49 Sacred Gear Hunting (3)

"That went easier than I initially anticipated..." Otto remarked, having finished "interrogating" Gasper by threatening to eat him alive.

"You might have scarred that kid for life," Brynhildr remarked, finding the situation both amusing and comical.

"Hmph, at least I got what I wanted," Otto replied, glancing at Gasper, who lay unconscious after unleashing the Forbidden Balor View.

Otto sensed that his master and her other servants were approaching their room.

"Why not greet them?" Otto suggested casually as he exited the room. He was met by four individuals whom he knew very well, as they were the main cast of High School DxD.

First was the crimson-haired woman with an impressive bust, Rias Gremory, the master of the five servants present.

Next to her stood Akeno Himejima, the queen of Rias Gremory, a long black-haired woman with a voluptuous figure.

Then there was Koneko Toujou, a white-haired girl with golden eyes, who served as the rook of Rias Gremory.

Lastly, there was Kiba Yuuto, the knight of Rias Gremory, a blonde young man with striking blue eyes.

The four exuded an aura of confusion and suspicion, their presence dominating the room as they entered. Despite their teamwork being decent, it wasn't flawless. Otto straightened up, preparing to engage with them, fully aware of the dynamic personalities and problems in their group.

"Ehe, hello," Otto greeted them nonchalantly, waving casually.

"Who are you and what have you done to Gasper?" Rias demanded upon seeing Gasper unconscious at Otto's feet.

"Nothing much, I just played with him," he replied enthusiastically, making them uneasy with his calm demeanor.

"How dare you hurt a member of my household!" Rias Gremory glared at Otto, red sparks surrounding her.

"Fufu, I'm a daredevil, aren't I?" Otto smirked, pulling out his 'Otto's Diary'. This was the perfect time to test out his "borrowed" Forbidden Balor View.

"!!!"

The three were stunned when Rias suddenly froze up. They glanced at Gasper, who was still unconscious.

"Don't you think this ability is too fun to use?" Otto asked playfully, knowing they all recognized Gasper's Sacred Gear.

"That's Gaspy's Sacred Gear!" Koneko exclaimed, glaring at Otto for extracting it.

Realizing she needed to act quickly, Akeno launched a lightning bolt at Otto before he could freeze them.

"Gahh~!" Otto pretended to be affected by the lightning, even though he had already adapted to the lightning element.

After his dramatic act, Rias was freed from the frozen state, her expression one of confusion. Otto straightened up, a smirk playing on his lips as he observed the group's reaction.

"Attack him now, everyone!" Akeno shouted, abandoning her usual sadistic playfulness to focus on the serious threat Otto posed once he recovered.

"Got it!" Kiba responded, rushing towards Otto with a sword conjured from his Sacred Gear, Sword Birth.

"HAAH—!" Koneko leaped forward, aiming to pin Otto to the ground.

Recognizing their coordinated attack, Otto maneuvered smoothly, dodging all their strikes with strange, fluid movements. Despite their efforts, his agility made him an elusive target.

Rias and Akeno were preparing to catch Otto off guard. However, Otto grabbed Kiba and Koneko by the necks and hurled them toward Rias and Akeno.

"Kiba! Koneko!" Rias cried, catching both of them, not noticing Otto approaching her.

"Rias, watch out—!" Akeno warned, but it was too late. Otto had already reached them, pushing the three of them into a tangled heap.

Grouped together and unable to fight back, they realized they had underestimated Otto. He effortlessly incapacitated them, tying them together as if they were mere children. Despite their confusion and suspicion, their teamwork wasn't enough to counter Otto's unexpected prowess.

Otto stood over them, a smirk playing behind his spiral mask.

"Fuhahaha~ You all really need to work on your coordination," he taunted, enjoying the helplessness of his opponents. He glanced at Gasper, still unconscious, and then back at the tied-up group.

"Who the hell are you?" Kiba's frustration was evident as he blamed himself for their helplessness.

Hearing his question, Otto jokingly looked around, pretending to search for who Kiba was talking to.

"I'm talking to you, bastard!"

"Oh, me~? Very well." Otto giggled before clearing his throat, preparing to deliver his next lines.

"I am the stor— I mean, I am Issei Hyoudou, the Red Dragon Emperor," Otto stated jokingly, not taking the situation seriously and shifting the blame to Issei, who was entirely innocent.

"Issei Hyoudou... I'll remember that," Rias said calmly as she glared at him, hoping he wouldn't harm her servants. She had been waiting for something, her patience running thin.

"Oh no~ what are you planning to do?" Otto asked curiously, observing Rias's calmness with interest.

In that moment, Otto almost fucked up as he suddenly sensed a spike in magical energy approaching him.

*CRASH!*

Barely dodging an ice spear, Otto immediately got up, suspecting that Rias had called for backup.

"Ouch. Who did that?" He patted his clothes as he looked around trying to find Grayfia, whom he believed was behind the massive ice attack.

"State your name, human," a woman with braided white hair and dressed in a French maid uniform appeared in front of Rias and her servants.

"You're Grayfia Lucifuge!" Otto feigned panic in front of the strongest queen of the underworld.

"I am. Now, who are you?" Grayfia asked seriously, her gaze unwavering.

"He's Issei Hyoudou, Grayfia," Rias answered, causing Otto to hide his amusement.

'Poor Issei, he's about to face some hardships once he tries to enroll at Kuoh Academy in the future... Either way, I might be doing him a favor. If my prediction is correct, this might be the only chance Issei has to contact Rias, considering everyone in the world has a trace of mana. If Rias finds out Issei has a minuscule amount of mana, she might not even bother adding him to her servants.' Otto thought, feeling like he was doing someone else a favor.

"Why are you doing this, Hyoudou?" Grayfia asked, her tone serious and probing.

"He stole Gaspy's Sacred Gear," Koneko replied, her voice firm, which only intensified Grayfia's seriousness. She immediately conjured ice spikes around Otto.

"AAHHHHH!" Otto moved awkwardly, appearing as if he wasn't taking the situation seriously.

"Mangekyou Sharingan!" He exclaimed as he activated the Forbidden Balor View on Grayfia, freezing her in place.

One unique aspect of his 'Diary' was that he wouldn't gain the spirit of the stolen Sacred Gear, akin to how Tobio Ikuse and Vali Lucifer still retained their gear's spirits.

"Hahaha! I've finally won—!" Otto's triumphant words were cut short when he accidentally closed his eyes, allowing Grayfia enough time to encase him in ice.

"He's strong... But way too arrogant," Akeno remarked, observing Otto's frozen form.

"Gaspy is safe," Koneko reassured, checking Gasper's pulse.

"That's a relief..." Rias sighed, confused as to why Gasper seemed unaffected despite his Sacred Gear being extracted by Otto.

"What should we do about that person?" Rias turned to Grayfia, who appeared puzzled as she looked at the block of ice containing Otto.

"Get back, Lady Rias." Grayfia declared, noticing Otto's eye inside the mask shifted in their direction. The block of ice started to crack before eventually bursting apart.

The ice shattered, debris flying everywhere as mists from the melted ice covered the area.

Otto used black colored flames to break free from Grayfia's ice, showcasing his power.

"Muhahahha. You can't catch me!" Otto laughed mockingly at them, his confidence unwavering. He didn't once worry that Grayfia could overpower him; he had something up his sleeve that could help him escape.

Meanwhile, Brynhildr was still shocked that Otto could keep up with Grayfia, knowing how strong she was. She had encountered Grayfia a few hundred years ago during the war between the three major factions (Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils) in the supernatural world.

"Who in the world is this guy!?" Kiba grunted as he was hit by some of the ice debris from the ongoing battle.

Throughout the fight, Otto had merely been playing around, avoiding inflicting major injuries onto them.

"What do you really want?" Rias asked, puzzled by Otto's motives as he wasn't taking them seriously.

"What do I want? Hmmm..." Otto paused, the air around them growing heavy as everyone except Grayfia felt their knees weaken.

"Strong Sacred Gears." His voice suddenly serious, contrasting with his usual enthusiastic tone.

"As a collector of these sacred objects, I plan on obtaining them all. Like Pokémons." He stated casually, though he had no intention of stealing every Sacred Gear, only a select few.

"Then are you here to steal Kiba's Sacred Gear too?" Rias pointed at Kiba, who was downed.

"I have no need for that, as I already possess something better," Otto declared, summoning his book and turning to a page showcasing Canis Lykaon.

At that moment, several black swords emerged from the shadows surrounding them, leaving no escape route.

"This is..." The group was left confused.

"Cais Lykaon, I had the chance to get this from its previous user. And this as well..." Otto flexed his stolen Longinuses as he showcased the Wings of Divine Dividing he had acquired from Vali.

"Is that supposed to be a replica of the White Dragon Emperor's Light Wings?" Grayfia's complexion turned pale, realizing that she might have limited defenses against Otto if they engaged in a serious fight.

"Correct, Lucifer's queen. As expected, you knew it," Otto replied confidently, his wings displaying a distinct black and white color scheme, unlike Vali's light energy wings.

"So, do you still want to catch me?" Otto challenged them, his smug expression clear.

The five devils fell silent, contemplating how they could even stand a chance against him. While Grayfia could hold her own, the odds were stacked against her when facing Otto along with Rias and her Peerage.

'I need to ensure Lady Rias and her Peerage's safety...' Grayfia thought quickly, assessing the escalating situation. She could sense Otto's growing seriousness from the increasing magical pressure he exerted.

"I am the bone of my sword," Otto chanted, his voice filled with power as several black blades materialized around them, poised to strike and turn them into pincushions.

"Divide," Otto commanded, halving Grayfia's magic as she began to feel the effects of his pressure.

"..."

'That book... Is it the source of his powers for stealing sacred gears?' Grayfia pondered, observing Otto as he flipped through the pages whenever he utilized a specific power.

...

-Chapter End-