Some Days Later.
Several days had passed since the meeting of the three Factions and the creation of Gilgamesh's Avalon Faction, which was recognized by the Angel, Fallen Angel, and Demon Factions, as well as the entire world.
As members of the Three, now Four, Faction Alliance, Gilgamesh had to provide a summary of his members' abilities as a sign of trust, which he refused since he was under no obligation to do so.
Gilgamesh had only revealed the Longinus to the Three Factions, namely that he wielded Zenith Tempest, Regulus Nemea, Boosted Gear, Telos Karma, and Innovate Clear; that Valerie wielded Sephiroth Graal and Incinerate Anthem; and that Leonardo wielded the Longinus Annihilation Maker.
This was done as a gesture of trust and to show that his Faction had the highest number of Longinus-class Sacred Gears.
After all, they had [Zenith Tempest] and [Annihilation Maker], two top-tier Longinus, alongside two Holy Relics, [Sephiroth Graal] and [Incinerate Anthem], as well as mid-tier Longinus [Boosted Gear] and [Regulus Nemea], and low-tier Longinus [Telos Karma] and [Innovate Clear].
Of the other Longinus, Grigori was in possession of [Canis Lykaon], used by Tobio, and [Absolute Demise], used by Lavinia.
The Khaos Brigade had [True Longinus], wielded by Cao Cao, along with [Dimension Lost], wielded by Georg, and now [Divine Dividing], wielded by Vali.
Thus, they knew the locations of the Thirteen Longinus.
Gilgamesh almost laughed when the Underworld, particularly the Underworld nobles, stated that he should hand over some of his Longinus to the demons because the alliance was uneven.
They also wanted Valerie and Leonardo to be turned into demons.
Needless to say, Gilgamesh refused, and the Underworld nobles were furious, but Gilgamesh stated that if that was the case, he would simply leave the alliance, silencing them.
Gilgamesh was also considering building a base for himself and his friends. While he liked his house, it would be much better if they built a base for everyone.
Gilgamesh was thinking of using [Innovate Clear] to create a pocket dimension where the base would be located. Obviously, this was not a simple task.
After all, taking a piece of the world for himself was one thing, but shaping one entirely as he wanted would take time.
It was currently Sunday, so there would be no classes. However, that morning, you could find Gilgamesh walking through the hallways of Kuoh Academy toward the Student Council.
Although the school was closed, Gilgamesh had been summoned by Sona to go to the Student Council Office. According to the Sitri heiress, there was someone who wanted to meet him.
Gilgamesh was wearing a white long-sleeve shirt, over which he had a black jacket, along with black pants and sneakers.
Gilgamesh wondered who wanted to see him.
Gilgamesh could sense the aura of someone else with Sona, and it was considerably more powerful than Sona's, roughly at the level of an Ultimate-Class Demon, perhaps even a Maou.
Although it was nowhere near comparable to others like Serafall Leviathan, after all, even within the Maou Class, there was a vast difference between fighters.
In a fight, not only raw power but also intelligence, technique, and skill mattered greatly.
Gilgamesh stopped when he reached the Student Council door, knocked, and heard an "enter."
Entering the room revealed Sona sitting at her desk with her Queen by her side and the rest of her Peerage performing their duties.
But Gilgamesh's eyes fell on the unfamiliar figure of another person in the room, a woman.
Just by her energy, Gilgamesh understood what she was.
Devil.
Another demon.
Gilgamesh could smell and taste the aura she radiated, along with the magical energy she possessed. She was a demon… And seeing her appearance, it was clear she was also a high-class, pure-blood demon.
When she turned her gaze to Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes saw her appearance.
She was a young, slender woman with fair skin and dark hair; her eyes were aqua-colored. Her hair was styled in two ponytails tied with black ribbons, with loose volume behind her shoulders and a parted fringe in the middle. Her standard outfit consisted of a red blouse, a black skirt, and thigh-high stockings.
The moment Gilgamesh looked at her, he couldn't help but be utterly shocked by her presence, especially because he recognized who she was.
"Ah, Gilgamesh, I'm glad you came," said Sona with a small smile before turning to the woman. "This is Rin Astaroth, the younger sister of Ajuka Beelzebub," Sona said by way of introduction.
For Gilgamesh, there was no doubt who she was.
Rin Tohsaka, one of the female protagonists of Fate/Stay Night.
All that was going through Gilgamesh's mind was what the hell was happening.
Gilgamesh stared for a moment before remembering something the goddesses who reincarnated him had said.
"Oh, before we forget! We made some… changes to things we think you'll like. Have fun ~!"
Gilgamesh couldn't believe it; this couldn't be the work of the goddesses.
Actually, from what he remembered of the goddesses, this was entirely possible. The goddesses had even summoned Mordred because they were bored, so this didn't surprise Gilgamesh.
"Pleasure to meet you, Sekiryuutei," said Rin Astaroth with a slight smile.
"Pleasure to meet you too, Rin Astaroth," said Gilgamesh, smiling lightly before using [God's Eye].
[Name: Rin Astaroth]
[Lineage: Pure Demon]
[Title: Astaroth Heiress]
[Sacred Gear: None]
[Level: 71]
_____________________________________
[HP: 71,000/71,000]
[MP: 70,000/70,000]
_____________________________________
[STR: 2,000]
[VIT: 7,100]
[INT: 2,000]
[DEX: 2,100]
[LUCK: 2,500]
_____________________________________
[History: Rin Astaroth is the youngest daughter of Lord and Lady Astaroth, as well as the younger sister of Ajuka Beelzebub and Diodora Astaroth. Rin was born into the Astaroth clan and possessed immense magical power from a young age, making her a candidate to become an Ultimate-Class Demon in the future. She became the Astaroth clan heiress after the death of her older brother, Diodora Astaroth, who was a year older than her. She has a highly competitive personality, demonstrating excellent magical prowess and understanding of her family's traditions. She is also greatly admired for her skills but is very reserved and serious. She is cunning, bossy, and sometimes petty, but deeply cares for those she loves. In combat, she is a formidable fighter in close-quarters combat, with exceptional magical and enchantment skills, as well as mastery over the Kankara Formula. She is considered the only one of the new generation capable of fighting on equal terms with Sairaorg Bael, with much debate over who is stronger.]
Gilgamesh couldn't help but be surprised by her stats.
From the power he sensed, Rin had strength comparable to an Ultimate-Class Demon, perhaps even a Maou. Her power was only slightly inferior to Sairaorg's.
This was certainly a big surprise.
Turning his gaze back to Rin, he saw her stand and look at him as if analyzing him.
"So, you're Sairaorg's rival?" asked Rin, making Gilgamesh look surprised.
"You know Sairaorg?" asked Gilgamesh curiously.
"Yes, we've always competed to measure our levels, and he always talks about you," said Rin, making Gilgamesh a bit surprised.
The King of Heroes had already met Sairaorg and fought him several times after the events with Regulus.
Gilgamesh won all the battles, which only motivated Sairaorg to train even harder, leading the Bael heir to declare him his rival.
The last time Gilgamesh had met Sairaorg, he had the power of a Maou-Class purely through physical strength, having become much stronger than in the canon due to their rivalry.
"So, what do you think about joining my Peerage? I still have a [Bishop] left," said Rin, stopping in front of Gilgamesh.
Sona and Tsubaki, who were behind her, looked shocked at this, the thought of Rin having Gilgamesh in her Peerage.
Rin's Peerage was already well-known in the Underworld for its combat skills and immense potential.
Rin herself was said to have the potential to become a Super Devil in the future and was a candidate to succeed her brother as Maou Beelzebub.
Gilgamesh laughed a little.
"While it's a good offer, I doubt you'd be able to reincarnate me," said Gilgamesh with amusement, and Rin nodded.
"That's true; your feats speak for themselves, but it doesn't hurt to try," said Rin, shrugging.
Gilgamesh chuckled a bit.
"So, you're the Astaroth clan heiress? From what I heard, there was another before you," said Gilgamesh, referring to Diodora.
Rin paused, looked at him for a moment, and then spoke.
"Yes, my older brother, Diodora, unfortunately passed away," said Rin with a fake, feigned sadness that Gilgamesh noticed.
It seemed the Astaroth heiress was even aware of her brother's darker side.
"So, what brings you here?" asked Gilgamesh curiously.
"A job for my brother," said Rin before letting out a sigh.
"Although I'd love to fight you to see your power, my brother would probably complain that I was taking too many risks," said Rin, smiling.
"Your brother seems protective," said Gilgamesh, noticing Rin shudder slightly.
"Yes, a bit protective," said Rin weakly and embarrassed.
Gilgamesh couldn't help but think that Ajuka Beelzebub seemed a bit overly protective of his sister, judging by her reaction.
All that was missing was another siscon brother, alongside Sirzechs and Serafall.
Gilgamesh was starting to think that being a siscon was a requirement to become a Maou.
"Well, I guess that's it. I really just wanted to meet you. Until next time," said Rin before heading to the door and leaving.
Gilgamesh looked surprised for a moment before turning his attention to Sona, who didn't have a pleased expression.
"You two seemed to get along well," said Sona sarcastically, with a hint of jealousy in her voice.
Judging by Tsubaki's look, she felt similarly.
Gilgamesh only smiled provocatively.
"Oh, don't tell me you're jealous, Tsubaki-chan, So-tan?" asked Gilgamesh teasingly, making both of them blush.
"D-Don't talk nonsense!" shouted Sona, embarrassed, along with Tsubaki.
Gilgamesh laughed before stepping forward and sitting in a chair.
"An unexpected visitor, huh? I'm surprised Rias isn't here," said Gilgamesh calmly.
Sona, who had already recovered from her blush, looked at Gilgamesh.
"Well, Rin always does what she wants without worrying. As for Rias, they don't get along," Sona informed Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh smiled with amusement as curiosity took over.
"Why?" asked Gilgamesh curiously.
"Well, Rin and Rias have always been heavily compared since they're sisters of Ajuka Beelzebub and Sirzechs Lucifer, the two Super Devils, so they've always had a rivalry. However, Rin has always been better than Rias in everything, from magical abilities to theories, which caused them to drift apart. Rias didn't like Rin because she was better," said Sona to Gilgamesh, who laughed.
"Jealousy and envy, then," said Gilgamesh with amusement.
Although Gilgamesh wasn't surprised, envy was one of the Deadly Sins, so it wasn't uncommon for a devil to feel it.
"Anyway, from what I heard, the Young Devils' Rating Games are starting this year," said Gilgamesh, receiving a nod from Sona. "Are you participating?"
Sona smiled at Gilgamesh's question.
"Actually, yes. I'm not sure if you heard, but there will be an unusual number of qualified heirs for this year's gathering. It'll be the perfect chance for me to test myself and prove my worth to the rest of the Underworld. Plus, Rias is definitely planning to enter, and there's no way I'll let her outdo me."
Despite Sona's surprisingly childish attitude when it came to her well-known rivalry with the Gremory heiress, Gilgamesh couldn't blame her for her reasoning.
"And what do you think your chances of winning are?"
"Honestly?" she asked, and Gilgamesh nodded. "Zero."
"Oh~?" Gilgamesh said with a teasing tone. "Why would you say that? Don't you have any confidence in your Peerage's strength?"
"Not at all," she replied without hesitation. "I have the utmost confidence that my Peerage is more than capable of handling anything they face."
Around Sona and Gilgamesh, Sona's Peerage practically basked in her praise, even as they continued to pretend they weren't listening and maintained their facade of working.
"So, what's the problem?" asked Gilgamesh, smiling.
"The 'problem,' as you put it, is the competition," Sona said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she spoke, making them glint in the light. "I already mentioned that this year's gathering will be unusually large; well, it'll also be unusually fierce."
Pausing, she closed her eyes and organized her thoughts before continuing.
"As with every gathering, there are several strong demons among this year's competitors, but three stand out above the crowd."
Raising one finger in the air: "First, there's Riser Phenex. Despite being known as a playboy and a minor troublemaker, Riser is undeniably a genius when it comes to using his family's flames. His regeneration is at a level that would have taken most Phenex the better part of a century to achieve, and yet he's barely over twenty years old.
"The fights he's been in this year have only solidified that fact. Despite most of his Peerage consisting of members with below-average combat skills, he's won all eight fights he's been in and come out without a single injury to show for it. Three of the eight opponents he faced simply resigned upon realizing none of their attacks could harm him, even after he invited them to hit him freely.
"That doesn't even factor in his sister. Though less talented in controlling the Phoenix flames than her brother, she more than makes up for it with her intelligence. Ravel Phenex is a top-class strategist with a gift for small-scale strategy that I can honestly say rivals my own."