Meanwhile, at the Corefury HQ, Klaus finally returned after completing his mission. Seeing him, Astrea said,
"Oh Klaus, you're finally back! How are you? Are you okay? Did someone attack you?"
Klaus replied, "Astrea, what are you doing here?"
Roy said, "Wellllll, someone was worried about you, so your brother came to make sure you weren't dead yet."
Meanwhile, at the capital, Lucifer said,
"I accept the challenge. It will definitely be fun."
Asten nodded. "It'll be a good chance to stretch your muscles a bit."
Lucifer smirked. "Yes, and as a reward for the victory—the nation of Mutou will be ours as well."
Asten replied, "Regardless of what we gain, the main reason we accepted is because we can't let a challenge slide."
Lucifer said, "Don't worry. I'll be there tomorrow in time for the challenge."
Asten said, "Good to know."
Herald added, "Lucifer, it's good to see you agree. But don't take this lightly. Even if our chances of winning are high, underestimating the enemy has led to the downfall of more people than actual enemies ever have."
Lucifer nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
Asten said, "Well, tonight at 7, we'll have a banquet to mark the occasion of the challenge. Lucifer, Licht, Alysa—you three should be there."
Lucifer replied, "Sure."
They all returned to Corefury HQ. Lucifer said,
"Astrea, Masaki, Anew—you three are coming with me to tonight's banquet."
Astrea blinked. "Wait—what, sir?"
Licht said, "Roy, Klaus—you two are going to be my escorts for the banquet."
Roy groaned, "What banquet?"
Lucifer replied, "Something happened, and there's a banquet at the castle tonight. You five are coming with the three of us.
And Alysa—take these two idiots shopping for clothes."
A few hours later, everyone assembled in front of the Royal Castle in the capital.
Alysa said, "Sorry we're late. It was a bit of a hassle finding the right size for Masaki."
Masaki muttered, "Well, sorry about that..."
Lucifer said, "Alright then—let's head in."
Inside, they saw many important figures: diplomats, the other 7 captains, the King, and the Grandmaster himself.
The Grandmaster greeted, "Hello, Astrea."
Astrea and Klaus both said, "Hello, Uncle."
Anew shouted, "Wait—Astrea! You know him?!"
Astrea nodded. "Yeah—he was Dad's friend. He's our uncle. He visited us after Dad passed away."
Anew panicked. "Astrea! Klaus! You two need to kneel!"
She immediately forced them to kneel before Asten.
Astrea and Klaus protested, "Hey—Anew, what's the big idea?!"
Anew scolded them,
"You don't know who this is? He's the Grandmaster of the Knighthood, and you're just calling him uncle?! That's disrespectful!"
Astrea and Klaus chorused, "Whatttt?!"
Asten chuckled. "Well, I suppose you two didn't know. Plus, no need for formalities—
You two are the closest thing I have left to family."
Suddenly, a strange man and a group of people joined them.
"So... you're Lucifer?"
Lucifer replied, "You must be Draince."
Draince grinned. "Yeah, that's me. I'm the top dog from Mutou."
Lucifer said, "Good for you. Now go bury a bone somewhere."
Draince growled, "Are you challenging me?"
Lucifer smirked. "No. It won't be a challenge—just a bit of timepass.
What can I say? Sometimes people reach their hands a bit too high."
Draince snarled, "If you're really that strong, then let's have a little sparring match now."
Lucifer replied, "Sure."
Asten cut in, "That's fine—but remember, no killing, no moral injuries.
You also can't use your magic attributes—just a mask of Ifrit and a wooden weapon of choice. Understood?"
Draince: "Understood."
Lucifer: "Understood."
Draince said, "I'll use a greatsword and wear my personal Mask of Ifrit—Mythical Model: Dis Pater, god of mineral wealth and agricultural fertility."
Lucifer said, "I'll take the Mask of Ifrit: Model Orpheus. And my weapon?
A guitar will be more than sufficient."
As the match began, Draince declared,
"Crystal Magic: Birth of Fertile Strength!"
"Crystal Magic: Crystal Strike!"
Small, flying crystals shot toward Lucifer—
But Lucifer strummed his guitar, and the sound waves shattered all the crystals mid-air.
Lucifer said, "Is that all?"
Draince growled, "Crystal Magic: Enhance Object!"
He coated his wooden broadsword with a thick layer of crystal.
Lucifer said, "Oh? Seems like you're not just bark after all."
"Sound Magic: Sonic Disks!"
Black disks appeared and circled him.
As Draince moved to strike, Lucifer said,
"Sound Magic: Burst!"
A powerful sound wave exploded from Lucifer's guitar, sending Draince flying and shattering his sword.
Asten announced,
"This concludes the match. The battle is declared a draw.
The Conqueror's Challenge will be held tomorrow at 11 AM in the Gladiator's Finale."
As everyone left, Lucifer said,
"Licht. Alysa. I want to see you both tomorrow at 6 AM."
Licht asked, "Is it... near Faust's graveyard?"
Lucifer nodded. "Yes."
The following morning, everyone assembled in front of the House of Faust.