If one were to sum up Vali Lucifer's life in a single word, it would be "irony."
The true Lucifer's grandson, born by chance from a union with a human woman, a child of his era. A direct descendant of a Satan and the strongest White Dragon Emperor in history. While there are a fair number of devil-human hybrids, none are as singular as he.
To say that Lucifer loved Vali or his mother would be a lie.
Vali endured abuse from his own father, spurred by his grandfather, Rizevim. Vali's father—much like Rizevim himself—lacked the qualities befitting a Satan's bloodline in the worst way. To him, a son born with overwhelming talent was nothing but a source of fear.
Eventually, Vali was taken in by Azazel, the Governor General of the Fallen Angels. The great-grandson of a Satan, raised by the sworn enemy of devils.
Yet, Vali betrayed his foster father Azazel and joined the Khaos Brigade.
Was it necessary for him to join the Khaos Brigade? Objectively, the answer is "no." His stated reason was to seek battles against the strong, but a "criminal" is hardly permitted honorable combat. Assassinations, poisonings, one-sided beatdowns—all were possibilities. He might even find himself on the delivering end. Besides, even if he had stayed with the Three Factions, the ensuing chaos would likely have provided the battles he craved.
The true reason Vali betrayed his foster father remains known only to him.
"Damn it!"
Shortly after betraying Azazel, Vali visited Kyoto to confront the enigmatic mud doll, Kingu.
And there, he touched the dragon's reverse scale.
"Die here."
"Don't struggle so pathetically."
"Hahaha!"
"Skewered, got it!"
One-sided violence. Overwhelming devastation. A difference in power, in nature. Should he lament his lack of imagination? Fundamentally, Kingu was a being he should never have fought.
Why he survived that onslaught, he doesn't know. It wasn't his allies—Bikou, Kuroka, or Arthur—who saved him. Nor was it Azazel or Lavinia. Someone, or something, preserved him. "Saved" might not even be the right word.
"Where am I?"
Three months after regaining consciousness, Vali Lucifer found himself—once again—in a place of mortal peril.
"Where am I…?"
Awakening abruptly in a dilapidated ruin, he faced a black-clad reaper aiming for his throat.
Vali Lucifer is a battle maniac. He doesn't fight to live but lives to fight. Yet, even a man like him couldn't challenge the sudden appearance of this reaper.
He fled. Leaving the two others present behind, he bolted.
Not because his last memory was of defeat. Kingu's terror lay in its sheer, straightforward power. Overwhelming strength in the same realm as his own. But this reaper's strength was different. A warrior, yes. Skilled in combat, undoubtedly. But that wasn't all. It wasn't a being to be judged through such a lens.
"Where am I!"
He was caught.
"Ah, aaah, uwaaaaaaa!"
His white dragon wings were severed. Before crashing to the ground, he unfurled his devil wings. In his panic, he couldn't stabilize his flight, only slowing his descent slightly.
"Agh, gah!"
"Is this the end?"
The assassin, wielding a greatsword, looked down on the fallen White Dragon Emperor without bothering to conceal their presence.
"If you say this is the end, offer your neck—"
Suddenly, a blade thrust from behind the reaper. But the reaper dodged it effortlessly. In that instant, Vali was hoisted onto the back of a black shadow—a dog.
Distancing itself from the reaper, the dog set Vali down and assumed a combat stance. A man appeared beside it.
"Not looking so good, Vali."
It was a man Vali knew. The only human besides Cao Cao with the True Longinus to force him to use Juggernaut Drive. The wielder of the "Black Blade Dog God," known as "Blade Dog," Tobio Ikuse.
"T-Tobio Ikuse…? Why are you here?"
"Well, I was guarding a meeting when a fox youkai told me they saw you. Said something about coming back from a trip to England. Friend of yours?"
"A meeting? For what?"
"…You seem pretty disoriented. We'll talk later. First, we deal with this reaper. Doesn't seem like one of the Underworld's Grim Reapers, so which faction are they from?"
The reaper's eyes glinted red. Facing two God-Slaying Gear wielders, they exuded not caution but a boredom akin to yawning.
"The Dog God of Fallen Heaven, huh?"
The black-clad reaper pointed their greatsword at Tobio Ikuse.
"What will you cut with that false god's blade? The peace you abandoned in your struggle?"
The words' meaning eluded Tobio, yet they pierced his heart with pain. Still, he shifted focus, stepping forward to shield Vali.
"Vali, let's combine forces. This guy doesn't seem like someone we can handle alone—"
"No…"
The divergence between this generation's "White Dragon" and "Holy Spear" boils down to relationships. Both were abandoned by their parents. Both aimed for the same ideals. Both were prompted by an otherworldly entity to reflect on themselves. The difference was whether they were used or shared the same vision.
Truly, it was a matter of mere chance encounters.
"I didn't want a fight like this!"
He didn't want to be protected. Didn't want to be shielded. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't relieved. He didn't wish to flee. He had to be the strongest. The supreme being. Otherwise—what was the point of living this way?
"I awaken—"
Ironically, his mindset mirrored the old Satan faction he once mocked for lacking pride.
At the venue meant for the World Mythology Summit, only a handful of figures remained.
Beyond the Three Factions' representatives, only the host, Shiva, and a few Japanese mythology figures lingered.
Just minutes ago, Rias Gremory and her peerage had suddenly teleported in, causing chaos. Rias was injured, and Sairaorg Lucifer, who adored her, was screaming, inconsolable. Even Grayfia, who usually calmed him, was unconscious.
Serafall Leviathan, Rias Gremory, and Grayfia Lucifuge were now in the emergency treatment room. They should have been sent to the Underworld's main hospital, but contact with the Underworld was inexplicably severed.
"Let's sort this out."
"The Demon God Pillars are the seventy-two from a world with entirely different laws. There's a high chance this world's Solomon is behind them. Kingu's from that world too. So is that pink-haired one."
"Oh, for those I haven't met, I'm Astolfo! Nice to meet you!"
The concept of Heroic Spirits was explained. While some were learning of them for the first time, those aware of the Demon God Pillars' world held no favorable impressions.
"And their arrival here is deeply tied to this world's Solomon. Probably, no doubt about it."
The King of Magecraft Solomon. A king who knew only wrath.
"Astolfo didn't get much info from Solomon, but… you know about the Demon Gods, right? Tell us about them."
"Well, about that… I'm kinda forbidden from talking about it."
"What?"
"Solomon sealed my lips with a Command Spell."
Solomon summoned seven Servants from that side, engraving Command Spells—red tattoos granting absolute authority—onto himself. Normally three per Servant, he used forty-two in total.
First, he used two each on Assassin and Caster to free Trihexa from "Truth." Three more in Kyoto for Berserker. Then, thirty-two for the final order: "Leave the rest to me." The remaining three? To silence this rationality-evaporated knight.
Astolfo was commanded to say nothing about the Demon Gods.
"That's harsh! Three Command Spells? That's overkill!"
"…He silenced you about the Demon Gods but not himself? And gave no info? That cunning bastard."
They thought they'd finished him in Kyoto, but it seems that man is still alive.
"And then, there's Issei-kun."
"Yes, Sirzechs-sama. It's definitely the Khaos Brigade's Hero Faction. Maybe Issei-kun is already…"
"Don't say reckless things, Yuto-kun! There's no way Issei-kun would die. Azazel, why aren't you moving faster?!"
Akeno Himejima's near-hysterical plea deepened Azazel's anguish.
"Calm down, Akeno. The battlefield's a mess. Rias is gravely injured, isn't she? Serafall and Grayfia are in treatment. And we can't contact the Underworld. No reinforcements, no doctors, no equipment."
"Azazel, we can't reach the devil territories either. Not my father or mother. Solomon's doing?"
"Damn it, what's happening? Are they jamming our communications?"
"…Ajuka might manage something…"
"Or maybe, like that other world's human history, it's being incinerated?"
Shiva's suggestion made Azazel scoff.
"Don't be ridiculous. You know better, don't you? According to Kingu, except for Mesopotamia, Human Order Incineration happened three thousand years after Solomon's death. Meaning the Demon God Pillars needed three millennia to burn human history. There's no way they could prepare that in such a short time."
To those who know the truth of Human Order Incineration, Azazel's reasoning sounds absurd. But it's understandable.
Because Kingu framed it to mislead.
He told no lies. He hid nothing about non-Demon God matters. But by rearranging or omitting parts, he gave the impression that humanity fought the Demon God Pillars for three thousand years after Solomon's death.
It's partly to avoid mentioning the contract with the Demon God Pillars, but also because he likely holds a grudge over Solomon's assault in Kyoto.
"That's not the issue here."
A sudden voice. Familiar to the Three Factions' leaders and Gremory peerage.
Unnoticed until now, Issei Hyoudou stood at the room's entrance. Oddly, no devil aura emanated from him, but those present felt pure relief at his safety.
"Issei-kun!"
Akeno Himejima rejoiced.
But ignoring her, Issei Hyoudou tossed a ball-like object at the Satan's feet.
"—Huh?"
Everyone realized it was a severed head. And they knew whose.
"M-MacGregor…?"
The head at Sirzechs' feet unmistakably belonged to his peerage member, MacGregor Mathers.
"W-Why—"
"To avoid hesitation, I suppose."
Cutting off Yuto Kiba's question, Issei Hyoudou wove his words.
"It's strange, but I still feel like I might lose it. Like there's still a chance to start over. Probably because of the possibilities Zepar showed me in that world line, lingering like regrets."
"I-Issei-senpai? W-What are you talking about? If this is a joke, it's not funny!"
Gaspar Vladi's plea went unanswered.
"I've come to settle things, Satan. Please—please kill me."
"Issei-kun…? Please, explain so we can understand! What are you talking about?!"
To Akeno's gasping plea, Issei Hyoudou responded with a powerful incantation.
"I awaken—"
The Biblical factions—devils, angels, and fallen angels—unanimously claim:
The balance between holy and demonic collapsed with the death of God and the Satans.
But is that true? Certainly, phenomena like Yuto Kiba's Holy Demonic Sword, blending holy and evil forces, have occurred.
However, why did Issei Hyoudou gain the White Dragon Emperor's power? Why did other mythological factions fail to notice the God of the Bible's demise? Why, for centuries, did no one heed the world's collapsing balance?
The view that the balance of holy and demonic is disrupted is correct. But it's not the whole story.
In that war, didn't an entity of equal magnitude die?
—Indeed, the Two Heavenly Dragons.
"I awaken—as the Red Dragon Emperor, bearing sins yet defeated by man."
"I awaken—as the White Dragon Emperor, losing love yet unable to become a beast."
Their souls were sealed in Sacred Gears.
"Wishing for infinite light, walking the depths of illusion."
"Seeking infinite power, soaring to the pinnacle of illusion."
But their bodies vanished. They didn't reach godhood, yet their power, surpassing kings, was lost. A change significant enough to tilt the world's balance. The world lost mighty pillars, and all equilibrium faltered.
"I, abandoning the Red Dragon's path of supremacy."
"I, surpassing the White Dragon's hegemony."
Thus, it was inevitable that the newest and final Two Heavenly Dragons would rise.
"To overturn the past painted in crimson with you."
"To lead you to the future erased in pure white."
Here, a new "pillar" of the world is born.
Evils of Humanity
Beast D/R
Original Sin: "Expectation"
An obsession born of desire, forsaking reason.
True Name: Solomon
Class: Beast D
Status
Strength: E
Endurance: C
Agility: E
Mana: EX
Luck: D
Noble Phantasm: A++
Skills
Authority of the Beast: A
Independent Manifestation: E
Summoning: A++
Solomon's Ring: EX
Star Alteration: EX
Otherworldly Interference: B-
Nega-Bible: A
Noble Phantasms
The Crown Upon the Earth
The Taboo Beneath the Waters
The Truth in the Future
Skill Explanations
Star Alteration
A skill acquired due to individually altering the rules of the world. As a byproduct, it gave birth to the concept of Evils of Humanity in this world. Solomon's rank is so extraordinary that he can even modify his own skills and Noble Phantasms.
Otherworldly Interference
A skill allowing interference with other worlds. In life, Solomon's rank would have been equivalent to A+. Normally, his rank limits him to accessing records of other worlds, but combined with Star Alteration, it enables cross-world movement. For Solomon as a Beast, this skill also serves as a substitute for Item Construction.
Nega-Bible
Though recorded in the Bible as a great king, he is said to have "fallen to hell." This is because he is anathema to the Bible itself. Paradoxically, as long as the concept of the Bible exists in human history, the King of Magecraft can revive endlessly—until the moment he forgives humanity.
Noble Phantasm Explanations
The Crown Upon the Earth (Cyclamen)
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Army Noble Phantasm
"Behold my wrath, my original sin. All shall be left here."
A Reality Marble, the great temple Solomon built in ancient Israel. The inner landscape of a king who knows only rage, it is an impregnable fortress designed to protect humanity from aberrations. Ideally, it would have been a fortified city, but he could not construct it in life.
The Taboo Beneath the Waters (Secret of Babylon)
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Demon Noble Phantasm
"Hear my enmity, my desires. All was left behind there."
The manifestation of the brass vessel that once sealed the seventy-two Demon Gods. An absolute sealing Noble Phantasm. It can seal not just individuals but entire armies up to Satan-class entities. Against a single target, it can even seal a Beast.
The Truth in the Future (True Lemegeton)
Rank: A+
Type: Anti-World Noble Phantasm
"Know my ideals, the truth of my life. All is for your future."
The true nature of the curse Truth placed upon all humanity. The authority to interfere with the core of the cosmic perspective—the so-called Akashic Records. By forcing open a path, it can weaponize what "spills out" from that breach.
True Name: 666
Class: Beast D
Status
Strength: A+
Endurance: EX
Agility: A
Mana: A+
Luck: —
Noble Phantasm: A++
Skills
Authority of the Beast: A
Independent Manifestation: A
Self-Regeneration: A+
Seven Crowns: A
Star's Abomination: EX
Nega-Millennium: A
Noble Phantasms
The Promised Flame
The Final Judgment
Note: These stats, skills, and Noble Phantasms apply to its Beast form.
Skill Explanations
Self-Regeneration
Literal regeneration ability. As long as even a fragment of flesh remains, it can regenerate. Distinct from self-recovery skills.
Star's Abomination
An entity that should not have been born. The incarnation of the world's refuse. A mistaken life. When the Counter Force or similar entities activate as a backup in any world, their corrections manifest as negative effects.
Nega-Millennium
The antithesis of the Thousand-Year Kingdom, obstructing the prosperity of human history. The stronger the light of prosperity, the darker the shadow. The length of human history itself fuels this beast's power.
Noble Phantasm Explanations
The Promised Flame (Baal Zebul)
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
"My wrath does not cease. My life does not end."
The heart of the mightiest monster. An infinite, illusory energy core that rejects defeat. Should (hypothetically) 666 become a Servant, it would effectively possess Independent Action: EX, requiring no mana from a Master.
The Final Judgment (Apocalypse Now)
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-World Noble Phantasm
"I'm tired of hearing your screams!"
The counterpart to Solomon's The Truth in the Future. Not a key, but the gate itself. A door to otherworldly realms opened to the starry sky. Unlike Solomon, limited to interference, it can summon the entities of outer realms. The "Four Horsemen" and "swarm of locusts" in the Book of Revelation are metaphors for those summoned through this gate.
Its mana consumption is so immense that only Trihexa, with The Promised Flame, should be able to use it.
Beast D/L
Original Sin: "Expectation"
An idol burdened with tragedy and miracles, forced into salvation and victory.
True Name: Issei Hyoudou
Class: Beast D (Alternative)
Status
Strength: D
Endurance: C
Agility: D
Mana: E
Luck: EX
Noble Phantasm: A+
Skills
Authority of the Beast: A
Independent Manifestation: C
Mental Pollution: EX
Devil's Piece: A
Two Heavenly Dragons: EX
Blessings of the Gods (Beast): A
Nega-Evolution: A
Noble Phantasms
Crimson-Black Mud
World, Praise Me
Infinite Overlord: Illusory Ideal
Note: These stats reflect his inverted state. In his normal state, Mental Pollution and all Noble Phantasms would be absent.
Skill Explanations
Blessings of the Gods (Beast)
Blessings (curses) from various gods: the God of the Bible of "D," the Oppai Dragon of "E," and the Demon Gods of "F." They drive his corruption as an Evil of Humanity further into madness.
Nega-Evolution
Evolves to ensure victory while hindering the enemy's evolution. It interferes with causality itself, making resistance impossible. Thus, Issei Hyoudou will always win, no matter how much stronger his opponent is. Regardless of the sacrifices during the battle or the lack of rewards at its end, victory is assured.
Noble Phantasm Explanations
Crimson-Black Mud (Welsh Chaos Tide)
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
Mud born in this world, twisted by the Red Dragon's power. The embodiment of the King of Magecraft's wrath, humanity's hatred, and the despair of past Red Dragon Emperors. It closely resembles the "Holy Grail's Mud" or "Chaos Tide" from another world.
World, Praise Me (I Am a Hero)
Rank: A+
Type: Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
Mimics the techniques, abilities, and deeds of others. If anyone on this planet has accomplished something, he can replicate it—be they human, angel, devil, monster, youkai, spirit, dragon, or even god.
Infinite Overlord: Illusory Ideal (Juggernaut Neo Drive)
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Divine Noble Phantasm
The ultimate rampage named evolution. The most optimized massacre.
Beast X
Original Sin: "Truth"
The absolute reason that all cling to and all degrade.
The Evil of Humanity that destroys even other Evils of Humanity.
The only thing the world needs is me.
True Name: ????
Class: Beast X
Status
Strength: ?
Endurance: ?
Agility: ?
Mana: ?
Luck: ?
Noble Phantasm: EX
Skills
Authority of the Beast: A
Independent Manifestation: A
Divinity: EX
Mana Burst (Heaven): EX
Protection of Faith: EX
Miracle: A+
Nega-Origin: A
Noble Phantasms
The Truth in the Future
Infinite Overlord: Illusory Ideal
Humanity, Return to My Paradise
Skill Explanations
Nega-Origin
The origin of this world. The primal source of all reason. Thus, all forces return to it—be it blade, poison, wound, curse, or love.
Noble Phantasm Explanations
The Truth in the Future
Refer to Solomon's section.
Infinite Overlord: Illusory Ideal
Refer to Issei Hyoudou's section.
Humanity, Return to My Paradise (Genesis Eden)
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-World Noble Phantasm
"Come back to me, my beloved masterpieces."
Details unknown.
Note:
Archer Route Information Disclosure
I'm suddenly revealing some details about the Archer Route. I might forget to include them in the story, so here they are.
Q. What's Fou-kun's role, ultimately?
A. Refer to Nega-Origin above.
Q. What about Ophis in this route?
A. Without Merlin's intervention, Ophis secluded themselves in a Reality Marble until Goetia and Trihexa mutually destroyed each other. They emerged after Asia's death, only to be defeated and absorbed by Beast X.
Q. What did Issei do in the Archer Route?
A. Details will be revealed in the story. Hint: Raum and The Final Judgment.
Q. What about non-Biblical mythologies?
A. Forced to clean up after Issei's actions. With each faction weakened, Beast X annihilated ninety percent of the divine pantheons.
Q. What happened after Cao Cao's death?
A. The one who inherited Cao Cao's coffin, with aid from gods and outer-realm entities, defeated Beast X. Afterward, the few remaining humans and divine-demonic beings began restoring the world. Due to Beast X's lingering ritual effects, their form cannot be seen except by direct visitation.
***
If you enjoyed this story, don't forget to drop 5 stars and your power stone. And if you want to read more than 70 chapters in advance, feel free to visit: pat reon . com / KangTL