Bound by Infinity

Chapter: 29

I sighed as I sat beside Rias, feeling the weight of her family's gazes. This wasn't how I planned to spend my day, but Sirzechs had made sure I couldn't back out of this meeting. Rias's parents were, to say the least, imposing.

Venelana Gremory, her mother, looked nearly identical to Rias, with her flaxen hair and violet eyes. She radiated an air of grace and wisdom, yet there was a sharpness to her gaze that made me sit up straighter. Zeoticus, her father, exuded authority, his long crimson hair tied back and his bright blue eyes—a shared feature between Rias and Sirzechs—scrutinizing me.

And then there was Sirzechs. The Satan himself sat nearby with his calm, polite smile, but I wasn't buying it. His ever-present aura of power, paired with the faint amusement in his eyes, told me this situation was entirely his doing. Behind him stood Greyfia, stoic and silent, yet her presence alone was enough to amplify the tension.

I shot a glare at Sirzechs.

"This is your fault," I muttered under my breath.

Sirzechs chuckled softly but said nothing.

"Sorry, Kouki," Rias's voice echoed in my head through telepathy.

"No, you're not. Stop lying, traitor. Why didn't you tell me this was going to happen?" I replied.

"Sorry, not sorry."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

Zeoticus cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "So, Kouki, let's get straight to the point. We've heard... interesting things about you, especially after the Rating Game. There are questions we'd like you to answer."

I leaned back slightly, glancing at Rias before addressing the room. "Before I answer anything, do you want me to be blunt, or should I soften my words?"

Venelana's eyebrow arched in curiosity. "Blunt, please. We'd prefer honesty above all else."

I nodded. "Alright then."

Zeoticus leaned forward. "First, what exactly is your ability? We saw a glimpse during the game, but we'd like to understand it better."

"My ability is called Infinite Arsenal," I began. "It allows me to create and recreate any power—fictional, non-fictional, existing, non-existent—it doesn't matter. If I can conceptualize it, I can manifest it."

The room fell into silence, their expressions shifting from polite curiosity to shock. Even Venelana, who maintained a calm demeanor, couldn't hide the faint widening of her eyes.

"That's… unheard of," Venelana said, her voice measured but tinged with disbelief.

"Is this a Sacred Gear?" Zeoticus asked after a pause.

"No," I replied. "It's not tied to a Sacred Gear. It's my own ability."

Sirzechs folded his hands, his expression thoughtful. "So the abilities we saw during the Rating Game, especially from Rias and her peerage—do they have something to do with you?"

"Yes," I admitted. "I was the one who made them stronger."

Another wave of silence washed over the room.

Venelana was the first to speak. "How long has this been going on?"

I exhaled, leaning forward. "Rias had her new abilities the longest. I gave her powers as a gift after she allowed me to copy her Power of Destruction. From there, I enhanced her and her peerage."

Zeoticus's eyes narrowed. "Proof. Show us the Power of Destruction."

I opened my palm, silver energy coalescing into an orb of crackling Power of Destruction. It hovered above my hand, its destructive aura unmistakable.

Even Sirzechs raised an eyebrow at that.

"What exactly did you give Rias?" Venelana asked.

I closed my palm, dispersing the energy. "As you saw during the Rating Game, one of Rias's abilities is the creation and manipulation of heavenly and celestial bodies this includes and limited to suns, moons, planets, black holes, nebulas, etc, etc. The ability is called Astroremkinesis."

The room collectively froze.

"Astroremkinesis…" Zeoticus repeated, his voice trailing off as the weight of the revelation hit him.

"You gave her that ability as a gift?" Venelana asked, her tone incredulous.

"Of course," I said with a shrug. "Why wouldn't I give my girlfriend a gift, no matter how extravagant?"

The deliberate use of the word "girlfriend" was not lost on them. I figured it was better to get the relationship status out of the way now rather than later.

Venelana's lips twitched into a faint smile, but Zeoticus's eyes narrowed. "Girlfriend, you say?"

Rias's hand found mine, squeezing it lightly. "Yes, Father. Kouki is my boyfriend."

Zeoticus sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sirzechs, this is your fault, isn't it?"

Sirzechs laughed softly. "I merely facilitated the meeting."

"Facilitated my ass," I muttered, earning a laugh from Rias.

The meeting was far from over, but at least I had broken the ice. For better or worse, I wasn't going anywhere.

Chapter 29: End