As the group entered the Occult Research Clubroom, the usual cozy atmosphere felt strangely heavy. The scent of freshly brewed tea lingered, but what drew everyone's attention immediately was the dignified man seated at the table.
Crimson hair, long and flowing, framed his face, his posture elegant yet relaxed. His soft smile contrasted with the overwhelming aura that pressed down on the room like the weight of the sky itself. Behind him, a platinum-haired maid stood with quiet grace — her presence cold, disciplined, and commanding respect without a word.
"...Onii-sama?!" Rias gasped, her voice trembling in shock.
The Maou chuckled warmly, his crimson eyes softening as he looked upon his sister.
"Rias. It is nice to see you again."
The tension in the room lightened for a brief moment as he spoke like a doting brother. Yet, when his gaze shifted, his aura shifted too — sharp, refined, almost suffocating. His eyes swept across each member of the room: Aika's ever-brilliant smile, Erika's cautious yet calm stance, C.C's aloof expression, Albedo's neutral and unreadable smile, Semiramis's serpentine smile, and Xenovia's shocked reaction.
Finally, his gaze landed on Yuuji.
For the first time, the pressure spiked. It wasn't killing intent, but it was a weight — a test. The kind of pressure only a Maou could exert, measuring the soul of the man who had become so entangled with his sister's affairs.
"You must be Tsubakihara Yuuji."
Sirzechs's tone was polite, but beneath it was an unmistakable authority.
"Please, everyone. Have a seat."
"..."
She didn't know that her brother would come so suddenly.
Sure, it was the day when students' family would come and observe their daily lives. The day for the tri-summit meeting was also approaching quickly.
But still, she didn't expect him to come here!
Rias glanced towards Yuuji, worried. She wanted to tell him that she also didn't know that her brother would come and turn this supposed relaxed afternoon to a meeting with the Lucifer.
Yuuji noticed her gaze, and simply smiled with a small nod.
Rias nodded back, and began walking towards the couch to sit down, and Yuuji followed to sit by her side.
Aika, Erika, and C.C sat down by his side as well, while Albedo, Semiramis, Xenovia, and the rest of Rias's peerage stood behind the couch.
"I've heard of your deeds. Helping Rias and her peerage grow stronger… and saving her during the Kokabiel incident."
The Maou observed his figure keenly, as did his Queen and wife. Probing.
They've heard of his feats, his achievements, his strength. But to determine if they were overembellished by his sister, who obviously held special feelings towards him, they needed to find out personally.
Rias bit her lip, worried about how Yuuji might respond.
But Yuuji remained calm, completely calm despite the crushing weight. His gaze steady, his expression relaxed. He lifted his teacup and took a slow sip before setting it down gently.
"It was nothing," Yuuji said evenly, his tone casual but unwavering. "She's my friend. She asked for help, so I helped."
That calm reply seemed to ripple through the room. Even Grayfia's composed eyes flickered faintly with surprise.
Sirzechs's smile widened, though this time it carried more than warmth — it carried respect.
"...I see. You're quite remarkable, Yuuji-kun."
The air lightened immediately, as if the sun had pierced through storm clouds. The suffocating aura vanished, replaced with the soothing warmth of the older brother once again.
Rias exhaled in relief, her heart pounding.
Sirzechs set his cup down gently. "I must thank you once again, for being at my sister's side."
Yuuji simply nodded.
Just as Sirzech and Grayfia had been observing him, he had also been observing the one known as the "Super Devil" and strongest demon king of the Underworld.
A glance told him that, in Yggdrasil's standards, Sirzech might be equivalent to a level 80 character.
'On par with an Evil Lord… perhaps a bit stronger?'
Of course, his unique destruction magic made him quite powerful offensively. In that regard, he might be able to kill an Evil Lord if he were to use his trump card. But that was it.
Against a level 100 player, his destruction magic would be no different than just a simple, if not high-damaged, spell.
With his limiter released, Tatsuya would be able to defeat the demon king before him.
"Onii-sama, is that all you've come to do? If so, would you please return? As a demon king, I am sure you must be busy, especially with the Tri-Summit meeting that will be happening soon."
Rias huffed, crossing her arms under her breasts.
She thought it was something urgent… But turns out, he just came to see Yuuji and lounge around.
Rias wanted to spend this afternoon relaxing with Yuuji and her friends. With the Tri-Summit meeting happening soon, she'll be super busy then. So she wanted to take this time to rest.
"R-Rias? What are you saying? I'm busy, sure, but I will always have the time to see you."
Sirzechs smiled awkwardly, but one look at Grayfia, who was sighed deeply, would tell them a whole different story.
"Besides, meeting you and giving my gratitude to Tsubakihara-kun isn't the only reason why I've come."
"Hm…?"
Rias tilted her head as Sirzech shifted his gaze back at Yuuji. The dignified look of the demon king Lucifer returned quickly, as if the awkwardness he showed after his little sister called him out was but a lie.
"I would like to formally invite you, Kiryuu-kun, Chiba-kun, and Corabelle-kun, to the Tri-summit meeting. Of course, if there are others you wish to invite, feel free to inform us."
The words dropped like a thunderclap.
Rias's eyes widened, her lips parting in disbelief.
"Onii-sama…! You can't be serious!"
Even Grayfia, normally the unshakable maid whose expression rarely faltered, blinked in visible surprise, her sharp silver eyes narrowing ever so slightly. That alone was enough to show how unusual Sirzechs' request was.
But Sirzechs only continued to smile in that gentle, unbothered way of his, sipping his tea as if the weight of his words hadn't just shaken the entire room.
After seeing Yuuji in person, he understood. Aside from his appearance, which surpassed him more than he'd like to admit, he was unassuming, ordinary even.
But Sirzechs' instincts screamed otherwise. This man was not ordinary.
Semiramis, the woman standing behind him, radiated quiet majesty. Her aura was carefully masked, but Sirzechs could still feel hints of it—power layered with refinement and cruelty, like a venomous rose. In his judgment, she was easily in the same league as Grayfia, perhaps even surpassing her in some aspects.
And yet… the man she stood behind, the man she seemed to acknowledge, was unreadable. Sirzechs could sense nothing from Yuuji. No demonic power, no magic reserves, not even the faint fluctuations of spiritual energy that even trained humans gave off. It was as if he were a blank slate.
A normal human.
But that was a lie—his instincts screamed it. Aika, Erika, C.C., and Albedo were the same—mundane on the surface, but utterly wrong. He couldn't probe their depths, but he didn't need to. The simple fact that they had turned the tide against Kokabiel, helped Rias and her peerage grow so rapidly, and carried themselves with such composure, told him enough. These were not ordinary people.
That was why Sirzechs had made his decision.
"Your presence at the summit," he explained, his tone calm but his crimson eyes sharp, "would not only honor us, but serve as a symbol. It will show the world that the Devils are not isolated, that we stand in goodwill with powerful beings outside our factions. It will also serve as an additional safeguard—both for us, and for the integrity of the treaty."
His gaze flicked briefly toward Rias, softening for a moment, before resting once more on Yuuji.
"And most importantly, if you are there, no one will dare underestimate my sister's peerage again."
Silence followed. The only sound in the room was the faint clink of porcelain as Sirzechs set down his cup.
Rias clenched her fists, torn between relief that her brother acknowledged Yuuji's importance and anxiety at the thought of him being drawn into the political crossfire of the summit.
Grayfia's eyes, meanwhile, never left Yuuji. Though her face was calm, her thoughts were racing. For her master to extend such an invitation so casually meant one thing: Sirzechs truly regarded this man as someone whose presence could alter the balance between the Three Factions.
Then, Yuuji smiled, seemingly calm and not surprised in the slightest.
He simply nodded.
"Sure."
The single, casual response echoed in the room like a thunderclap.
Sirzechs' crimson eyes flickered for the briefest of moments, betraying his surprise. Even Grayfia—ever the embodiment of composure—was caught off guard. Rias and her peerage stared wide-eyed, as though unable to comprehend how Yuuji could accept such a monumental invitation so offhandedly.
Only Aika, Erika, C.C., Albedo, and Semiramis remained completely unbothered, as though this outcome had been obvious from the beginning.
Sirzechs leaned back slightly, concealing the way his instincts screamed at him. He agreed just like that? No hesitation… no consideration… as though the weight of the three factions' future meant nothing. He had prepared himself for negotiation, resistance, or at least cautious deliberation. What he received instead was an almost whimsical acceptance.
But the thought nagged at him. This man isn't whimsical. He can't be.
Meanwhile, for Yuuji, the decision required no thought at all. It was too convenient.
Making sure the summit proceeded without incident was already one of the group chat's assigned missions. Whether or not they were formally invited changed nothing—they would be there regardless. At worst, they would have observed from the shadows, intervening only when Khaos Brigade inevitably made their move.
If anything, Sirzechs' invitation only made things easier.
Still, being invited is a double-edged sword, Yuuji mused inwardly. It puts us in the political spotlight earlier than I'd like. But…
He glanced at Semiramis, whose faint smile suggested she had already predicted this turn of events. Albedo, too, stood serene, radiating an unspoken confidence—as though the very notion of devils, angels, or fallen angels posturing for power was laughable in the face of their master.
Yuuji's calm expression didn't waver. If politics threatened to swallow them, then there was an easy answer: simply refuse to be swallowed.
If the Three Factions sought to test them, then they would answer as a fourth force—a neutral faction standing above the board.
Linked Horizon's strength, combined with his and his allies' overwhelming power, was more than enough to serve as the enforcer—the guarantee—of whatever fragile peace the summit achieved.
Sirzechs quickly snapped out of his momentary shock, his composure returning with that gentle, regal smile of his.
"Wonderful. Then it's settled. We shall make arrangements for you and your companions' presence at the summit, and I'll see to it that the other two parties are informed of your attendance as well."
"Much appreciated," Yuuji replied casually, as if they were merely discussing something as mundane as dinner plans rather than a historic event.
Sirzechs chuckled softly at the young man's calmness. Most beings would have been overwhelmed by the weight of what had just been entrusted to them, yet Yuuji carried it as though it were nothing. It was both reassuring… and unnerving.
Still, he set that thought aside and let the mood relax. He spent more time speaking with Yuuji and the others, even directing a few playful jabs at Rias and her peerage, who squirmed under their lord's good-natured teasing.
At one point, Sirzechs' gaze lingered on his little sister. The way her eyes unconsciously strayed toward Yuuji, the faint blush that appeared whenever their gazes met, the quiet tension between them—it was all too obvious to him.
A knowing smile formed on his lips.
"Well, Rias," he said with feigned innocence, "it seems you've been in very… good company as of late."
"B-Brother!" Rias stammered, crimson spreading across her cheeks as the rest of her peerage, perhaps aside from Issei who was too dense to notice, tried—and failed—to suppress their grins.
Sirzechs only laughed, the sound warm and affectionate. He was more than the Demon Lord Lucifer here; he was an older brother who adored his little sister. And seeing her grow, make bonds, and perhaps… find someone she could lean on—nothing made him happier.
Even Grayfia, who had been silent and composed throughout, glanced between Yuuji and Rias with the faintest flicker of surprise in her normally stoic eyes.
Sirzechs, however, only offered a supportive smile. If his sister's heart was leaning in that direction, then as her brother, he would gladly encourage it.
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
Yuuji blinked, the world slowly coming into focus at the sound of Erika's voice. The cicadas hummed softly in the distance, blending with the faint splash of koi breaking the pond's surface. He tried to push himself up from the engawa, the wooden porch warm beneath him, but something heavy kept him pinned down.
A jet-black head rose and fell with his breathing against his chest, while a crown of silver-white hair nestled just beneath his chin. On each arm, soft hands clutched tightly—one pale as snow, the other dark as midnight. Yuuji stilled, exhaling in defeat as he remembered: Ophis, Est, Alice, and Aria had all wandered out of his [King's Treasury] after their games, and at some point, they'd curled up around him and drifted off.
Erika approached in a casual tank top and hot pants, her steps light against the wooden floorboards. She stopped in front of him, arms folded, an amused smile tugging her lips.
"Were you asleep?"
Yuuji gave a small nod. "Looks like it."
"That explains why you didn't respond to our chat." Erika raised her phone, a little smirk tugging her mouth. "Akeno-san tried messaging you too. When you didn't reply, she ended up spamming me, Aika, and even C.C."
"Akeno-senpai?" His brows lifted slightly.
"Mm. She wants you to come to her shrine—said there's someone there who wishes to meet you."
Yuuji's gaze drifted back to the ceiling beams above, the easy calm of a nap slowly giving way to thought. "So it's about that…"
Erika crouched down, her eyes flicking toward the small sword spirit asleep on his chest. "What are you going to do about the sword? I doubt Est will let you take a new one without sulking."
Yuuji chuckled under his breath, glancing at Est's peaceful face. "No, I won't be using it. I already have more blades than I'll ever need."
"You could give it to Xenovia," Erika suggested. "Might even fuse with Durandal. Would make a nice upgrade."
"That's a good idea."
"Then don't forget to text Akeno-san back."
Leaning down, Erika brushed her lips over his in a quick, affectionate kiss before standing. "See you later. Aika's planning for all of us to hit the hot spring after dinner."
"Got it," Yuuji said with a small smile, watching her retreat.
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AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!!
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