Some time later, Arthur stood motionless before the tall double doors of the waiting room.
His gaze fixed on the polished wood as if staring at it long enough might prepare him for what lay beyond.
The hallway around him was quiet, almost unnaturally so, the faint tweets of birds from the nearby open window, yet none of it calmed his nerves.
Behind him stood Lavinia and Valerie, who were nearby, their presence so close that he could feel it without turning around.
They were close enough to remind him that he was not alone in this, even if it felt like he was about to step into something he had never trained for.
Lavinia stepped closer and gently reached for his hand, her fingers threading with his without hesitation.
"Arthur, you've been standing here for five minutes. Are you alright?"
She said softly, her voice careful.
Arthur's shoulders tensed before he finally turned his head toward her.
He squeezed her hand back, grounding himself in the warmth of her touch.
"…I don't know."
He admitted quietly.
"I really don't."
He looked away again, eyes drifting back to the doors.
"I'm about to face the man who helped conceive me."
He continued, the words tasting strange in his mouth.
"The man who was my mother's… ex-lover."
He exhaled slowly, a tired sigh that carried years of unanswered questions.
"I know I don't have the right to blame him for what happened that night. Hell, he didn't even know I existed because my Mom kept me secret. And yet…"
Arthur's brow furrowed.
"…Why do I feel this way?"
Valerie stepped closer then, slipping in at his side and wrapping her arms around him in a gentle side hug, her head resting briefly against his shoulder.
"If you want to call this off, we can."
She looked up at him, her eyes earnest.
"We'll just tell them you're busy with something important. No one would question it."
Arthur hesitated for a heartbeat before he wrapped his free arm around her, pulling her closer, while he kissed Lavinia's hand.
"Thank you, girls. Really."
He murmured.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again with quiet resolve.
"But… this is something I have to face. Something that I should do now rather than never."
Behind the doors, the atmosphere was no less tense.
Sirzechs stood near the doors, one hand lifted as if to grab the doorknob, only to stop midway.
He stared at it, his fingers twitching slightly.
Grayfia noticed immediately.
"Sirzechs, where are you going?"
She said calmly.
Sirzechs stiffened, then laughed awkwardly.
"Ah... well, you see, I was just going to… uhh… find the little Devil's room."
There was a pause.
"To… uhh… p-powder my nose?"
The adults of the Gremory family turned their attention to him in unison, their expressions ranging from unimpressed to outright exasperated.
Venelana raised an eyebrow sharply, Zeoticus crossed his arms, and Grayfia simply stared at him in silence.
Nearby, Rias was focused on feeding Millicas small pastries, blissfully unaware of the tension, while Serafall happily accepted a glass of sugar honey ice tea from Victoria.
"First of all, thank you, Victoria."
Serafall said brightly, then took a sip from her bendy straw before casually glancing at Sirzechs.
"Second of all, what the hell are you afraid of, you red-headed siscon?"
Sirzechs flinched.
She tilted her head, eyes sharp despite her cheerful tone.
"Are you really going to tell us that you are so guilt-ridden that you're scared to face your own son?"
Sirzechs looked at her, then away, his shoulders sagging.
"You don't understand... I'm about to come face-to-face with a son I didn't even know existed. What am I supposed to do? Smile? Apologize? Pretend everything's fine?"
He placed his palm on his sweaty forehead, now visibly nervous.
"What if he doesn't even wanna face me? What if I'm just intruding in his life unannounced and making him uncomfortable? What if he doesn't even wanna fce me after all this-"
Before Sirzechs could finish, Victoria cleared her throat politely, drawing everyone's attention.
"Forgive my intrusion, Lord Sirzechs, but unless you are his enemy, you should not be afraid of Master Arthur."
She said with a respectful bow.
Sirzechs blinked and looked at her.
"My master is the most gentle soul I have ever met, and I have the honor of serving him for eternity. No matter what conflict exists between you and him, Master Arthur will always show kindness to those who truly deserve it."
Victoria continued, her voice warm and soft.
Grayfia's gaze softened slightly.
"He sounds like a sweet boy."
Victoria smiled.
"He is."
Sirzechs swallowed, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Only to those who deserve it… But what if he think I don't deserve his kindness? And even if he didn't, do I even deserve his kindness?"
Victoria met his eyes without hesitation.
"Isn't that why you are here? After all, you will never know if you do not try to speak with him. Just have faith that you and my master will get along."
Sirzechs nodded slowly, then cleared his throat.
"Then… um… where is the restroom, actually? I wasn't kidding when I said that I needed to freshen up."
Victoria inclined her head.
"Very well. Please follow me."
She turned and approached the door.
On the other side, Arthur turned back to Lavinia and Valerie.
"You'll stay with me through this, right?"
He asked, even though he knew the answer.
"Always."
Lavinia replied immediately.
Valerie nodded.
"We'll be right here by your side."
Arthur let out a quiet breath.
"Thanks… and get ready. Because I get the feeling I'm about to do something stupid and it might get weird. Fast."
He stepped forward, faced the door, and inhaled deeply.
"Alright... Here goes nothing."
He muttered.
His hand reached for the doorknob at the exact same moment the door began to open from the other side.
Victoria stepped through first, but then she stopped.
The moment Arthur and Sirzechs made eye contact, the two of them froze on the spot.
For a long, silent moment, father and son stood face to face, mirroring each other's shock as the room behind Sirzechs fell completely still, every conversation dying the instant everyone realized what they were witnessing.
Victoria was the first to recover as she straightened, clasped her hands neatly in front of her, and bowed with perfect composure.
"Welcome back, Master Arthur."
She said formally, then turned slightly to acknowledge the two girls behind him.
"Lady Lavinia, Lady Valerie."
Arthur nodded faintly, his mind still struggling to keep up with the sudden surprise from the other side of the door.
Victoria then pivoted smoothly toward the waiting room, her voice calm and clear. "Master. Allow me to formally introduce you to our honored guests."
Her hand gestured inward.
"The Gremory Clan of the 72 Pillars, accompanied by Lady Serafall Leviathan and Lord Sirzechs Lucifer."
The room remained silent.
Sirzechs stood there, frozen, his light blue eyes locked onto the young man before him. A young man who looked frighteningly similar to how Sirzechs himself had looked in his teenage years, save for the sharper edge in his gaze, the weight of responsibility that no child should have had to carry alone.
Then there were his eyes.
Green as emeralds.
The same deep shade he remembered so vividly from one cherished person.
(Arthoria's eyes... He really is my son.)
Sirzechs swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.
For a moment, the world seemed to narrow until there was nothing but the boy standing a few steps away from him.
Without realizing it, Sirzechs took a step forward.
Then another.
His hand lifted, trembling slightly, reaching out as if guided by instinct rather than thought.
"Arthur... I-"
[BOOST!]
Sirzechs barely finished his sentence when in that split second, Arthur's right arm snapped forward on pure reflex, the Boosted Gear flashing to life for an instant as his fist connected with Sirzechs' unguarded face.
The impact echoed like thunder.
Sirzechs' eyes widened in shock as his body was launched backward, smashing across the room and straight through the far wall in an explosion of debris and dust drifted slowly through the air, leaving behind a gaping hole that opened directly into the next hall.
"..."
Silence followed.
Absolute, stunned silence.
Grayfia's jaw hung open, her composure completely shattered for the first time in living memory.
Serafall stared at the hole, then at Arthur, then let out a short, surprised chuckle before clapping a hand over her mouth.
"Nice."
Venelana blinked repeatedly, clearly trying to process what she had just witnessed. Zeoticus stared at the destroyed wall with his eyes widened, then glanced toward where Sirzechs had disappeared.
Rias tugged lightly on Venelana's sleeve, eyes wide in shock.
"G-Grandmother… what just happened?"
Millicas looked between the adults, confused yet clueless.
"Did father fly?"
Lavinia and Valerie turned their heads toward Arthur in painfully slow unison.
They stared at him, mortified by what he just did to one of the strongest Devil's in the Underworld.
Arthur blinked twice then he stared back at his own right gauntlet-clad fist, faint wisps of smoke curling from the knuckles.
Then he slowly lifted his gaze to the hole in the wall, bits of rubble still falling from the edges.
"Uhh..."
He said intelligently.
His shoulders sagged.
"…Whoops."
The word echoed far too loudly in the stunned room.
From the hole in the wall came a distant groan, followed by the sound of rubble shifting.
"…Ow."
Sirzechs groaned in pain.
Serafall's shoulders shook as she tried, and failed, to hold back laughter.
Grayfia snapped out of her shock at last, immediately moving toward the hole with alarming speed.
"Sirzechs!"
She called out, voice tight with concern.
Lavinia's face had gone pale, and Valerie's hands flew to her mouth.
"I..."
Arthur started, then stopped, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.
"That… was an accident...?"
DxD
Ten minutes later, the atmosphere hadn't improved in the slightest.
The group had relocated to an adjacent room while workers quietly repaired the damage Arthur and Sirzechs' face had caused.
The culprit himself sat stiffly on one sofa, his back straight, his right hand resting on his thigh while his fingers tapped in a slow rhythm.
Lavinia sat to his left, close enough that their shoulders brushed, her posture composed but her eyes frequently flicking toward Arthur's face.
Valerie sat on his right, leaning in just a little, while behind them, Victoria stood with her hands folded, expression calm as ever.
Across from them sat Sirzechs with tissues stuffed into his nose.
He twiddled his thumbs together, gaze drifting anywhere except Arthur's direction. Grayfia sat to his left, hands resting on her lap, her eyes occasionally settling on Arthur with an expression that was both curious and a bit upset from what he did to her master/husband.
On Sirzechs' right, Serafall lounged lazily, elbow propped on the armrest, cheek resting against her palm as she stared at the ceiling like a bored child trapped in a meeting.
On the third sofa sat Venelana, Zeoticus, Rias, and Millicas.
Venelana sat upright, hands folded in her lap, her eyes moving between father and son.
Zeoticus remained composed, though the tension in his shoulders was obvious.
Rias kept glancing between Arthur and Sirzechs, clearly unsure where to look, while Millicas swung his legs lightly, whispering questions to Rias that she quietly shushed.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Serafall groaned loudly and straightened up.
"Okay, no, that's it. I am so done with this stupid charade."
She said, waving a hand.
"I can handle awkward tension, but this is a crime against boredom itself. Are you two planning to talk, or should I start juggling snowballs to pass the time?"
Every head turned toward her.
Arthur and Sirzechs locked eyes at the same time.
Arthur cleared his throat.
"So-"
"So-"
Sirzechs said simultaneously.
They both stopped.
Arthur gestured weakly.
"You can go first."
Sirzechs shook his head quickly.
"No, no, you should go first."
Arthur frowned slightly.
"It's okay. I insist."
Sirzechs waved his hands.
"Please, I really think you should go first."
They went back and forth like that for half a minute, neither willing to speak first, until Grayfia calmly cleared her throat.
The sound alone was enough to silence the room.
"If I may, perhaps a structured approach would help. You may ask each other questions. One at a time. The other answers honestly. And then you two switch."
She turned her gaze to Arthur.
"I suggest you should start first. And perhaps start with a short introduction and… what happened earlier."
Arthur visibly cringed.
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his face with one hand before lowering it.
He looked at Sirzechs, really looked at him, and spoke.
"I guess…First of all... I'm Arthur Pendragon... Artoria's son, the current Red Dragon Emperor... But I guess you already know that..."
Arthur said, voice steady but subdued.
"Also... I'm sorry for hitting you straight in the face. That was… not intentional. I reacted badly when you... uhh..."
Sirzechs blinked, then nodded slowly.
"I accept the apology."
He said quietly.
"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have stepped into your space like that... And also, my name is Sirzechs Lucifer... one of the Four Great Satans. But I guess you already know that..."
Arthur nodded once in acknowledgment.
The room fell silent again, though the tension had shifted, becoming slightly less awkward.
After a few seconds, Arthur spoke again. "So... How did you even find this place?"
Several heads turned toward him.
Arthur continued, his tone more analytical now.
"Avalon can't be found unless you're a citizen, invited, or part of the Counter Corps. Even visiting requires a long process of verification. Finding it by accident is almost impossible."
Sirzechs opened his mouth to answer, but Serafall suddenly leaned forward, eyes lighting up.
"Oh, oh, I'll take this one!"
She straightened, suddenly declared proudly.
"It took me a whole year. An entire full year just to confirm this place even existed. The barrier around Avalon is insane! It hides the land by projecting a remote terrain, compels observers to ignore it, and the barrier itself is strong enough to defend against continuous carpet bombing. Whoever designed it is a genius!"
Arthur blinked, faintly surprised but quickly calmed down.
He recalled how Heaven and Grauzauberer teamed up to make this barrier while Georg volunteered with managing it.
Serafall continued, counting on her fingers. "Through extremely annoying trial and error, and keeping an eye on those C×C members of yours, I finally narrowed down the probable location. From there, it was just a matter of play Where's Waldo, but with a whole invisible town."
She then leaned over and poked Sirzechs repeatedly in the side.
"And we could've arrived a week earlier if this idiot hadn't insisted on leaving you alone."
Sirzechs flinched.
"Serafall, I-"
Grayfia picked up smoothly.
"It required the combined effort of the entire family in order to persuade him."
She said calmly.
"Lady Venelana scolded him daily, while Rias and Millicas employed emotional persuasion through puppy eyes."
Rias blushed lightly and Millicas puffed out his cheeks proudly.
"And as for me... Let's just say I have to use my feminine charms."
Grayfia's cheeks became a little red while Sirzechs looked away, ears faintly red.
"You really didn't have to say that part."
Arthur went quiet, then nodded once as he understood what she meant.
"…I see."
He leaned back slightly, gaze drifting upward as he made a mental note to tell Georg review and reinforce Avalon's security systems later.
Sirzechs cleared his throat softly, drawing Arthur's attention back to him. He hesitated for a moment, then asked.
"How have you been… recently?"
Arthur went quiet.
His tapping fingers stopped, and he answered honestly.
"I'm doing well. Pretty busy from managing the whole town, but I managed to spare some time for friends and family."
Sirzechs nodded, relief flickering across his face, then added, a little awkwardly.
"I'm… glad to hear that."
Arthur tilted his head slightly and asked.
"And you?"
Sirzechs blinked, surprised.
"Me?"
Arthur nods.
"How are you doing?"
Sirzechs let out a small chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I suppose… the same as you. Busy. Tired. Trying to do my best."
Arthur nodded once, accepting the answer without judgment.
Sirzechs' gaze then shifted to the two girls beside Arthur.
He studied them briefly, then asked.
"And… who are these young ladies."
Arthur smiled, the tension in his shoulders easing just a bit.
He gestured calmly to his left.
"This is Lavinia Reni."
Lavinia smiled gracefully and inclined her head.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all."
Then to his right.
"And this Valerie Tepes."
Valerie fidgeted slightly, then gave a small wave.
"H-Hello."
He straightened slightly and said with clear confidence.
"They're my girlfriends."
Sirzechs froze for half a second before blinking rapidly.
Venelana's eyes sharpened, her gaze traveling from the girls' faces down to their figures, lingering especially on their hips and posture.
After a brief, silent assessment, she nodded once in approval.
"Hm. Good."
Serafall smirked widely, resting her chin on her hand.
"Like father, like son. Two beauties at once. I'm impressed, Arthur."
She muttered amusedly, eyes glinting.
Arthur coughed lightly and looked away, clearly not sure how to respond to that.
After a moment, Arthur looked back at Sirzechs.
"You haven't introduced everyone yet."
Sirzechs stiffened.
"Ah. Right. Sorry. I should've done that first."
He gestured to the woman beside him.
"This is my wife. Grayfia Lucifuge. My wife and the Queen Piece of my Peerage."
Grayfia stood slightly and gave Arthur a formal bow.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Arthur."
Her voice was calm, composed, though her eyes carried layers of complicated emotion as she looked at the son of Artoria.
Sirzechs continued, motioning to the older couple.
"These are my parents, and also your grandparents. Venelana Gremory and Zeoticus Gremory."
Venelana rose with a proud smile.
"It's a pleasure to finally see you, my grandson."
Zeoticus nodded warmly.
"Welcome, Arthur. We're glad to finally meet you."
Arthur inclined his head respectfully.
"The pleasure is mine."
Sirzechs then turned to the crimson-haired girl.
"And this is my little sister and your aunt. Rias Gremory."
Rias stiffened slightly from the aunt part, then gave a shy wave.
"H-Hi."
Arthur looked at her innocent eyes thoughtful.
For a brief moment, he reflected silently on how different her future must already be, and wondered how much the timeline he once knew had shifted beyond recognition.
But then he smiled politely.
"Nice to meet you too, Rias."
Sirzechs opened his mouth again.
"And here's Millicas, my younger son, and your-"
"So you're my big brother!"
The small boy had already hopped off the sofa and rushed forward, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Hello! I'm Millicas!"
Arthur blinked, then chuckled softly.
"Hey there, kiddo. The name is Art-"
Millicas immediately launched into rapid-fire questions.
"Are you really related to King Arthur? Can you show me your Longinus? Is it true you killed an Evil God? What was it like? Can I swing one of your swords? Can you tell me your adventures? Do you fight bad guys all the time?"
Grayfia gently grabbed her son by the shoulders.
"Millicas. One question at a time. And be considerate."
Millicas froze, then bowed slightly.
"Oh. Sorry, big brother."
Arthur laughed quietly.
"It's fine. I don't mind."
He leaned slightly to be closer to Millicas' height.
"To answer in order. Yes, I'm related to King Arthur. That's from my mother's side.Yes, I can show you my Boosted Gear later."
Millicas nodded rapidly.
"Yes, I killed the Evil God known as Balor. As for how it felt... I was mostly just really bored afterward."
Arthur said thoughtfully.
Millicas blinked.
"That's it?"
Arthur smiled.
"Pretty much."
He continued.
"You can see the Excalibur swords too, but you can't touch them. They're dangerous to Pure-Blooded Devils such as yourself."
Millicas nods, who didn't mind just watching.
"And I have a lot of adventure stories and beat up a lot of bad guys, but that'll have to wait, okay?"
Arthur asked and showing his fist for a fist bump.
Millicas beamed and eagerly nodded.
"Okay! That's a promise!"
Then he reached out to fist bump Arthur.
The room softened as the two brothers interacted.
Sirzechs watched the scene of his sons getting along so naturally, made him smile with quiet joy.
DxD
Hello readers!
As decreed by the Mad Titan, Thanos, thou shall offer me all the Power Stones in your possession.
Thank you, everyone, and see you later!