After the meeting ended, Serafall took me back to the Sitri estate to pick up Lily so we could return to Ajuka's lab.
I had expected the meeting to last much longer, with the Satans spending hours discussing various plot points. But afterward, I realized how silly that expectation was. If you're planning to change the future, there's no point in dwelling on the vision that prompted the change in the first place.
The same principle applied here. Since the decision was made to begin altering events after the peace treaty, there was no need to go over everything that followed it. What mattered more than the future plot points was the intelligence about who would join the Khaos Brigade and their goals.
Serafall, Lily, and I arrived back at Ajuka's lab roughly ten minutes after we'd left. In that short time, Falbium, Sirzechs, and Grayfia had already gone, and Ajuka had returned to the room where we had previously discussed the plan to fix Lily, according to Raphael, who had been monitoring everything.
We found Ajuka examining something on his computer and speaking to a cube that responded with Raphael's voice.
"Juka-chan, we're back with Lily-chan," Serafall chirped.
Ajuka turned from his desk and motioned for us to enter.
"Here it is," he said, presenting a pale pink Queen piece that looked identical to how it had before.
"It looks the same, Juka-chan. What did you do?" Serafall voiced the question I was also wondering.
"Naturally it looks the same. The difference is inside. It's etched with micro-scale magic circles so intricate you'd need a microscope to see them."
He then pulled a dark purple King piece from his lab coat pocket.
"This one carries matching engravings. Their link will create a bond far stronger than that of a standard King and Queen."
"As I mentioned earlier, this King piece lacks the abilities of the actual King pieces—it's just a receiver for the Queen's transmissions. Raphael helped me design it. We're confident it should work, but we need to run a live test to confirm."
"If it works as intended, this will be the first Evil Piece configuration capable of sharing not just power, but something more conceptual—like memories."
"These need to be absorbed simultaneously, so Raphael will control the merge."
As Ajuka finished, I felt my demonic power react, lifting the two pieces into the air and hovering them in front of our chests. The pieces began to glow, runes and intricate sigils flickering along their surfaces in cascading waves of light—some so complex they looked alive.
They paused, then began to slowly merge with us in perfect sync.
I half-expected Ajuka to hook us up to an array of monitors, but he explained that Raphael was handling all data collection. He was truly making full use of its capabilities.
Neither Lily nor I felt anything unusual as the pieces merged. Judging from her puzzled look, she was just as surprised by the lack of sensation.
"How is it, Juka-chan?" Serafall asked.
"It looks good. The pieces have bonded successfully, but they're only semi-active for now. Next, Cain needs to channel his demonic power into the King Monument."
He led us to the far side of the room, where a larger chunk of Argares crystal sat on a stand wired into various devices. A black box—where the remaining Evil Pieces were kept—rested on a platform connected to the monument.
"Place a hand on the monument, both of you. Cain, start channeling your demonic power when I signal, and Raphael will finish the link."
Lily and I followed the instructions. When Ajuka gave the signal, I began feeding my energy into the monument and soon felt Raphael take over.
A dark purple glow spread from the monument to the box containing the Evil Pieces. Even Lily began to radiate a faint purple light.
Then, without warning, a sharp pulse of light rippled through the lab. Instruments flickered, and I felt an ominous sensation. I tensed, feeling my energy begin shifting uncontrollably—until Raphael stabilized the process.
[Temporary energy desynchronization detected. Calibration complete. No anomalies present. Cause unknown.]
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. A moment later, Raphael stopped the transfer.
'Did it work?' I thought, hoping Lily's issue had been resolved.
'Huh, I can hear Cain in my head?'
"I can hear Cain in my head," Lily said aloud.
She had heard my thoughts—just as I had heard hers. It was a strange sensation, hearing her internal voice overlap with her spoken one.
[Telepathic connection established.]
[Assessing memory transfer capability.]
[Memory transfer within acceptable parameters.]
[No anomalies detected.]
Raphael's voice came from the black cube on Ajuka's desk. Lily and I now shared a telepathic link—something regular Evil Pieces didn't grant. More importantly, the system for backing up her memories was functioning properly.
"Good. Everything seems to be working," Ajuka confirmed with a pleased smile. "Now, Lillian, try accessing the Queen boost."
"H-How do I do that?" Lily asked, a little embarrassed.
"Just think about being stronger—and being Cain's Queen."
She concentrated, trying to balance both thoughts, her face scrunched in focus.
I felt her aura surge ever so slightly as she succeeded.
Whooooshhh
Two wings burst from her shoulder blades, unfurling with a span that made Serafall and me step back in surprise.
They weren't like a devil's leathery wings. They were feathery, like an angel's—but not white or black. Instead, they shimmered with a vivid violet hue. Lighter than my own royal-purple magic, hers were a pale violet.
I reached out to gently stroke one, catching Lily's confused expression in my peripheral vision.
Her wings twitched at the touch, and her body shivered.
"Cain, that tickles." She pouted at me.
"Sorry. They're just really soft."
Serafall squealed, bouncing on her toes like a child presented with a giant stuffed animal.
"Lily-chan, you're so fluffy it's amazing!" she shouted, plunging her hands deep into the feathers before Lily could protest.
"Shtooop." Lily squirmed, retracting her wings and letting out a relieved sigh. Her flushed face and unsteady breath betrayed just how ticklish they were.
"Interesting… I wonder if she would've had colored wings anyway, or if it's a side effect of the Pieces," Ajuka muttered, already theorizing.
"She is a devil now, right?" I asked, recalling that Akeno had both devil and fallen angel wings.
"Well, technically," Ajuka began, scanning her with his magic, "reincarnated devils don't become full devils. Their new ratio depends on what they originally were. A human might be 90% devil, 10% human. A dragon, like Tannin, is still mostly dragon."
He paused to finish the scan.
"Lillian is even more extreme. Her blood was essentially the opposite of a devil's—a god's and archangel's. The only reason she could join your peerage at all was because her bloodlines were inactive, and Raphael smoothed the process. She's about 10% devil, 90% what she was."
"Her mana and holy power fused under Raphael's guidance—with the energy you provided—into a single reserve. This combined energy behaves like demonic power—versatile—but retains the properties of holy power. Just as devil spells lean toward darkness, hers will lean toward light."
"That was only possible because He is no longer here to maintain the divide." Ajuka gave me a sidelong glance, and I understood. God's absence allowed for this unique fusion—just like how Kiba's Balance Break worked in canon.
"Lillian, try summoning water like you were taught at the Sitri estate. You should be able to do it now."
She focused, raising her palm. A small burst of violet light formed, followed by a clear sphere of water.
"Hmm… her magic color has shifted. It's a fusion of Cain's purple, her pink mana, and her white holy light."
Ajuka scanned the orb and frowned slightly before his expression relaxed.
"This is essentially diluted holy water."
"What?! So Lily-chan's a holy devil?" Serafall gasped, leaping onto her and wrapping her in a bear hug.
"Basically. Her spells will deal extra damage to dark-aligned beings and make their wounds harder to heal."
"Wah! Lily-chan's the anti-devil devil! She's gonna be super OP in Rating Games. Wait—she can still compete, right Juka-chan?"
Ajuka chuckled. "Yes, she's Cain's Queen. People might complain, but we'll just say he got lucky reincarnating a demi-angel."
"Yay! Lily-chan, show me your super fluffy wings again!" Serafall begged.
"Nooo. Cain, help." Lily struggled, turning to me in desperation.
"C'mon, Serafall. Let her go."
Grumbling, Serafall backed off, muttering something about "wing privileges."
Lily approached me, her steps hesitant, expression unreadable. She looked into my eyes—searching, testing—as if trying to confirm what her heart already knew.
"I'm your Queen now, right?" she asked, her voice quiet but firm.
"Yes."
"We'll be together forever?"
"As long as you want to be."
A pause. Her eyes glistened.
"I won't have to forget anymore, right?"
I silently confirmed with Raphael, just to be sure.
"You won't have to forget."
There was a long silence as she took that in. Then her face crumpled.
"…Thank you."
The words cracked, like something fragile breaking open. Then she closed the distance and threw her arms around me—a little girl collapsing into the arms of the one person she trusted most.
I caught her without hesitation, wrapping my arms around her as her whole body shook. She buried her face in my chest and cried—not loudly, not dramatically, but with the kind of quiet heartbreak only someone who's held it in too long could. Every sob was a weight lifting off her small frame. I felt it in my own chest, like I'd been holding part of it too without knowing.
She'd tried to stay strong. Tried to smile. But now the dam had broken, and I just held her through it, one hand cradling her head, the other drawing small circles on her back.
I said nothing. Words felt too small for this kind of moment.
Her wings unfurled again, wrapping around us like a soft cocoon—more instinct than intention. She probably didn't even notice.
I did. And I noticed Serafall creeping forward, exaggerated like she was in a cartoon.
I shot her a look that said, 'not now'.
She pouted but backed off, muttering something about "the fluffy."