186 A Metting At The Barrier.
Heaven, hell, reincarnation…
Across myths and religions, several words and ideas have been employed to explain the soul's journey after death. Yet, akin to any expedition, not all paths lead to the intended destination.
What if the soul never reached its final stop? Could it transform into a ghost tethered to the earthly realm, or merely traverse the world as a wandering spirit?
In instances where neither heaven nor hell beckoned, the notion of souls venturing to an intermediate realm between the two has surfaced.
The Roman Catholic theology encapsulated this concept through the idea of limbo—a dwelling place for the souls of virtuous individuals who passed away before the advent of Jesus.
While the notion might not perfectly align with the present circumstances, the underlying concept remains analogous, and parallels can be discerned by drawing comparisons between the two.
Leo found himself somewhat disconcerted as his thoughts delved into the mystics for explanations. Perhaps this was an inevitable consequence of delving into the occult.
Nevertheless, comparing things could only lead him so far. The unknown can not be deduced simply by one occurrence that happens to match something vastly different in nature.
After all, limbo, for instance, won't spawn a random reincarnator from a completely different world playing house with the world rules. However, could this be counted as some sort of heaven one way or another?
Rubbing his forehead, Leo gazed down, lost in contemplation.
To begin with, the infected reality behaved like a corrupted video, missing several segments, with even key moments appearing blurry and unrecognizable.
Moreover, anything deviating from the established norm faced ruthless suppression or outright exile.
The established norm itself was not rigid and could be tampered with, much like Leo's integration into the main cast group.
Furthermore, exile led to an entirely new space beneath the regular one, characterized by distorted scenery and events.
Notably, the degree of corruption was escalating rapidly, surpassing 90%. This gave rise to anomalies, such as Kaguya's experiences, and the available area was contracting, as if the infected reality was folding in on itself.
However, if the infected reality was folding in on itself, what then lay at the end of the horizon?
Perhaps his perspective was flawed, which is ironic.
What if the infected reality wasn't this realm with elements from DxD, but rather the distorted space? Could this DxD space be just a small island, and the main reality lie beneath?
If that were the case, the suppression might be more of a world instinct to preserve itself against the infection. So, rather than assisting John, the world, like them, might be confined in a cage.
This realization cast a shadow over everything they had been doing so far, as it seemed they were inadvertently pushing this space further into that distortion.
More importantly, why did the structure of the distorted space look so eerily similar to his mind during the thelemic ritual at Asgard?
With numerous ideas swirling in his mind and no means to confirm their accuracy, Leo felt a growing headache and discomfort. If he were alone, he wouldn't mind delving deeper into experimentation, but with Kaguya... Forget it.
*Clang*
Raising his arm, the boosted gear clashed with a great sword before emitting a vibrant green gleam. Leo gently pushed, and a blast of energy sent the assailant flying.
"Don't underestimate us, asshole!!"
{Oh, right. I am currently in a battle.} Leo snapped back to reality and found himself in the school backyard, surrounded by a group of women.
There was also that blond knight guy engaged in combat with another woman on the side.
They were likely Riser's peerage, or so Leo assumed. However, that wasn't important at the moment.
"Well, can you all pretend that I am not here?" Tilting the boosted gear, Leo looked at the girls and posed a rather reasonable request.
"Are you making fun of us———"
The girl wielding the great sword couldn't finish her sentence before her vision was engulfed by a red energy beam, reducing her entire body to slag.
"Okay." Leo nodded and lowered his gauntlet, leaning left to avoid a punch from behind.
"You——"
Seizing the attacker's arm, Leo pulled her over and headbutted her, the intense impact nearly causing her eyes to roll backward. He then performed an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming her to the ground.
Before there was even time for a pained groan, a cold gauntlet, brimming with crimson energy, covered her face.
*BOOM!*
"So, can we all just pretend that I'm not here now?"
Emerging from the dissipating cloud of dust, Leo surveyed the shocked group and couldn't help but feel a bit odd. Their reactions were more animated than usual. Perhaps... This was his moment to show off?
"Impossible, how can you be this strong?!"
{Oh my god, it's actually my moment to flex.} Leo's eyes gleamed at the armored woman who had just spoken.
"Curious? In fact, I simply boosted myself... Nothing more." Striking a simple pose, Leo relished the sense of elevation his soul felt due to everyone's reactions, even if it seemed a bit forced.
{Partner, calling your 'boost' a simple boost feels like you're insulting me.} Ddraig couldn't resist interjecting, though his tone carried a slightly more elated note than usual.
"In the end, it's just a boost, so I'm not wrong."
Leo held a lukewarm attitude towards the boost ability. While it had proven invaluable at the outset, it now felt like a mere fallback. The question of whether he should repurpose it lingered, but lately, he found himself reluctant to engage in anything that might prove bothersome.
Yet, an on-the-spot improvement wasn't difficult, given the wasteful nature of the boost. As a dragon ability, this was normal, but an overall power boost seemed unnecessary.
Furthermore, why should the boost always be treated as a singular unit? By dividing the small energy he currently possessed into several pieces, treating each as an individual target for boosting, and focusing on the amount of energy, Leo theoretically could boost endlessly.
This opens the door to inexhaustible energy, as long as his body can hold up and the boosted gear doesn't run out of power.
{You should call this ability 'Parallel Boost'. Although I usually overlook this because of your actions and words, you are really gifted, partner. I am mostly saying this because my mental state still hasn't fully recovered.}
"I am taking you to a therapist after this. Moreover, this isn't something outstanding, as long as you stand in my place, you will easily be——"
{Are you done trying to find excuses to belittle yourself?}
"..."
Figuring that he shouldn't mess with Ddraig in this period, Leo glanced at the holographic screen in the corner of his eyes.
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): I have finally found something pleasant and comfortable in this infected reality.]
[Bri-Bri: Which is?]
[NEET Princess: Beating women.]
[A Hero For Fun:...]
[Advocate of gender equality: *Nodding Sagely.gif*]
[Big Sister Lion: Seriously?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): *Cute Seal.gif*]
[Bri-Bri: No, explain yourself! What did she mean by that?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): *Cute Seal.gif*]
[Bri-Bri: Stop sending the damn seal!!]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): *Cute Seal.gif*]
Watching the purest angel (self-proclaimed), Leo, wreaking havoc among Riser's peerage, Kaguya had conflicting feelings.
Why can't she join too? The world isn't fair.
She is currently hiding in the bushes, lamenting life as the one sided battle unfolds. Even with half his body tattered and with the power of low devil, Leo is still folding this entire peerage.
Although she thought about it for a long time, there isn't much she could do.
It's simply too late now.
The information gleaned from Leo wasn't proving helpful either, as he himself lacked a clear idea.
Nevertheless, despite being coerced into speaking, Leo offered Kaguya one last piece of advice. If she truly wanted to know, why not compel the World's Will to spill the beans?
Reminded of this, she felt increasingly annoyed.
Kaguya couldn't fathom why the World's Wills demanded they undertake these missions without providing even the most basic information and common sense.
As for how she was supposed to contact them, the only technical support button had been removed after a World's Will was harassed by a certain angel.
"Here it comes, Leo-kun! Be prepared."
"Nuh-uh, don't even think of taking this away from me."
Shaking her head gently, Kaguya dismissed the unpleasant thoughts and recalled a peculiar observation.
Why did she feel that this place treated Leo differently than her?
Apart from involvement in the plot or interactions with the cast, when they first met John, Kaguya was certain Leo witnessed the same scene as her. Yet, he displayed no discomfort or change; he even had the time to help her.
Within the distortion space, he always seemed capable of reacting to the changes.
"Is it because he is an angel or… Hm, it doesn't concern me."
Not fixating on the mission allowed Kaguya to ponder various matters from different angles and notice several peculiar occurrences. However, she had no intention of confronting Leo over what might be unnecessary doubts.
"Sword…"
"Blondy, I swear to god I am going to read the bible to you in your sleep."
If she noticed, he probably did too, and if he didn't mention it even after that, then he likely has his own ideas.
The angel may be uncontrollable, explosive, and eccentric in nature, but he always puts others before himself. While not ideal, it's enough to earn Kaguya's trust.
"Birth!!"
"I will shove all these swords up your ass!!"
However, Kaguya realized that perhaps all the members of the group needed to have a good talk after this.
Before her eyes, swords of various shapes and sizes pierced through the ground, impaling what remained of Riser's peerage.
Leo's desperate attempt to raise his arm to snipe those fallen girls at their last words elicited a nod of approval from Kaguya. Truly, the purest angel of the chat room, willing even to read the holy book to a devil.
Suddenly, she was startled by a loud roar, followed by the emergence of a huge shadow of a dragon rising above the school building where Rias and Riser were fighting.
Kaguya couldn't see the scene clearly because her vision was soon overtaken by a dazzling blue light.
"Has it ended already? How unfortunate."
Blinded by the blue flare, Kaguya squinted as the torrent of energy rose into the sky. It felt strange that they felt no shockwave at such close proximity, but she didn't want to question it.
"How so? Shouldn't we be glad that we won't see this guy again? He is almost out of breath" Leo walked over, pointing at John's chest.
It already stopped rising and falling.
"No, think about it. We still didn't see the rest of the events here. For example, who do you think you, dear side character, are going to end up with as a love interest?"
Kaguya stated with utmost seriousness. This is very important because usually in these shows side characters end up randomly with background characters, and she can't wait to see it happen before her eyes.
Leo glanced at this grandma and ignored her, but the latter didn't give up and turned her attention to the boosted gear on his arm.
"You know? Typically in these plots, the sealed dragon is actually a beautiful woman with a great body. The type that falls in love with the protagonist."
"..." X 2
Leo and Ddraig looked at each other from beyond the boosted gear.
"Ddraig, my old buddy. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made. Partner, be my love interest."
"I will bite you."
Kaguya chuckled before her attention was drawn to the center of the chaos. John had already finished defeating Riser and was now boasting about something related to his strength.
Kaguya couldn't be bothered to listen, but she felt an uncanny sensation and turned to Leo, who was hugging the boosted gear amidst Ddraig's protest.
"So, is this how it all ends? Just like this?"
"Pretty much, but don't just take my word for it. We might end up in some ridiculous situation later." Leo released the boosted gear and nodded.
At that moment, his vision began to shake and double. No, it was the entire world vibrating, prompting Kaguya to give him a long stare.
Suddenly, the environment shifted into a luxurious hallway adorned with antique decorations. The transition was so swift that it left Kaguya momentarily hallucinating, as if she could still hear the previous noises echoing in the background.
However, Leo has disappeared, but Kaguya didn't mind. No, she even felt elated.
What did a place like this signify? It likely meant a gathering of noble devils, which in turn implied that Leo would soon find himself attending an elegant, high-class meeting with several young masters and mistresses of devil clans.
As the servant of a servant, the brain-damaged angel needed to uphold his master's honor and execute the best of etiquette for the guests.
That thought alone made Kaguya quicken her steps as she rushed through the corridor. However, she paused for a moment to glance out of a nearby window.
"..."
Everything had disappeared. The sky, the ground, even the uncanny horizon edge. All that remained was a vast maelstrom of distortion, shapes, and colors blending beyond what her imagination could conceive.
Gently, Kaguya reached out to the window... And pulled the curtains closed.
"I will pretend I didn't see this."
Kaguya continued moving until she passed through a large gate. The nonsensical chattering noise filled her ears as she entered a vast ballroom, where people in various attire and shapes scattered around.
"Ah, there he is..."
Scanning the hall, Kaguya found her target. Like a living incarnation of the "They don't know" meme, he stood in a corner with a glass in hand, exuding a rather somber aura as he attempted to diminish his presence.
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): They don't know...]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: They don't know what?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): That I have stolen the entire chocolate fountain and two plates of shrimp.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: Oh ho? *DIOzuma-OhHo.jpg*]
[A Hero For Fun: *Serious-Saitama.jpg*]
[Bri-Bri: Huh? Since when do you guys have those images?]
[A Hero For Fun: Kaguya gave them to us?]
[Bri-Bri: Why don't I know about this?]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: *Brain-Dead-Misaka.gif*]
[Bri-Bri: You...]
"Just how did he..." Kaguya's gaze shifted to the large table in the middle of the room, where indeed, an empty space with some spilled chocolate caught her eye.
It hadn't even been 10 minutes since the shift started, yet the damn angel had already committed a heist under the watchful eyes of all the devils.
Kaguya looked back at Leo. He held his head up high arrogantly, seeming to disdain everyone around him. This was the face of someone who had taken the chocolate fountain.
Suddenly, two devils approached Leo. One of them had skin made of rock, while the other wore a casual suit.
"So, you're the Red Dragon Emperor of this generation. Not bad for a reincarnated devil. You performed admirably during the rating game," one of the devils remarked.
"Thank you, I'm simply doing my best. I know I still have a long way to go to reach your level, seniors," Leo replied with a straight face and a pleasant tone. However, in the reflection of his eyes, the World's Evil spilled from the shaking holy grail.
[NEET Princess: AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Why... Of all curses, I have been cursed to call everyone senior. It's so over. Kill me.]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): Huh? Why is that bad? Maybe you should just accept it.]
Ritsuka found herself perplexed by the new brain rot spreading within the chat room. What was so bad about calling others seniors? Look at Mashu; she always addressed her seniors politely and softly.
But then, a realization struck Ritsuka. Was Leo forced to call everyone senior within the side mission? Everyone...
She froze in place as the image of Leo politely addressing her as senior played in her mind. Subconsciously, her hand moved towards the 'Join the Side Mission' button.
"Oops, too dangerous. This isn't worth it... Right?" Ritsuka began experiencing a fierce internal struggle.
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): I can sense the malice slipping through the chat screen. Anyway, why don't you accept your inevitable demise, ha?]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): Why are you comparing humanity's survival with you calling others seniors?!]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Obviously because I am amazing.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: The internet is filled with honest people and trustworthy claims.]
[NEET Princess: Too bad this is not the internet.]
Meanwhile in the other dead chat channel:
[This Beast Is Afraid of A Human! Lmao! (Main Admin): @Egg Plant Junior, when I land my hands on you, I am gonna suplex you so hard... What in the world is this nickname?]
[Master of Chaldea (Admin): ...]
[Egg Plant Junior: Wha...??]
"Look who's talking, maybe you should take a look at yourself, servant of a servant. I look forward to seeing you in the rating game."
"Indeed, I also look forward to battling with seniors. Until then, be careful, or I'll surpass you."
"Hmph, this lowly servant..."
"Well said. And you, aren't you ashamed of acting like this here?"
Leo watched as the devils bickered with each other and felt all his previous efforts to stabilize the World's Evil crumbling.
With every mention of 'senior,' the holy grail shook, and Kaguya rolled on the ground.
What had led him to this state? Leo didn't know, but he'd blame the world (DXD) anyway.
However, the bickering soon escalated into a commotion that spanned the entire hall. The noise mixed and twisted, stripping away any semblance of comprehensibility.
The devils around began to lose their distinct features and move aimlessly, like a dance of shadowy shapes.
The change didn't surprise Leo; it was rather tame compared to what he had experienced before. However, something more important happened: the pressure on his body loosened.
"What in the... Huh? Freeedooooom!" Leo exclaimed as he suddenly threw the cup at the face of the nearest devil and jumped away, landing directly where Kaguya stood previously, but there was no one.
"This is no good! How could the princess leave before attending the party?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head. Leo dashed off and vanished into the dark hallway.
Meanwhile, outside the castle, John and Rias stood next to a griffon and conversed with the rest of the peerage.
"The scene is replaying the same, but in more of a self-insert fantasy," Kaguya offered her constructive commentary on the scene while leaning on her arms and watching in boredom from the balcony facing the garden.
"Ah, princess! There you are. Quick, you'll miss greeting all the nobles."
Like a ghost, a shadow crept up behind Kaguya, its long, snarly tone making her shiver.
"What are you watching? Hmmmm, do you have anything I can throw?"
Leo inquired as he approached Kaguya, his expression shifting to one mirroring hers. He then offered to snipe the two people on the griffon.
These people had abandoned him inside the devil party. Leo had never denied that he wanted to kill them, but how could they betray him like this!?
"Where is the chocolate fountain?"
"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to."
"Is this what you meant by telling me as long as I ask?" Kaguya curled her lips in disdain.
"Indeed, and I'm telling you that I'm not telling you," Leo said with a straight face and no sense of shame.
"Is it? Then, without twists and turns, is this the end?"
"I'm not too sure, maybe we'll have an additional stop."
[Degree of Corruption: 99%]
Closing the chat room, Leo displayed a helpless expression. If this were anywhere else, he might be able to offer some good guesses, but forget about it here.
" *Sign* You're absolutely useless, angel."
"Sorry for being better than you."
"Better about what? Your measly two-mission streak, please? We've already finished three missions," Kaguya retorted, almost shoving her finger in Leo's face.
"Haaaaa? How miserable are you to feel superior about that?" Leo slapped Kaguya's hand away and scoffed.
"Three is bigger than two,"
"It's just one extra side mission,"
"3 is bigger than 2"
"Pfff, as if you did anything substantial during it. I bet it was Saitama carrying you, old hag,"
"3 > 2"
"Hey…" A vein popped on Leo's forehead as he said, "Are you forgetting who helped you during your Konosuba mission? You got divine intervention and still couldn't finish it!"
"Please, all you did was cause Kazuma nightmares and bomb yourself to kingdom come, then you had the audacity to call him your priest in the chat room. The poor kid is gonna be atheist for the rest of his pitiful existence,"
Covering her mouth, Kaguya wiped her nonexistent tears while showing a pitiful expression.
"He is just weak-willed. This is the price to wield the holy sword (Dio's sword). Speaking of which, you think your mission was miserable? I had to actually be a servant for a damn FGO protagonist in a world made of paper and glass," Leo exclaimed.
"There weren't only those multiverse space players, there was even a motherfucker reincarnator with a 10-year head start. The bastard even had a harem. The shit was so confusing that I needed Merlin's help. The motherfucker actually morphed into his female version and thought I wouldn't notice!!"
"Not only that, the bastard of Solomon decided to screw it all up! Let's all save humanity who don't even want to be saved!! The dude almost caused more chaos than Goetia could dream of!!" Leo slammed the balcony rail and started ranting.
"Oh really? In Konosuba, Whitebeard wouldn't shut up about frogs..." Suddenly, Kaguya began recounting her journey during the Konosuba mission.
"Oh yeah? A damn big mosquito (The Hook) bit the Type-Moon world…" Similarly, Leo began to tell his story in the Type-Moon world.
The needle thrown into the ocean search... The horrible World's Will... A mission that was never meant to succeed... And the monsters clad in metal.
The two batches of servants… Solomon playing Tekken as a caster… Weedhead (Shinji) cosplaying as a god… and being forced to babysit a master.
As Kaguya and Leo finished their tirades, cursing the World's Wills, they felt a sense of relief wash over them. Collapsing onto the railing, the two refused to move, but they kept pushing each other away.
"You brain-fried angel… You aren't half bad," Kaguya admitted begrudgingly.
"I wish I could say the same. Your story is just a bunch of skill issues documented," Leo said nonchalantly under Kaguya's burning gaze, not even flinching when she kicked him.
Kaguya raised her head with a sigh. The absence of the moon in the sky worsened her mood, but dwelling on it only made things worse.
"Hey…"
"..."
"Hey, I am talking to you."
"Hm? What's that? Sorry, I am incapable of hearing you through all those skill issues."
"Leo, I don't care if you have reached godhood. I swear I am gonna force you to drink a cocktail made of Eirin's medicine, and I will make sure one of them will turn you into a helpless village girl!!!"
"Try me, you harlot."
The two glared at each other head to head before both turned their heads away, letting the silence return.
Kaguya watched the peerage in the garden congratulating John and Rias before rolling her eyes and nudging Leo.
"Hey, do you remember when you and I stood like this? Are you ready to take that step now?[1]" Kaguya's voice was soft as she rose from the balcony railing.
What was supposed to be a pleasant voice made Leo's angry expression freeze, his eyes widening in absolute disbelief as he stared at Kaguya.
How could she do this?! This is foul play!
"I'll take that as a no. Although this night lacks a moon, this scene is no less memorable." With the amalgamation of colors behind her, Kaguya smiled at Leo.
"I chose to believe in this chat room because of someone's uncaring and embarrassing monologues. I'm here because I believed... It's strange now that I think about it, do you remember?"
Kaguya laughed and poked Leo, who lowered his head and covered it with both hands.
"Give me a break, it's not like I didn't mean what I said. I just had a pretty difficult period recently that exposed some bad memories. I should be fully adjusted soon enough," the muffled voice escaped through Leo's hands.
Kaguya tilted her head and asked, "Did I ever say you didn't? But it's great that you remembered."
A muffled and incomprehensible noise was heard from Leo as a protest.
"You know, I was planning to hold a group meeting to discuss some stuff like our powers and how we should tackle future missions"
"I'll make sure to be there"
"I was also going to analyze all the information we currently know and compile it into the chat room"
"I'd be thankful to help"
"Oh, I just recalled, I'll be coming to DXD to hang around too"
"Oi, you're pushing your luck" Leo retorted, removing his hands and glaring at Kaguya in a way that made her wish she could record it.
"You're welcome. I guess that will be all for today. Thank you, Leo-kun"
Kaguya said with a bright smile, which almost caused the holy grail inside Leo to spit out a mouthful of black mud.
Suddenly, John and Rias rode on the griffon before it took off towards the distortion above, startling the duo on the balcony.
As they rose higher, the griffon and Rias in John's arms dissolved into two puddles, leaving John spinning irregularly in the air.
A wheat-colored rope suddenly sprung from the chaos and looped around John's neck. Then, like a skillful fisherman pulling up a fish, John's body was ragdolled, almost comically, into the distortion.
[Degree of Corruption: 100%]
With a cold, almost microwave-like ding, the chat room announced that the corruption had reached 100%, signaling the supposed end of the side mission.
"..." x 2
The chat room notice faded slowly as silence settled in.
Kaguya blinked her eyes before looking to her left to meet Leo's gaze. No words were needed at this moment because the two resonated into one thought.
"Is this it? Huh?"
Kaguya retorted as her body rose slowly, seemingly without any power to control herself. Suddenly, a hand quickly reached out and caught her arm.
"What are you doing? Ascending to heaven? That's my thing, you amateur——" Leo caught Kaguya and tried to pull her back, but he found himself floating too.
So, he let go and gave a peace sign.
However, Kaguya expressionlessly clamped onto Leo's fingers and forced him to be dragged up with her.
The luxurious castle unfolded as if it had lost all its supports, spreading like a wireframe. Then, like pebbles falling into a lake, its pieces slammed into chaos, raising ripples here and there.
Kaguya and Leo spun while wrestling mid-air as everything disintegrated around them until they reached the distortion.
Then...
Their bodies were slammed into the chaos, vanishing alongside everything else.
After the sensation of plunging into a very thin layer of water, the two hugged each other as they felt the world "brighten up."
Taking a moment to adjust, what greeted them wasn't the previously distorted world.
The scene was nothing short of breathtaking. A dark canvas extended beyond what the sight could cover, stretching out above, as countless "stars" dotted its bleak expanse.
The branches crossed the space, emitting a horrible rustling noise that made their ears buzz.
An almost transparent white membrane stood as a barrier between the dark vastness and the white brightness below. Strokes of light spanned the distance and fell like a meteor shower against the white membrane, forming a canvas of black and white.
The wheat ropes descended like a curtain falling, as various creatures of different shapes, sizes, and forms hung with blissful expressions.
It was as if they were floating at Earth's orbit, but the grandeur of the scene couldn't be described with words, akin to seeing the planet from space for the first time.
The huge body flickered like a torrent of incomprehensible branches and leaves, too numerous to count.
Amidst the flares, John's body could be seen getting dragged quickly up before getting stuck in the membrane, unable to move further.
The darkness inside was akin to a black hole, sucking all light into an absolute void.
What connected him was only one slender rope going up to what Leo would describe as a reflection of the dark expanse on a mirror, because…
The mirror had been broken in the middle, ruining what could be described as the most beautiful scene. From within the shards and ripples, an inconsistency emerged.
As if flickering between this world and another, the amalgamation of branches and leaves phased through the shards and hovered above the milky membrane.
The behemoth twisted and knotted so many times that they couldn't be counted, and from within the leaves, dangling ropes like hair strands dropped down.
Creatures of various shapes and forms hung from the branches with blissful expressions were gently loosened as their bodies turned into bright flares slamming into the membrane.
They couldn't focus on it; no matter how hard Leo and Kaguya tried to sharpen their vision, the mass seemed to be just hovering at the edge of their perception.
Was it there or not? Was this just an illusion?
The amalgamation of branches rose slightly as a horrible noise, as if steel were being forcibly torn apart like paper, sounded with John's body being forcibly stripped from the membrane, dragging a huge mass of white substance alongside it.
The leaves swarmed the substance, devouring every last drop of it until the membrane stabilized. However, as John's body joined the mass, it was slammed back down against the barrier like a very bright comet crossing space.
For the first time, the unchanging membrane flickered briefly.
Leo and Kaguya starred in a daze. Their consciousnesses flickered alongside the membrane as the shadow of the behemoth casted an ominous pressure filled with dread.
Kaguya closed her eyes and buried her head in Leo's arms, trembling nonstop. Leo couldn't avert his hurting eyes even if he couldn't focus. His body and mind tensed up, entering the highest state of alert with platinum ribbons surfacing his body without his control, but they made no difference.
[Notice: The corruption degree has reached 100%.]
[Notice: It has been detected that the infected reality #32 of DXD has been dissolved.]
[Notice: The side mission has failed. Proceed to send all participants to their respective worlds... The process has been delayed according to the command of the World's Will.]
[WARNING: A classified danger is detected! Overruling the previous command, proceed with the transfer protocol!]
In a blink of an eye, Leo was repelled away from Kaguya as a white membrane covered her before she disappeared in place.
Leo blinked his eyes before everything shifted.
The walls decorated with posters of various music bands, alongside the bed and shelves filled with different kinds of plushies, made him realize where he was.
It was his own room.
Exactly where he had been before the side mission.
"..."
Collapsing on the floor, the platinum ribbons melted like snow under the sun as Leo stared at the ceiling in a daze.
His broken and torn body, even missing a leg, healed quickly as the Longinus and mana went to work, repairing all the cracks and gaps until they disappeared.
However, he still didn't react. It was as if he could still see that amalgamation through the ceiling and space, covering the entire sky...
The noise of his mother watching that Korean drama show downstairs played inside his head, bringing him back to reality as he covered his face.
After a long period of silence, Leo rubbed his face, his palm clenched into a fist.
"How could I, the blackmailer acknowledged by the world itself[2], get blackmailed by Kaguya?! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Leo screamed in frustration.
Manami wiped her tears and watched the drama on TV until Leo's scream echoed through the house, making her shake her head. She felt slightly curious about what made her son scream in the morning, especially because there was a girl's name involved.
Today was Sunday, just another peaceful day in the Arisaltek household.
--------------------------------------------------------
[1]: Reference to Chapter 27.
[2]: Leo's original nickname by the Chat Room is The BlackMail Admin.
