The morning of the gathering finally arrived.
Elias stood in the center of the mansion's living room, adjusting the collar of his sharp, formal suit.
He looked over at the couch. Dee was sitting comfortably on the cushions, holding a video game controller.
Kunou and Asia were sitting right next to her, looking very excited to play.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Dee?"
Elias asked.
Dee paused her game and shook her head, giving him her sweet, endless smile.
"I am sure,"
Dee said happily.
"Fancy Devil parties are too boring for me. Besides, Kunou and Asia want to play games today. I am going to stay right here and protect them. You go have fun, Eli."
"We will be okay, Elias-san!"
Asia smiled sweetly, waving her hand.
Elias nodded and gave them a warm smile.
He knew they were perfectly safe with Dee guarding the house.
Just then, Xenovia walked down the hallway carrying a heavy wooden training sword.
She was already sweating lightly.
"I am staying behind as well, Elias,"
Xenovia announced with a determined spark in her eyes.
"Since Irina is officially staying in Kuoh as the Angel faction representative, we decided to train together. We are going to spar all weekend. I need to get much stronger to keep up with your blood."
"Don't break the backyard while we are gone,"
Elias chuckled.
Rias walked into the room, looking absolutely stunning in a beautiful, elegant red evening gown.
Behind her stood Koneko, Gasper, Yuki, and Seiko. They were all dressed perfectly for a high-class party.
"Is everyone ready?"
Rias asked, her blue eyes shining with excitement.
"We are ready,"
Yuki smiled, smoothing out her lovely blue dress.
Rias raised her hand. A massive, glowing crimson magic circle appeared on the floor beneath their feet.
"Next stop, the Underworld,"
Rias said.
With a blinding flash of red light, Elias, Rias, Koneko, Gasper, Yuki, and Seiko vanished from the human world.
When Elias opened his eyes, the world had completely changed.
They were standing outside a massive, ancient castle.
The sky above them wasn't blue; it was a strange, glowing purple color, stretching endlessly over the dark mountains of the Underworld.
They walked up the grand stone stairs and pushed open the giant golden doors.
The Young Devil Gathering was incredibly grand.
The main hall was larger than a football field.
Giant crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, glowing with bright, warm magic.
Long tables were filled with the most expensive, delicious food imaginable.
Hundreds of young Devils from noble families were walking around, wearing sparkling dresses and sharp suits.
But the very second Elias and Rias stepped inside the grand hall, the soft classical music seemed to stop.
The entire room went completely quiet.
Every single young Devil stopped talking.
They all turned their heads and stared directly at the front doors.
All eyes were completely focused on Elias and Rias.
Loud, nervous whispers quickly filled the giant room.
"Is that him?"
A young Devil whispered from behind a glass of wine.
"Yes. That is Elias Thorne,"
Another replied, their voice full of shock and deep respect.
"He is the devil who completely crushed Riser Phenex in the duel. I heard he didn't even break a sweat."
"He doesn't look like a monster,"
A young noble girl whispered to her friend.
"But you can feel his energy. It is incredibly heavy."
Yuki looked around at the staring crowd.
"Everyone is staring right at Elias,"
Yuki whispered quietly.
Seiko crossed her arms and smirked, looking very proud of her friend.
"Well, of course they are staring,"
Seiko chuckled softly.
"He completely beat up a high-class noble, Elias. You showed everyone that Rias belongs to you. You are incredibly famous down here now."
Rias stood tall and elegant.
She wasn't nervous at all. She gently wrapped her arm around Elias's arm and held onto him proudly.
"Just ignore the whispers,"
Rias said to him, a bright, confident smile on her beautiful face.
"You earned their respect. You are my fiance. Come on, let's go enjoy the party."
As Elias and Rias walked deeper into the grand hall, the soft classical music slowly started playing again.
The nervous whispers faded, and the young Devils finally found the courage to approach them.
One by one, young heirs and nobles walked up to introduce themselves.
They wanted to say hello to the beautiful Rias Gremory and the famous Elias who had defeated Riser Phenex.
Elias was very polite. He shook their hands, listened carefully, and remembered their names.
He was calm and confident, easily making strong, new connections for their future in the Underworld.
But as he talked to the nobles, someone new walked into the room.
The crowd naturally stepped aside to make way for him.
He was a tall, very muscular young man with short, dark hair and bright purple eyes.
Unlike the other nobles who hid behind fancy wine glasses and polite smiles, this young man had the intense, heavy energy of a true warrior.
He walked straight toward Elias and Rias with a big, friendly smile.
"Rias!"
The young man called out cheerfully.
"Sairaorg,"
Rias smiled back warmly. She stepped forward and gave him a brief, happy hug. Then, she turned to Elias.
"Elias,"
Rias said softly.
"I want you to meet my cousin. This is Sairaorg Bael."
Sairaorg looked at Elias closely. His purple eyes were sharp, but they were full of honest respect. He held out his large, rough hand.
"So, you are the man everyone in the Underworld is talking about,"
Sairaorg said, his voice deep and strong.
Elias reached out and shook his hand.
Sairaorg had a very firm, powerful grip, but Elias's grip was just as strong.
"It is nice to meet you, Sairaorg,"
Elias answered simply.
"The pleasure is all mine,"
Sairaorg laughed, genuinely happy to meet him.
"I was watching the live broadcast of your duel against Riser. Every single minute of it. You were absolutely amazing."
"Thank you,"
Elias nodded calmly.
"You didn't just rely on cheap tricks or basic magic,"
Sairaorg continued, his eyes shining with pure excitement.
"You used raw, overwhelming strength and perfect combat skills. You completely broke Riser's pride with your own two hands. I really respect that kind of power."
Elias looked at him with interest. He could easily tell that Sairaorg was very different from the other Devils in this room.
Sairaorg didn't care about sneaky politics or fancy titles.
He was a fighter who respected true strength.
Sairaorg leaned in a little closer, a huge, excited grin on his face.
"Seeing you fight made my blood boil,"
Sairaorg admitted honestly.
"I really want to fight you. Not here in a fancy party, but in an official Rating Game. I want us to go all out, just you and me, giving it our absolute best to see who is truly stronger."
Elias smirked slightly. He really liked Sairaorg's straightforward attitude.
"That sounds like a lot of fun,"
Elias answered, his dark eyes sparking with a quiet challenge.
"I would like to fight you, too, Sairaorg. But you better train very hard before that day comes."
Sairaorg threw his head back and laughed a booming, happy laugh.
"Oh, I will!"
Sairaorg promised loudly.
"I will be waiting for our match!"
From a high balcony above the grand hall, Diodora Astaroth watched the happy group.
He held a glass of wine and wore a polite, handsome smile.
Whenever a noble walked by, he bowed gracefully.
To everyone in the room, he looked like the perfect, polite heir to the Astaroth family.
No one could see the ugly thoughts brewing inside his mind.
"Laugh while you can,"
Diodora whispered quietly into his glass, his eyes completely cold.
"Your happy days are almost over."
Down on the main floor, a loud, cheerful bell rang through the hall.
An announcer with a magical microphone called out to the crowd.
"Attention, everyone! The friendly Young Devil Tournament is about to begin! All young heirs who wish to test their skills, please step into the magical arena!"
Sairaorg looked at Elias and chuckled deeply.
"Are you going to join the games, Elias?"
Sairaorg asked.
Elias shook his head. His face was completely calm.
"No,"
Elias answered simply.
"I don't see any reason to. I don't need to show off my power to a crowd."
Sairaorg smiled widely and crossed his thick, muscular arms.
"I agree,"
Sairaorg nodded.
"I think I will sit out today, too."
Rias looked at her cousin with surprise.
"Really, Sairaorg? But you love to fight,"
Rias pointed out.
"I do,"
Sairaorg laughed.
"But let's be honest. If Elias and I both step into that arena, no other young Devil would dare to participate. They would be too scared to even try. We would completely ruin the fun for everyone else."
Rias giggled.
"You two are very confident. But you are probably right."
They walked over to the edge of the large indoor arena to watch the games.
The crowd was cheering loudly. Two young nobles stepped into the center, getting ready to cast their magic.
But then, something felt very wrong.
The bright crystal chandeliers above them suddenly flickered.
The warm, golden light turned into a sickly, dark purple.
*BOOM!*
A massive, violent explosion shook the entire castle.
The heavy stone doors of the grand hall were blasted completely off their hinges.
Thick, black smoke poured into the beautiful room.
The cheering stopped instantly. The young Devils started screaming in panic.
Dozens of tall figures wearing dark cloaks marched into the room.
They moved quickly, completely surrounding the grand hall and blocking every single exit. Dark, heavy magic rolled off their bodies.
"What is going on?!"
A young noble yelled, stepping back in fear.
A man at the front of the dark group stepped forward.
He raised his hands, and his cruel voice echoed through the room.
"Do not bother trying to run!"
The cloaked man announced loudly.
"We are the Old Satan Faction!"
The crowd gasped. Rias's eyes went wide with shock.
"You weak, peaceful Devils have ruined the Underworld for too long,"
The cloaked man snarled, pointing a dark glowing finger at the terrified crowd.
"We are taking our home back. Tonight, we eliminate the New Satan Faction! None of you young heirs are leaving this room alive!"
The young nobles began to panic, crying and hugging each other.
Sairaorg narrowed his purple eyes.
His friendly smile was completely gone, replaced by a fierce, heavy anger.
Elias stood perfectly still next to Rias.
His cold, dark eyes locked onto the enemies.
The party was officially over.
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