"So... it appears that while Cleria Belial was indeed kidnapped by the Church, her lover—the Church warrior—and a team of magical girls stormed their position and successfully rescued her."
"We've also established contact with Cleria's Queen. According to her, the 'Mysteries of Zipangu'—specifically magical girls and a super robot—were drawn to the area by the 'energy of love' and the Belial peerage's cries for help. They intervened as messengers of hope and proceeded to trample over Devils and Exorcists alike. Currently, the entire group is on standby at the Belial estate in Kuoh Town."
"…Haa. Honestly... I don't even know where to begin. There are too many things to process."
"..."
In a private suite within the Agreas Dome, the atmosphere of serious negotiation had been utterly 'catastrophized.' The Devils present were struggling to maintain their sanity while battling massive headaches. Sirzechs Lucifer, having just received the report from a dead-eyed Ajuka Beelzebub and an exhausted Diehauser Belial, turned to Archduke Agareas and wordlessly asked for some stomach medicine. Great King Bael remained in stony silence.
Determined to grasp the situation at the center of the incident, they had used Ajuka's human-world connections to send his private agents to Kuoh Town. There, they deactivated the barrier the Old Devils had erected and allowed Diehauser to contact his peerage. The details they learned only intensified their migraines. Their minds understood the facts, but their hearts refused to accept them. The brilliant strategic brains of the Underworld were effectively on strike.
Meanwhile, the Old Devils representing the administration were in a state of total shock. Their trump card had been crushed by trans-dimensional entities, and they had succeeded only in making the Emperor even angrier. They were currently being detained in a separate room under the guise of an "investigation." Since they couldn't afford to provoke Diehauser further, his family's safety and the Church's intervention took priority over immediate punishment for the corruption.
Consequently, Bidaze and Roygun had been asked to step out. They were here for the Rating Game negotiations, not the internal politics of the Belial house. They didn't object; in fact, their expressions screamed: Please, just don't drag us into the Emperor's family drama anymore. Even Diehauser looked at them with an apologetic wince.
Left alone, the top brass of the Underworld forced themselves to work through their exhaustion. They had to settle the administration's failure and decide the fate of Cleria Belial.
***
"…By the way, Serafall. Tell me the truth: were those magical girls in the report your doing?" Sirzechs asked.
"Sirzechs! If I had a girl with that much 'Magical Girl Power' nearby, I'd be begging her to join my peerage! I'd have her on my show to bring hope to every child in the Underworld! ☆ If I didn't have all this paperwork, I'd be in Kuoh Town right now recruiting her!"
"…Magical girl? The report said the voice was... quite deep and husky."
"You still have much to learn, Sirzechs! The only thing that matters is love, courage, and the Milky Power! ☆"
Sirzechs couldn't match her energy. He simply nodded in weary defeat.
"…What exactly is a 'Super Robot'?" Zeukram Bael asked.
"Great King, allow me to explain," Archduke Agareas interjected, his eyes sparkling. "A super robot is a hero of justice that fights evil in anime, special effects shows, and games! They are massive, high-performance humanoid machines created through science—one of the greatest masterpieces of the mystical land of Zipangu! While many series exist, the gold standard is surely the Dungam series. My daughter and I have followed it since the original. If you're curious, I have a private collection of footage at my estate that I could show you right now—"
"I apologize for asking," Zeukram said, cutting him off. He knew he couldn't win against the old man's enthusiasm.
"If it was magical girls who saved Cleria, it makes sense," Serafall added thoughtfully. "Magical girls are sensitive to the power of pure love. And Kuoh Town is in the country that gave birth to the very concept. They must have answered the sorrowful cries of two lovers being torn apart..."
"And a super robot, as a hero of justice, would naturally respond to a call for help," Agareas added. "I heard Cleria Belial's peerage was prepared to die for their master. Such pure conviction would surely draw a robot to the scene..."
"Wait... is Japan really a country where magical girls and giant robots just roam the streets?" Sirzechs wondered aloud.
A wave of intense misinformation regarding "The Mystical Land of Zipangu" swept through the Devil leadership. It sounded absurd, but everyone was too tired to argue. Faced with a max-tension Serafall and an energized Archduke Agareas, no one had the strength to mount a defense. These were Devils who already believed "NINJA" were real; the existence of magical girls and robots didn't seem like much of a leap in their current state. (Interestingly, the Angels held a very similar view.)
Ajuka, who actually spent time in Japan playing games and understood common sense, wanted to scream, "Of course not!" but he kept his mouth shut. He wanted to retort, but he couldn't find the energy. Despite the situation being completely off-script, Serafall and Agareas's bizarre explanations were somehow tying everything together in a way that benefited him and Diehauser.
"Ajuka, you play games in Japan, don't you?" Sirzechs asked, turning to his friend. "Are magical girls and super robots really a common occurrence in Zipangu?"
Don't ask me. Ajuka felt a sharp pain in his stomach as everyone turned to him. He forced his facial muscles into a neutral, slightly arrogant smirk.
"Well... Japan is a land of many unknowns. It wouldn't be surprising if they were there."
"I see... I struggled to believe it, but if Ajuka says so..."
The others nodded, their minds now permanently imprinted with incorrect data about Japan. Only Diehauser, who had a very good idea who the "mastermind" behind this was, felt a wave of gratitude toward Ajuka's "support."
***
"Let's set the mysteries of Japan aside for a moment," Ajuka pivoted, trying to escape the topic. "We need to discuss Lady Cleria's treatment. The negotiations between the Emperor and the administration are inseparable from her situation."
"True," Sirzechs agreed. "We can cancel the purge, but the fact remains that she violated a taboo of the Underworld's current political landscape."
"Actually," Diehauser interjected, his voice turning cold as he addressed Zeukram Bael. "I am more curious as to why only the Bael house and the Old Devils knew about this situation. Lord Lucifer, a member of the Gremory house that co-manages that territory, was kept entirely in the dark."
Zeukram didn't change his expression, but he spoke with a heavy gravity. He knew that depending on the Emperor's next move, this could still escalate into a civil war.
"…We suspected that if you learned Cleria had a relationship with a priest, you might seek retaliation against the Church. The Vatican also wished to avoid a war, so we agreed to handle the matter internally if our attempts at persuasion failed."
"That seems remarkably inconsiderate toward the Belial house," Diehauser countered. "Cleria may have broken a law, but if there was room for 'persuasion,' there was no immediate emergency. There were steps you could have taken for a fellow Devil before jumping to execution."
Despite his power as a Transcendental, Sirzechs had started as a noble Devil. He felt a surge of anger toward the Old Devils who viewed the life of a branch-family woman as entirely disposable.
"If you couldn't tell Diehauser," Sirzechs added, "you should have at least informed the head of the Belial house, or my father, Lord Gremory. To negotiate secretly with the Church and manage the purge of a fellow Devil without consulting the Satans... since when did you have that authority?"
"…We judged it a matter that did not need to trouble the Satans," Zeukram replied.
"That judgment belongs to us," Sirzechs stated firmly. "We may be young, and we may lack the ancient blood-authority of the original Satans, having taken the throne through a coup. But we are the Satans. If you had consulted us, we could have worked with the Belial house to find a solution."
Normally, Sirzechs wouldn't speak to the Founder this way. But the Old Devils had disregarded both the Emperor and the Satans. That disrespect had led them to the brink of internal war. Diehauser's strike had punched a hole in the darkness of the Rating Games, but it had also revealed how the Old Devils' schemes were rotting the very foundation of the Underworld.
"The era of the old Lucifer is over," Sirzechs said. "If you continue with these methods, you will reach a breaking point. And that day is not far off."
Zeukram offered no rebuttal. Had this been a public forum with other noble houses, he might have spoken to defend his status. But here, there was no need for a mask. He knew the Underworld's structure was warping. He simply had no intention of changing himself.
But the world was changing. Diehauser Belial had just proven that.
***
"I have one question," Ajuka interjected, watching Zeukram. "Why were you so obsessed with Cleria Belial's purge? If you had told her family, you could have earned a significant political favor."
Ajuka didn't stop the pressure. Cleria had broken a law, yes—but if those seeking to judge her were guilty of greater crimes, they had no right to pass sentence. He needed to cut the Old Devils' reach and place Cleria's future under the Satans' jurisdiction.
Diehauser caught Ajuka's intent and spoke up as if struck by a realization.
"…Wait. Was it the 'King' pieces?"
The room went silent. Every eye except Zeukram's turned to Diehauser. They had been discussing forbidden romance; why was the Emperor bringing up the doping pieces that started the strike?
Diehauser's grey eyes sharpened as he looked at the Great King.
"Lord Beelzebub? What do Evil Pieces have to do with this woman?" Sirzechs asked.
"Cleria viewed my status as the Emperor as the pride of our clan," Diehauser said softly. "She was a sweet cousin who always supported me. She was obsessed with the gossip and records of top-tier players... everything from their childhoods to their rise to fame."
"Sisterly devotion... I understand that well," Sirzechs murmured. "My Rias always runs to me shouting 'Big Brother!' whenever I leave for work..."
"Yes, sisters are so precious," Serafall added. "My Sona tries so hard to be brave when I leave, but her eyes get all watery..."
"Save the 'Siscon' bragging for later and get back to the point," Ajuka snapped.
"My apologies, Lords," Diehauser said. "Perhaps we can swap stories another time."
"Don't. Don't make terrifying promises like that," Ajuka groaned. The idea of three obsessed family members in one room was a nightmare. He looked at Archduke Agareas, who silently handed him more stomach medicine. The robot-loving old man was Ajuka's only source of comfort.
"Emperor, what about Cleria?" Ajuka prompted.
"Right. Because of her interest in the top players, she was sensitive to discrepancies in the media. She noticed that whenever she dug too deep into certain players, the information suddenly cut off. Journalists investigating those same players would disappear, have 'accidents,' or be purged."
Touching a "Taboo." To the public, it was the darkness of the Games. To the Satans, it was a bomb they couldn't safely defuse.
"One day," Diehauser continued, "Cleria told me she had heard a fascinating rumor. She asked me, 'Do you know about the "King" pieces?'"
"She knew back then?" Ajuka asked.
"I laughed it off as an urban legend at the time. But when I heard about the Kuoh incident and saw how desperately the Old Devils wanted her dead... it all clicked. For the Old Devils, the purge wasn't about 'Devil morality.' It was about hunting the insect buzzing too close to their secrets. They wanted to hide the darkness of the Rating Games."
Zeukram remained silent. Using a "forbidden romance" as a legal pretext to eliminate someone who threatened their corrupt interests was a classic Old Devil tactic. They didn't tell the Satans or the Belial house because they were performing a state-sanctioned assassination.
"I wonder how many of our kind have been 'purged' just to protect your schemes..." Diehauser mused. "Perhaps we should take Cleria's research and finish what she started."
"Diehauser..." Sirzechs whispered.
"I see," Zeukram finally spoke. "The momentum of the Underworld currently belongs to you. If we denounce Cleria, you will denounce us. You will spread rumors that the administration doesn't just manipulate rankings, but murders anyone who gets close to the truth. With your popularity, you could incite the masses in a heartbeat."
Indeed. If Diehauser leaked the connection between the "disappeared" researchers and the administration, the public curiosity would be unstoppable. They wouldn't even need to find the "King" pieces; the trail of bodies would be enough. The blame would fall on the administration and the Old Devils who facilitated it.
And the Satans would be criticized for failing to stop them. They had known something was wrong but had looked the other way to keep the gears of the Underworld turning. You cannot erase the lives that were sacrificed for "stability."
The message in Diehauser's eyes was clear: If you demand Cleria pay for her 'sin,' you will pay for yours.
***
"…Emperor Belial," Ajuka asked. "Do you personally approve of her relationship?"
"It's complicated," Diehauser admitted. "I intend to have a long talk with her. But if she is happy and smiling... that is all I truly care about."
The Satans, the Great King, and the Emperor were all trapped by their own status. The Kuoh incident was a symptom of the Underworld's rot. Ajuka looked at the group and took a deep breath.
"I have a proposal. It isn't a perfect fix—it's more of a postponement. But we cannot reach a conclusion while we are at this three-way impasse."
Ajuka pushed back his green hair.
"Lords, Great King, Archduke... may I disclose the contents of our earlier secret meeting to the Emperor?"
"What?" Sirzechs blinked. "You mean 'that'?"
"Yes. The policy for the future of the Devil race that we discussed in Auros. It isn't entirely unrelated to this case."
The others looked surprised as they remembered. Amidst the chaos of the strike, they had forgotten their primary discussion: the long-term survival of the Devils.
Diehauser hadn't been privy to those talks. His instructions from Ajuka were simply to corner the Old Devils and the Satans once Cleria was mentioned. He had been told the Satan would handle the rest.
The noble Devils considered it for a moment, then nodded, provided Diehauser swore to secrecy. They respected the Emperor's composure; even knowing the taboo of the King pieces, he hadn't incited a riot. He had earned their trust.
Ajuka met Diehauser's gaze.
"Emperor, this must remain confidential. We have long felt a sense of crisis regarding the stalemate between Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels. Small skirmishes continue, and every faction lives in fear of the Great War reigniting. We predicted that at this rate, we would all eventually collapse."
"Yes..."
"To prevent that, we have chosen a new path for the Devils. We are seeking to form an Alliance of the Three Great Powers. We are working toward a permanent peace."
"...What?"
Diehauser's jaw dropped. He knew the stalemate was dangerous, but to hear the top of the Devil hierarchy suggest a total reversal of centuries of history was mind-boggling.
Then, the realization set in, and a surge of joy rose in his chest. This was the future he had wished for since the day he took his cousin's feelings into his heart. A world where Cleria and Masaomi could be happy and blessed by those around them. A dream he had secretly given up on.
But it was possible. There was a light at the end of their tunnel.
"Of course, peace won't happen overnight," Ajuka cautioned. "But within a few years, we intend to hold a summit once the opportunity arises."
"If that happens... if peace is achieved..."
"Then the obstacle between Cleria and that priest vanishes," Ajuka finished. "They wouldn't be judged as criminals; they would be celebrated as symbols of the new peace. Politically, their existence would be the perfect advertisement for the alliance."
As Kanata had thought, they were just born in the wrong era. In this world, they were heretics. But the world was not static. If the world changed, values would change with it.
Ajuka's plan was a postponement, yes. But punishing them now would be a mistake. In a few years, they could become the bridge between the Three Powers. Their "crimes" could be paid for through service to the new alliance.
"I see... that makes sense," Sirzechs said. "But as Ajuka said, peace isn't here yet. How do we protect them until then? Bringing her to the Underworld is too dangerous, and we cannot harbor a warrior of the Church here."
"…We could exile them to the Human World," Zeukram suggested.
"I wouldn't recommend that," Serafall countered. "There are still those in the Human World who hate the idea of Devils and humans together. They could be targeted by external enemies seeking to harm our society."
"This mess was caused by the Underworld's own rot," Agareas added. "Simply casting them out won't satisfy the Emperor."
The leaders discussed the logistics with somber expressions. Diehauser waited in silence, trusting Ajuka.
"We cannot protect them in the Underworld. We cannot simply dump them in the Human World. We need an environment where they can live safely until the alliance is formed—an arrangement that satisfies Emperor Belial," Ajuka summarized.
Everyone went quiet. Where could such a place exist?
"I know of one place," Ajuka said.
"Ajuka?"
"A massive organization in the Human World with deep ties to Devils. Its leader is a Devil, so there will be no prejudice against Cleria, and it already employs former Church members. Most importantly, this individual has zero interest in Underworld politics. He has no ambition to use them as pawns against us."
The room froze. The Satans' cheeks twitched, the Great King looked disgusted, and the Archduke reached for more medicine.
"…The Grau Zauberer. The magicians' association led by the Extra-Demon, Mephisto Pheles."
"Wait, Ajuka!" Sirzechs shouted. "That's... that's a bad idea. This whole incident is a disgrace for the Underworld. Director Pheles despises being dragged into our political messes. To dump our failure on him—"
"Do you have a better idea?" Ajuka gritted his teeth. "I know how he is. But we can't solve this alone."
The Grau Zauberer was a group that lived by ancient contracts between Devils and Magicians. Relations were good, but the boundaries were strictly enforced.
Mephisto Pheles was one of the oldest Devils, the only one who could truly stand as an equal to Great King Bael. But he had retired to the Human World specifically to escape the Underworld's drama. Asking him to clean up their mess would surely offend him.
Mephisto was known for his lighthearted nature, but that was a mask. He was a cold, calculating leader of an organization. His ruthlessness in protecting his "territory" and his independence from the Satans was legendary. If you crossed his pride, he was terrifying.
But the Underworld was at a dead end. They had to bow to the ancient Devil. He was a man who repaid sincerity with sincerity, even if it came with a steep price.
"My Kankara Formula is highly compatible with magic," Ajuka explained. "Because I run games in the Human World, I occasionally take requests from Director Pheles. I will use those connections to offer him a suitable trade. We will likely have to accept his counter-demands, of course."
"We can help with that—" Sirzechs started.
"No, he hates being 'negotiated with' by the Satans officially. It's better if I do it personally. Besides... this whole thing started because I allowed the King pieces to leak. This is my atonement."
Sirzechs wanted to say something but fell silent. Ajuka had created the Evil Pieces; to him, this wasn't a political matter—it was a personal failure. Sirzechs simply nodded.
"Fine. But if it gets too much for you, tell us."
"I will. Sirzechs, I need you to rewrite Cleria Belial's records. We can't hand a 'criminal' to the magicians. Let's call it a 'Study Abroad' program. She's a third-year high schooler, near graduation. Her records show she's an excellent administrator. We'll give her a mandate from the government to study 'Magic' at the Grau Zauberer for the sake of Devil technological advancement."
"That works," Serafall said. "Extending her stay in the Human World is effectively a soft exile, but since it's with the Magicians' Association, we have a direct pipeline to her. Diehauser will be able to rest easy."
The others agreed. It was a solid plan. First, they would have to beg Mephisto, but it would secure the couple's safety and show the Emperor their sincerity.
Diehauser, watching this play out, broke into a cold sweat. The Grau Zauberer... the 'neutral' organization... is the very group that caused all of this.
"Lord Bael," Ajuka continued. "I need you to use your connections to the Church to suppress this incident and stop the purge of the priest. If we're asking Director Pheles for protection, we need to hand them over with clean records."
"…Hmph. Knowing him, he wouldn't have it any other way," Zeukram sighed. "Fine. I will provide the bargaining chips for the Vatican. If we're going to make this 'disappear,' we'll need to reach out to the high command in Heaven as well."
Zeukram looked uncharacteristically weary. Ever since Mephisto's name came up, he had been looking depressed. He and Mephisto were of the same generation but were like oil and water; they loathed each other. Mephisto was a liberal who nurtured the young; Zeukram was a traditionalist who would crush them for the sake of the old ways. Their meetings were usually nothing but a barrage of acidic insults.
Now, he had to pay "hush money" to settle a mess caused by his own subordinates' incompetence. If the Old Devils tried to negotiate with Mephisto, he would likely enjoy squeezing them until they cried. But because a "hardworking child" like a Satan was bowing to him, Mephisto would act like an adult. Even so, Zeukram would have preferred negotiating with his enemies in the Church a hundred times over.
"Very well. I will negotiate with the Grau Zauberer, the Great King will handle the Church, and Sirzechs will handle the records. …Emperor Belial, this is our sincerity. I ask that you lower your sword regarding this incident."
"…Yes. I understand."
Diehauser managed to give his consent, though his cheeks were twitching. To the Satans and the Great King, this was a "mutual compromise." To Diehauser, who knew the truth, it was a one-sided massacre of a deal.
First, the Belial house lost nothing. Normally, they would have had to pay the Church for a settlement. Instead, the Bael house was footing the bill to cover up their own administration's failure. Cleria was saved, the strike was a success, and the Belial house didn't pay a cent.
And the real winner was Ajuka Beelzebub. Diehauser realized that Mephisto himself had likely suggested this outcome. Ajuka didn't need to give Mephisto a bargaining chip; he was just handing Cleria over as planned. The magicians' organization had sat in the shadows of the entire upheaval, pulling every string.
Mephisto Pheles had achieved the ultimate spite against the Old Devils. They were the ones losing out, and they were so blind they were thanking him for the privilege. With Kanata's "screw-ups" as the fuel, Mephisto had set the board, and Ajuka had moved the pieces.
They really are Devils, Diehauser thought with a shiver.
"Ah... but..."
His whisper was lost in the noise of the Satans finalizing the details. A wave of relief washed over him. Cleria was safe. Masaomi was safe. They had rescued her, and he had won his negotiation. He had answered their expectations—hisexpectations.
He felt a sense of fulfillment he hadn't felt in years of professional play. The joy of mutual trust, of answering a dream... he had forgotten how wonderful it was. By putting everything on the line, he had found true victory. He also realized he was an incredibly sore loser, which made him chuckle.
I'll keep winning, he promised himself. As long as I have this feeling, I'll never break. He would take the achievement of fulfilling everyone's dreams and use it as the fuel for his own: a Rating Game where everyone could clash with their true hearts.
"Now then... let the challenge continue."
His grey eyes burned with a new fire as the Emperor clenched his fist.
***
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