"Hey, Bal." Sairaorg greeted me with a wave.

"Sairaorg, thanks for coming." I opened the door and stepped aside so he could come in.

Sairaorg whistled appreciatively as his eyes wandered around the interior.

High walls of pearl-white stone rose high around us. Magical braziers spread warm light through the area. An army of purple skeletons moved in an orchestrated dance of efficiency, ferrying various items around.

Tables, chairs, pedestals, paintings, bizarre metallic art pieces made from interwoven bands of multi-colored material – Medea had wanted the castle to be 'homey'. A lot of the amenities she'd had the skeletons make, but she'd taken a couple trips to various major cities in the Underworld and bought different pieces she found interesting to brighten up our new home. I didn't mind how the castle's interior looked so long as it was comfortable, so I was letting her take point on the decorating.

The construction that should have taken years had been completed in just a few months. After taking Runa's Queen piece, Medea found a way to use it as a beacon to supercharge her skeletons. She could imbue them with its magical, physical and agility enhancing properties, making the skeletons into what was essentially a mindless army of reincarnated Devil Queens. Instead of using this newfound power to take over the Underworld, Medea used it to finish construction on our castle almost overnight. The force amplifier was definitely welcome, but we wouldn't bring it to bear unless we had to.

Our castle was situated at the top of a large hill. The castle wasn't as large as the Bael's city-encompassing fortress, but it was easily larger than a sizable neighborhood in the human world. Everyone in my peerage had an entire wing to themselves with enough space to accommodate almost a hundred more. We had the skeletons to act as servants, but we still needed servants that could think. I hadn't gotten around to hiring yet due to everything else I had going on. I'd get to it eventually.

"This place is nice." Sairaorg said as I led him through the opulent halls.

"Medea does good work. I hope you appreciate the honor of being my castle's first guest."

He stopped in the hall, giving me an overexaggerated bow. "The privilege does me great honor. I will endeavor to repay this kindness."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Feeling dramatic today, are we?"

"It's not everyday you get to see the Balthazar Abaddon's new home."

"I'm sure you'll be plenty famous yourself once you step onto the Underworld's stage. Then I'll return the favor and grovel before your majesty."

"Please don't." Sairaorg said, cringing. "I'm actually rather enjoying the quiet life. Being Heir Bael had certain advantages, but I'm more free to do my own thing now. Plus, I'm sure Mag will do a good enough job."

I didn't respond as we kept walking through the hall. If that was really what Sairaorg wanted, it would mess up some of Kuisha's plans. It wasn't really my business though. Whether Magdaran or Sairaorg became the next Lord Bael, I'd still have Lord Bael as a friend.

"So…" Sairaorg said leadingly. "Not that I don't appreciate the invite, but you didn't really tell me why you called me here. Is there something I can help you with?"

"The opposite."

"I don't follow."

I stopped, turning to face him. "You offered to lend me some of your peerage members prior to my fight with Bedeze. I appreciate that. It can't be overstated just how much I appreciate having someone in my corner that'll back me like that. The Underworld thought I was done for. You backed me regardless. I'm returning the favor."

"You don't owe me anything, Bal. You didn't even need the help."

"It's the principle of the thing. I appreciate the gesture and your willingness to help me out of what you thought was a hopeless situation. You've got my back. I've got yours." I turned to look at a small amethyst set into the wall. Gems of various colors and sizes were set into the walls, floors and ceiling of the castle. "Are we ready?"

"I am prepared, master." Medea's voice spoke through the gem.

"That was faster than expected." I turned back to Sairaorg. "Sorry. I was going to show you around while we waited. If Medea's already prepared though, then I guess the tour will have to wait for some other time. There's no reason to delay."

"Delay what?" Sairaorg asked. He took a surprised step back as Medea shimmered into being at my side.

"We're going to the hospital." I said. A Hole slowly opened up around us, slow enough that Sairaorg could avoid it if he wished so he knew it wasn't an attack.

A moment later, the three of us were standing in a white-walled room. A beep rhythmically shook the air. Sairaorg sucked in a breath.

"Bal… What is this?" Sairaorg sounded tense. His fists were clenched. His eyes flicked between me and the prone form of a brown-haired woman laying on a gurney in a medical gown. Her eyes were closed. Her face was at peace.

"I told you already. I appreciate you having my back. This is me showing you that appreciation and assuring you that I'll back you like you backed me. I'd appreciate it if you kept quiet about the exact circumstances surrounding this event. People will guess, but I'd rather they not have concrete evidence. Medea?"

"Of course, master." Medea stepped forward, hands disappearing into her robes to retrieve several glowing vials as she approached the slumbering form of the bed-bound woman.

"What are you…?" Sairaorg had started to move towards Medea, hands reaching towards her to stop her.

I laid a hand on his arm, holding his gaze as I said, "Trust me, Sai."

He did not look comfortable with what was happening nor pleased, but Sairaorg abandoned his pursuit of my Queen, watching her like a hawk.

Medea uncorked the vials in her hands. The first, she upended, sprinkling the slumbering woman's body with glowing blue liquid with speckles of silver. The woman's mouth parted in a gasp. Her eyes were still closed.

Medea lifted the second vial to her lips, pouring the green contents into the woman's mouth. She placed her hand over the woman's lips when the vial was empty. My Queen had been working on a cure to the Sleeping Sickness for a while now. I'd asked for her help thanking Sairaorg and she'd leapt at the chance to test her magic against a seemingly incurable disease. She'd met with some issues at the start. Once Aqua and Shang Tsung pitched in their help, those hurdles were quickly overcome.

The woman's peaceful expression shifted in discomfort. Her head twitched to the side. Her shoulders shook as she began seizing.

"Mom!" Sairaorg called desperately. I placed a hand on his chest to stop him from running to her side. Sairaorg's eyes snapped to meet mine. For the first time since I'd met him, I saw Sairaorg's easy-going demeanor fade away. Murder was written in his eyes as I blocked him from approaching his imperiled mother.

"…Little…Lion?"

As if he'd been splashed in the face with water, the rage in Sairaorg's eyes was gone. An expression of pure shock was in its place. The faintest trace of hope leaked through as he looked past me to the woman on the gurney.

Eyes droopy, hair a mess, Misla Bael slowly sat up, pressing her palm against her forehead. She looked confused, eyes darting between Medea, Sairaorg and I. "Sai? What… What happened?"

Sairaorg was at her side the next moment, pulling her into a crushing hug. Misla winced. Sairaorg pulled back, checking her over.

"Mom? Are you okay?"

"I'm… I feel weak."

"You've been asleep for a long time. It will likely take you some time to grow accustomed to the waking world once more." Medea said as she stored the empty vials away.

"Medea and I will get out of your hair so you two can catch up. I recommend calling the nurse in to check her over before trying to move her." I said. "If there's any other issues, call me and I'll see what I can do. Please keep mine and Medea's names out of this little miracle if you'd be so kind." I had enough attention on me already after the Rating Game. I didn't need even more people after me because I could wake up devils thought to be caught in eternal slumber.

"Bal, you… How…" Sairaorg closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before meeting my eyes and nodding. "I don't know how you did this, Bal, but thank you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, just tell me."

I shook my head. "This isn't a loan or a debt, Sai. It's a thank you. Enjoy your time with your mother."

"Sai? What's going–" The rest of Misla's words were lost to me as a Hole swallowed Medea and I.

"That went well." Medea commented.

"I would agree. I expected more issues waking her up."

"I have a raven monitoring her condition. If there are complications, I will deal with them."

"Thanks, Medea."

"Of course, master. Are you still planning on continuing with the second awakening?"

"After seeing how easily Misla woke up, there isn't really a reason not to. We only benefit by waking her up too."

"Call me when you need me."

"Will do. I'll see you in a bit."

A Hole pulled me away from the castle, off to keep a meeting with another individual.

X

"Hey, Balthazar. Have a seat." Serafall greeted me as I walked into her office.

I raised an eyebrow at her as I sat down. "No more 'barbel'."

She pouted at me. "You ruined my nickname. Barbel doesn't work anymore since you're a Viscount now. There's not any great combinations for that. The best I could think of was barcode, but it's too far removed from the actual title."

"I'm sure you'll be able to think of something. So, you wanted to talk?"

When I'd called Serafall to set up a meeting to thank her for how she'd helped me, she'd expressed interest in wanting to have a conversation with me. Given all the trouble Aqua had reported that Serafall had been dealing with since the Rating Game, it wasn't hard for me to figure out why she wanted to go over the details of everything that happened.

"There's a couple things I wanted to go over, but I should probably start with the most important." Serafall sighed, rubbing her forehead. When she looked up at me, her expression was serious. "Balthazar, I need to know what Medea did to Bedeze."

I considered her expression. She was polite or outright jovial in most of my interactions with her. Right now she was guarded. She suspected something. Medea told me that she'd covered her tracks. Evidently, the Satans had been able to piece together that something beyond the obvious had happened. We'd expected that they would probably notice Runa's Queen Piece was gone when Beelzebub checked her over for soul tampering, but I hadn't expected them to catch on to Bedeze's situation with him being killed so soon after the Rating Game. That wasn't really an issue. I was planning to bring this up to Serafall during this conversation anyway. I'd come prepared.

I held my hand over Serafall's desk and opened a Hole. A brilliantly glowing red chess piece that radiated demonic power appeared on Serafall's desk.

Serafall inhaled sharply at the sudden appearance of Bedeze's King Piece. Her eyes were fixed on the object, as if it held answers to some great mystery in her mind.

"That was…?"

"In Bedeze's chest, yes." I said.

Serafall slowly reached out to pick up the King PIece.

"I'd like to leave with that by the way." I said before she picked it up. "You're free to look it over if you need to, but I'm taking it back with me."

Serafall's eyes narrowed. "Balthazar, I cannot let you put this thing in–"

"Oh, no. I don't want to use it on myself." I quickly corrected the misunderstanding. "That would be dumb."

Serafall looked surprised, so I kept speaking. "With how much Demonic Power this thing gives off every moment, I would probably pop like a balloon if I used it on myself. Then there's the examination Medea did of it. It would boost my power, but it would also make it nearly impossible to get any stronger beyond that. No, I'm planning on using the thing as a battery."

Now serafall just looked confused. "A…battery?"

"Like I said, it gives off a lot of Demonic Power. You'd be surprised what Medea can cook up with access to something like this. You have my word that it won't be going in anyone else's chest. I'm not even going to let anyone know I have it. You're the only one outside my peerage who knows. Not even Kuisha is aware." Maybe I really was a bad brother? Did not trusting your sister with a literal key to phenomenal cosmic power and instead trusting the Satan who might try to steal that key make me a bad brother? The answer was probably yes.

Serafall had a complicated expression on her face as she looked at me for a good minute. She finally sighed, picking up the King Piece and turning it over in her hands. "If you have a sudden unexplained jump in power, I'm going to call Ajuka and have him pull this thing out of you. Just use it as a battery and there won't be any issues."

"Cool. Glad we can both leave here happy."

"Does Medea still have Runa's Queen Piece?"

So they did know about the Queen Piece beforehand. The Satans know that Medea can remove Evil PIeces.

Yeah, I needed to get the Satans firmly on my side before they started to think I was too dangerous to let wander around. Serafall and I were on good terms, but there were three other Satans I had never met that might start to see me as a problem better dealt with permanently if I didn't play ball with them. The ability to unravel peerages by removing Evil PIeces was not a power they would want in the hands of an enemy. I still wanted to be independent from them, but it would be beneficial for both of us if we were close allies.

"She does. She's not using it on anyone. It's… She is kind of using it like a relay to boost her own Queen Piece. It's letting her get a lot more done for our business than it would otherwise. We wouldn't have finished construction on our castle yet without it."

"Don't ever let it see the light of day again and don't tell anyone she has it. So long as no one learns about it, it isn't my problem." Serafall said. She set the King Piece down on the table in front of me. "Do you have any idea how Bedeze acquired this? Few even know they exist." Her eyes narrowed. "And how did you know enough about it that you knew it would be worth it to take it from him?"

I'd expected a minor interrogation session following the reveal of the King Piece, so I'd come prepared.

"Medea is really good at figuring stuff out. You wouldn't believe the secrets she overhears. Even beyond that, I have my own methods to acquire information."

"Methods you used to find Medea in the first place, right?"

"Among other things."

"I need more than that, Balthazar. You can't just keep pulling shit out of your ass and throwing it in my lap. At the very least you need to warn me, in detail, before you do something else. Giving me vague warnings about 'consequences' isn't enough. I could've gotten ahead of a lot of the problems I'm seeing in the wake of your peerage's reveal if you'd trusted me to prepare for them. As it is, there's only so much I can do in the aftermath."

That was…a reasonable request. If I really wanted the Satans on my side, I'd need to extend some trust. If I wanted them to trust me. I'd need to reciprocate. I already had something planned for this meeting that should help me with that. As far as trusting them with how I got my information was concerned… I wasn't too sure what to do about that. I'd have to talk it over with Medea first.

"What kind of aftermath are you dealing with?" I asked, sensing Serafall had brought the topic up for a reason. The subject change also gave me the chance to come back to the trust topic later.

Serafall sighed. "Nothing I can't deal with. People are making problems and trying to claim that members of your peerage were stolen or kidnapped and need to be returned. It isn't anything I haven't dealt with before."

"You've dealt with a lot of kidnappings?"

Serafall's eyes narrowed. "Not all reincarnated devils are reincarnated willingly. A large part of my job is dealing with the aftermath of an asshole lord kidnapping the wrong person's kid. We're trying to bring more accountability to the Evil Piece system. It's slow going."

"Far be it from me to tell you how to do your job, but couldn't you just not give people peerages if they're going to cause problems?"

"It'll look like we're playing favorites and keeping specific groups among the devil populace deliberately weak. Trust me, Balthazar. We've thought about this a lot. We're still working on it."

I let the topic drop. It wasn't a big secret that a lot of devils mistreated their peerage. The vast majority of peerages were little better than slaves with the only exceptions being peerages whose kings treated their pieces fair and peerages high up in the Rating Games rankings where the pieces had shown they were valuable. It sucked, but it wasn't really my problem. I had my own issues to deal with. Maybe a hundred years down the line when all of my personal problems had been dealt with I'd take a crack at sorting it out, but I needed to focus on myself right now.

In the pursuit of seeing to my own interest…

"How many peerage pieces have you used?" I asked Serafall out of the blue.

She seemed slightly surprised by the question. She knew I was asking for a reason if the way her eyes narrowed was any indication. "Why are you asking?"

"It's common knowledge that Behemoth is your Rook, but there isn't much else online about your peerage. I was wondering if you'd reincarnated anyone else and were just keeping them a secret." The Devil Net was full of entire forums dedicated to various powerful individuals in the Underworld. The Satans each had biographies, known peerage listings, feats – anything people could get their hands on really. Serafall's only listed peerage member was the Behemoth from the Book of Job. That matched with what I knew from my previous life. I didn't know if Serafall secretly had anyone else in her peerage, and I needed to know if I wanted to enact my plan to solidify my place as Serafall's ally.

Besides, she'd done a lot for me both before and after the Rating Game. I'd paid back Sairaorg by waking up his mom. I had plans to help Magdaran out. This was my plan for repaying Serafall.

Serafall's expression was unreadable as she studied me. After a few moments of silence. She raised her hand and waved it over her desk. Appearing in the wake of her hand was a set of 14 glowing red chess pieces. The only pieces missing were a King, which was to be expected of a devil peerage, and a Rook. The number of them was as I'd expected. It was the quality that stunned me into silence. Five Pawns, two Knights, one Bishop and the Queen piece all positively thrummed with demonic power.

"How do you have so many mutation pieces?" I asked, completely shocked. Over half of her remaining pieces were all mutation pieces. Devils were lucky to get one mutation piece. I'd heard of only a couple instances where someone received two mutation pieces but never any more than that. Did Ajuka pull some strings for her?

"We keep records of who receives Evil Pieces when and whether or not they get any mutation pieces. I've traded favors and items for unused mutation pieces over the years. I want a strong peerage and I'm very picky about who I reincarnate. Behemoth was the only one who met my standards. I've spent a long time looking for other candidates. In the meantime I've been gathering mutation pieces in case I need them."

"Is that a mutation Queen?" I asked, unable to look away from the shining beacon of power standing proudly atop the desk. I'd never heard of anyone getting a mutation Queen before.

Serafall picked it up, smiling proudly as she spun it between her fingers. "One of the only two to ever manifest. Maybe someone else will receive one in the future, but for now it is practically priceless. A reincarnated devil descended from some Aztec god received it as part of her Evil Pieces some two-hundred years ago. She had a respectable lineage, but not much else going for her. She was…not being treated well and wanted out. I practically created a new noble family around her and got her out from under her old King's thumb in exchange for this. She's big in the Rating Game circuit now. Top 100 if I remember right."

"What would–"

"Not for sale." Serafall cut me off, expression turning deadly serious as the Queen piece vanished from her hand.

I raised my hands defensively. "Not what I was asking. I already have a Queen. I'm more interested in the Bishop, one of the Knights and a Pawn. Actually, while we're on the subject, how do you have so many mutated Pawns?"

"Simple statistics," she said, shrugging. "Each Evil Piece set comes with eight Pawns. The chances of Pawn emerging as a mutation piece are far greater than any other piece just because of how many there are. It's a lot easier to trade for them because they aren't nearly as valuable as the others. They're still worth a lot, but I'm a Satan. I can get them for comparatively cheap. I could have more, but I figured five was enough. I don't even have any potential peerage recruits in mind that I would use them on."

I pursed my lips, staring longingly at the mutation pieces sitting on the table in front of me. A lot of potential recruits I'd wanted for my peerage were simply too strong for me to reincarnate. If I had Serafall's pieces, that wouldn't be an issue anymore. I'd come here today intending to give Serafall a gift. I could easily alter my plan to barter what I was going to give her for one of the pieces.

"You look like you just bit into a lemon. What's on your mind, Balthazar?" Serafall asked. The Evil Pieces on the table vanished with a wave of her hand.

I sighed. "I was just debating the merits of trying to trade something I planned to give you for free for one or more of your mutation pieces. I think I've come to the decision that I'd rather have you as a friend than a business associate. And I do owe you for everything you've done for me. I'm still going to give it to you as a thank you gift."

Serafall raised an eyebrow as she sat back in her chair. "You have something you think I would trade multiple mutation pieces for? Are you finally going to tell me where to find the White Dragon Emperor?"

I sat back, confused. "Did I not already tell you? He's with the Fallen. Azazel practically raised him, so good luck trying to recruit him willingly, and I would advise against recruiting the White Dragon Emperor against his will."

Serafall's eyebrows furrowed. "The Grigori have the White Dragon Emperor? Shit. I'll… I'll need to do something about that. Can you tell me anything else?"

"In the spirit of being more open with my information so you know I'm not out to screw you over, I'll also tell you that the kid is descended from Lucifer."

Serafall froze. "That's impossible. Sirzechs would never…"

She trailed off as I shook my head. "No, Lucifer Lucifer. I think he's Rizevim's grandson or something like that."

She was quiet, just staring at me. "Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"100%. Kid's name is Vali Lucifer. He's got silver hair and a serious attitude problem. He'll probably come after Issei at some point looking for a fight with his eternal rival, so make sure Sona is aware to be on the lookout. It would also probably be in her best interest to keep Issei's identity under wraps for as long as possible."

"She'd already planned to, but I appreciate the warning." Serafall shook her head. "That's not much of a thank you gift, Bal. All you've done is give me more work to do."

"Oh, that wasn't the gift. You asked about the White Dragon Emperor so I told you. No, I had something else in mind. You know how Heaven's Sacred Gear system is a gordian knot of complexity and stupidity? It's not uncommon to find new Sacred Gears no one has ever seen before because they never attached to hosts before."

"I'm aware." Serafall said slowly, watching me intently.

"So, theoretically, there could be Longinus Sacred Gears that are still undiscovered, right?"

"You know where a new Longinus is."

"It took a lot of help from Medea, but I was finally able to track down the location of an individual I believe will be of interest to you." I'd known of this individual since my first life, but I had no idea where she was being kept. After I told Medea about the people I might recruit locally, she looked into it. She'd finally tracked the girl down. She was being kept at a safehouse in the human world where devils wouldn't think to look.

"What does the Sacred Gear do?"

"I haven't seen it in action yet but it should have something to do with water and dragons. It's wielder is currently…indisposed. That's one of the main reasons I didn't want her for myself. But I think you would be interested in her regardless of her Sacred Gear."

"Why is that?"

"Her name is Ingvild Leviathan, descendant of your predecessor. I'm not the most politically savvy devil around, but I imagine having her serving under you would go a long way to legitimize your station as the New Leviathan."

Serafall was quiet as she absorbed the information. "Nothing is ever this easy. There's a catch somewhere."

"Nothing from me, but she is currently a guest of the Old Satan Faction. Not exactly a willing guest because she's also a victim of the Sleeping Sickness, but I can deal with that. The harder part will be placating the Old Satan Faction when they realize you stole one of their precious heirs."

"You can wake up victims of the sleeping sickness?"

"Medea can."

"Don't spread that around. There are a lot of older devils suffering from it who should stay asleep. What do you want in exchange for this girl?" I could see the calculating gleam in her eye. I had her attention. She wanted Ingvild.

"I'm really tempted to ask for one of your mutation pieces, but I won't. This is a thank you gift. You've done a lot for me. I appreciate it, and I'm on your side."

Serafall pursed her lips, watching me. "Where is she?"

"A cabin in the human world. We've already got a plan to capture her. After that, we just need to wake her up."

"We?"

"Medea, Aqua and I. They're just waiting on my word and we can pull this off."

"If she's really a descendant of the Leviathan, they wouldn't leave her undefended."

"They didn't, but it won't be a problem. We can take care of them in a way where they won't be able to report back and there will be no evidence of foul play."

"That's a pretty big claim."

"They're not expecting an attack and I have advantages they won't expect. No one will know what happened. You'll be able to reveal Ingvild whenever you want. Hell, keep her a secret forever if you want."

"And you're just giving her to me? Just like that?"

"You've helped me out. I may be a pain in your ass, but I'm on your side. You guys have had your issues running the Underworld, but you're far better than any of the alternatives. The way I see it, strengthening you strengthens me. We're allies after all, right?"

Serafall grinned, amused. "Right. So!" She hopped up out of her chair and clapped her hands. "When are we doing this?"

"Do you have time now?"

She made a big show of turning to look at the clock hanging on her wall. "I guess I could make some time."

I bowed dramatically. "Thank you for your consideration, your satanessness. Please follow me." I opened a Hole and we both stepped through it.

X

This job sucked.

Talgar Fleurety bemoaned that he'd, once again, been put on guard duty. Things had calmed down a lot since the Civil War. The New Satans had won a victory, but they hadn't won the war yet. The Old Satans would return to their rightful place in time. For now, they needed to regain their strength.

This led to Talgar often being sent to menial jobs like this. He longed for combat, the feel of his enemy's blood caressing his flesh. He loathed sitting around doing nothing.

But he was loyal. The sleeping girl in his charge was important, one of the few still alive descended from true devil blood. Her lineage was mixed, impure, but there was still value to be had from her. Should she ever awake, she would make a fine supplicant of his lord. Perhaps even if she continued her slumber she could be useful. There were…avenues they could potentially pursue.

Talgar looked down at the still form of the girl beneath him. Her lavender hair spread around her like a halo. Yes, this girl would be a fine offering to Rizevim should she ever awake. Talgar would need to ensure the researchers redoubled their efforts.

Talgar turned to leave. A point of darkness opened around him before he could react. Suddenly, he was somewhere else.

The wooden walls and floor of the cabin were gone. He was surrounded by sand on all sides. A scorching sun soared high in the sky. All around him, points of darkness rapidly appeared before disappearing, leaving his fellow guards and the researchers working to wake the girl in their wake.

"What is happening!" he roared, enraged, yet eager. If someone was attacking them, he could tear them apart. Was this finally the battle he had longed for?

"That ability… It was Hole! One of the Abaddons is here!" a researcher called.

"Where did he take us?" another asked, curling in on himself in fear.

"I…I can't sense anything but us." a female said, paling in fear. "There is no life here."

Talgar stared into the vast nothingness around him, eyes narrowed. Surely this was a trick. He could fight his way out.

Surely.

X

Well that was way too easy.

I'd expected some resistance, but I'd caught the defenders so off guard that not one of them dodged away from my Holes, allowing me to send them all to the same barren world. They'd spend the rest of their lives there, isolated from everyone and everything they'd ever known. Their sudden disappearance made it seem as if there was no fight at all in the cabin. There were no bodies, blood or destruction. They'd simply vanished.

Ingvild had vanished soon after.

Serafall didn't want me there when the girl woke up. I wasn't sure exactly what game she would play with the girl, but it wasn't really my business. She'd taken Medea's potions and asked me not to let anyone know that she had Ingvild. She probably planned to keep her a secret for the foreseeable future.

That was probably for the best. With no evidence where she disappeared to, the Old Satan Faction might suspect their own people had taken her after betraying them. That would give Serafall some time to figure out what she wanted to do.

As for me…

I stared down at my hand, still not quite believing what I held. A red glowing Knight shining like a magical beacon rested in my hand. I'd told Serafall that the information on Ingvild was a gift. She'd still insisted I take this from her. I didn't put up much resistance. Why would I? It was a mutation Knight.

We'd traded unused Knights. I was now in possession of a mutated Knight I could attempt to use to reincarnate someone. After a brief discussion with Medea, I'd determined it would be best if I found someone who was gifted with Holy energies. The Old Satan Faction might put together that we were behind Ingvild's disappearance. Beyond that, my own uncle had already come after me. It would be foolish to assume no other devil would follow in his footsteps. I needed a hard counter to any devils that sought to act against me.

I closed my fist around the Knight, banishing it. Here goes nothing.

A Hole swallowed me.

X

A battered man sat at his small fire, poking the embers with the point of his spear in an effort to stoke its warmth. The muted sheen of his breastplate reflected the light of the fire around the small alcove he had made his home. The necrotic flesh of his arms was bound tight with wrappings enchanted with his healing magic to preserve what little he could in this place that drained away his Light.

It was cold. It was always cold in this place. Great glaciers and biting winds choked away almost all traces of warmth.

He'd been trapped here for so long he had given up his attempts to track the time. The cold and darkness of this place weakened him. Still, he persevered. The blessing granted by his goddess, muted though it was, shielded him. The will forged from centuries battling the denizens of Hell saw him through even the coldest nights.

The man frowned consideringly. He considered a fragment of glowing pale ice lodged in his arm. Perhaps the burden he carried helped him survive in this place as well? It was hard to say.

The man's eyes narrowed, his grip on his spear tightened. He knew this place well. Trapped as he was, he had little to do but observe. The ebbs and flows of his frigid prison were familiar to him.

The spark of magic he felt behind him was alien.

Ivory angelic wings spread wide behind the man's back in warning as he whirled around, bringing his spear up defensively. He aimed the point at the blonde-haired figure walking slowly towards him through the snow. He could feel the demonic forces clinging to the man's body like smoke.

"Many of your brethren have already fallen to my might, devil. You would be wise to leave me be." His words were no lie. When he'd first found himself trapped here, demons crawled up from the deep crevices in the ice and attempted to drag him down to their unholy pits. Those who had not fled fell. This place and the circumstances surrounding the way he had been trapped here weakened him, but he was still more than strong enough to deal with weak hellspawn.

The devil, for his power was unmistakably hellish, raised his hands up and ceased his advance. "I'm not here to fight. I was hoping to talk." He gestured to the fire. "Could I share your fire for a moment?"

"I know not what you intend, devil, but you will find I am accommodating to the forces of Hell."

"You're right that I'm a devil, but I am not of the Hell you are familiar with. May I at least say my piece? I mean you no harm. I will leave you in peace if you refuse what I offer."

"I want nothing you have. Begone."

"Not even if I could free you from this place?"

The angel's grip on his spear tightened. "That is impossible."

"I know about the shard inside you, holding you captive when you should be able to fly away on your wings. Not only can I get you out of here, but I can remove that shard as well."

"And what would be the price you require for this service?" the angel asked, suspicion thick in his voice.

"I would reincarnate you into a devil. You would be my servant, my Knight."

"I must refuse, devil. Whether your words are truth or lies, I am already in service to the most radiant Sarenrae. My freedom is not worth failing in accomplishing the task she has set before me."

To the angel's surprise, the devil did not grow angry or even irritated. He nodded his head, a sad smile on his face.

"I'd be lying if I said I thought you'd accept. I thought I'd try anyway. I will respect your decision. I will, however, leave you with this." A flash of fire heralded the arrival of a sheet of parchment in the devil's hand. "Should you change your mind, you can use this to contact me. When your enemy reveals itself, remember this flyer. I would agree to fight at your side and see your mistress's will done in exchange for you entering into my service. Think on it."

A point of darkness swallowed the devil. The sheet of paper drifted on a current of chilled wind towards the angel.

The angel relaxed, tucking his wings behind him as the devil's flyer landed atop his dying fire. The edges of the parchment caught fire, reigniting the dwindling embers of the angel's fire.

He allowed himself a small smile as he sat down in front of the renewed flame, basking in its warmth.

Perhaps devils were good for something after all. This parchment could keep him warm while he continued his vigil, waiting for the task his lady would bestow upon him.

He frowned. If the task proved too great… If he was not strong enough…

He would give anything to see Her will done. Becoming a devil's pawn was not an attractive ending, but his enemy was too powerful for him to fight alone. Dismissing options out of hand would not serve him nor his mistress.

The angel settled in by the fire, tucking his wings around himself to fend off the cold. He had time to think.

X

"Hi, honey." Medea greeted me the moment I stepped back into the castle. She stood up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on my cheek.

I caught her as she went to step away, pulling her against me and pressing a kiss to her lips. "Hello, my Queen."

Medea wound her arms around me and laid her head on my shoulder. "I notice there isn't an angel with you."

"He said no. We barely even talked."

"Did you leave him a flyer?"

"I did."

"Then that's all you can do. There are other potential Knights you can reach out to."

"Yes, but I'm struggling to think of any other Holy warriors that might consider accepting my offer. It's practically certain that other devils will make problems for us sooner or later. I want someone who can take advantage of their inherent weaknesses."

"We'll keep looking." She kissed me on the cheek before pulling back. "Now come on. I want to show you my new workshop."

I took her arm and let her guide me through the halls of our castle. I said it was our castle, but she'd built it. She knew every hall and corridor. I was still having trouble finding my way around the enormous structure.

"Are you working on any interesting projects?"

"Well, ever since we reforged Perfected State and bound it to you I've–"

Medea froze. She tensed at my side, her grip on my arm like a vice.

"What's wrong?" I asked, preparing to open Holes to call my peerage to me. I'd never seen anything shake Medea like this. Were we under attack?

"I… I…" Her grip went slack. Fumbling fingers grasped at my hand, seeking an anchor. She stared off into the distance at nothing. There was a faint violet glow in her eyes. "My mother just walked onto our lands."

A.N.

Angel who refused recruitment was Stahlmar from Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous's Lord of Nothing DLC. I don't expect anyone to recognize him.