Last chapter with flashbacks, pinkie promise.
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
Volume 2, Life 2
It had finally come. The day that would forever decide Kuroka's fate had finally come, and the ones to decide it were walking down the corridors of the Roman-era inspired courthouse inside the capital of the Underworld. The footsteps of the three well-known devils echoed within the empty hallway as they made their way to the courtroom.
Issei, leading in the front, wore a regular grey business suit that Rias had picked out for him. A crimson tie with the Gremory family's sigil was worn around his neck, but had obviously put on in a hastily manner. He staggered around as if he was a living corpse, unaware of his surroundings as he absentmindedly walked through the corridors. He was unable to focus properly, due to not being able to find all the facts.
The two women with him, were of course, his fiancée Rias, and his Bishop Ravel, and were there for what little moral support they could provide for their loved one. Both were dressed in similar attire, but with skirts accompanying their outfits, going down to their knees, and fake glasses to look the part of sophistication. Other than that, there was very little difference in their attires from Issei's.
After walking for some time, the three finally stopped in front of the door that would lead them to their hearing. Issei, who had been unaware of his surroundings for quite some time, finally snapped out of his daze when he inadvertently managed to find the correct court room. He was ready to take in a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the battle to come when Rias interrupted him. Turning him around to face as she took notice of the disheveled mess of a tie that he had on, and began to correct it for him, her eyes looked up at the young boy's -nay- young man's face. With today being his eighteenth birthday, he would begin his journey onto the road of adulthood. What a better way to start, than to defend a wanted criminal.
She wanted to pout, to tell Issei to walk away, and that they would find another way. She wanted to say this, but knew that such a thing didn't exist. They were here now, and they would find a way.
"R-Rias!"
While her thoughts strayed her from the world around her, it was the sound of Issei struggling to say her name that brought her back. Not because he just happened to say her name, but rather, the tie she had been correcting had just so happened to be tightening around his neck a bit too tight, suffocating the poor man.
Realizing her mistake, she immediately let go of the tie, taking a few steps back from the man as he began gasping for air. "I-I'm sorry! I-I just-!"
She wouldn't finish her sentence though, as Issei began waving it off, signaling that he was fine as he looked up at her, a small, but forced, smirk on his face.
"It's fine." He said, coughing once afterwards as he began rearranging the tie to fit him properly. "I was just a little surprised, that's all. Besides, I think I needed that wake up call." He joked, coughing a bit more as he let air into his lungs.
"Ise…" Rias said silently, placing her arms at her side as she looked at the man in quiet agony.
Ravel could only watch on in silence. She knew her role, and she knew the kind of hardship and pain that the Gremory heiress was going through right now, with the things they knew. She too, could not stand to see her master suffer, physically or mentally. This case had brought nothing but hardship, both in terms of the toll it had taken on Issei's mind as he learned more about Kuroka's past, and the wounds he had initially received when he asked the Nekomata about her possible future position as his Queen. She didn't like it one bit, neither at the start, or as of right now, but as his Bishop, it was not her place to question her master's decisions, only to help him when he was in need of it.
"Lord Issei." Ravel got the attention of the two devils, as they stopped looking at each other and began looking at her. "It's time."
Issei nodded one last time at Ravel, taking in the deep breath he had meant to do earlier, exhaling any worry he had at that moment. "Right, let's do this then."
Turning and pushing the door leading into the den of snake-tongued foes, he, along with the two ladies, were met with the sight of a standardized court room. Long pews stretched on both sides of the room in numerous rows, with two tables at the very front for each side to make their case at. The judge, who hadn't yet appeared, would be sitting in his own throne at the very front, towering above the two that would be pleading to him. In fact, the only other people to be at inside the room, turned out to be his opponent, someone who had been on the smaller side of things, but being wide to make up for it, and who had been waiting for the trial to start. A tall, sporty-type man accompanied him, and who Issei could only presume was his own Queen.
Getting closer to the two, Issei could feel a rapid disdain for the shorter one, not exactly knowing why. A simple gut feeling told him that this was not a devil to trust, or even give the day of time to. A look back at Rias and Ravel showed similar results, as they too could only scowl at the being that was to the right of Issei as he took his seat at his table.
When Issei took his seat at his table, and the girls in the pews, the disgusting little man seemed pleased at their arrival. A vile and nauseating stench seemed to escape the man's mouth as he opened it, showing his infamous yellowed teeth as he stood in front of Issei and his table, his head barely reaching above the wood. His puny emerald eyes seemed to not focus on Issei, but the ladies behind him, as his breathing become more erratic with each passing moment.
"Can I… help you?" Issei asked, unsure of what the midget wanted. Saying something seemed to break it out of its trance though, as he began to breathe more normally, locking his eyes from the girls to Issei.
"Issei Hyoudou." The midget said with what Issei presumed was glee, but couldn't exactly tell.
"Yes, that's me… and you are…?"
"Porin Azhul. You may call me Lord Azhul, but for the ladies behind you, simply Porin will do."
Issei hadn't known the man for more than five seconds, and already he was getting the urge to beat him into oblivion. "Can I help you, Porin?" Issei asked, his patience being tested with each ticking second.
The pure-blooded devil took the jab with a small sneer, but brushed it off, bringing back his usual perverted smirk as he looked at Issei dead in the eyes. "Yes, you can actually. I've been informed before this little meeting of ours that our beloved Nekomata, Kuroka, seems to be living with you and others."
"What of it? Thinking of threatening me because of it?"
Acting as if he was deeply offended by the accusation, Porin took some steps back from the table, waving his hands in front of him as he gestured to the young man that he meant no harm. "Oh, of course not, simply inquiring is all. So I am to presume its true then?"
"Yes, and?"
"Splendid, simply splendid!" Porin exclaimed, jumping at best a few millimeters off the ground up and down in excitement. Issei cocked his head a bit at this, not sure how to react to the sudden gleefulness that had taken over the devil in front of him. When he managed to calm down some, the Lord cleared his throat, continuing to show off his disgusting smile. "Tell me, is she doing well?"
Without even gracing Porin with an answer, Issei narrowed his eyes, skeptical of the devil and what he was asking. "What are you up to?" He asked, his senses telling him that Porin did not care for Kuroka in any way.
"Me? Why, I'm simply asking how the fair maiden is doing after the years we've been apart. After all, it's been three years since the last time I've seen her. With me being able charm her and sweep her off her feet all those years ago, I feel it would be about time that she would be begging to come back to me, and to forgive her of the crimes she has committed against my family. That is all I ask."
"While I may have not known Kuroka for that long, I do not believe that she would be eager to go back to someone as foul as you, Lord Azhul."
Both devils turned their attention to the red head sitting behind Issei, as Rias finally had enough with the charade that had been going on in front of her.
"You know this guy, Rias?" Issei asked, pointing a thumb over his shoulder towards the Lord. Porin seemed to become a bit agitated and even disgruntled at the new interruption, as he was not one to enjoy being looked down upon.
"He's infamous within the upper circles of the Underworld for his lewd conduct and appalling views on women. A thousand times more so than Raiser, back before you had come along, which is mostly why no one does business with the Azhul clan anymore. What little remains of it at least." Rias answered.
Issei looked back at Porin, and then at Ravel and Rias once more, then back to Porin. He knew himself, and he knew Raiser back when he was alive… Issei had believed when he had first met him, no one could have been of lower scum than Raiser Phenex with his rather shameless behavior towards the opposite sex, and his superiority-complex towards those who were below him. To think that someone was actually far more morally depraved than he was absolutely unheard of. He was unable to confront Porin on it though, as the pudgy devil began to speak ill of Rias immediately afterwards.
"Ah yes, Rias Gremory, heiress to the Gremory family, also known as the Crimson Ruin Princess due to her family heritage and her family's signature crimson hair. Or was it perhaps the Switch Princess instead?" He began stating.
"If you're trying to get me upset, I'm afraid it won't work." Rias stated.
"Oh no, of course not, I would never dream of doing that, Lady Gremory." Porin stated, trying to act innocent once more, before going in for another attack. "Then again, since you had brought up the recently deceased Phenex, I must say, I have heard of some rather interesting rumors surrounding him, and the rather abrupt cancellation of the engagement to the Gremory heiress." He said, the same sickly smile taking its usual place.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure I can speak for all of us when I say they're merely just that, rumors."
"Ah, but that's where you would be wrong, Lady Gremory. I'm almost sad to see him go before his time. After all, the parties he would have thrown for the upper echelons of society in the name of cementing his status would have been quite exquisite to attend. After all, I heard that had he been able to marry you, the said parties would have been the finest in the entire Underworld." Porin stated, waving his hands around as he tried to act out his little performance of envisioning going to one of the events. Rias narrowed her eyes, an ill feeling growing in her stomach.
"'What is he talking about?' you must be thinking. 'What could he possibly mean?' Well, I'll tell you my dear Lady Gremory. As it turns out the main courses of those parties wouldn't have been any type of fancy food from across both the Underworld and human realm, but rather, a very specific girl, and the girls in her peerage, servicing the male attendees of his party to their every whim."
The banging sound of wood meeting stone tiles echoed within the court chambers. Both of Issei's arms were being clutched by Rias and Ravel, using all their strength to hold the wild dragon back from ending the puny existence in front of them.
"Calm down Ise, he isn't worth the energy! He's only trying to get under your skin!"
"She's right! Calm yourself, Lord Issei! You know my brother wasn't like that!"
With the embrace of his loved ones holding him back, Issei gradually managed to calm down. Though he was rightfully angry at Porin, a small part of him felt a bit pathetic at getting riled up at something so small. He was there to get Kuroka free, and by showing he could get mad at this, it would prove doubts about his future title of being a King. Slowly relaxing his balled-up fists, Issei could feel the girls ease up with their own hands. All of this, however, didn't mean he would take what Porin said lightly.
When the girls let go of him completely, Issei quickly and without warning raised one of his arms before anyone could react. With one finger shoved into Porin's face, the atmosphere of the entire room had become more tensed than before.
With a low growl, Issei did his best to intimidate Porin. "If you EVER think of harming my loved ones, I'll-"
"Do what, Hyoudou Issei?"
Everyone's heads turned to the direction that the new voice came from. Rias and Ravel feared the worse, afraid of the consequences of Issei's sudden actions in front of this voice.
There, standing at the judge's seat, was the man that was to decide the fate of Kuroka, and everyone involved with her. Wearing the usual black robe attire that Issei usually associated with judges, he knew that this aged, white-haired demon among demons that held an air of law, order, and justice around him, was going to be his enemy today.
"Ah, High Judge Accipiter, so pleasant to see you today." Porin exclaimed as he turned around fully and began to bow, showing respect to the elderly devil. All he had to do was act completely unlike himself for the trial, and he would win.
The judge ignored Porin though, as he scanned the room of the people inside, a hawk eyeing its prey. With an everlasting frown plastered on his face, shaping his mouth like a beak, the ancient devil showed no weaknesses amongst the young ones. Suddenly, after he took in all that he needed about everyone, his eyes snapped not towards Issei or anyone in his group, but rather to the only person who hadn't spoken the entire time and had been standing off to the side. Like a crooked talon, he raised his bony hand and pointed towards the man, demanding his attention. "You there."
The man straightened his back, and bowed to the judge. "Your honor."
"Name?"
"Dominik, your honor. I am Lord Azhul's Queen." The man answered, continuing to bow.
The judge stayed silent for a few moments, studying the man with intrigue. "… Dominik then. I would appreciate it if you put your child on a chain, before he tried to create more chaos in my courtroom."
Without a hint of sarcasm in his voice, the judge lifted his robes and sat on the seat set out for him, grabbing hold of his trusted gavel. Porin's face was beginning to become red with rage, silently cursing the judge for the insult. Issei and the others couldn't help but hold their laughter in, with Issei hoping it being a sign that perhaps would turn out fine after all. Dominik simply kept his face stoic, not amused in any way at the insult of his lord.
With that done, and with the judge ordering people to their proper places, the trial had just begun. Porin took to the stage in front of the judge and began his prepared speech, while Ravel, still in the pews behind Issei, began to go through the documents she had brought with her on the judge they got, having gotten the information ahead of time thanks to the connections of the Phenex family. Any little bit to help Issei.
"Once again, a very good morning to you, your honor." He began. "I, Porin Azhul, stand here in front of you, bringing evidence against the Nekomata, and SS-Class Stray Devil, Kuroka, of crimes of the worst degree. The lives of twenty-two devils were taken away from us quite sadly, and I have the objects of one such devil that fell that day."
Digging within the jacket he wore the court, the pudgy devil pulled out a single Pawn piece. Though Issei had no idea what an Evil Piece could do at a trial like this, it soon became obvious to everyone else in the room what he intended to do.
"Extracted from the remains of my precious Pawn, we are able to see the final moments of her life, and the monstrosity that is Kuroka. Before I do that, I must give a fair warning to those who are too young to see such things. What we are about to see, may very well be too much for some children that have not even gotten their hair to grow yet." He said, motioning towards Issei and the others with a disparaging smile, who in return could do nothing but restrained himself from lashing out once more. "Dominik! Bring out the projector!"
A small machine shaped like an old-time projector but with more knobs and dials on it, that Issei had failed to take notice before, had been sitting next to the Queen the entire time, and was wheeled out before them and pointed towards the judge. Thinking that they were going to have to get a screen to put in front of the judge, thus defeating the purpose of what was supposed to happen, he was surprised when the machine required no such thing. Instead, the image projected from the machine was a hologram of sorts, allowing for all parties to see it clearly, even if nothing was on it at that moment. With the insertion of the Pawn piece within one of the eight empty slots on top of the machine, the image livened up, bringing forth a movie in place of the blank hologram. With it though, the picture was not the only thing. The feelings and thoughts of the one recorded could be heard and seen as well, as they soon found out.
What they saw on the moving image was some sort of coliseum deep underground, artificial lights shining down within the arena, and spikes ringing around within its inner walls. The stands filled to the brim with devil-kind, cheering and shouting as they were becoming impatient of waiting, though of what the Issei party did not know. All other clues could only point that what they were watching, was indeed through the eyes of someone else, watching inside a VIP section inside the amphitheater.
Three characters were there, as Issei and the others immediately recognized the other two. Porin and Dominik were the VIP section who were intently watching the arena below.
With a few more moments passing, the trio on Kuroka's side were introduced to a fourth character who had entered the VIP area. A quick glance his way from the Pawn, and they could tell that he was somewhere within his sixties, though he was more than likely far older than that. His hair beginning to grey, and noble attire to fit his body, it was obvious that this man was someone related to Porin and Dominik, as he seemed to be running this show when he ignored the other three people in the special box, and proceeded to move up the microphone just a few feet away that would allow the entire coliseum hear his voice.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to this special event. As promised to you as Baron Azhul, for the final time, our favorite brave and talented Nekomata will take to the stage of carnage! Please welcome, Kuroka!"
There was a roar of approval and cheering coming from the crowd at the mere mention of Kuroka. 'Whatever this is, she sure was popular in it. Could this possibly what she feared the most?' Issei asked himself, continuing to look on to the movie as the gates at the far end of the arena began to open up.
With the Pawn continuing to watch the arena below, the sound of the announcer's voice continued to be heard after he got off the microphone, warning Porin of something, though of what Issei did not know.
"Porin."
"Father?"
"This shall be my only gift to you. Should Kuroka survive this, be sure to keep her quiet."
Though they could not see it, Issei and the others could imagine the wicked smile that appeared on the pudgy devil's face. They would not find out what the father meant by that, as the conversation was cut short, and all attention was turned to the far end of the arena down below.
"You have nothing to worry about, father. I'll make sure that she enjoys her new life inside the bedroom."
At that point, Issei could hear Rias groan in a small voice at what they were watching, not that he could really blame her. He was probably more astonished that she had been able to keep quiet to herself for this long.
Going back to the movie, watching the gated entry way inside the arena, he could see a small figure beginning to make its way out. The cheering of the crowd was starting to become more intense than ever before. Watching the figure make its way to the center of the arena, he was surprised to say the least that the figure was indeed Kuroka, wearing different attire from what she usually wore, but Kuroka nonetheless. She was standing still, ignoring the cheers of the fans as she looked directly up at the VIP room as the gate across from her began to open up.
Time ticked by, and as nothing came out of the other end to meet Kuroka in battle, the crowd had begun to become upset. Getting annoyed that there had been no bloodshed yet, the fans were starting to throw insults at the proprietors and began to throw trash onto the arena, demanding the money that they had spent to witness death.
When the crowd was starting to become more hostile, the Baron turned towards Dominik, clearly angered by what was happening.
"What is this? Where are the beasts, Dominik?!" The master hissed.
Though they could not see him, Issei and the others could hear that Dominik was managing to keep his cool, as he began to defend himself in a calm manner. "Forgive me Lord Azhul, but I do not know what is happening."
"Then find out!"
"Of course. At once, my lord."
Hearing footsteps begin to fade away from the scene, the Pawn in the movie continued her gaze on Kuroka, possibly intrigued at what was happening at that very moment. More minutes ticked by, and Dominik had yet to return. When the sound of the master himself getting up and beginning to find out what was going on himself, the sounds of the crowd being upset at the lack of entertainment turned to screams of horror. All eyes turned to one of the ends of the coliseum, where a massive beast, one that looked to be a lion with a goat's head sticking out its back, and a snake for a tail, began roaming into the stands from the entryway, blocking the exit for any devils.
When one devil nearby tried to use his magic to destroy it, the fireball he had managed to conjure up bounced off the flesh of the beast, only agitating it. The beast turned its lion head towards the devil who had thrown the fireball at it, and with absolute ease, managed to pounce on him, tearing into the soft flesh of the devil with one paw when it landed. On another end, a beast that Issei recognized as a Gryphon began to make its way out of another entryway, doing the same thing as the other beast and began to attack nearby spectators. Another entry way, a serpent with three heads slithering its way out, and another entry way, a Minotaur carrying a massive weapon to defeat its enemies. All of these, it seemed, had been malnourished by the bones that Issei could make out on the beasts. It was because of this that the beasts had been attacking the devils, in an effort to eat what would probably be their first meal in a long time.
With the chaos starting, Porin lived up to his cowardly ways, and began to teleport his way out of the castle, bidding goodbye to his father, who had begun to curse his son for his gutlessness.
"No, wait! Lord Porin, wait!"
The Pawn had seen her master begin his teleportation spell out of there, and began to move his way to go with him. For reasons unknown, the fact that she had been running towards him and begging him not to leave, Issei surmised that this Pawn was a lot like him when he first became one, meaning that either she did not have the magic necessary to create her own teleportation circle, or was restricted so she could not flee from her master's clutches. When she managed to catch him though, her face was met with Porin's backhand, as he began to laugh gleefully at seeing his Pawn suffer.
"Sasha, be a dear and make sure Kuroka makes it out of here alive. After all, she's far more valuable than what you'll ever be. Oh, and I suppose come back alive or something. Tootles!" He exclaimed, before laughing some more, his gelatinous stomach bouncing up and down.
With that, both Porin and his magic circle disappeared amidst the mayhem, the Pawn cursing her master's name for leaving her there amongst it.
As the beasts continued to have their feasts amongst the crowd, the Baron tried to begin getting the situation under control, using whatever ranged magic he knew to blast away the creatures in the stands. He failed to realize unfortunately, that Kuroka had leapt up into the stands once the chaos began, making a straight B-line for the VIP section, blowing a hole in the caged roof that was above the arena using her own form of magic. Hearing the sound of her landing on the rails behind him, the Baron turned around and began to glare at the Nekomata, a fireball in his hand ready to be fired.
"Do you realize what you have done, you stupid cat?!"
Kuroka did not grace him with an answer though, and simply continued to stare at him like the prey he was to her.
"Is this because of your sister?! Because of what I had planned for her?! I raised you, you ungrateful little bitch! I saved you and your brat of a sister from starving in those fields all those years ago, siphoning resources from me as if I was your family! I OWN you!"
Without saying more, he threw the fireball in the direction of Kuroka, but with the agile of a cat, she easily dodged it as she used the railing around the VIP section as a platform to boost herself from, launching herself towards the nearby wall where she kicked off of again and aimed straight for the Baron. Tackling him around the waist, she managed to move too fast for him, using her legs to pin his arms to the ground so he wasn't able to use any more magic.
When it was obvious that the fight was short, and that Kuroka had won it, the Baron knew it had been the end of him. Instead of pleading for his life in his final moments, he simply laughed, laughed that he had created the very thing he had probably been afraid of the most.
Before being able to say any words, Kuroka took her hand and swiped it at his throat, severing a major artery as his warm life essence stained her hand. Again and again she swiped, digging further and further into his neck until it the head had been entirely disconnected from the body, a smirk permanently plastered on the Baron's face.
After that, the film ended. What happened to the Pawn or to Kuroka after that was not shown, which in Issei's mind, was probably for the best. Even though she created that much carnage, he was absolutely sure that she did with particular reason. It was unlike her to do something heinous simply to get to her master. But most of all, Koneko was the key of it all. Because of her, something inside Kuroka snapped. But what? What was it that made Kuroka kill her master to protect her sister?
"As you can plainly see, your honor, Kuroka is a hundred percent guilty of her crimes. She was the one who had let the monsters roam free, she was the one who had led them to the coliseum, and she was the one who had killed my father and my Pawn!"
"You left her there!" Issei screamed out as he stood up, not letting the pudgy devil get away with staining Kuroka's name for something that Porin was responsible for. "Your Pawn died because you didn't help her!"
The judge would not hear it though, and began to bang his gavel in an attempt to calm the court room down. When Issei was forced to finally calm down, the judge took his chance to interject with his comments. "While Mr. Hyoudou is correct in his assumption that whatever happened to your Pawn was your doing, Mr. Azhul, I cannot look over people screaming when it isn't their turn, Mr. Hyoudou."
Issei was forced to sit back down, annoyed, while Porin continued on with his story.
"However, I do not think that Ms. Kuroka should receive the death penalty for what she did."
Everyone in the room, all except for Dominik, were shocked to hear Porin say that. Out of all the people in the Underworld, Porin probably had the most reason for wanting Kuroka's head. It soon became evident why he advocated for it though.
"I believe she can be trained to properly to obey, and since she was the reason for my family's downfall," he said, ignoring his own perverted nature being the main source for its downfall, "I would like to ask the court to instead hand Kuroka over to me, albeit with major restrictions on her so she would not be able to escape or do any damage. This way, she would be able to pay off her crimes using her lifespan and her body."
Issei slammed his palms onto the table before him and stood up once more, outraged. "Are you insane?! There's no way I would let you do that!"
The judge slammed his gavel once more to get Issei to calm down again, before confronting him. "MR. HYOUDOU! Do NOT make me have to stop you again! One more outburst and you WILL be thrown out, do I make myself clear?!"
Issei, still outraged at Porin, could only nod after staring at the pudgy devil for several seconds, slumping down in his seat as he began murderous thoughts about the disgusting fellow. When he finally managed to sit down his seat fully, and remain planted there until it was his turn, the judge turned towards Porin. "Mr. Azhul… While I do understand your point, it is not up to you to decide what fate criminals face. Depending on what I choose, and depending on the cases I hear, I will decide what will happen to Ms. Kuroka, not you. Do you understand?"
Porin bowed respectfully, nodding as he did so. "Of course, your honor. I understand."
From there on, for half an hour, Porin continued to tell lie after lie about Kuroka, all whilst Issei was forced to keep his mouth shut. During that time though, he had felt a small, tingly feeling inside his chest. It had been something that he had felt only two other times before, and when it happened, he immediately knew what it had meant. A third person had finally been connected to him, as they gave up their life as a mortal, in replace of becoming his servant as an Evil Piece.
"And that is why I believe that the devil Kuroka should not be pardoned of her crimes."
Porin had just finished up his talking points, walking back to his seat as High Judge Accipiter allowed Issei to come up front and begin his argument. He would play for time as he waited for the most important person to make their appearance. Starting by apologizing for his earlier outbursts, he hoped it would score some points with the judge, but regrettably, it didn't.
"High Judge Accipiter, I'd like to call out a witness." Issei said, hoping he was doing things right.
"Witness of what, exactly?" The judge asked.
"I kept quiet as you asked while Lord Azhul here was speaking, but there was something that had been bugging me when he showed us all that video of the beasts attacking. His Queen, the same man who had gone away just before the beasts attacked to check things out as asked from his previous master, is the most suspicious of possible framing Kuroka of actions she did not commit."
Porin was ready to object at the accusation as he opened his mouth, standing up from his chair and hands pounding the table in front of him, but a hand from his Queen managed to get him to be quiet. A single look at the judge could tell that Accipiter was more than ready to throw the pudgy devil out the moment he opened his mouth. With that sign taken, Porin grumbled under his breath as he sat back down quietly, allowing Issei to continue making his case.
"With that all said, Queen Dominik, where did you go when your previous master said to go check things out? Did you indeed betray your King?"
"He did no such thing, because I was the one who released them."
All eyes turned to meet the new voice that had just entered the court chambers. The creaking sound of the wooden doors being opened up, and footsteps walking down the stony corridor between aisles of pews, the very person who had started all of this, and who needed to be there the most, had finally arrived.
'That was a lot sooner than I expected.' Issei thought to himself as the new witness took their place next to him. Porin had been surprised as well which quickly turned to frustration, not expecting this development and hoping this would not end up being his downfall here. Dominik, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes, carefully watching the Nekomata as he wondered what was going through her head that would allow such confidence in admitting to the crime of killing their old master.
"I'm sorry for not being there when you woke up, Kuroka."
"It's alright. Besides, you being here is more than enough for me, nya." She answered back, smiling as her hand reached into the open space in her kimono. "You're going to need these if we want to win this." Pulling out two navy blue Bishop pieces, she handed them to Issei. After doing it, a quick glance towards the only other Queen in the room, and her eyes narrowed at the sight of him, along with the King he accompanied. Before wanting to attack them there for their past aggressions, Kuroka quickly calmed herself, looking back to the man who would free her from the shackles of being a fugitive. After all, despite being surprised that it managed to work, she had pledged herself to him now, even if he didn't know it. She would stick with him until the end of days.
Choosing to ignore her sudden entrance, the judge proceeded with the trial. "Ms. Kuroka, I assume that what you just said was a confession to the murders of twenty-two devils?"
"Yes and no."
"Yes and no?" The judge repeated, and Kuroka nodded.
"I may have released them to make a distraction, but them attacking the crowds was the Baron's own undoing."
"How so?"
"By starving and beating them. They attacked anything that moved, some of them even attacked each other when I first let them out. Had I not used the abilities I had learned while in that horrid place to hide from them by changing the flow of my ki, they would have surely attacked me. It was only matter of time that they found their way into the stands afterwards."
"That still does not excuse you doing it, however."
Kuroka shook her head. "Perhaps, but after you see what's on those Bishop pieces, you'll see exactly why I did it, and why the devils who helped and even gave funding to the Azhul family, deserved what they got. This is also my way of making up something that I should have done long before. No longer should I let others take the blame for what I've done… not after letting someone close to me suffer so much for my foolishness, nya."
The judge leaned back, fascinated by this new development. "Well then, we'll just have to see about that, now won't we? Mr. Hyoudou? If you please…" He said, using his hand to motion to the projector in the middle of the room.
"Huh? O-Oh, yeah."
Taking the pieces he had received from Kuroka, he began to walk towards the projector, ready to show to the world Kuroka's innocence (he hoped).
After the insertion of the two Bishop pieces into the machine, the screen that had gone silent once again flickered to life. Through the eyes of the cat, they saw what looked to be a vastly open forest. Dead trees lined up like a natural wall on both sides, the dull moonlight peering down through the lifeless husks with the distinct sound of crisp and dry snow being walked upon echoed in silent night.
Dominik in real time jumped up from his seat, startling everyone but Kuroka inside the court chamber. The video was paused, as the judge began questioning the jump.
"Do you wish to say something, Queen Dominik?"
Dominik's hands curled as he looked over at Kuroka, glaring at her for the video she was about to show, before looking at the judge. Whether or not this video would win Issei this case was unknown, but what was known was that the contents inside it would more than likely destroy, if not decimate, the last remaining remnants of the Azhul family, damning them to a far worse fate than simply killing them.
Wanting to speak out and censor the video but not being able to, Dominik had no choice but to sit down, apologizing for the sudden outburst.
With the video resumed, not too much time passed as it didn't take long for the Kuroka in the picture along with the Dominik with her to reach their destination point. There, in the middle of a small clearing within the trees, was a small village, probably holding a capacity of no more than a hundred. Wooden houses here and there with a couple that had their lights on, perhaps a store or two for various items, and a temple of some sort at the other edge of the town.
"Is this the place?" The Kuroka in the picture asked, looking at Dominik who had been at her side the entire time they were walking. He nodded once, looking forward at the village.
"This is the human village that the master's wife was murdered in. Remember, kill any human you see, that was the order. Now, if we go in slowl- Hey! Kuroka!"
Kuroka, without even heeding his words, began her assault. The quicker she got this done, the quicker she could go back home. The quicker she got back home, the quicker she could sneak through the ventilation systems within the castle and see her beloved sister whom she hadn't seen for a few months.
She ran to the nearest log cabin, making as little noise as possible, and hitting cover by the nearest wall. Crouching just below the windowsill, she took a quick peek inside, making sure that the coast was clear. It was not, however, she did in fact see two men chatting away near a fire within the small wooden house, both of them sitting inside some leather chairs as one of them was polishing a weapon. A 'rifle' she believed it was.
Using her nails to claw away and get under the wooden frame for the window, she slowly opened it up to allow a small crack big enough for the cold air to come inside. If she could kill them some way without getting her hands dirty…
The moment she had opened up the window, the two men inside became aware of her presence. They immediately stopped conversing with each other about their daily lives and immediately looked at the window that Kuroka was sitting below, presumably hearing the scratching noises she had made. Without saying another word, the one with the rifle got up from his chair, and began to steadily make his way to the window.
Kuroka's devil instincts told her the human was making his way closer to the window. She took the chance incantation and looked up from below. The sight that had met her, was the long end of a rifle barrel, directed entirely at her.
With the lightning speed, she managed to avoid the first bullet that whizzed past her as the human fired. In rapid succession, she narrowly missed each bullet that had been fired as she jumped her way back towards the tree line. Before she could make it back though, even more bullets came flying their way towards her, as more men came out of the nearby homes, having almost been expecting her, and began to fire her way as they yelled to one another about killing her.
Fearing for her life, her adrenaline caused her to move faster, pushing her to the limit as she fled to the tree line, the sound of bullets cracking and guns firing filling the air of the tiny village. Without even looking back, she saw a large fireball come out from where she had left from, and a couple of seconds later, hearing the sound of a large explosion accompanying it.
The result of the explosion caused the men to falter for a bit, gathering their attention off of Kuroka as she finally made it to the tree line, where she immediately hid behind one next to Dominik.
"That's why we go in slowly! They had a ward up that you set off!"
"I realize that now!"
More and more people poured out from their wooden homes, bringing their weapons as they continued to slowly move towards the tree line, keeping the two devils pinned down. The bark of the trees they were hiding behind began to slowly chip away more and more.
"What are we going to do?!" Kuroka let out, trying her best to not run away in this fight.
Without even giving her an answer, Dominik popped out from behind his tree, shooting off smaller but equally as effective fireballs at their targets. With that done, the men began to retreat a little, taking what little cover they could of their own that they could find.
Ignoring the curses coming out of the mouth of his comrade, Dominik had begun to look around the nearby area for any type of vantage point. Luckily for him, he had been able to scout out a tree limb that seemed to be strong enough for something, or perhaps someone, hovering a few feet above one of the houses nearby. The only problem was actually getting around to the tree it was attached to, climb it up, and jump onto the roof below without their enemies noticing. Formulating a plan to do just that though, a small smirk managed to appear on his face.
"Kuroka!" He yelled towards her over the sound of gunfire and bullets whizzing past the two of them, not even glancing at her as he continued to look towards the tree branch. When he managed to see he got her attention out of the corner of his eye, he nodded his way towards the branch. "Think you can get on top of that?!"
Kuroka turned her head towards the direction that Dominik had been looking, making sure not to poke her head out of the cover she had lest she wanted a new hole in her head, and managed to finally find the branch he had been talking about. Looking back at him, she nodded once.
"Alright! When I give the signal, you run around the tree line and get on top of it! Ready…?!" He yelled, waiting for the bullets to stop flying. When the guns went silent for the few precious seconds that they needed to reload, he popped out from his hiding. "Go!"
Right as he said that, he began to fire more balls of flames at the combatants, pushing them to behind their covers.
Kuroka, who lagged behind Dominik's start, kicked up some snow as she started her run towards the tree she was aiming for. The entire time, she felt sluggish, not because of the possible gunfire that she could go under any moment. No, it was due to the snow that slowed down her progress, as she had to raise her legs higher than normal to get out of the snow and move, taking up more energy than she needed to. She hadn't really noticed it when they were first walking through the forest, or even when she ran towards the house earlier, but it really was an aggravating thing with how high it was.
Fortunately for her, she managed to get to the tree she needed to climb, taking cover behind it as a few humans took potshots at her. They would come to quickly regret it as they revealed themselves by standing up from cover, to the waiting Dominik, who had gone and taken cover behind his tree once more, only to pop out when opportunities arose.
With the distractions that Dominik provided, Kuroka managed to climb up the far side of the tree with little problem. She managed to reach the branch in question with relative ease, using her claws to dig deep into the tree's bark to have a harder grip and make up lost time in the snow.
A few tricks later, she managed to work her way around the tree and land on the branch she was targeting. Due to the darkness all around her, and thanks to the black leather she was wearing, it was easy to drop down to the house below. A small thumping sound was made when she came into contact with the roof, despite her trying to be as light as possible.
Quick on her feet, she ran to the edge of the roof and jumped down, ignoring all value in a planned attack, but being able to take her opponents with surprise. With three in front of her, she used her claws to pierce two of their necks from behind, severing their spines. With the third noticing his allies being attacked out of the corner of his eyes, he tried to turn around to finish off this new enemy. When he did turn though, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, causing him to let out a quick yelp.
Kuroka had managed to pull her hands free from her first two victims, and stuck her left hand into the third one's stomach when he turned around, hoping it would finish him. When it hadn't, she used her right hand to stab jugular, hoping that he would find peace soon enough.
One by one, with lightning speed and precise jabs, Kuroka managed to go through the men defending their hometown. By jumping up onto the roofs of the houses, she was able to drop down from above onto her victims. Dominik himself kept his flames to a minimum so not to illuminate the night sky so that Kuroka could stay in the dark.
Though it had taken some time, the last man with a rifle had just fallen by Dominik's hand, as he began to walk out of the forest to meet up with Kuroka, who wasn't very far away. Looking away from him as if the man he had just killed was of no concern, she sat perched up on one of the many roofs. He saw her ears perked up, signaling that she had been listening for something, but of what Dominik could not tell.
"What is it?" He asked, picking up a rifle from a nearby charred corpse, and expecting another battle to soon erupt. If he could save up on his magic by using the weapons of these fallen warriors, then he would do just that.
"Hooves. Lots and lots of hooves, but still far away."
"Shit." He said under his breath, picking up more rifles and checking the bodies for ammunition. "It must be reinforcements from the nearby village. One of them must have escaped and alerted them." He replied to the cat, making sure that his weapon was full. When it was, using his devil strength, he managed to kick in the door to one of the nearby houses with ease, eliciting a scream from the inhabitants inside, one of a woman and two of children. But with three quick and successful shots, loading a new round in-between each one, the screams were silenced forever by Dominik.
Kuroka's focus was torn from the hooves approaching and turned to look at Dominik in shock at the act he had just committed. Before he could get a chance to reload and go into the next house, Kuroka had jumped down from the roof, blocking his way from entering the newest victim's house.
"What are you doing?" He asked in a slightly annoyed tone. Though he could probably guess the reasoning behind the action, he knew they didn't have much time to bicker.
"I could ask you the exact same thing!" Kuroka hissed. "What the hell was that all about?!"
With a sigh, he began to explain his actions. "Our orders are to exterminate all life in this village. That includes women and children, not just the men."
She took a step back at this, surprised. She was able to quickly compose herself though, remembering they didn't have enough time. "Are you insane?! All this for some woman I never even I met?! This is overkill!"
"Perhaps, but it's still our master's orders." He tried to calmly explain, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I won't blame you if you don't want to do this, but I will be explaining to the master about your insubordination if you choose to follow the orders. What happens after that is up to the master then. Is that understood?"
Kuroka wanted to open her mouth, to interject and tell him otherwise, but she knew better. He was the Baron's Queen before he was a friend to her, as was the role he was given so long ago. She knew as well that should she refuse, her punishment that awaited her was more than likely far worse than the action itself.
"I… I understand." She replied, looking away from his eyes and sounding dejected.
"Good. I'll move on to the next house before the reinforcements come then."
He maneuvered around her and began to walk towards the next house, doing the same thing of breaking the front door open and firing with the rifle, killing anyone inside. With each shot heard, Kuroka would flinch, unnerved and unready.
She looked towards the handle of the door she was supposed to breach, contemplating her own motives. The windows showed no light in the tiny house, but the small sounds of weeping could be heard from within. One last look over at where Dominik was, and she could see that he was already on his way to the next house, ignoring her. 'Damn him…' She thought to herself as she put her hand around the handle. There was no turning back from this.
Slowly opening up the door, her eyes scanned the cozy little area inside. She saw only a few beds, a place for a fire, a table for three to eat, and a stove to cook the food, but nobody in sight.
She stepped inside, slamming the door behind her, causing the whimpering humans that were hiding to let out a yelp. Before going in any further, she looked down at her hands, still covered in the sticky blood of the people she fell just moments ago. Despite the killing them just like that, something told her that what she was about to do was far different.
The men had a chance to defend themselves, to fight back and survive. The children on the other hand…
Trying to rid her mind of those thoughts, she looked over to the spot where she had heard the yelps, and had begun to walk over there. The closer she got to the beds where she heard the noises from, the sound of two more shots rung through the winter air.
She stood still, looking down at the ground where the children hid just below. A bed made of fur and feathers obscured the view of a possible hiding place, but the sounds of the humans still rang through. She crouched down to her knees, feeling the fur for any type of oddity in it. When she felt none, perhaps seeing if the bed itself was hollow, she flipped the frame and mattress over to the side, revealing a small hatch that presumably hid what she was supposed to look for.
It didn't take long to touch the handgrip that had been hidden, knowing that she and her partner were short on time. With a deep breath, she readied herself for the sight she was about to see as she held the latch with a firm grip before flinging it upwards. With it, she revealed two little girls, one of them no older than eight, and the other around five.
The younger sibling clung tightly the elder one, as the older one held back crying out loud. It seemed that once the hatch was opened, the small frightened girl decided to resist, to show no weakness, at least, that's what she had hoped. The truth was, Kuroka could see the poor girl in front of her shaking uncontrollably, acting tough simply so her younger sister could be a bit at ease. In a way, the scene in front of her reminded Kuroka far too much of her own history, as she could see herself and her own sister Shirone in the two little girls. Could she really end these lives, when they reminded her so much of herself?
The sound of banging on the door behind her broke her from the happy memories of years' past with her sister and of her contemplation.
"Kuroka! We need to move!"
Ignoring the sound of banging on the door, she brought a single finger up to her mouth, motioning for the girls to be quiet, before gently putting the hatch down on top of them once more. Unfortunately, she forgot to place the frame and mattress where they once belong, thinking it was better to meet with Dominik before he barged in. Getting up from the floor and turning around to face it, she walked back to the door. Opening it, she was met by her partner, who seemed to be worried, but also calmed at the same time.
"We didn't have as much time as I anticipated." He explained, looking down at the Nekomata, before quickly glancing at the temple on the other side of the road. As Dominik said, the humans had arrived a bit too early, already getting off their horses and going into positions to launch an assault on them from what she had heard.
The glance he gave only been a quick one though, as he was more concerned what had happened inside the tiny home that she was in. Glancing at what was inside, he saw no bodies, no blood, simply empty.
Kuroka ignored his scanning as she walked outside, tugging on his armor as she did.
"If we don't have much time, then we best make haste." She said, before walking towards the tree line in the opposite direction of the village. When she made it a few steps away, the pressure and sound of an explosion behind ended up stunning her for a moment. Managing to collect herself fairly quickly though, she turned around, dreading what she was about find.
The house she had just come out of, the very place those girls were, was up in flames.
Dominik had been backed up only a few feet from the entrance, a single hand in the air, pointed towards the cottage. With the task done, he had no need to stay there anymore and began to walk over to Kuroka, telling her it was time to go. As he walked, the Nekomata began to run in his direction, tears forming in her eyes, calling out to Dominik to stop and save those inside. It did not last though, as darkness soon surrounded her the moment she passed Dominik, the sounds of humans beginning their counterattack filling the air.
The status of the girls inside, and of what happened afterwards, was never shown, as the video inside the courtroom had finally ended.
After the scenes that were unfolded, Rias and Issei were stunned the most by what they had seen. Ravel, though just as stunned at the degree of violence that the Nekomata was capable of, did not show any expressions, thinking it was simply better to keep quiet until the time was right. The judge, understandably, held his own tongue, having seen far worst in his time in the service of justice, as Porin and Dominik kept their own mouths shut, but for entirely different reasons.
That changed though when Kuroka took the center of the courtroom, continuing her story as she looked at the judge directly in the eyes. "After that… though I may not have known them, and that it may have been more humane to end it all earlier when I had the chance looking back on it now, I found out that the little girls did not survive." She said, letting the comment sink in for the moment, despite it should have been obvious. When moments passed, and she believed it good to continue, she did just that. "That was not all, however." She stated, looking down at her feet. Her hands had begun to visibly shake as she recollected about the matters afterwards.
Dominik, as his duty as Queen, had told the Baron of the events that had unfolded. It turned out, that the reason for the slaughter of innocents, while few, had not been in the name in revenge at all. No, the truth had been that the wife of the Baron had died over a century ago. While it was true the ones responsible for her death were the ancestors of those in that village, the true reason, the entire purpose for what Kuroka had been through, had been a test, to see that she could kill without remorse.
Yes, she had been trained, and even raised in that entire environment, simply to kill at the Baron's command. But that was not who she was.
She was not some killing machine you could just flip on and have you do your biddings!
That didn't matter at all to the Baron though, as he was soon disappointed to find out she could not accomplish what he considered, 'easy'.
"The scars on my back, and the few on my legs, while not all given to me during my training in the Pit, had been given to me the very next night. The Baron was upset that I failed him, and believed I had to be thoroughly punished for it." She said, looking back at Issei and Rias, meeting them in the eyes. It was there that the two of them connected two and two and realized the reason for her sudden attack, as well as her relapsing and collapsing in their room.
"… While that may all be reason enough to feel it to be justifiable to kill your previous master, it still does not condone what happened that day in that… arena…" Judge Accipiter explained, looking at the Nekomata.
"Perhaps not," she replied, meeting her gaze with the judge once more as she continued her story, "but what was I to do when I found out nights later that I was to be thrown away, to be given to his son, and my sister, become the new me?"
With all the pieces finally falling into place and finally cracking the hard shell that had been around the Nekomata for so long, Issei finally began to truly sympathize with her. Though it was true he had no sibling to speak of, to think to be cut off from them was bad enough, but to hear they became an assassin after you had become a failed one and sent off to become- It was simply too much for him. It was there and then that he decided he would never become like that! Kuroka was not going to suffer under him!
Regrettably, it did not seem to sway the judge.
"Unfortunately for you, Ms. Kuroka, because he was your master, and his orders were absolute, I must state that I am unable to see any justification in your actions." He stated plainly.
Issei stood up, ready to shout at the devil judge for daring to be so inconsiderate, but was held back by a simple hand from Kuroka. Raising her hand to face her new King, she smiled at the judge, almost expecting this outcome.
"I did not believe that I was going to come here and win today, but what I do believe, is that I should not hold back any longer… I have people who care for me now, and who are risking everything to free me. That is why, I ask, do not put blame on the people who came here today." She stated, ending on her signature 'meow' under her breath.
"Kuroka!" Issei yelled, hoping to change her mind, but it would not end up happening. How could he fail her before he even got the chance to truly help her? It would do very little though, as the judge seemed to be intent on handing down the verdict he had come up with in his mind.
"I suppose I can do that Ms. Kuroka, as it seems you are willing to comply here… Very well." He said, motioning with his gavel that this case was finished as he raised it above his head. "Ms. Kuroka? For the deaths of twenty plus devils, including the death of your former master, I am hereby sentencing you to-"
The judge was unable to finish though, as Ravel had stood up from the pews, interrupting his sentencing. "Your honor!" She screamed out, gaining the attention of the entire room.
Baffled by the sudden interruption, The High Judge had begun to sputter a bit, shocked at the audacity of someone trying to disrupt his process of justice. "W-Who dares?!"
"Judge Accipiter, I believe we should take a five minute recess before you make that decision." Ravel continued, taking her place alongside Kuroka in the middle of the courtroom. Any attempts from Issei and Rias to ask her what she was doing was met with silence from the Phenex girl.
"Ms. Phenex, what in the- What is this outburst about?! I demand an explanation at once!" He yelled, getting up from his seat as he did so.
Ravel looked around the room, looking at everyone inside, before glancing back at the judge with an ominous look on her face. She sighed. "I did not want to say this out loud, but… I have some rather unfortunate news about your granddaughter that I believe you would wish to hear in private."
The judge finally became silent as he narrowed his eyes towards the Phenex devil. Though some part of him doubted what she had just said, at the mere mention of his beloved granddaughter, he couldn't help but give in. If she was really telling the truth, then-
All anger gone from his voice, he nodded once. Banging his gavel once, he announced for a five minute recess as he escorted Ravel into the back room where they would be able to speak about the issue at hand in private.
Issei turned towards Rias, hoping for any kind of answer for Ravel's curious behavior. Unfortunately, just like he, Rias too did not know anything, and could only respond to him with a shake of her head. When he was about to converse with his fiancé about the issue at hand though, he heard the sound of clapping coming from the other side of the room. Turning his head, Issei saw that the pudgy devil Porin had been the one doing the clapping, and had begun to make his way over to Kuroka, who continued to stand in the middle of the courtroom.
"Honestly, if you wanted to return to my embrace, dear Kuroka, you should have come to see me sooner. After all, my door is always open for you."
Kuroka scoffed, extending a claw as she took one step back. "I do not know what delusions run through your tiny mind, Porin, but as I've said before and will say until the day I die, but I would very much end my own life before I ever serviced you."
"Say what you will little kitten, but your fate is not up to you to decide here. Once the judge reappears from whatever that little pipsqueak is doing, you'll be mine for the taking." He said, speaking as he walked up to her. Right as he was about to wrap his fingers around her chin which would have surely ended his life, the arm of Issei broke them apart, as the Crimson Dragon took his place between the two.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't harass my Queen like that. You may have gotten away with what you said earlier, but with the judge gone now, perhaps I won't have to hold back anymore."
"Your Queen…?" Porin repeated, before remaining silent for a few seconds. For those few seconds, the gears in his tiny brain had begun to work once more, as he managed to connect a few bits here and there about the Nekomata before breaking out in laughter. This laughter however, was not jolly at all, but that of a man who had just broken.
He laughed and laughed, until finally breaking from that laughter as his face contorted from his anger. "You bastard! How dare you disgrace her with your filth!" He lashed out, trying to throw a punch at Issei which was easily missed, as he simply needed to take a step out of the way to do it.
Issei dodged each and every strike that came his way with ease. Even with the few punches that had been thrown, the other King seemed to be getting out breath quickly as he continued his irrational tantrum. He began to huff with each punch he threw. It didn't last long though, as Kuroka was the one to make the strike that would bring the pudgy devil to his knees by kicking him in the side of his stomach. Before anymore could be said or done though, the time for the recess had come to a close sooner than expected as the judge came out from the back with Ravel in tow.
Eventually Dominik came over and helped his King get up from the ground, bringing him back over to their side as Kuroka was forced to calm down from her own King.
When everyone had gone back to their own places and calmed down, the judge had begun his sentencing again. However, for whatever it was, he seemed to have been more… calm, more so than during the entirety of the trial, when he began his decision.
Clearing his throat of any obstructions, he spoke to the room once more.
"As High Judge of the Underworld Fourth District, I, Judge Accipiter, have come to a conclusion. After hearing all of the evidence from each side this day, and after taking in much thought about it, I have decided that Ms. Kuroka is…"
The entire room tensed as the judge paused. There was little hope, and would take an absolute miracle for her to be-
"Innocent…"
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
As I never really managed to explain it before, and by this point it would make no sense for any of the characters to not understand it, I basically wanted to make an explanation about how I always perceived how the 'Evil Pieces' system worked.
From the way I had always understood it, the pieces had different numbers based on them, each number equating how many Pawns they were worth in a sense (at least that's how I remember it from the Light Novels as it was explained).
As such, 1 Pawn would equal, well, 1 Pawn. 1 Bishop or Knight would equal 3 Pawns. 1 Rook would equal 5 Pawns. And 1 Queen would equal 9 Pawns. And finally, 'Mutated Pieces' would double these amounts.
From this, I had gathered that because Kuroka is technically two Bishops, she could get 'promoted' if she were to be given either 7 Pawns, 2 Rooks, or 1 Queen Piece to take in place of her Bishop pieces. Granted, I know that the actual game of Chess doesn't work that way, and that Pawns are the only ones who can be promoted if they manage to get into enemy territory, but because so little is known about the Evil Pieces, even by its creator Akuja Beelzebub, that there may have been a way for pieces to be 'promoted' despite being different pieces.
At least, that's how I always perceived it. It could honestly be that something entirely different ends up happening with the Evil Piece system.