After relocating Azazel and the remaining fallen angels to the secure zone where the rest of their faction had already been contained, I didn't bother lingering.
I had fulfilled my end of the arrangement.
Payment collected.
Assets secured.
Terms established.
Mutual annihilation avoided.
All things considered, it had been an extraordinarily productive day.
So I left.
Space folded around me in a now-familiar ripple of distortion, reality bending and thinning like fabric pulled too tight.
The air shimmered faintly as I stepped forward, crossing the boundary as casually as someone parting a curtain.
On my way back, I made a brief detour to England.
Because yes—despite destabilizing supernatural hierarchies on a global scale—logistics still matter.
Mashiro.
I found her waiting outside her family home, a modest suitcase resting neatly at her side.
She stood there with an almost unsettling calmness, as though she hadn't witnessed planetary-level chaos mere hours ago.
The street was quiet, bathed in late afternoon light, birds chirping in blissful ignorance of how close the world had come to unraveling.
"Ready?" I asked, keeping my tone casual.
She nodded gently.
"I left a note."
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of note?"
"That I'm going to Japan for now."
I stared at her.
"…That's it?"
She paused, thinking carefully.
"And that I'm safe."
That's good.
Very good.
Responsible.
Before anyone starts making assumptions—
No.
I did not read her letter.
She told me what it said.
I would never read a girl's private letter without permission unless it was an emergency of catastrophic proportions.
I have standards.
I may casually threaten world-ending beings, but I am still, at my core, a gentleman.
With Mashiro beside me, we returned home.
The house was intact.
Peaceful.
Almost offensively normal compared to what the broader supernatural world was undoubtedly spiraling into.
The lights were on. The air felt warm. The quiet hum of ordinary domestic life contrasted sharply with the divine-level absurdity that had become my routine.
I stepped into the living room and clapped my hands once.
"Everyone. Meeting. Living room. Now."
Chairs scraped softly against the floor.
Footsteps approached from multiple directions.
Within minutes, everyone had gathered.
Rias leaned casually against the armrest of the couch, though her eyes were alert.
Sona sat upright with perfect posture, composed and analytical as always.
Serafall somehow entered dramatically, despite having been in the kitchen moments earlier.
Akeno stood near the window, her expression gentle but attentive.
Asia clasped her hands nervously in front of her chest.
Xenovia crossed her arms, trying—and failing—to look unbothered.
Mashiro sat quietly near the corner.
Ravel positioned herself slightly apart from the others, probably thinking lewd things about her and me (I hope).
I looked at all of them, letting the silence settle.
"Alright," I began, clearing my throat. "I have bad news and good news. Which would you prefer first?"
Serafall immediately produced a coin from seemingly nowhere.
She flipped it.
Caught it.
Peeked at the result with dramatic flair.
"Bad news first!"
"…You decided that way far too enthusiastically," I muttered.
She grinned unapologetically.
I sighed.
"Ahem. The bad news is that top-tier supernatural beings are no longer hiding. After today's events, they have no reason to restrain themselves. Some of them possess enough power to threaten the stability of the entire world."
Silence filled the room.
No one interrupted.
I continued.
"I can suppress most of them with Giratina if necessary. Raw strength isn't the primary issue. The problem is unpredictability. I don't know all their weaknesses. I don't know the full extent of their abilities. And if multiple threats emerge across different regions at the same time, minimizing collateral damage becomes… complicated."
I waited.
For shock.
For panic.
For at least mild hysteria.
Instead—
Everyone simply listened.
Calmly.
Sona adjusted her glasses.
"Did you think we hadn't considered that?" she asked softly. "The moment the supernatural world became publicly destabilized, escalation was inevitable."
Serafall clapped excitedly.
"Amazing, So-tan! So mature! So composed! As expected of my So-tan!"
Sona resisted the visible urge to remove her sister from existence.
Rias folded her arms thoughtfully.
"There's always a larger problem," she said. "But there's always a solution too. That hasn't changed."
Xenovia nodded firmly.
"We have faced world-ending threats before."
"…You're all taking this disturbingly well," I admitted slowly.
Sona gave me a pointed look.
"You're not panicking."
"Of course not."
"Exactly."
Fair enough.
Honestly, the thing that used to terrify me most was loss.
Permanent loss.
Death.
The idea of failing to protect them.
But now?
I could revive.
As long as I was present.
As long as I reacted quickly.
As long as I prioritized protecting the humans among us.
Asia.
Xenovia.
Irina.
Mashiro.
The others could survive far more.
Still dangerous—but manageable.
Asia looked up at me softly.
"Then… what's the good news?"
I straightened slightly.
"The good news is that my ability has evolved."
Several eyebrows lifted.
"I can now travel to other worlds. Different dimensions. I can study their power systems. Adapt. Grow stronger."
A brief pause.
"…There is a limitation," I added. "Party size is restricted. Three total. One slot is me. Two remain."
Silence fell again, but this time it felt different—curious.
Sona exhaled slowly.
"How do you still manage to surprise us?" she asked.
"Other worlds…" Xenovia repeated thoughtfully.
Serafall's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Ooooh! A field trip!"
"This is not a field trip," Sona said flatly.
"It could be!"
"No."
I rubbed my temples.
"Anyway. I've already decided on one person. Ravel."
Ravel blinked.
"…Excuse me?"
"You're organized. Politically aware. Skilled in negotiation. If we enter an unfamiliar power structure, I need someone competent."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…Is this because you want someone to manage chores while you avoid responsibility and laze around?"
"Absolutely not," I replied instantly.
Everyone stared at me.
"…Mostly not."
She crossed her arms.
"I see."
I continued quickly.
"I also want to bring someone human. Devils and angels can be enhanced artificially if necessary. But a human integrating into a new power system organically? That creates long-term growth potential."
Sona tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"In that case… Xenovia?"
Xenovia blinked.
"Wait. Why am I the default human candidate?"
"Because you are technically the most talented human in the group," Sona replied calmly.
"I wield holy swords!"
"Still human."
I considered it carefully.
"Xenovia is strong—by human standards," I admitted. "But compared to what we might encounter, she's only slightly above average."
"Hey!" she protested. "I am not weak! You're just absurdly strong!"
She pointed at me accusingly.
"Actually—without Giratina, you're the freakishly weak one!"
Giratina, who had been resting in her small chibi form atop Mashiro's head, tilted her tiny head in response.
Mashiro gently stroked her scales absentmindedly.
Then a calm voice echoed inside my mind.
Master, this girl possesses the highest potential among them.
I blinked.
"…Her?"
What? I thought back telepathically.
Yes. High adaptability. Strong latent capacity.
"…Not surprising," I muttered aloud.
Everyone looked at me.
"Zevion?" Akeno asked gently.
"She is fragile though," I continued absentmindedly.
"In an unknown world, she could die very easily."
The room went completely silent.
Akeno stepped closer, her expression soft but concerned.
"Zevion… if you're exhausted, you should rest."
Her tone wasn't teasing.
It was genuinely worried.
That hurt more than mockery would have.
"No!" I protested quickly. "I'm communicating telepathically with Giratina!"
Akeno placed a hand gently on my shoulder.
"It's alright. You've been under tremendous stress. We can discuss this later."
"That's not—"
Master, allow me, Giratina's voice said calmly within my mind.
"…Fine," I sighed. "Go ahead."
Giratina hopped down from Mashiro's head.
The tiny dragon shimmered faintly.
Light wrapped around her form.
Her body elongated.
Reshaped.
Shifted.
Within seconds, the chibi dragon had transformed into a human girl.
Golden hair cascaded down her back like liquid sunlight.
A subtle blue streak framed her bangs.
Her eyes were deep—ancient and immeasurable.
Her posture was composed, regal even.
She looked around the room calmly.
"Master is speaking truthfully, Miss Akeno," she said in a serene, elegant voice.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Serafall blinked repeatedly.
Rias froze mid-breath.
Sona's glasses slid slightly down her nose.
Asia gasped.
Mashiro clapped softly in admiration.
Xenovia pointed dramatically.
"…She can turn human?!"
I stared at Giratina.
"…You can turn human."
She tilted her head slightly.
"I assumed that was obvious."
It was not.
It was profoundly not obvious.
And just like that—
My already absurd day escalated into something even stranger.
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