Chapter 33
Author's note: Hello guys, I am back from my grave that is short break, for I dreamed of a gem.
A peerless gem that not a single being had ever seen.
Gem known as Power Stone.
Specifically yours, so hand it over. Though if you don't want to, you could leave a review. XD
(Underworld—Lilith)
Tap
Tap
Within the halls of the castle of the Maou, faint tapping of shoes could be heard, echoing through its vast halls.
The sound was distinct, and for some unknown reason, it felt heavy and sluggish. It was as if the tap was reflecting the mood of the shoes' owner, though it might be true, as the emotion that Serafall was burying in her chest was one of great magnitude and weight.
Some maid or butler who saw her would immediately get away from her and kneel.
Kneel and submit as if their life depended on it, for the look that the Leviathan bore was one they had never seen before. Usually, among the four great Satans, the one that was most accommodating and approachable would be her, but this time. This time, it was different.
The Leviathan's eyes glowed with a faint blue light, and a deep frown, never before seen, was etched on her face. Her fist was half clenched, her teeth were gritted; not only that, but a flicker of demonic energy was dancing around her uncontrollably.
Serafall continued walking for a few minutes in absolute silence while she tried to think about what she had done—no, what she hadn't done when she should have.
The glow in her eyes intensified and turned into a piercing blue light, and her breath turned rapid, as if the very air seemed to be disappearing.
After a few more steps, she stopped in her tracks as she reached her destination. Sirzechs Gremory, now better known as Sirzechs Lucifer's office.
She slowly raised her head and gazed upon the door, wishing that she could wait a few more minutes to clear her head. But she couldn't, not with that one alive.
Tock Tock Tock
She knocked, extremely different from her normal self, as normally she would just teleport into Sirzechs's office without care. Though if there were any guests or other third parties, she, of course, would knock.
"Enter?"
An answer with a questioning tone greeted her, quite possibly because Sirzechs learned that she was knocking through his senses and was confused as to why she was doing something like this.
A question that he would soon have an answer to.
"Sirzechs, he is back." She said it immediately upon entering without giving any greeting or using any fancy title.
A thing that seemed to dissatisfy his wife and maid, Grayfia Lucifuge, who was standing nearby. After all, she is the Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation, who views anything other than most perfection in etiquette as improper and undisciplined, though she did not show it much other than slightly furrowed eyebrow. But Serafall currently doesn't have the desire to deal with pleasantries.
"What? Who ?" Sirzechs Lucifer asks, quite possibly not knowing who she was talking about.
Serafall walked a few steps towards him, matched her eyes with his, and repeated. "The Tyrant of Heaven"
Her voice, despite not being particularly loud or piercing, echoes through the office, sending the very air into stillness while also freezing Grayfia into a stone statue with not a single trace of earlier narrowed eyes visible to the greatest of sight. Sirzechs immediately stood up, his chair creaking against the floor as he turned to Serafall. Eyes wide with disbelief and astonishment.
"HOW? He already died; just HOW ?" He asked her, but she didn't have much of an answer, as the things she knew were barely above what he already knew. But still, she would explain what she currently knew to him.
"Do you remember that angel that suddenly appeared in Rias and Sona's territory?"
"WHAT?!" he yelled with his eyes widening and his legs leaving a deep crater due to the sudden release of demonic energy that he unconsciously made, possibly assuming the worst, that his dear sister might have died. But she reassured him a second later.
"Don't worry, they are currently safe, and I don't think Heaven will do something drastic until he recovers."
"Wh... Huff, ahem, so it's true that he is an ultimate class, huh?" Sirzechs said, trying to regain his composure that was lost due to ... the sudden news, feeling a bit relaxed and calmer upon hearing that his dear sister is safe and sound and that he wasn't at his peak yet. If that one were at his peak, Sirzechs's hand unconsciously tightened around his table as he imagined it.
Then, after a few seconds of contemplation, though he turned to her, his eyes were still glowing red with destruction pulsing through them. "Tell me everything; do not leave the slightest detail behind."
Serafall nods as she opens her mouth to explain, only to be interrupted by Akuja Beezlebub, another Maou, specifically a Maou in charge of technology and science. He burst through the already opened door and rapidly started without going through any pleasantries, just like her.
"Sirzechs, you're not going to like this," Ajuka said seriously. But as he stepped inside, he froze. The atmosphere in the room was far heavier than he'd expected.
Heavy? No, oppressive would be a better word to describe it.
"What happened ?" Ajuka asked, looking at both Serafall and Sirzechs with one eye raised.
Sirzechs turned to Serafall, and she stared back at him for a few deep seconds before she turned to Ajuka. "The leader of Heaven is back," she spoke, instantly freezing the body of Ajuka Beezlebub and causing his already wide pupils to contract rapidly for a profound few seconds.
A few seconds that the three Maous of the underworld spent in absolute silence.
Soon, the only sound that was in the room was that of the wall clock, a big and ancient one that ticked quite loudly compared to its modern version.
Tick
Tock
The atmosphere inside the room, for some reason, became so heavy and dense that one could even pull out a knife and carve out a slice of heaviness from it, Sirzechs and Serafall waiting for Ajuka to come to terms with it and to elaborate on the important information he brought.
And it didn't take long, as in just a few seconds; with a deep sigh that vibrated through the room, he turned to them. "I don't know if the news I brought is worse or better, though possibly worse." He spoke as he walked towards a sofa and sat down. The moment he said it, the expression of both Serafall and Sirzechs became grimmer than it already was, though no one knew how it could possibly be.
Serafall walked towards a sofa that stood opposite him and sat down.
"Tiamat sent a message to me about how she met some sort of angel who managed to restrict her movement and stun her before escaping out of the underworld." Ajuka shifted his gaze to Sirzechs. "And she spoke that the angel might have something to do with ..." Ajuka leaned forward, his eyes lighting up in emerald green color and dripping with seriousness as he uttered. "Star Gods"
Instantly, when he said it, the already immensely heavy atmosphere, which was so thick that it could drown out a low-class magical being, upgraded to an unholy tier that was capable of drowning even a mid-class.
Star Gods, a term that refers to those monstrous, incomprehensible beings who live beyond the Dimensional Gap, in the true void where even the very fundamental concepts such as life and death, light and darkness are incomplete or destroyed beyond recognition. While the term Star God wouldn't exactly describe them as they live in the true void, it is one of the safest terms that the creatures of this world have found.
For they were to describe them in other ways, like characteristics, behavior, or the concepts that are closest to them, they might just notice them, for no creature, whether alive or dead, can understand them.
After a few seconds of deep silence, Sirzechs raised his head. "Are you sure ?" Sirzechs asked, his voice heavy and probing, asking how sure he was and how much the possibility was that Tiamat was just blowing things out of proportion. As the words that she uttered would be ones that would cause all of the supernatural factions, including all the pantheons of gods and leaders of races, to falter and waver in pure horror and panic. As the Horrors from beyond the stars are beings that are easily capable of stirring the river of time itself until the timeline itself bends and warps until it is unrecognizable to even those closest to the concept of time itself and drowns the world in its blood until all that remains is one red pool.
"She would not utter those unless she was at least eighty percent sure," Ajuka answered.
Instantly, the silence returns to the room as they try to fully digest the words that they just heard.
For Sirzechs, it would be that an angel that is somehow connected to the beings from the beyond is roaming free.
For Ajuka, the leader of heaven and creator of angels, was back. And for Serafall, much like Sirzechs, about how an angel that is connected to the ones from the beyond is out there somewhere.
Ding
With a ding, a light bulb pops up on Serafall's head as she turns to Ajuka. "Was that angel a large spherical one with two large tendrils, no, two large wings that was burned?" She asked, her voice probing yet for some reason confident in her own theory.
Ajuka raised one of his eyebrows in response to her inquiry. "How did you know ?"
Instantly, Sirzechs and Serafall connect the dots that the leader of heaven, who is now back, was in their backyard, specifically in the underworld, and that there is no two bad news. Just one bigger bad news, causing the bodies of Sirzechs and Serafall to tense and soften repeatedly, not knowing what emotion they should be feeling, and whenever it was good news or bad news.
Ajuka, however, was confused and didn't understand why they suddenly relaxed, as he hadn't heard about the angel that suddenly appeared in Rias and Sona's territory, as he was busy during that time.
Sirzechs, as if understanding his confusion, replied. "There was an angel that suddenly appeared in Rias's territory, the fallen leader of heaven, and he is probably the one who appeared in Tiamat's territory."
Ajuka, as if a light bulb had suddenly lit up, turned to them, his face turning a slight bit paler. "Ummm, are you really sure that he is the one who appeared in Tiamet's territory ?" Though he asked about it, he silently willed his Kankara Formula to find the chances of it being true, and the answer was, unfortunately, 89.487 percent for the two to be one single being.
"Yes, quite sure," Sirzechs said, without saying anything about his friend's Kankara Formula.
Sirzechs stayed for a few seconds, waiting for him to deny it or say the percentage. But Ajuka didn't say anything, queuing to Sirzechs and Serafall that it is most likely true. So he got straight to business, which is for both Serafall and Ajuka to explain every single detail they know, though they should also invite Tiamat and discuss what they should do. Now that he thought about it, he almost forgot someone. Someone very important.
Falbium Asmodeus, one of the four Great Satans, an being just like them.
After a brief discussion to outline the fundamentals, Sirzechs informed his subordinates that he would be gone and wouldn't be available for at least a few hours, possibly not even returning today. Although he spent almost the entirety of a few minutes with his wife, who works as his maid, so should count her as being his subordinate.
They then teleported to Falbium's office and discussed all the information they had and what they should do. Which, unfortunately, wasn't a lot. Heck, they even learned that Serafall's information about that one returning from the dead was not so certain. Though they were quite sure of it, especially with the addition of him having been in the underworld previously, and that he managed to restrict Tiamat's movement, and escaped from Tiamat with not much trouble.
So after an intense hour of discussion, they mostly determined what they would do.
They would prepare the underworld for that one's return and reveal that he was alive to the pillars as soon as possible. A thing that would be done by all of them together, while silently leaking this information to the fallen angels.
After all, his revival is a problem that would affect both devils and fallen angels equally, and they are quite sure that he would be quite pissed, if not furious, at them both.
But they would not reveal anything about their speculation about his connection to the Star Gods. As this is not confirmed news, and if the news were to be true, well, they might as well spend their remaining time with their families.
.
.
(Rias POV)
"Huff," Rias exhaled as she stared at the chandelier that was hanging from the ceiling. It's many light bulbs that generated light on their own, acting akin to the many stars that would appear in the night sky, as she gazed at them absentmindedly.
Her eyes were weak with not much fire in them as a small part of her mind imagined herself becoming a baby factory to Riser Phenex.
Riser junior
A child with features akin to Riser's sat on a chair before her as he enjoyed hedonistic acts that their father, Riser Pheniex, enjoys.
"Mama, I want more BOOBAA," her children said as he fondled the boobs of a maid. His face, a perfect copy, was smirking at her as if enjoying her reaction while also enjoying the sensation that his arm sent to his brain.
"No, you can't, honey; you already have enough Boobaa." Rias imagined herself saying it to him while smiling tiredly at him.
And the imagination Riser junior did not like it very much, just like how his father would, as he immediately got up upon hearing it and started screaming like she just cut off a limb or two from him. "UAAAAHHHHHHH!" he screamed, his shrill voice vibrating through the mansion as he started crying like a little shit he is.
And just a second later, Riser comes in with a hundred or so other women in tow, acting like he is some big shit, even though her brother could, with a wave of his hand, disintegrate him until nothing, not even ash, remains. "Rias, why are you making him cry again?" He said, with a fake concerned expression, while he walked towards his child and started patting his back, comforting him.
Meanwhile the other hundred or so Riser's bitches looked at her with judgmental gazes, gazes that whores like them should not have access to, for they are much worse than her.
"Rias ?" The imagination that occupied her mind popped like balloons as her queen Akeno shook her shoulder, snapping her awake. Rias's head snapped to Akeno, noting her also less-than-energetic expression as she concernedly examined her. Akeno again opened her mouth. "Are you okay ?" She asked, her eyes filled with worry.
Rias motioned to her. "I am fine, Akeno; I am perfectly fine." She spoke, but the words didn't have much drive, nor did they reassure her.
Akeno then looked at her for a few seconds before smiling. "Wanna go check if there are any possible peerage members in the city, one last time?" Her voice was soft and gentle, and Rias nodded upon hearing her question. Thinking that while the possibility of finding any talented human would probably be unlikely if not outright impossible, the walk should refresh her a bit.
So they changed clothes and started circling the city, enjoying the quiet afternoon as she strolled. They even went to a few stalls and tasted a few candies here and there.
The cool air of early February and Akeno being her constant company as she tried to let go of her worries and enjoy herself for the briefest of moments. And it worked better than expected, as though the walk-through that plagued her mind stopped and was shoved to the deepest part of her mind for the next few hours as they marched across the city. Enjoying themselves by gorging on appetizers such as cotton candy, sandwiches, cake, etc., they also played in the arcade that they came across, while also occasionally checking for any possible peerage member.
The blowing cold wind caressed her as Rias glanced at Akeno, who was humming a tune and following right beside her.
Her smile was one of gentle warmth and care as Akeno talked about the history of some shops and interesting facts to divert her attention. An act that she understood and appreciated deeply. Soon, the sun starts lowering as it starts to set, declaring the end of the day. And in just an hour or two, a few people would come and escort her to the underworld, specifically to her home. A time that she originally didn't have and asked Serafall for, as Sona had already left for the underworld.
A thing that seemed to worry Akeno, as Rias was seeing her glance at her more and more frequently as the sun started to set.
The yellow, mellow light of the sun was dyeing the city in a golden color as it declared its intent on sleeping.
"Thank you, Akeno, I appreciate it," Rias spoke to her suddenly, not only thanking her for today but also for putting up with her childishness and stupidity that no being should have to in the past few years. Always being a constant company to her and giving her enough confidence to do what she wished. For she believed that Akeno would be there just like always and stop her if she were to do something that counted as too much.
The eyes of Akeno widen for a brief moment before an amused and slightly sadistic expression adorns her face. "Fu Fu Fu, Kaichou, you don't have to confess to me in such a roundabout way; I will accept it regardless of whether it was direct or not."
"A…Ahem...Ahemmm." She coughed in her mouth as her face turned red, while she turned her head to look sideways. Trying to hide the blush that appeared on her cheek, despite her having no romantic interest in Akeno.
A second later, her mind, thinking that looking elsewhere after being teased would look too humiliating and childish, decided to do something else. She took out the sacred gear device that she got from her brother as a roundabout excuse, one last time, and checked it.
While this was happening, Akeno just looked at her with even more amusement evident in her eyes, and the glow in her eyes did not diminish, cueing Rias that she was about to open her mouth again and continue teasing her.
"Ding"
When that sound sounded, both Akeno's and Rias's minds froze as they both looked at the device that detected a sacred gear nearby.