Kapitel 47: Chapter 47
There were always two sides of the same coin. Whether similar or not, they each had meaning and value, with neither being false or untrue. Such concepts could be considered parallels, things and paths that could have had been, yet diverged into branches running alongside each other.
In a way, it could be considered the workings of fate, of how one road would lead to a fork moving in the same direction, yet differing in destinations. If one side was white, and the other black, the choices to be made would be as simple as choosing between one and two, the outcomes of which reflected concepts such as 'good' and 'evil.'
However, life was never that easy. The parallels of white and black running along the same trodden road were not in distinct colour, but in varying shades of grey, a mix between light and dark; a sort of symbolism that represented that the choices one makes that are done with the best of intentions aren't necessarily free of doubt.
Presently, Euclid Lucifuge found himself contemplating in silence more and more often.
In a way, he wasn't certain of what he should be doing anymore. No, more than that, he was beginning to question where in fact his loyalties should lie.
His brows furrowed visibly in his consternations, but of the people around him who could have had noticed the minor detail, none were fearless enough to inquire what was bothering him. Then again, he would have had been truly surprised if such a situation did occur.
Lord Rizevim, the last True Descendant of the Original Lucifer, and the owner of the current mansion establishment hidden within the deepest parts of the Underworld, was a harsh and eccentric sort of man that wouldn't hesitate to kill should anything or anyone displease him.
Useless chatter and needless worry were one of the fastest ways to garner Lord Rizevim's ire, and for due reason. Devils were inherently 'Evil' and cruel beings as depicted in the Holy bible, and Rizevim took this reasoning to a far greater extent.
Lord Rizevim was a True Devil, a Super Class like none other and not like those who would preach around with morals of right and just. Devils were not Angels nor Valkyries, nor Heavenly entities to begin with, they were the cruel dredges of sin lurking within the shadows that corrupted the world and submerged it into chaos.
Gone were the days of the Devil's contract, Freischütz of the Seven Bullets, and Faust of Worldly Knowledge, replaced instead by minor versions of spell-bound necessities that took the bare minimum from a human host born from their desires.
Frankly, it was sickening, but there was nothing to be done about what the vast majority of Devils now considered normal under the administration of the New Satan Faction.
Lord Rizevim sought to change the natural order of things, and now had a drive and ambition that was not once present during the Underworld's Civil War. This was the reason why the New Satan Faction had so easily won under the leadership of the Super Devils Sirzechs and Ajuka.
Rizevim's drive and motivation stemmed from the knowledge he'd shared to Lord Rizevim in passing about the confirmation of another world existing passed the boundary in which the 'Great Red' resided, the previous home of the Ouroboros Dragon, Ophis. Coupled with the information of the Holy Grail, and the location of the sealed Trihexa, Lord Rizevim set in motion a sequence of events that would lead the World to Chaos.
And it was glorious.
Euclid had been fully intent in following through with Lord Rizevim's wishes out of blind faith and loyalty for the last True Devil of the Underworld, but everything changed upon the introduction of a new variable.
Lord Marbas.
A shudder travelled down his back before he opened his eyes and began making his rounds throughout the mansion owned by Lord Rizevim. He was charged with maintaining order and making sure to heavily punish any of the Devil's slacking under his supervision.
Presently, it was just a pretense.
He was simply too distracted, and even when one of the of the captured Devils forced to work as a slave openly shared thoughts of rebellion, he pretended not to hear it.
The silver robe he was wearing that resembled a tailor-made fashioned suit, was tousled lightly by small hands.
He stared down at the haggard child who had bumped into him. The impulse to strike out for the offence rose from within him, but for the first time, he found himself hesitating.
The child was an inferior being. A disgrace to Devil kind as a Lower-Class Devil with no prospect of advancement, but even still, why could he no longer will himself to strike when it had been so simple before?
"Get on your way," his tone was gruff, the consternation and confusion within it indiscernible. The child panicked regardless of his mercy and fled towards the direction of two individuals who he could only assume were the child's parents.
Noticing the direction of his gaze, the parents of the Low-Class Devil began to tremble.
If it were in the past, perhaps he may have had just killed the three then and there, but once again, he could not bring himself to act. "Get out of my sight before I change my mind."
The Devil's hastily bowed and retreated at his dismissal. This was the same for almost all of the forced labourers around him.
His lips thinned, and he actually found himself releasing a weary sigh.
Why did Lord Marbas choose to side with those Devils that were clearly inferior?
What did the big Sister he had greatly admired in the Civil War witness to so readily change sides?
Love for Sirzechs?
He spat out in contempt and fury.
He knew Grayfia almost better than anyone. If it was simply infatuation, then surely his and his family's love for her born from their familial ties would have had caused her to at least remain neutral in the war. Reality though was different, and the greatly admired Grayfia Lucifuge of the Extra Demons that served the original Lucifer openly attacked members of even her own family and past supporters.
Something about her had changed. She'd seen something that was somehow more important than loyalty and family. The morals and views that had once driven her to become the sworn enemy of the New Satan Faction as the 'Grey-Haired Devil of Annihilation,' were gone, replaced by someone that Euclid could no longer understand.
He'd hated her for it, loathed her; his admiration for his elder sister shifting into unconcealed animosity, and yet in the time that he felt betrayed the most, it was found out that Grayfia Lucifuge was on the same side as Lord Marbas, the Last Demon of the Underworld.
This was to say, that everything he had seen and detested his Elder Sister for such as betrayal and a lack of loyalty, were in fact not true.
Lord Marbas was the undisputed Heir of the Underworld even above Lord Rizevim in status as a Demon. It was no wonder why Grayfia would so readily switch allegiances. Suddenly, the hate he felt for his elder sister, was no longer as potent, replaced instead by dismay and disbelief.
What did they see? What did they learn, and why was it that he could never find the answer?
Euclid's gaze once more shifted towards the fearful glances of the Lower-Class Devil's around him used to labour within the mansion before he closed his eyes tightly.
Lord Rizevim was the Last True Devil of the Underworld, and this was why Lord Rizevim had Euclid's loyalty, then what of Lord Marbas?
It was your fault that he died.
Euclid could still remember it clearly. In his haste and urgency to understand what had driven his elder sister and Lord Marbas to fight on opposite sides of him in the War, he inadvertently unleashed the potent power of light that the damned God of the Heavens left behind in the Underworld. It threatened to directly wipe out almost half or more of the entire dimension should it be unleashed, and he as the one to activate it, was the closest to its vicinity. This meant that out of everyone who had been there on that day, he should have had been the first to die.
He opened his eyes and looked at his slightly trembling hands.
In fact, he should have had died already, but he was saved.
From the eyes of a True Demon like Lord Marbas, someone like him who was only a single Devil must have had resembled a mere Lower-Class existence.
Yet he was saved.
When the light threatened to annihilate his very existence, it was as if he could see a blackened hand reaching out to him and drawing forth all the harmful light away.
Lord Marbas was dying at that time. Parts of his body were disappearing one by one in grey particles of ash as the light surrounded and ate away at him, but there was no hesitation in his eyes.
For a moment, Euclid was certain that he'd made eye contact with his saviour. He tried to apologize, to yell out that his existence was not worth the life of the true heir of the Underworld, but those emotionless eyes showed no signs of hesitation.
He was speechless, unable to even cry out.
At that moment, he felt as if he came the closest to understanding just why Grayfia had chosen to side with Lord Marbas.
Because a great Demon like Lord Marbas was truly someone worth following. A final pillar. A Guardian Protector of the Underworld.
At the time, he felt as if Lord Marbas was saying to him that 'you too, are a Devil.' A subordinate of Demons, and an existence that was worth protecting.
By the time Lord Marbas had done away with the light that threatened the Underworld, Euclid could only blame himself and wordlessly scream for what he'd done.
Lord Marbas deserved his loyalty, and rather than loyalty, he only brought Lord Marbas death.
It was shame that drove him to stay away from Devil Society, only hiding in the shadows.
Shame that prevented him from paying his respects to the Hero of the Underworld.
But more than shame was fury at the Light of God that killed the Last Demon of the Underworld.
Upon discovering that Lord Rizevim, a direct descendant of the original Lucifer was still alive, it was with Rizevim that he now pledged his loyalty. They shared the same goal of plunging the world into chaos as True Devils. If Lrod Marbas was dead, and the last true heir of the Underworld sought to bring ruin, then let there be ruin.
To that end, Euclid had done many things in the shadows, but presently he was now hesitating.
He'd seen it first hand in his reconnaissance in the Underworld with Lord Rizevim.
In the unsuspecting capital of the Lands of Marbas, the Demon rose once again from the dredges of time to make another appearance.
Euclid had felt numb when he saw that familiar visage again, and even number when he witnessed Lord Rizevim burst a hole through Lord Marbas's chest. But as it would turn out, Lord Marbas was still fine.
This information secretly relieved Euclid, but at the same time, it was now the reason for his wavering beliefs.
Lord Marbas was alive.
The man that he realized that he had come to respect, was once again his enemy as a vassal of Lord Rizevim.
Would he have to witness that glorious Demon's death again? Worse, would he inadvertently play another part in his saviour's demise?
He clicked his tongue as his shoulders sagged.
The reintroduction of Lord Marbas changed all plans that Lord Rizevim had made. In fact, dare he say that Lord Rizevim was unnerved, going as far as to show signs of fear and apprehension. Then again, that power of darkness possessed by Lord Marbas as a Demon truly well and could threaten Lord Rizevim's life.
Euclid supposed that the realization brought about a kind of desperation in Rizevim's actions.
For the first time, Euclid saw Lord Rizevim fearful for his life, the carefree attitude and indifference replaced by caution and increased vigilance.
The pace of the plans laid out over the course of the years were rapidly accelerated. Lord Rizevim did not appear to possess a hundred-percent confidence in facing against Lord Marbas so he was furthering his own means.
Rather than staying in a passive stance and allowing the others to follow through with prior arrangement, Lord Rizevim was now acting personally in hopes of releasing the Trihexa earlier to combat against Lord Marbas.
To that end, Lord Rizevim was currently gone from the estate mansion, leaving behind only a single notice that informed him of what Rizevim was currently up to.
The release of the Evil Dragons and the spreading of chaos around the Human World.
It was the beginning of the end.
It was a simple objective, and one that someone of Lord Rizevim's power would have little trouble in accomplishing. This was to say, that he had even less time to consider what he should do than before.
The real leader of the Khaos Brigade was now taking personal action, the consequence of which would reach not just the area of japan, but across the entire world.
Euclid balled his hands into fists, and tried to come up with solution.
What would his big sister have had done?
At the very least, he knew that he didn't want to act against Lord Marbas.
In the midst of wandering, he silently left the premise of the mansion to be alone.
What did the concept of a 'True Devil' actually mean?
"We are Devils. 'Evil' and 'Bad' existences. Then isn't it obvious what we have to do?"
The words that Lord Rizevim once spoke to him resounded in his mind, but his belief in them was gradually wavering.
For what reason did Lord Marbas save him at that time when he was basically no different than a mere Lower-Class Devil?
Lord Marbas was obviously different than Rizevim, seeing a vision of a future beyond what could possibly be imagined. Perhaps, he was meant to serve a different purpose in life rather than destroying everything. At the very least, there was merit in this conclusion.
There was no way that he could ignore this line of thought.
What if, just what if Lord Rizevim was wrong?
He needed to think, and perhaps he'd get an answer by consulting someone he'd never thought he'd have the courage to face once again.
Lord Rizevim would probably grow outraged at his action, but where did his allegiances truly lie?
Euclid wanted to understand himself, no; he needed to in order to be able to move on.
With a simple gesture of his hand, his potent magical energy formed into the magic crest of House Lucifuge and directly opened a portal towards the capital of the city Lilith.
It had already been a week since Rizevim decided to personally take action.
By now, Lord Rizevim must have had already gotten started, so there was no longer a second to waste.
-------------------
After the events of a certain day during the Young Devil's Gathering in the Underworld, the event itself was momentarily postponed in light of a ground breaking announcement.
An uproar was beginning in the Underworld.
House Sitri had just released the news that the Eldest Daughter of their family, one of the New Four Great Satans of the Underworld was expecting an heir.
Hidden behind the news were the subtler implications.
The story of Serafall Leviathan and the Demon Marbas was wide spread throughout the realm. A tale that contrasted the romantic love story of the Crimson Prince, and the Silver Princess which ended happily.
It was the tragedy of the Civil War, a love that was not meant to be.
Serafall Leviathan was known to have had only loved one man, and that she would never love another. For her to suddenly be carrying an heir could only be a verification of the rumours going around regarding the incident surrounding the statue at the lands of Marbas and the sighting seen on that day.
Lord Marbas, the Demon of the Underworld, had returned.
This was the deeper meaning found within the announcement by house Sitri, making the entire Underworld a hive of activity. Many higher ranked members of the remaining Seventy-Two pillars had deep intelligence networks, making it far simpler to verify whether or not the rumours were true. As it would turn out, the intelligence networks were unnecessary as Sirzechs directly made the announcement along with Ajuka about Lord Marbas's return.
Despite several weeks passing from the initial announcement, the excitement had yet to die down. The Devils in the Lands of Marbas were practically in reverence, while the rest of the Devils in the Underworld were impatiently waiting for the day that Lord Marbas would be making a personal appearance.
While reading the latest happenings in the Underworld, Serafall languidly sighed while staring at the heavily barred entrance of her personal bed chambers. Dozens of magical seals were placed over the doors coupled with about sixty or so Sitri family guards standing out in front.
She was thoroughly being kept under house arrest.
She pursed her lips and contemplated breaking out, but the main issue wasn't the magical seals or the guards, but the woman who so leisurely set up residence inside her room.
It was her mother, Lady Sitri. She had directly set up a tea table directly in front of the exit of the room and refused to move regardless of anything. Lady Sitri was currently sipping on a cup of Earl Grey, her legs crossed together, and a finger absently perusing through the contents of a baby catalogue. Still, it wasn't long before Lady Sitri noticed that she was being stared at and smiled back innocently.
Serafall shivered before immediately averting her eyes. Strong as she was, she had an inherent fear of her mother. Her father was truly lovable and a person that she could easily get along with, but her mother was slightly different. Don't get her wrong, but her mother really did love her, yet this was why she had always been exceedingly harsh in regards to discipline regarding etiquette and upbringing.
A Lady should not have had been involved in War.
That was what her mother had warned her of before she had participated in the Underworld Civil War. Of course, her mother did not expect for her to sneak out and participate anyway, but this was why her mother had already learned her lesson.
You are not to leave this room for the next nine months.
Her mother was strict on this demand to the point that her father had cowered when she had almost persuaded him to get her out.
The heir of any of the remaining families of the Seventy-Pillars was of utmost importance considering just how many of the Pillars had perished during the Great War. This child was even more important as it was the child of the eldest of the Sitri family and the most renowned figure in the Underworld, the Demon Marbas.
For Lady Sitri who'd practically waited decades for a single Grandchild, she would not allow any problems to occur. Words could not describe her envy of Duchess Venelana Gremory who already had a grandson to dote on named Milicus. It was unacceptable that she didn't have her own.
Serafall shuddered as she felt that the way her mother was staring at her stomach seemed to intensify, the light 'fufufufu' sound that her mother was making behind her hand as she laughed felt oddly disconcerting.
Serafall subconsciously tried to shield herself using the blanket she had sprawled out over her bed, but even then, she didn't feel that it was adequate.
Her maternal instincts were kicking in, and just that thought alone nearly sent her into a daze while a hand gently rested over belly.
She was housing another life within her. The medical physicians that her mother had called in to check up on her all but verified this fact. A tender smile made its way onto her lips, followed by a brief period of discontent.
She was going to be kept under house arrest for the next nine months, but that meant that she wasn't going to be able to see anyone either. While her mother stayed with her inside her personal chambers, her father made it so that no one could see her during this period of time, and that included Lord Marbas who Lady Sitri insisted should not come. Period. The seriousness of the topic was conveyed through a ill-foreboding smile that threatened death to any who would defy her will.
In reality, Lady Sitri was not against Lord Marbas in any way, but she just inwardly feared the prospect of Lord Marbas getting caught up in something dangerous. Sure, she would be worried for him then, but it would be even worse if Serafall caught wind of that kind of situation and endangered her Grandchild's life due to a bout of recklessness.
Serafall had forcibly run away to join the Civil War before, and Lady Sitri would not allow Serafall to act so carelessly again, even more so now that she was carrying an heir that was the talk of the Underworld.
A child of Marbas and the previous heir of Sitri, a pre-envisioned ruler for the next generation.
For the sake of her grandchild, Lady Sitri would not tolerate Serafall leaving her room in the next nine months, nor would she allow visitors. The first sight her grandchild would see would be a mother and a grandmother, the reckless father and grandfather who would only cause trouble could be introduced later.
Secretly, it was part of Lady Sitri's devious plan to get her grandkid to say 'Grandma' or 'momma' before saying 'grandpa' or 'papa' first. It was a petty move, but surely it was something that she could get away with?
It was the secret pleasure of all grandparents.
Feeling exposed under Lady Sitri's attention, Serafall could only purse her lips and put up with it, all the while thinking that it was unfair that her parents were keeping Kuro away from her. She distracted herself from thinking about Kuro by inwardly coming up with names for her child, but suddenly a chill travelled down her back.
Perhaps she was being too loose in her soft expression, but it was if her mother could read what it was that she thinking.
"How about Clementinia if it's a girl, and Oberuscus for a boy?"
No. NO. Those names were way too old fashioned.
Serafall's visibly quivered, but she couldn't just flatly shoot down her mother's suggestion. For those curious, it was not Lady Sitri who decided on Serafall and Sona's names, but their father. What Lady Sitri had wanted to name Serafall and Sona were respectively 'Gwedevoline,' and 'Betaflonora.'
Thank goodness that her Father had somehow convinced her mother otherwise, but the thing was, Serafall was not like her father. "C-Can I refuse?" she stuttered out.
The smile on Lady Sitri's face only grew more pronounced.
Dread on behalf of her child's future filled Serafall's mind, but she felt utterly helpless.
K-Kuro, s-save us. Y-Your child's in danger.
Serafall was smiling awkwardly, but she truly felt close to tears.
Meanwhile, in another part of the Underworld in one of House Gremory's guest houses, Shirou didn't know what it was that he should be doing given his current predicament. On one hand, he'd delayed the matter of making public appearance in the Underworld, but now he was stuck in another kind of predicament.
Just what did Angra Mainyu do when he wasn't looking?
Adelina was clinging onto his arm without letting go while Koneko's gaze refused to leave him as if he'd disappear into specs of dust if she so much as turned away. In fact, it was as if almost everyone had the same expectation, treating him as if he was like glass.
They didn't even mention the bill addressed towards him in regards to the vandalism of the statue of Marbas. He paled when he looked at the number of zeroes on the paper, but no one seemed to care while their attention was entirely trained on him.
It was the first time that he had met them in the weeks following the discussion and arrangements he, Sirzech, Ajuka, Azazel, Michael, and Gabriel, had made with the other Gods of the pantheons. They had agreed on a mutual arms agreement where any of the allied pantheons would come to the aid of the others who were in trouble or in need of help. This agreement also extended to the protection of the Humans in the human world who were the source of Faith for all Gods. A threat to humanity as a whole was the same as crippling the divine strength of the pantheons and religions. With faith there was power, and with belief there was a means.
With the capability of destruction that the Tirhexa had displayed in the realm of the One God's memories, the Divine Alliance was all but guaranteed.
They'd set up a means to instantly contact each other should anything unnatural occur anywhere in the world, creating the first international intelligence network of the Gods.
Preparation were all underway should the Trihexa be released sooner rather than later, therefore, the Pantheons would be ready even for the unexpected.
Shirou thought that with the Divine Alliance finally established, he'd have time for leisure, but his troubles regarding luck had only just begun.
Adelina would not be letting go of him anytime soon and he could hear her muttering that 'I won't fail again,' over and over. Something had happened that Angra Mainyu wasn't telling him, and he was certain of this.
All that Angra had said to him when he returned was that the job was done with no one hurt too badly. In short everything was fine.
Yet was this truly fine?
Rias Gremory and the rest of her peerage were looking at him with tears in their eyes. Even Koneko was sniffling softly while Issei put a hand on Shirou's shoulder while covering his eyes.
"I-Its good that you were only Devil Core. Otherwise-"
Adelina glared sharply at Issei, sharing some sort of hidden meaning that only Shirou was unaware of in the room. Koneko was glowering while Rias and Akeno shook their heads ruefully. Instigating Adelina at this point in time was not advisable, but still, what kind of relationship did Koneko have with Shirou to look so offended?
For his part, Issei looked sheepish and made himself look smaller. Kiba patted Issei on the back in conciliation.
Shirou for his part was still in a daze.
Again, what did they mean by 'just Devil Core?'
He tried to ask Angra Mainyu for an answer, but all he got was silence. He never would have realized that Angra Mainyu himself was currently in a fluster due to people actually worrying about him.
Moving on, but Xenovia who was sitting just outside of the room was starting to grow impatient. She'd been with Shirou since the end of the conference with the Gods and matters had only concluded recently. They were actually supposed to go back to the human world while Rias and the others were to continue their business in regards to the Young Devil's Gathering.
Presently, there was still a Kuoh Academy Field Trip to Kyoto for the First and Second Years to attend in the Human world.
This was to say that Shirou and Xenovia had only dropped by on request by Sirzechs to momentarily take Issei, Kiba, Koneko, and Asia back to the Human World while the Young Devil's Gathering was reorganized.
Shirou himself had the intention to seek Serafall out weeks ago after dealing with the after math of the Divine Alliance, but Lady and Lord Sitri were adamant about keeping him out. The two were basically his In-Laws, making it difficult for him to act against them. Moreover, Lady Sitri reminded him too much of Rin when she got angry and sinisterly smiled at him.
He'd respect the wishes of his In-Laws.
In regards to Serafall, he was taken aback at the news that she was carrying an heir after they'd only spent a single night together. A part of him was inwardly elated at the prospect of now being a father, but another part was apprehensive at the way the other women around him suddenly got far more assertive.
Xenovia's impatience for example had less to do with her annoyance at waiting longer, and more to do with the fact that she couldn't find the time to get Shirou in a room with her. Moreover, she wasn't certain how to go about doing that in the first place so she wanted to consult Mother Griselda on the art of baby making. Of course, her child was definitely going to be strong. Stronger than anyone.
A flush was forming on her cheeks as she slowly raised a clenched fist in front of her in a victory pose. She was already imagining the future. Unfortunately, Mother Griselda could not be contacted with her means through the Underworld and that was why Xenovia wished to hurry the process.
Xenovia directly looked into the room where Shirou was being held up in, and stared him right in the eyes. She wasn't saying anything, but she was certainly prompting him to hurry up.
Irina was waiting after all.
Shirou for his part understood this as he was the one who'd placed Irina in charge of a certain matter.
Coaxing Adelina to let go of him, he eventually got Adelina to concede by promising to visit Adelina at least once every week and to message her twice everyday in her worry.
Rias and Akeno bowed their heads in gratitude to Shirou as he left with Kiba, Koneko, Issei, and Asia.
Xenovia followed up by the rear before all of them entered a magic circle that led back to Kuoh Academy before separating.
Angels, Devils, and Fallen tried to follow Shirou as secret escorts, but they were quickly noticed and dismissed. After all, what good would they do if he met an opponent that even he himself could not handle? That would only be pointless death.
Shirou and Xenovia stayed in one group while Koneko and the rest returned to homeroom where their teachers began to discuss with them the things that they'd need to bring to Kyoto.
In that regard, Xenovia was forced to separate from Shirou when she was caught by a teacher.
She too had been enrolled in Kuoh Academy days after the incident with Holy Sword Excalibur had concluded, and unfortunately for her, she'd been something of truant student.
A teacher directly dragged her away to take her to supplementary classes while directly informing her to get ready for the trip to Kyoto in two days time.
Xenovia seemed entirely unwilling, but she couldn't raise her hand against a person who was only scolding her for the sake of her own future. She tried to weasel out of the trip to Kyoto though with little effect. As Shirou wasn't going because he was enrolled as a third year, she found the field trip entirely pointless.
Her expression looked increasingly dead as stacks upon stacks of assignment were placed before her.
Shirou bid her fair well at that point because staying in Xenovia's line of sight may just encourage her to skip out on her studying entirely when the teacher left.
In any case, it wasn't like he wasn't busy.
He had to go help with something else that he'd left Irina to handle on her own for far too long.
---------------------------
The house in front of him was no longer the house he remembered. It was more akin to a luxury villa or six-floored mansion with what Serafall had ordered to be done to it.
In truth, it was Rossweisse's fault for once mentioning to Serafall that her Kuro had been forced to sleep in a bathtub.
Just as house Gremory had done for the Hyoudo household, Serafall had used her resources as the Great Satan with the title of Leviathan to completely restructure the house. At the very least though, the old couple that used to own the place were given a detached house to live within.
His lip twitched just looking at the place.
It was huge and utterly unable to blend in with all the other houses around. It might have just been him, but the Devil's sense of aesthetics made the place look even more captivating. It was downright beautiful. An exquisite piece of work that Serafall had spared no effort in order to build on such short notice.
As he stood in front of the house while holding the keys to the large gate in front of it, he could already hear the heated whispers of his neighbors. They must have had thought he was rich, but in truth he was in crippling debt.
Not wanting to be the object of whispers for much longer, he directly moved passed the gates and entered the mansion. Once inside, he soon made his way to the large basement suite in which a wide training ground had been installed below ground.
Inside was a storm of activity.
Groups upon groups of individuals were busy practicing while in an opposite corner of the training ground, an armoured Valkyrie was busy sparring. All kinds of Nordic magic circles flashed in the air while dozens of trainees were simultaneously attacking the somewhat frustrated Valkyrie.
It was Rossweisse, the Valkyrie of Odin that had stayed behind in the residence. He said 'stayed,' but Odin insisted that she remain after Loki had been handed over for Odin to deal with.
At the same time, by handing over Loki, he seemed to have had solved some problems Odin was having regarding Asgard and the World Tree. In gratitude, Rossweisse was told to remain as a secretary for Shirou to rely on. She was still disbelief in how easily she was dismissed.
In which case, Rossweisse's current frustration and helplessness wasn't unfounded.
Still, he was quite thankful to her because just like Irina, she was training the other people in the room.
Irina was off sparring with others, but she like everyone else soon stopped their activities upon sighting him.
"Shirou!" She called out excitedly upon seeing him.
Rossweisse gave him a curt nod. "Greetings," she said formally.
The others around were more subdued in their greetings, but their thankfulness to him who had helped save them was earnest.
They were the people that he had rescued from a certain group calling themselves the Hero Faction of the Khaos Brigade.
All of them were the descendants of Heroes.
In their blood was the potential to rise up into something greater.
Heroes were not meant to fight the Factions that weren't humans like the Hero Faction was doing, but to instead follow their own beliefs with their lives. To save others not for the sake of benefit or obligation, but because it was their own choice.
Not all Heroes were selfless, but all of them were people who accomplished heroic feats in the name of their people.
This was why he could not stand the hesitant and doubtful expressions of the people around him. They'd been training with Rossweisse for almost the entirety of the Underworld trip, and with Irina a week earlier, but only now was it apparent to them just how strong both Irina and Rossweisse were.
No one could even touch Rossweisse when she was being serious, Sacred Gear or not.
And in regards to Irina, her attacks were simply too fast and diverse for greenhorns to be able to cope with.
Even if they were called the descendants of Heroes, they couldn't even land a single blow against their opponents. Before Shirou had rescued them, they were called 'useless' by the other stronger Heroes led by a man named Cao Cao.
The fact that they were still leagues below Irina and Rossweisse made them feel depressed despite their improvements.
In truth, they were already at the level of Mid-Class Devils with a majority of them all possessing Sacred Gears. It was just that Rossweisse was a superior Valkyrie, and that Irina had trained relentlessly in order to fight side by side with him, Xenovia, and the others. Hard work could not simply be surmounted so easily.
So, hold your heads up high.
"You all are not trash," he wasn't wearing a mask this time, but his voice was all too recognizable to the people present. It was he who had stood up to the descendants of Siegfried and Hercules. "None of you may not be able to see it now, but you all have become strong."
They needed to hear this now, because it looked like they were loathing themselves for their inability.
Irina and Rossweisse kept silent as he spoke, as if in agreement with his words.
Unfortunately, it was hard for the others in the crowd to believe so readily.
He himself knew that he couldn't just convince them with words alone.
They needed to see for themselves.
In that regard, he really didn't have to do anything, the situation itself abruptly changed almost as if a cruel joke was being played. Angra Mainyu had warned him of a possible enemy in the shadows, but this was a feeling that was far more than just that of a single person.
Neither Irina, Rossweisse, or the people around him could sense it, but an ominous wave of energy seemed to have had pulsed throughout the entirety of the earth. It was subtle, almost untraceable, but to Shirou and more importantly, the God he hosted within him, it was all too noticeable.
"T-This can't be." The One God's voice spoke in a low whisper.
Shirou tensed in response. He'd never heard the voice of the One God ever sound so startled.
His tensing was noticed by Rossweisse and Irina, but neither of the two could feel what he was feeling. The other rescued members of the Hero Faction began murmuring to themselves, but at the moment he was too preoccupied to care.
The One God was whispering lowly in a low tone, seemingly in disbelief.
"Is there something wrong?" He inwardly asked.
God didn't respond right away. He was trying to pinpoint the exact locations, but the situation was looking grimmer and grimmer.
Unknown to them the efficiency of Rizevim, one of the Three Super Class Devils of the Underworld to act alone was not something to be underestimated. More so, with the threat Rizevim felt at Lord Marbas's existence.
God could sense it. Something was happening in the distant streets of Kyoto, no, not just Kyoto, but everywhere.
It was a power that God knew all too well, for in it was part of the prophecy of the Last Supper.
The Bread that was to be his body, and the wine that was to be his blood.
A container of the Divine, carrying the aspect of life and death.
The power Shirou could detect, it was one that he was all too familiar with even in his previous world.
One of the Thirteen Longinus Class Sacred Gears and one of three objects of power known as the Holy Relics.
It was not the Holy Cross nor Spear of Christ in the bible, but a vessel of eternal ichor.
The Sephiroth Graal.
"The Holy Grail."
The familiar name caused Shirou to stiffen, but at the same time, it was like he could hear it.
The roars of ancient beasts suddenly appearing upon the Earth again. Greece, Rome, Japan, everywhere.
The Holy Grail had the ability to touch upon the concepts of life and death, being able to even bring the dead back to life.
"Evil Dragons." The One God spoke lowly before suddenly growing more solemn. "Madness."
The Human World was not a place were battles were meant to be had. Devils, Angels, Fallen, Gods, Humans were not meant to be aware of their existences, and yet someone had done the insane.
----------------
-Kyoto, Japan.
This was not what was supposed to have had happened.
Cao Cao and the other Heroes around him stared blankly at the ruined buildings around them. They'd just found a way to infiltrate the ranks of the Japanese Yokai faction and take control of their ruler, a Nine Tailed Fox named Yasaka, but the situation changed too drastically.
People were crying amidst the debris and many had been crushed to death under the rubble of a sudden attack. Fires were burning with the flames flickering like tongues of smoke.
The acrid scent of sulfur and burnt asphalt permeated the air with a nauseating sensation.
This was wrong.
This was entirely wrong.
Cao Cao balled his hands into fists.
He had wanted to test the limits of Humans as Heroes by combating against the forces of the other Pantheons and Religions and that was the entire purpose of the Hero Faction. To prove that humans weren't just weak existences to be used.
It was only now that he was starting to question himself.
There before his eyes was an existence that had suddenly appeared in the streets of central Kyoto to cause havoc in broad daylight. The normal humans in Kyoto stared in abject disbelief, but their momentary pause was the start of their demise.
Its breath was acid.
Its scales the sharp edge of obsidian rock.
It swung its long tail and extended out its claws. The ground itself trembled at its wake, leaving deep gauges upon the pavement.
It was a species of universal destruction known only for its overwhelming power.
Dragon.
An Evil Dragon.
People had stopped and gawked. Some even pulling out their phones to record as if somehow, they could not see or believe that death was coming.
Its teeth were swords, its wings a hurricane.
Heracles and Jeanne who were near Cao Cao grew visibly affected when they saw an entire family burnt to ashes in a single breath; the head of the doll that a child had been tightly clinging onto, rolling just beneath their feet.
What did it truly mean to be a Hero?
Cao Cao felt rage welling up from within him.
Right now, it didn't matter about anything else.
In this moment of death and despair, Heroes were needed, secrecy of the paranormal or not.
"Move out!"
He gave the order with a firm resoluteness.
The World was changing.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein