DxD: Scion of Lucifuge

"It doesn't do any good to pretend you can't see what's going on."

— Yūya Mochizuki, Another

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This letter was from the Principality of Rossvale's representative team, the Rupture Division. The end of the letter was signed by their leader and stamped with the emblem of Rossvale.

"This emblem seems authentic. I don't think it's a forgery," Fianna said, examining the letter carefully before placing it on the table.

"The Principality of Rossvale, huh..." Roy pondered.

Rossvale was a newly formed nation, established by a group of radicals who had declared independence from the Holy Kingdom of Lugia.

They didn't have a long history, and this was only their second time participating in the Blade Dance.

However, this team of girls wielding high-ranking Holy Spirits was considered a potential dark horse in the tournament.

"Their leader, Milla Bassett, is the one to watch out for," Claire commented.

"If I remember correctly, she's only thirteen years old, the youngest participant in this tournament, right?" Roy asked, stroking his chin. He had a clear memory of this young prodigy.

"Why do you remember her so clearly?" Claire grumbled, puffing out her cheeks.

"Oh, my memory has always been good," Roy replied with a shrug and a grin.

"Roy-san, making excuses is unbecoming of you."

"You never let up, do you?"

"As expected of the Night Demon King. Your targets range from lolis to mature women."

"Roy, do you have a preference for young girls?"

...

"Est?! Why are you joining in on the teasing?!" Roy exclaimed, his eye twitching as even Est joined the chorus of playful accusations.

"Ahem, so Claire, do you agree to the alliance or not?" Roy coughed, quickly changing the subject.

The tournament rules didn't prohibit alliances between teams.

"This could be a trap," Fianna said cautiously.

"Yes, they could be luring us into an ambush," Rinslet agreed.

"If it's not a trap, I think it's worth considering," Ellis countered. "Even if we don't form a full alliance, sharing information could be beneficial."

"And I heard that the Elementalists of the Rupture Division all wield powerful Holy Spirits."

"If we form an alliance with them, they could become valuable allies."

As a Knight from a military family, Ellis had a practical mindset.

"Roy, what do you think?" Claire asked, deferring to his judgment.

The others also looked at him expectantly.

"It could indeed be a trap," Roy admitted. "But I think it's worth the risk. Even if it is a trap, with me here, there's nothing to fear."

"If Roy-san says so, then I agree," Rinslet said. Ellis and Fianna also nodded in agreement.

They trusted Roy implicitly.

"Then it's decided. We'll meet with the Rupture Division and discuss the alliance," Claire declared.

She touched the emblem on the letter and chanted an incantation in the Spirit Language.

The emblem burst into flames, transforming into a small fire spirit.

Claire had released the guide spirit sealed within the emblem.

It was a low-ranking spirit, only capable of simple tasks like guiding people.

But it was a convenient tool for communication, often used by Elementalists to contact each other.

"Their designated meeting point is about two hours away on foot."

"Did they specify how many people should come?"

"No, but we can't all go, can we?"

"That's true..."

"I think we should all go. That way, even if it's a trap, we won't be defeated individually," Roy said, shaking his head.

"You're right," Claire agreed.

"Should we abandon our current base?" Fianna asked.

"Don't worry. With me here, anywhere can be our base," Roy reassured her with a smile, patting her head.

"Okay..." Fianna blushed and nodded.

...

They packed some essentials and set off.

The small fire spirit, fluttering in the air, led the way.

Following it, they wouldn't get lost even in the dense forest.

Roy led the way, the girls following closely behind.

Claire, as she walked, couldn't help but steal glances at Roy's back.

Suddenly...

"Aah!"

Something slippery slithered across her feet, causing her to stumble.

"Claire, what's wrong?" Roy asked, turning around in concern.

He saw a small snake coiled around Claire's feet.

Roy swiftly grabbed the snake's head and tossed it into the bushes.

"Are you alright? Did it bite you?" he asked, catching Claire before she could fall.

"I-I'm fine. Just a bit startled," Claire replied, her heart pounding and her cheeks flushed.

She couldn't meet his eyes, overwhelmed by a strange shyness.

"So you're afraid of snakes?" Roy teased gently.

"I-I'm not afraid! I just don't like them," Claire retorted, blushing even harder and looking away.

"The stray cat was completely frozen in fear," Rinslet commented with a smirk.

"Shut up, Chihuahua!" Claire snapped.

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Let's hurry," Roy said, placing a hand on each of their heads, silencing them.

As he was about to continue, Claire caught his arm.

"W-Wait for me!"

"Claire?"

"I-I think this position is quite nice," she mumbled, her head lowered.

"That sly cat! I want to hold his arm too!" Rinslet declared, grabbing Roy's other arm.

"Let go, Chihuahua! You're hindering Roy!" Claire protested.

"Hmph! You let go first!" Rinslet retorted.

"It's fine. This isn't hindering me at all," Roy said with a sigh, looking at the two girls clinging to his arms.

He continued walking, pulling them along.

Fianna and Ellis glared at them but could only follow.

They continued through the forest, taking occasional breaks, until they finally reached their destination.

The fire spirit leading them stopped and hovered before an ancient, weathered ruin.

This abandoned temple seemed to be a relic from the Age of Myths, when the human world and the Elemental Spirit World were still one.

Only a few crumbling walls and pillars remained, half-buried in the earth.

Beyond the ruins was a cliff, and they could hear the roar of a waterfall.

...

...

"This seems to be the designated meeting point," Ellis observed.

"It looks like the ruins of an ancient temple. And there's a river nearby. It's an ideal location for a base," Fianna commented, surveying the surroundings.

"Look, there are traces of a barrier here."

They followed Claire's gaze and saw a symbol resembling a coat of arms etched onto one of the pillars.

"It's the emblem of the Principality of Rossvale. It's quite recent," Claire noted, her expression cautious.

"But... the barrier didn't activate when we entered, did it?"

"Yes, it seems the barrier has been destroyed. This place is no longer a functional base."

"What happened?"

"Did the Rupture Division abandon this base?"

...

The girls were confused.

"The Rupture Division is at the bottom of the waterfall," Roy suddenly said, pointing towards the waterfall.

They approached the waterfall.

"There's a cave behind it," Rinslet observed, her sharp eyes noticing the hidden entrance.

"That must be where the Rupture Division is hiding."

"What do we do now? Go in directly?"

"Could there be traps?" Claire hesitated.

"Don't worry, there are no traps. Let's go take a look," Roy reassured them, then used his magic to levitate them and fly down towards the cave behind the waterfall.

"Aah!" The girls yelped in surprise.

But they quickly became excited as they realized they were flying.

"This is amazing! We're flying!"

"Roy is incredible!"

"It's different from using wind magic."

"Take me flying next time!"

...

"Don't worry, you'll be able to fly freely soon," Roy chuckled.

Once they became Devils, they would naturally gain the ability to fly.

They arrived at the cave entrance.

"Let's go in."

Roy held Claire and Rinslet's hands, while Ellis and Fianna followed behind.

They entered the cave.

Dark clouds had gathered in the sky, and a heavy downpour began.

"You're finally here," a cold voice echoed from the depths of the cave.

A bright light illuminated the cavern.

A young girl stood before them, holding a glowing spirit crystal.

She wore a white knight uniform with red accents.

Her dark brown hair swayed as she moved.

Her most striking feature was her heterochromatic eyes: one blue and one amber.

"You're Milla Bassett, the leader of the Rupture Division," Claire said, recognizing her.

"Yes." Milla nodded.

"We came here to discuss an alliance, as you requested. But when we arrived at the designated location, there was no one there," Claire said, her arms crossed. "What's going on? Care to explain?"

"I apologize for that. I didn't expect... that monster to attack our base," Milla explained.

"Monster? You mean the Elementalist from the Inferno?"

"Yes, we were defeated by her."

"Defeated... by just her?" The girls couldn't believe it.

Muir Alenstarl, a member of the Inferno.

The second-ranked Military Elementalist from the Instructional School, known as a monster.

She was the one who had attacked the airship with the Destroyer Spirit. She was indeed powerful.

But they hadn't expected the Rupture Division, a team known for their strength, to be defeated by her.

"So that's why you proposed an alliance?" Claire asked.

"Yes. The alliance will last until we defeat that Inferno member," Milla confirmed.

"The Holy Spirits we wield are incredibly powerful. Although I can't reveal their abilities, I can assure you that we'll be valuable allies."

Milla's proposal was simple.

She wanted to form a temporary alliance with Team Scarlet to defeat the Inferno.

Claire considered the offer.

Milla was essentially seeking their protection.

No one knew that Milla's contracted spirit...

was actually a Strategic-Class Elemental.

Such a powerful spirit couldn't be controlled by a single person.

Milla's teammates were there to help her control it.

But now that her teammates were eliminated, she couldn't utilize the Strategic-Class Elemental's power.

"I agree," Claire said after a moment of consideration, glancing at Roy before nodding.

"Then the alliance will last until we defeat that Inferno member. Is that acceptable?" Milla asked.

"Yes. But the Magic Stones we obtain during this time will be divided equally between our teams," Milla added.

"Okay, I understand," Claire agreed.

It would be strange if Milla didn't have any conditions.

Requesting a share of the Magic Stones was reasonable. After all, there was no point in participating if they couldn't obtain any.

They reached an agreement.

Setting a time limit for the alliance was a natural precaution.

After all, only four teams could advance to the final round.

It would be naive to expect the alliance to last until the very end.

"May I ask you something?" Claire suddenly asked.

"Go ahead."

"Why did you choose us for the alliance?"

Claire wasn't suspecting any ulterior motives. She was simply curious.

"Why do you ask?"

"You could have asked the Silent Fortress team. Their base is closer to yours."

"Because Roy... is an incredibly powerful Elementalist," Milla replied flatly.

Roy chuckled.

Their barrier had been destroyed during his battle with Leonora the other night. Any Elementalist with ill intentions or a spirit capable of sharing its vision with its contractor could have easily observed the fight.

It wasn't surprising that they knew about his strength.

"Don't play coy. I'm talking about your Blade Dance with Leonora Lancaster last night," Milla said, her gaze unwavering.

"You saw that?!" Roy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"All the members of the Rupture Division witnessed it. We expected Team Scarlet to be eliminated on the first day, but you surprised us by defeating a powerful opponent like Leonora."

"And I know a certain bargaining chip that might be effective against you." Milla looked at Roy with an unreadable expression.

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