"Hey, Sona, should this star go at the very top?"
"Um... yeah. My sister taught me the star always goes on top."
Two young girls bustled around the room, glittering ornaments in hand, pondering their next move. The girl with long crimson hair and emerald eyes—Rias Gremory—held a golden star and looked up, perplexed.
In front of her sat the "highest-grade fir tree (child size)" her brother had enthusiastically imported from the human world just for her. (A separate ten-meter-tall tree, which Sirzechs had cut down himself, was already planted in the garden.)
Sensing her friend's predicament, the other girl—Sona Sitri, with black hair and amethyst eyes—put a hand to her mouth. She, too, tilted her head and looked up at the towering tree.
"...Rias, can you fly yet?"
"Um... my brother said I'm not allowed to, 'cause it's still dangerous unless an adult is here..."
"My sister told me the same thing..."
They looked at each other, their expressions falling. They had managed to decorate the whole tree by working together, but the top was too high, even with a chair. The tree was more than twice their height. It was covered in lights and tinsel, but the star in Rias's hand remained unplaced.
"Should we call your mother?"
"No! We decided we'd make the tree sparkle just by ourselves and surprise everyone! We were going to show my brother and your sister when they get back from work!"
"Yeah... I thought they'd be so surprised if we said we did it all by ourselves. But..."
The plan had been Rias's, hatched after Sirzechs and the others left for their year-end duties. Sona, who was visiting, had been pulled into it. They were both excited for the Christmas party, an event they'd started last year after hearing about it from Sirzechs's peerage member, Souji Okita (and because Sona's sister, Serafall, was obsessed with the "magical girl" aspects of it).
Rias had asked for her own tree last year, and when it arrived, she'd been struck with the idea: 'It's my tree, so I'll decorate it!' She invited Sona because she was also coming to the party. They'd get praised, and it would be a fun secret. Sona, imagining her own sister's praise, had eagerly agreed.
They remembered how to do it from last year. But now, at the very last step, they were stuck.
"...Maybe they wouldn't notice if we flew?"
"No way, we'll get in trouble if we do something dangerous. Your mom will definitely ask how we got the star on top."
"That's true... And if my sister-in-law found out, she'd be really mad..."
Rias's mother, Venelana, was gentle but the scariest when angry. And Grayfia, Rias's sister-in-law, was especially strict. Getting scolded was the opposite of their goal.
Just as they were about to give up, a knock came at the door.
"Lady Rias, Lady Sona. It is Enku. Lady Venelana has asked me to check on you. May I enter?"
"Ah, Enku!? Um... n-not right now! Not yet!"
"Y-yeah! We're... we're not done!"
"...Hmm?"
Outside, Enku, a soldier in Sirzechs Lucifer's peerage, narrowed his eyes. If they were refusing him entry, they were probably up to something. But, since the level-headed Sona was with Rias, it likely wasn't dangerous.
He was a Kirin, a sacred creature of good fortune from Chinese legend, with red scales, an Eastern dragon's face, and the body of a deer-like horse. He was a guardian of the Gremory household. He decided to back off.
"Understood. When would be a better time?"
"Um... when will we be...?"
"Rias... I don't think we can do it alone..."
"...Hmm. Young mistresses... is it possible you're in some sort of trouble?"
Enku caught the faint note of distress in their voices. He spoke gently, like a kind grandfather. The silence from inside the room was his answer.
"If so, perhaps this Enku could be of assistance?"
"...But we wanted to do it ourselves, as a secret, to make everyone happy."
"A noble goal. In that case, I promise I shall not tell anyone. Besides... while I am a devil, I am also a Kirin. I am not a human. Therefore, perhaps I do not count as an 'adult'?"
"Huh? Um, Sona... does Enku not count as an adult?"
"I'm not sure... But he did promise not to tell..."
"Okay... Enku, can you help us?"
"Of course, my lady."
Enku slipped quietly into the room. After hearing the situation, he gladly let the two girls climb onto his back, and they placed the final star on the tree. He smiled as they cheered at the finished product. Rias gave the Kirin's cheek an affectionate pat.
"Thank you, Enku! Now we can surprise my brother when he gets home!"
"Indeed. The master will be overjoyed at your hard work."
"I wonder if my sister will be surprised, too... Aah!?"
"Sona?"
Sona, who had been blushing happily, suddenly shrieked at the sight of the clock. Rias and Enku stared, baffled by her sudden panic. Sona spotted the video terminal in Rias's room and dragged her toward it.
"S-Sona!?"
"My sister's show is about to start! She said, 'It's a special episode, so be sure to watch!' and I wanted to watch it with you!"
"Hoho, a program featuring Lady Serafall? Ah, yes, the 'Magical Girl' special annihilation force that exterminates angels, fallen angels, dragons, and clergy. Lady Rias, her combat techniques are truly something to behold. Perhaps you should watch, for your future training?"
"Yes! My sister is always fighting for the sake of all devils!"
"I-I'll watch, but... my brother told me 'Magical Girl' was a kids' anime... it's a dangerous profession...?"
Bewildered by Enku's strangely accurate-yet-inaccurate description and Sona's shining eyes, Rias was pulled along. Enku sent a magic circle communication to Venelana, reporting that all was well, and then settled down with them, curious about the Underworld's "children's culture."
The three of them turned on the monitor and waited.
But the face that appeared was not Serafall's. It was a man with gray hair and a dark, indigo-colored mantle. Beside him stood a blond man and a pink-haired woman. The girls blinked, confused, and tried changing the channel. The same broadcast was on every single station. Enku, instantly recognizing this was no ordinary event, calmed the girls.
"...Ah! I know that man! He's the Emperor of the Rating Game!"
"You're right... But why?"
"And the Number Two and Three are with him. This is a serious matter... The masters likely do not know... Information is lacking. Young mistresses, please, let us listen."
"O-okay."
Seeing Enku's normally placid face turn grim, the two girls suppressed their own confusion and tried to act like the Maou's sisters they were. They focused on the screen. The man—the Emperor—was in the main park of Agreas, holding a microphone.
"Good evening, everyone in the Underworld. This is Dihauzer Belial. You must be surprised by this sudden interruption. We are currently hijacking all broadcasts to show you this image."
"What!?"
"...It seems to be true. I've just received word from Lord Beowulf. The same image is playing in the sky above the Gremory territory. Lord Geoticus and Lady Grayfia are heading into the city. My orders are to remain here and guard Lady Venelana and you."
"Father and... my sister-in-law?"
Rias's eyes widened. She was young, but she knew this was serious. Her father and Grayfia (a Maou's wife, even if she was working as a maid) were on the move.
On the screen, the Emperor continued, his expression grave.
"Why are we doing this? Because there is something we must tell you. It is... about the darkness of the Rating Game."
"The... darkness?"
"What I am about to show you was handed to me by an informant. Through it, I learned the truth of the Rating Game... and I cannot, as the Champion, as one who has loved this game, forgive what the management has been doing!"
Sona, who adored the Rating Game, covered her mouth. She couldn't believe it. But the Emperor himself was saying it. And the Number Two and Three were standing right there.
The Emperor clenched his fist, his eyes shining with what looked like tears of genuine sorrow and anger. Sona, sensing his sincerity, knew it must be true.
"I know that I, the Emperor, should not be causing such a disturbance right before my final matches... but I cannot, in good conscience, stay silent knowing there is massive corruption!"
"Corruption? But... the game is supposed to be sacred..."
"My sister said it's how devils compete, to raise their house's rank and get combat experience. That's why the judging is so strict..."
"Can it be...?"
Enku recalled his master, Sirzechs, often looking troubled when discussing the Old Devils and the Rating Game. Enku hadn't known the details, but he'd sensed something was wrong. This must be it.
The Four Great Maou were in their meeting with Great King Bael. They wouldn't know about this. And they couldn't intervene. The Rating Game was the Old Devils' domain. If this was the Old Devils' mess, they would try to clean it up themselves, refusing the Maou's help to save face.
If they could suppress this quickly, it would end with a severe reprimand for the Emperor. But if they couldn't...
"The Underworld... might be in for a storm."
By the time the Maou were allowed to intervene, the public would already be on the Emperor's side. Enku realized the Old Devils were walking right into a trap. His only duty now was to protect his master's family.
"Now, please watch. The proof of the management's corruption!"
What followed made even Enku's jaw drop. It was... bad. It was proof of rigging rankings via bribes, fixing matches against players they disliked, sabotaging reincarnated and low-class devils, and forcing players to throw matches.
Rias and Sona let out small screams. This shattered their dream.
"This footage is all real. I have more proof, but it is too extreme to show the public."
Roygun Belphegor stepped forward and bowed.
"Good evening... This is Roygun Belphegor. The corruption Dihauzer spoke of... it includes not only the management, but myself, Bividen, and several other top players. We provided some of that footage."
"What...?"
"We were told by the management to cooperate with match-fixing. Bividen and I are Extra Demons. Our families were forbidden from interfering in government. But we... we desperately wanted to join the Rating Game. So we were disowned, and we entered this world... with no backing at all."
She bit her lip, looking pained.
"We struggled, not because of skill, but because we had no connections... The management saved us. They gave us a chance. We are who we are today... because of them. But... it was only to sell a favor they could cash in later."
Bividen stepped forward, his face pained. "Bividen Abaddon... When we rose in the ranks, they came to us. They told us to 'repay our debt.' If we refused, they would cast us out... We had no choice."
The Underworld was in shock. Roygun and Bividen then bowed deeply.
"We committed an unforgivable act. We betrayed our fans... This may be just an excuse, but please... allow us to apologize. We are truly sorry."
"We were wrong... But Dihauzer... convinced us to correct this mistake."
"We know you can't forgive us. But please, give us a chance to start over! To create a new RatingGame, one of dreams and hope! Dihauzer... the Emperor... he can do it!"
Seeing their heroes look so weak, crying and confessing, stunned the public.
Dihauzer stepped forward again, his presence commanding.
"You must feel despair. I felt it, too. I even wondered if the game was worth saving... But... is this really the truth? Is the game really hopeless?"
Rias and Sona, who had been crying, looked up.
"Are we really going to let it end this way? Are we going to abandon all the time, the effort, the emotion we poured into this? Are you not furious that the game we loved has become a playground for the management!?"
The question hit home. A fire lit in the eyes of the crowd gathered in Agreas.
"I want to change the Rating Game! I want to fight more people! I want to find new possibilities! I want to lovethis game with all of you! That is why I have chosen to fight!"
(Old Devil lackeys tried to stop him but were pushed back by the furious crowd.)
"But I cannot do this alone. My voice alone would be silenced... That is why I asked Lord Belphegor and Lord Abaddon for help... That is why... I need you."
He raised a hand, and the crowd fell silent. In that moment, Dihauzer Belial commanded the entire Underworld.
"If I cannot fight alone, then I will fight with my allies! With my fellow players, and with the fans... I know this is selfish... But I wanted to protect everyone's dream!"
A single tear rolled down his cheek as he bowed deeply.
"Please... lend us your strength. To change the Rating Game, to protect our dreams... fight with us!"
Roygun and Bividen bowed beside him. The public, who had long feared the Old Devils, finally had a hero. He wasn't just right; he was their hero.
A single, small child in the crowd began to clap. Then another. Then all of Agreas. Then the entire Underworld erupted in cheers.
***
In the Gremory mansion, Rias and Sona were on their feet, clapping and cheering, their tears forgotten. Enku tried to shush them, but gave up.
"He's done it," Enku thought. Rias and Sona were on his side. The public was on his side. The Old Devils were finished. The Emperor had framed himself as the defender of the game's ideals.
"Even if the masters could intervene, they can't stop this now. The Emperor is right. Stopping him would cause the real riot."
Enku suddenly had a vision:
Sirzechs: Rias supports Dihauzer. If Sirzechs stops Dihauzer, Rias will say, "I hate you, brother!" Sirzechs will cry.
Serafall: Sona supports Dihauzer. Serafall will join Dihauzer to avoid Sona's disapproval.
Ajuka: Hates the current game the most. He's probably watching and smirking, saying, "You told us Maou to stay out of it."
Falbium: Will stay out of it because it's "too much trouble."
"Ugh..." Enku felt a headache coming on.
On the screen, Dihauzer was speaking again. "Thank you... Now, we wish to fight using a legitimate method."
A reporter, off-screen: "A legitimate method?"
"Yes. We are in the right. This is a right that I, as a professional player... and all registered players... possess. It's a right that exists to protect us."
"Oh!" Rias said. "Mommy told me that devils have to be careful about contracts, rights, wages, and insurance!"
"That's right," Sona added. "Basic wages, pensions, health insurance, labor laws... a contract without those is demonically unthinkable!"
"...I am so happy to see you young ladies growing up to be... (proper devils)," Enku said, sweating. ('So cynical...')
"I, Dihauzer Belial, hereby declare!" Dihauzer's voice boomed. "I, and all players who share this goal, will exercise our natural right as players until the management formally apologizes for their corruption and agrees to restore the game's original philosophy... We will stop playing."
The Underworld fell silent.
"We will not work. We are going on STRIKE!"
"... ... Huh?" The entire Underworld said in unison.
"We cannot work in such a corrupt environment," Dihauzer said with a smile. "And if the players don't play, the game doesn't happen. With the top players gone... how long can they last?"
"... ..."
"Stalling for time is an even worse move. The losses they'll suffer..."
"S-Sir... excuse me, Emperor. Are you... are you serious?"
"I am serious," Dihauzer replied, smiling brightly.
"Sona... a 'strike'?"
"I... I think it's that kind of strike..."
"I... cannot predict this..." Enku sighed, defeated.
A beat later, a collective shout of confusion and protest erupted from the girls—and the entire Underworld—so loud that the broadcast momentarily cut out.
The "Strike Typhoon" had begun.