The white linen shirt fell over his shoulders with the ease of someone who had repeated that gesture a thousand times.
The mirror built into the wardrobe reflected a man whose gaze carried a weariness that didn't stem from the physical, but from ages. And yet, he smiled.
Or pretended to smile.
That was how Kazuya saw himself as he faced the reflection of his current body in the mirror.
He let out a tired sigh. It had been an hour since he left the kitchen and came to the bedroom, determined to shower and get ready.
The commitments that afternoon required him to be, at the very least, presentable.
He was going to meet Azazel.
Earlier, when Jalter and Jeanne brought him the communication spell that Raynare used to contact Grigori's higher-ups, he didn't waste time. He immediately used the spell to establish contact and request a meeting with Azazel, introducing himself as the current wielder of the Boosted Gear. As expected, the leader of the Fallen Angels showed immediate interest, especially after Kazuya mentioned he wished to discuss business.
The meeting was scheduled for late afternoon.
His goal was clear: gain access to Azazel's research on Sacred Gears and, at the same time, establish a political alliance between Grigori and his own organization, still in its infancy, which he decided to call, simply and symbolically, Chaldea. The name carried the same purpose as the organization from his past life: to prevent the extinction of the human race. In other words, to ensure humans didn't end up at the bottom of the racial hierarchy or reduced to mere tools due to the immense potential they held because of the Sacred Gears left to them by the Biblical God.
It might seem contradictory, after all, he already possessed enough power to subdue most supernatural factions and feared none of them. However, there was a strategic reason behind political alliances.
When someone with absolute power emerges, inevitably, the other forces unite to eliminate them—it was an almost unavoidable dynamic. One need only look at what happened to Madara and the alliance of the five shinobi nations: the fear of imbalance leads to the union of even the most unlikely enemies. Although in this world such a union was far less feasible due to the deep-seated conflicts among the various factions, it was still a possibility.
That was why "politics" was necessary—to become allies with some forces and eliminate those that would become his enemies behind the scenes in the future.
Of course, to achieve this, he would still need to reveal his power to the world as soon as possible. Among his most ambitious goals was defeating one of the ten most powerful beings on the planet. Not only as proof of his strength but to earn the kind of respect—or fear—necessary for his actions to be taken seriously.
He needed that status.
He needed them to know they weren't dealing with someone ordinary.
That was exactly why he still got involved with Rias Gremory after being reborn, even after learning about her situation. That choice was part of a larger plan and also explained all the pretense of acting like an ordinary student, just to naturally draw Rias's attention.
By suddenly leaving Kuoh Academy, he knew he would put the demons on alert, especially given his position as the "future slave prepared by the Demon King for his sister."
He waited, patiently, for Rias to come looking for him, and when that finally happened, he humiliated her cruelly. The humiliation, however, wasn't gratuitous: its purpose was to provoke Rias, forcing her to confront him in battle so he could defeat her and provoke her older brother to seek revenge. However, her servants ended up getting more involved than he had anticipated.
Still, he wasn't bothered. In fact, he figured it might even help reinforce his plan. Their presence—powerful, completely unknown figures near the territory of Sirzechs's "beloved little sister"—would certainly attract attention. And, to top it off, they were directly linked to the slave he had left prepared for Rias.
The combination of factors was perfect to stoke the overprotective brother's concern and ensure Sirzechs would take action.
He could predict exactly how the rest of the chain of reactions would unfold: Rias would tell everything to Grayfia, who, in turn, would pass the information to Sirzechs. And Sirzechs, driven by his unconditional love for his sister, would inevitably show up to confront him.
And that was exactly what he wanted.
A chance to face one of the most powerful beings in the world and personally beat that redhead, not only as a demonstration of strength but as an outlet for all the resentment built up from being a slave to a spoiled girl.
And that, he would never forgive.
Despite his kindness and sincere desire to do what was right in his own way, there was something he simply couldn't let go of: resentment. Given everything he had experienced in his first life, perhaps it was understandable. No matter how much he tried to move forward, to help, to build something better… forgetting wasn't so simple. And forgiving, even less so.
But setting those thoughts aside, Kazuya finished buttoning his shirt with calm, automatic movements. The linen fit perfectly over his meticulously sculpted body, as if the fabric knew exactly where to fall and where to accentuate. He raised the collar and adjusted it, more out of habit than necessity. His still-damp hair dripped rebellious droplets onto his nape. A second later, he grabbed the blazer draped over the armchair in the room and tossed it over his shoulders with a flick of his wrist, without even looking. The movements were fluid, almost too beautiful for someone who insisted on denying any vanity.
Then he cracked his neck. The sharp sound that echoed through the room was almost a physical relief.
He furrowed his brow.
"Hm…" he murmured, turning his face toward the staircase as if something had pinched his cheek.
And then, as if the world wanted to answer his intuition, the doorbell rang.
It wasn't anything dramatic, just the clean, clear sound of a modern bell cutting through the house.
He blinked once, slowly.
"Of course it would be now."
He could sense two powerful presences outside the gate. He didn't need to see them to know; he could almost guess who they were.
It could only be Sirzechs and Grayfia.
They were the only ones who made sense at that moment. He seriously doubted that Sona and Tsubaki had a power level comparable to what he was sensing outside. Besides Rias, Sona was the only one who knew where he lived… and, come to think of it, it made sense that she had already passed that information to Grayfia at some point. After all, he highly doubted that prideful, spoiled princess had swallowed her pride to directly ask her brother's [Queen] for help in investigating what was going on.
Well… it was happening sooner than he expected. But that was fine. The only annoying part was that he wasn't exactly dressed for a fight, nothing suitable for the "event" approaching, since he was dressed for a meeting.
Still, he didn't care.
He cracked his neck calmly, and a faint smile formed on his lips.
There was something about this kind of situation that he secretly enjoyed.
The fact that he would finally have the chance to beat that damned redhead, the bastard who had caused him so many problems, made it even better. It was almost cathartic. It didn't matter if he was dressed for it or not… this was personal.
Taking a deep breath, he descended the first steps unhurriedly.
The afternoon light filtered through the wide windows, casting soft shadows along the corridor walls as he approached the staircase.
That's when he saw her.
Scáthach was there, casually leaning against the railing on the lower floor. Her black sweatpants and long-sleeved gray shirt contrasted with the natural majesty of the warrior. Her eyes were fixed on the front door or, more precisely, on the gate beyond it.
Kazuya stopped halfway down the stairs and descended the rest in silence, his eyes on her the entire time. As he reached the last step, he stopped behind her. He stepped closer until his fingers nearly brushed the light fabric of her shirt.
He leaned in slightly, his mouth close to her ear.
"What are you doing, Shishou?" he asked in a low, almost intimate voice.
Scáthach didn't move immediately. She simply replied calmly.
"I was training a bit when I sensed a disturbance in the outer barriers of the property. Someone tried to breach the protection. They didn't break through, but they left a signature. I came to check it out myself…"
Now, she turned fully.
Scáthach's face was inches from his, and her crimson eyes met his with the intensity of a thousand eras of battles.
There was curiosity in them, yes, but also a deadly readiness that never faded.
"Need help with the two out there?" she asked, with a slight raise of her eyebrow. The question was serious, but the corner of her lips suggested a subtle tease, as if she knew exactly what his answer would be.
Kazuya watched her for a second, his smile growing.
"No." He brushed past her, his hand lightly grazing the fabric of her shirt. "But… feel free to watch. It might be fun."
He headed toward the door without rushing.
Scáthach merely followed him with her eyes, that half-smile still on her lips, before shifting into spirit form to follow and observe.
Meanwhile, Kazuya crossed the corridor with firm steps.
Upon reaching the entrance hall, he stopped.
Two figures were already waiting for him, as if they knew exactly what was coming. Ereshkigal stood in front of the door, her reddish-brown eyes fixed on the entrance, serene but alert. Beside her, Ishtar displayed her typical impatience: arms crossed, foot tapping lightly on the floor, and her gaze locked on the door, as if time itself was taking too long to pass.
The two had just returned from outside when they sensed the approach. Ereshkigal had been tending to the garden, as she often did when she wanted a moment of peace. Ishtar… had only gone along to have someone to tease. She was bored, and boredom in her always turned into provocation.
"Master, those two out there…" Ishtar said, noticing Kazuya's approach. She grinned at him, her voice carrying its usual arrogance. "Want this goddess to handle it?"
Kazuya raised an eyebrow but didn't respond immediately.
Before he could say anything, soft footsteps came from the direction of the kitchen. Skadi appeared first, serene and cold as always. Right behind her was Shuten-Douji, with a lazy smile and a bottle of sake in hand. The sweet scent of alcohol surrounded her, but her sharp eyes said she was far from distracted.
"Well, well, looks like we have visitors," Shuten said, her mellifluous voice carrying a tone of dangerous amusement. "And by the smell, they're… interesting visitors. Want me to welcome them with a bit of hospitality, Master?"
Skadi, on the other hand, merely observed Kazuya in silence, her expression impassive. The Norse goddess didn't need to say anything for her readiness to be felt; the air around her seemed colder.
Before Kazuya could respond, a soft light glowed in the corner of the hall, and Karna materialized. The Hero of Charity was as calm as ever, his face serene, but his eyes burned with an intensity that seemed capable of incinerating anything in its path. He tilted his head slightly, as if greeting Kazuya, and spoke in his firm, tranquil voice:
"If you wish, I can deal with them, Master. It won't be any trouble."
From the other side of the hall, coming from the living room, Jalter and Salter appeared. Jalter walked with quick steps, her black armor clinking lightly, her expression a mix of irritation and excitement. Her sword was already in hand, as if she could barely wait to use it. Salter, on the other hand, maintained a cold, controlled posture, Excalibur Morgan in her grip.
"If it's a fight, I'm in," Jalter declared, pointing her thumb at herself with an arrogant grin. "I don't care who they are, I'll burn them to ashes."
Salter merely shot a sharp glance at Jalter before fixing her eyes on Kazuya. "Give the order, and I'll destroy anyone who dares cross your path."
Behind them, Jeanne and Asia appeared more slowly.
"Master, do you need help?"
Finally, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from upstairs. Edmond Dantès, the Count of Monte Cristo, descended the stairs with a presence that seemed to swallow the light around him. His black cape fluttered lightly, and the smile on his face was both enigmatic and dangerous. He stopped at the top of the stairs, looking down directly at Kazuya.
"Master, as my accomplice, I don't believe you need my help. But if you wish…"
Kazuya observed each of them.
With a slow gesture, he raised his hand, asking for silence. The smile on his lips was calm, almost serene, but there was something sharp in it, something that promised restrained violence.
"I appreciate the offer," he said, his voice firm but with a hint of amusement. "But this is personal. Leave it to me. Feel free to watch if you want. But please… don't interfere."
His eyes gleamed for a moment, pinkish-red lines that sent shivers appearing in his pupils before vanishing as he smiled.
Kazuya spun on his heels, the blazer swaying lightly, and walked to the front door.
As he opened the door, the cool afternoon air enveloped him, and he sensed the two presences outside the gate once more.
It was time to settle his business with the Demons.
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(A/N: Guys, the next chapters will be the fight between Kazuya and Sirzechs with practically several twists and turns, if I divide it normally it will be about six chapters, but I decided to make two chapters of at least 5k, is that okay?)