In the Kamiya Family's living room, the atmosphere was undeniably tense. Both Akeno and the Yubelluna wore expressions of vigilance. Even the usually playful Ile and Nel were huddled together, their faces a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
The focus of their attention was none other than the dreaded leader of the Khaos Brigade, the Dragon God of Infinity, Ophis. Currently, she was sitting on Tenraku's lap, completely absorbed in licking a lollipop.
"Um, hello, Red Dragon Emperor-Sama. I'm Le Fay Pendragon," A nervous yet excited magical girl named Le Fay introduced herself as she approached Tenraku. Her face was flushed with embarrassment but radiated enthusiasm.
"Hello, Miss Le Fay. Are you Arthur Pendragon's younger sister?" Tenraku inquired, studying the young girl. Though she was young, Le Fay exuded a formidable magical power, which was not far behind Yubelluna in terms of strength. "He is indeed my older brother."
"Uh, um, Red Dragon Emperor-Sama, I greatly admire you. Could you please sign this for me?" Le Fay suddenly bent down and presented a notebook for Tenraku to sign. Though her cheeks blushed intensely, she had finally spoken her desire.
Tenraku couldn't help but smile, amused that this young girl was his fan. He accepted the notebook and wrote his name on it. "Is this enough, Miss Le Fay?"
Le Fay accepted the notebook like a cherished treasure, overwhelmed with joy. "Yes, Red Dragon Emperor-Sama! I'll treasure it forever!"
"Don't make it sound so dramatic; it's just a signature. If you want more in the future, just ask. I can sign for you anytime."
"Really, Red Dragon Emperor-Sama?"
"Of course, it's true. I'm delighted to have a lovely and cute fan like you."
"Uh, um, you can just call me Le Fay."
"Sure, then you can call me by my name as well. No need to keep saying 'Red Dragon Emperor-Sama.'"
"But how can I? I'll continue calling you Tenraku-Sama."
"Sigh… Suit yourself. Call me whatever makes you comfortable."
While Tenraku was interacting with his newfound fan, Rias and the others were still keeping a wary eye on Ophis. Meanwhile, Azazel found himself in a tense confrontation with Rias.
"Azazel, why did you bring Ophis here? This is completely different from what we agreed upon!"
"Calm down, Rias. I told you all not to be too surprised no matter what."
"Rest assured, this isn't a battlefield, and she won't attack you. Even if she wants to, none of us here are her match."
"Stop trying to explain! Regardless, this is too much! Why would an enemy like her, the leader of a terrifying organization attacking various major factions, appear in the most crucial city for all alliances? Why is she in our home?"
"Furthermore, there hasn't been any communication from Onii-Sama or Michael-Sama, and even the town's security hasn't responded."
"Azazel, did you keep this hidden from everyone? Contacting the Khaos Brigade privately and bringing Ophis here… Do you realize that your actions could be seen as a grave betrayal of the alliance?"
Rias was incensed and speaking with great seriousness. Fortunately, it was Azazel; had it been someone else, a confrontation might have escalated by now.
"Rias, calm down. I would never betray the alliance we've worked so hard to form. I carefully considered this decision."
"Look over there. Ophis is very quiet right now. She won't do anything to harm you."
Azazel was sweating profusely as he tried to console her, nodding towards Ophis and Tenraku's direction. Rias turned to look and saw that Ophis was indeed quietly enjoying her lollipop, while Tenraku calmly petted her head and engaged in conversation with the magical girl.
Rias couldn't help but feel like a clown after her earlier outburst. She clenched her teeth and her face turned red with embarrassment.
"Tenraku!" She called out, her voice quivering with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
"Cough, cough, Rias. Azazel has a point. Take a moment to calm down," Tenraku said, trying to defuse the tension. "While Ophis is the leader of the Khaos Brigade and possesses the power to destroy us, she is not a threat in her current state. There's no need to be overly anxious."
Tenraku signaled to Akeno, who quickly stepped forward to console Rias. After taking a few deep breaths, Rias gradually regained her composure.
It was understandable that Rias had been so agitated. As Tenraku's officially wedded partner and essentially the head of his harem, she felt immense pressure. The sudden appearance of Ophis, an overwhelmingly powerful adversary they couldn't contend with, had momentarily left her flustered.
"I apologize, Azazel. I may have overreacted earlier. Please forgive me," Rias said, offering a sincere apology to Azazel.
"Well, as long as you've calmed down," Azazel replied, wiping his forehead with a hint of resentment. He had endured quite the tongue-lashing earlier.
Rias blushed and apologized to Azazel once again.
With the atmosphere considerably eased, Rias had regained her composure, and the other girls in the house were no longer as tense as before.
"Now, Azazel, can you explain what's going on?" Rias inquired. "While I have no doubts about your abilities, I find it hard to believe that you could have extracted Ophis from the Khaos Brigade."
"You've discovered that, huh? Indeed, even I couldn't have taken Ophis from the Khaos Brigade. Vali was the one who contacted me and brought Ophis here," Azazel revealed.
Tenraku and Rias's eyes widened in surprise at Azazel's response. "Vali… What does he want?" Tenraku asked with a furrowed brow.
"According to Vali, he dislikes the Khaos Brigade's exploitation of Ophis for their own purposes, so he decides to rescue her. However, that brat is quite 'tsundere,' and there might be other reasons he's not telling us," Azazel added with a mischievous grin, seemingly lost in thought.
Tenraku couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. Given what he knew about Vali, there was a good chance there were additional motives behind his actions.
"So, why did you bring Ophis here again?" Tenraku continued to inquire, a question that also weighed on the minds of Rias and the others.
Under the watchful gaze of everyone present, Azazel's expression turned serious, and a glint of determination flashed in his eyes. "Because I believe this is an opportunity!"
To be continued…
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