Two days had passed.
Now, only two days remained before Rian had to return to the Infinity Room.
That evening, Rian sat casually on the rooftop of a tall building, gazing at Kuoh Academy standing proudly not far away.
The evening breeze blew gently, carrying the scent of leaves and the distant sounds of birds returning to their nests.
On his lap, Ophis sat quietly, leaning against Rian's chest as if that position had been her personal right from the very beginning.
Her eyelids were half-closed, her expression blank, yet her aura felt peaceful—a sight that, for most people, would be impossible to imagine.
Kuroka, sitting a short distance away, watched them with a look full of bewildered amazement.
To her, seeing Ophis—the Dragon God who was normally cold, distant, and unreachable—look so comfortable on a human's lap was something she could hardly process.
Vali, on the other hand, seemed completely indifferent to the scene.
Vali simply leaned against the wall, staring at the sunset sky as he said flatly, "The meeting between the three factions starts tonight."
Rian glanced at him for a moment before Vali added, "Hmm… those higher-ups will definitely talk about boring things."
"I am not interested in a boring world," Ophis murmured, her voice soft yet firm.
Rian lowered his head slightly and let out a small chuckle. "Ophis-chan, that's way too cliché, you know?" he said as he gently stroked her head, making the Dragon God close her eyes without any sign of protest.
Then he turned to Vali. "And you— the effects of Infinity Void still haven't completely worn off. If you want to return to peak condition, you'll need at least a full month."
Rian's lips curved into a thin smile, his tone turning slightly teasing. "I could shoot, you know. You planning to pick a fight with Issei? Don't underestimate him. He… is loved by this world."
Vali merely raised an eyebrow. He didn't argue, but his eyes showed he was taking the words seriously.
"Besides…" Rian continued, shifting his gaze toward Kuoh Academy, "judging from the way you two were talking, I take it the Khaos Brigade will be making a move, won't they?"
His hand, which had been gently stroking Ophis's head, slowly came to a stop.
"When that happens, make sure to keep the damage to a minimum. I don't want to see Kuoh in ruins."
Kuroka, who had been silently observing, finally took a small step closer. Her cat tail swayed lightly, her eyes half-narrowed.
"You seem to really like that school… Nyaa~," she said in a teasing tone.
Rian only gave her a brief glance, his lips forming a thin smile. "It's not just the school. The whole town, too."
His voice was calm, yet carried a meaning that wasn't easy to read.
Rian leaned forward slightly, his gaze falling onto Ophis.
"But leaving that aside… you know, I'm still a bit surprised. Ophis-chan, turns out you have an entire criminal gang that big, huh?"
Ophis lifted her face, still comfortably resting against Rian's chest. Her eyes remained flat, like a pond without ripples.
"Not a criminal gang. They exist… to defeat Great Red."
"Ophis-chan, isn't that basically the same thing?" Rian replied, gently stroking the dragon girl's head once more.
"…It is different," Ophis replied in her usual tone—flat, yet carrying the faint stubbornness of someone who refused to lose an argument.
Rian let out a soft chuckle, slightly amused, and continued stroking her head without saying anything more.
A brief silence followed, broken only by the gentle whisper of the evening wind around them.
Albion, whose voice echoed from Vali's Sacred Gear, finally broke the stillness.
"What is more surprising… is this human, who can touch Infinity itself. The Limitless technique… even to us, is not something to be taken lightly."
Albion's tone hardened, though respect lingered within it. "Come to think of it… no wonder Ophis is interested in you."
Rian simply raised one eyebrow, his smile widening, though he offered no response.
He let the words hang in the air, as if waiting to see how the world would choose to fill the silence.
Slowly, Rian stopped stroking Ophis's head and raised his hand.
From the emptiness, a choker appeared—adorned with a small silver bell that shimmered softly under the evening light.
Without uttering a single word, the bell floated gently toward Kuroka, hovering in front of her where she stood.
Of course, it wasn't an ordinary bell choker.
Its main material was vibranium, a metal capable of absorbing and channeling energy with remarkable efficiency.
Hidden within it was a miniature arc reactor, pre-charged with the power of the Mind Stone and the Space Stone.
The Mind Stone's energy not only heightened the wearer's focus and sharpened their thoughts to clarity, but also granted the choker a form of consciousness, as it was directly connected to Alice.
Meanwhile, the Space Stone's energy produced an instant protective layer of spatial force—a barrier functioning similarly to Limitless: Infinity.
In life-threatening situations, the choker could generate a field that stopped any attack before it ever touched the wearer's body.
"What is this, nyaa~?" Kuroka asked in a bewildered tone, her eyes fixed on the silver gleam of the bell.
"In the past two days, I made two of them. One for you, and one for Shironeko," Rian explained casually.
"It's called the Clarity Bell. It sharpens the mind, and it has an automatic defense function… something similar to my Infinity," he added with a faint smile.
Kuroka's pupils widened for a moment, and she stared at Rian in disbelief. "Why… why would you give something like this to me?" she asked quietly.
"To protect you," Rian answered, flashing a mischievous smile, "and also as a mark of ownership… you two are my cats."
Kuroka's face instantly turned red. She stomped her foot and looked away sharply.
"I—I'm not your cat, nyaa~! You're so annoying!"
Even as she protested, Kuroka's hand still reached out, taking the bell choker. She knew very well that this item would be invaluable in certain situations.
Rian only let out a soft laugh as he watched her, enjoying every reaction Kuroka showed.
Vali, who had been watching the scene unfold, exhaled a short breath. In his heart, he knew that dynamics like this were something he would likely have to witness often from now on.
"Rian Andromeda," Vali said, his voice filled with certainty. "Sooner or later… I will surpass you."
Rian glanced in his direction, the faint glow of his Six Eyes visible behind his Interface glasses. With a thin smile, he replied casually:
"In that case, go ahead. I'll be waiting. So hurry up and get stronger… otherwise I'll get bored waiting for your dance to get more exciting."
Vali returned a faint smile of his own, sliding his right hand into his pocket.
The evening breeze swept past them once more, brushing through their hair as if closing the conversation with quiet finality.
***
The night sky hung like a dark curtain, draping over Kuoh Academy, which was now sealed beneath a powerful barrier.
The barrier didn't merely protect—it completely isolated the school from the outside world.
Inside, the forces of the three races stood in full formation:
First, the devils.
Bat-like wings stretched from their backs, bodies clad in pitch-black armor, magical weapons gripped firmly in hand.
Second, the angels.
Their radiant white wings reflected a gentle glow, holy halos floating above their heads. Spears and divine swords rested at their sides, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Third, the fallen angels.
Their feathered black wings beat softly, an aura of vigilance surrounding them. This unit stood under the banner of Grigori, led directly by their commander, Azazel.
Three factions once believed incapable of coexistence now stood on the same ground.
No fighting, no overt provocation—only sharp gazes watching each other, tightly coiled tension ready to explode at the slightest spark.
The very fact that they could gather like this was solid proof that the leaders of the three factions were discussing something of great importance.
Meanwhile, far from the tension of the assembled soldiers, in the school principal's office—
Rian stood before a large mirror.
Spotlights were arranged aesthetically around him, and the flash of a camera occasionally flickered across the glass, capturing every pose he struck.
Of course, this wasn't an ordinary mirror.
Its material was the highest-grade glass Rian had ever commissioned, reinforced by Alice with the energies of the Time, Space, and Power Stones.
The result? Rian was fairly certain even Issei would struggle to break it.
"Hm… even with all that tension outside, this charismatic face still remains undefeated," Rian murmured with a faint smirk as he stared confidently at his own reflection.
Rian let out a deep, dramatic sigh—the kind only a main character in a movie starring himself would ever make.
His right hand lifted, covering part of the face he believed was simply too handsome for this world.
With a deep, dramatic voice, Rian declared,
"Sometimes… I pity this world. How are people supposed to live normal lives knowing I exist in it?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Director, you're rambling. Remember, this is a meeting. You narcissist."
Claire's voice rang out in a teasing tone, though it was clear she didn't completely hate what she was saying.
In truth, even while admiring his reflection and letting his ego run wild, Rian was simultaneously participating in an internal meeting with his subordinates from the Resident Evil world.
"Please ignore the director," Luis added, his voice coming from the Interface glasses. His tone couldn't have sounded more resigned. "It's his natural state… far too obsessed with mirrors."