High School DxD: The Lucifer's Devil Trigger — Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Smokescreen and the Bait

Grayfia blinked, a rare flicker of surprise crossing her features before her signature composure settled back into place.

After listening to Levi’s words, she closed her eyes and drew the Queen piece into her chest. A soft, crimson light pulsed through the room as the chess piece merged with her soul. Only after the absolute connection of the peerage snapped into place did she finally speak.

“Then, the promise you made has been fulfilled.”

Her words made Levi pause.

The silver-haired maid, usually as cold and unyielding as a glacier, allowed a gentle, stunning smile to grace her lips.

“Because from the moment I first met you until now, I, Grayfia Lucifuge, have never felt a single shred of regret.” Her voice was soft, yet carried the weight of an absolute vow. “Not now, and not in the future.”

If Levi weren’t wearing his iron mask, Grayfia would have clearly seen the heat rushing to his cheeks.

He cleared his throat, offering a slight nod. “Hmm. It is like this now, and it will be like this in the future.”

The Queen piece had officially returned to its rightful place. Securing exactly what he needed—the sensation was undeniably satisfying.

Tohsaka Tokiomi’s visit could not have been timed better.

The Magus bowed respectfully, his posture and tone measured to perfection. “Lord Levi, Lady Grayfia, thank you both for saving me. I came today under the assumption that you might be concerned about the whereabouts of Kotomine Kirei. I have acquired some clues that I wish to report.”

Tokiomi was thorough in his etiquette, his diction flawless. More, he brought actual results.

Levi evaluated the man with a second glance. Even though Tokiomi wasn’t someone he could extract system rewards from, his efficiency in handling mundane matters was commendable.

“Please, take a look.”

Tokiomi retrieved a polished gemstone from his coat and set it gently upon the mahogany table. Channeling a sliver of prana, the jewel flared to life, projecting a luminous, miniature holographic map of Fuyuki City into the air.

The most eye-catching detail was a blinking red dot buried deep within the sewer district.

Levi raised an eyebrow beneath his mask. “This is where Kotomine Kirei is hiding? I didn’t expect you to manage to slip a tracking spell on him under those circumstances. Not bad.”

“A mere trivial trick. I am unworthy of such praise.” Tokiomi lowered his head, offering the intelligence freely without attempting to use it for immediate gain.

Levi chuckled. “Alright, no need for the false modesty. You helped me this time, and I’ve noted it. As it happens, once this Holy Grail War concludes, I have a few matters I’ll need you to handle. Rest assured, the compensation will be highly beneficial for the Tohsaka family.”

“Thank you for your grace.”

Tokiomi wisely refrained from pressing for details. He knew the politics of the Magus Association well; many prominent magi sought out contracts with Devils. Some hungered for raw power, others for forbidden magical knowledge. As long as the Devil in question wasn’t laying a malicious trap, the boons of such a relationship were astronomical.

He had originally pinned the entire future of the Tohsaka lineage on the next generation. Sakura, sent away to the Matou, was supposed to become a formidable Magus in her own right, while Rin, staying by his side, possessed the talent to potentially touch the Root. He had genuinely believed that once his two daughters walked the true path of magecraft, they would understand the depth of his paternal love.

But the situation with Sakura had spiraled into a nightmare. And complications had arisen with Rin’s safety as well.

Who could have predicted that the heavens would grant him another path? If he could secure a stable contract with a Devil of Levi’s caliber, the Tohsaka family could achieve greatness within his own generation.

Holding onto that burning hope, Tokiomi offered a final, deep bow and took his leave, gently guiding Rin out the door.

Levi watched them go, resting his chin on his crossed hands. His gaze drifted back to the glowing red dot hovering over the gemstone.

“Grayfia.”

The moment the name left his lips, a terrifying surge of demonic power erupted behind him. The complex blue magic circle of the Lucifuge clan flared to life, and Grayfia vanished from the room.

Less than thirty seconds later, the ambient mana spiked again. The blue circle flashed, depositing Grayfia back onto the carpet.

She held a man by the back of his collar.

Kotomine Kirei.

Grayfia released her grip, letting the broken priest slump to the floor. She smoothed the front of her maid uniform, her expression entirely devoid of emotion. “Lord Levi, the Assassin has been dealt with. Kotomine Kirei has been captured. Shall I extract his memories directly via spellcraft?”

“You may.”

Kirei’s memories naturally contained the exact moment Levi had instigated his descent into madness. But Levi had nothing to hide, and it hardly mattered if Grayfia saw it. If anything, viewing Kirei’s life from beginning to end would only prove that the man was a twisted freak down to his very marrow; Levi hadn’t forced him into this state, merely handed him the mirror.

Grayfia stepped forward, pressing her palm flat against the crown of Kirei’s head.

Violent, cold magical power invaded his mind, forcefully ripping his memories from his consciousness. Kirei’s soul shattered under the immense pressure, his lifeless eyes rolling back as he was permanently removed from the board.

Levi stood. He drew Yamato from its sheath, the dark blade humming with latent power, and tapped the cold steel against the back of Kirei’s limp hand.

The crimson marks burned brightly before peeling off the dead flesh. The number of Command Spells etched into Levi’s own skin jumped from thirty-nine to forty-five. Kirei’s original three, plus the three he had stolen from Tokiomi, were now entirely in Levi’s possession.

He wasn’t hoarding them to force Artoria into submission. He had far more ambitious uses for such concentrated crystallized mysteries.

A few moments later, Grayfia finished sorting through the fragmented memories.

“Lord Levi, I discovered two matters of importance within his mind.”

Levi paused, gesturing for her to continue.

“First, the recent movements from Heaven were indeed his doing. Based on this, I can accurately deduce Heaven’s next course of action.” She paused, her icy eyes narrowing slightly. “Second, this man has a daughter.”

A daughter?

Levi blinked, searching his knowledge of the timeline before the answer clicked into place.

Kotomine Kirei’s daughter. That would be Caren. The Saint of Magdalene.

A girl born with the innate, agonizing ability to perceive Devils, possessing a Shroud of the Saint specifically designed to bind supernatural entities. Levi was well aware of her existence.

“What’s the issue with his daughter?”

“Lord Levi, do you not think that a Saint capable of perceiving Devils could be of immense use to us?”

Levi fell silent, tapping his fingers against the hilt of Yamato.

Strategically, she was right. But if he wanted to secure that particular Saint in a pure Type-Moon timeline, he would have to move quickly. In this chaotic, merged world, however, things were different. Even if the Archangel Michael couldn’t micromanage every branch of the Church, he would never allow the institution to fully devolve into the ruthless, fanatical Holy Church of the pure Fate timeline.

Besides, speaking of Saints…

The face of a certain old acquaintance from the Underworld surfaced in Levi’s mind.

“Don’t worry about the Saint for now,” Levi instructed, waving a hand dismissively. “Later, I want you to keep a close eye on a Devil named Diodora Astaroth. You might extract some highly unexpected clues from his activities.”

“Understood.” Grayfia bowed her head, smoothly pivoting back to the primary issue. “Regarding Heaven’s movements. Kotomine Kirei reported the destruction of the Fuyuki City church to his superiors, insisting that several High-Class Devils were active in the area and responsible for the attack.”

She adjusted her silver hair, her tone turning analytical. “The grand commotion Heaven recently created was, to put it plainly, a theatrical display meant for the Underworld’s eyes. In reality, the Church is preparing to deploy a covert knighthood led by several Holy Sword Wielders to Fuyuki City. Their objective is to quietly purge these ‘High-Class Devils.’ The overt posturing from Heaven is merely a smokescreen to cover this unit’s insertion.”

“Oh?”

Levi’s eyes gleamed with cold amusement. Combining Grayfia’s report with the memories of his past life, the geopolitical board became crystal clear.

The Angels were terrified. They feared that an unprovoked incident would reignite the catastrophic Three-Way War. To prevent a full-scale conflict, they were using this cowardly, surgical method to eliminate perceived threats without officially declaring hostilities.

It was a deliberate smokescreen designed to smother the sparks of war before they could catch.

“However,” Levi mused, a dark smirk pulling at his lips, “this smokescreen also conveniently hides our own movements in Fuyuki. In that case, the only thing left to do is to finish off the executioners the Angels are sending.”

Grayfia frowned slightly. “But if we directly intercept and wipe out that unit, the resulting magical fallout will alert the factions that something is wrong in Fuyuki. Will that not negatively impact your overarching plan?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Levi waved his hand, his smirk widening. “Because we won’t even need to lift a single finger against them.”

Grayfia blinked, processing his words. A moment later, understanding dawned in her eyes, and she refrained from asking further questions.

“Grayfia, dispose of Kirei’s body and take care of the hand. I need to prepare a few things on my end.”

“Yes, at once.”

She grabbed Kirei’s collar and dragged the corpse out of the room, the door clicking shut behind her.

Levi let out a slow, measured breath. He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

A pitch-black magic circle, dripping with sinister aura, materialized above his palm. It was a secure, one-way communication channel that Rizevim Livan Lucifer had left him long ago.

A few seconds of static hissed through the air before the connection established.

“Levi. I told you, if you bother me with some trivial nonsense, you had better start praying for a painless death.”

Rizevim’s voice bled through the array, scraping against the ear like a rusted blade against bone. Even filtered through the communication spell, the suffocating, crushing pressure of a extraordinary-class monster leaked into the room.

Yet, Levi only smiled.

Where Rizevim couldn’t see him, Levi’s grin stretched wide, his shoulders shaking in silent, euphoric laughter.

I’m only afraid that you aren’t strong enough, Levi thought, his eyes burning with absolute malice. If you aren’t strong, what pleasure will there be when I finally drag you down into the abyss of despair?

Rizevim had to die.

And he would not die by Vali’s hands. Nor by Fafnir’s. Nor by Sirzechs and his pathetic reformist faction.

Rizevim Livan Lucifer would die by Levi’s hands alone.

But, of course, the time for that had not yet come.

“How could I possibly bother you without good reason?” Levi replied, his tone perfectly smooth, laced with just the right amount of subordinate deference. “If my intelligence is correct, you are currently playing cat and mouse with the pursuit unit sent by Sirzechs. Perhaps even the vanguard he is leading personally, right?”

“Hmm.” Rizevim’s voice dripped with mounting impatience.

Levi knew exactly how to play the man. He leaned forward, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. “We are both Devils, it’s true. But when it comes to slaughtering other Devils, isn’t Holy power the most efficient tool? Tell me… do you want a Holy Sword?”

Silence stretched across the connection.

When Rizevim finally spoke, his tone had shifted, the casual arrogance replaced by a razor-sharp focus. “If I can get my hands on them, they would be incredibly useful. But currently, all the Holy Swords are locked down by Heaven. It’s been years since they allowed Holy Sword Wielders to operate independently on mundane missions. There’s simply no opening to strike. Levi, if this is just empty theory, your life ends today.”

The extraordinary was genuinely agitated.

He’s anxious. He’s actually anxious, Levi noted, highly amused. He wondered what kind of face Rizevim would make when he eventually discovered that all the restrictive curses he had placed on Levi were entirely null and void.

But the old monster still had a role to play on the board.

“No, this is actionable intelligence,” Levi continued quickly, injecting a hint of urgency into his voice. “The recent aggressive posturing from Heaven? It’s a cover. They are using it to mask the deployment of a covert unit of Holy Sword Wielders. You know how cowardly the Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels have become; they’re terrified of sparking another war, so they’re moving in the shadows. But the harder they try to hide, the easier it is to exploit their blind spots. What do you think?”

The magic circle hummed quietly. Rizevim said nothing.

Levi could practically hear the gears turning in the old monster’s head. If the intelligence was accurate, it was a ridiculously fat piece of meat dangling right in front of him. Snatching several Holy Swords in one swift strike—when the inevitable head-on clash with Sirzechs occurred, those weapons would inflict devastating casualties on the reformist forces.

, with the Angels deliberately looking the other way to maintain their smokescreen, the ambush could be executed without drawing the gaze of Heaven’s main army.

Hmph. I didn’t expect this brat to actually be a competent lackey, Rizevim thought on the other end of the line, a cruel smile twisting his features.

“Fine,” Rizevim finally declared, his tone dripping with condescending approval. “You don’t need to concern yourself with this matter any further. Just keep your head down and continue being my eyes. When I return to the Underworld, if you prove you still have value, perhaps I’ll reward you with a fraction of true power.”