Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Serena POV.
Once I went through the portal, I could see Ajuka working on one of his tablets very focused, and he wasn't the only one; there were several people around him walking back and forth, before they saw me and stopped stiffly.
"Ajuka? I understand you were looking for me?" I asked softly, though my voice carried throughout the lab. Ajuka paused momentarily and looked up. His gaze was very tired and sleepy, but before his eyes brightened, he seemed to awaken slightly.
"Serena," Ajuka said, approaching. "I see you're back. I hope your trip was fruitful, wherever you went." Ajuka said gently, and I nodded.
"It was beneficial, yes, I gained some members for my Peerage." I said honestly, Ajuka's eyes widened slightly.
"Wow, I didn't know you were recruiting," Ajuka said easily. I nodded.
"I've been in contact with them for a few months now. I had to help them finish some business before they could come to the underworld," I told him honestly. The Paper Trail had generated backstory for everyone except Freya, obviously.
Rebecca was from California; she had acted as a mercenary with a group for years. Lucy was from Warsaw, Poland. Still, she ended up in California and joined Rebecca as part of the same group of mercenaries from the human world, with no contact with the supernatural world until they found one of my summoning pamphlets by coincidence, a couple of months ago.
Riveria, on the other hand, came from Iceland. That… was odd. I expected a greener place with less snow than Iceland. But it's not like I could really argue.
Ljos Alf practically comes from the Old Norse Ljósálfar, meaning Elves of Light, because, yes, once again, the names in the world of Danmachi weren't very imaginative. But with such a Nordic name, I couldn't think of a better country than Iceland, really.
Riveria's past hadn't changed much; she was still an elf of almost 100 years old, even in this world. That hadn't changed in the slightest, and it didn't need to. According to that backstory, elves were almost entirely isolationist and kept hidden for their own safety.
No elf had been seen for decades, maybe centuries, before Riveria went out to see the world, and she finally came across one of my pamphlets.
Their backstories weren't really important, and everything was fine; I was actually more worried about Freya. Not because she'd done anything stupid, but because of her mere existence in this world.
Without a paper trail for background roles and altering reality to fit, Freya had absolutely nothing to prove who she was, especially if we encountered the Norse pantheon.
The Freya of this world exists and is alive and well. She is the strongest female goddess in the Norse pantheon, queen of the Valkyries; many people will know her. The appearance of a second Freya would be very difficult to explain.
Especially since she was certain they would be able to sense Freya's divinity, even with her Arcanum sealed. She had to think of a way to conceal it; for the time being, Freya used her Syr transformation to leave the mansion, but it wasn't a permanent solution.
"I'm glad. I'm curious about the people you've chosen," Ajuka said with a small smile. "But I suppose we should get to the point." Ajuka said easily, then looked at the rest of his assistants, who were staring at us almost rigidly. "Leave us alone," Ajuka said without raising his voice, yet they all hurried out immediately.
"Wow, this must be something important," I said, raising an eyebrow as I watched the last aide leave. Ajuka nodded seriously and looked intently at Ravel, who frowned almost defiantly. "She's in the know about everything. I don't hide anything from her or my Peerage," I said easily. Even so, Ajuka stared at her and nodded slowly, then turned and walked over to one of his personal tablets, picked it up, and began tapping it rapidly.
"As you know, I've been collecting the DNA of succubi and comparing it to the DNA of pillar devils, both living and extinct, whenever I have the opportunity." Ajuka began. I snorted and nodded.
"Yes, I remember, I also remember that I hadn't given you permission to do that," I said coldly. Ajuka nodded.
"You didn't, and I haven't done anything; I've simply been comparing the samples with those I already had access to." Ajuka said without flinching, I clicked my tongue, but nodded.
"Very well, then?" I asked curiously. Ajuka nodded.
"While I don't yet have all the succubus samples without your permission, that doesn't mean I won't look for samples of other blood types, especially from pillar devils. I had to review all previous records on devil unions to see who married whom, and which family has the necessary genes from, say, extinct pillar clans."
"The answer was, curiously, many of them. The Pillars have married and reproduced with other Pillars, hoping to have offspring whose traits combine or are inherited from both. However, it is very difficult for that to happen; the blood of ancient families still runs through the veins of many existing devils." Ajuka said, humming, as he used his tablet to make a holographic screen appear. On it were several family trees, with circles over different names.
" Okay, I understand the point and the need, and what you do with the other devils isn't really my problem, but what's the point?" I asked curiously. Ajuka hummed.
"Well, that said, it's become almost a habit to upload any devil DNA samples I can get hold of, then use them to compare with the traits of pillar devils, and then with succubi, to see who would be compatible."
"The point is, I recently got a... somewhat special sample from a devil I didn't really expect to be compatible with anyone, but subconsciously, I ran tests on that sample and was surprised to discover that there actually was a compatible person." Ajuka said softly before staring at me intently, tapping his screen, and an image appeared in front of me. I frowned slightly.
"Vali?" I asked curiously, looking at Vali's picture. Ajuka nodded.
"Yes, after your fight against Kokabiel and Vali, the devils took care of cleaning up the entire fight area. To say you left the ground where you hit the white dragon a mess is an understatement; there was more than enough genetic material to conduct the tests." Ajuka said dryly. I shrugged.
"I don't regret it." I said without apologizing. Ajuka didn't even care. "So? Who's the compatible one?" I asked curiously. Ajuka raised an eyebrow.
"You," he said directly. Then he showed the results of the compatibility tests.
"Ah." I said awkwardly, yes… I'd forgotten about that, right? I have the Lucifer Bloodline. The template modified my previous samples before placement. While it was retroactive in some cases, it now works against me.
"You're also in the records after your test a couple of months ago, so it's automatically compared to any sample, and you definitely have the Lucifer gene, and not just as a recessive gene, but you're a direct descendant of the Original Satan, Lucifer, and all that implies." Ajuka said it as if it were a great revelation, and in other circumstances, it would have been, but in this case, I grimaced. "And you already knew that, didn't you?" he said gently. I looked away.
"...I had some ideas, yes," I said softly, looking at the wall. "A succubus with enough demonic power to ascend to a high-class devil before the age of 20? Yes, there were many strange things about me."
"No one in Verdigris knows who my father is. My mother died giving birth to me, so I was a stranger. And that still created the problem of why I had much more demonic power than normal, even without absorbing the life force of other beings."
"After we discovered the recessive genes, none of the pillar devils were possible. It would be noticeable in my DNA if I had any of them, even if I didn't know which ones, so the candidates were immediately narrowed down. The only ones left were the original devils, and while there are many of them, only a few were capable of this." I said with a sigh before letting four pairs of wings sprout from my back. Ajuka's eyes flashed in confirmation.
"Multiple wings, something only found in those descended from the original Satans." Ajuka confirmed this while looking at my wings. I nodded. "I see. I suppose that's a very easy way to deduce your lineage." Ajuka said matter-of-factly. I almost sighed in relief.
"It is, yes. So?" I asked cautiously, narrowing my eyes as I looked at Ajuka, who looked at me, confused.
"So, what?" I asked, tilting my head.
"This revelation must have a point. What is it?" I asked coldly, approaching Ravel, who was smiling nervously and toothily. Ajuka looked at me, completely bewildered.
"None? I just wanted to tell you so you know." Ajuka said easily, and I blinked stupidly in Ajuka's direction.
"Wait, that's... all?" I asked awkwardly; he just shrugged.
"I couldn't care less who you're descended from, especially after all you've done for succubi and low-class devils, and you definitely don't have what it takes to join the Old Satans faction, after upsetting Lucifaad's devils."
"So... yeah? That would be all," Ajuka said, shrugging. "Besides, I consider you a friend," he added with a small smile. I blinked a few times once more.
"I…" I stammered, unsure what to say. I felt Ravel nudge me from behind. "I consider you a friend, too?" I blurted out. Ajuka just chuckled as he looked at me, and I couldn't help but blush.
"Wow, that was terrible, and that's coming from me." Ajuka mocked, making me blush even more.
"Sorry for not having many friends!" I squealed, embarrassed, while glaring at him. I could hear Ravel laughing behind me. "Let's change the subject!" I squealed, glaring at both of them.
"Of course, of course," Ajuka said playfully. "But before that, don't worry about your ancestry. Being a descendant of Satan, especially Lucifer, doesn't mean you have to do something you don't want to."
"Just keep being yourself, and don't even try to hide it, you can tell whoever you want, it's your life," Ajuka said easily, and I stopped before nodding.
"It's not like they can force me to do anything," I said, my eyes shining with determination. Ajuka nodded.
"So, any new discoveries?" Ajuka asked, changing the subject. I sighed with relief.
"Yes, actually, several!" I said immediately, changing the subject. "But really, I had a favor to ask... now that we're friends and all," I said almost brazenly. Ajuka raised an eyebrow. "Could I get some of the crystals that Evil Pieces are made from?" I asked with an innocent smile.
"No," Ajuka said boredly, with a very direct look.
"Oh, come on! Please." I begged with a moan, and Ajuka just sighed.
"The crystals are important to the devil race as a whole; they're highly regulated. There's a limit to how many can be used; they're not just simple potion ingredients I can get rid of," Ajuka said dryly. I bit my lip.
"What if it is for succubi?" I asked timidly. Ajuka seemed curious.
"Continue?" Ajuka asked.
"Okay, okay, so, I recently got hold of some really valuable ingredients." I said as I took out a small bottle and handed it to Ajuka. He took it, opened the bottle, and his eyes widened in surprise. It didn't take him more than a moment to know exactly what it was.
"Blood of a god?" Ajuka asked in surprise. I nodded as he checked the vial again before handing it back to me.
"I suppose you won't tell me who it belongs to and how you got it, will you?" Ajuka asked, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged.
"I got those bottles as payment for some potions and other tools, and I understand the blood is Dionysus's." I said, half-honestly, and Ajuka nodded. "So I did some research, and there are stories, myths, and legends where the gods can awaken the 'true' potential of heroes."
"So, I thought I'd use these potions to create something similar, a potion of true potential," I said, almost grandiosely.
"That's not how it works; the blessings of the gods work differently," Ajuka said with a frown.
"I know! But trust me, it works, and I have the notes." I said, pulling a book out of thin air, opening it, and placing it on the table. I started pulling out papers and shuffling them around before laying them out in front of Ajuka. He just leaned forward and began reading them quickly, his eyes darting from side to side. The more he read, the more his brows furrowed.
"This... could it really work?" Ajuka murmured, his words becoming rapid and rambling. "No, no, no, the potency to stabilize the potion isn't enough. The blood of a god is too potent; it would consume the other ingredients unless—" he continued, "—dragon's blood! Yes! Gods and dragons are intertwined. Dragon's blood would neutralize the divine blood's power. You'd need a particularly strong one, but that would allow for a perfect blend with the other ingredients, but... It's missing a few things." Ajuka said, his eyes gleaming.
"Exactly," I interjected. "Some key ingredients are missing. The Evil Piece crystals are one of them. Crystals can enhance various attributes of a person, and in fact, they can also enhance clan traits, just like the King Pieces." I pointed to some calculations in particular, and I could feel Ajuka pause for a moment before moving smoothly. If I hadn't had my Six Eyes, I wouldn't have been able to notice that.
"I don't know-"
"Don't even try." He dismissed it dully. "High-class devils are foolish enough to treat succubi like objects, talking about anything in front of them as if they don't care. Succubi have been listening to devil secrets for millennia, and now, I have access to that network. One of them overheard about the King's Piece."
"I investigated it discreetly and did the calculations. The King Piece works; it's feasible, so it must exist." I said easily. I wasn't even lying—well, about the succubus overhearing about the King Piece, yes, but the rest, no. The amount of information I'd started receiving from the succubi was truly impressive. High-class devils were idiots. Ajuka remained silent for a few seconds before sighing and nodding.
"They are, and I see why you would want the crystals. You want to enhance, or rather, awaken the recessive genes of the succubi through the crystals and the divine blood. Yes, in fact, I'm beginning to believe you could achieve it." Ajuka said easily, raising his gaze. "Although I would ask you not to." He said softly, and I looked at him curiously.
"Ask? Not order?" I asked curiously about the difference, and Ajuka shook his head.
"I will not order the Succubi to do anything. They have the right to claim what is rightfully theirs, especially if it is something you yourself are capable of achieving for them," Ajuka said easily. "I just want you to think about the repercussions," Ajuka said, frowning.
"Besides reviving pillar clans?" I asked curiously. Ajuka nodded.
"Yes, you would, but it's one thing to do it gradually, something that is inherent to succubi as are their recessive genes and their natural ability to maintain those genes and their fertility to have a child with those genes awakened, that is something the pillar devils will not be able to complain about, especially if that also helps to increase the numbers of their clans, but to use a potion to give pillar clan traits to succubi from one moment to the next, is something very different."
"You wouldn't just be facing Lucifer's devils anymore; you'd be up against all the pillar devils, the old faction, the new king's faction, and even the new Satans. Some will think you're trying to steal their bloodlines, that you're trying to amass power immediately, especially in the form of an army. It would attract a lot of attention, and not in a good way," Ajuka said gently. "While you are strong and will become even stronger, you won't be able to protect your entire city alone, and the newly 'awakened' succubi won't know how to fight. You'll drag them into a battle they're not prepared for," he said finally. I frowned.
"Damn it." I muttered under my breath, cursing. I hadn't really thought this through. I'd managed to create this potion while delirious a few hours ago. I hadn't even bothered to consider the repercussions. "Fine, I'll abandon it for now," I said curtly, using magic to gather up all the papers.
"I'm sorry," Ajuka said easily.
"Meh, don't worry, it was just an idea that popped into my head, I'll think of something else," I said casually. Ajuka smiled gently.
"Good," Ajuka said gently. "Now let's see what else you have," Ajuka asked playfully. My eyes lit up, and I pulled out some more papers. I could see Ravel grab a nearby chair and sit down, patiently waiting while I talked to Ajuka. Unfortunately, she interrupted us a couple of hours later; after all, I had other things to do, much to my dismay.