With Grayfia's escape, taking their beloved Yusuke with her, the four women did not linger. They immediately turned back toward Sona, Venelana hauling Rias along, still trembling from yet another mental breakdown.
They had to regroup and begin the search again. Perhaps Sona would be able to uncover more clues about Grayfia's whereabouts this time.
Not long after the women left, a magic circle appeared, and two tall men stepped out of it.
The first looked to be in his twenties, with an average build, black hair streaked with golden bangs, and a neatly trimmed black goatee. He wore a maroon V-neck long coat with a wide, open high collar.
One step behind him stood a middle-aged, gruff-looking man with black hair, a matching beard, and a muscular frame.
The man with the goatee, Azazel, moved swiftly across the devastated battlefield. Magic circles appeared one after another beneath his feet as he surveyed the area in rapid succession, vanishing and reappearing across different points of the crater. When he finished, he scratched his chin and muttered, "The aura of Devils. This power feels familiar. Power of Destruction."
"Could it be Sirzechs? Why would he come here and wreak havoc in such a remote place?" the middle-aged man asked with a frown. Baraqiel, who was also Yusuke's father-in-law, kept his eyes on the ruined landscape.
"No, it is not him." Azazel shook his head with certainty. "There is more than one person capable of using the Power of Destruction."
He was deeply familiar with Sirzechs' power and methods. If it had been him, the destruction would have carried a different intent. Sirzechs, despite his overwhelming strength, possessed a naturally passive temperament. He preferred negotiation over conflict and avoided provoking others whenever possible.
But when he did fight seriously, he could be more ruthless than most. Azazel, who had witnessed the Great Civil War, knew better than anyone how terrifying of a monster Sirzechs truly was.
"Even if it was not him, Devils appearing in our territory and leaving such a mess behind… how are we supposed to tolerate that?" Baraqiel said, clearly upset. Even if this place was so remote that not even birds would bother to shit here, it was still their territory.
"Heh. I was just thinking about how to soften the impact of the mess Kokabiel caused back then at the upcoming meeting with the other factions," Azazel replied. In contrast to Baraqiel, he did not look angry at all. A crafty laugh escaped him. "Is this not a perfect opportunity? Besides, it is better not to confront Sirzechs or the other Devils right now. He seems to be going through a rather sensitive period recently."
"What do you mean?" Baraqiel asked, confused. His confusion only deepened when he saw the strange smile on Azazel's face.
"It is better if you do not know. It would not do you any good." Azazel patted his friend's shoulder, his tone turning serious. He had no idea how Baraqiel would react if he learned that the man who seduced his daughter had also seduced Sirzechs' wife… and even his own mother.
'Yusuke Aoki,' People called Azazel lustful, and he did not deny it. Over the millennia, he had gathered hundreds of women into his harems. Yet compared to Yusuke, he felt almost modest.
Seducing women like Grayfia, Venelana, and even Rias, three generations of the Gremory household, was not something just anyone could pull off. It was almost as if he had become their natural enemy. If that man survived this situation, what would he do next? Seduce Sirzechs' grandmother just to complete the collection?
If that happened, it would be hilarious.
"Hahahaha! This is getting more fun!" Azazel burst into laughter at the image in his head. He clutched his stomach and laughed so hard that tears formed in the corners of his eyes.
"Why are you laughing all of a sudden?" Baraqiel grew even more confused by Azazel's reaction.
"I just remembered something. Anyway, it is better to wait for the meeting before bringing this matter up. Raising it now would not benefit us." Azazel wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and regained a serious expression.
This was a critical moment. It was wiser to avoid any unnecessary conflict. In the worst-case scenario, even if it was highly unlikely, a confrontation with Sirzechs would be disastrous.
Among the three factions, the only one capable of stopping Sirzechs was the second Super Devil of the Underworld, Ajuka Beelzebub.
"Alright. You are our leader. We will follow your decision," Baraqiel replied calmly. Azazel had led them through the Great War, and they survived despite being the weakest faction among the three. It was all thanks to Azazel's craftiness and foresight.
...
"They found Yu, but could not save him?! How useless can these Devil women be?!!"
Far from Kuoh Town, on the outskirts of Tokyo, Xenovia roared in fury. Her voice startled the bystanders, who turned to stare at the two church girls with a mix of amazement and caution.
Why were these two beautiful girls cursing like gangsters while dressed in tight black outfits and white capes?
"Darling must be suffering right now. Oh, Darling, please guide your faithful servant and wife. Show me the way," Irina clasped her hands in front of her chest and prayed with utmost devotion. "Amen!"
In the next instant, she clenched her fists and shouted again, making the bystanders flinch a second time. "I will purify those Devil women with Holy Power and send them to Heaven so they stay away from my Darling forever!"
Just moments earlier, Sona had contacted them and explained everything that had happened. The news sent both girls into a rage.
They were furious that the Devils had attempted to rescue Yusuke without informing them. They were even more furious that they had failed and allowed Grayfia to escape with him.
"Let's go back." Xenovia shot a sharp glare at the surrounding onlookers before turning to Irina. They had searched for days without finding even a single trace of Yusuke. Not a strand of hair. She wanted to go to the Underworld and inspect the place where they had found signs of him. Maybe she could uncover a clue the others had missed.
'I miss my Yu so much. Please be safe.'
Impatience and worry gripped her heart. She had barely eaten or slept during this time. The only thing keeping her upright was the fear that something had happened to him and her desperate need to find him.
A world without him was not worth living in. If he were gone, she would rather follow him into the afterlife.
"Alright. That is better than wandering around here without direction," Irina agreed. She stomped her foot in frustration and vanished from sight, rushing toward Kuoh Town at full speed.
She carried even more regret and anxiety than Xenovia. Unlike Xenovia, she believed she had made more progress with Yusuke. They had kissed. They had promised to love each other and sacrifice for one another. She had even resolved to sacrifice part of her own happiness and accept the idea of a harem for the sake of her darling's happiness.
If only she had ignored everything and followed him into the Underworld. No, if only she had been bolder and seduced him more decisively, perhaps they would already be a couple. Maybe she could have convinced him not to step into that place filled with sinful Devils.
"Asia is such a cunning bitch!" Xenovia gritted her teeth as she caught up to Irina. "I should have realized something was off when she offered to help us write the scripture!"
The scripture she referred to was something she and Irina had created together. It was a holy text dedicated to Yusuke, praising him and inviting others to worship him as the new God in this mortal, lowly world.
At that time, Asia had shown nothing but enthusiasm. She acted completely supportive, even more proficient at writing the scripture than the two of them combined. Xenovia and Irina had trusted her deeply. Aside from Yusuke, Asia was the only one who had treated them with genuine kindness. They never expected her to be hiding something so calculated.
"No wonder she kept speaking badly about the other women. She was trying to push us to confront them! Even if I want to smack those Devils myself, I hate it when someone tries to use me! Damn it!" Irina clenched her teeth as she recalled Asia's performance. She wanted to slap herself for not seeing through it. Her hand moved to her cheek, and her voice softened. "Oh, darling… surrounded by so many wicked and evil women, he must be suffering so much."
An ordinary person would have long since been crushed or lost their sanity if forced to deal with so many unstable women.
"Please guide us. Show us the path to you so we may once again bathe in your glorious light," Xenovia and Irina said in unison, clasping their hands together in prayer.
"Amen!"
...
As someone who went through the civil war between the Old Satan Faction and the Anti-Satan Faction, Grayfia had become exceptionally skilled at hiding.
Long before she kidnapped Yusuke, she had prepared multiple shelters for the two of them, though the first one had been the most secure.
She had been confident that even if they were ever exposed, it would only happen after a long time. She never expected those women to locate her so quickly. The discovery dealt a heavy blow to her confidence. She had planned everything with care, leaving daily to erase any traces she might have left behind and to secure even more hideouts. It felt unreasonable that she would be discovered so easily.
If events had followed her calculations, even decades might have passed before any of the other women found her. Unfortunately for her, she did not know that Yusuke himself had been the one to expose her.
"Babe, this will be our new home." Grayfia caressed Yusuke's face and pulled him into a tight embrace, pressing him so deeply into her chest that his face was completely submerged between her soft milkers. She held him as if trying to merge their bodies together, desperate to soothe the anxiety gnawing at her.
"I am happy as long as I am with you." Yusuke wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her back.
[Hypocrite.] B2 commented.
[Rias Gremory's submission + 1!]
[Rias Gremory's submission + 1!]
[Rias Gremory's submission + 1!]
[Rias Gremory's submission 81 Dependent]
[Congratulations. You have successfully completed the Quest: Ruin of the Ruin Princes!.]
[Would you like to receive your rewards now?]
'First one down!'
Yusuke tightened his hold around Grayfia, his hand sliding lower to grab her ass. He almost leaned in to kiss her and laugh in triumph. He had barely lifted a finger, and one of the most stubborn quests had completed itself!
[Ruin of the Ruin Princess: Tame the high-class devil Rias Gremory.]
[Task: Raise Rias Gremory's submission value to at least 80.]
[Reward: Two levels. Two stat points. One random skill. One random item.]
[Penalty: Who needs a penalty when failing is punishment enough?]
'No. Not now.'
He answered B2 calmly. This was not the time to claim the rewards.
**
The release rate is three chapters a week (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday).
For every 400 power stones, you'll gather enough power to force this Immortal to release an extra chapter.
...
If you'd like to support me and read chapters in advance, feel free to check out my Patreon:
https://patreon.com/ImmortalCockroach
Discord link for illustrations: https://discord.gg/WtF6XTgefR