Chapter 3

Ever wonder what it's like to stare at something that a genius made and feel like it's the most idiotic thing ever made?

That's what I feel right now, staring at the set of chess pieces that were presented to me by my brother. My parent's were also here, staring at me expectantly.

Did they expect me to be excited? I knew what these were, they were evil pieces, but to give it to a three-year-old.

"What is this, brother?"

Sirzechs just blinked and looked down at the set, before looking back at me with a questioning look.

"Theyre evil pieces, you have read about them, right?"

I took a breath and just sighed, walking closer and walking closer to the set.

"Yes, but I thought they were metaphors, like the queen being the second in command for a squad, I didn't expect that it would be... Literal. The battlefield isn't a chess game."

Muttering, I reached out and ran a finger across the queen piece absently. Seriously, for a supposed genius scientist, Bielzabub was a fucking idiot.

"... How do I make them mine?"

I asked, looking up at Sirzechs with a raised eyebrow. The man-child just smiled at me and readjusted his grip on the box, closing it while doing so, revealing a magic circle on top of the box.

"Just place your hand on the circle, they will bond to you."

I hummed and did so, feeling the drain on my reserves, though as little as it was. I waited for a full twenty seconds before the circle disappeared and I moved my hand away.

Sirzechs opened the box again and his face lit up in excitement.

"Looks like the Gremory trait is showing its head yet again! A mutated Queen piece, your quite lucky Dan-Chan."

He ruffled my hair and I just blinked. Ah yes, the "Luck of the Gremory". Bunch of bullshit if you ask me.

Holding out my hands, the box was given to me as I stared at the pieces for a little longer, deducting what they were made of.

And found it absolutely disappointing. It was a crystal that was infused with a few magic circles that focused on replacing the important organs like the heart with devils instantly and then replacing their muscles and skin...

I could make something better than this.

Either way, I closed the box and looked up at my parents that were smiling at me like I just did something to be proud of.

"Ah, they grow up so fast!-"

My father crouched down, ruffling my hair as Sirzechs did moments ago.

"Listen, son, the Gremory treat their servants like family. Because family is what keeps us going. We live for family and we die for family, don't forget that, no matter what."

He ruffled my hair again and I was impressed at the device, or more specifically, just how bad it was. Well, it wasn't exactly bad, it was poorly timed and worded.

I just nodded and glanced down at the box in my hands... I would have to modify them and summon some of my old companions to keep up the sharade.

All these things did was give me a good reason to not make any "Friends", which I was thankful for. Mingeling with three year olds wasn't on the top of my bucket list for retierment.

___

"You know, brother, I am considering taking up you're position."

I muttered as sweat dripped down my body, pooling under it.

"Really? Then you will have to focus on more on politics."

I really wasn't, I was just making conversation.

"Dan-Chan is working hard though, he can just blast all the paperwork away!"

Serafall Leviatan giggled from beside me as she flipped through some papers.

"Might I ask why you are in the training grounds? Doing paperwork?"

I questioned as I pushed my body up under heavier gravity. The only downside of being a Demon and devil, too, was that the body took longer to develope, but the end result was more rewarding than a human could ever dream of.

The only reason humans could keep up with the demons in every world I forcefully visited, was that... Demons were just Lazy as fuck. They were content with the strength they were born with, only a few and most talented, like the generals and the King were working hard to reach their positions.

The generals get dishartened when the king reaches far above them and dally on a certain level.

If the constant reincarnations gave me anything, it was determination. The hope that I would go back, I would live to see my old world again, lingered, even if it was just a spark compared the the fire it was at the start.

And now, I was back... well, kinda.

And I would do anything to keep it that way. No more holding back to find entertainment in a fight, no more minimal exercise to face challenges in the future. No more, withholding my most powerful spells when they were needed.

"Well... ever since you started training like a maniac, we... don't hang out anymore."

Ah, right, I was having a conversation.

I hummed for a moment as I continued my workout. Hurt feelings weren't important. My magic may be strong, stronger than anything this world, or any other world could offer, and this worlds ranking may be in the dumps on my worlds difficulty list, but that didn't matter.

A good dagger in the heart could kill any powerful magician.

I would not be that magician.

I exchanged blows with multiple gods ever other world because I was bored and was looking for excitement. This time, I would cut them down mercilessly to keep them from ruining the world I was finally back in, if they attempted to.