High School DxD: The Lucifer's Devil Trigger — Chapter 70

Chapter 70: The Slash Dog

Touko snapped her notebook shut, the sharp sound echoing in the cluttered workshop. She jotted down the final string of measurements with a flourish of her pen. “Done. Come back and pick it up in a month.”

Levi pulled his shirt over his shoulders, adjusting the collar before giving a brief nod. “I’ll leave it in your capable hands, then.”

The heavy wooden door clicked shut behind them as they descended the narrow, creaking staircase. The scent of old paper and chemical reagents faded, replaced by the crisp outside air.

Ryougi Shiki walked half a step behind him, her hands tucked into the pockets of her leather jacket. “You trust her?”

“I trust her ability,” Levi replied, his tone even. “As for trusting her character… it’s always best to keep your guard up around a magus.”

Shiki didn’t press the issue. Silence settled comfortably between them as they retraced their steps along the paved path.

The afternoon sun beat down, casting a warm, golden hue over the bustling streets. Children chased each other through a roadside park, their laughter cutting through the low hum of city traffic.

Shiki’s footsteps slowed until she came to a complete halt. She turned her gaze toward a massive cherry tree rooted in the center of the park. The branches were heavy with pale pink blossoms, drifting down like snow in the gentle breeze.

Levi paused, looking back. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” Shiki blinked, her dark eyes softening for a fraction of a second before she looked away. “I just think this place is quite nice.”

Levi followed her gaze to the falling petals. “It is, indeed.”

They resumed their walk, the quiet rhythm of their footsteps carrying them all the way back to the Tohsaka estate.

Inside the grand living room, Tohsaka Tokiomi sat in a plush armchair, a steaming cup of black tea resting on the saucer in his hand. At the sound of the double doors opening, he set the porcelain down and stood, smoothing the lapels of his crimson suit. “How did the appointment go?”

“It’s settled,” Levi said, taking a seat on the opposite sofa. “Delivery is scheduled for next month.”

Tokiomi nodded, asking no further questions about the magus’s affairs. “What would you care for lunch? I shall have the butler prepare it immediately.”

“Anything is fine,” Levi said, leaning back. “I’m not picky.”

Tokiomi shifted his polite gaze toward Shiki.

She stared at the ornate rug for a moment. “Fish.”

“Very well.” Tokiomi offered a slight bow and turned on his heel to instruct the kitchen staff.

The living room fell quiet again. Sunlight poured through the tall arched windows, stretching long, geometric shadows across the polished hardwood floor. Dust motes danced in the beams of light.

Levi closed his eyes, letting the quiet atmosphere wash over him. “Are you going to see that woman from yesterday again today?”

“No.” Shiki’s voice was flat. “If you aren’t going, neither am I.”

She remained silent for a long minute. Then, her gaze locked onto Levi, sharp and decisive. “I have to go back to that so-called home today. There is something I need to retrieve.”

Levi met her eyes. He already knew exactly what she was after. Shiki was lethal enough with her bare hands, but her true, terrifying potential only unlocked when her fingers wrapped around a blade. Deep within the old Ryougi estate rested a katana perfectly suited for her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

“Do you want me to accompany you?” he asked.

He had originally planned to check on the Slash Dog this afternoon. But if Shiki needed backup, the dog could wait. Leaving the boy alone for a few more hours wouldn’t derail his grand plans, especially since he already had eyes on the target.

“No need.” Shiki shook her head, her dark hair swaying. “I’m just picking up an item. I can handle it myself.”

Seeing the stubborn glint in her eyes, Levi smiled faintly and nodded. He had absolute confidence in her. While she still needed a few more years of live combat to fully synchronize her physical rhythm with her deadly eyes, she was far from weak. Against the ordinary magi of the Five Great Families, she was practically an executioner. She was, after all, the rightful heir to the Ryougi clan.

“Alright. I’ll be back late tonight, then.”

They exchanged a few more casual words, the mundane domesticity contrasting sharply with the blood soaked into their respective histories. Stepping out of the magically reinforced Tohsaka mansion, they reached the first intersection. Shiki turned east; Levi turned west.

The Ryougi elders already knew she had awakened, and those traditionalists were currently lurking within the city limits. But Levi wasn’t concerned for her safety. He had discreetly woven a tracking spell into her shadow.

With her secured, Levi stepped into a secluded alleyway. The air warped around him, folding inward as he activated a teleportation circle, instantly crossing the city to locate Ikuse Tobio.

“It looks like we have a hit.”

Levi stepped out of the spatial distortion, the ambient noise of a rundown residential district filtering into his ears. Standing in the shadows of a narrow alley was the spy he had planted—a silver-haired homunculus maid of the Einzbern family.

“Lord Levi,” the maid spoke, her voice devoid of inflection. “The Utsusemi you mentioned have already locked onto Ikuse Tobio. Based on their movements, they will strike today.”

Levi nodded slowly, studying the maid’s glassy red eyes. “Are you Irisviel?”

The previously rigid, doll-like muscles of the maid’s face twitched. The corners of her mouth curled upward into a gentle, knowing smile.

“The task you entrusted to me has been completed,” Irisviel’s voice flowed from the maid’s lips, entirely replacing the flat, mechanical tone. “Touko’s support arrived on schedule. The spell matrix that allows me to instantly project my will across the entire homunculi network is fully operational.”

Levi smiled in satisfaction. This was the infrastructure he had envisioned.

His ultimate goal was to remain within the Lucifer Territory, using a massive barrier to monitor his entire domain. But the sheer scale of a High-Class Devil’s territory dwarfed human cities. Even ancient human kingdoms were mere specks compared to the landmass the Underworld nobles casually claimed. The Lucifer Territory alone was larger than several modern human countries combined. Covering it with a single Hakurei barrier was a logistical impossibility.

That was why Levi had targeted the Einzbern homunculi. He didn’t just want them as disposable foot soldiers. He intended to integrate them directly into Irisviel’s consciousness.

Hundreds of thousands of homunculi meant Irisviel now possessed hundreds of thousands of bodies. Each one boasted the combat parameters of a high-tier magical beast. They were the perfect, omnipresent security force.

“I’ll leave the surveillance here to you, then,” Levi said. “Keep this unit stationed in the area. Once I finish handling the immediate issues, I will have many more deployments for your network.”

Irisviel hummed softly through the maid’s throat, a spark of curiosity lighting up her borrowed eyes. “Lord Levi, do you intend to take that boy as your retainer?”

“No,” Levi said, shaking his head. “My Evil Pieces are limited, and he isn’t suited for a peerage role. However, I am forming several specialized action squads. You will be handling their communications and logistics. Prepare the network accordingly.”

“Understood.”

The warmth vanished from the maid’s eyes in a fraction of a second. The gentle smile flatlined, returning her to a rigid, emotionless doll.

Levi didn’t spare the empty vessel another glance. He turned his attention down the street, his boots clicking softly against the asphalt. A predatory smirk tugged at his lips.

“Let’s make first contact. Don’t disappoint me, Slash Dog.”

Ikuse Tobio felt like he was cursed.

First, the luxury cruise ship carrying his childhood friend and several classmates had vanished in a horrific maritime accident. Then, the parents of those missing students began moving away, one by one. Even his lifelong neighbor had packed up and fled in the dead of night, avoiding Tobio as if he carried the plague.

Today, suffocating under the weight of his own isolation, he had just wanted to take a walk. He needed fresh air.

Instead, he ran into a ghost.

He had turned down a narrow alleyway and frozen. Standing right there, bathed in the dim afternoon shadows, was his classmate Sasaki. The same Sasaki who had supposedly drowned in the shipwreck.

Tobio’s heart hammered against his ribs. Logic abandoned him. He sprinted after the boy, desperate for answers.

But as he chased Sasaki into the abandoned residential block, the relief of finding his friend shattered.

Sasaki wasn’t alone.

A monstrous, towering chameleon slithered out from the shadows behind the boy. Its scales shifted erratically, blending with the brick walls.

Before Tobio could even scream, the beast’s jaws snapped open. A thick, muscular tongue shot forward like a fired cannonball.

Tobio threw himself to the side, his knees scraping against the rough concrete. The air cracked as the tongue whipped past him, grazing his cheek. Warm blood instantly welled up, dripping down his jaw.

A monster?

He had heard the wild internet rumors about Kyoto—stories of mythical beasts and secret wars tearing up the city. He had laughed them off as delusions. But the massive reptile towering over Sasaki left no room for denial.

“Sasa—!” Tobio scrambled backward, trying to shout his friend’s name.

Sasaki looked down at him. His eyes were dead. There was no recognition, no fear, no humanity. Just a hollow, chilling void.

Tobio’s mind screamed at him to figure out what was happening, but survival instincts overrode his confusion. The chameleon’s throat bulged again.

Tobio rolled hard to the right, scrambling to his feet and sprinting blindly toward the alley entrance. His lungs burned. He was just a normal high schooler. He didn’t know martial arts. He didn’t know magic.

He glanced over his shoulder. The wet, fleshy mass of the chameleon’s tongue was inches from his spine.

His foot caught on a cracked paving stone. His center of gravity pitched forward.

It’s over.

He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the impact that would tear through his chest.

Instead, a sharp, metallic shing echoed through the alley.

It was the distinct sound of a blade sliding out of a scabbard.

Tobio hit the ground hard, scraping his palms. He gasped for air, waiting for the pain. When nothing happened, he cracked his eyes open.

The massive tongue had been severed into six perfectly clean segments, the bloody chunks raining down onto the asphalt. A second later, the giant chameleon collapsed, its head sliding off its neck with a sickening thud.

Sasaki dropped to his knees, collapsing beside the beast.

Beneath their bodies, a complex, glowing magic circle flared to life. In a flash of blinding light, both the monster and the boy dissolved into nothingness, leaving the alley completely empty.

Tobio sat frozen on the ground, his brain short-circuiting. Had he hallucinated the whole thing?

He slowly turned his head.

A young man stood mere feet away from him. He had messy black hair, a dark trench coat, and a beautifully crafted katana resting casually at his hip. Tobio hadn’t heard him approach. He hadn’t even sensed another breathing soul in the alley until this exact moment.

Tobio’s legs gave out completely, and he slumped back against the brick wall, trembling.

The stranger looked down at him, his expression a mix of mild amusement and disappointment.

“Turning your back on an enemy is foolish,” the man said, his voice smooth and entirely too calm for the situation. “Your courage is lacking, and your composure is even worse.”

Tobio could only stare, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly.

“However,” the man continued, a faint smirk touching his lips, “for your first time encountering the supernatural, you aren’t entirely hopeless. I’ve seen grown men freeze in place and wait for death.”

The stranger stood with his back to the setting sun, the dying light casting a long, imposing shadow over Tobio. He extended a gloved hand.

“Get up. I’ll explain the reality of this world to you shortly, Ikuse Tobio.”

Tobio hesitated, his heart still hammering against his ribs. Slowly, he reached out, gripping the man’s hand, and let himself be pulled to his feet.

“Ah, right. Where are my manners?” The man brushed a speck of dust from his coat. “My name is Levi Lucifer. You can just call me Levi.”

He paused, his dark eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light.

“By the way—my race is Devil.”

The air pressure in the alley violently collapsed. Shadows erupted from Levi’s back, tearing through the physical space as six pairs of pitch-black, leathery wings unfurled, blotting out the remaining sunlight.

Tobio’s mind went entirely blank.

He stood there in the suffocating silence, a massive headache blooming behind his eyes as he tried to process the sheer absurdity of his day.

Chased by a dead classmate. Hunted by a giant monster.

And saved by a Devil with twelve wings.