In the distance, the space warped and shimmered with a sickly pale light as Rizevim Livan Lucifer manifested.
He had carefully positioned himself just outside the radius of the absolute destruction wrought by Azi Dahaka's ultimate attack.
As the spatial distortion settled, he stood atop a jagged spire of rock, his eyes fixed on the sky where the legendary Three-Headed Dragon was currently turning into drifting obsidian ash.
"Kukuku, it is just marvelous, is it not, Euclid?" Rizevim asked, his voice airy and light as if he were discussing a pleasant play at a theater.
"To think that in the long, bloody history of our Supernatural World, there would arise a human capable of slaying one of the strongest Evil Dragons all by himself."
Rizevim adjusted his cloak, his gaze shifting downward.
Far away, he could see the figure of Jay, cradled in the arms of Lavinia Reni as she slowly descended toward the scorched earth.
"Rizevim-sama, do you truly believe that letting that human live is a wise idea?" Euclid Lucifuge asked, his voice tight with suppressed agitation.
He stood half a step behind his master, his eyes narrowed as they fixed on the horizon with a look of pure, unadulterated loathing.
"Pardon my insolence, but this is our perfect chance. He is at his weakest. If we strike now, we remove a significant hindrance to your future plans."
Rizevim turned slightly, a playful yet mocking smile dancing on his lips.
"See, Euclid? This is exactly why I often tell you that I am different from all those brute Devils in the Underworld. Those petty lords who think only in terms of strength and brute force."
He tapped his temple with his finger.
"I do not solve every conflict with blunt force. You need to learn to think outside the box. Who told you that this human wouldn't help us achieve our goal? A pawn does not always need to know it is serving the King to be useful."
"What do you mean?" Euclid asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Now, that is for you to ponder in your spare time," Rizevim replied vaguely.
His thoughts, however, were centered on a singular, haunting image.
The all-burning black flame.
He had seen many powers in his long life, but a flame that turn literally everything into nothing was a variable he had not anticipated.
"I have gathered more than enough data from this trial," Rizevim said, swiping his hand through the air to summon a complex, crimson-tinted teleportation circle beneath their feet.
"Let us perform our due diligence for the next phase of the plan. After all, a new variable has arrived on the board, and I do very much love a chaotic game."
Without another word, the two figures vanished into the shimmering light, leaving the ruined landscape of the Carphatian mountains.
***
The sky over Transylvania had finally begun to recover.
The bruised, bleeding red of the three-headed dragon's magic had faded, replaced by the pale, cold grey of an autumn morning.
Michael and Dulio gasped for air, their lungs burning as they watched the remaining Azi Dahaka clones dissolve into drifting particles of crimson and violet light.
"Is it... finally over?" Dulio asked.
The Brave Saint slumped to the ground, his knees buckling. His Balance Breaker flickered once and then deactivated, his mana reserves having been drained to the absolute dregs. He looked like a man who had aged ten years in a single night.
Michael stood taller, though his golden armor was cracked and stained with soot.
He looked out at the crater where the Carpathian Mountains used to be, his heart heavy with the weight of the destruction. He was relieved that the Evil Dragon had been vanquished, but the cost was staggering.
Then his gaze shifted to Jay's motionless body.
"Father... it seems your words have been proven correct once again," Michael whispered to the wind.
He watched as Lavinia touched down on the blackened soil, her wings of ice shattering as she knelt to lay Jay's head in her lap. Gabriel did not hesitate. The Seraph rushed toward them, her white robes fluttering against the scorched earth.
"Seraph Gabriel..." Lavinia started, her voice trembling with exhaustion.
"Let me take a look," Gabriel interrupted softly, her expression turning into one of deep worry as she crouched beside them.
She placed her hand over Jay's chest, and her face went pale.
She felt for a heartbeat, for a spark of mana, for anything that resembled a soul.
"His life force is empty... it is as if the well has run dry. But somehow, there is another energy, something else that is keeping his heart beating."
Gabriel began to inspect Jay's condition more closely.
His clothes were almost entirely gone, his black pants tattered and his chest bare. To her surprise, there were no visible lacerations or broken bones. Instead, she found something far more unsettling.
Across his upper arms and stretching over his shoulders were intricate, black markings that looked like living tattoos.
They were runes, but they were not of Heaven, Hell, or any pantheon she recognized.
'What are these?' she murmured, but she did not wait for an answer.
A brilliant golden light enveloped her hands as she began to pour her own holy life force into Jay's body, forcing her own into his shattered form.
Michael, Dulio, and a weary Queen Carmilla gathered around the group.
"Sister, can you save him? Should we attempt to transport him to the Heaven for more intensive treatment?" Michael asked.
"No," Gabriel replied, her brow furrowed in concentration. "It is not a matter of physical trauma. His life force simply cannot be restored by a standard act of healing."
Suddenly, Jay's eyes snapped open. The movement was so abrupt that everyone recoiled in surprise.
"Illya-kun! You are awake!" Lavinia cried, instinctually pulling him into a tight embrace.
Jay did not speak. He groaned, clutching his head as if his brain were being seared by a hot iron. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, his movements stiff and mechanical.
A violent migraine throbbed behind his eyes, especially the left one.
As he slowly lowered his hand and opened his eyes, the atmosphere changed.
An aura, both raw and ominous emanated from his left eye. It was so potent that even Michael felt a chill run down his spine.
"Illya-kun... your eye," Lavinia whispered, her breath catching.
Jay's dark hazel eyes, which she had grown to love for their hidden warmth, were different now.
In his left eye, a golden X symbol glowed with a faint steady light against the dark hazel iris.
Meanwhile, Jay felt as if he were seeing the world for the first time.
As he scanned the faces around him, he didn't just see people like he used to. He saw their mana.
He saw the golden healing magic Gabriel was using, but it was no longer just a glow of light. In his eyes, the magic was composed of physical threads, golden fibers woven together in complex geometric patterns.
Within those threads, he could see runes written in modern Romanian language, flowing like data, explaining the exact function and intent of the spell.
It strange, it's almost felt like his left eye were writing runes directly into his mind, shaped in the one language his soul instinctively recognized.
"My eye..." he thought, his mind racing.
He did not know what had happened to his body after he instinctively followed the information the Grail had forced into his mind.
He only remembered obeying it as the last mean of survival, using Azi Dahaka's soul and flesh as the foundation to reconstruct himself. At the time, he had not even known the Grail was capable of giving that kind of assistance.
If his guess was correct, then using Azi Dahaka's soul and flesh together with the Grail's power to rebuild his body had to have caused some kind of change. Something had been altered.
Whether it was his physical form, his soul structure, or his life force itself, he could not tell.
Whatever had happened, it was not something he could understand yet.
He would have to examine it later.
But he had a general idea of what had happened to his left eye.
'Is this how he did it?'
"Is this why he can nullify my magic so easily?" Jay thought, remembering his battle with Azi Dahaka.
If Azi Dahaka viewed the world and magic through that kind of perception, then it made sense. He would not see other people spells as attacks, but as structures. Not as power, but as construction. Patterns. Frameworks. Blueprints.
Something that even some users did not know existed.
It meant he could read a person's magical constructs the same way one would read a book, understand the internal logic of a spell, and dismantle it at its foundation before it could even fully manifest.
It was like a power that stripped any magician naked exposing every formula, every weakness, every flaw in their casting. Not just mages, but anything that relied on magic at all.
Nothing could hide its structure from that kind of sight.
And it was probably the same power that allowed him to learn so many forbidden magics so quickly.
A perfect ability for a being known as the Diabolism Thousand Dragon.
'The Avesta...'
But none of that mattered to him right now. He was alive, and Lavinia was safe.
"I don't know what it is," Jay finally said to Lavinia, his voice cracking.
He tried to stand, but Gabriel placed a firm hand on his chest. "Do not move yet. Your body is still stabilizing."
Jay didn't listen. He reached up and gently moved her hand aside. "It is okay. I need to check something important."
"But your life force has not recovered!" Gabriel insisted, her voice full of worry.
Jay ignored the warning and forced himself to his feet. He swayed for a moment, his vision swimming, but he stabilized himself.
He looked at Michael and Dulio, before his gaze settled on Queen Carmilla. The look he gave her was one of cold, lingering despise.
"Wait," Michael said, stepping forward. His emerald eyes caught sight of a scar on Jay's back, a jagged mark that looked like he had been struck by lightning.
"My sister is right. You are in no condition to be walking. You need treatment."
"There is something I must do," Jay replied, his voice trembling slightly with an emotion Lavinia instantly recognized as deep-seated anxiety. "If you wish to help, then follow me. If not, stay here."
"And what is this urgent matter?" Michael asked.
Jay turned to Lavinia, ignoring the Archangel. "Lavi... please. Teleport us to the basement."
Lavinia's eyes widened as she realized what his words implied. A small, sad smile touched her lips.
"Of course, Illya-kun."
"I will accompany you," Gabriel said firmly.
Jay nodded once. Michael took a step forward as well. "I shall go as-"
"No, brother," Gabriel interrupted, looking out at the massive crater that now dominated the landscape of Carphatian mountains.
"There is something more urgent that requires your presence here. We cannot leave this level of destruction unattended. The humans will be here soon."
Michael looked at the crater and sighed, realizing she was right. "Very well. I will summon the other Seraphs to begin the containment and restoration. We shall meet again soon."
Gabriel then turned to the Brave Saint.
"Dulio, please assist Griselda in treating the survivors. I will return shortly to aid you."
"Your word is my command, Gabriel-sama," Dulio replied with a tired salute.
Lavinia's gaze landed on Carmilla, who still looked terrified of Jay's presence. "I will tend to my own people first," the Queen stammered before quickly making her exit.
With the permissions settled, Lavinia raised her hand. A teleportation circle of shimmering ice and shadow enveloped Jay and Gabriel. In a flash, they were gone.
After a quick spatial shift, they reappeared in the dark, damp confines of the basement.
The smell of rot and old blood was so thick that Gabriel, despite her holy nature, felt the urge to gag. The room was filled with debris from the shockwaves of the battle above, stones and dust covering the floor.
Jay did not wait. He stumbled forward, his unsteady eyes searching through the darkness of the room. His steps were weak, his body still struggling to respond, but instinct pushed him onward.
He reached the place where the victims of the Tepes vampires had been kept.
The human children.
The dhampir.
The pregnant human woman.
They were there. Alive. Breathing.
Bruised. Traumatized. Terrified.
But alive.
"They are... safe, Lavi," he muttered.
The relief in his voice was so profound it was almost heartbreaking. Without even realizing it, a thin, genuine smile appeared on his face.
Seeing that smile, a serene one appeared on Lavinia's face as well.
She stepped up beside him and took his hand in hers.
"Yes, they are."
***
Somewhere in an elegant, lavish room filled with extravagant chairs and tables crafted from rare magical woods, a strikingly handsome man sat in quiet contemplation.
He appeared to be in his early twenties, with shoulder-length crimson hair and deep blue eyes, dressed in refined, aristocratic attire that matched the grandeur of the room.
That man was none other than the current Maou of the Underworld, one of the Four Satans.
Sirzechs Lucifer.
Stacks of paperwork sat before him, but his attention was fixed on a magical hologram of a silver-haired woman in a maid's uniform.
"Grayfia-chan, are Rias and her friends safe?" Sirzechs asked, his voice laced with concern.
"That energy blast... I could feel the ripples all the way here in the Underworld. It was unlike anything I have felt in decades."
[Do not worry, they are unharmed,] Grayfia replied through the hologram. [However, Rias is becoming difficult to manage. She is determined to go outside because she claims she has lost contact with the new members of her peerage.]
"I see. That is a relief," Sirzechs said, leaning back in his chair. "But what exactly is happening up there? My reports said it was a simple territorial dispute between the Church and the Vampires. Who could possibly possess the power to unleash an attack of that magnitude?"
[ I cannot say for certain yet,] Grayfia said, her expression grave. [ But the residue I sensed... it felt like a Dragon.]
Sirzechs went silent for a moment, his fingers tapping the desk.
"Understood. Thank you, Grayfia. Once I have finished these urgent matters, I will come to meet you and Rias personally."
The hologram flickered and died. Sirzechs looked down at his papers, but his mind remained on the surface world.
A new power had moved, and the balance of the world was shifting once again.