Chapter 189: Extra Piece

–

And it worked in a marvelous way if the Satans had to say so. The older goats of the Elder's Council didn't even see it coming. In an instant, they were fighting to quell the populace about the injustice in how the new Kings were chosen, and in the next, the populace was clamoring about the cheating scheme organized by the Ender's Council with the existence of the extra King Evil Piece.

Seeing that the Elder's council were tumbling around like headless chickens while pointing fingers at each other, the four Satans decided to follow with their plans. From his official office and position as the head of Research and the creator of the Evil Pieces, Ajuka Beelzebub announced that all Kings participating in the official Rating Games were to immediately present themselves to his research laboratory for inspection. Those who did not cooperate would be labeled as cheaters and have their participation in the Oficial Rating Games prohibited.

With that 'decree' made, the Elder's Council went into another uproar against Ajuka Beelzebub while saying that he could not do that. The Genius Satan then had to remember the old goats exactly who they were talking with.

"And yet, I just did."

It was Ajuka Beelzebub's only answer to them while flooding the meeting room with his demonic energy. To say that none of the Devil Elders soiled themselves would be a lie. Most of them had a rude awakening with exactly who they were talking with. Different from them, who had won their current positions because from whom they were born, Ajuka Beelzebub had won his 'title' because of his immense power and brilliant mind.

The Underworld media was milking this fiasco with all the strength that they could muster. They had positioned a team in front of Satan Belzebub's laboratory with cameras that were transmitting live with a reporter doing live commentary in a studio while talking with guests about the impact the discovery would bring to their society. Their cameras had captured the exact moment when the first Kings started to arrive.

Of course that the first ones to arrive had been part of the four Satan's schemes. The first to appear had been the actual champion of the Rating Games, Diehaurser Belial. The first ranker had been asked to go with the plans to set an example for all Kings to follow, which the Devil was happy to do if it meant getting revenge on the people that ordered the death of his cousin. Of course that the man knew that she was still alive and safe. He was a constant visit to the house of Cleria Belial and her husband in The Nexus. After all, how else would he pamper his cute satan-daughter?

The second and third Kings to arrive were too arranged by the four Satans. Sona Sitri and Rias Gremory, the little sisters of Satan Leviathan and Lucifer, arrived together. Their early presence there was to show to all that just because they were close relatives of two Satans it didn't mean that they were immune to Ajuka Beelzebub's announcement. The genius Satan had thrown even more oil in the fire when he published that all three Kings were free of the extra Evil Piece. With the precedent set, more and more Kings started to arrive at Satan Beelzebub's laboratory and it didn't take long for the first cheater to be caught. Roygun Belphegor, the second ranker of the Rating Games was found having an extra King Devil Piece inside her body. The revelation of her being a cheater by Ajuka Beelzebub surely shocked the young female Devil. She was then immediately submitted to a rigorous questioning about her participation by Satan Beelzebub's team where it was revealed, under strong lie detection spells, that she did not know about the scheme of the Elder's Council of monopolizing the first positions of the ranking. Even so, because she was found in possession of an extra King Evil Piece, Roygun Belphegor had her privileges as a King removed, just like her participation in the official Rating Games. The young female Devil was devastated by that and ended up being the first target of discussion for the Underworld media.

As the days continued to pass, more and more Kings continued to come to Ajuka Beelzebub's to receive their 'check up' and the certificate that everything was alright. Strange enough, or not depending on your level of intelligence, nine Kings didn't appear for the 'check up' even after being called again. Coincidently or not, they were all from prominent families with members at the Elder's Council and occupied the ranks from three to eleven, and had all of their privileges removed. These nine Kings were the main targets of the media and were crucified by them. Roygun Belphegor was said to at least have some balls to appear, even if she was a female.

With the popularity of the Elder's Council at the lowest ever, the Satans decided to attack while they were at their lowest and managed to undermine even more the hold on power that they had by removing any influence that they could over the Rating Games. It didn't help their cause too that on the day that this was done very few of the Elders had managed to attend the Council session. When asked for a reason for their lack of attendance, nobody had the courage to justify it. After all, how could they, such important Devil Lords and Elders, say that they could not attend the session because they could not get out of the toilet?

That part obviously had not been a part of the four Satan schemes. They were not expecting things to go so smoothly and they all had a little hunch on who to thank for that. That night, Erik had a very grateful Serafall in his bed.

–

Some more weeks passed by after the scandal regarding the extra King Evil Piece and things seemed to have calmed down. The media in the Underworld was still 'crucifying' the cheater Kings, as they were being called now, as a way to make the population don't forget so easily. The Rating Games matches had continued as scheduled and Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri were gaining fame in the scenario. So much fame that Serafall Leviathan decided, on a spur of the moment, to invite them to make special participation in her Magical Girl show. And it was a thunderous success. Issei Hyoudou, in particular, was the perfect Dragon-Knight with the use of his Balance Breaker armor to give the show a little more authenticity. The Red-Dragon Knight was a success with all fans of the franchise, winning the moderately-perverted boy his first big money.

It was during this time that Selena, together with Erik's other wives and Hestia, called Erik for a serious conversation. Persephone, the 'Queen' of the Underworld and Hades' wife, had, during their last tea party, expressed her concern about her husband's newest plot. She didn't know what it was, only that it had something to do with Tartarus and with a bunch of Humans that were Sacred Gear users, and anything that involved Tartarus was a danger to the world. Persephone decided to talk about it with them because she had come to care very much for her new friends and would hate herself if her husband's newest plot would be the cause for one of them being hurt. In her words, they had freed her of a life of constant boredom in Hades' palace.

Erik took the warning seriously and invited Azazel for a stroll inside Tartarus.

"So, tell me what are we doing here again?"

Azazel asked Erik as the duo walked around the desolated place. Around them, cracked stones, dead trees, and whispers of doomed souls were the only things that could be seen.

"I am not sure either."

Erik replied to Azazel while continuing to walk and look around, attentive to everything around them. Of course that he knew what they were looking for, but he could not say it just like that because he would not have a reason for knowing it.

"As I told you when I called, Persephone saw her husband, Hades, meeting with a human that was a Sacred Gear user. She couldn't hear exactly what they were talking about but she did hear them mentioning something kept inside Tartarus. And you know how Hades is. The guy could have been quiet in the last decades, but he is still butt hurt for what he thinks that Poseidon and Zeus did to him."

Erik explained to Azazel, who nodded his head in understanding and agreement with Erik's words.

"Yeah, I know. The guy sure knows how to hold a grudge. Anything else that Persephone heard?"

Azazel asked while looking around in search of anything suspicious.

"Not really. The only additional information that she managed to hear was about them releasing something from here, but I very much doubt that Hades would go to the point of releasing the Titans just to rain on Zeus and Poseidon's parade. After all, the Titans would very much go after him too."

Erik said to Azazel. He continued to walk for a few more meters but stopped when he didn't feel that Azazel was accompanying him anymore. Erik turned to look at what happened and saw Azazel froze in place with a contemplative look on his face.

"Azazel?"

Erik called for the Fallen Angel. Azazel was shaken from his thoughts and looked at the caller. His face looked very serious.

"Are you sure that she heard them talking about releasing something from here?"

Azazel asked Erik, who nodded his head before replying.

"Yes. At least it was what my wives said to me. Hestia was very concerned with all this. 'Anything that could get out of Tartarus could not be a good thing.' It was her words about it."

Erik told Azazel, who continued to look seriously at Erik. A few seconds later, the Fallen Angel let out a sigh.

*sigh*

"I think I know what they were talking about. Follow me, we will talk on the way there."

Azazel said and released his wings. It would be easier to reach the destination while flying. Erik nodded his head to Azazel and cast his flight spell when he saw him releasing his wings. Azazel then started to fly in a specific direction at high speed with Erik on his tail.

"If Hestia is so sure that Hades would not let these Humans release the Titans, then I only have the memory of one being imprisoned inside Tartarus, aside from the Titans, that could cause chaos if released."

Azazel said to Erik through a communication link between the two.

"He was imprisoned here by God a long time ago for the sins that he committed and the result that His rage had on him. And I have to agree with the old man on this one that it was the right thing to do. The guy was crazier than Lucifer and too dangerous to remain free."

Azazel said while reminiscing about the past.

"If he was too dangerous, why did God not kill him then?"

Erik asked Azazel, who, again, let out another sigh before replying.

*sigh

"For the same reason that he didn't kill Lucifer when he abandoned Heaven. Father loved us too much. We were soldiers but we were still his sons. Mainly with the first generations, I mean."

Azazel said to Erik. And the man could imagine that things were exactly how Azazel said. He too, no matter what happened to his children, would not have the courage to kill any of them.

"So, of who, exactly are we talking about?"

Erik asked Azazel. The Fallen Angel didn't reply immediately as they were arriving in a mountainous region in Tartarus. Erik, following Azazel, landed on the ground at the foot of the mountain. In front of them was the entrance of a cave. With his senses, Erik could not 'see' for how long the cave extended into the mountain. Azazel then started to walk into the cave and Erik followed after.

"The angel that I am talking about was named Samael. He was the one that influenced Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of knowledge. God got very angry with that and in his rage, ended cursing him to become forever the shape that he used to influence the two. But something went wrong. Instead of becoming a snake, which was the shape he used in the garden to talk with Eve, Samael became a hybrid between a Fallen Angel and a Dragon. No idea why it happened like that, but I suspect that it was because of him being a first-generation Angel. God's anger and hate continued to influence the now hybrid Samael, who went crazy with it and developed a potent venom that was mortal to any Dragon. His mentality changed too. Samael started to hunt Dragons right and left, causing chaos wherever he went and killing whoever stood in his way. With no other way around it, God decided to seal Samael away and choose the Tartarus for it."

Azazel finished saying as the duo entered a large room after having gone down for a time into the depths of the cave.

"And this is exactly where we are now."

Azazel announced while looking at the center of the cave. And Erik saw it too. There, at the center of the cave, crucified with big nails all over its body, was Samael, the Dragon Eater.

-------------