The Underworld's crimson sky bathed the Gremory estate in eternal twilight, warm… yet heavy with expectation. A quiet afternoon in the western wing's sitting room carried the faint hum of latent magic from scattered parchments and glowing files.
Rias Gremory sat with arms crossed, her crimson hair cascading like liquid fire. Across from her lounged Lucien Gremory, born a mere month later, yet treated as her brother in every way that mattered. His own hair matched the Gremory shade but ended in sharp silver tips, fire kissed by frost.
"Lucien, you've been dodging this for weeks," Rias said, voice edged with sisterly impatience. "The Evil Pieces ceremony is in a month. Peerages don't build themselves. Thoughts?"
Lucien leaned back, dark crimson eyes glinting with amusement. "I've got my eye on a certain kitty. Bishop, maybe Pawn. Untapped potential that'll make yours look tame."
Rias's eyes narrowed slightly. "…A kitty?"
Lucien's gaze drifted toward the nearby lounge, where Koneko sat quietly sipping tea. She glanced at them, before returning to her drink.
"Koneko?" Rias asked, confused. "She's already with me."
Lucien rose smoothly. "Not that kitty."
"Then who? Are you going to try to gain someone from the Youkai Faction?"
He flashed her a cryptic grin over his shoulder as he headed for the door. "Trade secret, Ri Ri. You'll have to figure it out."
She huffed, but the corner of her mouth twitched. Lucien had always layered his plans in teasing mystery.
What Rias didn't know, or no one in the family had yet fully grasped, was how personal this choice was.
Shirone… Koneko's true name.
Lucien's footsteps echoed down the high-arched hallway. Kuroka hadn't killed for sport. She had slaughtered her master to protect her little sister from illegal Super Devil experiments. Branded an SS-class Stray and hunted ever since.
Power was only part of the reason he wanted her. Redemption mattered more for Koneko's silent scars, and for a story he once read, powerless to change.
If I reach her before the Church or the Fallen… I can protect them both.
But convincing Dad? That would take more than words.
Lucien sighed. "Complicated… but worth it."
He rounded a corner and rolled his eyes. Grayfia Lucifuge glided past in her spotless maid uniform, silver hair pinned perfectly, clipboard balanced against steaming herbal tea. Elegance and cold logic wrapped in practised grace.
Father's tastes never change. Sirzechs had wed the Strongest Queen and somehow kept her in domestic service mode. Lucien admired the absurdity and the woman behind it. Her strategic mind was exactly what he'd need.
You'd think Sirzechs Lucifer would've gotten over it by now. But no, he married the strongest Queen in the Underworld and still insists on seeing her as the perfect lady of his household. At times, he wondered if his father married a queen… or an ideal of perfection he refused to let rest.
Despite his teasing, Lucien admired his mother. He'd need both her influence and her strategic mind if he wanted even a shot at getting this idea past Sirzechs.
⸻
[Tea Room – East Wing]
Grayfia and Venelana Gremory, Lucien's grandmother, were seated in the estate's sunlit tea room. The air smelled of lavender, and the table was set with delicate porcelain and silver-trimmed cups.
Lucien knocked gently before entering. "Am I interrupting?"
"Only our break from politics," Venelana said with a sly smile. "But you're just as dangerous as any nobleman I've met, so come in."
Grayfia arched her brow as Lucien took a seat. "What scheme brings you here?"
Lucien folded his hands on the table, meeting their gazes steadily. A crooked smile graced his face. "I don't want to wait for someone to be assigned to me. I want to choose. Specifically… I want Kuroka Toujou."
Grayfia didn't blink, but Venelana's smile widened. "Already? That's ambitious."
The room stilled. Grayfia's fingers tightened fractionally around the teapot. Venelana's smile sharpened.
"Are you serious?" Grayfia questioned flatly.
"Deadly." Lucien leaned forward. "She's powerful, intelligent… and wrongly condemned. She killed to protect her sister from illegal experimentation. No one investigated because of who was involved. If I reach her first, offer sanctuary, a peerage… she could come back. Legitimately."
Venelana set her cup down with deliberate calm. "She's an SS-class Stray as your inaugural member? The council would howl. Other houses already whisper about your… reluctance."
"She ran from a situation no one asked questions about," Lucien said. "You both know that experiment was illegal. If I find her, if I reach her before the Church or the Fallen, I can offer her something no one else has: a way back."
He looked straight at his mother, not with challenge but with conviction. "She's Koneko's sister. Do you think Koneko doesn't wonder? You think she isn't hurting, deep down, not knowing the truth?"
A heavy silence filled the room.
And there was more to it. Rias had already begun assembling her peerage. Akeno and Koneko were officially hers, and it hadn't gone unnoticed. The other noble houses, and even Sirzechs and Grayfia, were starting to murmur about Lucien's reluctance. As the heir meant to restore the Lucifuge line, his lack of peerage members was beginning to alarm them.
Sairaorg Bael and Sona Sitri, two of their closest noble peers, had even teased him about it at recent gatherings. But underneath the banter was the same pointed expectation: What are you waiting for?
A future Lucifer heir couldn't afford to fall behind.
Lucien knew it. They all did.
"If I bring her in, she answers to me. Her actions, her loyalty, her future… I take responsibility for all of it."
Venelana exhaled a quiet laugh. "Bold, like his mother. And stubborn, like his father."
"It's the right one," Lucien said. "And I'm not asking you to act today. I just want your support when the time comes to convince Father."
Grayfia sighed, long and quiet, shoulders relaxing just a fraction. "You plan too much for someone so young."
Lucien smiled. "That's your fault."
Venelana laughed. "Well said."
Grayfia's gaze lingered on him, unreadable.
"Do you understand what you're asking?"
Grayfia said quietly. "If she betrays you, it won't be her name that falls. It will be yours. And ours."
The words settled heavily in the room.
Lucien didn't look away. "I know."
A brief pause.
"That's why I'm choosing her."
Grayfia exhaled softly.
"I'll speak to Sirzechs with you," she said.
Step one was secured.
Now came the true test.
Facing the Crimson Satan.
And if Sirzechs refused?
Lucien thought of Serafall Leviathan
sparkles, hugs, and political leverage wrapped in magical-girl energy.
Worst case… I'll weaponise my hell-mother.
If anyone could weaponise hugs and sparkles into blackmail, it was the Leviathan.
Outside the estate's wards, in shadowed wilds where strays hid, golden eyes watched from afar. Wary. Waiting.
His path was set.
And somewhere in the wilds…
The stray he intended to claim was already being hunted.