In a quiet corner of the Agreas Administrative Building, Diehauser Belial stood face-to-face with a man of singular importance. Only moments ago, he had concluded a conversation with the Great Satan, Ajuka Beelzebub, regarding the imminent negotiations moderated by the Satans and the Great King. Under normal circumstances, Diehauser would have had no time for visitors, but because of who this man was, he had chosen to grant the meeting.
Roygun and Bidaze stood by, eyes wide, holding their collective breath. Diehauser had instructed them to prepare for the negotiations while he invited the newcomer into a private reception room.
"Greetings, Diehauser. My word, you certainly have a flair for the dramatic," the man said.
"Greetings, Rosenkreutz. I appreciate you coming to our... festivities."
"Hahaha, don't mention it. Though calling this upheaval a 'festivity' is bold. I struggled to believe it until I saw it with my own eyes, but you truly have changed."
The man—Lüdiger Rosenkreutz—was a silver-haired aristocrat with sharp, European features and an aura of effortless grace. He was the seventh-ranked player in the Rating Games, a King who was originally a reincarnated human. Formerly a Bishop for the Mammon family—one of the Extra Demons—he had skyrocketed to the top of the professional leagues the moment he declared his entry into the Games.
Since declaring the strike, Diehauser had been besieged by requests for audiences. Some players sought to express solidarity; others came to probe his true intentions. Lüdiger, however, offered only a warm, knowing smile.
"…Have I changed that much?" Diehauser asked.
"You have. Do you realize how much I studied you to prepare for last year's 'Emperor Belial's Ten-Match Series'? Now, if I ever hope to beat you, I'll have to throw those notes away and start from scratch."
"There is nothing more terrifying than being the subject of your research, Rosenkreutz," Diehauser admitted with a wry smile.
He wasn't joking. Diehauser understood better than anyone why this man was called the Upsetting Sorcerer. Lüdiger was a King who made high-blooded noble Devils tremble with a fear that transcended mere jealousy. He was the one opponent they dreaded above all others. Even the arrogant Bidaze had quietly slipped out of the room the moment Lüdiger arrived, unwilling to lock eyes with him.
While they weren't exactly close friends, a strong, invisible bond of mutual respect existed between them as rival Kings. Though they had never voiced it, they both shared a hunger for a specific dream regarding the future of the Games. That empathy had forged a wordless trust.
That was why Lüdiger had been more shocked than anyone by the Emperor's declaration. He had felt a desperate need to see Diehauser in person. Diehauser, knowing Lüdiger's sharp mind, had accepted—partly because there was something he wanted to ask of the one man who truly understood his position.
"Honestly, it caught me off guard," Lüdiger said. "I thought you were exactly like me."
"I simply realized that waiting for change accomplishes nothing."
"So, the 'Giant-Killing' we've both been waiting for... you've decided to perform it yourself?"
"Yes. I felt like taking on the challenge."
"…You really have changed. Or perhaps I should say you've grown even more troublesome."
Lüdiger let out a weary sigh, as if nursing a migraine. The idea that his most formidable rival had leveled up even further was a nightmare. To him, Emperor Belial had already been the finished product—a perfect, absolute champion with no openings. There shouldn't have been any room left for growth.
For years, they had waited for a "new wind" to blow through the stagnant environment of the Games—someone to break the cage of the absolute champion. Instead, the champion had reached out and shattered the cage himself, ignoring the rails laid out for him. Even Lüdiger, who had been the "new wind" for reincarnated Devils, hadn't imagined Diehauser taking such a radical step.
Because I had already given up on the idea that I could change the darkness of the Games, Lüdiger thought.
"Ah, it's frustrating," Lüdiger muttered.
"Rosenkreutz?"
"I had convinced myself that I lacked the power to change the Rating Games. The world calls me a master tactician, but I've done nothing of real substance. I simply exploited the rationalism and elitism of the high-tier Devils. I took advantage of their arrogance—the way they view reincarnated Devils as mere pawns and the Games as nothing more than an extension of a chessboard."
"Even so, your presence brought a fresh perspective to the sport."
"I can't compete with a man who just blew the entire board away like a hurricane," Lüdiger laughed, his expression turning oddly refreshed.
Lüdiger Rosenkreutz was a brilliant strategist who focused on deceiving and manipulating his opponents using tactics more "demonic" than the Devils themselves. His powers of observation and information gathering allowed him to read an opponent's heart and strike at the hidden weaknesses of even a "perfect" team.
Even the Dragon King Tannin, whose power was Satan-class, found Lüdiger's team incredibly difficult to face. In fact, Tannin's record against Lüdiger was largely negative, only managing to scrape together wins through raw power and sheer luck. Lüdiger was the living proof that power alone was not enough to dominate the Games.
Diehauser had always admired Lüdiger's tactical sense. In their matches, a single moment of carelessness was lethal, and Diehauser had always been exhilarated by Lüdiger's unique approach to the game. That was why he knew he couldn't underestimate this meeting. Lüdiger was the most unpredictable man in the professional circuit.
"Hehe, forgive my laughter. Now then, Diehauser... I would like to join this little party of yours. Do I have your permission?"
"Of course. There is no ally more reliable than you."
"Coming from you, even flattery feels good. However, before I commit to the strike, I have two questions for you."
Lüdiger's shoulders settled, and he fixed the Emperor with a calm, penetrating gaze. The friendly atmosphere remained, but his dark green eyes were sharp.
"What is your true objective?"
"…What?"
"And my second question... Who is the mastermind who seduced a man of your stature into doing this?"
***
The Upsetting Sorcerer's eyes didn't waver. Diehauser focused every ounce of his willpower into maintaining a neutral mask. He projected a look of mild surprise, as if he didn't quite grasp the intent of the questions, using a vague smile to bury his true thoughts.
"Objective? Mastermind? Where is this coming from, Rosenkreutz?"
"…Hmph. As expected of Emperor Belial. Not a single opening. Truly, reading your heart is an exhausting labor."
Lüdiger shrugged and shook his head, but Diehauser felt a cold sweat prickling his skin. He hadn't expected Lüdiger to jump straight to the heart of the matter. The man's nature was as sharp as ever—offering to be an ally and then immediately dropping a tactical nuke into the conversation.
"…My objective is the reform of the Rating Games," Diehauser stated firmly. "As for a mastermind, I started this strike of my own volition. I am the figurehead for the players."
"Oh, I don't doubt that. Reform is certainly one of your goals. It is your will and your actions shaking the Underworld. …Fine then, let me explain the reasoning behind my questions."
Realizing Diehauser wouldn't fold, Lüdiger decided to lay out his cards. Diehauser listened intently, calculating where to draw the line. He had sent Roygun and Bidaze away for a reason; Lüdiger was a man who became a pillar of strength as an ally but an absolute terror as an enemy. Diehauser needed to secure him before the negotiations began.
"First, let's talk about why I believe someone put these ideas in your head," Lüdiger began.
"Please, enlighten me."
"It's simple. This entire situation is completely 'unlike' Diehauser Belial. It makes much more sense to assume someone coached you."
"…Isn't that a bit of a leap? Even you don't know everything about me."
"Actually, it's just common sense. A high-tier Devil would never come up with something as radical as a 'strike'."
Diehauser felt a small pang of agreement in the back of his mind.
"Especially not a Devil of your status," Lüdiger continued. "A strike is a tactic of the weak—those without power. It is a human way of thinking, not a demonic one. When you made your declaration, I was stunned. I thought, 'So that's how he's doing it.' You took the human social structure—which we adopted for the sake of reincarnated Devils—and used it as a weapon. Only you, a pure-blooded noble with immense popularity among the masses, could have played that card so effectively."
Lüdiger, a former human, had spent his life deconstructing Devil society and philosophy to use it against them. He knew that Emperor Belial, a man who had only ever known the life of the "strong," wouldn't naturally understand the perspective of the "weak." A strike is the theory of those who can only be heard by forming a mob. How could a man who had never lost a battle possibly know that world?
Furthermore, Diehauser was, for lack of a better term, a "game nerd." He had built his status purely on strength, leaving no room for politics to interfere. Lüdiger understood how unique Diehauser was—a man who just wanted to enjoy the game for its own sake in a world stained by darkness. That was why Lüdiger had looked up to him.
"The strong cannot truly understand the world of the weak, and vice versa. This move uses the structure of our society, the ideology of the rulers, the feelings of the masses, and your own influence to drag the enemy onto a field where their power means nothing. It is a perfect 'Upset.' It is the act of dragging the strong down to the level of the weak."
"..."
"Diehauser, this is why I said it wasn't like you. There is no 'respect' for the opponent in this tactic. It is a display of pure, raw defiance—the act of someone willing to break an opponent's heart just to win. It is the polar opposite of the 'dignified Emperor' you used to be. Therefore, I concluded that someone gave you this perspective. Someone expanded your world."
Diehauser had no rebuttal. Before meeting Kanata, he had indeed been trapped by the idea of "acting as a proper Emperor." He was impressed by how thoroughly Lüdiger had analyzed him.
"Once I realized that," Lüdiger said, "the next question was the 'why.' If someone talked you into this, they must have had their own objective. And if you're cooperating with them this fully, you must agree with that objective. Which means your 'Game Reform' might be a goal, but it likely isn't the primary one. I simply don't have enough information to guess what that true goal is."
"You think there is something more important to me than the reform I've spent years wishing for?"
"The deciding factor was the total cooperation of the Belial house. You've always kept your family at arm's length since entering the professional world. And yet, there they were on TV, with Lord and Lady Belial discussing your life story. I couldn't help but find it odd that you would drag the family you've been so careful to protect into a strike for the sake of a game."
Lüdiger's smile widened into something truly demonic.
"Would the man who distanced himself from his family for the sake of the Game suddenly ask that same family to help him reform it? My conclusion was that you have a primary objective unrelated to the Rating Games—something far more precious to Diehauser Belial than any trophy. …That is where my reasoning led me."
Diehauser was speechless. He hadn't expected Lüdiger to have researched his family dynamics so deeply, nor to use his personality as the basis for such a logical deduction. Lüdiger's observation was terrifyingly accurate.
Diehauser could have denied it. He could have laughed it off as a wild theory. As long as he didn't admit it, Lüdiger had no proof. And Lüdiger had already publicly aligned himself with the strike; he wouldn't abandon Diehauser now over a refused question.
However, if he gave a vague answer, Lüdiger would likely maintain a distance after the strike was over. Lüdiger was not the type of man to blindly follow someone whose true motives were hidden. After the strike, he might declare neutrality between the administration and the Emperor. For Diehauser, the strike was just the beginning. To lose the "face" of the reincarnated Devils would be a massive loss for the future.
Diehauser frowned, the weight of the moment pressing on him. He could not afford to lose Lüdiger's trust. He had to tell him a version of the truth—something deeper than what he had told Roygun and Bidaze.
If he could win Lüdiger's trust now, he would gain an absolute ally for the long war ahead. Lüdiger truly wanted reform, and he was the type to sacrifice his status to achieve it. Diehauser knew he couldn't rely solely on the "corrupt group" like Roygun and Bidaze in the long term; they were only following him out of necessity and a desire for atonement. If the tide turned, they might waver.
He needed someone he could trust with vital roles. Lüdiger Rosenkreutz was the prime candidate. A man who shared his dream, but possessed the cunning and alternative perspective that Diehauser lacked.
Diehauser took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and thought. Lüdiger waited in silence, his playful smirk vanishing into a look of serious anticipation. Finally, Diehauser's grey eyes opened and met Lüdiger's dark green gaze.
"…I cannot tell you everything right now. Will you accept that?"
"I will. I never expected the full story today. Just hearing that is enough for me."
"Enough?"
"You didn't dismiss my 'speculation.' That tells me you want to build a lasting partnership. In that case, there's no rush. It seems you're still the sincere man I respected, after all."
The silver-haired magician shrugged, a soft smile replacing his earlier provocation. Diehauser realized he was the one being tested. Lüdiger had come to gauge whether the Emperor was a man he could trust with his own dreams.
Diehauser let out a silent breath of relief. This man is terrible for my heart. He wouldn't reveal Kanata or his associates without their permission, but he realized he might eventually have to tell Lüdiger about Cleria's rescue and the alliance with the Satans. He felt a wave of gratitude that Lüdiger was willing to let it slide for now.
"Ah, but I must say," Lüdiger added. "I would dearly love to meet this 'mastermind' one day. I want to see the extent of their influence on you. Anyone who thinks of a plan to mock the administration this thoroughly is someone I'd get along with."
"…Actually... I don't think he intended to mock them at all," Diehauser said, his voice trailing off. "He seemed to view the strike as just a bit of 'prep work.' I don't think he even realized it would become this big. He's... he's a good kid, really. There was no malice. Honestly, the answer is just that he's an absolute airhead, I suppose..."
"Calm down, Diehauser! You're trying to defend him, but you're just making it sound worse!"
Lüdiger laughed as Diehauser frantically tried to protect Kanata's reputation, only to look more and more stressed. Lüdiger cleared his throat to signal the end of the topic, and they both straightened their postures.
"Very well. Let's focus on the essentials. Diehauser, what is the deadline and the goal of this strike?"
"The final deadline is the start of the 'Ten-Match Series,' but I plan to negotiate with the administration before then. The goal is a public apology and a binding commitment to the players and the citizens for a sincere approach to the Game's future."
"…I see. So you don't intend to destroy the administration entirely. The strike is a lure to get them to the table. The real battle for reform begins after the strike ends."
"Precisely. That is why I couldn't afford to lose my connection with you."
Lüdiger nodded, catching the message: I'm counting on you. The critics called the Emperor a "ramaging vigilante," but Lüdiger now knew it was all a calculated performance.
"How should I move?" Lüdiger asked. "If you and the administration negotiate alone, there's a risk of civil unrest. The Satans will surely intervene."
"Yes, and I won't accept any negotiation where the Satans aren't present. Rosenkreutz, I need you to be the figurehead of the strike while I'm away for the talks. People will likely try to make a move the moment I'm gone."
Diehauser couldn't bring Lüdiger to the meeting because the "King" pieces and other taboos would be discussed—secrets he couldn't share without Ajuka's permission. He needed Lüdiger to hold the line in the streets. Lüdiger accepted without hesitation.
"Hehe. For years, our roles as Kings in the Rating Games forced us to be enemies. Now, for the first time, we can stand on a joint front to make our dream real. …Emperor Belial, I have never felt more secure than having you as an ally."
"I feel the same. Not as rivals, but as comrades. Let's win this together."
Diehauser raised his hand, and Lüdiger met it with a firm grasp. As comrades with the same goal, they swore an oath to the long battle ahead. Diehauser imagined a day when they could call Tannin and the three of them could drink together without a care in the world. With that dream in mind, he felt his fighting spirit surge for the upcoming negotiation.
"There's been so much good news this year," Lüdiger said warmly. "I'm actually looking forward to the future."
"Oh? Something good happened?"
"It wouldn't be fair if you were the only one keeping secrets. Actually... my wife is pregnant. The child should be born next year or the year after. Finally, I'm going to be a father..."
"That is... congratulations! Truly!"
Lüdiger, usually so composed, gave a shy, genuinely happy smile. Diehauser offered his heartfelt congratulations. He remembered Lüdiger had been married for quite some time; this was a long-awaited miracle.
While reincarnated Devils found it easier to conceive than pure-bloods, it still took a vast amount of time. For Lüdiger, who didn't have the ten-thousand-year lifespan of an ancient Devil, this first child was everything. Even the cool Sorcerer couldn't keep his lips from curling into a grin.
"Thank you. …As a father-to-be, I want to be someone my child can be proud of. Perhaps when they grow up, they'll want to enter the Rating Games. I didn't want to send my precious child into the kind of environment we have now. Not when I couldn't even say I was proud of the games I played..."
"…Rosenkreutz."
"Let me thank you again, Diehauser. Thank you for giving us the chance to change the game. For showing me a future where we can compete in a pure sport, free of boring politics and hidden agendas. …Thank you for giving me the dream that one day, I can tell my child with pride: 'I am a professional Rating Game player.'"
Diehauser felt Lüdiger's hand tremble. He didn't offer words; he simply accepted the sentiment in silence. This was the vow of the man known as the Upsetting Sorcerer. All Diehauser could do was answer that trust and fight by his side.
After a moment, they released their hands. No more words were needed. Lüdiger Rosenkreutz reverted to his usual, slightly arrogant persona. He gave a small, dignified bow to the Emperor.
"Now, I shall go and do my job."
"I'm counting on you."
"Indeed. And good luck with your 'preliminary match'."
Diehauser chuckled as Lüdiger referred to the negotiation as a mere preliminary. For the battle to save Cleria, the real fight was just beginning. Но for the battle of Game reform, this was the opening act. The realization made the weight on his shoulders feel a little lighter. For Cleria's happiness and the future of the Games, he couldn't afford to stumble here.
***
Diehauser watched the silver-haired magician leave, then informed Roygun and Bidaze that Lüdiger would be acting in his stead during the talks. Bidaze looked absolutely disgusted, begging the Emperor to reconsider, while Roygun let out a long, complicated sigh. Lüdiger really was more "demonic" than the Devils themselves if he could make them this uncomfortable.
Shortly after their meeting, Lüdiger Rosenkreutz officially announced his participation in the strike. The news sent waves of joy through the reincarnated Devils and fans, while the Old Devils screamed in despair. Among the neutral Devils, a wave of pity for the administration began to spread. It was a clear testament to Lüdiger's reputation in the Underworld.
Tens of minutes after that announcement, a joint statement from the Four Great Satans and the Great King Bael was broadcast across the Underworld. With the Satans acting as neutral mediators and the Great King as the representative of the Old Devils, a meeting between the Emperor and the administration was finalized. The venue: a private VIP observation suite in the Agreas Dome, usually reserved for the highest-tier matches.
Diehauser and his two companions informed the Archduke's messengers of their acceptance and headed toward the prepared teleportation circle. While Roygun and Bidaze were visibly tense, the sight of Diehauser walking with such calm, majestic confidence eased their nerves.
For Emperor Belial, there was no need for hesitation. The dreams he carried weren't a burden; they had become the very source of his courage.
"…Welcome, Emperor Belial. We thank you for responding to the summons of the Satans and the Great King."
"Lord Beelzebub," Diehauser acknowledged.
"Yes. Two other Satans are also present for this negotiation. …I trust you have much to say to the administration, but I expect a calm and rational discussion."
Standing at the exit of the magic circle was a beautiful youth with green hair and an elegant, otherworldly features—Ajuka Beelzebub. The fact that a Satan had come to greet them personally was a sign of the extreme caution being exercised. The Emperor was currently calm, but the world viewed him as a powder keg. Ajuka, a Transcendental and the creator of the Game, was the perfect choice to stand between the parties.
Diehauser felt his companions gasp at the sudden appearance of Beelzebub. The mention of two other Satans being present was a clear warning: Don't even think about throwing a punch at the administration. It was a show of force, but Diehauser knew it wasn't Ajuka's true intent. They were near the entrance of the Agreas Dome, still within sight of the public. They had to put on a show for the Old Devils.
Diehauser understood. Ajuka was likely bored to tears by the political theater, but neither of them let it show. They locked eyes in silence for a moment, then exchanged a faint, knowing smile. Ajuka turned on his heel and signaled for them to follow. Without a word of protest, the three of them followed the Satan into the heart of the storm.
***
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