Life.18: Far Away From Home
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A young man around his twenties escorted himself into the chamber. It felt cavernous, large enough to house over a thousand petitioners, but at this moment it was empty, other than 6 figures sitting at a table of marbled stone. Five of them were seated in a row facing him like a silent panel of judgment.
In the center of the table, with a graceful face, sat Diehauser Belial—the undefeatable Rating Game Champion. To his right sat the Upsetting Sorcerer Rudiger Rosenkreutz and the Strongest Dragon King Tiamat. The left side was occupied by Blaze Meteor Dragon Tannin and the Blue Phoenix Ruval.
Where Diehauser, Rudiger, and Ruval sat rigidly upright; Tannin and Tiamat slouched back. The former had a disinterested look while the latter had a hard expression.
Some among the noble houses still called the Top 5 cheaters, since the King Scandal left a scar that many refused to let go, but none of them said it to their faces.
"Welcome," Diehauser greeted, "Are you…"
The Champion drawled as he searched through the file in his grasp. The sound of claws of one scaled hand drumming a steady tune upon the stony table. He resisted the urge to stare at the massive arms of Tannin. Without a doubt the biggest in the room.
He could understand why seeing Tannin brought joy to the young audience. He's a dragon.
But the most intimidating figure in the room was Tiamat. Her blue eyes leveled his movements like a predator stalking its clueless prey.
Thankfully, Diehauser spoke once again, "… Elebazar Furfur?"
"Yes, Emperor."
"Please, grab a seat."
Just as the man took a seat, Diehauser began, "We see by your file you've served two months of a Rating Game Disqualification."
The Devil nodded, "Yes, Emperor."
"However, it also says here that you're supposed to serve a six-month sentence," Diehauser noted, "Do you feel you've been rehabilitated enough to obtain an early remission?"
"Oh, yes, Emperor! Absolutely, Emperor," once he saw no reaction from his judges, Elebazar elaborated, "I mean, I learned my lesson. I can honestly say that I'm a changed man. Looking back in the past, I realized the mistakes my past self has caused."
Once he concluded his speech, he lowered his gaze on the table that separate them. He could feel all their intense gazes boring on him, some terrifying than others but enough to make his heartbeat race.
"Is that it?" Elebazar jumped at the unimpressed words of the former Dragon King.
"Y-Yes, my Lord."
Tannin scoffed, "I am no Lord."
Elebazar cursed himself inwardly. "O-of course."
"Very well." His breath hitched as Diehauser placed his file upon the table, and smoothed it. The Emperor grabbed the rubber stamp and pressed it onto one of the two ink pads and then to the document.
Once the Emperor finished, Elebazar leaned forward to look upon the results.
The color on his face drained.
Red stamp, no good.
The Devil hopelessly looked at the capitalized and red letters of REJECTED in his file as Diehauser spoke up, "You can try again on the first day of the next month."
Elebazar looked up to Diehauser, his eyes flashing in anger. He stormed out of the room without another word.
Ruval groaned on his hands, "Just how many are gonna come today?"
Diehauser nodded at the Reincarnated Devil, "Rudiger?"
"Eighty more to go," Rudiger answered.
"Yeah, what the fuck," Ruval complained, "We've been here for ages!"
"We've just been here for six minutes," Tannin retorted.
"And we're probably not leaving this place until midnight," The Blue Phoenix muttered, "I guess it's true, then. You can suffer from success."
"That's not true. We have acknowledged a lot of requests within six minutes," Diehauser stated, "We have a good pace."
Ruval sighed, "Where is Coda anyway? He should be here with us."
"Malacoda Malebranche won't be present today," Tiamat responded, "He notified me and the Emperor in advance that he won't make it. As such, I will take his place for today."
"Did he even explain why?"
"Not at all. He said it was important."
"He's just skipping work," the Phenex Heir told her, "making you do his homework while he eats, drinks, and whores his way to an early grave."
"Maybe it is important," Rudiger said, "If my memory serves me right, he never skipped office work. Like you, he did complain a lot during his shift, but he stayed until the end."
"Let's not forget why we're here. The quicker we finish this, the sooner we can be with our families," Diehauser reminded them before looking at the next document.
He frowned a bit.
Laomedon Bael.
"Sooner than later, I guess," Diehauser mentally readied himself. He pressed the red button on his armchair and spoke near the microphone, "Lord Bael, please approach the chamber room."
Ruval's eyes gleam brightly like a blazing fire, "Oh? Are we stirring the pot today?"
"We will do our best to avoid any conflict," Diehauser told them, "but after working under him for years… I'm afraid it's meant to happen one way or another."
"No matter how the tone of the conversation shifts, we should stay professional throughout our exchange," Rudiger sagely said.
"And besides, we already agreed what it will be," Ruval added. "Should be quick."
"Quick? I doubt it."
Everyone became silent as the familiar shape of Lord Bael showed up in the room.
"Sit, please," Diehauser said, indicating the chair opposite.
"I prefer to stand, Emperor," Lord Bael replied.
"As you wish," Diehauser cleared his throat, "You were summoned here in relation to the incident that happened in the past."
"The match between Prince Danhauser and Prince Sairaorg," Rudiger supplied.
"I'm aware. What of it?" Lord Bael asked, "the match between these two was the most anticipated between the Young Devils. They can't stop gushing about it. Everyone loved it."
"'Everyone loved it' is a strong statement," Rudiger pursed his lips, "… a statement that I would absolutely not apply in this situation."
Laomedon narrowed his eyes, "What?"
"While the game itself delivered excitement to the audience, it has also been met with harsh criticism from veterans and professional critics."
Laomedon laughed a little, "What about them?" he demanded, "They are the minority. Their complaints have been drowned by the cheers and chants from the mob a thousand times already."
Tannin growled, "We are part of the veterans."
Lord Bael eyed each one of them, "… You're implying what I did was wrong."
Diehauser nodded, "Precisely."
"Allow me to recall, but isn't the purpose of the Rating Games to touch the hearts of the public?" Lord Bael questioned the Top 4 and Tiamat, "to make them chant and shake the stadium?"
"That's right! There's nothing better than listening to them scream at the top of their lungs," Ruval smiled skeptically, "… but we believe that you could have obtained the same desired results without making a mess."
Laomedon scowled, "And what is this 'mess' that you're referring to?"
"Breaching the rules of the Rating Games," Diehauser answered.
"Is that so?" Lord Bael folded his arms, "What am I being accused of, then?"
"You're accused of fabrication and abuse of power," All eyes turned to Tiamat, "the former because we let you choose the variant of the Rating Game and you picked the Dice Figure Game mode. However, you backed out at the last second which resulted in the confusion and frowns of many. The latter simply by the fact that by your own volition handpicked the fights when this decision is made solely by the Kings of their respective peerages."
"We would like to hear the side of your story," Diehauser asked him.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Make us."
Laomedon hesitated, but reluctantly did so, "I will throw your brother a bone, Emperor. Unlike my defective son, he knows how to pick servants of quality. They are unique and stand out from the norm of low-class Devils and perhaps beyond that," he eyed each one of them, "Give the Belial Peerage time to grow and none of you will stand even a chance—not even you, Emperor. Their power is ridiculous."
Rudiger scowled, "Power is knowledge."
"Power is power!" Laomedon snapped back, "None of Sairaorg's servants could hold a candle against Danhauser even if they have the numbers! If your stats are correct, then most of your brother's peerage is able to pose a threat to my defective son! And only one of them to even defeat Sairaorg in his armor."
Rudiger was about to speak, but couldn't as Laomedon continued venting off, "Just look at Sairaorg's servants, none of them stand out aside from his Queen and Pawn! As the next Head of Clan Bael, having low-class Devils as your servants is a big insult to our—!"
"That's enough," the Champion cut him off firmly, "There is a fine line between trash-talking and toxic behavior. One can be used as a valid strategy, but it can also be used in a humorous spirit. While the other is primarily personal insults, hate, and abuse of someone's character. There is simply no place for this hatred and we utterly condemn it."
Laomedon crossed his arms behind his back, "I stand to what I've said."
"And you are within your rights to keep your opinion, but keep it to yourself." Diehauser harrumphed, "Anything you want to say in your defense before we proceed?"
"No. Get on with it."
Diehauser nodded, "After discussing your situation for several days, the Committee has come to an agreement and elected to cancel the tournament for this year."
"…What?" Laomedon breathed out, no thoughts, head empty, "A jest. This is just a stupid jest!"
Tannin stopped tapping the table with his claw, "It isn't."
"You can't!" Lord Bael passed a hand across his hair, "The lengths of this punishment… because of a single mistake?!"
"Do not confuse mistake with intent," Tiamat retorted, "We apply strict measures when one of the regulations involves the Rating Game System. We do not tolerate the illegal manipulation of the system. Hence the severe sanction on your actions."
"Can't you see it?! We are in the middle of the season now! If we were to stop so abruptly…!"
"… I see that you can't grasp the gravity of your actions," The Emperor noted, "No one in this room created the system that runs the Rating Games, the creator is Satan Beelzebub himself. He passed the torch to us to manage it accordingly after his departure. We placed our trust in you, and because of that, we failed Satan Beelzebub. Not only did you lie and manipulate the Rating Game Committee, but also Satan Beelzebub."
Lord Bael passed his gaze on everyone present, "And I'll Imagine everyone favors this foolish decision?"
"Their thoughts on the matter are of no importance," Tiamat answered, "who makes the choices here is the President of the Rating Game Committee, the Top 4 are only the Emperor's consultants."
"However, this injunction can be annulled if you provide evidence that contradicts our accusations," Rudiger made a finger-tent. "Do you have anything to counter our arguments?"
Lord Bael squared his jaw, fists clenched, "I would if I knew this would've happened."
"We gave you a decent amount of time to gather all the information necessary to defend yourself," Rudiger countered, "enough to take a look to the sporting regulations of the Rating Games and use them against us."
"... All of you are traumatized by the King Piece Scandal," Lord Bael accused them, "I can't see any other explanation to these absurd measures!"
"What happened in the past won't happen again with us in charge," Tannin leaned on the polished surface of the table between them, "We're done here."
"… Paimon… Sitri… Stolas…!" Laomedon counted them off, "Noble Houses paid for these matches to occur on their stadiums! Great Houses paid fortunes to have the tournament happen in their territories for years to come! And don't even get me started with the sponsors!"
"That's not our problem," Diehauser responded, "but if I can give my two cents, a refund and an apology letter with the remaining Households and audience should suffice."
Lord Bael laughed in disbelief, "Incredible."
"However, the Committee will reimburse half the money to Clan Bael of what they originally paid to create the tournament and use the Rating Game System."
Laomedon scoffed indignantly, "Only half of it?"
The Champion nodded, "You said it yourself, you were midway through the tournament."
"It seems we may have an agreement. These are the terms currently on the table," Tiamat cleared her throat, "Lord Bael has a week to shut down the tournament. The Rating Game Committee in return has to pay back to the House of Bael half of the original price. Any questions?"
"What happens if I refuse?"
"All the stadiums within the Great King Faction will receive a six-month ban from the Rating Games," Diehauser replied, "And the Bael Stadium will be permanently banned."
"You are aware that Clan Belial is part of the Great King Faction?"
Diehauser stared hard, "You have a week to fulfill our demands, Lord Bael."
Laomedon held his gaze for a while before storming off.
But before he left, he glared at the Emperor over his shoulder. "You're just making your brother's life complicated."
As he disappeared, Ruval spoke up, "I won't look a gift horse in the mouth and say that this was the best outcome we could have—faster than I expected too."
Rudiger let out a breath, "A relief, I must say. From the way Lord Bael was persisting, I was expecting to this session go in circles. I am glad we can put this matter on a shelf and never look back into it."
"Not yet, I'm afraid," Diehauser suddenly said, "I want Prince Danhauser Belial and Prince Sairaorg Bael to report to our headquarters,"
"Whoa, whoa!" Ruval looked at him incredulously, "Hold your horses. You sure you wanna do this? I mean, he's your little brother."
"The Committee doesn't practice nepotism, Ruval," Diehauser retorted, "They could be accomplices for all we know."
"… You really think Dan and Sairaorg played a part in this? Come on…"
"… As his older brother, I have no doubt that he wasn't part of this episode," the Champion said confidently, "nor Sairaorg. However, as the President of the Rating Game Committee, I can't bury my head in the sand. This is standard procedure, it's our job to investigate to the bottom of any incidents that we face before we wrap it up."
"Well said," Tiamat nodded in approval, "I'll be taking care of the letters. But before we do that, I suggest we proceed with our next petitioners."
"I'm afraid that Ruval has a point," Rudiger glanced to the clock on the wall, "we will be leaving the headquarters when the sun sets on us."
"I had to jinx it, didn't I?" the Heir of Phenex dragged a hand across his face with a groan. "Can't believe I'm about to say this, but I wish I was Malacoda for today."
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"Yo! About damn time the soul of the party shows up!" Laomedon's eye twitched at the familiar and impolite voice of their guest, "the hell took you so long?"
Lord Bael spotted Malacoda sitting close to the fireplace and eating an apple pie produced only in his territory. He was accompanied by the First Generation of Bael.
"Gotta tell you something," Evil Tail continued, "On my way here, I saw a hot woman with black hair and wide hips. Man, she got such a huge cake that I almost thought it was someone's birthday. Damn. Shame she got no tan lines, though."
Laomedon glared at the drink of Malacoda, hoping it was poisoned, "That's my wife, Malebranche," he sneered.
Malacoda almost choked on his drink, "Oh shit! Is she the Great Queen? Your wife?" he leaned back on his seat with wide eyes, "is she single?"
"You—!"
"Come, Lord Bael," Zekram suddenly gestured beside him, "join us. We would like to hear your report."
"Ignore that old fuck, let's talk about something better instead!" Malacoda patted the empty seat beside him, "like your wife's ass. Shaahahaha!"
"I look forward to your funeral, Malebranche," Lord Bael sat beside his ancestor.
"Sheesh," Malacoda whistled, "you got to be the eighth person that spits that directly to my face today. You motherfuckers got a potty mouth."
Laomedon was ready to bark back, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder, "Drop it, Lord Bael," Zekram intervened, "Malacoda is trying to get in your mind, don't give him that satisfaction."
Lord Bael glared at their guest who in return puckered his lips in his direction. "… You're lucky. So damn lucky."
Zekram started pouring wine on a second glass, "Given your sour mood, I believe your mission was a failure."
His ancestor offered him the glass and Lord Bael accepted it with a grunt, "As speculated."
"Hm. Very well," Zekram focused on Evil Tail, "Name your price, Malacoda. Will it be money? Or women? Or a mixture of both? What will it take to convince your nephew to change his mind?"
Malacoda furrowed his brows, "Yeah, I think my mind is kinda fussy today," he brought his pinky inside his ear, "but I kinda forgot why should I help you again?"
"Wonderful question. After facing an overwhelming defeat by—"
"I had a cramp back then."
"—the hands of Sirzechs Lucifer during the Civil War," Zekram continued with a hint of amusement, "you were sentenced to face imprisonment for the rest of your life alongside the supporters of the children of the Original Satans. I released you from prison."
"Yeah, by forcing my sister to wear a fucking ring," Malacoda shot back, "don't act as if I'm eternally indebted to you."
Zekram merely chuckled in return, "Do you know what Ars Goetia is?" he didn't wait for a response, "Ars Goetia is the mob. Conjure an ounce of strength, and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom, and still, they'll roar. The beating heart of Ars Goetia is not the Four Great Satan or any Great House, it's the Rating Games. If you want to win the heart of the people, that's the easiest way."
"They bring bloodshed, and they love it," Laomedon muttered.
"You have seen it in newspapers and television," Zekram stared intently at his guest. "They don't care about Reincarnated Devils, but Pure Ones. Ars Goetia is itching to see the fight between the Heir of the Rating Games and the Blue Phoenix. They want to see a face outside the Top Ten challenge them. A new Champion. You are stealing that dream of theirs."
Malacoda held the purple eyes of Zekram as he swallowed the last piece of his apple cake, "Little D's got a look on his face, you know? I know it well. It's not relief. Not contentment. It's something else," Malacoda sucked the remains of the food from his fingers, "but you know what makes it funnier? I've seen those eyes before—long ago."
Zekram forced a smile, "You get in touch with many people, Malacoda. I'm sure you met someone of that caliber. Anyway, I–"
"But this one was different," Malacoda pressed on with a grin, "Titles like Great King, Duke, and Lesser King didn't exist back then. The 32 Pillars were thousands of Pillars. The Extra Demons was part of the Pillars. The ruling body was the Original Satans and beneath them? The Lucifer Fucking Six. The ones that had authority over Ars Goetia."
"…"
"The Underworld has ears, and it listened carefully, rumors about a Devil from the pillars joining the ranks of the Lucifer Six began to spread like wildfire. This Devil was doing his best to elevate his name into the next step in the hierarchy, to bask in damn glory with papa Lucy. To this day, I keep wondering what happened to that moron," Malacoda looked straight into the eyes of Zekram, "Ring any bells?"
"That boy died, Malacoda," Zekram grounded his teeth, "And a man was born thereafter."
"Whoa. Not even gonna shed a single tear? Damn you're so heartless, Zekky. I was hoping you'd understand where Little D comes from and give it to him."
"Unlike Lucifer, I keep my promises," Elder Bael retorted, "If he obeys to every order the Great King gives, the coronation of Clan Belial will be sooner."
"Meh. I'll give you the benefit of doubt, just watch the thin ice you're skiing into. My sister loves her two ugly rats so dearly, you see. They are her world. If I hear somewhere in her sobs your name or any one of your family, you will fucking—!"
"Will you kill me?" Zekram cut him off, "If you take me, you will leave the Remaining Pillars with something far worse."
The intense atmosphere intensified and Lord Bael readied himself for anything. This could possibly be his last fight.
Malacoda snickered like a hyena, "Nah I won't," he finally answered, "but my sister will. While motherhood softened her, it also triggered instincts she obtained after birthing two rats. Remember, Calcabrina is still a Malebranche. And we are damn good at killing."
"Do not cite me the practices of your Clan," Zekram grumbled, "I was there to witness it."
"But I won't let her do it. I'm not an idiot, Zekky. We both know letting my sister hang your corpse by the nuts is out of the question," he shook his head with a knowing smirk, "You're one of the driving forces behind this new Ars Goetia. The first to oppose the children of the Satans and liberate the Remaining Pillars from their tyrannic claws. You don't have the power of Sirzechs or the intellect of Ajuka, but you got courage. That, you gave to the Underworld. And with it, Ars Goetia rebuilt for the better or worse."
"They'll write songs and make statues about you when you die. I will not make a fucking martyr out of you—that will pull Clan Bael back into the game," Malacoda paused, "Maybe even get the upper hand."
"Then maybe I should take a bullet for my family," Zekram swirled his wine in thought, "For the glory of Clan Bael."
"Nah, you're gonna pussy out," Malacoda left his seat with a stretch, "You wanna be there when that day happens. Imma peace out. Sniff you two later."
Lord Bael watched him retreat, "You still need to give us an answer."
Evil Tail stopped, "'bout what?"
"About whether or not we can count on you."
"Ah, right. I almost forgot," Malacoda opened the door, "Eat shit. Good apple pie, though."
"Safe travels, Malacoda," Zekram bid him a farewell.
"Yeah, yeah," Evil Tail winked at Lord Bael, "Say hi to your wives for me."
Lord Bael fought the urges to strangle Malacoda. Once the coast was clear, he sharply turned to his ancestor, "How can you even tolerate that bastard?"
Zekram laughed heartily, "The exact same way I can bear being around Mephisto and Rofocale in the same room."
"He's worse than them!" Lord Bael hissed.
His ancestor took a sip of his wine, "I know. They're the closest thing I have to troublesome siblings, though."
Once Laomedon cooled off, he spoke, "… Great King, were you expecting Malacoda to comply with your request?"
"Absolutely not," Zekram finished his wine with a satisfying hum, "I wanted to see him. It's been a while since we talked face to face."
"Shouldn't we worry that he could tell his nephew about our conversation?"
"He won't. Malacoda prides himself on not being a 'snitch' as he says," Zekram assured his descendant. "Let's focus on the issue at hand. The Emperor was merciless, then?"
Lord Bael clicked his tongue,"…Yes."
"Pity, but he's doing his job as the Rating Game President," Zekram stood up, arms behind his back, "We have no time to lick our wounds. You understand what needs to be done, correct?"
The shoulders of Lord Bael slumped in response. "Plan C it is, then."
"Now, now. Enough pouting. Sometimes your enemies are your greatest allies," Zekram studied Laomedon carefully, "Look at me. You're my descendant. You're a Bael, you know our words."
Lord Bael stood tall and said, "First to rise."
"Last to fall," Zekram patted his shoulder in approval, "get back to work. Every feat you make is another step for the Great King Faction."
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"Something you want to share?" Danhauser munched on his food, eyeing both Siegfried and Jeanne's backpack, "Anything counts."
"During our patrols, we didn't spot anything out of the ordinary," the Knight reported, "everything seemed to be in order."
"Are you sure?" Danhauser insisted, "Nothing at all?"
Siegfried neared a sausage to the backpack and the head of Bova popped out and disappeared with food in its jaw, "Like?"
"Like random molesters getting arrested for trying to cop a feel in public?"
The silver-haired froze with his food halfway to his mouth. He fired his King an odd look, "That's… oddly specific, but thankfully we haven't. No crimes on the streets so far."
Just as Siegfried finally took a bite, Danhauser pursed his lips, "So… no Triaina either."
Supposedly, the news of men molesting girls should be part of any conversation. While a random occurrence, it foreshadowed the next powerup of Issei.
But that went to the drain pretty fast.
At this point, Vali was superior to Issei. He doubted Issei had unlocked any ability from his Longinus aside from Boost.
"Does he even have Transfer? Dragon Shot?" Danhauser grimaced, "If he wants to grow stronger, he should pay Sairaorg a visit. They have the same reckless style after all."
"Master," Danhauser perked up at the voice of his Knight, "Where's Valerie?"
"Back at the hotel with Ingvild," the heir replied, "sleeping most likely. Something wrong?"
Siegfried hesitated, but continued, "As the first person you reincarnated with your Evil Piece… I feel that I am in charge to act as your advisor until you find a Queen Piece suitable to that role."
"That's why Gilles trained you for years, Siegfried. He sees you as my right hand," Danhauser pointed out, "so do I."
"When are you gonna find a Queen anyway?" the grunt of Bova was muffled inside the backpack, "Siegtard is literally ego-tripping."
"I have someone in my sights," Danhauser winked before nodding at the silver-haired, "Speak up."
"It's about you and Valerie."
Danhauser suddenly straightened, "Okay."
His reaction didn't go unnoted by Siegfried, "Let me start by saying that I'm happy for you two. I wish your relationship with Valerie continue to bloom, but—"
"Spare me the sermon," Danhauser cut off, "You believe I should start a harem, right? Good thing Valerie isn't here."
"… Not necessarily," Siegfried drawled, "But I believe that at the very least, you should've had a fiancée first before making it official with Valerie. She is a hybrid–"
"A bastard child," Danhauser finished for him, "I know what she is, and I don't care. But the Remaining Pillars care."
"I'm afraid so," the lips of Siegfried thinned, "All I'm saying is that the order you applied everything wasn't correct. If Ars Goetia finds out that, the heir of a promising Household has a Low-Class Reincarnated Devil as his girlfriend and not a Pure Devil fiancée yet… it will affect your image negatively."
The appetite of hunger dismissed, as Danhauser shoved his food aside, "We're having this talk, huh."
"I'm afraid so."
"Alright then. Who do you have in mind?" Danhauser rested his arms on the table, "I already know some names, but I'd love to hear my right hand first."
"The answer is pretty much self-evident," Siegfried said, "There's a girl that always speaks highly about you. She defends your name when someone criticizes you. And despite what happened in the past, her opinion about you hasn't changed a bit."
"Sounds like a fangirl," the backpack shuffled, "Great."
"Ravel," Danhauser saw his Knight nodding, "I agree. She's the best option. She's beautiful, smart, and if it's true that Ruval has been training her, then strong as well. Her house is ridiculous too. The riches of Clan Phenex is sometimes compared to that of a Great House."
"Exactly. I may not have experience from any romantic experiences, but I can tell she has feelings for you," Siegfried added, "You know this."
"That won't help at all," Danhauser retorted, "She can like me all she wants, but at the end of the day, her parents are the ones choosing the suitors. My Clan is too low in rank to marry into Noble and Great Houses. They don't see profits with us."
The head of a dragon poked from the backpack, "You're strong," Bova commented, "Give her parents strong grandchildren."
"Not all Clans are interested in making an Übermensch, Bova. The majority is looking to expand their network. That's what Ravel's family is aiming for," Danhauser clicked his tongue, "And besides. Clan Gamigin most won't allow Clan Phenex to make business with anyone being part of the Great King Faction—the Great Marquis wants to see Bael fall."
"Pick Ingvild, then," Bova suggested, "even if she's a Half-Devil, she's still a Leviathan. Having someone with Satan blood as your mate should be enough to bring allies."
"That could work if Ars Goetia didn't despise the Satan Houses," Danhauser kept a brief eye over some of his students passing by, "anyone with Satan ancestry is considered a terrorist now. We're committing a crime by not giving Ingvild to the government to be executed."
"Then she's off the list as well," Siegfried folded his arms, "You said that you have someone in mind, Master. Who?"
"Overall, Ravel is out of my reach. Sona is out of my reach. Seekvaira?" Danhauser laughed a little before continuing, "Ingvild is a wanted criminal. Rias has Gamophobia—"
"The fuck is Gamophobia?" Bova asked.
"—that leaves me with two candidates. Latia and Roygun." Danhauser revealed.
They were his bests choices. Latia was part of the Remaining Pillars and her Clan was a Lesser Duke, the chances of negotiating an arrangement between them shouldn't be hard—particularly when Clan Belial was close to become a King.
And besides, the Great King of Bael and Archduke of Agares were allies. There shouldn't be any problems.
Roygun was a different case. She has been deserted by her Clan and her roots comes from the Extra Demons. She was caught and paid the consequences for using the King Piece during her career in the Rating Games.
But she was still a Pure Devil. Pure Devils are up there as one the most wanted partners.
Pure Devils. Religious People. Angels. Deities. Dragons. They hold the highest rank. They are the most wanted for a harem enthusiast.
Siegfried hummed, "Interesting choices, but I can understand why you picked them. And between these two, who will you marry?"
"Both," Danhauser replied, "I'll marry both of them. It's customary within the Underworld to turn a Pure Devil into your wife rather than a concubine."
The golden rule was that Pure Devils married only to Pure Devils. It's looked down to turn them into concubines.
Reincarnated Devils and other supernatural creatures were destined to be concubines. They're for pleasure rather than bond. They're not supposed to wear wedding rings.
"You think they will accept?" Siegfried wondered.
"I'm pretty sure Roygun will," she had been persisting him about this, the least she could do was take responsibility, "Latia, on the other hand, will take time to convince. I guess I'll have to go full Zekram on her."
"Let's hope for the best results, then," the swordsman awkwardly coughed on a fist, "But now, your biggest and only obstacle."
Danhauser felt a stab in his chest. It almost felt real. "Valerie."
"The elephant in the room," Siegfried thrummed his fingers on the table, "What will you do, Master?"
…
"Master?"
"I'll think of something," Danhauser kneaded his eyes, "for now, I just don't want to talk about it. Man, I feel like a piece of shit already."
"But Master—!" Siegfried swallowed his words by the glare of the gray-haired, "Understood."
"I've said it many times, but why do Devils have stupid ways of making someone your mate," Bova complained dryly, "all this drama just to fuck—not even worth it."
"I believe Tobio already gave a perfect answer back then," Siegfried said.
"I don't care. It's still stupid."
Danhauser chuckled weakly, "I'm open for ideas."
"Build a dragon harem," Bova counseled, "Seriously, it's easier. The females won't blink an eye at the number of mates you gather if you're the leader of the pack."
"Huh. Really now?"
"Yeah. When a female dragon challenges you in a fight, it's because she chose you as her breeding pair," the dragon inside the backpack explained, "depending on the outcome of the fight, it will be you or her being the dominant one. You're strong, it shouldn't be hard for you to win."
"And they will obey me."
"Yeah. They will submit to—" Bova suddenly stopped, and instead, jumped out of Jeanne's backpack,
Danhauser and Siegfried shared a mutual look of confusion before turning back to Bova. "What is it?"
The dragon continued sniffing the air before responding with a warning growl, "I smell someone."
Danhauser brought a hand up, preventing from Siegfried jumping off his seat, "Don't blow our cover," he ordered before facing his Rook, "What are you smelling?"
Bova shot a glare to Siegfried, "You."
The eyes of the former Exorcist widened. He pointed himself, "Me?"
"Yes, you," the Son of Tannin took another whiff, "but not from here—a different place. It has different scents too."
"Like?"
"Blood—lots of it," Bova replied, "Vampire. Werewolf. Devil. And more."
"Youkai?"
"No."
"Bova?" the expression of Siegfried hardened as steel, "Are you sure of this?"
"My nose never lies."
"There's only one man who could smell like me," Siegfried instantly faced his King, "Master, orders."
Danhauser's features grimed, "I'll talk with the High Priestess—track him down, but do not engage."
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With the stealth of a ninja, Kunou quickly turned to a corner. Her back on the wall, she moved until she reached her mother's office.
Only a small number were allowed to enter her mom's office. The Two High Priests, Magari and herself.
Kunou's surprise skyrocketed when she spotted her mother walking beside a face she had never seen before. En route to her office.
The blonde girl couldn't just walk away from this—especially when neither of them saw her. She had to figure out who he was.
Maybe it's him!
Maybe he's back!
Kunou kneeled a little to peek through the gap of the slightly open door.
They were sitting on a floor mat with a small table separating them.
Kunou immediately darted her big eyes to the guest. He was a good-looking man younger than her mother. He had gray hair and matching eyes.
Like a Youkai, he released demonic energy, but completely different to not be considered as one. He was a different creature.
A Devil perhaps? Kunou heard her mom in the past mentioning Devils living in Kuoh Town.
"My shrine maids apprised me that you wanted to meet in private, Prince Belial," Yasaka started, "That it's an urgent emergency they say."
"The enemy is in Kyoto."
The eyes of her mother widened by the bluntness of the Devil, "What?!" the Devil pressed a finger between his lips, and she continued in a hushed tone, "How many? Where?"
"Can't say for sure to both questions," the gray-haired muttered, "My servant caught one with his sense of smell."
Her mother was beautiful even when she frowned, "That is impossible unless your servant has met him before."
"We had a clash before. His name is Freed Sellzen," the Devil Prince revealed, "We met long ago in Kuoh Town. Freed was a member of the Church back then, I'll take a blind guess and say he was kicked out from the Vatican."
"A friend of yours then," it wasn't the first time her mom released a drained sigh, she doubt it'd be the last one, "How can you be so sure this Freed was expelled? That's a bold claim."
"He has lost all his screws," the Devil replied, "a damn psychopath. Keeping him around would only give a bad reputation to the Church."
Kunou shuddered, "H-he sounds scary! Is mom in danger?!"
"We can scratch the Church from the list then. That leaves us with…" as her mother drawled, a growl of realization took over, "The Five Principal Clans. I'm such a fool. I should have expected that some people undercover would sneak past my guards while I was distracted with Ouryuu and Suzaku!"
"You believe the Five Clans hired Freed?" the gray-haired saw her mom nod her head, "that's a bold claim, High Priestess."
"If he's not working for them, from whom then?"
"I don't know," Kunou paled when the gray-haired stared straight at her, "Why we don't ask our little spy?"
With a yelp, Kunou tried to flee back to her room, but the doors flung open before she could make her escape.
"Kunou!" the girl froze in fear at the sight of her mother towering her, "What do you think you're doing?!"
"M-mom!" Kunou trembled like a leaf under the intense gaze of Yasaka, "I-I, um… I w-w-was passing by…"
The Twelve-Tailed Kitsune remained unconvinced, "Is that so? You wouldn't lie to your mother, would you?"
Kunou twiddled shakily with one of her fluffy tails, "N-No…" she stopped halfway to see behind her mother the Devil staring back at her.
He mouthed out a "Don't."
The head of the princess lowered, "I'm sorry mom."
The stern gaze of Yasaka eventually mellowed out as she sighed, "Then you confess you were eavesdropping?"
Kunou nodded remorsefully.
"And what did I tell you about it?"
Eyes still on her small feet, Kunou answered, "It's rude to spy someone's privacy. I'm sorry mom."
"Good. We will continue this conversation after I'm done here," Kunou finally looked in time to see her mother move aside, "before you go back to your room, introduce yourself. It is also rude to not greet newcomers."
The child took a step forward and gave a bow, "I'm Kunou, the daughter of the High Priestess of the Sun."
The gray-haired bowed his head at her, "Danhauser Belial, heir of Clan Belial."
Kunou tilted her head in confusion, "Da-what?"
Her mom sighed beside her, "Kunou…"
"Just call me Dan," he suggested humorously before looking at Yasaka, "I'll get out of your hair, High Priestess. But before I go, I need some favors to cash."
"Name them."
"I want your permission to stay a bit longer in Kyoto," the heir told her, "We can wear tinfoil hats and make conspiracies all day, but that won't lead us anywhere. The best way to get good info is by asking them personally."
"I understand, but what about your students? Will they return by themselves to Kuoh Town?"
"An old crow told me that kids around that age don't need to be babysat," Danhauser clicked his tongue, "but they can be used as hostages once they realize I'm not with them. I could—"
"They're allowed to stay in Kyoto until you finish," Yasaka interrupted him. "I'll make sure Kyoto pays for the extended days in the hotel your students are currently hosted and cover the meals."
"Thank you. I'll update Roygun after we're done talking."
"Why her? Wouldn't it be easier to contact your cousin instead?"
"It's a long story," he responded vaguely before changing the subject quickly, "I'll be attacking today at nighttime, at that hour only drunkards are out. Plus, we want to know if Freed is alone or he has a small group of scouts working under him."
"I should warn my guards but I fear that will ruin the element of surprise," Yasaka rubbed her chin, "they will still patrol during the night and will be advised to stay alert. However, no one is allowed to intervene with your group."
The Devil nodded, "I'll take my leave, then," his grey eyes moved toward the girl, "Nice to meet you, princess."
He turned around. However, before he could leave the office, Yasaka spoke up, "Who was the purple girl standing next to you?"
Kunou watched Dan raising a playful eyebrow, "Jealous?"
Yasaka only scoffed at his statement, "Because you are helping Kyoto by not only returning the holy sword Kusanagi, but by keeping it safe from dangerous people as well… I would look the other way," she narrowed her eyes, "but all that demonic energy radiating on her… it's not something I can ignore given my station."
"… Her name is Ingvild," the Devil revealed, "she's a Half-Devil."
"Clan?"
"…"
The Kitsune released a tired breath, "Will she cause any ruckus?"
"She won't."
"… Very well," the fox-eared woman accepted his response, for now, "once again, Kyoto thanks you. I wish you the best of luck."
Once his footsteps faded into the distance, Yasaka easily spotted her only child tiptoeing to the exit, "Don't think I'm done with you, young lady."
Kunou felt the goosebumps travel all across her body. She gulped and faced her mom submissively.
Hands on her hips, Yasaka wore that motherly look. "Now, why were you spying on us?"
Kunou's ears turned all the way to the back, "… I was curious," she confessed while looking at her feet, "I heard a new voice from your office and got happy…"
Yasaka curved an eyebrow, "Happy?"
Kunou bobbed her head, "I-I thought dad returned."
Yasaka's firm expression melted, "Kunou…" she kneaded her temple, "what am I going to do with you…"
…
An idea crossed her mind. Yasaka dropped to her knees to properly meet Kunou's golden eyes. She passed gently her hand across the golden strands of her daughter, "How about we spend the whole day together? Watching a movie, perhaps?"
The ears of Kunou went high and attentive, "Really?! Just the two of us?!"
Yasaka pecked the hand of her daughter, "Just the two of us."
"Yes! I'd love to!"
"But first, I want you to promise me one thing," Yasaka raised a firm finger, "No more eavesdropping, young lady."
The excitement of the Kunou faded away as she hugged one of her tails, "I promise."
Yasaka eyed her suspiciously, "You know what?"
"What?"
"You always hug one of your tails before you lie," Yasaka pointed out. Kunou struggled to keep her lips from curling up and failed as she giggled.
Her mother did a better job hiding her smile, "Head to your room and pick something to watch, I'll meet you there."
Just as her daughter spun around, Yasaka gave her a playful spank causing another giggle from the retreating Kunou.
.
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In a remote area, Lavinia hummed a happy tune while her hand moved over the canvass. Her movements instinctively to the right spot, building a new picture—one she had seen before.
There he spotted Malacoda close to the fireplace wolfing on the apple pie cooked only in his territory. He was being accompanied by the First Generation of Bael.
Lavinia lowered her tools to examine her incomplete painting. She squinted her eyes in thought, "Hmm. I should accentuate his hair more…"
The Longinus User resumed her work by covering the tip of her brush with gray paint coming from her palette. The day was slowly coming closer and Lavinia was looking forward to it.
The time in which she finally made a Magician Pact with Danhauser Belial.
As such, she planned to make him a present to commemorate their contract.
And what a better gift than his first Rating Game victory on the tournament?
On his path to becoming the Second Rating Game Champion.
She believed his fight against the heiress of Gremory cemented his road to become the next Emperor–it was his first stepping stone.
Lavinia knew very well that the meaning behind the painting would fly above his head, but at least he would be delighted with the work of art.
But as time passed by, after his adult self lies his gaze on the painting, he will reminisce all the struggles he passed through to achieve his goals.
A picture his children could look up to and follow the example of their father.
And suddenly, Lavinia felt a shiver down her spine.
It was brief, but enough to halt her from her activities. Whatever it was, it appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The voice at the back of her head told her it was the breeze passing by, but the door and windows of her house were closed. The magic circles she had all over the area didn't act either.
Putting her painting tools aside, Lavinia slowly stood up and tiptoed toward the nearest window to peek.
The forest was left untouched. The pine trees were there, the grass was there and the lake was there.
But everything was purple.
The whole world was tainted in purple.
The grass, the water. Purple.
In the distance, she could see faint traces of mist.
Her eyes widened in horror and realization. Lavinia summoned a magic circle beside her ear, "Pops! Come in, this is Soror Demise! I'm under attack by Georg's Longinus!" she tried to contact Mephisto Pheles, but could only hear static sounds coming from the other end. She cursed, "it's all jammed! Dimension Lost is interfering with the communications!"
She tried to create a teleportation spell, but nothing.
The gears on her brain began to rotate. She had a plan in case she had to fight Georg, but to escape from the artificial space? Nothing.
Gathering enough courage, Lavinia levitated toward the door and grabbed the knob. She took a deep breath before leaving the cabin.
The beauties of the Sacred Gears. How Dimension Lost managed to mirror every single flower of the forest was a sight to behold.
"Georg! I know this is your making!" Lavinia called out, her gaze darting everywhere. "Show yourself!"
The only sound produced on this dimension was her voice before it faded into deep silence.
Lavinia noted that signs of wildlife were gone as well. She was alone.
Or so she thought.
The blonde heard inhuman moans and followed the sound with her sapphire eyes. From the shadows of nearby trees, black humanoid creatures with various features sprouted from them.
They stood tall and sniffed the air a few times and caught her scent. Once their eyes met, they snarled and hunched, ready to pounce at her.
But Lavinia didn't give them any chance to move by devouring them in a torrent of flames, turning them and vicinities into ashes.
But it wasn't enough as another dozen soon replaced them. They moved toward her at the speed of an undead just as their numbers kept growing.
Lavinia stood between them and the log cabin, constructing many magic circles that rotated behind her, ready to rain mayhem.
A bloodthirsty cry and their pace increased as they ran straight at her—like hounds chasing game.
Lavinia responded by firing her spells relentlessly.
And yet, even if her aim hit the target. Their numbers outnumbered her magic circles. The murderous intent suffocated the whole atmosphere.
No means to escape. No means to call for help.
All Lavinia could do was fight for her life.
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Nothing to say about this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. Hopefully, I'll be able to release the next chapter soon as well. No promises, however.
Take care.
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Next Life: Resistance is Futile
