He seemed like a somewhat unreliable captain, but with his abilities and position, I had high expectations for him. Besides, no one voiced any opposition to him leading us.
Azazel turned next to Sun Wukong. “All right if you take the role of deputy leader? I know it’s an extra burden…”
“Yes, yes. It’s only natural for the young’uns to take the lead. I’ll cover them when things get tough.”
So the original Sun Wukong was our deputy leader!
Awesome! With the Joker taking the lead and Sun Wukong backing him up, this was going to be one wild team!
“Vali,” Azazel said, addressing Team Vali in the corner of the room. “I’ve suggested you guys join this mixed team to bolster our defenses against Rizevim. It should also help to dispel some of the mistrust hanging over your heads.”
Vali was still considered a terrorist by many of the major powers on account of his past involvement with the Khaos Brigade. Did Azazel hope that his participation in Team DxD could help alleviate that perception?
More importantly, having Vali with us would definitely strengthen the team.
…But I was sure some of those gathered wouldn’t be particularly happy about it. I could already see that Seekvaira Agares wasn’t at all pleased.
“…Albion,” Vali called out to the dragon inside him. “What do you think about teaming up with your nemesis?”
“I don’t mind,” Albion answered out loud so the rest of us could hear. “Red! Let’s talk about that battle we had a thousand years ago.”
“I don’t mind, either. Hey, White? It should be fun revisiting the old days.”
…Huh. It sounded like the two of them had more important things to discuss than this new team.
“…You two seem awfully close lately,” Vali said with a hint of confusion.
“When we stand together, we need not fear breast or backside,” Albion answered cheerfully. “Isn’t that right, Red?”
“Yeah! Whether breasts or buttocks, bring it on! We won’t give in!”
Ddraig sounded like he was on the mend, too!
“Right.”
What was with this sudden shift in personality from the Two Heavenly Dragons?!
“…To think the Two Heavenly Dragons’ long-standing grudge could be resolved over something like this… Life is full of surprises.” Sairaorg shook his head.
…Yeah, it seemed I was the reason they had been able to find closure. You never knew what was in store for you, huh…?
Even Azazel was taken aback. “Because of this, Issei’s undergone a change we’ve never seen before. The way the Two Heavenly Dragons are growing lately is just plain baffling. I’m at a loss… So the secret is in breasts and buttocks, huh?”
“Don’t act so shocked!” I protested.
I sure hadn’t planned for them to power-up because of this!
“Isn’t it still a big deal that Vali Lucifer and his friends were complicit with the Khaos Brigade?” Chairwoman Sona asked, one hand raised into the air.
Azazel scratched at his cheek. “About that… Old man Odin has offered to officially adopt him, knowing full well what that entails.”
—!
Talk about a surprise. Who would have thought Odin would suggest something like that?
“Can’t you adopt him, Teach?” I asked. “I mean, you’re technically his guardian, aren’t you…?”
Azazel shook his head. “I used to be the head of the fallen angels. Like I said earlier, fallen angels and demons just aren’t as reputable as angels or the gods of other mythologies. So long as the Bible labels us as villains, there’s no saving our image.”
Well, demons and fallen angels were typically bad guys…
“But old Odin’s a different story,” he said to Vali. “He’s a big-name old god. If he says he wants to adopt you, no one from Asgard or any of the other realms would dare to complain. There would be strings attached, probably some restrictions, too, but you should be able to move about a whole lot easier than you can now. So what do you think about becoming his adopted son?”
Vali sank into thought for a long moment. “It’s mutually beneficial, so I’ll cooperate. Beyond that, I prefer to go my own way.”
Azazel chuckled. “I guess I can take that as yes, then?”
Instead of answering him directly, Vali turned to Kuroka and Le Fay. “I’ll leave these two with you. If they’re needed, I’ll call for them… Kuroka, Le Fay? I trust you to handle things.”
“You can count on us, meow,” Kuroka said with a salute.
Ah… It sounded like these two were going to be staying with us in the Hyoudou residence long-term…
“Le Fay?” Arthur, wielder of the Holy King Sword Collbrande, addressed his sister.
“Y-yes?”
“This is a golden opportunity. You should join this team. You’re certainly deserving of a pardon… Red Dragon Emperor?” he said, turning my way.
“What?”
“If you haven’t entered into a mage pact yet, maybe you could consider one with my sister? If she can enter into an agreement with you, a hero of the underworld, it should hopefully help her return home someday.”
—.
So it had come to this. Le Fay’s skills would be a huge boon to our team, and her joining would certainly help to clear her name.
“I’ll give it serious consideration,” I said.
Arthur’s smile was a rare display of genuine emotion, not at all like his usual faint grin. “I appreciate it. I promise to repay this debt one day.”
“As for your position…,” Azazel said to Kuroka. “You’ll be a house guest at the Hyoudou residence, I suppose? We’ll keep you here under the pretense Rias and Issei will be keeping an eye on you. Does that work?”
“Ah, you have a way of spinning things, Governor. So I’ll be a guest at their table? I’m looking forward to it, meow.”
A-a guest at our table…? She sure ate a lot. She claimed it all went to her breasts, so maybe it was okay, but she still needed to pull her weight.
The first-generation Sun Wukong nudged Bikou. “I’ll call you when you’re needed. Don’t refuse.”
“…Don’t overdo it, old man. Fighting evil dragons will take a toll on your aging body.”
“Just as long as it doesn’t kill me.”
Maybe we would get a chance to see a Sun Wukong double-team?
With that thought, a question came to mind.
“I’m all behind setting up this A-team, but what exactly are we supposed to do now…?” I asked Azazel.
“Just keep doing what you always do. You don’t expect us to be out in the field all the time, do you? It’s a big group, so it won’t exactly be easy to mobilize everyone all at once. Each of you has your own role to play. When something happens, those best positioned to move will get in touch and work together. That’s the point of this team. Basically, it’s an official way for you all to collaborate.”
Ah, so that was the idea.
In general, we would respond to incidents individually. After all, we couldn’t just upend our lives overnight.
This would no doubt be easier for all of us, and if it looked like things were going to get out of hand, we could bring in the whole team.
The first-generation Sun Wukong stepped forward. “Now, then. Any of you young’uns looking to get stronger?”
“—. What do you mean?” Rias asked.
Sun Wukong’s wrinkled lips curled in a grin. “I’ll retrain you from the ground up… You had better reach the standard of high-class demons or angels; otherwise there would be no point to all this. I expect you all to reach the highest caliber.”
—!
The original Sun Wukong was going to train us! Given how formidable those evil dragons were, it made sense we needed to bolster our strength. And what could be more reassuring than him showing us the ropes?!
“Something tells me you won’t just be fighting evil dragons,” he continued. “You’ll no doubt be pitted against other threats from every corner of the world.”
Azazel nodded. “He’s right. I envision Team DxD becoming a trump card for both the supernatural realm and the human world.”
A trump card for the supernatural realm and the human world.
Sun Wukong shook his head. “You can pull off some flashy tricks, but if you ask me, you’re still just fledglings. You wouldn’t stand a chance against those evil dragons the way you are now.”
“I can take pride in the fact my Juggernaut Overdrive can break through a god’s defenses, though,” Vali said with a defiant grin.
“That’s true. You definitely are at that level. In terms of raw power output, you could probably rival the gods from certain mythologies. But here’s the rub—if you don’t have the stamina to maintain that output, it’s of no earthly use. How long to do you think you could keep your Juggernaut Overdrive up? Would you count it in minutes? Or seconds maybe?”
“…”
Vali couldn’t refute this critique. His Juggernaut Overdrive certainly did deplete his energy reserves incredibly quickly.
If the enemy caught wind of that vulnerability, they would no doubt devise countermeasures to wait him out.
Well, they would have to be crazy strong to do that, though…
“You’re no match for Crom Cruach the way you are now,” Sun Wukong continued. “You might be able to deliver a hit stronger than he can, but what if you need a second attack to finish the job? Or a third one? If you ask me, you white and red dragons have been wasting your energy on flashy displays of power.”
Now that was harsh! Harsh but true! My True Queen state especially used too much energy. If I could rein it in a little, I could probably improve my approach to combat.
And then there was my newfound ability. I had to master those miniature dragons. It looked like I had a lot of work ahead.
Sun Wukong glanced at the rest of us. “I’ll train these Two Heavenly Dragons from the ground up. And I’ll teach you how to hold your own against those evil dragons. With your Longinuses, you might have to fight god-class enemies one day. I’ll prepare you for that eventuality.”
“…We might have to fight gods…?” Sairaorg asked skeptically.
Sun Wukong twirled his pipe between his fingers. “Gods are always vying for supremacy. Far more often than you probably realize,” he said, his lips curling in a grin. “Well, let’s focus on the more immediate threat—that ruffian Rizevim Livan Lucifer. I’ve always thought people like you, born with your Longinuses, are bound by destiny to achieve great things.”
“…‘Bound by destiny’?” I repeated.
Sun Wukong addressed me directly. “Those things are meant for destroying gods. Their reappearance in the world is no mere glitch in the Sacred Gear system. If you ask me, they’ve come back because the world needs them.”