The first rays of sunlight streamed through the delicate lace curtains of Serafall Leviathan's bedroom, casting soft, golden hues on the magical girl posters and plushies that adorned the space. A melodious and very pink alarm chimed, followed by a cheerful voice.
* "Rise and shine, magical warriors! The Miraculous Levi-tan is ready to save another day!" *
With an uncharacteristic groan, Serafall groggily reached out to silence it, her hand fumbling around until she finally managed to tap the snooze button.
"Mmm, mornings are so not magical…" she mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Her long black hair was tousled, a mess of silky strands cascading over her shoulders. She stretched, letting out a small yawn, and glanced at the magical wand-shaped clock on her bedside table.
"Alright, time to start the day! Magical girls can't stay in bed forever!"
With a flick of her fingers, she summoned her signature pink and frilly morning robe, slipping it on with practiced ease. The fabric shimmered faintly with a hint of magical energy sparkling dramatically as they moved. She then made her way to the adjoining bathroom, humming one of her favorite theme songs.
It was a routine filled with bright smiles and bubbly enthusiasm—the same energy she brought to every aspect of her life.
When she emerged, refreshed and dressed in casual yet stylish attire, Serafall made her way to the small living area of her personal quarters. A holographic news display flickered to life with a tap of her wand as she passed by, automatically attuning it to the Underworld's primary news channel.
She grabbed a cup of her favorite tea and plopped onto the plush sofa, taking a sip just as the anchor's decidedly un-magical voice caught her attention.
DDTV Breaking news!:
Underworld Gazette:
Bold Trespass at Phenex Manor: Intruder Strikes Rosar Phenex!
ReportBy Morvis Blackquill, Senior Reporter, Underworld Gazette
*Pff* The tea went down the wrong track and then ejected itself through her nostrils.
"(Cough)(Cough) What…?" She stared at the screen.
In an unprecedented act of audacity, the prestigious Phenex household, one of the 72 Pillars, was infiltrated last night by an assailant. The encounter left the noble Phenex Head Rosar Phenex grievously injured. He is currently hospitalized in a Sitri medical ward.
This unexpected incident has sent shockwaves across the Underworld, with questions about security, political motivations, and the mysterious background of the assailant.
Who is threatening the noble devils?
Could this be related to the exiled Old Satan Faction?
What actions are being taken to safeguard the prestige of the noble families?
Find out more on DDTV! In a few moments, we will be hosting...
"What in the Nine Hells is going on now?" Serafall groaned and massaged her temples as she switched the TV off.
'I thought Rosar had top-notch security. How did someone manage to break in?'
Serafall sat in silence for a few moments, contemplating the news she had just heard. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't shake off the feeling that this incident may have something to do with the Old Satan Faction. It was too coincidental.
'Still… You can't make friends by pointing fingers and there's no real proof that it was them. Why did I volunteer for diplomacy…'
She let out a heavy sigh and set her cup of tea down on the coffee table in front of her. She needed more information before she could make any conclusions or take any action. With determination in her eyes, Serafall summoned her wand and tapped it against her temple.
/////// I am the dividing line ///////
Okita Souji moved through the hospital corridors like a wisp of wind, quiet and purposeful. Though dressed casually in a pale gray kimono with a dark obi, the edge of a sword peeked from beneath the folds, an object not allowed in the sterile, modern halls of Sitri Medical Center, yet none of the staff dared question him.
He carried the air of someone who had danced with death far too many times to bother explaining himself.
It also helped that being deadly enough to be the co-leader of the current Lucifer's peerage, made devils think twice about how to approach.
Nurses gave respectful nods as he passed. Some averted their eyes.
At the far end of the secured ward, a pair of Sitri security devils stood guard outside a reinforced private room. Upon recognizing him, they stepped aside without a word, the door unlocking with a whisper of magic and hydraulics.
As he adjusted his grip on the leather-bound notepad as he moved on, a figure approached—a woman with striking golden hair tied neatly back, her eyes sharp yet shadowed with exhaustion.
"Souji," she said quietly, voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of worry.
"Lady Phenex," Souji greeted with a respectful nod. "I have come to see Rosar, as requested."
She gave a tight smile, her fingers brushing absentmindedly over a small vial hanging at her waist.
"He's awake but fragile," she warned.
"He is... Extremely upset. Lashing out even..." She glanced back in concern. "Please be patient with him." She implored.
"There will be no issues, Lady Phenex." Souji reassured
"Now if you will excuse me, I must meet with the Sitri." She gave a nod of acknowledgment before continuing on.
He offered a quick and respectful salute as she walked off.
/////////////////
The room was dimly lit, and the air smelled faintly of antiseptic and scorched feathers.
Rosar Phenex lay propped against a cluster of pillows, his once-immaculate hair mussed and his skin pale, save for the patches of raw, crimson flesh along his shoulder and collarbone—evidence of injuries so severe even Phenex's regeneration hadn't fully repaired them.
'No... His regeneration is failing to completely repair them... Poison?' Souji thought with a frown.
Rosar didn't bother to look up. "Tch. Let me guess. They couldn't spare a proper devil, so they sent you."
Souji Okita stepped inside, expression unreadable. "Okita Souji, on behalf of the Crimson Maou and House Gremory."
Rosar finally turned his head, his stare flat and unimpressed. "Ah yes… the reincarnated mutt. An envoy for devils far above your bloodline. Lovely."
Souji ignored the barb.
"The Maou sends their hopes for your full recovery." He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Though, they would not be averse to a report of what happened."
That earned a bitter laugh, low and cracking. "Did Rias Gremory write that herself? Or toss it in your face between spitting on the engagement contract?" He scoffed. "You'll forgive me if I don't treasure their sentiment."
'How strange, he's angrier than usual. Bitter... shaken. This rattled him more than he'll admit.' A concern for later, therefore, Souji didn't react.
"Regardless of sentiment, I was asked to deliver it. And to collect a full report."
Rosar scoffed. "A messenger and a spy. How efficient." The silence continued for a minute before...
"You already know what happened."
"Yes, I do. However, your side is nevertheless appreciated. After all, I only arrived at the end."
"I'm sure it is," Rosar replied with a snort, then winced and placed a hand lightly over his chest.
"It was late. I was in my study working. No wards were tripped, and there were no signs of teleportation distortion."
"Still, I had a premonition, so I went to check on the children."
"Imagine my surprise when I found my guards had been replaced by impostors," he recounted.
"I gave chase and ended up like this," he admitted, feigning indifference.
"Did you see your attacker?" Souji frowned.
"Only a blur. They were cloaked and masked, but their presence was unmistakable. They were human…" He hesitated. "Maybe part Yokai too."
"I'm sure it is."
Rosar snorted, then winced, placing a hand lightly over his chest.
"It was late. I was in my study working. No wards were tripped. No signs of teleportation distortion."
"Still, I had a premonition so I went to check on the childern."
"Imagine my surprise when I found my guards replaced by impostors."
He recounted the details.
"I gave chase and ended up like this." He admitted with a faux air of indifference.
"Your attacker." Souji frowned. "Did you see them?"
"Only a blur. Cloaked. Masked. But their presence was unmistakable. They were human..."
He hesitated.
"Maybe part Yokai too."
Souji wrote that down before continuing. "That is strange..." "What is it?"
Rosar glared at him, then suddenly growled "Are you doubting me? I told you the series of events in complete truth!"
"You know that is not what I mean, Lord Phenex..." He then pointed to his chest.
"Why aren't you healing? An injury like that should be gone in seconds."
"Didn't I just tell you that all our stocked tears were stolen, you reincarnated half-wit?!"
"No, I got that part, Im asking about your regeneration. It should have healed you completley by now."
Rosar gkared for a moment before looking away.
"They *****...." Rosar mumbled
"They what?"
Rosar snapped.
"I said they sealed my regeneration!!! Look Carefully Sword Slave!"
Rosar sat forward with a grimace, ripping open the clasps of his hospital robe.
Souji's eyes narrowed.
A seal, black as tar and glowing faintly with crimson light, spread over Rosar's chest. It spiraled from his heart outward in a design so elegant it could've been mistaken for art—if it didn't radiate suffocating menace. Rows of unfamiliar kanji encircled a central part: a phoenix, large and glorious, bound in chains. Its beak howling to the heavens in agony as it was forcefully dragged down to earth by four other birds. Members of its own family?
The glyphs pulsed in time with Rosar's heart, every beat a reminder of suppression.
"They marked me, they branded me like livestock," Rosar spat, voice hoarse. "And with such a poetically ugly pattern too." He laughed in bitterness.
Souji stepped closer and remarked, "A sealing array… written in cursed kanji. This is no ordinary curse."
"Yes, my flames, my healing, my everything—everything except the demonic power—is gone. I can no longer lead my house publicly. Thankfully, I am not in danger, but I have been weakened." Regaining his composure, Rosar continued, "The Almighty knows that if our house were any less united, I would undoubtedly be on my way to the grave."
Rosar chuckled bitterly, but this time there was a hint of relief and even fondness in his tone. He was grateful that, despite their pride, the Phenex family had long abandoned the old ways of the devils before the war.
"Preposterous!" Okita Souji exclaimed as he leaped to his feet, incredulous at Rosar's response.
"They Sealed a Clan trait?! " He questioned outwardly, thankful that the room was soundproof.
"Be more silent, dog-slave, lest you embarrass yourself."
Souji relented before forwarding his next question.
"Any use of Senjutsu?" Souji asked...
"That is unknown. I do not recognize most of this kanji." Rosar shrugged and Souji's grip tightened on his notepad.
"Why are you not more concerned by this?!"
'Whoever that was, they didn't just hurt him. They sealed him. His Trait has stopped functioning! ' Souji thought, a trace of alarm racing through his psyche.
"Well, shame as it is, it remains as I have said. I am no longer fit to lead the esteemed House of Phenex. My Wife, The Upside bless her, will be taking over in my stead."
"Plus, that means no more paperwork. I can now retire earlier than planned." Roasr shamelessly admitted as Okita looked in disbelief, mixed in with a bit of... understanding?
He then continued.
"Are you certain it was a Yokai that did this?" Souji had encountered the assassin and had not detected any discernible physical features.
"Do not insult me, dog, I've lived long enough to know the feel of yin-aligned pressure when it clamps onto your spine like a vice. Yokai or not, they moved like a youkai-kin... but their aura wasn't as impure.
No... It was too focused."
Souji remained still for a long moment, processing. Finally, he nodded.
"Thank you. That will be all."
As he turned to leave, Rosar called after him.
"Be careful, swordsman. Whoever did this... Is dangerous, Yokai or not. If they have truly found a way to seal Clan traits, it is unlikley to end with just me."
Souji didn't look back, but his answer hung heavy in the doorway.
"I know." he said with a sigh.
///// End ////
Hello guys,
Here is a quick interlude showing part of the aftermath of the underworld fiasco.
Rosar seems... Not as upset as he should be?
Maybe he's just eager to transfer leadership. Endless amounts of paperwork would do that to anyone.
Hope you enjoy this.
Mechaheart Out!