While some supported the descendants of the original Demon Kings, others wanted nothing more than to destroy them.
Sirzechs was worried about trouble during transport, fearing that radicals from the Reformist Faction might launch an attack.
Because of this, he arranged for several teams to bring the refugees to the Lucifer Clan’s castle in multiple separate trips, making the journey much safer.
Furthermore, after Rizevim and Vali each took a large number of servants when they left, the castle was severely short-handed.
The newly arrived group was perfect for filling those empty roles.
It was also a gesture of respect from the current Underworld government toward Sebastian.
Most of the newcomers were taken away by Grayfia for retraining.
However, one person was stopped.
Kuroka spotted her in the line and pulled her out immediately.
Kuroka sat across from her, while Sakura Amagiri clenched her fingers tightly, her heart beating fast.
“Sakura, I didn’t see you in the Naberius testing area, so I thought you were gone,” Kuroka said with a soft, complex expression.
“I didn’t expect the Underworld rescue team to find you.
To meet again like this…
I don’t even know what to say.”
Before Kuroka could finish her sentence, Shirone dove into the arms of the black-haired girl, rubbing her face happily against her.
“Big Sister Sakura…”
The girl named Sakura stroked Shirone’s head gently.
Her tense muscles slowly relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
“I didn’t expect it to turn out like this either…”
Sakura sighed softly to herself.
She was not a Devil; she was a human girl from a family of Magi.
She used to have a father, a mother, and an older sister.
Her family was whole, and her life was filled with laughter.
That was until her father made an unexpected decision and gave her away to another Magus family.
Later, the leader of that family was tricked by a corrupt Devil, and they took Sakura with them to the Underworld.
From that day on, she lived as a slave, struggling every day just to survive.
She had met Kuroka and Shirone during those terrible days while serving the Naberius Clan.
She was responsible for bringing meals to the two sisters, and over time, they became close.
Nothing good had ever happened in Sakura’s life.
But seeing Kuroka and Shirone safe now made her feel genuinely happy.
She was glad that the two sisters had survived that nightmare and could smile once again.
To find happiness in a place like the Underworld was a miracle in itself.
“Alright, Sakura, I’ll take you to meet Lord Sebastian, nya,” Kuroka said, reaching her hand out.
“Lord Sebastian isn’t a bad person.
He’s very easy to get along with.
Here, no matter what your background is, you won’t be mistreated like before.”
Sakura looked at Kuroka’s hand, instinctively wanting to reach out and grab it.
But the moment her fingers twitched, she pulled them back.
She was afraid to take the initiative—afraid of disappointment, and even more afraid of becoming a burden to Kuroka.
Before she could pull her hand away completely, Kuroka grabbed her wrist, while Shirone gave her a gentle push from behind.
“Let’s go, Sakura!”
The voices echoed in her ears as she was pulled forward.
At that moment, Sakura felt that even though the Underworld was illuminated by a dark purple sun, the world around her had suddenly become bright and full of color.
Her world had finally been restored.
Meanwhile, Sebastian sat in his room staring at his pocket watch, reviewing the pattern of his daily sign-in rewards.
At first, when he signed in near the Super Devil Rizevim, he received the sword Yamato.
Later, signing in near Grayfia—who was a master of spatial magic—granted him advanced Summoned Swords capable of long-distance teleportation.
When he signed in near Sirzechs, another Super Devil, the reward was the True Devil Form.
Shirone was physically weak, so signing in near her yielded physical optimization.
Kuroka possessed high sensory perception and Senjutsu, which resulted in Observation Haki.
It seems sign-in rewards are closely tied to the unique traits and talents of the person I sign in near, Sebastian calculated logically.
In that case, what will I get from signing in near Ingvild?
Dragon abilities?
Ocean magic?
Or something directly linked to the Leviathan bloodline?
He looked at the purple-haired girl sleeping inside the crystal pod.
Her raw demonic power was already on par with an Ultimate-Class Devil.
With a genius-level existence like her, the reward was guaranteed to be exceptional.
Sebastian checked his watch.
The second hand ticked steadily until the timer hit zero.
[Sign-in Reward: Vergil’s Mastery of Yamato.]
A sudden, sharp sting hit his mind.
Memories and combat instincts flooded into his brain like a rushing tide.
Advanced techniques for wielding Yamato, counter-attacks, spatial slashes, and seamless coordination between his True Devil Form and Summoned Swords instantly became second nature to him.
In that moment, Sebastian understood why the system had rewarded him with this specific skill upon meeting Ingvild.
I get it now, Sebastian thought, a realization dawning on him.
He placed his hand on the crystal pod and channeled his demonic power into it.
The crystal instantly burst with a blinding white light, melting away like ice in boiling water before dissolving into faint particles of light.
With her support gone, the purple-haired girl began to fall forward.
Sebastian stepped in smoothly and caught her in his arms, while Yamato materialized silently in his other hand.
“Yamato’s core power is separation,” Sebastian whispered.
“At first, I only used it to cut through physical space or break external barriers through brute force.
But this Devil Sleeping Sickness is a unique condition that affects the soul and body…
I didn’t realize Yamato could separate abstract concepts like diseases until now.”
Sebastian smiled dryly at his own realization.
“A magic-based illness isn’t just physical.
But with complete mastery over Yamato, I can sever it directly.”
He carefully placed Ingvild onto a nearby sofa, drew Yamato, and gently tapped the flat of the blade against her forehead.
As the blade passed over her, a cluster of dark yellow light was sliced away and separated from her body.
Sebastian grabbed the glowing mass and stored it directly into his system inventory for safekeeping.
With the illness removed, he sheathed Yamato and sat beside her, waiting quietly.
About ten minutes later, the purple-haired girl stirred and opened her jewel-like eyes.
“Where…
am I?”
Ingvild had been asleep for nearly a century.
Her mind was still hazy, and her last clear memories were of living by the sea with her parents.
Waking up in an unfamiliar room made her instinctively tense up.
“You’re in my castle,” Sebastian said calmly.
“To be direct with you—would you believe me if I told you that you’ve been asleep for nearly a hundred years?”
“A hundred years…” Ingvild murmured softly.
She had no knowledge of her Leviathan heritage or her special powers yet.
Processing such a sudden reality was overwhelming.
“It’s alright if you find it hard to believe right now,” Sebastian added gently.
“It happened, and over time, you’ll come to accept it.”
Ingvild stared at Sebastian .
Before falling asleep, she was just an ordinary girl living a peaceful life.
A span of a hundred years felt completely unreal to her.
Yet, looking into Sebastian’s eyes, she could tell he was telling the truth.
She turned her head slightly and saw her reflection in a full-length mirror across the room.
She slowly raised a hand to touch her face.
“If…
if what you’re saying is true…” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
“I was only seventeen when I fell asleep.
Waking up to find out I’m over a hundred years old while still looking seventeen…
it feels like a dream.
My parents…
if a hundred years have passed, are they gone?
What about my neighbors?
The local fishermen?
Is everyone gone?”
Ingvild felt an overwhelming sense of loss, as if she were falling into a dark, endless void with no one to reach out to.
Noticing her distant expression, Sebastian leaned forward and pulled her into a brief, reassuring hug.
“Ah…
Wait?!” Ingvild gasped, her eyes widening in surprise.
The sudden warmth snapped her out of her shock, a faint blush spreading across her pale cheeks as her grogginess vanished completely.
“That seems to have brought you back to reality,” Sebastian said with a faint smirk as he released her.
He stood up and walked toward the tall window overlooking the courtyard.
“Look, I’m not good at giving emotional speeches, and I won’t pretend I completely understand what you’re going through.
I can’t imagine how scary or lonely it feels to lose your time like that.”
Sebastian pulled open the heavy curtains, letting the bright light of the Underworld fill the room.
Ingvild raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness, squinting as she looked at the young man standing in the light.
“Give your eyes a moment to adjust, then take a look at the world a hundred years later,” Sebastian said smoothly.
“If there’s anywhere you want to go or anything you want to try, just tell me and I’ll make it happen.”
He turned back toward her with a confident grin.
“It’s fine to feel nervous, and it’s fine if the past feels like a dream.
After all, I’m the one who woke you up, and I’m standing right here.
If you feel like you don’t belong in this era yet, then consider this castle your new home.
Everyone here will support you, Ingvild.”
As her eyes adjusted to the light, Ingvild looked at the young Lucifer standing before her.
She noticed the slight hesitation in his voice as he tried his best to reassure her, and a soft, beautiful smile appeared on her face.
A new home…
she thought to herself.
Stepping into an unknown time and place was terrifying, but knowing there was someone willing to stand by her side made the future feel a little brighter.