Sirzechs rose from his seat, "Welcome, Odin, Great Lord of the North."
"Sirzechs," Odin replied. "I came here on your invitation to watch this Rating Game of yours. But from the look of things, you're having a harder time than expected. The White Dragon Emperor is the offspring of the original Lucifer, and now he has joined a terrorist organization. The Khaos Brigade is moving more boldly by the day. Your Underworld has an uncertain future ahead of it."
No one could easily deny it. The recent attack had already proven that the Khaos Brigade could reach deep into demonic territory. If they could send members of Team Vali into a noble gathering, then the situation was far more dangerous than anyone wanted to admit.
Sirzechs's expression remained composed, "We are aware of the threat. That is precisely why cooperation between factions has become necessary."
"Cooperation, huh? We'll see how long that pretty word holds when your enemies start tearing at the foundation."
Then his gaze shifted. His single eye landed on Serafall. For a moment, the ancient god stared at her outfit in complete silence.
"By the way, Serafall. What exactly is that outfit supposed to be?"
Serafall, who was dressed in a bright magical-girl costume inspired by Japanese anime, immediately brightened. She placed one hand on her hip, spun around dramatically, then flashed a cheerful peace sign.
"Oh, Mr. Odin! Don't you know? I'm a magical girl!"
Odin stroked his long beard. "Hmm. So this is what passes for popular among you youngsters these days?"
His eye moved over the costume with obvious interest, and his wrinkled face slowly formed an approving grin as he ogled Serafall's legs and panties. "Not bad. Hmm, hmm. Yes… not bad at all."
The Valkyrie maiden immediately stepped between Odin and Serafall, her face burning red with embarrassment.
"Lord Odin, please control yourself!" she snapped. "You mustn't behave so shamelessly in front of foreign leaders! Think of what this will do to the good name of Valhalla!"
"Geez, you're so uptight. This is why you can never find a good hero to date."
The Valkyrie froze. Then her disciplined expression cracked instantly.
"I-I'm just an old warrior maiden with no history of love or relationships!" she shouted, her voice filled with frustration. "You think I don't want a boyfriend? I do! Ughhhhh!"
Several people in the room stared at her in awkward silence.
Azazel covered his mouth, clearly trying not to laugh, while Serafall tilted her head with genuine pity.
Odin, completely ignoring the damage he had just caused, turned his attention back to Sirzechs.
"Anyway, I already know what is going on," he said, stroking his long white beard. "Sirzechs. Serafall. Your younger sisters are going to fight each other, aren't they? Making your precious little sisters wage war against each other for your entertainment. And friends, no less. You truly are devils in every sense of the word."
Sirzechs did not look offended. Instead, he gave Odin a calm smile.
"If Rias cannot overcome a trial like this, then her growth will stop. The future of devilkind cannot advance if the next generation is protected from every challenge."
Serafall puffed out her cheeks. "Sona is not just fighting for entertainment either! This is an important step for her dream!"
"Well then," he said, resting both hands on his cane. "Your little incident with the Khaos Brigade is all well and good, but I came here to watch this Rating Game of yours. So? When is it going to start?"
Serafall immediately raised her hand, her eyes sparkling with sisterly pride. "My Sona is going to win!"
--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>
"Fuck no. She's about to get absolutely destroyed."
Adrien said it flatly, without even looking back at the castle.
He was standing outside with his peerage gathered around him, far away from the noise and excitement of the nobles preparing to watch the Rating Game. After everything that had happened with Kuroka, Bikou, and the crater outside the castle, most people were eager to see the match continue. To them, it was a sign that the Underworld would not be shaken by the Khaos Brigade.
But Adrien looked completely uninterested.
"I'm not watching it," he said. "It's going to be boring."
"Boring?" Saeko asked. "Isn't it supposed to be a match between two heiresses? Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri should be close in strength, shouldn't they?"
Mary hummed. "Maybe you're underestimating Sona Sitri. She is supposed to be very intelligent, no?"
"I'm not underestimating her," Adrien replied. "That's the problem. I know exactly how good she is."
"Sona is smart. Probably smarter than Rias in strategy. Her peerage is more disciplined too. They work like a proper team, and if this was a clean tactical match between two normal peerages, Sona would have a real chance."
Mahiru blinked. "Then why do you think she'll lose so badly?"
"Because Rias has Issei."
The girls fell silent for a moment.
Adrien continued, his tone still casual but certain.
"I trained that idiot myself for almost a month," Adrien said. "You might have noticed how his demeanor changed. That confidence didn't come from nowhere. It came from strength. I forced him to fight multiple harrowing horrors, creatures that would have broken most people his age. And he survived. More than that, he managed to defeat some of them."
"You think Sona's peerage cannot stop him?" Xenovia asked.
"They can't," Adrien said. "Not if he enters Balance Breaker."
He smirked faintly, already imagining how the match would unfold.
"If the rules force them into close-range combat, then it won't even be a proper battle. It'll be a humiliating defeat."
The girls looked at him in silence for a moment. Adrien didn't sound like he was guessing. He spoke as if the result had already been decided.
"That's why it's going to be boring. Why would I waste my time watching a battle when I already know how it's going to end?"
Suddenly, electricity crackled through the air around them. It started as a faint sound, like static crawling over the grass. Then the pressure changed.
Adrien's eyes narrowed, sensing the anomaly almost immediately.
He glanced at his peerage. "Go to the castle, I have someone to talk to."
The girls looked at each other for a second. Celia's expression tightened, Saeko placed a hand near her weapon, and Xenovia frowned as if she wanted to stay and fight. But Adrien's tone left no room for argument.
Just as they were about to move, the sky above them flashed white. A lightning bolt descended from the clouds and struck the ground behind Adrien.
BOOOOM!
The impact shook the area, blasting dirt and stone outward in a violent wave. The girls instinctively raised their arms to shield themselves from the wind, while sparks scattered across the ground like living snakes.
Adrien didn't even flinch. He stood still, hands in his pockets while his coat shifted from the force of the blast.
A large man stood in the center of the scorched ground.
No—calling him large almost felt like an insult.
He was gigantic.
His body was packed with muscle, broad and heavy like a mountain given human form.
Lightning crawled around him in thin, violent lines, snapping against the air before fading into sparks.
Adrien slowly lifted his head to look at him. Then he clicked his tongue and tilted his head even more just to fully meet the man's gaze.
The giant had long red hair that fell around his shoulders, and his thick beard was the same fiery color. His blue eyes shone sharply beneath his brow, bright and restless, as if lightning itself was crackling behind them.