Chapter 25: The Fate of the Red Dragon Emperor, Gasper’s Return 

The old school building.

Lucien and Koneko pushed open the door and entered.

As Koneko's master, Rias immediately sensed that something was off with Koneko's emotions the moment she saw her.

"Koneko, what's wrong?"

Rias felt a heavy aura emanating from Koneko.

Koneko's gaze was serious as she slowly spoke, "President, I want to ask you for a favor. Please, you must agree."

"What is it?"

"Please… allow me to leave the Gremory household."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because… I want to become Lucien's servant."

"WHAT?!"

Rias's red lips parted in shock, and she even forgot to take a sip from the teacup she had raised to her mouth.

What kind of joke was this? She had only asked Koneko to go and fetch Lucien!

How did Lucien come back, and now Koneko was defecting too?

"Lucien! What exactly did you do to my Koneko?!"

Rias glared at Lucien.

Of course, she wouldn't blame Koneko for this.

She could only assume that Lucien had somehow tricked Koneko!

"What did I do?"

"I didn't do anything. I just told Koneko some facts," Lucien shrugged helplessly.

"What facts?"

"The fact that if she stays by your side, she might bring danger to you."

A few minutes later.

Lucien repeated what he had told Koneko earlier.

"The White Dragon Emperor, the Holy King Sword, Sun Wukong… and the pure-blooded Nekomata."

Rias's throat moved several times as she processed these names.

These titles were far too renowned.

She was well aware that her own title, the "Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess," was like paper in front of these figures.

"President Rias, Lucien is right. If I stay by your side, it will only bring you danger," Koneko said with her head lowered, her voice filled with sadness.

"But is staying by Lucien's side any better? He's not much stronger than me, is he?"

Rias knew that Lucien had defeated Sona.

However, Lucien's Agumon was clearly not at the level of a high-class demon.

Both of them were high-class demons, so how was Lucien any more capable than her?

Lucien didn't even have the protection of a Maou!

"Lucien and Koneko must have their reasons for coming to this agreement, right?" Akeno reminded with a gentle smile.

"As expected of Akeno, always so perceptive."

Lucien smiled faintly and extended his left hand forward.

[Boost!]

The Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet—manifested!

"Lucien! What is this?"

"This is a Longinus—the Boosted Gear."

"This… is the reason Koneko wants to become my servant."

"The White Dragon Emperor and the Red Dragon Emperor have always been destined to fight each other. That means the White Dragon Emperor will inevitably come for me."

"Koneko's situation is similar. Her sister, Kuroka, will definitely come after her."

"So, Koneko and I should stick together and face these dangers as one."

"A Longinus!"

"Indeed, if it's the Boosted Gear, then it definitely has the power to stand against the White Dragon Emperor."

"The Boosted Gear, a powerful Greymon, and the servants Lucien has entrusted to me…"

After thinking it over carefully, Rias realized that Lucien might actually be capable of protecting Koneko.

At the very least… more capable than she was.

Thud!

Koneko fell to her knees, bowing deeply in a dogeza position as she pleaded with Rias.

"President Rias, please allow me to become Lucien's servant!"

Koneko closed her eyes, her lips pressed tightly together.

She couldn't repay Rias's kindness, so the least she could do was take the danger away from her.

"Koneko… you…"

Rias hadn't expected Koneko to go this far.

"Rias."

"If you agree to let Koneko join me, I'll help you resolve your engagement issue."

"I wonder if you can accept this condition?"

Lucien offered Rias a deal she couldn't refuse.

"Resolve my engagement issue? Are you saying… you'll fight Riser Phenex?" Rias could only think of that.

Previously, her deal with Lucien was for him to pretend that they were in love.

That only required some words.

But now, Lucien was offering to help her resolve her engagement issue.

Other than physically defeating Riser, Rias couldn't think of any other way!

It wasn't like she could lose her virginity to Lucien before marriage, right?

"That's right. I'm confident I can defeat Riser," Lucien nodded.

"Lucien, are you sure you can defeat a Phenex?"

"If I don't even have the confidence to defeat a Phenex, how can I hope to defeat the White Dragon Emperor?"

This question only made Lucien laugh.

If he couldn't even handle Riser with a Longinus, then he might as well give up.

Tick-tock…

Tick-tock…

The pendulum clock on the wall swung back and forth.

After a long moment of thought, Rias suddenly stood up.

She had finally made her decision!

"Lucien! I agree to let Koneko become your servant!"

"However, Koneko will still live with me!"

"This way, Koneko will be safer. By staying with me, she'll still be under the protection of the Maou."

Hearing Rias's decision, Koneko grew anxious.

"But President Rias! That would put you in danger!"

"Koneko, you don't need to worry about that. I'll spread the news that Lucien is the Red Dragon Emperor. That way, if anyone comes looking, they'll go after Lucien first."

"Lucien, you don't have a problem with that, do you?" Rias looked at Lucien.

"Of course not."

"I said I'd help you resolve your engagement, and in the process, I'll have to use the Boosted Gear."

"So, it was inevitable that the information about the Longinus would leak."

"Good. In that case, let's proceed with the contract!"

Rias took out two crimson pieces.

On the other side of the table, Lucien also took out two crimson pieces.

Though the pieces looked similar, their essence was completely different.

Rias's pieces were "Evil Pieces."

Lucien's pieces were disguised black mutation pieces.

Soon.

The contract for the servant exchange was completed.

With mixed feelings, Rias retrieved her two pieces and walked over to a coffin in the corner of the room.

"Gasper, come out~"

"Lucien has obtained the pieces and is here to take you."

Bang!

As soon as Rias finished speaking, the coffin lid flew open.

A golden-haired girl with tears in her eyes rushed out.

"Lord Lucien! I've finally waited for you to come and get me!"

Gasper excitedly threw herself into Lucien's arms, rubbing her face against his thigh. (Note: Gasper is a girl.)

Gasper Vladi.

She was another person Lucien had taken in advance.

Lucien's strength was limited, so he couldn't involve himself in every event. He could only do what was within his power.

For example, providing information to avoid danger and establishing relationships with certain people ahead of time.

And Gasper.

She was the only servant Lucien had actively sought out.

There was no helping it—Gasper's talent was simply too great.

If Gasper trained hard, in a few decades, Lucien would have a god-level bodyguard!

Such a huge return was worth the risk of taking her in personally!

Gasper was born into a vampire family, a hybrid of vampire and human.

From birth, she possessed a dangerous Sacred Gear, [Forbidden Balor View], which could stop the time of people or objects.

Because she couldn't control her unstable Sacred Gear, she was despised, feared, and rejected by her family. They didn't recognize her as a vampire, seeing her only as a monster.

In the original story, Gasper had escaped from the vampire territory and lived briefly in human society.

During that time, she was found by Rias, who used a mutation piece to reincarnate her as her bishop.

But now, Lucien had learned of this information in advance and searched the human areas near the vampire territory.

And so, Lucien found Gasper before Rias could.

However, since Gasper's Sacred Gear was indeed dangerous and Lucien didn't have any Evil Pieces at the time, he decided to leave Gasper with Serafall.

Serafall was not only powerful but also had many vacant servant slots. Plus, she was his fiancée, making her the perfect candidate to temporarily take in Gasper.

Such a convenient fiancée—why not use her?

However, Serafall refused to take Gasper as her servant and instead recommended Rias.

Reluctantly, Lucien had to leave Gasper with Rias, promising to take her back once he obtained the pieces.

It had been a long time since Lucien had seen Gasper.

From the softness he felt as Gasper clung to him, Lucien could tell that Gasper had truly grown.

At the very least… she had definitely grown physically.

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