Deus.Ex.Machina Chapter 132

The lance-like dagger in Azazel's hand exploded with light.

Golden dragon armor materialized over his body. Similar design to the Boosted Gear's Scale Mail. Purple jewels embedded in the chest plate and gauntlets. His twelve wings spread wider behind him.

On his hand was a spear made from holy light.

"Armor of the Fallen Dragon, Downfall Dragon Another Armor."

"You created your own Sacred Gear?" She laughed. "How... quaint. It's useless. You cannot defeat . Not , who was bestowed with the blessing of the Infinite Dragon God herself."

Azazel tilted his head. The armor glead in the dim light.

"You really are noisy." He cut her off mid-breath. Annoyance leaked into his tone. "Are we doing this or not?"

The holy spear in his hand shifted. Pointed directly at her throat.

I watched the exchange from my position, I was fully confident in Azazel defeating Katerea especially in that armor.

My mind was focused on other things. I felt there was still sothing wrong.

This attack couldn't be that simple.

"Ugh... Don't underestimate !" Katerea's shriek tore through the air.

Azazel moved faster.

His holy spear carved through the space between them. One slash. The blade caught Katerea across her torso before she'd closed half the distance. Light magic burned into her flesh.

She stumbled back. Blood sprayed from the wound. Dark red, almost black.

Then the wound closed. Skin knitted back together in seconds.

Katerea's arms twisted. Lengthened. Bones cracked as her limbs stretched ten feet in an instant. Her claws grew sharper.

"You are not needed for the creation of the new world."

She whipped both arms forward.

Azazel raised his spear to block. The clash sent a shockwave through the area. My coat whipped against my sides from the pressure.

Katerea's arms coiled around the spear shaft like serpents. Tightening. Pulling him forward.

The Governor General's expression didn't change.

"Persistent," he muttered.

Katerea yanked harder. Trying to pull him off balance.

Azazel let her.

He moved with the pull instead of fighting it. Launched himself forward. His left arm still tangled in her elongated limbs.

She grinned. Thought she had him.

Wrong.

His spear shifted. The blade turned inward. Toward his own shoulder.

One clean slash.

His left arm dropped to the ground. Still wrapped in Katerea's coiled limbs. Blood sprayed from the stump. The golden armor sealed over the wound instantly, cauterizing it with light magic.

Katerea's grin vanished.

Azazel was already moving. Free from her grip. His right hand drove the spear forward with everything he had.

The blade punched through her chest. Dead center. Light magic erupted from the wound. White-gold flas spreading across her torso.

"Should've stayed dead the first ti," Azazel said.

The light magic spread faster. Eating through Katerea's body from the inside out. Her regeneration tried to keep up. Failed. The holy energy was too much. Even for Ophis's blessing.

Katerea's mouth opened. Blood poured out instead of words.

Her arms went slack. Started shrinking back to normal size. Still clutching Azazel's severed limb.

He yanked the spear free. Stood there with one arm. Didn't even look at the stump.

The golden armor vanished as pieces of light dissolved into nothing.

Azazel floated down toward us. Still missing his left arm. Blood soaked through his shirt sleeve where the stump ended.

"That was incredibly reckless," I said.

He smiled.

"Wanted to try sothing new." He glanced at the stump. "Works pretty well."

I stared at him. This bastard just cut off his own arm and he was smiling about it.

My gaze shifted to the battlefield. The remnants of Katerea's forces were still scattered across the area. Stray devils. Rogue magicians. Maybe fifty or sixty left. They looked confused now. Their leader was dead.

Small fry.

I turned to Issei. "Go help finish the rest."

"Huh?" He blinked. "But—"

"You and the others can handle them." I jerked my chin toward the scattered enemies. "They're nothing special. Just clean up."

Issei looked at the remaining attackers. Then back at .

"Got it!" He activated his Boosted Gear. The red gauntlet materialized on his arm. "Let's go!"

Irina was already moving. Asia stayed close behind Issei. Xenovia cracked her knuckles.

They didn't need for this. These were just stragglers now. Panicked and disorganized.

I was about to turn back to Azazel when soone appeared in front of .

Right there. Less than a feet away.

My body moved before my brain caught up. I summoned my sword. The blade materialized in my hand. I dropped into a fighting stance.

My heart hamred against my ribs.

Soone had snuck up on . Soone got that close without noticing.

That had never happened before.

Then I saw her.

A little girl. Black hair. So kind of revealing goth outfit. She stared at with empty gray eyes.

Ophis.

The Infinite Dragon God.

I gulped. Why was she here?

The gap between us hit like a physical weight. Crushing. Suffocating. My instincts scread at to run. Every survival reflex I had was firing at once. Get away. Move. Run.

The dragon blood coursing through my veins reacted. Not to her power.

To the absence of it.

She didn't have an aura. Not in any normal sense. There was nothing radiating from her. No pressure. No killing intent.

Just... void.

Emptiness.

Like staring into the space between stars. Infinite. Cold. Nothing.

My grip tightened on my sword. The blade felt useless. aningless.

What the hell was a sword going to do against that?

Then she spoke.

"You sll funny."

I—

What?

My mouth opened. Closed.

Wait.

I rembered. The ani. Ophis was... innocent. Childlike. She wasn't hostile unless you threatened her goal of getting her silence back.

The death grip on my sword loosened. I lowered the blade slightly.

Right. She was dangerous, yeah. But not... not like this.

I took a breath. Forced myself to relax.

"Uh." I tried for a smile. Probably looked strained. "Funny how?"

Ophis tilted her head. Those empty gray eyes stared at .

"Dragon. But not dragon. Sothing else."

I stayed still. Let her... whatever she was doing.

She stared at for a long mont.

"You are strong…"

"Uh. Thanks?"

"Help ."

I blinked. "Help you with what?"

"Great Red. I want my silence back. You will help defeat Great Red."

My stomach dropped.

Great Red. The other strongest being in existence. The True Dragon that even Ophis couldn't beat. That's why she'd been kicked out of the Dinsional Gap in the first place.

"I can't do that," I said carefully. "Great Red is... he's too strong. Even stronger than you, right?"

"Yes." No hesitation. No sha in admitting it.

"Then I definitely can't help." I kept my voice reasonable. Calm. "I'm still weak. Way too weak for sothing like that. Give ti. Let get stronger first, then maybe—"

"No."

Just that. One word.

"No?" I repeated.

"You will help now."

"Ophis, I can't—"

"You are strong. You will help." Her expression didn't change. Still that sa blank stare. But sothing shifted in the air around her. The void-like presence pressed closer. "You will help take my ho back."

She wasn't asking anymore.

I sighed.

Before I could say anything else, she moved.

No warning. No tell.

Sothing slamd into my chest. I didn't even see it happen. One second I was standing there. The next I was flying backward.

I hit the ground hard. Rolled. Pain exploded across my entire torso.

I coughed. Blood sprayed from my mouth. My ribs were broken. Multiple ribs. I could feel the jagged edges grinding against each other.

What the fuck.

My vision blurred. I forced myself to focus.

She'd just attacked . After I was trying to be reasonable with her. I knew she was pure. Naive. Like a child who didn't understand consequences.

But this?

Anger flared hot in my chest.

I reached into my pocket. Fingers closed around a senzu bean. I shoved it in my mouth. Bit down.

The effect was instant. My ribs snapped back into place. The pain vanished. My vision cleared.

I pushed myself to my feet.

Golden light materialized around my body. My armor ford. Kavacha and Kundala. The divine protection covered from head to toe. Impenetrable.

Laevateinn appeared in my right hand. The demonic sword humd with power.

I gripped the handle tight.

Ophis stood there. Hadn't moved from her spot.

"See," she said. No emotion in her voice. "You are strong."

"Help ," she repeated.

My grip tightened on Laevateinn. The sword's flas flickered along the blade.

She'd just nearly killed to prove a point.

"That's your logic?" I said through gritted teeth. "Beat half to death, and because I didn't die, I'm strong enough?"

"Yes." She tilted her head slightly. "You survived. You healed. You are strong. You will help defeat Great Red."

Like it was the simplest thing in the world.

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