The Player is a Part-Timer

Chapter 16: Dark Storm Brewing (part 1)

"Very well. Then I will specify it for you."

"Please, do so."

"You know, there are strange rumours, details about your agents being seen in devil territory. Does it ring a bell?"

Does he know about it? All his plans will be revealed before their time? No! He can't panic! He needs to play his part, and everything will be fine!

"Which territory? If I may ask? As you know, we all keep agents in areas that belong to different factions, all to keep our eyes on them — Just as they do the same with us. It is part of the great game."

"You know well which town I am speaking about."

"Unfortunately, no..." Almost looking bored, Kokabiel leaned on his fist.

"It is a settlement with the name of Kuoh. Sounds familiar? Hmm? In Japan, in the human world?"

Azazel was strangely specific, increasingly leaving behind the playful, mockingly subtle tone he used to use. It was almost like he knew about his activity there.

"Hmmm..." Kokabiel acted as if he was trying to remember, typing on his keyboard for a few seconds.

"Ah! That? Yes! Now I remember. To my knowledge, a group of rogue fallen intended to destabilise the peace between the three factions there — Fallen, that acted in your name. I needed to ensure everything was under control there, so I dispatched a few of my specialists so that no such thing would happen again."

"How nice of you." He didn't like how Azazel squinted his eyes, his suspicion evident.

"I am sure he suspects my plan. Is he planning to confront me directly? Or is that bastard just playing around?" Thinking him inferior, on top of this, stupid, unable to recognise his game? This act even more infuriated the fallen leader!

"Is there any problem with that?" Yet, he reined in his emotions; he needed to keep his facade! Let Azazel fail first.

"If your intentions carry no harm, nothing. Regardless, I ask you not to sniff around in that territory; let the devils handle it. For the sake of all of us, order your people to leave."

"You are strangely direct today. Is there a problem? Or, are you trying to hide something?"

"I only ask you, for the sake of our race... there is no ill intention behind my words."

"Of course...." He almost laughed! Like an old man, their de-facto leader was starting to tremble! Oh! How he savoured the weakness he showed!

"Good, in that case..."

"I also have a question since you are already here." Two can play the game. Azazel played his cards; now his turn to do it!

"Yes? What is it?"

"Lately, I received an interesting recording about a creature. A creature appeared near a destroyed excavation site. A place your agents swarmed recently." Pushing the button, Kokabiel projected out the location. "Do you have any information about it? About the creature that appeared there? It stirred quite the amount of destruction."

With another push of a button, the being who left devastation in her wake also appeared, grinning madly in the middle of the destroyed landscape; around it, death everywhere.

Anyone who approached her with ill intentions was torn apart, either by an invisible force or one of the many grotesque "maw wings" sprouting from her back. Divinely eldrich chains binding and rending flesh from bones! All are working synchrony with lethal efficiency, doing a terrific job, swallowing the attackers without remorse!