Sirzechs watched Euclid Lucifuge chuckle with an arrogance only the truly deluded could muster. "Heh," the silver-haired devil scoffed, slapping his sister's armored shoulder with an overly familiar hand. "You are so easy to tease."
His sister didn't respond. A low growl rumbled in her throat, though whether from irritation or restraint was unclear. Euclid ignored it entirely, turning back to the older nobleman with a smug tilt of his head.
"Anyhow, will you be remaining here or—"
"Lord Lucifer has a few errands he wishes for me to complete upon delivering the child to him," the woman interjected, her tone clipped and ice-cold. "So no, I'm not remaining here... that much should be obvious."
Euclid made to retort, but stopped mid-breath. A new presence stirred in the room, thick and foreboding. The air shifted, as though the very atmosphere held its breath.
"Leaving so soon? Good thing I got here in time then," came a voice that echoed through the cathedral halls.
Before any of the gathered could react, a cloaked figure dropped from the wooden support beams high above. He landed effortlessly among the pews, rising slowly with a lazy confidence. A smirk tugged at his lips.
"Hello there."
The remaining inquisitors sprang into action without hesitation, positioning themselves between the Lucifuge siblings and the unknown threat. The Lady Lucifuge calmly retrieved a faceless visor from within her robes and affixed it over her face, concealing her identity in one smooth motion. Euclid, ever the arrogant one, left his visage bare, stepping forward with theatrical ease.
"My, aren't you a bold one," Euclid said, smirking, his arms slightly extended as if to welcome the intrusion. He studied the cloaked man, whose face remained shadowed, save for the cocky grin he wore like armor.
The figure said nothing. Instead, he reached to his hip and drew a crimson longsword—its blade narrow and elegantly crafted, pulsating faintly with suppressed energy. The moment it cleared the scabbard, the air trembled. Euclid gave a nonchalant hum at the sight, then nodded to the nearest group of knights.
"Kill him. Be done with it."
Five inquisitors surged forward, their speed impressive by most standards. Three aimed low, seeking to pin him; the remaining two struck for vital points. The cloaked man merely stood there, blade lazily resting by his side.
And then—a thunderous crash.
A portion of the ceiling collapsed in a deafening roar, crushing the oncoming knights in an avalanche of stone and steel. Only one survived the fall, stumbling forward in confusion—until a flick of the intruder's wrist separated his head from his shoulders. The body collapsed silently, blood pooling at his feet.
Gasps rang out from every corner of the cathedral. The masked Lady Lucifuge stiffened. Euclid's smirk vanished.
The man stepped casually from the rubble, wiping his blade clean on a torn standard from the wreckage. He dropped the bloodied cloth to the marble floor with a lazy flick.
"Well, that was... I don't even have a comment," he said with a chuckle. "Guess that's what happens when you underestimate what's standing in front of you, Euclid Lucifuge."
The silver-haired devil's eyes widened slightly at the casual mention of his name. He hadn't recognized the figure—a mistake now glaringly clear.
The cloaked man raised a hand, pushing back his hood to reveal short crimson hair and sharp, commanding eyes.
"General Sirzechs Gremory," Euclid muttered, nearly breathless.
Sirzechs offered a thin smile. "I should've known you'd be here. I'd have been shocked if word of your little guest hadn't reached your ears."
Euclid scoffed. "Torturing those who oppose your ideas isn't something devils should be doing? Spare me."
"No," Sirzechs said, his tone harder now. "But blindly serving a madman like Rizevim is worse. He doesn't want unity or progress. He wants extinction."
"Be silent, Gremory," Euclid snarled, his power surging briefly.
Sirzechs only raised his hands mockingly. "Oooh, scary. If the forces of Heaven didn't frighten me, you barking like a kicked mutt won't do it either. You should quit while you're ahead."
Euclid began to advance, eyes blazing—but a firm grip on his shoulder stopped him.
"It seems, dear brother," the masked Lady Lucifuge said coolly, "you are also very easy to tease." Her hand tightened slightly. "Calm yourself before you get yourself killed."
Euclid bit back a retort, recognizing the quiet warning in her stance. He withdrew, though not without a final glare.
"Watch your back, Gremory."
"Thanks for the advice," Sirzechs said brightly. "I'll keep it in mind."
He turned to the masked woman, tone shifting. "I don't believe we've met. From what I can tell, you're the eldest Lucifuge here. So let me ask plainly—where is the child?"
"Your arrogance has reached new heights—"
"Where is the boy?" Sirzechs pressed, voice low and firm. His piercing gaze bored into her visor.
"He's in our care," she replied dismissively. "Nothing more than a weak, insignificant brat."
Sirzechs shut his eyes and exhaled slowly. "You can drop the act, Lucifuge. I already know about his abilities. Someone here has a very loose tongue."
He glanced at Euclid, who stiffened under the implication.
"Why do you think I came here? Why bring such a large force to a castle so far from the main theater of war?"
Silence.
"Six months ago, a phenomenon was recorded. A falling star—but not like any angel or spell I've seen. A white-hot orb scorched across the skies and carved a new canyon into our lands. The ambient magic in that crater is still too volatile to approach."
He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "That crater is just outside. And you two are here. Not because the castle is strategic, but because of what fell."
His hand returned to the pommel of his sword. "No weakling causes that kind of destruction. And if the last being to fall from the heavens bore the name Lucifer, forgive me if I find 'worthless' hard to believe. So here's what happens now:
You give me what I want." He drew his sword and let his power flow through it, bathing the blade in menacing crimson light. "Or I start redecorating."
The tension in the room turned suffocating. All three devils stood frozen, waiting for the first twitch of muscle to trigger catastrophe.
And then—a flicker of light.
A penny-sized magic circle hovered by Sirzechs' ear.
"My lord," came the voice of a subordinate, "we've located a prisoner. A boy. He's alive, in the dungeons below."
Sirzechs smiled faintly.
"Well then," he murmured, sheathing his sword. "It seems we're done here."
His eyes found the Lucifuges one last time, voice low.
"I'll be taking him now. And if you try to stop me, well... you won't live to regret it."