The first person to tell Leo about Sharon Holygrail had actually been Sona Sitri.
Since she was the rival who'd been hounding him for years, Leo naturally investigated. With help from the Sitri House, he confirmed Sharon's origins and background.
At first, learning she was the product of artificial genetic engineering only surprised him. But once he learned she carried the Demon Factor—granting her the power of a devil while remaining human—everything made sense. Her obsession with chasing him down became perfectly clear.
She was innocent, yes. But a human with the Demon Factor, raised inside the Church—a place that viewed devils as evil incarnate? There was no way she escaped mistreatment.
Just think of Asia Argento, the "Saint" from the original story. She was exiled just because her Sacred Gear could heal devils. So how could someone like Sharon—who literally carried the Demon Factor—ever be accepted?
So her rejection of her own Demon Factor, and her hatred for devils, wasn't hard to understand.
Of course, that was from Sharon's perspective.
From Leo's perspective? It was complete nonsense.
You were wronged by the Church—and instead of hating the people who tormented you, you hate the Demon Factor that put you in that position? And even worse, you hate the source of that power?
Then you still work for the very institution that did it to you?
"Was it the Church that experimented on you, or the devils?"
Leo had once said that directly to her face.
After that… she clung to him even harder.
Because of that, in Leo's mind, Sharon Holygrail had always been someone with a few screws loose. If not for the delicate political situation—and his own lack of power at the time—he would've cracked open her skull to check how thoroughly the Church had brainwashed her.
Granted, her later attempts at using seduction on him brought him a few "benefits," but he still looked down on her. Every time he saw her, he couldn't help poking at her pride just to watch her lose composure. It was cathartic.
And he also knew that someone as unhinged as Sharon would definitely come after Yukino, his new servant. So he prepared a special devil flyer as protection.
And clearly, he'd been right to do so.
"I didn't hold back this time. She'll probably be bedridden for a long while. It wouldn't be surprising if she ends up crippled or dead."
Leo shifted his tone, dropping any lingering emotion when he turned to Yukino.
"If she somehow survives and comes after you again, don't sympathize with her. If she's pitiful, then she's pitiful for a reason. Who knows what she'll try next? If you meet her again—win back your pride and take your revenge. Don't overthink it."
The situation might be delicate, but if she tried to kill them, Leo wouldn't hesitate.
Why should they care about someone who didn't care about them?
If something happened, he'd take responsibility as her master and clean up afterward.
He hadn't always had the power to affect the bigger forces at play. But now? He absolutely did.
Zenith Tempest hadn't even reached its limit yet. Once he reached the Balance Breaker stage, he'd become one of the people capable of shaping the world. Maybe not a full chessmaster, but certainly a piece no chessmaster could ignore.
And the feedback from the Servant Conversion trait still had immense room to grow. With fifteen possible servants, and only two collected so far, he could already fight an Ultimate-Class Devil. If he filled the roster—even with medium-potential servants—he could rise to the pinnacle of devil society. Maybe even rival the Maou.
Then, with Maou-Class power as his baseline and a top-tier Longinus as backup, he refused to believe he'd be inferior to the Red Dragon Emperor or the White Dragon Emperor from the original story.
The Two Heavenly Dragons eventually became unavoidable forces in every faction—future world-class powerhouses. With both Servant Conversion and Zenith Tempest as trump cards, if he still ended up weaker than them, he might as well retire to Chiba as a small-time tyrant who spent his days flirting with his beautiful servants.
"I understand."
Yukino took a long breath, finally calming herself.
She'd always been sharp and straightforward—pointing out others' mistakes without hesitation. She had never been the type to swallow grievances for others' sake.
Losing to Sharon already stung enough. She had no intention of repeating that humiliation.
So she would train. She would grow stronger. And if they met again—she would take back her pride, just as her master said.
Seeing Yukino settle her resolve, Leo smiled lightly and finally turned toward Yukinoshita Haruno and Mrs. Yukinoshita, who had remained silent the entire time.
"It's about time we discussed our situation, ladies." Leo tapped the table with a smile. "I'm sure you have plenty you want to say."
"Go ahead. Say whatever you like. I'm listening."
His words stirred the heavy air in the guest room… only to replace it with deeper tension.
The Yukinoshita women all pressed their lips shut. No one spoke first. Only their expressions shifted, complicated and unreadable.
"Well, I understand how you feel. But staying silent is just a waste of time, isn't it?" Leo cut in coldly. "I recall that the Yukinoshita family is known for being bold and decisive. All three of you are famous iron-willed women. Don't tell me you haven't sorted out your emotions yet."
Provoked—subtly or not—they finally steadied themselves.
"Mr. Eligos…"
Mrs. Yukinoshita finally spoke.
"Just call me Leo." He accepted easily, offering her a gentler tone. "I know this is a lot to ask. But your daughter is now my servant. That makes us family of a sort. You can treat me like an ordinary person."
Hearing that, even Yukinoshita Haruno couldn't help silently complaining.
A servant, family, and an ordinary person…?
Could he at least pretend those three things made sense together?
"Then I'll call you Mr. Leo." Mrs. Yukinoshita sighed softly. "At this point, I understand. You and people like us… we're simply not from the same world. No matter what we say, it probably won't matter to you, will it?"
"Not quite." Leo chuckled lightly. "The outcome won't change, sure. But you're still Yukino's family. I don't want bad blood between myself and the people my servant will spend her life with."
"So whatever concerns you have—tell me. I'll settle them to the best of my ability."
It wasn't exactly sincerity, but it was at least kindness.
Mrs. Yukinoshita steadied herself.
"In that case… I'll speak plainly." She gathered her courage and looked directly at him. "I don't understand your world. So I'll ask one simple question."
"My daughter, Yukinoshita Yukino—now that she's become a devil, what will happen to her?"
She wisely avoided the topics she shouldn't touch and went straight to what mattered most.
Smart. Leo respected that.
"To you, Yukino will still be Yukino. She won't change." He gave them the answer they needed. "She won't vanish somewhere you can't reach. She won't turn into someone unrecognizable."
"She'll keep attending Sobu High with me until graduation. She can come home anytime. And even if she follows me somewhere later, she can return in an instant—easier than taking a flight."
"If anything changes, it's just what you already saw—she'll gain supernatural power."
He twirled his teacup lightly, then added casually:
"And her lifespan will become very long. When the two of you grow old and wrinkled, she'll probably still look exactly as she does now. Eternal youth is nothing special for her anymore…"
Mrs. Yukinoshita: "!!!"
Yukinoshita Haruno: "!!!"
Even that's possible?!
Yukino's eyes went wide in shock.
THAT'S possible?!
The words "eternal youth" hit all three of them at once.
"If Yukino grows strong enough, she could even help you enjoy some of these benefits."
Leo's voice oozed temptation—the way a real devil might speak.
"For powerful devils, extending a human's lifespan or keeping them young isn't difficult at all."
Their eyes changed again.
"Oh, and I have plenty of connections. I might be able to help your family as well." Leo smiled, revealing metaphorical fangs. "So let me ask—does the Yukinoshita family want to advance?"
The three Yukinoshita women: "...…"
That was the whisper of a devil.