The aftermath of my clash with Azazel left the battlefield eerily silent. The wind shifted, carrying with it the faint scent of blood and the remnants of divine power. Azazel, defeated and broken, lay crumpled against the mountainside, the faintest traces of his wings twitching. His divine essence had been ripped apart by the sheer force of my Authority, the power of a god unleashed upon him. But even with his body battered, I could feel it—the undeniable spark of something more. Azazel was a Fallen Angel, after all. A being of divine blood, his story far from over.
But for now, the battle was mine.
I took a deep breath, allowing the divine energy to flow back into the depths of my soul, the golden light surrounding me dimming as I lowered my hand. The golden gauntlet that had formed around my arm faded, the heat of battle leaving me in a strange stillness. I was no longer just a man. Not just a Campione. I was a vessel of divine wrath—a myth made flesh.
I turned away from Azazel's crumpled form, my mind already shifting to the next step. Rias was waiting for me. The Gremory heir, who had been watching from the sidelines, intrigued but cautious. I could feel her eyes upon me, her calculating gaze never leaving my figure as I approached.
When I reached the edge of the crater, I glanced over at her, the faintest traces of golden light still flickering around my figure. She didn't seem surprised, nor did she seem impressed—her demeanor was as cool and collected as ever, as if witnessing the death of a Fallen Angel was a regular occurrence.
"You've certainly made your mark," she said softly, her voice cutting through the silence. "Azazel won't be able to challenge you again... not in this state."
I didn't answer, letting the moment stretch. Instead, I walked toward her, each step heavy with the weight of my newfound power. The others—Akeno and Kiba—were with her, both of them still processing what had just happened.
Akeno's eyes sparkled with intrigue, her playful smile barely hiding the growing respect for me. Kiba, on the other hand, appeared far more somber, his gaze sharp, as if assessing me on a deeper level.
Rias's gaze lingered on me before she spoke again, her voice low, serious.
"I didn't expect you to be this strong, Alec," she said, using my name for the first time. "But this isn't a game. What you did here... it's going to attract attention. There are powers far greater than Azazel who will come for you."
"Then let them come," I said simply, my voice filled with certainty. "I'm no longer hiding from anything. Not anymore."
Rias looked at me closely, and for a moment, I could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. She was calculating her next move, weighing the options, considering the risks. And then, she spoke again.
"You may think you're ready, but there's more to this world than just raw power," she said, her tone softening slightly. "There are rules, Alec. Ancient factions, celestial politics. If you want to survive here, you need allies. You need protection. You need us."
I raised an eyebrow, feeling the subtle hum of the **mirror** in my soul as it pulsed with quiet power. I had already crossed the threshold. I had already walked the paths of gods and slayed the divine. But I understood what she was saying. She wasn't wrong.
"I'm not looking for protection," I replied, my voice steady, though the undertone of challenge was still present. "But if you think I need allies, then I'll hear you out."
Akeno chuckled lightly. "Bold words, Alec. You might be a godslayer, but we're all players in this game. And the rules are complicated. You might not be able to do it alone."
I turned my gaze back to Rias, feeling the weight of her words. She wasn't wrong. Even as a Campione, there was much I didn't understand about this world. Much I didn't know. And if I was to survive the storm that was brewing, I'd need more than just power.
"I'm listening," I said, my eyes locked on hers. "What do you propose?"
Rias took a step closer, her crimson hair cascading down her shoulders in soft waves, her gaze intense.
"You join us," she said simply, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. "You become a member of the Occult Research Club. You'll be under our protection. You'll have access to our resources, our knowledge. And in return, we can help you navigate this world, teach you the intricacies of the factions, the politics, the players."
I didn't say anything for a moment, weighing her words. To accept her offer would mean aligning myself with the Devils—the very beings I had been warned about. But in that moment, I realized something.
Rias wasn't just offering me a place in her club. She was offering me something far more valuable: knowledge. Power. Connections. And that was something I needed. Because if I was going to survive this world, I couldn't do it alone.
"Fine," I said, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "But don't think this means I'm one of you. I'm still a Campione. And I'm not anyone's pawn."
Rias's lips curled into a small smile, her eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and respect. "I never thought you were. But I think you'll find that we can be useful to each other. For now, consider this a mutual alliance. You'll need us, and we'll need you."
I nodded, accepting the terms silently.
"We'll see how this plays out," I said, the words lingering in the air. "But I'm not in this for friendship. I'm in this to conquer. And that includes everything this world can throw at me."
Rias's smile widened, a touch of amusement in her eyes. "I think we'll get along just fine."
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