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đ Early Morning â Gremory Mansion (Underworld)
The world shimmered as Kaizen stepped through the teleportation circle with Rias and her peerage. For a brief moment, he experienced the disorienting pull of dimensional magicâbut he recovered almost instantly, his adaptive body compensating for the spatial transition.
When the light cleared, Kaizen stood before the sprawling grandeur of the Gremory estate.
The mansion loomed like a gothic castle, built of polished obsidian and crimson marble, surrounded by pristine gardens and magical barriers that shimmered faintly in the morning air. It was beautifulâbut every corner hummed with tightly controlled power.
Rias turned to him. "Welcome to my home. This will be your base of operationsâfor now."
Kaizen's gaze swept the grounds. "It's fortified. Good defenses, high-level wards. Has this place ever been attacked?"
"Not since the Great War," Akeno answered, stepping beside him, her usual playful energy slightly subdued. "But something tells me we should expect that to change."
The group proceeded inside. Devils in butler and maid uniforms bowed politely as they passed.
Inside, the mansion was a marvel of magic and elegance. Floating chandeliers lit the halls. Portals lined the walls like paintings, offering access to training chambers, libraries, and war rooms.
Kiba whispered to Issei, "I've been here before, but something feels different this time."
"Yeah," Issei replied. "Feels like we're preparing for war."
---
đ War Room â Gremory Estate
Kaizen stood at the head of a glowing table, beside Rias and Sirzechs Lucifer, who had personally arrived to assess the growing multiversal breach.
Sirzechsâradiant in a regal cloak, his power barely restrainedâregarded Kaizen with quiet curiosity.
"So," he said, "you're the anomaly."
Kaizen met his gaze without flinching. "An anomaly with a purpose."
Sirzechs chuckled softly. "Good. We need more purpose in this war."
He gestured to the table, where a magical map displayed points of instability across dimensions. Multiple breach markers blinked red.
"There's been movement," he continued. "After Nullshade's collapse, other versions of youâor fragmentsâhave begun stirring. Some may be hostile. Others⌠might not even be aware of their origin."
Kaizen narrowed his eyes. "How many?"
"Four are confirmed. One has already made contact with a rogue Fallen Faction. Anotherâ" Sirzechs paused, "âis hiding in the abandoned temples of the Dragoon Order."
Issei blinked. "Dragoon what now?"
"A cult obsessed with ancient dragon souls," Rias explained. "They worship lost divine beasts and exist outside devil, angel, or fallen control."
Kaizen processed the data. "Then that's our next destination."
Sirzechs nodded. "You'll lead a small unit there. Rias will accompany you."
Issei straightened. "What about me?"
"You and Kiba will fortify Kuoh. If we're right, these copies aren't just after Kaizen. They're testing the seams of this world."
Kaizen placed a hand on the map. "Then we reinforce every seam. No more fractures."
---
đĽ Later â Gremory Training Grounds
Kaizen stood in the center of a circular combat field, surrounded by sigils that fed into a controlled magic field. Rias stood across from him, her hands glowing with condensed demonic power.
"Think you can match me, Kaizen?" she asked, a teasing smirk on her lips.
"I've matched gods," he replied dryly. "But let's find out how devils compare."
Their spar began fastâRias launching a barrage of condensed power blasts while Kaizen shifted between forms, testing each of her attacks. She was elegant, precise, and devastatingly powerful.
But Kaizen was adaptive.
His body flowed with the rhythm of battle, Gearflow syncing with her spellcasting patterns.
He shifted into his Arsenal Aspect, generating curved energy blades to intercept her attacks and close the gap. Their blows met in a thunderous clash, sparks flying.
Eventually, Rias pulled back, panting. "You're improving. Fast."
Kaizen stepped forward, his tone respectful. "You push me further. That's a rare gift."
A pause.
Then Rias asked softly, "Why do you fight? Beyond just⌠survival?"
Kaizen's eyes flickered with something ancientâgrief, perhaps, or longing.
"Because too many worlds I passed through never got the chance."
---
đ Night â Gremory Garden
That night, Kaizen walked alone through the gardens. The stars above the Underworld shimmered differently than Earth's sky, painting unfamiliar constellations.
Footsteps approached behind himâlight, deliberate.
It was Akeno.
She joined him silently, her hands tucked behind her back.
"You held back earlier," she said.
Kaizen glanced at her. "I didn't want to hurt her."
"Or⌠you didn't want to be seen hurting her?"
Kaizen gave a small nod.
They stopped at a bridge over a glowing stream.
"You've changed since Nullshade," Akeno murmured. "Not just stronger. Calmer."
"I saw what I could become if I let my past dictate my path," he said. "I'm not running anymore."
She reached out, fingers gently brushing his. "Then you're one step closer to becoming something real."
The silence between them felt warm, not awkward.
And in that moment, Kaizen didn't feel alone.
---
đ Next Morning â Dimensional Gate, Gremory Estate
The teleportation circle glowed in hues of crimson and silver as Kaizen, Rias, Akeno, and Xenovia stood ready, outfitted for battle. The air shimmered with the pressure of compressed dimensional magic, ready to launch them to the Dragoon Temple.
"Coordinates locked," Rias confirmed. "We're approaching a dead zoneâno reliable teleport back unless we secure the exit point manually."
Kaizen nodded. "Then we secure it."
Xenovia checked her sword, Durandal, pulsing with divine energy. "According to the Church records, the Dragoon Order was wiped out centuries ago⌠but I wouldn't bet on it. The cult had roots in multiversal mythsâbeings with dragon souls tied to forgotten timelines."
Kaizen's brow furrowed. "Then they may have more in common with me than we thought."
The circle flared.
In a flash of light, the team vanished.
---
đ Ruins of the Dragoon Temple â Forbidden Zone
The temple sat carved into the side of a jagged cliff, blackened stone etched with runes long forgotten. The sky above was overcastâneither Underworld nor Earth, but a liminal space between realities. Magic trembled in the air like static.
The courtyard was filled with broken statues of dragons and knights. Deep scars ran across the stone, as if something massive had burst from beneath.
"Watch your footing," Rias said. "This place feels⌠cursed."
Kaizen walked ahead, senses wide open. His Gearflow system whirred internally, processing unfamiliar energies.
Then he felt it.
A presenceâforeign, yet eerily familiar.
"Something's here," he whispered. "Something like me."
Suddenly, black fire burst from the temple entrance.
From the smoke emerged a tall figure clad in fractured armor, jagged wings flaring wide. His face mirrored Kaizen'sâbut his eyes burned with pure hatred and despair.
"I am Ashen Kaizen," the figure growled. "The broken timeline. The version that failed."
Rias summoned her magic. "Another variant!"
Kaizen stepped forward, fists clenched. "You're the one who allied with the Dragoon cult. Why?"
Ashen Kaizen snarled. "Because they promised revenge. Against the multiverse that discarded me. Against YOU⌠the stable version."
Kaizen's eyes narrowed. "You're not beyond saving."
"Try me."
---
đĽ Battle Begins â Twin Kaizens
Ashen Kaizen roared forward, conjuring blades of corrupted matter. His speed matched Kaizen's perfectlyâevery attack mirrored, every dodge anticipated. It was like fighting a warped reflection.
Rias and Akeno provided cover fire, launching precision blasts to distract Ashen. Xenovia flanked from the side, slashing with Durandalâbut the corrupted Kaizen was relentless.
"He's adapting to our tactics," Xenovia shouted. "He knows us!"
"He IS me," Kaizen said grimly. "But with none of the restraint."
Kaizen shifted into Chrono Drive Form, blue-white energy surging from his limbs. His speed increased tenfold, and he managed to get behind Ashenâdriving a burst of pure multiversal force into his back.
Ashen staggeredâbut didn't fall.
"You think power makes you RIGHT?" Ashen snarled. "I lost my world because I hesitated. Because I trusted."
Kaizen's voice was calm. "And I gained this world because I didn't give up."
Their fists met in a shockwave that shattered the surrounding stone.
Ashen falteredâjust for a moment.
And in that moment, Kaizen surged forward and struck a sealing glyph against his counterpart's chest.
Ashen screamedâhis body convulsing as red and blue light enveloped him.
---
đ Aftermath â Inner Sanctum
Inside the temple, after the dust settled, Kaizen stood over the collapsed form of Ashen Kaizen, now unconscious and sealed within a containment sigil.
Rias placed a hand on Kaizen's shoulder. "That could have been you."
Kaizen nodded slowly. "It was me. In another path."
Akeno stepped forward, looking down at the fallen variant. "Can he be saved?"
Kaizen's voice was low. "That's not up to me. But I'll try."
Xenovia, scanning nearby ruins, called out. "We've found Dragoon relicsâfragments of soul-bound dragon armor. They were trying to fuse him with one."
Kaizen's eyes widened. "Then this isn't over. If the cult has other variants, they could be building something much worse."
Rias turned to him, expression serious. "We need to prepare the others. Kuoh may be their next target."
Kaizen stared at the sealed version of himselfâhaunted, but steady.
"Then we'll be ready."
---
đ Closing Scene â Dimensional Rift (Unknown Faction)
In a swirling rift between worlds, cloaked figures observed the Dragoon Temple through magical projections.
One voice, cold and commanding, spoke: "Ashen Kaizen failed. But the breach is widening."
Another responded, "Should we activate the others?"
The leader nodded. "Yes. Begin awakening the Shattered Kaizen Collective. Let the stable one see what it means to be infinite."