Yo we reached our power stone goal so here's bonus chapters, Enjoy!
------------------------------------------------------------
"Now that's a blunder."
Lieutenant Governor Shemhazai said those words the moment he entered the conference room in the Demon King's territory.
Azazel, who was already seated with a cup of tea in his hand, let out a tired sigh.
"That's an understatement,"
The atmosphere inside the room was heavy. Several important figures had gathered there, and none of them looked pleased.
The Khaos Brigade had launched an attack.
More precisely, they had intruded deep into demonic territory during an official gathering filled with noble heirs, high-class devils, and important political figures. It was already bad enough that enemies had managed to get that close. But the situation became even worse when they realized how it had happened.
No one had expected Kuroka, the super S-ranked stray devil wanted throughout the Underworld, to use a familiar to spy on the party from within.
And then Adrien Agares got involved.
What should have been a controlled rescue turned into a disaster that erased an entire section of the territory. A large area that had once been forest was now reduced to rubble and ash, replaced by a massive crater that could be seen from the castle itself.
But the destruction was not even the most troubling part. The real problem was what Adrien had revealed.
Adrien had shown the world that he was now wielding the power of the true Phoenix, Aurephion. The primordial phoenix of legend.
Shemhazai continued his report.
"The intruders were Bikou and Kuroka. Both of them belong to the Khaos Brigade's special autonomous unit, Team Vali. Both of them possess enormous strength. Kuroka is a super S-ranked stray devil and one of the most dangerous wanted criminals in the Underworld. Her mastery over senjutsu, youjutsu, poison techniques, and space manipulation makes her extremely difficult to restrain or eliminate."
"As for Bikou, he was a descendant of the original Sun Wukong. He wielded the Ruyi Jingu Bang and possessed extremely high physical ability, Touki control, and combat instincts. Under normal circumstances, he would be considered a major threat even among high-class devils."
Azazel placed his cup down on the table.
"And now he's dead."
"Yes," Shemhazai answered. "Killed by Adrien Agares during the fight."
The incident itself had already been brought under control.
Rias and Koneko had been exposed to Kuroka's poison, but fortunately, the treatment came almost immediately after the battle ended. Thanks to that, neither of them suffered any lasting damage. At worst, they were left with minor illness and exhaustion while their bodies recovered from the toxins.
In a strange way, it could almost be called a fortunate miscalculation by the Khaos Brigade.
They had infiltrated demonic territory during a gathering filled with important noble families. They had targeted the Demon King's younger sister, attempted to take Koneko, and trapped the battlefield inside a space barrier to hide the entire incident from the outside world.
And yet, in the end, they failed.
Bikou, a member of Team Vali and a descendant of Sun Wukong, had been killed during the battle. That alone was a serious blow. Even among the Khaos Brigade's more dangerous units, fighters like Bikou were not easy to replace.
The Demon King's precious little sister was safe, the Red Dragon Emperor had displayed the progress of his Balance Breaker, and Adrien Agares had revealed power that shook every noble house watching from the sidelines.
It was a terrifying revelation, but from the perspective of the Three Factions' alliance, it was also a powerful message. Their side now possessed not only the Red Dragon Emperor, but also a young Ultimate-class devil capable of wielding primordial phoenix flames strong enough to erase a battlefield.
They decided that the upcoming Rating Game would continue despite everything that had happened.
Canceling it now would only make the Khaos Brigade's attack look more effective than it actually was. Rias and Koneko had already received treatment, the castle had been secured, and the guests had been moved to protected areas.
So the match between Sona Sitri and Rias Gremory would proceed as planned.
Across the room, Tannin sat in his miniaturized form, his massive presence compressed into a much smaller body. "I suppose I'll throw my support behind Lady Rias. After all, I personally trained the Red Dragon Emperor, and he fights under her banner."
Another noble leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful.
"The knowledge Azazel has brought into the Rating Game world may usher in a true revolution. Training methods, Sacred Gear research, tactical analysis, anti-monster combat theory… if this spreads properly, the younger generation could overturn the rankings within a year."
"That would be refreshing," another devil said with a faint smile. "The top ten has barely changed in decades. We might finally have something interesting to watch."
"Well when Adrien enter it, he will change the ranking all by himself."
Then the doors to the room suddenly swung open. Every conversation stopped.
Everyone turned toward the entrance, and silence fell over the room almost instantly.
Standing there was a one-eyed elderly man wearing a worn hat. His white beard was so long that it almost reached the floor. In one hand, he carried a cane, leaning on it casually as he walked slowly toward the room.
The old man looked around the room, then gave a displeased snort.
"Hmph. Don't you striplings know how to greet an old man properly?"
Then Tannin's eyes widened slightly.
"Odin…"
The name spread through the room like a shockwave.
Several devils immediately straightened. Others looked openly bewildered, as if they couldn't believe that the chief god of Norse mythology had just entered the room so casually after a Khaos Brigade attack and a near-disaster in Gremory territory.
Odin tapped his cane against the floor.
"What? Did you all forget how to speak?" he grumbled. "I came all this way, and this is the welcome I receive?"
An armor-clad maiden stood beside the Norse god.
She was clearly a Valkyrie. Her posture was straight, her armor polished, and her expression disciplined.
Azazel's mouth curled into a grin the moment he saw Odin. "Oooh, long time no see, you old northern goat!"
Several devils in the room stiffened at the way Azazel greeted him. Speaking to the chief god of Norse mythology like that was not something most people would dare to do.
Odin, however, only stroked his long white beard and narrowed his one good eye.
"Indeed, fallen angel brat," he said. "And it seems you've been getting rather comfortable with your old enemies. Don't tell me you're scheming something troublesome again."
"Ha! Unlike you old Norse codgers and your endless rules, traditions, and dusty customs, we're actually trying something new. We've decided to stop wasting time on pointless hatred and focus on growth."
"Growth?" Odin repeated, almost mockingly. "No, That is weakness. That is the mentality of a beaten dog. You call it progress because it sounds better than admitting defeat. Angels without their God. Devils without their original Demon Kings. Fallen angels without a purpose. You have gathered together because none of you know where to go alone."
Azazel's smile faded slightly. "It's called standing on your own two feet, you wrinkly scumbag."
----------------------------------------------------------------
Yo when we reach 400 power stones I'll drop two bonus chapters!