"I have something to ask you, too. Tell me—are you still hiding something?"
"..."
The Champion met my question with a heavy silence.
He had already achieved his goal. By exposing the darkness festering within the Rating Games, he had surely ignited a firestorm of controversy across the Underworld. Would the people dismiss his claims as lies? Unlikely. A confession coming from the Champion himself—a man who commanded absolute respect in the Underworld—carried the crushing weight of truth.
"You wanted to know the truth so badly you were willing to aid terrorists to get it, and now you've told the world. The people will believe you. The top brass and the Old Devils must be in an absolute panic. But now that you've succeeded, is there any reason left for you to fight me? Is there any point in staying by Rizevim's side? I barely know you, but I know this much—you aren't capable of becoming pure evil."
I threw the words at him, blunt and unwavering.
Even now, having fulfilled his purpose, this man was drowning in agony. He was caught in the jagged gears of conflict, shredded between the person he was and the person he felt he had to be. Even if it was for the sake of revenge, his actions threatened to destabilize the very foundation of the Underworld. Riots would break out; the collateral damage would be catastrophic.
I knew Lord Ajuka was working on a countermeasure, but success wasn't guaranteed. At the very least, there was no version of this story where innocent people didn't suffer.
The Champion knew this. He understood that his crusade might leave the lives of the innocent in ruins.
He remained silent for a long moment, then lowered his eyes and finally spoke.
"What… what should I do? I have committed so many sins to reach this point. What is left for a man like me? How do I face the consequences of what I've done—and what is yet to come?"
The Champion looked down at the city of Agreas. Once the bustling holy land of the Rating Games, the floating city had been transformed into a terrorist stronghold. The tourist destination was now a hellscape where countless Evil Dragons swarmed the skies.
Below us, my friends were fighting to reclaim the city. The echoes of explosions and the trembling of the earth felt like the island itself was screaming in pain.
As a Player and the reigning King of the Games, seeing this sanctuary desecrated must have been agonizing. Knowing he was the catalyst for its ruin only made the blade twist deeper.
I closed my eyes for a beat.
"The sins you've committed aren't going to vanish. Not now, not ever. There's no easy answer for how to atone. That's why I can't tell you what the 'right' thing to do is."
I opened my eyes, locking my gaze with his.
"But you made a choice, and you moved forward with the resolve to see it through. You knew the Underworld would fall into chaos, and you did it anyway. If you had the strength to do that, then use that same resolve to keep moving. Struggle. Suffer. Find an answer that belongs to you and no one else. There are things only you can do. Maybe, someday, that will become your atonement. So… live. Live and pay for your sins. That's all I can tell you."
"…You're telling a man who has gone this far not to die?" the Champion whispered. "You are truly the cruelest of them all."
I'm not a king. I don't have the answers for his future. I'd said the same thing to Touji once before: You just have to face it. Face your sins. Forever, until the day you die. There is no finish line. You just have to keep searching.
Suddenly, a memory from Heaven surfaced in my mind.
"You know Masaomi Yaegaki, don't you?"
"Yes. The man Cleria fell in love with?"
I nodded.
"I didn't see it myself, but my friends who fought him did. They saw him… and the woman who was holding him."
"…I've heard the rumors. Tell me… did they say what kind of expression Cleria wore?"
"…They said she looked peaceful. Kind."
Masaomi was still in Heaven. He was under surveillance, but he was working under Lord Michael's direction. Occasionally, he would visit the Garden of Eden to lose himself in the memory of her face and her voice.
The Champion looked up at the sky. A single tear traced a path down his cheek.
"Red Dragon Emperor… I have one… one favor to ask."
"A favor? Of me?"
"Yes. I am—"
"—!"
My eyes widened as he spoke.
I see. So that's what it was…! So that was what Ajuka meant… the meaning behind the game with Riser… it was all for this.
Once he finished, the Champion looked at me again.
"That is the truth of it. Can I count on you?"
"Yeah, of course. But… well, this is going to hurt. A lot. You'll just have to grit your teeth and bear it."
I activated a magic circle—the special summoning circle I had been granted. I probably shouldn't have used it here, but the plan had changed.
As the crimson light flared, a presence began to manifest.
"Let's go, Ddraig. We're docking!"
Mentally, I offered a quick apology to Alice and Rias for what I was about to do.
"ZEAAAAAAAH!"
BOOM!
I smashed through the wall, skidding back onto the observation deck. The Champion lay at my feet, buried under rubble, battered and bleeding from head to toe.
I might have overdone it a little… but whatever. I'd gotten his consent, after all.
My eyes immediately landed on Vali, who was sprawled on the floor. I stood my ground, my armor humming with power.
I can't use Empireo Juggernaut Overdrive here, I realized. It drained my stamina and magic like a sinking ship. Against an opponent with Sacred Gear Nullification, the transformation would be stripped away instantly, leaving me exhausted for nothing.
"Heh heh heh… What's the matter, Vali? Is this all the strength your grandfather gets to see?"
Rizevim loomed over him with an air of mock-majesty. Vali's expression was one of pure, unadulterated loathing. He dispelled the gauntlet on his right hand, manifesting layers of magic circles instead. He unleashed a barrage of high-tier offensive spells.
It was a smart play. If he didn't channel the power through a Sacred Gear, Rizevim's nullification was useless. Vali intended to use the armor to bridge the physical gap, then close in with raw magical output.
I, meanwhile, coated my exterior in a layer of Holy Sword aura, effectively "laminating" my Sacred Gear.
But Rizevim was a Transcendental for a reason. He danced through Vali's assault with casual, fluid movements, mocking the effort.
"God, your voice is grating," Vali spat, never ceasing his magical bombardment. "You act the part of the majestic son of Lucifer, the Great Satan, but your core is as foul as the aura oozing from your skin. Rizevim, you are malice incarnate. You were born broken."
Rizevim blinked at his grandson's assessment, then broke into that hideous, trademark sneer.
"Uhyahyanya! So what are you gonna do about it, you shitty brat? You're just a bottom-tier dragon who can't even land a scratch on his poor old grandpa!"
He stuck out his tongue, his attitude utterly revolting.
I spared a glance at the fallen Champion, then stepped up beside Vali, glaring at the old bastard.
"Is that so? Then I guess that makes you even less than trash—getting backed into a corner by a 'bottom-tier dragon.' Right, Rizevim?"
Rizevim's face soured the moment I appeared. He likely remembered our encounter in Heaven. He glanced at the unconscious Champion and clicked his tongue.
"The Champion turned out to be useless, didn't he? I thought he'd give me a bit more entertainment than that."
"Now it's your turn, you old fossil. Vali, it's a deal. From here on, I'm in the fight. I can't forgive this piece of shit either!"
I let my killing intent flare—full, raw, and suffocating. Vali looked at me with an unreadable expression for a second before giving a sharp nod.
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