A good night's sleep was a rare thing for Kota, often his time waking being at best a simple rise and dress routine. But this morning felt especially rough. His entire body was sore, his head felt like it was ready to split in half, and he felt a pit in his stomach demanding he vomited. He swallowed down the third, but sitting up was difficult to him, as if he was shifting weight off him as he remained there.

"Oh man, I feel like I lost a fight to a garbage truck." He groaned, stretching his neck to get the kink out of it that was hurting. As he tried to get the numbness out, he took immediate notice that he wasn't in his room, the bed being too soft to be his. In fact, he wasn't in his own house, not recognizing the spacious area he was in as he climbed out of the sheets and hopped off the bed, shivering from the brisk wind he felt.

"Man it's cold, Christ-ggh!" Finishing the sentence gave Kota a splitting headache, forcing his to grind his knuckles into his skull to try and wear it down. "The hell was that, did I actually get hit by a bus or something!"

"Well, your head did take a… unique injury." Kota paused as he heard an unfamiliar voice. Turning to the source, he saw two people enter the room. The one that spoke up was a man wearing some fancy suit, adorned with a red tie and white undershirt. He had long, crimson red hair, his face granting a shocking level of elegance as his blue-green eyes reflected what little light there was in the room. But for whatever reason, Kota felt uneased by his presence, as if his instincts were telling him to be on guard.

The other person present was a woman wearing a blue and white maid outfit. Contrast to the man, she had bright red eyes and silverish hair, her expression kept at a calm yet professional demeanor. But even then, the same unnerving feeling came from him, visible by his queasy face as he regarded them.

"Um… who are you?" Was all Kota could think to ask, unable to look away from the pair. He didn't get this kind of feeling often, if ever. So it wasn't surprising he wasn't taking it very well while looking at them.

"Ah, my apologies. I suppose it would be strange to wake up naked in a stranger's house, only for another stranger to greet you." The man chuckled, before approaching Kota. The boy initially flinched back, before seeing that the man held his hand out in a handshake. "My name is Sirzechs Lucifer, I am one of the Maou of the Underworld and head of internal affairs for our people. The woman behind me is Grayfia Lucifuge, my personal assistant."

'So that wasn't a nightmare after all.' Kota thought with some grimace, fighting his instincts to accept the handshake from Sirzechs.

"Kota Price… I don't really have anything special to say. I won a national high jump if that's good enough."

"Hehehe, I'd say that's an achievement to be proud of." Sirzechs laughed. "But a more impressive feat is your sealing of Satan. I must admit I never expected a human to be capable of that."

"Lord Lucifer, it would be wise to remain cautious." The woman spoke up. "Satan is a trickster that has a history of grand schemes, he may be replicating the boy's attitude right now."

"I'm kind of with her." Kota admitted, his clash of souls with Satan feeling the blurriest to him. He knew he sealed the Devil King, but that was all he could take at face value. He learned tricks while being just a soul trapped in his body, but he had no clue if it was all accurate or actually a ruse Satan has made. "I mean, for all I know I'm just a layer of protection for him, a way to play the innocent card."

"I suppose that could be a possibility, but by feeling your soul you lack any presence of Satan." Sirzechs stated, revealing that the handshake served as its own test, to which Kota looked at his own hand in amazement. "Satan's skilled, but no being alive can remove their presence from a soul. As far as things go, your soul and Satan's are distinctly separate and at odds."

"Wow… you can tell that just by touching my hand." Kota spoke in surprise. "I thought I learned a lot about souls, but that sounds incredible."

"You might have the ability, it's not as if you've been around someone sharing a bond with a soul quite like you have." Sirzechs explained.

"Yeah, I guess…" Kota nodded, rubbing the back of his head as he felt somewhat perplexed. He was talking to a leader of Devils. DEVILS! And they were discussing souls like it was a newspaper headline. It was oddly nice to have the craziness of yesterday calmed down to this extent, but it also felt so different that he was in another world.

"I'm sorry, this must be an awkward conversation for you." Sirzechs apologized, confusing Kota for a moment. "There's much to discuss, but if you'd like time to get dressed before continuing I'd understand."

"Get dressed?" Another draft got Kota to shiver, before blinking in realization that the breeze grazed his entire body. He often slept without a shirt if he went to be on his own, but a disappointed part of his brain realized what the Devil was referring to. He dropped his head in shame, having realized he talked to a political leader stark naked and hadn't even realized it.

"…Sorry…"

"It's fine, honest. Considering how long you needed to heal, I suppose I should have been more considerate." Sirzechs waved it off, giving far more generosity than Kota felt like he deserved.

"Mmmmnngg, is the healing done?" Kota went stiff still as he heard a tired voice behind him, recognizing it instantly. Despite his instincts, Kota slowly turned around to see Beth waking up, the covers falling off her as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Her attention first went to the center of the bed, seeing Kota was missing. That momentary confusion then resulted in her going rigid as well, turning while still on the bed to see Kota giving the same shocked look as her.

.

.

.

"D-Don't look at me like that!" Beth shouted out, pulling the covers up to cover her exposed chest. The immediate explosion of sound snapped Kota into focus and he turned his head up and away from her, turning his body as well as he covered his exposed asset.

"I'm not looking! I'm not looking!"

"You stared you jerk!"

"You did too-blagh!"

"Don't turn back!" Kota's head turned to argue, but was blinded as Beth threw a pillow by instinct. Although it was meant to punish him, Kota was able to use the pillow to cover up, so it was better than nothing.

"Ugh, can you two not be so loud? I'm still nursing a concussion." Seekvaria groaned, turning in the bed to try and ignore the shouting. While she was in good enough condition to have helped heal, the short scuffle with Satan left her with a few injuries of her own. She still had bandage wrappings over her head, the elixir she received numbing the pain so she could help Kota recover. However, the shouting only made it worse, making her regret not having Rias or the others take over for her after Kota was stabilized.

"They're rather rambunctious, for such recent Devils." Grayfia noted, Sirzechs giving another laugh at the scrambling two.

"It's encouraging, it means we still have a future."

"But does he?"

"You leave that to me and Ajuka, are you okay watching him before the trial?" Sirzechs asked, getting a nod from the maid. "Thank you. Try to be nice with the kid, he's been given a serious burden."

"Of course, Lord Lucifer."

"…" A couple minutes after that embarrassment of a wakeup, Kota was standing in the middle of a spacious shower. Warm water peppered his body as the sweat and blood that remained slowly washed away. Once everyone had collected their composure, he was given a basic rundown of what had happened since he passed out.

The first thing was he learned it's been nearly a day; his injuries having been difficult to heal due to Satan's lasting residue on him. When he had subdued Satan, the barrier that froze every human dropped, a temporary panic running amuck before a new one was made to buy time for a proper memory alteration. From what he was told, his brother had been poisoned by the Stray Devil's bite, but had avoided a lethal dosage. The rest of his family was unaffected by the conflict, something that relieved a serious burden on him.

There was also a serious uproar in the Underworld, apparently Satan's return is far more of a controversy for Devils then he expected. He didn't know if it was the question of his rule or the fact he fought three high valued heiresses, but the head of the Devil "Clans" were anything but moderate right now. Not to mention Satan attacked a Maou, a clear indicator of his interest in tearing down whatever form of government replaced his monarchal reign.

Predicting the immediate blowback from the clans, Kota was brought to Seekvaria's home to be healed, anywhere else and he may have been snatched away before he could fully recover. He didn't understand everything, but the basics he knew was he was now holding the soul of Satan himself in his body, and he was now caught in the center of a huge political explosion, ready and primed.

"I really screwed up this time, what have I gotten myself in to?" Kota gave a nervous chuckle as he turned off the water. He didn't feel comfortable guessing which of the shampoo he could use, unaware what was Alivian's or Seekvaria's. Stepping out, he'd dry himself with a towel, leaving his hair with a bit of moisture as he walked to the mirror. As he pulled up a pair of white pants, courtesy of Seekvaria, he looked into the mirror to see his reflection.

For the first time in a year, he looked genuinely refreshed, no bags under his eyes to denote a lack of sleep. If it wasn't for his somber stare, you'd assume he was the picture of health. Brushing up his hair with a hand, Kota would stare at the two scars that blemished his forehead. They were circular, jagged around the outline from the tear the horns Satan grew did. They looked horrid, and they were only one of three sets of scars he had now. If he turned around, he'd see the gash wounds that went down the back of his shoulder blades, wincing at the wonder of how painful it would have been to feel if he didn't immediately black out. The scar from the tail growing was easy to ignore, but it still felt a little numb like the rest of the wounds.

"Guess keeping it down for a bit might be for the best." Kota sighed, deciding against spiking his hair up as he covered his scars, putting on a yellow shirt and stepping out of the bathroom.

"Hey… how are you feeling?" Beth asked, wearing a grey shirt and a skirt that went down just over her knees. It was odd to note, but he was sure that was the first time he saw her wear a skirt, she usually wore sweatpants or jeans.

"If I said I was okay would you believe me?"

"Hehehe, probably not." Beth laughed, grateful for Kota trying to keep the mood up as he finished drying off his hair. "Did we heal your wounds enough? I know the bleeding stopped but… that was my first time healing someone." She admitted, looking to the side as she remembered the process.

Healing magic was rare to come by, most forms are self-regeneration and others were only known by masters. Devils had one, it wasn't as effective and it could only be used on other Devils, but it allowed them to recover much faster. The only caveat that had Beth embarrassed was that it required skin-to-skin contact, and the more contact the more efficient the healing was. It meant that in order to heal Kota, he had to be stripped, along with those healing him. At the time, Beth hadn't even hesitated in wanting to help heal him, but she was still new to her magic and needed help. That was why Seekvaria had been there as well, acting as a buffer to help Beth heal Kota while avoiding doing it all herself.

"They're still a little numb, but I'm pretty sure that's beyond healing." Kota admitted, grateful for the help Beth gave him. As much as she was forward, he'd refuse to believe she wasn't embarrassed performing the healing spell. Heck, he only knew about it at the end and it's still embarrassing to think about, enough he didn't let his mind linger on the idea he was in bed with two girls.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"What for, I'm here right now aren't I?"

"But is that really for the best, with… Him, in you?"

Kota sighed, he knew this was going to be a conversation that needed to be had. On one hand, it was entirely his fault he took the King Piece's seal when Beth was insistent on him leaving the original lockbox alone. But on the other, she disobeyed Seekvaria by going to the mansion in the first place, and when they were there they were at the whim of Satan's manipulation. Kota didn't blame her, but just saying it wasn't her fault wouldn't work.

"Who knows, maybe this is a nightmare waiting to happen. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise and I'm some special chosen one. Or maybe I'm just a nobody unlucky enough to end up in this situation. But all I know is you gave me a chance to make something of this, and that's all I care about." He said, patting her head as he smiled. "So let's worry about the next step, the one that got us here already happened."

"Yeah… thank you." Beth responded, accepting the answer as it was the best they could work with. And he was right, there was nothing that could change the past, and the immediate future was the biggest problem.

"Excuse me. I apologize for the interruption, but the Clans are ready for you." Grayfia spoke up from down the hall, Seekvaria close by her as the pair walked up to Kota and Beth.

"Well, looks like I'm in for it now." Kota chuckled. "So, how exactly is this going to go down?"

"You'll be put to trial, in normal cases you'd only be tried by the Clan that was afflicted. However, your role as a carrier of Satan makes it that an entire tribunal of Clans are required along with representatives of the Maou to oversight. Four Clan heads will be your judges, taken from the four most influential figures of Devils." Grayfia explained.

"So I have to convince them I'm worth keeping alive?"

"Your biggest concern is the head of the Bael Clan. He's rigid and clings closer to the old ways, however to say Satan represents a dangerous regression is to put things lightly. He will likely be voting for your execution regardless of what you say. However, don't think the other three will side with you just because you're young." Grayfia warned.

"If they believe you are ill suited to contain Satan, or may serve as a rallying point to the Old Satan Faction, they may deem you necessary for execution as well." That left a lump in Kota's throat. He was practically going blind; he had no idea on the politics of Devils or who followed what. All this Bael guy had to do was trick him with a name and he could be killed. And he still understood little about the supernatural, he was still coming to grips with the idea that Devils, Angels and God existed, he was sure there was a lot of other stuff too that he had to account for.

"Oh, and you're ordered to wear these." Grayfia added, holding out two pair of chained restraints. "One for your wrists, and one for your ankles. They possess holy seals, capable of restraining high concentrations of demonic power."

"Because they think I might be Satan lying about being sealed." Kota spoke, more speaking his thoughts than asking a question that the maid nodded to.

"Under Lord Lucifer's authority, you're technically allowed to say no to the restraints."

"I would've agreed even if I was." Kota said, offering his hands freely without hesitation. "If I really am Him, I'd gladly take away his ability to cause damage."

When Grayfia put the bonds on him, Kota felt a blistering pain on his exposed skin. The scent of burning flesh was present only for a moment, but it was all the Devils needed to know the holy seals were genuine. And that only concerned Beth more. If those were real, then that means either a priest or an actual Angel provided the seals, implying the Clan heads were already cautious with Kota. It wasn't a good start to his defense, and it hadn't even started.

"Be mindful of your mannerisms, and don't push too far." Seekvaria recommended. As Grayfia mentioned, at least three of the four judges are likely to side with him. But Lords Gremory and Sitri also may be more opiniated with him, as Satan used his body to attack their daughters.

Although there was still a chance Rias and Sona may have spoken with their parents in advance. Between the heiresses, it was unanimously agreed Kota was an innocent victim of circumstance, and deserved the chance to prove himself. As the Agares family was forbidden from passing judgement, no small part due to Seekvaria's failure to safeguard the King Piece, her word carried no weight. That made the last Clan judging, the Phenex Clan, a vital make or break in the trial. In all honesty, the clans present were chosen more because they were the most prominent in the Underworld, otherwise Lord Gremory and Lord Sitri would be the only ones necessary, as they were the families offended by Satan's rampage.

"And good luck." Seekvaria said, Kota giving an appreciated smile as he nodded.

"Here's hoping. And thanks… for all of you giving me a chance." He then turned to Grayfia, giving a confident stare that barely hid his concern. "So, how are we getting there?"

"With this." The maid answered, holding up a pamphlet with a complex glyph. Kota didn't have time to ask what it was when it glowed red, and an identical glyph appeared underneath them, bathing the hall in red light before they vanished into thin air.

"Do you… think they'll listen?" Beth asked, the silence eating at her as she looked to her master.

"I want to be positive and say yes. But we're dealing with a dangerous anomaly here." Seekvaria admitted. "Satan's return could result in the destabilization of our people, and revert us to a warmonger society. We survived before due to our numbers and corruption, but I doubt Satan would really give us time to recover close to our original population. And there's no telling what enemies will be made with such a powerful entity returning to the foil."

"For all we know, the wheels have already turned. And regardless of what is decided today, the delicate balance that's remained may collapse, and make way to chaos or change."

"Is there a difference?" Beth asked.

"It does. One brings ruin, and one brings hope."

Kota shielded his eyes from the blinding light as he felt his body seemingly turn to nothing before reshaping back into form. It was hard to explain, like each speck of him was disassembled into a blueprint, before reassembling into a physical entity. It kind of felt like being put into his soul state and pulling back into his body from his single experience with it. It took him a second for him to readjust, blinking a few times to refocus before realizing he was standing in the center of a large room, a stand podium in front of him.

'No time wasted with these people.' Kota thought to himself, seeing from the corner of his eye Grayfia stepped back and down, his platform now occupied by him alone as an artificial darkness covered the area. Or at least he assumed, as he could tell there was a dimness present, but otherwise he perfectly saw through the veil of magic. In a semi-circle, he saw those that would decide his fate.

On platforms held two meters over him in height were four men, the Lords he assumed that were supposed to judge him. Of the four, two immediately were recognized by the boy. Or at least by appearance. At the center right was a man with long crimson hair and greenish-blue eyes, Zeoticus Gremory. He almost looked identical to Sirzechs Lucifer, had it not been for the beard decorating him.

To the left end was a man with refined raven black hair and piercing pink eyes, his gaze measuring Kota thoroughly at the returned stare. Soran Sitri likely could tell then and there that Kota was peering through the Shade Veil they had set, but rose no statements to it if no one else noticed.

The other two men were completely unfamiliar to Kota however. One had brown hair, greying at the ends signifying his age as a Devil, that or the stress he's endured. His deep lilac eyes however showed a harsh judgement, Kota agreeing with Grayfia's previous assessment that this trial was pointless to him and that he was meant to be executed then and there. Zerfor Bael had just that thought in mind, with no regard for the boy outside of the warning Zekram had given him.

And finally the man at the right end of the four in front, he seemed the laxest with the situation. His cool blue eyes reflected curiosity sure, but otherwise he seemed here out of necessity instead of personal interest. Riviel Phenex was who Kota assumed was the swing vote he needed, as a tie may end up putting this to a bigger trial with more Clans, in which he'd be likely to find more enemies than sympathizers.

Above them on even higher platforms were two men, one Kota instantly recognized as Sirzechs Lucifer. However unlike the suit he saw him in last time, the Maou wore ornate attire, his shoulders adorned with armor that seemed more ceremonial then practical. What little else he could see was covered in white cloth, likely a cloak to go along with the regal appearance of the Maou.

Ajuka Beelzebub was the second spectator of the trial alongside Sirzechs, the two Super Devils meant to prevent discourse between the nobles. However, they were also meant to be an immediate response should Satan break free of Kota's supposed seal, and eliminate him instantly before a blow could be struck to the Devil hierarchy. He had slicked back green hair and measured blue eyes, and Kota swore the man was reading him entirely like a book. He felt almost exposed in full before him, believing Ajuka had come to whatever view of the boy then and there without a word being said.

"Kota Price, you stand on trial for the crime of stealing a King Piece from the Agares Clan and creating discourse in Devil society. As well as attacking Rias Gremory, Sona Sitri, Seekvaria Agares, their respective Peerages, and even attacking Serafall Leviathan in service of Satan." Zeoticus announced, Kota swallowing the lump in his throat as he knew he had no more time to think. "The absorption of a King Piece is already a blow to the balance of power, as now one side is down a vital bargaining tool. Not only that, but your actions have also reached those within the Old Satan Faction, devote believers in your master's way of life and war."

"These actions may result to civil war and cripple what remains of our people. Should anyone decide to, the end of the conflict could see us assailed by outside forces and us wiped out entirely." Soran Sitri continued. "And that's not addressing your current predicament of that who's soul resides in your body."

"Satan's return would immediately result in our people becoming the target of every faction outside of our people. Your existence threatens the lives of our children and the future of all Devils." Zerfor Bael concluded, his cold eyes drilling into Kota with scorn. "As I'm sure you've been informed, this trial will decide whether you are indeed the human Kota Price, or Satan attempting to curate favor by playing the role of an ignorant child."

"How do you plead?"

Kota felt an incredible weight forced upon him at the moment, his belief that he had no time to think underestimated as a thousand thoughts ran through him all at once. What does he say? How does he try to approach this? Should he just ignore Bael and focus on the three others? Try to gain favor with the Maou and ignore the thoughts of the nobles? Accept punishment and prevent Satan from gaining a foothold?

He immediately threw the last thought out. Satan made it clear that he was just a lucky coincidence, not a deep plan for his return. Most likely Satan could break free with other King Pieces. He was just unlucky that not enough of his soul was present in the one Kota absorbed, meaning he could reign control back. He could bind Satan to his own rules within his body, and prevent escape… if that was actually what happened and not one of the King of Lies' games.

"I plead guilty on stealing the King Piece and becoming a host for Satan." Kota finally spoke, him noticing surprised looks on Riviel and Soran's faces. Zerfor grew a smug grin at the confession, but Lord Gremory and the Mao seemed intrigued, predicting that was only the start.

"However, I plead innocent to the claims of collusion with Satan and allowing him control of my body." Kota added in. "Before Satan possessed me, I had been killed by a monster, the people that were trying to help me claiming it to be a Stray Devil. It was following the orders of a woman, and she seemed intent on taking the King Piece for herself. She had a pentagram symbol on her chest, I assume either her sigil or one reflecting on Devil iconography."

"After I died, the King Piece absorbed into me and she reacted in fear. Afterwards, Satan took control and slaughtered both her and the Stray Devil. And that was then he attacked the others." Kota continued, recalling the events the best he could with his foggy memory. He remembered everything Satan did, but it was like remembering a dream. The more he thought about it, the harder it was to recollect specifics. But he knew enough.

"And what of your actions? Attacking three heiresses and a Maou?" Zerfor questioned, prodding at the vital points.

"Those were Satan's, not my own."

"And who says you aren't him, or in league with him and took over to save him from execution by Serafall Leviathan?"

"Because the technique he used in preparation to escape would have saved him regardless of her next action." Kota responded.

"How so?" Soran asked, curious as to what could have saved the weakened Devil King from such a superior force.

"If the Leviathan Maou has given a report, then she has likely mentioned he possessed a means to teleport. And prior to his attempted retreat, he regenerated his entire head with serious effort." Kota detailed, unsure how to address Serafall so he stuck with referring to her by her title as Leviathan. "If his regeneration could save him like that, he likely would only need his head to escape, or his torso. He would have sacrificed a part of his body to block Leviathan, and then escape through his spell."

"And so being caught would only bring unnecessary risk, rather than favorable odds." Riviel mused, assuming that was where Kota was going.

"Yes, Satan explained that even if he had no physical body his soul could also hear and observe. And while he doesn't know everything, he likely already knows about the Old Satan Faction if they have any of his King Pieces." Kota stated, getting a moment of quiet from the nobles. That gave Kota an answer to the question he didn't need to ask. If Satan's soul could gather and process information, then the one in Kota already knew which side favored him, and being caught by the current ruling class would only cause complications.

If he escaped, he would have found his loyalists and gained several more King Pieces and dramatically increase his power.

"And how can we confirm that's true?" Zerfor demanded. "Perhaps you can't process that information, and learned through omission after the conflict." Kota knew fairly quickly that the Bael Lord was putting him down as Satan, knowing that to refer to him as anything else would lessen his case, even if it was already unpopular.

But it was still a fair question.

"I don't have an explanation for that, I'm just certain that Satan was being honest about his soul when he spoke." It seemed like court suicide, saying he believed the King of Lies. But he was serious about that. If Satan lied with every breath, he would be forced to rule by might. But he made promises, seductions and even spoke with honesty when he talked to the others. Twisted they were, he never threatened to kill the heiresses, and avoided hurting the servants that didn't attack him until he fully recognized he was being pushed into a corner.

Only a bad liar would only tell lies, everyone would know not to trust them. A good liar tells the truth frequently, and Satan wasn't a bad liar. He was only caught in his lie once, and was immediately exploited for it. He doubts the Devil King would make that mistake a second time.

Riviel measured the boy on trial for several seconds, taking a break from the discussion to see what kind of presence could be felt from him. Kota had little magic presence, which only served to work in his favor. Lowering one's power was easy to the experienced, and Satan himself could easily do such a feat. But Kota was green as grass, and lacked any control such as that, meaning the limited magic output he had was his current best, and a sign that Satan wasn't sharing the body equally.

"Lord Beelzebub, you took a blood sample from both the ichor Satan spewed and Kota when he was unconscious, correct?" Riviel eventually asked, looking up to the Maou.

"Of course, this was the closest chance I had to study the King Piece in any way." Ajuka nodded.

"What did you find with those samples?"

"The ichor matched samples from grimoires detailing Satan's blood, confirming that he contorted Price's body to shift into his own. And his blood did not match." That got a breath of relief from Kota. Whatever Satan did to his body, it was well beyond understanding to most. Their souls clashed harshly, and it seemed whoever had control deemed the body's nature.

"However, I also found something interesting." Kota's throat blocked again at the continuation, uncertain of what it could mean for him. "I noticed something about Price's blood, an anomaly not found in humans." Ajuka revealed, several documents appearing in front of each of the nobles, and even Kota had his own to look at. The symbols were completely foreign to him, and yet the closer he looked the more they seemed to just make sense, almost as if the information was being inserted into his brain directly instead of through visual clues.

"I compared the blood I extracted from him earlier with records less than four months ago. They don't match either." Ajuka revealed, even Kota being in shock as he saw the seemingly different results between the months. He wasn't good with this stuff, but even he saw the structures of his DNA were completely different, they were similar but the makeup was all off. It shook him to his core, was he really a surrogate of Satan? Did he actually lose the battle in his soul, and was this all just a ploy by the King of Lies?

"Lord Beelzebub, are these accurate?" Zeoticus questioned, looking up to the Maou. To Kota, he only saw the structures were different. But to each of the nobles, they stared in surprise at the exact configuration present. It wasn't human, and it didn't match any pattern that's been recorded before, but they knew the similarities present, and concluded it almost immediately.

"Yes." Ajuka nodded, understanding their confusion. "Kota Price is no longer human. The King Piece had performed a reincarnation on him. However, unlike the Evil Pieces I had developed for helping repopulation, Kota Price was brought back as a true, Pure-Blooded Devil. And while not identical, the basis matches closer to the eldest of our species."

"This is absurd!" Zerfor protested. "Are you insinuating that the human before us is in fact not the traditional Reincarnated that fill our ranks, but a Devil with a claim similar to the direct descendants of the Maou!?"

"I'm not insinuating anything Lord Bael." Ajuka responded. "The evidence is in his blood, as he's become his own Devil. Kota Price is one of us, and qualifies for a position of Clan recognition."

"That goes well and beyond what is being discussed!" Bael interjected. "Don't think I see where this is going, you're trying to split the Clan's views on him. And trying to undermine the elders rule."

"I am providing the evidence as was requested by Lord Phenex." While Zerfor was broadcasting his emotions, Ajuka remained levelheaded and responded respectfully. "Regardless of my stance, the facts are present from my research on him. Kota's soul and body are completely unique to Satan's, and he possesses his own viability to integrate into Devil society."

"And what of the Old Satan Faction?" Zerfor questioned. "They'd never pass up the chance to reinstate Satan, if they get their hands on him we'd have civil war. They might enact civil war just to get to him!"

"Perhaps, but Kota also invites a unique answer to a problem." Soran spoke up. "He absorbed a King Piece, revitalized Satan's soul, and contained him. That's not something done through birthright, or by luck. There's no genetic lottery that can make one rival one of the strongest beings in history. Kota may very well be capable of becoming Satan's vessel, and therefor prevent his return as a whole."

"That'd be impossible. No one could contain his full power, much less this abomination!" Zerfor argued. "For one, he already has a King Piece within him. If he absorbs another one he'll be like every other fool and be destroyed. And second-"

"Then let's test it, here and now." Kota interrupted, about to get scolded before the room went quiet. "That should solve the problem completely, shouldn't it? If I can absorb a second King Piece, then I might be capable of sealing Satan for good. And if I can't and I die, then Lord Bael gets his execution and I'm dealt with."

A moment of debate ensued after that, the nobles in discourse over the plausible ordeal. On one hand, it was a high risk to give him such a valuable resource, especially if the Old Satan Faction learns of their number advantage of the King Pieces being absorbed. As well as risking Satan awakening from within him. But the benefits could outweigh it tenfold. If he survives, he is a viable host and could eventually absorb all of Satan's soul to trap him away for good. It also could look good to the Old Satan Faction if they do this, even if it failed. If successful, discussion may open up and they could find middle ground on dealing with the boy, and if it fails then Satan's revival is postponed and things return to before. And if Kota proves to be a prison for the Devil King, other factions may not act against them, as Satan's containment would be valued almost universally.

It eventually came to a vote, to which Bael was overruled and it was agreed to test Kota's request and provide him a second King Piece to absorb. Zeoticus agreed to use the piece entrusted to the Gremory clan, and after a few minutes of waiting Grayfia returned with the same kind of seal the piece Kota previously absorbed was in. Ajuka then joined him at his stand, thanking Grayfia for the seal before instantly dispelling it. He wasn't sure how, but he swore he saw Ajuka go through every sigil individually, using a power he couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"Well then Kota Price, are you ready?" Ajuka questioned, pulling out the King Piece and holding it out to the boy.

A moment of hesitation came to him at that moment, thinking about what would happen if he was wrong. He didn't know if losing control of his body forever or being destroyed was worse, or how to quantify it. Perhaps he pushed a little too hard, not wanting to be left out of his own defense. He probably would have been fine with just the information the Maou presented, but it was too late now. If he refused, that may look bad, and lose the good favor he's received so far.

"…Yeah, I'm ready." Kota said, slowly taking the King Piece from Ajuka and clenching it in his palm. He didn't recall how he absorbed it last time, he just knew once he died it melded with him and disappeared. Not wanting to test if dying was the trigger, he squeezed the chess piece repeatedly, spending nearly three minutes trying to absorb it that way. When it didn't work, panic caught him and he tried to slam it onto his arm, hitting it three times before Beelzebub stopped him.

"Calm down, this is a new process no one's done before." Ajuka tried to counsel him, letting Kota calm his nerves before continuing. "King Pieces normally absorb upon will, but it may be that Satan is trying to stop it, or there's a natural clash due to exposure of matching powers."

"Do you have a recommendation?" Sirzechs asked, joining his fellow Maou on the lower level.

"Perhaps…" Ajuka murmured, pondering for a minute before voicing his theory. "Perhaps we have to remove the exposure of outside elements."

"Okay… how do we do that?" Kota asked, not liking the sound of it.

"By putting it directly into your body. If it basks in your body it may lose the clashing power and be assimilated into your existing piece."

"And by that you mean…?"

"Do you prefer it going up or down?" Kota swore he saw an amused smile on the Maou's face, but ignored it as his body shivered in disgust, knowing what had to happen.

"This is going to be awful." He groaned, looking at the King Piece and wondering which side is best to start with. Deciding to have it top first, he raised the King Piece and slowly pushed it into his mouth, gagging for a moment when it reached his throat. Knowing it was now or never, he forced it down and clamped his mouth shut, biting down as hard as he could while clasping his hands on top of his mouth.

While he got it all the way in, Kota immediately felt himself regurgitate it out and puke filled his mouth. The acid burned his mouth, but he choked it back down as best he could, throwing his head back as he was forced to gulp down the King Piece with the aid of his bile. With a last, audible swallow that hurt his throat, he felt the King Piece slowly travel down his esophagus, not trusting himself to keep it down as he kept his jaw shut.

Once he felt it finish traveling down his back like food that went down the wrong pipe, he released his hands clamp on his mouth, a bit of his puke dripping down as he groaned in disgust over the ordeal he just had. That moment of revulsion was instantly crushed as an overwhelming heat burned his body, his skin turning red for a second as he grasped his throat in pain. The King Piece had accepted his body and he could feel Satan's soul thrash inside him, clawing at the walls like a wild animal desperate for escape.

Pained gasps escaped Kota as he squeezed his throat in a vice grip, his way of keeping focus on his own body amidst Satan's assault. It was an unfamiliar battle, his time fighting Satan's soul before being unable to prepare him for such an ordeal. But he used all his control to fight it, eyes wide as blood dripped from his mouth and ichor oozed from his eyes, the torrent aura of Satan ripping at him as if to rip his soul free from the fleshy seal.

Kota lost track of how long he was fighting Satan's attempted resurface, but when he came to he was on his knees, surrounded by Grayfia and the two Maou. He figured they were likely waiting to see if he had lost control, relief present as his skin slowly lost its red hue and the aura disappeared back into nothingness.

Kota slowly released his grip on his neck, having left bruises from how tight he gripped and eventually puked both his bile and the ichor that had seeped out of Satan's soul. It felt like clumps of sewage coated in urine was coming out of his mouth, the taste horrendous that nearly made him vomit again by instinct.

Wet coughs escaped him, the last of it dripping down his chin as the ordeal sapped at his strength. He felt sick to his core, on the verge of either passing out or puking again just to get it out of his system. Slowly, his breathing calmed and he was able to try to stand up, failing the first time before getting the help of Grayfia to fully rise to his feet.

"So… did I… pass?" Kota gasped, feeling too weak to even raise his hand to wipe the vomit, blood and ichor off his face. He probably looked pathetic, and he felt it too. But he just didn't have it in him to care, swallowing the damn King Piece was the worst feeling he ever experienced, and didn't care to hide that fact.

"Ajuka?" Sirzechs asked, trusting him to be the confirmation.

Beelzebub took the cue to inspect Kota, a green aura forming around him as Kota felt it slowly seep into his body. In that moment, he could feel Ajuka's eyes across everything: his body, his mind, even his soul was on display. That insight flashed a single indicator to him, that Ajuka was measuring and deconstructing his layout like image recognition. The Maou possessed a unique magic, one even Satan didn't hold. The ability to revert magic and anomalies with alchemic equations and formulas, and gain control of them as if he owned them.

"That's incredible."

That was all he could gather before Ajuka stepped back and his aura dissipated, Ajuka looking surprised at him for a moment. It was then Kota realized his words didn't come from his mouth but his soul, Ajuka having registered it and realized the link at the moment. If that was a problem he didn't show it, as he smiled at the results he gathered.

"Kota Price's soul is still his own, and Satan's presence is still sealed within him." Ajuka announced, turning to the nobles as he presented him. "I believe this is viable evidence that at the least would delay Kota Price's sentence. Execution may not be off the table, should he join the Old Satan Faction. However for the time being he may serve an efficient means to prevent Satan's return."

Kota could barely see due to the ichor blinding his vision past a few feet, but he could see a collective stare between the four nobles. They each flashed a sigil of magic, three green and one red, results somewhat expected given the lenience shown so far.

"Congratulations Kota Price, you are officially recognized as the Vessel of Satan." Sirzechs said, Kota weakly putting up a fist in "victory" at the news.

"Horray… when's the next one?"

"I believe that would best be prolonged for the time being." Zeoticus chuckled, admiring the boy's conviction. It might have been a horrible ordeal and he wasn't excited for it, Kota wasn't shying away from this responsibility he's been given. "We have no knowledge if the process will be more difficult if you aren't strong enough to restrain him. For now, two King Pieces will suffice as evidence that you can handle the responsibility."

"We should also discuss who will be his caretaker for the time being." Soran added in, Zeoticus and Riviel both nodding while Zerfor saw himself out, no longer involving himself with the results given.

"Caretaker?" Kota echoed.

"You're now an important political figure, I'm sorry to say this but you can't be left alone anymore." Lord Sitri explained. "Not only that, but Satan possesses strong allies and enemies alike. Would you trust yourself to be alone with that threat looming?"

"…I'm going to have to leave, aren't I?" Kota asked, already knowing the answer.

"It's for the best, moving you away to surround you with people qualified to handle the possible risks and aid in your training." Zeoticus assured, understanding Kota's downtrodden expression. Leaving one's home wasn't easy, especially given his circumstances. "We'll see to you being assigned, I believe we already have a fair idea on where to send you and with whom. Spend your time resting, and if able say your goodbyes."

"Here." Kota looked back to Grayfia as she held out a cloth for him. He knew what it was for and took it with a silent thanks, wiping his face clean of the blood, ichor and vomit. It was a small comfort in the situation, but he supposes it was for the best. He didn't want to drag his family into this, and the further he was from them the better.

Beth was sitting on the bed she healed Kota on, tapping her feet anxiously as she waited for Kota's trial to end. Seekvaria's Peerage was forbidden from viewing any part of it, a small slap on the wrist for the blunder they made and her disobedience. It killed her not being able to know what was going to happen, especially when it came to the results.

She'd know if Kota was spared, as he would likely come back to Seekvaria's residence. He couldn't go home yet, the recovery the Devils were doing needs a bit more time to convert the memories of everyone to avoid exposing the supernatural. She knew his family was okay, but she doubts he wouldn't still be worried about Roland, given he was bitten with venom. It was a miracle he was treatable, and his mother was asleep during the whole thing, or unable to get up. She didn't know about his father, but figured he was okay, given he was smart enough to not run out, especially with Roland bleeding.

After two hours of waiting, the Gremory crest appeared on the floor and Beth jumped to her feet, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding when she saw Kota materialize alongside Grayfia into the room. She didn't say anything, she just ran up and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, the serious burden lifted from her at seeing him back.

"Hey Beth, sorry I worried you." Kota apologized, his voice horse and tired still.

"Shut up." She responded, but the message was loud and clear, leading him to return the hug with a smile.

"So… I learned some interesting things during the trial." He tried to make small talk, Beth looking up to him cautiously at his tone.

"How bad is it?"

"Not as bad as you think… and a lot of weird." He sighed. "Mind if we sit? Swallowing a chess piece takes a lot out of you." Now that would have to be explained, something Beth would let him as he sat.

"If you are okay Mr. Price, I will check with the recovery team and see how the progress is. As well as checking in with Seekvaria and explain what had been decided." Grayfia spoke, Kota giving a tired nod at the maid's plan.

"Yeah, yeah I won't go anywhere." He said. "Thank you." A nod from the maid was all she gave before she left, leaving the two alone as a brief pause of quiet returned to the room. Beth saw the tired expression in Kota's eyes, it gave her a bad feeling, but unless he was going to reveal he was given a last day before being executed she was just happy to have him here.

"So… where do I start?"

(A/N): Well, this is the last of three chapters that I had made practically in the span of four days. I've had them done for awhile actually, almost two months ago and I was holding onto them as I was trying to get more details and plans for it. I have more chapters done, but I intend to slow the posts to one every one/two week in hopes of keeping a few extra chapters on hand in case of future writer's block like I've had lately. I appreciate those that have gotten interested in the story already, and I hope to keep you entertained as Kota's story unfolds. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a good rest of your day. Peace!