Part I:
The morning of the finals, the entire Underworld was buzzing with anticipation.
LUCIEN GREMORY VS. RISER PHENEX
The Crimson Prodigy versus the Immortal Phoenix. Power of Destruction versus infinite regeneration. It was the match everyone wanted to see.
In Lucien's preparation chamber, his peerage gathered for final strategy.
Seekvaira Agares stood at the tactical board, pointing out Riser's known patterns. "His immortality makes him overconfident. He takes hits he shouldn't because he knows he'll regenerate. We can exploit—"
"I'm fighting alone."
Everyone stopped.
"What?" Seekvaira turned to stare at her fiancé.
Lucien stood calmly, the Power of Destruction already crackling faintly around his hands. "I'm going in solo. No peerage."
"That's insane!" Kuroka protested. "Even if you're strong, Riser has fifteen—"
"Fourteen. He lost one in the last match."
"Still! That's fourteen versus one!"
"I'm aware of basic mathematics, Kuroka."
Tannin rumbled with concern. "Lord Lucien, while I respect your confidence, this is a tactical disadvantage. Even immortality can be worn down by numbers and—"
"I don't need numbers." Lucien's golden eyes were hard. Determined. "Riser has spent his entire life relying on his immortality. He's never had to truly push himself because he always knew he'd regenerate. I want to show him what happens when you face someone who can actually kill you. And he made Rias cry"
Silence.
Mira adjusted her glasses nervously. "The Power of Destruction can counter regeneration, but you'd need to completely destroy him before he can—"
"I know." Lucien smiled slightly. "Trust me. I've been planning this."
Seekvaira stepped forward, her expression conflicted. "Lucien. As your Queen, as your tactical advisor, and as your fiancée—this is a terrible idea."
"I know."
"You're going to do it anyway."
"Yes."
She stared at him for a long moment.
Then sighed. "You're impossible."
"You knew that when you agreed to marry me."
"I must have been temporarily insane."
"Definitely."
They looked at each other.
Then Lucien pulled her close and kissed her.
Not gently. Not chastely.
Thoroughly.
When they finally broke apart, Seekvaira was flushed and breathless. "That's... that's not fair."
"I never claimed to fight fair." He turned her around and gave her ass a solid smack that made her yelp. "Now go sit in the stands with the others. I'll see you after I win."
"Lucien!"
But he was already walking toward the teleportation circle.
"Lord Lucien is scary when he's determined," one of the Pawns whispered.
"Lord Lucien is scary all the time," another corrected.
Kuroka grinned. "I like him."
Tannin just shook his head. "Gremory and their pride."
Seekvaira stood there, still flushed, touching her lips.
Then smiled despite herself.
"That arrogant, brilliant, impossible man."
Part II:
The colosseum was at maximum capacity.
Every seat filled. Every screen active. The betting pools had reached absurd levels.
In the VIP box, the usual suspects had gathered:
Caelan sat with Kino on his lap, the little girl bouncing with excitement.
"Papa! Papa! Uncle Lucien is fighting!"
"I'm aware."
"He's going to win, right?"
"Probably."
Sirzechs stood at the railing, looking proud and concerned simultaneously. "He's really doing this. Fighting alone."
"Stupid but impressive," Azazel observed. "Kid's got balls."
"Language," Grayfia said automatically, though she looked more worried than angry.
Serafall was vibrating with excitement. "THIS IS SO COOL! Solo fight! Just like in anime!"
Gabriel looked concerned. "Is it safe for him to fight alone?"
"Safe? No," Freya said. "Glorious? Absolutely."
Lord Zeoticus and Lady Venelana sat together, holding hands tightly.
Down in the arena, the battlefield manifested—a massive open plain with minimal cover. Perfect for a duel.
Riser Phenex appeared with his full peerage minus the one he'd lost. Thirteen women in various states of battle dress, all looking confident.
"Where's Gremory?" Riser looked around. "Is he late? How embarrassing—"
A single teleportation circle flared.
Lucien Gremory stepped out.
Alone.
No peerage. No support. Just him in his crimson-and-gold armor, the Power of Destruction already manifesting around his hands like living shadows.
The crowd went silent.
Then erupted.
"HE'S ALONE?!"
"WHERE'S HIS PEERAGE?!"
"IS THIS ALLOWED?!"
"THIS IS INSANE!"
Riser blinked. "You're... you're fighting alone?"
"Yes."
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Even for a Gremory."
"Then this should be easy for you."
Riser's expression shifted. From confusion to amusement to anticipation. "Oh, this is going to be FUN. I'm going to enjoy humiliating you in front of the entire Underworld."
"You're welcome to try."
Grayfia's voice echoed across the arena. "This is the finals match between Lucien Gremory and Riser Phenex. King versus King and full peerage. Standard rules apply. The match begins... NOW!"
Riser didn't hesitate.
"KILL HIM!"
All thirteen of his remaining pieces charged at once.
And Lucien smiled.
Part III:
What happened next would be talked about in the Underworld for decades.
Yubelluna, the Bomb Queen, unleashed her explosive magic from range. Massive detonations that would have leveled buildings.
Lucien walked through them.
The Power of Destruction simply erased the explosions before they could touch him. Not deflected. Not defended against. Simply removed from existence.
Karlamine and Siris, the Knights, came at him with blinding speed and precision swordwork.
Lucien didn't even draw a weapon.
His hand moved—a casual gesture—and the Power of Destruction manifested as a blade of pure crimson-black energy that cut through both Knights' swords and armor simultaneously.
"Two Knights retired."
Xuelan, the Chinese martial artist Rook, tried to use her superior physical strength.
Lucien caught her punch with one hand.
The Power of Destruction flowed up her arm.
She screamed as her armor disintegrated.
"One Rook retired."
Isabela, the other Rook, tried to attack from behind.
Lucien spun, his hand moving in a precise arc.
The Power of Destruction carved through her defenses like they were paper.
"One Rook retired."
Mihae, one of the Bishops, tried healing and support magic.
Lucien pointed at her.
A concentrated beam of Power of Destruction—surgical, precise—erased her magical barriers and forced her retirement.
"One Bishop retired."
The twin Pawns—Ile and Nel with their chainsaws, Ni and Li the nekomata twins—tried a coordinated assault.
Lucien raised both hands.
The Power of Destruction exploded outward in a perfect sphere.
All four Pawns caught in the blast.
"Four Pawns retired."
The entire sequence took ninety seconds.
In the VIP box, there was stunned silence.
"He's..." Venelana couldn't finish the sentence.
"Dominating," Caelan finished. "Completely. Utterly. Overwhelmingly."
"His control is perfect," Sirzechs said, pride and concern warring in his voice. "The Power of Destruction at that precision... I couldn't do that until I was two hundred years old."
"How old is Lucien?" Gabriel asked.
"Twenty-three."
"Oh my."
On the battlefield, Riser stood alone.
Well, almost alone. Yubelluna was still standing, badly injured but trying to provide support.
Riser's expression had shifted from confident to shocked to angry to... afraid.
"You... you can't—"
"Can't what?" Lucien walked forward calmly. "Beat you? I just eliminated ten of your pieces in ninety seconds."
"I'M IMMORTAL!" Riser's flames erupted. "You can't kill me! I'll just regenerate!"
"Will you?"
Lucien's Power of Destruction intensified.
Not wild. Not explosive.
Concentrated.
"The thing about the Power of Destruction," Lucien said conversationally, "is that it doesn't just damage. It erases. It removes matter from existence. No atoms left. No cells to regenerate from. Just... nothing."
Riser took a step back. "You wouldn't—"
"Try me."
Yubelluna tried one last desperate attack. "BOMB QUEEN'S MAXIMIZE—"
Lucien pointed at her without even looking.
A single beam of concentrated Power of Destruction.
Her spell was erased mid-cast.
"One Queen retired."
Now it was just Riser.
He turned to Riser. "You've spent your entire life believing immortality makes you invincible. It doesn't. It makes you lazy. Complacent. Weak."
"I'M NOT WEAK!" Riser charged, flames erupting.
Lucien didn't move.
The flames hit him.
And were erased.
Every single one.
The Power of Destruction simply consumed the phoenix fire before it could even burn.
"Impossible," Riser breathed.
"You rely on regeneration. I rely on precision." Lucien's hand shot forward, grabbing Riser by the throat. Not choking—just holding. "Do you understand now? Against someone who can actually kill you, your immortality means nothing."
The Power of Destruction began to flow.
Slowly. Controlled.
Riser's armor started to disintegrate.
Then his clothes.
Then his skin began to crack.
"I SURRENDER!" Riser shouted. "I SURRENDER! PLEASE!"
Lucien released him.
Riser collapsed to the ground, regenerating frantically, genuine fear in his eyes.
"Riser Phenex surrenders. Lucien Gremory wins the Young Devils Rating Game Tournament!"
The colosseum exploded with sound.
"LUCIEN!"
"THE CRIMSON PRODIGY!"
"PERFECT VICTORY!"
"HE DID IT ALONE!"
In the VIP box, Sirzechs was crying tears of pride. "That's my son."
Grayfia was also crying, though trying to hide it. "He's magnificent."
Kino tugged on Caelan's sleeve. "Papa, Uncle Lucien is really, really strong!"
"Yes."
"Are you that strong?"
Caelan was quiet for a long moment.
"I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe. In different ways."
"What does that mean?"
"It means power comes in many forms. Lucien has raw destructive force. I have... other tools."
"Like ice?"
"Like ice."
Part IV:
In the center of the arena, Lucien Gremory stood alone, the Power of Destruction still crackling faintly around his hands.
The crowd was chanting his name.
"LUCIEN! LUCIEN! LUCIEN!"
Sirzechs teleported down to the arena floor, pulling his adopted son into a tight embrace.
"I'm so proud of you," the Crimson Satan said, not caring who heard. "You were perfect."
"I had a good teacher."
"And good genetics."
They both laughed.
Seekvaira appeared via her own teleportation circle, running toward Lucien and jumping into his arms.
"YOU INSANE, BRILLIANT, IMPOSSIBLE MAN!"
She kissed him. Hard.
The crowd went wild.
"GET A ROOM!" someone shouted.
"They're engaged, let them celebrate!" someone else countered.
When they finally broke apart, Seekvaira smacked his chest. "Don't you EVER scare me like that again!"
"Can't promise that."
"Lucien!"
"I'm a Gremory. We're dramatic. You knew this."
Despite herself, she laughed.
The awards ceremony began shortly after.
Ajuka Beelzebub—one of the Four Great Satans and creator of the Evil Pieces system—materialized in the arena center, his presence causing the crowd to fall respectfully silent.
"Lucien Gremory," the Satan's voice echoed. "You have demonstrated exceptional skill, power, and tactical brilliance. As winner of the Young Devils Rating Game Tournament, you are hereby awarded:
Elevation to Mid-class Ultimate rankA favor from the Four Great Satans, to be called upon onceRecognition as one of the top young nobles of this generationAnd this—"
A magical trophy materialized, intricate and beautiful.
"—the Tournament Champion's Crown."
Lucien accepted it with grace, bowing respectfully to the Satan.
The crowd erupted again.
Part V:
While the entire colosseum was focused on the awards ceremony, Caelan noticed something.
A flicker of movement in the crowd.
A pattern that shouldn't exist.
Multiple figures moving through the stands with coordinated precision. All heading in the same direction.
Toward the Gremory preparation chambers.
Where Rias's peerage was recovering.
Where Asia Argento was resting.
Caelan's eyes narrowed.
"Azazel."
The Fallen Angel Governor was beside him instantly. "You see it too?"
"Coordinated movement. Lower levels. Heading toward the Gremory chambers."
"Shit." Azazel's usual lazy demeanor vanished. "That's—"
"An extraction team," Caelan finished. "Kino, stay with Grandmother."
"But Papa—"
"NOW."
He was already moving, ice forming around his hands.
Grayfia noticed. "Caelan? What's—"
"Possible kidnapping attempt. Gremory preparation chambers. Alert security but don't cause a panic."
"On it."
Caelan moved through the crowd like a ghost, his presence barely noticed as he descended toward the lower levels.
And there, in the shadows, he found them.
Part VI:
In the Gremory preparation chamber, Asia Argento sat quietly, using her Twilight Healing to help her teammates recover from the matches.
"Thank you, Asia-chan," Issei said, his wounds already closing.
"It's my pleasure, Issei-san!"
"You're the best healer ever!"
Asia blushed. "That's too much praise—"
The door exploded inward.
Not opened. Exploded.
Six figures in black robes stormed in, magical circles glowing.
"ASIA ARGENTO!" one shouted. "BY ORDER OF THE KHAOS BRIGADE, YOU'RE COMING WITH US!"
"WHAT?!" Issei jumped up. "BOOST! BOOST!"
But one of the robed figures threw something—a magical binding circle that wrapped around Issei, Akeno, Koneko, and the others, freezing them in place.
"Sorry, Red Dragon Emperor. Orders are orders."
They grabbed Asia, who screamed.
"ISSEI-SAN!"
"ASIA!"
The robed figures began teleporting—
And hit a wall of ice.
Complete. Absolute. Impenetrable.
The entire room had frozen solid, the teleportation circle disrupted.
"What the—"
Caelan Lucifuge stepped through the doorway, ice and mist swirling around him. His silver eyes were cold enough to freeze hellfire.
"Khaos Brigade," he said flatly. "Terrorist organization. Old Satan Faction sympathizers. And incredibly stupid."
"YOU!" The leader pointed at him. "You're just a consultant! A broken King who can't even—"
"Can't participate in Rating Games. Correct." Caelan's hand moved, and the ice shifted. "But I never said I was weak."
The temperature dropped twenty degrees in an instant.
"Absolute Zero: Cocytus Prison."
The ice exploded into motion.
Three of the robed figures were frozen solid before they could even cast spells. Complete stasis, their bodies preserved in crystalline perfection.
The other three tried to fight.
One unleashed fire magic.
Caelan gestured, and the flames simply... stopped existing. Frozen mid-air, then shattered.
Another tried physical force, charging with demonic strength.
Caelan caught his fist with one hand.
Ice crawled up the man's arm, spreading to his shoulder, his chest, his—
"One chance," Caelan said quietly. "Tell me who sent you."
"F-fuck you!"
"Wrong answer."
Complete frozen stasis.
The last attacker—the leader—tried to teleport away with Asia.
Caelan was faster.
He appeared in the teleportation path, his hand piercing through the magical circle like it was paper.
"Frozen Realm: Shattered Space."
The teleportation spell collapsed. Violently.
The backlash sent the leader flying backward, his arm broken, his ribs cracked.
Caelan caught Asia before she could fall, setting her down gently. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes! Thank you, Sensei!"
He turned to the groaning leader. "Now. Let's try this again. Who sent you?"
"You... you can't... we're Khaos Brigade... you don't know what you're—"
"I know you're terrorists. I know you're part of the Old Satan Faction. I know you have an obsession with corrupting holy maidens." Caelan's eyes narrowed. "And I know Diodora Astaroth is involved."
The leader's eyes widened. "How—"
"Because he forfeited his match. No one does that without a reason. He was never here to compete. He was here to provide cover for you."
"You're... you're too smart for your own good."
"I've been told that."
Security burst in, led by Grayfia and several heavily armed devil guards.
"Caelan! Are you—" She took in the scene. Six frozen terrorists. One groaning on the floor. Asia safe.
"I'm fine. They're not."
"Khaos Brigade?"
"Yes. Extract what information you can from the leader. The frozen ones will thaw eventually—interrogate them separately."
"Where's Diodora?"
"Gone. He teleported the moment the attack started. But he made one mistake."
"What's that?"
Caelan held up something—a small communication device he'd frozen mid-transmission before it could send.
"He left evidence. Audio recordings. Coordinates. Meeting locations." His smile was cold. "The Khaos Brigade just lost their entire local cell."
Part VII:
An hour later, in an emergency council meeting, the truth came out.
Diodora Astaroth was a member of the Old Satan Faction within the Khaos Brigade.
He had an obsession with corrupting former holy maidens—nuns and priestesses who'd fallen or been excommunicated.
Asia Argento, the former Holy Maiden with Twilight Healing, was his primary target.
He'd entered the tournament solely to get close to her, using the chaos of the matches as cover for a kidnapping attempt.
And he wasn't alone.
The Khaos Brigade had cells throughout the Underworld.
This was just one operation.
"This is serious," Sirzechs said, his usual playfulness completely gone. His power radiated from him—the true face of the Crimson Satan. "An attack during a sanctioned tournament. Against a competitor's peerage. This is a declaration of war."
"Agreed," Serafall added, her magical girl persona abandoned. "We need to respond. Decisively."
"We will," Ajuka said calmly. "But carefully. The Khaos Brigade is larger than we thought. If we strike too hard, too fast, they'll scatter."
"What do you recommend?" Falbium—the fourth Satan, usually too lazy to attend meetings—was actually present and alert.
"Surveillance. Intelligence gathering. We let them think they escaped. Track their movements. Then strike when we have the full picture."
Everyone nodded.
Then Sirzechs turned to Caelan, who stood in the corner with his arms crossed.
"You saved Asia Argento's life," the Crimson Satan said. "And captured an entire terrorist cell single-handedly. The Underworld owes you a debt."
"I did my job."
"You did more than that."
"I protected someone under my student's care. That's all."
"Caelan—"
"I don't want recognition. I don't want rewards. I just want to go home." He paused. "But I do want access to the Khaos Brigade intelligence once you've gathered it."
"Why?"
"Because they came after someone, I was hired to train. That makes it personal." His silver eyes were cold. "And I'm very good at making people regret making things personal."
The Satans looked at each other.
Then nodded.
"Done," Sirzechs agreed.
Part VIII:
That evening, as the sun set over the Underworld, the tournament officially concluded.
Lucien Gremory was crowned champion.
Rias Gremory was awarded the "Rising Star" commendation for her performance against Sairaorg.
Issei Hyoudou received special recognition for his Longinus Smasher technique.
And quietly, without fanfare, Caelan Lucifuge was noted in the official records as having "prevented a major security incident."
In the VIP box, after everyone else had left, Caelan stood alone, looking out at the empty arena.
"You could have competed, you know," a voice said.
He turned to find Lucien standing there, still in his tournament armor, the championship crown in his hands.
"My King piece is broken."
"So, get it fixed."
"It's not that simple."
"Isn't it?" Lucien walked closer. "Ajuka Beelzebub created the Evil Pieces. If anyone can repair a broken King piece, it's him."
"Why would he?"
"Because you're worth it." Lucien met his twin's eyes. "I watched you fight today. Against those terrorists. You moved like a devil half my age but with precision that took me decades to learn. You're powerful, Caelan. More than you admit."
"Power without a peerage means nothing in Rating Games."
"Then build a peerage."
"Why? So I can compete in tournaments I don't care about?"
"So you can stand beside your family instead of apart from it."
The words hung in the air.
Caelan looked at his twin brother—the golden prodigy, the champion, the one everyone loved.
"I'm not you," he said finally.
"I know. You're better at some things. Worse at others. But you're still my brother." Lucien extended his hand. "And I'd like to get to know you. If you'll let me."
Caelan stared at the offered hand.
Twenty-three years of isolation. Twenty-three years of being forgotten. Twenty-three years of telling himself he didn't need family.
He could refuse. Walk away. Go back to his frozen domain and his comfortable solitude.
Or—
He took Lucien's hand.
"One conversation," Caelan said. "That's all I'm promising."
Lucien smiled. "That's all I'm asking."
They stood there, two halves of a whole, finally acknowledging each other.
And somewhere in the frozen Eastern Domain, Kino smiled, sensing through their bond that her Papa was maybe, just maybe, starting to heal.