Evening~ here's another chapter. No it is not the promised conclusion to the arc... that will hopefully be in the other chapter after this. After rereading the next chapter, I realized that I could better establish a flow if I separate it some of the parts and make it a chapter in its own.
Hence I took a few parts of the next chapter and expanded them. This is the end result~ Though I'm not completely satisfied with the flow in this one I do like the fact that I had the chance to give more characterization to Great Red and set up the foundation for the future relationship between the Red and Ophis. This chapter was inspired by a certain review by Warriorman199456.
The slight delay in release despite what I said? well I wrote a new chapter and postponed the release of the pre-written one and also some laptop problems.
Also this story has finally reached a 100 reviews, over 200 favs and follows! Thank you for the support and i am happy you enjoy my work! I hope you continue to read on!
Answers to the Reviews:
YuukiAsuna-Chan:
Thank you and I'm glad you like the story. Hmm... with regards to joining the peerage? Well that one you'll have to wait for~. Ahh unfortunately it is a harem since I'm unable to find a way to resolve the problems of the various problems of the girls involved without putting Ise in the mix and that would inevitably lead to liking the guy. Main story will be primarily in Ophis' perspective (and know that she will never separate from Ise unless something bad happens) so harem stuff with other girls will most likely be keep to a minimum.
Also gags, to many harem gags to play with~
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan
Already linked to my proper email~
Slyr3x
I'm still trying to find the title to that one...
Fateburn
Ahaha, unfortunately the arc end has yet to come~
More Great Red and Ophis though
Karlos12314ify
ahahaha~ thank you, that chapter was indeed posted before September 1!
RandomNEET
Hail omega! \(^A^)/
...I-I mean thank you and look forward to even more!
WarriorMan199456
Know that several developments where inspired from this review of yours.
It was an epiphany thing and I hit my head in the cabinet door due to it.
Thank you very much for giving me ideas for this chapter~
Disclaimer: I swear upon cake and glasses that I do not get money from this. If you have paid to read this thing then... (0/0) Thank you and I am very flattered but this is completely free
Okay~ Let the chapter begin!
==The Dream of the Infinite==
It was lost on them.
Why were they there?
Why had they existed?
Why did they hold so much power?
They were questions that both of them had asked during the earlier parts of their existences, questions that were lost in time and eventually got put into the farthest parts of their subconscious. Both had eventually found their place in the world, never having asked such questions again.
They were the two strongest existences in the world.
One personified the infinite and the void the other personified the dream and the illusions.
One took solace in the view of the vast skies that were filled with iridescent colours, taking comfort in the silence the void provided. The other lost itself in the joy of flight in very same sky.
Both were feared and respected.
Both were obscured and isolated.
They were never meant to conflict, yet for some reason they had done battle. The concepts that they personified were compliments of the other yet the thing that each of them took comfort it had clashed, putting them at odds with each other.
Both existences, unfamiliar with communication, could not settle things without asserting their power and hence could not coexist.
=={TDoI}==
[That idiot couldn't be bothered to share…]
'She' growled in irritation as not-so-pleasant thoughts of the past had flooded her mind. 'She' currently took on a female form, largely because of 'her' interactions with Ophis. It had been body created from a fragment of 'her' original body much like Ophis' vessel; only this one had a constant and uninterruptable connection with the original one, hence switching between the two could be done at any time and instantly.
On a side not, said original body was still doing awesome flight manoeuvres in the skies of the dimensional gap.
[Tch… why the hell am I even remembering this?]
She stood inside a forest after having easily destroyed the illusion created by the enemy used to trick Ophis. The illusion was actually quite powerful, balance breakers of sacred gears had always been known to be absurd in power and ability.
Against the most powerful existence in the world however, breaking it was as easy and blinking.
[Damn it…]
It had already been several minutes since she had used an inordinate amount of power to forcefully shatter and erase the illusion, the sacred gear and the enemy who wielded it. Now she found herself in the middle of a forest in some unknown place.
Thinking. Reminiscing. Contemplating.
[Gah….this I why I hate it when I'm not flying!]
Flying was what she enjoyed more than anything. The feeling of manoeuvring her original body in the air, spinning around and doing back flips, had always given her a wondrous feeling.
She lost herself in that feeling. Doing so made other things not matter. Doing so made sure she didn't have time to contemplate of things that were better left alone. Doing so made sure that old unanswered questions were kept away in the farthest reaches of her mind.
[Heh… thinking about it, talking to Ophis also got the same effect…]
Those words were accompanied with a scoff as she remembered the formerly anti-social and dense dragon. The two of them had never really been able to coexist due to many reasons but such a thing had changed recently.
She walked around and wandered inside the forest, not paying any heed to the creatures that seemed to linger around her, some curious, some wary. She had no real destination in mind but she felt the need to move in order to keep herself from remembering strange memories.
[Hmm… should be about six years since that idiot suddenly appeared… and seven years since that strange event occurred…]
She wasn't entirely sure of the amount of time that had passed. Her concept of time was different from other living beings, after all doing nothing but fly in the skies of the dimensional gap non-stop tended to skew one's sense of time. An effect that was intended.
[Really now, opening a rift to another world just to be reunited with a living counterpart of an already dead person… that Ouroboros can be pretty damn extreme]
The memories that had flown into her had honestly confused her at first. Any question that had accompanied those memories however was answered after the appearance of Ophis a year later.
At the time, Great Red had already prepared for an incoming attack but had been stopped cold as she saw the expression on Ophis' face.
For one, the fact that there was something that would qualify as an expression in the face of the Ourobors dragon was surprising in and of itself. Said expression being one of confusion and helplessness only exemplified her shock.
[Hmph… well speaking of the Ouroboros, she should be finished with whomever had been messing around with us]
She shook her head as she remembered that they were currently dealing with a situation that involved the safety of Issei Hyoudou. She wasn't worried though since even if Ophis' didn't bother to reclaim her power that was distributed via snakes, she would still be capable of annihilating most enemies.
She raised her hand and opened it wide. With a surge of power she grabbed the air and sounds of cracking could be heard. A small rip was formed, one leading to the dimensional gap.
[That Ouroboros owes me big time…. Heh, I'm gonna make sure she pays well]
With a swipe of the hand, the rip widened and she entered.
==The Dream of the Infinite==
"Shalbe Beelzebub. Pray"
'W-What…. What is this?!'
A jet black aura covered Ophis' entire body. The level of power she was emitting was enough to crush some of the debris in the surroundings. Everything shook along with the small fluctuations in the aura, Ophis simply stood without moving, acting like an epicentre to the small quakes of power that was ravaging the surroundings.
Despite such display of power however, it was notable that neither Issei Hyoudou nor his parents were not being crushed by it.
"…?!"
Shalba attempted to overcome his frozen state but his body had not been listening to him. He was frozen on the spot, unable to neither attack nor defend, shaking uncontrollably in the face of the unfathomable existence in front of him.
'MOVE!'
"D-do…. D-DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE MEEE!"
He shouted out as he was finally able to gather the strength to move his limbs and raise his right hand to attack the dragon god who seemed unmoving.
*Shiiiiik*
It was unfortunate however that he had no right hand to use anymore. Only a second ago, he was completely certain that he had a right hand to use. He mind tried to process what had happened in the short interval but a small black flash entered his vision.
'….Wha-'
The next moment he found his body falling from the ceiling, crashing down to the ground with great force. He attempted to stand as he vomited blood from the sudden attack but came to a horrifying realization.
His left leg was missing. From the foot up to above the knee seemed to have been forcefully torn away from his body. He jerked his body the nearby wall in shock, only now registering the pain.
"GUAAHH—"
He had barely been able to begin screaming as blast of black energy suddenly hit him, blowing away the entirety of his left arm. Another blow came right afterwards, this time a kick to the abdomen, sending him flying into another wall, effectively burying him in it.
"GAAAAHHHH?!"
He was only able to scream in pain as he was finally able to register what was happening. He vomited more blood as he struggled to get out of his position instinctively.
He used his remaining leg as leverage in order to desperately try to crawl away. Against all odds he had successfully removed himself from the wall.
*BOOM*
He however, shortly fell to the ground afterwards as his remaining leg was blown off by another black surge of aura.
"Gaahhh…"
His voice left him, his strength completely vanishing. The only thing he could do was partly raise his head and stare at the figure slowly approaching him.
It wasn't the small and petty child that he saw while he was observing.
It wasn't the girl that had stubbornly accompanied his target.
It wasn't a naïve existence that could be tricked by an illusion.
It was a monster. A monster grey eyes that had shown her intent to destroy him and leave nothing left.
'S-Stop…STOP!'
The figure bathed in black aura kept approaching, neither hearing nor caring for any of his concerns.
'D-Don't come any closer!'
The figure raised her hand, gathering energy. The energy took the form of a snake, one that had hunger in its eyes.
The figure stopped. An eternity seemed to have passed by as she and the snake she had summoned looked at him.
'I ORDER YOU TO STOP!'
What came next was darkness.
==The Dream of the Infinite==
It was the same thing every day. She remembered that during that time, she was trying to perform a triple barrel roll in the sky when a small rift opened in the dimensional gap.
To her surprise, it was Ophis.
She had prepared herself. Her visits usually meant she had been prepared to battle her for the right to stay within the dimensional gap.
She turned her massive body in the sky and flew down to face Ophis. She was about to start speaking but Ophis' voice stopped her.
"Great… Red…"
Those were the first words that had come out in a voice so foreign she had to take another look at Ophis and confirm it was her.
"Why… why does the silence not bring me comfort anymore?"
=={TDoI}==
She stood inside the dimensional gap, the scene before her reminding her of Ophis' entrance to the dimensional gap six years ago.
She could still remember the sound of her voice and the look on her face.
Desperation. Her voice, though at that time was still rather monotone, held that emotion. The expression on her face showed slight confusion but her eyes showed helplessness.
It was a face she despised. It didn't suit Ophis and hence that tone of voice and expression should never appear in her face again. It was something she never wanted to see.
Yet right in front of her she was witnessing it again, only this time far worse. Her face didn't show slight confusion but one of worry, her eyes wet with tears, pleading to her for help as she held on to Issei Hyoudou's severely injured body like it would disappear if she were to let go even for a moment. Behind her, careful and gently held by Ophis' snakes were most likely the unconscious parents of the boy.
What truly made it painful for Great Red however wasn't the sight alone but Ophis' voice when she spoke.
"Great Red…. Please…. Please…"
The sheer desperation in her voice as she pleaded was enough to make her unreasonably angry.
"Please help Ise"
Then and there Great Red swore to herself. She swore that whoever the hell made Ophis like that again was going to be completely written off of existence. Not a particle of their body will be left, every memory and every proof of that they had ever existed were going to be erased. They were going to be completely and thoroughly erased without mercy.
She would make absolute sure of it.
==The Dream of the Infinite==
She was in an isolated place. She basked in the peace and quiet that the place had offered but it was far from perfect. Unlike the dimensional gap that had absolute silence, the place where she was now had many other sounds like the rustling of the trees, the running streams, and various animals that could be found there.
There were also those strange dreams that had plagued her mind as of late.
"Who are you?"
She spoke with an emotionless voice, trying to address the one who had suddenly intruded her mind. She had been travelling outside of the dimensional gap to find a means to defeat Great Red when suddenly she felt an invisible force enter her without warning.
'I am you'
A voice answered her from within. It was notable that it sounded exactly like her though there were some differences in inflection.
"These dreams… what are they?"
Every time she would close her eyes, memories would flood her mind, dreams that depicted her own image doing various things, spending time with different people. She felt strange sensations within her as she saw each image and heard the voices of each person inside the dream.
They felt strange. She had never felt such things before but she couldn't say that such things were entirely unwelcome.
'They are memories'
"Memories…?"
She spoke the word as she tilted her head.
'They are my memories… memories created in another world'
The voice spoke with fondness as it spoke the word.
"Another world?"
She questioned with slight curiosity. She could easily remember the vivid memories and though she failed to completely understand each feeling it had given her, she did understand that it that it felt pleasant at the very least.
'Yes. It is… a world filled where he had existed. A world where he and I had met.'
Despite not having been told any name she was able to just know who the voice was talking about. It was a person with brown hair, clad in crimson armour, one who she saw most in the dreams.
'It was a world…. A world where silence was not necessary'
"Silence… is... unnecessary?"
She spoke in barely noticeable disbelief. Silence had been the thing she had sought to obtain for countless years. It had been the reason why she was insistently trying to defeat Great Red.
She was about to inquire but the voice cut her off with a question of its own.
'Is silence truly what you want, is the sky the only thing you find pleasant?'
"I…"
"Ho oh~… you've regained consciousness? " An amused voice help her gain some clarity with her senses. Her vision was blurry and shaky but she was able to make out a man with silver hair looming over her while eating a sandwich.
'Where…am I? What… happened…'
She had no inkling of her current location nor any recollection of what has happened. Though the location she was at now gave her a sense of familiarity and she felt as if she had just fought a battle.
She attempted to sit up but her body felt heavy and she felt severely weakened.
"Hmm…. How strange… I'm quite sure that another Ophis-chan is currently at Shalba-kun's place doing her best to kill him. I had thought that she simply had two different bodies but it seems there is something more to it…."
The silver haired man kept speaking, his face contemplative. The name 'Ophis' had resonated with her greatly for some reason. It reminded her of the voice in her dream.
"Uhyahyahya… let me confirm then. So oujo-chan~ what is your name?"
The silver haired man kneeled down and looked at her and asked her a question with a gentle smile.
"Name? What is…my name?"
She replied, unable to recall having one. 'Ophis' had been on the tip of her tongue yet for some reason she had felt like it wasn't hers to use, like it had already belonged to another. After some thought she gave no reply and simply tilted her head towards the silver haired man.
"Hooh~? So you don't have one huh? I see… then does the name 'Issei Hyoudou' ring any bells?" Rizevim pressed on, hoping to instigate a reaction.
He eyes widened at the name, a torrent of different sensations flooding her mind. She could recall images associated with the name and some bits and pieces of memories but nothing concrete. The location they were at seemed to be connected to the name however.
"Yes… but… I do not… remember…"
She managed to let out feeling that she was badly missing out on something, like she was supposed to know who 'Issei Hyouhou' was.
"UHYAHYAHYAHYA! Don't worry oujo-chan~. This old man will help you out. My name is Rizevim and your name will be…"
Rizevim paused to consider.
"Lilith-chan. You'll be Lilith-chan from now on."
"Lilith..?" She replied. She also had a sense of familiarity with that name, vaguely recognizing it and feeling that it had somehow been more appropriate for her to use.
"Yes Lilith-chan…. Now shall we get started? First of all…. Can you sense the large amount of power scattered in this place and can you recall it? It should be familiar to you since it is part of you~"
Lilith closed her eyes and concentrated. She could sense several sources of power within the vicinity, one that felt like extensions of her own. There was a significant amount of power scattered all over the place. When she opened her eyes, she nodded to Rizevim.
"How convenient~ now then Lilith-chan, please gather all of that power and then we can leave~ don't worry about other stuff, this old man will take care of everything so you simply have to do what he says~!"
Being given the prompt, Lilith raised her hand and small tremor was sent towards the whole house. Small black snakes started to come out from every direction, flying and fusing unto her hand into one large swirling black sphere.
When all the snakes had gathered into the now large sphere of energy, the sphere seemed to melt and covered her hand, slowly enveloping it as well as her whole body. After a few minutes, the black energy seemed to flow through her skin greatly strengthening her.
She regained her strength though she could tell that it wasn't as much as she felt it should be.
"Uhyahyahyahya… well it looks like that's everything. Lilith-chan look~ I have some candy with me, come with this old man and you'll get more okay?"
Rizevim took out some candy from the refrigerator and showed them to Lilith. He had made sure make the smirk on his face as manic as possible.
Lilith didn't hesitate and approached him, taking the candy and eating it. Rizevim was barely able to hold back his laughter at the action.
"I've always wanted to do that…"
He commented as he snapped his fingers. The next second a magical circle appeared under them. With a flash of light they disappeared.
==The Dream of the Infinite==
==Omake: Dragon Halcyon Days ==
It had been five years since the day that Ophis appeared in the dimensional gap, five years since they had started to actually communicate with words instead of insanely powerful blasts of highly concentrated energy that could easily level countries if it were ever used outside of the voided world.
Really, the gods that existed in the world would be brought down several pegs if they knew of the epic battles that have been waged between the two in the dimensional gap.
[Haaahh…. Sometimes I wonder if not kicking you out was the right idea…]
Great Red, the dragon of the apocalypse, the personification of dreams and illusions, and the ever so magnificent giant red dragon was flying in the skies of the dimensional gap with utmost grace and elegance. The turns the red dragon made were calculated and precise, making sure that it was as smooth as realistically possible.
One would think that red dragon preferred to be doing rough and high speed flying while performing various high risk manoeuvres that would make any existence think twice of ever considering to ride the dragon and they would be right. If Great red had a choice, it would certainly prefer doing that instead of the slow yet elegant flight it was currently doing.
The key word there of course was 'if'.
"Great Red, please make sure to keep this pace. The last turn you had made had almost toppled the television."
Ophis had commented as she sat on Great Red's back while holding a controller. Said controller was connected to a console, which was then connected to the television. The electricity required to power the console, the television and the other stuff in there was provided by a small black box located a few feet away from Ophis that seemed to be buried in the red ground. Of course, that red ground was actually Great Red's skin.
The black box channelled inner energy and transformed it into electricity. The concept was formulated by the fallen angel institute but they had never created a successful output since a consistent and large enough source of energy wasn't exactly readily available. The inner energy required to produce the electricity was simply far too large making it inefficient.
It was a project Ophis had learned about in the former world during one of Azazel's many lectures to the Gremory group. Ophis, who had wanted to play games like she had in the former world but did not want to cause trouble, had the idea of playing in the dimensional gap instead.
She went and snuck in the fallen angel institute and obtained the device, making sure to leave her favourite confections in exchange. Parting with the sweets was the hardest part of that operation. She then went back to the gap and decided to start her plan.
The "Make Great Red into a source of energy for the device in order to produce electricity so she can play games in the dimensional gap" plan.
After some extensive testing Ophis was finally able to get the desired electrical output for her gaming consoles to work. The end result of course was that Great Red now had a special area where several game consoles, a television, a refrigerator and various other appliances were located.
When the plan succeeded, Ophis had made a declaration.
"Great has levelled up. Liveability +100. Has gained the move 'Electricity generation'. However Great Red can only learn four moves… "
[I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE DAMNED PET MONSTERS IN YOUR GAMES!]
Was Great Red's reply to Ophis. The red dragon had planned to eventually put a stop to the whole thing but for reasons unknown to the red dragon, the possibility of making the Ouroboros dragon sad made it impossible to do.
[Damn it… where the heck do you even get money to get that stuff? I'm pretty sure humans need payment in exchange. Don't tell me you just leave cakes and chocolate after sneaking in to get it?]
"That is against the human laws. Ise would be sad if I were to break them. I obtain money properly and pay for all of this properly."
Ophis replied as she was busy fighting an ice dragon with a small boy named Musashi that wielded two swords, one blue and one red. She dodged all the attacks with ease due to the fact that she had once finished the game in the other world. She was only playing it right now for the sake of completion. Those damned action figures in the game were a chore to collect. The bowling with the vampire like creatures was fun though.
[I don't really care about human laws since they don't apply to us so if you want to follow them then go ahead… but would it kill you to play somewhere else?!]
"Ah…"
[Are you actually considering it?!]
"It is time. I will need to leave to obtain some money. Please do not make a mess of the things in here. Great Red, please perform a transfer."
With that she closed her eyes waiting for Great Red's help.
[Gaaaahh! Fine at least I can get you out of here!]
Great Red used its power to transfer Ophis' consciousness into another body. A vessel they had made for her some time ago so she could explore the outer world without getting noticed. It was notable in that despite being severely weak in comparison to Ophis' true body, it could still kick major ass.
Within a few seconds, the transfer was completed and Ophis inside her vessel had left the dimensional gap in a hurry.
[Finally! Damn it the only time I get to fly properly is when that idiot leaves…]
Before the red dragon had started however, it had made sure that the Ophis' stuff was completely secured and would not fall off no matter how crazy the flight got.
When that was done, Great Red started flying as fast as possible. The moves it had performed bordered on suicidal but they were epic. Pilots everywhere would have put the red dragon on a pedestal and worshipped it if they had seen its performance.
After the fifth barrel role to nose dive to sudden ascent was done, Great Red asked a question that it should have asked long ago.
[What the heck does she do to get money?]
The red dragon roared in wonder. Ophis had never told how she actually got it, just that it was legal in her perception
[Tch… she tells me every damn thing about herself and her life in that other world but she couldn't be bothered to tell me what she does to make money?!]
Since the two met again five years ago, they had conversed with each other in great deal.
The first year of their stay together in the gap was rather awkward. They had no idea how to interact. Great Red had sympathized with Ophis because she had somehow lost the ability to obtain comfort from silence so in an effort to help; it had offered the Ouroboros dragon a ride. It was to see if she would be able to gain comfort from flying as the red dragon did.
She didn't unfortunately but that action was most likely the start of the amicable relations they had shared now.
At the time, Ophis kept quiet as she rode Great Red. She often slept, very rarely waking up. When she did she would often ask a few questions to Great Red until she went back to sleep.
In their second year, Great Red had found out that the reason Ophis slept so much was in order to see all of the dreams and memories that she supposedly received from her counterpart in the other world. Proof had been established when Ophis was able to match the memories that Great Red received as well the year prior to their meeting. During this time, Ophis slept less and talked with Great Red more, mostly telling the red dragon about the dreams and memories, especially about Ise. At the time she was starting to break free from her monotone voice and blank expressions.
In their third year, Ophis started to show more emotion though she was still as quiet and as reserved as ever. She had told Great Red something about the 'complete fusion of her two consciousness' and the adaptation to the dreams and memories she had received.
In the fourth year, they created the other vessel for Ophis so she could go out without worry. Since then she would leave the gap in occasion. When asked what she did outside she simply replied with the following:
Ise observation
Eating sweets
Obtaining funds and games
Since then many other shenanigans involved the two that would most likely be told in other stories.
[Hmph… not like I care what she does anyway. It's not like she can die like that so I have nothing to worry about…]
Before Great Red could continue its flight however, the red dragon was struck by a worrying thought. One that had stopped the red dragon from flying.
[What if she isn't doing something dangerous but something worse?!]
Great Red was the dragon of dreams and so was a great deal more knowledgeable about the human world that Ophis.
[She's an idiot so she might have been pulled into that kind of thing!]
There were many ways to make money. There was doing jobs but there also happened to be other more questionable ways to obtain it, especially for one that looked like a young, naive and cute little girl.
[W-What if one of those perverted bastards lured her in to do that kind of stuff?!]
It was entirely possible the red dragon thought. Ophis might've naively thought that doing the things that teenage boys usually enjoyed, usually in the form of videos and doujins, were okay as long as she made money from it.
[THAT IDIOT! HOW WOULD SHE SHOW HER FACE TO THAT BOY IF SHE DOES THAT KIND OF THING?!]
The red dragon was now, for the first time in its long life, panicking.
[Alright… calm down…. It that might not be the case… Besides it's not like I care if she does do that kind of thing…]
Great Red concluded and decided that it should simply continue flying instead of worrying about such things.
…
….
…..
Five minutes later a small red dragon, one roughly the size of a bird, was flying around the town.
[Damn it… I can't even enjoy flying because of that idiot]
No matter how much Great Red had tried, it was unable to banish the thought of what Ophis might be doing to make money. The mere possibility that she was naively doing questionable things that maniacs usually enjoyed disturbed it far too much.
So in order to confirm what she was doing, the red dragon had used a fragment of its body to create a small red dragon that would carry its consciousness to see what Ophis was doing.
[There she is... damn it what the hell is that idiot doing here?!]
After a few minutes of searching, Great Red was able to successfully spot Ophis who was wearing a black stylish and hooded jersey and was walking in a very strange part of the town. To clarify, it was the place where the stores that all teenage boys went to get their H books and H videos were located. There were some malls and recreation centres around as well.
Great Red wanted to dive in and lecture the naïve girl already.
[No stop… it might just be a stupid coincidence…]
Maybe she was just working as a clerk or waitress in a café. No matter how impossible it may seem, it was still a possibility.
Great Red's worries increased however when Ophis entered a dark alley in a road that was rarely taken.
[GAAAHHHH! Are you kidding me?!]
With the speed of an older sibling who had lost their parents and hence was delegated to be the caretaker of their younger more naïve sibling, Great Red dived down quickly in order to follow Ophis.
When the red dragon had found Ophis talking with a suspicious looking man wearing a black trench coat with the hood covering his eyes, he hid. The two were a great distance away and Great Red didn't want to reveal itself or Ophis might not let it go easily.
Unbeknownst to the red dragon, it was what humans would call feeling guilty because of following someone they care about due to the lack of trust in said person.
[What the hell is that idiot dong with that bastard?!]
Great Red let out a low growl as it saw Ophis and the suspicious man converse. The red dragon's suspicion was only confirmed when during the conversation the suspicious man held up a camera and Ophis nodded in reply.
[DON'T JUST NOD YOU IDIOT!]
A loud growl was let out but the two had suddenly disappeared into the corner of the alley.
[DAMN IT!]
Great Red immediately gave chase to the two and turned the corner. It was able to catch sight of the two as they entered a , Great Red charged in, destroying the door in the process.
[YOU IDIOTS ARE DOING ANYTHING TO THAT GIRL IN MY WATCH!]
The red dragon let out a loud growl as it entered the building.
Blinding lights however stopped the charge momentarily.
"WELCOME TO THE BI-ANNUAL UNDERGROUND ARCADE BAAAAATTLE ROYAAAAALLEEEE!"
The amplified and energetic shout of an announcer resounded inside the building. The place was illuminated by swirling blue lights. In the middle of the room were a collection of arcade game machines with a stage to its side. A large screen was on the stage while several other screens surrounded the room. There were bleachers where a good number of people were cheering.
"Today, we will bear witness the talent and skill of the best players all over the country. They will compete in and do battle with the fighting games that have made everyone's lives a bit more exciting!"
The announcer raised his hand and gestured towards the large screen behind him. The next second, images of various different games flashed in the screen.
"Games such as Mokken Tag Tournament 2! Morevil vs Cupcom 3! Melty Water! Hallway Fighters 4! Rival Colleges! Our dear competitors will battle with these games and see who will come out on top!"
The announcer made another gesture this time to the side of the stage. A cup filled with money came out slowly.
"The winner of this competition will receive the golden cup and a prize of 250,000 yen! Now lets introduce our competitors"
A blue spotlight shed light on eight people in the centre of the stage. All of them were wearing black jerseys.
[Wha…]
Great Red was greatly dumbfounded of what it saw. The red dragon had expected something completely different. The announcer continued introducing the competitors until he got to the last one.
"…and finally, the current reigning queen of arcade games, Snake!"
The spotlight focused on Ophis who, the red dragon noticed, was wearing a mask over on her face. Ophis raised her hand and loud cheering could be heard.
"SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE!"
"IT'S OUR QUEEN! HELL YEAH!"
"HAHAHA! IT'S GONNA BE A CLEAN SWEEP AGAIN!"
"SHE'S THE MOST AWESOME LOLI EVER, PLEASE MARRY MEEEE!"
That last shout had caught Great Red's attention but it really couldn't do anything since it was still horribly confused of what was happening.
[What the hell is… all this?]
Great simply flew down to the railing in defeat, seeing that its worries were unfounded.
[Ha…ha…. Hahaha… What the hell was I even worrying about?]
The red dragon simply growled as it watched the competition begin. The screen flashed two roulettes, one holding the names of the competitors, the other holding the names of the titles.
Great Red barely paid attention and kept lying dejectedly on the railing as Ophis dominated the competition.
==TDoI==
"ANOTHER WIN FOR SNAAAKE! WILL SHE TAKE THE CROWN ONCE AGAIN?!"
The announcer wildly commentated on the action as Ophis destroyed her opponent in Mokken Tag Tournament 2. She used a team of Lilya and Asuko. She made effective use of Asuko's counter move to stop the opponent's momentum and continued on with well placed launchers strung to juggles to take down the opponent. She seemed to be able to read the opponent as she used take downs for every low attack that was made. After two wins, she let the opponent have a mercy round before finally winning the battle on the fourth round easily.
When she stood up she noticed a familiar sight. It was a miniature version of Great Red who seemed to be watching the competition in a state of dejection and shock.
'Great… Red?'
She raised her hands up. It was something she did to get the audience attention.
"Oh? Snake is raising her hands up, what could it be?!"
The announcer helped in getting their attention as everyone had begun to focus on Ophis. She then pointed towards Great Red's direction, to which everyone looked at.
"That is mine"
"HOOOOHH?! DID SNAKE JUST SPEAK?! THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE HEARD HER VOICE! ALRIGHT, GIVE SNAKE THAT DOLL!"
The announcer shouted excitedly as it was indeed the first time Ophis had spoken despite being a frequent participant of underground game tournaments. Someone from the audience grabbed Great Red and threw it to her.
The throw was off the mark and she had to jump to catch Great Red.
"Great Red?"
[…. What?]
Both of them kept a low voice. Ophis held Great Red like a stuffed toy and went towards the seats reserved for the competitors.
"Why are you here?"
[… Nothing much. Just thought I get out and see what the world is like….]
It was clear to her that Great Red had another agenda so she pushed on. She didn't know the exact reason but she knew the red dragon would never pass off a chance to fly freely without restraint for anything.
She reviewed the red dragon's behaviour in her mind and cross referenced it to the behaviour of other people she had observed. She recalled that one time a search party was deployed to find her.
She then came to a realization.
"Was Great Red… worried about me?" She tried.
[Shut up! I just thought you were doing something stupid so I followed you okay?!]
The reply greatly reminded her of that one time bilingual was accidentally casted on Asia Argento's breasts during a training session. Ophis had established a connection with both Asia and Ise at the time and so she had heard the breast talk as well.
Said breast had spoken in a similar manner.
'"Great Red… is a tsundere?"
She concluded. Since the two patterns of speech were similar, she felt that the label imposed on the talking breast was appropriate for Great Red.
[WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!]
Great retorted, somewhat feeling the need to refuse the title. Before Ophis could reply however, her next match came.
"Great Red… let us talk later. For now, watch me triumph"
…
…
…
"Great Red, what is it like having a sister?"
Ophis asked the red dragon as she sat at a bench in the park. She was still holding Great Red like a stuffed toy while a large golden cup was placed beside them filled with money. Despite looking like an easy target for a mugger, no one dared to approach.
[Why the heck are you asking me?]
Great Red replied as it ate a one of the taiyakis that they had bought from a nearby stall. Ophis grabbed one as well, nodding as she tasted and compared the different flavours.
"I had just remembered the nekomatas Toujo Koneko and Kuroka and I was left wondering what it would have felt like to have a sister"
She continued being reminded of the memories she had of the other world. She had different types of relationships with the others but she felt like the relationship did not qualify as being 'sisters' with some of them.
Kuroka and Koneko were the ones she had been able to observe the most. It was only now that she was able to see how much love and care they had displayed to each other despite the attitude they showed.
[Hmph… I've never had one so I wouldn't know. I may see many dreams of many different people but I don't necessarily understand the feelings and thoughts in them]
"I have always wanted experience it…. Having a sister…"
[Is that so? That boy you keep talking about has parents so you might get one eventually]
"Unn… though I feel that I don't have to wait long for one..."
Silence followed and they spent the rest of the day roaming around town and trying out different types of food and Ophis trying to get Great Red to admit to being a tsundere. Great Red never slipped and Ophis could be seen with a small smile on her face.
Both would agree that it was a good day.
==The Dream of the Infinite==
A/N: So this is the chapter that will set the foundation for the future Great Red and Ophis dynamic!
The next chapter (concluding chapter) will be uploaded next week, look forward to it! that will be the last one for this month since I'm gonna have to start focusing on Thesis and Finals soon
Wish me luck and see you on the other side of the rainbow
What do you think about this chapter or the story as a whole? I offer an expression of sincere gratitude for your thoughts and advice~