Issei Hyoudou was sitting in his dark room, blaming himself for losing to that yakitori guy.
But it made sense.
With the good relationship between the Phoenix family and Aikren, they had also begun to gain more souls and, consequently, more power. Raiser was no exception.
In the middle of that self-loathing, a shadow with a demonic smile sat beside Issei.
And from that shadow, a voice emerged.
"Who would have thought the 'mighty' Red Emperor would end up in such a pitiful state?"
Aikren sat cross-legged, calmly drinking tea.
Issei jumped in fright at the sudden appearance and nearly fell off the bed.
"Y-you are…"
He realized immediately. He could recognize this bastard anywhere, under any circumstances.
Sip
"Aikren Bael. A pleasure."
Aikren shook Issei's hand before he could react, then took out alcohol and a handkerchief to clean himself. Who knew what he had done with that hand.
Issei glared at him, growing angrier by the second. His memories and frustration gathered, ready to explode.
Aikren watched him with amusement.
"Don't make that face. I came to help you."
Sip
Issei was confused. This guy seemed… approachable? If he hadn't stolen Asia from him, he might even think he was a good person.
Meanwhile, unnoticed, Aikren's shadow smiled wickedly.
"You don't want your beloved president to marry that Phoenix boy, do you?"
He asked with a wink.
"N-no…"
The Red Emperor answered, looking at the floor.
"Hm. Then I have something that might help you."
Issei looked at him with hope.
"You should know that a Sacred Gear works based on emotions, right?"
Issei nodded, confused.
"Well, there's more to those devices created by that bearded man."
Aikren wrapped an arm around Issei's shoulder and pulled him closer.
"There's a certain 'sacrifice' function."
The flames of thousands of suffering souls flickered within Lord Bael's eyes.
"If you sacrifice, for example, a part of your body, you can obtain power greater than what you currently possess. Even if it lasts only a few moments, it should be enough."
Issei's eyes lit up with hope.
"And if everything fails…"
Aikren pulled a box from his shadow, exquisite in white and gold, and opened it with a click.
Inside were crosses and holy water.
"You can attack him with this. Raiser is a powerful devil, yes, but not strong enough yet to withstand crosses and holy water."
A lie.
He's deceiving you.
Don't listen.
Thousands of souls tried to warn someone not to fall into the same fate they had. But Issei couldn't hear them. He lacked the perception and power necessary to see what truly lay within Aikren.
"I give this to you in good faith~ but if you need my personal help…"
He summoned his characteristic distorted magic circle.
"I can help you~ but you already know the price."
Issei hesitated, conflicted, but still took the box, promising himself he wouldn't use the circle to summon that demon. After all, it was an order from his beloved president.
"You'd give everything for her, wouldn't you?"
Aikren smiled, patting his back.
"Well, it's your decision. I'll be going now, my friend. I hope you achieve your goal."
Aikren stood up elegantly and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Issei deep in thought.
"Partner, you shouldn't trust him."
The Red Dragon Emperor, Draig, spoke for the first time since the demon's arrival.
"Draig… is it true? About gaining power?"
Issei asked.
Draig hesitated for a second.
"…Yes. It's true."
A decision had been made.
The shadows in his room… seemed to smile.
The day of the wedding arrived.
Hundreds of devils and high-ranking heirs were invited. A grand wedding between two great clans. A powerful alliance.
Among them, an elegant black-and-red carriage passed through the crowd, drawing attention.
From it stepped Lord Bael, Aikren.
His arrival was like Moses parting the sea.
The devils moved aside, forming a path for him.
Reverence and fear—emotions he was accustomed to.
Even clan leaders had no right to speak to Aikren in a public setting.
As he walked, someone appeared who could address him freely.
Lord Sitri.
His father-in-law. Though of lower status, he was still the father of his fiancée.
"Hello, father. It's a pleasure to see you!"
Spinning his cane lightly, Aikren greeted him cheerfully.
"Aikren, it's good to see you. I didn't expect you to attend in person."
His father-in-law smiled, clearly satisfied.
Despite Aikren's nature, he had always treated Sona with affection and never diminished her compared to his other fiancée.
"Well, Rias is a good friend, so I made time to attend her wedding."
After all, this will be entertaining~
"Speaking of which, your wedding with my daughter is coming soon."
It was true. His wedding with both Sona and Ravel would take place at the same time, and it had been publicly announced for quite a while.
Aikren smiled widely. Remembering the pleasant future ahead, along with the traps he had already set and the prey about to fall into them… today was a good infernal day.
They continued chatting as they entered the hall and took their seats, Aikren in the middle, with the Phoenix and Sitri families to either side.
A small firebird suddenly jumped into his arms.
"Aikren~!"
Ravel Phoenix hugged him and began kissing his face repeatedly.
"Hello, dear. How have you been?"
He stroked her head gently—enough for her to feel it, but not enough to mess up her hair.
"Good! I'm glad you came! You're always busy."
In truth, he wasn't that busy. Sometimes he simply locked himself away and lazed around. But everyone saw him as an "extremely busy man."
Honestly… I have billions of souls that can work for eternity. Why would I work?
After Sona scolded Ravel for being childish and Ravel stuck her tongue out at her, the wedding finally began.
The ceremony started normally. The Satans offered their congratulations. Raiser gave a short speech and thanked everyone for attending.
And just as things were about to continue—
"STOP!!!"
A shout from a certain pervert echoed through the hall.
"Buchou's virginity belongs to me!!"
Aikren genuinely admired his bravery… or his ignorance.
A low-class devil standing before dozens of leaders, declaring he would take the virginity of a high-ranking heiress.
Aikren chuckled softly.
Ravel looked furious.
Sona looked as if she had expected this.
Rias's peerage was full of morale.
Just as a fight with the guards was about to begin, the Red Satan—the former strongest devil—spoke.
"In fact, this was something I arranged."
The crowd reacted with indignation. This was a high-ranking wedding.
But no one could oppose him.
They turned toward the only person who could… only to find Lord Bael smiling as if watching a show.
Resigned, they simply watched.
"I wished to see the dignity of the Phoenix clan, so I arranged this duel between the Phoenix and the Dragon."
Sirzechs spoke elegantly.
A pact was made.
If Raiser won, he would claim Issei's soul.
If Issei won, Rias would be freed.
Rias, for some reason, was blushing. She looked genuinely in love.
Aikren didn't understand it.
Yes, the boy had a pure heart—perversions included. That was why he had set this entire game in motion.
But beyond that… did he really have anything else?
Aikren couldn't understand it.
The duel began.
The moment it started, Issei sacrificed his right arm to obtain Balance Breaker for ten seconds. And for some reason, instead of attacking immediately, he began giving speeches while time kept running.
Still—
Raiser endured easily, launching flames capable of reducing buildings and streets to ashes. A true high-class devil.
Not like a certain red-haired princess.
…
Sona?
Sona had been trained by Aikren and stood near the limit of high-class devils. If she had accepted souls, she could have been stronger—but that was her choice.
Blows echoed across the battlefield.
Issei tried to make those ten seconds last (not really).
Eventually, time ran out.
Raiser emerged from the flames unharmed while Issei lay on the ground.
Then—
Holy water.
Crucifixes.
His last attempt.
Giving yet another speech instead of attacking immediately, he charged at the Phoenix. But Raiser summoned servants instantly.
Small fire dwarves sacrificed themselves for him.
This technique had been taught by Aikren: using souls to create loyal elemental servants.
They leapt toward Issei's hand and exploded, evaporating the holy water and melting the crosses.
It was over.
Issei had failed.
Even with dirty tricks, he couldn't win.
The nobles looked as though they had expected this.
Issei stared at the ground, his hands trembling from exhaustion.
He remembered.
His king.
Her smile.
Her warning not to make a deal with that demon.
But—
"There's no other choice!!"
Issei shouted to the sky.
He grabbed the scroll and threw it onto the ground.
Reality warped.
Aikren Bael appeared on the battlefield.
Everyone stared in shock.
"Well… it seems you've made your decision."
Aikren no longer bothered hiding his sadistic smile.
"Y-yes… please, give me power! I'll give you everything!"
The nobles looked at him with faint pity.
Meanwhile, Rias turned pale as death.
"ISSEI!!! NO!!!"
Her voice could not reach the separated dimension of the duel.
"Very well. I'm feeling generous. I'll grant you the power of a Maou in exchange for your soul."
Aikren smiled at the low-class devil.
"Is it a deal?"
Issei hardened his resolve.
Thinking of his president, he didn't hesitate.
"Deal."
Their hands met.
CRIIICK
SHIIIIG
Incomprehensible sounds echoed as Aikren's true form briefly manifested, his smile stretching to his ears.
Power flooded Issei's body. Invincible power.
He smiled confidently and aimed his gauntlet at Raiser.
"Dragon Shoot!!!"
The duel ended with that blow.
The entire dimension was left with a crater as if a meteor had struck.
Issei returned to reality.
And when he arrived—
His president wasn't smiling.
She was crying. Desperately. Screaming and striking the ground.
Issei stared, confused.
He was supposed to be engaged to her now. That was the deal with Maou Lucifer.
So why…?
He approached her.
"President, let's go."
He offered his hand, like a knight.
Then he noticed.
Everyone was looking at him… like a fool.
Rias's parents stepped forward.
"Rias cannot become engaged to you."
Zeoticus spoke coldly, looking at him as if he were nothing.
Because he wasn't.
After all—
"What!? Why!? You promised—!"
"No one will betroth an heir to someone who does not own his own soul."
Lord Gremory spoke again.
"It can't be…!"
Issei understood.
Why everyone looked at him that way.
Why his president cried.
He had sacrificed everything.
For nothing.
He had been deceived.
His breathing grew uneven. His eyes trembled.
Then a voice spoke.
"How does it feel?"
It asked cheerfully.
"You gave everything."
"You sacrificed so much."
"For someone you can no longer even touch."
Aikren was suddenly in front of him, smiling, eyes shining, inches away.
"How does it feel to know this is only the beginning of your eternal hell?"
In those shining pupils, Issei saw countless souls reflected.
Among them—
his own.
He was about to break.
"And do you want to know something, Issei?"
Issei looked at him in terror.
"I will never let you have a harem."
That was the last thing he heard.
"AAAAAAA!!!"
Issei shattered.
"Ha… ha ha ha…"
And laughter echoed even louder.
TO BE CONTINUED
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If this reaches 500 stones, I'll upload the next chapter.