"Himejima…?"
Tobio's eyes widened slightly. He noted the faint spark of recognition in Yuuji's tone, the subtle lift of his brow, and responded with a mix of surprise and curiosity.
"You… know someone from the Himejima clan too?"
A quiet laugh escaped Yuuji's lips, his expression softening into an amused smile. Whether it was coincidence or fate, he couldn't tell. Perhaps it was his [Luck]—to cross paths with a distant relative of his lover. Or perhaps, the world was simply small enough for such miracles to occur.
"I do," Yuuji nodded. "In fact, I have the honor of dating Himejima Akeno."
"Akeno…?!" Tobio's voice trembled slightly as the name left his mouth, disbelief flashing across his features.
"Yes," Yuuji continued, his tone calm but touched with warmth. "We met at Kuoh Academy. Fate—or whatever you'd like to call it—brought us together."
That name. It was one Tobio hadn't heard spoken aloud in years—perhaps more than a decade. But it was a name impossible to forget.
Memories surged back: the tragedy that had befallen his cousin Shuri and her daughter. The day he learned of the cruel fate handed down by their own bloodline—his great-uncle's madness, punishing love as though it were sin.
"Is she… alright?" Tobio's voice wavered, his usually composed demeanor cracking beneath the weight of emotion. It surprised even him how much the question hurt to ask.
"She is," Yuuji assured gently, his tone steady and kind. "She's currently serving as Rias Gremory's Queen—her right hand."
For a moment, Tobio simply stared—then exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. A visible wave of relief washed over him, and his shoulders slumped slightly.
"Thank goodness…" he murmured, half to himself. "I'm glad… truly glad she's doing well. After everything she and her mother went through… it's more than they deserved."
His gaze dimmed, the faint flicker of bitterness surfacing.
"To think… family could do that to their own. Just because of love. What a damn absurdity."
Yuuji's lips curved into a soft smile.
"Then I suppose I can ease your heart even more, Tobio."
"Hm?"
"Shuri is alive as well."
Both Tobio and Azazel froze, their expressions snapping toward him in shock.
Azazel was the first to recover, his eyes narrowing with knowing suspicion.
"Don't tell me… you brought her back yourself?"
Yuuji neither confirmed nor denied, merely smiled faintly.
"I'm only good at what I'm good at."
That answer alone said enough.
Tobio's eyes widened once more, but this time, awe replaced his earlier disbelief. Only now did the weight of Azazel's earlier words truly sink in—the scale of the man before him.
"So, that's what you meant…" he muttered, glancing at the Fallen Governor, who only chuckled and sipped his drink.
"Now you see why I said he's not just 'some kid,' huh?" Azazel said with a smirk.
Yuuji chuckled lightly, brushing the comment aside.
"You flatter me. Though, I can tell you're not weak yourself, Tobio. You're carrying quite the presence."
Tobio blinked, momentarily startled.
"You can tell…?"
Yuuji tilted his head slightly.
"You have a Sacred Gear, don't you?"
The young man froze, caught off guard, before sighing in resignation.
"You noticed that too, huh?"
"I sensed it the moment we arrived outside the door," Yuuji replied calmly. "It's faint, but sharp… familiar, in a way."
A wry smile formed on Tobio's lips as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Before we even met, huh? That's… impressive."
"Instinct, perhaps," Yuuji said lightly. His eyes, however, glimmered with quiet understanding.
"Your Sacred Gear is… one of the longinus, right?"
Tobio's surprise returned, but only briefly before melting into a helpless chuckle.
"Yes it is… It's called Canis Lyakon. I'm surprised you can tell it's a longinus. I'm sure I've hidden it quite well." Tobio shook his head helplessly.
"Figures Azazel would bring someone like you here."
Azazel smirked behind his glass. "Told you he's interesting."
"I've seen my share of sacred gears. Akeno's fellow peerage member is also a wielder of the Boosted Gear."
"Boosted Gear? The Red Dragon Emperor? Wow, I never would've expected."
Just then, the sound of soft footsteps echoed from the stairwell behind them.
"Ah—sorry I'm late!"
A clear, gentle voice called out, laced with a hint of breathlessness.
Turning toward it, Yuuji saw a young woman with long, silvery-blonde hair cascading like moonlight down her shoulders, dressed in a stylish yet practical white coat over a navy dress. Her cerulean eyes glimmered like polished crystals beneath the bar's amber glow.
Azazel turned toward her and waved casually.
"About time, Reni. Over here!"
But Lavinia had stopped mid-step, frozen halfway to the bar as her gaze landed on the unfamiliar young man beside Azazel.
Her eyes widened, her lips parting slightly in astonishment.
That face… and that overwhelming presence.
It wasn't just his looks—though he was strikingly handsome, almost ethereal in the half-light. What stunned her was… the unfathomable depth of his magic.
It was hidden… He emanated no aura or magic, but she could tell. Beneath the unbroken surface, she could feel the vast and dense mana like nothing she had seen before. Like an ocean, she could sense how vast it was, but its depth… An endless abyss.
"Lavinia," Azazel's voice broke her trance, amusement glinting in his eyes. "Don't just stand there, come say hi."
She blinked and composed herself quickly, though her heartbeat still raced. Stepping closer, she bowed politely.
"Apologies," she said softly, "I didn't mean to stare. I'm Lavinia Reni."
Yuuji rose slightly from his seat, returning her gesture with a calm nod and an easy smile.
"Tsubakihara Yuuji," he said, inclining his head slightly, his voice low and composed, carrying a warmth that felt both inviting and distant at once. "It's a pleasure."
Her heart skipped.
That voice—steady, calm, refined—somehow resonated through her, leaving a soft tremor in its wake.
He was handsome, yes, but there was something else beneath that surface. Graceful in posture, composed in manner, and wrapped in an aura so quiet yet so vast it made her chest tighten.
He was even more beautiful than Vali, and compared to the one she considered her little brother one-sidedly, Yuuji held a mature disposition that the White Dragon Emperor lacked.
But what struck her most wasn't his looks—it was his indifference to hers.
Lavinia wasn't vain, but she was not oblivious either. She knew what she looked like. Men often froze or stammered when meeting her for the first time; some even tried to mask their awe with awkward bravado. She'd long grown used to those reactions.
Yet this man… this Yuuji... was utterly unshaken.
His gaze never lingered where it shouldn't. He didn't fidget, didn't stutter, didn't even seem to consciously notice her beauty. Instead, when their eyes met, his calm, crystalline gaze felt as though it peered straight into her being—unraveling layers she didn't even realize she hid.
It was… disarming.
Azazel, watching the unspoken tension between them, couldn't resist a knowing smirk.
"Reni's one of my most trusted subordinates," he said casually, leaning back on the barstool. "Used to be a high-ranking mage under the Grauzauberer."
Yuuji's brows rose slightly.
That name stirred recognition in him.
'Ah… I've seen that name before.'
He recalled reading about them in one of Estelle's reports—an organization of mages with reach that spanned continents, renowned for their deep reservoirs of magical knowledge… and equally for their eccentricity.
Grauzauberer—those mages really do burn through materials faster than a dragon breathes fire.
He remembered the detailed procurement summaries. Their demands for rare reagents, exotic catalysts, and ancient artifacts were endless. But in return, their research yielded insights worth tenfold that cost.
He had even written a directive himself—Maintain an amicable relationship with Grauzauberer. Offer limited discounts in exchange for their newest findings and prototypes.
It had been a worthwhile investment. Linked Horizons had since gained access to cutting-edge magical technologies and advanced ritual constructs that were still decades ahead of standard arcane theory. Some were even on par with the Rare-ranked magic items from the Group Chat.
And now, one of their former top mages stood before him—calm, refined, and radiating the unmistakable pressure of someone who had not only seen but commanded great power.
Yuuji's faint smile lingered as his eyes softened slightly.
"So you were with the Grauzauberer. That explains the quality of your mana."
Lavinia blinked, taken aback for a moment before smiling shyly.
"You can tell?"
"I can feel it," he replied, his tone even. "It's refined—structured, yet free. The kind of balance only someone who's spent years studying the craft could achieve. I also noticed something within you, much like the thing within Tobio-san."
Her lips curved, touched with faint pride and surprise. He really noticed that… just from a glance?
Azazel chuckled under his breath, watching the two with amusement as he swirled his drink.
'Heh. I knew these two would get along.'
A genius young female magus who's ever thirsty for knowledge, and a mysterious young man with unfathomable power. A match made in heaven.
Azazel leaned back in his seat, swirling the whisky in his glass.
"Reni's been freelancing lately. You could call her a wandering mage these days."
"Only because you keep roping me into your messes," Lavinia muttered under her breath, pouting slightly, which made Azazel grin wider.
He then nodded toward Yuuji. "She's also kind of like a big sister figure to Vali."
That earned Yuuji's raised brow—and Reni's surprised glance.
"You know Vali?" she asked.
"I do," Yuuji replied.
"We met in Kuoh some time ago—when he came to see the Red Dragon Emperor and deal with Kokabiel."
Azazel interjected, smirking.
"To be precise, I sent him there to investigate the sudden burst of magical energy we detected in Kuoh. Turns out that massive surge came from this guy and one of his friends."
"Oh?" Lavinia perked up, her interest piqued..
Yuuji chuckled softly. "I'd also heard a lot about the White Dragon Emperor, so I thought I'd see for myself. One thing led to another… and we ended up testing each other's strength."
"You fought Vali?" Tobio asked, incredulous.
"You could call it that." Yuuji tilted his head modestly.
Azazel's amused snort broke the silence.
"Call it what it was—a one-sided beatdown."
Yuuji sighed quietly, looking away, while Azazel continued, grinning ear to ear.
"Vali went all out. He did all that he could. Everything. And didn't even leave a scratch. The only reason why he didn't go to Juggernaut Drive was because this guy stopped him before he could. He kicked him once and boom, the kid hit the ground before he even realized what happened."
"You're kidding…"
Tobio blinked in disbelief.
Lavinia's expression mirrored his—half disbelief, half awe. She knew Vali's strength intimately. To overwhelm him that easily…
Azazel chuckled again, downing the last of his drink.
"And before you ask—no, even I wouldn't stand a chance. This guy destroyed my light spears just by looking at them."
The air grew still for a brief moment. Lavinia and Tobio exchanged a look, both silently digesting the realization before them.
The young man who sat calmly before them—polite, composed, and even smiling faintly—was not merely powerful. He was something else entirely.
Lavinia's fingers fidgeted subtly as she looked at him once more. The more she tried to feel his magic, the more she was lost in it.
Like an endless abyss. Endless mysteries. Endless wonders.
Yuuji shook his head, his lips curled into a dismissing smile, and turned to Azazel.
"These two are the ones you'll be bringing to the second summit?"
Azazel nodded. "Yeah. I've already filled them in on the details—everything that happened during the first Tri Summit meeting, and why I want them to come this time."
"I see," Yuuji said, his tone calm yet commanding. "When you're ready, let me know. I'll have someone escort you to the venue."
Reni tilted her head slightly, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"Can't we just teleport somewhere nearby?"
Yuuji shook his head, a small smile forming on his lips.
"You can't reach it that way. Not physically… nor magically."
Tobio blinked, confused.
"What do you mean? Is it in a different realm? A hidden passage, maybe?"
"No, no—something even better!"
Azazel chuckled and slapped his knee.
He grinned wide, almost boyishly.
"It's a castle in the sky!"
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AN: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! I wish all of you have a great Christmas and holiday! Stay healthy, stay safe, and I hope this story can entertain you during this holiday season!
Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!!
Also, if you'd like to read additional chapters ahead and get a pdf version (Light & Dark), please feel free to check out my at patr_eon.com/verglasx ~!
Thank you~!