Chapter 3: Possibility

"............"

In the deep forest, the Doll activated its consciousness. Before observing its surroundings, it recalled what it had done last.

“……I believe I was trying to stop my mother…”

If one were to express the Doll's appearance in a single word, it would be "beautiful."

Long green hair. Purple eyes. A face and physique that retained a certain childishness, making it neither definitively male nor female. A simple tunic. An aura reminiscent of a magical doll. And an overflowing, ancient mystique.

This was the clay doll of the oldest myth—its successor. The prototype of the new humanity.

The Doll placed a hand on its chest and confirmed what was stored in the part corresponding to its heart. What was there was not the Holy Grail of the one who claimed to be King Solomon, but the Great Cup of Uruk that the Wise King had entrusted to it.

"......Hmph."

It confirmed that the past event was not a dream. It reaffirmed that it was not a lie. It moved its body lightly, assessing its capabilities. There was no damage. No deterioration. It would not lose, even if its opponent were a god. Even if its Mother appeared, it would confront her.

However, it also questioned why it was alive. It should have been at its limit just holding the enemy off temporarily, but the fact that it could not feel the slightest trace of the "mud" in the world meant that they must have been victorious. Not too far away, it sensed the presence of humans. It felt a sense of calm, and its body seemed to rejoice.

The lack of knowledge about this situation suggested that it had not been summoned as a Servant in the so-called 'Holy Grail War.' Although, logically, summoning someone with no name or history in the "original human history" as a Heroic Spirit should be impossible. Furthermore, there should be no magus capable of controlling its over-specs, which surpassed even the original.

The Wise King was absent. Mother was also absent. The Doll intuitively understood this, and its body confirmed it. Moreover, the human presence, the scent of civilization, was completely unfamiliar. This was not a simple difference in region or race. Was this the era in which the Chaldea Master lived? The concentration of Mystery felt quite strange, though.

This place was not the forest of Uruk. The vegetation was different, the soil was different, and the climate was different. It sensed scattered traces of divine presence, but they were faint and seemed different in nature from those of Uruk.

"......Now then. How about you come out soon? If you won't come out, I'll come to you."

"Thou noticed, didst thou?"

If you ask since when it noticed, it was from the very beginning. Stepping out from behind a tree was a small girl. However, she was not human. But neither was she a doll-like existence. The presence of her ears and tail made it clear that the girl was a beast-human. The fact that she revealed her true form suggested that the girl also realized the Doll was not human.

Behind the girl, strange figures, seemingly her followers, appeared. They held weapons in their hands and were ready for battle. Of course, the hostility they exuded was nothing more than a gentle breeze to the Doll.

"Thou art not a person of the Capital, art thou? Who art thou?"

In response to her question, he answered with a hint of joy.

"—My name is, Kingu."

I—Rias Gremory was enraged by my own situation.

The Gremory family, Seventy-Two Pillars, rank fifty-six. My title is Duke. I take pride in my crimson hair and favor camels (though I dislike them). Deep in affection. Although it was already a prestigious house, our status improved even further when my brother—Sirzechs Gremory—took the title of Lucifer the Devil King. However, because of that, my brother could not inherit the family headship, and I became the next head.

I understand the duty of a pure-blood High-Class Devil, but having my marriage partner decided against my will is incredibly unpleasant. Moreover, the man chosen as my fiancé, Riser Phenex, is a skirt-chaser who surrounds himself with female servants, building a harem. He probably only sees marrying me as a mere status symbol, "becoming related to the family that produced a Devil King."

Being a Gremory is my pride, and I understand my father and mother's feelings that the pure blood of a High-Class Devil must not be extinguished, but I should have the freedom to choose my own marriage partner. After all, my brother and sister-in-law married after a great romance that transcended factions. Therefore, I also want to be united with someone who sees me as an individual, "Rias," not just "the Gremory family's daughter."

However, Riser ignores my opinion and forces his way into my clubroom at Kuoh Academy in the Human World. Furthermore, although we had an agreement to postpone the marriage until I graduated from college, everyone is trying to speed it up.

...A while ago, there was an incident in my territory where someone attacked the Fallen Angels' stronghold. Not only did I fail to notice the intrusion into my territory, but the cover-up was also performed without my knowledge. That must be a contributing factor. Issei even mentioned contacting someone who fits the description... This is no joke! I've never been so insulted!

"Don't make me say it again, Riser! I will not marry you!"

Even though I vehemently deny it, Riser shows no sign of distress. He knows that my family is in a desperate situation, and that my father and brother harbor strong anxieties about the future of the Gremory House.

"Ah, I've heard that before. But your father and Sirzechs-sama are worried. They fear the extinction of their House. Pure-blood Devils have already suffered massive losses in the last Great War. Even since then, it's not uncommon for Houses to become extinct due to skirmishes with Gods and Fallen Angels. I'm not denying the old Houses that use Reincarnated Devils, but we can't let the pure blood die out, can we? The future of the Devil race depends on this engagement."

...Ugh. I expected his lewd gaze, and I was displeased by him using his fiancé status to touch me. But it's clear now. This man will never see Rias Gremory as an individual woman.

"I have no intention of letting the House die out. But I won't marry you, Riser. I'll take a husband I deem worthy."

“...I, too, Rias, bear the name Phenex. I cannot allow this name to be sullied. I never wanted to come to this dilapidated, cramped building in the human world. Besides, I don’t like the human world. The fire and wind of this world are polluted. As a Devil who commands fire and wind, it's unbearable!”

Riser ignited his flames.

"I will burn all your servants to the ground and drag you back to the Underworld."

Not only is he insulting my clubroom, but he's also threatening to lay hands on my servants! Enough of your nonsense!

"Please wait, Ojou-sama, Riser-sama."

Grayfia stepped in to stop us, who were on the verge of conflict.

Grayfia is actually my brother's wife, meaning my sister-in-law. Yes, she is the person involved in the great romance that transcended factions. Despite being the Devil King's legal wife, she usually dedicates herself to being a maid. Some people view this as a display of loyalty to the Devil King faction, but she just finds that working as a maid suits her nature and makes it easier to support my brother. Except for her days off, I also address her as a maid.

The proposal she made was a Rating Game.

A Rating Game is a competition held by Devils with noble titles. They make their servants fight each other to compete for the strength of their peerage. Formal games require participants to be adults, but unofficial games can be joined by half-fledged Devils. And these games are often held to resolve disputes between Houses or among family members.

In other words, my parents planned from the start to force the marriage through a game if I refused. Just as I felt indignant about my life being manipulated, Grayfia seemed to receive some kind of magical communication.

"Please wait a moment."

Grayfia moved to the corner of the room and deployed a magic circle. From the conversation, I understood that the person on the other end was my brother.

"Is something the matter, Sirzechs-sama? I am currently discussing the engagement matter with Ojou-sama and... Yes... Yes... Huh?—The Vatican? Yes, I will return to the Underworld immediately."

Grayfia—no, my sister-in-law—looked strange. She was unusually agitated. I caught a glimpse of her face as the Devil King's wife, rather than Gremory's loyal maid. But that, too, was instantaneous. She cut the communication, put on her maid's face, and turned back to Rias and Riser.

"Ojou-sama, Riser-sama. I apologize, but an urgent matter has arisen. We will continue this matter on a later date. However... please be aware that there is a possibility the game itself may be canceled."

"What! You're kidding!"

"Calm down, Rias. Whether we have the game or not, the result is the same since I'll win anyway."

Shaking off Riser, who tried to put a familiar hand on my shoulder, I confronted my sister-in-law.

"Explain this to me. Judging by your demeanor, the situation is far from ordinary. You mentioned the Vatican earlier; surely the Church hasn't launched an attack?"

The Vatican is, needless to say, the main stronghold of God's servants—the Church. Since the God-side also seems depleted from the last Great War, our fighting was limited to very minor skirmishes, but could this mean they have finally launched a large-scale attack? If this attack causes any issues with the succession of one of the Houses, it could be bad. It might fuel my father and brother's anxiety, forcing them to rush the marriage with Riser and the matter of an heir.

The possibility of a postponement or cancellation must be because of that. I won't allow the Church to ruin my life. I'll personally go and obliterate them!

"No, the Vatican is not conducting an attack. ...The information will likely be restricted, but I will inform you now since you will receive a report early."

My sister-in-law shook her head.

"The important strongholds of the Church, including the Vatican, have been attacked by an unidentified force."

"—This concludes the reports from the three Pillars: Bune, Berith, and Asmoday."

“From the conclusion, no traces of Sefar or Velber have been found on this planet. The possibility that the wanderer planet does not exist in this universe cannot be denied. Therefore, the risk of an attack by the wanderer planet is considered low.”

"Confirmed by Barbatos. I propose lowering the alert level for the Alien Star by one stage."

"Eligos shows agreement. It is foolish to allocate effort to a low possibility."

“Caim disagrees. The possibility of the wanderer planet attacking is not zero. Considering our ultimate objective, vigilance should not be relaxed in case of an emergency.”

“Goetia decides. Vigilance against the wanderer planet will continue.”

"Report from Glasya-Labolas. Confirmed the possessor of the Holy Cross. The threat is considered low."

"Confirmation by Agares. Is this world's Holy Relic capable of reproducing 'The Time of Parting Has Come, He Is the One who Lets Go of the World'?"

"Assertion by Dantalion. The performance of the currently confirmed Holy Relics makes the imitation of the Demon King impossible. However, a slight possibility exists if one of the Holy Relics of the God-Slaying Tool Longinus—'The Holy Spear of Twilight', 'The Holy Grail of the Hidden World', or 'The Crucifixion Altar by the Purple Flame Ritual Master'—activates 'The Brilliant Truth Idea.'"

"Directive from Goetia. Continue the investigation. Furthermore, prioritize the confirmation of the God-Slaying Tool Longinus and the Ring of the King."

"Report from Phenex. Movement detected from Second-Class Alert Target, Sirzechs Lucifer. The Target's sister is dissatisfied with her fiancé, and a game is scheduled to annul the engagement."

"Addendum from Gremory. Due to the impact of the operation by Amon and Balam, the game has been postponed."

"Viewpoint from Andrealphus. If the game were to take place, Rias Gremory's winning probability is 0.005%."

"Proposal and Request from Andromalius. We should not waste any more time on events unrelated to the operation."

"Conclusion by Belial. Indeed, the Devils of this world are not worthy of calling themselves the Seventy-Two Pillars of Solomon. My imitation, who is called 'Emperor,' is far from our power."

"Question from Phoenix. If so, why does the One God allow the Devils to run rampant?"

"Answer from Sitri. It is likely that the power of the modern Devil Kings is considered a threat. The existence of a 'Transcender' could make them a Second-Class Alert Target even to us."

"Objection from Halphas. Although the Devil King and a few Supreme-Class Devils are mighty, their numbers are very small, and the Devil faction is weakened as a whole. Given their non-interference even during the past civil war, I propose the possibility that the One God is in decline after the last Great War."

"Report from Amon and Balam. No powerful military strength was confirmed in the Church. Important strongholds of various factions were attacked, but the deployment of Angels showed a reaction and combat strength lower than anticipated."

"Furthermore, the identity of the attackers cannot be determined. We cannot track them."

"...Directive from Goetia to the Nine Pillars of the Observing Star. Temporarily suspend all current work. Estimate the current state of Heaven based on the information collected by the Observation Post and the Information Room. Let the Forge and the Life Institute act as proxies for the Observing Star's work."

"Report from Furfur. Successfully created the Holy Grail."

"Report from Paimon. Successfully summoned a Heroic Spirit from the other side using the Holy Grail."

"Additional Report from Buel. Negotiation failed."

"—Where is the patient?"