*Rias Gremory's POV*
Rias: "What did you just say?"
I was sitting quietly at my desk organizing all the contracts we completed this week when suddenly Akeno and Koneko came into the club room to give me a report.
A few days ago, we received information from one of our contractors about a Stray Devil that had been kidnapping several students these past few days. Although seeing a Stray Devil was not a new occurrence in this city, the strange thing about this situation was that this Stray Devil completely circumvented our regular monitoring and took up residence in the city without Sona and I noticing it.
Since it was just a simple Stray Devil, I didn't bother to tell Sona. It was already a hassle in itself to have to alter the memories of all the victims' families and friends, to also have to listen to one of her typical sermons.
Although it is still unknown how this Stray Devil was able to infiltrate the city, it was not difficult to find him; after all, he was hiding in the same typical places where they always hide.
The plan was simple: Koneko was going to overwhelm him with her physical strength and then Yuuto-kun would give him the coup de grace with his sword. Akeno would launch some magical attack only in case of emergency or if the situation took some unexpected turn.
And, to my surprise, that was exactly what happened...
The Stray Devil endured the attacks of Koneko and Yuuto-kun without much effort. That in itself made the situation completely unnatural. Koneko's blows are strong enough to easily destroy huge rocks, but when she hit that Stray Devil, it was as if her blows bounced back upon impact against its body. The same thing happened with Yuuto-kun's sword attacks; the moment his swords collided with her body, they were shattered to pieces.
During that brief exchange, Koneko got hurt when she couldn't dodge the Stray Devil's attack, and Yuuto-kun had to carry her away. That's when Akeno and I entered the fight, but even so, the bastard found a way to block our attacks.
Rias: (I still don't understand how a low-class Stray Devil could have given us so much trouble. At no point did I ever see him activate any magic circle; besides, his Maryoku was no big deal either... Then how the hell could he even block my "Power of Destruction (POD)"? That should be impossible for someone of that level).
The battle dragged on for a bit, until finally, after Koneko recovered and joined the fight, we were able to overwhelm him. For some unknown reason, when we started attacking him as a group, his defense started to weaken and our attacks became effective.
It was quite an intense battle in which we received several wounds, until finally, after several minutes, we had him completely surrounded...
But just as I was about to finish him off with my POD, suddenly a student from this very school appeared shouting nonsense about breasts and that we couldn't kill him because he had magnificent breasts. When he said that, I couldn't help but look at him strangely.
It is true that this Stray Devil had rather large female breasts.
But the problem was that his overall appearance was grotesque. Apart from the fact that his body was corpulent and deformed, he also had the limbs of a woman, as well as the face and voice of a man.
His appearance could only be described as bizarre...
It was the first time in my life that I saw such a stupid human... Faced with a situation where it wouldn't be strange to die, his first reaction was to throw himself into danger to defend a Stray Devil just because he liked her breasts.
Rias: (Hahaha)
Remembering the ridiculousness of the situation, I couldn't help but let out a slight laugh. Even I'm not sure what came over me, but there was something about that guy's attitude that made me feel weird.
But almost instantly, I paid the price for being distracted...
Taking advantage of our carelessness, the Stray Devil didn't miss the opportunity and activated a magic teleportation circle. By the time I threw my POD at it, it was too late.
In these cases, if the Stray Devil is out of our territory, it is no longer our problem; therefore, we no longer had any obligation to pursue it. However, my pride as a descendant of the Gremory and younger sister of the current Lucifer did not allow me to simply let him go free. Not that I cared much about his future victims, but he was definitely not a normal Stray Devil.
Rias: (What would happen if he went crazy elsewhere and killed humans or other supernatural beings en masse?)
That would definitely be the worst-case scenario imaginable. As it is, things are already pretty tense since several of these Stray Devils wandered into the territories of other factions.
That's why we can't just let it go free. At this rate, we may end up in conflict or war with the factions inhabiting Japan. In the worst case scenario, the Shinto gods may get involved; that's the last thing we Devils want. We have enough on our hands having the Angels and the Fallen Angels as our enemies.
Besides...
Rias: (If we come into conflict with the Shinto gods, I may never be able to go back to Japan again! What if I can't watch my favorite anime, manga, and light novels anymore!?)
Just thinking about that possibility made me feel quite discouraged...
That's why I sent Akeno and Koneko to investigate the outskirts of Kuoh, hoping that I could find the Stray Devil before it causes any trouble. I just hope Sona doesn't find out about this; I don't have the patience to listen to one of her long, boring sermons.
Akeno: "It's like I told you... The Stray Devil's signal disappeared... We were following its trail until we reached the outskirts of Tokyo, but when we were about to find its location, its signal completely disappeared from the radar... It's as if it never existed."
Rias: "Yes, I heard you... Although I'm still kind of surprised that he escaped so far in such a short time, but the question is: how is it possible that his signal suddenly disappeared?"
Akeno: "That's something we're not quite sure about... The conclusion we came to with Koneko-chan is that someone killed him before we determined his location..."
Rias: "Hmm... Although that conclusion makes sense, we're talking about a Stray Devil with the ability to resist even my POD. I find it hard to believe that someone defeated him in such a short time, how about you Koneko, you couldn't detect anything with your senses or your sense of smell?"
Koneko: "I'm not quite sure how to explain it... But when we got to the outskirts of Tokyo, its scent and smell simply disappeared... Also, my senses felt disoriented when we were exploring those places... I recovered only when we drove away."
Akeno: "The only thing we're sure of is that your state of disorientation wasn't caused by any magic; it felt more like a natural phenomenon."
This is getting more and more irregular.
For starters, how did that Stray Devil infiltrate the city undetected? The whole thing feels strange. Also, it's somewhat worrying that Koneko's senses, which are far superior to ours, have become disoriented.
Rias: (But if the conclusion Akeno and Koneko came to is true, that means that somewhere near Tokyo there is someone strong enough to easily assassinate that Stray Devil. That's a serious blow to my pride; I wanted to be the one to take care of him. But, as much as it bothers me a bit to admit it, if we hadn't overwhelmed him with our numbers, it would have been quite difficult to defeat him).
Akeno: "So what do we do, Rias? Even though we said he was dead, in the end it's just a conclusion we came to after investigating for a while, but there's still a possibility that he's alive."
True, it is still too early to assume he is dead. There is also the possibility that this Stray Devil had some companion who helped him escape and that what disoriented Koneko was some kind of non-magical attack that we don't know about. There are several Treasure Tools with unique abilities that don't use magic, so there's also the possibility that she infiltrated the city using one.
Rias: "For now, just briefly report on the situation to Sona... We'll investigate a bit more around those areas. But if we don't find anything, we'll assume he's dead; after all, we can't recklessly enter other factions' territory."
Akeno: "Okay... By the way, Rias, did you finally erase that boy's memories? What was his name again?"
Rias: "Hyodou Issei... Yes, I already erased his memories... Though the question still remains: how did that freshman get to that place? We even made sure to put up a barrier... For now, I also want you to keep an eye on him. If he was able to break through the barrier, it's possible that he's the host of some Sacred Gear that hasn't awakened."
Akeno: "Ara~ Ara~ Are you sure about that? Although I can't deny that it's kind of interesting... I still find it strange the way he defended that Stray Devil."
Koneko: "He's just a pervert."
Rias: "I understand what you mean. But lately my family has been putting more and more pressure on me to marry Riser... If we get to that point, I'm going to need all the help I can get... Even if that help is a little strange."
Akeno: "If you say so."
Akeno's somewhat despondent response took me a bit by surprise. After living together with her for years, I know her personality very well; that's why I found it a bit strange that she was against my decision.
Rias: "What's wrong with you? I thought those kinds of boys were the ones you liked to tease the most. Doesn't seeing a naive, idiotic, perverted boy awaken your sadistic side?"
Akeno: "I feel a bit insulted... Although I won't deny that I'm a bit of a sadist, even I have my preferences. Even I wouldn't enjoy making fun of someone like that. Didn't you see the strange smile I had when I saw that Stray Devil's breasts?"
Rias: "..."
I didn't expect such a negative response from Akeno. I won't deny that it was kind of weird, but I thought it was pretty funny. Compared to a scumbag playboy like Riser, I prefer someone who's that honest with his feelings.
Koneko: "Besides, that's one of the perverts from the other day."
Rias: "Hmm? The other day?"
Akeno: "Ah, you mean that incident where some students were peeping into the Kendo club girls' locker room!"
Rias: "Something like that happened the other day?"
Akeno: "Yes~ but that wasn't the real problem... Apparently, a student from another school suddenly entered the girls' locker room like it was his house and proceeded to sexually harass all the girls. The whole thing was complete chaos. Are you saying that this Hyodou Issei was involved in that incident, Koneko-chan?"
Koneko: "Yes, at that time he, along with his classmates, was spying on the girls inside a locker."
I could clearly feel Koneko's hostility as she recalled what happened. It's no secret that she dislikes perverts. Although, in my case, I feel more and more interested in this Hyodou Issei.
Rias: "Still, who was that guy who entered the girls' locker room?"
Koneko: "I don't know... But he was really fast. Before I knew it, he had already escaped while taking the girls' bras and panties with him... He even even wore one as a mask while laughing like a lunatic."
Rias: "..."
Akeno: "..."
It seems that someone rather peculiar entered the school without my knowledge. I was about to ask Koneko for more details when suddenly a small magic circle activated on my desk.
Akeno: "That's...!"
Rias: "Yes... It's the Gremory emblem."
After saying that, from the magic circle a miniature hologram manifested.
Rias: "Onii-sama?!"
Sirzech: "It's been quite a while since we last spoke, Ria-tan."
To my surprise, the one who manifested over the magic circle was my older brother. From his nonchalant way of speaking and since he's not wearing his "Maou (Demon King)" attire, I guess I can assume this is an informal conversation.
Rias: "What's wrong, Onii-sama? It's strange for you to contact me at this hour."
Hearing my words, my Onii-sama put on an exaggeratedly sad expression while clutching her chest with both hands.
Sirzech: "But how cruel you are, Ria-tan. It's been a while since we've spoken, and instead of giving me a warm greeting like in the old days, the first thing you do is ask me why I'm contacting you. That really hurts me. I guess you're already entering that stage of adolescence where you don't care much about your Onii-chan."
Rias: (Ghe)
Although I respect and love my Onii-sama very much, I have to admit that at this stage of my life it's really annoying that he talks to me like that. It's like she still sees me as a little girl, plus it's a bit embarrassing.
Akeno: "Heh~"
I could hear Akeno let out a small laugh as he noticed my inner conflict, but I decided to ignore it for now.
Rias: "I'm sorry, Onii-sama, it's just that you took me by surprise. I was having an important talk with Akeno and Koneko."
Sirzech: "Ah~ I see~ Then this is one of those typical private female talks. Then, I'm sorry for interrupting you."
Rias: "No worries, we were just finishing our conversation. So, what's on offer for you, Onii-sama?"
Sirzech: "Okay, then I won't take up too much of your time. I'm going to get right to the point... The truth is, I'm calling you about a matter of great importance."
Hearing Onii-sama's words and his unusually serious expression, I had a bad feeling.
Rias: "Is this about the topic of the engagement with Riser again? I think I was clear enough: I don't plan on marrying him... Besides, I'm still in my second year of high school, I have time to find some way to cancel this engagement."
I don't understand why everyone is so desperate to move the engagement forward. I understand that this is a big deal for the noble society, but we are not humans, we are Devils, we have an almost unlimited life expectancy.
For a few days now, my parents have been insisting that I meet with Riser so we can get to know each other better, but I've been ignoring them and now even Onii-sama is going to try to convince me.
Rias: (I'm sure that if I have a Rating Game with Riser, I can easily defeat him. Unlike his Peerage, which is composed of random women he has collected for his harem, I am completely sure that mine is far superior).
After looking at me silently for a few seconds, Onii-sama spoke again.
Sirzech: "No... I'm not contacting you about the Riser-kun matter... I'm contacting you about something much more important."
Rias: "Huh?"
Hearing Onii-sama's words, I couldn't help but be somewhat puzzled, but hearing his next words and seeing his expression, my state of confusion quickly changed to surprise. Onii-sama has always been someone very kind and attentive to others; he is a rare pacifist Devil who prefers to settle things by talking rather than fighting.
That's why I couldn't help but be surprised. That Onii-sama who has always looked at me with a kind, loving and affectionate expression, at this moment was looking at me with an expression that could only be defined as...
An angry expression.
Sirzech: "Rias... You broke the promise you had made to me."
Rias: "E-Eh? P-Promise?"
Onii-sama's words only served to confuse and surprise me even more.
Rias: (What promise are you referring to?)
As if noticing my confusion, Onii-sama spoke again.
Sirzech: "I was very clear, Rias. I specifically told you that your territory was only limited to Kuoh. I gave you permission to stay in Japan on the sole condition that you would not leave the city."
Rias: "!"
Wait... That's what he meant. How can something like that be more important than the matter of the pledge?
It's true that I had to make that promise to be allowed to live in Japan, but I obviously ignored it. After all, that's no different from being confined. Unlike Sona, who came to learn how to lead, I came to temporarily escape the responsibilities of my position, to get some new member for my Peerage and also to be closer to the anime culture.
Rias: "How did you know, Onii-sama?"
Sirzech: "One of my relatives who was patrolling the outskirts of Kuoh was able to identify Akeno and Koneko leaving the city."
Hearing Onii-sama's answer, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
Rias: (Then he was referring to the other day; he still hasn't figured out that I usually go out of town quite often. Besides, the one he saw wasn't me, but Akeno and Koneko).
Rias: "I'm sorry, Onii-sama... But we had a problem with a Stray Devil infiltrating the city. An unforeseen event occurred that caused it to escape us. That's why I asked Akeno and Koneko to search around to find him. After all, it would be a problem if he caused trouble in some other faction's territory."
After listening to me, Onii-sama stared at me silently for a few seconds. Although his expression relaxed quite a bit compared to before, his voice still sounded quite angry.
Sirzech: "Rias, you know perfectly well that both Sera and I were against you and Sona starting to live in Japan. That country is no longer as safe as it was 10 years ago. Since Saruyama Gen died, the safety for supernatural beings in Japan became extremely unstable."
"Saruyama Gen."
I know that name...
No...
It is more correct to say that there is no one on the supernatural side of the world who does not know him.
Saruyama Gen, the former leader of the Saruyama clan, an independent clan that is not affiliated with any faction. Usually, the clan is represented by a single member. But what really characterizes them is that all members of that clan are descendants of a Youkai known as "Inu no Taishou".
He was a powerful Daiyoukai who reigned in feudal Japan more than 3000 years ago. Despite being a Youkai, he had a rare habit of being compassionate to humans to the point of actually protecting them. Before he died, he bequeathed two swords that were made from one of his fangs to his two sons. The names of the two swords were Tessaiga and Tenseiga.
The Saruyama clan are direct descendants of Inuyasha, one of the two sons of Inu no Taishou. Therefore, the clan leader usually inherits Tessaiga, which is a powerful Youkai Sword that is on the same level as the most powerful swords such as Excalibur, Durandal or Gram. Saruyama Gen was heir to that Youkai Sword and, with it, he fought great battles against powerful opponents. This eventually earned him the nickname Shiroi Kiba (White Fang).
There is no faction that does not know the Saruyama clan. For generations, they have been recognized as monsters by their enemies and heroes by their allies.
Rias: (As I never paid much attention to history classes, I don't know several details about the history of that clan, but from what I understand, in some areas of the underworld they have come to be hailed as heroes).
Sirzech: "Apparently, you still don't understand the gravity of the situation. But I guess I can't blame you for that; the ignorance of young people is usually because of the intentions of adults. But if you're going to continue living in Japan, I suppose it's important for you to know the truth. What I'm going to tell you now is something considered confidential information, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't discuss it with anyone."
Hearing the term "Confidential Information," I couldn't help but get a little nervous.
Rias: "O-Okay... Should I tell Akeno and Koneko to leave the room?"
Sirzech: "No, it's not necessary. This is something important that I should have mentioned to them the moment you decided to live in the human world, so it's convenient for them to hear it too. You can tell Kiba-kun later, but I remind you again: you can't tell anyone about this; the only exception is the members of your Peerage."
Rias: "Yes."
Onii-sama's words did nothing but make me nervous.
Sirzech: "Several years ago now, when things were relatively calm in Japan, the city of Kuoh was under the supervision of a Devil of the Belial clan, named Cleria Belial. She was the cousin of Diehauser Belial, the current Rating Game champion."
Rias: "The cousin of the current Rating Game champion!"
I couldn't help but be interested in this story; after all, one of my goals is to become the Rating Game champion.
Sirzech: "Although I didn't get to meet her personally, I understand that she was a rather kind and gentle young lady, as were most of the members of the Belial clan. After she obtained her Evil Pieces, she became independent from the Belial clan and was nominated to be Kuoh's supervisor. It was during that time that she fell in love with a human named Yaegaki Masaomi."
Rias: "Huh!? She fell in love with a human!?"
I never thought my brother's story would take a romantic turn. Although I know that, being a high-class Devil, I have responsibilities to my family and noble society, I can't help but feel envious when I hear this. Even Akeno and Koneko were surprised to hear it.
Sirzech: "Pity, this story, rather than romantic, I'd say it's closer to a tragic love. After all, the human named Yaegaki Masaomi was an exorcist of the Protestant church."
Rias: "!"
Sirzech: "Although there are many details about it that I can't mention... Once the great king faction and the church found out, immediately both factions ordered them to be killed. After all, their romance threatened to break the existing status quo between the Devils and the church."
Hearing that, I couldn't help but feel a little sad. Although her story was different from mine, I couldn't help but feel somewhat identified with Cleria's situation.
Sirzech: "The situation was desperate. Although both Cleria and Masaomi resisted to the end, being pursued by both factions, they were quickly overwhelmed... But it was at that moment that someone appeared whom no one expected to see in that place."
Rias: "I guess that was Saruyama Gen."
Sirzech: "That's right... He appeared unannounced at that location and protected them both from attacks by both factions. As a result, the lives of over 100 upper class Devils, 185 middle class Devils and 523 lower class Devils were lost."
Rias: "!"
Sirzech: "The church didn't fare any better either; they lost a large number of exorcists that day, and those who survived retired soon after due to the trauma of the battle. Although the Saruyama clan is mostly protective of humans, if humans have bad intentions, they show no mercy to them. For centuries they have maintained that mentality with all races: if these have good intentions, they will protect you without any prejudice, but if they become your enemies, they do not hesitate for a second to destroy you."
I could not believe what I was hearing. According to Onii-sama's story, Saruyama Gen single-handedly defeated two armies that were composed of both Devils and elite exorcists while protecting two people. If it was some Devil or someone from the church, I would understand, but instead, the one who got in the way was someone completely unrelated to the situation.
Rias: (No wonder this information is confidential; it would be a blow to the higher-ups and nobles to know that a single human defeated so many high-class Devils).
Sirzech: "In the end, both the great king faction and the church had no choice but to surrender. The only thing they could do was to exile them. To this day their whereabouts are unknown, but since they had the protection of the Saruyama clan, they must be doing well."
Rias: "A-Although I understand that Saruyama Gen was someone incredibly powerful, I still don't understand: why are you telling me all this?"
Sirzech: "It's because I want you to understand how dangerous that country is... More than 3000 years ago the same thing also happened. Arrogant and confident Devils went to conquer it, only to be brutally killed by Inu no Taisho, Kirinmaru and several other Daiyoukai who ruled at that time."
I couldn't help but shudder a little upon hearing that. Onii-sama was talking about beings that are as famous as the five dragon kings.
Sirzech: "The situation happened again more than 500 years ago. The reason this time was due to greed. The Devils at that time coveted the Shikon Jewel (Shikon no Tama). It was a powerful marble-sized sphere that bestowed immense power on whoever possessed it, plus there was a rumor that it could grant any wish to its user."
Rias: "Huh? Did an object with power like that really exist here in Japan?"
Sirzech: "Yes, although it was not proven if it could grant wishes, we were able to confirm that it could give great powers to its users. At that time, I was not yet Lucifer, so I was not involved in that matter, but just like 3000 years ago, all the Devils that were sent were unilaterally defeated. Some were defeated by Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, others were shattered by Naraku and his minions."
Naraku...
Another dangerous being who was said to be extremely powerful.
Sirzech: "After Naraku died, another attack was launched again, but this time all the Devils were defeated by the samurai of that time."
Rias: "By the samurai? But weren't they just humans?"
Sirzech: "The samurai of the Sengoku era were monsters that would be hard to call humans. Most of them boasted strength and techniques far superior to Souji's, plus they wielded a rare type of spiritual weapons."
That was another surprise. I knew Okita Souji very well; he was Onii-sama's Peerage Knight and was also Kiba's teacher. Also, he was the main reason I became interested in Japan by seeing his samurai lifestyle.
Sirzech: "A little over 100 years ago, the situation repeated itself. Several Devils went to Japan with the intention of getting promising members for their peerages, as well as collecting high-ranking Treasure Tools, but while doing so, they provoked an extremely dangerous woman."
Rias: (A woman?)
Sirzech: "Her name was Makyouin Ouga, the 6th generation Yatahagane. She single-handedly defeated all the Devils who entered Japan; among them were even some of the supreme class... The situation became so complicated that in the end I had to intervene."
Rias: "That means you had to enter the fight to stop her."
Sirzech: "That's right... Or at least I tried to. I had already heard that the Yatahagane were powerful mediums capable of fighting on equal terms even with the gods, but I never expected it to be so powerful. Even though I used all my power, I was defeated in the end."
Rias: "!"
Akeno: "!"
Koneko: "!"
I think I just misheard, I'm going to ask to confirm.
Rias: "Onii-sama, what did you just say?"
Sirzech: "I know it's hard to believe, but it's the reality... I lost to that woman. She had a broken ability called 'Limitless Training', which allowed her to become stronger by receiving constant attacks that train her body. In addition, she also had a 'Spirit Armor' that protected her from all my attacks. That was the first time in my life that I was hit that hard."
I refused to process the words Onii-sama said; in my eyes, he was the strongest being in this world. The thought of someone defeating him never crossed my mind.
Sirzech: "Now you understand why this is confidential information. It would be worrisome if the Devils knew that in a place as remote as Japan there are several beings with the power to defeat me."
Rias: "B-But if she was a human, that means she must already be dead, right?"
Sirzech: "That's right... She died a few years old while fighting a powerful monster called Garandou, which was said to have the power to destroy the world."
A monster with the power to destroy the world, what the heck is up with that scale of power?
Sirzech: "That's why I want you to understand about the dangers outside Kuoh. You've been lucky so far, but since Saruyama Gen died, most of the clans that are active are the ones dedicated to exterminating supernatural beings, especially the hero clan. They don't care if we are of a different race than the demons they usually fight."
Rias: (T-That means that all this time I've been nonchalantly walking around places where beings that may be stronger than Onii-sama live.)
Just thinking that made me shudder.
Sirzech: "Although it's possible that the conflicts will calm down in the near future... Tessaiga's new successor may appear soon and I also heard that the 7th generation Yatahagane had already appeared, but until that day comes, I want you to be more cautious. If any abnormal situation like now happens, I would like you to inform me."
Rias: "Y-Yes."
After that, I was talking for a while longer with Onii-sama until he finally ended the call.
Akeno: "Who would have thought that the situation would escalate so much?"
Rias: "You don't say, and to think that the root of the problem was a simple Stray Devil."
Although I still found it hard to believe Onii-sama's words, at the same time I couldn't help but get a little excited.
Rias: (If there are so many powerful humans here in Japan, that means I can get powerful new members for my peerage).
Although I inwardly thought that, I wasn't going to be so naive as to recklessly jump in and search for them either. For now, I'm going to let things calm down a bit for the next few months and then I'm going to go out and explore a bit.
Akeno: "By the way, Rias, didn't you say you had something important to do at this hour?"
When Akeno spoke to me, I remembered that this is the time when Sword Art Online chapters are usually updated. It's quite a popular web novel. I was hesitant at first, but after reading the first few chapters, I became engrossed in reading.
Rias: (I hope they turn it Light Novel soon; that illustration of Kirito and Asuna looked great).
After thinking excitedly about that, I started going through the rest of the contracts faster to get home quickly.
===========================
A/N: For those who have doubts, I still have no plans to include the main DxD characters in the story. This was just to show the perspective that other characters have on the world situation in this world that is a mix of different anime.
Although I do have plans to include the Slash/Dog characters and some other secondary characters.