– Silas –
The next day arrived…
Well, at least I assumed it was the next day. It was honestly impossible to track day or night in the Underworld, considering the endless, gloomy darkness that always hung overhead. The only reason I even called it "morning" was that I'd managed a few hours of sleep—after finally peeling Rebecca and Taylor off of me following our incredibly exhausting bath time.
Damn, that had been one hell of a bath...
Now I stood alone on the familiar empty, barren plains we'd been using for training. The vast, rocky expanse was utterly silent, a bleak landscape stretching endlessly beneath the grim stone ceiling miles above.
That silence didn't last long. I heard the distant sound first—the powerful, rhythmic beat of massive dragon wings approaching. I lifted my head, squinting upward through the dim gloom as I watched Tiamat's enormous, sapphire-blue draconic form rapidly descend from the Underworld skies.
When she landed heavily, the ground beneath my feet trembled violently, making me stagger slightly and catch my balance. Her massive dragon body dwarfed me utterly, each of her thickly muscled legs as tall as a small house, her magnificent wings folding gracefully behind her back. Her powerful jaws parted slightly as she inhaled deeply, clearly taking in my scent, before immediately narrowing her enormous dragon eyes accusingly.
"You smell like you've been fornicating, Silas," her deep, sultry voice rumbled disapprovingly through my mind, tinged with undeniable jealousy. "With those human girls of yours, I suppose?"
I couldn't suppress a satisfied smirk. "Maybe. Is that really such a surprise? You know I'm together with them…"
Tiamat huffed loudly, her massive dragon form shimmering brightly as her scales receded, her enormous figure rapidly shrinking. Seconds later, she stood in front of me again, fully transformed into her breathtaking humanoid form. Completely naked—as always.
"I really should have just claimed you the moment we met," she grumbled irritably, crossing her arms tightly beneath her large breasts, unintentionally pushing them upward enticingly as she sulked.
"Well, it's a bit late for regrets now, isn't it?" I chuckled lightly, trying to ignore the enticing sight of her ample curves and the clearly visible, slightly glistening folds between her smooth, toned thighs. God, she was never subtle with her nakedness—always proudly flaunting every mouthwatering inch of her perfect body right in front of me, teasing me relentlessly, fully aware of the effect she had.
She sighed dramatically, shaking her horned head as if genuinely lamenting missed opportunities.
I forced my gaze upward, meeting her striking, dragon-slit eyes with a patient smile. "So, are we going to spar again today, dragon-to-dragon? Or did you have something else in mind?"
Tiamat's lips curled into a smug, confident grin, her previous irritation seemingly forgotten as excitement danced brightly in her vivid sapphire eyes. "Actually, today I thought I would show you some dragon magic, Silas," she declared proudly, her voice dripping with eager anticipation. Her posture straightened slightly, proudly emphasizing her generous curves as she stepped closer to me. "After all, you should realize just how fortunate you are to have such an amazing potential mate as myself. I'm not merely an ancient, powerful dragon. I'm also astonishingly talented at mastering magical techniques!"
I arched an eyebrow skeptically, slightly amused at her boasting. "Dragon magic, huh? Well, I'm definitely curious now. Show me what you can do. How does it compare to my shouts?"
Yes, I'd use a couple of those on her during training, but I never hit her with Dragonrend since that would be cruel.
That was a shout for killing, not sparring. I wondered if I should teach it to her?
"I have mastered your shouts! Just watch carefully, little dragon," she smirked playfully, turning slightly away from me, spreading her stance wide as she faced the open, barren plains stretching out ahead. I watched carefully as she inhaled deeply, her impressive bare chest swelling enticingly before she raised her chin confidently.
A moment later, her voice rang out clearly!
"Fus Ro Dah!"
My eyes widened dramatically as the familiar Shout exploded forth from her lips—a massive, unstoppable wave of raw, concussive force erupting outward across the landscape. I felt the air ripple violently, blasting my hair back as I braced myself against the tremendous shockwave surging past us.
My jaw literally dropped in disbelief, watching the devastating power carve out a massive crater into the earth, ripping through the plains and stretching several miles in length. Huge chunks of rocky terrain exploded upward into the air, raining back down chaotically.
"Holy shit," I breathed, my voice shaky with astonishment and just a touch of fear. "You—you actually copied my Shout? You only saw me use that one on you one time!"
Tiamat turned smoothly toward me again, looking pleased by my stunned reaction.
"Indeed I did, Silas," she purred seductively, her voice rich and melodic. She reached out boldly, tracing one delicate finger slowly down the center of my chest, sending electrifying shivers racing through my body. "Impressed yet? Clearly, I'm your ideal mate—you should forget about the human women and just focus on me…"
Sorry, but Rebecca and Taylor meant far too much to me.
"Tiamat, let's get something perfectly clear here," I began seriously, forcing myself to maintain steady eye contact rather than let my traitorous gaze slip downward to those massive, gorgeous blue tits proudly on display. "You're insanely sexy—like distractingly, dangerously sexy—and my dragon side would honestly love nothing more than to claim you as a mate and fuck you senseless. But—"
She interrupted immediately, throwing her hands upward in delight and bouncing eagerly on the balls of her feet. Her impressive breasts bounced enticingly with every excited little hop, threatening to completely derail my already tenuous concentration.
"Ah-ha! I knew it!" she crowed victoriously, grinning broadly and playfully sticking her tongue out at me. "You just admitted you find me irresistible and that you want me as your mate! Ha! You can't possibly deny your own words now, Silas."
My brow furrowed instantly, realizing with dawning annoyance that she'd deliberately ignored the first half of my declaration entirely. Damn it, had I seriously just let her trick me so easily? Why was she so annoyingly clever when it came to twisting my words against me?
"That wasn't the important part, Tiamat!" I snapped, exasperation clear in my voice. "You conveniently skipped over the critical part, that I'm absolutely not abandoning Rebecca and Taylor just to mate with you, no matter how tempting you might be."
Tiamat pouted dramatically. Her long, thick tail swung irritably behind her, clearly broadcasting her displeasure.
"Oh, fine," she huffed irritably, rolling her blue eyes skyward as though enduring some great injustice. "If you insist, I suppose I can learn to share you with them. After all, you're far too impressive a mate to simply abandon just because you already claimed a couple of mortal women. I can be patient—for now." Her pout rapidly transformed into a sly smirk, her hips swaying slightly from side to side as her tail rhythmically tapped the ground behind her. Her voice dropped into a low, sultry murmur filled with obvious amusement and flirtation. "Though you really can't blame me for being so insistent, Silas," she purred softly, stepping forward again until she stood directly before me. Her slender hand rose to slowly trail teasingly down the center of my chest once again, leaving goosebumps in its wake. "After all, it's been literal centuries since I've encountered a male dragon anywhere near your incredible potential—not to mention your obviously virile nature. It's difficult to resist claiming you as mine immediately."
I cleared my throat sharply, desperate to regain control of the conversation before she succeeded in completely overwhelming my better judgment. "Anyway," I coughed awkwardly, reaching up quickly to catch her wrist and gently pull her wandering hand away from my chest. She let out a disappointed sigh but reluctantly allowed the movement, though her teasing smirk remained firmly in place. "Let's get back to the original point. I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in learning Dragonrend. It's by far my most powerful Shout, and probably the strongest weapon I've got."
"Dragonrend?" she echoed. "Intriguing. And what exactly does this powerful Shout do, Silas?"
I hesitated slightly, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly as I tried to put into words something that was honestly a bit difficult to properly explain. After all, the nature of Dragonrend was conceptually weird—especially to someone who hadn't played Skyrim. "Well, it's kind of hard to properly describe," I admitted reluctantly, giving her an apologetic look. "Basically, it forces dragons and other immortal flying beings out of the sky—conceptually and literally—and makes them mortal and vulnerable. It drags them down to earth and binds them to mortality."
Tiamat visibly stiffened instantly, her playful expression rapidly shifting into one of shocked horror. Her tail froze mid-sway, her teasing posture instantly becoming rigid and tense. Her eyes were wide and startled, the sapphire irises glowing faintly as she stared intensely at me in stunned disbelief.
"It does what!?" she demanded sharply, voice filled with clear alarm and disbelief. "You have a Shout capable of forcibly stripping immortality from a dragon!?"
Her reaction startled me badly.
I'd honestly expected curiosity or excitement, not outright terror. I shifted awkwardly under her horrified gaze, growing rapidly uncomfortable beneath her intense scrutiny.
"I… yeah, basically," I confirmed cautiously. "I've used it twice now—once back on my home world against the Simurgh, and once just recently against Runeas. It worked incredibly well in both situations, but—"
Tiamat abruptly stepped forward, gripping my shoulders firmly in her hands. Her voice was sharp, commanding, filled with an intensity I'd never heard from her previously. "Silas, stop. Bring those memories of you using this Dragonrend Shout directly into your mind right now," she instructed sternly, sapphire eyes glowing brightly with clear magical intent. "I must see them immediately. This is critically important!"
I jerked backward in surprise, immediately suspicious and defensive. "Wait—you can read minds!? Tiamat, that's definitely not cool!"
What did she know!?
She shook her head impatiently, clearly irritated by my hesitation. Her voice softened slightly but remained incredibly serious, urgency radiating clearly from her beautiful features. "I can't casually invade your mind," she clarified quickly, tightening her grip slightly in urgency. "I'll only access precisely what you consciously remember for me—just the memories related to you using Dragonrend. This is crucially important, Silas. Trust me, please."
Oh, it's good she wasn't reading it all this time I'd known her.
I exhaled sharply, highly uncomfortable with the idea, but her genuine desperation made me reluctantly acquiesce. Reluctantly, I closed my eyes, carefully bringing forward my memories. I replayed both instances vividly.
The Simurgh battle back on Earth Bet, and the more recent confrontation with Runeas here in the Underworld.
Tiamat's presence brushed gently against my thoughts—a weird, slightly uncomfortable sensation—but true to her promise, she touched nothing else. When I reopened my eyes seconds later, her expression was twisted into visible fear and deep concern.
"You cannot use that Shout again, Silas!" she declared fiercely, her voice trembling slightly. She clutched tightly at my shoulders, panic clear on her beautiful face. "You absolutely must never utter those words again—especially as a young, half-dragon! You're lucky your dragon soul wasn't utterly destroyed already!"
"What!?" I exclaimed in shock, disbelief rapidly turning to alarm at her sudden intensity. "Why? What's wrong? What exactly are you talking about?"
Tiamat took a slow, steadying breath, visibly attempting to calm herself before answering carefully, yet bluntly. "Dragonrend doesn't just force dragons into mortality—it violently rends and damages their immortal dragon souls to do so," she explained gravely. "As a half-dragon, your soul is young, unstable, and vulnerable—much more fragile than a pure, ancient dragon's soul would be. Using that Shout, especially repeatedly, could literally tear your soul apart. It's clearly already damaged you! I can sense deep fractures already formed within your soul from your two uses of it."
My mouth dropped open, genuine fear finally settling heavily into my chest. "Are you serious, Tiamat!? My soul is actually damaged?"
How in the fuck!? That wasn't exactly something Amy could heal either…
She nodded gravely, gently reaching up to caress my cheek. "I am completely serious, Silas," she whispered urgently. "One more reckless use of Dragonrend, and it could utterly annihilate both your soul and your physical body forever."
I swallowed hard, stunned speechless by her grim warning. Well, fuck. That was definitely not the response I'd expected. How the hell was I supposed to respond to something like that?
Dragonrend had been my secret weapon—my ace in the hole. It was the one Shout I'd counted on to completely demolish Lucifer if shit ever really hit the fan. And honestly, in a universe as unpredictable as this messed-up DxD timeline, relying solely on canonical events was incredibly naive. Sure, Lucifer and the insane biblical God were supposed to eventually annihilate each other, but counting on events to always follow canon exactly was suicidal at best.
Not to mention, Dragonrend was also the exact reason the Simurgh—the smug, terrifying bitch—was so goddamn frightened of me. That had been a huge psychological advantage that I'd counted on WHEN we ended up confronting her again.
Losing Dragonrend wasn't just inconvenient—it felt crippling, like I'd been sucker-punched right in the gut.
Then again…
I paused, forcing myself to calm the fuck down and think clearly, breathing in deeply and slowly. Rationally speaking, was losing Dragonrend really as catastrophic as it initially felt? After all, things are different now.
I'd recently unlocked the power to transform into a full-sized, badass black dragon—an ability that completely reshaped my entire understanding of my own combat potential on top of my growing electromaster and magnetism powers. Not only that, but Rebecca was now a literal Viltrumite—possibly one of the strongest beings around—capable of shrugging off hits that could level cities without even blinking.
Yeah, maybe I was overreacting a bit.
I sighed heavily, annoyed mostly because my absolute best cheat code had just turned out to be literal poison for my dragon soul.
Meeting Tiamat's intensely worried gaze, I finally managed a nod of reluctant acceptance, giving her a grim but resigned look. "Fine, Tiamat. You have my word, I won't use Dragonrend again. Ever. Not worth risking my soul being torn to shreds."
Instant relief flooded her stunningly beautiful features, lighting her sapphire-blue eyes with visible gratitude and joy. She exhaled slowly, stepping even closer to gently cup my face in her smooth palms. "Thank you, Silas," Tiamat murmured softly, smiling warmly at me. "You have no idea how relieved that makes me." Her beautiful face suddenly lit up further, as though an exciting idea had just struck her. "Oh! How about this, I'll teach you some of my absolute favorite spells, as an apology and a gift. Trust me, darling, you'll absolutely love these. They're powerful, deadly, and utterly terrifying to those inferior beings on the receiving end of them."
Terrifying and powerful? I was absolutely all-in for that.
However, just as we turned to begin, the distant sound of powerful wingbeats abruptly caught both our attention. My gaze snapped upward sharply, scanning the dark skies, as Tiamat immediately stiffened beside me. Her soft hands withdrew quickly, balling tightly into fists as her eyes narrowed dangerously.
A figure rapidly descended from the shadowy ceiling overhead—a fallen angel, wings pitch-black and outspread majestically behind him as he drew closer.
My eyes widened slightly in recognition and surprise.
Azazel.
He landed gracefully just a few feet away, the gentle beat of his impressive twelve black wings kicking up small gusts of dusty wind around him. His appearance was exactly as I remembered from the anime—short, messy black hair, scruffy goatee, and a cocky, friendly grin plastered permanently across his face. He folded his wings casually behind his back.
Azazel took a quick look around the massive, freshly blasted craters and devastated terrain, then turned back to Tiamat with a friendly, casual expression, clearly not bothered in the slightest by her glaring hostility.
"Huh. So, you're the reason the Underworld's been literally shaking nonstop these past few days, Tiamat?" Azazel asked lightly, his tone warm and utterly relaxed, as if speaking to an old acquaintance rather than a furious, ancient dragon goddess. He chuckled slightly, raising an amused eyebrow at the destruction scattered around us. "I thought Lucifer was just going completely berserk and throwing another tantrum since he lost bug boy. Glad it's just you having a bit of fun."
Tiamat's response was her letting out a threatening growl. Her dragon tail twitching irritably behind her. "Do not dare address me so casually, you miserable crow!" she snapped harshly, every word filled with venomous disgust. "I warned you and your damned faction repeatedly—stay the hell away from my territory!"
I winced slightly. Yeah, I'd heard plenty from Tiamat over the past few days about how deeply she despised all three supernatural factions. She'd told me in furious detail how the angels, fallen angels, and devils had constantly disturbed her peaceful forest, attempting repeatedly to recruit her strength to their sides. Each encounter had inevitably devolved into brutal fights, ending only when Tiamat forcibly slaughtered any who refused to accept her blatant rejections.
Not to mention how pissed off she remained about the deaths of Ddraig and Albion. To say she disliked the supernatural factions was putting it absurdly mildly.
Azazel held up his hands quickly in a placating gesture, smiling easily despite Tiamat's lethal glare. "Whoa, whoa—relax, Tiamat," he chuckled lightly, still utterly casual and unconcerned. "I swear, I'm not here to recruit you again. I learned that lesson quite painfully already." His eyes flickered briefly to me, his expression growing suddenly curious and intrigued. "Yo! I'm Azazel, baby dragon. I don't recognize you, where'd you come from?"
"I'm from another Earth over 1000 years in the future that's currently besieged by Eldritch alien parasites that want to harvest data and then blow up our sun," I said flatly.
Tiamat glanced at me strangely and Azazel just huffed.
"Fine then, keep your secrets," Azazel said after shaking his head a few times.
Yeah, obviously he didn't believe me.
I watched cautiously as Azazel lazily crossed his arms over his chest, casually eyeing both me and Tiamat with clear curiosity and amusement. After a brief silence, he finally spoke up again, his voice playful but clearly probing for information. "So," Azazel drawled casually, leaning back slightly on his heels as his pitch-black wings shifted comfortably behind him, "mind telling me exactly what two dragons—especially you, Tiamat—are doing smack in the middle of that pretty little redhead devil runtiest Gremory's territory?"
My eyebrows immediately shot up, a bit startled and amused by his flippant wording. "Wait—'runtiest Gremory'? You're talking about Runeas, right?"
Azazel snorted in amusement, rolling his dark eyes dramatically as he chuckled deeply. "Yeah, kid, I know exactly what I said," he grinned broadly, waving one hand dismissively.
I snickered a bit at that, imagining the short, pink-haired devil matriarch's likely explosive reaction if she'd heard Azazel referring to her as a "runt."
Tiamat, however, clearly wasn't in any mood for casual joking. She growled irritably again, her sapphire-blue tail lashing sharply back and forth, the tip occasionally slapping the rocky ground, making small cracks in the dry earth beneath her feet.
Azazel clearly noticed her tense, aggressive posture and mischievously cocked one eyebrow upward. He leaned in slightly closer toward her, deliberately testing her already thin patience.
"You know," he pointed out lightly, the amused smirk spreading wider, "last I checked, Tiamat, this wasn't actually your territory, no matter how confidently you tried lying straight to my face a minute ago." He paused for dramatic effect, clearly enjoying poking fun at her. "Your real forest territory is at least a hundred miles from here, so either you've gotten horribly lost—which I doubt—or you're deliberately hanging around in devil territory. Care to explain why?"
Tiamat instantly bristled as she narrowed her dragon-slitted eyes fiercely at the fallen angel. With deliberate slowness, she stepped protectively closer beside me as if making it crystal clear exactly who she was here to protect. Her large blue tits shifted slightly with the motion, brushing gently against my arm, briefly distracting me before I quickly refocused my attention firmly back onto Azazel.
"Why should it even matter to you, Azazel?" Tiamat snapped impatiently, openly hostile.
Azazel simply shrugged casually, clearly unfazed by her hostility, though his smirk deepened into something sharper, more intrigued. "Oh, it matters quite a bit, actually," he pointed out bluntly. His gaze sharpened noticeably, shifting from playful teasing to something more serious and analytical. "If you're willingly choosing to linger in this little Gremory runt's territory, then that probably means you're finally picking a side in this whole damned war, aren't you? Tell me straight, Tiamat—did you finally give in and join up with Lucifer?"
"Fuck Lucifer," I said bluntly.
Azazel immediately let out a loud bark of laughter! "Ha! Now that's exactly the right attitude to have, kid!" he praised cheerfully. "Good instincts there." Azazel paused for a moment, eyes narrowed thoughtfully as his expression grew genuinely curious. He glanced back and forth between me and Tiamat again, clearly puzzling something out. "But if you're obviously not with Lucifer," he mused aloud, slowly stroking his scruffy chin with one hand, his dark eyes contemplative, "and you're definitely not hanging out with the Angels—then that pretty much just leaves—Huh? So did the runty devil actually go rogue or something and you both joined up with just her?"
I hesitated only briefly before deciding there was no harm in being honest with him. "Actually, yeah." It was more like she was joining us for her own survival, but it was the same thing in the end.
He let out a low, appreciative whistle through his teeth. "Wow, no shit? Gotta admit, that's pretty damn brave of her—especially right now, considering what's about to go down soon." His expression shifted to something far more serious, almost grim, causing Tiamat and me to exchange confused, wary glances.
"Wait, hold up," I interrupted sharply. "What do you mean 'what's about to go down soon'? What's happening?"
Azazel's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked genuinely startled and confused by our reactions. "Wait—you two really haven't heard yet?" he asked incredulously. "Seriously? I mean, us Fallen Angels have been knocked almost completely out of this war after taking massive casualties over the past few months, but we've definitely kept our ears wide open." He paused heavily. "Here's the deal," Azazel continued gravely. "God and Lucifer are both currently pulling out every single stop they have left, right this moment. Word is, they're rallying literally all their remaining forces—every angel, devil, and whatever insane, dangerous magical weaponry they've got stashed away—and gearing up for one final, brutal showdown. Winner takes all, no prisoners, no mercy. They've decided it's time to end this fucking mess after hundreds of years of constant fighting. They want one single battle to determine everything, once and for all."
"...Damn it," I muttered harshly under my breath, clenching my fists tightly in pure frustration. I'd genuinely thought—hell, hoped—that we had way more time than this. More time to train, more time for me to get stronger, for Rebecca, Taylor, and all of us to prepare properly for this ultimate final conflict.
But apparently, our time had run out far sooner than expected.
…
Azazel had said what he needed to say, and he flapped his dark, feathered wings, giving one last cocky salute before soaring off into the shadowy Underworld distance. I watched him until his silhouette vanished completely, a small grin lingering on my face. It honestly seemed like the cocky Fallen Angel had genuinely dropped by simply to check out what was behind all the earthquakes and explosions rattling the Underworld lately. To be fair, Tiamat and I had certainly been making quite the mess during our sparring sessions, and most of that destruction was entirely on her. Not that she seemed to mind even slightly—dragons clearly weren't fans of restraint.
When I turned back to face Tiamat, her playful, seductive demeanor had vanished entirely. Instead, a look of genuine, open concern painted her beautiful blue features. Her tail flicked anxiously behind her, tapping the cracked ground softly, echoing her unease. "You know, Silas," she said quietly, her voice softer and gentler than usual, "you don't actually have to join this insane battle. You're under no obligation to fight for these creatures." She paused, her sapphire eyes glinting with something fierce and dangerous. "Or if you really want to involve yourself, you could always wait in the shadows until one side inevitably destroys the other. I could even help you personally crush the survivors afterward. That would certainly eliminate any threats remaining."
She smiled slyly, as if genuinely believing her offer was tempting.
But I immediately shook my head, gently but firmly. "That's not the kind of guy I am, Tiamat," I stated bluntly, conviction heavy in my voice. I met her gaze squarely, my jaw tightening in determination. "I might not have intended to wind up here, and god knows this whole situation is seriously messed up—but I'm still a hero, no matter where I am. And heroes don't just stand by or hide in the shadows when innocent lives are on the line. Especially not during a decisive battle with stakes this ridiculously high. Too many lives are counting on this."
She blinked slowly at me, processing my words with visible confusion and disbelief. Her elegant brows furrowed slightly, eyes narrowing thoughtfully, considering. Then, finally, she gave a subtle, knowing smile. "But you're not even from this world, are you?" Tiamat suddenly remarked, surprising me as she tilted her head slightly to study me more carefully, the intense scrutiny in her dragon-like eyes unsettling.
I stared at her, taken aback by how easily she'd noticed what Azazel had instantly dismissed as nonsense. "Wait, seriously? You actually caught on to that?" I exclaimed, shaking my head slightly in disbelief. "Azazel clearly thought I was just bullshitting him to avoid explaining my origins."
Tiamat merely scoffed lightly, folding her smooth, azure arms across her impressive, bare chest and giving me a mildly annoyed look. Her plump, sapphire-blue lips curled into a smug smirk. "Of course I noticed, Silas," she retorted dryly, tail swishing irritably again behind her curvy frame. "I've lived countless centuries. I learned ages ago how to smell deceit and lies. You might be powerful, handsome, and impressively skilled at fighting," she purred briefly, giving me an approving once-over with her eyes, "but you're certainly no master liar, my adorable little dragon."
I snorted softly, honestly a bit amused by her blunt assessment of my nonexistent lying skills. "Well, that's certainly a useful skill to have," I admitted with a small chuckle. "Good to know it's damn near impossible to lie around you. I'll keep that in mind."
She huffed lightly, rolling her eyes as if my response was incredibly obvious. "You certainly should. Secrets don't last long around me."
"Clearly not," I laughed quietly, giving her a relaxed grin. Then my expression sobered quickly as I remembered why exactly Azazel had stopped by in the first place. I sighed heavily, rubbing at my face with a tired hand. "Anyway, Tiamat, I need to head back immediately to the Gremory mansion. Everything Azazel just dropped on us changes our timeline significantly. The fact Lucifer and God are gathering their forces right now for a massive showdown means we have far less time to prepare than I was hoping for."
Tiamat frowned deeply, nodding in reluctant agreement. "Yes. That is indeed incredibly concerning."
"And there's another huge issue we'll need to discuss," I added grimly, meeting her eyes carefully. "We can't rely on my Dragonrend shout anymore. I know you made that crystal clear already, but I still need to explain it clearly to everyone else. They need to understand why it's no longer an option. That's a huge blow for us strategically, and we need alternative plans in place fast."
Tiamat immediately stepped forward, gently grasping my shoulders again in her smooth, delicate hands. Her vivid sapphire-blue eyes locked onto mine with unwavering seriousness, a hint of fear lurking beneath the determined surface. "You absolutely better not use that cursed shout again, Silas," she whispered fiercely, fingers tightening protectively around me. "I've told you already, I won't allow you to risk your soul or your life on something so recklessly dangerous."
I reached up slowly, taking her wrists in my hands gently but firmly, giving her a steady, reassuring nod. "I already promised you, Tiamat, and I meant it. I swear to you—I won't ever use Dragonrend again. Destroying my own soul is definitely not on my bucket list."
She visibly relaxed, shoulders slumping slightly in relief at my sincere reassurance. The tension drained from her beautiful, naked form as she nodded slowly. "Good," she murmured softly, finally allowing herself a faint, hesitant smile again. "Because losing you would… would certainly be something I would deeply regret. Immensely."
I blinked slowly at her blunt admission of vulnerability, honestly a bit surprised by the raw honesty she'd just revealed. It was startling, but also strangely endearing. Clearly, the ancient dragon goddess was developing more than just a casual possessive interest in me.
"Tiamat," I said gently, offering her a soft, understanding smile, "I appreciate the concern. Really, I do. But I promise, I have no intention of getting myself killed. Not when there's so much left to fight for." I sighed deeply, looking away toward the distant direction of Runeas's luxurious mansion. "But right now, I seriously need to talk strategy and preparation with the others. We can't waste time standing around here."
"Very well," she relented reluctantly, finally releasing her grip on my shoulders and stepping back slightly. Her tail swayed slowly behind her, the tip flicking nervously. "I'll follow you…"
….
When I finally made it back to the mansion, my whole body felt a bit tense. It was more of a mental thing, the same anyone would have on the eve of battle.
I stepped inside through the huge double doors. Almost instantly, Rebecca and Taylor came hurrying toward me, matching looks of surprise and clear relief appearing on their beautiful faces. Rebecca grinned openly, while Taylor's shy, adorable smile lit up her face.
"You're actually back early today!" Rebecca teased affectionately, sliding right up to my side and gently slipping an arm around my waist. Her large, soft breasts pressed warmly against my side through the tight black armor. Her fingertips stroked playfully along my side, making me smile warmly in response.
Taylor stepped closer too as she reached up to shyly take my hand. The blush spreading adorably across her cheeks made it clear how happy she was to see me again, and honestly, I felt the exact same way.
Of course, the moment Tiamat followed me inside—still blatantly nude, obviously—both Rebecca and Taylor instantly tensed beside me. They shot her identical, narrow-eyed glares, openly challenging and territorial.
I watched with silent amusement as their scowls shifted quickly into matching smug, triumphant smirks. Rebecca tilted her chin up confidently, deliberately leaning even closer against my side and pressing her ample curves pointedly against me.
"Welcome back, Silas," Rebecca purred smoothly, eyes still locked challengingly onto Tiamat's irritated sapphire gaze. "Taylor and I definitely enjoyed our bath time with you last night!"
Taylor blushed scarlet but nodded enthusiastically, giving Tiamat a shy yet definitely victorious smile. "Mhm," she confirmed quietly. "We certainly took good care of you first, Silas."
Tiamat instantly scoffed loudly. She placed one slender hand impatiently on her shapely hip, openly glaring right back at the two clearly smug younger women.
"Oh please," Tiamat drawled in clear annoyance, her vivid dragon-slitted eyes narrowing sharply. "Flaunting that fact around won't change anything, mortal girls. You may have briefly tasted him first—but Silas is destined to be mine eventually." She gave me a possessive smirk, her lips curving upward wickedly. "And trust me, I'm a far more skilled lover than either of you could ever hope to match."
Rebecca opened her mouth immediately to fire back a sharp retort, but I quickly cut her off by clearing my throat sharply. "We've got way more important shit to deal with right now."
My serious, somber tone instantly got all their attention.
"Silas?" Taylor asked softly, gently squeezing my hand. "What's wrong?"
"Yeah," Rebecca echoed, suddenly entirely serious. "Did something happen?"
"Something happened alright," I sighed heavily. "Come on. We should find Runeas and Chysis immediately. This isn't something I want to discuss casually in the hallway."
Rebecca exchanged a quick glance with Taylor, both clearly worried now, before nodding in unison. Without another word, the four of us hurried quickly through the mansion, heading straight for Runeas's lavish, overly-decorated office.
A few tense minutes later, after quickly summarizing everything I'd learned from Azazel's unexpected visit, the mood inside Runeas's office had shifted drastically. Instead of her usual playful, teasing attitude, the red-haired devil matriarch was silent and grim. She leaned forward heavily over her ornate desk, her bright pink eyes narrowed in clear concentration and worry.
"It pains me to admit it," Runeas finally muttered irritably, clearly annoyed at having to agree with anything involving Azazel, "but that miserable bastard crow isn't exactly known for lying outright about things like this. Exaggerating slightly, sure—but something this serious? No. If he says God and Lucifer are mobilizing everything for a single, final battle, then I'm afraid it's almost certainly the truth."
Chysis stood silently beside her mother. She glanced briefly toward Tiamat, her expression cautious and hesitant. "Tiamat," Chysis spoke carefully, her tone diplomatic yet direct, "I realize you've made your distaste for our factions abundantly clear already. But given the extreme nature of this upcoming battle, your incredible strength could potentially turn the tides dramatically in our favor." She hesitated briefly before continuing firmly, "Will you consider fighting alongside us?"
Tiamat immediately scowled openly as she folded her slender arms tightly beneath her naked breasts. Her expression clearly showed just how little she cared about saving devils in general. But after a tense pause, she abruptly reached forward, firmly grasping my hand possessively and glaring stubbornly back at Runeas and Chysis.
"Fine," Tiamat stated bluntly, her voice firm and clear. "I'll fight for one reason, and one reason only—to keep Silas alive. His survival is the only thing that matters to me. I couldn't care less what happens to your factions otherwise."
Beside me, Taylor and Rebecca both immediately bristled at her overly-possessive words. Rebecca grumbled something irritably beneath her breath about "annoying dragon bitches," while Taylor openly frowned, clutching my other hand protectively tighter.
Still, despite their annoyance, I could see subtle relief on both their beautiful faces. Deep down, they recognized just how incredibly powerful Tiamat was. Even if they hated admitting it openly, having an ancient dragon goddess fully committed to keeping me alive was undeniably reassuring.
"Well," Runeas sighed deeply, shaking her head slowly in mild disbelief. "That's certainly something, I suppose. We'll take what we can get." Her expression shifted into a softer, more thoughtful seriousness. "If this truly is our final battle, then my goal is clear. I want to protect and save as many good devils—innocent, loyal people—as possible. Too many have died senselessly already." Runeas glanced meaningfully toward me, clearly expecting me to state my own intentions next.
"I agree completely," I said seriously, nodding firmly. "But I'd also like to save as many of the angels as possible. After meeting Gabriel, it's clear plenty of angels are genuinely kind and good-hearted too. They don't deserve pointless slaughter either." I breathed out heavily, feeling the massive weight of responsibility settling onto my shoulders. "Ultimately, our main goal remains unchanged. We need to ensure God and Lucifer annihilate each other completely, just like my meta-knowledge tells me should happen. If we can make certain of that outcome, then all this insane bloodshed can finally end permanently."
Maybe I can jump start this world on a better future. Let more evil devils die so the good ones can outnumber the bad ones in the future civil war.
"Sounds easy enough in theory," Rebecca noted dryly. "But war is messy, chaotic, and unpredictable. Just a single butterfly flapping its wings wrong could fuck everything up for us."
She wasn't wrong.
But right now, we couldn't afford doubts or hesitations. Too many lives depended on our ability to act decisively, and quickly.
"Then we'll just have to make sure our butterflies flap their wings exactly right," I said firmly, forcing myself to sound more confident than I currently felt. "Because this battle is one we absolutely cannot afford to lose."
XXX