63 His Feelings: Heart-wrenching I

The atmosphere couldn't be any tenser, Richter made sure to hold back, to pressure but not restraint, to threat, but not to show outright hostility.

He knew that was he do so, negotiations would be finished, by then only massacre awaited.

The servants didn't know if they should retreat, Richter's presence delivered security and his aura wasn't targeted at them, but even so… the situation was precarious.

The whole Lucifuge Castle was in imminent danger.

"Master".

!!!

Her voice resounded softly and Sirzech's eyes began to shiver uncontrollably, and so did Serafall's but with less intensity.

They hadn't heard this voice in five hundred years. Back then she was the oldest of all of them. Sirzechs was in his sixties, Serafall in her forties… but Grayfia had already surpassed the hundred, out of all of the generals of the anti-Satan faction she was the most mature and also, the elder sister.

But as a Lucifuge, her fate was sealed, she was to belong to Lucifer, but back then she had harboured feelings for Sirzechs and vice-versa. It was also Lord Lucifuge who placed Grayfia's hand in Sirzechs' believing that they would win the war and by then… Sirzechs would become the next Lucifer.

He hadn't been wrong, but things didn't quite go as he predicted them to.

Grayfia had left on a noble mission, leaving Sirzechs behind.

And now after five hundred years, they had finally seen one another.

Or at least, that's what he would have desired to tell. Because Grayfia's eyes were glued… firmly glued in that golden-haired man who was threatening them.

She wore a graceful-sleeved piece golden dress, her hair cascaded down with a single braid with her silver hair that he recalled how shining more than ever with golden strands that only made her look more vibrant and exotic.

Behind her, there were Layla and Lady Lucifuge.

Just as Grayfia's eyes were glued on Richter, Sirzechs' were glued on Grayfia.

So much so that he failed to notice his breathtaking wife. And she noticed this.

It was a heart-wrenching triangle of unmet gazes that could only end with a depressive conclusion.

Grayfia reached Richter's arm and held it tightly against her, feeling the pressure, not because it was focused on her, but merely due to the tension it was causing as the Devil Kings outputted their own to counter-react.

"Richter-sama, please remember what we spoke, please… restraint" her hand caressed his chin, releasing some of her subtle gold sparkles to distract him, Grayfia giggled when Richter's gaze finally drifted from the Devil Kings back to her, she knew it worked.

"Son-in-law…" Fia took his other arm and requested like a cute cat, waving her silver hair back and forth, she was dressed in a formal purple dress, the similar colour of her eyes with her silver hair cascading down loosely, exquisite.

Richter looked sideways; having both of his arms hostages, he knew there wasn't much he could do and therefore released the pressure with a deep sigh, carefully placing barriers all around for the incoming blast.

*BOOOMM!*

The moment he let go of his pressure, the concentrated output of the devil kings burst out, crashing against his barriers and blasting a furious gale in the hall, the servant girls blushed and covered their crotches back with their skirts while their hairs waved with the breeze, but nothing else happened...

Sirzechs and Ajuka gasped in disbelief, it wasn't the fact that he made the barriers… it was his awareness and control to know that was the right call to protect both the castle and the servants.

"Thank you, master~" Grayfia kissed his cheek and held his arm tightly inside her cleavage while Fia kissed him as well, but knowing her place she stood to the side with a reluctant pout, this is her daughter's stage.

Layla's downcast eyes regarded her brother-in-law before she bowed towards him and walked beside her husband, she was still his queen.

Sirzechs' eyes finally settled on his incoming wife and his eyebrows lifted up in surprise, but it was only for a moment… just as quickly he rested his eyes on Grayfia the coquettish again who also lowered herself to regard the four satans.

"Sirzechs," She said.

"Grayfia… it has been so long" the satan answered enthusiastically, almost feeling a sort of ecstasy at having his name mentioned first.

The maid nodded before looking at the other three, Sirzechs felt his heart sting.

"Serafall, Ajuka, Falbium".

"It is good to see you're safe, Grayfia we were so worried… it would have been better to meet… under different circumstances" Falbium spoke and Serafall nodded, they couldn't pay much attention to her when she was holding the hand of such a monster.

'Just how strong is he?!' Were Serafall, Ajuka and Falbium's thoughts.

This clash of auras was far from deterministic… they weren't using their last forms, their peak strengths… but even then, not only did they know if the opposite party was doing so either. He looked as if he wasn't even trying, and he also outputted just the necessary amount of aura to keep them intimidated just as they increased theirs like crazy children.

It was his mere presence that produced such fright in their hearts! How could they not recognise a dragon when they see one?

"As my master said before, he's not going to apologise… we're willing to compensate for our mistake and we do deeply regret the death of hundreds of thousands of devils deeply also, fallen and angels if there were any… but I'm afraid their lives can't surmount the value of my master's pride; that's why I'll ask you in behalf of our friendship that you will be wise in your choice and tolerant in your judgement, Four Satans" Grayfia nodded in their way after giving out some political speech.

"…" They couldn't believe the way Grayfia was speaking, she had so much authority and felt so… foreign. As if this was a completely different person, yet her personality resembled the unyielding Grayfia they knew. What was foreign was how uncaring she was about the lives of those devils she used to fight for.

"Grayfia-chan, you know how politics work… even if we wanted to let this slide, the council would never heed" Serafall spoke lightly, troubled by the whole ordeal, it was as stressful as she expected it to be, her office flooding with letters, she just wanted this to end.

"Let alone this is not an incident we can let slide" Sirzechs spoke with poison, his killing intent was focused on a single individual, the man who was holding the woman he loved with adoration.

"If this is the case, as Lady Lucifuge, could I suggest something~" Fia raised her hand cheerfully out of nowhere.

"…"

All gazes turned towards Lady Lucifuge who was giggling by Richter's side.

"What do you suggest, mother-in-law? I'd like to hear it" Sirzechs' spoke.

"Yeah mother-in-law, what is it?~" Richter remarked, knowing exactly well who this comment would trigger. Sirzechs was already getting on his nerves with that pesky killing intent; at that moment Lucifer's killing intent doubled and he was literally releasing red sparks of destruction.

Nothing of this escaped Layla's sorrow-filled eyesight.

"My suggestion is… why don't you have my beloved son-in-law here compensate economically for the loss… and then, in order to settle the outrage of the noble families, you can hold a rating game in the presence of Bael, Lucifuge and Agares Families~"

!!!

Whispering and gossiping started immediately among the servants, most of them worried about Richter.

"That is not a bad idea, mother" Grayfia remarked.

"What is a rating game?" Richter inquired.

"It is a duel, son-in-law, you against them~" Fia said it in simple words.

"Then I accept" The Dragon accepted lazily, all the better, there couldn't be a more straightforward way to sort this out.

"Wait, brother-in-law, you can't accept just like that. Stakes and conditions must be settled first". Layla interjected.

"Is that so? I don't want to waste time… the four of you can come outside with me right now if you want, we will settle it here~" He extended his arms in a mocking invitation that didn't fail to flare the Devil Kings auras once again when were they ever disrespected such!?

"Just what I want, but there is no need, I'll face you on my own". Sirzechs said all of the sudden, making his three peers look at him in disbelief, they thought they had a better chance to eradicate this threat by just working together, but here he had to show his manly ego.

"You ain't got what it takes, boy." Richter looked down on him with amusement, it was as if a kid was asking to fight an adult on his own.

"We won't know until we try!" Lucifer was stubborn until a hand was placed on his shoulder tightly.

"Calm down, Sirzechs… think rationally. Lady Lucifuge did offer a valid solution, but are you sure about that Richter-san? Fighting all of us at the same time…" Even if that was their best solution, Ajuka also wasn't fond of being underestimated.

"I doubt me fighting a single one of you is going to achieve anything anyway" the dragon shrugged his shoulder, more than just wanting to outright blast the ego out of their souls, he knew by experience how nasty councils can be... the council of primordials were also a bunch of nasty motherf*ckers, they wouldn't give up until they placed him in the most disadvantaged position possible.

This council would surely go as far as to place him alone against the whole underworld. The irony is... they would still lose.

"Very well, we shall sort this out in the after-party… Lady Lucifuge, Lord Bael and Lord Agares can act as the judges and decide the rules for this rating game… is that okay with you?" Beelzebub nodded in agreement, imagining as much... the Agares wouldn't be happy with just a single satan and their peers fighting this Dragon, they'd surely request for his hands to be tied and with a blindfold.

"No issues on this side," Grayfia said, uncaring about how many handicaps the foes requested, her master would still win, "Also if you'd kindly report to us the costs of destruction that we caused… then we can hand over the value in gold accordingly".

"That is something you will need to discuss with Lord Agares himself, we only have rough estimates. Lord Agares and his heir, Seekvaira are going to be present, you shall discuss those things with them, Grayfia" Falbium said, feeling an incoming headache in this banquet that was supposed to be a 'party'.

The four satans all nodded to one another with reluctant expressions conveying powerlessness.