Grayfia’s Data, The Steel Skin of the Lion King

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Duke's Territory – Capital of the Agares Family.

The same floating city as before. Even the person greeting Akira was still Seekvaira Agares. However, both the host and the guest had undergone significant changes since their last meeting.

Seekvaira's strength had risen from the peak of the Ultimate-Class Devil to the peak of the Devil King level. Not only had she become the acting head of the Duke's family, but she had also gained the ability to use the Divine Dividing's wings. In terms of pure combat power, she was now even stronger than Vali Lucifer.

As for Akira, his strength had skyrocketed from High-Class Devil to the peak of the Devil King level. He was now unrivaled among Super Devils and could even challenge a Chief God.

However, neither Akira nor Seekvaira intended to reveal their full strength just yet. Super Devil-level power was enough for now, as it still fell within the acceptable framework. If they unleashed Chief God-level power, the Underworld would likely collapse instantly. What Akira wanted was a relatively intact Underworld, not one ravaged by war.

Moreover, while Akira could hold his own against a Chief God, he couldn't guarantee a victory. After all, those who had ascended to the Chief God level were no pushovers, and Akira would still need to bridge a two-level gap.

"If only I could contact Ophis. With my current strength and influence, as long as I'm not ganged up on by Chief Gods and ambushed by the 'Dragon Eater,' I should be able to protect Ophis."

"Ophis must be occupied with something important. Otherwise, why hasn't she responded to my messages?"

Akira sighed and walked into the testing area.

Fortunately, he had never placed all his hopes on Ophis. If Ophis was unreachable, he would rely on himself and Seiya. Both Akira and Seiya had the potential to surpass Dragon God-level beings. Akira hadn't even tapped into his hidden reserves, and Seiya hadn't undergone her evolution yet. There was still plenty of room for growth.

It was just that the current situation didn't exert enough pressure to force Akira and Seiya to resort to extreme measures to rapidly increase their strength.

Under Seekvaira's guidance, Akira entered the core area of the testing facility.

As the door opened, Akira saw two figures standing at the pinnacle of power in the Underworld—Grayfia and Ajuka Beelzebub.

"You must be Akira. It's been a while. I almost didn't recognize you," Ajuka, the green-haired Devil King, greeted with a smile.

"Hello, I'm Ajuka Beelzebub."

"Hello, Lord Ajuka. It has indeed been a long time," Akira replied. He had seen Ajuka at many banquets, but this was the first time they had met in such an intimate setting.

After the greetings, Grayfia's gaze was drawn to the golden-haired girl beside Akira.

The girl had golden hair and golden eyes, with a cross-shaped pattern in her irises that seemed to captivate anyone who looked at her. Her sacred and untouchable appearance made it impossible for anyone to harbor impure thoughts.

There was no doubt that the girl's beauty and aura were top-tier, even making Grayfia, a Chief God-level being, feel an unprecedented sense of threat.

Of course, this threat wasn't related to combat power.

"Akira-sama, who is this beside you?" Grayfia asked, clearly wanting an introduction.

"Let me introduce you. This is Seiya, my 'Queen' piece," Akira said with a smile.

"I remember your Queen piece being a massive magical beast," Grayfia frowned.

Had Akira exchanged pieces with someone else? Grayfia knew that Agumon had been with Akira for a long time. Surely Akira wouldn't be so heartless as to trade away the beast that had grown up with him?

Unless...

"The magical beast you're referring to is Seiya's form before she took on a humanoid appearance," Akira explained.

"Powerful beings often have the ability to take on human forms. It seems your Queen has grown even stronger," Ajuka remarked as he examined Seiya.

Since Seiya wasn't hiding her power, Ajuka could gauge her current level.

"Super Devil level? You've grown much stronger since the last time," Ajuka said with genuine admiration.

"Super Devil level?!" Grayfia's eyes widened in surprise.

She hadn't expected Seiya's strength to increase so rapidly! When she had worn the Dimensional Egg as a necklace, she hadn't realized how potent Akira's power-boosting effects were. Was it because Akira had shed his egg form and taken on a humanoid appearance over a decade ago? Indeed, the humanoid form seemed stronger, so it made sense that the power-boosting effects would be more pronounced.

[So, Super Devil level...]

[Previously, Akira's rise to High-Class Devil level was likely due to the 'Contract Beast Feedback' effect.]

[Does that mean Akira's recent explosive growth is also due to feedback from his Contract Beast?]

While Grayfia was analyzing Akira, Akira and Seiya were also analyzing Grayfia.

Seiya used her ability to convert everything into data streams to observe and analyze Grayfia's condition, aiming to obtain complete data. As for Akira, he casually used his Appraisal Eye.

[Name: Grayfia (♀)]

[Level: 349 (Peak Chief God)]

[Attribute Evaluation]

[Note: Strength within the same level.]

[Physical Strength: A]

[Speed: A+]

[Magic Power: S]

[Body Durability: A]

[Martial Arts/Spell Proficiency: B (Has undergone systematic training and brutal wars, but since she only reached Chief God level after the wars, she hasn't fully reached her peak.)]

[Sacred Gear/Bloodline Ability: A+ (The annihilation power of the Devil race has been maximized. Additionally, after living with a high-dimensional being for centuries, she has awakened dimensional abilities.)]

[Comprehensive Evaluation: A+ Chief God.]

[Overall Assessment: Her annihilation magic and Devil bloodline have been refined to their limits, resulting in a transcendence that surpasses the limits of her Devil bloodline. She has become a transcendent being among Devils, capable of challenging the top ten gods in the world.]

After reading Grayfia's data, Akira's expression remained calm, but his heart was stirred.

[High-dimensional being? That must be referring to me.]

[Grayfia lived with a high-dimensional being for centuries? Does that mean... Grayfia lived with me for centuries?]

Back when he was attacked by Katerea Leviathan, Akira had kissed Seekvaira in front of Grayfia. At the time, Akira had confirmed his suspicions—Grayfia's gaze toward him was indeed unusual.

Back then, Akira had thought that Grayfia, like Naoko Hayasaka, had developed a high affection for him due to prolonged contact.

[Now, it seems I've vastly underestimated the amount of time Grayfia and I have spent together.]

[Grayfia has been with me for centuries? Then why do I only have memories of the past decade or so?]

"How interesting... truly fascinating," Akira thought to himself.

After glancing at Grayfia, Akira averted his gaze. While he believed his disguise was solid, staring too long might arouse Grayfia's suspicion.

Seiya's full data analysis wasn't complete yet. While Seiya worked on that, Akira underwent a comprehensive examination.

An hour later, Ajuka had compiled Akira's strength report.

"Akira, your strength is at the peak of the Devil King level."

"Your physical strength, magic power, and magic density all surpass the average for your level."

"Your spell construction speed and completeness are at the average level."

"As for bloodline development, you're at the lowest end for your level, relying solely on instinctual magic."

"Of course, aside from these standard metrics, you have some other impressive qualities."

"Since you've awakened divine energy, even without awakening a unique magic trait, I believe you can develop many combat techniques that are unimaginable for most Devils."

"For example, integrating divine energy into spells can cause them to evolve further. Integrating divine energy into close combat can allow you to attack an opponent's essence, fundamentally weakening them."

"I see. Thank you for the advice, Lord Ajuka," Akira said, accepting his data sheet.

He was already well aware of his own stats, so accepting the report was just a formality.

After handing the report to Akira, Ajuka continued.

"Previously, based on Seekvaira's speculation, your rapid growth was attributed to feedback from your Contract Beast."

"However, I hold a different opinion."

"Your Contract Beast is of a sacred attribute. Even with the highest level of feedback, it shouldn't be able to directly elevate you to Devil King level."

"Of course, I'm not denying the role of Contract Beast feedback. I simply believe that Akira has unlocked his 'Life Origin.'"

"The purity of your divine energy surpasses even that of many ancient beings from the Eastern Kingdom. I believe this is due to the development of your Life Origin."

"The development of your Life Origin has generated endless vitality, which has continuously stacked and evolved into pure divine energy."

Ajuka's explanation was logical and convincing. However, he couldn't have known that Akira's divine energy was a reward from the system.

After discussing Akira's data and cultivation direction, Ajuka led Akira to a teleportation array.

"Akira, like last time, there's a practical combat segment."

"After all, data is just data. How much strength you can actually wield depends on the individual."

"This time, I've prepared an opponent who matches your strength."

"Although it's just a hunch, I believe you'll win. I'll wish you good fortune in advance."

"Thank you for your blessings, Lord Ajuka. I won't let go of a victory that's within my grasp," Akira nodded as his figure gradually disappeared.

Before Akira completely vanished, Grayfia added a warning.

"Akira-sama, your opponent this time is extraordinary. Like you, they possess a Longinus. Please, give it your all."

With those words, Akira's figure disappeared entirely.

"Whoosh!"

The teleportation array flashed, and Akira was transported to a separate dimension.

Combat at the Devil King level could still be confined to a testing arena. However, this test was at the Super Devil level. When Super Devils clashed, even space itself could shatter, so the battle had to take place in a separate dimension.

Upon arriving at the designated location, Akira saw a tall, muscular young man with the eyes of a lion.

Akira recognized this man.

His name was...

Sairaorg Bael!

The heir to the House of Bael!

Akira glanced behind Sairaorg and saw a golden lion.

"Yo, Akira. Your opponent is me," Sairaorg greeted.

"Hey, Sairaorg. I had a feeling it would be you," Akira replied with a nod.

Sairaorg was an old acquaintance of Akira's. Since childhood, the two had often been compared and even shared the title of "The Two Failures of the Underworld."

"Who would've thought that the two of us, once called the failures of the Underworld, would now be competing for the title of the strongest young Devil? The world truly is full of surprises," Sairaorg mused.

[Competing for the title of the strongest young Devil?]

[So that's why Grayfia insisted I win.]

[This test is clearly politically charged.]

Sure enough, Sairaorg's next words confirmed Akira's suspicions.

"Akira, let me make one thing clear. For me, this is a battle I cannot afford to lose."

"If I lose, everything I have will crumble."

"So, I'll be going all out! Don't hold back either!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the golden lion transformed into golden spiritual energy and surged toward Sairaorg!

The terrifying golden energy shook the entire space.

The golden energy enveloped Sairaorg's body, and a lion emblem appeared on his chest.

[My lion!]

[King of Nemea!]

[You who are called the Lion King!]

[Answer my passion!]

[Transform into armor!!!]

[Balance Breaker! Regulus Rey Leather Rex!]

Out of respect for his opponent, Sairaorg had gone all out from the very beginning!

Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 146 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 40 power stones I will publish the next chapter.