Chapter 63

Disclaimer:

The characters, scenarios, locations, and images in this fanfic belong to their respective owners. This is a non-profit work made for entertainment, with no intent to infringe copyright.

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— World: Draconic Deus

Underworld, Phenex Territory —

"I want to see him… Aiden-sama… Training is tedious, but if I want to choose my own destiny instead of being a mere coin for Father to exchange at his convenience, I have no other choice… And yet, he dares to suggest that I get close to that perverted red dragon…!"

Ravel was in the training hall, dressed in tight-fitting clothes that accentuated her figure with refined grace.

Around her, small flames danced across the training field as she practiced controlling her demonic power.

She wanted to become stronger.

She would not allow her father to decide her fate, especially when his grand plan involved tying her to Hyoudou Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor and wielder of the [Boosted Gear].

Her father saw him as a devil with a promising future—someone who, in a short time, had achieved the [Balance Breaker], an impressive feat for a newly reincarnated devil.

Moreover, it was the first time a host of Ddraig belonged to the Devil Faction, and through him, the House of Phenex could strengthen its ties with the House of Gremory.

"No way!"

/Boom!/

"I don't want to! I refuse to have anything to do with that pervert!"

/Boom!/

Each of her outbursts was accompanied by an explosion of flames that engulfed the training field.

Her fury burned uncontrollably, turning the area into a blazing inferno.

Blow after blow, explosion after explosion, she left the place in ruins.

Her plan, though somewhat unrealistic, was simple: to become more powerful.

If she gained enough strength, who would dare tell her, "Marry this person" or treat her as a mere bargaining chip to strengthen the House of Phenex?

Don't misunderstand her.

Ravel would give everything for her Clan; her interests and those of her family were one and the same.

But she simply didn't want to get too close to Hyoudou Issei.

It wasn't that she hated him or anything like that.

The resentment she once felt toward him, for ruining her brother's engagement, had long since faded.

Even so, she wanted nothing to do with him—especially when her father insisted that she should seduce him to bind him to the House of Phenex.

Serafall Leviathan was a Maou, incredibly strong.

If someone suggested she marry or have an heir, she could simply say, "I don't want to," and move on with her life, ignoring everyone.

Ravel wanted to be the same.

Although she knew it was unrealistic to become that strong in a short time, that wouldn't stop her.

"Aiden-sama…" she murmured.

She recalled the ideas Aiden had given her when he visited her home over a week ago.

Since then, she hadn't spoken to him.

Aiden had disappeared in Elicia, busy dealing with the Phrase.

When she went to his house to look for him, she found no one.

But that didn't mean she would stop training the techniques he had suggested.

"Directional Combustion, Reactive Impulse, Cutting Fire, High-Density Fire, Invisible Fire…"

Aiden had given her many ideas on how to develop her demonic power, her [Fire Manipulation], and [Wind Manipulation], but she still didn't know how to perfect them.

So she kept practicing.

When she finally finished, her body was covered in sweat.

Without thinking twice, she headed to her room to take a bath.

—

"So complicated…" Ravel murmured.

Wrapped in a towel, she let out a sigh as water dripped from her body after the bath.

"Is he saying that if I practice enough, I'll be able to distort space with an extremely high temperature…? Aiden-sama really is a pervert."

The idea of using [Fire Manipulation] to freeze things by consuming heat seemed brilliant… but with her current level of control, it was nearly impossible.

'Can Aiden-sama really do something like that…?'

With that thought lingering in her mind, she collapsed onto the bed, still wrapped in the towel, lost in her own dilemmas.

…

— World: Draconic Deus

Earth, Japan, Tokyo:

Avalon Residence —

The next day, Ravel went to visit Aiden after telling her father that they were only going to discuss ideas about the NerveGear.

When she arrived, she wasted no time and confessed her true purpose: she wanted to become stronger.

Aiden, without thinking too much about it, simply said:

"I have a gift for you."

Suddenly, a small fire dragon in the shape of a lizard appeared in his hands.

Ravel: "….."

Salamander: "….."

"Didn't you say you wanted to get stronger in a short time? Well, this little lizard can boost you tremendously. It wouldn't be far-fetched to think you could reach the level of a Super Devil… like that siscon Lucifer."

"Who the hell are you calling a lizard, you bastard?! And are you seriously using me as a damn gift to impress this girl?!"

In a fit of rage, Salamander unleashed his spiritual power, and in an instant, the living room was engulfed in flames.

Aiden reacted immediately, protecting Ravel, who was left completely stunned by the power of that tiny dragon.

Salamander: "….."

/Shiver!/

The small dragon swallowed hard.

He had just reduced the living room to ashes… and realized he had destroyed the house of those crazy women who lived there.

He turned pale.

"You've got guts, Salamander… but also incredible luck," Aiden said, his expression a mix of exasperation and resignation.

"All the girls are out today; they went to the Youkai Faction in Kyoto… Seriously, I don't even want to imagine what Mukuro, Miku, and the others would do to you if they were here."

/Stomp!/

Aiden stomped the ground and used the power of [Zafkiel], rewinding the living room until it was exactly as it was before.

"Anyway… let's go to my room. We need to talk about this rude lizard and how he can help you get stronger," Aiden said, taking Ravel's hand and leading her calmly.

"Oh…" Ravel responded in a barely audible tone.

She wasn't just curious about what Aiden had to say… but they were also going to his room.

And the house was completely empty.

No one could interrupt.

Meanwhile, Salamander silently followed them.

That girl was going to be his "master," so at the very least, he had to get along with her.

Either way, anything was better than staying in that hellish house, where those monsters called women terrorized him daily.

Leo Pemptos always mocked him, and being weaker, he couldn't do anything about it.

Aries Prote completely ignored him, as if he didn't even exist.

Sylphide, on the other hand, never missed a chance to tease him, and to make matters worse, she was the favorite of those demons, which meant he couldn't get revenge either.

In short, in this house, he was at the bottom of the food chain.

"If I, the Great Spirit of Fire, went to the Underworld, at least they would treat me with a bit more respect… right?" the dragon murmured, lamenting his fate.

—

"What do you mean, Aiden-sama, by…?" Ravel hesitated for a moment, not entirely sure what exactly Salamander was.

"Salamander," Aiden intervened to help her.

"What do you mean, Aiden-sama, when you say that Salamander can help me become stronger and increase my potential?" Ravel asked, sitting on Aiden's bed, a mix of curiosity and skepticism in her gaze.

Meanwhile, Salamander was comfortably perched on Aiden's head.

"To answer your question, first, let me explain exactly what Salamander is," Aiden said calmly.

"I see," Ravel replied, paying full attention.

Then, Aiden began explaining who Salamander was and how he had turned him into a [Sacred Gear].

"WHAT?!"

Ravel's eyes widened in shock.

A slight blush tinted her cheeks before she coughed discreetly to regain her composure.

"Aiden-sama can create [Sacred Gears]? Wasn't it supposed to be that only the God of the Bible had that power?"

Still stunned, she turned her gaze to Salamander as if she had just witnessed something that defied all logic.

"Well, I simply stole information and applied reverse engineering to the [Sacred Gears]," Aiden commented with total nonchalance.

Ravel understood… but decided to save her amazement for later.

She observed Salamander carefully, noting his body made of pure fire and his dragon-like form.

Salamander…

Salamander…

"Aiden-sama… Is Salamander the Great Spirit of Fire?" Ravel suddenly asked, a mix of astonishment and curiosity in her voice.

"Oh? So you know about me, girl?" Salamander raised an eyebrow, surprised.

He wasn't exactly an avid reader, so he was unaware that a version of him existed in this world.

"Yes, this is the Salamander from the myths," Aiden affirmed calmly.

Ravel narrowed her eyes, visibly confused, and tilted her head slightly.

"Weren't the Great Spirits supposed to have gone extinct a long time ago?"

"What did you just say?!" Salamander exclaimed, indignant.

Aiden sighed.

He knew that, in this world, spirits were already dead.

After all, this wasn't Étheris, where spirits reincarnated after dying.

"The truth is…" Aiden began to say.

Then, he decided to tell her everything.

He explained that this Salamander wasn't from this world but from another.

And since he was "courting" Ravel, he also confessed that he himself came from a different world.

To prove it, he even took her to Elicia for a few minutes so she wouldn't think he was crazy.

—

After a while of explanations, Ravel's mind was exhausted.

Aiden and the girls who lived in this house were from another world.

Aiden was also the person who had fought against the strongest creature in his world.

It went without saying that Ravel was completely overwhelmed.

But after a few moments, she managed to recover.

Because, thinking about it… this was better, right?

Aiden was such a unique, powerful individual…

He was a million times better than that perverted red dragon!

And her father, who always sought benefits… wouldn't he "sell" her off better to Aiden?

Aiden wasn't exactly human either, that "weak" race.

Which meant their children would be powerful, right?

Her first love wouldn't end in failure, but even so, she wanted to be like Serafall Leviathan and slap everyone who tried to marry her off or use her as a bargaining chip.

After talking for a while, Ravel understood that if Salamander became her [Sacred Gear], she would have the potential of a Super Devil.

Wouldn't this strengthen her Clan?

Her first love could come true, and at the same time, her Clan would be happy.

Everyone happy.

"Aiden-sama, why do you wish to give me something so valuable?" Ravel suddenly asked, her expression complicated.

They had only known each other for a little over 50 days, and yet he was giving her such a precious [Sacred Gear], one with the potential of a [Longinus].

Aiden looked at her as if she were an idiot, which made her blush.

Without saying a word, he grabbed Salamander from his head, created a portal, and threw him in.

His destination?

Who knows…

"Why do you think I'm giving you something so valuable?" Aiden murmured, his golden eyes locking onto hers.

With a smooth motion, he lifted her chin, bringing himself close enough that their lips almost touched.

"Th-That…" Ravel stammered, her face turning a deep red.

But before she could say anything else, she let out a small yelp—Aiden kissed her, and in an instant, her body was trapped between the bed sheets.

They kissed for a while.

Ravel was very embarrassed at first, but over time, her mind stopped thinking, and she simply let herself go.

…

..

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A/N:

Here are some images:

[Image] (Credits: Eso ze - https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/126031044)

As always, thank you for reading my fanfic.

It really means a lot to me.

I love you, dear reader.

Peace out.

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