Chapter 106 – Trial by the Former Dragon King!
A sudden tremor shook the entire Dimensional Train.
A deafening rumble echoed through the carriages as the train crossed the rift between the Human World and the Underworld—officially entering devil territory.
The sky outside had shifted completely.
Gone was the calm blue of the human realm. In its place stretched a deep crimson expanse, heavy with ominous energy. The air itself was dense with magic, clinging to the skin like a thin, biting mist.
"Whoa… so this is the Underworld?"
Xenovia pressed her face against the window, eyes sparkling as she looked out at the vast landscape below.
The Underworld—home of devils—was divided into territories, each ruled by a High-Class Devil family. Like old feudal lords, they maintained their own domains.
The Gremory household was among the most prominent. Their territory stretched wide, and even peerage members like Akeno held personal lands within it, as part of the Gremory feudal system.
Down here, they weren't just servants—they were nobility in their own right.
Just like the old saying: "Even a servant in the Prime Minister's house is still a noble."
That same principle applied to peerage members from elite families. Their status was not to be underestimated.
Suddenly, the train jolted again.
This time, it wasn't due to dimensional turbulence.
A direct hit.
An attack had struck the Dimensional Train.
"Everyone, prepare for combat! Evacuate the train immediately!" Rias shouted, her voice firm.
Without hesitation, she shattered the window with a blast of demonic power and leapt into the open sky. Her peerage followed closely behind, springing into action.
The Sitri group, on the other hand, had already vanished. Not a trace of them remained. It was as if they had anticipated the attack and slipped away before anyone else noticed.
Akira exited the train calmly.
As his boots touched the ground, he felt it—a powerful presence descending from the sky.
A massive shadow passed overhead.
The figure was monstrous. Purple scales shimmered across its hulking frame. Two enormous dragon wings spread from its back, and its body radiated a magic so potent it warped the air around it.
Even breathing felt like a chore.
Rias stared in disbelief. "…That can't be… Tannin?!"
The Former Dragon King.
Once one of the original Dragon Kings, now reincarnated as a devil serving under the Maou faction.
Why the hell was he attacking?
Everyone spread their wings and landed, tension gripping their bodies.
Tannin let out a thunderous roar, then unleashed a wave of draconic flame from his jaws—an overwhelming torrent of fire crashing down from above.
"Brace yourselves! Counterattack, now!" Rias ordered.
Her team sprang into action.
Rias unleashed the destructive magic unique to the Gremory bloodline.
Akeno called down holy lightning—pure, blinding, and divine, a perfect blend of Fallen Angel and devil heritage.
Koneko, tapping into her senjutsu, let her youkai energy flare as she drew from the spirits of nature.
Asia and Xenovia moved in unison—one wielding divine healing light, the other brandishing the holy sword Durandal.
Kiba followed, launching magical blades formed from Sword Birth.
But even with their combined firepower… the result was clear.
Their attacks barely dented Tannin's flame.
The blast swallowed their magic and kept burning. The earth beneath their feet scorched into molten ash.
This was the power of a Dragon King—even if he was no longer one in title, his strength still rivaled a Maou.
No one among them could match it.
From a distance, Akira watched the battle unfold, his expression calm. He tilted his head slightly.
"So this is your idea of a test?"
Tannin.
A being of Maou-level strength.
If Akira managed to subdue him, the Template Inheritance System would grant a 3% synchronization boost.
"Bingo! Took a lot of effort to get him here, you know. I even dropped Sirzechs' name," said a familiar voice.
Azazel appeared casually from behind a smoldering rock pile, wearing his trademark smug grin.
Of course.
This was all one of Azazel's schemes.
After all, Rias' official debut in the Rating Game was coming soon. As the younger sister of Sirzechs Lucifer, she couldn't afford to underwhelm.
A poor performance would stain the Gremory name.
But reputation came with pressure—and expectations could be heavy chains.
Tannin roared again, sweeping another inferno across the battlefield. The flames swallowed most of the training ground, leaving nothing but blackened wasteland in their wake.
Rias and Akeno attacked from both flanks, combining Destruction magic and divine lightning.
But even their coordinated strike barely left scorch marks on Tannin's scales.
"…So this is the strength of a Dragon King," Rias whispered under her breath.
No matter how much they had trained, the gap between them and that kind of power was staggering.
Koneko entered her senjutsu state—white ears and a fluffy tail forming as she darted forward with blinding speed.
Still, her strikes bounced harmlessly off the dragon's armored body.
Kiba and Xenovia rushed in together—demonic sword and Durandal flashing in tandem.
They aimed for Tannin's legs… and failed to make a scratch.
Then came the next breath.
A colossal wave of energy tore through their formation, throwing them like ragdolls across the battlefield.
"If only… Akira was here…" Rias groaned, struggling to get up.
In the back of her mind, one thought echoed.
He always shows up in these moments.
Shin Akira.
Time and time again, he had been the one to turn the tide.
Unconsciously, everyone had begun to rely on his presence.
"Alright, that's enough," said Azazel from above.
He floated beside Tannin—Akira standing calmly at his side.
"Is the test complete?" the dragon asked.
Azazel gave a small nod. "Yeah. Thanks, Tannin."
The massive beast let out a low growl and began retreating.
With that, everything clicked.
This had been prearranged.
When Rias saw Akira standing next to Azazel, everything made sense.
"Rias," Azazel called down, "you look like you want to say something."
She nodded slowly. "…We're not strong enough."
Azazel's expression turned serious.
"Exactly," he said, folding his arms. "Even with Tannin holding back, you couldn't land a single real hit. If this were an actual battle, all of you would've died within minutes."
"...Yeah."
Each member of her peerage lowered their heads.
The truth stung—but it was impossible to deny.
The real world didn't care whether you were ready.
"The Coming-of-Age ceremony is approaching," Azazel continued, his voice harder now. "Which is why your brother—Sirzechs Lucifer himself—asked me and Tannin to help train you."
"Starting today, until the Young Devils Gathering… you won't get a moment's peace."
"…Understood."
Rias nodded, this time with firm resolve.
The others followed, silent but determined.
Akira, watching from the side, gave a subtle nod of his own.
Azazel might've been a notorious flirt, a self-proclaimed researcher, and a regular in red-light districts…
But when it came to training students?
He was the real deal.
Case in point—Vali Lucifer.
Son of a true Maou, bearer of Divine Dividing, and the greatest pupil Azazel had ever raised.
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