[ You've assimilated Shinobu Kocho ]
The sensation hit me like cool water flooding in my veins.
Memories crashed through my mind. Purple butterflies dancing in moonlight. The weight of a Nichirin blade, lighter than my own swords but no less deadly. Formulas for poisons and antidotes spiraling through my consciousness like recipes passed down through generations. Wisteria blooms, their sweet scent masking the toxins lurking within every petal.
I opened my eyes, blinking against the dim light of the Infinity Castle.
Shinobu's knowledge settled into place like puzzle pieces clicking together. Her understanding of poisons was remarkable, not just how to create them, but how to counter them. How to extract toxins, How to synthesize cures with and without Wisteria, adjusting dosages, everything was now recorded in my mind's collection.
My fingers twitched, recalling her Insect Breathing flowing through neural pathways that had never performed those movements before.
The breathing technique itself wouldn't revolutionize my sword arsenal as I already had speed and precision at the tip of my finger. But it was different enough, unique enough, that it could serve another purpose entirely.
Asia.
Right now, she was the weakest link of our group. Rias had Power of Destruction. Akeno wielded Holy lightning that could put even a High Class Devil on losing end. Koneko with her raw strength and Nekoshou powers was just the beginning of her journey to get a lot stronger than she used to be.
And Asia? Other than Basic Elemental spells she was not brave enough to step up for herself and would still need someone to save her.
I didn't want that for her. Didn't want her standing on the sidelines while everyone around her grew stronger, and she remained defenseless. She deserved better than being a damsel in distress with a healing Sacred Gear strapped to her soul.
Insect Breathing could change that. The style emphasized agility over raw power, technique over brute force. Perfect for someone like her. Once I dealt with this Tiamat situation hanging over my head like a guillotine, I'd train her properly. Help her break free from the shell of trauma of her past, the Church had built around her.
Speaking of the past.
Valper Galilei.
That name alone made my fist clench. The bastard was in this town right now, breathing the same air.
I'd been tracking him for days, watching his movements like a hawk circling prey. Every instinct screamed at me to drag him into the Infinity Castle and make him pay for every scream, every cry, every child who'd died on his experiment table.
Also, The Holy Element he possessed was something I needed to awaken my Balance Breaker.
But Valper never left Kokabiel's side.
And that was the problem. I could snatch Valper easily, one portal, one grab, done. But Kokabiel might retaliate immediately. The Fallen Angel would descend on Kuoh Academy like a plague, and I was too busy helping Issei unlock his Boosted Gear's full potential to deal with that war maniac right now.
I needed to get rid of Tiamat's contract first. Everything else was secondary.
Even so, the memories haunted me. Not just Yuuto Kiba's memories, but the echoes of all those children who'd suffered from Valper's madness. Their screams reverberated through my head every time I thought about that man. Defenseless kids strapped to tables, their bodies torn apart in the name of research.
I will make sure that bastard suffers worse than the Freed.
I turned and walked toward the shoji door at the far end of the platform, my footsteps echoing through the empty corridors.
Time to go home.
---
The clock on my study table read 1:00 AM when I arrived in my room.
Too long. I'd spent way too long in the Infinity Castle watching Issei get his ass kicked and absorbing Shinobu's memories. My stomach growled loud enough to wake the dead, hunger gnawing at me.
Food first. Sleep second.
I stepped out of my room, expecting darkness and silence. Instead, warm light spilled from the living room, and voices drifted down the hallway.
Mother and daughter duo still awake at this hour? That wasn't normal.
I moved toward the living room but paused when a man's voice boomed through the apartment.
"Do you take me for a fool, Rayne?"
I pressed myself against the wall, hidden in shadow, and listened.
On the table was a hologram of a man dressed in a red suit, his face twisted with fury, his presence filling the room even through the magical projection Lady Phenex and Ravel were seated on the couch looking at him.
"The Knight of Rias Gremory is trying to get hold of our Phenex Tears supplies" Lord Phenex snarled, his voice dripping with accusation "And you offered lifetime supplies to him, for free?! Have you lost your mind, Rayne?"
Lady Phenex responded "But dear, He denied my offer for lifetime phoenix tears. He said he made the wager so he could have Ravel become his peerage member."
Ravel nodded, adding "Yes, Father. Yuuto-sama said he's willing to null the wager. I don't have to serve as his servant. He just wants me as a member of his peerage"
So this was Lord Phenex. I bet he would just now sigh in relief as he now knows that I don't have any ill intentions against his daughter. Looks like Lady Phenex was finally going back to her home happily.
Then Lord Phenex threw his head back and laughed.
Both women smiled, hope blooming on their faces. They thought he was pleased, and now he would be more at ease.
They were wrong.
"Like mother, like daughter" Lord Phenex said, his laughter dying into something cold and cruel, that even surprised me "Both of you are totally ignorant of the situation"
The temperature in the room seemed to drop all of a sudden.
"Dear, what are you saying?" Lady Phenex's voice cracked slightly in disbelief.
"When Riser was defeated, I swallowed my pride and accepted it as every devil was aware of his egoistic behaviour. But who would have thought it would bring so much shame to our clan" Lord Phenex leaned forward in the hologram, his eyes blazing in annoyance "A Pure Blooded Devil and his peerage got defeated by a lowly reincarnated devil? Everyone in the Underworld, is looking down at us. We've become a laughing stock to almost every clan"
"And now, you begged him to null the wager after I explicitly told you not to go there? It won't be too long before every devil gets wind of this, and we lose all face."
Lady Phenex stared at the table, her hands clasped tight in her lap "Does respect means that much to you, Dear? That you can't even lose some respect to save the life of your daughter?"
"Respect is above everything, Rayne" He replied coldly "Whether it's respecting the honor of our Clan or respecting the wager made by our son. A Phenex would rather die than abandon that honor"
Lady Phenex's head snapped up, her eyes flashing with something different. She crossed her arms, glaring at the hologram with a sharpened gaze.
"If Clan's honor is above my daughter, then keep protecting the honor of your clan, Lord Phenex" Her voice cut through the air like a blade "From this moment, Ravel and I sever all ties with you and your clan"
Lord Phenex's grunt of fury filled the room for a moment before the hologram dissipated, leaving only silence and the former Phenex ladies to themselves.
I stood frozen against the wall, my mind racing through numerous thoughts.
What the fuck just happened?
Should I go to the kitchen? Grab food and pretend I heard nothing? Should I go back to my room, empty stomach be damned?
"Yuuto-sama, you don't need to hide anymore"
Lady Phenex's voice shattered my inner chaos like a rock through glass.
Shit. Curse of the night strikes again.
I stepped out from my hiding spot, meeting Lady Phenex's knowing gaze. Ravel looked up, surprise and embarrassment warring on her face.
"I'm sorry" I said, the words spilling out before I could stop them.
Both women blinked at me, confusion replacing their earlier distress.
"If it wasn't for me making that wager with Riser, none of this would have happened"
Lady Phenex shook her head, her expression softening into something sad and worn "You don't have to apologize, Yuuto sama" She looked down at her hands "When my husband said Riser's loss was a good lesson for him, I believed he cared more about our son than the shame of defeat. But now I realize it was just a lie. A mask to hide his obsession with the clan's honor"
I'd thought the same thing watching the anime. Lord Phenex had seemed like a responsible father who prioritized his son's growth over his pride. Apparently, reality enjoyed proving me wrong.
My gaze drifted to Ravel, who sat curled against her mother's side, her usual confidence stripped away to reveal something fragile underneath.
"Lady Phenex, you and Ravel can live here as long as you want" The offer tumbled out, genuine despite how inadequate it felt "It might not be big as your mansion, but you'll get used to it"
Lady Phenex chuckled softly "If only my husband could be a fraction of what you are" She waved a hand dismissively as she gives him a reassuring smile "Don't worry about accommodations. My clan has more than enough resources to take care of it"
I frowned "But didn't you just sever ties with the Phenex Clan?"
"Not that clan" She said "Now that I'm no longer a Phenex, I no longer have access to the Phoenix Tears or any other resources"
I must have looked confused because her smile widened.
"I'm the sister of the current head of one of the Devil clans of the 72 Pillars." She raised a finger, her other eye closing in a wink.
"Before Rayne Phenex.... I was Rayne Astaroth"
"..."
. . . .
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A/N : How to deal with negative comments? I like to read from you all readers but there is more and more negative ones recently.
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