Chapter 276 The Emperor’s Broadcast and the Collapse of Truth

Destroying the enemy’s stronghold like this… it was almost unbelievable.

Whenever Ikki-kun makes a suggestion, things usually turn into a disaster. But this time… this might be on a completely different level of awful.

And yet, part of me still wanted to believe even he couldn’t produce anything worse than this.

That was when Ikki-kun suddenly shouted.

“Ah! Crap!”

“What is it?! Did something happen, Ikki?!”

We all tensed instantly. Even Issei-kun reacted in panic.

Was there some fatal oversight?

“I should’ve added ‘penetration’ to Issei’s first ‘transfer’ boost! If I had, it would’ve bypassed ‘Worthless’ and the ‘Sacred Gear Canceller’ of Rizevim and the Emperor, and we could’ve dealt massive damage and wiped out the mass-produced Evil Dragons completely!”

The silence was absolute.

“SPAAAN!!”

A hand fan suddenly materialized from nowhere and struck Ikki-kun square on the head—courtesy of Kuroka’s younger sister, Shirone.

…Yeah. I can’t defend him on that one.

And honestly… my conviction that Ikki-kun is someone I never want as an enemy only grew stronger.

As we neared the upper section of the building, an announcement echoed through the interior.

[Greetings, citizens of the Underworld. This is Diehauser Belial speaking. As you can see, I am safe and unharmed.]

That voice…!

The Emperor… Diehauser Belial?!

“Hey everyone! Look at that TV!”

Irina pointed toward the screens installed throughout the building.

There he was.

Diehauser Belial himself.

Not just audio, this was a live broadcast. Likely transmitted across the entire Underworld… no, possibly all factions.

We briefly stopped… then immediately resumed running upward. Even as we moved, the audio continued.

[There are things I must tell you. The darkness of Rating Games.]

What followed matched exactly what Ajuka-sama had told us earlier.

Top-ranked players using “King” pieces to cheat.

Abuse of power by officials.

Hidden coercion and rule violations.

But then… the Emperor revealed something none of us knew.

Why he had allied himself with Rizevim.

[My cousin, Cleria, once asked me: “Do you know about the King’s pieces?” I told her I only knew rumors. I thought it was just an urban legend.]

Cleria… Cleria Belial.

That name rang a bell.

The former ruler of Kuoh Town before Rias-senpai. She had fallen in love with a priest named Masaomi Yaegaki, and their relationship escalated tensions between factions. Eventually, both Heaven and the Underworld decided, after failed negotiations, to eliminate them.

A tragedy that helped spark war.

But according to Diehauser…

It was all a lie.

The Underworld’s higher-ups had intended to eliminate her from the start.

The “King’s pieces” investigation was merely the excuse they used.

So it wasn’t prevention… it was execution.

We all knew the pain of that era.

Even Irina’s father, Touji, had once spoken about it, how it broke him.

So this wasn’t just history.

It was guilt… buried and justified.

And Diehauser’s tone made it clear—

Cleria hadn’t just died.

She had been erased.

Now I understood.

That was the reason he went so far.

Even cooperating with terrorism.

Even betraying the system.

Still… that didn’t erase what he had done.

We had to stop him.

Before he crossed any further lines.

==========

We burst onto the rooftop.

And there he was.

Diehauser Belial stood surrounded by broadcasting equipment.

The feed had already ended. The devices were now silent.

Slowly, he turned toward us.

“So, members of D×D… what should I have done?”

His voice was hollow.

“I obtained the truth. I spread it to the Underworld. And in doing so… I committed far too many sins.”

“I desecrated the Rating Games I once ruled… and even my match against Riser Phenex.”

“What a disgraceful champion I am.”

His smile… wasn’t the confident one we saw on TV.

It was broken.

Self-mocking.

Empty.

Before we could respond—

A man stepped out from behind the equipment.

Silver hair.

A presence that twisted the air itself.

“Whether or not you are a disgrace… is irrelevant.”

“I, the son of Lucifer—Rizevim Livan Lucifer—shall permit you, Belial.”

The atmosphere turned instantly hostile.

Just hearing his voice made everything unpleasant.

Ikki-kun stepped forward.

“Diehauser-san. If your goal is already complete, why are you still with Qliphoth? If possible, we’d appreciate your cooperation in taking down Rizevim.”

…Wait.

Ikki-kun?!

You’re trying to negotiate here?!

With both of them present?!

Worse, you’re not even asking him to surrender, you’re asking him to join us?!

“Foolish. In the end, humans are always the same. They bow before power.”

Rizevim sneered.

Well, that “weak human” over there has literally fought Crom Cruach head-on…

Come to think of it… this might actually be the first time Ikki-kun and Rizevim are interacting directly.

No wonder he’s underestimated.

Diehauser finally spoke.

“And what would I gain from stopping now?”

“From the perspective of the Underworld, it would be beneficial,” Ikki-kun replied immediately. “If you’re guilty, then you should fire a magic blast into Rizevim right now. That would serve the world best.”

…Direct.

Too direct.

Is Ikki-kun getting tired of diplomacy? Maybe he still hasn’t forgiven what happened in Riser’s match…

Then he continued.

“Or let me put it another way. If you keep wavering and continue cooperating with Rizevim, your family and retainers will be in danger. Your House will survive—but your subordinates will be executed.”

“Wha—!”

“Don’t listen to him, Belial,” Rizevim cut in smoothly. “We can protect them.”

Ikki-kun laughed.

“‘Protect’? You mean hostage-taking.”

And then—

He dropped the truth like a blade.

Rizevim had revived Yaegaki, Cleria’s lover, corrupted him with a cursed dragon sword, turned him into a weapon… and then discarded him when he was no longer useful.

“People like him don’t protect anyone,” Ikki-kun said. “They use them.”

Rizevim snapped.

“Enough nonsense! Belial, you won’t betray me after everything I’ve given you, right?”

Diehauser didn’t answer immediately.

The rooftop fell into silence.

Only the wind moved.

And I realized something.

This wasn’t just a battle.

It was a man being forced to choose between truth, guilt, and the weight of lives that would be used against him no matter what he did.

And Ikki-kun—

He was pushing every lever at once.

Truth.

Fear.

Logic.

Even cruelty.

To force an outcome that saves the most people.