A heavy atmosphere spread through the street as Vali and the others fixed their eyes on Cid's group, powerful, violent Magical Power radiating from their hands.
What's going on? Why are they looking at me like that?
"It's good to see you, Cid, but judging by the current situation, it looks like you've got a few shady people following behind you."
Huh?
"Whoa, Vali, don't put it like that. I really only sent people to take a look because I had nothing better to do. Running into you was a pleasant surprise. As for Brother Cid... it seems he had no idea at all."
A familiar, teasing male voice came from behind Cid and Ophis. Cid blinked. At that moment, he realized Vali and the others might not have been looking at him and Ophis, but at Cao Cao and his group, who had started following him at some point.
Tapping the spear in his hand against his shoulder, Cao Cao, dressed in Han-style clothing, led his teammates out from the street behind Cid. He wore an excited smile as he faced Vali, and even had the leisure to give Cid an approving look.
"Brother Cid, even though you had no idea what was going on, I still have to thank you. If not for your help, it probably would've taken me quite a while to find Vali and the others..."
His fist clenched. It really clenched.
Cid did not show any anger. He only narrowed his eyes.
"And now it's your turn, Vali. Choose. Are you going to keep running with Ophis like rats too scared to even show their faces, or are you going to fight me here and settle this properly?"
Turning toward Vali and the others, who were fully on guard, Cao Cao tapped his spear against his shoulder, a provocative smile on his face.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Cao Cao. Before, I only ignored you because fighting you would've been troublesome."
"Finding Delta, wherever she's run off to, is more important right now. But since you've delivered yourself to me, there's no way I'll let you go. I still preferred the old you, the one who ran away without even daring to fight."
Vali shot back without the slightest fear, his face carrying a smile full of mockery as he mercilessly brought up Cao Cao's earlier retreat without even fighting.
"...Still better than a certain brainless 'Strongest White Dragon Emperor in History' who charged in and got toyed with by an opponent using the exact same ability. The White Dragon Emperor, famous for using the power of Divide, lost to Divide. So that's the so-called Strongest in History? You certainly accomplished something no previous White Dragon Emperor ever managed. Truly impressive."
Cao Cao's provocative smile vanished. With a strange light in his eyes, he expressionlessly brought up news that had already spread across the world, and the smile on Vali's face disappeared with it.
There was no need to say which was worse, fleeing without a fight or having one's reputation completely ruined. Cao Cao could at least call it knowing when to retreat. But for a Sacred Gear User to be toyed with by an enemy using his own ability was utter disgrace. Vali was the perfect example.
"Pfft!"
Both of their smiles had vanished, but Cid, who had heard the whole exchange from the middle, laughed instead. After all, he was the one responsible for that incident.
"..."
Cao Cao and Vali both turned their gazes over at the same time, leaving Asia beside him at a complete loss. Only after Ophis touched Asia's arm did she barely manage to calm down.
"Ara ara, Ophis, Cid-san, Asia, could you step aside for a moment? Once we're done dealing with these annoying rats we can't seem to shake off, I'll come chat with you."
With a bewitching smile that held a hint of flattery, Kuroka Toujou called out to Cid and the others.
"Thanks, Kuroka."
Reading the look in her eyes, Cid gave Kuroka Toujou a glance that said he understood, thanked her, then turned and led Ophis and Asia to the side of the street. Ophis did not make a fuss either, obediently following Cid along.
Seeing Ophis's attitude, Cao Cao and Vali tacitly accepted Kuroka Toujou's suggestion and shifted their gazes away. Cao Cao let out a breath, tapped his spear against his shoulder again, and said with a headache.
"So in other words, if I want to deal with Ophis, I have to deal with you first, Vali. In that case..."
Then let's fight!
Cao Cao did not say that final line aloud, because before he could, Georg, having understood his intent, had already activated "Dimension Lost." White mist instantly covered the entire area, and the battle began.
Sword clashed against sword, bodies collided with wooden staffs, magic crashed into magic, Holy Sword crossed with Senjutsu. The aftershocks from both sides almost instantly swept every stray object in the field away.
The destruction caused by both sides was astonishing, but it had no effect on Cid and the others. Before the shockwaves could reach them, Ophis waved her little hand in the air and erased the aftermath within her seemingly endless Magical Power.
"Um... Ophis-san, didn't Cao Cao-san say they were from the Hero Faction? Then why are they trying to kill you? Aren't they your subordinates, Ophis-san?"
Watching the terrifying waves released by both sides as they fought, Asia hesitantly asked Ophis, who was standing in front of them as a shield.
The Hero Faction, one of the world's most powerful terrorist organizations, was described in public and official records as a terrorist group led by the Infinite Dragon God and mainly composed of undead Evil Dragons and human heroes.
That was exactly why Asia was confused by this fierce battle. Both sides fighting were members of the Hero Faction, and the reason they were fighting was because one side wanted to kill their leader, the Infinite Dragon God, while the other wanted to protect their leader, Ophis.
"Why Cao Cao wants to kill me... I don't know. I can't understand it."
When asked, Ophis tilted her head. A hint of confusion appeared on her face, as if she also did not understand Cao Cao and the others' logic.
"Eh!? Even you don't know, Ophis-san?"
"Mm. I don't."
Ophis nodded without any intention of hiding it. To her, she simply could not understand why Cao Cao dared to say he would kill her. As for being betrayed, she had no particular thoughts about that at all.
"It's probably what happens when the boss is permanently AFK…"
Cid, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation as though pretending to be air, saw Ophis's reaction. Combining that with her way of handling things, he thought for a moment and said this.
"Ophis, let me ask. You don't usually ignore everything, sit on a chair handing out your power, and watch your subordinates do bad things, do you?"
"...Mm."
After thinking about it and realizing that what she usually did was more or less exactly what Cid had described, Ophis nodded.
"There you go. That's the reason. When the boss who's supposed to hold power decides not to hold it anymore, the number two, who was never supposed to hold power, steps in and takes control."
"That won't change just because there's a gap in strength. Human greed and ambition are a black hole that keeps growing until it devours everything.
"Once they start living comfortably, they get idle. And the scariest thing for people is idleness, because once they have nothing to do, they go looking for excitement and start doing stupid things."
"Just like now. Their ambition grew, so they turned their eyes toward you, because what you gave them was no longer enough."
Cid explained the cause of the rebellion with a slight sense of longing. This was exactly why he believed that as long as he stayed out of things, the Witches of Netheril would soon start causing trouble.
Soon. It should happen soon. They were a group of former terrorists, so no one should expect them to have lofty morals. As long as nothing unexpected happened, Cid believed he would soon be able to blow up that identity and return to freedom.
Really, Ophis, I used to have some doubts about whether this plan was feasible. But now that I have you as an example, my confidence has shot up. I believe a bright future lies right under my feet.
Ophis-chan, love.
"Oh..."
After listening to Cid's explanation, Ophis opened her little mouth with a look of sudden realization. But the very next second, she switched back to her original puzzled expression.
"But I still can't understand. Why did Cao Cao betray me?"
"True. What method does Cao Cao have to deal with you, Ophis, the Infinite?"
Cid rubbed his chin and muttered to himself. Although Ophis's phrasing was a little difficult to understand, he still knew what she meant. Simply put, it was, "How dare he?"
To be honest, Cid also found it hard to understand. He could think of nine ways to kill Ophis's infinity, but Cao Cao was not him. How could Cao Cao possibly do the same thing he could? Did Cao Cao have no brain?
"Cid-san, um... Cao Cao-san said earlier that he prepared some kind of Dragon-Slaying Sacred Gear to deal with Ophis and the Great Red. I think that might be why."
Oh, right. Now that she mentioned it, there was something like that.
With Asia's reminder, Cid remembered that matter as well, and he struck his palm in realization.
"Looking at it that way, Cao Cao must have already come up with a way to deal with you, Ophis. Judging by the name, it sounds like something specialized against dragons."
"Mm-hmm, that's right. Ophis-san, you have to be careful. Cao Cao-san must have prepared a weapon specifically to deal with you."
After receiving Cid's agreement, Asia hurriedly nodded and hugged Ophis as she warned her.
Although she knew the little girl in front of her was the boss of a world-class terrorist organization, Ophis's somewhat childish appearance, airheaded thinking, and the fact that she was currently blocking attacks for her still made Asia unable to suppress her overflowing maternal instincts.
"Specialized against dragons, huh. That does sound like it could threaten me..."
After Asia's reminder, Ophis nodded as if she had only just realized it. Her tone changed slightly, but her face still held that same relaxed expression.
"Eh? But Ophis-san, looking at you, why do I feel like you're not taking this seriously at all?"
Even Asia could tell and could not help pointing it out, but Ophis only shook her head.
"Because Cid said it. Since that's the case, I'll deal with Cao Cao seriously."
"Ophis-san... who do you think is stronger, you or Cao Cao-san and the others?"
Ophis sounded uncertain, but her expression remained as carefree as ever. She even walked over to a fruit shop that had been emptied out because Georg used "Dimension Lost" to drive everyone away, then casually picked up a bunch of bananas.
"Eh, eh, eh!? Ophis-san, you can't just take that!"
Asia cried out and quickly rushed into the fruit shop to stop Ophis. But halfway there, she saw the peeled banana in Ophis's hand and her mouth chewing away. Near tears, Asia could only go to the counter and pay.
"Wuuu... Ah, thank you..."
Asia let out a whimper. In a country like Japan, where fruit was expensive, the banana Ophis had peeled was enough to cost Asia tens of thousands of yen.
Perhaps because her conscience bothered her a little, Ophis walked over to Asia, pulled off a banana, and handed it to her.
"Chew, chew, chew... So, Ophis-chan, are you saying you think you might lose to Cao Cao and the others?"
Chewing her banana, perhaps because she thought they had grown closer, Asia mumbled Ophis's nickname and returned to the topic they had been discussing.
How to put it? Asia was not quite sure what Ophis truly meant. After all, "having a hard time" could mean either winning or losing, right?
"Ah, chew, chew..."
After swallowing the banana pulp in one bite, Ophis peeled another one. Her tone was careless yet full of confidence.
"I'll win. Ahm, chew, chew..."
After saying that, Ophis swallowed another bite of banana, and a cute, happy expression appeared on her face.
"Really? That's great!"
Seemingly infected by Ophis's confidence, Asia foolishly believed her.
...What is this, popping champagne at halftime? She's raising every flag possible!
"Are you really sure there's no problem? Why do I feel like you're raising a flag, Ophis?"
Cid advised her with a strange expression. Based on his past-life experience, if this were a light novel, those lines from Ophis would count as battlefield flag-raising dialogue, the kind where not dying would be against the laws of nature.
"Daijoubu. Cid doesn't need to worry. Although I can't understand Cao Cao, I won't lose to Cao Cao."
"You..."
Now she's stacked the "doesn't understand people's hearts" buff on top of it?! This déjà vu is getting stronger and stronger.
"Forget it. As long as you're happy. Ah, thanks..."
You could not talk sense into someone determined to die. Cid gave up and simply accepted the banana Ophis handed him, eating while watching the battle outside.
"Cid..."
"What?"
Cid was eating his banana when Ophis's voice came from behind him. He answered without turning his head.
"After I defeat Cao Cao, will you help me defeat the Great Red?"
"..."
Amazing. She stacked them all. I can already see your future, Ophis.
"Mm... Looks like they're almost done fighting. Ophis, come over here too."
Cid sighed and tried not to respond to that flag.
"Cid, why won't you agree?"
I'm trying to save you, you silly kid...