—— Map of the Devil World
The Rating Game is a competition between two Devils with a peerage. In its fundamental essence, the Rating Game shares many similarities with the board game, Chess.
On the surface, it was treated like any other high-stakes sport, the devil world equivalent of the Olympic games or a World Cup for human.
However, for the Devils, it was far more than mere entertainment. The Rating Game was the ultimate metric used to measure a Devil's strength in this modern era, a metric that directly reflected their social standing, political leverage, and historical legacy.
It is even said that the top-ranked champions of the game were fairly comparable in raw power to the current Satans themselves.
As Jay stood amidst the surging crowd, he realized those whispers were likely not exaggerations.
He and Lavinia had spent the last week infiltrating the Devil World.
Their journey had begun by teleporting through the Grigori territories, traveling to the westernmost devil regions that bordered the Fallen Angel domain. From there, they had moved like ghosts through the shadows of the Underworld, gathering intelligence about the Great King Faction.
And it seemed like almost every high-ranking noble from various regions of the Devil Kingdom, or the Devil World, would be gathered in a single place to watch a Rating Game match between two Top 10, which was apparently a very big deal.
That was where Gasper's thread of mana, the one he had planted on him, came into play.
Apparently, yesterday had been Sirzechs' sister's birthday. At the time, he had only sensed that a large number of powerful individuals were gathering in the same place. That's why he decided to see what happened.
The most frustrating part was that he could not find Zekram Bael, even after using the Grail to gather information on every known identity. Though, meeting Ravel is definitely an unexpected blessing.
Now, after spending roughly seven days living in the Devil World in the Underworld, Jay had come to understand just how vast the region truly was. Enormous stretches of land were filled with forests, mountains, and empty territories where almost no one lived.
From the western region of Apollyon, which bordered the territory of the Grigori, to the far eastern region of Tophet, the location of one of the largest cities in the Devil World, Leviadina, the scale of the realm was immense.
Most of these regions were nearly devoid of devil life.
The majority of devils were concentrated in major cities, such as the capital, Lilith, a place Jay had not yet had the chance to visit, and the city where the current Rating Game was being held, the old capital of Lucifaad.
The remaining territories belonged to the Thirty-Two Pillars, each ruling their own domains.
The place in the Apollyon region called Adramelech stood out in particular. As it was the closest one to the Grigory territory.
He had killed every single devil he encountered there, and the total number had probably not even reached a thousand.
Most of them lived in isolation, scattered far from one another. According to the Grail's information, many were merely extra demons not included among the Seventy-Two Pillars. However, there are some belonged to both the current and extinct Pillar bloodlines.
All of their souls had been absorbed by the Black Grail, and their bodies were stored within his dimensional pocket.
He might need them later.
Now, within the vast Lucifer Stadium, a colossal structure that combined ancient and modern architectural styles, located at the heart of the old devil capital of Lucifaad, in the central of the devil world, the Gehenna Region, the stage had been set.
The Rating Game match between Ruval Phenex and Roygun Belphegor was about to begin.
Jay was wearing a black hoodie and a black trench coat. Around him, the devils wore a wide variety of clothing styles. The Rating Games were not only enjoyed by high-ranking nobles. In fact, most of the audience consisted of low-ranking devils, so their attire was far less formal than that of the aristocracy.
Still, they made an effort to look presentable, from what he could see. Even without noble status, there was a clear sense of pride in their appearance, a desire to look respectable in such a grand setting.
That was why Ravel's offer came as a pleasant and welcome surprise. The reason the offer actually helped Jay's plan lay in the barrier that enveloped the entire arena.
'It must be Ajuka Beelzebub's doing,' Jay thought. From the shadows of his hood, Avesta ignited within his left eye. Thousands of shimmering lines of light became visible to him, revealing the skeletal structure of the barrier, written in the familiar Romanian language.
'Most of it consists of spatial runes. This must be how the officials transport the combatants into the Dimensional Gap called the Game Field while maintaining a connection to the stadium inside the Devil World for the retirement system Lavi mentioned.' Jay thought.
Jay and Lavinia had done intensive research before arriving.
Their plan for the early stages of this operation was clear, as long as the location of the King Piece remained a mystery, Jay's identity had to remain hidden from the two most dangerous entities in the Underworld, two of the current Four Satans, Ajuka Beelzebub and Sirzechs Lucifer.
The only two devils Jay believed could truly cause him serious problems were them, especially that embodiment of Pure Destruction in devil form, Sirzechs.
Jay did not know much about Ajuka, aside from the legendary Kankara Formula, a unique technique famous in its own right. Still, if the rumors were true and he was just as strong as Sirzechs, then it would be wiser to remain cautious.
After all, someone as smart as Ajuka Beelzebub was often more dangerous in his own right.
So he couldn't simply teleport inside without passing through the main entrance, as it would definitely be detected by the barrier. Because even just using his domain near it would be dangerous.
'Though...'
As Jay stood lost in thought, mentally mapping every line of the barrier, he heard a high-pitched, enthusiastic voice calling out to him.
"K-san! I'm here!"
Jay turned to see Ravel Phenex waving her hand from the VVIP entrance.
She looked radiant in her light-blue dress, her blonde drill-curls bouncing as she beckoned him over. The VVIP gate was far less crowded than the main entrance, guarded by elite soldiers who meticulously checked every ticket. Jay walked toward her, his expression masked by his hood.
"I'm sorry I'm a little late. My brother kept asking questions. Did I make you wait for a long time?" Ravel asked, her breath a bit short from her hurry.
"Not at all," Jay said, his voice flat and neutral.
"Then let's go! The match is going to start soon," Ravel said.
Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Jay's hand.
Her palm was warm, a sharp contrast to the coldness on Jay's eyes.
She signaled to the guards, identifying him as her personal guest.
The guards hesitated for a fraction of a second, their eyes lingering on Jay's hooded form, but they ultimately stepped aside. No one in Lucifaad wanted to provoke the Phenex family, especially given their immense wealth and the monopoly they held over Phoenix Tears.
Ravel pulled him through the ornate corridors, her excitement palpable.
"Ravel, isn't this the VVIP floor? Am I even allowed to be here?" Jay asked, playing the part of the confused guest.
"I told you, don't worry about it!" Ravel said over her shoulder.
"I can't watch the game with you directly because I have to sit with my brother and my parents in my own family box, but I've reserved a private room just for you to watch."
They continued until they reached a heavy, gilded door.
"We have arrived!"
Ravel swung the door open, revealing a luxurious private suite.
It was more of a lounge than a box, featuring a wide balcony with floor-to-ceiling glass. Inside, there were plush velvet sofas, a spread of wine, champagne, and various exotic foods. Large hologram screens floated in the air, ready to broadcast every angle of the battle.
Beyond the glass, the Lucifer Stadium opened up in all its glory. The capacity was easily in the hundreds of thousands, and every seat was filled. At the center of the arena, two figures stood facing each other, flanked by their respective peerages.
One was the handsome blonde man Jay had seen at the party, Ruval Phenex. The other was the woman with cherry-blossom hair and dark horns, Roygun Belphegor.
"Is that your brother, Ravel?" Jay asked, his eyes fixing on the blonde King.
"Yes, that's Ruval-nii sama. And the other one is Roygun Belphegor-sama," Ravel explained, her voice tinged with a mix of excitement and anxiety.
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through the stadium, amplified by magical speakers.
[ Welcome everyone to this beautiful day in the city of Lucifaad! I will be your host today! In this historic city, we are about to witness a historic Rating Game battle! ]
The host's face appeared on the massive quad-screens at the center of the arena, and the crowd erupted into an absolute frenzy. The roar of a hundred thousand voices was a physical force, vibrating the glass of the private suite.
Seeing the countdown on the screen, Ravel suddenly panicked and released Jay's hand.
"Oh no, the game is starting! I have to go or Riser-nii sama will scold me," she said, her movements frantic.
She stopped at the door, looking back at Jay with a lingering gaze.
"Is it okay if I leave you here by yourself, K-san?"
"It's more than enough, Ravel. Thank you so much," Jay said, offering a small, shallow nod.
"No problem! Hehe," Ravel laughed, her nervousness briefly giving way to a bright smile.
"But is this really okay?" Jay asked, his voice low. "You are doing all of this for me for nothing?"
Ravel paused, her hand on the door handle.
"Nah, it's okay. My family has plenty of money, and besides, this is my brother's match. Of course I'm allowed to invite one... or two friends."
She looked down at her feet, her face turning a soft shade of pink. She began twirling one of her drill-like curls around her finger shyly.
"It's just... after this match, if you don't have any plans... would you want to have dinner with my family?"
Jay looked at her with a cold, piercing gaze from beneath his hood. He remained silent for a heartbeat too long before opening his mouth.
"That sounds wonderful."
Ravel didn't catch the lack of warmth in his tone. She only heard the confirmation. She beamed at him, her hands clasped behind her back as she leaned forward slightly.
"Then, let's meet again after the match!"
With a final, happy wave, she stepped out and closed the door, leaving Jay alone in the silence of the VVIP suite.
Jay's expression immediately shifted.
He didn't look at the door with gratitude or even amusement. He simply stared at the spot where she had stood with a look of utter indifference, as if he hadn't bought a single second of the girl's genuine kindness.
'Let's not meet again, Ravel Phenex.'
He turned his back to the door and focused his attention on the arena. Below, Ruval and Roygun, along with their peerages, were enveloped in a pillar of light as they were transported into the Game Field somewhere in the Dimensional Gap.
Jay stood at the edge of the balcony, his dark hazel eyes scanning the stadium's structural lines once more.
As long as my domain doesn't touch the barrier directly or goes near it, there shouldn't be a problem.
This was the reason he had accepted Ravel's offer.
By being inside the stadium, he could deploy his domain and search for the King Piece without needing to bypass the magical sensors, or having his mana detected as a breach by the Barrier. As it is only enveloped the stadium from the outside.
Jay then scanned the stadium once more for any magical sensors that might flag his presence, but found nothing enough to catch him.
He closed his eyes. With absolute, masterful control, Jay expanded his domain. He didn't let it burst forth, his domain bleed out gracefully like a flowing air, masking its signature to feel like the ambient mana already saturating the air of the stadium.
As the crowd cheered for the first exchange of blows in the Game Field, a black light flickered beside Jay.
The Black Grail manifested, blazing with obsidian black flames.
And a moment later, it merged with his domain as the two powers synchronizing as one in an instant.
One by one, every single soul within the arena was scanned by the Grail.
Its purpose was simple, to find the one who possessed the King Piece.
If that person was present, the Grail would detect it through what Jay and Valerie called Soul Information, this is Sephiroth Graal's power to gather information on anything as long as the object or person was present.
Because both of their Grails shared the same power, Jay trained this technique, which combined his domain with the Grail's Soul Information ability, with Valerie's help.
He focused his mind, the grail power sifting through hundreds of thousands of lives one by one, until-
'There you are... Zekram Bael.'
Jay thought as the Grail gave him the man's name. At last, he knew where Zekram Bael was.
It seemed Zekram was on the west side of the Lucifer Stadium, on the VVIP floor just like him. Dozens of high-ranking devils were gathered in the same room.
'So that's the Great King Faction…' Jay thought.
'As expected, all of them are weak. Still, I'll give them credit. Using Rating Games to spread their influence and strengthen their political position in the Underworld is a clever move… but-'
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
"Where is the King Piece?"
Jay was confused. He couldn't detect anything from Zekram or any of his people. The Grail gave him nothing, not a single trace connected to the King Piece.
'Was it just a rumor after all? he thought.' He thought, frowned.
'No. The assassinations of Masaomi Yaegaki and Cleria Belial were clearly connected to it. That can't be a coincidence. Then the piece isn't with them… It's possessed by someone else.'
He focused again.
Suddenly, Jay's eyes widened.
This time, his gaze locked onto a certain room near Zekram's.
Without hesitation, he reached into thin air and activated the magical communication device.
"Lavi," Jay said, his voice cold. "I found it."