Welcome to the third chapter, ahead of schedule but most likely the last one at this speed for a while. I do have stuff to do I cannot postpone for longer.

With that said, some things to adress quickly.

Some have correctly pointed that Reality Marbles, according to wikia, can be inherited. This is true, and I apologize for the error. That said, it takes something more than bloodlines to actually pass them to another, and the ones I mentioned are indeed the only ones we know that can be mastered with the right talents or simply by being the current host of the original wielder.

Second, the unknown women of the past. To those putting Caren or Ciel, sorry to say you picked the wrong church women. Honestly, I'm surprised those that guessed Sion didn't guess who the other character was. Maybe the info was a little too vague after all? Also, no Arcueid in the past harem.

Finally, disclaimers.

All characters involed do not belong to me but to the original source material. Please do check the original sources, they have lots of things to offer beyond text, and they can help you contribute to this project.

For now that is all, I hope you enjoy this update.

Rewriting Your FATE: Irregular Demon Lords.

Chapter III: Family

Ruins of the Gremory Castle

(Bleach OST: Nightmare- Extended)

Nothing had been going as planned.

No, it would be more accurate to say nothing went according to plan.

They had amassed a huge army, smaller when compared to the ones controlled by Rizevim and Bidleid but big enough to crush whatever garrison was protecting the Gremory state. Even with the Lady of the Castle present, resistance should have lasted one day at most.

They had prepared countermeasures, even if their original intention was to go for a swift and total victory, reducing the Gremory to nothing but ashes. They would make such fate an example to all those opposing the current rule of the Demon Lords.

But the Castle held, the people survived and kept fighting.

And the Bael Whore proved to be more than a pretty face, going from merely stalling their advances for two entire weeks to taking on two Demon Lords and their remaining forces for 20 minutes, by herself.

And when she had been cornered for real, the Bael Whore attempted to use something dangerous enough that both she and Damaidosu agreed on teleporting away.

That's when things took a turn from bad to worse.

The Bael Whore laid now in the arms of something, looking similar to a Vampire or perhaps even a Devil. But she knew better. Whatever that thing was, it was no Devil or Vampire… in fact, she couldn't tell at all what the hell that thing was supposed to be, only what her senses told her.

Hunger. Chaos. Order. Madness. Rage. Happiness.

Behind them, there was a third woman look-alike. She didn't confuse and scare her senses all at once.

But she did terrify her nonetheless.

Power and Authority.

She felt something more familiar from this woman, but it was something she had only felt three times in her life.

The original Demon Lords.

Rizevim Lucifer.

And the two monsters in the Rebel Army, Sirzechs Gremory and Ajuka Astaroth.

Much as she was loath to admit, it took both her and Damaidosu to bring down a Venelana Gremory that was not stronger than her own son, and was not herself at her best.

And now Damaidosu was gone, killed by some freakish Holy Spear that came out of nowhere and tore through his defenses like they weren't there in the first place.

And she was left alone with the two monsters keeping the Bael Whore to themselves, the latter of which had begun advancing upon her by simply walking.

Tsuufame Leviathan lived to the pride of their progenitors, of the original Demon Lord that created their whole race.

But she was no fool to believe she could win this fight as she was now.

She tried again teleporting away from the thing and the teen looking monster approaching, but every magical circle she summoned for that purpose broke almost immediately.

She kept trying, growing more desperate with every failure, even as the monster kept calmly walking to her position, humming to herself.

The fools in her army seemed to be experiencing the same issue, even though those under Lucifuge had stopped after a command from their Lord.

She cared not.

She wanted to go away.

She needed to go away.

She-

"It won't work, little Devil"- spoke the monster after stopping her annoying humming –"You were crafty enough to create the means to stop teleportation in key points and isolate this whole place from such a freedom to all but those under your banner. Why are you so surprised to be on the receiving end of such a tactic?"

"You…locked us all?" –Tsufaame asked, trying to make it sound like a demand but clearly showing her disbelief.

"Your means of communication as well. None will be able to tell what is happening here to the outside, and none will ever know from their comfortable seats far away. You have been effectively isolated, all of your routes of escape cut. I call check.

Now tell me, little Devil…What will be your move?"

The last part was said with all that power and authority imprinted in the monster's voice, causing a shiver to run all over Tsufaame's gargantuan frame.

She…she would not run.

She couldn't run.

Unthinkable. She was Tsufaame Leviathan, THE LEVIATHAN! She would not escape from an enemy, no matter how strong he or she was.

She couldn't escape.

The shame of being remembered as the Demon Lord who surrendered, who begged for mercy.

There would be no mercy.

Unforgivable…

Unforgivable!

UNFORGIVABLE!

"You dare!" –She yelled at the tiny monster, her fear drowned under her rage –"That you think you can intimidate me with a few words and nothing else, can be nothing but hubris! I am Tsufaame Leviathan, one of the Four Demon Lords of the Underworld. I will not be underestimated by a no name little girl that has yet to fully know the real world. I will have you pay your arrogance with your broken corpse!"

The monster merely smiled before speaking again.

"You are right in one thing. I hold no lands, have no loyal servants at my beck and call. All of my titles are meaningless in here. But I have seen far more of the real world than you, little Devil. And authority is meaningless without the strength AND skill to back it up. That is why you will all lose your lands, your people and servants, your titles… and finally, your lives."

Tsufaame was furious at such disrespect, at such confidence from a self-admitted nobody.

And she was also furious that such rebuke still inspired fear in her. Her! One of the fearsome and powerful Demon Lords!

"White always goes first, and black follows, little Devil. You are still in check, but it's your move."

That was it.

That was the breaking point.

The nonchalant attitude. The fearsome presence. The arrogance and dismissal of the authority of the Demon Lords of the Underworld, all the while admitting to being nobody.

She dared to lecture her, to give her a chance!

Such impudence, such disrespect. Such humiliation!

She rose her body and prepared to unleash a devastating attack.

The little monster simply raised her right arm and pointed her index to her position.

"ENOUGH! BE SILENT AND JUST DROWN!"

But as she was about to attack…

"Checkmate, little Devil"

A tidal wave of water that could drown a big city and instantly break through the strongest of walls was coming from her mouth before the Serpent Leviathan could do anything else.

The second last thing heard by Tsufaame Leviathan, the proud Demon Lord holding the position of one of the Main Four Pillars of the Devil-kin, were two words.

"[Alt Nagel]"

The last thing the Leviathan heard was the howling and roaring of the winds, before her whole body was forcefully risen to the skies as it was completely shredded into many tiny pieces.

(Otorimonogatari ost Ninen Nikumi)

Sirzechs Gremory rushed back home after Venelana's words of depature, leaving behind the frontlines and carrying within himself the drive of only known to those desperate for getting their hopes answered.

They had been unable to teleport directly inside the walls of the Gremory state, so Sirzechs had transported himself as close as he could before throwing every bit of power he had into his wings.

Devil's wings shared with those of Angels the ability to keep them afloat, and allow traveling the skies at a particular speed. But for all three races, these wings were never supposed to allow high speed flight by themselves, unless the person in question had developed a spell to help.

Sirzechs was proficient with his Power of Destruction for offensive purposes, and even created an almost unbreakable combination of offense and defense with his Aura of Destruction.

But the Power of Destruction was not designed to support anything else than its name-sake, and neither Sirzechs nor Ajuka had discovered yet the means to allow for high speed flight for any individual Devil, much less a group of them.

So Sirzechs simply put all of his power in his body and his wings and flew.

Like a crimson comet, Sirzechs Gremory flew with the Gremory state as destination, forcing his body to an activity it was not made for and crossing the lands and the skies in record time.

His wings first stung, then they tired. Then they hurt, more and more, as he kept the abuse in his mission to save his beloved mother.

What would have taken days was accomplished in minutes.

Sirzechs succeeded in getting close to the Gremory state half the time he promised.

But even if he could ignore the pain, his body could not shrug off the damage sustained, and his wings were no more in any shape to sustain flight.

So close to the walls, the crimson comet lost control and painfully crashed into the ground, releasing the energy contained into an explosion of dust and demonic energies.

The sudden loss of his ability to fly broke Sirzechs from his focus, and as he crashed he became able to remember the pain he had accumulated from the strain he put on himself.

"AAAAGGHH!"

His damaged wings did not take well the fall, the sudden loss of their ability and his own stubbornness to keep forward stopping him from flexing them into his back in time.

They would not be seeing more use in the future if not properly healed soon.

"Aaggh!"

Even if he still had enough in his reserves, Sirzechs would not be able to force the same trick again.

However…

"Not. Done!"

He was still trying to reach those walls.

"Not done...I'M NOT DONE YET!"

He ignored the unusual feeling of weariness.

He ignored the pain on his back, as the rest of his body could still move.

But as he was about to break into a run coated in his Power of Destruction, he heard it.

He saw it.

The gargantuan serpent that was most likely the True Form of Tsufaame Leviathan was consumed by an almost invisible pillar, reaching high and higher to the skies of the Underworld.

A pillar that roared, as it lifted the serpent and all within, and reduced it all to nothing.

He could not hear the screams of the dying Leviathan above the howling winds being released, but he could see the blood and the ever smaller chunks of its body disappear alongside debris, as they all went high into the skies.

Sirzechs was momentarily pushed back by she shockwave of the event, but he quickly held his ground.

Luckily for him, the phenomenon didn't last long.

Ten seconds after it shot to the skies, the pillar of winds disappeared and the roaring finally stopped.

However, what mattered most to Sirzechs was what he felt, just after it was gone.

He felt the connection to his home return.

Whatever spell had been isolating the Gremory state from access by its owners, was broken alongside the body of the Leviathan.

Surprise was quickly overcome, and Sirzechs quickly summoned a teleportation circle and went directly to the location of the Gremory Castle.

(Onimonogatari ost: Tenbatsu)

Clear signs of battle greeted him, once he stepped out of the circle.

Uprooted trees and collapsed buildings, including the once proud Gremory Castle of which barely anything remained.

There were bodies of different races, mostly Devils, but the majority seemed to have been wearing the symbols of the Leviathan and Asmodeus Pillars.

Craters and burnt marks covered the paths once connecting the now broken remains of the castle's buildings, and some lakes of water had formed in those holes created by what he could assume was the last battle.

All of this was barely acknowledged by Sirzechs Gremory, however, as his focus had been dragged to the image at his front.

A black haired teen wearing elegant clothes in black and decorated in red. She had been lowering an arm that had been previously reaching upwards, her face turned to look at his direction.

Not in surprise, but as if had been expecting him.

Those crimson eyes of hers regarded him not with trepidation or malice, but with curiosity and interest.

That of course was accompanied by the enormous power he could feel from her, even if she seemed content with keeping it under control.

The amused teen decided to speak first, but somebody else interrupted her.

"Sirzechs?"

"!"

That voice.

That familiar voice that had been a central pillar of his life during his eighteen years of existence.

"Mother?" –he whispered, but in the silence he was still heard.

Her dress had gashes in different places, but she seemed surprisingly healthy for someone who decided to pull a last stand against two Demon Lords.

She was also currently standing between a purple haired woman and a tanned man with silver hair and eyes.

His mother seemed tired, but fine. In fact, she didn't show being uncomfortable in the middle of this group of people that he had never seen in his life.

Relief filled his body. But also confusion.

At first glance they were all strangers to him, so why?

Why did the only male in the small gathering bring forth a particular and surprising feeling in him?

Family.

His senses were telling him that man was akin to family, even if there were not traits of the Gremory or even the Bael in the stranger.

And yet, he could not help but feel a connection that he only expected to have with his father and his own mother.

…

Suddenly it came to him.

'Could it be?'

Silver eyes. Silver hair. Tanned skin.

The natural closeness that he could see between the man and his own mother.

And the stories he had grown up with for the last three years.

In that moment, Sirzechs Gremory realized the identity the man standing at his mother's side, and the possible identities of the other two women.

As impossible as it should have been, they were standing in front of him.

Living Legends that accompanied his mother during her time spirited away.

People who had lived up to the accounts and the feelings his mother had for them, as they had protected Venelana Gremory while he had been desperately trying to reach her in time.

He did what first came to him.

First he approached his mother and stood in front of her, ignoring the small audience close for the time being.

Then he embraced her with strength, ignoring the pain on his back for a third time as he was embraced in return.

"I'm so glad… I'm so glad you are safe. I don't care how they got here, or how it makes no sense according to the ending of your own tale. I'm just happy that they saved you, that you are still a part of my life, mom"

Eyes closed, his mother slowly caressed his wounded back to sooth away his worries.

Sirzechs didn't see her face, but he could sense the moment her expression changed into a frown, as concern filled her voice.

"Your wings. You were too reckless."

"Our enemies blocked teleportation in all of the Gremory Territory and the adjacent ones. I had no choice but to rush here by force. Broken wings were a price I was willing to pay to reach you before it was too late– owww! - though my pain seemed to have been unneeded" –he finished with a wince.

His mother distanced herself to look at his face, but didn't break the embrace.

"Reckless fools, the both of you. Like father, like son. But as you are now you cannot properly fight, and we have no Phoenix Tears with us."

At this he smiled and mock-complained.

"I'll have you know I am not just a power idiot, mom!" –He started proudly, though he swore he heard a snicker and something coming from the now identified Black Princess that sounded like 'so he admits he is an idiot', which he decided to ignore –"I came here prepared to rescue you, so I expected to find you wounded. Therefore-"

"Young Master!"

"Young Lord!"

"My Lord!"

"Lord Gremory!"

He was suddenly aware that more people were in the vicinity, as he was interrupted by a chorus of voices calling out to him in respect.

He knew all of them, even those that didn't use to live here.

"We found them wandering on our way here, and that's when we decided to pull off the kid's gloves and simply break trough. I used the opening created by Venelana's last move to hide my own attack and while everyone's attention was on her. Rouge simply carried them along since she decided it would be easier that way"- spoke Shirou Emiya for the first time, and his mother actually directed her sight at the last person mentioned.

"Really? I go through the effort of keeping the invaders busy to allow the survivors a route of escape, and you people just take them back with you while two Demon Lords were still here" –she complained, before turning to look back at Sirzechs –"All because someone decided to ignore my wishes and just rush here…"

Sirzechs simply got dragged into the antics without realizing it.

"But mom, I rushed to save you! How could I know cavalry was already on its way?"- He pouted like a teenager making excuses for his mother for not doing the chores as he was supposed to –"Besides-"

Once again he was interrupted from revealing what he had brought along.

This time, by a distress call from the communication device given to him by Ajuka.

The teasing mood vanished instantly, and Sirzechs the son was replaced immediately by Sirzechs the Rebel Leader.

Opening the device he was greeted by the face of his father.

Zeoticus Gremory said nothing at first, looking at the ones gathered around his son, including his now safe wife. But instead of smiles, the grim expression on his face stayed.

"It's heartening to see you succeeded son, but your absence is felt now more than ever."

"Tell me, what is going on your side"

"We're being attacked from three different fronts, and lost contact with your friends"

Battle between the Loyalists and Rebels Forces, Eastern Front.

(Shadows of War: Main Menu Theme-Extended)

"How does it feel to be so useless now, Falbium?"

A master of tactics, he was called.

Personally, Falbium Glasya-Labolas simply sought the most efficient ways to ensure time and resources were not wasted.

Time better used for him to take a nap, and resources to make easier to fight and end those fights with the least amount of effort and bloodshed.

Sometimes the best approach was to send one of his friends to shock and awe the loyalist with a show of raw power. Sometimes it was necessary to think of more complex ways to win or at the very least force the enemy into retreat.

But when it became necessary for him to enter the battlefield, Falbium preferred a tactic truly expressed his views regarding combat.

To become an insurmountable obstacle.

A moving fortress that soaked attacks without crumbling, and could counterattack returning all of them back to the enemy forces.

No wasted efforts, a significant reduction of bloodshed, and still effective to drastically lower the morale of the other side.

While Sirzechs, Serafall, and to some extent Ajuka, embodied the offensive power of their forces, Falbium embodied their endurance and determination.

With the exception of Rizevim and his the current Gremory and Astaroth heirs, there were none in the current generation of Devils or even the survivors of the previous one who could do more than uselessly crash at the walls of his magical defenses.

Unfortunately, a weakness had been found in his strategy.

Most of times, Falbium could count on the arrogance of the liutenants and even the commanders of the Satan-Faction to push them into defying his walls, while his friends kept the actual threats occupied.

But Sirzechs was gone, having rushed alone to save his mother and the Gremory Estate from a surprise invasion.

Serafall was busy fighting her rival from the Lucifuge Pillar, while Ajuka had been taking over Sirzechs in the offensive. He knew no more since communications and teleportation had been cut off once their forces engaged the enemy.

And he, Falbium, had fallen into a trap.

Instead of wasting effort trying to break through his walls whatever the cost, the Demon Lord acting as the commander leading the assault on his front chose a different tactic.

Bidleid Beelzebub cut off all means of teleportation for the rebels, and attacked all of his unprotected soldiers, forcing him to expand the reach of his walls in order to discourage the offensive and begin his moving fortress tactic.

But just as he did the first part of his manouver, a new barrier was erected to encircle his walls. It was a huge accomplishment considering how much area he had covered, but it worked as intended. Since Falbium didn't specialize in offensive magic, he depended on the power of his counterattack and his mobility once he was on the battlefield.

The new barrier didn't attack his walls, and Falbium and his army had been effectively reduced to sitting ducks, unable to move outside or even launch their own attacks as they would expose themselves to the enemy forces ready to unleash their power at the sign of an opening.

"You, who were called the Living Fortress, the Absolute Defense of the Rebellion… can do nothing now but sit on your rear and wait. Your genius mind, your tactics that gained many victories to those traitors, and your so called invincibility… are all meaningless now" –continued the the Demon Lord mocking him, and Falbium grimaced in agreement.

He had been led to underestimate the enemy offficers regardless of rank, and he hadn't changed his tactics with the disappearance of Sirzechs. And now, isolated from the other fronts and trapped with the men and women under his command, Falbium Glasya-Labolas realized that he had been beaten.

Not on the battlefield, not on direct combat.

The attacks on the Bael and later the Gremory, as well as the continued raids on the allied territories by mercenaries and even other factions outside Devils.

The significant victories accumulated by the rebellion before this surprise tactic never tried before by the loyalists.

And the isolation of the rebel armies in three fronts isolated from one another.

Rizevim Lucifer was a strategist willing to waste people and resources, to contradict the very goal that ignited the war amongst Devils, and to hide his trump cards regardless of loses on the battlefield. All for the sake of creating the perfect opportunity.

It was a too risky move, a strategy that relied on betting all on creating the right conditions for a sure and crushing victory at the cost of so much. Falbium would never consider a proud and experienced Demon Lord would chose such a course of action, but Rizevim saw no problem with it.

And he was reaping the gains of his previous loses.

Battle between the Loyalists and Rebels Forces, Northern Front.

(Saint Seiya OST: Black Saint's Challenge)

"Huff…huff"

"My, my. Such resilience in spite of the difference in power. No wonder you could hold out against my beautiful sister every time you both fought, Sitri"

Oh, how much had she come to despise that smug voice before even an hour had passed.

"Huff…huff…Grayfia…I thought we had built something together…but you…just had to invite that brocon… and his pet…"- Serafall spoke to her rival on the other side, ignoring Euclid's most recent praise on his elder sister, but not his actions.

Or those of the monstrosity standing at his side.

The Lucifuge Princess remained quiet, appearing the very image of stoicism. But Serafall could see the cracks in the mask, especially when her rival looked at the giant floating fly that had joined their battle alongside her brother.

"But the time for child play is over. With our power combined, and this Fly Chimera giving the extra push needed, this ought to be over very soon. Don't you love my new inventions, Sitri?"

That man really loved to hear his own voice, but it gave her time to recover her breath.

"You mean the things you used to lock me here… and most likely Ajuka and Falbium?"

His smile turned sinister at her question, a mad glint now visible in his eyes.

"I'm glad you noticed that, but no. I was speaking about the improvements made to little Beelzebub here"

Serafall lost any mirth left in her, and the subtle cracks on Grayfia's mask gained a new whole meaning.

"What..?"

"Oh I don't mean Lord Beelzebub himself, if that's what you are thinking. Devils don't necessarily have just one child, you know? Lord Beelzebub simply gave his brother a new purpose, and I was given the task of making him able to fulfill it. With a little help of the legacy of the original Demon Lords"

…

What had he done?

What had Euclid Lucifuge done to a member of the Four Main Pillars?

What had Beelzebub done by allowing, no, ordering such a fate upon his own younger brother?!

"Why?"- She asked, expecting already an answer but hoping, deep within herself, that some manner of pragmatism was there.

Euclid simply rose made a surprised expression, still smiling widely.

"Why, you say? For the sake of victory, perhaps. For the sake of confirming the actual utility of old relics left to gather dust for centuries. Did you know we actually had the means to win the Great War, yet never bothered using them? Had the Original Demon Lords abandoned their own fear and simply embraced the power they had created, we could have gotten so much more, perhaps even beaten the Fallen and the Heavens!

My Lord Rizevim Lucifer is not a coward, neither is he a fool ignorant of the power we hold! If we need to sacrifice talentless fools for the sake of research, it will be done! We will end this pathetic rebellion of you four soon, and then we will unite the Devil-kin and used the legacy of our forefathers to truly live to the pride of our Progenitor!"

"…You are insane"- she could only say after hearing his rant –"You, Rizevim, and most likely the other Demon Lords, you are all insane. You don't care for other Devils at all… you just want to drown the whole world in your madness, until you find a wall you can no longer overcome"

She then gave a final look at her rival, looking at the impassive mask she wore.

"Are you alright with this? With this path for all of us, for you?"

It was very subtle this time, but Serafall could see a change in Gayfia's lips, something akin to a grimace.

"I am a Lucifuge. We exist for the sake of the Lucifer Pillar. I exist for the sake of the Lucifuge's duty to the Lucifer. That is all we must care for…that is all I must care for."

Both siblings prepared for a new engagement, and the damned Beelzebub started charging a new attack.

'I'm sorry, Sirzechs…but I'm not sure if I can wait for you to come back.'

Battle between the Loyalists and Rebels Forces, Western Front.

(Owarimonogatari ost Atoshimatsu)

"You are impressive with that magic of yours, young Astaroth. Even I would fall to you in a direct combat, should I fight you on fair grounds. But this is not a duel, but a battle in the middle of a war that has covered a whole year already."

The Kankara Formula, the very reason Ajuka was considered one of the top three in the Devil Race, those whose power far surpassed the original Demon Lords. It allowed him to identify and manipulate the equations behind all natural and supernatural phenomena, therefore making him the perfect counter for those relying on their magic.

It was not as effective in eliminating threats as Sirzechs' Power of Destruction, but it was far more versatile. That was not to say it was the ultimate problem solver.

For it had weaknesses, hard to exploit but nonetheless there.

Ajuka was the master of the Kankara Formula, and he could solve as many equations as he could see. But there were only so many things he could pay attention to at the same time, and his marvelous ability was a still a form of demonic magic.

Therefore, he was susceptible to deception.

"…"

"…"

Therefore, it could be made worthless.

"Experience the fruits of entire months of research and loses from our side. You were so willing to exploit that creation of yours during the course of the war, we simply took our time observing and learning. You do know how the Belial Pillar's ability works, right? Of course you do."

Ajuka should have pitied the clearly tortured soul that had once been a member of the Belial Clan, now reduced to an experiment infused with some form of demonic magic to make him surpass drastically whatever potential he once possessed.

To an extent he did. But his main concern was the fact that as of now, he was completely powerless to the leader of the Demon Lords.

Perhaps in the future he could find a way to overcome the magic of the Belial Clan by improving his own Kankara Formula.

But unless Sirzechs found a way to get there soon, or Rizevim felt like playing the prolonged torture game…Ajuka had no way to get out of his current predicament.

Back at the ruins of the Gremory Castle.

(Owarimonogatari ost Saigo no Kaiwa)

"I see. So Rizevim played us to this extent. And I abandoned our forces and my comrades when they needed me the most"

Venelana Gremory saw her son's plight at the revelations of the current state of the war, and she couldn't help but sympathize.

It was such a familiar sight, it hurt to remember.

"Every single action taken by the ones leading the Loyalists was a part of a bigger strategy with a simple goal. To remove Sirzechs Gremory from the battle and destroy any form of support he had to continue heading the rebellion. Alone and driven by grief and rage, it would only take another bait for the remaining Demon Lords to eliminate the last beacon of rebellion and consolidate their rule." –concluded Sion after combining the limited information Zeoticus could gather with the knowledge she had obtained after Leviathan had been eliminated.

"Is like that bastard Fina all over again. I bet he is also playing all of those fools in the Satan Faction and making them dance at his tune. Wouldn't be surprised if he also likes to molest little boys" –Altrouge added her two cents, recalling the name of the one who betrayed her and was used all of their battles and struggles to advance his own grand strategy and eventually get rid of them.

Venelana agreed wholeheartedly, remembering the one person that he had come to despise the most, even above the Demon Lords her son had been fighting until now.

If Rizevim Lucifer was truly another Fina-blood Svelten, she would…she would…

Her son interrupted her inner conflict, by expressing his own.

"I have to return, but even with my wings healed and my reserves still there, I cannot reach the place in time if teleportation has been blocked to this extent…What do I do?...

What do I do to save my people and my friends?!"

He sounded so desperate, and she knew he was.

He was one of the most powerful Devils ever, and here he was now unable to reach in time all he cared for before it slipped through his hands like ashes.

Venelana understood his sorrow too well, and she wanted nothing but to spare him the kind of suffering that still tore at her soul.

But she was powerless, even without the restrictions enforced by the contract that saved her life.

However…

No.

I cannot ask that. Not from them. Not from him.

The means to possibly turn the tables and avoid the terrible outcome would take but a request, and she knew at least one person would be willing to help.

But she couldn't ask that from him, from any of them.

(Saint Seiya OST: Pandora's Box- play from 1:26)

"Say the words"- Shirou said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"..."

"Say the words, Venelana" –he repeated louder, and her lips trembled, as the words refused to come out.

She tried giving them a way out, to stay true to what was fair.

"But you…you are finally free. No more will you be dragged by the failures and tragedies of the past, Shirou. No longer will Sion despair about the inevitable futures filled with nothing but sorrow and death. No longer will Altrouge obsess with the present in rejection a future set on stone and a past wasted away.

You have no obligation here. I willingly helped you back in your home world, but I refuse to ask the same of you. I could never live with myself if I forced you into another war, especially one you have no stakes in."

She wanted them to stop, yet she also knew her son desperately needed them now.

"Say the words, Venelana, and you will have our support"

She swore to not interfere directly in the war efforts, to let her son and his friends be the ones to create the new future for their race. And yet, she had decided to stand against two of the Main Pillars to help Sirzechs, risking her own life.

She swore to not control his life, to let him do his own mistakes so long as he owned to the consequences. But now the consequences were too dire, the price too high to pay.

She was raised to not care for human affairs beyond the pragmatic approach of Devils seeking to forge contracts. Yet she had joined a ragtag group of humans and half-demons and vampires, all fighting for the sake of humanity against a Primordial Demon God and other monsters.

What was the point of remaining at the sides, when she had never done so in the first place?

But she couldn't do it alone.

She needed her friends, her family from the other side.

And she was not Shirou Emiya, but a selfish Devil wanting to protect her family and her people in here.

Even knowing they would not judge her or condemn her, it pained her to put them back into a world of conflicts like hers.

But even so, she asked.

Getting to her knees and then bowing with her head to the floor, much to the horror and surprise of all other Devils gathered around, she begged.

"Please…Please lend me your strength, my beloved family from far away. Lend me your steel, your magic and your authority, so we can all build a better future"

Silence remained for about five seconds, before she got a reaction.

She rose her face to see Shirou helping her rise to her feet and grasping her hands into his own with warmth and kindness. And the other two joined.

Each one of the three focused on something different, but all stood on the same position.

"There is nothing wrong with offering help to those in need. Much less those I consider family."

"I am the bearer of the name of Atlasia. And Atlasia means doing the impossible, even if you have to forge the means for such reality to become true."

"I do have stakes in this, Venelana. You Devils are very influential in this world we have arrived to. Starting my own path requires allies, and what a wonderful bonus would it be to be friends with the mother of a new Demon Lord. Don't you think so?"

All three of them agreed to support her.

This time, Venelana Gremory did not cry.

But she offered a bright smile whose shine could have blinded all around her and made them question her own origins.

"Yes, let us fight together once again."

The four survivors of the Legendary Eight Warriors had joined as brother and sisters in arms once again, ready to take on the whole world.

"I am very thankful for your support, but time is running out for my friends and we still have no means to get there right now."

Her son made her remember it was not just about them four, and he brought a good point. Such was the reason she had considered and eventually decided to ask for the help from her beloved comrades.

"Measures were taken to support the Rebel Army before our arrival here. As the three of us made our way to the Gremory state, project A-H-II and project MARS were sent to the western side of the territory controlled by the Anti-Satan Faction."

While the other Devils were confused at the coding used, Venelana gasped in surprise.

"You mean you actually did it? But I thought she was too dangerous, that her programming would make her simply annihilate everything on her path if revived. Besides, didn't you just pop in after our final fight?"

"We were informed by a trustworthy character of the current situation, but unfortunately we were not in control of the exact moment of arrival. Based on the accounts of the Vampire Princess of Dead Apostles as well as magi, suspicion is put on his desire to see a story unfold in challenging conditions. Nevertheless, time was provided to make preparations and save all necessary assets for our journey."

"…That explains your timing. But even so, you really did it? You removed the dangerous command and turned her into a reliable ally?"

For the first time since her arrival, Sion Eltnam Sokaris Atlasia broke from her unperturbed demeanor, and gave a confident smile.

"All within my calculations."

Western Front of the War.

(Fate EXTELLA OST: Attila/Altera (Black) Theme)

"You may proceed."

"Yes. I will destroy the targets, but I will also protect life. Only destroy the current civilization."

Having said that, the person in question identified her target and prepared to unleash her attack.

"Flare Effect. Begin connecting with Mars. Launching in two seconds. Curse me, Mars, with the sword that pierce the sky.

[TEARDROP PHOTON RAY!"]

N/A: Yep I just did that. Atlas kept more than a super gun and the original version of a talking mystic code hidden in its labyrinthine walls. According to Nasu, there are at least seven super weapons with world ending potential created by the alchemists of the Atlas Institute, and I decided to make a certain rainbow sword and a certain alien part of the stuff they kept locked.