"So that's how you defeated that woman?"
After hearing the full account of her battle against Sharon from Yukinoshita Yukino's own mouth, Leon nodded in realization while looking at her with a peculiar expression.
"I didn't expect you to go and learn those sorts of things. You're quite the diligent student."
As the legitimate heir to the Eligos family, Leon naturally knew that such materials existed in his family's archives, but he had never studied them himself.
The reason was simple: he felt they didn't suit him.
Those magical formulas required extremely complex and delicate techniques to construct and execute successfully. Unless one possessed a certain talent in that area, it was difficult to succeed; even if one did succeed, it wasn't guaranteed they could use it effectively. In short, it was a form of refined craftsmanship.
While Leon wasn't a purely power-oriented type—he did incorporate technical training into his own regimen—that was limited to the application of demonic power. He tended to keep his distance from those rigid magical formulas, feeling that looking at them too much gave him a headache. Far from being helpful, they risked cluttering his thoughts and making combat overly complicated.
Consequently, Leon had flatly abandoned the idea of practicing formulas, choosing instead to specialize in the tempering and refinement of demonic power.
Now, possessing "Zenith Tempest," a Longinus capable of bringing nature itself under his dominion, there was even less need for Leon to study things that used formulas to replicate supernatural forces.
He currently focused his training on two fields: his demonic power as a devil and the Sacred Gear within his body.
Originally, Yukinoshita Yukino should have been like him, focusing only on demonic power and her Sacred Gear. He hadn't expected that in order to defeat Sharon, this woman would actually go and study formulas.
"They were just sitting there anyway. Since I saw them, I figured I might as well learn; perhaps they'd come in handy?" Yukinoshita Yukino said calmly. "It's a pity everyone in our household is a Sacred Gear user. Most of us cultivate the power of our artifacts. Only Asuna, because she's a swordswoman, practices swordsmanship. No one practices magic, otherwise, we might have been able to discuss it."
Currently, aside from Leon and Yukinoshita Yukino, the other members of the Eligos peerage were basically focused on their Sacred Gears.
Kasumigaoka Utaha and Shiina Mahiru focused exclusively on their artifacts, rarely even utilizing demonic power. They were pure Sacred Gear users who treated demonic power merely as fuel for their artifacts. Consequently, they knew even less about magic; the two hadn't even looked at knowledge in that field.
Yuuki Asuna focused on practicing her swordsmanship while simultaneously training in the application of her Sacred Gear. She had almost no involvement with demonic power or formal magic.
Only Leon and Yukinoshita Yukino cultivated demonic power alongside their Sacred Gears, yet not a single person practiced formal magic.
"If you're truly interested in magic, you can discuss it with a mage you've formed a contract with in the future. You don't need to look for it within the peerage."
Leon's words made Yukinoshita Yukino pause in surprise.
"A contracted mage?" Yukinoshita Yukino asked curiously. "What does that mean? Do devils form contracts with mages?"
Hearing her question, Leon tapped his forehead.
"It seems you haven't finished reading the books in the study, or you skipped that section of knowledge. Otherwise, you wouldn't have this question."
With that, Leon began to explain to Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Devils do indeed form contracts with mages. That kind of contract is different from the devil business we usually handle or a familiar contract. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement."
The relationship between devils and mages had a long history; even the general public knew something of the connection.
It frequently appeared in various literatures: a mage uses a certain ritual to summon a devil, borrowing the devil's power for battle or to achieve some goal. This was the original legend of devil summoning, which later evolved into stories of humans using rituals to summon devils.
In view of this, devils and mages had the custom of entering into contracts with each other from a very long time ago.
A mage summons a devil and pays a price to form a contract, while the devil assists them according to their needs. Formally, this wasn't much different from granting a normal person's wish. The only difference was that ordinary people summoned devils solely to fulfill their own desires, whereas mages more often required the benefits that the devil itself could bring them.
The most basic benefit was for those who specialized in summoning magic; by contracting with a powerful devil, they could summon them to fight on their behalf at critical moments.
Then there were benefits regarding research. Mages were people who essentially spent their entire lives delving into magic; they were seekers of the magical path.
Most mages sought the techniques and knowledge of devils to further their research. Many modern magics were once analyzed and created by ancient mages from the demonic power of devils.
In short, for various reasons, forming a contract between a devil and a mage had become a conventional event. Every year, a large number of newly debuted mages and devils would sign contracts with each other, creating an intersection between their worlds.
"After we officially debut, it won't be long before mages likely seek us out, wanting to form contracts," Leon told Yukinoshita Yukino. "For a mage, contracting with us might just be a part of their research into magic. For us devils, it's also a form of business."
"Contracts targeting ordinary humans and those targeting mages yield different results, but the form is the same: demanding a price from the contractor to fulfill their needs."
"In the industry, those who can handle both well are considered excellent devils. Since you're interested in magic, if you encounter an excellent mage in the future, you can exchange knowledge, discuss things, and progress together through a contract."
After all, the reason those magical formulas appeared in the Eligos family's collection was because they were obtained through this very method.
Leon himself wasn't very interested, but contracting with mages was a vital part of devil business; he wouldn't be able to avoid it in the future. If Yukinoshita Yukino was truly interested in magic, she could plan for it when the time came.
"...Never mind. We'll wait until the time comes."
Yukinoshita Yukino was initially tempted, but when she recalled that mages were also among those who had attacked them during the day, she thought about it and shook her head.
"While I'm not uninterested in those formulas, it's better for me to focus on tempering my demonic power and my Sacred Gear for now. These two fields are my strengths, and I happen to have a talent for them. There's no need to chase the trivial while neglecting the fundamental."
Hearing this, Leon smiled.
"It's good that you can figure that out for yourself."
Saying this, Leon stood up.
"Alright, I won't bother you too much. You should get some rest."
Placing the peeled apple into Yukinoshita Yukino's hand, Leon waved and left the room.
Yukinoshita Yukino didn't ask him to stay. She watched his departing back before looking down at the apple in her hand.
"...It's peeled so poorly."
Muttering under her breath, she nonetheless took the apple and bit into it.
"...It actually tastes pretty good."
After finishing the apple, she lay back down. Her eyelids slowly closed as she drifted into sleep.
On the other side, after leaving Yukinoshita Yukino, Leon made his way to his other peerage members to check on their condition.
Compared to Yukinoshita Yukino, the injuries on the other three were basically healed; there were no major issues. However, perhaps they were truly exhausted from the day's events, as all three had already fallen into a deep sleep.
Shiina Mahiru, in particular, had been reincarnated as a devil for less than half a month. She hadn't even fully adapted to her new life when she was thrust into such a grueling battle. The "Angel" was utterly exhausted; not only were her physical and demonic powers depleted, but her mental state was also heavily drained. When Leon went to see her, she was still frowning in her sleep, looking as if she were having a nightmare, which was quite heart-wrenching to see.
"...Thank you for your hard work. Rest well."
Leon smoothed the furrow in Mahiru's brow and offered her a bit of comfort before leaving her room.
In the old school building, everyone else seemed to have fallen asleep as well. It was clear that the daytime attack had taken a massive toll on everyone; even those who weren't injured were exhausted.
Only Rias and Sona remained awake, standing before the infirmary rooms of Kiba Yuuto and Nimura Ruruko, looking deeply worried.
"How is the situation?"
Leon walked forward and asked.
"Not great." Sona looked at Leon and sighed. "While they haven't worsened, there's no sign of improvement either. They haven't even regained consciousness; they're still in a coma."
"With our current medical means, keeping them alive is the limit," Rias said, her arms crossed. It was clear she was in a bad mood. "We still have to wait for the Phoenix Tears to be delivered to heal their injuries and allow them to recover."
"Have the Phoenix Tears not arrived yet?" Leon frowned. "Should I go to the Underworld and get them for you?"
"No, that won't be necessary," Sona shook her head. "We've already contacted our respective Maous. The application for the Phoenix Tears will be approved as quickly as possible. I imagine they'll be delivered soon."
"That's good," Leon nodded. "If there's anything you need help with, don't hesitate to ask."
"You've already helped us a great deal." Rias looked at Leon as well, her mood seemingly improving a bit as she smiled. "If it weren't for you and your peerage today, we might not have escaped this calamity and returned whole."
"You have already helped us enough."
"Actually, I should be the one thanking you."