-A.N:Empty Bag so no regrets
Scene 1
Tenebris POV
"Are you not attending the coronation?"
Looking up from the book I was reading, I found Alexi walking into the Leviathan library, flanked by Bune, who looked slightly bigger.
There was a sparkle in his eye, as if he was trying his best to maintain focus on me without dropping his eyes. Earning a nod from me, I tapped my finger against the book before closing it.
"No, it's going to be filled with my enemies. I wouldn't mind doing it for something important, but just to watch mortals wear a crown I largely don't care for? I'll pass. And if it's important enough, I can send representatives like Bale."
Smirking as my answer forced Alexi to pause for a second, she thought about my answer.
"The Council won't take it as a neutral stance. This is also their coronation ceremony for the new council."
Failing to recall such information, I glanced to Mari for an answer to Alexi's statement.
"You wouldn't care, or worse, you'd decide to use it as a stage for running another war. You asked to be left alone unless they're threatening you. Well, taking over the Stray Devil issue is something everyone wants to ignore as an effect of the Evil Pieces.
"A stupid idea politically to let it fall into our hands, but it's a position worth its clout. Once word spread that the Sorceress Supreme took part in this deal, a lot of the remaining Original Devils sided with Bael and his rules to limit Devil inner conflict."
Answering as if it was the easiest explanation for why I didn't know about it, I blinked several times as she pointed to the books gathered on the table and the ones around me.
"Understandable, then. But yes, Alexi. This isn't something anyone with a brain would want me to take part in. I'm not a full Devil either, so they can't parade me around as the first successful Evil Piece Devil.
"So none of us have a reason to want my presence within the same region as the event. Lady Sitri undoubtedly dragged Bale there as the best deterrence against flies."
Watching her nod her head, I looked back to one of the books before pulling out a bestiary.
Placing it in front of Bune, I pushed it toward him with a smile, deciding to give myself some focus as well.
"The dragon section is pretty insightful since I've yet to deal with Dragons within my own pantheon. But as a natural-born resident of this world, this information has more to do with your clan than any other Devils. So I would focus on gaining an understanding of what a Dragon is. You're starting to embody the Devil spirit I told you about, so add some of your bloodline to it as well."
Watching as his eyes became glued to the book, he grabbed it gently, treating it like a holy book to gaining power.
Earning a smile from Alexi as her second gained a ladder like her, I passed her a book based on the stars as I watched her shrouded face morph into horror, as if she was afraid of reading a book.
"The Star Clan needs as much power and knowledge as possible. So will you really pass up the sealed-off library to everyone but the Satan?"
Watching her face relax before looking at the book and taking a seat, Mari walked off to prepare more tea and snacks for everyone.
Scene 2
Tenebris POV
"Hmm, it's still unstable once I incorporate my desired effects."
Watching as my golden magic circle destabilized, the sigil in the middle failed to fully form, getting stuck at the formation of my golden skull icon.
As the energy began to destabilize from the lack of control being placed, I waved my hand as I broke the circle before commanding my shadow to eat the energy to keep it from exploding.
"Is there a point to you having a magic circle? To the eyes of many, it looks like you're taking a side road that ultimately reaches a dead end."
Turning around to Lady Sitri, I found her standing as servants brought out a table and chairs into this clearing on the outskirts of the Demon Forest.
"A dead end? Is that how you would describe your own world?"
Replying to her, I watched Mari come out of a magic circle carrying tea and snacks. Sitting them down in front of Lady Sitri, she nodded her head.
"How would you describe it if it was you in our place? To be considered an advanced world when it comes to how far our world has grown. Pantheons that have already reached the fated ending of their days. Some of whom would never reach a tenth of what Devilkind has produced as a faction under our Biblical pantheon.
"Histories that have reached the point that eras can be labeled as Forgotten. Only to meet a God less than ten million years old whose fundamental foundation starts at the level we only reach at levels we can't come up with names for.
"What separates a Major God from the Super Major Gods? Why are the Skyfathers willing to compromise in a world they need belief to empower themselves?"
Stopping myself from answering hastily, I remembered my conversation with Kronos.
"You've glossed over the answer plenty of times. Comparing Laws to our energy-based powers. Although I can make some guesses about your sudden recovery, the underlying issue will only compound the more we don't address it.
"You see, every young Devil is normally assigned a Warden, or maid if you like that word better. Their job is to judge which of the Sins you embody. But as Mari stated in this last report, you're becoming too close to what a Devil represents."
Watching as she lifted a teacup, Mari poured her a drink before she nodded in thanks.
"And let me guess. This report concluded I have all seven."
Frowning, I glanced toward the mountain my grandmother left me inside this forest.
Looking back to Lady Sitri, who was frowning at my words, I saw Mari smiling softly. Placing her cup down after taking a drink to hide her time to think, she gestured for me to join her.
"This is why I prefer dealing with you. You aren't dumb or naive, but the question is, how did this happen from an artificial process? No less on a God who was already a Major God who was falling toward mortality."
Listening to her as she trailed off, hoping for me to fill in the gaps, I answered.
"Zeus. The one in my world. He's normally restricted from acting, but when given the chance, anyone would expect him to strike in that moment, with the slow realization that he's already in control over our Golden Cycle.
"With the Great War to decide the True Throne of the pantheon starting officially, only Zeus hasn't defeated his predecessors. Oceanus has been devoured by Poseidon, who's working with a True God from outside our pantheon. My father has forced Tartarus into submission with the aid of my grandfather.
"So only one war is still waiting to play out, while Zeus has arguably lost every advantage leading up to his lightning bolt that struck me. The only unplanned variable would be a bunch of universe invaders too weak to notice during Apollo and my play."
Shaking my head at the idea of fighting Apollo occasionally to keep Zeus from suspecting that the only strategist after Prometheus' death was the son who hated him more than Athena.
"So that explains why this is just a sideshow. It might be a dramatic play to you two, but to mortals, it looks like a full-scale divine war happening. Titanic-sized men wielding nature itself. Like, suspect the band around your head isn't just an artifact, Crown of All Things Evil. Like you never said. That's just the name of it, but is it an artifact or also a manifestation of the concept, such as yourself?"
Raising her hand to stop me from answering, she pointed to the sky as she waved her finger around.
"Is there truly a reason to focus on adopting our system when it's been proven by a child that even we, as adults who've watched eras change, would be no better than cattle if we entered your world without a basic understanding of Laws? The next step past energy-based systems that derive themselves from world Laws.
"To me, it's a new skill to learn, but not something to hinder my own progress for. You haven't grown accustomed to using my clan's magic circles and think you'll create a new branch just as easily. Who's overestimating their own abilities? Us or you?"
Smiling softly, a giggle escaped Mari and some of the maids.
"All that to say, I'm indulging in Devil sins by focusing on these experiments. You really did eat the Original Sin, you twisted bastard."
Laughing out, I looked past Lady Sitri to an entity made of white light whose true form and name I've been researching since I was ten thousand years old.
Rubbing my eyes to rid myself of the altered vision, I decided to take a break. Reaching for the tea Mari had already placed in front of me, I earned a chuckle from Lady Sitri.
Not bothering to question my words with the eyes of the Original Devils watching.
Scene 3
Rook POV
Stepping back as a tiger's claw passed right in front of my face, it slammed into the wall and sent debris flying. Before following up with its mutated arm, it was stuck between a tiger paw and a Devil's human-like hand.
Creating a magic circle instead of blocking its attack, I attempted to freeze its arm. Freezing it up to its elbow before the tiger-faced Stray Devil roared in pain, trying to pull back from its recklessly advanced attack toward me.
As I followed it by stepping forward, I created two magic circles and slammed them into the mindless Devil's chest. Ducking under its arms each time it tried to knock me away, I maintained one hand on the body with each movement, freezing it slowly but surely.
Forcefully increasing my energy output, I forced the magic circles to spin faster, producing more ice as the beast slowly came to a stop once it spread to its shoulder and hips. Before quickly sealing him in ice once he stopped knocking the forming sheets off.
"This is quite exhausting at this point. How many Devils did they create to form these damned things?"
Feeling the condensed demonic energy sitting in this beast's chest, I formed another magic circle under its feet, teleporting it to the main branch estate.
"You're the only one making it look easy to capture these things. I have to burn off their limbs just to get these demons to stop. Here, teleport this one too."
Glancing over as I heard Ceres' voice speaking up from behind me, I spotted him and his unit returning with two Stray Devils.
Their Mid-Devil Rank strength was now bordering on High Devil from numerous close encounters with death during this newly started mission. The Stray Devils, although considered Low Devil Rank via the hierarchy,
rarely meant the High Devils who can create these little groups would stick to nameable races. My little cousin Serafall proving to be the biggest figurehead of the mindset that these heirs to clans will do the same. Many of them dying in the process of trying to imbed these Evil Pieces into other species.
Anything close to divinity was considered a decent target, as they all died in the attempt to bring more Gods under the Devil race. Failing to see Aunt Sitri holding a delicate balance that Bael has finally decided to stop chopping away at.
As the Devil Race has decided that the overall Civil War is over, they begin to put into place new rules for protecting ourselves from the extinction that we brought on to ourselves.
"Just throw them over here. I can create a bigger spell instead. Are you going back to the Village?"
Receiving a nod from Ceres as he waved for his men to do as I said, I quickly teleported them to the receiving area for our medical teams to study these Stray Devils more closely without Ajuka or Bael stopping us.
"Good. I have to receive some shipments coming from the Yokai so we can find the area to ward off and station guards at to keep the Clans in Leviathan City from getting any ideas. Alexi should do a decent job of scaring anyone off, but there's always one."
Creating a circle under his group, I sent them back to the Leviathan territory to return to their own jobs of building up DarkSun City.
As I still had to report the state of the cleanup from the rest of the units clearing out the remote areas of Japan, no one daring to underestimate the exotic beasts and species these young Devils could've captured.