The Friday afternoon was one of those that seemed hand-painted, with the sun spilling shades of orange and gold over the fields surrounding Kazuya's mansion.
A gentle breeze stirred the flowering vines that embraced the low walls of the property, and the lake to the right reflected the sky like a tranquil mirror.
The silence, broken only by the distant song of birds, was almost deceptive, considering what was about to happen.
At the gate, Sirzechs Lucifer and Grayfia Lucifuge stood still.
Grayfia, in her usual maid dress, pulled her hand away from the doorbell after a single ring, the sound still softly echoing through the air. Her face remained calm and cold, her red-gray eyes fixed on the gate, as if already anticipating who would come to meet them.
Sirzechs, at her side, wore an impeccably tailored black suit, with the collar slightly unbuttoned. His vibrant red hair gleamed like embers under the sunlight. The smile on his face was friendly, but his eyes, if one paid close enough attention, carried a certain restrained anger. And who could blame him? After what that boy had said to his little sister, it was only natural for the older brother to be filled with indignation and want to teach a lesson to the one who hurt her feelings.
But he wasn't there just as a brother. As a [Maou], he also bore the responsibility of finding out who those powerful people behind that boy were, as described in the report given by his wife, and, more importantly, what they were doing in Kuoh, demon territory. Though, deep down, that was just the justification. The truth was that he wanted to deal with the boy in his own way… as an older brother who saw someone hurt the one he loved most.
He wanted to try to convince the boy to become Rias's servant. It was a solution that, besides being part of his plans from the start, could be the key to freeing her from that damned arranged marriage. For that, Sirzechs was willing to offer some advantages, perhaps even more than necessary, especially now that he had realized the boy wasn't as ignorant of the supernatural world as he had thought when they first met.
Moreover, he possessed a [Longinus], and, if properly trained, it could become a powerful weapon at his sister's side. Of course, that depended on the boy's acceptance. Still, it seemed like a mutually beneficial trade and infinitely better than having to resort to more… extreme methods.
Because if he refused, well… there would be no other choice but force. And that was an option he preferred to avoid but wouldn't hesitate to use if necessary.
The automatic gate began to open with a low hum, the hinges moving with precision.
On the other side, Kazuya appeared, his broad shoulders under a black blazer, the white linen shirt impeccable. His blue eyes, clear as ice under winter light, fixed on Sirzechs. His white hair, deliberately tousled, fell over his forehead, and a faint smile, more provocative than welcoming, curved his lips. He stopped a few meters from the gate, hands in his pockets.
He paused for a moment before speaking calmly.
"I'm not going to invite you in, because as I told your little sister, she's not welcome here… When I said that, I was also referring to you, Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the four [Maous], and your wife, Grayfia Lucifuge… Was I not clear?" Taking his hand out of his pocket, he scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment and shrugged before continuing: "Well, I guess I wasn't *that* clear when I told her, but you should've interpreted it that way, since I have no interest in you demons…"
After saying that, he fixed his eyes on the two with a certain indifference.
Kazuya's eyes locked onto them with an indifference bordering on disdain, as if the presence of one of the most powerful beings in the world and his queen were merely a trivial annoyance. Sirzechs and Grayfia exchanged a brief glance, their surprise evident, though restrained. They had never been received with such rudeness, especially by someone who, in their eyes, was just a human with a [Longinus]. Arrogance? Ignorance? Or something more?
Before Grayfia could respond to the boy's harsh reception, Sirzechs stopped her with a simple gesture, raising his hand calmly. He tilted his head slightly, keeping the smile on his lips, though his eyes narrowed subtly but revealingly.
"Kazuya-kun, your way of receiving guests is somewhat justified considering what happened between Rias and you, but I assure you we're not here to cause trouble. We're here to talk, and I think it would be better for everyone if this conversation takes a reasonable path…"
Kazuya laughed, the sound low and dry, almost cruel.
"Ohhh? Interesting, you say a reasonable path?" He took a step forward, his eyes gleaming with resentment: "Freedom has always been the only luxury I've had. Not wealth, not power… just the right to come and go, to choose the direction of my steps, to make my own mistakes. And now, you want to take that from me like it's nothing. That's the reasonable path you're talking about…?"
In his first miserable life, he had nothing but the freedom he had fought so hard to gain after escaping that damned house with his mother. Yes, his life was garbage, he always thought so, and when he was about to give up on everything, he found strength in something small and foolish, but real. He learned to value simple moments: watching anime, reading manga, playing his gacha games in peace. That quiet routine, even if lonely, was where he found some meaning.
He loved his freedom.
So, when he finally arrived in this new world, something he had always dreamed of and wanted to make the most of, he later discovered that there were already people trying to take that from him… how could he not feel this way?
Was it childish?
Maybe someone would think so. But if you're not willing to defend your own freedom, then you're already dead inside. Just another ridiculous fool, willing to sell themselves for their own desires because they're too weak to achieve them with their own hands. And he hated that with every fiber of his being. Though it was hypocritical of him, considering he wasn't fighting for his desires with his own hands and was relying on what he gained through the [Fate Gacha] to achieve them—his strength, abilities, servants…
But even if he didn't have his "unique ability," he would still firmly refuse to be a slave. Even if he had to die, though he doubted it would come to that, he would escape and grow stronger with his Longinus, learn the magic of this world, steal other Sacred Gears, and when he became strong, he would take revenge on the person who tried to take his freedom. Though it would be far crueler than now, since he would be forced to flee and become a rat…
Pushing those thoughts aside, he let out a sigh after speaking his piece and said: "I can already guess you came here to try to convince me to be your sister's servant to help her with that arranged marriage with that fried chicken and all that. Ahhhm… It's so easy to guess something like that, but let me be clear, Sirzechs. I'm no one's servant. Especially not your spoiled sister's. And if you came here thinking you can convince me through talk or negotiation, you're wasting your time."
The silence after Kazuya's words stretched longer than it should have. The breeze continued to pass through the vines, but the air felt colder.
Sirzechs furrowed his brow, his magical aura faintly shimmering, creating a crimson outline around him. As he was about to speak, he was interrupted by his wife, who seemed more irritated than he was.
Grayfia furrowed her brow, her voice cold as an ice blade. "Watch your words, Kazuya. You're speaking to one of the Four [Demon Kings]…"
Kazuya tilted his head, his smile widening, but without a hint of warmth.
"Or what? You think I'm afraid of the consequences of speaking my mind to someone who's already my enemy? Do I owe any of you respect? No. Don't like it? Want to fight me? Come on, after all, you're weak…"
At the end of his words, his smile became thoroughly arrogant.
Grayfia gritted her teeth, about to say something again, but was interrupted by her husband's calm yet firm voice.
"I must admit, your words surprise me… Even knowing who we are, you still challenge us and call us weak? Is that recklessness or confidence?" Sirzechs said, stopping his smile and looking seriously at the boy. He had been feeling something strange since laying eyes on him—why couldn't he sense anything coming from him? That was odd.
"Confidence," Kazuya replied without hesitation. He spread his arms, as if inviting a confrontation: "So? What's your answer? Are you going to come at me for a fight? Or are you going to leave my house? Those are your only two options…"
Though he said that, he knew what Sirzechs's answer would be, as he seemed to have dropped that hypocritical mask of his.
The tension rose to a suffocating point.
Then, Sirzechs let out a sigh and said: "I see… It's a shame we couldn't follow the reasonable path that would've been beneficial for both of us. It seems all that planning to bring you to Japan backfired, huh? I didn't expect this to happen…"
"Oh? So I was right about the true purpose of your visit…" Kazuya crossed his arms, his expression closed off: "Of course, the grand plan to pull me away from Sister Celestine to hand me over as a gift to your little sister went wrong. But honestly, what did you expect? That I'd be grateful when I found out? Did you get kicked in the head by a donkey or something? That's the only explanation."
He leaned slightly forward, a crooked smile on his face.
"What sane human would hand over their freedom willingly to someone? Unless, of course, they're desperate, on the brink of death, or consumed by their own desires…"
Sirzechs furrowed his brow, and a scowl took over his face at being insulted again. His patience was starting to wear thin. If it weren't for his sister and the chance to secure her freedom from that forced marriage, he would've already taught this arrogant, insolent boy a good lesson.
But the boy's words sparked an idea he had been keeping in reserve for a long time. It was a trump card, one he planned to use only after Kazuya officially became his sister's servant, when the truth about his coming to Japan came to light.
But now… well, now things had spiraled out of control. Kazuya already knew almost everything. And the original plan? It had already gone down the drain. He hadn't become one of his sister's servants, but this could still make it possible…
Sirzechs took a step forward, stopping Grayfia from acting again—she was also starting to lose patience with that brat. With a slight, ironic smile on his lips, he spoke calmly and sincerely.
"Indeed, Kazuya-kun… perhaps I should've thought this through better. My apologies. But know that it wasn't just for Rias's sake that I brought you here. It was for you too. I noticed other factions starting to turn their eyes toward you, and I wanted to protect your life…"
He paused briefly, then stopped smiling and delivered the final sentence softly, but with no less impact:
"So much so that… it was because of those same factions that Celestine, the one who took care of you, ended up being killed. I'm sorry, I tried to protect her with some of my subordinates until the attention of the other factions on the orphanage faded, but I failed… I'm truly sorry for that…"
Silence.
Kazuya stared at Sirzechs with an impassive expression, but inside, something stirred, slow and uncomfortable, like a stone in the pit of his stomach.
In his mind, her image surfaced unexpectedly: the nun who cared for the version of him in this world.
He had never met her personally… and yet, he felt it.
He felt something strange tightening his chest.
They weren't his memories, not exactly. But he had inherited the feelings of the former owner of this body. The quiet gratitude for her taking care of him when he lost his parents. The calm, almost sibling-like affection that grew over time for Celestine, whom his predecessor saw as an older sister, though he hated admitting it…
Kazuya looked away for a moment, taking a deep breath. No emotion showed on his face when he turned back to Sirzechs, but inside, suspicion was growing. Something about that story didn't add up.
As a Maou, one of the ten most powerful beings in the world, with all the power he possessed, he couldn't protect someone he wanted to protect?
The excuse sounded hollow.
"And then?" he asked Sirzechs, feigning a trembling voice and a wavering gaze…
Sirzechs smiled faintly, noticing the subtle falter in Kazuya's eyes, and continued, his voice calm:
"I wanted to come here to tell you this in person, Kazuya-kun. And also… to invite you to join my sister's peerage, as you obviously already know…"
He paused briefly, as if weighing the impact of his next words.
"I deeply regret not being able to save Celestine. I tried, truly. I went to the orphanage with the intention of getting her out of there along with the other children… but she refused."
Sirzechs looked at the ground for a moment, as if searching for something in his own memories.
"She said that place was her home. And the other children's too. She said she couldn't just abandon them. But… she asked me for one thing. She asked me to take you away, to get you out of there. She thought that way she could protect you… protect you and your siblings. She was an incredibly kind person…"
After hearing all that, Kazuya remained silent for a few seconds. His gaze darkened, and the coldness in his eyes became even more evident as he stared at Sirzechs.
But Sirzechs, misinterpreting that silence, let out a faint sigh, as if he believed he was in control of the situation.
"That said… I want to renew my invitation for you to join my sister's peerage," he said, his voice low, trying to sound conciliatory: "I promise I'll find the one responsible for your sister's death. And also… I know you value your freedom. I have no intention of keeping you bound to the position of a Low-Class Demon serving Rias for the rest of your life…"
He paused briefly, gauging the boy's reaction before continuing:
"I'll ensure your promotion to High-Class Demon as soon as possible." Sirzechs tilted his head slightly: "What do you say?"
Kazuya remained silent, feeling deep down that Sirzechs was involved somehow. Maybe not directly. But he was. A bitter sensation began to rise in his chest, tightening his throat. It was anger. A silent, dense anger that didn't explode, only burned behind his cold eyes as he stared at the person who had truly managed to irritate him even more.
"What do I say?" He began walking slowly toward Sirzechs, looking directly at the two and speaking: "I know this is all a lie. You really aren't very smart for someone in your position, are you?"
"Considering the aversion I've developed toward demons because of you and your sister after learning of your plans for me, you should've anticipated my 'bad impression' of you two. Yet here you are, spewing a story about my older sister's death as if you were some tragic hero who failed to protect her. Ignoring, of course, that with the view I have of you, it would be perfectly reasonable to suspect that *you* were the one who killed her… just to manipulate me."
"And as if that weren't enough, after all this, you still had the audacity to repeat the invitation for me to join your sister's peerage. An invitation I already refused when she herself came to offer it, because from the start, I knew about your plans for me…"
He stopped a few meters away from them, his eyes cold as ice.
"You really thought I'd fall for this performance just because it involved the only person who meant something to an orphan like me?"
As Sirzechs, with a furrowed brow, was about to respond to Kazuya's words—
"Arrogant brat…" Grayfia, who could no longer stand him insulting her husband, stepped forward and said: "Sirzechs-sama invited you with such kindness, and you dare to refuse? After everything he did to protect you, don't you at least owe him a thank you?"
Kazuya blinked at the woman's words in front of him. Gratitude?
"Fuhahahahahaha…"
He laughed loudly.
Sirzechs and Grayfia exchanged a glance.
"Grateful… are you serious?" he said after stopping his laughter, returning to his serious expression: "I thought the stupidity of demons was limited to the Gremory family… Oh, right, I forgot you're part of it too."
He raised one hand, as if dismissing the rest of the conversation.
"Enough. Nothing you say will change what I think. I've already wasted too much time listening to this pathetic performance."
Kazuya fixed his icy gaze on them and concluded, his voice low and firm:
"After what I just heard about my older sister's death… don't think you're leaving here."
As he finished speaking, his eyes narrowed, and the air around them seemed to freeze for an instant.