Chapter 9: Worth it?
Diehauser sighed in his well-worn, dark leather chair, which squeaked every time he leaned back into it. Not that the Emperor cared about the high-pitched sound, he'd just got used to it. In fact, Diehauser liked to call it his "throne." A rather fitting name, he thought.
That doesn't change the fact that he seriously needs to find the source of the sound at least. Especially when he's inside a room where silence is appreciated by the rest of the Senators.
The huge parlor is dark and has an empty atmosphere around it, with a large porcelain floor, walls covered in dark oak panels, and vast white pillars holding the roof. The room is dimly lit with a tasteful chandelier and two smaller standing lamps with Oriental lamp-shades. On the walls stood expensive looking abstract paintings, offering some life to their surroundings.
Once again, he sighed, tapping the rounded and elegant table while eyeing carefully the well-known faces he has worked with for years, all of them emitting an aura of impatience and nervousness, but their facial expressions hide it very well, fitting for a politician.
Unfortunately, the compliment couldn't be used to describe Lord Bael's facial expression.
Walking in circles with hands folded from behind, Sairaorg's father growled. "Five minutes have already passed, and he isn't here yet? Who does this man think he is?!"
From his seat beside Lord Bael's throne, Lord Agares sighed. "It must be something important, Lord Bael, hence his unpunctuality."
"Important?" The black-haired man repeated, scoffing, facing the blond man. "What's more important than a meeting that is beneficial to the Ars Goetia? He's just slowing us!"
"Lord Bael, only five minutes have passed. Maybe he's already making his way here?" Lord Paimon nervously said.
Lord Bael glared. "The problem here is not only his lateness but it is turning into a damn routine!" He slammed his hands on the table, venting off some of his frustration. His glare shifted to Diehauser. "Emperor Belial, are you sure that you notified Lord Zagan about our gathering?"
Unfazed by the hard look, Diehauser nodded. "Affirmative. I even received Lady Zagan's response. Maybe Lord Paimon is right; we should just wait."
"Wait? No." Magdaran's father stood in refusal. "We're going to start the session with or without Lord Zagan's attendance."
After those words flew from Lord Bael's mouth, the huge doors slowly began to open up, earning the attention of the whole cast.
"Speaking of the Devil…" Lord Agares huffed, adjusting his glasses.
"Finally!" Bael's snapped, eyes fogged by furor, watching the silhouette hike to the empty seat, "Seven minutes wasted and all thanks to your absence! You have some courage to be this late! You better have an excellent… who are you?"
The woman winced at the tone of his voice, bowing deeply. "I'm Lord Zagan's wife; I'll be taking his place while he's… occupied."
"…" Misla's husband mouth froze, flabbergasted. Slowly slumping on his glorious throne, staring at Lady Zagan as if she had just insulted his precious mother. "Incredible." He laughed, bitterly. "Occupied? Occupied?!" Seeing Zagan's shy nod made him clench his fists. "Occupied on what exactly? Having 'alone time' with the many maids and concubines inside your Household?!"
"N-no your majesty," She gulped. "After recruiting two new members for his Peerage, my spouse began working on something that could favor us, the Devils."
…
"Glad you could take your husband's place," Diehauser welcomed her with arms wide open while making sure that Lord Bael doesn't explode like a bomb. "Now that all the seats are occupied, shall we start with the matter in hand?"
"I agree, Emperor," Lord Agares nodded at his direction. Grateful that the Champion has the courage to intervene when things could get out of control. Even if he's the moderator of this chamber and his work is to keep an ambiance neutral and respectful, he wouldn't object the assistance of another House who shares the same point of view as him.
Lord Bael merely growled and tried to relax his tense muscles. "…We shall." Everyone stayed quiet, waiting for the Great King's next words. "The Chamber of Senators of the 72 Pillars is now in session."
And just like that, the atmosphere turned businesslike. "Now," Commenced Bael, resting his arms atop the table, fingers intertwined. "Senators of the Ars Goetia, a few days back, we discussed the allowance of children in the first, second and third grade to reconcile in the same hour of recess. For the sole purpose of conjoining them in the future and, through baby steps, rescuing our race from facing extinction. I wish to hear the thoughts of all the Heads of their respective Houses after witnessing such a change."
Lord Purson coughed, catching everyone's attention. "I have your answer, your excellence." He smiled. "We, the Senators, have sent out our Peerages to ask the opinions of each House. The results were beyond phenomenal."
Bael curled an eyebrow. "How so?"
"Demands of keeping it as a rule. A few already decided who to marry their offspring because of such an event floating over the skies and so on." Lord Asmoday replied, counting his fingers. "Honestly, this could be one of the most valued features here in our government."
"Indeed, it is…" The Great King hummed, bopping his chin in deep thought. "I have no authority on ordering the Senators to change or update the law in any way, it all lays in your hands, but remember, the Pillars are trusting you."
"There's no need to discuss it," Diehauser dismissed it. "The moment that we received positive feedback from the Elders is when we decided to give the green light. However, I've slightly modified the rule to suit everyone's tastes."
The black-haired devil laid his back on the throne, elbows over the armrest. "Go on…"
"Both Lord and Lady of the two involved Houses must be in agreement before offering their children's hand. That's all."
Lord Bael frowned, suspicious. Nonetheless, he accepted with a nod. "I see… then I presume that no one is against the Emperor's modification…?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"Good, now then…"
"Excuse me, your majesty," Zagan spoke, hand raised. "This has been bothering me for a while, but, shouldn't the Four Great Satans be here with us?"
Her innocent question was enough to prompt different reactions.
"Dear Maou, here we go again…" Agares sighed out, cleaning his glasses.
"…" Belial stared, silently agreeing with Seekvaira's father.
"Lady Zagan." Bael massaged his temple, brushing off the snickers from the other Senators. "Do you have any idea how much political power the Maous have compared to us, mostly my Housecarl?"
She pursed her lips and shook her head.
"…That's more than enough." The Great King growled, gesturing to Diehauser. "Emperor, please give her a brief explanation."
The Champion spared a glance at the thwarted Bael. He sighed. "In political power, compared to us? None. The Four Satans by definition are Devils who are our "leaders" in name only. Of course, their ranking is high amongst the Government of Ars Goetia. But elegant titles are not enough to surpass us. They're the inspiration for the future and old generation. Heroes that glimmered amidst the catastrophic Civil War between us, the Devils."
The Maous could make shit happen, sure, sure, but they needed the right people to do so. Each Satan obviously has their previous Clan watching over them. They just have to expand their name around the deepest part of the Underworld, not their epithet.
"Heroes? Isn't that the role for the Top 10 strongest Devils in the Rating Games?"
"Not before." Agares took the lead from here. "Back then, when Evil Pieces were finally approved, the Rating Games were a way to measure a Devil's strength which would reflect their social standing in the Underworld. Now that the sport has become so famous, all Devils have begun seeing the Top 10 rankers as heroes without capes."
"And also, an excellent method to recruit the future Satans." Agares mused. He'd discussed this with the Great King Zekram years before, sooner or later, the actual Maous are going to wither. It may take dozens of years, true, but it's better to be prepared for the unstoppable outcome.
The First Bael has his eyes set on the Four rankers as adequate Devils to watch over their race. Tannin and Rudiger had crossed Zekram's mind, but knowing full well the pride of Devils, they would disapprove granting a former Dragon King and a former Magician the blessing of becoming the next figureheads of the Underworld. It would be like an insult towards their kin.
"All in all, their title is just a way to prove their strength." The Champion drawled. "However, they also have a decent control involving the business of politics, but, unlike us, their power depends on the respect and love of different parties that could include those outside of the Pillars' government such as the various houses from the Extra Demons." He paused. "If we, somehow, ended up making a truce with Grigori, Heaven, the Youkai, and different Factions from many other realms, they could also abuse it. But those contacts are not as worthy as having a House from a Pillar watching over your back."
"So, they depend on great personal charm?" Zagan resumed it, earning a hum from the Champion. "I understand now. Thank you for clearing my mind, Emperor Belial."
"It's fine. Glad I could help."
"Now that we've stopped wasting our time on something foolish and useless… let us begin with the next subject."
Diehauser's chair squeaked once again as he'd leaned back and grunted, this is going to be a long day, good thing he's used to it.
The moment when Lord Bael dismissed everyone, Diehauser took this chance to disappear from the map immediately. Even when the other Senators decided to stop at an elegant restaurant which, of course, they offered the Emperor a seat with them, the Champion kindly refused their invitation and moved on.
Heavens he truly disliked that job. The sudden feeling of a chill crawling his spine every time he made his way towards his seat. He wasn't sure if he was getting this unwanted feeling from the absurdly cold atmosphere in the place, from its fancy, high-end decoration, or from something even deeper within its walls.
He couldn't help but feel astonished at the notion of how a person could spend their time in such a museum. He hated how it could make him feel wanted and homey, but at the same time get him to feel as if one small step out of line would have the local guards running after him with their spears waving wildly. It was a room of relaxation and peace, but also a place that threatened to cave in on you as soon as its order was disrupted.
But he's going to endure. The people of the Ars Goetia are willing to give a chunk of their trust to lay on Diehauser's shoulders, and he's not going to fail them.
"Months have passed, and the media have finally disappeared. Good." He was thankful that the media stopped following his steps every time he'd left the building. Since the fortunate case of his younger brother's awakening from his coffin, the news had spread faster than wildfire. How so? It's still unknown which is not surprising since the one who began spreading the announcement appeared as 'anonymous.'
The questions were the same. How Danhauser came back from the grave? Does a family member practice the arts of Necromancy? Or was the unfortunate death of the young Belial nothing but lies, just to appear in the newspaper and seek for fame? Diehauser, of course, had shoved the media away from his mind.
"Hey man, are you listening?" Diehauser shook his head, looking to his right to find the red eyes of his uncle, Malacoda, staring directly at him.
"Sorry, I was distracted," The Emperor apologized.
Malacoda shrugged. "Meh, no worries. That job of yours must be tiring, yeah? Especially when you have to listen to the words of Bael's lapdog."
The Emperor frowned. "Why do you always have to call Lord Bael that? You know he's doing his best to keep the Pillars balanced?"
Malacoda scoffed, arms folded. "Well, because he is without a single doubt, a lapdog. The fifth puppet that the whole Bael Clan controls with him not knowing at all. Guess who the four other puppets are."
"Knowing you, I'll go with the Four Satans," Calcabrina answered from her seat, taking a sip of her tea. She faced Diehauser's Queen with a smile. "Like always, this drink is delicious, Gilles."
Gilles returned the smile and bowed.
"Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner here!" Calcabrina's brother sank deeper on the couch, chuckling. "It's funny because the dude gloats he's almighty and shit, but in truth, he's just another pawn in the game, ha!"
He's been alive for a long time. Enough to be a participant of the Civil War, funnily, and it only happened because the current Beelzebub created the Evil Pieces. The one who rules the Underworld is not Lord Bael. It's the whole Clan. The title of Lord Bael is nothing to be proud of. He's just the favorite doll of his relatives. He's the messenger and listener of the Bael Clan, nothing more.
The Four Great Maous are, to keep it brief, the strength of Bael.
"And what does that make us, then?" The Champion asked.
"The victims," Malacoda answered nonchalantly, shifting his arms over his neck. "But I'm not here to turn the atmosphere sour; I have a lot of exciting news! From my brother."
Calcabrina blinked, putting her empty tea on the table. "Barbariccia?"
Malacoda grinned and winked at her. "Yep! The damn Grizzly brought me interesting stuff! There are two different topics! Choose!"
"Just get to the point."
Malacoda pouted. "Fine. Grab yourselves a seat because this is going to be a rollercoaster!" He coughed into his fist, adding some suspense. "The Empire of the Tepes Clan collapsed!"
…
"…What?" Gilles was the first one to break from his state of shock. "Could we know… how?"
Ignoring the change of ambiance, Malacoda rubbed his hands enthusiastically, "Well…! From what I've heard, it was during the day, eh, morning to be specific. A shit ton of vampires attacked the Fourth King of Tepes and another unnamed vampire, which Grizzly thinks may be his son, and a horde of bloodsuckers chased after the former King with pitchforks and torches."
"Incredible…" Diehauser gaped. "So, the prolonged war between Carmilla and Tepes concluded with the former taking the upper hand?"
"They acted smart, attacking in the morning when the sun is setting which is known as the archenemy of any vampire," Calcabrina frowned. "I'm tempted to ask, how did they survive the rays of the sun?"
"Either using a new magic spell, or they wore full armor during the invasion," Diehauser tossed his two cents.
"Nah man, they used sunscreen," Malacoda joked. "Jokes aside, though, like the three of you, I thought that Carmilla finally grew a backbone to attack the Tepes, but what blew me away was that the vampires involved were males."
"And the Carmilla side is known for outnumbering men by population," Diehauser clicked his tongue. "Troublesome."
"Perhaps they deposited their males around their territory?" Calcabrina suggested. "Is there something else you have as essential intel, brother?"
Malebranche scratched his neck with his tail. "Yeah, the massive gates of the Tepes Territory were intact during the invasion, and everyone knows that the first thing to receive collateral damage is the entrance."
"Then it is obvious," Gilles spoke, drawing everyone's attention. "Males fighting against the Tepes, the entrance was unharmed during the turmoil, it is evident that the Carmilla Faction has not lifted a finger during the devastation. No one passed the gates. The bloodshed began from inside with no help from outsiders at all."
Calcabrina gasped slightly, "Gilles, are you saying that…?"
"Yes, my Lady. The pieces fit accordingly. This was obviously a "Golpe de Estado" or how I prefer to call it: A Coup d'état," The Queen looked away from his fingernails. "It seems that they had had enough of their former governor, heh."
Evil Tail whistled, pointing a thumb at the Frenchman. "Yeah, I'm siding with Gil on this one."
"Why would they do that, though?" Diehauser inquired. "They already have great control over Romania, what else could they need?"
Everyone frowned, not a single clue reaching over their minds. It was a stupid move; now they are an easy target for the Female Vampires. There must be a reason for their revolution. Could it be that Gilles was wrong? And they actually had the help from intruders supporting over the shadows?
What just happened?
"Isn't the fourth King's strength equivalent to a Satan, too?" Calcabrina said after the brief silence. "He could've destroyed the traitors with a flick of his fingers."
"And he did," Malacoda replied, shrugging. "The problem here is that every time Tepes killed them, they would come back to life, no matter how fatal the wound is."
"Necromancy?" Diehauser tried to guess.
"Nope. Necromancy is bringing the deceased back from the grave as undead."
"Aren't Vampires categorized as undead anyways?"
"Well, yeah, but they have an awareness of their actions. With Necromancy, you bring only the rotten flesh back, not the spirit or soul. They're empty shells obeying their master."
"A puppet would be the indicated word then," Gilles commented, earning a nod from him. "We are moving away from the subject here. How is that they can fool death itself and ignore the sunlight? Truly, I am starting to doubt that the creatures we are discussing could be categorized as vampires anymore."
"We still don't know the reason for the overthrow, either." Calcabrina bit her thumb.
Diehauser sighed. There's no point in going deeper on the subject. "Well, that's all the intel we have. We're just going to fry our brains out if we keep thinking about it."
Gilles nodded. "Indeed. I have a feeling that the world is going to change drastically. For the greater good or, the greater bad, I do not know, and that worries me even more."
Diehauser faced his uncle. "You said that you have two topics for us, right? What's the last one?"
Malacoda blinked. "Ah right. In a nutshell, my days of vacation are reaching an end; sooo your father wants Dan to come with—"
"No," Diehauser replied.
"Sorry man, but your father made it clear that he wants to see your brother."
"Then he can come here himself," Calcabrina answered. "I will not let Danhauser take a step closer to that damned place. Not after what happened to him."
Evil Tail groaned, "That was an accident! He didn't know, and he didn't mean to do that with my nephew!" He slowly stood from his seat. "You two need to stop drawing him as a villain, because he's not."
The Emperor stared back at his uncle. "I won't let my brother stay in that city."
"He's not going to stay. He just wants to speak with his damn son, you know? The one that mysteriously came back from the dead."
"I don't trust him, uncle."
"You don't trust him because you fucked it up," Malacoda growled, annoyed. "Your father doesn't hate you, he hates what you did."
"Brother, stop," Calcabrina warned. "I won't let you talk to my son like that or else…!"
"Or else what sister? Are you going to attack me? We don't want that dazzling and well-kept hair of yours to fall off suddenly, eh?"
Lady Belial glared, defensively passing a hand through her long ebony hair.
"Look, Houser, you don't have the right to break the relationship between father and son, let the two of them enjoy each other's company for a day, heck, not even a day, an hour is my bet. Then Dan's going to walk freely back to home. If you want, I'll keep an eye out for you."
Diehauser pursed his lips, glancing from his concerned mother to his silent Queen. Lacking enthusiasm, he nodded. "Fine, he can go, but I'll go, too."
Malacoda grinned approvingly. "Great! That way, you two can talk and patch things up!"
The Champion scoffed, not buying it, "If you say so."
Malebranche laid a hand on Belial's shoulder, squeezing it. "Relax. If it makes you feel better, I don't hate you; I think you did the right thing. It was worth it."
Calcabrina flinched.
Diehauser stared at his hand, before snorting. "Worth it? I doubt it." Pushing the hand away, he walked toward the doors, leaving the scene.
Malacoda heaved a sigh, arms behind his head. "Damn… you guys love to mix some drama in the soup, huh?"
"Malacoda, you need to talk with him." Calcabrina urged him, standing beside her brother. "I tried, but… he needs you."
Once again, Malacoda sighed. "Sorry, can't." He ignored her jolted expression. "Nothing I can do here. This is between them."
Lady Belial pursed her lips, facing the reincarnated Devil. "Gilles?"
The butler shot her a sad smile. "I am sorry, my Lady, but your brother is right. He needs to take the first step."
She shakily breathed out, rubbing her temples and slowly walked away from the room, followed by a worried Gilles.
"Don't you dare talk with him!" Her brother said from behind. "He needs to do this alone."
She growled and slammed the door shut.
"Achu!" Tobio sneezed.
"Bless you," Danhauser said.
Tobio grunted, "Whatever." Sniffing, he addressed the Devil in front of him, awkwardly shifting on his chair. "Let me get this straight. There is a Supernatural World…" He saw Danhauser nod. "Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, and other mythological creatures are a thing…"
"Correct."
"… And I have something called a 'Sacred Gear' which is a powerful artifact that has unique abilities." He paused before adding. "And they were forged by God of the Bible?"
"You're starting to get it."
Tobio stared for a few seconds before chuckling dryly. "What a big pile of bullshit." Slamming his hands on the table, he carefully lifted himself up, shaking his head in contained fury. "You attacked my friend and broke through my property just to tell me something… stupid? I should be calling the cops right now, what's your excuse?"
Danhauser raised a brow. He saw this reaction coming from miles away. Tobio's in denial, but Danhauser knows how to change his mind with a wave of his hand. He just needs to play his cards professionally. "I'm speaking the truth."
"Oh yeah?" The Japanese boy growled, storming away to pick up a phone. "Well, say that to the damn cops. Let's see how many laughs you'll earn."
Danhauser blinked at the threat. Half an hour has passed since Tobio nearly had a heart attack after seeing his best friend, Sae Toujou, knocked out on the arms of Belial. At first, he thought that she'd knocked on death's door. But after letting Ikuse press his fingers on her neck, he sighed with relief. After that, his blood pressure began to ease off. His expression, however, was camouflaged with anger, but he let the gray-haired devil explain the world hidden before his chocolate eyes.
He'd played this horribly wrong. It could have gone better. If only Sae had listened to his warning and walked towards the department side by side with Danhauser, then he wouldn't feel the blazing glares of Slash Dog. But of course, the girl had to be stubborn to the point where Belial had to knock her out and look like a criminal to anyone who was passing by. Thankfully, no one saw that.
"I'm not making this up, you know. I have evidence." Danhauser said calmly, watching Tobio crawling to the kitchen.
"Oh, and what would that be?" Tobio mocked over the counter, typing the police's phone number. "Are you going to play with a Ouija board and summon Satan?"
"Nope," Danhauser said, standing up and on the other side of the counter. "I'm going to do this."
And suddenly, a pair of pitch black wings emerged from the gray-haired Devil, grazing the apartment's roof and horrifying the human.
"…" Tobio froze up in place. Mouth wide open as he watched the bat-like wings sprouting from Belial's lower back, twitching at the sensation of light pouring over them.
"Do you believe me now?" Danhauser asked, mentally ordering his wings to disappear while shuddering at the sickening feeling.
Shakily, Tobio hanged the call, letting the cell phone fall roughly on the counter. He gulped. "W-What the hell are you?"
"I told you. I'm a Devil." Danhauser responded. "Don't worry, I'm not here to kill you nor your friend. You're both safe."
"T-Then what do you want?" Tobio breathed out, his arms shaking, anxiety once again filling his veins. "I-I don't have money or anything valuable in this house. I-I'm poor, okay? Don't hurt her… please."
Danhauser raised a hand, trying to calm him down. "I said relax. I have an offer for you."
"W-what offer?"
"First take deep breaths," Danhauser ordered, looking at his nervous form. "You sound like you're about to faint."
Tobio nodded and closed his eyes, albeit hesitantly. He began sucking chunks of air and blowing them out of his system, trying to sooth his altered heart. The way it beat, it was like it was about to explode and engulf the three of them in a violent whirlwind of flames. He's so fucking scared right now. Of all mythical creatures in the world, he had to come face to face with the asshole one, the Devil, the one that would absorb his soul faster than a vacuum cleaner, the bastard who promises things, but has his fingers always crossed.
"Why me? Why does a Devil want to make an offer with me?" Tobio thought, fists clenched. He's not worth the time of anyone. He's broke, his aunt, Ageha Ikuse, died, he wasn't a special snowflake amongst the community, he depended on Sae's assistance.
Unless…
"Is this because of that Sacred Gear thing? That's why he's here?" Slowly he opened his eyes, nodding reluctantly at his uninvited guest. "What's your offer?"
"In a nutshell, I want you to join me," Danhauser said, once again relaxing on his seat. "I want you to join my team."
Tobio frowned at his lack of explanation. "What do you mean by joining your team?"
"My Peerage," Danhauser replied, noticing Tobio's puzzled expression, he continued. "They give Devils something called Evil Pieces. They look like basic Chess Pieces; you use them to reincarnate people and creatures into Reincarnated Devils. Each piece has a unique ability."
"By reincarnating into a Devil, you mean turning into your species?"
"Yeah, you'll get your pair of wings, night vision, super strength and many other things," Danhauser responded, rolling his wrist.
"There must be a catch," Tobio dug his nails on the counter. "There's always a catch."
Belial hummed. "There is. Once you'd turned into a Devil, your greatest enemy will be anything related to the church." He trailed off, letting his words sink in Tobio's brain. "And you'll become the enemy of Angels and Fallen Angels."
The Longinus User winced. "That… that doesn't sound good."
"But don't worry. There hasn't been a commotion between the Three Factions; if one of them attacks, they will start a war. No one wants a war."
"I-I see…" Tobio murmured, his eyes wandering to the unconscious girl, his veins suddenly flared with anger. "Why'd you knock her out?"
"Hmm?" Danhauser followed his gaze. "Ah, I saved her life."
"How does knocking an innocent person out cold save her?" Tobio demanded, rubbing his sick nose firmly.
Danhauser laid out deeper on the chair, ignoring Tobio's harshness blending with his voice. "That school vacation of yours, it's a trap."
The brunette blinked, twice. "A trap?" He parroted, earning a small nod. "How do you know it's a trap?"
"Because this world is a Light Novel, and I've read it enough to know when shit's going to hit the fan," Danhauser grunted. "I have contacts, they warned me about unknown figures targeting your school, there's a possibility that they're going to kidnap the students and teachers when they set sail on the Luxury Liner."
Of course, he went for the lie. He couldn't tell the Slash Dog that he came from a world where Tobio's world is fictitious, and the sole purpose is to keep the readers at the corner of their seats, gaping and begging for the next update to come out soon. Unfortunately, the novelist, Ishibumi, stopped working on it after witnessing the lack of popularity.
"…Y-You're lying." The boy shook his trembling head in refusal. "You're just making this up, aren't you?"
"I'm afraid not."
After hearing that, Tobio didn't waste time on letting his fingers wrap themselves over the phone. Thumb's instinctively searching for the contacts. Unfortunately, his device quickly left his grasp.
"What are you doing?!" Tobio snapped, turning to Danhauser. "I need to warn them!"
The Devil perked up from the phone, curling an eyebrow at the brunette's shouting. "I'm sorry but, notifying your friends won't work. They're not going to believe a single word you say. You're a teenager, they'll take it as a sick joke coming from your mouth. Just remember how you acted when I told you everything."
"Then you tell them!" Tobio insisted, gesturing at the mobile in his hand. "If they hear it coming from another voice then perhaps they'll believe it."
"Again. You were stubborn when I explained the supernatural world to you, and I only convinced you when I showed you my wings. I can't."
"Then what? Should I just lie on my ass here while my friends are going to face danger from a terrorist attack?!"
Danhauser's face softened, "I'm so sorry, Tobio."
…
"I can't believe it…" Tobio groaned, rubbing his face, elbows above the table. "This is just… a fucking nightmare. C-Can't we at least call the police?"
"I doubt they're going to be useful," Danhauser admitted, setting the phone on the furniture. "And we don't know when it's going to happen, either. I just know they're going to act according to their plan."
He once again faced the crushed human, frowning. "I'm here to recruit him, but it seems we have just flown away from the subject, and the way he's acting, it's going to be more complicated, how unlucky."
"Maybe… maybe it's not going to happen?" Tobio tried being optimistic, but his voice betrayed him. "Maybe your contacts lied to you…"
"We are just walking in circles." Danhauser interrupted him, sliding a hand inside his pocket. "I came here for a reason, but seeing you act like this makes me think it's not going to work, and you still appear to be ignorant of your classmates' fate. Take this."
The Longinus User intuitively looked up, spotting a small piece of paper between Belial's fingers. "What's that?"
"A flyer. Use it to summon me," Danhauser explained. "Go on, take it."
"I don't know how to use it," Tobio said, snatching it from Danhauser's grasp. "And why would I summon you anyways?"
The gray Devil merely pointed a thumb behind his shoulder. "Your friend knows, ask her how or let her do it. And trust me, you'll summon me once again because you have a lot of questions flying over your head."
"…" The brunette clenched his fist around the paper. He's right; he still needs to know a lot of things. How does this bastard know about his grandmother? Does he know about his family tree, his parents?
"Maybe, he knows what happened to mom and dad…" Tobio wished, since the day he was born, the face of his father and mother never materialized in his thoughts, he'd never met them either, not even a name to help him solve his case. He doesn't know why, but his grandmother knew, and she never told him about them. She tried to dismiss the topic, but it only made him curious. Unfortunately, Ageha Ikuse took that secret with her when she kicked the bucket.
"Why can't you answer my questions now?" The Japanese boy asked. "Are you in a hurry or what?"
"This is too much information to handle," Danhauser replied, summoning a portal under his feet. "And yes, I have other matters to attend to, plus I don't want to spend the whole day answering questions without receiving something valuable in return."
Tobio suddenly felt a glow coming from the gray circle beneath the Devil, forcing him to protect his eyes with his arm, he just listened to Danhauser's voice. "If I were you, I'd stay away from the school for good measure; the same hint goes for your friend, Sae. Keep an eye out on the news and the internet while you're here. You have one week to decide. Take care."
"Wait!" The glow throbbed and pulsed onto his skin and when it touched him, as fast as lightening the throbbing attacked him, but suddenly, the light waned, and the caster disappeared.
Slowly lowering his limb, he looked around the room to see if there were any alterations to his cave. Seeing none, he sighed. Too much happened in a matter of minutes. He needed to think about all this, alone.
His eyes drifted to the unconscious girl, then to the television. His words once again flashing on his mind. Is he speaking the truth? Or is he just lying? But why would he lie?
"Only one way to find out…" Tobio swallowed, spotting the remote control and turning on the machine. "Who would've thought that I would start watching the damn news?"
Danhauser jumped far away from the battlefield, taking a deep breath and brushing off the sweat hanging over his brow. He stared through the remaining parts of something that used to be called a "forest." Now, it looks like another Civil War had transpired behind the Mansion, with trees lying down, some of them cut in half, others scorched by flames, and printed on the ground were huge paw prints, the size scaling to one of a dragon.
This section wasn't a forest anymore. It was a damn wasteland.
Hearing the roar of a nearby beast, he maneuvered his way towards the source of the sound, using the footprints as guidance, slowly seeing more chaos than before as he stuck to following the same route.
When he reached his destination, his chest slightly puffed up at the scene, proudness surrounding his growing stature.
Bova and Siegfried.
He'd offered that together, they could sharpen their abilities by training to achieve greatness and be prepared for the harsh future that stands on the corner. Unfortunately, since Danhauser didn't have any skills in the arts of healing, their training must be treated with caution. He didn't want to hear that his Knight broke a leg because of Bova's restless assaults.
He must admit, they were incredible. Both sticking with a different method of fighting. Beautiful is the indicated word.
Siegfried jumped just in time to avoid another tree rolling at his figure and immediately, he flew towards the gigantic dragon. The former Exorcist actually knows how to look elegant while wielding not two swords, but three of them. It was by far way more different than the time that he'd got beaten by Gilles de Rais. Maybe he'd learned his lesson after all. He could cut any creature with ease.
Unfortunately, Bova was not a creature easy to slice off, especially if the weapon doesn't have any dragon slaying attributes melted on the blade. The dragon's scales were as hard as diamond. Siegfried's attacks didn't seem to faze him at all; he'd just shrug them off and rush at the swordsman like a demented gorilla.
Not only that, but Bova's punches are as hard as a wrecking ball. Danhauser is captivated in knowing how his offensive and defensive capabilities are going to increase by absorbing a Rook Piece. He's going to be worse than a fucking tank, that's a given.
Thankfully, Siegfried can stay toe-to-toe with Tannin's son. The Hero descendant easily outruns him, if Danhauser's analysis is correct. The Exorcist would roll away from the punch and slash his buffed legs faster than air, constantly aiming for the same spots to cripple the dragon while dodging the threatening blows.
Siegfried is a glass cannon. Meanwhile, Bova is a juggernaut.
"Time to put an end to this." Danhauser smiled slightly. Activating the well of power hiding in the deepest part of his spirit to lend him waves of demonic energy. Responding to his pleas, four gray circles with his housecarl's emblems suspended in mid-air prepared to assist their summoner. From those ripples, the tips of swords and spears poked out, all the weapons forged from the same raw and demonic essence.
"Owe you one, Gilgamesh," Danhauser chuckled, excitement crawling up his spine. Just because he'd been catapulted into a Light Novel, doesn't mean that he's forgotten the Anime and Light Novels he'd seen in his previous life.
Yes. Danhauser built his Gate of Babylon, but unlike the King of Heroes, he's not going to glue himself to the floor while firing his infinite ammunition at his foe, he's trying to find a way to make the circles follow him from behind while attacking. It wasn't that difficult to make, especially when he already knew how to shoot demonic powers, he just needed to increase the size of his creation to obtain greatness. Unfortunately, right now he could only make four circles watch over him.
"Fire," Obeying Belial's command, the four demonic circles launched their projectiles with the speed of bullets, the dozen of swords and spears descending directly at the two distracted pair.
Siegfried and Bova stopped, sensing a chunk of demonic energy flying towards them. Immediately, Siegfried jumped away from the dragon, dancing and slashing to avoid the attacks of his master.
At the same time, Bova lifted an arm to protect his eyes from the sharp constructions, letting his healthy body absorb all the assaults, grinning when he'd discovered the source of power.
His creations fired one at a time. He was amazed by the progress he'd made so far. Back then, he could just make demonic bullets and shoot them from his index finger, now, he could summon them with magic circles and shoot whatever reached his mind, and when they'd reached something solid, they would explode. Indeed, he urgently needs to learn Elemental Magic for the sake of adding more strength to his creations. His Belial trait, Worthlessness, meshes excellently too.
With a snap of his fingers, the four portals vanished. That's the minimal he could make without wasting his reserves of demonic power, but still, by using that ability, he felt relatively empty. As time goes on, Danhauser is going to make more than ten portals and let this blessing appear more often.
"Training's over, guys," Danhauser called, watching how Siegfried and Bova made their way towards him. "That was awesome, good work."
"Awesome? You're wrong. It was epic." Bova punched his palm, grinning. "I could feel my blood begging for more! We should do this way more often!"
"I agree," Siegfried nodded, cleaning his face from the accumulated sweat he'd earned. "While it was exhausting, it had a flavor of excitement. I don't know why."
Danhauser raised a brow. "Maybe it's because you had the chance to spar with, I don't know, a dragon?"
Siegfried rolled his eyes, smiling. "True, also, a Devil."
Belial's brow stretched more. Slowly, they commenced the short travel towards the Belial Castle. Bova, and Siegfried standing on his left and right respectively. "Wait you've never fought a Devil before?"
The silver-haired boy shook his head. "Unless you count Stray Devils as Pure-Blooded, then no." He folded his arms. "Normally, we tend to avoid problems with them, including the Fallen Angels, unless they're trespassing on an Angel's territory, then yes, we are allowed to slay them."
"If you found one on neutral ground, I presume none of you can engage in combat?" He merely received a "no" coming from him. "What other creatures have you slain before turning into a Devil?"
Siegfried flashed him a small smirk. "Well glad you asked. My slaying streak encompasses Stray Devils, Ghouls, Vampires, Werewolves, Basilisks, Banshees and a Nuckleavee. The last one I needed assistance, but I assure you, that is the truth, and nothing but the truth."
Danhauser rubbed his sore shoulder. "I believe you."
Bova frowned, "On that list of yours, there wouldn't be a dragon, right?"
Siegfried copied his frown, "No…? Why the sudden question?"
"You smell like a dragon because you have the Sacred Gear, Twice Critical," Bova's frown sank deeper, "But you also smell like the blood of my race, have you been involved in a fight against my kin?"
"Ah, so that's the issue," Siegfried heaved a sigh. "Put your mind at rest, Bova. The reason why I'm giving that scent may be because of her, Gram."
"Her? Your mate was a dragon, and therefore, you killed her?"
"Gram is a demonic sword, Bova," Danhauser answered. "It has dragon slaying abilities imbued."
"Ah, I understand then," Bova nodded at Siegfried. "Sorry for judging you silently, your aroma made me wary of you. I hope you don't plan on using her against innocent dragons."
"As long as they don't lunge at me, then there's nothing to worry about."
…
"You've got impressive sword skills, Exorcist. I rarely see anyone with your level of ability." He turned to Danhauser. "Likewise, I still remember when you could barely summon barriers and bullets infused with demonic energy. Time surely flies."
Danhauser merely patted his arm in gratitude.
"I've always held back a little when I used my swordplay on living targets. Fear of hurting someone, I guess." Siegfried's eyes darkened. "After what I'd heard of the tribe, I'm not holding back anymore, not against the enemy, not against anyone."
"Hey, did you always use Gram or only if the opponent was worthy?" Danhauser asked instantly, trying to change the grim mood.
"Only if the opponent was worthy, which, unfortunately, there weren't very many worthy opponents back in those times." Siegfried clicked his tongue. "I only used it once, and that was to feel more connected to the sword."
"Connected to the sword?"
"Yes. In case you didn't know, Gram is a double-edged sword in my grasp." Siegfried began, noticing that they were getting closer to the manor. "Since I have a Sacred Gear that is a Dragon-Type Tier… I can't use it while I'm feeding off the effects of Twice Critical. It's either a boost in power or using the Demonic Sword; there's no way I'll use the two at the same time."
Bova grunted. "Normally, anything that isn't constantly challenged grows weak."
And just like that, silence fell for the teenagers as they kept reaching for the castle, the two feeling awkward while in Bova's case, the atmosphere flew over his head.
Four days have passed since the appearance of an unimaginable creature outside of his apartment's entrance. Since that day, he didn't know if it was a dream or an illusion that popped out as a new symptom because of his annoying disease. Even then, that memory still left a huge scar, a wound that Tobio is still clinging to for dear life.
He remembers each word coming from the Devil's mouth, each emotion that controlled Tobio's body effortlessly. Every time he'd heard a different dark topic of the gray-haired demon, he would mentally scoff at the waste of time. But that sooner stopped when he saw that no lies left his lips, after observing with his own chocolate eyes the pair of dark wings springing from his spine, it reminded him of the night itself.
That's when he knew that, during that day, his life as Tobio Ikuse, human, a student of Ryoukuu High School, reached its bottom line.
A new tale began to unfold on Tobio's point of view, an adventure to the unknown catacombs, a story where Tobio Ikuse will slowly, hesitantly, and timidly embrace his moniker as the underdog, the Slash Dog of…who?
"School Trip of approximately ten days turned into a nightmare!"
"Luxury liner destroyed in the middle of the ocean!"
"The Hawaiian Islands cursed the 232 missing students!"
They didn't stop. They just didn't stop.
Tobio stood in the middle of the room; all light bulbs turned off, leaving the whole room darkened. If it weren't for the television, who was fighting against the dull darkness to keep the habitation bright with its meek light, then the brunette would be cradled by its musky surroundings.
His hand trembled, slowly becoming difficult to hold the remote control around his sweaty fingers, the index finger robotically pressed a button softly to jump to the next channel, which didn't have any difference from the previous ones. His empty eyes glued on the screen.
The TV showed to the two guests a poorly recorded video tape exhibiting the never-ending ocean from the skies, its beautiful blue color mixed with the silvery sand completely ignored by the audience, all the eyes concentrated on the vehicle that's struggling to keep floating around the crystal clear liquid.
A ship. The Luxury Liner that was supposed to circle the Heavenly of Aloha was now getting eaten by the ocean. The majority of the luxury liner's hull is sinking into the sea while bestowing smoke to the newcomers. Leaving a disturbing image that the media is abusing right this instant.
"T-Tobio," He heard a sniff, followed by a tug of his shirt, he let the weak mumble continue. "I-I-It's everywhere! Even on the internet! T-Their names, their pictures…e-everything!"
Tobio's mouth half opened, but only a short, dry, and empty gasp tugged his lips. The new's worldwide, a mine of pure and exquisite gold for the media, this was worse than the Tragedy of the Titanic. The professionals haven't found bodies, yet. Not even a single drop of blood stained on the floors or the walls, just destruction.
Finally, Tobio gulped. "S-Sae." He started, his hand quickly sinking inside his pocket, retrieving a familiar object gifted by the Devil. "U-use it. Summon him."
Sae gasped slightly, ignoring the reporter inside the stupid box. "B-but—!"
"Do it, Sae."
The girl nodded, mentally objecting with his plan, but she was too tired to break into a discussion with her childhood friend.
She's. So. Fucking. Tired.
Sae slowly strolled to the kitchen, taking a knife and by using the tip of the sharp tool, she poked her thumb, wincing at the blood tingling out from her new shaped wound.
"I hope you know what're you doing, Tobio." Sae prayed, passing her bloodied thumb over the flyer, leaving a blurry trace of crimson liquid under the piece of paper.
It took minutes to receive a signal coming from the flyer. Looking to the side to protect her eyes from the incoming and mighty light, she pursed her lips when the gray light faded, replaced by a familiar figure. The bastard that lied to her face, the one that knocked her out cold.
She fucking hates him.
"Hey there," She heard his voice, greeting so casually, and it made her clench her teeth. "Are we in your house or…?"
"Tobio's outside the kitchen." That's all the brunette said, looking down, not daring to meet his gray eyes. "Follow me."
She didn't wait to hear his words; she merely shoved past him, his gaze following her small figure, making her shudder from the inside. The steps of the Devil soon began to emit sounds, proving that he listened to her innocent plea.
"I brought him, Tobio," Sae breathed out, slumping on the couch while staring at the roof, tears slowly threatening to break free. It hurts her so much.
"So you finally decided?" Danhauser went directly to the point, watching how the girl locked herself in her inner world.
"…" Tobio only motioned to the television, just in time to where the news decided to showcase the names of the passengers with a photo, which the respective parents donated in hopes of finding them alive on the other side of the world, and of course, the parents' phone number.
After observing the third teenager emerging on the screen, Danhauser sighed and faced Tobio. "Now, do you think it's still a lie?"
"No," Tobio shook his head, rubbing his temples to contain any sort of migraine knocking on his skull.
"Why did you summon me, Tobio?" Danhauser asked, studying him from head to toes, "Just to show me something that I knew was going to happen?"
"Multiple reasons," Tobio replied, standing up from his seat, a shaky sigh, flying from his lips. "One of them is to know my lineage. You knew about my grandmother, so maybe you went deeper and discovered other relatives that I haven't heard of."
"…" Danhauser kept his mouth shut, letting Tobio continue with his babbling. He wasn't wrong, though, Tobio Ikuse is a descendant of one of the Five Principals Clans, the Himejima, making him a cousin of Rias' Queen, Akeno Himejima, and another girl called Suzaku Himejima. Of course, the teenager doesn't know about his bloodline, that's all thanks to Ageha, who, for unexplained reasons, used a Buddha seal to lock Tobio's Sacred Gear and important parts of his memories.
"But right now, I don't care about that," Tobio said, breaking Danhauser from his train of thoughts. "There's something more important, something that with your help, I can attain."
The gray-haired Devil glanced at Sae, scoring a sharp glare from the girl. Folding his arms, he faced Tobio once again. "What would that be?"
Slash Dog kneeled directly on the ground, making sure his forehead was pressed on the floor, perplexing the two teenagers.
"T-Tobio! What are you doing?!" Sae lifted herself up from her seat, staring wide-eyed at her childhood friend.
Tobio ignored her. "I need your help with saving my friends, the teachers, from those bastards." He spat, never looking up to meet Danhauser's eyes. "With your help and your contacts, we can rescue them. I beg you: please help me."
Danhauser looked at Tobio on his knees and prostrated himself before him; this was the famous Dogeza, used in modern Japanese culture to show your profound apology for troubling a person and to express the desire for a favor from said person.
His expression softened. Don't get confused, Danhauser knew that something like this was bound to happen. It was just matter of time for Tobio to ask for his aid in this reckless mission. The human before him has lost everything. The loving and tender embrace of his mother. The encouragement and comfort of his father. The wisdom and guidance of his grandmother.
And now? The friendship and happiness of his perished friends, shattered by a single swipe of the Supernatural World.
"…Your heart is heroic, Tobio. After learning about a terrorist group that could kill you, you still want to go out there and save them? Impressive." Danhauser praised, noticing how finally the teenager looked up, his eyes gleaming with hope. "But I'm afraid that I cannot do that. I' m not a hero and I will not risk my life to save people that I don't know at all."
To his surprise, a chuckle slipped from Tobio's mouth, a sad smile breaking on his face. "Yes, I saw that coming from far away."
"We're teenagers," Danhauser ignored him. "You don't even know how to summon your Sacred Gear. Sae doesn't know how to defend herself. You know the worst part? Whoever did this, had it all planned, he knew how many students were supposed to set sail on the ship, and when he finds out that there are two or more missing students…"
Sae covered her mouth, muffling her gasp. "Oh no… They'll come here to hunt us down…"
"Exactly, it could be tomorrow, it could take a few weeks or even months, but sure as hell they'll finish their mission with flying colors." He lowered his voice. "Hence the reason for my being here."
Luckily, Tobio heard it. "Are you going to protect us?"
"Depends on your answer," Danhauser replied, a hand sneaking inside his pocket. "It's a pity that you forgot the reason why I gave you that flyer to invoke me, Tobio. Unlucky."
Tobio frowned, trying to recall their previous conversation, then his eyes widened, "You want to recruit me…"
"So, you do remember," Danhauser muttered, satisfied. "Then let's make it brief. If you join me, I'll give you shelter, a place for you to train, food, a warm bed, money, and flyers so you could lend a few to Sae to make contracts with her. That way, you don't have to leave her behind. Even if you've lost almost everything, there's something that you can protect."
The brunette scoffed, standing up and facing the Devil with a glare. "Protect? Protect what, exactly? I lost everything!"
"…"Danhauser slipped his mouth shut, his eyes slowly wandering at his left flank, stopping when he spotted his target.
Tobio followed his fixed stare.
"Sae…" He clenched his fists, his childhood friend stared back at him, tears already ruining her gorgeous face, waiting for his response.
She's the only person he has in his life.
"If you say yes, then everything I offered is going to become real." He heard his voice, Tobio looked down to his feet. "If your answer is no, then I'll just wash my hands and leave. Just be warned, whoever did this will come here to capture the survivors, and I will not be there to assist you. You'll be on your own."
…
"I want to know one thing before I answer," Tobio turned back to meet Belial's eyes. "You promise me I'll become strong?"
"I will not promise a thing," Danhauser said, finally, taking a hold of the object in his pocket. A Knight Piece. "You should ask that question to Tobio Ikuse, not me. Does Tobio vow to become strong? To protect everything that he holds dear?"
The Longinus User stared at the Chess Piece twirled around his fingers, an Evil Piece. Finally, he looked up to his eyes, nodding firmly. "Yes. I promise to become strong, and I accept joining your group, boss."
"Tobio… a-are you sure about this?" His childhood friend, Sae, asked, putting a palm on his arm. "W-we don't know anything about him, not even his name…"
"Ah, right," Danhauser hummed, patting his chin with his index finger. "I never told you my real identity. It was on purpose, just to keep myself somewhat safe." He cleared his throat. "My name is Danhauser Belial, pleased to meet you two. Call me Dan."
The two brunettes grunted.
"I'm so content on meeting two cheerful souls."
Tobio overlooked his dry comment, "What should we do, now?"
"Now? Get away from the High School, and find another academy." Danhauser responded, nonchalantly tossing Tobio the mutated Piece. "The media is going to fly right towards the School gates and fill you guys with a lot of questions. Also, Sae, I suggest you visit your parents, assuming that you've slept here with Tobio since I've left."
"You sly dog, Tobio," Danhauser snorted from his nose at the words flying over his brain.
The girl blinked, slapping her forehead. "R-Right! Perhaps they believe that I was involved in the ship attack!"
"Before you go, I wish to talk with you. Privately." Danhauser nodded to Tobio's room. "You have my word that I won't hurt you."
The girl folded her arms, eyeing the Devil distrustfully. Finally, she huffed and walked to the room. "Make it quick."
Danhauser heaved a sigh, scratching his hair. "She really hates my guts."
Tobio scoffed, "No shit."
"Oh well, I can't please everybody," Danhauser shrugged and walked to the room, patting Tobio on the back. "Welcome to the team, by the way."
Tobio merely nodded, throwing the Knight Piece into the air and watching how it fell back to his palm, hearing how Danhauser closed the door softly. "So, this is my new life, huh? Was it worth it? Or am I just throwing my humanity away like a complete moron?"
Guest Reviews:
Xuan: Yes, Dan will have a harem. Thanks for reviewing!
Lurker: Ya se verdad? La novela Slash Dog merece ser reconocida, oi que Ishibumi va a subarla una vez mas, pero mejorada. Si, un Issei que es parte de la faccion de los angeles suena interesante, pero, Dan no se quedara con los brazos cruzados, el va a hacer algo al respecto. Saludos!
Guest: Yes, Dan comes from a world with logic, and he's sent in a world where logic jumped out of the window, why follow logic when the world he's trapped now doesn't follow that rule? Plus Issei isn't a pervert here, yet, he hasn't met the geezer that brought him to perversion. Thanks for reviewing!
…
There. The chapter's done! Here, I wanted to go a little deeper into the politics, since Danhauser comes from a family involved on the latter, then the least I could do is show you some of it. Trust me; we'll be seeing more of it in future chapters with Diehauser's point of view.
And yes, this is the part where the Kingdom of Tepes met its downfall, meaning that Gasper is already within the grasp of Rias, it's a way of showing you on what part of the story we are.
And Tobio joined the crew! Yay!
Also, I have a beta reader. Yay!
Have you guys seen the wiki of the Hero Faction? It has grown quite a bit, one of them took me by surprise.
I'll be honest with you guys. The next chapters I'm going to have so much fun writing them, you'll have to wait to see why.
Well, that's all I have to say, see you in the next chapter! Cheers!
Chapter 10: Pater R.R.C.
