Author's note:Well, we've finally reached the Rating Game. Sort of.
The real madness begins tomorrow with Chapter 77, the first of two MONSTER chapters covering the game.
And I mean monster chapters. Chapter 77 is around 10k words, while Chapter 78 is even bigger, at roughly 13k. I can, and I am promising Chapter 77 tomorrow. Chapter 78 will follow as soon as I can.
Disclaimer: All characters depicted in this story are eighteen years of age or older. Any sexual content involves only consenting adults. This is a work of fiction.
A Marvelous Devil.
Chapter 76: And the Heavens Fell.
Dante Andromalius.
It was strange to think that after a life by my lonesome, at least the majority of the time, I had grown so unaccustomed to being alone.
First, it was Tandy. Then Rogue and Jean joined the group, with Wanda being the last of those who spent the majority of my waking hours with me.
It was nice. They became people I listened to because I was curious, without constantly remembering that I knew better than them about most things.
I did, but their opinions still mattered to me far more than they probably should have.
Being alone also meant something else…
I was finally without minders!
Laughing internally while keeping my gaze locked on Roygun, I couldn't help but be drawn to the beauty of her history.
It wasn't that often that I found someone with such an obsession with any specific topic. She was, in my expert opinion, insane.
In a good way, though. Or amusing at the very least.
But even that didn't surprise me as much as what was tethered to her soul. Something that shouldn't be there, much less exist according to Ajuka.
My bestie had been lying to me. And like Hell I'd believe some dumbass other than him managed to create something like this.
Something that looked very similar to the Piece I had created as a nexus for my Evil Pieces.
It seemed someone was a naughty devil. A King piece, huh?
Was this how the Great King Faction played their games?
"Welcome, Lord Andromalius." Corvin Sallos smiled brightly.
He was a completely different man from the one I healed back then. He stood straighter than before, the limp noticeably absent, and the malformation in his hands was long gone.
But nothing compared to the new sound of his voice.
"Well, well, well." I looked him over. "Look at you, man. Have you had any luck with the girls? Or has my gift gone to waste?"
The older devil spluttered in embarrassment.
It felt nice to see my handiwork appreciated, even if he hadn't gone out as much as I'd hoped.
He coughed to hide his reaction.
I took the seat opposite Roygun, leaned back, and crossed my legs as I winked at her.
The studio was surprisingly quiet for events like these, but considering I had told them I was going to do this only with this pair, the vultures who were often here were missing.
I wanted to give them a show, not get bored out of my mind. Or worse for them, irritated.
"Welcome, citizens of the Underworld!" the blue-haired man who had been worried about me during our first meeting announced after sending a commiserating look Corvin's way.
I glanced at him.
"For those who don't know me, I am Durian Barbatos for DGN, and to my right is Corvin Sallos for ABC-U. Tonight, we bring you an exclusive look into a match that has shattered viewing records before it has even begun!"
His eyes went to a screen before widening even further. He was struck dumb at whatever number he saw.
"And it keeps going up." Corvin took his place, having controlled himself. "This is a monumental moment for many of us, and that means that our guest must be something else, no? As you can see, the tactical mastermind of the Belphegor clan and our reigning Rank Two, Lady Belphegor, has graced us with her presence!"
Polite applause echoed from the crew around the studio. Roygun dipped her head just slightly toward the cameras.
"And on my right, the man who brought the House of Andromalius back from the very ashes. A King entering his debut match, Lord Dante Andromalius."
I acknowledged the camera.
Durian cleared his throat, nervous, but then relaxed once I nodded.
I knew how these things worked. I didn't expect them not to fan the flames if they found the perfect moment.
"Lord Andromalius," he continued, turning toward me. "I believe the question everyone watching wants answered first is rather simple. Are you nervous?"
"Do I look nervous?" I shook my head. "Nah, nothing as bad as that."
Durian looked at me as if he expected me to continue.
Roygun started laughing a moment later.
"Not even slightly? You are facing the second-ranked player in your debut. That's… unheard of. Especially considering what is at stake."
"I don't know nervousness, Durian," I sighed theatrically. "But I guess I do feel something."
Corvin's eyes sharpened. He moved just slightly in his seat.
"And what is that?"
"Excitement." I spread my hands. "Lady Belphegor has gone to extraordinary lengths to perfect something she loves. I can only hope she manages to do what I want."
I looked toward her.
"I feared that I would be disappointed at the start, but a single look at her showed me something that I didn't expect."
Roygun's eyes narrowed even as she recognized the playfulness in my voice. "And what is that, Lord Andromalius?"
"Please, Lady Belphegor, it's Dante for you." I waved her off. "As for what it is… let's say I recognize insanity with a glance."
They all gaped in my direction.
"It's wonderful, my dear. The sheer lengths you'd go to simply… win. I hope that obsession makes you try harder than you've ever had to before."
"Oho?!" Durian leaned forward. "And why is that, Lord Andromalius?"
"Because she will need it." I looked directly into her eyes. "She'll have to trust me on that. But I don't think I'll need to do much to convince her."
"And why is that, Dante?" Roygun's eyes brightened.
"Oh, you can feel it; don't try to hide it from me, my dear. Not many can, and I assure you, you aren't one of them."
I put the weight of what I was against her essence.
Roygun shuddered for a moment, her eyes going wide before she burst out laughing in pure, unadulterated excitement.
But I was damn good at reading people. And she didn't care about what Bael and his cronies wanted. She just wanted someone to push her forward.
Someone to shatter the rut she had gotten herself into after accepting a chain dressed up as an opportunity.
And I could do that better than anyone else.
She wouldn't say a thing.
"Lady Belphegor, Lord Andromalius seems rather confident," Corvin said leadingly.
"Oh, I think he has reasons to, Mr. Sallos." Roygun's attention remained on me. "A competitor that doesn't believe they can win has already lost before the game even started."
"But confidence aside," Durian interjected, "there is a rather considerable difference between you two. Lady Belphegor has participated in Rating Games for more than a century. Lord Andromalius has never participated in one. Not even mock ones between devils his age."
"That isn't nice to say, Durian." I shook my head in disappointment. "Lady Belphegor doesn't look a day past twenty."
Roygun covered her mouth to hide a giggle.
Durian looked stricken.
"But yes, experience matters. That's the greatest advantage she has over me, or so everyone believes. I was told that I didn't understand the essence of Rating Games, and they aren't particularly wrong."
I leaned back.
"It's a good thing I have several advantages of my own."
"Care to chime in, Lady Belphegor?" Corvin turned to her. "What do you consider Lord Andromalius's greatest advantage?"
"That we don't know what he can do." Roygun was pensive for a moment. "Dante has been very… isolated ever since his family returned to the Pillars; I believe everyone knows that."
"Do you want a hint? I don't mind."
I was curious what her answer would be.
Corvin and Durian looked at me like I was an idiot, and to be fair, so did the rest of the crew and even Roygun.
Then she laughed brightly before shrugging.
"I have two Bishops, a Knight, and a Pawn." I nodded. "I spoke the truth before, Roygun. I want you to do your best."
"Roygun, is it?" The woman herself asked with a small twitch of her lips.
"Oh, I know a friendship when I see it, my dear. People like us tend to gravitate to each other."
"Like us?"
I looked at the camera instead of Roygun.
"Those with overwhelming power. What everyone else desires to be." I grinned. "Quite a burden those like us carry, no?"
Roygun burst out laughing.
Then we fell silent, simply staring at each other.
Corvin cleared his throat.
"Speaking of peerages, what do you think of your opponent's, Lord Andromalius?"
I glanced in his direction before giving a small nod.
"It's beautiful. And it gives more information about Roygun than she even realizes."
"Like what?" Durian asked.
I looked at Roygun with a question in my eyes. She thought for a moment before shrugging.
"She's patient, but everyone who has seen her games knows that. But the most important thing is that she's like me. More than I realized before meeting her in person."
"How so?" Durian pressed.
"She likes monsters. She prefers interesting people more than anything else. She knows how big the world is and how valuable variety is. Every piece of hers is handpicked to have an answer for almost anything that can come her way. It's what makes her special, don't you think?"
I didn't wait for them to interrupt me.
"Considering how many offers and gifts I received ever since I started collecting my peerage from other devils, I can't even imagine how many she must have turned down to build hers exactly how she wanted. But you know what I find curious?"
Roygun waited.
"That she has a big heart."
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling everyone's attention in the studio.
"I said she was insane, and I meant that in the best way possible, but in the journey to fulfill that obsession of hers…"
I projected an image of her and her peerage.
"She found a family. Something even more important to her than winning, even if she hasn't realized it yet. I've come to appreciate that point of view over the past few years."
"I find it curious, and that alone made this Rating Game worth it for me."
The horned devil stared at the image.
There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone watched her reaction... and a beautiful smile spread across her face.
"I can't say I expected to hear something like that today of all days."
She closed her eyes for a moment.
Adorable. She was uncomfortable and didn't wish to show it.
"I always felt proud of having a… sort of sixth sense for the Rating Games. That's why I accepted this fight. I had hoped this would be a bit interesting, but I was wrong… It's going to be so much more."
A fire that hadn't been entirely there before began to grow inside her soul.
I felt it growing inside of me, too.
She stood up from her seat, elegant as ever, straightening her dress with one hand before walking in front of me.
"I want to crush you."
Her absurd demonic power came forth.
Corvin and Durian instantly fell to their knees. Everyone in the studio stumbled to the floor. They started gasping for air and clawing at their throats. Their eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their skulls.
I stood up as well and walked in front of her.
Her grin widened even further as she looked up at me.
"And you're welcome to try, my dear. In fact, I urge you to."
My demonic power rose to protect the devils behind me.
It wasn't as immense as hers. I called hers absurd for a reason, but… I controlled demonic power.
I only had to ensure nothing got past me.
And she noticed, her eyes widening even as she tried to push harder to break the hold.
Demonic power answered to me. And I didn't need some amusing trinket buried inside my soul to command it.
The building began to shake even harder as dust fell from the ceiling.
"Bring everything you've got, Roygun. Because you'll lose if you don't." I lifted her hand and kissed it. "I know something inside of you is already screaming that."
"My peerage… no, my family would love you, Dante." She laughed in childlike wonder before growing serious. "Defeat me, and I'll allow you to call me by my name, Dante Andromalius."
I snorted.
"Sure thing… Roygun. Now go and train. You'll need it." I waved her off absentmindedly just to piss her off.
The King sent me one last look, confusion mixed with dread and exhilaration, before teleporting away.
I shook my head as she disappeared. I liked her fire.
It was the same fire Rias had for freedom, or Sona for her dream.
Or the roaring inferno my own girls carried.
Then I looked down at the gasping devils behind me before looking at the camera.
Sighing, I waved my hand in their direction to fix the small complications Roygun caused in her excitement.
I mean, who would have known that would have triggered her that way?
Ah… yes. I did.
Corvin stood up first, looking at the pale, trembling Durian with pity before grimacing and shaking his head.
"You'll never get used to when someone like that stops holding back."
"You're doing surprisingly well. Who knows, you might get some fans after that valiant effort, Corvin! Make me proud."
He glared at me before looking at the cracked walls and groaning devils.
"We still had seventeen questions, Lord Andromalius," he sighed.
"Tough shit." I shrugged, deadpanning at a devil who coughed his lungs out in the distance. "Doesn't look like they're good enough to continue."
Looking at them all, I decided to do another good deed to earn some brownie points with the girls.
I teleported a couple of kilograms of Tandy's leaves into the room.
And then I stepped into the Darkness.
They could decide how to sort it between themselves.
Rudiger Rosenkreutz.
Rating Game arena.
"What in the world did you do to get permission for this?" I raised an eyebrow, knowing how hard it was to obtain the key to the arenas outside of Rating Games.
He returned the confusion before he shrugged. "Just bothered Ajuka every time he was attempting to start his experiments by teleporting them away. He gave me the ward stone only for the promise to leave him alone."
"Who knew blackmailing a Satan would be that easy," he murmured to himself.
Everyone reacted the same way, deadpanning at the blond devil leading the very large group into the arena.
Maria faltered for a single step next to me before grunting. She had given up trying to make sense of Dante.
And honestly, so had I. Especially after taking control over teaching his peerage everything I knew during the past week.
Even more so after learning what they were capable of. Not their limits; they remained tight-lipped about that no matter how much it would help me plan for their future, but they were adamant that it was better for me not to know.
And at this point, I believed them.
Dante Andromalius had to be the luckiest bastard in the world. And the scariest, because he had managed to grab all four girls before they could grow into their power. It was heartwarming because I would live long enough to see them reach their full potential thanks to the Andromalius protection.
The girls were the kind of humans who would be killed to protect the balance of the supernatural world. Not from a unanimous decision, sure, but they wouldn't grow old with so many individuals deciding that their existence shouldn't be allowed for the greater good.
And that was me saying it without knowing their limits.
Yes, the less I knew, the better.
It wasn't like I could even go against Dante at this point or even think of it. I owed him Konrad's life, and he had an ally for life.
"So, what's the plan?"
"An all-out battle." He shrugged. "To point out their mistakes, but with rules similar to some Rating Games. I asked Ajuka to create something that could realistically be objectives in real games. I'll explain once we're inside."
I nodded, glancing at the teams I led.
It was a varied bunch, but over the past week, Maria and I had worked with them a lot and knew what they were capable of. I trusted they would succeed.
I hadn't seen Dante fight seriously yet, so I wasn't entirely sure, but the odds should be stacked against him.
Or at least I hoped it was like that. There was something unnerving about how confident he was in everything he did.
Especially after seeing Roygun's reaction during the pre-match interview. No one had expected it to end like that. Normal people, at least. His peerage wasn't surprised, only blaming themselves for not sticking next to him and stopping him before he could make a bigger mess.
The fact that the girls just giggled fondly seeing that savage smile on his face during the show worried me a bit. They were all crazy, and I knew exactly who to blame.
Dante stopped in the center of the fake dimension, looking around and nodding in approval.
"Yes, this will work," he grunted, then looked in our direction. "Right, you lot. The next few hours will be simple."
Dante's own peerage, Rias's peerage, and a small part of Sairaorg's peerage squared their shoulders as they listened attentively.
I smiled approvingly. He had an air of a leader that came forth absurdly naturally for someone that young. He truly was a gem.
"This place is smaller than top-rated Rating Game arenas, but it will work for what we will do today. It is around seventy square miles. As you can see, it's mostly barren because Ajuka is a cheapskate, but it has different usable terrains for every kind of specialization. Around the area, there are three crystals."
The big group nodded in unison.
"Your task is simple. Impress me, show me your growth. You have to stay inside the area to charge every single crystal. Once the three are charged, another crystal will appear at this exact location. You'll never miss it, so don't worry about that. Anyone can grab this crystal and take it to one of the other ones, whichever you choose. Once you enter the charging area, it means you win. Any questions?"
"Rules?" Kuisha Abaddon asked.
"Come at me with the intent to kill," Dante said simply, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at every single participant. "You will get hurt, and sometimes you'll wish you were dead, but I'll ensure no lasting damage remains. Tandy could use some practice fixing cripples, and I'll fix anything she can't. Normal security measures are active, so don't worry about croaking just because I hit you too hard. You'll get teleported to Rudy and Maria once that happens. Anyone who wants to back down is free to do so."
No one moved.
"Any other question?" he asked, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.
He succeeded in irritating everyone, because the group almost had literal fire in their eyes. Even the small dhampir glared at Dante with surprising vitriol.
Maria cooed at the sight, making the boy blush and hide behind his King, who patted his head absentmindedly.
"Good. Now scram; I have something to talk about with Rudy before they teleport us outside." He waved them off. "Take this time as a head start. God knows you'll need all the help you can get. Consider praying to him. Maybe he'll feel pity and try to help you."
... What a nasty devil.
The group shared a look, and I felt the moment Jean's mind linked everyone into a single network before everyone teleported away.
All but one. Sairaorg patted Dante's shoulder with an excited grin before he finally stepped into his Queen's hole.
"He's an idiot," Dante sighed disappointedly. "Did he think I wouldn't notice?"
My lips twitched as I focused on the small mark of Touki Sairaorg left behind on Dante's shoulder.
"I think he doesn't care," I snorted. "So, what did you want?"
"Just some concerns of mine." Dante waved his hand. "I know you two have been training them, but I wanted you to avoid giving them any advice this first round. I want to see how they react on their own. The next attempts, feel free to give them orders or whatever."
"Already planning on it." Maria nodded before she asked, "Multiple attempts, Lord Andromalius?"
"Well, yeah? They need to suffer so that the lesson sticks." He shrugged calmly. "The idiots won't last long the first couple of times. I plan to push them to their limits."
"Are you sure I can't talk you out of this, Dante? They are young, not preparing for war." I frowned, not liking that he was going to harm his friends.
It was something I noticed since our time in the sealed zone. He was quite… brutal and cruel with his methods. The only reason I couldn't call him a psychopath was that he truly cared about the kids in very obvious ways, but his methods…
Dante just chuckled.
I sighed in defeat. The kids knew what they were getting into, and they had still decided to stay. Maybe they saw something I didn't see.
No… I could see it. I just didn't want to accept it.
Maria grabbed my hand before teleporting us into the viewing room.
Once inside, I activated the surveillance system, which showed cameras following every single person in the arena as well as some important information.
I nodded approvingly at the way they had separated. Given that Jean was more than capable of allowing them to communicate across immense distances, they could make it work.
"Rudy…" Maria frowned, looking at the screens.
I looked at her before focusing on what she was looking at.
"What happened, dear?"
"Where is Dante?" she asked in a small voice, and my eyes widened when a yelp of fright came from the smallest group. The one formed by Rias, Akeno, and Koneko as they ran towards the second crystal. The white-haired girl barely had any time to squeak before a glowing hand rose through her shadows and pulled her into the void.
A moment later, Koneko wasn't there anymore. Rias and Akeno kept on running with the same excitement at the opportunity to show Dante how much they had grown.
Hell, despite being connected thanks to Jean, no one noticed that they were lacking a single member from the very start.
"Seeing things like that shows why the creator of the angels hunted them to extinction." Maria shook her head in disbelief. "How do you even plan when you don't remember someone is hunting you?"
"You don't," I sighed, sensing Koneko teleport into the room with a fierce scowl.
Her leg was already bruised almost black.
As Maria fussed over the girl, I noticed Jean's eyes widening before she alerted the team that they were missing Koneko.
It was like a spell broke.
Sairaorg burst out laughing as many swears filled the connection.
"I'm fine. The asshole just grabbed me before taking me out," Koneko said in a plain tone that somehow showed how angry she truly was.
She grabbed a jar of Tandy's healing paste from one of the bags, scooped some out, and rubbed it over her leg.
Dante's laughter filled the arena from everywhere at once.
"He's scarily good at psychological games," I deadpanned, seeing how dread filled the team. Jean linking their minds meant that they shared what everyone was feeling at every moment, and I didn't doubt that Dante planned to exploit that.
The biggest group, running toward the third crystal, started acting.
Kuisha took a deep breath, and a hole opened beneath Sairaorg, Regulus, Rogue, and Isane.
They disappeared, and a moment later, the projection shifted to their point of view.
And there he was.
Dante stood alone in the desert, hands inside his pockets as he looked down on his immediate opponents.
He didn't seem to care that they were their strongest physical combatants.
Sairaorg rolled his shoulders as Rogue took to the air with her light-made wings. Regulus stalked around Dante with narrowed eyes, acting like the cat he was.
Isane stood behind them all, keeping a safe distance.
As much as that meant against Dante, apparently.
"Boost!" Ddraig intoned from inside the Sacred Gear.
"And I had been hoping you lot would have saved Koneko." Dante tutted amusedly.
Sairaorg didn't let him open his mouth anymore, appearing next to Dante with his fist planted directly in Dante's face.
The sound reached the projection a moment later as the ground shattered. The blond devil was sent flying backward over a kilometer away.
I leaned forward as the projection was filled with more mocking laughter.
Sairaorg's eyes flared even brighter as his Touki covered his body.
His face was set in stone as he followed with another punch, and his fist passed through Dante's chest.
Darkness swallowed the blond devil's body, leaving Sairaorg's arm to strike the darkness before smashing into the earth, sending sand flying everywhere.
The crater spread over hundreds of meters.
Then there was no desert anymore.
Blinking in confusion, my jaw fell to the floor as trees erupted from the ground. Thousands of them covered the entire desert biome inside the Rating Game arena. Grass overcame the sand. Vines coiled around trunks that hadn't existed moments before, and insects appeared out of nowhere with a loud buzz.
Flowers opened beneath their feet as the desert became a living jungle around them.
"Mind magic?" Maria stared at the projection.
"We wouldn't see it if that was the case," I said absentmindedly.
Dante snapped his fingers.
And nothing happened.
That sent the kids into overdrive as they all visibly twitched at Jean's words.
"He doesn't do things for no reason. Be alert!" she shouted through their connection, with Tandy agreeing a moment later.
Wanda, surprisingly, spoke next.
"Wouldn't he do it just to fuck with us?"
There was an uncomfortable silence in the line as we all realized that… yes. He totally would.
Sairaorg stepped backward for some reason, and Regulus moved forward without being asked.
They were rotating. That was good.
Rogue flew higher, leaving the tall jungle to try to attack Dante from above. But it was full. I couldn't see a thing inside from her point of view thanks to all the leaves.
Isane continued charging her Sacred Gear. She was at her eighth boost, almost nearing her current limit.
Focusing on Sairaorg, I frowned when I realized that his Touki had dimmed noticeably after his second punch, the one that passed through Dante's body.
"Stop treating us like children!" Regulus scowled, slamming his fists into the ground.
Sairaorg's eyes widened in realization before he roared as his Touki regained its vigor and began to imitate the Sacred Gear's manifestation.
Rogue had the same idea a moment later and began bombarding the ground from above.
Tandy's magic was insanely good at that.
They stopped focusing on Dante and instead destroyed the terrain he had created for some reason.
I smiled proudly.
Two crystals had already begun charging. The first team, which included Jean, Gasper, and Kiba, reached theirs first. Akeno and a scowling Rias reached theirs a moment later.
The third group reached theirs a minute later, after Tandy burned a corridor through the forest rather than trying to navigate it safely. Kuisha and Wanda followed the scowling girl.
For maybe… ten seconds, everything worked properly.
"Transfer!" Isane focused on Sairaorg.
He reached Dante's face an instant later, leaving a crater where he had been.
Dante didn't move as his body darkened differently this time.
Sairaorg hit his face and stopped, the boy's eyes widening in surprise before he roared even louder as his Touki grew denser.
Dante was sent flying through thousands of trees like a meteor.
The group didn't celebrate, and I noticed why a moment later. The shadows made by the trees weren't shadows at all.
It was Dante's darkness.
Dante vanished into one just before he could impact the ground.
He winked at Rogue before disappearing while dropping a single ember onto the ground.
I stood up in alarm, ignoring Dante's request as I shouted through the connection.
"MOVE!"
It was too late.
The entire jungle shimmered for a moment, revealing flames that had been burning through the vegetation from the very start.
But there wasn't any smoke where there should be.
My eyes widened as the single ember touched the ground. My neck almost broke as I raised my head to look at the atmospheric readings on the screen.
Methane?! The flames had been producing methane instead of smoke?!
The first snap of his fingers… He had been letting it accumulate the entire time, somehow preventing it from igniting! Was that also his Clan Trait at work?!
"... That's evil." Maria's jaw fell to the floor as she petted the cat girl sitting on her lap while she nibbled on some cookies.
The flames consumed Sairaorg. Then Regulus followed.
Rogue was thrown through the burning canopy.
Isane didn't fare any better. She was teleported outside a moment later.
I dropped into one of the healing tubs Dante had apparently prepared.
I could only be thankful that they hadn't breathed in even more of the methane, which would have ignited their insides. That would have been horrifying.
Dante was already gone, appearing inside the first team beside Kiba.
The Knight abandoned the charging area instantly. Jean was too busy communicating what was happening.
Gasper's eyes glowed, and Dante stopped, frozen in place.
For the first time, they had done something to him, finding an opening.
Kiba rushed towards his darkened body as Isane's ejection was announced.
Then Gasper screamed.
Kiba's own blade appeared from the bottom of Gasper's shadow and punched through both of his feet.
His concentration broke, and Dante dropped into his shadow.
A single hand clenched around Gasper's ankle, and he soon followed.
Rias screamed when Dante appeared in front of her, holding the crying boy by one ankle.
"Special delivery!" He threw the dhampir like a cannonball.
Rias abandoned her position almost instantly.
Akeno made to follow before Jean's cold voice stopped her in place. The half-fallen angel trembled as Rias caught Gasper and cushioned his fall with her own body.
The crystal stopped charging.
Akeno lost her concentration and couldn't focus on flowing her demonic power into it.
"I have a feeling the original Satans would have loved him." I looked at the calm Dante, who just observed them.
Maria raised her eyebrow.
"He isn't attacking to eject them, or even to hurt the one he is hitting." I shook my head as Maria's confusion grew. "He hurt Gasper to move Rias."
My finger pointed at Akeno.
"He threw him at Rias to move Akeno."
"And by doing that, she broke Tandy's concentration," Maria's eyes lit up, looking at the third team as Kuisha started screaming at Tandy to stay put.
"He's using their relationships against them. He keeps getting inside their heads."
Dante's expression softened for a moment as he looked at the fussing Rias.
Then he stared blankly at her.
Rias screamed her throat raw, collapsing to one knee, clutching her uninjured feet.
Just around where Gasper had been impaled.
"Get your shit together, Rias! He hurt Gasper, not you!" Jean said firmly. "It's not real!"
Rias didn't listen, screaming with tears in her eyes as she erupted into the Power of Destruction, hurling a ball the size of a building at him.
Dante clapped, looking almost disappointed as the sphere broke apart into thousands of beautiful butterflies.
Their wings released some liquid over the battlefield.
I felt my stomach churn, recognizing what it was.
So did Jean, thankfully.
"Don't let it touch you!" she barked, raising her hand from her location.
Some of the droplets fell on Rias's body before she could move.
The butterflies froze in place before Jean started compressing the air around the second crystal.
Akeno released a gargantuan bolt of holy lightning toward the swarm.
Dante intercepted it with his own Darkness before Jean's telekinetic hold was broken by some impact.
Akeno scrambled to burn the dozens of divided swarms before they could act out again.
Dante disappeared into his shadow, emerged right in front of Rias, and lifted her by the neck.
Her eyes grew glassy as the venom seeped into her body.
Then he threw her into the distance.
A sword materialized hundreds of meters away, perfectly in place to impale Lord Lucifer's little sister through the stomach.
Akeno left the crystal with a panicked expression that turned into a scowl as Jean froze Rias midair.
Dante cackled darkly, shaking his head in disappointment as the darkness beneath him swallowed him whole.
"You should trust them to have your back," he whispered in Akeno's ear as the girl shuddered. "Here, a gift for my adorable masochist."
Her eyes widened as Dante grabbed her in a bear hug.
The darkness formed a portal above them, and Akeno's first attack against the swarm from a bit ago fell onto her as she screamed.
The half-fallen tried to move, then her eyes narrowed wildly with a dark grin.
And Akeno decided to take a chance at getting the bastard, her own internal holy power exploding from her body with abandon, uncaring of the self-inflicted burns as Dante froze for a moment and took the brunt of it.
I turned my head to look at the red-eyed dhampir glaring in their direction with tears in his eyes.
Akeno was ejected from the arena a moment later, her body burned in different places, even smoking in others.
But she didn't look at her injuries; her eyes were focused on Dante's projection as he began to smile.
Proudly.
"Good try, brat. Try harder next time," he said as his muscles twitched from the aftereffects of Akeno's last Hail Mary.
He threw a bolt of lightning that made the boy squeal in pain before he was ejected, too.
Koneko left Maria's lap, grabbed the paste Tandy had prepared before the match, and began applying it to Akeno's skin, then did the same to the bawling Gasper.
"Good try," she said in that monotone voice of hers as she petted the platinum-haired boy's head.
I shook my head once I was sure they would be okay, entirely ignoring Akeno's moans that weren't entirely of pain.
Maria giggled at the insane girl.
"He's something else, isn't he?"
I didn't respond, just looking at the King who was dismantling over ten enemies by himself in the worst way imaginable.
He was finding every weakness they possessed and sticking his fingers inside until it hurt badly enough that they had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Jean tried to do everything even after my many reminders? He created too many emergencies for her to solve.
Tandy couldn't tolerate leaving someone hurt? He hurt everyone and made sure to let her know to play with her head.
Akeno prioritized Rias above everything? He threatened her King.
Rias hesitated? He forced decisions where that hesitation was the failure.
Gasper feared him? He used that fear to hurt someone Gasper loved.
Sairaorg loved battle? He amused him enough to make him forget the real objective.
What a cruel, cruel man I found myself helping.
And yet…
Rias stood up with Jean's telekinetic support before looking where Akeno and Gasper had been.
And decided to fall back into Jean's location, flying at her fastest speed as Jean's hold around her body pulled her.
Dante's grin widened. "Good girl."
Rias's eyes twitched.
I laughed in disbelief.
Maria stared at me like I was crazy.
"Is he also infecting my husband?" she poked my stomach.
"I think I'm beginning to understand." I wiped my eyes.
"I don't like it," she shook her head sadly.
"Neither do I," I agreed.
Dante vanished again as everyone tensed, wondering if they were next.
"Unfortunately," I continued, "I think it's working. Aren't you curious how they'll do by their tenth attempt?"
Maria didn't bother answering. She didn't have to for me to know what she thought.
Odin Borson.
Asgard.
One week later.
"Father!" My strongest and most idiotic son grinned as he gulped down the ale in his mug before slapping it down on the table. "It is strange for you to call us all to watch something from that side of the world. What is this about?"
"Sæhrímnir again, old man? One would think that calling us all here would merit something special." Loki materialized at the far end of the table, making me grunt. "Watching the bats? Perish the thought."
"The brat Azazel said that I should be interested in what this kid has to offer," I said irritably as my sworn brother flicked his hand almost imperceptibly.
Vidar grunted as he always did, glaring at the grey-haired menace.
Loki cancelled the spell, uncharming Baldur's fork from acting independently.
Baldur acted as if he didn't notice, observing the projection in the middle of the table while Valkyries refilled the mugs.
"And what exactly did he say, Father?" Baldur asked.
I shrugged. "He said I would be surprised. You know the brat, he isn't someone who says something they don't believe in."
"Roygun Belphegor versus Dante Andromalius," Thor laughed boisterously. "I remember her. She's quite a warrior."
He then frowned. "I do not know who the second one is."
"He's a lad barely in his twenties." I looked at the feed as the blond devil approached the top-heavy devil, swagger in his step.
I snorted quietly. The lad sure knew how to act confident.
"That's… unfair," Baldur said quietly.
"You would think so," I agreed. "Especially when you learn that the lad bet his family industry before the horned devil was picked as his opponent. You know how devils play their games."
"Like the pest they are?" Loki grinned before falling silent as the rest of their peerages appeared on the screen.
"Roygun, how are you?" the lad asked.
The way the cameras aimed at them ensured I couldn't see his face, but I could hear his smirk.
"Dante," Roygun said, nodding even as her eyebrow twitched. "I remember telling you that you could only call my name if you defeated me."
"I know."
Thor's ale came out of his nostrils, wetting his red beard as he laughed loudly, smacking the table in cheer.
"I like his guts." He called for a refill.
"You do, don't you?" Loki rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"
Then he sighed, looking at the feed dismissively.
"Shame you called us here to see a boy get destroyed, oh brother of mine."
"Confident, aren't you?" Roygun lifted her nose as her peerage walked behind her, all of them looking at the lad's group with eager grins.
"Hrimvald looks excited," Vidar said dryly, looking at the frost giant who joined the bats not that long ago. "Is he your brother by any chance, uncle?"
Loki's eyes narrowed at the God of Vengeance.
"What do you think, girls? Should we follow your attempt two?" Dante asked without turning back as his peerage bristled.
He chuckled as I looked at the lasses standing behind him.
I nodded approvingly. Long legs, supple skin, nice butts.
"They look better than you, Rossweisse," I snorted at my minder, making her huff and look to the side.
"Look at them; at least they found a boyfriend," I laughed quietly.
It was easy to see the girls' irritation was similar to what Frigg used to have back then.
The thought of my late wife made the void inside my heart tremble once more.
Vidar chuckled at Rossweisse before biting into his boar leg.
"Attempt three?" the devil asked once more.
I frowned a little. There was something strange about his voice.
"Dante, shut the fuck up." The blond lass behind him smacked the back of his head.
"We'll try attempt seven," the tall red-haired girl said tiredly, looking at her King fondly.
One didn't have to see the devil's face to understand how proud he felt at that moment.
"Attempt seven it is," he said with a nod, finally breaking eye contact with the Belphegor. "Did you hear that, Roygun? They will try their best."
The stacked devil shook her head tiredly.
"Don't make me regret how much we trained for you, Dante," she finally sighed, turning around and stepping into the teleporting rune on the right. "Don't disappoint."
The blond devil scoffed, finally turning around and waving his hand dismissively.
The moment he did, Thor stopped sipping from his mug, and I stopped cutting my meat.
"Father…" he said, a bit of confusion entering his tone. "Does he look like someone we should know?"
"I also feel like I have seen him before," I said quietly, looking at the lad.
I had heard the name Andromalius from our spies in their midst, but I never bothered to find out more. There was no way I should feel like I recognized him from somewhere.
Yet the feeling grew even worse as an affectionate spread across his face.
The way his eyes crinkled in amusement as he pulled the four girls into his arms, kissing the cheek of three of them and swatting the hair of the smiling olive-skinned girl.
As soon as they stepped into the teleportation rune, they appeared in their bases for their Rating Game.
The projection split so that the viewers could see what both teams were doing at the same time.
A broken city.
Ruined buildings stretched for miles. From a bird's-eye view, I calculated around 200 square miles. Similar to what they used when their top-rated players were in the field. Half-collapsed towers stood around wide streets, rivers flowing at the edges, bridges uniting the land.
Roygun's group appeared on the northern end.
Dante's group appeared on the south.
And the objective was to fight until the King was ejected from the arena.
It was clear that it was stacked against the lad, because it was common sense that no one his age should be able to defeat someone like the Belphegor in a straight fight.
I ignored the blubbering announcers, my eyes remaining on the blond devil.
Something was familiar about him.
Thor had a similar expression, frowning tightly as the lad walked toward the center of his base.
"Father," he said seriously.
"I know."
Loki looked between us, growing almost concerned at our silence.
He opened his mouth to say something, but Vidar kicked him beneath the table.
I nodded at my son in thanks.
On the screen, the Andromalius brat waved his hand, and a throne erupted from the ground.
It was a throne that… looked more grandiose than mine.
My teeth clenched as I glared at the boy, feeling genuinely offended for some reason. There was something insufferable about that face.
He sat, crossing his legs.
Roygun's team was already moving, not even speaking as they marched in pairs toward different sections of the city.
Dante Andromalius just slumped into his absurdly comfortable-looking throne.
"Is he serious?" Baldur chuckled.
The auburn-haired lass, Wanda, according to the little information displayed beside her face, stood beside the throne with the most fed-up expression I had seen in centuries.
She held a bottle of wine in one hand and a gaudy goblet in the other.
Her eye began twitching as she poured the drink.
Dante murmured something the microphones didn't catch, and Wanda's glare became murderous.
Then she bowed. Poorly.
The lad burst out laughing, clicking his tongue disappointedly.
Rogue stepped from behind the throne, placed both hands on his shoulders, and began to massage them.
"He knows how to have fun." Thor burst out laughing. "I like the boy."
"You like clowns," Loki grunted from the side.
We all turned to look at him with a deadpan, including the servants.
As if he wasn't as theatrical as the lad.
Loki even had the gall to look offended.
Dante lifted the cup, rolling his eyes, and Wanda's irritation peaked as she slapped his hand away and pointed toward him.
"Fine. Have fun, girls. I love you all."
"Heh." I couldn't help but chuckle at how the girls perked up.
Tandy looked at the window before breaking it with a blast of magic.
Stepping out of it, she spread her wings.
And my eyes widened at their pure white.
The entire wingspan was similar to something we all had watched in the past, and a complete impossibility.
Light.
She raised both arms high as the redhead, Jean, stepped behind her and jumped from the window, floating under her own power.
The southern sky vanished beneath a sea of blinding white, a radiance I hadn't expected to see after that fateful day.
Thor stopped moving as his grin froze in place.
It looked just like the light bulb and his creation in their heyday.
And brighter than most of what I had seen from anyone but the Archangels and Yahweh himself.
The shadows beneath the arena faded in the brightness as Baldur leaned forward in interest.
The announcers kept their traps shut, not knowing what to say.
Before Roygun's peerage could do anything but prepare themselves for the onslaught, Jean Grey began rising through the air.
Her eyes glowed white as she seemed to speak with herself.
She just stayed beneath the sea of light in the sky.
Tandy Bowen lowered her hands with a hint of sweat on her face, grinning slightly as tens of thousands of spears began to fall.
Only for them to freeze and right themselves as Jean Grey stretched her hands out.
In an instant, clusters of thousands fell into formations at different angles. Some flew higher before pointing toward the ground. Others lowered. Some groups spread towards the bridges, others angled toward rooftops, streets, alleys, and any possible escape routes.
I felt something I thought I had left behind flare inside my chest.
That sight… that sensation Roygun's group must have felt at that moment.
It was the Great War come again.
White wings flapping in the sky... Burning cities.
My own armies standing before Yahweh's own.
"Father." Baldur's expression hardened.
Jean clenched her hands.
And the Heavens fell.
The first wave struck the outer districts; the second curved around the moving devils; the third split in midair and attacked from opposite directions. And tens more waves soon followed.
Some never reached anywhere close to Roygun's peerage, exploding and creating debris that blocked entire routes in an instant.
Roygun's peerage defended themselves as much as they could under the onslaught of white.
The projection shook from the force of the impacts.
The traitorous frost giant threw both hands upward and created a wall of ice wide enough to cover entire avenues.
It lasted merely half a second.
The kitsune created copies of Roygun's peerage, perfect enough to look exactly like them, down to their aura.
The spears ignored all the fakes.
One of Roygun's Pawns took to the sky with a cocky smirk, believing in his aerial experience.
Hundreds of spears zeroed in on him in an instant.
The Queen appeared behind him, attempting to cut the spears with her scythe, only for her eyes to widen as they proved much more durable than normal creations.
"It's life force. It's not light." I looked at the scene interestedly.
It was the only thing that explained why they lasted so long against such a weapon. Hades might be a cunt, but he did good work.
My attention returned to Jean Grey.
Her eyes flared even brighter.
Every spear that had survived the bombardment began rising. Those embedded in the ground tore themselves free, while the ones still hanging above the city shot toward the sky.
They spread outward, reaching the edges of the arena before forming an enormous hemisphere over the battlefield.
A shockwave of pure power originated from Jean's body.
Then the weapons began connecting.
Brilliant veins of something resembling fire linked spear after spear until a breathtaking lattice covered the entire arena. There were openings everywhere, some large enough to see entire districts through them, but the formation remained interconnected.
I didn't recognize what energy held them together.
And every single spear was pointing toward the ground.
I stared at the sight in surprise.
It resembled a shield, but it wasn't one. It was more like a cage built for slaughter.
The camera switched to Dante, still enjoying himself with the two girls as Tandy returned inside the base with a proud grin.
Thor began laughing, almost roaring in approval.
Then Dante smirked.
And my mug broke under my grip.
I remembered that smirk...
The same look from that mortal who stood beside Great Red before he punched the strongest being in the world for stealing his drink.
Thor stopped laughing and gaped a moment later.
I didn't hear what Thor said. The memory of that moment flowed inside my mind's eye.
Great Red grabbing the mortal's arm before breaking it in two. The man's eyes widened in surprise as he swore, then the Dragon tore open a fissure toward the Dimensional Gap and threw him inside like garbage.
The mortal was dead. And the Dragon's ire was sated. That's why we left in a hurry before he could aim his irritation against Asgard.
And yet… "It is him."
Roygun's peerage regrouped instead of staying in pairs. All of them intact, but clearly shocked.
The lad probably intended exactly that. Victory wasn't his only objective.
This was a presentation.
"Should we start round two?" Dante Andromalius asked with that damnable grin of his.
The throne disappeared beneath him, and he handed the goblet to Wanda.
The girl looked at him, then at the goblet.
Her eyes narrowed mischievously.
Then she dumped what remained inside over his head, smiling sweetly.
Rogue, Tandy, and a returning Jean burst out laughing hard enough they almost fell to the ground.
"So it is like that..." he said calmly, wiping the wine from his eyes. "Shall I make this a free-for-all?"
His smile twitched slightly as he glanced at the paling girls.
There was genuine dread in their eyes.
"Run!" The blond girl squeaked in alarm, and the other three bolted.
Dante vanished before them in a darker-than-night fog that seemed to eat away at the light streaming from the sky.
I owed Azazel a drink for this. Though I doubted even he realized what he'd brought to my attention.
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