"Of course we're outmatched. That thing isn't something a mere vampire could ever hope to handle. It's the Crescent Circle Dragon—Crom Cruach, the Dark Dragon of the Crescent Moon. Among the Evil Dragons, he's regarded as the strongest of them all."
"Seriously? Then what if all of us took him on together?"
"It would be wiser not to try. Even if Ikki Arima's Ittou Rasetsu were to land cleanly, the most you'd manage is a critical wound—and even then, that would be the best-case scenario. I've told you before just how stubborn Evil Dragons are, haven't I? If you miss, it's over. Even if you hit, the odds are you'd still lose in a war of attrition. From what I can tell, he's been significantly powered up since the old days. Could it be the Holy Grail? Either way, you're better off avoiding a fight."
Ddraig was analyzing things, but if I recall correctly, the Holy Grail didn't play a part in Crom Cruach's power-up... not that it makes a difference for us.
"Let's end things here for today. Valerie's guest is precious, after all. A room has been prepared for you—please feel free to stay if you'd like."
Satisfied by the visible dread on our faces, the man excused us. Xenovia, out of consideration for the presence of Crom Cruach, silently sheathed Ex-Durandal, and we left the chamber without further incident.
"...He didn't feel like a vampire at all."
After walking in silence for a while, Xenovia finally muttered.
"Yeah, he's... different. He's not someone driven by bloodline pride—he's the kind who prioritizes his own thirst for knowledge above all else. That makes him an outlier even among vampires. But that's exactly what makes people like him dangerous. They'll break any rule, ignore any law of their clan or race, if it serves their ambitions. Marius wanted to study the Holy Grail. To do that, he had to ally with factions dissatisfied with the current regime—even if it meant using the Grail itself. The Khaos Brigade, as part of their larger scheme, fed him intel on the Evil Dragons. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the plans came straight from that bastard... Just when you think he's finally out of the picture, he comes back to stir everything up."
As Azazel grumbled, a heavy, unnatural presence began to emanate from further down the hall.
...Someone's deliberately leaking their aura just enough to be noticed. The others noticed it too—their expressions turned grim instantly.
From the hallway emerged a man who looked like a late-forties version of Vali Lucifer.
"Well well~ If it isn't Uncle Azazel! Long time no see~!"
"Knew it. Figured you'd show up soon... you bastard."
"...Who is that?" Rias asked warily, noticing Azazel's unusually furious glare.
"That's Rizevim. I imagine you've heard the name before, Rias—especially as the sister of Sirzechs 'Lucifer'."
At that, Rias's expression twisted into one of utter disbelief.
"No... You've got to be kidding me!"
Azazel spat the name with venom.
"Yeah, it's been a while, hasn't it? Even after all these millennia, I could never forget that shitty face of yours, Rizevim Livan Lucifer—aka Lilin!"
Even those unfamiliar with the name Rizevim began to catch on after hearing the titles "Lilin" and "Lucifer."
"Wait... Sir, did you say Lucifer?"
"That's right. This guy is the genuine son of the previous Great Satan Lucifer. In the scriptures, he's known as the infamous maou Lilin. The fact that the Khaos Brigade is making moves again probably has to do with Euclid Lucifuge, loyal to the Lucifer house. And guess what—Rizevim here is Vali's grandfather."
...Not that it matters, but "Lilin" sounds kinda cute for a demon name. Wait, was this guy... like an early version of Gasper or something?
Before I could finish the thought, Shirone stomped on my foot.
"Ow!"
"Ikki-senpai, now is not the time for nonsense. Please read the room."
But I didn't even say anything aloud! How are you so sure I was thinking something dumb!?
While I reeled in pain, Azazel kept the conversation serious.
"And this guy is now the new leader of the Khaos Brigade."
"Whew~ No need for introductions then. Even after all this time off, I'm glad the young'uns still find me so intriguing."
"Why now, Rizevim? You never seemed interested in ruling the Underworld—unlike Shalba, Creuserey, or Katerea. Don't tell me you've suddenly developed a craving for political power?"
Azazel's words were met with a shrug.
"Nope~ Never had the slightest interest. Back in the day, I did compete for power against Sirzechs and Ajuka, but even then, my heart wasn't really in it. I disappeared halfway through the war, remember? I figured it'd be more fun to test myself against fellow Transcenders. I fought a few times as Lucifer's heir, but I got bored real fast. I only took over the Khaos Brigade because I found something fun to do."
"I'd love to kill you right here and now... but we're still outsiders in this country. Picking a fight could complicate things—especially since you're probably being treated like a VIP."
"Bingo~ I'm an official state guest here. And you, Azazel, are working all over the world to keep the peace, right? Picking a fight with me here wouldn't be very diplomatic, would it? Not that I'd lose, of course."
With a flourish of his hand, a young girl emerged from deeper in the hallway, and everyone present stiffened.
"Meet Lilith, our organization's lovely mascot girl—reconstructed from the power those bratty Heroes stole from Ophis. I even gave her my dear mother's name. What do you think?"
She looked exactly like Ophis, save for the ponytail. Still, I've seen Ophis rock a ponytail before, courtesy of one of Le Fay's fashion experiments. So really, they could pass as twins.
"She's still Ophis, through and through—meaning she's insanely powerful. She's my personal bodyguard when Euclid's not around. Isn't there something so romantic about a tiny girl who's absurdly strong?"
You're not wrong... but this isn't the time to appreciate it. She's giving off a pressure worse than Crom Cruach. You'd need to be in a constant Ittou Shura state just to survive against her.
"Well then, I've got a little chat with Marius, so I'll be passing through~ Let's keep things peaceful, okay? Closed-off countries are so easy to deal with once you get in—love it!"
As Rizevim started to walk past us, Azazel called out.
"...Rizevim. Vali is gunning for your head."
He paused, turning just his head with a wry smile.
"Oh? Sounds fun. Has he gotten stronger? I was stronger than his dad, after all."
"He'll come for your head eventually."
"Wow! You'll make me cry with joy, old man. Anyway, I'm off. Oh, and if you decide to side with Carmilla and invade, do your best! I'll be cheering you on with a glass of wine~"
With that, Rizevim disappeared, his flippant tone unchanged to the very end.
BOOM!
A loud crash echoed through the hallway—Azazel had punched a wall in frustration.
"Vali... I finally understand why you hate that guy so much."
======
After we were shown to our rooms, word came that we'd be able to meet Gasper's father.
Since then, things have gotten even more chaotic. Rias and Gasper were summoned by Valerie, and Azazel was invited to discuss Sacred Gears.
I could've gone along too—but I already know most of the background. If I miss anything, I can always ask later. (Apparently, Rias already met Gasper's father before the coup began.)
Still, there's only one conclusion I've reached after directly sensing the enemy's presence:
This castle is way too full of boss-level enemies.
Are they kidding? We've got the strongest Evil Dragon—equal to the Heavenly Dragons. A Transcender. A weakened but still world-shaking Dragon God. And as if that weren't enough, a Ultimate-class warrior like Euclid.
And somehow Euclid is the weakest of the bunch.
I half expected someone to say:
"Euclid was defeated? Hmph, he was the weakest among us four generals. What a disgrace to the New Khaos Brigade!"
Yeah, it's that bad. We're gonna need the full force of Kuoh Academy—including Ophis—just to survive this.
So for now, I'll take the backseat.
What matters most is results. I'm not here to be some overpowered protagonist. ...Though, beating up Rizevim would be pretty satisfying, not gonna lie. Meeting him really made me want to try.
"I've got something I want to investigate. You guys go meet with Gasper's dad. Kuroka, I'll need your help."
"Nyan? Are we going stealthy? Wanna raid the castle treasury while we're at it?"
That's literally a thief's line!
"No interest in treasure. Even if there's some legendary artifact, I probably wouldn't recognize it. Pass. Though I bet Azazel would love it."
His collector's obsession isn't limited to Sacred Gears, after all.
"What's this thing you're looking into?"
"Can't say yet—I'm not confident enough. Just tell me about Gasper afterward, okay?"
"Yeah yeah, I got it. You've always been secretive, nothing new there."
Was I really that secretive? I mean, yeah, I didn't talk about Kuroka or Shirone at first, or my Sacred Gear, or Ittou Shura... and sure, I kept quiet about my fiancée, and the Hades incident...
...Yeah. I guess I do come off that way.
Still, it's not like I'm trying to hide things maliciously. It's just not always the right time to talk.
After the others left the room—
Alright. Time to focus.
"Ittou Shura!!"
"Nya-NYA!?"
Kuroka yelped as the sudden surge of power echoed through the room.
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100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
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