The obsidian spires of the Phenex estate seemed to press down heavier than ever. Kael, now fifteen, stood motionless in his father's private sanctum – a room usually reserved for matters of state, not paternal pride. Lord Phenex's face was an unreadable mask, but his eyes, usually cold embers, held a flicker of… something. Awe? Dread?
"You have reached Ultimate-class, Kael," his father stated, the words hanging heavy in the incense-laden air. "Sustained, controlled power. Far exceeding any Phenex at your age. Far exceeding Riser."
Kael didn't react outwardly. He'd felt the shift months ago – a reservoir of Phoenix Fire deeper and hotter than before, responding with terrifying precision. He'd kept it hidden, a final card against the dragons' wager. "I know," he replied, his voice flat.
"You will keep it hidden," Lord Phenex commanded, his tone brooking no argument. "The Great Clans… the Sitris, the Gremorys… they watch too closely. Ultimate-class power in a third son, bound to the Sitri heiress? It would destabilize their calculations. It would make you a target, not just an asset." He pushed a small, ornate obsidian box across the polished table. "Your Evil Pieces. Take them. Build your peerage quietly. Let Riser have the spotlight. It serves our purpose."
Kael opened the box. Nestled within weren't eight pieces. There were *two* full sets: One King piece, one Queen, two Rooks, two Knights, two Bishops, and six Pawns. But three Pawns pulsed with a strange, muted grey light, unlike the others. As his fingers brushed them, information flooded his mind – not words, but instinctive understanding.
**System Activated: Multiversal Summoning Protocol.**
* **Function:** Allows summoning of beings from alternate dimensions/universes to serve as peerage members.
* **Cost:** User's power level determines feasibility. Summoning draws heavily upon the user's demonic energy reserves.
* **Benefit:** Upon successful integration into the peerage, the user gains a temporary, perfect copy of the summoned being's core power and lifetime of memories/skills (fading to instinctual understanding after 24 hours). The summoned being is granted a permanent, significant boost to their own capabilities, fused with demonic energy.
* **Limitation:** One summon per lunar cycle (approx. 28 days). No "store" or pre-selection. Intent and power resonance guide the target.
* **Requirement:** The user must possess an unused Evil Piece of the appropriate type for the target's potential role.
* **Muted Pawns:** Can only be used for this specific summoning protocol. Cannot be used for standard Devil reincarnation.
*Ambition. Allies with burning ambition. That's the resonance key.* The cold knot in Kael's gut tightened. Vali's deadline loomed. He needed power *now*, power beyond the Underworld's expectations. He needed minds that understood war and strategy.
He focused, pouring his Ultimate-class power into the System, visualizing raw determination, the hunger for progress against impossible odds. The air crackled. Reality tore. A vortex of swirling energy opened in the center of the sanctum, making Lord Phenex stagger back with a shocked gasp.
A figure materialized, landing in a crouch. Silver-white hair, stern red eyes scanning the opulent room with razor-sharp assessment. Red armor plates over a blue kimono, a slight weariness in his posture, but an aura of immense, controlled power and chilling intellect radiated from him. **Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage.**
"Where is this?" Tobirama's voice was cold, precise, his hand instinctively near a kunai pouch that wasn't there. His gaze locked onto Kael, sensing the source of the summoning. "Explain."
Kael met his gaze, the weight of the copied memories – endless wars, loss, the burden of leadership, the relentless pursuit of knowledge and strength for Konoha – settling into his mind like shards of ice. He understood this man. "Welcome, Tobirama Senju. I am Kael Phenex, a Devil Noble of the Underworld. I summoned you using a power beyond my world's norms."
"A Devil?" Tobirama's eyes narrowed. "Explain the purpose. This energy… it feels binding."
"It is," Kael stated, gesturing to the open box of Evil Pieces. "I need powerful allies with ambition. You sought strength and knowledge to protect your village against insurmountable odds. I face similar threats. To fight beside me, you must join my peerage – a binding contract that grants you immense power and immortality, fused with your own abilities." He explained the pieces – Rook for strength, Knight for speed, Bishop for magic/power amplification.
Tobirama studied the pieces, his mind working with terrifying speed. He felt the latent power within Kael, saw the flicker of the copied memories in the young Devil's eyes. "Power amplification. Immortality. A new world… new knowledge." His gaze sharpened. "The cost? My autonomy?"
"Your service as my peerage member," Kael clarified. "Loyalty. But your mind, your strategies, your ambition – those are why you are here. I need a tactician, a warrior, not a slave. You would be my Bishop. Amplifying your chakra with demonic magic, granting you access to entirely new forms of energy." He gestured to a stack of thick tomes on the table – *Fundamentals of Demonic Energy Manipulation, Underworld Political Structures, The Great Clans and Their Histories*. "Knowledge. Power. A chance to shape a new reality. That is the offer."
Tobirama was silent for a long moment. He sensed the truth in Kael's words, the shared weight of responsibility, the hunger for strength born of necessity. He saw the potential – new jutsu derived from demonic energy, immortality to safeguard knowledge, a new battlefield. "Ambition," he murmured, echoing Kael's earlier thought. "Very well, Kael Phenex." He reached out, his fingers hovering over the Bishop piece. "I accept the role of Bishop. Knowledge *is* power. Show me this new world."
As Tobirama's fingers touched the Bishop piece, a surge of brilliant light enveloped him. Kael gasped as a torrent of pure chakra flooded his system alongside Tobirama's lifetime of combat experience, political maneuvering, and fuinjutsu mastery. It was overwhelming – the sensation of water manipulation, the intricacies of the Flying Raijin, the cold calculus of the Nidaime's mind. Simultaneously, Tobirama straightened, his eyes blazing with new energy as demonic power fused with his chakra coils, amplifying them exponentially. The light faded, leaving Tobirama standing taller, radiating a potent hybrid energy, and Kael panting, the copied knowledge settling, the temporary chakra surge already fading into instinct.
"Fascinating," Tobirama stated, flexing his hand, sensing the new power thrumming within him. "This energy… demonic power… it has potential. Now, explain the political landscape. Who are the threats? Who are the players?" He picked up the topmost book, his eyes already scanning the text with predatory focus.
**Three Days Later: The Sitri Gambit**
The grand hall echoed with uncomfortable silence. Lord and Lady Sitri stood like icy statues, their displeasure radiating. Sona stood beside them, her expression a mask of calm calculation, but her knuckles were white where she gripped her fan. Lord Phenex sat stiffly, Lady Phenex beside him, radiating nervous tension. Kael stood opposite them, Tobirama a silent, imposing presence a step behind and to his right, radiating controlled power that made the Sitri guards visibly uneasy.
"Lord Phenex," Lord Sitri began, his voice clipped. "We have reviewed the proposed timeline. The engagement between Sona and Kael no longer aligns with our strategic objectives for Sona's peerage development. We formally request its dissolution."
A beat of stunned silence. Lady Phenex made a small, choked sound. Lord Phenex's jaw tightened. *They think they can discard us now? After using the engagement as leverage for years?* Kael thought, the icy fury rising.
Lord Phenex found his voice, strained. "Dissolution? After the agreements made, the assurances–"
Lady Sitri cut in, her voice smooth as poisoned silk. "Assurances change with circumstance, Lord Phenex. Sona's potential requires… unencumbered focus. The Phenex connection, while once advantageous, is now seen as… limiting by certain factions we must appease." Her gaze flickered dismissively over Kael. "It is simply no longer beneficial."
Kael felt his father's anger, his mother's humiliation. He saw Sona's mask falter for a microsecond – not guilt, but the sharp annoyance of a strategist whose plan was being altered by higher powers. He stepped forward before his father could speak again.
"Dissolution is acceptable," Kael stated, his voice ringing cold and clear in the hall. Every head snapped towards him. Shock etched onto his parents' faces. Sona's eyes widened minutely. Lord Sitri looked momentarily thrown off balance.
"What?" Lord Sitri sputtered.
"Acceptable," Kael repeated, locking eyes with Sona. "But not without consequence. The Sitri clan leveraged this engagement for political capital and security assurances for the past eight years. Dissolving it unilaterally, citing *your* shifting priorities, constitutes a breach of faith. The Phenex demand compensation." He listed terms: access to restricted Sitri magical archives for five years, a percentage of trade tariffs from key Sitri-controlled routes, a public acknowledgment of the dissolution framed as a mutual strategic realignment (saving face for Phenex).
"Preposterous!" Lord Sitri barked. "Compensation? For releasing you from an advantageous bond? The audacity!"
Sona stepped forward, her calm voice cutting through her father's bluster. "Father. Lord Phenex." She bowed slightly. "Kael-kun raises valid points regarding precedent. However, compensation of that magnitude is… excessive for dissolving a betrothal contract." She met Kael's gaze directly. "Let us settle this through the established crucible. A Rating Game. When we both turn eighteen and have our peerages established. If I win, the dissolution stands without compensation. If you win…" she paused, "the Sitri will meet your compensation demands in full."
*Clever,* Kael thought. *She preserves her family's pride, avoids immediate cost, and bets on her superior strategic mind and peerage-building time to crush me later. She sees Riser's laziness and assumes I'm only marginally better. She doesn't know about Tobirama. Or my power.*
Lord Sitri looked ready to argue, but Lady Sitri placed a subtle hand on his arm. "A Rating Game," she purred. "A civilized solution. Demonstrating the strength of our respective heirs. Agreeable." Her eyes held contemptuous certainty. *They think it's a guaranteed win. A way to humiliate us further.*
Kael let a cold smile touch his lips. "Agreed, Lady Sitri. A Rating Game at eighteen. Terms recorded and bound." He saw a flicker of surprise in Sona's eyes at his immediate acceptance. *Good. Let them underestimate.*
**The Spark Ignites: Ravel's Fate**
The tension hadn't fully dissipated when Riser swaggered into the family wing later that day, preening. "Father! Excellent news! I've finalized the composition of my peerage. Strong, beautiful pieces! Now, about Ravel..." He grinned, oblivious to the charged atmosphere. "She's coming of age. Her Phoenix traits will make a *perfect* addition to my peerage. A Queen piece, naturally. Boost her flames, make her truly useful."
Kael, who had been silently reviewing a demonic energy treatise with Tobirama in a corner, went very still. Ravel, playing nearby with an enchanted crystal, froze, her eyes wide with sudden fear. *Useful? She's his sister, not a tool!*
Lord Phenex sighed, rubbing his temples. "Riser, Ravel is young. Her peerage placement requires careful–"
"Nonsense, Father!" Riser waved a dismissive hand. "Better she serves under me, the heir, than waste her potential. I'll have my Queen prepare her immediately." He reached out towards Ravel.
"NO."
The word cracked like a whip. Kael stood, the treatise falling forgotten. He stepped between Riser and Ravel, his posture radiating lethal stillness. Tobirama subtly shifted, his hand resting near an imagined weapon, eyes locked on Riser.
Riser blinked, affronted. "What did you say, *little brother*? This doesn't concern you."
"It concerns Ravel," Kael stated, his voice low and dangerous. "She is not yours to claim. She will not be your 'useful' piece."
Riser's face flushed with anger. "You dare defy me? The heir? Who are you to decide her fate?" He puffed out his chest, Phoenix Fire flickering around him. "Step aside, Kael. This is beyond your station."
Kael didn't move. The icy fury that had fueled him for years roared to the surface, amplified by the knowledge of his hidden power, the dragons' wager, and the sheer arrogance of Riser treating their sister like chattel. "My station is her brother," Kael hissed. "And I say you won't touch her. Your peerage is filled with sycophants you bed, not warriors. Ravel deserves better than to be another ornament in your harem."
Rage contorted Riser's handsome features. "YOU INSOLENT BRAT! I'LL TEACH YOU RESPECT!" Pure Phoenix Fire, hot and uncontrolled, erupted from him in a torrent, aimed not just at Kael, but engulfing the space where Ravel stood.
Time seemed to slow. Kael saw Ravel's terrified face. He saw his parents' shock. He saw Tobirama tense.
He moved.
Not with Phoenix Fire. With the *speed* born of Ultimate-class demonic power and a decade of brutal training. He blurred, grabbing Ravel and shielding her with his body, spinning them away from the worst of the blast. Heat seared his back, but his own Phoenix Fire surged instantly, healing the burns almost as fast as they formed.
He set Ravel down behind Tobirama, who placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, his demonic-chakra hybrid aura flaring protectively. Kael turned to face Riser, who looked momentarily stunned by his speed.
"Is that all, *heir*?" Kael asked, his voice dripping with cold contempt. "Petty flames and bluster? You think immortality makes you strong? It just makes you a harder target to put down."
Riser roared, launching himself forward, wreathed in fire, aiming a wild haymaker. Kael didn't flinch. He channeled his power – not just strength, but precision. He sidestepped the clumsy blow with effortless grace, his own hand snapping out, not wreathed in fire, but hardened by pure demonic energy. He caught Riser's wrist in a vice-like grip.
The crack of bone was audible.
Riser screamed, more in shock and outrage than pure pain – his regeneration was already knitting the fracture. But the *humiliation* was instant and profound. Kael yanked him off balance, pivoted, and drove a devastating knee into Riser's stomach. The air whooshed out of the heir. Before Riser could recover, Kael twisted the broken wrist, forcing him to his knees, and placed a hand crackling with condensed, white-hot Phoenix Fire inches from his brother's face. Not a healing warmth, but a searing promise of annihilation.
"Try to take her again," Kael whispered, the cold fury in his eyes terrifying, "and I will melt the flesh from your bones faster than your pitiful regeneration can fix it. Immortality only means you get to *feel* it longer, Riser. Do you understand?"
Riser stared up, wide-eyed, breath ragged, cradling his rapidly healing wrist. The pain was fleeting, but the shame, the utter defeat by his "bookish" younger brother, was a crushing weight. He saw the absolute conviction in Kael's eyes, the lethal power held in check. He saw Tobirama's watchful, dangerous presence. He saw his parents staring, horrified and speechless.
He looked away, unable to meet Kael's gaze. A low, choked sound escaped him. Submission.
Kael released him, letting Riser slump to the floor. He extinguished the fire in his hand. The hall was utterly silent except for Riser's ragged breathing and Ravel's quiet sobs. Kael turned his back on his brother, walking towards Ravel. He knelt, ignoring the stares.
"Ravel," he said, his voice softer now, but still carrying an edge. "You choose your path. When you're ready. No one forces you. Understand?"
Ravel nodded shakily, throwing her arms around his neck. He held her, his gaze lifting to meet his father's shocked, complex stare, then his mother's tearful one. Tobirama watched, a calculating glint in his eyes – *assessment confirmed. This King has the will to protect his own.*
Kael stood, guiding Ravel away. The victory felt hollow, tasted of ash and familial ruin. He had protected Ravel, humiliated Riser, but the gilded cage felt tighter than ever. The Sitri game loomed. Vali's wager was a noose. And the faint, icy pulse of the pact sigil in his palm was a constant reminder: the true enemy wasn't his arrogant brother or his calculating fiancée. It was time itself, and the dragons watching from the shadows. The crucible burned hotter than ever. He needed more allies. He needed more power. The next summon couldn't come soon enough.