Chapter 24: The Strongest Heir
"I don't buy it!" Siegfried kept walking restlessly circles in the room like there's a hurricane inside him. "There's no way they're in Kuoh!"
"But they are," Danhauser Belial carefully said, not wanting to irk the Ex-exorcist. "I even talked with them."
The members of the peerage were surprised at the act performed by the silver-haired swordsman, but of course, few of them hid their reactions very well. Even so, Siegfried acting out of character was something to worry about. After all, he always wore a cool head most of the time and when he didn't, bad things tended to happen.
"It's impossible!" He finally stopped in front of the King, eyes blind with denial. "Have they told you their main objective?"
The Heir sighed heavily.
"Could any of you perhaps shed some light as to what's the issue?" Valerie Tepes asked for everyone. "Unlike you two, some of us are standing in the background with no knowledge about the matter at hand."
"Same here," Tobio Ikuse scratched his neck. "Have to agree with Valerie for the first time…"
"In a nutshell," drawled Danhauser. "Three new Exorcists traveled to Kuoh Town for the purpose of convincing the Devils and Fallen Angels to end the hostility between them."
"A peace treaty," Bova Tannin grunted. "That's new."
"New and impossible," the Dhampir scoffed lightly. "Chances of the Old Devils even agreeing to these terms are as low as possible."
"Optimistic as always I see," Danhauser chuckled carelessly.
"Hmhm. Hehe...Ehehehe… I do so love compliments, Danhauser."
"Wait… these Exorcists were the ones you found in Ryoukuu Town?" Slash Dog frowned. "The talk we had on the phone back then suddenly popped in my head. I could be wrong, though."
"Good thing you're not wrong then," Danhauser turned back to Siegfried. "Again. What can you tell me about her?"
"Master," Siegfried said, defensively. "…What are you planning?"
The gray-haired laid a hand on his waist. "I won't do any harm at her," he cryptically stated. "But keep in mind that she's an Exorcist and someone important to me is living in the same town as hers. I rather know what my cousin is currently sharing streets with. I'll fight back if it means to protect my family."
Even if Jeanne had made her debut as a kind-hearted girl who wishes for an end to all types of bloodshed, Danhauser would never lower his stance even to a beautiful face. Even less if is someone involved with the Vatican and Heaven.
Not because of racism, but because their Factions are widely known as archenemies since the creation of Adam.
"What's with your brand-new attitude anyway?" Valerie narrowed her eyes accusingly. "The instant when Danhauser had mentioned them you'd began to make a fuss."
"It's nothing." Siegfried dismissed plainly.
"Bullshit," Bova scoffed. "You still have a soft spot for them."
Siegfried glowered. "So what if I do? I grew up with two of them! Of course, I worry about them!"
"Right. I think it's better if you take deep breaths, Siegfried." Danhauser eyed the trembling Dhampir. "You're kind of scaring our visitor…"
"Plus the fact you were an Exorcist back then turned him into a mess," Tobio added dryly. "Not fond of them I suppose."
Gasper Vladi hid deeper behind Valerie, pink orbs sharply fixated warily on the silver-haired was a nod to Danhauser and Tobio's statements.
Despite all this, Siegfried obeyed his King and filled his lungs with all the air he could inhale. "I'm so… sorry," he exhaled, massaging his aching temple. "It's just… I wasn't prepared to hear his name so soon…"
Valerie just laid a comforting hand atop her childhood friend's platinum hair.
"Which one? Freed?" The King saw the swordsman blenching. "Judging by your reaction I'll take it as a yes."
He obviously knew that Siegfried and Freed Sellzen worked and trained on the same Church back then before the former turning into his first servant, it was just small information given to him by the Light Novels just for the purpose to give them a background and expand the DxD world.
But other than that, he never knew anything else besides that, heck, the talk he had with his Knight during the Arcade Room wasn't something added by Ishibumi, yet.
Siegfried's lips pursed but nodded slowly. "F-fine…I'll talk." he cleared his throat. "When I was a member of the Orthodox Church I was on a team under the leadership of David Serro, a holy sword user and their members were Freed, Lint and I. We were the best team there."
"Could it be this David man that acted as Jeanne's bodyguard?" Danhauser hummed in thought. "Which sword is in David's grasp?"
"Galatine," Siegfried replied. "The holy sword wielded by Sir Gawain in Arthurian legend."
Danhauser clicked his tongue. He preferred if it was Excalibur, Durandal or even Hauteclere. At least he knew their abilities, unlike Galatine.
All he knows so far is that it's really effective against lurkers of the dark, such as them. "He was your Mentor?"
"Correct," he folded his arms close to his chest. "He's the one who taught Freed, Lint, and I the arts of swordsmanship. I was his best apprentice compared to others in the Orthodox Church."
Valerie curved an eyebrow. "Who's Lint?"
"A kind-hearted, young girl," responded Siegfried. "She's the youngest and has a similar whimsical tone of voice like Freed...but without the vulgar accent, thankfully."
"Never heard of her and this David in the Light Novels," Danhauser frowned but quickly moved on. "What about Jeanne? Was she also part of the Orthodox Church?"
"No, she's someone from a different and taller category." After a brief silence, Siegfried sighed and leaned slightly on the nearest wall. "I'm honestly baffled none of you heard of the Holy Saint herself. After all, she's one of the most famous people in the facilities."
Everyone remained quiet.
"First of all, she's not an Exorcist. She's a Saint." He observed their confused expressions. "Saint Martha. Saint Longinus. Saint George. They're people officially and authoritatively declared by the Church as holy or virtuous and typically regarded as being in heaven after death…"
"Saint Jeanne isn't an exception," Valerie noted.
"Correct," Siegfried nodded, looking down. "But here's the catch…to become a Saint one must die having a phenomenal scale of holiness, likeness or closeness to God of the Bible."
Everyone, with the exception of Valerie, felt a sharp migraine.
"EEEEEP!" Gasper placed both hands across his aching head. "My heaaaaaad! It huuurts!"
"What the hell was that?!" Tobio shrieked out, frantically looking around. "Magic?!"
"You can't say His name," Danhauser briefly explained behind clenched teeth. "Not anymore, since you're a Devil."
"Oh?" Valerie's irises stretched with curiosity. "Is that so?"
"Yeah." He replied dumbly, not quite understanding what she asked for a few seconds until he noticed her wicked smile. "Wait, Valerie! Don't —!"
"God of the Bible."
Everyone groaned in pain.
"Valeeerieeee!" Gasper screeched. "D-don't do thaaaaat!"
"Do that again and I'm seriously going to crush you," the dragon threatened.
"Ehehehehe…!" Valerie's eyes wandered to every unlucky person with satisfaction. "What a view to behold! I wonder if it's my birthday already."
"Are you always an ass?" Tobio wondered loudly.
She grinned. "Not at all Tobio, sometimes I'm asleep."
Bova growled after his headache vanished, facing Siegfried. "Hold on a second…" he trailed off. "That saint girl. She's still alive and you said to become a saint you must be dead."
Surprisingly, the swordsman shook his head. "Why yes, she's alive… once again."
"Once again?" Danhauser repeated, captivated.
"She came back to life," Valerie answered. "She reincarnated into this world once more."
"Exactly," Siegfried said. "That alone made her name rise up in all the churches. Everyone sees her as a blessing or message from the King of Heaven. That's not the only thing that shocked most followers though…she can hear Voices."
Slash Dog had a troubled look. "So she's schizophrenic?"
"No, no." Siegfried shook a hand. "Whenever she prays, either the Archangel Michael or Seraph Gabriel speak to her through a mental connection that no one else can hear..."
"Was she born with that ability?" Valerie wondered.
"That's correct," he pushed himself off the wall. "To discuss telepathically with Angels of high rank or Him is an ability that most people aren't capable of achieving."
"So what?" Bova grunted. "Why is that so shocking? I bet anyone could make a spell to communicate without moving our jaws."
"I have to side with Bova," Valerie concurred. "I would be way more awed if the girl had a Longinus, mostly the True Longinus or even better Telos Karma."
Bova tilted his head. "Why Telos Karma?"
"Oh my, don't tell me you don't know the abnormal strength of that Longinus?" She saw his blank stare. "Ehehehe… someday I'll explain."
"I can understand why this isn't so amazing for any you," Siegfried stated. "Your opinions about this are because of your culture and dissimilar views from your respective, previous factions, but for those following the teachings of Him, it is the ultimate reward. Besides, to discuss telepathically with famous Angels and to Him is an ability that can't be learned. It's also a fundamental skill for those who wish to become the next Pope, the Ecumenical Patriarch or a Patriarch."
"Wait, the past, present and future Popes needed to have this power?" Tobio said incredulously.
"For the Vatican? Yes, the Pope needs this talent." Siegfried confirmed. "For other installations such as Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church would be the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Patriarch respectively."
"Even if you have a strong heart compared to the previous leaders?" Slash Dog clicked his tongue. "That's kind of unfair."
"That's how it works," he shrugged. "But it does make sense if you take your time to think about it. He needs special people to hear the voices of those in heaven because He is the true leader of all Churches. He needs the chosen Heads to spread His message to the world of the mortals while He keeps an eye out over Heaven and other things."
Valerie hummed, keeping Gasper close to her as much as possible. "How unusual, I always saw them as people who only dropped to their knees and prayed for either forgiveness or an answer... I'd never imaginated them to have a complex system." Her gaze automatically traveled over her future King. She sculpted a smirk. "You were quiet this whole time, anything stuck in your mind that you wish to share, Danhauser?"
To her surprise, his mouth remained an uncharacteristic grim line, gray orbs glaring at his shoes.
Her brows knitted in slight concern. "Danhauser?"
His eyes stretched as he was shaken back to reality. "Sorry, sorry." Danhauser apologized, blinking. "I was just thinking."
Valerie's frown remained still but nodded regardless. "So it seems."
The gray-haired hid his hands inside his pockets. "Either way… she's the original Joan of Arc?"
"She inherited the spirit of Jeanne d'Arc," Siegfried affirmed. "The Maiden who fought courageously in the Hundred Years' War. Though, there's also been a dispute about her not being the Maiden of Orleans and just a lie from the Vatican as an excuse to lead the nonbelievers into following the religious path."
"And on what side are you on, Siegfried?" Valerie asked. "Share your two cents if you would."
"I believe she's the real deal," he responded. "Normally, those that are in disagreement are irreligionists."
"Seriously..." Tobio grumbled. "I swear, this team is a magnet for whatever bullshit this world throws upon us."
"I know right? We're damn lucky," Bova gave a toothy grin. "More foes to bash into the ground. The Utsusemi and stray wizards are becoming easier to kill. We need a real challenge."
Siegfried shook his head. "Things were tense back then…they still are, though."
"Speak for yourself," Bova scoffed.
"The only thing tensed back then was Bova," Valerie dryly commented. "Him getting angrier at the lack of strong foes that is."
"True, true," the battle-maniac dragon chuckled at the memory. "Good thing Danhauser talked me down. Can't imagine you pulling that off."
"Neither do I," she shrugged. "I would have done what I had to do, I suppose."
"Uh-huh. Would you have killed me?"
"If you left me no option? Then yes, of course."
Surprisingly, the rook laughed boisterously. "You have guts. I respect that, Dhampir."
"And here I thought our gang had some internal issues…" mumbled Tobio, sighing. "Glad I was proven wrong."
Jin only nodded.
"U-umm…" Gasper's eyes jumped on everyone, timidly raising a hand. "W-what's an Utsusemi?"
"It's a long story, Gasper," Valerie waved him off. "But don't worry about it."
"O-okay…"
As the group kept their playful banter up, their King went back to his mind. "Then that means that Heracles of the Hero Faction is, in fact, Heracles the legendary hero written in mythology?" Danhauser shook his head, blinded in denial. "Bullshit. In canon, Sairaorg defeated him with a normal punch and using little force. There's no way he's the demigod who finished the twelve labors which involved a hydra, the Nemean Lion and the Evil Dragon, Ladon."
Pushing aside the word 'Reincarnation' that Danhauser thought he'd never hear for an eternity or at least until he died and was warped to another anime world. He didn't see Jeanne as Jeanne d'Arc nor Heracles as the champion of the Olympians. Even less with how little strength they showed against Rias Gremory and her servants later on.
Sure, during their debut when they kidnapped Yasaka, they pummeled Rias' Peerage with ease, but that didn't prove enough, not for him at least.
Plus it's very unlikely Jeanne is, in fact, Joan of Arc. Like hell, the Maiden of Orleans would join a group of terrorists whose acts don't benefit humanity in the slightest. Unless brainwashing was involved during her recruitment process to the Hero Faction.
It's obvious there are things that Siegfried doesn't know. So far, the only people who can answer his doubts perfectly are Jeanne herself.
And…
Rudiger Rosenkreutz.
"Through fire, nature is born whole, isn't that right Rudiger?" Danhauser lamely massaged his nose. "We should stop. At least until we put our tinfoil hats on. If we keep rambling about this we'll just jump into tiring theories that would raise more unanswered questions and toast our brains."
"Well, as long as they don't throw up some trouble in Kuoh…" Tobio trailed off grimly. "Especially when Sae's around school time…"
"They won't," Siegfried assured them. "Freed may have lost a few screws from time to time, but he would never randomly go around to start a killing spree."
"I don't buy it, but I won't start a discussion," Danhauser grunted. "I'll hold you to that."
Besides, if something terrible occurred in Kuoh Town, he's going to handle it. With or without Diehauser Belial.
"Hey, isn't your brother's Queen related in some way with the girl?" Slash Dog asked while rubbing his neck. "I know you told us to drop the subject but… they fought together back then, right?"
Siegfried's fist clenched. "Yes, that son of a bitch was a leader in the French army and a companion-in-arms of Jeanne d'Arc."
Tobio winced slightly. "Whoa there."
"Oh my, did Siegfried just curse?" Valerie feigned a gasp but smirked behind her hand. "Hmhmhm. Ehehehe. My intuition is very strong today, and it is telling me this will be a wonderful tale to listen to."
"Gilles and Siegfried don't have the greatest relationship in the manor," Danhauser pocketed a hand. "Before you guys were here, these two were headbutting with one another because of many things."
Mostly because Gilles de Rais defeated Siegfried for his greatest belonging a long time ago. The Strongest Demonic Sword, Gram.
"'Were?'" Tobio parroted, scoffing. "He looks ready to pounce at your butler!"
"You would understand if you were in my shoes, Tobio," Siegfried growled and left it there.
"Huh? No room for arguments then? What a shame. Oh well…" Valerie faced Danhauser with a small, happy smile. "Now that we left behind that lengthy conversation are you going to reincarnate me now?"
Danhauser placed a hand to his hip. "Are you sure, Missus? Don't you want to enjoy your last, precious moments as a Dhampir?" He half-smiled, gaze intense and unfaltering. "Or you wanna join me that badly?"
"As if!" she huffed, glaring to another direction. "I'm just reminding you of our previous negotiation. I can change my mind whenever I want, you get that right? So, you better hurry up before it's too late." She took a long pause. "Stop calling me Missus."
He laughed softly. "Of course, of course. Well, I better make this quick, then."
"…" Gasper became quiet, but his confused eyes went from Valerie to Danhauser multiple times.
The Pure Devil, on the other hand, approached Valerie as he invoked in his palm a box where his belongings were safely kept. He stopped in front of her and pulled his most valuable Evil Piece. "I wouldn't mind you becoming my Queen you know?" He shook said piece. "The offer still stands."
By the studious twinkle of her deep, red eyes, Danhauser thought that he somehow had convinced her on accepting the task. However, when she drew her sardonic smirk and shifted both hands over her curves that proposal soon went to oblivion. "Ehehehe… It is amazing what some people are capable of pulling at unexpected times. Aren't you the persistent type? The answer is still the same, Danhauser and since you're a true gentleman you will respect this young ladies' choice, yes?"
He smiled a little. "Eh. Worth a shot," he tossed the piece upwards a few times, testing its weight.
"You have someone in mind for that piece?" Bova nodded at the Queen. "Who's gonna be second-in-command of the team…? Who's gonna be called as the Right Hand of the Future Champion?"
Danhauser didn't know why, but that placed a smile on his face.
"It depends on what master is looking for," Siegfried commented after calming down. "Someone adept in magic? Strength? Speed?"
"All of them," the King absentmindedly said, sparing a long glance at his strongest piece. "I want someone who uses the three traits of the Queen Piece efficiently and knows how to lead whenever I'm away."
"A Jack of all trades," Tobio surmised. "No offense, boss. But that's plain greed."
He knew he was asking for something huge, since all DxD characters that followed Danhauser's requirements to the letter were at least around Ultimate or Satan-Class, few of them even surpassing those charts.
But he knows he'll become an Ultimate-Class Devil when canon starts.
"As I become stronger, my pieces will follow suit." He swapped the Queen for a few Pawns. "They'll eventually become Unused Pieces or maybe few of them are now."
He'd read it from a short manual given by his school and written by Ajuka Beelzebub himself, each page talked about a specific piece with its main strengths and weaknesses. However, the last notes were about the variations, where Danhauser's attention suddenly lighten up.
So far, two variations are well-known amongst the Devils, such as the Unused Piece that will undergo into drastic changes depending on the master's growth in terms of demonic powers, perfect for the King to reincarnate other creatures into Devils by using fewer pieces.
And lastly, the Mutated Piece, its function is the same: use fewer pieces to recruit other people, but this is way more effective than the Unused Piece. Unfortunately, Ajuka never wrote the secret on how to mutate an Evil Piece, well, just a brief summary that brought many questions rather than answers.
The King must mutate.
Danhauser clicked his tongue. "The King must mutate for the Unused Evil Pieces to become Mutated Pieces." He recited after a brief pause. "How can I mutate? Perhaps with my True Form?"
It has to be something similar when Issei's fatal end came by Samael's poison, the brunet came back to life with a body made by the flesh of Great Red and the infinite powers of Ophis, thus mutating into a small version of a Dragon God.
But very unlikely the mutation has to be from exterior forces. It could work, but maybe that's not what Ajuka implied.
"Maybe you're right Tobio, I'm a greedy bastard." Danhauser finally looked up and lifted the Pawns in his hand. "I may have to use more than three Pawns on you, Valerie. Ready?"
The light, blonde-haired girl nodded with determination, shifting closer. "More than ever."
Throughout Valerie's recruitment, the conversation he had with his Peerage minutes ago, his mind hasn't stopped fumbling thoughts about his dear cousin's situation.
The thought alone just brought a crisped chill across his spine.
It has begun.
He knew its happening.
Canon is approaching.
The future of Cleria Belial is being weighed down by the scales of fate.
The question kept mercilessly moving back and forth in his skull, almost making him unaware to his surroundings.
Will she live? Or will she die?
"What are we doing out here, again?" Danhauser Belial asked for the fifth time, shielding himself from the sun.
Thanks to the efforts of the Four Great Satans the star designed by them did the same functions as the sun in the human world with the exception of weakening them, but he can't deny that it gets tedious over time. Well, they did what they could.
"Again. We're here to give a warm welcome to our guests." His mother, Calcabrina Belial said with a smile. "Shockingly, our guests are none other than the House of Phenex!"
"Crap," Danhauser grimaced but remained silent. "I just hope Raiser and Ravel aren't still scared of me…"
Since their first Rating Game, the Phenex brothers were afraid of him. The puppy look Ravel Phenex gave him at the end of their match was actually heartbreaking. As if he'd pulverized her brother to another room.
Technically he kind of did. He tried to apologize, but Ruval Phenex told him that everything was all right. Danhauser wasn't relieved, after all, he did traumatize Raiser and his Peerage with his retainers. Sometimes, he worried if his relationship with Ravel has ended because of this.
"I'm starting to believe the blonde magnetism theory, Dan."
"Hilarious and original, brother."
Calcabrina tilted her head. "Am I missing something?"
"I'll explain later," Diehauser Belial chuckled, hands inside his pockets. "Why wasn't I informed about this, mother?"
"Believe me, I was also confused," she said. "They'd never called us to arrange a meeting. If it wasn't for our guards watching over our frontiers, we would still be unaware of this." She brought a finger to his lip, eyes narrowing in thought. "If the rumors of the Underworld are true she makes her plans days or even months before the event. After all, she did organize the marriage of one of her children with the Gremory heiress long ago… this mustn't be one of her schemes."
Diehauser chuckled knowingly. "I can smell the culprit from here. Who else would invade someone's property without making an appointment with the owner?"
Both mother and son shared stares and in a heartbeat, answered simultaneously. "Ruval's coming too."
"Wait..." Danhauser trailed off. "The Strongest Heir is coming here?"
"Apparently," The Champion smirked after spotting the carriage halting on the manor's entrance. "And look at that. They're already here."
"Huh they're fast," Danhauser remarked as they watched the doors opening by the driver. He smiled mildly. "A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one."
The first one to appear was obviously an embarrassed Lady Phenex followed by her tensed eldest son, Ruval, who was rubbing the back of his neck.
And of course, a pale Raiser and trembling Ravel chased from behind.
The Belial family watched blankly as the Phenex family approached. The conversation went ahead with Lady Phenex bowing her head in shame. "I apologize for my son's lack of initiative. I swear the whole Phenex Clan doesn't carry this type of attitude."
"H-hey…" Ruval's eye twitched. "That hurts, mum…"
Calcabrina finally took a step forward. "There's no need for a brawl. Mistakes happen often. Isn't that right, Diehauser? Danhauser?"
"Yeah," Diehauser sided with his mother. "Don't worry about it."
Danhauser's head dipped vaguely in acknowledgment. "All good here."
"Oh! We appreciate your comprehension, Lady Belial, Emperor Belial, Prince Danhauser," the blonde brought a hand to her ample chest, sighing with a fiery passion. "I swear this shall not happen ever again!"
Ruval gave a short, nod of gratitude, before flicking his brother and sister's foreheads. "You two, it's rude to stare at someone and not say a single word." He chided them. "At least greet Danhauser first."
Unlike Raiser, Ravel acted faster by scampering behind Ruval's legs.
Danhauser flinched inwardly, but despite the blunt gesture, he was transfixed over her small messenger bag with a Phenex emblem on it. In the Light Novel, she never carried such thing.
Besides that, she looked adorable in it.
"Oh, y-yeah," Raiser swallowed and looked to the side awkwardly. "A pleasure…"
Ruval and his mother shared a look. They were nearly shaking their footwear out of nervousness. They had absolutely no clue how this was going to turn out.
So far? Not so great.
Danhauser just waved back. "Nice seeing you guys."
Ravel peeked before scooting back to her hideout, her gears working behind her skull as she weighed her options.
If it wasn't by Ruval's encouraging pats, she wouldn't leave her shell and bow to them. "I-I'm happy meeting you again Lord Danhauser…!"
Her mother's eyes relaxed, her worried expression fading a tiny bit. She could blame Danhauser because of her children frightened state, but Ruval warned her that sooner or later, they would face a stronger opponent than them. Unfortunately, it had to be the very first match that turned them into a trembling mess.
Nothing she can do here, even less when her eldest son told her to not intervene on their personal affairs. She'd demanded a further and better explanation but Ruval just banked in a thumbs up.
"Well, now that greetings are over," Diehauser pointed at the entrance behind his shoulder. "We can go inside and talk until the table is prepared for us."
"Lead the way, Emperor." Ruval and everyone followed the Champion.
"We can go to the main room and talk there," Calcabrina said with a welcoming smile. "The maids could serve us something to drink as we burn some time. Plus Gilles is preparing the table for us."
"This is great news to hear. My throat has been dry for too long," Lady Phenex harrumphed with a hand over her neck. "A shame my husband couldn't make it. His job is really tiring him…"
"You know him, mum… the geezer is a workaholic," Ruval looked around. His deep, blue eyes finally landing over Diehauser in a frown. "Is Cleria still living in that town in Japan?"
"Hold on," Danhauser made a face, ignoring the shaky looks of Ravel and Raiser. "Who told you Cleria lived in Kuoh?"
"I did long ago," Diehauser replied before facing Ruval. "Just forget it, Ruval. There's no way Cleria would ever step in the Underworld, she hates the place."
"Man, what a shame," he gave a big stretch as he looked at the expensive paintings unhappily. "She was fun to talk with. I'm gonna miss her around."
"Not only you, Ruval," Danhauser eyed him with slight suspicion. "Hey, you don't mind if I ask you something?"
The Heir of Phenex reached over and patted him hard on the head. "Don't hold yourself back. If you have any issues just speak up. Shoot!"
It was silence after that, just peaceful walking until finally, Danhauser opened his mouth. "Your flames are both Phenex yet are not, right?"
…
"Really now?" Ruval replied eloquently, flashing a grin. "I'm not following. What makes you think that?"
The Heir of Belial felt obligated to humor him. "… During my times in school, I'd learned that Clan Traits are inherited genetically from the Mendelian inheritance." He recited. "Children will either manifest one of their parent's Clain Traits, none of them, or in my case, both of them… but…"
"But…?" Ruval repeated, still grinning.
"… Much more rarely, in the case of few Devils, a child may manifest a Clan Trait that is entirely unrelated to their genetic lineage, but still carrying few identical properties, alike to a mutation." He concluded, clashing stares with the strongest heir. "Your Clan Trait is an irregular-type."
They'd stopped walking since the moment Danhauser spoke, watching the two heirs dueling with only their fierce eyes.
Finally, Ruval broke eye contact, gazing behind his shoulder. "Mum, may I?"
Lady Phenex's lips pursed. "Ask permission from Emperor Belial first."
"Go for it," Diehauser quickly responded.
Smirking, Ruval took a few steps away from the group and immediately invoked his fiery wings.
A Phenex's most notable trait is being able to sprout wings of orange fire for flight. Ruval, unlike the Phenex Clan, has a pair of exquisitely, fiery bluish wings mixed with a tint of yellow over them.
"Hahaha! Correct! That's correct!" Ruval widened out his majestic wings, brightening the whole corridor. "Out of the three abilities that my Clan has, I'm blessed with blue flames that surpass the very high temperature of any Phenex you'd ever heard off!"
"Beautiful…" Ravel whispered, eyes glued to her big brother.
Danhauser also stared at his wings in awe, wondering how would be if Ruval ever achieved the talent enough to use True Form and fight him.
"A pain in the ass, I bet," Danhauser grunted inwardly. "Are you the only one with an irregular Clan Trait?"
"Among the Top Ten?" The blond rose an eyebrow, dismissing his wings. "Nope! There's someone else with an irregular Clan Trait too! They call them Worldbreaker."
…
…
…
"…So?" Danhauser awkwardly asked. "What's their name?"
The adults blinked, scoffed and laughed fervently, enough to tint Danhauser's cheeks in red.
Ruval unhurriedly stopped his laughter, grinning down at his fellow-heir. "Yeah sure, I'll give you their home address and three measurements, too."
The gray-haired growled. "Alright, I get it! That was a stupid question."
"I mean, a few weeks back you'd challenged the Top Ten and to an extent the Underworld, in front of the cameras and an audience, for the title as the next champion." Ruval recalled, hands sunk in his pockets. "No way in hell I'll blow the whistle and backstab the Top Ten!"
Danhauser grunted in return. "Worth a shot…"
"But aside from the Top Ten, two of the Four Great Satans also wield irregular Clan Traits," Calcabrina pointed out. "Satan Leviathan and Lucifer respectively."
Danhauser squinted his eyebrows. He had an idea who they were, but he'd expected three of them, not two of them. "I thought Satan Beelzebub also had an irregular Clan Trait."
"No, he's a different case," Calcabrina shivered. "The Astaroth Clan has power over snakes. Ajuka Beelzebub had refined his demonic powers in calculations and creation. That man is truly a monster."
Danhauser glared at the roof in thought, surprised he hasn't made a hole in it yet. Serafall Leviathan's mutant Clan Trait is obvious, power over ice in contrast to the Sitri Clan with their water-based expertise.
But Sirzechs Lucifer?
"Could it be Power of Destruction?" Danhauser pondered, turning back to his mother.
"Wrong," Diehauser responded for her, walking once again with everyone following suit. "It's the Gremory Trait."
"They have enhanced and superior control over Demonic Powers." Lady Phenex muttered. "A normal Gremory has double the demonic power… that man must have the quadruple of it. Perhaps even more."
"The more demonic power, the longer True Form lasts," Danhauser repeated his father's words. "But it becomes difficult to control unless you have a good grasp on your spirit. That's where Senjutsu strikes or more specific, Touki."
Hence the reason for his Senjutsu practice.
"Actually, back in my days, there was someone of the Belial Clan with an irregular Clan Trait, too." Calcabrina tapped her chin in thought. "It was your great-aunt. She's the daughter of the first Head of the House of Belial. Barossa Bavin Belial. From Worthlessness to Nothingness… I think we all understand its function... a shame she couldn't make it."
"It could erase any ability, forever," Danhauser whistled. "Cool, a middle name. I like those."
Diehauser cringed. "Seriously, what's with the first generation giving their children a weird middle name? I never understood the reason behind it."
"Same here," Ruval shrugged. "Maybe they thought having long ass names makes you look cool."
Lady Phenex yanked his ear. "Don't swear in front of the children, Ruval."
The strongest heir flinched in pain but nodded awfully. "Y-yes mum."
As his mother let go of his red ear, he glared down at his amused brother and sister. "Laugh it off, you two." His fixed stare drifted over Ravel, smiling dangerously. "Mostly you, Hummingbird. I'll get my revenge throughout our training."
"Training…?" Danhauser's eyebrow went up and gazed at Ravel, who looked down with a blush.
"It was a tradition between us," Calcabrina responded Diehauser's question. "Commonly, we used the initial letters of our respective Clan and use them for the names and middle names... plus in a way, its easier to identify them, after all, they are as important as the Elders, their parents."
"But there are Devils from other young generation who do have middle names," Lady Phenex reminded her. "It's very uncommon, but still…"
Lady Belial shrugged. "I never stated it was prohibited."
"It still sounds awful to me." Diehauser plainly said. "Thank Maou I don't have one."
Calcabrina smirked a little, hands over her endowed hips. "Hey now, little did you know, I'd wanted to give both you and Danhauser a middle name, too." Her smirk evolved into a grin after seeing his lip twitch. "After all, the whole Malebranche Clan is from the first generation, too."
Diehauser made a face. "You wouldn't."
"Oh, I would!" the mother giggled behind her fingers. "Even your uncle supported my idea but your father had to be a killjoy and stand against it."
"Not all heroes wear capes," the emperor sighed with relief.
"If father accepted, what would our middle names be?" Danhauser asked aloud.
Calcabrina stared at Diehauser.
Diehauser stared back.
Finally, she smiled maliciously and puffed her chest with pride. "Diehauser Demiourgos Belial and Danhauser Demiurge Belial."
"…Remind us to thank father one day."
"Well, excuuuse me," Danhauser scoffed, offended. "But unlike you and your bad tastes, I do like the middle name."
Diehauser's face wrinkled. "Don't talk to me ever again."
The Heir returned the smile. "Fine by me. Never planned to do so."
"I really hope you join us in the rankings one day, Danhauser." The strongest heir suddenly said. "Even if you have to defeat me."
Danhauser blinked, twice. "… Thanks for wishing me luck?" he vaguely answered. "But why, though?"
The Heir of Phenex rolled a shoulder. "I love Ars Goetia… if we push aside its glaring flaws." He explained. "Look, the Top Ten are seen as heroes of the Underworld… unfortunately, Diehauser and I are the only ones representing Ars Goetia. Meanwhile, the rest are affiliated or come from…"
"The Extra Demons," Danhauser finished for him, now grasping his worries. "Yeah, I can see your reasoning."
"Nothing against them," Ruval sighed faintly. "But it just gives a bad impression to us, the 72 Pillars... that's why I joined the Rating Games."
Danhauser gave a fearless smile. "Don't worry, Ruval, I'll defeat all of you in a blast, starting with you."
Diehauser smiled but stayed quiet.
Ruval, on the other hand, cocked his head and cackled. "So confident!" He shook his head in a mix of disbelief and amusement. "What makes you think you'll win?"
"I'm a Belial."
The blond looked down at him with a smirk, a glint of energy over in his eyes. "Don't sing victory yet, Danhauser."
The table had been prepared for the Belials and Phenexes for quite the time. The older people were the ones that carried the conversation. Meanwhile, Danhauser Belial was stuck on playing with his dish with the assistance of a fork, even if his mother had constantly chided him for playing with his food.
He'd tried. He really had, but the uneasy and quickly glances coming constantly from left and right had made it difficult to avoid.
Ah yes, he'd been sitting between Raiser Phenex and Ravel Phenex.
It was overwhelming, he'd never felt hunger because of it.
Thankfully, the feast had ended just minutes ago, but before he'd hopped from his seat and go exhaust his muscles out, a timid voice had stuttered his name.
However, her next words had caught him by surprise.
"P-Please come with me!"
And thus, the blonde ran whilst holding his wrist.
Of course, he could retrieve his arm back just by using small force and end this pursuit, but he wasn't a full asshole, just a quarter.
Not even minutes before they slowed their pace and therefore reached their destination.
Ravel maneuvered her hands over her knees, taking deep breaths. "Huff! A-ah! I-I almost fainted!"
Danhauser couldn't help but chuckle, his body not the slightest tired. "It wouldn't hurt you exercising once in a while, Ravel."
The Phenex tilted her head. "Eh? Back in the Phenex castle, I use a bike that mummy has stored in her room." She pointed at her herself with pride. "So I don't particularly need more exercise than this!"
"Tsk, tsk," he massaged his chin in thought. "That won't do. I'd already grasped how athletic you are... with my training schedule you would lift dragons."
She paled a little. "F-Forget it! I don't want a complete muscle-building menu!" She shrieked, shaking her fists violently. "If I become a big mass of sweaty muscle, I'll totally lose my cuteness!"
He smiled encouragingly. "Hey now, don't be like that." He playfully berated her. "A little workout and you'll fill the role of a rook in no time. I bet your family is looking forward to seeing a bulked-up Ravel Phenex."
"W-what are you saying?!" Stammered a blushing Ravel. "T-there's no way I'll ever accept that! Never! Ever! Eveeeeeeer!"
"Damn, never lucky," Danhauser feigned a sad sigh. "Then why'd you bring me here?"
She froze and her blush darkened, quickly fidgeting as her shy demeanor arose. "R-right. I-I almost forgot." She paused a little. "Excuse me, Lord Danhauser... A-actually, never mind..."
The Heir frowned. "Wha—!"
"... But, actually... Um, well... Maybe you still remember your match against my brother?" She asked in a quiet tone.
"..." Danhauser's lips turned thin as he silently nodded.
She looked down, playing with her messenger bag. "When you defeated my brother... I watched the outcome and what you'd done... It's, um, embarrassing... But I just wanted to tell you... Well..." She finally met his gaze. "...That was amazing."
He just stared at her tongue-tied. "H-huh?"
"The way you bravely stood up against those among the Top Ten and declared your ambition to the whole Underworld made me all super happy." She gushed out. "It reminded me of one of my favorite comics, a human marine who finds himself fighting the army of hell."
"I-I think I know who you're referring to," he felt his face heating up. "And there's no way I could be as awesome as him."
She wore a distant look. "Even so, there was a thought that made me worried... what if you suddenly lose a Rating Game?" Her eyes went downcast. "I'd be sad if that ever happens... I don't want you to lose a game."
Danhauser zipped his mouth, letting her continue.
"I want you to be the next champion," she suddenly declared. "That is what has driven me to do my best in all things. But now I realize there's a limit to what I can do alone. T-that's why I decided to start practicing on using more my abilities with the help of big brother Ruval!"
His grey eyes stretched in realization. "Wait... are you...?"
"S-so now...I have s-something to ask you first. Would you consider thinking of r-recruiting me?" She shyly asked. "I-I know it's so sudden and I'll understand if you don't want me because we had underestimated you before the match." She clasped her hands. "Even if you decline, I-I won't stop my training and support your ambition!"
There was no need of weighing his options, the answer was pretty obvious. He shifted a hand to ruffle her hair, whilst the other summoned a chess piece, a bishop. "See this piece? It has your name engraved on it." He furrowed his eyebrows. "I'd love to have you on my team, Ravel... but are you sure you want to join now?"
Danhauser didn't mind if she became his bishop, the problem was him and his business with Satanael, Hexennacht, Utsusemi Agency and perhaps the Wizards of Oz. Plus add the fact that now that Valerie Tepes has become his pawn, he may have made a new enemy that involves the most dangerous faction of Khaos Brigade.
"Qlippoth," Danhauser fought back a glare. "...I'll have to summon my inner keikaku and find a way to counterattack."
She looked up at him behind her golden bangs. With a smile, she reached for the piece, only to take a hold of his hand and close it. "No, not yet." She agreed. "I... I'm still weak for me to join your Peerage. I don't want to become a burden for you and your servants... I'll work for it!"
"So you'll join in the future then," Danhauser vanished his evil piece. "Then I'll wait for you, do your best, understood?"
Her spirits lifted up. "I-I will. I hope I'll never lose your kind support. I know you'll never lose mine!"
Suddenly, a thought lightened up his brain. "What's your dream, Ravel?"
She gave a happy hop. "For you to become the next champion! That's my dream!"
Danhauser's lips pursed. "That won't do..."
Ravel tilted her head, concerned.
"Interesting enough, all my Peerage members have a goal set in mind," he explained. "One of my knights wants to be the strongest swordsman in the world, the other wants to find Mount Huaguo. My rook to become a Heavenly Dragon. My pawn..."
To find someone important to her, Gasper Vladi.
And she finally achieved it. Her goal. Now, what purpose does Valerie Tepes have in mind?
"L-Lord Danhauser...?" Ravel called out. "Are you alright?"
Danhauser shook from his trance. "Yeah, sorry." He cleared his throat. "What I'm trying to say is don't you have a goal of your own that doesn't resolve on helping mine?"
The blonde discreetly looked down at her tiny hands, clenching and unclenching them, she finally looked up and shook her head sadly.
The gray-haired Devil patted her head. "Well, now it's a great moment to start."
"But... how?"
Before Danhauser could say a word, the echo of footsteps captivated them, he was forced to look behind and to his surprise, it was Gilles de Rais guiding Ruval Phenex.
His curiosity inflated after spotting his mutated knight, Ikuse Tobio, with his Sacred Gear, Jin.
"There you are!" Ravel's eldest brother said. "I knew you'd be with Danhauser, but you two weren't in his room or playing outside. I've been trying to find you for hours!"
The blonde girl winced in response. "S-sorry! I-I never meant to—!"
"Calm down," Ruval instructed, patting her head in comfort. "As long as you don't run off into a forest or somewhere dangerous then you will not be in trouble."
Ravel just nodded, relief washing over her.
The strongest heir swirled around to face Danhauser. "So I guess you and my little hummingbird sorted things out, eh?"
After greeting his brother's queen and his knight, Danhauser stole a peek at Ravel before turning to Ruval. "Yeah, it was just a misunderstanding, let's just put it behind."
The Heir of Phenex grinned. "What's past is past. I couldn't agree more!" He laughed a little. "I wanted to know you better, but sister stole you from me and we're in a hurry now. I'm just here to pickup Ravel."
"A-Ah before we go!" Ravel quickly scavenged something from the depths of her cute, messenger bag. With success by her side, she offered the item to Danhauser. "T-this is for you..."
He gladly took it and gave it a closer inspection. "A Phoenix Tear." He looked back at Ravel. "You made it?"
Fidgeting, the girl nodded. "Yes, it's the first Phoenix Tear I've ever made..."
Danhauser offered an apologetic smile. "Thank you, sorry if I don't have anything to return."
She smiled back. "Don't worry! I'm glad you like it!"
"We have to go, Danhauser." Ruval gave a thumbs up. "Looking forward to our future match! You better not disappoint!"
"Ah, Prince Ruval, shall I escort you to the exit?" Gilles took a step forward. "This place is huge, I would be biting my nails if you somehow got lost."
The Phenex Heir waved off his proposal. "All good, Gilles. I've already memorized this place like the feathers of my wings." He paused. "Tell Diehauser to say hello to Cleria on my part!"
Without any further ado, the members of the Phenex Clan spun around and left, Ravel jumping in circles around her eldest brother in joy.
"She seems happy," Tobio noted. "Why, though?"
"She saw a viral video of when I challenged the Top Ten on camera," Danhauser's cheeks dusted with red, pinching his nose. "While I appreciate her compliments... I think she exaggerated it."
"She is just an innocent child, young master," Gilles countered. "They easily get amazed to whatever they categorize as cool."
"And since you challenged those worth to be a Satan in terms of strength alone..." Tobio drawled. "Pretty much justified her fangirlism."
Jin barked in agreement!
"Or take Tannin as an example," the butler added. "He is pretty much famous among the children of the Underworld for his appearance alone."
"Or like Issei and his Oppai Dragon show," Danhauser pocketed the Phoenix Tear. "Right. Moving on..." He harrumphed his eyes fixated on his servant. "Where's the rest?"
"Valerie is with Gasper," Tobio responded easily. "Bova is training by firing his flames at a huge rock and Siegfried has been locked in his room since our previous meeting..."
Danhauser bit his tongue. "Damn... the news punched him in the face hard..." he stole a side glance at the queen. "Not a good idea to talk about this in front of Gilles."
A swift magic circle shaped besides Danhauser's ear, the latter hesitantly answering the call. "Hello?" He said, listening to the familiar voice as his eyebrow jumped slightly. "Mephisto, what is it?"
Tobio's eyes widened. "Is this about the Utsusemi—!"
Danhauser pointed to the magic seal clipped on his knife-shaped ears and then placed a finger at his own lips.
Slash Dog caught on as he saluted. "Be quiet, got it."
The Pure Devil gave a brief nod and turned back to the conversation. The talk wasn't as long as they'd expected to be, it was business, professional and straight to the point.
"Alright see you there, Mephisto," the magic circle disappeared whilst Danhauser turned to his servant. "Get moving, Tobio." He ordered. "Hanezu has finally spilled the beans. They finally found out Utsusemi Agency's former hideout."
"Fucking finally!" Tobio fist pumped the air. "Alright boss! I'll get the rest and—!"
"Don't," the King interrupted, surprising the brunet. "We don't have time and Mephisto wants us there already, just the two of us."
"Young Master, a word please?" Gilles said, worried. "I could prepare the teleportation circle and send you to Lord Pheles' location... but for your own safety and your servant, I shall join as well."
Danhauser half-smiled. "Thanks for worrying, Gilles," he said. "But that won't be necessary. Mephisto, Tannin and Pater Perdurabo are coming too."
"Pater Perdurabo," the blue-haired repeated with a chuckle. "Ah, your brother's bishop is finally making his debut? Heh, then I have nothing to worry about, you are in safe hands already." He bowed like a true butler. "However, I shall send words with your brother and mother."
"Please do," Danhauser paused. "Can you still teleport us away?"
"May I know the destination?"
"Ryuukou Town."
Having passed through the masterful spell that had teleported Danhauser Belial and Ikuse Tobio to Toujou Sae's house, the two had been called by Mephisto Pheles himself to invade the building that'd served as headquarters for the Utsusemi Agency.
They'd expected the Mephisto and Tannin to participate, but to their surprise, Lavinia Reni also joined the raid team.
Danhauser nor Tobio raised any objections, on the contrary. The more the merrier.
Pater Perdurabo was the only one absent, by orders of Mephisto to squeeze more information from Himejima Henzeu's mouth. After all, thanks to Diehauser's Belial's bishop, they'd discovered the hideout. Grauzauberer's headmaster vowed that the man himself would appear later on.
They had to use the teleportation spell once again since the secret base wasn't situated in Ryuukou Town nor Kuoh Town or even Kyoto, it was a zone far away from civilization, where nature ruled with an iron fist rather than a human conqueror.
Of course, with few exceptions such as the Agency and Hexennacht.
They were in an unknown territory that the enemy had control over it, but fear didn't lick their spines, even less when a Dragon King was keeping them company with a keen eye.
From the outside, the secret base appeared to be an abandoned storage barn. Rusty barrels of noxious chemicals were littered around the entrance, each labeled with a skull and crossbones. Tall weeds grew between the stones and the fence was almost falling over. Hardly high security. Nobody cared about what was above ground, all that was just owned by The Utsusemi so that nobody else could develop the land that was over them.
Inside the barn carried the same level of quality as the front, the same oxidized and empty barrels spread almost everywhere, with hay far distanced from the toxic wastes.
Tannin stayed outside, because of his gigantic size, it'd be impossible for him to make it inside, plus they'd need someone who could guard their backs.
Little attention they'd spared the appearance of the pseudo-barn, they merely went back to business and walked to the exact spot that Pater Perdurabo had told them to.
With minimal effort, they succeeded in breaking, pushing and throwing away anything that barred the entrance to the sanctuary.
Tossing a block of hay out of the way, Danhauser took three steps back, studying the secret entrance for a second.
"An elevator," Lavinia broke the silence. "Pater Perdurabo was right."
"For how long were they planning this crap?" Mephisto eyed the obstacle with disdain. "Just by looking the entrance alone tells me that it took them years to acquire all the materials to design their artificial sacred gears and fill this place with cutting-edge technology."
"If just by glaring at the elevator shocked you, you just wait what's beneath us," Danhauser said.
"Just how much cash they had to use," Tobio wondered. "Most likely half of this was stolen, though."
"Unless Satanael stole Azazel's credit card, I can't see any other way," the heir agreed.
The elevator's entrance was white as marble walls, with no buttons to invoke the magic box. Lavinia pressed her thumb against a small glass panel. A sensor read her fingerprints, refuted them, and beeped, followed by a bright, red color.
"Access denied," Lavinia read aloud. "Only Utsusemi members, Hexennacht or Satanael can use it, I presume."
Danhauser once again stood close to the elevator. "Plan B then," as he said that, he forcefully slid the doors open, listening how the doors stubbornly fought back, but no avail.
Looking down the elevator shaft Danhauser almost lost his posture. Yet if they didn't get down there their options for search clues were limited. There were metal walls on every side, cables and a counterweight, deeper in the abyss was the elevator itself, a black box moving up and down at the mercy of their owners.
One slip and a mere human would be nothing but a bad smell that they'd locate next years after their rotting corpse made the shaft putrid. Danhauser pretty sure would survive the fall with his body structure being way enhanced than your average joe.
A soft hand squeezed his shoulder. "Can I," the only female whispered as Danhauser moved aside.
The heir just watched how the blonde beauty summoned a small chunk of ice and toss it inside the shaft, watching it disappear in the dark.
...
...
...
The shatter at last echoed.
Slash Dog whistled. "Damn, that's deep." He stated the obvious. "Its like they were trying to reach the Underworld with just shovels!"
"I'll go first," Danhauser offered. "But I need someone watching my back."
"Count me in," a strong voice said. "As long as you watch mine, of course."
Everyone spun around and froze in shock for a second.
Before them, floated a mini Tannin.
The Meteor Dragon frowned. "What's with the faces? I had to reshape my size to fit in the barn."
"You're so cute!" Lavinia squealed behind her hands, unintentionally hiding her blush. "Can I hug you?"
"What? I'm not cute! I'm a warrior! A former Dragon King!" Tannin bared his fangs to look threatening, but it was the opposite. "And no, you can't!"
Mephisto chuckled.
Danhauser smiled in amusement. "Thanks for keeping me company, Chibi Tannin."
"Let's not waste more time," grumbled Tannin as he slowly neared the gray-haired devil. "Just give the call, Danhauser."
The Heir nodded and took one last peek at his personal void. He'd noted that the elevator shaft is small enough to impede Danhauser to invoke his bat wings.
"Guess it'll be a leap of faith," Danhauser sucked in a deep breath.
With a single movement, he relaxed his muscles, checked behind his shoulder, give a last nod, and jumped.
Everything was a blur. The wind hammered into his face. His eyes were being sucked into the backs of their sockets with the sudden acceleration. Then the whirl of color black settled into the familiar sight of the elevator's roof only now it was far bigger.
He felt the impact from his feet as he landed inside the elevator with ease, but the pain hasn't made it in his system.
Grabbing himself by the silver handrail, he gave his legs their well-earned stretched.
Danhauser dusted his attire and perked up just in time to see Chibi Tannin passing through the fresh hole while flapping his small wings.
"Are you alright, brat?" Came the voice of Mephisto from upstairs. "That was a nasty sound."
Before Danhauser could answer, someone from above won him over. "He's alright," The brunet said. "I bet he knew multiples ways to land safely, but the boss is just showing off to look cool in front of—!"
"You're a real piece of work, aren't you Tobio?" Danhauser glared up. "I can hear your crap from down here, you know?"
There was a silence before a 'duh' followed by a feminine giggle from the upper floor.
"Fucking clown," Danhauser said under his breath, fighting back a half-smile.
"You think this place still has a few foes wandering around?" Tannin asked.
He slowly closed his eyes and triggered his Senjutsu vision. Satisfied with the results, he said. "I don't think so," Danhauser replied, opened his eyes. "Most likely there's a few inactive Utsusemi. But keep your guard up just in case."
"Whenever you're ready, Danhauser."
The Heir of Belial was surprised with working alongside a Dragon King. Comparing Tannin with his son, Bova Tannin, it was a huge difference in terms of personality. Both of them have a blunt and a warrior-like attitude, but the father knows self-control while the child slightly does.
Honestly? It was exciting to work with a Dragon King and someone from the Top Ten. He felt a tingling sensation in his stomach whenever he thought about it.
Shaking his thoughts away, Danhauser once again slid open the elevator's doors, coming face to face with the former headquarters of the Utsusemi Agency.
Upstairs? Was just a mere abandoned barn that no one dared to because of ghosts or any other excuse.
Underground it was a different story.
"Woah," As soon as they set foot there, Danhauser was blinded by the Arclights that beamed down from above. With Tannin, he observed the huge hidden base, the walls—half-naked rock, half polished steel—lined with computer equipment, electronic meters, machines that blinked and flickered with a life of their own.
Not letting the scenery distract them too much, they moved onwards while looking from left to right. There was a maze of titanium rooms each either with inactive Utsusemi or loaded with talismans or staffs.
It reminded him of Resident Evil, like one of the Umbrella's laboratories infested by zombies.
As they progressed down, the two halted in front of a gate.
"It won't budge unless we have a password," Danhauser commented.
Chibi Tannin rolled his eyes. "Just punch it, you're strong enough."
The Heir of Belial stared at his hand for a while. "Let me try something else," he pressed his palm over the glass panel and warped Worthlessness over it.
He guaranteed that a shower of sparks and a deadly explosion would come up after getting through its system. Thankfully he was wrong and the gate merely slammed open.
With nothing more than this, they were driven to move forward, Danhauser hacking through any gates that required authorization, the place where the Devil and Dragon ended was a vast chamber, the place big enough for Tannin to return into his gigantic form.
"Dead end," Tannin slowly scanned the area, eyes narrowing dangerously. "What's that?"
Danhauser followed his gaze and felt his mouth turn dry.
It was a bizarre display with countless of what appeared to be cultivation tanks lined up. The cultivation tanks were connected to capsules laid out horizontally. Throughout this room, there were cultivation tanks and capsules visible everywhere.
"I...I don't know," Danhauser trailed off, shifting closer the machinery. He placed his hand over the glass and gave it a proper look. "... There's something inside."
Thereupon, submerged in green liquid, he noticed a human being in there.
"Holy shit," the gray-haired Devil walked backward in shock. "There's a human in there!"
"It's same for the other tanks," Tannin noted from the other side. "You think they're the kidnapped students?"
Danhauser pursed his lips and hesitantly inspected the unconscious human once more. It was a female with a matured body and slight age lines are under her clenched eyes. She looked old to be a student.
"No," he finally responded, glancing at the dragon from his shoulder. "Those in here, they are the parents of the boys and girls who were turned into Utsusemi."
A small, imaginary truck formed out of nowhere and rammed into Tannin's head at full speed, hiding the floor with his scattered thoughts. Back in the real world, the dragon king stood there, arms folded and gazing from left to right constantly, processing what he'd just been told.
"Well, fuck," Tannin's voice came extremely flat.
"Exactly."
"You were already aware with how the Ryoukuu High School students' families all suspiciously changed residence? Apparently, they were all currently here." Tannin growled. "Why leave everything behind, though?"
"Good question," Danhauser massaged the bridge of his nose. "Let's report back to Mephisto first and ask questions later."
The dragon nodded.
Guest Reviews:
reader: I know you have an account, but I'd forgot to answer your questions. No, bighorn sheep are not Issei and neither is Cleria joining the Peerage. Take care!
Guest: Your cholesterol level rising? Guess I did a great job. Lol, I'm glad you liked the chapter. Take care!
King Gilgamesh: Holy shit. It took me a while to understand what you meant, I'm a fucking dumbass and to an extent, Danhauser too. Glad you liked the scene of Jeanne and don't worry, Danhauser will have time alone to plan stuff. Take care!
Hey guys, sorry for the super late update, life's a pain in the ass and college is whispering into my ear right now. Horrible.
Now, I have to say this, we're getting really close to canon. Thus there's not going to be action in the future chapters, only two fights in total. It'll mostly be worldbuilding, politics and character development.
You could say this is Cleria's Arc, where her fate is going to be decided by yours truly. Which it'll be around four or five chapters, counting this one. No promises.
And yes, I have everything planned. I know the future of Cleria and the House of Belial itself. Oh boy, I'm looking forward to writing that chapter.
:)
Moving on, now I have an idea of why people don't want to give some worldbuilding to the Angel Faction, because of religion and how some followers are strict of it, kind of scary tbh. So, I'll say this, I took inspiration from said religion, but I also added my few tweakings, you've been warned.
Ah yes, Ravel. Honestly? I'm someone who always gets worried about this type of stuff, but at the same time, I have fun writing about it. Just like Valerie's development, I hope it wasn't forced at all.
And finally, the Peerage. I already know who's going to be the Queen, it'll be the final piece to join Danhauser's Peerage.
People were sending me PM's of trying to guess Danhauser's Peerage. Mostly the Bighorn Sheep and Octopus, mostly the latter.
Man, I feel bad. The reason why the octopus motif its because I imagine their appearance to look akin to an octopus. Yes, this character hasn't made their debut either in the LN'S nor the anime, yet at the same time, they did in the LN.
I'll give three hints of the Octopus, they contain spoilers so it's up to you if you want to read them, you don't have to do this, though, you can wait.
But if someone guesses it, I won't say who, but I'll maybe just say someone did it.
Ready? Go.
.
.
1 It's considered Evil.
2 It can tame Evil.
3 It was killed by a god.
.
.
Good luck.
Now, the Bighorn Sheep. I won't give clues, this one's easy.
I'll do my best to update the next chapter ASAP... no promises tho.
Cheers!
Next Chapter: Pater Perdurabo
