High School DxD - Volume 14 - Chapter 5.1

The territory of the Vampires. I, Azazel, have entered there.

We borrowed a car when we arrived in Romania, and are progressing through the mountain road. The road without any surface is bumpy, and the car has jumped several times.

The fog is quite thick. We did receive a map from the Vampire who belongs to the Carmilla’s faction just in case.

It’s planned for me to separate from Rias and Kiba who are also riding in the car with me. I will be going to Carmilla. Rias and Kiba will be going to the House of Tepes. We will be moving there together, and I will join back with them after talking to Carmilla. I hope it doesn’t turn into a situation where we have to call Ise and the others……

Now then, I wonder what Asia is doing with Fafnir, whom she is looking after. Even if Ophis acted as the mediator, her talent to make a pact with monsters—no, Dragons and make them obey her is terrifying.

……Rasse, Ophis, and Fafnir. I can only think that she was born with something which allows her to grasp hold of Dragons. It may have been unavoidable for her to meet Ise as soon as she entered Japan.

——Then, I witness Rias who is thinking about something in the mirror.

I speak to Rias who is sitting in the back seat.

“Are you worried about your boyfriend whom you left in Japan?”

“……I would be lying if I say that I’m not. He……no, those girls who love him have a more daring approach than me.”

“It seems like your husband will bring more storms from now on as well.”

“I am prepared. But, since I decided to love that person, I will accept everything.”

I tease her, but Rias answers normally. Oho, your dignity as the legal wife sure is showing up. She doesn’t panic even if I say the word husband. There is no doubt. They are a husband and wife that look good together like the people around them say.

“……Looks like we will be arriving at the area where the local staff from the Vampire’s side are waiting for us.”

Kiba who is sitting in the passenger seat has the map opened, and is staring at the compass used by Devils.

Rias then asks.

“What happened to Cao Cao? You did receive a call yesterday, correct?”

Ah, that. I received the report of the aftermath from that bastard Śakra.

“It seems like Indra punished all of the Longinus possessors from the Hero-faction. That includes Cao Cao, Georg, and Leonardo. But according to Indra, he confiscated the spear, and sent those three to Hades.”

Though, he didn’t hand us the holy-spear. That bastard Śakra is probably in possession of Dimension Lost and Annihilation Maker.

It will make him look like the one who finished off the Hero-faction. Even though he lent his strength to them. He used them to the very end, and he attained a reason for being in possession of the Longinus.

[It can’t be helped for Śakra who punished the Hero-faction to be in possession of the Longinus for a temporary time.]

He attained a very good excuse. So we are in a situation where it’s hard for us to complain. Heracles and Jeanne that we captured have given up their connection with Śakra……but I wonder how deep they are connected with that cunning Śakra.

……Damn, the one who defeated them are the young Devils, you know?

He stole the good parts at the very end!

“……For him who was aiming to become the poison against supernatural beings.”

Kiba mutters.

Indra’s voice comes back to my mind. He did speak about Cao Cao.

[HAHAHA, that brat moved around without thinking about what he wanted to become, that’s why he failed. If he wanted to become strong as a human, then he shouldn’t have relied on Medusa’s eye. Since he spoke of being a hero while being half-assed that made him fail. As the result, that eye became fatal. Laughable, right? Laugh at him. At the end, he turned into a clown.]

Yeah, if he had continued to fight as a simple human, then the holy-spear would have lent its strength to his will.

So it ended for him because the “The will of the God from the Bible” determined that “Rather than the ambition of the host, the dream of the Sekiryuutei who is a Devil and a Dragon is better” huh.

[——The ones who will hunt monsters, are human heroes. So there’s nothing that the shitty brat who went beyond a human to become a snob can do.]

Regarding that, I agree. Having Indra say that is the end for him.

But, just like Ise, there was a young-side to Cao Cao. Wanting to become someone is the part of being young. And isn’t the one who put such ambition in that youth of wanting to become a hero you, aye Śakra-sama?

Śakra said this to me after that.

[Well, to me, the “Oppai Dragon” who is a Devil and is calling himself a hero is also quite a clown, you know? What’s the point of a Devil being a hero? Isn’t it the desire of the Devils to deceive humans and control them from the shadows? No matter how much he lives on by saying innocent things, the group of those young Devils on your side are also evil and vicious “Devils” that live on by using humans, you know? No matter how far he goes, he is still far off from being a real hero. ––It’s just child's play.]

……I won’t deny all of that.

But the Devils, ––the Underworld is changing as well. That’s why they were about to collapse if they continued to have the old structure of the world of Devils.

……But forcing him to become a hero, huh. Was I doing the same as well……?

Rias then asks.

“What is Śakra trying to do? The God of war who let Cao Cao loose, who taunted Hades indirectly, and who brought chaos to each faction. Azazel, did you ask about his true ambition?”

“Yeah, that guy wants to create people who can oppose the God of destruction, Shiva. He believes that wars will give birth to strong people.”

……Though I don’t know how much of that is the truth…… It seems like Indra would do anything in order to win against Shiva.

––Then a communication-type magic-circle comes to me. It appears automatically next to my ear. I then receive a call from the other side. This is just a call I receive at fixed times. I will communicate with them directly afterwards.

––––! ……I couldn't believe my own ears at the information I am getting.

“……Grendel……and Lucifugus……?”

……What, what is going on……? So something insane is going on in Japan again!

Grendel!? Shouldn't that guy have already been eliminated!? And the Khaos Brigade?

This matter goes around inside my head.

The Vampires that got possession of the Holy Grail, stray magicians,the Khaos Brigade that is reorganising itself, the members of the “Khaos Brigade” that are appearing at the places Vali is investigating, the survivor from Lucifugus, and the appearance of the legendary Dragon that was supposed to have been eliminated.

……Maybe they are all connected? The timings are too perfect. A situation which makes me think that it’s something that couldn’t be avoided.

If everything ties into one thing……then there isn’t anything more dangerous……!

And Euclid Lucifugus—.

I have browsed through a bit of data about him before.

The rebellion that happened between the Devils in the past, the internal conflict between the old government and the anti-government which has Sirzechs as their ace. Grayfia’s real brother's living or dead status became unknown during that time. That is Euclid Lucifugus. Officially, he’s said to be dead, and I have heard that Grayfia said that she doesn’t think her brother is alive.

He happens to be alive, and he’s the one who is leading the organisation……?

No, even if he has the strength to do so, there is something missing from him which would allow him to become the head of those crazy bastards.

That is charisma––.

Even if you aren’t as famous as Ophis, they still need a person who deserves the place of being a Boss.

It’s the Lucifugus who has been standing next to those who stand at the very top since their birth. So I can’t think that Euclid is the new Boss.

……So who is the mastermind behind it?

Who was the core member that brought the Khaos Brigade together within this short time……?

Did they make a new Ophis from the power of Ophis that they stole? That’s possible, but that would mean they need someone very strong who can manipulate the new Ophis. The strong person, that is the new Boss.

Hades and Śakra……no, they can’t be. The former will definitely get exiled by the Chief-God Zeus if he causes another stir. The latter……Indra’s main objective is the battle against Shiva.

Even if they were plotting something between them, there would be no merit for them to become the Boss of the terrorists.

The Khaos Brigade that is hated by each faction, and is the gathering of the hated ones from each faction——.

The one who will be at the top is someone strong who is turning into a puppet, or simply a bastard who is insanely crazy.

I hit my own knee to release the ill feelings that I am carrying.

“Khaos Brigade” ——.

The organisation of terrorists that has gathered those who are dissatisfied with the current structure of each faction.

The Bosses who have actually been controlling them have changed several times.

Shalba Beelzebub from the Old-Maou faction, and Cao Cao from the Hero-faction——.

They are still active even after losing Ophis——.

No matter how it changes inside, the existence of the “Khaos Brigade” is going to stand in our way. The organisation itself will continue to be active, no matter how many times we crush them——.

“Rias, Kiba looks like something troublesome is going to happen.”

While driving through the mists which you can’t see through, I start my discussion with them about what happened in Japan, and how we will be coping with it from now——.