Part I: The Request
The formal invitation arrived via teleportation circle at exactly 9:00 AM.
Caelan was in his study, reviewing investment portfolios, when the magical light flared in the corner of the room. Hoarfrost growled, rising to his feet, frost forming on his fangs.
"Easy," Caelan murmured, not looking up from his papers.
A sealed envelope materialized, hovering in the air. Gremory crest. Formal wax seal. The kind of invitation that was technically a request but functionally a summons.
He let it hover there for a full minute before reaching out and plucking it from the air.
Inside, in Sirzechs's precise handwriting:
Lord Caelan Lucifuge,
We request your presence at Kuoh Academy, Occult Research Club building, three days hence at 2:00 PM. There are matters regarding your cousin Rias that require discussion.
This is not a political summons. This is a family request.
— Sirzechs Lucifer & Grayfia Lucifuge
Caelan read it twice.
Folded the letter and kept it in the drawer.
"We're not going," he said aloud.
"Liar," Khione whispered. "You're curious."
"I'm not."
"You want to see her. See them."
"I don't care about—"
"Liar."
Three days later, at exactly 2:00 PM, a teleportation circle flared in the courtyard of Kuoh Academy.
Part II:
Kuoh Academy was... aggressively normal.
A standard Japanese high school building. Cherry blossom trees. Students in uniforms milling about. The kind of place that screamed "mundane human world" in every possible way.
Caelan stepped out of the teleportation circle wearing his usual formal attire—midnight blue suit, silver accents, hair loose around his shoulders. He'd considered dressing down, then decided against it.
If they wanted Lord Lucifuge, they'd get Lord Lucifuge.
The moment he steeped in, every head in the courtyard turned.
Then stared.
A group of male students stopped mid-conversation, jaws literally dropping. A girl walking past tripped over her own feet. Lacy pink, fucking hell is wrong with these kids.
Caelan ignored them all, his silver eyes scanning for the Occult Research Club building.
"Holy shit," someone breathed. "Who is that?"
"Is that a girl? No, wait—"
"That's the most beautiful person I've ever seen—"
"Are those real highlights in her—his?—hair?!"
He found the building—old, western-style, separate from the main campus—and started walking.
The crowd parted like he was radioactive.
Behind him, Khione's mist coiled invisibly, and he felt the entity's amusement. "They think you're a woman, little king."
"I know."
"Does it bother you?"
"Should it?"
"Most males of your species find such confusion... insulting."
"Most males of my species are idiots."
He climbed the steps to the clubhouse and pushed open the door without knocking.
Part III:
The room was... exactly what he'd expected.
Rich red carpets. Ornate furniture. The kind of European gothic aesthetic that screamed "devil nobility pretending to be a human school club." A large desk dominated one end of the room, and several sofas were arranged in a conversational circle.
And occupying those sofas:
Sirzechs Lucifer, in full Satan regalia, looking far too serious for a school setting.
Grayfia, standing beside him in her maid uniform, face an unreadable mask.
Rias Gremory, sitting in the "president's chair" behind the desk, her crimson hair catching the afternoon light. She looked nervous. Hopeful. Scared.
And her peerage, arrayed around the room like a defensive formation:
Akeno Himejima, the black-haired Queen, standing near the window with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.Koneko Toujou, the white-haired Rook, perched on the arm of a sofa, watching him with those unreadable golden eyes.Yuuto Kiba, the blond Knight, leaning against the wall with casual grace that was definitely practiced.Asia Argento, the blonde Bishop, sitting nervously on a sofa, hands clasped in her lap.
And—
A brown-haired boy sitting on another sofa, looking completely out of place and slightly terrified.
Issei Hyoudou.
The Red Dragon Emperor.
Currently staring at Caelan like he'd just seen a goddess descend from heaven.
Caelan stepped into the room, and the temperature dropped ten degrees instantly.
"You came," Rias breathed, standing.
"You summoned," Caelan replied flatly. "I'm here. Say what you need to say so I can leave."
Sirzechs stood slowly. "Caelan. Thank you for—"
"Don't." The word cut like a knife. "Don't thank me. Don't pretend this is a friendly visit. You said there were matters regarding Rias. State them."
The room went silent.
Grayfia's mask cracked, just slightly. Pain flickering across her features before vanishing.
Rias stepped around her desk. "Caelan, I—I wanted to apologize. For not knowing. For not—"
"Accepted. Is that all?"
She flinched. "No. I—we—there's a situation. With my engagement."
Caelan's expression didn't change. "The Phenex arrangement. I'm aware."
"You are?"
He didn't bother explaining that he'd been monitoring Underworld politics through his networks for years. "Continue."
Rias took a breath. "Riser Phenex is... he's going to force a Rating Game. To claim me. My peerage is strong, but we're inexperienced. I need—" She struggled with the words. "I need help."
Caelan's eyes flicked to Issei, who was still staring at him with his mouth slightly open.
"You have the Red Dragon Emperor."
"I—yes, but he's new. Untrained. And Riser's peerage is—"
"Experienced. Battle-hardened. Immortal via Phenex regeneration. I know." Caelan's tone remained flat. "So you want me to... what? Train your Pawn? Join your peerage? Fight your battles?"
"I want—" Rias's voice cracked. "I want my family to help me."
The word hung in the air.
Family.
Something flickered in Caelan's eyes. Not warmth. But something.
Then it was gone.
"No."
Rias recoiled as if slapped.
"Caelan, please—" Sirzechs started.
"I said no." Caelan turned toward the door. "You have resources. You have allies. You have a peerage and the backing of House Gremory. Figure it out."
"But you're—you're so strong!" Asia blurted out suddenly, her voice small but earnest. "If you could just—"
Caelan stopped.
Turned.
Looked directly at the small blonde Bishop.
"You think I'm strong?"
Asia nodded quickly, shrinking under his gaze.
Caelan's laugh was cold. Hollow. "Show me your magic, Rias."
She blinked. "What?"
"Your demonic power. Your reserves. Show me."
Rias glanced at Sirzechs, who nodded slowly.
She closed her eyes, and power erupted from her.
The Power of Destruction manifested as a red-and-black aura, crackling with barely contained destructive force. The air itself began to shimmer and distort. Papers on the desk started to disintegrate at the edges.
It was massive.
Not Sirzechs-level. Not even close. But for an eighteen-year-old devil? Extraordinary. High-Class minimum, with potential to reach Ultimate-Class given time and training.
The display lasted ten seconds, then faded.
Rias was breathing slightly harder, but otherwise fine.
"Impressive," Akeno murmured.
Kiba nodded. "Your control has improved significantly, President."
Even Koneko looked mildly impressed.
Caelan stood there, expression unreadable.
He raised his hand.
Silver-blue light flickered around his fingers. The temperature plummeted. Frost spread across the floor, the walls, creeping toward the furniture.
Everyone tensed.
The magic built. And built.
And built.
Caelan's face remained neutral, but something like strain appeared around his eyes.
The aura around him was cold. Absolute. Final.
But not... large.
Compared to Rias's explosive display, his magical presence was—
Tiny.
A fraction. Maybe a tenth of what she'd shown.
He tried to create ice. A large construct. A sculpture. Something.
The ice began to form—beautiful, crystalline, intricate—
And shattered.
Pieces fell to the floor with musical tinkling sounds.
The magic faded.
Caelan lowered his hand.
Silence.
"That," he said quietly, "is the limit of my demonic power reserves. I was born this way. I will always be this way."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out something small. Tossed it toward Grayfia.
She caught it reflexively.
The broken King piece.
Fractured. Cracked. Pulsing with that strange, unstable energy that said wrong and incomplete at the same time.
"This," Caelan continued, his voice still flat, "is the only Evil Piece I possess. Useless for reincarnation. A perfect match for its owner."
He looked at Rias. Then Sirzechs. Then Grayfia.
"So tell me." His voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "What help do you want from someone like me?"
The question hung in the air like a curse.
Part IV:
Grayfia stared at the broken piece in her palm, and for the first time since he'd arrived, her mask completely shattered.
"Caelan..." Her voice broke. "I didn't—I didn't know it was this bad."
"You never asked."
"Your reserves are—" Sirzechs stood, his analytical mind already processing. "This is barely Low-Class. How are you—how have you been—"
"Surviving?" Caelan's smile was bitter. "Precision. Control. Efficiency. Intelligence. Everything except raw power."
"But the cold," Akeno said softly. "The field around you. That's—"
"Khione's Shadow. An ancient entity I bonded with. Her power supplements mine. But my magic?" He gestured at the broken ice on the floor. "Pathetic."
Issei, who'd been silent this whole time, finally spoke. "But—but you walked through Lord Lucifer's Power of Destruction! At the gala! I heard about it! How did you—"
"Absolute zero," Caelan said simply. "The cessation of all motion. All energy. Even the Power of Destruction is still energy. Still motion. I freeze it before it can reach me. It's not about overpowering it. It's about stopping it from existing in the first place."
Everyone blinked. Clearly lost.
"The temperate that drop below zero degree, specifically zero degree kelvin, below that everything freeze and that's what I doo"
"That's..." Kiba's eyes widened. "That's brilliant."
"That's desperation," Caelan corrected. "I had to develop that because I couldn't overpower anyone through conventional means."
Rias was staring at him, something dawning in her eyes. "You built everything—the territory, the wealth, the power—with this?" She gestured at the broken ice.
"Yes."
"How?"
"Because I had to." Simple. Final. "Because no one was going to do it for me."
The room went very quiet.
Koneko spoke up, her voice small. "You're not weak."
Caelan looked at her. "I'm not strong."
"There's a difference."
"Is there?"
Grayfia was still holding the broken piece, and tears were threatening to fall. Actual tears. From the Strongest Queen.
"All this time," she whispered. "You've been fighting with this. Alone. And we—"
"Abandoned me. Yes. We've established that." Caelan's voice remained flat. Emotionless. "Can I leave now?"
"No." Sirzechs stepped forward. "Please. Just—listen. For a moment."
Caelan waited.
"You're right," Sirzechs said quietly. "About everything. We failed you. Abandoned you. Treated you like you didn't matter. And I—" His voice cracked. "I have no excuse. No justification. I was a terrible father."
"You were no father at all."
The words were delivered without heat. Just cold fact.
Sirzechs flinched but nodded. "Yes. You're right. But—" He took a breath. "But I'm asking now. Not as Lucifer. Not as a Maou. As—" He struggled with the word. "As your father. I'm asking you to help Rias. Please."
"Why should I?"
"Because she's your family."
Caelan's laugh was hollow. "Family. You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means."
Rias stepped forward, her eyes bright with tears. "Because I don't want to marry him. Because I—I finally have a chance to live my own life, make my own choices, and he's going to take that away. And I know—" Her voice broke. "I know I have no right to ask you for anything. I know what we did to you was unforgivable. But I'm asking anyway. Please. Help me."
Caelan looked at her.
Really looked at her.
Saw the desperation. The fear. The hope.
"She cries for you, little king," Khione whispered. "Like you once cried for them."
"That's not fair," he muttered.
"Life rarely is."
He sighed. A long, heavy sound.
"What exactly do you want me to do?"
Part V:
"WAIT WAIT WAIT!"
Everyone jumped as Issei suddenly shot to his feet, pointing directly at Caelan.
"You're a guy?!"
Caelan blinked. "...Yes?"
"But—but you're so—" Issei gestured helplessly at Caelan's face, his hair, his entire being. "You're beautiful! Like, angel-level beautiful! I thought—when you walked in I thought you were some kind of goddess or—"
"Issei!" Rias's face turned crimson. "That's incredibly rude!"
"But it's true!" Issei looked around wildly for support. "Come on! You all see it, right?! He looks like—"
"A very pretty man," Akeno finished, her smile turning genuine for the first time. "Yes, Issei. We noticed."
Kiba coughed to hide a laugh.
Koneko's expression didn't change, but there was amusement in her eyes.
Asia was blushing furiously. "I—I thought he was very elegant..."
Issei looked back at Caelan, who was watching this entire exchange with the expression of someone deeply, deeply tired.
"So you're... you're really a guy?"
"Yes."
"But you're so—"
"Pretty. Yes. I'm aware."
"And the hair—"
"Natural."
"And the face—"
"Also natural."
"But—"
"Issei," Rias said sharply. "Stop. Talking."
"I just—I've been staring at him—him—for like twenty minutes thinking about—" Issei's face turned bright red as he realized what he'd almost said.
Akeno's smile became downright wicked. "Thinking about what, Issei?"
"NOTHING! Nothing! I wasn't—I didn't—I'm not—"
Kiba was openly laughing now.
Even Koneko's lips twitched.
Caelan looked at Sirzechs. "Is he always like this?"
"Unfortunately," Sirzechs replied, though there was a hint of fondness in his voice.
"And you expect him to defeat Riser Phenex."
"We're... working on it."
Caelan turned his attention to Issei, who was still sputtering. "You. Red Dragon Emperor."
Issei snapped to attention. "Y-yes?!"
"You have one of the Thirteen Longinus. The Boosted Gear. Welsh Dragon Ddraig."
"Uh, yeah! How did you—"
"I can feel it. The draconic aura." Caelan tilted his head. "Have you achieved Balance Breaker?"
"Balance... what now?"
Silence.
Caelan looked at Rias. "He doesn't know what Balance Breaker is."
"We're working on it!" Rias said defensively.
"He's fought how many battles?"
"A few! He defeated a Fallen Angel cadre!"
"With the Balance Breaker?"
"...No."
Caelan pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're sending an untrained Sacred Gear wielder who doesn't even know his own abilities against an experienced Rating Game veteran with a full peerage of battle-hardened devils and Phenex immortality."
"When you put it like that—"
"That's suicide."
"That's why we need your help!"
Caelan was quiet for a long moment.
Then he looked at the broken King piece still in Grayfia's hand.
Looked at Rias, desperate and hopeful.
Looked at Issei, confused but earnest.
"You've already decided, little king," Khione purred. "You're going to help them."
"I hate you sometimes."
"No you don't."
He sighed.
"Fine."
Part VI:
"Fine?" Rias's eyes went wide. "You'll—you'll help?"
"On conditions," Caelan said sharply. "First: I'm not joining your peerage. I'm not joining any peerage. I'm a consultant. Nothing more."
"Agreed," Rias said immediately.
"Second: I will train the Red Dragon Emperor. Him specifically. No one else."
"What? Why just—" Akeno started.
"Because he's your ace. Your wild card. If he can achieve Balance Breaker before the Rating Game, you have a chance. Without it, you lose. Simple mathematics."
Sirzechs nodded slowly. "That's... actually sound strategy."
"Third: This doesn't make us family. This doesn't fix anything between us. This is a professional arrangement. When the Rating Game is over, I leave. We go back to being strangers. Understood?"
The words hit like physical blows.
Rias's face crumpled slightly, but she nodded. "Understood."
Grayfia made a small sound of pain.
Sirzechs looked like he wanted to argue but stayed silent.
"Fourth and final:" Caelan's eyes went cold. "If—when—I get him to Balance Breaker, and you still lose? You accept the consequences. No running to me for more help. No begging. You make your choices and live with them. Clear?"
"Clear," Rias whispered.
"Good." Caelan turned to Issei. "You. How much do you know about your Sacred Gear?"
"Uh... it makes me stronger? And there's a dragon inside?"
"That's it?"
"Pretty much?"
Caelan looked at the ceiling as if praying for patience. "This is going to be a nightmare."
"I—I can learn!" Issei said quickly. "I'm not smart like you or—or strategically brilliant like President, but I can work hard! I can—"
"You're perverted."
Issei froze. "What?"
"You're a pervert. It's obvious. The way you look at the girls. The way you reacted to me when you thought I was female. You're driven by lust."
Issei's face went nuclear-red. "I—that's—I mean—"
"Good."
Everyone stared.
"Good?!" Rias said. "How is that—"
"Because desire is power," Caelan said simply. "Sacred Gears respond to their wielder's fundamental nature. Ddraig is a dragon of conquest, domination, overwhelming force. The Boosted Gear exists to make you stronger. And what drives you to want strength?"
Issei blinked. "Uh... boobs?"
Akeno burst out laughing.
Koneko looked disgusted.
Asia turned even redder.
Kiba just shook his head in amazement.
Caelan's expression didn't change. "Yes. Exactly. Your desire to protect the women you care about, to prove yourself worthy of them, to become strong enough that they'll accept you—that's your fuel. Most Sacred Gear users would be ashamed of that. Try to suppress it. You need to embrace it."
"Really?!" Issei looked like Caelan had just given him permission to commit sin.
"Really. But—" Caelan's voice went cold. "—you'll also train harder than you've ever trained in your life. No shortcuts. No excuses. I will push you to your absolute limit and then past it. If you can't handle that, say so now."
Issei stood up straight. "I can handle it."
"We'll see."
Caelan turned to Rias. "How long until the Rating Game?"
"Three weeks. Maybe four."
"Not enough time for proper Balance Breaker training, but enough to get him close." Caelan nodded. "Training starts tomorrow. 6 AM .Don't be late."
"I'll be there!" Issei said eagerly.
"Good." Caelan looked at everyone else. "The rest of you—stay out of my way. I'm not here to be your friend. I'm here to do a job. When it's done, I leave. Understood?"
Nods all around.
"Caelan," Grayfia said softly, still holding the broken piece. "Thank you."
He looked at her. Really looked at her.
For just a moment, something flickered in his eyes. Something that might have been pain. Or longing. Or just exhaustion.
Then it was gone.
"Don't thank me. Just... don't."
He turned and walked toward the door.
"Caelan, wait—" Sirzechs started.
"I'll send you a bill for my consulting services. Standard rates. This isn't charity."
"I didn't mean—"
But he was already gone, the door closing behind him with quiet finality.
Leaving the Occult Research Club in stunned silence.
Issei broke it first. "So... is anyone else terrified of training with him?"
"Yes," everyone said simultaneously.
Rias sank into her chair, something like hope blooming in her chest for the first time in weeks.
And Grayfia stood there, holding her son's broken King piece, and finally let the tears fall.
[To be continued...]