"...Fine, fine. I'm the bad guy here. Just take it. Eat it, and then decide if you're going to move."
I'm hopeless. I used to be the Governor General of the Fallen Angels, and here I am, losing a negotiation to a child. Sirzechs and I are both far too soft.
Lilith took the bar and began munching on it in silence.
"Good?" I asked.
She nodded silently, looking quite content. I sat down on the floor next to her and leaned back against the wall.
Good grief. What now? Can I bait her away with more snacks? It seemed unlikely. She was surprisingly stubborn.
A drop of water fell from the ceiling, splashing at my feet. It reminded me of the strange phenomenon from earlier—the rainbow particles that had filled the air as I worked on the traps, and the voices of Issei and the others echoing directly into my mind.
In all my long years, I'd never experienced anything like it. It was likely triggered by Issei's awakening. That kid is a bottomless pit of potential; I can't even begin to guess how he'll evolve next.
"Hey," I said to Lilith. "Did you see that rainbow light earlier?"
"Saw it. Heard the voices, too."
"What did you think of it?"
I wasn't sure what answer I was looking for. She was a piece of a Dragon God; maybe she perceived something I couldn't.
"I don't know," she whispered. "But..."
"But?"
"I heard the Red Dragon Emperor's cry."
I noticed a dragon-shaped accessory pinned to her dress. Issei had mentioned buying that for her, hadn't he?
"That pin... Issei gave it to you?"
"The Red Dragon Emperor gave it to me."
Bullseye.
"Don't you want to see him again?" I asked.
For the first time, her face showed a flicker of genuine emotion. Whenever the Two Heavenly Dragons were mentioned, she reacted.
I pointed to the pin. "He gave you that, right? He'll give you even better things if you come with us. Better than anything Rizevim has. And it's not just Issei. You can meet the White Dragon Emperor and... well, the other you. Doesn't that sound better than sitting here?"
"...Other Lilith... Red Dragon... White Dragon..."
I could see the gears turning.
I was beginning to understand why Rizevim wanted Ophis so badly. Lilith was becoming unstable—or rather, she was beginning to develop a heart. Rizevim probably left a margin for emotional growth when he created her, and that was his fatal mistake. You can't have a perfect guard dog if they start wanting friends.
"I'll throw in more snacks, too," I added.
That was the clincher. Lilith sat on the floor, clutching her head in total confusion.
"...Snacks... Red Dragon... other Lilith... snacks... White Dragon... Two Dragons... snacks..."
She was completely short-circuited. Rizevim's "absolute orders" were crumbling under the weight of chocolate and curiosity. I was about to ask her one more time to move when—
A pitch-black aura began to seep through the iron doors. It was a miasma so thick it felt like it would dissolve my skin just by touching it.
"Rizevim... is dead?" Lilith muttered, tilting her head toward the ceiling.
Dead? Was it Issei? Or Vali? Regardless, if he was gone, his orders were void.
I pushed open the heavy iron doors and stepped inside. The sight of the power core left me speechless.
According to the map, the deepest part of Agreas was a massive circular cavern. There should have been a giant crystal at the center acting as the engine.
Instead, I was greeted by a "Beast" of impossible proportions. It had seven heads and ten horns. It was hundreds of meters long—larger even than Great Red. Each head was modeled after a different creature—lion, leopard, bear, dragon—a grotesque, chaotic fusion of life.
And it was waking up.
Its eyes were opening. The sealing formulas that had bound it were shattering like glass.
I'd never seen the real thing, but there was no mistaking it.
The Imperial Beast of the Apocalypse—Trihexa 666.
It was waking up now? This was wrong. The unsealing speed was impossible. Had the Fruit of Life from the Heavens accelerated the process this much?
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"