"Bang!"
With a sound like shattering glass, the barrier that had been set up to keep people away was dispelled.
As the one who set up the barrier, Varden's death immediately rendered it useless, and it naturally dissolved.
Leo Erigid slowly lowered his hand, which he had raised at some point, and the Magic Circle rotating on it vanished.
As mentioned before, the gap between a High-Class Devil and a lower-ranking Demon is like that between an elephant and an ant. Even though Leo had only recently been promoted to a High-Class Devil, dealing with a two-winged Fallen Angel at the same level as a lower-ranking Demon was still a matter of minutes.
The opponent was not like Leo, whose rank couldn't keep up with his strength. His strength and his own rank were perfectly aligned.
Therefore, Leo admired his opponent.
"With this kind of strength, where did he get the nerve to constantly look down on people with 'despicable' this and 'despicable' that?"
It can only be said that, no matter the faction, there will always be such incredibly foolish idiots.
Leo quickly dismissed such an idiot from his mind and instead knelt down in front of Yukinoshita Yukino.
Pressing his finger on Yukinoshita Yukino's pale neck pulse, it only took a moment for Leo to confirm.
Yukinoshita Yukino's heart and breathing had stopped.
She was dead.
Leo's expression showed no change at all.
"I was originally planning to wait a bit longer, but since things have already turned out this way, then you have no choice, Yukinoshita..."
Muttering this, Leo took out a transparent chess piece as red as blood.
At this moment, this chess piece was glowing.
A devil chess piece can only be possessed by a High-Class Devil who has been ennobled and holds a title. It is a tool that can reincarnate other species into Demons, taking them as Retainers.
By using it, one can form a master-servant relationship with another, allowing the other party to be reincarnated as a Demon.
Now that she was dead, only by accepting the reincarnation ritual and completely abandoning her identity as a human could Yukinoshita Yukino continue to live.
"Then, let's begin."
Leo placed the crimson King chess piece on Yukinoshita Yukino's chest and began to chant a spell.
"By the name of Leo Erigid, I command—"
"You—Yukinoshita Yukino, for the sake of becoming my servant, your soul shall return to this place once more—"
"Transform into a Demon, and rejoice in your rebirth—"
As the solemn incantation concluded, the crimson chess piece on Yukinoshita Yukino's chest immediately emitted a rich glow, and like shattering glass, it transformed into light particles, merging into the girl's body.
The reincarnation ritual officially began, and the blood that had spread into a pool beneath Yukinoshita Yukino flowed back into her body as if time were reversing.
This is the process by which Demons recruit Retainers.
For others, the matter would usually end here.
However, the very next second after Yukinoshita Yukino was recruited as a Retainer by Leo, an astonishing change also occurred in Leo's body.
"Thump-thump—"
As if a power generated out of thin air suddenly surged into his body, Leo felt a strong and forceful heartbeat.
His magic power was burning.
His blood was boiling.
His strength was increasing at a visible rate, making his eyes bright and radiant.
Then, as if an epiphany had struck, Leo received a message.
[Trait: Familiarization, is taking effect...]
—"Trait."
This term, in the world of Demons, usually refers to two types of existences.
The first type is the different characteristics possessed by different devil chess pieces. The object granted a devil chess piece will, upon reincarnation as a Demon, acquire the special abilities possessed by that chess piece itself, which can be called Retainer Traits.
The second type is a special power passed down through generations only within pure-blooded High-Class Devil families. It is an ability that only members of that family can potentially awaken and master.
The Seventy-Two Pillars Demon families each have their own special abilities, and these special abilities are the family traits of their respective bloodlines.
For example, the Bael family, ranked first among the Seventy-Two Pillars, has members who may awaken a trait called "Destruction," allowing them to wield magic power with destructive properties, whose destructive power is quite astonishing.
Sona Sitri has a childhood friend who grew up with her, the young princess of the Gremory family, Rias Gremory. Her mother came from the Bael family, and she was also very fortunate to awaken the "Destruction" trait, possessing destructive magic power, which makes her strength among High-Class Devils paramount, far stronger than Leo and Sona, who are also High-Class Devils.
As a member of the Seventy-Two Pillars Demon families, the Erigor Family naturally also possesses its own unique family trait.
According to historical records, the first Erigor possessed the special ability to detect hidden things and influence the will of warriors, thus being called the War Manipulator, capable of swaying battlefield situations and inspiring the decision-making will of commanders.
The Erigor Family's family trait is related to this; even those who cannot awaken the trait will possess talents in detection.
Leo is also like this; while other Demons find it difficult to cast magic with detection effects, he can do it very easily.
And when he was promoted to a High-Class Devil not long ago and received a devil chess piece, his family trait suddenly awakened without warning.
Furthermore, perhaps because his soul came from another world, his family trait underwent a mysterious change.
"Familiarization"—this is the trait Leo awakened.
As the name suggests, this is a trait that, like a devil chess piece, can be used to recruit Retainers.
The Erigor Family's trait was originally the ability to influence the will of warriors, but in Leo's case, this trait mutated into the ability to conquer the souls of warriors, and it could be informationalized, allowing him to understand and use it by receiving it through his will.
To use this trait, one must first connect to a contract, using that contract to achieve the goal of recruiting Retainers.
Therefore, when Leo received the devil chess piece, this trait awakened and spontaneously connected.
Under such circumstances, when Leo uses a devil chess piece to recruit Retainers, his "Familiarization" trait will also begin to take effect.
After the "Familiarization" trait takes effect, depending on the strength and potential of the recruited Retainer, Leo will also receive a certain degree of feedback, thereby enhancing his own strength.
Now, Leo has recruited his first Retainer, successfully triggering the "Familiarization" trait and gaining power feedback.
[Obtained Basic Feedback—Magic Power (Large Quantity).]
[Obtained Advanced Feedback—Rank (Six-winged).]
[Obtained Additional Feedback—Sacred Gear (Awakening).]
The change manifested in the very next moment.
As the magic power within his body surged dramatically, three pairs of wings unfolded behind Leo.
His rank as a Demon finally increased; he was no longer a two-winged Demon corresponding to a lower-ranking Demon, but a six-winged Demon, fully consistent with his own strength.
At the same time, Leo's body involuntarily ascended, and various supernatural phenomena began to appear around him.
Flames, ice and snow, storms, floods, flying sand and rolling stones... various powers closely related to nature suddenly manifested one by one on his body, even affecting the atmosphere and the weather, causing loud rumbling noises in the sky and stirring up thick dark clouds.
"This is...?!"
Leo, who had been happy about his magic power and rank increasing, was immediately shaken when he saw this phenomenon.
He understood this phenomenon and what was happening to him.
"A Sacred Gear... is actually residing within my body?"
This was something that Leo had not anticipated.
Sacred Gears, created by the God of the Bible, are extraordinary powers residing in specific humans, capable of turning decay into wonder, enabling ordinary humans to become special abilities capable of rivaling Demons, Angels, and Fallen Angels.
Leo had absolutely no idea that such a thing was residing within him, and if there were no accidents, it was an extremely powerful Sacred Gear.
It is the highest-grade Sacred Gear, one of the thirteen legendary god-slaying tools said to be capable of destroying Gods and Demon Lords.
"The Sacred Gear capable of manipulating weather, dominating any natural attribute, ranked second among god-slaying tools—'Blazing Heaven Thunder Prison (Zenith Tempest)'!"
Even among god-slaying tools, there are only four, and depending on how they are used, they can completely destroy a country and have a huge impact on the world. This is one of the higher-ranking god-slaying tools... "I, am actually the wielder of Blazing Heaven Thunder Prison?"
Leo felt it was incredible.
Blazing Heaven Thunder Prison... Isn't this the Sacred Gear of the strongest Exorcist affiliated with the Church in the original story, Dulio Gesualdo?
How could it appear on him?
"No, in this life, I have never even heard of the existence of a person named Dulio Gesualdo!"
He had dealt with the Church quite a bit; if there were a strongest Exorcist who could be called their ace in the Church, he couldn't possibly not have heard their name.
So... "In this life, Dulio Gesualdo doesn't exist at all?"
Leo was filled with mixed emotions.
"Or, am I actually related to Dulio Gesualdo in some way?"
His name in this life is Leo, and the other's name is Dulio. Could this be a mere coincidence...?
But he hadn't heard of Dulio Gesualdo from the original story having any connection with the Demon side... Thinking of this, Leo couldn't help but look at Yukinoshita Yukino, who had already regained her breathing and heartbeat.
Thinking carefully, this world was already different from the original story.
A person who shouldn't have appeared in this world had appeared here, and if he wasn't mistaken, the Sacred Gear residing within her body should originally have belonged to someone else.
"Then there's no need to think too much."
Leo calmed down and retracted his magic power and wings, allowing the supernatural phenomena of earth, water, wind, and fire around him to quietly disappear.
The rumbling sky also calmed down, and the dark clouds dispersed.
By the time people reappeared near the station, Leo and Yukinoshita Yukino were no longer there.
As if they had never appeared in the first place.