Omniscient POV
In a small, quiet bar on the outskirts of the Sabnock territory, a secret gathering was taking place. The bar was completely empty, with a 'Closed' sign hung outside.
But unknown to all, inside a hidden chamber within the bar, more and more devils were slowly gathering.
"Why were you so late, newbie? Do you have no sense of time at all?!" snapped the old-looking bar owner, who had called everyone together today.
"Tch! This is why we shouldn't bring new recruits on these missions. They're just waiting to mess things up!" said another devil with scars across his face.
"Sorry, sorry! It's just that something important suddenly came up, and I couldn't come without sorting it out first—otherwise, the guards would've gotten suspicious," said the young devil, awkwardly laughing as he scratched the back of his head.
He wore a polka-dotted T-shirt, his arms and shoulders draped with festival headbands, sweets, and other colorful trinkets.
It was obvious from his appearance that he had just come from the ongoing festival in the West District of the Sabnock territory.
"Are you sure you weren't just enjoying the festival to be so late?" asked the bar owner, narrowing his eyes.
"Ahaha... No way! What makes you think that?" the young devil replied with an awkward laugh, trying his best to appease his senpais.
"Tch. What do people even enjoy in those human festivals?! Real devils shouldn't be doing human crap like that... not to mention those humans from Akatsuki blatantly roaming around the place..." grumbled another man, venting his frustration over the current state of the territory.
"Let's just start the meeting since everyone's finally here. We don't have much time left to waste," said the bar owner, urging the group to quiet down so he could begin.
"So, what's the reason for suddenly calling all of us like this? Boss told us not to meet unless it was something serious," said the scar-faced devil, his tone wary.
"It's urgent. That's why the meeting was called," the bar owner replied firmly. He paused, letting his gaze sweep across the room, taking in everyone's expressions.
"The time has come," he said.
That single sentence was enough to stir the entire room. Murmurs erupted, voices overlapped, and soon the hidden chamber buzzed with tension and anticipation.
"Finally! We won't have to put up with our disguises anymore!"
"Do you know how much trouble I had just to keep my cool working under that restaurant? Why should a mighty mid-class devil serve under some low-class trash?!" one of the devils snapped, his voice thick with resentment. Similar complaints echoed around the room, each more bitter than the last.
"Ano... What's happening?" asked the confused newbie, looking around nervously.
"Hah. Newbie, don't you know anything? The time has come for us to destroy the Sabnocks!" said a devil beside him with a wicked grin.
"Umm... With only us?" asks the newbie again, unsure of what to think or say.
"Don't worry. This is just one of the many teams. We have numerous devils helping us. Two Ultimate-Class devils will be leading us, I heard," says the bar owner, reassuring everyone.
"Ohh! The Sabnock territory will finally be destroyed! I always hated this place. You wouldn't even believe what I went through just to stay here. These bastards wouldn't even let me spy in peace!" complains another devil.
"Hehehe... I think I'll enjoy killing my restaurant boss after this," says the devil, who was previously whining about his job.
'But I quite like my job here...' thinks the newbie in his head.
"Don't worry. You all will get your chance. The plan is to head out in two hours. Every group is supposed to attack at once," says the bar owner.
"Umm... Why so suddenly? And this soon too? After staying hidden in this place for so many months?" questions the newbie.
In truth, they were all devils of the Old Devil Faction. After Kouske tightened the security of the territory and eliminated every single spy overnight, staying undercover here had become extremely difficult.
[A/N: Remember the chapter where Kouske's familiars wiped out all the spies in the forest.]
But even so, after many attempts and patiently waiting for the right time, they had all managed to blend into the territory—either by starting businesses or working under someone—successfully avoiding suspicion for many months, even years.
So to be asked to prepare for an attack, that too in just two hours, was naturally puzzling for the newbie.
"It's not sudden. I was informed about this in advance. Most of the stronger devils in the territory are away for the Rank Up Tournament held by the Maous. This is the perfect time to strike, when their defenses are at their weakest," says the owner.
'And you're only telling us now? How incompetent are you?!' thought the newbie.
"So, get ready, everyone. In two hours, we will attack the Sabnock Mansion. And Harold-sama will be leading us himself," announced the bar owner.
"Ohhh! I heard Harold-sama became an Ultimate Class in just four hundred years! With someone like that leading us, we have nothing to worry about," said the scar-faced devil.
"Yeah. I even heard he's close to Lucifer-sama. Devils like us never get to meet him, after all," added another devil.
"Oh? How's that?" asked someone curiously.
"As far as I know, his brother's boss's sister's niece works as a maid in Lucifer-sama's mansion," the owner replied.
"Oh..." came the collective response, voices low and tinged with disinterest.
"What?! Maou Lucifer is behind this? Why would someone close to the Red Devil help us? Wasn't Sabnock an ally of his?!" asked the newbie, bewildered as everything finally clicked in his mind.
Internally, he thought he'd never understand devil politics. Luckily, his mother had introduced him to the owner—they were somehow acquainted, though he didn't know how. [A/N: Maybe friends with benefits?]
It was his best chance to climb the ladder.
As his thoughts raced, the owner suddenly slapped him on the head.
"What the hell are you even saying?! Why would you mention that fake Lucifer?! We're talking about Lord Rizevim Livan Lucifer! You think there's any other real Lucifer alive besides him?!" the owner snapped angrily. Sirzechs Lucifer was the one sometimes called the Red Devil, after all.
"O-ooh! S-sorry...!" the newbie quickly apologized, trying to appease his senpais.
'But doesn't that make him a stranger to Rizevim-sama, then?' the newbie thought quietly.
"Tch! That's why I hate new recruits. Your salary's getting cut this month, newbie," said the scar-faced devil.
"Ano? I don't get paid though..." the newbie said meekly, sadly admitting he'd never received a salary from the owner. To be honest, he quite liked his job here in this territory—it paid well after all.
Everyone turned to stare at the owner at that moment.
"Now, now, get ready. We're meeting up with Harold-sama soon," said the owner, checking the time and urging everyone to stand up while avoiding the stares and topic.
After two hours, they gathered with Harold, one of the ultimate-class devils, leading the charge.
There were hundreds of devils in the team. Supposedly, another group led by a different ultimate-class devil had assembled a similar force—each prepared specifically for this mission.
Most were high-class devils, with a few middle-class ones mixed in. At the moment, many were busy trying to butter up Harold as they slowly encircled the Sabnock mansion.
"It truly is an honor to work with you on this mission, Harold-sama," said a high-class devil standing beside Harold, who was watching the others with clear disinterest and disdain.
"Harold-sama, my niece is of age now. I believe you'd be delighted to meet her," added another, as similar flattery and offers of gifts or favors filled the air.
"Heh! Concentrate on the mission right now... I'll meet your niece later," said Harold, urging everyone to stay focused and professional, though he still made mental notes of a few and responded to their gifts with subtle nods.
"Harold-sama! We don't see any guards at the front gate," reported one of the devils who had gone ahead for reconnaissance.
Harold and his entire team were still in the air, keeping their distance from the mansion.
"Hm? No guards at all?" Harold asked, slightly surprised.
"Yes. Not a single one. Could they have seen through our plan and be preparing something?" the scout suggested.
"Hah! What could those devils possibly do against a force like ours?" scoffed another devil.
"But aren't there always guards at the front gate? I've never seen it this empty. It's like they're inviting us in... like it's some blatant trap," another devil murmured suspiciously.
"You all don't have to worry. With me here, none of those guards can do anything. Honestly, even this entire force is overkill. Just me alone would've been enough," said Harold proudly, as the other devils continued to sing his praises.
Soon, the second team—led by another ultimate-class devil—contacted Harold, confirming they were also in position.
Both teams communicated and surrounded the mansion from multiple directions, launching their assault.
They began destroying everything in sight, shouting profanities about the Sabnocks and demanding everyone come out.
"Ha ha ha! This mission is too easy! We're causing so much destruction, and there's not even a single person trying to stop us! Did those cowardly bastards sense the power difference and flee?!" Harold laughed maniacally.
"They really never stood a chance," another devil said smugly, watching hundreds of devils tearing through the area—especially the ongoing festival.
"Harold-sama, there are many beautiful girls living in the mansion. Shouldn't we storm the place first before they escape?" asked one devil, sparking Harold's interest. He had, after all, seen photos of those girls.
But just as Harold was about to give the order to advance, something strange happened—his vision flipped.
The sky looked upside down. Confused, it took a moment before he realized he was seeing his own headless body still floating in the air. His severed head fell, and Harold died without even understanding what happened.
None of them had actually moved from their positions. They were still in their initial scouting spots.
Everything—the destruction, the chaos, the lack of resistance—had all been a dream. They had been hypnotized from the very beginning.
As the illusion broke, those not affected by the hypnosis stared in horror at the sight of Harold's lifeless body falling to the ground. Their second team leader, the other ultimate-class devil, was already trying to flee in panic.
Then, powerful, suffocating auras began surrounding them.
Hundreds of figures revealed themselves—servants of the Sabnock household. Each one of them was an ultimate-class devil.
Reality finally settled in. They weren't the ones doing the hunting.
They were the prey.
And this entire operation had been a trap from the very beginning.
"I-I'm not with them! I just got he—" a devil tried to plead, but he was killed on the spot before he could even finish.
Chaos erupted instantly.
Hundreds of high-class and mid-class devils panicked, scrambling to escape after witnessing the death of their ultimate-class leader and finding themselves completely surrounded by a legion of ultimate-class devils from the Sabnock household.
Needless to say, not a single one managed to get away.
[A/N: How was the chapter? Don't forget to leave a comment!]
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