(Mephistopheles POV)
"Lord Ajuka." I greeted the Satan Beelzebub with a bow, "Thank you for agreeing to meet me on such short notice. I apologize for disturbing you."
Ajuka Beelzebub stopped his tinkering and spun around from his desk, looking up at me.
"Mephisto, you've known me since my childhood. You mentored me throughout the war. You can just call me Ajuka. Is there really a need for such formality between us?"
"If you insist, Ajuka."
"There, much better." He smiled bewitchingly, brushing aside his lime green hair as he rested his face on his hand, looking listless as ever, "You're here about the DevilNet, aren't you?"
There was a carefully cultivated aura of mystery around him, helped along, no doubt, by his vast intelligence. Something about how having a mysterious atmosphere was cool and devilish, like a last boss or an eminence in the shadows.
He may be grown now, but with how he acts, in my eyes, he still looks like the young boy who came to me seeking guidance all those centuries ago. Though, I am not fool enough to mistake whimsy for naivete. To have seen through my visit and broached it so openly, he must have something planned no doubt.
"You know me too well." I praised- he did like his praise, if I remember right.
He let out a mock sigh, like an estranged wife.
"You never visit me without reason. I almost feel forgotten~"
"I simply do not wish to interfere with your duties as Satan." I replied diplomatically.
"Aw~ you're no fun." He spun around in his chair, grabbed a sheaf of papers.
"One of my subordinates reported it to me because it had my name on it." He flipped through the papers, "AjukaNet. Ajuka Module. Ajuka Browser. Beelzebrowse. The list goes on. Very thorough."
"They see real potential in their venture." I replied, pulling in a spare chair to sit down down opposite him.
"And a threat to your telephone service." Ajuka smiled knowingly, "I told you someone would come up with something new if you didn't stop scalping them."
"This is on an entirely different scale. Their chatroom-" He cut me off.
"Is that all you think they are doing?" He asked, "Here, take a look."
He handed me a sheet with key terms circled in red, with notes besides them.
"Faustian Bargain – An online marketplace? But no one trust anyone to buy things online. Its filled with scams." I pointed out and he laughed.
"In the human world maybe. But here, enforced with magically binding devil contracts…" He didn't need to say more.
My breath hitched as a whole new world was revealed to me, my hands clamming up at the thought.
How did I not realize this?
"This is dangerous." I muttered.
"That isn't even the half of it. Their plans are far, far grander in scale than just that." Ajuka said, twirling a pen in his hand, "This will reshape the world as we know it, if it works that is. Rigal Phenex has outdone himself."
"It wasn't Rigal." I clarified.
"The way you said that, I'm guessing it's not Ruval either. Riser Phenex? But he's only ten. Curious, smart boy, yes, and very perceptive but nothing out of the ordinary. Some of the blueprints here would take years of research."
"Not for Ajuka Beelzebub." I replied.
"Yes, but-" The realization seemed to dawn on him, "Is he?"
"I fear so." I fueled his suspicion, "And clever too, to be able to hide it for so long."
Ajuka, however, seemed impressed rather than worried.
"I suppose you want me to take control of this venture, in the name of state security." Ajuka firmly guessed my line of thought, but that was to be expected.
"There is a clause in the law-"
"I know the law, Mephisto. I wrote it." Ajuka stopped me, "I will not be applying it. The political fallout from such an action would be catastrophic."
"Not if we split the profits evenly between the noble houses." I suggested.
"House Phenex is a noble house." He pointed out, "And we Satans must appear neutral, at the very least."
He must be worried about house Astaroth then. Everyone knows how they have abused his position to gain power and influence. If he acts unfairly here, the noble houses already displeased with them will have all the ammo to bring them down.
Then…
"I heard you were working on a computer. Perhaps, we can cut them in line for it and share the profits."
"Their copyrights are sufficiently different and more advanced than mine. All I can offer is Prior Use. Even then, will you be able to upgrade them in time to match their production? That is not even counting their distribution system and signal towers. You won't be able to match that bandwidth with the UTL." He carefully shot down every idea I had until there was nothing left except one last move.
"Unless you help me." I offered, "For a price, of course. I heard you helped Lord Phenex in a little power play recently. Say, double that off the war debt? Some extra provisions on foreign relations? What do you think?"
"You cannot seriously be comparing a guest appearance at a child's birthday with seizing the means of communication for the Underworld." Ajuka chuckled but there was a sternness to his voice now.
"That much power, in the hands of a noble house is not safe." I argued. I cannot simply let them get away with it.
"House Sitri owns a majority of the Underworld's hospitals. House Bael has a personal army twice the size of the rest of the houses combined. Don't think I don't know what you do with all the calls you transfer. The Underworld's greatest intelligence network. I wonder how the noble houses will see it once they learn of it? I believe they will say, what did you call it? Too much power.
Yet either Sirzechs or I can demolish all of these in a night. So long as we exist, there is no such thing as a house having 'too much power'.
As for Riser Phenex and his intelligence, he is not a Super Devil. No matter how hard they try, that is a gulf that cannot be crossed with mere contracts. And talents must be nurtured, for the Underworld to prosper.
I will not move against house Phenex on this issue." He warned, "And neither will you."
I sunk into my seat, and slumped, rubbing my thumb nervously over my forefinger, as I contemplated another argument, something, anything to make him see.
Should I reveal the Longinus? Or Sairaorg Bael? No. That is my last ploy. The only blackmail I have that is ought to work.
Then- it struck me. A vengeful thought. To match pettiness with pettiness.
"There is no way for us to corner them now, conventionally or without state interference, except this." I showed him the paperwork he had handed me, pointing to a certain entry, "If we want an in on this project, we can only try riding along on their own rails. And demolishing them before the train arrives."
"An operating system?" It clicked to him as soon as I spoke.
"Yes. That could work. It will be incomplete, just as are my computer designs. I got sidetracked with a few ideas and did not realize there were others who would try getting their foot in on this side of the business so soon. It was why I wasn't able to copyright the personal computer like they did." He explained, "Now, it is too late. But there is one thing they haven't completed yet.
Operating systems take time to develop. As do search engines. If they are pursuing development with Golden Dawn, it will take them at least a year to come out with a finished product."
He understood my intent perfectly.
I smiled, wide and filled with cunning.
"Grauzauberer can do it faster."
We can simply undercut them in terms of their operating system and hold the release for ransom. We don't need to be better than them, just faster.
With the Prior Use clause for Ajuka's half-finished computers, a shoddily made, rushed out operating system, and the horrible bandwidth of the UTL, we can outmatch them in the run to the market and poison consumer trust against all products in this line.
Once people spend their money on a faulty product like that, they will never trust another product in the same line of technology again.
The threat of destroying their market before it is even created. A truly diabolical move, fitting for a devil.
If I can't have it, neither can you. Mutually assured destruction.
They will do anything to avoid that after all of their investment in this. At that point we can simply leverage that threat for a stake in their venture.
"Fine." Ajuka sighed, and I looked up at him with surprise. I didn't expect him to agree so easily.
"Don't look at me like that. I will help you this once, for old times' sake." He slipped out a sheet of paper from his desk and handed it to me. His computer designs. And mixed with them were the beginnings of an operating system as well as the bare minimum of instructions.
"Ajuka…" I bowed deeply, "Thank you."
This was not an idea he had come up with on a whim. To have this much work prepared, he must have anticipated the conversation entirely in advance, every word, every thought I could have, every move I could make. He was simply waiting for me to come to the conclusion on my own, like a shepherd guiding sheep.
As terrifying as always, this student of mine.
"You are certainly not welcome to try that again." He joked, but I got the message. There will be no next time with this sort of favour.
Nevertheless, it was worth it. With this threat and Sairaorg's secret, they will have to surrender a piece of the pie to me, and I like to take big bites.
Just then, Tannin walked into the office, carrying his own severed arm and looking around confused as he took in the surroundings.
"You have some strong wards around here. I had to teleport outside and walk in." He noted, before bowing to the both of us in greeting.
"Lord Mephisto, Lord Ajuka."
"Back so soon?" I asked subtly, "And what happened to your arm?"
"Riser Phenex happened. Clever boy, just as you said, Lord Mephisto. Strong too. Managed to take my arm before I did him in." He spoke casually but his words sent a chill down my spine as Ajuka's demonic power burst out, suffocating the room.
"Mephistopheles." The wrath in his voice terrified me to my core.
"I- sent- He was a spy." I stuttered out under the pressure, my heart nearly stopped, crushed under his power, "Not an assassin."
The pressure disappeared in an instant as he turned to Tannin.
"Satans dammit Tannin. Mind your phrasing." I shouted, glaring at him with all my hate.
"Gahahaha! I apologize. It has been a while since I had this much fun fighting a weaker opponent. I lost control of my tongue." Tannin laughed jovially.
"Explain." I growled, and he began to recap his experience with Riser Phenex.
"Ultimate Class at just ten years old." I turned to Ajuka, "And you were underestimating him."
"He was merely High Class when I met him, just about three months ago." Ajuka recalled.
From High Class to low Ultimate Class in just three months? This level of growth was terrifying in its own right.
"How did he get so strong so fast? Did he get a sacred gear to compensate? Flame Shake perhaps?" Ajuka asked.
Tannin shook his head.
"Didn't feel like a sacred gear." He said, "The boy was trained, by those East Youkai hooligans. His body was chiselled like a warrior's. That is something I respect. He is a hardworking boy. Those black flames of his were very powerful too. If this defeat does not break him, I see a bright future ahead of him."
"He might just come to match you, Ajuka." I reiterated, just to nail in the idea, "Or if not, then at least Serafall Sitri or Falbium Asmodeus."
Ajuka finally relented.
"I suppose he is a person of interest." He said, but warned, "But I would not rush to name a child a threat in such haste. If I ever find out you were 'spying'-" The air quotes on that word made his intentions plenty clear as he gave a look towards Tannin, "-on him again, there will be consequences, Mephisto."
I gulped as the pressure returned again for just a brief moment before it disappeared.
"The underworld needs all the talents it can get. I will not have you jeopardize his growth again. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Lord Ajuka." I return to my polite tone and this time he did not correct me.
Just then, Tannin butt in with a request.
"Lord Mephisto, I ran out of Phenex Tears. Could I borrow one from you?" He wiggled his severed arm and for a moment I had the unwise urge to shove it up him, where the sun didn't shine.
But he is a valuable subordinate. Yes, happy thoughts. Happy thoughts.
I took one out and threw it at him.
"Go home and recover." I stood up and bowed again, "I bid you farewell, Lord Ajuka. Thank you for your time and assistance."
And somewhere deep in his eyes, I could see him hurt from that. It hurt me too, though I would never admit. Perhaps I should visit him more often, lest this bond be broken beyond repair.
Yes, let's do that.
As for Riser Phenex, let him grow. There was no other choice left for me now. If he can be controlled, good.
If not... perhaps, after a time has passed, and this incident has faded from memory, Riser Phenex might just find himself on the wrong end of a light spear some random day.
Yes. I hear Kokabiel is looking for support in some 'land acquisition'. He might just end up getting it sooner than expected.
I smiled, storing away the documents from Ajuka as I teleported to Grauzauberer. Time to brew some digital poison.
...........
Mephisto used Plot. It was not effective.
Ajuka used Good Intentions. Mephisto is down.
Next time, MC recovers, and we Cleria Belial, and Lavinia Reni.
Till then, thanks for reading.
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