DxD: THE LEGENDARY TRAVELER WITH SYSTEM

[I added a part of the original plot at the end of the chapter. If you haven't read the novel or even watched the anime Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken, it might be helpful. But even without it, the chapter will have 1900 words. That said, I hope you enjoy the chapter~]

Shion stood behind Zaydas like a shadow in a composed manner. Anyone who saw her acting this way would think she was his secretary.

Meanwhile, the wolves, upon seeing Zaydas, jumped joyfully, merging into his shadow—or almost all of them.

Luna stopped in front of Asia and lowered her head in submission.

Telepathically, Luna said: "I wish to become your familiar; please accept me, Asia-sama!"

Her respectful way of speaking surprised even Zaydas.

Truth be told, he hadn't spoken that much with the wolves after their transformations.

"Why?" Asia wanted to know.

It was easy to predict what she was thinking. She seemed not to understand why Luna wanted to get close to her.

"Because it will make me happy."

A simple yet profound answer.

In other words: Luna believed that by becoming Asia's familiar, she would be happier.

Come to think of it, Luna was the kindest among the Infernal Demon Wolves. She even gained the Extra Skill: Sacred Howl—a howl that purifies allies of curses and poisons while weakening demons and undead.

By the way, Zaydas had tested this skill before, and when Luna used it, it didn't affect him. That is, although it affects "Demons," it did not affect him, who is a "Devil."

Sensing her gaze in his direction, Zaydas said: "Feel free to accept. It's Luna's choice to choose you as her master. I won't interfere."

Nodding, she gently looked at the enormous two-meter wolf and said: "Alright, I accept."

Telepathically, Zaydas explained the necessary process to form the familiar and master contract between a Devil and a Monster.

When they learned that Zaydas and Asia had returned, Benimaru and the rest came, only to halt their steps when they saw what Asia and Luna were doing.

A green magic circle appeared right below Luna as Asia murmured: "By the sacred name of Asia Argento, I ask you to form a familiar and master contract with me."

In an instant, the contract was formed between the two.

However, it didn't stop there—something strange happened as Luna stood up and howled.

In an instant, her horns fell off, and it didn't stop there—the previously predominantly red fur with black details began to change in real-time to a pure white predominant color with golden details, especially around the neck and head. Then, a golden horn curved backward grew.

Luna's entire aura changed. Before, there was still a threatening aura, but now, it was more serene and soothing.

Luna, who underwent a mutation by becoming Asia's familiar, changed from an Infernal Demon Wolf to a Tiamat Wolf.

Before, she was versatile in fire control, but now, it shifted to water.

However, this doesn't mean she became weaker—she even experienced enhancements in her basic attributes.

And just as Shadow and Ruby hid in Zaydas' shadow as soon as Luna's evolution ended, Luna first picked up the fallen horns, handed them to Asia, and then merged into her shadow.

Zaydas smiled, thinking: 'With Luna protecting Asia, I don't need to worry about her safety.'

Looking at Jade next to Shuna, he thought: 'Jade won't abandon me either, right?'

He laughed at his own thoughts.

In the end, even if it really happened, he wouldn't mind. After all, Shuna was his Pawn/Queen.

───────────

In the blink of an eye, two days passed.

The preparations for war had progressed significantly.

And, in the meantime, Rimuru expanded his plantation fields now that he was able to use the skill [All-Purpose Farming Tool].

During this period, Zaydas was enhancing his own weapon with the help of the Oni, Kurobee. His proficiency as a blacksmith was even higher than that of the elves.

When the elf women saw this, they became highly interested in learning from him, and being as kind as he was, Kurobee accepted all of them as his disciples.

Time proved that they only needed some direction, especially Ria, who was able to upgrade the artifact she received from Zaydas to Rare-grade, almost Unique-grade.

She was overjoyed when Kurobee praised her as a genius in forging.

And the reason for being so happy with such praise was simple... Kurobee was a genius blacksmith who was capable of creating Unique-grade equipment, and he seemed confident that he would soon be able to create a Legend-grade piece.

Equipment can be classified based on its quality and Existence Value into the following grades: Normal-grade, Special-grade, Rare-grade, Unique-grade, Legend-grade, God-grade, and Genesis-grade.

By the way, Zaydas' Ouroboros Sword was upgraded by Kurobee to Unique-grade.

Zaydas also helped Kurobee forge a sword for Shion, which transforms into an Odachi similar to his, and a Magic Scepter for Shuna with two forms. The first is an elegant gold fan with red details, while the second is a Magic Scepter.

Both weapons reached Unique-grade.

Kurobee also forged weapons for Benimaru and the rest, all at Unique-grade.

By the way, he almost managed to make Benimaru's sword reach Legend-grade.

"Ho ho ho. This is exciting," Hakurou said upon receiving his sword.

His slash was so fast that only when he returned it to the sheath did they realize he had done anything.

If it came to a swordsmanship-only fight, Zaydas was not confident he could emerge victorious against Hakurou.

"Next is Shuna," said Zaydas. "She mentioned that, with Jade's help, she also finished preparing our equipment."

Shuna's workspace was on his mansion grounds.

When they arrived in front of what looked like a tailor's shop, Zaydas announced their entry, and they went in.

Shuna greeted them with a gentle and sweet smile: "Come in, make yourselves at home~"

The place was spacious, with several mannequins wearing highly detailed clothes, as well as open wardrobes with clothes hanging on hangers.

However, there was one in particular that stood out from the others, where Jade was standing very close.

It was a closet with two rows and a full-length mirror at the back.

Without losing her smile, she struck a pose while gesturing with an open hand toward the closet, saying: "Jade and I finished making the special outfit for Zaydas-sama. And onii-sama and the rest, by the way."

Benimaru murmured: "'By the way,' huh..."

"Ho ho ho," Hakurou let out an elder's laugh, saying: "That is to be expected."

"Well, considering Shuna-sama's wonderful skill. I presume mine was made as well?"

The Onis responded like this.

"Here they are!" With these words, she brought more clothes.

After Zaydas received his, he was guided by Shuna to a room to change.

While he went inside to change, she waited outside.

Taking off his clothes, leaving only his boxer briefs, he wrapped himself in the kimono that Shuna and Jade had made. It was pure white.

A shiny linen. First-class silk that felt wonderful to the touch. Around his waist, he wore a sophisticated black belt.

Underneath, he wore equally pure white pants. When he put the outfit on, it immediately resized to fit his body.

No wonder Shuna and Jade didn't need to take his measurements.

Well, considering Shuna and Jade's talent, it was expected to transform into a magical item.

After he dressed, it was as if it blended with his magic, becoming part of his body while changing to a wine-red color, and the pants turned to a dark night shade.

Out of curiosity, he used the skill [Size Alteration] and became a four-meter-tall giant, and as expected, the clothes grew accordingly.

Returning to his normal size, he wore a long white overcoat with an elegant cut and vertical lines that gave a modern and sophisticated vibe. It adjusted to his body as it blended with his magical power, soon changing to a pure crimson color.

The high collar stood symmetrically raised around his face with a wine-red shade on the back. On his hands, he wore fingerless gloves that reached his wrists, adapting to his hands and changing to a dark night color.

On his feet, he wore black leather military-style boots. To complete the look, he placed the Ouroboros Sword on his belt.

With the full attire, a crimson aura outlined the outfit. It was obvious that everything he wore was a magical item.

Stepping out of the dressing room, he saw that he was actually the slowest— even the girls, including the elves, had finished getting dressed.

By the way, the style of the elves' clothing hadn't changed, but there were subtle details in red. The most noticeable was Ria, with a crimson glove on her right hand.

Asia wore an outfit reminiscent of what she wore when Zaydas first met her. But instead of dark blue, it was in a crimson color.

Zaydas had to admit it looked really good on her, accentuating her well-proportioned curves.

The attire of Tia and Rurushi hadn't changed. If anything had, it might be the small details that were now red.

'Am I staining them with my color?'

It would be fine if it were just the girls, but Benimaru's outfit was even redder than his... A samurai-style kimono.

And, last but not least, Shion and Shuna. Shuna wore a Priestess-style outfit, a Miko with a long skirt in red and the details of the white kimono, which extended quite a bit beneath the red skirt, also in red.

Her pink hair was tied at the end with a red kanzashi, and she had two strands of hair on each side resting on her breasts.

Shion, on the other hand, wore a predominantly dark purple outfit—a tight-fitting suit that she left unbuttoned, allowing a generous portion of her cleavage to show, along with dress pants. The buttons were red, and the dress shoes were black. Her long purple hair was tied in a high ponytail that swayed with the movement of her head.

───────────

Everyone gathered and was heading toward the swamp where the war would take place.

Beside him, on top of Ranga, Rimuru wore an outfit with hairs around the sleeves, legs, and neck, resembling the wolves' hairs.

"It's almost time..." Rimuru said.

"Yes, we're almost there," Zaydas confirmed, atop Shadow, who had grown to 3 meters tall and 4 meters long.

"By the way, Rimuru-san."

"Yes?"

Zaydas said to Rimuru, "Whatever I ask you, just say: I am a man, okay?"

Even without understanding why Zaydas brought this up now, Rimuru nodded, "Okay."

"Then let's start," Zaydas said. "You went out to a party."

"I am a man."

"You invited a beautiful girl to dance."

"I am a man!"

"She accepted, and you two started dancing."

"I am a man!"

"You invited her to your place, and she accepted."

"I am a man!"

"She climbs on top of you."

"I am a man!!"

"While she was on top of you, she says..."

"I am a man!!"

"..."

Rimuru: "Wait... What? Huh? She was a man?"

"Hahaha!"

───────────

On that day, the orc army filled the swamps with thousands of troops.

If you looked from above, you would see the tunnels swarming like an incessant whirlpool.

However, those present were only a small part of the army. The orcs decided to invade by circling around the lake. With little resistance, they occupied the swamps and advanced toward the caves.

However, a commotion rippled through the swarm.

Suddenly, someone ordered the lizardmen to attack. And that was the cause of the outbreak of war between the orcs and the lizardmen.

.

The rulers of the swamps—the Lizardmen. Possessing high combat skills, they could maneuver smoothly through mud and marshes. Hidden among the grass, they approached the orc army and attacked without being detected.

Everything went as planned.

He locked the previous chief in an underground chamber, reorganized the army, and moved them to the surface. And, quickly taking battle formations, he launched an attack on the orcs.

Gabil was not completely incompetent. He lacked the ability to see the big picture, but he could certainly lead a squad in battle. This skill he inherited from his father, the former chief.

The Lizardmen respected strength. Therefore, they would not follow someone who only boasted of their power. Gabil idolized an individual. For his sake, he had to show his competence.

However...

He left a thousand warriors to guard the main chamber. It was occupied only by women and other civilians. If necessary, the women could also fight, but they lacked the required strength. For this reason, he was sending an additional 500 soldiers at a time to the main chamber.

In other words, Gabil decided to gradually reinforce this line of defense with troops fighting in the tunnels. Having freed up and relocated the troops, Gabil gained control over the entire army. His numbers: 7,000 goblins and 8,000 lizardmen.

This was his fighting force. Without relying on the labyrinth, he proceeded to face his enemy on the surface.

And leaving the minimum for defense, he mobilized everyone for battle. The first attack went as described. They successfully split the enemy and launched a devastating attack on their flanks.

The orcs that the lizardmen scattered were hunted down by the goblins. Following Gabil's orders to the letter, the troops performed extremely well. The goblins also fought hard. Thus, they were able to advance with the rest of the troops.

The success of the attack can, therefore, be attributed to the ideal cooperation of individual units.

'Contemplate!' Gabil thought. 'There is no need to fear the orcs! Father has grown senile. That's why he worried unnecessarily. I will calm his fears. After seeing my heroic deeds, he will surely recognize me as the next chief. To that end, we need to wipe out the orcs immediately. Or perhaps this entire scenario was planned to pass the leadership to me! That's what he thought.'

A cry of joy filled the field.

Look at them! The humble orcs are no match for the great Lizardmen!

Proud of his work, Gabil observed the battlefield.

Things had gone well... so far.

Having lost many soldiers, the orcs must have been flailing in despair.

But Gabil did not know of the terror of the Orc Lord; what the Chief knew, the terror of the Orc Lord. This difference now showed its fangs.

*Guchaguchaguchagucha!*

The orcs were walking over the dead. On all fours, crawling over them. No, wait!

They weren't walking over them—they were eating them. A horrifying sight. The brave lizardmen warriors, experienced in many battles, witnessed an unusual scene. A sinister aura enveloped the orcs.

A warrior, terrified by the sight, tried to step back and fell over. Not missing the chance, the orcs attacked the warrior.

He was dragged into the mud and torn limb from limb. Since the war began, he was the first victim. And that's how it all started. The orcs who devoured the lost soldiers gradually obtained their abilities.

This ability wasn't like [Predator] and couldn't perfectly replicate skills. However, they absorbed the power of the lizardmen to a certain extent and shared it among those within their domain. This was one of the effects of the unique skill [Starved].

They were both a swarm and an individual. Again, much like the shared evolution of the fang-wolf species. That is why the previous chief was so afraid of letting any lizardmen die. To prevent the orcs from developing further.

Although they couldn't gain all the abilities of those they ate, they could still acquire some of their special traits. For example, the ability of lizardmen to move freely through mud and swamps. For example, creating scales around their vital areas for defense.

They could make these kinds of trivial changes. However, this is how they could quickly turn the tide of battle.

"Do not fear! Show them the power of the high and proud Lizardmen!!!" Gabil shouted.

The lizardmen regained their morale with Gabil's shout.

They were rulers of the swamps, fighting on their own land; they attacked again. They were still faster than the orcs—of this, they were certain. Even if outnumbered, if they retreated to their defensive lines, they could surely crush the enemy again.

However!

When they tried to flank the orcs again, they encountered a ready formation. The orcs' movements had become faster.

'Strange.' Gabil thought, but it was too late.

Without the advantage of speed, they were now surrounded by many orcs. Five thousand soldiers had already blocked Gabil's escape. And they continued their attack. Relying too much on their speed, they blindly pursued the orcs in their retreat and were surrounded.

Perhaps if the orcs were not under the influence of their lord, Gabil's group might have endured this situation. We could continue discussing such assumptions endlessly. The truth of the matter is: they were completely surrounded.

Just as ants block their prey's escape, the orcs attacked them. Even if they fought with all their strength, they would surely succumb soon.

'How can this be?' Gabil couldn't understand.

He desperately tried to rally his forces, shouting words of encouragement. However, the goblins lost formation due to panic, and the lizardmen trembled with worry.

'This is bad!' Thinking this, he wanted to give an order to retreat... but even he understood they had nowhere to run.

To gather them all under his banner, he had forced the warriors to abandon the caves. Even if they had ordered a desperate retreat to the tunnels, the entrance was too narrow.

The goblins who arrived first would block their escape. And, with no way to enter, they would be massacred by the orcs.

If they ran into the forest... they would be chased down and slaughtered.

They couldn't retreat.

Gabil understood this well.

Why did his father fight so cowardly? He finally understood.

'How foolish was I?' Gabil thought. But there was no time for regret now.

Now, Gabil had only one thing to do. Raise morale and ease the worries of his companions.

"Guwahahaha! What worried faces you all have! I am here! There's no way I'll lose to some orcs!"

Yes, to encourage his allies by saying something he himself did not believe.

Their fate was sealed...

───────────

[Current image of Luna and Asia:

───────────

Read up to 30 chapters ahead on Patreon. At least two chapters will be updated daily, with one free chapter every day.

P-atreon.com/Zaydas

Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.