Do You Want to Get Ahead?

Sharon Holy Grail was first brought to Leo's attention by Sona Shitori.

After all, she was an old rival who kept hounding him, so Leo naturally investigated her. He deliberately asked Sona about her and used the Sitri Clan's influence to find out where she came from and what her background was.

At first, when he learned that Sharon was the product of an artificial genetic modification project, Leo was only somewhat surprised. But once he found out she had the Devil Factor inside her and was an Exorcist Warrior who had gained a Devil's power while remaining human, he understood why she was so determined to keep hounding him.

Though she was innocent, she was a human with the Devil Factor who had grown up in the Church, a place that regarded Devils as evil creatures. It was all but inevitable that she would be treated unfairly.

Just look at Asia Argento, a nun from the Church in the original story who was hailed as a "Saint." The Church had exiled her simply because her Sacred Gear could heal Devils. How could Sharon, who actually had the Devil Factor, possibly have escaped scorn?

So it wasn't hard to understand why she rejected the Devil Factor within herself and loathed Devils.

Of course, that was from Sharon's perspective. From Leo's, it was complete nonsense.

Remember the original source at

You were treated unfairly, but instead of hating the people who treated you that way, you hated the Devil Factor that had put you in this situation—and, worse, you even hated the source of that Factor?

And you were still working for a place like that, doing their bidding?

"Who captured you and experimented on you, the Church or the Devils?"

Leo had once said that to Sharon.

And then... then she'd clung to him even harder.

Because of that, Leo had always thought of Sharon Holy Grail as someone who was a little unhinged. If the situation hadn't been so delicate at the time, and if he'd had the power to deal with her as he pleased, he probably would have found a way to pry open that woman's head and see whether the Church had brainwashed her.

Sure, it was precisely because of this that Sharon had later used seduction on him, giving him plenty of perks. But he still looked down on her. Whenever he saw her, he couldn't help provoking her and watching her lose her composure. It made him feel better.

Of course, he also knew that a crazy woman like Sharon would probably target Yukino Yukinoshita, now that she had become his servant. That was why he'd prepared a specially made Devil Flyer, adding another layer of protection for a servant like Yukino.

As it turned out, he'd been right.

"I didn't hold back this time. There's a good chance she'll be bedridden for a long while. She might even be crippled or die."

Leo's tone shifted. He stopped dwelling on that woman and turned to Yukino Yukinoshita.

"If she's lucky enough to survive and comes after you again, you don't have to pity her. The unfortunate often have a blameworthy side, and who knows what else that woman might do? If you run into her, get even for today if you can, and take revenge if you need to. Don't overthink it."

The situation was delicate, but if the other party meant to kill, Leo wouldn't hesitate or drag his feet.

If the other person didn't care about something, why should you consider it on their behalf?

If anything happened, he could always take responsibility and clean up after his servant.

Perhaps he hadn't once had the power to influence the balance between the factions, but now he certainly did.

Zenith Tempest hadn't yet reached its full potential. Once Leo reached the realm of Balance Breaker, he'd have a way to become one of the players who could influence the balance of power. He might not become a chess player, but at the very least, he could become a piece the players couldn't move around at will.

The feedback from Peerage Transformation still had plenty of room to develop. There were fifteen servants in total, and Leo had only taken in two so far, yet he was already capable of holding his own against an Ultimate-Class Devil. If he gathered all of them, then even if the rest had only moderate potential, he could leap to the highest rank of Devils. At the very least, he wouldn't be weaker than a Maou.

With the power of a Maou in his normal state, and the world's second-strongest Longinus to fall back on, surely he wouldn't end up weaker than the Red Dragon Emperor and White Dragon Emperor from the original story?

The Heavenly Dragons eventually became beings no faction could afford to ignore, with the potential to reach the very peak of the world. He had Peerage Transformation and Zenith Tempest as his two trump cards. If he still couldn't measure up to them, he might as well stay put in Chiba, play the local king, and spend his days teasing his beautiful servants.

"I understand."

Yukino Yukinoshita drew a deep breath and finally calmed herself.

She had always been the type to get straight to the point. When someone was wrong, she called them out without mercy instead of accommodating them, trying to understand them, or making herself suffer.

Losing to Sharon today had already left Yukino Yukinoshita feeling frustrated enough. She didn't want to repeat the same mistake.

So she would train hard and grow stronger. If she encountered Sharon again, she would do as her nominal master had said: get even for today if she could, and take revenge if she needed to.

Seeing that Yukino Yukinoshita had come to terms with it, Leo smiled faintly and finally turned toward Haruno Yukinoshita and Mrs. Yukinoshita, who had been silent all this time.

"It's about time we discussed our business, ladies." Leo tapped the table and smiled. "I imagine you have a lot to say?"

"Don't worry. Say whatever you like. I'm listening."

Leo's words set the tense air in the Guest Room moving again, but they also brought an even more oppressive silence.

The Yukinoshita women all kept their mouths shut. None of them spoke right away, their eyes and expressions unusually complicated.

"Well, I can understand how you're feeling right now, but staying silent is just wasting time." Leo broke the silence without mercy. "I remember the Yukinoshita Family are supposed to be decisive people. You're all famous strong women! Surely you've had enough time to sort out your feelings by now?"

Under Leo's pointed, deliberate provocation, the Yukinoshitas present had no choice but to suppress their complicated emotions and regain their composure.

"Mr. Eligos... is that right?"

Mrs. Yukinoshita finally spoke.

"Just call me Leo." Leo readily agreed, showing Mrs. Yukinoshita the proper courtesy. He spread his hands. "I know this might be asking a lot, but your daughter has become my servant, so you and I are practically family now. Just treat me like an ordinary person, Mrs. Yukinoshita."

At that, even Haruno Yukinoshita couldn't help grumbling inwardly, let alone Mrs. Yukinoshita.

Servant, family, ordinary person... There had to be a limit to how little sense this made, right?

Those were three kinds of people who had nothing to do with one another. How could he say them all in the same breath without even batting an eye?

"I'll call you Mr. Leo, then." Mrs. Yukinoshita gave a bitter smile, then sighed. "At this point, I've come to understand that you and people like us are from entirely different worlds. No matter what we say, I imagine it doesn't matter to you, does it?"

"That's not quite true." Leo looked at Mrs. Yukinoshita and gave her a faint smile. "The outcome can't be changed, but you're still Yukino's family. I don't want to fall out with the family of the servant who'll be by my side for the rest of my life."

"So, if you have any concerns, tell me. I'll do my best to ease your worries and make you feel more at ease."

Leo's attitude might not have been sincere, but at least it was friendly.

Mrs. Yukinoshita felt somewhat reassured and regained a little of her composure.

"Since you've put it that way, I'll speak frankly." Mrs. Yukinoshita gathered her courage, looked Leo in the eye, and spoke solemnly. "I don't really understand the world you live in. There's just one thing I want to ask."

"What will happen to my daughter, Yukino Yukinoshita, now that she's become a Devil?"

Mrs. Yukinoshita had wisely avoided topics she shouldn't touch and gone straight to what concerned her most.

It was the sort of thing a smart person would do, and Leo thought more highly of her for it.

"From your perspective, Yukino will still be the same Yukino. Nothing will change." Leo gave Mrs. Yukinoshita and Haruno Yukinoshita the answer they most wanted, speaking as if it were no big deal. "She won't go somewhere you can't reach, and she won't suddenly become someone you don't recognize."

"She'll keep attending Sobu High School with me until we graduate. If she has time, she can come visit you whenever she likes. Even if she leaves with me in the future, she can still come back anytime. It'll only take an instant—faster than flying."

"If I had to say what will be different after she becomes a Devil, it's probably what you saw earlier: she'll have supernatural powers."

Leo played with his teacup as he spoke, once again sounding as if he were making the remark casually.

"Other than that, she'll live a long time. Even after you've grown old, she'll probably still look as young and beautiful as she does now. Staying young forever will be a trivial matter for her..."

Mrs. Yukinoshita: "!!!"

Haruno Yukinoshita: "!!!"

That was possible?!

Yukino Yukinoshita: "(ｷ｀ﾟДﾟ´)!!"

So that was possible?!

The words "stay young forever" instantly changed the look in all three women's eyes.

"If Yukino becomes powerful enough in the future, she might be able to help you gain something like that, too."

Leo sounded like a real Devil, his voice full of temptation.

"For a powerful Devil, helping a human live longer and stay young isn't difficult."

That one sentence changed the look in the three Yukinoshita women's eyes again.

"Oh, right. I also know plenty of well-connected people. Maybe I could help you, too." Leo bared his final fang. "Let me ask you just one thing: does the Yukinoshita Family want to get ahead?"

The three Yukinoshita women: "..."

That was the Devil's whisper!