Wrath of the Forgotten King

In the far reaches of the Underworld, beyond the charred canyons of the Ashen Wastes and the jagged ruins of long dead Castles, there was a place no devil dared tread lightly a land scarred by wrath and poisoned by hatred.

Here, in the heart of the scorched and howling land, where echoes of a thousand screams haunted the wind and the sun never shone, legends whispered of a beast who once led armies and trampled Lesser gods. A monster with the soul of a king, a demon cast down by betrayal, whose fury cursed the very earth beneath him.

His name was Nago.

And Riser Phenex had come to claim him.

Soon the Clash of Flame and Fury will begin

The air reeked of rot and ruin. Ash clung to Riser's skin like sweat, and the wind carried a chorus of unseen whispers. The cursed forest stood still around him gnarled trees and bleached bones, the ground cracked by centuries of stomping rage.

He stood alone, far beyond the reach of his peerage.

Artoria had been the first to protest. "Let us come with you."

"We should always be by you're side," Thalia had argued.

Even Milim, reckless and grinning, had hesitated. "You sure about this, flame boy? This beast isn't your average summon. He's a damn apocalypse with hooves."

But Riser had only shaken his head.

"This is my final piece. If I can't claim it on my own, I have no right to rule."

Now he waited.

And the earth trembled.

The trees split apart as a hulking shadow tore through them. Towering and bristling with muscle and matted fur, the beast emerged. His tusks gleamed like swords. His eyes glowed molten red, ancient and wrathful.

The creature's voice came like thunder cracking stone.

"Another devil come to die?"

Riser's flames ignited in a heartbeat, Pale Blue and roaring to life. The heat cracked the earth beneath his feet, searing the twisted roots nearby.

"I came to fight," he replied. "And to ask you to join me."

Nago's eyes narrowed. Then he bellowed a sound like a collapsing mountain. Trees flattened, the air itself buckled.

"I do not follow. I trample. Burn. Crush. Begone, bird of fire!"

Then the beast charged.

Riser launched skyward, blue fire erupting behind him. Tusks split the earth where he had stood. He retaliated instantly lances of inferno raining down from above, striking Nago's back and shoulders. The smell of burning fur filled the air.

But the beast didn't stop.

He howled, barreled through fire, and leapt. A hoof almost slamming into Riser midair, which would have send him spiraling into the ground. Landing on the ground The impact created a crater, trees toppling in its wake.

Riser brushed off invisible dust. Flames burst from his back, his torn coat fluttering in the wind.

"You're fast for something so big," he muttered, spitting fire.

Nago laughed. It was not a joyous sound. "I am wrath given form, devil. What do you hope to prove?"

"That I'm worthy for you to stand by."

More fire. More fury. The battle raged through the forest claws versus fists, fire against brute strength. Riser struck with honed precision, decades of training focused into every move. But Nago was not simply a beast. He was a warrior, a conqueror reborn in hate.

Even as the sun vanished behind the dark clouds, they fought.

By nightfall, Riser stood dry blood which sits on his pristine skin. Wasting alot of demonic energy but he remained standing.

Nago bleeding. Deep gashes marred his thick hide. But he had not fallen.

They stared at one another across the battlefield, neither willing to speak, neither willing to fall.

Day Two of the fight The Heart Beneath the Rage

Dawn rose weakly, casting a sickly glow over the wasteland.

Riser's flame still like a roaring inferno

Still walking forward like a man possessed.

Nago growled lowly. "You should be dead."

"I've heard that before," Riser rasped, wiping blood from his lip. "But I'm immortal."

"Why keep standing, devil?" the boar thundered. "You been broken countless times.

"My energy knows no bounds," Riser said, his voice clear. "Because I see you."

Nago stopped moving.

"You're not just rage. You were a king once. A guardian. I read the stories. You led the beasts of the Crimson Plain. You fought for them. You protected them until betrayal and bloodshed took it all away."

Nago's eyes flared. "Do not speak of that war!"

"I will," Riser said. "Because you're still living in it. Still bleeding from it."

The boar snorted, pawing the ground, but he didn't charge.

"I don't want a slave," Riser said. "I want an ally. I've made a peerage of monsters, outcasts, warriors and I offer you a place among them. Not to serve me. To stand with me."

Silence fell. Even the cursed wind had paused.

Then Nago roared and charged.

Riser didn't move. Instead, fire erupted around him, cladding his body in flame forged armor. Blue and white, radiant, divine in its brilliance. His aura screamed with every ounce of will he had.

At the last moment, Riser pulled back his fist.

"This is everything I am!"

He punched.

The force split the ground in a jagged line, the impact sending Nago crashing back with a thunderous quake. The boar landed hard, unmoving.

Silence.

Then, a rasping breath.

Nago stirred.

His voice was softer. "You are no ordinary devil."

Riser standing tall like a statue showing it strength, majestic.

"I am Riser Phenex," he whispered. "And I will become the greatest Devil King the Underworld has ever seen but one who isn't ever never alone."

Nago lifted his head. He stared at the young devil, then slowly lowered his massive head in a bow.

"Then I shall walk with you, Flame born. I will lend you my rage as your pawn."

Phenex Estate Days Later

Riser returned like a storm broken and reforged. Upper body completely nude, his expression calm but tired.

Behind him lumbered a titan.

Nago's massive form stood just outside the estate gates. The guards trembled. The earth rumbled with every step. And yet he moved with purpose. Controlled.

Kaijin blinked at the sight. "You brought back a walking earthquake."

Merlin whistled low. "Oh, I like him. He radiates enough bloodlust to peel paint off a wall."

Milim didn't hesitate. She dashed forward, laughing. "Boar rides!" She leapt onto Nago's back, who grunted but didn't resist.

Thalia crossed her arms. "And here I thought nothing could surprise me anymore."

Artoria approached slowly, nodding once to Riser. "You've completed your circle. He'll be your might and your mirror."

Riser gave a small, weary smile. "He's not just strength. He's proof."

"Of what?" asked Akeno, stepping from the doorway, Rias beside her.

"That anyone no matter how broken can be brought back," Riser said. "If someone's willing to reach out."

Nago let out a low rumble, his eyes scanning the group. Though still fierce, there was a new clarity to them.

Respect.

Acceptance.

"So," Riser said, turning to his peerage, "now that we're whole"

He looked to the horizon.

"Let's build the future."

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Peerage members

King - Riser Phenex - age 11

Queen mutated - merlin - seven deadly sins - age unknown

Knight - artoria pendragon - age 13

Second knight mutated - Daryun - the heroic legend of Arslan - age 32

2 bishop pieces - thalia grace demigod - age 13

2 rook pieces - Milim Nava - that time i got reincarnated as a slime - age dragon years 4 - human years 14

3 pawn pieces - kaijin - that time i got reincarnated as a slime - age 80

5 pawn pieces - nago - demon boar princess mononoke - age unknown