"Sirzechs, it seems your family has found an exceptional talent," Asmodeus added.
"Indeed," Sirzechs nodded. "Rias certainly has an eye for talent. There's something you may not know, though: Badr's Combat Power now rivals that of a Maou."
This revelation drew looks of surprise from Beelzebub and Asmodeus, though Serafall Leviathan, already aware, merely smiled.
They all understood the weight of this statement.
The Four Maou had attained the status of Super Devils through years of dedication, but Badr had been a devil for less than a year.
Reaching Maou-level power as a High-Class Devil was nothing short of astounding.
"That makes sense," Asmodeus chuckled. "No wonder Zephyrdor was utterly defeated. Finally, a true prodigy has emerged among the Devils."
"Exactly. Badr has already brushed the boundaries of [Transcendence]. I intend for him to be the face of the new generation," Sirzechs stated.
Asmodeus, renowned as the Underworld's foremost strategist, quickly grasped Sirzechs's intent.
"So that's it. This entire event was a setup to position him in the spotlight and gain everyone's acknowledgment..."
"At first, I didn't plan this far," Sirzechs admitted, a slight smile crossing his lips. "Initially, it just seemed the best course of action. Badr's suitability for the Holy Sword was unquestionable, and his subsequent breakthroughs have been nothing short of astonishing. We're merely capitalizing on the momentum..."
The preliminary match for the New Generation Tournament had effectively become a grand stage for Badr's debut, meticulously crafted by Sirzechs.
Serafall shot him a look, rolling her eyes slightly. "So that's why you had me go to the human world to tell Badr about the tournament..."
"Exactly," Sirzechs replied, chuckling. "Badr understood right away, which is why he acted so decisively here. Although I didn't expect such a dramatic display, I came prepared..."
As he spoke, Sirzechs produced a small vial.
"Phoenix Tears?" Ajuka Beelzebub asked, surprised. "You went to the Phoenix family for these?"
"Tch, I knew there had to be more to this," Falbium Asmodeus muttered, smirking. "I thought Badr was unusually bold; now it all makes sense. Very well, I approve."
"Beelzebub, Leviathan, what do you think?" Sirzechs asked with a smile.
"A young Prodigy who will likely become a *Transcendent*. I have no reason to disagree," Ajuka said, his expression as stoic as ever, but his approval clear.
With the unanimous support of the Four Maou, the entire Underworld would now stand behind Badr.
During the intermission, Badr returned to Rias and her group.
"Badr... did you really have to go that far?" Rias asked, her expression a mix of concern and seriousness. After all, Zephyrdor was meant to be the next head of the Glasya-Labolas family. Killing him in front of everyone was no small matter.
Badr, however, seemed untroubled.
"Don't worry, Rias. Nothing's going to happen."
He smiled confidently, sitting beside her and waiting for the intermission to end.
Seeing his calm demeanor, Rias was left perplexed.
In truth, as Sirzechs had expected, Badr had understood Sirzechs's intentions from the start.
From granting him the Holy Sword to arranging an early Rank-Promotion exam, Sirzechs had essentially set up a trial by fire for Badr.
But if Badr could endure it, the honor he'd gain would be monumental.
His place among the new generation of Devils would be unshakable.
Badr realized this quickly. It seemed his brother-in-law was intent on keeping the family's influence within Gremory. Now that Badr and Rias were a couple, he was family. Showcasing Gremory's strength with Badr at the forefront, why not?
And Badr's brilliance silenced any opposition. Even Maou like Asmodeus couldn't dispute his prowess.
Unimpressed? Then find someone better.
...
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Chapter 164: Koneko's Sister?
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...
After a short intermission, the arena challenges resumed, but to the audience's surprise, no one invited Badr to the stage.
Two other devils took their place in the ring, battling fiercely, though the spectators seemed disinterested.
Clearly, the crowd was more captivated by Badr's situation. They wanted to see if he would face any consequences for his actions.
Yet, Badr sat calmly, undisturbed. No one approached him with trouble.
The crowd was puzzled. He had just slain the heir of a noble house in front of everyone. Was no one going to hold him accountable?
How could this be? they thought. Is it simply because he's a relative of a Maou?
Come on, even the Glasya-Labolas family has ties to the Maou. How could they let their own heir's death go unchallenged?
Realizing something was off, a few spectators discreetly sent people to gather information.
It wasn't long before news circulated: Zephyrdor had been revived with a dose of Phoenix Tears.
So he didn't die completely?
No one questioned Badr's intention. As far as they were concerned, he had struck a fatal blow.
They had no understanding of Badr's remarkable [Absolute Control], which allowed him to precisely regulate the power behind his attacks.
"Tch, that guy's luck is unbelievable," Seekvaira muttered, clearly unimpressed. "They wasted Phoenix Tears on someone like him. What a waste."
"Strange... who provided the Phoenix Tears? Could it have been the Phoenix family?"
"They've traded a fair amount of those before. It's hard to say."
People whispered amongst themselves, completely ignoring the intense battle unfolding between the two High-Class devils on stage.
They realized this situation seemed likely to blow over without any further fallout...
Could someone be protecting Badr?
Could it be Lucifer himself?
Was it really okay for Lucifer to show This favoritism?
The crowd's minds buzzed with questions, and as the tournament challenges wrapped up without Badr reappearing in the ring, his reputation only grew.
This guy is no joke.
The crowd reached a silent consensus: best not to provoke him.
In their minds, Sirzechs's plan to elevate Badr's standing had succeeded flawlessly.
"Alright, that concludes the arena challenges," Sirzechs announced with a smile.
"Now, I have an important announcement. The New Generation Tournament will commence as scheduled in one week. The champion will be recognized as the Leader of the Next Generation, a title of immense honor for emerging talents."
Sirzechs's words sparked a question from the crowd.
"What benefits come with winning the tournament and becoming the leader?"
"Of course," Sirzechs responded with a smile. "Our representative of the new generation will become a pillar of Our Underworld. As long as their goals align with the Underworld's interests, we Four Maou will fully support their vision."
With that, the young devils in the audience looked on in awe, their eyes blazing.
They knew exactly what the Maou's support meant.
This was no honor; it was a rare opportunity to realize lifelong ambitions.
Observing their eager reactions, Sirzechs's gentle smile conveyed warmth and charisma.
"It seems many of you have grand aspirations," he mused. "I'd love to hear each of your visions for the future."
The first to stand and address Sirzechs was Sairaorg Bael.
"My goal is to become a Maou and create a world where only strength matters, where status and birth don't dictate worth."
"Ha! A Maou from House Bael, that would be quite something," one of the prominent figures in the audience chuckled, joined by the laughter of others.
Badr considered Sairaorg's words, somewhat perplexed. If strength alone were valued, how could a hierarchy-free world exist?
To him, the two ideas seemed contradictory.
Rias, on the other hand, was more grounded in her approach. She expressed that her immediate priority was fulfilling her role as the head of the Gremory household, with her near-term goal set on winning the New Generation Tournament.
Her answer was expected, something Sirzechs knew his sister would say.
In truth, what intrigued Sirzechs most was Badr's ambition. However, as Badr was Rias's [Pawn], he decided to wait until they won the championship before asking.
Among the Maou, there was little doubt that the championship was practically assured.
After all, Badr's power was astonishing. For a High-Class Devil to wield power on par with a Maou was unheard of.
Moreover, once he entered the [Rating Games], his replication ability would grant him a tremendous advantage, cold and unyielding.
Sairaorg and the others seemed unaware of this, despite having witnessed Badr's strength firsthand. In the minds of these young devils, they still believed they could surpass him.
"Alright, everyone may disperse for now. You're all welcome to join the celebration shortly," Sirzechs announced.
The celebration was said to be a social event organized by the Maou for the new generation, a chance to unwind. But, as Rias explained to Badr, it was really more of a gathering where the older generation could drink and chat under the guise of a celebration.
In fact, she'd already spotted her father sneaking into the event with a drink.
Once the party began, the young devils gathered in groups to mingle, but Badr noticed Koneko was nowhere to be seen.
He frowned slightly, sensing something was off, and turned to Rias.
"Huh? I haven't seen her either..." Rias responded, a bit surprised, before calling over a servant to inquire.
"The young lady with silver hair? She left, heading that way," the servant replied, pointing in a specific direction.
Upon hearing this, Rias immediately summoned her familiar, and after a quick communication, the familiar began tracking Koneko's scent.
"My familiar found Koneko's trail. Let's go," Rias said to Badr, and the two of them hurriedly left the party.
They traveled a fair distance before finally reaching a nearby forest.
"What would she be doing out here alone?" Rias murmured, clearly worried, realizing that Koneko must have sensed something and followed it alone.
"She's close..." Badr said, his heightened senses picking up on a familiar presence nearby.
He motioned for Rias to stay quiet, taking her hand as they hid behind a tree and looked toward an open area not far off.
In the clearing, they spotted a silver-haired girl, glancing around as if searching for something.
Then, a voice sounded from the shadows.
"It's been a long time, my dear little sister."
...
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Chapter 165: The Nekoshou — Kuroka Toujou
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A voice unfamiliar to Badr sounded from nearby. Moments later, a black cat leapt up onto a large stone.
In the blink of an eye, the black cat transformed into a girl with flowing black hair, dressed in a black kimono.
The girl looked strikingly similar to Koneko, with black cat ears on top of her head, lounging lazily atop the stone as she looked over at Koneko.
Koneko stood frozen in shock, as if seeing a ghost.
"Don't recognize me, Shirone? I'm your sister," the black-haired girl said with a soft smile.
From where he stood, Badr raised an eyebrow. Shirone? He hadn't heard that name used for Koneko before.
Koneko didn't react to the name with surprise, though. After a long silence, she finally managed a hesitant response:
"K-Kuroka... sister..."
So, this girl really was Koneko's sister.
Badr glanced over at Rias, noticing she looked calm and unsurprised, as if she'd known about Koneko having a sister all along.
"Hehe, you traced my scent here all the way from the party? Not bad," Kuroka said with a sly smile, watching Koneko's reaction.
"What are you here for?" Koneko asked, frowning.
"Don't be so tense. I just had some things to take care of. I heard the devils were hosting a big event, so I thought I'd drop by, nya~" Kuroka winked, making a cute, cat-like gesture.
Like Koneko, she was beautiful and charming, though clearly more mature, her black kimono's neckline hinting at her well-developed figure.
"Kuroka, it seems we have some other visitors," came a familiar voice to Badr. From the shadows of the forest stepped a muscular man carrying a thick iron staff and dressed in chain mail.
Badr's eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized the man.
It was Sun Wukong.
Rumored to be a direct descendant of the Monkey King himself, though Badr doubted the validity of the tale. After all, the original Wukong was supposed to have taken a vow of celibacy, so how this descendant came to be was a mystery.
In this world, though, this Sun Wukong had joined the Khaos Brigade and was technically one of Badr's enemies.
While Badr had no desire to clash with deities from the East, he certainly wouldn't hold back if they forced his hand, a good beating before a discussion was always an option.
Sun Wukong looked directly at where Badr was hiding and chuckled. "There's no point trying to conceal your presence. Those of us well-versed in Senjutsu, like Kuroka and me, can sense the faintest change in energy flow."
Badr shrugged, emerging from his hiding spot alongside Rias, making their way to Koneko's side.
"Buchou... Badr... why are you here..." Koneko asked, surprised by their appearance.
"Don't slip away without a word. You'll make everyone worry," Rias said softly, reaching out to gently ruffle the younger girl's hair.
"Huh? It's you two?" Kuroka looked intrigued, a sly smile spreading across her face. "Well, well, I didn't realize you were here... Why didn't I sense you earlier?"
Both Kuroka and the Sun Wukong looked surprised. From their sensing abilities, they had only picked up on Rias's presence, they hadn't noticed Badr at all.
"Who's this guy, Monkey?" Kuroka asked curiously.
"This is a [Pawn] belonging to that High-Class devil," Sun Wukong said, nodding towards Rias. "Don't underestimate him, though, he defeated Vali in their last match."
"What?" Kuroka's eyes widened as she looked Badr up and down. "How powerful are you? I can't sense a thing from you..."
