Bound by Infinity

Chapter 10

Two Days Later

I sat in my living room, eyes on both Rias and Asia, who were seated across from me, while Mittelt stood behind them dressed in a maid outfit, looking oddly out of place.

"So... Asia's going to be living with us now?" I asked Rias, trying to sound casual but unable to mask my curiosity.

"Is there a problem?" Rias raised an eyebrow, her gaze steady.

"No, not at all. Just checking. Honestly, I kind of saw this coming," I replied with a shrug.

"Good."

"Anyway, Asia, feel free to stay as long as you want," I said, giving her a reassuring smile.

Asia's face lit up as she bowed gratefully. "Thank you, truly."

"No problem. There's an empty room on the second floor—fourth door on the right. Mittelt can show you the way." I glanced at Mittelt, who nodded and carefully picked up Asia's bags before heading up the stairs with her.

Rias turned her attention back to me, her expression softening. "So, any plans today?"

"Nothing special." I leaned back, feeling a strange but comfortable stillness settle over the room—until a sudden, unmistakable presence appeared nearby. I turned to my left and saw Ophis, calmly seated on the couch beside me, as though she'd always been there.

Rias blinked, visibly taken aback as she stared at Ophis in shock and confusion. "Kouki, who is this?"

"Oh... right. I knew I forgot something. Rias, this is Ophis. She's going to be living with us."

The blood drained from Rias's face as she processed my words. "Wait... *the* Ophis?" Her voice barely hid the nervous edge in it.

"Did I stutter?" I asked, tilting my head, genuinely confused by her reaction.

Rias shot me a deadpan look before marching over, grabbing me by the arm, and dragging me off the couch into the kitchen.

"Hold on," I said, glancing over my shoulder at Ophis. "You want some ice cream?"

Ophis nodded, her expression unchanged as Rias continued to pull me into the kitchen. Once we were alone, Rias turned to me, her face a mixture of panic and disbelief.

"Kouki, are you insane? Do you know who that is?" she whispered, eyes wide.

"Well, her name is Ophis, and she's a dragon… so, what's the issue?" I replied, opening the fridge and rummaging around.

Rias looked at me like I'd grown two heads. "That's Ophis—the *Infinite Dragon God*. One of the strongest beings in existence! And you're telling me she's going to be living with us?"

I paused, briefly considering her reaction. "Huh. I didn't know that part. But yeah, I meant it when I said she'll be staying with us." I pulled out a tub of ice cream and set it on the counter.

Rias ran a hand through her hair, clearly struggling to comprehend the situation. "How…? *Why*?"

"Well, it's because of a deal, actually." I opened the silverware drawer, grabbing a spoon.

She frowned. "A deal?"

"Yeah. Ophis has shown up a few times before, asking me to help her with something. I kept saying no, but she was persistent. So, I made her a deal."

"And that is?"

"If she stays here for a few weeks and finds it… enjoyable, she stays. If she doesn't, I'll help her with whatever she wants," I explained, walking back toward the living room with the ice cream and spoon.

Rias's mouth opened and closed a few times, her mind clearly racing to come up with some counterargument. "Only you could somehow convince a Dragon God to live with you," she muttered, half-exasperated.

"What can I say? I'm just that good." I chuckled. "But we should get back before Mittelt or Asia ends up meeting Ophis alone."

Rias took a breath, visibly composing herself. "Right."

Back in the living room, we found Ophis sitting calmly on the couch, her gaze fixed on Mittelt, who was visibly trembling, clearly unnerved by Ophis's presence. Asia, meanwhile, looked on in confusion.

"Ophis, Mittelt is with me," I said gently, trying to reassure her.

Ophis simply nodded and turned her attention back to her ice cream as I handed her the tub and spoon. She took it, the faintest hint of a smile crossing her lips, which was about as expressive as I'd ever seen her.

I gave Mittelt a reassuring look, silently promising to explain everything later.

"Rias, why don't you take Asia out today? Maybe get her some new clothes, show her around the area a bit?" I suggested.

Rias nodded. "Good idea. Come on, Asia." She gestured for Asia to follow her.

"Y-yes, Rias." Asia smiled politely and hurried after her as they left the house.

As the door closed, I turned back to Ophis, who was watching me intently, her eyes holding a peculiar depth. I sat down beside her, feeling an odd sort of ease in her presence.

"There are more people here than before," she noted, her voice soft.

I scratched the back of my head, laughing a bit sheepishly. "Yeah, I ended up with a few more people. Hope that doesn't interfere with our deal?"

She shook her head slightly. "No, it doesn't."

"Oh, good. Let's get you to your room, then." I stood up, and Ophis floated off the couch to follow me, her movements graceful and almost ethereal.

We went upstairs, and I led her down the hall, stopping in front of the second door. It was right next to my room—close enough for me to keep an eye on things. I opened the door, revealing a simple, modest bedroom.

"Small," she remarked, glancing around with a slightly disappointed look.

"Really?" I smirked, inspiration striking. I concentrated, summoning the power of my Infinite Arsenal. "Alright, let's see if I can fix that."

I snapped my fingers, and a pulse of energy rippled through the room. Instantly, the walls shifted, stretching outward, transforming the space into something vastly larger, almost mansion-like, far beyond the physical limits of our house.

"Dimensiokinesis: Dimension Shift," I murmured. "Better?"

Ophis nodded approvingly. Pleased, I placed a gentle hand on her head. "I've given you Dimensiokinesis as well. This way, you can change this place however you want, alright?"

She nodded once more, her small, unreadable smile appearing again as she resumed eating her ice cream.

"Alright, whenever you're ready, feel free to come downstairs, okay?" I said, heading out and closing the door behind me.

Back downstairs, I found Mittelt still rooted to the spot, looking more than a little shaken.

"Mittelt, you know you're going to have to go upstairs eventually, right?" I teased lightly.

"N-not with *her* up there," she stammered, clearly terrified.

I sighed. "Mittelt, you're living in a house full of devils, one of whom was killed by your old colleague back when she was human. And now you're scared?"

"At least I know they won't kill me for no reason," she muttered, still shaken.

"If Ophis wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead," I pointed out calmly.

Mittelt faltered, unable to argue with that logic.

"See? And for your information, Ophis is actually pretty nice. Just don't get on her bad side. Oh, and by the way, she loves sweets. Speaking of which—Mittelt?"

"Y-yes?"

"Could you head to the store and pick up some more ice cream, cake, and candy?"

"Uh… sure?" She looked at me, still a little puzzled.

I pulled out my credit card and handed it to her. "Thanks, Mittelt."

She nodded, clutching the card tightly before heading out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

As she left, my mind drifted back to Asia, and I couldn't help but wonder, "Hmm, I wonder if those would fit her."

Chapter 10: End