Agreas is one of the major cities in the Underworld, located directly above the Agares region. It is far from an ordinary city, existing as a massive floating island suspended high in the sky. While it serves as a popular tourist resort, it is also a vital strategic hub that controls the flow of air throughout the Underworld. The city is famously maintained by the servants of the current Beelzebub, ensuring its advanced systems remain functional.
Compared to the rural, jagged landscape of the Adramalech region or the old capital of Lucifaad, which is dominated by classic Victorian architecture, Agreas is a true metropolitan city. It is comparable to major human cities like Tokyo, featuring a skyline that mirrors the modern world. Life there appears much like any human city, with people moving through the streets and engaging in their daily activities.
In a quiet cafe located near the Agreas Dome, one of the most famous Rating Game stadium in Underworld, two people sat on a shaded balcony, sipping black tea.
From their vantage point, they could see the city stretching out in every direction, a maze of steel and magic.
"So that place is really underground, huh," Lavinia remarked, her voice barely a whisper over the clinking of china.
It was almost midday.
The streets below were not particularly busy, likely due to the lingering fear caused by the terrorist attack in Lucifaad only a day prior.
Despite the heightened security and the palpable tension in the air, many Devils continued their daily routines, walking past storefronts and digital billboards that broadcasted updates on the SSS-rank criminal hunt.
Unaware that the very criminal they were searching for was inside the city.
"Yeah. You could see it from below before we teleported here, right? The massive structure supporting this entire city is shaped like an inverted cone, resembling a giant funnel," Jay said.
He leaned back, his eyes scanning the horizon but his mind focused elsewhere.
Lavinia nodded, remembering the sight of the jagged, mountainous underside of the floating island.
"The funnel itself is actually divided into nine distinct, circular floors. According to the information I extracted from the King Piece, the Grail said that the Ars Goetia is stored at the very near bottom of that structure," Jay continued.
"It is near the ground zero point of this island, specifically within the sealed eighth floor."
His tone shifted.
"A place called Malebolge."
A heavy silence settled over their table at the mention of that name. Lavinia's cup paused halfway to her lips, and her eyes clouded with a flicker of memory.
"Malebolge... I've heard that name before from the Chief General of Grauzauberer," Lavinia muttered, her expression turning somber before she looked back at Jay.
"So, the reason you said this was complicated is because it's impossible to enter using teleportation?"
"Exactly," Jay confirmed.
"I tried to extend my domain toward the lower levels earlier, but there is this seal protecting the eighth floor. It can't be bypassed by my magic, as if the entire floor exists within some sort of isolated dimensional gap."
"Can't you just break the seal like you did with the barrier at the Lucifer Stadium?" Lavinia suggested.
Jay shook his head slowly.
"It's different this time. The runes that form the seal aren't written on the outside, so it's impossible for my eyes to analyze them. The only way forward now is to go inside physically." Jay explained.
"Then it's simple," Lavinia said, her voice regaining its usual gentle confidence.
"We teleport directly to the seventh circle and search for the entrance to that place."
"Yeah, that's the best we can do for now," Jay nodded.
He finished the last of his black tea, before Jay stood up.
"But before we head down there... I need to do something first."
"Without another word, Jay's figure flickered and vanished in a flicker of purple flames.
Lavinia was left alone on the balcony, where she lingered a few moments longer, quietly enjoying her tea as she watched the city of Agreas hum with unsuspecting life.
***
The morning light of the Underworld offered no comfort to Sirzechs Lucifer.
He had not slept a single wink since the terrorist attack at the stadium.
The Four Satans had been locked in an emergency session throughout the night, dissecting the failure of their security and the sheer scale of the devastation.
Only a few hours prior, Lord Phenex had met personally with him during his meeting with the other Satans. And after the emergency meeting, the decision had been made by four of them.
The hooded man was officially a wanted SSS-rank criminal.
Now, fresh news had arrived from the Phenex family, prompting Sirzechs to move with urgent steps toward the Phenex mansion. while the everpresent Grayfia Lucifuge followed at his side.
Upon entering the mansion, they were welcomed by a somber butler who led them into a grand drawing room.
Inside, the atmosphere was suffocatingly heavy. Lord and Lady Phenex stood near the hearth, while Riser Phenex stood off to the side with his peerage. In the center of the room sat Ravel Phenex, looking like a ghost of her former self.
"Sirzechs, thank you for coming on such short notice," Lord Phenex said, his voice weary.
"Lord Phenex, everyone." Sirzechs gave them a respectful nod, his eyes lingering on the broken state of the room's occupants.
"You said you had something urgent to discuss regarding the identity of the hooded man?"
"Yes," Lord Phenex nodded, his gaze shifting toward his youngest daughter.
Ravel Phenex kept her head lowered. Her signature golden drill-like curls, usually kept in perfect condition, were a tangled mess draped over her trembling shoulders. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap.
"Ravel... please. Tell Sirzechs everything you told us earlier," Lord Phenex urged gently.
Sirzechs and Grayfia watched as the young girl remained silent, her breath coming in jagged hitches.
Sirzechs walked forward, moving with a grace of Satans but the empathy of an older brother, and crouched in front of Ravel to meet her eyes.
"Ravel... do not be afraid," Sirzechs said, his voice a soothing and gentle.
"If you know the identity of the person who caused this, or if you saw anything at all, please tell me. We need to stop him so he can never hurt anyone like this again. You are safe here. Just tell us what you know."
Ravel fell silent for a moment.
"I... I killed my brother! No!" Ravel suddenly screamed, burying her face in her hands as a fresh wave of agony took hold.
"No, Ravel, you didn't do that, you didn't kill anyone," Sirzechs corrected her softly, reaching out but stopping just short of touching her.
"That man is the one who caused this. So please, tell me anything you remember about him."
Ravel went silent, her sobbing subsiding into a hollow, rhythmic trembling.
Sirzechs waited patiently before reaching into his coat and taking out a sketch from the front page of the morning newspaper, showing the hooded man along with an abstract overall description.
"Do you know who this man is, Ravel?"
Ravel remained silent for a long moment. Slowly, she tilted her head up. When her eyes landed on the image, the tears began to flow anew, hot and bitter.
"He... he lied to me," she whispered, her voice cracking. "He told me he just wanted to watch the Rating Games. He seemed so kind, so different... Why am I so stupid?"
She broke down into loud, heaving sobs. Lady Phenex immediately moved to her side, pulling the girl into a fierce, protective hug.
"I am sorry, Sirzechs. She is overwhelmed," Lady Phenex said softly.
"Tsk. Stop crying already! Your tears won't bring Ruval-nii sama back!" Riser snapped from the corner, his face twisted in a mask of grief and fury.
"Riser! That is enough!"
Lord Phenex turned, glaring at his son.
Lady Phenex stood up, guiding the hysterical Ravel toward the exit.
"I'll take her to her room."
Sirzechs and Grayfia watched them leave, their hearts heavy with sympathy.
They could only imagine the crushing weight of guilt Ravel was carrying, believing herself to be the one that allowed that monster into the stadium, only for him to kill her brother.
Once the door clicked shut, the room was left to the three men, Grayfia, and Riser peerages.
"Tsk. Sirzechs-sama, I know that man," Riser said, his voice trembling with suppressed rage.
"I saw him at Rias's party just the night before the Rating Game."
The revelation hit Sirzechs and Grayfia like a physical blow. Their eyes widened in synchronized shock.
"What... what did you just say?" Sirzechs asked, his voice losing its warmth.
"I saw him there. That half-devil," Riser spat, his face flushing crimson.
"He was talking with Ravel on the balcony. He must have been manipulating her then, setting the stage to gain access to the stadium. A filthy half-breed killed my brother, and I let him walk right past me... Fuck!"
Riser's grip tightened on the crystal glass in his hand until it shattered into a thousand glittering shards, the wine mixing with the blood on his palm.
"Riser, do you know what he looks like? Did you see his face clearly?" Sirzechs pressed.
"He had black hair, he was tall, and..." Riser paused, his eyes narrowing as a specific detail surfaced in his memory.
"Yes! He had these weird, haunting eyes. There was some kind of X symbol, some sort of scar in his left eye."
Sirzechs and Grayfia froze. They exchanged a look of realization.
The sudden shift in their demeanor was so obvious that Lord Phenex stepped forward.
"Are you two perhaps familiar with the person Riser is describing?" Lord Phenex asked.
Sirzechs remained silent, his mind racing through a lot of possibilities.
'There is no way it is that man. It can't be. Serafall was adamant that the perpetrator was a half-devil, a being with a devil energy inside of him. That young man... Zayyn is a human. Something doesn't add up,' he thought.
After a silence,
"We... actually know someone who matches Riser's description perfectly," Sirzechs admitted cautiously.
"But the discrepancy is confusing. The man we know is a human, not a half-devil."
"No way," Riser countered firmly.
"The person I met on that balcony, the one talking to my sister, was clearly a half-devil. I could feel his aura. I would definitely know if he is just a human."
Sirzechs fell into deep thought, his brow furrowed.
'Wait. I remember now. That man, Zayyn, offered to take the Evil Piece out of Gasper-kun's body. If he really has the power to do something like that, could he have done something similar to his own body? Could he have masked himself as one of us?'
The confusion only deepened.
Ravel had recognized the outfit, and Riser had identified his appearance.
The chances of two different people wearing the same or similar attire and possessing the same distinct eye were astronomically low.
But the nature of the attack still didn't fit.
"Sirzechs, this human you mentioned... who is he? If there is even a chance it is him, we must investigate immediately," Lord Phenex said, a glimmer of desperate hope appearing in his tired eyes.
"It is not that simple, Lord Phenex," Sirzechs sighed.
"The person I am talking about is a quite significant figure."
"A big shot? He is a human. How significant can he possibly be?"
"Have you ever heard the title... Godslayer?" Sirzechs asked.
Lord Phenex's eyes widened, and he nodded slowly.
"The human who killed the Shinto god, Susanoo? Yes, I've heard the rumors. But his identity was never confirmed, and his appearance is almost completely unknown, so I thought it was just a rumor."
"It's not... I actually met him once in Romania," Sirzechs explained.
"And I can tell you, that man is undeniably strong. Just based on his aura alone, he is at least as strong as Serafall." Sirzechs said.
The statement surprised both Lord Phenex and Riser. A human as strong as one of the legendary Four Satans? That had never been heard of.
"So, you think it is him?"
"I am not sure. The attack at the stadium involved a divine lightning attribute. From my records, that is not a power a human can wield easily. Furthermore, this man goes by the name Zayyn Illya... I had him investigated, but he has no birth records, no history. He appeared out of nowhere about a year ago in Kyoto, Japan." Sirzechs said.
"And... He is also known as the Scorched Magician, the wielder of the Longinus, Incinerate Anthem." Sirzechs said, looking at the floor.
"There are no records of him using any lightning attributes in his battles, which is the part that confuses me," he continued.
Lord Phenex and Riser fell silent, contemplating SIrzechs' words.
"Is it possible...?" Sirzechs wondered.
'Could he have claimed Susanoo's power for himself after killing him? No, that shouldn't be possible for a human. If a human wields Divine Authority, their soul and body are fundamentally altered. They become something else. A demigod. And from what I've seen, he clearly isn't one.' He thought.
The heavy silence of the room was suddenly shattered by the sharp, rhythmic chiming of a magical communication device.
Grayfia reached into her uniform and pulled out the small, glowing crystal. As she listened to the report from the other side, her stoic expression shifted into one of genuine alarm.
"What?"
Her voice, usually a calm monotone, drew everyone's attention instantly.
"What is it, Grayfia?" Sirzechs asked, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his power.
"Sirzechs-sama..." Grayfia stopped in disbelief for a moment,
"There is... a massive terrorist attack currently underway in the Agares territory," Grayfia reported.
Sirzechs, Lord Phenex, and Riser stood up in unison, their chairs scraping loudly against the floor.
"What! Is it the same hooded man?" Sirzechs demanded.
Grayfia shook her head, her face pale.
"No... the reports say the attackers are identifying themselves as the Old Satan Faction."
The room fell into a deathly silence.
A chill ran down Sirzechs' spine as he processed the news. The timing was too perfect. The Underworld was already reeling from an SSS-rank threat, and now the internal rebels were making their move.
"What is happening..." Sirzechs whispered, his expression cold with exhaustion.
***
Meanwhile, at the top of a building in Agares Territory,
Jay looked out from a distance and saw hundreds of devils, appearing to be some kind of army or guard force, descending from the floating island of Agreas City into the now-chaotic Agares City.
The blazing black grail floated at his side.
From dozens of kilometers away, he could see the chaos the thousands of resurrected devils had caused in the city of Agares. Buildings burned, and one by one, the unfortunate devils were being slaughtered.
Maybe some of them were innocent.
Maybe they were just like him.
Maybe he was just a hypocrite.
And maybe he was the devil after all.
Even as the screams of the people he blamed for his suffering echoed from afar, he felt nothing.
Revenge was never sweet. It was only a bitter, unsatisfying spiral of descent.
He had always believed that evil was born when someone chose to use their power to stand above others.
People like Ravel did not deserve to suffer the way she was suffering now. But he was the one who had caused that pain.
Maybe he hated himself too.
'Lavi...'
He had thought about it, about forgetting everything and living with her in Valeyra with the kids. Maybe that could fill the hollowness in his heart.
But did he deserve happiness while his family lay dead, killed by their kind?
If he chose peace for himself, would that be redemption, or just another form of betrayal?
Jay did not know.
But one thing he knew for sure.
"There is no going back."
Then, in a flicker of purple flames, his figure disappeared.