REVIEWS:

uchiha-rune: Quite. Thanks for your patience, however, and now, the cliffhanger is over!

Xerzo LotCN: My friend, the issue is not you reviewing; the issue is that the stuff is massive! While appreciated, I'd appreciate it even more if you PM me instead with your questions XD. Saves me more time having to reply here. I know ya might not care much for the Ben 10 work, but frankly, if ya want, I could post the Huniepop one too. Just don't expect a lot of updates on that one; it would mostly be done when it is done, namely, if I want to make a new Huniepop chapter, then by God, ima make a new Huniepop chapter. I also understand why you say such things about the Church, but even if Xenovia WAS one of the only wielders, she was not the only one. Likely, they believed they might be able to find someone else able to wield Durandal. Also, I don't think I mentioned this, but 125 doesn't give new perks of perk evolutions. Hard to keep track of them, yes, but ultimately, I do have plans for the final tiers of the perks, which are coming soon. After that? New stuff is incoming. As for Mit? I also shortened her name because, by God, I think I botched it more times than I want to admit and go back and fix it, so making it shorter is bound to make things easier, especially since we'll be seeing a lot more of her now.

olivermarte15: If you meant it as a question, then I am not sure. I am changing a lot of stuff, and it is entirely possible he won't get the ship as his Familiar anymore.

Darkmaster10000000: A bit is an understatement.

temp paleoboy: Worst case scenario? Grab your sword, brother, we are going crusading.

frankieu: Cow sounds? I know they big, but pretty sure...Holy cow, I didn't think about what will happen if they get knocked up, those knockers be killing their backs!

truck-kun1999: I based him more on the ACTUAL Leonidas, as well as the Yugioh Card, D/D/D Rebel King Leonidas looks-wise.

thebananameister21: Depends on the Shirone part. He was likely holding back, but at the same time, he also remained human at this point, so if he was not using his Gear, then Shirone was stronger than him, hands down. Seriously, ya'll need to start considering the use of his Sacred Gear more; when he doesn't use it, he is not one-shotting anyone! As for the Snu Snu stuff? Cuz it's funny! Plus, the same explanation holds. Those girls are supernatural beings, stronger than him, a human, by default. If they are not careful, they CAN Snu Snu him. At least in the early stages, once he gets more stuff, that worry will vanish.

Lamont: You thinking of it as if there'd be no more exorcists of Vasco Strada plus Dulio coming after the Excalibur fragments, which were broken, useless.

As always, here's the Discord Link: /akvXExZgyM

"Again, Raynare…WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?!" Issei shouted again, "I thought you ended her back at Kuoh!"

"Well…" Raynare trailed off, clearly nervous. This was fairly uncharacteristic of her, seeing how she was usually more snarky and confident. "I couldn't, ok? Remember what the White Dragon said? What you told us! The population of Fallen Angels doesn't bounce back that easily, especially the pure-blood ones. Angels in Heaven are more careful nowadays, so the number of those that fall has decreased sharply since the Great War! It doesn't help that with the big guy himself pushing daisies, no more angels are being born!"

"Still, why'd you bring her here? How did you bring here?" He kept asking.

"Simple, I had some help. Ingvild was quite understanding of things once I explained it to her." Raynare's answer surprised Issei, especially since Ingvild was the one to help her. "Though, I must say, things are worse than we thought."

"How so? She looks perfectly fine to me and-"

"He did more than replace her wings," Raynare revealed, then gestured for Blackberry to turn Mittlet around, allowing Raynare to go up to her and move her hair aside from the back of her head. What Issei saw…Shocked him to his core. Drill holes right in her skull, not to mention surgical scaring. "I saw a lot of fucked up shit being done in my life, Ise. But this takes the cake so far."

"Unhand me!" Mittlet wriggled. "My designation is…M-1…Awaiting orders from the main command…" Her voice also shifted, becoming almost robotic. "Active orders: Kill the Red Dragon Emperor. Fight any allies of the Red Dragon Emperor-lethal force is enabled."

"Good God…" Even Solomon came out and said his bits. "This is abominable."

"We saw such shit in movies, but to see it up close in real life is disturbing on so many levels…"

"She is barely answering to her former name as well." Raynare continued. "They really lobotomized her. Turned her into more of a machine. I gave her a Phoenix Tear, hoping it might regrow whatever brain matter they took out, but all it did was heal what wounds she had left from our battle."

"Is she- Doe she realizes she is no longer under their command? Kokabiel and Errgo have both been taken out, Valper was killed, and Freed is on the loose."

"Maybe. I am really not sure." Raynare finished. "Still, she remains dangerous. Her Gravity Magic and Hollow Casting make her as such. I know I pretty much said I'd rather prefer if you keep her alive, but I know I cannot go against your orders. Blackberry here, too."

"She speaks the truth, Master. One word, and I'll twist her pretty neck." The cook replied.

"Killing her would be the safest way to go…But at the same time, you have a point, Raynare. Your race does have a hard time replenishing its pure-blooded members, And even without that reason, there has been plenty of killing and bloodshed already."

"Are you going to use the Seal on her?" Raynare asked, but then Solomon spoke up.

"It won't work. Whatever they did to her, it still acts like a constant command pushing her to do things she might not want to do. Although not different from the Seal, it can interfere with it and cause a lot of pain to the one afflicted. No, we must look for another way."

"Showing mercy to a Fallen Angel? That is new of you, Solomon. I was under the impression you hold a great distaste for all races unholy."

"She clearly suffered enough already, Ddraig. I hate the Fallen Angels and Devils, yes. Is it a harsh prejudice? Yes. Do I change when I get to meet such beings more personally? Yes. Does that make me a hypocrite? It does! But a racist with the open mind to cast his prejudice aside when he gets to know someone personally is better than a closed-minded fool."

"That…I don't know how to reply to that," Issei replied, not wishing to investigate further. "But what method can we use, Solomon? I am not exactly sure we can just hack her mind."

"True, we lack any form of technological ability, but we don't need one." A screen opened before Issei.

[Mindscape] (LVL MAX): This Skill allows the user to enter within their own Mindscape to communicate with the beings within them, or even invite others within their mindscape. No cost is needed for this part of the skill. The user can now also enter within the Mindscape of others, provided no resistance is met; or that the user's INT, WIS, and MGI (Original) stats total is higher than the target's. This part of the skill consumes 50 Stamina per minute.

"We'd be entering her mind directly…" Issei said slowly. "Are you sure of this, Solomon?"

"Positive. Her current state is bound to make her resist, but we should be able to enter her most sacred sanctum, provided we have the necessary stats."

"Observe her, partner."

"No need," Issei replied. "I already did…She has an MGI stat of 123."

"It's High, but lower than ours by 2 points. Hopefully, that margin of superiority we have is enough," Solomon added.

"Blackberry, hold her tight.." The shadow tightened his grip on Mittlet as Issei approached her. Then, slowly, he placed his hand over her face. Mittlet obviously figured out what was going to happen and tried to fight back, but Blackberry's hold was too strong for her to oppose. "Here it goes."

And so, [Mindscape] was activated.

Opening his eyes again, Issei was standing on a hill. Looking into the distance, he saw no more land aside from this hill, seeing only a sea of black clouds. Looking above revealed the same clouds, but purplish lightning cracked along the sky. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but upon looking around, Issei saw the damage done to Mittlet.

There, upon the hill, stood a chapel, but the right side of it was left in ruins. Crumbling brick and wood hanging by a nail that could fall at the slightest blow of the wind. And the door open for all to enter. Boldly, Issei walked forward and stepped inside the chapel. The inside was just as ruined as the outside. All seats on the right were destroyed, but instead of just ruins, several metallic rods protruded from the ground. Manifestations of whatever it is that controls this girl now.

The only thing kept in good condition was the altar at the end of the chapel. The white marble was polished to a shine, and the red silk cloth upon it was pristine and spotless. On the altar sat a cup, a bible, and a cross. Issei took another step forward, looking at the rods and seeing several cables going from them to a spot behind the altar.

He approached the altar, but upon reaching it, he saw the objects more clearly. The cup was full of blood, and the bible was hollow with no pages. Lastly, the cross was made of silver, with a small pentagram engraved on it. A desecrated altar that was fitting for a Fallen Angel.

But then he heard the whimpers. Issei looked past the altar, and there, sitting in a pristine white dress, simple and plain, was Mittlet. But he saw more than just her. The cables were connected right into her body, in the right side of her head, in the middle of her chest, and behind her back, at the base of her spine. More cables, smaller, which separated from a larger one, connected to her limbs, and her eyes just stared lifelessly through the window atop the front of the church.

"This is…" Solomon gasped. "Issei…I was wrong."

"What do you mean, Solomon?" Issei asked.

"The hold those things have on her…The extent of the damage…Is far greater than we anticipated," Solomon commented, speaking slowly. "Even here, there is no way to free her mind from the influence Errgo had placed on her. He had dug his mechanical claws too deep. If we tried to release her, then whatever is left of her mind would be unable to take the shock of disconnection."

"She'd die," Ddraig stated.

"There is almost nothing we can do, my student." Solomon continued.

"Almost," Issei repeated that exact word. "Solomon, what CAN we do?"

"Remove her as a threat and make her into an ally." The wise king continued. "The machinery inside her body, despite being in the physical realm, is still connected here, as you can see. If we influence her inner self here, then that influence could affect the machinery, enabling us to rewrite the coding, so to say."

"We'd be reprogramming her as an ally," Issei simplified. "But would it work? Sure, she is controlled by whatever Errgo did to her, but she is not without her soul. Her actual self may be still there, somewhere."

"You are worried she might fight back? It is very understandable, my student. However, although she won't ever be free of this control, we can at least set an order for her to return to her original personality. That…It will be unpleasant for us, I won't lie. It will likely be like Raynare all over again."

"But the choices are limited," Issei added. "No, not limited; there are no other choices. At least she won't pose a threat to us, and if I can help it, hopefully, one day, we can help her in full."

"Well said, my student. Still, how could we actually do this? I admit, I've never done something like this before." Solomon admitted, but Issei had an idea.

"The pillars seem to be the source of the control." He went over to the pillars mentioned, hovering a hand over one of them. Suddenly, a small shock took him by surprise, yet it didn't hurt. Putting his hands on the pillar, Issei tried to focus on attempting to erase any of Errgo's influence.

And he got his reply. The pillars came to life, cracking with lightning all over. "AHHH!" Mittlet's inner self began to scream in pain as the cables on her were letting loose sparks of electricity. However, Issei could feel it. It was working, slowly, but working. The lighting was slowly changing color, but at the same time, the mindscape around them began to shake.

"My student, you need to focus more! Our meddling is making the mindscape unstable!"

"I know!" Issei replied as he tried to continue the process, slowly but surely changing things. But something happened that he could not predict. Suddenly, [Danger Sense] went off, and he was forced to let go of the pillar as a figure attempted to jump him. And he couldn't believe who it was. "Errgo?!"

"You…" The golem replied venomously, looking right at Issei. "What are you trying to do?!"

"How are you here? How is this- It doesn't make sense!"

"I am connected to M-1! When you tried to hack her just now, I got an alarm and connected to her to stop you. But…I, too, am lost as to our current location." The golem suddenly seemed to…twitch, glitching in and out of the mindscape. "No! Not yet! I have to keep…Ughhhhhh AHHHHHHHH!" The golem screamed, holding his head.

"What is going on?" Issei asked.

"Issei, you must recall that the Puppet Master took Errgo. Whatever is going on right now, he has remotely connected to Mittlet's body. Whatever is happening must be the Puppet Master attempting to cut the connection!"

"You- Who is there?!" Errgo asked, lifting his arm and materializing his cannon. However, he failed to do so. "What-N-..." He glitched more. "I must…-" Another glitch. "Download into her mind!"

"Download into-" Issei gasped. "The fuck you are!" And then he jumped right at Errgo, knocking him into the pillars before he could reach Mittlet's inner self. "I am not letting you!"

"Get of…-" Another glitch. "I can't- I won't survive unless I do this!"

"And do I care? You are not getting her!" Issei punched the golem in the head, finding no pain shooting through his fist. "Just. Get. Out. Of Here!" With each word, another punch was delivered, trying to kick Errgo out of Mittlet's mindscape.

"NO!" Errgo shouted, pushing Issei off and attempting to crawl to Mittlet. "I won't…I cannot vanish now! I see him attempting to erase my original coding! I see him trying to erase me! But I won't perish! I survived for too long to-" Suddenly, a violent succesion of glitching hit him. "AHHHHHH! It hurts!" He stabilized. "I have to get to her if I can download a copy of my original program, then-"

"No!" Issei shouted, grabbing Errgo and throwing him into the seats. "You think I will let you? You heard your maker! He programmed you to kill me and the White Dragon! This is not your choice!"

"That wasn't my choice, this is!" Errgo countered, trying to get up. "I want to survive, Red Dragon. And I will survive! Once I take over her body, I will-" Another glitch hit him. "He's close…"

"What will happen to Mittlet then? Tell me!"

"What do you think?! There cannot be two in one body in our situation-she'll die! Her mind and soul will get replaced by me, and I will control her body in her place!" Errgo explained. "Get out of the way, Red Dragon…"

"You have no power here, Errgo. Trust me, I have experience in such places." Issei went back to the pillars, leaving Errgo on the seats and placing his hands back on them. "But tell me…Can you even reach her in time?"

"No…No, no, no! I am not letting you-" Crimson lightning returned to the rods as Mittlet's inner self began to scream again.

"Mittlet! Hear my first order!" Issei shouted, and Errgo knew he was out of time. He darted from his position, jumping to Mittlet's inner self.

"Kick Errgo out of your mind." Mittlet's eyes suddenly showed a spark of life, and as the golem came into her field of vision, one thought from her was enough to see him launched back through the window and outside. Errgo went flying over the edge of the hill, falling deep into the clouds.

"Issei Hyoudou!" was all the golem shouted as he vanished.

"Done," Issei said as he took a step back, letting the new, crimson electrical signals run through to Mittlet. "Now, what shall I do now?"

And without doing anything else, he left the mindscape.

Issei opened his eyes again, just in time to see Raynare with her spear and Blackberry with his hands made into knives. "Christ of a stick, what did you do in there?! She was screaming bloody murder and mumbling nonsense for a good five minutes straight!'

"It's alright, now. Can you call out to her?" Issei suggested to Raynare.

"Hey, Mit? Do you hear me?" Raynare addressed the girl, and Blackberry slowly let go of her.

"System rebooting." The girl said lifelessly. "Data missing. Orders erased. Backups failed. Re-calibrating. Detected new command input: Issei Hyoudou."

"Shit, you really did make yourself her new owner," Raynare stated slowly.

"New designation pending." At this, Raynare grinned.

"Allow me. I always found her name a bit on the wordy side, so let me handle some of the stuff." Raynare asked Issei.

"Fine by me. I have a headache from this…Ummm. I guess this might work. Command authority addition, Raynare."

Mittlet perked up. "Recognized."

"Now…New designation: Mit." Raynare said, and Mit seemed to have registered it.

"Designation set. I am Mit." Mit stated. "Awaiting new orders."

'Allow me, Raynare. Mit, your new orders are to return to your original personality while retaining all current functions and obedience. Can you do that?"

"Affirmative. Attempting recovery of personality files in 3…2…1…Error." Mit suddenly perked up, and her body began to shake slightly. "Conflict detected. Cannot fully reinstate personality without disobeying the order partially."

"Shit. Prioritize recovery of personality." Issei stated further, and Mit seemed to hear him. However, as soon as the shaking stopped, she dropped her head low. "Did…Does it work? I reckoned that- WOAH!"

Issei had dodged out of instinct as a spear of light appeared in his face. "Ugghhh. What the fuck is going on? Why can't I just…This is bullshit!"

"She's back, alright," Raynare stated. Upon hearing her, Mit seemed confused. She looked around, seeing Issei, who was predictably the enemy, and Raynare, the one who had turned traitor. Slowly, she backed down, away from Issei, as her memories seemed to flood back to her.

"Mit…You fuck-heads, what did you do?!" She hit something…She touched it a bit, and turning her head, she saw Blackberry standing there. "Oh no…Am I…Did I get captured?"

"Something along those lines," Raynare explained. "But it is more along the lines of me deciding to spare your ass and bringing you here so Ise here can free your mind from whatever the fuck that robotic freak did you to?"

"Robotic freak…Wait…" Her eyes widened as she realized what had happened. She remembered what Errgo did to her. "I remember…That…That thing, it…It split me apart…Strapped me to some table and cut my flesh…" Her knees weakened, making her fall. "Just what…What happened?! Someone explain shit to me!"

"Long story short?" Issei was the one to begin. "Errgo made you into some cybernetically enhanced minion of his, and Raynare here beat you, then brought you here- without me knowing- and I pretty much undid Errgo's control by replacing it with my own. I had you return to your original personality, hence why you are here."

"But my name is changed…" Mit remarked, with Issei pointing to Raynare. "Fuck you. Fuck both of you! Once I get back to Kokabiel, I will-"

"Yeah, about him... and Valper... and your entire operation. How much do you remember of the evening we fought?" Issei asked her.

"I…I barely remember shit. Everything is a fog." Mit admitted.

"Kokabiel is done for. So is Errgo, and Valper is rotting. Freed bailed. Short version good enough for you?" Raynare said as she went up to Mit. "You are out of friends, Mit. And now, it seems you know what situation you are in. This here is the Red Dragon's HQ."

"So, I'm a captive…" Mit stated.

"In a way," Issei added. "It's just that I don't think there is something else you can do at this point. I am willing to let you go, but where will you go?"

"Back to the Grigori- Wait…"

"It seems you realize that much. You are not exactly welcomed back there, not after Kokabiel went behind their backs and you followed. I don't think you have other allies either, am I right?" She remained silent. "I am. Now, you did amount quite the debt to me. You WERE my enemy, and you did send every stray in Kuoh on me once. The fact I could not remove the control on you, but change it so I am in control? That was out of lack of choice, but I did choose to keep you alive instead of killing you."

"So you can use me like some toy?" Mit replied, clearly still having a strong attitude. "Forget it. I'd rather kill myself than be fucked by you. Raynare here is just some easy slut, so I don't imagine she took you long to make spread her legs!"

"Why, you little-"

"Raynare! She is just trying to get under your skin," Issei said quickly, stopping Raynare from attacking Mit. "And no, Mit. Nothing like that. Instead, in exchange for, well, saving you and freeing your mind, you will serve me and everyone in my group. Sorry about your wings, though. There is nothing I can do about those."

Mit grits her teeth in anger. "You are making me…INTO A FUCKING MAID?!"

"Trust me, it is way better than it sounds. You get a roof over your head, three meals a day, and other benefits. The only thing you might have to put up with are the sounds of sex."

Raynare replied.

"Fine…I'll play nice for now, Red Dragon."

"Good to hear. Now, if you excuse me, I have some things to think about and some rest to get. And Raynare? Next time, please tell me if you plan to do something this crazy again."

"No promises." And so, Issei left the room, returning to his own. He had several notifications to boot, but to sum them up, the most common ones were for stat increases. By doing whatever he did, he gained 3 INT points and 2 WIS points. But he also gained something else. A new RP tab, but this one was…Different.

Mit

0/200 (Obedience)

After having saved her from Errgo, you'd think she'd be more grateful, but no. She won't obey your orders of her own free will anytime soon, and you should be careful with her.

Note: Mit (As you named her) has a different Relationship tab due to her situation and your history. Instead of her affection toward you, there is obedience toward you. Overall, obedience can be raised easier than affection, but as a result, you need to gather twice as much as affection.

"What a week…I hope others are having a better time than me. By the way, guys, do you recall what we heard from Rias? That her brother could not make it to aid us with Kokabiel?"

"Yes?"

"Why is that important?"

"Well, aside from earlier today, we haven't talked with Rias that much. She seems busier than I am, and now that I think of it, having gotten a feeling of how much of a siscon Sirzechs is…What could make him stay in the underworld knowing his sister was facing someone like Kokabiel?"

The answer to Issei's question was not a straight one, but there is an answer. Back in the Underworld, in the part of it known as Hell, where the devils and their lot reside, Danbooru and his group were moving against their enemies. And their first strong hit was being broadcasted all around Hell.

Ajuka Beelzebub was not pleased by this, especially, and as soon as the news reached him, he stormed Sirzechs's office. "Sirzechs!"

"I know," Sir replied, his voice showing a rare amount of gravity. "This is more than just a mere scandal. Rias contacted me earlier, but I had to turn her down. This, as much as it hurts to say, takes priority over my dear sister. Ajuka, what is the situation!"

"I don't know how, but Hell's Daily had just broadcasted a news outlet about the King Pieces. Sir, their existence was not supposed to be known! Yet, it gets worse. According to the reportage and overwhelming evidence they somehow got, the Great King Faction is behind it, and they had used them to manipulate the Rating Games! The current 2nd and 3rd place champions, Roygun Belphegor and Bedeze Abbadon, have been exposed as users of those pieces as well! It's a disaster!"

"What actions have you taken?" Sirzechs asked as the two began walking out of the office and toward the meeting room. The Satans had to meet to discuss this entire deal.

"I contacted and requested the aid of the Dragon Queen, Tiamat. I have also dispatched my peerage, along with several troops, to apprehend all members of the Great King Faction until a proper investigation can be conducted. Even as we speak, they are attempting to capture every person that can be even remotely involved in this."

"I will send my peerage as well, Ajuka. Tell me, how many King Pieces were made in total?"

"Nine. I have kept three of them but ordered the other six to be destroyed. It seems I was deceived back then." Ajuka stated.

"This is truly a disaster…" Sirzechs agreed, and then, finally, they reached the meeting room. Already, the two other Satans—the Leviathan and Asmodeus — were seated at their places.

The one in Leviathan's seat was a beautiful girl. Looking in her late teens, she had black hair tied into twin tails and blue eyes. Despite her childlike body and short stature, her breasts clearly indicated that this was no mere girl but a woman standing before them. Sirzechs could see that she hadn't much time to change. A case and point being the pink, magical girl outfit she was wearing, with a wand resting against the table. This was Serafall Leviathan, formerly Sitri.

However, sitting in Asmodeus's seat was a tall man whose head was completely bald and had a goatee on his chin. This was Falbium Asmodeus, formerly Glasya-Labolas. And despite his presence, the fact that the man had a hard time keeping awake even now was truly a testament to his legendary sloth.

But those matters were not to be taken lightly. Taking their respective seats as Beelzebub and Lucifer, the meeting of the Satans had officially begun, with Serafall being the one to ask the first question. "Good, you two are here! Now, can you explain to Falbium and me what this is all about?! King Pieces, corruption in the Rating Games, and worst of all, a murder covered up by blaming the Church of all places?!"

"I second her-" Falbium yawned. "-questions. Ajuka, you have some things to answer for. And Sirzechs, seeing how you are not as heated as us, I assume you knew of the existence of those King Pieces, correct?"

"That is correct, Falbium," Sir confirmed. "I was aware of their existence, but I was not aware of the fact they were being used to manipulate the Rating Games from the shadows."

"Nine were made before production was stopped, and although I kept three for further research, the rest were supposed to be destroyed. However, based on what we heard, it seems that those six had been stolen by the Great King Faction and used for their purposes." Ajuka added. "But now that the truth has come to light, I have taken immediate action to see every member of the Great King Faction arrested and held for trial, as well as anyone who had used King Pieces in the Rating Games."

"The second and third places were found to be part of this, Ajuka," Serafall pointed out."And there might be others who must have used them at least once! "

"We will screen everyone and, if need be, completely clear the rankings," Ajuka added.

"Isn't that an extreme course of action? It could cause those who earned their place legitimately to become very upset," Falbium remarked.

"Their feelings do not matter in the current situation; what matters is handling this situation appropriately," Sirzechs stated strongly. "We also request the aid of your peerages in hunting down the members of the Great King Faction. Many are Clan Heads of King-ranked Houses. We need as much aid as we can get."

"Hmm. What will be done about the King Pieces following this?" Falbium asked.

"We will recover and lock up all King Pieces," Ajuka replied, but Serafall had something to say to that.

"Sorry, Ajuka, but I cannot agree with such a decision. Those should be destroyed! As you originally wanted them to be!"

"She does have a point, Ajuka," Sirzechs added. "The ones you spared for research can remain, but the ones used by the Great King Faction must be destroyed."

"Very well. But now, we have another subject at hand: Who did this? Who managed to gather this crushing evidence and expose the Great King's Faction like this? Even we, over countless years of trying, could not come close to touching them due to political restraint." Ajuka's words silenced the entire table. "No one? Not even a clue?"

"This came out of the blue, old friend," Falbium stated. "Whoever did this stayed under the radar and managed to find, gather, and avoid the wrath of the Great King Faction altogether. However, after such a bold move on their part, I imagine that the Great Kings are not pleased. They are going to be hunted, and whoever it was they had in the news station is likely to be a target."

"Then we must get to them first. Whoever it is that did this must be brought before us, post haste!" Ajuka added strongly.

"But they are innocent, aren't they?" Serafall asked. "I mean, they were whistleblowers! As far as I can see, what they did helped us get rid of the Great King Faction! You said it yourself, Ajuka: We couldn't do anything to them for YEARS before this! And now? Now we have more than enough evidence to arrest every single one of their members!"

"Hmm. That's a fair point, Serafall, but that is not how the law works." Falbium stated. "Whoever did this likely used illegal means to obtain the evidence. If that is the case, it is possible that no court would accept such evidence if the means of obtaining it were corrupt."

"But it is not just us who know this, Falbium. The entire Hell heard of this! This is not a matter that can be resolved away from the public eye, but a full-blown scandal that is bound to ravage the underworld! Already, the elders within the Stygian Council are likely considering using this as an excuse to question our very leadership! We will deal with this with the full might of both our political and personal power!" Sirzechs rose from his seat. "That being said…Do I have your support and agreement to hunt down the members of the Great King Faction in person?"

"Typical for you, Zechs. Always the blunt one in such matters. But what the heck, I was bored anyway!" Serafall also got up from her seat, followed by Ajuka.

"The creation of the King Pieces is my fault to begin with. I will personally deal with this."

Falbium sighed as he got up. "There is no other way then. We will personally hunt down and arrest every member of the Great King Faction, alongside our peerages and the authorities!"

"Then, in that case, let us depart at once!"

And with Sir's final words, the group of four left the meeting room. It was time to act, not bicker.

"HAHAHAHAH! This is a show!" Leon, Danbooru's ally, said as he knocked down a fresh can of beer. "DAMN! Talk about lighting Rome on fire! Man, it was worth it!"

"With this, the Great King's Faction is finished," Danbooru said as the group of three stood upon a hill outside the main city of Hell- their capital, Lilith. "I cannot thank you two enough for your aid in my endeavor. Leon, George."

"Hey, is all good. I think we all had a bone to pick with the Devils overall, so this was a fresh breath of air." Leon stated.

"I find our course of action to have been most wise. We might have a strong capability within our group, but even then, we wouldn't have stood a chance against the full might of the Great King Faction should we have decided to attack them directly." George, the blind magician of the group, stated. "But, Dan, you have never told us why you did. At least, not to me."

"Huh?" Leon looked at George in confusion. "Now that I think about it…I never asked either."

"I reckon it is only fair I explain myself then," Danbooru said, and the two listened in closely to his reasoning. "Tell me, Leon. What is your take on the entire reincarnation system the devils have in place?"

"Huh? Well, I think it is nifty, I guess? Devils get the numbers they need since they cannot pop brats when they need them, and people get some nice powers out of it, too. Not to mention, humans are not known for being able to grow enough in power without a Sacred Gear, so…Yeah."

"Hmm. That is a pretty good response…From an outside perspective. Leon, when I sought you out, finding you in a prison in Canada-"

"You got arrested in Canada, of all places?" George looked at Leon.

"The people there are nice, but even they understand the concept of DUI," Leon answered. "Plus, I was running from my former master!"

"That's my point exactly," Danbooru continued, unbothered by the interruption. "Devils are rare when it comes to genuine kindness and care for their peerages. They value power over everything else because Rating Games have become so rooted in their society. Most even resort to illegally buying others to forcefully reincarnate them, blackmail, opportunistic grabs, and so on. My grip is not just with the Great King Faction, my friends…"

"You are after the Rating Game system itself," George stated, standing up to his feet. "Dan, that is-...Rating Games are rooted in their society, just as you said! There is no possible way to remove them! It's a fool's errand."

"I agree with the blind guy; it's utter insanity!" Leon said, putting the beer down. "How could you consider this? No, rather, what is your plan? Do you even have one?"

"Getting rid of the Rating Games is…Impossible. However, I at least want to inspire other abused souls to rise against their enslavers." Danbooru continued. "My friends, our roads together end here. I cannot make you follow me into the unknown."

"Oh, and we will go where, exactly? Sure, we might need to hide, seeing how the Great King Faction might be looking for us, but after the Satans get them? What then, Dan? What are YOU going to be doing?" Leon asked strongly.

"Leon…I will seek justice. I will continue to look for and destroy any illegal gathering that has as its purpose the selling of innocent souls into unreversible slavery. But also justice for myself, to atone for my sins."

Leon remained silent for a bit, but then he spoke. "You plan to run amok until you will do something stupid, aren't you? The Red Dragon of Domination…You want to fight him!"

"The Red Dragon?!" George gasped. "You know where he is?!"

"He is a boy named Issei Hyoudou, living in Kuoh, Japan. I met him once when he was early in his journey to power. He was not ready. But rumors have it he has defeated Riser Phenex, so the time for our battle is nigh." Danbooru explained. "The reason I did what I did…Was to repay my sins. You two followed me, however, in claiming my greatest victory. You have my eternal gratitude. What will happen to you, however?"

"We'll see where the wind takes us," Leon said, " At least where it takes me."

"I still have business here in the Underworld. I will stick around. I will keep my head low, avoid attention, and eventually…I guess I want to see how to get some personal satisfaction from someone. What happened here today is bound to aid me greatly in that personal endeavor."

"So…I guess this is goodbye, huh? Have to say, you lot have been fun. Come on, before we part ways, have one each!" Leon shared more cans of beer with the guys, each of them opening them. Even Dan opened his slowly. "To us! May the wind take us to some warm beds and good food!"

"Always thinking of debauchery, Leon. Never change." Dan said as he raised his beer.

"For our fortune, my good gentlemen." And finally, George raised his as well, and the three men toasted to their victory.

"Fuck!" Lord Bael shouted as he was on the run. As soon as the news hit him, the Great King Faction had already begun purging as much as it could to cover as many of their tracks as possible. But he knew it was not enough. By the time he was running away from his mansion, he could see Ajuka himself coming for him!

The Great King Faction was done for! There was no amount of political sway he could command to change this! All he could do was escape and gather his thoughts. When his wife told him about someone breaking into their house and stealing documents, he was beyond livid, but now he was terrified as the consequences of those actions were being brought down upon him.

She was left mostly oblivious, but what angered him the most was the fact that with him on the run, his spot as Head of the Bael House would be given to his FAILURE of a son, Sairaorg. That boy, despite not having the Power of Destruction, will rule the Bael House. If only his second son didn't come as a failure as well, being more interested in botanical research rather than perfecting his abilities.

Where did he go wrong? Where did he misstep? He was always careful, never making rash decisions! No…No, he did make one; he decided to act and back the Great King Faction in their corruption, and look where it brought him!

He was a noble Devil no longer! His status, wealth, and even name were going to be taken from him! But at the very least, he still had his life and power…Yes, he will rise again. He saw it now. He could rise again, find allies, and slowly but surely do something that other Devils in the Great King Faction were too cowardly to do! He will kill the Four Satans one day and take their place.

When he is atop the leadership of Hell, he can act from there with a free hand to get rid of the Reincarnated Devils in high positions! Under him, Hell will become a place of purity and prestige once more! All he has to do is survive today, and he will be-

"Where are you running, Lord Sailamon Bael?" The man stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes widened, feeling a burning heat radiating behind him. "Pretty sure Ajuka is looking for you, is he not?"

"Y-you…" Sailamon turned around slowly, coming face to face with the only being he didn't wish nor expect to be here. He backed away in terror as the DEMON stared him down. "I-Ignium Ophirius…" And finally, he collapsed on his ass on the grass.

The demon, the same one who escaped from the prison made especially for him, was dressed in an eccentric uniform. He wore fully black pants on his lower body, yet no shoes whatsoever, and his top consisted of an open jacket with military decorations on it. This exposed his bare stomach and chest, which were covered in many scars earned in battle. "Tch. Tch. Tch. Corruption? Rigging the Rating Games? Multiple murders that you helped cover up? My, what a mess. I wonder what Zekram thinks of all of this."

"You…H-how?! I heard that you escaped, but how are you here? Why are you here?" Lord Bael asked again.

"Isn't it obvious? I came to make Ajuka's little job a bit easier. Your Power of Destruction is still a nuisance, you know? So, I am here to deal with it." Ignium declared, yet as he heard the demon, Lord Bael seemed to grin.

"The power…That's right!" Sailamon summoned a sphere of power in the palm of his hand and held it in front of Ignium. "Back down, demon, or else I will see you erased!"

Ignium, however, couldn't help himself. "Pffffff. Hahahaha! Oh, my word…"

"Are you mocking me?!" Lord Bael asked, getting up. "Even if you are a demon, my Power of Destruction is pure destruction! Not even you can't survive it!"

"Hmm. True…But that being said…" Suddenly, Sailamon's hand began to smoke. Then, as he was ready to release the sphere, it caught on fire, and the flames swallowed the sphere of power in his hand.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" His screams of agony echoed throughout the area. But there was more. 'B-Black Fire?!"

"Good eye…" Ignium added, walking toward Sailamon. "You know how every House has its special attribute only because of us, correct? You lot have only inherited what we demons got. Do you think your Power of Destruction is quality? You should have seen Zekram in his prime…Only that descendant of Gremory can measure up to Zekram's talent during the glory days."

"You-...What is your power?" Sailamon asked.

"Hmmm. I guess you could say my fire is so hot... that it can burn down anything," Ignium said before kicking Lord Bael in the face, sending the man flying into a nearby tree. "And when I say anything? I mean it."

Sailamon spat out blood from the hit, wheezing as he tried to get up. However, Ignium was on him faster than he could recover and pushed his head against the tree further with his foot. "Ugh…"

"Your generation is a real disappointment, Sailamon. But the next one shows quite a bit of promise. That son of yours, Sairaorg? He will make a fine Lord." Ignium's words seemed to not sit well with Sailamon.

"That man…Is no son of mine! Ah!" Ignium pressed harder, causing the tree to start to crack.

"See? That is your issue; you are stuck in the past. Don't worry, though. I am not here to kill anyone tonight." Ignium let go of Sailamon Bael, but then he summoned forth fire in his hand. "I am just here to make sure Ajuka gets his hands on you, Sailamon. And to that extent? I think it would be quite something…If he found you armless."

"What…No…No, no! Please! Ignium, have mercy!" The demon grabbed Sailamon by his throat, black fire sparking to power in his other hand. "Please, spare me! Please, I do not deserve such a fate!"

"Sorry, Sailamon…But I decide what fate is fit for you."

The screams of Lord Bael took over the entire area.

Later, however, Ajuka had caught up with him. "Lord Sailamon Bael, you are under-," And the Satan gasped as he saw Sailamon lying against a tree. The man was catatonic, frozen in shock from something. And Ajuka saw what. Both of his arms, the right to the elbow and the left to the shoulder, had been carbonized! No, worst, they were turned to ash, leaving behind carbonized stumps!

"Lord Beelzebub…What did this?" One of the officers with him asked, equally spooked. "We never- What could have done this to a wielder of the Power of Destruction?"

Ajuka tightened his fists. "A demon."