DxD: Like a Devil Chapter 70

Edited by: Priapus, Marethyu

– Daigo –

If there was one thing he could appreciate, it was peace and quiet. Something he couldn’t enjoy much of, considering his position, but he would take what he could get. A rare moment where he could calm his nerves was a blessing, especially after so many ‘events’ happening consecutively; he wondered if fate was out to get him.

Though Daigo was not a religious man. Really, it was difficult to be religious while knowing gods walked among them— that they were less ‘gods’ and more a different species. They were neither all-powerful nor unkillable. Not to say Daigo had been religious before he’d been introduced to the supernatural, but he had digressed. It was nice to get a moment where there was no conference or invasion to worry about.

As a memory of that damned report flashed in his mind, he couldn’t help but sigh in exhaustion. Of all times to attack, those bastards had chosen the Young Devil Gathering? They’d really decided to invade the same year Tatsu’s girl joined as a guest? Just what was her luck? Of course, Daigo was glad that nothing tragic had happened. Miraculously, there had been no civilian casualties—the New Satans’ response had been quick and efficient. Moreover, Akane's actual defeat of one of the Old Satans' leaders was good news.

Her growing popularity as some sort of supernatural celebrity, especially after winning the tournament, was overall a net positive for the Tojo Clan. Good PR led to increased business, as more factions became interested in their weapons and technology. Business meant more allies and money, which they used to fund future projects.

So really, he was thankful for the girl. Though he couldn’t say he’d ever get used to her attracting the wrong crowd. Ever since Akane had entered the picture, she'd been entangled in conspiracies left and right. It hadn’t even been a year yet. He was hoping she wouldn’t get in trouble during her vacation. She may be a trouble magnet just like her father, but what were the odds, right?

Then again, she was a clear target for the Amon Clan, so perhaps it was not entirely her fault. The invasion might have been just a coincidence. Maybe their involvement did not change much, and the Old Satans had always intended to carry out this invasion, but if the Amon had truly orchestrated everything, how desperate were they to capture her? What did Akane possess that made her so critical to their plans?

Daigo was aware of how… odd the girl was. Primarily, her bizarre power growth and out-of-place talent in spatial magic. As far as he knew, she was a unique case, especially among humans. He’d heard of gifted warriors growing exponentially powerful under pressure, showing up only once every few hundred years, and Akane seemed to display these characteristics. At times, he wondered if Tatsu had passed down his genetically engineered bullshittery to her, but that apparently wasn’t the case.

She didn’t exhibit any unnatural ability to regenerate wounds rapidly, nor had she been born with any draconic strength. The only things she had inherited from Tatsu were his red eyes and tendency to get into street brawls. She was more or less human and had gotten most of her magical talent from her mother. But that couldn’t be all of it, could it? The Amon Clan must know something about her that they didn’t. Daigo had a hard time believing that they’d risk so much just to get her.

But he had reflected on those thoughts too many times. He had other things to worry about.

The Sixth Chairman gazed at the odd photo in his hand, that of a strange, white-haired child with a gentle smile on their face. He wasn’t sure what he was looking at, but what he knew was that he didn’t like this individual. Something about their face drew out a growing feeling of unease from him. It felt like he was being stared at. By them somehow. He wasn’t alone in that—every person who looked at the photo for longer than a few seconds felt it as well.

Right after the Old Satan invasion and its aftermath, Akiyama had approached Daigo for a favor, which he had been happy to oblige. Not only were they good allies, but Akiyama was a close friend of Kiryu’s, and that was all Daigo needed to know that he was trustworthy. Why would he deny an easy request?

To keep an eye out and, if possible, look for the individual in the photo. Simple. Of course, he didn’t know why they were wanted and who wanted them. Akiyama always made sure that his clients kept their anonymity for a multitude of reasons. Only that, whoever they were, they were ‘the most important client he had ever gotten.’

That was enough to gain Daigo’s interest, and once he’d seen the photo, he knew that whoever this… thing was, it needed to be found.

He exhaled through his nose and turned off his phone. Not like they were making any progress on that front, and his gut told him that they wouldn’t any time soon.

As the door of his office opened, his right-hand man walked in, holding a couple of papers in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

“Excuse me.” He said politely, entering the office and closing the door behind him.

“Ah, Mine.” Daigo acknowledged with a nod. “How’s development on our tech upgrades?”

Mine put the papers and cup on the Chairman’s desk.

“Better than we thought.” He answered. “They’re already in the testing and debugging stage. We might get them a week earlier than predicted.”

“Excellent.” Daigo smiled, pausing once he saw the look on his captain’s face.

Although he always looked like he was two seconds away from killing someone with that frown on his face, Daigo worked with Mine for years. He knew when the guy was worried.

“What’s wrong?”

He took a moment before responding.

“In Majima-san’s report regarding the invasion, he mentioned that the Amon owned nanotech.” He clarified. “Something beyond anything our engineers can reasonably produce.”

Daigo’s smile faded as he realized that, despite their significant progress over the past month, they remained considerably inferior. If it ever came down to a conflict between them, the Tojo would be at a huge disadvantage.

“I’m afraid our current upgrades still pale in comparison.” He added. “They wouldn’t be of any help against the Amon.”

“Probably not, but progress is progress,” Daigo responded, leaning back on his chair. “And this is all we can do at the moment.”

Mine remained silent, prompting the Chairman to continue.

“You have to keep in mind that their priority isn’t us. It’s the capture of Akane Amamiya.” He said. “And after the past few weeks, I trust she’ll be able to handle herself. She’s proven her strength, hasn’t she?”

Although he didn’t seem entirely convinced, Mine hadn’t bothered to argue. Or rather, couldn’t, as he put a finger over his earpiece, eyes narrowing.

“What?” He muttered almost tonelessly, but Daigo picked up on his shock. “Understood. I’ll send someone over to investigate.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Another gang has suddenly disappeared.” He answered. “The Heishi in Nagasaki.”

“Is it the terrorist?” Daigo frowned. “Again?”

“Evidently.” Mine nodded. “And it seems that they left a message this time.”

Bringing up a holographic screen, Daigo’s frown deepened at what he saw. Written on the concrete walls with what appeared to be blood and in English was a simple statement. One which was a significant cause of concern, not just for the Yakuza, but even the three biblical factions, were they to see it.

“GOD IS DEAD”

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– Akane –

I can't say I was completely confident about doing this, but it had to be done. Honestly, it was kind of exciting, too. Any mistake, no matter how small, could have messed everything up and ruined me, so having this little plan go smoothly makes me feel good about myself. I should probably get used to that, seeing how immaculate I am.

A few days have passed since I beat up Yamai, and we’ve been waiting for Magnus to get back to us ever since. Don’t know what’s taking him so long, but I hate doing nothing, so with the Bronze Spheres still not finding anything of value around Hawaii, I decided to play around with the portal machine some more. I mean, I barely got a chance to use it beyond confirming it can help me travel through dimensions.

However, due to its limitations, which require signal receivers to connect before opening a portal, there isn’t much I can do. And so, with some of my Spyders being back in Japan, I decided to take a more daring approach. After all, I’ve barely had time to ‘build’ this villain persona—her goals, personality, and motivations.

What better time to do this than now?

This doubly works as a diversion to distance myself from ‘her’. Akane Amamiya, the Amamiya Family heiress of the Tojo Clan, is in Hawaii. How and why would she return to Japan to cause trouble? Moreover, how does she know about a secret so closely guarded by the three biblical factions that they personally asked the Yakuza to keep it under wraps during one of the most crucial meetings in the past hundred years?

How could she possibly know that God is dead?

This will act as a layer of protection because even if they somehow find some proof of my involvement, these types of questions would make them think twice before accusing me of anything. It’ll give me more time to figure out how to get rid of any other evidence that could prove my guilt.

So yes, maybe I took a huge risk by metaphorically poking the hornet’s nest when there was no need to, but it’s all for a good reason. I don’t want to be with them forever. I’m better than that. I’m better than them and everyone else. The only ‘faction’ I’d be okay with being part of is one under my control—my own organization.

But that’s for future Akane to worry about, as I don’t see myself not needing the Yakuza’s backing for a while, so burning bridges so soon might not be the brightest idea. Until I’m absolutely sure I’ve fully surpassed them, their tech, and every single one of their ‘legends’, I’ll continue playing the good guy.

Who knows? Maybe that day will come a lot sooner than expected. Maybe this Esperanza treasure is exactly what I need to start my ‘independent’ arc. Where I don’t have to worry about hiding who and what I really am…

It sounds nice.

Though gaining the power to be comfortable in showing my true self is ironically the easy part. Convincing certain, pure-hearted individuals to follow my lead is what’s going to be hard to accomplish.

“A date?” I parrot, pausing my work on a new Bronze Sphere and blinking at Ichi in confusion.

“Yeah. I know it sounds weird, but ever since we started dating, we’ve never really gone on a date together.” He clarifies, suddenly growing nervous. “I mean, we kinda skipped a few steps, didn’t we?”

…Then again, oddly enough, it’s not like I dislike this purity of his. It makes him sentimental, compassionate, and weak— traits I thoroughly despise in a person…

Yet, for some reason, I don’t really hate it when it’s him. On the contrary, it feels right with Ichi. As if he’d be lesser without his annoying purity. It’s weird. Am I just biased or something? Maybe I’m giving him leeway because I like him?

…No, that would imply I can be wrong, and my opinion is always the right one.

“Sure, but what’s the difference between dates and what we’ve already been doing?” I ask, ignoring those fuzzy and annoying feelings for now. “We hang out all the time, don’t we?”

Slipping back into the resort after my funny little act of terrorism was easy, but that’s because I’m good at time management, even with the vastly different time zones of Hawaii and Japan. Also, even with how fast I’m able to move, teleportation really is a different beast. Seriously, in and out in a matter of seconds makes the minutes I’d take by flying feel like an eternity.

It has been a few hours since I made it back, and everyone has already woken up. Irina dragged Xenovia, Issei, and Kiba to play volleyball with the excuse of ‘team building exercise’, while Koneko and Asia stayed inside to watch anime. But with Magnus’s lack of response, tensions are starting to run high. I'm somewhat affected too, seeing how much I hate waiting and doing nothing.

He should hurry up, because if I get any more anxious, I’m raiding that little underground base. Can’t imagine the loot we’d find in that black market place. Weapons, magic items, artifacts, and maybe tech, all of the illegal variety, probably. How can I not be excited?

Though admittedly, I am a little more interested in whatever ‘Patient Zero’ is. I wonder if its soul is worth taking.

“I dunno, it’s hard to explain.” He shrugs, not entirely sure what he’s talking about either. “When we hang out, we just do. There’s no deeper meaning beyond it.”

“Wow, really? Sorry for not giving you the full girlfriend experience.” I scoff playfully. “Didn’t think you could get friend-zoned by your own boyfriend.”

“That’s not what I meant.” He replies. “I think it’s the mindset that’s different? We hang out, yeah, but never… romantically, I guess?”

I stare at him silently, still not sure what he’s saying, making him sigh.

“I’m saying I want to take you out for dinner sometime soon.” He explains. “A proper date where I handle everything. You always take care of me, so I wanna show my appreciation.”

“Oh. Why didn’t you just say that?” I giggle, amused at how cute he was acting. “I don’t get what you’re so embarrassed about.”

“I know. I’m just not used to not being single yet.” He admits adorably before looking at me expectantly. “So you’re down for it or…”

“Sure, sounds fun.” I nod, giving him a grin and putting the wrench on the desk. “There’s a dress I wanted to try out, and this is the perfect excuse. But I’m warning you, if this date turns out to be boring, I’m telling you how it is. I’m not gonna be mincing my words.”

“Fine by me.” He responds as he lights up in excitement. “Can’t be any worse than anything you’ve already said to me.”

“You make it sound like I’m abusing you.” I raise an eyebrow. “I’m only mean to you because I know you like it.”

“I don’t.”

“You do~ I’ve seen what you’re like in bed, Ichi.” I tease. “You like it when women are mean to you and call you awful names, don’t you? Masochist~”

On the desk, my phone then suddenly vibrates, making me pick it up to check the notification. It’s none other than the security cameras alerting me of someone parking their car in front of the main gate. Finally. About damn time. Expected a message telling us to come to Revolve, but this is better.

“As much as I want to argue, I know it’s a lost cause with you.” He retorts, not as affected by my teasing anymore. “You can believe whatever you want to believe.”

“I believe only the truth.” I shrug nonchalantly, getting up from my seat. “I bet you’d be happy if I offered to sit on your face.”

“What does that have to do with anything?!” He exclaims in surprise. “Where did that even come from?”

“You’re not denying it~”

“I don’t know what kind of person you take me for, but I’m really not into that sort of stuff—”

“I’ll do it if you tell the truth.”

The words quickly die in his throat before he fakes a cough with a bright red face.

“Well, I mean, if you really insist…” He mumbles, folding instantly. As expected.

He’s just so easy.

“I thought so~” I giggle. “Come on, Magnus is at the door. Hopefully with some good news.”

“About time.” He sighs.

“Right?” I roll my eyes, leaving our room. “I was starting to get bored. Though we might have to delay our date.”

“As long as we get to go on one.”

Oh, we will. Because now I’m interested in his idea of what a ‘date’ is supposed to be like. Either it’s so bad that it gives me fuel to tease him more, an attempt so adorable that it makes me swoon, or he might actually surprise me. So really, it’s a win-win for me. And him. Because, regardless of how our date goes, he’s getting a reward at the end of it.

But for now, time to see what the CIA has for us. I swear, if he tells us to ‘stand by’ or wait any longer, I’m telling him to fuck off.

Because there’s a supernatural black market begging me to raid it.

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– Magnus –

“Thank you.” He accepted the hot mug of coffee from the former nun with a smile. “Would’ve stopped by a cafe, but I didn’t want to be late.”

“You’re welcome.” Asia nodded.

“We have already waited a few days. A couple more minutes wouldn’t have hurt.” The yakuza princess said. “I’m surprised you didn’t tell us to meet you back at Revolve. What’s up with that?”

At Amamiya’s resort, the CIA, the Tojo yakuza, the devils, and the exorcists gathered around the dinner table to discuss certain subjects at Magnus’ request. It was an odd combination of different factions working together to stop a potential world-ending threat, and admittedly, he’d had his doubts at first. But these kids were alright. They’d proven themselves to be capable.

He could see why they, or at least the princess, had been instrumental in defeating Kokabiel and pushing back the Old Satans during their invasion. Effortlessly beating Yamai without breaking a sweat was no easy task— her strength was the real deal. And sure, maybe it was luck that they’d managed to capture one of the three leaders, what with Yamai approaching Amamiya first, but who said luck never played a part in succeeding?

Magnus had been ready for a headache and a half when these kids decided to stick their noses in his business, but now he was glad that he’d let them and that his gamble had paid off. Yes, it might be at the risk of pissing off several factions at once, but with how enthusiastic this group was about being part of a super secret mission, he doubted he’d get much flak for it. Not when the princess had practically threatened to get involved with or without his consent.

Unlike regular kids, who you could just tell to fuck off, they could cause a lot of problems. So what was he to do? Might as well see how long their lucky streak lasts before it ends and they stop being useful. But even if they weren’t helpful as investigators, Magnus was glad that a bunch of unreasonably powerful kids were on his side.

Because worst-case scenario, he didn’t think he could take on the volcano goddess on his own.

“It’s what Yamai said that bothered me.” He responded to the princess. “Something about this Overseer knowing things he shouldn’t.”

Of course, this could be nothing more than a meaningless warning. Perhaps Yamai was predictable, especially seeing the resource advantage the Overseer had, but Magnus wasn’t going to risk it. Powerful clairvoyance techniques and abilities existed, and they could be dealing with a master.

“I wouldn’t think about it too much.” Akane waved her hand, her tone arrogant and full of herself. “You really think a battle junkie like Yamai is sophisticated enough to fool someone who avoided your organization for this long?”

The Agent’s eyes inspected that hand from a distance, more specifically, the bronze ring she wore. A piece of technology he’d never seen before. She’d never shown such a thing back in the bar. What was this, and where had she gotten it? Something new she’d built? How could that be when it didn’t follow the design philosophy of her spy tech?

Was this Tojo tech? No. It was similar, yes, but not quite the same. Unless there was another tech-based faction lending her stuff, it was her creation. But if that was the case, then what had happened to her spy tech?

...She couldn’t have redeveloped her tech from the ground up with a different style in just a few days without any assistance from the yakuza, could she? He thought. Because that would be insane.

As grateful as he was for her help, he did NOT like how suspicious she was. She was hiding something. He didn’t know what she could possibly be planning, but whatever it was, it could be dangerous. He had to keep an eye out.

“Better be safe than sorry,” Magnus shrugged, remaining composed. “With Honolulu being his territory, I’d rather distance myself from him in case we are being spied on.”

“I thought Hawaii was your territory?” Issei blinked.

“We thought so, too.” He replied dryly.

“Sheesh.” The Red Dragon Emperor said, rubbing his neck. “He’s real good at hiding, isn’t he?”

“You expect anything less from a heretic?” The blue-haired exorcist scoffed. “Hiding in the shadows like a rat. A coward incapable of facing us properly, content with hurting innocent people for his benefit. What can you call such a sick individual other than vermin?”

“A disgusting, disease-ridden pest is an apt description for this type of weakling we’re dealing with.” Akane agreed with a smirk. “But let’s be fair. He should be scared, seeing who he’s up against.”

Although the rest seemed so done with her theatrics, none of them tried to even admonish her for her arrogance. Which would’ve been understandable considering her position, but Magnus could tell that some of them shared those thoughts.

…Did he mention that he wasn’t a big fan of how overconfident these kids were? Impressive resume or not, they were still dealing with a potential world-ending threat here.

“Regardless, I came here to discuss a few things my operator discovered.” He returned to the subject at hand, drawing everyone’s attention. “Mainly, what the Overseer is truly after.”

“Oh?”

Indeed. Although not anything new on his part, after his report to HQ, his superiors decided that it was time to share some classified information with this group of misfits. This was something Magnus had known long before he even came to Hawaii as part of his briefing, and decided to omit it from the kids in case they were more trouble than it was worth. But they’d proven their worth as reliable allies, meaning they deserved to be in the loop.

Though he was going to keep the ‘rogue CIA splinter group helping the Overseer’ a secret for now. He wasn’t obligated to tell them everything.

“We knew that whatever he planned could cause disasters if it ever came to fruition, but the truth is a lot worse than we thought.” He said. “The Overseer seeks to revive Pele, the Volcano Goddess of Hawaiian mythology.”

None of the kids reacted in the way he expected— all of them remained quiet, staring at him in mild confusion.

“…That’s bad?” Irina asked.

“Of course, it’s bad, idiot.” Xenovia huffed. “A false god should remain in the grave, dead and forgotten.”

“Yeah, but he makes it sound a lot worse than it is.”

He’d anticipated looks of shock or fear at the mention of her name, but it seemed that none knew who she was, so he explained further.

“Pele is an ancient goddess with delusions of grandeur. A warmonger who killed countless for the sake of conquest.” He said. “Only a few short years after the Great Biblical War, she chose to invade heaven with an entire army in an attempt to claim the infinite realms for herself.”

“I imagine she was stopped?” Akane asked, looking very interested.

“Barely,” Magnus confirmed. “The angels were heavily weakened during her invasion, fresh out of a war that took a lot from them. Had it not been for Shiva, she might’ve succeeded in wiping out or enslaving the entire race.”

“Shiva…” Ichiban parroted. That was a name that got a reaction. “You mean it took the strongest being in all the realms to stop her?”

“Why would Shiva help the angels?” Xenovia questioned.

“Because Pele taking the Throne of Heaven is a disaster for everyone.” He clarified. “She is evil, insane, and opportunistic. Perhaps worse than the Old Satans in that regard.”

“That’s one hell of a bar to pass,” Akane said in amusement. “So this Overseer is some old religious nutjob who worships Pele? Huh, I wonder where I heard this before?”

“Mr. Bryce…” Asia’s eyes widened. “No way— It couldn’t be him!”

“I mean, shit, he fits the bill, doesn’t he?” Ichiban muttered. “But why would he walk around Honolulu like that? Isn’t it too risky from his perspective?”

“At the same time, he endangered his own life to save Asia,” Irina added. “So I’m getting some mixed signals here.”

“It’s not him.” Magnus shook his head. “Or at least, my operator doesn’t think so.”

“And how can they be sure?” Akane raised an eyebrow.

“We’ve run several background checks on him. Even had him tailed for a couple of weeks.” He retorted. “Nothing. Not a single indication of him being involved. As far as we’re aware, he’s a normal old man who owns an orphanage.”

And he had good reason to be confident in that. After all, Magnus was the one who’d done everything long before he came to Hawaii. He ran the background checks. He sifted through the files and records. He tailed the old man. All without telling a single soul— not even his superiors. Because running the risk of alerting this splinter group was the last thing they needed. It’d be easy for the Overseer to avoid them with their help.

“Dunno, still sounds pretty suspicious,” Akane said, not convinced. “Like Ichi said, he fits the bill. You sure he didn’t do anything questionable at all?”

“I’m sure.” Magnus nodded. “But if you want to investigate him yourself, then go ahead. Just don’t make it obvious.”

“Don’t worry, I’m the queen of subtlety.” She boasted with a grin.

“It’s not him, Akane!” The former nun insisted, sounding almost offended. “Mr. Bryce would never do anything like that. He’s a lovely gentleman, and everyone at his orphanage likes him.”

“Ever heard of lying, Asia?” The yakuza princess rolled her eyes. “Lots of people do it. It lets them trick idiots who believe everything they’re told.”

Asia didn’t look happy with that blunt and harsh response as she frowned. And after visibly hesitating for a moment, she decided to keep her mouth shut.

“So anyway, what’s next? Anything else you wanna tell us, or…?”

“That’s pretty much all of it.” He said, finishing his coffee and getting off the chair. “You lot should try to figure out a way to get to Dwight. I’ll see if I can find information on Wong and where he’s hiding. One of them oughta know the Overseer’s identity.”

“Works for me. I know where to start looking.” Akane said before addressing the rest. “I don’t want to spend another second here, so I’m going to Honolulu. If you wanna join me, you follow my lead without question.”

She then stared directly at the blue-haired exorcist.

“Am I clear?” She said, eyes narrowing.

“I-I got it.” Xenovia huffed, crossing her arms and looking down. “It’s what we agreed on, anyway…”

“Good.” Akane nodded, pleased with the exorcist’s reluctant response. “So I guess we’re gonna start meeting up here from now on, huh?”

“Yes. It’s safer.” Magnus confirmed. “Good luck, Amamiya. And make sure you don’t do anything reckless.”

“I’ll be fine.” She waved it off, leading the kids outside. “Come on, guys. We have a gang to crush.”

…Hearing how casually she said that didn’t bode very well, he had to admit. But they had yet to disappoint so far, so he might as well let them do their own thing.

After all, it wasn’t on him if they screwed up.

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– Rias –

She had to admit, this was pretty nerve-wracking. It was one thing approaching one of the devils’ most outstanding scientists and inventors for a favor, but being summoned explicitly by him? How was she supposed to feel about that? Sure, Rias’ brother was one of, if not the most powerful devil in history and the current leader of their people, but Ajuka was… different.

He was quiet, and, as far as she knew, only spoke when necessary. He spent most of his time in libraries, and each time she’d catch a glimpse of him, she’d see him burying himself in some ancient tome or two. He would ignore important events that usually ‘required’ him to be present, and not even her brother would drag him out of his study room.

A recluse. That’s what he was—a total hermit who only liked doing research and making mind-boggling artifacts in his free time. Not to say he was irresponsible by any means. It was clear that he took his job as a Satan seriously, but it was also clear that all he truly cared about was knowledge.

She didn’t know him as well as Sirzechs, and Rias couldn’t exactly get close to a man like that. He wasn’t as energetic as Serafall or as easy-going as Falbium. He was just different in a way she couldn’t properly understand, and that made it very difficult to interact with him on a more casual level. Of course, she knew of his history as her brother’s childhood friend. How he, Serafall, and Sirzechs used to get into silly competitions and get in so much trouble after pulling pranks on clan heads. She knew that there wasn’t anything to worry about when it came to someone as reliable as Ajuka Astaroth. Or in this case, Beelzebub.

The Gremory heiress stood hesitantly in front of the door of his office, hovering her hand over the handle.

But those were stories that had happened hundreds of years ago. The man behind that door was nothing like the person Sirzechs had told her about. She always thought he was a very intimidating individual, from the way he walked to the way he seemed to be calculating every single move she made. No, it felt more like he was calculating every single thing happening around him all at once.

Perhaps she was only noticing it now that she’d grown more acute senses after her training, but it felt like he could turn her inside out with a single thought. A violent thought for sure, and rather unwarranted considering he was her brother’s best friend. Obviously, she knew that there was no way he’d hurt her. Why would he, right?

Didn’t make it any less terrifying, though. No wonder Akane called him creepy, as disrespectful as that was.

Oh, get a hold of yourself. She huffed. It’s a demand from Satan Beelzebub himself! It’s your duty to obey his orders!

Rias smacked her cheeks to pump herself up, and after a deep breath, politely knocked on the door with her other hand on the handle.

“Come in,” Ajuka said blankly.

The Gremory heiress entered the office and closed the door behind her, approaching Satan Beelzebub’s desk, stopping a respectable distance from him, before slightly raising her skirt and giving a ladylike bow.

“I am here as you command, Lord Beelzebub.” She said, her tone polite and even. “How may I be of help?”

She raised her head to get a better look at Ajuka, seeing him typing and clicking away on his personal computer. Seeing him so focused on his work made her think he didn’t even notice her coming in, but she could sense it. This odd feeling of being watched despite his eyes being glued to the screen, her every move accounted for and calculated.

So instead of inquiring further, Rias decided to remain silent and wait for him to address her first. Thankfully, that didn’t take too long, as an oval-shaped object, which she thought was a simple decorative piece, suddenly floated towards her. She caught it and blinked in mild confusion, inspecting it closer. Light green in color, with a button on top and an almost camera-like lens on the front. It was magical in nature, that much was clear. But what could it be for?

“My lord?” Rias mumbled.

“Like I told you before, unlike you, I can’t exactly show up in Kuoh unannounced. That could be considered a provocation by the Tojo Clan.” He started. “But I know how much this means to you, and I didn’t want to leave you hanging.”

She remained silent, watching him glance at her from behind the screen.

“The device in your hand, when activated, will scan a radius of fifty meters for any abnormal phenomenon.” He explained. “The data it acquires will help determine whether your bishop was suffering from a schizophrenic episode or if there was a third party interfering.”

“Really?! That’s wonderful!” Rias’ eyes widened, as did her smile. “Thank you so much, Lord Beelzebub! But will it work? That incident happened quite a while ago…”

“It will work.” He responded with a raised eyebrow, showing the most emotion she’d ever seen from him. “It can detect up to three months old magic residue.”

“O-of course. I didn’t mean anything by my question.” She cleared her throat, growing nervous under his gaze. “I’ll do that right now.”

Ajuka nodded, giving her permission to cast a teleportation circle. As the flash of light consumed her, she traveled to the human realm and right outside Gasper’s room with the device in her hand. She opened the door, got inside, and pressed the button.

Rias stepped back as the device began floating on its own, the lens suddenly glowing green and casting holograms throughout the entire room. Through every corner, crevice, and even the little pebble left after the incident, it scanned every little thing, whether it looked out of place or not.

Eventually, it was done scanning, and as the holograms disappeared, it floated back down to her. Rias caught it and blinked a few times.

“Done already?” She muttered to herself. “That felt… a little anticlimactic.”

As expected from Ajuka. Nice, quick, and practical. She was a little surprised that none of the Tojo clan members came to check on what she was doing, but they were probably used to her ‘lollygagging’ around this area, as that eye-patched guy had called it. How rude. Didn’t he know that what she was doing was very important?

Whatever. She huffed as magic gathered in her fist.

With the job done in a matter of a few minutes, Rias quickly teleported back to the underworld and in Ajuka’s office.

“It’s done.” She said.

He nodded, and the device floated back to Ajuka on its own.

“So is Gasper really suffering from schizophrenia or…”

“It’ll take me a while to analyze the data.” He told her as he caught it, making her pause. “I’ll contact you when I get the results.”

“Ah. I see. I understand.” She exhaled. Then, she bowed deeply once more. “I can’t thank you enough for your help, Lord Beelzebub. I’m forever in your debt.”

“You’re too quick to show gratitude.” He said, glancing at her. “You may not like the answer, Rias. If your bishop really is mentally unwell…”

“Whether he is or not, you still humored me when you had no reason to.” She said. “I will be thankful to you regardless, and I want you to know that. That is all.”

Ajuka said nothing for a little while, staring at her with his usual blank face before eventually returning to his screen.

“You may leave now.”

“As you wish.”

Rias left the office, feeling significantly better than she had before answering his summons. Intimidating or not, she always knew he wasn’t heartless, but to help her this much despite the risks? Even if he did it through a simple scanning device, while not as blatant as him physically showing up, it could’ve still caused a lot of problems.

Now that he possessed the data needed to analyze and confirm whether she was right about Gasper’s mental state, Rias couldn't help but feel an immense sense of relief. Finally, the truth was within her grasp, and all she needed to do now was wait.

…Sirzechs was right.

Ajuka Beelzebub really was a lot nicer than she gave him credit for.