Morning — Lucifuge Manor, Grand Hall
A heavy silence weighed down the grand dining hall of Lucifuge Manor. The air was thick with tension, every breath seeming to hang suspended in the high-ceilinged chamber, as if the very walls were holding their collective breath.
Lucien stood at the head of the obsidian-glass table, his posture commanding and precise. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, a sharp contrast to the serene beauty of the space. Behind him, Souma Kazuya stood like a living embodiment of order, calm and collected. His clipboard was tucked under his arm as though he were about to reorganize the entire Underworld's economy by lunchtime.
Before them sat the members of Lucien's household, both his and Rias' peerages. They were a mix of nervous glances, uncertain fidgeting, and faces caught somewhere between confusion and guilt. It was as if they were all trying to avoid eye contact, hoping the impending conversation would miraculously resolve itself.
Lucien's voice shattered the heavy atmosphere, cutting through the tension with the sharpness of a blade.
"I want receipts."
The room fell silent, all eyes immediately turning to Yamato, who blinked in confusion. She was muscular, horned, and casually eating from a rice bowl, but she was clearly out of her depth now.
"…For what?" she asked, her voice betraying a hint of confusion.
"For everything," Lucien replied, his tone sharp and unwavering. "Every spa purchase, haunted trinket, enchanted tea set, suspiciously lifelike figurine, and whatever that golden fish tank Rangiku had delivered last night was."
Rangiku, sitting with an air of casual elegance, twirled a lock of her hair and flashed a grin. "It's feng shui, darling."
Souma, never flinching under the weight of the conversation, cleared his throat and flipped a page on his ledger. His voice was polite, yet firm. "According to expenditure logs recovered by Lilith, the total unauthorized spending in the last twenty-four hours equals 318,000 demonic credits, not including the emergency exorcism we had to schedule after Gasper's 'accidental' acquisition."
Gasper, sitting quietly, muttered under his breath, his cheeks a little flushed. "I thought the doll was cute..."
Lucien snapped his fingers. A scroll appeared in the air with the words:
Lucien snapped his fingers, and with a small flash of crimson light, a scroll appeared in midair. The words Household Financial Accountability Pact – Version 1.0 glowed in shimmering letters, followed by Soul-Bound. Contractual. No loopholes.
"I want everyone signed in blood by nightfall," Lucien said, his voice now steely. "From now on, no one uses my Royal Credit Card unless they submit a formal requisition request through Souma or me. That includes you, Yue."
Yue, who had been mid-sip of juice, slowly lowered her glass, her expression one of mock innocence. "Unfair. I'm your Bishop," she pouted.
"And you're also my budget hazard," Lucien shot back with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Kuroka snorted. "Betcha he blames me next."
"I don't have proof," Lucien muttered, "but I have vibes."
Akeno, sitting with a serene smile, raised her hand like a student in class. "Does this include romantic acquisitions? Or just economic ones?"
Souma, without so much as a twitch of emotion, turned to her with the same polite neutrality. "If it affects the household, it's being logged. Romance can be surprisingly expensive."
Lucien groaned and rubbed his temples in a gesture of pure exhaustion. "Why did I want to build a city before starting high school? I am too young for this stress."
The rest of the room erupted in a wave of suppressed laughter, the tension briefly broken by the absurdity of the moment. Yet beneath the jokes, it was clear: Lucien had just set the tone for how things would work from now on in his growing empire.
⸻
Later That Day — City Center, Lucifuge Territory
The transformation was nothing short of breathtaking.
What had once been a wild, neglected stretch of overgrown land and forgotten ruins was now evolving into the beating heart of a new power, an empire in the making.
Lucien and Souma stood side by side on a high balcony, gazing down at the sprawling city in progress, a testament to their vision and relentless ambition. Below them, the city hummed with life, roads forming intricate grids of magical precision, glowing faintly beneath the surface with enchantments woven deep into their foundation.
Magical filaments of light illuminated every street, while marble aqueducts, like veins of starlight, carried as the lifeblood of the city: clean, enchanted water, flowing effortlessly through the infrastructure. This was no ordinary city. This was a city built on power, legacy, and limitless potential.
On a large, floating system display screen, blueprints scrolled by in intricate detail:
Central Hub Plaza: Theaters, arcades, manga cafés, training simulators, and educational centers, where the arts and academics could mingle freely, fostering creativity and innovation.
Trade District: Teleportation kiosks, merchant guild access, artisan hubs where the finest wares from across dimensions would be bought, sold, and crafted.
Residential Sector: Homes designed for every species, every need—spacious, warded, elegant, and safe, where the diverse citizens of Lucifuge could live and thrive.
Even the Peerage Quarters had undergone serious upgrades, transforming into something befitting royalty:
Private Training Arenas: Equipped with high-tech simulators for both physical and magical combat.
Enchanted Hot Springs: Restorative baths for body and soul.
Meditation Chambers: Warded spaces for inner peace and mental fortitude.
Ward-Stabilized Sleep Halls: Where one could rest peacefully, free from disturbances.
Lucien's once-rustic stronghold now gleamed with a fusion of demonic gothic elegance and high-tech fantasy design, a city that would be both a sanctuary and a force to be reckoned with.
"Your territory's foundation has been stabilized," Souma said, his voice steady and professional. "Next phase is population outreach and economic infrastructure. We'll start recruiting and incentivizing newcomers."
Lucien, his eyes locked on the horizon, swiped through his interface. "I'm also activating a special project that I have dubbed the Isekai Investment Fund. I want complete control: licensing, storyline sales, cinematic development, character merchandising, and new scouts to locate IPs from my previous world."
Souma's eyes gleamed with understanding. "I've already begun recruiting staff. Discreet personnel, including former Naberius Guild agents and one very enthusiastic succubus accountant."
Lucien grinned. "Contacts?"
"Serafall's old entertainment partners and a goblin banker from Mammon's fallen circle," Souma replied with a raised eyebrow, clearly impressed by the connections.
Lucien nodded, satisfaction settling in his chest. "Now we're talking."
His gaze turned back to the horizon, the sprawling city glittering beneath the twin moons. "It's not just about power anymore. I want a place where devils, outcasts, even humans could thrive. A place for everyone."
Souma smiled, a rare spark of admiration crossing his features. "Then let's make it happen."
⸻
The Next Morning — Lucifuge Arena
The next morning, the newly upgraded Lucifuge Arena was filled with energy and purpose.
Lucien's and Rias' peerages stood at the ready, while floating tactical panels hovered above their heads, displaying real-time data, strategic maps, and their opponents' movements. The arena floor, once a simple battleground, now shifted and morphed at Lucien's command, transforming into cliffs, forests, ruins, and modular terrain designed by ancient devils specifically for training future kings.
Lucien stood at the center of the arena, his presence commanding and intense, eyes glinting with the promise of a challenge.
"Team A," Lucien called, his voice slicing through the air, "Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Gasper, and Yumi."
He then turned to the other side, his lips curling into a grin. "Team B: Yue, Yamato, Rangiku, Ghislaine, and Kuroka."
"Objective: Seize the command tower. Everything is fine, but no killing? Fair game."
And with that, the battle exploded.
Ghislaine, a blur of primal speed, shredded traps and barriers with the same ferocity she applied to her enemies. Her blade cut through the very air, leaving no room for mercy.
Yamato, club crackling with Haki, fought like a storm personified. She faced off against two opponents at once, her strikes thunderous and unrelenting.
Kuroka, moving through shadows with the grace of a predator, struck from impossible angles, more precise than ever before.
Gasper, using his time-dilation field, managed to slow Yue, but only for a heartbeat. The vampire Princess was too quick, always one step ahead.
And then there was Yumi and Rangiku, locked in mid-air combat, sword clashing with spirit energy, their strikes like bolts of lightning in the sky. It wasn't until Yamato executed a flying hammer feint that the match was finally sealed.
Team B won by the thinnest of margins, their victory hard-earned but well-deserved.
Lucien clapped slowly, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. "Next time?" he called to the group, his voice light but carrying authority. "No one holds back."
The crowd exhaled, the tension of the match dissipating into the air like steam. The team members, still catching their breath, looked to one another with new respect for their opponents, each with a deeper understanding of their own limits.
But Lucien's gaze lingered on the horizon, his thoughts far ahead of the present moment. There was more at play than just battles and peerages. He was building something much larger, and each move, each victory, would shape the future of not just his territory, but the entire Underworld.
⸻
East Wing — Forgotten Library
While the others celebrated the day's victories, Kuroka prowled the shadowed halls of the East Wing, her movements fluid, like a predator on the hunt. Her golden eyes gleamed with purpose as she moved deeper into the forgotten library, a space untouched by time yet laden with the weight of forgotten knowledge.
She paused, and a faint flicker caught her eye. An ethereal sigil etched into the stone wall, pulsing faintly.
Kuroka's tail flicked, agitated, as she stepped closer, her sharp gaze tracing the faint glow. "It's not just Lucien's magic in this house anymore…" she whispered, her voice low, wary. "Something older sleeps here."
A chill ran down her spine, though her instincts told her to be cautious. This was a warning, an echo from a past that hadn't yet revealed its full power. She ran a finger along the sigil, and for a moment, it felt as though the very air around her had frozen.
Whatever slept here, it was not bound by the same rules as the living.
⸻
Balcony at Sunset
The sunset painted the horizon in fiery reds and purples, casting a warm glow over Lucien and Souma, who stood together on the balcony, each holding a cup of tea in hand. The world was at peace for a moment, quiet, still. Yet, Lucien's sharp eyes were always scanning, always thinking ahead.
The System chimed in the back of his mind, pulling his attention away from the fading light.
[System Task Generated!]
Fiancée Evaluation Initiated
Duel: Velzaria Tiamat
• Success: Win her loyalty and unlock new titles.
• Failure: She disappears from the registry.
Lucien raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips. "She's not just here to flirt, is she?"
Souma glanced up from his clipboard, unfazed. "Should I prepare medical teams... or a red carpet?"
Lucien smirked, the challenge before him clear. "Both, I think."
This wasn't just another political engagement. This was more than a duel with consequences. This battle could shape the very future of Lucien's empire.
⸻
Far Away — Throne of Fire and Bone
At the edge of the Infernal Ridge, where the land cracked and roared beneath rivers of lava, Velzaria Tiamat stood like an unyielding force, her presence as fierce and unforgiving as the flames that licked the air around her. The obsidian sky above churned with molten heat, as if the very heavens bent to her will. The ground beneath her feet quaked, reverberating with the powers of her grandparents, Tiamat and Ddraig, that flowed through her veins, ancient and untamed.
She stood barefoot atop a throne forged by dragons, the volcanic steel gleaming under the molten sky, its edges sharp as the pride in her heart. Her gauntlets, crafted from molten metal, shimmered with an ethereal glow, as though they absorbed the very essence of the fire that surrounded her. The heat radiated from her, an aura that could incinerate anything in her path with a mere touch.
With a single movement, she cracked her knuckles, molten energy sparking in the air. Her eyes burned with a wild, untamable fire, pride and strength echoing in every fiber of her being.
"The Crimson Prince dares challenge me?" she spoke, her voice deep, like the roar of a dragon both proud and defiant. "Then let him bleed like a king."
A tempest of ruby flames exploded from her, an unstoppable force that blazed like the wrath of an ancient god. Her wings unfurled with a mighty roar, their draconic form rippling with flame and fury. They were made of pure fire, unrestrained and wild. The ground beneath her cracked and burned as she ascended, her wings blazing in the infernal sky like a living comet of destruction.
But then, her gaze sharpened, as if noticing something else.
"And I hear you have… an all-female peerage," she said with a teasing, almost dismissive smile, her voice tinged with both pride and amusement. "A king surrounded by women who serve him does that make you feel powerful, little Crimson Prince? Or does it mean you can't handle a true warrior like me?"
The flames around her flared as she spoke, her pride undeniable. Velzaria was a warrior at heart, and her challenge was not just about power; it was about respect.
The world seemed to bend and burn in her wake, as if the very air recognized the might she commanded.
Her challenge echoed across the world. Would the Crimson Prince survive the might of the Tiamat bloodline? Could he stand against a warrior whose pride was as fierce as the flames she wielded?
Or would he burn, consumed by the infernal fire that Velzaria controlled?
⸻
Lucifuge Manor — Nightfall
The air had thickened, pressure building like a storm. The sky, once tinged with the last colors of sunset, had turned a deep gold and red, signaling a shift in the atmosphere itself. Something had arrived, something that could not be ignored.
And then, she descended.
Velzaria Tiamat came crashing through the night like a divine comet of wrath. Her wings flared with molten fury, her gaze like twin suns, burned with fire and pride. She landed barefoot on the obsidian steps of the Lucifuge Manor, each movement radiating both elegance and annihilation. Her armor, asymmetrical and fierce, was a masterpiece of design crafted to perfection with an edge that could cut through any foe.
Lucien stepped forward from the shadows of the manor, meeting her gaze with calm defiance. His expression didn't flinch, his presence equal to hers.
"Velzaria," he greeted, his voice steady, despite the intensity of her arrival.
"Lu-Lu," she purred, her lips curling into a teasing smile. "You look good. Let's see if you fight better."
Moonlight spilled from above, silver and stark, illuminating every breath and blade beneath its gaze. The world seemed to hold its breath, the tension crackling in the air between them.
A battle was imminent.
And the very fabric of their territories would be tested by the fire that only Velzaria Tiamat could bring.