Before Riser could finalize his choice and reach out to another world, urgent news arrived that rooted him firmly back in his own. Sona's sister, Serafall Leviathan, contacted them with critical intelligence.
A heretic nun, excommunicated by the Church and now serving the Fallen Angels, had entered Japan by airport. She was accompanied by a heretic exorcist. Their destination was the abandoned church currently serving as a Fallen Angel base.
On the surface, a rogue nun moving between factions wasn't extraordinary. What made this particular target a game-changer was her Sacred Gear: Twilight Healing. It wasn't just a healing ability for humans; its power extended to Devils, Angels, and any other supernatural entity.
The Church's decision to cast out such an invaluable asset was, in strategic terms, an act of monumental stupidity.
This intelligence, Serafall revealed, had originated from the Prophet.
The Prophet had conveyed it to Sirzechs, who in turn ordered Serafall to capture the heretic nun and bring her to the Underworld.
The end goal was clear: Sirzechs intended to present the nun as a living gift to the Prophet himself, a new tool for the Prophet's collection.
However, unknown to Sirzechs, a higher power had sabotaged this machination. The God interference that had forged soulmate bonds between Riser, Sona, and Serafall had created a fatal rift in the Prophet's plan.
Serafall's loyalty was no longer blindly given to her fellow Satan. Her newfound love and soulmate bond with Riser had reoriented her entire worldview.
Even Sirzechs's own mother had turned, now siding with Riser and skillfully fanning the flames of dissent in the Underworld to buy him time and obstruct her son's relentless pursuit.
Serafall, who was supposed to be the executioner of this order, instead became the leak.
She conveyed everything to Sona.
Her instructions were clear and subversive: "Take this opportunity. Intercept the nun. Turn her into an ally. If she is unwilling… snatch her Sacred Gear. Do whatever is necessary to secure that power for yourselves, while I grow my own power base within the Underworld and beyond to resist his tyranny."
In the past, Serafall had been willfully blind to the Prophet's corrosive influence.
She hadn't grasped how deeply harmful his presence was—a puppet master capable of manipulating a Satan, using the entire Devil race as tools for his own empowerment.
But her love for Riser had shattered that blindness, granting her a terrible, clarifying vision.
If Sirzechs acted solely on the Prophet's will, was this still their Underworld? The intelligence of the entire leadership of Underworld seemed to have been massively dumbed down, reduced to a cabal of yes-men parroting the Prophet's "gospel."
Sirzechs was the most affected, his mind poisoned by false truths and whispered prophecies he accepted as divine mandate.
The realization sent a cold chill through Serafall. This was a silent, spiritual coup. Her determination crystallized into a cold, hard resolve: she would fight back. She would return the Underworld to its proper course.
To this end, she turned to her most powerful allies and friends—Yasaka, the Kyoto Youkai leader, and Gabriel, the Archangel of Heaven. Together, they would form an external coalition, a united front to achieve two goals: eliminate the Prophet, and imprison Sirzechs until the Prophet's influence could be purged from his mind and he was sober enough to lead again.
The covert war had just escalated, and the heretic nun with Twilight Healing was now their first major strike.
Sona relayed all of this to Riser, her expression composed but her words carrying significant weight.
"My sister will be bringing all of your current peerage members here, Riser," she explained. "Furthermore, I have decided to transfer my membership in the Dimensional Guild to her. I have come to the realization that I am not… suitable or strong enough for its demands. But with you and my sister united, I believe you can become an amazing team."
That was one of the brutal, pragmatic beauties of the Dimensional Guild: membership was a transferable asset. You could hand your spot to another at will, without time limit. Whether that person would ever return the privilege depended entirely on their loyalty and your own luck—a gamble on character in a system designed to reward power.
The Guild's mechanics were inherently ruthless. When a member was killed, their spot was instantly filled—not by a random selection, but by their killer. The victor could then claim the membership for themselves or, if they wished, sell it on the open market to the highest bidder.
Being invited didn't signify luck; it marked you as a potential resource. Your spot could be taken by force at any moment.
Even among allies, betrayal for a slot was common, a way to elevate a trusted subordinate. The guild they were part of was merely Branch Seven. The total membership wasn't vast, but it was steadily growing, a quiet ecosystem of ambition and predation.
"What do you mean, transferring my peerage members here?" Riser asked, confusion cutting through his strategic calculations.
"My sister and I are in agreement," Sona stated plainly, her bluntness devoid of malice but full of cold logic. "Your current peerage members are too weak, Riser. Not only in raw strength, but in character and latent potential. They will become anchors, holding you back the moment you step into the wider multiverse where you could gather truly powerful allies."
She met his gaze squarely. "However, the final choice is yours. Do you wish to transfer their evil pieces to your mother or sister for safekeeping? Or will you keep them as your peerage members, knowing they may limit your potential?"
Riser fell silent, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. He knew she was speaking the truth. He had felt their limitations himself. But the thought of discarding them now, simply because they had outlived their usefulness, felt… vile.
What would be the difference between me, Sirzechs, and the Prophet if I did that? The line between pragmatic leadership and cold-blooded exploitation felt dangerously thin.
"Let's… talk about that again later," Riser began, shifting the topic uncomfortably. "For now, let's focus on—"
Before he could finish, the door to the Student Council President's room was violently slammed open—not by a turn of the knob, but by a powerful kick.
Framed in the doorway, holding a sparkling wand and wearing an extravagant pink magical girl outfit complete with twin-tails, stood Serafall Leviathan. She struck a dramatic pose, a wide, theatrical grin on her face.
"Magical Girl Serafall, here at your service~!" she chimed, her voice dripping with performative cheer.
Her eyes swept the room, landing on the intimate scene of her sister and Riser. "Wow, Sona! It seems you've been having fun with Riser-kun all by yourself!"
And behind her, filing into the room with lowered heads and eyes full of a complex mix of shame, fear, and apology, stood the entirety of Riser Phenex's peerage.
They had arrived.
"Lord Riser… we're sorry." Yubelluna stepped forward, her voice trembling but resolute, acting as the spokesperson for the huddled group behind her. "We know what happened between you and Lord Satan. And we apologize… but we cannot accompany you in this war."
"Even you, Yubelluna?" Riser's eyes widened in raw disbelief, staring at the woman he'd once considered his most capable and devoted queen.
Of all of them, her defection cut the deepest.
"I spotted them at Ajuka's front house," Serafall interjected, her usual theatrical cheer gone, replaced by a grim solemnity. "They were attempting to relinquish their evil pieces, to hand over what was left of your king pieces to Sirzechs. It may not have worked on most devils, but Ajuka is Sirzechs's friend. He wouldn't hesitate to use this 'gift' to curry favor as hostages and bargaining chips."
Riser's gaze swept over his peerage.
Under his scrutiny, they flinched, their heads bowing lower in a silent admission of shame.
No one offered a defense.
He took a deep, shuddering breath, the air hissing between his teeth, and turned icy, betrayed eyes back to Sona. "If there was never even a real 'choice'… why did you ask me?"
Sona met his gaze unflinchingly. "The evil pieces are still attached. The bond is not yet severed. If you wished to retain them, my sister would provide them absolute protection—a sanctuary—until your conflict with Sirzechs is resolved. They would remain, technically, your peerage. But if you agree with their decision… my sister will help you safely extract the pieces and return them to you."
His eyes softened, not with warmth, but with a bone-deep weariness.
A bitter sigh escaped him as he finally addressed the group directly. "I guess… karma finally bites me in the ass, huh? I treated all of you as tools. As trophies to show off to other nobles. As… convenient outlets. I never treated you as equals. Never as family. In that regard, I am inferior even to the Gremorys, who at least pretend their servants are their own."
He gave a hollow, mirthless laugh. "So it makes perfect sense you would betray me."
"That's not true, Lord Riser!" one of them cried out, tears spilling over. "We loved you! You saved us when we were at our lowest! You gave us purpose, a life of privilege!"
"You cared for us!" another pleaded.
"That's enough!" Riser's roar cut through their voices, a raw sound of pain and finality that silenced the room.
"Riser…" Sona began, but he wasn't looking at her anymore.
His eyes were fixed on the women who had been his.
"You are free," he stated, his voice now frighteningly calm, devoid of all emotion. "All of you."
"Forgive us, Lord Riser!" they begged in unison, collapsing to their knees. "We only wanted to serve you! We never thought Lord Satan would be so wicked… we thought surrendering would spare you from his wrath!"
Their plea was the final twist of the knife. Their betrayal was born not from malice, but from a naive, fatal misreading of the monster Sirzechs had become. They had believed in the benevolent Satan façade, a lie Riser himself had once bought into.
Serafall stepped between them, her presence a firm barrier. "Alright, girls. That's enough. Come with me. I will take you somewhere safe. You are released from his service."
Riser closed his eyes, surrendering them. He heard the shuffle of feet, the soft sobs, as Serafall led his former peerage away.
He took another deep, steadying breath, as if trying to inhale stability, and opened his eyes to stare at Sona.
"You were right," he said, his voice flat. "I should have seen it long ago."
He pushed his chair back, the legs screeching against the floor. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Sona. I will take my leave. Farewell."
Without another word, he rose.
The unfinished chessboard was abandoned mid-game.
He walked out of the Student Council room, his back straight but radiating a profound, lonely desolation.
He did not look back.
Sona watched his retreating figure, a sharp pang of guilt twisting in her chest.
She wanted to call out, to offer some solace, but she bit the words back. She knew better. Empty comfort, hollow platitudes—they meant nothing. They were worthless. They could not salve the wound of betrayal from those who were supposed to be bound to him by oath.
She remained silent, letting the heavy door click shut behind him, the sound echoing in the now-empty room.
...
Note:
Now, Riser's Evil Pieces are no longer filled with his original peerage members. If you have any suggestions or favorite characters you'd like to see as part of Riser's new peerage, just comment and share their names. We will proceed with a multiversal selection, not limited to the DxD.
First, vote on who gets in:
1. All women
2. Mix of men and women
3. Women and Femboy
The second vote will be about Riser's power-up. I'm considering an idea where Riser gains power through sex with his soulmates—either a portion of their power or their full abilities.
For example, if he were with Artoria, he might inherit her powers and possibly even her memories.
What do you think—full power, partial power, or no cheat at all?
1. Give him all their power. Make him broken OP.
2. Give him some of their power. Keep it balanced.
3. No cheat. Make him earn his strength the hard way.
Now, vote for the option you'd prefer for the story.