RIIIIIP
The spatial tear sealed behind us with the sound of reality itself being sutured shut, purple energy crackling and fizzling back into nothing.
Issei whirled around like a kid at an amusement park, his jaw practically scraping the ground as he gawked at the colossal entrance carved into the mountainside.
"WHOA! This place is INSANE!" His voice echoed off the rocks "It's like something straight out of Dragon Quest!!"
A Dragon Quest Indeed.
I tuned out his rambling and closed my eyes, pushing my Observation Haki outward like an expanding dome. The invisible net of my awareness swept through the cavern, mapping every path in it, feeling the cool dampness of underground streams, sensing the faint skittering of cave-dwelling creatures.
But no dragon.
My eyes snapped open, brow furrowing.
Where the hell is she?
II| You can come inside |II
Tiamat's voice slithered through my mind like thread dragged across bare skin, intimate and invasive all at once. My spine went rigid, every muscle tensing for half a heartbeat before I forced myself to relax.
Telepathy.
My fingers flexed involuntarily. Her stealth was beyond absurd, completely erasing her presence so thoroughly that even my Observation Haki, which could detect a newborn from three blocks away, found nothing but empty air and stone. No wonder she held the title of strongest Dragon King. Even Ddraig, cozy in his Sacred Gear, hadn't sensed her yet.
I got to learn this technique.
"Yo, Kiba!" Issei squinted into the darkness, cupping his hands around his eyes like it would help "Where's this mysterious lady you were talking about? I don't see jack!"
FWOOOOSH—
I summoned a blade through Sword Birth, the metal materializing within my hand. Channeling fire through the steel, and in the next moment, flames erupted at the tip, transforming it into a makeshift torch. The dancing firelight pushed back the oppressive darkness, revealing a tunnel that yawned deeper into the mountain's belly like a throat waiting to swallow us whole.
Shadows writhed and twisted along the rough stone walls.
"She's waiting inside" I said, already striding forward. The flames cast my shadow long and distorted behind me.
"H-Hey, wait up!" Issei called out as he scrambled after me "Don't just leave me behind in the creepy death cave!"
Our footsteps echoed that bounced off the narrow passage. The air grew cooler as we descended deep into it, carrying the mineral scent of underground water and something else...that made my instincts prickle.
My mind wandered back to last night's incident. The revelation still sat in my head till now, but more than revelation it's Lady Phenex's seperation that made my mind spin till now. I hope she returns back to how she was and his husband gets over his ego and accepts his mistake but knowing Devils, pride is more of a worry some disease than the sleep disease that most of them were suffering in the Underworld.
It's no reason worrying over spilled milk, I'll think it about when I get back. Right now my focus should be here and make sure that Issei and I both don't end up becoming late night snack for the Dragon King.
The ceiling stretched impossibly high, lost in shadow even with my torch. Rock formations jutted from the ground like frozen lightning strikes. This was where I'd first encountered Tiamat, where she'd bound me with that damned contract.
I swept the space again with Haki, reaching for any hint of her presence.
Still nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
She was here. I knew it. But my senses were useless to even catch a glimpse of her presence even in the slightest.
"Where... hah... is she?" Issei doubled over, hands braced on his knees, sucking in air like a drowning man "I thought... hah... you said... she was here..."
And in the next moment, the Great Dragon King made her appearance.
"Long time no see, Ddraig"
Tiamat emerged from the shadows like she'd been woven from them, her human form gliding forward with grace. Each footfall was silent despite the hard stone beneath her feet. Blue hair cascaded past her shoulders, catching the torchlight and seeming to glow from within.
And those eyes, golden with slitted pupils that tracked our every movement like a predator sizing up prey.
"HOLY MOTHER OF—" Issei's eyes bulged so wide I worried they'd pop out. His face flushed crimson as his gaze locked onto her chest, which her outfit did absolutely nothing to hide "Those are MASSIVE! I mean seriously, they're even BIGGER than Rias-senpai's! And that outfit! The sideboob! The underboob! Is this heaven?!!!"
I sighed suppressing the urge to pinch my nose Luckily, I don't have to deal with this in Rias's peerage every single damn day. Best decision I ever made
[[ T-T-Tiamat?! ]]
Ddraig's voice crackled through the Boosted Gear like a broken radio, shock and terror bleeding through every word he voiced out.
[[ What are you—how did you—doing here?! ]]
Tiamat stopped a few distance away but close enough to feel threatening, far enough to make us come to her if we wanted.
"After running away for centuries" her voice dripped with pure venomous tone "You better have a damn good explanation for losing my treasure after you *stole* it from me"
The word 'stole' echoed off the walls: stole... stole... stole...
I always wondered when I read it in light novels I kept my face carefully blank, but internally my thoughts were racing Why did Ddraig steal from Tiamat?! That's like... that's like a genin challenging Madara Uchiha to one vs one combat. What kind of suicidal stupidity was that?!
Her golden eyes flicked toward me without moving her head, and for one frozen moment, our gazes locked. Something unreadable swirled in those draconic depths, amusement? Curiosity? Hard to tell as she turned her attention back to the green jewel embedded in Issei's trembling hand.
[[ I—I'm so, SO sorry! ]]Ddraig sounded like he was two seconds from crying [[ I swear on my name, on my pride as one of the Heavenly Dragons, with my partner's help I'll find your treasure and return it to you! Every last one of it ! ]]
"Wait wait WAIT—why are you dragging ME into YOUR mess?!" Issei protested, gesturing wildly.
Then he felt it.
The weight of Tiamat's stare crashed down on him like a physical force. The Dragon King's expression didn't change, not even a twitch, but the air grew thick, suffocating. The torchlight flickered.
Issei's face drained of color faster than water down a drain. Sweat beaded on his forehead, rolling down his temples.
"I-I-I mean, YES! Absolutely! No problem whatsoever!" He forced a smile so wide and fake it looked like his face might crack "Finding treasure is, uh, totally my thing! I Love treasure hunt! Can't get enough of it! Haha... ha... heh..."
The laugh died in his throat like a strangled animal.
Tiamat folded her arms beneath her impressive chest, which only served to push them up more, a fact Issei's eyes immediately registered despite his mortal terror "You better keep your word, Ddraig. And *you*," her gaze speared Issei like a harpoon "If you try to run away like he did, I'll burn you to ashes so fine they'll scatter on the wind. Understood?"
"U-UNDERSTOOD!" Issei and Ddraig shouted in perfect unison of absolute terror.
Finally I exhaled slowly through my noseIt's time to get this binding contract off my back
But Tiamat's eyes shifted to me, and my relief evaporated like morning dew "You" She jerked her chin toward a dark section of the cavern "Follow me" Then to Issei without looking "Stay here. Don't go anywhere until we return"
She turned on her heel and walked back toward the shadows, her footsteps still utterly silent.
I followed, maintaining her pace Okay, we pulled it off. Not only Ddraig, but even we got off this situation just like I predicted My thoughts turned cautious, wary But will she actually release the contract? Or is this where she adds MORE conditions?
Tiamat's form seemed to blur slightly at the edges as she moved through patches of darkness, like she was part shadow herself.
She stopped so abruptly I nearly walked into her back. We stood before what appeared to be a colossal wall, a dead end, rough and natural-looking, with no indication of anything beyond.
Then she placed her palm flat against the stone.
VVVVVMMMMMM
The wall hummed, vibrating with power that made my teeth ache. Blue magic circles ignited across the surface like a chain reaction.
FLASH-FLASH-FLASH
One after another, each intricate pattern expanding until they painted the entire wall in glowing azure light. The symbols rotated, interlocking, pulsing with energy.
With a grinding sound that sounded like the earth's bones shifting, the rock split perfectly down the center. The two halves swung outward like massive doors, and—
"..."
Mountains of gold coins stretched before me, glittering under some ethereal light source that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. The heaps rose like dunes in a desert of wealth, each peak probably containing more money than most people saw in ten lifetimes.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Swords—hundreds of them, maybe thousands—jutted from the golden heaps like grave markers in a cemetery of riches. Their blades caught the light: katanas, broadswords, rapiers, scimitars, weapons from every culture and era imaginable.
Ornate armor stood propped against the walls, each piece a masterwork. Jeweled weapons lay scattered like toys in a child's room—a spear with a ruby the size of my fist embedded in its shaft, a war hammer whose head was carved from a single sapphire. Rings covered in runes hummed with dormant power. Crowns that had probably sat on the heads of long-dead kings gathered dust.
Ancient artifacts I couldn't even name were piled carelessly: orbs that swirled with trapped galaxies, mirrors whose surfaces showed scenes from other places, books bound in materials I didn't recognize.
This is...
Words failed me. My brain stuttered trying to process the sheer volume of wealth. This wasn't just treasure, this was the accumulated plunder of millennia. This was history itself, hoarded and forgotten.
*So this is what a Dragon King's hoard looks like. No wonder she is so obsessed about getting back the lost fraction of it"
Before I could fully process the overwhelming sight in front of me, Tiamat stepped close and placed her hand over my chest. Her palm was warm through my shirt.
WHOOOM—
A blue magic circle materialized in the air between us, spinning slowly, intricate patterns glowing bright enough to make me squint. I felt something inside me, the binding contract, that invisible chain I'd been carrying for weeks, shudder.
Then the circle shattered.
CRASH—
Like glass breaking, the fragments dissolved into glittering particles that faded to nothing.
It felt as if I could breathe again. Actually breathe, like I'd been underwater all this time and finally surfaced.
"Come with me" Tiamat said, not giving me even a second to process my newfound freedom.
FWOOOOSH—
Massive dragon wings unfurled from her back with a sound like sails catching wind, scaled and powerful and utterly magnificent. She lifted off the ground effortlessly, rising into the air above the sea of treasure with easy, practiced grace.
I summoned my devil wings, steadily carrying me upward until I hovered beside her, floating above an endless ocean of gold and artifacts.
The view from up here was even more staggering. The treasure stretched farther than I'd thought, disappearing into shadows at the chamber's edges.
Tiamat gestured broadly with one arm, her movements theatrical and proud "There are Artifacts from dynasties that crumbled to dust millennia ago." She pointed to a section where ornate weapons gleamed "Blades forged by smiths whose techniques died with them, whose names have been erased from every record" Her hand swept toward clusters of jewels that sparkled like captured stars "Gems worth more than kingdoms, more than some countries' wealth in human world"
She turned to me, expectant, those golden eyes studying my face "What do you think? Isn't this all impressive"
I took a moment, really considering it honestly.
Collecting things had never been my style. The thrill was in the chase, the hunt, the pursuit, the challenge of obtaining something. But once you had it? Once you owned it? The excitement faded like morning mist. Sure, I wanted wealth, but only enough to live comfortably. Enough to not worry about rent, or food, or unexpected expenses. Enough to buy what I needed and occasionally splurge on what I wanted.
This? This was so far beyond that it wrapped around into absurdity.
Still... standing here, hovering above an actual dragon's hoard, being one of probably a handful of people in all of history to witness this sight?
That was something words couldn't quite capture.
"It's incredible, Tiamat san" I said, and meant it "I've never seen anything like this in my entire life. Thanks for letting me have a look at your treasure"
Something in my tone, the genuine awe, maybe, or the lack of greed, made Tiamat's expression soften. The cold mask of the Dragon King cracked, revealing a smile that was real, warm even.
"I should be the one to thank you. For your assistance to bring Ddraig to me" she said, letting that sink in "It took me centuries to chase after him and yet I never got close. Do you understand how valuable it is to me, what you did for me?"
She tilted her head, hair cascading over one shoulder like a waterfall of blue silk.
"I'll grant you a favor for that. One favor, anything within my power"
My thoughts exploded into overdrive.
A favor from a Dragon King. A FAVOR from a DRAGON KING. That's... that's...
The potential value was indeed sensational. I could ask for power, for knowledge, possibly an artifact from this very hoard that could reshape the world's economy multiple times.
Asking her to become my familiar was obviously off the table, she was too proud, too powerful to ever accept servitude. Even suggesting it might piss her off enough to cancel the offer.
Better to save this for later. The whole ordeal was not a waste after all.
I placed my head on my chest and said respectfully "Thank you for your generosity, Tiamat-sama. I'll use your favor in need"
"Good" A slight nod, approving of it.
I shifted my wings slightly, preparing to descend back toward the entrance "If it's alright with you, I should head back to the human world. I've got school tomorrow and—"
"You can return. But You seem to be forgetting something, little devil"
Her tone stopped me cold. That predatory smirk curved her lips again.
I blinked, mentally running through our entire conversation like a checklist. Contract—completed. Favor—accepted. Ddraig and Issei—delivered. What am I missing?
Nothing came to mind.
Tiamat saw my confusion and her smirk widened into an amused one "I told you, if you brought me Ddraig's possessor before the month ended, you might be.." Those golden eyes gleamed with an intensity that made my pulse quicken. "You remember now?"
Oh.
Oh!
The memory hit me like a truck hitting the protagonist, as I remembered her sly smile, promising me I could touch her breasts if I succeeded early.
"Right! Yes, I remember!" The words tumbled out quickly "But you're really going to let me...?"
Tiamat's chuckle was low and rich, vibrating through the air like distant chime.
In one fluid, deliberate motion, she gripped the hem of her top and flipped it upward.
BOUNCE—
Her breasts spilled free, full and perfect and impossibly soft-looking, defying gravity in a way that made my brain short-circuit for three solid seconds. Pale blue skin, generous curves, pink nipples already slightly hardened in the cool air—
GULP
Heat flooded through my body, pooling low in my gut and spreading outward like wildfire.
She closed the distance between us with two wing-beats, her hand sliding over my crotch with confident familiarity. Her fingers traced the outline through the fabric, applying just enough pressure to make every nerve ending stand at attention.
Her breath was hot against my ear as she got closer to me.
"Why don't we get down there," she whispered, each word a deliberate caress "and be comfortable?" Her hand squeezed gently, deliberately "Just letting you touch them won't be enough, don't you agree?"
Then she bit my earlobe, not hard, just a gentle scrape of teeth that sent electricity racing down my spine.
Well Some distant, still-functional part of my brain managed to think through the growing haze of arousal, this escalated REALLY fast. Not complaining though...*
My hands moved on their own, reaching for her hand as we both landed on one of the gold coins heap.
It was going to take some time to return back to the duo, waiting for us out there.
. . . .
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