Two years had passed. Raza was now ten years old.
During this time, he had come to accept the situation within his family. He still had his mother, who supported him, taught him everything he needed, and was always by his side. Honestly, he couldn’t imagine life without her.
His siblings avoided him like the plague. He would see Ruval from time to time, but Ruval had his own household and responsibilities.
Their meetings were brief and mostly superficial—Raza would simply smile and say he was doing well, which was enough to keep Ruval from asking further questions. It wasn’t that Raza disliked Ruval, but their relationship was distant.
Ruval was rarely present, and even when he was, the atmosphere at family gatherings was overwhelming for Raza, making conversation difficult.
And then there was his father.
His father only spoke to him about duties and responsibilities, always reminding him of the importance of not embarrassing the Phenex family at social gatherings. Devils Raza’s age were expected to attend such events to meet others their age, but as Raza grew older, he became more aware of how strict and worrisome his father had become.
There was always a distance—never anything personal, always about politics and nobility. Raza found his father tiresome; at least with Riser and Ravel, he knew what to expect.
One day, a grand gathering was scheduled—a major event for the noble families. Raza was expected to attend. His mother helped him get dressed: red pants and a red jacket over a white shirt—the colors of their clan.
“You look wonderful, dear. I bet the girls will be all over you tonight, fufufu,” Rhea teased.
Raza replied quietly, “More like everyone will be avoiding me.”
Rhea took his arms gently. “Hey. We talked about this. Everything will be fine, dear. Just smile and be friendly.”
“Yes, Mother.”
She finished his hair and planted a kiss on his cheek, giving him a proud, reassuring smile. Before leaving, she suggested they practice a few lines for the evening.
Later, the Phenex family gathered in the teleportation room. His father was there, and when he saw Raza, he said, “Good. You look well. Remember to carry yourself with dignity tonight. You represent the Phenex family.”
“Yes, sir,” Raza replied quietly.
He noticed Riser standing at the back with his peerage, a group Raza didn’t particularly like. Riser had chosen only women for his peerage, and while they never spoke to Raza, their glances and smirks never went unnoticed. Raza also saw Ravel among them. When their eyes met, she turned her head away sharply with a “hmph.”
Raza felt his mother’s hand on his back as they moved into the teleportation circle. He stood beside her, away from the others. The circle activated, and they teleported away.
They arrived in a grand hall filled with decorations, tables, and—Raza couldn’t help but note—crowds of people. Their arrival was announced; after all, the Phenex family was one of the Duke families of the underworld. Immediately, nobles from other houses gathered to greet them. Lord Phenex returned the greetings, quickly engaging in political conversation. Raza realized he had his mother to thank for being prepared for such situations.
The nobles greeted the rest of the family, but when it came to Raza, there was always an awkward pause, as if he were a stranger among his own kin. Ignoring their discomfort, Raza introduced himself just as his mother had taught him. At least he wasn’t being embarrassing, he thought.
After a while, as things calmed down, Raza noticed the other young devils gathering in the center of the room, talking among themselves. He felt uncomfortable. His mother placed her hands reassuringly on his shoulders, and Raza sighed, collecting himself before slowly walking toward the other kids. Riser, watching from afar, gestured to his peerage and smirked.
Rhea silently hoped, Please, let there be someone—anyone—to be his friend.
Raza approached a group of kids his age and tried to say hello, but they turned and walked away. He tried again with another group, but they, too, walked off. Even when he looked at a third group, they turned away. Raza looked down, his throat tight with emotion.
Rhea, watching, was about to go to him when—
“Hey. You alone here as well?”
Raza turned and saw a boy with black hair and violet eyes.
“Y-yeah, I guess,” Raza replied.
“Me too. The others avoid me because I’m supposed to be a failure or something. Oh, by the way, I’m Sairaorg.
What’s your name?”
“It’s Raza.”
Sairaorg thought for a moment. “Hmm… Raza. I think I’ve heard that name before. Ah! You’re that Black Phenex kid, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Man, that’s so cool. Think you can show me?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s too bad.
Anyway, I’m getting bored here. Want to head outside?
I want to show you something.”
Raza, feeling a bit overwhelmed, agreed to follow.
The two slipped out of the building. Rhea, seeing this from afar, sighed in relief and smiled—it looked like Raza had finally made a friend in the Bael kid.
At that moment, Rhea was approached by Venelana.
They greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries.
Venelana teased about how much Raza had grown and how handsome he was, which Rhea appreciated.
Rhea asked if the Gremory family was attending. Venelana confirmed and mentioned her daughter, Rias, was there as well, along with Sona Sitri.
Rhea expressed hope that Raza and Sairaorg might become good friends, and Venelana reassured her.
Outside, Raza followed Sairaorg to the training field. They stopped, and Sairaorg turned to him.
“Back there, you said no when I asked about your powers.
Why?”
“I just don’t want to,” Raza replied.
“That’s weird. Then again, I don’t have any magic to begin with, so maybe I wouldn’t understand.
Do you train?”
“Training?
I mean, I exercise and do some self-defense, but…”
“Watch this.”
Sairaorg walked over to a training dummy. “If you’re not sure about using magic… then use your fists instead.
Like this!”
He punched the dummy, shattering it completely.
“Whoa! What the hell? You’re strong!” Raza exclaimed.
Sairaorg smiled at the compliment. “Heh, you think so? That’s nice of you. Usually, I don’t get compliments. My family thinks that because I don’t have magic, I’m not suited to be an heir. So, I’ve been training my body to prove them wrong.”
Raza listened quietly. “Yeah. I get what you mean.”
“What about you?”
“Me? Well, I don’t know… if I can become like that.”
“Of course you can!
I was nothing special either, believe me. But I know you can do it too.
You just have to really want it, and train even when your body says otherwise.”
Raza looked at him, uncertainty in his eyes. After a moment, he asked simply, “Why?”
Sairaorg smiled. “Because one day, I’m going to become a Maou and prove everyone wrong—everyone who looked down on people like me. I’m going to change the system so anyone, noble or low-class devil, gets a chance to prove themselves in our society.”
Raza stared at him, mouth open. “You know… you really are amazing, Sairaorg.”
“Really? You actually believe me?”
“Yeah. I think someone like you could do it. I mean, look at that training dummy.”
Sairaorg laughed. “Haha! But you know, Raza, you can become strong too. You just haven’t realized it yet. How about you train with me? Together, we’ll reach new heights and show them all! What do you say?”
“But… I don’t have a dream like that.”
“So? You don’t have to know what you want right away. The important thing is to show up, day after day, and keep going—no matter what. That’s the most important step.”
Sairaorg offered his hand. “So what do you say, Raza? I think you’re an interesting guy.”
Raza looked at Sairaorg’s hand, then slowly reached out and shook it. “I… I want to become strong. I’m not sure why, but… I don’t want to wait until things are decided for me. I don’t want to be looked down on anymore. I’m going to become strong. Even stronger than you, Sairaorg.”
Sairaorg grinned. “That’s the spirit! Let’s introduce ourselves again.
I’m Sairaorg Bael. Nice to meet you, Raza.”
“I’m Raza Phenex. Nice to meet you, Sairaorg.”
“Alright!” Sairaorg cheered. Now that they were friends, he insisted they begin training immediately.
From a balcony overlooking the training field, two young girls watched the scene. The one with crimson hair spoke first: “Looks like Sairaorg’s made a new friend, Sona.”
“Seems that way, Rias. Raza Phenex from the Phenex family.”
“He isn’t what I expected.”
“That so?”
The night was still young. Sairaorg was showing Raza how to throw a punch. The two girls lingered a while longer, watching. The future of the underworld was about to get much more interesting.