Later, as the Kyoto sky began to take on orange hues and paper lanterns illuminated the streets, everyone gathered in the hotel lobby, now properly dressed for the evening.
Kazuya adjusted the dark blue yukata he wore, with subtle silver details, and glanced at the group while finishing tying the sash around his waist.
Artoria Lancer appeared beside him in a deep blue yukata with golden accents that perfectly matched her golden hair tied in a low ponytail. Her calm and reserved gaze contrasted with the slight smile on her lips.
Asia came down shortly after, wearing a white yukata with lilac flowers. She seemed a bit shy, fidgeting with her hair.
"It looks really good on you, Asia…" Kazuya said sincerely.
She blushed and smiled.
"Thank you…"
Ishtar appeared stunning in a burgundy yukata with gold and purple designs, tossing her hair back as if she were strutting down a runway.
"Admit it, I look fabulous."
Ereshkigal followed soon after, in a light yellow yukata with red details.
"Such a show-off…" she retorted, lifting her chin.
Then came the classic scene: Salter descended in an impeccable black yukata, simple and elegant, but her mood soured the moment she saw Jalter appear at the same time… also wearing a black yukata.
The two locked eyes, narrowing them.
"Seriously?" Jalter growled, crossing her arms. "Blatant copycat."
"I chose this one first. You're the cheap knockoff, you wretch."
"You look like a walking funeral cosplay!"
"And you look like a poorly made copy of me in angry mode!"
"I'm the upgraded version, you idiot!"
"Upgraded? At best, defective!"
Jeanne d'Arc appeared in a white yukata with blue tones and intervened immediately, a patient smile on her face.
"Girls, please… don't start this tonight."
Skadi also arrived, in a dark gray yukata, her hair loose. She huffed.
"You two are ridiculous. Nearly thirty trips together, and you still fight over the same thing."
The two glared at her and, in a rare moment of teamwork, said in unison:
"Shut up, you bland killjoy!"
Skadi just rolled her eyes and moved closer to Kazuya. "Idiots!"
Kazuya ran a hand over his face, letting out a long sigh.
It was always like this.
At that moment, he felt the faint pulse of the mental connection he shared with Shuten-Douji. Her melodic, lazy voice echoed in his mind.
"Anata~… the festival's started… there's sake, sweets, and fireworks later… I'll show up, so get ready. And Yasaka-san said she's expecting you tomorrow morning, don't forget~"
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Artoria Lancer, beside him, glanced over.
"A message from someone?"
"Shuten. She'll show up at the festival. And I've got a meeting with Yasaka tomorrow morning."
"Hm." Lancer nodded, adjusting her yukata's sash. "Then we'd better make the most of tonight."
At that moment, Scáthach also arrived, wearing a purple yukata with red details.
With that, everyone was there.
Ishtar clapped her hands.
"Alright! Enough clone drama, let's get to the festival before the food stalls run out!"
Asia smiled excitedly.
"I want to try a candy apple!"
"I want to play those shooting games to win prizes I saw on TV!" Jalter declared.
"Obviously…" Salter muttered.
Before anyone could say more, Kazuya sighed again, but this time with a faint smile.
"Alright. Everyone together. Let's go have some fun!"
As Kazuya took the first step toward the hotel door, Scáthach's hand landed firmly on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Foolish disciple… you're going out like that? Head down, not even doing the bare minimum for your entire harem that got all dressed up for you?"
The whole group turned to face them. Some tried to hide it, while others, like Ishtar and Jalter, already had their arms crossed, waiting.
Kazuya sighed, knowing where this was going.
"I complimented Asia," he grumbled.
"And that's it?" Scáthach raised an eyebrow. "Cold-hearted, aren't you? Look at this group of beautiful, powerful women just waiting. Go on, don't make me have to smack your head."
Obviously, she wanted a compliment too, okay? She'd dressed up to be noticed.
Silence fell for a second.
Ishtar leaned forward, smirking. "Yeah… I was starting to think he went blind."
Ereshkigal, blushing, said, "Not that I care… but I tried to look nice for you, Master…"
Jalter gave a mocking smile. "Hah! Knew he'd fumble."
Salter just turned her face away, clearly expecting something too.
Kazuya ran a hand over his face, sighed, and then looked at the group with a faint smile.
"Fine… you win."
He stepped forward and started.
"Altria."
Lancer looked at him, calm, but her blue eyes sparkled just a bit more.
"You look… incredible. That yukata suits you as much as your lance. Serious, elegant… and beautiful."
She didn't smile much, just closed her eyes and nodded, but the faint blush on her cheeks gave her away.
Kazuya turned to Ishtar.
"You… need no introduction. You're stunning, and you know it. But it doesn't hurt to say it."
Ishtar tossed her hair.
"Hmph. As expected, but thanks," she said, puffing out her chest, pleased.
Ereshkigal was next.
"Eresh… you look… beautiful like this. That yukata color and your proud demeanor go together better than you think."
Her eyes widened for a moment, then she looked away, blushing furiously.
Jeanne smiled when he looked at her.
"Jeanne… serene and beautiful as always. No matter the place, you always light up the room."
She placed a hand over her chest. "Very kind, Kazuya," she said, her eyes shining with quiet joy.
Salter and Jalter were next.
He looked at them, sighed, and started with Jalter.
"Jalter… I'll admit, you manage to look gorgeous even when you dress like a Japanese soap opera villain. And the worst part is, it suits you."
Her eyes widened, then she pouted. "I… well, obviously, idiot," she said, looking away with a faint blush.
Salter raised an eyebrow. "And me?"
"You look perfect like this. Serious, dark… and incredibly beautiful. You'd fit right into a movie scene, you know? Only you could make black look this classy."
Salter hesitated… then turned her face away, her ears red. "Tch… you're only saying that because the old hag told you to."
Finally, Scáthach.
Kazuya gave a small smile.
"And you… always impeccable. No matter what you wear, you manage to be intimidating and beautiful at the same time. That purple looks perfect."
She laughed. "Now that's more like it. Don't make me repeat this every night, anata."
Skadi, watching from a distance with her arms crossed, gave a sidelong glance.
"And me? Don't I get a compliment?"
Kazuya smiled. "You look beautiful. As always."
She didn't respond, just turned her face away, a faint blush on her lips.
Asia, who'd already gotten her compliment, smiled happily. "Everyone looks really beautiful…"
Ishtar clicked her tongue. "Tch. At least he knows how to appreciate."
Jeanne laughed. "There, now we can go in peace."
Kazuya sighed. "We can. Any more complaints?"
They all shook their heads or stayed silent, and Scáthach gave him a light pat on the back.
"That's more like it, hardhead."
Kyoto's streets were vibrant. Hanging paper lanterns lit the way, the smell of street food filled the air, and the sounds of laughter and chatter mingled with the traditional beats of taiko drums in the distance.
As Kazuya's group turned the corner onto the main festival avenue, heads turned immediately. It was impossible not to notice.
A man surrounded by absurdly beautiful women—civilians either looked away or found themselves naturally drawn in.
Ishtar, with a sly smile, quickly stepped closer and linked her arm with Kazuya's right arm.
"Well, as agreed… my turn."
At the same moment, Ereshkigal, puffing her cheeks, clung to his left arm.
"Don't even think about monopolizing him. I won this round too."
Kazuya raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Round?"
Artoria Lancer, walking ahead with her hands tucked into her yukata sleeves, glanced back.
"They bet earlier on who could hit the most barrels in the hotel's throwing game. Those two won, and the prize was that they'd get to monopolize you for the first hour at the festival…"
J:在
System: festival."
Jalter clicked her tongue. "Cheater. That wasn't a throw, it was disguised magic."
"Lies!" Ishtar defended herself, a mischievous smile on her lips. "I just have great aim."
Salter huffed, walking with her hands in her yukata pockets.
"Whatever. I'll win next time…"
Asia walked just behind, her eyes sparkling with excitement at the food and game stalls.
"There's candy apples! And cotton candy! And… oh! A souvenir stall!"
Skadi walked further back, quietly, her arms crossed.
"And the chaos has already begun."
Scáthach let out a low laugh.
"That's how it should be."
Jeanne, trying to keep some order, spoke up.
"Let's take it easy. No fighting. An hour goes by fast, and then the next pair takes over."
Ereshkigal glanced at Kazuya, her face slightly red.
"If… if you want to buy something, I can pay for it," she said, in a poorly disguised attempt to please him.
Ishtar grinned victoriously.
"No way, I'm buying his next treat."
Kazuya just sighed.
"I'll pay for my own treat, thanks."
Both of them huffed at the same time.
As they moved through the festival, the colorful attractions and decorated stalls caught the group's attention, but Ishtar took the lead.
"Master, come with me to this one," she said, pulling Kazuya by the arm toward a shuriken-throwing stall, leaving Ereshkigal watching them with jealous eyes. But since it was their agreement, she didn't interfere.
Kazuya raised an eyebrow at Ishtar.
"Seriously? You, with aim?"
"Trust me."
It worked out. Ishtar, with poses and sly glances, hit every target, winning a small prize: a fox-shaped keychain. She handed it to him with a wide smile.
"For you, since you're my man."
Before he could say anything, she grabbed his face and gave him a long, defiant, passionate kiss, drawing a few discreet reactions from the crowd around them.
"There you go, Eresh…" she said to the jealous Underworld Goddess standing with the others.
Ereshkigal didn't waste time.
"Come on, Master!"
She dragged him to a goldfish-scooping stall. Eresh was determined, her tongue almost poking out from concentration. In the end, she caught three, cheering like a child.
"See? I can do it!"
He shrugged, smiling.
"You look adorable when you're excited."
Ereshkigal blushed, grabbed him by the yukata collar, and kissed him without ceremony, soft and full of tenderness.
His other Servants weren't about to be left out, of course. Artoria Lancer was next to monopolize him.
"I want to try the archery stall."
She was flawless. Every arrow hit the target with surgical precision. When she finished, they handed her a golden record-breaking medallion. She looked at Kazuya, slightly embarrassed.
"This is for me."
He took it, pleased.
"You're unbelievable."
She leaned in and, ignoring the stares, brushed her lips against his.
"Thanks for being here."
Next was Scáthach, who took him to a spear-throwing stall—or rather, wooden replicas. She hit every target before anyone could blink.
"As expected."
She came closer, a predatory smile on her lips.
"You're still the only one who can keep up with me."
And she kissed him fiercely, as she always did: wild and without warning. Kazuya had to hold her waist tightly.
Then Jeanne took her turn. She led him to a sweets stall.
"I want to win one for you."
She won a candy apple and handed it to him shyly.
"To sweeten the night."
Kazuya accepted it, touched her face gently, and gave her a soft, calm, lingering kiss. Jeanne smiled, her eyes sparkling.
"That alone made the night worth it."
Next came Salter.
"No nonsense. Come with me."
She went straight for the strength-test game, the one with the hammer to ring the bell. Kazuya watched her shatter the record.
"What? Impressed?"
"As always."
She smirked, stepped closer, and in an almost shy gesture, pulled him by the yukata sash and gave him a strong, possessive kiss.
"Now you're mine for the next round."
Jalter was right after.
"Come on, my turn."
She took him to a shooting gallery, hitting every target with a smug grin.
"Compliment me already."
"You're amazing, as always."
She smiled, satisfied.
"Took you long enough."
And before he could say anything else, she kissed him. Long, hot, with that cheeky, impatient edge of hers.
Lastly, Skadi.
She preferred to just walk to the lantern-lit lake.
"I'm not into those games."
They stood in silence for a while, watching the lanterns reflect on the water.
"It's nice to have you with me, even in this strange world."
Kazuya smiled.
"You know you're special to me."
She grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him. Unlike the others, her kiss was slow, deep, savoring a rare moment.
Without another word, they rejoined the group.
After each had their moment alone with Kazuya, the group gathered near a stall that caught everyone's attention: a big team game where they had to work together to carry a mikoshi, one of those portable shrines, to a finish line while other teams tried to interfere with cloth balls.
"This'll be fun," Ishtar grinned, her eyes gleaming.
"Team competition?" Jalter cracked her knuckles. "Hope we can knock someone down in the process."
"Relax, I'll handle the front," Scáthach smirked.
"You two, no fighting. If you're knocking anyone down, make it the other teams," Jeanne intervened, patient as ever.
"Asia, want to stick with me?" Artoria Lancer offered, and the girl nodded excitedly. Her Master had asked her to protect Asia through their mental link, and it wasn't like she disliked the innocent nun.
"Of course!"
Kazuya sighed, watching everyone already organizing around the mikoshi.
"Let's get this over with. Whoever drops the shrine buys dinner."
"Deal!" they all said, almost in unison.
The crowd gathered to watch. The opposing teams looked wary, seeing a group of stunningly beautiful women and one guy in a dark blue yukata preparing so casually.
A whistle blew.
"Let's go!" Kazuya shouted, and they all lifted the mikoshi together.
It was lighter than it looked, but keeping the rhythm was the challenge. Cloth balls started flying, and Ishtar nearly got hit.
"Don't even try!" She swatted one away like it was nothing.
Ereshkigal, beside her, laughed.
"This is for the greater good!"
Jalter and Salter, unintentionally, bumped foreheads while running beside the mikoshi.
"Your fault, idiot!"
"Watch where you're going, you angry knockoff!"
"Shut up and run!" Scáthach barked.
Asia laughed loudly, having way too much fun.
"This is so exciting!"
Amid the chaos, Jeanne and Artoria kept the pace, steady as ever.
Kazuya was at the front, leading.
"Push! Faster!"
Between shouts, laughter, and flying cloth balls, they crossed the finish line ahead of the other teams. When they finished, they dropped the mikoshi and laughed together, some sitting on the ground to catch their breath.
"That was… ridiculous and fun at the same time," Skadi admitted, fixing her hair.
"Admit it, we'd have lost without me," Ishtar teased.
"We'd have finished without drama if it weren't for you," Salter grumbled.
Jalter slapped Kazuya's shoulder.
"Not bad leading, huh, hardhead?"
He laughed, adjusting his yukata.
"You guys are a mess. But you're my mess."
They all smiled. Asia grabbed the sleeve of his yukata.
"That was fun… can we do another one later?"
"Sure," Kazuya replied sincerely.
At that moment, fireworks began bursting in the sky, painting Kyoto in vibrant colors. And without warning, one by one, the wives approached and gently hugged him, watching the fireworks.
It was that kind of comfortable, perfect silence that needed no words.
He just smiled, relaxing there, surrounded by them.
Yes… this trip was worth it.
.
.
.
.
.
The loud sound of flesh hitting the floor was the first thing to reach his ears. Judging by the sharp pain in his left arm, it must have been him who caused it.
But he barely registered it.
The freezing cold gripping his body, the damp sensation all over, the unfamiliar surroundings that greeted his heterochromatic eyes as they opened.
All his senses were bombarded with new stimuli, spawning a flood of questions in his mind.
Where was this? When did he get here? Why was he naked? Why did his muscles ache so much? Why were his eyes struggling to adjust to the light?
Even as his brain raced to find answers, none came. Too many insane things had happened, things he found hard to believe…
"Get up." A low voice broke the eerie silence permeating the room. It was familiar, and for some reason, he felt compelled to obey.
It took a few seconds to muster enough strength in his legs to stand and balance. His heterochromatic eyes turned toward the voice, but before he could see the figure calling him, alarms blared in his head.
A mix of self-preservation instincts and muscle memory made him react before he saw the fist aiming to crush his skull. He rolled to the side and leaped back, narrowly dodging a kick aimed at his ribs.
A tingling sensation warned him of magic, and the black-haired boy dodged a massive fireball that evaporated the water covering his body. Finally, he saw the figure—not a man, but an inhuman thing attacking him—and his instincts kicked in again.
He called upon his innate power from his lineage, but for some reason, the demonic energy in his body was minimal. He tried one of the spells he'd learned from his master, Mephisto, but nothing happened…
"Huh!?" A surprised voice escaped his lips as confusion overwhelmed him.
No powers from the Seventy-Two Clans emerged, nor did he feel the familiar sensation of using his ability. It wasn't that something was blocking his magic—it was something stranger.
Who was he, even…?
"Ah…" His collapsing mind froze as he realized he was dying.
A hand pierced his ribcage amid his confusion. Countless contradictions and their grim conclusion shut down his brain's self-preservation instincts. He didn't even feel pain, only that blood stopped flowing through his veins to supply oxygen and nutrients to his cells.
Without many words, the corpse fell limply before the man, whose stoic face twisted into disappointment.
"Looks like subject number twenty-seven was another failure. I shouldn't be surprised at this point."
The silver-haired demon picked up the corpse and tossed it into the chute at the back of the lab to join the other twenty-some test subjects.
For Euclid, this had become routine after a month of failures and wasted resources.
After cleaning the blood from his hands, the demon sat at a nearby table and began writing the experiment's conclusion in a notebook. At best, it confirmed some of his theories.
Frustration was an emotion he was well-acquainted with. Even now, it lingered in the back of his mind due to his inability to understand his older sister's betrayal.
The Lucifuge family had served the original Lucifer since the beginning of time, but she suddenly threw it all away to pursue a romance with that fake Crimson Satan. What could she have seen in that… despicable man!
That bastard knew nothing about how demons should act! What was with the deplorable state he'd plunged the Underworld into!? A false peace that made most demons complacent! What a joke! Demons were supposed to be the ultimate evil in this world! Villains destined to make the world tremble and force humanity's heroes to face them! To push them to overcome their weakness and progress or be subdued!
But this was completely…
CRACK!
The sharp sound of a pen shattering on the floor snapped Euclid out of his spiral of hatred and contempt.
"Tch. I shouldn't let that man get to me…" he growled through gritted teeth. "But it's only a matter of time… With how fast things are moving, he'll fall soon."
But then, the memory returned.
And with it, the rage.
"That damned human will pay for hurting my sister!" His voice rose, trembling with anger. "That bastard! That wretch! That scum!! I'll rip out his heart and drink his warm blood from my hands! How dare he harm my Onee-san's face!!"
His expression twisted into a mask of pure insanity.
Since the day he watched that fight, the day that human beat his sister in front of everyone, the image was seared into his mind like an open wound. Screw his brother-in-law—it was satisfying to see that idiot get thrashed… but what they did to her, he couldn't forgive.
Since then, Euclid Lucifuge had been obsessed with one thing: creating someone capable of destroying Ryougi Kazuya.
To that end, he spared no effort.
He used the blood of Mephisto Pheles, one of the Extra Demons, active since the era of the Four Great Satans. A master of magic and president of the Grauzauberer organization.
He also infused the memories of one of Mephisto's most notorious disciples, a mage humans called the "Flower Mage," embedding the body with the finest magical knowledge he could find. To top it off, he blended the demonic language of the current 72 demonic clans, using it as a ritualistic foundation to fuse DNAs and build what he believed to be the ultimate answer:
A Super Demon.
A being designed to surpass even the original Lucifer.
All this and more: ancient spells, sealed enchantments, forgotten curses. He gathered everything he deemed necessary to crush Ryougi Kazuya, since he himself wasn't strong enough to face him directly.
And also… because he couldn't ruin his lord's plans.
This was his only option.
Yet, all these continuous failures were starting to get irritating, despite the astonishing conclusions he was reaching.
"Wow! Came to check on things, my dear Euclid, but damn. It's been a while since I've seen you make that face. Too much time dealing with that human?"
He must have been so absorbed in that train of thought that he didn't notice his Lord entering the lab and getting so close.
"My apologies for not noticing your presence, my Lord. You're right, though."
"Understandable. The way he slapped and destroyed Ice Queen Grayfia-chan and beat that redhead still baffles me. He's definitely going to mess with my future plans. But anyway, from the looks of it, I'd say the latest experiment was a bust too."
"Yes, my Lord. I tried attacking the subject without warning instead of talking to him to see if I could force him to use his powers. Though he seemed to have the same battle instincts and muscle memory as a Super Demon, when he tried to use the innate powers of the seventy-two pillars you granted me, he still couldn't…"
"Another mental collapse, huh?" Rizevim's tone was thick with disappointment, but his eyes gleamed with curiosity as he glanced at the notes. "Tell me, what do you make of this?"
"Well, I think having so many innate abilities in his blood makes it hard to activate any one in particular. And as a result, some of them drain a lot of the individual's Demonic Power. Plus, the memories aren't exactly perfect—many lack real detail and are just a strong matrix of illusions created in his mind…"
"Well, we can keep trying. I think we should stop using the Flower Mage as a base just because we have enough samples…" Rizevim said, before a smile spread across his face. "My dear Euclid, do you know how demons were born?"
The silver-haired demon raised an eyebrow. "If I'm correct, Lilith, the Mother of Demons, due to her unique ability to asexually reproduce pure Demons through the Book of Lucifer, was the progenitor of Demons, giving birth to the first generation, including the 72 Pillars and Extra Demons."
"Exactly. Ten points for you," Rizevim said, a lazy, cruel smile on his lips. "If we can't create a Super Demon from scratch… then we'll use our dear mommy's womb for it."
His tone was light, almost playful, but the malice in his words made the air feel heavier.
"In the end, this research of yours wasn't a complete waste of time. Now you at least have a foundation for the principles of fusion… And with her womb, we can create an entire army of Super Demons. Or maybe… something even greater. With this, we can add another trump card to our original plan…"
He raised a finger in theatrical warning.
"Of course, we'll have to hold back. No drawing attention now. The world's eyes are moving… and our 'little friend' human recently traveled to Kyoto."
Rizevim's smile widened with pure malice.
"I talked to that idiot wannabe hero. Convinced him to use the Kyuubi as a catalyst to try summoning the Great Red, his ultimate goal to prove he's the world's hero. He thought it was a great idea. Hahaha…"
His eyes gleamed with pure contempt.
"His arrogance is so… deliciously stupid. If we manage to create a Super Demon successfully, we can send it to kill that human or at least gather more data on him…"
Euclid stepped forward into the candlelight.
In his right hand, a red gauntlet, like dragon scales, gleamed.
"As expected of my Lord. You've already been planning for that human…"
"Of course…" Rizevim murmured, a crooked smile and crazed eyes. "I can't let that bastard trample demons like we're nothing, can I?"
He looked up at the ceiling, as if seeing something beyond the stone and runes around them.
"Besides… if I really want to become the Demon King who'll crush entire worlds under my feet, then it's only logical I'd need a Hero to crush. And you know what? Maybe it's fate… that he's rising now."
His fingers clenched into a fist, trembling with anticipation.
"A Hero against the Demon King… isn't that just perfect? Hahaha…! How thrilling…"
_______________________
Author's Note
Sorry for the delay, everyone!
This chapter has around 5,000 words to make up for the wait. If the quality isn't as sharp as usual, I apologize — writing with a headache isn't easy, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer.
In this chapter, I wanted to show a bit of Kazuya's chaotically fun life, while also officially introducing Euclid and Rizevim. They're already aware of our protagonist's existence, and because of him, they plan to accelerate their schemes. Things are about to heat up.
Enjoy the read!
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