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Chapter 277 ~ Queen of Assyria

“[Icicles]! [Phantasmal Force]! And finally... [Dragon Lightning]~!”

“Kuh!”

“Aaahh!”

A pair of heavy thuds echoed across the training grounds as Rias and Akeno crashed hard onto the ground, the impact kicking up a thick cloud of dust and smoke. When it finally cleared, the two were struggling to lift themselves up, their elegant uniforms torn and stained with dirt.

Three spells. That was all it had taken for Aika to utterly dismantle them. And to make it worse, one of them—Phantasmal Force—wasn’t even an attack, but a cunning illusion that made Akeno accidentally target Rias instead of Aika.

In mere minutes, two of Kuoh Academy’s most powerful devils were left battered, breathless, and completely defeated.

“Alright~! Not bad at all~! You lasted longer than our last match!” Aika chimed playfully, her voice laced with cheerful mockery.

Rias and Akeno wanted to protest—anything to preserve a shred of their pride—but they couldn’t deny the truth behind Aika’s words. And right now, even talking felt like a luxury. They were too focused on catching their breath.

“Here you go, senpai~ Some drinks! Take a little break!”

“Thank... Thank you...”

“Thank you, Aika-san...”

The two noble beauties of Kuoh—famed for their poise and elegance—drank their water greedily as their bodies were drenched in sweat up to their underwear, not caring in the slightest about appearances. Their thirst and fatigue outweighed any concern for decorum.

Their wounds could be healed—but Aika deliberately chose not to use her healing ability.

The pain they felt now was valuable. It would help them build a tolerance for real combat situations. The soreness in their muscles? That was a sign of growth, their bodies tearing down and rebuilding stronger.

If she used her healing skill—which was more akin to reverting their physical state to how it was 24 hours earlier—she would undo all the physical gains they had made through the intense training. It would render everything meaningless.

So, instead, she let them recover naturally, only using her abilities to restore their stamina and magic reserves. The pain, however, would stay. As for the injuries, they would be materials for Asia to train her magic with. 

As the water settled in their stomachs and their breathing eased, the two finally managed to rest. Rias turned her gaze across the field and saw Erika and the twins sparring with Issei, Kiba, and Koneko. Asia stood nearby, watching attentively, ready to jump in with her healing magic once the sparring got too rough.

It was then Rias noticed something—or rather, someone—was missing.

“...Where’s Yuuji-kun?” she asked, frowning slightly. “I don’t think I’ve seen him since this morning.”

“Ah~! Yuuji’s out on some errands today~” Aika replied with a carefree smile. “So Erika, Aria, Alice, and I will be leading your training for now~ But don’t worry—he’ll be back by tonight~!”

“I see…”

Rias and Akeno felt disappointment filled their hearts, but her reassurance of his return made them feel a bit better. 

‘Fufu~ They’re so cute~’

Seeing their relieved expression, Aika could hardly hide a grin. 

‘Let’s nudge them to the right direction a bit more~’

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Standing in the middle of a vast, open field nestled within the hidden and expansive estate granted by the Multiverse Group Chat, Yuuji closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. The air was still, humming faintly with arcane energy as the rest of the group chat members gathered behind him, silently observing.

After a strategic discussion with the others, Yuuji had chosen to accelerate one of his more ambitious plans—summoning the Queen of Assyria. He intended to complete this before Rias’s Rating Game commenced. The consensus was clear: her presence could prove beneficial for completing their missions in this world and future missions in other worlds.

More than just a powerful ally, the Queen of Assyria potentially possessed the authority to summon the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon, a legendary flying fortress. If that proved true, they could adopt it as a mobile base of operations—anchoring their strategies and future missions around it.

A short distance behind Yuuji, Suzuki, Tatsuya, Lelouch, C.C. and Albedo stood silently, each poised to intervene should anything go awry. Though the likelihood of conflict was negligible, they weren’t taking chances.

The reason for their confidence lay in Yuuji’s unique ability: [Aspect of True Light – Akashic Record of Divine Spirits], particularly the sub-ability [Bond Woven by True Light], which ensured unwavering loyalty from any spirit or being summoned through it.

Still, caution prevailed.

Suzuki had assumed his Overlord form, radiating a menacing aura, and wielded the World Item: Downfall of Castle and Country. Tatsuya stood firm with both of his Taurus Silver CADs at the ready. Lelouch, donning his Fallen Seraph form, was clad in full Divine-Class equipment, a gleaming embodiment of angelic destruction. Beside him, C.C. had adorned her Circlet of Divine Protection and casted layers of divine barriers around the area. While Albedo had adorned herself in her full armor, wielding the World Item: Ginnungagap in her hands.

No words were exchanged. Only the gentle rustle of the wind accompanied Yuuji’s deepening focus.

He extended his magic into the infinite, luminous depths of the Akashic Records, calling upon the ancient threads that tethered him—the Descendant of the First Light—to the spiritual domain that transcended time. It was like reaching into a boundless night sky scattered with stars, each one a spirit or elemental from the past, present, or future.

Amid this stellar tapestry, Yuuji’s will guided him to a specific presence. He summoned every tale, every depiction, every fragment of knowledge he had learned about the legendary monarch. And with unwavering intent, he channeled all of it into a solemn chant. 

“Heed my call, thou who walked amidst flame and empire.

O sovereign enshrined in gold and poison, blessed by the breath of the gods.

By the first light that birthed all and the record that remembers all—I call upon thee.

Thy body shall be under my dominion, and my fate shall be with thy blade.

Abide by the summons, O you who weave schemes from the shadows of empire.

Queen of Assyria, enthroned upon the Hanging Gardens,

Let thy venom perfume the stars,

And may thy beauty, like nightfall, drown kings in silence.

Descend, O Wise Assyrian Queen,

Semiramis!”

As Yuuji’s final words echoed through the air, the skies above the field darkened—not with clouds, but with a deep violet veil that shimmered like velvet embroidered with starlight, and a single bright star. 

The very fabric of reality rippled.

A vast magic circle erupted beneath his feet, glowing with golden Assyrian runes and elegant spirals of celestial script from the Akashic Records. The ground hummed with power as winds surged outward, ruffling cloaks and silken hair.

Then, with a sound like a heartbeat of the world itself, a pillar of light burst skyward—radiant, majestic, and terrible. From its center, a throne descended, suspended by invisible chains of light. It was forged from obsidian and gold, studded with lapis lazuli and flowing with ethereal mist. The air grew rich with the scent of myrrh, saffron, and roses.

Seated upon the throne, legs crossed and gaze imperious, was a woman whose very presence bent the atmosphere to her will.

Her long raven hair cascaded down her back like silk shadows, adorned with golden circlets and jeweled combs. Golden eyes glowed beneath her ornate golden headdress—eyes that had once commanded legions and nations. Her ears elongated like elves, a proof of her immortal, demigod blood. Her robes were a flowing ensemble of black and gold. 

Behind her, the air shimmered—and from the mists emerged the outline of a colossal floating fortress: the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, vast and divine. Its countless terraces bloomed with enchanted flora and cascading streams of liquid light. It hovered in reverence, like a divine beast awaiting command.

The woman—Semiramis, the Queen of Assyria—rested her cheek against her knuckles as she regarded Yuuji with a smile both intrigued and amused.

“So... you are the one who dares summon me. Descendant of the first light… Are you prepared to wield a queen?”

Her voice was velvet soaked in poison and perfume, languid yet laced with overwhelming charisma.

“Queen of Assyria. Semiramis.”

Yuuji spoke with a faint smile, his entire being exuding the confidence and regality that didn’t lose to a true monarch of legends like the Queen before him. 

And it stirred something deep within the Assyrian Queen. 

She rose from her throne without a sound, her robes flowing like liquid shadow, jeweled sleeves catching the fading glow of the magic circle. The throne disappeared into a mist as she made her way towards Yuuji. Every step she took toward Yuuji exuded confidence not born of arrogance—but earned through millennia of blood, empire, and transcendence.

She stopped mere steps away from him.

“My summoner,” she purred, voice low like a whisper wrapped in incense smoke. “Or perhaps I should call you my master~? You who reached through the Akashic Sea to take hold of me. Bold. Perhaps even worthy.”

She glanced towards C.C, Albedo, and the others, who stood a few distance away from him. 

“Hm~ And I see you’ve assembled quite the powerful figures, child of the First Light.”

Semiramis circled him slowly, fingers gliding through the air as if tasting his aura. The gesture slightly irking Albedo, who was being held back by C.C.

“I feel it… the thread that binds me to you. Bond Weaved by True Light, was it?” she mused. “How divine… How curious. A chain more elegant than any forged by steel.”

Her gaze shifted—playful now, even teasing.

“So tell me, my master—do you desire a queen… or a weapon?”

Yuuji met her eyes, calm and resolute. “I seek a partner. A queen who will walk beside me… not behind me.”

A flicker passed through her eyes. Surprise. Then… amusement.

“A dangerous answer,” she murmured. “Men who speak thus often find themselves beneath the heel of the queen they desire.”

She stepped closer. Very close. Her finger gently touched his chest, directly over his heart. Her scent wafted into his nose, alluring, ever so enticing. Her smile, even more so. But such things that would’ve enticed even the most pious men were ineffective to Yuuji, who had been drowned in the pheromones of a level 100 Succubus and the woman who was the Arch Demoness of Lust and True Primordial Demoness.

“But… I shall humor you, master. You summoned Semiramis, Empress of Poison and Mistress of the Hanging Gardens. I shall judge for myself whether you are worthy of my throne.”

She stepped back.

“Now, then. You’ve summoned a queen. Surely you have more to offer me than stares and silence. Where is my wine? Where is my palace? Or shall I summon my own Hanging Gardens to loom above this estate?”

With a wave of her hand, the air behind her shimmered—and in an instant, the massive outline of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon descended from the sky, casting a long shadow over the courtyard and a major part of the estate. Its ethereal glow lit up the sky like a second moon, its terraces lush with greenery and flowing rivers of divine magic.

C.C. looked up to the sky before looking back towards Semiramis. “She’s dramatic.”

Albedo stared at the Queen of Assyria with a disapproving frown. “She needs to learn to respect a Supreme Being.”

Lelouch shook his head. “Perhaps, it comes with the crown.”

Tatsuya looked up into the sky. “So she could summon it… That makes things easier. But, we still need to assess its capabilities soon.”

Suzuki also stared at the massive Hanging Gardens of Babylon in awe. “Wow… That’s amazing… Even in Yggdrasil, Iʼve never seen anything like that.”

Yuuji, ever calm, took a step forward.

“Semiramis. Welcome to our ranks. There’s much to discuss. But for now, would you take us on a tour of your fortress?”

She raised an elegant brow.

“Hm~ Very well, my master~ I shall offer you my intellect, my fortress… and perhaps, if you prove yourself—my favor.”

She smiled again, her eyes narrowed into a crescent as she pressed her lips with her finger. 

She snapped her fingers, and a magic circle appeared beneath all of their feet. 

It alight with a brilliant golden light, and in a flash, they disappeared.