"Greifia?" The sound of my voice brought the girl to her senses. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, yes," she replied hastily, and my raised eyebrow made her look away. "I just remembered something for a moment, and then I forgot again. I don't know how to explain it."
"Can I help?" I added sympathetically.
"No," she shook her head slightly in denial. "I think I'll go." And she disappeared in a flash.
"And now, my dear friend," I said to the angel, "be a dear and tell me what just happened?"
"You know the story of the Lucifer family, don't you?" My companion settled himself on the tail of the lying dragon and, seeing me nod, continued, "I created the first of them as my secretary, someone who could conduct business on my behalf without abusing the power that was, for a moment, colossal. The perfect executor, who would never betray me, I worked very carefully on his soul and on passing this loyalty on to future generations," the fallen one narrowed his eyes, "The experience of working on Lilith proved to be very valuable. So, what happened can be considered the removal of a block from the factory settings. My (now your) aura awakened the hidden instincts that I had planted. But since the influence of your power was short-lived, the block will be removed gradually, and the girl herself will perceive it... — he closed his eyes, formulating his answer, — as if you were becoming a friend to her, someone she can trust. And that is worth a lot, especially among demons. And after a while, you will be able to gain a new Lucifer in your camp, someone who is closely acquainted with all the secrets of the New Lords. With the right motivation, she may betray her husband, because serving the true Lucifer is paramount. So, if you are threatened by Sazex, contact his wife and she will slit his throat at night."
"It's all so simple for you!" I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Why couldn't your son or grandson pull it off?"
"When I created the demons, I protected myself from betrayal by instilling in all of them a loyalty that is passed down from generation to generation," the fallen angel rolled his eyes. "And knowing my paranoia, I locked everything away, preventing my descendants from going against my will. I'm not an idiot, giving such power to those I don't trust. If your memory serves you correctly, Rizeev became somewhat inadequate. Imagine what would have happened if he had been the ruler. That's why, after my death, everyone fought among themselves, because I was the one who held the demons together."
"What if I influence everyone with my aura?"
"The settings could be off," the angel waved his hand. "It's too dangerous. It might not work on anyone, and they'll just try to kill you. We were lucky with the maid. Not many generations have passed there, and she's the granddaughter of the first Lucifer. With the Feneks, who churn out children like an assembly line, things may not be so rosy. Better not get involved in politics unnecessarily, my advice to you."
"I'm not going to," I sigh, massaging my forehead from the realisation of this new information. "Now tell me why I was so cruel to the Rizer figures? Yes, I could have just cut off their legs or arms, but I didn't have to use the plague. What the hell?"
"You relieved stress, just like me. It had been building up for a long time, and you couldn't hold back at that moment. The energy of sin that you draw from yourself and those around you (albeit in tiny amounts for now) weighs on your mind. You'll understand later. Of course, you could have committed genocide against the brainless demons in hell, who are indistinguishable from animals. But using pears to beat the Phoenix's entourage was a more profitable goal, because you not only let off steam, but also showed that you won't stand on ceremony with the enemy. You'll immediately inflict a painful death. You simply protected yourself (a little, but at least something) from attacks by interested parties who might have tried to test you.
"If you put it that way..." I pause, slightly thoughtfully. "But you have to restrain yourself. You don't want to become a maniac thirsty for blood and the souls of babies. I shrug my shoulders. "That's too much even for me."
"Be patient, and it will pass. Your soul and body will get used to the new energy, and the urge to wreak havoc will fade into the background. You can periodically cleanse hell of the little demons and imps there," the angel shrugged. "That stage lasted about eight months for me, but in the end I couldn't hold back and went all out. It was after that that I was named the 'main evil' throughout the world. No one held me back at that time, but you have the red one, he'll help you. Right, suitcase?"
"Yes," nodded the dragon, "I don't really want to have an inadequate, bloodthirsty psychopath around either. So I'll smash your brains in if you start messing around. But if you go to the Chaos Brigade or the Heroes, I won't stop you. You can punish them with particular cynicism and cruelty. They deserve it."
"Thanks. — I relax. — It's nice to know that someone cares about you. — I can't hold back a cheerful chuckle under the dragon's mocking gaze. — What should I do with your 'little boy'?"
"We'll deal with him." I roll the name of my "beloved son" around on my tongue. "With his leaky roof, I'm not sure the dialogue will go well. But in any case, talk to him first, then see how things go. Either he'll return to the "family fold" and take up the affairs of my (your) clan, or he'll get a good beating that will either bring him back to the first point or send him to the next world. There aren't many options here, and I highly doubt that naruto therapy will help you. And anticipating your question — yes, I will be upset if he doesn't obey, but I (you) won't kill myself if he dies. And Lilith will obey your decision, so don't expect any "evil mother will take revenge" scenarios," he shrugged, making it clear with his posture that he didn't want to discuss the matter further.
"And you can't argue that he solves problems quite simply," laughed the dragon.
"Why bother being clever? It's either one or the other, there's no third option," said Lyuts, raising an eyebrow. "Of course, I'm good at tactics, but it was Asmodeus or Beelzebub, sometimes Astaroth, who came up with the clever plans in my team. I just chose the most suitable, interesting or easy to execute ones. I don't like to complicate things.
While the conversation was going on, I managed to get home, where I was greeted, fed and put to bed. No one even mentioned my less than admirable actions in the previous game. I fell asleep thinking that for such a loyal family, I would move mountains and punish all our enemies.
"I won't give you to anyone," I whispered and pulled the two girls closer to me in my half-asleep state. I never found out that they weren't asleep and heard everything.
***
The month after the last game passed under the motto "experiments, training, family, and no sleep." During this time, I managed to improve Akeno's control of her mechanism. After talking to Vritra, I convinced him to help voluntarily with Ddraig's assistance. After all, I assembled him, didn't I? I did. Piece by piece, by the way, so now he can work it off.
Now, thanks to the help of the dragon jailer, my sister has become much better at controlling the withering thread and extracting power from her enemies even faster. She has also learned to create black flames that are very difficult to extinguish and has trained herself to control them from a distance of hundreds of metres. She learned to create an area that absorbs the power of everyone in it and to imprison enemies in a dungeon that paralyses anyone who enters it. The latter is very useful, but those who are stronger than her can break free from captivity if they try hard enough.
Her mother also trained in her art of Ommedo, developing her reserves and control. Now she controlled a small army of artificial spirits of medium strength that could trip even a higher demon. If fortune allows...
Training is training, but I'm not going to send my family into battle. I'll solve the problems myself, and if they want to fight, they'll have to wait until I get the evil figures. I want to participate in the rating games because it's fun. Lucifer was, of course, unhappy that I would be in the spotlight, but everyone will find out soon enough, and if they see my power, they will be less inclined to cause trouble.
Speaking of Lucifer, he decided to speed up the merger process. To do this, we set aside the last week of the current month, during which I would barricade myself in the laboratory, surround myself with a barrier, and immerse myself in meditation.
"Well, are you ready to speed up the process? I'm tired of sitting here. — The fallen angel sat imposingly on a black stone throne with armrests in the shape of... unicorns?
I looked up at the angel in confusion.
"These horses aren't as pure as you think," he snorted. "Some of them served demons in war with loyalty and devotion, impaling many an angel on their horns. Although a demon in black armour with a fearsome aura on a poisonous green unicorn is still pretty surreal.
"That's very interesting and informative, but let's solve our problem, as well as my mood swings. The sooner we finish the merger, the sooner the pressure of sin energy will begin to weigh on my mind, and the sooner it will all end." I sit down cross-legged in front of the angel, patting the ground in front of me.
"The sooner we sit down, the sooner we'll get out, right?" he chuckled, sitting down in front of me. "Let's join hands and focus on our souls."
So we did, intertwining our fingers and holding on to each other tightly. Of course, it's not very comfortable to hold your hands up in the air, but it has to be done.
"Can you see our souls? Yours is glowing with light and darkness, and mine is black and red.
"Uh-huh. — His is similar in colour to ebonite with pulsating scarlet veins. So that's what you are — the soul of conceptual evil.
"Wish to unite, imagine that you are reaching out to me with tentacles that entwine my soul and pull me closer, like Leviathan pulling a ship into its mouth.
His soul grew closer and closer, golden threads stretched between him and me, binding us securely, pulling us closer and closer. The artefact began to suppress the angel's will, fulfilling its function of protecting its bearer, neutralising the influence of the alien entity on his mind.
Memories began to flow into my mind in a smooth stream, not allowing me to drown, allowing me to comprehend everything I had seen. Here I am, standing in the centre of the Silver City, my army of loyal angels before me. We are preparing for a march to hell to punish the wicked demons.
Here I am standing before the "father," saying everything I think about his games with people. I point out that he, like a child, decided to play the "merciful saviour" and "all-forgiving creator." His face did not change, but his anger was palpable.
Here I am falling from the heavens, alongside angels who trusted me, their faces distorted by the "flames of the Lord's wrath." We fall to the very bottom of hell, where the remains of the lord of darkness, the firstborn demon, lie. I fell straight into a lake of blood that had formed in a crevice next to his body. Choking, feeling pain, anger, despair, I wanted only one thing — revenge. To get even with the one who played at being almighty. The world around me heard my desire and began to pour into my soul and body the power of the one I had killed, the price for which was the distortion of my very essence. I became the new lord of demons, the creator of sins, the one who is feared and despised. Emerging to the surface, I see my loyal comrades who did not abandon me or turn away. They kneel before me, swearing allegiance, and in return, I grant them a part of my power.
Here is my army storming the gates of paradise, sacrificing all prisoners to fuel the ritual. A bright flash blinded everyone, followed by a deafening sound. The gates fell. We began the assault on the first heaven, then the second, but on the third, HE was waiting for us. An old, bearded creature who, having spent three quarters of his strength, threw us out like mischievous kittens.
A week later, we met in a decisive battle. The very space groaned from our attacks. Light and darkness, chaos and order clashed for the right to rule this world.
Dragons. Two dragons — red and white. They mixed up everyone's cards, and they paid for it. Almost all of my close associates died in the battle, but the bearded beast also perished, taking the two strongest lizards with him.
"You had a full life," I sigh, sorting through memories of Lucifer as I watch the last particle of his soul be absorbed. "Ha-ah, how long has it been?"
"Two days," replied the dragon. "You managed to leave them free for about a day and a half before school started. How does it feel? Do you want to kill, rape, and devour the souls of innocents?
"No, but I do feel like hitting you over the head. Why did you even bother with the three armies?
"You won't believe it," chuckled the red one, "we just didn't notice them. We were too preoccupied with each other.
"Not notice a fucking multi-million-strong army...," I groaned, clutching my forehead. "You've got to be good at that.
"Ha, you understand me.
"Alas, yes." I left my subconscious and returned home. The problem with Lucifer was solved, although I lost an interesting conversation partner, but I began the process of adapting to my new power. It will be tough, but if anything, Ddraig will help me out.
At home, Shuri and Akeno greeted me, busy preparing another delicious meal. So I just watched them work. I decided to devote all the time I had left before school started to them, spending my time and money satisfying their thirst for shopping. But at night, my patience was rewarded.
***
"You look much calmer and happier. Did you solve some problem?" Akeno asked on the way to school.
"Yes," I said, pulling her close and kissing her on the nose, "I solved one of my very serious problems. You remember my little mood swings, right?
"Mood swings? That wasn't really like you, and we didn't want to bother you because we knew you'd just brush it off and change the subject, but we were really worried about your behaviour." She squeezed my hand. "I'm glad it's over."
"You have no idea how much it helped me to have you there." A slight smile appeared on my face.
"Ugh-ugh-ugh," my sister laughed, "The scary demon suddenly became so sentimental." She hid her embarrassment behind a mask of merriment.
"Come on," I puffed out my cheeks and turned away, "as if I say things like that all the time."
"No, not often," she nodded, "and I wish Mum could hear that too. By the way, you haven't forgotten that today is open day, have you? All the students' parents will be there.
And then I froze.
"What?" We walked in silence for a minute, but I couldn't take it anymore. "Fuck!"
"It's not all that bad, brother," she patted me on the shoulder, "It's much worse. You know how mum has a... specific sense of humour.
"I don't think I'm going to like this," I sighed, looking up at the sky.
***
Shuri made a lasting impression on the schoolchildren and their parents. Her classic Japanese beauty was accentuated by the elegant and expensive kimono she had recently purchased. It was decorated with a cherry blossom pattern in blood red on a black background. The belt around her waist emphasised her perfect figure. Needless to say, if I was ready to throw myself at her right there, ordinary people would have melted into puddles.
A couple of particularly eager admirers were met with nasty curses. Not deadly, but unpleasant. There was no point in bothering someone who, incidentally, showed no interest in conversation. So the persistent individuals were quickly cursed away, under the disapproving glances of Sona, who, sensing magic, decided to check who was casting spells in public.
"If it weren't for your job, I'd chase you out of town!" That's roughly what her last glance meant.
"So, children, today instead of English we will have an art lesson," said the teacher as the first desks were handed out clay blocks. "The theme of the lesson will be 'Your concept of beauty', so you will use the materials provided to create something.
The students began whispering to each other, asking who was going to sculpt what. I looked over...
"Ha-ha-ha." A not-so-quiet but hysterical laugh escaped me when I saw red-haired Rias being photographed by Sazex, who nodded in satisfaction at the reaction of his children, the Gremory twins.
The redhead herself, hearing my laughter, blushed even more, although it seemed "how much more could she blush?", but she overcame the limits of her body and reached a new level! Making me worry that she would faint from the rush of blood to her head.
"Son, what is your ideal of beauty?" my mother asked telepathically, smiling and squinting her eyes.
"I get the hint," I sighed, shutting myself off from the world and starting to sculpt, helping a little with telekinesis. Strange as it may seem, Lucifer was a treasure trove of talents, from music to painting, from hunting to cooking. Yes, God had done a good job creating his ideal "firstborn."
My hands moved on their own, literally dancing around the clay, creating a perfect figure that exactly replicated the original.
The noise around me brought me back to reality. I looked around and saw my students, parents and teacher staring at me with their jaws dropped. I looked at the figure and saw an exact copy of Shuri standing in her kimono, her shoulders slightly bare, her flowing hair emphasising her beautiful face. Although you could see that her appearance was slightly different. There were noticeable features of both my mother and sister, and when Akeno saw this, she nodded and smiled. Yes, I had created a composite image of the most precious people in my life.
"You have a talent, Borgia-kun," the teacher clapped her hands, smiling happily.
"Come on, I just have a good teacher," the girl blushed and smiled, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Actually, I was thinking about Lucifer..."
"Arah-arah," her mother covered her mouth with her hand, smiling slightly, "my son loves his mother so much." It was said in such a way that left no room for imagination, because the necessary images immediately appeared in my head.
The whole class, led by the teacher, blushed, even Rias couldn't help herself. And her queen looked like she was about to faint. The trickle of blood flowing from her nose was a little unsettling...
The older generation of demons just smiled, understanding the children's emotions. And Sazeks, the dog, even filmed it.
The lesson passed quickly, so we left the classroom full of girls excited by taboo fantasies and headed out to walk around the school, just in time for lunch.
"Virgil, can I steal you for a second?" Satan asked me.
"Yes, yes. I'll be right there." I smiled guiltily at my family and walked away. "What's the rush?"
"I'm leaving soon, just like my mother and father, so I decided to find out what's new in town.
"More and more fallen ones are crossing the border, and they've taken up residence in an old church in town. By the way, there were several demons among them." I glanced meaningfully at the scarlet Satan.
"The old lords. That means the brigade too," Sazeks sighed wearily.
"Do you have people in the city?" "No." "That's good. We can act more openly. They're not bothering us yet, so I'll wait a little longer and keep an eye on them. I have a strong feeling that they're not here just for your heirs.
"Hmm, good. I'm counting on you. We won't be sending our people into the city for now, so you have complete carte blanche. Do what you want, but ensure safety.
"Strange...
"Virgil Borgia?" The Gremory couple approached us. Zeoticus extended his hand for a handshake.
"Yes," his hand was firm, "Mr. Zeoticus, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot about you and your business acumen.
"Ho ho, that's nice to hear." He smiled slyly. "Rias has told me a lot about you. I have a strong suspicion that..."
"Dad!" cried the redhead, running up and covering his mouth with her hand. "Don't listen to him, he's joking, yes! He's joking!"
Her father is a troll. Look how he's grinning, just like her mother, who examined me and finally held out her hand, which I kissed in accordance with etiquette.
"What a well-mannered young man," she smiled charmingly, showing off her daughter's beauty. Now that's what I call a MILF. Ugh, ugh, wicked fantasies. Thank goodness my thoughts weren't written on my face. "I am Venelana Gremory, mother of these two idiots."
One of the brats snorted angrily, the other laughed.
"I hope my daughter isn't causing any trouble," the woman smiled sweetly, but I sensed the subtext. What should I say? Maybe something neutral?
"Come on, no problem. Absolutely not."
"Hee-hee-hee," the woman laughed ringingly, "I'm glad you answered that way.
Damn, I failed the response test. This woman has something on her mind. But I was saved from further immersion into the depths of female logic by Sona, who ran into my shoulder while running away from Sera. And since we were standing around the corner, she couldn't see us.
"So-ta-ya-ya-yan! I'll catch you!" And another body rammed into me. "Moo-oo, that hurts."
Sera was dressed as a sorceress with her fancy wand, which was an artefact and could shoot little exterminators.
"Oh, is that a costume from season eight?" I helped the girls up, holding Sonya back so she couldn't run away, but she didn't even try to escape. "What?" I looked at the demons' wide eyes.
"You guessed which season my costume is from?" Serafall asked incredulously.
"Everyone has their own hobby. Although I didn't watch it, I just fast-forwarded through this LSD-fuelled masterpiece.
"It's fate." She clapped her hands and jumped on me, covering me with Sona. "Don't run away!" she shouted at me, who was already in a high start position.
"Sazex, I told you everything, ladies and gentlemen, please forgive me, but I have to go. I don't want to be bitten by Leviathan. They bite very hard," Lucifer's memory surfaced. "See you soon, please forgive me." My running was within human limits, as was Seraph's, but this was a game she had accepted.
I stopped behind the nearest tree, where the little witch caught up with me.
"How can I help you?" I asked as innocently as possible.
"For starters, you can tell me about yourself," the girl said, raising her nose importantly.
"No," I smiled, involuntarily acquiring the features of Luz, "That's not interesting. Why don't we play a game instead?" I waited for a cautious nod and continued. "You find information about me, and in return, I'll tell you what's true."
"Are you so sure I won't find the truth?" the girl asked eagerly.
"I did my best to hide it under a layer of dust.
"You're insolent," she snorted, accepting the game. "Well, Virgil Borgia, I hope to hear the truth from you."
"I never lie," I narrowed my eyes.
"Even the truth can be misleading. Who better than a demon to know that?" Sera repeated my gesture. Then she laughed. "All right, I'm going. Sonya won't hug herself." She turned and walked towards the school.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." The emotion in her voice made Serafall almost stumble, but she turned around sharply and saw no one.
"Asshole," Leviathan giggled as she returned to the school.
***
"What took you so long?" Akeno asked reproachfully as she settled down next to her on the blanket.
"There were a lot of people who wanted to talk," I sighed dramatically, "Poor me, I'm so tired of all this endless chatter.
"Poor thing," Shuri stroked my head, although there was a clear hint of amusement in her voice. "Come here, my dear, lie down on these nice, soft knees, you'll feel better right away." Akeno joined in her laughter.
"There you go, that's the spirit," I raised my finger.
And the day wasn't so bad after all.
***
Returning home at night after another check of the city's intrusion alarm system, I heard the sound of flapping wings behind me.
I turned around. Wow, look at all those people.
"Hello, Reynal. It's been a long time.
***
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