Rise of the Strongest Exorcist (DxD parody)

Gazing at Shuri's back as he followed behind her, Leo couldn't help but remember how she'd beamed at him when he'd agreed to meet her after class. In that moment, she'd reminded him of her cousin, Saori.

What he remembered from what Saori had told him of Shuri, was that the black-haired young woman walking in front of him had been bullied and neglected by the other members of the Suzaku clan. Saori had never come right out and explained what the root of the problem was. 

But from bits and pieces here and there, Leo gathered that Shuri's mother had taken a lover without the family's permission. Against her family's wishes, Shuri's mother had married the man. And this husband, whom she'd had children with, was someone her family could never approve of.

With such a history, Shuri should have been a frail and sickly girl full of resentment. But what he saw was in the young woman before him was almost the opposite of such a petty creature.

Though the club room was across the quad from his chemistry class, the walk from there to the student center was pretty short. When they reached the door on the second floor, Leo's face twisted into a funny expression at the name on the plaque beside the door.

"Okay so…your group—all devils—opened a club about the occult?" He rolled his eyes. "Who thought up this bad joke?"

Shuri had the decency to blush at the joke that was the name of their club room. But she couldn't throw her master and best friend under the bus now, could she? She ignored the question, and hoped he wouldn't press further about the issue.

Thankfully, Leo knew how to read the room and didn't press. Either way, from her silence, he could guess who the culprit behind the stupid joke was.

…

…

…

"Please have a seat while I go prepare some tea."

Leo preferred coffee to tea, but he understood why Shuri was preparing him tea. It was a part of her culture that he appreciated enough not to offend by asking for another drink. He looked around while she was gone.

The club room was pretty cozy overall. He liked the decorations and the homely vibes it gave. His gaze trailed everywhere before finally stopping at a certain door.

"Is that…a sauna and hot tub?"

It seemed they lived the high life here in the Occult club. Then again, they were noble Devils. Extravagance was in their blood.

Of course, a sauna and hot tub was tame when compared to some of the trappings of luxury he had seen when he'd tagged along with his dad on missions when he was still the church's young prodigy.

"Here is your tea, Leo-san. Fufufu~! Be careful, it's hot."

Seemingly having regained her composure, Shuri was back to her usual demure self, giving him a shy smile while placing the steaming teacup on the table in front of Leo.

After she sat down across from him, Shuri did not wait long before giving him a slight bow. "Before we continue, I would like to apologize on behalf of Rayne."

"Oh?" Leo blinked. "Why is that?"

Shuri sighed, then shook her head. "Rayne can be pretty thoughtless in what she says when she isn't paying attention. But she isn't bad… nor does she see people as objects."

Silence fell as Leo gave Shuri a blank stare. Then, releasing a sigh, he picked up his teacup and drank a little of the tea.

Ducking his head politely, he murmured, "The tea is delicious."

Even though he hadn't acknowledged her apology, Shuri gave him a bright smile. That he'd drank her tea was an acknowledgment, in and of itself. 

The black haired woman straightened in her chair. "With that out of the way, let's discuss about what you really want to talk about."

Leo wasn't dense. He knew Shuri had used his connection with her Suzuka cousin to set up this meeting. There was no way she would have done so just to deliver an apology.

Shuri hesitated a little before finally nodding to herself. "Tell me, do you know the current situation of the Underworld?"

"Do I know about the current situation of the underworld?" Leo paused, and took another sip of tea before answering. "No. I don't know much about the current situation in the underworld." He sighed. "But, from the looks of things, I guess you are about to tell me."

Shuri chuckled at his sharp wit and continued her explanation. 

"The Civil War that began five hundred years ago after the Great War saw a great change happen in the Underworld. The four houses that ruled the underworld of old were dethroned and four young devils rose to become what are known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

"I know that much," Leo interjected. "The anti-Satanic faction won, defeating the Maous… and the four horsemen rose. Salvatore Mephisto replaced Lucifer as War. Aiden Astaroth defeated Leviathan as Pestilence. Livinia Sitrin overcame Beelzebub as Famine, and finally, Friedrich Mensch overthrew Asmodeus to become Death."

Friedrich was an interesting case, being something of an anomaly among the Calamities. Different from the other three, he was not born as a high-class devil but managed to crawl from the very bottom of the food chain to become what he was—Asmodeus, the pale rider.

Thankfully, Friedrich was adopted by the Agares family. With Friedrich Agares as their heir, the Agares became the second-highest ranked family in the underworld's hierarchy. There, he demonstrated his blooming talents.

"That's right. The Calamities represent the new order. Since their rise, Devils have been less aggressive towards humans. Many of Hell's policies changed. Even so, it's impossible to remove completely the influence of the old factions."

Leo nodded, lips pressed together. 

"Nowadays," Shuri continued, "there are really three factions, though the two groups still face one another—the new Calamities and the old Maous, that is. These days, people call them the New Moderates and the Old Radicals. The third group is the largest—the Neutrals. Rayne calls them the Opportunists."

'I guess only devils who live for thousands of years could continue a Civil War for five hundred years,' Leo thought to himself.

"The Old Radical faction is pretty weak, but it's impossible for Sir Salvatore and the others to destroy them as long as they toe the line." Shuri folded her hands in her lap. "Which is why the Radicals have slowly been weakened—the Moderates have broken off their supporters one after the other."

'I guess this is where the problem begins.'

"Of the Neutral families, there's one that is extremely influential. It is, in fact, one of the richest families in the underworld—The Phenex."

"Hah… Phoenix Tears."

"Indeed. Phoenix Tears. Devils aren't good at healing magic, so we rely upon our natural regeneration. But the Phenex family produces the miraculous Phoenix Tears, a potion that can instantly heal any injury, no matter how severe."

Leo closed his eyes as he pondered what he'd been told. 

The gears in his head turned rapidly, putting two and two together. In any war between supernaturals, the ability to heal was one of the most important traits and resources to control. This made Phoenix Tears a strategic resource of incredible importance.

Any faction would seek to control them.

"Let me guess. The Calamities want the Phenex to stop being neutral and join the New Moderates."

Shuri nodded.

"But I'm sure the Phenex demanded something in return… some price or assurance. And this price is something too heavy for the moderate faction, or specifically, for the head of the Calamities—Lucifer, the red rider, to pay. "

Shuri was surprised at how quickly Leo had deduced the situation. He'd even pinpointed the person this problem came down to with the meager introduction she'd given him. She was truly impressed by Leo's intellect and wit.

"The lord of the Phenex Family has requested his third son, Richard Phenex, wed the first daughter of Lord Zane Mephisto… my mistress, Rayne Mephisto."

Shuri massaged her temples, showing how tired and vexed she was with the burden this created. "Rayne wasn't particularly pleased about this announced betrothal. Unfortunately, she couldn't just break off the engagement without trashing the alliance the pending nuptials between the two families represents—and thereby endangering the New Moderate faction's access to an invaluable resource… one that could cement the Calamities' rule. Thankfully, there is a loophole she found to avoid the wedding while forcing the Phenex to maintain the alliance."

Since women amongst devils were in no way inferior to their men, the power shift between the two genders wasn't exaggerated like it had been amongst humans in times past. As such, arranged marriages weren't exactly common. 

The woman who was forced into such an arrangement might be stronger than her husband, which wouldn't produce a happy ending if she protested the match. This was why a rule existed whereby one party—be it the man or the woman in an arranged marriage—might challenge the other party in any form of competition. And should he or she win, the engagement would be voided.

Not long ago, Sharon Sitrin had been engaged to someone she didn't want to marry. She had broken off her engagement by beating her fiancée in a game of chess.

"Rayne has exercised that rule. It was decided that the contest would be a Masque Game between their respective Circles. If Richard's Circle wins, he will marry Rayne. If he loses, the engagement will be broken, and Rayne will be Barlowe of a terrible fate."

Leo frowned. It seemed a rather rash decision, pitting her Circle against his, but it was clear she was desperate.

"I guess this is why she begged Sharon not to 'snatch' me."

"Fufufu~! Indeed. Rayne was quite flustered when she realized you were there. She was not trying to treat you as an object or anything of the sort. She is desperate and willing to grasp at whatever straws come her way."

"I understand." Leo paused, then shook his head. "I am sorry, but I am unable to join your mistress's Circle."

Leo found her situation a sad one, but to be blunt… this wasn't his problem. Leo was no saint. He knew he was far from being a truly good person. Why would he become someone's servant just because he pitied them? 

That would be stupid, no matter how you spun the facts. And accepting a devil's piece was not temporary. Once you joined a Circle, you were in it for life. That was another reason for him to avoid such trouble.

Shuri blew out a disappointed sigh, but she did not seem the least bit surprised. 

Generally, people accepted entering a devil's Circle for one the following reasons: loyalty… lust… love… greed… or, the reason she had joined Raye—being powerless.

Clearly, Leo fit none of those categories. Still, Shuri wasn't willing to give up so easily. Leo represented a game-changing piece her mistress could not afford to lose.

"Could you tell me why? If you become a devil, even a reincarnated one, you would gain a lifespan no human could match. Furthermore, you would be able to break beyond human limitations."

Leo shook his head as he stood. He had already conveyed his answer, there was no reason for him to stay here any longer. He said not a word as he walked to the door. Once he reached the exit, however, he stopped. Even if he didn't want to join, he could at least explain so they wouldn't pester him in the future.

"I'll be honest with you, Shuri… I am not interested in joining anyone's Circle. I'd rather not associate myself with any supernatural group. I'm trying to fly under the radar, here."

Leo coughed into his hand as he felt his cheeks heat. "But, on the off chance," he continued, "that I had a change of mind and was willing to join a devil's Circle…" He stopped and gave her a shrug. "Even were I willing, your mistress could never bring me into her Circle."

"That being the case…" He shook his head. "I don't see a point in continuing this discussion."

"Why could my mistress not tempt you into her Circle?"

"Simple. She's too weak."