Mephisto Pheles, chairman of the Magician's Association, and Azazel, Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, were friends.
They had much in common: they were both ancient, cared little for status or honor, and thought in similar ways. Their friendship began after Mephisto left the Underworld, and despite their different races, they were true equals who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder.
Knowing his friend so well, Mephisto had anticipated exactly how Azazel would react to the report of the incident the child under his protection had instigated across the entire Underworld.
"BWAHAHA—!? Kff, kuku, cough! Hack! Hh...! Gkkh! Wait... hold on... my stomach... hurts...! Kkh, haha!"
"...I expected this, but it's still irritating to watch."
Mephisto mused with a dry smile, his gaze resigned. This incident was the devils' problem. For Mephisto, who had retired to the human world, it was only a minor concern. But for the man before him, it was pure, unrelated entertainment. He was enjoying it like a festival. Mephisto knew this, but for the side having to deal with the trouble, it was hard not to think, 'You bastard.'
On the other side of the magic circle, the leader of the Fallen Angels was laughing so hard he was short of breath, bordering on hyperventilation. He kept trying to recover, but he couldn't stop. If a certain Dragon King saw this, he probably would have led an all-out dragon assault on Fallen Angel territory out of sheer spite. If a certain Maou found out, it might spark a war.
"...So. Are you capable of conversation yet?"
"Hk... Ahem! Ah, yeah... I think I'm good... cough... My abs hurt so much, I thought I was gonna die. ...I swear, Kanata might actually make me laugh to death one day."
"If that ends up being the official cause of death for the leader of the Fallen Angels, riots will break out across the world."
It was a terribly plausible vision of the future.
"Still, I won't ask for the details of how it happened, but... staging a strike in the Rating Game? How did he even think of that? It's such a human idea, though."
"It's common knowledge in the human world, isn't it? And yet, it's a concept that never occurred to them."
"And that's exactly why it's such a massive, unexpected blow from a direction those devil nobles never saw coming."
"They're trapped in their old ways of thinking. They couldn't have anticipated this. They have no countermeasures and no way to react quickly."
It was a card that could only be played because of the combination of the Underworld's current state, the history of the Rating Game, the karma built up by the Old Devils, and the will of the Four Great Maou. Furthermore, they had the full cooperation of the Emperor, Dihauzer Belial, and even leverage over some of the other top players who might interfere. It was as if all the necessary pieces for the "current of change" had aligned perfectly.
The romance between Creuserey Belial, a devil, and Yaegaki Masaomi, a clergyman, was meant to end in a purge. That was the event that set everything in motion. It should have been a quiet tragedy, buried and forgotten. But thanks to the intervention of a single human, it was now turning into the beginning of a new history that involved the entire Underworld.
As one of the oldest devils, alive since the era of the original Maou, Mephisto intuited that this disturbance would become a turning point for the world. He had witnessed many historical milestones: the Great War between the Three Factions, the truce, the coup by the young Maou, the creation of the Evil Pieces. The boy gave him the occasional headache, but the excitement of potentially witnessing the world's current change was an undying fire within Mephisto.
"Fufu, I'm already looking forward to watching them panic as the bomb they built for themselves finally goes off."
"You've got a nasty streak, you know that? Well, the only thing left is to see if they can successfully negotiate with the big boss of the Old Devils, Great King Bael."
"Ah, Zekram Bael... He is troublesome, but the moment the strike occurs, the Old Devils have no path to victory. The best they can hope for is to force a draw."
Mephisto replied to Azazel's thoughtful tone with a gentle smile. The strike would undoubtedly throw the Underworld into chaos. If the pro-war faction of the Fallen Angels used that confusion to invade, it could trigger a full-scale war. To prevent this, Mephisto had told Azazel just enough of the situation to act as a deterrent.
"Hmm? But aren't they incredibly proud? I can't see them quietly accepting defeat at the hands of the Emperor they've always looked down on. If they decide on total resistance, won't the Emperor be at a disadvantage?"
"Ah, the others will surely try to crush the Emperor. They're hot-headed masses of pride and obsession. But Zekram Bael will absolutely stop them."
"Their leader?"
"Yes. He is stubborn, but he's a devil who looks to the future. Crushing the Emperor gains them little, perhaps only an empty seat at the top of the Rating Game. The more the truth of their corruption comes to light, the more public support they lose, and the greater the blow to their political influence. The downsides are far too great. But more than anything... Ajuka will not let an opportunity slip by to strike at the Old Devils while they are weakened by an internal war."
The longer they allow the Emperor's strike to continue, the further Ajuka Beelzebub's hand will reach. He is a Maou who has been maneuvering in the shadows for centuries to dismantle the Old Devils. Zekram knows this. When weighing the danger of the Emperor against the danger of the Maou, the answer will be obvious to him.
Mephisto believed that the devils, who were initially enraged by the partial exposure of their corruption, would eventually cool down and revert to self-preservation. They would realize it is far smarter to avoid provoking the Emperor, who still holds the rest of the evidence. Factoring in the Maou moving in the background, none of them will want to be the one sacrificed.
"Furthermore, there is the existence of the other factions. Prolonging the chaos in the Underworld means increasing the time all devils are exposed to external threats. Not even those old stalwarts want that."
"In other words, they'll want to avoid a high-risk, low-return confrontation at all costs. Their priority will be ending the strike quickly to minimize the damage. If the life of one girl from a branch family is all it takes to settle things, they'll gladly hand her over."
The Underworld didn't know that Mephisto was connected to the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, nor did they grasp how dangerous the current three-way stalemate was. This time, that worked in their favor. With so many downsides to fighting the Emperor, even the prideful old guard would eventually back down.
"By the way, Mephisto. What's the final resolution for Creuserey Belial and the clergyman? They can't just let them continue managing Kuoh Town, right?"
"No, they won't. That land is Bael territory, merely 'loaned' to the sons and daughters of nobles to gain experience. Even if this is resolved smoothly, they won't want to publicize a scandal in Kuoh Town. They'll fabricate another reason and drive Creuserey out."
However, Creuserey now holds information disadvantageous to the Old Devils, such as the King Pieces. She is also Dihauzer Belial's explicit weakness. Even if the Maou backs her after the deal, she could still become a liability for the Emperor in his confrontations.
It would also be difficult to bring Yaegaki Masaomi to the Underworld. It's a harsh environment for humans. Furthermore, in settling things with the Church, they must clearly show that Yaegaki is not hostile to the Church. If they take him to the Underworld, it will look as though the Church lost a clergyman while the devils lost nothing. Therefore, the most logical outcome for both sides to accept is his banishment from bothfactions.
"But the human world has too many enemies for an interspecies pair. Even if the devils and the Church agree not to target them as part of the deal... they'll still have more enemies than they can count."
Azazel's mind flashed to the wife and daughter of his own comrade. Despite being under Grigori's protection, they were constantly targeted. While a large part of that was due to the wife's bloodline, they simply had too many enemies. Some of his own brethren looked down on humans, making it dangerous to keep them too close. Azazel sighed, exhausted.
This was only a backroom deal, not a public acceptance of their romance. They couldn't expect any support from the devils or the Church. The Emperor would have his own duties in the Underworld, making it difficult to spare time for them. As it stood, Creuserey and the others would be exiled to the human world, isolated and without support.
"Mmm, but that part will probably work out. I'm currently hashing out the negotiation details with Ajuka."
"Wait, it'll just 'work out'?"
"We'll make it work. Now that we've stepped in this far, we must aim for an undisputed happy ending."
In response to his friend's question, Mephisto's red-and-blue eyes narrowed. His usual smile was gone. His tone was light, but Azazel's eyes widened slightly at his friend's unusually serious demeanor. It was a rare reaction from Mephisto, who always watched the world from a step removed.
"Ajuka said it as well: this is a price the devils were always meant to pay. This incident is the distortion created by pushing that burden onto the current generation. ...I kept my distance from the Underworld for my own sake. I turned my back, telling myself I couldn't be bothered with the Old Maou and didn't want to get involved with the Old Devils."
"Mephisto..."
"Of course, I don't know if anything would have changed had I remained. But it doesn't change the fact that I ran away and pushed all the problems onto the children of today. ...I don't think this counts as atonement. It's not as if I haven't been abandoning them all this time."
Mephisto let out a small, quiet laugh. He knew this wasn't like him. For an old-timer like him to intervene so openly in the world's current went against his pride. He still believed that the flow of the world should be decided by the current generation. He had intentionally remained an observer precisely because he had the influence to twist that flow. He never interfered in Underworld politics, maintaining only his position as chairman of the Magician's Association.
He had no intention of changing that stance. He couldn't lend a hand openly. But, just this once, he decided to reach out. He had probably, at some point, been inspired by Kanata's actions—by the sight of a powerless human charging straight toward his goal, fighting to the very end. He wanted to see for himself the possibilities that could be born from that struggle.
"But don't you worry. I'll make sure to wrap it all up in a 'legal' package that presents a clear profit for them, so they have no choice but to agree. Hahahaha!"
Azazel's cheek twitched, and he offered a flat, monotone word of encouragement. "Oh... right. Well, good luck with that."He couldn't think of anything else to say. His friend was showing a rare motivation. 'I guess I'd better do my part properly so I don't screw this up,' Azazel thought, shrugging helplessly.
"...Now then, what else is there to consider? The only remaining problem is the possibility that some of them might go rogue." Suddenly, Mephisto's cheerful smile vanished, replaced by a cold expression as he frowned.
Azazel scratched his head, annoyed. "Aah, that'll happen. Of course it will. Those Old Devils have done nothing but win and enjoy the spoils. Now, they're suddenly being forced into a losing battle. Some of them don't know how to lose gracefully or how to maneuver toward a draw."
"Those types might try to bend ethics just to win, or they might act out of pure spite, just to make the Emperor suffer."
The Emperor himself wasn't a concern. He was a Maou-class devil, and his peerage was full of talent. His power and achievements as Champion were not something even the Old Devils could easily challenge. Dihauzer would be cautious.
If so, they would target his weakness. Someone precious to him, someone the Old Devils could easily reach. And worse, someone they had a justification to harm in the eyes of devil society. Right now, she had no protection whatsoever.
"...If that 'if' happens, the real struggle will be the time before the Emperor's negotiations are finalized."
"Probably. That's why you allowed Lavinia to go to Japan, wasn't it? For that 'if'? Besides, my 'Christmas present' is finally complete. If that 'if' happens, I'll just use it as a stepping stone to secure my own profits."
Azazel chuckled, a wicked grin on his face. The heavy atmosphere dissipated, and this time it was Mephisto who shrugged, exasperated. There was no telling what Azazel would do when he got excited. Kanata had a similar side, but his was born of 100% goodwill, and he was completely unaware of the chaos he caused.
Azazel, on the other hand, understood he was dragging others in and moved to enjoy the resulting chaos. He was an utter menace. He was DxD's number one troublemaker, the source of almost every inexplicable phenomenon. His reputation in that regard was rock bottom. "My apologies, Kanata," Mephisto thought, praying for the soul of the boy who would inevitably be caught up in this.
Both Lavinia and Azazel would be careful not to reveal their organizational ties. And, it was possible nothing would happen at all. Mephisto had contacted Lavinia and told her to be cautious in Japan, but he didn't want to alarm Kanata, who had finally been able to unburden himself. Ajuka had called him overprotective before, and Mephisto was aware of it, but he also intended to watch over the boy's growth.
"Right, first I'll talk to Shemhazai. We'll assign random work to the noisy types who are likely to act up when the devils fall into chaos. I'll have Baraqiel watch for anyone making unauthorized moves, and maybe get Sahariel involved just in case. And as for the grunts, I'll use my authority as their boss to hold a year-end, all-night Mahjong tournament to exhaust them... Oh! Right. Hey, Mephisto."
"Hm? What is it?"
"It's about Kanata's Sacred Gear. I'd like to do a full analysis of it at Grigori. We can run precise diagnostics on Sacred Gears there. I've been watching his for over six months, and honestly, there's too much about it that doesn't make sense. He owes me a favor for this incident, so he won't say no if I frame it as repayment."
"I don't mind, as long as Kanata agrees. But I ask that you don't force him."
Azazel had wanted to do this for a long time, but he couldn't just take a child from another organization. Kanata himself had also been terrified of "Fallen Angel-Style Sacred Gear Training" and wanted to stay away. But this time, Kanata owed Azazel. By adjusting schedules, ensuring safety, and restricting information, it should be possible to bring him in for an examination.
"However, if you plan to bring Kanata to Grigori, be careful. Many Fallen Angels still hold ill will toward humans."
"You don't have to tell me; I know. Ugh, we have to pursue peace with the other factions and work on changing those attitudes... We're the faction that hosts the most Sacred Gear users, after all."
The research-oriented Fallen Angels, like Azazel and Sahariel, were deeply interested in human Sacred Gears and their potential. However, the militant types, like Kokabiel, were dismissive. They saw no meaning in Sacred Gear research and didn't count them as assets. They only paid attention to Longinus-class items.
In Kuoh Town, Kokabiel had spouted his own theory: "What value do Fallen Angels have if we must rely on human Sacred Gear users to survive!?" Some simply could not accept the idea of weak humans standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the superior Fallen Angels. By nature, those who Fall from Heaven tend to have difficult personalities. It was only Azazel's charisma as their leader that held the organization together, but unifying their way of thinking was difficult.
"Well, the saving grace with Kanata is that he's a coward, but he's also got guts... or rather, he just doesn't care about race or differences. Whether it's a devil, a Longinus wielder, a Fallen Angel, a dragon, or a clergyman, if you're nice to him, he just warms up to you."
"Ugh... I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. It's not bad, but..."
Azazel sounded slightly exasperated, and Mephisto sounded troubled, but they both shared the sentiment. Though they had known him for less than a year, they both held a strong trust in the boy named Kanata Kuramoto. He was a terrible liar, had no hidden motives, could put his body on the line for others, and didn't have the personality to betray anyone. These were good traits, but because of them, they spent more time worrying about him being deceived than about what he himself might do.
Their main comfort was that his Sacred Gear was extremely overprotective of its host. If someone with malice or ill intentions approached, it would sense it and warn Kanata. Combined with his pseudo-senjutsu, his sensitivity was high. It was his Sacred Gear's power that allowed him to react so sensitively to the teleporting devil when he was tailing Shidou Touji in Kuoh Town. Kanata's greatest protector might just be that spear. Mephisto, Guardian Number Two, felt a bit put out.
Mephisto knew Kanata was fond of Azazel, and he also understood the importance of learning about that Sacred Gear. It had been over six months since Kanata joined the Association, and they still couldn't see the bottom of that weapon's power. He was also curious about something Tannin had reported yesterday. Mephisto, having heard the report, spoke thoughtfully.
"By the way, Azazel. That Sacred Gear... does it ever thank others on its owner's behalf? I knew it could provide support and sense danger, but..."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"According to Tannin, he tried to make Kanata rest in Agreas, as the boy was exhausted. He quickly fabricated a lie, claiming that he, a devil, had poor night vision and it was too dangerous to fly. Kanata was apparently too tired to notice the deception. But afterward, the Sacred Gear conveyed something like 'thanks' directly to Tannin. ...As if it understood that Tannin had shown concern for Kanata."
Mephisto knew Kanata's Sacred Gear supported its host's mind and body. Kanata himself had said he could sense 'thoughts' from it, even if they couldn't 'talk.' But his Sacred Gear, Ruin Lonscarlet, wasn't the type with a soul sealed inside. It shouldn't have been a type that possessed its own will.
Until now, Mephisto had assumed their interactions were simply the Sacred Gear 'communicating' by supplementing what its owner lacked. Azazel had said as much, so they hadn't questioned it. But this time, the Sacred Gear had initiated contact with a third party, not its owner. As if... it had its own will, its own emotions.
"Sacred Gears with sealed divine or magical beasts, or Independent Avatar-types, have souls, so it's not strange for them to communicate. But a standard, mass-produced Sacred Gear... gaining a will? I've never heard of a case like that. If it were a Longinus, maybe... but I'm telling you, his Sacred Gear had nothingsealed in it. Wait... no. Maybe it's not the Sacred Gear itself, but something... further..."
"Azazel? Did you figure something out?"
"Aah, sorry, Mephisto. Don't ask me anything right now. My thoughts are a mess... For now, let's just focus on the problem at hand. At the very least, we know that Sacred Gear is an overprotective guardian that works hard even when its host makes impossible demands. It probably won't cause any problems."
"That's worrying in its own way... But I suppose you're right."
Azazel stroked his chin, his expression grave, and quietly shook his head. Perhaps Ajuka Beelzebub, who had also inspected Kanata's Sacred Gear, knew something. But he would never tell Azazel. The leaders of rival organizations couldn't exactly exchange notes.
But a mysterious Sacred Gear just meant more fun in researching and raising it. Azazel, a lover of research and development, decided to accept that for now. There would be plenty of chances to examine the Sacred Gear later. He'd save that enjoyment for later and switch his focus back to the other entertainment at hand: the Underworld-wide disturbance.
"Well, we've been talking for quite a while. I'll contact you again if anything new develops."
"Yeah, thanks. On my end, I'll start by provoking the militant types, trapping them in a Mahjong hell, and making sure they're completely immobilized."
"Just how much do you people like Mahjong...?"
"Aah, it's become a major event for Grigori. Even that battle-nut Kokabiel gets serious when he plays... Fleeing from a Mahjong game is unforgivable for a Fallen Angel."
The leader of Grigori grinned, showing his teeth. For a true Fallen Angel, abandoning a serious Mahjong match just because the devils were in chaos was unthinkable. As expected of Fallen Angels, Mephisto thought, sometimes I really don't get them. But it was that exact quality that allowed Azazel to lead them.
Mephisto smiled at the sight of his friend waving lazily and cut the communication. He leaned back deeply into his chairman's seat, gazing out into the night. A cold night wind, matching the winter silence, blew in through the slightly open window.
The next major move would be up to the Emperor. The moment he publicly announced the strike to the Underworld, the situation would change instantly. Considering the timing and adjustments, it would likely be around Christmas. Creuserey's purge had been scheduled for the end of the year, when Dihauzer Belial would be tied up and unable to move freely during the 'Emperor Belial Ten Matches.'
"Well, you've come this far, Emperor Belial. Go ahead and show them your fangs, without reservation. Show them the first strike that will clear away the darkness of the Rating Game."
Across the dimensions, toward the devil who would fight in Agreas, the devils' holy land... The hero, having accepted a small child's wish, was about to light the beacon of a counter-attack that would engulf devils, Fallen Angels, and the Church.
The great current flowing through the world was slowly, surely, beginning to change its shape.
***
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