The underworld didn't sleep—especially not during the Young Devil Gathering.
By the second day, the initial pomp and polite masks had worn thin. Alliances were being whispered behind velvet curtains. Rivalries surfaced in guarded words and practiced smiles. It wasn't a battlefield, but it was close.
And right in the middle of it stood Alex, who couldn't care less about the rules of their game.
He leaned against a black marble pillar in the gathering hall, eyes scanning the devils around him. Politics, power displays, arranged marriages—all of it bored him to hell and back. He didn't do subtlety. If someone wanted a problem solved, he solved it. Permanently.
And yet, his eyes sharpened the moment he saw Asia across the room.
She was smiling awkwardly, surrounded by a few curious nobles who had cornered her like a flock of peacocks showing off their feathers. She didn't belong here—her warmth, her kindness, her normalcy didn't fit in this world of silver-tongued monsters.
And then he appeared again.
Diodora Astaroth.
Flawless. Polished. Slimy in the way only noble devils could be.
He stepped into the circle of devils surrounding Asia and bowed low, far too low.
"Lady Asia," he said, voice smooth as melted honey. "I hope the gathering hasn't overwhelmed you. You shine so brightly here, among such darkness."
Asia blinked. "Oh, um, thank you?"
Diodora took her hand and kissed the back of it.
Alex was across the hall in two seconds flat.
"Hands off," he said, voice calm but flat.
Diodora didn't flinch. "You must be the ever-watchful protector. Alex, was it? A pleasure."
Alex looked down at the spot where Diodora still lightly held Asia's hand.
Diodora let go.
"I mean no harm," he said, spreading his hands like a man with nothing to hide. "Asia's light is something I've admired for quite some time."
"You sure?" Alex tilted his head slightly. "Because the last guy who thought she was 'admirable' wound up in pieces."
The other devils nearby had gone silent, watching with the anticipation of vultures. Rias was among them, her expression tense as she stepped forward.
"Alex," she said carefully, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's not cause a scene."
He didn't shrug her off. But his gaze stayed locked on Diodora.
"I'm not here to cause a scene," Alex said. "I'm just warning him."
Diodora smiled, bowing his head in mock surrender. "Of course. It was only a greeting. You can't blame a man for appreciating something beautiful."
Asia looked between them, uneasy. "I-It's alright, Alex. Really."
But Alex wasn't really listening anymore.
Behind Diodora's smile, behind the compliments, he could feel it—something wrong. Something rotting. That same tainted scent he'd caught when he saw a Phenex speaking to the cloaked figures last night.
Diodora wasn't interested in Asia's heart. He wanted something else.
Something darker.
Later, in the courtyard, Irene found him pacing alone under the blood-red moonlight.
"You almost snapped," she said, not asking—knowing.
Alex didn't answer right away.
He stood by a pool of silver water, the Underworld's eerie flora reflected in the still surface.
"Asia's too good for this world," he said finally. "Too gentle. I don't like wolves circling her."
Irene approached, her bare feet silent on the stone path. "You want me to eat him?"
A beat passed.
Alex snorted. "Tempting. But no. Not yet."
She tilted her head. "You're getting soft."
"No," he said. "I'm just not in the mood to sweep up ashes tonight."
Meanwhile…
Rias stood alone at the edge of a private balcony, her glass of wine untouched. The wind pulled at her long scarlet hair, but her eyes were fixed on Alex from afar.
She'd seen the look in his eyes when he confronted Diodora.
Rage. Protectiveness. Maybe even jealousy.
But none of it was for her.
She didn't know when it happened—or if she imagined it—but ever since Great Red showed up, since Irene had entered the picture, Alex felt further away.
She still remembered the boy who had promised to help her against Riser. The boy who acted like the world couldn't touch him.
Now, the world feared him.
And Rias couldn't shake the feeling that she might be losing him—not to death, but to something worse: distance.
The Next Day
The official events continued.
Mock battles. Demonstrations of power. Alliances being made over dinners and wine.
Alex avoided most of it. Irene stuck to his side like a shadow, drawing just as much attention as he did. Everyone wanted to know who she was—but no one dared ask.
Diodora, however, didn't give up.
He found Asia again—this time in the cathedral garden.
"You remind me of an angel," he said softly, kneeling before her. "Do you know I used to pray for someone like you?"
Asia shifted uncomfortably. "You're too kind…"
"Let me show you what kindness truly looks like," he said, his voice thick with false sincerity. "Come to the Astaroth estate. You don't belong with them. I can give you peace."
She stepped back. "I-I don't think Rias would—"
"You deserve more than Rias Gremory," he said. "And more than Alex."
"Is that so?" a voice cut through the garden.
Diodora turned slowly.
Alex stood there, eyes burning—not with fury, but quiet intent.
Asia rushed to his side, and he gently pushed her behind him.
"Three strikes," Alex said. "That was your third."
Diodora's face twisted, but he didn't speak.
He didn't need to.
Alex already knew something deeper was at play. Something twisted. Something that reeked of blood and betrayal.
And when the time came?
He'd make sure Diodora didn't get a fourth.