Bound by Infinity

Chapter 18:

I collapsed on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, and everything hurt. Every part of my body felt sore, bruised, and exhausted after the intense sparring match with Ophis. As I lay there, my body erupted with green flames, the soothing warmth of my healing flames slowly starting to knit my wounds back together. While I healed, I couldn't help but think back to the absolute ass-whooping I'd received at the hands of my adopted daughter.

Huh. That still feels weird to say.

Flashback

"Domain Manipulation: Domain Expansion—Birthplace of the Universe," I said, stepping forward, a smirk on my face. Darkness spread from my feet, quickly enveloping both of us in a swirling shadow.

When the darkness finally cleared, we weren't in Ophis's kaleidoscopic space anymore. We stood in the vastness of space itself—stars, nebulae, and swirling gases surrounded us in an endless void. The sheer scale of it all made my heart race.

I summoned Crucifix in scythe mode, feeling the familiar weight in my hands as I steadied myself.

"Let's begin," I said, my grin widening.

Ophis nodded, and before I could even blink, we vanished, reappearing mid-clash as the second round of our spar began.

The sound of our scythes clashing resonated through the void, causing shockwaves to ripple through the domain. The speed at which we clashed was almost incomprehensible, appearing and disappearing from different points in the space. I raised my hand into the air, activating the domain's sure-hit effect.

Stars began to fire multiple rays of energy at Ophis, each one tracking her every movement. She dodged and teleported around the domain, but the rays followed her relentlessly. When they finally landed, the resulting explosion sent shockwaves that could be felt even across the infinite space. The smoke cleared, but Ophis was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit—" My eyes darted in every direction, but I couldn't find her.

A portal opened behind me, and a large black snake shot out from it. I didn't have time to react before four beams of starlight struck and obliterated it. But before I could even celebrate my success, I felt a sharp pain as I was blindsided by the purple blade of Ophis's scythe. It sliced across my waist, and I grunted in pain.

Ah, shit—

BOOM!

The scythe's energy exploded, sending me flying backward. I barely managed to catch myself before I was struck by another wave of purple energy, Ophis charging at me with four massive black snakes following in her wake. I pushed myself to my feet and rushed at her, a barrage of star rays firing off in pursuit.

I snapped my fingers, and a star materialized above Ophis. I teleported to it, swinging Crucifix down at her.

But she wasn't there.

"Huh?" I muttered, confused, but then I felt a sudden tug. The snakes that had followed me wrapped around my scythe, trapping both it and me.

Before I could react, Ophis's foot appeared right in front of my face.

Well, this was gonna hurt.

Her kick slammed into me with enough force to tear through the snakes' hold, sending me flying through the air. I crashed into the ground—or at least, what was supposed to be the floor of the domain. I coughed up blood as my back collided with the cold surface. I could hear Ophis's footsteps as she walked across my back before casually standing beside me.

I groaned, slowly rising to my feet as green flames erupted from my body, healing me in an instant.

"Fuck, that hurt," I muttered, holding my aching back.

Ophis stood silently, her eyes studying me. Then, she spoke. "Kouki-tosan… this space... it's another dimension, yes?"

"Yeah, technically, why?" I asked, trying to steady my breathing.

"I see, I understand it now." Then Ophis raised a finger, and black energy coiled around it in the form of a snake. "Dimension manipulation: Domain Expansion."

Before I could prepare, the darkness overtook my domain. When it finally cleared, we were no longer floating in the void. Instead, we stood in a boundless, starry expanse where a massive black temple ruin floated in the distance. Gigantic snakes acted like pillars, and an infinity symbol hovered above the ruined temple.

"Boundless Infinity," Ophis finished.

I blinked twice, stunned by the sheer scale of what she had just done.

"I know this is rich coming from me, but your powers are bullshit!" I exclaimed.

Ophis only stared at me for a moment, a small, curious tilt to her head. "Father, you were the one that gave me this power."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I know… I know." I defeatedly threw up my hands. "I give up."

Ophis blinked, confused, as she released her domain, dispelling both hers and mine. We were back in Ophis's room in an instant. I sat down on the floor, sighing heavily.

"So, Ophis... how did you copy my attacks?" I asked, still catching my breath.

"Well..."

Flashback End

I groaned as the memories of the brutal spar resurfaced. I was embarrassed by my own daughter, well my adopted daughter—but then again, she was the Infinite Dragon God. The title didn't exactly give me confidence in our sparring outcomes.

The green flames around me flickered and eventually disappeared as I sat up, stretching.

That's when I sensed a barrier over the house, followed by the unmistakable presence of a magic circle appearing on the floor.

Oh, boy. Here we go.

I was expecting Rias, but what I didn't expect was the look of panic on her face. There was an undercurrent of fear in her eyes, which immediately raised my guard. That was a look I had rarely seen on her, and it made me very... uneasy.

"Rias, what's wrong?" I asked, sitting up straighter.

Rias didn't answer at first, but to my surprise, she started stripping off her uniform. Normally, I wouldn't have had any issue with this, but the reason why she was stripping made me wary. No, that wasn't quite right. Something was off.

"Rias, what's wrong?" I repeated, this time my voice much more serious.

She didn't answer right away. When she was done, she crawled onto the bed, trying to be as seductive as possible.

"What, don't you like me?" Rias asked, her voice soft but laced with tension.

I sighed. This wasn't the time for playing games.

I reached up, gently holding her face and pulling her closer to me. "Of course, I like you, Rias," I said, brushing some stray strands of hair from her face. "But I live with you, and I know when you're doing something stupid. So tell me now—what's happening? You're never this panicked or afraid."

Rias's gaze dropped to the floor, and for a moment, I thought she was going to say something. But just as she opened her mouth, my eyes snapped to the floor in front of the bed. A silver magic circle had appeared.

I had a feeling she was going to break through that hastily created barrier.

Rias noticed the magic circle as well, and her expression changed, the panic growing. She quickly turned to face it, and I noticed Mittelt and Tiamat at the door. Without missing a beat, I sent a subtle pulse of mana to tell them to wait.

Then, from the magic circle, emerged a stunning woman. She appeared to be in her early twenties, with silver hair that reached her back, long braids on either side with small blue bows at the ends, and silver eyes that bore into me. She wore a blue and white French maid outfit with long sleeves and a white headband, the red lipstick adding a touch of fierceness to her beauty.

I glanced at Rias. The look she was giving this woman was nothing short of hostile.

"I had a feeling I'd get here too late," the woman said, her voice cold. "Rias-sama, you've stooped so low."

"Whoever I choose to give my virginity to is my decision, Grafia-san," Rias said, her voice firm. "And another thing, do not insult anyone I care about in such a manner again."

Rias got off the bed, her posture defensive.

The woman—Grafia—stared at her for a long moment, before replying with a faint nod. "Noted. But you are the next head of the Gremory family. Have some respect for yourself," she said, as she picked up Rias's discarded clothes and slipped her shirt over Rias's shoulders.

I stared at the woman, my mind calculating. The temptation to unleash a full power Crucifix blast was almost overwhelming, but I quickly checked myself. She would survive, but it'd be so tempting.

Grafia turned to face me. "Pardon the intrusion. My name is Grafia, and I am in the service of the Gremory family. We'll get out of your way now."

Unfortunately, Grafia-san, there's just one problem with that.

"Oh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Rias lives here," I said, my voice calm, but the deadly undertone unmistakable.

"I see." Grafia glanced at Rias. "I will hand compensation then."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" I asked, my killing intent leaking into the air.

Tiamat, clearly getting impatient, broke the door down. It was time to settle whatever this was.

Chapter 18: End