"I hope you enjoyed the show. This was only a demonstration of what will happen if you dare to interfere with the interests of my faction."
That was the last thing the spectators saw before the transmission was cut off, leaving nothing but a deathly silence in different parts of the supernatural world.
Fights were not rare in that world. There were always conflicts between factions, even if most of them were minor. There always were. That was one of the reasons the human world could be so dangerous: you never knew who you were messing with.
Strong beings liked to hide their presences and even change their appearances. That being said, the times when someone tried to face a faction by themselves, or show superiority in that way, were very rare, almost nonexistent.
Beings capable of doing something like that were not seen often. Even Elohim, who had done similar things in the past, did not usually simply appear in front of his enemies and crush them with his own hands. The Biblical God had always been more subtle, preferring to impose his will through others, through signs, punishments, or demonstrations that made his power clear without needing to show himself directly.
You also did not see Chaos, or any other being of that level, doing whatever they wanted out there, except in some cases.
So seeing what Damon had done was certainly a surprise. And what made it an even greater surprise was the fact that he was not very well known in the supernatural world. That raised the alarms of many, reminding them of how incredibly unpredictable the world could be.
Now, how each faction would act individually with Damon and with the Greeks after this was something only time would reveal.
XXXXX
In a wide room decorated with gold and different Hindu symbols, Indra, god of war, storms, and rain, remained seated while staring fixedly at the screen with a frown. He had a cup in his hand, but he had not taken a single sip since the transmission began.
Indra clicked his tongue, resting his elbow on the arm of his seat. "What a vulgar spectacle. The Greeks are still as disappointing as ever. Always doing whatever they want instead of controlling their own dogs, and then they expect the world to praise them. Although I expected nothing less from that boy. Damon is still the same as he was so many years ago," the god said with a snort.
At his side, his wife Sachi rolled her eyes a little at her husband's attitude, though she remained calm. She knew Indra perfectly well. He was the type of god who complained about everything when something bothered him. "You say that as if what the king of Olympus did was the worst crime."
Indra quickly fixed his gaze on his wife, clearly irritated by her obvious denial. "Because it is, Sachi. Did you not see it? It was just a god showing off against devils. Nothing more." Sachi sighed softly. "Indra, you and I both know it is much more than that. Not to mention that the whole world knows the nature of devils. I would say that if we were in the Greeks' place, you would have done the same thing Lord Damon just did."
Indra let out a dry laugh, full of pride. "I suppose you are right." Sachi released a slightly relieved sigh that he understood, but that relief disappeared almost immediately. "But that does not mean that god has to feel like the owner of the world just because he crushed a few devils." Indra, for his part, leaned back in his seat with arrogance. "I should not even take him seriously."
Sachi looked at him with patience. "If you say so, my love," the Hindu goddess said. "Although you and I both know you do the same thing every time. When someone strong appears, you call them an insect, a dog, a brat, or anything else that makes you feel above them, just like you do with Shiva many times."
Indra's expression hardened instantly. "Do not compare that Greek to Shiva." Sachi raised an eyebrow. "Then you admit Shiva is different." Indra clenched his teeth. "I admitted nothing." Sachi did not respond, but the small smile that appeared on her face was enough to annoy the god of storms even more.
Indra frowned even more. "I am just saying that someone has to remind him of his place in the food chain." Sachi raised an eyebrow. "Someone?" Indra only smiled with arrogance, causing Sachi to roll her eyes. "Do not start doing something stupid." Indra gave her a small nudge with his elbow on the side. "Hey, we are talking about me. There is nothing to worry about," the god assured her. Sachi looked to the side, still unconvinced. "I just do not want you getting into unnecessary problems. Take the devils as an example. I do not want you to end up like them."
Sachi held her husband's hand. "I am only saying that you should not underestimate him because of pride." Indra wanted to refute with many things, but in the end, he simply remained silent, listening attentively to his beloved wife.
XXXXX
Back in the Underworld
Rias honestly could not believe the state her brother was in right now. In her entire life, she had never thought she would see Sirzechs without an arm, without his wings, and more dead than alive on a hospital bed. To her, her brother had always been invincible. He had always been Lucifer, the Maou everyone respected, the person who always fulfilled her whims without complaint. But now that image had broken before her eyes, leaving only the cruel reality that was impossible to accept.
The red-haired Gremory was currently in the Sitri hospital. The place was chaos, filled with wounded people everywhere, doctors running from one side to the other, and families waiting for news through tears. Even so, because Sirzechs was Lucifer, he had received the highest quality attention in a private room. Lord Sitri and Lady Sitri were present, both with grave expressions as they observed the Maou's body on the bed. Sona was also beside Rias, silently holding one of her hands, while both of their peerages remained behind them, not knowing what to say.
"We managed to stabilize him," Lord Sitri finally said, breaking the silence. His voice was serious, but even he could not completely hide the tension on his face. "His life is no longer in immediate danger. With rest, constant treatment, and specialized magical assistance, he should be able to wake up."
Rias raised her gaze with hope, wanting those words to be reality more than anything. "Then… will he recover?"
Lady Sitri lowered her gaze for a moment before answering. "He will recover enough to return to his normal state, Rias. But we cannot regenerate his arm or his wings." The room fell into complete silence. "The damage done is much more complex than we thought. We tried everything within our reach, but Sirzechs-sama's arm and wings… will not return."
Rias remained frozen. Her brother was going to live, but his wounds would remain on him forever. A permanent reminder of what had happened in Lilith. Her eyes began to fill with tears. "No…" she murmured with a broken voice. "It cannot be…"
Sona gently tightened her hold on Rias's hand. She was also pale. Her sister had come out better than Sirzechs, but even so, Serafall had ended unconscious, completely trapped in an illusion that the doctors had to carefully break. According to what her father had said, Serafall would recover relatively quickly, since her body had not suffered such serious damage, but even so, the fact that her sister had been defeated so easily… the image of invincibility that the two she-devils had of their respective older relatives had certainly been completely broken.
Rias clenched her fists tightly while tears continued falling down her cheeks. The redhead said nothing, only fixing her gaze on her brother, observing his wounded body. Her breathing began to tremble, and all that pain started mixing with a rage born from the helplessness of seeing her brother in that state without being able to do absolutely anything. "It cannot stay like this," she murmured at first, almost in a whisper. Then she raised her head, her eyes wet and filled with fury. "He cannot simply do this and get away with it. That thing attacked my brother! It attacked Grayfia, Serafall-sama, everyone! Someone has to do something!"
Akeno lowered her gaze, moving her feet uncomfortably. When Rias had her tantrums, even she did not know how to calm her. Koneko, for her part, was expressionless enough to remain silently at the side, although internally she was still in shock from everything that had happened. However, in her case, it was not because of Rias or her brother. It was because of the beasts she had seen, because of the absurd amount of chakra she had felt, and because of the pressure that still seemed to cling to her instincts. Right now, she could care very little about Rias's tantrum. Behind Sona, her peerage and Tsubaki Shinra observed the scene with seriousness, but they also did not dare to intervene.
"Rias," Sona said carefully, trying to keep her voice firm. "I understand how you feel, but right now, it is not a good idea to speak like that."
Rias turned toward her, hurt and upset. "Then what do you want me to do? Sit here while my brother is bedridden? Tell me, Sona! What do I do?" the redhead shouted.
Sona tensed a little at the Gremory's shouting, but even so, she maintained her firmness, looking directly at Rias and showing the difference in maturity between both she-devils, even when they were the same age. "What you need to do right now is maintain your composure. I am telling you this because acting out of anger would only put the Gremory House in a worse situation. And I remind you that my sister was also defeated." Rias clenched her teeth, clearly not wanting to accept those words. "It is different. My brother is Lucifer. There should not be anyone capable of doing this to him! He is stronger than everyone! He is ten times stronger than the original Lucifer!"
Lord Sitri closed his eyes. He had already heard enough and, truthfully, he disliked the redhead's attitude, but what could he expect from someone who had been spoiled her entire life? That was precisely what he and Lady Sitri had worked hard not to instill in Sona and Serafall. Those bad habits could destroy a noble house if they were not corrected in time, and the prudence of the Sitri family had been one of the reasons they had gone so far in the Underworld.
"Miss Rias, it would be good if you please kept your voice down. I remind you that this is a Sitri hospital," Lord Sitri said with a firm voice, cutting off Rias's impulse. The redhead looked at him, breathing with difficulty, while he returned her gaze with hardness. "It is true that Sirzechs-sama is Lucifer. But that does not change the fact that there are people capable of defeating him. Lord Damon is not only one of them, but he is powerful enough to go against the entire Underworld. That is the reality we all must accept now."
Lady Sitri nodded slowly, completely agreeing with her husband, looking at Rias with severity. "As the Gremory heiress and as a young lady, you should act according to your position. I know it hurts to see your family member like this, but as my husband already said, the Underworld could not stand against Lord Damon. Much less could a child like you." Rias opened her mouth to respond, clearly in complete denial, her face red with anger, but Lady Sitri continued before she could do so. "The Gremory House is already in a delicate position. Your father can do nothing. Venelana is currently doing everything possible for her family. If you act out of pride, you will put her in an even more difficult situation than the one she is already in. Is that what you want, Rias?"
Rias's shoulders trembled, but eventually she only shook her head. "No, ma'am," the Gremory murmured.
"I am glad you understand," Lady Sitri replied, without softening her tone. "For the sake of your house, you must never cross that line with Lord Damon in your life."
The warning was difficult for the redhead to swallow, but she simply remained silent. Lord Sitri looked at everyone in the room, making it clear that those words were also directed at them. "For now, what we must do is survive and rebuild. That is the only sensible thing. Nothing else matters."
Everyone in the room nodded, showing that they had heard the Sitri and that they completely agreed. Meanwhile, Rias bit her lower lip, unable to stop the tears. "Brother…" she murmured. Sona remained at her side, holding her hand, while the warnings from Lord and Lady Sitri continued weighing on the minds of everyone present.
And even so, deep in the Gremory's chest, buried beneath the pain, Rias refused to accept them. To her, what had been done to her brother was completely illegal in every sense. The Gremory's fingers tightened even more around Sona's hand, and a small flame of resentment began to grow.
Brother… I will avenge you. I promise.
Rias did not say it out loud. She knew the adults would try to stop her… And without realizing it, Rias Gremory had just taken her first step toward a future problem she was not even remotely prepared for.
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