Albedo, still basking in Xuanyu's praise, gave a firm, determined nod. "I shall ensure your name is honored in this battle, my lord."
Rias, arms crossed and still sulking, muttered under her breath, "Seriously… rock-paper-scissors…?"
Booma snickered. "Don't be salty, Red. Luck's part of the game."
Rias shot her a glare. "It's not about luck! It's the principle! How do you decide a battlefield formation with rock-paper-scissors?!"
Xuanyu smirked. "Efficiently."
Rias groaned. "You people are impossible."
As the group processed the results, Albedo took a deliberate step back. A confident smirk graced her lips as she activated her battle attire with a flouri
A dark, obsidian-colored breastplate formed over her torso, adorned with golden engravings in intricate, demonic patterns. Her pauldrons flared out, sharp and regal, emphasizing her high-ranking status. A flowing, deep-purple cape unfurled from her back, lined with velvet and embroidered with Nazarick's and Wish Granting Shop's insignia.
Her gauntlets gleamed as clawed fingertips extended slightly, a subtle yet dangerous reminder of her demonic nature. Her lower attire consisted of a layered battle skirt, both elegant and functional, reinforced with magic-infused obsidian plates. Her boots, polished black with golden trim, had a sharp heel that barely made a sound against the ground.
Finally, a crown-like headpiece materialized on her forehead, framing her sharp golden eyes as she gazed at Xuanyu with absolute devotion.
"I am ready, my lord," Albedo announced, her voice brimming with pride and anticipation.
The room was silent for a moment.
Irene whistled. "Damn… that's fancy."
Acier muttered, "That's more like an Empress' attire than battle gear…"
Almight rubbed his chin. "It's… very majestic. Not what I expected, but impressive."
Nezu sighed. "At least she looks ready for war, not just a rescue mission. Please try not to level a city or two."
Xuanyu looked at the divine artifacts and silently mourned for their opponents, imagining the absolute crushing that going to happen in next two hours. A God, two Dragons, and a succubus with Divine rank artifacts.
Shaking his head. "Good. Then let's move out."
Nezu sighed, rubbing his temples as if he could already feel the weight of future complaints stacking on his desk. "I can already imagine tomorrow's headlines:
'Mysterious Figures Level an Entire City… Just to Save a Single Girl.'
'Unknown Group Commits Wholesale Massacre—Authorities Baffled.'"
He exhaled heavily. "I can already hear the emergency meetings. 'Who are they?' 'Where did they come from?' 'How do we negotiate with beings who treat citywide destruction as a casual side effect of their objectives?' This is going to be a nightmare…"
Foara grinned, patting him on the back as if that would somehow ease his growing stress. "Don't worry too much, short stuff. There won't be much of a problem. After all—"
She never got to finish her sentence.
"Hey, Ditian," Xuanyu's voice cut through the room, smooth yet laced with amusement. "Transform into your true dragon form. After all, it's only fitting to show the majesty of Spirit Beasts to this world of heroes."
The air in the room shifted immediately. The sheer weight of the suggestion hit like a physical force, suffocating in its implications.
For a split second, there was silence. Then, a low, rumbling chuckle.
"Heh. As you wish my lord." Ditian's golden eyes gleamed, his lips curling into a smirk that promised nothing short of devastation.
And then—
"What the hell, Xuanyu?!" Rias exploded, stepping forward with her hands clenched into fists. "Are you insane?! If he does that, we won't just be making headlines—we'll be making history books under catastrophic events!"
Her crimson hair flared behind her, her frustration clear. "Do you even care about the collateral damage? Or are we just going to pretend like this world's heroes won't go into a full-blown panic?"
Beside her, Acier Silva let out a small, amused hum, her lips quirking in interest. "A full dragon transformation, hm?" She folded her arms, tilting her head as her eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Now this I'd like to see. Not many creatures dare to display such power so openly… but then again, true dragons have no need for modesty."
Shisui, meanwhile, let out a slow breath, his Sharingan flickering to life instinctively. He glanced at Xuanyu with an expression that perfectly encapsulated exasperation. "Y'know, I usually like a challenge, but if a damn dragon the size of a mountain shows up, I might just call in sick for this mission."
Booma snorted. "Coward."
Shisui shot her a glare. "It's called self-preservation. You should try it sometime."
On the other side of the room, All Might chuckled nervously, though there was a sheen of sweat forming on his brow. "That sounds… excessive?" His usually booming voice carried a distinct unease.
He turned to Nezu, lowering his voice. "Should I call some pro heroes? …Actually, no. Should I call all of them?"
Nezu didn't respond. He was too busy massaging his temples, probably reevaluating his life choices.
Bibi Dong, watching the chaos unfold, let out an amused hum as she rested her chin on her palm. " Two dragons, a god, and a demon walk into a battlefield… sounds like the start of a legend."
Her smirk widened slightly. "Though, I wonder—will this world's so-called 'heroes' be able to stomach what they're about to witness?"
Irene, who had been silently observing up until now, finally sighed, rubbing her temples. "Oh great, another arrogant dragon flaunting its power."
She shot Ditian a sidelong glance. "…At least tell me you've got some control over your destruction. We won't be good guests if we left Almight and Nezu to deal with an entire continent's worth of fallout because someone wanted to show off."
Ditian merely chuckled, the sound sending a faint tremor through the air. "Oh, I have control." He grinned, flashing his sharp fangs. "Doesn't mean I like using it."
Lily Potter, who had been pinching the bridge of her nose as though fighting off an oncoming headache, finally spoke, her voice flat. "I swear, if I live through another world-ending event, I'm putting in a request for a vacation."
She turned to Xuanyu, her green eyes filled with tired exasperation. "Next time, can we not flex in a way that triggers international crises?"
Her tone was dry, unimpressed, but there was an edge to it—like she was genuinely debating whether she should start hexing people just to keep the destruction to a minimum.
Xuanyu, of course, remained utterly unbothered by the sheer panic in the room. He grinned, his expression a mixture of amusement and mischief. "Where's the fun in that?"
Then, without warning, his body pulsed with power. His pupils shifted into nine-colored slits, radiant yet predatory, as golden dragon claws shimmered into existence, extending from his fingertips like weapons forged from divine authority.
A deep, almost ethereal echo laced his voice as he spread his hands wide, exuding raw dominance.
"It is time to announce to the world that the true rulers of the skies are Dragons!"
The weight of his words reverberated through the room, pressing down like an invisible force. Power surged, making the very air feel heavier, crackling with an intensity that sent shivers down the spines of even the strongest warriors present.
Then—
Silence.
Xuanyu blinked. His once-imposing stance faltered slightly. A single bead of sweat rolled down his temple as realization hit him like a truck.
"...That was way too chunni."
A beat of absolute stillness.
Then—
Booma outright cackled, doubling over as she clutched her stomach. "Oh my God, you actually said that with a straight face!"
Rias facepalmed, groaning into her hands. "That was embarrassing just to witness."
Shisui took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let it out in a slow exhale. "This is it. This is my villain origin story."
Acier crossed her arms, smirking. "A bold declaration, but the execution needs work. Maybe less dramatics next time?"
Bibi Dong, for her part, merely tilted her head, giving Xuanyu a slow, scrutinizing look. Then, she simply stated, "I feel secondhand embarrassment."
Lily, who had been standing still with a deadpan stare, finally let out a long, suffering sigh. She turned away, rubbing her temples. "You children exhaust me."
Meanwhile, Irene, rather than mocking him, simply smiled knowingly. "Chunni or not, declarations of power have their place." She gave Xuanyu an appraising look, lips curling. "Though perhaps next time, something a little… subtler?"
Ditian, who had been watching the spectacle with mild amusement, finally stepped forward, looming over Xuanyu with a smirk.
Xuanyu coughed into his fist, clearing his throat as he straightened. "Ahem. Anyway—shall we move out?"
Nezu, still sitting in the corner, merely sighed and muttered under his breath, "At this point, I should start preparing statements for when they accidentally blow up half a country."