Chapter 2: Afterparty

–Marcus–

I arrived at the underworld party celebrating my graduation fashionably late, Akeno draped heavily on my arm. Her bow-legged condition was evident to everyone, leaving little doubt about the fun we had gotten up to and had just recently finished in fact. The men greeted me with approving thumbs-ups as we entered the main party hall, while the women shot envious glances at Akeno.

"Did you have fun, Akeno?" Rias asked with a teasing grin.

"So much fun…" Akeno replied with a contented smile. "Marcus is a beast~"

Without missing a beat, Rias whisked Akeno away, no doubt eager to delve into the juicy details. I didn't miss the fact that Aunt Sona had also snuck off to join them for some reason…

Meanwhile, my mother, Serafall, stood in a corner, her emotions spilling over as she wept into her Queen's arms. She was mourning the fact that her "baby boy" had grown up, though I had long since matured. It was probably for the best she remained unaware of my teenage adventures with some of the maids.

"Marcus! My rival!" Sairaorg Bael, my self-proclaimed rival, boomed as he approached with his Queen, Kuisha Abadon, at his side. "Congratulations on graduating from your human school. When can I expect to see you in the rating games?"

Sairaorg was a formidable opponent. The last time we had fought seriously, I had barely managed to claim victory. We both preferred close combat over magical attacks; while Sairaorg relied on Touki to enhance his physical prowess and had mastered numerous martial arts, I used magic power to complement my aerial combat skills. I could outfly any devil with ease.

"Don't hold your breath for me in the rating games anytime soon," I replied. "I've got plans in America for now. I'm heading out there tomorrow if everything goes as planned. Besides, I don't even have any peerage members at the moment," I added with a shrug.

Sairaorg looked momentarily disappointed but nodded. "That's too bad. Looks like I'll be dominating the Young Devils tournament next year then."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," I countered with a smirk. "Rias might surprise you."

Both of them voiced their thoughts on the matter.

"Rias?" Kuisha asked skeptically, her disbelief evident. She had attempted to befriend Rias in the past through sleepovers, but they had never truly clicked. To Kuisha, Rias had always seemed like a free spirit who didn't invest much effort into training.

Sairaorg raised an eyebrow, a look of thoughtful consideration crossing his face. He cared for his cousin despite her quirks. Unlike Kuisha, who was doubtful of Rias's combat capabilities, Sairaorg was more open to her potential, largely because he had never held a grudge over not inheriting their clan's trait.

I conceded that the old Rias hadn't been much of a combatant, but she had been diligently honing her magical skills since we got together. Her queen, Akeno, had also overcome her trauma and was now an Ultimate Class being in terms of power. With her Holy Lightning, Akeno was a formidable threat to most devils and could easily handle Riser's entire peerage if he ever dared to bother Rias again.

I continued to chat with Sairaorg and Kuisha for a bit longer before moving on to greet other guests. As the guest of honor, I needed to make the rounds, though the guest list was relatively intimate, consisting mainly of family and close friends. If it had been a larger gathering, representatives from every pillar house would have been there to mingle with my mother.

"Marcus…" A subdued yet stern voice called out. I turned away from a small-time noble whose name escaped me to address the girl.

"Seekvaira! Hey, glad you could make it," I said, grinning as she walked up. "You should've joined us in Kuoh. Way less stuffy than the Underworld school scene."

Seekvaira Agares, childhood friend of both Rias and Sona, stood before me. I'd seen her tons of times at the Sitri mansion, always cool and composed. She was a year older than us, strikingly beautiful with her long, flowing blonde hair and glowing red eyes that peeked out from behind her glasses. Total intellectual beauty vibes.

"I wanted to, but my parents wouldn't allow it," Seekvaira said, sounding disappointed. She'd always been obsessed with Japanese culture—especially mecha and Gundam. It was kind of adorable.

"So, what's up? What do you need from me?" I asked, knowing she didn't come just to chat.

"I heard you're heading off to America. And that your mother secured you the majority shares of one of its biggest tech companies," Seekvaira said, getting right to the point. I couldn't help but chuckle. Her bluntness was one of the things I liked about her. I knew exactly why she was here—her obsession with robots and mecha. Owning a tech company was basically a dream come true for her.

"You heard right. I now control Vought Industries, 53% of its shares. Humans have no clue," I replied, flashing a sly grin.

Seekvaira adjusted her glasses with a smirk. "Good. I want in."

"You want in?" I raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

She nodded. "Let's be real. Your dream is to explore space, right?"

"Yeah," I agreed, curious where she was going with this.

Her eyes lit up with determination. "Well, I want to be part of that. I've got my own plans, and having access to Vought's tech could help. Plus, I can't pass up the chance to build my own Gundam," she said, completely serious.

I had to respect her shamelessness. She was as much of an otaku as Rias, and I could appreciate that.

"So, what's your plan? You want to team up?" I asked.

Seekvaira adjusted her glasses again, nodding confidently. "I'll be tied up for the next few months, but after that… yeah. I'd like to join you as a business partner."

"Oh? Business is all you're after?" I teased, taking a step closer to her.

A faint blush spread across Seekvaira's cheeks. "Flirting with me so soon after sleeping with Rias's Queen? Bold of you..."

I smirked. "What can I say? I'm a guy who goes after what he wants."

"Let's stick to business for now," she said, regaining her composure, the blush fading.

"Deal," I replied, shaking her hand. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Bringing her on board made total sense. Seekvaira was crazy smart, and I'd need someone with her brains to help run the company. Managing a massive tech empire wasn't exactly my thing—I was more of the idea guy, the muscle. But Seekvaira? She was known for her brains and administrative skills. She'd be perfect.

"I could use someone with your talents to help me run the company," I admitted. I wasn't about to fire all the top executives right away—except for Madelyn Stillwell. She was toast.

My ultimate plan was to use Vought's resources to build a spaceship. I wasn't ruling out the idea that there were powerful aliens out there, and I was always down for a good fight. If people thought I was crazy for wanting to go to space for that? I didn't care.

And if I was going to build spaceships, why not a Gundam, too? At the very least, it'd look badass.

Seekvaira beamed with excitement. "YES! I'm going to build a real Gundam! Mecha is the future!" she cheered, a little too loudly. Party guests nearby glanced over but quickly looked away. By now, everyone was used to her blatant mecha obsession. Pretty sure that's why she was the only female heiress without any suitors in sight. Rias was also a known Otaku, but she didn't go around announcing it in public like this…

"Gundams are lame! Magical girls forever!" my mother shouted from across the room, sparking a playful argument with a girl who was centuries younger than herself.

Seekvaira's eyes widened in shock. "How dare you! That's blasphemy!" she retorted, marching off to debate my mom about whose otaku culture was superior. I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched them go at it, each of them fiercely defending their fandom.

I glanced at my schedule and sighed. "...Damn, the next person I have to greet is that slimeball Diodora." Even without the memories of my past life, I wouldn't trust a guy like him. His entire peerage was made up of kidnapped and brainwashed nuns. Born into near-unlimited wealth as the heir of his clan, Diodora had High-Class devil strength, yet he was so slimy and creepy that women avoided him unless he resorted to kidnapping and mind-breaking.

And it wasn't like his actions were a secret. He'd flaunted his peerage during recorded rating games. Everyone knew about his vile treatment of the nuns, and the Church had a massive bounty on his head. If Heaven's forces were stronger, his deeds could have easily sparked a major conflict. With the highest bounty of any living devil, Diodora couldn't even leave the Underworld without supernatural bounty hunters trailing him. How he managed to sneak into the Vatican in the original timeline, despite all that heat, was beyond me.

But it didn't matter. I wasn't about to hand over the world's best healer, Asia Argento, to him. I had my own plans for her.

…

A few hours later, after the last guest had finally left, I sank into the plush lounge chair, cradling a glass of whiskey. It didn't do much to me—my constitution was too strong for that—but I still enjoyed the warmth it spread through me and the way it lingered on my tongue.

My mom entered the room, her usual cheerfulness replaced by a more somber expression. She carried a large yellow envelope and handed it to me. "Here you go, Marcus," she said. "Your new identity in the human world. You're still Marcus Sitri, since you insisted on keeping the same name. Unlike Sona," she added with a knowing glance, "I'm listed as your mother, Serafall Sitri. I had to drop the Leviathan name for this identity—it was just too out there." She paused, her eyes searching mine. "Are you sure you want to meet your father so soon?"

"Soon?" I echoed, feeling the weight of nineteen years pressing down on me. "It's been almost two decades. He doesn't even know I exist. If anything, it's long overdue," I replied.

It had always seemed cruel to keep my existence from him. Back then, my mother wasn't in the secure political position she now held. Most people in the Underworld hadn't even known I was half-human until a few years ago. By then, the Maous had solidified their control, and anyone who might've spoken ill of me likely feared my mother's wrath. She was fiercely protective, even if she didn't always show it.

Serafall sighed, a shadow of regret crossing her face. "Yes… He's not the same man he appears to be. He's more devil than human, really. Maybe that's why I was drawn to him all those years ago. You know what they say about girls and bad boys…" She paused, a wistful smile tugging at her lips. "We met at Comic-Con, of all places. I was dressed as a magical girl, and he was dragged there by his roommates, dressed as the dead American Hero Soldier Boy."

"I'm surprised you were interested in him. You always say you're not into men weaker than you," I pointed out, recalling how similar her standards were to Tiamat's.

"Even though he was weaker, he had this confidence that made people notice him." She giggled, her eyes sparkling with memory. "He was also super ripped, and your momma likes guys with big muscles who can pin me against the wall~." She wrapped her arms around me in a playful hug.

I cringed internally. That was definitely a detail I could have done without.

…

A day later.

I grinned as the real sunlight bathed my body—not the artificial glow of the Underworld, but the genuine warmth of Earth's sun. Soaring across the ocean, I felt the exhilarating rush of high-speed flight. The sound barrier shattered behind me multiple times, probably lighting up every radar within range, but I barely noticed.

Clad in a specially crafted blue jumpsuit made from magic polymers, I was shielded against the intense friction of my high-speed flight. This suit would eventually inspire my Supe costume, though I was still undecided about adding a cape. I didn't want to look too much like a knockoff of my father.

As I streaked over the endless ocean, my enhanced senses picked up something trailing me. I glanced back and saw a human fighter jet closing in. We were over international waters, so they had no business being here. I reached back and gave the pilot a rude gesture. That seemed to upset him because, a moment later, he fired a missile.

I snorted, spinning mid-air to face the missile. Energy surged in my eyes, and two bright blue beams of heat vision shot out, meeting the missile head-on.

BOOM!

The missile exploded in a fiery burst, lighting up the sky. The jet pilot, realizing their attack had failed, immediately banked and tried to flee at top speed.

Now, I like to think of myself as a reasonable guy, but the pilot did just try to kill me. I couldn't let that slide. My eyes glowed blue again, and with a quick burst of heat vision, I took out both of the jet's engines. The plane spiraled out of control, and I watched as the pilot ejected just before it crashed into the sea. As he parachuted down toward the water, I turned away. Whether he got rescued or ended up as shark food was his problem now. I wasn't about to help him.

Not interested in dealing with any more fighter jets, I let my demonic energy course through my body and increased my speed. In seconds, the jet was nothing but a speck in the distance.

With my new velocity, I reached America much faster than expected. What should have been a two-hour flight was cut down to just 30 minutes. I touched down on the West Coast and decided to explore before heading east. Pulling out my Devilphone—a knockoff iPhone designed by Ajuka. I checked the map. Hollywood wasn't far. Maybe I'd catch some of the West Coast Supes in action. They weren't as famous as the East Coast crew, but technically, they all worked for me now—they just didn't know it yet.

"Stop him! He stole my purse! Please!" an elderly woman cried out from the street below. I glanced down just in time to see some punk yank her purse and take off running.

"Hey! Not cool!" I shouted, landing on the sidewalk with a thud that cracked the concrete beneath me. Gotta work on those superhero landings still.

The purse snatcher skidded to a halt, eyes wide. "Jesus Christ!" he shrieked, panic clear in his voice.

I crossed my arms and gave him a flat look. "Seriously, man? Stealing from old ladies? Not cool. Hand over the purse, or I'll break your leg." Although I was probably going to do that anyway. I was still a bit pissed off about that jet attacking me…

He glared at me, his whole body jittery, sweat pouring down his face. This guy was definitely on something—heroin, maybe? I wasn't exactly an expert on the finer points of addiction.

"Fuck you, man! I'll kill you!" He pulled a knife from his pocket and lunged at me without hesitation.

I didn't even bother moving. The cheap blade slammed into my chest with a loud screech, bending out of shape against my skin. It wasn't even a scratch—one of the perks of having super durability.

"Aargh, my fingers!" The man screamed, clutching his bleeding hand as the knife bent backward, snapping one of his fingers in the process. "I'll kill you! You disgusting Supe freak!" He spat the last words at me with all the venom he could muster, but his eyes betrayed his fear as he turned to flee.

I sighed. "Well, I warned you."

With a burst of speed, I dashed forward and kicked his leg.

CRACK!

The satisfying sound of bone snapping filled the air. The guy collapsed to the ground, howling in pain. "AAAAAAahhhhh! Fuck!" He screamed in agony as he crumpled to the ground, clutching his now-broken leg.

I stepped over him and picked up the purse, tossing it back toward the old lady. "Here you go, ma'am. He won't be running off anytime soon."

She hesitated, snatched her purse, and hurried away without even a word of thanks.

Rude...

"Whoa, man! That was hardcore! You totally wrecked that guy!" A teenager rushed up, phone in hand, clearly recording the whole thing.

I shrugged. "I guess so. He was a violent criminal. Didn't exactly hesitate to try and stab me."

"You don't feel bad about how badly you hurt him? His hand might never work again, and his bones are, like, sticking out of his leg."

"My leeeeeeeeeeg!" the criminal wailed from the ground.

I scratched my cheek, suddenly unsure. "Uh, no? Should I?" In the underworld, a thief like this would've been executed on the spot. But here in the human world, things were softer. My time at Kuoh Academy was mostly spent surrounded by horny teenagers. It occurred to me I hadn't really interacted with human society since my last life.

SPLAT!

The criminal's screaming abruptly stopped. I turned to see the nearby post box—one of those heavy, blue ones—smashed down on him, splattering blood everywhere.

"Criminal scum like him shouldn't be allowed to fester in our great society!" a new voice declared proudly.

The criminal was dead. And now a ridiculous-looking Supe in bright yellow spandex, covered in refrigerator magnets, was strutting toward me. His grin was way too smug for someone wearing an outfit that stupid. Holy shit, it was more offensive to look at than a crucifix…

"Oh no, it's Magnet Man," the teenager whispered, clearly afraid for some reason.

Magnet Man? That had to be the worst superhero name ever.

"You there! Unregistered Supe!" he barked, pointing at me. "Don't you know you need a license to perform heroic deeds in this city?"

"Uh, you do?" I was not aware of that actually.

"Of course! It's the law! Without a license, that criminal could've sued you for bodily harm!" he said, crossing his arms.

I glanced down at the squashed body. "I mean, he's probably not suing anyone now…" I trailed off for a moment. I don;t think dead people are going to be filing lawsuits. "Don't you know it's a dick move to kill someone else's criminal?"

He narrowed his eyes on me. "Are you trying to call me a murder or something? I didn't kill this man, it's obvious that you did, Villain!" Magnet Man jabbed a finger at me.

The fuck was this guy on about…?

"What? No way. I just filmed you killing him," the teenager said, holding up his phone.

Magnet Man's grin turned sinister beneath his ridiculous yellow mask. "Well, that's too bad. All I have to do is kill you both and delete the video! It'll be my word—the word of a distinguished hero—against two nameless nobodies! And nobody's gonna believe your words when you're dead! I've been looking for a way to boost my popularity in the rankings and now ive found it. I'm going to be famous for taking down a supervillain murderer who uses his power on innocent men like this!" he exclaimed while pointing at the bloody smear on the ground. "I'll finally be more famous than that blowhard Homelander!"

The post box, still smeared with blood, rose into the air behind him with a wave of his hand. With a wicked smile, he hurled it toward us.

I pushed the kid behind me, raising my arm casually as the post box hurtled toward us. It was moving at around 100 mph, more than enough to crush a normal person. But for me? Nothing. I caught it one-handed like it was a softball.

"You—you're stronger than I thought!" Magnet Man stammered, his confidence wavering. "But it won't save you, villain!"

I felt the metal in my grip tremble as he tried to wrench it from me with his powers, but the pressure was laughably weak. With a quick flick of my wrist, I tossed the post box aside like it weighed nothing.

"Woah…" the kid behind me whispered in awe. "You overpowered his magnetic abilities!"

"You just got lucky is all! It's your last chance to surrender, villain, before I get serious!" Magnet Man shouted, raising both arms dramatically. A streetlight nearby began to wobble, cracks splintering the concrete around its base as he tried to rip it from the ground. This guy didn't seem to give a fuck about property damage.

Wait a minute? Was he a Vought hero? He was causing all this destruction and MY company was going to have to foot the bill? Fuck that!

I narrowed my eyes, letting the heat vision build. In a flash, two bright beams shot from my eyes, and Magnet Man's head was gone, vaporized in an instant. His body crumpled to the pavement like a puppet with its strings cut.

"Blurgh!" The kid behind me threw up, clearly not handling the sudden gore very well.

"You alright there, kid?" I asked, turning back. "That guy was really weird... whoever he was."

"T—that was Magnet Man," the kid stammered, his face pale. "He was the West Coast's top-ranked hero! And you—you killed him!"

"Sure did," I replied, feeling a little awkward. What else was I supposed to do? That guy was costing me money…and trying to kill me I guess.

"We're going to be in so much trouble…" The kid's voice wavered as tears welled up in his eyes. "I don't want to go to jail!"

"Relax. You've got everything on video, right? We're fine. It was self-defense," I said, waving him off. The kid was getting way too worked up over this. Top-ranked hero of the West Coast? That was just embarrassing. I did the hero world a favor by taking him out.

"The Seven are going to come after us! Homelander's going to come after us!" he cried, nearly hysterical.

I raised an eyebrow. "Kid, listen. Just post the video online. Everyone will see Magnet Man was a fraud, and it was self-defense. And Homelander's not coming after me. Why would he come after his own son?" I pointed out.

The kid's eyes went wide, his face frozen in shock. I figured that was my cue to leave.

I glanced toward the horizon. Yeah, I was done with the West Coast. It was time to head to New York. If any legal issues popped up, my family had enough lawyers to bury any case. And if that didn't work, I could always hypnotize a judge or jury into finding me not guilty. With that settled, I took off, rocketing toward the East Coast, leaving the stunned kid and the bodies behind.

XXX

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Current Advanced Chapters:

The Fallen Gamer ch 283-287

The Supe Devil ch 5

The Titan ch 3

The Fox Hole ch 7

The Blood Queen ch 2

The Fox Hole ch 6

The Fox Hole ch 5

The Titan ch 2

The Blood Queen ch 1

The Supe Devil ch 4

The Supe Devil ch 3