Sona and The Keikaku

Sona's POV

The school day was about to end. I entered my "office" my peerage already waiting for me.

"Kaichou." my Queen said. I nodded in return.

"Let's start hearing what the clubs have to say. Momo, do you have their complaints and requests?"

"Yes, Kaichou." one of my Bishops replied.

I listened, disinterested, as the clubs made their usual flippant requests—for more budget money, new equipment, and the like.

Teenagers.

After wasting my time listening, I refused almost every request. Signing a big X on the papers, I quickly finished with the matter.

"This matter is finished." I said.

"Yes." I watched as Momo took the papers and placed them on another desk.

Now was a good moment to share the peculiar situation that had happened at the school gates earlier...

"Listen, everyone. I have something to say. I noticed a particular situation this morning at the school gates..." My voice trailed off as the five girls stopped their paperwork to look at me.

"Kaichou?" Tsubaki asked, her expression curious.

Samuel Lancaster.

He has become...stronger. I felt his "new" magical signature today.

How?

I felt that he was stronger than—No, it couldn't be. I shook my head, dismissing the thought.

"Do you all remember the student named Samuel Lancaster?" I asked, observing the four girls puzzled expressions.

"Yeah, I remember. He was discarded as a potential recruit some time ago," my Queen replied.

He had been discarded, indeed. I had prioritized Sacred Gears as a more important factor for recruitment. If everything went well, Saji Genshirou would be joining my peerage soon. But this growth Lancaster had shown... we couldn't ignore it.

"Indeed, he was. But now I sense he has grown his magic significantly." My peerage grew wary of this revelation.

"Kaichou, are you sure?" Reya Kusaka, my other Bishop, asked.

"Totally. Somehow, he's reached a higher tier now."

"Kaichou, are you saying he's mid-tier?" Tsubaki asked.

Mid-tier...No, I don't think so. But there was no way he could be high-class, right?

He was human, after all. This rapid growth...maybe it just more magic inside him?..this dosen't make sense! how someone have this kind of magical grow!?

"Yes. I think he might have a Sacred Gear—that would explain this particular growth," I said. Silence fell over the room.

I decided to add more context.

"I conducted a background check on him a while back, remember? He's the last of the House of Lancaster, a fallen magician family from England. He knows about the supernatural, so it's safe to assume he knows a thing or two about magic. Or he have a unknow sacred gear. That might explain his sudden growth."

"..."

"Kaichou, how do we proceed with this matter?" Tsubasa asked after a pause.

How indeed...

Rias has her eyes on Hyodo. It seems this matter is mine to handle.

"Let's keep an eye on him here at school. We'll have a talk with him in a couple of days," I decided. I wanted to understand if this was indeed due to a Sacred Gear.

"Will you recruit him?" Tsubaki asked, curious.

"Maybe. I'll have three pawn pieces left once Saji joins. It's plausible. But first, let's see how things unfold."

I stood and moved to the window, watching students leaving the school. Another day was over.

I watched the different people as they left, but then—wait. There he was.

My glare focused on his back as I observed him walking.

Did he always walk like that?

"Look, there he is," I said to my peerage. "Come here. I'll teach you how to sense magical signatures better."

As they gathered around the window, I prepared to explain.

"First, look at him and concentra—"

I cut myself off.

He was looking right back at us.

(image)

Unwittingly, I flinched and averted my gaze.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed similar reactions from my peerage.

"W-What was that?" Ruruko managed to stammer.

"How..." I heard Tomoe mutter.

"Kaichou..." Tsubaki said.

"I know..."

Samuel Lancaster.

I glared at his back once again.

Who are you really?

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Samuel's POV

Okay, scaring the girls was a little funny. Haha.

After that small display, I headed home.

Ayanokoji's assimilation was almost complete—just a couple more hours. Once I had that slot free, I'd use it for Ornstein.

Thinking about it in class, I realized I had made a small mistake. I underestimated Ornstein.

Fighting him in the game had given me the wrong impression. He was stronger. Way stronger.

People often assumed, for example, that dragons in Skyrim were weak, but lore-accurate dragons?...Oh boy. None of those dragons would stand a chance against me now... well, maybe Alduin.

The point is, they were stronger than they appeared.

There's a theory that Ornstein was just an illusion cast by Gwyndolin, that dark-edgelord femboy. That's why he seemed nerfed. After all, the fight with the Nameless King... Let's just say it took me three hours to beat him, and I'm a seasoned Souls player. A god and son of Gwyn, indeed.

Back to Ornstein—one of Gwyn's Four Knights, chosen by the Nameless King himself. And, of course, the Dragonslayer who took down multiple dragons.

That's going to be very useful here.

His armor... a golden lion. Funny thing my family crest? Three golden lions.

(image)

Fate? Or maybe the gacha has a sense of humor.

I entered my house, already planning my next steps.

Time to work in the wards i will reforce them later when i finish assimilating Le Fay.

Sona already knows. If Sona knows, then Rias knows. If Rias knows...Fucking Sirzechs definitely knows.

Worst case scenario? Sirzechs, Serafall, and Grayfia show up at my doorstep tomorrow.

I shook my head. Let's be optimistic.

Once I fully assimilate Magneto, Sirzechs will have no chance if he tries to force me into something. Plus, with the Rod of Arafel in my hands, I have one of the best counters to any "dark" creature.

I tested it yesterday. Not only can it heal me, but its power is... divine. I'm confident I could erase a mid-class devil with holy light. I wonder how it would work against fallen angels? They're dark creatures, right? Fallen from grace and all that.

Raynare and her gang were in the city. If a fallen angel came to me, I'd use the rod to test its effects. Not too much power, though—I don't want Heaven knocking on my door for answers.

For now, everything was going according to plan.

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After finishing the wards, I sit on my bed.

My house was protected. I'd reinforce the wards again once I assimilated her fully.

Now, for my plans...

I need more power.

Individually, I would become the strongest. I just need time.

I wanted an army. Specifically, I wanted Annihilation Maker.

With that, I could create a small army of shadows, like Leonardo did in the anime when he fought Issei. Anti-monsters, as they called them. Summons created by Annihilation Maker that could shoot light beams.

A good counter. After all Issei and his gang were all devils It didn't work because of plot and Leonardo suck ass.

Leonardo was a kid who couldn't fully control Annihilation Maker's full capabilities. Basically another Potential Man.

Good thing he was with the bad guys. I could kill him without remorse. I don't discriminate by age, and besides, Leonardo was ready to kill too. All fair in war.

If I got it for myself... the story would go differently.

Im better. If i can unlock a sub spacies Balance Breaker...along with the potential of counter racial weakness...with my imagination...and knowledged about the different creatures of fiction...

I will practically be Invincible. 

Annihilation Maker was, after all, the most dangerous Longinus Sacred Gear.

Not gonna lie, part of me wanted to be the next Sung Jin-Woo. If I could create a shadow Igris, that'd be amazing. Wait... what if I made a Berserk Armor knight, Artorias, and Igris? The origin and their respective inspirations brought to life. That'd be cool as hell.

But there was one problem: I don't know how to take Sacred Gears.

FUCK.

Azazel knew, though. If I captured the entire Hero Faction (easy task), he's interest in the Sacred Gears would bring his ass right to me. I could make a deal with him...

Nah.

That was a last resort.

I wanted to keep Annihilation Maker, Dimension Lost, and True Longinus for myself.

I doub Azazel would be okay with me hoarding three Longinus-class Sacred Gears.

That's why I needed to investigate magic.

I had a vague idea of how it might work. Azazel could extract Sacred Gears from hosts without killing them, even implant artificial ones. On the other hand, Raynare had performed a similar ritual but killed the host in the process. That's how Asia died.

That would be my next stop. If I could recreate and refine the ritual Raynare used, I could achieve the same results.

Watching and redoing the ritual on my own and use it with the whole Hero Faction.

Capturing them and experimenting on them would be step one.

If Raynare worthless ass could do it, there was no reason I couldn't. I'm a genius magician, after all.

Lets go with that for now, if something change i will adapt.

About the plot...

I'd let Issei do the heavy lifting hehehe.

But Kokabiel? He was mine.

Killing Kokabiel would earn Azazel's favor. With that, I could gain leverage. If at that time I can figured out Sacred Gear extraction, I could use Azazel as a backup plan.

Kokabiel's death would also draw the Hero Faction out. They'd approach me with an "invitation," and then...every Sacred Gear they had would become mine.

I was aware that killing the entire Hero Faction would attract Indra attention. But by that point, I'd be strong enough to handle it.

Yes. That was the plan.

I'd wait for the plot to start. We were close. When Issei started talking about his "new girlfriend," it would be time to act.

For now, everything was falling into place.

Patience, I thought.

The world didn't know it yet, but soon, everything would change.

Ayanokoji Assimilation is 100% complete.

Without wasting time i put Ornstein in the free slot.

End of the chapter.

Author notes:

Do you know in the past the House of Lancaster do really exist in England? irl i mean

It was a important noble house and even one member achieve to be King of England at some point...but then i was dissolved and became and extinct house.

I invite you to read the wiki i was interesting lecture.