Now that he had tested his strength, Lynn nodded in satisfaction.
In the next moment, he vanished, reappearing at the House of Valifer's ancestral home.
He had deliberately controlled his power to avoid damaging this area.
The Valifer Clan had been spared.
Inside, the atmosphere was tense.
When the clan head saw Lynn, he forced out a smile even worse than crying.
"L-Lord Angel?"
Even though he could smell the devilish aura on Lynn, his instincts screamed otherwise.
He didn't dare believe it.
Because what kind of Devil has Light and Holy magic?!
Thinking about the terrifying power Lynn had just displayed, the Valifer clan head trembled violently.
If he mistakenly identified this being's race and offended him their entire clan could be erased in an instant!
Lynn shot him a calm look and said, "I'm a Devil."
The clan head stiffened like a statue.
We're dead. We're so dead!
Seeing him frozen in place, Lynn spoke again, his tone neutral.
"You're the clan head?"
"Y-Yes!" the Valifer head stammered, nodding rapidly.
"Then you know how your clan awakens its magic traits, right?"
Magic traits?
Hearing this question, the clan head was visibly surprised but didn't hesitate to nod.
"Yes, I do! I really do!"
"Good."
Lynn nodded and casually walked into the Valifer estate, taking the seat of honor in the main hall.
The clan head and the rest of the Valifer family stood there anxiously.
Faced with a being who had easily killed Beelzebub, they felt like helpless fish on a chopping board, unable to resist.
But
In the Underworld, the strong ruled. This was normal.
So, they quickly adjusted their mentality.
After receiving Lynn's request, they hurried to fetch their books on awakening magic traits.
Lynn flipped through the pages, skimming the contents.
"I see"
His eyes flashed with understanding as he read about the Valifer clan's magic traits Conversion and Theft.
He continued reading about the awakening methods.
"Stimulating the survival instinct?"
Living in human society, he had never been in a situation desperate enough to trigger that.
And honestly, he probably never would.
That method's out.
Then there was
"The family ritual?"
.
.
.
Stealing the Infinite Dragon God?
"The Theft Ritual?"
It's basically just stealing something?
Lynn was speechless. Well, it sure fit the theme of awakening his magic trait.
—
After some time
Standing at the center of the ritual, Lynn looked at the target he was supposed to steal from and felt even more dumbfounded.
"You want me to steal the Infinite Dragon God, Ophis?!"
"Screw that, this magic trait isn't even worth awakening!"
The moment he saw the theft target, Lynn turned around and walked away without hesitation.
The others, who couldn't see his target, were left utterly confused.
Only the head of the Valifer family, staring at the successfully completed ritual, had an intense gleam in his eyes.
This lord... could he actually have Valifer bloodline?!
Could it be... that the Valifer family is about to rise?
Just the thought of Lynn's terrifying strength made the Valifer clan leader breathe heavily, his hands trembling in excitement.
The butler, mistaking his reaction for fear, cautiously reminded him, "My lord, Lord Lynn has already left."
"What?!"
The Valifer patriarch snapped back to reality, gripping the butler's arm with anticipation. "Then... did Lord Lynn leave any instructions?"
The butler shook his head.
The clan head looked disappointed.
The butler hesitated before adding, "Well... there was one thing..."
A glimmer of hope reignited in the patriarch's eyes.
"Lord Lynn just took some of the family's stored treasures before leaving."
The Valifer patriarch's hopes crumbled instantly, his heart sinking as he rushed toward the storage room.
When he saw the completely emptied vault, he fell into stunned silence.
Just some treasures?
Damn it!
There's nothing left!
After a long pause, his voice trembled as he muttered, "It's confirmed Lord Lynn..."
"He's definitely a true Valifer!"
A thief who never leaves empty-handedyep, he fits right in!
The Valifer patriarch wanted to cry.
But the bad news didn't stop there.
The butler, face grim, added, "My lord... the Gluttony King Beelzebub and his entire army were wiped out in our territory..."
The patriarch stiffened in horror.
We're doomed!
How were they supposed to explain this?!
After a long silence, the Valifer patriarch suddenly lifted his head, his gaze firm as righteousness filled his demeanor.
"I have long despised the Old Satan Faction's cruelty!"
"From today onward, the Valifer family will officially become the vanguard of the Reform Faction!"
The butler: "...?"
Without wasting a second, the patriarch began issuing orders. "Pack up everything! We're moving to the Reform Faction's stronghold!"
We need to get out of herefast! Before it's too late!
"Oh, and one more thing!" the patriarch suddenly added, "See if we can find Beelzebub's corpse and bring it with us."
Whether it was the destruction of the army or Beelzebub's body, both were perfect evidence for their loyalty to the Reform Faction!
Even though it was Lynn who did it, Lynn was a Valifer, so... it was totally justified!
In a way, he felt a bit relieved that Lynn had completely emptied their family vault.
At least that saved them the trouble of packing.
While the Valifer family fled in haste, news of Beelzebub's death reached the Old Satan Faction.
Damaidosu Zereikel Asmodeus couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Beelzebub... is dead?!"
"And his entire army as well?!"
Aside from the untouchable Lucifer, Beelzebub was the strongest among them!
And now he was just... dead?
Wasn't he supposed to be gathering support?
Did he end up getting himself killed instead?
Tsufaame Tereaku Leviathan fell silent before confirming, "Yes, Beelzebub is indeed dead."
This wasn't the kind of joke any devil would dare to make.
"However..." she continued, "the devil army he led was only part of our forces. The rest of the army will be under our command."
"That's our only option now," Asmodeus sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration.
Lucifer never took action and barely managed anything.
And now, one of their top fighters was dead.
They never expected Valifer, who was supposedly loyal to the Old Satan Faction, to betray them for the Reformists.
And they actually succeeded?
That was an entire devil army, plus a Maou!
All taken down by Valifer?
Something about this whole situation felt incredibly off.
At House Beelzebub
Shalba Beelzebub was utterly frozen after hearing the news.
He stood in silence with an overwhelming hatred burned in his eyes.
"Valifer..."
"Just you wait!"
He would train harder than ever, ascend to the rank of a Maou, and inherit Beelzebub's title!
Then, he would settle the score with Valifer.
And with the entire Reform Faction!
The rightful rulers must be the Old Satan Faction!
Meanwhile, at the front lines
Grayfia received the shocking news and paused, her expression turning strange.
"Valifer?"
Wasn't that where that man said he was going?
In her knowledge, Valifer didn't have any real powerhouses.
So...It had to be him.
Grayfia's eyes flickered with realization.
She frowned in thought. "Is that man part of the Reform Faction?"
But if so, why didn't he attack her?
Someone capable of killing Beelzebub could have easily killed her as well.
Grayfia was puzzled.
As for Beelzebub's death, she felt... nothing.
Regardless of whether it was the Old Satan Faction or the Reform Faction, if one side completely dominated the other, this endless war might finally come to an end.
Grayfia thought back to that manthe one who had proposed to her upon their first meeting.
"He's even stronger than I imagined..."
Her eyes shimmered.
Could he be the one to bring an end to all of this?
Once the thought took root, she found it hard to suppress.
She wanted to know the truth.
Her heart, numbed by years of war, suddenly felt a flicker of urgency and anticipation.
She had suffered long enough.
If there was even the slightest hope, she had to hold onto it.
Reform Faction Territory
When the entire Valifer Clan arrived in the Reform faction's stronghold, Sirzechs and Serafall exchanged a brief glance before turning to listen.
Then came the newsBeelzebub was dead.
Wait, what?
Did the Old Satan Faction just get rid of one of their own?
This was great news!
Sirzechs and Serafall couldn't help but feel a burst of joy at the revelation.
An Old Satan Faction Maou, gone just like that?
"Well done!" Sirzechs declared, putting on a serious expression. "The contribution of the Valifer Clan will never be forgotten by the Reform Faction."
Valifer had truly gifted them a massive victory.
A proper reward was in order.
Hearing this, the Valifer Clan Leader let out a quiet sigh of relief.
They were now completely cut off from the Old Satan Factionaligning with the Reform Faction was their only chance at survival.
Of course, if Lord Lynn was willing to lead them, that would be even better.
Maybe, just maybe, they could secure a satan seat for themselves?
Sirzechs and Serafall offered them a series of rewards, even publicly announcing their alliance due to Valifer's unique position. If they played their cards right, they might attract more like-minded allies from the Old Satan camp.
At the same time, they also learned a name.
"Lynn?"
Sirzechs and Serafall exchanged glances, their expressions turning more serious.
Beelzebub had been killed by this man?
A Maou had fallen.
Anyone capable of killing Beelzebub was undoubtedly at Maou level themselves.
Lynn Valifer?
The Valifer Clan actually had someone of this caliber?
Their expressions darkened with contemplation.
This Lynnhe had to be taken seriously.
—
Meanwhile, Somewhere in the Underworld
After leaving Valifer, Lynn wandered through the Underworld, lost in thought.
The Infinite Dragon God... could he really steal her?
Now that he thought about it, maybe "stealing" wasn't the right word.
If she willingly followed him, would it even count as stealing?
Still, Lynn wasn't foolish enough to rely solely on his past-life knowledge.
This world was already completely different from what he remembered.
He couldn't afford to underestimate anyone.
After all, she was a Dragon Godfar beyond what he could handle right now.
And there was also the Khaos Brigade to consider.
What if she came looking for him instead?
That wouldn't be stealing, right?
Nestled in Lynn's arms, Senhime had been silent ever since they left Valifer.
Her little paws were fidgeting, clutching at her sleeves as if deep in thought.
Ever since she had witnessed Lynn's true power, she couldn't shake the memory of his earlier invitation.
Was it time to make a decision?
Her fluffy face scrunched up in conflict.
Lynn noticed and raised a brow. "You need to pee?"
He had seen this before.
Hadn't Miko ended up in a similar situation?
It wasn't surprising. A single trip to the Underworld, and she had already witnessed a battle at Maou level. Peeing herself from fear would've been understandable.
Lynn gave her a knowing look, but without hesitation, he grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and tossed her outside.
"W-Wait!"
Senhime panicked, grabbing onto his sleeve.
"I-It's not that!"
She hesitated, then let out a long sigh of relief, as if reassuring herself.
Finally, she turned to look at him, her white fur tinged with a faint blush.
Lynn blinked. "Huh?"
What kind of setting was this?
Senhime took a deep breath, seeming to reach a decision. Then, she slowly rolled onto her back, lifting her paws to him.
"???"
Lynn's expression twitched. "What... are you doing?"
"S-Submission! It's a sign of submission!"
Senhime's voice trembled with embarrassment as she turned her head away, unable to meet his gaze.
A royal of her status... exposing her belly to a man!
Ugh
But she had no choice.
Back in Valifer's house, she had done her research.
Even in the terrifying Underworld, Lynn stood at the absolute peak.
Beelzebub.
One of the strongest beings in the Underworld.
And yet, with a single punchhe died.
The memory made her shiver.
And then she thought back to the time when her Clan was about to be at odds with Lynn.
Their entire bloodline had nearly been wiped out!
Senhime let out a weary sigh.
This world was far too vast.
Even the strongest yokai were nothing more than drifting leaves in a storm.
The petty struggles back in the West Land suddenly seemed laughable.
Having seen the true vastness of the world, Senhime had thought long and hard.
And she had made her choice.
For the survival of her clan's bloodline.
For the future of the yokai.
Some sacrifices had to be made.
This was the duty of a royal.
Taking a deep breath, she straightened herself, her golden eyes filled with resolve.
"Please allow me to join the familia."
.
.
.
—
Ahem. I won. Yep!
Remember when you said it was an error and the name was Valefor? Well, as you can seeit's not.
The magic trait confirmed that I translated it right. Sure, Valefar would've sounded smoother, but hey, the author went with it. Not my fault.
Now drop all your spirit stones maybe they'll be enough to heal my broken heart.
Eclipse Devil
Hearing Senhime, Lynn showed no surprise.
From the moment she followed him to the Underworld, it was clear where her heart leaned. After witnessing everything that had transpired and seeing his overwhelming strength firsthand, the scales in her mind had completely tipped in his favor.
But stillLynn wanted to make sure.
"You've made up your mind?"
"Yes!" Senhime's gaze was firm.
The Western Lands were just a small corner of the world.
The Dog Yokai (Inu-yokai) were merely a minor race.
At least, from the perspective of those at higher levels of power, that was the reality.
Senhime wanted to see her people rise, to reach heights that even their ancestors had never dreamed of achieving!
And if she followed Lynn...
