Bound by Infinity

Chapter: 16

I turned around and saw Rias and the others standing at the edge of the clearing, clearly surprised by what they were witnessing.

"Oh hey, guys, I thought you all left already," I said, waving at them casually, still hovering in the air.

Rias raised an eyebrow, her voice tinged with disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, you know… just having a bit of fun," I said nonchalantly, even though I knew that this "fun" might come across as slightly more intense than usual.

"You call fighting Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon, a bit of fun?" Rias's voice had a sharp edge now, mixing concern with frustration.

"Tiamat? That was her name, huh? Okay," I said, almost disinterested, before looking back at her.

"So you're telling me you fought her without even knowing who she was?" Rias asked, her tone incredulous.

"Yup," I replied with a shrug.

"Do you even care?" she asked again, her eyes narrowing slightly as she crossed her arms.

"Nope," I said with a grin, clearly unfazed.

"Oh," Rias said, pausing as if trying to comprehend the madness of it all.

"You're crazy," Koneko muttered quietly, her arms crossed tightly as she watched me with a mixture of disbelief and quiet approval.

"I know," I said, meeting her gaze with a grin.

"Of course you do," Rias sighed, rubbing her temples as she exhaled deeply.

"What can I say…" I trailed off, and then—huh? My senses flared as I turned to look in the direction I had sent Tiamat flying earlier.

I narrowed my eyes, my instincts tingling. Something wasn't right. I stared into the distance, and the moment my gaze met Rias's, I saw the same realization dawn in her eyes.

"Back up now," I said in a low, serious tone.

Rias and the others didn't need any further explanation. They quickly retreated into the forest, giving me space. The ground trembled beneath us, and an explosion shook the air. I knew what was coming. It was only a matter of time.

Tiamat surged from the smoke and debris, her body battered but still very much alive. She stood before me in human form, her long blue hair billowing with the force of her anger. Her body was covered in deep cuts, burns, and bruises, but the rage in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Oh, you're still conscious?" I asked, slightly amused, my arms crossed.

"You damn brat! It'll take more than that to take me down! I am the Chaos Karma Dragon, Tiamat!" she growled, voice dripping with defiance.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Bragging, I see. Very well. Let's finish this then," I said, stepping forward, my boots crunching the earth beneath me.

I took a single step, and instantly, the entire clearing was flooded with silver energy. The power cascaded outward, coating everything—every blade of grass, every tree, every rock—until the energy halted just shy of Rias and the others, protecting them.

"Oh boy, here we go," Rias murmured, clearly bracing herself.

"Boucho?" Issei asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

"Just brace yourself," Rias said, her tone resigned.

"Oh, okay," Issei mumbled, still trying to process the madness around him.

I locked eyes with Tiamat, my hand slowly moving to where I had dropped the Crucifix earlier. It liquefied instantly and rushed toward me, morphing into a large black blade with a cross handle and guard. As the blade took shape, a silver glow began to radiate from it, and I raised it high into the air, channeling the energy that surged through me.

Tiamat's posture shifted, and she dropped into a fighting stance, ready for what was coming next.

"You don't scare me," she spat, her voice filled with venom.

I chose not to respond, the silver threads that began to emit from the blade speaking for me. Instead, I focused on the energy coursing through me as I spoke in a low, measured tone.

"I…"

Tiamat, realizing the danger she was in, rushed forward, her movements a blur as she lunged toward me, determined to strike before I could finish my incantation.

"Am…" I continued, twirling the blade in a circular motion, creating a thin silver ring around us.

Tiamat's hand was mere inches from me when I finally finished.

"Atomic," I said with finality.

The silver energy that had enveloped the clearing instantly compressed, collapsing in on itself, before an explosion of raw energy erupted from the ground beneath us. The blast expanded rapidly, surging into the air before halting just short of where Rias and the others stood. The shockwave was so intense it created a deep crater in the earth, at least twenty to thirty feet deep, the clearing now unrecognizable.

I floated down into the crater, my eyes scanning the aftermath. "You're not dead, are you?" I called into the abyss, my voice tinged with the faintest hint of concern.

Silence answered me.

Sighing, I floated down further and reached out with my Primordial Earth manipulation. The rocks and debris around the crater began to levitate, shifting and parting to reveal the unconscious form of Tiamat, her body battered but still breathing.

I stared down at her, scratching my head as if contemplating a deep philosophical question.

"Now how am I supposed to ask her to be my familiar?" I asked aloud, running a hand through my hair in mock frustration.

From the edge of the clearing, I heard an audible facepalm. "Of course," Rias said with a long sigh, her voice heavy with exasperation. "Only you would think of that after nearly blowing her up."

I turned toward her, giving her a playful shrug. "What can I say? She's strong. Might be fun having her around."

Rias sighed again, the frustration in her tone melting into something else, a mix of resignation and fondness. She wasn't surprised anymore—at least not the way she had been when we first met. "You're unbelievable."

"I try," I said with a grin, floating above the crater and looking down at Tiamat once more. "Hey, let's hope she doesn't take that the wrong way."

As the others came closer, I realized this might not be the last time Tiamat and I crossed paths. After all, even Chaos Karma Dragons had their pride… and I knew better than anyone that pride wasn't something you could easily break. Not when the pieces of it were as strong as hers.

But for now, I had my answer. Tiamat was still standing… just not in the way she had intended.

Chapter 16: End