Chapter 74: Beelzebub
'Sairaorg would be jealous,' I mused inwardly.
I remember strolling through Lilith a few months ago on my trip to buy Sona's birthday gift, or rather, the reference for said gift. My eyes drifted up in awe at the sight of the capital city's central spire towering above all that had the privilege of standing beneath it, a bastion befitting the status of its larger-than-life residents.
But this time, I wasn't just marveling at it, I was entering.
Sirzechs was kind enough to issue me an immediate summons after I asked Serafall to patch me through to him for something 'urgent', and name-dropped the King Piece without hesitation.
Who would've thunk?
"Alduin," Roygun clenched my hand. "...Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Her eyes constantly snapped from side to side, observing the central tower's menacing charcoal interior with pressed lips and noticeably clammy palms.
I can't say that I blame her for being nervous, her attitude around Serafall makes sense considering the narrow strength difference, but Sirzechs and Lord Beelzebub are a completely different story.
"Why wouldn't it be? They already know you have the King Piece, if they planned to do something to you, they would've done so by now—"
"No, it's not that. I'm talking about you," her grip tightened. "You're not supposed to know about the King Piece, and I'm not really getting the impression that they were planning on telling you anytime soon."
I could do naught but shrug.
"Well, that's too bad, Zekram already spilled the beans, and since I can't rewind the past, my only option is to tackle the future."
I say that, but I'm actually nervous as shit right now.
Even though I was looking at him through a hologram, the face Sirzechs made when the words 'King Piece' nearly made me soil myself on the spot.
I had no idea the Underworld's 'gentle giant' could scowl like that! It's as if Martha were actually capable of making any other facial expression than a poker face.
Talk about biting off more than you can chew.
Oh well, it's too late to go back now, so I might as well see my brilliant plan to get rid of the King Pieces in the Great King Faction's possession through. The potential reward of Zekram going ballistic over it makes it worthwhile, in my opinion.
"But your standing with them is important, isn't it? Vital even," she pressed further. "Should you really be taking a risk like this?"
I sighed, knowing her concerns were more a product of her immense guilt rather than concern.
"If our positions were reversed, would you do the same for me? Or would you prioritize your political status over me?" I asked in a curt, rhetorical fashion.
And as expected, she fell silent, unable to counter.
"Then it's settled, we're doing this."
We continued to traverse through the tower, walking until we came across a heavy-plated double door that appeared to be composed from a metal with a high-conductivity for demonic power.
"Enter," Sirzechs' voice resounded from the other side. His tone was noticeably more stern than usual.
I pushed the door open and found myself met with the sight of Sirzechs, in full Satan gear, pauldrons and all, sitting down on one of the four extravagant thrones gathered around a medium-sized round table. It was encrusted with House Lucifer's sigil on the back, and the other three with that of Beelzebub, Leviathan, and Asmodeus.
His eyes immediately snapped towards Roygun, startling her frozen.
"Did you tell him?"
"She didn't," I took a step forward, voluntarily making myself the target of his chilling scrutiny. "Zekram told me."
"Why?" He asked without skipping a beat.
"To make me think less of her, and make it easier for him to annul our engagement," I replied just as quickly.
"Why does he want you separated?" He pressed further.
"He thinks he knows what's best for me."
"It's personal?" There was a genuine note of surprise.
"So it would seem."
Sirzechs paused. I felt a nervous bead of sweat slowly trickle down my cheek as I awaited his next words with bated breath.
"Lady Roygun."
She stammered. "...Y-Yes?"
"Is it all right if I speak with your fiancé in private for a moment?"
"O-Of course…"
"Thank you," he motioned for me to come closer, the door closing behind me with the wave of his hand as I approached. "Have a seat," he gestured towards the throne with the Leviathan crest.
I hesitated a little, unsure if I deserved to sit on Serfall's throne.
"I assure you, she won't mind."
Stiffly, I walked over and took my seat, the residual demonic power left over by its true owner weighing down on me as if I were sitting atop a giant's shoulder.
"Alduin." He leaned forward, his eyes locking with mine. "I trust you, but considering the situation, I feel obligated to ask you something, and I hope you'll do me the courtesy of answering with absolute honesty."
I replied with a firm nod.
"Do you and Zekram Bael have some kind of a relationship I should be aware of?"
"We do, but there's no backdoor collusion going on between us if that's what you're wondering." With a deep breath, I began my explanation. "Zekram is my grandfather… technically speaking."
"Technically?"
I continued. "I only learned of this fairly recently, but apparently, he adopted my mother when she was little, for whatever reason. She just didn't receive the Bael name, and obviously, neither she nor I possesses Zekram's blood."
He let out an inquisitive hum. "Define 'recently'."
"Your mother's the one who informed me when she came to visit some time ago." Here's to hoping I didn't just make myself a snitch.
Sirzechs knitted his brow, seemingly conflicted. "Her visit I'm aware of… but I can't seem to recall her ever telling me about that… though I suppose it wasn't really any of my business since I and your mother's paths have never crossed." He exhaled. "Would it be correct to assume Zekram interfered because he believes to own some kind of stake in your life?"
I sighed in exasperation. "That's my leading theory."
He scoffed, his expression intensifying with disdain. An emotion I had never seen him wear, which made his show of it all the more meaningful.
"If that's the case, then he'll find himself to be sorely mistaken. Alduin, as long as I'm here, I won't let him push you around, regardless of how he chooses to do so. I promise."
"About that," I steepled my fingers. "I actually came here because I have a proposal for you, one not only to get Zekram off my back, but to reduce him and his Great King Faction's influence as a whole."
"A proposal?" His eyes widened a bit.
"Yes, I'd appreciate it if Roygun were here to listen in as well, my plan won't work without her assistance."
He waved his hand, opening the steel-plated door and gesturing for Roygun to enter. His expression was alive with intrigue.
"I'm all ears."
///
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Sirzechs reclined into his throne with steepled fingers. For the past half hour, he had patiently listened to Alduin describe his desire not only to remove the King Piece from his fiancée, but have the other five pieces residing within the Top 10 extracted.
That was a blow the Great King Faction just couldn't afford to endure. With their opposition possessing two Super Devils, and they themselves possessing none, they were already at enough of a disadvantage.
As a matter of fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say they had already lost. The only reason they hadn't been eliminated was that one Super Devil didn't have much of a taste for blood, and the other simply didn't care.
The 'battle' between the Great King Faction and Four Great Satans was purely political, and unfortunately, Sirzechs' mind was far too noble to contest Zekram Bael with wits alone.
This resulted in the formation of a flimsy cycle, where Zekram would try to push his luck every now and then, Sirzechs would let him off with a slap on the wrist and a stern warning, only for the Ancestral Bael to do it all over again when he was in the mood.
Alduin understood this, which is why he needed to give Sirzechs a way to break the cycle without forcing him to use his Power of Destruction.
Which is exactly what he had done.
Sirzechs looked to Roygun. "Are you sure about this? Once Ajuka's removed the piece, there's a pretty good chance you'll lose your position in the Top 10. As Alduin requested, I won't publicize anything about the piece or its users once it's been confiscated. But if you insist on holding your position after you've lost your power, heads will turn. And someone's going to have to explain something."
"I understand, Lord Lucifer." Roygun placed her hand atop Alduin's for reassurance. "I took the piece because I had a dream to fulfill, and in a sense, I've already fulfilled it. As long as I have the piece inside me, I'll remain a puppet dancing to Zekram's tune, and he'll have the means to sabotage my relationship."
Alduin offered her a warm smile, inverting his hand and interlocking his fingers with hers.
"I refuse to be a pawn on some old relic's chessboard. My dreams are my own, my choices are my own, and the relationships I form are my own. Even if I lose my strength, I'll put my everything into clawing back towards it once more with my own strength, not one that was lent to me."
"Well said, Lady Belphegor."
His approval was firm, his eyes glistening as he saw the woman sitting across from him in a new light.
Sirzechs returned his attention to his beneficiary.
"Alduin, just to clarify, you do understand the challenge you're signing yourself up for, right? I can tell you're confident, but I can't help but doubt whether or not you truly understand how difficult what you're trying to do really is…" He said, referring to Alduin's plan to remove the other five pieces.
Or more specifically, to get their wielders to willingly hand over their pieces.
According to Sirzechs, Ajuka was indeed capable of removing a King Piece. However, only on the condition that its current possessor was 100% willing to part with it.
Ajuka was capable of taking the piece back without their consent, but ripping it from them in such a manner would cost the possessor their life, and there was no universe in which Sirzechs was willing to use such a method.
Like a regular Evil Piece, the King Piece wasn't just bonded with the user's body, it was bonded to their soul. It was a part of them, hence why it was even possible for mutated pieces to exist in the first place without Ajuka intentionally making them a part of the system.
"We're devils," Alduin shrugged. "The only way to get us to do something with absolute obedience is to shatter our pride, and this is the only way I can shatter that of five Top 10 rankers."
"Mm… well… I trust that you know your own strength, so if you're truly that confident, I won't try to dissuade you any further." Sirzechs stood up, preparing a teleportation circle with the snap of his fingers. "Now then, shall we pay that reclusive egghead of mine a little visit?"
///
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If Ajuka so wished, he could have his personal residence constructed within the Astaroth Territory to his exact specifications. So what if he cast off his last name? He was the Satan Beelzebub, a Super Devil. To both the seniors and juniors of his bloodline, he was a God. Even if Ajuka himself thought nothing of them, they were beyond honored to have him stem from their DNA.
Alas, the mosshead was a devil who appreciated peace and quiet like no other. He couldn't care less about all the buzz of noble politicking and whatnot that went on in the circles of high society. Hell, the only reason he had accepted his position as Satan was that his only friends, Sirzechs, Serafall, and Falbium, had chosen to do so.
That said, while he didn't care much for the politics his position included, he truly did love the technical aspects of it. Harnessing the Agares Crystals was fun. Creating the Evil Piece system was fun. Looking for new and inventive ways to improve devil society through his machinations was fun.
In other words, the title 'Lord Beelzebub' meant nothing to him, but his role as the 'Chief Advisor for the Technology Department' meant everything.
His territory was situated a thousand kilometers north of the floating city, Agreas. An area that was being managed by Ajuka's direct servants, the source of the crystals the mosshead had used to create the Evil Pieces, and the control center for the entirety of the Underworld's air flow.
The best way to describe the Satan's personal residence would be that of a sci-fi military base conducted by a novelist without so much as the slightest hint of realism. An incomprehensible assortment of strange contraptions was scattered all over the place: golems, lasers, ground, naval, and aerial military and civilian vehicles. There were even groups of custom bio-engineered creatures roaming the area, the likes of which didn't even resemble something you find in any of the Underworld's bestiaries
This was a fantastical wonderland curated by an absolute madman. A madman blessed with the ability to bring all his inner blueprints to life, no matter how ridiculous they were in size, scope, or feasibility.
You could quite literally kill a Victorian child just by having them glance at the setting.
Throughout the entire Underworld, there were only three others who had permission and the means to enter Ajuka's personal residence.
His fellow Satans.
Of course, that didn't just mean they could pop in unannounced whenever they pleased. Ajuka was a man who kept himself busy around the clock. If they committed themselves to bothering him, he expected the cause to be worth his time.
"Well? To what do I owe the pleasure?" Ajuka asked, his back turned to Sirzechs and whoever it was the man had brought along, while he tapped away at the endless slew of data entries before him.
Multitasking a conversation and his work was hardly a problem for someone who possessed his brain's unfathomable processing power.
"It's about the King Piece."
Ajuka rolled his eyes. He hated when people left their sentences open-ended. "And?"
"I'd appreciate it if you removed it from Lady Roygun over here." Reassuringly, Sirzechs nudged Roygun forward a little.
"I trust I don't need to remind you of the prerequisite she needs to meet before I do so?"
"No, she's willing." Sirzechs shot Roygun a careful look, making it clear that if she had any doubts, now would be the time to voice them.
Calmly, Roygun took a step forward, bowing with respect in the presence of the calculating living calamity in devil form.
"I'm deeply grateful for your assistance, Lord Beelzebub." She wasn't sure what else to say, especially when it was clear the mosshead wasn't much of a talker.
Unresponsive, Ajuka simply snapped his fingers. Startling Roygun as a light-blue, holographic construct formed around her figure. Its luminescent surface teeming with all sorts of runic equations, no one present was qualified to even think about deciphering. Blue, thread-like lines started to protrude from the construct's interior, headed in the direction of Roygun's midsection.
The Belphegor clenched her teeth, her body reflexively tightening as she braced for the inevitable, expected pain that'd result from having the King Piece separated from her soul.
But that pain never came.
The lines reached into the pits of her devilish composition, and a few seconds later, they started to recede, now carrying a blood-red chess piece with them, its exterior showing a few pinkish tints here and there.
The piece flew into Ajuka's hand, the Satan taking a moment to inspect his failed creation, noticeably intrigued by something.
"Hm. This one was halfway through the process of mutating, well, it was made with pretty much the same foundation as the other pieces, so I guess that's not too surprising." Ajuka proceeded to close his fist, effortlessly destroying the instrument that had broken Roygun's Ultimate-Class bottleneck as if it were a child's toy.
Just like that, the King Piece was gone.
In truth, Ajuka had already destroyed the other three King Pieces, having long since grown bored of them.
It wasn't like he had any obligation to inform Zekram about his actions, if the Bael wanted to believe he still had them, that was on him.
Everyone could sense Roygun's power begin to plummet, the woman herself included. What was once a Satan-Class powerhouse, a ranker in the Underworld's prestigious Top 10, was reduced to someone who sat at the peak of Ultimate-Class.
Once again, Roygun found herself standing behind the insurmountable brick wall that required her to take Zekram's 'helping hand' in the first place.
However, unlike last time, what she experienced wasn't despair, frustration, or envy for those who were truly Satan-Class.
She felt liberated. It was like a parasite had just been removed from her system, making her whole again. The chains Zekram had fastened around her were no more, that man no longer had any leverage on her.
He had no way of even proving Roygun had consumed the King Piece in the first place, Sirzechs and Ajuka most certainly weren't going to testify on his behalf. And it wasn't as if Zekram had a contract he could flash in court—not when the King Piece itself was the contract. A contract that Ajuka had just seamlessly destroyed to shreds, leaving no trace behind.
Zekram's control over Roygun was based entirely on the fact that he could capitalize on her desire to be a member of the Top 10, no matter the means.
Now that capitalization was gone.
Zekram could try to exploit other means to bet between Roygun and Alduin if he wanted, but the direct, smooth asphalt road had disappeared. If he still wanted to push for annulment, he'd have to squeeze his past Sirzechs himself.
Roygun locked eyes with her fiancé, her pupils free of the guilt that had been consuming her from before.
'You're free.' Alduin knew no words were needed, for now, a gentle, supportive nod was enough.
"What are you all still loitering around for? Get lost already, I have work to do." Ajuka clicked his tongue, shooing them away with his hand.
Sirzechs chuckled. His Super Devil-in-arms always liked to voice a harsh, deterring tone, but he knew the mosshead was a big softie on the inside, especially when his friends were around.
"Actually, there's one more thing I could use your help with."
"With what? Spit it out already." Ajuka breathed a loud, audible groan. Like an angsty teenager being called over by his mother.
///
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Bedeze Abaddon, Gragg Forneus, Fimmil Vassago, Dilra Marbas, and Tephos Buer.
Excluding the now priceless Roygun, these were the other five top rankers secretly using the King Piece entrusted to them by Zekram in exchange for ensuring the Great King Faction's explosive burst of income via their manipulation of the Rating Games and its endless profit potential.
"Huh?"
"Lord Beelzebub?"
"Right now?"
"Is this some kind of play?"
"Lord Lucifer too?"
Simultaneously, each of them had received a joint message from two of the Four Great Satans, Lord Lucifer and Lord Beelzebub.
An immediate summons to the Beelzebub's personal residence, one sent to them with utmost urgency. Refusing to show themselves would be no different than an open declaration of treason on the Underworld's current government.
The fact that the Satans hadn't given them a reason for the summon was irrelevant, after all, to anyone with half a functioning mind, the names behind the summon were more than enough of a reason.
///
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I know Gragg Forneus isn't actually a King Piece user, but ya boi needed something to work with! The other three King Piece users I mentioned are OCs after all, their clans do exist, but they're either irrelevant to the plot or labeled extinct.
If you want to support my work and get access to early chapters, go check me out on P@treon/Accel14!
There's also a discord if you want to communicate with me there or get updated on public chapter releases! (wNzT9AEsaz)