Chapter 45: Seizing the Holy Grail, Responding to Sakura’s Summon

[Ding!~]

[Host's sacred beast, "Agumon," has successfully evolved, unlocking the "Holy Armament" mode.]

[Agumon's foundational recovery rate has increased to 90%. It cannot be fully restored through conventional methods.]

[To assist in the complete recovery of the host's sacred beast, Agumon, a special check-in task has been issued.]

[Ding!~]

[Congratulations, host! You have triggered a Villain Check-in!]

[Check-in Level: Silver.]

[Check-in Event: Seize the Holy Grail.]

[Requirement: Seize the Greater Holy Grail and the Lesser Holy Grail to gain the ability to connect to the Root.]

[Fixed Task Reward: A foundational recovery item for the sacred beast, Agumon. Agumon will unlock a human form.]

....

"The Holy Grail?"

"And there's a Greater Holy Grail and a Lesser Grail?"

"This doesn't seem like something from my world's setting."

Lucien knew that while there were several Holy Grails in the DxD world, there was no distinction between a Greater and Lesser Holy Grail.

In other words...

Was he being asked to travel to another world to find them?

To travel to another world, he would need at least the power of a Super Devil or a Chief God, right?

Moreover, it couldn't be power achieved through a temporary state like Balance Breaker.

Because traveling between worlds would constantly drain his energy, and the Balance Breaker state's duration was too short to sustain such a drain.

Just as Lucien finished his internal rant, the system notification sounded again.

[Ding!~]

[Congratulations, host! You have triggered a Special Check-in!]

[Check-in Level: Silver.]

[Check-in Event: Matou Sakura's Cry.]

[Requirement: Physically respond to the summon, establish a contract with the summoner, Matou Sakura, and destroy the Matou family.]

[Additional Reward: The summoner's body and soul.]

[Event Time Limit: 72 hours.]

[Ding!~]

[The host has received a summon from another world, triggering the first cross-dimensional check-in task.]

[The system has officially activated the Hyper-Dimensional Check-in function, rewarding the host with a "High-Dimensional Demon Contract."]

[Using the High-Dimensional Demon Contract, the host can search for contractors across the multiverse. Based on the contractor, the host can transport themselves to that world, similar to the relationship between a Master and a Servant.]

[The difference is that while Masters hold the power of life and death over their Servants, the host's contractors, upon fulfilling their wishes through the contract, have already offered their bodies and souls.]

"...."

Lucien nodded in satisfaction.

The system was quite considerate. It didn't just dangle a carrot in front of him and leave him hanging.

"So, the system is saying... Matou Sakura is summoning me using herself as a sacrifice?"

"But this is the first time I've encountered a time-limited check-in."

"System, if I respond to the summon, will it be troublesome to return?"

[Ding!]

[The Irregular Piece function is versatile: Aside from enhancing the talents of your subordinates, allowing the host to use their abilities, and enabling mental communication, it also allows for one-way teleportation.]

[If the host wishes, they can teleport back at any time, with a maximum delay of one minute.]

"Since I can teleport back anytime, I don't need to overthink this."

The time limit on the Matou Sakura check-in made Lucien uneasy.

To avoid any unexpected complications, Lucien decided to respond to the summon immediately!

....

....

"Mr. Matou Kariya, I... am a demon." Lucien smiled slightly as he introduced himself.

"What happened to the Matou family was indeed my doing."

"Sakura made a contract with me, offering herself to me. Naturally, I had to fulfill the contract and help Sakura escape that old worm's control."

"Now, I'd like to make a contract with you."

"A contract that will allow you to survive the Holy Grail War and even fulfill your dream of taking revenge on Tohsaka Tokiomi."

Lucien proposed an enticing offer.

Unfortunately.

Matou Kariya wasn't the type to listen to reason.

"All I want is for you to release Sakura from the contract!"

"If you release Sakura, I'll agree to any condition!"

In the heart of Matou Kariya, the ultimate simp, as long as Sakura could be freed, he was willing to make a deal with the devil!

After all... he had joined the Holy Grail War for Sakura's sake!

"Release Sakura from the contract?"

Lucien laughed heartily.

He had to admit, Matou Kariya was a proper clown, successfully amusing him with his ignorance and arrogance.

....

"Demon! Release Sakura from the contract! Or else!"

[Berserker!]

A dark figure materialized behind Kariya, ready to strike.

Matou Kariya had summoned his Servant, clearly prepared to fight at a moment's notice.

"Stubborn fool."

"No wonder your fate has always been so tragic. You're the reason for it."

Lucien shook his head helplessly.

Matou Kariya was nothing but a complete failure.

He couldn't save Sakura, couldn't save himself, and even killed the woman he loved.

Sure, he had been manipulated.

But the fact that things had escalated to that point was undoubtedly due to his own weakness and selfishness!

If you're going to be a simp, then be a simp to the end. Don't kill Tohsaka Aoi and then act like you're the victim.

In the end, this kind of simp is just a hypocrite, a self-serving individual who uses the guise of love for others to love themselves!

If you're going to be a simp, then commit to it!

If you're going to be self-serving, then get your priorities straight from the start!

Wanting everything but lacking the ability and mindset to achieve it will only lead to self-destruction!

Since he could travel back and forth at will, Lucien didn't feel the usual tension of crossing worlds.

To put it simply, it was like taking a high-speed train to a neighboring city to participate in the Holy Grail War.

Three minutes later.

"Lucien, I've memorized everything you've told me. You can focus on what you need to do. I'll handle things here."

As they parted, Seekvaira bowed respectfully, maintaining the dignified demeanor of a demon princess.

If she hadn't fallen for Lucien, she would have remained the noble, reliable, and capable demon princess from the original story—except when it came to matters involving robots.

Love truly makes women blind.

[System, respond to the summon.]

....

The Type-Moon World.

The disaster-prone city of Fuyuki.

The Matou Residence.

Matou Zouken led Matou Sakura to the underground warehouse.

Sakura stared at the sea of insects before her, her purple eyes filled with terror.

No.

Please, no.

No!!!~

Sakura's internal scream reached its peak, piercing through the multiverse.

In the endless expanse of worlds, one person heard her cry and responded to the summon.

"Boom!!~"

A powerful and dazzling crimson aura descended.

The overwhelming pressure instantly crushed the insects in the warehouse!

Under the immense spiritual pressure, Matou Zouken's body began to disintegrate!

[Ding!~]

[World transfer successful.]

[The contractor is the foundation of the host's connection to this world. Please protect the contractor. If the contractor dies, the host will be sent back.]

"Protect the contractor?"

"Isn't that... obvious!"

[Baby Flame!~~]

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!"

Several "Baby Flames" ignited around Lucien, shooting in all directions.

"Boom!~"

Once the flames touched the insects, the fire spread rapidly.

Countless insects, even those not directly hit, let out sharp screams as the flames surrounded them.

The name "Baby Flame" was misleading.

In reality, after Agumon's evolution, the Baby Flame not only packed immense firepower and energy concentration but also gained a powerful holy attribute!

In other words, what Lucien was using was a "Sacred Flame" with an overwhelming amount of holy energy!

"What the hell?!"

"A Servant?! But all the slots are already filled!"

Matou Zouken dispersed into a swarm of insects, fleeing in all directions.

Lucien ignored the insects that made up Zouken's body.

He held Sakura, confirming her timeline.

At this point in the timeline, Zouken's soul wasn't inside Sakura, so... it was likely in the warehouse!

"There it is!"

[Dragon Shoot!]

A dragon-shaped energy bullet shot straight toward a particularly fat insect in the swarm!

[What?! How does he know where my soul is?!...]

"Boom!~"

Before Zouken could finish his thought, the insect housing his soul was obliterated by Lucien!

...

(Lucien won't stay in the Fate world permanently. He'll travel to two other worlds in between.)

...

[Ding!~]

[Congratulations, host! You have completed the Special Check-in Task!]

[Check-in Level: Silver.]

[Check-in Event: Matou Sakura's Cry.]

[Congratulations, host! You have received the reward: Rule Breaker (Rule Breaker).]

[Rule Breaker (Rule Breaker): A localized version of the Noble Phantasm from the Fate world, the manifestation of the traitorous witch Medea's divinity.

The ultimate anti-magic Noble Phantasm. As a weapon, it has no combat value, but it can "break" all magic and spells of the target it pierces. The targets include objects enhanced by magic, contracts formed through magic, or life forms created using magic. It resets them to their state before magic was applied.

Contracts and spells based on various forms of energy will be nullified, and pure magical life forms will be instantly destroyed.

This Noble Phantasm is an essential tool for the Holy Grail War, capable of breaking spells and stealing Servants with ease.]

....

"Rule Breaker can sever the contract between a Servant and their Master. Is the system encouraging me to steal other people's Servants? Too bad, there's only one female Servant in the Fourth War—Saber."

"But I think this Noble Phantasm's true value lies outside the Holy Grail War."

In the Holy Grail War, where most Servants possess Noble Phantasms, Rule Breaker can't directly affect them.

But in the DxD world, there are countless contracts.

For example, the Evil Pieces... are essentially a form of contract.

....

Lucien glanced around the warehouse, confirming that the old worm Zouken was truly dead, then carried Sakura out of the basement.

"It's okay now, Sakura. Everything's fine."

Outside the Matou residence, Lucien set down Sakura, who was still in shock.

Sakura stared coldly at the handsome young man before her, taking a long time to regain her senses.

"Big brother... are you the demon I summoned?" Sakura asked timidly.

"That's right. I'm the demon you summoned, Sakura."

"You offered yourself as a sacrifice to summon me, so from now on, you belong to me, okay?"

Lucien raised his left hand, where the demon contract glowed with a purple light.

Sakura looked at her own left hand.

On her small palm was an identical demon contract.

It seemed... just as the demon had said, she had indeed offered herself to him.

But this was the first time she had met such a handsome big brother, who not only looked good but also gave her an unprecedented sense of security.

Making a contract with such a demon big brother didn't seem so bad?

"Um... Mr. Demon... are all demons like you...?"

Sakura blushed slightly, lowering her head as she asked.

"Sakura, don't call me Mr. Demon. Call me Lucien. I like it when cute girls call me big brother."

Lucien smiled warmly, pinching Sakura's cheek.

He was glad he had responded to the summon immediately.

If he had waited the full 72 hours, he wasn't sure if Sakura would still be alive in that sea of insects.

"Big brother..."

"Lu... Lucien..."

Sakura mustered her courage and called out the embarrassing title.

Her shy, childish voice sent a wave of satisfaction through Lucien.

"Good girl, Sakura!"

Lucien excitedly picked her up, nuzzling her cheek.

Truly, lolis were the most wonderful creatures in the world.

....

"Hey! Who are you? Let go of Sakura!"

Just as Lucien was enjoying his time with Sakura, a hoarse male voice called out from behind him.

"Hmm?"

Lucien turned to see a gaunt young man.

"Matou Kariya?"

"Uncle Kariya?"

Sakura looked at the man in shock.

Uncle Kariya... why did he look so terrifying now?

"Yes, Sakura... it's me."

Matou Kariya was overjoyed that Sakura still recognized him, his withered face breaking into an unusually bright smile.

It was worth rushing over as soon as he heard something had happened to the Matou family.

"Matou Kariya... right?"

Lucien set Sakura down and slowly walked toward Kariya.

"Who are you? Why were you holding Sakura?"

"Did you do something to the Matou family?"

Kariya was on guard, ready to summon Berserker at any moment.

Matou Zouken had only ever made him feel danger and disgust.

But this man... gave him an unprecedented sense of lethality!

Let me know if you'd like further refinements or additional sections translated!