Bang!
The sharp sound of shattering glass echoed as the barrier around them dissolved.
With Varden's death, the barrier he'd set up instantly lost its power and vanished.
Leo slowly lowered his hand, the glowing magic circles above it fading away.
As mentioned before, the difference between a a High-Class Devil and a Low-Class Devil was like that between an elephant and an ant. Even though Leo had only recently ascended to High-Class, taking down a two-winged fallen angel—an opponent equivalent to a Low-Class Devil—was something he could do in minutes.
Varden's strength had matched his rank, unlike Leo, whose rank had lagged behind his true power.
That was why Leo couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for him.
"With power like that, where did he get the nerve to look down on others and call them 'lowly'?"
No matter the faction, there were always idiots like him—arrogant and short-sighted.
Leo quickly dismissed the thought and crouched down in front of Yukino.
Pressing two fingers gently to her pale neck, he waited a moment—then confirmed it.
Her pulse was gone. Her breathing, stopped.
Yukino was dead.
Leo's expression didn't change at all.
"I was planning to wait a little longer," he murmured softly, "but now that it's come to this… you don't really have a choice anymore, Yukino."
He drew out a transparent, blood-red chess piece—glowing faintly in his palm.
It was an Evil Pieces, a tool granted only to titled High-Class Devils. These pieces allowed them to reincarnate other beings as devils, turning them into their servants.
With it, Leo could form a master-servant bond—reviving her as a devil.
Now that she was already dead, the only way Yukino could continue to live was to accept the reincarnation ritual and abandon her human identity.
"Well then… let's begin."
Leo placed the crimson bishop piece over her chest and began to chant.
"By my name—Leo—I command you."
"You, Yukino—return to this world, and become my servant."
"Rejoice, for as a devil, you shall be reborn!"
As his solemn words fell, the piece on her chest flared brightly—then shattered, dissolving into particles of light that sank into her body.
The Servant Conversions ritual had begun.
The pool of blood beneath her seemed to rewind through time, flowing back into her body.
That was how devils created their servants.
Normally, the process would have ended there.
But the moment Yukino became Leo's servant, something incredible happened to him as well.
Thump, thump—
A surge of power rushed into his body from nowhere, and Leo felt his heart pounding with fierce intensity.
His demonic powers burned. His blood boiled.
His strength grew rapidly—so fast he could feel it with every heartbeat. His eyes glowed with blinding brilliance.
Then, as if whispered directly into his mind, a voice rang out:
[Trait: Servant Conversion — activating…]
——Trait.
In the world of devils, that word referred to two things.
The first type came from the Evil Pieces themselves. Depending on the piece used for reincarnation, a new devil could gain unique powers tied to that piece—called servant traits.
The second type existed only within pure-blooded High-Class Devils families—abilities passed down through generations, known as family traits.
The Seventy-Two Pillarss each possessed their own.
For example, the House of Bael, first among the Pillars, carried the Power of Destructions, allowing its members to wield demonic power capable of annihilation.
Sona's childhood friend, Rias, was the daughter of a Bael mother and had awakened that very trait. Her destructive power made her one of the strongest among High-Class Devils—stronger even than Leo or Sona herself.
As a member of one of the Seventy-Two Pillars, the Eligos House also possessed a unique family trait.
According to records, the first Eligos had the power to perceive hidden things and influence the will of warriors—earning the title Manipulator of War, one who could control the flow of battle and inspire command decisions.
Thus, the Eligos trait had always involved the ability to perceive. Even those who never awakened it fully still possessed exceptional sensing talents.
Leo was no exception. While other devils found detection spells difficult, he could use them effortlessly.
Then, shortly after his promotion to High-Class Devil and receipt of his Evil Pieces, his family traits suddenly awakened.
And—perhaps because his soul originated from another world—it had mutated into something new.
Servant Conversions—that was the name of Leo's trait.
As the name implied, it allowed him, much like the Evil Pieces themselves, to recruit servants through his own power.
Originally, the Eligos trait influenced warriors' wills. In Leo's case, it had evolved into a power that subjugated souls, digitizing that connection so he could interpret and command it through sheer intent.
To use it, he first had to form a contract—a bond linking him to another. Once established, he could recruit them as his servant.
That was why the trait had awakened when he received his Evil Pieces—it had instinctively connected with them.
Now, whenever Leo used an Evil Piece to recruit a servant, his Servant Conversions trait would activate as well.
When triggered, it granted Leo a feedback effect, empowering him based on the servant's own potential.
And now, having taken in his first servant, Leo's trait had activated—rewarding him immediately.
[Base feedback acquired — Demonic Power: massive increase.]
[Advanced feedback acquired — Rank: Six Wings.]
[Additional feedback acquired — Sacred Gear: awakened.]
The changes followed in an instant.
His demonic powers surged, and behind him unfurled three pairs of black wings.
Leo's rank had risen. He was no longer a two-winged devil of Low-Class status—his six wings now matched his true strength.
At the same time, his body began to levitate as supernatural phenomena burst around him.
Flames, frost, storms, floods, sand and stone—all manner of natural forces swirled violently. The air trembled, clouds rolled overhead, and thunder rumbled across the sky.
"What… is this?!"
Leo froze. His earlier excitement vanished, replaced by shock.
He understood. He knew exactly what was happening.
"There's… a Sacred Gear inside me?"
It was something he'd never imagined.
Sacred Gears—miracles crafted by the God of the Bible, embedded within certain humans. Power beyond logic—abilities capable of allowing mortals to rival devils, angels, and fallen angels alike.
For one to reside within him—within a devil—was unthinkable.
And yet… the power he felt was immense. Terrifying.
A Longinuss—one of the thirteen legendary Sacred Gears said to be capable of slaying gods and Maou alike.
"The Sacred Gear that commands the elements, ruling over every aspect of nature… ranked second among the Longinus—Zenith Tempest!"
Even among Longinus, only four could destroy a nation depending on how they were used. And this was one of them.
"I… I'm the wielder of Zenith Tempest?"
Leo could hardly believe it.
But wait—wasn't Zenith Tempest supposed to belong to the Church's strongest exorcist, Dulio Gesualdo?
Why was it in him?
"No… in this world, I've never even heard of Dulio Gesualdo."
He'd crossed paths with the Churchs more than once. If someone like Dulio—its trump card—existed here, he would've known.
Which could only mean one thing—
"In this world… Dulio Gesualdo doesn't exist?"
The thought left Leo speechless.
"Or maybe… I'm somehow connected to him?"
His name—Leo. The other's—Dulio. Could it really be coincidence?
But in the original story, Dulio had no connection to the devils at all…
Leo glanced toward Yukino, who had begun breathing again, her heartbeat faint but steady.
On second thought, this world was already different from the original.
People who shouldn't exist here… did. And even the Sacred Gears they carried seemed displaced—belonging to others in the original world.
"In that case," he murmured, "there's no point overthinking it."
He exhaled slowly, suppressing his demonic powers. The six black wings folded and vanished as the fiery, icy, and storming energies around him faded away.
The rumbling clouds dispersed, leaving the sky clear once more.
By the time people returned to the station area, Leo and Yukino were already gone—
as if they had never been there at all.