章 401: Promises

[NOTICE! The titles 'Demonic Emperor', Fallen Emperor', and 'Holy Emperor' have been acquired!]

After the meeting had ended, and each of the Three Factions had officially become a part of Asora under Alex, the man himself was sitting in a private room in the hall while massaging his temples. While he understood the need to 'play' emperor, all Alex really wanted to do was to explore other worlds, fight strong opponents, and spend any time he wasn't doing either of those with his wives and children.

Knowing this, Rias smiled wryly at him before commenting,

"You should've figured that this was going to happen sooner or later." Alex only groaned in response, making Rias's smile widen while the rest of Alex's wives around them similarly smiled humorously.

Sun however, being the pure angel that she was, slowly started to massage the tension from Alex's shoulders to help him relax. After several seconds a sigh escaped Alex's lips as he felt some of the tension easing away, prompting him to pull Sun into his lap and say,

"You're too good to me Sun!" He then kissed the petite siren on the top of her head, making Sun's cheeks turn a shade of red as she looked away bashfully. This time it was Alex's turn to smirk as he snuggled with his adorable siren, until the door to the private room opened and Ravel stuck her head in.

"Alex, they're ready for you." His good mood from cuddling Sun evaporating on the spot, Alex put on his serious face and stood to enter the hall once more.

There he found only the the members of the Three Factions present, along with the representatives of the Youkai faction. Unlike the Underworld or Heaven, the Youkai groups were more loose and unorganized, with only a few powerful individuals to keep the order like Yasaka and Magari. As such, there wasn't a formal declaration of allegiance towards Alex like the Three Factions had done, as if Yasaka followed him then the rest would go along with her.

The only person present who didn't belong to the four groups though, was the elderly and frail looking Odin, who was sitting calmly in his seat as he waited for Alex and the rest to finish their business. While curious about the old god's intentions, Alex decided to focus on what was more important as he approached the members of the Three Factions.

"While I didn't want to do it like this, there is something that I want to address before anything else. Lord Bael, step forward." With Alex's expression darkening as he called for the current head of the house of the Great King, who approached with his second son and heir, Magdaran, and his ancestor as well as the founder of house Bael, Zekram Bael at his sides.

"To what do I owe this 'honor', your 'imperial majesty'." The lord Bael asked, his voice practically dripping with sarcasm while his eyes betrayed his silent indignation and fury. It wasn't too hard to figure out why though, as the Bael clan had been the actual rulers of the Underworld until the revelation of the 'King' Evil Piece, and the corruption that had been taking place behind the scenes. Now here he was, paying respect to a new ruler that possessed even more strength and power than he ever had, with his own defect of a son beside him.

Ignoring the fact that the man before him would kill him in less than a heartbeat if he were able to, Alex stated dryly,

"Rather than an 'honor', it would be more accurate to ask what you stand accused of." In a second the entire assembly tensed as they realized what exactly was going on, while the Lord Bael's expression darkened. Alex then continued,

"In an effort to display leniency though, I will give you one chance to confess your crimes before the Maou and other lords of the Underworld, after which your punishment may not be nearly as severe." While a very large part of him simply wanted to smash the Lord Bael's face in and call it a day(which may or may not have been his original intentions before being declared the emperor of the Three Factions), now Alex had to make a show so as to not appear like a bloodthirsty tyrant.

Of course, instead of heeding Alex's leniency, the Lord Bael adopted a look of ridicule as he sneered contemptuously,

"So you have nothing to accuse me of, and want me to accuse myself, is that it?" Alex however slowly shook his head and stated,

"Your crimes and guilt are already determined, this is all simply a formality and a chance for you to admit your guilt for the possibility to get some leniency. Now however, you can kiss that goodbye." Then, before the Lord Bael could say anything else, Alex looked to an empty space and called out, "Katerea!"

Instantly the same woman who had been helping to spread discord in the Underworld appeared next to him, but what shocked everyone was what she was wearing. Black stockings going up to her thighs topped with white ruffles, a black garter belt that was attached to them, white gloves that went up to her elbows, a black headband with iconic white ruffles, and absolutely nothing else. With her holding a feather duster in one hand, it appeared that the exceptionally proud and arrogant woman was currently engaging in a form of erotic dress up, which prompted a number of nosebleeds from many of the men gathered, including a certain perverted and elderly God nearby.

Though Katerea's hands twitched slightly as the urge to cover her exposed breasts, ass, and pussy overcame her, Alex's commands preventing her from covering her shame as a punishment kept her from doing so. Instead she could only glare at him with complete loathing as she spat out,

"What do you want?" Though he had the sudden slight urge to smirk at Katerea's current appearance, which was undoubtedly decided by Grayfia's right hand, the dragon-kin Venri, it disappeared pretty quickly as Alex plainly asked,

"Was the Lord Bael one of the devil lords working with you until yesterday?" Directing an angry glare at that same Lord Bael, who was currently turning slightly pale, Katerea sneered,

"Yeah, he was. He was even the one who wanted Venelana arrested the most, and pushed for her to be humiliated as much as possible. Zeoticus was just an added bonus." Lord Bael's expression turned murderous as Katerea blatantly revealed his involvement in his older sister's treatment, while numerous people within the hall turned their own murderous looks towards him as well.

In response to the looks he gave her, Katerea just casually shrugged(causing a really appealing jiggle to go through her naked breasts) in response since she no longer cared about him, and decided that since she went down she might as well drag him down with her. Even as Alex sent her back Katerea sent a smirk towards the increasingly angry Lord Bael, who probably would have attacked her if Alex delayed sending her back.

He then looked at the Lord Bael and said with narrowed eyes,

"Even disregarding your involvement with Katerea and her allies, I was going to turn my attention towards the Bael house due to its long standing history of corruption and abuse of power, however you apparently wanted to ensure that I'd come after you no matter what." With both Zekram and Magdaran looking confused at Alex's words, Lord Bael however paled slightly as his already shaky figure became even more unsettled.

Without another word though, Alex then proceeded to summon another figure, who looked beaten and bloody compared to Katerea. He then said in a loud and clear voice for everyone to hear,

"This is one of the assassins sent to the Gremory residence last night to kill me and my children in our sleep, except this one had a different employer than the others." He then fixed the Lord Bael with an intense glare that sent shivers through the man's body before continuing,

"This one was sent by the current Lord Bael to not only kill me and my children, but to take my youngest daughter to groom in order to bear him a new and 'proper' heir." To prove his point, Alex then conjured a projection that showed exactly what he had told everyone, which was the Lord Bael directing the very same assassin to kill Alex and his children, before taking Lana to do as Alex said.

Beside him Magdaran appeared betrayed as he stepped back and stared at his father in horror, while Zekram similarly stepped back in shock and disappointment. He was in shock because he had specifically ordered his descendant to keep his head down until the issues regarding the Rating Games blew over, and he was disappointed because he had been caught.

Alex however, after sending the assassin back where he was summoned from(the Haulia dungeons used to polish their torture skills), slowly approached Lord Bael while growling,

"There's a lot I'd be willing to overlook in someone, but you can be guaranteed that I'd never overlook any intentions towards my children." With each word that escaped his lips, Alex's murderous aura continued to grow until Lord Bael began to feel as if he was suffocating under it while his son and ancestor backed away even further.

Alex then surprised everyone present as he backed off and lowered his aura before finishing, "You're lucky someone else already has a claim on your life, otherwise I'd be forced to get exceptionally 'cruel and unusual'." As he said that another figure stepped forward threateningly, their muscles tensed and ready to explode at any second.

"Father..." Sairaorg practically growled, as he glared at the Lord Bael with enough intensity as if he was trying to bore a hole through him. Meanwhile his father glared back at the 'failure' of the house of Bael, who the Lord of Bael blamed all of their issues on. If Sairaorg had been a 'proper' heir, then perhaps they'd been able to avoid all of the issues they'd been suffering from.

For several minutes the duo glared at each other, both itching to either start swinging or throwing around Destruction, when Alex sent both away with Space magic to resolve things. Not even a minute later the entire Underworld shuddered as Sairaorg activated his Super Devil transformation, and began to battle his father.

Alex however turned towards Zekram Bael and said,

"I hope I don't have to mention how this reflects on all of house Bael." Zekram's eyes practically glowed with fury at Alex's words, though if it was directed at his descendant, himself for letting this happen, or Alex specifically, no one would know. Instead he replied,

"No, you do not your imperial majesty." Nodding in approval, Alex then said for everyone to hear,

"With the repeated issues stemming from the house of Bael, I have decided that they can no longer be trusted with the rank of the Great King. As such the family will be demoted in rank to Duke, and along with this demotion their lands and the wealth they had acquired over the centuries will be forfeit." Zekram's entire body began to shudder in near uncontrollable anger at Alex's words, as all of the work he'd put in to build up his family's name and influence was suddenly flushed down the drain within seconds.

Wealth was akin to status in the Underworld, so, with Alex simultaneously confiscating all of their acquired wealth and land, he had destroyed any and all influence the Bael house had, aside from their name and history. Despite this though, Alex then stepped in closer to Zekram and whispered to whim,

"If there are any future issues within the house of Bael though, I may have to take 'drastic' measures against its older members. Do you understand?" With Alex threatening to essentially kill the entirety of their house(sans Magdaran) if they acted out again, Zekram didn't even have to think before his head began to slowly and mechanically nod up and down, lest they lose even the chance to build their power and authority back up.

"If any of our house have any issues with this, I will 'personally' deal with them Dragon Emperor." He uttered in a low and robotic voice, obviously seething in fury at the turn in events, but still thinking about the future of his house. It was obvious that Alex would be keeping an eye on them to ensure there was no issues with the house of Bael in the near future, so he intended to ensure there was nothing he could use to attack them further.

Nodding in satisfaction, Alex then turned towards Magdaran, and said,

"Congratulations Magdaran, you are the new lord of house Bael. Lead them well." Alex then turned away from the Bael duo to address the rest of those gathered, but paused when Magdaran stated,

"I'm sorry your majesty, but I don't think I'm fit to become the next head..." Alex turned towards Magdaran curiously at his outburst, before asking,

"Oh? And why is that?" Though the feeling of shame and humiliation washed over him, Magdaran continued,

"I am weak compared to my father and big brother, and I never had much skill in terms of politics or ruling...." When he heard this Alex surprised everyone by issuing a small smile, as he added,

"You prefer to study plants, don't you?" thought Magdaran looked surprised Alex knew his hobby, he still nodded slowly and said,

"Yes, but it isn't a worthy pursuit of a lord, or a Bael..." This time Alex's smile turned wryer as he turned towards Anne, and asked,

"Do you hear that Anne? Your studies aren't 'worthy' of someone like a lord....I wonder what that means for you?" This time Anne smiled wryly as she too stepped forward, while Magdaran paled as he realized what he had said. Before he could try to apologize though, Anne pulled out a small bottle and held it up for everyone to see, before asking,

"Do you all know what this is?" With everyone who already knew what the contents of the bottle was keeping quiet, Anne continued as she held the bottle out to Magdaran,

"This bottle is filled with a solution that would nearly guarantee pregnancy in anyone who tried to conceive a child after drinking it. I personally developed it after studying a curious little flower in one of the world's we visited, which was used by that world's Yuuki-Onna to ensure their tribe's survival despite the circumstances driving them towards extinction."

With Magdaran hesitantly accepting the small bottle from her in dumbfoundment and awe, Anne then said with a kind smile, "Keep it, and when you look at it remember what good your studies could do for your people and beyond, despite what others might say about it." Her piece said, Anne then turned back to rejoin Alex at his side, while Magdaran stared after her in awe with notably reddened cheeks.

"Eyes up kid, she's already taken." Alex smirked as he pulled Anne in for a kiss, making the beautiful brown skinned woman melt in his arms. They then prolonged their kiss just long enough that those around them started to get slightly uncomfortable, before Alex finally released Anne from his clutches and she was able to return to her previous place.

Alex then turned back towards the gathered Devils and stated to them,

"The circumstances regarding the Bael family not withstanding, one change I intend to make in the Underworld is to try and reestablish old families that were once considered to be extinct." The gathered Devils held their breath as Alex then looked between those he was referring to, and finished,

"Coriana Andrealphus, Misteeta Sabnock, Liban Crocell, Ladora Buné, Ingvild Leviathan, Grayfia Lucifuge, and Vali Lucifer, step forward." After he called them the seven individuals quickly approached Alex before stopping in a line before him in the order they were called in.

The first four were members of Sairaorg's peerage that belonged to extinct Devil houses from the original 72 pillars, who's bloodline persisted through human descendants like Ingvild's had. Meanwhile both Grayfia and Vali's houses had fallen from power due to the rising of the New Maou Faction, which won the Devil civil war and took control of the Underworld.

Looking each of them over, Alex then declared,

"While moving forward for the future is important, it is also important to honor the past. As such, I would like to recognize these Devils for their strength and contributions towards the Underworld in times of crisis. Does anyone object?"

While no one directly rejected Alex's decision, there were still numerous mutterings and angry expressions amongst the various Devil lords and ladies. They were of course a race that placed emphasis on class and blood purity, even in cases where Alex or descendants of the ancient Devil houses were involved.

The only reason no one had ever directly gone against Alex after he revealed himself to the world was because of his power and the advantage the Underworld had with him on its side. Had he been even the slightest bit weaker, or without the backing of the Gremory family, Alex could very well have been torn apart by the bullshit politics of the Underworld.

Meanwhile the members of Sairaorg's peerage were directly discriminated against due to their mixed-blood heritage, and Grayfia had faced years of scrutiny and political aggression due to her former allegiance towards the Old Maou Faction.

As the mutterings persisted for nearly a minute Alex then stated in a clear voice,

"As always when it comes to disputes in the Underworld, anyone who has an issue with my decision is welcome to come forward to use their own strength to contest it. If you don't have the balls though, then I'll kindly ask you to keep your opinions to yourself." While many of the Devils appeared to be taken aback at Alex's vulgarity, none did as he said and tried to contrast his decision, something that made the corner of his mouth curl upwards in humor.

Even if any of them tried to contest him, Alex would have sent them to fight any of the seven Devils before him in order to give them a chance to prove their strength, as all seven had spent their years in Asora almost constantly training and improving themselves. Though he was almost disappointed that none of them got the chance to show off, Alex then turned back to them and continued,

"In one week after things have become more stable we will hold a ceremony to properly assign you your titles, and grant each of you a portion of land along with a set of Evil Pieces if you wish." The group nodded in affirmation and chanted their gratitude towards Alex for giving them the opportunity to restore their family names, before they then returned to their previous places.

Finally, Alex turned towards Shemhazi and the rest of the Fallen Angel representatives, including Azazel, and said,

"When it comes to Grigori, I will invite those who wish to move to Asora due to their low population. However, all of Asora's rules and regulations will be followed, and we will not tolerate criminal or malicious acts towards its citizens, or allies." Nodding in understanding, Shemhazi stepped forward and replied,

"We are thankful for the Dragon Emperor's offer, and I will personally work to ensure that all of Asora's laws and regulations are followed to the letter." At his sides Barakiel nodded in indication that he'd help Shemhazi as much as possible, while a goofy grin spread on Azazel's face as he imagined all the fun 'toys' he'd find in the Asoran research labs.

Ignoring the thoughts of the future mayhem Azazel would definitely cause, Alex then turned towards Michael and said,

"After I can settle properly over the next couple days I will visit Heaven, and personally see to God's system to try and modify it." While the work of Michael and the other Seraphs had been frustratingly slow going at working on God's system, and trying to fix some of the more 'problematic' elements, with his Age of Gods magics Alex was sure he would have more success than they did.

Having already witnessed numerous 'miracles' being performed at Alex's hand, there wasn't a single doubt in Michael's mind that he would do exactly as he promised and modify God's system so that the Angels could thrive in the future.

"My humblest thanks to the Dragon Emperor, and I will endeavor to ensure that stability has returned to Heaven by the time of your visit, after the chaos that today's events have induced." As he spoke Michael suppressed a minor wince as he once again felt the effects his actions had on God's system(which he was still connected to), as thousands of their followers had their faith completely rocked by his earlier revelations.

With hundreds of Angels already mobilizing to try and mitigate the fallout, it was Michael's hope that faith in Heaven would be mostly restored by the time Alex visited them.

Nodding in affirmation to Michael's gratitude and promise, Alex then promptly dismissed everyone present before allowing the tension to leave his body as they dispersed.

"Not so fun being in charge, is it boy? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Turning towards the cackling, Alex found himself face-to-face with an frail looking elderly man with long gray hair and matching beard, along with an monocle covering one of his piercing eyes.

Forcing a smile in response to the elderly man's teasing, Alex asked, "To what do I owe this honor, Odin?" The chief of the Norse faction stopped cackling at Alex's voice and sized him up and down momentarily, before eventually saying,

"I just stayed behind to pass on our decision. While the various godly factions will maintain our alliances with the Three Factions and their new ruler, we will NOT submit ourselves to your rule...just yet." Rias and the others narrowed their eyes at Odin's words as the Crimson haired beauty asked,

"And what do you mean by that?" With her brow twitching as Odin blatantly took a second to admire Rias's curvy and bodacious figure after her question, he then answered,

"It means we're not as accustomed to change as the rest of you. God and lucifer are dead, and the Fallen Angels never had anything similar after they turned their backs on their creator, so it's understandable that each of you would readily cling to the best available option, but the rest of us aren't like that." With an unusually serious glint filling his one eye after saying that, Odin(reluctantly) turned back towards Alex and continued,

"If you want to 'rule' any of our factions, then you'll have to visit us yourself and 'make' us proud and arrogant gods submit, through force. You'll have to show us the power of these other universes you were talking about, and just how outclassed we are."

As he finished speaking Odin adopted a slightly thoughtful expression as he recalled all of the new types of magics and abilities Alex and those with him had used, which his left eye had been completely unable to see through like it was supposed to be able to. That alone was proof enough that Alex's claims were not to be taken lightly.

What Alex offered them was indeed new opportunities and chances in new worlds, but the opposite was also true, and there was no telling just how outclassed they would be against the people of other worlds. With the image of the other God of Destruction that Alex showed them filling his mind(who looked annoyingly Egyptian), Odin turned and started walking away while saying,

"I'll see you all soon then, goodbye." Without another word the elderly God then vanished as he departed, leaving his earlier words hanging over them. Of course, while everyone else was concerned about having to essentially go to war with the other factions, Alex's heart started to pound in anticipation at the prospect of fighting so many gods.