"Grayfia-san, your coming here must mean you have an announcement to make, right?" Akuto asked.
"You are correct, Akuto-sama. I am here to deliver the decision of the Four Maou regarding the return of a Pureblood Leviathan."
"According to Lord Ajuka's judgment, though your Leviathan bloodline may be a mutation, in terms of bloodline purity you are undeniably a noble Pureblood Leviathan."
"From this day forth, the Underworld will recognize you as such, and you shall enjoy all rights befitting a Pureblood Leviathan."
"Akuto Leviathan-sama, on behalf of the Four Maou, I welcome you back to the ranks of the devils."
Of course, Grayfia left one thing unsaid—along with those rights came the obligations of a Pureblood Leviathan.
…..
"Akuto-sama, here are your Evil Pieces."
With a small wave of her hand, an ornate crimson set of chess pieces appeared on the table.
Akuto knew the Four Maou would definitely use his bloodline for their own schemes. Still, a gift like Evil Pieces was too good to refuse.
He extended his hand, engraving his blood onto the pieces. Immediately, the system's prompt rang in his ears.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host, on completing a pre-reincarnation goal—obtaining your own Evil Pieces (Blue).]
[Reward granted: True Evil Pieces set (Blue)!]
[True Evil Pieces: An advanced form of Evil Pieces with overwhelmingly powerful reincarnation effects. Even races naturally opposed to devils, such as angels, can still be reincarnated as devils and retain their ability to wield holy power.
Additionally, after reincarnation, the subject's abilities will be enhanced, and the host may share part of their powers.]
[Note: Any Evil Pieces bound to the host will automatically upgrade to True Evil Pieces upon contact with this system reward.]
"As expected… getting Evil Pieces was one of the goals I had even before crossing over."
…..
Seeing Akuto accept the set, Grayfia gave a satisfied nod.
"Normally, upper-class devils must undergo written and practical examinations to qualify for a King set. Your case, however, is special. As the only existing Pureblood Leviathan, your King's right has been approved exceptionally."
"Still, even if it's an exception, the Maou wish to see your strength tested."
"Your opponent will be… Lady Ravel Phenex."
Boom!
At her words, a teleportation circle lit up in the chamber.
From its center, a blonde girl in a frilly pink dress appeared.
It was Ravel Phenex—the princess of the Phenex family!
"The Human World's décor is as shabby as ever~"
"Grayfia-sama, this is the one you've arranged as my test opponent?"
"Well~ his face is decent enough, but I wonder how much strength he actually has?"
Her tone made it clear—Ravel Phenex was as proud as ever.
And it fit perfectly. In the original story, she was always arrogant until her heart was swayed by the protagonist crashing her wedding. Only after falling for him did she soften into the sweet girl she later became.
At the same time as Ravel's arrival, Akuto heard the system's chime.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host, location sign-in triggered.]
[Task Level: Blue]
[Sign-in Location: Ravel's Twin Tails.]
Raising a brow, Akuto smirked. The system really understood him too well.
Even before crossing worlds, he'd wanted to test the elasticity of Ravel's golden twin tails.
…..
"Akuto-sama, Lady Ravel Phenex will be your test opponent," Grayfia announced.
"You need not defeat her. Simply demonstrating your strength in front of her will be sufficient."
The Four Maou weren't so deranged as to expect someone who'd only just awakened his bloodline to actually defeat a Pureblood Phenex.
This match was only to test the potency of his Leviathan blood.
"Akuto-sama, let me remind you—Lady Ravel hails from the Phenex clan. Her control over fire and her regenerative abilities make her practically invincible among her peers."
"But… you are the exception."
"If you harness the full potential of your high-purity Leviathan blood, you can suppress both the flames and regeneration of the Phenex clan and seize victory."
After warning him, Grayfia turned to Ravel.
"Lady Ravel, this is Akuto Leviathan-sama. He is your opponent for this King qualification trial. Defeat him, and once you reach upper-class devil strength, you will automatically receive your own Evil Pieces."
"Yes, yes~ Grayfia-sama. When may we begin?"
Ravel clearly viewed this as a formality and had no intention of wasting much time.
…..
A few minutes later, inside Grayfia's dedicated alternate space.
"The battlefield shall be the Ocean Arena! Please, Akuto-sama and Ravel-sama, prepare yourselves!" Grayfia announced.
"The ocean, huh? That's almost too convenient for me," Akuto smirked.
Clearly, the choice of battlefield showed just how much the Four Maou wanted to see the might of his Leviathan blood.
"Hmph~ Akuto-sama, let's finish this quickly!"
Ravel wasted no time.
Boom!
From behind her, high-temperature Phenex flames exploded outward, forming fiery wings.
[Phenex Style: Wings of Flame!]
These wings were a signature move of Pureblood Phenex—faster than devil wings, combining both offense and defense.
The strength of one's Wings of Flame was the very measure of a Phenex's might.
…..
Facing her, Akuto suddenly asked:
"Wait, Lady Ravel, before we begin—can I ask you something?"
"A question? What is it?"
Ravel wrinkled her nose slightly, for some reason already feeling uneasy.
"It's nothing much."
"It's just that… I happen to like you, Lady Ravel. And I also like your hairstyle."
"If I win against you, would you let me touch your hair?"
"….."
"Eh!? L-like me?"
At his words, a faint blush colored Ravel's face.
Of course, she wasn't anywhere near liking Akuto yet—her blush was more like a reflexive reaction.
As a lady, being told she was liked by a handsome boy her age… blushing was only natural, wasn't it?
"Hmph! If Akuto-sama can defeat me, then perhaps we can speak of it~"
"In the devil world, strength rules all. Even if you say you like me, I can't just let you toy with my hair."
"But if you do defeat me… then that's another matter entirely…"
Her tone made it obvious—she didn't believe for a second that Akuto could beat her.
"So all I have to do is win to touch your hair? Devils really are too obsessed with strength," Akuto sighed with a shake of his head.
"Of course it's not that simple!"
Ravel hurriedly refuted. She didn't want him to think she was easy.
"If not for the fact that you somewhat match my tastes… and that you said you like me… I'd never give you such a chance!"
"….."
The moment she finished speaking, silence fell.
Only then did Ravel realize just how embarrassing her words had been.
Hadn't she basically just admitted that she thought Akuto was pretty good?
(End of Chapter)
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