Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

Zach was relieved. Everyone was scared of Ozra for reasons that had nothing to do with him. He didn't need to be scared of her. But he was curious.

It was to the point where both Kami and the Empress Dowager were scared, or at least wary, of her. How strong was she really?

Kami had left out a lot of details in his little story, including the part where the principal wanted Ozra to become his successor. Zach couldn't imagine that the principal cared too much about Ozra's behavior. Something else had to have happened.

But that wasn't any of his business.

Now, he was just curious about what had come up that had made the principal leave his post.

It could be the Hydra.

Zach didn't think the Hydra was attacking the Empire or anything, but maybe the principal wanted to talk with someone his age for once. Or maybe they had business that he was too weak to know about.

He hoped it wasn't anything too bad.

Zach and Anerias bid farewell to Kami before picking up Nessa and leaving for the Underworld. Along the way, Zach told them a little about his encounter with Ozra just in case they ever ran into her.

From what Kami had told them, she was dangerous. But according to Zach, it was fine as long as they didn't piss her off. Contradictorily enough, she would probably become more violent if they acted politely, though.

It was a difficult situation, but it would be fine as long as they could take a beating or try to fight her.

Simple enough.

But Anerias and Nessa didn't quite take what Zach said to heart. They were going to the Underworld. How were they supposed to run into Ozra?

The Darkwing carried them to the middle of nowhere before changing its horizontal trajectory to a vertical one. It folded its wings and plummeted straight to the ground.

Zach was a little worried.

The ground was intact, and at the speed they were going, he wasn't sure the Darkwing or the others would survive, even if he covered them in his barriers. He glanced at Anerias' red-skinned, humanoid familiar. He wondered if maybe he would do something. But he sat cross-legged with his hands on his lap like he was meditating.

He noticed Zach looking at him and returned the gaze with one of his own. He looked straight at Zach.

Zach's eyes widened.

"You can talk?" He asked, surprised.

The familiar's eyes widened.

Anerias also frowned and looked back.

They were moments from crashing into the ground.

Was this the time for that?

Yes, it was.

The ground opened up, revealing a long, dark, and steep tunnel with underworld energy trying to escape.

The Darkwing, with all of its passengers, slipped right into it and continued down into the Underworld. After it was inside, the ground closed up again like it had never heard of the word secret tunnel.

Zach continued looking at Anerias' familiar.

Seeing Zach care more about the familiar, Nessa and Anerias also looked at it. Zach's statement seemed to come out of nowhere. But he cared more about that than the fact that they almost crashed into the ground.

The familiar considered feigning interest. But there was apparently some weight to Zach's words, and he sighed.

"Yes, I can converse the same way you humans do, despite being a summoned familiar," He admitted.

"Why did you hide it?" Anerias asked with a frown.

The SS-rank Devil of Imbalance, Asastor, shrugged.

"I didn't hide it, per se. I just never had a reason to reveal it myself, Master."

"Isn't knowing how to talk an important part of your abilities as my familiar? I would consider that reason enough for you to reveal it."

"I will remember that if a similar situation arises in the future, Master. If I may add, though, the revelation that I can talk could have also invited trouble as it is not the norm for summoned familiars to possess this ability."

Anerias just glanced at Zach and his familiars.

"I can talk."

"Me too."

"So can I."

"There's no need for that useless pride, Devil."

Mandra, Alzara, Soara, and Yanael spoke up, dropping Asastor's jaw to the Darkwing's back. He quickly picked it up and ignored them, turning to Zach.

"Is that how you uncovered me? Your familiarity with talking familiars?"

Zach shook his head.

"Nope. I saw the way you thought in your eyes. You used words to think. That would only be possible if you were familiar with words." Zach reached out and grabbed the Dawnthief Bat from Nessa's shoulders and held it up in front of him to demonstrate. He pointed at the Dawnthief Bat's eyes, which were flitting around. It looked at and saw everything around it. It was a little surprised by the current situation, but it could tell that it was in safe hands.

There was clear intelligence behind its eyes. It could be talked to, and it would understand the words used. But it wouldn't respond with words of its own.

Its thoughts weren't restrained by the concept of words.

Asastor's eyes widened. He wasn't the only one with a similar reaction. There was some confusion mixed in, though.

They couldn't quite understand what Zach was talking about. They definitely couldn't see it themselves.

But Asastor revealed himself by using words to think when looking Zach in the eyes.

"I see. Thank you for the enlightenment." Asastor nodded before taking a moment to concentrate. After that moment passed, his eyes glazed over. They weren't lifeless, but he looked a little empty inside, like there wasn't much going on inside his head.

"Better now?" He asked.

Zach nodded.

His Eyes of Truth could still see through Asastor, but he figured it was best not to tell him that.

It was clear that Yanael didn't trust the Devil of Imbalance. And the way he instantly sought to hide the flaw that exposed his ability to talk made it clear that he was sneaky.

Since he was Anerias' familiar, Zach doubted that there was actually anything wrong with Asastor, but there was harm in being too careful.

"We're here." Anerias had to look away from his familiar when Darkwing slowed down and came to a halt.