"I, I will read," Xenovia declared, somewhat dazed.
The book was quickly handed over; no one even attempted to pause for a moment to discuss what had been discovered earlier.
They had to know what had happened
. Xenovia was confused. From the moment she closed her eyes, it was as if she could see other people's stories flashing through her mind. It wasn't so much seeing as knowing, similar to how someone only remembers something absentmindedly when they consciously think about it.
"Did she...have a resonance of souls?" Shirou wondered.
"No, your case and Archer's was unique in history; you were both the same individual from two different timelines, so even if Xenovia were a direct descendant of Roland, that shouldn't happen." Rin quickly dismissed that theory.
Unless, of course, something else intervened as a catalyst...
What he saw, what he understood, was a story of swords and the diverse personalities of their wielders.
Take up arms for the sake of Virtue.
Taking up arms out of necessity.
"All heroes have taken up arms for different reasons, some nobler than others, but no less valid for that." Michael, despite being happy that that era of bloodshed was over, still missed the old heroes.
Seeing them fall, make mistakes, suffer, but still get back up...
He let her look for a moment at what Father so admired about them
Issei looked away, slightly embarrassed.
She wondered if any of them did it for the breasts.
Although, well, there were many who did it for a woman, which is almost the same thing, isn't it?
Several reasons permeated her inner psyche, but above all honors, duties, and oaths, what truly resonated with her was a single motivation.
Fight for yourself and your beliefs.
"For myself and for my beliefs," Muemjro Xenovia said to herself
Did you ever do that? Did you ever wonder what you believed in?
When she was an exorcist, she fought for heaven, because from a young age she was taught that it was the right thing to do. When she lost that, she turned to the other side and decided to become a demon and fight for her desires, such as becoming a mother, because that was supposed to be the ultimate goal of every woman.
But...is that really what she wanted?
Why did she fight? What was the purpose of wielding her sword?
It would become a sword brighter than the most dazzling sun, unconstrained by insecurity or personal opinions. Only she could decide her own worth; who she was fit to fight in life and death, in Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld.
She would be happy with just one.
Xenovia fixed her gaze, pausing for a moment
Fight...for one
A memory came to her
When she was just a little girl who hadn't even held a sword for the first time, lying in her bed with Griselda telling her the legend
But despite hearing of the great deeds of Sir Lancelot, the purity of Galahad, the mastery of Gawain, or the strength of Mordred, there was one who caught his attention above all of them.
Bedivere
Despite not being the most skilled or strongest swordsman, nor having as many outstanding feats as his companions, there was one trait in which he surpassed each and every one of them.
His loyalty
He was the king's most loyal knight, accompanying him from the beginnings of Camelot until Arthur's end at the Battle of Camlann.
The man entrusted with Excaliburn to return it to the Lady of the Lake in the king's final moments
Ah, so that's where it started
The desire to serve, the desire to find someone worthy to whom to dedicate his sword
The desire to...
The title resonated within her.
His master.
A just king to whom he can dedicate his sword
"Servant Knowledge, answer the call."
Saber looked at Xenovia, her confused expression finally dissipating, giving way to resolution.
Perhaps she was still a little immature, but the potential was there.
And I was eager to see it develop
A bond was formed that extended beyond the fabric of time and space and connected with an eternal throne of humanity.
The ring of deterrence.
The throne of heroes.
"She became linked to the throne of heroes?" Rin asked, astonished.
That...that shouldn't be physically or theoretically possible!
"The Throne of Heroes" Azazel almost salivated at the idea
Thousands, hundreds of thousands of heroes and legends gathered in one place
It was a concept the One God only fully grasped after traversing worlds and investigating the connection between the corrupted grail and its ability to summon Heroes of Antiquity. And at that moment, that investigation made sense.
It was a product of the One God who assimilated the properties of the contaminated Grail and stored it within the confines of Seven Monuments.
"Was this their plan from the beginning?" Irina asked.
Had it all been planned? Shirou came to that stream to meet Xenovia and eventually make her his... well, he had no idea who Xenovia was now, but the point remained.
"It doesn't seem like a coincidence, at least." Azazel wasn't sure how this new linking worked, but he doubted anyone could do it.
For Shirou to meet someone as unique as Xenovia in his very first days here, and for her to grow so fond of him, it must all have been carefully planned.
Azazel clicked his tongue, annoyed
He had just remembered why he rebelled in the first place
Despite hearing them, Xenovia did not doubt or hold a grudge against God if everything was true.
In any case, I was grateful to him for giving me this opportunity.
Shirou, on the other hand, did not think the same.
If all of this was truly planned, then I had a few words for that God.
He was fine with being manipulated to help someone else; he didn't mind, after all, that was his purpose.
But there was a big difference between that and involving someone innocent like Xenovia.
He'd better hope this was a coincidence.
Rin just nodded to herself, yes, that sounded more like the gods she knew
When Xenovia opened her eyes again, she felt a power beyond her comprehension as she fully merged with Saber's monument. Her appearance was different from before: the tight-fitting combat garments had been replaced by a form-fitting suit of glossy black steel armor. The joints and the circular plate that fastened to her shoulders were riveted with interlocking metal patterns.
"Aaaaw~" Issei groaned in disappointment
"Issei!" And Rias naturally scolded him
At his waist, he carried a sword he had never seen before, nor did he know its name. It was elegant and refined, with a nobility that did not pale in comparison to the Durandals he still held in each hand.
"That's a Noble Phantom, right?" Rin asked in a flat voice.
"Yes," Shirou simply nodded.
"Of course it is," Rin sighed.
I still remembered the time when they were legendary weapons lost in time, impossible to replicate, and only a few remained in the modern era, jealously guarded by several ancient families.
Despite her curiosity, she paid little attention to the new sword as her gaze focused on Loki and narrowed sharply. She vividly remembered how he had used her as a hostage, and that filled her with anger and a touch of happiness. Anger at her own inadequacy and happiness at the concern Shirou had shown for her, his expression reflecting anxiety.
With these thoughts, Xenovia hardened her resolve. If she wanted to stay by Shirou's side, she could no longer waver or hesitate.
She charged forward without warning, attacking with the Durandals in her hands and unleashing an astonishing amount of magical energy.
"Well, let's see what you're capable of now." Saber looked at the screen intently.
What would be the limit of this new power?
The Saber Monument was a combination of Malignant Pieces, remnants of the Holy Grail, and the energy of the One God that held it all together. All of this led to a single conclusion.
"Oh, of course it would have to have remnants of the Holy Grail," Rin grunted.
Why not?
The enhanced power of a Demi-Servant.
"Demi-Servant?" Shirou immediately became alert.
Wasn't there anything about that in the Animusphere journal?
A crazy theory about granting the power of a Servant to an artificially created human was quickly dismissed as the delusion of a madman.
Well, it seemed they were about to see the result of such delusion.
Although I doubted that Animusphere had conceived of it being done this way
Powered by a gigantic reservoir of magical energy, each Durandal in Xenovia's hands fired titanic pillars of Holy Light that stretched beyond the purple horizon of the Underworld.
"Not bad" Knowing praise
That output seemed close to five percent of his current Excaliburn, and it was the first time he'd used it.
Although it didn't make sense to compare it to his real sword
All Loki saw was the tip of a sword pointing forward before he was taken by surprise and consumed by Xenovia's sword attack.
Already weakened, Loki let out a tragic scream as his body crashed to the ground, rolling uncontrollably before finally coming to a stop partially buried under a mound of earth.
"Well, how about eating dirt for the human you despised before?" Irina mocked.
Hahahaha, that was her best friend!
"Such power," Xenovia murmured in amazement.
Even now, with his new demonic strength, he doubted he could launch an attack of that magnitude.
The remaining energy from Xenovia's attack exploded in the distance, creating shockwaves that no one in the Underworld could ignore. The ground buckled, and cracks widened into fissures that collapsed a once-flat plain into a low cavern.
Shirou blinked in disbelief.
"That's to be expected ," God said in Shirou's mind. "Since I created those monuments, I've allowed them to continuously accumulate magical energy. For now, it's best that you apprehend the Nordic Trickster God before he regains consciousness. Trickster Gods are always difficult to stop."
"So she's not just a demi-servant, but a demi-servant powered by the accumulated magical energy of a demigod," Rin said listlessly.
How damn powerful is she going to become?
"Well, that's not a bad idea either," Sirzech said to himself.
They could interrogate Loki to find out who his allies are.
And then Loki would try to escape, and well, they'd have no choice but to kill him to stop him.
It's unfortunate, but the Nordic people would understand.
There was no other option.
Shirou nodded silently before appearing beside Loki and pulling the god out of the earth. Afterward, the voice of God echoed within him.
"I am the Heavens and the ruler of all under my sovereignty. My will is eternal, my words, unbreakable restrictions," God said with a seriousness that pierced the silence. " You, who are a God, will become mortal; divinity will be stripped away and restrained."
"Since when can the old man do that?!" Azazel asked, astonished.
"Possibly since he came back from the other world," Michael replied, just as confused as his brother.
Following the decree of the One God, the Norse runes and the magic that enveloped Loki's body began to flash before disintegrating one by one, each symbol releasing fragments of power into the air until nothing remained. It was a direct representation of a god descending from immortality, according to the legends about the incarnation of the gods.
In this particular case, however, the process was accidental. Had Loki been conscious, he could have stubbornly clung to his divinity, but as he was now, it was impossible. God then uttered a simple incantation and imprisoned him in a separate space, created by himself.
"Perfect, now he has the divinity of a Norse god ready to use whenever he feels like it," Azazel complained.
Because, of course, that old man held more power.
Shirou would have to contact Rossweisse later to send a message to Odin to retrieve Loki and have him handled at the All-Father's discretion.
"Really? Couldn't you just let us have it for a couple of hours?" Sirzech asked with a disappointed groan.
"If we let you have it, it won't last an hour," Serafall stated emphatically.
"Can you blame me?" the Maou asked, sounding offended.
"Not at all, but since my job is to prevent a war from starting with anyone from outside, I'll have to stop you this time." Serafall knew that if something like that had happened to Sona, she too would crave blood.
But at this moment they needed Loki alive to negotiate with Odin
For now
For the time being, it was better to face the current situation.
The battle that had just erupted ravaged much of the forest where they were and altered the landscape as well. Such changes were impossible to conceal, and even from where he stood, he could sense the magical energies of numerous demons, fallen angels, and other beings converging on the area.
"Excellent, how are you going to explain that?" Azazel asked, pointing at Xenovia.
"A divine miracle?" Irina suggested.
"The worst part is that it wouldn't even be a lie." Azazel groaned in resignation.
Adelina was the first to arrive, frowning, for it was clear her prey had escaped. However, upon reaching the spot, she froze. Sirzechs, Ajuka, Serafall, and the other demons arrived one by one moments later, but they all imitated Adelina and remained in place.
Still not accustomed to her newfound power, the excess energy released by the Durandals into Xenovia's hands produced waves of fluctuating Holy Light. No Demon dared approach recklessly until Xenovia sealed both Durandals within the containment space Griselda had provided.
"That problem again," Xenovia muttered to herself.
It was their same problem as before, only several times worse, it seemed, if even the Maous kept their distance with caution.
When both swords disappeared, the newcomer still hesitated to go on.
Without knowing exactly what had happened, no demon, except Sirzechs and Serafall, intended to act rashly. In Sirzechs' case, he wasn't thinking clearly because of Rias's situation, and in Serafall's, it was a different emotion that was driving her.
"Then I'll be the first to have it in my hands," Sirzech said, pleased, with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
He couldn't kill him, but he'd still have fun with him.
Serafall and Xenovia stared directly at each other.
"Jojo, do you seriously think you've reached my level?" Serafall asked arrogantly.
"Considering how fearful you seemed, I'm sure I've surpassed you," Xenovia replied without hesitation.
"Bring it here, virgin nun!" Serafall exclaimed with feigned fury
"A virgin nun is less shameful than a virgin Maou," Xenovia retorted.
"Your little one!"
In Xenovia's case, there was a clear intention in her eyes. Although she hadn't admitted it before or given any clear indications, she felt inferior whenever she compared herself to Serafall. Whether it was in position, disposition, or strength, Xenovia knew she lacked in every aspect. She accepted this and, therefore, resolved to push herself to the limit to train as a natural Holy Swordsman and thus close the gap. However, even then, her resolve wavered as she learned of Shirou's supposed past in the Underworld under the name Marbas.
"Scared, Quarta?" Serafall asked arrogantly.
"Not even a little," Xenovia returned his defiant gaze.
"I refuse to believe that Xenovia has seen Harry Potter," Issei said in amazement.
How on earth did I know that reference!?
It didn't matter.
The past should have no say in what happens in the present.
"Many could learn from those wise words." Michael completely agreed with Xenovia.
How much blood has been spilled over disputes that began decades, if not hundreds, of years ago?
When the Monument of Knowledge first merged with her, she sensed the kind of convictions and beliefs that every Sword Hero held.
Unwavering wills.
Individual devotions.
We follow a path but we never deviate.
The ideals of each Knowledge from which he extracted knowledge converged into a single message.
Fight for what you believe in.
"They must have been great heroes," Saber remarked respectfully.
"Exactly how many Servants did that girl fuse with?" And Rin naturally focused on what was most important.
Depending on how that woman develops, couldn't she become even more powerful than her Saber?
"Fight for what I believe in." Xenovia clenched her fist.
He may not have had the power of the heroes of old.
And that he had sacrificed his humanity in a fit of grief
But that didn't mean their journey was over; on the contrary, this could be a new beginning.
And this time I wouldn't hesitate.
Under the gaze of everyone present, Xenovia took a deep breath and began walking towards Shirou, the metallic sound of her new armor being the only noise in the area.
The determination in her eyes reflected the change that had occurred within her, like a lavender rose that had just bloomed in spring, fragrant and full of life, reaching for the sun.
"It's not a bad comparison, it's very poetic in fact," Irina sighed dreamily.
And now it was she who was falling behind
Shirou wouldn't have another one of those monuments for her, would he?
Her gaze was narrowed, her body struggling to cope with the large volume of magical energy now stored within her, but she still pressed on.
"Is it going to explode?" Issei asked worriedly.
"If he does, I don't think much will happen to him. Worry more about those around him." Did Azazel reassure him?
Seeing Xenovia approach with a dazed expression, Shirou instinctively reached out to support her.
How could he have expected that, instead of letting him hold her, she would take his hand, stand on tiptoe, and capture his lips with hers? The sensation that washed over him was a soft, tender touch, as if she were trying to convey all of Xenovia's feelings through her actions alone.
"Hey! Not even I've done that!" Serafall exclaimed angrily.
"Victory belongs to the one who takes the first step," Xenovia smiled contentedly to herself.
"Enough! Shirou, you and I will break the bed tonight!" Serafall declared furiously.
"You do remember we're still here, right?" Rin asked, her eyebrow trembling.
"He probably doesn't care at this point." Saber just sighed resignedly.
"We can't let that happen, Irina. We'll sneak into her room tonight. We need to get some good underwear," Xenovia said decisively.
"Wait, both of them!?" Irina covered her flushed cheeks
But they haven't even kissed.
"Yeah, I'm not going to help with that, I'll leave it to Gabriel or Gudako." Shiro shook his head.
A lingerie shop was her limit.
"I...am I not supposed to have a say in this?" Shirou asked, bewildered.
Naturally, no one answered him.
Caught in Xenovia's pure passion, he didn't react until she pulled away, a thin strand of saliva clinging to her glistening lips, which she wiped away, her face flushed.
Turning to face the entire audience, she fixed her gaze on a single individual and shouted. Loud. With all her might.
"This is my man!"
"That's it! Declare it, babe!" Irina exclaimed in support of her friend
"Our man," Xenovia corrected.
I wouldn't leave Irina out of this
"He's still MY husband," Serafall grumbled.
Serafall's expression darkened as Ajuka made the conscious decision to crawl away, along with Sirzechs, while warning the others to retreat as a precaution. Adelina, meanwhile, was drawing her sword, magical energy coating it with a deep red glow as low, deranged laughter escaped her lips, her mental restraints shattered. Earlier, she had encountered a con artist who had tried to seduce her Lord, and now, just minutes later and under her watchful eye, another woman was taking advantage of him.
"Damn it, who would have thought that brat would grow up to be a yandere?" Azazel hissed with pity for Shirou
He wouldn't want to be in her place.
Ajuka rushed to stop Adelina before she could do anything drastic; the woman was whistling at him while spitting out blasphemies.
"You kiss your master with that mouth? Oh no, wait, you haven't kissed him yet," Serafall mocked before letting out an evil laugh.
"Neither do you," Rin remarked curtly.
Serafall stopped at that very moment, frozen in her pose.
Apart from Adelina, none of those present dared to approach Serafall, much less try to intervene.
Ajuka was already on Serafall's bad side, and he didn't want to deepen the rift between them. Therefore, for the time being, he didn't care to learn what was happening in the area. Ajuka and many others present felt they weren't protecting themselves from an enemy attack, but rather witnessing an Underworld drama that had unfolded since the height of the Underworld Civil War.
"Oh, what a great novel!" Sirzech clapped, amused.
While ignoring her frozen friend
It was a problem neither Ajuka nor Sirzechs wanted to deal with. Sirzechs, in particular, concluded that he was wasting his time and left immediately to find out the details of what had happened to Rias, trusting that Ajuka would handle the situation.
"That's right, I'm still kidnapped," Koneko commented as if it were a last-minute remark.
"We'll sort that out." Shirou really hoped they would.
I didn't want the book to end and for the last thing they knew about Koneko to be that her sister had her chained up somewhere.
When Sirzechs left, the vast majority of the other high-class and supreme demons followed him, leaving Ajuka speechless. Ajuka knew about Sirzechs's activities, so he didn't try to dissuade his friend, but at the same time, when he looked at Serafall, he was speechless.
On the outside she seemed fine, like that thing about women who say they're fine, but in reality they're not.
"It's my husband they're kissing in front of me!" Serafall exclaimed angrily, snapping out of her frozen state.
Of course, he didn't mind, as long as it was the first time.
I would ignore the existence of Rin and Saber for now.
Her hands were clenched into fists, and a decidedly unattractive smile was plastered across her face. In fact, it was the first time Ajuka had ever seen Serafall smile so broadly that it disconcerted him.
Xenovia, seeing Serafall's smile, returned her gaze without blinking.
Feeling uncomfortable, Ajuka could no longer allow himself to observe Serafall's affairs and respectfully looked away. Everyone imitated his actions; no one dared to meet Serafall's gaze.
"I thought we were comrades in arms," Shirou complained.
Didn't they spend months fighting side by side?
"And like any good warrior, you must know when to retreat," Sirzech retorted in defense of his friend.
They wouldn't dream of getting involved in the messy love life that was Serafall's life now.
Unfortunately, Shirou couldn't carry out such an action, caught in the middle. However, this was his battle and no one else's. He wanted an ending where everyone was happy, so if he had to exert himself twice as much, not three times as much, he would endure it.
"Oh? I wonder what you're implying with that?" Serafall asked mockingly.
"Solomon," Xenovia murmured in a whisper.
Shirou looked away uncomfortably.
She would love to deny Serafall's words and not think about whatever Xenovia was referring to, but at this point she knew herself well enough to know what she would do.
And judging by Rin and Saber's mocking glances, they did too.
The exchange of glances between Serafall and Xenovia lasted what seemed like an eternity to Shirou, but instead of the brutal confrontation he'd expected, nothing of the sort occurred. With women, rather than openly expressing their frustrations, most seemed to prefer subtlety.
Serafall approached faster than Shirou expected, arriving right beside him in an instant.
"Your man?" she asked Xenovia lightly, tilting her head. "Well, of course you can call him that."
"But her hand is mine, muahahahahaha!" Serafall cackled evilly
Xenovia frowned, unable to reply.
Well, she'll have to try harder from now on; she was already used to that.
Serafall's response took Xenovia by surprise. In the Underworld, while relationships like polygamy were rarely accepted, they occurred frequently enough to be considered commonplace, unlike in the Human World. Although Serafall didn't particularly like the concept, it was something she had come to accept.
"If even King Arthur can't handle this man alone, what can I expect?" Serafall lamented.
"Didn't you already tell that joke?" Sirzech asked mockingly.
"That doesn't make it any less true," the Maou defended herself.
The only thing that mattered to Serafall was something she already had.
Something he obtained in the midst of the Underworld Civil War.
"Something you got by accident," Rin pointed out dryly.
"Well, that doesn't make it any less valid," Serafall strutted.
It was his!
Forever~
Serafall wrapped her hands around Shirou's free arm and pressed herself close, still staring at Xenovia.
"You can call Kuro 'your man,' but..." Serafall puffed out her chest as she revealed the joint seal of Marbas and Sitri on the back of her hand. "He's already my husband."
Shirou's mind went blank, unable to process what he had just heard as his body stiffened.
"Wow, what a horrible way to find out you're married," Azazel hissed pityingly.
It was almost as bad as that time he got drunk on Odin's Special Selection mead in Longyearbyen, Norway, and woke up with a terrible hangover and apparently a Vietnamese wife.
Even today, people wondered where that woman came from, because even the local residents and the government itself had no idea who she was.
Even so, it was a lovely marriage for...three hours until she escaped.
He wondered if she was still alive; she should be ninety-three now. He would go visit her on his way out.
The revelation itself stunned Xenovia, who had never heard of anything like it. Moreover, it wasn't over yet. Serafall was far from finished; the emotions she longed to release had been fully unleashed.
"Furthermore, our formal wedding ceremony will be tonight at my family's mansion." Serafall's grip on Shirou's arm grew increasingly uncomfortable as her fingers dug deeper into his skin. Worse still, Shirou couldn't even complain because he had given Serafall complete freedom to decide when to visit the Sitri house.
"Freedom to decide on a visit, not a wedding!" Rin exclaimed incredulously.
"Well, it's almost the same thing, visits to the parents and then marriage some time later, right? It's almost the same thing." Serafall dismissed it easily.
"I'm sure you skipped a lot of steps there," Saber had to question.
"Details" Serafall again dismissed her concerns
Shirou lowered his head in resignation
It was Emily again, wasn't it?
Xenovia's mouth opened, but no words came out of her surprise.
Meanwhile, Serafall tactfully invited Xenovia to House Sitri before bidding farewell with a single sentence.
"Ouch, you invited her to the wedding of the boy she loves, this is like one of my mom's Turkish soap operas," Issei couldn't help but comment.
Although it was usually the boy who saw the girl he loved being taken away, not the other way around.
"Well, maybe it was a little cruel," Serafall admitted, embarrassed.
"You can't blame her, she spent decades believing the man she loved was dead, and when he comes back there are other women after him," Sirzech defended his friend sympathetically.
I couldn't imagine the amount of frustration I had accumulated during that time; the fact that I hadn't exploded right then and there was a miracle.
Xenovia was somewhat annoyed but said nothing.
I would accept this defeat, but in the end she would be the winner in this war.
" I am the legal wife."
"That marriage wasn't recognized by the church!" Gabriel snapped, feeling irritated by that statement.
"Are we demons who care what the church thinks?" Serafall scoffed.
"Why is Shirou God!" Gabriel declared
More than one person noticed that she had strangely called him by his name and not "father".
Strange
"All the more reason, what weight does the church have in the decisions of the big boss?" Serafall retorted, finding the angel's irritation amusing
Gabriel opened his mouth to protest, but ultimately he couldn't find anything to say.
What can I say? What father should listen to the church?
Blasphemy!
"You're forcing him," Gabriel grumbled.
"I don't see her resisting." Serafall's smile turned into an extreme mockery.
Gabriel pouted but said nothing more
It wasn't fair.
Xenovia was not in a good mood, but even then, she reluctantly accompanied Shirou on his way to the Sitri House in silent contemplation.
Shirou could only leave the area after promising Ajuka that he would give him a detailed report of the events when he had time. Of course, Ajuka wanted the details right then and there, but knowing that Serafall had plans with Shirou later that night, Ajuka didn't dare keep him any longer than necessary.
"Seriously, you're not going to say anything?" Kiba asked curiously.
"In moments like these, remaining silent is the wisest thing to do." Shirou knew this from experience.
Getting involved in an argument between two women, even if it concerned you, was the worst thing you could do.
In the worst-case scenario, the fight could turn into an impromptu alliance against you.
As such, Shirou and the others ended up trudging along the path to the Sitri House.
Xenovia was still wearing the armor bestowed upon her as a Demi-Servant and hadn't yet given much thought to how to dematerialize it. The raw energy Xenovia emitted as a result was difficult for ordinary demons to control, but fortunately, the only ones in the area were Shirou and Adelina.
"Can it be dematerialized?" Xenovia asked with interest.
To give a demonstration, Saber made her armor appear over her body before it disappeared, leaving her in her usual clothes again.
"Is this something all Servants can do?" Azazel asked with interest.
"Yes, it's a basic ability of all Heroic Spirits," Saber confirmed.
It wasn't really important, so he didn't think much about revealing it.
Azazel nodded
I had seen her do that before, but I thought it was some kind of property of her magic armor, not something all these servants could do.
Interesting
The matter of Saber's monument wasn't exactly decided by Shirou, but rather by a reaction from the monument itself, similar to the selection process of the Sword in the Stone. It reacted with Xenovia because of her personality type, her bearing, her beliefs, and her natural abilities, fulfilling the requirements of Saber's monument.
"So that could happen again at any time if these monuments find compatible people in the future," Rin theorized, not feeling exactly sure about this.
Xenovia could be a loyal and upright woman like a good Saber, but what would happen to Assassin? To Berserker? To that damned Caster?
What guaranteed that whoever received that power would be loyal to Shirou and not just a madman who might even turn against him?
Did he have any insurance for that or something similar?
I didn't think that God would neglect something so important, but...
Perhaps I was being too pessimistic
Even with that manipulative God, I couldn't be entirely sure.
As time passed, Xenovia gained better control of her newfound strength, but at that moment, Shirou helped relieve the pressure of her energy by placing a hand on her shoulder. God then began to assimilate the excess.
As the three walked, a silence hung over their heads.
Shirou had no idea what to say at that moment. On one hand, he wanted to ask Adelina when he and Serafall had gotten married, and on the other, he felt it wasn't appropriate to do so.
"Seriously? You think so?" Sona asked sarcastically.
"It's a legitimate question." Shirou couldn't recall any culture where the simple exchange of family crests implied marriage.
There were some who saw the act as part of the wedding ritual, but it was only that, part of the wedding, not the entire wedding itself.
As for Adelina, she was far too preoccupied with deciding whether Xenovia was worthy to be her Lord's mate. Even now, Adelina was still considering whether Serafall was worthy, and that spoke volumes about Xenovia's chances of passing Adelina's evaluation.
"Hey! I'm a Maou, possibly the strongest female demon alive and one of the most influential people in the demon race, how could I not be worthy?" Serafall asked, growing increasingly incredulous.
How high were that brat's standards?
"That's still not enough," Gabriel muttered, annoyed
. "I will be," Xenovia, on the other hand, clenched her fists with determination.
The reason Serafall hadn't yet passed Adelina's evaluation was simply because she had let her lord die. Words cannot describe the resentment Adelina felt as a child toward Serafall for not saving her lord.
"Oh, that's why." Serafall nodded before stopping mid-movement. "Hey, wait! I didn't let him die! The idiot killed himself!" she exclaimed angrily.
"And that sums up our lives very well," Rin couldn't help but say sympathetically.
Adelina's lips pursed as she fell into her thoughts.
Meanwhile, given the situation, Shirou became distracted by observing the changes he had brought to the Underworld by participating in the Civil War.
The Sitri House was located further away from the other districts of the remaining Seventy-Two Pillars, and in honor of Serafall's relationship with the Demon Marbas, many low-class Demons saved in the war had settled nearby.
"That's new," Sirzech said, impressed.
"New?" Rin asked curiously
"Most high-class demons prefer to keep low-class demons as far away from their mansions as possible; seeing low-class demons living so close to the Sitri mansion is rare," Sirzech explained.
All eyes turned to Serafall
"Hey, don't look at me! That's my parents' business!" declared the Maou.
Sure, her own home was also quite far away, but that was mainly because she was a Maou and her personal property was expected to be the size of freaking California.
Shops and residential areas run by low-class demons lined the way to Sitri's house, and with the air so tense around him, Xenovia, and Adelina, Shirou decided it was the perfect time to do some sightseeing.
"Tourism in Hell, isn't that the weirdest place you've ever done it?" Rin asked, looking at Shirou as if he were some kind of freak.
"If hell isn't the weirdest, what is?" Rias asked curiously.
"Possibly the land of shadows," Rin replied.
Shirou grimaced
That masked woman had beaten him up, then told him exactly what he had done wrong before beating him again.
It wasn't until weeks later that he was able to deliver a solid cut to her shoulder, blowing off her arm. She nodded in satisfaction and was expelled from the place.
He still wasn't sure how he ended up there in the first place, and according to Rin, he'd only been missing for about an hour at most.
"The land of shadows...forget it." Rias shook his head.
I felt it would be better not to know.
Night had already fallen, and the shops and houses were still illuminated by a magical light.
Vendors came out to promote their products with loud shouts, and families strolled idly past the display shelves.
"What a lively place." Saber couldn't help but smile nostalgically, recalling similar scenes from her youth.
Perhaps the most striking structure along the entire path to the Sitri house was the building-sized statue of the Hero Marbas, the Last Demon of the Underworld. It was impressively crafted from pure Diabolic Core, a conductive magical mineral that glowed brightly when magic was used.
"That's impressive," Sona said, looking at the statue in surprise.
The devil's core was scarce, incredibly scarce
Even a house as rich and powerful as the Sitri would suffer a considerable dent in its finances if it attempted to create a statue of that size with a core of pure devil.
Primarily used for creating weapons and armor, Shirou's face twitched at the mere sight of the Demonic Core that formed the statue. Seeing that the Demonic Core was just decoration, his inner blacksmith roared with indignation.
It was a waste.
"Wow, the poor demons who created that with such pride and care would start crying if they heard you," Akeno mocked.
"That wasn't my intention," Shirou quickly added.
It was just that... there could have been better uses for such a valuable material, right? Instead of using it on an undeserved statue, they could have created shields or armor to keep themselves safe.
Not on the statue of a fraud!
And yet, seeing how many low-class devils stopped to pay homage to the statue made him feel warm inside.
His actions were recognized by those he saved.
Shirou frowned at what his counterpart had said.
Recognized? What did that matter?
As long as I could keep them safe, that didn't really matter.
As Shirou, Xenovia, and Adelina passed by the statue, Xenovia maintained a neutral expression while Adelina watched the demons pay their respects. With a smile on her face, Adelina subtly placed bags of money from her personal collection, kept within a magic circle, into each family's account.
"How much is that?" Issei asked curiously.
The bags didn't exactly look lightweight.
"Too much for a simple handout," Sona's eyebrow twitched
Of course, it was nothing for someone like Adelina who managed the entire capital, but it was still a considerable amount of money.
Had anyone ever taught him how to manage his money?
Shirou didn't miss Adelina's actions and raised an eyebrow.
I wasn't against Adelina doing what she did, but the large amount she was giving wasn't exactly practical.
"That's a lot of bags." Even Rias was starting to think it was an exaggeration.
Noticing Shirou's raised eyebrow, Adelina's cheeks flushed before she looked away and murmured softly.
"They deserve it," he said stubbornly, despite having little money. Besides, he could still extort Lucas with a little persuasion.
"You're short on cash? Aren't you technically one of the most powerful women in the underworld? How can you be short on cash?" Azazel asked, astonished.
She managed one of the most prosperous economic centers in the underworld, the lands of the last true demon.
How did he manage to have so little money!?
As much as Shirou wanted to advise Adelina, he was too worried about hiding his face.
Given the accuracy with which the statue depicted him, he knew it would cause a stir if anyone saw it nearby.
"The statue isn't even necessary; many of the demons there were by your side during the fire, so they won't have any trouble recognizing you," Sirzech remarked with amusement.
"Yes, that too." Shirou sighed wearily.
Perhaps the best thing to do is project a cape? Although, with his luck, if he did, someone would recognize his projection ability.
It was with such thoughts that he quickened his pace, and Xenovia and Adelina had no trouble keeping up with him.
As he slowed his pace, he came upon a magnificent mansion that stretched across a vast estate. A fence enclosed the mansion, and above the main gate was the Sitri seal: three crosses joined by a U and completely surrounded.
"That thing is enormous!" Issei exclaimed in amazement
And he thought that the mansion Rias had built where his house used to be was big
"Well, it's the mansion of one of the pillars of the underworld, this is the least one would expect." Sona shrugged, slightly embarrassed.
He never liked to flaunt his wealth
Clearly, Serafall had arrived at her family's house much faster than Shirou and the others.
In the aristocratic circles of the Underworld, Serafall quickly invited the remaining Seventy-Two Pillars to her grand wedding, making sure to keep the news a secret. Serafall acted impulsively, but she wasn't foolish enough to let someone untrustworthy learn Shirou's identity.
"You know that can look really bad, right?" Sirzech had to point out.
It was probably expected that Serafall would remain single for the rest of her life; after all, she was the widow of the greatest hero of the underworld, and there were those who would consider her remarrying an insult to Lord Marbas's memory.
It was a bit stupid and old-fashioned, but that's how the underworld was.
"Since when do I care about that?" Serafall returned the question.
Sirzech nodded; that was a good point.
And after all, things would be sorted out once the groom's identity was revealed.
Just as Serafall had planned during the Civil War, her promise to Kuro to return to the Sitri House was in preparation for the wedding she had always longed for after Kuro's abrupt marriage proposal. Legally, she and Kuro were already married, but she wanted something grander to commemorate one of the most important milestones in her life.
An official marriage.
Rin and Saber's eyebrows trembled slightly
It was another world, they had to remember.
Initially, Serafall had planned to invite Shirou to the Sitri House after the matter concerning the Gods and the Alliance was concluded, but she abruptly changed her mind due to Xenovia's actions.
Serafall wasn't even thinking about future repercussions, but rather imagining herself and Shirou in wedding clothes.
"Will you wear a white dress?" Issei asked, confused.
"Issei," Rias scolded him, reminding him that he was talking to a Maou.
"Well, maybe white isn't for me, but black? Maybe red wouldn't be bad." Serafall placed a finger on her chin thoughtfully.
She could always go for reliable pink if she couldn't find anything suitable.
As busy as Serafall was, as soon as she returned to the Sitri house, Serafall and her mother busied themselves choosing the perfect wedding dress while Lord Sitri was forced to leave his own mansion.
Serafall completed all sorts of preparations in a matter of hours, and when Shirou and the others arrived, everything was ready.
"I've wondered about this before, but isn't your sister the most efficient demon in the underworld?" Rias asked Sona.
She was able to handle her duties as Maou, act, direct and produce her own magical girl show and still have time to visit Sona every week
And now she organized a huge wedding in a matter of hours!
"Yes, it's one of the things I envy most about her," Sona admitted with a touch of pride.
If only she used her skills for better things than magical girls and bothering her
A red carpet ran along the cobblestone path directly from the entrance of the Sitri mansion to the door, and on both sides lined rows and rows of butlers in black suits and frilly maids with their heads bowed.
Behind the maids and butlers, numerous red and gold canopies surrounded Sitri Manor, housing several high-class demons enjoying complimentary refreshments and drinks. Demons such as Lord Bael, Gremory, and Agares were even present.
"How were you able to summon so many important demons in a matter of hours?" Sona asked her sister incredulously.
Normally, these kinds of things were done months, if not years, in advance to make sure everyone was available!
"The perks of being a Maou," Serafall winked.
Directly at the front door to welcome Shirou and the others was a familiar face.
The man who had been Serafall's assistant in the Civil War, now the Sitri family's head butler,
The screen.
Serafall's mood soured slightly upon his appearance
Damn traumas
Allon had worn a mask and cape throughout the Civil War, and even now he was virtually the same. The only difference between then and now was that he had taken off the cape and put on a white-lined butler's suit.
"What's the mask for?" Issei asked, confused.
He thought it made sense during the war if he acted as some kind of spy, but why now?
"I never knew," Serafall shrugged.
I've always had that thing on for as long as I can remember.
Even when he was buried, they did so with the mask on, as it was something truly emblematic of him.
Shirou paused and stared, old memories surfacing in his mind as Allon took the opportunity to approach and open the main doors of the Sitri house.
“You’ve kept this old man waiting a long time, Lord Marbas,” Allon greeted, his head slightly bowed. There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, a distinct mix of mischief and relief. “I feared that the young woman I’ve watched grow up since her teens would never have children. You can’t imagine my pleasant surprise when Serafall told me of her return.”
"That might take a few tries," Serafall murmured to herself, her cheeks flushed.
Demons had a low birth rate, so they were going to have to try hard to get her pregnant.
Not that she was complaining, of course.
"Oh, excuse me," Shirou said with a stiff smile, glancing at Xenovia every now and then to see how she was coping. Unexpectedly, she was coping quite well, ignoring everything around her.
Ignoring Shirou's concerns about how Xenoiva was feeling, Allon suddenly stepped forward and temporarily pulled Shirou aside.
"Is this the moment when they threaten Shirou, telling him to take care of her or else she'll castrate him?" Rin asked jokingly.
"I've never been through that," Shirou said to himself.
Rin's parents died before they started dating, so she never had the chance to meet either of them.
And there was no need to mention those from Saber
"Well, Allon wasn't one to do that kind of thing." Serafall knew that the old man had approved of Shirou since the days of the war, and the only one who could do something like that was his father, but he wasn't foolish enough to try to threaten the ruler of the entire underworld.
Allon leaned forward and reached out to muffle his voice as he whispered in Shirou's ear.
"Take this and keep it close," Allon said cautiously, his eyes under the mask darting from side to side before he pulled a sealed bag with a pink heart symbol on it from his pockets.
"Is that an aphrodisiac?" Sona asked, one eyebrow twitching.
"Maybe it's Viagra," Rias scoffed.
"As if Shirou needed something like that," Rin snorted.
Sometimes it seemed as if it was she and Saber who needed some kind of stimulant to keep up with him
Even the times Sakura joined Shirou, he simply didn't seem to tire of it; sometimes he wondered if Avalon had something to do with it.
Subtly, Allon placed it in Shirou's hands and gave him a sacrilegious gesture. "I won't say how long it took Lord Sitri to complete this work, but this is the kind of thing that guarantees results. I've spent my entire fortune on this, so don't disappoint me and don't tell me where you got it. I promised Lord Sitri I would never divulge this matter!"
"Seriously?" Serafal's eyebrow twitched violently
"All your fortune?" Sona knew that the head butler of the Sitri household earned very well, better than many successful upper-class demons.
What things do I use to create that? Did I even want to know?
Allon moved away from Shirou and then placed his hands on Shirou's shoulders.
"This old man has placed all his hopes on you," Allon said, nodding once more, as he released Shirou's shoulders and walked away.
"Is that necessary?" Shirou asked, confused and embarrassed.
"Well, you'll need it if you want to keep up with Serafall," Sirzech joked.
"Don't believe me, she's the one who'll need help keeping up with Shirou." Rin felt annoyed at the suggestion that her boyfriend couldn't handle a demon.
"W-Wait, wait!" Shirou shouted, waving his hand forward due to Allon's sudden appearance of the matter.
Allon acted as if he had no idea what Shirou was talking about, tilting his head to one side.
"That old man, seriously?" Serafall felt the corner of her mouth involuntarily rise.
I really missed his mischief.
As much as Shirou wanted to hit Allon over the head, his interaction with Allon had not gone unnoticed by Adelina and Xenovia, and he would be doomed if he allowed either of them to see what Allon had given him.
Reluctantly, he put the bag in his pocket and didn't want to think about what it was for.
"That's going to blow up in his face later, isn't it?" Rias asked, extremely amused.
"She definitely will," Sona nodded.
He wouldn't be surprised if he ended up falling in front of his mother while greeting her or something like that
Allon, having observed Shirou's actions thanks to his years of experience in espionage, was deeply pleased at the prospect of finally being able to pamper his great-great-grandchildren. Serafall and Sona were already too old and independent for an old man like him to continue offering his services, but he still wished to pass on his knowledge to the next generation. With Shirou's reappearance, the problem that had plagued Allon for years was solved.
"How old is that old man?" Sirzech asked curiously.
"No idea, it was already there when I was born." Serafall shrugged.
Damn, he wouldn't be surprised if he'd been there when his father was born.
Allon was quite mysterious in that regard.
With ecstatic humor, Allon wasted no time in guiding Shirou and the others through the grand reception and directly into the Sitri House mansion.
Lady Sitri was already waiting by the stairs of the open ballroom, wearing a black ball gown with a silk hem. She wore long satin gloves on each arm and on her feet, a pair of matching obsidian-colored high heels.
"That's your mom!?" Issei exclaimed in amazement
Lucia was more like her older sister!
And those enormous breasts, they were even bigger than Serafall's!!!
"Issei! Stop drooling over Lady Sitri!" Rias scolded him again.
Sona's eyebrow twitched as she recalled how Saji had a similar reaction when he brought his peerage to meet his family
Why was she the only one in her family with small breasts? Not that I envied them or anything, but why did genetics decide to give her the middle finger?
Even her grandmother had huge breasts, only slightly smaller than her mother's. How was that fair?
From the moment Shirou entered, it was difficult to describe how radiant Lady Sitri's expression became. It was as if she couldn't stop smiling at him. After all the reports Lady Sitri had read about Allon in the Civil War and Serafall's personal accounts, her impression of Shirou was more than favorable. She found Shirou perfect; his status as the Last Demon was merely the icing on an already magnificent cake.
"I wouldn't say exactly perfect," Rin said in a doubtful tone.
"I thought you loved him." Xenovia looked at Rin curiously.
That didn't make it perfect for her
"Let me give you some advice, child. Loving someone doesn't mean that person has to be perfect. It means loving them even with their flaws, with their many, many flaws." Rin stopped drawing on her years of experience to advise her young apprentice.
"Many, many flaws?" Shirou asked with a wry smile
"I think I missed a few 'many' there, but I'll settle for that," Rin replied in a mocking tone.
"I see," Xenovia nodded, her eyes shining.
I had to write that down
In comparison, Lord Sitri, standing a short distance from his wife, was the complete opposite. He was dressed sloppily, his tuxedo a mess. Even his hair was disheveled, but he couldn't be blamed. Both Lady Sitri and Serafall had kept him out of the fitting rooms until the very last minute, leaving him no choice but to put on the first suitable clothes he could find.
"Don't they have more than one room with clothes in that enormous mansion?" Irina asked, feeling sorry for the man.
"It doesn't exactly work like that," Serafall chuckled softly. "We have them, my mom and I. My dad doesn't have as many clothes as you might think, and he had the bad luck of us taking the room where we kept everything he owned."
His father was a real minimalist; he had four suits and maybe five or six more outfits for various occasions, and he was happy with that.
The only thing she didn't skimp on was her shoes; her father loved good shoes and sometimes swore he had more pairs than she and her mother combined.
She even had a pair of platform shoes from the seventies that she wasn't sure where she got, but she wouldn't let anyone touch them.
Mr. Sitri was not at all pleased. Besides, as a father, why would he smile at the prospect of handing over his daughter?
"I understand perfectly." Grayfia nodded.
Any vixen who wants to date her precious Millicas in the future will at least have to be strong enough to defeat her in a fight
Lord Sitri muttered curses under his breath, but maintained a dignified expression. Even if he himself was unhappy, he could settle his personal scores as long as Serafall was. Seeing her in despair was more unbearable than letting her go.
Behind Lady and Lord Sitri stood Sona, wearing a simple white dress. It had few frills, but her dress featured long white fabrics that draped over her arms from the base of her shoulders.
"My little sister looks adorable! Don't you think?" Serafall shook Shirou, squealing with excitement.
"Yes, she looks very pretty." Shirou nodded.
"Stop," Sona murmured, blushing.
At that moment, Sona was trying hard to hide from Shirou's gaze, noticing the excitement on her mother's face. Her head was down, and the tips of her cheeks were beginning to flush with embarrassment.
Finally, Sona couldn't stand it any longer and began anxiously tugging at her mother's arm, hoping she would stop looking so anxious. This ruined the dignity Sona believed the Sitri family possessed, as her mother's enthusiasm could be misinterpreted as desperation.
"Any semblance of dignity your family had was destroyed years ago." Azazel chuckled softly.
Serafall, for some reason, puffed out her chest with pride.
"Just let me pretend we still have something." Sona sighed in pain, unable to deny her words.
Lady Sitri frowned.
"Calm down, Sona," Lady Sitri chided her. "This is your sister's big moment. What's wrong with being excited? I've been waiting for this for years!"
"Or believe me, I know," Serafall snorted, annoyed.
He had spent years trying to pair her up with someone to finally give her a grandson.
He glanced sideways at Shirou
Although, perhaps with luck he would fulfill his wish before leaving here
Upon hearing Lady Sitri speak, Lord Sitri, who thought similarly to Sona, immediately closed his mouth and pretended not to see Sona's pleading expression.
"You always looked more like Dad," Serafall sighed nostalgically.
I should visit them again when I got out of here; it had been a few months since I'd last seen them.
"Yes, I'm grateful for that," Sona said to herself.
Lord Sitri coughed into his hands as he addressed Shirou and the others.
"Welcome to the Sitri House," he said in a subdued voice, earning a nudge from his wife.
"Wow, I can feel your warm welcome even from here," Azazel said in a flat tone.
"Ouch, I swear I saw his ribs sink in a little." Issei had experience with that type of injury.
They weren't pretty
"Please, please, make yourselves at home!" Lady Sitri pushed Lord Sitri aside and quickly went downstairs to personally greet Shirou and the others.
Shirou's mouth twitched when he noticed Lord Sitri choking from how hard Lady Sitri had hit him, but he made no comment as he meekly followed Lady Sitri to a waiting room.
"Will he be alright?" Shirou asked worriedly.
"He'll heal himself. He's not known as one of the best healers in the underworld for nothing." Serafall shrugged.
I would live
"Wait here," Lady Sitri said hurriedly after seating Shirou and the others in a recliner. "I'll prepare some snacks."
Before Shirou could decline, Lady Sitri had already left, dragging Lord Sitri with her when she noticed his bad mood.
"As if you needed it," Sona muttered wearily.
A snap of his fingers and half a dozen servants would arrive with all sorts of appetizers ready to be enjoyed.
Sona stood back, stiff as she watched her parents leave before collapsing in defeat. Why was she the only normal person in her family? Sure, her father was practical enough, but he was useless in front of her mother.
"Well, I was quite rigid when I was younger too." Serafall still remembered spending entire days in the library reading boring books on history, mathematics, science, and anything else that was available.
I was lucky to have found that magical girl anime when I did, or I might still be a complete boring nerd.
Sona stiffened when her sister said that.
So she could one day...!?
With a sigh escaping her mouth, Sona entered the room where Shirou and the others were and found a seat not far away.
"I'm sorry," Sona said, almost sitting down. "I didn't expect my mother to act like this..." Sona remained silent.
"Don't worry," Shirou shook his head before falling silent, the series of events that happened one after another causing his mind to go blank.
"It hasn't exactly been a peaceful visit to the underworld, has it?" Sirzech thought, amused.
The battle against Poseidon's beast, Kuroka's appearance, the disaster with Adelina, Loki's attack, Xenovia's awakening, and now this
It was definitely one of those days
He had no problem with the revelation of an abrupt marriage since he had already set out to make everyone around him happy, but it was precisely because he wanted to make everyone happy that he found himself caught in a bind.
"Seriously, it doesn't bother you?" Kiba asked, looking at Shirou in surprise.
"As long as I can make everyone happy, I don't see the problem." Shirou shrugged.
Apparently, that part of his thinking was still inhuman.
"You say that, but I still don't see a ring on my finger," Rin complained.
"You are a truly sinful man, Shirou." Saber agreed.
Shirou just laughed, scratching the back of his neck
They were joking, right?
He frowned and looked at Xenovia guiltily. She hadn't said anything, but he could imagine the emotions she must be feeling at that moment. Even Irina should be considerate.
"Well, thanks for thinking of me," Irina complained.
She was the only one who was falling far behind.
That wasn't fair!!!
Just as he looked at Xenovia, she looked at him too.
Because of the amount of time they had spent together, it wasn't difficult for either of them to understand each other, and that's why Shirou quickly looked away, unable to maintain eye contact.
"Shirou, in this situation the least you can do is maintain eye contact," Saber scolded him.
"I think it's a little difficult with everything that's happened." It was in moments like this that she appreciated how good and easy her relationship with Rin and Saber had been.
Well, it really wasn't easy, but the difficulties they faced were of the kind they could fight head-on with their swords.
So in that sense I was grateful
Xenovia, for her part, was no longer thinking only of herself. At that moment, looking at Shirou, she realized it. As upset as she was about the situation, Shirou was the one who felt worse than she did. He was the kind of person who helped everyone regardless of the risk.
With his personality, it was impossible for any woman to be interested in him, and she'd be a fool to think otherwise. Besides, could Shirou live with himself knowing he was constantly causing pain to another woman who had fallen in love with him?
"In the end, Shirou will never settle for just one woman, will he?" Rin shook her head, letting out a dramatic sigh.
"Shirou is truly a sinful man, I feel sorry for all the young women who end up in his clutches." Saber agreed with a sigh.
"Stop talking about me like I'm some hopeless womanizer," Shirou complained.
He wasn't doing it on purpose, okay?
All night long, as he made his way to the Sitri House, he tried to put himself in Shirou's shoes and decide what he would do. Only when Shirou looked away, guilty, did he find an answer.
Instead of deepening his relationship with her and everyone else, he would probably leave to ease everyone's pain. The likelihood of this happening left her feeling empty.
"I wouldn't do something like that," Shirou said, worried about Xenovia.
What impression had it given him?
"You definitely would," Rin said, completely agreeing with Xenovia.
Shirou was the kind of insensitive man who believed that by leaving and eliminating the cause of the discord, everything would be resolved.
Once Rin said it, Shirou couldn't deny it; sometimes it seemed that she and Saber knew him better than he knew himself.
"In that case, it's good we're not fighting here." Serafsll hugged Shirou's arm
I was happy to share while I could!
"That's not fair, Shirou," Gabriel complained under his breath.
Xenovia simply nodded; she realized almost from the beginning that this was a losing battle, so this solution wasn't so bad.
What did it matter if she was the legal wife or the mistress if it meant Shirou would leave?
It wasn't worth it.
Xenovia bit her lip.
At this point she was sure that she had fallen in love with Shirou, and that the same could be said of Serafall and Irina.
"And don't forget Adelina and the dove here," Serafall added.
"Of course I love Dad!" Gabriel puffed out his chest with pride.
No one loved her father more than she did!
Michael laughed nervously, wondering if his sister was aware of the kind of love Serafall was talking about.
What mattered in a relationship was not the legal aspects, but staying together and encouraging the birth of children, a symbol of the love between a man and a woman.
"Maybe someday," Rin murmured, embarrassed at the thought.
He would like to have at least a solid position in the clock tower before trying to have an heir.
And of course, finding the mint that Saber also had one
She said it before, but she was by no means going to be the only one going to go through that
If that meant a happy future with Shirou, then she knew that she, Serafall, and Irina would have to come to an agreement.
"Of course," Serafall nodded in complete agreement.
"I've already resigned myself to it," Irina smiled ironically.
I needed a drink
It was with such thoughts that Xenovia looked up to see Serafall enter the waiting room.
Serafall wore a beautiful off-the-shoulder white wedding dress, with a veil draped over her face. She wore long, ruffled satin gloves that complemented her simple earrings.
"Well, who would have thought I look good in white?" Serafall whistled, impressed.
"That's what Mom chose." Sona had absolutely no doubt about that.
If it had been up to her sister, that dress would have been pink.
"But you look great, sister." Still, she had to admit that that expression looked wonderful on her older sister.
"Thank you!" Serafall squealed excitedly.
It was perfect!
She was bursting with excitement. Her wedding was in a couple of hours, just before midnight, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to contain herself. A deep blush spread across her face as she looked at Shirou, but it subsided somewhat when Xenovia suddenly stood up from her seat.
Xenovia's quick action attracted everyone's attention, but she didn't seem to mind.
"At this point, I wonder if any of the demons present could do anything if I really tried to stop her," Sirzech wondered.
The only one I saw having a chance against the current Xenovia was Serafall herself, and she would be at a serious disadvantage with that holy aura.
Hadn't Xenovia now become the most powerful human in the world?
Only behind Shirou, of course
Xenovia looked directly at Serafall.
Serafall sensed something different in Xenovia's gaze. She wasn't looking for confrontation or provocation, but rather a sense of urgency in her eyes.
"Well, I don't want it to disappear either," Serafall murmured contemplatively.
Now that I think about it, wasn't one of Shirou's goals to return to his world?
If that were the case, I would have to give him more reasons to stay than he had to leave. Perhaps he had Rin and Saber there, but they hadn't been together for as long as those here, so I might still have a chance to tie him down.
She herself, Xenovia, that Irina seemed serious, she couldn't forget little Adelina, the dove for once would be useful and she could rub her status as first wife in her face and perhaps that Kuroka still would have to do something about her status as a criminal first
And of course, we can't forget So-tan! She couldn't be missing!
Sona, without knowing why, had a horrible chill
Or rather, he knew who caused it, but he preferred not to think about it.
Serafall saw Xenovia completely as a rival, but at that moment, even she had to consider what Xenovia meant by that expression.
As far as Xenovia was concerned, a compromise had to be reached.
At least for Shirou's sake, and she was sure Serafall could understand her.
"Fine, but I'll be the head wife!" Serafall declared
"You can get married in hell if you want, Irina and I will have our wedding in the Vatican or maybe in heaven." Xenovia nodded, reaching an agreement.
"Yes, of course, let's get married right away." Irina had an ironic smile on her face at Xenovia's attitude.
Dating? Getting to know each other better? A long-term relationship?
Who needed those useless things?
"It's not fair, I'll be the one getting married in heaven!" Gabriel exclaimed angrily.
"Wow, Shirou, you'll be the first man to have three weddings in three worlds, aren't you happy?" Rin asked with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Please stop," Shirou sighed with resigned weariness.
Why him? What had he done?
It had to be something from that world; I didn't usually have those kinds of problems at home.
Huh? Why did Rin and Saber's gazes suddenly become colder?
"We need to talk," Xenovia said decisively.
Serafall frowned before looking at the time and frowning.
Xenovia's expression didn't change for a moment, and that's why Serafall felt influenced by her determination. At least she would listen to her.
"I suppose I have a few minutes before the wedding, speak up, concubine, this wife will listen to you," Serafall said in a comically haughty manner.
"You may be the first, but you won't be the only one," Xenovia replied without hesitation, without a moment's hesitation. "You won't even be the first to take her virginity," she declared.
She didn't care much about that; as long as she could give her virginity to him, she was fine with being the fourth to do so.
Serafall froze when they reminded her of that again.
Damn it, that would still be a sore spot
. Slowly, Serafall nodded her head, much to Shirou's disbelief.
He was about to stand up to mediate between the two, but stopped halfway.
Sona simply stared awkwardly while Adelina watched without blinking.
"Shouldn't you two join the discussion as well?" Serafall asked innocently.
"Why should I have to?" Sona asked, annoyed.
Again, he didn't like that idiot.
Being handsome wasn't enough for her
Not even if I had a cheese grater for a belly
Or he would have beaten him at chess...
Her blush didn't mean anything!
"My apologies for making you wait a little longer then," Serafall said politely to Shirou before she and Xenovia went to a separate room.
Left alone with Adelina and Sona, Shirou felt relief and apprehension at the same time that a fight would not break out as he feared.
"Still," Azazel corrected.
"Let's just hope we don't have to rebuild part of the mansion." Sona was being optimistic here because she knew that if those two started fighting, there wouldn't be a mansion left to rebuild.
And at that point she would accept that she was cursed so that every place she cherishes would be destroyed in a colossal battle between superpowers.
With his shoulders slumped, he went to sit down again in the recliner next to Adelina.
Sona stared at him, with traces of pity in her eyes.
"It seems you're having a hard time," Sona commented ironically.
"That's a good summary of my life." Shirou nodded listlessly.
"Poor thing, do you want me to comfort you?" Akeno asked lasciviously
"Please no," Shirou replied curtly.
He already had enough problems with his current ones without adding another.
He didn't answer. There was no need.
A minute passed, then two, and suddenly Sona burst out laughing at him.
"You really are different from everyone else, why don't you show me more of that side of you?" Rias pouted, pinching her best friend's side.
She was starting to get jealous
"Because if I did, I know you'd use it against me someday," Sona replied curtly, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Well, what else would I do?" Rias asked, legitimately confused.
Sona gave him a blank stare.
They were best friends for a reason.
He grimaced.
"It doesn't do you any good to laugh at the man you asked for a favor," she murmured.
"Now that I think about it, we still don't know what that favor is," Rias said thoughtfully.
"I don't think it's a big deal if Shirou is taking it so lightly," Rin shrugged.
Something related to the wedding, most likely
"No, no, everything should be fine," Sona said in a conciliatory tone. "As much as my sister may seem imposing when it comes to her relationship with you, she's actually a softie. How much heart do you think it took for her to go out in public for me in a Magical Girl costume?"
"More than I'd like it to have," Sona complained.
"All for my So-tan!" Serafall exclaimed excitedly.
Sona's words left him speechless, but they were not without evidence. He only had to recall the personality of the woman he had met in the Underworld Civil War, now his wife due to a series of events.
"You don't even know when they got married, do you?" Azazel said, trying to stifle his laughter.
"At least I have to suspect it has something to do with the seals." Shirou grimaced.
Since Serafall displayed them as a symbol of her marriage, that had to be a big clue.
His lips curved slowly upwards before Sona's words hit him again.
"By the way, are you seriously planning on going to your own wedding in your Kuoh Academy uniform?" Sona pointed at Shriou's current outfit and couldn't help but cross her arms in annoyance. "As much as my older sister irritates me sometimes, I think she deserves for you to at least look appropriate. Where's your effort?"
"I left my suit at home, in another world," Shirou replied curtly.
And let's not forget that the last time she wore formal clothes was a kimono years ago at Kiritsugu's funeral, so that definitely wouldn't suit her.
Perhaps he could try one of his father's suits, although he would have to adjust it; he had surpassed Kiritsugu in height some time ago.
He'd just have to make sure Saber didn't see him wearing it; the grimace she made when she saw one in the closet once told him enough about her opinion of him.
Shirou opened his mouth and slammed it shut just as he was about to say he was short on cash. As the leader of the Alliance between Heaven, the Fallen, and the Underworld, it would be a bad joke if he said he couldn't afford a simple suit.
"And you still have to pay for the priceless church artifacts you broke, don't you?" Rin mocked him.
"Yes, that too." Shirou decided to play along.
"No! You don't have to pay for anything. It was the fault of those defective devices for not being able to withstand Father's power," Gabriel rushed to clarify in a panic.
Rin and Shirou looked at each other
She was adorable
He was forced to hold his tongue, but perhaps because Sona was expecting such a thing, a group of maids was already by his side, blushing shyly.
"Follow the maids in my house, they will prepare a suitable outfit for you," Sona said, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Well, when I first met him he was practically naked most of the time, so I doubt I care about his clothes, but thanks, So-tan!" Serafall hugged her sister enthusiastically.
"It would be a disgrace to the Sitri and Marbas houses if the last true demon of the underworld were to arrive at his own wedding wearing a school uniform," Sona tried to justify herself as she pushed her clingy sister away.
"Then you have my thanks," he said earnestly.
He stood up and walked towards the group of maids who were timidly keeping their distance from him.
He didn't know it, but the legend he created in the Underworld as the Last Demon of the Underworld had put him in the position of the number one bachelor that all the she-devils secretly fantasized about.
"Hey, what do you mean, single?! He's my husband! I have his seal! Keep your claws off him!" Serafall exclaimed, completely enraged.
They were about to have a formal ceremony, all for the love of Satan!
As Shirou approached, none of the maids dared to utter a sound. Being servants of the Sitri family, they knew Shirou's true identity, and many were too self-conscious to interact with him.
Sona had a feeling that Serafall would throw a fit if she found out that so many women were secretly fantasizing about her man, but for the moment, Sona was content with what she had.
"And why aren't you doing anything?" Serafall asked her little sister, seeing that she was fully aware of what was happening.
"It's not like either of them would act on it, so why not let them have their crush?" Sona retorted.
"Have you seen that heartbreaker? Just give him a few minutes with them and they'll forget their vows!" Serafall still wasn't convinced.
He couldn't let his guard down for a single moment!
Shirou wanted to retort that he wasn't so bad, but Rin and Saber's glares kept him silent.
The maids whispered heatedly among themselves, but one voice put an end to all discussion.
"Enough," Adelina spoke for the first time since arriving at the Sitri house.
"That's it, Adelina! Protect my husband!" Serafall encouraged
"I don't think he'll do it for you," Sirzech remarked.
"Silence, Mérida!"
Adelina nodded to Sona before staring intently at the maids.
With the Sitri family preparing such a grand wedding, it was only natural that a custom-made suit would be commissioned for Shirou, which involved taking measurements. And that meant the maids would have access to their Lord's body .
"A custom-made suit?" Shirou wondered how much that would cost.
Especially considering the extremely fine fabrics they would likely use
He had no illusions that they would use something cheaper.
"You can see but you can't touch," Serafall growled.
If anyone were to give that sexy ass a first pinch, it would be her!
Thinking in those terms, Adelina felt suffocated inside because she didn't want to openly admit her envy.
"You can't play either!" Serafall hastened to declare
Ugh, couldn't it have been So-tan who did that? At least I could trust her.
And even if she couldn't, she wouldn't mind if she touched the merchandise; she was her little sister after all.
As if reading her thoughts, Sona gave Serafall a flat look.
Never again
Demons were individuals guided by their emotions and Adelina was no different, only she had an image to maintain.
Unable to speak out of shame, she crossed her arms and exuded a cold aura. How could she allow women her lord didn't even know to experience such a blissful moment when she herself hadn't yet had one?
"Wow, you're really repressed, aren't you?" Azazel asked humorously.
I would tell her to find someone else to sleep with, but I'm sure for her, her first and last choice would be her lord, her lord and only her lord.
And if Shirou really did return to his world at the end of the story, it's very likely that the poor girl would die a virgin.
Terrible fate
His face darkened even more.
With the many years of interaction Sona had with Adelina, she quickly understood the root of Adelina's behavior and intervened.
"I'll do it myself then," Sona said, getting up from her seat and dismissing the maids who left disappointed.
"Well done, So-tan! For your good deeds, I'll give you the first pinch of that sexy butt," Serafall declared.
He would be satisfied with the first bite
"What was that for?" Shirou asked when he felt Rin pinch him.
"Nothing, I just felt like I don't do that as much as I should," the mage replied, clenching her fist in front of her.
As steadfast as ever
"Hey! That's not fair!" Serafall protested.
"I'm not going to pinch anyone," Sona sighed.
Why did that suddenly become so important?
Adelina stared at Sona, but felt safer knowing that Sona and her lord could technically be considered family.
"Wouldn't that make him even sexier?" Azazel asked.
"No, definitely not," Sona replied coldly.
Not all of them were perverts who wanted to sleep with his sister like him
"Wait here," Sona told Adelina as she pulled Shirou by the arm. "We'll come back when the suit is ready."
Saying that, Sona left with Shirou towards the Sitri family's main dressing room.
The whole place was filled with rows and rows of silk fabrics, dresses, suits; there was everything imaginable. The interior alone probably cost a fortune.
"Is that dress literally made of emeralds?" Rin asked, gaping at the intricately woven dress of beautiful, finely cut emeralds.
"That old thing? It was just a whim of Mom's. In the end, she didn't like how it reflected the natural light in our home, so she never used it again after the first time," Serafall replied, as if it were nothing important.
Rin's eyebrow trembled
Do you know what I could do with those expertly cut jewels!?
Overall, it made Shirou's thoughts about his former assets seem insignificantly small.
"Please, could we have Bill Gates bring us coffee every morning?" Sona adjusted her glasses, declaring it a fact.
The mere attempt to quantify their wealth through human comparison was already ridiculous.
"I can see that," Rin muttered through gritted teeth.
I was starting to think I was renting Shirou too cheaply.
Sona led him to the center of the room, where she made him stand on a small podium before taking out a set of measuring tapes.
He did as she instructed when he removed his outer clothing and extended his arms and legs while she meticulously took the appropriate measurements.
"Boo~, take everything off!" Serafall booed
At least she could have stayed in her underwear, right?
The whole process was silent, and the sensation of Sona's fingers on her skin was somewhat cool. The sensation itself was quite pleasant, like a cool breeze on a hot day.
"Thank you?" Sona asked curiously
Were his fingers cold? They had never said that before.
While Sona worked around him, he took the time to study her, noticing that she occasionally frowned despite the joyous occasion of her older sister's wedding.
It was only when Sona finished her measurements that he brought up the matter with her.
"Is something wrong?" he asked as he got dressed.
"Is something wrong? Well, I recently found out that my brother-in-law helped a terrorist wanted throughout the underworld to kidnap my best friend's tower," Sona replied with a blank stare.
"I...I'm really sorry," Shirou apologized, looking at Rias and Koneko. He had really messed things up there.
"Okay, it doesn't seem like she's going to do anything to my Koneko, so we have time to find her." Rias sighed worriedly.
She couldn't even get angry with Shirou because she knew he did it believing he was doing the right thing; she couldn't say she would have acted differently if she had been in his place.
"Give me my cakes and we'll be fine," Koneko replied simply.
Sona seemed startled when he first asked, but quickly smiled ironically.
"You know, it was probably that quality of helping others that made my sister fall in love with you, really," Sona said, shaking her head conspiratorially. "You're such a good person. Have you ever thought about whether you're interfering too much before you speak?"
"No, believe me, he doesn't," Rin replied before Shirou could say anything.
"That explains so many things," Irina reflected thoughtfully.
Shirou closed his mouth
If he could help, he didn't mind being treated like a busybody, so it wasn't a lie either.
"Okay, fine?" he said, scratching the back of his neck shyly. "That doesn't mean I don't want to help if I can."
"You haven't changed at all in that respect, Shirou." There was a hint of pride in Saber's tone.
That incurable quality was one of the reasons that led her to fall in love with him
Apparently, no matter how much that God tried to change Shirou, deep down he would always be the same.
Sona blinked before letting out a forced smile.
"You really know how to make me jealous of my own sister," Sona muttered reluctantly. Firstly, it was Shirou who had beaten her in a game of chess, and therefore, Shirou should have been her boyfriend. Unfortunately, with subsequent events, this little detail about Sona's future husband was relegated to the background, and only Sona could dwell on the matter.
Sona was distracted; her love life wasn't what was worrying her at that moment.
Serafall shifted uncomfortably
For a second I'd forgotten, but technically she stole her sister's fiancé, right?
I wasn't sure how much Sona liked Shirou, but she definitely didn't seem to mind the idea of marrying him, judging by what they could see, and who knows what was going through her head.
Perhaps she was even excited by the prospect
And she had snatched it away from him.
"So-tan yo-"
"Please don't," Sona interrupted before she could say anything. "Shirou is nice, okay? And if he were single, he'd be a great catch too, but I'm sure I didn't 'fall in love with him at first sight' or anything like that. Maybe it's a small disappointment, but it's nothing that would devastate me like it would you, so again, don't apologize."
How could she compare a minor heartbreak to how devastated her sister looked when Shirou 'died'?
"...Just as I thought, it would be best to prepare a dress for you too; it will be the Sitri sisters' wedding!" Serafall exclaimed after a moment's reflection.
"What part of my speech led you to that conclusion?!"
It was something more urgent. And perhaps getting Shirou to help her would ease her mental burden.
"Look, Shirou, it's like this," Sona began, tucking a strand of hair behind her left ear. "What do you know about the events surrounding the Young Demons' Gathering?"
"Nothing, if he's that calm." Rin had no doubt about it.
In fact, she bet all her jewels that as soon as she found out what she'd done, she'd run away, abandoning her own wedding to go and rescue that brat.
The question took Shirou by surprise, but he knew enough about the importance of the event to answer Sona's question.
It was the fact that Sona mentioned the Young Demons Meeting in the first place that caused him a sudden feeling of apprehension.
I just want to save my little sister.
"At least you're connecting the dots," Koneko said dryly.
It took him time
He shook his head. Surely it couldn't have been that casual?
"Honestly, Shirou, near the end of the first day of the meeting, something happened to Rias and her peerage that has left her consumed by guilt," Sona sighed, thinking of her friend. "I'm afraid that if nothing is done, Rias's chances of winning her qualifying match tomorrow will be virtually nonexistent."
"I don't care about that fight, I just want to get Koneko back," Rias declared with a frown.
Of course he wanted to win, to reach the top and be one step closer to becoming the king of Rating Games
But he would throw all that away without a second thought if he could get his beloved Koneko back.
"Are Rias and the others alright?" he stammered. The bad feeling he had was only intensifying.
Sona nodded. "To tell the truth, none of them were hurt, as the enemy didn't seem to intend to seriously harm them. However..." Sona paused and looked directly into Shirou's eyes to convey the gravity of the situation.
"And here it comes," Koneko said. For some reason, she felt a great curiosity about Shirou's reaction when he found out what she had done.
"Rias's tower, Koneko, was forcibly knocked out and taken away."
Please, I need your help.
When Sona finished speaking, he froze for a moment before pretending that nothing was wrong.
"You know, in hindsight it should have been obvious, I mean, how many girls with cat ears do you know?" Azazel asked.
"I don't know the structure of the underworld. As far as I know, those kinds of traits are common, or at least not rare." Shirou shook his head.
Having met Koneko and Kuroka in a relatively short time, he could subconsciously assume that the cat girls were some kind of underworld demon or something like that
That didn't absolve him of guilt, but it was good to reflect on his thoughts and mistakes to make sure he didn't repeat them.
He already knew the culprit.
How could I not?
He was the one who helped her.
Thinking about it, he realized how deep he'd dug himself into a hole he'd created. One he'd have to climb out of within a day at most, lest Rias lose her chances at the Young Demons' Gathering. With the wedding scheduled for a couple of hours from now, his only priority was how to pull it off.
"Are you seriously planning to leave me standing at the altar?" Serafall asked, looking at Shirou expectantly.
"I'm sorry." Shirou didn't even bother to pretend he wouldn't if necessary.
"You're lucky to be so handsome," Serafall grumbled.
She assumed that this was what she accepted when she fell in love with this guy.
And that was perhaps the most difficult question to answer.
He was acting stupid and he knew it.
In fact, he had slipped away from his own wedding hours before the scheduled date, but what other choice did he have? If he waited until after the wedding, Serafall wouldn't let him get away to give him the time he needed to contact Kuroka and reach an agreement.
"I knew it," Rin murmured to herself.
Considering the number of Lords of the Seventy-Two Pillars that House Sitri had invited to the wedding reception, leaving undetected had been more difficult than he had expected.
However, with God's help to conceal his aura, all he could do was slip away, avoiding people's gazes. Thanks to the enormous size of the Sitri mansion, he managed to escape undetected after a grueling twenty minutes.
"Fine! Whatever, run, but you'd better be back before the votes!" Serafall exclaimed, pointing angrily at Shirou.
"I'll do my best," Shirou promised.
"At least lie to me and say you'll do it," Serafall complained.
At that moment, he was pulling twigs and brambles off the suit Sona had just measured and made for him after crawling face down through the Sitri Gardens. Inwardly, he apologized to Sona for his carelessness with her suit.
"At least make sure you save Koneko." Sona sighed resignedly.
Nor had she done much besides take the measurements
The bespoke suit fit him perfectly; the fabric never pulled or was too big. He wore a red tie around his neck, embroidered with the joint symbol of the Houses of Sitri and Marbas in gold thread.
Honestly, the only reason he was able to avoid Adelina, Serafall, Xenovia, and Sona was the privacy he'd gained by putting on his new suit. Sona led him to a fitting room and probably became suspicious because of how long he was taking.
When she discovered that he was gone, she would probably be speechless.
"Of course, what am I supposed to tell my sister when I realize the boyfriend ran off right in front of my eyes?" Sona complained.
It also wouldn't be difficult to connect the dots and realize that he fled right after she told him that Koneko had been kidnapped.
"You'll have to make up for it and become the boyfriend yourself," Serafall retorted with mock anger.
So-tan in a suit? It wasn't bad, but perhaps a white dress would suit her better.
"Please come back quickly," Sona pleaded urgently.
He couldn't even be sure his sister was joking.
It was just one more thing he would have to apologize to Sona for, but he would make it up to her.
As soon as she left the Sitri estate, she rummaged through her pockets for the ornament Kuraka had left her to contact her. Meanwhile, she tried to think of something to say to convince Kuraka to return Koneko. Worse still, she had to do it within a limited time. If the time came, she would prioritize her wedding above everything else.
"Seriously?" Rin asked, incredulous.
"No, at least not me," Shirou replied.
If I had to choose between attending his wedding with Rin or Saber or saving someone, I would definitely choose the latter.
That's who he was.
I owed Serafall for waiting so long.
"You owe me more than just a wedding, that's why mmh!" Serafall retorted.
However, the situation with Kuroka seemed as if she was about to face an uphill battle.
If Kuroka resembled Taiga, her adoptive older sister, in any way, it would be extremely difficult to persuade her. Not when Kuroka feared for Koneko.
As she pondered the matter, the skin on the back of her neck began to prickle.
The presence of Divinity.
"Really? Right now?" Issei asked, feeling sorry for Shirou
How much bad luck could that man have?
"Another god is coming to attack so soon?" Azazel questioned, confused.
They must have seen the fight with Loki, right? So why would they do something so stupid knowing they can't win?
He put the cat paw-shaped ornament in his pocket and abruptly turned his gaze towards the night sky.
There was an invisible glow of power that completely covered the area and spread outwards like a fine vapor.
The skies began to tremble with the glow of an orange horizon as the area was sealed off.
"So, no reinforcements?" Michael muttered worriedly.
"Ha! Whoever is going to use them will be the God who's doing this," Serafall declared with complete certainty.
And this time there were no hostages to take
Bum bum bum.
The roar of the drums.
The sound of the horns.
The smell of iron and ash permeated the air, the clinking of metal amplified the hymns of human agony. Of violence and conflict. Of hope and despair, in search of an ever-distant twilight.
"Violence and conflict" Azazel could already imagine what was coming
"A god of war." And Michael quickly voiced his thoughts.
A field of warriors, courage, and honor.
"This presence, this aura," God's voice echoed in Shirou's mind, with a hint of apprehension in its tone. " Gods with unlimited potential in battle."
"Gods? Like, in the plural?" Rias wondered if she heard correctly.
"Yes, gods," Xenovia confirmed without any concern.
After all, whether one or ten came, it wouldn't make any difference.
The ground began to tremble with the vibration of footsteps, light but impactful, reminiscent of a legion marching, a forgotten standard held high. Ghosts of imperial cohorts that once walked the earth, praying to their gods for victory.
The red feather of ancient Greece.
"Ares" Kiba swallowed hard
The Bronze Eagle of Rome, the Aquila.
"Mars" Azazel frowned
This could be problematic
. Two individuals fully clad in armor were approaching.
A man and a woman, each emitting an aura of bloodlust stronger than the other, and which only continued to grow.
"Is Mars a woman?" Issei asked in surprise.
Or was that Ares?
"At this point, I'm not even surprised anymore," Rin murmured wearily.
Masters of combat.
Progenies of brutality and bloodshed.
Those whose power qualified them as giants even among the gods.
At first they were weak, but the longer the battle went on, the stronger they became.
"Then the best strategy to defeat them is to eliminate them as quickly as possible." Saber frowned thoughtfully.
It was simple in theory, but I didn't imagine it would be the same in practice.
After all, 'weak' was a relative term when talking about a deity
"Gods of War."
Those who were less likely to agree on an alliance.
"And couldn't you just tell them that the alliance is to face possibly the worst war in history?" Issei suggested
"I don't think they'll listen to me right now." Shirou shook his head.
Those kinds of hot-blooded beings needed a good beating to cool their heads before they could talk
I knew it; I had faced those kinds of opponents before.
Shirou's expression hardened when he felt both individuals staring at him.
Sharp, serene, it seemed as if their eyes could fix on a person, but what they saw was not a human as they expected, no. It was something else.
It was steel .
"Of course, after all, his body is made of steel," Rin joked.
"I really feel like I'm missing something important here," Serafall muttered, annoyed.
It was like some kind of joke she wasn't part of, and she didn't like feeling excluded.
An inflexible steel like only the two of them had seen in themselves.
Forged in fire, tempered in combat.
What was in front of them was not a human.
Not a single mortal.
But what appeared to be a fellow God of War.
"Father is the God of everything, therefore also of war," Gabriel declared as if it were obvious.
"But Shirou isn't even using God's powers there," Serafall pointed out.
So this wasn't something from God or Angra
It was something Emiya Shirou himself did.
The image of the bronze horizon created by the aura of the two Gods of War seemed to change, momentarily reflecting monolithic gears and a desolate hill of swords influenced by the aura that Shirou constantly emitted.
"That...that's not fatherly," Michael said, perplexed.
What was that...that world?
A land more devastated by war than any battlefield God had ever seen.
The expressions of the Gods of War wavered momentarily.
"You made a god of war waver just with your presence?" Azazel asked Shirou, dumbfounded.
What the hell, man?
Shirou just shrugged
Few were able to perceive his marble of reality when it was not unfurled, and those who had had reacted similarly.
It was a world inside a human being.
An armory larger than any other.
"That's where you store all your weapons, right? The blueprints for your swords?" Sona theorized, looking at Shirou.
"That's not a lie," Shirou replied.
Although
Not entirely true either
NDT/A: I have a problem with Hazbin Hotel, and that is that I can't feel any tension or real danger for the protagonists because of a tiny, insignificant detail
His name is Lucifer
Seriously, do they expect me to believe that Box is a threat when the fucking king of hell is literally two rooms away?
And with all the lore they gave us in Helluva Boss, the Overlords are just getting lower and lower on the Hazbinverse scale; I simply can't take them seriously as a threat.
It's the equivalent of a cartel in Mexico deciding it's badass enough to declare open war on the United States!
Personally, when the first season ended, I speculated that at the beginning or middle of the second season, Heaven would come to take Luci away and judge him for Adam's death, thus removing him from the picture for a while or something like that. But as things are going, it seems that no one really cared about Adam's death.
Except for Lute, but she seems more of a threat to Emily and Sir Pentious than to Charlie.
So is there something I'm missing?
NDT/A: And before we finish, we can't leave without mentioning the art of our beloved Adrianezequielg
I also want Marbas to make me armor.
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