At first, Grayfia was little more than a lifeless doll. No matter how fiercely Tenra claimed her, she lay motionless, eyes vacant—her body present, her soul somewhere far away.
But once their pact was sealed, something in Grayfia shifted. She awakened as if reborn, responding with all the warmth and passion of a real woman. She met Tenra's advances with her own, desperate to please the man who now held her future—and her revenge—in his hands.
For the true Sirzechs, I'll avenge you. And I'll look after Grayfia, I swear it.
Tenra made his silent vow as he watched Grayfia writhe beneath him, her voice rising in delirious, seductive cries. Venelana joined them soon after, swept into the same fallen revel. The night became a feverish blur—a descent into madness and pleasure, where all boundaries dissolved.
Days blurred together in the Sancta Diabolus Hall's time domain before Tenra finally dragged himself free from that paradise of flesh. Any longer, and he feared he might have died there, lost to bliss.
While Grayfia and Venelana helped him dress, Tenra asked quietly, "Venelana, is Rias really your child with Uncle Sirzechs? I mean—the real Sirzechs."
Venelana shot him a glare, cheeks flushed. "Of course she is, you little scoundrel. What kind of question is that?"
The question embarrassed Tenra, but he had to be sure. Rias was his woman, and he needed the truth.
"But the real Sirzechs died long ago, didn't he?"
Venelana's expression softened. "I was already pregnant with Rias back then. But after everything that happened, I didn't want her to be born into a world where she'd be manipulated like us. So I cast a spell to delay the pregnancy. It only postponed things for a while—eventually, Rias had to come into the world."
"At first, that bastard wanted to implant one of those Sacred Gears in Rias too. But Grayfia and I threatened him with our lives. Rias was just a child, innocent and trusting. He relented, gave up trying to control her."
Tenra breathed a quiet sigh of relief. As long as Rias hadn't been marked by that evil artifact, he could let go of his worry.
Still, by that logic, Rias must have spent decades—maybe centuries—in her mother's womb. If he ever told her, the look on her face would be priceless.
For now, though, Tenra would keep these secrets. The truth about Sirzechs, about Venelana, about everything—they were too cruel for Rias to bear. Maybe someday she'd learn it all, but not yet.
Venelana's hands lingered on his collar, her voice low and urgent. "Tenra, you have to be careful. We've put all our hopes on you. You can't afford a single mistake."
"The God of the Bible must know Grayfia and I have defected. Once we leave here, he'll come for us."
Tenra met her worried gaze with a crooked smile. "Don't worry. I'm not the type to die easily. I might not be able to beat him yet, but he won't take me down without a fight."
His eyes hardened. The God of the Bible was powerful, yes—but he was no more than a fellow Transcendent. Tenra might not be his equal now, but if it came to blows, he'd make the bastard pay dearly.
"Let's go. Time to face him."
Tenra dispelled the time domain with a wave of his hand. The three of them vanished from the hall in an instant.
Night wind stirred beneath a sky scattered with stars. Tenra, Grayfia, and Venelana reappeared in the open air. Though they'd spent days in the Sancta Diabolus Hall, outside only minutes had passed.
The night was silent, heavy with anticipation. The three stood ready, and it wasn't long before a suffocating, monstrous pressure swept over them.
They tensed—he was here.
A figure floated in the air, Sirzechs's face twisted with feigned sorrow. "Grayfia, Venelana. I always treated you well. Why did you betray me?"
Venelana's eyes burned red with fury. "You murdered my husband and stole my child's body. Isn't that reason enough?!"
Like Grayfia, she'd spent every waking moment plotting revenge against the monster before them.
Sirzechs's lips curled, voice cold. "So this is a woman's hatred. Even after I used Control Pieces on you, I couldn't erase your grudge."
"When I realized you'd escaped, I wondered where you'd run. In the end, you only had one place to go."
He turned to Tenra, eyes heavy with false regret. "Tenra-kun, you know the whole truth now, don't you?"
Tenra's reply dripped with mockery. "I know everything I should—and everything I shouldn't."
"So, should I call you Sirzechs, or the God of the Bible?"
Sirzechs's expression darkened. "So you really do know…"
His voice dropped to a chill. "Then—"
"You can die now."
One moment, regret. The next, pure cruelty.
Sirzechs's palm opened. A crimson sphere of annihilation swelled, growing larger and larger before it shot toward Tenra like a bolt of lightning.
Tenra roared, raising both arms to intercept the attack. Instantly, he unleashed the power of Divine Dividing:
"Divide! Divide!! Divide!!!"
The sphere shrank, its destructive energy devoured by Tenra's Sacred Gear. A flush crept over his face, but he forced it down.
You strike, I strike back. Tenra's eyes flashed. He clenched his fist and launched himself at Sirzechs.
Sirzechs sneered, meeting him head-on.
Space itself tore as the two collided mid-air—
BOOM!
Flames erupted skyward, a shockwave of violence radiating from their clash. The night was lit up as bright as day. Grayfia and Venelana, faces pale, shot into the air, retreating at top speed.
Where once a mountain had stood below, now there was nothing—erased by a single collision.
Tenra flashed to Grayfia and Venelana's side.
Venelana reached for him, voice trembling. "Tenra, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Tenra answered, voice low and unreadable.
But Venelana and Grayfia saw his arm trembling uncontrollably. Their hearts clenched. Was this enemy still too much for Tenra?
The two exchanged a look, then moved to shield Tenra on either side. There was no turning back. Only battle remained.
As their vision cleared, Sirzechs's form reappeared before them—waiting, merciless.