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The air, thick with Diehauser's rage, was suddenly replaced by a profound, heart-wrenching silence. Diehauser froze, the fury in his eyes replaced by a raw, disbelieving stare. He looked at the woman who was supposed to be a ghost, a memory he had vowed to avenge. He looked at her and he saw the same serene face, the same striking gray eyes that he had mourned for years.
"Cleria?" he whispered, his voice a low, broken sound that was filled with years of pain and regret. "Is that... is that really you?"
Cleria, her eyes filled with a deep, unsettling confusion, looked around the room. She saw her father, her cousin, and the man who saved her. Her eyes, filled with a deep, unsettling confusion, landed on Diehauser's face. She smiled, a soft, loving smile that was filled with a deep, unshakeable trust. "Diehauser?" she asked, her voice a soft, melodious hum. "What's happening? Why are you... why are you crying?"
Diehauser's composure, his mask of aristocratic control, shattered. He rushed to her, his arms wrapping around her in a desperate, loving embrace. He held her tightly, as if afraid she would disappear. His body, which had been a vessel for years of hatred and a desire for revenge, now trembled with a mix of love and a profound, overwhelming relief.
Lord Belial, sitting at the head of the table, was a statue of stunned disbelief. His face, which had been a mask of fury, was now a portrait of utter shock and a dawning, terrifying realization. His son's motivation for treason was gone.
Diehauser held Cleria for a long moment, the weight of years of misplaced grief lifting from his shoulders. He finally pulled back, his thumbs wiping away the tears that were streaming down his face. His voice, when it came, was still thick with emotion, a stark contrast to his usual cool command.
"Cleria," he began, his gaze unwavering, "you're alive. After all this time, I... I mourned you. I fought for you. And now, you're here. There's no way I can ever repay you lord Azeroth for giving me this peace, but I must ask anyway: Is there anything, anything at all, I can do to return the favor?"
Algernon stepped forward, his expression unreadable as he looked at Diehauser, then to Cleria.
"There is," Algernon said simply, his eyes meeting Diehauser's with an unnerving intensity. "You can continue with your original plan."
Diehauser's brow furrowed, caught off guard. "My... my plan?" he asked, a hint of suspicion entering his tone. "What are you talking about?"
Algernon said with a subtle smile on his face. "I need you to infiltrate the Khaos Brigade. From the inside, you can keep a close eye on their movements, their plans. This will provide invaluable intelligence and give us a strategic advantage against a very real, very dangerous terrorist threat."
He paused, letting the words sink in before delivering the real point of his proposal. "And, more importantly, the upcoming rating game will serve as the perfect distraction as khaos brigade is gonna make a move there. I, and the other Demon Kings, will be so occupied fighting a large-scale war against the Khaos Brigade that the Old Demon Council won't see your moves against them until it's too late. While we keep the demon world's attention focused on one front, you will clear the path on another."
A collective gasp swept through the room. Lord Belial's eyes widened in horror.
The room remained frozen, suspended in the wake of Algernon's audacious proposal. Lord Belial was a statue of pure horror, his mind struggling to comprehend the depth of the betrayal and the sheer scale of the conspiracy. But Algernon wasn't done. He looked out at the stunned faces, his expression as serene as if he were discussing the weather.
"I am sharing this with all of you because there is no turning back," Algernon stated, his voice a cool, cutting whisper that carried across the silence. "Diehauser has already made his move. He contacted the Khaos Brigade to aid in his planned insurrection against the Demon Council. He is already caught up in this, and his treason is now a matter of record."
He gestured to Diehauser, who stood immobile. "You will expose the Council's corruption for all to see. Their lies, their backroom deals, their manipulation of the public—everything. We will not kill them. We will sink their reputation and make them disappear from power forever."
Algernon's gaze hardened. "But you must be precise. Do not kill any of the non-corrupt clan heads. There are people who can be redeemed, and we will need them to work for the demon world once we are finished. Our goal is not a bloodbath; it is to dismantle their influence so they can no longer be a hindrance to my path. The demon race will be under my control, and this is how we will pave the way."
A terrifying chill settled over the room. Algernon had revealed his cold, calculated plan to take over the whole demon race.
Diehauser was the first to move. He looked down at Cleria, her eyes wide with a confusion that was slowly giving way to understanding. He then raised his head to meet Algernon's steady gaze, the profound shock on his face replaced by a chilling clarity.
"You've planned all of this," Diehauser stated, his voice a low rumble. "This wasn't about saving her. This was about giving me a reason to submit for you."
Algernon didn't flinch. "Your rage made you predictable," he replied, his tone as even as ever. "I simply gave you a more efficient path to your goal. The Khaos Brigade is a known entity, a visible threat. The Old Demon Council is a festering disease, hidden from the public eye. This war with the former will give you the time needed to excise the latter from the shadows."
"I will do it," Diehauser said, his voice now firm and resolute, his gaze not leaving Algernon's face. "But you need to make sure even a single hair on cleria's head isn't harmed because of this."
Lord Belial, who had been listening in horrified silence, finally found his voice. "You fool!" he bellowed, rising from his chair, a desperate fury in his eyes. "You are throwing yourself into a viper's nest! You'll be consumed by it, and you'll bring us all down with you!"
Diehauser didn't even turn to look at his father.
Algernon smiled, a thin, satisfied curve of his lips. "A wise choice, Diehauser. The time for blind vengeance is over. The time for a new reign has begun."
Algernon simply gave a curt nod, his face devoid of emotion, and turned to leave. Diehauser, followed him out into the night to see him off.
As they stepped from the grand entryway of the mansion and into the open air, a faint, knowing smile touched Algernon's lips. All the pieces have been laid out, he thought to himself, the words like cold steel in his mind. Now I just need to wait for the Rating Game to begin in two days.
With the next stage of his plan solidified, He and kuroka departed from the underworld and made their way to a quiet city in the human world. As they teleported, the familiar, sterile coldness of the demon world was replaced by the bustling energy of a city at night. The air filled with the scent of exhaust and street food, a jarring contrast to the tension they carried.
But the mundane quickly shattered. Kuroka, who had been strolling along beside them, came to a sudden, jarring halt. Her eyes, which had been so recently filled with admiration for him, widened in horror. A gasp escaped her lips, her body trembling as she felt it—a familiar, unforgettable aura that washed over her like a tidal wave of dread. It was her sister's aura, unmistakable and terrifyingly close, emanating from the house directly in front of them.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic, wild bird trapped in a cage. She spun on her heel, to disappear before it was too late.
A hand, light yet impossibly strong, closed around her wrist. Kuroka's panic-fueled attempt to escape was stopped cold. She looked up, her terrified eyes meeting Algernon's. He wasn't smiling in his usual calculated manner; this was a playful grin that was full of warmth.
"So eager to leave, Kuroka-chan?" he hummed, his voice low and full of chilling amusement. He pulled her gently but firmly back toward the house. "You've been apart for far too long. Don't you think it's time for you sisters to be reunited?"
The moment Algernon opened the door, a rush of warmth and love enveloped him. Rias Gremory was there, her eyes filled with concern and then relief as she threw her arms around him in a fierce, loving embrace. He hugged her back tightly, his own tension melting away. When they separated, he looked down at his arm and found a lovely crimson hair from her fiery mane clinging to his sleeve.
"Rias," he said, his voice softer than before, "could you call Koneko from her room? There's someone I want her to meet."
Rias, surprised by the request but trusting him completely, nodded and called out. Moments later, a small, stoic figure appeared at the top of the stairs. As Koneko descended, her eyes fixed on the new arrival, Algernon took a step to the side. Behind him, hidden awkwardly, stood Kuroka, her tail twitching nervously.
Koneko's eyes, usually so impassive, widened in shock. Her body tensed, her gaze darting between her long-lost sister and Algernon. Rias, seeing the wanted "SS-class criminal" behind him, immediately took a fighting stance, a crimson aura flickering around her hands.
"Rias, don't," Algernon said calmly, gently but firmly grasping her arm. "She's not a threat. She's no longer the criminal she was."
"Algernon, she's wanted by the entire Underworld!" Rias protested, her voice a mix of fury and confusion.
"I know," he replied, his eyes unwavering. "But I will have her name cleared. She will be proven innocent soon, I promise you."
Rias stared at him for a long moment, the tension in her posture slowly giving way. The trust she had in him was absolute. "I believe you," she said, her aura dissipating.
Algernon's expression softened. He pulled her close and lowered his head, giving her a deep, possessive kiss that caught her completely off guard. She stiffened for a moment before melting into the embrace, her hand coming up to cup his cheek. Koneko, watching the entire exchange, went completely red, her ears burning.
Just as the kiss separated, leaving Rias breathless, a new shock rippled through the room. Kuroka, darted forward. Before anyone could react, she lunged at Algernon, snatching his lips in a kiss of her own. Everyone in the room—Rias, Koneko was left completely speechless.
Kuroka pulled away from Algernon with a triumphant, playful smirk, her eyes glinting with mischief as she looked at a stunned Rias. "I am his wife, too, you know," she purred, her tail swishing languidly behind her.
Rias's shock was momentary. She blinked, and a moment later her expression returned to one of calm composure. As a high-ranking pure-blood demon, the concept of polygamy was not foreign or scandalous to her. Her surprise was born from the suddenness of the revelation, not the fact itself. She simply gave a small, wry smile. "I see," she said, glancing between Algernon and Kuroka. "You certainly have a way of surprising me."
The tension in the room, however, had not fully dissipated. Koneko remained rigid, her wide eyes fixed on her older sister. Kuroka's playful demeanor softened as she turned to face Koneko fully.
"Shirone," she said, her voice dropping to a gentle whisper, using her sister's birth name. "I'm so sorry. I know I left you. I know I caused you so much pain, but I promise, everything I did was to protect you."
Koneko's stone-like expression began to crack. Her lips trembled slightly, and a tear traced a path down her cheek. "Onee-sama..." she whispered, before rushing forward and burying her face in Kuroka's chest. Kuroka hugged her tightly, tears of her own streaking her face as the sisters finally reconciled after years of separation.
Once the emotional reunion had settled, Algernon's voice sounded in kuroka's mind. "Kuroka, there is a task only you can complete." his eyes fixed on the sisters. "The hairclip you gave Koneko when you left—the one with the evidences you hid inside."
Koneko looked at him, confused. Algernon continued, "The hairclip contains evidence of the Naberius clan's corruption. It's the final piece of the puzzle." He then turned his gaze to Kuroka. "I need you to retrieve it. I need you to hand it to Diehauser directly. He will use it to turn the other clan heads against the Old Demon Council, giving him the leverage he needs to begin the revolution."
They stayed at the house that day, the tension of the earlier revelations giving way to a new, strange normalcy. Kuroka and Koneko, had their own quiet reunion, reconnecting after so many years apart.
But when night fell, a different kind of tension settled over the Gremory household. Koneko lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. The house was unnervingly silent, yet a persistent sound filtered through the walls, from the room next to hers: Algernon's room.
It was the loud voices, a mix of light moans and soft, intimate whispers. Koneko's cheeks grew hot as she recognized them both—the playful purr of her newly returned sister and the melodic hum of Rias. They were with him. The sounds were not that loud, but in the oppressive silence of the night, they were deafening. She tried to cover her ears with her pillow, but it was no use.
>_< So, that was how koneko was found black eyed the next day.