"Ngh—!"
"AAAHHH!"
The pain of Sacred Gear extraction was beyond anything Valerie had ever felt. At first, she tried to grit her teeth and bear it, but soon her resolve shattered, and a raw scream tore from her throat.
Her mind blurred, her soul felt as if it were being ripped apart. But mercifully, the agony didn't last long. Within moments, Tenra drew the Sacred Gear from her body.
"L-Lord Tenra…" Valerie gasped, face ghostly pale, sweat soaking her skin. She felt utterly drained, as if her very essence had been wrung dry.
"It's over now. Rest for a bit," Tenra said gently.
Though the process was brutal, it left no lasting harm. With some rest, Valerie would be herself again.
Tenra sent a pulse of spiritual energy into her, then motioned for Yubelluna to help Valerie settle onto a nearby couch. Only then did he turn his attention to the artifact he'd extracted.
What he held wasn't the usual jewel-shaped Sacred Gear. Instead, his hands cradled two silver chalices, each the size of a palm, their surfaces etched with intricate, mysterious runes.
Inside each cup, a pool of pitch-black liquid swirled. Faces flickered across the surface, appearing and vanishing, while countless voices whispered and tangled in the depths.
The legendary Longinus—Sephiroth Grail.
But something was wrong. Tenra's brow furrowed as he examined the cups.
Only two.
He knew for certain: Valerie's Grail should have three chalices.
"Valerie, did someone already take one of your Grails?" Tenra asked, voice low.
"I… I don't know…" Valerie replied, confusion clouding her eyes.
"Is there a problem, Lord Tenra?" Yubelluna asked, concern in her voice.
Tenra nodded grimly. "Valerie's Sacred Gear is supposed to have three cups. Only two remain. Someone must have taken one while she was unconscious or lost in confusion."
Shock rippled through the room. One of Valerie's Grails—gone.
Tenra's mind raced, piecing together scraps of memory and rumor. Suddenly, the answer clicked into place.
Rizevim. That bastard—it had to be him.
"What do we do now?" Yubelluna pressed, her voice tight. The importance of these Sacred Gears was not lost on any of Tenra's household.
"For now, I'll fuse with the two remaining Grails. But what's mine isn't so easily stolen. Sooner or later, I'll make him pay—with interest."
Cold determination flashed in Tenra's eyes.
Without further hesitation, he pressed the two chalices to his chest. Power surged through him as the Grails melted into his body, flooding him with spiritual energy.
Even incomplete, the Grail's strength was immense. Tenra felt his power spike, pushing him further into the realm of the transcendent. At this level, he stood among the strongest beings in the world—one step below the true Overlords, like Ophis and Great Red.
But the gap remained daunting. By Tenra's reckoning, he'd need to absorb dozens more Longinus-class Sacred Gears to reach that pinnacle. Yet there were only thirteen in existence, and he'd already claimed nearly half. Even if he seized the rest, it wouldn't be enough.
A troublesome problem. But for now, he'd take what he could get—and worry about the future later.
Tenra gathered himself, ready to speak to the others—when suddenly, pain knifed through his head. He grunted, face twisting in agony.
"Lord Tenra, what's wrong?" Yubelluna and Shelan rushed to his side, alarm etched on their faces.
Tenra couldn't answer. Waves of information crashed into his mind, relentless and overwhelming. His skull felt ready to split open.
The newly fused Grail was fighting back.
"DXD: Infinite Loot System"Sephiroth Grail—the legendary Longinus that defied the laws of life itself—was forcibly imprinting its knowledge onto Tenra. Data poured into him, brutal and unfiltered. And beneath it all, something darker: the consciousnesses of the living, the dead, fragments of spirit and concept, countless alien minds clawing at his sanity.
Voices filled his head, a cacophony of whispers and screams. Chaos and confusion threatened to drown him.
So this was the pain Valerie had endured for so long.
But Tenra was not so easily broken.
"A mere Longinus thinks it can erode me? Become my power—and nothing more!" he snarled, voice echoing in his own spiritual world.
Within, his Sea of Faith churned and roared. The colossal Codex of Divinitas et Diabolus blazed with light, scattering every foreign presence and stray thought. Tenra called on Angel's Whisper, weaving a shield of mental protection around himself.
Gradually, the storm subsided. The Grail's rebellious energy quieted, and Tenra's mind cleared. He exhaled, relief flooding his senses.
"Sorry to worry you," he said, voice steady once more. "The Grail tried to invade my mind, but it's under control now."
Yubelluna, Shelan, Isabella, and Valerie all breathed easier, their concern melting away.
Tenra turned to Valerie. "How are you feeling?"
Valerie managed a small, genuine smile. "I can't use my ability anymore—but I've never felt so light. So peaceful."
There was no regret, no sense of loss. The quiet relief was precious, after years of torment.
"It's late. Get some rest," Tenra said softly. "We'll stay here a few more days—once everything's settled, I'll take you home."
"Thank you, Lord Tenra," Valerie replied, gratitude shining in her eyes.
Tenra brushed her forehead affectionately, and Valerie nodded before slipping out.
After she left, Yubelluna asked, "Are we really staying here longer? I thought we'd leave as soon as Valerie was safe."
Tenra's gaze hardened. "Rizevim's actions trouble me. We'll remain for now."
He turned to Shelan, sweeping her into his arms. "Enough talk. Let's go 'rest.'"
Shelan blushed, and Yubelluna and Isabella exchanged glances before following them into the bedroom—faces flushed, hearts pounding, the night stretching out before them.
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