"...Where is the devil?" The small, petite woman tilted her head slightly at the man standing in front of her.
From a first glance, you wouldn't know that the small woman was one of the strongest beings in the universe. She had a cute face, a thin and petite body, and was wearing what looked like an exhibitionist-esque cosplay.
She had long black hair, which flowed down her short body and reached her feet, along with a pink bow tied into her hair. She wore a loose black coat, which was open in the front and showcased her exposed chest. She had just two small x's of tape covering her nipples, along with two small bows barely holding together her coat as they crossed on her stomach.
Her legs were covered by just a loose pair of balloon-like pants, which puffed outward and then tightened at her knees. To finish her 'goth' look was a pair of pure-black ballerina-like shoes on her feet.
At the moment, she was sitting on a large golden throne, which was far too big for her small frame. Instead of sitting in a normal sense, she was leaning her back against one of the armrests as her feet were barely being propped up on the other end.
The woman didn't care for the prestige that came with sitting on a throne, as she hadn't wanted one in the first place, but it had been thrust upon her by those who served her. In the ever-constant battle for her favor and all the power that came with it, the countless branches in her service did their best to suck up to her.
"Shalba Beelzebub was recently killed, Lady Ophis." The man standing in front of her was a stark contrast to the gothic woman.
Compared to Ophis' overall dark aesthetic, the man was smiling pretty brightly, looking almost cheerful as he reported to her. He had shoulder-length black hair, a decently handsome, sharp face, and a muscular physique.
He was wearing a blueish-black tracksuit, along with an extravagant black and gold robe tied around his waist. Finally, he was also holding a huge spear in his hand, which had crossed golden snake-like bars that formed circles around the handle until the sharp point at the end.
"...I gave him power," Ophis' lips twitched down, a frown almost appearing on her blank face, "He was supposed to remove the annoying red."
"We are all working towards that for you, Lady Ophis, but there will be some bumps in the road to get there," Cao Cao chuckled lightly in response.
"...He was weak, but… not weak," Ophis contradicted herself, as while Shalba was certainly weak compared to her, he wasn't weak in the grand scheme of the world. "The one who killed him is strong. Bring him to me."
"I was the one who killed him," Cao Cao lied at her demand, having a lot of experience in conversing with the Dragon God in front of him, "He had lost sight of our true goal, and was trying to use the power you gave him to take down the devils, not Great Red."
"...I see," Ophis nodded slightly, "Then, you are a strong human?"
"I've been telling you as much," Cao Cao smirked lightly in response, "I'm the wielder of the True Longinus, after all. I can promise you that I will do much more with that power than the devils can, Lady Ophis."
"I will give you more power," The naive Dragon God nodded, holding up her hand as Cao Cao led her to that conclusion without directly asking for it. Her body glowed with a black aura, and then a pure-black snake made of energy appeared on her palm.
It slithered forward, crawling up Cao Cao's leg and onto his shoulder as the Hero resisted shivering from the destructive creature touching his skin. It vanished a moment later, and Cao Cao felt a sudden surge of foreign power fill his body.
"Thank you, Lady Ophis," Cao Cao bowed his head slightly. "Our plan to lure Great Red from the Dimensional Gap is proceeding as planned, and you'll have your silence back soon."
"Good." Was Ophis' short response, just nodding as she leaned back and closed her eyes.
That was a sign that Cao Cao knew well, as it meant the woman wasn't interested in him anymore. He turned around without a farewell, walking out of the large, yet strangely empty, throne room.
"W-Was that really fine to do?" As he stepped through into the hallway, the form of one of his more recent subordinates greeted him.
The woman had a beautiful face, with big blue eyes, and a slim yet voluptuous body that showed even through her set of armor. She had a sword sheathed at her side, and long, golden-blonde hair that flowed down her back.
"Don't doubt me," Cao Cao replied easily, grinning lightly at the woman.
"B-But what if she finds out?!" Jeanne leaned forward, whispering as they walked away from the throne room, "S-She's the Infinite Dragon God! If she finds out that you lied about kilingl Shalba Beelzebub, then you'll be killed!"
"She won't find out," Cao Cao shot back with a shake of his head, "You haven't been here for long, but that dragon is very naive. She spent nearly all of her long life in the silence of the Dimensional Gap, and she doesn't even know how this world works. Whatever I say to her, she'll believe."
Cao Cao was no stranger to manipulating the incredibly powerful woman, as it was a common thing for branch leaders in the Khaos Brigade to do. The organization was 'officially' made with the intention of removing Great Red from the Dimensional Gap so their leader, Ophis, could return to her home.
In reality, there weren't many within the Khaos Brigade who truly cared about that. It was a goal for sure, but it was a goal that was behind whatever ambitions they had. Ophis was a vehicle to become immensely more powerful, as the Dragon God had near infinite power and was very sharing if you simply said you were trying to help her get rid of Great Red.
"But if we did bring the Beast King to her, wouldn't she be happy with us?" Jeanne asked, tilting her head cutely at Cao Cao, "He's definitely strong enough to help her with her goal! She'll reward us with more power for bringing him, right?"
"That's a good idea," Cao Cao nodded, causing Jeanne's face to brighten, then instantly crushed her hopes, "If you want to throw away everything, that is."
"W-What?"
"That man defeated Sirzechs Lucifer, made the Dragon King Tiamat his familiar, and took over the entire devil faction after not even a month of being their ally," Cao Cao replied dryly, "If someone like him joins the Khaos Brigade, it'll be like we don't even exist anymore. It's hard enough to convince her of our value when that other Lucifer is her favorite. If she finds out he exists, then we'll become background characters."
"Oh, that wouldn't be good!" Jeanne nodded sagely in agreement, "So, should we take him out?"
"We can't," Cao Cao shot back dryly again, but his lips twitched up into a smirk again, "But she can."
"Lady Ophis?" Jeanne asked, tilting her head at him again, "But, if he could help her with taking out Great Red, then she won't-"
"She will," Cao Cao cut her off easily, his smirk becoming a large grin, "I told you already, didn't I? This is the world's most manipulable Dragon God. We'll need to bide our time and act carefully for now. The Beast King is certainly strong, but…"
Cao Cao casually held up the spear resting in his hand, looking at his reflection in the tip.
"No one can beat her."
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You have quite a beautiful face, don't you, Rossweisse?" An elderly man with long gray hair, a long gray beard, and a monocle covering one of his eyes asked.
The man was wearing a very extravagant robe as he sat on a throne, staring forward at the long carpet leading up to his throne with an even expression. He had a large, circular crown sitting on his head, which was adorned with jewels.
"Of course I do, Lord Odin!" The gorgeous woman standing at the side of his throne huffed, glaring at him lightly for his comment, "What kind of question is that?!"
The woman had even longer silver-white hair, which almost reached her feet, along with a gorgeous and mature-looking, yet cute, face. She was wearing a purple button-up suit, which did a poor job of containing her large breasts, thick thighs, hourglass figure, and thick rear.
"I was just curious," Odin responded easily, a small smirk appearing on his face, "How many years has it been since you last had a boyfriend?"
"I-I've never had one, but t-that's not because I'm ugly!" Rossweisse huffed back, blushing as Odin mentioned her failed love life, "I-I just don't want one!"
"Your lack of womanly appeal aside," Odin hummed, causing Rossweisse to huff indignantly again, "You're perfect for a task. I need you to personally deliver a few messages for me."
"Messages?" Rossweisse asked, getting over her anger at Odin's teasing as she looked at him curiously, "About what?"
"That young brat in the Underworld is making too much of a stir," The elderly god hummed, "I usually support the new blood making waves in the world, but he's gone too far recently. Along with the Khaos Brigade, there are some misbehaving brats that need to be shown a lesson. You'll be sending out invites to a peace conference we'll be hosting."
"A peace conference?" Rossweisse's eyes widened, "W-With who, Lord Odin?"
"With everyone," Odin's lips twitched up into an easy grin, "Heaven, the Greeks, the East Youkai Faction, the Hindu gods - everyone, Rossweisse."
Rossweisse's eyes went as big as saucers, "A-Are you serious, Lord Odin?! T-There's never been an attempt to gather so many…"
"It's necessary," Odin countered casually, his easy demeanor betraying the extremity of the situation, "The Khaos Brigade is being led by Ophis, and the Beast King has gathered not just the devils, but also the Grigori and the West Youkai Faction under his banner. To combat these threats to the balance of the world, there is only one solution…"
Odin's eyes hardened, staring out into his throne room as his hand clenched lightly on the throne's armrest.
"An alliance. The world is changing, Rossweisse, and I've learned something very valuable in my many years of life," He glanced over at the Valkyre, his eyes shining slightly with excitement.
"If you don't act first, you'll be left behind."
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Did you hear about that brat in the Underworld, Indra?" A rather carefree voice asked, belonging to the elderly form of Sun Wukong.
The man looked like a mixture of a monkey and a man, as he had an ape-like face, long unkept light brown hair, and a short, hunched-over, ape-like body. The man had on a loose black robe, a necklace of large red balls, and had an ever-present smoking pipe in his hand.
"You're just now hearing about him?" Indra smirked in response, standing far taller than the monkey-esque man as the duo stood on the edge of a large cliff, "Have you gone senile already?"
"I went senile centuries ago, heh!" Sun Wukong just cackled at Indra's words, "But, I meant about him and the devils! He's becoming quite a big fish, right?"
"Yes, he's more interesting than I expected," Indra hummed, "Taking down Sirzechs Lucifer is quite the feat, and the Grigori declared their submission soon afterward. He's really shaking up the landscape."
"What happened to that death god of yours?" Sun Wukong asked, his tone slightly teasing, "I thought you sicked him on the poor newcomer?"
"Don't mention Hades," Indra bit out, his eyes hardening slightly at Sun Wukong. If it were anyone else standing next to him, be it a god, faction leader, or even a dragon, they would've been forced onto their knees from that simple glance.
Sun Wukong had been no exception at one point, but the mischievous old ape had been around Indra long enough to just grin as a pressure slammed down on his shoulders.
"He tried to go watch the duel between the Beast King and Sirzechs Lucifer, but was declined," Indra spat out, glaring at Sun Wukong as if it was his fault. "Can you believe that? They said 'no' and he just left! I know he's a skeleton, but I didn't know it was possible to have such little balls!"
"Hades' isn't you," Sun Wukong answered back, his tone becoming slightly wise instead of jovial, "He can't act like you do. You're both contenders for the top ten, but his bid is flimsy at best, and yours is solidified. You could take on all four Maou at the same time alone, while he'd lose to even Beelzebub."
"He should've tried," Indra countered, still looking annoyed. "He's directly going against me by not doing anything. I wouldn't have let him die anyway."
"It's better this way anyway, is it not?" Sun Wukong asked, raising a hairy eyebrow at Indra, "If the Beast King defeated Sirzechs, then Hades would've lost pathetically anyway. Your 'friend' is still alive, and you got the show you wanted."
"Yes, the fight was decent," Indra nodded, conceding the point, "Though I'm almost more interested in that Dragon King than the Beast King now. I've heard her power was dangerous, but seeing it firsthand confirmed it. In that state, she could make me fight seriously."
"Even if she didn't sense your presence in the stadium?" Sun Wukong countered, but Indra just chuckled.
"If I wanted to hide, even the Ouroborus Dragon wouldn't find me." He shook his head lightly, "I've even checked out her little group's base a few times already."
"And she didn't sense you?" Sun Wukong asked, but added a follow-up question before Indra answered, "Or, she didn't care to?"
"Fair point," Indra conceded, "But I haven't seen a dragon as interesting as that Dragon King since the Welsh Dragon was forced into a sacred gear."
"That's because you killed the last Dragon King you were interested in," Sun Wukong chuckled, referring to Indra's killing of the Dragon King Vitra - who he had beaten so badly that the dragon's soul had been ripped into pieces and placed in multiple sacred gears.
Indra just shrugged, and the two stood in silence for a moment, but Sun Wukong broke it.
"Should I assume you just called me here to vent about Hades like a schoolgirl?" He teased.
"No, I have a task for you," Indra shook his head casually, "This morning, a Valkyrie from the Norse visited multiple temples. The old fool is holding a peace conference, and he's inviting all the big shots."
"You want me to attend because you can't be bothered?" Sun Wukong assumed, but was surprised as Indra shook his head again.
"I'll go personally," He hummed, "It's clear to see what he wants, but that young beast is just getting started. He just came onto the scene, and he's already claimed a spot in the top ten. It'd be a shame for him to die out so quickly."
"But, isn't that all the more reason to take him out now?" Sun Wukong countered, "If we let him continue to grow stronger, then he could pose a threat to you."
Indra glanced at Sun Wukong, and their eyes locked for a moment. Both men's faces were deathly serious for a few seconds, and then simultaneously broke out into grins as they chuckled.
"That's what those cowards think," Indra agreed as he laughed, "Seriously, it's like they hate fun! If you kill all the interesting people before they reach their peak, then it takes the fun out of it! They can form their little alliance all they want, but I won't let them do anything until the Beast King is good enough to put on a good show."
"Then, what do you want me to do?" The ape next to him asked curiously.
"Go tell Shiva not to do anything," Indra said simply, "Unless he wants our impending war to start now, tell him not to take either side."
"If it's you saying that, he might take one just to spite you," Sun Wukong advised, but Indra shook his head easily.
"He can sit on his high horse all he wants, but he and I are the same," Indra finished, "We both want a show, and we both want this world to be shaken up. Whether our war is what does it, or if the Beast King does it for us, doesn't matter."
"And, what about Hades?" Sun Wukong asked again, "Do you want to punish him for his inaction?"
"No, that coward has been punished enough," Indra shook his head once again, "The Beast King has him scared shitless. He's spent millennia ruling the Realm of the Dead, and yet…"
Indra glanced off the cliff side, watching as the sun started to set.
"He's completely abandoned the Underworld."
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"He's completely abandoned the Underworld."
I blinked, staring blankly at Raya.
"...What?" I asked eloquently.
The woman had come to give me the scouting reports as I prepared to invade the Realm of the Dead, but what she was telling me was very unexpected. My Kingdom was still not completely stable after taking in the devils and fallen, as well as placing the Youkai under my protection, but I wanted Hades dealt with sooner rather than later.
The main reason was to complete the mainline quest, but I also just didn't want the God of the Dead being in the Underworld unchecked.
"The scouts reported that the whole place is empty," Raya continued, causing my eyes to widen slightly, "There were no undead, no Grim Reapers, and no Hades. It's a ghost town - as if he took all his forces and disappeared."
I stared at her blankly for a second more.
"He… ran away?" I asked bluntly, and Raya nodded.
"I told you he was a bitch," Tiamat chimed in blandly from behind me, "I've been in and out of the Realm of the Dead a hundred times looking for my treasures, and he's too scared to even say a word. The devils at least confined me to the forest and made me help with Rating Games - he just let me do whatever the hell I wanted in there."
"You're sure he's gone?" I asked again doubtfully.
I found it hard to believe that the God of the Dead just up and left his kingdom, taking everything with him out of fear.
I know I just beat Sirzechs and took over the devil faction, Grigori, and the Youkai, but he was still a god, right?! He's gotta have some pride!
"Our scouts have already searched the entire realm," Raya confirmed, "The dwarves are already on the move to start developing the land. The Realm of the Dead is yours already, Valon."
Her words were confirmed a moment later as a notification appeared.
[Quest Complete!]
Conquer the [Underworld]
Rewards:
[Underworld Monarch] Title
Obtain access to the [World Gate]!
As such, in an anti-climactic way, I finally conquered the entire Underworld.
Instead of an epic war with the Greeks, where I got to show off all the overpowered subordinates I had just acquired, the Underworld became mine without anymore blood being shed.
It ended not with a bang, but with Hades fleeing back to the Greek Pantheon like a bitch.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: The 'War for Devil' society arc is officially over!
I'll make an extra post listing out the arcs and their corresponding chapters sometime soon, since we're getting deep into this now!
The next chapter will be out tomorrow, or you can read the next 7 right now on Patreon.com/Koyon !