chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own HighSchool DxD.

Chapter XVII – For Every Action, There Is A Reaction

The current state of the Underworld could only be described by two words: utter chaos.

It had been a few hours since the Gremory reception of the supposed wedding between Rias and Riser that ended in disaster with Riser literally being blown to a bloody puddle.

Not only that, but also Sirzechs Lucifer, widely regarded as the most powerful devil alive, was severely injured when he was blown through the mansion and beyond.

One might ask, who was powerful enough to singlehandedly obliterate a fully powered Phenex, and and cripple the Devil King. Whoever was responsible was surely a force to be reckoned with.

But it wasn't another devil, it wasn't an angel, it wasn't a fallen angel, in fact, it wasn't even a supernatural being that did those things. It was something completely and utterly unexpected.

It was a human that did it.

A human that laid bare an incredible amount of power and displayed unbelievable strength when with just one punch each, he destroyed Riser Phenex when he challenged him and injured the Devil King to the point where he had to be bed ridden.

Needless to say, every devil there was frightened by the show of brute strength especially when one of their leaders was put down before their very eyes.

"Clearly, this is an unexpected turn of events." A handsome young man with light blue eyes and slicked back green hair said. This was Ajuka Beezlebub, one of the Four Great Satans and chief adviser for the Technology Department.

This was an emergency meeting called upon by the Satans because of what happened earlier. And this included some Lords of some clans like the Sitri, Gremory, Bael, and the Phenex.

Ajuka was busy doing his hobby which is tinkering until he got the news that Sirzechs was severely injured. He dropped everything and went straight for his friend's location.

"Normally, I'd just be lazing around. But this is extremely serious." A bald man with a goatee said. This was Falbium Asmodeus, the Maou in charge of the Military.

When had heard what happened and he had to check his sense of hearing and jumpstart his mind. Falbium was rarely surprised, but to hear that Riser Phenex's body had been destroyed and Sirzechs severely injured by a human shocked him.

Suffice to say, he actually got off his lazy ass to attend the emergency meeting.

"But how did this happen?" A beautiful young woman with long black hair tied into twin tails and violet eyes. She also wears, as unusual as it is, a magical girl outfit. This was Serafall Leviathan, the Maou in charge of Foreign Affairs.

Normally, she was very cheerful and childlike, but not at this time. Hearing that her fellow Maou was hurt was reason enough to require her presence, but what really made her go was because her sister was also there.

Leviathan loved her sister to death and hearing that she was there really made her worry. What if whoever attacked Sirzechs turned his attention towards her little sister? She couldn't bear the thought of Sona getting hurt.

Serafall looked over to the Gremory patriarch who looked absolutely distraught despite his best attempts to hide it behind her stoic mask. "How is Sirzechs doing?" She asked worriedly and all the Maous and Lords looked at the Zeoticus for the answer.

He gave a shaky sigh. "Sirzechs had his ribcage crushed, his spine almost broken, a broken neck, a cracked skull, numerous bones snapped, many of his internal organs have been damaged...I have never seen him in such a state."

It was painful for a father to look at his son's life hanging in the balance, but he kept strong for his family.

Everyone looked at Zeoticus in sympathy.

Serafall nodded. "I really hope Sirzechs get better."

Ajuka hummed in agreement. "As do we all. But now, on to more pressing matters." At that, everyone in attendance grew very serious. "How did this happen and how could a human harm one of the four Maous?" He asked.

Even he could hardly believe it. Sure, it was not impossible, but how in the seven levels of hell did a human did so much damage to Sirzechs?

"It all seems farfetched." Falbium muttered. "But we all saw the evidence. Riser Phenex's body had been obliterated and Sirzechs Lucifer is in intensive care for numerous grave injuries."

Lord Phenex clenched his fists but calmed himself down. Sure his son may have been an asshole and had wanted to beat some sense into him, but he didn't want to see his son be reduced like that.

Worse, his wife and daughter had seen it all happen. Lady Phenex loved her children deeply; seeing one of them get killed was devastating.

Sure, a Phenex could regenerate, maybe even reform. But the pain will remain.

He had half a mind to seek revenge on that human for what he did to his son, but he knew it would be suicide.

"That may be, but how can a human be that strong?" Lord Bael asked. "Could it be that he is a half breed?"

Falbium hummed in thought. "It is a possibility." He could not rule out that bit. If this human was that strong, he had to be descended from someone very powerful.

Ajuka nodded. "We cannot rule that out, but we need to be sure of this."

Claudius cleared his throat and everyone looked at him for his input. "I think my youngest daughter may have an answer for that."

Everyone looked at him with surprise in their eyes but Serafall was looking at her father with shock at what he just said. "W-What? Sona knows him? How?"

A millions things ran through her mind. How can her baby sister have the answers to this?!

"Even I don't know how or why." Claudius sighed, also thinking how his daughter knew the extremely powerful human. "But...she reacted strangely. When Sirzechs had agreed summon the human, Sona was adamantly against it. She also said that she wasn't worried about his well being, she was worried about what he will do."

Zeoticus nodded and decided to share his own piece. "My daughter also displayed some familiarity the human. It looked like she knew of him like Sona otherwise she wouldn't look so...afraid of him...at least not until now."

The devils pondered over this. "That...raises questions." Ajuka said.

"Indeed, but we can't exactly call Rias here, she's with her family. So that just leaves Sona." Serafall sighed. She was worried to death and wanted to know what her little sister has to say.

Falbium grunted his approval. "We don't have much of a choice. If young Sona has answers to these damned questions, then so be it." He wanted to know just what the hell they were dealing with here.

The other devils nodded their consent, though Serafall was reluctant to do so, and Ajuka called one of the servants. "Please summon Lady Sona Sitri here and tell her to make haste."

"At once, my lord." The servant bowed and went to do her duty.

In a separate room, Sona Sitri and her peerage were located. All was quiet and no one moved a muscle, the shock of what happened hours before were still fresh in their mind.

Hell, it was ingrained into the minds of every devil in attendance and soon enough, every last one of their race would know.

They may appear to be calm on the outside but they were in turmoil on the inside. It was just like what Saji said earlier, holy fucking shit.

Today they bore witness to another glimpse of Kyuren's might. And they were rattled to the bone.

Kyuren had destroyed Riser Phenex in just one move. One attack, one simple punch, that's all it took. And that same punch almost brought an entire arena down without him even touching it!

It was...fear inducing because he was far stronger than any of them combined...times a thousand. And the scary part was that was pure physical strength; no magic, no fancy spells, just his strength.

And just when things couldn't get any worse, the raven haired teen did the unthinkable. He attacked Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the Four Mous and arguably the strongest devil alive, and severely injured him.

That sent a cold shiver down their spines. Sirzechs was one of the most powerful devils along with the other Maous. Their power was even greater than the previous devil kings.

To see the raven haired teen take down a Maou with such ease was...terrifying.

He may be a friend to them, but they couldn't help to feel fear gripping their hearts after seeing what Kyuren could and would do if pissed off.

Whatever higher power was out there help them if the time came when Kyuren turned against them.

Sona shared the same feelings with her peerage but she was distraught about something else. She couldn't help but feel guilt and regret.

The Sitri heiress may not admit it openly but Kyuren was a friend to her, a close friend. He was her partner and equal, and a fellow student of Kuoh.

And as such, she felt that it was her responsibility as a friend and the Student Council President to look out for him, and watch his back.

A responsibility that she felt she failed in.

She didn't know why but when he brushed past her without sparing her a glance...it stung a little. Sona had experience with being brushed away before and she took those in stride...so why did this affect her so?

When Sona proposed her ideas for a Rating Game School, the elders laughed in her face. It stung her pride, but she stood strong. So why did she felt this way when Kyuren ignored her?

Regardless of what that was, she knew that Kyuren was displeased with her...with all of them.

Part of her was telling her that this wasn't her fault. How could she have known that Riser and Sirzechs would bring the most powerful human she has ever known to the Underworld?

The blame rested on them and not on the Sitri Heiress.

But it didn't ease her conscience in the slightest. 'Kyuren deserves an apology.' She thought to herself. If it was for nothing else, at least it would put her conscience at rest.

That is, if he accepts.

Now, comes the hard and complicated part, the fallout of his actions. The Sitri Heiress gained a concerned scowl. No doubt this was already spreading like wildfire in the Underworld.

A human severely injuring one of the Four Maous will definitely turn a lot of heads. And it wouldn't be long before the other Factions and races get wind of this.

Sona knew that there was an emergency meeting going on and was fidgeting. There were many things that could happen but there was a possibility that they may send numerous devils to either subdue or eliminate Kyuren.

If they did that then the only outcome was more bloodshed before they could get to him...she didn't want to think about how many will fall before his fury.

It was like sending the cattle to the slaughter.

She didn't want that to happen because she knew that Kyuren would not hesitate to tear them apart. She needed to convince the Maous otherwise before they send their soldiers to their deaths.

But how?

Just then, there was a knock on the door and everyone was snapped from their thoughts, a welcome distraction.

Sona briefly wondered who it could be before she cleared her throat. "Come in." She called out and the door opened to reveal a servant.

The servant bowed to Sona. "Excuse me my lady, but the Devil Kings request your presence regarding the...human." She said, her tone slightly wavering.

In hindsight, the Sitri heiress expected this to happen and she knew her father would have been the one who suggested it. She had implied that she knew him.

Standing up from the chair, she nodded at the servant. "Thank you, I'll be there shortly." With that,the servant nodded and exited the room. "Tsubaki, I leave everything to you for the moment. I'll return shortly."

Tsubaki seemed to protest but all she could do was nod. In all fairness, she was still in shock as was the rest on them and couldn't even speak for the moment.

Sona looked at her peerage in sympathy, understanding that this was a lot to take in. They needed time to collect their thoughts, even she needed time to calm herself. But first, she must report to the Maous before she could rethink everything...and hope that Kyuren was willing to talk to her when they next meet.

Without another word, the Sitri heiress left the room to tell what she knows.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Enter." Ajuka called over the door.

The door opened and came in Sona who bowed in respect. "I have come as per your request, my lords and lady." She said and could only hope that-

"Hi, Sona!" Serafall chirped happily, waving her hands at her baby sister.

Serafall doesn't do that. The Sitri heiress' left eye twitched in annoyance but otherwise kept a straight face.

"Moving on. Thank you for coming here, Sona, and I assume that you already know the reason for us summoning you here." Falbium stated more than asked.

"Yes." Sona nodded. "I will tell you what I know of Kyuren." They all nodded, getting serious about this. Even Serafall lost her cheerful smile and opted for a serious expression.

"Then how is it that you know him?" Lord Bael asked.

"Kyuren is transfer student from NTNU to Kuoh Academy. Naturally, as Student Council President, it is my duty to know who this new student is."

Falbium leaned forward. "What can you tell us about him?"

Sona gave a mental sigh. "In his time at NTNU, he was considered one of the top students there, meaning he is incredibly intelligent. He was also the captain of their martial arts club and was undefeated in several competitions suggesting that he is a formidable combatant."

She then proceeded to tell than how the raven haired teen was unpredictable, that he abides by his own set of rules...very flexible rules. And his apparent merciless attitude and ruthlessness when it comes down to it.

Not only that, but she also told him about his "the ends justify the means" mentality. Evidenced when he suggested to her to threaten the clan elders of a possible invasion or uprising and that reincarnated devils were the only things standing between them and death to get progress on her school starting

Mind you, this was all based on Sona's assumptions.

That troubled the Maous because this human wasn't just immensely strong, but also had brains and was an accomplished fighter. Not only that, but he was also more than willing to do horrible things to accomplish a goal.

It was a very very very deadly combination.

Falbium could respect that kind of mentality. As the Maou in charge of the military, he respected the quality of doing what needed to be done. Make the hard choices that most wouldn't do.

It wasn't helping the case. What Sona said implied to him that Kyuren was willing to do just about anything for whatever goal he had in mind. And Falbium knew what anything means firsthand.

But he also wondered why someone as young as him have such a mentality. That Kyuren couldn't have been more than twenty years old, maybe younger.

What could have possibly happened for him to be that way?

Ajuka's scowl deepened. 'This human is becoming more dangerous the more I find out about him.' He thought to himself. Make no mistake, he was already making plans on how to deal with this human but it will take time.

This Kyuren was an anomaly. Something that Ajuka would have never expected to just show up out of the blue. He was a threat and Ajuka had ample reason to believe he is. But even he couldn't deny that he was curious about this human.

And like Falbium, he also wondered what kind of event could force Kyuren to such extremes.

Serafall was just worried as well as her father and Zeoticus. With everything that she had heard from her baby sister, this Kyuren was a force not to be taken lightly even for a single second.

How could her sister be so clam about all of this? Didn't she realize how close she was to a monster?! What if something happened to her and Serafall wasn't there to protect her?!

"How strong is he?" Lord Phenex asked, wanting to know just how powerful his son's destroyer was. And if it was possible to retaliate.

"In all honesty, I do not know. But he has shown incredible feats of strength that should have been impossible for a normal human. An example would be that he almost crushed the Boosted Gear with relative ease."

What Sona said made the devil lords recoil in surprise. "How is this possible? How could a human be so powerful?" Zeoticus asked.

Sona shook her head. "I do not know. Kyuren seems reluctant in revealing the true nature of his power, but he said that it was through hellish training."

Ajuka and Falbium scowled. Hellish training could mean anything. "That's not a good enough answer. There is absolutely no way that can be true."

Sona sighed. "Until the time comes he reveals it, that's the answer we have to stick with."

For several minutes, the devil lords asked Sona what else she knew about Kyuren. Anything useful that could be used against him. But they got far less than they should because what Sona gave them were mundane things.

That and she was not going to betray her partner's trust.

"Now we have to decide what course of action we will take." Ajuka stated. "Judging from what Sona Sitri has given us, Kyuren is incredibly powerful and dangerous."

"I suggest we eliminate him." Lord Bael said without hesitation. "It's the safest and surest way we can resolve this. Not to mention that he severely injured Sirzechs and destroyed Riser Phenex."

Falbium nodded. "Yes, but it would be a shame for him to go to waste. Having someone like Kyuren on our side would be an invaluable addition to our ranks."

It was true. Though the thought of killing the human was dancing in his mind, the Maou couldn't deny that Kyuren could be a valuable asset in the future.

Ajuka shook his head. "I don't think so, Falbium. Lord Gremory told me that Sirzechs had tried to recruit him but before he could finish, the human attacked him. I think the safest course of action is to eliminate him."

The others seemed to agree, although some were reluctant like Serafall and Lord Sitri. But one was adamantly against the decision.

It was as Sona feared. They were going after him. They didn't know what they were getting into! 'Dammit. Quick, Sona, the lives of countless devils hangs in the balance. You need to convince them otherwise.'

"No, you mustn't do that." She said and caught the others attention.

Claudius sighed. "I know you don't like it, Sona. Even I don't like it, but it has to be done."

Sona shook her head. "No, what you're doing is only sending our soldiers to their deaths."

"And why is that?" Lord Bael raised a brow, challenging the Sitri heiress to give them a reason why should they let the human live.

"Look at what he has done. He destroyed Riser's body, and brought Sirzechs to his knees. If the Devil King was felled by only one of his attacks what makes you think that our soldiers would fare any better."

"You overestimate him, Sona." Falbium noted.

The Sitri heiress shook her head. "I'm not overestimating him, you underestimate him. We don't know how truly powerful he is. If you actually manage eliminate him, how many devils should fall by his hands until that happens?"

The devils contemplated on her words. It was true, they didn't know jack shit about how powerful Kyuren is. The only proof they had was the footage of him punching Sirzechs from the mansion and that alone spoke volumes of his power.

Still, that only gives them a vague interpretation because the raven haired teen seemed like he wasn't even putting any effort into it.

"And what do you suggest we do, Lady Sona? Should we just let him go unsupervised? Leave the, quite possibly, most powerful human alive to run free after what he did?" Ajuka asked, curious to what the Sitri heiress had in mind.

"Let me keep an eye on him." Sona said and would've continued before her sister bolted up.

"Absolutely not!" Leviathan shouted in disagreement. "There's no way I'll let you near him. What if you get hurt?"

"Lady Leviathan is right, my daughter." Claudius nodded. "With everything you just said, this Kyuren is extremely dangerous and you might get hurt." He said in a firm but worried tone.

He knew her daughter was headstrong and very stubborn, but this was not one of those things he could look away from. This was his daughter's safety they were talking about.

Ajuka and Falbium looked at each other with raised their brows before turning their attention back to Sona, interested.

"I understand your concerns, he is only dangerous if we make him to be." Sona reasoned. "The only reason why he attacked Riser and Sirzechs is because they abducted him and basically forced him to fight Riser. Any one of us would have been very angry if it were to happen to us."

Well, the Sitri heiress did have a point there. If that were to happen to them, they would have been very much displeased like Kyuren.

"You make your point clearly, Sona. But that still doesn't excuse what he did. And what you're suggesting is dangerous for you. What makes you think he won't lash out?" Ajuka asked.

"I don't." Sona replied honestly. She didn't how her partner will react, but he definitely won't lash out at her...hopefully. "But I'm the least likely to be killed doing so."

Claudius wanted to protest on his daughters words, but he couldn't deny the sliver of truth in them. He saw his daughter stand before the human and she was able to calm him enough for him to leave.

She stood in his way and the Sitri Lord thought that Sona would've been killed but Kyuren didn't lay a finger on her, just moved past her.

What was going on? Why was his daughter going out of her way to defend the human? He looked at her and through his eyes, Claudius told her that she had a lot of explaining to do.

To which Sona reluctantly nodded.

After much deliberation, the devil kings and lord have come to a decision.

"All right, Sona. We'll leave him be but you will have to keep an eye on him and keep him in check." Falbium stated. "You are to report anything you find out regarding him and if possible, find out how strong he truly is. I can't stress how delicate this situation is for us."

Sona sighed in relief. Even though she revealed a bit about Kyuren, it was a small price to pay compared to him rampaging. "I will." With that, she was dismissed.

Claudius and Serafall excused themselves as did the rest of the lord, leaving only Ajuka and Falbium.

"This is bad, Ajuka. If the other factions hear of this, they will do whatever in their power to try and convince that human to join them."

Anyone with that kind of strength would be a very formidable enemy.

"Yes, but I think we have a head start." Falbium looked at him curiously so Ajuka elaborated. "I think young Sona is close to the human otherwise she wouldn't have volunteered to survey him for us."

Falbium nodded, getting where his fellow Maou was going. "Ah, I get it. The human is indeed powerful and would be infinitely better to have as an ally than a friend. But do you think it will work?"

Ajuka shrugged. "Only time will tell."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING, SONA?! Why are you doing this?!" Serafall exclaimed at her sister. "Do you even know what you're getting yourself into?"

The Sitri heiress glared at her sister. It was a welcome change seeing her bumbling sibling finally acting her age, but this was her business and responsibility.

"I do, Serafall. This is the middle ground I can think of."

Serafall looked unsatisfied with her answer. "But-"

"Lady Serafall, enough." Claudius' voice rang and the two turned to their father who had a very serious look on his face. "I would like to have a word with you, Sona." His tone left no room for arguments,

The two sisters winced at that. Hesitantly, Serafall obeyed her father's command and left.

"I want a straight answer, Sona. Why do you defend the human so?" The Sitri Lord asked.

"Because it is the right thing to do." She said resolutely. "As the Student Council President, I am responsible for my fellow students...and he is a friend."

"A friend he may be, but he is still dangerous. Do you not fear for your own safety? You said it yourself, this Kyuren would not hesitate to do questionable things. What if he..." He left it hanging in the air.

Sona glared hard at her father, knowing what he was getting at. "Father. He is not that kind of man." She said with a growl. She knew her father was just looking out for her, but dammit he didn't have to imply that her partner was a rapist!

"I didn't mean it that way." Claudius realized his poor choice of words and apologized. "But you cannot blame me for worrying."

Though she was still miffed, the Sitri heiress nodded. "I know you do, but this is my responsibility."

The Sitri lord sighed before nodding himself. "All tight, but tell me this." He scowled at his daughter, knowing that this was a strong possibility with all the things he has seen.

A parent knows this after all.

Sona tilted her head. "About what?"

"Are you attracted to him?"

Her eyes widened in surprise as her whole body stiffened up. "I-I...I have to go." With that, the Sitri heiress hastily left the premises.

Claudius' scowl deepened, watching his daughter leave. That was all the answer he needed and he didn't like it.

AN:

This is how envisioned it to be. It's a no brainer that the devils would want to kill Kyuren for what he did but only Sona and those that know Kyuren know what would happen.

Before they actually managed to kill Kyuren, he will take a huge number of lives with him. Whether it be hundred, thousands, or all of them.

The devils maybe – and that's a big MAYBE – able to kill Kyuren, but he will maybe them pay in blood for it.

The only thing that Sona could think of to protect Kyuren from the Devils and the Devils from Kyuren is to volunteer to keep an eye on him.

If Serafall was a little OCC in this instead of being bubbly, keep in mind that she just found out that her sister was together in a school with someone who is very powerful and very dangerous.

It's only logical that she worries.

Also, this was only a few hours after the incident and even though the Fallen Angels and the Khaos Brigade have eyes and ears in Devil Territory, it would take time for that vital info to get there.

Another thing, about Sirzechs' injuries. He was very much unprepared because he never thought that someone would straight up attack him in his own turf. And I did say my OC was as strong as Saitama in th so...