AN: As promised, here is the chapter tonight for the compensation on that Wednesday update.
And just as I mentioned yesterday, I might continue to update from Friday to Sunday in the next few weeks due to RL things.
anyway! Go enjoy this chapter~.
J is out!
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5 minutes before the seal breaks, Wasteland, Underworld…
"…It's almost time," Sona murmured.
Her eyes remained fixed on the green pyramid-like structure ahead of them, its surface wrapped in glowing geometric formulas that flowed across it, which was the seal that held Loki and Fenrir.
Standing beside her were Rias, Sairaog, and Seekvaira. The four of them watched from a cliff not far from the structure, their respective peerages gathered behind them. Dulio and Irina stood among the ranks as well, all noticeably tense as the moment of battle drew closer.
A short distance from them, Vali and his team were waiting patiently. Their expressions were a mix of anticipation and readiness.
"Yes," Rias said, giving a small nod. "In just a few minutes, what will likely be the hardest battle we've faced so far starts."
"Ahahaha! I'm actually excited," Sairaog replied, his grin unwavering. "I finally get to test myself against a god."
"Haa… even now, you're still carefree," Seekvaira sighed, shaking her head with sarcasm. "Is this what confidence looks like when you're the strongest of our generation?"
"I'll take that as a compliment," Sairaog said, glancing at her with a grin.
Seekvaira didn't respond. The deadpan look she gave him said more than words ever could.
"…Everyone, get ready," Sona cautioned the rest as the first crack appeared on the seal.
At her words, the atmosphere instantly switched. Every person present tensed, instincts snapping into place as the cracks spread rapidly across the glowing structure.
"No tricks or whatsoever, huh?" Vali said, a bitter smile formed at his lips as the cracks widened. "For that, you have my respect,
The next moment, the battlefield rang with the sound of shattering glass.
Before Sona and the others, the Evil God Loki came out from the seal, followed immediately by the massive, ash‑gray wolf at his side. Fenrir.
"Target confirmed. Mission start," Sona said calmly as she waved her hand.
A tidal wave rushed outward, flooding across the entire battlefield. Rias, Sairaog, Seekvaira, and the others' eyes widened in shock, with only the Sitri Peerage remaining unfazed.
Loki sensed the spell instantly. He merely smirked and floated upward, making no move to retaliate.
The ground they were standing on transformed, water spreading and settling into a massive square platform etched with rows of smaller squares.
Rias frowned as she looked down at it, a strange sense of familiarity stirring in her chest.
'I feel like I seen something like this before? Just where was it?'
From above, Loki tilted his head in mild confusion. As the only one floating overhead, he could see the formation clearly, an immaculate eight-by-eight grid laid out across the entire battlefield.
'What is this girl doing?' he thought with a scoff. 'Wasting a large amount of mana by flooding the ground, how pointless.'
"So you aren't fleeing," Sona said dryly. Loki burst into laughter in response.
"There's no need for that," he replied, matching her tone with mocking ease. "All of you would retaliate anyway. I might as well finish things here and return to where Odin's at. Sooner or later, the outcome is the same. Whether he attends that meeting or not, Odin will disappear."
"You're harboring dangerous thoughts," Sona said, her eyes narrowing.
"The first dangerous idea came from your side," Loki replied coldly. "An alliance between factions… once the Three Great Powers written in the Bible chose cooperation, everything became distorted."
He looked down at them as if they were nothing more than insects under his feet.
"…Looks like you have no intention of talking peace," Sona sighs.
She waved her hand once more. Sixteen chess pieces formed from water appeared before her.
'Chess pieces?' That single thought ran through everyone watching.
Loki didn't give them time to react. He pointed a finger straight at Sona.
A magic circle appeared, and a beam of light fired toward her.
The sudden attack caught those around Sona a moment too late. But before the beam could reach her, Tsubaki—Sona's Queen—stepped forward with her naginata already in hand, placing herself between the attack and her King.
"Mirror of Alice," she muttered.
A large, full‑body mirror materialized in front of her just in time. Loki's attack struck its surface head‑on, the energy rippling across the glass before being absorbed. With a tiny twist, Tsubaki adjusted the mirror's angle and sent the beam back toward Fenrir.
The divine beast leapt backward to evade the reflected attack.
"ROARR!!"
Fenrir's furious roar shook the battlefield, but before it could counterattack, the rest of the team moved.
[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!!!!!!!!]
A bright crimson light exploded outward as Issei entered his Balance Breaker. The Red Dragon Emperor's armor enveloped his body, radiating overwhelming power.
[Vanish Dragon Balance Breaker!!!!!!!!]
Not about to be left behind, Vali shot into the sky as his own Balance Breaker activated. Spotless white draconic armor formed around him.
The two Heavenly Dragons charged towards Loki at the same time.
Seeing this, Loki's eyes lit up with delight.
"This is wonderful! The Two Heavenly Dragons joining forces to defeat me?" He laughed wildly. "My heart hasn't raced like this in ages!"
Vali flew through the sky, leaving a zig-zag trail of light as he closed the distance with Loki at blinding speed. Below him, Issei spread his dragon wings and moved forward in tandem, Vali attacking from above, Issei charging straight from the ground.
"A combination of the Red and the White! I might really be the first to experience something like this!"
Loki laughed madly as layers of wide-range defensive magic circles unfolded around his body. At the same time, countless beams of light burst from the circles, twisting midair and stretching into ribbon-like sashes that shot toward both Heavenly Dragons.
'They're homing attacks… high-level ones,' Issei realized instantly.
Most of the light sashes went toward Vali, covering the sky in pursuit, while several dozen went straight for Issei.
Vali dodged the attacks in acrobatic-like movements, narrowly missing him. Below, Issei clenched his right fist, gathering power as he flew close to Loki, accelerating at full speed.
[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!!]
Issei drove his fist forward.
Whether the light slashes or the magic circles surrounding Loki shattered instantly, torn apart by the sheer force of his punch. In that opening, Vali unleashed his attack, an overwhelming amount of demonic power gathering in his palm, as the glowing equation formed alongside it.
In the next instant, he fired.
The blast swallowed nearly a third of the battlefield, slamming into Loki head-on and driving the Evil God straight into the ground. When the attack finally faded, a massive, bottomless crater marked the spot where Loki had landed.
'Damn… how can a single attack have that much power?' Issei swallowed hard, realizing just how far beyond normal his rival truly was.
"Fuhahahaha!"
The manic laughter snapped him out of his thoughts. Loki emerged from the settling dust cloud, his robe torn and scorched—but his body completely unharmed.
"He's unscathed after taking an attack like that?" Rias said from the back, unable to hide her shock.
"…A god is really a terrifying being," Seekvaira muttered, her expression tightening as the reality sank in.
At the same time, on the other side of the battlefield, someone else wasn't standing idle.
"WAAAHHH!!"
With a roar of effort, Sairaog coated his body in ki and leapt toward Fenrir. Seeing the insignificant attacker approach, the massive wolf twisted its body and swung its tail down like a hammer. Fist and tail collided, the impact blasting a crater into the ground.
But the force behind Fenrir's strike was far heavier. Sairaog was sent flying back, sliding to a stop near the rest of the DxD team.
Seizing the opening, Rias fired a massive sphere of Power of Destruction toward Fenrir.
The wolf raised a paw to swat it aside—only to freeze.
Its legs locked in place.
Fenrir's eyes snapped downward and saw Seekvaira using her family's power over time, locking its limbs at the perfect moment.
The ball of destruction struck true, detonating against the world‑devouring wolf.
"Holy Lightning!!" Akeno shouted as she took to the sky, hurling a bolt of crackling holy lightning.
"Holy Lightning Spears!"
Flying beside her, Dulio spread his ten angel wings, which he got after reincarnating as an angel. Using both the angel's innate holy element and his Sacred Gear, Zenith Tempest, he created a spear of holy element mixed with lightning and shot it forward.
The attack hit Fenrir squarely, drawing a frustrated roar from the massive wolf. Before it could recover, Alivian, Seekvaira's Queen and a former Eastern European Dragon of the Zmei clan, transformed into his dragon form. Flames gathered deep within his throat before he unleashed a torrent of breath attack, burning Fenrir.
Not wanting to lose their momentum, Sona made her move. She selected three pawns from the chess pieces floating before her and threw them forward.
The pieces flew toward Issei, Vali, and Sairaog.
As the pawns sank into their bodies, an overwhelming amount of power flooded through them.
"This…?!" Issei gasped, eyes widening.
"Hoo…" Sairaog exhaled slowly, his eyes opening wide. "I've never felt strength like this before."
Vali opened and closed his hands, testing the newfound power coursing through him. A smirk formed on his lips. "Interesting. Is this the power you gain after becoming a Nameless?"
Next, Sona picked up the two bishops and placed them upon Rias and Seekvaira. Both of them stiffened as their magical reserves increased, feeling that calling their magical attacks would go smoother.
"Sona, you—" Rias stared at her in disbelief.
"…I feel like I'm being left behind," Seekvaira muttered with a sigh.
Sona didn't stop there. She selected three more pawns and assigned them to Dulio, Saji, and Alivian. Just like the others, power flows through their bodies, instantly reinforcing them.
After that came the knight pieces, whom she placed on Rossweisse and Xenovia, boosting their speed and resilience. She then took a rook and a pawn, which were assigned to Bikou and Kuroka, respectively. Her final pawn went to Regulus, Sairaog's pawn, and the last rook settled upon Koneko.
Just as the final assignments were made, a powerful gust of wind swept across the battlefield.
Fireballs rained down toward Loki and Fenrir. Which, of course, was either dodged or blocked by both.
"It seems I arrived late," a deep voice said calmly.
The last member of the Anti-Loki force had arrived.
The former Dragon King—Tannin.
"Better late than never, Lord Tannin," Sona said with a smile as she sent the Queen piece to him, which earned a raised brow from Tannin.
With every piece now assigned, Sona stepped forward, her eyes scanning the 'board' where enemies and allies stood in the middle.
"The board is set," she announced. "Every piece has arrived. Now… let's begin this battle for real."
—---
At the courtyard of the devils' government building, Ingvild and Euphyllia walked along the garden path, Villhaze accompanying them in silence. They had come outside simply to breathe—to ease the tension that had settled over everyone since the timer announced Loki's seal had broken.
Despite the repeated reassurances, the rest couldn't help but still feel worry, restlessness, anxiety… the air inside the conference room had become unbearable.
Since waiting is the only thing they can do, which actually feels worse than fighting. So, one by one, people found excuses to step away as they waited for those who had gone to face Loki to return.
Kouki, the one most affected by doing nothing, with him unable to sit still, had been taken out of the room by Tobio and Hajime, bringing Gasper along with them for a bros-only outing. The four of them were likely wandering somewhere in the city now, anything to keep their minds occupied.
Meanwhile, Alice and Anisphia attended the meeting between Odin and the leaders of the three factions as representatives of the Astral Express.
Sagiri, Lavinia, Natsume, Shigune, Ophis, and Ram had returned to Yuuragi-sou in the human world to check on Chitose and the other residents of the inn.
"Ingvild-san… are you alright?" Euphyllia asked softly. "You seem a bit dazed."
Ingvild, who had been staring blankly at the hedges lining the garden, blinked at being called. "Ah… sorry about that."
She smiled sheepishly, rubbing her warming cheeks. "I'm just a little worried about Sona-san and the others."
Euphyllia gave a small, understanding smile. "I see. I think everyone feels the same way."
Her expression turned faintly forlorn as she glanced around the courtyard, aware of how their once-tight group had scattered—each of them trying to distract themselves in their own way.
"Forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn," Villhaze said calmly, breaking her silence at last. "But Villhaze believes that both Milady and Lady Euphy may be overthinking things."
"Vill-chan?" Ingvild looked at her with unconcealed shock. Even Euphyllia raised both brows in surprise.
"I understand that both of you are worried and anxious about Lady Sona and the rest," Villhaze said calmly. "But I believe they'll be fine. They won't face any danger that could truly threaten their lives. Yes, their opponent is a god—but Lady Sona and the others aren't helpless."
Ingvild and Euphyllia exchanged a glance, clearly puzzled by her certainty.
"E-eh… Vill-chan, it's not that we don't want believe you or anything," Ingvild said hesitantly. "But… what makes you so sure everything will be alright?"
Villhaze blinked once and tilted her head. "Well… isn't it proof enough that His Majesty allowed them to go and fight Loki without intervening himself? And Lady Alice and Lady Anis seem unusually relaxed as well."
"Eh?"
Both Ingvild and Euphyllia let out identical, dumbfounded sounds.
"How should I put it…" Villhaze tapped her chin, thinking. "If their opponent were someone His Majesty believed that Lady Sona and the others couldn't handle, wouldn't he insist on fighting Loki in their place? Or at least leave it to Lord Tobio."
She raised her eyes toward the sky in the direction where the battle was unfolding. "And Lady Sona is already a Pathstrider. She may be a support type without a decisive finishing move—but isn't that more than covered by the Red Dragon and the others?"
She didn't seem to notice the stunned expressions on Ingvild and Euphyllia's faces and continued speaking without stopping. "If we measure Lady Sona's current strength by this world's standards, she should be near the upper tier of the Ultimate Class. And with the rest of Sitri Peerage receiving a portion of the Trailblaze blessing due to their connection to us, they should be hovering at the boundary between High Class and Ultimate Class as well."
Villhaze turned her gaze back to her two mistresses, the queens of her king. "Simply put, His Majesty believes this is something Lady Sona and the others can handle just fine. He trusts them to see it through, which is why he, along with Lady Alice and Lady Anis, is far more relaxed than everyone else."
"I see now," Euphyllia said with a wry smile. "So the reason Villhaze is so confident that Sona-san and the others will be alright… is because of your unconditional trust in Hajime-sama."
"P-Pfft—! Lady Euphy?!" Villhaze stared at her with wide eyes.
"Ah! So that's what it is!" Ingvild exclaimed, looking genuinely enlightened. "Vill-chan trusts Hajime-kun so deeply that she believes in his judgment without question."
"M-Milady! W-what are you saying?!" Villhaze flustered, her words tumbling over each other. "I-isn't it the same for both of you? Don't you also follow and believe in His Majesty's decisions from the bottom of your hearts?!"
Ingvild and Euphyllia blinked, exchanged a glance, and then turned back to the blushing Villhaze with gentle, knowing smiles that only made her more embarrassed.
"W-why are you both looking at me like that?" Villhaze raised her arms, trying to hide her reddened face.
"We just realized how pure Vill-chan's love toward Hajime-kun is," Ingvild said with soft admiration. "To think you had to remind us to trust the decision of the one we love… what a blunder on our part."
"Yes," Euphyllia added with a sigh, resting her cheek in her hand. "Knowing Hajime-sama, he would never let us face danger without him standing beside us. Forgetting something so simple… we really failed as his queens."
"L‑love?! N‑no!! It's not like I l-lo-love His Majesty or anything, alright?!" Villhaze blurted out in a panic. "I‑it's j‑just… e‑eh… admiration! Yes—admiration! So please don't misunderstand!"
"It's okay, Vill‑chan. We understand your feelings reeeaaally well," Ingvild said gently, far too amused for Villhaze's liking.
"That's right," Euphyllia added with a teasing smile. "We totaaally get you."
"BOTH OF YOU DON'T GET IT AT ALL!!!" Villhaze shouted, tears of pure embarrassment spilling from her eyes.
The identical, knowing smiles on the two women—clearly saying she's still denying it, huh—made Villhaze want nothing more than to crawl into a hole and disappear. Desperate to escape the teasing, she frantically scanned the garden for anything—anything—that could change the subject.
That was when she spotted Asia from the Gremory Peerage on the other side of the courtyard, speaking with a male devil she vaguely recognized from the Young Devil Gathering.
'Huh… if I remember correctly, that person is… Diodora Astaroth?'
"E‑ehem! E‑eh… Milady, Lady Euphy—that's Miss Asia over there, right?" Villhaze said quickly, pointing in their direction.
"Ara~ even the way you change the subject is just like Hajime‑sama," Euphyllia laughed softly, covering her mouth. Villhaze's face burned even redder.
"A‑anyways," Villhaze pressed on, stubbornly ignoring the teasing, "shouldn't we check on Miss Asia— …Huh?"
She turned away to escape their stares—but the moment her eyes landed on Asia again, her body stiffened.
Asia suddenly stumbled backward.
Diodora caught her wrist—and pulled.
The movement was subtle, almost casual. But Asia's reaction wasn't. She twisted her body, clearly trying to pull away, fear written across her face.
Villhaze felt it instantly.
So did Ingvild. And Euphyllia.
Though Diodora was smiling, something about the scene felt deeply wrong. Asia's resistance alone told them everything they needed to know.
Whatever he was doing to her—
—It needed to stop.
The three of them moved at once.
—--
"Nooo!!" Asia cried, using all her strength to push herself away from Diodora. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled desperately in his grip.
"Tsk! Stop struggling, Asia-san!" Diodora snapped, tightening his hold. "Everything will be fine as long as you stay with me!"
Suddenly, a sharp tingling sensation crawled up his spine.
Before he could react, a serpent formed entirely of water burst in between him and Asia, forcing him to release her as it slammed against his arm.
"What the—?!" Diodora muttered as he leapt back.
The water serpent coiled around Asia protectively before collapsing into a puddle on the ground. In the next instant, it reformed beside Ingvild with Asia, appearing safely at her side.
Villhaze stepped forward at once, placing herself between Ingvild, Euphyllia, and the shaken girl.
"Asia-san, are you alright?" Ingvild asked quickly.
Asia blinked in a daze, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. She looked up at the familiar, worried faces in front of her. "I-Ingvild-san? Euphyllia-san?"
"Yes, it's us, Asia-san," Euphyllia said gently, her voice soft and reassuring. "We saw what was happening and stepped in. I hope you don't mind."
"…T-thank you!" Asia sobbed, collapsing into Ingvild's arms as the tension finally left her body. Her legs gave out as relief washed over her.
'Damn it… so there was someone else here!' Diodora cursed silently. 'My impatience came back to bite me.'
"Ahahaha! That was rather reckless, Miss Leviathan," he said lightly, schooling his expression into a harmless smile. He raised both hands as if to show he meant no harm as he stepped forward. "Miss Asia and I could have been hurt if you attacked so suddenly."
"Please stay where you are, Sir Astaroth," Villhaze warned coldly. Her eyes narrowed as she fixed him with an unyielding stare. "If you take another step, I will be forced to take action."
"Ahh… Miss Leviathan?" Diodora said lightly, his smile never wavering as he took another step forward. "Could you please tell off your maid? I believe there's been a misunderstanding here."
The moment his foot touched the ground, a dagger struck just inches from it.
The poisoned dagger dug deep where it landed.
Diodora's body went rigid. Every instinct he possessed screamed danger as his gaze locked onto the weapon.
"Sir," Villhaze said coldly, idly twirling the second dagger in her hand, "you were warned. Take another step, and I won't miss again."
"…Hey, maid," Diodora replied, his tone still polite yet laced with irritation. "Don't you think threatening a high‑class pureblood devil, especially one from a noble lineage, is rather excessive for someone of your station?"
Villhaze didn't react. She simply stared at him, her expression flat and unyielding.
"Thank you for your concern regarding our Villhaze, Astaroth‑san," Ingvild said calmly as she handed Asia over to Euphyllia. "But it is unnecessary. Villhaze's actions represent my will specifically, my response to your harassment of a friend of my house."
Her eyes narrowed as she met Diodora's gaze, her voice steady and unmistakably firm.
"So," Ingvild continued, "may I know just what you're trying to do to Asia?"
'This damn girl…!' Diodora snarled inwardly. 'She's using the same noble logic I tried to use on her maid!'
While Ingvild might appear soft and gentle, perhaps even a little naive when it came to the politics of devil society, but as the last surviving true descendant of Satan Leviathan, she wielded immense influence within the devil nobility.
With no other members of her bloodline left alive, Ingvild had automatically inherited the position of head of the Leviathan family. Her standing placed her far above Diodora, who was, at best, only an heir of the Astaroth house.
Even though the Astaroth family held the rank of Duke, it meant little towards Ingvild's status, which ranks just under the current Maous themselves.
By publicly claiming Asia as a friend, Ingvild had effectively created a direct connection between Asia and the Leviathan house. Any harm done to the girl would be tantamount to an offense against the Leviathans as a whole.
'And on top of that…' Diodora grimaced internally. 'That maid is the Queen of the Leviathan Peerage—the second-in-command of the entire house.'
His jaw tightened. 'Which puts her on the same level as me.'
"So?" Ingvild pressed, her voice remained soft and gentle but heavy with unquestionable authority. "May I have your answer now?"
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