"..."

Deep within the forest, the doll activates its consciousness. Instead of observing the surroundings, it recalls what it last did.

"... I remember, I think I..."

If the appearance of the doll were to be described in one word, it would be 'beautiful.'

Long green hair, purple eyes, a face and figure that could be mistaken for both male and female, with a hint of lingering youthfulness. Simple attire resembling a mage's robe. An aura reminiscent of a magical doll. And an overflowing sense of ancient mystique.

He is the successor of the oldest myth, a clay doll - a prototype of the new humanity.

The doll places its hand on its chest, checking what is stored in the area corresponding to the heart. It finds not the Holy Grail claiming to be King Solomon, but the great cup of Uruk handed over by the wise king.

"Hmm..."

Confirming that it is not a dream. Reaffirming that it is not a lie. It lightly moves its body, measuring its own capabilities. No defects. No degradation. It won't lose, even against a god. It will stand against its mother, should she appear.

However, the fact that it is alive raises questions. It should have been merely a temporary delay, but not sensing even a trace of 'mud' in the world, it means they must have won. In a place not far away, there is the presence of a human. Calmly, the physical body felt delighted.

Not having knowledge about the current situation, it seems it has not been summoned as a Servant in the so-called "Holy Grail War." Of course, it is impossible to summon him as a Heroic Spirit when he has no name in the "true human history." Besides, there shouldn't be any magus capable of controlling an overspec like him, surpassing even the prototype.

The wise king is nowhere to be found. Neither is the mother. The doll instinctively understands this, and its body confirms it. Moreover, the presence of humans has become completely unfamiliar, devoid of the scent of civilization. It is not a simple difference of region or race. Perhaps it is the era when Chaldea's Master was alive. The concentration of mystique feels oddly intense.

This place is not the forest of Uruk. The vegetation, soil, and climate are different. Although the presence of gods can be faintly felt, it is weak and of a different nature from that of Uruk.

"Well then, shouldn't you come out soon? If you don't come out, I'll come to you instead."

"Have you noticed?"

The doll had been aware from the beginning. From the shadows of the trees, a small girl suddenly appears. However, she is not human. Yet, she is not a doll-like being either. With the presence of her ears and tail, it is clear that she is a beastman. By revealing her true form, the girl must have also realized that the doll is not human.

　

From behind the girl, a group of grotesque beings, appearing as servants, reveals themselves. They wield weapons and assume a battle-ready stance. Of course, the hostility they emit is nothing more than a gentle breeze to the doll.

"You're not from Kyoto? Who are you?"

In response to her question, he answered with a hint of delight.

"My name is Kingu."

***

I, Rias Gremory, was furious with my current situation.

Seventy-two Pillars, Rank 56, Gremory. I hold the title of Duke. Proud of my crimson hair and fond of camels (although I'm not particularly good with them). Deeply passionate. Although we were originally a prestigious family, my elder brother, Sirzechs Lucifer, gained the title of the Demon Lord Lucifer, further elevating our status. However, as a result, my elder brother couldn't inherit the family estate, and I became the next successor.

I understand my duty as a pure-blooded high-class devil, but it's extremely displeasing to have my marriage partner decided for me. Moreover, the man chosen as my fiancé, Riser Phenex, is so irresponsible with women that he surrounds himself with a harem of female servants. He probably only sees marrying me as a status symbol, as someone connected to the family that produced the Demon Lord.

Being a Gremory is my pride, and I understand my parents' desire to preserve the pure-blooded devils, but I should have the freedom to choose my marriage partner. After all, my elder brother and sister-in-law fell in love across factions and got married. So I also want to be with someone who sees me as an individual, not just as the "daughter of the Gremory family."

But Riser ignores my opinion and even invades my clubroom at the human world's Kuoh Academy. Moreover, he promised to wait for marriage until I graduate from college, but everyone is trying to expedite it.

...Not long ago, there was an incident where someone attacked a stronghold of fallen angels within my territory. Not only did they not notice the intrusion, but they also carried out cover-ups without my consent. That incident is one of the reasons. Issei had apparently made contact with the culprits... It's not a joke! I've never been so insulted!

"Don't make me repeat it, Riser! I will not marry you!"

Even though I strongly denied it, Riser showed no signs of panic. He knows that my family is in a desperate situation and that my father and brother are deeply concerned about the future of the Gremory family.

"Yeah. I've heard that before. But your father and Lord Sirzechs are also worried. They're afraid of the family going extinct. After all, many pure-blooded devils died in the previous war. It's not uncommon for families to go extinct after skirmishes with gods and fallen angels. I don't deny the old houses connected through reincarnated devils, but we can't let the pure-blooded lineage end, can we? The future of devils is at stake in this arranged marriage."

...Heh. I knew he was giving me a lecherous gaze, and it was unpleasant when he took advantage of his position as my fiancé to touch me. But now it's clear. This man will never see me, Rias Gremory, as an individual.

"I don't intend to let the family go extinct. But I have no intention of marrying you, Riser. I will welcome the one I believe is suitable as my husband."

"...I feel the same way, Rias. I bear the name Phenex. I can't tarnish it. I didn't want to come to this shabby and narrow human world's building. In fact, I don't like the human world. The flames and winds of this world are filthy. As a devil who governs flames and winds, it's unbearable!"

Riser ignites the flames.

"I will burn all your peerage to ashes if that's what it takes to take you back to the Underworld."

　

　

Not only did you insult my clubroom, but now you're even laying a hand on my peerage! Cut it out with your nonsense!

"Please wait, Lady Rias, Lord Riser."

Interrupting our tense standoff, Grayfia steps in.

Grayfia is, in fact, my sister-in-law, the wife of my elder brother. Yes, she's one of the participants in the transcendent love affair that crossed faction lines. While she is the official wife of the Demon Lord, she usually acts as a maid. Some people view this as a manifestation of her loyalty to the Demon Lord faction, but it's simply because she feels more suited to working as a maid and it makes it easier for her to support my brother. Except on days off, I also address her as a maid.

She proposes a Rating Game.

A Rating Game is a game played by devil nobles. They pit their own servants against each other to compete for the strength of their own minions. Official games can only be participated in by adults, but unofficial games can be joined even by inexperienced devils. Often, it serves as a resolution for conflicts between noble families or relatives.

In other words, from the beginning, my father and the others were planning to forcefully marry me through a game, disregarding my initial refusal. Grayfia seems to have received some kind of message through magic, sensing my frustration with how my life is being manipulated.

"Just a moment, please."

Grayfia moves to the corner of the room and sets up a magic circle. From the conversation, it becomes clear that the person she is communicating with is my elder brother.

"What seems to be the matter, Lord Sirzechs? Right now, concerning the engagement, Lady Rias and... I see... Yes? The Vatican? Yes, I will return to the Underworld immediately as well."

Grayfia—no, my sister-in-law's demeanor is strange. She's unusually agitated. I catch a glimpse of her face as the wife of the Demon Lord, rather than the loyal maid of the Gremory family. However, that momentary glimpse disappears as she abruptly ends the communication and turns towards me and Riser.

"Lady Rias, Lord Riser. I apologize, but I have urgent matters to attend to. Let's continue this matter at a later date. However... please understand that in the worst-case scenario, the game itself may be canceled."

"What! This can't be a joke!"

"Calm down, Rias. Whether we play the game or not, I'm going to win anyway, right?"

I brush off Riser, who tries to casually place his hand on my shoulder, and confront my sister-in-law.

"Please explain. From your attitude, it seems like an unusual situation. You mentioned the Vatican earlier. Could it be that the Church launched an attack?"　

The Vatican, a well-known stronghold of the servants of God—the Church. Although the battles with the gods during the previous war seemed to have weakened their side, it appears they have finally launched a large-scale attack. If this attack leads to any complications in the inheritance of certain noble families, it could be troublesome. They may use this as an opportunity to further agitate my father and brother, pressuring them to hurry with my marriage to Riser and the matter of inheritance.

The possibility of postponement or cancellation is likely referring to that. I won't allow the Church to ruin my life like this. I'll eliminate it myself, even if I have to go out there!

"No, the Vatican hasn't launched an attack. ...Although the information will be restricted, you will be informed promptly, so I'll let you know in advance."

My sister-in-law shakes her head.

"It seems that important bases of the Church, including the Vatican, were attacked by an unidentified force."

***

"――That concludes the reports from Bune, Buer, and Asmodeus."

"From our conclusion, we haven't found any traces of Sefar or Velber on this planet. It's also possible that there are no wandering planets in this universe. Therefore, the risk of a planetary attack seems low."

"Barbatos confirms. I propose lowering the caution level for the wandering planet."

"Agreed, as Eligos. It would be foolish to allocate resources to a low possibility."

"Kaim opposes. The possibility of a planetary invasion is not zero. Considering our ultimate goal, we should remain vigilant and prepared for any contingencies."

"Decided by Goetia. Caution regarding the wandering planet will continue."

"Report from Glasya-Labolas. We have confirmed the presence of the holder of the Holy Cross. The threat seems low."

"Confirmed by Agares. Is it possible to reproduce the performance of the world-abandoning artifact in this world?"

"Decided by Dantalion. With the current known artifacts, it is impossible to imitate the King of Magecraft. However, if one of the relics of the Godslaying Spear Longinus—'Twilight Lance,' 'Holy Grail of the Netherworld,' or 'Crucifixion Stand by the Violet Flame Ritual Master'—is activated with 'Supreme Shine Truth Ideology,' there is a slight possibility."

"Directed by Goetia. Continue the investigation. Confirming the Godslaying Spear Longinus and the King's Ring is of top priority."

"Report from Phenex. There's movement from the second-class vigilance target, Sirzechs Lucifer. It seems that his sister is dissatisfied with the fiancé and plans to break off the engagement through a game."

"Supplement from Gremory. Due to the impact of Amy and Balam's operation, the game has been postponed."

"Opinion from Andrealphus. Even if the game were to take place, Rias Gremory's chances of winning are 0.005%."

"Suggestion and request from Andromalius. We should not waste any more time on events unrelated to the operation."

"Conclusion from Beleth. The demons of this world are truly unworthy of bearing the name of the Seventy-Two Pillars of Solomon."

"Question from Phenex. In that case, why does the One True God allow the demons to run rampant?"

"Answer from Sitri. It is likely that they are concerned about the power of the current Demon Lord. The existence of the 'Transcendent Being' could make us a second-class vigilance target as well."

"Counterargument from Halphas. While the Demon Lord and a few top-ranking demons are formidable, their numbers are very few, and demons have weakened as a force. They remained uninvolved even during past internal conflicts. Furthermore, if we cannot deal with them, it suggests the possibility of the One True God's decline during the previous war."

"Report from Amy and Balam. No formidable force was found within the Church. They attacked important strongholds of various factions, but the response and strength of the angels were below expectations."

"Furthermore, the identity of the attackers cannot be determined. We cannot trace them."

"...Goetia notifying the Observers of Stars Nine Columns. Suspend all current operations temporarily. Use the information collected by the observatories and information chambers to speculate on the current situation in Heaven. Let the Blast Furnace and Life Institute handle the operations of the Observers of Stars."

"Report from Furfur. Successful creation of the Holy Grail."

"Report from Paimon. Successful summoning of heroic spirits from the other side."

"Additional report from Buer. Negotiations were not successful."

"...Where is the patient?"