From Chapter 57 onward, prepare for a major upgrade—writing, cleaner grammar, and a more immersive story!
❁❁❁❁
Deep inside the Phenex family's castle, in the banquet hall—
In keeping with the rows of carriages lined up out front, the banquet hall exuded a scene of lively festivity. Over half of the Seventy-Two Pillars high-class devils were present, impeccably dressed, mingling with raised glasses in a swirl of toasts.
"Yoo-hoo! Sirzechs-chan, you're here too!"
In one corner of the hall, a lively girl's voice rang out. A petite figure with twin ponytails all but teleported in front of the red-haired young Satan. Despite her sudden appearance, Sirzechs didn't seem surprised—he simply smiled in that gentle way of his.
"Long time no see, Serafall."
"The Sitri household got invited, so I came representing them!"
Called Serafall, the girl playfully stuck out her tongue, propped one hand on her hip, and cutely leaned forward, flashing a V-sign near her face. Although she was also a devil aristocrat attending this grand gathering, her entire look—both in face and outfit—seemed more "magical girl" than devil, complete with a fairy-wand that looked like a fifteen-dollar item from a children's toy store.
After that pose, Serafall tucked the wand behind her with a girlish flourish.
"Actually, I'd planned on letting Sona-chan attend, but it seems she still hasn't come home to the Underworld. That left me representing the Sitri family!"
"Oh, about your sister…" Sirzechs mused, "I suspect Sona probably arrived in the Underworld yesterday with Rias and the others—likely staying at our Gremory house."
"Eh? How come!?"
Serafall's violet eyes—so similar to Sona's—widened in shock. Tears almost shimmered there. "What does that mean? Has Sona-chan stopped going home? She returns to the Underworld and won't even tell big sis…so that means she's grown up and drifted from me? That's just so sad—buuut wait, I get it!"
?
Like a whimsical magical girl, her moods whirled around like a storm. One moment, wailing heartbreak; the next, a sudden epiphany, bright-eyed:
"Yes, I know exactly why! Definitely it's because Sona-chan finds our Sitri family's train too plain, so she picked Gremory's train instead—makes sense! I'll fix up the Sitri train into the showiest train in the entire Underworld! Even stick a giant figure of me on the engine's front—then Sona-chan will love it and come home every weekend, ufufufu!"
"..."
The handsome young Satan maintained a polite but awkward smile.
That's surely not the reason.
Both being Satans—Leviathan Serafall and Lucifer Sirzechs—each doted on a younger sibling, just as Sirzechs had Rias, Serafall had Sona.
The difference was that Rias and Sirzechs had a fairly normal older-brother–younger-sister relationship, while Serafall and Sona…well, "strained" might not be right, but Serafall was so overbearing that Sona, calm and serious, ended up fleeing her sister at every opportunity—such that even a simple visit home became a covert operation.
In that awkward moment, a tall silhouette approached:
"Lord Sirzechs, Lady Serafall—long time no see."
Hm?
They turned; a burly young man with short, deep-brown hair greeted them politely. He had a rugged yet bright look about him, no swirling devilish aura, yet radiating an intense fighting spirit.
"Ah, Sairaorg-chan! It's been a while~!" Serafall squeaked, waving cutely.
"And good to see you, Sairaorg," Sirzechs added with a warm smile. "I heard you reclaimed House Bael's inheritance by defeating your younger brother. Congratulations… And how is your mother's health?"
"Still the same, but thank you for asking."
Sairaorg gave Serafall a grateful nod. "And a special thanks to Lady Serafall as well—if the Sitri family hadn't cared for my mother, I couldn't have devoted myself wholly to contending for the heir's seat."
"Ah, that was nothing—don't mind it." Serafall waved off the gratitude with a sweet grin.
Just then, another voice cut in:
"Lord Lucifer, Lady Leviathan—I was looking for you… Huh, Sairaorg, you too?"
They turned to see the day's host stepping forward: Riser Phenex.
He looked a bit different from his call with Rias's group a few days ago; clearly, he'd put effort into dressing up: a polished suit, a rose pinned to the lapel, and golden hair slicked to a glossy shine—like a groom about to be wed.
"Hello, Riser." Sirzechs still wore that mild, faint smile.
Serafall, in contrast, gave him a half-lidded look, barely acknowledging, "Oh, it's Riser-chan."
"…"
Riser could tell she wasn't fond of him, but since she was also a Satan, he didn't dare reveal any dissatisfaction. He pressed on:
"Lord Lucifer, Lady Leviathan—why hide away in a corner? …Oh. Sairaorg, you're here too?"
Stepping nearer, he belatedly realized Sairaorg was present. Riser's forced grin twitched.
Sirzechs responded kindly: "This is your big occasion with Rias, no? We're just guests. The real spotlight belongs to you two."
Indeed, the north side of this banquet hall was wide open, connected directly to an outdoor coliseum. Devils loved martial displays, so staging a banquet here was obviously to facilitate the immediate transition to an arena match.
"Riser," Sairaorg said abruptly, "I've heard bits and pieces about the conflict between you and Rias. Lord Sirzechs is my cousin, which naturally makes Rias my younger sister as well. If Rias truly dislikes you, I also believe you shouldn't keep pursuing this."
"…Sairaorg. Even if you say that, we can't just cancel today's Rating Game."
Riser's expression twitched, as if uneasy. He knew about the young man's formidable might—the famed "Strongest Youth" was no joke. If Sairaorg got triggered, he'd end up physically battered.
"Besides, this is for the revival of pureblood dev—"
Booooooooooooooooom!!!
Before he could finish, a deafening crash erupted at the banquet hall's entrance. A Phenex guard soared overhead like a launched cannonball, soared across the entire hall, and slammed into the coliseum outside. A spray of scarlet blood dotted the air.
Everyone whipped around. By the door, a young man held two massive metal gates—the entire castle's front doors—like some game character modded with super strength. The battered steel weighed well over a hundred tons, and even the hall's stone floors had shattered where he'd dragged them.
"Tsk, if you want a fight, just fight. Why all the fuss and fancy nonsense?"
Bokue Keikain cast an unimpressed gaze across the gathering. He casually flung the broken gates aside, letting them slam into the floor with a thunderous crash, destroying more of the gleaming tile.
"Ho!"
Sairaorg raised his brows in surprise.
Then Bokue stepped forward, while Rias and Sona followed from behind. He paused at the top of the steps, scanning the crowd. Finally, his gaze fell on a certain blond man, the grin on Bokue's face edged with scorn:
"Heh… So, are you ready to get pounded, you overgrown roast chicken?"
<><><><><>
If you're interested, you can read 18 Advanced chaps, Up to 73+ :
p@treon.com/dragonnx
( Replace '@' with 'a' to access normally )
<><><><><>
Keep the chapters coming—Support with Power Stones!
+200 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter