Edited by: Marethyu, Priapus, UWU
– Sirzechs –
"You defeated Shalba Beelzebub?" Sirzechs' eyes were wide as he asked the Yakuza Heiress, who was now sitting on one of the chairs next to her mother after her unexpected return. "On your own?"
"Uh-huh. Really, he never stood a chance when I decided to unleash my true power." She claimed with an air of arrogance. "He died groveling like a bitch."
While Sirzechs didn't quite believe that, he truly wanted to. For a bunch of murdering psychopaths that embraced 'evil', they were cowards of the highest degree. Their lives mattered to them more than anything else, and there was nothing they wouldn't do to ensure their own safety, even if it meant begging and throwing away their pride in the process.
They didn't believe in evil. They were just selfish, following the twisted ideals of the original Lucifer because it benefited them. They were arrogant and unwilling to change for the better. That was the core idea behind these 'Old Satans'.
The only person who actually believed and embraced the evil of Lucifer's design was Rizevim. The madman who had laughed in the face of death countless times. The rest? Fakers who were angry that Devils couldn't toy with the lives of other races anymore.
But he digressed. Whatever Akane had done to defeat Shalba, she must've been fortunate.
"Haha, Emo-chan is so amazing!" Serafall snickered as the rest of her friends sighed or groaned. "She's so fun~!"
"She'd never miss a chance to toot her own horn even if it killed her," Sona said in exasperation. "What really happened, Akane?"
"Well, like I said before, he kidnapped me to that weird dimension, and considering the power difference, I thought it was over." She shrugged. "So I did what I do best and fought as hard as I could, trying to buy as much time as possible. I thought maybe someone would figure out a way to get me out of there before I die."
"But how did you beat him?" Ichiban asked.
"Shush, let me finish." She hushed him like a child, making his eye twitch in annoyance. "So, thankfully, the guy is a huge moron, and because he's a moron, he tried to toy with me and mess around, thinking he had already won. Lucky for me, that funny power-up had a drawback, and his body started breaking down after some time."
"His body broke down?" Majima raised a brow. "Whaddya mean?"
"He suddenly lost most of his strength and started convulsing and screaming in pain." She clarified. "So I just killed him. After kicking him around for a bit. Y'know, for revenge."
"Is that so?" Sirzechs hummed, glancing at Akane's mother. "Isn't that what you said happened with Diodora?"
This also surprised him. So, the mole who had made it easy for the Old Satans was Diodora? It was frustrating to hear. How could they let something like this go unnoticed right under their noses?
Of course, politically, it isn't that much of a problem that Diodora died since Latia Astaroth can replace him. But more than that, it was greatly saddening to Sirzechs. A young devil just had his life taken away because he had been manipulated by the Old Satans and their false promises of power. Just how many more would need to die for these monsters to stop their ludicrous ideology?
Sirzechs had had enough. They needed to be wiped out once and for all for the betterment of everyone.
"Yes," Mizuki confirmed with a nod. "His body couldn't handle the constant and endless energy supply. A power like that will always come at a price."
"Hmm…" Ajuka's eyes narrowed. "Shalba is in an entirely different league. I'd expect more than a few minutes for him to collapse."
"…Are you saying my daughter's lying?" Mizuki scowled, making Sirzechs and Serafall tense. "Is that what I'm hearing?"
"Not at all. I'm sure your daughter is telling the truth." He responded curtly. "I'm saying this doesn't feel right. I'm only surprised at how convenient the timing was. Almost like it was planned."
"To be fair, before that, we were kinda thrashing him around pretty hard," Akane said before Mizuki could angrily respond, looking at Sona. "Weren't we?"
"While it was rather close, she's right. We were winning the battle before he activated the snake's power." Sona nodded. "Not to say he was on the verge of death before he took off, but he was sufficiently damaged."
That seemed to have convinced Ajuka as he simply silently nodded, accepting Sona's account.
"That doesn't explain how you got out of there, though," Akiyama said, bringing up a good point. "What happened next?"
"Right, well, I killed Shalba, then this man in black showed up. Leader of the Amon clan, he called himself." Akane continued, prompting Mizuki to inhale sharply. "He offered me the chance to join them."
"Huh?" Ichiban blinked. "But why would he?"
"I guess because I'm related to them?" She shrugged, unintentionally shocking almost everyone present. "Or something like that. Though, let's be honest: everyone wants me to join their team. I mean, have you met me? I'm beautiful, strong, intelligent, rich, and charismatic. I'm literally perfect. If I'm on your side, you're simply destined to win."
Everyone was looking at Akane in surprise, except for the older humans. Akiyama grimaced, and Mizuki shuffled nervously while Majima snorted in amusement. Saejima, on the other hand, rubbed his forehead with a sigh, prompting Sirzechs to realize that wasn't supposed to be public knowledge.
Eventually, Akane recognized everyone's stares, frowning in confusion.
"What?"
"How do you know you're related to them?" Serafall asked.
"Huh? Well, that's because…" Akane paused, realizing her mistake as she glanced at her own mother. "Ah…"
"No point in hidin' it," Majima said. "Mizuki-chan used to be one of 'em. Akane-chan is Amon in blood."
Mizuki looked increasingly anxious and ashamed as everyone looked at her. This explained a lot of things in their past. When he'd met Mizuki for the first time, it was after she had already married Tatsu, so there was no mention of 'Amon' in any of their interactions.
But at the same time, she was unbelievably skilled in battle. She wasn't exactly powerful, which he knew was because of the seal on her magic due to her pregnancy, but when it came to skill, she was in an entirely different league.
Surpassing warriors with hundreds of years of experience and training. It had always eluded him, and when he got curious enough to investigate — which, in hindsight, was pretty rude to do — he had wound up with nothing, only that she was a descendant of Yokai.
Nothing about the Amon. That entire part of her life was ultimately blank.
So that's why… Sirzechs thought. It makes me wonder how she and Tatsu met.
Because it was evident that she felt ashamed of her heritage.
"Wait, the other day, when Kokabiel attacked Kuoh…" Ichiban added. "The guy who called himself your cousin—"
"—wasn't lying." Akane nodded. "Guess that makes their leader my uncle. Pretty cool, ain't it?"
"I don't know if being related to what appears to be the human version of the Old Satans is cool…" Rias pointed out. "But at least you're not like them? That's pretty cool, in my opinion."
"So you don't just have the blood of yokai, but also that of super assassins?" Ichiban rubbed his neck. "That's so unfair. Next, you're telling me you have dragon blood."
"Didn't I tell you, Ichi?" Akane smirked. "I'm the main character, and fate works in my favor. The universe is centered around me."
Sirzechs felt himself smile in amusement as Serafall giggled, liking the yakuza princess' absolute confidence in herself. Or, well, her exaggerated sense of self-importance. She was one of a kind— usually, people with such arrogance wouldn't be so popular with others.
"Getting back on track—" Akiyama said. "You refused the offer, right?"
"What do you think? Those dickwads hurt my mom, and you think I'd join them?" She snorted. "I told him to go fuck himself and find a hole he could die in."
Although her response was rather vulgar, Mizuki looked very touched by her daughter's claim. Her nervous expression changed into a soft, thankful smile, and she was almost on the verge of bursting into tears.
"And he just took that and did nothin' else?" Saejima asked. "He didn't try to take you by force?"
"Nope. I guess he knew the consequences of pissing me off. Clearly. Heh." Akane responded, continuing her self-worship. "What? I'm not joking. I would've been a total nightmare for him and his shitty clan out of pure spite. He knew that and got scared, so he kicked me out of the dimension instead."
That explained it. Honestly, Sirzechs had been serious when he'd said he was preparing to search high and low for her no matter what. She was the daughter of an old friend, heiress to one of the most powerful families of the Tojo clan, friend of Rias, and an honored guest.
Letting the Old Satans and the Amon get away with kidnapping her wasn't going to happen. It was out of duty and principle— he had been ready to do everything in his power to get her back. He didn't care about Rizevim or his claim as Lucifer's true heir, and he didn't care how strong those Amon assassins were.
Sirzechs had been prepared for a rescue mission that could, at worst, take years, only for the girl in question to open the door, close it behind her, and sit next to her mother as if nothing had happened.
…Thinking back on it, that had honestly been really funny. No wonder the Mad Dog had been dying of laughter.
"Haha! Akane-chan really is a carbon copy of her dad!" Majima chortled. "Tatsu-chan would be so proud hearin' that!"
"Using spite as fuel… Emo-chan's going after my heart." Serafall nodded in approval. "I respect it."
As everyone started bantering with each other, Sirzechs felt at ease. It was strange, in a way. There was this air of comfort that came with Akane's return. Relief at her being safe he could get, but the girl's presence had an oddly calming effect that affected even him.
"I guess that explains everything," Sirzechs said after a moment. "Mhm, I suppose that'll be all for today. Once again, from the bottom of my heart, I thank everyone here for valiantly defending Lucifaad in our stead, even if it wasn't your responsibility. Your bravery today will be forever remembered.
"For your safety, you will be spending the night here. If you wish to explore the palace, you're free to do so." He quickly added. "But please, do not leave the palace's perimeters unless you're with someone else. Dismissed."
"Wait, before that, I have one question," Akane said, looking at him. "What's going to happen tomorrow? Are we going to continue the tournament, or…?"
"The tournament is canceled." He answered.
Her visible eye twitched, and Sirzechs could've sworn he felt a shift in her magic caused by overwhelming fury that disappeared as quickly as it appeared, but he ignored it in favor of her question.
It was probably in his imagination.
"Why?"
"…What do you mean, why?"
"Why cancel it?" She reiterated. "There's only the finals remaining. Isn't it kind of a waste?"
"We were just under siege by the Old Satans', Emo-chan," Serafall answered.
"So? Why should that stop the rest of the tournament?" Akane responded. "I mean, forgive my insolence or whatever, but don't you think that makes you look kinda pathetic?"
"Pardon?" Serafall frowned.
"Akane…" Saejima muttered with a warning tone.
"Oi!" Ichiban looked at her nervously. "What are you doing?!"
"Tsk, hear me out for a second." She said casually. "If you stop the tournament here, directly before the finals, you'd give the impression that the Old Satans did massive damage."
Everyone waited for her to finish.
"When in reality, that couldn't be furthest from the truth. Hell, you beat them back so hard there were zero civilian casualties. Your defense was flawless." She continued. "Shalba Beelzebub is dead, and whatshername Leviathan is captured, so why give the belief that they were damaging in any capacity?"
"I… think I can see where you're going with this," Sona muttered before smiling with a nod. "Classic. I should've expected this from you."
Sirzechs understood her as well. This could be a significant opportunity to utterly humiliate the Old Satans, especially with two of their leaders dead or incapacitated. Many of their supporters might back down and abandon them, rapidly dwindling their forces.
"My point is, continuing the tournament would be the ultimate fuck you to the Old Satans," Akane added with a smirk. "It would make them appear weak and impotent despite having help from two factions and the infinity dragon. Really, if I was in that position, I might just kill myself."
"Ruthless." Majima grinned. "So, Sirzechs-san? Don't tell me yer gonna waste this chance to get back at 'em?"
"Not at all. Ms. Akane makes an excellent point." Sirzechs smiled. "Very well. I, Satan Lucifer, hereby declare that the tournament will go on. Rias Gremory versus Sona Sitri will commence tomorrow morning. The match will be streamed live for free on Devilnet for everyone to watch."
The younger generation present in the room all cheered in joy, excited to show the world an incredible show. As for the adults, while not sharing the young's enthusiasm, they were still happy to end the meeting on a much more positive note than expected.
"I suppose nobody's been more excited about this tournament than you, Ms. Akane," Sirzechs said, looking at her. "I'm surprised."
"Oh, don't take this the wrong way, but I REALLY just wanna beat up your sister."
"Why?!" Rias bemoaned. "What did I do?!"
"What you did was take this tournament more seriously than your match against Riser."
"You're STILL mad about that?!"
It turned out that this invasion had been much more beneficial to their cause than Sirzechs had thought.
– Akane –
I really thought I fucked up there. I almost lost that quest before I had a chance to complete it. And honestly? I'd have nobody to blame but myself. After all, I knew about the attack, so at best, I could've left Sirzechs an anonymous tip to avoid showing my real tech to others.
But because I'm a genius, powerful woman who is always three billion steps ahead of the peasants, I managed a save. So not only did I get Shalba's soul, but the tournament will continue, and I'm winning that and earning the seven thousand stat points. Couldn't have done it better even if I tried.
God, I LOVE it when things go my way. Everything I had planned either went without a hitch, or I somehow ended up in an even better position. And here was Ichi trying to sound all wise and shit, saying something about 'oH pErFeCtiOn iSn'T aChiEvAbLe' or whatever the fuck it was.
But here I am, casually proving it like nothing. I'd boast about it and hold it over him till the end of time if it wouldn't make me so suspicious. Guess I'll have to enjoy that triumphant feeling by myself.
"Quite the silver tongue you have, my dear." The dead devil king compliments. "You've even had me convinced."
And Lucifer, I guess. But he's cool. He understands.
"It came at the cost of your followers looking like idiots, though," I respond as I lower my cigarette, a puff of smoke leaving my mouth. "Sorry about that."
I glance at the decimated city from the balcony, leaning my back against the tall fence after a nice, long shower. Sheesh, they really did a number on this place. It used to look really nice with that medieval aesthetic. Even the coliseum was half-destroyed.
Honestly, a part of me wishes I saw the battle with my own eyes. I've never been in a big fight like that. It must've been exciting. And let's be honest, if I were here when shit got down, the city would be in pristine condition right now.
However, beyond an exciting battle, I heard about the nanotech. It's a huge shame that I couldn't get any samples because the yakuza were already here when I got back. Though, I had Nemesis analyze the destroyed bits from afar.
But without a sample, It'll take him a while to understand and reverse-engineer their inner workings. It's not impossible. It'll just take him months.
Speaking of Nemesis…
I feel myself smirk as I get notified of someone's particular location by a few of my spy bots. I already have all the tools I need to do what I want to, but it's still risky. I'll have to wait until it's late to try something like this.
But if it works, it's going to be so worth it. I knew making these spider bots was a good idea. I don't think I would've found the place as efficiently without them.
…Spider spy bots.
Spyder bots.
My intelligence is infinite.
I then look at the hallway a few stairs down off the open balcony, each door leading to a spare bedroom. Beside every one of those doors are either expensive-looking vases or ancient paintings that you'd find in museums.
It's an entirely different vibe from the resort we were given. That looked very modern compared to this ancient relic of a building. I am not saying it's terrible— if anything, the palace looks genuinely beautiful inside and out.
Though, if I had one criticism, it would be how confusing it is. It took ages to find the meeting room even though I could sense everyone.
…Some of the guards got lost looking for Sirzechs when they saw me. Which was honestly pretty fucking funny.
"Oh, I couldn't care less, frankly speaking." Lucifer waves it off. "It's not the faction I used to know. These descendants seem… unfit to be leaders of our tenets."
Wow. Is he calling them worthless? Just how different was the devil faction back then?
"Though, I am interested to see what became of Rizevim," He adds. "He was a mere child last I saw him. Why, I remember tucking him in bed and telling him a story before confronting my father in our final bout."
I tilt my head at him and frown in confusion.
"…Are you for real?"
"It's the truth." He says with a smile. I'm still not sure if he's messing around or not. "Would you like to hear that story?"
I pause as Nemesis warns me of an approaching presence through the HUD projected by my lenses.
"Maybe later," I whisper, making him chuckle.
"Of course. Another time, then." He replies, disappearing into the aether as Ichiban exits one of the rooms, smiling once he spots me.
"Yo, Akane." He waves, walking up to me. "I thought you were with the others. What are you doing here?"
"Getting fresh air," I answer. "You know, even though we're in literal hell, the weather's surprisingly nice."
"Heh, right?" He agrees with a grin. "The water isn't boiling either. I had the best cold shower of my life."
"I thought you preferred warm showers?"
"I do, but after a battle like that?" He snorts. "An ice bath would've been great too."
"Oh? So you wouldn't mind if I did this?"
I point at his ear and cast a breeze of frosty air, making him jump back with a surprised yelp.
"Hey!" He complains, making me laugh at his response. "Stop it. God, you're so annoying."
"Your reactions are always so worth it." I giggle.
"Yeah, whatever." He scoffs. "Let's just go and meet up with the others. Rias was talking about a game night before we split up."
"Of course she was." I roll my eyes, freezing the stick of cigarette into icy particles and walking through the palace's hallways beside him. "So, think there's gonna be any video games?"
"Yeah, she said something about Mario Party."
"Of all games…" I sigh. "Of course, she picks the luck-based one."
"Hey, there's a bunch of skill involved in it." He disagrees. "Like in the mini-games and stuff."
"Unless it's a two-vs-two, and you're paired with a moron," I argue with a scoff. "Better yet, landing on a Bowser space and getting your fucking stars stolen. Is that skill?"
Ichiban opens his mouth to continue the argument, realizes I'm 100% correct, and promptly shuts up. I fucking hate that game so much. Not even rage games with the sole purpose of pissing me off could draw such intense emotions from me. I stole that star fair and square, you turtle bitch.
The fucker that designed that game deserves to burn in hell. Super hell— whatever the fuck.
I hate Chance Time. So much.
"Fair enough." He concedes.
As we continue discussing which games are good for parties and which are perfect for ruining friendships, during our walk, we encounter Grayfia, who I would've ignored had I not seen her throwing me a glare for some reason.
It's like she's looking at me like I'm an insect. So much contempt that I, had I been a lesser woman, would've flinched. But really, all she accomplished is pissing me off as I glare back at her, stopping before we pass each other.
"What?" I ask, wanting her to instigate things. She looks dumb enough to start a problem first. "Is everything okay, Grayfia?"
I resist smirk as her expression twitches, showing a hint of anger at me for casually using her first name. But why wouldn't I? After all, she's just a servant here. Calling her the wife of Sirzechs would be doing her a favor. She's nothing but his concubine or mistress.
She never deserved my respect, and her shitty attitude isn't helping her case.
She doesn't respond, content with glowering at me as if I had insulted her whole family tree. Ichiban notices the tense atmosphere, getting confused.
"Uh…" He rubs his neck awkwardly, not knowing what to say.
"…Whatever." I grab Ichi's hand. "Let's just go."
The moment we pass her, Grayfia speaks.
"I just can't see it." She says, making me stop. "You defeated Shalba?"
What a moron.
I pause and turn around to face her.
"What's so shocking about that?" I raise a brow. "I already said I got lucky when the snake power bit him in the ass."
"Ridiculous." She scoffs. "Shalba's not an idiot. He'd know that energy came at a price. I think you're lying."
I narrow my eyes at her accusation but say nothing. It's not like she has any proof, so it's not worth arguing for my case. She can believe me or not, I don't give a fuck.
"Besides, even without it, I doubt a human like you would pose a threat." She adds. "I don't know what Lord Lucifer thought when he invited you lot to participate…"
Being called weak by this bitch of all people admittedly got under my skin, but I managed to keep my composure pretty well. Honestly, she might be pretty powerful all things considered, but I could take her on.
Checking her stats tells me that, while she's stronger than Shalba, she's weaker than him when he activated the snake. And both are still less powerful than Kokabiel. After my most recent power-up, I doubt I'd need Excelsis to put her in her place.
She's of no consequence, even if, for some odd reason, she tries to attack me right now. So knowing that, I give her a smug smirk, walk up to one of the vases next to a room…
And casually push it off right in front of her.
Her expression turns into one of pure shock as the vase shatters upon hitting the ground, stupified that I'd have the audacity to do such a thing. Even Ichiban's eyes go as wide as saucers, too stunned to speak.
"Oops." I giggle. "My hand slipped. Sorry~"
"You impudent child…!" Grayfia snarls, fists clenching in rage. "How dare you?!"
"I said I'm sorry. Sheesh, what's gotten your panties in a twist?" I taunt her with a grin. "Though let's be honest, that vase was ugly anyway. I did you a favor, if anything."
As she flares up her magic, Ichi tenses and immediately gets in front of her, eyes narrowing dangerously. The stupid bitch maid bares her teeth at him but doesn't make a move, knowing that starting a fight here would be a very dumb thing to do.
Not only because we're beating her ass, but the political ramifications would be immense on her part. The head maid of Sirzechs — also his wife, but I doubt anyone sees her more than a powerful trophy — starting a fight with a couple of teenagers? Especially one who went after a harrowing and scawy kidnapping attempt?
Even if we were the ones who started it, she'd be in deep shit regardless. Because as I've claimed before, I'm a very good actress. She fucked up the moment she took my bait.
Should've been a good little bitch maid and shut her whore mouth.
Wanting to pour fuel on the fire, I gently push Ichi to the side, making eye contact with her.
"Besides, what are you gonna do about it anyway?" I ask mockingly. "It's not like you're gonna attack me or anything, are you?"
"Once Lord Lucifer hears about this—"
"Oh, spare me the ridiculous threats. Go snitch for all I care." I cut her off, linking my arm with Ichiban's. "I have a witness saying you started this by accusing me of lying and calling me weak. You're the only one getting in trouble for this. At worst, I'm getting a slap on the wrist."
Grayfia only grows angrier at my response, knowing I'm right. But of course I am. She's an idiot who still thinks devils are superior, even though we've been crushing the competition during the tournament, even though I killed Shalba.
I guess she's allergic to critical thinking or something.
"I think you're going way too far, Akane," Ichiban whispers. "This isn't worth it. Let's just leave."
"You're right. She looks like she's about to burst into tears." I respond loudly, still staring at her. "Let's go. We don't wanna be late."
With that, I turn my heel and walk away with Ichi in hand, leaving the fuming Grayfia alone to clean up the mess I left like the brainless slut she is.
-70 Reputation with Grayfia Lucifage [-90/100]
Worth it.
– Sona –
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Sona winced at her childhood friend's scream, frowning in mild annoyance as she saw her, Ichiban, Sairaorg, and Kuisha playing their game together, standing right in front of the screen. She was never a fan of video games and never played them in her spare time, but she could tell that Rias and Kasuga were in a team against the other two.
And whatever it was they were doing, they were losing horribly.
"Is this the first time you've ever played a game?!" Rias scowled at her teammate. "How hard is it to spam-press a button?!"
"I'm fucking trying!" Ichiban responded in equal annoyance and panic, pressing one button over and over. "I'm telling you, the controller's busted!"
Sona then looked at the screen, which was split into two, and showed each team trying to destroy boulders before the other team. So far, Koneko and Kiba were slightly ahead, and unlike the other two, they were pretty calm.
Sona didn't understand what the fuss was about, but Rias had always been incredibly competitive, so her reaction was expected. Stressing out her partner and insulting him for losing was pretty rude, though.
"What's so fun about this game again?" Sona asked.
"It's not supposed to be fun," Akane responded. "It exists to test your friendship. And people usually don't pass the test."
"I see…" She responded with a sigh.
Sona glanced down at her lap, face glowing red as she saw Akane lying her head on it. The yakuza princess didn't seem to care as she was busy with her phone, but this surprised the devil a lot.
Once the two humans entered the room, Kasuga immediately picked up a controller and sat in front of the TV, but Akane didn't seem to care about playing as she sat next to Sona on the couch.
Then, after a few minutes, she decided to lie down and use Sona's lap as her pillow.
The Sitri devil was frozen. She couldn't even get a chance to get off until it became too awkward to move. So now she was stuck giving her crush a lap pillow without her own consent.
Though, she didn't mind it all that much.
"Haha, well done, Kuisha!" Sai said with a boisterous laugh, high-fiving his partner as the game ended. "That was quite the challenge!"
"These games are so much fun." She giggled. "Perhaps it's worth buying our own console?"
"True. It might help in our team-building exercise." Her King agreed with a nod.
"Wow." Rias scoffed, throwing Ichiban a side-eye. "So much for being the Red Dragon Emperor. Can't even press buttons correctly."
"It's your controller that's broken!" He claimed. "You have all the money in the world, but you can't even get a proper working one?!"
"Excuses!" She argued. "You're bad at this game and I had to suffer for it, stupid!"
"Shut up!"
Rias blew a raspberry, calling him an idiot again before they started bickering. Sona found the scene both amusing and exasperating, but she didn't want to get in between the squabble, so she let them be.
Honestly, after today, they deserve to act their age. Things had been too stressful, from suddenly getting invaded to one of their friends nearly getting kidnapped. It wasn't something Sona wished to experience ever again.
It was a miracle that everything had worked out in the end, even avoiding the tournament getting canceled. But just because everything was okay now didn't mean Sona didn't feel less than adequate about herself.
Because at the end of the day, Akane had only managed to get away out of sheer luck. If she wasn't so lucky, they'd be scrambling around to find her, worried sick for her safety. All because Sona hadn't been strong enough to stop Shalba from snatching her away.
Despite what Kasuga had told her before, she still felt it was her responsibility. That whole situation felt so avoidable if Sona had just been better. Anyone stronger than her could've prevented Shalba from kidnapping Akane.
But not her.
Because she was too weak.
It made Sona disgusted with herself. She was so frustrated and angry that her weakness had nearly made a loved one disappear forever. And she knew that there was no excuse— Akane herself had said it back after the battle with Kokabiel.
They shouldn't need a warning to prepare for the worst. Surprises like this invasion could happen at any moment, so to hide behind the excuse of 'we couldn't have known' sounded counterproductive. They shouldn't have to know.
Sona now fully understood what Akane had been saying back then. Initially, she'd thought the yakuza princess was being too harsh on herself, but she was 100% right. They had to be better than that.
Sona had felt safe and secure because, even if something wrong did happen, the Satans were right there to help them, but after today… she knew it was wrong to rely on them like this. This was not to say that they were useless or terrible leaders, but depending on someone to hold their hands through every struggle was wrong.
The more she thought about her own failure, the angrier she felt. She couldn't let this happen again, no matter what.
"What's wrong?" Akane suddenly asked, making her flinch. "You feel like you're about to blow up."
"I–" Sona quickly calmed herself with a deep breath. "…No, it's nothing. Just… thinking to myself."
Akane stared up at her for a moment before returning her attention to her phone. This wasn't the time to be thinking about such a thing. Not when she was surrounded by so many people.
"Hey, I was wondering…" Sona said, lowering her voice. "You never really explained how we're going to defeat Rias tomorrow."
Akane chuckled.
"It's simple." She said. "I take care of Ichi; you take care of Rias."
"Yes, I get the gist of it, but it seems too close for even you to act so confident." The Sitri devil responded. "You know we'd lose if Kasuga got past you, and your armor has been destroyed. How do you plan on keeping him busy?"
"You think the armor was supposed to be the key to our victory?" Akane raised a brow. "Please, I'm not stupid enough to put all my eggs in one basket. I still have a secret weapon I didn't tell anyone about."
Now, this was interesting.
"And what could that be?"
"Not telling~" Her partner smirked. "The less the people know about it, the better. Don't worry; it might not outright defeat him, but it'll keep him distracted long enough for you to beat Rias."
She seemed very sure of herself, but despite Akane's arrogance, it was almost always for a very good reason, so she trusted her partner and refrained from asking too much. Though, Sona looked forward to it.
Was it another mechanical tool she hid in her back pocket? A spell she'd been working on? Sona didn't know. She'd have to wait and see what the yakuza princess was saving up.
"That leads to my other concern," Sona added. "Rias and I are too equally matched. How are you so sure I'll defeat her? I don't wish to sound negative, but she knows it too, so I'm not sure what I should be expecting on the battlefield."
Akane chuckled again before suddenly bouncing off the couch, beckoning for Sona to follow her outside the large living room. She blinked, looked around, and noticed that a certain white-haired nekomata could hear her. Then, she exited the room.
She closed the door behind her and followed Akane far enough away that nobody could possibly hear them.
"The reason why I know you'll win…" Akane started, opening her fist to show Sona what she was holding. "…is because you'll be using this."
Sona's eyes widened as she recognized the multiple small spherical devices in Akane's hand. Personally, she had never seen one before, but she'd heard Serafall talking about it before. It was one of the yakuza's most helpful weapons.
"Since when did you get this?" Sona asked, still surprised.
"The morning before we got to Lucifaad," Akane responded with a grin. "I know the yakuza made this stuff, so I asked Majima for it. Why not, right?"
"I… I see." The Sitri devil frowned in thought. "You really are prepared for everything…"
Sona had started to seriously admire that about her.
"But wait, why didn't you use this against Shalba?" Sona asked. "This could've helped us deliver a decisive blow."
"And reveal my secret weapon?" Akane pouted. "No way!"
"Are you serious?! We could've died!"
"Did we?"
"But you could've—" Sona immediately realized that there was no winning the argument when Akane gave her that damned smirk. "…Whatever. I'm not going to question it."
"You shouldn't." Her crush nodded as their secret weapon disappeared off her hand, going to her inexplicable dimension storage thing. "Now, are you confident you're winning?"
"So much it feels like we're cheating." Sona huffed. "But outside weapons are allowed, so tough luck for Rias."
"Exactly~"
This was a lifesaver. Having something like that in her possession would make the battle way too easy. She just had to find the perfect opportunity to use it.
Rias didn't stand a chance.
– Mizuki –
As she gazed at the running water from the faucet, she could feel her head spinning, almost to the point of dizziness, prompting her to emit a quiet hiss of discomfort. With unsteady hands, she splashed her face multiple times, shakily exhaling as she sensed something lodged in her throat, causing her breath to catch and making it challenging to breathe properly.
Mizuki felt a burning sensation in her eyes as she gently rubbed them with her fingers. As she gazed at her reflection, the soft light revealed that her hair hadn't reverted to its original black color. However, it wasn't just her hair that caught her attention. A closer look at her face revealed the subtle yet unmistakable signs of stress that had etched themselves onto her features.
"Makes me look so old…" She chuckled mirthlessly.
Her smile quickly dropped as she looked down, seeing the blood on her hands that couldn't be cleaned. Ever since she'd killed Diodora, she'd been feeling utter misery. Her head was pounding; the ringing in her ears hadn't stopped yet, and…
"Why the long face, Rin?"
When she gazed into the mirror once more, her father's smiling visage greeted her. Each time she wrestled with her thoughts and the weight of her actions, he would materialize, a constant reminder of her past. The burden of guilt for the terrible deeds she had perpetrated as 'Rin' weighed heavily on her, and he was always there, serving as a haunting specter, insinuating that she had carried out those actions with a smile on her face.
To tell her that she could never change, no matter what she did. Mizuki had grown to ignore it over time, and eventually, he'd stopped showing up. It had made her think that she was healing, that she was proving him wrong, and that she could change for the better.
"That is until today." He chuckled. "When was the last time you actually killed someone? Eighteen years? Nineteen?"
Mizuki said nothing, looking down at her blood-stained hands once more. Images of her victims would flash in her mind, making her feel the bile rising up her throat before she swallowed it with a grimace. Her closed fists shook as her father continued talking.
"Nearly two decades, free of killing. What a milestone~" He said. "Not even our noncombatants made it that long, you know?"
Once again, she said nothing, taking deep breaths as the ringing grew louder.
"But just like a drug addict, you do it one more time, and you've immediately fallen back to your old ways as if all those years meant nothing. It's hilarious." He continued mocking her. "I wonder what Tatsu would think about his beloved wife finding pleasure in killing again?"
The mention of her husband made her grit her teeth in anger, but she quickly calmed herself down, knowing the truth about this… hallucination that had haunted her for so many years.
"You're not real. Not even a ghost." She panted. "The real Sou was probably reincarnated already. You don't even act like him."
"Oh, congratulations, you've finally figured it out." He snorted. "But tell me, Rin. If I'm not him, then what am I?"
Mizuki refused to answer him, splashing her face with water before wiping it away with a towel. She didn't make eye contact with the hallucination as she turned around, opening the door and exiting the bathroom.
"And once again, despite everything that happened, you refuse to confront it." She heard him say before she closed the door behind her. "You'll never change, no matter how hard you try."
As she closed the door, this time, she heard her own voice echo within her mind.
"You'll forever be a coward, Mizuki."
Mizuki steadied herself against the bathroom door, her chest rising and falling with each deep, calming breath. A soft knock resonated from the door that connected to the hallway, prompting her to shake her head in exasperation as the persistent ringing slowly subsided.
"Better a coward than a monster." She muttered.
With that claim, Mizuki opened the door of her room, cracking a small smile as she saw Akiyama standing behind it, holding two cups of coffee.
"Here." He said, offering her one.
"Thanks." She responded, taking it. "God knows I'm not having any sleep tonight."
That made Akiyama frown.
"…How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Better." She answered. "…Relatively speaking. It's… it's hard to say."
"Is it?"
"I-I thought I'd feel a lot better if I saw Akane, but…" Mizuki sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "That didn't help as much as I hoped."
Admittedly, when Akane had made that claim about the Amon hurting her, it temporarily made all her worries and guilt disappear. Truth be told, Mizuki almost started sobbing right there and then, but she couldn't do that and embarrass them both.
She adored her daughter with all her heart. She felt immense pride for her daughter's courageous decision to reject the Amon and uphold what she knew was right. Akane was unlike them; she was not a cold-blooded killer.
Mizuki and Tatsu had raised her right, and seeing it in front of her own two eyes made her feel elated. If only he had been here to see it…
God, she missed him so much.
…But being proud of her daughter had nothing to do with the guilt she felt over her actions. That was an entirely different problem. Her problem. Something she was cursed to live with for the rest of her life. Her divine punishment for her misdeeds as the monster she used to be.
"I see," Akiyama said. "I'm not going to pretend to understand what you're going through, Mizuki-san, but don't you think you're being too hard on yourself?"
I think I haven't been hard enough. She thought, sipping from her coffee.
Mizuki had never deserved to escape the torment of growing up in a destructive family of monsters. She'd never deserved to feel the warmth of genuine love coursing through her veins. She'd never deserved to meet a compassionate and devoted husband or to experience the joy of motherhood with her wonderful child.
Because… What about everyone she'd killed? Had they deserved to die? Hadn't they deserved to live their lives, too? It wasn't fair.
"You did everything you had to do to survive. You said you spared Diodora before he tried to launch a suicide attack." He continued. "Avoiding unnecessary killing is noble, I understand. But that's the thing, you had to."
"No, that's not it, Akiyama. You misunderstand me." She chuckled. "I'm not afraid of killing. I'm willing to kill if it means protecting Akane or myself."
"Then why…?"
Her false smile dropped.
"…I'm scared of enjoying it." She answered, her hands trembling. "I'm so terrified of going back to the person I used to be. That blood-stained path of senseless violence leads to nowhere but misery."
Mizuki was filled with fear at the thought of her daughter following in the same footsteps. The idea of Akane heading down that path was extremely frightening to her, and she was willing to sacrifice anything to ensure that she didn't end up like those people. She firmly believed that if Akane did, she would inevitably experience deep anguish, and be unable to lead a satisfying life.
"And it's not something that can be helped. It's always there, in the back of my mind, asking me what's one more corpse." She added, seeing her distorted reflection in the coffee. "Even after nearly two decades. It'll never go away."
She glanced up at him.
"…I'm fine with it, you know?" She gave him a strained smile. "It's something that only I can grapple with. I mean, not even quitting or having a child helped."
"...I see. I think I understand you a little better now." He nodded. "If it's something you think only you can handle, then I have no place telling you what you should and shouldn't do."
"It's fine; I know you're just trying to help." She shrugged. "I appreciate it, Akiyama. I really do."
He smiled back at her, and then his phone started ringing. He took it out and then sighed as he saw the notification.
"Well, probably should go back to work now." He said.
"Ah, right, your search for that stranger," Mizuki recalled. "So you're not staying for the finals tomorrow?"
"I wish I could, but I don't want to anger Shiva-sama." He responded. "He's already asking for a report."
"Eh?! And you were spending all of yesterday and today messin' around?!" She grinned cheekily. "Uh-oh, looks like somebody is in trouble~"
"I'm sure he'd understand." Akiyama snorted, pocketing his phone. "I'll be around in Japan. If you need anything, call me."
"Sure, sure!" Mizuki waved as he walked away. "Bye-bye, Akiyama!"
He waved back before he was engulfed in flames, using Suzaku's power to teleport back to Earth. Mizuki's smile dropped as he left, looking at her reflection on the coffee once again before exhaling deeply.
"…Majima."
The Mad Dog's presence shifted, appearing next to her.
"Can I ask you a favor?"
Majima waited for her to finish.
"If I ever turn into that person again…"
She looked at him pleadingly.
"Can I count on you to kill me?"
– Katerea –
In a dimly lit, musty cell located deep within one of the devils' many dungeons, she furiously struggled to remove the enchanted restraints that were suppressing her powers. Her frustration was evident as she gritted her teeth and emitted a low, primal growl while exerting all her might in an attempt to break free. Despite her efforts, the cuffs remained immovable, disabling her ability to access the immense power of the Infinite Dragon. The source of these inhibitors remained a mystery to Katerea.
Not even her physical strength as devil helped, as whatever this was didn't just block her magic, it also weakened her significantly. She was barely stronger than a Low-class weakling in this state, and it humiliated her. How dare they do this to her? Didn't they know who she was?
Being left in a disgusting cell… They'd pay for this. She swore it on the devil king's name. All of them would be begging her for mercy when she got out of here—especially that freelancer human scum. The only thing that had saved him was his stupid Sacred Gear.
But that was the case with all these humans. They were only ever lucky because they had these artifacts gifted to them. Without it, they'd still be those pitiful, defenseless creatures that were only fit to serve as bootlickers for superior races.
Luck. That's all there was going for them. Pure, dumb luck.
Frustrated, Katerea once again tried to remove the restraints, but she couldn't. The rattling of the metal chains echoed through the dark prison as she tried to smash them against the wall. Once again, it was no use, but she wasn't giving up now. She refused to give up.
Damn you, Shalba. She growled. Where did you go?! What happened to you?!
Indeed. Her partner, whom she had been relying on to save their invasion, had simply vanished off the face of the underworld after he'd kidnapped the Amamiya girl. Katerea still didn't know what could've happened to him. It was a simple mission of taking the girl where the Amon could abduct her without trouble and come back as fast as possible.
How was that complicated? Had he wanted to mess with the girl before coming back, and simply lost track of time? But that wasn't like him. Shalba had always been practical and efficient at his work, so unless the girl had somehow pissed him off to elicit such a strong reaction from him, then he shouldn't have taken so much time to return.
Had he been defeated? Katerea thought before shaking her head. No. The girl was strong but not strong enough.
Because even Katerea was confident enough she could defeat Tatsu Amamiya's whelp on her own, and Shalba was much more powerful than her, as much as she hated to admit it. There was no conceivable way that he'd lose to that yokai brat, Amon or not.
So, what could've happened there? Had Shalba abandoned the invasion after they learned of Akane's involvement in the tournament? She was important to the Amon clan, yes, but to such a degree that they'd cast aside their own mission of destroying the New Satans in one fell swoop? But they had all the tools they needed! Why would her partner do such a thing?!
…Unless it wasn't for him to decide…?
Katerea's heart sank as realization slowly dawned on her.
We were betrayed. She thought, falling on her rear in despair. The Amon clan… This is their doing, isn't it?
That was the only thing that could explain it. Wherever Shalba had brought the brat, the Amon clan had been there to ambush him. And while she felt confident in her partner, he didn't stand a chance against their leader.
Not when said leader was as strong as Rizevim.
They'd probably killed him and taken the girl, weakening the Old Satans while bolstering themselves in a single move. So that was what they had been hoping for, wasn't it? The bastards. The Old Satans had been so distracted by Ophis' blessing and the robot army gifted to them that they didn't realize they were being played like a fiddle.
The Amon had struck before the Old Satans could, and this was where it had gotten them.
"Bastards…" Katerea snarled. "I should've known…"
"That you'd get your dumbass beat?"
Her eye twitched in annoyance as she spotted Serafall smirking at her on the other side of the cell bars. And now she was here as if Katerea wasn't allowed a break. However, what she hadn't expected was her state of dress, wearing a professional suit instead of her usual childish outfit.
"Came here to gloat, Sitri?" She narrowed her eyes. "Save me the silly magical girl spectacle. You'll only make yourself look ridiculous."
"That's Leviathan to you, miss." Serafall mocked, unlocking the cell and entering it. "Also, I look great as a magical girl. You're just dumb, blind, and full of negativity. You don't have a single funny bone in your body."
Katerea only glared at her, making her frown.
"But I'll be honest, I'm not in the mood to laugh either." She said with a much quieter tone. "You caused us a lot of trouble, y'know? Even if your silly little invasion fell flat on its face and did no real damage, I was still forced to wear a suit and go to a meeting explaining what happened to other faction leaders."
"And that's a problem somehow?"
"Two, actually. I hate suits, and I hate meetings." Serafall responded. "But really, that's what I should be expecting from you idiots. The civil war wasn't a good enough lesson, was it?"
Katerea quickly grew tired of her presence and scoffed.
"Enough of this and get to the point." She demanded. "Why are you here?"
"…Right, well, Falbium was nice enough to let me do this, so we can do this the easy way—" Serafall squatted down next to Katerea. "Or the hard way. Tell me where Rizevim is, and I will try to be nice."
Katerea chuckled.
"You want to find that lunatic?" She raised a brow in amusement. "Even if I tell you what I know, you'd have better luck fucking Sirzechs."
The twitch in Serafall's eyes told Katerea that she had successfully gotten under her skin, but what the Leviathan descendant hadn't expected was the Sitri grabbing her by the hair and smashing her head against the hard brick floor, nearly making her lose consciousness as blood poured from her nose and forehead.
"You don't seem to understand, Katerea-tan." Serafall pulled her head back. "I'm not as nice as my fellow Satans. Ethical or not, I'd have you go through the worst torture imaginable if you don't cooperate, and I won't lose any sleep for it."
Katerea gasped, her head blanking and vision darkening. But she managed to crack a smile anyway.
"So let's try this again, and you better give me a good answer this time, mmkay?" She said. "Where is the Son of Lucifer?"
"I don't know—"
Once again, the Sitri devil slammed her head on the ground, causing it to crack and explode under the heavy blow. She used just enough strength to hurt Katerea immensely but not knock her out.
And once again, Katerea gasped as she was pulled up by the hair, her head rattled and aching as she tasted her own blood that poured from her wound. She panted and groaned in pain before smiling again.
"I'm not afraid to hurt you, Katerea." She said. "We have all the Phenex tears in the world, remember?"
"Hah…" She breathed. "Is that right…?"
Serafall's frown deepened.
"Last chance." She warned. "Where's the Old King's Palace?"
"I'm telling you, I don't know." She answered, spitting out a bloody tooth. "It doesn't stay in one place, you idiot. Only Rizevim knows where it could be at any time."
Katerea knew that this fake Leviathan knew that she was telling the truth, but despite that, she still had her head smashed against the ground a third time. But contrary to how painful this was, she found it almost amusing.
This wasn't the first time she had encountered Serafall— of course not. She had met this so-called Satan Leviathan on many occasions, from political settings to even the battlefield, and every single time, she'd act like a clown, never taking anything seriously despite her immense power.
This was the first time that Katerea had witnessed Serafall act like a real devil. She was not a soft, weak human-like one like the new age devils because she wasn't torturing Katerea to get answers out of her.
She was doing this purely to hurt Katerea out of spite, hate, and anger.
As she was pulled up again to meet her warden's face, she stared at Serafall, seeing the hidden, blazing fury in her eyes with an intensity she hadn't even seen from Sirzechs during the incident in which his students had been killed centuries ago.
For once, she hadn't felt any anger or second-hand embarrassment from the clown in front of her but genuine dread, as one would expect from a true devil.
I underestimated her. Katerea thought. If only she was Leviathan in blood…
As the Old Satan leader expected another slam, Serafall sighed, let go of her hair, and then stood up.
"I guess we're done here. For now." She said. "Fortunately for you, I'm pretty busy at the moment, but I'll be back to play in a few hours. I still have a lot more questions."
Katerea breathed, wiping the blood off her forehead.
"And when I ask them, you better answer." She added with a glare. "Or I promise you, even the dimensional gap will hear your screams."
With that, Serafall left the cell and locked it behind her, throwing the Leviathan descendant one final glare before exiting the prison. Katerea leaned her head against the hard wall of her cell. Now to wait for a rescue team to get her out of here…
She closed her eyes as it got harder to focus, her head still aching from what Serafall did to her.
…Hopefully. She really hoped Rizevim would try to do something. The old bastard always unsettled her because she never knew what he could be thinking— in a way, he'd act similar to Serafall with how ridiculous he could be, but unlike Serafall, which was just an act, the old man was legitimately insane.
But they'd send someone for her, right? She was still one of the three leaders of the Old Satans, so they probably wouldn't want her leaking anything. It was their duty to get her out of this disgusting prison.
It would be so easy with the Amon's cloaking tech. The New Satans still hadn't come up with a way to counter it, right? Right. Though, that'd be under the assumption that the Amon clan had never betrayed them in the first place.
As time dragged on, Katerea felt the weight of each passing moment pressing down on her. The crushing headache that had plagued her for what seemed like an eternity only intensified as she anxiously awaited the arrival of the rescue team. The seconds stretched into minutes, the minutes into hours. Katerea's hope began to weaken. She struggled to keep track of the passage of time, and the relentless waiting threatened to erode her faith. The nagging question hung in the air: Were they truly going to abandon her in this desolate place?
Did they view her as disposable like all the other prisoners here? Was that how much she was worth? No, no, that couldn't be it. Clearly, they were waiting for the perfect opportunity to not alert the enemy… Right?
Katerea lowered her head and scowled, knowing that that wasn't the case. She really had beenabandoned, thrown away like garbage. Why? Why couldn't they show some loyalty and at least try to do something? After so many years serving under the Son of Lucifer…
This was how she was getting repaid?
Those bastards! She seethed. I'll make them pay! All of them! Old, new— I don't care anymore—
"Katerea."
Her body tensed as she suddenly froze, her eyes widening as she looked up, startled by the sound of a voice that sent shivers down her spine. It was a low, deep, almost monstrous sound emanating from a figure that loomed menacingly in front of her inside the dimly lit cell. The mysterious individual was shrouded entirely in black, their features concealed behind a blank mask, while a dark cloak enveloped their form. A black gauntlet adorned their hand, emitting a faint, ominous red glow that added to the air of mystery and unease surrounding them.
She couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman, but she certainly knew that this was not an Amon… or was it? Katerea couldn't feel anything from them. Not their magic or presence, and that voice clearly did not belong to a normal person. She didn't hear or see them enter.
"Who are you?" She asked quietly.
The individual didn't immediately answer her question, but suddenly, a strange, ethereal-looking blue square appeared in front of her, startling the Leviathan descendant and making her flinch. But this was not an attack or anything of the like— but what looked like an… offer?
The user has invited you to their party!
Accept?
"W-what is this…?"
The user? What's this supposed to mean? She thought. The user? User of what?
"If you wish to live…" The person said, extending their hand. "…Accept it."
Katerea looked at the box, then back at the dark individual, still not sure who or what this person was.
"You haven't answered my question." She reiterated. "You're clearly not an Amon or a devil. Who are you?"
The individual remained silent for a moment before giving a cryptic and unsettling answer.
"Your salvation."
Such arrogance. Her eyes narrowed despite the dread she felt from this stranger.
"How can I trust you?"
The strange chuckled. A low, deep laugh that sent shivers down her spine.
"Do you have any other choice?" They responded, making an excellent point.
Katerea hated to admit it, but it was either take their offer or rot here until she outlived her usefulness for the New Satans because it was clear her allies had abandoned her. If it took them so long that a stranger would beat them to it, then…
With no other choice, she accepted the offer, pressing the 'Yes' option on the floating blue box. Katerea didn't feel any different; only another box showed up saying, 'Katerea Leviathan has joined the party!' before it quickly disappeared.
She didn't know how that was going to help and was about to ask what the hell was that about before she felt a weird shift in the world— The walls, floor, and ceiling looked like they were melting as if they were rearranging to look like something else before… returning to their regular look.
But they were not really the same. She could feel it— she knew she was in a different dimension that looked like an exact copy of her cell. Katerea stood up, realizing that whatever this stranger had done, they'd made an entirely different dimension in an instant.
"You…" She looked at them in shock. "How did you do that? What are you?"
The stranger put a finger to their mask where their mouth should be, silently shushing her as they broke Katerea's restraints with an ice spell. The Leviathan descendant felt her energy rushing back to her as they did that, prompting her to smirk.
"Ah, there it is… Finally." She muttered. "…I do not know who you are, but you have my thanks, stranger."
They said nothing, remaining mysterious and interesting. She didn't know where they had come from or what they could want from her, but honestly, it wasn't like she was utterly devoid of honor. She appreciated the help, even if she knew nothing about them.
Although Katerea contemplated killing them, why would she do that? If they were willing to break her out of prison, then they recognized her power and intelligence. And seeing that she wasn't willing to return to the Old Satans… Perhaps they'd do as an ally.
"Now then, where's the way out—"
Her eyes went wide as she felt the stranger thrust their hand into her chest, making her gasp in shock and pain. When she expected an explosion of blood and searing agony, what she felt was far more terrifying. A tug in her very soul. They were attacking her soul, and they moved in a way that was too fast for her to react properly. She didn't expect this so soon after they broke her restraint.
But even with her power now free, she couldn't pull their arm away, feeling this monster clutching her soul and slowly taking it. Fear and panic began to consume the Leviathan descendant as she desperately tried to resist, but they were much stronger than her. This was a nightmare.
Even as she unleashed the snake's power, it didn't help in a way that mattered. She fell to her knees as she gasped and panted, struggling to breathe before she looked at the monster's mask in shock, fear, and anger. Why? Why release her if they were going to do this anyway…?
Was this the Amon sending an assassin to keep her silent? Were they giving her hope of escape and an opportunity to make it back home, just to take it away right before her eyes in sadistic pleasure?
Who was this… user, as the blue box suggested? Why were they doing this?
As Katerea clawed at their mask, wanting to at least see who it was, they chuckled quietly and took it off for her, revealing their identity to the Leviathan. Her teary eyes were wide, and she was shocked and confused as she saw the Amamiya brat smirking back at her.
"Surprise~" She giggled. "Your reaction is even funnier than Shalba's."
Katerea was gasping, desperately trying to breathe as she felt her soul being slowly pulled out of her body. This was a nightmare— this… this girl had defeated Shalba? She did this to him as well? Was that why he never came to help?
Who— what was this thing in front of her? Just what the hell was she seeing? This was no human— no human could do such a thing.
"But I'd rather not waste any more time." She added. "Won't be long before they notice something's off, sooo…"
With a sadistic grin, Akane put more effort into pulling and quickly took the soul of Katerea's body.
"Sayonara~"
– Akane –
Level up! X11
+203 STR +182 END +152 DEX +258 INT +162 WIS +112 CHA +5 LUK
Name - Akane Amamiya
Level - 265
Title - Undead Slayer
Primary Class - Juggernaut - LVL 65/100 [4%]
Secondary Class - Illusionist - LVL 58/100 [12%]
Race - Human
Rank - Mortal
Alignment - Neutral Evil
HP - 102,540 [13,672 per minute]
MP - 94,125 [41,640 per minute]
SP - 102,540 [13,672 per minute]
STR - 4280
END - 3418
DEX - 3095
INT - 3764
WIS - 3470
CHA - 2203
LUK – 1121
I let out a shaking breath, shivering as the incredible feeling of power courses through my veins, making me nearly fall to my knees. I can't help but giggle at the immense risk I took to get her, knowing that any fuck-up would've resulted in me dead or wanted.
But I knew it would be worth it. I knew what I was getting myself into. Yes, she might not have been as strong as Shalba, giving me less than half of what he was worth and not even having the courtesy of giving me a new mastery skill, but fuck me, it still feels so good~
This feeling is never going to get old, is it?
Having my Spyders search high and low for Katerea after I heard about her being captured was genius. I had them tailing all persons of interest that might know where she was, and silly Serafall led me straight to a delicious meal.
Now they're going to start frantically looking around for Katerea, thinking she escaped. ID Create is so fucking busted if I can use it to be stealthy like this. It made everything so much easier and safer.
I take a deep breath and calm myself, sending Katerea's soulless body to my inventory before escaping the prison, still in my dungeon dimension. Once I'm as far away as possible, slipping into Sirzechs' palace and into my room, I take off my disguise and gauntlet, then leave the dimension.
I've also made a few discoveries about this party system. For example, for me to send a party invite, the target has to be aware of me and my presence, so I can't just send someone on the other side of the world an invite. I need to be near them, and they have to know that as well.
This made it a little riskier, but it still worked out in the end. I broke her out, got her soul, and made it back before anyone noticed anything wrong. It probably helped that I waited until everyone was asleep to do this.
"Well done, Akane," Lucifer says. "I'm quite impressed. I did not expect you'd be taking such a risk, not so soon after devouring Shalba's soul. Though, I do have a question…"
"Yeah?"
"Seeing how many prisoners were there, I expected you'd target more than just Katerea." He asks. "Why didn't you?"
"Because it would've made it obvious," I answer. "After all, I'm trying to make it seem like it was the work of the Amon clan. Wouldn't it be strange if they wasted time and effort to rescue the small fry?"
"Oh?"
"I mean, why would they care about weaklings that even Asia could beat?" I snort. "Katerea is the only one that's worth rescuing, after all. They wouldn't know she's dead, remember? I left no evidence."
"I see." His smile widens. "Mhm, I understand. Very clever. The fact that this could be the work of someone else will never cross their mind."
"Precisely," I smirk. "I told you, I got it all figured out, Lucy. I'm always ten steps ahead."
"So you are."
Plus, this will help in my fight against Ichiban tomorrow. Sure, I have the ultimate secret weapon that I've been saving up for him specifically, but a power-up here and there wouldn't hurt, would it?
The more time I can buy for Sona to knock out Rias, the easier the match will be.
Here's hoping my partner doesn't fuck it up, but with what I've given her, you'd have to be utterly brain-dead to fail.
So, assuming she pulls her weight properly, our chances of losing are less than 1%.
More content on pa tre on. Five chapters to be exact. Including the finals between Rias/Ichi vs Sona/Akane and the conclusion.
also join my discord server. link on my profile, just make sure you delete the spaces.