In the photo on the dossier, there was a golden-haired, blue-eyed woman with long, flowing locks and eyes that sparkled like sapphires. She appeared to be around twenty years old, a remarkably striking beauty.
According to the information provided, her name was Lavinia Reni, an exceptionally talented prodigy in the field of magic and a trusted subordinate highly valued by Mephisto Pheles.
However, what truly stood out was the fact that she was a Sacred Gear possessor, wielding one of the legendary “Tools that Destroy God” – one of the Thirteen Longinus – the [Eternal Ice Princess – Absolute Demise]!
No wonder Rias regarded her with such importance; Tenraku now had a clear understanding of the situation.
“Rias, did Mephisto-Sama mention anything else?” Tenraku inquired, clearly intrigued by this skilled and beautiful female magic user.
“Mephisto-sama mentioned that Miss Lavinia has a keen interest in you, Tenraku. If possible, he would like to see you form a magic user contract. However, the final decision lies with both of you,” Rias explained.
“In a little while, Miss Lavinia will visit us. At that time, you can discuss the details of the contract with her.”
“I understand,” Tenraku nodded, feeling a slight sense of anticipation.
If he could indeed form a contract with this stunning magic user who possessed a Longinus, and welcome her into their ranks, it could only be a beneficial development…
—
In the dead of night, Tenraku opened his eyes and looked at Rias, Akeno, and Yubelluna, who were nestled against him. They had recently concluded a frenzied encounter with fallen beings, and the three women were now completely exhausted, sound asleep.
Gently moving them off him, Tenraku helped them into their clothes and tucked them in before silently leaving the room.
The night breeze brushed against him as Tenraku arrived at the rooftop of the family villa. He was about to take some action when suddenly, a petite figure flashed into view.
“Master, where are you going?” Ophis’s voice startled Tenraku.
“It’s you, Ophis. Why aren’t you sleeping?” Tenraku was slightly surprised by the sudden appearance of the Dragon God-Sama.
“This mistress isn’t tired.” Ophis shook her head.
Indeed, for an entity like Ophis, sleeping or not made no difference. Additionally, Le Fay had mentioned before that Ophis would simply lie quietly in bed at night, not truly resting.
“Be good, go back to sleep. I have something to attend to. I’ll be back soon,” Tenraku reassured Ophis, gently patting her head.
“Okay,” Ophis nodded after giving it some thought.
“Then let’s set off.” Grinning, Tenraku scooped Ophis up and spread his golden wings, soaring into the sky.
—
The quiet night sky was disrupted by a streak of golden light.
After flying for a considerable time, Tenraku and Ophis landed on a desolate, uninhabited hilltop.
“Master, what are we doing here?” Ophis asked.
“Wait,” Tenraku replied with a slight smile. While Ophis didn’t know whom Tenraku was waiting for, she didn’t press further. She sat on Tenraku’s lap, took out a snack, and started munching.
As time passed, more than an hour went by quickly. However, apart from Tenraku and Ophis, no one else had appeared. Tenraku couldn’t help but furrow his brows. The location given should be correct. Could it be that he was stood up?
Just as Tenraku was starting to grow impatient, a magic array finally flickered in mid-air. Tenraku’s eyes lit up.
They’re here!
Under the watchful eyes of Tenraku and Ophis, two slightly disheveled figures were transported out of the magic array. It was Grayfia and Venelana!
Tenraku wasn’t surprised by Grayfia’s arrival, as he had come to meet this cool and collected lady’s maid. However, it was unexpected for his mother-in-law, Venelana, to be here as well. And what was going on with their current state? They seemed as if they were being chased.
“Grayfia San, Aunt Venelana, what happened to you both?” Tenraku was about to ask, but Grayfia sternly commanded, “Kamiya Tenraku, quickly activate your Time Domain!”
“What?” Tenraku was a bit bewildered, not understanding the situation at all.
“Activate the Time Domain!” Grayfia commanded again, and this time, Tenraku finally understood. He immediately activated the Forbidden Move of his Evil Eye, causing an invisible field to expand, enveloping everyone within.
The Time Domain was a Forbidden Move that Tenraku had developed from his Sacred Gear, the Evil Eye that Stops the World – Forbidden Balor View. In this domain, Tenraku could freely control the flow of time.
Even if several days passed inside, only a few minutes might pass outside. While this move was not effective against powerful opponents, it proved useful against weaker foes.
Tenraku had rarely used it, mostly to reward his tools or when conquering the beautiful family lords of Belphegor. Spending too much time with his tools and mistresses, even Rias would get annoyed. However, with this Sacred Gear’s ability to adjust time, everything became much more manageable.
“Little Tenraku, thank you so much. You’ve been a great help,” Grayfia expressed her gratitude. She and Venelana visibly relaxed after seeing Tenraku activate the Time Domain. Venelana smiled and said, “Kamiya Tenraku, why is Ophis here?”
Upon noticing Ophis on Tenraku, Grayfia’s expression changed again. Even Venelana, who had just relaxed, tensed up once more. Grayfia had seen Ophis when the Khaos Brigade attacked the Underworld, and while Venelana hadn’t seen Ophis before, she certainly knew of the Dragon God of Infinity.
“Don’t worry, Grayfia San, Aunt Venelana. Let me explain…” Seeing their shocked expressions, Tenraku quickly explained Ophis’s situation to them.
“I see. So Azazel kept this hidden from everyone…” Grayfia and Venelana were both astonished. The fact that Ophis, the leader of the Khaos Brigade, had already severed ties with the organization and was now a member of the Kamiya Family was information that, if leaked, would undoubtedly cause a seismic shift among various factions.
However, the two women exchanged a glance and could both see the glimmer of hope in each other’s eyes. With Ophis’s power, there might really be a chance!
“Grayfia San, Aunt Venelana, can you tell us what happened now?” Tenraku asked after observing the reactions of the two women.
They looked at Tenraku, both with serious expressions.
“Kamiya Tenraku, you’ve always wanted to know the so-called truth, haven’t you? Tonight, we’ll tell you everything.”
“But, before that, you must do something for us!”
To be continued…
Support me on Patreon for extra chapters