The group reappeared atop a high platform suspended in midair.
Before them loomed a breathtaking sight, a massive floating castle, dark and grand, suspended in the endless sky.
Its gothic towers reached high into the heavens, arcane sigils pulsating along its stone walls.
The skies were a vibrant purple, and overhead hung a single crimson moon, casting a blood-colored glow across the realm.
Cao Cao stared up at the spires in awe.
"Is this…?"
The old man stepped forward with a smile.
"Welcome, young sirs, to Grauzauberer."
Heracles whistled low, eyes wide.
"Man. This place is unreal."
Cao Cao looked around at the floating islands tethered by chains of glowing light and the staircases leading to different sectors of the castle, some rotating in midair.
"This is like something straight out of a fantasy novel."
The old man gave a slight bow.
"My task ends here. The Chairman awaits you. Farewell, young sirs."
With that, he tapped his cane to the floating platform they stood on, and in a shimmer of silver magic, he vanished, presumably returning to the teashop below.
Left alone, the four continued their walk across a glowing bridge suspended in midair, which connected the platform to the entrance of the floating castle.
Along the way, they passed robed magicians practicing various spells.
Some conjured elements in controlled circles, others meditated midair.
A few instructors watched nearby, noting techniques and occasionally correcting a student's posture or chant.
"This place is awesome."
Heracles murmured.
Arthur stayed quiet, walking at the front with his hands behind his head.
Georg glanced to the side and casually spoke.
"You may not know this, but Grauzauberer was originally founded during the Renaissance. My ancestor, Johann Georg Faust, was the one who built it."
Cao Cao raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"Faust? Like the guy who made a deal with Mephisto Pheles?"
Georg nodded.
"That's the one. Though the stories are… dramatized."
Heracles blinked, then looked at him.
"Wait, wait, hold up. So you're related to the founder of this place? That means you're like, what, some kind of VIP around here?"
Georg shrugged nonchalantly.
"Even if that were true, I'm still just a student. The Chairman doesn't hand out favoritism. I came here on my own merit and skills."
Arthur, still walking ahead, smirked a little.
"He's not lying. I can tell he earned his place here."
They arrived at what appeared to be a cylindrical elevator covered in sigils as they stepped inside.
As the elevator began ascending slowly with no visible mechanics, the view behind them revealed more of the vast magical realm, the other floating sectors of the castle, the magicians moving between platforms via teleport circles or flying spells.
Cao Cao leaned on the railing, then turned to Arthur.
"So, question. Have you been here before?"
Arthur shook his head.
"Nope. One of my clones came here a few days ago, actually."
Georg raised an eyebrow.
"That explains it. I thought I was speaking to you, but now that I think about it… something felt slightly off."
Arthur gave a half-smile.
"That's because my Boosted Gear is a sub-species version. It gave me the ability to create perfect clones. Weak in overall strength, but we can share memories and experiences. They can even act independently for days."
Georg's eyes sparkled with academic curiosity.
"Fascinating. Cloning has always been difficult to pull off, even with high-tier spells, and you're saying your Sacred Gear lets you replicate yourself entirely?"
Before Arthur could answer, a calm voice echoed from just beyond the elevator as its doors opened.
"It is fascinating. Care to demonstrate sometime?"
Said the voice.
All four of them turned their gaze toward the wide, circular office now revealed beyond the elevator.
The room had a tall domed ceiling of enchanted glass, showing the sky and stars above.
In the middle, behind a crescent-shaped desk, sat a sharply dressed man with red and blue slicked-back hair and eyes of different colors, one blue, the other red.
He sat casually, legs crossed, fiddling with a Rubik's Cube using just his fingers.
With a friendly smile, he gestured to the seats in front of him.
"Please, take a seat.'
The four of them took a seat, but then...
*Fart!*
Everyone focused on the sound that emanated from Arthur's location.
Arthur blinked as he looked down at his chair and saw a whoopee cushion hidden under the pillow.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Mephisto laughed for a while as he held his stomach.
"..."
Arthur's gaze didn't waver as he didn't show his embarrassment.
"Mephisto Pheles."
Mephisto wipes the tear in his eye as he sighs in satisfaction.
"Ahh. The Red Dragon Emperor. It's good to finally meet you in the flesh."
He glanced at Georg.
"And thank you, Georg, for bringing our guests."
Georg, arms crossed, leaned on the wall.
"I didn't exactly bring them. It just happened that we met at the teashop."
Mephisto smirked.
"Coincidence, fate, call it what you will."
He snapped his fingers, and a thick tome flew from a shelf and landed in Georg's arms.
"Here. You wanted more advanced spells, didn't you?"
Georg caught the book with practiced ease, inspecting the cover.
"Appreciated."
Heracles plopped into one of the chairs and stretched his arms.
"So… Georg's a student here under you, huh?"
Cao Cao leaned forward slightly.
"He must be incredibly skilled to be under your direct tutelage."
Mephisto laughed.
"Skilled? Maybe. He's still a bit green around the edges. The only reason I took him in was because he's related to an old friend of mine… and because of his Longinus."
Heracles sat up.
"Wait... Georg has a Longinus!?"
Cao Cao blinked.
"You never told us that."
Georg pushed up his glasses with a calm expression.
"It never came up. I possess the Longinus known as Dimension Lost. It lets me conjure a purple mist capable of blocking all attacks. More importantly, I can use that mist to isolate and transport anything within it into a pocket dimension."
Arthur nodded slowly.
"It's also known as the strongest barrier-type Sacred Gear."
Mephisto clapped once.
"Yes, yes. But let's focus."
He placed the Rubik's Cube down, fully turning his attention to Arthur.
"So, what can I do for you, young cambion?"
Arthur leaned back on the chair.
"I heard you didn't meet with my clone. Something about being busy."
Georg coughed into his hand.
"Busy, meaning he went to some rave with Azazel and got wasted."
The room went quiet for a moment.
Mephisto simply smiled, unbothered.
"What can I say? One must enjoy life's delights."
Arthur just narrowed his eyes slightly, voice steady and serious.
"Mephisto… I've come to bargain."
Mephisto's eyes glimmered with something between amusement and interest.
He leaned on his desk as he rested his chin on his folded hands.
"Well now, this is certainly a first. Most come to me with desperation, petitions, maybe a little flattery if they're bold. But rarely does someone waltz into my office and open with, 'I've come to bargain.' So tell me, Arthur… what is it you want to bargain for?"
Arthur didn't speak at first, instead, he summons his Boosted Gear.
Then Arthur raised his left hand, and with one decisive motion, reached across with his right hand and twisted a green jewel from the outer lining of his left gauntlet.
The emerald piece pulsed with faint energy, as if it still carried a fragment of the Boosted Gear's ability within it.
Even Mephisto blinked at that.
Arthur placed the jewel gently on the desk between them.
"Here's the deal. Me, Cao Cao, and Heracles, we'll be staying here in Grauzauberer to study magic for as long as needed. In exchange, you get this."
He said calmly.
Everyone stared at the small gem on the desk.
Georg tilted his head, intrigued.
Heracles squinted at it, and Cao Cao leaned forward slightly.
Mephisto, for once, looked genuinely surprised, not alarmed, but certainly intrigued.
He picked up the jewel between two fingers and studied it against the lamp on the desk.
"This has the ability [Boost] embedded in it… a fragment of your Sacred Gear's function? You extracted this?"
Arthur nodded.
"Took some practice to make it, but yeah. You could use it for alchemy, enchantments, research… your choice."
For a long beat, silence filled the room.
Then Mephisto leaned back and let out a loud, amused laugh that echoed throughout the domed office.
"Hahahahahaha! This is the first time in centuries someone offered me, of all people, a deal!"
He laughed again, setting the jewel down.
"Arthur Pendragon, you are officially my favorite person of this era."
Then his expression shifted.
The humor didn't leave his face, but his tone deepened into something more serious.
"Tempting, certainly… but I'm not interested in little trinkets."
He said, gently sliding the jewel back toward Arthur.
"I admire the initiative. Truly. But I don't need a shard of your Sacred Gear. I have another offer in mind."
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And that is?"
Mephisto sat up straighter, steepling his fingers again.
"How about this? The three of you will learn magic here under my right hand, a magician whose skill is second to none. I will also grant you full sanctuary in Grauzauberer for the duration of your stay. No one will bother you. No one will harm you. In addition, you'll be granted limited access to the restricted wing of our main library, the Forbidden Archive."
Even Georg reacted to that, glancing at Mephisto with a hint of surprise.
"In exchange, you will owe me one favor. No questions asked. I'll call it in when I need it."
Mephisto continued smoothly.
He extended his hand toward Arthur.
"Well, Arthur? Do we have a deal?"
He said with a grin.
Arthur didn't answer immediately.
His eyes flicked to the hand in front of him, then he looked down briefly.
(Ddraig, what should I do? Should I take it?)
Ddraig paused for a moment before answering.
(This is probably for the best, partner. Mephisto's not known for making the same deal twice. But remember… don't let him walk away with all the benefits.)
Arthur's eyes returned to Mephisto's, and then he finally spoke aloud.
"Okay then. I'll accept your deal... but only on one condition."
Mephisto raised an eyebrow.
"Go on."
"The favor you call in. It cannot endanger me or anyone close to me. Not directly. Not indirectly. Not in any way, shape, or form. If you want my servitude, that's non-negotiable."
Arthur said firmly.
Mephisto looked at him for a long moment.
Then he slowly smiled and nodded.
"Alright then. Deal."
Their hands met in a firm handshake.
Arthur released his grip and leaned back slightly.
Mephisto casually reached into his desk and pulled out a sleek black phone.
"Alright then. Let's get this started."
He tapped a few buttons on the screen and brought the phone to his ear.
"Yes, bring in my right hand, please. Thank you."
A few moments passed.
The room was quiet aside from Georg flipping through his new tome and Heracles occasionally stealing glances at the pages.
Then the elevator behind them chimed and the doors slid open.
Cao Cao, Georg, Heracles, and Arthur all instinctively turned to look.
Mephisto's face lit up.
"Ah, finally, there's our number 1 Ice Queen."
Georg raised a hand calmly in greeting.
"Hey."
Heracles blinked once.
"Holy moly."
Cao Cao's jaw slackened.
"What the?"
Arthur's emerald eyes widened slightly, the silence around him thickening.
"..."
There, stepping calmly into the room, was a girl who looked no older than seventeen.
She wore a white and blue witch's robe with silver linings, her long blonde hair fell in neat waves down her back, and on her head rested a pointed witch's hat.
Her sapphire-blue eyes sparkled like the ocean under moonlight, and when she smiled, it was filled with warmth, the kind that makes your heart skip a beat.
But her most notable feature is not only her mystical beauty, but her massive, gravity-defying breasts and her juicy, child-bearing hips.
"Good evening, Chairman, good evening, Georg."
She gave a graceful bow to Mephisto and Georg, her breast bouncing from her movements.
Then turned her eyes to the newcomers.
"Hello, everyone. I am Lavinia Reni. Right hand of Chairman Mephisto, and one of the top-ranked magicians of Grauzauberer. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
She said in a sweet, refined voice.
Arthur blinked.
His mouth opened slightly… and then closed again.
(Ddraig?)
(Yes, Partner?)
(Why does my body feel like it's on fire, and my Dragon Heart feel like it's about to explode? Is it malfunctioning?)
DxD
Hello readers!
Here's a second chapter because I had free time.
I will be making a new chapter on my JJK fanfic soon.
Thank you everyone and see you later!