April 23rd, 2012, Kuoh Outskirts, Morning.
Panic was an unbearable weight, a cold, sharp claw gripping the heart of the stray devil known as Viser. The half-scorpion woman, whom Makoto Yuki had spared on his first day in Kuoh, was running, her chitinous legs scuttling frantically over the cracked asphalt of the abandoned industrial park.
It wasn't the devils she feared most in this moment; it was the overwhelming, suffocating aura of divinity that had descended upon the town like a sudden, oppressive fog.
As soon as Susano'o, the God of Storms, had set foot in Kuoh with his peaceful but unshielded intentions, his godly presence had screamed across the supernatural spectrum. For a Stray Devil like Viser, untethered from the protective magic of a Pillar House and raw to the world's energies, it was like having a thundercloud manifest directly inside her skull.
"No, no, no!" she desperately chanted, her voice a ragged whisper. "I need to run! I need to get away from here!" She had survived one encounter with overwhelming power; she was not sure she could survive another.
But her frantic escape was abruptly cut short. A brilliant, intricate magic circle, emblazoned with the blue crest of the Sitri Clan, flared to life on the ground before her. From the light stepped Sitri Sona, her expression one of cool, academic detachment, flanked by her Queen, Tsubaki Shinra, and two of her Pawns, Saji Genshirou and Ruruko Nimura.
"Stray Devil Viser," Sona declared, her voice cutting through the morning air with the finality of a judge's gavel. She pointed a slender finger. "For the crimes of desertion and assault upon your master, I sentence you to death by the authority vested in me as Heiress of the House of Sitri."
Terror curdled into defiance. "I won't die today!" Viser hissed, a desperate, cornered sound. She brandished her twin spears, the points trembling slightly, her stance a pathetic attempt at intimidation.
"Ruruko, do it. Genshirou, just stand back and observe, please," Sona instructed, her tone that of a professor commencing a demonstration.
The petite first-year, Ruruko, nodded. "Promotion: Knight!" she shouted, activating the quintessential ability of the Pawn piece. A surge of power visibly coursed through her, enhancing her speed and agility to mimic that of a Knight.
Viser lunged, throwing one of her spears in a wild, panicked thrust. Ruruko, now a blur of motion, sidestepped the attack with effortless grace. She didn't just dodge; she lashed out with a powerful kick, her foot connecting with the shaft of the spear and snapping it in two with a sharp crack.
"As you see, Genshirou," Sona explained calmly, "the Pawn's Promotion ability allows it to temporarily borrow the traits of other pieces when operating in enemy territory. It is the foundation of their strategic versatility."
Saji could only gulp, his eyes wide. "Ruruko is... fast." This was his first real exposure to supernatural combat. Seeing a girl he knew as quiet and unassuming move with such blinding speed and shatter a weapon with a kick was shattering his own perception of reality.
Tsubaki and Sona shared a small, knowing smile. "You will get accustomed to it," Tsubaki assured him gently.
Meanwhile, Ruruko continued to press her advantage, disarming Viser of her second spear with a swift, precise strike. The stray devil was now utterly defenseless, her terror absolute.
"It is enough, Ruruko. Now, Tsubaki, finish it," Sona ordered. The brown-haired Pawn immediately retreated.
"A Queen is the strongest piece in a peerage, just as in chess," Sona continued her lesson to Saji. "They possess a balance of immense strength, speed, and magical prowess."
Tsubaki stepped forward, her naginata materializing in her hands. She raised the gleaming blade high, poised to deliver the final, decisive strike. Saji watched, breath held, the clinical nature of the execution both fascinating and horrifying him.
But the blade never fell.
Instead, it was caught, stopped dead in its descent by a single, gloved hand. Elizabeth had appeared between Tsubaki and Viser as if she had always been there, her movement silent and instantaneous. She held the razor-sharp edge of the naginata between her thumb and forefinger, her expression one of mild curiosity.
Tsubaki's eyes widened in shock. "Who is she!?" Saji shouted, immediately falling into a defensive stance, his own fledgling power flickering uncertainly around his fists.
Sona's lips pressed into a thin, irritated line. She had never cared for Elizabeth since their first encounter. The mysterious magician's sudden appearance in their territory, her vague answers, and her infuriatingly familiar relationship with Serafall all grated on Sona's orderly nature.
"What are you doing, Elizabeth?" she asked, her voice colder than she intended.
'I didn't want to sound so aggressive, but it's not the first time she has dismissed my authority,' she thought internally.
Elizabeth released the naginata's blade. "I was merely wondering why you were attempting to kill this person," she said, glancing back at the cowering Viser, who instinctively shuffled to hide behind the attendant's blue gown like a child seeking shelter.
"Could you not do it, please?" Elizabeth asked politely, though her gaze held a subtle challenge that made Viser flinch and put some distance between them.
"President, what's happening?" Saji asked, utterly confused.
Sona ignored him, her focus entirely on the uninvited attendant. "Elizabeth, we have direct orders from the Underworld to eliminate Stray Devils trespassing in my territory. I must ask you to step aside and allow me to perform my duty." She tried to reason, to appeal to a sense of order she hoped Elizabeth possessed.
"I am afraid I cannot allow you to kill this woman. I am sorry," Elizabeth replied, a faint, amused smile playing on her lips that she made no real effort to hide.
'Attendant, you are exaggerating a bit,' the voice of Mercurius grumbled in her mind. 'First, there was the mess you made in Auros, and now you want to create a ruckus here? AND WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DRAG ME INTO THESE SITUATIONS!?'
'I am merely doing what Makoto would do,' Elizabeth explained mentally. 'He would not let this devil die after he himself chose to spare her when she attempted to kill him first.'
'Oh, really? My theory is that you are simply having fun. The Universe is just a convenient excuse,' the Roman god retorted doubtfully.
'Oh my. What harm could this terrified woman possibly bring? She is as harmless as a fly.'
"Who do you think you are!?" Saji interjected again, stepping forward with a courage born from loyalty. "We are the devils who rule this town, in case you didn't know!"
"Genshirou, don't worry. I can speak for myself," Sona told him, a touch of annoyance in her voice, though she understood his intent. "Sorry," the blonde mumbled, still glaring at Elizabeth.
"I see the situation is resolved, right?" Elizabeth asked, clearly enjoying Sona's mounting irritation. 'Serafall was right; it is fun to play around with the Empress,' she thought.
"Nothing is resolved," Sona countered, struggling to maintain her composure. "That Stray needs to be eliminated. The credibility of my House is at stake. Moreover, even if she were to escape me, she would ultimately be killed by the Five Principal Clans if she leaves town, or Rias and her peerage will be the ones to deal with her." She laid out the logical, inescapable facts, hoping to break through Elizabeth's capriciousness.
It was then that Sona's phone rang, the shrill tone a jarring intrusion. "What do you need, Momo? I'm busy," Sona answered, her voice tight with frustration.
"Sorry about that, President," Momo's voice came from the other end, "but we have a... peculiar guest at the school. He just entered the grounds and is asking around for Senpai Yuki."
'Oh, this could be useful,' Sona thought, a plan forming. "Elizabeth," she said aloud, a note of feigned nonchalance in her voice. "It seems someone is looking for Yuki at the school, and from the description, he is not from around here."
The ploy worked perfectly. Elizabeth's attention was immediately captured. "Oh? I shall go and investigate then," she said.
As Elizabeth prepared to leave, Viser let out a panicked wail. "No! No, don't leave me!" she pleaded, but her cries were in vain. Elizabeth was already gone, vanishing into the unseen doorway of the Velvet Room.
"Was it really that easy?" Tsubaki asked, bemused.
"What did I just witness?" Saji mumbled, rubbing his eyes as if to clear them.
"She was never genuinely interested in this Stray," Sona concluded with a sigh of exasperation. "She simply wanted to mess with me. I am certain my sister has something to do with this." With a swift, decisive motion, Sona conjured a spear of pressurized water in her hand and launched it at the stunned Viser. It struck true, finally ending the stray devil's miserable existence.
"Let's go back," Sona ordered, turning her back on the scene. The lesson was over.
April 23rd, 2012, Kuoh Academy, Morning.
The school bell had yet to ring, and the grounds were still filled with students enjoying their last moments of freedom. Susano'o, having finally reached his destination, was employing his direct approach. He stopped a spiky-haired brown-haired boy who was grumbling to himself.
"Excuse me, do you know Makoto Yuki?" the god asked.
The boy, Issei Hyoudou, looked up, annoyance shifting to commiseration. "Eh? You mean the new third-year who's friends with that bastard Mochizuki? That damn guy... a new Kiba, for fuck's sake! And he seems to be even more popular than him! He draws girls in like he's a magnet, I swear it's some kind of magic!" Issei whined, his own romantic frustrations boiling over.
"I don't care about this Mochizuki," Susano'o stated, impatient. "Do you know about Makoto Yuki? I'm searching for him."
"No, I don't know," Issei replied dismissively.
"Hey, Issei! Come here soon!" another student called out. Issei shrugged and hurried off, leaving the god standing alone.
Susano'o sighed, deciding to find another student to ask. But then he stopped, his divine senses prickling. He turned his head and locked eyes with a girl watching him from near the school entrance—Tomoe Meguri, a devil. Her gaze was assessing, cautious.
'A devil... could this school be their headquarters? If so, I need to find Makoto Yuki quickly, before I lose my temper,' he thought, gritting his teeth. 'Fucking devils, turning human children into their own kind.'
Contrary to his boisterous reputation, Susano'o was not a mindless warmonger, but the topic of devils and the other Christian factions was a raw nerve, a source of deep-seated resentment.
Just then, the school bell rang, its shrill sound signaling the start of lectures. A river of students began flowing into the building. Susano'o watched the crowd, realizing his quarry had slipped away for now.
'The devil from before went inside, too. Might as well wait for Makoto Yuki outside,' he decided, turning to leave the school grounds.
"Were you the one searching for Makoto?" a voice asked from directly behind him.
Susano'o spun around, his hand instinctively moving toward the Kusanagi's hilt. A woman stood there, a woman he had not sensed approaching at all. She was dressed in an elegant blue gown, with short, styled white hair and piercing yellow eyes.
"Who are you, woman?" the god asked, his tone calm but layered with caution.
"Makoto's attendant. I might know why you are here. You desire to know more about Izanami, correct, Lord Susano'o?" Elizabeth asked, her gaze knowing.
Susano'o's guarded expression shifted to one of interest. "Oh, you recognized me. Not that I made any effort to hide my identity. I want to talk with Makoto Yuki. The goddess Inari told me about his clash with Izanami."
"Of course. Unfortunately, Makoto is occupied at the moment, but you may speak with me. I possess all the pertinent information you require," Elizabeth explained.
"Let us talk somewhere else," Susano'o said, his eyes scanning the area. "In case of potential devil eyes watching us. Follow me." He led the way, his armored form moving with purpose through the streets of Kuoh until they reached the quieter, more traditional shrine district.
"Why are we going here?" Elizabeth inquired.
"Precaution. Simple as that," the god replied tersely.
"I gather you do have peculiar opinions about devils. Am I wrong?"
"No, not at all. I do not exactly hate them, but I cannot claim to not despise them either," Susano'o admitted as they arrived at the serene grounds of the Inari Shrine in the old town. The atmosphere was immediately different, the air cleaner, filled with the faint scent of incense and old wood.
Susano'o let out a long, genuine sigh of relief and sat heavily on a wooden bench, finally allowing himself to relax. "I feel significantly better now." He looked at Elizabeth. "I realize I did not ask your name."
"Elizabeth."
"I see you apprehended the reason for my visit. Under other circumstances, I would ask you more about yourself and Makoto Yuki, but I do not have the time for such pleasantries. The matter of Izanami is too urgent. Please, speak."
He leaned forward, his entire being focused on her, the warrior-god ready for a vital intelligence briefing. The fate of Japan, and perhaps more, seemed to hang on the words she was about to share.