Winds of Change (DxD)

Volume 7 - Chapter 16 - Il Regno della Luce Brillante*

Word count: 28k

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Aaron Toole's Soliloquy

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"What's wrong!? Is that all you've got!?" I shouted at the members of [DxD], enduring the torment inflicted by selected [Electa] within my [Training Facility]. Around us, the remaining [DxD] members were engaged in various activities—some battling monsters I had conjured for their growth, while others engaged in duels to hone their skills.

Beside me, Latia voiced her concerns, her tone tinged with a hint of nervousness. "Is this okay?"

"It's fine," I reassured her. "They'll be here for the next few weeks, and a week before we leave, I'll release them so they can relax and do whatever they want. All this torture serves a purpose."

I reached out to pat Latia's head, but she swatted my hand away. To my surprise, she quickly grabbed it back and held onto it. It seemed that Latia wasn't a fan of head pats, a fact I now took note of.

"We've been in here for 5 years already. In total, we'll spend 100 years before releasing everyone, right?" Latia inquired, her curiosity evident.

"More if they can take it, but for now, since a lot of them are 'normal,' then yeah, 100 years," I confirmed, observing the bustling activity of everyone around us.

Latia shifted her focus, her gaze fixed on me. "About... the Phantasma, where are we teleporting to?"

"Straight to the Resistance's base. There's going to be a lot of us, so I asked Laeronia to expand the base before we arrive. He had already done so, but just to make sure, I asked him to make it three times larger to accommodate us," I explained, and Latia nodded in understanding.

"Then... what?" she inquired.

"What do you mean?" I responded, prompting her to provide more details.

"I know our overall goal is to defeat Phumera, dismantle her organization, and, if it happens, prevent the Outer God from awakening. But what I want to know is where we'll start," she explained, her eyes fixed on me, awaiting my response.

"Rank 7, Sekudia, serves as a spy for the Resistance. I believe he has been gradually persuading Rank 10, Radelia. I briefly encountered her before, and she, along with a few others, has a high likelihood of joining our side. That's why I chose not to eliminate them. Additionally, Caeda, Laeronia, and the rest of the Resistance will serve as our guides. Personally, I haven't delved into the history or future of that universe yet," I clarified.

"Are you going in blind, just like the rest of us?" she inquired.

"Yeah, more or less. Although, if necessary, I'll use my future sight to give us an advantage. Otherwise, I'll do what I did here. Speaking of which, shouldn't you join in? I want to ensure everyone's up to scratch before we go over there," I responded.

She regarded me with suspicion, and I averted my gaze. "You lied, didn't you? You've said two contradictory things. On one hand, you warned us that they're stronger than us and encouraged us to train so we won't get killed. On the other hand, you're now claiming you don't know anything, so we should train hard?"

"...I'm just basing it off Caeda. She herself is at the level of Ophis and Irene before they became even stronger. As far as I know, Lavinia, Suzaku, Velgrynd, Azathoth, Cúntóir, Ddraig, Albion, Apophis, and myself are the only ones who can comfortably take on all of them without worrying too much," I explained.

The statement I just made was only a half-truth. In reality, I delved into the history of the Phantasma and even glimpsed into the future. However, the nature of the future is ever-changing, and what I witnessed does not possess an immutable certainty.