High School DxD: The Lucifer's Devil Trigger — Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Third Magic and the White-Cloaked Archer

“Just happened to be passing by, just happened to be a little interested in the Holy Grail War, and just happened to find you all…” Levi trailed off, his tone entirely conversational. “A Devil who eats people.”

As soon as the words left his lips, jagged Devil horns erupted from his temples. Deep blue markings crawled up his jawline, glowing with an eerie, pulsing light. Dark blue flames ignited within his pupils, swallowing the whites of his eyes.

The sheer weight of his demonic power crushed the atmosphere in the room, pushing the ambient mana to a level bordering on Satan-class. His mere existence caused the air to tremble and distort, fracturing the stone beneath his boots.

That suffocating pressure was enough to explain everything.

The old man did not flinch. He simply raised a frail hand, gesturing for the surrounding artificial soldiers to stand down and retreat. Step by step, he descended the grand staircase until he stood directly before Levi.

“You passed,” the old man rasped. “Although, that is not quite accurate. It is not us choosing you now. It is you choosing us.” He tilted his head slightly. “Devil, what do you hope to gain by participating in this ritual?”

“The Third Magic,” Levi answered without a second of hesitation.

What he truly wanted was the infinite magical energy it provided—the perfect countermeasure to make up for his own inherent defects.

“Fine then…” The old man nodded slowly. The corners of his mouth pulled upward into a stiff, unnatural smile. It was the first time he had smiled in his long life, and it would be his last. “Then you must keep your word and bring forth the Third Magic. Irisviel… no, the obsession of the entire Einzbern family is entrusted to you.”

The elder was a pragmatist. Knowing he stood absolutely no chance of winning, and understanding that Levi’s goal aligned perfectly with his family’s ultimate ambition, he handed over the keys to the kingdom without a fight. Then, without breaking eye contact, the old man reached up, violently twisted his own head, snapped his neck, and collapsed dead onto the floor.

Levi watched the lifeless body crumple. He let his Devil Trigger dissipate, the horns and blue flames fading into the ether, and let out a long, quiet breath.

“I really hate dealing with smart people.”

Stepping over the corpse, he walked up the remaining stairs and stopped beside Irisviel.

He stood tall, casting a shadow over her as she sat frozen on the cold floor. They stared at each other in silence.

“I won’t beat around the bush,” Levi said, his voice flat. “What I want is the infinite magical energy brought by the Third Magic. The only reason I chose you Einzberns is because you hold the vessel of the Holy Grail.”

He looked down into Irisviel’s eyes. They were as clear and pure as crimson gemstones, reflecting his own expressionless face.

“Do you want to die?”

Irisviel blinked, entirely stunned by the question. Logically, her answer should have been the same as the old man’s. As long as the Third Magic could be completed, trading a life that was little more than a high-grade magical craft was an absolute bargain. Even if she didn’t live to see it, the realization of the Third Magic would fulfill the Einzbern family’s generational ambition.

But inexplicably, Irisviel shook her head. It was the most rebellious decision she had ever made in her short existence. She didn’t want to die. She wanted to live.

Seeing the slight tremble of her head, Levi grinned. “Since you don’t want to die, then live.”

He reached to his side and drew the Yamato. This was the first time he had ever revealed its conceptual cutting ability to outsiders. With a single, blindingly fast slash, the blade sheared through the fabric of reality, cleanly severing the concept of the Holy Grail from the concept of Irisviel’s existence.

A chime echoed in his mind.

[Check-in Goal: Extract the Holy Grail, ensure Irisviel survives]

[Check-in Reward: Mana Burst]

Taking control of the Einzbern faction turned out to be almost laughably easy. Because the old man had given his final nod of approval, every homunculus in the castle completely accepted Levi’s absolute authority. Artificial beings operated on a vastly different logic than humans.

Irisviel, however, was an anomaly among her kind. After Levi saved her life, she gravitated toward Ingvild. The two began spending their days together, with Irisviel eagerly learning about the outside world and the nuances of human emotion, becoming fast friends in a matter of days.

Outside, Shirone and Sakura were playing in the snowy courtyard. Grayfia had taken over the logistical nightmare of consolidating the Einzbern family’s assets.

At this moment, in the lavish master study on the top floor of the castle, only Levi and Kuroka remained.

Perhaps it was a lingering feline habit, but Kuroka loved treating him as furniture. She lay draped across his lap, her body pressed flush against his, a sweet, intoxicating fragrance wafting from her collarbone.

“No,” Levi said, breaking the comfortable silence.

He shook his head, staring at the ceiling. “The Evil Pieces for servants are limited. You can’t necessarily get them just because someone is part of our inner circle. also, there are cases where Devils slaughter each other under the guise of Rating Games. Giving pieces to someone with no potential for growth is irresponsible to their life.”

Kuroka hummed softly, nodding against his chest as if she understood his pragmatism. Levi glanced down at her half-lidded eyes. “I thought you would say you regret letting Shirone become my servant.”

“I would never.” Kuroka suddenly shifted, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and pressing her soft cheek against his. Levi instinctively raised a hand to push her away, but he paused when he saw the sudden seriousness bleeding into her usual teasing smile. “I always want to protect Shirone, but that child is much stronger than she looks.”

Levi thought of the girl who would eventually take the name Koneko Toujou. He understood exactly what Kuroka meant.

“Perhaps.” He sighed, finally placing a hand on her shoulder and gently pushing her back.

Just as he created some distance between them, the heavy oak doors swung open. Grayfia walked in, her posture immaculate.

“Lord Levi, the affairs here have been completely taken over and consolidated.”

After delivering her crisp verbal report, she stepped forward and handed him a sealed document. It was the confirmed list of Masters for the upcoming Holy Grail War.

The first name was Tohsaka Tokiomi.

The second, Tohsaka Rin.

The third, Kotomine Kirei.

Levi scanned the parchment. The Tohsaka faction alone accounted for three Masters, even if one of them was technically a traitor.

The fourth was the Lord of the Astromancy Department—the old director who possessed the capacity to summon Solomon.

The fifth, logically, should have been Irisviel. But upon Levi’s arrival, he had forcibly transferred Irisviel’s Command Spells directly to his own hand.

The sixth and seventh Masters had yet to officially reveal themselves.

Levi already knew the sixth participant was Sakura. As for the seventh…

“They still haven’t shown their face,” Levi muttered, tossing the list onto the desk. “Forget it. That unlucky guy is probably just some third-rate Magus who got dragged into this mess by accident. They likely have their Command Spells by now anyway.”

He stood up, stretching his shoulders. Kuroka immediately leaped off the sofa, landing silently on her feet, and followed at his side with a swaying, cat-like gait.

“Oh? Is Lord Levi going to hold that Heroic Spirit summoning ritual now?” she asked, her golden eyes gleaming with curiosity.

“No.” Levi waved his hand dismissively.

The image of the relic the Einzberns had procured—King Arthur’s legendary scabbard, Avalon—flashed through his mind. His mouth twitched in mild annoyance.

There simply wasn’t enough time to go hunting for a different catalyst. If he called forth the legendary King of Knights right now without making the proper preparations, there was a very real chance she would take one look at his demonic nature and immediately try to slash her new Master in half. That would be a hilarious, yet entirely avoidable, headache.

“However,” Levi continued, turning toward the door, “Sakura can go ahead and summon a Heroic Spirit. If she pulls someone useful, our next step will go a lot smoother.”

Grayfia remained silent, never questioning his strategic delays. Kuroka, on the other hand, leaned in close, her tail swishing eagerly behind her.

“What’s the next step, nya?”

Levi’s lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile. “Once Sakura calls out her Heroic Spirit, we are going to wipe the Holy Church in Fuyuki City off the map.”

“So that’s it!” Kuroka clapped her hands together, thoroughly amused.

Grayfia, whose face usually rivaled carved marble, allowed a microscopic shift in her eyebrows. Attacking the Church directly… wouldn’t that violently dredge up the ancient, bloody scores between Devils and Angels?

Deep in the subterranean levels of the Einzbern castle, the air was thick with the scent of ozone and melted silver.

“Heroic Spirit summoning, to put it simply, is just a rather special type of spirit-descending ritual.” Levi stood at the edge of the complex magic circle Grayfia had perfectly inscribed, reaching out to give Sakura’s trembling shoulder a reassuring pat. “So don’t overthink the rituals, the Holy Grail War, or any of that heavy stuff. Keep it simple. Just treat it like calling out a familiar to play. It doesn’t matter what kind of Heroic Spirit you summon.”

Sakura’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly at his calm tone, but she still looked up at him with wide, anxious eyes. “But… if I could summon a stronger Heroic Spirit, wouldn’t that be better for helping you?”

“There’s no need for that.” Levi looked down at the young girl who constantly put the weight of the world on her own shoulders. He ruffled her dark hair, offering a rare, genuine smile. “No matter who is summoned, we are the ones who will win. Sakura, the mere fact that you became one of the seven Masters is already a massive help to me. As for the Heroic Spirit… you should just pray that this temporary partner, who can only stay with you for seven days, isn’t someone too outrageous.”

Sakura blinked. The comforting smile on Levi’s face had suddenly morphed into a look of dry schadenfreude, catching her completely off guard.

Before she could ask what he meant, Kuroka and Shirone stepped into the room, taking their places near the back wall.

Sakura turned back to the magic circle, took a deep breath, and finished reciting the final stanza of the summoning incantation.

The silver lines of the circle suddenly exploded with blinding white light, swallowing the entire basement. The sheer force of the displaced mana forced Sakura to take a hurried step back.

As the brilliant light slowly fractured and faded, a tall figure stepped out from the smoke.

He wore a pristine white cloak that fluttered without any wind. He had short dark hair, deeply tanned skin, and held a massive, carefully carved longbow in his grip. The moment his boots touched the stone floor, his sharp gaze swept across the room, analyzing every threat and exit in a fraction of a second.

His eyes lingered on Levi for a brief moment, recognizing the overwhelming power radiating from the young man, before shifting downward to lock onto Sakura’s face.

“Servant, Archer.”

His voice was deep, steady, and entirely devoid of emotional fluctuation, yet it carried a natural, comfortable politeness.

“Master, please feel free to command me.”

His face remained perfectly stoic as he spoke. There was no arrogance, no contempt, and no cold indifference in his tone. On the contrary, he seemed incredibly respectful.

Sakura stood frozen in front of the fading magic circle. Her brain struggled to process the reality in front of her. Just moments ago, she had been terrified that she would summon some bloodthirsty, muscular brute with a mohawk and a battleaxe who would grin at her like a piece of meat.

Instead, she had summoned a man who looked entirely composed and utterly reliable.

Levi watched the exchange from the sidelines, a highly subtle expression crossing his face. He recognized this Heroic Spirit immediately. Honestly, he hadn’t expected Sakura to pull a powerhouse of this caliber purely through random summoning without a catalyst. Her luck wasn’t just good—it was terrifying.

“This really is hitting the jackpot,” Levi murmured under his breath.

Standing nearby, Ingvild and Irisviel exchanged relieved glances. They had been quietly worried that Sakura’s soft, timid personality would make her an easy target for a domineering Heroic Spirit to bully.

Ingvild shook her head gently. “It seems the worry was unnecessary.”

“Yes,” Irisviel agreed, a soft smile touching her lips. “This Heroic Spirit looks very polite.”

Grayfia, who had kept her eyes closed during the blinding flash to ignore Sakura’s desperate, pleading looks for help, finally opened them. She evaluated the Archer for a split second, her expression unchanging.

“Alright,” Grayfia stated indifferently. “The summoning is successful.”

Sakura remained rooted in place, still a bit dazed. She stared up at the towering Archer, and he looked calmly back down at her.

Then, the dark-skinned man leaned forward slightly, offering a crisp, formal bow. “Please treat me well, Master.”

Sakura stood stunned for two agonizing seconds before she panicked, bending at the waist in a frantic, overly deep bow.

“P-Please! Please treat me well too!”