She looked at the slight surprise on Sebastian’s face and suddenly felt that this man, who had caused such a bloodbath yesterday, was not so terrifying after all.
“Lord Sebastian …” Kuroka murmured, a playful smile slowly appearing on her lips.
“Actually, Shirone and I are the ones who should be thanking you.
If you hadn’t stepped in, my sister and I would have likely died long ago in that hidden research facility of the Naberius Clan.”
“Even if we had managed to escape, without your protection, we would have been branded as Stray Devils and executed by the Underworld.”
“So, you are truly our savior.
That much is certain.”
As she spoke, she relaxed completely, the fluffy ears on top of her head twitching without her realizing it.
She looked up at Sebastian, who was slightly taller than her, and smiled warmly from the heart.
“Of course I agree to join you.
And there is no need for a formal contract.”
“Whenever you need me, I will be there.
It’s as simple as that.”
Kuroka let go of Sebastian’s hand and took a few steps back onto the staircase.
She looked back over her shoulder with a charming smile.
“Anytime~ Just don’t find Shirone and me annoying when the time comes~”
The black cat-girl giggled, quickly running upstairs and ducking into the room she shared with her sister.
She acted composed on the surface, but Sebastian noticed that her fluffy ears hidden in her dark hair had turned bright red.
Is she shy?
Sebastian wondered.
What is there to be shy about?
He had imagined their agreement would be like an ancient oath of brotherhood—laughing together and swearing loyalty on the spot, with her promising to help him conquer the world while he declared that having her by his side was worth an entire army.
Sebastian looked toward the staircase, watching the morning light filter through the colored glass window.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“I’m really not good at this kind of emotional stuff.”
As soon as he spoke, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[Sign-in Reward: Observation Haki.]
Sebastian walked out to the courtyard and closed his eyes.
Instantly, his surroundings expanded in his mind like a perfect, three-hundred-and-sixty-degree map without a single blind spot.
He could sense everything around him, making it impossible for anyone to launch a surprise attack.
It can’t read minds or see into the future yet, Sebastian thought, but for someone like me who relies on instincts in battle, this is an incredible power-up.
His current demonic power was still too low.
By using Observation Haki to dodge incoming attacks while keeping his distance with Yamato, he could easily draw out battles against stronger opponents.
However, he still needed to find a permanent solution to his low demonic power reserve.
Testing his new abilities, Sebastian casually summoned three spectral swords and launched them into the sky above his head.
The three glowing blades flew upward like fireworks, adjusted their angles in mid-air, and plunged straight down into a single target on the ground.
Automatic tracking, Sebastian noted with a grin.
In the High School DxD universe, powerful Devils possessed unique magical traits.
Sirzechs Lucifer commanded the terrifying Power of Destruction, the Sitri Clan specialized in ice magic, and the Sacred Gears of the Heavenly Dragons possessed unique abilities like doubling power or dividing an opponent’s strength.
Sebastian’s magic naturally possessed tracking capabilities.
Having my attacks automatically lock onto targets is a massive advantage, he reasoned.
My spectral swords allow me to instantly teleport to their location.
If I can lock onto enemies automatically, my tactical options multiply.
Combined with Observation Haki, my targeting range and precision will be unmatched.
A complete combat style was slowly taking shape in his mind.
“Lord Sebastian, Sirzechs Lucifer has arrived,” Grayfia’s calm voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
“Should I send him away?”
Sebastian pondered for a moment.
“No, I’ll go meet him.”
Sirzechs’ visit was likely about their communication yesterday.
The Satan probably thought Sebastian had acted too impulsively by destroying the Naberius facility and came to lecture him.
However, Sebastian had a feeling that this meeting would work out in his favor.
Sirzechs began the conversation with his usual stern tone.
“You went too far this time, Sebastian.”
Sebastian knew the Great Satan was here to lecture him.
After all, Sebastian was only a year older than Vali Lucifer and belonged to the same generation as Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri.
Sirzechs using the authority of an elder to lecture him was expected, but whether Sebastian actually listened was a different story.
“I think my actions were completely justified,” Sebastian replied smoothly.
“You know the current state of the Underworld.
The government reforms have just begun, Rizevim’s faction is still hiding in the shadows, and our society is far from stable.
As the leader, you can’t just act recklessly like you did when you were a hero of the Reformist Faction.”
Sebastian picked up the coffee pot Grayfia had brought, filled Sirzechs’ cup, and then poured one for himself.
“If I don’t act quickly, certain corrupt noble clans will solidify their power, and it will be too late to change things,” Sebastian continued, taking a sip.
“Besides, I carry the Lucifer name.
No matter how much I support the current Underworld government, I can’t change my bloodline.
By acting like an unpredictable wild card, those arrogant nobles who usually look down on the government will actually behave themselves.”
Sirzechs picked up his coffee cup and sighed softly.
“Thank you, Sebastian .”
“It’s just a cup of coffee, no need to be formal,” Sebastian replied with a slight smirk.
Both of them drank their coffee at the same time, smoothly moving past the previous topic as if they had rehearsed it beforehand.
“By the way, Sebastian,” Sirzechs said, setting his cup down.
He reached for a ornate box on the table and opened it, revealing a full set of glowing chess pieces sealed within crystal.
“Evil Pieces?” Sebastian asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Sirzechs explained.
“Devils have suffered massive casualties in recent wars, and the number of pure-blood Devils is dangerously low.
The Underworld created a rule: once a Devil reaches the rank of High-Class Devil, whether they belong to the Reformist Faction or the Old Satan Faction, they are granted a set of Evil Pieces to build their own Peerage.”
Sirzechs pushed the box toward Sebastian .
“Just place your hand on the crystal and flow your demonic power into it.
While all sets look identical on the outside, the number of Mutated Pieces you receive depends entirely on luck.
Don’t you want to test yours?”
Curious, Sebastian placed his hand on the crystal.
As his demonic power flowed into the casing, a soft, gentle light filled the room before compressing directly into the individual pieces.
When the light faded, Sebastian’s customized set was revealed.
Standard Evil Pieces were the basic tools used to reincarnate other races into Devils, with higher-potential targets requiring multiple pieces.
Mutated Pieces were extremely rare anomalies that could reincarnate a target of any potential using just a single piece.
Most High-Class Devils considered themselves extraordinarily lucky to receive even one or two Mutated Pieces in a set.
Sebastian looked down at his box in shock.
Out of his set, there were four Mutated Pieces—one Mutated Pawn, one Mutated Rook, and two Mutated Bishops.
“Your luck is truly incredible,” Sirzechs remarked, genuinely surprised before smiling warmly.
“It seems today is my lucky day,” Sebastian replied casually.
He closed the box and stored it directly into his system inventory without hiding his abilities.
Leaning back in his chair, Sebastian looked at the Satan.
“You didn’t come all the way here just to deliver these pieces, did you?
A simple lecture wouldn’t bring you here personally.
There are things between us that need to be addressed, but if you’re using this visit as an excuse, Rizevim’s faction might start targeting me.”
Sirzechs chuckled and shook his head.
“I really can’t hide anything from you.”
He reached into his robes and pulled out an official transfer document.
“This girl is a bit of a complicated situation.
But after considering everything, you are the only one in the Old Satan Faction I can trust with her.”
Sebastian took the document and scanned the name: Ingvild Leviathan.
According to the report, her latent abilities were monstrously high.
She possessed massive natural reserves of demonic power, inherited the unique magic of the original Leviathan bloodline, and possessed an unawakened Longinus.
She was a natural genius.
However, she suffered from Devil Sleeping Sickness—a rare, deadly condition unique to Devils that forced the victim into an endless slumber.
There was currently no known cure.
Ingvild had fallen ill at the age of seventeen and had been asleep for nearly a century.
While a hundred years was a short time for immortal Devils, the disease continuously degraded the victim’s physical body over time.
Sebastian placed his hand on the magical crystal pod sealing the girl.
Inside the clear container, a beautiful purple-haired girl slept peacefully.
In the original timeline, she should have been hidden away by rogue corrupt nobles, but Sirzechs’ recent investigations into the nobility had brought her to light much earlier.
Sebastian smirked.
This works out perfectly for me.
While Ingvild’s Longinus had not awakened yet, it possessed the terrifying ability to control dragons and manipulate the ocean—a power that rivaled high-tier Sacred Gears like Dimension Lost and Zenith Tempest.
She would be an invaluable asset to his future Peerage.
Suddenly, a system notification flashed in his mind:
[Quest Requirement: Remain beside the target for five minutes.]
Looking at the countdown timer, Sebastian’s smile widened.
“Sirzechs, this is quite a thoughtful gift.”
By noon, Sirzechs had arranged for his subordinates to safely deliver Ingvild’s preservation pod to the Lucifer castle.
Handing a direct descendant of the original Leviathan to Sebastian was a brilliant political move.
To the Reformist Faction, holding onto a bloodline descendant of the original Satans was a political landmine that could destabilize the new government.
By entrusting her to Sebastian —a true descendant of the Lucifer bloodline—Sirzechs avoided political backlash while ensuring the girl remained safe under the protection of a powerful ally.
In the Underworld, strength was the ultimate authority, but ancient bloodlines still carried immense respect.