"Hey, over here's open." A girl's voice spoke up, holding a light to a window, the glass long removed from the deserted mansion. She was on the shorter side, a little over five feet tall with dirty brown hair and matching eyes. She wore a casual shirt and sweatpants, a couple holes across the legs demonstrating the abuse it's taken over the years.
"Really?" A boy asked, stepping next to the girl. He was a bit bigger than the girl, around five and a half feet and matching brown hair. His eyes were blue in contrast, but the two of them shared too many similarities to mistaken them as anything but siblings.
"Yep, right up there." The girl said, grinning as she thumbed up to the open window.
"That's almost four meters up, you gonna reveal you have a history of high jumps records?" A second boy responded. Unlike the others, he had red hair spiked up. His eyes were emerald green, shining in the moonlight in comparison to the other two. He was bigger as well, standing roughly five feet and eight inches. His build was good too, showing a history of sports, his physic something he was clearly proud of with his sleeveless shirt and jacket tied around his waist.
All three of them carried a flashlight, the moon providing enough light outside to not need them. But inside it was pitch black, visible from the parts of the windows down low that weren't boarded off.
"Nope, but you can toss us up." The girl grinned, getting a tired glance from the boy.
"You're kidding, right?"
"What, are you saying all your slacking in track is because you can't do it?" She said with a challenge, getting a tired sigh from him as he rolled his shoulders.
"Alright, but keep your heads up, I don't want you getting concussions."
"That's the spirit!"
"Um, Beth are you sure about this?" The smaller boy said, his sister grinning at him with a thumbs up as the larger knelt down, stepping one foot onto his open palm and placing her own hand on his shoulder.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained!" She cheered, before in a surprising display the girl was tossed up nearly the full height, catching onto the opening before pulling herself in.
"Alright Carter, you're next."
"N-Now hold on Ko, let's consider this before WE-!" Before Carter could finish his statement, Kota picked him up in a similar process as he did Beth and threw him up. Carter's landing was a bit harsher, but he managed to keep hold before pulling up, Kota waiting for a response from the two.
"Alright, we're clear!"
"Okay, here goes." Kota said, hyping himself up before running to the wall, jumping up and managing three steps up grabbing the window with both hands before pulling himself up. Looking in, he saw how large the inside of the abandoned mansion was, in awe of it before pulling himself in.
"Ah, would you smell that dust?" Beth said, taking in a deep breath as Kota let out a deep breath. He was in shape, but throwing two people and jumping high enough to run up three steps to a four-meter-high window took a lot of effort. "There's definitely something being hidden here, and I want it for my research!"
"Beth, your master explicitly said we weren't supposed to be here." Carter argued, although following as Kota took the lead, all three of their lights on and searching for all of the doors around. "She said there might be a Stray using this place as home."
"There weren't any openings, a Stray that small is hardly a danger to my Devil might and Sacred Gear." Beth boasted, glittering in confidence as Carter and Kota looked at her with tired expressions.
"I thought you still hadn't summoned your Sacred Gear?"
"And didn't you admit to being crushed by your Peerage teammates?"
"Th-That's out of context!" Beth argued, blushing as she turned to the two. "I'm still new, and both Alivian and Bafeel are stronger pieces than me! Once I get a grasp of my power, my four pieces will skyrocket over them!"
"Said the Pawn." Kota said with a chuckle, looking to the side as Beth glared at him with a pout.
"That's four more pieces then you have!"
"All I'm saying is you have a very unique club, even if I've yet to see any magic." Kota responded, putting his hands up in surrender before the trio returned to explore the mansion.
According to Beth's "Master", there was a concentration of magic that was what led to the family that lived in the mansion abandon it. Whether it was something buried underneath or an item they bought was irrelevant, as whatever was vile enough to turn the stomachs of the occupants, along with voices being heard if the newspaper reports were correct.
They searched most of the building that could be, Kota ripping off a board or two so they could explore further. But overall there wasn't anything of note except for a snake protecting its nest. That got a spook at least from Beth and Carter, Kota just knowing to leave it be.
Eventually, their search led them to a staircase that went down to the basement. Without their flashlights, it would have been pitch black. Kota was willing to go first, but he had a bit of hesitation with each step, something Carter mimicked. Beth meanwhile seemed to take each step as if it was any other day, something the two boys wished they could do but ignored it.
The door to the basement was boarded up heavily, Kota gripping one of the planks before blinking in surprise. It was fresh, really fresh. It was strange, thinking that someone had come by recently to secure the place. Something must have actually been here, otherwise there'd be no reason to do it. But what was stranger that was why they only fortified this door and not the rest. Would it draw too much attention? Or were they just sloppy?
"Everything alright Kota?" Carter asked, getting him out of his pondering.
"Yeah, the wood's just fresh." Kota explained, before pulling the first one off. He tossed them behind, not paying attention as small sigils burned across it. Beth was the only one to notice, surprised at the sight as she recognized her master's sigil.
'Oh crap, that's how thorough she was.' Beth suddenly regretted coming as Kota gripped the last plank.
"Wait!" Her voice came too late as Kota ripped the last one off, a puff of green lights flying past as Carter and Beth both flinched, the larger boy either ignorant or incapable of noticing the light as he grinned.
"There, wide open." He said, attempting to twist the doorknob but frowning as he felt it resist. "Seriously? This is actually locked?"
"Y-You know what, maybe it wasn't a good idea anyways. My master might have just wanted us to stay out of trouble." Beth tried to argue, Kota trying to twist the doorknob twice more to no avail. "Maybe we should just go now and-!" Both her and Carter jumped as Kota kicked the door down, ignoring her as he grinned in satisfaction.
"Kikiki, that's for wasting five minutes of opening you up." Kota said with glee. "And why chicken out now Beth? We're already this close, I wanna see some magic."
"How bad is it?" Carter whispered to his sister, the two remaining outside as Kota stepped past the door.
"Bad bad. She had her own seals on the door." Beth revealed. If her master put their own seals, it meant she knew what was in there, and absolutely didn't want anyone in. Kota shouldn't have been able to muscle through it, but clearly something wasn't right. There wasn't some special magic negation on him, Beth would have been able to tell by standing next to him. It was something else.
"You guys coming? Cause you're missing out." Kota called out to them, snapping them to attention as they ran in.
"Kota wait, I'm starting to think maybe… we shouldn't…" Beth's words died in her throat as she and her brother entered, surprised at the amount of light as Kota placed his flashlight behind a strange crystal shape, the light spreading and illuminating the place.
"Wow." Was all Carter could get out. There was a wide assortment of armor, swords, shields, axes, it was like a medieval arsenal with all the decorations adorned. Several mannequins were held up perfectly, full sets of armor present with unique crests on their chests. At the center was a small table with a single lockbox on it, Kota already there and fiddling with the lock on it.
"Say what you want, these people had taste." Kota admitted, annoyed at first at how sturdy the box was. Looking around it, he couldn't see any trace of the key, not wanting to smash it given how nice it was. Plus it must have been old, the craftsmanship impressing even him, as he lacked the historical knowledge to know what the sigils across the wood was.
"Are you sure you should be fiddling with that?" Carter asked, building the courage to walk up next to Kota. "Isn't this closer to stealing?"
"We're already trespassing, and is it stealing if no one wants it?" Kota asked, flicking at the lock twice before giving up, putting the box down in defeat. "Man, I'm sure that would have had the magic in it."
Beth sighed in relief; glad to see Kota had respect for the property enough not to just smash it like he did the door. Whatever was in the box was clearly what her master was keeping protected, as she noticed the symbols on the knight armor and banners across belonged to the Agares family, the house of her master.
"Damn, I really wanted to see if your magic had any accuracy to it. Ah well, maybe just a gauntlet will-"
"No stealing." Was Beth and Carter's response, getting a disappointed sigh from the boy.
"Well, it looks like my hunch was wrong. Let's go home." Beth said.
"I couldn't agree more." Carter said with relief. He wasn't as adventurous as Beth and Kota, and he didn't like being at an abandoned building like this, especially with how well preserved the basement was. He just came along to keep an eye on his little sister. She's been distant lately, her new club eating up more of her time, so he was willing to be uncomfortable to see her a bit more.
"Yeah yeah." Kota grumbled, turning to follow the two as they started to walk up the stairs. As he took a step, a small click caught his attention as he turned to see the lock had fallen off. A mischievous smile went across Kota's face as he went back to the lockbox and opened it, seeing a clump of paper wrapped around what he thought was another box. There was a lot of scribbles on it, nothing he could make sense of.
'I mean, is it stealing if the box wants me to have it?' Kota thought as he grabbed the item, figuring the box unlocking might have been some of the magic Beth always seems to talk about. He made sure to pocket it, saving it for later to check as clearly Beth and Carter would force him to put it back.
"Tonight's gotten a bit more interesting." Kota said with a chuckle, before running to follow his friends, grabbing his flashlight and leaving without looking back. Had he, he would have seen the floor light up in green light, a circle of intricate design glow before shattering away.
"It's been too long since we've been able to relax like this." Hours after the trio's incursion at the abandoned mansion, a meeting was taking place between friends.
This group consisted of three women, sitting comfortably on a balcony to see the city skyline. They were all dressed casually, no formality present as the long time friends took in the peace and quiet.
"So I hear Japan's been pretty eventful lately. Stray Devils amuck and all that?" The first of the girls spoke up. She had long, pale greenish blonde hair, and pink eyes to contrast her cold appearance. A pair of glasses decorated her face, maturing her appearance and focusing her eyes.
"More than I'd like to admit, but it's not as bad as rumors have made it." The second woman responded. Like her friend, she had long flowing hair, a bright crimson red that contrasted deeply, and blueish green eyes that dazzled in the moonlight.
"I'm more concerned at their ranks, we normally only see C-Class Strays. But a few Bs have been appearing as of late." The last of the girls stated. Unlike the other two, she had short cut hair, the raven black locks nearly blending in the dark that wasn't brightened by the moon. She possessed violet eyes, her gaze particularly keeping an eye on the lights of the buildings in ponder, her glasses reflecting them.
At face value they were normally, albeit eye catching, teens. However they possessed a shared background, none that those they mingled with could understand.
Seekvaria Agares, Rias Gremory, and Sona Sitri were all Devils, each with high noble standings with the clans they hail from.
"Do you need help at all in containing them?" Seekvaria asked, looking to her friends. "My responsibilities are well under control, I could spare the time if needed."
"The offer is appreciated, but I believe we're capable of handling the trouble." Sona responded.
"B-Class is more than manageable for us. Kiba and Koneko defeated one just the other day so I believe we've got everything under control." Rias assured, smiling proudly as she bragged about her servants. "Their teamwork really is great, its wordless at times and they haven't gotten hit for the last three Stray exterminations."
"That does sound like you, good to hear your servants are progressing nicely." Seekvaria responded with a smile. "What about you Sona? I hear you have two new Pawns yourself."
"Yes, Saji and Nimura." Sona nodded. "They're fresh, reincarnated for about four weeks now. I can't say anything about their combat experience yet, unlike Rias I'd like my people fully prepared before such a leap. And with Saji yet to unlock his Sacred Gear, I'd rather not push my luck with them."
"Four Pawns went into him, he'll be impressive I'm sure." Rias assured, remembering the last time she saw Saji. If she recalled, Sona even said one of the Pawns transformed into a Mutated Piece when the human was reincarnated, which only further demonstrated the power hidden in them. "Actually, didn't your Pawn take four pieces as well? How have they done?"
"Oh, don't get me started." Seekvaria sighed, pushing her glasses up to massage the bridge of her nose.
"Uh oh, not progressing well?"
"Progressing too much, for her own good." Seekvaria explained. "She hasn't unlocked her Sacred Gear yet, but she's excelled at magic control so far. She's learned the basics in three days and has been looking to use enchantments."
"That's good progression, but I'm guessing she's been getting bold?" Sona asked, knowing how often an upstart can let success get to their head.
"I caught her trying to raid my library twice, it took a serious punishment of two weeks training with Alivian to get her to behave." Seekvaria stated, a temporary smirk on her face at the disheveled look Beth had when she came back from their training retreat. "She's still struggling to understand asking for permission… and listening to orders at times still. But she has potential, I'm sure of it."
"Sounds like your hands are a bit more tied than you let on." Rias laughed, wishing she could have seen the Pawn in action. After all, exuberant new Devils were always the most fun to see. You could never predict what they'd do next.
"Yes, but I'm sure she'll learn proper manners soon. Until then, I might put a tracking spell on her to make sure she doesn't poke her nose where she shouldn't." A part of Seekvaria regrets not having done it sooner, recognizing Beth's thirst for knowledge as both a good and bad thing. She apparently always was adventurous, looking into urban legends and ghost stories and testing if they were real or fake. She should have put the spell on her when she mentioned the old mansion her family used for storage, but decided that she herself needed to put her faith in her Pawn.
"I mean, she's still new to all this. How much trouble could she get herself in to?"
"Ma'am! Ma'am!" All three blinked in confusion when they heard a voice call out, Seekvaria slowly getting a nervous and disappointed expression as they stood to look down at the balcony. On the ground was none other than Beth herself, the Pawn waiting a moment before coughing. Demonic wings sprung from her back as she took off, flying up to the balcony where she flapped her wings to remain level with them.
"Beth, you know you're supposed to-"
"Ma'am, I'm so sorry! I didn't know there were seals there!" Beth's interruption had Seekvaria immediately alert as she grabbed the younger girl's wrist and pulled her onto the balcony, looking at her firmly as her wings went away.
"What did you do?" Beth shook nervously as the intensity went up. Seekvaria always had a cold demeanor to her, but everyone that knew her that was just from her natural expression. But the glare she was receiving just now, that was real anger. No doubt the heiress already knew what she did, and the punishments running through her head made Beth wince at the idea of what they could be. She wasn't cruel, but she had her ways to get a lesson learned.
"I went to the mansion, with my brother and Kota!" Beth explained. "We got to the basement, and I saw too late the sealing circles that had your family crest on them!"
"You opened them despite seeing the sigil?"
"No, they didn't appear until the first was torn off!"
"Torn off? Agares' enchantments are top notch, how did you get in without dispelling them?" Sona questioned, her and Rias at attention as they knew which mansion the girl was referring to, and knew how dangerous some of the relics there were.
"I… I don't know!" Beth admitted, unfamiliar with the two but nervous as she looked to her master again. "Kota just tore them off, like they were regular nails and wood! I don't know how but he just did!"
"Kota Price?" Seekvaria asked, knowing the boy but unable to accept the idea that he could just pry the barriers off like that. He was athletic sure, but he was acceptable at base human standards, there wasn't a shred of magic in him from her one time meeting him. And if he were somehow able to naturally nullify magic, that presence would be impossible to miss. Not to magic sensitive users like her.
"Yes! Ripped them out like any other piece of wood!"
"Did you take anything, anything at all?" Seekvaria demanded, Beth shaking her head rapidly.
"N-Nothing, he was messing with the lockbox at the center but he didn't open it! I swear nothing was taken!"
"Then we have time to fix the seals." Seekvaria confirmed, sighing for a moment of relief. She was still unhappy with her Pawn, but knowing nothing was taken put some peace to the matter. If the lockbox was unopened, the chamber still had its use.
"Is… Is Kota in danger?" Beth asked. She knew just by looking there was some bad magic in the chamber, even by Devil standards. A part of her felt ill there, and it wasn't just from being nervous that she broke into her master's family territory. It was wrong, and she couldn't even tell where it came from.
"If nothing was taken, he'll be just fine." Seekvaria reassured. "He may have some residue on him, but nothing that should attract unwanted attention. That would be the chamber we need to reseal." She then looked to Rias and Sona, giving them an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry our time has been cut into business, but I need help supplying magic to create new seals."
"You don't even need to ask." Rias assured her friend, smiling as she did. "And besides, if we left that problem alone, it'd attract worse than anything we've dealt with." None of them had to say it, especially not wanting to let the Pawn get more stressed. The relic that was at most risk was powerful, and its presence would be like a beacon to monsters and schemers alike.
"S-Sorry to cause this problem." Beth apologized, calming herself a bit as she regained some composure.
"You disobeyed my orders by going… but you also prevented your error from getting worse. We'll discuss your punishment later, but for now we'll fix this before it gets dire."
"R-Right!"
"Oh, and perhaps introductions are in order." Seekvaria brought up, motioning to Rias and Sona. "These are Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri, the heiresses to the Gremory and Sitri Clans obviously. They're old friends of mine, my closest in fact."
"O-Oh, it's an honor to meet you!" Beth responded, bowing lightly before registering the two's appearances.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Seekvaria speaks eagerly of you." Rias said, giving a smile that flustered the girl.
"Although there's also been some clear issues… this one not included." Sona added, shifting her glasses as she regarded the undisciplined Pawn.
.
.
.
"Beth?" Seekvaria asked, looking to her Pawn as she seemed distracted for a moment before she looked up to her master with a surprised stare.
"And I thought you were stacked." Beth admitted, before recoiling as she was pulled by her ear, Seekvaria giving her a measured glare. "Owowowow!"
"Show my friend more respect, you aren't out of the clear just yet."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Ma'am, please stop, you're going to rip it off!"
"It's not like you use it, otherwise this wouldn't be a problem right now."
"Priorities seem to allude her." Sona commented, Rias laughing at the sight.
"I think it's charming, it helps to be as relaxed as that."
"So… you are not a normal box." Kota muttered to himself, prodding the box he looted from the mansion with a busted knife. It wasn't broken a minute ago, but it and five others chipped and eventually snapped trying to cut through the paper wrappings, not at all deterring the boy as he investigated it. Rather it got him more interested, inspecting it carefully when he picked it back up.
"There's got to be a trick, the paper can't just be that tough." He thought out loud, spinning around in his chair as he did. He's been trying for an hour now, and there was no success, not even a light tear. Everything else fell into place, so why wasn't this?
"Damn it, how hard is it to rip a piece of paper!?"
"Easier than keeping quiet." Kota nearly jumped out of his skin when his brother spoke from behind him, dropping the box on his desk as he turned to him.
"Damn it Roland, you know better than to scare me like that!"
"You're screaming in our room at a quarter to midnight!" Roland yelled back. Roland shared a lot with his brother, the same eyes, the same tanned skin, and even the same red hair. However unlike Kota, Roland combed his hair over, keeping it more balanced than the wild front he had.
"Not 'our' room college guy, you moved out two years ago!"
"And I get to spend my break listening to you fight the most pathetic battle against paper and a box." Roland mocked, crossing his arms as he looked at the object. "What even is that? And where'd you get it?"
"It's just a souvenir I found earlier, nothing else." Kota responded.
"Did you steal that?" Roland questioned, his eyes narrowing as Kota turned further away. "This is ridiculous, you already are in trouble from that food stunt you pulled last week, and you went out and stole something again?"
"I told you, I didn't steal that food for myself!"
"You shouldn't have stolen it in the first place!" Roland barked back. "Not everyone is your responsibility, don't fight battles you don't have to."
"What's wrong with helping people because you want to?"
"Because one day I'm going to get a call that my brother was killed because he tried to fight someone else's battle." Roland said, his expression softening as he sat on his bed. "Kota, you always had trouble staying out of fights, how many times have we had to slap ice on you because of how bruised you were? That's one thing, but this?" He said, grabbing the box. "Stealing will get you more than an ass kicking. You could get thrown in jail, or God forbid killed. I don't want to see that happen."
"I know, but it's just that…" Kota trailed off, his gaze at the box as the paper began to glow, tiny symbols forming on the wrapping. A quick thought went through his head, before he refocused. "I just can't stand by, sometimes you have to stand up, even when no one else will."
"Maybe, but this is a problem that has to stop." Roland stated, placing the box back down. "Mess with it if it'll help you sleep, but promise me you'll return it proper tomorrow? If someone goes looking for it there could be serious problems."
"Okay, okay." Kota relented. Roland smiled before he ruffled his brother's hair, getting him to slap it away with a chuckle.
"Try to sleep before two, you do have school tomorrow."
"Yeah, yeah." Kota rolled his eyes, before Roland relented and returned under his covers, trying to sleep after the conversation. But while he went to sleep, Kota went back to his sleepless endeavor, reaching under his shirt and pulling out the cross on his necklace out. He wasn't the most religious person, not in his family at that. But he liked to have a sense of someone looking out for him and giving him good luck, so he always enjoyed having his good luck necklace on him.
"Well, everything else has been a gamble." He whispered, before taking his necklace off, holding it by the chain over the box as he set it down. He didn't see the sigils glow, not like someone magically attuned would, but he knew something was wrong, something guiding him to explore it. And as a final ironic leap of faith, he placed his cross down onto the parchment, flinching when he saw it burn away from the point of contact, a small hole showing the strange red wood underneath.
Seeing it worked, he cheered silently to himself before placing his cross down on the paper, watching in anticipation as the wrappings completely burned away to reveal the blood red box. He reached for his cross, flinching as it felt hot before pushing it off to pick the box up. The red was unnatural, no kind of wood he'd ever seen before, almost looking like blood if he looked at it too long.
Finding the lid, he carefully slid it out of position to see a glow come out from it. Reaching in, he felt the soft interior before gripping what was the cargo. A chess piece, glowing a multitude of red and black in a mysterious overlapping texture. Looking at the box, he saw it was a regular oak wood, realizing that the red came from the piece itself.
"Huh, spooky." Kota murmured, looking at the piece with interest. Had Beth not tried to convince him magic was real before, he might have felt more cautious, with the unknowns he was experiencing. But right now, he was interested, certain something was being done with magic. He couldn't recognize what kind of piece it was, either a King or Queen, he always mixed those up in his games that he played them interchangeably, even if that annoyed the chess club when he played.
"Now, what mysteries could you be hiding?" He said with a smirk, placing it down before looking closely at it, figuring he could spare a couple more hours to look at it, maybe check the internet to see if there was any information about it. He was so excited, he didn't even register passing out, falling asleep naturally for the first time in years.
All while the King Piece pulsed, glowing bright and dim as it seemed almost alive, the red and black constantly overlapping and changing. It was like a torrent of blood and darkness, the interior hiding a twisted grin that looked to the uneventful boy with sadistic glee.
"To think a regular human could tear off the seals so easily." Seekvaria pondered as she used her magic to disperse the boards that were left on the abandoned mansion's front door. At first they attempted to teleport directly into the chamber, however the seals breaking appeared to have caused a feedback hazard, making the magic circles unstable on both ends. This forced the heiresses to enter from the outside.
Due to the flux of unstable magic, the heiresses also made sure to summon their Queens to aid in the repairs.
Sona's Queen, Tsubaki Shinra, stood taller than her master by a few inches. Her hair grew out much longer, and was a shade lighter than Sona's in comparison. Behind her glasses was her most notable trait, her heterochromia eyes of violet and brown.
Rias' Queen, Akeno Himejima, meanwhile stood at a similar height to the redhead herself. Her midnight black hair was tied back into a ponytail with the aid of an orange ribbon, giving her a more noted appearance compared to the rest of the Devils with long hair. Her eyes were a vibrant violet, and a present smile seemed to brighten her face more.
Seekvaria's Queen, Alivian, was the only boy in the group. He had well-kept black hair, and calm yellow eyes, shining more in the darkness of the mansion. He wore a formal butler tux, taking his role seriously as his master's personal aid when she called upon him. Despite being a Queen, he was considered the current strongest present, as unlike his fellow reincarnated Devils, he was a dragon before his transformation, providing an incredible amount of strength and magic despite being the same age.
Being surrounded by all the women, Beth looked down at herself and became self-conscious. At the back of the group, she figured she was ignored as she looked to her chest. Compared to everyone save for Sona, she was practically flat as a board, something she didn't usually think about. She wasn't one to care for that normally, even when around Seekvaria and Bafeel she didn't care that much. But Rias and Akeno particular made her realize just how small she must have looked to other people.
"You needn't worry Beth, I'm sure most people don't care that deeply." Alivian said from beside her, getting her to jump before pushing at him, moving herself instead as the dragon was incredibly sturdy.
"Nobody asked you!"
Unlike before, the group didn't bring flashlights to illuminate the way. As Devils, they had perfect sight in darkness, but they still lighted the leftover candles to give some atmosphere, Seekvaria admitting she ignored the place for too long. If it was somewhat conditioned, maybe people would still believe the cover family still had some resources invested. That'd make break-ins less likely to happen.
"How long do you suspect the enchantments will take?" Rias asked, the group reaching the stairs.
"I can't imagine more than a couple minutes, maybe thirty if any in the chamber were damaged." Seekvaria supposed. "They were redrawn just a year ago, so they should last for another century. Otherwise a mistake was made."
"Hey… what was kept here?" Beth asked. "I know I messed up, but this isn't exactly a light group when it comes to magic. How important is the stuff kept here?"
"Most items are just Agares artifacts, more sentimental than vital." Seekvaria admitted. "However there's a dangerous relic kept here. An Evil Piece that was trusted to my family by the Beelzebub Maou himself."
"An Evil Piece? Like the ones used on us?"
"No, this one is much different."
"You understand that Evil Pieces were designed with the thought of chess, correct?" Sona questioned, getting a nod from Beth. "We have eight pawns, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and a queen: all in service to the master, or "king" in Rating Games. However, kings themselves don't have Evil Pieces, most being natural born Devils or those proven strong enough to uphold their own Peerage. However, there are King Pieces that exist."
"They were a byproduct of Lord Ajuka's development of the first set of Evil Pieces." Rias continued. "He didn't attempt to make them, they materialized during his final testing, the same one where he discovered that Evil Pieces could mutate. Under official records, he kept the King Pieces as he was curious and thought they might be a fun throw into the mix."
"Officially?"
"In truth, he couldn't destroy them." Seekvaria revealed. "Both Lord Beelzebub and Lord Lucifer couldn't even scratch them at full power. And their mutations made it impossible to study them, somehow creating a magic resistance field. They had to be kept in specially crafted containers, each one having the equivalent of ten thousand sigils lined in the bindings."
"Y-You mean the two strongest Devils alive couldn't destroy one of these things?" Beth was astonished and terrified at the notion. She knew the Devil ranking system from Seekvaria's lessons. Low-class, where she and most reincarnated devils stood, middle-class: where exceptional Devils and natural born unroyal Devils made up the numbers, and high-class: where the clans and royalty made up their numbers almost exclusively. These were more signs of authority than strength, a low-class with a powerful Sacred Gear or a middle-class like Alivian could fight high-class Devils, but they were more accurate exceptions rather than the rule.
But there were two classes above that. Ultimate-class: a formal recognition of a Devil's incredible power, they were considered the elite of their people. They were rare, but you could still pick them out from a group of warriors. Serafall Leviathan and Grayfia Lucifuge were some of the most famous examples, even Lord Asmodeus was comparable despite his age impacting him. They were also noted to have the highest amount of their ranks among the political faction that favored the old ways, descendants of the original Maou that didn't approve of the new generation's changes.
But even Ultimate-class paled in comparison to the highest rank. Super Devils were in their own league, comparable to the top ten strongest beings in the supernatural world. If Beth remembered things correctly, there were only three Super-class Devils alive; Sirzechs Lucifer, Ajuka Beelzebub, and the last living descendant of Lucifer. Others existed in the past, Satan and Lilith were the most notorious before the Great War 400 years ago ended. Which goes to show how powerful they truly were; five of note and three were and are currently considered some of the strongest beings in existence.
It sent a shiver down her spine at the thought that two of the Super-class devils couldn't destroy these, even with the Power of Destruction Sirzechs possessed.
"As I'm sure you've put together, the King Pieces are dangerous. No one known has tried to bond with them yet, but based on the limited data he could gather, Lord Beelzebub theorizes they possess unearthly power." Sona continued. "His base theories presume that if someone tried to absorb it, they'd feel their powers increase by ten times or ten thousand, if they could survive such a sudden influx of raw power."
"Th-That's a big skew for error."
"It was all he could find. We're not even certain if each King Piece is different, or if they are in a constant flux that changes every second."
"We know little, but that only informs just how important it is we don't lose them." Seekvaria concluded. "Especially as their presence are like beacons to Stray Devils, they're willing to travel hundreds of miles at the detection of a King Piece. And we can only wonder how dangerous they could be if the King favors them enough for a massive power boost. Or if the old Maou get their hands on such a power boost."
"Politics could go right out the window." Beth realized, getting a somber nod from the heiresses.
"Which is precisely why we need to hold every King in our possession close. If even one is lost…" Seekvaria's voice died in her throat when the group reached the bottom of the staircase, staring in shock as the room's magic seals on the inside were drained. But the fear peaked when they saw the lockbox at the center was opened and empty, the King Piece's true container missing. "Oh no."
"Ma'am?" Beth asked, unable to see past the group.
"You said Kota was trying to open the lockbox, correct?" Seekvaria questioned, instantly going cold serious. Beth paused in shock, quickly putting together that her master's demeanor could only mean that somehow Kota was able to open the box and take the King Piece. "Beth!"
"Y-Yes, Kota messed with it! But he didn't open it!"
"Regardless, if the King Piece is gone, then that means our seals weren't working as expected." Seekvaria concluded, the group wasting no time as they started to run up the stairs. "The barriers have been down for hours; the magic must have coated him and his home at this point! It could only be a matter of time before Strays attack him!"
"Oh no…" Beth nearly blanked out at the prospect. She's seen a Stray Devil before, when Seekvaria demonstrated Bafeel and Alivian's strength. The one she saw was massive, its previous form completely gone as it appeared like a monstrous bull, multiple arms protruding that looked capable of smashing walls apart. If one of those reach Kota, he'd be torn limb from limb! "It… it's all my fault…"
"Not now Beth." Akeno stated. "If there's been no reports, then we still have time. Don't give up on him just yet. We need you to pinpoint his house to teleport."
"R-Right…" Beth stuttered, slapping her face in shame. Her senior Devil was right, she knew where Kota lived, his exact address even. It'd be risky to just teleport in the middle of the neighborhood, it's safer then letting Stray's reach him. It was her fault he's getting dragged into this, so she has to get him out.
"If we're lucky, it'll only be three C-Class, there isn't many Peerages that are regulars in America." Alivian assured, seeing his junior's concern for her friend. "The faster we get to him the better, but he should have plenty of time."
"Then we just have to get to him now!" Beth shouted, surprising the group as she managed to pick up speed and slip past everyone, her vigor renewed as she concentrated on getting to Kota.
'I'm sorry Kota, I won't fail you here!'
As Beth reached the top of the stairs, everyone felt a pulse of magic as the room glowed a sinister purple, and Beth jumped back in time as she felt three bursts of pain across her chest. Blood erupted as talons dug into her, her last-minute reaction saving her as a Stray appeared in front of her.
'W-What is this?'
"Beth!" Before she could blink, Beth heard her master call out to her before the hand of the monster that attacked her was cleaved off, blood showering the floor as it recoiled in pain. She was caught by Alivian, the dragon holding her carefully as he studied her wounds.
"Alivian, is she-!?"
"They dug in, but I can't smell any poison. Her wounds aren't lethal." He answered, the rest of the group positioning themselves between the dragon and the uninvited guests.
There were five mutated Stray Devils, each with various different stages given how they appeared. Some still had torsos that were unmistakably their original, others appeared fully as monsters, depraved and lost of all reason. They couldn't tell what each one was at first glance, but of them there was no mistaking their power, nerving the Devils at what they have been ambushed by.
"Four A-Class, and an S-Class leading them." Rias noted, black and red magic striking across her hands as she prepared herself. In terms of power, they were capable of fighting and beating A-Class Stray Devils, with some challenge unfortunately. The S-Class was the problem however. It's power was felt without it even moving, it being perched at the top floor with cold crimson eyes staring down at them. Alivian would be the only one able to fight it, and even then it could be a coin toss if they can defeat it. But that wasn't the concern in this.
"They're coordinated." Sona observed, seeing two of the Stray Devils step forward as the dismembered one stepped back, covering their numbers with unusual teamwork. "There's a master at play, likely a Beast Tamer."
"Which means their master is after the King Piece." Tsubaki finished, summoning a tall mirror to her side as Sona commanded a tendril of water to surround them.
"Kota…" Beth muttered. She wasn't in mortal danger, and she's been knocked around during her training before. But this was the first real wound she'd suffered. She felt cold, and the blood loss dazed her, but she had enough focus to keep the situation in mind.
"Ma'am, if there's a Beast Tamer these Strays will be more dangerous than the norm. We don't have the time to deal with them and secure the King Piece." Alivian explained, looking down at Beth in concern before continuing. "Beth is also in need of healing, my familiar has a Phoenix Tear, but they won't come with these threats."
"Our hands are tied up here." Seekvaria growled. "Rias, Sona, do you have any servants that can be called on short notice?"
"Kiba and Koneko will likely come right away."
"My servants are too inexperienced, if the Beast Tamer has an additional Strays with them they could be… I'll see who can make it." Sona relented, not wanting to put her servants in danger, especially a fight she was uncertain they could win. But the situation was dire, if that King Piece is stolen, there's no way of determining where it will end up.
"I'm sorry, but we don't have the luxury of choice." Seekvaria apologized. "Alivian, teleport Beth back to my home, have your familiar give her the tear. She'll take Rias and Sona's servants to Kota's house and either recover the King Piece or rescue Price if the Beast Tamer has reached them."
"Understood." Alivian responded, pulling out a pamphlet with the Agares sigil before putting it in Beth's hand, pouring magic into it to activate the magic circle. "You're going to be okay, I'm sorry we're putting this responsibility on you but you're the only one that can reach Kota in time."
"Thank you." Was all Beth could get out before fading away in a green flash, the Strays growling and frothing in hunger for flesh and power.
"Mmmmnnn, oh man what a nap." Kota groaned, stretching before sitting up. He realized he was in his bed, uncertain if Roland tucked him in or one of his parents. A glance outside let him know it was still early, the sun not up yet. He'd pick up his phone to check the time, seeing he had only slept for two hours, meaning there was still a ton of time before school started.
"Guess I'll make breakfast, maybe I'll catch dad if he hasn't left." Kota mumbled to himself, climbing out of bed and walking out of his room, stepping past the chess piece he found and missing the glow follow his position before he left.
"Wow, that must be a record, two uninterrupted hours of sleep." Kota heard his dad Bertrand speak up before he saw him, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes to get a better view. His dad showed his age, black hair meeting grey as the past couple years started to wear down at him. And his relaxed brown eyes looked past a pair of circular glasses, compensating for his eyesight as he watched his son walk to the cubby.
"Yeah, I think I earned a sugary breakfast for that." Kota chuckled, grabbing a bowl and some cereal before sitting at the table. He and his dad both had trouble sleeping, so often they were the last ones up and the first ones awake. It was also why his dad would start work before light, a way to make sure he didn't wake up his wife with his irregular sleep schedule.
"So you were out pretty late earlier, anything interesting?" His dad asked, Kota shrugging as he poured his cereal.
"Went out with Beth and Carter, did a tour of an abandoned mansion ten minutes out of town." Kota admitted, knowing his dad was much more understanding of his odd hobbies and Beth's antics.
"Sounds spooky, did Carter jump out of his shoes at any point?"
"He and Beth both jumped at a snake, but otherwise nothing that interesting." Kota lied, figuring there was no need to bring up the weird basement and the chess piece he currently had upstairs. His dad was a superstitious man, if he heard about a basement with armor and a strange glowing chess piece he'd go crazy. Although given the ominous glow of that thing, maybe caution would have been a smart option.
"Hey, is Roland up? He's supposed to leave for school in a couple minutes." Kota's dad asked, getting a shrug from him in response.
"Not sure… I think he put me in bed after I passed out."
"Can you check, he has an exam today I'm sure he doesn't want to miss."
"Sure." An tired sigh came from the boy as he got up, wishing he got to at least have a bite of breakfast before having a job he needed to do. Heading out of the kitchen and up the stairs. It wasn't a big house, but it fit the family of four good enough. As Kota reached the top step, a loud crash along with a violent shake of the entire house had him immediately shocked into focus.
'The source came from above.' Was Kota's thoughts as he ran towards his room, putting together instantly what made the shaking different from an earthquake. He saw his door was smashed apart, Kota too unfocused to think about what caused it or in what direction.
"I must thank you, sincerely I must." A woman said with a mocking smile, standing on a glowing disk of black and yellow magic. She wielded a wooden staff in one hand, her other holding the King Piece. Her dark dress exposed a strange symbol, an inverted star surrounded by a hollow circle. It glowed blood red, the energy reflecting in her vile eyes.
A serpent Stray Devil had Roland pinned to the wall, cracks going all across it as he was held in one of its arms. They weren't normal, rather appearing as smaller snakes that had wrapped around and bit into his shoulder. He had no time to react to what had happened, as before he woke up the monster smashed into the room and restrained him, allowing for the woman to enter without a worry.
"What… what for?" Roland groaned, keeping still as to avoid provoking the monster.
"For opening the seal of course." The woman said. "I wouldn't be able to open it of my own accord, ten thousand seals is quite bothersome, even for a mage of my caliber. But that cross of yours did the trick. A weakened seal can't hope to stand against a blessed icon like that."
'Darn it Kota, you were supposed to get ready to return it, not open it.' Roland kicked himself mentally for not taking the box from his brother sooner, but he didn't expect his past to bite him like this. He took Kota to get his cross necklace blessed by a priest years ago, it was meant to be symbolic, he didn't think it was really blessed!
"But there's not much more use for you than that." The woman said, shrugging as she drew a magic circle in the air. "Your services are much appreciated; it makes my first ascension that much easier."
"Who… are you?" Roland questioned. "If you're gonna… kill me, the least you can do is give me a name." He needed to buy time, just a couple seconds or a minute to ready himself.
"Hmph, I suppose that's fair." She chuckled. "Juli Decimus, next in line for the Decimus grimoire. And you just guaranteed by position." Time wasn't on Roland's side as the woman didn't bite the bait and go on a bigger tale of herself, settling for what was requested before grinning wide, revealing sharp teeth that could tear into flesh. "Now, good riddance exorcist."
Her magic circle erupted into fire, but as she was about to send it forward, thudding footsteps caught everyone's attention. Kota charged in without a moment of hesitation, lowering his shoulder and striking it into the Stray Devil's side. He felt like he was slamming himself right into a wall, the monster felt solid with its rigid scales and mass. Some of the scales dug into his skin, but he kept pushing forward, feeling it budge and give him the information he needed.
'Not three hundred pounds, bastard!'
"Come on, we don't have any time!" Beth shouted as she ran, followed by four others as they dead sprinted. After she recovered, she quickly threw on a sweatshirt, not having the time to change any more and still having some blood seep through but otherwise she was the picture of health.
Of Rias and Sona's Peerages, two from each were available. Koneko and Kiba were available as promised. The shorter girl with white hair and gold eyes, Koneko Toujou, was Rias' Rook. And although she didn't seem it, she possessed the greatest physical strength at present. Yumi Kiba, Rias' Knight meanwhile was the fastest. The blonde hair long hair and piercing blue eyes, normally more gentle but were razor focus. Both wore similar uniforms, Koneko having the Kuoh Academy's cape while Kiba had a vest on, along with a pair of gauntlets and greaves.
From Sona's Peerages were Genshirou Saji and Momo Hanakai. Saji was Sona's new Pawn and possessed four Evil Pieces, the same as Beth, but was greener and in honesty not ready for this. But he volunteered and they had no time to debate. He was blonde like Kiba, but was a few shades duller in comparison. Momo meanwhile was one of Sona's Bishop's, possessing a higher magic pool than the rest currently and likely will be their best chance at range.
They were running because another magic flux like before prevented them from getting close, meaning Kota had found a way to open the seal that contained the Evil Piece. Which meant whoever left those Stray Devils at the mansion was likely here now.
"Kiba, try and get to Kota! If anything we just have to play keep away! Just until everyone else can get to us!" Beth ordered, although not the most experienced, she knew the area better. "Look for the two-floor house with grey paint! He's the room facing the street and-!" All sound fell silent as a loud crash was heard around the corner, forcing them to throw all caution to the side and in turn hiding their presence.
The crash came from the house in question, as Kota was able to lift and slam the Stray Devil through the wall. The suddenness and size of the Stray had caught Juli in the chaos and all three fell out onto the driveway, Roland having been released before the Stray fell out. Taking none of the brunt, Kota got up first and ran, seeing a glow at the corner of his eye and catching the King Piece as it bounced off the concrete, pocketing it as Juli scrambled to get the Stray off of her.
"Damn brat!" Juli shouted as she held her hand out, firing the spell she made at the boy. He had no time to look back, trusting his instincts and waiting until he could feel the heat to dodge out of the way, rolling across the concrete as it soared past him and crashed into a tree, nearly burning it to cinder on impact.
He couldn't even begin to think, nothing was coming to mind as he ran, clearing several houses distance easily thanks to his pace. It was when he reached a corner and was sliding on his feet to make a sudden turn that he came face to face with Beth and the Devils. A moment of confusion went through him before he realized he felt heat coming from his side again. Without a second thought, he lunged forward, grabbing Beth and Koneko in an arm each and narrowly avoiding the second fireball, running again as he easily carried the two.
"Move it or lose it!" He shouted to the others, surprising them as he was already 50 yards away before they registered he was past them.
"He's fast." Koneko noted calmly, looking over to Beth who was in more shock.
"Thanks, I run track!" Kota answered before Beth could, thankful that the two closest to him were the smallest ones in the group.
"Kota, do you have the box!?" Beth questioned, staring in fear as the serpent Stray slid into view quickly rushing after them at the command of its master. This Stray was clearly mindless, following their new master's orders without a second thought.
"Yeah! Well… what was in the box!" Kota responded, before blinking in realization. "Wait, how do you know about the box!?"
"For the same reason I know you stole it!" Beth said, adjusting her position to slam her fist onto the top of his head. "What were you thinking, taking something from the basement!?"
"That I found something cool, I'm sorry!" Kota apologized.
"Price, you need to give us the chess piece." Kiba said, the only Devil athletic enough to keep up with the boy evenly, Momo and Saji having trouble to keep up. "We're more qualified to safeguard it, and it won't chase you if you no longer have it."
"You are really trying to avoid saying what either is!" Was all Kota could think as the adrenaline was getting to him.
"Incoming!" Saji shouted, everyone looking up as he tried to fire a burst of ice magic, the fireball overwhelming it and exploding in front of them. Everyone was sent flying from the explosion, slamming into the asphalt upon landing.
"I have no patience for this, hand over the King Piece and I'll make your deaths swift." Juli ordered, flying over them as the Stray Devil lunged for Kota, interrupted as Koneko delivered a solid punch to its chest, forcing it back just barely. The girl noted that even with her strength she barely made it move. Without any information she could assume this Stray was A-Class easily, possibly S-Class if Juli was able to find a second one.
As the Stray prepared to retaliate, it was stopped by two bursts of fire, Saji and Momo both getting it in the face. Kiba finished it with two slashes to its torso, blood erupting from the wounds as she held her sword protectively, blocking a swing of its tail. Although blocked, Kiba watched as her sword shattered and the tail impacted her. The blonde coughed out blood as she was sent flying back, Kota just noticing her roll past as his vision was blurry.
He felt blinding pain in his side, looking to see his body was resting on where the fireball originally hit, resulting in his exposed skin from the cuts he got burning hot. He could barely see anything else, uncertain if he was able to toss Beth away before the fireball struck, not seeing her at his side as he remained unmoved.
"Kota! Kota!" Beth called out, running over to him with a noticeable limp before getting down, narrowly avoiding a snap of the Stray's claw before it was suddenly yanked back. Koneko had grabbed its tail, and using all her strength she lifted it up and slammed it onto its back. Regardless of its strength, if Kota could tackle it, Koneko could easily toss it around. A fact she took advantage of, twisting on her heel and throwing it across the street and into a parked van.
"Get him out of here!" Momo shouted to Beth, summoning multiple magic circles and firing at Juli to little effect. The mage was able to casually deflect them, using only her staff before stopping a condensed rock shot by Saji. "Teleport out of here, anywhere! We'll catch up!"
"That's quite rich." Juli mused, summoning fire over her head, easily three times the size of her past spells. "All I have to do is kill him, the King Piece will survive just fine." Before Juli sent the blast forward, she turned and used her staff to block a downward swing from Kiba, the Knight having summoned her wings to take flight.
'Strange, my Stray had already destroyed her sword.' Juli pondered, figuring the girl must possess some kind of Sacred Gear that allows her to make the weapons.
'We don't have to win, we just have to keep the King Piece away from her.' Kiba kept her focus on that goal, summoning a second sword as she began to attack the mage with increasing speed. Her strikes were first parried by her staff, before she started to strike a magic circle the mage summoned. Although she was a strong mage, Juli was physically still human, meaning she couldn't keep up with Kiba's enhanced speed. And while she created a barrier to protect her, it came at the cost of her destructive spell, the fires vanishing overhead in embers.
"Come on Kota! Up, up!" Beth said, not wasting time as Kiba gave her the opening she needed. She winced in pain when she placed her hands on his wounded side, fear filling her as she swore her hand shifted from some of his skin peeling off from the heat.
"…Beth?" Kota mumbled out, his vision still dazed as he felt himself be picked up. "Are you… okay?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Beth fought down the urge to freeze up, or punch the boy for having no concern for himself. "Come on, I need you to stay awake. We're going to get you out of here."
"Sorry… for causing so much trouble." Kota apologized, feeling pressure on his chest as Beth draped him over her back, carrying him as best she could amidst the chaos.
"It's okay, you didn't know." Beth tried to encourage the boy, moving as she heard the fighting behind her, struggling not to look back as she heard the combat going on. "It's my fault, I brought you to the mansion. I shouldn't have in the first place, I disobeyed orders from my master."
"Hehe… sounds like you." Kota chuckled, coughing a bit of blood out onto Beth's shoulder from his growing pain. "Sorry."
"It's fine, this thing's messy already." Beth reassured her friend, wanting to keep him talking. "Believe it or not, I got messed up pretty bad earlier too."
"You were hurt?" Kota asked, before his gaze turned to the floor, his eyes widening in shock as he saw a reflective glow. The same damn glow that caused this train wreck. The King Piece had fallen out of his pocket, and was now exposed. "Why are they… after that chess piece?"
"It's bad news, really bad news." Beth explained. "It makes people strong, really strong. But there's a lot we don't know. Especially if she's human."
"It affects… humans?" Kota questioned, thinking that perhaps it could be of use at the moment. Right now everyone was fighting a losing battle, if the limited sounds he could hear were anything to go by. He was dead weight at the moment, if he could get that power up, maybe he could help lighten the burden.
"Kota, I know what's going on in your head right now." Beth responded, knowing where her altruistic mindset immediately went to. "This isn't your fight, you're an innocent victim. We can handle this just… just focus on staying awake."
'Not my fight…' That thought went through Kota's head as he looked to the Evil Piece. He rarely ever had his own fight; he couldn't remember if he ever had something so personal that he had to fight. He always chose to jump and help others, and he never held something important enough to stand on his own.
'Maybe… maybe I really don't need to fight this time.' Kota thought, closing his eyes as his focus dimmed.
"You're strong and brave, and no matter what happens I know you'll chose what's right. Because before your strength, you have a good heart." The voice of his mother snapped Kota's eyes open, the moment of weakness evaporating as that old conversation with her struck him like a hammer.
"Never forget that, and help the people who need you."
"I'm sorry Beth, but I can't just stand by!" Kota groaned, throwing his weight to the side and breaking free from Beth's hold. He crashed to the ground hard, coughing blood from the shock before reaching for the King Piece.
"Kota?" Beth looked down, flinching in horror as she saw him go for the King Piece. "Kota no!" The human managed to grab it, squeezing it with his hand as he tried to force something to happen. When nothing happened, Beth immediately went down to try and take the Evil Piece from him, his grip ironclad against her efforts. "Let it go!"
"No, everyone's fighting and this can help!"
"Nothing good will come from that! It's not your fight!"
"Then I'll make it my fight!"
"Stop it before you get yourself-Kota!" Beth's argument with the stubborn boy was cut short as she looked up in shock, seeing the Stray Devil lunging at them with its jaw wide open. The others were spread across the area, Saji injured with blood going down his face, Momo unconscious after taking a tail swipe to the head, and Koneko was running after the Stray, albeit slowed with cuts across her body.
Beth was about to let go of Kota's hand to try and summon a magic circle, halfway through the motion when she knew she'd be too late. Blood filled her vision as she felt herself get pushed back, horror filling her face as she saw the Stray Devil bite across Kota's torso, one fang going through a lung and the other through his throat. The moment of space snapped the Pawn into focus as she fired a pinpoint fireball into the Stray's eye.
It recoiled in pain, releasing its hold on Kota before Koneko struck its side with an arch kick, sending it flying away before turning to the downed two. She appeared ready to speak, but paused when she saw Kota collapsed on top of Beth, blood pouring out of his two wounds as he struggled to breath. Each rise of his chest was slow, and it was accompanied by wet gurgling, his eyes dimly looking towards Beth.
"…Kota?" Half in shock, Beth stared at him, unable to react when he coughed out enough blood to pool it out, his crimson ichor further spreading across her as his eyes never left hers. It was at that moment everything registered with her and she recognized those eyes. The eyes he gave when he was concerned for someone else. And they remained concerned for her until his eyes closed, and a last gurgle escape his blood pooled mouth.
"Kota?" Beth repeated his name in shock, still barely registering what had happened until it all came crashing down on her. Her best friend, someone who went along with her antics all the time, who helped her get into the mansion without breaking anything on the outside, who she failed to stop from getting into trouble; was dead in her hands. She was so absorbed in the fact his blood was covering her, she failed to notice the glow in his hand fade away.
"KOTA!"
"Huh?" Juli looked around at hearing Beth's scream. She was perfectly safe, as several magic bindings had Kiba trapped and suspended in air, unable to move as Juli was preparing a fireball to eviscerate her. "Well well, the insect's finally been squashed." She said with a smile. "Such a short use, how fitting." With the normal human killed, she attempted to detect and draw the King Piece over to her, only to realize she couldn't feel its power.
It was odd, she knew none of the Devils used a spell to teleport it, she didn't feel any demonic teleportation be used. Did the boy actually know magic? No, not possible, he would have used that to attack instead of tackling her Stray Devil. And she didn't sense any magic from him until-!
"No, impossible!" Juli shouted in anger, forcing her magic into the Stray Devil to supercharge it. "Kill it! Kill it now and tear the King Piece out of him now!"
The Stray roared in pain and rage as it felt the enchantment power it beyond its physical limitations. The scales changed from pure white to a cursed crimson, ripping and reconnecting as it was unable to contain the power imbued into it. In a directed rampage, the serpent moved so fast no one could react, Koneko being knocked through an entire house before she blinked. Beth meanwhile was still looking at Kota's corpse when the Stray lashed out at his body.
At that moment, the S-Class Stray Devil was powered to be on par with an SS-Class, a level that not even Alivian could face without risking death. It was lethal and crazed, salivating with eyes wide in pain as it couldn't do so much as blink as the heat in its body was burning it. Fire erupted across it as it prepared to eviscerate the corpse at its master's order, destruction being all that was desired.
Beth felt the intense heat approach her, but in the moment it became nigh unbearable it was gone. She looked up in time to see that the magic was released, and the Stray laid as a corpse. Its entire upper half was gone; its skull, back and tail reduced to a bloody mess as it fell to the ground. Guts slopped out as blood pooled and glowed, the heat steaming some of it and its cooked organs sloshing in the ichor.
Nobody moved, the shock of the mutilated corpse stunning even Juli as she looked cautiously over at what was Kota's corpse. A pair of crimson red eyes stared back, the evil glow matching the King Piece's as Kota looked with an apathetic stare. In the silence, Kota stood up from Beth, his skin irritating as he stepped forward. He went from his own blood to the Stray's, kicking its neck away without a thought before he scratched the back of his head.
Kota took in a deep inhale, appearing to savor in the scent of blood before he smiled. "Ah, I forgot that scent, four hundred years is far too long to be away from this sensation." Kota's voice wasn't the same, sounding much deeper with a demonic tinge, reflecting his glee as he ripped off his tattered shirt. His irritated skin furthered, and before long it completely turned blood red, as if absorbing the blood from his feet to stain his skin. His forearms and feet then turned a charcoaled black, spiraling around into tendrils of corruption, his fingernails not even the same as they sharpened and turned yellow.
Kota moved his hair up, exposing his contorting forehead as flesh at two points twisted in agony. As it extended out, bubbling out and bursting in blots of blood, a pair of horns jutted out, twisting up and then parallel with the top of his head. At the same time, another spot of blood erupted behind his waist, a forked tail whipping out and stretching along with the boy. His ears also contorted, stretching to a point like an imp's.
"Oh how I missed this, I almost feel complete." He said, his hands held wide across as he seemed to bask in his new form, his pupils twisting and transforming into twin pentagrams, burning like fire amidst his red iris and his sclera became stained black.
"Hehehehehe… hahahahaha… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'M ALIVE!" Kota laughed with vile glee, a dark aura surrounding him as two bat-like wings shot out from his back in a burst of blood and ichor, the wings dark scaled flesh as dark as the void.
"It… it isn't possible…" Juli muttered in shock, slowly putting the pieces together along with everyone else as they stared at the manically laughing Kota. "King Pieces can't Reincarnate people, it's only a power amplification. This is… you're…"
"Satan." Beth muttered in defeated dread, watching as her friend's body be overtaken and stolen by the King of Devils, a monster who had been dead for four centuries, back from the deepest pits of his own domain.
"Now then…" Satan trailed off, his eyes snapping up to Juli as he grinned wide, revealing razor sharp, obsidian black teeth. His face looked as if it was ripped straight out of a primordial pit of vile, every inch glowing in excitement at the slaughter to be had. "What to do with you, human?"