A golden cup cracks.
The large Television within the dark room keeps shining light bright light upon the only two beings within it.
On the screen, a reporter kept talking, and talking, and talking. Huge smile on her face, bright eyes overflowing with a giddiness coming from one that loves her job, and knows when they gained a great scoop.
The greatest in decades. Centuries, perhaps.
The last time such excitement was shown was when the New Satans personally moved to clear out a Maou Class Gate that had appeared near the capital, threatening immense death and destruction, which was all averted thanks to the might they got to show off once more.
But now, someone had gone far beyond that.
A Heavenly Dragon Class Gate was cleared. The first to ever be cleared. To ever be challenged, even.
It dwarfed any form of achievement any other Devil could brag about. It showed just how terrifying the existences deep within No Man's Land could be, and it showed just how strong someone could be when surrounded by worthy allies.
The Angels. The Norse. The Devils. The Red Dragon Emperor himself, in the flesh.
All working together, to achieve the same goal. To remove a threat that could unleash untold amounts of destruction, as the Titan was among the strongest beings in the Supernatural scene.
Perhaps, only the likes of Shiva could defeat it without trouble.
"-this marks an historic event that will be talked about for decades! Centuries, even! A battle of unprecedented scales, a clash between the Red Dragon Emperor himself-"
"-opens further questions about how safe we truly are. A Heavenly Dragon Class Gate was so close to our territory. The New Satans may be able to repel such a being, but what of the armies that accompany them? Will our armies prevail?"
"Are we truly paying this threat enough attention, or is this why the Leviathan Scion, Fleurdelys Leviathan, challenged such a high Class Gate? Did she rally the Norse and Angels to her side to show that only united, may we truly prevail against this ever growing threat? Are we taking the necessary measures to survive, or is it already too late?"
"-Satans have spoken about efforts towards peace with the other Biblical Factions on multiple occasions, yet we still have to see or hear any progress! And then, someone who had been waging upon the Angels not too long ago to her memory ends up forging an alliance with them within months! Months! It is absurd!"
"The New Satans have been working on peace talks for decades, and yet a new Devil from the Great War achieves results where they failed! Of course, at least she spared us of all the pleasantries and apparently very empty promises, and instead went and directly achieved it what the New Satans clearly could not!"
"-Gremory Heiress was attacked by a rogue Grigori Cadre known as Kokabiel, who held plans to restart the Great War through the deaths of the Sitri and Gremory Heiresses! Alas, his plan was thwarted by Rias Gremory herself, who killed him and his small army by herself! It appears the Gremory Heiress has been hiding her true power all this while-"
On and on they talked. On and on they prattled. They argued. They shouted. They celebrated.
It disgusted him greatly. Such happiness, such… Freedom. Such relaxed faces. He'd prefer seeing them contorted with rage, defiance, horror, terror- The good kind of emotions.
But alas… He was stuck seeing these disgusting things, and hear them prattling about that wench.
And yet, they weren't even trying to talk about the biggest scoop. They were overlooking it, clearly afraid, clearly not wanting to deal with it.
The God of the Bible was back. Reborn.
The golden cup cracks further, and Rizevim lets his gaze fall on it. A disgusting replica of the real thing, holding fine wine that tasted like dirt to him.
It wasn't that cup. It wasn't the Sephiroth Graal. A cup that was stolen from him.
From the very bastard that now follows that wench around. How he knew where to find the Sephiroth Graal, Rizevim couldn't guess… But he was willing to bet that one of those pathetic blood-suckers babbled a bit too much. Loose-lipped weak filth.
One cup was in his rightful grasp, while the other was held by Euclid himself. Rizevim's saw barely any use, he only held it to sip on wine, placing rich beverages within the cup that once held the blood of that fool that got put on a cross for some weak vermin that expire within a few decades.
Euclid's instead saw lots of use, with him trying to create and develop more Super Devils bearing powerful or even mutated Clan Trait. Alas, his usage over the cup was… Lackluster.
Lots of failures. Lots of mangled monstrosities that couldn't survive their growth as a Super Devil, with such data having been gleaned by studying Rizevim himself.
Souls collapsed under the strain. Bodies mutated. All that was left was some horrid, yet powerful creature.
So Euclid resorted to using Gate Monsters parts to create this Super Devil. A stronger body to hold the sheer power that comes from having the Super Devil genes, and a stronger Soul that wouldn't collapse beneath the strain.
Easier said than done, especially when the Sacred Gear didn't really work with them. They could hold and make use of it because the Dhampir girl would bear the brunt of it, and receive the constant influx of information, which Euclid had no access to.
It was a constant trial and error, with lots of errors. It was easier to create horrid beasts than a proper Super Devil. Though, Euclid had stated he was close to perfecting his pet project, before the Graal was stolen from them.
One of their teams had acquired the remnants of a corpse of a Heavenly Dragon Class being, which had been ripped apart by The Wanderer, the colossal being that would travel across No Man's Land in search of its favorite snacks.
Heavenly Dragon Class monsters.
Rizevim forces down a shudder, banishing away the image of that colossal being flying above the clouds. He himself had nearly become its snack. Even Crom Cruach.
Either way… The fake golden cup in his grasp fully shatters, wine and shards raining down his clenched fists and on the floor below. Rizevim sighs deeply, and palms his face with his clean hand. "Euclid."
A presence appears beside him as soon as his words finish, "Yes, Lord Rizevim." Ah, always so loyal. Like all proper Lucifuge should be, instead of spreading their legs for some fake.
"I am feeling rather… Vexed, Euclid." The white haired servant bows his head even further.
"Is there a way I can alleviate that, my Lord?"
Rizevim hums softly, opening one eye to stare at the still prattling television. "Destruction." He finally speaks after a while.
Euclid smiles.
"Cause a lot of destruction, will you?"
A soft laugh, and the servant straightens himself. "I know just the way, my lord." And with that, Rizevim is alone once more.
A picture of Her flashes by the Television screen once more, and Rizevim sighs deeply.
The room explodes.
~XXX~
The Throne of Heaven radiates a blinding, divine radiance that swallows every layers of Heaven.
Angels rejoice. They cheer. They weep happily, and watch as tens of thousands of new siblings were being born with each passing second, slowly taking form minute by minute.
Gabriel watched it all happen from the highest layer of Heaven, the warmth of the radiant Throne washing away centuries of stress and sadness with ease.
And above the radiant throne was a platinum Soul, encased within fourteen crystallized wings of flames and Holy Light both.
The Soul of the Titan, despite its immense power, wasn't enough to push God towards a full recovery. It pushed Them a third of the way there, but that wasn't a problem.
Centuries of Faith lay stored within the Throne from the constant prayers and worship generated by their Religion, and all of that Faith energy was being mobilized to swiftly aid God in their recovery.
They expected their full recovery would take a month. Two, at the longest. But it was time They would gladly take to clean house. To punish the Angels that allied themselves with those meaning harm by taking advantage of certain loopholes left in the System.
But now that They were back, such rats will soon be brought to heel, and they will be made into an example.
Their Soul keeps mending beneath their watchful gaze, a portion of Their attention now focused on the repaired and fully working System. Countless of its previous tasks lay complete, while many had gone into error.
Contrary to popular belief, They do not handle the creation of each Sacred Gear personally all the time. They had long since made the System able to finish the forging process by itself before sending the new Sacred Gear within the Dimensional Storage, awaiting a proper wielder to be born and for it to attached to their Soul.
The New Longinus had a wielder not too long ago. Memories attached to the Soul remnants still attached to the glorious and beautiful spear revealed said wielder, a Spirit Inheritor of Cao Cao, to be a wanna-be genocidal maniac.
He was felled by the a fellow Spirit Inheritor of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, wielder of a powerful Longinus that rarely picked a wielder.
The Sword of Kings, Ea. Clearly, the spirit of the glorious blade saw something within Augusta and was willing to become her partner. They made sure to keep an eye on such a promising Human.
Nereid Kyrie, Unknown Dictator, Legion Of One, Alpha Dominus, Solomon's Tome- Quite a few powerful Longinus-to-be were also close to being completed. With Their return, they'll surely be done by the week's end.
As They gaze at the records of the other Longinus Types, They are momentarily surprised to see that the Sephiroth Graal had a wielder before Scaith not too long ago.
A Dhampir, of all things. Felled, then brought back to life with her Subspecies, the damage it had done to her mind and Soul completely removed, and with her being reunited with her dear friend.
If They had lips, They would be smiling. That young man just kept surprising Them more and more.
Their gaze then flicks towards Their beloved daughter, Gabriel. Beautiful, curvaceous, the picture of perfection. Of beauty and fertility both.
They weren't blind to the effects Gabriel had on Scaith, but They noticed them mostly while They had inhabited his body for the battle.
Scaith's control over his facial expression and body was quite impeccable, but his mind… He clearly seemed to struggle with the effects these 'Evil Pieces' had on his psyche. It made him very, very lustful.
And Devils always had this desire to corrupt the pure Angels, forcing them to fall through constant, taboo pleasure. Or worse. It was a way for Lucifer to further spite his previous brothers and sisters.
And yet, despite this immense lustful desire Gabriel evokes, Scaith always manages to maintain his cool, and always keeps his gaze respectful… Until Gabriel goes and shoves certain mountains in his face with her bone-crushing hugs.
Still… That light teasing looked so, so amusing. They never had the pleasure of messing around, be it with their children, or with Humans. They've always been busy taking care of their plan, bringing forth a proper age where Humans and Gods can stand together for The Beast's arrival.
But now, these Gates could be used instead. As long as an alliance could be forged, then there was still hope… And perhaps, They could finally be a parent. Be less of a God, and not drown beneath the sheer amount of duties They self imposed upon Themselves.
Thus, God looked at Gabriel, and decided that Their new form shall be female. Mostly because she really wants to tease that wonderful young man, and make his mask crack.
A tall and lean body – taller than even the horned Devil that is clearly Scaith's main lover – with golden hair flowing down the long back, and curves that match Gabriel's beauty, if not even surpass it.
Said Great Seraph turns just as Yah's bare feet touch the clouds of the Seventh Layer of Heaven, a radiant golden dress made of woven Holy Light covering her figure.
With a hum, Yah stretches her new body, a content sigh leaving her full lips before turning a warm, loving smile towards her daughter, "So, how does it look?"
It was then, that Yah was reminded of something she didn't think off.
And it flashed by her mind the moment Gabriel's squeal of happiness shook the whole of Heaven.
The Great Seraph known as 'The Might of God'… Was a hugger.
And Yah could only sigh when a Gabriel-shaped meteorite flew at her at… What were the words she had heard Scaith think about?
Ah, yes.
Mach Jesus.
She deeply pitied the newborn Angels who would soon receive the most fiercest hugs from Gabriel…
~XXX~
I shudder and release a low pant, dark green smoke flowing out of my mouth and dispersing in the air.
Said green smoke overflows out of my skin and upper body, utterly drenched in sweat.
A certain pressure keeps throbbing in my lower abdomen, making me feel like I am breathing through my whole body other than just my mouth and nostrils.
The pair of hands on my back pull away, and I roll my shoulders with a pop and satisfied sigh, "Okay, this feels… Weird."
Changli laughs softly from behind me, and I turn around to face her just as she wipes some sweat off her brows. Just like me, she is equally drenched in sweat, her face covered in a fierce flush, and her white robes clinging to her very, very lovely body in ways that leaves nothing to the imagination.
I retract my gaze before she notices, though, "You'll get used to it, don't worry!" She reassures me cutely, "Your Inner Core will take a bit to stabilize now. Around a week or so."
I nod, stretching my body, feeling so light and flexible in ways that I never thought I could achieve. Plus the extra control over my Corpse Qi, coupled with how much greater my reserves of it have become.
It took a few hours of work, but Changli helped me condense by Corpse Qi into a Core. Strangely, she noted that my Corpse Qi wasn't poisonous and required cleansing like the one that comes from the Jiangshi.
She believed it was because I was still human, and that this change to my Qi was due to my Necrotic Mana, which I have due to the choices I made on that weird CYOA that sent me here.
Cores are basically the crystallization of the 'Dantian', which… I still do not understand well what it is, but I haven't been focusing on it that much.
I just know that the Qi goes from being as thin as air to a near liquid state. More abundant, more dense, far stronger, and empowers the body by many orders of magnitude more than previously.
It is why Jiangshi are so powerful. Literal physical powerhouses, which makes me eager to turn Lu Bu into one and make him even more of a monster.
"Are you alright?" I ask, noting the fierce flush on Changli's cheeks, which deepens and reaches her ears at my stare.
"I-It's okay!" She waves her hands cutely, nervous smile on her face, "I just… Absorbed a great deal of that clean Corpse Qi…" Ah, right. It is Yang type, which if poured within a female cultivator's body – that is made up of mostly Yin Qi – it ends up working as a potent aphrodisiac.
"Right, forgot about that…" I shake my head with a sigh, feeling strangely proud over having made a woman horny by… Basically doing nothing.
Which strangely happens a bit too often? Zani often gets horny just by looking at me in the kitchen, which annoys her a lot because she doesn't want to pounce on me and stop me from cooking.
Changli laughs softly while fanning her flushed face, "At least this will help my own Cultivation quite a bit!" She cheerfully states, bright smile on her full lips, "You'll start feeling a lot stronger soon enough, too. The Lower Dantian is the one that empowers and refines the body."
I hum, rubbing at the spot below my navel, where I feel the thrum of Corpse Qi. Dense and dark, just like Necrotic Mana, but less poisonous until I will it to be. "What about the Middle and Upper ones?"
I can already feel the Lower Core start working, reforging my body slowly but surely, making it mightier and more durable. From the skin, down to the very bones.
"The Middle Dantian improves blood circulation and your organs." The Phenex beauty informs me, clearly loving having someone that is curious about such things, "The Upper Dantian is… It's where we believe the Soul resides, between the brows."
"It improves mental faculties – and contrary to popular belief, it doesn't make one smarter, just clears their mind. It also improves one's control over their energies."
I hum and cup my chin in interest, "Acquiring both sounds quite fascinating. You should mention this to Fleurdelys, I'm sure she'll be quite interested." Changli perks up at that, then nods happily. Any way to make us stronger is always welcome, no matter how long it might take.
It is just the excessive ways that aren't really welcome.
"I presume you have the Upper Core?" I probe, and Changli nods without consideration. We are allies, friends even, by now, so she hasn't bothered hiding things like how she did back in her Sect.
"It is a must for every Alchemist, or those that require fine control over their Qi." That's a fair point. I don't really require that, but I'll likely find Necromancy arts that will require fine control to a very small scale.
Like one of my future projects, for one.
I glance down at my sweat-dripping body and frown, "I best go get a shower." I sigh out, before offering a smile to the equally sweaty beauty, "Thank you for this, by the way. Have I told you that you're a treasure?"
Her flushed cheeks burn even hotter, and Changli's smile turns downright radiant, "Just every single day!" She titters cutely, flapping her eyelashes at me before turning, "I best get one myself too! A very cold one!"
And with that, I watch her depart with a sway of her hips. A very, very lovely and hypnotic sway.
Fleurdelys keeps recruiting females into her Peerage, and it is becoming torture. Everywhere I look, I am surrounded by drop-dead gorgeous beauties.
I sigh deeply and depart the training room I had occupied with Changli, and move to get a change of clothes for my own shower.
A whole month has flown by since we conquered the Heavenly Dragon Class Gate and bested the Titan. All the Magic that has been dispersed in that place – both from the battle and the deaths of all those powerful beings – ended up creating an immense amount of Mana Crystals.
Mana gathered in a single place, but finding no leyline to return to, solidifies into crystals. They are used to power Arrays when the one that controls them isn't around, or just used for all kinds of Alchemy and whatnot.
I just know that they cost a lot, and that all those that took part in the conquering of the Gate took a share of the immense amount of resources gathered.
Ddraig took a bit to fully heal, before he started getting bored. Hence, I decided to give him one of my Graals and have him go explore No Man's Land.
He has impressive senses, so he can use the Graal to discover any other powerful being like the Titan and let me know, instead of directly engaging them in battle.
Though, he is mainly searching for that gargantuan beast I encountered above the Khaos Brigade base, which radiated an aura so far beyond even the Titan.
As he does so, he is free to eradicate any monster he sees, as the Graal will automatically collect their Souls. He'll likely be out for another week before he comes back.
I seriously had to threaten him with Tiamat if he doesn't behave. He had to gall to fucking ask me if he could use the Graal to bring back any monster that puts up a fight just so he can kill them again! The fucking battle junkie!
Either way, this month has been relatively peaceful.
The Underworld has been milking the Heavenly Dragon Class Gate being conquered every single day. Nobles have been basically begging and trying to enter Fleurdelys' gaze, especially when we celebrated at a famous restaurant with the whole Peerage.
Most of the army celebrated too. Most. Some are still busy getting punished by their wives and children for their suicidal tactics.
I know for a fact the Angels are too. Before we parted, Gabriel was giving the meanest pouting glare towards the ones that I brought back.
They were crying and kowtowing before her, begging her to stop… It was strangely terrifying and cute.
The fact we had no casualties – we did, I just reversed that – and that we had so many alliances with other Factions, unlike the New Satans, has been making the rounds.
We also gave more focus to the Gates, finally. People are starting to wonder just how close another Heavenly Dragon Class Gate is, or if there is something above that Class even closer.
Or when one appears within their cities, and all they can do is just abandon everything and run.
There are no plans in place. Just assurances of power which have been squashed thanks to the Titan's battle against Ddraig.
They saw a Heavenly Dragon nearly lose against another being. One that needed three Factions to come together and ally with said Dragon Emperor in order to obtain a victory.
Now, they wonder if their armies can hold back such waves of enemies. If their Satans can give them the security they clearly lack, because they haven't given Gates much of a focus until we showed them just what manner of being comes from beyond those Spatial Rifts.
Our city also has finally finished building. Grand, immense, and secure. Guarded by uncountable numbers of Undead Dragons, both from above and below.
The streets will also receive guards from Devils who will move in, so to make them feel included. Each house is the same, equal, wide, spacious and comfy.
They all have spatial arrays within, making them far bigger on the inside, and they can be upgraded. The Devils that will move in can work to 'upgrade' their living conditions, mainly requesting to add more rooms or remodel or whatever else they might want.
They can work Changli's fields, or other fields. All manners of jobs will be available, and they will have connections with the Chinese Pantheon, in case any of them wish to join Sects and learn their arts to support the community.
In total, the city can support more than one-hundred thousand people, and we already have plans and the funds to expand it further. A Grand Array to protect it is still being worked on, but it is always active. Just added security beyond the walls, the Undead, and the army that will live there with their families.
That'll be the security many will want. A security only we and few other Factions that do not accept Devils can grant. Plus, we don't offer flowery words and promises like the Satans.
Promises that still haven't been fulfilled in decades. Talks of peace with Angels and Fallen Angels started nearly a century ago, just when the two World Wars ended.
They promised, and still haven't achieved nothing.
Fleurdelys said nothing, and now the Angels, Norse and Chinese are allied with us. Not a temporary one. But a firm alliance, one meant to help us prosper and survive the horrors to come.
Showing is better than telling, and we've been doing that over and over so far. And we will keep doing that, as I do love the expectations imposed on us high, and surpass them.
I step out of the shower to dry myself off, and finally turn my attention to a notification that rang out in my head quite a while ago.
[Your skill has Evolved!]
[Inner Strength – Corpse Qi Core]
The Corpse Qi born from natural Qi being mutated by your Necrotic Mana was gathered and crystallized within your Lower Dantian.
Your body is now drenched and overflowing with a pure yet powerful Corpse Qi that can turn corrosive and poisonous with a thought, while also massively empowering your fleshy body.
It is far more potent, dense, and rich than before.
The previous Skill I had has advanced and grown much, much better. This is my first step towards my next massive increase in power.
I wish to acquire Lichdom next. Perhaps after Advancing my Class once more and obtaining the Blessing.
With that, I'll start plans for a Phylactery. Most Liches make sure to keep it close, turning it into a tool for power- Because it is powerful, as it grows with them.
Some turn it into a Staff to cast their Spells through, others into a crystal that can be hidden, some into a book holding their while lifework.
I still have no idea what to make of my Phylactery… But I want to use that to achieve Balance Breaker with my Sephiroth Graal. I know not what to expect from it, but I yearn for that power.
It is something risky. A dangerous exploit. Immense power… And Immortality. Unable to age, to have a body destroyed and be reborn near my Phylactery. Away and safe.
And I can place it where no one else can. I can create an Undead that will always be on the move while holding it… Or send one to hide it somewhere far.
Out of the Underworld. Out of Earth. On the Moon, even.
No one will know. Will be able to reach it. I'll be the only one with a teleportation Spell to the Moon, and a Phylactery that cannot be destroyed.
And so I'll be able to ascend to Lichdom, and further grow my power. Be part alive and part dead, keeping the best of both worlds so to be enhanced as much as possible.
My Sacred Gear and the Mutated Queen Piece. My Corpse Qi giving me the maximum boost it can offer. My still living, fleshy body.
My Necrotic Mana enormously enhanced, thus making my Necromancy so much, much more.
I pause as the windows rattle, but I just shrug it off. They've been rattling for the past few hours, so someone is definitely causing a ruckus.
At least it isn't Ddraig trying to fight the whole army by himself. The first Devil that charged at him was hit so hard that he flew from our territory all the way to the Devil Capital.
The shock-wave blew apart every window of the mansion. And all the silverware, and glasses.
I put on my clothes, walk out of the room- And pause when I nearly stumble into someone.
Tio Bune blinks at me, one long and large sleeve covering her mouth in her usual manner.
She blinks at me, and I blink at her. Then narrow my eyes, "Are you the reason on why the windows keep rattling?"
Her gaze flicks away, "I do not know what you are talking about, my Lord." Guilty. She sounds so fucking guilty.
"This is another Dragon Orbital Bombardment, isn't it?"
"It is agility training, my lord! Agility! The army must learn to dodge better!" And Tio instantly breaks, stomping her foot and puffing her cheeks at me, slit-pupils narrowed at me.
"Ah, so you do know what I am talking about." She freezes. Her eyebrow twitches.
Tio joined Fleurdelys' Peerage after the battle, filling the other Rook Piece position so to empower her already terrifying defenses. She joined Zani in handling the army.
Zani leads it, Tio trains it and coordinates it. She is very harsh, and so is her training, but no one has complained so far, because there's only improvement to be seen.
"My Lord, please don't bully me…" Plus, she is also easy to bully, like Changli.
I chuckle and pat her head, earning me a flushed and cute glare from her, "How's the coordination with the Dragons going? Getting easier?"
It is the whole reason she calls me 'Lord', even. Because I've given her a personal army of Undead Dragons of all kinds and elements that she can command through her Clan Trait.
Her eyes sparkle, and her shoulder's straighten, the loose kimono showing plenty of her generous assets, "They have been learning quickly, my Lord!" Tio happily reports, falling into steps with me, "I have been able to issue more complicated commands, and set patrol routes near areas untouched by our army."
I hum at that, "What about the lands around our city?"
"We would usually be stretched thin, but the usage of the Undead Dragons allows for faster mobility. We have cleared around three dozen Gates in the past two weeks alone."
A hiss leaves my lips at that. Fucking crazy high numbers. "Any problems with that?"
Tio shakes her head, "Mainly moving the corpses." She points out after a bit, "May I suggest an Undead that can assist with that?"
I blink and pause at that. Then give Tio a large smile, "Now that's a wonderful idea I didn't think off." My Corpse Walkers are meant for large scale battles, and are slow. But I can always make a massive scavenger that gathers corpses in a location of my choice.
The effective Bune Heiress smiles brightly, "I am here to please, my Lord!" She is adorable. Especially for someone that can turn into a giant black Dragon that breathes out beams of scorching plasma.
"Anything else of note?"
The shorter, curvaceous beauty hums behind her sleeve for a few seconds, "Nothing that comes to mind. The land is secure, and No Man's Land is quiet. Barely any stragglers these days. It's quiet."
I flare my nostrils a bit, "I don't like quiet."
We arrive at my destination soon after that. A door at the end of the hallway, the towering form of Lu Bu standing before it, his form flanked by two other Devils from the army.
They salute at my arrival, and step aside with Lu Bu, "Any movement?" I question, and both Devils shake their heads, low sighs leaving their nostrils.
"None, sir." I nod and walk past them, stepping into the room with Tio, while Lu Bu steps in and guards the door, the Devils flanking the sides outside once more.
Inside, a lone bed rests in the room with a desk, a flower pot, and a library filled with books.
On the bed lay a gray-haired sleeping beauty. The one I rescued from the Khaos Brigade base. The Artificial Super Devil.
I fixed her Soul and body, but she still has to wake up. The power she releases though… It's immense. Deep, dense, overflowing without control.
That's the Super Devil genes. A mutation that stimulates Devil Energy, making it more than a thousand times denser than the original, and granting near bottomless reserves.
An anomaly that would usually kill any normal Devil, unless they have a power that works in accordance with these deep reserves, or they get lucky.
Or… They are naturally born. Something about Super Devil makes them nigh-impossible to make them the Artificial way, it is why I haven't granted these genes to our Peerage. And our army, even.
It is too risky. There is only one thing that I need that might assist me in removing all the risk. The Book of Lucifer.
There must be a specific way to make Devils, one that likely requires Lilith and cannot be replicated with the Sephiroth Graal- Or maybe requires other things I lack.
Either way, until I have such a thing, I best not aim for this powerful yet risky upgrade just yet.
"Her presence keeps growing stronger." Tio remarks softly, studying the sleeping woman with critical eye, "And not just hers."
A blood-red light shines out of the sleeping beauty's body, then soon rises out and above the bed, taking the shape of a large humanoid monster with a head shaped like a four-pointed star, and a dress resembling a spider lily.
The monster bows, elegantly lifting the skirt of the dress in the process, emanating a presence just as suffocating as the young woman she is attached to, "How is she, Hecate?"
Helping her has helped me learn much more about the monsters from beyond the Gate. Depending on how strong they are, it takes longer for the madness to settle in and fully break their minds.
And if they die before that madness fully settles in, then their Souls can still be saved. Somewhat. It'll require the Sephiroth Graal, or maybe even the intervention of a God of Death.
Either way, this span of time is too short. Literally an hour, at most. Hecate – a name I gave her after she requested it – died five minutes after she appeared, torn apart by that colossal beast I saw above the Khaos Brigade base.
Hecate drifts down before me and Tio, calm and regal both, a strange monster attached to the young woman born out of her flesh and blood. Perhaps she feels responsible, like a mother.
It's strangely sweet. Shows that not all monsters that flow out of the Gates actually want to massacre everything.
I feel her mind drift against mine. Words flow into my head, and I let them.
After a bit, the presence withdraws, and Hecate bows once more. "She'll probably wake up soon." I muse aloud, making Tio perk up, "Make sure she isn't alone and afraid." I tell Hecate, who doesn't require that reminder.
I still do a quick check-up with the Sephiroth Graal before leaving the room with Tio, then having the soldiers take a break before sending someone else to take over.
"I don't like this, my Lord." Tio drawls out behind her sleeve, eyes narrowed and glaring at nothing in particular as we walk down the hallway once more.
"Hm?"
"I do not like how daring this… Khaos Brigade is." She knows, same as the whole Peerage. Even the Angels, Norse and Chinese Pantheon have been made aware of this group, made up of traitors from everywhere but likely led by the Old Satan Faction.
I keep walking, my own eyes narrowed. "You expect intelligence and wisdom where there is none, Tio." I tell her honestly, "For the sake of their impossible ambitions, they willingly dragged their own Race closer to extinction a second time."
"And they are trying hard to do so a third time, now." I catch her gaze. Quiet. Hard. Solemn. "They are just feral animals with no mental faculties left."
"They will keep going. Remove their claws, and they shall use their fingers. Remove their fingers, and they will use their palms. Remove those, and they will use their teeth. Remove those, and they will use their words."
Tio keeps walking, gaze low, "And if we take those too, my Lord?"
I smile. It is a cold smile, "Then they will have won."
She sighs, low and dispirited, "I wonder if our Race will ever be able to remove this stigma our ancestors left us with…"
I give her a grin and thumbs up, "At least I don't hate you, no?" She laughs softly, her mood brightening and shoulders rising, "Plus, I gift you Dragons! Who else does that, huh?"
"My Lord is indeed the best there is!"
"Yes, keep the praise coming."
"...My Lord should be more humble, too."
Meh, being humble is for those who don't have a Lu Bu to throw at their problems.
~XXX~
Her roaring blade of water hacks down, decapitating the three-faced head of the four-armed giant.
Its colossal body falls to the earth like a puppet with its strings cut, blood constantly gushing out of the countless wounds left on its crimson flesh.
Fleurdelys turns, her gaze inspecting the battlefield as the Gate screws shut with a rumble. "Gather the corpses!" She commands with a swipe of her arm, and the five-thousand soldiers under her leadership roared, moving the finish off the remaining stragglers.
Her head nods in approval as she descends, her gaze flicking towards Rias and her Peerage.
Their faces were pale, eyes hollow and tired, the stench of blood lingering around them. "You've done well." She praises them, making their shoulders stand straighter.
Rias does not meet her gaze, though. "We couldn't defeat the Boss, though…" Indeed they could not. Even when fighting together, with their increased strength, and with Gasper and Valerie's help, they still could not best the Gate Boss.
Fleurdelys floats down so to stand before Rias, warm smile on her face, "Do you know why I did this?" She asks, waving towards the surrounding battlefield of the High Class Gate.
The monsters that flowed our were powerful. Warriors. They were skilled with weapons and battle tactics. Pure power wasn't enough, as this Gate demanded skills from those at the same level as them.
It pushed Yuuto, Koneko and Akeno beyond their limit, and forced them to keep on going even when beyond tired. When beyond injured. Their bodies couldn't keep going anymore, and so couldn't their mind, but they kept moving, and fighting, and killing.
It was the same for Rias. Even her immense firepower couldn't fully contend against the Gate Boss. She couldn't rely on her power for offense and defense, and had to fight smart.
"Killing Kokabiel got to my head…" Rias admits after a while, gaze low. She had lost that pride, that confidence, that she earned through her training with Fleurdelys.
The Leviathan Scion reaches forward, tilting Rias' chin up so that their eyes could meet, "It was to show you that the Ultimate Class is a whole new world, Rias."
"Kokabiel was a Cadre. An Ultimate Class Fallen Angel… But you and him are both just within the first steps of that Class. It rises much, much higher."
"You aren't invincible against other Ultimate Class beings, and I refuse to let arrogance be your downfall." Her hand releases Rias' chin and moves to mess up her already disheveled hair with a rough pat, "That goes for you all too."
Her gaze flicks to the rest of the Peerage. Tired and nearly dead on their feet as they were, yet they still listened to her words, "Confidence is fine. Arrogance is your downfall. If you aren't confident about winning, then be confident on being able to run away."
Rias melts, and lets herself be pulled into the horned beauty's tight and welcoming embrace. Yuuto and the others crumble on their butts, panting, whimpering and groaning all at the same time.
Valerie was better than most, as she had a talent for Hemomancy, thus battlefields with lots of death were her playground.
Fleurdelys was proud of them. They just needed more training like this, more chances to fight in such long and exhausting battles. They were the most common, but also those that tend to cause the highest casualties.
The Gate Monsters are always fresh, while the army constantly tires out more and more. For many, conquering a High Class Horde Gate would usually turn out to be a pyrrhic victory, but Rias and her Peerage had not give in and retreated even once.
"Come on, let us go back. I'm sure you all want to take showers." She laughs when they all jump to their feet instantly, their eyes nearly manic as they complained about the stench of blood.
Fleurdelys gives the army a few more orders, mainly to clean up the corpses and teleport them back to the base before they could take the rest of the day off.
After that, she teleported herself and the group back to her mansion, where she watched them rush towards the showers like rabid, starved dogs.
Her own Peerage was instead in the living room, occupying the large couches around a coffee table filled with snacks. The sight made Fleurdelys smile brightly and warmly, her chest filling with warmth and delight.
Her first meeting with Rias had influenced her view on the Evil Pieces. At first she saw them as tools that would only cause strife with the other Factions, and she still does believe that, but she now viewed them as a way to gather people close to her.
Gather a family. One she deeply yearned for.
Her two Rooks, her Knight, and her beloved Queen. All of them together, just enjoying each other's company, with Zani napping like usual and using Changli's lap like a comfy pillow.
With a smile on her face, her feet leave the ground as she floats forward, and claims her Queen's lap for herself like the wonderful throne that it is, her bare feet playfully poking at Tio's side, making the new Rook swat it away with her sleeves and playful glare in her eyes.
"Have you all been enjoying yourselves, my dears?" She leans against Scaith, melting into his touch as his hand lands on her hip and swell of her waists, holding her close. Possessively. She adored that feeling deeply.
Changli giggles softly, "Zani most certainly is." The exiled Agares just keeps sleeping soundly, for once out of her suit and leather pants and work boots, and instead in some loose sweatshirt and sweatpants.
It was her way to say 'I am on break, do not bother me, or else…', which was a literal threat that no one wanted to take up on.
Well, anyone other than Scaith. He was the only one that could wake her up, and he'd usually either get pounced on for a quick quickie before eating, or just end up having to pick up the lazy Devil and move her around himself.
Tio had tried once. She got punched in the face for her troubles.
"Things have finally settled down." Scaith rumbles out, making Fleur's smile grow as she leans her head on his shoulder so that she could gaze at his features, "Tio helped set up the patrol routes. Changli's greenhouses are all set up under the time-fields and already bringing out a great deal of alchemical ingredients for her."
Then he shrugs, "Our city is prepared, guarded, and ready to welcome anyone that wants to feel more secure and live better lives."
Fleurdelys closes her eyes and hums, her smile and full of overflowing happiness.
It was working. She was slowly building a haven for her people. One that actually worked properly.
More sacrifices were needed, still. More power too. But she couldn't achieve perfection in so little time. At least she wasn't alone, and for that she was deeply thankful.
"What's our next course of action?" Tio questions curiously from right beside Scaith, golden eyes glinting with a desire to go out there and do more.
Fleur hums softly, "We've shaken the Underworld with our recent action. They still talk about us on the daily news, and the clamor won't quell for a long while." Her fingers brush along Scaith's jawline, her eyes trailing his lips, her core burning with a strong desire to ride him once more, "For now, we bide our time. Gather more resources from Gates and the greenhouses."
"We open the city at the right moment, to bring in a far greater influx of people."
Changli hums softly, head cutely tilted on one side, "Won't we risk overcrowding the town?" Fleur nods, a light smile on her lips.
"That's the point." She points out with a soft laugh, confusing one of her Rooks, "We'll create a need. Give them reason to pick up jobs. They'll be given jobs, let them build their own homes, and be paid to do so."
"We do not lack materials. We do not lack money. We do not lack food. We lack workers, and they will lack a purpose. One we'll give them."
Her smile grows wider, "They will have fields to work. Orchards to tend to. Kitchens to man. Schools to leave their children at to play without fear."
"They will all provide for each other. They will be equal, and have a purpose… And they will have pay, unlike before."
She will starve the Nobles, and feed the Low Class. They will flood to her like moths to the flame, and the New Satans won't be able to stop it, lest they appear like tyrants. Like the Old Satans.
She could have helped them achieve such goals. Stood by their side. But instead, they isolated her. Humiliated her.
So she'll gladly show them what they could have had on their side. What they could have achieved by now if they hadn't been so paranoid. So cowardly.
So protective of that vermin.
"We created a paradise with a need." Tio drawls out, golden eyes glistening in interest, "One that lets them achieve all they want, buy what they want and need, and even travel to the lands of other Factions to explore and find purpose. Dreams."
The Bune Heiress closes her eyes, smile hidden behind the large black sleeve of her loose kimono, "Following you truly was the right choice."
Scaith chuckles, then throws a glare towards Changli, "Now, if only someone would stop overworking…"
Fleur laughs softly as her Rook lets out an indignant cry and jabs a finger towards Scaith, "You do that too, Scaith! Hypocrite, I say! Hypocrite!"
The Necromancer sniffs haughtily, "I'm allowed to." He harrumphs out, only to twitch when Fleurdelys gives him a pointed stare.
"You require your beauty sleep too, my dear Scaith." And she'll be damned if he lets him ruin that delightful visage of his. Hell, she wanted to be the reason his face is exhausted and flushed, damn it!
Her tongue wets her lips, and her hips roll, her need and desire growing by the second. His scent filled her nostrils, and now she wanted nothing more than to pleasure him, and hear his groans fill her ears. His taste flood her mouth.
She wanted to scream his name too.
Alas, that is when Rias arrives. "Fleur! Scaith!" The Gremory Heiress rushes into the living room, long legs bare, upper body clad in a loose t-shirt.
Scaith blinks at Rias, "Did you steal one of my shirts?" He asks, sounding both offended and amused, while enjoying the view before him like Fleur was.
The redhead blows a raspberry at her lover, blue eyes glinting happily, "Yes. Anyway!" Her hand rises, showing her phone, "I decided to go to my family dinner this weekend… Wanna come with?"
Tio lets out an amused sound, golden eyes widen and parted lips hidden behind her sleeves, "Oh dear… How I wish I could see the drama that will unfold…"
Fleurdelys blinks, then shares a glance with her Queen. They both shrug at the same time.
This might actually be a fun outing.
….
The carriage comes to a stop, and her beautiful Scaith is the first to step out before turning to offer her a hand.
Fleur takes it with a breathtaking smile, her heeled feet descending down along with her bright azure dress that hugged her curvaceous figure in ways that attracted her Queen's gaze every now and then.
She'd rather be barefoot and floating around, but she wanted to dress up. Both for Scaith, and for Rias.
Indulging was fine, every now and then.
Rias was already waiting for them at the bottom of the steps leading to the large castle, radiant smile on her painted lips, and her lovely figure clad in a sparkling crimson dress. "Welcome to House Gremory!" The Heiress greets with a bow, clearly skipping over a whole lot of flowery spiel and greetings.
"It hasn't changed much over the centuries." Fleurdelys muses, taking in the sight of the immense castle. Though she did note that countless walls that used to be there during the Great War are no longer present.
The land is now green. Pristine. A massive garden tended to by an army of maids and workers, even in the deep of night.
The towering form of Lu Bu stomps out of the carriage next, gleaming halberd smashing on the ground right beside him.
"I was told there were a lot more trenches and walls, during the Great War." Rias muses, stepping between them and taking their arms in hers, happy to just be close to them.
Fleur nods, "Indeed. I once took part in a battle somewhere…" She turns her gaze west, the opposite of where her old 'prison' was, "That way. Near a river and a lake."
Rias blinks at that, "That's very close to Castle Gremory…"
The Leviathan Scion hums, a distant look in her eyes, "It was a desperate attack by the Fallen Angels. They lost two Cadres back then." She then perks up, and smiles down at Rias, "Kokabiel had been part of the attack. He was beaten up by your Ancestor, in fact!"
"Runey!?" Rias gapes. Her lazy as hell, always sleeping, and always joking Ancestor?! Fighting?! "I don't believe it…"
Fleur's smile twitches, amused confusion flashing by her eyes as she takes in the strange look on Rias' face, "What sort of reputation does your Ancestor hold…"
She decided not to question it further, though. Mainly because she had no wish to ruin her view of a woman that had earned her respect.
Fleur did her best to ignore the giant painting of a drooling and sleeping Runeas hugging a bear toy plastered on one of the walls at the entrance. She really, really tried.
Scaith openly snorted at it.
Still, Fleurdelys admired the insides. The paintings, the vases, the ancient history. So of her time, some much older.
Maids lined the walls, each one with eyes closed, heads bowed. Their auras strong, around Middle Class, showing that they were trained. Combat ready. Likely by the maid that follows the Lucifer around, Fleurdelys surmises.
Yet, they couldn't their pale faces. The cold sweat pouring down their foreheads.
Her presence choked the surrounding air, coupled with the unrestrained fierceness overflowing out of Lu Bu in tidal waves, with their bodyguard following closely behind them, almost daring the maids to try something.
Rias ignored all of this. She ignored the presences washing forth. The way another gargantuan presence swallowed the Gremory Castle unrestrained, disappointing her greatly.
It was her brother's. Useless scare tactics that only earned him a mocking sneer from the horned Leviathan.
Scaith reaches up to fix his tie, his suit matching his usual dressing style. His long hair tied in a low and loose ponytail that had the white-and-black strands rest upon his shoulders and frame his face.
As he did so, they finally stepped within the dining hall. A massive open room with only a long table adorning it. At the head, two seats lay, already pulled back and occupied.
A crimson-haired man with blue eyes, and an auburn haired beauty with purple eyes. Rias' parents, Zeoticus and Venelana Gremory.
The left side of the table held a single chair, already occupied by the Satan Lucifer. His own blue eyes were neutral, but sharp and unblinking. His wife stood behind him, eyes narrowed.
"Father, mother, I've bought our guests!" Rias announces, wide smile on her face, relaxed and uncaring of the tightness on the faces of her parents, or the tension on her brother's shoulders.
Lu Bu's towering form stomps to the side, behind their assigned seats, glowing baleful green eyes locked upon Graifya's form from the start.
Zeoticus stands, pushing a smile to his face, "I welcome you to House Gremory, Lady Leviathan." The man speaks, voice smooth and practiced, before his gaze flicks to her Queen, "Ser Scaith."
The Necromancer raises one gloved hand, amicable smile on his face, "Just Scaith is fine, sir." Zeoticus' smile turns more genuine and relaxed, a hint of approval within his eyes as he nods.
Rias instead steps to the side and waves a maid over, "Please, move my seat near theirs." She requests, waving a hand towards the right side of the enormous table, where her lone seat lay, far away from Scaith's and Fleurdelys'.
"Rias." Venelana starts, a warning within her tone and voice. Something Rias visibly ignored without care, urging the nervous maid to hurry and move the seat, which further irritated her mother.
Seats adjusted, Scaith moved the chair back for both ladies before taking his own with a thin and relaxed smile, as if the tension in the air amused him greatly.
"I thank you for your hospitality, Lord Gremory." The Leviathan Scion finally speaks, grateful smile on her beautiful face, long horn glinting under the light of the dining hall, "Please, bring my regards to Lady Runeas too… Whenever she is available."
"...Probably next century, at this rate." Rias whispers beneath her breath, before plastering an innocent smile on her face under the admonishing glare of her mother.
"Rias." Venelana starts again, voice a low growl that carried across the table, "Behave."
Rias raises a challenging brown, "So one can't even joke around now? How quaint." Lady Gremory flares her nostrils, hands clenching beneath the table. "Making quite the impressions with the guests, mother."
Fleurdelys kept the smile plastered on her face, but her distaste for Lady Gremory had already reached sky-high levels. That controlling attitude, constant admonishment for every little thing… It was like she wanted to put her daughter in a collar, and keep yanking at it for one minor reason or another.
It was so absolutely disgusting to see, and it irritated her to the core.
Coughing, Zeoticus swiftly speaks up to try and wave away the tension, "Congratulations are also in order for your recent achievement, Lady Leviathan." Lord Gremory states, raising a glass in toast towards the tall ashen-blonde.
Said woman bows her head and lifts her own glass once it was filled by a maid, "It was a team effort, so I can accept only a minuscule amount of this praise." Her gaze turns towards her Queen. Warm and overflowing with adoration, "My Queen cleared the way to the Gate, prepared the armies of Dragons, and made sure any casualty was voided."
"Lady Raphael had sensed the Gate, and the Archangel himself assisted in bringing the Norse into the fold." She then sighs and lowers the glass a bit, "The Chinese could have joined us too, but they are still facing internal strife after we helped them conquer the Maou Class Gate at their doorstep."
Lord Gremory perks up at that as the food is served, his eyes glinting curiously, "Oh yes, I did hear about that. A… Forest, was it? What manner of monsters were within it?"
Scaith was the one to answer as he rested the handkerchief over his knees, "It was actually the whole forest." His answer surprises Zeoticus greatly, "It was a single monster. A… Parasite of sort, which devoured and took over all the monsters from any Gates that opened within the forest and turned them into thralls."
Rias' father rubs his chin, "Fascinating… Was there a Boss of some sort, or did you have to burn the forest?"
"Kind of both? The Boss was some strange Dragon connected to the whole forest. Any damage it took was moved to the forest, causing trees to die instantly to ignore the damage taken."
Words were shared, the food was enjoyed, toasts were raised. For a bit, Fleurdelys thought the night would flow without tension.
Until Rias let something slip.
"You took my daughter to fight Gates within No Man's Land?!" Venelana's voice shrieked across the dining hall, her magical aura and Power of Destruction flailing wildly and unrestrained, her gaze manic and furious.
Sirzechs own face was set in a fierce scowl, but Fleurdelys ignored that and narrowed her eyes back at Lady Gremory, "Coddling your daughter will only do her harm. Especially during such times."
Venelana snarls, "That is not up for you to decide!"
A palm slams against the table, and Fleurdelys own magical aura explodes forth like an unstoppable tsunami that crashes against Venelana's own, dispersing her magic like it was but the flickering flames of a candle, stunning the woman back into her seat.
"It is when she is the first person to be kind to me since the moment I woke up." The horned beauty hisses out, teeth bared and eyes glowing with power, "My home lay desecrated by filthy, pathetic and ungrateful servants."
"Your son-" Her gaze flickers to Sirzechs for a split second before going back to Venelana, "-isolated me due to his pathetic paranoia unfit for a leader instead of actually talking to me. You know, the one thing your daughter actually bothered doing when she led me to what was going to be my prison, isolated from everything and everyone just because of my Heritage."
Nails dig into the table, and the scent of sea-water chokes the air, "Had I not bothered to train your daughter and rip off those idiotic chains you keep wrapping her up in, she would have been defiled and butchered by Kokabiel together with that other wench of an Heiress."
"So instead of snarling like a shrew, at least have the decency to thank me for having saved your daughter."
And just like that, the suffocating presence vanishes as if it was never there, while Fleurdelys allows herself a calming breath through her nostrils. A thin smile spreads across her lips when Rias squeezes her hand beneath the table, helping soothe her anger even faster.
It was then that the Satan Lucifer finally spoke up for the first time during the night, "Bringing her to challenge such high Class Gates is still too far." The man admonishes, steel within his eyes.
But Fleurdelys does not shy away from his gaze, and meets it with a scorn-filled sneer, "I do not 'bring' her. She is no dog, or pet. I 'ask', and she either agrees or refuses." A scoff leaves her lips, "She is an adult, both in Devil and Human terms. She can make her own choices, despite what her family or what the Satan himself thinks."
Said Satan's jaw tenses, his shoulders squaring, but any words that he may have wanted to speak were swallowed when Scaith speaks up in this.
"It is this very softness of yours that makes you unfit for being a leader." The Necromancer muses, twirling his glass of wine with a distracted gaze, "You bear the name of the Devil, yet try to act so… Human. No wonder this Race is so divided."
Sirzechs glares, "Me and my fellow Satans do not bear these names to inflict fear or-"
"Then why bear them at all?" Scaith cuts in, gaze curious. Challenging. "Change comes by burying the old ways you believed were wrong. How many fellow Devils did you erase during the Civil War to bring forth a new age for Devils?"
"In the end, all that blood was spilled for nothing, for you proved them right." Scaith shrugs, placing his glass aside, "You won, then paraded around with the names of those the Old Satan Faction was trying to mimic."
"Instead, you gave those names further power. Greater meaning. You kept them relevant, and now you pay the price." Another shrug, then a sight, "At least you should have started acting more like the Lucifer. You'd have been taken far more seriously, if you had."
The Satan flares his nostrils, "That's tyranny." He stresses out. Spitting that word like it was venomous.
"It's making an example." Scaith corrects, "You give power to those that deserve it, and an ultimatum to those that do not. Instead, your own Race is even more divided than when the actual Lucifer lived."
"Three different Factions, all with their own agendas, and two that clearly stand against yours. Old Satans, Great King, and yours. And what have you done about it?" Her Queen smiles. It was a mocking, scornful smile, "You let them exist."
"One has the Rating Games completely wrapped around their fingers, which basically means they have great control over politics itself through said Rating Games."
"Another spreads propaganda against you. Leads terrorist strikes every now and then, and is just waiting to cause these fragile peace talks to blow up and turn into another Great War because you are blind to the sheer corruption that clings to your ankles."
Hands slowly clench into fists, and bright blue eyes alight with anger narrow into a fierce glare. "You know quite a bit." Sirzechs drawls out, tone nearly accusatory.
Scaith sneers, "Because my eyes are actually open." He jabs a thumb towards Rias, "When Kokabiel attacked, the defensive array around Kuoh did not activate."
"As I said before, the Great King Faction controls the Rating Games, and more than half of the Top Ten ranking members are beneath Zekram's payroll. More than a dozen Noble Houses connected and indebted to him through that alone."
"Oh, and the cherry on the cake. The Noble Devil Heir that goes around raping Nuns, enslaving them into his Peerage, and who has been very blatant with these actions- Even showing his new 'toys' during parties, and yet has met absolutely no punishment, or fine." A glass rises to Scaith's lips, gaze amused yet thoroughly cold and merciless.
"Why do you think Michael isn't getting back to you?"
Silence swallows the dining hall, broken only by a low sigh from Fleurdelys and the drag of her chair pulling back, "Had you bothered talking to me instead of siding with that vermin, you'd have learned that all I want in life is an ocean I can swim into, and a nice house to retreat to."
"I seek no glory. No riches. No fame. Nor do I want my name to be written within the history books of our Race." Her gaze hardens as she rises, hands clenched at her sides, "But now, all this will come to pass, for we cannot see eye-to-eye."
"I will bring down the New Satans Faction." She declares coldly, "I will eradicate the Great King Faction, and butcher the Old Satans clinging to past glory and empty dreams."
"And I will do all this by granting our Race what you couldn't despite all your promises and flowery words throughout the decades."
She moves to depart, but instead pauses to bow towards Lord Gremory, "My thanks for the hospitality, Lord Gremory. Apologies for having ruined the mood at the end." A smile spreads across her face at the end, "You have a wonderful daughter. Do not stifle her growth, and let her wings lead her. I assure you that she will shock you."
With those words said, she turned and wrapped her arm around her Queen before departing, leaving behind a quiet dining hall that did not feel like home. Neither to her, nor for Rias.
"Feeling better?" Her beloved Queen whispers softly, giving her a gentle smile that she returns, her eyes glistening, but she refused to let the tears fall.
"I had hoped." She murmurs back, and his smile grows warm and loving. Gentle and soothing.
"I know."
"I had hoped we would be able to see eye-to-eye… That prejudice wouldn't cloud his gaze…" A lone tear slides down her cheek, before she uses her power to erase, "Our first meeting clearly poisoned their view of me…"
Scaith sighs through his nostrils and squeezes her hand in comfort, "Have you fully mustered your resolve to go forward, then?"
She hadn't told the others. No one else but Scaith. She only shared her fears and doubts with him in private, where she could allow herself to be at her most vulnerable. Within his arms, and hearing his comforting words.
The real reason why she hadn't yet opened the city to the Low Class Devils was because she didn't wish to further tear apart her Race. She wanted to hope for a peaceful resolution. A union between her and the Satans, where they could work together.
But their views of her was already poisoned, and further ruined by her Heritage. Her surname. By prejudice.
She didn't wish to stain her hands with the blood of her people, but now… Now there was no other choice.
Her getting closer to Rias was seen as nothing more than a plot by the Satan Lucifer. His opinion of her was further poisoned, and the family wanted nothing more than to leash that lovely daughter of theirs like an animal.
She couldn't stand for this any longer. To wait and watch no longer. To hope for a better solution no longer.
Her eyes shine, turning a deep, twisted and malevolent purple for but a few moments before it fades as she takes in a deep breath.
"If he cannot embody the name of my father properly…"
"Then I will."
It was time to cripple the New Satans Faction, and all of the Nobility. Once and for all.
~XXX~
"Checkmate."
The Sitri Heiress bristles at the fifth consecutive loss, while Cantarella Sitri just hums a low tune, gaze distracted and hands brushing at her long, silky hair.
Her long legs lay crossed, her full and massive chest exposed by her dress, her beauty as intoxicating and dangerous as always.
"Such stubbornness is unfit for an Heiress, Lady Sitri." Cantarella drawls out, tone mocking, while her smile and face was warm and kind, "Or might you be a sore loser?"
A pair of eyes glare at her over the rim of the glasses, which do not intimidate Cantarella one bit, "Watch your words." Sona threatens, but Cantarella openly sneers, a mocking smile on her lips.
"Perhaps getting rejected by your crush has left your mind in turmoil?" The beauty 'offers' that olive branch, but her next words overflow with immense amounts of mockery, "You didn't honestly believe you stood a chance of recruiting him, did you? How cute..."
That Necromancer had perhaps become the most promising Queen in the Underworld. He was spoken at the same level as Graifya Lucifuge, the Queen of the Satan Lucifer.
Two of the greatest Queens, with one claimed to be the strongest while the other could raise and create entire armies by his lonesome.
Armies of Dragons, of Undead… Bringing back a Heavenly Dragon and having him be part of their Faction.
He had humiliated all Necromancers and Queens out there. He stood out for being so promising, so powerful having access to a terrifying Longinus Type Sacred Gear… And also because of his looks.
Many Devils openly lusted over him, and even Cantarella always found her gaze lingering a second too many whenever it landed on him.
But that was natural. There was little the Supernatural Charm of a Devil couldn't fix, or enormously enhance.
Her gaze flicks to the Heiress before her. She is quite the example.
"Say, Lady Sona…" Cantarella starts, snapping the Heiress out of the daze where she was trying to figure out how she lost once more, "Was the Satan Leviathan ever aware about what your House was doing to the Branch Family?"
The question causes the room to grow chilly and tense, but her gaze remains on her finely manicured nails, not even bothering to spare the Heiress a glace.
"There is little my older sister doesn't know when it comes to her family." Sona huffs out, adjusting her glasses while alluring beauty lets out a low, slow hum.
"I see… So she allowed your vile experiments to go on." Her fair hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palm hard enough to draw blood. "Did you ever regret such actions? Hate your parents for allowing such foul practices?"
Alas, much to her growing disgust and hate, Sona merely raises a brow at her questions, "Why would I? The prosperity of House Sitri is all that matters. Being able to take part in it should be an honor."
Cantarella laughs. She laughs, and laughs. A laugh filled with scorn, hate, and disgust. "Honor, you say? There were dozens of children around our age back then… Now, only I remain."
"Our blood was poisoned. Our Devil Energy was poisoned. We were tortured, forced to survive, to grow stronger lest the pain takes us. Forced to adapt, or die."
Her hand raises, and foul purple water drips out from her fingers. Her Sitri Clan Trait, Hydromancy… But Mutated. Her water was poisoned.
It carried all sorts of poisons she ingests, to which she built an immunity to over the years due to them being forced down her throat as she grew up.
And now, all manners of poisons and acids could manifest within her water. It was exactly what the Sitri House had wanted. It was the reason for all that torture.
But what did they do? They discarded her. All those deaths, all that torture, all of her friends… They took everything, and left her with nothing.
She thought that she could rise to the title of Heiress. That all the pain was going to be worth it, and that she would get rewarded for her persistence and immense strength.
Yet, they kept Sona. Weak, barely Middle Class Sona, as the Heiress.
And she was brushed aside. Ignored. Not even getting an apology for having her friends and parents taken from her far too soon.
"Had you wanted glory for House Sitri, you should have returned to being the servants to a real and proper Leviathan." Cantarella sneers out, gaze cold and merciless, delight filling her at the way Sona's face instantly falls into a furious snarl of jealousy.
"A Heavenly Dragon Class Gate conquered within months… While you still struggle with Middle Class ones!" She laughs, hiding her supple lips behind her fingers, "You could've shared in that glory, had you been an obedient little servant. Alas, now you'll never achieve such heights."
Sona stands abruptly, making the fine chair she was on fall back on the ground, and her magical aura flowed out unrestrained. "You know nothing of the heights I will reach." The Heiress hisses out through gritted teeth.
Cantarella smiles coldly, "Oh no, I know quite well of your limits." Brows furrow in confusion behind red-rimmed glasses, before a knock at the door draws away their gaze.
"Lady Sona, dinner is ready. Your parents await you in the dining hall."
A scoff and a glare return to Cantarella, who simply waves at the Heiress, "Go ahead. Make sure to enjoy dinner, yes?"
Her smile turns chilling as the Heiress departs, and her fingers curl into fists. "For it will be your last."
Her phone slips out of her pocket, and she clicks it open to reveal the reason on why she wasn't going to hold back on her revenge anymore.
"New Haven is now Open!"
[A city built by Fleurdelys Leviathan. For Servants. For Reincarnated Devils who are nothing but slaves and seek salvation from their oppression, from the laws that stand against them and their way towards freedom.]
[For Stray Devils that had no other choice. For the workers that break their backs for ungrateful Nobles that pay them nothing. For Mercenaries who are seen as expendables.]
[For the real people of the Devil Race. The backbone of it. Not the nobility, but those making art. Tending the fields. Building homes. Cooking food. This city is for them.]
[Payment for any job is set at Ten-Thousand Lillum per month. Weekends are break days. Food and essentials will be free for the first year. Injuries on the job, no matter how grave, will be compensated and healed by Fleurdelys Leviathan.]
[Access to the Chinese and Norse Faction territories is granted for vacations, or to have the citizens new purpose in life, or arts to learn.]
[Here, you are welcome.]
[Here, you will not be ignored.]
[Here, you are not a slave. You are equal to Fleurdelys Leviathan and her Peerage.]
[If all one-hundred-thousand spots are filled by the time you come, then accommodations will be granted together with free food, care and any other need you may require. Your home will be ready in no time.]
[Come, and help build a proper future for your Race. One where you can take part in the building process, instead of being given useless, empty promises.]
[Here, your voice is heard. And matters.]
The images of the grand city. The beautiful schools. The large kitchens and massive markets. The massive homes and the surrounding fields and plains.
The mighty walls and giant Dragons standing between them and No Man's Land.
Safety, prosperity, a new life and broad future. It was everything she wanted and needed.
Below it were the places where she had to go to gain transport to the city. Either go to the nearby territory Fleurdelys owns, or to the stations her soldiers had set, where they would transport people to New Haven with a teleportation Spell.
Standing up, Cantarella shuts off her phone and pockets it. Her umbrella is tucked to her side, and her heels click on the floor as she departs.
She steps out of the room with a low, amused hum, the stench of blood filling her nostrils.
Her feet stepped past the twitching forms of Servants bleeding out of their eyes, nostrils, ears and mouth, their faces a deep, purple and twisted in pure agony.
It was so, so easy to poison everyone and everything with but a touch, and then activate her magic to let the poison flare and destroy her targets.
Around her, House Sitri bled and died, unaware of the years of poisons that had remained dormant within their bodies due to each minor contact they had with the jellyfish in their midst.
A wall. A table. An apple. A glass. Wine. Handshakes.
Chess pieces.
Around her, complicit servants and guards bled and died, her heels now drenched in blood.
"Good riddance, you filthy, diseased family of sore losers."
Her magic flares, and soon no living being was left within the House Sitri territories.
And with a flash, she departs towards a new life.
A.N. Ya know, I actually didn't want to kill off Sona and the Sitri family, even with my huge dislike of her.
But then… That's the only House that would have a power that matches Cantarella!
And would willingly do heinous shit to try and create a second Serafall when their second daughter turned out to be weak as absolute shit.
Either way, set-up chappy!
Khaos Brigade plottin'! Fleurdelys hitting the New Satans hard!
Lotsa moffokers dyin'!
And Ddraig had to be banished to No Man's Land cause he is too psychotic!
Hope y'all enjoyed this chappy!
Toodles!