DxD: Scion of Lucifuge

"Life isn't just doing things for yourself. It's possible to live in such a way that other people's happiness, makes you happy too."

— Asuna Yuuki, Sword Art Online

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"Yes, they've departed," Freya Grandol confirmed, stepping out from the wall and approaching Greyworth's desk.

"I don't understand. Is that Demon King really that powerful? All he's done at the academy is chase girls," she commented, unable to hide her skepticism.

"You wouldn't understand unless you experienced it yourself," Greyworth replied calmly. "Even the Elemental Lords bow before him."

Freya fell silent. She knew the power of the Elemental Lords.

They ruled this world.

"You said the Demon King has been busy with girls lately?"

"Well, it's not surprising. He has so many girls around him, and they're all quite strong." Greyworth sighed.

Even she, the strongest Elementalist on the continent, felt weak compared to the girls in Roy's entourage.

'As expected of a Maou,' she thought.

"Freya-sensei, you're young and beautiful. Perhaps you should try your luck. You might be able to win his favor," Greyworth suggested with a playful grin.

Freya blushed at her teasing but quickly retorted, "Headmaster, you're a beauty yourself! And the strongest Elementalist on the continent. Why don't you try? Perhaps that way, you won't have to worry about your cursed seal anymore."

Greyworth paused, considering the possibility.

With Roy's mysterious powers, removing her cursed seal shouldn't be a problem for him.

But she chuckled and dismissed the idea. "I'm too old for that. I can't compete with you young girls."

"Headmaster, you won't know unless you try. Even I'm envious of your beauty," Freya insisted.

Freya was right. Although Greyworth was quite old, she wouldn't age due to the wish she had made to the Elemental Lords.

And only she knew that although the Phoenix Tears had healed her injuries, the cursed seal on her heart remained.

It would eventually consume her.

'Perhaps I should give it a try,' Greyworth mused.

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Astral Zero - Elemental Spirit World

The airship glided through the ether-filled clouds, heading towards its destination.

Their destination was the floating island, a sanctuary within the Elemental Spirit World.

This was where the Blade Dance would be held.

Normally, only the Princess Shrine Maidens from the Divine Ritual Institute were allowed to enter this sacred ground.

But during the Blade Dance, it was open to the public.

"This airship is amazing!" Claire exclaimed, looking down at the vast sea of clouds with a hint of dizziness.

It was her first time on an airship.

The other noble ladies, however, seemed accustomed to such luxury.

They unpacked their luggage and gathered in their assigned lounge, relaxing on the plush sofas.

The walls were adorned with polished marble tiles and decorated with beautiful tapestries.

The room was well-stocked with high-quality amenities.

"It's not shaking at all," Ellis commented in surprise.

As a noble from a remote region, she rarely had the opportunity to ride airships.

"This is the latest model. If everything goes smoothly, we should arrive around noon," Claire replied, sprawled on the sofa.

Her skirt had ridden up, but she didn't seem to notice.

"By the way, there will be an opening ceremony at the castle tonight. Did you bring any dresses?" Fianna asked.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss such an important event," Rinslet declared, twirling her golden hair.

Fianna had also brought a dress.

But...

"I didn't bring one. I don't usually wear dresses," Ellis admitted with a hint of regret.

"Don't worry, I have plenty of Rias's dresses. You can borrow one if you'd like," Roy offered with a smile.

"Thank you," Ellis replied gratefully.

"Rinslet, what are you doing?" Fianna asked, watching as Rinslet set up a tea set on the table.

"I'm preparing tea. Would you like to join me for afternoon tea?" Rinslet asked with a graceful smile.

"Yes, please! I've heard that the tea from the Laurenfrost region is exquisite," Fianna replied eagerly.

"Indeed. We should relax a bit before the Blade Dance," Ellis agreed.

It seemed that enjoying afternoon tea was a ritual for noble ladies, regardless of the time or place.

Rinslet poured the tea with elegant movements.

The aroma of citrus filled the room.

It was different from the tea Akeno usually made, but both were delicious in their own way.

"Thank you. It smells wonderful!" Claire said with a straightforward compliment.

"This is a special citrus tea from the Laurenfrost region," Rinslet explained proudly.

"It's delicious, my lady," Carol chimed in with a smile.

"But shouldn't making tea be the maid's job?" Claire couldn't resist teasing.

"What are you saying?! If my precious Carol burned herself, could you afford to replace her?" Rinslet retorted.

Carol was considered property of the Laurenfrost family.

In other words, she was Rinslet's personal belonging, which was why she was allowed to accompany them to the sanctuary.

But Rinslet didn't seem happy about Carol being treated as an object.

"Roy, how many sugars would you like?" Rinslet asked, looking at him curiously.

"Just one, please," Roy replied.

'Her way of making tea is different from Akeno's,' he thought.

"Claire, you take two, right?" Rinslet then asked Claire.

"Hey, how do you remember my preferences?" Claire asked, surprised.

"I-I didn't remember! I just happened to guess!" Rinslet retorted, blushing.

"My lady and Claire-sama were very close when they were young. They played together all the time," Carol whispered to Roy.

"Oh? Is that so?" Roy chuckled.

"Yes, Claire-sama used to be very attached to my lady."

"Wait a minute! What are you talking about?!" Claire exclaimed, her face flushed.

"B-But we're rivals!" Rinslet protested, turning away.

"I'll take my tea without sugar, please."

"As expected of a princess. You know how to appreciate tea properly," Rinslet said with a pleased nod.

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"Ahem." Ellis cleared her throat.

"I-I'll take my tea with lots of sugar... and milk."

Her voice was filled with embarrassment.

"Okay, okay, milk tea it is."

"And... also..." Ellis hesitated.

"Hmm?" Rinslet looked at her questioningly.

"If possible, could you add some whipped cream and honey? And some marshmallows on top?" Ellis blurted out.

"What kind of request is that?!" Rinslet's eye twitched.

"You're desecrating the tea!"

"B-But that's how I always drink it! To endure the harsh swordsmanship training, I need to consume a lot of sugar," Ellis explained, blushing.

"Honestly, the Fahrengart family, known for their warriors..."

"The Knight Captain is surprisingly childish. She doesn't even know how to appreciate the delicate flavor of tea."

"Shut up! Sweet things are better!" Ellis retorted, tears welling up in her eyes as Claire looked at her with pity.

Roy sighed, watching their bickering.

Rinslet could argue with anyone.

Despite her harsh words, she still prepared the tea according to Ellis's request.

"I can't believe you actually added honey..." Claire stared at Ellis's milk tea in disbelief.

"I-I like it this way! If you have so many complaints, try it!" Ellis retorted, pushing her cup towards Claire.

"Hmph, such a sweet drink can't possibly be good... eh?" Claire took a sip and her eyes widened slightly.

"How is it?"

"...It's not bad. It has a gentle flavor."

"See?"

"But it ruins the taste of the fine tea. It's just a child's drink."

"W-Well, that's true..."

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Although they often bickered, Claire and Ellis were actually good friends.

Roy enjoyed watching their playful banter.

"Your fire cat spirit is so cute," Ellis suddenly said, reaching out to pet Scarlet, who was curled up on the sofa.

She played with Scarlet's fluffy tail and poked her paws.

"Hey, hey, hey! Scarlet is my contracted spirit! Don't touch her!" Claire protested, feeling like her beloved pet was being stolen.

"Just a little bit... It's okay, right?" Ellis pleaded, hugging Scarlet tightly.

It seemed the usually stern Knight Captain had a weakness for cute things.

Roy chuckled inwardly.

He remembered seeing stuffed animals in Ellis's room.

"Meow!" Scarlet squirmed uncomfortably, seeking help from Claire.

"I told you to let her go! Don't you have your own contracted spirit?" Claire demanded.

"But Simorgh isn't very cute..." Ellis mumbled.

If her contracted spirit heard that, it would probably run away from home.

"Ellis!"

"Just a little longer, please! Let me play with her for a bit longer," Ellis pleaded, refusing to let go of Scarlet.

"Meow! Meow!"

Scarlet escaped from Ellis's grasp and leaped into Roy's arms.

"Mmm..." Ellis pouted, disappointed.

Roy petted Scarlet, amused by the scene.

"By the way, the representatives from other countries are also on this airship, right?" he suddenly asked.

The participants in the Blade Dance were all elite Elementalists from various academies.

If he could capture them all and make them his servants...

The thought excited him.

"Yes, we picked up several teams along the way," Claire replied.

Roy set down his teacup. "Is the strongest Blade Dancer, the 'Crimson Princess,' also on this ship?" he asked casually.

"...?!" The atmosphere in the room instantly tensed.

There was an underlying pressure in Roy's voice.

Unlike in the original story, the winner of the Blade Dance three years ago was a girl known as the Crimson Princess.

However, no one knew her true appearance. They only knew she had crimson hair.

This was because she had worn a red mask during the tournament.

Roy suspected that this Crimson Princess was actually Claire's sister, Rubia Elstein.

After all, in the original story, Rubia Elstein was the leader of the Inferno, known as the Crimson Lord.

"No, she's not on this ship," Claire replied calmly. "She's representing Alphas Theocracy, so even if she's taking an airship, it would be a different one."

"I see." Roy nodded. He understood the general plot but wasn't familiar with all the details.

After chatting with the girls for a while, Roy stood up.

"You guys rest for a bit. I'm going to take a walk outside."

He left the lounge.

Claire, Ellis, Rinslet, and Fianna exchanged glances.

"We should follow Roy. It's too 'dangerous' out there," Rinslet suggested.

They all understood what she meant by "dangerous."

"I agree. I'm not tired anyway," Claire said.

"Me too," Fianna added.

She had wanted to follow him earlier.

"Is that... really okay?" Ellis hesitated.

"Then you can stay here and rest," Claire replied nonchalantly.

The three girls were about to leave when Ellis stopped them.

"Wait, I'll come too!"

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Meanwhile, at an altitude of four thousand meters...

A small fighter airship appeared beneath the airship carrying the Blade Dance participants.

It had been lurking in the forest, waiting for its prey.

The metal hatch opened, and a young girl with dark gray pigtails emerged.

"I've found you, Male Elementalist," she said with a sly smile, then began chanting an incantation.

The ring on her middle finger glowed red.

"Alright, go wild! Destroyer Spirit, 'Ungoliant'!"

A massive black monster emerged from a rift in space.

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