DXD 17

Olivia's voice crackled through the link, her tone troubled. "There are about fifty people here from multiple factions, demanding answers from Yasaka." I let out a sigh, knowing this would happen - it was the very reason I was hesitant to revive those individuals.

"Let's play it dumb and act like we don't know what they're talking about," I suggested, although I didn't have much hope for that plan.

"It won't work. Someone leaked the information yesterday. We don't know if it was a spy or just a chatty individual, but our 'guests' know about you," Olivia informed me.

"Well then, tell them to fuck off, I can't be bothered with them right now," I replied, feeling a hint of annoyance.

Olivia paused for a moment before responding, her emotions clearly fluctuating. "They're not willing to take no for an answer. I was just attacked by a particularly demanding individual. Thanks for lending me your sword, by the way. Could you please come and deal with them?"

"You do realize it's your fault they're here, right?"

"Andy, please?" She said in a pleading voice.

"Hahh, fine..." I replied with a sigh, "I'll be there shortly," I said before cutting off [Link] and giving instructions to Mai. "Cast a temporal stasis over the mixture I just created. I'll return soon."

"As you wish, master," Mai responded as she etched new runes into the ground, and I felt my mana reserves drain. The enchantment hummed to life, doubling the realm's mana demand, while I exited the Nexus and appeared in my bedroom.

Using [Clean], I removed all the blood and grime from my body and changed into a black designer suit with a white shirt and red tie - first impressions were crucial. Keeping my focus on the situation at hand, I activated my spatial manipulation ability, warping the space around me and teleporting myself to the location where I sensed a gathering of powerful individuals. As soon as I arrived, my ears rang with the cacophony of shouting and demands echoing through the room. I cursed my enhanced hearing as for a moment, I struggled to tune out the noise.

Yasaka's conference room was packed with Angels, Fallen, and Devils - a rare gathering of such diverse groups. As I materialized next to Yasaka and Olivia at the head of the conference table, chaos erupted. Some recognized me from the descriptions of Grayfia and the Kuoh gang and hurled spells and angry shouts in my direction, while others looked on in shock.

Despite their amateurish attempts at spellcasting, my sorceress powers were not needed, as their attacks were completely ineffective. My [Annihilation] barrier stood in the way of their spells and removed them from existence. I had also secured the area, locking down space to prevent anyone from escaping, as I found this group too entertaining to let go without consequences.

"Gentlemen, Gentlemen~!" I attempted to calm the room with a smile, but my efforts were in vain. Unbeknownst to them, they had welcomed a dragon into their midst by demanding me to come here. It wasn't long before one bold individual, a member of the Phenex family, discovered this for himself. He charged towards me, seeking revenge for the loss of his son, only to be instantly consumed by [Annihilation] and eradicated completely.

The room fell silent as the shocking scene unfolded before them. Seizing the opportunity, I moved Yasaka and her chair to the side and took a seat on the magnificent golden throne that had materialized beneath me, adorned with exquisite jewels and ornaments. Gesturing for Olivia to join me, I patted the armrest of the throne. Despite rolling her eyes, I could detect a slight grin on her face as she skipped over and wrapped her arms around my chest, resting her head on my shoulder.

With my legs crossed and my fingers intertwined, I addressed the bewildered crowd before me. "I suppose you're all wondering why I've gathered you here today." Olivia let out a groan and facepalmed at my remark, prompting a small chuckle from me. Meanwhile, the rest of the group looked around in confusion, trying to determine if anyone had been truly invited.

As they scanned the room, I too surveyed the gathering and couldn't help but grin upon recognizing some familiar faces among the crowd. In attendance were Sirzechs Lucifer, his wife Grayfia, Serafall Leviathan, and Ajuka Beelzebub from the Devil faction, along with a few unremarkable background characters.

Representing the Gregory faction were Azazel and Kokabiel, with the latter of the two causing me particular delight as I had been eager to finish an Excalibur quest with him. The final notable member of their group was Vali Lucifer, the wielder of Divine Dividing and a self-proclaimed battle enthusiast, who grinned at me like a madman.

On the Angelic side, only Michael had made an appearance, accompanied by a group of low-ranking angels with stoic, almost unnaturally chiseled features.

Amidst the bewildered gazes of the gathered guests, my eyes met Grayfia's piercing stare, and with a playful wink, I made my grand announcement. "Some of you may already know me," I declared, "But for those who don't, I am Andrew Thompson, your new overlord."

The shock and anger emanating from the crowd were palpable, yet only a few dared to make a move against me. The rest saw me as a madman, and who could blame them? I cackled like a demon as I erased another group of devils, causing the room to fall eerily silent.

"I see, you CAN learn," I said, trying to get comfortable on my throne. "You have two choices. Surrender and become a part of my diverse family, or be forced to." Chaos erupted once more as threats of death and disobedience filled the air.

As the chaotic scene unfolded before me, I could feel my patience wearing thin. I was done with the games, and it was time to assert my dominance. With a deep breath, I summoned the full force of my [Mental Domain], and calmly spoke the single command that would silence the room.

"Silence."

As my words echoed through the minds of those present, I couldn't help but notice the four individuals who remained unaffected. I had purposely excluded Olivia and Yasaka from my powers, but Ajuka and Azazel's resistance was unexpected. It was a testament to their powerful minds, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Hmm... now that's an interesting development," I mused, while they worked their minds trying to find a solution out of this pickle. But then, with a shrug, I activated my [Mana's Blessing] and raised my stats by a few percentage points. I then subsumed even their minds, leaving them completely under my control.

Satisfied with the result, I delved into the minds of everyone present, gathering valuable information and future research materials. I had grown increasingly impatient with being interrupted at every turn and had little regard for morality at this point. Despite the resistance I faced, I used my powers to manipulate the minds of those in the room. I didn't need mindless puppets, so I started slowly rewiring their minds, altering their memories, and making them believe I am their one and only god. Those who expressed their dissent the most fervently were the first to succumb to my mental rewiring, and I relished the feeling of their unwavering faith in me. My divine energies skyrocketed and I couldn't help but notice that the beliefs of stronger individuals carried more weight, which I made a mental note of for future reference.

I then turned my attention to Vali, a young boy who had previously been fierce but now wore a stoic expression. He was one of the few I truly didn't need so I ordered him to step forward and summoned a gray magical circle above my hand. With a blur of my hand, I reached into his chest and retrieved Divine Dividing, which I placed alongside the other Longinuses in the Nexus. I released Vali from my mental control, allowing him to move freely once more.

[Quest: [Collector] Completed 5,000 WP(x4) Received]

Vali collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe and experiencing a mild panic attack. His expression was one of shock and fear as he demanded an explanation. "Why can't I feel Albion?" he shrieked.

I responded coolly, "I removed a dangerous element from this world. You got what you deserved, and you're lucky that I spared your life. Now, move on." Despite Vali being nothing more than a low-level devil without his sacred gear, I knew he wouldn't let this go.

As expected, Vali began to protest as he attempted to flee the room. "You'll regret this!" he warned me. I sighed, knowing I couldn't let a potential future problem just walk away.

"You know what? You're absolutely right," I said, grinning. "It would be foolish to let a possible threat slip away from me." With a snap of my fingers, Vali was wiped out of existence.

With the minds of everyone present now fully altered, I wasted no time and immediately began giving out orders. "Azazel, bring me two of your feathers. Michael, give me four of yours." They promptly unfurled their wings, revealing the magnificent plumage that adorned them, and carefully plucked the requested feathers before offering them to me on open palms.

Their expressions were fervent, happy that they were of use to me. Despite their expectant expressions, I ignored their efforts and focused solely on the feathers in my possession. As I examined them, I noted the intricate mana channels running through them and their metallic feel. Without hesitation, I attempted to convert one of the Angelic feathers into a race card and was pleasantly surprised by my success. After handing Olivia another one, I held onto the others, as I already planned to scan them and use them as crafting ingredients.

[Seraph] [DxD]

+3 STR, +3 AGI, +3 VIT, +1 CHAR per Global Level

- Gain the skill [Holy Enhancement], allowing you to empower skills, abilities, or spells with holy affinity.

- Gain the skill [Holy Halo], granting you an increased effect of your light and holy affinity skills, abilities, or spells, while simultaneously granting you and your nearby allies a passive regeneration to all of your basic resources.

- Gain the skill [Language], allowing you to understand and your words to be understood by anyone.

The disparity between this race and the Fallen race was minimal, even their stats were the same. Nevertheless, this revelation was not unexpected, since the transformation from one to the other occurred as a consequence of violating the rules established by Yahweh. The primary contrast was that the Seraphs lacked the [Light Weapons] racial skill, but instead possessed [Holy Halo]. This bestowed upon them a passive regeneration ability and amplified the potency of their light or holy-based abilities.

"Excellent," I exclaimed, turning back to my followers. "Let's move on to our first agenda. From this day forward, the three factions will be in eternal peace. When you return to your factions, you will announce this and eliminate anyone who opposes it," I commanded my fully loyal followers. As a notification appeared, I paused briefly before deciding to dismiss it. "Azazel, bring all of your stashed Sacred Gears to Yasaka as soon as possible," I instructed.

"Yes, my lord," he replied, causing me to raise an eyebrow at the sudden formality. But I shook it off.

"Michael, inform the church that you need all of the Excalibur fragments, and bring them over as soon as possible. Kokabiel, retrieve your stash and bring it here before taking your own life," I added before finally turning to the devils. "I require you to compile a comprehensive catalog of all identified Longinus and mutated Sacred Gear users, detailing their locations, affiliations, abilities, and any other pertinent information you can gather. Collaborate with the other two factions as necessary. Furthermore, I request a thorough account of all bloodline powers possessed by your race."

"Yes, milord." Acknowledged the task with a bow, Sirzechs.

Teleportation circles appeared and whisked them away, as I finally dismissed everyone, leaving Yasaka, Olivia, and me, alone and an uncomfortable silence descended the room.

"Was all of that really necessary?" Olivia asked me with a worried expression, finally breaking the silence.

"Well, it saved us from hours of pointless arguing. And let's be honest, this throne may look impressive, but it's far from comfortable," I admitted shuffling in my seat, causing Olivia to shake her head and chuckle.

"Only you would resort to mind control to avoid discomfort. But hey, at least I got my Angel race now," she said, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"I can't wait to see you in that form," I said with a smile, adding, "I'm looking forward to corrupting my little angel and making her fall from pleasure!" I exclaimed, winking at her.

"You talk a big game, but can you follow through?" she challenged, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Is that a challenge I hear?" I asked, ready to continue bantering with her, but we were interrupted by a forgotten bystander.

"I think I'll excuse myself, the topic is getting a bit uncomfortable for me, Andrew-sama, Olivia-sama," announced respectably with a deep bow the old fox, who we had completely forgotten was still in the room. After she left, Olivia and I gave each other a glance and burst out laughing.

Olivia blushed as she spoke, "We shouldn't do this in front of others."

I replied nonchalantly, "I'm not bothered by what others think. Your happiness is all that matters to me."

A smile spread across Olivia's face as she pecked my nose. "I have to go back now. Yasaka probably needs some calming after witnessing what you did," she said, standing up and skipping out of the conference room with her hands clasped behind her back. She poked her head back through the door gap and said "I love you" and left me alone but with a smile on my face.

"I should also return to work," I muttered, but before I went back, I checked the two notifications that kept flashing before me. Satisfied with the WP gain for barely any work, I dismissed the throne and teleported back to our house.

[Quest: [Control] Completed 2,500 WP(x4) Received]

[Quest: [Peace] Completed 1,500 WP(x4) Received]

As I entered Nexus, I called out to Mai, "Hey Mai, I have a new idea and need another bowl." Retrieving two differently colored feathers from my inventory, I placed them inside the replicator and activated its scanning feature. Meanwhile, I moved over to the counter where a newly materialized bowl was waiting for me.

I activated [Healing Toxicity] once more, but this time my focus was on creating the purest concoction possible. From my palm, a clear liquid dripped into the bowl, carrying the amplified properties of Phoenix Tears.

As the bowl filled up, the replicator completed its scanning process. I utilized [Technopathy], a skill I seldom used, to remotely connect with the replicator, then I named the newly scanned items and set up a replication process for two basilisk fangs and nine feathers of each color.

Once the bowl was half filled and the replication process was complete, I crushed the newly replicated basilisk fangs into dust and added them to the healing liquid along with mana sand and a crushed tier ten mana stone.

Using a partitioned part of my mind and telekinesis, I stirred the concoction while moving my focus onto the feathers. The black feathers were added to the toxic concoction without any preparation, they melted away as soon as they came in contact with it. However, the white feathers needed to be crushed into a fine powder before they could be added.

The mixtures had to be adjusted multiple times, with more sand, mana stones, and feathers added until it finally turned into a paste-like substance that could even be spread on bread. However, the black paste was not fit for consumption, as it was too toxic even for me. Empowered by the mana sand and the mana crystals, the thing I created could melt through my body and soul simultaneously. On the other hand, the white paste was overflowing with vitality and had the power to revive someone from the brink of death, cure the deadliest ailment, and restore limbs without any trouble. Yet both of these pastes won't be used in those ways.

After scanning the mixtures with the replicator, I returned to the now completely cooled metal. Even though I initially intended to use traditional means, I couldn't ignore the precision of [Celestial Forge], as I had yet to gain similar control over matter with any other spell or skill.

I activated the spell, causing a spherical expanse of space to form before me, which was solely under my control. With my recently expanded mental capacity, I had complete control over every molecule, atom, electron, force, and law within the spell.

I threw the Void and Mithril alloy into the spell, causing them to instantly melt down. The molten liquid floated within the spell and was then separated into two halves, and I unleashed my full potential.

In an instant, my body was infused mana, [Mana's Blessing] doubling my stats, and then a cascade of other abilities followed: [Archive], [Intuitive Aptitude], [Adapt], [Data Savant], [Optimize], [Mind Discipline], [Parallel Processing], and [Focus]. The world around me was reduced to raw data and completely lost its meaning.

But I didn't stop there. I activated [Alchemy], [Chemistry], [Geology], [Mathematics], and [Physics], and carefully added the two mixtures I had created into the spell. Each mixture covered its own blob of metal, and my mind remained in full focus to prevent the paste from evaporating upon contact with the hot metal.

To augment the spell's capacity, I invoked [Divine Empowerment], channeling divine energies into [Celestial Forge]. Then with forceful precision, I bound the paste to the metals, and concentrated on each molecule, bringing back any escaped atoms and electrons, and forcing them back into the mixture. The gravity within the spell increased to that of a collapsing star, causing the newly created alloy to realign its internal structure, and the metals suddenly became brilliant white-hot.

With [Craft], [Blacksmithing], [Arcane Blacksmith], and [Metalworking] activated, I began to meticulously mold the metal, skillfully crafting two identical daggers. The double-edged daggers were carefully crafted, with wavy lines and jagged, razor-sharp teeth on one side. Through precision, I shaped each edge down to the width of an atom before hardening them with repeated heating and sudden cooling. With the shaping, hardening, and sharpening complete, I turned my attention to the enchanting process.

My [Enchanting] skill once again was put to good use, followed by [Code Master], [Coding], [Spellcode], and [Runic Language], as I, within milliseconds thought up two new enchantments, then intricately carved DanMachi runic sequences into the daggers. Each dagger received its own unique enchantment, one based on Blood, Life, and Holy, while the other based on Death, Rot, and Curse affinities.

Finally, I dropped two tier ten mana stones into the [Celestial Forge], and they instantly melted into a liquid form. Carefully manipulating the liquid crystal, I spread it evenly throughout the hundreds of thousands of miniature runic inscriptions, completing the enchanting process.

As soon as [Celestial Forge] was deactivated, the daggers radiated a blinding light, siphoning copious amounts of mana from the atmosphere. Though in reality, it was drawn directly from me, and I allowed them to have their fair share. After the blades have cooled, I added the already prepared hilts and covered them with strips of draconic leather.

Two blades stood before me, one pure white the other black as the night sky, but before I could consider my task complete, there was one last thing I wanted to do. I deactivated all my skills except [Mana's Blessing] and my cognitive-enhancing ones. Sat down on the floor while placing the sister blades on my legs and while channeling millions of points of mana into the skill, I activated [Mystery], causing the world around me to shift and change.