"I can't believe the broadcast was temporarily suspended by the sheer force of the crowd's shout. I think I can still feel a ringing in my ears."
"I anticipated it, so I was already wearing earplugs."
"I anticipated it, too, so I told my peerage to wear them in advance."
"...Isn't that just a little bit dirty?"
Unlike the Emperor, who had been standing front and center, his two new "Pillars" and their peerage members had, of course, prepared earplugs. (A little inside story: a number of devils and fallen angels who knew what was coming were also fully prepared.) The Emperor had braced himself, but as the standard-bearer, he couldn't very well be seen plugging his ears, leaving him with no defense.
Worse, he was in the middle of a performance for the entire Underworld, so he couldn't even cover his ears like a normal person. He'd had to just endure the thudding roar, secretly casting a defensive spell on his own eardrums for the first time in his life.
Roygun and Bividen simply ignored Dihauzer's resentful tone, pointedly looking away. After all this time together, their inhibitions around him had vanished, and they'd grown mentally tough. The three were currently taking a short break to deal with the aftermath of that... mishap.
Normally, they wouldn't have a moment to spare after declaring a strike. But in a rare turn of events, the cameramen and broadcast staff filming them had taken so much "tsukkomi damage" to their eardrums that continuing the feed was temporarily impossible. The Emperor accepted this unexpected rest, figuring the public also needed time to think.
"Is this wise? It gives the management time to move."
"Our goal requires the Maou's intervention. We can assume the management won't call them immediately. So, we'll let them flail, shift blame amongst themselves, and wear themselves out. The players will also need a little time to make up their minds."
Behind the scenes, the citizens of the Belial territory were already staging demonstrations. Emergency broadcasts about the Top 3's declaration were airing everywhere, featuring the Belial family head and his wife tearfully recounting Dihauzer's life story. "Leave it to me," his father had said with a grin and a thumbs-up, "I'll unleash a storm of emotion across the Underworld."
Like son, like father.
The Emperor was mortified, but he couldn't refuse his parents' goodwill. He'd just asked them not to "overdo it." This strike needed to win over everyone, even those who didn't know Dihauzer Belial, so the prep work had to be thorough.
"That should be enough to fire up the populace. Next is the players. The management will try every trick they can to stop them."
"Many will wait and see. For nobles, defying the Old Devils is a significant risk."
But while the King might be a noble, their peerage was often reincarnated. If a King prioritized their political standing, they'd lose the trust of their peerage, which would ruin their game. In some cases, peerages might even strike on their own.
Dihauzer had intentionally framed the strike from a player's perspective, not a noble's. It was a message to the reincarnated and low-class devils. Even against a powerful foe, there is strength in numbers.
"Still, many players joined us immediately. Time is not entirely against us."
"True... Still, I never expected that Blaze Meteor Dragon to agree so quickly. As expected of a dragon, that was intense."
"Yes. His endorsement brought over most of the reincarnated devils and anyone else who was fed up with the management."
Roygun and Bividen recalled the scene. As expected, the first to support the Emperor wasn't a pure-blood noble, but a reincarnated devil. But no one had expected who.
It was Tannin, the former Great Dragon King, Blaze Meteor Dragon, and the man scheduled to be Dihauzer's final opponent in the "Emperor Belial Ten Matches."
As the players stared, stunned, a thunderous flapping of wings and a hearty laugh filled the air. Dozens of massive, fifteen-meter-tall dragons descended into the park. It was a spectacle.
The crowd parted as Tannin stomped toward the Emperor. The dazed camera crew, running on pure instinct, resumed filming.
"I was surprised by the broadcast, but this is quite the show you've started, Emperor!"
"Lord Tannin."
"...But if you're on strike, what happens to our match? My peerage and I have been training for it."
"I, too, was looking forward to it. My words may ring hollow now, but I never meant to disrespect our match."
As Dihauzer moved to bow, Tannin just laughed again, crossing his arms with a wicked, dragon-like grin.
"Kukuku! No apology needed. I told you, this is a show. I felt your resolve. I don't doubt your dedication to the game."
"Then..."
"Emperor, I became a devil for my own reasons, and I joined the Rating Game for the battles. I have no noble aspirations for the game. I just want to fight strong opponents. I don't care about politics, status, or honor."
The crowd held its breath. Many, like Tannin, saw the game as a means to an end, not a "dream," and were confused by the Emperor's declaration.
"So I ask you, Emperor... your words were as sweet as wine. But do you have anything else? Anything that could intoxicate even a devil like me? That's why I'm interested. That's why I came."
The Dragon King was just... interested. Dihauzer paused, then smiled back.
"Yes. Of course, Lord Tannin."
"Oh...?"
"A question for you, if I may. Do you know what a 'tag-team match' is?"
"...Huh? Y-yeah, I've heard of it."
Tannin's 'cool' facade cracked. 'What is he talking about?' The Emperor's bright smile suddenly reminded him of Kanata's. His stomach hurt.
"In the human world, sports have 'singles' and 'doubles.' Different formats, different rules, all to entertain. For example... what if I teamed up with Lord Abaddon, and you teamed up with Lord Belphegor? Or perhaps teams of eight, based on piece characteristics. Doesn't that sound... interesting?"
The core of the Rating Game had never changed. It was always one King versus another King.
"This game is for training, is it not? Then why not prepare for all possibilities? What about scenarios where Kings must cooperate? What about defending a base against a great enemy?"
(In the DxD storyline, such team-ups happened all the time. Real crises were rarely solved by a single peerage.)
"Why have there never been new rules? Why has the ranking stagnated? It's simple. Because the management can't control it. New rules create 'unexpected' outcomes. They didn't want new possibilities."
"...New possibilities for the game."
"Lord Tannin, you said you joined for the fight. Is this current game truly satisfying to you? Life evolves. A game should, too. But if we do nothing, it will stagnate forever."
This was a new idea. No one had considered it. It was a new dream.
'The fun part of a game is its evolution, isn't it?'
Kanata's simple words, spoken by the Emperor, were now sending ripples through the entire Underworld.
"Lord Tannin, I want to fight you. And I want to fight you on the next stage... on the new stage of the Rating Game that is to come."
"...Kuk... KUKUKU, HAHAHAHA! Now that is a dream! To fight on that stage... the very foundation of the game must be changed!"
The dragon roared, his eyes gleaming, thirsty for a new kind of battle. The other players—those who had felt lost, those who had lacked the "talent"—their eyes began to change, too.
They could change it. With the Emperor, they could remake the game.
"I never knew you were such a dreamer, Emperor! You're hiding quite a monster under that calm face! AND THAT... IS WHY IT'S INTERESTING!"
"Lord Tannin..."
"I accept! Let us get drunk on this dream of yours! I, 'Blaze Meteor Dragon' Tannin, and my peerage, hereby vow to support Emperor Belial's reformation!"
Tannin chugged a flask of 'fortifying' wine his peerage had prepared and bellowed his oath. (He mostly meant it, but he needed the booze to pull off the performance.) He was a dragon; he'd enjoy this festival.
After Tannin's declaration, the rest of the players erupted in support, and the management's faces turned ashen.
The Emperor was serious. He was going to destroy the game they knew. The Old Devils, who had always underestimated him, finally felt a sense of crisis.
"Tannin's help was invaluable," Dihauzer said, back in the present. "He's immensely popular with magical beasts and other species. He's still out there, rallying support."
"While drinking," Bividen snorted.
"I've heard dragons like to drink, but..." Roygun sighed.
"...I'll send him a case of the good stuff later."
Dihauzer knew the truth. Tannin wasn't a revolutionary; he'd just been dragged into Kanata's mess. But he'd played his part as the "shill" perfectly. He was, truly, the "Poor Dragon."
"Now," Roygun said, "we've confessed our own corruption, so the management has no leverage on us. And the 'King Piece' is their weak point, so they can't expose us."
"Our families are 'Extra Demons,' so we have few political ties anyway."
"And I've warned the Belial family. My peerage is watching them. No one will touch them."
The three began to plan their next move.
Dihauzer looked out at the sky. He would protect his cousin's future. He stood, his resolve firm, as the staff (who had finally recovered) signaled they were back on air.
***
"Damn it! Don't be ridiculous! 'Legitimacy of the game'!? If the rules get stricter, they might find out about the enhancement experiments I've been covering up with bribes!"
"My lord..."
"Tch! I must confirm with him... That damn Emperor! Making trouble...!"
In a certain noble's mansion, an Archdevil from a branch of the Naberius family was raging. He had used the game to advance his status, resorting to twisted "enhancements" on his own peerage.
"I have no choice. I'll have to use the results of that research..."
"M-my lord, wait! That drug is still experimental! If the subject isn't compatible, their magic could go berserk... they could suffer mental collapse—"
"If it breaks, I'll just replace it. It's not a problem."
"But...!"
To him, results were everything. His peerage was just a tool. He'd been promising, but too lazy to train himself, so he'd hit a wall in the rankings. He'd turned to experimenting on his peerage, pushing them to their limits.
This noble was involved in a certain "research project." To gain favor with his own patron, he'd used his peerage as guinea pigs.
"First, we'll try it on that Pawn. If it works, we might be able to boost her Sacred Gear."
"But what if she breaks again!? She's been sick ever since the last experiment..."
"She was a lucky find, a Sacred Gear user, but she's useless if she can't control it. We tried to force her Balance Breaker, but she's too weak. Once she recovers, we'll try again with a lower dose."
"...!"
"But... if the side effects are too strong... true, it would be a hassle. Right. The Knight has a younger brother, doesn't he? We'll test it on him first. If the brother is fine, the Knight will be fine. And if the brother turns out to be more useful, I'll just swap him into my peerage."
The peerage member who'd spoken was struck dumb. The lord didn't just see them as tools; he saw their families as spares and hostages.
"Is... is that..."
"What? Do you have a complaint? Your performance has been lacking, too. Perhaps I should 'try' it on you. I took you all in. You should be grateful. ...Or would you rather run off and become a Stray?"
"...No, my lord. I apologize."
The young man bowed, trembling. His lord sneered and walked away, already lost in his own plans.
"That Rook is about at her limit. I'll need to find a replacement... Tsk, the only useful one I have is my Bishop. Fufu, that human left me an excellent souvenir. He was worth the two Pieces I spent... but I still need more."
The noble disappeared down the hall. The young peerage member returned to his room, sick with dread. He couldn't run. He couldn't fight. He was trapped. He looked at the image of the Emperor on his monitor, his face a mask of despair, before disappearing into the shadows.
***
"...I really hate seeing things I shouldn't, nya."
A woman with long black hair, dressed in a matching kimono, sighed. She had been hiding in the shadows of the mansion, using her Senjutsu to erase her presence. She was a member of that noble's peerage and had hurried back, knowing her master would be furious about the strike.
She'd watched him abuse the other peerage member, but stayed hidden. 'Better him than me,' she thought, glaring at the Emperor on the screen. 'You just had to stir things up.'
"'Let's all enjoy the game.' What a joke. Acting like devils aren't corrupt. Plenty of them are just like my stupid master."
She'd laughed at the broadcast. What did they know? For her, a reincarnated devil, the game was just survival. It was a way to earn food and safety for her and her family. Winning kept her master happy, which kept them safe.
She was a Nekomata, a "Nekoshou," a master of Senjutsu, and she liked fighting. She liked winning. But this life was a suffocating cage. She fought not with joy, but as a chore.
She put up with it for one reason: her little sister.
Their mother, a Nekomata, had fallen in love with a human researcher. She'd followed him, only to be killed with him in a lab accident. Kuroka, left with her infant sister, was alone. As a rare species, they were targets. Her current master—the researcher's employer—had "saved" them. In exchange, Kuroka became his devil. She'd had no choice.
Her only goal was to protect her little white-haired sister.
"Ah, Sister Kuroka! Welcome home!"
"I'm back, Shirone. Were you a good girl, nya?"
"Yes! But... it's really noisy outside."
"...I see. You can sense that now, can't you?"
The little girl with white hair and fluffy ears—Shirone—dove into her older sister's arms. Kuroka held her tight. Her master's words echoed in her head.
'We'll test it on him first... the brother.'
To her master, family was just a spare part.
Kuroka's strength was keeping the team afloat, but she knew the others were nearing their limits. She could sense it. She hadn't cared. She just needed to protect herself and Shirone.
"Shirone. Whatever you do, don't ever tell the Master you can 'sense' things, okay?"
"Why not, sister?"
"Just... because. Promise me."
"...Okay."
Shirone was a good, obedient girl. That's what worried Kuroka. If her master found out about Shirone's potential... he would want her, too. Kuroka's service was supposed to be the price for her sister's safety, but now she wasn't so sure.
She'd be trapped forever. Shirone would be trapped. The thought made her skin crawl. She couldn't escape. Becoming a Stray with a child was a death sentence.
"...A dream, huh."
The Emperor's words. Kuroka had scoffed. Even if the management changed, her life wouldn't. She was trapped in shadow. But... she wanted, just once, for her sister to live in the light.
She had to make a choice.
"Shirone... is there anything you... want to do?"
"Huh?"
The question was sudden, but Shirone seemed to sense its importance. She thought hard, her ears twitching, and then replied, her tail held high.
"I want to be with you forever, Sister Kuroka!"
"...Heh?"
Shirone blushed. "I want to be with you... and I want you to be smiling! I... I won't accept it unless you're smiling, too!"
Kuroka stared, stunned. Her sister wasn't just wishing for safety. She was wishing for Kuroka's happiness.
A warmth she hadn't felt in years spread through her. She quickly wiped her eyes, then scooped her sister into a tight embrace.
"I see... so I have to be smiling, too."
"Sister...?"
"Big sister is so moved, nyaaa!"
"Nyaan!?"
Kuroka playfully tackled her sister onto the bed, making her shriek in surprise. After a moment of pouting, Shirone was mollified.
Kuroka watched her sister fall asleep, her resolve hardening. She had found her answer.
If her master wouldn't change, she couldn't stay. But she couldn't run. That left only one option: fight.
Not with force. With cunning. The Emperor hadn't fought on the Old Devils' terms. He'd attacked from an angle they never saw coming. Kuroka smiled, a truly devilish look, and licked her lips.
"Master has been doing that... suspicious research, nya. 'For his sake,' he always said. And... that man, my father, was involved..."
She didn't know the details, only that it was twisted. And that it was connected to her parents' deaths. This was her opening.
"If that research is illegal... maybe I can do what the Emperor did. I'll get the proof and expose him."
The noble wouldn't be brought down easily. She'd need hard evidence. But Kuroka, a master of Senjutsu, could get it. Under Underworld law, if she wasn't involved in the crime, she (and Shirone) would be spared.
"And where to send the proof? ...Maybe to the Emperor? He seems to really hate corruption, nya."
It was a long shot. She didn't trust anyone. But it was the only path she could see that didn't end with her and Shirone as hunted Strays. It was a faint hope... a dream... born from her sister's wish.
"And if that doesn't work... then, as I first thought... I'll just kill the Master myself and run away with Shirone."
The black cat's resolve was set. The Emperor's strike had sent a ripple far enough to give a single, lost cat a reason to fight. She didn't have "comrades" or "happy memories." She just had a sister.
"Funya..." Shirone mumbled in her sleep, drooling.
Kuroka chuckled and gently wiped her sister's mouth. The Underworld was in chaos, but for now, this moment was peaceful. Her black tail swayed. Her heart had always been moved by one thing. For Shirone... she would become a true monster.
She just hoped her gentle sister wouldn't have to cry when she did.
"Thank you... Shirone."
She whispered the words she'd never say aloud, and stared out the window, dreaming of a day when the two of them could walk freely under that sky.