The afternoon glow filtered into the private training facility making the training Garden Of Eden feel alive.
Dozens of training dummies—each imbued with adaptive magic—circled Issei in a semi-chaotic formation. Some bore the sigils of ancient devil houses, others shimmered with holy light, and a few pulsed with the proud, arrogant mana of dragonkin. Eden's magic kept them evolving, reacting, adjusting. The longer they survived, the more dangerous they became.
From deep within his Sacred Gear, a familiar roar echoed.
[Ddraig: Begin with what you fear you're weakest at—discipline.]
[Tiamat: Focus. No glory without structure.]
[Quetzalcoatl: We'll guide you. But you must listen, chico.]
"Got it," Issei answered, exhaling slowly as he drew his blade.
The Zanpakutō manifested in a burst of black fire. Its obsidian-steel surface shimmered with arcane depth, and holding it felt like gripping his own heartbeat. This was no mere weapon. This was his resolve, his soul, made steel.
A spectral figure appeared beside him—Hakuro, the Sword Demon of Tempest. He stood in perfect silence, arms behind his back, ethereal eyes watching with fierce patience.
[Eden Guidance – Hakuro Sword Style Module Active. Stage 1: Breath, Blade, Balance.]
Issei moved.
His footwork mirrored Hakuro's—precise, fluid, deadly. Every step connected to breath, every swing born from balance. The blade became an extension of intent.
Slash. Pivot. Lunge. Breathe.
[Eden: Sword Mastery +2. Agility +1. Sword Technique Unlocked – Shadow Cross.]
He shifted, raising his hand toward the heavens.
A sphere of radiant heat bloomed—Sunshine, now refined beyond raw power. He pulsed it gently, dimming and flaring it with fine control. Then he reached deeper—not into power, but into memory.
He thought of Rias.
Her hair like a crimson tide, her strength wrapped in gentleness. Her fire.
Emotion surged. Sunshine twisted. Its golden brilliance deepened, turning rich red-orange, warm as her gaze.
[Sunshine Variant Unlocked – Crimson Sun: A solar manifestation infused with will and affection. Increases destructive power and amplifies regeneration.]
A grin pulled at Issei's lips. "You're damn right it does."
His other hand rose, fingers crackling with light.
"Queen's Judgment!"
A divine lance of golden lightning tore through the air and annihilated a target dummy. It sizzled through the sky like judgment itself—blinding, unforgiving.
The recoil hit him like a wave, and he stumbled, dropping to one knee.
[Eden: Magic Affinity +1. Queen's Judgment Control: 34%. New Insight Gained – Delay Channeling for Multi-Target Cast.]
"Not bad…" he muttered, catching his breath.
[Ddraig: Again.]
[Tiamat: Your stance dropped. Again.]
[Quetzalcoatl: Smile less. Learn more. Focus, Issei.]
He chuckled under his breath. "Tough crowd."
And resumed.
From strikes to spellwork, from body to spirit, he trained.
Slash. Parry. Pulse. Burn.
Each movement wove fire and steel together—Sunshine flowing through his limbs, mana refining into instinct. The hours in the Garden bled together. Inside this space, time twisted—days passing for him while minutes ticked by in the outside world.
He didn't just grow stronger.
He evolved.
⸻
Far from the sanctuary of Eden's Garden, deep within the Phenex's estate, the room glowed with decadent warmth.
Riser Phenex stirred from a bed too large for one man.
Wine-red silk sheets tangled around limbs, the faint scent of mana-rich sweat still clinging to the air. His peerage lay sprawled beside him, most in dreamless sleep—bodies still humming with the residue of Phoenix magic after a long night of indulgence.
All except one.
His Queen, Yubelluna, sat upright beside him, her violet eyes focused on the ceiling rather than him. There was elegance in her stillness, but also something else—fragility.
"Riser," she said softly, voice laced with concern. "You've been staring at nothing for an hour."
He didn't answer right away.
When he finally spoke, it was with a voice cold and sharp.
"I've been… thinking."
She reached out, tracing a line across his chest with the back of her fingers. "About what?"
His lips curled into a smile devoid of warmth.
"I think it's time I claim my crimson bride, my dear Yubelluna."
Her hand stopped mid-stroke.
Silence stretched like a blade between them.
She didn't cry, didn't speak.
But the flicker in her gaze said enough.
A small, invisible wound opened in her chest. One born not of betrayal—she knew this was coming—but of inevitability. She had always been his loyal Queen. Yet in this moment, she was no longer his choice.
He didn't notice.
Fire licked his skin as he rose, dressing with magic-fueled efficiency.
"She will be mine," he muttered, eyes distant. "Rias Gremory… will kneel."
Yubelluna remained seated on the edge of the bed, unmoving.
Her gaze lowered.
And her heart quietly cracked.
⸻
As the five young devils and one sabertooth familiar emerged from within the Garden of Eden that felt like they had been training for three intense days, they had changed—stronger, sharper, evolved.
Issei stood at the forefront, shirtless, his torso etched with new lines of crimson and azure draconic script. His body radiated warmth—not from sunshine, but from the internal fusion of Crimson Sun and Quetzalcoatl's divine spark into his elemental dragon bloodline. Lightning flickered through his fingertips, and golden-red flames licked his arms, dancing in harmony. He could swear he felt his Zanpakutō stir in approval.
Beside him, his familiar—Byakko, the white sabertooth tigress—stretched with lazy grace. Her wild eyes gleamed with primal intelligence, her tight outfit accentuating toned limbs and sleek curves. A living weapon of fang, speed, and instinct.
Kuroka lounged next to Issei, her tails swaying, pupils slitted like a predator. Her aura had deepened, pulsing with Senjutsu energy enhanced by Kenichi's manuals. She radiated refined chaos.
Koneko stood proudly at her side, her hands glowing with faint, chakra-like blue energy—mastery of the Twin Lion Fists shining in her stance. Her movements were tighter, sharper, but still tinged with feline ferocity.
Asia radiated divine healing magic like a young goddess of life. Golden-green light shimmered across her arms, and her Sacred Gear could now shift into a staff with Grayfia's guidance. Inspired by Tsunade's teachings, she had gained the ability to store and release area-wide healing fields. Her constitution had improved remarkably, her innocent smile now backed by hidden strength.
Kiba stood ready, twin blades sheathed on his back—one black as shadow, the other humming with silver power. Training in Armament Haki and Mushoku Tensei sword forms had granted his strikes new weight, new clarity. His presence now cut through the air like a sword unsheathed.
Rias stepped forward next, cloaked in dark violet flame—the raw aura of Destruction Magic refined by fictional scrolls from anime legends. Her crimson hair flowed like a queen's mantle, and her eyes gleamed with ambition.
"I've never felt so alive," she whispered.
Akeno followed, her body crackling with divine voltage. The Kirin technique, merged with Laxus's essence, gave her every step a sense of impending storm. She leaned down, kissed Issei on the cheek—and a shockwave burst beneath them, splitting a stone tile.
"Are you ready for the next challenge, darling?"
He smiled. "As long as it's for you all, I'm ready for any challenge."
Byakko purred low beside him.
Behind them, Mio Gremory, Grayfia, and Souji Okita stood watching.
Asia had ascended to the high level of a low-class devil.
Koneko and Kiba had both reached the peak of medium-class devil status.
Issei now stood at the halfway point of being a high-class devil.
Akeno had reached the level of a full-fledged high-class devil.
And Rias—King of the peerage—stood at the cusp of Ultimate Class.
The silence between the observers spoke volumes.
Then Grayfia stepped forward, expression neutral, but her voice cool and sharp.
"Riser Phenex will arrive tomorrow."
The warmth in Rias's expression flickered.
"…Of course he will," she whispered bitterly.
⸻
That night, after everyone had retired, Issei found her all alone in the courtyard beneath the stars.
Rias stood beside the old cherry blossom tree, her arms wrapped around herself, her long hair swaying gently in the breeze. The moonlight bathed her in a quiet sorrow.
She didn't turn when he approached.
"I hate feeling weak," she said softly, voice barely above a whisper.
"I know," he answered, stepping beside her.
"I've spent my whole life trying to prove I wasn't just Sirzaria's little sister. That I had the strength to lead. That I wasn't some pawn to be bartered away."
She swallowed hard.
"And now… the moment I finally feel like I've taken control, they want to rip it away. Again."
She looked up at him, eyes shimmering with tears. "What if I lose, Issei? What if I fail and everything we've built together is torn apart? What if they force me to marry Riser and everything just… ends?"
He said nothing.
Instead, he stepped forward, gently pulling her into his arms.
She didn't resist.
She broke.
The tears flowed freely now, her body trembling against his as years of pressure, duty, and quiet fear unraveled in a tidal wave.
"I love you," she confessed, clutching the fabric of his shirt. "I love you so damn much, and it terrifies me because I finally found someone worth breaking the rules for. Someone I don't want to lose."
He held her tighter, his hands running slowly down her back.
"You're not going anywhere," he whispered. "You're part of my horde now. Part of my harem. Mine."
She blinked up at him, stunned by the fire in his tone.
"I don't care if I have to fight the entire Underworld," he continued. "You, Akeno, Asia, Koneko, everyone—you've all fought beside me, bled with me. You're my family. My future. And I'll make damn sure no one takes that from us."
Her lip trembled.
He rested his forehead against hers.
"For the future… I want a world where we're free. Where you wear your crown without chains. Where our children grow up knowing their mother was never owned—only loved."
Rias let out a shaky breath. "Children…?"
He chuckled. "One day. Maybe half a dozen…"
She laughed through her tears, then kissed him—soft at first, then fierce.
When they finally parted, she whispered against his lips, "Thank you… my Red Dragon Emperor."
⸻
Up above, on a balcony cloaked in shadow, Mio Gremory watched the scene unfold with a conflicted expression.
Her arms were crossed, but her eyes were wide.
"Why?" she asked quietly. "Why can't you do something, Sister? You're Lucifer."
Sirzaria stood beside her, hands resting on the railing, gaze sharp and unreadable.
"If I push too far," she said after a pause, "it could spark another civil war. Our House already sits under enough scrutiny."
Mio clenched her fists. "But we're different from Rias. We're strong—respected. You're the Maou. I'm the heir to Mother's branch. No man dares force an engagement on us."
Sirzaria's lips curved slightly, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"And that's exactly why they go after Rias," she said quietly. "They believe that she can be pushed. That she'll bend before she breaks. They don't realize she's inherited our fire too."
She looked down again, watching as Issei and Rias held each other beneath the cherry tree.
"That mistake will cost them. Our sister won a dragon's heart—and dragons don't yield. They burn."
Mio's eyes flicked to Sirzaria. "…Were you serious?"
Sirzaria tilted her head. "About what?"
"Marrying Issei. You said it once—if he breaks Rias's engagement."
A rare look of vulnerability passed through the Lucifer's crimson eyes.
"I was. I am," she admitted. "It's better if I choose someone now before the Council or our father tries to throw me at some 'suitable' heir for the sake of 'pureblood prosperity.'"
She turned slightly toward Mio, a teasing gleam breaking through her composed exterior.
"Mio, I see how you look at him too. You like him, don't you?"
Mio blinked. "Wh—What?! Who said I liked him?! You know how absurd that sounds, Sister!"
Sirzaria arched a brow. "Then tell me why your cheeks are redder than your hair."
"I—! That's not—! I was just thinking—"
Before the flustered Gremory heiress could gather a defense, the soft click of heels interrupted them.
Venelana Gremory stepped onto the balcony, her poise as graceful as ever, fan fluttering near her lips.
"My, my," she said with a knowing smile. "All three of my daughters… falling for the same man. Or should I say—dragon?"
Sirzaria sighed.
Mio froze.
And Venelana simply laughed, eyes gleaming with mischief and maternal amusement.
Below them, the Red Dragon Emperor held the Crimson Princess in his arms—his fire now hers, his strength wrapped around her heart.
The storm was coming.
And the House of Gremory would be ready.