--- Chapter 130 ---
"So, you guys are almost dead because of the beast?"
"How awfully weak you were as a group." Huo Yuhao casually commented while looking down at Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri's groups. "Don't you guys have an instinct to survive or something?"
"At least run away, for fuck sake."
Rias Gremory lowered her head in shame because half of her members were "seriously." injured by the beast that shouldn't appear in the Familiar Forest. She couldn't do anything as the beast possessed an Anti-Demonic Power ability.
It also applies to Sona Sitri, as her peerage couldn't control the horde with their formation technique. They were overwhelmed, which resulted in some people getting injured.
She might be wiser than people her age but before an overwhelming force. It's useless.
Serafall listened to this berating and couldn't help but sigh on the side because what Huo Yuhao said was true. They could have run away from the Familiar Forest.
Teleportation Magic wouldn't take 4-5 minutes to cast, and since they are heiresses of famous clans, they could even use the magic faster than the standard.
Yet, they decided to stay here?
The answer is pretty simple, even for Serafall, who loved her sister dearly.
"Ego." She sighed in defeat.
"Your ego is too big, blinding your options of choices."
"We can still fight back."
"We are strong enough to handle this."
"After all, we are the heiress."
"Right?" Serafall stared at Sona with a disappointed sigh.
Sona gritted her teeth and responded, "Yes, Onee-sama."
"T-This is my fault. I should have retreated quickly when the situation wasn't favorable. You can punish me for it." She added hesitantly.
"Then, as the supreme ruler of the devils. For three months, she shall wear only the magical girl outfit." Huo Yuhao smirked lightly, causing everyone to stare at him in amazement.
"I agree with this punishment!" Serafall blinked a little and slapped Huo Yuhao's hand in excitement.
"T-That is..." Sona nervously wanted to reject this, which would contradict her words before. She couldn't take them back because such a decision would harm her credibility.
"I accept the punishment, your majesty."
"Good." Huo Yuhao nodded in amusement. "As for you, Gremory. I sentenced you to three months of a character-fixing course under my subordinate, Murong Qianxue."
"Fix that head of yours before making a decision. You have to realize ego doesn't mean shit on the battlefield. The most cautious one always survives no matter what." He continued, making Rias clench her hand tightly.
"Do you understand?"
Rias stared at Huo Yuhao's piercing blue eyes and lowered her head in dread. There was a suffocating feeling in her chest. She regulated her breath and replied, "I understand your majesty."
However, It is not so smooth.
"WHY DOES BUCHO HAVE TO BE PUNISHED?!"
Issei Hyoudou jumped forward and stood before Rias, protecting her from Huo Yuhao. Everyone was stunned because this fool sure was brave.
"What do we have here? Oh, is this your new host, Ddraig?" Huo Yuhao smiled while staring at Issei's left arm. "At this point, Vali would never get an equal rival."
"Tch, you annoying bastard." Ddraig appeared in the form of the red gauntlet. "I thought you would never start a conversation with me."
"Well, I'm quite busy here, you see. Unification of devils isn't an easy matter." Huo Yuhao answered casually.
"O-Oy, Ddraig. You know this guy too?" Issei whispered to the gauntlet, but everyone could hear him. The new Red Dragon Emperor seemed to forget everyone here has super-hearing.
Ddraig grumbled in dismay and replied, "Partner, you're an idiot..."
"Haa... Ignorance is truly bliss for you."
"Rias Gremory told you once that a powerful being casually swept over the Great War and even defeated me, right? That being is the guy before you. Don't be deceived by his appearance. Even though he saved us when Kokabiel attacked the Kuoh Academy, he's a monster."
"D-Dragon God?" Issei trembled violently.
"Aww, someone is still salty." Huo Yuhao chuckled mischievously.
"Are you still mad about getting destroyed by me? Or is it because of me that you got sealed into that gauntlet?"
Ddraig didn't respond nor open his mouth and huffed inside the Sacred Gear. He won't fall to Huo Yuhao's bait like the last time.
He learned from his mistake, after all.
"Anyway." Huo Yuhao moved his gaze to Issei Hyoudou.
"You said, Why does Rias have to get punished?"
"The reason is simple, Kid."
Huo Yuhao stepped forward and showed him the difference between their heights. And Huo Yuhao was the tallest person in this place, besides Tiamat.
"In a war, if you could survive, survive."
"Die honorably will only bring suffering to others."
"So what if you die with your ego?"
"What about others?"
"Have you ever thought about your parents, knowing their son died because of his ego? Do you think they are happy?"
"What achievement have you obtained in your life?"
"Being a brat and a pervert? Oh god, the shame."
"In this world, the winner had the power to decide everything. Your honor and ego ain't shit." Huo Yuhao released a small percentage of his Conqueror Haki, brewing a storm in the Familiar Forest.
Everyone watched Huo Yuhao lift his finger and aim it at Issei's forehead.
"Tell me, does your beloved buchou deserve her punishment? Maybe it's too light." Huo Yuhao's finger made contact with Issei's forehead.
BAM!
Issei was blown away with a smoking forehead.
He fainted and landed on a pond, where the water spirit lives.
"ISSEI!" Rias shouted in worry.
"Rias Gremory's punishment will be extended to a full year. She will get prohibited from accessing Gremory Clan's wealth and help from her relatives, especially Sirzechs Lucifer." Huo Yuhao said while brushing his finger with a handkerchief.
"She also would be stripped from her nobility and must work as a mere servant within the punishment period."
"Any complaint, and I'll assign the same punishment for that person." Huo Yuhao gazed at Gremory's peerage member coldly.
Silence.
They couldn't fight Huo Yuhao's decision.
He's the Supreme Leader of the Devil.
Huo Yuhao turned around and walked away from the group, flicking his finger to fix the magic barrier around the Familiar Forest.
"Serafall, contact Sirzechs and tell him about Rias's matter." He said while stretching his neck.
"Right away, your majesty." Serafall felt a little bad for Rias, but the princess of Gremory needed a lesson to grow.
"Tiamat, are you going to follow me or stay here?" Huo Yuhao watched Tiamat disappear from her position.
Tiamat walked to the fainted Issei and asked, "Ddraig, you haven't brought my treasure back, no? What explanation do you have for me?"
'Fuck!' Ddraig cursed in his mind.
"O-Oh, Tiamat. Long time no see."
"Where. Is. My. Treasure. DDRAIG?" Tiamat tilted her head with a small smile.
"Don't even bother with him. Your treasure was destroyed in the Great War when he fought Albion." Huo Yuhao commented while recalling the Great War. "If I remember correctly, It's a tool to resist Albion's poison."
"Fuck, don't expose me like that!" Ddraig was speechless.
"Oh-uh." Tiamat pondered for a moment.
"Hehehe..." A small laugh escaped from Tiamat's mouth, which was never a pleasant start for Ddraig.
"Being inside Sacred Gear doesn't limit me from torturing you, you borrowing bastard!"
Tiamat suddenly pulled out a small nail-like tool, having an incredible aura of death. She aimed at Issei's hand and stabbed it without care.
"Every time you try to move your soul and active your power, an incredible pain will burn you."
"This curse will stay until you bring a treasure with an equal value."
'Kuugh... It's a nether nail.' Ddraig groaned in pain, feeling his soul pulled apart.
Tiamat swayed her head and hugged Huo Yuhao, "Hubby, let's go~!"
Huo Yuhao shook his head and told Grayfia to prepare Teleportation Magic. They will visit the Astaroth Clan shortly after because they have a connection with Rizevim.
Ophis glanced at the sky and mumbled, "Baka red..."
The crack in the sky disappeared, causing Ophis to frown slightly.
'Is she watching Yuhao too? No, I won't give Baka Red Yuhao and Candy, hmph!' The ouroboros dragon climbed onto Huo Yuhao's back, trying to protect the young man from Great Red's observation.
"Ophis?" Huo Yuhao felt the hug from her.
"I'm bored... I want to stay like this for a while." Ophis replied with her usual flat expression.
Huo Yuhao patted her and said, "Sure."
'Darling's left side is free~!' Kuroka was about to jump and hug Huo Yuhao's arm, but the silver-haired maid seized the spot.
"So fast."
"Shirone, I'll visit you later. Take care." She waved her hand at Koneko and jumped to Huo Yuhao's shoulder in her cat form.
Koneko watched this scene and cursed inside that she couldn't follow Huo Yuhao to the Astaroth Clan like her sister. She glanced at Rias and her fellow peerage member.
'Buchou, sometimes your karma is beyond my understanding.' She slumped while checking Issei's condition too.
Meanwhile, Rias was too stunned to speak.
After hearing her punishment, the redhead blanked and fainted on the ground.
"Err, I'll bring Issei," Kiba said while supporting Issei.
Akeno smiled wryly and responded, "Then, Koneko-chan and I will take Rias to the Club."
"Follow me," Serafall said to Sona and her peerage.
One after another, everyone is leaving the Familiar Forest.
A small creature slowly appeared from the mud and looked around for a moment before manifesting itself into a human-like form. It searched for something and reached a place where Huo Yuhao burned Siegfried into ashes.
"Siegfried has died..."
"We can't recover his body and soul."
The creature crumbled by itself, leaving no trace at all.
"HUO YUHAO!" Cao Cao received the report and smashed his hand against the wall.
"How dare you kill my friends..."
"Don't worry, Sieg... I'll pay you back."
"The Hero Faction wouldn't leave this be."
...
...
Huo Yuhao sensed the change in the Familiar Forest and smiled because the robber was brave enough to hide the beast made by Annihilation Maker under his feet.
"Do you find anything about the robber?" He asked Tiamat.
Tiamat's face hardened as she replied, "No."
"The robber is so slick with his tricks. The connection between the beast and the maker is so faint. I could barely track them down."
"How unfortunate." Huo Yuhao returned while looking at the new scenery.
BOOM!
Upon arriving at the Astaroth Clan, an explosion greeted them with a full-blown blast.
"Where is that bastard, huh?" A familiar voice echoed in the ruined mansion.
"Where is Diodora Astaroth? The Vatican would like to have a word with him!"
A golden-haired young woman stood above the rubble. She wore saint-like clothes and a beautiful hairpiece that kept her silky hair in place. A bright battle flag released a dangerous amount of light energy, which left Grayfia and Kuroka speechless.
As devils, Grayfia felt threatened.
Even the reincarnated devil, Kuroka, felt the dread from the light energy.
"Who is this girl?" Tiamat frowned slightly.
Ophis peeked from Huo Yuhao's back and said, "Oh, It's just Qianye Ying'er."
Yes, the person who made the Astaroth Clan into such a state is Qianye Ying'er. After hearing Asia's sad backstory, she tracked Diodora Astaroth's location and teleported to the Underworld when she discovered a secret passage on the outer church of the Vatican.
There is a teleportation magic circle. Someone has made a secret path to the holy place.
Qianye Ying'er kicked the nearest devil and asked, "Where is Diodora Astaroth?"
"I don't know..." The devil responded.
"Wrong answer." The blonde burned the devil into ash.
If people see this, they would wonder who's the devil.
"Hmm, This scent?" Qianye Ying'er moved her gaze and saw Huo Yuhao standing a few meters away.
"Yuhao~!!" She jumped down and moved too fast for someone to notice without Haki.
Huo Yuhao hugged Qianye Ying'er and said, "No wonder I have not seen your message in the last few days."
"That should be my words, hehe." Qianye Ying'er smiled happily.
"So, who is this lady?" She eyed Tiamat meticulously.
Tiamat frowned and replied, "I'm his wife. "
"..." Qianye Ying'er.
"Bitch please, you don't know how hard it was to become his wife."
"Claiming to be one without Yuhao's mother's approval is a death wish."
Qianye Ying'er rolled her eyes and said, "You're not strong enough to meet the standard."
"What did you say?" Tiamat was annoyed.
"Fight me!"
"Sure, go ahead." Qianye Ying'er responded with confidence.
"I'll wipe the floor with your face and use your horn for decoration."
Tiamat doesn't say anything and drags Qianye Ying'er away, leaving a shockwave on the ground.
Huo Yuhao watched this and commented, "Do you see this? It's one of many reasons why being a Harem Protagonist is hard."
'But you like it, you scoundrel!!' Tian Meng yelled furiously.
"Hehe~!" Huo Yuhao chuckled when hearing that. He doesn't deny it.