[April 20, Tuesday]
[+913,995 AP!]
After returning, Zaydas did not forget to regulate the flow of time.
'So, the reason I earned so few AP before wasn't because it wasn't worth registering, but rather because my power increase doesn't make much difference in the TSSDK dimension?'
Looking at the almost 1 million AP, it became clear that the importance of his power increase carried more weight in his own dimension.
'With this, it will be easier to establish the dimensional portals...'
Whatever it was, it was something good for him.
By the way, this time, besides those from his own dimension, only Shizue, Shion, and Shuna came to his dimension.
Rurushi and the rest were sent to the Isekai Nonbiri Nouka (INN) dimension.
Since he planned to create a way for them to come and go, there was no longer a need for them to keep following him every time; after all, they each had their own lives in their respective dimensions.
Benimaru, for example, although he wasn't particularly attached to the city Rimuru was building, still wished to settle in his original world.
Others like the elves were the same. Although they liked traveling to other worlds, it was a fact that they still preferred their own homeworld.
If one had to say what they had in common, it was that they were all beginning to establish themselves in new territories.
Rurushi because she fled, Tia because she followed her, the elves because of human wars that led to the destruction of their villages, and the Onis because their village was devastated by the Orcs.
Whatever the case, they were still in the process of settling into new territories and beginning to set things on track.
There's also Pakura...
Unlike the other members of his Peerage, Pakura (Unofficial member) had no attachment to the ninja world. Once she resolved her unfinished business, it was very likely that she would follow him.
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At school, Shuna and Shion entered the classroom under the teacher's introduction of new transfer students.
"Wow! So beautiful~!"
Amid a few sighs of admiration, Shion, with a thin smile, said: "Hello, my name is Shion Onizuka. The reason for my transfer, there's no point in hiding... It's because I love Zaydas-sama and transferred here because of him!"
"So bold!"
"Kyaahhh!"
"But isn't Zaydas dating Akeno-san?"
Meanwhile, Shuna, who saw and heard the way Shion introduced herself, didn't want to lose out and said: "Good morning, my name is Shuna Onizuka, and the reason for my sudden transfer is the same as Shion's!"
Finishing speaking, Shuna looked intensely in Zaydas's direction.
Another wave of screams echoed.
The teacher, seeing this scene, put her hand on her forehead, helpless.
"Okay, okay, everyone calm down!" Unable to endure it any longer, the teacher intervened, saying: "Okay, Shuna and Shion, you two can sit on the left side at the back where there's an empty seat."
"Yes~!" Shuna and Shion responded without the slightest embarrassment.
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During the break, a group of girls surrounded Shuna and Shion, asking several questions, mainly about their relationship with Zaydas.
"Okay, girls, I'm going to steal them for a moment. Since they'll be starting to study at this school, you'll have plenty of time to satisfy your curiosity~" Zaydas winked at them, making some blush furiously.
"Is it just me, or has Zaydas-san become more seductive?"
"It's not just you, girl, I feel like he's become even more charming~~"
...
On the rooftop, Zaydas's group and Rias gathered to form a big family.
"Today the wind is a little annoying..." Rias murmured as she placed something on the corner of the cloth on the ground to keep it from being lifted by the wind.
Hearing this, Zaydas simply waved his hand, and a dome-shaped barrier surrounded them, preventing the wind from continuing to blow.
"Wow, you're getting more and more proficient at creating barriers, Zay-kun." Rias asked, surprised: "Are you planning to specialize in that?"
"Huh? No?" Zaydas replied with an air of mystery: "Believe me, this is something simple for the current me."
"Fufu~ So mysterious, I like that~" Akeno said, throwing him a flirtatious look.
Shuna gripped her hand tightly, almost breaking her chopsticks.
She didn't mind that Zaydas had other women, but at the same time, she cared about who came first. She didn't want to lose to anyone else. It was a bit contradictory, but that's how she really felt, especially regarding Shion, for example; she didn't want to lose to her. At the very least, she wanted to be the first one that Zaydas made into his woman...
"Zaydas-san." Kiba suddenly called. "Do you think they'll attack today? I noticed some strange movements around the city, so I..."
Even without him finishing the sentence, Zaydas already understood what he meant.
Bringing his left hand to his chin, he commented: "It's possible. I'm sensing the aura of someone relatively strong around here. It's probably Kokabiel. Also, those two exorcists from before, Xenovia and Irina, also seem to be nearby."
Rias's expression turned serious. Akeno, on the other hand, showed a bit of hatred but disguised it.
"As you said before, the target must be us." Rias asked: "Is there a chance they will attack now?"
"Unlikely." Zaydas replied: "If they're going to attack, it should be at the end of class."
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Just as Zaydas had predicted, later that same day, the sky had already darkened and the students had gone home when an enormous pressure was placed over the area near the school.
In the club room, everyone went outside, and when they looked up, there was someone floating in the sky with the moon behind him... It was a Fallen Angel with ten black wings.
"Kokabiel..." Rias murmured with a voice full of hatred.
He wasn't alone; other fallen angels were flying nearby, as well as the fallen angel who had previously fled from Zaydas, Raynare.
Her hatred was understandable; after all, being targeted by a fallen angel in your own territory wasn't something to be proud of.
Kokabiel, with his characteristic smile full of superiority, smiled in their direction.
"This is the first time we meet, daughter and... son of the House of Gremory. The crimson hair is beautiful. It reminds me of Sirzechs, whom I hate enough to make me want to vomit."
"Can I cut him? Can I cut him?" Shion beside him took her sword from her personal subspace, quickly drawing it from the sheath, making it grow into an odachi.
With the odachi now resting on her shoulder, Shion's clothes transformed into a lilac purple suit. She tapped the back of the odachi blade on her shoulder while looking dangerously at Kokabiel.
"Wait a little longer," Zaydas said slowly: "If you want to play with him later, that's fine. He'll be a good sparring partner for you."
"Really?" Looking at him with her eyes sparkling like stars, she turned back to Kokabiel with a wide, reckless smile.
The front of her left foot tapped the ground with a light sound, but the floor vibrated slightly due to her strength and her anxiety to fight a strong enemy.
Shuna beside her sighed. However, her expression soon turned incredibly gentle. Yet, hidden within her gentle smile, there was something dangerous.
Meanwhile, Rias's group exchanged glances of astonishment.
In this simple conversation, they managed to understand a lot. For example... Shion was strong enough to treat Kokabiel as a stepping stone?
Although the term 'sparring partner' was used earlier, in the end, it's like saying Kokabiel is just a stepping stone for Shion.
If that's the case... How strong is Zaydas currently?
"Ara, ara. Fufufu~" Akeno lost all the previous tension, giving a sincere and provocative giggle, saying: "It seems Shion-san can't wait to fight~"
Shuna said: "She has always been like this. And the way this Fallen Angel spoke doesn't help."
"Ara? Is that so?" Akeno asked rhetorically, still smiling with closed eyes.
'She's becoming more and more like her mother...' Zaydas thought to himself, noticing that Akeno had started to exude a mature sensuality and an even more seductive air than before.
"Are you underestimating me?" Kokabiel's smile disappeared as the dangerous aura leaking from him intensified.
Without answering, Zaydas simply extended his left hand into the air, and sequences of red runes immediately shot out and at incredible speed surrounded a large part of the city, especially the area around the school, creating multiple barriers around it.
Each layer had a purpose, one of them isolating from the real world, another to trap them inside and prevent them from escaping, and another one so that nothing from the outside could interfere within the barrier.
"What?" Kokabiel, seeing everything happen fast enough that even he couldn't react, was shocked.
He seemed to look around, then at Zaydas, seemingly reassessing him once again.
If before he had a more relaxed posture, now he was on guard against Zaydas. It was visible by the way his gaze narrowed.
"I see... So your confidence is not baseless." Kokabiel said, but soon laughed loudly: "Hahahaha! This is interesting, very interesting! No, even better!"
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