Dxd: A demon Among Devils-Chapter 34: []:Rias

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To their credit, they did not run when Nidhogg's gargantuan form materialized into existence. Thick and heavyset, the dragon's body was draped with jagged spikes and horned obtrusions, a mass of serrated spines that started from its shoulders and ended with the tip of its whip-like tail. Claws twice the length of a man's arm clutched at the earth, carving deep, winding fissures in the dirt with the barest of movements. A long, serpentine neck carried the menacing skull, the scaled snout filled to the brim with wicked, curved teeth. Crimson pupils glared at them, and as the dragon extended to its fullest height, those eyes fastened on to Rias and her group in malicious delight.

And then it spoke, and the voice that entered his mind, all of their minds, was akin to the rumbling tremble of a small earthquake.

So. This is What You Have Chosen for Your Replacement Brood.

Those words were meant for him.

He frowned.

It was an unfair assumption, in his opinion. He hadn't chosen at all. He was not sure what they were to him, but they certainly weren't replacements. Nothing could replace the bonds he had made with SEES.

Nidhogg knew what his thoughts were before they even finished forming. The Persona might have manifested, but the source of its power was still rooted within his psyche. Its eyes flickered to him, and there was a dark, taunting amusement hidden behind them.

You Could Have Chosen Better. Then Again, it is an Improvement Over the Last Bunch.

He wanted to argue that. Mentally, at least. The dragon didn't give him a chance to. Its heavy body moved with deceptive grace, and though the ground trembled with every step, the ease at which it took those steps was utterly inhuman. It stopped only when it reached its destination, the group of clustered figures dwarfed by its immense size. A snarl of contempt ripped from its jaws as it gazed down.

Where is the Substitute for the Cap Wearing One? His Mind May have been Empty but His Antics were Amusing.

That... was an interesting depiction of Junpei.

At Least There is no Dog. That Mutt and its Incessant Barking Made Me Want to Kill Something.

Ah, Koromaru. He hadn't realized how much he missed that pup. The dragon let out a deep snarl.

I do Believe I Wanted to Eat Him.

Well, that did explain why the canine would tuck his tail between his legs and whimper whenever Nidhogg was summoned. Sometimes animals knew more about Personas than humans ever could.

The dragon's head lowered, its long neck brunching as coiled muscles did their work. Its snout stopped bare centimeters from the chests of Rias and her peerage.

Devils. Every Single One of You. Perfidious and Treacherous by Nature. Yet I Sense No Evil Amongst You. How Curious.

It sniffed at Rias. The sudden intake of air caused the devil's hair to flap wildly about her face.

This One Smells of Fear and Desperation, and is Perhaps a Bit Deluded.

The dragon turned its attention to the black-haired girl by Rias's side. Both were commendably stoic as jaws the length as they were tall swayed from side to side in front of them.

This One Reeks of Depravity and Fantasy, and is all the More Perverted.

It moved on to the tall figure of Kiba, who was fighting hard to keep his face impassive.

And What of this One? Is that the Rancid Tang of Regret I Taste in the Air? How Exquisite. The One Behind You is Not Bad Smelling Either. For a Beast. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Koneko flinched from her spot hidden behind Kiba. Nidhogg did not deign her worthy of a second glance and moved on to the last member of their party.

And You. There is Something Different About You.

Remarkably, Asia did not seem perturbed at all as the dragon regarded her with a clinical eye.

The Stench of a Human. It Lingers, Fleeting and Ephemeral, but it is There. Yet You are Unmistakably a Devil. How did You Come to be this Way, May I Ask?

"I was once a human," the girl looked down, "I was only recently resurrected as a devil."

A Devil Resurrection? Now that is Interesting. Where I Come From, Devils do not Resurrect. They Kill and Leave You for Dead.

A serpent-like tongue snaked out, testing the air. Its owner dipped its skull until one bulbous eye was level with the former priestess's.

You are a Small One, Yet I Sense that You are Unafraid. Tell Me, have You Seen One of My Kind Before?

Asia shook her head demurely.

Then Where does Your Courage Spring From, Devil Who Was Once Human?

"You are Angel-san's dragon," the girl said simply, "and Angel-san won't let you hurt us."

There was confidence in those words that made even him blink.

Nidhogg reared back and laughed. The sound was like distant thunder, discordant and jagged, rich with scornful derision.

Angel, She Says. Lovely Title.

It stared at the girl from its immense height and leered.

If You Knew What Demons Clings to His Mind Then You Would Not be so Quick to Call Him that Name.

Rias shot him an alarmed look. He ignored it. The dragon was already moving, the ground shuddering with each heavy step. It stopped before Issei's kneeling form. A wayward swipe from its tail annihilated a swathe of trees, swatting them aside like they were nothing, uprooting them as though they were mere weeds. All of them winced, but had not the courage to mention it.

The serpentine neck lowered, and with it, the head, descending majestically until its white-streaked snout was almost touching the boy's chest.

And You are Perhaps the Most Curious of All. I Smell the Scent of the Crimson Emperor on Your Body, yet I do not Recognize His Power. It has Become Far too Diluted.

Issei looked up to the reptilian visage in surprise. He regretted that decision when the dragon huffed and a cloud of ice vapor blasted into his face.

He has been Shackled. There are Chains Wrapped Around His Soul, and Perhaps a Few Around His Mind as Well. Am I Wrong?

The boy lifted the armored gauntlet still attached to his hand.

"My Sacred Gear-"

There is Nothing Sacred About that Weapon.

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