As Serafall had mentioned, whenever young devils gathered together, brawls and fights were basically standard programming.
Guaranteed to happen. Impossible not to happen. Like clockwork.
Therefore, other attendees in the banquet hall hearing that explosive thunder merely glanced back once. Discovering the battle already concluded, they turned away again—continuing conversations and drinks as before.
Only a handful of waiter-dressed devils coordinated with each other while heading outside the hall. From their dialogue, they were apparently fetching stretchers and cleaning supplies for cleanup.
"The Glasya-Labolas household's problem child—truly brave, having the bright idea to provoke our dear Bokue-kun."
Serafall watched several waiters exit the banquet hall before turning to glance at Zephyrdor—still embedded in the wall, practically fused with surrounding cracks. She couldn't help propping her cheek while muttering dryly.
"Though you can't really blame him."
Sairaorg, who'd gone to confront Zephyrdor earlier, circled back around. Hands on hips, he laughed heartily.
"After all, several months ago when you first came to the demon realm, brother-in-law, I'd just finished a Rating Game against Zephyrdor. Afterward, he shut himself away at home for months without showing his face. So regarding your battle with Riser, he knew absolutely nothing. This gathering, somehow he finally emerged?"
"Perhaps."
Serafall shrugged noncommittally.
"Though Sairaorg-chan, you're really quite mischievous—letting Zephyrdor charge over like that. Clearly wanted to watch him get beaten, right?"
"Mm~ was it that obvious?"
Sairaorg scratched his face, slightly embarrassed.
Though he could only blame his own loose lips for revealing how he'd beaten Zephyrdor into months of home confinement.
For that engagement-breaking battle, Riser had been supremely confident—sending invitations to every other household among the 72 Pillars. Therefore, most of the younger generation had witnessed that drama firsthand.
Sairaorg had been among those spectators. He knew Zephyrdor couldn't possibly match Bokue. He knew Zephyrdor didn't recognize Bokue at all. Yet he'd still let him charge forward—obviously intentional.
"Well, consider it remedial lessons for that guy Zephyrdor."
Sairaorg cleared his throat lightly.
"So more importantly, what's this about angel aura mentioned earlier?"
"Mm? Oh right, Sairaorg wasn't at the tripartite talks."
Serafall smiled while lightly tapping her palm.
"During the tripartite talks, Lord Michael made special compensation for past mistakes by reincarnating Asia-chan as an angel. Well, it doesn't matter anyway since the talks concluded. Currently everyone's on the same side—no need for such clear divisions..."
"Asia—so that's your name."
Before the Maou girl finished speaking, a somewhat androgynous male voice suddenly drifted from the side.
Hm?
Following the voice's source, they discovered a harmless-looking young man with smooth black hair and perpetually squinted eyes had somehow appeared beside them—currently offering a polite bow toward the still-confused Asia.
"I believe you're Ajuka's..."
Serafall frowned slightly after merely glancing at him once.
"Good evening, esteemed Lady Leviathan, Lord Sairaorg, and members of the Gremory household."
The black-haired youth adjusted his direction slightly before bowing again.
"I am Diodora Astaroth, heir apparent of House Astaroth, and current Maou Ajuka Beelzebub's... blood relative, I suppose."
"Ah, no wonder. I thought he looked vaguely familiar."
Serafall nodded faintly, displaying little desire for conversation.
However, Diodora noticed this—redirecting his attention toward the thoroughly bewildered blonde nun.
"Truly fate's arrangement—never imagined I'd see you here again."
"Eh??"
Asia was completely lost.
Utterly baffling. He seemed to act quite familiar with her, yet she couldn't recall ever meeting him.
After all, the first person she'd met upon arriving in Japan was Bokue. Every other person she'd subsequently encountered—without exception—Bokue also knew.
As for before meeting Bokue—meaning before coming to Japan—she'd served as a saint at the Norse Church. How could she possibly know any devils??
Yet Diodora had already bent at the waist again while extending his hand toward the girl's—
The standard hand-kissing gesture.
This...
Completely unprepared for such forward behavior, Asia reflexively retreated to dodge—but after only half a step backward, she bumped into a solid chest behind her.
"Sorry, she's my girlfriend. Could you not be so presumptuous?"
The young man's voice descended from overhead. Familiar presence instantly calmed Asia—who'd been caught off-guard and slightly panicked by Diodora's audacity.
Bokue, who'd been beside Rias moments earlier, had somehow appeared behind Asia. From behind, he extended an arm to pull the blonde nun into his protective embrace—leaving Diodora grasping at empty air.
The black-haired, perpetually-squinting youth's movement froze mid-reach.
"...Girlfriend?"
Diodora straightened while lowering his hand. The harmless smile permanently plastered across his face—like a mask—faded slightly.
"Hehe, never imagined Asia-san already had a boyfriend. Though if she's a girlfriend, that means not married yet, right? No... even if married, it wouldn't matter. For us devils, only strength represents reality. Want to try a wager?"
"Hey, you..."
Already sensing what Diodora would say next, Sairaorg furrowed his brow while attempting to intervene.
Too late.
Diodora's mouth curved upward again—revealing a smile that, compared to before, was less sharp-edged and more suicidally oblivious.
"I can tell you're far stronger than Zephyrdor. So let's have a Rating Game. If I win, Asia-san becomes my peer—mmph!!"
Before finishing that final word, a powerful hand clamped around Diodora's face like an iron vice—directly crushing his mouth into deformed compression, shattering his jaw, blood gushing forth.
"Phew~ really now... even mentioning wagers."
Bokue lifted him off the ground with one hand, tilting his face slightly upward.
"Treating people as commodities for casual trade—I'm curious who gave you that courage?"
The young man's five fingers gradually tightened, crushing Diodora's entire face into twisted deformation—nearly pulverizing his skull entirely.
"Guh... release me! Don't forget Lord Beelzebub is my...!"
All previous refined elegance completely vanished. Diodora's legs flailed wildly as garbled sounds emerged from his blood-filled mouth. His squinted eyes forced themselves wide open, pupils filled with terror of death.
He finally realized the young man before him genuinely wanted to kill him!
And could easily accomplish it!
However, Bokue merely exhaled one calm phrase.
"He dares come, I'll cut him down too."
Without another word, magnetic field radiance flashed from the young man's hand. An invisible hellblade instantly activated—in that instant, slicing the still-struggling Diodora into hundreds of pieces while simultaneously annihilating his soul completely.
<><><><><>
~ 70 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)