“Ah, as expected, I can’t surprise you.” Ruby chuckled before she turned around and placed her hands on her hips. Her single-string panties didn’t have much to cover her almost naked butt. “How is it? My new vessel?”

She had barged into Mount Olympus and forced the gods to bring out their most beautiful women. Ares challenged her, only to get done in by one punch. In the end, they had no choice but to obey her. Ruby ditched her plan of using Shizuka’s figure and based her new vessel on Aphrodite’s proportions.

Asahi inspected Ruby from different angles before stating his conclusion, “Not bad. Not bad.”

Asahi didn’t hype her up even though she could easily rival Freya’s beauty. The redhead dragon girl was viciously alluring and more of his type.

“You’re really pretty,” Grayfia stated her honest opinion. “Now, your name suits you even more.”

Ruby frowned, an expression she couldn’t show before. “Not bad? I’m one of the most beautiful women in the world. You’re being petty for not recognizing it.”

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

“...”

Asahi patted her shoulder. “I’d definitely mate with you.”

Her eyes widened, and her eyelashes trembled. She finally got the recognition she always deserved.

“Of course, you’d want to fuck a beauty like me.”

“...”

“Hmph.”

“Anyways, I’m going to Olympus. Wanna come?”

“The gods are already scared like rabbits. They will die if they see one-tenth of your power. Come with me instead. I’ll take you to a special location.”

“Uh, you’re taking me on a date?” A small heart floated around her for a moment. She grinned, baring her teeth. “Aren’t you a little young to date the True Red Dragon God Emperor?”

She felt excited even though she didn’t know the reason for this trainwreck of emotions.

“I like older women.”

“Let’s not waste time.”

Ruby grabbed his hand and directly teleported to her special location—a flower garden where a brunette sat on a bench, gazing at the sky filled with dark clouds.

“Ruby, you’re back—” the woman froze when she saw the man beside Ruby. Possibly the most devilish man she had ever laid her eyes on. “You-you’re Ruby’s friend?”

Asahi blinked his eyes. He had forgotten about Venelana since he took over the Underworld. She was suffering alone in her dreams while her clan almost ceased to exist. She lacked the motherly presence, looking much older than their last meeting.

‘She looks like a mourning widow… or a mourning mother.’

“Don’t be surprised now,” Ruby called him out of his thoughts. Her golden eyes twinkled. “You don’t want to keep our lovely widow waiting.”

Venelana gently waved her hand with a smile. “Don’t be uncomfortable here. Treat me like a friend.”

Asahi felt a tad uncomfortable by her polite greeting. “Venelana, I’m Asahi Marikawa. The Emperor of the Underworld.”

By introducing himself, he went against Ruby’s expectations. As much as he liked Venelana, he didn’t have the thick skin to deceive her. She had suffered enough already. He didn’t need to pretend to be Ruby’s friend, only for Venelana’s heart to break again.

Venelana stood up, shock written all over her face. “You are my son’s killer. How… How… How can you show up before me? Your greed for power took my family from me…”

She covered her face and started sobbing. The air turned awkward. Asahi gave Ruby a ‘Is this what you wanted to happen?’ look.

Ruby responded with a sigh. “I wanted you to reconcile… as my only friends.”

After her first meeting with Venelana, she couldn’t stop herself from barging into the widow’s dream again. She felt a little bad for the widow stuck in the same dream with so much sorrow in her heart. So, she spent some time with her and made Venelana more cheerful. Ruby was under the impression that Venelana would forgive Asahi after spending some time with him.

The plan backfired.

‘She hates me now…’

Asahi patted Ruby’s back. “Venelana Gremory, I’m a bad guy, I know. But your son wasn’t a saint either. He tried to kill me in a frenzied state. He coveted my fiancée. You can’t just ignore his deeds and blame me for everything. If you aren’t convinced, ask his best friends Ajuka and Serafall about it.”

Venelana wiped her tears with her hands before she got down to her knees and bowed her head. “Ruby told me you are more powerful than her… Can you… can you bring back my son? I’ll do anything you say. I’ll even become your slave. Anything…”

(It’s not possible after System recycled his soul into XP.)

‘I thought as much.’

Seeing Asahi shake his head, Ruby tried to pull Venelana back to her feet, only to get rejected. “You know it’s impossible to revive someone. Look, Asahi here will get you healthy again. You can’t cry about it all your life. Just give birth to a new one.”

The free-spirited Ruby failed to understand the heart of a mother.

“I don’t want it… I want my son even if I have to pay with my own life. Please. Please. Please,” she stubbornly clung to hope.

As a soon-to-be-father, Asahi understood Venelana’s desires. But there was no way to resurrect Sirzechs. Ruby tugged at Asahi’s sleeve, her eyes asking for some answer. Any type of answer.

‘Wait, there is a way.’

(You… aren’t thinking of that.)

‘Creating a new world from DxD source and kidnapping Sirzechs.’

He didn’t care about Sirzechs, but he couldn’t leave a milf in this state knowing he caused it. Not to mention the relationship she shared with Ruby.

(My love, you’ll make other Venelana sad.)

‘Klyscha, do you have a clone machine?’

(I do… Do you want to clone Sirzechs?)

‘Yup. I don’t care if the clone doesn’t have the same powers. He can be a powerless wimp for all I care.’

He could pass the loss of powers as a side effect of resurrection.

(That’ll be easy.)

Asahi put his hand on Venelana’s head. “I’ll revive Sirzechs.”

Ruby’s eyes snapped toward him, filled with shock. “How? You just said it’s not possible.”

“Defeating you was impossible before I came here. Yet here we are.”

Ruby blinked her eyes at the unexpected blow to her pride. “I guess so...”

Venelana looked up and gave a smile full of joy. “I’ll forever be in your debt, Your Imperial Majesty.”

Asahi raised a finger. “I have one condition.”

Venelana lowered her head. “I’ll accept any condition.”

“The Gremory Clan will forever disappear from the Underworld.”

He put forth a superficial condition to keep her mind clear of any debt.

“I do not care, Your Imperial Majesty.”

She only cared about politics because her husband and son were influential figures in the Underworld.