As the scent of Venelana's cooking filled the room, the System's red HUD flashed urgently in Reinhardt's vision.
[SYSTEM ALERT: SECURITY BREACH]
[Target: Outer Barrier North-West Sector]
[Enemy: 5 Low-Level Spies (Old Satan Faction)]
Reinhardt stood up calmly, patting Serafall's shoulder. "Sera, go ahead and start eating. I forgot something in my room; I'll be back in a minute."
Serafall, busy eyeing a piece of roasted meat, waved a hand. "Sure, Rein-chan! But hurry back or I'll eat your portion too!"
Reinhardt exchanged a silent look with Artoria and Scáthach. They caught the drift instantly—stay here and protect the girls. Reinhardt stepped out of the dining hall, but instead of heading to his room, he used a flash-step to appear instantly at the edge of the mansion's outer barrier.
There, five shadows were fumbling with the magical wards, cloaked in concealment spells that were pathetic compared to Reinhardt's senses.
"Coming all the way here like thieves in the night... you truly are trash," Reinhardt's voice rang out, cold and sharp.
The spies jumped, their cloaks falling away to reveal men bearing the crest of the Asmodeus branch. They drew their daggers, trembling despite their numbers. "You... you put the Young Master in a hospital bed! He'll be recovering for months because of what you did to his shoulders! He sent us to make sure you never walk again!"
Reinhardt chuckled, but there was no warmth in it. The air around him began to distort as the temperature skyrocketed. "He sent you? To kill me? It seems he didn't just lose his joints; he lost his mind as well."
Reinhardt raised a single hand, and the ground beneath the spies turned into a lake of molten slag. "We will see about that. I hope your regeneration is better than your Young Master's, because I'm not in a merciful mood before lunch."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Combat Initiated: Reinhardt vs. Asmodeus Hit-Squad]
[Condition: Do not let them scream loud enough to ruin Serafall's appetite.]
Reinhardt didn't even give them the chance to beg. He unsheathed Ryujin Jakka just an inch, the blade glowing with the heat of a dying star. In a blur of speed, he vanished.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
The air didn't even have time to scream. Within seconds, five piles of ash were all that remained of the hit-squad, scattered by a light breeze. Reinhardt sheathed his blade with a crisp click and pulled out his communication crystal.
The holographic image of Zeckram Bael appeared, looking slightly annoyed. "Rein? It's the middle of the night. This better be important."
"The Asmodeus heir sent a squad to my mansion to assassinate me," Reinhardt said flatly.
The air on Zeckram's end turned visible as his killing intent manifested, cracking the stone floor beneath his feet. "He did what? That pathetic insect actually dared to touch my territory?"
"I've already turned them to ash," Reinhardt calmed him. "But tell me, old man—how is the relationship between the four Great Satans' heirs? Are they still at each other's throats?"
Zeckram took a breath, reeling in his aura. "Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Leviathan are constantly fighting for dominance. As for the Lucifer heir, Rizevim... there's something fundamentally wrong with his head. He's a wild card."
"Leave the Lucifer head to the Anti-Maou faction," Reinhardt replied with a cold smirk. "They can waste their resources on him. Tell me, is there a Beelzebub stronghold near Bael territory?"
Zeckram went silent for a moment, a predatory grin slowly spreading across his face. "Yes. There is. Don't tell me you're planning..."
"Yep. You know exactly what I'm thinking, old man. If the Beelzebub faction suddenly 'attacks' an Asmodeus target, or if a Beelzebub base is wiped out right after Asmodeus failed a mission... the infighting will get much bloodier."
Zeckram let out a dark chuckle. "I'll send you the coordinates. It's a research and logistics base. Make sure there are no survivors. If you're going to do it, do it like a Bael."
"Consider it done."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[New Objective: Operation Infighting]
Target: Beelzebub Stronghold (Sector 7-G).
Goal: Total Annihilation.
Reward: 50,000,000 Devil Coins & "Shadow of the Great King" Title.
Reinhardt walks back into the dining room where the food is still hot. Serafall looks up, her mouth full of rice.
"You were gone for a while, Rein-chan! Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked innocently.
Reinhardt sat back down, noticing a single grain of rice clinging to the corner of Serafall's mouth. Without a word, he reached over, brushed it off with his thumb, and popped it into his own mouth.
Serafall's face turned a shade of crimson that rivaled a Phenex flame. She pouted, her hands hovering near her cheeks. "You... you are incredibly bold, Rein-chan! Doing that in front of everyone!"
"I simply hate to see good food go to waste," Reinhardt replied smoothly. "As for what I was looking for in my room, I didn't find it. I'll have to do a more... thorough search later tonight."
Serafall nodded, her heart still fluttering, and the rest of the meal passed with laughter and the sound of the sisters' occasional bickering. Once the table was cleared, Serafall stood up, giving Reinhardt a tight, lingering hug.
"Bye, Rein-chan! See you again soon—and remember, the next time I come, I'm sitting on your lap the whole time!" With a wink and a swirl of magic, she teleported away.
As soon as the sparkles faded, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The warmth evaporated, replaced by the cold, sharp edge of a blade being drawn. Reinhardt turned to the three legendary figures standing by the wall.
"Lancer, Morgan, Scáthach. Get ready. We're going hunting tonight."
Artoria (Lancer) cracked her knuckles, a predatory light in her eyes. "Good. My body was beginning to feel stiff from all this sitting."
"My spears have been thirsty for a while now," Scáthach added, her aura flickering with a dangerous purple hue.
Morgan adjusted her veil, her fingers dancing with dark mana. "I have several new curses I've been meaning to test. A stronghold should provide ample targets."
Venelana stepped forward, her expression worried. "So, what really happened outside, Rein? You said you 'disposed' of something."
"Assassins," Reinhardt said flatly. "Sent by that Asmodeus trash I humbled at the ball. He thought he could strike at me in my own home."
"Are you going to kill him now?" Venelana asked, her eyes narrowing.
Reinhardt shook his head. "No. That's too simple. We're going to destroy a Beelzebub Stronghold instead."
Artoria paused, a smug grin spreading across her face as she caught his drift. "Ah, I see. You're going to frame the Asmodeus faction. You kill the Beelzebub forces, leave just enough evidence or a 'witness' to point toward Asmodeus, and let the two houses tear each other apart while we watch."
"Good thinking, King," Reinhardt praised.
Artoria puffed out her chest, looking triumphant. "I am a King, after all. Strategy is second nature to me."
"Yeah, and so is being a pig," Morgan muttered under her breath, glancing at the empty plates Artoria had cleared earlier.
Artoria's head snapped around, her spear appearing in a flash of light. "What did you say, witch?!"
"Enough," Reinhardt commanded, his voice vibrating with authority. "Save that energy for the stronghold. We move in ten minutes."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Mission: The False Flag Massacre]
Location: Beelzebub Stronghold (S-7G).
Current Power Level: Peak (Buffed by 'The King's Resolve').
Objective: Wipe out the garrison and plant evidence of Asmodeus involvement.
You arrive at the outskirts of the Beelzebub base. It is heavily fortified with anti-teleportation wards and high-tier sentinels.