"Well, this is my pawn piece. You can absorb it."
Takeyo smiled and produced a golden pawn chess piece, its surface gleaming with an otherworldly radiance.
Ravel truly embodied the classic tsundere archetype, blonde twin-drill curls, aristocratic bearing, and that endearing combination of pride and vulnerability that made her so compelling.
It was unfortunate she wasn't flat-chested, otherwise she could've pulled off the "tornado dress lift" aesthetic perfectly. But finding genuinely flat characters in High School DxD was practically impossible. Takeyo knew maybe Kunou, Koneko, and Ophis, though Koneko and Ophis both possessed adult forms anyway.
Flat is justice might be a rallying cry, but this world clearly doesn't subscribe to that philosophy.
Ravel stared at the golden chess piece, mesmerized. The moment she laid eyes on it, she felt an inexplicable pull, a magnetic attraction that resonated deep within her very essence.
She wanted this piece. Needed it.
The feeling rose unbidden from the core of her being.
"Takeyo-sama... what is this?"
Ravel's voice carried a note of bewilderment as she gazed at the Devil piece hovering before her.
Devil pieces were supposed to be blood-red. Even if Takeyo had obtained pieces early through a connection with Maou Ajuka Beelzebub, there shouldn't be golden Devil pieces. Those simply didn't exist in the known world.
"This is my exclusive chess piece," Takeyo explained gently. "It adapts to each person's innate potential during reincarnation. With your bloodline, you might awaken abilities equal to or surpassing the Ancestral Phoenix itself."
Takeyo's confidence wasn't unfounded. By infusing his own blood essence into the piece, he'd fundamentally elevated its capacity. Ravel's potential would transcend the so-called Ancestral Phoenix by a considerable margin.
The phoenix bloodline in Ravel's body alone, setting aside all other factors, would reach heights that traditional Phenex clan members could barely dream of achieving.
"Evolution to the Ancestral Phoenix level?"
Ravel's hand rose to cover her lips in amazement. Could Takeyo-sama's chess pieces truly be this miraculous?
"Ravel." Takeyo's voice grew serious. "Accept it. I want you to become my servant. And you wish to be my servant as well, don't you?"
With someone like Ravel, proud yet secretly yearning, directness worked best once you'd confirmed their feelings. Playing games after that point would just torture both parties unnecessarily.
Though admittedly, some people enjoyed that kind of sweet torture.
After a moment of silence, Ravel's tsundere nature kicked in right on schedule.
"S-since this is Takeyo-sama's request, then... there's no helping it. Please take care of me from now on, Takeyo-sama."
Ravel tried desperately to hide her inner joy, maintaining that carefully constructed facade of reluctant acceptance.
She reached out with trembling fingers and grasped the golden chess piece from Takeyo's palm.
The moment contact was made, the piece melted into her body like water absorbed by parched earth.
After confirming both Takeyo's will and the reincarnated individual's consent, the servant piece automatically integrated itself.
"Mm..."
A soft, involuntary sound escaped Ravel's lips as the piece merged with her essence.
The integration process carried an almost euphoric sensation, washing over her in waves of warmth and power.
"Are you alright?"
In Takeyo's enhanced perception, Ravel's life form underwent subtle yet profound changes. This was only the beginning, like when Issei transformed into a dragon, significant physical alterations would manifest once the process fully matured.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for completing a plot check-in! Sign-in level: Gold!]
[Sign-in plot: Whoever Takes My Gift Becomes Mine!]
[Plot: The turkey girl Ravel has accepted the host's gift, naturally, she must repay with her entire being! Successfully recruit Ravel Phenex into your peerage!]
[Congratulations to the host for receiving the reward: Overlord's Light Wheel!]
[Overlord's Light Wheel (Khvarenah): Contains the legacy capable of destroying one-third of the world. The strongest flash-heat system Gift. The fuse that ignites apocalypse itself. A technique of supreme pride. When Kasugabe Yao altered its trajectory using the counter-blessing of Primordial Fire and Venus, deflecting it away from its target, the Dragon King's rage knew no bounds at this insult to their pride.]
As Ravel completed her absorption, Takeyo received confirmation of his task completion.
The Overlord's Light Wheel ranked among the most powerful flash-heat system attacks in existence, essentially a top-tier light cannon of devastating proportions.
However, at his current level, Takeyo couldn't yet unleash this technique's full destructive potential. That would require further growth and mastery.
"Puu~"
A soft sound preceded a small figure's descent from above, her tiny arms cradling an egg protectively.
If there was anything distinctive about her appearance, it was the oversized egg she carried like precious cargo.
"Positive..."
She vocalized softly before settling directly into Takeyo's lap, completely ignoring Ravel's stunned expression.
"Welcome back, Schwi. All finished?"
Takeyo smiled and ran his fingers through the hair of the girl pressing against him, knowing this was her way of expressing affection.
After yesterday's meeting concluded, Takeyo had summoned the Ex-Machina unit Schwi and granted her a pawn piece.
Her strength had broken through to high-level Demon King class, and her race had evolved into "Ultimate Machina."
Perhaps because she'd shown interest in Takeyo's mysterious egg while staying in the system space, she'd requested to hold it.
Like Icarus obsessed with watermelons, Schwi had become the machine-girl who couldn't part with her pet egg.
Just moments ago, while Issei, Sairaorg, and the others battled the dragon, she'd been playing with Tannin nearby.
Though defeating Tannin was beyond her current capabilities, holding her own in extended combat posed no problem, even if Tannin fought seriously, subduing Schwi quickly would prove difficult.
"Mm... finished..."
Schwi nodded slightly, then nestled her head against Takeyo's chest.
The scent molecules from her master... for reasons she couldn't quantify, these simple chemical signals produced a sense of security and contentment in her processing systems.
However, when some people experience happiness, others inevitably experience displeasure.
"Miss Schwi, as a lady, you shouldn't simply lean against a man so casually!"
Ravel, having just completed her reincarnation, was decidedly not happy. Why could this girl sit so naturally in Takeyo-sama's lap?! Ravel herself hadn't even had that privilege yet!
"Humanoid turkey creature... don't speak to me..."
Faced with Ravel's reminder, Schwi's response was blunt: I have no interest in conversing with you. As long as I can remain in Master's embrace, that's sufficient!
"Human... humanoid turkey?!"
Ravel's eyebrow twitched violently, her lips pressing into a thin line. She'd thought Koneko calling her a "turkey" was excessive enough. She never expected someone would escalate to "humanoid turkey"!
Just as Ravel prepared to advance for a proper discussion, both Takeyo and Schwi simultaneously looked skyward.
"Roar!"
A tearing sound ripped through the atmosphere as space itself fractured!
The sky above Tannin's territory became stained with absolute darkness, an unnatural night bleeding through despite the sunny weather, as if someone had draped a black curtain across the heavens.
Seeing this development, Tannin immediately flew toward the spatial tear, entering full alert status.
His gaze locked onto the sky. Simultaneously, the barrier covering the uninhabited island began showing stress fractures, cracks spider-webbing across its corner!
"ROAR!"
Tannin released a prolonged dragon's cry. For reasons he couldn't articulate, an ominous premonition bloomed in his chest.
This was the Dragon King's instinct warning him.
"Crack!"
Space shattered like broken glass.
In the middle of the sky, directly before Takeyo, pitch-black flames rolled and churned, coalescing into something distinctly humanoid.
A woman materialized, dressed in light, cute clothing that seemed almost innocent.
Long black hair cascaded down her back, framing a young face that could inspire protective instincts. Most striking was her outfit, emphasizing her chest to an almost absurd degree. The tight-fitting jacket and skirt combination showcased her exceptionally generous endowment.
To put it bluntly, her bust was extremely impressive.
Yet this woman radiated a massive dark aura, making it abundantly clear she was no ordinary being.
Behind her floated another girl, this one with vacant, unfocused eyes.
Purple hair styled in twin braids framed a face that radiated loneliness and confusion, as if she'd become utterly lost in the world.
"Who are you? Why have you invaded Devil territory?!"
Uncle Tannin's voice boomed across the sky, echoing throughout his domain. Simultaneously, every dragon in the territory became aware of the situation developing overhead.
Issei launched himself into the air wearing his Balance Breaker armor, watching the two girls warily.
Like Tannin, he felt an inexplicable threat emanating from them!
"How fascinating,"
Takeyo narrowed his eyes as the five-pointed stars within them gleamed with unusual light.
Both girls who'd suddenly appeared carried sign-in opportunities!
The purple-haired girl was Ingvild Leviathan, the one he'd been wanting to locate. Takeyo knew the other girl as well.
She was Nyx, the Goddess of the Night from Greek mythology! One of the Primordial Gods!
In the original plot, she and her brother Erebus cooperated with Hades to find suitable vessels for two specific Longinus.
They'd located Ingvild, wielder of [Song of the Emerald Sea's End], and Meredith, wielder of [Abyss Crown's Deep Pool].
Their goal: controlling Ingvild to manipulate the Heavenly Dragons and the Infinite Dragon God.
Now, Nyx, who shouldn't appear until the late-stage storyline, stood before him with that same exclamation mark hovering above her head just like Ingvild's?
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for triggering a plot check-in! Sign-in level: Diamond!]
[Sign-in plot: The Night Goddess's Surrender!]
[Plot: The Goddess of the Night brings her dragon-suppressor to challenge you, intending to make the host submit as her subordinate. How can such a thing be permitted? Obviously, it should be reversed! Conquer Nyx, the Goddess of the Night!]
[Sign-in time limit: 180 days.]
[Remaining sign-in time: 180 days]
Takeyo shook his head internally. Why is Nyx, who should only appear in later story stages, here now?
He understood the reason, though.
Perhaps... just perhaps, it was because he'd established the Defender Team, and information about all the Defenders being Longinus users had reached her ears.
Originally, in the canon timeline, she'd become interested in Longinus and dragons after the [DxD] team was formed, a squad created to counter the Chaos Brigade, filled with multiple Longinus wielders.
Now, he'd established a team with similar composition ahead of schedule.
Either Tobio Ikuse and Dulio Gesualdo had been too conspicuous recently, or someone had leaked information about the old Devil Faction incident involving [Snake]...
Whatever the cause, Nyx was now here looking for trouble with Ingvild, the possessor of the dragon-suppressing Longinus!
But in Takeyo's eyes, she'd come to complete a check-in. After all, he refused to believe that Ophis, avatar of the Dragon Gods [World Dragon Kulimo], would be suppressed by any dragon-slaying Longinus from the High School DxD world!
"Mahatma... Rama-kun, isn't it?"
Nyx's clear voice echoed through the air, carrying an almost musical quality despite the darkness surrounding her.
"Nyx, Goddess of the Night! What brings you to Devil territory?!"
Tannin hovered in the sky, his massive form radiating power and authority.
Nyx's behavior had already crossed lines, if this escalated, charges of provoking other pantheons would be inescapable.
"Hey! Miss Goddess? Could you please return to your pantheon now?"
Issei also flew into the air, the jewel in his chest piece opening as Divine Dividing Gear began charging!
Because he faced a goddess now, he'd activated his Juggernaut Drive form!
After training with Tannin for some time, he'd finally succeeded in activating Juggernaut Drive when Sairaorg arrived yesterday!
Whether he was motivated by Sairaorg or not... well, that remained ambiguous.
"Ah, Aren't you Tannin and Ddraig? Sorry, but I'm not interested in talking with you right now, I came to see Lord Rama,~"
Nyx delicately covered her lips, her tone almost apologetic.
These gods seemed to have a habit of using people's titles rather than their actual names.
"Please,"
She tapped Ingvild's shoulder lightly.
"Ingvild... sing,~"
"Ahhh... ugh..."
Ingvild crouched in midair, pain twisting her features.
Nyx had implanted a brainwashing technique in Ingvild's mind, a compulsion to obey all commands absolutely!
Under Nyx's order, Ingvild began to sing...
Her orange eyes took on an eerie, coquettish glow as faint purple particles materialized around her!