Lucien dressed in silence.
His closet, enchanted and impossibly vast, responded to his thoughts. A tailored Kuoh Academy uniform materialized—black blazer, crimson-lined undershirt, silver accents. Sharp. Understated. He adjusted the cufflinks, then reached for Yamato and Rebellion, both stored in sealed space via Dominion Protocol.
No need to flaunt yet. Power was most dangerous when unseen.
He walked through the halls of House Vael—his estate.
The world had forgotten this name. Not erased, simply… misplaced. Manipulated by fate, neglected by history, and left to rot in the outer edges of devil society.
But not anymore.
At the entrance, a sleek, obsidian-colored car idled. An enchanted construct. No driver needed. The gates opened on their own, magic responding like a loyal hound.
As the car glided toward Kuoh Town, Lucien opened the interface only he could see.
[Dominion Protocol Interface]
— Mission: Integrate into Kuoh Academy— Objective: Blend in. Gather information on Gremory Peerage.— Reward: Access to Sin Devil Trigger Mode (Stage 1)
He chuckled. The system didn't coddle. It tempted.
Kuoh AcademyThe gates were already buzzing when he arrived. Students chatting, girls laughing, a few boys sulking as the usual gender imbalance reared its head.
Lucien stepped out of the car.
The world paused.
Not literally. But heads turned. Conversations stopped. He walked through the gates like a ghost slipping through reality—too beautiful, too composed, too unfamiliar.
"Who is that?"
"He doesn't go here, right?"
"I would've remembered someone like that…"
He ignored them all.
Until—
"You must be the new transfer student."
Rias Gremory.
Elegant. Regal. Curious.
She stood with Akeno by her side, both radiating that unmistakable high-class aura. To others, they were just beautiful seniors. To Lucien, they were pieces on a board he knew too well.
Lucien offered a charming smile. "Lucien Vael. A pleasure."
Her eyes narrowed, just slightly. "Vael… I don't recall that name among the noble families."
"Most wouldn't. My family prefers discretion." He let his words linger. "It's safer that way."
Akeno tilted her head, her smile playful but eyes sharp. "Mysterious. I like that."
They exchanged pleasantries—tense, polite, layered with subtext. A test. She was probing. He danced around her questions like a swordsman in a duel.
He knew every beat of the story. The Gremory Peerage, the Stray Devils, the Church faction soon to arrive. He was here before all of it.
But he wasn't here to follow the script.
He was here to rewrite it.