In a world where the sky has a characteristic purple color, situated in a luxurious, beautiful and slightly modest mansion, located in the western grounds of the area ruled entirely by Demons, a meeting is being held daily recently, made up of three beautiful women and two men, who have their heart in their hand in each meeting that is made.
• Then, let's begin. - With a heavy sigh, Rida Gremory begins this meeting as its leader.
You can see in his eyes that he hasn't slept much during all this time, and that his usually strong demeanor weakens every time she's not around.
• The southern side of the Underworld has been 70% explored by the personnel sent by the Sitri Clan and myself, but... Nothing... Not a single trace... - With her head down, in the same state as her mistress, Midori Rose says these words and leans on her boyfriend, who is one of the only two standing firm in the place.
With a gesture of disbelief, Rida lowered her gaze slightly. The southern part of the Underworld was the most likely place where they could hide her, since that area was a large territory controlled by various small, high-class demons, making it the ideal cover for concealing and murdering someone...
In fact, Kushimi has resolved some minor issues in the area... It's also possible that she's in that 30% that hasn't been explored in detail, but that's making an unrealistic bet, which, for her part, is going to happen.
"Continue your search, Midori." Looking at the woman who was now staring into her eyes, the brunette said this with absolute seriousness, tinged with sadness. "How is the northern region, Kazuko?" Turning her gaze to another of her servants, her other bishop, Rida looked at a man taller than her husband, dressed in elegant, formal attire.
• As you know, Rida-sama, the most important cities of the Underworld are in the north, so I have had to call upon all the relatives that your grace has provided me to achieve such a feat- - Making somewhat outlandish and ridiculous gestures with his hands, the man begins his speech to explain his progress.
Some days Rida has put up with it, and other days she hasn't. Well, today is the latter.
"Get to the point, Kazuko." Interrupting the speech of the one who once fought for her heart, the brunette gives him a look that simply leaves him cold...
This is one of those days when I don't want to see his performance... He'd better stop with the clowning around.
"I'm sorry, Rida-sama. 97% of Lilith has been explored, along with 90% of the surrounding cities and 100% of those below the capital. The result: The north has been explored 93%, and only false leads and a few other clues have been found... But according to a consultation with Ichirou-san and Kushimi-san, these are... equally invalid." Lowering his head in shame for not having gotten anything from his "Mini-Mistress," as Kazuko calls her, the chestnut-haired man places a hand on his chest, maintaining his characteristic poise and etiquette.
• Those involved in this still insist on ruining our lives... Those damn sons of bitches... - The image of the Baels comes to mind, Rida begins to unleash her aura, causing the tips of her hair to turn into purple flames.
• Rida, this is not the time. Continue with the meeting. - Standing to his right, Rida Gremory's Queen, Seiko Ichirou, husband and father of his daughter, touches his shoulder and says these words in an imposing tone.
She's right, taking a deep breath, she gives him a faint smile. He's definitely her anchor. Without him, Rida would probably have forgotten everything she accomplished, and when the ten days of her disappearance had passed, her very presence would have signaled a large-scale attack on the Bael...
• Y-You're right, Ichirou... I'm sorry, everyone... It's just... It's been so long... And those bastards are still trying to get in our way... - Calming her aura, the brunette says this and everyone present offers her words of encouragement, after all they feel the same way.
• Getting back to the topic... Kushimi, have you found anything on the east side? - Turning to his left, Rida glances at the dark-haired woman, who is the other person who remains steadfast in the present meeting.
• I've explored 87% of the entire Eastern Underworld, but still nothing... Except for one small place where I managed to find some traces of her... I suppose the place was only used as a temporary base, and they left. It's quite obvious they tried to cover their tracks, but they did it too well... Confirming who did it. - Completely focused on her report, Kushimi projects images she took of the place, and there you can see small hints of her beloved daughter's presence, but they are minuscule.
• They could only have been the Bael infiltration group, Koto Bael's servants... - Bringing the image of those idiots to mind, Rida begins to let his aura loose slightly but manages to control himself immediately and sees as his reliable "Left Hand" nods firmly.
Kushimi has been keeping herself in check ever since that conversation with Ichirou and her... She's definitely putting into practice the advice she was given: "Instead of wallowing in your own misery, focus all that negative feeling into the quest, with all your might, and let's massacre those who took it from us."
Despite the fact that the woman breaks down emotionally every night, just like herself, during the day she is one of the most persistent and intense in her fierce search for the place where he might be, in order to find the perpetrators and simply offer them a few kind words...
"Well done, Kushimi. With this, we can find out a little more about Rias's whereabouts. And you, Ichirou?" Nodding a bit more animatedly, Rida looked at her beloved, who just made a somewhat complicated face...
"Well... As you know, in the West, in this area, no significant traces have been found. The biggest clues discovered are traces in the garden and its surroundings... Nothing more." Explaining this with perhaps too much seriousness, Ichirou looked at his wife, but she sensed he wasn't. Looking directly into her eyes... He was up to something...
• What did you do, Ichirou? - Sharpening his gaze, Rida turns completely towards the aforementioned and he just stays there still with a confused look... Too suspicious.
"What are you talking about? I told you, I've only found that in the West. If I had to put it in percentages, I'd say I've already explored 100%." Maintaining his tone, the dark-haired man replies seriously, "Too much..."
One of this man's characteristics is that whenever he's hiding something, one of his eyelids twitches... The moment they discover him... And right now, that same eyelid is twitching...
• You did something behind our backs... Didn't you, Ichirou...? - Rising from her seat, Rida confronts her husband, who only frowns, "confused".
Ichirou notices that all his admirers are now giving him sharp looks. Swallowing hard, the brunette just blinks rapidly, trying to calm his racing heart, hiding it as best he can.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Rida..." This time, avoiding the brunette's gaze, the dark-haired man discreetly looks away...
Clearly, her supposedly "perfect" performance, which has fooled many friends and enemies alike, doesn't work on them... Damn...
"If you don't tell us what you did right now, I swear that when we get Rias back, I'll give you a punishment you'll never forget, and she won't be allowed to come with you." Seeing through this idiot's obvious act, Rida made one of the biggest threats the entire team had ever heard...
She definitely wears the pants in the relationship... Turning blue, the main victim decides to give up... Never... He'll never see the punishments she imposes the same way again since that time he spent quality time with his little girl... His supposedly beloved wife is definitely playing dirty...
• I sent Kanna to the Bael Territory to monitor any suspicious movements by the main members of the House. - This time with a completely serious expression, Ichirou says this and everyone present pales.
"Are you crazy?!" Grabbing the dark-haired man by the collar, Rida did what those furthest from the couple wanted to do. "How could you put your family member in such danger?! You know perfectly well what they'll do to her if they find her snooping around!" Worried about the aforementioned, the brunette thought of her husband's family member, one of his loyal companions in battle, the one who had entrusted her beloved's life to her.
"I know, perfectly." With this phrase, the dark-haired man replies to his wife, and she sees, albeit briefly, a flash of immediate and profound concern in her beloved...
• You came up with this idea and she... How can she know what you're thinking... I carry it out, only warning you when I was already deep inside Bael territory... - Understanding perfectly the situation her husband went through, the brunette this time changes her gaze to one of sadness.
That's why they are inseparable companions, because they are both equal in that sense, they will risk their lives for what they believe in and for the happiness of those they love.
"I know this will have consequences for you if they find her, but... If she... If she's found... I'll take all the blame... After all, she's one of my dear comrades." Hesitantly, his words coming to a close, Ichirou glanced at his left hand, his voice heavy with emotion.
"You know you don't have to do that." Touching his face tenderly, Rida gave her husband a genuine smile, one she hadn't seen in a long time. "Kanna will come back safe and sound to our side. After all, she's survived quite a few of his crazy antics... You know how he is... He wouldn't give up until I got Rias to ride on his back. That fool is too stubborn." Remembering her husband's familiar, Rida and the others chuckled softly. That creature had protected Ichirou from every self-serving and wicked woman during a particularly dark period, so now that he was making this enormous sacrifice for his beloved daughter, they owed him even more...
"She'll be back, Ichi-chan. After all, she was really looking forward to meeting Rias-chan." Touching his shoulder, Kushimi leaned closer to her husband and gave him a smile that was both the same as, and yet different from, the one Rida had given him...
He definitely won't be able to handle all of this alone... With one of his companions now in danger as well, his worry is enormous... But Kushimi won't leave him alone, nor will Rida, nor Midori... They will share the entire burden, as they always will, and face whatever consequences it may bring.
• [You won't have to worry anymore, Partner...] - Speaking loud enough for everyone around him to hear, the powerful dragon who lives in one of the Longius, Boosted Gear, says this with a somewhat jocular tone. - [After all, a certain brat has been here for a while now] - Finishing these words, a certain familiar they were talking about emerges from behind one of the elegant seats a little ways from the group.
• Moo, Ddraig-san! You were just about to say something nice to me!! - Coming completely out from behind the seat, a small, completely white dragon, characterized as being a strange species of feathered dragon, perches on the back of said seat.
"Kanna!!!" Vanishing from where he was, the dark-haired man moved at great speed, reappearing behind the feathered dragon, embracing her gently and affectionately. "You have no idea how worried I was, thinking something bad had happened to you!!!" Stroking her, Ichirou's eyes were slightly moist, overjoyed to see his familiar safe and sound.
For now, he will forgive her for not having informed him of his arrival, and also for having secretly listened to their conversation.
• "I-Ich-Ichirou!!!" - Blushing deeply at the actions of the one to whom she swore loyalty, the little dragon focuses on feeling her master's touch. - "At least give me time to prepare myself and our love nest!!" - With these words, Kanna pierces the heart of the moment and brutally kills him.
Sighing, the dark-haired man released his familiar and gave it a good whack on the head. After things calmed down, Kanna revealed what she had observed in Bael territory.
The House's behavior was normal until they approached Naku Bael's mansion. They couldn't investigate inside because it was protected by strong detection and protection magic, but what they saw and heard when a certain person came out was definitely very interesting.
After a few minutes had passed since Kanna's guard duty, a certain Demon, rather vulgar in the dragon's eyes, left the mansion muttering obscenities and cursing his luck at having to go to that "filthy place" again... The "Damn Bitch" didn't die when given the chance, but this would be a very different case...
Hearing this, Rida, Kushimi, Midori, Kazuko, and Ichirou's brains began to speculate about what those words could mean. It was logical that that piece of trash was talking about Rias; after all, in the underworld, the Bael family is known as such, since they somehow learned that she, too, could manifest Destruction as her base power.
"Leaving aside how that son of a bitch referred to Rias, we know he either knows or has some indication of where she is." Calming himself, Ichirou said this, still processing everything he'd heard from his companion. "But the question is, where is that 'dirty place'?" Thinking about this point very carefully, Kushimi interrupted her husband's scheming.
• From what he said, it can be deduced that Rias is in a place he hates, but it could be anywhere... - Putting her hand on her chin, the dark-haired woman looks towards her mistress, who remains silent thinking about everything she heard and just as Kazuko was about to say something, Rida interrupts.
"Demons like that wretch only have one place, which they hate with all their might..." Sitting back down at her desk, the brunette looked at her entire group, awaiting her mistress's words, though they could already sense what she was going to say. "The human world, Earth, or whatever you want to call it... Kanna, do you remember what that man looked like?" Looking intently at the feathered dragon, Kanna nodded, intimidated by Rida's gaze...
Despite appearing dark and dilapidated, a new, small light can be seen, a tiny yet imposing light that is now driving it forward.
"Very well. Kushimi, Ichirou, go with Kanna and find out everything you can about that guy. He surely has a place where he's most likely to appear in the human world; that will be a good starting point for your search." Pointing to the two involved, they nod, and Kanna does the same, perching on her master's shoulder.
These three leave the meeting room and head to the Bael territories, seeking from the source the best information that the locals can offer.
• Kazuko and Midori, get everything ready for the five of us to travel to the human world. We'll leave as soon as Kushimi and Ichirou get the information. - Turning her gaze to the two remaining, the brunette simply follows a standard thought; it's been a long time since they've been to the human world, and perhaps it will be somewhat different from how they remember it.
"B-But Rida-sama, won't you order your other servants to accompany us?" Kazuko asked, his voice filled with a sense of unease. Perhaps they were underestimating the enemy, and that was not a good sign.
"It won't be necessary. If Kanna's description is correct, then I think I know who the Demon is... And he's just an idiot. The five of us are more than enough to handle him and his potential entourage." Looking seriously at her bishop, Rida understood his concern, but if it was that fellow, Topu Bael, there was nothing to worry about. He'd always been a mediocre attempt at manipulation. "I'll stay here... Planning our next move." With a small smile, the brunette said this, sounding a bit more relaxed.
The two present could only return her smile and begin what their mistress had ordered... Although they should wait a little while for information on where that demon would appear; perhaps the terrain would be warm or cold...
As his last servants in the room left, Rida shed a few tears of joy. Finally, some proof, a clue that wasn't just a red herring or something fake... This seemed genuine, and only a complete idiot could create such a huge opportunity...
She'll definitely have to thank that jerk someday. They'll find her soon; the brunette can feel it in her heart. Maybe it's called maternal instinct, or maybe it's just ridiculous... But it's nicer to believe the former.
It's been 23 days, 15 hours, and a few seconds since Rida last saw her beloved daughter. For almost a month, she hasn't been able to hug and kiss those delicate, beautiful cheeks... Soon, very soon, she'll be able to see that beautiful smile her daughter always gave her when they were together...
Now that she thinks about it, Kushimi hasn't stopped to rest, and it seems her pregnancy is starting to show... She'll have to ask her to be much more careful. The brunette doesn't want the dark-haired woman to have another breakdown, whether physical or psychological, not with Rias so close, or at least that's what her heart tells her.