The throne room drowned in darkness, that swallowed everything except the throne itself.
Sirzechs Lucifer lounged there like he was sitting in his living room instead of the seat of ultimate authority in the Underworld. One leg crossed over the other, chin resting lazily on his palm. His crimson hair caught the throne's glow, shimmering like liquid fire. Despite being the strongest Satan alive, he looked more bored than intimidating—like a man waiting for something interesting to happen.
Few paces away, Grayfia Lucifuge stood calmly. Hands folded at her waist, silver hair pulled back in elaborate braids without a single strand out of place. Her maid uniform was pressed to perfection, every fold deliberate. She looked like someone had carved her from marble and commanded her to embody professionalism itself.
"So Rias has started preparing for the Rating Game" Sirzechs said casually, like he was commenting on what to have for dinner.
"Yes, Sirzechs-sama" Grayfia's voice was calm, measured, professional.
Sirzechs studied her with those deceptively warm blue-green eyes. They'd been together since the Civil War—fought side by side, built a life together, raised a son. He could read her better than anyone alive. Right now, something was bothering her.
"What do you think?" he asked, genuine curiosity in his tone. "Does my adorable Rias-tan actually have a chance of winning this thing?"
He expected her usual blunt assessment. Grayfia never sugarcoated tactical analysis—if someone was going to lose, she'd say it with the same tone she'd use to report the weather.
But she hesitated.
Sirzechs's eyes widened slightly. He knew very well, Grayfia never hesitated on combat assessments.
"That's unusual coming from you," he said, sitting up slightly "You usually have an answer before I finish asking"
"There have been...some developments, Sirzechs-sama." Grayfia's silver eyes met his directly.
"Oh?" Sirzechs leaned back, suddenly much more interested. When Grayfia used that tone, things had gotten complicated "What kind of developments?"
"When Riser Phenex visited Rias-sama," Grayfia began, and there was a sharp edge underneath her professional tone now, "he made several disparaging remarks. About her capabilities, her peerage, her chances of victory"
"Let me guess," Sirzechs said, already seeing where this was heading. "Someone objected?"
"Her Knight, Yuuto Kiba." Something flickered in Grayfia's eyes—approval, maybe. "Riser Phenex proposed a wager. If Rias-sama loses the Rating Game, Kiba must serve as his servant. And he agreed to it"
Sirzechs's relaxed posture vanished instantly. He sat up straight, all traces of casual warmth gone from his expression.
"That's extremely problematic," he said, voice sharp. "Why would Rias's Knight agree to something that reckless? Did Rias not stop him?"
"He was defending Rias-sama's honor," Grayfia said, and now there was definite approval in her tone. "When Lord Phenex continued to belittle him for his cowardice, so her knight made a counter-wager." She paused deliberately. "If Rias-sama wins, Riser Phenex's sister becomes Kiba's servant. For life."
Dead silence filled the throne room.
Then Sirzechs threw his head back and laughed—genuine, surprised laughter that rang through the darkness "He actually did that? It must have made that Phenex kid furious"
"Intensely so," Grayfia confirmed, her lips twitching upward despite herself.
"Rias really has gathered some loyal servants," Sirzechs said warmly, his usual gentle smile returning. Then his expression shifted, warmth remaining but something calculating underneath.
"But Grayfia, you know as well as I do that loyalty and courage won't be enough against Riser. He's considerably stronger, far more experienced, and has a full peerage. Rias only has five members total including herself." His blue-green eyes locked onto hers "And, You still haven't told me if she can actually win."
That was the question that mattered.
Grayfia's silver eyes held his gaze steadily "About that, Sirzechs-sama"
"After Riser Phenex departed with his peerage," Grayfia continued, her voice taking on that particular tone she used when delivering her usual reports "Yuuto Kiba revealed information to Rias-sama and her peerage. Information regarding how Phenex regeneration functions."
Sirzechs went completely still. The casual warmth vanished from his eyes, replaced by an amusing one.
"What did you just say?"
"He revealed the underlying working of Phenex regeneration to Lady Rias and her peerage," Grayfia stated clearly. "He possesses knowledge of how it functions, what fuels it, and by extension—how to counter it effectively."
"How did he acquire that information?" The question came out sharp as a blade. "That's one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Phenex Clan. Information that could fundamentally shift Rating Game dynamics"
"Roygun Belphegor told him."
Sirzechs blinked, then asked "Roygun? For what possible reason would she—"
"He eliminated one of her Devil subordinates after it became a Stray. So, she came to verify the circumstances personally. During their conversation, he posed an interesting question. He asked her why, despite their vaunted immortality, no member of the Phenex Clan has ever achieved the top five ranking in the official Rating Games."
Understanding crashed into Sirzechs as he saw pieces fall in their places.
The boy had manipulated her. Framed it as an innocent curiosity about Rating Game rankings. And let her explain precisely why the 'immortal' Phenex weren't actually invincible in structured competition.
Clever. Calculating. Ruthlessly effective.
"He played her," Sirzechs said, something like admiration in his voice. "That's actually quite impressive for someone his age."
"Indeed" Grayfia agreed.
But Sirzechs's analytical mind was already working through implications. "However, even knowing Phenex regeneration mechanics, Rias still faces a massive disadvantage. Five against fifteen peerage members creates severe tactical problems regardless of how clever Kiba might be. Knowledge alone won't—"
"Not only that, he also defeated most of Serafall-sama's sister's peerage, a few days back" Grayfia interrupted calmly. "By himself. In solo combat."
Sirzechs stared at her like she'd just announced divorce to him.
"...I'm sorry, I must have misheard you." His voice was carefully controlled. "Because I could have sworn you just said that he fought Sona's entire peerage alone and won."
"Your hearing is perfectly functional, Sirzechs-sama. Lady Rias's Knight engaged Sona Sitri's peerage in combat and defeated the majority of them without assistance."
Sirzechs continued staring. His mind was racing through the implications, and they were staggering.
Sona's peerage wasn't weak by any measure. From what he had heard from her fellow Satan friend. She'd carefully selected each member, trained them personally in tactics and coordination, drilled them until they functioned like a well-oiled machine. They were disciplined, competent, well-rounded fighters. Not Rating Game champions, but solid mid-tier combatants who could hold their own against most opponents.
And one Knight had soloed most of them?
"You're completely serious about this," Sirzechs said slowly.
"I would not jest regarding combat assessments, Sirzechs-sama." Grayfia's expression remained perfectly neutral "I did not believe the initial proclamation myself, which is precisely why I personally confirmed with Rias-sama, who witnessed the entire engagement. She verified every detail. I also questioned Sona-sama directly. She confirmed the account as well—though she was considerably less pleased during that particular conversation."
"Ah." Sudden understanding clicked into place. Sirzechs remembered Serafall at the last Maou meeting, grumbling under her breath and scribbling increasingly disturbing doodles on her notepad. He'd glanced over and seen crude but creative drawings of a boy being subjected to various elaborate torments—ice prisons, drowning scenarios, something involving tentacles he'd deliberately chosen not to examine closely.
At the time, he'd assumed it was typical Serafall being Serafall.
Now it made perfect sense. Someone had humiliated her precious So-tan's peerage, and the Leviathan was plotting increasingly elaborate revenge methods.
"So that's why Serafall has been in such a foul mood lately," Sirzechs murmured. "All those disturbing torture diagrams suddenly make sense. She's plotting vengeance against the boy who embarrassed Sona's peerage."
"Most likely, yes" Grayfia agreed with the faintest hint of amusement.
Sirzechs sat there in silence, absorbing this cascade of revelations. Processing implications. Recalculating probabilities.
Yuuto Kiba. Holy Sword Project survivor. Sacred Gear wielder with Sword Birth. Rias's Knight for years.
And apparently someone capable of soloing most of Satan's sister's carefully trained peerage without breaking stride.
A smile spread slowly across Sirzechs's face—warm, genuine, delighted.
"How truly fascinating," he said, his usual gentle warmth flooding back into his voice. "Rias's Knight is quite remarkable, isn't he? Full of wonderful surprises." His smile widened. "I absolutely cannot wait to meet this Kiba in person. This Rating Game has become far more interesting than I initially anticipated."
But still he knew it wasn't enough to defeat Riser Phenex, he needed more than that to win against a high class Immortal devil. Defeating a peerage member and king, was a different story altogether.
Sirzechs's smile faded. His expression shifted completely—all traces of warmth and playfulness vanishing, replaced by a thought as if he found a way to actually assist her dear sister's knight to win this Rating Game. But for that, he needed her.
He looked directly at Grayfia, and when he spoke, his voice carried weight that made the shadows themselves recoil.
"Grayfia"
Just her name. No title. That alone told her how serious this was.
"Yes, Sirzechs-sama?" Her voice remained steady, but she knew what was coming.
"Are you willing to use that 'method'?"
The temperature in the throne room plummeted significantly.
Grayfia's posture shifted as her fingers pressed harder together.
"Sirzechs-sama," she said carefully, maintaining perfect professional composure despite the obvious weight of the question "Are you certain about this particular course of action?"
"I know it's hard for you, but I can't see my sister go through hell with that arrogant Phenex" Sirzechs interrupted, his gentle tone gaining an edge of absolute finality.
"For Rias's future, Grayfia." His blue-green eyes bore into hers with intensity that could crack stone "My sister deserves the freedom to choose her own path. If achieving that requires breaking certain rules, taking a forbidden path " His expression was utterly resolute "I'll bear those consequences without hesitation or regret. But can you?"
Silence stretched between them like drawn wire about to snap.
Grayfia studied him. His resolve. The determination burned in those deceptively gentle eyes that had once commanded armies and reshaped the Underworld through sheer force of will and overwhelming power.
She'd known him for decades. Fought beside him through a civil war that had torn their world apart. Built a life with him. Raised a son together.
She knew when he'd made a decision that nothing would change.
Finally, she bowed her head with perfect grace.
"As you command, Sirzechs-sama"
Her voice remained steady, professional. But underneath ran a current of something else—approval for his willingness to risk everything for his sister's happiness.
Sirzechs nodded once, satisfied.
He leaned back against the throne, staring up into the crushing darkness above.
His mind was already working through scenarios. Running calculations. Analyzing probabilities and outcomes.
But one question remained. One critical variable that would ultimately determine whether all these plans and risks and preparations would matter at all.
Sirzechs spoke to the darkness itself, his voice echoing through the empty throne room.
"But can he defeat an immortal being?"
The question hung there, suspended in shadow, unanswered.
---
( Yuuto Kiba )
"Oh man, It feels great to slay an immortal monster"
I stared up at the crimson sky replacing the barrier that dominated the sky earlier.
I collapsed against the Nine-Headed Hydra's massive corpse with all the grace of a sack of bricks thrown off a building. My back slammed into cooling scales, and every single muscle in my body screamed bloody murder.
The clearing around me looked like someone had called in an airstrike, decided that wasn't enough, and followed up with artillery bombardment for good measure.
Scorched earth stretched in every direction—cracked, blackened, looking like the surface of a dying star. Petrified trees at the barrier's edge stood frozen mid-sway like nature's own horror movie set. Puddles of purple venom still ate away at solid rock with angry hissing sounds that made my skin crawl.
And in the middle of all this destruction? The cave entrance. Finally clear. Finally accessible. No longer blocked by several metric tons of scaled nightmare fuel.
Worth it though.
Speaking of my current state—I looked like absolute shit. My clothes were covered in dirt and were beyond recognition. Blood-stained everywhere. I probably looked like I'd been thrown into an industrial blender set to 'frappe' and somehow crawled out alive.
The familiar blue glow of my System materialized in front of me without being called, like it knew exactly what I wanted to see.
*[1 Character Card Available]*
The notification just floated there, innocent and unassuming.
This better be worth all the bullshit I went through. I reached out with a trembling hand to tap it.
The screen pulsed. Glowed brighter—brilliant white light that made me squint and look away. The glow built and built, intensifying to a crescendo that painted the entire clearing in stark illumination bright enough to hurt.
Then the light condensed, shrinking down, resolving into text and image that made my exhausted brain do a complete double-take.
*[Character Card: Meliodas]*
*[Access to Assault Mode included]*
I blinked. Read it again. Made absolutely sure I wasn't hallucinating from blood loss or exhaustion or inhaling too much toxic venom fumes.
Oh?
My brain processed what I was seeing.
OH?!
'LET'S FUCKING GO!'
All the exhaustion vanished like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water mixed with pure adrenaline directly onto my head. I launched myself off the Hydra's corpse with a shout—THUD—my boots hitting scorched ground hard enough to crack it, landing with way more energy than someone who'd just fought an Ultimate-class monster for their life should physically possess.
Meliodas. The Dragon Sin of Wrath. Former leader of the Seven Deadly Sins. The guy whose power level was so fucking absurd that calling him 'overpowered' was like calling the ocean 'slightly damp.'
System. I take back every single complaint I've ever had about you. You're not playing around. You're not fucking with me. You actually came through.
More text appeared, detailed information flooding the screen:
*[Character Card: Meliodas - Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, former leader of the Ten Commandments, son of the Demon King]*
*[Abilities Acquired:]*
*Full Counter: Reflects magic attacks back at the enemy with amplified power. The stronger the opponent's attack, the more devastating the reflection. Cannot initiate attacks while using this ability. Cannot reflect physical attacks, indirect attacks, or continuous attacks. Requires reading the timing and nature of incoming attacks ]*
*Hellblaze: Generates black demonic flames with the additional effect of nullifying immortal regeneration. Can be applied to weapons or used as direct attacks.]*
*Assault Mode: Unleashing full demon powers to achieve immense strength. Grants access to complete power. Temporarily robs user of emotions and feelings—SYSTEM CORRECTION APPLIED: Emotional suppression negated for this user.]*
*Kami Chigiri: Cuts opponent one thousand times in an instant with sword strikes too fast to perceive.]*
*Trillion Dark: Launches barrage of small spheres containing highly concentrated darkness at opponents.]*
*Shiden Issen: Slashes multiple opponents several times with sword in an instant, purple lightning trailing each strike.]*
*Dark Prominence: Infuses sword with concentrated darkness power and performs devastating slash capable of destroying large areas.]*
*[Equipment Received: Lostvayne - Sacred Treasure of the Dragon Sin of Wrath. Creates physical clones of wielder, each possessing a fraction of original's power. Power fraction increases as number of clones decreases ]*
Holy shit.
Holy actual shit.
Information flooded into my mind—not just text on a screen anymore, but knowledge. Real, tangible understanding. Muscle memory of techniques I'd never practiced but somehow knew as intimately as my own breathing. The weight of Lostvayne in my grip. The mechanism of Full Counter—how to read incoming magic, how to catch it, how to reverse and amplify it.
I placed my hand directly over the character card displayed on the screen.
The card dissolved instantly, flowing into my palm like liquid light that felt warm and cold simultaneously. Power rushed through me—not destructive or chaotic or uncontrolled, but smooth. Integrated. Flowing through my veins and bones and muscles like it had always belonged there.
It didn't feel foreign at all. It felt like remembering something I'd forgotten a long time ago. Like a missing piece of myself clicking perfectly into place with an almost audible snap.
Memories cascaded through my consciousness in a torrential flood. Three thousand years of combat experience compressed into seconds. Battles against demons that could level cities.
Fighting goddesses with power that defied comprehension. Commanding the Ten Commandments when they were the most feared force in existence. Leading the Seven Deadly Sins through impossible odds. The weight of being the Demon King's son. The burden of betraying everything for love.
And deeper—darker—the memory of Assault Mode. Of giving in completely to demonic power. Of the world tinting black and red. Of strength sufficient to shatter mountains and crack continents. Of power that could destroy souls themselves.
When I finally opened my eyes, they glowed faint green in the dim light.
I clenched my fist slowly, feeling the power settle deep into my bones. The efficiency of it. The control. The absolute certainty of exactly how every single ability worked—it was all just there. Perfect integration. No learning curve needed. No awkward adjustment period. Just pure, complete capability waiting to be used.
"Let's test this out," I muttered, grin widening.
I closed my eyes and let the transformation take me.
Power erupted from my core—dark, demonic, overwhelming in its intensity. A black mark spread across my forehead in patterns that looked like tribal tattoos drawn in ink darker than night.
A dark, ragged armor formed around me. The darkness manifests as a vest-like coat covering his armpits with a high, wide collar, and wristbands. My demonic energy exploded outward in a visible shockwave, painting everything within fifty meters in shades of crimson and black that pulsed with malevolent life.
This was Assault Mode.
The world looked completely different now. Sharper. Colors deeper and more vivid. I could feel every heartbeat thundering in my chest. Every breath moving through my lungs. Every single molecule of power coursing through my system like electricity through wire.
But something was fundamentally different from how Meliodas experienced it.
My emotions remained. Completely intact. Fully present.
No berserk rage threatening to consume me. No loss of control turning me into a mindless weapon. No emotional suppression robbing me of everything that made me human—just pure, overwhelming power under absolute complete command.
A blue System notification materialized in front of me.
*[SYSTEM CORRECTION IMPLEMENTED: User was experiencing personality influence from assimilated characters. Correction has been applied to previously assimilated cards as well. No personalities or character traits will be absorbed from future assimilations. User retains complete mental autonomy and emotional control regardless of acquired abilities.]*
I grinned even wider, feeling the power thrumming under my skin. The System couldn't get any better.
I turned and stared at the Nine-Headed Hydra's massive corpse still cooling behind me.
Then I raised my right hand slowly, deliberately, as I turned to it.
Black flames shrouded my palm—Hellblaze. But these weren't normal flames. They didn't flicker or dance like fire should. They burned steady and hungry, deep black with edges that seemed to absorb light itself. Ancient. Demonic. Wrong in ways that made reality itself flinch.
I threw the condensed ball of flame at the corpse.
FWOOOOSH!
Hellblaze engulfed the Hydra instantly, spreading across its massive form like oil igniting. But these flames burned differently than any fire I'd ever seen. They didn't consume—they annihilated.
Within moments, the massive corpse that had taken everything I had to kill—the Ultimate-class monster that had nearly ended me multiple times—turned to ash. Then the ash itself dissolved into nothing. Complete and total erasure, like it had never existed at all.
I watched with deep satisfaction, my grin threatening to split my face in half.
Hellblaze was leagues beyond Dabi's flames. Not even in the same category.
And more importantly? Now I had a direct counter to Riser's vaunted Phenex regeneration.
Can't wait to wipe that smug fucking smirk off that arrogant rooster's face, I thought with vicious satisfaction. When his precious immortality becomes completely useless and he realizes he's actually mortal like everyone else.
I released Assault Mode, letting the transformation fade. The black mark vanished from my forehead. My demonic energy retracted, and I looked exactly how I had before activating it.
But a problem occurred to me as the adrenaline started wearing off.
How the hell was I going to explain this to Rias and the others after I wiped the floor with Riser in the Rating Game?
I couldn't just say it was breathing techniques—they weren't stupid enough to buy something like that. Breathing techniques didn't grant demonic transformations or black flames that negated immortality. And it wouldn't just be my peerage members asking questions either. Everyone watching the Rating Game broadcast would want to know what the fuck I'd just pulled off.
But you know what?
So what?
I couldn't hide my powers forever. Sooner or later, they were going to find out anyway.
My decision solidified as I already made up my mind on thinking about an explanation about all this.
I would win this Rating Game. I'd use Assault Mode and utterly crush Riser and his entire peerage, even if it meant having to explain exactly how I'd acquired this power afterward. No more playing hide and seek with my abilities. No more standing in the back and pretending to be weaker than I was. Time to step up front instead of hiding in shadows.
I looked at where the Hydra had been, at the empty space where several tons of monster had existed just moments ago, feeling genuinely proud of myself.
But my stomach growled.
I sighed, exhaustion hitting me all at once now that the adrenaline was gone.
---
I arrived back in my living room with a soft flash of crimson light. My boots hit familiar floorboards—
Wait.
I stopped mid-step, freezing completely.
Something smelled amazing.
Really amazing.
The aroma hit me like a physical force—savory, rich, with hints of spices I couldn't quite identify but made my mouth water instantly. It was coming from my kitchen table.
I looked over, confused.
Multiple dishes. Real food that looked like someone who knew how to cook had made it. Steam still rose from some of them.
Was Roygun back again? She'd been visiting more frequently lately, but usually she called ahead or just showed up unannounced and made herself at home on my couch—
"You finally arrived."
The voice came from my right side.
Not Roygun's voice.
I turned my head slowly, dread building in my gut.
Grayfia Lucifuge stood there in my living room. Hands placed precisely at her front in that perfect maid posture.
Her silver eyes met mine calmly. "I've been waiting for you for quite a while, Yuuto sama"
What.
What the actual fuck.
What is Sirzechs Lucifer's wife—the Strongest Queen in the Underworld—doing in my apartment?
Why is she here?
How did she even get in?
Did she cook that food?
Why would she cook food in my apartment?
Is this about killing the Hydra?
Am I in trouble?
Am I about to die?
My mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
No words came out.
Grayfia's expression remained perfectly neutral, but I could swear I saw the faintest hint of amusement in those silver eyes as she watched me malfunction in real-time.
"Perhaps" she said calmly, gesturing to the table "You should sit down and eat first. We can discuss why I'm here afterwards"
I continued staring at her like my brain had completely given up on processing reality.
This was going to be a long night.
. . .
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