Chapter 44: Dog Toys And Dinner Invitations

“That-that doesn’t seem very fair,” Akeno said, her voice ringing hollow.

And Rias had to agree with her Queen. While she wasn’t exactly sure how powerful Saviġuk was, a Satan’s Piece could only be an Ultimate-class being, minimum. She swallowed thickly as she beheld the crimson froth dripping from the giant wolf’s bared fangs.

This seemed less like an assessment and more like a death sentence.

Lord Ichigo gave an impish smile. “Life ain’t fair, kid. Better get used to it pretty quick.”

Rias was quickly beginning to realize that the Crown Prince would be doing his best to compound the unfairness of life as a hard lesson. And, she had a sneaking suspicion, even after they had learned said lesson, he wouldn’t let up making things difficult for them. The next ten years were going to be metaphorical Hell. Lucifer, given what she knew about Lord Ichigo, literal Hell wasn’t off the table either.

“Anyways,” the Demon Lord’s voice cut through her thoughts, “the assessment will last until you incapacitate Saviġuk, or, what’s bound to happen, she grows bored and decides to beat you all unconscious into the ground. Good luck.”

And with that, he vanished completely. No shift in magic, no sudden gust of wind. One second he was there, the next he was utterly gone, leaving them alone with the killer, giant wolf. And as for Saviġuk’s herself, her interest seemed to flicker between her fresh kill and Rias’ peerage.

They all stood there with bated breaths, the cold of the northern winds chilling and freezing the air in their lungs. Rias could hear her heart pound in her ears, the pulse of fear honing her senses as she mentally readied for battle. She touched on that deepest part of herself, potent magics inherited from her Gremory blood shaping and molding the aura of Destruction that carried over from her mother’s Bael blood.

Akeno stood poised next to her, electrical sparks jumping between her fingers. And Kiba summoned forth three swords, two in each hand and the third for Xenovia.

Per her brother’s orders, Durandal had been confiscated and returned to the Church. She had been searching for a replacement weapon for her female Knight, but with the onset of her punishment and frozen financial assets, Xenovia would have to make do with Kiba’s hybrid Holy-Demonic swords.

Koneko and Issei both took on fighting stances as well, Boosted Gear manifesting onto her Pawn’s arm, and the subtle draconic aura of the Longinus pressed itself into the reality of Infernity. Saviġuk’s eyes flicker over the red scaled gauntlet. While Issei was a far cry from mastering the powers of the legendary Sacred Gear, the monstrous power of the Welsh Emperor was undeniable.

And at the far back of their group stood her two Bishops, well protected. Of her two Bishops, Gasper’s combat ability was the greater. In fact, after Akeno herself, Rias would wager that Gasper was currently the strongest. Alas, the young dhampir had no control of his powerful Sacred Gear. Just as debilitating, his constant trepidation adversely affected his magic. On a normal day, Gasper was a rather capable sorcerer, it’s why she had reincarnated him a Bishop, after all. But when it came to actual battle, well... the less said the better.

As for Asia, Rias withheld a sigh. While a phenomenal healer bordering on the point of being a miracle worker, Asia has no combat capability whatsoever. She was essentially a walking target.

The shortcomings of her peerage were so glaringly obvious, again. Just as they were against Riser, just as they were against Kokabiel. A great failing of hers as a King.

She really did have a lot of work to put into her servants to ensure that not only could they succeed in the Rating Games but protect themselves from the numerous dangers that lurked within the Underworld.

But before she could further wallow in her shortcomings, Rias’ attention was stolen by Saviġuk’s movements. The Amaroq lifted its head, standing tall and towering over the young Devils. She no longer bared her teeth; indeed, she stared down at them from her great height almost dismissively. As if contemplating whether they were worth her time or not.

The giant wolf remained still as the wind surged, bone chilling and biting to the core while carrying harsh gales of ice and snow.

Issei visibly shivered and bemoaned gruffly, “Couldn’t he have picked a warmer place?”

Silently, Rias agreed. But then, Lord Ichigo’s voice echoed from all around them.

“You’ll need to get used to fighting in unknown and hostile environments. Trust me, you’re not going to have the luxury of picking every battlefield.”

Rias turned her head around, looking for the Demon Lord, as did the rest of her peerage. But he was nowhere to be seen. Only the field of white ice and the surrounding conifers scraping into the sky fell into their gaze.

She frowned considerably, normally she could sense Lord Ichigo without even trying. It was hard not to notice something as powerful as a Satan, but now? It seemed his presence was beyond her senses.

Issei wildly looked to and fro, and said restlessly, “Buchou! I’m hearing that Satan guy’s voice in my head!”

Kiba audibly sighed. “It’s not in your head, we all heard him, Issei.”

“Oh good,” Issei said with a sigh of his own. “I thought the cold was making me hear things!”

“Seriously?” Kiba said, disbelief coloring his voice.

“Dude! Hypothermia can totally cause you to hallucinate! Google it!”

“Boys!”

“Sorry, Akeno-san,” they both said in unison.

About to admonish the two of them herself for their inopportune bickering, Rias’ heart stilled as the Crown Prince’s laughter rang low around them. “Don’t you think you’re too easily distracted? Taking your eyes off the enemy right in front of you? Not very smart.”

Rias eyes widened as her neck snapped towards the direction of Saviġuk… but Lord Ichigo’s Knight had disappeared.

Oh crap.

Here eyes searched the ground, but astonishingly, there were no footprints in the snow, nor any discernable tracks for her to follow to indicate where the colossal beast had disappeared to. How could something so large disappear without leaving a trace?

Suddenly the wind shifted directions and Rias barely had time to blink.

A blur of white and gold tore through their group, and a dull whump echoed through the snow-slicked trees as Koneko went flying. One second she was there, crouched low and ready to pounce, the next she was a distant silhouette tumbling end over end across the snowdrifts, a fading “Mmph!” all that remained of her.

Rias’ heart pounded in the following silence and she turned around with a yell halfway through her throat.

“Back to back! Circ-”

But she was too late and Gasper broke rank instantly, his panic overriding any sense of safety and cohesion. “Koneko-chan!”

“Gasper, no!” Rias shouted. “Get back!”

But the howling winds deafened her cry and instantly there was another flash of movement, a snow-laced gust of wind barely visible, and Saviġuk suddenly stood before the petite dhampir.

With no effort at all, the giant wolf leaned down, gently caught Gasper’s collar in her bloodstained fangs, and lifted him like an errant puppy. And before anyone could do anything, Saviġuk turned and trotted off through the far away woods, tail flicking like a lazy metronome.

“Buuuchoooooou!” Gasper’s cries echoed from beyond the trees and through the fair away mountains.

Issei’s jaw dropped as he pointed madly. “Gah! Gasper’s been kidnapped!”

“Focus!” Rias snapped.

Gaspar panicking is what led to him to being spirited away. They couldn’t afford to allow another moment of vulnerability. And though deep down she was freaking out over her Bishop’s abduction, she knew she had to prioritize her current Pieces left with her. She also rationalized that Lord Ichigo wouldn’t allow any true harm to befall any of them… at least, she hoped.

“Akeno,” she barked. “Locator spell, now! Everyone else, make a circle! Back-to-back!”

And as they all fell into a defensive formation, Akeno nodded and began weaving sigils into the air with trembling fingers, but even as the spell shimmered to life, the wolf returned in sight: again, with no sound, no fanfare, no warning.

She stepped into view through the snow like a ghost, breathing lazily with an open mouth and slightly wagging tongue, as if she weren't concerned at all with the assortment of Devils before her.

The group collectively took a step back.

“I don’t think she’s taking us seriously,” Kiba muttered.

“We’d be dead if she were,” Rias said flatly, knowing full well how outclassed they were.

The silence broke all at once.

"Yuuto, Xenovia: get her attention and we'll cover you from a range."

Without a word, Kiba darted forward, flanking left. Xenovia mirrored him, sword raised. Both Knights moved in tandem, blades flashing, slashing from opposite ends. Kiba’s sword Holy-Demonic hybrid bale sliced across the wolf’s neck, while Xenovia struck low with a downward chop meant to cripple a leg.

Both of them moved in tandem, a perfect pincer attack. Sadly, too perfect. Saviġuk merely took a lazy step back, and both Xenovia and Kiba stared wide eyes as their momentum carried them right into each other.

Rias winced as both Knights crashed into each other with a sickening crunch.

The Amaroq barely even looked at them. She turned slightly and flicked her tail, sending both swordsmen flying like toy dolls. Kiba landed face-first in the snow right before her with a muffled grunt and Xenovia skidded half a dozen feet behind while letting out an unflattering groan.

“Ranged magic!” Rias snapped, her fear coloring her thoughts as her initial plan crumbled. “Akeno, Issei, with me!”

“Boost!” the red gauntlet on Issei’s arm cried as he and Akeno unleashed a twin barrage—lightning and fire lancing through the air in twin arcs, colliding on Saviġuk’s side in a thunderous blast of heat and static.

Rias joined in, firing off a wave of crimson Destruction magic, the raw Bael signature curling the snow around her into a heated mist.

The resultant explosion was impressive. The rising cloud of magical fire and debris, even more so.

But when it cleared… Saviġuk was just sitting. Sitting. On her haunches. Tilting her head at them like a common house dog would, her white fur was untouched and completely intact. And Rias could only gape at how the combined power of her bloodline, Akeno’s lightning magic and Issei’s dragon fire went practicially unnoticed.

“I don’t like how this is going,” Issei said weakly.

“We’re so screwed,” Akeno whispered with resigned horror.

And then Saviġuk’s muzzle scrunched up and she began to shake her head, twitching almost disturbingly so.

Issei took a hesitant step back. “Uhh…”

And the giant wolf sneezed. A massive, full-bodied huff that blew snow in all directions and sent the entirety of her assembled peerage tumbling backward like bowling pins.

You’ve got to be kidding me, Rias thought as she pushed herself up from the sharp cold of the permafrost. A sneeze!? I was defeated by a sneeze!?

The sheer mortification she felt at that moment.

Koneko returned just then, a fierce bruise across one cheek as she sailed through the air and managed to land a solid punch on the wolf’s skull. But the powerful Knight didn’t even seem to notice the attack. Instead, it raised a paw and rubbed its snout, apparently more concerned with the smoke and debris that was irritating its nose.

Kiba and Xenovia took the moment to try another offensive, both launching themselves forward as they brandished their blades. Kiba moved first, the snow parting as he lunged. His swords hummed with Holy and Demonic energy as he slashed in an X-arc across Saviġuk’s face.

Both weapons connected… and then bounced off as if he had just banged some random sticks against the ground.

Saviġuk didn’t even blink.

Xenovia came in from the other side, yelling as she swung Kiba’s spare blade with all her strength. The sword deftly landed on the wolf’s foreleg and then proceeded to shatter into dozens of pieces.

“Uh…” Xenovia took a tentative step back as she looked back and forth between her now broken sword and the giant of a wolf.

Saviġuk blinked slowly. And then, with the most deliberate nonchalance Rias had ever seen in her life, she raised a paw and casually swatted both swordsmen away like dust motes flotaing in the air. They hit the snow in opposite directions with a pair of muffled groans. And then the white wolf turned her attention to Koneko.

The former cat Yōkai defiantly charged at the furry Knight, only to be most unceremoniously stepped on and pulverized into the snow. Saviġuk then lazily flicked her lone Rook, sending her flailing through the air towards them. In a rather admirable display of dexterity, Issei managed to position himself perfectly and caught the diminutive girl in his arms.

Quickly scurrying out of his embrace, Koneko stood huffing, one eye twitching and an uncharacteristic amount of emotion on her face. “Stupid dog.”

Rias was inclined to agree. This ‘assessment’ was proving to be beyond frustrating. No, it was downright humiliating! It was one thing to face an enemy stronger than them. It was entirely different thing to be so thoroughly disrespected and played with. Briefly, she wondered if this was another lesson from Lord Ichigo.

“Group up!” Rias yelled, and she and Akeno went airborne, trying to keep range. Rias fired off bolt after bolt of crimson Destruction, pelting the wolf from behind. Kiba wheezed a cough as he stood, swiftly creating a brand-new Hybrid sword and tossing it to Xenovia.

Her peerage attacked together this time. It was a coordinated mess. Desperate and furious.

And utterly ineffective.

Saviġuk, for her part, had begun to stretch mid-fight. She arched her back with a great yawn as she batted spells out of the air with her tail. When Kiba got a little too close, she slammed her head into him like a great battering ram, sending him skidding across hard ice. Xenovia dove in to help and got slapped with a massive paw swipe that grimly announced the crunch of bones.

At one point, Issei had even managed to jump onto Saviġuk and tried climbing the wolf, in some poor misguided attempt to wrestle the giant creature more than ten times his size. Only for her to quickly roll onto her back and plant him deep into the snow.

Rias soared higher, wings flaring as she charged another crimson spell. Beside her, Akeno darted through the air, arcs of lightning spiraling from her fingertips. Neither got the chance to fire. A white blur cut through the sky as Saviġuk leapt with terrifying ease, swatting Rias mid-flight with a massive paw. The impact sent her spinning like a broken doll, crashing through a snow-laden tree. Akeno fared no better: caught mid-cast and slammed down, hard into the ground. The wolf landed atop them, pinning them both in the snow, and then proceeded to casually pummel them with her forepaws.

Thump, thump, thump.

Pain exploded through Rias’ ribs with each blow. The snow did nothing to cushion the strikes – the cold only stung against her tender skin, compounding the ache. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, each smack of Saviġuk’s paw jarring her whole body. All her thoughts crumbled away under the haze of pain from the beating she was taking.

The worst part was, Saviġuk wasn’t even trying. No matter what they did, no matter how hard they tried, the great wolf simply shrugged off their onslaught and continued to physically trounce them as it pleased. Rias realized she and her entire peerage had been reduced to walking dog toys.

As the wolf jumped away, avoiding a heavy kick from Koneko that sent snow flying in all direction, Rias let out a deep, pained groan. Breathing heavy as her lungs screamed with the ice in the air, she drew herself up to one knee. The White Knight stood nonchalant and unbothered as her peerage scattered around in complete and utter defeat. Far from the back, she heard a small cry, and Rias turned with great difficulty to see Asia run forward. Her hands glowing green as she rushed over to heal them.

Through the pain and exhaustion, she wanted to yell at her remaining Bishop to stay away, but it was too late. Saviġuk appeared behind the blonde girl, and Asia froze in place as a great shadow fell over her.

Twilight Healing’s glow dying down from her hands, Asia turned around wide eyed in fear.

“P-please don’t eat me,” Asia said most piteously, only for the wolf to stare at her for a full second before letting out a great huff. The gust of breath was enough to knock Asia on her rear with a cry.

However, rather unexpectedly, instead of following up with more physical punishment, Saviġuk laid down on her side and crossed her paws before her. Asia slowly made to stand up, staring frightfully at the walking mound of fangs and claws. But, for the most part, Saviġuk seemed to have her fill of one-sided violence. Indeed, she leaned forward and nudged Asia away with her giant snout, almost encouraging the young girl towards the rest of the peerage.

If she wasn’t in so much pain, Rias would have laughed at sight of Asia furiously fleeing from the lounging wolf. As her Bishop came to their side, she swiftly deployed her Sacred Gear and began to heal them. It took nearly half an hour for Asia to get through all of their injuries, but by the end of it, they were all back to peak physical health. Although, the pain of being pummeled still lingered.

Akeno cracked her neck as she came to stand next to her. Her shoulders sagging as her eyes drooped miserably. “If this is how our custody under Lord Ichigo is starting, I’m dreading the next ten years of our life,” she whined.

Rias snorted as she experimentally twisted her wrist. Despite Asia’s healing, it was still rather sore. “And here I thought you were looking forward to being tormented by Lord Ichigo.”

Akeno rolled her eyes as she said wryly, “Yes, well, my fantasies were admittedly more along the lines of the man himself having his wicked way with me and significantly less me being a chew toy for his canine.”

As the rest of her peerage came to stand with her, Rias turned her eyes back to their tormentor. Saviġuk was in the same spot and same position, looking as regal and dignified as any wolf in the Arctic, and nothing like a common house dog that just spent the better part of an hour having fun at their expense.

Rias felt a tug on her skirt and looked down to see Koneko’s delicate hand. Raising a light brow, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Gaspar.”

Oh crap. They still had to find Gaspar. Where in the Underworld had this bothersome wolf hidden away her other Bishop?

Almost as if reading her thoughts, Saviġuk stirred and stood up, leaning forward and stretching its back. And then, in a blinding display of speed, the wolf blitzed forward to stand before them, and with a single clawed swipe, she sent Koneko flying back into the white waste.

Again.

Rias froze in place, and slowly she peered up into a pair of giant golden eyes that almost seemed to be mocking her.

Oh.

Oh fuck.

And it was then that Rias realized, the assessment was far from over.

-----

Time blurred, but all Rias Gremory knew was that the counted hours mattered little in the torturous cycle of being savaged by Lord Ichigo’s Knight, and then having her Bishop heal her back to full health, only for the wretched beating to begin again.

She sat listlessly against a large pile of snow; her eyes glazed over in exhaustion and sheer agony. This was torture, plain and simple.

They were done, utterly spent. Even if Asia healed them again, they simply didn’t have the energy nor the will to continue. Saviġuk had put them through Hell, or at least the closest they could get to the Abyss without the Crown Prince opening the literal gates and chucking them in.

“Well, I guess that’s good enough.”

The muscles in her neck screamed as she struggled to raise her neck, and she beheld the diabolical mastermind of her current misery, looking far too amused for her liking.

Rias frowned heavily. He’s lucky I’m spent, otherwise I’d wipe the smirk right off his cute face.

Oh, who was she kidding? She was completely and utterly at his mercy. There was nothing she could do to defy her current guardian.

“Oh right, this is yours.”

Rias looked on stupefied as the Crown Prince reached out and seemingly pulled Gasper out from thin air. And, for his part, her young Bishop was screaming loud as his little legs floundered mid-air in Lord Ichigo’s grip.

And as the Demon Lord dropped him into the snow, Gasper cut his scream off and let out a great ‘oof’. Gaspar quickly perked up and looked around wildly and when he caught sight of her slumped against the mound of snow she was resting on, he immediately burst into tears and began running towards her.

“I got throw in a cave!” he wailed. “With bears! Giant bears! They chased me for hours! One of them ate my shoe!”

As Gaspar’s little arms encircled her, Rias let out a sharp hiss as her body screamed in protest.

And then, much to her horror, Saviġuk began to move. But instead of the beating she had been traumatized into anticipating, the wolf happily trotted over to the Lord Wrath and began to affectionally nuzzle against him.

With an indulgent smile as he ran both hands through his Knight’s fur, Lord Ichigo said, “Man, you guys suck.”

“I haaaate youuuu,” Issei groaned from some distance away.

And it was a testament to how battered she was that Rias did not instantly admonish her Pawn. Lucifer, she may even secretly agree with him.

Lord Ichigo just chuckled. “Oh, this is just the beginning, kids.”

And with that, he snapped his fingers.

In a burst of blending color - the snow, the sky, the forest; all of it vanished. The next thing she knew, Rias was back in Grevex, flat on her back and staring up at the ugly, crumbling walls of the shithole she was now forced to call her new house.

Her body hurt. Her head hurt. And she wasn’t sure if it was possible, but she was pretty sure that her soul her too.

“What the hell?!”

And it was with tremendous effort that she managed to blow a disheveled strand of hair from her face and turn her head in the gravel. Rias saw Sona and her peerage staring at them, their expressions stunned and dumbfounded. Tsubaki’s eyes bulged near comically from behind her glasses and Saji’s mouth was hanging wide open.

“What happened!?” Sona demanded, concern shining through her eyes.

Rias made to sit up, but her muscles were too strained; she merely collapsed back flat onto the ground. The sharp movement sent a jolt of pain through her entire body, causing her to flinch visibly.  She wheezed out a cough, rime and ice still cutting into her lungs.

“Got mauled… for hours…”

“You were only gone five minutes!” Sona exclaimed.

Rias blinked slowly. What? That was impossible, she and her peerage had been at the tender mercies of Lord Ichigo and his Knight for what seemed to be endless hours.

“This is Infernity,” Meril said helpfully, standing nearby with a clipboard. “All obey Lord Ichigo. That includes the rate of time.”

Rias didn’t reply.

But somewhere behind her, Issei had started sobbing quietly. And in that moment, she couldn’t even blame him. Maybe they would get lucky, and Lord Ichigo would grow so tired of them that he made ten years pass by in the blink of an eye?

That being said, Rias would forever deny the savage glee she felt when Miss Meril turned to Sona and said, “Next.”

-----

Ichigo sat at his desk, a sleek yet expansive frame of glass and steel. His personal office was a modern corporate suite that stylistically clashed with the heavy wooden shlves lining the walls, filled with arcane grimoires and books of lore. A Demon needed to know his Supernatural lore if he was going to rule a kingdom, after all.

Two days had passed since Saviġuk had so thoroughly trounced both of his two young wards, and Ichigo now sat at his desk in the midst of a three-way video call with Sirzechs and Serafall. Both of his fellow Satans sat uncharacteristically quiet as he shared his computer screen and the data charts describing both of their respective sisters. Meril had been instrumental in turning his memory of the one-sided beatings into quantifiable data and visual graphs.

“Overall,” he said seriously, his mouse hovering over the median score he assigned to both young Kings, “both Sona and Rias score below average when compared to the historical performances of other Devils within their age group. Though of the two peerages, Sona’s edges ahead, but just barely.”

Sirzechs frowned considerably as he leaned forward in his chair, and Serafall shifted uncomfortably.

“And how do they compare when looking at only the current lineup of young Kings?” Sirzechs asked grimly.

Ichigo clicked twice and shifted the graphs and numbers on display. “As you can see, when compared to the current crop, they fall even further below the baseline. That being said, Sairoarg Bael is an extenuating outlier, pushing the average to a new historical high. The second highest after Roygun and Diehauser’s generation.”

Sirzechs folded his hands before him and closed his eyes in a silent sigh. Meanwhile, Serafall pouted and let out a low whine. “Sona-taaaaan.”

“The good news is,” Ichigo began, causing both to perk up, “both peerages have an abundance of potential and room for growth. Some key adjustments need to be made first though. Credit where credit’s due: Sona put considerable forethought into building her team, and it’s paid off. Their abilities mesh well together, and it’s clear they’ve done team building exercises prior. Sona recognized from the start that a frontal assault was useless against Saviġuk and opted for hit-and-run tactics instead. She left the clearing and made for the cover of the trees. And even after Saviġuk incapacitated some of Sona’s Pieces, she adjusted her strategies to make up for the lost personnel.”

“Hah!” Serafall pumped a fist into the air triumphantly. “I told you Berry-Berry! My Sona is a genius!”

“Unfortunately,” he continued, a hint of dryness coloring his voice, “Sona’s team has one glaring flaw: they’re all weak. Almost irresponsibly so.”

Serafall deflated with a scowl and Sirzechs turned his head away in an attempt to hide his smug smile.

Though internally annoyed, Ichigo ignored their antics and said, “Sona’s emphasis on blending and matching techniques woefully highlights the complete lack of power her Pieces possess independently. It’s obvious they’ve neglected personal training in lieu of team synergy. Never mind Saviġuk, I genuinely think one of my Reaver Lords would have proven too much for them.”

“Don’t fret Sera,” Sirzechs said supportively. “I’m sure Ichigo will have young Sona up to par in no time!”

“That’s the plan,” Ichigo said curtly. “As for your sister, well, her peerage may have the highest potential out of anyone in the current generation. A Longinus, Baraqiel’s daughter, one of the very few known existing Nekoshou, and the only known Balance Breaker capable of making hybrid Holy-Demonic swords? Seriously, it’s ridiculous how exquisite her peerage is. If she continues to reincarnate such high-quality Pieces, she’ll give your cousin a run for his money.”

Sirzechs preened up with a wide smile and Serafall immediately began to protest. “Gah! What is this blatant favoritism! Didn’t you say they were both below average! I demand a recount!”

“Now, now, Sera,” Sirzechs said condescendingly, “Let’s not allow our personal sentiments to cloud objectivity! Ichigo knows what he’s doing, he’s just stating the facts as they are!”

“Personal sentiments,” Serafall repeated, utterly affronted. “I’ll show you personal sentiments you poster boy for soulless gingers!”

Sirzechs blinked before his countenance quickly fell outraged and he smacked his desk in protest. “I am not the poster boy! That was all you! You made up all those horrible rumors!”

“Hah! Hey Ichigo, if you promise not to reveal a secret to any soul, does that mean you can tell a ginger?”

“Dammit Sera!” Sirzechs yelled as he stood up angrily. “Don’t make me come over there!”

“What’s the difference between a ginger and shoe?” She yelled back.

“Sera, I’m warning you!” he growled dangerously.

“A shoe has a sole!”

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out an exasperated sigh. Little known fact, Sera had invented the bulk of soulless ginger jokes as a constant rib on Sirzechs over the centuries. The quickest way to make Lucifer mad was to tell a red-head joke, go figure.

“Will you please shut the Hell up?” Ichigo said with irritation, his voice rising ever so slightly.

They both had the decency to look momentarily abashed as they retook their seats, though not before they both stuck their tongues out at each other in a childish display at odds with their mythic stations.

With another great sigh, Ichigo resumed his evaluation. “As I said, Rias has excellent Pieces. Unfortunately, she seems to have no damn clue what to do with them.”

“Hey!” But Sirzechs immediately quieted down when Ichigo shot him a glare.

“She had little to no semblance of strategy and her team dynamics are awful. Even after Saviġuk repeatedly rebuffed their offensive, she still opted for a full-frontal assault. And despite being given numerous opportunities, she never tried to put distance between herself and the enemy nor did she try to regroup and seek cover. While I understand she herself is a Power-type, Rias seems to have no experience in strategems aside from an all-out offensive. It’s almost disconcerting it never occurred to her to try for a tactical retreat.

“To summarize, the two peerages are complete opposites of one another. Going forward, Sona’s team will be encouraged to further enhance their team synergy while putting greater emphasis on individual performance. As for Rias, her peerage needs a desperate crash course on teamwork and tactics. They need to learn to work together and make plans on how to utilize each other's strengths and cover their own weakneses. Naturally, they also need to develop the unique talents of each member. Going forward, I think the best way to prepare them for the Rating Games, and any potential war, is to put them through constant battles and expose them to hostile environments. Luckily there's plenty of that in Infernity.”

Ichigo crossed his arms and met both stares from his two peers unflinchingly. After several moments, both Sirzechs and Serafall dropped their heads in tandem with sighs. Sirzechs grabbed fistful of his hair and lamented, “Is it too much to ask my Ria-tan just grow up in peace?”

“My Sona-tan just wants to be a teacher!” Serafall wailed.

All of his annoyances with the two immediately melted away and Ichigo felt a familiar empathy for his two friends. He knew all too well how worrisome little sisters could be. He still remembered the first time Karin came home bleeding after getting into a fight at soccer practice. The volcanic rage he had felt that day...

And add to that the constant dangers the Supernatural birthed day by day, it was an endless cycle of anxiety for older siblings everywhere.

“I know it sucks, but it’s better for them to go through this now and be prepared for the future, than for them to get caught unaware and killed down the line,” Ichigo said somberly.

A dark silence settled between the three Satans, and then Serafall softly intoned, “Thank you for doing this for us, Ichigo. It means a lot.”

He shrugged, though he appreciated her words.

“Don’t thank me just yet,” he said dryly. “I’m going to put those girls through Hell.”

Sirzechs blinked at him. “…metaphorically, right?”

“I said what I said,” Ichigo said smoothly, his eyes lingering on the charts and the near insulting numbers. Some of these kids might not survive to live up to their potential if they continued to waste their time away. What an absolute tragic loss that would be for the Empire and society overall.

Before either of them could start again, Ichigo quickly went to steer the conversation in another direction. “Anything else we want to discuss?”

Serafall narrowed her eyes, knowing full well he was trying to change the subject, but she let out a defeated sigh and decided to run with it. “Falbi has successfully assaulted the three bases we learned of from Eligos’ interrogation, we’ve managed to capture one of the commanders, Markeen Botis.”

“And of the other two?” Sirzechs asked, a single brow raised in question.

Serafall tapped a few keys on her end, and Ichigo saw reports suddenly pop up onto his screen. Immediately his eyes began to process the information and embed them in his mind.

She continued on in a calm voice. “Elyssai Marax: she was unfortunately killed during the assault. Falbium has turned her body over to the Ministry of Intelligence for an examination and it’s currently on its way to New Lilith. Once we’ve discerned what we can, we plan to release her body into the custody of her uncle, Lord Furfur.”

Both Ichigo and Sirzechs nodded. Traitors they may be - but many of the Old Satan Faction had close family that had chosen loyalty to the current Satans and their Empire. The five of them would sometimes allow the bodies of traitors to be interred in family crypts. It was as a small and negligible boon to those who gave their loyalty.

“As for the third,” Sera said as she scrunched up her brows with some irritation. “They managed to get away by some unknown means, teleporting right through Falbi’s wards.”

Ichigo exchanged a glance with Sirzechs, and the older Satan looked as equally shocked as he felt. Falbium was a master caster of wards and barriers, second only to Ajuka himself. For someone to be able to slip through his magical webs… that was unexpected.

"Someone broke through Falbium's wards?" he asked, surprise plainly etched onto his face.

Serafall shook her head. "No, Falbi insists that the magical palings he put into place remained untouched. The managed to slip around the his magic completely."

That was beyond disturbing news. If members of the Old Satan faction could get past Falbium’s barriers, what else could they manuever around? This could constitute a potentially serious security threat. Given he was the head of the Ministry of Order, the Empire’s internal police force, Ichigo felt he would have to reassess entire security protocols and measures. His frown further deepened as his thoughts drifted towards Akihiko and he drew paralells with the Kitsune's inexplicable ability to obscure his presence. A possible connection? Shared ties through Khaos Brigade?

His fingers slowly curled into iron tight fists. Vexing.

He briefly turned away from his screen, gazing through his personal office. At the opposite end of the room, across from his desk, were two large glass doors that led out onto the balcony. So many threads, and all of them seemed to be connecting to each other.

Breaking away from wandering thoughts, Ichigo sharply asked. “Any response from the Old Satan Faction?”

Serafall shook her head, her dark hair bouncing in the movement. “No. There’s been no response or counter offensive from them. We’ve taken four bases in less in a matter of weeks, but they seem insistent on remaining hidden away.”

Sirzechs’ mouth twisted sourly. “So much for baiting them into open conflict.”

Ichigo leaned his cheek onto a fist, a scowl creeping over his expression. “Which means they must have something planned. Something that doesn’t allow for them to risk any additional troops.”

Sirzechs caught on immediately. “You think they’re gathering forces for a concentrated offensive?”

“It makes sense, doesn’t it?” Ichigo pointed out. “None of the descendants of the original Satans have made so much as a peep despite the losses we’ve inflicted on them. In their position, it would make more sense to carry a single powerful blitz, rather than openly engage with our armies in a series of widespread skirmishes.”

Sirzechs deliberated for a moment, and then a cold smile curved his lips. “Ah, now I see it. The Youth Rating Game. Our Nobility’s youngest and brightest gathered in one place. What would be more devastating than our children endangered or dead?”

Sera’s lips curled in disgust. “They would target our children? …but wait, we’ve yet to announce the tournament.”

Ichigo gave a dismissive shrug. “Ajuka preemptively told the Lords during the meeting in Yfel. A leak from anyone of them or their offices; it's well within the realm of possibility.”

Sirzechs’ smile only deepened. “Which only furthers our advantage. We know-”

“-and they don’t know we know,” Ichigo finished for him.

Sirzechs’ green eyes danced elated. “Oh, how delightful. Sera, have our spies confirm that the Old Satan Faction are planning a large offensive, but ensure that our suspicions of when and where the attack will take place remains among us. I will inform Ajuka and Falbium myself.”

Serafall dipped her head. “Very well, but what of the other matter?”

Sirzechs put a thoughtful finger to his chin. “Michael and Azazel have agreed to a summit. The particulars are still being discussed, but military de-escelation and a possible neutrality truce have been brought up preemptively in the face of Khaos Brigade. Ideally, the summit would be scheduled before the Youth Rating Game. Actually, Ichigo, I wanted to talk to you about that. Err, any chance we can hold it on neutral grounds, by which I mean Japan?”  

Ichigo snorted cynically. “I’ll run it by Yasaka, though don’t get your hopes up. And even in the slim chances she does say yes, she’ll be burying you in fees and paperwork. She’s still right pissed.”

“Don’t remind me,” Sera groaned. “Your wife is such a mean negotiator! The full list of repatriations cost billions of bloodstones! Both Dukes Sitri and Gremory also added to the reparations privately. Not to mention the hundreds of tons of precious magical metals we signed away! Orichalcum! Scarlitite! Adamantite! So much money!”

Ichigo said nothing, offering only a small, apologetic shrug. It was a blurry line he walked, being loyal to his Empire while also supporting his wife unconditionally. Two sovereigns of foreign states being married to one another was a political nightmare, but somehow, he and Yasaka managed to make it work. Well, they tried to, anyways. If anything, history would be the ultimate judge of how effective they were as rulers.

“Any thoughts on who else may be joining the table?” Ichigo asked Sirzechs.

The eldest Satan tapped his fingers as he contemplated. “I honestly have no clue which of the other Seraphs Michael may bring. Azazel wouldn’t risk his second-in-command also walking into a potential trap, so he’ll most likely leave Shemhazai behind and bring Baraqiel instead. Possibly even the Lucifer boy.”

Ichigo pinched his chin as he considered Sirzechs’ words.

Divine Dividing.

If the rumors were to be believed, the Vanishing Emperor’s host had inherited his family’s immense demonic power, staunchly pushing him into the ranks of Ultimate-class. Add to that the power and mastery of his Longinus he supposedly achieved, he may be counted as amongst the strongest wielders of Divine Dividing in all of history.

“I’ll go with you,” he said firmly.

Sirzechs and Serafall both looked at him in surprise.

“Don’t give me that look,” Ichigo said with a grimace. “I won’t be participating in the talks, but my presence will act as a deterrent enough.”

And meanwhile, Ajuka, Serafall and Falbium would all remain behind, ensuring that the Underworld remain adequately protected.

Sirzechs seemed to consider his offer briefly, before he inclined his head. “Very well. I will let you know as soon as Sera and I have finalized negotiating the details of the summit.”

As Ichigo gave a sharp nod towards Sirzechs, he began counting off on his fingers. “So, we’ve gone over the girls, the Old Satan Faction and foreign policy. Anything else we need to cover?”

Both Serafall and Sirzechs looked at each other and shook their heads. At which point, Serafall immediately fell back into her childish way of speaking as she threw out a peace sign. “Then time for Levia-tan to film a new movie! Bye!”

And with that, Serafall’s screen live feed abruptly cut off black, leaving him alone with Sirzechs. Ichigo blinked at her sudden departure, before letting out a breath of amusement. Sirzechs rolled his eyes good naturedly and said, “Really, where does she get her energy from, I wonder?”

“Sometimes I think she’s on drugs,” Ichigo said with a sigh.

“Oh no,” Sirzechs said with a shake of his head. “Sera’s been quite sober for centuries now. She’s long past that phase.”

Both of Ichigo’s eyebrows shot up. “There was a phase?”

Sirzechs' chest shook with a deep chuckle. “Remind me to send you some choice memories.”

Ichigo let out a quick laugh, but at Sirzechs words, he recalled one other thing that he hadn’t told the other Satans about. “Speaking of memories…”

“Ah yes,” and the laughter died from his former King’s expression and his eyes set grim. “Your dreamspore.”

“What do you make of it?” Ichigo asked gravely. Even now he could barely make sense of what he saw. But there was one thing that he did know for certain…

“You have the attention of the Infinite Ouroboros,” Sirzechs said evenly. “That never bodes well for anyone. But there were others too, on that escapade of yours. Alas, your perspective was too disjointed, I could not discern much. But at the very least, I believe there were two others aside from the Void Embodied.”

“I-,” Ichigo hesitated as he tried to recall the specifics of his dream-vision. Sadly, his mind was still not able to acclimate to the Fourth World.

“It is no easy thing, to immerse yourself into the realm of Time.” Sirzechs offered comfortingly.

“Tiamat said as much during our training sessions,” Ichigo said as he rubbed the back of his head. He thought about how much he was struggling to surpass the limits of linear causality. It was beyond frustrating; he had never had such difficulty with mastering a technique before. Well, aside from the time dilated three months he had spent mastering the Final Getsuga Tenshō. But that had more to do with mastering himself, not learning to surpass the limits of physical reality as he currently was.

Yet, Tiamat kept insisting he was making great strides in his progress.  

“And she would be correct,” Sirzechs said as he nodded sagely. “I have some tomes in my private collection that may prove useful; I will have Grayfia bring them to you.”

“Thanks,” Ichigo said, and he meant it. Despite the friction that existed between them at times, Sirzechs never held back when it came to helping him when he needed it. “Did you show Nee-san?”

Amusement danced in Sirzechs’ eyes. “No, and she’s rather cross with me for it. Loathe that I am to keep secrets from her, this is one thing beyond her. And I would say the same for Sera and Falbium.”

Ichigo felt surprised at his words. “You want to keep this a secret from them too?”

Sirzechs tilted his head in that odd, too-still way Ichigo never got used to. Sometimes he really came off as the Devil in the most subtle but unsettling of ways. “As much as I value them, Sera and Falbium’s limits are far beneath ours. It would be foolish to pretend otherwise. As you spoke of Sairaorg earlier - Ajuka, yourself and I – we are outliers. We shift the curve most unnaturally. I think we can tell them in time, but for now, this matter should be contained between us. Though, with your permission, I would like to consult Ajuka about this.”

Ichigo nodded, it would be out-and-out stupid for him to say no. Ajuka’s power was only matched by his genius.

“Very good then,” Sirzechs said as he returned Ichigo’s nod. “I would encourage you to continue with your training with the Lady Tiamat. And, as I said, I will have Grayfia bring you some helpful reading material on the subject. But now, I must be off. The bureaucracy of Empire never stills, regrettably.”

“Actually, before you go,” Ichigo said quickly. “Did Nee-san tell you about the other thing?”

The Crown Prince of Pride blinked in question. “Other thing?”

“Dinner. You, me, Tiamat, Nee-san and Millicas.”

“Oh!” Recollection lit up on Sirzechs’ face. “I thought you were joking.”

Ichigo gave him an inquisitive look. “Why would I joke about that? Anyways, I figured I’d allow both Sona and Rias to meet up with you and Sera separately. Distil words and wisdom and what not you may have for them. Consider this your turn.”

Sirzechs looked at him in surprise for a moment, before his former King’s lips split into a wide and brilliant smile. “That’s probably the kindest offer anyone outside my family has ever made me.”

Ichigo raised a lone brow. “Is that a yes?”

“Of course!”

“Cool, I’ll coordinate the day and time with Nee-san since she’s the only one who actually knows what your schedule is like,” said Ichigo.

“Hey! I know my schedule!”

“Sirzechs, you literally sent the entire Paimon territory into a full-blown panic that one time you showed up unannounced when you were supposed to be meeting with Lord Berith instead!”

“Th-that was one time!”

“You forgot to pick up Millicas from that time he tried out for that junior tennis club! Souji and I picked him up after Nee-san texted us! He was standing there all by himself!”

“Th-that-I-I.”

As Sirzechs began to splutter, Ichigo waved him off dismissively. “Hopefully you won’t forget your son at my place when you come over. She’d never admit to it, Tiamat would be thrilled if that distinct possibility actually happened.”

“You-you brat!” Sirzechs finally managed to spurt out.

“Yeah, fuck you too, asshat.”

And Ichigo disconnected the call.