"…"
In the depths of a forest, the puppet activates its consciousness. Before observing its surroundings, it recalls the last thing it did.
"…I was, if I recall, with Mother…"
If one were to describe the puppet's appearance in a single word, it would be "beautiful."
Long green hair. Purple eyes. A face and figure that retain a trace of childishness, neither distinctly male nor female. Simple, sack-like clothing. An aura reminiscent of a magical puppet. And an overwhelming sense of ancient mystery.
He is none other than the mud puppet of the oldest myths—the successor model. A prototype of the new humanity.
The puppet places a hand on its chest, checking what is stored in the part equivalent to a heart. It is not the Holy Grail of the one who called himself King Solomon, but the Great Cup of Uruk, entrusted by the Sage-King Gilgamesh.
"…Hmph."
It confirms that it was not a dream. It reaffirms that it was not a lie. Moving its body lightly, it measures its performance. No defects. No degradation. Even if facing a god, it would not lose. Even if Mother appeared, it would stand and fight.
But it also questions why it is alive. It should have only managed a momentary delay, yet there is not a trace of the "Mud" in this world, suggesting they were victorious. Not far away, it senses the presence of humans. It feels as if its body rejoices quietly.
The lack of knowledge about this situation means it wasn't summoned as a Servant in a "Holy Grail War." Not that a being like him, with no name or record in the "proper Human History," could be summoned as a Heroic Spirit. Nor should there exist a mage capable of controlling his over-spec capabilities, surpassing even his prototype.
The Sage-King is not here. Neither is Mother. The puppet understands this instinctively, its body confirming it. The presence of humans and the scent of civilization are entirely unfamiliar. Not a simple matter of region or race. Perhaps it is the era of the Chaldean Master? The density of mystery feels strangely different.
This place is not the forest of Uruk. The vegetation, soil, and climate are different. Traces of divine presence linger faintly, but their nature differs from those of Uruk.
"…Well then. Isn't it about time you showed yourself? If you won't come out, I'll come to you."
"You noticed, did you?"
It had noticed from the start. Emerging from the shadow of a tree is a small girl. Not human, but not a puppet-like being either. Her ears and tail make it clear she is a beastman. Her openness about her identity suggests she, too, has realized the puppet is not human.
Behind the girl, grotesque figures—likely her attendants—appear, weapons in hand, ready for battle. Their hostility, however, is but a breeze to the puppet.
"You're not from Kyoto, are you? Who are you?"
To her question, he answers with a hint of amusement.
"—My name is Kingu."
I, Rias Gremory, was seething at my situation.
Fifty-sixth of the Seventy-Two Pillars, Gremory. My peerage is that of a Duke. I take pride in my crimson hair and favor camels (though I'm not fond of them). Deeply compassionate. My family was already prestigious, but with my brother, Sirzechs Gremory, taking the title of Satan Lucifer, our status rose further. However, this meant he could no longer inherit the family headship, so I became the next head.
I understand my duties as a pure-blood High-Class Devil, but having my marriage partner decided for me is infuriating. Worse, my so-called fiancé, Riser Phenex, is a womanizer who surrounds himself with female servants to build a harem. He likely sees marrying me as nothing more than a status boost for tying himself to the house that produced a Satan.
Being a Gremory is my pride, and I understand my parents' desire to preserve our pure-blood lineage. But I should at least have the freedom to choose my own partner. After all, my brother and sister-in-law married for love, crossing faction lines. I want to be with someone who sees me as "Rias," not just the "Gremory heiress."
Yet Riser ignores my wishes, barging into my clubroom at Kuoh Academy in the Human World. We had an agreement to delay the marriage until I graduated university, but everyone's trying to rush it.
…Not long ago, someone attacked a Fallen Angel base in my territory. I didn't even notice the intrusion, and the cover-up was handled without my knowledge. That's part of the reason for this pressure. Ise mentioned encountering someone suspicious… This is outrageous! I've never been so humiliated!
"I've said it before, Riser! I'm not marrying you!"
Despite my firm rejection, Riser shows no sign of concern. He knows my family is in a desperate situation, that my father and brother harbor deep fears about the Gremory lineage's future.
"Oh, I've heard that before. But your father and Sirzechs-sama are worried. They fear the extinction of your house. So many pure-blood Devils died in the last war, and even after, minor conflicts with God and Fallen Angels have ended several houses. I'm not denying houses sustained by reincarnated Devils, but we can't let pure-bloods die out, right? This engagement is about the future of Devilkind."
…Tch. I expected his leering gaze and the way he uses his fiancé status to touch me—it's disgusting. But now it's clear. This man will never see Rias Gremory as an individual.
"I have no intention of letting my house die out. But I'm not marrying you, Riser. I'll choose a husband I deem worthy."
"…You know, Rias, I carry the Phenex name. I can't let it be tarnished. I didn't want to come to this shabby, cramped Human World building. Honestly, I hate this world. Its flames and winds are filthy. For a Devil who governs fire and wind, it's unbearable!"
Riser ignites a flame.
"I'll burn all your servants to ashes if it means dragging you back to the Underworld."
Insulting my clubroom is bad enough, but threatening my servants? That's enough!
"Please wait, my lady, Lord Riser."
Grayfia steps in to defuse the tension.
Grayfia is my brother's wife—my sister-in-law. Yes, one half of that faction-crossing love story. Though the wife of a Satan, she usually serves as a maid. Some see this as loyalty to the Satan faction, but it's just her preference—it's easier to support my brother this way. Outside her days off, I treat her as a maid.
She proposes a Rating Game.
Rating Games are contests for Devils with peerages, pitting their servants against each other to test their peerage' strength. Official games are for adults only, but unofficial ones allow even half-fledged Devils to participate, often to settle disputes between houses or family members.
So, my father and the others planned for this, expecting my refusal and preparing to force the marriage through a game. I'm furious at having my life toyed with. As I seethe, Grayfia seems to receive a magical communication.
"Please wait a moment."
She moves to a corner, deploying a magic circle. From the conversation, it's clear she's speaking with my brother.
"What's the matter, Sirzechs-sama? I'm currently with my lady regarding the engagement… Yes… Yes… What? —The Vatican? Yes, I'll return to the Underworld immediately."
Grayfia—no, my sister-in-law—looks unusually shaken. For a moment, I glimpse the face of the Satan's wife, not the loyal Gremory maid. But she quickly ends the call and turns back to Riser and me with her maid's composure.
"My lady, Lord Riser, I apologize, but an urgent matter has arisen. We'll have to continue this discussion later. However… in the worst case, the game itself may be canceled."
"What! That's absurd!"
"Calm down, Rias. Whether we play or not, I'll win anyway."
I brush off Riser's attempt to casually put a hand on my shoulder and confront my sister-in-law.
"Explain, Grayfia. From your reaction, this is no small matter. You mentioned the Vatican—has the Church launched an attack?"
The Vatican is, of course, the key stronghold of God's servants—the Church. The God faction was weakened in the last war, so conflicts have been minor, but have they finally launched a full-scale attack? If this affects any house's succession, it could be bad. It might fuel Father and Sirzechs' fears, pushing them to rush my marriage and heir issues with Riser.
The possibility of a delay or cancellation likely stems from this. I won't forgive the Church for messing up my life. I'll wipe them out myself if I have to!
"No, the Vatican hasn't attacked… The information will likely be restricted, but since you'll be contacted soon, I'll tell you now."
My sister-in-law shakes her head.
"Key Church strongholds, including the Vatican, have been attacked by an unidentified force."
"—That concludes the report from Bune, Berith, and Asmodeus."
"Conclusion: No traces of Sefar or Velber found on this planet. The possibility that this universe lacks an Altera cannot be ruled out, suggesting a low risk of an attack from the Planet."
"Barbatos confirms. Propose lowering the alert level for the Planet."
"Eligos expresses agreement. Allocating effort to low-probability threats is foolish."
"Caim expresses opposition. The possibility of the Planet's attack is not zero. Considering our ultimate goal, we should not lower our guard against any contingency."
"Decision from Goetia. Continue the alert for the Planet."
"Report from Glasya-Labolas. Confirmed the holder of the Incinerate Anthem, the Holy Cross. Threat level deemed low."
"Confirmation from Agares. Can this world's holy relics replicate Ars Nova?"
"Assertion from Dantalion. Based on the performance of currently confirmed holy relics, replicating the King of Magecraft's feat is impossible. However, if any of the Longinus-class holy relics—True Longinus and Sephiroth Graal—activates 'Truth Idea,' there is a slight possibility."
"Directive from Goetia. Continue the investigation. Prioritize confirming the Longinus-class holy relics and the Ring of the King."
"Report from Phenex. Movement detected from second-level alert target Sirzechs Lucifer. His sister is dissatisfied with her fiancé and plans to break the engagement via a game."
"Supplement from Gremory. Due to Amy and Balam's operations, the game has been postponed."
"Opinion from Andrealphus. If the game occurs, Rias Gremory's win rate is 0.005%."
"Proposal and request from Andromalius. We should not waste more time on events unrelated to our strategy."
"Conclusion from Belial. As expected, this world's Devils are unworthy of claiming the name of Solomon's Seventy-Two Pillars. Their counterfeit 'Emperor' falls far short of our power."
"Question from Phenex. Then why does the One God allow these Devils to run rampant?"
"Answer from Sitri. Likely because the modern Satans' power is deemed a threat. The existence of 'Transcenders' could warrant second-level alert status even for us."
"Counterargument from Halphas. The Satans and a few top-tier Devils are formidable, but their numbers are few, and Devilkind as a faction is weakened. They remained non-interfering during past civil wars. If they cannot counter this, it suggests the One God may have declined since the last war."
"Report from Amy and Balam. No significant forces detected in the Church. Attacks on key faction strongholds showed angelic response and strength below expectations."
"The identity of the attackers remains untraceable to us."
"…Directive from Goetia to the nine pillars of the Gazing Star. Suspend all current operations. Based on data collected by the Observatory and Information Center, deduce the current state of Heaven. The Gazing Star's tasks will be handled by the Melting Furnace and Chamber of Life."
"Report from Furfur. Successfully created a Holy Grail."
"Report from Paimon. Successfully summoned a Heroic Spirit from the other side using the Holy Grail."
"Additional report from Buer. Negotiations failed."
"—Where is the patient?"