The sun had barely set when Algernon finalized his preparations, his mind sharp and focused. To start his objective, he first applied to visit the Familiar Forest, a common destination for young devils to bond with familiars.
The approval came faster than expected.
"Request to visit the Familiar Forest granted. Full moon timing is optimal for contracting. Transport will be arranged for tomorrow evening."
Algernon dismissed the messenger with a nod, mind already three steps ahead. The Familiar Forest wasn't just convenient cover—it was genuinely useful. He'd need reconnaissance assets for what came next, and bat-type familiars were perfect for surveillance.
The Familiar Forest was neutral territory, maintained by ancient contract and overseen by specialized familiar masters. It was home to countless magical creatures willing to form contracts with devils who proved worthy. Under the full moon's influence, these creatures were more receptive to bonding, their magical resonance heightened.
Perfect conditions for his actual purpose.
____________________________________________
Moonlight filtered through ancient trees as Algernon navigated the forest paths. Around him, the sounds of mystical creatures echoed—howls, chirps, roars from beings that would terrify any human but were merely ambient noise to devils.
He ignored the impressive specimens that approached hopefully shadow wolves, flame foxes, even a young wyvern. His target was far more mundane: a colony of surveillance bats roosting in a massive dead oak.
The creatures were small, unremarkable, possessed of limited magical power. But their ability to share real-time visual information over vast distances made them invaluable for reconnaissance.
Algernon approached the colony carefully, extending his demonic energy in a non-threatening pattern. The contract process was straightforward—offer power in exchange for service, seal the bond through magical resonance.
Within an hour, he'd contracted seven bats. Enough for comprehensive coverage without drawing attention.
"Spread out," he commanded once the bonds solidified. "Search the regions I showed you. Stay high, stay hidden, and report anything unusual near Naberius-marked properties."
The bats scattered into the night, their small forms vanishing against the dark sky.
Phase one complete.
Back in his quarters, Algernon had converted a corner of his room into a makeshift command center. Maps of the surrounding territories covered his desk, marked with potential locations based on his research into the Naberius Clan's known holdings.
The clan was one of the 72 Pillars, prestigious but not particularly powerful in modern devil society. What they lacked in combat strength, they'd attempted to compensate for through research—specifically, experiments aimed at artificially awakening and enhancing bloodline abilities.
He closed his eyes and activated the connection to his bat familiars. Seven perspectives flooded his mind simultaneously—a disorienting sensation he'd practiced managing over the past few days.
Dark forests, misty valleys, abandoned ruins. The bats were methodically searching their assigned regions, looking for the telltale signs of hidden facilities: magical barriers, concealment arrays, the distinctive energy signature of Naberius wards.
Nothing yet. But Algernon was patient.
He'd also prepared his escape route—a one-time teleportation circle in the manor's basement, keyed to specific coordinates near each potential site. The moment his familiars spotted something, he could be there within seconds.
All the pieces were in place. Now he just needed Kuroka to make her move.
'Come on,' he thought, watching through seven pairs of eyes. 'Your sister's in danger. You won't wait much longer.'
Three Days Later
The alert came at twilight.
One moment Algernon was studying a treatise on advanced barrier construction. The next, his vision exploded with urgent images—smoke, flames, the distinctive purple-black energy of Nekoshou abilities lighting up the night.
His familiar had found it.
Algernon was moving before conscious thought caught up. Down the stairs, through the manor, into the basement where his teleportation circle waited, already charged and ready.
He pulled a black mask from his pocket—simple, featureless, enough to conceal his identity. If this went wrong, he couldn't afford to be recognized.
The circle flared to life beneath his feet.
Reality twisted, compressed, then snapped back into place. Algernon stumbled slightly—one-time emergency teleportation was never smooth—then steadied himself and took in his surroundings.
Forest. Dense, old-growth, the kind that blocked out most light even during the day. In the distance, he could see the glow of fires and hear sounds of combat.
He moved toward it carefully, using his energy manipulation to dampen his presence. Getting involved too early would ruin everything.
Through the trees, he caught sight of them.
Kuroka was exactly as he'd imagined—a young woman with distinctive cat ears and twin tails, golden eyes blazing with determination and pain. Her black kimono was torn and bloodstained, evidence of earlier combat.
She was fighting four devils in Naberius colors, her movements fluid despite obvious injuries. Youjutsu energy crackled around her hands as she wove defensive barriers and launched attacks with equal facility.
But she was losing ground.
Not because she lacked skill—her technique was excellent, far beyond what most Mid-Class devils achieved. But she was exhausted, injured, and outnumbered. Each exchange cost her energy she couldn't spare.
'Still standing after everything she's been through,' Algernon thought with genuine admiration. 'That's the spirit I need in my peerage.'
One of the Naberius devils launched a coordinated attack with another, forcing Kuroka to split her focus. She managed to block one assault but took a glancing hit from the second, staggering backward.
"Should've just died quietly, experiment," one of them sneered. "Lord Naberius went through so much effort to awaken your abilities. Killing him was ungrateful."
Kuroka's response was a pulse of destructive Senjutsu that forced them back several steps. "Ungrateful?" Her voice dripped venom despite her exhaustion. "He was going to do the same thing to Shirone. My sister. Did you think I'd just let that happen?"
"Your sister belongs to the clan. Both of you do."
That was enough.
Algernon stepped from the shadows, three orbs of crimson-black energy already forming around him. His presence, previously concealed, suddenly blazed with power—not his full strength, but enough to command attention.
All five combatants froze.
"Four against one," Algernon said, his voice distorted by the mask. "How brave of you."
He didn't wait for a response. The first orb reshaped itself into a blade of compressed energy and shot forward with terrible precision. The closest devil barely had time to register the attack before it punched through his throat.
He collapsed without a sound.
The remaining three Naberius devils whirled toward this new threat, shock and fury warring on their faces.
"Who the hell—"
Algernon was already moving. He'd spent a year refining his combat style, turning energy manipulation into a deadly art. Now was the time to test it.
One devil launched a barrage of fire spells. Algernon weaved between them using short-range spatial displacement—not true teleportation, but a technique he'd developed to instantly shift position within a limited radius. He appeared behind the caster and delivered a magic-enhanced kick that sent the devil flying into a tree with bone-crushing force.
The impact was sickening. The devil didn't get up.
Two left.
Kuroka, catching her breath, took advantage of the chaos. Purple mist—her signature poison—coalesced around her hands as she appeared behind one of the remaining devils with cat-like grace. Her claws raked across his back, poison seeping into the wounds.
The devil screamed, movements immediately sluggish as the toxin took effect.
The last one standing snarled in desperation, unleashing a wild barrage of magical projectiles toward both Algernon and Kuroka.
Algernon raised his hand. His remaining two orbs expanded into a shimmering barrier that absorbed the assault effortlessly. The moment the barrage ended, he split his energy into dozens of needle-thin projectiles.
They rained down on the devil like vengeful stars, piercing limbs and joints to immobilize without killing.
The devil collapsed, pinned and helpless.
Kuroka approached her poisoned target, who was trying desperately to crawl away. She stepped in front of him, golden eyes cold.
"Where did you think you were going?" She summoned earthen tendrils through Senjutsu, binding him in place. Then she glanced at Algernon. "Care to finish this one, mysterious savior?"
Algernon conjured a final blade. "Consider it done."
The strike was clean. Merciful, compared to what the devil deserved.
The last Naberius soldier glared up at them with impotent rage. "The clan will hunt you both. You can't—"
Algernon clenched his fist. The needles embedded in the devil's body pulsed with energy once, and the ranting stopped permanently.
Silence fell over the clearing, broken only by crackling flames and Kuroka's labored breathing.
She leaned against a tree, studying him with wary golden eyes. "You're skilled. And you wear a mask, which means you're hiding something." Her voice carried a playful lilt despite her exhaustion. "I don't trust people who hide their faces."
Algernon maintained his distance—close enough to talk, far enough to not seem threatening. "Trust isn't what matters right now. What matters is that I stopped them when you needed help."
"Needed?" Kuroka raised an eyebrow. "I'd have won eventually."
"Eventually isn't good enough when you're bleeding and exhausted." He gestured to her injuries. "You've been fighting for hours, haven't you? Since you killed your master and fled."
Her entire body tensed. "How do you—"
"I know what happened. I know why you killed him." Algernon's voice was steady, matter-of-fact. "And I know you're not the monster the Naberius Clan is painting you as."
Kuroka's expression cycled through suspicion, shock, and finally calculation. "If you know that much, then you know I can't stay here. Every devil in the underworld will be hunting me by tomorrow."
"Which is why we need to talk. But not here—this place will be swarming with reinforcements soon."
He extended his hand, palm up. Not demanding, just offering.
"Let me help you heal. Then we'll discuss what comes next."
Kuroka stared at his hand for a long moment. Every instinct probably screamed not to trust him. But she was out of options, and they both knew it.
Finally, she took his hand.
"Fine. But if this is a trap, masked man, you'll regret it."
Algernon helped her to her feet. "Fair enough."
With a pulse of his remaining energy, he cleared evidence of their battle—dispersing lingering magic signatures, disturbing the ground to hide tracks. Not perfect, but enough to buy time.
Then they vanished into the forest darkness together, leaving only corpses and questions behind.
They'd traveled in silence for twenty minutes before Algernon found a suitable location—a small clearing with a stream, far enough from the battle site to be relatively safe.
Kuroka immediately sat down and began treating her wounds with practiced efficiency, using Senjutsu to accelerate her natural healing. Algernon kept watch, his energy senses extended for any approaching threats.
When she'd finished the worst of it, Kuroka finally spoke. "So. You know about my master, about the experiments. Want to explain how?"
Algernon turned to face her, still masked. "I've been investigating the Naberius Clan for months. Their... research... wasn't as secret as they thought."
"Investigating?" Suspicion colored her tone. "Why would you care about some minor clan's experiments?"
"Because I knew what they were doing was wrong. And because I knew someone exceptional was suffering because of it."
Kuroka snorted. "Flattery won't work on me."
"It's not flattery. It's fact." Algernon sat down across from her, maintaining eye contact. "Kuroka, you achieved Mid-Class status through nothing but your own determination, despite being tortured and experimented on for years. That's not common. That's extraordinary."
She looked away, uncomfortable with the praise. "What do you want from me?"
"To make you an offer. But first, I need you to understand that I know the whole truth." He took a breath. "Your master didn't just experiment on you. He was planning to do the same to your sister—Koneko, right? That's why you killed him. Not out of madness or betrayal, but to protect her."
Kuroka's composure cracked. "Shirone," she whispered. "Her name is Shirone."
"You left evidence. A paperclip with documentation of the experiments, hoping someone would find it and protect her."
"How do you—" Her voice broke. "Is she safe? Did someone find it?"
This was the crucial moment. Algernon could lie, could use her desperation against her. But that wasn't how he wanted to build his peerage.
"I don't know yet," he admitted. "It's only been hours since you fled. But I have... connections. I can make sure the evidence reaches someone who'll actually protect her instead of covering it up."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because I want you to join me. And I want you to do it freely, knowing your sister is safe."
Kuroka studied him for a long moment. "Join you how?"
Algernon reached into his coat and withdrew the box containing his Evil Pieces. He opened it, revealing the mutation pieces with their distinctive crimson-black glow.
Kuroka's eyes widened. "Those are—"
"Mutated Evil Pieces. A complete set." He let the implications sink in. "I'm building a peerage, Kuroka. Not through coercion or slavery like your master, but through genuine partnership."
"Partnership." She laughed bitterly. "I'm already bound to evil pieces. Two bishops. Even if I wanted to join you, I can't."
"Yes, you can. When a master dies, their pieces return to the system. You're unbound now—free to choose."
Hope and fear warred in her expression. "And you just happen to have mutated pieces? Do you know how rare those are?"
"I'm aware. These pieces are special—they don't just grant devil powers, they enhance whatever abilities you already possess. Your Senjutsu, your Youjutsu, your Nekoshou heritage—all of it would grow stronger."
"Why me? You could recruit anyone with pieces like those."
"Because you have something most devils lack—real determination. You've suffered, survived, and kept fighting despite everything. That's the kind of person I need beside me."
Kuroka was silent for a long time. When she spoke again, her voice was quieter. "What's your goal? What are you building this peerage for?"
This was it. The moment of truth.
"I'm going to change the devil society," Algernon said simply. "The current system is broken—noble bloodlines matter more than ability, power is hoarded by those who inherit it, and talented individuals like you are treated as disposable experiments. I'm going to fix that."
"That's... ambitious." She studied him intently. "You're talking about going against the entire devil hierarchy."
"Eventually, yes."
"You're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid."
"Probably both." Algernon allowed some humor into his voice. "But I'm also patient. This isn't something that happens overnight. It's a long-term goal."
"And you think I can help with that?"
"I know you can. You've already proven you're willing to fight against injustice, even at great personal cost."
Kuroka pulled her knees up, hugging them as she considered. "If I join you... what happens to Shirone?"
"I'll make sure she's protected. I have connections to the Gremory main house—I can ensure the evidence reaches someone trustworthy."
"You keep saying that. Who are you, really?"
"Someone who believes in merit over birthright. Someone who thinks devils like you deserve better than what this world has given you." He paused. "And someone who's willing to prove it through actions, not just words."
"Pretty speech." But there was less skepticism in her tone now. "If I agree—if—I want conditions."
"Name them."
"First, Shirone's safety is non-negotiable. You ensure she's protected and cared for, or the deal's off."
"Agreed."
"Second, I want to know your real identity eventually. I won't work with a ghost."
"When you've proven you're committed to my peerage, I'll reveal myself. Fair?"
She nodded slowly. "Third... I want revenge on the Naberius Clan. Not just my master—the whole corrupt system that enabled him."
"That aligns with my goals anyway. When we're strong enough, we'll dismantle them piece by piece."
Kuroka sat in silence for several minutes, clearly wrestling with the decision. Finally, she stood and walked over to where Algernon sat.
"You're asking me to trust you with everything—my life, my sister's safety, my future."
"Yes."
"That's insane."
"Yes."
"But..." She took a deep breath. "I'm out of options, and somehow you feel different from other devils I've met. More... genuine."
She extended her hand. "Alright, masked man. I'll join your peerage. But if you betray me, if anything happens to Shirone because of you, I'll make you regret it."
Algernon stood and clasped her hand firmly. "Understood. Welcome to the beginning of something greater, Kuroka."
He pulled out the box containing his Evil Pieces, opening it to reveal the crimson-black glow of the mutated bishop piece. "This is what will bind us. A mutated bishop piece—it'll grant you power beyond what normal pieces provide, and it will enhance your natural abilities rather than suppress them."
Kuroka stared at the piece, then back at him. "Not here," she said quietly. "If you're going to reincarnate me, it should be done somewhere safe. The ritual will leave me vulnerable, and we're still too close to Naberius territory."
Smart. Practical. Exactly the kind of thinking he needed in his peerage.
"Agreed. I have a place prepared—secure and warded. We'll go there first." He closed the box and stored it away.
He started walking deeper into the forest, gesturing for her to follow. "Come. Dawn is breaking, and we need to be far from here before search parties arrive."
She fell into step beside him, still wary but committed now. "You know, masked man, you still haven't told me your name."
"When we complete the reincarnation ritual, you'll learn everything. Until then, patience."
Kuroka huffed but didn't argue. They moved through the forest in companionable silence, the rising sun casting long shadows between the ancient trees.
Behind them, the clearing held only corpses and ash—evidence of a confrontation that would send ripples through the underworld.
(END OF CHAPTER)
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