"Be careful with the Church. Don't get too close. It could cost you your life." Rias warned with a sigh, clearly agitated and worried just from talking about it.
'It seems like these things are really serious... If I had my powers, this would be ridiculous, but... I still have a long way to go before I recover them.'
Rias had a serious and analytical expression. "For us Devils, the Church is enemy territory. Even stepping inside a church can cause conflict between Devils and God. Since you were only escorting the nun out of kindness, they didn't attack you, but the Angels are always watching. In that situation, it wouldn't have been surprising if they had attacked you with a light spear." She sighed again.
"I'm just glad you're safe..." she added, her gaze distant.
"That chill I felt—" He started, but Rias cut him off. "The angels were watching you." She said, moving to sit on the desk in front of him, crossing her legs in an undeniably seductive manner.
"Do not get involved with people from the Church. Especially Exorcists, who are our greatest enemies. They can destroy us easily because their power is backed by prayers to God. Even worse if the Exorcist has a 'Sacred Gear'. That would be like putting one foot in the grave, Ise."
Rias stared at him, her deep blue eyes, her vibrant red hair, her serious expression—she wasn't joking.
"Alright, I'll be careful." Antares replied. 'At least until I'm strong enough to kill them all in one strike.'
"You're making that face again..." Rias murmured as she moved closer to him. "You can cheat death once, being resurrected as a Devil. But a Devil who is exorcised is completely annihilated." She leaned down, looking deep into his eyes.
"They return to the void. Nothing remains, and you feel nothing. Do you understand how serious this is?" She asked.
"I understand. I'll keep that in mind." Antares replied. 'The void, huh... I don't want to go back there...'
"Sorry for being harsh, but I admit that we're not in the best condition right now." Rias murmured as she stood up.
'Especially after using all my pawns on you…' she thought, looking at the boy—who she wasn't even sure was just a boy anymore.
"Oh my, are you done lecturing him?" Akeno suddenly appeared right behind Antares, and he… hadn't even noticed her.
'What?!' He growled internally. 'Is she really that much stronger than me?! What the hell was that?!'
"Akeno, is something wrong?" Rias asked.
Akeno's expression shifted completely.
"We've received a hunting order from the Archduke," Akeno revealed. "We have to hunt down a Rogue Devil." She said with a demonic smile.
"Rogue Devils?" Antares asked, intrigued. Akeno immediately shifted into teacher mode.
"Rogue Devils… They are Devils who were turned into servants under a noble Devil but betrayed their master." She explained, pacing as she spoke.
"These cases are rare. A Devil's power is immense—it's nothing like that of a mere human. Those who obtain this power often seek to use it for their own selfish desires. Some abandon their masters and cause destruction wherever they go." She shrugged.
Antares then commented, "That Fallen Angel, Donassek, the one in the suit, mistook me for a Rogue Devil. In other words, a stray dog."
Stray Devils caused great trouble. When found by their master or by another Devil ordered to eliminate them, they were executed on the spot. That was the law of the Devils.
Other beings, like Angels and Fallen Angels, saw them as threats and eliminated them when found. There was nothing more dangerous than a Devil who obeyed no rules.
And now… in a building located outside the city…
Antares, Rias, Kiba, and Koneko found themselves in the perfect environment for a hunt.
A High-Class Devil had personally requested that Rias and her peerage handle this Rogue Devil. Complete elimination.
"Blood."
Koneko quickly covered her nose with her uniform after detecting the scent. For her, it was even worse, given her heightened sense of smell.
'I see…' Antares thought, analyzing the girl.
"Ise, he's yours," Rias suddenly said.
To the others, that sounded completely reckless!
"President, I think—" Kiba began to speak, but Rias shook her head. "He is strong, and none of us have seen him fight, correct?..." Rias questioned.
'She's testing me…' Antares thought, noticing the smug smile on the redhead's face.
"Or would you rather just watch and have me explain the characteristics that each servant has?" she asked, trying to provoke him.
"Characteristics that each servant has?" Antares repeated.
"Demons who have their masters gain unique traits when they are converted into servants… Yes, right now is probably the best time to tell you about the history surrounding demons," she said.
'President… we are in the middle of a hunt…' Akeno thought, analyzing her beloved master.
"A long time ago, there was a three-way war between Demons, Fallen Angels, and God with His angelic followers. The three factions had vast armies and fought for eternity. As a result, all sides lost most of their forces, and the war ended after hundreds of years without a clear winner."
Kiba continued after Rias… "Demons were no exception. Great Noble Demons who commanded around 20 or 30 legions lost the majority of their subordinates during the war. They lost so many that they were unable to form new armies."
"So, the Demons decided to create a system of forming small groups of soldiers. And from that, the [Evil Pieces] were born," Rias concluded.
"Noble demons decided to use the rules of a human game, 'Chess,' to organize their demonic soldiers. It was ironic, really, because most of the servants reincarnated as demons were originally human. Since then, chess has become popular in the demon world. But let's set that aside for now. Demons who are masters take the role of the [King]. In our case, that's me. So they created five special pieces consisting of [Queen], [Knight], [Rook], [Bishop], and [Pawn], making it possible to form an army. They aimed to have fewer demons but grant them immense power. This system has been used for hundreds of years, and it unexpectedly became very popular among noble demons," Rias explained, while Antares nearly fell asleep during the lecture… it was so boring!
"The popularity increased even more over time," Akeno added.
"Popularity?"
"They started competing with each other. Saying things like, 'My Knight is stronger!' or 'No, my Rook is better!' As a result, High-Class Demons began playing a chess-like game against each other using their demonic servants. We call it the 'Rating Games.' Over time, this game became very popular among demons. There is even an official tournament for it now. The strength of your [Pieces] and how well they perform in the games affects a demon's social status and noble title. There is also something called [Piece Gathering], where demons recruit talented humans and turn them into their [Pieces]. It's been very popular lately. Powerful servants gaining recognition."
'I see… So, being strong in these games means you can become a great demon. It's also a source of pride… The strongest man… What will he be like?' Antares's eyes gleamed red for a split second as he thought about the glory of being a powerful demon…
"I'm not a strong demon anyway, so I can't participate in an official tournament," Rias said with a shrug. "Even if I wanted to, there are things I need to do before I can play. In simple terms, Ise and my other servants here won't be able to participate in a game for some time." She sounded a little disappointed.
"I see, so none of them have experience," Antares muttered.
"Considering all this… I am a [Pawn], right? What is my characteristic?"
"Ise, you are…" She was about to speak, but stopped. Not only her, but everyone felt it—even Antares.
The atmosphere became heavy, charged with a nauseating energy.
The group all felt it at the same time—a shiver crawling up their spines, the sensation of something distorted, something that shouldn't exist.
"I can feel something repulsive… But I can also sense something delicious. Will it be sweet? Will it be sour?"
The hissing voice echoed from the ground, reverberating through the surrounding shadows. It wasn't just a sound, but a presence—something slithering between the cracks of reality.
Rias furrowed her brows, her gaze sharpening. "Demonic Renegade Vaizor. We are here to eliminate you."
What came in response wasn't a threat or even a direct provocation—just an abnormal, distorted laugh, as if dozens of voices were overlapping in a macabre chorus.
"Ketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketaketa..."
The laughter continued, spreading through the air like a disease, until a figure emerged from the shadows.
First, the upper half of a woman emerged, bare from the waist up. Her pale skin was covered in demonic runes that pulsed with a sickly red glow. Her eyes were completely black, devoid of pupils, like two empty voids devouring the light. Her hair was long, black, and disheveled, falling like writhing tentacles that seemed to move on their own.
But it quickly became clear that this was no woman.
The lower half of the creature was a monstrosity. The body below the waist belonged to a colossal beast, a fusion of predator and nightmare. Four massive legs, each ending in curved, black claws, struck the ground with enough force to crack the concrete. Its joints popped grotesquely with each movement, as if the body had been stitched together the wrong way.
A serpentine tail extended from behind the creature, thick and long enough to crush entire trees with a single swing. Its tip was sharp as a blade, dripping with a greenish venom that burned the ground where it fell.
In each of its hands, a grotesque spear took shape, appearing to be made of bone and twisted flesh. The spears pulsed—alive—as if they were breathing.
The creature rose to its full height, now revealing its true size. Five meters. Maybe more.
Looking at it, there was no doubt.
This was not just a demon.
It was an error in existence itself.
'Wow… Querehsha would love to see this.' Antares thought, smiling as he observed the grotesque being—something that looked exactly like the Monarch of Plagues' style.
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