do your best from now on." (Arthur)
…
After finishing Alfia's summoning, Arthur proceeded with the second summoning.
'Next, it has to be a maid. And of course, when it comes to maids… the silver-haired woman from High School DxD is my top choice…' (Arthur)
The magic circle activated once more, casting radiant light throughout the throne room.
'Vwoossshhh!'
As the light faded, a silver-haired woman appeared at the center. She looked slightly disheveled, though still in far better condition than Alfia had been upon arrival.
"What the—! …Where is this?!"
The braided silver-haired woman looked around in confusion. Her crimson eyes halted when they saw Arthur seated upon the throne, with Abernyu and Alfia standing at either side of him.
"Who are you people!?"
She immediately assumed a combat stance as ice daggers materialized in both her hands.
"Calm down. I'm the one who summoned you here. My name is Arthur Twilight. You are currently in another world…" (Arthur)
"And we are Arthur's subordinates. My name is Abernyu." (Abernyu)
"Alfia." (Alfia)
Arthur, along with Abernyu and Alfia, introduced themselves calmly.
"I would like to invite you to join my family. In return, I can grant one of your wishes… whatever it may be." (Arthur)
Arthur continued while observing the silver-haired woman. She was dressed in a tight black combat outfit that fit her voluptuous figure perfectly.
Though Arthur's expression remained indifferent, inwardly he nodded in appreciation.
'As expected from High School DxD…' (Arthur)
"…Grant my wish? Is this some kind of joke?"
Hearing her cold tone, Abernyu released a fraction of her aura.
'Vwooom!!'
Black light enveloped Abernyu as the surrounding air trembled violently.
"!!!… Ugghh!!… This—!!…"
An overwhelming pressure crushed down upon the woman, forcing her to her knees as her daggers shattered into particles. She had never imagined that a being far stronger—and far more terrifying—than the Maou or the gods of her world could exist.
She couldn't move at all… her very existence understood that this was not something that could be resisted. It felt as though the source of her being sensed absolute destruction—destruction that, when compared to the Bael Clan, would make them seem like dust.
Even Alfia, though not the target, broke into cold sweat as she felt the dreadful pressure emanating from Abernyu. She was now completely certain of what Arthur had said earlier—Abernyu truly surpassed the gods of her former world.
"…This is no joke. If you are already like this from merely sensing a fragment of my existence… I can't imagine what would happen if you felt even a fraction of my king's…" (Abernyu)
Abernyu looked at the woman with a neutral gaze as she answered her question.
"Hmph… I trust that answers your question." (Abernyu)
Seeing the woman struggling to breathe, Abernyu withdrew her aura with a faint snort. Slowly, the air returned to normal as the oppressive presence faded.
"Gasp!!... Haa… haa…"
The silver-haired woman panted heavily, her breathing uneven. She was thoroughly shaken.
Because of Abernyu's display, fear lingered in her eyes. She began thinking that if even a subordinate possessed such monstrous power… what about their leader…
'!!... Terrifying… That blonde woman… she could probably erase my entire world along with the two Dragon Gods effortlessly! If she is already this powerful… then what about the man sitting on that throne?!'
She now believed she was truly in another world. There was no way such monstrous beings could exist in her own. The mere knowledge of them would have plunged her world into chaos. Moreover, with their utterly unreasonable presence… her world would never have survived… it would have been destroyed by their mere existence…
"…Why… why did you summon me here…?"
Her trembling voice escaped her lips as she looked at Arthur with fear.
Arthur gazed at her calmly. He could have stopped Abernyu from intimidating her… but he felt it was necessary. Considering he had summoned the silver-haired woman during the Great War of the Three Factions. She likely still carried the arrogance of a pure-blooded devil. At the very least, Abernyu's display would temper that troublesome trait.
"As I said before, I'm inviting you to join my family. You should already understand by now—what I said earlier was not empty talk. I can grant your wish if you agree to join." (Arthur)
Resting his elbow on the armrest and supporting his cheek with his hand, Arthur continued.
"Now… what is your answer?" (Arthur)
The woman saw Arthur's rainbow-colored eyes gleam, giving her the impression that anything seen by those eyes could be erased.
"…If… if that's true… then I'm willing to join. But… will I be able to return to my world someday?"
"That won't be a problem. You can return to the exact moment you left—or any point in time you desire. There's no need to worry." (Arthur)
"…Then I accept. I hope you will help me stop the chaos in my world."
Hearing her request, Arthur looked at her with interest.
"You want me to end that chaos?" (Arthur)
"No. What I hope for is that you will help me stop it. I want to end that chaos myself, if possible."
The silver-haired woman feared the consequences if Arthur personally ended the Great War in her world. Besides, she still wished to resolve it with her own hands.
Arthur nodded at her words.
"Pride… I don't dislike that. Very well, I'll grant your wish. In any case, you will grow stronger from here on." (Arthur)
"Thank you. From this moment onward, I—Grayfia Lucifuge—am willing to become your subordinate." (Grayfia)
Still kneeling, Grayfia lowered her head slightly.
"Good. From now on, you shall serve as my personal maid." (Arthur)
Arthur nodded several times, feeling satisfied.
Although Delsgade required no maintenance whatsoever, he still wanted a personal maid. Moreover, if that maid was Grayfia Lucifuge herself… merely thinking about it was enough to brighten his mood.
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