The Khaos Brigade found the perfect allies in the Wizards of Oz. A group of magicians that had magically created their own realm and shunted it from the Human World in a fashion similar to how Heaven and the Underworld were.
Said like that, it sounded completely unbelievable that a bunch of humans had managed to bend space and time to create a different dimension altogether. But the rules of this world always felt more like 'suggestions' rather than absolute 'laws' to Diodora. Humans being the weakest species of the world was true only on paper, as people like Vasco Strada existed and threatened the supernatural enough to keep up the illusion of only being myth and legend. The Masquerade, then, only worked because humanity was convinced that the world worked because only a select few knew the truth.
It's not like Diodora didn't understand the logic. The church had agents that were magnitudes stronger than the rulers were. If more people became aware and powerful, then the laws they set to command them would probably stop working. More people mean more chances of someone calling BS, so these rulers accepted the Masquerade that the supernatural proposed.
This didn't apply to the Land of Oz. They bristled with magic, their crafts and creations running with esoteric energies in a way that both looked futuristic and ancient at the same time. They had this european vibe, maybe from a few centuries back, in their clothing. But otherwise Diodora had no doubt they lived in an alternate dimension altogether.
"There's probably a great [Bishop] candidate here. But I doubt anyone would want to take the offer…" If the people of this world already had magic, then Diodora didn't know why someone would want to be reincarnated to serve a pure-blooded devil.
The [Bishop] pieces usually had potential that hadn't been tapped into, or not fully at least, due to their lack of opportunities to develop said potential. They wouldn't only get a boost to their power, but access to a way to actually learn and become proficient in using it. Which was probably why most devils had both [Bishop] pieces before completing or even getting a unit of the other pairs.
They were also relatively cheap, and all devils used demonic power to begin with. So the [King] really lost nothing in creating them when the person in question was worth more than a couple of [Pawn]s.
Or that's how Diodora understood it.
"If Lord Diodora wants, we could—."
"I'm simply thinking out loud." Diodora interrupted Olivia before she could say something outrageous "Not just anyone strong would do. I need someone I can trust."
"Of course." Olivia nodded.
"Besides, we didn't come here for that." Diodora reminded her as he turned to his right, looking at the creature wearing a maid-like facade "How long?"
"We are getting close, Lord." Stain replied with its usual deadpan "This one shall take the lead when we get there."
The streets had a lot of people, but most of them didn't notice Diodora's group at all. They were content to go about their business, without caring about the devils that had taken a turn into a dark alley and mysteriously wandered around watching out for any onlookers.
The safety of magic, Diodora guessed. It happened to people all the time, thinking that their measurements would keep them protected.
They took strange paths, even entering a building and going to the basement only to emerge on a different side of the city altogether. And resumed traveling through the main streets until Stain picked up the pace.
The building they entered looked rustic, almost abandoned or at least badly maintained. Diodora's senses could pick up the dust and spider webs all around the place, having miscellaneous trinkets scattered around what looked like a workshop.
Stain took a different shape, and activated a secret trigger that made the room shake a bit. Odd, but not enough that Diodora thought something had happened.
The oblex touched a few books, ran its finger through a few lamps and turned around a few tools until a wall finally popped and opened like a gate.
"That took way too long." Olivia complained, but Diodora agreed. If someone arrived midway through activating the secret passage… Then what? Would they have to start again?
This new workshop looked pristine. Someone had clearly spent a lot of time here. With magic almost physically oozing in some places, and ominous energy actually emanating from bones and other organic-looking artifacts that had been put in special containers like this was a museum.
Finally.
"So this is the thing?" Diodora picked the object from its pedestal, aiding himself with some demonic power to avoid being hurt by the spell put on the thing.
It was a medallion with an outer circle surrounding a coin-like core with inscriptions in it. They were written in a spiral, from the outside to the inside in devil rules. They were like prayers for power, but also more demanding than any call for help from any devotees. Very devil-like indeed, not people of the church asking for their god's favor. Not at all.
"It aids in the development of demonic power." Stain explained "It should help the Lord grow stronger faster, if only not as fast as the Lord would like."
"If it's too good at doing it, then it might draw unwanted attention." Diodora rationalized.
Devils always searched for ways to grow in strength, although most didn't bother with rigorous training. So they often turned to research like this one, experiments that often didn't lead to better results than just doing the obvious. Such a strange world this was.
"It is the cover up for the real deal." Stain explained as it shifted its appearance again "The real artifact is more powerful, although it has failed to keep the user alive. Not apt for the Lord's plan."
The oblex started pushing buttons on a console to the farther end of the room. A panel appeared, and the creature scanned its borrowed eyes and spoke 'let there be darkness' in a language that Diodora hadn't heard before (but which he understood due to being a devil). Another secret door opened soon after.
"Charming." Diodora pocketed the artifact he had picked and followed Stain inside.
An ancient platform took them underground, going down several meters per second without even making a hair move on the users' heads. Diodora tried to guess at what sort of magic they used to enchant the place, especially since it had appeared completely unassuming from the outside.
The trip didn't take long enough for him to understand, but that didn't matter too much. He hadn't come for the medallion, and he hadn't come to investigate how other devils used their powers.
No. Diodora would've made efforts to make connections within the Khaos Brigade. He'd have tried to pick up and befriend certain individuals that would point him in the right direction, he'd have been able to grow stronger faster. But he wouldn't have cracked this as quickly as Stain did.
"This is…" Olivia opened her eyes widely, seeing several Evil Pieces floating in the air connected to terminals that took in their power.
This place looked like a futuristic lab, with several test tubes that held people in neon green fluids that connected to the walls and ceiling.
According to Stain, this branch was trying to create supersoldiers. Like the Sigurd Institute did with the Sellzen, the Khaos Brigade wanted to bolster the numbers by recreating powerful people that they could keep under their control.
And oh, boy were there a lot of them. Diodora didn't recognize the faces of the clones, nor did any of the runes stating their codenames ring any bells. But that was to be expected. Although elite, these supersoldiers were supposed to still be somewhat disposable. Maybe the guards of people like Cao Cao, or the minions that the old Satan heirs could throw away because they funded this project.
Diodora frowned. Destroying this place wouldn't do much, especially since Stain mentioned there were more like this. But it might slow down the push towards the attack on the Three Factions. On the other hand, the security of these places being amplified meant that doing this a second time would be tricky. Stain could absorb and assimilate anyone, but if there were reinforcements waiting for them as they raided the place then it didn't matter.
So he'd have left these places alone, if not for a particular tidbit of information.
"Lord, follow this one." Stain stated as it took a detour between a particular couple of tubes. Going for an unassuming door that the creature opened with a code.
"I thought there'd be another secret entrance." Diodora complained. He was starting to regret coming this far, since the more time it took the more likely it became that someone would notice. But his concerns went unnoticed by the slime.
"There is, but it leads to the living batteries' room." Stain stated without thinking. The creature rarely felt affected by anything its victims had done, and this was no exception. It likely didn't feel anything about people being used to power this place.
Diodora shuddered.
"Let's hurry up."
"Indeed." Stain led them to a relatively small room. But one that was packed with magic circuits.
"The hell…?" Diodora had to close his eyes as his mind buzzed with the strong mystic current going through those walls. Almost hearing a buzzing sound as his devil body struggled to comprehend what was happening there.
"The people in charge of this place didn't know how to keep the artifacts in place." Stain explained, its shape melting a little due to the ambience magic circulating. It tried to bring its appearance back in order, but it started melting off in other places "There's apparently a single individual in the Khaos Brigade that knows as much about Sacred Gears as Azazel, but that person is not involved in this."
"I see…"
Indeed. It'd be strange if just anyone could mess around with Sacred Gears. The fact that Diodora hadn't started actively looking for the Vritra set was due to this fact. It'd be pointless if he was caught looking for them without a way to actually seize them. He had no idea how Raynare did it in the original timeline, and one of the reasons he had Stain infiltrating as many places in the Brigade was it could was due to this.
The place that was meant to create elite soldiers for the Brigade also had a way to fit them with powerful tools. And what was more powerful than the artifacts that the God of the Bible left behind to humanity?
"Are these really all Sacred Gears?" Olivia asked. There had to be at least a dozen, although the cages they were sealed in looked so thick Diodora wondered if they were actually meant to be opened "How did they get this many?"
"While uncommon, they're not that rare." Diodora replied "If a whole organization looks really hard, they're bound to find a lot more."
The creepy slime nodded, fueling its knowledge with what it absorbed from the scientists it had assimilated.
"The only problem is…" Diodora touched one of the cages. A cube of pure metal that irradiated magic "...I don't think they can be transported."
"The containers have a battery to keep them in place." Stain replied "They can, although this one would urge the Lord to pick them and get out as fast as possible. They do not hold for that long."
That made Diodora perk up.
"Oh? Then we could try to get a teleport circle before we pick it up…" It would take more time, but he really didn't want to leave without what he came for "Is that one even here?"
Stain nodded, pointing at one of the containers on the right.
"Codename 198141624. The properties all fit with the Sacred Gear the Lord is looking for."
"What about the others?" Olivia asked "Can't we just get one each?"
"The Lord is not interested in the others." Stain replied evenly.
"And I don't want to give Stain a Sacred Gear." Diodora frowned "The Sacred Gear we came for is Shadow Prison. I plan on giving it to Genshirou."
Olivia frowned a moment later. This was the reason why Diodora hadn't fully explained their mission.
"But that guy already has a Sacred Gear! What's the point of that?! Lord Diodora, what did he do to deserve a second Sacred Gear?!"
"It's not a second Sacred Gear." Diodora sighed "Didn't I tell you? His particular Sacred Gear is important to me. What he has is something that can't be taken lightly."
"I mean, absorbing and giving power is powerful. But I don't see how that has to do with this!" The [Queen] insisted.
"His Sacred Gear has a piece of the soul of the Prison Dragon." Diodora finally revealed, unwilling to let this happen every time they found another piece of the set from now on "It has one of the techniques of the Evil Dragon King. I'm merely giving Genshirou the set back."
"...The Prison Dragon?" Olivia blinked, stunned "That's… Huh?"
"In the past, the deity that killed Vritra shattered the dragon's soul into several fragments. Fragments that were used to create a few Sacred Gears." Diodora explained "They're basically unresponsive now, but they're still pieces of a dragon king."
Diodora huffed. Maybe if he explained this much, Olivia would become more cooperative. And with a lot of luck, maybe even open up and welcome Genshirou into the group. It was wishful thinking, but Diodora wanted it to work. So he had to put some effort into shortening the gap between them.
"...How does Lord Diodora know all of this?" Olivia asked, looking a lot more human than Diodora had seen her before. Refusing him like this, ironically, made her more bearable. More real.
"I'd like to ask the same."
"...?!"
Olivia snapped around, only to find a figure clad in black punching her in the gut. Sending her flying back to Diodora.
"Stain!" He yelled as he was pushed back by Olivia's body. The place didn't have a lot of room, but the creature didn't need it.
"Understood." Stain became liquid, and separated into several pieces that grew into a human appearance each.
The Stain bodies rushed to the intruder, who simply fired demonic power at them. Punching holes in the gelatinous creature and retreating after seeing Stain not slow down one bit.
"Where did she come from?" Olivia panted "Lord Diodora, are you alright?"
"I am." Diodora frowned "But that's not important. Get rid of the witness."
Outside, some of the tubes with clones had been shattered. Spreading the green liquid everywhere as the hooded figure fought for their life.
With a bigger space, Stain's bodies doubled in size and transformed into the creatures it had devoured prior to being picked up by Diodora.
Demonic cats, winged lizards, and some wyrms circled the intruder while getting hits in as one. The figure fought back with sword and spell, but Stain didn't relent. And it could reform the chunks that were severed into the big bodies.
The figure didn't even have the protection of the Sacred Gear room's disruptive magic circuits. Olivia casted fire streams from between the Stain-creatures, and Diodora used his magic circles to create shields where Stain could safely reform.
The hooded figure threw a hand out, Olivia's fire disappearing into nothingness before one of the cat-demons caught it on the shoulder.
"What?!"
The figure bristled with lightning, forcing Stain's body back into an unsolid shape before throwing it in the path of the fire spells with a hand filled with demonic power. It created a gap that Stain rushed to fill in, but one that let the figure advance. If only a little.
"Don't let her escape!" Diodora ordered, blood rushing to his face as the idea crossed his mind. He was scared, but he could feel anger welling up as his first step into his plan had suddenly gone so badly.
Olivia kicked the floor, her body blurring as she ran past Stain's bodies. Her [Queen] piece gave her all of the augmentations of reincarnated devils, and she rushed to give back the first hit that had taken her by surprise.
The figure spun around and met fist with sword. Cutting right below Olivia's boobs as the [Queen]'s arm came short of the figure's face, by way of the weapon in their hands.
It still carried some demonic power, so the intruder was thrown back into Stain's creatures. Letting the oblex get fangs and claws into the disguised person before they could react.
They still tried to struggle, so Diodora pinned them down between two magic circles of opposing force. The intruder was effectively sandwiched between his spells. And could feel their body being pushed up and down with the same strength, crushing their bones and disabling them from trying anything else.
Except move their head.
"Get away!" Diodora felt the moment the figure charged their demonic power. Opening their mouth and releasing a scream so loud that the closest Stain bodies burst into ooze as the shockwave went right through them.
The room became a mess as test tubes shattered, the clones spilling down, and the alarms kicking up. Diodora fell to his knees, momentarily forgetting where he was and what he was doing there.
He felt a rush of wind, and suddenly Olivia had hugged and pushed his face against her chest. Sending them both farther away as the figure almost impaled him with their katana.
"Hmp?!" Diodora's brain kicked back in motion and he shot a ball of demonic power. The most standard attack a devil could use.
It still did its job, forcing the figure to dodge. Allowing Olivia to get back in close range and try to punch them again. She wasn't that good in close combat, but she still boasted the powers of a [Queen]. The figure couldn't just ignore her.
Diodora got back to his feet.
"Stain!" He called out. And the slime didn't answer as it usually did, but Diodora knew it could hear him "The Shadow Prison! Now!"
The slime separated some mass to reform the scientist in charge of this place. The rest of it kept fighting alongside Olivia, but now Diodora had another purpose in mind.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon…" He thrust his hands to the floor, a huge magic circle materializing as he fueled a small artifact he had in a pocket.
A portal to leave the Land of Oz required one of these, and Diodora very much wanted that to happen as soon as possible. The activation took some time, as any meaningful spatial warping did, but with his servants fighting Diodora had the time to open their path to retreat.
To hell with all of this. As long as he got Shadow Prison, it would be worth it.
The Stain-bodies hissed. Smoke coming out of them as they reformed. Olivia fought using fire and her own body to keep the hooded figure away from Diodora, unaware of what he was doing. But still doing her best to take down the threat.
Diodora gasped for air. Even now, he still hadn't gotten used to battle. But at least he hadn't frozen up like he did the first time. He gave the battlefield a good look, saw the way the cuts Olivia held left trails of smoke as she started giving the hooded figure more room. The katana, the way they fought. By the time Stain came with the container of the Sacred Gear, his mind had reached several possibilities of what they were fighting. None of which were promising.
"Destroy this place when we're gone." Diodora ordered as Stain's scientist body stayed close to the center of the magic circle.
"This one will be weakened." Stain replied but didn't deny him.
"I'll let you slow down until you recuperate. Just do it." Diodora hissed.
"Understood."
The magic flared up, the charge ready and Diodora saw the Stain-creatures begin trashing without regard to whether they hit the hooded figure or not. Olivia noticed, which made her look back to where Diodora was working his power.
"Come!" Diodora yelled and the [Queen] abandoned the fight, seeing magic light up against the colors of the room.
The hooded figure followed, but Olivia expected that much. She burned the assailant's weapon to a crisp, and had them pinned against the floor after Stain's bodies unfolded and stabbed their limbs.
Their attacker was centimeters away from Diodora when he yelled to give the magic that one final push. Leaving most of Stain's biomass behind.
"Diodora-san?!" Genshirou rushed to the group when the light suddenly made the room brighter than the sun. He saw the three on the floor, basically out of a warzone, and a strange cube the size of a TV. But didn't understand what was happening.
"Stand back!" The devil looked so strange while worried. Genshirou had gotten used to his half-lidded eyes, as if he was plotting something. So seeing them open so wide and his expression twisted in such a way actually scared him a little "Stain, open the container now!"
The one called Stain complied, although he wasn't the one Genshirou knew. This was a big man with a morning beard and glasses. He looked sluggish, but otherwise Genshirou couldn't put his finger on where he had seen him.
Then he noticed the figure below Miss Olivia.
"What the…?" Genshirou activated his Sacred Gear. The woman had told him that was one of the best ways for him to get ready. So he tried to react to surprises in this way. Except now he had no idea of what else to do.
Miss Olivia flared her demonic power, turning to dust the hood and mask of the person pinned down.
There was a woman beneath.
"Wha… I have so many questions…" To begin with, Genshirou had no idea what they were doing in his house. Nor did he understand how they had suddenly appeared out of the blue.
Then, Mister Diodora started laughing.
"Lord?" Miss Olivia asked, stopping in her tracks as the pure-blooded devil's voice echoed in the walls.
The girl pinned down had silver hair, and looked like she had some japanese features but was otherwise someone born overseas. She was slim, with Genshirou somehow suspecting she did a lot of exercise. Maybe like one of Sona-kaichou's followers, but that only gave Genshirou more questions.
Mister Diodora stopped laughing as quickly as he started doing it. Those mood swings scared him a little.
"What a coincidence, who'd have thought the church would employ the likes of you?" Mister Diodora chuckled to himself, getting to one knee as he addressed the girl directly.
"Here." The Stain person approached Genshirou, taking his hand as the cube started opening "Take this, quick."
Genshirou's hand reached the cube, guided by Stain. But he was trying to pay attention to what Mister Diodora was saying.
"Hmmm? Miss Yaegaki?" Mister Diodora's grin split his face in two, like a cat from a child's book whose features stretched way too much.
The girl, who thus far had tried to get off of Miss Olivia's hold, stopped in her tracks after Mister Diodora said her name.
Miss Olivia raised her face to meet Mister Diodora's.
"...Who?" Yeah, Genshirou had no idea either.