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The next dayâ. I â Hyoudou Issei, came with Asia to a certain place early in the morning. It was the vast open space underneath Kuoh Town. The hollow dome shaped space was tightly covered by several layers of protective barriers. In the centre was a large round object â a dragonâs egg. This egg of a rare dragon breed was entrusted to us by Tannin-ossan before our battle against the Church warriors â a [Spectre Dragon] egg. A [Spectre Dragon] had moved to the Underworld, but the Underworldâs atmosphere was unsuitable to hatch its egg, so we placed it in this underground space below the town in the human world so that it could hatch. Since then, it was placed under the care of the members of [DxD] who were in Kuoh Town. Today it was my turn, but Asia also came along with me to watch. There was also another visitor here besides us, and upon seeing her, I laughed.
âI didnât expect that you would take care of this egg.â
I was looking at Ophis who was hugging the egg tightly.
âI, have never raised children. Curious.â
Correct, in addition to us who came here in turn every day, Ophis also came here every day. Because [egg], [hatching], and [dragon] were important keywords, it had greatly piqued her interest. Ophis said that she had never seen a dragon hatching out of an egg despite living so long, so she wanted to take this opportunity to witness it. âŠHaving said that, it felt like she was a parent as she held onto it tightlyâŠ. Seeing her adorable actions, I couldnât help laughing.
I donât know who or where she learnt it from, but Ophis was currently using a breathing technique for pregnant womenâŠ. Moreover, a human breathing technique thatâs for pregnant women is useless for an oviparous organism. Rather, theyâll hatch out from eggs on their own! âŠRavel and Raiser would be returning in two days from the custody of Ajuka Beelzebub-sama. It was said that they were safe, but due to Beelzebub-samaâs own situation and time, there were a lot of things which needed his attention, which is why that day was chosen. âŠIt might be something to do with politics. After all, why would Ravel and Raiser be involved with itâŠ.
In fact, this space actually had another visitor present. Sitting slightly further away, a man wearing a black coat was closely watching Ophis. It was truly unexpected, even the Evil Dragon Crom Cruach was in here! As long as he knew that Ophis was in here, he would rush over and closely observe every minute action that Ophis made. âŠIt couldnât be said that he was an extremely Evil DragonâŠbut he was still quite scary. As it was difficult to speak with him much, we didnât have much to do besides trusting him. Although Tannin-ossan trusted him absolutely, it still wasnât so simple to get along with him⊠âWhile I was thinking about this, Asia walked towards him. She stood in front of Crom Cruach and said
âU-Umm, this, if you want, please eat it.â
What Asia took out of her handbag was â a bunch of bananas. Ophis also always had bananas as a snack. Not only that, Asia had also talked to the four Evil Dragon brothers and Fafnir. Perhaps, in Asiaâs mind she had the enigmatic thought that [Dragon = Banana].
âThis is called a banana. It tastes very good, you know?â
Crom Cruach silently received a banana from Asia. I was a little troubled over how to respond to that. After Asia gave him the banana, she bowed, and then came back over. Asia made a small smile as she said
âSometimes I come here to check on how Ophis is doing.â
The relationship between Asia and Ophis was really good. Asia was able to deal with dragons really wellâŠ. Azazel-sensei often says that she has a lot of potential as a dragon tamer. âShe said that dragons had something that she couldnât explain.
ââŠAsia, what happened to Fafnir afterwards?â
During the battle in Heaven, he was injured while he tried to protect Asia. The Dragon King who received extremely fierce attacks in order to protect Asiaâ. After the battle with Rizevim, Fafnir had been sleeping to recover. Although his wounds were treated by AsiaâŠAsia had a sorrowful expression on her face as she shook her head.
There was still no response, and even if Asia called him, there would still be no response. The severity of the injury exceeded what was originally expected. Asia told everyone that neither Fafnirâs physical strength nor consciousness had returned as there was no response from himâŠ. Ophis suddenly said something.
âYou donât need to worry. âFafnir is currently fighting[1].â
As if echoing her, Crom Cruach held the banana as he said with a serious look
âHe is a Dragon King. He wonât fall so easily.â
Asia and I looked at each other; we were both somewhat puzzled by the words of these two dragons. At that time, it was almost noon.
âWell, itâs almost lunch time. Ophis, what are you planning to do?â
With a slightly pitiful expression, Ophis put down the egg and came over to where we were.
âI, will not miss a meal.â
Geez, she was unexpectedly greedy, this loli Dragon God-samaâŠ. Well, we planned to head home, but what did that other dragon-sama plan to do?
âWhat do you plan toââ
Although I said that to him, he was already gone. Since he knew that Ophis was going back together with us, he quickly leftâŠ. But I didnât expect that that guy, Crom Cruach would actually leave with the bananaâ.
Two days later, it was the weekendâ. Today was the day that we would meet Ajuka Beelzebub-sama, the day that Ravel and Raiser would return. We were all ready, and we planned to use the transportation magic circle underneath my house to travel over to Beelzebub-samaâs location. In order to calm myself down, I went upstairs to the first floor to drink some water. While sitting on the sofa of the living room, tou-san polished his fishing rod as he said to me
âHey, Ise. I plan to go fishing, why donât we go together? Kaa-san will come along as well. Call Asia-chan to come together with us too.â
Tou-san smiled as he invited me. âŠFishing, huh. Along with Asia, the four of us going together? âŠHm, although it wasnât bad, it was just too unfortunate. If Asia and I went fishing in this situation, I would feel bad about everyone else. I apologetically rubbed the back of my head as I apologised to tou-san.
âSorry, tou-san. âŠIâm rather busy right now. Itâs because there is something very important to do right now. How about we go together next time?â
Hearing my reply, tou-san â his expression became slightly lonesome as he gave me a wry smile and said
ââŠI see. Although I do occasionally want to go fishing with my children, you are also high school students, and you have your own priorities.â
âWhat are you talking about, itâs alright. Weâll go together next time!â
Although tou-san replied to me like thatâŠI couldnât tell him the truth. Although it was rather painful, it was also in order to prevent my parents from danger that I said that. After tou-san said that, kaa-san came over to my side and whispered.
(For otou-san, he was really happy when he heard that you were going to start up your own company later, so he wanted to go fishing with you by the sea so that he could have an honest talk with you.)
âWell. âŠSo that was it. Tou-san truly was happy. That was why he invited me to go fishing.
(âŠAh â I see, but, itâll have to be next time.)
After hearing me say that, kaa-san made a bitter smile and pat my back as she said
(Okay, let me accompany otou-san today. You can go and finish what you need to do.)
Kaa-san said that to me as she took the cup from my hand.
(But you know, Ise. Your otou-san, he wants to have a good conversation with you as a father. You canât forget this, okay?)
âŠHave a good conversation with tou-san? I felt a little shy about a solemn conversation between just two peopleâŠ. I was already a boy of this age, so having a conversation like that with tou-san seemed a little difficultâŠ
After saying that, I returned downstairsâ.
It was time; the members of the Occult Research Club, the Sitris, Griselda-san and Azazel-sensei had gathered in the basement. Dulio was on guard duty in Heaven, and Ikuse Tobio was on a mission elsewhere so both of them couldnât come here. The Vali team didnât come either. Although we called Kuroka and Le Fay, it seemed like they were at Valiâs sideâŠ
Recalling what my parents just said, I was slightly distracted. I obviously chose to pick Ravel up to return here, but I was rather concerned about what my parents saidâŠ
Noticing that I seemed a bit strange, Azazel-sensei curiously asked me
âAh, sorry, itâs just something Iâm a bit concerned about.â
Perhaps knowing what it was, Rias said
âDid anything happen with your parents?â
As expected of Rias, she really understood me. Sensei exhaled, and then continued
âI was wondering what it was; so you had an argument with your parents? Letting strange things worry you right now will be troublesome. Say it out and you might be able to relax a bit.â
Perhaps that could work. So I told everyone about what happened before.
âItâs not a big deal. Although they wanted to go fishing, I declined. I declined because there were other things to be done.â
After hearing what I said, sensei held his hand up to his chin, and then eloquently said
ââŠFishing, huh. And together with his son.â
Sensei said to me with a serious expression
âListen carefully, Ise. Although you canât do it today, you should go fishing together next time.â
âEh? Well, of course. Thatâs what I was planning to doâŠ. Whatâs with you all of a sudden, sensei?â
Sensei rested his hand on top of my shoulder.
âParents, they wonât stay by your side forever. Someday, they will leave you. So, while theyâre still here, you should properly fulfil your responsibility as their child.â
Rather abruptly, Akeno-san and I looked at each other â she returned a faint smile to me. âŠMy parents wonât always be by my side? That is true; since I have both of my parents, perhaps it could be said that Iâm one of the most blessed among everyone else. âŠI decided that as long as I had time, I would go fishing with tou-san. Occasionally, I also need to spend some quality time with my family! I once again made up my mind. Sensei looked at everyone as he said
âThese words, you need to remember them as well Rias.â
âI understand them very well. But, isnât it about time?â
In response to Rias who calmly answered, sensei sighed.
âReally, thatâs why I say you young peopleâŠyou should all get ready.â
Azazel-sensei released light from his hands, and the large transportation magic circle below our feet then glowed. The destination was Ajuka Beelzebub-samaâs location â that was the only way that it could vaguely be explained. After a few seconds, we were surrounded by the light which was emitted from the magic circle, and then transported to our destinationâ.
Note: Where I have dialogue within brackets such as [âWHAT!?â], it is used to indicate the response of several people at once.
When the light disappeared, the place we arrived at was â a sandy beach. Thatâs right, no matter how one looked at it, it was a beach. The sky aboveâŠwas very dark. It was night time. The sound of rustling waves echoed over the quiet beach. âŠIn the Underworld, seas didnât exist. It was difficult to say that it was a huge lake tooâŠ. But the sky looked somewhat different from the Underworld. So, it was the human world thenâŠ? While I was thinking about that, I saw âitâ hanging in the air. âIt was something which closely resembled the moon, and there were two of them. In the human world, only one moon was visible in the night sky from Earth. So where was this placeâŠ? Everyone noticed that this place was neither the human world nor the Underworld, and began looking around everywhere.
ââThis place is known as a field which is part of the reproduction of another dimension, [Another World].â
A voice was suddenly heard. Looking over at the direction where the voice came from â there was a man sitting on a chair on a certain side of the beach. It was a man with a bewitching atmosphere â Maou Ajuka Beelzebub-sama. Placed beside Beelzebub-sama was a bed. On top of it there seemed to be someone sleeping there. âŠThe chair and bed which were sitting on the beach seemed rather out of place. Normally speaking, when coming to a beach, shouldnât it be accompanied by a parasol and deck chairs? âŠThe mysterious feeling really suited this Maou-samaâs unusual taste. Beelzebub-sama closed the book he was reading and greeted us.
âLong time no see, members of the Gremory householdâŠno, right now, I should say the members of [DxD].â
Azazel-sensei took a step forwards first, and shook hands with Beelzebub-sama who had stood up.
âItâs been a long time since we last saw each other in the Underworld, Ajuka.â
Beelzebub-sama smiled as he shook hands.
âBeing able to meet you like this without any other VIPs present is a first, Former Governor Azazel-dono.â
âRather than me, did you prepare this beforehand as well?â
Sensei said that as he looked around at the beach. Beelzebub-sama smiled wryly and replied
âYou could say that our meeting is rather dangerous for our factions, even if there are the members of [DxD] to intervene.â
After the two people of high stature met face to face, Rias brought up a question.
âAjuka-sama, what about Raiser and Ravel?â
Beelzebub-sama looked towards the bed.
âRaiser Phoenix was just taken away by the Phoenix family who came a little earlier. But they thought that it would be more appropriate to entrust the ojou-san[2] to you. Ravel-san is over there.â
Looking over to the bed â Ravel was sleeping there peacefully. âUh! I, and everyone else who couldnât wait ran to her side.
Koneko-chan and I both called Ravelâs name from the bedside. In order to reassure us, Beelzebub-sama said
âSheâs just asleep right now.â
In response to our calls, Ravel spoke.
ââŠNnnâŠIseâŠsama? And Koneko-sanâŠ?â
Having just opened her eyes, Ravel noticed Koneko-chan and me!
Seeing that Ravel was safe, Koneko-chan embraced Ravel as she cried. At this time, I was a little embarrassed to hug her⊠But I couldnât stop my tears from welling up, seeing that Ravel was safe and sound! Looking around, everyone was at ease with their hands over their chest. âŠI see, not only Ravel, Raiser was also safe and returned home with the Phoenix family. Sensei added on a bit of information.
âIn fact, my special agents â Slash Dogâs team, went to the Phoenix household as Raiserâs bodyguards. Nothing happened to them.â
So Ikuse-sanâs mission was to be Raiserâs bodyguard. âŠHowever, to send the Grigoriâs top special team as bodyguards, it seems like Raiserâs safety was rather important⊠It seemed to be related to the place that Ravel slept in. It was certain that the pair became involved in some sort of incident. After we confirmed that the Phoenix siblings were safe, Beelzebub-sama said to us
âWell, the reason for inviting you guys and the Former Governor over isnât as simple as just telling you that this girl is safe and sound.â
Saying this, Beelzebub-sama took out from his pocket â a chess piece. âŠSpeaking of Beelzebub-sama, I remembered that he was the creator of the [Evil Pieces]. This was something which was already knownâŠbut I hadnât seen the shape of that piece before. It was unlike the [Pawn] or [Knight], and neither was it like the [Bishop], [Rook], or [Queen].
âIs there a connection to this chess piece? It doesnât feel like just any other Evil Piece.â
Thatâs right, the aura which emanated from that piece â it was certainly an Evil Piece. The reincarnated Devils and I who were present could feel it. Out from Beelzebub-samaâs mouth came a shocking truth.
ââThis is the [King] piece.â
âŠHow could it be? It was actually that!? Everyone who heard that was left stunned. That was to be expected! It was because what we had learnt until now about the Evil Pieces was that the [King] piece did not exist. From what we were taught, after becoming a high-class Devil, all we had to do was touch the [Monument] inside the Maouâs or various Lordsâ castles and we would become a [King]. After that, we would be able to have our own peerage and a set of Evil Pieces. That was why they told us that the [King] piece did not exist⊠Although I mentioned before that everyone was startled by it, one person was an exception, and the person who remained absolutely calm was â Azazel-sensei.
ââŠAlthough Iâve heard of the rumours, this is really my first time seeing it.â
ââŠYou already knew about it, sensei?â
After hearing my question, sensei put his hand on his chin.
âI said they were rumours. Originally, after signing the agreement with the Devils, I continued to search for the truth.â
No, no, I was just too surprised! Even as a high-class Devil and [King], Rias seemed to have a look of incredible disbelief as she looked at the piece which Beelzebub-sama was holding in his hand.
ââŠ[King]âŠpiece? How is it possible? The technology to produce the [King] piece hasnât been developed right? Isnât it said that simply completing the registration process to become [King] with the [Monument] is enough? Thatâs how the system is, right?â
Hearing what Rias said, Beelzebub-sama nodded.
âWell, the [King] piece originally didnât exist. What you said just now was originally the Evil Pieces system, and the registration process for becoming [King]âŠno, I can only say thatâs all there is to the registration system. But in order not to let the [King] piece be exposed in the current story which exists, when a servant Devil is promoted, the piece within their body fusing or overlapping with the [King] piece is judged to be a very dangerous thing.â
Beelzebub-sama played with the piece in his hand as he continued
âThe characteristic of this piece â is simply power enhancement. But, the strengthening isnât as weak as just two or three times. As long as one possesses this, it could be ten times, or even a strengthening of over a hundred times is possible. That literally means, power can be enhanced far more than normal. Thatâs why the [King] piece was prohibited. The fear was that the people who had obtained this sort of power could have malicious intentions towards the government, and could harm the government. Excessive power will blind peopleâs eyes.â
âŠPure strengthening. Strengthening of ten or even a hundred-fold was basically the same effect as Ophisâs snakes wasnât it? Did the Old Maou Faction know about this? âŠI donât know, and even if they knew, I wonder if they used it. Why was the [King] piece made by the Maou thenâ. I donât think they hated the current Maous just because they used the [King] piece. I still remembered the Old Maou Faction who harboured such strong evil feelings. âŠThose guys obtained snakes after getting the support of Ophis, and then indulged themselves in power. If they were able to use the [King] piece, many high-class Devils and reincarnated Devils who could easily rise up would appear. âŠDiadora would definitely have lost himself with the power of the [King] piece if he had one. Prohibiting it was an understandable matter. Beelzebub-sama created a small magic circle next to his hand. After applying a small amount of energy to it, the details of dozens of people appeared on the beach. âŠI felt like they were all people that I had seen in video recordings and Rating Game magazines. Rias and Sona-zenkaichou also thought that they seemed familiar, and their expressions seemed confused. In this situation, Beelzebub-sama told us an even more shocking truth.
âThe people shown here are all top ranked Rating Game contestants. What they have in common is that theyâre all from the original 72 Pillars â pure-blooded high-class Devils. Furthermore, they â are all users of the [King] piece. This was the idea of the higher-ups in the Underworld. It hasnât been publicly stated. As a result, the users of these pieces are known as ultimate-class Devils, and it wouldnât be an overstatement to say that theyâre even Maou-class.â
âŠEveryone was left speechless. They were all too surprised by Beelzebub-samaâs words. After gasping, Sona-zenkaichou asked Beelzebub-sama
ââŠWell, the true power of those shown here in the top rankings isâŠ?â
âAh, them, the majority of them are using a power which canât publicly be stated as âtheir own powerâ to continuously climb the ranks. Most of the Gameâs management executives are also people who are on their side. By retaining the [King] piece, using bribery to obtain the commercial rights, along with the ideas of the higher-ups, they conspire beforehand to manipulate their games. Theyâre constantly involved in unfair and dishonest competitions. Even so, there are people who have used their own power to become top ranking players. For example, people like the former Dragon King Tannin, and Rudiger Rosenkreutz. Itâs a trend mainly seen with reincarnated Devils.â
âŠThe unbelievable confession caused everyone to listen quietly. It was confirmed that the information which appeared there didnât have anything to do with Tannin-ossan. Indeed, that ossanâs true power as an ultimate-class Devil was genuine. Beelzebub-sama shrugged.
âWell, itâs the same as competitions in the human worldâŠthe Rating Games in the Underworld have a similar flaw. I was just the initiator, and didnât manage the actual system itself. There may even be other [Cannot be touched], and [Cannot be spoken] things which are being used. As the initiator, no matter what the era, simply taking a step away from producing things will cause things to get out of hand.â
After the Rating Game system was completed, most of the rights were transferred over to the current Game managers. I didnât expect it; Ajuka Beelzebub-sama obviously created the Game, but when the Rating Game combined the ideas of other people it could actually become so repulsive. I had also heard that for the creators of a work, when they mixed in the ideas of other people, it would feel very annoying.
âThat is to say, although the competition is quite fierce, as long as one has true strength, anyone can obtain fame in the Rating Games. To the people in the higher-ups, itâs not a shamâŠbut the players who are able to break through the status quo are only the exceptionally special cases like you guys. For other people, itâs an impossible task.â
A half-baked awareness and ability would make it impossible to overcome the higher-ups who created this.
âThe reason why the top ranked contestants donât have much change in rank is becauseâŠ?â
Kiba, who often watched Rating Games continued to ask Beelzebub-sama
ââThis kind of tug-of-war state is because there are perfect adjustments to balance it. Itâs just the old Devils who are secretly controlling things in order to reap the benefits. Itâs really just a competition for the for the old Devilsâ top ranked players so that they can generate a lot of money. As long as theyâre able to control the competition, the profits that they receive will simply increase. No matter how eye-catching a reincarnated Devil is, as long as they use the [King] piece, the challengers to the top ranked players who are controlled by those old Devils will undoubtedly face an unfair challenge.â
Beelzebub-samaâs words caused Sona-zenkaichou to fall to her knees on the spot.
ââŠHow can this beâŠ!?â
For Sona-zenkaichou, who planned to build a Rating Game school that anyone could attend, this information was like a deadly poison to her⊠âThe [King] piece. The top ranked players were in control of the rankings. It was a cruel fact.
ââŠAll of this is a concealed truth. If the people knew about this, it would dramatically shake the values of the UnderworldâŠâ
Saji, who was supporting Sona-zenkaichou revealed an expression of anguish.
ââŠSirzechs canât do much about them either, right?â
Azazel-sensei asked Beelzebub-sama.
âFor now, this is how it is. On the surface, itâs just a political front that theyâre pretending to actively deal with, but if they act rashly, the balance of the Underworld will collapse. With the issues related to the survival of the race and internal strife on top of that, both the young and old are in a heated situation where everything could collapse in a single instant. Moreover, the opponents are the numerous cunning old Devils; for their own interests and the sake of their aristocratic society, theyâll do anything. To some extent, theyâre even more troublesome than the Old Maou faction as they harbour an even deeper darkness than them. Even for Sirzechs and I who are known as Super Devils, we can only appear to push back and forth on the surface politically.â
The Rating Games were tied together with politics and economicsâŠ. Behind the scenes, those powerful Devils were manipulating the competition for their own interests. Right now, we found out about an incredible situationâŠI could no longer seriously look at a professional game! In the battle between the Gremory and Bael Houses, it could also have been considered a contest between the Maou faction and Great King faction behind the scenes, which was why a different type of contest could be displayed. The match itself was truly honest. It must have been due to Sirzechs-samaâs effort in making a deal in secret so that our match wouldnât be manipulated. With a grim expression, Rias continued to ask Beelzebub-sama
âBut, why are you telling us this information? Wasnât this extremely confidential information something that only the higher-ups â and Maouâs knew about?â
Beelzebub-sama quietly closed his eyes.
âThe person who shouldnât know about this, or perhaps I should say, the person who canât be allowed to know about this, does know about it. âThat person is Emperor Diehauser Belial. He knows the truth about this.â
âWhat! âŠThe Emperorâs name was actually mentioned here. And it seems he also knew about the truth of the Rating Games.
âIs Diehauser genuine?â
âWell, he is pure in his virtue as he used his own talent and ability to become the Champion of Devils. Without using the [King] piece, he was able to reach the very top. Thatâs the reason behind the incident which occurred the other day. âRizevim Livan Lucifer was able to successfully snatch Agreas[3] due to the assistance of the Emperor. It was all in order to pursue the truth of everything.â
âŠHow could it be!? We were surprised once again by this information. That Emperor Belial, he would actually help Rizevim, and Qlippoth!?
The Champion actually took part in the incident where Agreas was stolenâŠ. I seemed to have a faint clue about it. When we went to Auros Academy, the Champion had come over to visit us, and also spoke to the children. Afterwards, it seems he then went over to Agreas for filmingâŠI see, at that time, the Champion had already defected and was together with Rizevim⊠âAll along, we were being led towards that battle in Auros Academy, and it was singlehandedly set up by the Champion. âŠDamn it, I was angrier than I was surprised; that series of events simply began to confuse me. Rias was so shocked that even her shoulders began trembling.
âThat ChampionâŠactually participated in a terrorist attackâŠI canât believe it!â
âHe defected precisely because he discovered the truth. You could say that he thought it through, and didnât just do it impulsively.â
Even Xenovia, who was always impulsive, seemed doubtful about the Championâs actions. Beelzebub-sama frowned.
âHe has his own reasons. âŠIf you search for the root cause, you could say that itâs the fault of the old Devils. âŠThe ways of thinking of those older Devils has gradually been distorting the standards of the Underworld. It finally reached the limit. And the Champion used this opportunity to take action.â
The Championâs own reasonsâ. âŠWith the reason that the Underworld, Devils, and every faction was his enemy, he reallyâŠ. Because I had only met him a handful of times, I didnât think that he was a bad person. However, since I was just like a child who lacked much experience, perhaps I wasnât able to see that he was a bad personâŠ. I was a little concerned about something, so I asked Beelzebub-sama
âWhy did this happen to Raiser and RavelâŠ? Could it be that Emperor Belial was using it as a terrorist attack?â
Only now did I notice that the Champion dragged the Phoenix siblings into this. Beelzebub-sama replied to me
âIn order to call me out. He only wanted to talk to me, and thatâs why he used them. During a match, when misconduct occurs, thatâs something I personally manage. In order to fulfil this condition, the misconduct occurred this time because the Champion used his ability against the system. His ability is called [Worthless]; it is the power to completely invalidate a special ability. He invalidated the retiring system of the Rating Game, which caused the emergency program to be initiated. âŠIn order to confirm exactly why the Emperor did such a thing, I transported myself over there.â
âŠSo that was the truth behind the misconduct. The Emperor used his own ability to invalidate the Gameâs system, and as a result, Beelzebub-sama personally transported over there after becoming interested in the misconduct.
âWell, what did you talk about?â
In response to Azazel-senseiâs question, Beelzebub-sama nodded.
âYes, about the [King] piece and it was also made clear that he was cooperating with Rizevim. âBut, simply for that, having the Phoenix siblings there was too dangerous.â
âIn the end, what happened?â
I asked Beelzebub-sama again, but the person who replied was Azazel-sensei.
âThe Rating Game uses cameras for the audience, and cameras with other purposes such as surveillance. The camera used for surveillance is not only used by the management, but in some cases, the higher-ups are also able to view it. The conversation between Ajuka and the Champion was also seen by the higher-ups. The Phoenix siblings who were present at the time could also be suspected of having involvement. The reason for this is because, while Ajuka and the Emperor were talking about the [King] piece, it led to various other confidential matters being spoken about. If things arenât handled well, the two siblings will be disposed of.â
âDisposed, how willâŠ!â
Simply for being present there, Ravel would be disposed of? That was just far too unreasonable! Beelzebub-sama made a wry smile.
âThatâs what theyâll do. In order to maintain their own position, those old guys would definitely do such a thing calmly. In the past, the people who have found out about the truth of the [King] piece have also been mercilessly disposed of by them. Afraid that it would come to that, the Emperor used the Phoenix siblings and then entrusted them to me. Even if itâs those old guys, they wouldnât dare to act rashly against me.â
âŠSo that was the truth behind the cause for the events which occurred in the match between the Champion Belial and RaiserâŠ. Beelzebub-sama continued
âBoth of them were entrusted to me honestly. Before ensuring their safety with absolute certainty, I didnât release them. For young people like you with a bright future to actually be killed due to the plots of those old guys, thatâs something I absolutely cannot agree with.â
Although Raiser and Ravel were dragged into this confidential matter, they were able to remain safe, all because Beelzebub-sama did his best to protect them. âŠTo us, this bewitching man stood at the highest point of the Underworld in a place that we couldnât even see. But, having saved the Phoenix siblings this time, he was a Maou-sama that was worthy of our trust. Thinking about it, Iâm currently strong, and thatâs also thanks to him as he helped me adjust my pieces. After recovering herself, Sona-zenkaichou stood up, and narrowed her eyes.
âAjuka-sama, what are the plans for the Champion now that heâs no longer here?â
She asked a key question. Beelzebub-sama said
ââEverything that we just discussed will be announced to the entire Underworld and the various factions.â
After hearing the Championâs purpose from Beelzebub-sama, everyone was given quite a shock. âŠIt was the same as what Saji said, if everyone found out about this, the Underworldâs values would be damaged. And there were also the hopes and dreams of middle and low-class Devils for the Rating Gamesâ. âŠThe inside was truly dark; if everyone knew about the manipulation of rankings, the people who worked hard for their dreams and the children who were filled with dreams of the future would have their hopes crushed. Being ranked first, the absolute Champion; the truth which came out of Emperor Belialâs would weigh heavier than anything else. With a bitter expression and teary face, Sona-zenkaichou said
ââŠPerhaps that will come at the expense of even more victims than the past.â
The battle for Agreas, and the battle after the attack in Heaven had already resulted in many casualties. The Emperorâs purpose looked like it was only going to cause even more casualties this time. Thatâs because the people who found out about the truth would rally together and riot. Beelzebub-sama sighed.
ââŠThere will be a considerable number of sacrifices. Especially because the incident this time is quite radical. Together with the Agreas battle, the things which have been lost are things which cannot be ignored.â
âSo where is the Champion now?â
Rias asked. What needed to be said had been said, what needed to be asked had been asked; so where did the Champion go?
âHe forcibly transferred away. He must have used Rizevimâs power, or perhaps he used the power of that Evil Dragon whoâs renowned for his magic, AĆŸi DahÄka. He thought that if he stayed too long with me, it would be dangerous.â
Beelzebub-sama replied. However, my doubts still continued.
ââŠBut, why did that only happen with Raiserâs match? Would it not have worked if it was against other opponentsâŠ?â
Towards my question, Beelzebub-sama gently laughed.
âYou will soon know the answer to that question. He is unexpectedly wise.â
âŠ? I didnât quite understand. Did he have a reason for using Raiser or not? Azazel-sensei cleared his throat and said
âHowever, Ajuka. Since the video from the surveillance camera could be seen, then that means those old Devils would have heard your conversation with Emperor Belial. They might come over to question your negligence.â
âTo some extent, what happened in that video has been tampered with. Right now, those old guys will be making the wrong moveâŠâ
âI see. Even if the Champion did something, then thereâll be a reasonable response. Given that itâs you, you definitely wouldâve made preparations.â
âThat is the case for now. I am a Maou after all. Itâs also something that Sirzechs canât do, something that only I can do.â
âI see, youâre quite correct. âBut even if a lot of things happen, we need to keep the number of casualties to a minimum.â
âWell, of course I understand that. I definitely wonât allow any of the civilians who are innocent to become victims.â
Azazel-sensei and Beelzebub-sama were able to speak to each other congenially. We couldnât help thinking that these two people were indeed VIPs, and were truly worthy of being the leaders of their race.
âThank you again for the matter involving Ravel and Raiser, Ajuka.â
âOf course Iâd do something of that level, Former Governor-dono. Itâs quite rare for young people with such bright futures to appear, so how could I possibly let them die like that? The current Rating Game situation is a result my laissez-faire[4] attitude. If possible, I want to purify the elements of the Game environment that I can. Raiser Phoenix as well as you young Devils could be the ones with the vital talent which is required to change the Rating Games.â
I took a step forward and bowed my head.
ââŠI donât understand the complicated issues, but I completely trust Azazel-sensei and the Maou-samas when it comes to the political aspect of things. But, please let me thank you. I am truly grateful that you were able to help Ravel and Raiser!â
It was a candid thought. Originally, the politics of the Rating Games and its darkness were too distant from us. But the person who saved Ravel was this man, so I thanked him for that.
Koneko-chan stood beside me and also thanked him as she bowed her head. Gasper also copied us. For the both of them, since their friend was rescued, they expressed their thankfulness to Maou-sama. The members of [DxD] who were present also bowed in gratitude. A smile emerged on Beelzebub-samaâs face.
âWell, you young Devils will face many troubles, but, please overcome them. The circumstances above you have the people above you to deal with them. Afterwards, no matter what happens, you should enthusiastically show your spirit, and protect the things that you should protect!â
Those were concise words! Ah, anyone who strikes out at us will definitely be repaid a hundred-fold. Anything that needs to be protected will be protected with all our strength. That was us. That wasnât just something that we had been doing, but also that weâll continue to do in the future. âWhile I was thinking like that, Azazel-sensei raised his index finger and asked Beelzebub-sama
âTell me one thing. âHow many [King] pieces currently exist?â
âThe production was already stopped during the initial development stage. No one even knows the production method, and only I made them, so itâs not possible for new pieces to be made. To sum it up, only the few that I made during initial production exist. Iâve kept track of all of them; aside from the few that I have, there are nine in total. The Emperor gave his one to me. I now currently have four.â
I didnât realise when, but Beelzebub-sama produced a second [King] piece in his hand. I was afraid that that was the piece which he obtained from the Emperor. After hearing this response, sensei had a grim look.
ââŠThere are five which remain in the hands of higher-up Devils. Itâs surprisingly many. If worst come to worst, itâll be enough for a rebellion.â
âŠThe Devils who used those pieces were able to rival ultimate-class Devils, and even Maou-class Devils. As for the rest of the five Devils, sensei didnât know what they would bring about.
âI plan to spend a few thousand years reclaiming them. This is the responsibility that I should fulfil as the creator.â
The piece that he obtained from the Emperor could possibly be called reclaiming. If it was someone other than this man who obtained it, it was possible that they would do something unimaginably evil. In fact, it really is good that the Emperorâs piece was not taken by RizevimâŠ. Or would it have been useless to Rizevim? Perhaps sensing my thoughts, the Maou-sama said
âIf the [King] piece is used by someone who is already too strong, or if it is used by someone who has a special ability, an overload may occur. In the worst case, it would endanger their lives. Even if they were savedâŠit wouldnât be any better.â
So such a reason existed. It wasnât something that could be used by the people who already possessed power. Perhaps thatâs the reason why the Old Maou faction didnât use it? If Rizevim used it, it was possible that he could die, so thatâs why he didnât use itâŠ? There were still many questions which were left unanswered. Beelzebub-sama said to Azazel-sensei
âThere is also something else, Former Governor Azazel-dono.â
âItâll be best if you can realise it. To be honest, if I were the enemy, in order to bring down [DxD], you would be the first person Iâd target.â
âMn. âŠNo one expected such a statement from Beelzebub-sama, and everyone focused their attention towards those two people. Beelzebub-sama continued
âYou are far too talented. Not only to this team, even for the various factions, youâre an outstanding consultant. The next time Indra and Hades aim for something, it will be youâŠI hope you realise that.â
Sensei shrugged as he smiled wryly.
ââŠThatâs the same as what that God of Destruction said. âŠBut, Iâve more or less prepared some self-protection measures.â
âŠTarget sensei huh. Sensei was our benefactor who had guided us. And as a bridge for the various factions, he was involved in VIP talks several times. Looking at the current state of things, the reason why the [DxD] team existed was also thanks to sensei. That was why senseiâs ability was a very important existence to both us, and the VIPs of the various factions. âŠThat was why he would become a target for people. Please sensei; donât let anything happen to you in the future. If you fall, the future will become uncertainâŠwell, sensei isnât someone whoâd die easily though. But Beelzebub-samaâs advice was terrifying enough. Conversely, Azazel-sensei asked Beelzebub-sama
âI heard that you also plunged into some strange things? âYou know the whereabouts of [Innovate Clear] and [Telos Karma] right? You did that with your own [Team]âŠit has something to do with this space, doesnât it?â
All of a sudden, Azazel-sensei listed the names of two LonginusâŠ. What was it? Although I knew that Beelzebub-sama operated his own [Team] somewhere in JapanâŠwhat do two of the Longinus have to do with this space? Beelzebub-sama shook his head.
âIâm very sorry, but this is my field. Even if itâs you whoâs familiar with Sacred Gears, you may not be able to understand. If you want to know why, itâs because it exists outside of the world.â
Sensei regretfully sighed as he said âI seeâ. At this time, a small magic circle for communication appeared beside Beelzebub-samaâs ear. Beelzebub-sama listened to the voice.
Beelzebub-sama eloquently narrowed his eyes.
ââŠHo, to some extent itâs an unexpected move from them, but itâs also a bad move.â
He turned around and said to us
âYou should return immediately.â
Rias asked about the sudden occurrence, and a shocking piece of news came from the Maou-samaâs mouth.
ââOphis was attacked by an Evil Dragon.â
I and everyone else were speechlessâ The malice of those guys was in action once again.
Upstairs in the Hyoudou householdâ. Gathered in Ophisâs room were the members from before, and also Dulio who rushed over afterwards. Having been brought back, Ravel returned to her own room to rest. Koneko-chan also accompanied her. However, Ophis was lying on her bedâŠwith her clothes ripped and tattered. Asia was currently healing her. The external injuries gradually faded until they disappeared. âŠWhen we hurriedly returned over from Beelzebub-samaâs side, Ophis had already been brutally injured. Her limbs had all been shattered, and her face was very heavily injured as well. Her entire body was covered with wounds caused by claws, and she had lost consciousness. Even after receiving treatment, she had not regained consciousness. âŠIf she was still infinite, these kinds of injuries wouldnât matter at all. But, she was currently finite. Even if she was stronger than any one person in this room, she could still be injured. âŠBut, who was it? I couldnât think of anyone that could defeat Ophis. And where was she attacked? As these doubts filled my mind, Dulio said
ââŠIt looks like she was attacked in that underground space. At the time, I had a sense of anxiety, and quickly rushed over there. At that time, the Evil Dragon had already escaped. The one who arrived there before me was Crom Cruach.â
In the direction that Dulio pointed towards, Crom Cruach stood there as he leaned against the wall. Dulio then said
âOphis, sheâŠin order to protect the [Spectre Dragon] egg, she was beaten.â
âŠâŠ. âŠIn other words, Ophis was hurt like this so that she could protect the egg⊠âŠAh, those bastards, they must have deliberately been aiming for that egg. Since it was Ophis, she definitely would have sacrificed her life to protect that egg. If the aim of those bastards was to defeat Ophis, then they certainly would have aimed for the egg to attack her. Supposing that Ophis was protecting the egg, even Evil Dragons would be able to defeat her. But she didnât do anything, or perhaps they used a technique that Ophis was defenceless againstâŠ? In any case, they injured Ophis to such an extent while she was defenceless. They really were a group of evil bastardsâŠdamn it!
I was so angry that my entire body was pulsating. âŠShe was clearly living a peaceful life. She was living together with us peacefully every day. She was really interested in the [Spectre Dragon] egg, and wanted to guard it. She just wanted to live an ordinary life! An aura of rage seeped out of my body. Beside me, Rias and Asia tried to comfort me.
âIse, calm down. Youâll just be doing what they want if you donât maintain your composure. All of us can also understand your anger. I, as well as everyone else am undeniably angry.â
ââŠI know, everything is because of that guyâŠitâs all part of that bastardâs planâŠdamn it!â
âRizevim, Qlippoth! Indeed, itâs only that guy that I have toâŠ! I restrained the anger in my body, and calmed my mind. At that time, a small communication magic circle appeared beside senseiâs ear.
âWhat is it, what happened?â
Turning my attention towards sensei, I saw that he was unable to utter a word, and he had a mortified expression.
ââSh*t! âŠHow did it come to that? Those bastards, they actually went and did something like thatâŠ!â
After thumping his chest a few times, sensei adjusted his breathing and said to me
âIse, listen to me calmly. Do you understand? You absolutely have to listen to me calmly.â
âWhat actually happened, sensei? What is it?â
ââYour parents, they were just kidnapped by Qlippoth.â
The instant I heard that, I felt something erupt within me.
1. That is to say, Fafnir is currently fighting the injury both physically and mentally.
2. An ojou-san is a high-class lady.
3. Agreas is the floating island which was where the Evil Pieces were manufactured. Refer to the events of volume 17 for more information.
4. A laissez-faire attitude is one where a leader does not restrict freedom and could be called laid back.
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