"Natsuki-sama, please enjoy your tea."
Avrora brewed black tea and placed it in front of Natsuki, but what greeted her was Natsuki's folding fan slapping her head.
Compared to Agurola, No. 9 Enatos served tea with emotional enthusiasm.
"Allow me to grant you the honor of savoring my exquisite creation. Remember to offer the highest reverence!"
Pa!
Another strike from the folding fan. Enatos clutched her head and squatted down. Her proud expression immediately vanished, leaving only the teary-eyed grievance of a bullied little girl—just like her younger counterpart.
Even though all of them were wearing maid uniforms, none of them carried the spirit of an actual maid…
Natsuki felt mentally exhausted. When would she finally have a proper maid to serve her?
Watching Natsuki in that state, Ren quietly sipped his black tea.
Astarte hasn't arrived in your home yet. What are you rushing for…
Or maybe one day, Ren could help Remilia bring the entire Scarlet Devil Mansion over. Then Natsuki could taste what it's like to be served by Sakuya.
Speaking of which, Sakuya and DXD's Grayfia really do look alike. He really should bring Sakuya to meet her someday.
Who knows—maybe Sakuya and Grayfia are long-lost sisters.
Seeing the previous two get punished, No. 1 Prote and the others exchanged glances, then stepped forward.
"Master, your tea…"
"And the dessert I just made!"
"Master, would you like me to draw something on your cake?"
Watching their well-behaved performance, Natsuki finally nodded in satisfaction.
Ren also smiled and patted their heads, making Avrora and Enatos watch enviously from the side.
Why are ours like this? Enatos was one thing, but Avrora couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.
See? That's what refusing to reflect looks like!
"Speaking of which, Ren, aren't you worried something might go wrong on Remilia's side? Her opponent is that Serpent-Bearer, after all!"
Natsuki knew the man personally. Back during the Gozo Island incident, she had received a request from him.
The Witch of the Void had quite the network. She had earned the title Demon Killer in Europe, and with that reputation came many requests. She probably knew even the leaders of some small countries.
Regarding the power of Vatler, Natsuki knew very well. That man is close to a Primogenitor.
Remilia could defeat two of the Fourth Primogenitor's familiars, but doing so completely exhausted her strength.
Even if she'd gotten stronger now, Natsuki still didn't believe Remilia could defeat him.
Moreover, Natsuki wasn't even that worried about Remilia's safety but rather—
"If Flandre has to step in at the end, will it really be okay? She hasn't fully become a Primogenitor yet. Even if she can control part of her power now, it's still difficult. And if the Third Primogenitor ends up acting, I'm afraid the situation might get… too huge."
That was Natsuki's concern. Since Giada was there, she didn't need to worry about their safety.
What she feared were only two things:
Flandre losing control, and Giada going overboard.
As for Remilia—she wouldn't die, and getting humbled wouldn't hurt her.
Hearing Natsuki's worries, Ren wasn't concerned at all, as if Remilia winning was a foregone conclusion.
"Do you know what Remilia's ability is?"
"You told me before. Something about manipulating fate, right? But didn't you say she could only influence it passively? Can she control it actively now?"
A possibility flashed through Natsuki's mind, and her eyes lit up.
She didn't know how much Ren's special… creations… boosted Remilia's strength. She knew about the pet contract and pet food, but she still refused to sign a contract with Ren.
After all, she once said she would never do it. Signing now would be like slapping her own face.
Unless absolutely necessary, she had no intention of forming a contract with Ren.
"With some special methods, she can now actively manipulate fate for a limited time."
Indeed, with the enhancement of her bloodline, Remilia could use special means to manipulate fate.
The key was the spear in her hand—Gungnir.
According to Remi, her compatibility with Gungnir was extremely high. But Gungnir also had very strict requirements. Remilia had not been able to fully master it for hundreds of years, so she could only create an imitation that maximized basic accuracy.
But the real Gungnir contained fragments of fate.
If she fully mastered it, Remilia would be invincible among peers. Even against someone stronger, as long as the gap wasn't too large, she could remain undefeated.
She would be comparable to Flandre in her complete Primogenitor state—possibly even surpassing her.
"At the very least, Remilia will not lose to these opponents."
Only if she faced someone like Giada would the fight become a battle of attrition. With Remilia's ability time-limited, she would eventually lose.
But this time, her opponent was Vatler. As long as she handled the timing well, winning shouldn't be a problem—
Unless she suddenly messed up at a crucial moment.
"She's not Tohsaka Rin. She shouldn't choke that badly…"
Ren rubbed his chin, wondering whether to go take a look.
---
Meanwhile, Giada looked at Remilia's weapon with surprise. It was her first time seeing the spear.
"So that's Remilia's trump card?"
"Wow! Big sister took out that spear!"
At some point, Flandre had climbed onto Giada's back and was lying sprawled over her.
The people behind Giada immediately paled and were about to scold Flandre, but one look from Giada made them retreat.
She didn't particularly dislike the little vampire. In fact, she found Flandre more interesting than Remilia.
Compared to Remilia inheriting the Fourth Primogenitor's familiars, she was more excited for the day Flandre became a Primogenitor.
"You know that spear?"
"Yep! That was a birthday gift for sister! Super strong! She pierced an angel with it before, and even seriously injured another. I only cleaned up the kill afterward."
Angel… Giada's mouth twitched.
Your world sure is… lively.
"Hehehe… With this, big sister is definitely winning!"
Flandre cheered as if Remilia's victory was already assured.
Even though she loved messing with her sister, Flandre loved bragging about Remilia even more.
As those words left Fran's mouth, a wild grin appeared on Remilia's face as she swung Gungnir.
"Your defeat was sealed the moment you chose to oppose Remilia Scarlet!"
With that declaration, she hurled the spear.
As Gungnir flew, the entire world turned blank, like a canvas wiped clean.
In Remilia's eyes, countless scarlet threads floated chaotically.
The tip of Gungnir struck one of them.
The canvas folded shut.
All the summoned familiars vanished, and Gungnir pierced straight through Vatler's chest.
Seeing this, Giada shook her head helplessly.
This time, the wager was her loss.