"Power comes in response to a need, not a desire."
— Goku, Dragon Ball Z
~ Very long Chapters After Ch +60!
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Roy observed the girls' diligent kendo practice.
He'd shared some techniques, surprised by their natural aptitude.
He even considered adding them to his peerage.
However, after some thought, he decided to wait. Choosing servants was a serious matter. Evil Pieces were a finite resource.
They were based on chess pieces. A Rating Game peerage consisted of one King, one Queen, two Rooks, two Knights, two Bishops, and eight Pawns, sixteen in total.
The current Maou's distributed fifteen of these, excluding the King.
The King piece, capable of drastically enhancing its user's power, was considered too dangerous for general distribution.
Only Ajuka Beelzebub, the creator of the Evil Pieces system, could bestow it. Choosing servants required careful consideration.
Roy often daydreamed about unlimited Evil Pieces. It would solve so many problems. But it was just a fantasy.
"Good morning, everyone!" he greeted the girls with a smile.
Classes dragged on. Roy even dozed off. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of another mind-numbing school day. Club activities.
He joined the Kendo Club members from his class at the dojo. Leaving them to their own practice, Roy retreated to his private training room.
Even without Grayfia's watchful eye, he wouldn't slack off. He had a daily quota to meet.
"Ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-seven… ninety-eight… ninety-nine… one hundred thousand!"
He completed his swings, arms trembling. Was this his limit? He stared at his shaking hands, a wave of frustration washing over him.
The plot was about to begin. Fallen Angels, Riser Phenex, the White Dragon Emperor, powerful adversaries awaited.
What could he do with his current, meager strength? The thought was unsettling. Was this the peak of his potential?
Ding! The Strongest Devil King System has been activated. Access functions to learn more.
Roy froze. A voice echoed in his mind. Then, a surge of elation.
He was no stranger to the concept of "systems." Since his arrival, he'd secretly longed for a cheat, a golden finger. Sixteen years had passed with no such luck.
He'd almost given up hope. But now… it had finally arrived. Perhaps golden fingers were just fashionably late.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the system interface. It didn't offer instant power, but something potentially even better: Evil Pieces. System-granted pieces were mutated, significantly stronger than standard ones.
And, crucially, they were Unlimited. He could create a peerage of any size. His fantasy of infinite pieces had become reality.
Moreover, due to an integrated King Piece ability, every successful contract would strengthen him, the power boost proportional to the servant's strength. With enough strong servants, his power could grow exponentially.
There was a catch, however. He couldn't contract with someone whose power vastly outstripped his own. As a Low-Class Devil, he was limited to those below Maou-class.
He mentally reviewed his options. The list was short, especially considering his preference for female servants.
Asia Argento, Xenovia, Irina Shidou, Rossweisse, Ravel Phenex… Perhaps the three girls from the Kendo Club? Even contracting all of them would probably only elevate him to Maou-class, which wasn't enough. Maybe even Grayfia?
He shook his head and continued exploring the system's functions. There was another option: world travel. Periodically, the system would present a selection of worlds for him to visit.
This was it. This was the solution. With access to other worlds, finding powerful servants would be much easier. He eagerly selected the world travel function.
Three options materialized before him:
How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend - His mind immediately conjured images of the main heroines: Eriri, Utaha, and Megumi. They were ordinary humans, lacking combat prowess. They wouldn't contribute much to his power.
Highschool of the Dead - A world on the brink of a zombie apocalypse. Saeko Busujima was the standout here. A skilled swordswoman with a refined demeanor, she was also a surprisingly capable homemaker. Her kendo skills were impressive, even by Roy's standards.
Compared to ordinary humans, she was a prodigy. And then there was her… bloodlust. Roy wasn't repelled by it. In fact, he found it intriguing, a mark of a true warrior.
Unlike Eriri, who'd likely remain weak even as a Devil, Saeko possessed immense potential. He suspected she might even possess Mid-Class Devil strength upon transformation.
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid - This was a non-starter. Tohru and Kanna were ridiculously powerful, far beyond his current level.
And they were dragons. The difficulty of forming a contract with them was astronomical. Devils weren't inherently weak. Their immortality was a testament to their inherent power.
But contracting dragons like Tohru and Kanna would require, at minimum, Maou-class strength. They were likely Transcendent-class beings, and their dragon blood further amplified the difficulty.
He had one shot.
He chose Highschool of the Dead.
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