High School DxD: The Lucifer's Devil Trigger — Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Untitled

The result was exactly as expected: my sanity simply collapsed under the sheer weight of it.

, because my magical reserves were insufficient, forcing the Sin Devil Trigger open meant the duration was severely truncated. According to the data recorded by the pocket watch, it lasted less than a minute. Forty seconds, to be exact.

“But in those forty seconds, I smashed through hundreds of layers of defensive barriers that Grayfia painstakingly set up.”

“The Sin Devil Trigger… its raw strength is truly beyond words.”

When Levi first acquired his Devil Transformation, he naturally compared it to the Sacred Gears. Initially, he assumed his standard Devil Trigger would roughly equate to a Balance Breaker when facing the likes of the Red or White Dragon Emperors, while the Sin Devil Trigger would parallel the Juggernaut Drive.

But after truly grasping the depths of the Devil Trigger, he realized his estimation was entirely off the mark.

He had no way of knowing exactly how powerful Dante and Vergil were in their transformed states. However, with his current vessel, activating the standard Devil Trigger was enough to propel his strength straight into the Satan-class.

He couldn’t fully achieve it just yet; his body felt the limitation acutely. It wasn’t a flaw in the Devil Trigger itself, but rather his own current inability to unleash its absolute potential.

He was merely one step away.

As long as he crossed that final threshold, he would achieve complete mastery over the Devil Trigger. At that point, attaining Satan-class power would allow him to officially bind Grayfia—a genuine Satan-class devil—as his servant.

As for the Sin Devil Trigger…

Logic dictated that if the base Devil Trigger could reach the Satan-class, then activating the Sin Devil Trigger should theoretically keep him within that same tier. It sounded a bit absurd, but the chasm in sheer power between different entities classified as ‘Satan-class’ was massive.

Grayfia was Satan-class, and those fools from the Old Satan Faction who relied on the snake’s power at the Three-Faction Conference were also considered Satan-class. The disparity between the two was visible to the naked eye.

also, even a Juggernaut Drive required the Red Dragon Emperor’s Dragon God form or the White Dragon Emperor’s Satan form to firmly cross the threshold into the world of a extraordinary.

So, at first, Levi thought that if the Sin Devil Trigger could merely elevate him to the level of a standard Juggernaut Drive, he would be burning incense in gratitude.

But looking at the sheer devastation he had just caused…

“This destructive power… it doesn’t seem quite right.”

Levi lay sprawled on the ground. As the residual blue demonic flames finally dissipated into the air, Grayfia and the rest of his peerage rushed to his side.

Kuroka and Shirone immediately crouched on either side of him. Ingvild had fallen completely silent, Sakura’s small face was etched with sheer panic, and Irisviel’s eyes brimmed with worry. Even Karna kept his piercing gaze locked onto Levi’s prone form.

Grayfia silently knelt and supported Levi’s back, helping him sit up. “Are you alright, Lord Levi?”

Her calm, familiar voice pulled Levi from his daze. He managed to scrape together a sliver of magical power, shaking his head at the circle of anxious faces before offering a faint smile. “It’s just a state of being, an ability. It’s my own power, so how could it possibly hurt me?”

“At most, the energy consumption is a bit steep, and it’s difficult to control. It’s nothing serious.”

He paused, catching his breath. “Besides… Grayfia, you all witnessed my loss of control just now. In your professional opinion, if that version of me fought against Sirzechs going all out, who would hold the upper hand?”

Levi needed to confirm his hypothesis. He had a lingering suspicion that the true Sin Devil Trigger operated on an entirely different plane than a mere Juggernaut Drive. He vaguely sensed that this ultimate form might actually rival the Dragon God or true Satan forms.

Unfortunately, his consciousness had faded, leaving him blind to the actual results. He needed the perspective of the most knowledgeable person in the room.

Grayfia considered his question, her silver eyes reflecting a rare solemnity. “If you could maintain that state for just a little longer, I fear we would need an actual battle to determine the victor.”

A faint, elegant smile touched her lips. “But of one thing I am absolutely certain—in that moment, your raw strength was already on par with Lord Sirzechs when he unleashes his True Form, the Aura of Destruction.”

“To put it bluntly, it was so overwhelmingly powerful that it no longer felt like a devil. To use a more accurate term… a extraordinary.”

Levi chuckled weakly. “Then even if it only lasts forty seconds, the toll is worth it. It surpasses even the Juggernaut Drive of a Longinus. If I keep pushing my limits and eventually manage to retain my sanity during the transformation… that would be perfect.”

His voice trailed off, growing quieter with each syllable. Exhaustion finally overtook him, and his eyes fluttered shut as he drifted into a deep sleep, resting heavily against Grayfia’s shoulder.

Grayfia looked down, her expression softening as she carefully checked his vitals. Once assured that her master was unharmed, she could only gaze helplessly at his peaceful, sleeping face.

There was something else she hadn’t managed to voice.

If he could sustain that state for the duration of a normal battle, even without his sanity, he was already standing firmly at the apex of a extraordinary.

The apocalyptic scene within those shattered barriers replayed in her mind.

Levi’s body expanding, the wicked blue arm blades erupting from his forearms, his chest splitting to reveal an abyssal core—a completely inhuman, demonic visage.

Her first thought had been of her childhood, recalling the terrifying majesty of the original Lucifer. But upon closer inspection, that monstrous posture didn’t resemble Lord Lucifer at all.

If anything, it mirrored the ancient gods who had stood alone against the Four Great Satans during the primordial wars, facing down legions of powerful enemies without taking a single step back.

Violent, oppressive power. Endlessly expanding magical energy. An absolutely invincible stance.

Even Rizevim Livan Lucifer, the man widely hailed as the strongest extraordinary, couldn’t possibly compare to the sheer terror of that scene.

When Levi finally opened his eyes, the room was draped in pitch black.

The moment the sun dipped below the horizon, his devil blood surged, bringing his entire body back to life. Magical energy flowed smoothly through his restored meridians, and his limbs felt incredibly light. Though the overall increase in his base power wasn’t massive, the subtle refinement was obvious.

‘How long have I been out?’

He remembered the crushing fatigue and the sensation of passing out, but the hours in between were a complete blur. Subconsciously, he shifted under the heavy covers, reaching out to grab the pocket watch resting on his nightstand.

And then—

He froze.

His hand didn’t make it out of the blanket. Instead, his fingers brushed against something incredibly soft, eliciting a strange, breathy whimper from the darkness.

Levi’s eyes snapped wide open, the last dregs of sleep vanishing instantly.

Someone was holding his hand!

Not only was he awake, but the person beside him was stirring as well. She had clearly been hugging his arm while she slept, and upon waking, she shamelessly crawled right over his chest, poking her head out from beneath the blanket. “You’re awake, nya~”

Silky black hair spilled across his collarbone. Two twitching cat ears popped up from the edge of the covers. Beneath the sheets, Levi could distinctly feel something furry and warm wrapping securely around his left wrist—her tail.

Kuroka had her entire body pressed flush against his, leaving Levi completely paralyzed, his mind drawing a sudden blank.

This was absolutely not a standard ‘good morning’ situation!

She was far too close. He could feel the searing heat of her body temperature seeping through his clothes. He could hear the rapid thumping of her heartbeat. Her breath, carrying a faint, sweet scent, brushed directly against his jaw.

“Kuroka… why are you in here?!”

Levi’s voice pitched up slightly, completely betraying his usual calm.

Kuroka let out a soft, teasing giggle. “Grayfia asked me to take care of you. I was watching over you, but then I got so sleepy, and I just sort of fell asleep, hehe~”

It was an excuse. And a spectacularly flimsy one at that.

Levi knew perfectly well she had just fabricated that story on the spot. Yet, strangely, as he opened his mouth, he found himself entirely unable to expose her lie. He merely blinked, giving a slow nod.

Kuroka caught the subtle shift in his reaction. That helpless expression looked an awful lot like tacit permission.

Moving with the liquid grace of a feline, she planted her hands on Levi’s shoulders, pressing her weight down and bringing her face dangerously close to his. In the dim light, Levi finally noticed the heavy flush painting Kuroka’s cheeks. Even the tips of her cat ears were burning red. Her body temperature was significantly higher than normal, radiating heat like she was running a fever.

Was she sick?

Kuroka leaned in, their breaths tangling in the narrow space between them. She deliberately shifted her weight, letting Levi feel the frantic, accelerated rhythm of her heart against his chest. “Lord Levi…”

Before the sultry whisper could fully leave her lips, the bedroom door flew open with a loud bang.

“Big sister! Lord Levi!”

It was Shirone.

Despite her petite frame, the aura she radiated in that doorway was terrifyingly oppressive. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet, completely suffocated by the dark, low-pressure gloom rolling off the younger nekomata.

Puffing out her cheeks in deep displeasure, she marched right up to the bed, glaring down at the two people she cared about most. “Big sister. Lord Levi.”

“—Yes!”

Levi and Kuroka shot up from the mattress in perfect unison, scrambling to kneel respectfully on the bed before Shirone. They looked exactly like two children caught red-handed stealing sweets.

And then…

The furious scolding Levi braced himself for never came. Instead, Shirone launched herself forward, diving directly into Levi’s chest. “I want it too!”

Hmm… hmm?

Wait—what?

It took an agonizingly long time to coax Shirone back to sleep.

By the time Levi and Kuroka finally slumped into their chairs at the massive dining table, both of them were thoroughly drained.

“Taking care of children is truly exhausting…” Levi muttered, rubbing his temples. He reached for the decanted red wine resting on the table and poured himself a glass.

Kuroka leaned back heavily, practically melting into the plush cushion of her chair, before forcing herself to sit upright. “Pour me a glass too, nya~”

Levi nodded, sliding his freshly poured glass across the polished wood toward her before grabbing a new one for himself. “Drink slowly.”

He poured a second measure of the crimson liquid, his gaze dropping to the silver pocket watch resting beside his plate. “Although I genuinely didn’t expect to sleep through the entire day, the timing actually worked out perfectly.”

The hands on the dial read 11:20 PM.

“At exactly midnight, I plan to use that scabbard to summon King Arthur.”

Kuroka paused, the rim of the wine glass hovering near her lips, and looked up at him. “Are you fully prepared?”

“Yes,” Levi replied, his tone chillingly calm. “If I truly need to force an outcome, three Command Spells are more than enough to suppress her for a while. Besides, Grayfia is here.”

Levi swirled the wine in his glass, his expression completely devoid of the flustered panic he had shown in the bedroom. When it came to serious matters, he was a stone-cold pragmatist, seasoned and unbothered by the variables of war.

“The Matou family prepared thirty Command Spells for the Holy Church’s referee organization. Add the three I already possess, and that totals thirty-three.”

“, I have a rough estimation of this Heroic Spirit’s combat parameters. Even if she draws her sword and immediately initiates hostilities the second she materializes, I can easily exchange a few blows with her to test the waters before deciding on my next move.”

“If negotiations break down entirely, this is our stronghold. We have overwhelming manpower. Suppressing her by force and taking her down directly is well within our capabilities.”

Listening to him casually list out his layered contingencies without once considering the possibility of letting the summoned Servant walk away, Kuroka smiled to herself, taking a slow sip of her wine.

She hadn’t been by Levi’s side nearly as long as Grayfia had. Yet, her understanding of Levi’s true nature was in no way inferior to the silver-haired maid’s.

She knew exactly what kind of devil Levi Lucifer was. He was absolutely not the soft-hearted, forgiving type.

When it came to achieving his goals, he was ruthless, decisive, and entirely unapologetic about shedding blood. He never hesitated when it was time to strike.

Only when a target possessed obvious value—when they shouldn’t be killed—would he bother weaving such elaborate, inescapable webs.