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Chapter 353: Chapter 349 ~ Best Outcome

"Eh…? O-Ophis?!"

Kuroka yelped in pure shock as Ophis suddenly leapt forward and wrapped herself around Yuuji, clinging to him without hesitation. The sight froze the surroundings in place.

The onlookers stared.

Shalba, in particular, stood utterly motionless—his expression caught somewhere between disbelief, fear, and complete mental collapse. His mind struggled to process what he was seeing. 

Vali's team was no better. Eyes widened, jaws slackened, and breathing hitched as the impossible unfolded before them.

Only Aika, Erika, Albedo, Rias, and the rest of her peerage remained calm, watching the scene with composed expressions, as if this were entirely expected.

Yuuji let out a helpless smile and gave a small nod.

"Alright, alright. I'll refill it soon."

He had just filled Ophis's snack stash to the brim yesterday, right before attending this meeting. Even accounting for the alarming pace at which she consumed sweets—and the fact that she often shared them with Alice, Aria, and Est—he had calculated that it should have lasted until the end of the day.

Yet seeing her like this—her current appearance, her quiet insistence—he couldn't bring himself to refuse. If anything, it only made him indulge her more.

Ophis nodded in clear satisfaction. Her expression softened as she closed her eyes, shifting slightly before resting her ear against Yuuji's chest.

Thump. Thump.

The steady rhythm of his heartbeat resonated beneath her ear.

Compared to the absolute void-like silence of the Dimensional Gap… or even the tranquil, distant sounds of nature within Yuuji's [King's Treasury]… this was her favorite sound of all.

Soothing. Warm. Comfortable. 

She remained like that for several moments, basking in the sensation—until she finally noticed the countless stares boring into her.

Slowly, Ophis opened her eyes and turned her head toward Kuroka.

"???"

She tilted her head, genuinely puzzled by the nekomata's frozen, wide-eyed expression. Then her gaze drifted—briefly—to Vali's team… and finally, to Shalba.

A faint spark of hope ignited in Shalba's wicked heart.

Desperation clouded his judgment. Surely… Surely the one who stood at the pinnacle of Chaos Brigade would see him now. Surely she would intervene, save him from the fate closing in around him.

In his panic, he failed to properly register the fact that Ophis was still nestled comfortably in Yuuji's embrace.

Then her eyes met his… and any little hope he had in his non-existent heart died.

There was nothing reflected in those obsidian depths. No anger. No disappointment. No pity.

Nothing at all.

It was as if Shalba had never existed in her world to begin with. As if she had never held expectations for him, because she had never bothered to acknowledge him in the first place.

Just as quickly as her gaze landed on him, Ophis turned away.

She closed her eyes once more and nuzzled closer to Yuuji's chest, once again listening to his heartbeat, savoring his warmth, her presence radiating absolute indifference toward everything else.

"Yuuji… nyaa…?" Kuroka finally managed, her voice shaky. 

"How… you know… Ophis?"

"She came to me one night," Yuuji replied calmly, as if recounting a mundane event. 

"She intended to recruit me into Chaos Brigade. I refused her, but we reached an agreement."

He continued, his voice steady and matter-of-fact.

"From the very beginning, her goal in creating Chaos Brigade was to gather power strong enough to defeat Great Red and reclaim her place in the Dimensional Gap. But she never truly led them. She let them act freely, intervening only when necessary, occasionally granting them 'Snakes' so they could grow strong enough to be useful to her."

Yuuji glanced down at Ophis in his arms.

"But now… do you still want to defeat Great Red and reclaim your silence?" He asked softly.

Ophis opened her eyes slightly, half-lidded with drowsiness. She stared up at him for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

"No. Baka Red can have it."

She paused, then continued in her simple, honest tone.

"I like being here better. There are delicious snacks. There's Alice… Aria… Est…"

Her gaze lingered on Yuuji.

"And Yuuji."

A small smile formed on his lips.

"Alright," he said gently. 

"You can stay as long as you want."

Ophis nodded once and immediately returned to snuggling against him, completely content.

Yuuji then lifted his gaze and turned toward Kuroka, Vali, and the rest of the group.

"There you have it," he said evenly. 

"Chaos Brigade has lost its head. What remains are fragmented extremists—terrorists with no unity, no true backing, and no shared purpose. They'll collapse sooner or later."

His eyes shifted toward Vali, who was staring at him in stunned silence.

"Especially the Old Satan Faction," Yuuji added. 

"The one led by Rizevim."

Vali flinched at the name. His teeth clenched. His fists tightened. Hatred burned fiercely in his eyes.

"That man…" Vali muttered. 

"He's a scheming old monster… with power rivaling even the original Satan Lucifer."

That was why Vali couldn't touch him. Not yet.

That was why he trained relentlessly, gathered allies, and pushed himself beyond his limits—to someday kill that man with his own hands.

"He is nothing more than a worm before a Supreme Being." Albedo said calmly. 

"Even now… he is already a dead man walking."

Vali snapped his head toward her, disbelief etched across his face.

Rizevim had always stood at the pinnacle of power in his mind—a wall he could barely comprehend, let alone surpass.

And yet… this woman spoke of him as if his fate were already sealed.

He wanted to deny it.

But after witnessing even a fraction of Yuuji and the others' power… he couldn't immediately do so…

Unbeknownst to him, Albedo had already invoked [Weaver of Fate], marking Rizevim's destiny with a single, absolute outcome; [Death].

Her words had been literal.

Yuuji understood Vali's disbelief.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. 

"We'll take care of him. Soon."

Then he turned—toward his lovers, his friends, and finally the gathered faction leaders.

"But for now…"

A faint smile crossed his face.

"How about we wrap things up here—and get some rest for the day."

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

Rossweisse descended from the skies, flying through the shattered stained-glass windows and into the meeting hall, followed closely by the remaining Valkyries.

She landed gracefully despite the state she was in. Her injuries were light. Only scratches, bruises, torn fabric, but nothing severe. The other Valkyries bore more visible wounds, yet none were fatal. Considering the scale of the battle they had just endured, it was nothing short of extraordinary.

Reni, Tobio, Irina, Xenovia, Dulio, Okita Souji, and Grayfia soon returned as well. Some descended on wings or brooms, while others entered through the massive doors below.

They were battered, clothes torn, bodies smeared with grime, sweat, and traces of blood, but their injuries were remarkably minor. Against waves of berserk devils and hundreds of spell-casting magicians, such damage bordered on the miraculous.

The fact that they were all standing here virtually unharmed spoke volumes.

"Odin-sama. Thor-sama. We have returned."

Rossweisse bowed deeply, followed by the Valkyries as they lined up before the All-Father and the God of Thunder. Around the hall, others likewise regrouped, reporting back to their respective leaders and superiors.

"Oh, Rose," Odin said calmly. 

"How fares Asgard? Were the citizens able to reach the shelters? And what of the devils and mages unleashed by the Beelzebub descendant?"

"The people are safe, Odin-sama." Rossweisse replied. Her voice softened. 

"Though… many were injured. And a few… unfortunately lost their lives."

"I see…"

Odin's single eye betrayed no emotion. Centuries, no, millennia of rule had taught him how to hide it flawlessly.

Yet his voice grew noticeably heavier.

"Still, you've done well. Had you not acted, far more lives would have been lost. This only reinforces the need to strengthen Asgard's defenses moving forward."

The joint research with Linked Horizon raised one notch again in the list of priority for Odin.

"Odin-sama…" Rossweisse hesitated before continuing. 

"In truth… the low mortality rate was not due to us."

"Hm?"

"What do you mean, Rossweisse?"

Thor frowned, folding his arms. 

"The devils were enhanced by forbidden spells, and the magicians bombarded us relentlessly from the skies," she explained. 

"Even with warriors from the three factions assisting us, we were vastly outnumbered. Protecting civilians throughout the entire realm of Asgard while fighting them head-on should have been impossible."

Her grip tightened at her side.

"It truly was a miracle that we suffered only minor injuries—and that most of the citizens survived."

A miracle.

One that took the form of a colossal flying fortress—part castle, part garden—looming over Asgard's skies. A miracle that came with figures who appeared without warning and overturned the battlefield almost instantly.

"Then how…?" Odin murmured.

His mind raced.

Those capable of altering the battle so drastically were all present here—engaged with Loki, Shalba, and the mythical wolves Loki had summoned. Even the Church's strongest warrior, the Underworld's strongest queen, and Lucifer's knight together could not have simultaneously suppressed hundreds of empowered devils and airborne mages while safeguarding civilians.

So if not them…

Then who?

At that moment, Odin sensed something shift at the edge of his perception.

Several unfamiliar figures drifted down through the broken windows, descending silently before landing beside the man known as Tsubakihara Yuuji and his companions.

Four beings.

A fallen angel bearing multiple wings. A man clad in a jet-black armored suit. A towering skeletal mage in wizard's robes, gripping a golden staff shaped like a seven-headed serpent.

And a beautiful woman with leaf-green hair, holding a radiant holy scepter.

Odin's eye widened.

Each of them radiated overwhelming power—dense magic and authority that pressed against the hall itself.

"Could it be…?" he muttered.

"Indeed," Rossweisse confirmed with a nod. 

"It was thanks to them… and the gigantic flying fortress outside."

Odin turned toward the shattered window.

Far in the distance, floating serenely above Asgard, was the fortress—vast, majestic, and utterly alien.

"I've never seen anything like that…"

He exhaled slowly and shook his head.

Even after all his years, this world still had the audacity to surprise him.

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he turned back to Rossweisse—then smirked.

"Rose, you should pursue that young man. Should you succeed, not only you and your family—but all of Asgard—will enjoy an era of peace and security unlike anything we've known. You have my full support."

He said lightly. 

"O-Odin-sama?! Please stop joking!" 

Rossweisse sputtered, her face flushing bright red.

"Hohoho!"

Odin laughed heartily, stroking his long white beard as she protested.

But he was not joking.

Tsubakihara Yuuji alone wielded power beyond Odin's comprehension. And his group—no, his faction—though small in number, possessed strength that rivaled, or perhaps even surpassed, any single faction present.

Such an ally would guarantee Asgard's safety more reliably than even their long-standing alliance with the three factions.

Perhaps, he should send her to be near him more often. 

Of course, Odin had no intention of relying solely on Rossweisse—the maiden whose age equaled the years she had gone without a lover—to win over a man perpetually surrounded by world-defying beauties.

Formal diplomacy would follow.

But still…

If an official alliance could be sealed through marriage?

Well, that would be the best outcome of all.

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

"Vali…"

Arthur stepped closer to the White Dragon Emperor, though both of their gazes remained fixed on Yuuji, Kuroka, and Ophis. The trio—along with Kuroka's little sister—looked utterly detached from the surrounding tension, already absorbed in their own quiet world of conversation and warmth, as though the battlefield and its consequences no longer existed.

Behind Arthur trailed Fenrir.

The once-feral mythical wolf now moved sluggishly, its massive form subdued and obedient beneath the authority of Excalibur Ruler. The holy sword's power had forced the beast into submission, binding its will to his own. 

Fenrir hadn't been able to free itself from Albedo's [Weight of Sin]. It never even had the chance. Instead, once Arthur's control was established, Albedo calmly withdrew the crushing gravity of her skill. 

She did so without hesitation, fully aware that, at this moment, the members of the White Dragon Emperor's team stood as allies to her beloved.

Vali spared Fenrir and Arthur a brief glance before returning his attention to Yuuji and the others.

"Is it done?"

"Yes," Arthur replied. 

"Thanks to the damage it sustained under that gravity spell, Excalibur Ruler took hold far more easily than expected. We're finished here. We can leave."

"Eh? We're leaving?" Bikou blurted out. 

"What about Kuroka?"

"T-That's right!" Le Fay added hastily. 

"We can't just leave without Kuroka-nee!"

At his little sister's words, Arthur's brows furrowed. His gaze shifted toward Kuroka—who was laughing so freely, chatting animatedly with the man Vali had told him about. The same man who had defeated Vali so effortlessly, so overwhelmingly, that it still lingered heavily in Arthur's thoughts.

Arthur sighed.

"We'll ask her," he said quietly. 

"But if she chooses to stay, we won't stop her. This reunion with her sister… it's something she's waited for far too long. She deserves time."

Vali nodded.

Though Kuroka was a powerful ally and a cherished friend, this moment—this chance to be with her sister again—was something far greater than any of their immediately goals. If she wished to stay, then as her comrades, they owed her that understanding.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the hall, Baraqiel slowly approached Akeno.

She noticed him immediately.

Though traces of resentment still lingered deep within her heart, she did not turn away. She faced him with a calm and composed, yet guarded exterior. This much she can do.

Yuuji had helped her heal wounds she once believed would never close. He loved her—not despite her heritage, but wholly, as she was. A half-devil. A half-fallen. And through his unfathomable power, he had even returned her mother to her.

The hatred she once bore toward her father—the man who had abandoned her and her mother to die that night—had dulled over time and his love.

But the years of loneliness, of grief, of pain endured in silence…

Those were not so easily erased.

"Akeno…"

The voice that called her name was rough and baritone, yet it trembled.

For the first time, the Vice Governor General of Grigori—the Lightning of God—sounded small. Afraid.

And hearing that vulnerability made Akeno's heart quiver. The anger she had clung to for so long wavered slightly.

She felt a gentle squeeze on her hand and glanced sideways.

Rias stood beside her, smiling softly, her crimson eyes filled with reassurance.

Akeno inhaled deeply.

Steeling herself, she turned fully to face the man who had shaped so much of her pain—and her existence.

"...Father."

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