The breath of the White Dragon Emperor, Albion, lingered in the dimensional space.
Great Red was extremely sensitive to the auras of powerful dragons. In the original timeline, she'd paid close attention to Hyoudou Issei's development. Now, sensing Albion's presence bleeding through the dimensional cracks, she naturally felt compelled to investigate.
Several minutes passed.
"BOOM!"
Space-time tore open, and a colossal dragon radiating overwhelming power and sacred majesty emerged from the rift.
Great Red. The Red Dragon God Emperor. These were among her many titles.
"Hey, Great Red! Come down so we can talk properly."
Since Great Red had already appeared, Takeyo saw no reason to maintain his Silver Tyrant Dragon form. He reverted to his human shape, floating comfortably in the void.
"Human... powerful human... you possess a disturbingly chaotic aura."
The Crimson Dragon God spoke in a voice befitting her majesty, the kind of resonant, dignified tone one would expect from a divine dragon.
"Where I'm from should be fairly obvious to you, shouldn't it?" Takeyo asked with a slight smile.
The Red Dragon God Emperor couldn't penetrate his true essence. She could only sense his disguised strength, just as Ophis had failed to detect him when she'd expanded her perception across Kuoh earlier.
"From the past... or perhaps the future... a traveler through time. You have courage, appearing before me like this."
The Red Dragon God Emperor maintained her deliberately majestic voice.
Yes, it was deliberately majestic.
"Come on, Great Red. Drop the act. I know you're female. Can't we just communicate normally, person to person?"
Takeyo stretched lazily.
Did you really think I'd fall for that performance? I know you're an otaku dragon at heart. Who exactly was it in the original timeline, singing Opalon's theme songs while drifting through the Dimensional Gap?
Hearing Takeyo's words, Grayfia felt a cascade of questions forming in her mind, though she wasn't quite sure where to begin.
Great Red is female? Does this count as gossip?
From certain perspectives, it might qualify as gossip. Then again, dragons had genders too, being female was perfectly normal.
Great Red's expression shifted subtly as she processed his words.
"You really are the reincarnation of the God of the Bible, aren't you?"
As she spoke, Great Red's massive form shrank down. A beautiful woman with striking crimson hair materialized before Takeyo.
She had shoulder-length red hair, a delicate face, and large, intelligent eyes that studied him with considerable interest.
Her clothing was... minimal, to say the least. The sight made Takeyo wonder: Is she always naked while floating around the Dimensional Gap?
"I need to tell you something important," Takeyo said, his tone turning serious.
"Oh? So you're from the future, then?" Great Red continued examining him curiously. "What's so important? Am I going to die?"
Her casual tone suggested she didn't take the possibility seriously. As the world's strongest being, she had every reason for confidence.
Takeyo had checked earlier, neither the Heavenly King Regatzema nor the Sea King Durmado were currently lurking on Earth or the Moon. Great Red remained blissfully unaware that threats from other worlds even existed.
However, Takeyo knew better.
"Well... yes, you die. To be specific, your head gets severed."
Takeyo nodded matter-of-factly.
"Hm?"
Great Red fell silent for a brief moment.
"...Eh?"
Hold on. I was joking! You're actually telling me it's true? My head gets cut off? How does that even happen?
"That's the reality. In the future, someone decapitates you."
Takeyo spread his hands. I'm just telling you the truth. Your head really does get removed.
"So you've encountered this powerful enemy in the future, and you've returned to the present to prevent it?" Great Red asked skeptically.
The idea of her own death was something she'd never seriously considered.
"No, we just happened to arrive at this specific point in time. We didn't actually know when we'd end up before coming here."
As he spoke, Takeyo projected an image of his battle against Durmado.
"What is that...?"
Great Red's brow furrowed as she watched the recording of this human fighting a mechanical dragon from another world.
With her perception, she could naturally assess the combat power of both combatants.
"Crack, crack, crack!"
The footage continued to the scene where Takeyo transformed into the world dragon, Ju Limo, and literally crushed Durmado in his grip.
Watching this, Great Red's lips twitched slightly.
You handled him that decisively? Then why are you telling me I get my head cut off in the future? Can't you just deal with them?
The video kept playing. When Great Red saw Takeyo's avatar dissipate after using its full power, she finally understood why he'd warned her about dying.
Maybe... just maybe, because this man is such a freak, that's why he's saying I'll die?
"Hey... what's with that look?"
Takeyo narrowed his eyes, catching an unusual expression in Great Red's gaze.
It seemed... suspiciously like he was being judged with considerable malice.
"That was just a small soldier. There are several more small soldiers at that strength level, and their boss is the one who kills you in the future."
Takeyo continued his explanation.
"If you're so strong, can't you just eliminate them?" Great Red asked pointedly.
"If I could kill them now, I wouldn't be here!"
Takeyo flicked Great Red's forehead with a burst of energy.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for completing location sign-in! Sign-in level: Gold!]
[Sign-in location: Great Red (humanoid form)]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining reward: Artifact Template - Crimson Oath!]
[Artifact Template - Crimson Oath: Similar to the Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing, this is an artifact template adapted to Great Red. Grants mastery over the power of dreams.]
[Ding!]
[Compatibility detected!]
[True World Dragon's Sacred Heart & Crimson Oath! Initiate fusion?]
"Fusion..."
Takeyo raised an eyebrow. What exactly will my Sacred Gear become?
[Ding!]
[Fusion commencing!]
[...]
[Fusion complete!]
Takeyo could feel new power settling into his Sacred Gear, power that belonged to Great Red.
"Hey! Why are you hitting me?!"
Great Red finally recovered from her shock at being casually struck. She genuinely hadn't experienced such treatment before!
"That's a way to express goodwill," Takeyo said with a grin.
After acquiring Great Red's power, he genuinely felt something awakening within him.
Not bad at all.
"Express goodwill?" Great Red frowned doubtfully. She'd occasionally slipped into people's dreams before, but she'd never heard of head-flicking as an expression of friendship.
"Yes, to express goodwill. You're not seriously planning to keep floating around the Dimensional Gap naked all day, are you?"
Takeyo's expression suggested such helplessness that Great Red genuinely began questioning whether she'd misunderstood social conventions.
"So this action represents goodwill..." she murmured thoughtfully.
"Ahem... precisely."
Takeyo cleared his throat tactically. Yes, because I hit your head with goodwill, therefore head-hitting represents goodwill. Nothing wrong with that logic.
"Anyway, I came here for something important," Takeyo said, watching Great Red drift into self-doubt.
"Important?" Great Red tilted her head.
"Yes. I need to know, do you understand which time periods the various temporal nodes in the Dimensional Gap or this world connect to?"
Takeyo asked.
This was the real reason he'd sought out Great Red. Having wandered the space-time cracks constantly, she should possess knowledge about such matters.
"Oh? You want to return to your own time and space? That makes sense. Staying in a different temporal period has significant consequences."
Great Red nodded understandingly. Actually, beyond the powerful White Dragon Emperor aura Takeyo had released, the main reason she'd come was the intense temporal distortion radiating from his body.
If Takeyo wanted to go back, that would be ideal.
"Let me check..."
Great Red closed her eyes and began searching.
"By the way, which time and space are you from?"
Ten seconds later, Great Red opened her eyes with slight embarrassment and stuck out her tongue.
"Approximately... seven hundred and eighty years in the future, around August."
Takeyo couldn't help but smile at Great Red's flustered expression.
"Alright... understood."
Great Red closed her eyes again.
This time was different from before. She was a very reliable Red Dragon God Emperor!
"This is the correct direction."
Great Red directly transmitted the spatial coordinates into Takeyo's mind.
"Perfect. Thank you."
Takeyo smiled and extended his hand, intending to pat Great Red's head again.
However, Great Red clearly wasn't willing to accept his "expression of goodwill" a second time. She puffed out her cheeks and dodged.
After discussing a few more matters, Takeyo and Grayfia prepared to officially depart.
"By the way, don't go looking for those two cyborgs to fight."
Takeyo was worried that Great Red might accidentally seek them out for combat, causing the evil god from the EXE world to notice this dimension prematurely.
"I know..."
Great Red responded impatiently.
Since Takeyo had stated she would die in the future, it at least meant she was safe for now. She wasn't about to deliberately seek out death.
Hearing Great Red's words, Takeyo smiled. He'd genuinely been afraid she might get herself killed out of boredom.
"Don't worry. Though your death in the future might be fate's arrangement, I excel at breaking fate."
Takeyo spoke confidently.
Great Red was extremely useful, both for this world and for his purposes.
"Break... fate?"
Great Red smiled slightly.
What exactly is fate? Isn't the fate you break just another form of fate?
Such doubts arose in her heart.
"If you can accomplish that..."
She left her statement deliberately incomplete.
She was willing to place hope in Takeyo. After seeing him directly eliminate the Sea King, who existed in the same realm as herself, she felt inclined to believe.
"Ah, I can definitely do it."
Takeyo made his promise.
If I can't even accomplish this much, my avatar might as well be fed to dogs.
After these words, Takeyo and Grayfia vanished together from the Dimensional Gap.
The established coordinates had been obtained. They only needed to wait for the appropriate moment.
Because temporal nodes exhibited regular fluctuations, Takeyo still needed to wait a while.
"The timing is set for seven days from now."
Back in their temporary dwelling, Takeyo informed Grayfia.
They'd already inspected that area. The timing was fixed.
There was no alternative, only two or three corresponding nodes existed. Besides the nearest one, the next opportunity wouldn't occur for another month. By then, Takeyo would likely have been automatically ejected from this timeline.
"Understood."
Grayfia sighed inwardly.
So we're leaving after all.
Initially, she'd thought they could stay longer. This was, after all, precious time alone with Takeyo.
"Well, we do have to return eventually."
Takeyo also sighed.
Originally, he'd wanted to see if he could advance his relationship with Grayfia to a more intimate stage. But Grayfia seemed particularly difficult to approach. Perhaps it was because her younger self existed in this timeline? Regardless, she consistently maintained a close-but-not-too-close distance.
"This area, we'll take it back when we return."
Grayfia gestured to their dwelling, the place where she and Takeyo had lived together for a while.
"Right."
Takeyo nodded agreement.
He also felt that many things couldn't remain here. Even something as innocuous as his bathwater could affect the timeline.
"Let's go. Time to prepare for departure. There's still much to do in the future."
Takeyo sighed, pulling out various books obtained from the system to study.
"Yes..."
"But... if it's you, there won't be any problems."
Grayfia looked at Takeyo, thinking this silently in her heart.