DxD: Chapter 246/247

Chapter 246: Cooperation

Island of Gozo.
In front of the entrance to the underground mausoleum.

A lazy female voice suddenly echoed through the space.

Akatsuki Kojou's pupils contracted, and he paused mid-step.

Liana's body tensed. She immediately turned around, her piercing blue eyes locking onto the source of the voice, alert and wary.

Then, a blonde beauty dressed in cyan came into view. She rested one hand on her waist, eyes carrying a lazy expression, but her face held a mature aura tempered by the passage of time.

Behind her stood a slightly younger girl with long black hair, her eyes full of curiosity as she observed the surroundings.

"Who is it?"

Liana let out a soft cry and instinctively clenched her fists. Her muscles tightened, and the magic within her surged, on the verge of summoning her beasts.

"Relax,"

Yukari glanced at her and said, "Lion King Organization. Do you mind if I take a look inside?"

"Lion King Organization?"

Hearing this, both Liana and Gajou were stunned.

Clearly, they had heard of the Lion King Organization before.

But…

Why was the Lion King Organization showing up in Gozo?

At that moment, Liana's expression turned grim.

After a pause, she spoke coldly, "Your Lion King Organization is also interested in the Fourth True Ancestor?"

She was clearly displeased. She had invested time and resources for over a month, working non-stop. Now, these so-called people from the Lion King Organization suddenly appeared, hoping to reap the benefits?

Even though her family had declined, she wasn't someone to be pushed around.

Corner her, and she'd bite back hard.

Besides…

The Fourth True Ancestor was vampire business. Why was a human organization sticking its nose in?

The more she thought about it, the darker her expression became.

On the other side, Yukari's eyes lit up at her words.

"This really is the place where the Fourth True Ancestor is sealed?"

She narrowed her eyes.

Originally, she had simply seen some people excavating and decided to bring Yukina to scout the area. She didn't expect to stumble upon something this big.

Liana: "…"

So you didn't even know?!

She felt like she'd said something incredibly stupid.

Still…

Even if Yukari hadn't known, with the strange space in front of them, she would've figured it out eventually.

Liana's eyes narrowed. She raised her hand and waved. A faint ripple passed through the air.

"Sköll, Hati!"

As the words fell, two massive wolves appeared behind her.

"Awooo—!"

With one cloaked in molten lava and the other bathed in moonlight, they howled into the sky. The sheer pressure in the air trembled from their power.

Yukari raised an eyebrow.

She knew she was trying to swoop in and take credit, which wasn't exactly honorable, but…

She had her own mission.

Since negotiation was off the table, there was only one option left.

"Yukina."

Without hesitation, Himeragi Yukina pulled the Snowdrift Wolf Schneewalzer from her backpack.

Clang—

The spear emitted a crisp ring as its blade gleamed under the sunlight.

The moment she saw it, Liana's heart skipped a beat.

Her blood began to stir.

Not even the extreme Arctic cold could suppress the heat spreading through her body.

What was this?

There was a flicker of surprise in her eyes as she stared intently at the spear in Yukina's hands.

This weapon… something wasn't right!

Even so, Liana showed no signs of retreat.

The Fourth True Ancestor was key to her family's revival. She wouldn't allow any interference.

A standoff filled the air.

Akatsuki Kojou surveyed the situation, then subtly positioned himself in front of Nagisa, shielding her. He gave Gajou a frantic look.

Find an opportunity to slip away!

That's what his eyes were clearly saying.

Gajou gave a small OK sign in return, raising a confident eyebrow.

Leave it to me!

Kojou: "?"

Seeing Gajou step forward, Kojou's mouth twitched.

Liana, who noticed him move, frowned. "You want me to hand over this mausoleum?"

"Don't be so dramatic," Gajou shrugged. "We could cooperate with the Lion King Organization."

"After all…"

"We don't know what kind of danger is inside. With more firepower, we'll be safer…"

Liana's expression didn't change. "Which means we'll have to split what's inside the mausoleum."

Seeing her hesitation, Gajou didn't press further. Instead, he stared at the weapon in Yukina's hands.

"If I remember right, that spear is the Mechanical Demon-Purging Assault Spear Mark Seven?"

"Oh?"

Yukari looked at him with interest. "You're pretty knowledgeable for a human."

Gajou smirked. "I'm an archaeologist, after all."

"Heh, archaeology?" Yukari sneered. "That's what you're calling it now?"

She looked past him toward the dimensional rift.

Digging into otherworldly spaces and recognizing the Snowdrift Wolf?

This guy clearly wasn't just any ordinary archaeologist.

Meanwhile, Liana's frown deepened at Gajou's words.

"A weapon especially effective against vampires?"

As a noble vampire, she was quite aware of its capabilities.

This was… problematic.

Also, the Lion King Organization entrusted such a weapon to a mere high school girl?

Gajou whispered, "Liana, you should understand how effective that weapon is against your kind."

"Don't be deceived by the fact that it's in a student's hands. The weapon itself ignores the difference in power between wielder and target."

"You don't have to spell it out for me."

Liana clenched her fists, her face still troubled.

Restoring her family had never been easy.

Seeing this, Gajou couldn't help but smile slightly.

Finally, after all her nagging over the past few weeks, it felt refreshing to see her humbled a bit.

Suppressing the smirk, he asked flatly, "So, what's your decision?"

Liana gave him a look, silent for a moment.

Then she sighed, dismissing her two summoned beasts.

In any case…

She had come to pledge loyalty to the Fourth True Ancestor.

Letting them enter wouldn't cause her any loss… right?

She consoled herself and looked up, speaking coldly, "We can cooperate."

Upon hearing that, Yukari smiled slightly and nodded to Yukina.

Yukina understood and placed the Snowdrift Wolf back in her backpack.

Liana let out a barely noticeable breath of relief.

She still needed to revive her family. She couldn't afford to throw her life away now.

Still…

If she was going to agree to a partnership, she needed to set terms. She didn't want it to seem like she gave in out of fear.

Her eyes flickered. "We can cooperate, but…"

She turned toward Kojou and Nagisa.

"Once we enter the mausoleum, I want you to guarantee the safety of these two."

"?"

Yukari blinked in mild surprise.

A vampire… concerned about the safety of humans?

Interesting.

She gave Liana a curious glance.

This vampire… might not be a bad person?

Kojou was also stunned.

He hadn't expected Liana's condition to be his and Nagisa's safety.

He was dragged into this without any warning, but…

This blonde sister might actually be a decent person?

Still…

It looked like he'd have to go underground too…

Thinking of that, he wanted to cry but had no tears.

He glanced at Nagisa, who stared blankly ahead, unresponsive, and sighed inwardly.

"Alright, I accept."

Yukari nodded without hesitation.

Even without Liana's request, the Lion King Organization would never leave two children to fend for themselves in a dangerous place.

So this condition was basically meaningless to her.

"Good. In that case, let's head down."

Seeing the cooperation established, Gajou clapped his hands and urged everyone forward.

Hearing that, the group exchanged glances, nodded, and walked toward the dark abyss ahead.

At the same time…

Above them in the space distorted by magic.

A petite figure hidden within the void watched everything unfold.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 247: Sleeping Beauty

At the entrance to the underground mausoleum.

Once Yukari and the others entered the dimensional rift, Natsuki Minamiya's figure slowly emerged from the air.

She looked toward the dark void ahead and furrowed her brow.

"This is… so-called archaeology?"

Taking out her phone, she glanced at the message sent by the client, her expression growing gloomier by the second.

All she wanted was to make a little extra money to buy some expensive black tea.

How did this turn into something this dangerous?

"The Fourth True Ancestor…"

She mouthed the words, her expression serious.

This wasn't something to be taken lightly.

Still…

She looked again at the unpaid balance and sighed helplessly.

"Well, since I'm already here…"

It would be a complete waste to return empty-handed.

Besides, the client hadn't set any real conditions. All she had to do was follow the group and assist in the archaeological work.

To be honest, she didn't fully understand what the client was after.

Was it really just archaeology?

Or was she being dragged into this chaos surrounding the Fourth True Ancestor?

After pondering for a moment, Natsuki gave up on thinking too deeply.

With her space manipulation abilities, she had nothing to fear from some mysterious plot.

But…

If she didn't get paid afterward, she would definitely make that client regret it.

Decision made, Natsuki stepped toward the dark dimensional rift without hesitation.

Underground tomb.

Yukari and the others entered.

In the next instant, an icy blue brilliance filled their vision.

A frigid chill swept over the entire space.

As the only ordinary person in the group, Akatsuki Kojou shivered violently, his whole body trembling from the cold.

He exhaled, and a puff of white mist drifted into the air.

"Isn't this a little too cold?"

Kojou rubbed his arms in an attempt to warm up, his teeth chattering.

But...

No one responded to him.

Everyone else here wasn't exactly normal.

Kojou: "…"

He gave them all a blank stare.

Then he zeroed in on Gajou.

But seriously? You too?

Even a guy with thick brows and honest eyes had betrayed the ranks of ordinary humans?

It was only now that Kojou realized something was off.

His so-called archaeologist father…

Was somehow involved with vampires?

And this underground mausoleum definitely wasn't ordinary.

Don't tell him this was what Gajou's usual "archaeology" jobs looked like?

Thinking about that, Kojou's expression became complicated.

Dad, you're definitely hiding something big.

Right!

And what about Nagisa?

He suddenly thought of his sister and looked over.

Nagisa floated peacefully in the air, completely unaffected.

Kojou: "…"

So he's the only one freezing?

Kojou curled up and sighed in frustration.

He felt like a husky trying to blend in with a pack of wolves.

Gajou looked around cautiously, scanning the surroundings.

Liana seemed a bit relieved as she sensed the cold.

"This level of cold must be the power of the Twelfth Element."

Which meant…

This really was the tomb of the Fourth True Ancestor.

Thinking that, her excitement grew.

The hope of reviving her family was right before her!

Liana's breathing grew rapid. She quickened her pace, moving deeper into the tomb without even realizing it.

Seeing her reaction, the others followed closely behind.

Soon after…

A crystal-clear ice coffin appeared before them.

Inside it, a delicate figure lay in what appeared to be a peaceful slumber.

Her golden hair shimmered faintly, her features were flawless, and her slim figure made her look like a fairy-tale doll—like a Sleeping Beauty resting in eternal stillness.

"This is…"

Gajou's pupils contracted sharply. A powerful wave of emotion surged in his chest.

"Her Majesty, the Fourth True Ancestor!"

The moment she saw the girl and felt the pressure in her bloodline, Liana instantly understood the girl's identity.

Without hesitation, she dropped to one knee.

"Liana Caruana, Sixth Head of the Caruana Clan, pays her respects to Her Majesty, the Fourth True Ancestor!"

Her solemn voice echoed through the chamber.

But…

Silence.

A heavy, suffocating silence filled the tomb.

"?"

Getting no response, Liana's expression grew uneasy.

Yukari stepped forward, touching the ice coffin lightly. Her gaze landed on the sleeping girl inside.

"She hasn't awakened yet."

Upon hearing this, Liana's eyes lit up with surprise. She looked at the girl in the coffin even more intently.

But…

There was no reaction. The girl remained still, eyes closed.

Liana frowned slightly. "Is there any way to wake Her Majesty?"

Gajou shrugged. "That's way beyond me."

The Fourth True Ancestor was right in front of them…

But there wasn't the slightest hint of awakening.

Even with so many people intruding into her tomb.

Hearing this, Liana remained silent.

Compared to her frustration, Yukari was much more relaxed.

In fact…

She felt a little relieved the Fourth True Ancestor didn't wake up.

After all…

She really didn't want to clash with a legendary figure today.

Turning to Himeragi Yukina, she said, "Yukina, contact Lord Lynn."

"?"

Liana instantly frowned and asked coldly, "What do you mean?"

Yukari didn't lower her voice, drawing the attention of Gajou and the others.

She said lazily, "You want her to wake up, right?"

"As your partner, I'll help share the burden~"

Liana hesitated for a moment, then asked seriously, "This Lynn you speak of… can he wake the Fourth True Ancestor?"

"Of course."

Yukari nodded with a confident smile.

Well…

Master should be able to, right?

Besides, this was just a convenient excuse to bring him here.

Once Lynn arrived, what happened afterward was none of her concern.

Her mission ended with getting him in front of the Fourth True Ancestor.

Liana didn't know that.

In fact, she felt somewhat grateful.

Meanwhile…

Gajou gave Yukari a look filled with suspicion.

This woman…

Was she seriously trying to trick someone?

People sure are easy to fool sometimes.

Gajou shook his head but didn't say anything.

Well…

Maybe it's easier to remember a lesson after learning it the hard way.

As Liana's "investor," he felt it was necessary to let her experience this kind of growth.

On the other side, Himeragi Yukina pulled out her phone and sent a message to Lynn.

Suddenly.

Footsteps echoed through the underground tomb!

Liana, Yukari, and the others instantly became alert.

"Hehehe!"

"So the Fourth True Ancestor is hiding in a place like this!"

Before anyone appeared, a rough voice rang out.

The next moment, a group of people in green military uniforms blocked their path!

Then…

A tall, burly man emerged from the crowd. He looked them over, his mouth curling into a sinister grin.

"Thanks for leading me to the Fourth True Ancestor."

"Now that your job's done…"

"You're no longer needed."

"So…"

"Could you kindly die?"

(To be continued.)