Bound by Infinity

Chapter 23

The Next Day

I stood alongside Rias in front of the peerage, who were dressed more casually than usual. Instead of their usual training outfits, they were in normal clothes, ready to enjoy some free time. I wore a black hoodie and blue pants, while Rias sported a white turtleneck and black pants.

"Alright, everyone. After surviving my hellish training, I think you all deserve a break. For the next two days, you're free to do whatever you want. Relax, have fun, or whatever else you do in your downtime," I announced.

"Yeah, freedom!" Issei cheered, grinning from ear to ear.

"Nice," Koneko muttered, her usual quiet smile present.

"Indeed," Kiba agreed, his calm demeanor never changing.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," I said, snapping my fingers and dispelling the dimension we were in.

"Screw you!" Issei shouted, running off toward the summer home.

"Run while you can," I muttered under my breath, watching him go.

Rias chuckled softly, patting me on the head. "Down, boy."

I hummed in amusement before turning back to Rias. Without thinking, I tiptoed and pecked her on the lips.

Rias let out a light laugh, her smile warming me. I sighed contentedly as Ophis suddenly appeared beside us.

"Kouki-tousan, Rias-kaasan," Ophis said in her usual soft voice.

"Yes, Ophis-chan?" we replied in unison.

"Can I have ice cream?" she asked innocently.

Rias and I exchanged a quick glance before shrugging.

"Sure," I said, smiling down at Ophis.

"Let's go have some fun," Rias added, her eyes sparkling with a mix of affection and mischief.

Ophis smiled widely, clearly excited. I picked her up and rested her on my shoulder, and we walked toward the house.

We spent the afternoon together, enjoying the simple pleasures of life. Rias and I took turns spoiling Ophis. I could see the joy in Rias's eyes as she held Ophis close to her chest, her fingers gently stroking her hair.

After a while, Ophis dozed off in Rias's arms, the day's excitement finally catching up to her. I lay down on a bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind wandering, when I felt a warmth beside me. Rias had curled up with Ophis in her lap. Her peaceful expression was something I treasured, and I rolled over, wrapping both of them in my arms. It felt like everything was finally in balance—perfectly still and quiet.

I let sleep take me, content and at peace with the world I had built around me.

The Next Day

I stood before Tiamat and Mittelt, who were now ready for the sparring match we had planned. Rias sat at a distance, Ophis in her lap, her eyes following the scene with quiet interest.

"Alright, time for our sparring session," I said, looking between Tiamat and Mittelt, who were prepared to face me.

"Right," Mittelt replied, her wings unfurling as she summoned her halo. A light spear materialized in her hands.

"Understood," Tiamat said, her dragon wings flaring as she forged a sword from pure energy.

I summoned Crucifix and began walking toward them, taking my stance. Mittelt and Tiamat both released their magic, the air thick with anticipation.

Crucifix liquefied into a long, black katana as I charged toward Mittelt, shattering the ground beneath my feet. Before I could strike, Tiamat appeared before me, blocking my sword with hers. Mittelt wasted no time, appearing at my left and swinging her spear at me. I deflected her strike with a portion of Crucifix, forming a barrier of energy, which began to glow silver.

Tiamat and Mittelt's eyes widened as they quickly jumped back, narrowly avoiding the explosion that followed.

I didn't waste any time, immediately shifting Crucifix to its scythe form and lunging at Tiamat. I swung it at her head, but she swiftly blocked the strike with her sword, the ground beneath her cracking under the force. Before I could capitalize, a barrage of light spears came at me from Mittelt's direction. I teleported a few feet away, but Tiamat was already there, swinging her sword at me. I blocked the blow, though the force sent me sliding back.

I teleported into the air, summoning my wings, and avoided another barrage of light spears, which Tiamat used to cover her ground. But before I could retaliate, Tiamat took a deep breath and unleashed a massive stream of blue flames toward me. I raised my hand, preparing to cancel out the flames.

Then, I felt it—light spears, changing mid-flight, now infused with darkness, heading straight toward me.

My senses spiked. I snapped my head to the left, just in time to block a kick from Mittelt. The force of the kick sent me crashing into the ground, creating a small crater.

"Huh?" I said, surprised as the solid ground beneath me began to turn liquid. I fell forward, barely able to react.

Without wasting any time, Tiamat appeared above me, sword raised, and I brought up Crucifix to block. The blow flung me back once again, and mid-air, I saw Mittelt above me, waving her hand as more light spears rained down from the sky. I glanced ahead, seeing a black beam heading toward me.

'Shit!' I thought.

The beam struck, and a massive explosion consumed the area. Tiamat took to the air, waving her hand. The sky darkened, and a thunderstorm began to form. Mittelt snapped her fingers, and more light spears filled the sky, this time transformed with a deadly new attribute. Lightning from the storm began to converge into a massive lightning dragon, roaring as it charged toward me.

"Fall," Tiamat and Mittelt said in unison, their voices filled with command.

Laying in the crater, I stared up at the incoming onslaught, knowing I had to take this seriously.

"Alright," I muttered. "Time to get serious."

I raised my hand into the air. "Devour... Azathoth."

A massive wave of black energy erupted from my hand, engulfing the attacks that were falling toward me. The energy devoured them all, leaving nothing in its wake.

Tiamat and Mittelt moved out of the way, their eyes widening as they watched their attacks be consumed. I clenched my hand into a fist and dispelled Azathoth, standing tall as I faced them.

I smirked, then teleported above Tiamat. Before she could react, I kicked her into the ground, creating a crater beneath her. Mittelt's eyes widened, but she quickly regained her composure and fired a beam of light at me. I teleported away, appearing behind her and knocking her to the ground.

But before I could strike again, Tiamat and Mittelt flew out of their craters, both glaring at me.

I raised Crucifix, charging it with energy, preparing to unleash an energy slash. But before I could, my body froze. Tiamat appeared and kicked me into the ground.

"Well that hurt." I muttered 

So Mittelt is doing support with Attribute manipulation altering the attributes of the surroundings and attacks, but why Is Tiamat not using much Chaos manipulation?

"Daydreaming down there?" Mittelt taunted.

"No," I replied, a green gem appearing in my palm as a pillar of green energy shot up from my body.

When the light faded, I stood in my enhanced form, a form I'd used against Issei just days ago. Without a word, I vanished from sight, reappearing behind Tiamat. I placed a palm on her back and fired a beam, sending her flying.

"Tiamat!" Mittelt shouted, her voice filled with concern.

"Chaos Control!" I shouted, freezing time.

The world around us came to a halt as I walked toward Mittelt. Red chains burst from my back, wrapping around her body and pulling her toward me. A single chain shot toward Tiamat, binding her as well. I dispelled Chaos Control.

Both Tiamat and Mittelt looked around in confusion.

"You two lose," I said, my voice now a bit more mechanical.

"Damn it," they both muttered in unison.

I teleported in front of Rias and Ophis, rolling my eyes as I dropped them. The chains disappeared as I returned to my base form.

Rias clapped her hands. "Impressive, you two," she praised Tiamat and Mittelt.

"Thank you, Rias-sama," they both said in unison, still catching their breath.

"Good work. Now go clean up," I said, turning away.

"Yes, Kouki-sama," they responded before teleporting away.

Rias turned to me, a small smile on her lips. "So tomorrow's the big day, huh?"

"Yep," I replied, the seriousness of the moment sinking in.

"Ready to cause mayhem?" Rias asked, her eyes glinting with excitement.

"Did you have to ask?" I replied darkly, the anticipation building in my chest.

Chapter 23: End