[250] A Brewing World War

Chapter 250: A Brewing World War

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Rizevim chuckled softly to himself, his fingers lightly drumming against his thigh as he watched Lilith. She sat on a little stool next to him, happily munching on cotton candy. The scene was almost cute from a distance, really—like a father watching over his daughter at a carnival. Except, they weren’t at a carnival, and he wasn’t her father.

He was her owner, and they were in the heart of his lair, the air quiet and only broken by Lilith’s absent chewing.

He reached down, patting her head. She didn’t react, just kept eating, the sugary fluff sticking to her fingers. Beside them, slumped in a corner and bound with enchanted restraints, was Gasper Vladi. Rizevim had positioned him there intentionally, almost like an afterthought, but he kept one eye on the boy all the same.

Rizevim glanced over at Gasper, who sat with a sullen glare, fists clenched in his lap. He smirked, amused by the boy’s feisty expression. If he thought a look like that would do anything, he was sadly mistaken. “What’s the matter, little vampire?” he taunted, his voice low. “Not quite the protected prince you thought you’d be, are you? All your friends are dead by now.”

The restraints themselves were mostly for show. Gasper could still use his eyes to freeze time, could still try to break free if he wanted. But Rizevim had no concern. Any other man would have, but not him. The Sacred Gear Canceller—his unique, delightful little demonic ability—rendered any of Gasper's tricks useless. As far as Rizevim was concerned, the brat was no more dangerous than a moth caught in a jar.

Gasper didn’t reply. He didn’t even try to free himself. Despite his glare, he was too scared to do anything. His glare itself was powerful, though, but then again, it wasn’t his, but Balor’s eyes that glared at him. So it didn’t belong to this little vampire, but the bigger fish in the sea. Rizevim found it charming. He’d love to have those eyes under his control. Demon God Balor would become his pet soon.

Turning away, Rizevim stretched, rolling his shoulders as if he’d just come back from a casual stroll. Capturing the kid had been laughably simple. With Lilith’s help, they’d slipped past the Satans like they were no more than shadows. They even managed to take out Falbium, the so-called Satan of War. His Absolute Defence had failed pitifully. Useless, really. He’d barely put up a fight.

Of course, Rizevim would’ve preferred a bigger name—Sirzechs or Ajuka—but you take what you can get. With any luck, the maddened Sirzechs might have killed Ajuka by now, and the Underworld was already starting to crumble without their precious Satans to keep things in line.

A slight sigh escaped him, almost regretful. “Ah, Falbium,” he murmured, shaking his head. “What a waste. You’d think a Satan would go out with more of a bang. Like the false Lucifer.” No matter his hate for that bastard, he’d admit that Sirzechs was a powerhouse.

For a moment, Rizevim allowed himself to revel in the chaos he’d left behind. The thought of all the Satans dying made Rizevim’s grin widen. It was a pity that Serafall managed to talk things out with Egypt, but without the Satans, the Egyptians might try their luck again. The devils were in disarray, and that was all he needed.

With this kind of chaos, he’d have ample time to make his move. And that meant Gasper’s role in all this was about to come into play.

“Soon, we’re going to make history, little vamp,” he said, almost to himself. “Balor is going to awaken, and when he does, he’ll burn this world to ashes. In my name, he will.”

He felt a ripple of energy then, signaling that his guests had arrived. Perfect timing, as always. The air shimmered, bending as if under the weight of something immense, and then three figures materialized before him. All of them looked more distinct than the last.

First came Arjuna, son of Indra. He wore armor that gleamed like polished steel, exuding a warrior’s grace. He stood tall, his eyes scanning the room, landing briefly on Gasper before they settled on Rizevim with a narrowed gaze. The man looked like he could tear a mountain in half and barely break a sweat.

Beside him was a guest from Asgard. Angela, daughter of Odin, sister of Thor. She was all sharp edges and icy resolve, her ginger hair falling around her shoulders like a waterfall. She carried a massive sword, her fingers curled around the handle. She met Rizevim’s gaze with a cool, almost disdainful look. She doesn’t really like me, it seems.

Finally, it was Erlang Shen. The Chinese god, nephew of the Jade Emperor, stood in his flowing robes, and a quiet power radiating from him. His third eye glowed faintly, the proof of his wisdom and strength he held. He remained silent, his expression impassive, but Rizevim could feel the weight of his scrutiny. He’s here representing his uncle, and will hopefully join me against Quetzalcoatl.

Rizevim spread his arms wide, grinning softly. “Welcome, my friends,” he said, his voice dripping with mock warmth. “I trust the journey wasn’t too taxing?”

Arjuna didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “Let’s get this over with,” he said, his tone flat. “What do you want, Lucifer?”

Rizevim feigned a look of hurt. “Ah, gentle with your words. Always so serious, Arjuna. Can’t a devil take a moment to enjoy the company of esteemed guests?”

Angela’s grip tightened on her sword, and Rizevim’s eyes flicked to it, noticing the faint crackle of fire that ran along the surface. “Spare us the act, Devil Prince,” she said, her voice as cold as her gaze. “You didn’t call us here for pleasantries.”

“True, true,” Rizevim decided to drop the charade. And yet, he spread his arms again as if encompassing the whole room, the whole world. “I called you here because we stand on the brink of something extraordinary. And with your help, we can reshape everything. Real power, real freedom.”

Erlang Shen remained silent, his gaze steady. Rizevim met his eyes, offering a slight nod before turning his attention back to the group as a whole.

“I had initially called you here to form a team who’d help me capture Gasper Vladi,” he pointed at the vampire. “But as you can see, I’ve already done that. But I still have plans for you guys. The Underworld is crumbling, and there’s nobody helping them,” Rizevim continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Nobody but a human boy. Two of you share him as a common enemy, Aquamarine, do you not?”

“....” Arjuna and Angela exchanged glances.

“He’ll be busy helping the devils who are in disarray. He’s busy, Shinto is distracted, and a vampire is trying to awaken the Evil God Balor in Japan. Only I have the key fragment required for the awakening. I’ll help you guys enter Japan, I have some connections, and you guys will get to hunt your enemies. You’ll distract them, and I will use that chance to sacrifice this boy. With your affirmation, we’ll awaken a power that will reshape this world… This new world? It’ll be ours.”

Angela’s eyes narrowed, her gaze hardening. “And you think we’ll just go along with this? Awakening an Evil God sounds ridiculous, the devil.”

“Oh, I think you’ll find it hard to resist,” Rizevim replied smoothly, walking over and sitting down. He snapped his finger, and tea cups materialized. A teapot floated and poured tea. “Each of you has something to gain, a stake in the chaos to come. With Balor’s power, there will be nothing left to stand in our way. Please take a seat. I’ll explain more.”

The room fell silent, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. Arjuna’s gaze remained fixed on him, a faint sneer curling at the edge of his mouth. Angela’s eyes flicked to Gasper, then back to Rizevim, her expression a mix of disgust and intrigue. Erlang Shen shrugged. The three of them exchanged glances and then sat down on the couch.

Rizevim smiled. “So, shall we begin?”

****

I stepped through the portal and landed back on the grounds of Kuoh Academy. The air was quiet, untouched by the chaos I’d just left behind in the underworld, but the peace might not last for long.

I looked around at the empty paths, the first rays of morning sunlight barely reaching over the rooftops. It almost felt surreal to be back here, as if the Underworld and the hellscape I'd just walked out of were some kind of fever dream. But they weren’t.

Things had gone to shit, and it’s catch up here if I didn’t prepare against it.

Ajuka and Serafall had stayed behind, the underworld needed them. With Sirzechs in a comatose state and Falbium… well, Falbium was gone. The Underworld wasn’t going to hold out long if someone didn’t pick up the pieces fast. But Ajuka, with his mind calculating as ever, had insisted I leave. Rizevim had taken Gasper right from under our noses, and someone had to chase after him.

I’d have to go back and check on Sera soon, but not now. Earth was my focus right now.

“Aqua!”

I glanced up to see Sona and Mai running toward me. Mai was smiling as she ran, but that cheeriness vanished, replaced by tension when she noted my expression. Sona’s eyes hardened too, as she stopped in front of me.

“What happened?” Sona asked, her voice filled with worry. Perhaps she had expected her sister to return with me.

I rubbed at my temple, not in the mood for a recap. “Gasper’s been captured,” I said, keeping it short. There was no need for sugar-coating. They didn’t need that.

“What?” Mai’s eyes went wide, and Sona’s calm facade faltered for a second before she caught herself.

“Oh, great! I knew this would happen when you took Gasper away!” Saji’s voice came from behind, dripping with sarcasm and just as irritating as ever. He walked over, face twisted into a glare. Rias’ whole peerage, except for the girl herself, was with him. Sona’s peerage was also rushing over. “So, this is what your big plan was? Taking Gasper to the underworld and selling him off to Rizevim?”

I felt my jaw tighten. “Watch it, brat,” I warned, my voice dropping. “You don’t know half of what went down. Sirzechs was heavily injured, Falbium died.”

He took a step forward, fists clenched. “All I know is, this wouldn’t have happened if you were half as strong as you pretend you are! You let them take Gasper away. He’s a member of my peerage, why would I watch it silently?”

“I think you’re letting the dragon talk too much in your head,” I stepped toward him, fists already clenching at my sides. This brat had no idea what the situation was, what any of us had been through. Why was he acting up?

But before I could respond, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

“Enough.” Rias appeared between us, placing herself in the middle. Her eyes flashed with an authority that even Saji couldn’t ignore. He stepped back, huffing under his breath. He didn’t seem satisfied. It didn’t matter. I didn’t have time for this petty bullshit.

I looked at Rias, and she bit her lip, “Onii-sama is injured?”

“...In a coma, yes. Don’t worry, Ajuka said he won’t die,” I confirmed.

Quetzalcoatl and Yasaka approached from the other side, walking over with serious expressions. They’d sensed the shift, too. “Wait, one of the Satans is dead?” The dragon goddess asked, and I nodded.

The air grew tense; everyone exchanged glances. Members of Sona and Rias’ peerage trembled. “W-what about my sister?” Sona asked.

“She’s fine. Please, I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her,” I confirmed, and Sona let out a sigh of relief. I turned to face Quetzalcoatl and Yasaka, feeling the weight of their gazes. When I didn’t say anything, Yasaka asked.

“Do you have a plan?” Yasaka was frowning.

“Yes. We’re running out of time,” I said. “Rizevim has Gasper, and that’s bad. But we might be able to save this. There’s someone else we need to find. Valerie Tepes. We need to get to her before he does. Otherwise, this goes way beyond anything we’re ready to handle. Rizevim has a clone of Dragon God Infinity, Ophis, under his command, and at this rate, he might also gain control of Balor. I think that’s an apocalyptic-level threat.”

Beast 666, Trihexa, the apocalypse bringer. It was a threat on the same level as that.

Quetzalcoatl nodded, her expression grim. Yasaka didn’t say anything, but I could see the understanding in her eyes. They both knew what was at stake. There was no need to explain it any further. I didn’t want to waste any more time talking, anyway.

We broke into groups, splitting up to cover as much ground as possible. Even with my Jade Perception, I wasn’t about to leave anything to chance. Every minute we spent late was a minute Rizevim had to pull something out of his sleeve.

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