The first time Morpheus laid eyes on Rias Gremory, he couldn't help but marvel again.
High schoolers these days were really well-developed.
Erina, Hana, Saeko, and now Rias—all of them.
If Rias, being a devil, was naturally gifted in that department, the other three must have been over-nourished or something.
Who knew what fueled their growth?
Noticing Morpheus's gaze linger on her chest for a few seconds, Rias didn't get angry. Instead, she puffed out her chest with pride.
"Good morning, I presume?" She said. "Care to introduce yourself, guest?"
Akeno Himejima, standing beside her, wore a warm smile, but Morpheus could sense her heightened alertness, ready to strike at any moment.
Medea glanced at Akeno, a faint smile on her lips. "Calm down, girl. No need to be so tense."
If she wanted, Medea could dispatch Akeno effortlessly, hybrid of fallen angel and devil or not.
Morpheus nodded with a grin. "Exactly. No need for tension. We're not here to cause trouble. Can we find a place to talk?"
Rias agreed that the school entrance wasn't ideal for conversation. "Very well, follow me," She said calmly.
She led Morpheus and his group to her clubroom, with Sona Sitri close behind.
Inside the clubroom, Morpheus plopped onto a spacious sofa, Medea and Paracelsus flanking him.
Rias and Sona sat across from them.
Akeno served tea to Morpheus, Medea, and Paracelsus, then stood behind Rias.
"Now," Rias said, "can you tell us who you are and why you're here, unknown guests?"
Morpheus nodded. "I'm Morpheus. This is Medea, and this is Paracelsus von Hohenheim."
The name Morpheus aside, Medea and Paracelsus von Hohenheim were legendary names.
Especially Medea, the witch of the Age of Gods, disciple of the goddess of magic.
But Rias didn't believe these were the genuine articles—likely descendants borrowing their ancestors' names.
She'd heard of such practices before.
Catching Rias's skeptical look, Morpheus smiled. "Don't misunderstand. They're not impostors from some hero faction. They're the real deal."
Sona blinked, then scoffed, "You're joking."
Those two died ages ago.
She didn't say it aloud, but her meaning was clear.
Morpheus continued, "As devils, you must know about Heroic Spirits."
Rias and Sona, nobles of the Gremory and Sitri, were well aware of what Heroic Spirits were.
They stared at Medea and Paracelsus in disbelief.
The legendary witch of betrayal and the alchemist, manifested in the flesh.
It was almost too surreal.
Myth had become reality.
Though they themselves were devils straight out of myth, those legends felt distant to modern devils like them.
This was their first encounter with living legends.
Their impeccable upbringing allowed them to regain composure quickly.
"We never expected to be graced by two such legendary figures," Rias said. "So, what brings you here?"
Though she addressed both, her eyes were fixed on Morpheus.
She could tell he was the group's leader.
This piqued her curiosity. Morpheus was an unknown name, yet he commanded figures like Medea and Paracelsus, who willingly played supporting roles.
It was baffling.
Could his name be a pseudonym?
Morpheus said, "We're here to ask, through you, whether the devils behind you intend to wage war against humanity—and against Alaya."
Rias blinked, confused. "What does that mean?"
"Exactly what I said."
Morpheus knew how to seize the initiative, dropping a bombshell to throw his opponents off balance and take control of the conversation.
Rias was visibly rattled.
Sona forced herself to stay calm. "What makes you say that, Morpheus-sama?"
Morpheus replied, "You're familiar with the Umbrella Corporation, right?"
Sona frowned. "I recall it's a major global company, isn't it?"
Rias nodded. "A biopharmaceutical one, if I'm not mistaken."
Having lived among humans for some time, both devils were familiar with the human world. The Umbrella Corporation was a household name.
Morpheus continued, "The higher-ups of that company have sold their souls to your kind, becoming pawns of devils. At their behest, they're frantically developing a virus targeting humans."
"Not long ago, Umbrella laced the water supply in Tokonosu Town with a virus called Blacklight, spreading it to countless households."
"Based on our projections of the future, this virus will erupt soon."
"A month from now, Tokyo falls."
"Six months from now, Japan falls."
"Billions of humans will turn into zombies. Even some yokai and devils won't escape infection, turning Japan into a literal hell on Earth."
Rias and Sona listened, dumbfounded.
Were they serious? The Umbrella Corporation was insane enough to turn Japan into a hellscape?
That was beyond outrageous.
They didn't doubt Morpheus's words. Foresight, while rare, wasn't unheard of.
Some devils could see the future, though few mastered such magic.
Seeing Rias and Sona's silence, Morpheus pressed on. "We caught it early and paid a steep price to eliminate the virus, preparing to take down the Umbrella Corporation."
"But the future shifted. After we dismantle Umbrella, the devils behind them unleash a new virus."
"This one targets men specifically. In the future, most of the world's male population dies out."
"Only five Ajin survive."
"So, we're here to ask: Are you devils planning to wage all-out war on humanity?"
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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