"Tenra Kamiyo! Tenra Kamiyo! Tenra Kamiyo!"
The entire hall erupted, a tidal wave of voices chanting his name again and again. The sound seemed to shake the very foundation of the Underworld.
This was a world ruled by strength. Once, Tenra had been the butt of every joke—a bloodline failure, a boy who couldn't even inherit his family name. No one had ever taken him seriously. At best, he was a footnote, a punchline over dinner.
But now? Everything had changed.
Tenra had proven himself—utterly and undeniably. He wasn't the same "failure" they'd mocked. He was strong. He'd earned their respect, their recognition.
From this day forward, no one would dare call Tenra Kamiyo "trash." Because if he was trash, what did that make the rest of them?
The legend of the "Twin Failures of the Underworld" was over. By tomorrow, people would be calling them miracles.
Whether it was the Bael clan's so-called failure or the Phenex family's discarded son—both had become living legends.
"He did it… he finally did it…"
On the high platform, Akeno's face was streaked with tears, but her smile was radiant. Her Tenra had finally reached the summit.
Beside her, Rias was lost in thought, her expression complicated and unreadable. It was hard to reconcile the proud young man on stage with the boy who'd once been so ordinary, so powerless, forced to beg her for help because he couldn't protect those he cared about.
Maybe, she thought, he really was a miracle.
On stage, the ocean of cheers washed over Tenra, but inside, he was calm—almost cold. His eyes lifted, gazing far into the endless sky.
He'd suffered. He'd bled. He'd clawed his way here, step by agonizing step.
But it still wasn't enough.
He would grow stronger. He would go farther. He would stand higher.
One day, he swore, not even the heavens would be able to block his gaze. Not even the earth could bury his heart. One day, the gods themselves would have no choice but to kneel before him.
No one could have guessed the wild, defiant ambition burning behind that calm, proud exterior.
"Onii-chan, I—I'm so happy… Tenra onii-chan!"
Ravel's voice trembled with excitement, the words tumbling out in a rush.
Tenra smiled, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair. "Thank you, Ravel."
"But… but what about Riser onii-chan…?"
Concern flickered across her face as she glanced toward where Riser had been carried away for treatment. Losing in front of their father, Lucifer, and half the Underworld's nobility—Riser must be devastated.
Still, if she had to choose, Ravel would rather see Tenra win than watch him get crushed by Riser.
"He's a Phenex. He'll be fine," Tenra said softly. "If you're worried, go take care of him."
"…Okay."
Ravel gave a small, formal bow and turned to leave. After a few steps, she stopped, cheeks burning.
"You were… the coolest today, Tenra onii-chan!"
She blurted it out and fled, face red as a cherry.
Tenra blinked, then let out a quiet laugh. That girl…
"Lord Tenra, these are Evil Pieces."
A servant approached, presenting a velvet-lined box of ornate chess pieces with both hands.
After the ancient wars, many of the seventy-two pillar families had been wiped out. To restore the Underworld's power, the current Maou Beelzebub had created a system based on chess: the Evil Pieces. With them, a High-Class or Ultimate-Class devil could reincarnate others as devils, granting them powers according to the piece they received. Even in the Underworld, Evil Pieces were rare and precious—reserved for only the highest-ranked devils.
Tenra nodded his thanks, then turned to face Yubelluna and her group.
"Kalamaiya, will you become my knight? My peerage?"
He stopped in front of Kalamaiya, meeting her eyes.
"My sword is yours, my lord. Kalamaiya swears loyalty unto death!"
Without hesitation, she dropped to one knee, offering the salute of a true knight.
"Isabella, Xuelan, Bürent, Siris… what about you?"
He called each name in turn.
"We are willing."
No one objected. Each girl stepped forward in turn, their resolve clear.
They had once been trained as Riser's pieces, but after witnessing Tenra's strength, his kindness, his spirit, their loyalties had shifted. Compared to the arrogant Riser, they much preferred the gentle, powerful, and—yes—handsome Tenra as their king.
Tenra nodded. Aside from Yubelluna and the twin sisters, his new peerage was almost complete.
"You two are Ile and Nel, right? Just as adorable as Ravel was at your age."
He reached out, gently ruffling the twins' hair.
They beamed up at him, eyes shining. "Tenra-sama, you know who we are?"
They'd already heard stories about Tenra from Mira, and after seeing him defeat Riser, their admiration had turned into full-blown hero worship.
"Of course I do. Would you like to be my peerage?"
He grinned. With personalities this memorable, how could he not know them? In his past life, he'd watched these chainsaw-wielding loli twins terrorize Issei on TV—hard to forget a pair like that.
"We'd love to!"
Both girls' eyes sparkled, and they nodded eagerly.
Tenra's lips curled in satisfaction. Finally, he turned to Yubelluna.
"And you, Yubelluna?"
Her heart fluttered. She let out a soft sigh.
"After everything you've done… do I even have the right to refuse?"
Yubelluna knelt, lowering her proud head.
"I, Yubelluna, pledge myself to you. My loyalty, my life—yours, my king."
She'd once claimed she'd only serve a true powerhouse. Today, Tenra had proven himself beyond all doubt.
Tenra looked down at the girls kneeling before him, a strange feeling stirring in his chest.
It was unfamiliar, but unmistakable—the thrill of conquest.
Dangerous. Addictive. Impossible to resist.
Without another word, Tenra distributed the Evil Pieces, granting each girl the piece best suited to her strengths. One by one, they formed contracts, binding their fates to his.
Yubelluna's group totaled fourteen, leaving one [Bishop] piece unused.
Tenra turned to Tosca.
"Tosca, will you join my peerage as well?"
"Yes, Lord Tenra."
She didn't hesitate. Tosca had followed him for years. Even without a contract, her loyalty was absolute.
He pressed the [Bishop] piece into her palm. Tosca absorbed its power, and the contract was sealed.
At last, Tenra's peerage was complete.
Queen: Yubelluna, the famed Bomb Queen.
—Possesses the powers of every piece except Pawn and King.
Bishop 1: Tosca, wielder of [Intrinsic Barrier], white-haired beauty, survivor of the Holy Sword Project.
Bishop 2: Mira, master of healing and support magic, a kimono-clad yamato nadeshiko.
—Powerful magic, the backbone of support and defense.
Knight 1: Kalamaiya, proud armored swordswoman.
Knight 2: Siris, the stoic, greatsword-wielding warrior queen.
—Lightning-fast vanguards, the blades that strike first.
Rook 1: Xuelan, qipao-clad martial artist, a Chinese powerhouse rivaling any Queen.
Rook 2: Isabella, a warrior whose fists and kicks could humble any man.
—Unmatched strength and defense, capable of "Castling" maneuvers.
Pawn 1: Shuria, a dancer and spellcaster.
Pawn 2: Malu, orange-haired battle maid with a talent for magic.
Pawn 3: Bürent, brown-haired battle maid, another magic user.
Pawn 4: Mira, blue-haired staff fighter, master of polearms.
Pawn 5 & 6: Ni and Li, blue and red-haired nekomata twins, cute and mischievous.
Pawn 7 & 8: Ile and Nel, the infamous chainsaw twins, bundles of energy and chaos.
—Pawns with the power of Promotion, able to ascend to any rank (except King) in enemy territory.
As Tenra surveyed his new, dazzlingly powerful peerage, the envy in the room was palpable. Male devils everywhere shot him looks of pure jealousy.
This wasn't a peerage—it was a harem.
Tenra, of course, had no idea what those envious devils were thinking. Even if he did, he wouldn't care. The legacy of House Phenex was not something just anyone could match.
"T-Tenra-sama, can I… can I join your peerage too?"
Gasper sidled up, voice small and hopeful.
Tenra glanced at the boy—still as hopelessly timid as ever, no matter how much training he received. Tenra shook his head.
"Nope. No room left for you."
"Wha—? That's not fair…"
Crushed, Gasper looked as if his world had ended. His pitiful expression instantly drew even more attention from the crowd—especially the girls.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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