High School DxD: The Lucifer's Devil Trigger — Chapter 81

Chapter 81: The Magician’s Successor

Levi’s smile deepened, taking on a sharp, predatory edge. “I’ll have plenty of time to play with him properly, then.”

He shifted his attention, tossing a faintly glowing sphere in his palm. “Kongou, I dug this little trinket out of that old witch’s brain. It’s a rather fascinating piece of technology. She still has a trove of secrets buried deep in her mind that we’ll need to excavate slowly, but some of these gadgets are perfectly usable right now.”

Levi extended his hand, offering the metallic orb to Yakumo Yukari. It was a specialized creation, forged by the brilliant, twisted minds of the demons within the Lucifer Territory.

The moment Yukari’s fingers brushed the smooth surface, her breath hitched. A dense, overwhelming surge of yokai power poured from the sphere, washing over her skin. “This aura…” She turned the orb over, her usual playful demeanor giving way to genuine intrigue. “Is this thing a yokai?”

Seeing her surprised expression, Levi let out a low laugh. “Correct. It’s an artificial yokai, a concept that originally only existed in fantasy. Its application is brilliantly simple. Whether a yokai is grievously injured or completely drained of energy, bathing in the light of this core will force a rapid recovery. Flesh wounds, physical stamina, depleted yokai power—it restores them all.”

He leaned against the edge of the table, his crimson eyes locking onto hers. “There are quite a few yokai factions currently dissatisfied with the Five Great Families. They haven’t made a move yet because, ultimately, they lack the confidence to wage a war. But now that you have this in your possession, Yakumo Yukari, I’ll leave the rest of the subjugation to you. That won’t be a problem, right?”

Yukari’s lips curved into a very relaxed, supremely confident smile. As one of the key figures who had survived the brutal First Lunar War, this level of political maneuvering was second nature to her. “Mm. You can rest assured and leave the board to me~”

Watching her turn and leave with Kongou in tow, Levi shook his head in quiet amusement.

With the yokai faction handled, he handled the winding corridors of the estate, making his way toward the temporary research laboratory assigned to Aozaki Touko and Kuonji Alice. Having mastered the Third Magic and absorbed the ancient, esoteric knowledge within the Key of Solomon, Levi possessed a deep understanding of puppet manipulation and soul transposition. He wanted to review the specific schematics the two magi were drafting and see if his expertise could accelerate their progress.

He pushed the heavy oak door open—and immediately froze.

Aozaki Touko sat casually in a plush leather chair, her long legs crossed elegantly as she flipped through a thick grimoire.

Kuonji Alice, meanwhile, was bound tightly from head to toe in glowing, magic-infused ropes. The slack end of her bindings was wrapped securely around Touko’s wrist.

Levi blinked. “Am I… interrupting you two?”

Alice, who typically treated silence as a second language, spoke up immediately, her voice muffled but laced with venom. She glared daggers at the older magus, her cold eyes promising absolute murder.

Touko didn’t take the death glare to heart. She casually reached down, scratching the ears of the massive golden wolf resting at her feet—the legendary Phantasmal Beast, Lugh Beowulf, who by all rights of fate should have run off with a certain male protagonist in another world line. Closing her book with a soft thud, she offered Levi a polite nod.

Levi understood the situation the moment he saw the wolf. Since the golden beast was still loyal to Touko, the events of Mahoutsukai no Yoru in this specific world line had drastically deviated from the original plot.

He walked over to the desk, glancing down at the thoroughly immobilized witch. “Aren’t you going to untie her?”

“She’s incredibly troublesome,” Touko replied, adjusting her glasses. “I don’t intend to let her go until she agrees to assist with the project.” She shifted her gaze to Levi, her sharp eyes scanning him. “You came all the way down here. Is something the matter?”

Levi knew Touko’s understanding of him was strictly limited to his identity as a high-ranking Devil of the Underworld. She knew nothing of his true depths. He smiled slowly, pulling a chair out. “Mm. I came to lend a hand with the schematics.”

Touko studied him. Her impression of Levi Lucifer had previously been summarized in two simple points: First, he possessed an absurd, terrifying level of physical strength. Second, he was a pureblood member of the Lucifer Clan, a major political figure in the Devil hierarchy.

But today, she had learned a third, world-shattering fact. “I didn’t expect a Devil to actually be a Magician of the Third Magic.”

Magician.

That single word represented a peak that Aozaki Touko had pursued for the vast majority of her life. In her relatively short human existence, more than half her years had been consumed by the desperate, clawing ambition to reach the Root and claim a True Magic.

And the result? What she had bled and sacrificed for remained forever out of reach. Instead, it was her younger sister, Aoko, who had effortlessly inherited the Fifth Magic. The complex, flawless magecraft Touko had spent decades perfecting seemed utterly insignificant in the face of the absolute miracle her sister wielded.

Was she jealous? Perhaps she had been, once upon a time. The bitterness used to burn like acid in her veins. But now, Touko had let go of quite a bit of that lingering resentment. She still studied magecraft with unmatched fervor, but she was no longer chained to the obsession of becoming a Magician.

Yet, when a wielder of True Magic was sitting right across from her, she couldn’t simply pretend not to see the opportunity.

“I know that Devils like you live for a very long time,” Touko began, her tone dropping its casual lilt. “You might not need any heirs or successors at all. But since I’ve run into a genuine Magician, I have to ask.” Her gaze locked onto Levi, her expression dead serious. “Levi, have you ever thought about the matter of magical succession?”

Hearing the proposition, Levi set down the technical data he had been skimming. He looked up, meeting her intense stare. “Are you implying that I should consider you?”

“Why couldn’t it be me?” Touko countered smoothly, her pride as a Grand-rank Magus flaring to life.

Levi tapped his fingers against the desk. Logically, her argument held weight. If he actually wanted to pass on the Heaven’s Feel, Aozaki Touko—a genius who had touched the very pinnacle of modern magecraft—was an exceptional candidate.

“I advise you to give up on that idea,” Levi said, his tone entirely flat, devoid of any room for negotiation. “As for a successor, of course I’ve thought about it. My final choice is simple: I won’t look for one.”

Touko froze in place, her brows knitting together. Levi just smiled at her, an expression radiating an ancient, indescribable confidence. “Why would I ever need to find a successor?” He leaned forward slightly. “I am still alive, and I am the Magician of the Third Magic. Isn’t that enough?”

Touko opened her mouth to argue, to point out the fragility of life and the duty of preserving miracles, but the moment she met his eyes, the words died in her throat. His gaze wasn’t arrogant; it was an absolute, unshakeable statement of fact. He had no intention of dying. Ever.

She let out a long, defeated breath, deciding she couldn’t be bothered to argue with an immortal about legacy. “Fine. I’ve read your proposal for the puppet frames. It does have immense experimental value. If you need any rare materials, go ask Grayfia to source them. But once the technology is complete, remember to leave me a copy of the final blueprints as payment.”

“You want to use this technology too?” Levi asked, mildly surprised.

Touko looked equally puzzled. A monster like Levi, who possessed both True Magic and top-tier combat power, actually needed her puppet technology? Even if she succeeded in creating a puppet with true, flawless life, it would only serve to fill a theoretical gap in the field of magecraft. What use could a Satan-class entity possibly have for it?

“There is no such thing as completely useless technology. That’s all.” Levi waved a hand dismissively, standing up and pushing the heavy door open to leave.

Touko sighed helplessly, rubbing her temples.

On the floor, the tightly bound Kuonji Alice slowly shimmied her body forward. She brought her face close to the documents Levi had left on the low table, bit the corner of the first page with her teeth, and flipped it open. Her dark eyes scanned the complex runic arrays. ‘I see…’

Hearing the rustle of paper, Touko glanced down. “Why? Are you suddenly interested in helping?”

Alice remained silent for several long seconds, her gaze lingering on the door Levi had just exited. Finally, she gave a stiff, jerky nod. “As long as you don’t let that Devil hurt Aoko… I’ll help you.”

After leaving the underground laboratory, Levi originally intended to head to Himejima Suzaku’s quarters to check on Ryougi Shiki’s integration.

He had unceremoniously dumped Shiki onto Suzaku’s lap as a temporary bodyguard, and the shrine maiden had agreed without a second of hesitation. Suzaku obviously understood the political weight of Levi entrusting someone to her care. She had also witnessed the terrifying, lethal nature of Shiki’s combat power firsthand.

Yet, even knowing she was housing a walking weapon, Suzaku accepted the burden without a single complaint.

Whether viewed from a standard human perspective or from the strict, traditional standpoint of the Himejima Clan, that woman is an absolute outlier, Levi mused as he walked. But I suppose that’s exactly why she’s so interesting to keep around.

Lost in his thoughts, Levi handled the grand halls toward the estate’s main entrance. Before he even reached the grand foyer, a sharp, indignant roar echoed through the corridor.

“Grayfia! If you don’t move aside right now, I won’t be polite!”

Levi raised an eyebrow. He recognized that energetic, demanding pitch immediately. Adjusting his coat, he strolled into the main entrance hall.

Taking in the chaotic scene by the heavy double doors, he let out a long breath, a dry ‘just as I thought’ expression settling onto his face.

Serafall Leviathan stood dead center in the foyer, her signature magical girl twin-tails swinging aggressively as she glared at the silver-haired maid blocking her path. “What are you doing?! I ran all the way here at top speed, and this is the attitude I get?”

Levi tilted his head, stepping out of the shadows. “You are one of the Four Great Satans of the Underworld. Sirzechs is currently working himself to the bone behind a desk, yet you seem to have an awful lot of free time.”

Hearing his voice, Grayfia offered a crisp, flawless bow and tactfully retreated to the side, allowing the two Devils to face each other.

Serafall instantly marched right up to him, leaning in close, her cheeks puffed out like angry steamed buns. “Sirzechs told me first thing this morning that you were planning to run away! Didn’t we agree to get married next year?! If you’re going to run, you have to take me with you!”

Levi frowned, looking down at the furious Magical Girl Leviathan. “Didn’t you hate this arranged marriage especially much just a few weeks ago? You should be throwing a party that I’m running away. So why chase me all the way out here?”

As he spoke, he reached out, pressing the back of his hand flat against her forehead.

Serafall froze for a split second, her blue eyes blinking rapidly before she violently slapped his hand away. “What are you doing?!”

“Checking to see if you have a fever.”

Serafall gritted her teeth, her demonic aura flaring slightly in sheer irritation. She was just about to scream at him when Levi shook his head, looking genuinely amused.

“You’re a really interesting woman, Serafall. If I say I want to marry you, you throw a fit. Now that I’m supposedly running away, you demand I take you with me. If I do that, why would I even bother running away from the marriage in the first place?”

“Because people will think we eloped!”

Serafall froze, her entire body stiffening as if someone had just stepped hard on her tail. She had flown here in an absolute panic, goaded into rushing over by her father’s frantic yelling.

Now that she actually stopped to think about his logic—he was completely right! Shouldn’t she be praying for him to disappear so the engagement would be voided?

While she stood there, visibly short-circuiting as she wrestled with her own contradictory actions, Levi suddenly spoke up. “Well, since you’re already here, do you want to come inside and sit for a bit?”

Serafall’s instincts instantly flared. She snapped to attention, looking left and right before staring suspiciously at Levi’s calm face. “What are you up to?”

“…Right, I have a massive, evil scheme brewing. In that case, you should go back to the Underworld. I won’t see you out.”

“No way! You want me to leave, which means I absolutely won’t!” Serafall declared triumphantly, stepping boldly past the threshold and into the estate.

Levi, however, smoothly pivoted on his heel and walked out the front door. “Then let Grayfia keep you company. I have actual business to attend to. I’m leaving first.”

Serafall immediately spun around and jogged after him. Although she dressed like a cosplayer and acted incredibly casual, she was the Underworld’s Chief Diplomat. She wasn’t stupid. She could read the shift in his posture—Levi had real, serious business to handle today.

Since you insist on following me, then you can only blame yourself for walking right into the trap, Levi thought, catching a glimpse of her determined expression out of the corner of his eye. He couldn’t help but grin. “Follow if you want, Serafall.”

For some inexplicable reason, the moment Serafall saw that faint, knowing smile, a chill ran down her spine. She felt like she had just been completely set up. But no matter how she analyzed the conversation, she couldn’t figure out exactly where she had fallen into his trap.

Whatever. I’ll just take it one step at a time.

Thinking this, she quickened her pace, matching his stride. Anyway, since she was already out here, and it was a rare opportunity to escape her mountain of diplomatic paperwork, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to treat this little excursion as a vacation.

In truth, Levi had already arranged everything back at the territory with flawless precision. Who should guard which sector, who was assigned to specific research, what political matters needed his seal before his departure, and how the chain of command would operate until he returned. Everything was locked into a perfect, self-sustaining system.

He had put a particularly massive amount of effort into preparing for one specific variable: Rizevim Livan Lucifer. Levi had layered his defenses to ensure absolutely no mishaps could occur from that direction.

After all, Rizevim loved to parade around claiming to be the strongest extraordinary, but the reality was pathetic. He couldn’t even beat Sirzechs in a straight one-on-one fight. Sirzechs could lead a vanguard team to hunt him down single-handedly without fearing any of Rizevim’s parlor tricks., because of Rizevim’s unique ability to nullify Sacred Gears, Sirzechs specifically ensured his elite peerage contained no Sacred Gear users, completely stripping the old bastard of his primary loophole.

It was obvious to anyone paying attention. If Rizevim actually wanted to cause genuine chaos, he had to unseal the mass-produced Evil Dragons and hide behind them before he even dared to make a move.

And his ultimate fate? He would eventually be swept up like trash, get his arm ripped off, and be slaughtered like a pig by Fafnir.

The strongest extraordinary? He was the most shameful, cowardly extraordinary in the history of the Underworld.

If it weren’t for Rizevim’s annoying, deeply entrenched collusion with the Beast Emperor, Trihexa, Levi would have already tracked him down and ripped his head off personally. Regarding Rizevim’s inevitable interference, Levi had prepared six separate, lethal contingency plans to ensure nothing went wrong. But if certain threats could be eradicated directly before they sprouted, there was no need to go through so much tedious trouble later.

Plans, after all, rarely kept up with sudden changes on the battlefield.

Just like right now.

“Levi…” Serafall’s voice dropped, losing all of its previous playful energy. “This place… this is a Fallen Angel hideout, isn’t it?”

Serafall’s sharp eyes scanned the desolate, heavily warded perimeter, locking onto the faint, dark magical signatures of the Grigori lingering in the air. Her gaze quietly shifted back to Levi, her posture tense and battle-ready.

She had completely calmed down now. The diplomat of the Underworld had finally clocked in.