Evie chuckled as she teased the crimson-haired devil, enjoying how easily she could reduce Rias to a blushing mess. Behind her in the lab, a rising commotion signalled that the devils had finally realized their target had wandered off.
With a gentle gesture, she ruffled Rias's hair and pinned a golden brooch to the flustered devil's collar. The ornate piece featured a circular design with an engraved Borromean ring. Rias stared at it, her face cycling through a kaleidoscope of emotions.
"A little gift," Evie whispered, blowing the devil a playful kiss before spinning on her heel and walking casually down the hallway, away from the shaking laboratory door. With a snap of her fingers, a swarm of nanobots detached from the door, converging into a perfect sphere that landed in her outstretched palm.
The doors finally gave way with a resounding crack as a squad of high-class devils burst through. They shouted in unison upon spotting Evie, the strongest warriors charging forward while the weaker ones maintained position at the rear.
Evie continued walking backward, observing with detached amusement as the devils charged at her with weapons that seemed comically primitive to her advanced knowledge. Suddenly, a fireball erupted from the backline and hurtled toward her. Her shields flared momentarily as they absorbed the impact without effort.
She stopped, curiosity overtaking her as her expression became analytical. Reviewing the footage captured by her cybernetically augmented memory, she traced the fireball's origin to someone in the rear line. With a casual wave of her hand, space itself distorted as mechanical limbs materialized from nowhere, restraining the charging devils.
The mechanical appendages parted the restrained devils like a curtain as Evie approached the sole unrestrained figure—a nervous female devil who immediately adopted a defensive posture and backed away.
With a flick of her wrist, Evie manipulated gravity, lifting the woman off the ground. Another gesture sent her spinning slowly in place as Evie conducted a thorough scan.
"Interesting," Evie mused. "You possess energy similar to Sirzechs and Ajuka. What exactly is it?" With another gesture, she released the seal on the woman's mouth.
"Put me down, you bitch!" the woman spat venomously. "I belong to the Lucifer's personal attack squad!"
Evie's expression shifted to one of mild disgust. With a wave of her hand, she sealed the woman's mouth shut again before turning to address the three devils standing in the doorway.
"My memory fails me when it comes to events from so long ago," she said smoothly. "What is this energy you utilize?"
Ajuka and Sirzechs exchanged silent glances, seemingly engaged in wordless communication. Serafall, ignoring both men, stepped forward confidently until she stood directly before Evie, meeting her gaze with steely determination.
"Release my men if you want answers," she demanded.
Evie shrugged, dismissively waving her hands. The mechanical restraints dissolved into nothingness, dropping the captured devils unceremoniously to the floor.
"There. Now, about that energy?"
Serafall glanced back at her still-arguing companions before sighing. "It's called mana. It powers magic and spells."
Evie tapped her chin thoughtfully before nodding, then turned and walked away without another word, leaving a baffled Serafall staring after her.
********************
Evie's new destination was the library. Unfortunately, she found herself lost within minutes, navigating the labyrinthine corridors of the unfamiliar mansion.
Reaching into her soul, she connected to the universe contained within and accessed her internal computer. Space warped around her hand as a sleek, high-tech device materialized. Grasping its edge, she pulled forth a holographic screen while invisible scanning waves mapped the structure around her.
Within moments, a three-dimensional recreation of the mansion appeared in her mind. Plotting the quickest path to the library, she set off at a brisk pace, weaving confidently through the corridors until she reached an imposing wooden door. She pushed it open, and her face lit up with genuine joy at the sight of countless rows of books stretching before her.
She moved through the aisles, gathering an ever-growing stack of volumes seemingly at random. Finding a comfortable reading nook with a plush chair and small table, she deposited her literary hoard and settled in, opening a tome on magic with eager anticipation.
*********************
Back at the laboratory, the three ultimate-class devils stood in stunned silence as Evie vanished from view. Sirzechs noticed his sister standing nearby, her ears practically steaming and her cheeks flushed crimson.
"Rias? What are you doing here?" Sirzechs asked, stepping closer and pressing his palm against her forehead. "And what's with that look?"
Blushing even harder, Rias batted his hand away. "It's nothing, big brother. Who was that woman? She seemed... familiar somehow."
Sirzechs sighed deeply, glancing in the direction Evie had departed. He tried to decipher his sister's peculiar reaction and sudden interest.
"That was Ajuka's daughter, Evie," he explained. "Somehow, she survived and found her way back."
"Wait—that was Evie?" Rias exclaimed. "I thought she died years ago during our unauthorized lab excursion!"
Rubbing his temples, Sirzechs could already feel the headache building at the thought of the complications Evie's return would inevitably cause.
"We believed so too. And now she's wandered off again," he realized, looking around. "Serafall, dispatch your squad to locate her. We can't leave her unsupervised until we understand her intentions."
Serafall nodded curtly before turning to issue commands to her team.
Sirzechs placed a gentle hand on his sister's shoulder. "Rias, I hate to ask this, but please take your peerage and return to Kuoh Academy. Until we determine her motives, you'll be safer elsewhere."
Rias nodded absently, her mind clearly elsewhere as memories of Evie flashed through her thoughts. "Yes... I suppose I should go back."
As she wandered away in a daze to collect her peerage, concern flickered across Sirzechs' usually composed features. He turned to confront the source of his worries.
"Ajuka, we need to discuss the consequences of your actions," he stated firmly. "Due to the danger you've placed everyone in, I'm temporarily revoking your laboratory privileges pending an investigation to prevent further incidents of this nature."
He placed a supportive hand on his friend's shoulder, his posture and tone conveying the gravity of the situation. With a final reassuring pat, he turned away to search for their missing guest.
Striding purposefully through the halls, Sirzechs extended his aura like a radar, scanning the mansion. The mana waves bounced off every resident, revealing a curious void within the library—an area completely devoid of magical energy. Sighing in resignation, he altered his course.
When he pushed open the partially ajar library door, he couldn't help but think, Serafall's squad is remarkably incompetent. All that manpower, and I still reached her first.
Navigating through the silent room toward the back corner, he pulled out a chair and sat beside the enigmatic woman, who remained deeply engrossed in her book, showing no indication that she'd noticed his arrival. Slouching back, he waited patiently for her to acknowledge his presence.
Several minutes passed before Evie finally lowered her book and scrutinized him. Her eyes performed what felt like a comprehensive scan, creating a three-dimensional simulation of him within her internal computer. Setting this task aside momentarily, she decided to address him.
"Hello again, Uncle Sirzechs," she said with artificial warmth. "You found me rather quickly. How can I help you?"
"I need to understand your motives," he replied directly. "Why return after all this time? And what do you intend to do now?"
Evie tapped her chin, deliberately taking an uncomfortably long time to consider, clearly toying with him. Finally, she chuckled and met his gaze.
"I returned because of loneliness. There was nothing but pain and death in that other universe," she explained. "Now that I'm back, I plan to study every lifeform on this planet to restore my universe. And perhaps enjoy myself a bit—read some new books."
Sirzechs maintained eye contact, attempting to discern her true emotions, but her eyes functioned like one-way mirrors, revealing nothing of what lay beneath. A slight shiver ran through him as he gazed into those emotionless pupils, unsettled by their emptiness.
Composing himself, he tried to conceal his discomfort, but a single bead of sweat betrayed him as it trickled down his forehead. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze.
Suddenly distracted by something only she perceived, Evie hopped off her chair and disappeared among the bookshelves without explanation.
Bewildered, Sirzechs slumped deeper into his chair as the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from another section of the library. A silver-haired maid in impeccable attire emerged from between the shelves, carrying a tray with an elegant tea service.
Grayfia placed the tray on the table and planted a gentle kiss on Sirzechs' forehead before assuming a formal stance behind him.
"Thank you, dear," he murmured. "Today has been exceptionally stressful."
As he spoke, he realized the library had fallen silent. Extending his aura once more, he confirmed his suspicion and sank deeper into his chair with a groan of frustration.
"Grayfia... she's slipped away again."
His wife bent down to pour a fresh cup of tea. "It's alright, my love. Serafall's squad is still searching—they'll find her eventually."
With a resigned sigh, Sirzechs pushed the tea aside and rose from his chair. Bidding his wife farewell with a wave, he departed for his office, the weight of responsibility bearing heavily upon his shoulders.
********************
Meanwhile, Evie strode confidently through her laboratory. After rapidly absorbing the contents of the library's collection, boredom had driven her to put theory into practice. Standing within a spacious chamber, she mentally connected with the energy flowing through her body.
Drawing it into her palm, her skin began to glow with a crimson luminescence as infinite power surged just beneath the surface. The sensors embedded throughout her body collected data on the energy's composition. While her energy strongly resembled what she had detected in others, there were significant differences.
For one, her energy possessed far greater purity and density than even what she had observed in Sirzechs. Additionally, it responded with superior speed and precision compared to all her simulations.
Focusing intently on her palm, she manipulated the gathered energy, carefully shaping it before propelling it outward. The energy rapidly spiralled beyond her control, twisting and warping before coalescing into a ball of fire that rocketed across the room. Upon impact with the far wall, the fireball expanded explosively.
Evie established a protective shield around the blast as her equipment meticulously recorded all data until the flames subsided.
"Now that has potential," she murmured, reviewing the results. The fireball had reached approximately 4,000 degrees Celsius with a force equivalent to a one-kiloton bomb.
Charging additional energy, she altered its configuration before release. This time, the energy manifested as a concentrated beam of water that sliced cleanly through the metal wall.
A smile played across her lips as she began rapid calculations, simulating countless possible energy formations. Her magical arsenal expanded exponentially as she turned her attention to other experiments, her mind already racing toward new discoveries.