As streams of data flowed into his mind, Kaiser skimmed through a portion and found the content not only vast but also obscure and difficult to understand.
Unlike Azazel, who had spent years conducting specialized research in this field, Kaiser had never studied it—he hadn't even gained a basic understanding.
Though the information was extremely detailed, to someone like Kaiser, an outsider, it was completely incomprehensible—like trying to read a book in an alien language.
Perhaps even those who specialized in Sacred Gear research would need a considerable amount of time to fully comprehend this material.
Under such circumstances, the data would be of little use to Kaiser, at least until he found someone capable of deciphering it.
Azazel had likely handed it over to him with the same thought—that even if he gave it to Kaiser, there was no way he could achieve anything meaningful with it in the short term.
But... that would only be true under normal conditions.
Kaiser, however, could not be judged by conventional standards.
Because he possessed the Ultimate Authority over armaments—an ability that allowed him to fully control any object that fell under the concept of "armament," including weapons, armor, and tools.
As long as something was classified as an "armament," not only could he instantly claim ownership upon contact, but he could also completely assimilate it into himself, instinctively comprehend, wield, and master it.
Not all Sacred Gears created by God exist in the form of armaments; some manifest as abilities.
For example, Siegfried's sub-species twice critical is a third arm that grows from his body, essentially a part of his flesh, and not an external-type gear. Heracles' Variant Detonation works similarly—its explosive attacks are ability-based.
Even Yuuto Kiba's Sword Birth and Jeanne's Blade Blacksmith give the impression of being armament-type Sacred Gears, since they wield demonic and holy swords. However, their Sacred Gears are actually abilities—the power to create those swords.
Georg's Dimension Lost is also an ability-type Sacred Gear. Only Kaiser's True Longinus and Asia's Twilight Healing exist in external forms—respectively a spear and a ring—placing them in the category of armaments.
Azazel's artificial Sacred Gears, on the other hand, are almost all external-type.
The reason is simple: he still hasn't found a way to create ability-type Gears that are inherently part of their user.
Creating artificial Sacred Gears is incredibly difficult—starting from scratch to develop a unique ability is akin to playing god, bestowing blessings in various forms.
Conversely, external-type Gears, because they possess physical forms, can be forged using various materials and weapon-smithing techniques, making their creation comparatively more feasible.
Thus, when Kaiser came into contact with this data on artificial Sacred Gears, although it seemed utterly incomprehensible, his instincts—his Authority—told him...
As long as the materials were sufficient, and if he could work on it personally, he could successfully create it!
He didn't need to understand it or grasp the underlying principles. His body would naturally know the manufacturing process, just as he only needed to hold a weapon to know how to use it and bring out its full potential!
"As I thought, my Unique Authority still has many uses yet to be discovered…"
Kaiser smiled in delight.
He had long anticipated this. After all, his Authority was an ultimate power that could surpass even divine rights. In the realm of "armament," no power could stand above it.
Granted, the extent to which this ability could be utilized depended entirely on the quantity and quality of the armaments Kaiser possessed. That was why, back in the World of Asterisk Wars, he hadn't been able to showcase much capability.
But ever since obtaining the True Longinus—the most powerful Longinus—his strength had undergone a tremendous transformation. One could imagine the potential.
If, in the future, Kaiser were to obtain even stronger weapons, his power would again leap forward dramatically.
Only if no stronger armaments appeared could his growth possibly be curbed.
However, in the countless fantasy worlds out there, was Kaiser really worried he couldn't find powerful armaments?
Impossible.
At worst, as long as his life experiences in those worlds were exciting enough, he could still receive rewards from the Fantasy Library and become even stronger.
The artificial Sacred Gear data Azazel handed over would definitely be of great help to him.
In any case, Kaiser already had a plan for how to use it.
At the same time that Kaiser received the artificial Sacred Gear data, Azazel and the others began reviewing the intelligence on the Khaos Brigade that Kaiser had prepared.
"Azazel."
A boy standing behind Azazel, seeing the exchange complete, couldn't help but call out to him.
Azazel didn't seem to care at all, waving his hand dismissively.
The boy smiled, stepped away from the wall he had been leaning against, and walked up to Kaiser.
"My name is Vali—Vali Lucifer."
Ignoring everyone else present, he introduced himself in an astonishing manner.
"...…!"
Immediately, everyone on the Devils' side reacted strongly.
"Vali Lucifer…"
As the current Lucifer, Sirzechs turned to Vali at once, his eyes filled with both shock and gravity.
"Could it be…?!"
Rias also stopped looking at Kaiser and stared at Vali, her face full of disbelief.
The other Devils had similar reactions, even the Angels were visibly shaken.
Everyone looked at Vali in astonishment, clearly aware of what it meant for someone not officially recognized as a Maou to bear the name of the strongest Maou—and even use it as a surname.
"Azazel…"
Michael turned to Azazel, seemingly seeking an explanation.
"That's right. It's exactly what you're thinking." Azazel appeared to be enjoying the shocked and stunned expressions on everyone's faces. With a mischievous grin, he said, "He's a blood descendant of the former Lucifer—a great-grandson of the deceased Old Satan Lucifer."
The Old Satan—Lucifer—one of the true Maou who had perished…
During the long war, all Four Great Satans, including him, died due to grievous injuries.
The current Maou are Devils from pure-blooded noble families who inherited only the title of Maou, without any direct ties to the original Satans.
The remaining bloodlines of the Old Satans had long been exiled beyond Devil territory, becoming rootless vagabonds.
Vali Lucifer was one of those rootless descendants.
"A descendant of the Old Satan…"
Rias and the others looked at Vali with expressions that changed several times.
But Vali didn't care at all—he simply looked at Kaiser with a battle-hungry smile.
"I'm a hybrid, born from the grandson of the Old Maou and a human woman, so I'm half Devil and half Human."
"Maybe because of that, the human side of me was recognized by a Sacred Gear, and I was born with one."
"You can think of me as a Sacred Gear wielder who also possesses the power of a Maou's bloodline."
This statement carried tremendous weight—so much so that many people present showed expressions of disbelief.
"Maou's bloodline… and a Sacred Gear wielder?!"
Even Kuroka was stunned. One could imagine how shocking such a combination was.
Ordinary humans could become heroes or legends after acquiring powerful Sacred Gears, wielding powers comparable to Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels.
Now, a half-blood born with a Maou's lineage, possessing such immense potential, had also received a Sacred Gear. Just imagining the implications was enough to leave one speechless.
"I see... so that's why he's with you?"
Sirzechs seemed to understand and looked at Azazel.
The Grigori's Sacred Gear research division was devoted to studying, recruiting, and, if necessary, eliminating Sacred Gear users. For them, a hybrid of Maou lineage who possessed a Sacred Gear was an unmissable target—for both recruitment and cultivation.
And if that were all, it would already be astonishing.
But what came next was even more shocking…
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, from behind Vali, radiant light wings unfolded.
The wing membranes were a translucent blue, while the wing bones had an inorganic white appearance. A faint dragon aura emanated from them, making it immediately clear—this was a Dragon-type Sacred Gear.
Upon seeing these wings, everyone present widened their eyes.
"T-That's…?!"
Rias and the others showed visible signs of agitation.
Only Azazel spoke in a calm tone.
"Divine Dividing—the Light Wings of the White Dragon Emperor. One of the thirteen Longinus. A Sacred Gear that seals one of the Two Heavenly Dragons—Albion, the White Dragon Emperor. One of the strongest Dragon-type Sacred Gears in existence."
The Two Heavenly Dragons—second only to the Dragon God, even surpassing the Dragon Kings—were immensely powerful dragons.
They were dragons whose power could rival that of gods. One was the Red Dragon, known as the Red Dragon Emperor; the other, the White Dragon, known as the White Dragon Emperor.
They were eternal rivals, ceaselessly fighting throughout the ages. No matter the place or era, whenever they met, they would clash in ferocious battles—conflicts seemingly without end.
These two rampaging dragons had brought immense chaos to the world.
Eventually, they were defeated through the combined efforts of the Three Great Factions. Their bodies were completely torn apart, and their souls were sealed within Sacred Gears, becoming two of the thirteen Longinus.
Divine Dividing is the Sacred Gear that sealed Albion, the White Dragon Emperor.
"A descendant of the Old Satan…"
"And he actually obtained a Longinus… and became the White Dragon Emperor…?"
Many people began to tremble.
Vali, however, continued smiling as he looked at Kaiser and said:
"I heard from Azazel that you're the wielder of the True Longinus, and even he couldn't defeat you."
"So, I'm here to challenge you."
"The most powerful Longinus versus the strongest Dragon-type Sacred Gear—which one is stronger?"
"Let's find out in a duel!"
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Extra chapter