The Devouring Dragon-Chapter 48: Aftermath

Ajuka Beezlebub POV

"B-Beezlebub-sama!"

Ajuka didn't even turn around as the door to his study swung open, a maid calling out to him panickedly.

"Why are you interrupting me?" Ajuka asked calmly, though there was a certain anger behind his eyes. He hated being interrupted, especially inside this room.

"It's your family, Beezlebub-sama!" The maid relayed quickly, "We've just received a request from Lord Astaroth for your assistance! A dragon is rampaging in the Astaroth territory!"

"A dragon?" Ajuka raised an eyebrow, finally turning around as a glimmer of interest appeared in his eyes, "Is it one of note?"

Ajuka assumed that the current Lord Astaroth could handle it if it was just some unnamed dragon. At the very least, he wouldn't personally contact Ajuka himself for help.

"Perhaps he pissed off Tannin?" Ajuka muttered before the maid answered.

Having a former Dragon King running rampant in his territory was certainly a justifiable reason to contact Ajuka, even if the Maou was supposed to be disconnected from his former family when he took on the Beezlebub name.

"N-No, sir, it's a blue dragon," The maid hurriedly explained, "Lord Astaroth said he believes it is the Dragon King Tiamat!"

"Tiamat?" Ajuka blinked, genuinely taken by surprise, which was rare for the man. That was certainly concerning.

He stood up from his chair so abruptly that it fell over, and a second later a magic circle appeared under him. He vanished from the room and reappeared a moment later, floating over the Astaroth territory.

As he glanced around, it looked more like a natural disaster had blown through the area than a dragon. Granted, a Dragon King was much deadlier than any natural disaster.

Blue flames roared across the land under him, consuming any trees, grass, and even buildings in sight. The main Astaroth home itself was now a pile of rocks, and the land around it was charred and barren. Even the homes in the vicinity, which were used for the countless maids and servants, as well as peerage members that the Astaroth family had, were nowhere to be seen.

It was simply a scene of destruction, and the culprit was clear to see.

"Tiamat!" Ajuka called out casually, staring at the huge blue dragon floating in the air. Said dragon was mid-fire-breath as she set the remains of the once vast Astaroth Forest alight.

"Ajuka," Tiamat responded just as casually as she cut off her beam of fire, "You're later than I thought you'd be."

"I'm a busy man," Ajuka countered, which was only partially true. The Maou hated being interrupted, so he had buried his study room deep within his estate. Even if the maid had started running the moment Lord Astaroth asked for help, she wouldn't have reached his room for multiple minutes.

When you were dealing with a Dragon King, even just a minute was a long time. Multiple was enough for her to decimate an entire noble family's land.

"Did you come for this guy?" Tiamat grinned widely, raising her clawed hand and showing off the slumped body of Lord Astaroth in it. He was bloodied, bruised, and charred. The previously handsome devil was unrecognizable.

"Is he alive?" Ajuka asked simply. In response, Tiamat's huge scaled shoulders shrugged.

"Maybe," She smirked at the smaller man, "He won't be soon, so it doesn't matter anyway."

"If you don't have a good reason, then I can't protect you for this," Ajuka replied bluntly, a slight warning in his tone, "The Astaroth family is already low on members. If you kill him, the other clans will call for your head. The only reason you've been let off the hook for this long is because of the casualties it'll cause to put you down. If you kill the head of a family within the 72 Pillars, those casualities won't matter anymore."

Tiamat was prone to killing a few devils here and there in the Familiar Forest, though it was usually their own fault for annoying her. She'd been able to get away with those murders scot-free because of Ajuka, who knew personally how powerful the dragon was.

It would take an army to subdue her, and the battle that ensued would destroy a large portion of the Underworld itself and leave countless casualties. The devil population was already crippled from two wars and their low fertility rate, so they couldn't afford that, even with the Evil Pieces system bolstering the numbers a bit.

"I don't need your protection, devil brat," Tiamat's smirk widened a bit, "You're not getting him back."

"Why are you doing this?" Ajuka asked bluntly, his face still calm even though his demonic power started to rise as he readied himself to use force to get Lord Astaroth, "What did he do to you? Whatever it is, let him go, and I'll make it up to you."

Preferably, Ajuka didn't want to battle the Dragon King. He'd probably have to give her something large to make up for whatever slight Lord Astaroth did to her, but that was better than a fight.

"He didn't do anything," Tiamat's smirk turned into a large grin as Ajuka looked at her curiously, "My new brat of a Master wanted him, so I'm taking him. It's nothing personal against you or your family."

Ajuka's hands shot up instantly, two magic circles forming on his hands. To hear a Dragon King, a creature standing at the top of the most arrogant and prideful race in history, refer to someone as their 'Master' was ringing alarm bells.

"You must've been brainwashed," Ajuka came to the only reasonable conclusion, "I'll seal you for now."

Even a full-powered seal would only hold the Dragon King for a couple of hours at best, but that was enough for Ajuka to contact the other Maou about the issue. Someone strong enough to brainwash Tiamat was a threat that needed to be handled immediately.

"Is it the Old Satan Faction?" Ajuka muttered as his hands glowed, but Tiamat just grinned as she heard him.

"As if those punks could handle me," Tiamat grinned widely, "My Master's a lot tougher than any of you devil brats. He's the only one I'd be willing to follow! It's cute that you want to seal me, but I've got places to be..."

Ajuka thrust his hands forward, and hundreds of magic circles filled the air around Tiamat's massive form. He wasn't sure what the woman had planned, but he'd seal her before she could leave.

"Oh, yeah, and you might want to go check on that heir," Tiamat chuckled as she started to glow, "It would suck if this family lost their Head and Heir at the same time, right?"

Ajuka's eyes went wide as Tiamat's body glowed a bright blue, then seemingly disappeared into thin air.

"A familiar summon?" Ajuka muttered with wide eyes, as the supergenius instantly recognized the type of teleportation magic.

"She's not brainwashed..." Ajuka muttered, his eyes still wide as he stared at where Tiamat had been, a thousand thoughts blitzing through his head, "She's a familiar. Someone tamed a Dragon King."

That was certainly concerning. But there was something equally as concerning that he needed to check on at the moment. Ajuka glanced up at the burning building floating far above the Astaroth territory, flying upwards and floating through the crumpled roof.

As he glanced around the destroyed room and took in the various splotches of blood on the floor and walls, he didn't need to be a super genius to know what had happened. Notably, his eyes instantly locked in on two words that were burned into the sole untouched object in the room: A throne.

"Beast King," Ajuka muttered, his brain whirling as he stared at the two words. He raised his hand, and a communication circle appeared at his side.

"Yes, Beezlebub-sama?" A maid's voice came from the other end.

"Find Latia Astaroth," Ajuka ordered simply, then swiped his hand and removed the circle.

If Ajuka's thoughts were right, then what had just happened right under his nose was a much bigger deal than he had initially believed.

When all the direct bloodline members of a family from the 72 Pillars died, the clan was officially declared extinct. At the current moment, 40 of the 72 Pillars were considered extinct, and devil society was desperate to maintain the rest. They were the backbone of their entire race.

A pillar hadn't been wiped out since the Devil Civil War, but now both Lord Astaroth and the Heir to the Astaroth Family were dead. The Astaroth Family's main bloodline had been wiped out in an instant, but there was still one surviving member who had any amount of direct blood in their veins.

"If he kills Latia Astaroth..." Ajuka stared at the throne calculatingly, "He'll have sent a pillar to extinction in one day."

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Not just any pillar, but the pillar that had produced the Beezlebub Maou. Even if Ajuka didn't have any particular connection to his previous family anymore and hadn't even spoken to anyone from the family in centuries, it was still a bit jarring for his bloodline to be wiped out.

Ajuka's lips twitched up in a small smile.

"The world has been a bit boring lately."

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Sirzechs POV

"Sirzechs-sama," Grayfia called as she walked into Sirzech's office.

"Grayfia! Ahhhh, save me from all this paperwork!" Sirzechs groaned, rolling out his chair as he stumbled towards his wife with his arms held out for a hug.

"This is not the time for jokes, Sirzechs-sama," Grayfia answered with icy eyes, having to follow up as Sirzechs still didn't take her seriously, "It's about Rias."

"Rias?" Sirzechs blinked, "Did she not find a good familiar? Hehe, I bet she'll come back all sad, then I can give her lots of hugs and cheer her up-"

"She's been kidnapped," Grayfia interrupted him bluntly, and Sirzechs froze.

"...What?" The Maou's face turned deathly serious, stiffening as he locked eyes with Grayfia.

"Rias was kidnapped while looking for a familiar," Grayfia finished, a bead of sweat forming on her neck as a thick tension suddenly filled the room.

A glow of red aura flowed off from her husband, and Grayfia could barely stay standing despite her title as the 'Strongest Queen.' She hands shook lightly as Sirzechs's aura expanded, filling the room and causing his desk and cabinets to start shaking and creaking.

"Where is she?" He asked simply, staring down Grayfia with sharp eyes.

"She was kidnapped by a man who calls himself the 'Beast King,'" Grayfia explained, "He's taken over the Familiar Forest."

"I'll go get her back," Sirzechs growled, raising his hand as a magic circle appeared under him.

"You can't," Grayfia reached forward, grabbing his hand before he left, "It's not that type of situation."

"What do you mean?" Sirzechs shot back, "He took Rias. I don't care what politics are involved - I'll go get her back."

"It's not politics," Grayfia shook her head, standing her ground, "He's taken the Dragon King Tiamat as his familiar. Together, they were strong enough to kill both Lord Astaroth and his Heir earlier today. The Astaroth family is extinct, and scouts we've sent to the forest say he's united the monsters in it into an army."

"I don't care," Sirzechs shot back, "I'll take Ajuka with me. Even if it's Tiamat or an army, they won't beat both of us."

"You're not a young Gremory anymore," Grayfia shook her head, staring at him intensely, "You're a Maou."

Sirzechs stared at her with narrowed eyes for a second. Then, he sighed as he took a step back, slumping back into his chair. The dangerous aura disappeared from the room.

"You're right," He groaned, staring up at the ceiling. If he recklessly charged into a battle with a Dragon King and someone strong enough to make her his familiar, then he'd leave his own species defenseless.

He wouldn't be able to unleash all his power with Rias nearby, as it'd risk harming her. That meant the battle would be long and destructive, which would draw the attention of their enemies.

The Old Satan Faction would jump on the opportunity, and they would either openly betray and oppose the Maou by trying to finish off Sirzechs and Ajuka, or they'd secretly take out other important figures while they were held up.

That wasn't even taking into account the numerous other factions and races that would jump at the chance to weaken them. The tense ceasefire between Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels could be broken at the drop of a hat.

"I hate being a Maou..." Sirzechs groaned, his fingers gripping his chair's arm so hard that they crushed it into powder.

If this had been the Sirzechs Gremory of his younger years, then he and Ajuka would've wasted no time diving deep into enemy territory. They would've ripped their way through thousands - hell, even tens of thousands - on their way to rescue Rias.

But he was no longer Sirzechs Gremory. He was Sirzechs Lucifer, and he had to put the betterment of his race over the safety of his beloved little sister.

"Contact Serafall," Sirzechs sat up again, pushing aside his hangups as he looked at Grayfia, "Tell her to start negotiations. If any of the girls are harmed..."

Sirzechs's eyes glowed with a slight red as his aura expanded outward again.

"We're going to war."

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Latia Astaroth POV - Earlier that day

"Here you go!" Latia grinned, holding out the piece of bread to the small child in front of her. He looked up at her with wide eyes, hesitantly reaching out.

"I... I can really have it?" He breathed out, looking both hopeful and doubtful.

"Of course," Latia smiling brightly, reaching forward and patting the boys head as he took the bread, "If you're ever hungry, you can come to palace gates, alright? I'll make sure you get something!"

"T-Thank you..." The child stared up at her with wide eyes, nodding gratefully. Then, he ran off excitedly to his group of friends, breaking up the piece of bread to share.

If you asked any of the people in the Extra Branch land of the Astaroth Territory about Latia Astaroth, they'd tell you she was an angel. She certainly looked like one, with her long blonde hair, beautiful face, big almond eyes, and friendly demeanor.

Compared to the main Astaroth Family, which hoarded its wealth and treated their servants, subjects, and peerage like garbage, Latia Astaroth was instead humble, kind, and generous.

The Extra Branch lands tended to be full of poorer devils, usually containing the families of servants and maids. In this area, where the subjects served a family so rich that Lord Astaroth had no problem spending lavish amounts of money on trips and women, the subjects themself went foodless many nights.

Or they would've if it wasn't for Latia Astaroth. Her generosity, combined with her beautiful image and her curvy body that was fit with large breasts and a thick rear, meant that she was adored by everyone living in the Extra Branch lands. She was one of the few devils here with money to spare, as in the large city she lived in a towering palace that came with being a part of the Astaroth family.

"Excuse me, are you Latia Astaroth?"

Latia spun around, expecting to see a devil either asking for food or looking to praise her, but instead blinked in surprise at who greeted her. A handsome face with a strong jaw, silky hair, tall and muscular physique, along with piercing eyes, stared her down.

"Y-Yes, that's me," Latia stuttered lightly, blushing slightly.

She'd never seen anyone like this man before. Where had this stud been hiding?

"Great, I've been looking for you," He smiled at her, and she felt her heart flutter for a second, "Would you mind coming with me?"

"S-Sure!" Latia spit out, but then paused as she composed herself. Even if he was incredibly handsome, she couldn't just give in so quickly.

"I-I mean, that's a rather forward way to court a lady," Latia shook her head, as she crossed her arms, "It would be more proper to introduce yourself first!"

Judging by how well-groomed the man looked, he must've been either a servant to the main branch or some type of higher-ranked member of a different family. Latia didn't mind either way, as she wasn't the type to look down on someone because of their social class. She wouldn't even mind if he was a reincarnated devil.

"Ah, sorry, but I'm not trying to court you," The man replied evenly, and Latia blinked. She flushed red as she realized she had assumed that he was just from a few sentences. Pretty privileged really was scary.

"O-Of course," Latia cleared her throat, trying to compose her beet-red face, "T-Then, what do you want?"

"I'm here to kidnap you."

Latia blinked, staring at him blankly.

"What did you-" Before she could even finish her sentence, she had been whisked away in a teleportation circle.

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AN: Thank you for reading! The next Chapter will be out tomorrow!

You can also read Chapters early on Patreon.com/Koyon ! Up to Chapter 55 is posted there!