{A few minutes ago, Tannin's Mountain}
—Bova—
Some time ago, less than a week ago, his father called him and said that there was someone who wanted to take him into their peerage.
At first, he was confused.
'Why would anyone want me in their peerage? I haven't even fought anyone well-known?'
He believed that to become known or wanted, one had to achieve something. He had no real achievements yet. His biggest accomplishment was being the son of Tannin and defeating his older siblings.
But that wasn't enough to draw someone's interest.
'Or do they want me because I am father's son?'
That thought didn't sit well with him. If someone wanted him in their peerage, it had to be for his own worth, not just because he was the son of Tannin. He wanted to be known as Bova the Destroyer, a strong dragon, not simply the son of the Blaze Meteor Dragon.
This was why he trained so hard — to outshine his siblings, defeat them, and come out on top.
He didn't hate the idea of being in someone's peerage, or even calling a devil master.
Sure, he had a dragon's pride, but so did his father. And he had seen how much respect his father commanded wherever he went, despite being part of Mephisto Pheles' peerage.
As long as the devil who wanted him was kind, respectful, and didn't treat their peerage as slaves — he didn't mind joining one.
And if they ever tried to treat him like a slave, he would kill the master or be killed in the process. That was a promise he made to himself.
'Does he think he can quickly get a stronger peerage because I am father's son?'
He hated that idea. The possibility that someone wanted him just to build a name for themselves through their peerage without putting in the work themselves — he despised it.
He had heard of many devils doing that, and he wanted to beat up every single one of them. Which was why he flew like a comet when he heard the devil wanting him in the peerage had finally arrived.
He shot through the sky, crossing meters in the blink of an eye, and the moment he sensed the presence of his father, a devil who could only be the Satan Lucifer, and next to them a devil he had never sensed before — he decided to crash close to them.
"WHERE IS HE!" he roared, looking for the devil that wanted him in the peerage. "WHERE!"
Finally, as the dust from his impact settled and the faces became clearer, he noticed the man.
Black hair, almost entirely black pupils, and a fairly strong build.
'He isn't weak.'
At least he could sense the devil was strong, which was a relief. At least it wasn't a deadbeat.
'But what if he still wants to rely entirely on his peerage?'
He couldn't allow that.
So, staring directly at the devil, baring his fangs and gritting his teeth — he growled.
"FIGHT ME!"
* * *
{Present, Tannin's Mountain}
—Blaze Meteor Dragon, Tannin—
He knew his son would come swinging the moment he sensed Faiser's presence. But he was still a little surprised that Bova was ready to fight him on sight, even after realizing the devil wasn't as weak as he had feared.
In a way, it was reckless to charge at a noble devil. Fighting the heir — no, the Lord of one of the Seventy-Two — was almost considered a sin unless you were on the same social level.
But who was he kidding?
'He is my son, after all.'
He wasn't going to let formalities get in the way of his son fighting a strong devil, nor was he about to pass up the chance of seeing a Barbatos devil get beaten.
'Even if he has her blood.'
And if his son lost, it wasn't bad either. Bova had been winning against everyone he faced so far, and in a way, the young dragon was growing too proud. He needed some losses to tone down his ego, and there was no better motivator than defeat.
Also, it would prove to Bova that the devil before him was worthy to be his Lord.
"What do you say, Lord Faiser?" He still felt strange calling such a young kid a Lord. But his feelings didn't change the truth, and he had long accepted that. "Will you accept the challenge?"
He saw Faiser looking at Bova with curious eyes, and he wasn't surprised.
Most did when they first met Bova. After all, The Destroyer was a perfect replica of himself in terms of appearance.
Bova looked more like him than any of his other children, and this was one of the reasons he saw so much of himself in him. From appearance to habits, Bova was every bit of what he had been as a child.
It made him both proud and worried. Worried that he would make the same mistakes he once made, even though he had forgotten most of them.
"I don't suppose he is willing to listen, is he?" Faiser asked, surprisingly carrying a smile. "He certainly doesn't look willing to talk."
'Oh? He's confident too, isn't he?'
He could sense that Faiser was strong. Even with the boy masking his demonic power, it was clear he was either at Bova's level, or maybe higher.
"I do know that dragons hate working with or under anyone weak," Faiser took a step forward. "So, I accept his challenge."
He slowly released his presence, and that immediately made Tannin realize that Faiser was an even bigger threat than he had anticipated.
'The son of the Slayer,' Tannin gazed at the boy intently. 'And the son of the Keeper. Let's see if you have half the capabilities of your parents, Faiser Valefar-Barbatos.'
He had lost to Faiser's father more than once, and he owed a debt to his mother for saving his life.
He had high expectations, even when he knew expectations often led to disappointment.
'Something… something tells me that he won't disappoint me.'
* * *
—Sirzechs Lucifer—
'I expected this. Still…'
He was a little unsure. He knew Faiser was Ultimate-Class and capable. But dragons, even the weaker ones, were still able to hit above their grade. And Bova was a known powerhouse among the current generation—not just among dragons, but among devils and other beings too.
Bova was strong. He knew that.
The question was—
'How strong are both of them truly?'
This was his chance to find out. He wanted to know just how capable Faiser was. He wanted to see if he truly had the right to carry the name of his mentor, Faustus Barbatos.
Even though he couldn't do anything if Faiser disappointed him, he still wanted Faiser to win. He wanted him to prove that Faustus didn't sacrifice his life for nothing.
That his mentor didn't die for a deadbeat.
"What are the conditions?" Faiser asked, stretching his arms a little.
Bova was staring intently at him, without saying anything.
So, it came down to him and Tannin to decide.
"Whoever beats the other senseless," Tannin grinned. "First to be knocked out."
Sirzechs immediately shook his head. He didn't want it to be so rough.
"Whoever surrenders first, or whoever is able to land a serious attack on the opponent wins. No need to fight until one loses consciousness," he suggested.
Tannin clicked his tongue, but agreed.
"Fine by me," Faiser said, standing directly in front of Bova.
"Me too," said the dragon child.
"Then, are you two ready?" he asked, looking between the two.
Seeing them nod, he started to count.
"On the count of zero. Three."
The two fighters adjusted their stance.
"Two."
They let out a bit of their energies, letting them clash before making a move.
"One."
Their eyes locked.
"Zero! Fight!"
And with that, it wasn't just their eyes, but their fists as well—that locked against the other.
The ten-foot dragon and the six-foot devil collided, and despite the size and power difference, neither was pushed back. Instead, a crater formed beneath them, and their energies burst out—releasing a massive shockwave.
The two immediately lunged into another exchange, with Bova using his tail like a whip. Faiser ducked and tried to sweep him.
The devil even succeeded for a moment, but the dragon's wings and tail helped him immediately stabilize, letting him stomp toward the devil.
Faiser kicked against the ground, pushing himself back and dodging the attack.
'They're both gauging each other's strength,' he noted. 'But for how long?'
It was smart to test your opponent's capabilities, but being that close was a recipe for disaster. One clean hit, and the other would be out cold.
And that's exactly what followed.
Using his tail as a distraction, Bova threw a magically reinforced punch. His fist was ablaze with draconic fire and shot straight toward Faiser's face, strong and fast enough to pummel him into the ground.
But everyone had forgotten one simple thing.
"Tch, that Barbatos skill," Tannin said in annoyance as Faiser blinked out of the impact zone, leaving the fiery punch to shatter the ground instead.
"Good punch," Faiser grinned, right as Bova tried to rush him with another fiery blow. "But those aren't enough."
Bova froze—no, his fist froze. He tried to push his body forward, but his arm refused to move.
'Bind…' Sirzechs couldn't help but feel jealous of that skill. 'An unfair ability.'
For some reason, Faiser didn't fully freeze Bova—only the attacking arm. Taking that moment, he teleported right in front of the dragon's face and punched hard.
The punch—his fist specifically—was encased in a solid metallic glove that cracked a few of Bova's scales and made him bleed from his snout and mouth.
The glove immediately melted back into a fluid and settled on his wrist as a bracelet.
"Still want to keep going?" Faiser asked, taunting the dragon.
Bova was furious, his body heating up with draconic flames. If the fire had been limited to his fist before, now it surrounded his entire body.
"That…" Even Tannin looked surprised. "I didn't know he had reached that level."
With his free arm, Bova made a slashing motion, and the flames around him curved out and shot toward Faiser like a blade.
The devil boy didn't dodge. Instead, he grinned and muttered something under his breath—too low for even the dragon or the Satan to hear despite their enhanced hearing.
All they saw was the fire hitting him, and their eyes went wide.
Both were worried it might have left more than a light injury—maybe even a major one.
Sirzechs stepped forward, ready to stop everything if the Lord of the two pillars was at risk.
"That was hot." To their shock, Faiser's voice came out of the burning area. "Would've been dangerous for anyone other than me."
Out of the dust and fire, he walked without a scratch. Not even his clothes were harmed, which shocked everyone.
"How?" Nova growled. "How can you be fine after getting hit with draconic flames?!"
Faiser shrugged. "I just can."
Tannin looked at Sirzechs for an explanation, but even the Satan had no answer.
"What else have you got?" Faiser asked. "Your physical ability and resistance are impressive. So is your demonic power and draconic flame. So, is there anything else?"
It was a taunt, but also a genuine question.
Sirzechs wanted an answer too, and that answer appeared right in front of him.
"Bova!" Tannin yelled. "That's dangerous!"
But Bova didn't listen. Instead, he opened his mouth wide—almost one-eighty degrees—and unleashed a beam of fire.
It wasn't ordinary fire. It was pure heat—magmic, draconic, and tinged with demonic power. A fire even Sirzechs had never seen before.
"That's the Demonic Dragon's Breath!" Tannin hissed. "A fire combining demonic and draconic power—a fire that can even melt holy power!"
Sirzechs' eyes widened. He had never heard of a flame that could melt holy power, but here it was, confirmed by Tannin.
"Faiser!" he yelled, hoping the boy would blink away this time. "Dodge!"
If the fire could melt holy power, then it was more than capable of destroying a devil.
But Faiser didn't listen. Instead, he laughed.
"It's still fire in the end!"
And he stood there, letting the inferno swallow him whole, not caring for his status or wealth.
"FAISER!"
Sirzechs couldn't help but yell in horror. His demonic power flared, ready to erase everything—including the dragon—if the boy was harmed.
Tannin too shifted into an offensive stance, prepared to face the Satan if he made a move against his son.
But none of that happened. Instead, Faiser's laughter echoed through the flames. And from the fire that was said to melt holy power, he walked out untouched—not a single burn mark, not even charred clothes.
"Oh, now I want you in my peerage even more!" He laughed and vanished from sight. "BOVA THE DESTROYER!"
His voice came from the sky, and as everyone looked up, they saw the devil descending at rapid speed with a comically massive hammer made from the same black substance as his bracelet.
Bova tried to move, but Faiser had already bound his entire body, locking him in place.
"JOIN MY PEERAGE!"
The hammer came crashing down on Bova's head, smashing him into the ground, cracking his scales, his bones, and the very earth beneath him.
"MY ROOK!"
With one ridiculous attack, Faiser took down the son of Tannin—the Destroyer Bova.
Even the Blaze Meteor Dragon and Satan Lucifer could only stare at him in silence and shock.
"I…" Seeing the unconscious Bova, he turned to Sirzechs and Tannin. "Won, didn't I?"
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{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters. }