The storm struck her heart before the sun ever touched her skin.
Akeno Himejima jolted upright in bed, breath caught in her throat as a pulse of lightning danced along her skin—not cast by her, nor foreign. It was hers, and not hers. A sacred name whispered through the ether.
"Queen's Judgment."
Her name. Branded in power. Not just any spell—his power.
Akeno covered her mouth as tears pooled in her eyes. "You idiot…" she whispered, smiling through the storm inside her chest. "You sweet, reckless idiot…"
And just like that, the war had begun.
She wouldn't let Rias win this easily.
⸻
Gremory Estate – Morning
Golden sunlight streamed into Issei's room as Eden chimed softly.
[Mission Complete: Reconnect Koneko and Kuroka.]
[Rewards:
+100 Affection – Kuroka
+30 Affection – Koneko (Total: 70)
Item Acquired: Nemean Cestus Gauntlets
Passive Skill Unlocked: Strength Increase (Minor)]
Issei sat up, muscles humming with quiet power as the gauntlets materialized in his hands—golden and crimson lion jaws encasing each fist.
He smiled. "Morning gifts. Not bad."
Downstairs, Koneko was already warming up, her silent intensity a balm in the mansion's grand hall. She looked up as he approached, golden eyes flicking to the gauntlets.
"These are for you," he said simply.
Koneko blinked. "You're giving them to me?"
"They suit your fighting style more than mine. You've got precision. I've got—well…" He flexed his arms. "…brute force."
A flicker of emotion passed through her face—soft, unsure. She took the weapons with reverent fingers. "I'll make them roar."
Kuroka slipped behind him and looped her arms around his waist. "Nyahaha~ Such a generous dragon~ Giving gifts to my little sis and letting me mark him~"
"I didn't let you—"
She purred, ignoring him. "Nya~ Looks like our dragon Issei has a thing for yokai or demi-humans."
Across the room, Sirzaria and Rias watched in silence.
Sirzaria, regal in her white-and-gold suit, smiled knowingly. "How interesting… His strength is still increasing."
"It's not just strength," Rias murmured. "Something deeper."
⸻
"Mio," he said, surprised.
She leaned against the wall, arms crossed over her voluptuous chest. The eldest Gremory daughter—wilder than Rias, more direct than Sirzaria—tilted her head.
"You've been busy," she said. "Kuroka marked you. Akeno kissed you. Tiamat growled at you."
Issei blinked. "Do you… keep track?"
"I keep score," she smirked, stepping closer. "And I think I've waited long enough for my turn."
He hesitated. "You want to talk?"
"Not just talk. I want to know what kind of devil you really are." Her tone shifted. "Sirzaria says you're different. Stronger than your rating, smarter than you look, and dangerously sentimental. You act like a brute, but fight like a tactician."
"I'm learning," he admitted.
"Good," Mio said, eyes narrowing. "Because if you hurt Rias—or my mother finds out you're making her cry—I'll incinerate you where you stand."
"…Fair."
Then she surprised him—by offering her hand. "But I'm also betting on you. So win."
He took it. "I will."
[Eden: Mio Gremory – Interest Level Rising.]
⸻
Somewhere Far Away – Dragon Senses Stir
In the Void Beyond, the Dragon God Ophis opened her eyes.
"Power… shifting."
Far across the Underworld, the Dragon Queen Tiamat frowned. "He's growing faster than expected…"
Tomoe, the Mist Dragon of another world, let her eyes flick toward the dimensional barrier. "A disruption. Like a new deity rising…"
Tannin, great fire-breathing behemoth, snarled deep in his lair. "The Red One walks a path of sovereignty."
Tio Klarus, curled in her massive cave of crystal, shuddered. "Mmm… such heat… such domineering will… yes, yes~ this is promising."
The dragons of worlds both known and unknown had taken notice.
[Ddraig: [Oh hell. I can hear them. We're going to need bigger everything.]]
[Quetzalcoatl: [Let them come. My chosen shines brighter than their roars.]]
⸻
Later – Gremory Garden
The teleportation circle glowed beneath their feet. Rias stood in front of it, giving a primer on the Underworld's power hierarchy.
"Low-Class, Middle-Class, High-Class, then Ultimate-Class. Above that are the Dragon Kings… then the Dragon Gods…"
Her voice faltered.
"Above them, the Primordials."
"Like Quetzalcoatl?" Asia asked.
[Quetzalcoatl: [Flattering, little priestess. But yes. I am one of few.]]
Issei nodded slowly. "So I'm what, somewhere near Dragon King level?"
"Maybe," Rias said. "But you're ascending fast."
"Then let's keep climbing."
⸻
Familiar Forest – Dusk
Mist curled around their feet as they emerged into the strange, mystical terrain of the Familiar Forest. Zatouji welcomed them, grinning wide.
Tonight, they would form bonds that could last a lifetime.
A soft light shimmered over the nearby water. A Sprite Dragon with glimmering wings floated down and landed in Asia's palms.
"She… likes me?" Asia asked, wide-eyed.
Zatouji gasped. "Incredible! A rare pact! Sprite Dragons are sacred creatures of healing and wisdom!"
Asia pressed her forehead to the creature's and smiled. "I'll call you… Shia."
[System Notice: New Familiar Bonded – Shia, Sprite Dragon Priestess]
[Affinity: 95%]
[Passive Bonus: Miracle Channel – Sacred Healing Boosted]
⸻
Then the temperature dropped.
Winds howled. The trees bowed.
From the mist emerged Tiamat—Dragon Queen. Her scales shimmered with divine heat, her wings stretched wide, her golden eyes blazing with intelligence and ancient power.
"I see," she said, landing before Issei. "You carry Ddraig… and a goddess within you."
[Quetzalcoatl: [Careful, mi reina. I don't share well.]]
Tiamat smirked. "I am not here to compete. I am here to offer."
She approached Issei, eyes burning into his.
"I can fuse with your Sacred Gear—augment it. Not just power, but intellect, defense, and essence. I will not be a familiar. I will be part of you."
Issei's breath hitched. "Are you sure?"
"I do not make offers lightly."
He looked to the others. Then back to her.
"…Do it."
She placed her palm on his chest. A surge of divine power exploded, a second core awakening within the Boosted Gear.
[System Notice: Tiamat has begun Soul-Fusion with Boosted Gear.]
[Passive Unlocked: Dragon Queen Core – Boosted Gear Enhancement (Defense, Adaptability, Mana Efficiency)]
[Tiamat Affection: 60 → 85]
[Ddraig: [She's… in. And we just got one hell of an upgrade.]]
⸻
White Saber
The chaos had quieted.
Issei sat on a rock near a moonlit pond, the waters still and reflective. A scroll burned with golden fire in his hand.
"Familiar Summoning Scroll," he murmured. "Let's see what fate gives me."
He unrolled it—and magic exploded outward, threads of fate snapping and reweaving. A rift tore open in the air, and from it leapt a creature of ivory-white fur and grace.
She landed with a growl—four-legged at first, but swiftly rising.
No… she rose.
The white sabertooth tiger stretched, then stood on two legs—muscular, feminine, tall. White hair flowed around feline ears. Her body was sculpted like a warrior queen: toned abdomen, wide hips, an ample chest restrained by obsidian leather and silver clasps.
Her golden eyes met Issei's, and she knelt, claws dug into the grass.
"You have summoned White Saber. I serve."
Issei blinked. "You talk?"
"I fight. I serve. I protect," she said. "You are my alpha now."
[Ddraig: [You summoned that?!]]
[Quetzalcoatl: [Rawr~. Good taste, niño.]]
Behind him, the others arrived—Rias, Akeno, Asia, Kuroka, Koneko, and Kiba, all staring.
Akeno's expression faltered, her eyes narrowing. "Another one?" she said, voice sharp but amused.
White Saber stood proudly, ignoring their stares. "I will sleep at your feet, Alpha. Or in your bed. I am warm."
Akeno twitched. "Excuse me?"
Kuroka purred, clinging to Issei's arm. "Nyahaha~ We've got competition."
Rias folded her arms, eyes cold. "You're building a zoo."
Asia, innocently: "Can we pet her?"
[Ddraig: [You absolute disaster.]]
Issei ran a hand down his face. "I didn't ask for this."
[System Notice: New Familiar Bonded – White Saber]
[Affinity: 75%]
[Passive: Predator Instinct – Enhanced Perception, Danger Sense]
[Akeno: "…Another one?"]
[Kuroka: "Nyahaha~ He's forming a harem—and looks like our dragon Issei has a thing for yokai or demi-humans."]
[Rias: "You're insufferable."]
[Akeno: "Maybe I should buy a tail toy or use my magic to make one."]
[Rias: "Can you two get a hold of yourselves? There is a time and place for everything. And Kuroka, my Issei said I will be the next one he sleeps with."]
[Kuroka: "Nyahaha, how is that fair? I already marked him as my mate, princess."]
⸻
Interlude: Ophis Watches
Deep within the Dimensional Gap, where light had no dominion and time crawled like mist through eternity, a pair of endless black eyes stared through the fabric of existence.
Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon—the beginning and the end—watched Issei Hyoudou.
The young man had accepted Tiamat. He had housed Quetzalcoatl. He bore Ddraig, had drawn familiars and goddesses to his side. His power pulsed through the realms like a beacon—raw, untamed, infinite in potential.
For the first time in millennia, something stirred in Ophis's chest.
A flicker.
A curiosity.
Her lips parted.
"…Interesting."
A single heartbeat later, she was gone—slipping between worlds, the echo of her presence stirring ancient beings from slumber.
The silence that followed was not emptiness. It was anticipation.