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Chapter 20: Promotion and Cunning Devils
🕑 Added 2025-04-05 00:30:23 +0000 UTC"What do you think? Was I too cruel…"
Tatsuya turned around, a soft smile playing on his lips as he faced the crimson silhouette that loomed menacingly behind him. "...Red Dragon of Domination?"
"State your name." Ddraig’s voice rumbled like distant thunder, ignoring the question. His proud, arrogant demeanor was evident in every syllable.
"They call me the Soul Reaper."
"I did not ask what they call you." The dragon’s ancient eyes narrowed, piercing through Tatsuya’s facade.
Tatsuya paused, studying the colossal dragon before shifting his gaze to Issei’s crumpled form. The boy seemed on the verge of despair, as if ready to end his own life.
His eyes softened as they lingered on Issei. "I hope to rid the world of the inhumane."
Ddraig scoffed, his massive nostrils flaring as his eyes narrowed in undisguised disdain.
"What has happened to my current host?" The dragon’s concern for Issei slipped through his imperious tone. Neither acknowledged that Tatsuya had dodged Ddraig’s initial demand.
"Two devils killed his father and humiliated his mother." Tatsuya’s voice remained eerily calm despite the horrific nature of his words. "After picking the boy up, I sensed your presence and decided to help him. The Sekiryuutei will be useful for my future goals, though…" He tilted his head curiously. "Why were you unable to awaken until now, finally requiring my manipulation?"
Ddraig didn’t respond immediately. His silence hung heavily as the Dream Realm began fracturing around them.
"Something was stopping me," the dragon finally admitted. "It felt like I wasn’t supposed to awaken at that moment… I felt constrained, despite the tempest of emotion from my host being far more than enough to awaken the Boosted Gear."
There was a hint of fear in Ddraig’s voice, unnoticed by the dragon himself.
"How odd…" Tatsuya remarked, his expression betraying none of his inner thoughts.
Ddraig did not need to know about the Heavenly Spirit.
"We shall talk again once Issei awakens. I’ll explain more about the current situation then." Tatsuya turned to leave but paused. "Ah, by the way, don’t tell Issei I’m the Soul Reaper for now. Consider it a favor in return for waking you up."
"Hmm, acceptable."
The dream shattered like glass.
…
The real Tatsuya opened his eyes after absorbing all the World Essence.
"Lord Chaos?" Tiamat’s voice cut through his consciousness, laced with concern.
He ignored her, remaining silent. After gaining such a vast amount of Chaos Energy and the information from Ddraig, he needed to untangle the chaos in his mind.
"How complicated," he sighed, his gaze drifting to Kaguya, whose troubled expression hinted at deeper worries.
Her usually composed features were now twisted with concern.
This Pseudo-Spirit seems far more capable than what you’ve told me, Kaguya.
"It shouldn’t be like this. Wrong… wrong." Kaguya’s expression vanished abruptly, her warm demeanor evaporating like morning dew.
Her true personality—that of a cold, calculating machine—resurfaced. Her eyes glittered like distant stars in the night sky.
It was as if she were trying to calculate something far beyond his comprehension.
"Can I have 1,000 World Essence?" Her voice was flat.
Go ahead.
It was abundantly clear that Kaguya wasn’t playing around. If it would clarify the situation, Tatsuya wouldn’t hesitate to relinquish all the World Essence he had just gained.
"A Pseudo-Spirit contacting its inhabitants… directly manipulating the actions of its Fate Bearers…" Kaguya muttered, her words barely audible.
The Chaos threads floating around her vanished as she exhaled a turbid breath, heavy with realization.
Suddenly!
Her hands began trembling violently, and Tatsuya felt his heartbeat quicken painfully. This was the first time he had ever seen Kaguya panic—a terrifying sight from a being of her caliber.
Kaguya! What’s wrong?
"I was wrong… I was wrong from the start." Her voice trembled. "How could this have happened? Is this the result of an Anomaly’s cursed fate?" Kaguya muttered to herself, her lashes quivering with emotion, her behavior utterly unbefitting a Heavenly Being.
She turned to Tatsuya, her expression filled with regret.
"You were right… you were right all along, Tatsuya. This world is an exception." Kaguya gritted her teeth, the admission clearly agonizing. "This isn’t the domain of a Tier-3 Heavenly Spirit at all!"
…What?
The revelation thundered through his mind like a storm.
Explain. Now.
"I used the Chaos Energy to glimpse the condition of this world’s Heaven’s Domain, and…" Kaguya let out a breath so heavy it seemed to carry the weight of worlds. "The Heavenly Spirit is in the midst of transcending…"
You mean…
"The Heavenly Spirit is evolving into a Tier-4 entity…"
Kaguya shuddered visibly, fear etched into her face.
"…a true Heavenly Being."
Tatsuya closed his eyes briefly, gathering himself before opening them again. When he did, his gaze was icy.
Tell me everything I need to know right now. We’re not at a dead end yet.
"The Heavenly Spirit is trying to merge its domain with another. Originally, it was supposed to ascend in a few years, but now that it has sensed our actions, it’s hastening the process." Kaguya’s voice grew more urgent with each word. "If I’m correct, beings far stronger than the Dragon God of Dreams and the Dragon God of Infinity will arrive, and the first ones they’ll target will be us—the Anomaly."¹
The more free Chaos, the worse it is for the Heavenly Spirit, right? Should I just kill Issei?
"No, you can’t. Though the Heavenly Spirit would fail to transcend, it would still ensure our destruction along with it. Our best chance to survive is to avoid provoking it entirely. Right now, it disdains dealing with us despite sensing our presence, because for a Heavenly Being, nothing is more important than transcending. As long as you don’t kill Issei, it won’t interfere."
Fuck.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go…
Tatsuya couldn’t help but regret abandoning DxD all those years ago. Who could have imagined the repercussions would be this severe?
He couldn’t shake the thought that his lack of knowledge about DxD had left Kaguya unable to properly assess this world’s true nature.
Tatsuya paced the room, worry gnawing at him.
Tiamat remained silent.
…
Bad.
This was extremely bad.
For the first time, a growing sense of horror bloomed in my heart. If the Heavenly Being transcended, it would mean our end.
Even though I’d acted as cautiously as possible, deep down, I’d always hoped Kaguya was right.
Right that the odds of this world being an exception were astronomically low.
But!
Despite my racing pulse, I forced myself to calm down.
A year… how should I proceed in a year?
First and foremost, I’d have to accelerate my plans tremendously.
This ruined everything I had intended for Issei and the Underworld.
Damned luck.
"Let’s go." I stood up and left the room with light steps. Tiamat followed behind me, asking nothing.
Knowing I wielded thousands of strands of Chaos should’ve solidified my identity as ‘Chaos’. Yet, she couldn’t be told about the state of ‘Order’.
Tiamat’s cooperation with me was purely transactional.
The moment I ceased to be useful, her loyalty would vanish without a trace.
But that was fine.
From the beginning, I trusted no one but myself.
Tools were meant to be used and discarded, not clung to like burdens.
A year, she says…
Alright.
…
Rumors had spread far and wide.
The engagement ceremony of Yamamoto Tatsuya and Rias Gremory would take place in a week.
The Undying Immortal, having humiliated the Phenex Family, now looked down on the rest of the Noble Devils. As if to slap them in the face, he had dragged the Dragon King of Chaos from the Familiar Forest to become his familiar.
And for these feats, he was to be promoted to a High-Class Devil before his engagement!
While the Underworld buzzed with excitement, beneath the demonic sky of Hell, a luxurious flying carriage blazed through artificial clouds.
A trail of golden energy lingered in its wake as the horses pulling the carriage galloped tirelessly.
Inside the carriage sat four individuals.
"How does it feel to become a High-Class Devil just a day after reincarnating?" Sirzechs teased. "You’re the first in history to achieve such a feat."
"You praise me too much," Tatsuya replied with a bitter smile. "Isn’t it mostly because of that crazy dragon?"
Tatsuya had been playing the part of someone troubled by Tiamat’s presence.
Yet, a subtle tension lingered.
The influence of taming the strongest Dragon King was too significant for a Low-Class Devil to wield. If Sirzechs had once seen him as a spearhead, Tatsuya was now a ticking time bomb he needed to contain.
Tatsuya alone wasn’t a threat, but Tiamat…
Sirzechs’ smile widened. "Ma, ma, you’ve got quite the humble fiancé." He turned to the pouting Rias.
She refused to speak, stubbornly gazing out the window as if avoiding conversation.
Sirzechs clutched his chest, feigning a grievous wound.
Fake tears streamed down his face as he leaned his head on Grayfia’s shoulder. Grayfia wiped them away expressionlessly with a handkerchief, and seeing this, Rias’s anger flared.
"Can you stop being childish, Onii-sama!"
"You’re the one ignoring me! How am I childish— Ouch, ouch!?"
Rias stomped on his foot.
Grayfia sighed at their antics, while Tatsuya couldn’t help but smile. He placed a hand on Rias’s shoulder and spoke softly, "Alright, let it go. He’s doing this for you, after all. Remember what I said—I’ll never leave your side."
Rias hesitated, softened by his words. Her anger subsided as she nodded at Sirzechs, though her glare lingered.
Sirzechs looked heartbroken.
"My… my cute little sister has been corrupted… her fiancé’s words matter more than her Onii-sama’s now… All those years of love for naught..."
"You know that’s not true!"
"Then what is it, Rias-chan?" Sirzechs rolled his eyes. "Do you know how much convincing I had to do to get the council to agree to his promotion?"
"But he just joined my peerage!" Rias wasn’t against his promotion; she just felt everything was moving too fast, and she disliked that Tiamat was the reason for it.
Rias knew defeating Riser alone wouldn’t qualify him as a High-Class Devil, but having a Peak Maou-Class being like Tiamat behind him certainly did.
"We’re here," Grayfia murmured softly, her enchanting voice echoing in the carriage.
Tatsuya’s eyes flickered briefly hearing her before his emotions subsided.
As they stepped outside, Tatsuya took in the sight of the sprawling city.
Roughly the size of Tokyo, Japan’s capital, it mirrored its culture with tall buildings, public transport, and a hospital situated to the right, occupying a significant space.
"That’s the Serafall Memorial Hospital, the most advanced in the Underworld," Grayfia explained, noticing his gaze.
"Shouldn’t we have gone to Agreas, Nii-san?" Rias took a deep breath of fresh air. She loved the capital for its resemblance to Japan.
"While every qualifying High-Class Devil typically receives their Evil Pieces in Agreas, I asked Beelzebub to make an exception for Tatsuya." Sirzechs winked, and Tatsuya remained silent.
A magic circle erupted beneath them, teleporting them into a mansion.
"Welcome."
A calm, charming voice greeted them as Tatsuya opened his eyes.
His gaze met that of the striking Satan, nearly his equal in appearance.
What truly jolted him was the number hovering above the man’s head.
|Ajuka - 734,280|
The contrast was staggering.
|Sirzechs - 88,750|
|Grayfia - 68,710|
|Rias - 668|
"You are Yamamoto-dono? A pleasure to meet you. I quite enjoyed your duel against Riser Phenex." Ajuka Beelzebub focused solely on Tatsuya, ignoring the others.
He extended his hand for a handshake.
Sirzechs narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
Tatsuya glanced at the hand and shook it without hesitation.
"The pleasure is mine. I’ve heard many great things about you, Lord Beelzebub." Tatsuya smiled as they clasped hands.
Immediately cut off any connection he tries to establish, Kaguya. If he pries too deeply, teleport me out of here with however much World Essence it takes.
Tatsuya didn't dare underestimate this mysterious Devil.
Kaguya hovered behind Tatsuya ethereally, her eyes sharpening dangerously.
Ajuka didn’t act suspiciously, though a mysterious glint flickered in his gaze.
He exchanged greetings with the others before leading them into a hidden room.
Upon entering, Tatsuya was greeted by a monolith shaped like a chess "King" at the center. The room was awe-inspiring, adorned with an intricate network of runes, most concentrated around the monolith. The runes shifted and rotated periodically.
"All right, Yamamoto-dono. Place your hand on the stone and focus your Demonic Energy into it," Ajuka said calmly, standing behind the monolith.
Tatsuya nodded, approached the monolith, and placed his hand on it, channeling his energy.
In his battle with Riser, he had always presented himself as having the Demonic Energy of a Low-Class Devil.
But now?
The Demonic Energy around him surged, forming a raging wave. It flowed gracefully before drilling into the monolith.
|Tatsuya - 78|
Rias’s eyes widened. "A Middle-Class Devil!? Already?"
"It must be due to his pact with the Chaos Karma Dragon," Grayfia whispered. It wasn’t uncommon for stronger beings to boost a Low-Class Devil’s strength, and Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon, had likely done so.
As they spoke, Ajuka’s eyes glowed, and his own Demonic Energy flared in response. Rias and Grayfia exchanged confused glances, unsure of what was happening.
They had never seen Ajuka personally oversee the creation of anyone’s Evil Pieces like this.
A magic circle formed on the ground. A bright light enveloped Tatsuya, and he felt an odd sensation as his Evil Pieces took shape.
A strange connection built between him and the object forming within the monolith.
Srrrr!
A faint buzz sounded before an ornate box floated before Tatsuya. Sirzechs, Rias, and Grayfia approached, peering over his shoulder as he opened it.
Fifteen beautiful pieces hovered in a line inside the box.
"A mutation piece!?" Rias gasped, eyeing the slightly altered Queen piece, and Sirzechs smiled.
"I wanted to thank Tatsuya for rescuing you from that forced marriage. Consider this a gift from me, though I now owe Ajuka a favor, haha~"
Ajuka stepped out from behind the monolith, his face expressionless. He nodded at Sirzechs’ words. "I’ve infused considerable Demonic Energy into the Queen Piece. As long as the other party consents to reincarnation, there’s no limit to who you can turn into a servant, except for Divine Beings like Gods."
Tatsuya listened to Sirzechs and Ajuka with a thin smile.
"Wait! Does that mean he can turn the Chaos Karma Dragon into his servant!?" Rias felt conflicted. Part of her was thrilled for Tatsuya, but another part ached at the thought of that "slutty dragon" freely pursuing him.
Manipulative bastards. They worded their intentions carefully and used the naive Rias to float the idea of turning Tiamat into a servant to me.
If Tatsuya were an ordinary Devil, he’d already be leaping with joy at the chance to make the strongest Dragon King his servant.
Tatsuya snorted inwardly while feigning a shocked expression.
Seeing this, Sirzechs was inwardly pleased.
Ever since Tatsuya returned with the Chaos Karma Dragon under his command, Sirzechs had been scheming to bind them to the Devil Faction.
For Tatsuya, he planned to tie him using Rias and Ichika and for Tiamat…
If Tiamat could become a Reincarnated Devil, she’d be the second Dragon King to join their ranks.
The prestige of such a feat would greatly benefit the Devils and enhance their appeal to supernatural beings.
With this in mind, Sirzechs had contacted Ajuka and pushed for Tatsuya’s promotion to High-Class Devil, despite significant opposition.
Now, they just needed Tatsuya to fall into their schemes and reincarnate Tiamat, who seemed inexplicably determined to follow him.
"Thank you for the consideration, Lord Lucifer, Lord Beelzebub." Tatsuya composed himself before them. The Evil Pieces floated out of the box and merged into his body, now summonable at will.
"Congratulations on becoming a High-Class Devil, Yamamoto-kun." Grayfia was the first to offer heartfelt congratulations, surprising Tatsuya.
For a brief moment, he glanced at Sirzechs from the corner of his eye before turning to Grayfia. "Thank you, Grayfia-san."
"Enough of this! Let’s explore the capital city now. Yamamoto, come with me." Rias, growing impatient, grabbed Tatsuya and dragged him along, leaving the adults behind.
She’d been eager to have fun since arriving in the capital.
"Alright, alright~" Tatsuya let himself be pulled with a wry smile.
Her childish excitement brought smiles to the adults in the room.
"They seem quite compatible," Ajuka remarked calmly, and Sirzechs’s expression turned thoughtful.
"Did you find anything odd about him? Can you tell why he’s able to control Tiamat? It’s as if she’s under some spell." Sirzechs had noticed Ajuka's actions while he was shaking Tatsuya's hand.
"…I can’t tell," Ajuka admitted briefly. "I’d need to speak with Tiamat face-to-face to discern the truth. I'll visit her soon, after all she does owe me a favor. As for Yamamoto Tatsuya, his regeneration doesn’t seem to have a traceable source. It’s as if it’s tied to his soul, not stemming from any mutation or magic."
"The soul…?" Sirzechs’ face hardened momentarily. "Are you absolutely certain of his origins?"
"I’ve checked multiple times. The only inconsistency is that I can’t find any record of his sister being kidnapped." Ajuka’s voice carried a hint of curiosity.
Sirzechs understood his friend’s feelings. Ajuka was unorthodox, driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge. His pursuit had led him to create the Kankara Formula, an ability that twisted reality itself.
Failing to unravel the mystery of Tatsuya’s regeneration must have piqued his academic interest.
"That child seems wary of you, Sirzechs," Ajuka noted, turning to the Lucifer.
Sirzechs smiled, a trace of amusement in his expression.
"Power corrupts." He shrugged, glancing at the conflicted Grayfia. "The boy recognizes his value, especially after taming Tiamat. He’s good at heart, but his values are shifting as his power grows, reaching for things beyond his grasp. He’s a shrewd one, no doubt."
"So it’s greed, then?" Ajuka nodded in understanding. "With Tiamat behind him, it’d be strange if he didn’t change."
"He seems to have been under stress for a long time and now that he's somewhat safe and free of responsibility his desires are springing forward," Sirzechs shrugged again. "As long as his core values remain intact, it’s fine to indulge him. Keeping him under our control is the priority—letting him enjoy minor benefits is inconsequential as long as it serves us."
Grayfia frowned at Sirzechs’ words but held her tongue.
Her heart brimmed with disappointment, though she understood his reasoning.
Ajuka left without a word, preoccupied with other matters.
Silence stretched across the hall as Sirzechs and Grayfia remained.
"You don’t have to force yourself," Sirzechs said softly, turning to Grayfia.
Grayfia looked at her husband—the man she’d fallen for half a millennium ago during the most brutal war in history.
Two devils, drenched in blood, had fallen in love at first sight. That fiery passion had fueled their marriage for centuries, but…
A blazing fire eventually cools.
The love remained, but the intensity had faded.
Grayfia smiled, a trace of sadness in her eyes.
"It’s no issue. I’ll indulge Yamamoto-kun to a limit and ensure he remains loyal to the Gremory Family."
Guilt flickered in Sirzechs’s eyes.
He intended to take advantage of the fact that Tatsuya was attracted to Grayfia.
He didn’t want to burden his beloved wife, but Tatsuya’s situation had grown too complex to leave unchecked.
The current Lucifer consoled himself, believing Tatsuya wouldn’t push too far.
He wouldn’t dare.
He wouldn’t dare cross a line with the Lucifer’s wife.
That’s what Sirzechs believed.
________________________________________________
A/N— Please read this note and don't ignore it. For everything I say below you can check the wiki of DxD for more information.
To those that are unfamiliar with the future plot of the original DxD I'll explain briefly. In the novels sometime in the near future Gods from another world invade the world of DxD. These Gods are from a different world called ExE, different from DxD.
These Gods are so powerful that they kill Great Red, the strongest being in DxD with a single slap. With the emergence of these beings the strength of the world of DxD jumps from Planetary to Multi-Planetary to perhaps Universal. (I need to do more research to confirm whether it can be Universal, Multi-Planetary is a given.)
Generally, it should've been obvious how I've been scaling the Heavenly Spirits but I'll give a brief overview.
Tier-1— Street to City level
Tier-2— City to Country level
Tier-3— Country to Planetary (Original DxD)
Tier-4 (True Heavenly Being)— Above Planetary
This will be explained in much more detail through the fanfiction.
As I've stated before Tatsuya's suspicion of the world being an exception wasn't an ass pull because this is how I've decided to integrate ExE into the plot. I don't want people saying the world of DxD is an 'exception' just because I wanted it to be one out of a whim. There's proper world building and logic behind it.
Once the Gods arrive, the Pseudo Heavenly Spirit will become a true Heavenly Being and can very much eradicate the unprepared Kaguya and Tatsuya.
Anyways, the already fast pace of the novel will increase even more without losing its essence. The next chapter will finally have spins so enjoy lol.
Comments
ImmortalSkyDxddy
You'll be surprised when I reveal why his strength is so astronomical
CrowThingz
Only an anomaly can pull this fledgling spirit from the future storm, so i doubt he will even try killing them. A deal will be made
CrowThingz
Aint no way ajuka is that strong, he has to have an ability with gambling or something like hakari
