The air hung thick and greasy, smelling of stagnant seawater and rusting metal. Luke, Kai, and Kotori moved through the maze of stacked shipping containers, their shoes scraping a rhythm against the damp concrete. The fog wasn't just obscuring the view; it felt heavy, pressing against the skin like a shroud.
Kai broke the silence, his voice tight. "Hey, Luke. You sure about this direction? I feel like we've circled this same rusted-out bulkhead three times."
Luke didn't look away from the narrow gap between two crates. "Yes. Valis's coordinates are precise."
"Precise enough to lead us to a wall, maybe," Kai muttered, adjusting the swords on his sides
Luke felt the question digging at him, echoing the physical ache in his subconscious. If only telling you was that easy. Five days ago, that backlash had nearly shattered him. He could feel it now—the empty throb where the Dark Gate's Crimson Key should have been, inert and cold, separated from the structure. On the other side, the Golden-White Gate was missing one of its four glowing anchors. He shook the thought away, forcing a brighter, simpler front for his comrades. No. I can't keep them worried. Not them, and not the ones watching. He thought briefly of Riis, Yuma, Kyra, Asuna, and Akane—all probably glued to the monitors at Yuma's place.
"Don't worry about me," Luke said, his voice light, maybe a touch too loud. "I'm fine."
Kai looked unconvinced, a faint frown creasing his face, but he just gave a tight nod. "Okay. Hope you're right."
"Don't push yourself too hard, Luke," Kotori added, her monotone expression unchanging, yet the words carried a surprising weight.
"Thanks. I'll remember that," Luke replied, genuinely grateful.
They rounded another corner, and the fog thinned just slightly, offering a tantalizing glimpse of open space—only to end abruptly at a sheer, unbroken concrete wall. A dead end.
"Luke, are you sure this is the place?" Kotori finally asked, her voice the first crack in her icy veneer.
On the comms link, Kyra's impatient voice cut through. "So, what's the plan now, Luke? Don't tell me we came all this way for a glorified loading dock."
Riis sighed audibly through the static. "All that for a dead end? Seriously?"
Yuma chimed in, sounding oddly frustrated. "This feels weird. Why would Lamina Mortis come this far? Too bad Luke sealed him tight, or I'd ask him myself. He can't even twitch."
Akane, ever the pragmatic one, cut in. "He wouldn't answer anyway, Yuma, but the sudden disappearance of the tracking signature is unsettling. Kyra, I'm starting to see why Araqiel is having so much trouble with that seal."
Kyra grimaced. "Tell me about it! I've had to make two trips back to the Underworld just to placate Mother Superior and her squad.
Hiding Luke is easy, but getting a Grigori member like her to back off because the 13th of the Grigori is temporarily immobilized? Not so much." Riis quickly thanked her, though her own thoughts were far from settled; her brother, Saibot Lucifer, was playing dumb about the strange energy spikes, but she knew the other Princes were catching on. Oni-Sama, you jerk... Riis glanced at the monitor, focusing on her three subordinates near the wall. Be careful. She returned to the link, asking Luke, "Are you sure your Knights are reliable? Is this really the spot?"
Luke didn't hesitate. His Transit Key pulsed faintly in his pocket, reacting to the inert structure. "Don't worry. It's a matter of finding the door."
He held up his hand. "Time for a change of pace." With a sharp intake of breath, he commanded, " Dissipate!"
A single, dull crimson chess piece materialized in his palm, throbbing faintly.
"What are you doing?" Kai demanded, noticing the sudden, sharp drop in ambient energy—the fallen angel signatures were completely gone.
Luke threw the piece high into the air. "Calling for backup. I can't sense the enemy anymore, which means they've either left, or they're playing a much deeper game. Kai, can you confirm the signatures are gone?"
Kai stared at the space where the enemy energy used to be. There's no way his Knights could've—
"They should be done by now," Luke stated, his eyes blazing with a cold, hard intensity that startled both Kai and Kotori. He snapped his fingers. "Knights, Assemble!"
The crimson piece ignited. A shockwave of pure, shattering crimson energy burst from it. It wasn't a magical explosion; it was a physical tear in the air, so powerful it violently shredded the oppressive fog in seconds, revealing the entire decaying port.
Kai and Kotori stood dumbfounded, shields of energy flickering around them from the sheer kinetic force. Even on the monitor back at Yuma's place, Riis, Yuma, and Akane—all magic users—couldn't comprehend the display.
"What in the actual… is your Pawn really just a low-class Devil, Riis?" Kyra asked, voice strained.
Riis could only stare at the screen, a mixture of awe and shock on her face. "I... I don't know what to call him now."
The fog was gone. Luke, Kai, and Kotori stood amidst the now-visible wreckage. A moment later, out of the shadow of a leaning crane, eight figures materialized from the cleared space. They were Luke's Knights. Their new uniforms were pure, immaculate pitch black, sharp against the grey ruins. They moved with synchronized, deadly grace, stopping before Luke. Snoke drove his sword into the concrete with a THUNK.
"My Liege. It is done."
"Excellent," Luke said, his intensity returning to a focused calm. "Now, let's get active."
"Yes, My Liege!" the seven answered in perfect unison.
Luke turned to the figure standing respectfully near the wall. "Valis. Is the entrance here?"
Valis bowed low, long dark hair flowing like liquid shadow. "My deepest apologies, my Liege. The unnatural density of the fog disrupted my location magic. Even I could not see through it."
That's bizarre, Luke thought. Even Valis? My Knights only left a week ago; they shouldn't have been out long enough for the environment to affect them that much... but never mind. I need to deal with this now.
"But thanks to you, my Liege, the atmosphere is clear. Now I can locate the entrance," Valis finished, standing at attention.
"Alright, at ease," Luke sighed, immediately feeling awkward under the intense devotion. "I can handle 'My Liege,' but please stand up. I'm not used to it."
Robin, standing slightly apart, spoke up, her voice firm. "My Liege, it is you who gave us life. We are bound to serve. We will honor your wishes, but we must also honor your station."
Luke rubbed his temples. "Very well. I will respect your wishes. Valis, if you would?"
Valis complied, waving a hand that formed a shimmering, spherical barrier around the entire old port. He closed his eyes, the dark hair swaying as he focused. The bubble vanished.
Valis pointed to the blank wall. "The entrance is beyond this point, My Liege."
Luke nodded, confirming it with the glowing Transit Key in his hand. "I thought as much."
"Can we get through?"Riis asked through the link, her tone serious now.
Luke approached the wall, focusing his Apostle's Eyes. The wall dissolved before his gaze, revealing not concrete, but a shimmering magic circle embossed with a stylized 'G'—almost certainly Grigori script. He slotted the Transit Key into a keyhole at the center of the G.
The wall cracked like glass shattering in slow motion, warping reality until a dark, featureless path opened before them.
"How did Mother hide this?" Kyra wondered aloud.
"Who knows," Luke replied, pulling his eyes back. "But I see markings here, glowing script around the G... things you and Yuma might need to check out later."
Kai leaned in, squinting. "It's just a G sign, Luke. Looks old, that's it."
"Nope," Kotori stated flatly, looking down the path. "It just got worse."
The path ahead dissolved into pure, unending white space. Nothing could be seen beyond the threshold.
Kai suggested, "We should get Riis-Kaichou or Miss Kyra. We can't go in there blind, not even with your new entourage."
Luke agreed immediately. Even with his Knights standing ready, that white emptiness felt fundamentally wrong. He relayed the request.
Kyra sighed in relief on the comms. "Thank the heavens. I didn't want you throwing yourself into danger again for our sakes." She then turned to her Riis. "You're their Master, Riis. You go."
Yuma's expression was already set. She was going. Kyra sighed again, a rare moment of sisterly concern crossing her features. "Be careful, Yuma. I never got time with you after the incident, but Luke gave me that chance—don't waste it."
"Of course," Yuma vowed, her eyes locking onto Kyra. "I'm not losing you or Luke again. He saved me from Lamina's cruelty; I'll help him now."
Riis watched her new Pawn—Luke—with a swell of pride. He's only been a Devil for a few weeks, but he's already commanding this much. He really is an interesting, adorable servant. She looked at Akane and Asuna. "Akane, you stay here with Kyra. Yuma, let's move."
Asuna stepped forward, her voice thin and trembling. "Riis-Sama! I... I want to go with you to help Luke-Kun, too!"
Riis softened her gaze, touching Asuna's cheek gently. "Asuna, I don't want anything to happen to you. Your healing would be invaluable, but this feels... different."
"I know, but I'm worried about Luke-kun," Asuna insisted, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "After that conceptual damage—I couldn't help then. I want to be useful now."
Yuma stepped in. "Don't worry, I'll watch her."
With a final nod, Kyra opened a small, swift magic circle. "Be careful, all of you!"
Riis, Yuma, and Asuna stepped through the portal, leaving Kyra alone with the quiet Akane.
Luke, Kai, and Kotori waited near the threshold of the white passage. Kai fidgeted, but Luke was already slipping back into his subconscious.
The Void. The familiar, silent chess board. The Dark Gate, the Golden-White Gate, and the seven Keys—three crimson, four gold, one utterly dark. What is the meaning of the inert key?
"Luke!"
Kotori's tug on his school blazer yanked him back to the damp port.
"Why are you spacing out?" she asked, her brow furrowed with rare concern.
"Wow, you don't talk that much, what a surprise," Luke thought dryly. He smiled at Kotori. "Don't worry. I'm fine. Even if my body contains something I barely know..." He looked at her. "Were you worried about me looking at my female Knight—Robin?"
Kotori's face remained blank, but she delivered a deadpan retort: "I wanted to make sure you weren't looking at her with dirty looks."
Luke sputtered, "You're kidding me—"
The conversation ended abruptly. A purple magic circle bloomed nearby, and three figures stepped out, instantly recognizable in their matching grey school blazers. Riis, Yuma, and Asuna.
Luke forced his most charming smile, ignoring the anxiety churning in his gut. "Well, hello, my beautiful ladies."
Riis stepped forward, her relief evident as she saw the trio unharmed and her own Knights though personally Luke's standing guard. Yuma, however, moved faster. She walked right up to Luke and wrapped her arms around him, her purple eyes predatory.
"Well, Luke," she purred, her voice dripping with false innocence, "I see you forgot about me. How mean."
Luke felt an uncomfortable pressure—Yuma was getting bolder since that impromptu kiss. He needed to de-escalate before Riis intervened. "Yuma, try not to get distracted. We have important business."
Yuma smiled wickedly and let go, leaving Luke feeling strangely exposed. He turned quickly to Riis. "Alright. Now that you're here, follow me."
He led them back to the wall with the 'G' symbol. As they approached, the symbol—and the crackling distortion—flickered and vanished, leaving the solid concrete again.
Riis narrowed her eyes at the blank wall. "How did you open it?" she asked, her tone dropping to a serious, investigative pitch.
Luke calmly explained, "The Transit Key reacted to it. And when I looked with my Eyes, I saw the whole magic circle, the writings... but I couldn't translate them."
Riis and Yuma exchanged a confused glance. "We just see the G sign, Luke," Riis said.
They can't see the rest? Luke frowned, checking with Kai. Kai confirmed his Eyes saw nothing but the wall and the G. "I see."
Luke walked close to the wall, then looked at his master. "Riis. Do you trust me?"
"Of course, I do, Luke," she replied instantly, a genuine, warm smile gracing her lips.
Luke took her hand. Riis immediately flushed, her heart hammering a frantic, unfamiliar rhythm. Luke's touch felt like a strange, steady warmth—safety—unlike anything she'd felt before.
Luke activated his power. His eyes erupted into a pure, blinding gold.
"Riis, close your eyes, and open them now."
She obeyed. In that instant, her own green eyes flashed, transforming into the same startling golden hue as Luke's. She gasped, looking at the wall. The markings, the flow of power—she could see it all. She recognized one of the ancient glyphs.
Luke canceled the power, stumbling slightly, the sudden drain leaving him dizzy. Riis and Yuma instantly caught him.
"Luke, what's wrong?" Yuma worried.
"Just a little dizzy... lending my eyes takes a toll," he managed, breathing heavily.
Asuna rushed to his side. "Luke, are you okay?"
Riis placed a firm hand on his chest. "Don't push yourself like this! We're here now. What kind of Master would I be if I let you handle all the impossible things alone?"
Luke managed a genuine smile.
"Understood." He turned to Yuma. "Yuma, I think you're the one who needs to try this."
He reopened the wall portal. The white passage glowed invitingly. Yuma stepped toward it, touched the edge, and immediately, the white space snapped inward, transforming into a solid door of carved white stone. Through an archway in the stone, they could glimpse a night-time garden, lush and ethereal—like a familiar Eden.
Luke dismissed his Knights back to the chess space . "Riis, you lead now . Let's find the Will."
"Right!" Riis commanded.
The six stepped through the door, vanishing into the garden.
From a hidden vantage point overlooking the port, a figure—tall, cloaked, and utterly still—watched the portal close. A sophisticated, almost musical voice drifted through the silence.
"Interesting. It seems that this might have been a good idea... for me."