Greetings, everyone. This is ArtLotus. It has been 5 years since I have been active in this story. I do not have any excuse. I had to focus on my life for a while, I hope you all understand. Anyway! Besides my absence, I am here to announce my project to revitalize A Problem Devil, Born. This project will take a considerable amount of time because—I will revise each chapter.—Meaning I will change, add or dismiss details in the chapters. However, this is limited to certain chapters. Besides that, I will start incorporating correct grammars, and whatnot.

This is all that I want to announce.

[Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in both HDXD nor Mondaiji Tachi Ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu Yo? I only claimed the idea of the crossover]

Without any further ado, this is the revitalized version of A Problem Devil.

Ja'ne! ArtLotus out!

[Highschool DxD X Mondaiji Tachi Ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu Yo?]

REVIVAL: A PROBLEM DEVIL

CHAPTER 1: AN UNLIKELY BEGINNING

"What have I gotten myself into…? —Is what anyone would say in this situation, if they didn't pass out from shock already in a world that is not their own. Mm, what would they say exactly…? —Yup, can't think of anything any normal human would respond to. Come to think of it…this is like the theme of a manga I saw. Hm…what was it…? Yeah…the protagonist reincarnated into another world after being struck by…a truck? A number of those were already hitting the shelves last I saw them…"

An amusing smile stretches across his lips.

"Sounds amusing to read. But this—is an entirely different thing to experience yourself. Would this be a regret? Still, I'd rather follow through with the conspicuous theme of a red herring rather than staying cooped up at home, waiting for the impending day to a new school... Yeah, what better option is there to invest my time in the unknown at a time like this? Especially if the unknown takes me into a different kind of setting like this…"

Standing on top of the surface of a big tree branch, the individual stood upright with his right hand resting on the wide tree bark next to him. Blond locks rustled backwards along the light breeze with purple eyes shining with amusement and mirth at the sight upon him.

A sight vastly unfamiliar to him.

He was nowhere near the alleyway he walked through, nor was he anywhere near his neighborhood. He was in a location unlike anything he had ever seen or experienced before in his lifetime.

—A world that is a stark contrast to his own.

Where skies existed within his world were blue, as far as the eye can see. Its vast still blue stretches across miles—

He was accustomed to the skies painted blue during the day. Red and orange through the sunrise and sunset. Lastly, black throughout the night. Yet, the skies above his head were notoriously red, almost—crimson. Whereas white clouds could be seen floating past the blue skies—instead dark and gray clouds floated past crimson skies. Although these settings would undoubtedly make the scenery horrifying to all. Yet, in his eyes, it brought a unique kind of experience. The velvet skies with gray clouds exude calmness and obscurity, whereas the blue skies bring out serenity and openness. A fact he welcomed.

Based on the vivid sceneries and environment—all of which was unfamiliar—especially the feel of his surroundings once he ventured into the unknown wilderness in the first place.

He knew. There was no doubt in his mind.

This was not his world.

It was an entirely different world altogether, much to his clear amusement.

"—Yep. I don't see any way to spend the day today other than in a different world. Considering the timing, she might come back early and notice, yet does she think I'd spend the day as is, waiting at home? Above all, how could I resist the temptation of a fantasy-like invitation in the middle of an alleyway?" The young blonde recalled back moments earlier where he stepped into a world—entirely different than his own.

He had stepped outside the vacant house to relieve his boredom and had taken a walk around the neighborhood to pass the time. It was a little past 2 o'clock. He leisurely walked around the neighborhood, appreciating the breeze brushing past him every now and again. At the end of his walk, he backtracked to his home and when he turned a familiar corner to an alleyway where he walked past without a single glance. Yet, he stopped briefly when he caught a glimmer of light at the corner of his eye.

Where the alleyway resided.

He walked back towards the entry of the alleyway—only to be greeted by a large crimson insignia at the center of the alleyway. The insignia was the source of the light, where it emanated a crimson glow around the parameters of its circular shape. He stared down at the crimson insignia for a period of time before he decided to approach it without hesitation. He did not look around him. Because he did not sense anyone near the vicinity nor anything irregular around the area. The blonde kept staring down at the crimson insignia unnervingly. The sense of scrutiny was prevalent in his expression. Due to the bizarre phenomenon, he stayed in deep thought. Amidst his deep thoughts, he looked at the insignia and he cannot withhold the stray chuckle out of him at its beckoning outlook. His attention had been garnered fully when the insignia appeared out of thin air, its appearance all but beckoning him. However, he knew what it wanted him to do. Dissuaded by any temptations of the crimson insignia, and only going through with his interest as much as instincts, he stepped forward within the center ring of the insignia. There were no signs of hesitation nor worry within his eyes when he took a step towards the insignia.

He can come back. Though he would not mistake his recklessness with confidence. Any other ordinary human would not approach the crimson insignia. Far from it. The unknown will overwhelm them and force them to get away as soon as possible. Because they cannot comprehend any otherworldly existence outside of their world. However, a human's nature can be fickle. Their curiosities are embolden by the unknown. Just like him at this moment.

He was not ordinary in the slightest. Even when the crimson insignia caught his attention, he was not surprised as much by its sudden appearance. This occurrence right now—was not the first. It was one of his many encounters with the supernatural in this world. However, this was the first direct confrontation. He had some familiarity with the crimson insignia in front of him. Glimpses of it over the past years had led to him deducing that it will take him somewhere. The insignia did not resonate much yet its elegant appeal makes for a terrifying scenery in any ordinary people's eyes. It also did not resonate any fear or set off alarm bells in his head. All in all, it was safe.

Although intrigued by the whole encounter, he was albeit cautious. He had surveyed that he was the only one in the vicinity. In hindsight, this was an invitation to him and him alone. So, he does not need to contemplate his ability to come back if he interacts with the insignia. He was invited. Whoever is inviting him, has the ability to return him back. Common sense, is it not?

—If not, the only thing that would wait for him is nothing but an earful of nagging courtesy from his mother. Nevermind how long he would be absent until he could return. A fair exchange yet it was not one where he would enjoy entertaining the thought due in part to his mother's nagging. Though he could take on a series of nagging if it meant satisfying his curiosity. Curiosity killed the cat, as they say. Yet, he was no cat.

After deliberate contemplation, the blonde made his move with no hesitation. The temptation of the insignia was beckoning him, yet he went with his instincts more so than be tempted by its appeal.

As he stood in the center ring within the crimson insignia, it was but a second that the insignia glows brighter! The crimson light flashes violently around him and his response? He could only smile onwards. His excitement gradually increased when his vision was filled with crimson—!

—before he came across unfamiliar terrain. One that was not reminiscent of the alleyway he walked through.

Trees, greens, vegetations in certain parts of the area whereas he stood upon a wide dirt path to oversee this sight. Donning only an orange shirt with a black hoodie alongside a pair of black slacks with orange accents and brown sports shoes, the blonde surveys his surroundings. There was no one near him to greet him, not a single soul, nor anyone that could resemble a human that is. Because humans do not exude the strange yet familiar presence of the nearest individual he picked up.

Yes, there was someone. From a distance. Observing him. The presence was familiar, he noted. He encountered it a few times over the years in his world. It was hard to not recognize it.

The location of the nearest individual was by a number of miles, at his south. Yet, he did not seek out the person in question, choosing to focus on scenery in front of him. He believed that he was not in his own world, but another. He did not doubt his circumstances. The evidence was all around for him to see. Amongst the evidence, the hidden individual was one of them since he never encountered them in his life yet he sensed their presence only a few times. Those times were only glimpses until he could not sense them at all the next moment. It was bizarre and yet he could tell the individual—they were different.

Aside from that, he sees something was amiss when he sees a slight distortion in the skies above him. Barely noticeable yet he noticed it all the same. After checking his surroundings for a few more minutes, he decided to wander around as a means to wait for the rightful person responsible for the invitation he received to this unfamiliar territory, to make their appearance. There was not much he could do when he was entrapped, even when he could get out. However, he was intrigued by the individual who exerted extra effort to invite him alone.

Who was he to dismiss an opportunity from someone who had an eye on him?

Smiling, the blonde closes his eyes as he trek through the dirt path, biding his time wandering. He did not mind staying in this entrapment and being observed for a time until the host was courteous enough to make their entrance.

After all, he was not in a rush. Time was the furthest thing on his mind right now.

"As much as I am interested in arriving in a world different from my own. I do find it very strange that I wouldn't be greeted when I came to. I appreciate the invitation but it's getting dull to walk around in a circle when someone is determined that I have to walk in a circle to make the host known…"

The blonde spoke whilst standing in the middle of a wide clearing devoid of trees and any kinds of greens. He had come across the plain-looking and vacant clearing when he chose to end his journey wandering around the forest for approximately an hour. He did not need to circle around the area for a second time. He avoided coming across the edge of the entrapment barrier and paced steadily throughout his wandering. He was certain that he had given enough time to his host to ascertain his character when he wandered, and he concluded that it was time they met.

"Unfortunately, there isn't any proper venue for us to meet properly. You don't mind that I chose a place like this for our meet-up? A host is supposed to greet his guest with a proper venue to meet alongside catering for all of their troubles to arrive. Yet, I didn't receive any of that. Must a guest decide everything here? It should be the other way around, don't you think?"

He talked to seemingly no one. Though he did not care at the moment. He was simply passing the time until the inevitable happened.

"Based on the restriction around this whole forest, I cannot seem to understand the reason for the invitation. A guest should be treated as courteously as possible isn't it? Sadly, I don't see such a gesture from someone like you. Truly a shame…" The blonde shakes his head briefly with a lingering smile of mischievousness.

"..."

The clearing remained as silent as the blonde perused the area with a glance. He remained ever so nonchalant as he closed his eyes and pocketed his hands in waiting, while lightly knocking the front of his shoes to the ground, shaking off the dirt accumulated throughout his walk around the forest.

A light breeze rustles his hair as the blonde stays in his spot. Breathing in, the blonde appreciated the presence of the breeze hitting his face.

His smile grew.

He opens his eyes.

"—For a human, I never thought they would act as arrogant as you, nor would they be devoid of fear in this kind of situation—if they believed they had found themselves in such atrocious misfortune to befell on them. —But. You are different amongst any of them. The follow-up question to that is…do you have a better poker face than most of your peers? Truly..."

Standing in front of the blonde stood a crimson-haired man. His height towers over the blonde by half a foot. His height and the overbearing armor pauldrons atop his shoulders achieved a menacing look to his figure if they did not account for the easy going smile on his face. His blue green eyes radiated compassion with a hint of amusement at the sight of his guest.

"I appreciate the compliment."

"Throughout my life, I never once met someone like you. I had to remind myself from time to time that you're a human, although I cannot determine whether that is the truth or is it far from it? Because humans do not display unique abilities, bordering on the supernatural… It is unfathomable. But, I am proven wrong by a singularity." The man smiles with amusement. "A singularity of a human that possessed supernatural abilities that are borderline inhumane. I'd say, an anomaly amongst your human kind, Sakamaki Izayoi."

"You collected your findings about me, and…?"

"You did not seem surprised?"

"I have my curiosity, however I won't delve into it. Considering you can conjure up a way to transport people into another world, I wouldn't question that it'd be difficult to get information for a figurehead like yourself?

"Figurehead, hm?"

"With the way you're dressing, you looked important. Am I wrong?"

"...Your senses amaze me, Sakamaki Izayoi-kun. Especially so when you've lured me into a venue as if you knew you've been followed. However, it is no exaggeration that you did know where I am. That is a question I found intriguing. Besides that, your exceptionally calm attitude for a young man to take into strides is a rarity and acting accordingly to the given situation is quite astonishing… Besides that, my surprise extends to that of your maturity and open-mindedness in accepting all of the events that are transpiring with your own eyes. Truly, I am in awe." The crimson-haired man smiled down at the young teen. "Your mother must have groomed you well for you to grow beyond your peers."

"That goes for you. Your parents must have nurtured you well for you to inherit an important position."

The man smiles and nods his head.

"Yes. My parents are important for my upbringing. I cannot thank them enough for their contributions and care for their son. They've taught me to achieve my current position."

"...Did your parents teach you to host a guest terribly like this? Or did you neglect their teachings as opposed to having a good son image you're setting yourself now?"

At the statement made against him, the man smiled crookedly as his right eyebrow twitched. Setting to correct things accordingly, he spoke up.

"Don't answer. You've already answered my questions."

The man closed his eyes, his right eyebrow twitching a bit erratically.

"...Considering that you know of my profile, you haven't even introduced yourself. The only thing I know are your questionable mannerisms in ethics. Do you even know how to host exactly?"

Sighing, the man composed himself and reigned in his anger. Though his eyebrow still twitches.

"...Very well. Do forgive my mannerism, my name is Sirzechs Gremory. Currently, Sirzechs Lucifer. That is the title bestowed on me." He introduced himself before he smiled down at the blonde. "As for where you are, Sakamaki Izayoi-kun. You are in a secluded location, the Gremory Territory, in my world, the Underworld."

"Gremory Territory…the Underworld…?"

"I understand your curiosity. You must've heard the Biblical term before."

"I've read about it. I can't say I accept nor deny its existence. The term 'Underworld' must've come from somewhere, right? I'd only acknowledge what they are about since it cannot be proven…—Until now."

Sirzechs raised an eyebrow.

"Am I to be certain that you believe its existence currently?"

"I don't doubt it, nor your words. As I said, the existence of the Underworld isn't so far-fetched when you're exactly at the proclaimed location. At this point, should I even deny everything that is nonsensical now?"

"My, you are really accepting of this. You are displaying quite a maturity to this situation."

"But I don't believe we've addressed the elephant in the room now, is it?"

"...I believe so." Sirzechs only smiles as a response.

"...—Since when?"

"Currently, you are 15 years old. Hm...If I recall back, it would seem…" Sirzechs closed his eyes to think upon the subject. "Yes, if I'm not mistaken, it was years ago. 5 years ago to be exact." He opened his eyes to look at the blonde. "I do believe you've recalled something from that time period?"

"Yeah."

"You've caused quite an uproar amongst the humans from that vicinity yet you've successfully left without any trouble."

"One of your scouts must've been there, I suppose?"

"Yes, there were a few who bore witness to the spectacle. The indescribable incident about the fall of the hydroelectric dam near Itaipu power plant. Luckily, there were no casualties. However, they have to cope with the aftermath and rebuild the dam once more. The incident cannot be explained officially however, the cameras were not functional because they were supposed to get replaced on that day. Everyone couldn't foresee that the fall of the dam was caused by a young child, 10 years of age. Truly enlightening." Sirzechs stifle a small laugh. "When I was first presented with the news of a child with spectacular abilities that are unexplainable by human nature, it immediately caught my interest. Especially so that a human child demonstrated such destructive powers that caused the collapse of a 643 ft dam. I do not believe human children are able to do something impossible like that, or muster the courage even." Sirzechs explained, smiling with ease. "As it stands, you are extraordinary, Sakamaki Izayoi. However, you're anything but a good boy... —A Problem Child, if anything?"

Sirzechs watches the young blonde shrug his shoulders with a nonchalant smile.

"What happened to the structural dam was to answer a child's curiosity. About the Problem Child, I'm not inclined to refute anything against it. It is anyone's preference to call me as such. I don't take any offense against that whatsoever. Although if you know that much about my attitude as a problem child, you must have kept an eye on me ever since…?"

"I do not mean to offend you. I am only satisfying the need to know. From that incident, you may be inclined to believe I have kept a few tabs on you. I assure you my scouts do not operate 24/7. They are only present when you use your supernatural ability. Since they're not monitoring you at all times, they may have missed the showcasing numerous times. You can be rest assured that we do not act proactively to monitor you, Sakamaki Izayoi-kun. Nor do we want to harm you or your family."

"Today is different, ain't it?"

Sirzechs nods, smiling.

"The reason I am acting proactive in seeking you out today is only for an offering. Hence, my invitation in your world to my world. It wouldn't be wise if I met you in your world, is it? I feel I do not have enough credibility to convince you otherwise over there in your world. However, I do believe I have displayed credibility in the Underworld for you to trust my words?" Sirzechs looked towards the blonde for the answer.

"Go on."

"Alright then. Without unnecessary delays," Sirzechs paused, closing his eyes before opening them to look at the blonde with seriousness. "—I am extending an offering towards you, Sakamaki Izayoi-kun—to join my peerage."

"...—No."

"Huh?" Sirzechs uncharacteristically sounded out. His serious expression slipped. He coughed into his hand to compose himself before gesturing towards the young teen. "May I know the reason why?"

"Why would I? You haven't given any explanation as to what a peerage means, nor did you give any kinds of benefits for the need of my participation. In all seriousness, you haven't given much thought into offering things like these, huh? —So far, this isn't doing much for your credibility…" Raising an eyebrow inquisitively, the blonde remarked.

"Oh…Hmph! Well, let me iterate; a peerage is essentially a group of people that are bound towards their King. My peerage consists of a King, Queen, Bishops, Knights, Rooks, and Pawns." Sirzechs weaves his hand in front of him to conjure images that are strikingly reminiscent of chest pieces, albeit with crimson coloring. "You might be familiar with these terms used in a sport called 'chess', is that right? These chest pieces are designated as Evil Pieces, or Devil's Pieces. The number of people the King can bound to themselves is 15 or less. It depends on the compatibility of the Evil Pieces towards the people. Some of them may use both Rook Pieces because of their high compatibility, or they may use up a number of Pawn Pieces if it is suitable. Finally, those who are willing to become a part of a peerage are reincarnated as Devils." Sirzechs paused. "The benefits for one reincarnated as Devils; an extended life span, and the ability to wield Demonic Power per the user's power and imagination. The former is still questionable as to the maximum life span one Devil has, however they can easily outpace hundreds of years or more than that." Sirzechs flourished his hand to the side, causing the images of the Evil Pieces to disappear.

"That would be neat. Living far past a hundred is not unheard of in my world, yet for your kind, I assume it is easily deemed as growing up?"

"We mature as we grow. That is no exception." Sirzechs nods. "However, we do grow at the same pace as humans, albeit with a few exceptions. Devils can express themselves as freely as humans, and that goes for the other species. Happiness, sadness, anger, anguish, and so on. We are not much different from your kind, so to speak."

"Glad to hear that." Izayoi remarked with a small smile. "I believe there is no short of a struggle for the Devils as there is for Humans in this Underworld?"

"We have no shortage of trouble, yes. All of us have our own struggles." Sirzechs said with an empathetic smile. "There is no escape to the problems that we have, and so, we can only overcome them."

"Since you explained everything, I can understand it now. Though I have a few questions, if you will?"

Sirzechs shakes his head with a smile before gesturing for him to continue.

"You're not just an ordinary Devil, right?"

A smile curved upwards on Sirzechs's face.

"You have good intuition, Sakamaki Izayoi-kun. Yes, I am not an ordinary Devil. As you are aware by my title, Lucifer, it is not given to any other ordinary Devils. In my case, it is given to one that has given their all for the Underworld, and has usurped the old system of a government to make changes for a new government in the Underworld… This is why I have been bestowed the title, Lucifer by the people of the Underworld. Hence, I have to do my utmost in ruling over the Underworld as its Lucifer."

"Oho? So, the ruler of the Underworld himself wanted to have an audience with a measly human like myself?" Izayoi smiled up at Sirzechs. "By that itself, another question arises."

"Hm?"

"Why?"

Sirzechs only smiled in response.

"I do not have any conclusive answer as to why. Because it all depends on yourself, Sakamaki Izayoi-kun. I have witnessed your supernatural ability alongside your attitude throughout our conversation as of late. All of that strengthens my resolve to have the opportunity to try and offer you a place within my peerage. It is my interest in possibly having an extraordinary human amongst us, Devils, that drove my resolve and personal interest."

"A peachy answer, don't you think?" A wry smile plastered on the blonde's face at the explanation.

"It is the truth, however."

"Alright, I understand."

"After knowing everything there is, what is your answer?"

Sirzechs gestured his hand at the blonde.

"I don't believe it'll be as easy as you might expect, Sirzechs Lucifer."

"Why is that?"

"Simple. —Show your worth to me." The smile on Izayoi's lips widened. "Show me if you have what it takes to uphold your end of the bargain. Do you think it'll be as easy as offering without any conditions to agree upon? Because I won't accept a plain offering just like that."

"...What is your condition?" Sirzechs asked, an unknown and sickening feeling slowly sprouted in him as his question lay bare.

"If you can make me swear defeat, I'll willingly accept your offering. If not, I'm to be given free reign to explore the Underworld as it is. As compensation for our nice conversation, I put the condition with my defeat. In normal circumstances, I wouldn't put it in if I had a choice."

"...Why?"

"Why? Heh. First of all, why would I lose? —When I'm going to win." A confident yet arrogant smile spread across his face as Izayoi looked at Sirzechs, who all but looked surprised at his proclamation.

"...I see. —Alright, I accept your terms. However, you do know the repercussions of what you're saying right?"

"Why wouldn't I? Anyway, I can't pass up a golden opportunity like this, can I? To fight the Ruler of the Underworld, Lucifer. You've already claimed that isn't a small achievement nor a title deserving for any other ordinary Devil. As a unique kind of Devil, you must be able to measure up to the title, right? Then, let me measure if you're truly what you say."

"...I see. Very well." Sirzechs raises his right hand and conjures a numerical number — 3 — in between and above their heads. "We will begin with a countdown, yes?"

He got his response in the form of a smile.

When Sirzechs lets down his hand, he flicks his fingers together which echoed throughout the vicinity. The sound triggered the countdown of the number.

3

2

1

GO!

—The two combatants did not go as per the announcement. Both sizing each other up as time ticks away. Their eyes stay locked as their breath syncs evenly.

It was but a second—

Sirzechs lost his sight of the blonde.

"In an instant—!?"

His instinct kicked in and Sirzechs looked down, seeing a grin below. His surprise overwhelmed him before he could notice the first blow to his gut by a knee!

"Arghh!"

Sirzechs's eyes widen at the herculean strength behind the force of the blow to his gut. In his surprise, his eyes trailed off the splosh of blood—vomited out his mouth. His surprise turned to shock. He was not able to think before he was launched back, colliding against numerous trees, uprooting them as he sailed across the clearing—until an enormous explosion detonated where he crashed!

The aftershock of the explosion blows out a widespread of furious winds and debris for miles in every direction! At one point, the ongoing debris dispersed upwards instantly after it collided against an invisible force miles across, and the winds unleashed a deafening screeching sound from the collision…!

"As I thought, there's a type of barrier…"

Izayoi stood observing the change in direction of the debris and winds once they hit an invisible wall. From that violent exchange, he noticed a strong and subtle distortion of the barrier fluctuating strongly. "He must have made the barrier to cover a radius for miles ahead. I wonder why?" He glances at the deep trench amongst dispersing clouds in the distance, where the crimson-haired is presumably.

"Ugh…! Cough! Cough!"

At the center of the deep trench, lay the coughing Sirzechs. He laid a knee as he tried to stand up however he was stopped by a series of coughs attacking his throat. He lightly winced with eyes shut amidst the rough coughing before he spit out a glob of blood to the ground. A moment of respite allowed Sirzechs to apply what little medical technique he knew with the manipulation of his Demonic Power. A translucent crimson energy veiled over his body for a time before he felt his breathing even out. Grunting, the crimson-haired stands upright and looks around him, noting the surrounding damages. His eyes focused on the extensive damage for a moment before looking down at his bare stomach, red and tender. A sizable tear had been punctured through the fabric over his stomach courtesy of his combatant earlier.

"To think I had been caught off guard…" Sirzechs bitterly laughed at his momentary surprise earlier. But he could not lay the blame on himself when he was utterly shocked at his combatant's might and strength, so much so—that he had failed to notice the surmountable effect on his body.

He glanced down at the puddle of blood beneath his feet. He stared down at it, aware of the sizable amount of liquid he vomited. A quarter of a liter of blood lay wasted by his feet.

"Cough! How long have… I see my own blood by this much…?" He questioned himself in wonderment even as the puddle of blood combust into crimson flames, evaporating until it was nothing. He lifted his gaze towards the blonde speck in the distance, awaiting him.

"When was the last time I underestimated my opponent?" Sirzechs cracked a smile. "I didn't think I needed to use Demonic Power to lessen the impact, much less preserve myself from pain." He did not have any intention to use his Demonic Power for defensive purposes prior to the fight, when he only wanted to use it offensively only. Now, he had to reconsider his option—if he intends to win. "—Hah, am I getting rusty already…? Haha…" Sirzechs shakes his head out of the negativity. "Even so, his speed is nothing to scoff at all. It might equal Souji's speed…or surmount it by this point? I can trace Souji's speed almost before he struck. Earlier, I just caught him but I couldn't react fast enough to put up resistance until I was struck by Sakamaki-kun. I can tell he optimizes the speed to get the most output out of his strike. His hidden speed combined with his inhuman strength…—how is he a human?"

He had encountered a lot of opponents with a variety of fighting styles, and he took pride in his hand-to-hand combat against the same kind of opponents. Throughout all the years of mastering hand-to-hand combat, he had grown accustomed to analyzing his opponent's punches and kicks—their trajectory, angle, style, momentum and more, not excluding strength.

And so, Sirzechs, after experiencing a blow—an explosion to his gut by a knee, he had already gotten a clue to his opponent's strength at the moment. —He was not at all pleased with what he found.

"—That one blow can certainly rile Sutr for a match or two if given the opportunity for the two to meet. Unfortunately, I'm hard pressed to believe Sutr could come out victorious against him if Sakamaki-kun can deliver that amount of inhuman physical strength in his attacks. Especially, since the fight just started…Truly…"

Sirzechs suppressed wincing at the recollection of the blow to his stomach. He vividly recalled the excruciating pain at the time of the blow. It was anything unlike he had ever experienced, and more. His expectations of his opponent shattered into pieces—for they had exceeded them insurmountably. A single knee to his guts, Sirzechs had learned a lot through that exchange and his thoughts were filled with question upon question. At the moment, his speculations to his own questions cannot be proven however. Amongst the questions filling up his mind, there was one single detail about his opponent that has him puzzled immensely and has correlation to all of the questions he has. He does not have any explanations nor speculations towards that detail. A detail that is a single absurd claim in its own right. His opponent had demonstrated it and he had paid the price shockingly. Amidst the casualties to the surroundings especially to him, Sirzechs gazes forward to the blonde speck in the distance.

Sirzechs' eyes gained realization once he felt the corner of his lips shifted upwards.

"...Amongst all other things, this is turning out to be interesting. Far more interesting than it should be. Nevertheless, I invited myself to see this through." Sirzechs laughed quietly. "Yet, I didn't expect to be hit, nor lost blood in the process." He shakes his head before standing upright with no visible repercussions. "I believe I have allowed my opponent enough to feel leisure…" He smiled, his gaze remained on the blond speck. "More than anything, this is going to turn into an experience unlike any other." No sooner than he finishes, he blinks out of existence, a trailing crimson energy in his leave.

Yawning, the blonde stretches his arm upwards before exercising his right arm in a circle while his left hand stays on the socket of his right shoulder, applying small pressure to get the kinks out from his right arm. He was just stretching before the real battle began.

Sakamaki Izayoi stayed waiting for a healthy amount of time. He stood upright in his spot, unmoved. He was only passing the time for his opponent to move. He did not continue his assault, preferring to wait and observe. His curiosity about his opponent remained, ever since their encounter.

Slowly putting a pause to the exercise, the blonde opened his eyes.

"The title is not a jest, I see." The blonde smiled while Sirzechs stood across from him, appearing in an instant.

"Thank you. It is a surprise however to know there is more to you than your strength." Sirzechs dusted off the dirt staining his attire.

"Here I'd thought you already figured it out. You've all but kept a record of me."

"Or, I will give credit where it's due. You have hidden yourself so much so that the scouts cannot detect anything unusual and can only hone in on your superhuman strength. However, I digress. As I said, we do not monitor you everyday. I believe in the midst of their absence, we really have missed important details. Imagine my surprise that I only found out and I had to experience it firsthand." Sirzechs looks down at the blonde who kept his nonchalant smile.

"...You're getting serious."

"Are you not?"

"No."

At his answer, Sirzechs suppressed surprise yet only raised an eyebrow.

"...Why not?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself?"

"?"

"We haven't started anything yet. You've only had your warm-up, right?" Izayoi smiled while Sirzechs suppressed the twitch at the corner of his lips, recalling his body throttling violently through soil and uprooting trees. "With that out of the way, I only ask of you…"

A slight shift in his peripherals

His instincts roared at him and Sirzechs grunted in pain before his visage drifted to the blonde directly inches in front of him.

He felt a fist to his stomach.

His hand clasped his opponent's wrist tightly.

But he was too little too late.

"Do keep up."

Instantly, Sirzechs flew towards the skies above, breaking the sound barrier!

"He struck again! Even when I wanted to slow him down. He still hits hard despite resistance…!" Sirzechs gritted his teeth as his body flew high up bypassing a few hundreds of meters above the ground before he outstretched his arms.

Swish!

Wings magically appeared on the red head's back with a graceful swipe of his arm outwards. Sirzechs exhaled the breath he had been holding as he slowly stopped his ascent, courtesy of his devil wings generating enough resistance to combat the force against him.

Sirzechs looks down at the speck of blonde on the ground. Until a slight shift in his view causes him to narrow his eyes, managing to catch a glimpse of a fist aimed at his head. Moving his head to the right to dodge the respective fist, Sirzechs clasps his opponent's outstretched arm tightly with his left hand before delivering a fist to his chest.

His fist connected!

Sirzechs deftly looks towards his opponent for any response. The response he received was anything he expected.

A smile lifting up the corners of his opponent's cheeks.

"I must say...I thought you hit harder than this, Lucifer-sama. I even hold still for you. Surely you jest?"

In response, Sirzechs narrowed his eyes as a means to hide his surprise.

"...He's not bluffing. If he did, he is not showing anything amidst his expression now…" Trailing, Sirzechs felt movement on his left hand and he witnessed his opponent gripping onto his left shoulder and flipping over him in a perfect arc. Forced to release his hold on his opponent, Sirzechs turns around in time to block a high arc kick with crossed arms.

Boooom!

A crimson speck instantly crashes towards the ground below—blowing up a mushroom cloud above—whilst digging up a long trench over a considerable distance. Debris and smoke engulfed the crash site.

"...He broke the hold with sheer strength alone…" Sirzechs coughed erratically, applying healing to his chest. He had managed to divert the damage sustained with his arms augmented by his Demonic Power. Unfortunately, his opponent was still able to launch him to the ground in the blink of an eye with a punch. He recalled vividly he had clasped on the blonde's right arm to strictly prevent any kind of movement. With his limb secured, his opponent would have difficulty maneuvering. Yet his opponent easily broke through his tight grasp without any difficulties. "He is still young but he is using his innate power without restriction…"

"—O' Lucifer. Is this all you got? Don't tell me this is the peak of your power?"

"Hm, my young opponent also has a sharp tongue on him." Sirzechs stands up brushing away the dust collected on his attire before he looks over at the blonde standing across him. "Do not worry so much. We barely started. Our match so far, I fear I may have a bit of a disadvantage. A disadvantage that is not accounted for."

"Is that bothering you?"

"No. It is all the more welcoming actually. You may allow me to use everything I have to neutralize you, Sakamaki-kun."

"That sounds better… Don't disappoint now, Lucifer."

"I will gladly surpass your expectations." As he finishes, crimson energy lightly blanketed his whole figure. Sirzechs smiles as he resorts to using a bit of his Power of Destruction, knowing his current physical strength cannot hold a candle to the opponent in front of him. "I, too, have my expectations of you, Sakamaki-kun. Do surpass them."

"—Haven't I surpassed some of them already? Do you believe your loss is one of them? I won't have any arguments if you know your loss in advance…"

"Mm, for a human, you are pretty arrogant. Do humans act like you?"

"Shouldn't you have your answer?"

"...So you are aware."

"Devils co-inhabiting with humans. Who would have thought?"

"...You are far more interesting, Sakamaki-kun." Sirzechs slowly steps forward, his smile widens. "Heh, we should not delay our match any longer, yes?"

He jumps forth towards the blonde!

"You're the one talking too much!"

An excited smile plastered on his face, the blonde jumped ahead towards his crimson-haired opponent!

—The two opponents met—

Booooooooom—!

A catastrophic explosion imploded in the middle of the barren land and stretches across for miles on end—

—Razing—

—Everything—

"Grayfia-chan!"

"I sensed it."

Two women stood ready when the ground beneath them broke apart and rose! Their expressions did not betray their calm facades as they sensed the onslaught of projectiles meeting them.

Projectiles came about in the form of uprooted trees, bushes, along with boulders in different shapes and sizes. Amidst the incoming projectiles, they stood fearless. Just as the women were about to be bombarded however, the black haired woman stepped ahead of the gray haired woman. Twirling a magical wand reminiscent of a magical girl, the woman raises it up high over her head. A giant blue magic emblem appeared on the ground and a massive wall magically rose up menacingly in front of her before branching off to cover their left and right. The height of the wall towered the two individuals considerably and stood absolute. The wall—made entirely out of ice—protected the women against the onslaught of projectiles thrown at them. Trees collided against the wall, breaking off the thick barks, flying past them along with wild bushes before boulders slammed the walls and exploded on contact.

The two women stood resolute behind the confinement of the pristine-looking walls of ice.

The black haired woman looked up, catching sight of small broken shards of ice flying overhead. She looks ahead of the walls of ice, sensing dozens of trees and boulders colliding against the walls, breaking them apart each time they come into contact.

"Serafall-sama."

"Yes, Grayfia-chan?"

"If you may, we should move along. This will not stop anytime soon. We will be stuck here and that will only delay our arrival."

"Right!" The black haired woman twirled around her wand and pointed towards the walls of ice in front of her. A blue insignia appeared over the wand as the walls of ice menacingly moved forward! Both women started walking as the walls of ice moved ahead of them, clearing a path for them to journey closer towards the source of the phenomenon. As they maneuver across the broken and uprooted path, the black haired woman feels it in the air before glancing up.

—Crack—

A giant chunk of ice flew past them, exposing their right side.

Immediately, with a swish, she pointed her wand—blue insignia appearing in tandem!

—Boom!—

A powerful shockwave collided dead against the walls of ice—shattering the weaker and battered sides of the walls!

Both the women that were behind the protection of the walls braced themselves as the furious winds ruffled back their clothing violently. Serafall still held her wand firmly in front of her, eyes squinting, to see ahead. Next to her, Grayfia positioned her right arm over her eyes against the strong currents of pressure.

—Crack!—

"?!"

Suddenly, the ground in between the two women started breaking apart and rising upwards! Unlike the first earthquake earlier, this earthquake shattered the ground and chunks of earth rose up prominently. Despite that, the two did not move away and merely stayed in their spots. As the situation seemed to grow intense by the second, the walls of ice started breaking off chunk by chunk as boulders were throttled against the walls, their impact force empowered by the strong shockwaves. It was at that moment that the walls of ice started growing thicker and taller by a few feet while regenerating the broken parts of the walls and reinforcing them with thicker ice. When the walls of ice were reinforced, the strong currents had stopped affecting both Serafall and Grayfia.

"...This situation is growing dire…" Grayfia looked over her surroundings, observing the land that was breaking apart, trees falling in piles, pieces of land raised up destroying any semblance of a nurtured land. "Sooner or later, this will draw unwanted attention. Attention that is unnecessary in this age of tranquility. We should stop this soon." Grayfia looked over at Serafall who nodded her head in response. She looks ahead with narrowed eyes. "The layout of the land has already been shifted and it will continue until we stop this…—This is beyond normality on a day like this. We are not under attack. If we are, he would be the first to know and confirm it. We would initiate the proper proceedings for that scenario. Yet, that is unlikely in this instance." Grayfia frowned, sensing something amiss as her eyes roamed ahead.

"Grayfia-chan, you knew there was a barrier ahead of us right?" Serafall asked, turning to the gray haired woman. "It's gone now. It went away at the same time as when the shockwave arrived."

"This is no mere coincidence… It is neither an invasion nor does it bear any correlation to a scheduled meeting with his peerage or anyone for that matter. I would know..." Grayfia frowned deeper. "His purpose for keeping a secret like this; in a secluded land and putting a barrier in place infused with his own Demonic Power. One that prohibits anyone from entering and obscuring the identity of the occupants along with the activities held within. When the barrier dissipated, we now know. —Sirzechs-sama. He is not alone."

"Grayfia-chan." Just as Serafall called, there was a powerful current of wind colliding against the walls of ice before another struck! A more ferocious gust than the previous ones!

"Serafall-sama, we must make haste. The opponent Sirzechs-sama is fighting—they are not normal by any means. If not, Sirzechs-sama will not delay a battle by this much. Sirzechs-sama is also using a considerable amount of Demonic Power and his Power of Destruction. —Sirzechs-sama is fighting in all seriousness." Grayfia looked on with narrowed eyes before seeing the walls of ice move forward against the harsh winds as Serafall walked ahead.

Following Serafall with calm steps, Grayfia could only stare ahead where the wisps of smoke rising up in different locations in the distance. She has her assumptions that some of them were from her husband's use of his Power of Destruction. She could sense how much her husband was drawing on. It was beyond normal.

"Sirzechs-sama...—Who are you fighting?"

"After that last exchange, it totaled the barrier. It's all gone now. The skies in the Underworld are not that terrifying in the daytime, after all."

Izayoi looked at the light green skies with white clouds floating by. He breathed in the air, a smile stretched across his lips.

"Were you trying to scare me by creating a fake sky and the atmosphere? Because after that barrier's gone, the whole atmosphere changed."

He looked around the vicinity. Back then, the atmosphere surrounding looked eerie as the crimson skies lit the forest. Now? Under the bright skies, the forest can be seen in clarity. The darkness that blanketed each opening of the forest was vanquished, and light pierced through the forest.

"Well, your scare tactic didn't work. I can tell you that much."

"…I figured as much." Sirzechs responded as he spit out a glob of blood to the ground before promptly burning it to nothingness. "It wouldn't be so terrifying if the settings were clear skies, would it?" He offered a smile.

"True. So, this is the skies you would be greeted with every day in the Underworld? Not bad…"

Izayoi nodded his head in appreciation.

As he stood across Sirzechs, the blonde was relaxed compared to his opponent, who was a bit haggard in his breathing. It was as if the blonde was not at all tired by their fight.

It was because he was not tired, Sirzechs noted.

"To think he can keep up this long in an intensive battle against a Devil…Adrenaline may play a part, but I couldn't see any signs he is tired… Besides his abilities, his endurance is commendable…I may not have been hurt that badly since I can keep up in this phase of the battle. Though I have to use my Power of Destruction as defensive anchors. Each time he destroys a single layer, it diminishes my energy. So far, I can still accept the consumption of energy it requires of me. But…I don't know for how long, if my opponent is not at all phased at this point."

For a Devil like him, Sirzechs could afford to use his Demonic Power for continuous use unlike other Devils that may have passed out by the overconsumption. His endurance in continuous use of Demonic Power was a testament in the war he fought for the peace of the Underworld. He was not deterred at all in this fight to use more than he needed to. Because after all of the years of peace, there has not been a point where his energy levels were low at all. However, today could be different than his spars with his peerage or his other Satan. He felt it. With each defensive layer destroyed, it forced him to use more energy to strengthen it. Surprisingly, the blonde kept destroying them with no effort. Sirzechs was aggressive in the fight but he cannot underestimate his opponent's strength in his punches and kicks. If he was hit with them more, he knew he would be in a rougher state than he was now. It was only due to him reinforcing a defensive armor around him each time it was destroyed by his opponent that allowed him to continue the offensive without worry. But, Sirzechs opted and tried to dodge a lot of the hits taken.

Because when the defensive layer was destroyed, it did not slow the punches or kicks. It was an instantaneous destruction similar to shattering glass before following up with a resounding explosion upon contact from his opponent's punches and kicks.

Each time his armor was destroyed by punches or kicks, he would regenerate it with a burst of his Demonic Power. It was a process of rinse and repeat.

The other reason he was not in a rougher state was because he could heal himself. Because his body needed to be at a state where he cannot be worried about anything that could slow or restrict his movement due to growing pain.

It was unreal.

Sirzechs cannot overstate how powerful his opponent was. He was burning through a lot of his energy over the span of their fight. Although he was not fatigued, and he had healed all of injuries so far, he was not as advantageous as he thought. Since he was burning through a lot of his Demonic Power. Attacking, defending, and healing. All three of those actions required a lot out of him. More than he realized.

"If I had to compare the rate I'm consuming to the rate I used in the war…This is up there…"

It was a long time after the war was over.

Since then, he has grown stronger. Much stronger. His Demonic Power reserves had grown considerably.

But the rate at which he was consuming those exact reserves…

It closely reminded him about his condition during the war. He had to exert a lot of his Demonic Power during those days, and by the end of it, he had begun feeling the side effects of its continuous use. He would rest longer just to recover the feeling of normal usage of his magic. It took days which were uncomfortable for him.

Since this fight reminded him of the war…

—It was not a good sign. Especially when the fight is not ending anytime soon.

"This...—This is getting nowhere." Sirzechs said to himself, brushing the back of his hand over his reddened cheek. In a crouching position, he took a moment to gather his composure. He had discarded his heavy pauldron sometime during the battle to act as a distraction—which did not serve to deter his opponent's advances.

"This is getting nowhere. Are you sure you're giving everything you've got?"

Sirzechs glances up towards his opponent who was smiling at him with a raised brow.

"Should I question your curiosity?"

"Or, a fact that you're trying to hide?"

Sirzechs chuckles before inhaling and exhaling. Silence reigned in as he stayed crouched.

"...We have just met, yet you can see right through me…I am starting to question if I truly am easy to see…" Sirzechs shakes his head. "But I haven't met anyone such as you, Sakamaki-kun. Considering all of the surprises I have faced so far in this battle, it was only a matter of time before my facade slipped gradually. When did you notice?" He raised the question as the red head looked at the blonde who shrugs his shoulders with a nonchalant expression.

"You weren't going to be serious at the start. You were however tried to play the part throughout the battle. You've used a variety of techniques that could obliterate anyone with that Power of Destruction. Unfortunately, I'm not just anyone." The blonde explained, recalling the red head initiated hand-to-hand combat infused with his Demonic Power, before using his Power of Destruction midway into the battle whilst displaying tremendous control in its usage. He had been impressed at the Power of Destruction as the red head began to be aggressive in utilising it to cast a scratch on him. The red head's efforts were in vain however, because he did not sustain any kind of scratches nor injuries so far into the battle. Though, he cannot say the same thing about the condition of his hoodie and shirt, showcasing the few large rips over his stomach and its sleeves. "Just recently, you've held back for some odd reason. I'd like to know why."

There was a moment of silence afterwards.

Then he felt them. Two energy signatures that he was familiar with.

Sirzechs smiled.

"...Yes, I have not encountered anyone such as you, Sakamaki-kun. Mm, that may be the reason...—Alright, I commend your fighting prowess so far, Sakamaki-kun and I trust that you will not stop in your endeavors about my lacking performance. However, there is a reason I held back." Sirzechs looks up at the blonde, and notices the condition of his opponent that remained ever so unscathed. Then, he smiled. "I was still contemplating holding back. Yes, you've seen that I have been aggressive and all. Despite that, I was still contemplating. Because no one has ever been able to withstand and take on the Power of Destruction I wield. In essence, I still hesitated to use the advanced form of the Power of Destruction because I didn't know if you can handle them. I always hold back. There is a reason why this is called the Power of Destruction. I never did give it my all. —Because no one had to make me. Until you."

Sirzechs stands up from his crouching position and addresses the blonde.

"...In all fairness, it seems I am not as fair as I should be. I gave my word and I do not intend to respond with ill manners. And so, Sakamaki-kun—I will not hold back anymore."

"I wager that you'd want to end it now… before any interruptions?"

The blonde gestured his right thumb over his shoulder. He could sense the approaching visitors for a while.

Offering a smile, Sirzechs subtly nods.

"...You are more observant than you look, Sakamaki-kun. Do you have any objections to it?"

"How could I say no?"

"Thank you."

Just as he gave his appreciation, he raised his hand at the blonde. Summoning forth a portion of his Demonic Power at will, Sirzechs smiled, deciding which form of attack he wanted to test against his opponent. A very durable opponent.

"I haven't had this much fun experimenting since I sparred against Ajuka. His advice regarding creating variations of my Power of Destruction can spur creativity from time to time. It is true…I have time to improve. Especially when I encounter an opponent like this…It looks like I have to be more creative." Sirzechs thought. "It's been a while since I had to use this, but Sakamaki Izayoi…is a worthy opponent."

"?" Izayoi raised his eyebrow as his vision was blocked by crimson. He blinked and looked around; realizing the red barrier around him, encasing him whole. Then, tiny red spheres materialize all around him. The blonde looked across at Sirzechs, who only offered a smile. The presence of the red barrier was the only thing separating them.

"Looking at these spheres and this barrier…I gotta say, an impressive concept."

"What do you think?" Sirzechs lifted up his right hand as the tiny spheres within the barrier started moving side to side. "Those spheres, tiny as they are, they're denser than their predecessors. In an enclosed space, they will attack the target and rebound. Each time they rebound, their speed multiplies for each rebound. Besides its manipulation, there is no effort exerted to control where they move unless I willed them so." Sirzechs explained. "In this case, I don't think I should stress myself over them, yes?" As soon as he asked, he snapped his fingers and the red spheres instantly shot towards the blonde.

"I applaud your creativity but I don't think you realized it yet. —Oh well, this is good practice."

Sirzechs' eyes narrowed. He watched the blonde change his stance with his fists at the ready just before the nearest sphere reached him. Similar to a boxer, the blonde punches the nearest tiny sphere, destroying it. His eye drifted to the right, and he elbowed the next sphere out of oblivion. His eyes drifted down, and he took the hit from a sphere to his knee and it rebounded back towards the wall. He destroyed it before it had a chance to touch the wall. A smirk stretched across as his movements to destroy each sphere became faster with each next movement. As this was happening, Sirzechs could only look on in suppressed shock.

It took roughly milliseconds. Over 30 tiny spheres were destroyed in that span of time.

"You must know, whether you made them sphere denser or faster, they're only practice targets to me. But I have to commend your creativity. If I was anyone else, they might be in trouble. Now, for this barrier…"

Sirzechs' eyes widened a smidge as the sound of shattering resounded in the area. The red head looked towards the blonde standing with his right arm outstretched to the side while shreds of fabric drifted past.

"How is he human again—? There's not a single scratch on him even when he got hit by some spheres. —Was that on purpose? He destroyed all of the others in such a short time too… Did he purposely want to test their piercing strength in spite of his capability to clear the rest? Most of the spheres did not have the time to rebound until they got destroyed…—Truly, I am dumbfounded beyond belief…" Sirzechs thought before he focused on the blonde. "This leaves no other options—Ugh?!"

A firm hold over his shoulder causes him to look down at his opponent. His brief contemplation left him open.

A smirk casting his lips as the blonde uttered his next words.

"Let's end it, Lucifer."

"Argh?!"

Sirzechs barely put his guard up against the fist colliding against his chest before he sailed towards the sky. His vision captures the image of the redden sky before catching the glimpse of his blonde opponent appearing above him. Grimacing at the pulsing pain at his chest, the crimson Satan smiles grimly.

"...—Why didn't you end this earlier? You've already brought me to my knees on a few occasions."

"—The answer's simple. I want to see if you're not all talk, Lucifer. I cannot seem to decide—If you are a jester or a ruler befitting of the position. If you are the so-called ruler of the Underworld, why don't you show me the overwhelming power of one?!"

"—As I said, there is a reason why." Devil wings spread outwards from Sirzechs's back. "The level of control it demands of its user...It's not one to be trifled so easily." He answered before he caught his opponent by the shoulder. "But I understand your question, Sakamaki-kun. —Therefore, I would like to answer your question properly." Just as he paused, the blonde watched a bright light glowed outwards from Sirzechs. "As one who wears the crown on top of his head as the ruler of the Underworld!"

Opening his eyes, Izayoi came upon the sight of Sirzechs—cloaked and radiated with the Power of Destruction. It was unlike anything he had ever seen of his crimson-haired opponent. It was the Power of Destruction in human form, if he was to simplify it. He could feel it radiate a burn effect up close. Izayoi promptly grinned at the transformation.

"Does this answer your question, Sakamaki-kun?" Sirzechs asked as a small crimson sphere materialized behind him before two more spheres followed.

The grin on the blonde's expression did not deter and only widened.

"You're not holding anything back, eh?" He asked before hundreds of crimson spheres appeared simultaneously all around the skies around the two combatants. "It's nice to see you're trying at least."

"Haha...I have a reputation to uphold, you see. You are a formidable opponent, Sakamaki-kun, however for me to be bested by a human…? My ego and pride will not allow it either. Not to mention, I would lose all credibility if I did."

Sirzechs pulled back his remaining hand as the Power of Destruction gathered to his left hand, condensing its energy and turning the energy around his hand into a deep crimson.

"This was an enjoyable fight, Lucifer. But I don't have any plans to lose."

Across the red head, the blonde pulls back his right fist whilst holding onto his opponent's right wrist that clutched his right shoulder. Just as he had pulled back his fist, all —hundreds— of the crimson spheres honed in and promptly shot themselves towards the blonde. Undeterred at the incoming danger, Izayoi punches his fist forward with a victorious grin.

There is only one outcome out of this.

One true victor.

Sakamaki Izayoi was unshaken against Sirzechs Lucifer of the Underworld. While it is a title than most yet it signifies something much more. A worthy opponent. More than that, his blood was boiling with excitement after a long absence. It was now, or never.

"Heh, show me your worth, O' Lucifer! Are you a winner or a loser—?!"

The ensuing collision bathed everything in white and crimson…

—A cataclysmic explosion rocked the area—!

"Wh-What in the world?! Woah!?"

"This! Serafall-sama!" Grayfia signaled the black haired who all but summoned a thick wall of ice over 10 feet high. After Serafall conjured the wall, Grayfia quickly fortified their defenses, casting a large barrier around the two, cocooning them both. "Do not let your concentration slip!" She cautioned the other woman.

No sooner did Grayfia finish casting the barrier—they were struck instantly—a vicious shockwave and powerful gale of wind smite the wall of ice—breaking the top half of the wall and shattering it into small fractions of ice as they all blew past them. Serafall winced at the abrupt and ferocious blow to her ice wall. Her wand glowed brighter as the ice wall started regenerating instantaneously to endure against the onslaught of pressure and force of the hurricane! The barrier casted by Grayfia held strong yet rippled in response when it came in contact with both forces as the walls of ice had absorbed most of the damage in place of the barrier.

"What is happening…? I sensed Sirzechs-chan's Destruction Power a moment ago… He used a lot of it…!" Enduring, Serafall looked ahead with wide eyes. Meanwhile, Grayfia narrowed her eyes at the overwhelming force behind the shockwave.

It was a while before the harsh gale subsided and Grayfia dematerialised the barrier. Once the barrier vanishes, Serafall waves her wand over the remnants walls of ice, exploding them into tiny particles of ice. The two women slowly walked forward before they stopped a good distance ahead, unable to continue onwards. Why?

Their journey was halted—by the disappearance of the path ahead. The two women shared a look with each other before they looked ahead—the path had been broken off due to the immense impact earlier. As the smoke dissipated bit by bit, they could see the broken path resembled that of a cliff. Serafall moved up to stand at the edge of the cliff.

"...Grayfia-chan, did this really happen…?" Serafall asked in awe looking down the edge of the cliff before peering over at the dissipating smoke covering the entire area where they were supposed to journey according to the previous path. Her eyes widened in shock when the smoke had dissipated enough for her to see the sight in front of her. "Grayfia-chan…Are you seeing this right now…?"

"Yes, Serafall-sama. I am seeing it now." Both Grayfia and Serafall stood on the edge of the cliff as they looked on at the sight—of a gigantic crater spanning for miles, with a depth mirroring roughly the same distance. In the middle of their observation around the area, Grayfia looked downwards at the epicenter of the crater while Serafall scoured the area with an awe look. "...He is down there."

Serafall turned towards her silently, her expression turned somber as her eyes gained a glint of seriousness. She shifted her attention towards the center of the crater, and stopped.

"Grayfia-chan. —Standing over Sirzechs-chan…"

"Yes…"

"Sirzechs-chan is not moving!" She exclaimed in a hushed tone.

"He is still breathing, Serafall-sama, although barely…"

"Then, let's get going!"

Immediately, they both jumped down and glided across the side of the crater on their feet. It was a moment before they heard a voice amplified by the depth of the crater.

"—Tell me, Lucifer…"

A voice echoed within the crater as both women looked down towards the blonde standing over the unmoving Sirzechs. The shirt worn by the blonde was in tatters, with rips over his pants. Despite the condition of his attire, the blonde looked unharmed, mostly untouched. The reveal of his upper body was the culprit. Other than that, he did not look winded in the least, which shocked both Serafall and Grayfia. The latter mostly due to the close relationship between her and the downed Lucifer. .

"A young man…For as young as he is, he is… unscathed—? That is simply impossible...Considering who his opponent is…—Sirzechs-sama, is this why you kept yourself in secrecy today of all days?" Grayfia thought to herself, recalling the behavior of the former Gremory heir today, who kept to himself and had disappeared in her absence while she took the time to bring tea. Usually, she would know what kind of business Sirzechs would have since he would have shared with her ahead of time. Until today.

She shifted her attention towards the mysterious identity of the blonde. She cannot dismiss the sight before her as reality had set itself in front of her. The mysterious blonde young man was the opponent who fought against Sirzechs, and was the one that she had barely sensed when the barrier broke apart a while ago. She expected someone—using magic most of the time, and not an individual who did not give any presence similar to a…

Suspicions arose within her at the character of the blonde and his identity alongside his relations towards the former Gremory heir. However, Grayfia had to begrudgingly accept reality as it is because she had come to understand the scenario and pieced all of it together for the big picture. —Her husband, one of the four Satans, the ruler of the Underworld, one of the strongest Devils she had known—had been solely defeated at the hands of the young blonde.

"Your ego aside, do you admit your defeat?"

"...In all seriousness…...—are you asking such a question...right now?" Sirzechs asked. His breathing —shallow— yet it started becoming clearer as he converted his Demonic Power into healing himself. His humanoid Power of Destruction form had all but dissipated a while back, reverting him back to his base form currently. He laid down at the epicenter of the gigantic crater, arms and legs spread outwards. His suit and pants in shreds. At the center of his chest was bloodied and a pool of blood had accumulated beneath him at the exposition of his wound yet he had closed it off in time. "...Yes, my ego aside...—I admit my defeat, Sakamaki-kun." Sirzechs admitted with a smile whilst looking up at the green skies. He felt relaxed. The battle soothed his body afterwards. It had been a long time since he had used any extensive form of his Power of Destruction. It was almost satisfying in a way, but the core issue still remains. The ugly feeling of defeat washed over him.

"When was the last time I was defeated in battle…Have I ever? I better ask Ajuka about this…"

Sirzechs looked at his condition with a tilt of his head downwards.

"Throughout the battle, he destroyed my Power of Destruction with ease. The same result came about with that new technique too… I would've thought my condition would be worse… this will do when it shows the victor in our battle."

Sirzechs tilted his head back to look at the skies. He took a deep breath slowly.

"...I do not have any words…Haha—to think I have been soundly defeated? I have been defeated against…—a human. Have the times passed that quickly? A human to triumph over me… Truly unfathomable…"

"Ironic, eh?"

"It is. It is truly ironic… However, I cannot help but wonder...you could've killed me. Yet, you didn't."

"Why should I? You're not worth killing."

"Ouch…that kind of stings…"

"Anyway, you haven't forgotten your words, have you?"

"...Ah…I see. Heh, no, I have not forgotten."

"As per the conditions."

"Yes…as per the conditions. Though it would take a while…until I have recovered… to give you proper help, Sakamaki-kun."

"Let's go then. You wouldn't want to lay here to recover, right?" The blonde extended a hand towards Sirzechs who looked at the gesture in surprise. "I can see that your title is not for show only. This is the least I can do after an entertaining battle with you, O'Lucifer." He offered a smile to the crimson haired Lucifer.

"...I cannot argue with you, Sakamaki-kun." Sirzechs chuckled before he slowly raised his left hand to take the extended hand. Sirzechs stopped when his eyes looked past the blonde. "Unfortunately…I don't think you have the luxury to offer help right now…" An apologetic smile was plastered on his face.

"Hm?"

Turning around, Izayoi looks up, noticing medium-sized icicles flying straight towards him.

"I can assume they are not yours?"

"No. Uh, I almost forgot they're here…" Sirzechs laid his head down and sighs, reprimanding himself in his mind. "They must have misunderstood your approach."

"Sure is. Though, I wouldn't have it any other way." Izayoi replied casually before turning his body sideways, evading the icicles aimed to strike his right shoulder. The icicles flew overhead of Sirzechs who glanced at his right, seeing a boot blocking his sight. He offered an apologetic smile at the owner of the boots.

Izayoi moved forward to avoid a few icicles before glancing at both sides, and raised both of his hands. Closing his eyes, he clenches his hands onto the objects and stops them within inches from piercing his body. He promptly stabbed them into the ground and turned around before a magical wand was poked into the center of his chest.

"Who are you? Why did you harm, Sirzechs-chan?" Serafall asked with a frown. Her eyes glaring straight at him. She looked at him from top to bottom with a pointed glare. From her brief look, the blonde did not look intimidated by her. All in all, she looked too cute to be intimidating.

Meanwhile, the blonde sneakily looked past the woman towards Sirzechs seeing a gray haired woman attending to his wounds. Moving his focus on the woman in front of him, he noticed the glowing wand near his chest before looking at the getup of the newcomer.

Serafall looked unnerved at the stare and her cheeks warmed at the intensity of the stare before she pokes him in the chest.

"What are you looking at?" She asked, retaining her glare. However, there was not much heat within those orbs.

"...—Nice cosplay outfit."

"...—Oh really?!" Serafall asked, smiling, discarding her glare before she twirled around, her skirt fluttering along with her movement before she ended her pose with a wink. "Thank you! I made it myself!"

"I'm impressed. You've got an eye for cosplay." Izayoi nodded with an amused smile.

"Thank you!"

"Serafall-sama."

"Oh!" Grayfia's voice snapped Serafall into reality before she pointed her glowing wand and resumed glaring towards the blonde, who raised his hands as a sign of surrender. "Uee…Do you think I don't know what you're scheming? You were trying to distract me."

"Nope. I just gave you honest compliments of mine about your deep appreciation of cosplaying." He responded back. "Don't you like compliments? Should I withdraw them then?"

At the response, Serafall was torn to reply but she kept her tense expression and focused on him. Her eyes narrowed in scrutiny yet a pout was visible on her lips. "...You don't have to withdraw them." She murmured towards him where her voice could only be heard by him. "I like compliments, and...—thank you…" By the time she gave her appreciation, her cheeks colored light pink as she sent a small grin to the blonde.

"Good thing. Because I won't withdraw them either way. You took effort to create and wore them casually. If that doesn't show commitment and dedication, I do not know what is."

Serafall looked into his eyes as he complimented her again. She stared for a while before she blinked and regained her sense of self. At her self-realization, she pouted. Pushing the slight confusion at her awkward moment to the back of her mind, Serafall mock glared at the blonde.

"Hmph!...Are you sure you're not scheming something…?" Serafall asked, suspicion reflecting from her eyes. She looks left and right sneakily. Then looks directly at him. "I'm no idiot! I'll uncover everything before you can hurt Sirzechs-chan anymore." Her tone turned serious by the end of her sentence.

"—Nope. There is no scheming behind the scene. What do I gain exactly? You got me cornered. Would I try anything against you in this situation?" Izayoi confessed with a casual look as realization dawned on Serafall and she duly nodded her head at his claim.

"Yeah, that's true…" Serafall smiles at him pointing her glowing wand and poking his chest. "I got you cornered!"

At her innocent and cheerful outlook, the blonde smiled with mirth in response.

"Serafall-sama. Please do not entertain his words." Grayfia's voice cut through the conversation between the two. "In regard, do not let your guard down. We do not know his identity nor his purpose here. With that said, he has made quite a show in his introduction to the Underworld. A shame that no one is here to see it. Seeing as he has soundly defeated Sirzechs-sama in a one-sided battle." Her stoic demeanor and tone causes Sirzechs to look at his wife silently. He looked surprised at her betrayal. He stared at her for a moment before opening his mouth.

"...Uh, do you have to word it as such? It was not a one-sided battle per say…" Sirzechs chuckled with a crooked smile as Grayfia looked at him pointedly and continued her ministrations of healing his injuries.

"I do not know why you're looking so carefree. Clearly I meant what I say, Sirzechs-sama. Or, did you forget you sustained the most injuries and one of those may have been fatal? Meanwhile, your opponent came out without so much as a scratch to his body."

"Aha…—You do not have to mince words like that also…" Sirzechs awkwardly chuckled yet fell silent when he noticed the pointed stare of his wife on him. "I… stand corrected… But I'm not carefree…! It's just…I've learned to accept it…" He silenced himself when his wife applied pressure on his chest as she heals it. "It is what..it is…alright…? —Even I can't believe it myself…!—" Another application of pressure on his chest shuts his mouth, along with a glare from his wife. He coughed and whistled as he looked up to the skies, choosing to not speak unless he wanted to feel the silent wrath of his partner more. "Yeah, I don't think hiding things from her work so well in the end, for me…"

"And so, Serafall-sama, do not be tempted to let your defenses down."

"Y-Yes, Grayfia-chan!" Serafall answered as she retained her glare towards the blonde yet her attempt on doing so, failed to be anything less than displaying a cute pout with a semi glare. "Don't try anything alright?" She pointed out as the blonde kept his hands in surrender while maintaining a casual look to his boyish look. The atmosphere became silent with Grayfia attending to Sirzechs whilst a silent stare off between Izayoi and Serafall commenced.

Then, the silence was broken by the black haired magical girl.

"...How could you hurt Sirzechs-chan? That's so mean of you!" She exclaimed with a frown.

"He knew the consequences when he permitted the fight. Now, can you please not subject me with anger? It doesn't go well with you."

"Huh?! Why not? Am I not intimidating to you? I'm a Satan just like Sirzechs-chan! You should be very scared of me!" Serafall claimed with a proud smile and cute expression.

"…Yeah, I'm quite scared. Though it's good to know something about you. You're open-minded to share something when you're supposed to withhold any information from your supposed prisoner."

"…Mou!" She shakes her head to clear off her reddened cheeks. "Hmph! You're teasing me! Don't tease me!" She pouted angrily.

"Oho? Am I teasing you? I'm only speaking what's in my head and giving you nothing but honesty. How can I help myself?"

"Mou...I'm keeping my eye on you…" Serafall's eyes narrowed at him before a blue insignia glowed in existence beneath him. "You don't mind staying put right?" She asked, smiling in victory as ice sealed his legs up to his knees. "And...that too!" The icicles stabbed onto the ground on both of his sides had dispersed, and the particles gravitated towards his hands and froze them into blocks of ice. Then, both his hands snapped themselves together like a magnet.

"If it makes you happy." The blonde remarked nonchalantly, appearing to not be bothered by her gesture. He understood the situation, even when he felt the icy cold temperature permitted from the ice slowly creeping up on him.

"Thank you." Serafall answered with a delightful smile. "Grayfia-chan, I've got him to surrender!" She called and waved towards the grey haired.

"Serafall-sama…" Grayfia muttered, shaking her head at her antics.

"She is not at fault. Strangely, she seems keen to him." Sirzechs commented, casting a glance towards his fellow Satan attending to the blonde.

At first, Grayfia did not say anything. She continued administering healing to her husband. When she saw his wound slowly close up and there was not a single drop of blood dripping down from the wound, she slowed the healing. The magic emblem over his closed wound lazily spun, applying healing to the tender skin.

"…What of your interest in him, Sirzechs-sama?"

"...I do not intend to hide it from you at first. I wanted to tell you after my supposed victory…But that didn't work out so well… That boy…He is an extraordinary individual. I had to...—put him to the test—."

"Is that it?"

"Hah… The test was to integrate him into the peerage if I won."

At this, Grayfia raised a dainty eyebrow at her husband. The piece of information surprised her.

"Since when have you taken such interest…?"

"Roughly five years ago."

"Five years ago…...It was around that time…was it about the destruction of the dam…?"

"Yes." Sirzechs answered as Grayfia stared at her husband. She had heard of that particular incident from her husband. Her husband had watched the news when his scouts reported to him. She was not privy to the details but she was curious what interested her husband in the incident. Her husband merely responded to her innocent inquiry as the cause to be of natural causes. That did not satisfy her curiosity so much since her husband looked focused on the news. She did not know what made her husband interested in that particular news in the human world, when it was reported that the dam had been at the tail end of its lifespan, or so it seemed. There was no video footage available at the time when she had time to research it. Fortunately, there were no casualties. So, she had left the topic behind and continued on with her life.

"…The collapse of the dam…You know something I did not at that time…"

"It was a chance encounter for my scouts. After you left, I had them give the footage about the collapse. Sorry about that… Sirzechs smiled apologetically.

"It is odd that the scouts reported the incident as such. But I didn't stick around to find out…right?"

"Yes. If you—Uuu…!"

Grayfia had pinched his right cheek and twisted it. A passive smile on her face, which Sirzechs chuckled awkwardly.

"…I believe—I deserved that."

"Yes, you did."

"If you knew the whole story, you wouldn't agree to this fight when my life would be on the line…would you?"

Grayfia did not answer as she stared at her husband's eyes.

"…My purpose is to protect you, Sirzechs-sama. You and my family."

"Yes. That is why I didn't let you in on the secret. There were a couple of times I wanted to tell you though…I should have."

"I understand, Sirzechs-sama. You knew what I would do, and I have to agree with your assessment. But as your wife, it would be better if I was at your side instead. Whether I agree or not, we would discuss it extensively. It is a bit… difficult to see you hurt like this… but I understand the risk you're taking. You would never do things unless you're confident about it. This is no exception."

"I should have told you…" Sirzechs smiled at his wife.

His wife smiled gently at him.

"You should have. But I forgive you. It's a good thing that your head has not sustained any injuries. That would not be advisable.

"It's a good thing my opponent didn't do that right? My face would not be as good looking to you—"

Sirzechs suffered another twist of his cheek.

"You're still injured, and you can still crack a joke…?" Grayfia shakes her head but her smile remains. "Continuing our topic earlier about the dam… since it appears to be related to the young man…—I reckon the dam did not collapse naturally…is it?"

"Mm…You're looking at the direct cause of it."

Grayfia glanced over at the blonde. She had already moved on with her life but the incident stayed at the back of her mind because of her husband's interest in the incident. She did catch him reading about that particular news a couple of times but she did not catch anything interesting and she ignored it in the end. She did not know the true story until now.

"Can you imagine a 10 year old human child causing such a feat…? It's incredulous. He's also not in possession of a Sacred Gear. He has no such artifact on him."

Sirzechs shakes his head in disbelief.

"And five years later, you instigated a battle against that child turned young man—who defeated and almost killed you in battle…"

Sirzechs became sour.

"…Hah… I didn't know how strong he was, Grayfia. He is a human, after all…Humans are impressive in their own right. They can do whatever they want, albeit at a lesser capacity than us." He explained. He recalled the technology and infrastructures of the Human World. They can build cities, skyscrapers, houses, plus anything that they needed and wanted. "But humans are frail physically. They can be hurt easily. This young man—is unlike any human I ever met. He defies that frail notion. —Against my Power of Destruction…it did not land a scratch on him nor made him lose a single drop of blood. It was useless. That was the moment I realized that I could resort to my most extreme techniques. As you can see…" Sirzechs look around the deep crater. "He not only can destroy my power, he could also bend it and redirect it back, two times the power…"

"Sirzechs-sama…"

"There is not enough praise to be had for this young man. He is one-of-a-kind."

Sirzechs took a deep breath and tried stretching his arms above his head.

"You know I had to resort to using that form, and it didn't put a scratch on him… Looking back, it's kind of refreshing… —There is someone stronger than me.— That's a revelation I hadn't experienced before in a long, long time…"

A look of peace settled upon Sirzechs' face. He then felt the touch of his wife on his cheek.

"You seemed at peace with that…

"Because I know what to do now."

"…I will prepare the training ground for you and your peerage."

Sirzechs nodded.

"Now, you said you used that form… Are you alright, Sirzechs-sama? Exerting the effort to control that kind of form while you are far from mastering it...That cannot be without consequences." At the look of concern on Grayfia, Sirzechs smiled reassuringly.

"Fortunately, I did not use it past the time, and I suffered no less than fatigue. But...I had to resort to using it. If there is a possibility that I could add him into the peerage, I would. Yes, you might be asking why… —I understand he has a life in the Human World, and I cannot coerce someone to be a part of my peerage. Just like any other Devils. When he brought up the wager to battle,—I was reluctant. How can a human defy the insurmountable odds against battling a Devil? Let alone one ranked as a Satan?"

"… Until he defied those odds."

Sirzechs nodded to his wife.

"Why are you pushing yourself towards this goal? What made you seek him out?"

"The Underworld has lived in a state of peace for some time. Amidst the peace, there comes a time where we will be tested. He is a failsafe, so to speak."

"Would he find this agreeable?"

"He seems interested in all of this…" He offered a sheepish smile.

"Sirzechs-sama."

The crimson Satan grasped his wife's hand on his cheek.

"Don't worry. I will ask him when the time comes. If it does come. I hope it doesn't."

"You're seeking his help for a tall order. What kind of human would lend aid to something beyond him?"

"…He is a human. But he's different. How can someone have confidence offering a battle against me of all people, and they —won? —Yes, we can't predict the future. So I want to do whatever I can to preserve the peace we have in the Underworld. In time, I will seek out his help. Whether he accepts it or not…we just have to find out."

Sirzechs look up at the skies to release a breath.

"Other than that, I was entertained by our fight that I might be able to befriend such an individual despite his attitude." He chuckled before his thoughts drifted to another reason of his interest which influenced him to seek out the blonde. "...Lastly, I thought Rias-tan might want a new friend, if given the opportunity. He's the same age as her, you know?"

At the mention of her sister in-law, Grayfia narrowed her eyes.

"…Is that the only reason…? I understand the previous reasons however, the involvement of Rias in this matter…Is that all there is? To find a new friend? Or...is it for some other matter?"

Grayfia looked him in the eye, searching for the truth. Because when the topic of her sister in-law came up from his mouth, she knew he was serious. However, she also knew he was hiding something. "A friend for Rias-sama… Could it be…?" Grayfia had an inkling as to Sirzechs' statement. She then focuses on her husband who seemed to smile at her contemplation.

"… If given the opportunity, I would like for them to get acquainted at the very least. However, it would be good if they are friends. Beyond that, I cannot say. They…"

"They just have to find that out themselves, yes?" Grayfia continued as Sirzechs nodded. "I understand, Sirzechs-sama." Grayfia nods her head and keeps her eyes trained on him. "Sirzechs-sama, as always...You're afraid for her future. —As do I." She thought before casting a look over her shoulder towards the young blonde conversing with Serafall. "—He is a potential prospect…" She turned back to her husband, looking over all of the wounds and determining they had been sufficiently taken care of. She lets down her hands, the insignia to heal vanishes with the action before she confirms his condition to her husband, who responds with a thankful smile.

"Don't! Don't tease me!" A magical wand comically hits the blonde over the head as Serafall kept complaining with a whine.

"Is that considered teasing? Complimenting your overall compatibility in a cosplay dress as a magical girl?"

"You looked like you're teasing. I can see it on your face!"

"Oh? My mistake. I should have been more discreet." With a devious smile on his face, the blonde was assaulted by a couple of hits to his head by the magical wand.

"See!" Serafall pouted as Izayoi let out a laugh.

"But I stand on what I said; you look the part of a magical girl." Izayoi smiled as Serafall scrutinized him with narrowed eyes whilst her magical wand glows, preparing to impart an icy punishment. "Did anyone tell you anything close to what I've said thus far?"

"Yes! —But..." Serafall paused with startling realisation as she did not know how to justify. "But they didn't say it like you…" She murmured under her breath.

"What is that…?" Izayoi probed as Serafall looked up at him and smiled.

"Nothing! It's different, that's all. But I appreciate them all the same."

"Weird. But they didn't say it like you. I could have sworn—"

"Mou! You heard it all along didn't you?!" Serafall whined to the blonde who only smiled in suppressed amusement.

"What do you mean?" He responded coyly.

"Mou! Meanie!" Serafall pouts as she raises her magical wand, and continues hitting the blonde on his head, venting out her anger towards him whilst the blonde casually takes the hits.

—Crack!

"...Huh?" Serafall looked down at the broken half of her magical wand and the other half lying on the ground. She looked at the two broken halves with wide eyes while the blonde looked on at the scene. It was a moment after when Serafall looked up.

The blonde noticed the build up of tears at the corner of her eyes. Then, Serafall sniffles before she withdraws her head back—and cries!

"—My m-magical wand! ...I-It's...It's broken!"

"Serafall-sama." The sound of Grayfia's voice caused Serafall to turn towards her and show her the broken half within her hand.

"Wh-What do I do, Grayfia-chan…?!"

"Serafall-sama, you're one of the Great Satans. Have you not encountered this problem before?"

"N-No…"

"Oh dear…" Grayfia kneels down next to Serafall and collects the other broken half on the ground. "Do you have any substitutes, Serafall-sama?"

"No…"

"…We will have to search for a new one. Is that alright, Serafall-sama?"

"...O...Okay." Serafall whimpered.

Standing next to Grayfia, Sirzechs smiled at his wife before he proceeded to walk towards Izayoi. When he stood in front of him, the blonde looked up at him.

"Hard-headed are you?"

"Hence, your loss…?"

"..." Sirzechs looked at him impassively with a twitching eyebrow. "I shouldn't have asked…"

"You're the one who accepted. I only comply." Izayoi smirked as Sirzechs sighs. "Hey, Sirzechs. It wouldn't be a problem if we delay the exploration?"

"Hm?"

"Apparently, I caused a problem indirectly." Izayoi answered before turning to look towards Serafall, kneeling on the ground with tears falling over her cheeks, fretting over the broken magical wand.

Hearing his voice, Serafall looked up at Izayoi. Her eyes connected with his as her tears fell.

"I plan to resolve it before we get to the exploration of this Underworld. That wouldn't be a problem is it? Surely, I can offer my company so long as you get your wand fixed."

Serafall looked eyed wide at the blonde.

"I do not see any problems with that." Sirzechs shakes his head with a pleasant smile. "Grayfia." He turned to his wife who stood up and addressed him. "Although I didn't expect a confrontation with Sakamaki Izayoi-kun, it was agreed upon between us as a form of wager. If I win, Sakamaki Izayoi-kun will join my peerage voluntarily, whereas if I lose, he is to be granted full access to explore the Underworld as he likes. Those are the conditions we agreed upon. Unfortunately, I lost to Sakamaki Izayoi-kun." Sirzechs smiles indignantly, a slight strain on the corner of his lips. Meanwhile, Serafall looked wide eyed at the blonde, recalling that he had won in the wager.

"As I told him prior to the battle." Izayoi chimed in, smiling nonchalantly. His nonchalant expression grates on the nerves of the crimson-haired.

"…Yes…" Sirzechs sighs with eyes closed. However, his right eyebrow twitches despite the indignation. Opening his eyes, he looked towards his wife. "As such; Sakamaki Izayoi-kun is an esteemed guest of mine. Regardless of my defeat, he has earned himself an invitation to the Underworld, especially the opportunity to explore its vast territories and cities if he wishes. Do treat him nicely, Grayfia." He informed her with a smile as Grayfia looked at him for a moment before she bows her head.

"At your behest, Sirzechs-sama. As of this moment, I will accompany both Sakamaki-sama and Serafall-sama on the trip to recover Serafall-sama's magical wand. In my absence, can you attend Millicas, Sirzechs-sama?" As a response, Sirzechs nods.

"Everything is settled then. Grayfia will give you a tour at the same time as you start your exploration in the Gremory Territory." Sirzechs explained as Izayoi nodded.

"It is a good starting point."

".…Wh…Why are you helping me?"

Everyone looked towards Serafall who sat down on the ground and looked straight towards Izayoi who turned to her. Her voice was laced with curiosity as she hugged the broken half of the magical wand to her chest.

"—You're crying. You're calling for help, —and I'm answering your call. Do you think I'll leave things as is? It doesn't help the situation that I am a part of the reason you're crying." Izayoi explained, smiling. "Anyway, magical girls don't look magical if they're crying. They'll lose their charm, and I suspect you don't want that, right?"

Suddenly, Izayoi jerked back when Serafall collided with him, arms crossed over his back in a hug.

Eyes closed, Serafall laughed melodiously as she hugged him, a big smile beaming on her face.

".…..—Thank you..."

After that, Serafall pulled back as she smiled at the blonde before noticing his apparent confinement. She looks over cutely towards Grayfia who holds a small smile and responds to her inquiry with a nod, which causes Serafall to smile. Then, focusing back on the blonde, she raised her right hand and drifts it over the frozen blocks of ice, dispersing them in an instant. Nodding herself at the work, she smiles at the blonde.

"What are we waiting for?" She looked at him expectantly. However, Grayfia interjected.

"Serafall-sama, I do believe it is proper to hold introductions. Considering Sakamaki-sama is an esteemed guest of ours, we have not held a proper introduction as to his arrival." Grayfia informed as Serafall nods in realization.

"Yes! That's true! Silly me!" Lightly knocking the side of her head with her right fist, Serafall cutely smiles. Coughing into her hand before twirling the broken half of the magical wand. "My name is Serafall Leviathan! It's nice to meet you! You can call me Serafall!" She introduced herself with a wink as she posed. Left hand raised over her left eye for a peace sign whilst her pointing her glowing wand upwards. To end the pose, she slipped out her tongue at the corner of her lips.

"It is a pleasure. My name is Grayfia Lucifuge. You may call me by my given name, Grayfia." Grayfia bowed her head to the blonde.

Sirzechs gestured to Grayfia after her introduction.

"She is also my wife."

Izayoi nodded while rubbing his hands to get warm from their icy confinement earlier.

"The name's Sakamaki Izayoi. I don't mind the first name basis."

Grayfia nodded before gesturing to the condition of his attire.

"If I may inquire, I believe you are in need of a new attire for your stay here in the Underworld, Izayoi-sama?"

"Yes, I have no problem with that." Izayoi nodded. "I have to ask though, do you know anyone that can replicate these clothes of mine? Someone at home might get pretty cranky over the clothes they bought themselves, and I don't want her nagging more because of it."

"Your mother?"

Grayfia inquired and the blonde nodded.

"I understand. We will find a suitable tailor that can make your clothes, Izayoi-sama. In the meantime, we will purchase a new set of clothes for your stay here."

"Then, I do believe everyone is ready to depart?" Sirzechs asked as Grayfia nodded with Serafall.

"Wait."

"Hm? Is something the matter, Izayoi-kun?"

"I wanted to try my hand on something before we go." Izayoi said, turning to Sirzechs and extending a palm towards him. "The Demonic Piece or Evil Piece, as you called it."

Looking at the extended hand, Sirzechs frowned in confusion.

"I believe I don't understand, Sakamaki-san. This is not per the condition…?"

"I thought I'd try it otherwise when it's all over."

Sirzechs stared at him in mild disbelief. It was a while before he stretched out his hand as an Evil Piece appeared hovering within his grasp. A Pawn.

"Then…you are aware of the consequences? This try of yours can be considered as an acceptance to becoming a part of my peerage. Are you certain you want to try, Sakamaki-kun?"

"Why not?" Izayoi answered casually as Sirzechs looked at Grayfia who nodded at him. Then, the crimson-haired Satan slowly hovers the Evil Piece towards the center of the blonde's chest. The Evil Piece glows bright as it closes in towards his chest…

A bright light encapsulated the Evil Piece—

Silence followed…

"...—Impossible…...—"

2 Years Later…

Present Day

Morning

Kuoh Academy

"A new school, a new beginning...Was what she said."

Sakamaki Izayoi stood in front of Kuoh Academy. He carried his bag in his right hand where he shouldered his hand over his right shoulder. His eyes took in the overall scenery of the academy by its front side. Numerous students walked past him chattering and enjoying their conversations with their friends, although a number of students had noticed the appearance of the blonde before promptly gossiping and speculating about him. Mostly positive gossip was shared between the masses of students walking past him.

"It's a good thing it's not far. All the complexes are near enough. They've made quite a strategic place for one to be built near all the necessities one could need." He smiled as he overlooked the academy that he will spend the last academic year as a Third Year student.

Exhaling, the blonde let a smirk slowly spread across his lips.

"Kuoh Academy…—Kuoh, eh? They've made a good name for an academy from it." His left hand pocketed, the blonde started walking forward. "...How will this year turn out, I wonder? —Though, who am I going to meet is the prime question…"

To Be Continued…

The story has begun anew.

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Ja'ne! ArtLotus out!