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Dryadic Dragon Chapter 31: Border Incident
🕑 Added 2025-07-01 14:10:08 +0000 UTCChapter 31: Border Incident
Faster than I would’ve liked, the following morning came. I stood at the manor’s front gate, watching as an all-black SUV with dark, tinted windows pulled up beside me—the ride that would be taking me across the Extra Demon border to the Belphegor residence.
Naturally, that border wasn’t anything like the militarized zone between us and the Fallen Angel territory, so I doubt there’s anything for me to be worried about, but one can never be too sure.
“Young Lord, you seem tense,” Thora observed, as my personal attendant, she’ll be accompanying me as well. Which is for the best, since I don’t plan on returning home once I’ve settled my affairs with Roygun.
I’ve kept Lady Leviathan and Lord Lucifer waiting long enough, it’s time for me to venture towards the surface and hold up my end of the bargain. Rias and Sona should already be settling in right about now, the place was called “Kuoh Town”—if I remember correctly.
“That’s because I am,” I breathed a sigh of resignation. “Father let me in on some rather vexing information yesterday, and now I’m starting to doubt that everything will go to plan.”
She blinked. “Information?”
“Long story short, there’s a chance Roygun won’t be as open-minded as I thought she’d be.” I rubbed my palm down my face in exasperation. Ever since I began this little “mission” of mine, my mental fatigue has been piling up like crazy.
“You don’t think you’ll be able to convince her?”
“Possibly.”
“Young Lord, if you can’t reason with Lady Belphegor, won’t that force you to call upon Lady Leviathan or Lord Lucifer’s direct assistance?” Like me, she understood the importance of avoiding such a scenario. It’s as Lady Leviathan said, we can’t let a Ranker or anyone from the older generation get involved in this. It’ll create a door for Sebastian to put his foot in.
“Possibly,” I repeated, this time with an austere chuckle.
The chauffeur stepped out of the vehicle, the same one that had brought us to the Sitri Estate during Sona’s birthday.
As per usual, he performed a courtly bow. “Lord Alduin, are you ready to depart?”
“Yeah, we should probably make haste—wouldn’t want to keep my fiancée waiting.” The better her mood is, the better my chances are.
It took us roughly two hours on an expedited route to go from the Buné Territory to the Extra Demon border, and once we had arrived, one key aspect between our regions became clear as day to me.
Infrastructure.
Specifically, the difference in technological advancement between us. Everything over here seems—antique, the design of the commercial sectors here all feel like they’re at least a century behind us, and it’s abundantly clear to me why that is. Since Extra Demons aren’t affiliated with the current government, they aren’t supported by our Technology Department.
And more importantly, they don’t have the aid of their Chief Advisor, Ajuka Beelzebub. Without a mind like his, they stand no chance of matching our technological prowess. I doubt they’re even capable of amassing the necessary funding for such a crucial department.
Why?
Because their economy is limited, there are nine Extra Demon Clans in total. Two of these clans are no longer active, as House Lucifuge was disbanded after the Civil War, and House Nebiros is excommunicated.
The Extra Demons can’t replicate the same level of trade that occurs between the 72 Pillars, for example, things like the Blaze Meteor Covenant between my house and Tannin, or the trade agreement between Martha and the Sitri Clan, could never happen amongst them. They don’t have the resources.
I’m quickly starting to understand why Roygun wishes to switch sides, no matter how high she climbs in the Rating Games, her clan won’t be able to benefit from it the same way Diehauser’s did. Not unless she can gain the proper support of the Pillars.
The thing is, I don’t need the marriage between us to be annulled. I just need it to be put on “indefinite hiatus”, which won’t make persuading her much easier, since I have no clue how long it’ll be before I’ll be back in the Underworld. As Lord Lucifer said, the timeline is going to be unpredictable.
Oh?
While the car glided along the questionably maintained asphalt, my senses detected a disturbance.
“Massster,” and so did Sylvie.
“I know,” I tapped on the chauffeur's seat. “Stop the car.”
“Lord Alduin—?”
“Now,” my pitch deepened, and the chauffeur didn’t hesitate to slam on the brakes. Sweat building up on the surface of his back.
“Young Lord?” Thora’s posture stiffened, her expression telling me she was ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.
“Stay here, keep the chauffeur safe.”
“Young Lord, if there’s trouble lurking, then it’s my responsibility to help—!”
“I’m sorry, Thora, but that wasn’t a request. It was an order.” I felt a pang of guilt strike my chest as her posture deflated despondently, but now wasn’t the time for deliberation.
===
Alduin stepped out of the passenger seat, both feet landing on the road of the mountain pass they were navigating through. The sight of trees, greenery, and all sorts of foliage separated by the guardrail brought a faint smile to his face.
How convenient, these guys have no idea what they’re doing. Not that I blame them, getting information from a family like mine is a pretty tall task.
He tapped on the chauffeur's window, motioning for him to drive the car backwards to give him space for whatever was about to transpire. Naturally, the elderly servant didn’t think twice about abiding by the Young Lord’s order.
“Come on then,” Alduin spread his arms, addressing the supposedly empty air around him. “You dared to interrupt my ride, you might as well go ahead and introduce yourselves.”
His words were met with silence.
“Cowardsss,” Sylvie spat.
Alduin sighed, dipping his head. “Can’t argue with you there. Oh well, if they don’t want to show themselves, I’ll have to make them.”
The surrounding trees all started to bend, twist, and turn unnaturally. Folding outwards and eliminating the lack of surrounding visibility in a matter of seconds, revealing what, or rather, who lurked within the vegetation for all to see.
“There we are, much better.” He clapped in satisfaction.
Fourteen shadowy, hooded silhouettes were spread evenly on either side of the roadside. Their auras flickering with instability and uncertainty as a result of Alduin waving their cover out of existence, their overflowing confidence shaken with a single, offhanded motion.
The young Buné observed their unsteady postures with growing curiosity, his reptilian pupils examining them as they exchanged glances with one another—presumably deliberating their next move.
Adorable, he snickered inwardly.
“Still not interested in talking to me? That’s a shame,” he stroked his chin, pondering. “Let’s see here, it wasn’t my mother or father who sent you, since they’d just approach me themselves if they had something planned. Your positioning makes it obvious you knew I’d be coming here, although it’s debatable whether or not you know why that is, since you could just be hired guns. But I digress, judging from the way you’re dressed and the hostile intent I’m detecting from you, I’m willing to bet that you’re all—assassins!”
Once more, they remained nonverbal.
Fortunately, one of the perks of being a Senjutsu practitioner was that you didn’t need your target to speak to answer your question. The slightest change in their posture, composure, or aura was more than enough to decipher what you were looking for.
“Kya! I can’t believe this! This is the first time someone’s ever tried to assassinate me! Looks like I’ll be able to cross that off my fantasy world bucket list,” Alduin cheered, leaving his soon-to-be aggressors positively dumbfounded. “Granted, I’m a little disappointed at how weak you all feel. I was hoping this’d be a prime opportunity to field test Dragonification, but it looks like I’ll have to save it for another time.”
“That’s enough,” one of them spoke up. Their voice was deep and hollow, as if they were wearing some kind of a mask. “Alduin Buné, for the sake of the Belphegor Clan’s sovereignty—you need to perish here.” A rattling noise resounded from the figure’s sleeve, the product of a weaponized chain falling out from within his cloak.
“Oh? The Belphegor Clan orchestrated this fun little attempt, did they?” Alduin’s tone turned grave, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “I find that rather hard to believe, since your Matriarch was the one who called for this wedding in the first place. Not that I blame her, I’m just so gosh darn irresistible!”
In that moment, he recalled something his father had revealed to him during their conversation yesterday.
Her decision was being opposed, wasn't it? By the older generation of Belphegors.
“I see!” Alduin slammed his fist against his palm in realization. “This is yet another case of old fogeys being a pain in the behind’s of youth! Ah, how I pity my poor fiancée, even she can’t escape the meddling of grumpy grandpas and grandmas.”
While they wouldn’t let it deter them, the assassins couldn’t help but flinch, shocked that he had arrived at the correct conclusion so quickly.
“You can speculate all you like, it won’t change the outcome.” The only vocal one among the bunch insisted, convinced that the outcome was already decided, mainly because of their numerical advantage.
“Is that so?” Alduin spread his stance, leaving his guard wide open. “Then why not go ahead and give it a shot? I’m curious to see how devil assassins do battle. You see, the only people I’ve fought are Kaijus pretending to be devils, and a rooster—but that’s a story for another time. Point is, I need a little variety.”
The assassin simply scoffed, taking a step back with complete disregard for Alduin’s invitation.
Whelp, it was worth a shot.
They all acted in unison, reaching into their cloaks and pulling out a light-blue talisman with strange, runic inscriptions arranged all over its surface. Wisely choosing to slap them onto the asphalt instead of the foliage, which they had witnessed Alduin pry apart effortlessly.
In perfect harmony, they each began to channel their demonic power, joining their index and middle fingers together and pointing them upwards, performing a hand sign.
Alduin hummed, attentively watching a dense, ethereal fog start to roll in at their altitude. Enshrouding the assassins in a thick smog that not even his enhanced draconic vision could pierce through.
It appears to be a concealment barrier technique. I've seen Martha perform a few, but she doesn’t need talismans to activate them.
And while his lack of vision didn’t surprise him, the fact that his Senjutsu was struggling to counter the barrier’s masking ability most certainly caught him off guard, which meant he could only rely on his enhanced sense of smell and hearing to locate them.
It seems I’ve been proven wrong; it turns out they did, in fact, come somewhat prepared.
At least, that’s all he could do.
“Sylvie, mind lending a hand?” Fortunately, he just so happened to have someone with Senjutsu superior to him on his side.
“Certainly, ignore the footsssteps you’re hearing in front of and bessside you, they’re distractions. There are two approaching your rear, they’re the onesss who intend to attack.”
“Got it,” he nodded.
While still facing forwards, Alduin puffed his chest up, purposefully allowing his demonic power to flare up, convincing those in front that they were his target. Encouraging the two assassins flanking him to hasten their movements, both of them convinced that they were about to get a clean, swift opening to finish their mission early.
Idiots.
But at the last minute, he turned around. Causing both assassins to hesitate out of fear for a moment, although brief, as they watched Alduin’s cheeks start to puff up. The temperature around him rising as his draconic pupils locked onto them.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Out of sheer reflex, they reached into their sleeves, throwing a handful of daggers straight at their target, hoping they’d connect before Alduin had a chance to unleash the frightening amount of demonic power he was gathering at them.
Unfortunately, they were a moment too late.
FWOOSH!
Flames that seemed to burn the very air itself spewed out of Alduin’s mouth like a tidal wave, blitzing towards them and engulfing their bodies whole—forcing them to experience the harrowing pain that was having one’s body incinerated whole before they inevitably perished.
“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
“M-MY FACE! H-HELP ME!”
He watched as they squirmed and writhed in pain, throwing their garments aside in hopes that it would save them from their fate, but a dragon’s flames weren’t so easily dealt with; the fire hopped from their clothes onto their skin too quickly for them to react to.
Screams turned to silence. And what had once been figures composed of bone and flesh were reduced to melted puddles of tissue and piles of ash. The pungent odour of smoke wafted through Alduin’s nostrils as he continued to observe, not a word coming out of his mouth.
I just took a life.
For the first time in both lifetimes, he had killed someone.
I killed someone.
He had taken living, breathing people and extinguished them.
I killed them. Yet—
He hadn’t even thought about it before the flames had left his windpipe, his brain simply interpreted people coming at him with the intent to kill, and responded in kind, like it was the natural thing to do.
Yes, they were out to do the same, but this was his first proper life-or-death battle. Alduin expected to feel a plethora of emotions, but not this, whatever “this” was, it felt—odd.
—I can’t bring myself to feel a thing. No matter how hard I try to force a sense of remorse or guilt.
He looked down, his hands steady as ever, and his nerves not even mildly perturbed.
I don’t understand. Is this the product of some conditioning they did? Or—
“Massster! Now’s not the time to ssspace out!” Sylvie cautioned him, causing Alduin to snap out of his trance.
From all sides, chains shot forth towards him. All of which were inscribed with strange runes, just like the talismans they used to create the fog barrier, however, these were designed to bind—not mask.
What a strange feeling this is.
He brought his hip down to the floor, leaping upwards with all his might and choosing to make use of the only space the assassins weren’t covering. Of course, they weren’t going to sit back and idle while he gained airtime. Swiftly, they redirected the trajectory of their chains, tossing them at Alduin’s airborne figure.
It’s not just indifference I’m feeling. No, it’s more than that.
But before they could connect, they were intercepted by a legion of roots that had branched out from the surrounding vegetation—even though it wasn’t visible to Alduin anymore thanks to the fog, the barrier appeared to be only capable of concealing, it couldn’t sever his connection to the plant life.
Could it be… enjoyment? Is that what I’m feeling from an act I should utterly deplore?
He flicked his hands, unleashing a flurry of piercing wind carves aimed at the throats of his aggressors. All of which nailed them square in the throat, by virtue of the rigorous training Thora had put him through to hone his accuracy. The sound of bloodied gargles followed suit as their bodies collapsed onto the asphalt, limp.
That can’t be. That shouldn’t be! I’m only doing this because it’s necessary, they’re the ones who tried to kill me first. I’m justified in my self-defense.
As they perished, Alduin caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the cold steel of one of the falling chains.
He was smiling.
Wider than he ever had before.
Fuck.
He landed on the ground, immediately reassuming his stance.
Six had fallen, eight remained.
“Is this riffraff all you have to offer?” He called out to the rest of the assassins who had yet to make their move. “Aren’t you supposed to be defending the sovereignty of the Belphegor Clan, as you so aptly put it? Come on! Put up some resistance already!”
“Apologies, but I don’t think those guys are capable of satiating that bloodlust of yours.”
As those words were spoken, Alduin felt his blood run cold.
Someone had crept up on him.
On him.
A fifteenth individual he hadn’t sensed among the assassins earlier.
“My deepessst apologies massster, I’m not sssure how, but I failed to pick up on his presence.”
Slowly, he turned around. Finding himself face to face with a figure that was cloaked like the rest, but significantly taller, and with an eerie presence that was completely unreadable to Alduin, even though they were right in front of him.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean ta’ scare ya’.” The figure sheepishly rubbed his nape. “I’m actually on your side, or more specifically, I’m on the Lady’s side. Though they don’t know that, since they believed I was one of em’ this whole time. Kekeke! I’m quite the Shinobi ain’t I?”
Screams echoed through the atmosphere, causing Alduin’s attention to snap towards the remaining assassins. His eyes widened in alarm as he found a kunai impaled into each of their chests, despite not seeing a single movement from the imposing figure standing behind him.
When did he…
“I hope ya’ don’t mind me taking the liberty of killing the rest of ‘em for ya’, the Lady’s been quite impatient recently, and if I don’t bring ya’ home soon I’m worried I might get a fist pummeled into ma’ little ol’ head.” He chuckled lightly, completely disregarding the existence of the now fallen assassins.
“Just… who exactly are you?” Alduin almost hesitated to ask, only able to muster up the courage to speak thanks to the lack of hostility radiating off the man.
“Oh, I probably ought to introduce ma'self’.” He pulled down his hood and tossed his cloak away, revealing his considerably jarring appearance. An appearance that didn’t belong to a devil, at least not any that Alduin had ever heard of.
He was an anthropomorphic wolf, with strikingly long dark fur, clad in a disheveled black kimono riddled with worn-down purple accents. His eyes were narrowed to the point where they naught more than two, horizontal slits—and he was biting down on a golden kiseru pipe with his teeth. Blowing out small puffs of smoke from it now and then.
“The name’s Halibel, Shinobi extraordinaire, and the Lady’s one and only Knight.” He reached out to shake Alduin’s hand. “Tis 'a pleasure to meet you fiancé-kun.”
“Likewise…” Alduin returned the gesture somewhat anxiously. “By the Lady, I’m assuming you mean Roygun?” It wasn’t hard to connect the dots after Halibel referred to him as fiancé-kun.
“Yup! Now I’m sure ya’ have an ocean of questions you wanna shoot ma’ way, but I’m afraid you’ll need ta’ wait until we’re back at the estate. The Lady’s patience is starting to run thin, and I’d rather not push my limits. I’m sure ya’ understand.” Halibel casually patted him on the shoulder.
“Uhm, yeah, of course.” Alduin wasn’t sure what to make of Halibel’s—eccentric demeanor, but he didn’t seem to carry any malice, thus he didn’t see a reason to refuse him.
“Great! You can go ahead and call that las of yours over here, I’ll teleport us right over to the estate.”
