The first thing he felt was power—not the kind that screamed for attention, but the quiet, devastating kind that lurked beneath the skin.
Warm sunlight streamed across marble floors veined with starlight. He lay on a luxurious bed framed in obsidian, the sheets soft enough to make clouds jealous. His hand moved instinctively to the hilt of the katana resting nearby.
Yamato.It pulsed with restrained force.
Lucien sat up slowly, gaze landing on the mirror across the room. A stranger stared back—jet-black hair, cut stylish and wild. Crimson-gold eyes shimmered with draconic glow. His face was noble, sharp, almost inhuman in its perfection. Not a boy. Not a man. Something more.
A chime echoed in his mind like a silver bell.
[Dominion Protocol Activated.]Welcome, Lucien Vael.Race: Devil-Dragon Hybrid.Status: Undetected by all known factions.Dante/Vergil Combat Data: 100% Integrated.Sacred Relics: Yamato, Rebellion.
Lucien exhaled slowly. His memories were clear. The void. ROB. The wishes. His death trying to save a cat.
Now, he was here.
And he wasn't ordinary.
He stood, barefoot on cold stone, walking toward the open window. Beyond it stretched a forgotten estate—forests humming with ancient magic, a barrier field so dense it blurred the sky. Far on the horizon, past layers of concealment, stood a familiar silhouette.
Kuoh Town.
He smirked.
"So this is how it begins…"
The system chimed again.
[Mission Alert: Observe Kuoh Academy.]Objective: Scout the human-devil activity. Do not engage.Reward: Unlock Yamato's Spatial Manipulation Skill Tree.
Lucien's fingers tightened around Yamato's hilt. With a breath, he drew the blade.
A thin cut tore the air—reality split open like paper. Beyond it: Kuoh Academy's courtyard. The rift shimmered, wild energy sparking at the edges.
He stepped through.
The portal sealed behind him.
Somewhere on Kuoh Academy grounds…
Lucien emerged beneath the sakura trees. No sound. No presence. No surveillance could sense him.
His eyes lifted toward the old school building. Behind those walls—Rias Gremory, Akeno Himejima, Kiba Yuuto. The main cast.
He could see them. But they couldn't see him.
Not yet.
He observed in silence for a few minutes, watching Rias command her peerage with the arrogance of a princess and the charm of a manipulator.
"They think they own this town," Lucien muttered, one hand resting casually on Yamato's scabbard.
When Rias glanced toward his general direction—instinct tugging at her senses—he was already gone.
Later that day…
Lucien sat in the shade of an ancient tree near the town's edge, a swirl of wind brushing past him.
[Mission Complete.]Reward unlocked: Yamato – Dimensional Cleave (Basic Tier).
He smiled faintly. The first step was done.