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[POV - Yuuki Rito] [Yuuki Residence - Living Room]
WHOOSH.
The portal closed behind us with a soft whisper, like a velvet curtain falling. Thanks to my ability to manipulate time and space, technically we hadn't left — or rather, we'd left for days and returned in the same second.
Temporal paradoxes give headaches even to me.
SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.
I looked at the Vali Team. All in attack positions. Bikou with his staff raised. Arthur with his hand on his sword. Le Fay with magic crackling at her fingertips. Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie ready for anything.
And Kuroka...
TREMBLE... TREMBLE...
Kuroka was trembling like a leaf in the wind. And behind her, hidden like a child afraid of the dentist, was Ophis — the damn Infinity Dragon — using the nekomata as a human shield.
Or would it be a feline shield?
— V-Vali! — Kuroka exclaimed as soon as she saw us materializing. — You're okay!
FWOOSH!
She threw herself at him before anyone could blink. Breasts crushing Vali's face in a hug that would probably break a normal human's ribs.
And then something happened that made everyone freeze.
Vali, instead of pushing her away with that characteristic coldness, instead of pretending nothing was happening, instead of muttering something about "not having time for this"...
WRAP.
He wrapped his arms around her waist.
Buried his nose in the curve of her neck.
And whispered, voice loaded with something I'd never heard coming from him:
— I'm sorry, Kuroka.
FWIP! FWIP!
Kuroka's two tails stood up and bristled like antennas catching signals from the universe.
She had spent years trying to break through that frozen barrier. Years of teasing, subtle advances, hope masked as playfulness. And now, out of nowhere...
He had opened the door.
PURRRR...
Kuroka began to purr. Loud. Without shame. Rubbing her face against his like a cat receiving affection after a lifetime of loneliness.
— Nya... Vali... — she murmured, eyes welling up. — You... you really...
— I know — he said simply. — And I'm sorry it took so long.
CRACK.
The sound of something breaking. I looked to the side. Bikou had gripped his staff so hard the wood had cracked.
But it wasn't anger. It was... jealousy? No. Recognition.
— You did it — Bikou whispered, eyes wide. — You really did it, you lucky bastard.
Arthur cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the intimate moment.
— Vali, what exactly happened? One moment you were here, the next... disappeared. And now you return... different.
Everyone looked at Vali. And finally noticed.
HUMMMMM...
His aura. No, his presence. It was like being near a deep lake — calm, but you felt the depth below.
Kuroka, still embracing him, finally realized. Her eyes widened.
— Vali... your Senjutsu... it's... — she tried to find words. — It's perfect. Complete. How...?
— Long story — Vali responded, finally releasing the embrace (but not before caressing one of her ears, making the nekomata melt). — A story better told sitting down.
That's when I decided to intervene.
— Are you going to stand there at the door — I said, trying not to sound too impatient — or do you want to come in? Normally I wouldn't let strangers into my house, but my sister baked a cake. I'm sure Ophis-chan wants a piece.
GASP.
Ophis, still hidden behind Kuroka, peeked out. Her empty eyes gleamed with something that could be... interest?
— Cake — she said, voice monotone but with a touch of hope.
— Chocolate — I added. — With strawberry frosting.
— ...Acceptable.
[Living Room - Minutes Later]
CLINK. CLINK. CLINK.
The sound of cups being placed on the table filled the room. Mikan had prepared tea for everyone — because, apparently, when you have potentially dangerous visitors, the civilized answer is to serve tea.
Little sister logic. Don't question it.
Lala was sitting beside me, eyes sparkling with curiosity. Asia was nervous but smiling politely. Haruna observed everything with that analytical expression of hers. Irina and Xenovia had positioned themselves strategically near the door — old habits of Church warriors.
And Cerys? The demonic maid was serving tea as if receiving the Vali Team was just another normal work day.
Maybe it was, considering the kind of life I lived now.
SIP.
Arthur took a sip of tea, clearly impressed.
— Excellent — he murmured.
— Thank you — Mikan responded, blushing slightly.
Le Fay, sitting beside her brother, couldn't stop looking at me. Not with fear. But with that intense magical curiosity that mages always have when they encounter something they don't understand.
— So — Bikou broke the silence, direct as always — where the hell did you go? One second Vali was there, the next... poof. Gone. And the pressure we felt... — he shuddered. — It was like the universe itself held its breath.
All eyes turned to me.
Sigh.
— I took Vali to a separate dimension — I explained, choosing my words carefully. — A place outside normal time. He... needed space to process something.
— Process? — Kuroka repeated, tails moving nervously. — What kind of processing makes someone disappear and return completely transformed, nya?
Vali, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke:
— I transcended.
CRASH.
Le Fay dropped her cup. Tea spread across the table like a small porcelain tsunami.
— You... what? — Arthur said slowly.
— I transcended — Vali repeated, voice calm. — I passed through the Nine Tribulations. Faced my ego, my karma, my choices. Died and was reborn. And now... — he looked at his own hands — now I'm a Super Devil.
SILENCE.
The silence that followed was so dense you could cut it with a knife.
Then Bikou exploded:
— YOU DID WHAT?! — he jumped from his chair. — Super Devil?! The Nine Tribulations?! You're messing with me!
— I'm not — Vali responded simply.
— But... but... — Bikou pointed accusingly. — I've been training for years to achieve that! YEARS! And you just... just...
— Had a little push — Vali admitted, looking at me. — Rito exposed me to something that... completely broke my perspective. And in the void left behind, something new grew.
Kuroka leaned forward, ears attentive.
— You really passed through the Nine Tribulations? — she asked, voice serious now. — All of them?
— All of them.
— Even the ninth? — Sha Wujing intervened, surprised. — The Reflection of the Presence?
— Especially the ninth.
THUMP.
Zhu Bajie dropped the cake he was eating.
— That's... — he searched for words — impossible. Nobody passes the ninth tribulation without...
— Without dying or going insane, I know — Vali completed. — But I passed. And now... — he smiled — now I finally understand.
Lala, who had been quiet until now, tilted her head.
— Understand what? — she asked, genuine curiosity.
— That power was never the goal — Vali responded. — It was just a distraction. A way to run from the void. But now... I don't need to run anymore.
PURR.
Kuroka purred again, clearly satisfied with the answer.
Ophis, sitting in the corner eating cake silently, finally spoke:
— You changed.
— Yes.
— Better.
— Thank you.
It was the longest dialogue I'd ever seen Ophis have with anyone.
Arthur cleared his throat, bringing the conversation back.
— This is... impressive, Vali. Truly. But I have to ask... — he hesitated. — Why did we come here? It wasn't just to find Rito, was it?
SHIFT.
The atmosphere in the room changed. Became heavier. More serious.
Vali placed his teacup on the table carefully.
— No — he said, voice turning cold. — We came for another reason. A much more urgent reason.
Everyone leaned forward.
— My grandfather — Vali began, and even speaking the name seemed to leave a bitter taste in his mouth — Rizevim Livan Lucifer. He's planning something. Something big.
— What kind of something? — I asked, already sensing where this was going.
— He wants Ophis's power — Vali said, looking at the small dragon who stopped eating. — He wants to drain her. Use the Infinity Dragon's power for... I don't know exactly. But nothing good.
CRACK.
Ophis crushed the plate in her hand. Porcelain crumbs and cake fell to the floor.
— He dares? — she said, voice still monotone but with something dangerous underneath.
— He dares — Vali confirmed. — And that's not all. He made an alliance with Khaos Brigade. With Qlippoth. And with... — he paused — with certain gods who don't like the current system very much.
— Which gods? — Mikan asked, worried.
— Hades, for starters — Arthur responded. — He freed Samael from Cocytus. The dragon that can nullify divine power.
— Loki is also involved — Le Fay added. — He wants to bring Ragnarök. And apparently, causing chaos here helps his plans.
— And there's more — Vali continued, voice becoming darker. — Rizevim managed to resurrect evil dragons. Crom Cruach. Apophis. Aži Dahāka.
SLAM!
I slammed my hand on the table, cracking the wood.
— He DID WHAT?!
Everyone jumped. Lala placed her hand on my arm, calming.
— Rito...
— Sorry — I took a deep breath, forcing calm. — Continue.
Vali looked at me with that new understanding of his, recognizing the internal struggle.
— They plan to attack during the peace meeting — he said. — When all the faction leaders are gathered. Heaven, Hell, Fallen, Norse, Yokai... all in one place.
— Perfect target — Arthur murmured.
— Exactly — Vali agreed. — Loki will create a subspace. Throw the Satans' sisters in there with Fenrir, Midgardsormr, and Hel. When they die, the war restarts.
— And while everyone's distracted with that — I continued, seeing the plan — Rizevim drains Ophis and releases the evil dragons.
— Total chaos — Bikou concluded. — Brilliant. Diabolical. But brilliant.
GROWL.
Fenrir, the giant wolf who had been quiet until now, growled.
— I'm not helping that crazy Norse god — he declared. — Just so we're clear.
— Good to know — I murmured.
Kuroka stood up, tails agitated.
— So what do we do, nya? We can't let this happen!
— No — I agreed. — We can't.
I looked around the room. My family. My friends. And now, apparently, the Vali Team.
HUMMM...
The power inside me whispered. Offering solutions. Offering ways to simply erase the problem.
But no.
That's not how things worked.
— We're going to the meeting — I decided. — All of us. And when Loki makes his move... we'll be ready.
— You have a plan? — Arthur asked.
I smiled. It wasn't a gentle smile.
— I always have a plan.
Vali smiled back. That new, genuine smile.
— Then count me in — he said. — After all... — he looked at Kuroka, who purred — I have reasons to fight now. Real reasons.
CLINK.
I raised my teacup.
— Then it's decided. We'll show these gods and devils why you don't mess with family.
Everyone raised their cups.
And in a silent toast, we sealed the pact.
The storm was coming.
But this time, we'd be ready.
Together.
(A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Sorry I'm late. But I hope this start of the year is going well for you guys. I ended up getting sick at the end of the year and the beginning of this one. So I wasn't able to post.)