Gasper had never truly considered that being a devil would require such a grueling commitment to formal etiquette and restrictive clothing.
To him, the supernatural world was supposed to be about power and battle, not stiff collars and velvet waistcoats.
He entered the grand hall slowly, moving with a stealthy, hesitant gait as if he expected the shadows themselves to pull him back into his locker.
As the massive, luxurious doors groaned open, his eyes were met with a dazzling, overwhelming display of demonic opulence.
The room was a sea of noble bloodlines and their meticulously dressed servants. Some were high-born aristocrats with centuries of pride etched into their features, while others were reincarnated devils like himself, looking slightly uncomfortable in their newfound prestige. Every man wore a sharp, tailored suit, and every woman was draped in silk dress.
Today was a monumental day for the Gremory household. It was the fifteenth birthday of their heiress.
"Gasper, are you really okay? You seem unwell. You have been going back and forth from the bathroom for the last hour..."
It was his master, Rias Gremory, who spoke.
Even at fifteen, the young red-haired heiress possessed a commanding presence combined with her beautiful face. She looked breathtaking in a black evening dress that contrasted sharply with her signature crimson hair, which fell over her shoulders like a waterfall of silk.
"Ara~ Gasper, are you nervous?" Akeno Himejima let out a soft, melodic laugh. She adjusted the hem of her own formal attire, which is a sleek dark violet kimono, finding the panicked expression on Gasper's face quite endearing.
"A-a little bit... I'm not usually in front of a lot of people like this, you know," Gasper stammered, his eyes darting toward the ground to avoid the hundreds of gazes filling the ballroom.
"Gasper, be brave!"
Gasper felt a sudden, firm pat on his back.
Standing beside him was Koneko Toujou, the petite girl with snow-white hair and golden eyes. She was trying her best to offer encouragement, though her usual expressionless face and deadpan delivery made the gesture feel more like a military command than a comfort.
"Thank you, Koneko-chan..." Gasper whispered, though he still looked ready to bolt.
"That won't do, Gasper. Didn't you say you wanted to be as strong as Illya-san? What if he saw you like this?" Akeno asked, her eyes twinkling with a mischievous light.
The mention of that name caused a visible shift in Gasper's posture.
Over the past few months, his training had been going exceptionally well. His mastery over his Sacred Gear, the Forbidden Balor View, had progressed by leaps and bounds.
Motivated by a drive no one had expected from the shut-in boy, Gasper had learned to control his time-stop ability with significant precision compared to the day they had first met him.
Whenever he was pushed to his limit in training, he would only ever mutter one thing, that he wanted to be as strong as Illya.
"If Illya-san saw me like this... no... he would tell me to man up," Gasper said, his voice suddenly steadying.
He stiffened his spine and took a deep breath, trying to mimic the resolve he had seen from his hero. Rias watched the transformation and could only shake her head with a soft smile.
"That's right, ufufufu," Akeno laughed.
As the Gremory peerage shared their private moment amidst the swirling music of the party, the atmosphere suddenly shifted.
A tall, handsome young man who looked to be in his early twenties approached them. He had short, spiky blond hair and piercing dark blue eyes, walking with the arrogant stride of someone who believed the floor existed only to support his weight.
"Happy birthday, my beloved Rias."
The moment his voice reached them, Rias's expression darkened instantly. The warmth she had shown her peerage vanished, replaced by a cold, narrowing gaze.
"Riser..."
Riser Phenex, the heir of the immortal Phenex Clan and one of the most prominent names among the 72 Pillars young generation, stood before them.
He was flanked by the members of his peerage, a group consisting entirely of beautiful women, making the term harem feel far more accurate than peerage.
"Now, now, Rias... Don't look at your fiancé with that kind of look. That hurts me," Riser said, his lips curling into a smug grin that didn't reach his eyes.
"What do you want?" Rias asked, her voice tight with suppressed irritation.
"I've heard the news that you are moving to the human world in a few months. I feel saddened that my lovely fiancée would just leave me like that," Riser said. He reached out, taking Rias's hand and pressing a lingering kiss to her knuckles. Rias looked as though she wanted to wash her hand in holy water immediately.
It was better for her hand to be burned than to be kissed by the arrogant, lustful, and self-absorbed man in front of her.
"But why are you even leaving me here to live in that shithole of a place?" Riser continued, his voice rising so those nearby could hear. "You don't need to live in the same place as those filthy humans."
He said this while deliberately casting a taunting side-eye toward Yuuto Kiba, the handsome blond Knight standing behind Rias. As a former human himself, Kiba clenched his hand.
"Riser, you can say anything about me. But don't you dare talk bad about Japan. And that place you called shithole has a name, and it is Kuoh," Rias said, forcefully snatching her hand back. she stared him down fiercely.
"And besides, I don't think I ever agreed to marry you myself. It is just a political arrangement decided without my consent."
"As if you can do anything about it, Rias," Riser sneered. He suddenly lunged forward, wrapping a possessive arm around Rias's waist and pulling her flush against him.
"Rias!" The members of the Gremory peerage tensed as one, their demonic power flickering dangerously.
However, Rias raised a hand, signaling them to keep their calm. She knew the eyes of the entire ballroom were on them. Her brother, her parents, the Satans, and other nobles were all present, and she refused to create a scene on her own birthday.
"Now, now, Riser. You and Rias won't be able to meet for quite a while in a few months. Why don't you try to make a good impression instead of annoying her?"
A new voice, smooth and refined, joined the fray.
Everyone turned to see a man who shared Riser's blond hair and blue eyes, but the resemblance ended there.
While Riser wore his clothes like a delinquent, this man was dressed in a pristine, perfectly tailored suit that exuded true nobility and calm authority.
"Nii-sama, this is the way I show my love to my beloved Rias, especially on her fifteenth birthday," Riser said with a shrug. He slowly released his grip on Rias, though his punchable grin remained firmly in place.
Rias and her peerage offered a respectful bow to the newly arrived man.
"Welcome, Ruval-sama," Rias said, her voice regaining its composure.
"I am not late, am I, Rias?" Ruval Phenex asked with a warm, genuine smile.
"Not at all. The party has barely begun. My brother hasn't even given his opening speech yet. You are just in time," Rias replied.
"That's good then," Ruval said, nodding. He looked around the ballroom before turning back to the young heiress.
"But Ruval-sama, isn't tomorrow an important day for you? I thought you wouldn't be able to attend my party at all."
"Yes, well, I couldn't miss my soon-to-be sister-in-law's important day, could I?" Ruval teased. Rias could only offer a wry, polite smile in response to the sister-in-law comment.
"But your opponent for tomorrow Rating Game is one of the unmovable Top 3, Roygun Belphegor-sama," Rias noted, a hint of genuine concern and a touch of inferiority in her voice.
"You shouldn't be wasting your energy here when you have a match of that caliber in less than twenty-four hours."
Ruval laughed, the sound easy and confident.
"Like I said, a Rating Game is just a game. I've prepared myself over the last few weeks. A little bit of rest and a good party can't hurt my chances, right?" He gave her a playful wink, which finally coaxed a small, real smile from Rias.
"But don't forget to come and watch me, okay?" Ruval added.
"Of course I won't. My peerage, my brother, and Grayfia-san will all be there. After all, it's not every day we get to witness a match between two Kings in the Top 10," Rias said, her eyes lighting up with the passion of a strategist.
"After all, my dream is to become the Rating Game champion and one day defeat Diehauser Belial. I can't afford to miss a match like yours."
"That's an amazing dream, Rias. I believe you can do it," Ruval encouraged her.
"Thank you, Ruval-sama."
The sound of a fanfare echoed through the hall, signaling the arrival of the current Satan Lucifer. Sirzechs Lucifer stepped onto the elevated stage at the end of the ballroom to begin his address.
"Very well then, it seems my brother is starting his speech. I'll excuse myself, Ruval-sama," Rias said, bowing gracefully. Her peerage followed suit.
She cast one last, sharp glance at Riser, a silent warning to stay away before leading her friends toward the front of the hall.
"Hahaha, Rias is always full of energy, isn't she?" Ruval remarked to his younger brother. Riser merely shrugged in response, his eyes fixed on Rias's retreating form.
Ruval looked around the immediate vicinity again, realizing that Riser's peerage was missing one person.
'By the way, Riser… where is Ravel?
***
Meanwhile, in the dimly lit, ornate hallway of the Gremory estate, a petite and beautiful young girl moved with a sense of frantic urgency.
She had striking dark blue eyes that mirrored the depths of the ocean, and her long blonde hair was tied into high twintails with large, drill-like curls that bounced with every step she took. Thick blue ribbons held the elaborate style in place, matching the deep crimson of her formal dress perfectly.
From the unique hair, the sharp eyes, and the sheer elegance of her gait, any noble in the Underworld would have recognized her instantly.
She was Ravel Phenex, the youngest daughter of the Lord and Lady Phenex.
"Oh no, I'm going to be late..." she whispered to herself, her small heels clicking rapidly against the polished marble floor.
As she hurried down the long corridor, the hallway opened up toward a grand stone balcony overlooking the sprawling, moonlit gardens of the Gremory territory. She intended to pass it without a second glance, but a silhouette caught her eye.
A man was standing at the balcony railing alone, his back to the hallway. He was tall, his frame lean but possessing some muscle that was evident even through the fabric of his standard black suit.
As Ravel slowed her pace, curiosity getting the better of her, the man turned slightly.
Ravel stopped in her tracks. His face was young and handsome, framed by his black hair, but it was his eyes that truly arrested her. They were a deep, dark hazel, reflecting the moonlight with an intensity that felt far too heavy for a casual party guest.
A sudden, flustered look appeared on Ravel's face.
She felt a heat rise to her cheeks that had nothing to do with her family's affinity for fire. She quickly shook her head, trying to regain her composure.
'What am I even doing? I should be going, or else Nii-sama will...'
Ravel started to turn away, but she stopped once more. Her gaze drifted back to the solitary figure on the balcony. He looked out of place, a loner in a sea of socialites.
'I should help him,' she thought, her youthful sense of duty, and perhaps a bit of intrigue winning out.
She turned back and walked toward the balcony. The man didn't flinch or react with surprise as she approached, it was as if he had already sensed her presence long before she spoke.
He looked at Ravel with an unreadable, steady expression.
"Um..." Ravel began, pausing to analyze him one more time.
She was a Phenex, trained to sense the nuances of power. She could feel a flicker of demonic energy within the man, but it was layered over something else, something distinctly mortal.
'A half-devil?' she wondered.
"Are you not attending the party, Sir?" Ravel asked. Her cheeks were still flushed a soft pink now that she was seeing his face up close.
The part that captivated her the most was his left eye.
Within the hazel depths, a glowing X symbol shimmered faintly. It was hauntingly beautiful, unlike any magical trait she had ever seen among the 72 Pillars.
She found herself wondering how she could have possibly missed a man with such a striking feature in their social circles.
"Ah, I'm just searching for some fresh air. I'm not really good with a lot of people," the man said.
His voice was steady, almost too steady.
"I see... I've never seen you around here before," Ravel said, tilting her head.
"Maybe because it's my first time attending this kind of party in the Underworld," the man replied.
"Ah... No wonder I've never seen you," Ravel said. The man simply looked back at her, offering no further elaboration, which only served to pique her interest further.
"By the way, my name is Ravel Phenex. You can just call me Ravel."
She waited for the usual reaction, the widening of eyes or the sudden shift into a groveling, respectful tone that usually followed the mention of the Phenex name.
But the man's expression didn't even flicker, as if he had already known who she was.
"Nice to meet you, Ravel. My name is... Kovalenko."
"K-Kovkalenko?" Ravel tilted her head, her tongue tripping over the unfamiliar, harsh syllables of the name.
"You can just call me K for short," the man said.
"Alright, K..." Ravel smiled, the name feeling much easier to manage. Completely ignoring the fact that the man hadn't mentioned anything about his family name.
"By the way," the man continued, his gaze drifting back toward the horizon.
"Are you by any chance related to Ruval Phenex? The one who is going to be fighting Roygun Belphegor in tomorrow's Rating Game?"
"Yes! As a matter of fact, Ruval-nii sama is my older brother," Ravel said, her chest swelling with a hint of familial pride.
"That's amazing," the man said.
"It certainly is... But why are you asking?"
"It's just that I wanted to attend the Rating Game match tomorrow night in the stadium, but it seems like I didn't get a ticket before they sold out," the man explained.
"What? That's terrible!" Ravel exclaimed, genuinely upset by the idea.
"Didn't your family people take you to the game? Surely they have a block of seats."
The man didn't answer.
He simply stared back at her in a silence that Ravel immediately interpreted as a yes, that his family likely neglected him due to his mixed heritage. Her heart twinged with sympathy for the handsome half-devil standing before her.
"Don't worry," Ravel said, her voice full of determination. "Let's meet tomorrow night in front of the stadium at seven. I'll get you in, no problem."
The man blinked, seemingly surprised for the first time.
"Is it really okay? We've just met and you're doing all of this for me?"
"Of course! It's my brother's match, after all. I can easily tell him that I have a friend attending the match. He won't mind," Ravel said, giving him a reassuring grin.
"Thank you, Ravel."
"No problem, hehe."
The moment was interrupted by a harsh, grating voice echoing from the hallway.
"What are you doing here, Ravel? The party has started. Let's go to the ballroom. Ruval-nii sama is searching for you."
Ravel yelped, jumping slightly at the sound. She turned to see a familiar blonde man approaching, his expression twisted into its usual arrogant scowl.
"R-Riser-nii sama! Yes, I'm sorry. I just came back from the bathroom. I'll go now," Ravel said hurriedly. She turned back to K, waving her hand shyly as she began to back away.
"Let's meet again tomorrow, okay?" she whispered.
The man nodded once, a silent agreement.
Ravel scurried toward her older brother.
Riser didn't even look at her, instead, his eyes were locked on the man on the balcony. He sent a look of intense scrutiny mixed with blatant disgust toward the stranger, his lip curling as he sensed the half-breed nature of the man's energy.
The man, however, didn't flinch. He met Riser's gaze with an empty, unreadable stare that seemed to look right through the Phenex heir.
"What are you doing with a half-devil here? Let's go," Riser spat, turning his back.
"Okay," Ravel murmured.
As they walked away, Ravel stole one last glance over her shoulder, sending a small wave of her hand before the shadows of the hallway swallowed her and Riser whole, leaving the man alone on the balcony once more.
The silence returned, broken only by the man reaching into the air as an intricate magical communication device appeared on his hand.
"Lavi, change of plan. I've got a better idea."
A woman's voice filtered through the device, sounding curious.
[Hmm... what about Zekram Bael? Did he not attend the party?]
"It seems so," the man replied.
"I've used the Grail to scan everyone's identity, but it didn't find anyone matching Zekram Bael. But he must be attending the match tomorrow."
[I see. Then why don't you come back? I've made you dinner here, though I don't know if the ingredients in the Underworld will taste as good, worse, or better.]
"I'll be there soon."
The man on the balcony was, of course, Jay.
After hanging up, a strange phenomenon occurred.
The demonic energy that Ravel and Riser had sensed emanating from him suddenly vanished into thin air, as if it had never existed.
By using Avesta to analyze the fundamental demonic energy of the devils he had encountered, and combining it with the Grail's absolute control over life, death and souls, it wasn't difficult for Jay to wear the energy of a devil by literally using their soul.
He had simply taken the soul of a random devil he had killed just before coming to this place and used it to cloak his own human soul.
The Grail's potential was truly limited only by the user.
And in a soft flicker of purple light, Jay vanished from the balcony, leaving nothing behind but the quiet rustle of the wind.