Omniscient POV
Nakiri Clan Territory,
"What are you guys even doing? Why are you fighting here?" suddenly yelled a voice as Kouske stopped the fight between Seiryuu and Bertrand.
It took some time for both of them to calm down as they processed the situation.
Even though Seiryuu had been overpowering Bertrand, if that last strike had connected and Kouske hadn't intervened, Seiryuu's head would have been rolling by now. This realization left him stunned for a moment.
But he didn't let it get him down; after a while, he just started laughing out loud, covering the upper portion of his face with his hand.
All this time, the newcomer kept scolding them, but it seemed all the words fell on deaf ears.
"It's nice of you to come greet us here," said Kouske as he looked at Momiji, who was just gawking at Seiryuu for his conduct.
After some time, Seiryuu seemed to have calmed down as he also asked Momiji, "So, do you know these devils?"
Momiji's mood seemed better when she was addressed by Kouske, but it soon turned cold at Seiryuu's question.
"Yes, I know them. But why were you even fighting with them here?" asked Momiji.
"Do we need any reason to fight devils? And these ones were even strolling around here so freely," said Seiryuu.
After some back and forth, Momiji somehow managed to calm him down while apologizing to Kouske.
"Why are you even here?" she asked Seiryuu.
"Well, I was just following Himejima. But it seems we got separated," said Seiryuu bluntly.
"Suzaku-san is also here?" asked Momiji, to which he nodded.
*Sigh*
Momiji sighed at this, but soon brought them over to the main clan house.
At the main house, Kouske met with Nakagami to finalize their plan to root out the Utsusemi Agency in two days. During that time, Kouske, along with Tarte and Bertrand, stayed as guests.
While they prepared, Suzaku, Seiryuu, and Nakagami held a separate meeting, discussing matters among themselves.
Although their clans had refused Kouske's invitation for formal cooperation, they each decided to assist individually. Seiryuu simply followed Suzaku's lead.
Later, Suzaku personally approached Kouske. Aware of his connection to Akatsuki, she asked if he could arrange a meeting with Tobio and inform her about his current whereabouts. Kouske agreed to her request, helping her get in contact with Tobio.
During his stay, Kouske also sparred and trained a few times with Nakagami to sharpen their skills for the upcoming battle.
And just like that, the time to hunt Satanael finally arrived.
[A/N: Honestly, this feels like a chore at this point. I don't really want to write any more of this Slash Dog stuff. I'm more inclined toward writing about the main DxD or other worlds right now. So please forgive me if this seems bland. I just want to finish this. I won't even include Kouske and Nakagami's training fight that I initially wanted to write, nor the meeting with Ryuuta Nakiri, who is currently training under Tiamat, nor the R-18 scene with Tarte and Bertrand while Momiji is peeking... Ahem]
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At the same time, somewhere out there, a sinister plan was underway.
*Smack*
Someone's furious strike shattered the long table. The one sitting directly opposite remained unfazed, while the one who broke it looked ready to kill anyone who met his eyes.
He was Draco Malfoy, a half-devil, one of the leaders of the Wizards of Oz, and a former disciple of Mephistopheles from long ago.
"Keep it down, Malfoy. We're in the middle of an important discussion. We have no time for your little tantrum," said Satanael, looking at Malfoy with disgust.
"Shut up! You have no idea what I've lost! I lost a goddamn Longinus, dammit!" the albino-haired Malfoy yelled at Satanael for interrupting him.
Malfoy was referring to the loss of Incinerate Anthem. Losing Augusta wasn't enough; they had also failed to retrieve the Longinus.
Even the leaders of the Utsusemi Agency were defeated. No matter how useless they were, Malfoy had heavily invested in their research!
Hanezu was dead, and Kazuhisa had been captured by Grigory. It wasn't strange for him to lose his cool like this. At least that fool never knew about their full plan.
"Did you call me here just to show such disgraceful behavior? My time isn't worth so little," came a cold voice, weighing heavily on Malfoy as he started sweating from the pressure.
"Rizevim, don't be so hard on him. We're all here for a reason," said Satanael, trying to calm the situation.
Soon, Rizevim Livan Lucifer, one of the Super Devils and the leader of the Old Devil Faction, withdrew his aura, giving Malfoy some space to breathe.
"I'm listening," Rizevim said coldly, waiting for Satanael to speak.
At first, he had been surprised to hear from Satanael, but it seemed 'fun', so he decided to humor him.
However, if they were going to waste his time, he wouldn't tolerate it, even if it was for his own entertainment.
Even for Satanael, it was a big decision to reach out to Rizevim like this. Satanael had once been humiliated by Akatsuki.
His lifetime of research was destroyed, and he had to resort to stealing some of Azazel's research, which he hated the most, but he had no other choice.
Now, he would do whatever it took for revenge, even if it meant getting involved with a psychopath like Rizevim.
This time, he didn't want to take any risks—he just wanted to kill Akatsuki and Azazel. Ophis wouldn't directly help him, so he had to gather as many powerful allies as he could.
"Do you know what this is?" asked Satanael as he proudly showed off Ophis's snake.
Rizevim could sense the massive power inside the small snake, but more than that, the aura of the dragon he sensed from it piqued his interest.
"What is that?" asked Rizevim as he took it into his hand, examining it. Even Malfoy looked interested.
"It's one of Ophis's snakes. It directly increases one's powers exponentially," said Satanael, which caught their attention.
To clear any doubts, he demonstrated it by using it on a low-class fallen angel, whose power instantly shot up to high-class.
"This is fascinating. How many do you have?" asked Rizevim.
While he wouldn't use something this dubious on himself so easily, it would definitely help him control the Old Devil Faction more easily. They were always after power, after all.
"As many as you want," said Satanael.
"Hmm... How did you get this from Ophis?" asked Rizevim curiously. But Satanael didn't seem inclined to answer.
"So, what do you want in exchange?" asked Rizevim.
"Lend me some of your people," said Satanael.
The meeting continued for a long time after that.
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At the same time, something strange occurred.
In the biggest theatre of the Underworld, a twin-tailed girl with exaggerated makeup—thick lipstick and heavy eyelashes—wearing a nun outfit suddenly teleported onto the stage in the middle of a live performance.
The theatre was packed, and the sudden interruption caused an uproar. People shouted in anger and confusion.
Yet something about the girl seemed off. She couldn't even stand properly, swaying unsteadily as she stared blankly at the audience, her mind clearly foggy. The chaotic noise around her hadn't even registered yet.
Then, someone in the audience spoke up.
"Hey, doesn't she look kinda familiar?"
"What do you mean?"
"I think so too," another chimed in. Small conversations like this started spreading, creating a buzz through the theatre.
"Wasn't that the Astaroth clan magic circle she used when she teleported?" someone pointed out.
"Where's the security? Drag her off the stage!" another barked.
"What the hell is that outfit? I've never seen something so skimpy like that before. Where did she even get it?" someone asked curiously.
"Call the security!"
"Restart the show!"
"Was there someone like her in the Astaroth clan? I've been a servant of the clan for decades, but I've never seen her before," an old man muttered.
"Doesn't she look familiar?"
"She kinda looks like the Astaroth heir, Diodora, right?" someone pointed out.
"Yeah, kinda... Did he have a sister?"
Amid all the noise, the girl grew more confused. She couldn't remember much—her mind was blank—but the sharp pain in her back kept her tethered to reality.
"W-what's going on? W-where am I?" she mumbled weakly, her voice trembling.
"I-isn't that Diodora-sama's voice?" said the old man, who seemed to be a servant of the Astaroth clan.
Even though he spoke softly, his words somehow carried through the theatre, reaching many ears.
Soon, the situation spiraled into chaos as news of the incident spread across the entire Underworld.
Diodora Astaroth, dressed like a girl, had been seen limping onstage at the biggest theatre in the Underworld.
Even in a world where devils were known for their strange fetishes, this news spread like wildfire, scarring both Diodora's and the Astaroth clan's reputation, especially among the nobility.
He quickly became a laughingstock.
Meanwhile, Diodora refused to leave his room, just like Riser, plagued by constant nightmares of the monstrously disgusting monkey.
He remained completely traumatized, with phantom pain in his back haunting him for the rest of his life. Just two days had done this to him. Who knows what would have happened if he had stayed longer!
The Astaroth clan was at a complete loss.
It seemed that getting locked behind doors was becoming pretty common for those traumatized directly or indirectly by Kouske!
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Lord Phenex had brought the orb back to his mansion to restore Riser's powers. It was late at night. The grand halls of the Phenex mansion were unusually quiet.
Lord Phenex called over a servant. "Yes, milord?" said the servant after approaching.
"Bring Riser here," ordered Lord Phenex.
"B-but milord, he is still..." the servant said meekly.
"No buts. Drag him here if you have to," said Lord Phenex, not wanting to bother with Riser's antics again.
Soon, the servant returned with Riser in tow. Somehow, he had managed to bring him out. Lord Phenex dismissed all the servants and cast a barrier around the place.
In the middle of the grand hall, Riser Phenex stood silently, his fists clenched at his sides. Before him, Lord Phenex extended a small orb, glowing faintly with a warm golden light—the very essence of Riser's lost power.
The Phenex Orb pulsed like a heartbeat, as if recognizing its owner after a long absence.
Riser stared at it, his throat dry. His pride, once a roaring fire, now barely flickered. He reached out, hands trembling, and the moment his fingers touched the orb, it sank deep into his chest in a flash of light.
A deep, primal heat spread through his body. The power, the strength, the 'invincibility' (delusion) he had once taken for granted—it was all back.
"...I'm not trash..." Riser muttered, his eyes wide and unblinking. A manic grin twisted across his face, and he started laughing under his breath. "I'm not trash... I'm not trash...! Anymore!"
His energy spiked uncontrollably, like a wild, unstable storm. His aura blazed around him, and for a moment, he looked completely lost, like a madman tasting freedom for the first time.
Smack!
A heavy hand struck across his face, snapping his head to the side. The hall echoed with the sharp sound. Riser staggered, blinking rapidly. His father's stern face filled his vision.
"Get a grip," Lord Phenex said, his voice cold. "You think you got your power back for free?"
Riser wiped the blood from his lip, breathing heavily, his wild expression fading into confusion. To his relief, flames lit up as his injuries healed instantly, just as they normally should, unlike before.
"Listen carefully," Lord Phenex continued, stepping closer, his gaze burning into Riser's very soul. "The only reason I brought you this... is because you will have to repent and apologize to Emberfaust-san. Publicly. During Ravel's birthday party."
The blood drained from Riser's face. "Wh-what...?"
"You will have to bow your head if you must," Lord Phenex said sharply. "You will apologize. Sincerely..."
Riser stumbled back a step, his mind flashing back to Elle's eyes—the cold disdain, the invisible weight of her presence that had crushed his fragile little pride once before. He remembered how powerless he had been in front of her.
"No... No, no, NO...!" Riser muttered, shaking his head violently. His knees almost buckled. "I can't!" he cried. "I can't stand in front of her again! I—I—"
Lord Phenex grabbed him by the collar, pulling him close. "You will. If you don't—" his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, "—I'll personally lock you up in the mansion forever. You won't ever leave your room, just like you wanted. This is your last chance, Riser...!"
Riser's hands trembled. His breathing was shallow and rapid. His legs felt like they would give out at any moment.
Faced with no escape, no dignity to cling to, Riser Phenex—the once-proud noble—felt true fear. And he knew... there was no way out.
Only forward.
Even if it meant bowing to the one person who had shattered his fragile little pride beyond repair.