I gazed down at Leonardo sprawled on the ground.
A smile crept across my face. I'd been waiting for this moment—to finally meet him in person.
More importantly, to claim what he possessed.
The most broken Sacred Gear in existence, wasted on someone who couldn't even tap into a fraction of its true potential.
Annihilation Maker.
The ability to create any monster from myth, legend, or imagination. A power that could reshape reality itself if wielded correctly.
It would be mine.
The idiot didn't even understand what he held. Leonardo had been treating his Sacred Gear like a toy instead of the weapon it truly was. He was content making guard dogs and playthings.
Leonardo could theoretically create an endless army. He could drown the world in monsters and never tire. Even Ophis would struggle against a hundred thousand creatures specifically designed to counter her abilities.
But he didn't.
Because he lacked vision and potential.
It was a waste.
Sure, I could create something similar to Annihilation Maker. Perhaps even something better but it would take time. Something I don't have the luxury with how fast the canon is progressing.
Why waste months crafting what already existed in perfect form right in front of me?
Stealing it was simply more efficient.
My fingers hovered inches from Leonardo's chest.
"Leon."
I paused, glancing up.
Rossweisse stood a few feet away. There was concern in her eyes as she looked between me and the unconscious Leonardo. The others had gathered around as well.
Koneko immediately moved to my side and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. Her small frame pressed against mine.
"I'm glad you're not hurt,"
I patted her head gently.
Issei stood nearby, his eyes locked on my blade with undisguised amazement. His mouth hung open slightly before he finally found his voice.
"Leon! That sword—what the hell kind of sword is that?! I've never seen anything like it! The way it moved, the power—is it a Sacred Gear?"
I glanced down at the weapon in my hand.
"It's a Zanpakutō."
They all stared at me blankly.
Of course they didn't know about it. This concept came from an entirely different universe, one they had no knowledge of. And I had no plans on elaborating further.
"Don't worry," I added, meeting Issei's eager gaze. "You'll have one soon enough."
"Really?!" Issei's eyes lit up with childlike excitement. He practically bounced on his feet.
I smirked slightly. "Well, if you manage to hurt me even a little bit during our training sessions."
The challenge ignited something in him. I could see the determination flooding his expression, that stubborn fire that made him push past every limit. His fists clenched at his sides.
"Just you wait, Leon! I'll—"
"Leon."
Rias's voice cut through Issei's enthusiasm. She stepped forward, her blue-green eyes meeting mine. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she tucked a strand of crimson hair behind her ear.
"I'm also... glad you weren't hurt." Her voice softened. "You were amazing out there."
I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. "Thanks."
The moment lingered awkwardly before everyone's attention shifted to the elephant in the room—or rather, the dragon-sized monstrosity coiled around Ophis's unmoving form.
Samael.
The Dragon Eater was still there, its massive serpentine body wrapped tight around the Infinite Dragon God. Its fangs remained embedded in her flesh, purple venom pulsing through her with every heartbeat. The creature's scales writhed with an oily, unnatural sheen.
I sighed heavily.
Disgusting. That was the only word for it.
Every instinct I possessed screamed warnings at the sight of this abomination. The dragon part in me recoiled at Samael's very existence. It wasn't called the Dragon Killer for nothing. If even Ophis was helpless against it, what chance did I have?
My hand tightened around my Zanpakutō's hilt.
There was only one path forward.
I looked down at Logos Ruina, feeling its weight, its presence. Then I raised the blade toward Samael, who remained focused entirely on devouring the Dragon God before him.
"Deny, Ruina."
The air itself seemed to fracture. Reality bent around my sword as I activated its Shikai ability.
The Denial of Reason.
To deny everything. To reject what should be.
To deny Samael's very nature—its ability to kill dragons.
The blade pulsed with an otherworldly light as if reality itself was being unwritten around it.
Samael's body convulsed.
The massive serpent's head snapped up from Ophis, its countless eyes widening in what might have been confusion. Or fear. Its coils loosened involuntarily as something fundamental within it began to unravel.
The purple venom seeping into Ophis slowed. Then stopped.
"What... what did you do?" Rossweisse whispered, staring at my blade with a mixture of awe and unease.
I didn't answer. My focus remained locked on Samael.
The Dragon Eater's form began to flicker—like a glitching image. Its dragon-killing properties, the very concept that made it the ultimate predator of dragonkind, was being denied. Erased from existence by Logos Ruina's power.
Samael thrashed violently, its massive body slamming into the ground. Cracks spider-webbed across the earth. It opened its maw and released a soundless scream—a noise that shouldn't exist, the death cry of something having its purpose ripped away.
Without its dragon-slaying nature, what was Samael?
Just a beast. Powerful, yes, but no longer the absolute counter to dragonkind.
No longer a threat to me.
The serpent's eyes—all of them—locked onto me. Recognition flickered in those alien pupils. It understood what I'd done. What I'd taken from it.
And it was furious.
Samael's body coiled, muscles tensing as it prepared to lunge.
Not at Ophis.
At me.
It attacked.
The massive serpent launched itself at me with terrifying speed, its jaws opening wide enough to swallow a building.
How dare this abomination.
This creature.
Without its dragon-killing properties, it was nothing. Just a snake. A mere monster.
My left hand shot out, spiritual energy coalescing into familiar weight and heat.
Lævateinn materialized in my grip, blazing with crimson fire that made the air shimmer and distort.
"Burn, Lævateinn."
The flames erupted.
The wave of scarlet inferno crashed into Samael mid-lunge. The serpent's shriek pierced the air as its scales blackened and cracked. Its massive form writhed, trying desperately to escape the all-consuming blaze.
But there was no escape.
Lævateinn's flames spread across Samael's body like a living thing, crawling over every coil, every scale, every inch of cursed flesh. The Dragon Eater—stripped of its defining trait—couldn't resist.
Within seconds, the mighty Samael was reduced to ash.
Gray particles drifted through the air, scattering on the wind. The abomination that had threatened dragonkind for millennia ceased to exist.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
I lowered both blades, exhaling slowly.
"Holy shit,"
I paid Issei no heed as my gaze shifted to the unconscious Ophis.
We moved closer to her still form. She lay motionless on the ground, her small body looking even more fragile than usual. Samael's curse had been devastatingly effective—to reduce the Infinite Dragon God to this helpless state proved just how lethal that abomination truly was to dragonkind.
I sighed.
Thankfully, the curse affecting her was now gone. Denied along with Samael's nature. She would recover, given time.
"Rossweisse," I called out, turning to face the group. "Take Ophis back to the mansion. Koneko, Rias—help her. Issei, grab Leonardo."
Rossweisse nodded.
Issei moved quickly, hoisting Leonardo's unconscious body over his shoulder with surprising ease.
I raised my hand, spiritual energy gathering at my fingertips. The barrier that had prohibited teleportation was now gone—shattered during the chaos of the attack. A complex spell formation materialized in the air.
"Go."
The teleportation activated.
Bright light engulfed Rossweisse, Koneko, Rias, Issei, and their unconscious cargo. In an instant, they vanished, leaving behind only faint traces of magical energy.
I stood alone in the ruined battlefield.
Silence pressed in around me, broken only by the distant sounds of combat still raging elsewhere in the underworld.
I sighed, rolling my shoulders.
Time to work.
The Old Satan Faction had thrown everything they had into this attack, hoping to destabilize the current Devil society.
They'd chosen the wrong day.
I launched myself into the air, magical energy propelling me forward at blinding speed. The wind whipped past as I oriented myself toward the nearest concentration of combat.
Below, Kuoh City burned.
Not just the academy where the treaty was being held—the entire city had become a warzone. The Old Satan Faction had spread their forces throughout every district, turning residential neighborhoods into battlefields.
And civilians—innocent people—were caught in the crossfire.
My jaw clenched. Anger surged through me.
This was exactly why I'd accepted the role of mediator between the Three Factions. To protect humanity from the supernatural. To ensure that when gods and devils fought their wars, mortals didn't have to pay the price in blood.
When gods fight, mortals perish.
My senses swept across Kuoh, picking out the strongest signatures amidst the chaos.
Then I felt it. Serafall.
The Leviathan's power signature flickered and strained—she was struggling. That alone sent alarm bells ringing. Serafall Leviathan was one of the Four Great Satans, a Maou-class Devil who could freeze entire armies with a gesture.
If she was having trouble...I changed direction, shooting toward her location.
I found her near the treaty building's ruins, locked in combat with an elderly Devil who moved with the grace and precision of a master swordsman despite his aged appearance.
The old man's silver hair hung loose past his shoulders, and his face bore countless scars—testaments to battles survived. He wore traditional Devil noble attire, crimson and black with the insignia of House Asmodeus emblazoned on his chest—one of the original bloodlines.
And his power...
Ultimate-Class. Easily.
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