Nighttime.
Arthur found himself standing with his guard up.
His breath came heavy, sweat already running down his temples as pain churned through his body.
Across from him stood his opponent, who wore the Boosted Gear: Scale Mail, but unlike the standard armored form, this one was distinctly feminine, and its scales contoured her body perfectly, and her long blond hair flowed freely down her back.
[BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!]
In an instant, she vanished from where she stood and reappeared above Arthur, her leg already descending in a brutal axe kick.
Arthur barely had time to react and crossed his arms to brace himself.
The impact caused a shockwave that rippled outward as Arthur was driven into the ground, the force rattling through his bones despite his guard.
He gritted his teeth, boots digging into the solid ground.
"Tch! That actually stings!"
Arthur hissed, feeling his arms tremble.
They both jumped back at the same time, landing several meters apart.
The woman rolled her neck once and let out an annoyed sigh.
"Come on, Devil boy, you can do better than that. Do something else besides defending for the past 2 minutes."
She said, her tone half-bored, half-disappointed.
Arthur straightened, flexing his fingers as he exhaled slowly.
"Easier said than done. But don't you think this is a little unfair? Can I use one of my swords at least?"
He said, eyes locked on her.
She didn't answer.
Instead, she charged.
[BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!]
Her foot slammed into the ground, and she shot forward like a missile, her voice cutting through the air.
"Don't make me laugh!"
Arthur cursed under his breath and met her head-on, fists clashed and kicks collided as the two exchanged blows at blinding speed.
From the sidelines, two figures watched with interest.
One was a great red dragon, lounging comfortably as his emerald eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Well? How long do you think he'll last, Belzard?"
Ddraig rumbled, glancing toward the other observer.
Beside him stood a tall, green-haired man with a heavily muscled build, arms crossed over his chest.
Belzard watched the fight with interest.
He shrugged.
"Seven minutes, maybe."
Ddraig chuckled deeply.
"Hah. That's optimistic."
At that moment, the woman twisted mid-motion and delivered a powerful forward kick.
[BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!]
Arthur reacted instantly, raising his leg and blocking it with his own kick.
The clash sent another shockwave through the battlefield, but Arthur was the one pushed back, sliding several meters before regaining his footing.
He clicked his tongue and ran towards her.
Just as he appeared near her and was about to land a straight kick on her head.
"That's enough."
Arthur's eyes widened as he managed to barely stop his foot from landing on Elsha's helm.
"That should be it for now."
Arthur paused, chest rising and falling as he nodded.
"Yeah, I guess it's been a couple of minutes."
He said between breaths.
The Scale Mail dissolved into crimson light particles, leaving Elsha in her regal attire that did nothing to hide her alluring figure.
She walked a slow circle around Arthur, eyes scanning him critically.
"Your physical capabilities are getting better, and your reaction time is sharper than what we witnessed last week with the other guy, and your technique has improved greatly."
Elsha said at last.
Arthur wiped sweat from his brow, listening intently.
"But, you still hesitate at key moments. And your follow-through needs work. And please, for the love of God, don't get comfortable just because you're well acquainted with your opponent and expect them to hold back. That'll get you killed one day."
She continued, stopping in front of him.
She tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"Overall, I'll give you... seven out of ten."
Arthur blinked.
"Only seven? That sucks."
He let out a dry laugh.
Belzard stepped forward then.
"Don't look so down, kid. You survived Elsha's test. Not even a handful of past Boosted Gear possessors could have lasted a minute against her."
Belzard added.
Arthur nodded slowly, a small sense of pride settling in his chest despite the exhaustion.
Nearly a year ago.
He began training under Belzard, Elsha, and his other predecessors.
Every night when he goes to sleep, they drag him into the Boosted Gear's inner world, this very void, and push him to his limits, physically and mentally.
They taught him everything they knew.
It had started with introductions.
Belzard and Elsha had brought him face-to-face with the past Red Dragon Emperors, one by one.
Arthur would learn under each of them, absorbing their experiences, knowledge, and techniques before moving on to the next.
His first teacher had been… unexpected.
"The smartest Red Dragon Emperor."
Ddraig had called him without hesitation.
He was a pacifist from Greece who avoided violence whenever possible, except for the day he was forced to fight against the White Dragon Emperor of his era, which resulted in mutually assured destruction.
But he was a scholar who was deeply educated and patient enough to teach Arthur everything he knew, which lasted only one week.
After that, Arthur trained under the next predecessor, then the next one, and the next.
Yesterday, he completed his training under the last Red Dragon Emperor before him.
This predecessor joined the Allied Powers during World War II and fought against his era's White Dragon Emperor, who sided with the Axis Powers.
The battle was intense, and it left him crippled afterwards, but he won and died peacefully from old age.
When he heard this, he asked Gramps if he ever met the guy.
Vasco had never met him personally, but heard rumors during the war about a warrior clad in red armor flying around battling against any supernatural being who joined the Axis.
"I was still in my prime back then, but when I heard of the red-clad soldier fighting for freedom, I felt eager to test my might against the guy. Unfortunately, I never get to meet him personally. I had a feeling we could've been great sparring partners."
Vasco said, his tone had a hint of regret.
Arthur flexed his shoulders and rolled his neck, feeling the lingering strain in his muscles even within the inner world.
He glanced at Elsha, hesitating for a brief moment before speaking.
"So... does that mean I get to train under you now?"
Arthur said, trying to sound casual despite the exhaustion creeping into his voice.
Elsha stopped in front of him and made an exaggerated thinking gesture, one finger tapping her cheek as she tilted her head.
She studied him openly, eyes sweeping over his posture.
"Hmmm."
She hummed, dragging the sound out deliberately.
Arthur waited, resisting the urge to look away.
After a moment, Elsha straightened and gave a small shrug.
"Yeah. I suppose I can take you under my wing."
Arthur let out a quiet breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
He stepped forward and made a small, respectful bow.
"Then I'll be under your care, teacher. I'll do my best not to waste your time."
He said earnestly.
Elsha blinked, then laughed softly.
She stepped closer and, much to Arthur's surprise, reached out and gently patted his head.
"Don't start buttering me up already, young man. Flattery won't make me go easy on you."
She said, smiling brightly.
Arthur mentally sighed.
(Worth a try.)
From the side, Belzard watched the exchange with a look that could only be described as pity.
He shook his head slowly.
"You have my condolences."
Belzard said to Arthur.
Arthur gave him a wary look.
That was when Ddraig moved closer, his massive form shifting as his gaze settled on Arthur.
"By the way, I forgot to ask yesterday, but how's your mark?"
Ddraig said, his tone casual, but his eyes were curious.
Arthur blinked as he raised a hand to his forehead.
"It's still there, first of all. I still don't know what it does, though."
Arthur replied.
At his touch, an intricate Ouroboros mark manifested on his forehead, the serpent devouring its own tail etched in his skin.
Belzard stared at Arthur's mark, his arms crossing.
"We've been observing it during your training. It doesn't behave like a standard enchantment or anything I know personally."
Belzard said.
Elsha then added.
"Its quite elusive. It could be a latent boost, a hidden ability, or something that hasn't even activated yet."
Ddraig snorted lightly.
"Whatever it is, keep checking it, Arthur. We may not know what it does, but what I do know is this."
His voice lowered slightly.
"Receiving a blessing from a Dragon God like Ophis is a divine honor in itself. So don't waste it."
Arthur nodded slowly, committing the words to memory.
"I understand."
The white void suddenly trembled faintly, and Arthur felt a pulling sensation, like gravity reasserting itself.
Arthur glanced around and muttered.
"Looks like I'm waking up."
He looked back at Elsha.
"Guess I'll have to take a rain check on your lesson."
Elsha waved it off.
"That's fine. Just make sure you have settled your affairs."
She leaned closer, her smile turning dangerously sweet.
"Because you're going to be in a world of hurt by tomorrow night~"
Her eyes gleamed.
Arthur froze.
He slowly turned his head toward Belzard and Ddraig.
Both of them suddenly found the empty void very interesting and looked away in unison.
(What the fuck, you guys? What happened to bros before h-)
Before he could finish his thoughts, Arthur vanished from the mindspace, leaving the three behind.
The silence that followed was heavier than before.
Belzard's expression turned serious.
"Now that the kid's gone, I'm gonna ask first. You felt it too, didn't you?"
Elsha nodded slowly.
"During the spar. He was adapting to my hits."
She clenched her fist slightly.
"The same thing happened yesterday during his last spar against the last guy. His growth spiked."
"And that was without his Demonic Power, his Holy Swords, or his Longinus."
Belzard added.
Ddraig's eyes gleamed thoughtfully.
"I have a theory."
They both looked at the Red Dragon.
"Ophis' blessing must've influenced Arthur's physiology in some way. It might be that the blessing has removed Arthur's natural limits. Or…"
He paused.
"His blessing makes his body slowly adapt to any punishment given to him, thus he grows stronger every time he endures something extreme."
Belzard rubbed his chin.
"I had a similar thought. There's also the ridiculous possibility that maybe... just maybe... Arthur's blessing broke his limits and lets him adapt to anything endlessly."
Silence fell again.
Elsha broke it first.
"That's…a terrifying theory. If any of those theories were true, then we might be training someone who could one day be counted among the Top Ten Strongest."
She said quietly.
Ddraig chuckled, a deep, pleased sound.
"Hah. Now that's exciting."
He looked at the two predecessors.
"Let's keep this between us for now. If there is even a slight chance its all true, then make sure to drill his body and mind with everything you know."
Ddraig said.
Belzard nodded without hesitation.
"Agreed."
Elsha smiled, eyes sharp and eager.
"You didn't even need to ask."
DxD
Arthur woke from his slumber with a slow breath.
He pushed himself upright carefully, mindful of the warmth beside him.
Turning his head to the right, he glanced at the clock resting on the nightstand.
12:00 midnight.
"Figures..."
Arthur murmured.
He exhaled and turned to his left, seeing Lavinia lying beside him, sound asleep, her breathing slow and even beneath the thick blanket that covered her.
Moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a pale glow over her relaxed expression.
Arthur smiled faintly and reached out, gently brushing a stray lock of her long blond hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear.
"Sleep dreams, my Lav."
He whispered.
Just then, the door creaked open ever so slightly.
"Arthur… Are you still up?"
The whisper was soft, careful.
Arthur turned his head toward the door and saw Valerie standing there.
Her ruby-red eyes caught the moonlight, glowing faintly, and her short blond hair framed her face as she hesitated at the threshold.
She was wearing a long red nightgown, the fabric flowing loosely around her figure.
"Hey, Val. Yeah, I couldn't sleep. What's wrong? Do you need something?"
Arthur whispered back, offering a small smile.
She stepped inside quietly, closing the door behind her with care.
As she tiptoed closer to the bed, her gaze drifted unintentionally downward, and she froze.
Arthur's chiseled chest was visible above the covers, and beside him, Lavinia's bare form was completely hidden beneath the blanket, but the implication alone was enough.
Valerie's cheeks immediately flushed crimson as her imagination ran far faster than her reason.
(O-Oh… s-so that's…I wonder... D-Does it feel g-good like in the books...)
Arthur noticed instantly.
He chuckled softly, keeping the sound low so as not to wake Lavinia.
"Come sit. If there's something you want to talk about, I'm listening."
He whispered, patting the edge of the bed.
Valerie shook her head quickly, hands clasped in front of her.
"I-It's okay. I'll just stand here. I'll leave soon, I promise."
She whispered.
Before she could step back, Arthur gently reached out, caught her wrist, and pulled her toward him.
In one smooth motion, he guided her down and wrapped an arm around her, resting her against his chest.
Valerie's mind blanked.
"H-Huh? A-Arthur-!"
"Shhh..."
Arthur whispered close to her ear.
"You'll wake Lavinia if you raise your voice."
Valerie froze completely, her body tense as stone.
Her breathing began to turn shallow, then uneven as Arthur's scent surrounded her with a warm and intoxicating feeling.
Her dhampir instincts reacted immediately as her heart raced, and heat flooded her cheeks.
She gripped his chest lightly as she licked her lips without realizing it.
"I-I'm... I..."
She whispered, flustered.
Arthur smiled softly and relaxed his hold just enough to ease her.
"Alright, I'll stop teasing. What's the matter, Val? What did you want to talk about?"
Valerie swallowed, forcing herself to focus.
"I-I came because… I made a breakthrough..."
She said quietly.
This has immediately caught Arthur's attention.
"With Sephiroth Graal?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
She took a breath and began explaining, her voice gaining confidence as she spoke.
"I can… I can create souls now using my Longinus. They're completely blank, but full of potential. I can implant them into inanimate objects and grant them sentience."
Arthur's eyes widened slightly.
"There's a cost, though."
She added quickly.
"Each soul I create costs me a piece of my lifespan. So I can only create very small ones that can fit into handheld objects like a knife or a book... I call this ability, Blank Soul."
Arthur went silent.
(Holy shit... It's just like Big Mom's Devil Fruit ability.)
His mind immediately raced through the possibilities.
Living weapons, intelligent tools, autonomous robots, the possibilities are virtually endless.
"…That's incredible, Val."
Arthur said softly.
Valerie blinked.
"Y-You think so?"
Arthur smiled brightly and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Yes. I'm so proud of you."
He said, before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.
Valerie froze for half a second, eyes wide, then slowly melted into it, returning the kiss shyly, her face burning red.
Arthur pulled back just enough to look at her seriously.
"But listen to me. Do not abuse this power. Ever. Your life matters more than any ability you have in your arsenal. Only use it when it's absolutely necessary."
He said firmly.
Valerie nodded immediately.
"Okay... I promise."
She smiled softly, warmth spreading through her chest at his concern.
Just as they leaned in again, Lavinia shifted beside them.
"Mmmm…What's all the commotion about?"
She muttered sleepily.
Arthur and Valerie froze.
Arthur sighed quietly.
"Good evening, Lav. Sorry for waking you up. It's just that Valerie just unlocked a new ability."
Lavinia hummed lazily.
"Really? Good for you, Valerie."
Then, without opening her eyes, she added.
"You wanna join the bed?"
Valerie's brain short-circuited.
"W-Wait. I-I-I should go. I-I still need more practice and... Uhh..."
She stammered.
"Nope."
Arthur whispered, pulling her gently but firmly between himself and Lavinia.
The two of them wrapped Valerie in warmth, causing her to be tense.
Lavinia leaned close and whispered into Valerie's ear.
"Get used to it, Valerie. After all, you'll be joining us soon… when you're ready."
Valerie's heart pounded.
She tried to protest, but Arthur cut her off softly.
"Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow. Because right now, it's bedtime."
He murmured as he began to rest.
Slowly, Valerie's tension melted away.
Between Arthur's alluring scent and Lavinia's steady heartbeat, her eyelids grew heavy.
(It's strange… I can get sleepy at night even though I'm part vampire…)
Her thoughts faded as she drifted off.
Arthur watched them both sleep peacefully.
His thoughts went back to a couple of months ago, when things had started to change between him and Valerie.
Their feelings towards each other grew slowly during their training to control Valerie's Longinus.
But unlike various dense protagonists, he was completely aware of Valerie's growing affection towards him.
But he didn't want to betray Lavinia, so he told her everything.
He expected her to get upset or even slap him on the face, but to his shock, she told him this.
"I know. In fact, I'm actually fine with it."
Lavinia had said with a smile.
She had even encouraged him and Valerie to follow their heart, admitting she found it attractive that her boyfriend could draw in someone as beautiful as Valerie.
Arthur had confessed to Valerie shortly after, during one of their training session with their first kiss had sealed it.
Valerie had asked to take things slowly, and Arthur had respected that without hesitation.
The only affectionate things they have done are just kisses and cuddles, and the occasional dates.
Now, holding them both, Arthur pressed a gentle kiss to Valerie's forehead and caressed Lavinia's cheek.
"Good night, girls."
He whispered.
As sleep claimed him once more, his consciousness drifted inward, and hopefully, he wouldn't return to the inner world to face Elsha's wrath just yet.
DxD
Hello readers!
CONGRATULATIONS ON SURVIVING ANOTHER YEAR OF PLAYING THE MOST CHAOTIC GAME EVER KNOWN AS LIFE!
ALSO, I'M GONNA REPLACE THE OLD COVER WITH A NEW ONE ONCE I'M DONE UPLOADING THIS CHAPTER.
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOOD LUCK!
Thank you, everyone, and see you later!