Azazel's Office – Fallen Angel Headquarters
Azazel stared at the screens, an unreadable expression on his face. The monitors flickered with static, the distorted images showing nothing but brief flashes of energy—a surge that could only have come from one source.
He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples.
"Damn it, Leon…"
The energy pulse had been unlike anything Azazel had ever felt—raw, unchained, and far too familiar for comfort. He had known Leon was different since the day he stepped into the world of devils. But this? This was something beyond even the most ancient beings.
The room's door slid open, and a tall figure stepped in.
"Azazel, you felt it too, didn't you?"
Azazel didn't even need to turn to know it was Sirzechs. The familiar voice carried the weight of authority.
"I felt it," Azazel muttered, his gaze never leaving the screens. "It's his doing, no doubt about it."
Sirzechs crossed the room, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a sharp edge of unease. "What exactly happened? It feels like… a cataclysmic shift."
Azazel flicked a switch, and one of the screens magnified, showing the telltale distortion in the sky over Kyoto—a tear in the fabric of the magical atmosphere, stretching and warping like something out of a nightmare.
"He did something beneath Kyoto," Azazel explained. "Whatever it was, it caused a reaction—like the leyline itself was disturbed. I've never felt magic that dense before."
"He wasn't supposed to tamper with the leyline," Sirzechs said with a frown, his voice taut. "This… this is dangerous. If that power isn't controlled, it could destabilize realms. Not just ours, but every world connected to this one."
"Yeah," Azazel replied, his tone tinged with a hint of amusement. "He's getting stronger, but that's the least of our worries. What I'm more concerned about is who he's becoming."
Sirzechs raised an eyebrow. "You think he's lost control?"
Azazel's eyes darkened, a rare seriousness taking over his usually playful expression. "No. I think he's evolving beyond what anyone can predict. And I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not."
Elsewhere – Kuoh
In the distance, the faint glow of the energy pulse had not gone unnoticed by Rias Gremory and her peerage, still reeling from the event. But while they remained uncertain of the cause, others were already moving.
Kokabiel, the fallen angel, had been tracking Leon for weeks, sensing his growing power. He now stood at the entrance to a hidden temple beneath the mountains, feeling the remnants of the energy surge.
"Interesting," Kokabiel murmured, his wings folding behind him. "So it's begun. Leon… is no longer a mere pawn. He's ascended."
His wings flared, and he took flight, knowing exactly where he would go next.
Back in Azazel's Office
Azazel typed rapidly, bringing up encrypted files on the leyline beneath Kyoto. His eyes scanned through ancient texts, including notes from previous research into the powerful currents that flowed beneath the city.
Sirzechs remained silent, watching him closely.
After a moment, Azazel looked up, his face grim.
"He's not just tampering with the leyline. He's linked to it now—perhaps even fused with it."
Sirzechs's eyes narrowed. "So it wasn't just power he was after. It was control."
Azazel nodded slowly. "It's like the Heart of the Leyline recognized him. It's an ancient, near-sentient force. And it might've seen something in him—something more than any of us could understand."
Sirzechs's mind raced. "What's the next step? Should we warn Rias? If Leon's changed this much, he might become a threat, not just to devils, but to everything."
Azazel's expression softened slightly. "Rias has already been feeling it. But warning her now might only push him further away. He's not a pawn in a game anymore, Sirzechs. He's become something else."
Meanwhile, in Kyoto
Leon stood before the glowing core, his hand still resting on the Heart of the Leyline. His body was trembling from the aftereffects of absorbing its raw power, but there was something else, something hidden beneath his newfound power.
The energy around him swirled, and his wings of void flickered as his Devil Trigger form began to stabilize. His eyes glowed a brilliant, haunting blue—a reflection of the chaotic power he now wielded.
He closed his eyes, feeling the weight of the power settling within him.
A voice echoed in his mind. It was soft, distant, yet unmistakably clear.
"You are no longer bound by your past, Leon. The path ahead is yours to shape."
Leon smiled grimly. "I know."
The system pulsed within him, guiding him toward the next step.
But even he couldn't shake the feeling that this—this surge of power—was only the beginning.