Cooled Passions

by ZyWri

Summary:

An ordinary office worker is approached by an otherworldly entity with an interesting proposal. Can he survive and revive a long defunct house to their rightful position as the Princes of Hell?

Chapter 1: Prologue

Prologue

I listlessly stared at the stop light in-front of me, waiting for it to turn green. I was walking on my way to the office, which I would then proceed to do my thankless desk jockey job at. In my hand, rested a plastic cup from a family owned coffee shop I frequented. It was a scene that had repeated itself far, far too often for my tastes.

As the light switched over to green, however, something different occurred. The colour drained out of my surroundings, and everything suddenly froze. As I looked around, a tear in reality opened up infront of me, colours the shade of madness spilling forth. There was as groan I could feel in my bones, as if the world itself was in pain. Through the tear in reality, I could see what looked like a young monochrome boy grinning at me widely.

I took a sip out of my cup.

His grin grew impossibly wider at that, and a voice that repeated itself in my head sounded forth, "Heya Kiddo, you wanna get Isekai'd?"

I threw the cup behind me with zero hesitation as I stepped into the portal, saying, "Fuck yes, lets go."

The being's laughter faded from the space I had previously occupied, as the world restarted with no one the wiser.

---

"The Waifu Catalogue?" I blinked, "Isn't that kinda... Lazy?"

Catharsis, the ROB that had opened up a tear in reality in front of me, responded, "Indeed. I found the idea interesting, to be honest. Of course, I am not part of this 'Company' your people drempt up, so I do not have any need for these Waifus. Additionally, if I just gave you the standard Catalogue you could very easily just ascend to a level where nothing could touch you, considering your... lack of moral compunctions."

I raised an eyebrow at that, wondering if that was a problem, when Catharsis refuted, "Oh no, not at all! That is exactly why I chose you! If you are weary about the Waifu Catalogue thing I suppose I could send you to save some fantasy world from an existential threat..."

"Pass." I refused, "That sounds like a ton of work for no benefit."

"Exactly." The Being nodded, "That's why this modified version I came up with is better!"

I stared at him for a bit, thinking it over before deciding I might as well hear him out, as he seemed rather amenable and open to negotiation, "Alright, what were you thinking?"

He did a back-flip in the void we were floating in before explaining, "So hear was my idea! I'm not good with mortal thoughts, so if you have any inputs or concerns please don't hesitate to tell me! First up: FUCK THE POINTS SYSTEM!"

The final part was shouted out, vibrating the realm we inhabited as if it's God was laying down a new law of reality, "It's finicky, dumb, and drags things on for way to long! What I want to see is you coming up with a plan to seduce the hell out of some poor unsuspecting mortal and having you worry about whether she'll bring you enough 'points' or whatever would bore me to tears!"

I considered that, coming to an inevitable conclusion, "Are you some kind of voyeuristic pervert?"

He nodded happily, "Yup! So instead, here's the deal: Pick a world, and you get to pick 3 perks from the Catalogue. I will give you an objective to complete in that world, that once you achieve will grant you and anyone you wish complete immortality. Then, you need to pick a trait, to be shared by 7 females, those will be your targets. Once you have bound each one, you can pick 3 more perks from the Catalogue. The seventh must be the most powerful, and will instead allow you to fully complete one of the Heritage paths, whose perks you cannot take otherwise."

I considered that, before asking curiously, "So no tiers giving more perks? Isn't that a bit... overpowered?"

Catharsis argued, "Not at all, because it wont count unless you actually like the girl you are binding! If you are just doing it for the perks, it wont work. Additionally, all seven have to be from different worlds. No double dipping on one reality!"

"So I can only have seven maximum?"

"Not at all! You can bind as many as you want, but only people on the list will give you points." He smiled, "I want you to have fun and not worry so much about the perks and points and all that boring stuff."

I was highly suspicious, "That seems... suspect."

Catharsis shook his head, "Not at all! I would be bored to just watch you be weak and miserable. Obviously you are going to have to struggle and come up against heavy odds, but if it was impossible for you to win that would just suck to watch. It would also be bland if you were too strong, so I am modifying the perks you can choose."

That seemed rather inconvenient to my ability to make a plan based on what I knew about the Catalogue, "How drastic are the changes? I would like to at least know what to expect from the choices."

Catharsis explained, "The basic change is the most important. The perks you pick are not automatic, or instant power ups. For example, should you pick the Soul Talent, you would not instantly be a master magician. You would still need to study and put in focused effort, and your progress would not translate to other schools of magic. For the Defences, it will allow you to combat the effect they defend against, but the effectiveness would depend on your own willpower. Now, enough talking, pick your World and the type of targets you would like to focus on!"

The Being then stared at me intently, obviously waiting for my decision. This was important however, so I decided to take my time. The first thing to consider, is that without the Tier system, any Waifus I chose would have to be for their own power or my own desires. They also needed to share a trait... That could be anything from hair colour to personality types. Deciding to approach this from another angle, I quickly created a list in my head of my top ten favourite fictional characters, then tried to find a common point between them.

When I did that, a rudimentary plan started forming in my mind. To ensure I was understanding the rules correctly, I asked Catharsis, "Can I create a list of my intended targets? That way if I bind a person who shares the chosen trait I don't use up my slot for that world."

The Monochrome Boy smiled, "Are you sure? It would lock you in to your choices, reducing your flexibility."

I nodded, "I'm sure. With that, I think I have a plan that would work."

He smiled that creepy, wide smile again, "It is an interesting one. Very well, I accept your proposed list of targets, your choice of World is Highschool DxD, your chosen Trait is Kuudere and your final target is Ophis, the Dragon of the Infinite." He whistled, "You don't aim low, do you?"

I shrugged, "What can I say, I am a power hungry person. That's why you picked me, isn't it?" As I said that, A screen opened up in front of me, with different options for the perks that were available to me. At the top, there was a statement;

Objective: Raise your House to the rank of Prince of Hell.

Browsing through the different tabs, I noticed that there were several things missing, such as Sweet Home, all of the Social Talents and any options for customising my start, such as Drop In or Paper Trail. Several more options, such as Fertility Calibration, Inexhaustible and Zenryoku Zenkai were greyed out.

Reading my mind, Catharsis explained, "I've already organised your start. You are starting as the last surviving member of House Sagan, one of the former Princes of Hell, hence your objective.
Sweet home is gone for my amusement, as giving you a pocket dimension to hide is something you would abuse. The greyed out options will unlock once you Capture people with certain traits. As for the Social Talents, your biggest problem to solve would be the politics of the Underworld. Can't have you getting too much help with that, can I?"

House Sagan? If I remember my Demonology correctly, their power was something about... bindings? Chains? Something like that, it had been many years since my last in-depth study of Theology. The Social Talents were not a huge loss, as I was fairly confident in my ability to navigate social situations already, on top of me having limited slots. Looking at the options available to me, and who I planned to capture, I started to plan out my picks.

"Incidentally, How am I getting to these other worlds to capture people? Exit Stage Left isn't available." Indeed, the option wasn't even greyed out, simply missing.

"Oh." Catharsis waved a hand, "I'll be giving you the ability to Planeswalk. You will need to meditate to discover a world with the traits you want if you want a specific alternate reality to travel to, you can only stay for 24 hours at a time and the hops themselves have a month long cool down. Additionally, only those you capture can travel with you either way."

"That's generous. And powerful. And pretty abusable?" I said, immediately thinking of doing a short hop over to the Nasuverse to grab Avalon out of Shirou for some easy invuln.

"There is a restriction. You can't hop to worlds you don't plan to capture people in and once you have nabbed your designated target you can't go back." Of course.

"For a God who isn't used to dealing with Mortals, you sure are pretty savvy with gaming terms and loopholes." I observed.

Catharsis smiled, "Indeed, after all, some of the games you mortals construct can be amusing to observe, even if I can deduce the outcome."

I brought my hand down from the screen in front of me that I had been interacting with as we spoke, "I've finished."

He hummed, stroking his chin, "I see. Before you go, I need to clarify something about the Binding you chose. The Stamp will be visible to others, and anyone you stamp have to agree to serve you before you do so."

I frowned, not happy with the change, "They have to agree to the Stamp? Convincing them to accept a mind altering mark on their person will be very difficult, especially because I would only have 24 hours."

He held up a finger, "You misheard. They need to agree to serve you and likely consent to the mark itself, but you are under no obligation to disclose what the stamp actually does."

I smiled a cruel smile at his explanation, "This is another change specifically for your amusement, I take it."

"Of course!" Came the cheerful reply.

I sighed, "Very well, it changes little in the end. I am ready."

The God nodded, and the realm we were inhabiting started to dissolve away. As I faded out of consciousness, his last words followed me into the darkness.

"Remember the most important thing: Have Fun and Live Well!"

---

Perks obtained this chapter:

Stamp: A stamp that marks one as a servant of Damocles. The recipient must consent to serving Damocles, and the stamping itself, but do not have to be informed of its secondary effects. Marks one as a capture for the purposes of Planeswalking and other perks where applicable, as well as introduces a slight mind altering effect.

People marked with this stamp start to view Damocles in a more positive light, emphasizing the parts of him that appeal to them while lessening their distaste at any traits that would ordinarily put them off. Rewards thoughts of obedience and discourages any thoughts of betrayal. A person sufficiently in command of their own will can resist these effects, even if they cannot deduce where they might come from.

Information Defense: Provides an awareness of others attempting to divine specific traits or levels of power from Damocles. With an appropriate exercise of will, these attempts can be rebuffed and forced to fail. If Damocles has a sufficient understanding of either the method used to preform the divination or the specific thing being divined, he may instead feed false information back to the aggressor.

An example would a be a ward made to specifically repel Devils, Damocles could expend his power and focus to prevent the ward from detecting him, or with sufficient understanding of the ward make it read him as a separate race entirely.

Soul Talent: Grants a greater awareness of magical power and effects. Spells can be learned easier, but still need to be studied and understood for proper effect. Allows Damocles to develop his own spells and even branches of magic, however the mechanics behind the spells and their effects still need to studied and developed. Allows Damocles an almost unnatural understanding and control over his own Demonic power allowing him to examine the shape his magic takes during casting, allowing for easier reverse engineering and development of spells.

Chapter 2: The Lady Leviathan

The Lady Leviathan

Serafall stared at the boy in front of her. His eyes were closed, meaning she did not know the colour of his eyes, but his stature and youthful face confirmed that he was the approximate age of the person she suspected him of being. The characteristic blond hair of House Sagan was present, in a fashion, but the stasis spell he was under seemed to have bleached it white.

Around 600 odd years ago, House Sagan had fallen on some very rough times. Their family suffered from the naturally high attrition rate that came from being a Prince ranked house at the time, the unrest that eventually sparked into the civil war allowing for plenty of opportunity for their enemies. Every branch of their family died out in mere decades, with the main branch being the one of the first casualties in the aforementioned civil war.

Antioch and Pandora Sagan were slain in battle, their properties and holdings seized by the victors, then changing hands multiple times through the decades of turbulence before the majority fell into the hands of Serafall's own house, House Sitri. It was why she was here, in this dusty old archive. She had been contacted by her parents to assist in removing the protections of these caches of treasure in her free time, seeing as she was powerful enough to shrug off anything that went wrong.

Considering the young boy who she was almost certain was Damocles Sagan, Antioch and Pandora's son and heir, she felt conflicted. If she released him from this stasis spell, the Old Satan Faction could use him being a surviving Scion of Sagan to push for the territories and holdings owned by her family, which would hurt them heavily financially. Such things had a way of snowballing into even bigger occurrences of "Misfortune" in the underworld, especially for those at the top.

On top of that, her beloved Sona-tan was looking at purchasing properties in the old Sagan lands for her adorable school idea and he could ruin that!

As she thought that, her hand twitched. The only thing holding her back from performing the classic: "Sorry, he was already dead when I got here, tee hee" was her duty as a Satan. This was a Heir to one of the 72 pillars. A True Born Heir to one of the houses they thought forever lost. It was her duty to the Devil race to make sure that he at least survived to produce a heir of his own, otherwise the Sagan Power of Binding would be lost to their race forever.

She sighed as she moved to release Damocles from the stasis spell. She would be a good Satan this time, but she didn't have to like it!

---

Being blessed with a good memory, the sensation of being able to recall the important and even the not-so-important bits of a book was nothing new to me. What was new, was that same sensation being transferred over to a decade or so years of someone else's life. Damocles, whose body I now inhabited, seemed to have had a fairly difficult life, what with the assassination attempts and the hiding out for his own safety and whatnot.

Then he got put into a Stasis spell for safekeeping, where he apparently died and had his body hijacked by some dimension hopping asshole (me).

Never having a proper childhood or friends, constantly seeing his parents worrying for their and his lives, trying to be strong for them and then dying an unceremonious death without ever knowing what happened to them.

Glad I'm not really him.

Indeed, I still have my personality and all the memories of my old life. Damocles' experiences were like a game I played, only more realistic that any RPG in my old world. Interesting and somewhat personal, but not a major deciding factor of my psychological make up. Opening my eyes, I found myself on a somewhat luxurious couch, in a rather tastefully decorated study. Sitting up, I looked to the sound of rustling paper, only to be met with the visage of Serafall FUCKING Leviathan staring back at me moodily.

I froze, feeling a sense of danger pressing in on me, as if I was a mouse being watched by an owl. She sighed, leaning back into her chair and steepling her fingers. I decided to sit up properly and face her, my hands on my knees and back straight, hoping that giving her respect would earn me some brownie points.

She seemed to look off into the distance briefly before finally speaking, "Welcome back to world of the conscious, Scion Sagan."

I considered that wording. In the underworld, Heirs are people who stand to inherit their House, Lords are those who have already inherited and Scions... Scions are those who are the last of their Houses but have yet to inherit any holdings.

Leaning on my acting skills to fake emotions I didn't truly feel, I swallowed thickly. Thinking back one of my sad childhood memories (The time my first cat died), I summoned tears to my eyes and asked shakily, "My parents... are dead?"

She seemed to soften at that, seeing what she expected to see from a small boy at that piece of news, before saying, "Yes, you are the last of House Sagan. You have been asleep for a very, very long time. Let me explain..."

What followed was a broad description of the Devil Civil War to oust the Old Satans, as well as the current status quo of the New Satans and the Great King, ensuring that I understood that there were no longer any Princes among Devil kind. She then explained to me how my families properties were taken during the war, a war in which they were on the losing side, as well as how her family owned most of it.

"So you see, Damocles, you've put us in a difficult spot. If you pressed your claim over the Sagan lands, you could cause a lot of trouble for the Satans, my family and most importantly, my adorable sister." Good to know that was still a thing. Serafall continued, "However, I have spoken to my parents and we have come up with a solution that does not involve... unpleasant outcomes."

So she's willing to kill me if I kick up too much of a fuss, noted.

"If you swear to me to not push your claim over those holdings, we will bequeath to you the old Sagan Manor, as well as the surrounding lands without a legal battle. Additionally, the Satans will grant House Sagan the new rank of Baron, which will allow you to start building up your family again much easier. I am sorry that you need to accept this responsibility so young, but I'm afraid we can't trust any of the other Houses to adopt you and not use you to lay claim to my family's lands."

That they took from mine, I thought in my head. Still, considering her offer, I could see the merit in it. It would be a hell of a sight better than starting from nothing and was actually rather generous of them, likely because they thought of me as a child who they could easily lead by the nose and trick into feeling grateful. I notice she didn't say what would happen to me if I didn't take the deal, but I could make an educated guess.

Deciding to play into her preconceptions, I screwed up my face into a childish serious look and spoke, "Fine, if it will get me my home back, I will give you the most sacred oath my Mother taught me, one I can never break no matter what."

She raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

I extended a hand to her, fingers and thumb curled up, leaving the littlest one extended, "I pinkie swear!"

Her laugh was irritatingly cute.

---

I had expected the classic devils bargain from Serafall, the old sticking to the letter of an agreement and not the spirit thing, but surprisingly enough a lot of my families belongings had been moved back to the Manor, or at least not taken out before I got there. I am sure that lot off the more valuable pieces and books had been yoinked, but what remained had exceeded my expectations. Of course, the whole thing was covered in monitoring and surveillance spells.

Additionally, Serafall had provided me with a maid (Read: spy) to prepare meals and help with the shopping. The vault in the Manor even had enough in it to allow me to live comfortably for a while, so long as I spent sensibly. I kept expecting the other shoe to drop, but after a week of nothing I had mostly accepted that this was indeed on the up and up.

In all likelihood, this was another attempt to make me feel indebted to them, as well as not leave an obvious opening for the Old Satan fuckers to exploit. I haven't even received any visitors. According to Cleria, the "Maid", my survival is to be announced to the public at a function that will take place on my 13th birthday, in six months. Supposedly the tradition has become to do this for Heirs and Scions on their 10th birthday, but obviously that opportunity has passed for me.

I asked Cleria who would be paying for this function, to which she replied that it was being organised and funded by Serafall. Yet another "gift". I had also been informed that during this week I had a meeting with Ajuka Beezelbub to receive my evil pieces. From research on a phone (provided by Cleria and obviously being monitored) connected to the Devil-net, I could figure out the reasons that I was getting my pieces so soon.

All the major players of the Old Satan faction did not have peerages. Due to their belief that Reincarnated Devils were inferior to True Born Devils and the Evil Pieces being the tools used to create them, they refused to use such tools out of principle. Oh they still had retinues and servants, they just weren't brought into the fold via the Pieces.

So, this was yet another thing being used to put me into the New Satan camp. Several of my plans relied on the Pieces, however, so I was not too cut up about it. I could even admire how the New Satans were manipulating everything for their benefit, while appearing to be benign and helpful.

If it came down to it, I would even pick the New Satans over the Old Satan faction, simply because the leaders of the latter were bat-shit insane. For now, however, it would benefit me more to remain as neutral as possible and accept entreaties from both sides. That way, I could manipulate them against each other to gain the most benefit.

First, however, I needed to reduce the New Satans hold on me. That meant getting rid of Cleria, getting my own phone, and removing the monitoring spells in the Manor that I detected via Information Defence. To that end, I had spent the last week studying intently as well as meditating. Damocles had been taught magic at a fairly high level due to the conflict he was raised in, but I still needed to figure out and relearn the spells for myself.

Currently I had focused on learning Hypnotism, basic Telekinesis and the Sagan Family unique power, the Power of Binding. The Power of Binding was similar to Worthless, in a way, as it allowed me to 'Lock' a concept, blocking the ability to access said concept. For example, against a magic user I could 'Lock' fire, which would cause him to then be unable to use said flames. There were several downsides, however.

The more familiar someone was with the concept or thing I was attempting to Lock the harder it was to break their connection to it. For example, trying to prevent the Pheonix clan from accessing their rejuvenation would be incredibly difficult. More than that, they would be able to combat the Lock to access the ability anyway by expending will and power. This could very quickly result in a battle of attrition between me and them, and unfortunately, Damocles was not exceptionally powerful, meaning that there was a good chance I would lose that fight.

Against people or things without Magic however, this could very quickly become oppressive. I had asked Cleria to obtain some electronics for me, giving the excuse that I was curious about all these new devices that had been created while I was away. I used these devices, such as flash-lights and remotes, to hone my ability to Lock the conduction of electricity in mechanical devices. It was still a work in progress, but I could tell I was getting closer.

As for the meditation, I could fall into a trance where I could feel the different worlds available to me. The canon time lines were immediately clear to me, and could be accessed almost instantly. I could feel myself slipping into them, almost travelling to one before I stopped myself. Catharsis had made the Planeswalking easy and user friendly, but had perhaps made it a bit too easy.

Something I discovered was that I could find alternate versions of the worlds to go to. It was a lot harder to focus on them however and the more things changes from the Prime, canon timeline the fuzzier they got. It appeared if I wanted to go to a alternate timeline it would take a lot more meditating to find the one I wanted.

Still progress was progress.

I looked down at the flash-light in my hand, lamenting my lack of progress here. I shrugged, then spoke, "Lock." I could feel my family power respond, falling over the device in my hand. I flicked the switch, only to be greeted once again by an artificial glow, "Fuck." I sighed.

---

Serafall placed down Ceria's latest report on Damocles on the table in front of her, having been explaining the pertinent parts to her fellow Satans in the current meeting. Sirzechs seemed politely interested, Ajuka seemed to be puzzling something out on his own and Falbium didn't seem to be interested at all.

She decided to just get to the point, "He obviously distrusts us. The revival of a Pillar House is a big deal, this could come back to bite us if we are not careful. We have his agreement to not press his claims, but it could be argued he signed it under duress."

Sirzechs laughed, "He distrusts the people spying on him and very obviously manipulating him? What a surprise."

Serafall's cheeks coloured before Ajuka cut in, "Serafall, in your first meeting, how quickly did he get over the death of his parents?"

She blinked, nonplussed by the non sequitur, before thinking back to the meeting, "He... seemed to get over it quickly? I tried to distract him from it with what he missed and that seemed to work well."

Ajuka nodded, "It didn't. He got over it because he didn't care in the first place."

Serafall didn't believe it, "He cried when he figured it out, Ajuka."

He tapped the file in front of him, "Yes he did, but once that meeting was over, he hasn't spent any time at all mourning. He didn't grieve, Cleria has not caught him crying or even looking sad. He has been meditating, but that would not completely erase those feelings."

"So?" Serafall questioned. "Is he traumatised in some way, or broken emotionally? I don't get what you are leading to."

"I think," Ajuka posited, "That the young Damocles might be a psychopath. He displayed the emotions you expected him to at the time, but hasn't continued to display them as he should because he doesn't understand them. He can act well, but he doesn't function like a normal 12 year old."

Sirzechs seemed to just accept that, trusting his old friend's intuition, "So how do we handle him? He would obviously not be the only psychopathic devil, but his situation is pretty delicate."

Ajuka ran a hand through his green hair, "Him being like this can actually help us, as he operates more on logic than emotion. It means we negotiate with him a lot easier than we could a normal child. Listen..."

Serafall listened to Ajuka explain how to deal with a child psychopath, feeling bitter. That little shit had managed to trick her, straight to her face. She is the Satan in charge of diplomacy! She should be better than this!

She gained a wicked smile however, thinking of a way to pay him back. After all, she was ever so worried about him, a poor child living all alone in such a big house! Maybe she should drag him out to go have a bit of fun with people his own age.

Chapter 3: Pieces on the Board

Pieces on the Board

I examined the white stone box in front of me, the one that contained my Evil Pieces. Traditionally, it should have been presented to me by the Lord of my House, along with a speech that was meant to contain some moral or piece of advice for how to use them.

Seeing as I had been orphaned in this world, there was no Lord to give me the Pieces. Instead, they had been unceremoniously handed off to me by Ajuka Beezelbub, who was now staring at me as if I was a particularly interesting lab animal. The green-haired Satan had yet to speak a word to me after I entered his lab and exchanged greetings, something I'm sure was meant to be some sort of power play or attempt to unbalance me.

Not particularly caring for whatever game he was playing, I decided if he didn't want to talk with me then it was not my responsibility to start up a conversation. Leaning on the research into the Pieces that I did when looking up the Old Satan Faction, I put the pad of my thumb over the sapphire set prominently in the centre of the box. I could feel the prick of magic against my skin, as insanely complex spells flared to life. I felt something pounding on the barriers of Information Defence, but I didn't even attempt to fight it, letting it pass without challenge.

The rock flashed a light blue, the colour of my Demonic Power, and it was done. The pieces inside were now bound to me and I could use them to build my peerage as I saw fit. Deciding to wait until I made it back to my Manor before opening the box, I nodded to the Satan in acknowledgement and picked it up, moving to leave. As I did however, the Satan finally spoke.

"Are you not curious about what they look like? Most can't wait to open it up." His expression hadn't changed, watching, analysing.

I couldn't help the snark in my retort, "They look like chess pieces, I would imagine."

He let it pass un-remarked, if he even noticed. "Indeed." He continued, "And yet, still, these are things that will influence the entire rest of your life as a Devil. The fact that you are not at least curious, is in itself curious."

He cocked his head to the side, contemplating, "I have an exchange, if you will. One I am sure you will appreciate. There are many secrets locked away in these Pieces, secrets that many would kill to have. I will grant one of them to you. In exchange, you will answer one of my questions truthfully in turn."

I paused at that, confused, "You could just order me to answer your question anyway. I am in no position to refuse."

He inclined his head, conceding the point, but rebutted, "I could. But deals have power, and our race is one with long memories. I would prefer for you to be willing."

Prefer, not need. I could see the writing on the wall, if I refused to play his game he would command me to answer anyway. I bit the inside of my cheek, controlling my irritation, before accepting, "Fine. I'll take your deal."

He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes as they were still picking apart my every movement, "Splendid. You may go first."

I thought of what to ask him. There were many things I was unsure about, even more when it came to the Evil Pieces themselves. The Anime of Highschool DxD was extremely light on details about how any of it's magic or plot devices actually worked. For example the Sacred Gears, did the have to go to a compatible soul, or was it purely luck of the draw? What determined compatibility? Was it drive, strength of will, or something else? I did not know. Now I was actually living it, I was finding out what precious little I actually knew.

The crux of the matter however, is the fact that I knew so little meant that I didn't know exactly what to ask him to get the most out of this deal, assuming he would even answer truthfully. After a long silence in which I was working the problem over in my head, I decided to ask something that would assist me in my plan for my first target. First, though, I needed to disguise my actual question.

"The Pieces resurrect others into Devils." I began, "Devils naturally have the ability to grow into their ideal forms as the age. Does this ability extend to those that are resurrected? Can the King control whether their pieces age?"

He blinked, obviously surprised at my question. He kept his thoughts to himself however, then answered, "It does. Their soul gains most of the traits of a Devil upon resurrection, over time these traits bleed through to affect the body. As King, you do have some control over the appearance of your peerage, but as with a lot of things regarding Magic and Souls, willpower plays a part. Should they wish to have a certain feature or body shape that you do not want them to have, they can force it through anyway."

I considered that, then decided to push my luck by asking a follow up, "Does that include things that are not humanoid?"

He raised an eyebrow, "That is a different question."

I quickly argued, needing to know the actual important part of this answer, "It follows on from my previous one though, if a creature is more used to an animal appearance or has been forced to take the form due to a curse, would a Piece restore them to their human selves?"

He stared at me for a long moment, long enough that I feared he wouldn't answer the question, before he finally said, "Yes. It would."

I nodded to him thankfully, before he followed up with, "Now, however, is the time for my own question for you."

I waited nervously for his question, knowing there was a lot he could ask me that would really throw a wrench into my plans. I considered lying if the question was too incriminating, but for some reason the thought was uncomfortable to contemplate. Was this part of that whole 'deals have power' thing? Once I got my own phone, I really needed to look that up.

Ajuka looked contemplative for a moment, then spoke, "Here is my question: What type of Peerage do you want to have?"

Seeing my confusion on my face, he continued, "Their are many different types of Peerage. There are those that few them as a collection, a group of people with certain traits brought into their service purely for their amusement. There are those that view the Peerage as a type of family, a group brought together to support and assist one another. Still, there are also those that view their Peerage as tools, only thinking about their strength and what each can offer them. There are many more types aside. So, I ask again, what type of Peerage do you want to have?"

I considered the question. I already had a plan for every single piece of my Peerage, but admitting as much to Ajuka right now seemed like a phenomenally stupid idea. I decided to try and explain what unified all those I had in mind while still being as un-'truthful' as I could.

"I want my Peerage... to be like Ice." He looked interested at that and I knew he wouldn't let me go with just this, so I continued, "Ice is beautiful and can change its form depending on the situation. I want my Peerage to be able to support those they are warm to, but remain sharp and deadly to those they are against. Most of all, however, I would like each of them to be unique."

He smiled at that, seeming to come to some sort of epiphany, before remarking, "Already have a plan for your first Piece, I see."

I stilled, wondering how he figured that out before he finished, "Cleria is a fine choice. I'm sure you would not regret it."

Cleria? What the fuck? Did he think... No, wait, of course he did. It was the only logical conclusion, the way I played this obviously tipped my hand for having something in mind for my pieces, but the only person he thought I could have a plan for was Cleria. He probably thought my question was to make sure that she didn't grow too much older than my while I was still young. Of course, there was no way I was letting a fucking spy into my Peerage, but there was no need for him to know that.

The compulsion nudging me into truthfulness had faded, so with a smile all I replied was, "I'm sure I wouldn't."

I most certainly fucking would.

---

Calypso sighed, annoyed that this assignment was turning into even more of a slog then she had originally thought. The shape-shifter had been ordered to act as a maid for this Sagan boy, then report her findings to the Great Satans, more specifically directly to Serafall herself. Now, she was ordered to accept being inducted to the brat's Peerage to continue being a mole for the foreseeable future.

Now, don't get her wrong, being the Queen to the Lord of a Great House would certainly be something she wanted, but the whole 'spying on her King' thing felt like a live bomb someone had thrown into her lap, just primed to go off at any moment. She had been surprised when Serafall told her that Damocles wanted her in his Peerage, because for all she knew she thought the boy didn't like her.

He had kept his interactions with her to the absolute minimum before going off to study in his library or practice his family magic. She would be surprised if they had exchanged more than 20 words together. Still, it wouldn't be the first time in history that a boy had fallen for a girl older than himself, but be too shy to speak up to her about it.

Despite not being quite as ancient as her namesake, it was a story she had seen play out many times throughout her life. She sighed, at least the pay for this cluster fuck was good, way more than she got as as a standard employee of House Sitri. Even if she had to abuse a poor boy's trust.

Speaking of the boy, she had been suggested by Serafall to drag him out of the house to a nearby playground. Calypso watched as he interacted with the other kids, seeming to be quite the charmer. It seems Serafall's worrying that 'staying inside was stunting his social growth' was all for naught. He moved between groups of children seamlessly, integrating himself with an ease that frankly shocked her. Where was this gregarious go-getter at the Manor?

She was broken from her thoughts by one of the little girls he had spoken to alone walking up to her, crying. The child looked at her tearfully, as one of the few adults in the park, and sobbed, "I fell and hurt myself. Could you please help me?"

Indeed, one of the tykes knees was scratched. Calypso smiled kindly at the girl, "I can, but first I need to get the boy I'm watc..."

Her sentence trailed off as she looked over to where Damocles was. She panicked as she saw neither hide nor hair of him. She stood in a rush to desperately look around the playground, trying to catch a glimpse of his distinctive white hair, only to come up short.

"Oh nooooooooooooo..." She groaned, the hurt girl momentarily forgotten, "Serafall is going to kill me!"

---

Fuck me, I thought as I looked at the neo-futuristic streets of Seiran. Hypnosis is so damn useful, especially against people who can't resist it. A little finger wave, a suggestion to go fall off a swing then ask the nice maid for help and wham bam thank you ma'am, one easy distraction to go.

I had spent a lot of time since gaining my pieces preparing for this, looking at alternate timelines and choosing the perfect moment to get my first capture. I didn't think an opportunity would come so quick, but I wasn't complaining. Thankfully, I had already chosen my insertion point, just after Kasane had been framed for killing the Prime Minister and forced to defect to Seiran.

Indeed, as I looked up at the miniature black hole distorting the sky confirming my timing, I was finally in the world of Scarlet Nexus. The aforementioned black hole, the Kunad Gate, had been created by the very woman I was here to capture, Kasane Randall. She was a powerful Psychokinetic, with a speciality for manipulating gravity. Even better, I thought as I fingered the Bishop and Knight Pieces in my pocket, she was a two for one deal.

To get started on the actual recruitment itself, however, I needed to find her. Easier said than done, especially because, lacking an Implant myself, I could not see any of the street signs or other directional markings that were usually projected holographically to the people of this world. Luckily, I was able to ask directions from a nice older lady to the OSF (Other Suppression Force) HQ. From there, I was easily able to work my way back to the main entrance of the city.

I settled in to wait, knowing that I timed my arrival to Kasane also arriving back from inspecting the site the Kunad Gate was created. Sure enough, I soon saw Kasane walk through the gates of the city, followed by her squad. I walked up to her, gaining the attention of her cool gaze as well as the inquisitive looks from the rest of the team.

I smiled a charming smile, starting, "Miss Randall! I would like to talk to you about the Kunad Gate..."

She sighed, saying, "All enquiries can be directed to the OS..."

"...And your role in creating it." I finished.

Her team immediately tensed, hands inching for their weapons, but Kasane herself just seemed tired and waved them off. She seemed to just accept my knowledge of that particular titbit with remarkable aplomb. She looked at me with her crimson eyes, obviously wanting me to get on with it.

I regarded the obviously armed and dangerous people behind her, before asking, "Alone, please?"

She nodded, coldly telling her squad, "Stay here." Before following my directions to an out of the way bench I had found while wondering about.

Kyoka moved to protest, "Kasane, you can't..." She was cut off as Kasane just shot her a look, before shaking her head.

Kyoka seemed upset for a moment, before accepting it with a sigh. Kasane and I then continued on our way to have a life changing chat.

---

Serafall pouted at Ajuka, upset that he didn't let her go with Damocles to the playground to tease him and make him uncomfortable. The boy was a consummate introvert, like Sona-chan, thus Serafall knew being dragged out of the house and forced to socialize would be a delightful form of torture to the boy. Ajuka hadn't even reacted to her pouting, which only made her pout harder.

Sirzechs finally stopped his report and addressed her, "Serafall, focus. Ajuka was right, giving him more time to spend with Cleria alone was a smart choice. We have other things to focus on, like our shortage of Phoenix Tears or, for example, your recent meeting with Gabriel?"

She heaved a sighed, hating it when Sirzechs was all responsible and serious.

What proceeded was another mind numbing meeting between the Four Satans, with Sirzechs telling them things they already knew, Serafall telling them things they couldn't do anything about, Ajuka telling them things that flat out didn't help and Falbium telling them nothing at all.

It made them sound useless, but truthfully, their role had been turned a lot more ceremonial over the decades. Without a majority backing in the Court, they couldn't truly push through the reforms they needed to the internal Devil administration. Their diplomatic efforts were complicated by centuries of war, on top of an unfortunate set of very recent mistakes.

The research Ajuka does was truly ground breaking, but a lot of it just wasn't viable for mass production. As for Falbium, without actively being at war his input was minimal at best. Hell's armies were kept in good order and remained well supplied, thus he truly had nothing of note to bring to their attention.

That was why they were so desperate to... 'acquire' the support of House Sagan. One more house voting in their favour or speaking in their support in the Court would be a benefit, as well as perhaps pushing some of their more marginal policies over the line of acceptance.

Just as Serafall was about to explain that Yasaka still hadn't answered her missives, she was cut off by a cutesy ringtone. She recognized it, due to it being the theme song of her own Mahou Shoujo show. Ignoring the dry looks of the other Satans, she brought out her phone and smiled as she saw the caller ID.

"Hello, Cleria. How's Damocles?"

She listened to whatever was said on the other side of the line, then exploded in a way that made even Falbium sit up and pay attention.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'MISSING'?"

Chapter 4: Auspicious Meetings

Auspicious Meetings

Kasane Randall had been having quite the week thus far. What started with the nightmarish sight of her sister being shot and turning into a monstrous Other had eventually culminated in her travelling forwards in time to learn that the world was ending, unless she killed a boy who hadn't committed any crimes, yet.

That's not even to mention the issue of her being framed for murder and forced to defect to Seiran. She hasn't even had time to properly process the last occurrence, having been immediately put to work by Commander Travers. Was it any wonder then, that when approached by a youthful looking boy who stated that he knew she created the Kunad Gate, her first thought was, 'Of course, why not.'

She looked at the boy walking beside her. He looked young, but with the circulation of Anti-Aging Drugs, he might be older than her. Her was sharply dressed, his clothes of obviously high quality. He carried a hooded cloak over his arm as he walked, leaving his white hair free to be seen. She couldn't look into his eyes from her position, but she remembered meeting his friendly and excited gaze when he first approached them.

He broke her thoughts by speaking, his voice neutral, "The people here are very fond of you. I recognise the look, they view you as some sort of hero, or a figurehead they can rally behind."

She kept her face from reacting, but internally winced. She knew the looks he was speaking about, she did not enjoy them, "They look at me like that because they think I murdered someone that they hated."

He hummed, "A common occurrence in war. One side's murderer is another's hero, one side's dead monster is the others martyr. Perspective can be a hard thing to keep in a conflict."

"For example:" She could hear the wry grin in his words, "If killing one innocent could save the world, would it be the right thing to do?"

She stiffened. It's one thing for him to know about the Kunad Gate, but for him to know about her thoughts about killing Yuito… it spoke of him having a scary amount of information on her. For someone she is certain she has never met, him knowing all this set her on edge.

They arrived at a bench, to which he waved her to sit on. She did so, watching from the side as he sat after her, putting his cloak over a bench arm and staring straight ahead, his pale blue eyes not looking at her.

She decided to try and get answers, as vain a hope as that seemed recently, "How do you know all this? Who are you? Are you with the Seiran Government?"

Blue met red as he tiled his head, looking into her eyes and seeming to contemplate her questions.

"Bear with me." He began, "This will take some explanation. Let's start with your own experiences. The future you travelled to, where you met the older Yuito, was ending when you left. Just by him telling you how that future came to pass, he likely made it impossible for that future to occur in the exact same way."

Kasane wondered where he was going with this, noting that he even knew of her ability to time travel. She decided to make him get to the point, "Causing a paradox. I know." Arashi had spent some time theorizing the whole thing out afterwards.

"Not necessarily." He smiled, "Once you came back to this timeline and that one ceased being possible, it became an alternate reality. Everything that happened there still actually happened, but just because it happened there doesn't mean it will happen here. This might as well be a separate world entirely."

Kasane sighed thinking they were getting nowhere, "Is there a point to this?"

"If you can get to alternate worlds from this one." He explained, "Why couldn't people from alternate worlds come here?"

She paused. Is he implying…? Her thoughts stopped as the boy in front of her did something impossible. He leaned forward, clearing a space between the bench and his back, then grew wings. They looked batlike and appeared suddenly, as if they were always there but she only noticed them now. She thought them a trick, some sort of mechanical prosthesis, but then he flexed them.

The veins pulsed, and the muscles moved the limbs in a far too natural way for that idea. She discreetly palmed a knife into her hand, the situation a lot more dangerous than she originally thought, before asking, "What are you? What do you want here?"

He smiled that uncanny smile of his again, his wings disappearing as if they never existed, "I, Miss Randall, am a Devil. I came here to offer you a deal."

She had heard of stories like this, myths of Devils appearing to offer hapless souls poisoned bargains. She thought they were just that; myths. Still, there is one thing she knew from those stories, these deals were hardly ever in the favour of the non-devil and never ended well.

Still watching him like he was a dangerous predator, Kasane moved to get up an leave, "I don't think I will accept any 'deals'. Please leave me be."

He didn't stop her, only looking forwards again and asking placidly, "Even if I can save your sister?"

Kasane paused, her body already halfway off the bench. She knew. She knew this was a trick, but she still decided to sit back down anyway. If there was a chance, however small, that this strange boy could actually save Naomi… she should at least hear him out.

Taking her continued presence as consent to continue, he started explaining, "Let me introduce myself. I am Damocles Sagan, future Lord of House Sagan. Currently, due to several factors, I am in the position of needing allies and servants that are outside the sphere of my people's government. Us Devils have come up with a way to reincarnate others into being Devils themselves, in exchange for a period of servitude."

He reached into his pocket and took out a chess piece, a white marble Bishop, "The serum affecting your sister opened her up to the energies of the Extinction Belt, the source of the Others, causing her to mutate into an Other herself."

Kasane remembered how it happened. Her beloved sister's body morphing and breaking, shattering into the twisted form of a giant Other. It was the most horrific moment of her life.

Her attention was grabbed by Damocles as he finished, "Naomi's soul, however, remains human. Using this piece, I can reincarnate her soul into the body of a Devil, allowing her to regain her humanoid form."

Kasane tensed, "You want to turn my sister into your servant?"

He shook his head, "No. I want to turn you into my servant."

She blinked, surprised at that, while he elaborated, "You are an exceptional combatant and your abilities over time and gravity are unique. Even if you are unable to utilize them fully currently, with time you should become quite formidable."

Kasane understood now. "So that's your deal? Naomi saved in exchange for my service?"

"Exactly. Here is my proposal: I revive Naomi, then reclaim my Bishop, thus allowing her to live her life as a normal human, albeit with some Devil characteristics. In return, you will enter into my service and come back to my world with me. This will break your connection to the Kunad Gate, allowing it to disperse without you having to assassinate Yuito."

It was good a deal. The specifics needed to be confirmed, however, "I have questions."

"Of course. I will answer."

"How long will my service last? Will I be able to come back here? Will you be able to order me to do anything once I am your servant?" She wanted to make sure exactly what she was getting into.

He leaned back, seeming unconcerned with the questions posed, "Devils have functionally infinite lifespans, which you would share, so a good offer would be... 100 years of service. It may seem like a lot, but compared to eternity it's nothing. My powers are only good for one-time trips, but there are many mysteries of magic still unknown to the world. It's not impossible for you to discover a means of travelling back to this world and even if it takes hundreds of years you would likely be able to arrive just seconds after you left. As for orders..."

He regarded the Bishop Piece still in his hand, "These Pieces are not whips, or geasses. They are a leash or rather, a bond. A King cannot force you to do anything, but he can revoke his ownership over your piece. If he does so, the piece will remain inside you, and then mutate you into a monstrosity driven by your own sins. It's something I find abhorrent, and would never do to my peerage. I swear it upon the House of Sagan."

She believed him about that part, feeling the weight behind his oath. It reassured her that the Piece would not be used to control her, assuming he is telling the truth. Even if he isn't, so long as he could do the other things he promised, dispel the Gate and save Naomi... It would be worth it, only she would have to pay the price.

"Of course," The boy stated, "I would not ask you to take this all on faith. This is a bit of a stretch of imagination after all, so how about this. I will come with you to go see Naomi and return her to her human form. Only once that is done, then will you enter my service."

She narrowed her eyes in thought. His knowledge of her plans didn't surprise her any more, however he gathered his information had proven to be scary in it's scope and accuracy. The proposed plan was generous of him, with nothing compelling her should he not be able to do as he said... but...

"What if you just want to hurt Naomi?"

He laughed, "I've never fought an Other. Beside which, she's a Major Other right? There's no way I would be able to do much harm to her before you stopped me. There's really nothing I can say that will convince you, however. You'll just have to decide whether the risk is worth the reward."

They descended into silence at that. She knew he had a point. Hardly anything in life was perfectly risk free or devoid of danger. The past week had proved that to her in exacting detail. Still, if she accepted his deal, what were the downsides? Her, for the entire world and her sister? She viewed that as a fair trade. Even if he had nefarious plans for her to 'serve' him, she could just refuse. If he went back on his word and tried to threaten her to do it, she could just kill him, then either find a way to reverse the process he described or should it come to it... eliminate herself.

"Very well. I accept your deal. Once you save Naomi, I shall agree to enter your service." She kept her voice firm, despite feeling like this decision would change everything about her life. For Naomi, it was worth it.

Damocles smiled, then hopped up to his feet, "Excellent, then we should proceed to the facility holding Naomi with all due haste and inform your squad that I am accompanying you all, starting with the one currently spying on us."

Kasane blinked, looking in the direction that he had indicated, seeing nothing there. She sighed, "I ordered you not to follow me, Kagero."

The blonde man shimmered into view, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "Sorry Kasane. I just tagged along to back you up if he was sketchy. Should we go back to the others?"

She could see it in his eyes, he wanted to discuss whatever he overheard with her. He will likely try and bring it up with the other members and convince her to change her mind.

"Whatever, we have more important things to worry about than your insubordination. Let's go get the others." She knew that there would be a long series of discussions with the squad, but her mind was made up. This was merely an extension of what she had promised to herself, after all.

She would do anything to save Naomi.

---

I hummed to myself as I sat in the back of the transport. Kyoka had just switched out with Arashi so that the former could go up to the front with the rest of the squad, to continue with what seemed like an intense discussion. They had been leaving one member to keep me company (read: keep an eye on me) while the rest tried to talk Kasane out of our deal. I knew what they were up to, but I didn't really worry. Even if they convinced her, we were still going to the Other Research Centre containing Naomi, so I could just fall on my backup plan of hypnotizing them all and going through with it anyway.

After all, Kasane had agreed to serve me if I saved Naomi. It was a deal already made, so if she goes back on it the stamp should still take. Even if it doesn't, it's not a big loss as I would just have to wait another month before trying again, this time knowing which obstacles to eliminate. I had a plan for when I returned to DxD which should give me a lot more leeway in my comings and goings, with or without any new peerage members.

Arashi interrupted my humming with a question, "We don't know what we will face when we get there. Have you fought before?"

I smiled at her, "Just humans. If we run into Others, it will be quite the new experience."

She raised an eyebrow, "You're not worried about fighting Others for the first time? You must have quite the impressive power."

Oh, so this was information gathering, is it? In that case... "I'm pretty durable. I doubt we'll run into anything strong enough to break my defences in a research facility."

I spoke the truth. Unlike in the Anime, Devils are actually significantly tougher than humans and have a low level resistance to most physical damage. Of course, if anything was imbued with even the slightest magic power, it cuts right through that resistance, but in this magicless world that would not be likely.

Arashi nodded, "Makes sense. Still, even if you have a durability power, you shouldn't get cocky. If you can save Naomi like Kasane said, we'll need you to survive to fix the other victims."

Presumptuous of her to think I had any interest in saving anyone else. The only reason I'm saving Naomi and not just hypnotizing her and Kasane into accepting the stamp is because its great for me if they had a favourable view of me. Manipulation 101: If you are constantly beneficial and accommodating to someone, they are less likely to view you with suspicion. Doubly so if you made it clear you also got something out of it. That way you appear more honest then just helping because you like them or whatever.

Additionally, I wasn't sure the stamp would successfully take on someone I hypnotized. I would be glad to not end up in a situation where I had to test that.

Still, no reason to let Arashi know my thoughts on that, "Glad to know you are looking out for me."

She scoffed, "Just stick with us and don't wonder off alone. If we do run into Others, let us fight them, okay?"

I nodded, that sounded great to me, let them exhaust themselves fighting while I take a leisurely stroll. Especially because after I fix Naomi, they are obviously going to try and arrest me to stop me enslaving Kasane or whatever. Unfortunately for them, however, fighting someone who has perfect knowledge of your powers and how they work is incredibly difficult.

Glad I'm not in that situation. Sucks for them.

The conversation died a sudden and expected death at that point, the rest of the ride spent in un-companionable silence while we listened to the muffled argument going on up front. Eventually, however, we finally arrived at the research centre hidden in a museum.

The place was beautiful, with amazing architecture and well lit exhibits. It was also crawling with Others. The things were freaky enough in the game, but seeing them in real life, with their twisted bodies and jerky movements, was a little off-putting. They resembled what would happen if someone took people and melted them together with furniture and children's toys. When we ran into the first group, I hung back while Kasane's squad moved to engage them.

"Shiden!" Yelled Kasane as she burst forth, white hair fluttering behind her, "Guard Damocles! We'll rotate between groups!"

"Why do I haveta... Fine! I'll babysit." He shouted back, before falling back to stand with me, looking surly.

I would have comforted him, but he's an asshole, so eh, he'll manage. Instead, I watched as the squad engaged the teeming mass in-front of them. They moved like real soldiers, working seamlessly together to isolate and eliminate individual targets. Kyoka's clones weaved in and out, distracting and positioning different targets, while Arashi eliminated them with a super fast hammer strike and Kagero did the same with a sudden knife to the back.

They moved as a unit and were extremely skilled. Idly thinking about how I would do in a straight up fight against them, I came to the conclusion it wouldn't even be close, they would absolutely paste me. Good thing I'm going to cheat, then.

However, the real star of the show and the one who grabbed most of my attention, was Kasane. In the game, she was promoted to squad leader pretty suddenly, without any exact reasoning beyond, 'shes the protagonist, lol'. However, in the real world, I now knew why that promotion occurred. The girl was an absolute murder blender.

She floated around the room, all six of her knives moving independently to strike any Other in range in their exact weak-point. Some were held down by her power before getting slashed, while others were hit with lifted object that she threw into them. All the while, the deadly orbit of metal continued, mulching multiple targets at once. She even hit things behind her, without turning around.

In the time it took three other members to kill one Other, Kasane had eliminated three or four. I knew she was the strongest member of the squad, but I didn't know the difference was this vast. Watching as she used two knives to kill two different Others while she filleted another with two of the other pieces of flying metal, I had an epiphany.

Yuito fought this. Yuito fought this and canonically, he won. With a sword.

I call bullshit.

Unless Kasane was sandbagging, fighting this storm of metal with one pointy stick seemed impossible.

As they finished up, Kasane seemed to notice my staring. She fixed me with her red gaze, asking, "is there a problem?"

I shook my head, "No. You're just incredible to watch."

She seemed surprised at that, before turning a away with a subtle blush. I doubt anyone has ever been that direct to her before. As she didn't respond and simply indicated for everyone to follow her, I noted a few dirty looks were being thrown my way. Not that I cared.

Stay mad Shiden, tsunderes are bad civilization.

---

I floated above the ground, watching as the full squad took out the boss I remembered from the game. I would have preferred not to reveal my ability to fly, but even with a resistance to normal electricity it still hurt like a bitch. Eventually, they brought the thing down and I landed next to them, dismissing the appendages with a thought.

Kyoka gave me a considering look, "So you really aren't human."

"Nope." I popped the p. "Before we get into that, that thing you fought seemed important. Seeing as you broke it, people are likely to come and investigate. Shouldn't we go find Naomi quickly?"

Kasane agreed, "He's right, we're likely on a timer. Let's move."

We moved on to the hallway area, containing all the Other specimens being observed here. Unlike in the game, no one spoke, a thick tension hanging over them. We soon came upon Naomi's room, confirmed from the records Arashi hacked, before Kasane turned to the squad.

"Wait out here, Damocles and I will go in." Shiden moved to object, but Kyoka put a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head and whispering something to him.

Kagero just smiled his smarmy smile, "Sure, we'll wait out here."

Kasane seemed too distracted to notice the shiftiness of her squad, as she took in a shuddering breath and opened the door into the suite in front of us. In the far side of the room, lying down it's legs was a gigantic creature, resembling a amalgamation of a wardrobe and a human, with two hooded statues fused into its torso.

Kasane let out a choked sob, walking slowly towards it, disregarding the way the door slid closed behind us, "Naomi? Is that you?"

The creature perked up, before a young girls voice was heard, "Kasane! What are you doing here? You shouldn't be in this place!"

Kasane ran towards her, before stopping, fretting and not sure what to do with her hands, "I'm sorry Naomi, I know... I know you wouldn't want me seeing you like this. But! But, I brought someone who can help you! Damocles..." She turned to me. "Please..."

The Other, Naomi, turned to me in what appeared to be surprise, "Really? You can help me?"

I smiled and walked forward, time to work my magic, "Indeed. Despite appearing so, I am not a human, but rather a Devil. With your permission, I can attempt to raise you into being one of my race, which should reverse your transformation. Kasane has made a deal with me to do so, should you agree."

Naomi clambered up onto her feet, "Yes! If you can turn me back into a human, I agree. Even if there are side effects, its better than living like this..."

"Very well." With her permission gained, I stepped up to the giant creature.

Pulling out the ivory Bishop, I inserted it just below where the two heads sprouted from the main body. There was a convulsion that happened across her entire body, before a bright light started emitting from the area where I had placed the piece. Mass started to be pulled from other parts of the body as a shape started to rise under my hand, taking on a feminine, humanoid form.

A naked, feminine human form. I quickly took my hand away and hurriedly turned around to look at Kasane, not wanting her to get on my case for perving on her very attractive sister. Kasane shot me a grateful look before rushing over to Naomi, swiftly taking off her jacket and leaving herself in a tight white vest.

I waited as I listened to the rustling of cloth behind me, before Kasane spoke, "You can turn around now."

As I did, I beheld the sight of Kasane cradling Naomi to her chest, tears in her eyes as she looked down at her restored sister, relief on her usually expressionless face. Naomi had Kasane's jacket around her, the larger girl's garment enough to cover her modesty so long as she didn't move too suddenly. The blonde still seemed pretty groggy, which was to be expected I suppose after a transformation like the one she went through.

I knelt down, though that didn't equalize our heights that much (annoyingly) and spoke to Kasane, "We should wait until she regains her faculties before taking out the piece, it might still be working on repairing her. After you are satisfied she's back and won't revert, we can put your piece in."

Naomi blearily blinked, "Her... piece? What...?"

As I moved to reply, a banging was heard from the door leading into the room with a commanding voice following, "Damocles Sagan! Kasane Randall! Come out here at once! You are both under arrest."

I sighed. Really, they just had the worst timing. I looked to Kasane, who seemed to have a resigned look about her, before instructing, "Stay here with Naomi. I'll go deal with the others."

Kasane protested, "You can't fight them alone! You'd be...!"

I stopped her with a quip an a smile, "I brought Naomi back didn't I? I've already done the impossible, have a little faith."

Before she could decide between leaving Naomi alone to follow me or stay with her recovered sister, I had already opened the massive door and stepped out. Greeting me was Kasane's squad set up in defensive positions, as expected, but also something I didn't expect.

Commander Karen Travers, the final boss of the game.

He looked through the open door behind me, sucking in a breath before he whispered, "So you can reverse it..." Shaking it off, he drew himself up and exuded an aura of authority, "Damocles Sagan, for the crime of subverting a national asset and..."

He then proceeded to list off a long list of crimes that I honestly didn't bother to remember. I could have replied with a grandiose speech, I could have exposed him for all the freaky shit he's been up to, honestly I could have just ham it up like a complete lunatic.

I didn't.

Instead, I spoke a single word, one that guaranteed that the considerable force arrayed against me would be as useful as snowflake in Tartarus.

"Lock."

Chapter 5: Fruitful Planning

Fruitful Planning

A unique aspect to the world of Scarlet Nexus is how the people of this Earth have integrated augmented reality into their every day lives. Road signs, traffic signals, even the names of shops are all projected via holographic digital constructs. The people here can see and interact with the holograms due to chips that are implanted into their brains.

This technology is also what allows them to use their powers. Each person has a unique way of interacting with the energies of the Extinction Belt, the source of the Other phenomenon and psychic powers alike. With the aid of the chip, humans can gather the energy of the Extinction Belt and use to manifest their unique expression of their powers.

The chip aids and regulates the gathering of the energy, and modulates its use. However, it is a piece of technology and it does rely of the conduction of electricity across it's circuits to preform it's function.

The transfer of electricity that I just Locked.

Commander Travers knew I was up to something as soon as I stared speaking and tried to stop it, but it was way too late, "Quickly, stop him and aglhlhlsh..."

His barked order transformed into gibberish as he collapsed into heap on the floor, all control of his body seemingly compromised. I admit, it was a heady feeling. Here was a man who had taken on the entirety of the Suoh OSF, as well as both protagonists at the same time and won. He had copied so many powers from different people that he was basically a one man army.

I had just taken him out with a single word.

He was far from the only one affected, however.

Shiden started convulsing and twitching as if he was having a fit.

Arashi tripped over her legs and seemed to have difficulty controlling her limbs.

Kyoka grabbed her head and curled up into a ball, moaning in pain.

Kagero slapped his hands over his eyes and stated screaming.

I watched all this happen dispassionately, idly noting that each person's powers seemed to have a correlation to how they had reacted. Considering that I had just turned off a microchip inside their brains, the possibility of severe brain damage occurring was present, especially as it seemed the Extinction Belt energy they were attempting to draw in and use was attacking their central nervous systems.

That's not my problem, however. I was going to leave this world behind very soon, never to return, so whatever side effects they would experience from this had nothing to do with me.

As they were all distracted by their various maladies, it was extremely simple to hypnotize each of them asleep. They could not gather the willpower to even realise I was still there, never mind attempt to fight off the spell.

The only one who seemed somewhat still coherent was Commander Travers, who stared up at me when I moved over to him.

"Hblu? Ack gha jih." He spat out some gibberish at me.

I didn't even bother trying to converse with him.

There was no point.

As the white haired man succumbed to slumber, I turned around to walk back through the door I had just gone through, the entire thing taking no more than a minute.

Still holding Naomi, Kasane just stared at me in shock. Seeing her entire squad and the strongest person she knows taken out like that must have been quite the thing to witness.

I smiled at her, "See? I told you I'd be fine."

Her face turned conflicted at that, likely not knowing how to feel about the situation. Before she could decide however, Naomi reached up and tugged weakly on the strap of her tank top.

"He said something about your piece..." Her blue eyes stared up at her sister, "Why would you need a piece?"

I answered her, causing Kasane to snap her head back and glare at me, "The deal your sister made with me is the reason. Those Pieces are originally meant to turn you into my servant, in a form known as a Peerage. Kasane is extremely powerful and skilled and in the situation I'm in back home I need all the help I can get."

Naomi's eyes went wide, "Kasane! You agreed to become a slave to save me?"

I stopped the her with a sudden, authoritative order, "Naomi. Raise your right hand!"

Both girls looked at me, confused. Naomi tentatively asked, "Why?"

I smiled, pointed down at the hand that was still resting on her stomach, "You have one of my Pieces inside you, but could disobey a direct order. I'm not taking your sister as a slave, or a pet, Naomi. If anything, I would want her to be my partner."

Naomi bit her lip at that, as Kasane started explaining, "It's not just for you I agreed, Naomi. There's also the problem of the Kunad Gate that going with Damocles would solve."

Naomi inquired, "The Kunad Gate?"

We explained the Gate and the options to fix it to her. She took on a resigned look when the options of Kasane or Yuito dying were the only other ones we knew, "I see."

I decided to get things moving and thus pulled out the Knight piece from my pocket. "Kasane. are you ready? We'll need to be quick. My time here is running out. If you still want to, I'll take the piece out of Nao..."

"Stop!"

Both Kasane and I looked at Naomi as she explained, "I'm coming with you. I'll help you along with Kasane, and make sure that you'll treat her right."

Convenient. It was what I was angling for, but I expected to have to finesse the conversation a bit before it came up.

"You will agree to be my servant?"

"Absolutely not!" Kasane shot to her feet, "I agreed to go with you on the condition that Naomi not be involved!"

"You did," I allowed, "Are you sure you still want that to happen though?" I indicated the limp bodies of the OSF personnel in the hallway behind me.

Kasane had a look of realisation on her face, the obvious consequences of what just occurred becoming clear to her. Just in case, I decided to spell it out.

"Kasane. We are in a facility dedicated to studying the reversal of the Otherization process. The process I just reversed for Naomi. What do you think they will do with that information? If I take my piece back and leave her here, what do you think will happen to her? I'll bet they don't just let her go to live her life."

Kasane looked to the floor as Naomi chimed in, "He's right Kasane, they're going to want to study how he did it. If I stay, I'll just be a test subject again."

Kasane looked back at me then, glaring, "You planned for this. You knew this would happen."

I shrugged, "I had a very decent bet on this outcome, yes. However... I never lied."

She seemed about to disagree but I cut her off, "If you truly, honestly wish for it, I will take my piece back from Naomi and we can go with her toward Suoh. Yuito should have the pull to keep her safe, but that is by no means a sure thing. There is one condition, however, Naomi needs to agree too. It's her life, after all."

"I'm coming with you!" Naomi resolutely confirmed, "I don't need protection Kasane, besides with the two of us together we can make sure he's being honest."

Kasane's glare didn't abate, "That's not fair. That wasn't our deal. Naomi should be kept out of this!"

I sighed, "I'm not your enemy. In fact, I hope for us to be close allies, true friends. This is Naomi's choice as well, and I promise to provide for and protect you both."

She still seemed to be put off by the reversal, but that will fade as I prove I'm on the up and up. She looked at Naomi, who had managed to sit herself up and was giving her sister a determined gaze. She bit her lip, then Naomi delivered the finishing blow.

"Please Kasane. Let's stay together, like we promised."

Kasane's shoulders slumped and I knew I won.

---

From there, it was a rather simple affair to put in Kasane's knight piece and put the Stamp on them. I explained that it was a mystical tattoo that would allow them to come with me when I used my planeswalking.

Naomi chose to have it on the inside of her right ankle, above the ball, which I put on as Kasane was unconscious from the resurrection.

As I did so, her arm lashed out and held my wrist with a surprisingly strong grip, "If you hurt Kasane or try and make us do anything weird, I'll kill you. I promise you, you won't even see it coming."

I nodded, not surprised. Both sisters were extremely protective of each other. "I'll make a promise to you, Naomi. I have no intention of forcing you to do anything against your wills, I promise."

I wasn't lying either. Pushing them too quickly was a dumb idea, especially as the Stamp would ensure that "against their wills" would cease being a hurdle soon enough. She nodded and then let go of my wrist, allowing me to place the stamp. As I pulled my hand away, I noticed the shape that the Stamp was in and had to fight the urge to laugh. The stamp looked like a stereotypical womb tattoo, straight out of a hentai.

Catharsis sure did have a sense of humour.

Once Kasane had regained consciousness and got her stamp (Between her shoulder blades), I prepared to give them a basic run down of the situation they were stepping into and what would be expected of them. As I turned to address them, however, I was stopped by time halting in a very familiar way.

In front of me was a screen that I had seen before, with the perks of the Waifu Catalogue laid out on it. It seemed that my stamping of my first target had been accepted. I brought up the list and decided to look through it for anything that had been unlocked. Unfortunately, it appeared that Kasane was not unique enough to unlock any of the options I would change my plan for, like Inexhaustible or Blessed Talent.

In that case, I decided to follow my original plan. I picked up Mind Defence to better safe guard myself against hypnosis, now that I knew how useful the spell was. Zenryoku Zenkai was picked up to give me a leg up when I started my plan to get back at the New Satans. But it was the last choice that was a matter of survival.

See, It's very likely that my planeswalking traversed the Dimensional Gap. If that was the case, then it was only a matter of time until Top Loli (Ophis) came to investigate. If she did, I needed to be ready for her, to have a weapon on my side so powerful there was no possible way for her to win against me.

Yes, that's right.

I picked Fairy Feast.

---

Calypso was getting frantic. Damocles was a lot more switched on then they gave him credit for. He had completely disabled his phone, so tracking him that way was infeasible. If he had moved around using any public transport, he did it under aglamour or with a face obscuring cloak, as well as using hard currency so they couldn't track his card usage.

Serafall had mobilised almost the entirety of the free Sitri retainers, as well as her own considerable staff, but they still had found neither hide nor hair of the boy. Calypso had just finished doubling back on the route they took earlier to go to the playground, to no avail.

Suddenly, a shimmering teal flash illuminated the area and she was faced with the very displeased expression of her boss.

"Nothing!" Serafall yelled, "Little shit is slippery, I'll give him that."

She glared at the ground before taking a deep breath and looking up at Calypso, "We are going to have to involve Ajuka in the search, see if his pet magicians can scry him, wherever he is. First, though, we need to go back to the Manor to get..."

She was interrupted by Calypso's work phone ringing. The area cooled off significantly and murder was in her eyes, but Calypso put up a hand frantically after checking the caller ID.

"It's him!" She blew out a breath, slipping back into her Cleria persona, before answering the phone, "Damocles! I'm glad you're safe! You gave us quite a scare disappearing like that."

"Sorry, Cleria." Her charge's voice came through the receiver, "I had an appointment to meet some very interesting people, but I didn't think you'd let me go."

Serafall's eyes narrowed at that while Calypso quickly tried to dig for more info, "Who did you meet? Did it go well?"

She could hear a brief sound of ambient conversation before Damocles answered, "Oh, yes, it went very well. I even got my first peerage members out of the whole thing. But I think I'm ready to be picked up now."

She noticed he didn't answer her first question, but that could come later once they reacquired him, "Of course, I'm glad to hear that. Where should I pick you up?"

"32 Lilium Way, the Cafe Baleful."

She froze, Serafall also looking at her with a wide eyed gaze. She swallowed, before confirming, "The one right next to the Bael Mansion?"

"The very same!"

She put the phone on mute. This was bad, this was very very bad. If Damocles had a meeting with Zekram Bael, a meeting where he got given Peerage members... what deals were made? What was Zekram's angle? It was very rare for him to intervene directly like this, but that just made it worse when he did.

Serafall summed up the whole situation with an eloquent, "Fuuuuuuuuuuuck me..."

---

"Neither of them have Sacred Gears." Ajuka confirmed, "I don't know what was so special about them for them to have caught Zekram's interest."

"It could be a family magic, one that they are keeping secret for now." Sirzechs posited.

"That may very well be the case. In any event, to round out my report I have removed most of the blatent monitoring spells from the Sagan Manor, so neither of them should be able to pick them up and inform Damocles of their presence. We still have a pretty good coverage when it comes to living areas, but the ones on the training ground were a bit too conspicuous."

"Good." Breathed Serafall, "It seems Cleria was compromised somehow. Damocles suggested that she teach Naomi how to perform her duties, so it's obvious he's going to replace her soon."

"The boy played us well." Sirzechs had a wry grin as he remarked.

"The boy might still be playing you." The others fell silent as Falbium spoke, a rare occurrence in these meetings.

"What do you mean?" Serafall asked.

Falbium explained, "Do we know he really met Zekram? He might be misleading you after grabbing two random sisters as peerage members. This could be a ruse. You underestimated him once, making a habit of underestimating your enemy can be deadly."

Sirzechs blinked, "He isn't our enemy."

"No?" Responded Falbium, "The boy grew up in period of conflict. The first interaction he had with us was Serafall threatening him. Then we very obviously put him under surveillance and attached a handler to him. You've also attempted to control his every action when it comes to the world outside his Manor. If you didn't want him to treat you as enemies, you are going about it in a strange way."

Serafall sighed, "He's right, we screwed up. Damocles is obviously weary, if not outright hostile to us right now. Even if he didn't contact Zekram, if we eliminate him now and he did, then we'll be gift wrapping a political cudgel and delivering it right to Bael's doorstep."

"So, what should we do?" Asked Ajuka.

"Leave him." Replied Sirzechs. He then quickly spoke over the complaints of the other two, Falbium having lost interest, "Any further action we take now will just alienate him further. He's already used the Evil Pieces, so he's distanced from the Old Satans and if he formally allied with the Great King Faction we'll know about it soon. I'd rather keep him neutral for now and try to make him warm up to us later."

He tapped his fingers on the desk, a thoughtful look on his face, "There is one thing we could do, however. Serafall, Calypso is a shapeshifter, correct?"

Serafall nodded, "She is."

Sirzechs smiled, "We can use that. After all, the Queen spot is still open."

Unseen by the others, Falbium just rolled his eyes.

---

Perks obtained this chapter:

Mind Defence: Grants Damocles an instinctive understanding of his own mind. Any attempts to alter or influence him mentally will be made immediately obvious. Damocles now knows how to fight against mental effects, expending willpower and energy to do so. The more he understands the specific mental effect, the more effective he will be in combating against it.

Zenryoku Zenkai: Damocles can mentally decide to activate this effect when he takes part in a game or wager. Once activated, should he win, the other party becomes attracted to him, admiring his skill and cunning. The more victories that are scored against the same person with this effect, the stronger and more intense the attraction. Caution: Repeated use could induce a defeat fetish in the target, aimed specifically on Damocles, causing them to fetishize losing against him.

Fairy Feast: Damocles gains instinctive knowledge on how to cook and bake to an extremely high level. When preparing an edible substance, he can mix in his own magic, enchanting the food with various effects based on taste. With enough experimentation, he will be able to induce emotional states with his food and even make it mildly addictive.

Chapter 6: The Rising Sun

The Rising Sun

There were three ways, broadly speaking, for a Devil to actively increase their level of Demonic Power. The first is the one that is most widely known, which is through the use of contracts. A devil performs a service for a human, in exchange for a material payment as well as a small portion of life force. The human eventually regains the life force, which allows Devils to keep harvesting from their stock of contractors for a long period of time, generating an almost passive source of growth.

The second way, is by revelling in and gaining power from sin. Any sin would do, from just random taboo breaking in public to straight up murdering an innocent. The place where the gains truly occurred however, were sins tied to the Big Seven. That's right, the Seven Deadly Sins were straight up mana batteries for Devils. This is part of the reason why Devils slept every day instead of once a week as they truly needed to, to indulge in Sloth for a bit of a constant increase.

The third way, is to exercise. Yes, boring, I know, but if a Devil drained their reserve of Demonic Power to nothing, their capacity would increase as they recharged. Something about 'adversity strengthening the soul'. 'That sounds great!' you think, 'why doesn't every Devil grind for power ups then?'. I would love to say it's because Devils are pussies who are just afraid of the Grind, but that isn't true.

You see, being low enough on Demonic Power to gain a capacity increase from it fucking sucks. It restores exponentially, so the more you have the faster you get it back. This means that training this way will make you feel run down, tired and irritable for at minimum 4-5 days at a time, making it difficult to rest. On top of that, the training was more effective when you remained on a low Demonic Power level for as long as possible, making the whole thing basically drawn out torture.

"So," I finished explaining to Kasane and Naomi as we stood in the field next to my mansion, "That's why we are going to be training you on how to use your Demonic Power rather than increasing its capacity."

"Kasane, We'll be doing some one-on-one training to help each other out, but for now I want you to familiarize yourself with using your Magic to move and control your knives rather than PK. It'll be faster and more responsive, so that will probably mess up your accuracy." I then nodded to Naomi, "I'm going to be teaching you the basics of casting."

Kasane had her customary blank face on and barely reacted to my statements, but moved off to start training with her knives. Naomi, on the other hand, looked super excited.

She bounced on her feet, doing interesting things to her chest, before brightly saying, "So what are we going to be working on?"

I nodded to her, before explaining, "Well, what I had in mind for you was a anti-caster caster. Once we figure out how to trigger your precognitive ability with Magic, you should be able to see what an enemy Bishop is trying to cast before they cast it and break up its structure or counter the spell in some other way. Immediately dousing a flame spell with water as it's cast, for example."

Her eyes sparkled, "That sounds so cool!"

I laughed, "If we can get it right you'll be a terror, but for now, baby steps. Focus on your chest, the area I put in the Evil Piece. You should be able to feel an energy there, I've been told it feels a bit different for everyone..."

I got her started on drawing out her Demonic Power, shaping it into a ball as it was the easiest thing to visualize. I then had her attempt to change its shape into anything she wanted to. I handed the books I was carrying to her, containing as few of the basic spells that other Sagan Devils had come up with and told her to try and attempt those once she was comfortable with manipulating her Magic.

Homework given, I went towards the other sister. I stopped near the area she was practicing and watched her moving the knives around, mentally comparing how it looked to her fight through the Museum. It seemed her familiarity with using her powers to manipulate the knives allowed her to conceptualize it and guide her Demonic Power with her imagination easily. I was right however, the knives were flying how she imagined they fly, not according to conventional physics. Several of them stopped and started, or wobbled as she lost focus.

That could be ironed out with practice. I interrupted her, causing her to make her knives fly back into their pouch, "Looks like that's something to work on, but its still pretty deadly. Have you tested out your new attributes as a Knight yet?"

She raised an eyebrow, "You mean that speed thing you told us about? No, not really."

I nodded, "Good, in that case, we'll spar in CQC, unarmed. To access your speed, draw the same power you were using to move your knives, but instead direct it into your muscles. Focus on imagining it speeding you up, making you react and move faster."

She looked at me, eyes narrowed but eagerness radiating from her posture, "You know hand-to-hand?"

I confirmed, "Boxing and street fighting, no official style. Very out of practice though, with Cleria hanging about I couldn't train at all."

That was a problem that was suspiciously easy to fix. After one day of Naomi preforming her maidly duties with Cleria supervising, she deemed her to be competent and agreed to my request for her to go back to the Sitri. I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop on that one.

I jumped up and down, despite it doing nothing for my circulation thanks to Devil biology, and put my hands up in a loose guard, "Ready when you..."

I deflected a sharp knife strike while dodging a vicious knee to the gonads.

Well. Part of the reason I chose this style of training was to let her vent her frustrations with me.

---

In my previous life, I was a bit of a wild child, and got into several fights with other kids. This escalated as I fell into a bad crowd, and was getting pulled into a gang, after helping some of my mates fight the other groups in the area. I thankfully got pulled out of that lifestyle by Bobby, a boxing gym owner who caught me coming home to my complex with a busted up face.

He taught me how to box, and how to channel that aggression into more useful areas. Due to my boring IT job, I hadn't got into any fights or even visited the gym for a long while even before I got reincarnated here. To say I was out of practice was an understatement. Still, I did surprisingly well.

At first I dominated the fight by using my Demonic Power to enhance myself to be faster and stronger, but after Kasane figured out how to access her Knight speed that advantage went out the window, and she became slightly faster than me. The only thing keeping it somewhat even was her unfamiliarity with moving at those speeds, causing frequent overreach.

Still, the speed combined with her skill advantage meant it was all I could do to defend and block the more painful hits. I got some taps in, but those mostly came about from cheap shots and feints. After a particularly solid palm hit me in the chest, I hopped out of range and brought up my hands.

"Okay, okay, time. That's something you can really help me work on, it felt like I learned a lot there."

Kasane merely stared at me passively, before dropping out of her stance. I didn't yet know her well enough to tell how she was feeling, but I could have sworn she seemed smug.

"Good match." Was her reply. Was that sarcasm?

I waved it off however, and let her get back to her training, now that she had a handle on activating her Knight speed.

I observed Kasane's training for a while, using Soul Talent to observe how she distorted gravity to achieve her desired effects. The hardest part of learning magic for Devils is actualization. You can imagine how something will work, but without understanding its effects, you'll find it very difficult to use the magic. From what I gleaned from the library, the trick is to use a sort of mental shorthand.

An example would be a lightning bolt. To cast one, you'd need to visualize each part of the spell, from the first spark, to how it travels through the air, to how much voltage it delivers on impact. If you fail to put the proper detail into your mental construct, that particular part of the spell will be vastly reduced in power with various effect, from not being as damaging as it could be to travelling slower than it should, etc.

I think this is why, despite having magic 'based on the power of imagination', most devils magic was actually straight forward. Keeping all those mental images in your head at once is pretty difficult, thankfully that's where the trick comes in. Once you've managed that and have actualized each specific part, with none lacking in detail, you can tie the mental image of each part into a simple mental picture, like a mnemonic.

The example in the book was like this: Imagine Zeus throwing a lightning bolt. He draws his hand back and grabs the lightning: the spark. He launches the lightning like a javelin: the travel. The lightning bolt explodes on impact: the landing. The specific shorthand you use isn't casting or actualizing the spell, but it is allowing you to more easily recall the spell you created and cast it how you imagined.

The image I used for my Lock is rather simple, a key turning in a hole and a deadbolt slamming shut. The whole thing reminded me of the self-hypnosis thing Magi from Fate did to activate their magic circuits, except you had to do it with every spell you cast if you wanted to use them quickly.

The reason I brought this up, is with the Magic detection abilities of Soul Talent, I could analyze how Kasane was moving the knives via gravity. Why I was doing this was to develop a gravity based technique of my own. Eventually, I hoped to be able to manipulate the gravitational force of my surroundings, as making everyone else fight in 50-100 times Earth's gravity seemed like it would be a useful trick to have.

That would eat through my reserves way too quickly to be useful, however, so instead I was focusing on something a little simpler.

Once I got a good grasp on how Magic interacted with the force of nature, I moved to my own training. I stood by a fairly large rock in the field, and actualized my spell. A thin thread, blade sliding between surfaces, gravitational ripples...

I cast at the rock.

---

Naomi rubbed sleep out of her eyes as she blearily walked into the kitchen. She had woken up because she had smelled something baking and she wanted to investigate. Indeed, the thick smell of dough and vanilla permeated the room, while standing in front of the oven taking out a tray was Damocles.

"Damocles?" She asked, bewildered, "What are you doing baking? Its the middle of the night."

He placed the tray down on the counter, then turned to look at her and revealing his haggard appearance.

"Couldn't sleep, so I decided to do something useful." He had deep bags under his bloodshot eyes and was even paler than usual.

She had noticed that he was looking a bit under the weather recently, but when she brought it up he had simply laughed her off and told her not to worry. She thought back to the training they had all done, realizing that as the days went by he cast less and less magic, while still teaching her and sparring with Kasane.

"You're running your Demonic Power low, aren't you? That's why you've been so tired." She deduced.

"Yeah, I have. I don't have time to do it the slow way, I need to get stronger as fast as I can. I have many enemies and I will probably make many more, I need to be ready." He sighed, "At least this baking is good exercise for learning Glyphs."

Naomi had a lot of things to say about the boy risking his health like this, but decided that they could wait, "Glyphs?"

He perked up, his tiredness forgotten. She had noticed that about him, he seemed to relish the chance to explain and teach things to others, "Glyphs are magical symbols that can be used to tie effects to certain areas. For instance, this baking is allowing me to practice Glyphs for both stasis and teleportation. For example:"

He swiped his hand in front of himself, and resting on his palm was a freshly baked brownie. She looked to the tray he just took out of the oven, noting that it contained cookies. So he must have been doing this for a while. She bit into the confection, somewhat annoyingly finding it better than her last attempt at the dish. The rich dark chocolate was still gooey, and the balance between the flavours was almost perfect.

She swallowed, wondering if he was just naturally talented at baking, before asking slowly, "Just to confirm: You have been forcefully running yourself dangerously low on Demonic Power for a week or more causing you to not be able to sleep?"

He seemed somewhat confused at the question, "Yes...?"

"And you decided the smart thing to do in this situation would be to bake treats, while practicing even more Magic, driving your Demonic Power even lower?"

"That's right! Was the brownie good?" He was barely paying attention to her, busying himself by drawing some symbols around the tray with the cookies.

"Very." She bit out.

He paused, turning to take in her expression. "Ah, I see. I've done something to upset you, haven't I?"

She sucked in a deep breath.

---

The rumbling of the train was the only sound reverberating through the cabin. Kasane and Naomi were seated next to each other, facing their young King who was currently asleep. In the week leading up to this trip, he had let his Demonic Power rebuild, but the effects of his long period of running low could still be felt.

"He really is an idiot." Kasane huffed.

Naomi hummed, "I can remember a certain someone not being able to move after some of her training sessions."

Kasane's cheeks slightly coloured, "That's different, I had to be strong to protect you."

Naomi giggled, "He would probably use the same excuse."

"He would be lying. You don't trick people into being stuck with you if you care about them." Kasane crossed her arms.

Naomi sighed, "I know you're still angry about that. But Kasane... We are better off here than back home."

Kasane turned to her sister, arching an eyebrow, "Really?"

"I..." Naomi bit her lip, seemingly struggling to admit what she was about to say, "I can sleep here."

"What do you mean?" Kasane asked.

Naomi looked down, "When I was in the... research facility, occasionally I would sleep while still I was still myself and not the Other, I could even dream."

She laughed hollowly, "You would think that the nightmares would be about me getting shot and turned into that thing, right? But no. I knocked you down and took that bullet because my power showed me you being shot..."

She took a shuddering breath, "I kept seeing you get shot, or impaled, or... or eaten. I was so, so worried. Every time they gave me more news about you I hoped it wasn't... wasn't..."

Kasane moved to get off her seat to embrace her sister, but stopped as she looked up at her, he blue eyes shining with un-shed tears, "But that's it, Kasane! I don't have to worry any more! Sure, it's still dangerous here, but you're with me, you're safe and we actually have someone we can rely on to help us!"

Kasane knew what she meant, but was still hesitant, "Are you sure we can trust him? He's been nice so far, but he still tricked us."

Naomi nodded, "It's because he went through all that trouble that we can trust him. He knows you didn't like that, it's why he's allowed you to beat him up in all those spars. He wouldn't be training us up like this if we were just disposable pieces."

She continued, "This world has no Others, Kasane. It's peaceful, for the most part. For the first time in my life, I don't have a constant feeling of dread hanging over me."

Naomi was the one to get up and embrace Kasane, "Try to give it a chance?"

Kasane stiffened, but relaxed into her sister's embrace, "Fine... but only for you."

---

Japan truly was a lovely country to visit. I had slipped out of the Underworld on that ridiculous Transplanar train of theirs with surprising ease. I half expected the Satans to have a travel restriction on me, but apparently not. There were the minders tailing me that I was aware of thanks to Information Defence, but so far they hadn't made any moves to apprehend or impede me.

As for what I was doing in Japan, well as far as anyone else could tell I was spending my time going to various Orphanages and scouting for recruits amongst the kiddie-winks. From what I could determine on my new, bug free phone, this was a rather common practice for Devils just starting to build their peerage. It was mostly regulated to those which weren't in any hurry to get instant power-houses, but that perception of the practice worked rather well for me.

What was actually happening, of course, was that I walked into the orphanage with Kasane and Naomi, hypnotized everyone in there to ignore us, then meditated to find the next world I would jump to while they trained with controlling their Demonic Power.

The whole charade was actually a double smoke-screen. I would be using these visits to the orphanages to justify my acquisition of my next piece, who would be my ultimate secret weapon for my immediate plans. Their second purpose, however, was to provide cover to my nocturnal trips north. I had set up a teleport circle in Sapporo when I visited an orphanage there, which I used to sneak out of our hotel room that was under surveillance from the Satan's goons.

I stepped out of the teleport circle, tucked away in a dingy alley, in my traditional face covering hood. I had a attention redirecting ward on me, but even without that the predominant culture of 'not my business' would help me move without confrontation.

As I stepped out of the alley into the moonlight, Information Defence lit up like a beacon. I had no clue what was looking at me, but the feeling I got was that I had not a chance a hell of stopping it, even if I did understand the mechanism they were using, the power difference was that vast. The presence settled around me, rooting me in place with it's attention, seemingly examining every single part of me and completely bypassing Mind Defence. Then, weirdly, it felt reassuring, leaving with a lover-like caress of magic.

I wildly looked around, trying to pin down what the hell just happened. I caught something out of the corner of my eye, then turned to look up at the moon. It was brief, merely an instant, but I saw something that looked like a symbol or rune on it before it disappeared as if it never existed.

Even in my surprise, I was cognizant of the fact that whatever the hell that was, it likely lit up this area like a beacon. I ducked back into the alley and quickly disassembled the teleport array, before getting the hell out of dodge. I moved quickly through the streets of Sapporo, my head on a swivel and monitoring the feeling I got from Information Defence like a hawk, but did not receive even the slightest blip on the needle.

Eventually, I determined that after so long, no one had tracked me from that location. I debated whether or not to give up my plans for the night or continue, but decided that the potential rewards were worth the risk.

So, I set up the teleportation circle in another location and moved to my eventual destination, that being the Fushimi Inari-Jinja Shrine. I was on edge for the entire climb up to the temple, expecting to be challenged or prevented from entering the holy grounds with wards, but to my surprise, I managed to enter the temple completely uninhibited.

Still, as I set up the offerings at one of the fox statues, I kept a weary observation on both Information and Mind Defence. It would take me a minute to set up a one-way teleport circle, so every second of warning counted. I clapped my hands and bowed to the statue, the Inari-zushi and incense set up properly, then waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Then waited some more.

Eventually I relaxed, and even zoned out a bit, using this opportunity for some meditation. I couldn't get into it fully, but it still slowly eased me off of my state of high alert. It also allowed me to pass the time, which turned out to be a necessity. Time passed, with absolutely no sign of the Shrine's guardian spirit, despite the offering given. After hours, the sun started to rise, so I straightened up and began to move back down the mountain to the teleport circle, planning to return the next night.

If there was no response, why would I return? Two reasons: First, the incense did not burn out, despite me being there for more than long enough for it to have done so. Second, as I turned around to look at the statue, the offerings were no longer present. The spirit was there, but it just didn't communicate with me.

I expected this, to be honest. The Shinto-Devil relationship had been severely damaged by the Nekoshou fiasco. In the DxD series, they didn't really go into detail about what happened with the Yokai after Kuroka offed her King, so finding out about the reality of the situation was quite the read.

The Yokai and the Devils were actually fairly good allies, due to both of them facing hostility from the religious institutions of their respective mythologies. Yokai parts, such as shedding from tails and the like, could be used in many extremely useful rituals as well as for a wide range of potions, where as the Devil's resources allowed the Yokai to live in greater prosperity than their lands permitted.

The recruitment of Yokai into peerages was even explicitly allowed, but only on the understanding that said Yokai would be treated well and could be reclaimed by the Yokai Faction should they believe mistreatment took place. Such a thing would necessitate the removal of their Evil Pieces, thus destroying the piece, meaning most Devils were loathe to risk it.

When Kuroka killed her master and went walkabout, it sparked a fear of Yokai in the Devils. The resulting abuses and attacks, while relatively small in number, were blown out of proportion by agitators on both sides. Tensions rose and eventually Yasaka called for all the Yokai currently in Peerages to be returned to their brethren in Kyoto, to safeguard them from what was swiftly turning into a full blown persecution of them in the Underworld.

Foreseeing that this would cause even greater distress, Serafall managed to negotiate quite the heavy payment on behalf of the Yokai to return their people, to cover the cost of making new Evil Pieces for the Devils that lost their Peerage members. The whole thing seemed to be over and done with, an unfortunate wobble to diplomatic relations but not anything deal-breaking.

Except, it looks like the Old Satan faction stole a march on the New Satans during this whole debacle. They organised with their allies and payed off members of the Great King faction to trade as many Yokai into their controlled peerages as possible, during the negotiations for their return. When the time came to return them, they did so happily.

With the Evil Pieces still inside.

So no, unlike what some of the fandom theorized back home, the Devils did not, in fact, genocide the Nekoshou or the Yokai in their Peerages. No, instead they forced their own people to put them down as they turned into rabid monsters beyond all sense. I'm sure once they figured out what was happening, the Yokai tried everything to either remove the Pieces themselves or get the Kings to do it, but it was too late. You could see why such a thing made dialogue between the two factions after the fact a near impossibility.

Ruthless, brutal, completely beyond the pale and brilliant. The old Satans got everything they wanted out of the situation, breaking an alliance with another faction, raising tensions and discrediting the New Satans. I have no idea why Zekram allowed it to go unopposed, but he did not deign to even get directly involved.

Back to the present, there is a very good reason that the Shinto as a whole have to not want to deal with any Devils after that, my whole race was reviled in Japan. Likely the only thing stopping Inari from strking me down for entering her Shrine was due to her not wanting to antagonize Sirzechs, the nuclear deterrent of the Devils.

It was even the reason why I was not attempting to contact the Yokai directly, pretty sure that they would normally kill a Devil stupid enough to put themselves at their mercy.

'However,' I thought as I walked down the mountain to the teleport circle, my Pride surging in my chest, 'I am not a normal Devil.'

Chapter 7: Aschente

Aschente

It happened on the fourth day of my daily pilgrimages. As I arrived and set up the offerings, I was brought out of my bow by the sound of a youthful voice, "Most would have given up after the first day."

I looked up, to see a slim girl sitting on thin air, hovering over the Fox statue. If that wasn't enough of a clue to her identity, the prominent black and white vulpine ears and tails would be. The Kitsune in front of me possessed 3 tails, which meant she was likely one of the younger shrine spirits in this temple.

She continued, "Especially weird that you are a Devil. Wouldn't being ignored damage your precious pride?"

I smiled at her, "A pleasure to finally meet you. And to answer your question, what if I prided myself on being patient?"

She gave a wry grin at that, "That would make you very odd indeed. Seeing as ignoring you is not working, I'll have to be more direct. Leave, Devilkin."

I shook my head, "Unfortunately I can't do that. The reason I've been coming here these past few nights is that I wish to speak to Lady Inari."

The Yokai's eyes narrowed, "Why would Lady Inari wish to speak to one of your kind? It's highly presumptuous of you to think you deserve an audience with her."

I bowed to her, surprising the fox, "The reason I want to speak to her is to make amends for the actions of my people."

There was a brief bit of silence, before the response flatly came, "Your Satan Leviathan already apologised multiple times. Lady Inari and Lady Yasaka were unconvinced. Now she sends a young boy to do so in her stead?"

"You misunderstand me." I corrected, "I am not here on behalf of the Devils, or the Satans. I am here to personally apologise, in the name of House Sagan and myself, as it's last Lord."

There was a ruffling of movement, and I could see from my peripheral vision she had crossed her arms. "I don't think that will be enough for Lady Inari to meet you. Why should I even deliver your request for an audience? It's likely to be a waste of my time."

I expected this. Kitsune are greedy and mischievous, enjoying extorting people for simple tasks.

"I have a tray of inarizushi with your name on it if you would just tell Lady Inari that Damocles Sagan wishes to have a meeting. That is all you would need to do."

She scoffed, "Do you think I'm someone that can be bribed?"

"Yes."

"Well you're right. Two trays, big ones, and I will do it." She nodded with a soft 'umu'.

I suppressed a laugh, "Deal."

She then waved a hand, "Alright, get out of that bow. When you bring back the inar..."

She trailed off as I clicked my fingers and suddenly two trays of delicious inarizushi appeared, floating in front of me. The smell of fried tofu started drifting in the air, and her eyes locked onto the treats. She reached for them, but I floated them out of her grasp.

"Ah, ah, send the message first, then you can get them."

She pouted at me, but sighed and closed her eyes. I could feel a slight shift in the energy around us, but couldn't really determine the exact changes due to the differences between divine magic and the kind I was used to. The little fox, with her eyes still closed, furrowed her brow before sighing.

Her eyes opened, staring at me with her amber gaze, "You are in luck, Devil."

Suddenly, a presence came over us, slightly compressing the area around us with its power. Her eyes gained a golden glow, and the loose shrine maiden outfit she wore seemed to flutter in a non-existent wind. I had no doubt, I was now standing before a god. Additionally, with the descent of their goddess, I noticed through Information Defence the attention of all the Guardian Spirits that called this shrine home focus on me exclusively.

I bowed at the waist, going as deep as etiquette allowed, "Lady Inari, thank you for meeting with me."

Her voice was completely different from the young Kitsune, containing a sense of age and wisdom, "So Meru was not mistaken. It has been a while since I saw a descendant of Lucifer's Insult."

Lucifer's Insult. That was the epithet for the first Sagan, Remora. The name came about due to Remora being created to directly oppose the Seraph Gabriel. The characteristic features of Sagan devils, the noble, soft faces, the bright blue eyes and the pale gold hair was due to this. Remora was crafted by Lucifer to almost directly resemble Gabriel, all the way down to their appearances.

Even her power was specifically tailored to contrast that of Heaven's Messenger. The original Lucifer took great pleasure in showing off Remora to the Angels, usually in incredibly sexual clothing and situations, causing many great distress by seeing someone who looked like one of their most beloved members act in sinful and depraved ways.

Thus, Lucifer's Insult.

The Kami in front of me continued, "I was under the impression your house had been ended."

I nodded, "It was, Lady Inari. I was only recently discovered while under a stasis spell. I've been catching up on the events that happened while I was indisposed, and wished to apologise for the dishonour my people have brought upon themselves."

Inari's mouth quirked into a smirk, "So you are here to merely make amends out of the goodness of your heart?"

I smiled, "Of course not. I would not presume to insult you by expecting you to believe that for a second. I also wish to facilitate trade between the Underworld and the Yokai once more."

She narrowed her eyes, "With you as the intermediary I presume? Looking to make a hefty profit out of this, are you?"

"I am." I answered, "However, I can swear any binding oath you want that the prices will be fairly decided. In my current situation, good will will go a lot further than any profit I could make in the short term."

Inari airily waved a hand, "Why should I help facilitate this? In fact, why come to me at all? Why not appeal to a more important Kami, like Ameterasu?"

I explained, "Restarting trade with the Underworld will allow the Yokai to once again thrive. Currently, they are doing well for themselves, but from the records I could find, the trade with the devils allowed them to expand their numbers in a rapid manner. Should I prove successful, The Shinto would see the effectiveness of their forces increase."

"As for why I sought you out..." I continued, hesitantly, "Please do not take offence. But although you are not the strongest Kami, or the one most proficient in combat, you are the most influential. A full third of all shrines and temples in Japan are devoted to you, and you have more festivals in your honour than any other member of your pantheon. Additionally, one of your domains is prosperity, which is what I hope to bring about."

The Godly being in front of me bristled initially at my comment, but as the compliments flowed she gained a smug attitude. She hid her smile behind a suddenly appearing elaborate fan, waving it gently as she listened to my words. It seemed that old trope held true, the way to a female Deity's good graces is paved with shameless compliments.

What I said was true, Inari was the most revered deity in Japan. Most still thought of Susano'o, Tsukiyomi and Ameterasu as stronger than her in raw in power, but the adoration and celebration in excess of her peers that Inari received was a strength all of it's own. If things continued the way they were going, soon the faith she was generating passively would allow her to surpass her relatives in power, even without her own Myth supporting said strength.

Once I finished, she hummed, contemplating. "The Yokai are not part of our armies." She calmly rebutted, "They are our followers, but why should we be overly invested in their military strength or numbers?"

"They are not officially under your direction, true." I allowed, "I am certain that Yasaka being both a priestess of Ameterasu and a Kitsune is pure coincidence."

My snark did not pass unremarked. "I find your blunt observations quite annoying, Scion of the Sagan." Her fan still covered her face, her eyes focused and regarding me calculatingly.

I dipped my head slightly, "I apologise, Lady Inari. I was aiming for charming eccentricity."

She snapped her fan closed, a amused smile on her face. "Well, we can all have our delusions, I suppose. How can I trust you though, Devil? How do I know your intentions are what you claim them to be?"

I thought for a brief moment before finding an answer, "Well, my Lady, unlike the Devils you have dealt with recently, when I was raised we were taught that deals were not to be made or broken lightly. I have too much to gain by being honest and too much to lose to engage in deceit. However, in the end, no matter what I say or what guarantees I give, there is only one reason left. It's the same reason why I believe you are truly Inari Okami, not just an illusion of Meru's to swindle me out of my snacks."

"Oh?" An eyebrow was raised, "What reason is that?"

I spread my arms wide, "Faith, my Lady."

The night air was silent for a few heartbeats, before bright peals of laughter interrupted the stillness. Her domains of Agriculture and Fertility showed themselves, the very world around us seeming to share in her amusement. The fireflies dancing in merriment and the grass waving in tune to the beautiful sound.

"A Devil lecturing a Kami on faith..." She sputtered out, wiping a tear from her host's eye, "Charming eccentricity indeed."

She wound down, regarding my smiling visage with newly evaluating eyes. "You are certainly a strange Devil, Sagan." Her gaze turned contemplative, then she moved to throw something at me.

I caught it and opened my hand to reveal a golden Omamori, the embroidery depicting a fox about to pounce. Her voice brought me out of my inspection, "You've given me much to ponder. Leave now, you'll know when I've made a decision." Her grin turned foxy, "Or maybe you won't. Who knows?~"

With that last bit of whimsy, she vanished, along with the covered trays of treats that had been floating at my side this entire time. The shrine suddenly seemed lifeless, the feeling of many beings attention lessening.

Shrugging, I moved to leave, calling out as I did, "Enjoy your treats, Meru."

There was no response.

---

She stared at the chess board in front of her. The pieces were set up in their starting positions, no moves made yet, but as she twirled a strand of silver hair around her fingers multiple possible positions and board states were bouncing through her mind.

It was a common sight in the orphanage, the other children long since given up on playing against her in any board games. Her mind made it so easy to see the winning moves, her mastery of probability such that even games of chance ended up favouring her more often than not. Even when prospective parent came in, their initial excitement to find a "once in a generation Genius" soon faded in response to her listless and uninterested personality.

That's fine though, she lied to herself. She was happier when she was left alone anyway. Ever since her parents died in that accident, lonely was all she felt. True, her parents were hard on her and life wasn't perfect, but at least they pretended to care.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when a older boy sat on the chair across from her. She looked up, meeting his bright blue eyes, idly noting his distinctive white hair, before taking in his gentle smile. His face seemed to radiate a youthful innocence, but from the formal looking, high quality clothes he was wearing, she pegged as some rich person's kid.

"Chess," He started, bringing her attention back to his eyes, which had yet to leave hers, "Is a truly fascinating game. How would you feel about a few rounds?" He then made a move before she could respond, e4.

She rolled her eyes. She knew exactly how this would go. A spoiled child of a rich couple challenging her to a game of chess, thinking their tutoring would give them an edge against her. After she wins, he will get angry and she will once again be looked over by his parents.

She sighed and responded with e5, the game quickly transitioning into a Kings Gambit. 20 moves later, checkmate was given and she sat back, expecting the usual accusation of cheating or other such dramatics. She blinked instead as the youth in front of her merely stroked his chin, seemingly considering the game they had just played.

He smiled at her, surprising the girl as he reached out to reset the board, asking, "Good game. Another?"

Mutely, she nodded. What was with this guy? Wasn't he upset to lose against an 8 year old? A girl? He started the game again, this time going for a London System style opening. Resolving to test whether the previous game was a fluke, she threw her all into this game, defeating him within 10 moves.

The boy stared at the board in front of him, the outcome of the next three moves obvious. Grinning widely, he looked back up into her eyes, remarking, "Fascinating. You truly are amazing."

Her cheeks coloured, not used to praise, especially from someone she had just defeated. She watched as the boy in front of her pulled out a bag that she hadn't noticed before, rummaging around inside. He produced a pencil and paper, gently moving the chess set to the side.

He drew a grid, 3 by 3, onto the sheet of paper. Smiling at her, he drew an X in the middle of the grid, before passing the pencil to her.

"Another game?" He asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"Really?" Was her deadpan response, "Tic Tac Toe?"

His grin spread wider, "So you do talk! Thank you for gracing me with your lovely voice. Do you want me to explain the rules?"

Her cheeks freshly blushed at the weird compliment. She sniffed, attempting to mask her embarrassment while marking the top right spot with an O, "I know the rules."

He shrugged, plucking back the pencil and making an X in the bottom left space, "If you are sure."

She sighed, expecting this to end in a draw now, not that she would have fallen into the only trap that actually could win. She made her O in the top left, quickly losing interest. She watched in confusion however, as he proceeded to draw a X outside of the grid in line with his previous two, drawing a line through all three.

"I win." He smugly stated.

"No you don't!" She loudly yelled, surprising a few of the children around her, "That's not how Tic Tac Toe is played! That's against the rules!"

The boy remained completely unfazed, "I thought you knew the rules we were playing by? I offered to explain them."

She stared at him in stupefaction, utterly flabbergasted at his audacity. She did agree to the rules, without even knowing they were changed. That was... That was...

"That's dirty." She grumbled, sitting down. She could appreciate the trick, but she was still put off about it being preformed on her.

"It was." He hummed, "I cheated, and I won. How about we play a different game, one that only uses the others that we play as tools."

She wasn't in the mood to be tricked again, but this sounded interesting. Whatever else this is, it was a lot less boring than usual in the orphanage.

"What game?" She asked wearily.

He pulled out a deck of cards from his backpack, "We'll play a few rounds of Blackjack, or 21 as you might know it. However, I'll tell you now, I'm going to cheat. You have 3 questions that I have to answer truthfully to figure out how I'm cheating, if you guess right, you win. If you guess wrong, I win."

This definitely sounded interesting. Watching as he shuffled and dealt the cards, she asked, "What do I win if I guess right?"

He shrugged, "We could just play for points, but if you want to have an actual bet I do have some treats in my bag that we could use."

She nodded, picking up her cards, "Let's use those. Does the way you're cheating have to do with calculations?"

He smiled. "It does not."

She hummed, so that ruled out card counting. Next question, "Does the way you're cheating..."

---

They played for what seemed like hours, different card games, board games, dice games and even a few word games flying the time away. She lost quite a few times, but didn't have to give him anything, whereas every time she won she got one of his delicious baked goods. So all in all, even if she were losing more than she was winning, which was not the case, she definitely came out ahead. She made him eat one first, of course, to prove it wasn't a prank or the treats weren't expired.

She realised two things as they played however. First, the boy in front of her was very smart. Smarter than anyone else she had met at his age. She was still more intelligent than even him, of course, but it would be a mistake to think he was dumb like the average boys she met.

The second thing, was a weird warm sensation in her chest. She thought it was the thrill of winning, but when she lost and he explained to her what exact trick he was using that particular game it got just that slight be warmer. It was a good, familiar feeling, but it took her a while to realise what it was, due to her having not experienced it in a long time.

Fun.

She was having fun, This strange older boy was well on the way to making this best day the young girl could remember. In fact, she caught herself occasionally wondering how her life would be if she had him as an older brother.

She shook the thought out of her head, knowing it could never happen. Instead, she focused on the game they were currently playing, normal Poker. They had played it before, but he had used a different trick each time. Whatever he was doing at the moment, it seemed to be the best one he's pulled yet.

He had hands consistently that were impossible to have been pulled from the deck. She knew it was a normal deck of cards, having inspected it herself. It couldn't be a shuffling trick, as she was the one that was shuffling the deck.

She was on her last question, the first one eliminating the possibility of him hiding cards on his person and the second one excluding him having a second deck he was using sleight of hand to pull from. Watching him put down his fourth flush in a row, she decided to finish this round, noting idly that it was almost time for supper. That tickled something in the back her mind, something important that she seemed to have forgotten.

Shrugging it off, she asked her last question, "Does the trick require you to physically touch the cards to cheat?"

He shook his head, "No, it does not. Good question, though."

She considered the information she had gathered, frowning as the pieces refused to line up. What possible way of cheating at poker allowed you to pull cards that weren't in the deck and didn't include a separate pack of cards? Without even touching them?

Resigning herself to loss, she decided to through out a joke, "Magic?"

His amused expression deepened, "Exactly, I was using Magic to cheat."

She hit him with a deadpan stare, "You promised to be honest with me."

He waved his hands of her cards and as she watched, the colours blended and changed until the flush that he previously had was lying there looking a lot less impressive. Shocked, she then watched as he held up a finger, a glowing orb of light revolving on it's tip.

"I was honest. I can see that you're interested." He said, his voice a smooth, tempting whisper, "Would you like to know more, Shiro?"

A shiver ran down her back, the knowledge that she never gave him her name bouncing around her head, all while she suddenly remembered the thing that was bothering her.

Visiting hours ended ages ago.

---

A black void stretched out in all directions. The place was not truly empty, but to those without divinity the actual landscape was impossible to define. Piercing the monotonous surroundings, a veil of stars was swirling through the area. Occasionally pausing, expanding and contracting, before moving on. Suddenly, appearing next to the twinkling expanse, a monochrome child appeared.

With his appearance, the landscape seemed to lose even more of it's non-existent colour. The stars whirled angrily, the shifting nebulae briefly revealing a stark, glowing orb, blue light shining forth balefully from it. As quickly as it was glimpsed, it was gone.

The child grinned a wolfish smile, completely un-threatened, "It looks like you're having trouble piercing the Dimensional Veil, would you like help?"

The air was still, the universe itself stunned at his flippancy, before a smooth, clear voice sounded forth, "Ah. Am I to surmise this debacle art of your making, then? Tell me, creature, what joy dost thou gain from depriving me from what is rightfully mine?"

The kid shrugged, not at all phased by the accusation, "In a way, every situation that happens in this particular multi-verse is of my making. Your particular shambles, however, is entirely coincidental, I promise. In fact, I'm even here to assist you!"

"Thou art possessed of the power to grant me what I seek. Why delay our destined reunion?" Came the reply.

"You might have destined your reunion, but I am under no obligation to hasten it. Besides, doing it this way is more fun for me, and that is all that truly matters." He sat cross legged in the air as he stated this.

"Should thou persist in impeding mine path, I feel I should forewarn thee. My machinations hath felled Gods before." The voice took a cold edge, malice inking the space they occupied.

The other being briefly looked excited, before slumping in defeat as if something underwhelming was revealed to him. "It would not be a fair fight. Regardless, allow me to disabuse you of your notions. I am not the one impeding your progress, it the very rules of the world which he currently inhabits. I could teach you how to get around said restrictions."

Before the response could be given, he continued, "First, however. I wish to make one thing clear to you. He is not the one you remember. True, he has his soul, but his memories, his very existence itself, is not what you think it is. Would you still go for all this effort, just for him?"

There was a brief period of silence, before the resolute answer came, "We made a pact, him and I. 'Twould not be expected for one such as thee to understand the weight of such vows."

"Excellent." The monochrome eyes lit up in satisfaction, "Your addition shall be most... amusing."

He tilted his head suddenly, as if noticing something. "Before we get into that, let me go take care of something. I'll be riiiiight back."

Just as suddenly as he appeared, he was gone, leaving the inky blackness once again alone with the blue light of the Stars.

Chapter 8: WMC (Weapon of Mass Cuteness)

WMC (Weapon of Mass Cuteness)

The meditation while visiting various orphanages had allowed me to nail down a perfect variant of No Game No Life. Approaching Shiro when she had parents that cared about her or, more pertinently, parents she cared about, would make it very difficult to convince her to abandon her living condition to go with the strange boy that rocked up into her life from nowhere. Not even mentioning one who had Sora.

An Orphaned Shiro, one who had yet to meet Sora, however...

Easy pickings.

The girl in question was busy staring in mute shock at my finger, where my flashy display of magic had just ended. While the attention was somewhat gratifying, I did need to work on convincing her to come back with me.

To snap her out of it, I snatched up a brownie with my other hand, offering it to her, "Here you are, your prize for winning."

She jolted, before looking at the proffered confection with mild distrust. Quickly deciding that with all that she already had eaten, one more would not make much of a difference, she sullenly took it in hand with a muffled, "Thanks."

Nibbling on the corner of the chocolate treat, She regarded my me for a short time before asking, "Why are you here?"

I laughed, "I wish to adopt you as my little sister, Shiro." At her surprised face, I continued, "Before I get to that, I want to make sure you understand something."

Under her expectant gaze, I let out my wings. Taking in her shocked expression, I elaborated, "I am not of this world, Shiro. I have a unique power, one that allows me access to other dimensions, other worlds."

"I can go to countless worlds. An infinite amount of them. And out of all those worlds, all those differing possibilities, I chose to come here. For you. That's how special you are." Her face took on that adorable blush that my previous compliments summoned, but this time there was a hint of trepidation.

"Why me?" She asked softly looking down as she said that.

I reached out, gently ruffling her hair. She started as I did so, but eventually leaned into the action. I explained, "Magic requires a lot of intelligence, Shiro. Imagination and knowledge in equal measure. There is no one I could have reached, who has all your characteristics. You're perfect, and if you would have a non-human like me, I would be glad to take you into my family."

She looked down, nibbling her lip, as I took back my hand and moved in for the kill, "Besides, what do you have to lose by coming with me? If you refuse, I won't force you. But staying here, stagnating, bored, miserable. Is that really what you want?"

Taking out a white Bishop piece, I gently placed it on the table between us. "This is a tool, Shiro. It will make you like me and make you into a member of my family. If you accept, I swear to you, as your King and as your future Older Brother, I will do everything in my power to protect and care for you."

She turned my words over in her mind, my obvious manipulation likely bare to her, but the picture I painted was probably seductive regardless. "You want me to be good at magic. What if..." Her voice trailed off, the question however was easy to figure out.

I suppressed a snort, her not taking to Magic like a fish to water was a vanishingly small possibility. Regardless, this next statement required no embellishment on my part, "Of course not Shiro. You would be part of my Peerage, my adorable little sister. Even if the entire world banded together and told me to get rid of you, I would tell them to get lost. It would be us, you and me, together against world."

I wasn't lying. My Peerage would be full of powerful, skilled people, but first and foremost they were chosen for the simple reason that I liked them. Even if they turned out differently to what I planned, it didn't change the fact that I chose them for who they are, not what they could give me. Beyond the Catalogue perks, of course.

I stretched my hand out to her, pinky finger extended. "That will be our promise. You don't have to see me as a brother at first, or even at all, if you want. All I ask, is you trust me, just a little. I swear you wont regret it."

The girl looked around herself, taking in her surroundings. I don't know what was going through her head, so I decided to wait patiently. Calmly observing the girl as that brilliant mind is was so interested in carefully considered the situation. Eventually, hesitantly, timidly, she reached out her hand, pinky finger extended as well. Halfway to mine, she stopped, seeming to be reconsidering.

I did nothing to pressure her, merely smiling gently at her when she looked up at me. That seemed to seal the deal, as she nodded resolutely and entangled her pinky with mine. I smiled at her, received a small, shy smile in response, before slowly releasing the tiny digit.

"Do you want to get your piece now Shiro? I promise it will be quick, like a nice nap." She seemed to still be a bit hesitant, but after her display of agreement she seemed uncomfortable saying no.

I knelt down next to her, gently resting a hand on her shoulder, "I know it's scary. You don't have to do it right away if you don't want to."

She straightened up, her eyes turning resolute as they looked into mine, "I'll do it."

I smiled, slowly reaching my hand out and rubbing her head as she took in a breath and closed her eyes, "Good, well done for being so brave."

I informed her about the magical tattoo that I needed to put on her to allow her to travel back with me, and she surprised me by telling me where she wanted it placed.

"On my tummy." Shiro said calmly.

"Are you sure? I need to have skin contact to place it." I felt slightly awkward about this, especially considering what form the Stamp took.

"That's fine." Shiro replied.

I attempted to change her mind, but she seemed to be oddly stubborn about this and she would not tell me why. So, after placing the bishop into her chest and while she was asleep and recovering, I hesitantly placed my hand under her shirt and laid my palm flat on her warm, flat stomach. Feeling like an absolute creep all while.

As well as trying to ignore the fact that I was essentially giving an 8-year-old a womb tattoo.

The awkwardness was dispelled by the successful placing of the stamp, seeing that the world went grey and the window with the perks from the Catalog opened up in front of my eyes.

Now, here was the whole reason for this song and dance, beside Shiro herself. The perks chosen were as follows:

Martial talent was chosen so that I could become a capable combatant as soon as possible. I was pretty far off from canon at this point, but that doesn't change the fact that DxD is still a couple of horny boob jokes removed from a literal death world. I chose the setting for it's easy path to power, but that did not blind me to the dangers lurking in the wings.

For my next capture, I needed to pick up stress defence. She had an ability that could bypass my other defences, Mind and Information, while incapacitating me. I wasn't planning on the recruitment to turn combative, but it's better to be safe than sorry. It would also assist me with my ultimate goal of Ophis.

Now, for the final piece. The perfect perk for Shiro, one that would turn her into the perfect weapon to wield against the Satans, allowing me to strike directly at their weaknesses. Shiro is adorable, almost the personification of cuteness. Using the funds my vault in my manor holds, I can push through an official adoption for her into the Sagan family, as my little sister. Making her an exceptional target for Arlo.

As I confirmed my choices, the time stop stuttered, colour flickering back and forth in the world around me. This had never happened before, so I tensed, wondering what the hell was going on. Suddenly, the world righted itself as if nothing happened and a handwritten note appeared in a flash in front of me.

"We apologise for the inconvenience." Was all the note said. With a picture of Catharsis giving a thumbs up in the corner.

I instantly started worrying more, fretting over what the hell that meant, which was the state Shiro found me in when she woke up.

---

Tet straightened up from his place at the top of Disboard, wondering what had caused him to feel like something wrong had happened. Casting his attentions over the world in his dominion, he could not immediately spot what was out of place. Casting his attention even further out, to the souls connected to his own, he soon spotted the problem.

Someone had usurped the connection he had to the soul of Schwi's reincarnation.

Frantically zeroing in on the spot he last could feel her, he felt the effect of some unknown god fall upon her world. Being Divinity himself, he could manoeuvre around the causal suspension, helped by the fact that he wasn't present when time was stopped.

Soon, he found the mortal who dared to steal Schwi away, an existence like nothing else he ever knew, sitting in the centre of this mystery God's power. Focusing his own Authority, he attempted to strike at this being, trying to either disperse the time stop or drag him to Tet's location so that he could challenge him to relinquish his hold on Schwi's soul.

As his power accumulated, starting to interact with the monotone of the other God, he suddenly found himself cut off, staring in confusion into the eyes of a being who looked exactly like him, except for all the colours being drained away.

"No, no." The suddenly appearing God said, voice amused, "That's not how you play the Game."

Tet attempted to peer into the other young looking boy, finding a limitless well of power, easily dwarfing anything he had ever encountered. Even more concerning, this well of infinite energy seemed to be looking back.

Withdrawing quickly, he realized he had no reference for what to do in such a situation, and immediately tried to gain some much needed information, "Why are you...?"

"Boredom, mostly." The thing in front of him said, "It's the only reason I do anything these days."

Having no clue how to respond to that, Tet scrambled to find the words for the many things he wished to say.

Before he could, the Elder God stated, "Normally I wouldn't care, even if I did bless that guy. However, he has proven to be quite entertaining. On top of that, you aren't the God of the world he is in, you have no Authority to meddle over there. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to mess with other God's affairs, especially on a world not you own?"

"Wait!" Tet shouted, finally having enough of the insanity occurring in front of him, "Whose Authority did I infringe? That world has no Gods!"

"It doesn't." The other Divinity admitted, "But this was mostly to stop you from messing with my fun anyway. I just needed to have a good excuse for Fortune."

Tet was stunned at this thing not taking this interaction at all seriously, a rebellious part of him wondering if this was how others felt interacting with him.

The other God then proceeded, "That being said, you solve everything through games here, don't you? I'll challenge you for that girl, could be interesting. That's covered under Rule 7, isn't it? Conflicts between groups will be conducted by designated representatives with absolute authority, I believe it was."

"He has to agree to you representing him." Tet replied instinctively, still reeling from all that was occurring.

"Oh, don't worry about that." The Elder God smiled, "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

---

After the weirdness with Shiro's stamping, I expected the transition from her reality back to DxD to be affected in some way, but it actually went off without a hitch. After introducing her to Kasane and Naomi, I hypnotized the receptionist at the orphanage I had teleported from to fabricate a fake record of her placement there.

After that, it was a simple trip to government office to make sure her records there matched the one in the orphanage and the cover her existence was complete. From there, we all took the train back to the Underworld to introduce Shiro to her new home.

While on the way, I tested all the perks that I had to ensure they still functioned correctly, but it seemed that whatever happened when I stamped Shiro didn't effect them at all. I still expected something to go wrong for some time after that, but eventually I managed to put it out of my mind.

I didn't spend all my time worrying, of course. The previous few weeks were spent putting affairs into order, not least of which was my official adoption of Shiro.

It was a calculated move, politically speaking. Although it alienated me even further from the hardliners in devil society, it would likely appear to the Satans that their ideas were working on me and that I would support their policies, seeing as Shiro was a Reincarnated Devil.

While that process was under way, I was not idle. I trained with my peerage, putting aside special time for Shiro to get her started on learning magic. As expected, she took to it like a fish to water, proving herself to be quite the bookworm as well, my library becoming one of her new favourite places to frequent. Her constant expression of wonder whenever she saw magic practiced or preformed it herself was always a joy to witness.

Her other favourite place, of course, was the Kitchen/Dining area. It seemed to be a universal constant that small girls had a weakness to sweets.

Both Naomi and Shiro had quickly moved on from the actualization of their Demonic Power and were ready to try actually casting spells. There was a slight issue, where Naomi appeared to have a decent well of Demonic power, while Shiro lagged behind in that respect. This allowed Naomi to practice spell casting for far longer than Shiro, meaning she got better than her at the spells I had assigned more often.

I wasn't worried, in fact I had expected this. Shiro was young and a normal human besides. Expecting her to have a large pool of Power right off the bat would be foolish. So, when she tired out and was no longer able to practice, I decided to sit with her and go over the theory of Magic and Spells, allowing her to work around her issue in combat.

For example, rather than brute forcing a massive blast of fire at someone, attempting to defeat them in a single shot, she could instead conjure flammable oil in the area, then use a smaller fire spell to light it up and direct her opponent into an advantageous position for her. I described the idea like a game to her, which seemed to get good results as she thought up various devious ways of combining different effects.

In our downtime, I prepared for the Function that had been organised to introduce me to the Devil Nobility. For that, I researched the various Noble Houses, their views on and agreements with my own House and looked up their public perception on the Devil Net, allowing me to prepare for the people that would be attending.

I had my own plans for the event, of course. It was tradition for a young Noble being introduced to prepare some form of entertainment of demonstration, showing off their prowess or their views on devil society as a whole. The most common form this took was a magical demonstration or a play of some sort, but I had a different plan.

To that end, I developed and practised a secret code with Shiro. The code could be used by us either holding hands or with her on my lap, and consisted of a simple series of taps and squeezes, corresponding to moves on a Chess board. I practised with her in using this code to play against Kasane and Naomi, and planned to play Blind Chess against the Nobles present with my very own Pocket Shiro-fish* to defeat them.

This whole plan was targeted at a specific person, of course.

I crafted it specifically so that she couldn't resist my trap.

Aside from that, the girls had been working very hard, so I decided to hit two birds with one stone and reward us all with a day out on the town next week, getting us tickets to an Anime Convention being held in the Devil Capitol.

It was time to put Arlo to work.

---

It was the night before Shiro's adoption was finalised, and I had just turned in to rest after staying up a bit late to revise my Glyphs, after realising the fighting style I was developing could use them in some interesting ways.

As I finished getting changed and made to go to bed, I was stopped by a timid knock on my door. Opening it, I was greeted with the adorable visage of Shiro, her messed up bed hair adding to her charm. The cuteness was blunted however, by the tears in the corner of her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall.

"Shiro?" I asked, concerned, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Slowly, she shook her head. She opened her mouth, a whisper coming through that I could only hear due to the silence of the manor, "Bad dream."

Ah. That explained things.

"Would you like to talk about it?" I offered.

The girl shook her head again, then stepped forward and bunched up the loose shirt I wore in her tiny fist, "Damocles... You won't make me go away, right?"

I knelt down, gently taking her hand in mine, "Silly. Of course I won't. I'm officially adopting you into my family tomorrow, why would you think I would want you to leave?"

She looked down, biting her lip, "Naomi's stronger than me."

One of the downsides, I reflected, of my obsession with Kuuderes, is that they very rarely share what's bothering them. Still, this was not hard to puzzle out. Shiro felt that with Naomi progressing so much more than her, I would give up on her and put my time and effort into Naomi instead.

To be fair, if I was after the maximum return of investment for the shortest time possible, that could work. To a logical mind like Shiro's, that is likely what she expected to happen.

I surprised the girl by hugging her to me. I had been a bit distant with physical affection, not wanting to creep her out or move faster than she was comfortable with, especially after the whole womb tattoo thing, but on reflection that might have been a mistake.

"Silly," I repeated, stroking her hair, "You're my precious little sister already. Tomorrow is just to make it official. You could be the weakest person in the world and I would still want you with me. I won't abandon you, ever. Like we promised, remember?"

I could feel her nod into my shoulder, her small arms wrapping around me, as my chest became mysteriously damp. I just tightened my arms her, letting her get through her emotions, as she vented in silence.

Eventually her grip slackened, and I loosened mine to allow her to pull back. Her face was red from all the tears and I could see a hint of embarrassment in her gaze. Still, she seemed to be doing much better after that.

"Do you want me to take you back to your room and tuck you in?" I asked gently.

He loose grip suddenly tightened, as she pulled herself back into my chest and shook her head. I was a bit uncomfortable, seeing as it looked like she wanted to sleep in my room, but decided not to try and change her mind in case she viewed it as a rejection of her entirely.

"Okay then, let's wash your face and get to bed." I picked her up and moved into the en suite bathroom, taking a fluffy towel and using it to wipe her face after wetting it, all while she simply stared at me with her large, innocent eyes.

After she was cleaned up, I scooped her back into my arms and moved to the bed, ensuring that she was comfortable under the covers before settling in myself. Suddenly, I was latched onto my a small body as she immediately went to hug me, seemingly craving for closeness.

Deciding to indulge her silent plea for affection, I wrapped my arm around her and started to stroke her head with my hand, lulling her to sleep.

As her tension slowly bled away and she relaxed into my chest, I heard her whisper, "Thank you, Nii..."

It was the first time she called me that. My heart swelled with warmth.

Sleep was hard to find after that, but certainly not at all troubled.

---

* A play on words for the current strongest commercial chess engine, Stockfish.

Perks obtained this chapter:

Martial Talent: Damocles has instinctive knowledge of how to fight. any mistakes or bad habits he develops while training have a much harder time sticking. He can more easily spot holes in other's guards and has a harder time falling for feints. His ability to fight in close combat is increased at a vastly improved rate through training and experience.

Stress Defense: Damocles can act calmly under pressure and is protected from degenerative mental effects. Should an effect work to erode his mental state, such as a fear or despair aura, Damocles can identify the effect similar to Information and Mind Defence and work to combat it. Should the effect be Magical in nature, he can gain an understanding of it while under it's effects due to Soul Talent.

Arlo (Shiro): Seeing Damocles interact with Shiro and be a good Older Brother to her stimulates the maternal instincts of targeted women. Seeing how good he is with children makes him look like a very attractive partner to girls and a suitable partner for their daughter's to mothers. Girls who are younger than Damocles are also effected, starting to wish that Damocles treat them like he does Shiro. Shiro can target people if she likes them with this trait, making them view her as a surrogate daughter or sibling. Should this happen, the attraction they feel towards Damocles is increased.

Chapter 9: Subtle Rewards

Subtle Rewards

Kasane was training, as was the norm for her lately. Even though she had been diligent ever since she became a devil, her knives still moved differently to what she was used to. They were more precise, faster and accelerated at a different rate. It was all positive, but for someone used to their weapons acting in a certain way for years, it was hard to adjust to any changes. Especially through just training, without any live combat.

It was also only one of the many changes that she had recently undergone. Ever since she became a Devil, something she still didn't know how she felt about, her senses had changed. Colours had become much more vibrant, she could hear with astonishing clarity, her sense of smell became much sharper. It had taken her a few weeks to even get used to those changes, never mind the other ones.

Her eyes tracked over to the source of said changes, Damocles, her 'King'. Her relationship with him had been considerably strained due to the way it came about, with him successfully manoeuvring both herself and her sister into agreeing to enter his service.

She was still sore about being tricked, but as time had passed she had to be honest with herself, she was more angry at not properly thinking things through and allowing herself to be tricked. She had planned to approach him soon and apologise for her behaviour, maybe see about starting over again as she had learned to do with her squad.

Before she could, however, he had inducted another member into their Peerage. Shiro, the small girl, seemed to have a strange sort of distance between Damocles and herself. Kasane was worried that he had somehow forced her into his Peerage. She didn't think Damocles was the type of person to do that to a young girl, but the way they were acting did make her wonder.

Then at breakfast today, she was surprised when Shiro had shuffled in, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she crawled into Damocles' lap. Damocles himself had seemed a bit surprised, but as she looked up at him with begging eyes he shrugged and them began petting her head, feeding her with his other hand from his plate.

Seeing the two like that, so comfortable in each other's presence, had been a bit of a shock. Watching Damocles dote on the young girl, gently wiping her face after she spilled a small bit of the food, Kasane was suddenly struck with the feeling that they truly did look like siblings. The way Shiro looked at him, the affection beginning to form, she had to admit this was not the behaviour of a wronged child.

Thinking back on how she had treated Damocles, who had been nothing but accommodating and helpful after their first meeting, she felt slightly ashamed. She watched distractedly as she practised, seeing the way he gently guided Shiro and her sister through the current magical exercise he was showing them.

Shiro seemed to get the exercise right first, a small arc of electricity sparking between her hands, startling the girl slightly. She wasn't surprised for long, turning to look at the other two with a small, relieved smile, saying something that Kasane was too far away to hear. Naomi and Damocles smiled to each other, before congratulating the young girl, Damocles petting her head while doing so, causing her to close her eyes and lean into his hand slightly.

Watching him interact with the two, Kasane resolved herself. If he was going to show his true colours, she would have seen signs of it by now. Instead, he had done nothing to justify her suspicions. As she nodded to herself, deciding on apologising to him. As soon as she decided on that, it was if a weight that was on her shoulders was suddenly lifted, making her feel lighter than she had in a while.

After Damocles had finished with his lessons to Shiro and Naomi, he walked over to her, smiling that polite smile of his, "Well Kasane, I think it's time to try something a bit different for you. You've got the hang of your Speed and the way your knives work, any kinks can be ironed out with practice. So today we are going to do something new!"

She nodded, responding, "Before that, I wanted to speak to you."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

She bowed slightly, obviously surprising the younger boy, "I wished to apologise for my actions towards you. I was angered by your deceit, but I have been treating you unfairly for far longer than I should have."

She was telling the truth, too. After researching on this worlds version of the BrainNet, she had come to the conclusion that Damocles must have been truly desperate for allies like her and Naomi. His position was even worse than hers was after she was framed for the murder of the Prime Minister, even if her suspicions of his current relationship with the New Satans was incorrect.

The boy blinked , telling her, "Thank you Kasane. I never thought you were being unfair, my actions were not ones that fostered trust. Thank you for deciding to look past that."

He then smiled at her, one of his true, happy smiles. Kasane felt a warmth fill her and relief at being forgiven welling up. Frowning, she controlled her reactions, idly wondering what it was about this boy that got her to react as strongly as she did.

Sniffing, attempting to move on from this awkwardness, she inquired, "What did you want to teach me?"

His eyes lit up in excitement, "Well Kasane, I know you're used to fighting while floating in the air, but I think it's past time you learned how to fly!"

---

Shiro sat patiently, hands in her lap. They were at a Government building, finalising her adoption into Damocles' family. She was very nervous, hoping that things went smoothly, but she prevented any of it from showing outwardly. Damocles had been very gentle with her, not forcing any behaviour on her part, but she had done her own research in his big library, as well as the Devil Net.

She was being adopted into a Noble House. It was incredibly rare, somewhat frowned upon and incredibly strange to do to a reincarnated Devil like her. When she brought it up, he merely waved it off and told her that it didn't matter and not to worry, he would take care of it. She admired his confidence, how he seemed to just not care how his actions would be viewed by others.

Still, it didn't change the fact she was nervous. Damocles had moved forward to the desk, speaking to the clerk, too far away for her to hear. Seeming to sense her gaze, his head turned towards her and he sent a warm smile her way.

She felt warmth in her belly, the same warmth that she started feeling the first time she met him. Every time Damocles smiled at her, or patted her head, or told her that she did a good job, that same warmth welled from her tummy. Unconsciously, she rubbed the tattoo on her stomach.

Remembering how he comforted her last night, promising her that he would keep her with him no matter what once again, she let out a soft breath. She decided to trust Damocles, her Nii-chan, that even if there was a problem, her would sort it out. He chose her, he wanted her to be his little sister. No matter what other people thought or did, that is what mattered to her more than anything.

As she had that thought, the warmth in her stomach became stronger, and she luxuriated in the feeling.

Yes, she decided, whatever happened, she will do her best for her Brother. The one who saved her from her loneliness.

---

Rias was worried.

The heiress had gone to the Anime convention held in Lilith, seeing it as an opportunity to bond with the youngest member of her peerage, Koneko. It had gone very well, actually, much to her surprise. The young yokai had been less interested in the various types of entertainment being showcased, being more attracted to the spread of exotic and tasty foods. Still, they had been enjoying their time together, Rias could tell.

That was before the red-head was enveloped in a merch stand for Drag So-Ball, having been so enraptured in her purchasing decisions that Koneko had wondered off without her noticing. Initially she had panicked, but then she remembered the function of the Evil Pieces that allowed the King to track any of the other members. Focusing on Koneko's piece, she had followed the direction it lead her, growing more and more concerned as she walked out of the bounds of the Convention proper, into a nearby park.

She was almost frantic, thinking that someone had abducted her cute rook or she was tricked into following them here, when she spotted a sight that made her stop in her tracks. Sitting on one of the park benches, was an older boy with white hair, with a younger white haired girl snuggling into his chest on his lap. The girl held a tray of sweets in her hands, that she occasionally reached out to another familiar white haired girl. All while the boy simply smiled and gently pet their heads.

Idly, she thought that they looked like a close family, the cuteness of the scene hitting her hard.

Shaking her head, she ran over to them, yelling, "Koneko! There you are!"

The two younger girls simply blinked at her, still nibbling on their sweets. The boy however, pulled his hand off of the head of the girl in his lap, causing her to sit up and glare at the interruption, then he waved at Rias.

"Oh, hello. Is this wayward kitten one of yours then?" He said with a cheeky smile.

"Yes!" The Gremory replied, "Koneko, why did you run off like that?"

Her Rook merely blinked at her, before taking a cookie from the spread on the tray in front of her. "Tasty." Was her monotone response.

Rias sighed. She guessed that answered that. Her focus was brought to the boy when he laughed, hand returning to the top of the other girl's head, who snuggled into his chest again as he stopped petting Koneko to indicate towards the Rook.

"Koneko came up to us while we were walking around, saying she could smell the treats I packed for my sister here. Shiro didn't want to share, but I had extra so I invited her to sit with us and have some." he grinned up at Rias, winking.

"Though maybe I should start packing more healthy things instead, like salads. Hey, Shiro? What do you think? You might get chubby!" While he said so, he poked the girl on his lap's stomach, causing her to squirm away from his finger.

Both young girls, Shiro and Koneko, looked positively mutinous at his threat.

His sister, Shiro, however, schooled her expression, looking up at her brother with big, sad eyes, softly pleading, "Please don't, Nii."

Rias was struck by the absolute adorableness the girl exhibited, a strong urge to hug her and reassure her that whatever was making her sad would not come to pass. If she dared to do something similar to her brother, she worried about how crazy he would go, gushing about how cute she was and how he would destroy anything that made her sad.

That's why she was so surprised when the older brother merely rolled his eyes and lightly flicked his sister's forehead, chiding, "Stop that, I was only kidding."

The girl leaned back, covering the spot he had flicked with her small hands, muttering a soft, "Ow..."

Koneko, hearing that he was only joking, relaxed and started nibbling softly on her treat again.

Inwardly squealing about how cute the smaller girls were, Rias decided to speak, "Thank you for taking care of Koneko, I was so worried when I couldn't find her." She stepped forward, hand extended for a handshake, "My name is Rias Gremory, of House Gremory."

He took her hand, bringing it up to his lips, "Damocles Sagan, of House Sagan." He indicated to his sister, "This is Shiro Sagan, my sister. I would bow, but..."

Retracting her hand with a slight blush, Rias waved it off, "It's fine, I understand. House Sagan... I wasn't aware that that house had been reinstated."

His smile didn't drop, despite the fact that she belatedly realised her question could have been interpreted as quite rude. He shrugged, "It's a relatively new thing. It will be announced at my Reveal soon. Unfortunately, being only a Baron, I don't know if I'll see a Duke's daughter at the ball."

The redhead frantically searched her memories for any planned Reveals she knew of, but could not recall any happening soon. That was not actually uncommon, as her family frequently did not inform her of the functions she had to attend until quite close to the event. Supposedly, it helped them teach her what she needed to know about the attendees if all the new information was condensed into a short time before she needed to use it.

She smiled awkwardly, "I don't know if I am scheduled to attend, my apologies."

He did not seem that bothered, "I hope you do, I will look for you during the festivities. Now that the boring polite, stuffy things are out of the way, would you like a brownie?"

She looked down, remembering the tray that Shiro was holding, seeing what looked like some truly delicious looking baked goods. The white haired girl herself was not pleased with his offer, tightening her grip on the tray and moving it away from Rias and closer to Koneko and herself.

Damocles bopped Shiro's head lightly with a finger, "None of that. Share."

Pouting, Shiro extended her arms, bringing the tray into reach of Rias. The Gremory herself wanted to refuse the offer, warnings of taking food from strangers running through her head, but the smell combined with her own hunger weakened her resolve. On top of that, Koneko and his own sister had been eating them for what looking like quite a while, with seemingly no negative effects.

Letting her stomach win, she took a brownie from the offered tray, taking bite before she could change her mind. Her eyes widened at the warm, gooey chocolate flavour, the treat being better than some of the treats her family's chefs had made for her.

"Where did you buy these? They are amazing!" her eyes sparkled as she asked, only repetitive manner training keeping her from asking that with her mouth full.

Damocles laughed, "From my kitchen. I made them myself."

Rias felt her eyes grow wide, "You cook for yourself?"

He merely raised his brow at her in confusion, causing her to duck her head in embarrassment. She was never allowed to cook in the Gremory kitchen, the staff always shooing her away when she entered.

She was brought out of it by Shiro, saying in that monotone voice of hers, "Nii's cooking is the best." She nodded after her statement, as if cementing it as a fundamental law, like gravity.

Damocles smiled down at her, "Thank you Shiro, I'm always glad to see you enjoy my cooking." He gently pet her head as he said that, causing Koneko to pout at him, making him roll his eyes as he reached out and started petting her too.

Rias was struck with a strange sense of jealousy.

He stopped after only a moment however, before sighing and snapping his fingers, causing the tray to disappear. Both of the younger girls had negative reaction to that, but he merely rolled his eyes.

"Come on you two, there's a convention going on that you came to have fun at. We can't just laze around and eat the whole time." His voice was chiding, but both of them reluctantly agreed and started to get off the bench.

He stood, stretching slightly, before bowing in the direction of Rias, "My Lady. Part of the reason why we took this break is that my poor sister and I were overwhelmed by the displays on offer, not being versed in the understanding of the fictions portrayed. Would you deign to be our guide?"

Playing it up, he pompously extended his arm towards her, exaggerating the movement. Rias hid a laugh behind her hand, before curtsying toward the older boy, "Of course, My Lord. Please allow me to explain the various wonders on offer."

She stuck her nose up in the air snootily and took the proffered arm, acting like some of the stuck up nobles she had seen talking to her parents at balls. The two children looked at each other, their blue eyes meeting, before both them broke into laughter.

Once they recovered, they agreed to go back to the convention and see the displays they hadn't visited yet together, Rias happily explaining everything about the various Anime and Manga represented to the interested brother and sister. Of course, Rias was sure to keep a strong grip on Koneko's hand this time, to prevent the curious kitten from wondering off again.

Chapter 10: Multiple Annoyances

Multiple Annoyances

Rias let out a tired sigh as she flopped back into her bed. Despite her weariness, she still felt a residual happiness. She had just arrived home from an anime convention in Lilith, where she had gone with her precious Rook, Koneko. While there she met a really nice boy.

She raised her arm over herself, looking at the silver bracelet he had bought her, smiling to herself. She had spent a lot of time with Damocles and Shiro, going to all the stalls and having a blast explaining everything to them. The rest of her peerage and all her other friends indulged her, but she could tell that they were not truly interested.

Shiro however, was super interested. The small girl did not speak often, but when she did it was to ask relevant questions based on Rias had told her. The rest of the time, she just kept her intense, clever eyes on Rias, listening carefully as the red head spoke about her favourite shows and franchises. Her older brother was not as interested as the younger girl, but he still gave her explanations plenty of attention.

When she first saw him with Koneko, she was worried that he had nefarious plans for the small girl. Trying to kidnap her or something similar. Those worries seemed a bit silly now, seeing how affectionate and kind he was to his own sister. Shiro was absolutely adorable, almost a mirror to Koneko and she very clearly loved her older brother.

Seeing how the two interacted, Rias was struck with the stark difference between how Damocles treated Shiro and how her own brother treated her. He teased her, but only very gently, leaving both of them with smiles. He didn't gush over her cuteness or loudly draw attention to her, just quietly gave her physical affection and small smiles when she looked at him.

It left Rias feeling very strange. As bad as if made her feel, she couldn't help but feel like she preferred the way Damocles treated Shiro. She loved her big brother, but he seemed to make it his mission in life to embarrass her, especially in public. Seeing Shiro enjoying a calm day out with her brother, Rias couldn't help but find herself jealous of the smaller girl.

Another thing that struck her about the day was how quickly Koneko warmed up to the siblings. She was still very withdrawn and closed off, only speaking a few words at a time and being extremely slow to trust strangers. The fact that she let Damocles pet her head was amazing, she still didn't allow Akeno to do that!

Towards the end of the afternoon, the Convention was winding down and Damocles had suggested getting them all souvenirs. The two groups had split up to buy each other gifts, and when they had returned showed their choices to each other.

Damocles had bought her a tasteful silver bracelet worn by a character from one of the shows she had told him about and Koneko a charm showing a stylized kitten. She had bought both of the siblings a necklace with the symbol for the main character of Drag So-Ball. She was surprised when instead of putting it away and thanking her, they instead put it on right then and there, apparently not at all embarrassed to show off such a nerdy item.

Still smiling at the memories, she was interrupted by a knock at her door. "Young Lady, dinner will soon be served."

She called out a thank you to the maid at her door, before sighing and freshening up for her family dinner. Today was a special occasion, her brother had been able to get away from work and wanted to eat with the family. So, she would be taking her dinner in the Main Dining Hall and not her personal one where she usually ate with her Peerage.

She donned a tasteful ballgown, silently hit by the frequent pang of disappointment that her father had decreed she was no longer allowed to wear a Kimono to dinner. Silly old man, stuck in his ways. He didn't understand what real culture was these days! Sighing at the injustice of it all, she started moving towards the Main Dining Hall.

As she entered, she was hit with the loud sound of her older brother shouting "RIA-TAN!" As he he moved around the room and scooped her up into a crushing hug.

Unbidden, she suddenly recollected the way the boy she met earlier showed affection to his little sister. She was hit with a longing for a gentle smile and a reassuring pat on the head, rather than this... enthusiasm.

"Good to see you... Nii-san..." She choked out, still encompassed in her older siblings embrace.

"I wish you kids would stop speaking that damned language." Muttered her father, an exasperated look on his face, "Honestly, it just sounds silly."

Her mother lightly chided hem, "Come now Zeo, let the kids have their thing. Remember how I learned Norman for you?"

The Head of the Gremory household rolled his eyes, but it was undercut by his fond smile. "Okay kids, break it up. Give your sister some time to breath, Sirzechs."

Her brother released her with a boisterous laugh, ruffling her hair, "Sorry about that Ria-tan. I haven't seen you in so long, I got a bit excited."

"It's fine Nii-san." She got out after catching her breath, "I'm happy to see you too."

Her brother yelled, "You're so cute Ria-tan! I'm so glad I'm your brother!"

Rolling her eyes, she moved to sit down at the table, waiting for her parents to sit first as she was taught in her etiquette classes. Sirzechs pouted at the cold shoulder, but sat down next to after their parents were seated, seeming to perk up once again.

"So Ria-tan, how was the Anime Convention?"

Her irritation stood no chance against her excitement to to talk about her favourite subject, the still warm memories of the day driving her rapid speech, "It was great! They had a stand for..."

She started explaining all the sights and experiences at the convention, her parents not understanding a single word, but happy to see that she enjoyed herself. Sirzechs listened intently, not seeing the appeal in the things she enjoyed but knowing that she loved them.

Her excited rendition of the various stalls and booths at the convention was interrupted by the servants bringing in the meal that had been prepared.

As the dishes were placed down and the Noble Devils started to dig in, Venenala asked her daughter in a teasing tone, "What was this I heard about you spending a lot of the time with a boy? The people watching you couldn't stop talking about how adorable Koneko and his sister were together."

Rias responded after swallowing, "Oh, you mean Damocles?"

Sirzechs choked.

Zeoticus mused, "The Sagan boy? I've heard a bit about him. He officially adopted a Reincarnated Devil into his Family, did you know that?"

Rias nodded happily, "He told me! That's so cool, I could tell Shiro was super thankful for it too, she really likes him a lot! By the way, I wanted to ask; Damocles said his Reveal was soon, am I scheduled to attend?"

"Yes." Her father nodded, "He might only be a Baron now, but if I know the blood of Remora, there's no way he will stay at that rank. Befriending him when he's weak will only make it pay off more when he's strong."

Rolling her eyes, Venelana interjected, "More importantly, it seems you became friends. Not showing up would..."

She was cut off by Sirzechs who recovered from his shock, "RIAS! How did you two meet, did he approach you? Did he do anything weird?"

She blinked, surprised, "No, he didn't do anything. Koneko found him first, she wanted some of his sweets. Nii, what's wrong?"

"Yes, dear." Her mother said with a falsely sweet smile, "What's the matter? He adopted a Reincarnated Devil. He should have no reason to oppose us Reformists, right?" The last word was painfully sharp.

The matriarch narrowed her eyes at her son, who was now squirming and looking a bit shifty. "Rias." Venelana addressed her, "You should go finish your dinner with your peerage. Your brother and us have some boring adult things to discuss."

Desperately wanting to eavesdrop on the conversation, but still feeling the phantom sting on her bottom from the last time she attempted that, Rias took the dismissal for what it was. As she walked out of the dining hall into the Gremory Manor, she heard one last thing before a silencing ward was activated.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"It was Serafall! I just..."

She was worried now. What had her big brother done to her new friend?

---

I hummed as I twirled the spoon in my hands, waiting for the timer to finish on the oven. I had a study session planned with my peerage, which meant I had to prepare snacks to keep them placated. As I did, I allowed the satisfaction of a well laid plan coming to fruition to fill me. With one heiress down, the next would have to wait until my Reveal.

Still, Fairy Feast is some broken shit. How the hell did I manage to make baked treats taste good when they contained catnip? What the hell. Still, I was thankful that I could accomplish that, as it meant my bait worked exactly as I planned. Without it, I would have had to be significantly more obvious with my approach.

Speaking of, Shiro deserves a reward for playing her part so well. I should ask her if she wants anything...

My train of thought was interrupted when Naomi walked into the kitchen, "Damocles? Serafall is here to see you."

Fucking hell, what now?

---

Despite being the one sitting behind the stately desk, the person who held the power in this meeting was obvious. It was not me.

That rankled.

"You are growing up quite fast." Serafall observed, sipping the tea that Naomi had prepared. "It's good to see you are healthy."

"Thank you." I replied, "Putting my house in order has been quite the experience."

She nodded, "It is very sad to see that you feel like you have to grow so fast. A word of advice, us Devils can force ourselves to mature faster, but we are only young once. You should enjoy your youth more, you don't have to rush."

I bit my lip, trying not to reply to the very reason I had to move so fast lately. It's true, I was attempting to jump-start my puberty and grow up faster, but it was more a comfort thing than anything else. I had no idea how she even noticed, there had been no obvious progress yet.

Being in a child's body was still weird.

"Still, that's not why I'm here. I'm her to help you with putting your house in order."

"Oh, how so?" I raised an eyebrow.

"When your reveal happens, you will need to have a Queen by your side. Usually this isn't expected for young Devils, but you are older than usual, so not having one would be seen as a sign of weakness."

I could see where this was going. "I take it you have a suggestion for me?"

She smiled, before reaching into her cleavage and pulling out an entire folder.

Of course she would use a storage spell there. Why would I expect any different?

She slid the folder over to me, speaking as I opened it and took in the first page, "I have taken the liberty to ask some of my scribes to put this together for you. Every one in that folder has the pedigree and courtly training to not reflect badly on you at your reveal."

I scrolled through the the pages, noting idly that the pictures displayed in the profiles shared some common features. Did they think that 'young, white-haired and serious' was my type or something?

"Give that a read through, if you find any candidates that catch your eye let me know and I will set up an interview with them, see if you click." Serafall continued, "We have time, so there is no rush but..."

I interrupted her. Honestly, I had grown tired of these games the Satans played with me. My patience was wearing rather thin with them. The constant buzz of the spy wards against Information Defence was grating, their presumption and grave overstep of their authority when it came to matters internal to my house was just icing on a particularly foul cake.

"I thank you for your efforts on my behalf, Lady Leviathan." I opened the folder flat, turning it around so that she can see the page I had stopped on, Seras Invicta, a member of a vassal house to the Sitri.

"However, showing too strong a tie to the House of Sitri would send the wrong message, making it seem as if we are in talks for an alliance, would it not? Yet, Lord and Lady Sitri have not shared any correspondence with me ever since I signed the contract, as we agreed."

I leant over the folder, fixing her with a severe gaze, "The House of Sitri is ancient, Lady Leviathan. However, you forget. The House of Sagan is just as old. We might have lost most of our power, our vassals and our retainers, but there are debts owed to this House. Old agreements, still valid."

I stood, adding some height between us, but still being annoyingly shorter than I was used to, "I am already in talks with someone to become my Queen. Should they fall through, I would be more than happy to coordinate with you to secure another candidate. But, as you said, we have time. I would like to see where my current talks lead me."

Serafall looked at me, deciphering the hidden meanings behind my speech, obviously realising she may have pushed too far too soon. She now had two options, as I saw it. Either she backed off now and kept the possibility for further 'friendly' advice open, or she doubled down and forced me to accept one of her Manchurian Candidates.

Of course, she could just kill me. But that would be a gamble with my unknown relationship to Zekram and the fact that I had recently met Rias. I don't know if she was aware of that meeting, but the more High Nobles that had personally met me the harder it became to make me 'go on a long vacation.' Especially with my Reveal already being planned and guests already invited.

In the end, it was likely me youth that convinced her to pick the second option, my lack of experience meaning that I would most probably botch the 'talks' I was in, especially if it was with people old enough to owe debts to the Sagan.

"Very well, I see I won't change you mind." She stood up, grabbing the folder and making it once again disappear into her cleavage, "However, it would be wise to accept aid when it is offered. Just something to keep in mind."

With that warning, our meeting was at an end.

---

Kasane had always enjoyed reading.

Getting the time to sit down and get involved in a book had become rarer and rarer as she grew older, but she cherished those brief moments of studious relaxation.

The Sagan manor had all sorts of non-fiction books, detailing the history of this world and the race she was now a part of, this on top of the fact that she frequently was granted time off for personal pursuits was something she had come to highly appreciate.

It was difficult to get out of the mindset of constant conflict and danger, but moments like this where she was allowed to just sit in one of the comfortable, stately chairs and just disappear into a book was when it was easiest to relax.

Her focus on the account of the Heavenly War was broken when she sensed someone else enter the Library. Expecting her sister, she was instead surprised to see that is was little Shiro. She was rather fond of the girl, her cute appearance and quiet attitude making her truly difficult to dislike.

The younger girl paused upon seeing her, but then continued on and picked up a book on the visualization of elemental magic. Seeing her settle into one of the other chairs, Kasane returned to her own tome.

She was once again broken out of her concentration by a small huff. Shiro had closed her book and looked rather restless, agitated in a way that was unusual for the child.

Still, having seen how she usually enjoyed her books, Kasane knew what the issue was, "Damocles not here?"

Shiro's gaze snapped over to her, before the small girl nodded. "Meeting." Was her terse reply.

Kasane nodded, understanding how annoying it could be when something that was scheduled was suddenly cancelled or changed. Perhaps that is what prompted her to lightly pat the chair she was sitting on as she moved over to the side.

Shiro's eyes widened, before returning as she slightly tiled her head in query.

Kasane nodded, having done the action, so she would commit.

Shiro hesitated for a bit, but picked up her book and came over to sit next to Kasane, curling up to her side out of habit before stiffening, freezing as if she had done something wrong. Kasane didn't react, merely turning back to her book. Shiro sighed and relaxed slightly, opening up her own as the tension slowly bled out of her.

As the time passed, Kasane found that reading with a warm body snuggled up to her like this was surprisingly comfortable.

'I can see why Damocles likes this so much.' An absent thought crossed her mind, before she was once again engrossed by the text.

Chapter 11: Up to Code

Up to Code

Shiro sat in the hotel room, resting against her Nii-san. On her lap was a book that was frightfully advanced for the little girl, detailing the physics and behaviour of electricity. Her Nii-san had tried to get her to test other forms of elemental magic, instead of just copying the one he was the best at, but something about Lightning just seemed to click with her, in a way the others didn't. She found it the easiest by far to visualize.

He held his hand in front of her face, so that she could see the effect he was trying to explain to her, his index finger and thumb extended to make a 'C' shape, "You see, when I start up a current, even from Magic, it starts jumping erratically and moving all over the place."

As he said, lighting jumped from his thumb and connected to his finger, creating an arc of electricity. The yellow band of energy moved back and forth, occasionally breaking the connection before latching on again, much like a Tesla coil.

Her brother continued, "But the thing is, this is magical lightning, not normal lightning, so I can stop it moving and direct it to go in a purely straight line."

The band of energy evened out, steadily reducing it's crackling before it was contained in a pure cylinder of energy. She was always surprised at how well her brother explained things to her, often times being even better at than the books she liked to read. She was smarter than him, he had told her, but she still thought the way he could translate anything to make sense to her was amazing all on it's own, and something she would struggle to do.

He finished his explanation, "This is not efficient, however. This looks more impressive, when it's contained like this, but it takes a lot more energy to keep this going and is slower then letting the Lightning do what it wants to do naturally. That's what the book meant, letting your element do what is should do naturally, guiding it instead of controlling it, means you can do a lot more with less energy."

She had no idea how he got that from, 'Listen to the very soul of your craft, for seeking to change it's nature would be grave folly', but she could easily understand what he meant. She nodded, making her feel his smile from behind her as he let go of the spell and started stroking her hair, sighing as he relaxed.

He's been doing that a lot, lately, she noticed. Sinking into the things he rested on, visibly relaxing from tension she hadn't noticed before, sighing often. She didn't know what this all meant, all she knew was that it was different from how he usually acted, but becoming more and more common.

She was worried for him. She didn't know what was bothering him so much, but she didn't like it. Shuffling, she moved the book off her lap on to the bed, and turned around to give her brother a hug. He seemed surprised, before he returned her affection by wrapping his arms tightly around her, one of his hands gently rubbing her back.

"What's this?" He asked, his voice rumbling in his chest next to her ear, "This is rather sudden."

She could hear the slight smile in his voice, but she just hugged him even tighter, "You sighed again, Nii-san. I don't like it."

His hand on her back paused, before continuing, "I guess I did. I've been doing that a lot lately, haven't I Shiro? I'm sorry I've been worrying you so much."

She shook her head, not wanting him to be bothered by her, but he continued, "It will be better after today. The thing with Serafall and the others made me move faster than I wanted to, I don't know if I'm ready."

Shiro noted down the name she heard, Serafall. She knew who she was of course, from the history books, but it seemed she had been causing trouble for her Brother that she didn't know about. She should try to find out what was going on with that.

Before that however, she needed to reassure Nii, "I know you are going to find a Queen. Are you worried about who you're trying to recruit? Are they dangerous?"

He disagreed, "Dangerous? No, not at all. At least not to me. But she can be... difficult to deal with."

Shiro did not see the same problem he did, "If she doesn't want to come with you, then she's an idiot."

He laughed, a slight note of disbelief in his voice. She did not see what was so funny, but she noticed as his laughter stopped he was a lot more relaxed under her. She smiled slightly at that, luxurating in the warm feeling making her brother happy made her feel, before frowning.

'She'? Her Nii-chan sure was getting a lot of pretty girls to surround him, wasn't he?

She didn't know why that made her feel angry.

The girl was broken out of her thoughts by her Nii-san running the fingers of his other hand through her hair, before gently massaging her scalp, making her close her eyes in contentment.

"Thank you, Shiro." He told her, "Your Brother was just being silly."

She nodded into his chest, agreeing with him, before letting the comforting warmth of her brother fill her as she relaxed with him.

She wanted to keep this warmth filling her stomach there for as long as she could.

---

"I know you are busy with important duties, but a full month?" Amaterasu was greeted by such an impolite remark just as she entered a meeting room in Takamagahara, the home of the Kami.

Waiting for Her, the being that felt comfortable enough to be that rude to the Queen of Heaven, was a shapely Kitsune, eschewing the use of the tatami mats to instead rest on Her voluminous tails. The sheer fluff of the things ensured that it was certainly to be a very comfortable place to rest.


She was Inari, the fox Goddess of Rice and Fertility. Amaterasu was a higher ranked deity than Her in their mythologies, but such conceptual weight only went so far. With a full third of the Shrines, festivals and worship of Japan directed towards the Fox Goddess, it would soon be the case that She was the most powerful member of their pantheon.

Of course, for Gods, 'soon' could mean decades or even centuries.

"Is that really how you should speak to your Queen?" She knew it was a futile rebuke, but Her pride demanded it of Her anyway, "Besides, it was not just my schedule that needed to be cleared."

Omaikane, the God of Wisdom, walked in from behind Her. She had requested His presence for this meeting, His wise consideration and advice was usually worth hearing on matters such as these.

She sat properly on a mat, Her posture immaculate and without reproach, a subtle message to the Goddess across from Her, "Let us begin. You said the Devils wish to trade with the Japanese again? I have heard as much from Yasaka, but you were approached personally by one?"

"No." The other Goddess disagreed, "This Devil was very adamant that this was an offer from him, alone, not from the Devils as a whole."

The Fox then explained Her meeting with the strange Devil, going through his propositions about opening up trade with the underworld again. When She was done, there was a brief spell of silence as each Deity thought over what had been revealed.

"Personally," Inari broke that silence, "I say we accept. So long as we can ensure he is not deceiving us, even if it causes strife with us and the Devils as a whole, it does not change their tenuous position in the Abrahamic pantheon, we could just cut our losses and isolate again."

Amerterasu nodded thoughtfully, "Even if it breaks down quickly, so long as we limit it to only the trade resources, we only stand to benefit. Especially if Agaresite is one of the possible items to trade."

Inari looked contemplative at that, "Yes, that would be better than the Jade we are currently using... Still, we should be careful."

At that, the two Goddesses looked to Omaikane, who was thoughtfully tapping His chin with a closed fan, looking off in to the distance, considering the problem. The Goddesses waited, having already come to a coclusion, but knowing the value of the God's advice.

Eventually, the Knowledge God's hand stopped, holding the fan against His face as He spoke, "The Sagan were on the losing side of the Devil Civil War... That means that there is potentially some friction between the Devil Government and this Young Devil you met. The fact that he approached you, outside of the official channels, offering a personal deal, not one backed by the Leviathan, supports this."

He tilted His head, "That could, of course, be a ploy. A way to get us to go back to our previous agreement with the Devils via incremental stages. I find this unlikely however. Our sources in the Underworld report that he is only a Baron. Or will be. The Leviathan would not allow such a low-ranking Noble to receive that level of honour or success, where she failed."

He continued, "Given that is the case, we could instruct Yasaka to argue aggressively, should we accept. He reached out to us to build an independent power-base, seeking to turn us into his allies, or perhaps a safe haven should Underworld politics turn against him. That means that he would be negotiating from a much weaker position. This might have downsides, however."

The two listening to Him let Him explain, used to this behaviour from the God. He enjoyed explaining the thoughts that led to His final conclusion, usually ending with every party having a clearer picture of the situation.

"The major risks I see are us being forced to involve ourselve to an internal squabble with another faction, but so long as we give no promises or guarantees of support, that should not be too great a problem. On top of that, if we accept his proposal, we snub the Leviathan, which could close some opportunities to us in the future, as well as strain our relations with the Devils as a whole..."

He considered the problem, dissecting it from all angles, before He reached His conclusion, "I agree with you both. We stand to benefit immensely in the short term, especially if he can supply Agaresite. Additionally, this will allow us to manipulate Devil politics to our advantage."

Amerterasu saw where He was going with this, "Sagan is an old name. A powerful name. He will not stay a Baron forever, especially if it comes out that we are supplying him with the reagents and no one else."

Inari finished the thought, "And once he is a higher rank, we would have a debt of gratitude to pull on within the Devil power structures, should we need it."

Ameterasu considered that, "I'm not sure I am comfortable relying on a Devil's sense of gratitude."

Omaikane shrugged elegantly, "That is but a theoretical, future advantage that might not come to pass. In the immediate, the risks to us are comparatively low, compared the the potential benefits. Yasaka and the Yokai do need extra resources to expand. More worshippers can only aid us. Aggressive bargaining now will reduce the likelihood of us being able to leverage his behaviour later, but could net us greater short term gains. It will have to be carefully considered."

The Sun Goddess nodded, glad they could reach a quick conclusion, "Good, I am glad that we can agree. I will contact Yasaka to set up a meeting. I will have to think on how to approach this."

She stood, dismissing the other two Deities after some time spent discussing other matters they wished to use the meeting to bring to her attention. Standing up and stretching, she let her dignified air drop after ensuring she was alone.

Bolting through her abode, she frantically picked up a remote, aiming it at the excessively large TV taking up one of the walls of the room. Settling in to her favourite sofa, snuggling up into the blankets that were still warm from earlier, she pressed the play button and sighed contently as the colourful images filled the device.

Finally, back to more important matters. She needed to know who Uesugi-kun picked!

---

My Magic was strange, I noticed. Every Devil's Magic was unique in some way, but I felt that mine was particularly odd. I only confirmed my suspicious after teaching Magic to Shiro, who served as the 3rd incident to confirm the pattern. Usually, when spells were cast, they were the colour of the Devil's own Magic. My magical power was sky blue, Shiro's was a rose red, Naomi was sapphire and Kasane was violet. No matter what spells they cast, the energy always appeared in that colour.

Not so for me, however. Instead, something about my Magic made the colour of the spell always correspond to the element I was casting, or type of spell I was using. Yellow for lighting, Blue for water and Ice, Red for fire and so on.

I don't know if it was just because decades of games and entertainment had taught me that those were the colours they were meant to be, or what. It confused me and I was unable to find anything to explain it within the Sagan library.

Even more odd, was that there was a type of Magic I could use that had two colours.

A sword in a sheath, parting the water, ripples on the surface.

My perfected mental image of the spell worked, just as it had when I finally constructed it, sending a pitch black blade of magic trailed by deep purple lines of energy into the building in front of me. It parted the concrete, penetrating into the room beyond, before the wall rippled, bending and breaking under the intense gravitational forces it was subjected to, while screams could be heard from inside.

Stepping through the hole in the outer wall, I was greeted by the sight of what happened to the people beyond it. I paused, looking at the chunky, squashed remains of what used to be human beings, smeared across the room like paste. Some of them were still alive, missing extremities or cradling crushed limbs, staring at me in wide eyed terror.

I expected to feel revulsion, disgust maybe. Horror at taking life, especially in such a brutal fashion. Instead, I looked upon the scene with a sense of detached apathy. It was either Stress Defence passively protecting me, or something to do with my new Devil physiology, but either way, the result was the same.

I walked passed the survivors, anyone who got away relatively unscathed by my opening salvo seeming to have retreated through the door that was just beginning to close on the other side of the room. Reaching that door, I was unsurprised to see it locked.

'Oh well', I thought, swinging my arms as another blade-shaped anomaly shot forth, 'Nothing overwhelming force can't handle.'

Stalking through the facility, I was glad that I had fried the systems for the alarms from outside the building. The room I had to go to was at the very centre of the complex, meaning having to fight an alerted force every step of the way would be tedious.

As it was, however, I only met a few scattered guards, blasting them off their feet with lighting before they could aim at me. I stopped by one of them, to pick up his rifle, before continuing on my way while inspecting it with one eye.

Hmm, the rifle technology of this world was surprisingly similar to what I was used to. The calibre was certainly different, but aside from that it operated in much the same way mechanically as the firearms I was used to.

Made sense it wasn't some form of rail-gun, I suppose. Sakuradite was supposed to be rare, after all.

Eventually I made it to the room just before my target, which to my annoyance was filled with guards. It seemed that someone had managed to raise the alarm after all.

One of them, clearly in charge by the pompous way he carried himself and the shiny pips on his shoulder, started speaking to me, "Whoever you are, Know that this is a secure facility! The Prince Clovis shal..."

I emptied the entire magazine into him, watching as he wheeled back in surprise. The other guards all shot back, but a pale shield just above my skin protected me from harm. Surprisingly, even with thirty different bullet impacts, the man's armour held up well, only the last few being able to punch past the buckled and warped plating.

Holy cow, these guys were equipped with the good shit.

Having satisfied my curiosity, I sliced my hand through the air, reducing the panicking contingent of about two-dozen armed soldiers into a chunky mass.

That having been dealt with, I turned my attention to the person who was watching this all take place placidly behind a glass pane, held up by her restraints in an 'X' fashion, wearing her iconic straight jacket.

I knew it was coming, however it still struck me actually being here.

Trim form, painfully long legs leading to a pert arse, insightful golden eyes on a beautiful face and her most defining feature, the long, swaying tresses of verdant green hair.

I was finally in front of my target of this escapade.

The Witch of Britannia, CC.

Chapter 12: Deals and Devils

Deals and Devils

She watched, as the most recent of her hunters used either some esoteric technology or an exceptionally powerful Geass to kill the guards in front of the experimentation chamber. She knew what the young boy was here for. She was the only thing of value in this place, after all.

She watched as the child moved in front of her cell. He examined the safety glass in front of him, before gently laying his palm a top it. The palm flexed, and the 'secure' glass shattered.

Sonic technology? Some form of matter manipulation Geass? She didn't know.

The boy walked approached her, bowing to her as if she was a Noble, saying, "Lady CC. It is an honour to meet you. Do I have permission to free you from your bonds?"

She rolled her eyes at his overly dramatic presentation, waiting for him to get a move on.

Thankfully he started with the buckle that was preventing her from speaking, allowing to her ask, "So what is this supposed to be? A rescue? Or another kidnapping?"

He smiled roguishly, "I would personally prefer if this turned into an elopement."

That was amusing. "You are a bold one. Think you can back up those words, child?"

He finished freeing her arms, allowing her to rub them to get the circulation back, ignoring the pain with long practice, "I don't know, actually. I hope that my offer is enticing enough, but I guess we will find out."

She waited as he freed her legs, allowing her to stretch them out. She noticed his gaze lingering on them, with more appreciation than she would expect from someone his age. Satisfied that her mobility was restored, she lashed out before he could react, clamping her hand around his forearm with crushing force, flaring her Code to incapacitate him.

Only to be met with a raised brow, and a satisfied smirk. "Oh my..." His voice was dripping with sarcasm, "Jumping me on the first date? How bold."

"Wha..." Her question was interrupted as the world turned purple, a sense of movement ending as they were suddenly in another location, a nondescript hotel room.

That wasn't a Geass.

She immediately let go of his arm, moving to put some distance between them, asking as she did so, "What are you?"

The boy tilted his head, and suddenly on his back were thin bat-like wings, "Is it not obvious, seeing as you are a Witch? I am a Devil."

She scoffed, "Are you really claiming to be the Devil? I highly doubt that."

"No," He disagreed, "Not the Devil, only a Devil. You obviously know about the Ars Goetia? That kind of Devil."

Her mind was racing. The best possibility here was that the boy was either lying or delusional. In the worst case, he was actually telling the truth. If that is what was happening, then she was dealing with something she had never encountered before. True, she couldn't die, but there were worse things than death.

He thoughts were interrupted by the other being, "Tell me, how are you enjoying your time on this world? Are there enough mysteries to keep you entertained?"

She arched an eyebrow, wondering what he was playing at, "What are you talking about, fool?"

He sat down, blue eyes locked onto her with an intense scrutiny, "Us Devils are a long lived race. We know what long periods of isolation and boredom can do. Are you enjoying your life?"

She resisted the urge to tut in annoyance. He knew a surprising, and irritating, amount about her, this 'Devil', "Oh, interested in me are you? I have an idea of what you could be after. Why don't you dispense with the vapid, flowery speeches and just state what you want."

He nodded, "Very well then. I want you to come back with me to my world and rule by my side as my Queen."

That threw her. She expected him to be after the ability to use Geass, not whatever that was. She opened her mouth to reply, but was brought up short as he flexed his hand and was suddenly holding a white chess piece. A Queen, to be exact.

"Without context, I can understand how that can be confusing. Let me explain..."

And so he did.

---

"I refuse." When Damocles was finished explaining to her his offer, that was the first thing out of her mouth.

Their positions had changed in the elapsed time, Damocles still seated in the chair, but her reclining on the hotel bed, eating room ordered pizza.

As she lazily bit into and relished the next slice, she also relished the expression on the Devil's face. It seemed such a flat refusal was not something that he had planned for.

"I see." His pinched expression was highly amusing, "May I ask why? Is there something I can do to change your mind?"

She chewed, slowing down as she knew he was waiting for her response. His patient expression was almost convincing, but the tightness of his shoulders betrayed him. She stopped chewing, holding the cheesy goodness in her mouth, only to smile as he released a slight, irritated sigh.

Her amusement obtained, she finished her mouthful and replied, "Although the magic and a whole new world does sound interesting, I was a slave before." She noted his response, "As you somehow know. Apparently. I don't trust you to not abuse the power these "Pieces" of yours grant you. I might be bored, but at least I'm free."

"I wouldn't call this freedom." Was his response, to which she shrugged, uncaring for his opinion.

He had already proven that he wanted her acceptance, she knew his type. He would view it as more of a hassle to force her into his service, which she could admit was smart of him. On top of that, the political situation he described meant if he left her even a slight loophole she could ruin him so quickly he wouldn't even have time to blink, which she was sure he knew well.

He had a considering look on his face as he asked, "Is there any way I could convince you I was trustworthy? I know asking as much in only a day is a lot, but I am willing to try."

She rolled her eyes, not surprised that he was being stubborn about this, "Well, seeing as you can block my Code from reading you, I'm not sure what else you could..."

"And if I didn't?" His interruption surprised her.

"Really? You would let me see into your mind? You didn't seem the type at all." Had she perhaps misjudged him?

He shifted, "Honestly, I'm not comfortable with it. However, I have nothing to lose. Either I can convince you of my sincerity, or I can't. It's not like you can tell anyone that can do anything about what you see."

She leaned forwards, intrigued, "That's surprising. Why is this so important to you?"

He made to answer, but she interrupted him by reaching across and grabbing his forearm, "Don't bother answering, I'll find out for myself."

The connection started, then met the same wall that stopped it last time, the boy apparently defending against it by accident. She raised an eyebrow at him challengingly, to which he sighed and rolled his eyes. Suddenly, the connection snapped into place and she was within his psyche.

Contrary to what some believed, the Code did not allow one to read someone's mind like a book. Instead, it let one share and view experiences and memories. It being something that delved into the realm of consciousness meant that it was also incredibly difficult to control. Her proficiency using this aspect of her curse only came to her due to long experience.

She guided her awareness, focusing on finding the reason he wanted her, specifically, for his 'Peerage'. She delved into his memories, experiencing his way of 'Planeswalking' as he called it, how he meditated to find the universe they were now in. She delved into him picking the alternate reality that housed her, and felt a rush of amusement as she found out how he decided on her, instead of her alternate selves.

She had this opportunity because she guarded her chastity, did she? How cute of him, to care about something like that, especially as a Devil. But, as interesting as that titbit was, it was not really what she was after.

She had not been truthful to the Devil. To be fair, he had been untruthful first. The reason she refused was not the Pieces or even that obviously sketchy tattoo he told her about, . No, the thing that was stopping her was the fact that he had lied to her about how he had decided to recruit her.

It was possible, she supposed, that he could really have found her while searching through the worlds he had access too. However, the chances for that to occur in a sea of infinite realities was so incredibly small she discounted it entirely. And what she had just seen proved her right.

He did not find this world while meditating. He was already looking for it.

She tried to find the thread, the vague associations between memories, experiences and feelings. She followed it back through his consciousness, trying to determine the source of his knowledge, how he found out so much about her before even finding this world. She felt herself getting close, before suddenly her progress was halted. She was confronted by an image of Damocles, their minds connecting and interacting.

She broadcast some wry amusement, "I thought you didn't care what I found? What's this, an attempt to protect yourself?"

He radiated exasperation, "This isn't me protecting myself, it's me protecting you. The things you want to know could change how you you see yourself and this world, irrevocably. Are you sure you want to discover that truth?"

She was not impressed, "You are worried for me? You're a couple hundred years too early for that, boy. I'll be fine."

"Fine." Was his response, "Don't say I did not warn you."

Like that she was thrust into a memory, experiencing a vision of a screen as she heard herself say, "If you had the strength, you could live. This is our contract..."

She rode the wave of memory, slightly incredulous. A story, another version of her, meeting with Lelouch and becoming his accomplice, taking on the world. All of it portrayed through a TV show. However, she didn't only see the show and the sequence of events it depicted, she also felt the emotions Damocles himself felt as he watched, as well as several of his theories and opinions of the 'characters' he saw. Most of all, herself.

After she saw the ending, she sat in contemplation. She was not expecting that, having her entire world and life being something from a story. But, she reasoned, infinite universes. It was bound to happen somewhere. She decided to focus on something else while she dealt with that bombshell.

"Oh my..." She purred, looking at the white-haired boy with amusement, "I knew I looked good, but to ensnare the heart of someone in a whole different universe?" Her smile turned smug, "That sort of thing does wonder's for a woman's confidence, you know?"

He merely scoffed, "Of course that's the thing you focus on. So much for 'not trusting the pieces'."

He deflated into his seat, gazing at her with a weary look, "To explain further, seeing as you already know, I did not originally live in the reality I currently call my home. I was approached by a God, an immensely powerful being, who made a wager with me. If I can get 7 people who all share a certain trait to agree to serve me, I will get various rewards, which in turn will help me to achieve his actual challenge. Raising my family to the level of Prince in the Devil Hierarchy. I accepted and he reincarnated me into this body."

She considered that, "Gods really exist? Saying I believe that, what do you each get for this wager?"

He held up his hands to indicate himself and this powerful God, "He gets the amusement of watching me scheme my way to the top, as he turned off his precognition when it comes to my World-line. Meaning he can't see what the results of my plans are, making them a surprise. Basically, I'm resolving his boredom." She could understand that.

"I, on the other hand, should I achieve my goals, have been promised Immortality like your Code for me and those who serve me. I will probably also find a way to explore other worlds, seeing as Devil magic is incredibly versatile."

She started at that, "You want immortality?! Even knowing... Why would you..." It clicked for her suddenly, "The people you are getting to 'serve' you are all women, aren't they."

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "...Yeah."

She scoffed, "Such a typical Man."

She considered what he had told her and what she had seen from his memories of the 'show' that depicted her life. The ending was melancholy, leaving her alone once again, without either of her wishes fulfilled. Still, now that she know what type of boy Lelouch had grown into, she could better guide him, make sure that he was in a position to kill her when the time was right, finally freeing her from this torment.

In front of her right now, however, was a different opportunity. An otherworldly man, come to whisk her away on a new adventure. She would admit, the prospect was enticing. On top of that, he not only knew of her original, forgotten wish, but was willing to fulfill it, even knowing her personality. She had given it up as a foolish idea, a young girls silly hope that had crashed against the brutality of reality.

Now, it was dangled in front of her face, like a sweet forbidden fruit. She was very conflicted about that.

In the end, what decided it for her was the prospect of magic, a whole new world to explore and the promise of someone who would provide for her. She was a rather simple girl, or so she liked to think.

First though, there was something she needed to find out, "This being that reincarnated you, you said he was a God, right?"

He seemed puzzled, "Yes he is, why?"

She nodded, "Good, then maybe this will work."

To Damocles' visible confusion, she put together her hands and prayed.

---

Yasaka suppressed a frown as she saw the latest wardstone added to Kyoto's moonlit side. The large Celestial Jade chunk was covered in runes and symbols. She had just finished connecting it to the leyline of Kyoto using herself as a conduit.

The green stone glowed slightly as it channelled the natural energy of Kyoto, showing that it was ready to assist in expanding the borders of the Yokai's hidden realm. However, she could already tell, the area this Stone could maintain would not be large enough.

It was a constant problem that plagued her people, their lack of space in their hidden realm. The area was rife with Magic and Life Energy, which was amazing for the Yokai that called the realm their home, allowing them to grow much more quickly. Such a thing was a double edge sword, however.

Although they could reproduce normally, it was not the only way for Yokai to come into being. Sentimental items, discarded toys, unattended objects, all of them could become animated and eventually become a Yokai, especially in such a vibrant, Energy rich environment. This meant that even if she institute strict controls on her people's population, something she would never do, their small community would still grow naturally over time.

Thus, the need for the wardstones, to expand the boundaries of their hidden plane. Recent events have enforced the lesson, but even before then the Yokai knew the value of self-reliance. Space for homes, space for farming, space for enterprise. Every scrap of their territory had to be carefully planned for and allocated.

The Jade they were sourcing was suited to their purposes, but the energy they could channel was limited. Meaning she had to preform the ritual to create new wardstones more and more often.

As much as she hated to admit it, the Agaresite they traded for was a much better material to make the wardstones out of. Losing access to it was a blow, but it is better to deal with this inconvenience then surrender her honour.

The event between them and the Devils was an affront, a massive loss of trust and face on the part of the Devils. Yasaka had tried to be accommodating, mindful of the fact that the Devils had a Western mindset. Rather than asking for Serafall or Sirzechs to take responsibility for the events by resigning, she instead only asked for the arrest and handover of the Devils who mutilated her people.

Serafall had refused, offering significant payments, ample resources and other reimbursement, promising Yasaka that the Devils would be punished by the Devil's own justice system. It was a clear misunderstanding on behalf of the Satan. The Yokai did not care about justice, or payment. They cared about their honour, their face, and the way the situation was resolved damaged both of them.

A relationship that resulted in such a loss of face was unsustainable. So, even though it ate into to her precious, limited time, taking up moments she could have spent with her adorable daughter or leading her people, she knew better than to give into the subtle diplomatic overtures from the Underworld.

She was roused from her wandering thought by one of the charms she kept on her person warming up. She shifted from her resting position, spreading out her tails for balance as she fished it out.

'Oh...' She thought, moving to get to her feet quickly as she realised which charm this was, 'What could Lady Ameterasu want to speak to me about? It isn't time for our meeting...'

Chapter 13: Queen Bees

Queen Bees

I watched in equal parts confusion and amusement as the green haired woman lowered her hands, "So, did he answer you?"

I'll admit, I was somewhat curious, attempting to pray to Catharsis never occurring to me. To be fair, his personality made it seem like such a thing would be a waste of time.

"No." Was the flat response, "But then, that's hardly surprising."

Knowing her past as a nun, I suppose she must be used to unanswered prayers. Still, I was on a time limit. This whole situation was rushed, I had been hoping for more time before coming here. Or at least to not look so painfully young when I did so.

"Knowing him, I would have been shocked. Have you changed you mind on my offer?" I decided to move the conversation along.

Her golden eyes looked into mine, their gaze incisive. She had leaned back after her attempted prayer, and was now laying across the bed, in an obviously intentional sensual position. She had apparently decided to abuse my fondness for her character, it seemed.

"If I did," She started, "How would this work? You just put in that chess piece and it's done?"

"Usually." I responded, "But not this time."

The information she had gained from our connection via the Code confirmed some of my suspicions. The Code was absolute when it came to mental realm. I could stop it from accessing my memories with my defences, but once it had gained access there was nothing I could do but show the memories as I experienced them. I could not alter them in anyway, or lie or make up new memories to show instead.

Thankfully, it seemed what was true in the show also held true here, while the Code could access one's memories, it could not do so all at once. It could only look into a few at a time, and if memories were linked, it condensed them down. It was how Lelouch could see the entire story of CC's time with the nun and how CC could see my experience of watching the anime.

That was unlucky. Thankfully not the worst outcome, but certainly not ideal. My plan for this introduction was to be as truthful as possible, in contrast to my previous, more manipulative recruitments.

CC was old, observant, as well as very mistrustful of others. Refusing to allow her to access my mind with the Code would only make her even more suspicious. It would also prevent my secondary goal for recruiting her specifically. So, I needed to allow her to see enough of my secrets to feel like she was in a position of strength, but not enough to foil my plans. Her knowing of my childhood infatuation with her character is, while slightly embarrassing, still well within those bounds.

The worst outcome would have been her seeing the conversation with Catharsis and finding out about the way the Stamp functioned. I needed to hide the exact effects until I had more time to endear myself to her. It would be dangerous and risky, like balancing on the edge of a knife. But then, precious little in his life was not without risk recently.

I started to explain my position to Immortal Witch, "For the rest of my Peerage, simply resurrecting them with the Piece and bringing them back with their agreement was enough. But, unfortunately, you know some information that would be very inconvenient to me to be spread around."

She hummed, not replying, merely looking at me calmly as I continued, "So, I would need some kind of assurance from you."

She didn't react outwardly, but shifted herself to show off her body more alluringly, attempting using my attraction against me, "What type of assurances?"

I took the chance to drink up her form, trailing my eyes up her long, sensuous legs. My body might not be fully ready to indulge in lust, but my mind could certainly appreciate her form. I had been keeping my interest in the female form contained around everyone in DxD, fully conscious of my appearance as a child.

Now however, I would take the chance so graciously offered to me.

My roving eyes did not prevent me from responding to her, however, "As a Witch and a Code-bearer, I would have thought you would have guessed. After all, I am technically offering you employment as my Queen, why should we not draw up a Contract?"

"Geass too? You truly are a greedy man." I shrugged, not offended at the truth.

"This is a negotiation. You are more than welcome to amend any of the terms offered." I locked eyes with her, attempting to impress my seriousness onto the immortal, "I want this to be a benefit to us both. I don't want you to feel trapped, like you are now. I am offering you excitement, a new adventure, but I am taking a large risk by doing so. This way, we are bound to each other in a way you understand deeply, not just by some form of magic you have no experience with."

She didn't respond at first, merely staring at me, looking for a break in my composure or sign of deceit. Seeing none, she sighed, "Is this your plan? Recruiting me for your harem, gaining Geass and services for your political games, in return only promising to grant my wish, due to what you saw in that piece of entertainment?"

The way her voice lingered on the word wish was tinged with mockery.

She was working up to rejecting the offer, but I interjected, "No. I cannot promise to fulfil your wish."

She looked surprised by that, so I continued, "I cannot promise to love you. I liked your character, but that was a character, in a show, not you. I'm sure there are plenty of things I will discover about you, both good and bad."

"I cannot promise to fulfil your wish." I reiterated, "The only thing I can promise you is that I shall try. I swear to court you honestly, to discover all I can about you, to truly get to know you. So that when, if, I fall in love with you, or vice versa, it's because of who you are. Not some half remembered caricature. Even if I am unsuccessful, I swear I shall do my best to ensure your happiness."

I spread my arms out, demonstrating my openness and sincerity, "Give me time. Both of us are immortal, time is something we have in abundance." I looked at her, letting her see the determination in my eyes, "Give me time and I swear to you, I will make you see that life is worth living."

The last thing I expected after my gambit was for her to laugh the way she did. Laughing at my honesty would be in character, but not the way she did, with genuine mirth.

Suppressing her laughter, she looked at me with mischief in her eyes, "For one who resents his new youth, you are surely shameless about using youthful charm as a weapon, aren't you?"

She obviously picked up on my confusion at her statement, but did not deign to enlighten me on what she meant. Whatever it was, it seemed to have changed her mind, so we moved on to debating the terms of our contract.

On her side, she demanded that I did not attempt to control her as if she was my servant, provide for all her needs while she lived with me and made me promise that should her abilities become known by others in my world, I would not let her be experimented on or imprisoned for study.

On my side, I asked that she kept anything she learned from my mind to herself, she take her role as my Queen seriously when in public and that she does not intentionally sabotage me or the peerage.

In return, I repeated my oath that I would strive to grant her wish, or see that she had it granted elsewhere should I not be able to do so. A time limit was set, the same as my other Peerage members save Shiro, of 100 years. Once this time was up, should she still wish to die, I promised I would find a way to kill her permanently, but I was entirely sure that would not come to pass.

Once the long discussion about the details of the terms and how exactly we expected such things to work was complete, it was once again time to experience the Code.

This time, she did not have control, or any guidance towards what we saw, as the connection was both ways. I experienced her life in miniature, the points of most intense emotion. This left me with an understanding of pain, constant unceasing suffering. She has experienced so many deaths, while remembering each one with perfect clarity.

Several moments jumped out in the rapid collage, the searing pain of the first time she was burned alive, the pain of being stabbed through the eye, her arm being crushed, shattering her legs as she fell from a high height and the slow, choking suffocation that came from being hanged and not breaking your neck in the drop.

If this is how she experienced life, with these memories, no wonder she wanted to die.

A part of me was also aware of what she experienced from me, the familiar hot, angry feeling coursing through me in sympathy. I knew what she was seeing, the moments in my life I was the most intense, the most emotional, the most alive.

One stood out from it all, the experience coming back to my mind immediately. The warm, sticky feeling clinging to my arms, the wet, spongy snapping of bones under my grip, the strong impact of blows delivered with lethal intent.

The transfer ended with several flashing images, a group of silent, inhuman figures with closed eyes, two planets about to collide, a flash of a familiar symbol. An edged crane, with wings spreading out in flight.

The connection ceased, leaving my usual tight control in tatters. My feelings rose up, close to the surface, but I beat them back with long practice. Idly, I noticed CC looking at me, a new understanding in her eyes, but whatever it was she wanted could wait until I was more in control.

When I was recovered, I raised my hand to my now glowing eyes, my Geass activating naturally with a thought. As I say the current flow and shift around the limb, I smiled.

I flexed the hand, watching as the current changed direction, pooling in my palm.

'Yes,' I thought as I grinned viciously, 'I could definitely use this.'

---

She tapped the desk, her frustration at once again being outmanoeuvred by a child of all things welling up, unbidden. She focused however, at the other woman lazily sprawled into the chair in front of her. She had threw every test she could think up on etiquette at the other Devil, even some she was certain her colleagues would fail, but the green haired menace passed them all, with flying colours to boot.

She suppressed a growl, before biting out, "For someone so well mannered, that is certainly an undignified way to sit."

The other woman merely raised an eyebrow, face unmoving, as she replied, "Dignity is something that is only useful when it is required."

Serafall waited for the explanation, knowing the type that likes to leave vague statements hanging before clarifying them later. She was disappointed however, as the annoyance in front of her remained silent.

The unbroken, awkward lull in the conversation continued, neither side seeming to wish to be the first to interrupt it. Serafall didn't want to give the woman the satisfaction, but this 'CC' seemed to be perfectly content to sit there, unmoving and unspeaking.

Eventually, it was the Satan that acted first, moving the papers and registrations on the desk around and focusing on one particular part of the tests. It's possible to fool the senses of other Devils, but Ajuka's machines were a lot harder to get the better of, making her confident in what she was about to say.

"I must say, Damocles' decision to make you his Queen surprises me. It looks like you have even less Magical power than his Knight, Kasane did when she was resurrected." She had hoped that implying that the verdette was weak would provoke a reaction from her, but she had no such luck.

Instead, CC merely shrugged with an unchanging expression, "Probably."

"You know that you are not supposed to lie on the registration right? I highly doubt your birth name is really 'CC'." Serafall continued to press.

She was met with an impassive response, "It's the name I've had for a long time."

Serafall grinned ferally, as she had moved onto one of the other things she wanted to discuss, "About that, you stated your birthday was 'sometime in the 1200s'. That's very vague."

It also meant that she was claiming to be older than Serafall by almost 200 years, as she was born in 1431.* She knew better than to judge others on their youthful appearances, but there was no way a Witch who lived that long would be this magically weak.

The amusement in those golden eyes had been growing as she picked up on Serafall's rising irritation, but now it showed in the slight smirk on her face as CC replied, "I did not possess a calendar, so I don't have the exact date."

The Leviathan conceded that a Human of those times would not have the means for exact dating, but there a was another issue with the claim, "We have no records of long-lived, green-haired immortal witches. No sightings of you. No mentions of your name. Surely someone who lived that long would at least have some information about them leak?"

The responding shrug was nonchalant. "Sounds like a you problem." At the narrowed eyed glare that was sent her way, she elaborated slightly, "I value my privacy."

"Yet you threw that away to join Damocles' peerage. That doesn't add up. What did he do to convince you?"

"He made me a promise."

It was clear that she considered that a sufficient answer, as she merely stared at the Satan, waiting for the next question.

"What sort of promise?" Serafall was interested now, being very curious as to the relationship this woman had with Damocles.

"That's private."

Serafall let the sigh that had been building since this conversation began pass her lips, "Why Damocles? If you are really as long-lived and experienced as you claim, why not another Devil house, one that is a higher Noble Ranking? I'm sure many would fall over themselves to have you. Why throw your lot in with a House that hasn't even been officially recognised yet? That seems like a gamble."

CC was even more visibly amused by the question, a vindictive smile on her face as she easily saw through what Serafall was attempting with this line of questioning.

Her response, when it came, was forced through the universal translation of the Devils so it was heard in French, "Ceux qui n'ont pas La Foi sont maudits pour être aveugles à jamais."**

Serafall turned the expression over in her head, translating it with practised ease. She shot the other woman a gob-smacked look, "Did you really just quote a sermon to a Satan?!"

The interview was not any more productive after that exchange, but Serafall had her suspicions all but confirmed. This Witch really was as old as she said she was and was obviously highly experienced in Politics and courtly games. This 'Promise' she made with Damocles must have been one that leveraged that, seeing as she did not have significant Magical might.

She had to admit, it did a lot to salve her wounded pride.

It seemed the one outsmarting her and the other Satans was not a child after all.

---

*Serafall was born 30 May, 1431 (Yes, very symboltisms)

**"Those without faith are cursed to be blind forever" Ran it through several translators and grammar checkers, seems correct. I don't actually speak French and HELL SHALL FREEZE OVER BEFORE I LEARN.

Powers Gained This Chapter for picking up CC:
Fatality Defence: Damocles can resist instant death and existence erasing effects. Similar to other Defences, he may use willpower and energy to resist these effects. However, should he be unable to resist, he will not die instantly, but will be struck with enduring and intense agony for a time equivalent to the power of the effect that was resisted.

Science Talent: Damocles gains an innate talent for understanding and comprehending physical phenomena. He can more easily understand any research notes or reports that her reads and can more easily discern the results or testing he conducts, so long as he follows the Scientific Method.

Sexual Talent:Allows Damocles to intuit his sexual partner's fetishes and kinks, as well as the sensitive areas on their body. Additionally, ensures that sex is idealized like Sexual Calibration. If Damocles has not yet entered puberty when he takes this Talent, he commences it as soon as it is taken

Chapter 14: Loose Lips...

Loose Lips...

"Hmm..." I hummed, my Geass shining in my eyes, watching Shiro and Naomi practising their spells, "Try raw iron now."

Shiro tilted her head before placing her hand on the ground, causing a red circle to flare up from the contact. When the light faded, she was grasping a small chunk of iron, just as I requested.

"Interesting, Naomi can you do the same with bronze?"

The same operation was done, this time with a taller girl and a blue circle.

Reading what I was seeing, I put my chin in my hand, "It seems that creating alloys, even simple ones, can cost more Demonic Power than just transmuting the raw element. Of course, it could just be the user's familiarity with the material, but I would expect that to generally hold true, except with water as we've already tested."

Indeed, this was just the latest series of tests I had been running with my two bishops since acquiring my Geass, determining ways to streamline spell casting and the different costs for different actions. Seeing as how all Devil magic was based on imagination, how much of what we discovered was actually set in stone and how much was us writing our own rules, I was still unsure of.

What I had just mentioned was one of my first experiments, attempting to transmute hydrogen and oxygen separately for some reason was still less efficient than an equal amount of water. Fire, as well as breathable air, also seemed to follow the same rules, separate from what they were supposed to cost. More testing would be required, I was sure.

Speaking of testing, just this much was because of the function of the newest tool in my arsenal, me Geass. The Seal of Mystic Perception, CC had named it. It's function was as simple as it was deceptively powerful, as it allowed me to see and comprehend Magic. I could use it to see each part of a spell and understand what it's function was in the circle, as easily as reading English.

I was still bound by my reading speed and understanding, of course, but immediately knowing the function of a spell as a glance was still a massive advantage in fights, as our recent practice duels have shown. The ability to see magic even while dormant was also useful, allowing me to gauge the strength of others with just a look.

Unfortunately, it wasn't an easy cheat to stealing the spells of others. I had watched some recordings of rating games hoping to obtain some free spells, but it seems that something about the artificial nature stopped my Geass from working. To be fair, most Geasses were the same, Lelouch's and the Emperor also couldn't use theirs through recordings.

Still, it was a powerful, useful tool in my pocket. Best of all, it was an out-of-context one for the people of DxD, making it a lot more effective then it otherwise would be. Unlike the idiots that I saw in those Rating games I would not be explaining my abilities to everyone I fought like some sort of babbling fool.

There was being confident in your power, then there was being legitimately stupid.

My attention was drawn to the scuffle on the other side of the field, just in time to see Kasane being flipped onto her back. She was sparring with CC, who had schooled all of my peerage along with myself in hand to hand combat, her long experience and studying of various Martial Arts allowing her to easily handle anything we threw at her, at least without any magical reinforcement.

I whistled, stopping the spar and causing everyone to look at me.

I spread my arms, "Good job everyone. I think it's time to switch things up a bit. Naomi, CC had an idea to allow you to use your power consciously, so you're going to be working with her for next while."

Naomi nodded at that, not looking enthusiastic. I knew CC's personality was grating, so I did expect some growing pains of adding her to the group. It was not a problem that required me to step in, however, Naomi and Kasane were big girls, they could be professional. If it crossed over to actual hostility, that's when I'll start having to micro-manage.

I pointed to the sky, "Kasane, practice flying a bit more. You're close to being able to use your gravity manipulation in combination with it, which will really up your mobility."

I met her crimson eyes, seeing resolve in them. She nodded, agreeing to the unspoken plan while saying a short, "Understood."

"Shiro, we'll work on that spell you were having trouble with." My littlest peerage member nodded her head, a serious look on her face. As everyone dispersed into their places, I sighed, knowing that what was to come would likely cause quite a bit of drama.

Oh well, nothing of value was ever gained without a price.

---

"Ow!" Came the cry from Naomi as a small, dense ball smacked into her back.

The bubbly blonde was currently blindfolded, attempting to ward off the balls that were being thrown at her with her ability to see the future. Unfortunately, she had yet to actually successfully shield against any of the throws and was getting rather frustrated.

As she felt another impact, further annoying her, she heard the new Queen call out, "Anything yet?"

"What does it look like?!" She shouted back, irate.

She didn't really like the green-haired woman, a sentiment that seemed to be shared by Kasane. She appeared to be very caustic and uncaring. She was used to withdrawn individuals, after all her beloved sister was a poster example, but with this 'CC' it seemed more callous, as if she acted the way she did to purposely annoy people.

Still, she was helping Naomi try to use her power more consciously, so maybe the blonde was mistaken?

Unseen by the other girl, CC tilted her head. It appeared that frustration was not an emotion that could be used to activate the seer's power. She raised her hand and signalled to Damocles, who caught her sign and nodded.

He turned and said something to Shiro, who he had been working with. The small girl nodded softly, looking a bit nervous. He put his hand on her shoulder, giving her a smile, seeming to bolster the girl's spirits as she turned and faced away from him, towards where Kasane was practising her flying.

Naomi, still blindfolded, saw none of this of course. Confused, she started to call out, "Are we don...?"

Suddenly, she was beset by a vision, the images rushing towards her. An arcing red flash of light coming from Shiro, heading towards her unaware sister. The impact, her sister caught completely off-guard, falling convulsing to the ground below. The landing, Kasane hitting the ground hard enough she bounced slightly, before coming to a rest, lying still.

"KASANE!" She shouted, whirling around on instinct, a brilliant light blue shield materializing to protect her sister from the attack before it even was fired, causing it to slam into the barrier and be dispersed harmlessly.

She ripped off the blindfold and burst into the air, rushing to meet her descending sibling, who had turned around at her shout. They contacted halfway, Naomi frantically searching for any wounds or damage to Kasane, fussing over her.

"I'm fine." Kasane said, not at all annoyed by her sister's fretting, "It was only a paralysis spell."

Naomi stopped at that, "You knew it would happen? Why didn't you dodge?!"

Her answer came from CC, not her sister, "The last time your power activated, it was during moment of high emotion in order to save Kasane. I thought that was what was required to activate it automatically, it seems I was right."

Naomi whirled on the verdette, "What!? You used my sister as a test subject?! You cra...!"

Kasane stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, "I told them to do it." As Naomi turned back to her with a conflicted look, she elaborated, "I want you to be safe."

Damocles stepped forward at that, having been observing the proceedings, "Now that it has activated, you have a baseline for how it feels when it uses your Demonic Power. Using that, you should be able to practice and use it at will." He smiled at her, understanding in his eyes, "That's for later though. For now, take a break. Spend time with Kasane, calm down. We'll resume after lunch."

Still upset, Naomi nodded at that, before hugging her sister and grabbing her hand to go back into the manor.

Behind them, as soon as they were out of hearing range, Damocles turned to his Queen and praised, "You were right. Well done."

She sniffed and flicked her green locks behind her shoulder, "Of course I was."

Unnoticed by them both, small red eyes narrowed at her flippant response.

---

The phone rang, causing everyone who was sitting at the table to look over at it's possessor, with varying levels of consternation.

Ajuka, totally oblivious to such frivolity, merely pulled it out of his pocket and brought to his ear, "Yes Serafall?"

He hummed, listening to the other Satan speak for a bit before commenting, "No, I'm not that busy. I'm in the middle of dinner with my family. I can talk."

Ignoring the reaction of his words, he brought the phone down to his shoulder and motioned with his head, "I'll be out in the hallway, apologies."

Standing, he walked out of the dining room, bringing the phone up to his ear as he did, "The Church has no records of her you s..."

His voice became muffled as he left, causing the Lady Astaroth to sigh in irritation. Her husband put a hand on her shoulder in commiseration, "He's always been like that. Don't take it personally."

"I know." She replied, smiling weakly at him, "Still, it does not make it any less rude."

Diodora gave a cheeky grin at that from further down the table, "I find it amusing, personally."

His father rolled his eyes at his son, "You would."

The door opened again, Ajuka finishing the call with, "I'll confirm as soon as I'm done here. Goodbye."

He slipped the phone into his pocket, sitting down at the table once more. He was brought short from continuing his meal by a fake cough from his Uncle, causing him to look up at the older Devil quizzically. Lord Astaroth tilted his head towards his Lady, raising a brow at the green haired Satan.

Ajuka creased his brow, confused, before realization lit up his face. He turned to the Lady of the house, a sheepish smile on his face, "I apologise for that, Aunt Veronica. Serafall had something she wanted me to look into, but it did interrupt dinner."

Veronica gave him a gentle smile, "Thank you, Ajuka. I understand your work is important."

The Satan nodded, glad that the issue seemed settled. His cousin spoke up at that point, inquiring, "What was the call about, if you can tell us? You mentioned the Church..."

Ajuka chewed his food, mulling over the question before swallowing, "Ah yes. It's actually linked to the Reveal I invited you all to. I can't talk about everything, of course, but the young Devil's new Queen has been causing us some trouble from a record keeping point of view."

He detailed a few of the points that they were confirming with the other Abrahamic faction, but eventually the conversation meandered onto other topics. When the dinner was finished and Lord Astaroth invited Ajuka into his study for business, Diodora slipped back into his room at the Manor.

Opening up his phone, he browsed to various gossip sites, looking up the Sagan Heir. Eventually, he managed to find a picture of the boy, along with his Queen at a governmental office, filling out some forms.

He smirked, looking at the picture, "A nun, he said?" Turning to the woman who was kneeling by his bed, he asked, "Isn't that interesting, Jean?"

Despite not knowing what her master was talking about, the soulless response was forthcoming all the same, "Yes, Master Diodora."

---

She watched the crimson liquid slowly drip down her hand into the bowl below, idly wondering if this is what they meant when they said 'be careful what you wish for.' After so long, begging, praying, desperately longing such a thing to occur, now that it finally had she felt unsure about how to feel about it.

Her eyes narrowed, glaring at the weeping wound on her wrist. No matter how hard she looked however, the gash remained, leaking blood as fiercely as it did when she made it. It did not stitch itself back together, as if reversing time. She could even feel herself becoming slightly light-headed from the blood loss, indicating that this test was at it's end.

She stopped consciously holding back her new-found Power from the wound, watching as it instantly closed, even faster than such an injury would have when she only possessed her Code. Indeed, death, the thing she had long sought, was now within her grasp. All it would take is a small slice and a decision from her, and at long last it would all be over.

However...

She turned her blood-stained hand over, palm facing up and conjured golden flames with an errant flick. She stared at the flickering magic at her fingertips, thinking back to when she was accused, and punished, for Witchcraft. She remembered how it felt to burn at the pyre, how it felt to drown, over and over again until she finally managed to free herself of the rock that tied to her. She even remembered that charming occasion she was caught by the Catholic Inquisition.

She had felt rage at the injustice of it all, she had even wished that she was a witch like they kept accusing her of being. A Devil-worshipping, magic-using heretic. It would have been so much easier than being what she actually was, a Code-Bearer.

And now she was a magic-user. She could command elements at will, preform wonders and miracles with little effort and had a whole new world to explore. She was more powerful than she had ever been in her whole life, freer than she had been in centuries, even while still being in the service of another.

She wondered whether this 'Catharsis' was laughing at her, granting her the means to satisfy her stated wish just as she was given reasons to reconsider it. Every day she spent in this world brought her new discoveries, things she had never seen before, allowed her to do things she could only imagine.

In short, it was rapidly re-awakening her sense of wonder.

That was her selfish reasons of course, but also preventing her was her contract with the man that brought her to this place.

Damocles Sagan.

He might have looked like a boy, but she was unique in knowing the truth of his real age. Her reading of him through the Code granted her insight into his true nature, allowing her to know more about him than even he himself likely suspected.

He was not deluded, thinking that she was exactly like the character of the entertainment he had consumed. That whole situation still made her slightly uncomfortable, but there was no use in fretting over things she could not change. Pondering infinity was something that could get people lost, thinking in circles.

Putting aside the issue of the show made from her life, she actually found it rather flattering. She had been approached before of course, many powerful men offered her their hands over the years. Regardless of their Mortality, the real reason why she knew such relationships were doomed was rather simple.

None of them wanted her.

They wanted her power, she herself was merely an afterthought. An enticing bonus, sure but not the main attraction. She was used to it, resigned to it really, her Code was the most defining thing about her life after all.

Then along came a man who crossed two dimensions to obtain her. She could see when they she dived into his mind, the Geass she gave him was an afterthought. He would have been just as content if she refused to contract him than if she did, so long as she agreed to go with him.

It made her feel wanted, desired, in a way she hadn't felt in an considerable amount of time. Is spoke to a part of her, one she had long buried, the hopeless romantic.

His promise, to grant her true wish, was not just boasting. He had a combination of traits that actually gave him a chance of doing so. She would let him attempt it, as she lost nothing from it. But she was not optimistic, after all, he was a man of ambition.

She knew the position he was in politically. There will come a time where he will have to choose between her and his goals.

She knew what men like him chose.

She would complete her contract, learn all she could about this new world, this new magic gift she was given and once that started to bore her...

She closed her hand into fist, dispelling the flames, staring at the knife she had used to make the cut.

She was broken from her reverie by a knock on the door, "CC, do you have a moment?" Damocles' voice floated through.

She sighed, "Yes, I was just getting ready for bed. What is it?"

"When we get up in the morning, can you help me get everything organised for a trip? I've received a summons to a meeting that We will have to all attend."

She raised an eyebrow, not that he could see it through her locked door, "Oh? Where is this mysterious meeting to be held?"

"Japan."

Chapter 15: Tails and Deals

Tails and Deals

"Devils are duplicitous, devious charlatans. Every single deal with one of their kind is always a poisoned apple. Mark my words, this will only come back to bite us." Tetsuzaemon, a Gyuki (Ox Yokai) stated, causing some grumbles of agreement to sound throughout the gathered council.

"That may well be the case, however we are not entering into any deals with this Devil yet. This is merely us fulfilling our obligations." Mizusawa replied, the Tengu woman folding her hands atop her kimono clad legs.

Tetsuzaemon snorted at that, "So we are still going to let him insult us with his presence? Come in here and lord it over us like what happened never occurred?" The murmurs of agreement grew louder at that, a few muttered words of encouragement giving the Gyuki more confidence as he continued, "In fact, I say that such an insult shouldn't be taken lying down. I say we should show the Devils just what we think of their latest snub. Sending a child to treat with us..."

A sharp click sounded through the tea room. Tetsuzaemon fell silent, attention snapping to the figure at the position of prominence. The Kitsune who had just flicked shut her fan, causing the sudden noise, smiled gently.

"I hope," Yasaka, the leader of the Kyoto Yokai stated, "That no one was about to suggest doing something untoward to a guest of not only Amaterasu-No-Mikoto, but Inari-No-Mikoto as well?"

The Ox lowered his head chastised, but Yasaka was not finished, "I too, am not happy with having to deal with the spawn of Lilith. However, our patrons have only asked us to hear him out. If he acts like we expect from one of his ilk, we can merely ask him to leave. Nothing is lost except our time."

The gathered advisors did not seem to be mollified by this, but none seemed to have the courage to directly speak against the word of the Miko. Before they could gather it, the time for deliberation was ended with a servant moving through the door into the room.

"Excuse me, Masters. The Sagan heir has just arrived for the meeting." The Tengu had a look of distaste on her face, but hid it well by preforming a deep bow.

Yasaka flicked out her hand, opening back up her fan and covering her face with it, "Thank you, Mutsu. Please show him in."

The bow went deeper, "Of course my Lady."

The room was in silence after the servant left. The previous conversation had not reached a satisfying conclusion, but at this moment presenting a unified front was more important than any advisor's reservations. Often times, showing a cohesive whole was more beneficial than any political gains from these meetings, especially in front of outsiders.

Soon, the Sagan boy was shown in to the meeting room. Yasaka knew, of course, of his progenitor Remora. Of who she was made to resemble. But without that knowledge, she would swear that the youth in front of her was the son of Archangel Gabriel. Such a thing was impossible, of course, but that was how striking the resemblance was.

Behind him were two older girls. One with green hair and sharp, birdlike eyes that observed everyone in the room like she was dissecting everything about them. The other a more obvious white-haired bodyguard with an alert, guarded stance. Obviously on the watch for any aggressive moves towards her charge.

She watched, as the boy took in the gathered Yokai at the raised table on the far side of the room. She watched as his eyes raked up and down the notable members of Moonlight Kyoto, before his eyes came to rest back on hers. She was used to the looks of all kinds of people and his gaze seemed much more mature than it should be.

He bowed, gaze still locked to her, introducing himself, "Lady Yasaka, gathered Clan Representives of Kyoto. Thank you very much for agreeing to this meeting. My name is Damocles Sagan."

He looked down at the floor, "I have come with an offer of trade, to allow us both to prosper. However, before that, there is something that I need to make clear."

He set down the folder of files he was carrying on the floor, kneeling besides them. Then, to the shock of every non-Devil in the room, he leaned forwards, presenting the back of his neck to the gathered Yokai in a traditional Dogeza.

"My people have greatly wronged yours." Came his voice. "Although I know it is little consolation, please accept my deepest apologies."

---

The stunned silence of the room was broken by a snort from the muscle bound Yokai to the right of Yasaka. I was unable to see the reaction of the others at the table, due to my head being bowed, something I found myself slightly grateful for. When I first walked into the meeting room, I was not ready for the sight of Yasaka, sitting at the head of her table, her tails a rippling golden lake behind her.

Her beauty was equally distracting, my newly gained puberty coming through to show it's downsides.

I heard her soft, motherly voice sound out, "What is your age, Damocles Sagan?"

I spoke into the tatami, "12 years, Lady Yasaka."

"Raise your head." I did as she asked, raising up my body and sitting properly in front of the gathered yokai, "The incident between our people happened before your birth. Nonetheless, your apology was heard and appreciated."

Not accepted, I noted. But that's fine, this action of mine was never meant to mend bridges, only show a clear distinction between other Devils and myself in their eyes.

Yasaka nodded at me when I could see her once again, starting the proceedings, "We have granted you this audience to discuss your proposal of trade between House Sagan and the Yokai of Kyoto. As you obviously know me, let me introduce the gathered representatives of the Clans."

She indicated towards the muscled Yokai from before, who spoke in a graveled voice, "Tetsuzaemon, speaking for the Gyuki. I've never seen a Devil apologise like that. I thought your Pride would not allow it."

I nodded politely towards him, "Well met. I Pride myself on being unlike other Devils."

My joking response got a few small smiles from some of the gathered Yokai, but others seemed to be disapproving. Oh well, can't win them all.

Yasaka then introduced the rest of the Yokai Clan Leaders, Mizusawa of the Tengu, Yumako of the Yuki-onna, Susumu of the Nekomata, Chihomi of the Tsuchigumo and many others. I took care to commit each name to memory and in turn introduced C.C. my Queen and Kasane as my Knight.

That was met with some consternation, considering their history with the Peerage system of the Devils, but soon enough we moved to the actual reasoning for this meeting. I presented the gathered clan heads with several copies of my planned trade agreement.

The basic premise was simple, they could sell me various reagents, for which I would give them a credit score. They could then use this credit to purchase supplies from the underworld through my company, which would neatly side-step the issue of the two factions using a completely different currency.

I could order reagents from them too, which came with a small price hike due to the difficulty of them obtaining any specific goods in a meaningful number. Most of the things they would be selling to me were the various by products of evil Yokai that they executed, or that manifested in Kyoto. That's not including easily replenished resources, like Tengu feathers or Tsuchigumo silk. I made the initial pricing for each reagent with the help of CC and Shiro, determining a fair price based on the relative rarity and the current going rate on the black market in the underworld.

Of course, fur from a one-tailed Kitsune was no where near as potent as from a nine-tailed one, so that was factored in too.

There was trick to ensuring the longevity of this deal however, which the Tengu clan head noticed pretty quickly, "The prices for the materials we could buy from you... why are they so low?"

I grinned, happy to be able to explain, "Insurance. Should you agree to this deal, I will operate a near total monopoly on both sides of this deal, at least in their respective markets. Now, while I could charge both sides highly, that does not engender positive feelings. By making your purchases cheaper and moving the cost of that to the underworld side, not only does that make the deal more attractive, it helps ensure that the deal lasts. After all, you are getting a bargain, why would you end it?"

"Devious. Just what I would expect." Came the reply from Chihomi, the spider yokai arching a brow at me, "After that apology, you would not drop you prices as a show of contrition?"

Ah, the negotiations begin.

"Ah, you see the is a matter of sustainability..."

---

Shiro took a sip from the tea cup in front of her, projecting the air of someone who was completely at peace, almost looking bored.

"Aren't you at all worried?" Came the curious question from the other small girl at the table.

Shiro looked at the young Kitsune, tilting her head and only replying with, "Why?"

"Mother told me that negotiations are a battle. Your brother is going into negotiations with my mother. He can't win."

Shiro considered that briefly, before nodding and stating with such utter certainty that it seemed like nothing else could possibly be the truth, "Nii-san will not lose."

Kunou's eyes widened at that, "How could you say that? My mother is older than him, and stronger than him! She's been running Kyoto since long before he was born!"

Shiro took in that information, before repeating, "Nii-san will not lose."

Kunou's brows furrowed, her tails lashing out in irritation behind her, "Mama has more experience, better advisers, every advantage! How could he not lose?"

Shiro frowned, how could this girl not understand something so simple? She didn't know how to explain it better than she already had. Nii-san will not lose, he might run away, he might not win, but he will never lose.

She suddenly remembered something her Nii-san told her, how if she found something in a book that she knew wasn't true or was contradicted by a different book, what that meant.

Nodding to herself, internally thanking Nii for always explaining things to her. She pointed a finger in the direction of the fox, declaring what she now realised, "Biased source."

Kunou's mouth popped open in shock, completely stumped by the sudden declaration.

Over the shoulders of the two girls, Naomi and a Tengu maid made eye contact.

Both of them broke it to giggle into their hands.

---

Damn.

This is not good.

I thought I had more control over myself than this.

To be fair to myself, hiding a weakness this large from someone so experienced would always have been an uphill battle.

The negotiations have been long and tedious, with the Yokai side employing a variety of differing techniques and tricks.

For example, Tetsuzaemon, the Gyuki, was used as a front to express negative opinions and push for greater concessions. Depending on how well I argued against them or rebutted his points, the others would then either agree with the Ox and atttempt to push forwards their agenda, or politely disagree with him and allow us to move on to the next point of contention.

The second time it happened, I realised what was going on and decided to employ the tactic against them, with a glance at CC who thankfully realised what I was asking and started to act as my more disagreeable partner in the negotiations.

That had gained us some respect, grudging though it was. There were several such episodes, the whole thing like navigating through a linguistic labyrinth. Eventually, the clan leaders started to leave one by one, citing duties that needed attending to, stopping with just Yasaka being the last one still in talks with me.

It was then she displayed that I was not as careful as I had thought.

"Hmm," The fox hummed, waving the golden fluff of her tails teasingly behind her. I gathered my willpower and kept my gaze locked onto her face, but something must have shown in my expression because she smiled slyly anyway.

She had noticed that my eyes had strayed to her tails more than once during the meeting, and had used that to start trying to distract me with them. In my defence, I was very tired out from the hours long negotiations, and the soft, silky fur looked eminently pettable.

I was already planning it, but internally I made myself a promise. One day, I would get my hands on that fluff!

I might have been more tired than I thought.

As if she could read my thoughts, she grinned smugly, before letting out a little sigh and stating, "Yes, I think the current agreement will work well for us both. Thank you for your patience."

I tried to not outwardly react, but I could feel the stress leaving my shoulders. I heard Kasane heave a relieved sigh behind me and sent her my silent apologies for putting her through this. CC on the other hand, was as stoic as ever.

As Yasaka and I agreed to the final wording and put down our signatures on the document of the trade agreement, I allowed my mind to wonder. The agreement we've landed on, despite the bickering over pricing and such, could be summed up as follows:

The Yokai were responsible for the storage of the alchemical reagents on the Kyoto side, as well as having the responsibility to prevent secondary streams of such material finding it way into the Underworld, through the Black Market and other such illicit means.

We, the Sagan family, were responsible for the selling of the reagents, the storage of the materials that the Yokai wanted on the underworld side, as well as the security of our warehouses and store fronts.

I wasn't that worried over the security for the Kyoto side, the Yokai were fairly honourable when it came to agreements like this, but this would be stepping on several toes in the Underworld. I could already feel the headache from the next few months coming on. I saw a faint outline of the coming paperwork and fought off the urge to shudder.

Even hiring was going to be an uphill battle...

The Kitsune broke me out of my thoughts, "If I may, what are you planning to do now?"

I blinked, "Ah, I was planning to pick up Shiro and head back home. There are several things I need to set up in the Underworld and the sooner I start the better."

Yasaka nodded and waved a hand. Several Tengu maids walked into the room, carrying a tea set that she started using on the table in front of me.

"It is late, please allow us to extend some hospitality. Now that we have a deal between us, you are an honoured guest." I noticed the implication that I was not an 'honoured guest' before, but let it pass unmarked, "The little ones have already been shown to a room, you can leave in the morning."

As I nodded my thanks, CC and Kasane sat down to my sides as they were also served the tea. The fox, still in the positions of prominence in the room, cheekily waved her tails as she looked down at me and said, "After all, as trade partners, we should learn more about each other, no?"

I groaned internally as I felt an interrogation coming on, one that it seemed would include my two companions as well. I had to wonder, how the hell did Yasaka still have the energy for this?

Sensing my exasperated gaze, the Yokai merely wiggled her ears at me as she smiled cheekily.

---

Serafall groaned as she stretched, putting down her pen. Being a Satan wasn't all intrigue and verbal battles, it also had its own share of busywork. She was running low on energy, having to constantly keep a ton of plates spinning without letting any of them fall.

She decided that seeing her adorable little sister was just the thing she needed!~

She picked up her phone, calling her mother to let her know she would be home for dinner. The Sitri matriarch answered promptly, "Serafall, how fortunate. I was just thinking that we needed to have a little chat."

"That's perfect! I'm running low on Sonaium, I'm swinging by the manor for a refill!"

Ignoring the sigh on the other end of the line, she continued, "What did you want to speak about?"

"I just had a very... interesting chat with Venelana about what you and Sirzechs have been up to."

Serafall tilted her head, wondering why her mom sounded angry.

The older Sitri elaborated, "This isn't something to talk about over the phone. Come home for dinner and we'll talk afterwards."

Dinner meant the whole family would be there, meaning she could gobble up Sona to her heart's content!

"Sure, I'll definitely be there!"

She hung up, happy that her day was looking up.

Some distance away, in a quite opulent living room, an older devil put down her phone and sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Honestly Serafall, you and I have very different idea's of 'Handling it'."

Chapter 16: Games Begin

Games Begin

"Serafall." The Lady Sitri's face was gentle, but her words were cold, "My dear daughter. What, in the name of all that is unholy, were you thinking?"

"Ehe!" Serafall thunked her fist on the top of her head, "Sera-tan has no idea what you mean!"

"Drop the act. I'm in no mood." The matriarch heaved a heavy sigh, "Honestly, I should have known something was going on, but Ash and I have been so busy lately we haven't had time to wonder."

She continued, "He would be here as well, but he needed to go speak with Zeo to assure him that this was not our plan."

Serafall winced at the stress put on the 'our'. Silence reigned in the room, her mother merely waiting, staring at the Satan with an unimpressed look on her face.

The guilt being wielded by her mother was almost visible, hanging over the room like an oppressive shadow. Still, Serafall did not become a Satan by having weak will! She would endure, she was one of the leaders of their race! She would stay strong and wiggle out of this somehow!

Her mother, seemingly reading her mind, narrowed her eyes and Serafall broke immediately.

"I didn't want him to marry So-tan!" She rushed out, "That has happened before in situations like this. So I thought if I could get him to agree to the status quo and then raise him up under the New Satans it would solve our issue with the Court as well..."

Her voice trailed off as her mother had dropped her head into her hands, seemingly in despair.

The matriarch's voice was muffled, but her words were still audible, "You've really done it this time, Serafall."

She sighed, bringing her hands back down and fixing her daughter with a stern look, "I'll accept some responsibility for this mess. I knew you were a Devil of Envy, but I didn't expect you to over-react this badly."

Serafall shrunk in on herself. The theory that Devils were heavily influenced by one of the major Sins and formed a lot of their personality in response was similar to Astrology and Horoscopes, though was heavily believed by a large portion of the older generation. The newer Devils, mostly Serafall's and younger, were not as convinced, but in the face of her actions she didn't really have any ground to argue against the accusation.

Her mother continued, "We had yet to inform you, but Sona asked us to allow her to set a challenge for any potential suitors. She will only marry someone who can beat her in chess."

Serafall was relieved to hear that, her genius sister was a prodigy when it came to that game, so Sona was safe from any marriage proposals in the near future. Her mother continued, regardless of her daughters lifted mood.

"You youngsters don't put much stock in our bloodlines, not agreeing with us when we say that there are personality traits that we have all inherited from our progenitors, more than just their powers. But let me explain why the Sagan were Princes of Hell. You have a rivalry with Gabriel, so you should know how important what I'm about to say is."

The Satan was about to interrupt her mother from going off about bloodlines and ancestors again, but stopped at the mention of her angelic rival.

"Remora Sagan died after fighting Gabriel in one on one combat, after the Great War. Gabriel did not come away unscathed from that fight, for decades after, she was not seen in public. Do you want to know why?"

Serafall smirked, "Was she given a nasty scar?"

Juliana Sitri was not amused, her voice deadly serious, "That would have been better for Heaven. She was secluded due to her wings turning grey."

Serafall's mouth fell open, shocked at hearing that. An angel's wings turning grey was a massive deal, indicating that they were on the precipice of falling. To hear that the Hope of Heaven, Gabriel herself, was so close to that was astounding. Why had she not heard about this before?

The older woman wasn't finished, "The Sagan are, to a member, ruthless, vicious and most of all, devious. I don't know how Remora achieved her feat, but it was not through raw power. You of all people should understand that. You are stronger than the Sagan heir, on an almost unreachable pedestal. If he were your enemy, where do you think he would turn that Sagan deviousness?"

Serrafall already knew, of course. She was painfully aware that anyone she antagonized would use her family against her, but what could a low class devil without resources like Damocles do to the Sitri? She was not around during the heyday of the Sagan, so she could not understand her and Sirzechs' parents respect for the almost eradicated clan.

"I know that look Serafall. Listen to me." Her mother's voice was deadly serious, "The Devils need the Sagan bloodline. Even if we have to kidnap him to confine him and risk the bad publicity, our race need as much of the old bloodlines as possible. The Princes of Hell were not named that as a joke, they inherited the greatest of Lucifer's gifts. We are worse off without them."

"You've said that before. What is it about them that's so great? We've asked and looked in the records, but we never get a clear answer." Serafall was not pouting.

"I've told you this many times, I don't know why you don't accept the answer. Lucifer was a Child of God, do you not think his first children inherited that birthright?" Both of them shifted in discomfort at the deities mention, but pressed on.

"Yes, I know that. But what does that mean?"

"It's different for every Prince. But for an actual example, one should easily come to mind. After all, did you think your friend became so terrifying because of his Gremory blood?" Serafall felt a chill go down her spine.

Her mother continued, "No Serafall. The Power of Destruction is a Bael trait, isn't it?"

---

"My Lords and Ladies," I looked out over the assembled nobility in the great hall of the Sagan Manor, "Since I was put in stasis, great change has come to Devilkind."

I had just been introduced by Serafall and now had to make a speech to the high society of the Underworld. The Reveal was in full swing, with catering handed out by staff provided by the Satans, supervised by my Head Maid, Naomi. Many Devils were holding glasses of liquor from my stores, others were sampling the food, but all of them were at least appearing to listen politely to my words.

Ordinarily, this would be a fairly routine thing, basically expounding on how I was grateful to be able to take part in the public life of devil kind, a short explanation on what my goals were, that sort of thing. However, as the Head of my Household, my words carried a lot more weight then they would have had I been merely the heir.

Of course, I was only a Baron for now, but my name still carried weight. History. Influence.

"Like all change. It has been both positive and negative. Like all change, it has brought with it a boundless era of opportunity." The hall was respectfully silent, my words being noted down and picked apart, everyone trying to see where I would fit in to their little schemes.

"I was informed that this speech should reflect my plans for the House of Sagan moving forwards, as it's head. The first priority, regaining my family's prestige and rightful place in the underworld, should go without saying." Muttering broke out at that.

It was left intentionally vague, allowing people to read into it what they will. At it's most extreme, I could be saying that I was aiming to re-establish the Sagan as one of the ruler's of the Underworld. More likely, however, it would be thought to be displaying a 'healthy' amount of ambition and drive for power. It would reassure other families that attempted to deal with me, as I was basically laying down that I was selfish. I had desires.

'I could be bought'.

Leaving the topic there for now, I continued, "To be honest with you, my Lords and Ladies, I can not say for certain what the future holds for House Sagan. We are in a time of great change, closing ourselves off to opportunities presented to us strikes me as most unwise."

"Instead, allow me to wax philosophically for a moment. We are Devils. Creatures of Sin. We are Greedy. Vindictive. Selfish. Hungry. Others would look down upon us for this, as they have throughout much of history. They could never understand, those vices, those traits that they chastise us for? Those are our strength."

I brought out the white piece from in my pocket, the very deliberately chosen pawn resting on the palm as my hand, displayed for all the gathered nobles to see as I raised it before me, "These are the cause of a great deal of contention among our race. I have investigated their use for myself, to ensure I understood them. I believe that by explaining my position on these 'Evil Pieces', I can show you more on my thinking than any possible plans I could present."

Now, I was the subject of intense focus. This was the hot button issue for the Devils currently, the source of the Underworlds biggest Idealogical schism. Even as a Baron, the vote that I held in court ensured that my opinion on reincarnated devils was vitally important to know.

"These are amazing inventions. They allow us to indulge freely in our greed, stealing the potential of other races and adding to our own. Such an ability, to take the best and brightest of the realm and turn them to our side new and improved as Devils themselves, is a potent weapon indeed."

There were some murmurs, the weaponization of the Evil pieces not a subject that was generally touched upon, but I continued, "Like all weapons, however, they come with some drawbacks if used recklessly. This is an item to use with discretion, on applicants who are carefully selected. The gifted power and potential is significant, but if given to those who would squander it, squandered it shall be."

"They should be used carefully, on those with extraordinary potential. I know many of you disapprove of my adoption of a Reincarnated Devil into the Sagan family. However, I have full confidence that in time, she will prove more than worthy of the honour."

Shiro shuffled beside me, wanting to shrink from everyone's gaze moving to her, but she resisted the impulse and kept her head high and proud. Many likely doubted my reasoning behind adopting her, though most probably thought it was a kink and I was just hiding it.

"Those of us from a noble lineage have earned our place. Either from our own actions, or those of our ancestors. The new blood we are bringing in have no such heritage, except for those that they gain from those of us that have raised them to our peerages. They must be given the opportunity to gain their own prestige, to take their place amongst our numbers, if they can. They choice of shape for the Evil pieces was very inspired."

I raised my arm out in-front of me, the White pawn placed in the centre, "Will these Pawns manage to reach the other side of the board and earn their promotion? I will watch with great interest. 'The Game of Kings' it was called in my time. I have studied how it has changed, and believe that I have a firm grasp of the game is played by now."

Kasane moved forward, placing down a table with a perfectly set up chess set atop it, with a lavish chair in front.

"If you want to know how I think, what I do to plan for the future, My lords and Ladies, why not test it for yourselves?" I smiled, teasingly, "I'll even make it easier."

With that, I indicated for CC to place my own chair down, facing away from the board. I then bowed to the audience, "Thank you all for indulging me."

There was a smattering of polite applause, many Devil's Pride feeling attacked that I was not even going to look at the board. That's good for me though, as it means that there will be no shortage of challengers. The older and more savvy amongst them had thoughtful looks in their eyes, obviously turning over my speech for hidden meanings.

Of course, many of them probably realised the trick I had pulled in not tying myself to any faction, while remaining non-hostile. I was basically advertising that my loyalty was still up for grabs, something that would probably rankle the New Satans. The rest of the fluff was normal Politician speech writing, a lot of words to ultimately say nothing.

I sat down at the board, smiling to myself as I pulled Shiro in to my lap, wrapping my arms around her and hugging her tightly. This would likely start a few rumours, but I didn't care all too much.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, a gentle look on my face. She stared up at me with a resolved look in her eyes and nodded her head. I rubbed Shiro's head, smiling as she closed her eyes and leaned into my hand, feeling the anticipation of the con we were about to pull.

I didn't have to wait long, as CC had finished explaining the rules and had already lined up the first challenger.

"State your name for the challenge."

"Hmph, Belephagor Shax. Let's see if your actions are from confidence or arrogance." After the rumbles of his voice died down, I heard the clack of a piece being moved.

"E4." Came CC's disinterested voice, from her place just behind my shoulder.

Not a glamorous job for my Queen, but if my suspicions are correct, her entertainment will soon be delivered.

Shiro, her eyes still closed and head rubbing against my hand, tapped a code out on my leg. Not that I needed it this early on in a game, but still.

"E5".

Let the games begin.

---

I could feel the smug radiating from the adorable creature sitting on me as I said, "Knight to B7, Checkmate."

"Hmph." The low-rank noble who I just defeated was obviously trying to not be angry at his loss, "So it is."

That attempt to keep his cool probably was not helped by my Queen, "Thank you. Please may the next contestant take a seat?"

How someone can have a completely level voice and yet still channel that amount of smug condescension I have no idea.

I shook my head, vaguely amused at my peerage members. For as much as they didn't get along, they were very similar when it came to things like this. I listened to the shuffling behind me and the murmurs of the rest of the hall, noticing that there was a sudden up-tick of hushed whispers. I felt some anticipation building, was this who the trap had been baited for?

"State your name for the challenge." CC's voice still had some residual amusement.

Amusement I suddenly stopped feeling as I heard the smile in the challenger's reply, "Zekram Bael."

Chapter 17: Devilish Waltz

Devilish Waltz

I froze. Shiro looked up at me, confused. Shaking myself out of it, I quickly called the first move as white.

"E4."

The reply was quick, "C5."

"Nf3." Damn, this was bad. What should I do?

"Knight to c6."

Should I throw the game? It would be hard to make it convincing. Especially after the dominant preformance I put up previously, "Bb5."

"Ho. Aggressive. D6."

Beating the Great King would bring an unreasonable amount of attention on to me. I had no doubt Shiro could do it, of course, but did I want that? "Castles."

"Bishop to d7"

It would make Sona taking the bait incredibly unlikely, unless she actually wanted to marry me. That would be a drastic impact to my plans. "Rook to e1."

"Knight to f6."

Shiro was looking worried at me, obviously not quite understanding the issue, but still dutifully supplying me with moves, "C3."

"Hmph. A6."

Losing would also bring about accusations of me cheating if I did it in a dumb way. I could make an argument of being intimidated, but that would be showing a lot of weakness. "Ba4"

"C4."

More than that, I looked down to Shiro. She looked up at me, trying to reassure me with her eyes. "D4."

"Oho, interesting. En Passant."

I didn't want to lose. I chose Shiro for this reason, her immense intellect. I would not besmirch that by intentionally losing. Feeling my resolve, Shiro smiled widely at me as I called the next move. "Bishop to g5."

Beating Zekram would bring it's own accusations of cheating, but regardless of the truth of those claims, the only important part was actually being caught. Without hard evidence, it would just sound like what it was.

Losers consoling themselves.

---

"Rook to a2, check."

"King to e1."

"Haha, perfect. Well done. I concede."

The hall burst out into excited, hushed whispers. I patted Shiro's legs, and like a trained reflex she hopped up off of my lap. I got up and turned around, coming face to face with the defeated Great King, who was looking at me with an amused smirk on his face.

"Interesting decision, young Sagan." His voice was tinged with amusement, "Expect an invitation from me soon."

With that, he turned around and walked into the crowd, many excited nobles immediately starting to shadow him, eager to talk to the Great King. I knew that no one sane would challenge me after I defeated Zekram, so instead I spread my arms out and made an impromptu speech to bring the playing to a close.

"Thank you all for indulging me, I hope it was entertaining. Now, it is time to get to know many of you more personally. Please, enjoy the hospitality of the Sagan, eat, drink and make merry!"

Polite applause followed, and the crowd dispersed, the band striking up a tune more suited to dancing as I moved to meet my peers. More 'adult' conversations would be held in meetings requested by me to the other main houses, for now the Reveal would move into me interacting with my own age group.

So, as CC moved into the crowd to ensure that no one felt neglected, taking Naomi with her, I moved to speak to my 'peer' myself, shadowed by Kasane and Shiro.

---

"Very interesting way of showing off." The Blond Devil in front of me sipped his wine, arm around a curvaceous woman, "Riser would not have chosen such an inactive show of prowess, but it was effective all the same, I suppose. Your perspective on the Evil Pieces was... Interesting. I am most curious what else you think about our society."

"Thank you, Riser. I'm glad you enjoyed the show." The Phenex waved off my words, before leering at Kasane who looked resplendent in a deep red cocktail dress besides me.

"At least there was a feast for the eyes present. I must commend you, Damocles, on the beauty you have amassed in to your peerage. Are they...?"

I moved in between him and Kasane, my voice turning cold, "Not available, I'm afraid."

"Hmmph. A shame." He drained his glass before dragging the girl at his side even tighter into his embrace, "Don't worry, I'm not so boorish as to reach for what isn't mine. We should meet up soon, in a place less... monitored. I know some good clubs that would fit the bill."

"I'll keep that in mind, Riser. I'll let you know when I'm available."

The other devil merely nodded to me, eyes moving to a point behind me before grimacing, sighing and moving to the dance floor with a muttered, "If you'll excuse me."

I nodded my assent to him, not that it mattered, and turned to greet the one who had driven Riser off. I was greeted by the sight of Rias with a wide grin and a black haired girl in tow.

"Pig." I heard the muttered exclamation of Kasane, her level voice making the word more biting than it's terseness would imply.

"I told you when I recruited you Kasane, many Devils treat their Peerage like the pieces they represent. That includes lending them out for certain favours." I reached out and took her hand in mine, gently squeezing it in reassurance.

"I swear to you, that will never happen with anyone in my Peerage. I'm much too greedy to share."

The joke got a small smile and a squeeze back, along with a slight dusting of red on her cheeks. Before she could respond, Rias had already arrived, with who I presumed to be Akeno in tow. The red head was in a tasteful, open backed dress with a flared skirt, whereas her black haired Queen was dressed in a rather mature short dress with a slit up her thigh, contrasting jarringly with her age. Which was likely the intention.

"Damocles! It's so good to see you again!" Surprising me, she hugged me, pulling herself into my chest, "You've grown so much taller!"

I smiled down at her, "I'm still growing, after all." I would have hugged her back, but both of my hands were suddenly seized in crushing grips.

I expected something like this from Shiro, but Kasane surprised me. As I shot her a questioning look, she looked away innocently.

"Ah, so this is the Damocles I've heard about! Rias has told me a lot about you." My attention was drawn to the black haired girl, who was directing a teasing smile towards me.

"All lies to ruin my reputation, I assure you." I joked back, making Rias squawk and pull back, an affronted look on her face.

Akeno's smile grew wider, "Oh? It was all good things though?"

I laughed and patted Rias' head, who pouted as she realised I was just joking, "Then they are definitely not true. Akeno, I presume? Rias mentioned you when I met her."

She curtsied, "At your service."

I directed Shiro to come stand at my side, along with Kasane, "Allow me to introduce Shiro Sagan, my Bishop and sister, with this beauty being Kasane Randall, my knight."

Shiro curtsied back, with Kasane opting for a more knightly bow. Shiro was instantly pulled into a hug by Rias, who exclaimed, "It's so good to see you again, Shiro-chan!"

Shiro stiffened up and looked to me for help, but I just smiled back at her. Akeno rolled her eyes, "Sorry about this, she's always like that. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kasane."

Kasane nodded, her face an unreadable mask, "Likewise."

Akeno considered the older girl for a moment, before a concerning light entered her eyes, "Oh, so that's what you're into Damocles?"

I opted for ignorance, "I have no idea what you mean."

"Are you sure? Should I pretend to be the aloof cold beauty that you slowly chip away at until I melt just for you?" She drew closer, the teasing grin back in full force.

If she were older, knowing what a bombshell she would be, this would probably be a devastating move, but for now I knew exactly how to deal with someone like her. She liked making people uncomfortable, her teasing personality eventually graduating to sadism, if it hasn't already. However, being so young, she was likely a glass cannon.

"Oh?" My voice copied her teasing lilt, "Looking to seduce me, are you? I'm flattered that I had such an effect so quickly on one so... Attractive."

My sudden switch to offence seemed to take her off guard, making her blush and pull back slightly. She rallied remarkably quickly however, "Oh, I'm not the one that wants to seduce..."

A red haired whirlwind suddenly grabbed my arm and started to drag me away from Akeno, "Come on Damocles!" Rias said, her voice quick and hurried, "I want to dance!"

Smiling in amusement, I turned my head to look at the very surly looking Shiro, "Be good while I'm gone, Shiro. Keep her safe, Kasane."

Both of them nodded at me, eyes pinned on Rias until Akeno dragged their gaze away by bringing their attention back on her with conversation.

As Rias led me to the dance floor, I considered raising the fact that she had a fiancee who was, in fact, present, but decided better of it. It was clear to all watching that she was the one initiating and it played into my overall plans regardless.

As we stepped onto the floor, her confidence seemed to ebb. She let go of my arm and nervously looked up at me, seeming to be unsure of how to proceed. I smiled, already picturing the headlines that will be written about this and offered her my hand.

---

She was not sulking.

She didn't quite know what she was feeling at the moment, but whatever it was she was not sulking.

When the person whose reveal this was challenged all those present to a chess game, she was intrigued. She was one of the first to go up to accept his challenge, only to be blocked and pulled aside by her panicking sister. It seemed that her sister had got it into her head that she would lose to the older boy.

Seeing as he successfully defeated the Zekram Bael, her sister seemed to be correct, vexing as it was. Still, she wished that she got the opportunity to play against the Sagan. Even if she lost, it didn't mean they were automatically engaged after all, and with him being just a Baron she doubted that he could pressure her parents enough that the chess game would be the deciding factor.

Her sister was also acting very erratically, even more than usual. Even when the young Scion started mingling with the gathered guests, Serafall went out of her way to avoid the other Devil. It would not be obvious to anyone else, but Sona knew her sister.

Sona sipped her drink and stared at her best friend preforming a dance with the boy she had been thinking about, thinking that her feelings about the whole situation would be a lot easier to sort through if Rias did not insist of preforming such foolish actions.

She was presented with a mystery in the form of Damocles Sagan, one that intrigued her, but the way Serafall acted around him made her weary and intrigued. She wanted to get to the bottom of it. If she had known Rias and he were acquainted, she would have asked her friend to introduce them, but now that the other heiress had brought him out to flaunt on the dance floor...

Perhaps a less direct approach was called for. Looking around the room, she spotted Akeno talking to some members of Damocles' Peerage. Resolving herself to her chosen course of action, she made her way over toe group.

"Akeno, it's good to see you again." She called out once she was within hearing range, before turning to the two white haired girls, "You are members of our Host's Peerage, correct? Can you introduce us, Akeno?"

"Sona! How have you been!" The Queen pulled her into a hug, making her feel uncomfortable with the sudden affection, which was likely the point. The other girl released her and turned to the watching duo, "Sona, allow me to introduce Kasane Randall, the Knight of Sagan and Shiro Sagan, Bishop of Sagan and Damocles' sister. Kasane, Shiro, this is Rias' friend, Sona Sitri of House Sitri."

"House Sitri?" The young girl girl who was introduces as Shiro asked, her voice soft, "Like the Satan?"

Sona sighed, "That's right, but my older sister is not part of the House anymore. She's taken the name Leviathan now."

The two members of Damocles' Peerage did not change expression, both kept calm and collected, but for some reason Sona felt as if Shiro was suddenly a lot more cold towards her. Something in the younger girls eyes seemed hostile, like she was suddenly disgusted with her.

She might have imagined it, but Sona had learnt to trust her instincts, "I apologise on behalf of my sister, she tends to get carried away."

Kasane stopped herself halfway through a scoff, whereas Shiro's reply was devoid of all traces of warmth, "That's one was of putting it..."

Sona was about to ask just what in the Hells Serafall had done to get such a reaction, but her attention was stolen away by a sudden change in the music. Whereas before the band had been playing a lively waltz, they now moved in to a slower, more intimate song. Her eyes found her best friend, now having stopped dancing with her partner, blushing and fidgeting on the spot.

The young Devil she was accompanying said something, his lips moving, before extending his hand in invitation. The smile that greeted him was radiant as she took his hand, but that did not change Sona's feelings on the matter.

"That stupid idiot..." She muttered, being overheard by the little Sagan next to her.

"Did you just insult my brother?" The question was still quiet and soft, but somehow even more threatening for it.

"No!" Sona quickly denied, "I was talking about Rias. She has a fiancee you see, dancing with another single boy could send..."

Before she could explain the optics that her best friend was presenting, she was interrupted. A loud slap and a shout rang over the hall, a youthful male voice exclaiming, "How dare you!"

Sona looked over to the source of the disturbance, and her heart sank. This was going to get messy. Standing at one end of the hall, were two green haired Devils. Both of whom where familiar to her. One of them was a young boy, older than Sona, with an enraged look on his face and holding a reddened cheek. Sona knew who he was due to several meetings that she attended with her sister, the Astaroth Heir.

The perpetrator of said boy's reddened cheek was looking as unflappable and unbothered as she had every time she appeared in public. The identity of the tall green haired Devil, who was eerily calm over having struck the Nephew of a Satan, was Damocles Sagan's Queen.

Chapter 18: ...Sinks Ships

...Sinks Ships

"Do you know who I am?!" The boy snarled at CC.

Her expression remained unimpressed, "Does it matter? A name does not give one permission to reach beyond their means."

"You little bi..." His response was cut off by me finally reaching the scene of the confrontation.

"What seems to be the problem here?" I could guess, especially seeing who was involved.

Diodora Astaroth looked at me, having excused myself from my dance to resolve this issue, and stated, "Your Queen assaulted me, that's what happened. Is this how the Sagan treat their guests?"

I turned to CC, who on the outside seemed completely calm, but looking into her eyes I could see the irritation she was with-holding, "CC, can you tell me why you slapped him?"

She sniffed, "He attempted to hound me for a dance. When I refused, he pursued me and attempted to grab at me like an animal."

Diodora snarled, "Lies! I won't stand for this slander!"

I turned to him, "It appears that you have not acted in a manner befitting of a guest. I would ask you to leave."

Diodora actually seemed surprised at that, probably expecting me to be more conciliatory, "You would just accept her at her word and risk insulting me?"

"Yes." My reply was curt. I had no time for these petty courtly games, my patience having been worn very thin, "Leave, or I will make you."

Diodora's face grew red with anger, "How dare you! I will not stand for this! You have insulted me, and I demand compensation. I challenge you to a Rating Game!"

"I refuse." I was feeling the flames of my anger start to rise but ruthlessly crushed it, redirecting it into pissing him off.

His attempt to court my Queen was irking, but what overrode it was the sheer amateurish nature of this play. Are the Satans really this desperate? Accepting a Rating Game and beating him would grant me a boost in my image, but the costs outweighed the benefits.

It was the same reason I planned to forfeit every single Rating Game I was organized to take part in as a Young Devil. Showing your prowess was all well and good, but you were also showing your abilities off as well. The longer I could keep people in the dark about how my Peerage and I fought, the longer it would take for people to devise counters and contingencies for us.

"Oh, are you scared? I don't blame you, seeing as I am clearly the stronger between us. I guess that is all the 'Mighty Sagan' amount to." Diodora goaded.

"Believe what you will, call it what you will, I don't care. I hereby revoke your welcome to this Manor." As I finished my sentence, I felt the wards of the manor react, preparing to attempt to eject him should he not leave willingly.

It likely would not succeed, but directly fighting the wards of another family would escalate this incident to be much more serious than he likely was comfortable with, not to mention the Satans who I could see making their way through the crowd.

"Have you no pride?" He snarled to which I shrugged, uncaring. His hand twitched, and I was filled with a sudden burst of excitement.

Do it, I dare you. Make it self defence.

"What is going on here?" A voice interrupted the rising tension between us. I noticed that I had been tensing up in preparation for a fight, my gravity magic making the air around me seem heavier.

I relaxed my body, my magic ramping down as I turned to address Serafall, "Heir Astaroth made unwanted advances on my Queen. I have revoked his rights to access Sagan property and was in the process of removing him."

"That's not true!" Diodora interjected, also turning to the Satan, "I was merely talking to her when she assaulted me!"

A blank faced woman with empty eyes next walked from the crowd to stand next to the him, "My Lord is correct. He was merely talking to the Sagan Queen when she slapped him and insulted him."

Naomi wiggled her way through the crowd, "I saw what happened! CC was trying to get away but then he grabbed her and put his hand..." She blushed, stammering out, "P-p-put his hand on her rear."

"All this is hearsay." Serafall put her fingers on the bridge of her nose, acting stressed over this whole ordeal.

"That doesn't matter, as it's already resolved. Heir Astaroth, remove yourself." My voice was firm, making Diodora whirl back to me with indignation.

"A wound left unaddressed," A deep, familiar voice sounded out from the audience watching the confrontation, "Eventually starts to fester."

Zekram Bael stepped forth from the crowd, "Having two of our Pillar House members remain with bad blood between them would not be wise. Settling this here and now would be for the best."

I stared at the old Devil, who was looking at me with an interested look in his eyes. He had quite successfully put me in a bind. With him appearing to be acting impartially, me disagreeing with him would be seen as unreasonable. At the same time, caving from my stated position as soon as he asked would make it seem as I was either weak or that he had some form of influence over me. Both of which could be a problem for me going forwards.

Thankfully, there was someone in the crowd who also realised the trick Zekram was pulling. "I agree. As the Satan of Domestic Affairs, letting this bad blood linger does no good."

Unfortunately, is was someone who also wanted to influence me. I considered the Old King and The Satan, idly wondering if it would be easier to just disappear from the Underworld and come back when I was strong enough to conquer it by force.

It would certainly be less annoying.

"Very well." I eventually conceded, "I see I am out numbered here. If the Great King and The Satan's themselves are in agreement, I obviously have no choice but to obey."

Sirzechs' genial smile dimmed slightly at how I phrased that, but Zekram pounced on the opportunity before he could clarify, "Excellent. Heir Astaroth, as the aggreived party you can decide the rule set. Unless the Lady Leviathan disagrees?"

Serafall, who looked like she sucked on a lemon for some reason, bit out, "No, of course not. This amazing Sera-tan will set it up."

"Ha, finally." Diodora postured, puffing himself up, "Seeing as it was the Sagan's Peerage that assaulted and slandered me, they are the ones that should be punished. I choose a Kingless Game!"

Smarter than I expected. Unlike a regular Rating Game, a Kingless game was, as the name implied, a game fought without the Peerage's respective Kings. It was fought in a series of matches, Bishops against Bishops, Knights against Knights, etc. The scoring followed the same rules as Chess.

The most likely reason that Diodora chose this type of Rating Game was likely the unknown abilities of my peerage. If I had a Sniper type, I could just aim for him and win by taking him out, invalidating his numbers advantage. I could likely argue that due to the size discrepancy, his Pawns and Rooks should not be allowed to compete.

But if I am being forced into this, I will make the most of it.

"I agree. I reserve the right as the owner of the Smaller Peerage to decide the match ups." My confidence seemed to surprise the other Devils, obviously thinking that I was worried about the strength of my Peerage, which is why I originally refused.

That was a rule to even out any size discrepancies, allowing the smaller peerage to arrange favourable macth ups by rearranging the extra pieces.

"As the smaller Peerage, it would be more fair we asked the Astaroth Pawns and Rooks to sit this out, right? Sera-tan would not want to be accused of being unfair after all!"

Why are you suddenly trying to help me? Also drop the cutesy act, the whiplash from how you usually treat me is making my skin crawl.

Something of my inner thoughts must have shown in my eyes, as Serafall seemed to wilt slightly from my stare, "No. I don't want to leave him any excuses."

"I see no problem with it." The Great King was audibly amused, "If Lord Sagan is so confident, he should be able to back it up."

"I look forward to crushing that arrogance, Lord Sagan." Diodora smarmed, "I'll be sure to remember this when I claim my prize."

The salacious look he sent CC after that sentence made the rage to surge within me, only just barely caught and restrained. I took in a deep breath, before turning my back on him, not even dignifying him with a response.

I walked out of the circle that had formed, the crowd parting for me. I spoke to my Peerage as I moved, "Come, we need to discuss our strategy." My peerage followed me, not even waiting to be dismissed by the officials present. The snub went unremarked, though it did leave Diodora seething.

---

"I won't apologise." Was the first thing my Queen said in the meeting.

"I don't expect you to. Honestly, I was close to killing him myself, I admire your restraint." My reply diffused the tension in the small antechamber, "I'm not upset with you, we expected someone to pull something. A Reveal without at least one honour duel is considered a dull affair."

That got some smiles, but not from Naomi, who was the most outwardly upset out of all of us, "Honestly, many people in the crowd also saw what happened. Why didn't they speak up?"

"Amusement." The dry response got me a death glare, but I just allowed my wings to show, proving my point. Naomi deflated, a muttered, bitter word escaping her lips, "Devils..."

"Devils." I nodded, "Now, I had hoped to avoid any rating games, but at least the format they chose gives us some wiggle room. CC will beat his Queen, I am absolutely certain."

The green haired woman was pleased with the praise, but tried not to show it.

"Shiro and Naomi will easily beat his Bishops. Out of the entire Peerage, the only ones with any significant combat potential are his Queen and one of the Knights. Naomi, Shiro, if you can, end it quickly without showing off too much. But if they prove stronger than they seem, use everything to win. I would rather reveal our abilities than get either of you hurt."

The girls I spoke to nodded, resolute looks on their faces. I turned to the last member of my little family, who was staring back at me with a resolute look on her face, "Kasane, your round will be the most scrutinised. Crush them. I want you to make anyone who thinks of trying to fuck with us after this think twice."

She nodded, accepting my orders professionally. After so long interacting with her though, I could see the pride in her stature. She was glad that I had so much faith in her, that I trusted her ability to do what I asked.

Even when so heavily out numbered.

I gave them a brief rundown of the members of the Astaroth Peerage that I had found from their Rating Games, allowing them to know who they were facing. After ending the meeting, they moved off to the waiting room that had been prepped with teleporters to take them to the arena.

I, meanwhile, had to hand the list of who was facing who to Serafall. The look of utter shock on her face when she saw what I wrote for my knight was one that would bring a smile to my face every time I thought back to that moment for years to come.

---

Shiro was angry. She didn't want her Nii-san to worry, so she tried to hide it, but she was sure that he knew something was up. Still, he didn't say anything to her, making her even more glad for his trust in her.

She put her hand over the mark on her stomach, anticipating the warm feelings that would follow her thoughts. Right on schedule, the rush of warmth arrived. She had figured our in the last moth, as the mark became more and more obvious, that it was obviously some sort of conditioning tool.

Every time she though something that Nii-san would approve of, or though of doing something Nii-san would like, the mark rewarded her with the warm feelings. She had experimented with many different activities and thoughts and proved that her hypothesis was correct.

She was so grateful for the gift.

Her Nii-san had saved her from her loneliness, played with her whenever she asked and did his best to teach her the social things she didn't understand. She knew she was smarter than him, but her Nii-san was much better at explaining things and making plans. Whenever she was with him she felt safe and happy.

The mark allowed her to know how to pay him back for everything. All she had to do was follow the feelings the mark gave her, and she could be the perfect little sister that her brother deserved. She didn't have to understand why he would enjoy something, it was enough that the mark told her that he would. It was so beautifully simple.

Which is why she was so angry.

People kept getting in the way, making her Nii-san stress out and worry. They interfered with his life, did stupid things and made him have to use his time to deal with them. Time he could be spending with her and their family instead.

More importantly than any of that, however, they tried to hurt him.

Unforgivable.

Unforgivable.

As the flash of the teleportation faded away and she saw the red headed nun that was to be her opponent, she made a promise to herself. This hussy in front of her was the only one she could reach right now, but she would get better. Grow stronger. Eventually, she would be strong enough to even reach those who thought they could mess with her Nii-san.

Then they would suffer.

She smiled at the rush of vindictive warmth that filled her at the thought.

Chapter 19: Magic Duels

Magic Duels

"Welcome to the first match in the Kingless Game between Diodora Astaroth and Damocles Sagan! I am your announcer, the beautiful Sera-tan!"

The Satan's voice sounded out through the Arena, but it was mostly ignored by the members staring each other down. They were too busy sizing each other up to care about the whole routine.

"For the Sagan, we have his two Bishops! The bubbly blonde Naomi Randall and the cool Princess Shiro Sagan!"

The red haired nun grinned at that, a manic look on her face. The other who shared her attire merely looked ahead placidly, acting more like a puppet than a person.

"For the Astaroth, We have the fiery Vivian "Witchpyre" Wren and her fellow Bishop, the cool collected Isolde "Iceberg" Juliana."

It was common for Rating Game participants to earn nicknames, but for the lower tiers the names were like these, backhanded compliments. Witchpyre because she uses fire, yes, but also because she gets herself burned more often then not, that sort of thing.

The Rating Game scene had a simple rule: 'If you didn't want people to make fun of you, you should have been stronger.'

Of course, these two were still Rating Game veterans, going up against the Sagan Peerage who had yet to participate in even one. The bets were flowing fast and fierce, the nights entertainment proving an entertaining diversion for the watching nobility.

"Normal Rating Game rules apply. Sera-tan better not see any che~ati~ng!" The Satan's teasing voice did little to diffuse the tension between the four combatants.

"Ready? Begin!"

In typical fashion in duels between magic users, the four rapidly broke up into pairs. Having space to cast without worrying about getting allies caught in the radius of your spells was important. Vivan followed after Shiro, whereas Isolde had Naomi as her dance partner.

After gaining enough distance, Shiro turned back to her opponent, who's obvious excitement had not abated in the least.

"I love getting to burn you heathens." Was the first words out of Vivian's mouth, "It's a pity that the wards recall you before you can actually die."

Flame blossomed in her fists as she threw them at the younger girl, who slid backwards and dodged them. The small devil had her wings out and was using them to skim just above the ground, allowing her to move and dodge nimbly.

Rather than being angry however, her opponent laughed, "I've never got to hurt one of you Devil Princesses before. Scream for me!"

The bolts and jets of fire that followed after her words were fast and accurate, but Shiro dodged them all. She touched down a few times in the barrage, but swiftly took flight again.

"What's wrong?" Taunted the nun, "Your brother not teach you any offensive spells? If you aren't going to fight just give up and get this over with!"

As she stepped forwards, advancing after the Sagan Bishop, a spell circle flared to life beneath her, as shields materialized in a sphere, blocking her into standing in the spells area of effect.

The Astaroth bishop cursed, reacting quickly by leaping into the air and forming her own shield beneath her, attempting to block the effects of the spell circle. Effects that failed to materialize, besides the area inside the sphere feeling strangely dense.

After realizing that nothing happened, she dismissed her shield and landed down on the ground over the still active circle, a smug look on her face, "What's wrong Princess? Tried something a bit too complex for you?"

Indeed, Shiro looked winded, on the ground outside of the spell she conjured breathing heavily. The nun clicked her tongue, "Man, what a disappointment. Oh well, I'll amuse myself once I blast my way out of here."

She was interrupted by Serafall's announcement, "One of the Astaroth Bishops has been retired! What a display of speed!"

Vivian looked up, before cursing under her breath, "I'll finish up here and go clean up Isolde's mess."

Her signature flames flickered to life in her hands, springing the trap. The first magical spark ignited the Hydrogen and Oxygen mix that the spell circle had been filling the shielded area with, causing a massive explosion that bounced off of and was contained by those same shields, amplifying its power exponentially.

Thanks to the magical flame that started the reaction, not even the innate durability of Devils saved the Bishop. She was instantly crushed by the intense explosive pressure, the sphere turning into a brief ball of bright, colourless flame.

In contrast to the destruction inside the sphere, outside all Shiro heard was a muted 'thwump.' Looking at the soot smeared area the other Devil had occupied, she stopped pretending to be winded and stood up, speaking for the first time.

"Idiot."

---

I watched the game from the private room that was granted to my peerage, thankful for the distance it granted me from all the eyes that came with being the subject of a Reveal. Currently I was preforming a rhythmic breathing exercise, trying to a get a handle on my anger.

I had just come from the negotiations over the prize for the Rating game, which was an exercise in frustration. Diodora of course wanted to take CC from my Peerage for the 'insult' against him, but surprisingly Serafall vetoed that. Likely due to the optics of the situation, but the agreed upon prize was not much better.

Diodora wanted money, and a lot of it. About half of what was remaining in the Sagan vaults when I awoke, which was a significant amount more than a Baron could be expected to pay. Likely that was the point, to cause a debt that could be cleared away through trading something, or someone else. I didn't even have the liquidity to pay him, due to the agreement with the Yokai requiring a lot of capital to set up.

The point was moot however, as my peerage will win this sham for sure. For my prize, I demanded a large industrial area from the Astaroth, that was used as a brewery for the family. My plan was to convert it to storage for the Yokai trade, but that would require remodelling and security. A problem for Future Me.

The main reason why I chose that large property is that it was the oldest brewery possessed by the Astaroth, so taking it from them would be a significant insult. Not as bad as what Diodora had done to me, but he would get what was coming to him soon enough. Already plans to make his death look an accident were half formed in my head. The only issue is most of them would not be nearly painful enough.

Before I could get too consumed by future thoughts, I attempted to refocus on my breathing, an attempt that was interrupted by a knock on the door. I kept my eyes closed as I heard Kasane open the door and speak to whoever was on the other side.

"Damocles is not accepting visitors at the moment." Her statement was greeted by a familiar voice.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I just wanted to speak to... I just... I..." I sighed, and spoke loud enough for Kasane to hear me, "It's fine, let her in."

Kasane clicked her tongue and moved aside, allowing my visitor to enter the room and going back to watching her sister's battle intently. I opened my eyes and saw the red hair I expected, the Gremory heiress looking distraught as she fidgeted in front of me.

"Damocles... I'm so sorry. I don't know what my brother was thinking." She looked at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, "Forcing you into this was wrong! I..."

"It's fine Rias, I don't blame you. You're my friend right? You shouldn't have to apologise for your brother's actions." My words seemed to reassure her, the tension draining out off her shoulders.

The screens behind her continued to show the game, displaying my bishops handily dismantling their Astaroth counterparts. Rias looked back, seeing the victory being announced and straightened up.

"I'll be rooting for you Damocles! I know you can win!" I privately thought she was likely drawing comparisons between this and the Rating Game that lies in her future.

Regardless of that, a announcement of support deserves a response, so I smiled happily at her, "Thank you Rias. Your support means a lot to me. It looks like they are going to call up Kasane next, make sure you watch closely okay?"

She smiled back at me, happy that I wasn't angry with her, "I definitely will!"

After a bit of small talk, she left the room obviously happy at how the conversation went.

Leaving me to the tender mercies of my Queen, "My my, you are certainly calm about this."

I lazily looked over at where she lounged, "Is that the way it looks? You of all people should know better than that."

"I do." Came the response, "Which is why I know you are suppressing your emotions."

"You disapprove?"

"Bottling it up will make it explode. That's a lot of pressure you're under."

I frowned, "I know. But I'm not in a position to act on my emotions."

She smiled her devious smile at me, "You're 'young', Damocles. You're allowed moments of petulance."

I shook my head, "I wish that was true, CC. I wish that was true."

---

"Yes what is it? I was in the middle of an experime..."

"Ajuka, what the actual fuck?"

"...What?"

Serafall blew air out of her nose, "Your fucking nun fetishist of a nephew! What part of 'leave the Sagan alone' wasn't clear to you?!"

"...Serafall, I have absolutely no idea what you mean."

"Oh don't play coy you..."

"Serafall." Sirzechs spoke from where he was watching the conversation the other Satan was having on the phone, "Ajuka might be telling the truth. I told you this doesn't seem like him."

Serafall took a deep breath, before letting it out slowly. "Ajuka. Do you know what Diodora did?"

"No. The last time I spoke to him was at a dinner I had with my brother."

"Did he say anything about Damocles or his queen, or his plans for the reveal?"

"No. Well he was interested that the Sagan Queen used to be a nun, but nothing besides that. Why, what happened?"

Serafall had her eyes closed, having put the phone down at the Beelzebub's answer. She put her head into her hands and groaned, a long, exasperated sound of suffering.

Sirzechs picked up the phone and spoke into it, "Diodora challenged Damocles to a Rating Game. The Prize he wanted was Damocles' queen, but we managed to make it into a large sum of money instead. It would look better to do it through debt instead forcing it through."

"Ah." Came the reply from Ajuka, "Is this not a good thing?"

"In what way?" Was Sirzechs' response.

"If Diodora wins, we remove the influence of CC from the young Sagan and if Damocles wins, it will allow us to deflect accusations of favouritism if we give the Sagan what he asked for. This could all be chalked up to a spat between young Devils."

"It could." Serafall said tiredly, "If we didn't make the Rating Game happen due to thinking that this was a plan of yours."

"What?"

"Damocles refused the game." Sirzechs explained, "Zekram Bael and I persuaded him to accept. I thought it was some sort of long reaching plan that you had failed to inform us about."

"Well it isn't. That is a problem though... I thought Zekram was on good terms with the Sagan. Why did he force the Game?"

Sirzechs narrowed his eyes, "I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

Serafall sighed and hopped to her feet, "Good luck with that. Meanwhile, I'm going to introduce the next round. I thought that Damocles was just sacrificing his knight to win the other two rounds but after that performance..."

"Yes, The Sagan Peerage is stronger than we thought. Ajuka, I'll send you the recordings later, would you mind taking a look at them? I'm not even sure what Shiro did in her battle."

"That sounds interesting, I'll be glad to." For the first time in this conversation, genuine emotion entered the Satan's voice.

---

Naomi breathed deeply, excitement filling her. Ever since she could remember, Kasane had protected her. She wasn't helpless, of course, but compared the prodigy that was her sister it was a no-brainer who was more suited for battle.

It always rankled her. Her power, although strong, was so wildly inconsistent that it hardly helped her at all against the Others. The only thing that she could rely on was her own body and the skills she built using it, which compared to the strength of her enemies was almost pathetic in comparison.

Things were different now though. Thanks to CC and Damocles, she could now access her Foresight at will. Along with her Magic, she was now no longer as weak as she once was. She had been training hard, absorbing all the knowledge and magic that Damocles shared with her, desperately wanting to prove herself useful as more than a home-maker and maid.

Originally she only came with to make sure that her dear sister would be treated well, but know that she had gotten to live this life of safety and ease she was going to defend it with all she had. Things were still dangerous and difficult, as this current situation proved, but compared to where she came from and what her fate would have been this was like a paradise.

And it was all thanks to Damocles.

He saved them, not just from her Otherization, not just from the Others themselves, but from the dark, depressing world that was all they had ever known.


It was the least she could do to pay him back for that.

The warm feelings that her new family brought out in her filling her with confidence, she focused on the one who was to be her opponent. The poor woman who reminded her of a broken doll.

"I'm sorry." Was all Isolde said before raising her arm, a blue Magic circle forming in front of it.

Naomi activated her Foresight, seeing the wave of ice that the other Bishop would cast towards her. She quickly formulated a plan and activated Foresight again, seeing how the woman would react.

Acting immediately on what she had learned, she raised her own arm, a burning sapphire glyph appearing inside the magic circle of her opponent. Isolde's eye's widened at this and shot herself backwards away from the spell, panicked. Interfering in the casting of another's spell was highly dangerous and could cause all sorts of unpredictable effects, from fizzling it to massive, city destroying explosions.

Unpredictable, that is, for those who could not see the future. The glyph destabilized the spell, causing the water that would have turned to ice to instead super heat and turn into steam, causing a large scalding smokescreen to explode out of the attempted attack. Isolde, still close enough to be in the area of effect, screamed as she was burned by the white mist.

Thankfully for her, she had managed to gain enough distance that she was only lightly burned, allowing her to catch her breath under the cover of the the mist that now filled the battlefield. That was, if not for the expertly aimed bolt of brilliant blue lightning slamming right into her forehead, taking the Bishop completely off guard and unshielded, burning a hole straight through and dropping her to the floor.

On the other side of the smokescreen, Naomi waited to see the effect of her attack, using Foresight again to see where her opponent would attack from next. Instead she was surprised as the words of the announcer sounded out just as her power told her it would.

"One of the Astaroth Bishops has been retired! What a display of speed!"

She sat there for a moment, stunned that she had won with her first attack. She had seen it happen with Foresight, of course, but all her spars with the other members of her Peerage were never as easy. As soon as the others saw what she did, they always reacted in new ways and pressured her to make sure that she didn't have time to look ahead.

Is this the results of the large amount of training Damocles had insisted they went though?

Feeling new gratitude flow through her towards her saviour, she beamed up at the sky.

"Did you see that, Kasane?" She spoke softly to herself, "Your big sister is strong now. You can rest easy. It's my turn to protect you."

Chapter 20: Broken Things

Broken Things

She wondered, was this happiness? Emotions were always confusing to her.

"Representing the Sagan, sister of the Bishop we watched just now, the Knight Kasane Randall!"

She had felt off for quite a while now. Going from constant mortal danger to a rather relaxed existence in the manor of a noble was a cause for some whiplash. Of course, she soon discovered that there were threats lurking in this world just as there was in hers, spurring her to learn from the freely given instruction of her new commander. Her new friend.

"Facing her, is... Every single remaining member of the Astaroth Peerage!"

Indeed, she had accepted Damocles as a competent leader, enough to trust him. Every time she thought of him, the things he had done for both of the sisters, a strange feeling filled her. It didn't feel bad, but she was unsure as to what it was. The things he did besides his healing of Naomi might have seemed small to others, offering them shelter and safety, though to her, it was clear that he cared for them as more than just soldiers or servants.

"Diodora, what are your thoughts on the upcoming match?"

Thanks to him, something amazing had happened. Her sister gained control of her ability, as well as the strength to utilize what it showed her. Compared to the truly strong in this world, it might seem small, but it still put her firmly above most of the supernatural denizens in this realm.

"A classic tactic for the weaker peerage, use one of the pieces as a sacrifice to allow the others to win. It doesn't matter, with the Queen's being worth 9 points it will all be decided there anyway."

It was a weight she did not know that she was carrying, truthfully. Even in her world, she was consantly pushing herself to be stronger to be able to protect her sister. She was even stronger here, but there was always the worry that Naomi could be killed by the many threats that existed in the supernatural world. Knowing that her sister was at least strong enough to fend for herself was a complicated feeling.

She was content with it though.

Was this happiness?

"Lord Sagan, what is your response?"

She didn't know. It could have been, but that did not explain the warm feeling that she felt towards Damocles. When that Gremory girl started flirting with him at the Reveal, she felt angry towards her. Did that mean this feeling was her liking Damocles?

She wanted to find out.

His voice entered her ears, giving her a rush of the warm feeling, stronger than usual.

"Kasane has my full confidence. She can handle this easily."

She wanted to explore these feelings, she wanted to discover even more of this... happiness. To do that, however, she needed to be able to defend it. She understood what Damocles asked of her. She would bring all the attention of the Underworld on her by winning here. Damocles' enemies would focus on her, out of everyone else in the Peerage, seeing her as the biggest threat.

She would be their shield. The first line of defence.

It was a duty she was glad he trusted her with. She would not fail him.

"Strong words from the Sagan Lord! We will soon see if it is merely boasting or if there is a new rising star of Rating Games amongst us!"

She relaxed her body, preparing herself for what she was about to do. From her sleeves, six aerodynamically designed knives floated out, hovering around her. She breathed, gathering her energy. This would not be a fight, or a duel.

Based on what Damocles told her, this would be a slaughter.

She waited as the Bitch Satan finished introducing her opponents, not even bothering to remember any of their names. Finally, the words she was waiting for came.

"Contestants, ready? Begin!"

The desert terrain that she was fighting in very quickly shrunk as she shot up into the air. She had focused on flying more than anyone else in the Peerage, meaning that she reached the apex allowed by the wards surrounding the arena with an incredible speed. She floated there, remembering what had been explained to her about the wards.

Using a time dilation between this artificial realm and reality, the wards detected when someone would take lethal damage or lose consciousness and recall them back into the set aside infirmary. If the damage was instant, they would arrive not even wounded.

Not that she cared about minimizing pain and being instantly lethal here. From what Damocles told them, Diodora's Peerage was little more than broken dolls. Besides, this whole thing was for her to establish her strength to the Underworld. To make a scene. To make an example.

And that is exactly what she would do.

Gathering her Gravity magic around her, she increased the effect of the universal force in the area around her, sparing her own body from the effects. Then, maintaining her concentration on the now dark purple sphere of energy, she started to descend, aiming directly at the Astaroth peerage.

Many, many times faster than she had ascended.

The impact was like the hammer of a vengeful god. The kinetic energy released from the strike was almost like the impact of a meteor. Emerging from the crater that was once the staging area for her opponents, her unharmed form blurred out, knives following her in a storm of steel. Those that survived the initial impact, 2 Pawns, both Knights and one Rook, were swiftly under assault from multiple directions.

One of the pawns was eviscerated before she even recovered from the shock, another had her head caved in from a gravity enhanced kick. The rook successfully blocked two of the flying knives, only to be disemboweled by another. One of the knights attempted to strike at Kasane's blind spot, only to be torn to ribbons by the rest of the sharp pieces of metal.

The other knight brought her head to rest against her sword, causing a golden light to emanate from her in a sphere. The holy energy caught the Rook, retiring her, but did make Kasane retreat from the poisonous magic. The enemy knight was not unaffected, but bore the burned flesh she now sported with admirable stoicism.

Just like that, the outnumbered girl had brought it down to a one on one. From the starting numbers, 7 Pawns, 2 Rooks and 2 Knights, only one knight remained.

The golden haired nun spoke to the white haired girl, "Forgive me. You are skilled, but..."

Before she could continue, Kasane reached out with her mental hands and grasped the other woman. Sensing the danger, she tried to dodge, but Kasane was simply faster. Using the mental imagery that she had developed even before she acquired Magic, Kasane imagined the invisible hands moving as if wringing a sponge.

Ignoring the sounds that emanated from the enemy Knight as a result, she cleaned her knives with a burst of Magic and floated them back into the holsters in her sleeves. Finally, for the first time since the 'battle' started, she touched the ground. Standing there in the center of the carnage, waiting for the result to be called.

"Wha..." There was sounds of surprise from the commentator, before she managed to gather herself, "Ehem... In a stunning display, the Sagan Knight is victorious!"

Kasane smiled softly. Once again, she was protecting her family. Truly, this is where she belonged.

---

I breathed out. Truly, there was never a doubt that Kasane would win, but anything could happen in a fight. The holy artifact that Diodora's knight had was dangerous and could be used to defeat Devils much more powerful the Knight who wielded it.

"My turn up next then?" My queen spoke from her seat besides me, us being the only two in the room.

"Yes it is." Was my response, looking at the demeanor of the woman that was my Queen.

Two months was not a lot of time to get to know someone, but it is a sufficient amount of time to pick up some tells from their body language. And what I was seeing in her reminded me of a strung bow, tension lining every limb.

"Must be nostalgic." The non sequitur getting a raised eyebrow, "Two young noble men fighting over you."

That got a grin, but a small one, "It's not something I am pleased to relive, to be honest."

"I can understand that." The silence stretched on, before she stood up and moved towards the door of the room.

I made a split second decision, one that could backfire heavily on me. But after so long being so careful and meticulous it felt great top be spontaneous.

"Oh? You need something else?" The raised eyebrow and taunt directed to me were the result of my reaching out and grabbing her wrist.

"Cecelia." The name got flared nostrils, confusion and anger rising in her eyes before I continued, "Don't worry about what you reveal or don't in this fight. I have only known you for two months, but I like what little of the woman behind the mask I've got to see."

She looked unsure about how to handle this, honesty and feelings something that she was always uncomfortable with, so I finished up, "No matter what happens, I will stand beside you. I'll protect you, just like I promised. I know it might be presumptions of me to ask this, but please, Cecelia..."

I looked directly into her eyes as I tenderly said her name, the one that she had abandoned, "Trust me."

Her amber eyes, usually so cold and closed off, were showing a veritable storm of emotions. It was a rare moment that she was vulnerable, her mask cracked by the unexpected attack. She looked down to where I gripped her wrist, and I gently released it from my grasp.

"Idiot." She said, as she turned away to hide her face, "How can you even say something like that with a straight face? Playboy. Seducer."

"I'll say it again if you want. And again and again and again, forever if need be. You might not accept it just yet, but you are not alone. If you wish it, you'll never be alone again. All you need to do is to ask and I'll be there."

"You really are dangerous." Was her huffy response, "It's not like I'm going off to an execution. Where did this come from?"

"I thought it needed to be said."

"Well you thought wrong." Was he response as she walked to the door, opening it before looking back at me. A conflicted look flitted over her face, before she left with a final statement, "...but thank you. It's... appreciated."

The door closed behind her, hiding my resulting smile.

---

Honestly, that man. CC was still experiencing the after effects of his little stunt while waiting for the teleport to the arena. Who does he think he is? Saying her name like that, with such a tender tone, just to offer meaningless platitudes...

She's heard it all before. 'I'll protect you', 'I won't abandon you', 'you mean the world to me.' None of them kept their promises in the end. Logically, she knew this time would be no different.

So why then, does her heart beat so fast?

She brought a hand up to her face, confirming what she suspected to be the case. She was blushing. She was the Witch, she did not blush, especially not at some trite words from a young brat. Even if he was older than he appeared, he was still a child in comparison to her. Which begged the question, why didn't she get angry at him and give him a piece of her mind? Especially at his temerity of using her name like that.

In the moment, looking into his sapphire eyes, seeing the earnestness reflected within them, she realised she wanted to believe his words. It seems that even after all these centuries, she still could not quite kill the naïve young slave that dreamed of love within her. She hated it.

She hated how it made her have expectations, Damocles needed to toe the line, to at least not be openly antagonistic to the Satan's and the Great King's factions. His eventual goal depended on him either ingratiating himself within the Underworld's politics or gaining the time to be strong enough to enforce his will on them regardless of any backroom deals.

If they wanted her dead or out of his Peerage, they just needed to push him and he would fold. She knew his type, the ones that weighed costs and benefits to themselves constantly. Her fears over how this situation would play out were coming to pass.

The incident that started this whole mess was familiar to her, as Damocles had guessed. She knew what a spoiled, noble rapist looked like. It was mostly luck that she had managed to guard her chastity for as long as she had, but learning to spot people like Diodora Astaroth and his ilk was a necessity towards that goal as well.

Once again, the dreams of a naïve girl, wanting her first to be special. When the pig had swaggered up to her, demanding a dance as if it was right, she knew exactly what he would attempt to do with the close access to her body. That was why she rejected him, then he grew forceful.

She did not handle it as well as she could have, admittedly. Though she had to admit that seeing the protective anger from Damocles was gratifying, even if it would ultimately be pointless.

At least if he did fail his promise and give up on her for his goals, she consoled herself with the knowledge that she could finally end her own suffering.

A voice in her head asked why she hadn't done so already and she steadfastly ignored the image of a resolute young boy extending her a hand, like a prince from a fairy tale promising her the impossible.

Just as she ignored how warm that image made her feel.

---

The two Queens stared at each other, one's face carefully controlled through long experience, the other blank faced due to all life being stamped out of her. Her name was Jean Bellamy, the 'Holy Shield'.

The Blond Haired Nun, in a sinful mockery of a habit, was the first to speak, "I would advise surrendering. Get it over with. My Lord quickly loses interest in those who do not fight back."

CC laughed at that, a cruel sound devoid of mirth, "He did seem to be that type."

The nun, seeing her advice discarded, merely unsheathed the slender sword from her waist. The two Queens watched each other, before bursting forward into motion. The thrusts and slashes from the Astaroth member were fast and precise, faster than the Sagan member was moving. However, flowing like liquid, CC did not have to move fast to dodge all the attacks. In a display of immense skill, she moved pass all the attacks and landed a magically infused kick to her opponents knee.

Instead of shattering, a sickly black glow deflected the blow and CC retreated, clicking her tongue. This was the Sacred Gear that she had been warned about by Damocles, the Shield of Faith. Perverted as it was by the sin and depravity the holy woman was subjected to, it still acted as a passive defensive measure.

A relatively low tier Sacred Gear, it could be circumvented by taking the wielder by surprise or merely over-powering the shield. CC however, did not have impressive levels of Demonic Power so she would have to gamble if she went the latter route. Seeing as the Nun had a weapon and she didn't, beating her through a battle of attrition would also be risky.

She was devising a plan in her head when Jean spoke again, "Spare yourself the pain and struggle. Trust me, it isn't worth it."

Blue eyes flashed in CC's mind, the words 'trust me' bringing them to the forefront of her thoughts.

Anger and irritation rising, CC spoke to the other Queen, "Pain? Child, I guarantee you that you do not know the meaning of the word."

"Bravado is meaningless." Was the calm response.

'Fine.' Thought CC, 'I'll trust you Damocles. You infuriating bastard.'

Changing completely for the lithe, graceful fighting form that she had been used previously, CC rushed the other Queen, who raised her sword in a fending motion, expecting a feint. Leaving her completely blind sided when CC merely ran into her weapon, running herself through.

Before she could react, her head was grabbed by the Sagan Queen and their foreheads brought together. Said Sagan Queen's forehead that was glowing ominously. Instantly, both contestants locked up, leaving the spectators wondering what exactly was happening between the two.

Inside the minds of the two, however, things were not nearly so static. CC perceived the memories of the other woman, fragments flitting by too fast to be studies but in sufficient number to build a picture. Jean honey trapping other Nuns and Holy Maidens, holding them down while Diodora took his pleasure from them, bowing and scraping to every need of the Astaroth Heir.

All to save herself from the pain and torture he would inflict on her when he was bored, or thought she needed to be taught a lesson. Jean Bellamy was a broken thing, only interested in self preservation. Most of her personality had been killed off by her own hands, repressed deeply so as to not displease her Master.

She had broken surprisingly quickly, a delicate thing unused to pain as she had been. Taken all this in, it made CC feel more sure about what she would to this husk of a person. Jean was relatively young and not at all strong mentally, broken as she was. Several centuries worth of various horrifying experiences being suddenly slammed into her fragile mind was way more than it could handle.

When it came to pain and suffering, CC had quite the advantage.

The Queen's mind fractured, desperately trying to suppress the foreign memories, but they came in such vast number and intensity that it was a doomed effort. Eventually, it shut down, likely permanently unless the foreign memories were removed. Something beyond almost all beings that populated this world, mind magic being as under developed as it was.

Her private atrocity completed, CC cut the connection and drew back from the other Queen, who slackly fell to the ground, glassy eyes staring up at nothing. Her grip slipped off the handle of her sword, which CC soon grasped and pulled out of her chest.

Ignoring the rapidly closing wound, CC spoke up imperiously towards the observation wards, "This match is over."

"Astaroth Queen, can you continue?"

When there was no response after some time, Serfall's voice boomed through the arena and the confused crowd watching in the Sagan Hall, "Winner by forfeit, the Sagan Peerage!"

Chapter 21: Breaking Point

Breaking Point

An excited chatter broke out amongst the nobles in my hall, before a round of applause started up for my victorious Peerage who walked behind me. I had promised them one thing that they wanted for their excellent performances. They didn't need that reward to feel accomplished, but it made me feel better about what they had to go through.

I would have preferred them to have been much more powerful and well trained before they were forced into a fight like this, but fate is rarely so kind, I suppose. They did superbly all the same, hopefully dissuading any other idiots from trying something similar in the future. The fact that most of the fights were over so quickly was advantageous, as it did introduce a degree of uncertainty.

They were not forced to go all out, or backed into a corner, so what did they hold back? Was likely what many were thinking after watching their bouts.

I stepped onto the stage in the main hall, sweeping my gaze over the audience as the applause died down, "Thank you all. I am glad you enjoyed the unexpected entertainment."

I somehow managed to keep the venom from that statement, but it was a close thing. My temper, something that plagued me in both lives, was bubbling at a low simmer. These fuckers were opportunistic, hedonistic vultures. The disdain that the majority of the midnight world had for our kind was well deserved by the older specimens.

I was tempted to just eradicate them all.

Pushing the bloodlust to the back of my mind, I hid my murderous thoughts behind a small smile, "Well, now is as good a time as any to do this, I suppose. Now that I have you attention, I would like to announce something exciting."

Flourishing my arm, I produced a sample case that I had prepared with a teleportation rune beforehand. Giving the case to Kasane who placed it on a table in front of the stage, I spoke so that all could hear me, "I have in my brief time back, managed to open up dialogue with a rather intriguing partner."

Kasane opened the case, causing several of the closer Devils who could see the contents clearly to gasp in surprise. I continued, "Yasaka, the Leader of the Western Yokai of Japan, has graciously agreed to allow me to be the intermediary between them and the Underworld. This is an honour, one that was granted solely to the Sagan, which I am extremely grateful for."

I made sure to emphasize that point. Yasaka was not trading with them, she was trading with me. I don't think anyone would fuck with me for a while considering what just happened, but better safe than sorry.

"So that you know I am being honest with you, My Lords and Ladies, this case will be available for your perusal. You may inspect the various reagents, to see what you can expect to be for sale soon. Please do note however, to not touch the merchandise. I am a generous host, but a merchant should never give something away for free."

Especially to parasites like you, was the unsaid thought. My joke did get a few chuckles, but most peoples attention was locked onto the sample case.

"I will happily answer any questions you have, we do have some time left for tonight. Thank you for indulging me, now please, eat, drink and be merry!"

Taking my own advice, I offered my arm to my Queen, not letting her or any of my peerage out of my sight for the rest of this farce. She looked exasperated, but I saw her give a slight smile and take the offered limb. I grabbed a drink and stood next to Kasane at the sample case, ready to answer questions and continue the meet and greet. Shiro and Naomi followed along, both watching the passing nobles like hawks.

Most seemed to pay more attention to Kasane than them, though. Perfect.

As I took a sip from my glass, savouring the liquid after the night I had, I was approached by two people I did not expect to make an appearance.

"Lord Sagan, Lady CC." The older woman curtsied, while the bespectacled young girl beside her did the same, "I wish we were meeting in better circumstances."

"Lady Sitri, Heiress Sitri. It is a pleasure to see you both." It wasn't. I really did not want to deal with Serafall's mother and Nuclear Button right now.

"I just wanted to thank you for accepting my offer to meet next week, Lord Sagan. To ensure that there are no miscommunications, I also wanted to assure you that Heir Astaroth's actions were not appropriate in the eyes of House Sitri."

Now that was a surprise. I had gotten several missives for various lords and ladies to meet me in the weeks after this Reveal, something that was fairly common. To have Lady Sitri condemn Diodora to me was not expected however. What was her play here?

"Thank you for words, Lady Sitri. Heir Astaroth's actions were abhorrent to me as well, but thankfully the matter is resolved." I stayed careful with my words.

"I wish to compliment you Lord Sagan." Sona spoke, getting a fond but disapproving look from her mother, "Your Peerage is excellently trained for how long they have been Devils. Would you be amenable to scheduling a session to share your methods? Anything that can get Reincarnated Devils up to speed quicker is very valuable to me."

I hid my grimace. She wanted to know that for her school, presumably, but spending time with Serafall's little sister alone when I had no idea what her mother was playing at was like navigating a minefield while blindfolded.

"I appreciate your praise, Heiress Sitri, but the training that my Peerage undergoes is a private House Sagan matter. Maybe in the future we could discuss a way to standardize some basic concepts for the Reincarnated Devils?"

She smiled, "I would appreciate that, Lord Saga..."

She was interrupted by a loud, familiar voice bellowing out across the hall, "DAMOCLES SAGEN, YOU ARE A CHEAT AND A FRAUD!"

All eyes turned to the entrance of the hall, where Diodora Astaroth stood. He was red faced with rage, eyes locked onto me. My stomach twisted as a familiar monster reared it's head within me.

"You could not beat my Peerage, so you resorted to breaking the rules? I will have recompense!"

My blood started pounding in my ears.

Sirzechs, who had been in a furious discussion with Serafall, stepped from the side of the Hall and spoke to the enraged Heir, "Diodora? Are you accusing Lord Sagan of cheating?"

"Yes!" Came the snarled response, "The medics tending to Jean say that she in unrecoverable. The attack from the charlatan's Queen damaged her psyche beyond repair, bypassing the Recall Wards!"

I felt heat course through me, both acidic and familiar, like an old, toxic friend.

Mutters broke out in the hall from that, as the news of an attack that was able to bypass the wards was a rather serious thing for all of them. Sneering, Diodora continued, "I would expect nothing less from a coward. I declare the result invalid, I do not accept it! I have lost a Queen, and demand recompense!"

Sirzechs frowned, "Diodora, there is no rule..."

He was stopped by the sound of shattering glass and creaking wood. I noticed in my peripheral vision CC looking at me in concern and the two female Devils I was speaking to backing away slightly. Belatedly, over the pounding sound of my heartbeat in my ears, I noticed the glass in my had shattered, causing my hand to bleed slightly.

The table next to me was bending to an invisible force, bowing as it's structure failed and splintered. Frost was spreading from my feet, even as the tiles underneath me cracked. My peerage's breaths started to fog, the temperature around me dropping as the heat within me rose.

My mouth moved, anger spiking, eyes locked solely on the green haired trash that held my ire.

"Enough."

---

She had seen this before. Juliana Sitri was a veteran of a civil war, so she was used to feeling bloodlust. What she wasn't used to, however, was to feel it so refined from one so young. She grabbed her daughters hand and led her quickly out of the path of the dangerous beast that had replaced the young Lord she was just speaking to, watching with bated breath as he took a step forwards.

The floor beneath him cracked, as the table next to him finally gave in and collapsed in on itself.

"Enough." Contrary to the baleful aura that flickered around him for those with the experience to sense it, his voice was deceptively calm.

"You come into my House. You disrespect my hospitality. You covet that which is not yours, then when you lose you come citing worthless rulebooks? No."

She realised, his eyes were glowing red. Had he implanted a spell circle into his eyeballs?! Those red eyes were showing a deep anger. This was not the tantrum of a child, however, no. This killing intent flooding off of him was polished, mature. This was the bloodlust of some one who was not only perfectly willing to kill, but knew exactly how to do it.

"You should have been grateful, Astaroth. You got to escape relatively unscathed. That won't be happening now, however. By my blood as Lord Sagan, I Challenge you to a Duel to Surrender." Damocles' voice was level, almost conversational, but it carried easily throughout the silent hall.

Juliana sucked in a breath. This was something that had not happened in centuries. The Duel to Surrender was fought with the Recall Wards deactivated, and was basically a replacement for the outlawed Duel to the Death. Indeed, Damocles had basically just admitted his intent to kill the Astaroth Heir in front of almost the entirety of Devil Nobility.

While concerning, however, that was not the worst part. By invoking his Bloodline in his challenge, Damocles had basically declared Diodora an enemy of his House. Should Diodora refuse, it would not be the end of it. Any who sheltered him, any who helped him, all who counted themselves as Diodora's friends would earn the ire of the Sagan House as a whole.

It might just be a Barony now, but with his trade with the Yokai that will likely change within a month. Even without that, Devils are long lived and hold grudges closely. Many would happily take a stab at the Astaroth with the given excuse of supporting the Sagan, even disregarding the fact that this would gift the Sagan to one of the other political factions on a silver platter.

Even worse, however, is if House Astaroth stood with Diodora. That could start something that could ignite the underlying tensions of the Underworld into a another potential civil war.

A Blood Feud.

Realizing this, Sirzechs stepped forwards, in between the two young devils, "That's not necessary, Lord Sagan. Your victory is acknowledged by the judges, no need to go that far."

"Thank you for your advice, Satan Lucifer." Damocles had not taken his eyes off the suddenly unsure Diodora, "But this is a matter between the Sagan and the Astaroth. Unless you are taking him under your aegis?"

Juliana sucked in a breath. This kid was ready to go to war against the Satans too? 'Serafall you idiot.' She thought to herself, 'Just how far did you push him?'

Sirzechs chewed his cheek, before stepping back, "Of course not. I apologise for interfering in House business."

Diodora had used this time to gather himself, still much less confident than he was earlier this night, "Fine! If you want to face the indignity of losing to me yourself, I'll oblige you. In fact, I'll force you to give me your Queen before making you surrender."

Damocles, his eyes shining still that bight red, smiled widely. It was not a happy expression, but one of aggression and teeth. His voice however, sent a shiver down Juliana's spine, the raw, primal satisfaction it held reminding her of battles from the past.

"You can certainly try."

---

"What do we do?" Serafall's voice was drained, sounding tired.

She was slumped in a stately couch, arm over her eyes, speaking to the room.

"Nothing." Came the response from her mother, who had immediately made a beeline towards the Satans as soon as the challenge was accepted.

"Nothing? So we just let a Pillar House Heir be killed in front of us?" Serafall asked, incredulous, "Ajuka's Nephew?"

"Yes, that is exactly my advice. Diodora brought this on himself. His actions would need to be addressed publicly anyway."

"She's right, Serafall." Came the surprising support from Sirzechs, "Damocles called me out for interference in front of the entire hall. Should we wade into this now, after supporting Diodora's initial challenge, it will set us firmly against the Sagan and be a PR disaster. Especially considering Damocles' supposed monopoly on the Yokai trade."

"It's real. My sources within the Yokai confirmed it just now." Serafall sighed, "What if Diodora wins? Should we be worried about the Sagan House ending?"

"He won't." Juliana Sitri said, getting resigned nods from both the Satans.

"You noticed it too?" Serafall asked her mother.

"The fact that the Lord Sagan has near perfect control over his magic? Or that his usage of Gravity Magic like his knight hardly dented his reserves?" Was the dry response, "That boy has been training himself into the ground. One would even think that he is preparing to go to war. Or that he is worried that he will be forced to fight for his life soon, for some reason."

Serafall winced, the jibe not going unnoticed, "Be that as it may, I need to try and open up a dialogue with the Yokai again. I've been focused on the Angels and the Fallen for a while, but Damocles having a total monopoly there is dangerous."

"Perfect, I'll go discuss these events with Lord and Lady Astaroth. I need to make sure that this doesn't snowball any further." Sirzechs paused and looked to the Sitri Matriarch, "Was Diodora telling the truth about his Queen?"

"He was." She confirmed, "The medics are completely unable to revive her. She's conscious, but her mind... it's completely unrecoverable. We've called in some Mind Magic specialists, but the Doctor's are not confident."

"CC is more dangerous than we thought. In fact, the entire Sagan Peerage are much more powerful than they should be. They've grown at a phenomenal rate." Sirzechs put his chin on his hands, looking off into the distance, considering.

"We need to put a lot more focus on them. Something tells me they won't slow down after this."

"Be careful." His friend's mother cautioned, "He's already poisoned against you, by your own actions. It is not unrecoverable, a working relationship can still be formed, but it must be taken slowly and with care. I will do what I can to lay the ground work when I meet with him next week."

"Thanks, Mom." Serafall smiled, but inside she was still incensed. The Yokai wanted nothing to do with Devils, they made that very clear. So what's so special about Damocles where he just strolled in and established trade with them again?

Sure, he's cute she objectively noted, but this Sera-Tan is way cuter!

Chapter 22: Consequences Delivered

Consequences Delivered

I clenched my fists. The energy within me was barely contained, a storm waiting to break out. Rather ironically, having a target to focus my frustrations on felt good. At the same time though, the anger and hatred coursing through me was very, very real.

I was containing it for now, glaring at my future victim. I knew, logically, that the smart thing to do in this situation was to surprise him and end it instantly with Ice Magic. That way, my future enemies would still be unsure about what exactly I could do with Gravity. A larger part of me, much louder, wanted to drag this out, impress on Diodora exactly how badly he fucked up.

But I had decided, as soon as I challenged him, exactly what I would do. He will die, but I'll do it in the way I best knew how.

With my own two hands.

He tried to take CC from me. Just for that, he would have had to die. I had already planned to kill him sometime after this Reveal. Now though, after handing me this opportunity on a silver platter, the plan had changed. Diodora didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, sure he pissed me off, but the real thing that was making me so angry was the Satans backing him.

They wanted to take my Peerage from me? Diodora a would be a fine example, for both them and any other Devil who gets such a bright idea into their heads. His death will not be pretty. The fact that he was actually related to them and a convenient target I could use to vent my frustrations? A bonus.

"As is tradition, we will have the participants have a final word before the battle. Heir Astaroth?"

"Hmmph, This Duel is a farce. I will forgive the Sagan if he surrenders here, after some recompense is paid of course." Diodora smirked at me, seeming to have deluded himself back into confidence.

"Strong words from the Astaroth, Lord Sagan, do you have a response?"

My eyes were locked on Diodora, "Start the damn thing already."

Serafall seemed worried about how I was acting, but honestly at this point I was long past giving a shit. She faded from view as she started the count down, the screens that were projected into the arena dissipating.

The start was called, and Diodora started to act in the common ways for Devils to act in Duels in the present, "So eager to rush to your doom, but I suppose..."

He was interrupted by a burst of movement from me. The ground behind my feet crated as I accelerated towards him, charging him wordlessly. He fumbled a bit in surprise, expecting me to grandstand and brag like he had been doing. Still, he recovered quickly and conjured a physical green shield in front of himself, before forming another one with a sharpened edge directly in my path towards him.

"Lock."

My Geass allowed me to target a specific part of his spell. It was one I already analyzed and taught to my bishops, so I knew it's makeup. His was as lot more refined and obviously had some improvements, but the principle was the same.

"Disappointing." Was all he said as he poured Demonic Power into the flickering shields, countering my Power of Binding.

He was older than this body of mine, meaning that even as untrained as he was, he still had larger Demonic Power reserves than me. The way the Power of Binding worked was common knowledge, so my greatest weapon against him was countered simply by our difference in age.

At least, that's what he thought.

The shields flared, strengthening even as my binding was reinforced by my own Demonic Power. The ovals of the spells effects expanded under the extra power, all except a specific part of the spell circle, that was remaining Locked and deforming the spell. Like a needle pushed into a balloon, the spells popped and failed as the section of the spell that allowed them to take physical form was prevented from acting properly and destabilized the carefully constructed Magic Circles.

Most Devils barely even know how their spells work, just letting their imagination form the effects and their nature form the spell circles automatically. A weakness I will ruthlessly exploit.

"What th..." Was as far as Diodora got before a magically enhanced right hook buried itself into his stomach.

The punch was delivered with experience, my form crafted through years of boxing practice. But I was not just a boxer. Street fights had no rules. As he leaned forward into the hit, I delivered a brutal upper cut to his chin, forcing his head to snap back and his teeth to smash together. Taking the target presented to me, I drew back my hands and reinforced the muscles with Demonic Power, even as I used gravity magic to enhance the mass behind the next blow.

Slamming the heels of my palms to either side of his jaw, it proved too much for even Devil durability to endure. The bone of his lower jaw shattered and distended, braking the skin in some places and disfiguring him. He screamed, a sound that was cut off as soon as I realised what he could do if he could still make that sound.

"Lock."

His voice cut off, panic and fear filling his eyes as he reacted instinctively and through a sloppy right jab at me, attempting to fend me off. I felt the reflexive use of magic, but crushed it with my binding. He could fight it, as using Lock on multiple things meant it was easier to fight it off, but focusing through the pain is a skill that had to be learned. Seeing as he was a sadist coward, I did not expect it to be something he felt necessary to pick up.

Catching the limb, I suddenly remembered. This is the arm he used to grope my Queen, wasn't it? Sweeping his legs, I brought the arm into a lock and wrenched my hands, using it as a fulcrum to bring him to the ground. Placing my knee on his shoulder, controlling him and stopping him fro squirming out of the grab, I twisted and pressed with the knee for leverage.

A crack and a pop sounded out, as his forearm broke before the forces dislocated the arm. Using the now floppy limb, I flipped him onto his back, face up. The panic in his eyes was clear to see on his bloodied face. Dropping on to his stomach, a wad of blood was forced up from his ruined mouth from the weight as he struck with his left fist.

Swatting away the panicked blow, I pinned the arm under my leg and stated to vent my frustrations on to my now disabled opponent.

Starting with the right fist, I slammed into his nose, breaking it.

Following with the left, I slammed it into his left eye.

The pattern repeated like that, making sure I moderated my force to not kill him just yet. For the first time, I could cut loose, just work through my anger. It felt truly freeing. The Wrath within me pulsed and flowed from me into the helpless sack beneath me, allowing my to reach an almost meditative state. His struggles to try and force me off were easily suppressed, my Lock not letting him even reinforce his body to help

Right. Left.

They went too far. I was annoyed by the other things they pulled, but this?

Right. Left.

Trying to give CC to this rapist piece of shit?

Right. Left.

This pathetic cretin. More than that, I was certain they knew what he got up to with his little group of fuck-toys.

Right. Left.

My friendship with Rias was not enough of a shield apparently. If this was the way they wanted to play, I'll play alright.

Right. Left.

As I wound up my next punch, Diodora's face completely unrecognizable under the broken bones, flesh and blood, I notice him swelling his Demonic Power, attempting to fight off my Lock.

Absolutely not.

A blade of ice encased my right hand and I slammed it into his chest. A gurgle of escaped him, but before he could even react to that I was already forming my signature spell.

A sword in a sheath, the blade parting the water, ripples on the surface.

The piece of magic that I had created, the purple gravitational blade that was the culmination of my understanding of magic even before my Geass formed at my will, manifesting from my hand.

Inside Diodora's body.

The forces rippling from the distortion of space acted like a blender, shredding the area around them and turning his organs into a thick slurry. Such a thing would be fatal, eventually, as a Devil's durability allowed them to survive even this for a time.

In excruciating agony.

But then I noticed something.

The Recall wards, the ones that were supposed be deactivated, shimmered and rippled around Diodora. I snarled, anger spiking and forcing my blade to expand, shredding his chest cavity open and killing him instantly. I was tempted to lock the wards, but there was no way I could combat the power that was supplying them.

Too late.

The Recall Wards had activated. Pulling him from my hands just as I dealt the fatal blow. It would not have mattered I would have realised if I was thinking logically, the time dilation meant he would have survived no matter what I did.

I was not thinking logically at that moment. I thought I was angry before. I thought I knew fury.

As the beast within me roars, it's cage rattling and breaking, I discovered that I had vastly underestimated the depths of emotions Devils could feel.

As the ground around me cratered, the space rippling and distorting even as ice formed in the very air, I threw head back and laughed.

I don't know what was so funny, but the crazed, maddened laughter escaping me at the moment felt right.

---

"So allowing my King to be disrespected in his own home, at his own Reveal, was not enough? You had to step into an official duel an show you have no respect for any kind of honour or tradition?"

"Lady CC, I want to assure you, that we had nothing to do with the Recall Wards being active during the duel. Ajuka is investigating as we speak and should have a report soon. The wards being active in an officially recognized duel is not something that should happen."

The green haired Queen sniffed, staring down Sirzechs and stalling for time. She had sent Shiro ahead to greet Damocles and calm him down after the duel. She was worried about what he would do if he interacted with any of the Satans in the state of mind the end of the fight left him in.

"It happened regardless." She raised an eyebrow, "The only explanations are that you are responsible, or you are not. Meaning you are either malicious or incompetent."

"She's got you there, Lucy." A blue haired devil laughed.

"Lord Paimon." Sirzechs spoke through gritted teeth, "No one without authorization should be allowed to activate the wards used for Rating Games. The wards were designed exactingly, and approved by all the Pillars. We will get to the bottom of this, but I swear that this was not authorized by any off us."

"I fail to..." CC was interrupted, by a young voice coming from the staircase of the hall.

"Words... without action are not compelling."

Damocles Sagan, covered in blood, dripped viscera from his right arm as he descended the staircase. The Sagan Lord seemed calm and collected as he moved, and if he was not covered in the pieces of another Devil one could mistake his demeanor for one who was taking a leisurely stroll.

But CC knew better. He was focused, sharp as a razor. His movements were careful, tight. His shoulders were tensed. But looking into his eyes gave all the answers she needed, they shined blue without his Geass and within them she saw a deep, cold fury.

"Lord Sagan, I want to assure you that..."

"You killed my family." Sirzechs' sentence was interrupted by the calm, low statement, but it brought the entire room to standstill. All eyes were locked onto the Sagan as he continued, a mockery of a smile on his face, "I have no room to complain. It was War, the Sagan was on the losing side. I understand that. So instead, I built myself a new family."

"Damocles..." Serafall tried to avert the coming crash, but it was far too late.

"It makes me wonder!" He raised his voice, speaking over the Satan, "Would such mercy, such grace, be shown to Diodora should he have attempted the same thing against a different Queen? It makes you think how this would have played out if went after, for a random example, Akeno."

Sirzechs tensed, a dangerous look entering his eyes, "What are you implying, Lord Sagan?"

"Nothing." Was the response, as Damocles seemed hardly phased at the strongest being in the Underworld's ire, "Hypocrisy is the privilege of the strong. If you are strong enough to protect your family, there is no shame in doing so. This is why I will inform every, single, one of you gathered here."

The young Lord, solemn, spoke words that all present believed, especially after his latest performance, "I will protect my family, from anyone."

The Satan held the gaze of Damocles, the air between them fraught with hostility. That was undermined as Damocles smiled.

"I must thank you, Sirzechs Lucifer, Serafal Leviathan, for all the effort you put into organizing this Reveal. Watching your work was very instructing. Allow me to pay you back for the generosity, let it not be said that the Sagan do not recognize their debts."

He threw out his right arm, teleporting coins into it, which he then threw at the feet of the red haired Satan. Lying there, covered in the blood of the Astaroth heir, tinkled thirty small silver coins.

"An appropriate payment for your actions I believe." Sirzechs face twisted, but Damocles continued, "I hereby declare, as Lord Sagan, Head of the House of Sagan. The Satans Lucifer, Leviathan, Beezelbub and Asmodeus are hereby barred from all Sagan properties and businesses, as are their Kin."

Shocked gasps echoed throughout the hall as Damocles finished, " I will still attend any official meetings, but they will not take place in my manor. This Reveal is finished, I expect you all to leave promptly."

He grinned viciously, "I hope all you esteemed Lords and Ladies will excuse me for the lack of courtesy. Good Night."

He turned around, but was stopped by Sirzechs speaking, "This is a mistake, Damocles. Making enemies when you don't have all the facts is not wise."

The Sagan lord slowly turned back to the Lucifer, staring him down as he spoke, "Some enemies are decided for us. I am not hostile to the Satans, I will not interfere in your affairs. I just don't want to deal with any of you any more."

All semblance of courtesy was stripped from the young boy, but the Satan asked, "Even if you say that, with this show now how can I trust you?"

"If you can't trust me, kill me." To the panic of everyone, Damocles spread his arms, leaving himself wide open to the Satan, "End a Pillar house with your own hands, just like you did before. You should be used to it right?"

The stand off continued, dragging on between the man and the boy as the Satan considered taking him up on his offer. Only to be stopped as a young girl squirmed out of the crowd and threw herself between them.

"Please stop fighting! Please!" Rias Gremory desperately looked between her friend and her brother, tears running down her face.

"We'll leave Damocles, please stop picking a fight! Nii-chan, don't hurt my friend. I beg you!"

The Satan sighed, running a hand through his hair, frustrated.

"Damnit." He sighed.

"Sorry worrying you, Rias." The white haired Devil spoke, bringing his arms down.

The two locked eyes over the head of the small girl. An unspoken understanding passed between them.

"The Reveal of Damocles Sagan is over. Could I request that all the esteemed guests start making their ways home?" The Satan's tone made it clear that it was not actually a request at all.

The matter between the two was shelved as the Satan started to tend to his crying sister as Damocles was swarmed by his peerage, his own little sister running up and latching on to him with a hug.

Shelved.

For now.

---

He swirled the brandy in his hand. Bringing it to his lips, he took a sip of the contents of the bottle he kept for special occasions. He only cracked this one out as a reward, when a scheme went particularly well or he had a phenomenally successful day.

Today was the latter, as he had just attended the most interesting function. He didn't know what the tensions between the resurrected Sagan and the fake Satans was about, but the reasons behind such things rarely matters. Sparks were there, and that's all he needed to fan them into a fire.

When the one claiming Lucifer's title backed up his suggestion for a Rating game between the Astaroth Heir and the new Sagan Lord, that was all the information he needed. The chance to exploit that information came exceptionally quickly, but he was able to capitalize on it rather well, he liked to think.

For one in Zekram's position, ensuring that the Wards were reactivated and no traces of tampering were found was all to easy. After all, he was keyed into the Wards. That would paint him as a suspect of course, but he was present the entire time it occurred, so it can't be him. Or so they would think. He had left soon after, but he had just received the news of how his little bit of mischief had panned out.

He took a sip, smiling. A Pillar Heir survived, able to pass on his blood, as inferior as it was. Maybe his descendants would be more impressive, but he doubted it. An old House was back, with a strong, now respected Lord. That same House was now estranged from the Satans, prime for integration into the Great King faction. The same House that had trade with the Yokai. That was surprise.

The question remained, however, about where exactly Damocles got his peerage. Seeing as three of the four members were Japanese and considering this news of the Yokai, perhaps he had some old ties with the Shinto? He could not remember anything like that from the previous Sagans, but hidden alliances were not uncommon.

He looked forwards to eventually finding out. He was old, patience was something that he knew well.

Just like his chess game with the young Sagan, the skill of the players mattered little if you set up the board correctly. That was refreshing, even against someone in his position the Sagan had the guts to continue to blatantly cheat and defeat him in front of the whole hall. That fire, that steel was something that was sadly lacking in the current generation.

Smiling, he thought that he had set up a very nice board for himself tonight indeed.

Truly, in all games played in the underworld, the Bael would eventually win.

Chapter 23: Fallout

Fallout

I was seated in the lounge, Shiro on my lap, stroking her head like a cat to help calm me down. After my bout of maniacal laughter, I did feel a lot more in control of myself but the anger was still there, bubbling under the surface. Still, it was at level where I could control it.

"So." I started, "I guess we should talk about what just happened."

"Yeah." Naomi laughed uncomfortably, "You were kinda scary back there."

"I have a question." Kasane looked to her sister before fixing me with a serious look, "If Diodora was after us instead, would you have done the same?"

"Without hesitation." I instantly replied, hugging Shiro to me, causing the girl to snuggle back into my embrace, "This may sound possessive, but when you agreed to join me you all became mine. Anyone who wants to steal you away will have to do it over my dead body."

Kasane stared at me, a small blush on her face before nodding and looking away.

Naomi, looking unsure asked, "And if we wanted to leave ourselves?"

"I'm not your jailer. I'm not interested in you being slaves or toys. Though, if you decide to leave, I would hope you at least do me the courtesy of being allowed to try change your mind." Not that that would be hard, the Stamp making sure of that.

Naomi nodded, seeming to turn my words over in her head.

CC, seeing a gap in the conversation started her own line of questioning, "All of that is gratifying and all, but we have a problem. Your announcement put us completely outside of the protection of any of the Factions of the underworld. We need to decide on what to do."

I sighed, "This was inevitable. The Satans seem to be hell bent on trying to control me, the Great King is only focused on the benefit of Zekram Bael, despite what the other members believe. As for the Old Satan faction... I could think of less painful ways to die than letting the entire world know that Heaven would not lift a finger to defend us."

Indeed, if the war between Heaven and the Devils restarted, Heaven would win by doing nothing. The Devils had made more than enough enemies that we would be torn apart before the Angels even got involved. We had options, like Sirzechs and Ajuka, of course, but if the Old Satan faction were the ones in charge then that would not be true.

The external political situation was balanced very finely at the moment and seeing as I myself was a Devil, I stood to lose out if it became disturbed as well.

"Be that as it may, was it really wise to antagonise Sirzechs so publicly? The power imbalance is not to our advantage." CC spoke, staring at me intensely as she had done ever since my fight against Diodora.

"That's why it was the perfect time to do it, when Rias was in the same room to calm him down."

She seemed mollified with that, her shoulders relaxing, "So that whole diatribe was all an act."

"No." My answer seemed to surprise her, "That anger I felt in that moment was very, very real. The Satans have pissed me off, even before this, but trying to take you away was the last straw. Whoever saved Diodora, whether it was them or not, is academic. He will die anyway. But in the moment, I could use it as a plausible reason to break with them."

"Of course," I said, a wry smile on my face, "The only reason I am not dead at the moment is because Sirzechs doesn't want to kill me. That will probably remain true for as long as I can keep Rias happy with me, but relying on someone else's good graces to keep us safe is not ideal. We have some time to make some moves, we need to make the most of it."

"You just listed reasons for why none of the factions of the Underworld who could keep us safe are not good options, I am not aware of any one being that is capable and would be willing to keep us safe if Sirzechs did decide to kill us. So what are our options?"

"We could join one of the factions anyway, gain some time to build up our strength and then backstab them, but with this recent performance they would all know that the easiest way to get to me would be through you all. I do not wish to take that chance."

Kasane nodded, a considering look her face, Shiro was merely listening along without reacting and Naomi looked like her mind was still on something else, but she was paying attention.

Looking at my peerage, I started to explain, "We need to get protection. Some form of deterrence, it doesn't have to be someone who could beat Sirzechs, something like that will take me too long to rustle up. We just need someone who is strong and well known enough to make the effort of killing us not worth it."

CC raised an eyebrow, "I take it you have a plan?"

I nodded, "Indeed. Naomi?" The girl started, looking surprised, "I'll need your help with this. Can you get ready to head out with me in about half an hour?"

"Uh, sure." She said, taken aback.

"Kasane, I want you to protect the manor while I'm gone. Shiro, help her by setting up some teleportation circles. Should someone try their luck, I would prefer it if you escaped than her hurt."

Kasane nodded resolutely, while Shiro hopped off my lap and put her hands on my cheeks, staring into my face.

"Be careful, Nii."

"Always." I smiled at her, and she nodded.

I then turned to the last member of my Peerage, "Meanwhile, you and I obviously need to talk."

"We do." CC agreed.

---

"I told you so." Falbium was as lazy as ever, but the aura of smug flowing off him was unmistakable.

"You did." Sirzechs agreed, tension in his shoulders, "But that doesn't change the current situation. We need to come up with a response."

"We do not." Serafall's response caused the other Satan's to look at her in surprise, "What we need to do, is figure out what we are missing."

"What do you mean?" The Lucifer asked, intrigued.

"I've had some time to think. It's obvious that Zekram changed the wards to save Diodora, either by himself somehow or on his orders. Before that, he supported starting the initial Rating Game between Diodora and Damocles."

She steepled her hands, "That doesn't make sense. If we are going by the belief that Kasane and Naomi were given to Damocles by Zekram, why would he antagonize him by trying to get rid of CC? Unless CC is causing the old Bael the same problems she is causing us."

"What also doesn't make sense is Damocles beating Zekram in chess." Pointed out Ajuka, "The game was impressive, but no one who was interested in ingratiating themselves into the Great King faction would risk offending Zekram like that."

"Beating him in chess?" Asked Sirzechs, confused.

"Cheating at chess and beating him. I don't know how he did it, I received a transcript of the games played. There were some intentional blunders and sub-optimal plays, however, if you looked at the vast majority of moves they were perfect or near perfect. The accuracy rate means that either Damocles is a supreme prodigy or he was being fed moves somehow." The green-haired Satan explained.

"I see. Yes, that could be seen as disrespectful." Sirzechs nodded, "Speaking of recordings, did you look at the recording of the Rating Games? What did Shiro do?"

"Oh!" Ajukia perked up, "That was brilliant! She created a physically sealed area with shields, then used the spell circle to pressurize it with oxygen and hydrogen, summoned separately, which when mixed create a highly flammable and explosive compound. The shields reflected the force of the explosion, magnifying it beyond what it would be with just the summoning circle."

"So," Serafall counted on her fingers, "Shiro knew that summoning pure elements was more efficient then summoning the compound, knew that pressure in magnified in enclosed areas, can calculate the amount of gas needed to pressurize the specific area of the shields and can cast this spell on the fly, combining the shields and the summoning into one cast."

She finished, "At the age of 8."

The others contemplated that, as Sirzechs continued the thought, "On top of that, she has only been a Devil for less than half a year, with no magical training before that."

"So she is a magical prodigy. I doubt she's just some random orphan as Damocles claimed. He went after her because he knew she could do this. So either he had information we don't or he was informed about her by CC." Serafall tapped the table in front of her, in thought.

"Are we sure that Naomi and Kasane were given to him by Zekram?" Falbium spoke up, "From what I can bother to remember, he just had them with him when he showed up in Bael territory. Do we have confirmation that he and Zekram met before this reveal?"

"We don't." Sirzechs confirmed.

"That was still when we had him covered in monitoring wards and shadowed by Serafall's pet doppelganger. He would not have been able to speak with anyone, let alone an unknown witch from outside the underworld. So he found Kasane and Naomi on his own, without CC's help, if they were not given to him by Zekram. What does that tell us?" Falbium explained.

"Could that be true?" Serafall frowned, going back over her interactions with the young Sagan, "if we go by that theory... He was making plans and moves against us from the moment I revived him."

"If someone takes a hostile action against you, you should assume they are hostile. We antagonized him first." Falbium finished his thought, "If he pulled that move from before CC was in contact with him, then it's unlikely she's the mastermind behind him. All efforts to sideline her will likely just piss him off, without getting any tangible advantage."

"This is all academic." Sirzechs pointed out, "We can theorize till the end of time, but we don't have enough information. What do we do about the crisis we are in now?"

"The Sagan are an old house, with many still loyal to them, we can't remove him cleanly, even discounting the trade he somehow got with the Yokai. I still have no idea how he managed that, they are stonewalling every attempt I make to organize a meeting." Serafall pouted at that.

"For his ban on our families benefiting on this trade, can't we trust your mothers to deal with that?" Ajuka asked, confused.

"What?" Serafall was confused.

"He had accepted a meeting with Lady Sitri and Lady Gremory, I remember an announcement about that. He hasn't cancelled any of the meetings he accepted, just changed the locations. So your and Sirzechs' families should be able to negotiate with him if we don't get involved."

"That's right." Sirzechs reluctantly admitted, "If we take no action for now and act independently, the ban on our families at least could soon be lifted, with some concessions. But that doesn't change the fact that we have a hostile noble family, one that will likely vote against all our moves on principle."

"Do we know that?" Spoke Falbium, "Have any of you actually sat with the kid and got to know him? We've been treating him like an object, not his own person."

"Point." Sirzechs admitted, "Though at this point, I'm not sure I want to get to know the little shit. But it is true that getting more information from him would be easier if we could get it from the source."

Serafall spoke, considering, "Diodora is Ajuka's nephew, so I doubt he will chat with him. Sirzechs and I are right out obviously, so if we want to get information by talking to him the only one who could do so..."

All the Satan's turned to their laziest member, who realized what they were implying.

"Damnit." He sighed, "Fine. But I'll do this my way, no complaints from any of you, right?"

"Sure." Sirzechs smiled, "Seeing you work is always a treat."

---

"So, what was that really about?" CC crossed her arms, watching as I moved around my room, gathering what I needed and sending off messages.

"You know what that was about."

"I don't. You were thinking clearly, sending Shiro to you obviously worked. So why did you make such a drastic move? You've been careful up until now."

"Ha! I wouldn't call that thinking clearly. But yes, I thought now would be an opportune time to make a break. I couldn't stand letting the Satans have influence over us any more."

"But there were many advantages to playing it like we were still working with them, to throw it all away..."

I was getting a bit annoyed at her being this obtuse, so I couldn't resist, "You're the one saying that? What was it again? Oh yes, 'either you are malicious or you are incompetent.'"

She scowled, her own words thrown back at her, "I was playing my role, isn't that what we agreed on? Me being the conniving, masterminding witch and you being the conciliatory young boy? You could have acted, like you so often do, let the Satan's do their investigation but instead..."

"Because of you!" I whirled on her, catching the brief look of surprise on her face, "They weren't after me tonight, they were after you! I know you realize that! Sure, would it be easier to accept their words and play along? Of course! But they wouldn't stop! They would keep going until they got you away from me and I refuse to...!"

I was interrupted, not by her yelling back or storming out, no, instead it was by her grabbing my collar and dragging me into a searing kiss. It was fairly chaste, with no tongue, but the passion behind it was unmistakable.

"You're an idiot." She pulled away, her face flushed, "You made this all so much harder on yourself, just to keep me safe? I don't need your protection, fool."

"Too bad." I put my arm on the wall behind her, pinning her between the structure and my body, "You're getting it anyway. Try and stop me."

She looked down at the floor, an uncharacteristic shyness taking her over before she recovered, hiding it behind her usual haughtiness, "Shut up and kiss me."

So I did.

---

"Do you understand what I need you to do?" I asked the girl next to me, who nodded.

"I'll look into the future and warn you if there's an ambush." Naomi stated.

"Sorry to drag you out for this, but we needed to be fast." I moved forwards, about to enter the spot this transaction was going to play out, a face covering mask on and a hood hiding my hair.

Naomi, in a similar garb, grabbed my sleeve before I could, "Damocles, the thing we are here to buy..."

She seemed uncomfortable, so I stopped and turned to her, "Yes? Do you have questions about it?"

"Not the thing itself..." She screwed up her courage, "They kill the people they are used on."

"Yes. They do." I didn't deny it.

"I know you've killed before, but this... this will be used on someone who isn't your enemy. On an innocent."

"It will." I admitted.

"How... How can you be so calm about that?" She seemed distressed by my response.

"I am not a good person, Naomi. I'm sorry to disappoint you." I spread out my arms, "I care about all of you. More than anyone else in the world. If I needed to kill a dozen innocents, a hundred, to keep you all safe? That's a price I would gladly pay."

"You love us, don't you." Was the statement that followed mine, "I know Devils use their Peerages as a stand in for their harems. You want something like that with us."

"I do. I want you all." I took her hand into mine, holding it gently, "Does that make you uncomfortable?"

She looked away, but I could tell her face was covered in a blush, "I... I don't know how that makes me feel. Can I think about it?"

"Of course." I squeezed her hand, "I won't force you. If you don't feel that way about me, just say so. I don't want to make you feel like you're obligated..."

She squeezed my hand back, before slipping it out of my grasp, "Thank you."

She squared up her shoulders, despite her misgivings, "I'm ready."

Nodding, I opened the door and stepped through it, into the place that would soon be filled with my enemies. The place that stood to lose the most from my legitimate trade with the Yokai. The place to get all sorts of thing's you're not supposed to.

The Underworld Black Market.

---

Issei Hyoudou snapped awake, feeling something was wrong. Looking around frantically, he realized that he was being held down in his bed by an invisible force. On top of that, some alien contraption was fastened over his chest, causing him a lot of pain and discomfort. Oh god, was he about to probed by aliens?!

"Oh." He heard a disinterested voice say, followed by the rustling of a page, "You're up? It would have been easier if you slept through this."

He looked to the voice, being met with the sight of a long white haired boy, around his age, reading one of his porn mags. He opened his mouth, about to shout at him and ask what the hell was going on here, but no sound escaped him.

"Don't bother." The kid didn't even look at him, "I made sure you wouldn't be able to scream and shout. Not that anyone would hear you, but it's the principle of the thing."

The pain intensified, causing Issei to squeeze his eyes shut, as he felt something warm on his right arm.

"Ah, none of that. Lock."

The warmth disappeared, and the sound of another page turning filled the room as a hum started to come from the contraption.

"If it helps, this is 100% personal. I have plans, you see and having you gallivant around in a couple of years messing up things and causing chaos would be very inconvenient."

Issei could barely hear him, the pain making it difficult to focus.

"On top of that you would, for sure, perv on my girls. Then I would have to have removed your eyes and possibly your hands. So might as well get it over with early."

What was this madman saying? Was this really how he was going to die? Killed by some random delusional kid.

"At least this way." The kid dropped his magazine on the floor standing up and looking down on Issei with dispassionate, cold blue eyes, "Your death will serve some purpose."

A hole opened up in Issei's chest and he soundlessly screamed.

---

I threw the red gauntlet up and caught it, happy with my prize. This was going very smoothly, which was expected but appreciated nonetheless. Now it was time for the hardest part. I needed to get to the Manor and prepare my weapons for the upcoming meeting.

"So you're the murderer of my wielder? Aren't you a bit young to be killing so nonchalantly?"

A deep voice emanated from the piece of armour, to which I smiled.

"I'm an early bloomer. Besides, I've got plans for you, plans that having a fleshy cage would disrupt."

"Well you're not the first to steal me. What makes you think I will lend you my power?"

My smile widened, "Nothing. I don't want it anyway."

"What?!"

The surprise was expected, "I'm in a very precarious situation, if I showed up with the Boosted Gear or it's wielder, I doubt I'd live through the week. I'm going to be honest with you Ddraig, you're more trouble than you're worth."

"You're a Devil. And you are giving up the power to kill Gods?"

"I'm a Devil." I nodded in agreement, "If I want to kill Gods, I can get to that level on my own merits. Power given is not power earned."

"That Pride will get you killed, kid. So if you didn't steal me to wield me, or to give me to one of your subordinates, what is this about?"

"Well Ddraig, I don't know if you know this but someone very important has been looking for you. Someone who would greatly appreciate you being delivered straight to her."

The horror in his voice was highly amusing, "You don't mean..."

"I do." I smiled, "You should really be more careful about who you steal things from."

Chapter 24: Deterrence

Deterrence

"What are you doing now?" My temporary companion asked.

"Not sure why it matters to you, but I'm examining the wards laid over this land." I responded.

"Well, I have just had to watch you cook a feast and now stand here silently for close to half an hour. I though you were handing me over right away?"

"What kind of idiot goes to bargain with a dragon unprepared?" I asked, incredulous.

"Ha! Well you have that amount of sense at least. Would you mind listening to me for a bit about this plan of yours?" Oh? He wanted to discourage me from trading him away? Not surprising, I suppose.

"Sure, if you want."

He sighed, "Even if you hand me over to Tiamat, what then? I'm a bargaining chip, but once she has me that's it. You have nothing binding her into helping you."

"I take it you have an alternative?"

"Use me." He said, "I understand your position is dangerous, but if you go into hiding and train my wielder, you would eventually be able to defeat whoever is bothering you."

I sighed, deciding to explain my position to the doomed dragon. I was almost finished decoding the wards with my Geass anyway, might as well pass the time this way.

"Tell me, once they have unlocked the Boosted Gear, how many of your users have focused on a fighting style that did not use it as a base?" I asked.

"A few, but not many. What's your point?" He replied.

"Sacred Gears are called Gifts, Weapons that allow humans to level the playing field. They do preform that function, true, but they are also something else." I reached out, putting my hand through the ward line and watching how much energy it took me to deny the detection of the intrusion with Information Defence.

I finished my thought to the imprisoned legend, "Sacred Gears are crutches. Once someone has one, they rely on it to the detriment of all the other things they could learn. True, usually the Gear is powerful enough for that strategy to be viable, but it also makes them extremely predictable once you know what Sacred Gear they have."

"So that's why you don't want my power? It's too predictable?"

"Yes, but there is another reason. Tiamat has reputation. She's free. Having her on my side would deter anyone from attacking me. If people knew I had the Boosted Gear?" I shook my head, "Forget Albion's wielder, a whole bunch of assholes would be attracted by the challenge."

I stepped through the ward line, happy that I could cover my intrusion with my Defences. The Familiar Forest was the territory of another House, after all. Getting caught snooping would be detrimental.

"Besides, personally I would like to have the ancient Primordial Creation Goddess on my side if I can help it."

"Ha!" Ddraig laughed, "That's a more impressive title for her then I've heard in a while. She's going to disappoint you. It's been a long, long time since she had that level of power."

"What once was, can be again."

"Oh." The dragon said, seeming to sigh, "I get it now. You're insane."

He probably won't the first to call me that.

---

"You can still walk away, kid. This is a mistake."

"I'm sure that advice is purely for my own good and not at all self serving." was my sarcastic response as I stepped up to a massive cave hewed into a small mountain.

Unlike the wards that covered the Familiar Forest, the new ones that started targeting me were allowed to detect me. After all, I wanted to catch the attention of the one who cast them.

"Oh?" A loud, rumbling voice came from deeper into the crevice, "A lone Devil approaches my lair, brazenly. Is this foolishness or bravery, I wonder?"

From the darkness, a draconic snout, coloured in brilliant white scales emerged, followed by another, covered in red. Then another and another and another. Blue, black and green respectively.

I didn't know what to expect from Tiamat, as she's fairly minor character wise in DxD, but this was not it.

"Especially one so weak. Tell me little Devil, why are you here?" The dragon looked down on me, all ten of her eyes appraising me.

"I've come, great Tiamat, to offer you a bargain. Before I propose it, however, I would like to present you with a gift." I brought my hands from behind my back, presenting her with a red, jeweled gauntlet.

"Hahaha!" Her laughter shook the ground, "A bold one for sure. I never expected this to happen."

She bent her neck, bringing her white head closer to me while the others still watched me carefully, "Hello, Ddraig. How did you get into this situation? Your power not enough to tempt this one?"

"Tiamat. I would say it's good to see you, but that would be a lie."

"Oh, but Ddraig, you hurt my feelings. Without you being unable to slip out of your user's corpse this time, I will be able to impress on you just how much you have displeased me. It's very good to see you."

The blue head addressed me then, her white one still staring intensely at the Boosted Gear, "Little Sagan, what was your plan here? I will be taking Ddraig, whether you want me to or not. You cannot stop me."

"I know. You may have him, as a gesture of goodwill. If it would please you, I have an offer for you, but I am not obligating you to it."

She seemed surprised at that. Most Devils in my situation would not have given up Ddraig so readily, but for me even if she just took him and left it didn't really effect me. I would still be in the exact same place and as I explained to Ddraig, even if I used him my situation would be even worse.

"You would give up his power that easily?"

"Having such a beautiful Dragoness happy with me is a priceless reward. If anything, I am coming out ahead here."

She seemed stunned by my words, while Ddraig asked from my hands, aghast, "A... Are you flirting with her? You really are insane!"

"Oh my. This is new. Are you attempting to court me? It's been a long time since a Devil has attempted this."

Her red head came close, fire showing in her throat as she spoke, "I burned the last one to ash."

I didn't flinch. Dragons respected strength and resolve, backing down here would be the wrong play.

"Then obviously he was unworthy of your affections."

"And you are?" The question was a trap.

"No. Not yet, not at my current ability. But I am young, with plenty of time to grow strong enough to be worthy of you."

"You really are trying to seduce her." Ddraig's voice was full of horror, "How did I get caught by someone this stupid?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The ground shook again with the Dragoness' laughter, "Very well, Little Sagan. I will take your gracious gift, then you can give me your offer. It's been a long time since one of your kind has amused me so."

"And it's working? What is this, a hallucination?" Ddraig asked incredulously as he was encased in a film of rainbow coloured magic.

I turned on my geass, curious of the spell she was using and watched as Tiamat used her raw will to manipulate the gauntlet over to her eye level.

"Don't fret so, Ddraig. If this one succeeds where you so catastrophically failed, you will be in much too much pain to even know of it."

Ouch.

The Red Dragon Emperor called out to me as he was moved further into the Lair by her magic, "Sagan, I will not forget this. She will not hold me forever, you have made an enemy today."

"I'll keep that in mind when I murder your next user."

My response got a vicious grin from the white head next to me, as all their eyes turned back to me, giving me her sole focus.

"You have earned the right to be heard, Little Sagan. Make the most of it."

I bowed, "I am grateful, Lady Tiamat. I have prepared a feast for us to discuss my proposal over."

"Oh, is this feast large enough to satiate me?"

"It is, My Lady. But if it would please you, we could discuss my bargain over a table? I could then leave the rest of the food for you to indulge in at your leisure."

"Hmm..." She regarded me, "Should this not be up to my standards, I will be most displeased."

"I am confident that this is worthy of your refined tastes."

The plan here was very simple. I knew how dragons courted each other and how Tiamat is viewed by the majority of the Mythological world. Using both of those, I could tailor my first impression in a way that was most likely to get her to like me and tolerate my presence, at least enough for me to start using my greatest weapons on her.

The Lures.

Dragon courtship is a varied and complex thing, but basically it was all about proving you were a competent mate. Giving a gift from your 'hoard', proving you can hunt and provide for her and your whelps, having the strength to protect them while they are nesting.

She would humour me, despite my lack of power, for one very important reason, her current standing. To most beings, Tiamat was a relic of the past, the last active member of an extinct pantheon. Her power had greatly waned, but was still respectable. This put her in a weird spot, where she was looked down upon by those strong enough to be comfortable around her, but still too strong for weaker beings to approach her regularly.

Meaning that she was rather starved for respect and appreciation. Does that mean that I was basically taking advantage of a lonely, mature Dragonic Milf?

Yes, yes I was.

She had soon transitioned into her human form, while I had summoned a table using my teleportation spells. It was a sturdy, oak construction that was enchanted to stabilize itself on any terrain. On top of it, was a perfectly crafted roast, prepared by own hands and several candles, which I lit with magic.

"Oh my." Came a soft, motherly voice from behind me, "Isn't this just adorable?"

I turned around, surprised with the vision that met me. Her human form had long, blue-white hair and purple eyes, with a very curvy body. From her head sprouted large, curved horns, that framed her body and emphasized her figure.

All in all, she was raver ravishing, especially in the black evening dress she had conjured to don.

"You really are an odd one, Damocles Sagan."

"I thought this before, but you know of me?" She had called me by name before I had introduced myself, but ingratiating myself to her was more important than questioning that.

"All the Underworld knows you, little one. Your bout with the Astaroth was broadcast, after all, as was your bold declaration to the Satans." She moved over the the table, as I pulled out her chair for her.

"Oh, such manners." Was the teasing response from my actions.

"Being a gentleman costs nothing." I replied as I seated myself, cutting a small piece of meat from my plate and eating it under her watchful eyes, "Seeing as you know what happened, I think you might have some idea of what I want to ask."

"I do." Is what she replied, as her own food glowed a chromatic hue before she started to eat as well, her eyes widening slightly at the taste, "You seek to use me as a shield against reprisal from those you have spurned."

"Well, yes. However, I must admit that I would have sought you out when I was stronger even if recent events had not occurred."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"You are a legend. Gaining your favour would have been greatly advantageous to me regardless of my circumstances." I attempted to display my sincerity, while trying to keep my flattery at an acceptable level.

"For the relics I have in my possession?" Was her response, her eyebrow raised.

"No." I disagreed, "For you. Raw power is not the be and end all, experience and knowledge is often many times more valuable. Besides, coveting a Dragon's hoard seems like a rather foolish mistake to make."

"Yet one many make regardless. Enough with the diversions, make your offer to me."

"Very well." I made sure to hold her gaze, resolute, "I want you to make your lair on the land of my manor for five years, and be employed as my Groundskeeper. A wing of the manor will be set aside for your personal use, should you want it. As payment, I will personally track down and return to you the treasures stolen by Ddraig over those five years, as well as provide you feasts cooked personally by me like this one."

"You cooked this?" She raised her eye in surprise, chewing on her slice of food as I nodded, "I see. Let me think... My presence will be a deterrent to those you have antagonized, most pertinently the New Satans. Are you aware that I owe a debt of gratitude to Ajuka Beezelbub?"

"So long as it not detrimental to my family, I have no problem with any other deals you make."

"Hmm. Is that confidence or apathy? You are risking a lot, I can read between the lines. Are you really arrogant enough to think that you can successfully court me in just five years?"

"It is not arrogance should you have the means to back up your promises." I was serious, hoping to impress on her that I was not just speaking idly.

Confidence. Charm. The best meal she has likely ever had. I hope that this, on top of the recognition that she has been starved of for so long, someone treating her as an actual player in the game, would be enough to convince her.

If it wasn't, The teleportation circle underneath my seat was there for insurance.

She regarded me, despite being in her human form something more lurked in her gaze. Eventually, she nodded to herself and shrugged, "Very well. You amuse me, Little Sagan. I lose nothing with a small five year diversion and should you fail I will merely eat you."

"I'll do my best to not be devoured. When should I expect you to arrive? I would prepare the wing of the manor for you, but I am not sure of your tastes."

"I'll handle all that, expect me sometime tomorrow."

"That's perfect. You will need a mark to get through the manor wards however, as well as designating your employment to the Sagan Clan."

Her eyes narrowed, suspicious, "And this mark is meant to be completely innocuous?"

"Even if it wasn't I hardly have the power to affect you. Besides, all members of the Sagan family and Peerage have the mark, including me." To prove it, I pulled down the collar of my shirt.

Indeed, emblazoned on my clavicle was the Stamp. It wasn't actually applied to me using the Stamp that Catharisis had given me, but it was a faithful recreation that I had painstakingly copied from the aforementioned device.

I pulled out said Stamp and handed it over to Tiamat, "Here, you can inspect the design to confirm they are the same."

I felt her appraise the mark, Information Defence blaring. Now, time for the most perilous part of my plan. I started to feed back false information, my understanding of how she was appraising me hampering this, but my understanding of the Stamp itself and what I wanted it to show her hopefully making up the difference.

"So I am to just accept being branded as Sagan property?" Was her next question, an affronted look on her face.

"Not property. As part of the family, even if on a temporary basis. If the idea offends you, I apologise. I can key you into the wards manually, but I will have to do that for each of my properties and businesses that you would wish to frequent."

My carefully presented nonchalance was calculated. I needed to walk a fine line here, not be too eager to get her stamped but not be too obvious in trying to present it as a small thing. I inwardly braced myself as she stared into my eyes, while outwardly showing complete calm.

She huffed, and looked away, "That sounds like a hassle. Fine, you may give me the mark, but it cannot be anywhere visible to others."

"Of course." I agreed, "I would not wish to tarnish your reputation."

I didn't let it show, but a rush of achievement flowed through me at her agreement.

If it wouldn't get me killed, I would be grinning like a mad man right now.

I had won.

---

She watched, enraptured. He looked so familiar, yet so, so different. Instead of gold, his hair was white. Instead of blue, his eyes glowed an eerie red. Still, she could see the resemblance so clearly it was almost painful.

That was by design of course. The Sagan were explicitly designed to elicit such a response from her, as Remora had so gleefully and frequently reminded her. At that though, she drew her her wings around herself, comforted by the field of white that greeted her.

The Sagan had returned. She did not know how she felt about that. She was the Messenger of Heaven, the Wings of Hope. Her mere presence could bring Angels back from the brink of falling, turn battles around and make morale soar.

Seeing someone that was her identical twin so consumed by despair, her polar opposite, was a harrowing experience. However, that on it's own, while distressing, was not what made that event so impactful to her. No, instead it was the revelations that the original Sagan gave her.

Logically, she knew that Lucifer had a... carnal relationship with Remora. However, due to her own nature, she never considered in depth what exactly that implied. To have it thrown in her face so blatantly like that, that Lucifer coveted her so deeply that he did so even while with Remora... It raised a horrifying thought.

Was she the reason for Lucifer's Fall? Helel, as he was known before, the Light of Heaven. He was beloved by them all, none more than their Father. But due to their positions, Gabriel was one of the Seraphim that spent the most time with the first Fallen Angel. Was their relationship the cause of his catastrophic fall from Grace?

The thought haunted her. Especially as her mere existence had caused Remora's own descent into despair. Now, she was watching another Sagan fall to sin, more exactly, to Wrath. The Devils were a contentious issue in Heaven, creatures of Sin as they were. However, Gabriel was loathe to condemn an entire people just for their nature. There were a few who rose above it. A few who tried to live virtuously. Meaning there was Hope for the rest.

The Last Sagan was lost, alone and afraid. He obviously was in a situation that put him under immense pressures. His position seemed Hopeless. Should she reach out a hand to him, would it be proper for a Seraphim to attempt to redeem and provide succor for a Devil? Was it even possible?

She didn't know.

As she wrapped her wings tighter around herself, she spoke to the pure air of Heaven.

"Father... What should I do?"

Chapter 25: Pursuits

Pursuits

Power.

In the end, it eventually all boiled down to it. I could be clever, using guile and cunning tricks to work my way around it, but without power I was always going to be working on borrowed time.

I stared at the list in my hand, going over the options in my head. All of the last three before Infinity would be far, far beyond my ability to resurrect as it currently stood. There was of course, also the loophole closers that Catharsis had placed on my method of visiting other worlds. There were some things he missed, of course, though I doubted that was unintentional.

I stared at the three names. Mentally I crossed out two and was only left with one. The first was impossible for me to get sufficiently far enough in a single day at my current speed. The second was populated with far too many monsters that would not take kindly to me causing chaos. The last one left had a similar issue, of course, but they had the benefit of no guiding intelligence.

My mind made up, I closed my eyes and went searching for a version of the world that matched my needs.

Tiamat was settled in my Manor's lands and all my Peerage had assignments. I had notified CC that I would be gone for a while, I trusted her to be able to handle any unforeseen occurrences. The situation was precarious, but the sooner I started, the better. I would only be able to attempt this again in 30 days and time was of the essence.

I was suddenly surrounded by stone, a massive door sealed tight behind me. I breathed in the dead, stale air, taking stock of my slowly depleting Demonic Power. This world was governed by a jealous, spiteful shit of a God. Anything that was not natural to it or specifically allowed by him was not welcomed here.

Meaning the very world itself rejected my presence. It was passive for now, but I was sure that if I stayed for a while it would very swiftly become a lot more active in removing my presence. Thankfully, the Labyrinth I was in was built specifically to frustrate the God and his followers, so for the 24 hours I had I was likely safe.

You see, I could only transfer to a world if I intended to recruit my target. However, if I could not reach my target in that time, well… as long as I fully intended to recruit her if I did reach her, so long as I was moving towards that goal it would be allowed.

At least that was my theory, so far it seemed I was correct.

My attention was brought to some shambling, weak looking skeletons moving towards me, brandishing rusted weapons. I slashed my hand in front of me, the blade of disturbed space making quick work of them. I noticed that even that, a spell I knew inside and out, took more effort than it should have to cast. Interestingly, it was also far weaker than it should have been, seeing as a few of the undead had survived the assault, even if not wholly intact. It seemed the world made the spell deteriorate even as it executed.

Involuntarily, a smile split my face.

Perfect.

My Bloodlust rising, I swiftly started moving, seeking out more enemies, more challenges. This maze would be the rock against which I would sharpen myself, until I could cut those that currently were far above me.

I couldn't wait.

---

Ajuka carefully placed the blackened feather into the beaker, the arrays of his masterpiece all pointed towards it. He turned around after securing the glass tube and moved to an ornate box, malefic runes lining it. Opening the box, he reached in and pulled out a small, ornate golden cross.

The cross burned, its consecration from the Orthodox church still holding strong even in his grip. Of course, he was more than strong enough to resist such a relic, especially one that was only created in modern times.

It would have been so much easier if he did not have to rely on such things, converting Holy Energy into a form that could be interacted with by his magic and then back again was exceedingly difficult. Unfortunately, he had attempted this with only Devil magic and had failed spectacularly. The Conceptual weight behind the natures involved were just too much to overcome.

Placing the Cross into the prepared crevice of the machine, he waited as it was integrated into the complex, intricate spell work that he had painstakingly constructed. What he was attempting was decried as impossible by almost the entire world, but he would prove them wrong. Even if it was successful, of course, it would still need to be tweaked and integrated into a system similar to the Evil Pieces, the full scope of his achievement unlikely to ever see the light of day.

He understood why, of course. The three way stand-off was the only reason peace was even possible. If it came out that two of the factions had a way to completely re-approach each other… well, they wouldn't need the third then, would they? Diplomacy, was, as always, a balancing act.

That's why he would convert the Evil Pieces, it would be the perfect offering. The Angels got to increase their numbers, the Fallen got to corrupt and tempt more Angels and the Devils got the peace agreement that the New Satans had staked so much upon.

Win, win, win.

But that all started at this first step, however. Ajuka held his breath as he started his creation, the holy glow disappearing from the cross as it was converted to his familiar, green magic and then back into holy light by another precisely placed Relic.

His grin had never been wider as the black feather slowly started turning white.

He was right. He was right! With enough effort and understanding, even God himself could be proven wrong.

---

"So, you are the one the little Sagan made his Queen?" The rumbling voice questioned.

"Why, do I disappoint in some way?" Came the uncaring response from the green-haired immortal.

"You are." Was the blunt reply, "I expected someone that he was willing to go to war with his entire race over to be more impressive."

CC scoffed, "You are talking about things you don't understand."

"I understand ingratitude very well, little witch." The Dragon glared at her, "You should have learned that debts have power."

Her large eyes stared into CC's own, "Especially the ones we do not wish to acknowledge."

"Whatever." The witch dismissed, the dragon finding her flippancy strangely refreshing, "I did not come here to get lectured."

"Fine, continue to deny the obvious. Why are you here then? Invading my den for amusement?"

"Hardly. I am here because a messenger from Ajuka arrived looking for you. Apparently your new residence has become common knowledge."

"Ah." The Dragon considered this information, "Are you not worried that he will call in his favour to get me to leave?"

"As you have insinuated, I am very old, Dragon." The witch was unamused, "You would not sully your reputation so easily."

"Wiser then you appear. Perhaps that is intentional…" She sighed, the large exhalation of air ruffling the long green hair of her conversation partner, "Do you know what he could be wanting of me, seeing as you are so sure that it does not run counter to your King's interests?"

"It's likely to do with their response to the recent debacle that you alluded to earlier." The veredette replied, "Supposedly they are going to introduce some 'neutral arbiters' to watch over the games and ensure that such interference does not occur again."

The Dragon regarded her, "You disapprove of the plan?"

"You find me someone down here who is truly neutral and it might work." The Dragon smiled at that response, "As it is, this is all likely just lip service."

"Appearances often matter more than the actual substance of the matter when it comes to rulers."

The witch snorted, "Isn't that the truth?"

---

"Kasane, I need to talk to you." Naomi seemed very hesitant, "It's about Damocles."

"Hmm?" The white haired girl hummed, looking up from the floor plan she was studying.

"I…" Naomi swallowed, "I think he killed someone."

Kasane blinked, surprised. She stared at her sister, before blankly asking, "...and?"

Naomi looked shocked, "What do you mean and?!"

"He was going to kill Diodora. I've also killed people before." Kasane explained, her voice level..

Naomi flushed, "But that was in combat, I'm talking about killing someone innocent. A murder."

"Oh." Was all Kasane said.

"Doesn't that bother you at all?" Was the incredulous reply.

"Not… really?" The statement came out more as a question, "There is still a lot of things we don't know about this world. If he thinks that it was necessary… I guess I trust him."

"But, killing someone who isn't an enemy…!"

"I was going to kill Yuito." Kasane's statement shocked Naomi into silence, "II was told it was the only way to stop the Kunad Gate from expanding and killing everyone."

"That's… That's insane." Naomi struggled to comprehend what her sister had just admitted, "But that's different, that was to save the world, it's not like what Damocles…!"

"I didn't care about the world." Kasane was staring seriously at Naomi, her red eyes showing the resolve behind what she was saying,, "I was going to do it to save you. If killing him was what was needed to reverse your otherization, I would have still done it."

The blonde was shocked speechless at the ruthlessness on display, but Kasane wasn't finished, "Damocles and I are alike, I think. We would both do anything to protect those close to us."

As she finished her sentence, Kasane smiled softly.

"Oh my word…" Naomi breathlessly whispered as she watched her sister's expression, "You like him."

"Of course I like him. He's a friend, no?" Kasane tilted her head.

"Not like that, romantically. You're attracted to him!" She seemed a bit numb, "His plan is working…"

Kasane went slightly red, "No, uhm, I don't think… What do you mean his plan?!"

She quickly tried to change the topic.

"He loves us. That's why he's going so far for all of us, why he almost killed Diodora, he wants all of us. Romantically."

"Oh." Kasane blinked, "Is that… normal?"

"Of course it isn't! Did you hit your head?" Naomi wildly gesticulated with her arms, "It's supposed to be one man and one woman! That's the proper way it's meant to be done!"

"But you like him too." The blunt response scored a critical hit, "You always watch him and fret over him whenever he pushes himself too hard."

"That's, uhm, he… I'm just looking after him because he's our employer!" Kasane narrowed her eyes at that, staring at her sister who eventually deflated.

"I'm just worried, Kasane. He was so casual about it… have we been caught by a monster? How far would he go?"

"Of course we've been caught by a monster." Kasane unfurled her wings, "He turned us into monsters too, remember? When he called himself a Devil, I was expecting to pay a much steeper price for him bringing you back to me. Instead, he's welcomed us into his family and made sure we are safe and comfortable."

Naomi looked at the floor, torn. She knew that Kasane was speaking sense, but her morality was still screaming at her that the situation was wrong. She started when her sister stepped up to her and wrapped her into a hug.

"Whatever happens." Kasane whispered to her, "I swear I won't let it come between us. We can always rely on each other, right?"

Naomi nodded, wondering when she had started crying, "Right."

---

She remembered the look on his face. Her beloved, gentle brother, his face twisted with soul deep hatred. She had hugged him, surprising him and snapping him out of his rage, but when the anger left she saw what lay behind it. Fear.

Fear for all of them, the fact that they were being targeted so blatantly. She was happy that she could snap him out of it, in the corridor after the fight, allowing him to make a plan. However, she was feeling useless.

Everyone else had a task that was assigned to them to help with the business and fallout of the Reveal, except for her. Kasane was supposed to guard and protect the warehouses where their product would be stored before being transferred back to the Yokai, Naomi was negotiating agreements between interested parties and the new Sagan Trading Company and CC was organising the personnel for the whole endeavour.

And here she was, sitting in the library reading while everyone else helped her brother. Surely there was something she could do? She knew she was weaker than Kasane, was that why she was not trusted to help?

She brought her index finger and thumb of her right hand up to her eyes, watching as the red plasma arced between the two digits. She was getting very good at lightning magic, her brother's explanations allowing her to use the element almost like a second nature. But it wasn't enough.

She needed to be stronger. She needed some way to prove to Nii-san that she could be trusted to help with the adult things too. Some way to tell him that she would support him no matter what he did. With that in mind, she started to go through various plans and scenarios, focusing on her tummy as she did so.

She would help her brother. It was the least she could do to pay him back for everything he did for her. If only there was some way to get more people to help him, the thing he needed now was allies…

A plan formed in her head, and she stilled. Her belly pulsed with warmth, causing her to smile widely. Yes, truly she should be able to do this easily. After all, her brother was the best one in the world.

Showing others that should be simple.

Smile still on her face, she pulled out her phone.

---

He sighed, leaning back and stretching. The investigation into the person who tampered with the recall wards was concluded, leading to a ward technician who had decided to commit suicide soon after the reveal. The note that was found with his body explained the fabricated reasons for his actions, but no one with a brain actually believed that.

This had Bael written all over it.

Of course, with no evidence they could not directly implicate him. Additionally, this caused massive distrust in the integrity of Rating Games to surface, forcing a response. To which, they had implemented a Referee system, to ensure tampering of this sort did not occur again. Ajuka had pulled some strings to get some big names to agree, but that opened up it's own can worms.

Somehow, the Sagan kid had got Tiamat of all people to agree to nest on his lands. The message was clear, if the Satans wanted to assault him directly they would have to go through the dragon. Sirzechs could admire the balls of such a move, but it did speak to some exceptionally high paranoia.

Like he would be stupid enough to attack the Sagan directly. Handing ammunition directly to Zekram in a gift box was always a stupid move. He looked over his desk, eyes landing on the calender.

The meeting was tomorrow, wasn't it?

His Mom would be meeting with Damocles, although in her words, 'it id going to be quite difficult to un-fuck this situation.' The lecture he had to sit through after the Reveal was truly a thing of legends.

They had messed up spectacularly. Though, to be fair, Damocles did not act at all like the child he was. It seemed like he a was a step ahead of them at every turn. It would have been impressive, if it also wasn't so infuriating. Still, at least Falbium said he would handle it…

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door, "Onii-chan?"

He smiled widely, "Ria-tan! The door is open!"

His adorable little sister opened the door, timidly looking in before walking into his study. She stopped before his desk, hands clasped in front of her and a nervous look on her face.

"Onii-chan…" She started, "Why was Damocles so angry at us?"

Fuck.

"Listen Rias, Serafall was a bit heavy handed with him when she found him, which scared him a bit. From what we could figure out, that was twisted by CC to make him think we were enemies to him."

"So that's why you forced him in to the Rating Game? To get CC away from him?" She asked, looking unsure.

"Of course. With her gone and not controlling him, we would have been able to be friends with him. It would be much better if we got along, right?"

"And about what he said about Akeno, you wouldn't let someone do that to her would you?"

"Of course not sweetie."

"Thanks Onii-chan." She smiled at him, still obviously looking uncomfortable.

Just one more thing the Sagan messed up, Sirzechs noted down. After talking to his sister some more, she bid him farewell and left him to his work.

As the door closed, Rias placed her back to it, barely holding back her tears as she pulled out her phone and stared at the messages on it.

Why, oh why, couldn't Shiro have been wrong?

Chapter 26: Advances

Advances

It's amazing what a difference a little bit of combat experience can make. The Labyrinth of Orcus was an amazing font of power for me, the constant struggle against my Demonic Power being drained while having to fight off ambushes and gangs of roaming monsters doing wonders for my reserves.

24 hours and 10 floors of the fake labyrinth later, and I could already feel a difference in my Demonic Power. That would likely only accelerate once I reached a level where I could eat the enemies I defeated, but before then I need a way to heal the damage the monster meat would do to me, being as toxic as it was.

Spending that long in almost constant combat refined my skills, allowing me to notice inefficiencies in my spells and movements. As the time went on, I became smoother, sharper, started to react faster. I couldn't wait until I found that healing rock and started to incorporate the various monster's strength into mine. That would require getting through the Fake labyrinth first, of course, which at this rate would take a while.

To be honest, I would have made more progress if I paced myself more. I had fallen into the habit of using overwhelming force to solve most of my issues, as shown with my unique spell, Spatial Rend. Learning to use only the necessary amount of power for each enemy was a good lesson, but by the time I had learnt it I was already on the 8th​ floor. My pace slowed a lot then, the combination of the long fighting and the nature of the world wearing me down.

Still, the constant strain had been great, the combat forcing my Demonic Power to struggle against it. I was definitely stronger, even with that one trip. Tiamat had brought me time, Now I just needed to use it.

A knock suddenly sounded on my door, causing me to snap my head towards it before forcibly calming myself down. Spending so long in a dangerous environment had knock on effects, it seemed.

"Who is it?" I called, rising from where I was resting on the bed.

"It's me, Nii-san." Came Shiro's voice, "Can I come in?"

"Of course you can, Shiro." The door opened and a proud looking girl walked through, handing me a box as if a cat returning a kill to it's owner.

"What's this?" I asked as I flicked on the phone, eyes drawn to the conversation displayed on the screen.

"I wanted to help." Shiro explained as my eyes moved quickly through the messages.

Shiro: I have a question.

Rias: Oh, Shiro-tan! What is your question? It's good to hear from you!

Shiro: Why are you engaged?

Rias: What do you mean? What brought this on?

Shiro: You danced with Nii-san, and looked happy. Your fiance was there but you didn't dance with him. It doesn't make sense to me.

Rias: I don't like Riser, Shiro, that's why I didn't dance with him.

Shiro: Then why are you engaged to him? Didn't you tell your brother that you didn't want to marry him?

Rias: Of course I did!

Shiro: If I told Nii-san that I didn't want to marry someone, he would end the engagement instantly, not that he would ever agree to something like that in the first place.

Rias: That's different Shiro, my brother can't play favourites. He told me that he can't be seen interfering in the Pillar Houses' business, the Satans need to look neutral.

Shiro: But he was interfering though?

Rias: What do you mean?

Shiro: He was trying to take Big Sister CC from us. Nii-san told us so.

Rias: He was just mediating. It's his duty as the Satan of Internal Affairs.

Shiro: Nii-san wouldn't lie to me. Have you asked your brother if that is what he was doing?

Rias: No I haven't. In fact, I'll go do that right now.

My adopted little sister looked up at me with eager eyes, heedless of the live grenade she had just thrown into a Satans family. Or maybe, that is what her intention was? Regardless, this girl was terrifying.

My mind spun through various scenarios, before eventually coming to a conclusion.

"Good Work, Shiro." I reached out to pat her head, "I can work with this. But if you want to be useful in the future, be sure to ask me, alright? Doing things like this can go very badly."

"I understand, Nii-san." Was the response, as she snuggled into my palm.

Indeed, especially considering that I was meeting Ladies Sitri and Gremory within a few hours, I could definitely work with this.

---

"Thank you to agreeing to meet with us, considering…" Lady Sitri finished as I took a sip of the coffee in front of me, maintaining eye contact with her.

She seemed uncomfortable by my silence, my refusing to acknowledge her attempt to open the conversation obviously not expected.

"Yes, Thank you for attending. We would like to discuss your announcement at the Reveal, that you have banned our families from your businesses." Lady Gremory, on the other hand, was less perturbed.

"I am aware." Was my droll response, which got a muffled snort from my Queen.

"Yes, well the Sitri Foundation is very interested in the reagents available from the Yokai, due to their medicinal properties." Lady Sitri admirably ignored the disrespect.

"And the Gremory, being a trading Family, would obviously love to help facilitate deals between your new company and the rest of the underworld." Lady Gremory pitched.

"With your announcement, that became rather difficult for us as you could guess." Lady Sitri put down her own cup, "We would like to discuss the reasons behind that announcement and help clear up any misunderstandings that could have contributed to it."

I finally decided to engage, "The most fundamental component in any agreement is trust. If you cannot trust the other party to hold to their word, the agreement becomes worthless."

I leaned forwards, staring at the two matriarchs intently, "The problem that lies before us is that your families have given me absolutely no reason to trust you. Every move that your families have made toward me have been hostile."

"Our families have not moved towards you, though." Lady Gremory started, "The Satans are politically isolated, and do not speak for us…"

"I'm young." I dead-panned, "Not stupid. Please do not insult my intelligence. As I said at the Reveal, Looking after your families' interests is not shameful. It is the correct thing to do. Masking it behind this charade of neutrality is what infuriates me."

"Let us dispense with the pretenses." I decided to be direct, "The trade with the Yokai, while possibly lucrative, is not going to make any meaningful difference to either of your clan's finances. The issue at hand here is status. Everyone else getting in on the restarted trade while you are excluded is insulting."

The two of them looked at each other, obviously reassessing how to handle this conversation, seeing as I was not allowing them to even pretend to control it. Eventually, Lady Sitri turned back towards me.

"You are correct of course. Having division within the Pillar Houses being so blatant and visible is highly embarrassing. You are indeed a smart man, so you should understand that us that belong to the older houses need to show a united front, for appearances sake if nothing else."

"I can understand that, from your point of view. However, I care nothing for Underworld politics." My reply seemed to surprise them, "I only have a singular loyalty, and that is to my family. I am forced to deal with these inane games due to my position, but they are annoyances rather than anything I find enjoyable. I will be perfectly honest, you have nothing to offer me that I want."

"How can you say that? House Sitri owns a large swath of the old Sagan lands, don't you wish to reclaim any of your inheritance?"

I stared into the Sitri Matriarch's eyes, my response flat, "No. I do not care for lands and resources lost through rightful conquest. You won. They are yours. The only thing of value that is not replaceable was the Sagan Library, which remains in my possession."

"What do you want then?" Lady Gremory narrowed her eyes at me, "You would not have accepted this meeting just to rub into our faces that there is nothing you want."

"Assurances." CC answered for me, "We do a song and dance about how through thorough negotiation a compromise was reached, with the Astaroth and Glasya-Labolas included of course, displaying the unity of the Pillar Houses once again etc. etc. In return, you two make sure that your son and daughter leave us alone."

Yes, that was my goal here. The ban was leverage, lifting it too early or cheaply would be foolish. But truthfully, there was only really one thing that these families could provide me that would be useful: A leash on the Satans. After all, the most important thing I could accrue at this moment was time. Every scrap of it I could buy was precious beyond measure.

"So a state of non-aggression? That's what you're aiming for?" Lady Sitri tilted her head, "Why? Has all possibility of a working relationship been exhausted?"

"It has." I shrugged, "I simply cannot trust you to act in good faith, from the actions of Sirzechs and Serafall. If you have a personal stake in my business being fruitful, however small that stake is, I can at least trust that will be a deterrent for sabotaging me that way."

"You are acting like our families are at war."

"Are we not? Your blood has harmed me, and made their hostile intentions clear. Just because it has not come to blows yet, does not mean that it is not a conflict."

Lady Sitri chewed her lip, looking frustrated, "It does not have to be this way, however. Mistakes were made, but they do not need to colour our interactions forever. There is ample opportunity for us to learn to trust each other. You are already friends with Rias and have met my Sona, yes? Surely you wouldn't want this to be the situation when they become the Heads of the family?"

"Indeed. I noticed you have already applied for the promotion to Viscount. For all your saying you do not care for underworld politics, you clearly wish to reclaim your Family's previous glory. Sona is currently not engaged…" Lady Sitri shot her Gremory counterpart a glare at this, but the latter continued, "Should you have a friendly relationship with us, it could eventually…"

She was cut off by laughter, all of us turning towards CC from who it was emanating. I also had an amused smile on my face as well from that obvious ploy.

"If I wished to commit suicide." Both of the Ladies snapped back to look at me, "I would find a less painful way than breaking an agreement with the Leviathan."

"What do you mean?" Lady Sitri asked.

"The contract you forced me to sign when Serafall found me? The one saying that I gave up all claim to the Lands that the Sitri took? Marrying Sona could be interpreted as staking my claim over those lands through her."

I took in the reactions to that statement, the uncomfortable shifting and the blinks of surprise.

"Unless, of course, Serafall didn't tell you she had me sign that?" My tone was teasing.

"This is the first I've heard of it." came the reply through clenched teeth, Lady Gremory turning to her counterpart, "Juliana?"

"Oh, there's no need to ask her." CC said, pulling out a stack of paper, "I brought a copy."

Lady Gremory grabbed the contract and started to read through it, as Juliana Sitri merely shook her head, her eyes looking off into the distance. Her blue eyes soon snapped to mine, anger in their depths.

"Lord Sagan." She began formally, "I believe we are acting on incomplete information on each others intentions. Would you be amenable to explaining to us exactly what actions Serafall and Sirzechs took to alienate you so?"

"Oh. I would love to. But I doubt we would have the time to discuss all that needs to be said. After all…" I looked to where Venelana Gremory was balling her fists in fury over what she was reading, "It appears as if you have plenty to talk about between each other, and I do have an appointment scheduled shortly."

I stood from the table, "Would you agree to meeting up again soon over this matter?"

Juliana chewed the inside of her cheek again, looking over to her friend, "That would probably be for the best." She eventually sighed.

As I helped CC up from the table and walked from the restaurant, I felt that the meeting had gone well for me. Springing the contract on them like this and then leaving could backfire, but the more likely option is that they would preform what I wanted incidentally. Preventing Serafall and Sirzechs from interfering any further just so that they could fix the mess that they had left behind them.

---

"I must admit, Sagan, I did not expect you to actually deliver." The Kitsune's words were cold, but the way she was looking at the materials in the warehouse behind me betrayed her satisfaction.

"I made a deal, Lady Yasaka." I said, "Deals have power, as little as it is. My word is something that I am reluctant to tarnish."

"Evidently." Her animalistic eyes moved to look into my own, "I was informed about what happened at that party. Will that interfere in our arrangement?"

"I have taken steps to ensure it does not. This first shipment should prove my sincerity, once I have transported the one you have prepared and sold it, the second should remove all doubt."

"And you will do all this in a month?" Her tone was playful, "Very impressive for one so young."

"I Pride myself on thwarting expectations." Was my response, "I'm sure you would like to inspect the goods personally? Successful delivery is one thing, quality, however..."

She laughed, "I will do that. For some strange reason though, I do not expect to be disappointed by what I find."

Her eyes slid past me to the green haired woman on my right, "It seems you have other plans for the night. Will you be leaving soon?"

"We will." I replied, "The goods have been delivered into your care, therefore are your responsibility. I will come back in the morning for the return shipment."

"Very well then." The fox sighed, "Run along. Have fun on your date."

"I intend to."

---

"I would have thought that a date organized by you would have been more elaborate." CC stated, leaning back on the blanket.

I stared out over the view, twinkling city lights leading to the deep darkness of the Sea, "You've had noble paramours before. I would think that you've had your full of the elaborate and the gaudy."

She merely hummed, staring out at the breathtaking view.

"Did you manage to visit Fuji before the Sakuradite discovery?" I asked, curious.

"No. Seeing it like this, I can understand the Japanese anger over what happened to it a bit more, I suppose." She sighed and laid back, looking up at the night sky.

I twirled my hand, a small spell circle flaring to life, a lens appearing over where we were and filtering out the light pollution of the nearby city. She let out a slight gasp as the stars shimmered and bloomed, the full majesty of the night sky revealing itself. Her amber eyes shined from the light, as she looked up and down the inky vista, the sight probably unfamiliar to her considering how advanced her world was.

She soon laughed, "You are so cliché, a moonlit picnic, a wonderful view, stargazing? Where did you get these ideas, an old romance novel?"

"I'm fine with being cliché." I shrugged, "So long as it works."

"Ever the utilitarian. Means only matter to you so long as they get to the desired ends, don't they?"

I remained silent at that, not sure how to respond. She didn't mind though, merely staring up at the stars. Eventually, she broke the silence.

"I do wonder something." She started, before falling silent.

"Oh, what's that?" I asked.

"You made a promise to court me. So why is this the first outing with that goal we've been on?"

I considered her words, before eventually replying, "You weren't ready to accept any attempts I made. I had a hundred years, I was content to wait until you were more receptive before beginning."

"There is something to be said for your confidence. Perhaps the over-abundance of it?" I merely raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to get to the point. She huffed, "How are you so sure I'm receptive now?"

"The kiss was a big clue." I smiled, "I may be a dense man, but that was a pretty clear sign."

"A thing that only occurred in the heat of the moment. Don't think too much of it." She looked off to the side, away from me.

"But not a mistake, I notice."

"Pick apart my wording all you want." She replied petulantly, "Do not be swept away by flights of fancy."

"Oh, there is no danger of that. I am firmly here in this moment." I said, leaning over to look her in the eyes.

Her blushing was cute.

"Stop that." She snapped

"Stop what?" Was my teasing reply.

"Stop being so… soft. You're a cold blooded murderer, act like it."

"Is my romantic side too much for you, witch?"

"Romantic!? Pah! More like sicken…" He tirade was stopped by my lips.

As I parted from her surprised face, I whispered closely, "I am glad you decided to come with me, Cecelia."

"Fool. Lecher. Your greed…"

I kissed her again. This one went on for longer, but eventually the awkward position forced me to pull back and resume my seated pose.

"What about that one?" I asked, smirking, "Was you allowing me that also in the heat of the moment?"

It took her a few moments to reply, "That was merely… a reward. You put in a lot of effort, so you should be commended."

"Hah." I sighed, "You truly are a difficult woman."

I reached down and lifted her up, ignoring her squawk of surprise as I deposited her in my lap, "That's fine though. I would not want you any other way."

She turned away from me, looking out over the Pacific Ocean that was reflecting the brilliant light of the stars still thanks to my spell.

"You truly do fight unfairly." She whispered.

 

Chapter 27: Business

Business

"In response to the events that occurred at the Sagan Reveal, we have decided to reach out to various unaffiliated individuals to act as referees, to ensure that tampering of that nature will not occur again, as well as solve disputes where they occur."

A hand went up, from a young Paimon who proceeded to ask, "One of the Referees is Tiamat, who has recently taken up residence on Sagan lands. How can we trust her to be neutral?"

Sirzechs nodded, before replying, "She has sworn to be impartial to Ajuka, who was the one who chose her to be a referee. As for any Rating Games that involve the Sagan, she will obviously have to recuse herself from refereeing those. Not that it will be relevant anytime soon."

Pulling out a piece of paper, he showed to the gathered audience and the cameras, allowing them to see the Sagan family seal on the bottom, "Lord Sagan has sent in a notification that all official Rating Games relating to the league are to end with his forfeit, He will not be participating in this season."

Whispers broke out at that, many of the young Devils either disappointed at not being able to face the powerful young Lord or wondering whether he was doubting the entire process entirely with what occurred at his reveal. Sirzechs cleared his throat, making them all fall silent and give him their attention again.

"The Rating Game League will respect his decision, which he made to focus on his business. We wish him the best of luck in his endeavours." It took a lot of experience for him to lie so fluidly.

He moved on, "I will now clarify the new rules for this season. Please pay close attention, as rule breaking will be treated very severely. First, the following items are prohibited…"

After listing off a long, exhaustive list of rules and regulations, he then ended with the following, "Additionally, we are making a Peerage specific rule." Whispers broke out at that, Peerage specific rules meaning that someone was either unique enough or strong enough that an entire separate rule was required for them.

"Should CC, the Sagan Queen, be in a Rating game, her touching an opponents forehead with her own will count as an elimination." The hall fell silent at that, taking in the implications of that statement.

The was only one reason to institute such a rule. They all saw the Rating game she participated in, so they knew the attack that was being targeted by the rule. However, this meant that whatever that attack was, the details of which had not been publicly released, it could not be either detected or reversed by the Wards.

Such an esoteric, unique attack was highly prized, for it's novelty if nothing else.

House Sagan could likely expect a lot of trade requests to start coming in rapidly for such a unique piece.

---

"Could Riser interest you in some relief?" Riser asked, regarding me with interest, "Given your Peerage, Riser would suggest you make use of Karlamine or Mihae, or maybe Li and Ni? The twins are more than happy to preform together."

"Thank you for the offer," I replied, looking around the club that he chose for this meeting, seeing his peerage scattered about mingling and 'entertaining' guests, "But I will have to refuse."

"Oh? Do you mind if we partake?" He raised an eyebrow and at the shake of my head he proceeded to guide Yubelluna underneath the table, the older woman gleefully starting to service her King with her mouth.

It seems that Riser truly was a libertine, huh. I could see why it would rub Rias up the wrong way, but to be fair to the Phenex none of his peerage looked to be forced into this lifestyle, they seemed to be enjoying it just as much as he did.

"May Riser ask why?" The Phenex Heir questioned, "You are obviously attracted to woman, seeing the beauties your Peerage is made up of. Is it performing in public?"

"Not at all." I replied, "It's just that no one here is Mine."

"Ah." He nodded in understanding, "A possessive lover. Riser can't say Riser understands, but Riser respects it."

The young Phenex had been true to his word, inviting me to a club owned by his family soon after the reveal. I admit, I was rather interested in getting to know him, seeing as he was Rias' hated fiance. The more I knew about him, the more I could pry that whole thing apart.

Speaking of, "Heir Phenex, I feel I must apologize." He raised an eyebrow in interest, before scowling as I continued, "Dancing with your Fiance at the reveal was in poor taste."

He waved away my concern, "Don't worry about it, Rias just did that to make Riser angry. Honestly, that girl is so exhausting."

"If I may, it seems neither of you are particularly enthused by the arrangement." I lightly pried.

"You could say that again." He scoffed, "She's spoiled and much too naive. No fun at all. However, marrying her is Riser's duty. My family needs this marriage."

"Anything for family."

"Indeed." He nodded, "But enough of boring topics. Riser originally just wanted to get to know you, but your announcement of trade with the Yokai… Well it gave Riser inspiration!"

"Oh?" I raised my eyebrow at him, taking a sip of my drink, "What kind?"

"One of the benefits of being the third son is Riser can pursue his own business, should Riser want to. Of course, such things are easier said than done, but this should show you more of what Riser has in mind."

He pulled out a folder, passing it over the table to me before putting his hands on the back of Yubelluna's head and groaning. Ignoring his debauchery, I flipped open the folder to be greeted by a very detailed diagram of an incredibly sexy set of fluffy lingerie. The diagram even had the material composition, including Kitsune fur and Tsuchigumo Silk. Turning the page, I was greeted by another diagram, this one a leotard with equally exotic materials, as well as a mask that had Tengu feathers.

"Did you design these?" I asked, flipping through the folder, impressed at the detail and care put into the outfits.

"Riser did. The materials that you are bringing in are exotic, exciting. Using them to bring some spice into sex will be very attractive."

"You do know that some of these materials are still very scarce? Kitsune fur in particular is not going to be cheap to acquire." I asked, intrigued but making sure to cover my bases.

"Riser knows. However that's even better. Riser is very interested in people's desires, you see. The only thing that excites them more than the exotic, is the exotic and exclusive."

"True." I laughed, "You have my interest, I must admit. However, there is a personal issue to us entering into business like this."

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrow.

"I am friends with Rias." I smiled, "Good friends. Having you as a business partner, given her dislike of you…"

"Don't beat around the bush, Lord Sagan, state your desire."

"I want you to work with me to end your engagement to her. You don't like her, your marriage will be a deeply unhappy one. Wouldn't you rather want to marry someone of your choice?"

He narrowed his eyes, "Are you looking to take up the contract in Riser's stead? Is that your goal here?"

"No." I shook my head, "I merely want it dissolved, for her sake. Let her decide who she wants to marry."

He laughed lowly at that, "You truly do understand her well. Unfortunately, Riser cannot agree to that. The Phenex stand to gain too much with this marriage, Unless something more valuable is offered…"

"Be honest, Riser. Do you really want to marry her? Is that your honest desire?" He narrowed his eyes, but I continued, "I'm not asking you to go against your family. Within the next three years, I will approach your family with an offer to dissolve the contract. All I want from you is to not protest against it. The Phenex will benefit from it and if I am unsuccessful in my plan then your contract will just go through regardless. What do you say?"

"If what you say is true and Riser's parents agree… Riser will do as you say."

I nodded in thanks, "Thank you. As for your business proposition…"

I looked at the designs again. He was right, there would be Devils that would pay hand over fist to own something like this. I will admit, I'm one of them. An image floated to my mind, looking at the sheer silk lingerie, imagining Yasaka dressed in something so alluring made out of her own fur. The sinful image was titillating. And very, very far away as it stood.

Still, there is something to be said for unrealistic goals. I smiled, "I think this could be something big, Riser. Do you have seamstresses that can work with these materials? We also need to discuss royalties, investments, the price of the material…"

Riser sighed, bringing Yubelluna up from under the table, who smirked at me as she visibly swallowed his release. He looked towards her and spanked her on her ass, "Go find something fun to do, Yube. Riser has to focus on business."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek, "Have fun, dear."

She sent me a wink as she walked off, deliberately swaying her hips as she prowled around the club. I sent a considering glance at her, before internally smirking. She had a great ass I admit, but when it came to that my Queen had yet to be beaten.

---

Naomi took a fortifying breath. She was busy negotiating for selling some of the stock that Damocles had brought back from the Yokai. Unfortunately, The traders she was working with in the underworld were absolutely ruthless, doing all they could squeeze out every single drop from the agreement.

She looked to her sister, her imposing figure besides her at least ensuring that they would not try anything to physically coerce her. She was glad she got to work with Kasane on this, her presence was comforting considering all that had happened recently.

She was still a bit rattled at all that Damocles had confessed to her, but she took solace in the fact that no matter what she asked, he had answered truthfully. What ever else he may be, she could at least trust him to be honest. Did that include the necessity of what he did with the Sacred gear Extractor? She didn't know, but all she could to is trust that it did.

Watching the massive five headed dragon settle in to the Manor grounds did give some validity to his claims that it would help protect them. She would have to talk with him about it some more, to ensure that the kind caring boy that she was… fond of… was still there. She knew she was being silly, this being rather tame compared to all the dark things that went on in the underworld, but her morality still needled at her.

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and refocused on the negotiations, using her power to look forwards a few moments in time. Opening them, she regarded the sharply dressed man across from her and smiled.

"Now, I know what you are going to say, however..."

The negotiations were long, but in the end, she was satisfied in what was achieved. Idly, she thought it was kinda fun to keep her advantage in these sorts of meetings hidden, almost like she was playing a joke on the other party.

Walking back home, arm in arm with Kasane, Naomi smiled to herself, feeling proud at what she managed to accomplish, against someone with far more experience.

---

"Lord Sagan. This is the first time we've met." The statement was followed by the scratching of Falbium's pen, the Satan methodically working through a stack of paperwork, with all the air of someone who was being forced to construct their own gallows.

"It is, Satan Asmodeus." I replied, looking around the surprisingly sparse office. The only oddity in the room was a well kept bed off to the side.
"Mhm." Falbium grunted, before finishing up the form and putting his pen down, fixing me with a serious stare, "This is an official interview. My job is handle threats to the Underworld, I need to make sure you aren't one."

"I can understand that." I nodded, used to the suspicion by now.

"Good. I will make you a Deal. Promise to answer my questions truthfully and I promise to judge the answers fairly." The unspoken implication being that if I did not accept the deal, his conclusion would not be fair at all.

Still, it lost me nothing to be accommodating here, so long as the questions did not get too probing. Besides, 'answering truthfully' is not the same as 'answering thoroughly'. He reached out a hand, which I took, sealing our deal. I felt the familiar feeling of a pact settle around me, now knowing what to look out for.

"Good." He nodded to himself, "First question. Are you working with, or plan to work with, the Old Satan Faction?"

Ah, this one I had no trouble answering, "No. I don't plan to work with the suicidal idiots that want to bring the wrath of the entire world down on our heads."

"Smart. Are you planning to join the Old King Faction?"

I decided to cut to the root of his questioning, "I plan to keep House Sagan independent and neutral in politics."

He blinked at that, surprised, "That's very dangerous. You would have few friends."

I shrugged, "Better no friends then bad ones."

His eyes narrowed at the insinuation, before sighing. "If you want to be stupid, it's not my problem. Fine, I'll move on. What did you promise the Yokai to get them to trade with you and does it pose a threat to the Underworld?"

"I promised them a fair deal and no, my agreement with them is purely financial."

He moved on, "How do you plan to vote in the Senate?"

"I don't." At his inquiring glance, I shrugged, "House Sagan will abstain from all votes unless the outcome will specifically affect us or our businesses."

"I see. Purely self interested? I can work with that. There is a vote coming up soon to reform the working permissions for reincarnated Devils, do you intend to vote on it?"

"I do. I will vote in favour." He looked surprised at that, so I explained, "The relaxation of the restrictions will open up the workforce, allowing me to recruit more people to work for my company and not have to go through so many hoops if the ones who make the cut are Reincarnated."

He chuckled, "And here I was prepared to convince you away from voting against it. You do know who proposed the changes?"

"I don't care that the bill was drafted by Sirzechs. It is towards my benefit." I kept calm as I explained my rationale.

"Well at least you aren't letting your personal emotions interfere." He sighed, leaning back in his chair and staring at the paperwork in front of him. He then looked up into my eyes, "I won't beat around the bush. Are you an enemy to the New Satans?"

I met his gaze, my voice firm, "No. But I am not your friend either. I merely want to stop Sirzechs and Serafall interfering with the internal workings of my family."

"I see. I have a proposition, Sagan." He pulled another form off the top of the pile in front of him, sighed before starting to write, "I will assign an adjutant to write up an argument in favour of any Bills that we want passed, specifically tailored towards the benefits it will bring to your business. If you promise me to give the Bills proper consideration, I will keep the others off your back."

"I will not be voting often, I will warn you now. Devils voting on laws… The whole thing seems backwards to me. I reiterate, I will likely abstain more often then not."

"That's fine." He replied, unbothered, "So long as you aren't voting against us out of spite, your abstention just leaves us back to where we were before you woke up."

He continued filling out the form, finishing it quickly before putting it on the other pile and turning his attention back to me, "I heard an interesting rumour that you might find pertinent."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised at the sudden shift, "What would that be?"

"Diodora Astaroth is no longer the Heir to the Astaroth family. Apparently his defeat brought much shame to the house and his parents decided to move him down the line of succession."

"Interesting." I said, not quite getting where he was going with this, "Why are you telling me this?"

"No reason. I just thought you should know, with your declaring him an enemy of your house and all."

Ah. That was his game here. He was basically telling me that the Astaroth had already written Diodora off, meaning that should something unfortunate happen to him, the family as a whole would not be too deeply affected. They were distancing themselves from reprisal. Did the Game force them to look into his peerage more closely, or was it maybe to prevent escalation amongst Pillar Houses? Whatever the reason, that was a clear invitation delivered by the Satan.

Pretty cold. Didn't really affect my plans, though, but it was odd that Falbium was being so… accomadating.

I could ask him why, but I doubt he would tell me.

"Thank you for the information, Satan Asmodeus. I will take it into consideration." I inclined my head to him, acknowledging the message.

"Good." He huffed, pulling out another form, "Thank you for agreeing to this meeting Lord Sagan, that will be all."

I nodded to him and stood up to leave the office, only to be stopped by him calling out, "My job is to deal with the enemies of the Underworld, Sagan."

I turned back, beholding his serious stare as he finished, "Don't make me do my job. I would much rather be sleeping."

I nodded, "I understand, Satan Asmodeus."

He nodded back, "If you like coffee, the machine third from the right in the mess hall makes the best one. Enjoy your day."

He went back to his forms, starting to work through them solemnly and leaving me blinking in befuddlement.

Chapter 28: Brewing and Romance

Brewing and Romance

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That is what I mused as my view of the ground became a view of the sky as Kasane slipped into my guard and sent my flying with a perfectly executed throw. I slammed into the ground, my Devil resilience meaning that the damage was non existent, but the frustration of losing stung nonetheless.

I sighed, before being surprised by a weight on my chest. Thanks to my accelerated growth, my body had become that of a young teenager. However, Kasane was still taller than me, for now. She was using that leverage to pin my arms to my sides while she stared down at me.

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow at her, "I didn't know we were practising grappling today."

Kasane didn't respond, merely staring down at me with serious crimson eyes. I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted by her asking, "Damocles, am I unattractive?"

Silence reigned on the training grounds, Kasane's expression unchanging while I merely stared at her in disbelief. After getting to know her for the better part of a year, she was the last member of my Peerage I would expect to even care about how she looked, let alone whether or not she was attractive.

"You are very attractive Kasane. Why do you ask?" I decided to get to the bottom of this.

"I spoke to Naomi. You wish to make us your harem, yes?" Kasane spoke bluntly.

I winced, "I wouldn't put it quite that way, but yes."

She nodded, her snowy hair waving from the movement, "That's why you've been going on those dates with Miss CC. You even explained it all to Naomi. But you have not made any moves towards me. That's why I asked, am I unattractive?"

"I do want you to be mine, Kasane." I admitted, "But I will not force you. I've been acting carefully around you and Naomi especially, because you don't trust me."

Kasane blinked and tilted her head, "But I do trust you. I've trusted you for a while now."

I sighed and leaned my head back while closing my eyes, "Well how was I supposed to know that? Did you tell me?"

Kasane nodded, "I see. So it's not that you are uninterested, you were waiting out of consideration. I understand."

She leaned further forward, allowing her to stare me in the eyes again as she asked, "So what happens now?"

"Well, it seems I owe you a few dates, doesn't it?" I grinned up at her, causing her to blush slightly as she moved back to a more neutral position on my chest.

"I've never been on a date before." She mused, "What sort of things happen on them?"

"Well, dates are opportunities for people to get to know each other and have fun. You can go to interesting places, or be physically intimate." She raised an eyebrow at me, causing me to tease her by looking pointedly at where she was sitting, "You know, cuddling, holding hands, kissin…"

I was cut off by her swooping down and taking me by surprise, her lips fluttering over mine and leaving behind a faint taste of cherries, "So this counts as a date now, correct?"

"I don't know." I hummed, "I might need you do that again just to confirm."

"Greedy." Was her reproach.

She blinked, moving her hips and looking over her shoulder to where a very predictable bodily reaction had occurred. Her wine coloured eyes looked down at the bulge in my trousers and rather than any typical reaction you would expect from a teenage girl, she smiled in satisfaction.

"It seems you do find me attractive after all." I was about to respond to that, but she shut me up by kissing me again, her smile still prominent against my lips.

---

"Your youth is an advantage that could be leveraged in this." CC crossed one of her legs with the other, staring at Shiro with uncharacteristically serious eyes, "Is this something you would be willing to do?"

"Of course." Shiro huffed, "This is a way I can be useful to Nii-san."

"Don't be quick to agree. This is not something that should be done lightly." CC chided.

"I'm not a kid." Shiro childishly protested, "I want to be useful. I want to help Nii-san I don't care about anything else."

CC stared at the young girl, a conflicted look in her gaze before she relaxed, resigned, "Fine then. Don't come crying to me later if you can't handle it, alright?"

"Obviously." Shiro crossed her arms, "I would go to Nii-san before you."

Rather then be offended, CC laughed, "I suppose you would. Remember, bring up the plan to Damocles while specifying that you want to do this. He won't like it, but he's too practical to ignore a good idea when he hears it."

"I'll just tell Nii-san the truth."

"Fine." CC waved a hand airily, "Suit yourself."

Her hand fell back to the armrest, the ancient woman looking past the girl in front of her to many like her in the past. Once more, she was killing innocence long before it's proper time. But, unfortunately, this was necessary.

A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.

CC spoke a bit more to the younger girl, before finally sending her off to bed and moving on with her second mission of the night. She briefly retired to her room to change into her chosen armour, then set out. She walked through the manor, feet treading a familiar path before she eventually came before the room in which lay the object of her thoughts.

CC raised up a hand, going to knock on the door in front of her, hesitating slightly. Gritting her teeth, she shook her head furiously. This was ridiculous. She was an ancient witch, she had witnessed horrors that would have broken anyone, had even broken her and yet here she was, acting like a blushing teenager with her first puppy love. This fear was nauseating, yet for some reason she could not bring herself to hate the situation.

She blamed Damocles for this, of course. He was the one who chose her, out of all the possible version he could have, specifically due to her inexperience in these matters. She would love to blame it on his male pride, the desire to be the first to conquer her in that way, but after getting to understand him she knew that his real reasoning was much more practical than that.

Of course, his male pride was still a large part of the decision, she was sure. He was infuriating like that. Guided by his emotions, but acting logically to achieve his desired results. The results he was after here, was making her fall in love with him. Trauma and sexual baggage would have made that more difficult, so he attempted to minimize that.

She should probably be angry about being subject to such dispassionate calculus, but that would be rather hypocritical. She was using him as well, after all. She had been certain that he would fail at catching her attention, like so many before her.

She placed her hand on her chest, feeling flush as she remembered how angry he was, how he was ready to declare war on the entire Underworld, all for her. Of course, there were other reasons behind his actions, as he revealed later, but that's not how it felt in the moment. And feelings, as frustrating as they are, guided humans far more than they would like to admit.

She steeled herself, bring her fist up to the door once again.

'A hundred years, huh?' She mused to herself, 'Yet he did it in a couple of months. Not that I'll ever admit it, he is more than cocky enough already.'

---

I was staring out of the window, looking out on the grounds of my manor. The most attention grabbing piece of scenery, was of course, the massive chromatic dragon. Tiamat had made her den on the grounds, but spent most of her time outside of it lounging around in her true form. It appears that even Dragons need room to stretch.

I didn't mind, of course. As far as I was concerned, she could sleep in every single corner of the grounds. Having her being this visible was only a good thing for me. Anyone thinking of messing with my family will be greeted by the sight of the massive fuck off dragon, a rather great security system if I do say myself.

Of course, Tiamat can only protect my Manor. The premises of my business in the underworld also need protection, but hopefully someone will try something soon. Once word gets around that Kasane is protecting the Warehouses, the only people that would attack them was a member of the top peerages. If they were coming after us… Well, I'm confident in our ability to run away at least.

My reverie was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door, causing me to jolt slightly.

"Yes, who is it?" I called out.

Rather than responding, the door opened to reveal CC, who was wearing a bath robe and swiftly walked into the room, closing the door behind her, "Good, you're alone."

"What do I need to be alone for?" I raised an eyebrow, a small smile forming on my face.

A smile that was swiftly wiped as she shrugged off the robe, revealing her to be wearing a racy set of lace lingerie under it. The black fabric did not reveal anything, but was even more tantalizing for it. The bra had see through sheer material, that draped down her stomach, while on her lengthy legs she wore garters and a pair of ribboned stockings.

I maintain that CC has the best pair of legs I have ever laid eyes on, seeing them in such alluring outfit definitely had an effect on me.

She cocked her hips, hand resting on them while she slid her other down her front, drawing my eyes down to the ribbon that rested on her panties, "Does this answer your question?"

I shook my head, attempting to reclaim some control of the situation, "I don't know, maybe you…"

She interrupted me, grabbing my arm and guiding me towards my bed, "Don't be uncouth."

She gently moved me down to lie on my back, sensually crawling on to position above me, "A woman walks into your room, wearing something like this?" She smirked, amber eyes staring into mine, "You know exactly what this is."

"I do." I admitted, bringing my own hands up to rest on her wide hips, "I'm just surprised at the speed."

"You're an idiot." She traced a pattern on my chest, her other arm keeping her balanced above me, "Not just for this. You go and prove me wrong, being ready to stupidly take on the whole world at the Reveal. All because of... Then you go and chat with a dangerous dragon like it's nothing. On top of that, you have a private meeting with one of the people who you made enemies of, who could easily kill you. How do you think that made me feel?!"

I moved to speak, but her hand on chest pushed down flat, stopping me as I saw a painful look enter her gaze, "You can't die. You're not allowed to. Do you understand?"

I leaned up, as she leaned down, kissing her. Parting briefly, I spoke, "Sorry for worrying you. I swear, I have no plans to die soon."

"Then act like it." She whispered, kissing me again, lips parting to allow our tongues to meet.

She ground down where our hips met, causing a muffled groan to sound out from me. Feeling her smiling at the sound, I decided that the time for being passive was over. Twisting my hips, I flipped us over, pushing her back down into the mattress and pulling back from the kiss.

"Fool." She crooned, long legs snapping out to wrap around me, grinding me harder against the heat behind her thin panties, "I've got you right where I want you."

I laughed softly, "You've caught me. I'm at your mercy, my beautiful witch."

Our lips met once more, our tongues wrestling and vying for dominance as the friction and energy built up between our entangled bodies intensified.

Withdrawing, we panted mutually panted as we stared into each others eyes.

"Cecelia." I breathed out, "If we continue…"

"I know." Was her whispered response, tilting her head downwards, "I didn't wear this for my benefit."

Following her gaze, leaning back as her legs released me, my eyes were drawn to the Sheer black lace that covered her womanhood. More specifically, towards it's intricate construction, held together by thin ribbons on each side.

My excitement spiked at the sight. My restraint, frayed as it was, shattered entirely. I swooped down, intending on taking her lips once again. Our bodies came together again, embracing for a sweet, heavy moment before she gently pushed me back by my shoulders.

"You have far too many clothes on." Her snark remained, even with her heavy breathing.

She gently pulled my shirt over my head, obscuring the alluring vision of her a brief moment before she started removing my belt. I moved to help her, but she gently moved my hands back to my side and softly shook her head.

Soon I was stepping out of my trousers, my erection bobbing in the air from the movement. CC was looking at it quite intensely, before she smiled, "Well, that is certainly gratifying to see."

She grabbed my upper arms and swapped our positions, ending with her standing and me sitting on the bed. "You are now the one that is much too clothed." I remarked, grinning.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes, "Allow me to rectify that."

She reached behind herself, the tight bra loosening as she manipulated the clasp behind her back. She looked down at me, a surprisingly vulnerable look in her eyes before she took a deep breath and let the lace fall from her to the floor. Her breasts were not large, especially not by the standards of this world, but they were perfectly shaped and perky, topped with delicious light pink nipples. However, underneath her left breast, the cause for her hesitance was revealed.

A jagged, vicious scar, the only one that marred her otherwise flawless skin. It was the first fatal wound she had ever received and the only one that had never healed. She didn't cover herself, mere standing with her arms at her side, but from the tenseness in her body I could tell that she was self conscious of the wound.

"Cecelia." I gently grasped her bare hips, causing her to shiver and brought her closer to where I was sitting. "Every inch of you is beautiful. Never doubt that."

As I finished, I gently kissed the scar, my face gently pressing into the soft, sinful skin of her breast. She let out a shuddering breath, "You're telling me something I already know."

She tried to hide her emotional reaction behind her snark. I decided to let her compose herself and not point that out, merely winding my arms around her and gently hugging her closer to me. Having her soft skin holding so flush to my own was immensely stimulating, but I used all my willpower to control myself.

Eventually, she took a deep breath and stepped back out of my embrace, spreading her arms wide and giving me a seductive, half lidded eyes inviting me in as she huskily asked, "Are you not going to unwrap me? After I packed myself in such a pretty bow?"

I let out an amused huff and brought my hands up to the intricate ribbons on her hips, pulling the long tails and watching as the skimpy cloth fell away, revealing a hairless expanse of smooth skin, with a small discrete opening. She waited only a moment after I first was allowed to see a sight before she shoved me hard backwards onto the mattress.

Pouncing on top of me, she grinned a predatory smile, projecting confidence, "I hope you're ready, Damocles!"

"For you? Always." She blushed and shut me up with a passionate kiss.

The next few minutes were a blur, a feverish blind of grasping hands, searching tongues and moaning. We fed into each other's lusts, each of us becoming competitive in a bid to break the other's composure first, our energies feeding into our partner and being returned with just as much passion.

I managed to flip our positions again, pinning her down onto the mattress and biting gently on her neck, before starting to kiss my way across her collar bone as I started to slide down her body. Only to be stopped as she slipped her arms out of my pin and grabbed me, bringing me back up to her face.

"No, Damocles. No foreplay. I've waited more than long enough."

I noticed that this position brought my dick in line with her sodden hole, my length resting on a place that wet it's underside and radiated heat.

"It will hurt, Cecelia."

"I know."

I nodded, respecting her decision as I reached down and guided myself properly. My head slipped through her sticky opening, before encountering resistance. I focused, gently but firmly pressing in further as CC leaned her head back into the sheet's eyes closed at the foreign feeling. Soon enough, I reached a point that stopped my advance and drew a gasp from the gorgeous creature below me.

"Are you ready?" I asked, drawing a shaky nod from her as I drew back my hips and threw my weight behind the next thrust, spearing through my Queen's maidenhead.

C.C. groaned, eyes open as tears pooled within them. She blinked them away, whispering, "Finally…"

I kissed her, trying to distract her as I established a rhythm to my movements, keeping the thrusts shallow as her pussy clung to me in a vice grip, her virginal tightness almost making me lose my sense of reason.

The rhythm was thrown off as her long, thick thighs wrapped around my hips, her legs locking behind my back as C.C. joined in in earnest, the thrusts growing deeper at the added force. The slapping of flesh could be heard, as I was soon meeting her pelvis with my own, my entice cock wrapped in a sinful heaven of velvet and heat.

Like before, we were soon clashing with each other, feeding off our passion and energy. He grasping walls drove me to the edge, while my thrusting made her moans slip out of her whenever she drew her lips back to breath. It was to this sweet music that I finally flew over the edge, slamming deep inside her as I released what had to be one of the largest loads of my entire life.

She met her end at the same time, either luck or a facet of our devil blood, but whatever the case she bit deep into my shoulder, screaming muffled as her walls went crazy, milking me frantically. The pleasure was intense for us both, the moment stretching on for an eternity before we sagged against each other.

I had the presence of mind to roll off of her, laying besides her in a half hug as the room filled with the sound of our heavy breathing. She soon snuggled up to me, head buried in my chest as the passion simmered down.

"Thank you for such a precious gift, Cecelia," I eventually spoke, running my hand through her long emerald hair, "I swear to prove myself worthy of it, as many times as needed."

"Gratifying as that is to hear." She replied, her smile showing through her tone, "This is not a one time thing. You will take responsibility for all these silly things you have made me feel, understand?"

"Of course I…"

"Nor…" She interrupted me by cupping my balls, her hand gently massaging them as she coaxed me back to full mast, "Are we finished. I will be on top this time. Surely a strapping young boy such as yourself has enough energy to go again?"

I looked down, bringing my hand up to tilt her face towards me, ignoring the trace of tears I could see there, "As many times as needed."

I kissed her, a million things left unsaid passing between us at that moment, before she broke away and started to straddle me with cat-like grace.

"I hope you won't regret those words."

Chapter 29: Innocence Lost

Innocence Lost

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Lord Sagan." The girl took a nervous sip of her hot chocolate, glancing at me with hesitant eyes.

"Please Rias, call me Damocles. Whatever is happening between our families, I will not forget that you were my first friend amongst the Pillars." I smile at the heiress over the head of Shiro, who was projecting a palpable aura of smug from her place on my lap.

"Thank you Damocles." Rias beamed at me, sitting in the cafe seat next to a surly looking Koneko, "I am grateful to hear that! I want to still be your friend too!"

"I'm glad." I replied, "You said you wanted to ask me something? Your text was pretty vague."

"Uhm..." She fidgeted, fiddling with her hands, "That's… I wanted to ask you for a favour."

"Oh?" I was interested, "What do you need?"

I was distracted by Shiro tapping me on the arm, causing me to roll me eyes and bring a spoonful of cake up to her mouth, causing the tiny menace to eat the morsel with relish.

"Well, I wanted to ask… how much do you know of my engagement to Riser?"

"I know you aren't exactly enthusiastic at the prospect."

"Heh." She smiled, nerves still showing but relaxing at the joke, "That's one way to put it. Well, the thing is, if I refuse to marry him it will likely be settled by a Rating Game."

"I see." Our conversation was interrupted by Shiro fidgeting, pulling on my sleeve.

"Bathroom." The young girl said.

"Will you be fine going alone?" I looked into her eyes, that were turned up to stare into mine.

She nodded, a serious look on her face. An unspoken conversation ensued, before I sighed and gently moved her off my lap, "Alright then, stay safe."

The girl nodded and turned, going off towards the cafe bathrooms while I turned back to Rias, "Sorry about that. So the matter will be decided by a Rating Game then?"

I was distracted by another white haired girl swiftly sliding herself into my vacated lap, staring up at me with a pleading look. Rolling my eyes again, I smiled while fishing for another bit of cake for my new lap ornament.

"Yes." Rias nodded, a smile on her face from watching me interact with Shiro and Koneko, "That's a possible solution. If the Phenex refuse to end the engagement, it's one of the only things I can do personally."

I nodded, waiting as she visibly gathered herself up. Eventually, she asked in a rush, "Could you train my Peerage?"

I blinked, "Sorry, you want me to train your Peerage?" At her nod, I continued, "Why not ask Sirzechs? If he can't train you himself, surely he could organize a professional to train you instead?"

"It would seem like favouritism. If he helped me like that, all my accomplishments would be due to him, not me."She looked down, staring into her lap, "I don't want to be seen as just 'Sirzechs' Sister'."

The logical response, pointing out that she was his sister and that did not change regardless of whether she used it to her advantage or not, flitted across my mind fore a brief moment before I disregarded it.

"You do know I am not a teacher or an instructor? Are you sure you want me to train you?"

"Yes." She looked up, nodding resolutely, "You're strong. Your Peerage is strong. You absolutely demolished Diodora, I know you can make us strong enough to beat Riser."

I tilted my head. This was hugely beneficial to me, but letting her go into this with rose-tinted glasses would be a mistake.

"I just want to make sure you know, I can't teach you to participate in Rating Games properly. The way I work is not flashy. I can only train you to fight, to win." It was important she knew that.

Rating Games are more than just martial prowess, at least in the middle of the ladder. The ones at the top could coast by on their pure combat power, but for the rest they needed to earn sponsorships through their performances and flashiness. Some of the highest earners in the Rating Game circuit were fairly low in the ladder, simply because they made the fights entertaining enough to draw a lot of viewers.

"That's all I need." She smiled, a note of pleading into her voice, "So you'll agree? I can pay you for it! I looked up the rates of other instructors and…!"

"No no no!" I waved my hands, "You're a friend Rias, it wouldn't feel right to make you pay for this. Just answer one question for me, Do you truly desire to be free of this engagement?"

"Yes." She nodded resolutely, "More than almost anything."

"Then I will help you." The smile she gave me in response was blinding.

We continued to talk about how the training would work, before we were interrupted by my returning little sister, who stared expressionless at the girl who had stolen her spot. I shifted my weight, causing Koneko to move to one of my legs, freeing up the other. Neither of the brats seemed happy with the compromise, but Shiro took her spot regardless.

She started when she felt my hand on her hair, softly rubbing it as I asked, "Are you okay?"

"Mhm!" She nodded, smiling under the affection.

Considering what I know she had just done, seeing the child act like it was nothing did send a bit of a chill down my spine.

---

At the same time

Diodora stalked with purpose. After the humiliation that had been dealt to him at that damnable Sagan's reveal, everything had gone wrong. His peerage had been held back in hospital, he was told it was due to 'screening for potential lingering Psychological distress', whatever the hell that meant. Due to the public and embarrassing loss, his status as the Astaroth heir had been provisionally revoked, which was likely to be a permanent change unless he rectified this situation, immediately.

Thankfully, after being released from hospital, he had been approached by a party whose interests aligned with his. It seems the Sagan was not running as tight a ship as he showed, as his own sister was out for blood. Apparently, she was in love with her bastard of a brother and was jealous of all the girls hanging around him.

She offered to help him crush the rest of the Sagan Peerage, leaving her as the only one in her brother's life. Diodora had no intention of actually leaving it at that of course, but using the stupid girl to weaken his enemy before wiping her out together with him sounded like a great plan.

They had been communicating through a burner phone, but even that was not secure enough to make plans against a member of the Pillar houses. So they had agreed to meet up alone in an Astaroth warehouse. He had suggested the meeting, and the dumb girl, like a child, had agreed.

Of course, this could have been a trap, but he had mitigated that possibility as much as possible. Not only had he confirmed that he was indeed speaking to the girl, but he had set the time and place for the meeting. Seeing as it was in Astaroth territory, there was no way anyone could get in before the meeting to prepare the place for an ambush in a meaningful way.

On top of that, he had arrived early to stake out the building. The white haired brat had shown up minutes before, alone. She had gone inside and he was waiting to see if she was followed. After the time they had agreed had come and passed, he decided that the girl really was as stupid as she seemed.

Walking through the door, he looked at the seemingly deserted warehouse, his guard still up. His injuries were not fully healed, but it would be a cold day in Hell before he lost to a little girl.

"Sagan?" he called out, his voice echoing, "I'm here. Show yourself!"

His instincts screamed at him. Danger was lurking here. He tensed, feeling like something was off about this whole thing. His senses expanded, trying to detect the magic of the Sagan girl, but getting nothing. Despite seeing her enter the building, it felt as if he was completely alone. Suddenly, a clatter drew his attention to a corner of the room, causing him to whirl around and bring up a shield in front of him.

"Stop playing games, girl. Come out now before I hurt…"

A pain flared up from his back, A deep stabbing sensation, forcing the air out from his lungs as an impact drove it out of him. He staggered forwards, pulling himself messily off of the knife that had been driven into him, turning to see the stoic child holding the bloodstained blade.

"You'll die for that…" He vowed, breathing heavily. He had already lost everything, that is what had made him desperate enough to fall for this.

Still, he could take something from that bastard before he died. Resolved, he raised his hand, his magic surging forth, which wavered and dispersed.

"Wha…?" He swayed, the burning from his back spreading, "Poison…?"

Indeed, the blade which Shiro used to stab him had been soaked in Holy Water. Of course, Diodora couldn't know that. All he knew is that his magic and body was betraying him. He staggered back, his sluggish mind attempting to come up with a plan.

The silent child followed after him, head tilted in consideration. He lashed out at her, which she dodged with contemptuous ease. His strength fading, he watched as she approached closer, carefully standing in a specific spot.

He struggled to raise a hand, use magic, anything to stop her as she slowly raised the arm holding the knife. The last thing Diodora Astaroth saw was the glint of the blade flashing out as his neck was slit.

Watching the dying devil, Shiro threw the knife onto his corpse, walking away from the macabre scene, careful to avoid any blood. The only bit of the substance she had on herself was on the gloves she wore.

Skin contact with the knife, as saturated with Holy Water it was, would have caused a very suspicious and visible wound. Thankfully, the thick gloves were enough to prevent that, but it did make it difficult to wield the blade properly. Thankfully her control over her Demonic Power allowed her to keep it concealed long enough to catch the idiot unprepared.

The plan she came up with went off without a hitch. Truly it was thanks to her Nii-san's training, teaching her how to play to her strengths and take advantage of people underestimating her. That will not be something she could rely on forever, but so long as it held she would take advantage of it.

She felt accomplished though. She had finally been useful to Nii-san, taking out one of his enemies. She didn't allow herself to feel too prideful however, this was only one of many. Still, surely this deserved some pampering, right?

---

Days Later

"It was the Sagan."

"Of course it was Serafall." Sirzechs sighed, "The question is what we do about it."

"Oh that one is easy." Falbium was reclined in his chair, idly shifting through the reports, "Nothing."

"What?!"

The reply from his peers didn't even bring on a raised eyebrow as he calmly explained, "This was a tragic accident, a mugging gone wrong."

Serafall and Sirzechs locked eyes, silently communicating before the Satan of Internal Affairs turned to his Military counterpart, "Why do you recommend we take this avenue?"

"How did his meeting with your mothers go?" The winces from both of them answered that adequately.

Falbium put down the reports and looked directly at both them, "We have nothing to offer him in our current position. Any agreements would not be trusted and he does not want any material concessions either. I spoke to him, all he wanted was to be left alone by us."

"I see." Sirzechs pursed his lips, "So you offered Diodora up as a sacrifice, allowing Damocles the satisfaction of killing him and getting it out of his system."

"And built a working relationship with the Sagan at the same time." Falbium nodded, "Diodora was unstable after his loss, it was only a matter of time until he did something stupid. The Astaroth had other options for heirs, add in what we found out about his peerage and well… two birds, one stone."

Indeed, the mental duress Diodora put his peerage under was revealed by the healers attempting to heal his Queen. It was not something that was completely unheard of by Devils, but doing it to Holy Women like Diodora had done would cause friction between the Satans and the Church should it ever come to light. Not an insurmountable obstacle, of course, but better to head it off early.

"True, with Diodora dead we can contain that whole debacle with a lot more ease." Serafall chimed in, "Do we have to worry about the Astaroth retaliating?"

"No, I spoke to them." Falbium replied, "They came around to my way of thinking."

That seemed to remind Sirzechs of something, who rifled through the documents pertaining to the meeting before he found the one that he had thought of.

"And I presume the contract that our Army recently signed with the Astaroth for procurement was completely unrelated?"

Falbium's lazy gaze was steady, "Are you accusing me of corruption?"

"Of course not." Was the diplomatic reply, "What do you recommend we do about the Sagan from now on then?"

"Nothing." Seeing the other two being unconvinced, he elaborated, "You said you would let me handle it. I did. Sagan will vote with us on that bill you wrote, Sirzechs. He will likely vote with us more often then not from now on as well. It's no official alliance, but…"

"So long as he's not opposed to us completely in the Senate, keeping his vote around will be more beneficial than not." Sirzechs finished.

"So what, we just ignore him?" Serafall was clearly skeptical.

"Why not?" Sirzechs seemed to have come around to the idea, "As it stands, he is a boon more than a burden. Besides, as an independent Lord, it's not like he has any influence to make difficulties for us. Until the situation changes, I don't see what we gain from pushing it. We wanted his vote more than anything, right?"

"And if he joins Zekram or The Old Satans?"

"He won't." Falbium answered, "He wants two things. His families' safety and his business to prosper. The Old Satan's goals threaten the former, while Bael will only allow the latter if he also benefits. Sagan struck me as too greedy to be happy with that."

"So we wait and see?" At the resulting nods, Serafall turned to the last Satan who had been silent so far, "Do you have something to say about the death of your nephew, Ajuka?"

The green haired Satan blinked, "Not really?" At the disbelieving looks he received, he shrugged, "Falbium's explanations and plans were logical."

Seeing the reactions of Serafall and Sirzechs to that, he tilted his head, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No." Was the strained reply, "What did you want to discuss with us? Something about the negotiations with Heaven?"

The meeting continued swiftly after that, the beginning paling in comparison to the news the Beelzebub gave after that. He had done something only God had managed before.

The Devils could now create Angels.

End of Act 1

Chapter 30: Time-skip

Time-skip

The Lone Prince – By Lily Heels

Good evening, my lovely bachelorettes! Today I'm going to speak about the latest gossip surrounding one of the most juicy catches in the Underworld, Earl Damocles Sagan! As you know, he's received the nick name 'The Lone Prince' due to his families' previous position and his insistence on remaining Neutral in Underworld Politics. I'll let those bores at GUNN, our sister publication, talk about all that tedious politics though.

No, what you ladies are interested in is the most important weapon when courting: Information! To that end, here's what we know about what our little Prince has got up to the past few years. He has been on several public dates with his Queen, as well as being spotted with his absolutely adorable knight!

'But those are the peerage members, Lily!' I hear you ask, 'What about actual rivals?!'

Well my dear readers, you are in luck! Thanks to my stellar investigations, I have come up with a list of potential marriage prospects for the young Sagan. The first is an absolutely scandalous one, Lady Yasaka of the Yokai! Now this one is a bit speculative, all their meetings and arranged play dates with their younger family members could just be due to the Sagan Trading company, but they do spend a large amount of time together! Surely there could be some sparks there?

We reached out to Yasaka for comment, but she declined to talk to us about this. Could the Kitsune of Kyoto be bashful?

Whatever the case, the other big one, I dare to say, may be even more interesting! Rias Gremory, daughter of the prestigious Gremory family! Despite her engagement to Riser Phenex, the Gremory Heiress has been spending a lot of time with Lord Sagan behind closed doors. Officially, he's been hired to teach her peerage, in preparation for their Rating Game debut. But is that really all that's going on?

We reached out to Heiress Gremory and Master Phenex, to which the replies are below:

'Damocles is a good friend, I asked for his help in preparation for my future Rating Games, to which he gracefully accepted. That's all that's going on. – Heiress Gremory

'Lord Sagan is a close business partner. His arrangements with others is his own business. No matter who they may be. – Master Riser Phenex

Spicy!

Aside from those two, the field seems to be surprisingly clear of competition. A Young, lone Lord to an ancient house, who has single handedly dragged his House from Baron to Earl? He should be swimming in marriage prospects, yet apparently, not so. Oh, there has been no shortage of requests made, but all have received polite but firm rejections.

The isolation that is characteristic of the new Sagan House seems to be in full swing here as well. But don't despair! Keep up your subscription to 'Hot Topics' and we will arm you with all the tools you need to snare the man of your dreams!

---

'A New Collection?' by Claviclas Bael

Good day, my fellow auction enthusiasts. I write to you today to share a vital piece off information that has fallen into my lap. In our circles, it behoves us to know if any collectors may be interested in our wares specifically. After all, favour can be many times more valuable than the money we can earn through auction.

To that end, as you all know, I frequently peruse the public auction lists to see if I can find any emerging patters to share with you all, our loyal subscribers. Well today, I have found quite the lead. Over the past few months, the isolationist and enigmatic Lord Sagan has attended several auctions, dropping what is sometimes a staggering amount of items on old Sumerian and Babylonian artefacts.

Far be it for me to cast any aspersions as to why, but it seems Lord Sagan has a desire for trinkets from that area, the older the better. Should you have any such items in your personal collections, it would be worth considering reaching out to this rising star if it fits your priorities. After all, those of us of the Old Blood know that Remora's kin would not be satisfied with a mere Earldom.

Helping a young lord with his passions, for an appropriate price of course, is sure to leave you in good standing for negotiations further on. Should they occur, of course. Whether this is worth pursuing, is as always, up to you my Lords and Ladies.

---

'Clamour in Albion' by Anos Voldigoad

For those of you with business in the British Isles, you may have noticed the Knights of the Crown have been rather active as late, like a poked hive of bees. These things happen, of course, but the reason behind such activity is always worth knowing. If only so as to not fall foul of any misfortune due to the wild flailing.

Well thanks to my source within the Knights themselves, it seems that their panic is actually warranted this time. The ones pushing for this mobilization is the Pendragon family. Yes, that Pendragon family. It appears that something rather valuable has gone missing recently and they are desperate for it to be returned.

What could have been stolen to cause such a reaction, you ask? Well, a better question when it comes to this family is what wouldn't cause a stir if they misplaced it. This time, however, is rather serious. A fortnight ago, someone infiltrated their main compound and absconded with Avalon.

Yes, that Avalon.

The fact that they even were in possession of Excalibur's sheath was supposed to be a tightly guarded secret. How someone found out about it, devised a plan to steal said item and disappeared without a trace is a thing straight out of stories. I was only told in the hope that I had some information on out side of the world about this priceless relic.

Of course, I had no knowledge of such a theft, being just as surprised as I am sure you all to hear about it. However, the Knights have sent out word, that anyone with information that could lead to the reclamation of Avalon would be richly rewarded.

Regardless of where the information comes from. It seems secrecy is understandably out the window this time, the Knights having no leads what-so-ever. Any Devils that feel like getting rewarded by such an esteemed order, coming forward with information for them can be done through me as a trusted third party.

Of course, how can you give information on something you have no knowledge of? To that end, allow me to describe Avalon and it's history to you…

---

Outside Lilith Central Station

"Maria Naruse, Gremory Underworld News Network. I am here outside Central Station to see if we can get any statements from the Lords and Ladies heading to the upcoming Senate seating. Oh! I see a Lord exiting the Station now!"

The white haired reported hurried along, moving towards a well dressed Lord being followed by their green-haired Queen.

"Lord Sagan! Lord Sagan! A moment for the cameras? The public would love hearing from someone so handsome!" She ran up to him, microphone extended and a flirtatious look on her face.

Ignoring his Queens rolling eyes, Lord Sagan didn't even break stride, "Would it matter if I said no?"

"Haha, good joke my Lord! How does House Sagan intend to vote on the upcoming bill?" The reporter, rather than attempting to impede his progress decided to merely walk alongside him, allowing the microphone to pick up his answer.

"Against, obviously." Was the curt response.

"The Amendment of House Property Laws Act is meant to streamline the current laws on crimes committed on House Property, but several Analysts have opined that the bill is really aimed at you My Lord. This is due to the rather alarming casualty figures of executed criminals on your House Lands. What is your response to these allegations?"

"If people stopped trespassing, I would stop having to take out people too stupid to read. The Bill will fail anyway, this is a grave overstep by the Senate. The intentions behind it matter little." The tone the response was delivered in a voice dryer than the Sahara.

"Speaking of allegations, you have never publicly commented on the suspicions that you were responsible for the death of the former Astaroth Heir. Would you like to lie those rumours to rest? Although, it has cultivated a sort of 'bad boy ' image around you over the years. So maybe it's to your advantage?" She joked.

"I have no knowledge of that case. I believe that it was investigated fully by the authorities at the time. I was honestly relieved, after all, the animosity between House Astaroth and my own would have been bad for business." The reply was clinical and delivered robotically.

Seeing as she wasn't getting anything juicy with this like of questioning, Maria decided to switch gears, "The Bill that is being argued today was proposed by the Lord Paimon, Lord Sagan. This is the third time in a row you are voting against legislation proposed by the Great King Faction. Does this indicate a shift in House Sagan's neutral stance?"

"No. House Sagan is only loyal to House Sagan. That has been my answer the last time this happened, and it will be my answer when I inevitably vote against the New Satans again."

"But Lord Sagan, you are the only Lord to not attend the Annual Bael Ball, as well as declining all invitations to meet sent to you by the Great King Faction. That points towards a pattern of behaviour." The reporter was forced to stop walking as Lord Sagan did, slowly turning towards her.

For the first time since they started speaking, Lord Sagan looked directly at her. Those blue eyes on such an angelic face should have been cute, but the reporter only felt unease. It was if a great predator had suddenly noticed her entering it's territory. He suddenly screamed danger. It was the hottest thing she had ever seen.

"I do not appreciate..." Came a low rumbling voice, each syllable oozing malice, "Such insinuations. I also declined to attend the Gremory Ball. And the Astaroth Ball. And the Glory Ball. I have declined to meet each and every Lord who wished to meet outside my lands. Should Zekram Bael wish to speak to me, he is welcome to visit the Sagan Manor. The same as anyone else who wishes to speak to me."

His glare lingered for a brief few moments, before he spun on his heel and continued walking, all indications of the conversation fading away like a mirage. His Queen merely sent a smirk Maria's way before following after her King. Maria, in the meantime, was busy recovering from what had felt like a brush with death.

Remembering herself, she straitened up and turned to the camera, "You heard it here first folks! And I must say, I now understand what the girls in the office see in bad boys!"

---

Sagan TC Main Depot, previously Astaroth Brewery

"I'm not sure about this, man." Came the worried voice, a hooded figure following another as they moved stealthily between the massive warehouses.

"Come on, you're not usually such a scaredy cat. This is easy money, just one little bomb and we are off to the races." Came the calm response.

"There is a reason this pays so well you know. Do you really think running into her is worth it?" The first voice was entirely unconvinced.

"Of course I know. That's why I got Vic to set off that fire at the secondary warehouse. You worry too much, The Blade Fairy will be way too busy with that to come here."

"Don't say her name!" The admonishment was panicked, fearful.

"Oh come. She's not that scary." The first figure shrugged, leaning down to inspect a lock.

"I've seen the bodies, man. You saw that Rating Game, same as me. How can you be so calm?"

He snorted at that, "Come on man, you know all that shit was staged. First Rating Game, barely a few months of training and the kid steam rolls an established peerage? Yeah right, pull the other one."

He moved a hand over the lock, a brief flash breaking it off it's post, "This will be quick, you'll see. Paydays like this don't come often."

He realised his friend wasn't responding, "Buddy, you fainted from fear? What's up?"

He rose and looked to his friend, coming face to face with the unimpressed red eyes of the Blade Fairy herself.

Swearing, he jumped backwards, hand extended, "Don't think I'll go down ea…!"

He collapsed to the ground wetly, the flurry of steel reducing him to a vaguely Devil-shaped pile of minced flesh, joining the other similar looking body.

Kasane sighed, walking over to the newest corpse and extending a hand, wilting when a rectangular object dropped into it.

"Really?" She muttered to herself. They interrupted her date and didn't even have the courtesy to make it hard for her. Now her entire night would be spent investigating this and not exploring these lovely warm feelings she's just discovered.

Her grip tightened on the bomb in her hands. She would find the one responsible and… impress… on them her displeasure.

---

Forest in Midnight Kyoto

"I don't get what's so great about your brother, Shiro." The young Kitsune flicked her ear, walking along a log next to her Devil friend.

"That's because he's my Nii-san." Came the stoic reply.

"Well he's really nice and I love all the gifts he gives me, but the way you speak about him it's like he can do anything." Kunou pressed.

"He can. Nii-san is the best." Shiro's voice was firm, as if she was asserting a law of the world.

"Of course you would say that, you massive Bro-con." Was the scoffing reply.

"I am a Bro-con." Shiro was not upset at the insult, rather she reaffirmed it with pride.

Kunou sighed at the response. She loved her new friend, but her obsession with her brother was a point of contention. Damocles was nice, probably the nicest boy Kunou knew, but she didn't see him as some sort of flawless being, unlike Shiro. It wasn't because she didn't spend time with him, she actually really liked when he visited and spent time with her.

He treated her really well, almost like Shiro. Shiro would always come first, of course, but if Kunou did have a big brother she thought he would act like Damocles. But at the end it it all, that's all he was. Just, you know, a guy.

"Oh well, I suppose that's part of your charm, Shiro." Kunou gave up, just like she always did when they had this conversation.

"It's because I'm right." Shiro radiated smug.

"Yeah, yea…" He mouth was covered, Shiro crouching and dragging her under the log she was balancing on.

Before she could panic, she felt she felt Shiro whisper into her ear, "Do you have a distress call?"

Eyes wide, she nodded, confused at how her friend was acting. Shiro whispered again, "I've already activated mine. Use yours."

Kunou reached into her robes, finding the charm and ripping in in half. As she did so, Shiro spoke again, "Can you use Illusion magic?"

She nodded.

"Can you transform into a fox?"

Another nod.

Shiro let go and stepped away from the log, "Shiro, wha…"

"Shh." Shiro spoke quickly, "Transform and hide."

Trusting her friend, Kunou transformed into her smaller fox form and hid underneath the log,

Shiro looked around the clearing, before speaking out, "I know you are there."

"Well well. Princess has got some skill, ain't that right Georg?" Came the confident reply, as a man walked into the clearing, a golden spear slung across his shoulders.

"She must be amazing at sensing Magic to detect us, or maybe it was Dimension Lost that tipped her off." A man wearing glasses followed the first, as more and more people arrived behind them.

Kunou panicked, wasn't this terrible? They were really badly outnumbered!

"Princess." The confident man with the spear called out, breaking Kunou's train of thought, "Where's the Fox? She was just with you."

What? They were after her? Why?! Was it because of her Momma?

"Not here." Shiro instantly replied, lying seamlessly.

"Well then." The man shrugged, uncaring, "We don't need you. Heracles."

A heavily muscled man stepped forwards, punching towards Shiro and causing a rolling explosion to fly towards her. Furthermore, towards the log behind her. Before Kunou knew what was happening, she was held safely in Shiro's arms as they flew above the exploding clearing.

"Now now, Princess." The man who had been doing the talking sounded disappointed as he looked up at them, "You should know better than to lie."

Chapter 31: Moonlit Reunion

Moonlit Reunion

She ran, breathing steady. Her training had served her very well, this being just the latest string of events pointing to her Nii-san's paranoia being completely justified. She hugged the panicking fox tighter to her chest, wings snapping out as she completely inverted her momentum, flipping through the air as she dashed off into a different direction, barely dodging the explosion that engulfed what would have been her position.

"You run well, filth! You're just making it harder on yourself though! Come out now, and maybe we won't make your heathen brother have to find you in pieces!" The blonde man who had been chasing them for what felt like the better part of an hour called out to her.

She didn't rise to the taunts, besides idly noting them down for later. She looked down, her ruby necklace warm with magic against her chest. She had sent the distress signal immediately, the fact that no one had responded yet meant that is was blocked somehow. Her faith in her Nii-san was total, there was no way he would not have come immediately.

She had not just been running all this time, of course. She had been observing her hunters, making note of how each acted. The guy with the spear was a creep, but apparently their leader. Most of her caution was due to him, she knew how deadly holy weapons were to her. The scruffy one with the Staff was a physical fighter, so not likely the one to be holding up whatever Barrier this forest was inside. Same with the big, stupid looking one.

The sword user with glasses had not cast magic, unlike the blonde wearing the stereotypical witch outfit. She had been using magic liberally, but none of it was lethal, she noticed. The other girl, who seemed to love daggers, was also unlikely to be the barrier master. She used some form of magic to summon her blades, but she had shown no other indications of any arcane knowledge.

That meant her target was the mousey guy in glasses. He had used some barrier magic when she sent probing attacks back towards them, but other then that he had stayed largely uninvolved, aside from using detection magic to track her down. She could be wrong, of course, but her plan was the one that had the highest chance of getting out of this alive.

Still in the smoke from the attack she dodged, she jostled the fox in her arms, whispering, "Kunou. Illusion."

The fox shivered, but she felt the warm feeling of the magic rippling over her. It wasn't a strong illusion, but with one of her own layered on top of it, it should buy her enough to time to set up what she needed.

The smoke cleared, and the pursuers watched as empty forest was revealed around the smoking crater.

Heracles crossed his arms, "That wasn't strong enough to kill her, even if it caught her off guard. She slipped away again."

Cao Cao merely slung his golden spear over his shoulders, "She's a slippery one. I'll give her that. Not that I would expect anything less, her Brother is a Prince, ya know?."

"We should stop playing with our food." The armoured woman was unimpressed, "Torturing Devils is fun and all, but she hasn't even screamed once yet."

"As uncouth as she is, Jeanne is right. Their absence would be noticed by now. If we want to avoid the Prince from reinforcing Yasaka, we should hurry this up."

"Aw… That's adorable. You scared of a Devil, Arthur? Big bad King scared of a wittle Prince?" Bikou smirked at the blond man.

"Yes." Was the unashamed response, "You might not understand what it means, but someone who could steal Avalon is not someone to take lightly."

"Oho, I thought the Knights were still looking for the culprit, officially. What do you kn…"

Bikou was interrupted by Georg, "The lake. I can feel a large amount of her magic from there. That's where she ran off to."

Cao Cao sighed, "Looks like she's decided to stop running. Let's go."

When they reached the lake, they found the white haired girl floating in the air, standing in the centre of it. They could see their actual target, the Kitsune, hiding behind the other girl, watching them fearfully. The Devil, in contrast, was staring at them with an impassive look on her face, her hand raised palm up towards the heavens.

Etched above her in the night sky, was a truly massive spell circle. The crimson light it gave off bathed the whole area in an eerie, red glow.

"Georg. What is that spell?" Cao Cao whispered to the experienced mage.

"I don't know." Was the surprising answer, "I can see some structures relating to light? But not much else is recognizable."

"I can't decode it either." Le Fey added, "There were rumours going around that she was some kind of magical genius, but…"

"If it's a spell relating to light, it should be visible just before it activates. If you stay near me, I should be able to shield us." Georg told their leader, who bit his lip considering.

"Alright. We don't know how big the area affected is, so everyone stick near Georg. Let's go bag us a fox." Walking on the water, he held his spear loosely as he advanced.

"Finally tired of running, Princess? I'm feeling rather angry at all the time you've forced us to waste."

"And I'm feeling rather angry at having to deal with you filth instead of cuddling with my Nii-san." Came the cold response.

"Ho, you really have no fear, huh? I would call you brave, but really I think you might just be an idiot." Cao Cao laughed, but his brow was slightly creased with anger.

"I'm not stupid enough to make my Nii-san angry by attacking me." Was the uncaring response, "If you leave now, I'll tell him to go easy on you?"

"You won't be telling him anything, brat. Corpses don't talk." Jeanne called back.

"You're right." The certainty of her words caused unease to gather amongst the group, guards raised towards her massive spell, "They don't."

"CAO CAO!" "LE FAY!"

There was a shout from Georg as the spell circle bloomed, a blinding flash of light obscuring their visions briefly, a shield materializing between the group and the threat. Arthur grabbed his sister and backed off, sword held protectively between them. At the same time, the illusion hiding the actual spell she was focusing on beneath their feet faded away, not that the blinded group could see it.

The massive plume of red lightning, however, was a lot easier to notice. There were surprised shouts, but all the tendrils ignored the group, focusing on one specific body. Georg screamed as the entire magical reserve of the Sagan Bishop was converted to lighting and poured into his body. He turned translucent, the voltage completely frying him, as he spasmed and fell with a splash into the lake.

Blinking the spots out of his eyes, Cao Cao looked around and took stock of the single casualty, before whirling back towards the exhausted Shiro, "You'll pay for that, bitch!"

A purple flash lit up the area, as a deep, wrathful voice answered, "Funny."

Appearing from his teleportation spell, long white hair flowing behind him, the angry blue eyes of Damocles Sagan swept the assembled group, "I was just about to say something similar."

---

These idiots. I was aware of the Hero Party or whatever the fuck they called themselves, of course, but in my time on this world the details of an anime I watched years ago even before my transport to this world became hazy. I knew there was something they did to Yasaka, but to my recollection their attempt was foiled by Issei and the ORC.

They acted a lot earlier in this world, almost two years earlier. Was this something I caused? Did my alliance with the Yokai cause them to move up their timetable? Either way, they were here now. Attacking Kunou. Attacking my Shiro. They would not be leaving here in one piece. I flexed my will, activating my families power non-verbally. I noticed through we had Information Defence that we had an audience, but at this point I didn't care.

"Nii-san." Shiro spoke softly behind me.

"Good job Shiro." my eyes didn't leave the walking corpses below us, "I am proud of you."

"Ah." The black-haired guy with the holy poke stick recovered first, "The fabled 'Lone Prince.' I've heard a lot about you, my name is…"

"I really, honestly, truly, don't care." His mouth stayed open at that, obviously not used to being disregarded like this.

"Also, stop that. There is only one way you are leaving here and it will be nowhere near that easy." My gaze went past him, towards the panicking witch who was desperately trying to activate a teleportation spell.

"You're wide open!"

"Heracles don't!" Jeanne's warning went unheeded, as the large man moved with incredible quickness to strike at me, orange flickering from his clenched fist.

I swiped my hand up with my middle and index finger extended, creating a sharpened blade of wind with the gesture, courtesy of a rather deadly bear I had eaten. The Gale Claw passed cleanly through the reincarnation's body, causing him to separate into two perfect vertical halves that splashed into the lake below me, one to either side.

The remaining group stiffened at the anti climatic dispatching of their comrade, even more when I brought my hand back to level in front of me, clenching my fist. The two floating bodies in the lake below us were pulled under the water, a muffled 'crunch' sounding out from the suddenly tranquil pool.

A flash lit up the area, the rest of my peerage arriving behind me, causing the Hero wannabe's to be even further backed into a corner.

"C.C. The guy in glasses has a holy sword. You can deal with him and the witch girl." I spoke to greet them, all business.

"With pleasure." My queen responded.

"Kasane, the girl in armour and the monkey is yours."

"Understood."

"Naomi, take Shiro and Kunou back to Yasaka, she must be getting worried."

"Sure, come on Kunou."

The little Kitsune had been staring at me with wide, awestruck eyes, before being shaken out of it by Naomi's words, "Ah, yes. Thank you for saving us, Damocles!"

"Always." Was my response.

"Well you are certainly arrogant, acting like you've already won." Cao Cao blustered, sliding into a spear stance as he spoke, "What makes you think we'll oblige your plans?"

"You don't get a choice." I flicked my fingers, a purple gravitational wave flowing over them, causing them to block and throw up shields, before being confused as nothing happened.

I waved my hand, and Jeanne and Bikou flew off in one direction as their gravitational direction was redirected and amplified, just as Arthur and Le Fay were also blown into the foliage by the same phenomenon.

"Hmm. I see it didn't work on me." Cao Cao was seemingly unconcerned at his sudden isolation, making no move to stop C.C. and Kasane chasing after their targets, "What's wrong Prince? Can't beat my Longinus?"

I noticed his breathing had been getting heavier as he spoke, "I didn't even try. You're mine to put down."

"You'll regret that." He shot forward, his form honed after hours of practice. The spear led the charge, tip unerringly aimed towards my heart.

I dodged, arms at my side, stance relaxed.

He reacted well, pivoting to a slash, a thrust, a jab, attempting to bat me with the haft. Mix ups, feints and combos flew at me in a display of martial prowess. All of it calmly avoided by my movements. I will admit, he was skilled, and decently quick, but compared to those fucking rabbits in the Orcus Labyrinth he might as well be standing still. The very proximity of his spear was unpleasant, it's glow uncomfortable, so my dodges were wider than they strictly had to be but better safe than sorry.

He paused, panting, "You… Are… certainly better… what…?"

He seemed confused, the lack of oxygen finally starting to affect him, "You.. binding?"

Realising that I had done something to him, he flexed his Magic, attempting to fight against my binding. Of course, he had no idea what exactly it was doing, so it was fairly simple to keep the Lock of his alveoli in place. His ability to process oxygen completely shut off, he sucked in increasingly large mouthfuls of useless air, slowly suffocating to death as I watched impassively.

His face went red, then blue, slowly turning purple as he died slowly. It was a fitting death. He panicked, weakly attempting to grasp his spear again, before choking and gagging, body starting to rebel. Honestly, it was rather pitiful.

Of course, that's when his fancy glow stick decided to flash into a brilliant holy light. Frowning, I conjured an area of condensed gravity in front of me, preventing the light from penetrating through to me.

"Filthy Devil." I heard him speak, dropping my shield and beholding his new form, "You should have killed me quickly. Now you'll regret your impudence."

He was covered in a thin, golden armour, shimmering as if it were a mirage. From his back sprouted ten golden streams of light, five to each side, waving in the air in a facsimile of wings. Was this a Balance Breaker? Wasn't his one some form of bullshit anti-women power? I'm sure it could do more, but honestly that was the only thing that stuck.

It seems that the circumstances in which you achieve it can influence your Balance Breaker. Interesting. Testing my theory, I attempted to Bind him again. I could do it, but whatever that light was it seemed to eat through my Demonic Power at an insane rate. I see. It must be some sort of anti-devil power in response to the trauma that triggered it.

He shot forwards, the glowing holy lance snapping out at me, causing me to jump away from him, using air platforms to increase my speed along with my wings. Of course, he could apparently fly now, so that was annoying.

His speed was still far below what he needed to hit me if I focused, though. Eating my way through everything in the Orcus labyrinth was a slow process, but one that provided ample benefits.

Eventually, we came to a stop, him seeming to realise he can't quite reach me. Not that impacted his ego any, "Filthy Devil, God Himself has given me this power to take Humanity's world back from creatures such as you. Do you have any last words?"

I was not out of options. I could overwhelm his passive defence, overpower a Gale Claw, many different ways of ending this fight occurred to me. His bluster wasn't all hot air, he had been noticeably improving in our fight, that also didn't account for any ranged options he might have gained from his Balance Breaker. This might get dangerous for me if I dragged it out.

But you see, I was annoyed. This entire thing had been watched by our unseen voyeurs, who have not deigned to intervene. Despite claiming to protect this land, despite a beacon of one of their rivals suddenly blazing, they still had not lifted a finger. I was used to their complacency, of course, but I would have hoped that a direct attack on one of their Miko would have at least elicited some response.

It seemed the Shinto were content to remain passive until directly involved. Very well, I will oblige them.

"Just that it seems unfair that you are armed and I am not. Lets fix that, shall we?" Cao Cao quirked na eyebrow at that, amused.

His amusement made way to shock as I clapped my hands twice and clasped them in prayer, "A devil praying? Now I've seen everything."

Ignoring him, I spoke clearly, "Gods of Japan." The passive observation sharpened, and suddenly our audience grew exponentially.

"I ask for a weapon with which to protect your lands from this heathe…"

INFORMATION DEFENCE SCREAMED

Both of us stiffened at the heavy, all encompassing presence stifled reality around us. White mist, tinkling blue under the suddenly brighter Moonlight, drifted in from everywhere and nowhere. My breath misted, the temperature plummeting.

I had been in the presence of Gods before. This was not like that. Reality itself shuddered at the being whose gaze was drawn to this location. Their very existence was on such a higher level, it felt like comparing an ant to a dragon. Struggling against every instinct I had, I turned my head up to the sky, only to be met with an impossible sight.

That was not Earth's Moon. It was many times larger, hanging above my head and dominating the view of the night sky.

The symbol etched into it's surface triggered memories, long buried in the recesses of my mind. A comforting, cool presence suddenly draped itself over me, the mist around me thinning as the Moon's glow caressed me gently.

"At long last." A soft, feminine voice sounded out, not audibly, but within the very souls of those present, "Thou prayers hath called to me, My Dear Consort Eternal."

She spoke again, "You prayed for a weapon, no? Thy weapon was long lamenting the loss of it's wielder. I bequeath it unto you again, with all that it entails."

A solid Moonbeam materialised next to me, the silhouette of a sword barely visible inside it. Unconsciously, my body reached for it, pulling an achingly familiar blade out from the light of the Dark Moon. The handle emanated a familiar chill, and suddenly my body was wracked by foreign sensations.

Time long spent training, the fleeting pain of long healed battle wounds, the half remembered illnesses begot by poison. More than that, however, was the aching searing, Maddening, all encompassing Flame that coursed through my soul, a wound so grievous that it's mere memory still struck out with a vicious bite.

"Trespasser." She turned her attention to Cao Cao, whose light was swallowed up by this incomprehensible entity, "My thanks for thy part in our reuniting. They hath the honour of being felled by a Lord, unquestioned. Rejoice."

It clicked. The voice, the Rune upon the Moon, the mist, the sword. Suddenly, I knew the entity that was speaking.

I rasped out, still reeling from the psychic assault, a single name, that echoed into the chill night air. It's impossible. Why? I had her name on my list, but why was she here, now? The power needed to challenge the beings lurking there was still far out of reach. What trickery was this? Still. There was only one conclusion that made sense, as insane as it was.

"Ranni...?"

Chapter 32: Interlude: A Long Shadow

Summary:

Disclaimer: This was an absolute fucking monster. Expect grammar and spelling issues galore, 15K words is a bitch and a half to proofread and edit. I should have caught most of them, but you know how it is... So what is this? This is Damocles' time spent in Elden Ring from the perspective of Ranni, going over the events that occurred there. From the explanation at the end, you will see why this had to be it's own separate thing. The Damocles POV we follow in the main story will never experience these events, so showing why Ranni and SPOILER act the way they do would be difficult from simply that perspective. This will initially cleave closely to Elden Ring canon, so MASSIVE ELDEN RING SPOILERS, if you want to skip the set up and get to where it starts to diverge look for: 'She did not, in fact, arise to good news.'

Interlude: A Long Shadow

There once was a proud and foolish God.

She had such an unearned arrogance, such great hubris, that she plucked the concept of Death from her Order. Such a violation of the natural way ensured that this God's Order, was no true Order at all. However, the minds of mortals were short sighted, and the Goddess was loved and lauded for it, ushering in a Golden Age of Order.

It was an Age of Light, an Age of Life. Plenty abounded, the bounty brought by her stewardship seemingly unending. However, such a thing engendered resentment. Those on the fringes, those more attuned to the Dark and the Night, were outcast. They had no true place within the Golden Age. They were each of them exiled or eliminated from the land they called their own. Those that had the strength to resist, instead found themselves subverted, brought low by trickery and lies, only to be embedded within the very Order that loathed them.

Such things were to be expected.

For you see, there are beings of unimaginable power, out in the spaces between the void. Everyone, both God and Mortal alike, truly only danced to the tune set by these inscrutable beings. Free will was illusion, the cycle infinite. Even if one was chosen to dispose of this prideful God, they would only institute a New Order, aligned to a different being, ready for the cycle to begin anew.

Different outcasts, different misfits, calling out to their own God to institute their new Order, this time with them at the peak.

On and on it would go, a pitiful, unending cycle of suffering and misery. Each New Age destined to end in death, hate and destruction, just like the last. All to the detestable, 'benevolent' plans of these so called 'Higher Beings'.

These Outer Gods, for their strength truly earned them the divine mantle, were immeasurable in their power and influence. However, even they were not immune to the true, unhampered natural order. A Princess had discovered this, in her youth, where she found one of them in her explorations.

A dead God.

The discovery was shocking. These being's projected themselves as all powerful, all knowing and yet they could die? How could that be? She resolved to study it, to tease all of it's secrets from it's corpse. How was this possible? Was she the only one who saw it?

The more she looked, the more she realised. The very idea was unthinkable. She was not the only one who saw, she was the only one who understood.

She had been playing right into their hands. Her resentment, her dissatisfaction, would have lead right down the path set down by these false idols. She was chosen by these beings, a candidate to bring in a new Age. Should she not have found this truth she would have certainly attempted to do so. Already, she was having thoughts of exacting revenge on this Golden Age for the pain it had caused her family, her mother most of all.

She felt a deep, encompassing rage. It was not the hot, violent rage of the zealot, or the directed, controlled rage of the warrior. Instead, it was the calculating, calm rage of the wronged seeking redress.

And so she began to plan.

Her father, would pay.

The Goddess, would pay.

The beings that thought her their plaything?

They, most of all, would pay.

---

The Numen were surprisingly gullible. Destined Death was powerful, but even a thing of such potency was greatly diminished when it was just a sliver. Especially when that fragment was distributed across many blades. Their rage against the Queen, their thirst for vengeance, it blinded them.

She was once again thankful that hers was much more thought out.

The weapons they had forged were powerful, of that there was no doubt. However, to be a Demigod was no trifling thing. The very fabric of the Age sustained them. These knives would be able to kill parts of them of course, for Death was in their very essence, but without proper guidance their effectiveness left much to be desired.

It was sufficient enough for her purposes, but for the Assassins, they would find themselves to be underwhelmed. When they struck, she was ready. Their rage at her trickery must have been immense, but she had already slew her flesh. She was beyond them.

Her precious, beloved 'brother' was less fortunate, but she no longer had to concern herself with him. She had come out the victor of this skirmish. The Assassins would have to find another to be their God, she never had such low ambitions.

Now all she had to do was slay the tool with which the puppet masters pulled the strings, but she ran into an unexpected obstacle. The symbol of Order, the very thing that defined the Age for what it was, was shattered by the God who once took such unearned pride with it.

Such a thing was outside of her expectations. Each of her siblings claimed what scraps of power they could, squabbling and devouring each other like beasts to grow and retain their advantages over each other. She even claimed a shard for herself, never one to let a tragedy pass without being exploited, but she hid it upon the corpse that only she knew of to keep it hidden.

Such a thing had downsides, the reach and flexibility her power greatly diminished, especially compared to her 'siblings'. It also proved to be a grave error, as her window to strike closed while she was occupied with obtaining her shard.

Her real brother, was subverted. His power, immense and bolstered by the shard he claimed, allowed him to arrest the very movement of the stars themselves. For one whose fate was written in the constellations, such a thing was paralysing. She could not advance while he persisted in impeding her. Her power was affected greatly, forcing her to use what she could still muster conservatively.

She beseeched him, pleaded with him to see reason, but he did not relent. He was already too poisoned against her, seeing her as a traitor to the Order which he had to believe in, blaming her for the Shattering and all that it entailed.

So, frustratingly, she was forced to wait. She busied herself, gathering allies, patiently biding her time. She observed the fighting, safe in her seat of power, merely awaiting an opportunity. She grew frustrated at the pointlessness of it all, wondering what her cursed family could hope to gain with all this destruction. Should one of them prevail, did they even have a plan?

She was surprised by a visit of a vast army to her domain. The twin prodigies were always wild cards, but she did not expect them to come directly at her after their flight from the capitol. She worried that they had somehow divined her role in the start of events, but no. They instead came under a flag of peace.

She entreated with them, being greeted by the sight of the cursed younger brother, "Why hath thy came, siblings? A flag of truce is a hard thing to trust, nowadays. As you can see, I am neutral in these proceedings. However, should some force my hand..."

She trailed off, her puppet's eyes on the forces of the child's sister that were camped in her domain.

The elder sister stiffened and made to speak, but the smaller sibling raised a hand to stop her, "My apologies, Princess. We were on our way to our new home, but once there I will have to slumber to recover for a while."

He pulled from his robes two items, a reed whistle and a silver bell, "Thou art neutral in this conflict, having picked no sides and participated in no battles. I entreat you, please hold onto these for me. A ghost will come and beseech thee for a steed. I beg thee answer her requests."

She knew the boy was a being of prophecy and foresight, so what he stated was sure to come to pass. She had nothing to lose from merely adopting the spectral steed, while risking much by refusing with an army at her door. So she agreed and the twins left her in peace. A very rare thing in those early days.

In return, the brother left an echo of one of his most loyal knights to guard her family home. An arrangement that meant that her new protector could not be used to spy on her, something that would have made her refuse such a payment.

It made her wonder what he knew.

So again, after that excitement, it was back to waiting and observing the pointless conflict. Nothing substantive was gained, while much was lost, the years passing by with only a small change to the status quo.

Still, if there was one thing she now possessed in abundance, it was time. So she silently observed, watching as all fell but her brother and the woman who had never tasted defeat. Their battle was truly titanic, the most destructive by far in the Shattering, but ended in a draw. The woman's curse was potent, however and ensured that her Brother would eventually falter.

Or so she thought. Even as his body shut down slowly, as his very essence corroded away, he still stubbornly held his grip tight over the source of her power.

'Oh dear Brother...' she had lamented, 'Is this how much thou had come to despise me? Even on the brink of madness, you would still seek to stymie me?'

'Radahn... how did it go so wrong for our family?'

---

She took a twisted sort of pride, knowing that she possessed more patience than even an Outer God. It had sent out a call, bringing back the great warriors that had been exiled, so long ago. They were tasked with reforging the Elden Ring, repairing the Age and taking the throne through force of arms, much like their Scion did long ago.

During those early days, she was once again visited by a surprise guest. She looked down from her throne at the woman, this ghost who wore the face of one dead long ago. Or at least so she was led to believe.

"The Tarnished are the key to ending this Age." The ghost told her. She felt a muted amusement at that, it seemed even death changed little of the other woman's goals.

The spectre continued, "There is one who will be Elden Lord. However, to find him, I need to travel the lands quickly. I was informed that you possess a steed that would let me do so. I was told that he will aid me in finding the one who would be Elden Lord."

The princess had to admit that she had grown fond of the creature called by the whistle, but still, promises were not things to break lightly. So she allowed the other woman to take the whistle with her blessing, looking forwards to seeing what came from it.

Most Tarnished were pitiful, losing hope and direction quickly. The Dragonspear got the closest, but even then he was subsumed by the Outer God's machinations and defeated, then left imprisoned. Many rose, many fell, yet still she saw not a whisper of the ghost nor her steed. Her retainers grated under her patience, wishing for action, their warrior spirit and... other desires... demanding them to take action out in the wider world, beyond the Three Sisters.

This culminated in one of her Oathsworn knights setting forth, venturing into the wider world and striking down a Finger Maiden. The death of one of her enemies was not disagreeable, but it was done without her leave and far too soon. No Tarnished was even close to claiming a Great Rune, attention garnered by such overt moves would only be detrimental to her plans.

She sent Blaidd to bring Darriwill to heel, for him to come answer to her for his actions. When the news came that her loyal shadow was attacked by the rogue knight, she ordered for the threat to be slain. A poor judgement on her part, bringing him into her plans. The knight had served her family for many years, but it seemed even that was no guarantee of loyalty.

Blaidd was successful in his task, slaying the traitor. However, he had news, news that interested her greatly. It appeared that he was not alone in killing the Bloodhound, he had help from a Tarnished.

A Tarnished atop a familiar spectral steed.

---

Her mist swirled in the moonlight, easing the merchant into a peaceful slumber. Her projection awaited, resting on one of the destroyed walls of the ruined church. She impassively watched as a man rose from the Grace where he had been resting. He looked around, gripping his sword as he beheld her spell, before locking eyes upon her.

"This way, Tarnished." She beckoned, "May I have a word?"

He rolled his shoulders, cloak rustling as he swept his gaze around the area for any other threats.

He replied after a short silence, "Very well, would be rude not to. Especially since you've gone through the effort to organise all this."

He walked over to her, his posture relaxed and confident. She started, "A pleasure to meet thee, Tarnished. I am the Witch, Renna."

He came to a stop before her, still a respectable distance between them, "Damocles, just a Tarnished of no Renown." He smiled, blue eyes twinkling with a joke only he knew, "A pleasure."

She doubted that "no Renown" part of his introduction, Darriwill was not unskilled and this Tarnished's skill was impressive enough that Blaidd mentioned his contributions in the fight to her, a rare feat. Still, she was hardly one to begrudge others their secrets.

"I'd heard tell of a Tarnished hurtling about atop a spectral steed." He remained relaxed, but she could detect a slight tightening of his brow. She continued "And upon looking into the matter, the talk, I surmise, is of thee."

He did not reply, his look sharper, more analysing. She decided to prod, "Thou'rt possessed of the power, no? To call forth the spectral steed named Torrent."

He had tensed at her continued enquiry, but as she named the intelligent steed he relaxed slightly, still keeping up his guard but not expecting a conflict. He seemed to debate what he should answer, wisely not trusting her quickly.

Soon enough, his decision was made. "Yes." He said, "I can 'call forth' the spectral steed."

She frowned at the light hint of mockery in his tone, but she was used to dealing with the uncouth. She hid her annoyance with practice and responded as she had planned, "Ah, as I had hoped." She sent through a silver bell that rested upon her throne to her projection, extending her hand to the Tarnished.

"I was entrusted this, for thee. By Torrent's former master." He reached out his own hand, gingerly picking up the metallic object, "'Tis a bell for calling forth spirits. Summon them with it, from ash unreturned to the Erdtree."

He shot her a surprised look at that, turning back to contemplate the bell at her next words, "The spirits will obey thine command but briefly, as they recall battles past. Now it is thine. To do with as thou wishest."

"A Lordly gift." He murmured, his icy eyes returning to gaze into her own, "It is the kind of precious gift that makes one wonder at a Witch would want in return."

She should have expected such a reaction. Thankfully, it was a question that could be answered with the mere truth. She would admit, the temptation to hold over the head of a warrior such as this a favour was tempting, but that would require breaking an agreement made long ago.

She had conspired to murder her own kin, betrayed those who trusted her and sought to tear down the Order that held this world. She was a sinner through and through, a wretched, twisted thing.

Throughout all of that, the one virtue she still held was her word.

She refused to break it lightly.

"Fret not, Tarnished. The payment for this service was provided long ago."

"In that case." He dropped the silver bell into his pouch, before bowing deeply towards her, "I thank you for your kindness, Renna."

That surprised her. When was the last time she had been thanked for anything? It was a long, distant memory. She felt… conflicted, over that realisation. Still, her path forward remained clear.

Deciding to end this interaction, she spoke again, "Forgive mine intrusion, Tarnished. I doubt we shall again meet. But, all the same, learn well the Lands Between."

Feeling slightly melancholic, she spoke her thoughts as she prepared to depart, "How long will it be, I wonder… Before the Tarnished tire of obeisance to the Two Fingers?"

As she faded from view, she heard the strange Tarnished answer her, "Sooner than you may think, Renna."

She wondered what he meant by that statement.

---

The next time she saw the Tarnished, it was also through a projection. Her trap on her mother's room activated, summoning an illusion of the Queen of Caria in all her majesty. She watched as her mother's likeness assaulted the Tarnished with waves of arcane projectiles, and summoned forth projections of her own retainers.

She was treated to her first look at how the Tarnished fought. The thing that came to mind, watching him and dissecting his style, was 'ordinary'. Despite her mastery of magic, she had been tutored in the martial side of combat, to not be left wanting. Using that knowledge, she could see that the Tarnished used no particular style, no flashy techniques.

His style was one of the pure fundamentals, the basics of combat focused on to an almost obsessive degree. Despite his style having no flourishes, no flair, no personality… the only thing she could describe it as was beautiful. His control of spacing, economy of movement, certainty in his attacks… It reminded her of show combat's put on by her families' knights. Those fights were practised however, every move and counter planned out and choreographed meticulously beforehand.

To make a lethal combat seem like nothing more than a well practised play… The skill this Tarnished had was terrifying. His large blade was unerring, every space given ruthlessly exploited. Step, thrust, step, thrust, the wounds accumulated on her illusion until it could no longer sustain itself. The Tarnished, Damocles, had won without suffering a single blow.

As the illusion of her mother in all it's glory faded, she watched with bated breath as he approached the real one's hunched form. She was prepared to use all the power she had to strike the Tarnished down if he made any aggressive moves on the defenceless Queen. He did not. Instead, he merely sheathed his weapon and kneeled down before the Queen, reaching out to lightly touch the Golden Egg that she clutched desperately to her chest.

Standing, Great Rune in hand, Damocles nodded solemnly to the Queen of Caria, before turning and making his way out of the Academy. Ranni remembered that he had claimed a Rune from Godrick as well. This would make him to first Tarnished since Vyke to have two. It seemed Melina's choice was correct.

Still, unless he ventured into Caelid and slew Radhan, it had nothing to do with her. Should he go further, she will decide how to react then. In the mean time, she set about reinstituting the protections on her mother, before pausing. She should probably set the wards to not activate against the Tarnished. Alert her to his presence of course, but should he return, the illusion seemed no impedance to him.

She would have to intervene personally to stop him.

---

The Tarnished did not, in fact go further. After the claiming of his second Great Rune, he apparently disappeared for a full moon. He was spotted here and there, rumours of his movements flying to and fro, but nowhere of any great import. Until of course, the winds took him to Caria Manor.

The spirit left by Miquella was not great impedance to his momentum and her loyal Adula also proved no deterrent. Inevitably he stood in front of her throne. She had taken measures to be suitably imposing, her books proving useful in elevating her head above this visitor. She had no fear meeting him, 'she' was not actually present, merely her puppet was.

Amusement was on Damocles face as he beheld her regal form, but he lowered his head deferentially and allowed her to speak first, as was proper.

Deciding to prod him, she spoke, "Oh? Again we cross paths. I believe I said my name was Renna, when last we met. It pleaseth me to see Torrent hale and hearty…"

Damocles raised an eyebrow, his smile knowing, however he made no move to speak. Annoyed, she got to the root of the matter, "But Tarnished, what business hast thou here? I have no memory of inking thee an invitation."

Finally, the warrior spoke, "Truly, no reason in particular… Though I was surprised to find the Lunar Princess Ranni so far out of the way."

She would have frowned, should her puppet had the ability. She had been found out, it seemed. Still, her visitor appeared to hold no malice towards her, which was surprising.

"No reason in particular, thou claimest? Intriguing." She paused, not believing that for a second, allowing him to interject. When no interruption came, she continued, "I find that hard to believe. Thou hath claimed two of the Great Runes, no? Wouldst it not be prudent for thee to travel to the Erdtree, post-haste? Thou do wish to become Elden Lord, do you not?

"Not really, no." Came the blunt answer, stunning her. He stared at her, blue eyes shining with Grace, "In my travels I found that there are some… Disquieting things about that position."

"Truly?" She was intrigued, watching as the Tarnished nodded to her inquiry.

This Tarnished seemed apathetic about the purpose he was given… she smelled opportunity. His strength was undeniable, such a warrior joining her cause would be a great boon. Let it never be said that Ranni the Witch allowed an opportunity to pass unnoticed. That he was Tarnished was of no import, the whims of the Golden Order were not something she held stock with.

"Then perhaps fate has steered thee to this reunion. Wilt thou enter into my service?" She drew herself up, projecting her regal bearing, "As thee surmised, I am the Witch, Ranni. I stole Death long ago, and now search for the dark path. That I may one day upend the whole of it and rid the world of all that came before."

"Well?" She asked, proud, "Has that roused thy interest?"

"'Upend the whole of it'… That sounds appealing. Very well then, Ranni the Witch, I shall enter into your service." Damocles, she remembered to call him now as part of her retinue, kneeled before her as he swore himself into her service.

"Thou art a rare sort. Not many would have accepted the offer." Wistfully she mused, "But I require as much of those under my command. I anticipate good work from thee."

Damocles nodded and rose, causing her to smile internally, giddy at the aid of such a powerful fighter.

"Then I ask we proceed with haste." She wasted no time putting her new follower to work, "You have already met the half-wolven follower in my service, Blaidd. I would have thee join him in searching for the hidden treasure of Nokron, the Eternal City. I have called for Blaidd to greet thee below. Take from him the particulars."

"While there, thou wilt also find Iji, my war counsellor and Seluvis, preceptor in the sorcerous arts." She decided to reassure Damocles, knowing how… off putting Seluvis can be, "Heed not their peculiarities; feel secure in gaining from them what advantage thou can. I am sure the others will be doing just the same."

She silently celebrated as her Tarnished assented, "I will go and do that then. I will report back before I set off."

In truth, she was no closer to achieving her goals than she was when she started this meeting. Additionally, she was gambling by sending Blaidd and Damocles on a bit of a fools errand. She knew perfectly well what was needed to open the way to Nokron, of course, but telling either came with its own issues.

Blaidd played with Radahn when they were younger, asking her loyal shadow to kill her brother, one that he had such fond memories of… She admitted her cowardice. She did not wish to witness his pain when he realised what would be necessary to achieve her goals. As for Damocles, her new Tarnished retainer… It would set a very unfortunate tone indeed for a new subordinate.

After all, what could she say to him? 'I thank thee for joining my service, wouldst thou kindly kill my elder brother?' No, indeed, it is better that they discover the truth and take upon themselves the task.

That is not to mention Radahn's status as a legendary warrior. She truly did not know whether, even working together, Blaidd and Damocles would prove his match. She knew of Blaidd's prowess and Damocles did hold two Great Runes, of course. But still, the outcome was in doubt. In the end, she could only do as she had always done and await the results.

Once Damocles had returned, she warned him of her coming slumber, the doll's body she was using not suited for long habitation and saw him off on his journey. Still in a good mood from the unexpected fortune of their meeting, she gave him warm words before he departed, her doll's lack of facial movement making it hard to express herself.

"I look forward to the good news when I arise."

---

She did not, in fact, arise to good news. She awoke as her new retainer entered the wards of her tower, moving to it's summit with purpose. When he arrived, he attempted to rouse her, so she inhabited the doll and stirred.

"Ah, Damocles. What news, have you the hidden treasure? Also… what art thou wearing?"

"I am afraid not, Lady Ranni." Her Tarnished responded, "There is to be a Festival at Red Mane Castle. The General will be felled there and we believe, with that, the path forward shall be revealed. As for my attire…"

He looked down, unlike the generic armour he originally wore, he had apparently found a rare set of full Carian Knight Armour, which he now bore proudly. It was a familiar sight to her, the blue fabric and gleaming silver plate stirring many memories of the past.

"I hope I have not over stepped, Lady Ranni. I had thought, as a warrior sworn to your service, I should look the part. I am not ashamed of my service to you and wished to display that."

She was stunned. When growing up, Caria had already fallen far from it's previous glory. She had dreamed of having a personal knight, sworn to her, like the Princesses of old. Thanks to her mother's breaking by Radagon, such a thing became a distant fantasy. It was then twisted by her elevation to Empyrean, with the gift of Blaidd. She loved her adopted brother, of course, but in the back of her mind she always knew his loyalty was never wholly to her.

Having a youthful flight of fancy thrown before her so suddenly like this was rather jarring.

Controlling her reaction, she replied to her Kni… Damocles, "No overstepping hast occurred Damocles. The attire was merely… unusual to see. If thy task is not done, why hast thou awakened me?"

"Thank you Princess." He kneeled before her, pulling out a glowing item from his pouch that caused her to still, "I awakened you to warn you, we have a traitor in our midst. Selivus sent me to procure this, with the aim to manufacture a potion with which to subvert you."

Indeed, nestled in her newest follower's hands, was a shard of Amber Starlight. Looking at it, even from her remote position, she could tell that it was indeed the one that was tied to her destiny. Such a thing was potent and would have likely worked on her, should she have still been in her mortal flesh. The potion could not work on the purely spiritual, as she was now thanks to her gambit so many moons ago.

She was thankful that her distrust of Selivus ensured that he did not know the exact particulars of her situation. She was even more thankful for Damocles, of course. Such a proposition much have been incredibly tempting to a man, yet he had refused and even warned her of the attempt.

"My thanks, Damocles. Thy service and dedication is… Unexpected, but appreciated. Rest assured, this trespass will not go unpunished."

"I am glad to hear that, Lady Ranni." He looked to the glow that filled his hands, "I know what this is. It could be used to disastrous effect against you, what should be done with it?"

She was surprised he knew what he held. It seemed that her Tarnished was quite the scholar and not wholly focused on martial matters. Indeed, the existence and knowledge of her Amber shard was a problem…

Or maybe this too, was fate? She did not succeed as she had so far by ignoring the signs of providence.

"Your loyalty has been more than proven by your conduct in this matter, Damocles. If thou wish it, I would trust thee with the safe conveyance of that object." Her manner was regal, the amount of trust she was putting in his hands disquieting.

However, she would soon leave this place should he succeed in his task and should he fail… the existence of the shard would be immaterial at that point. The Two Fingers would see to that.

"I am honoured with your trust." Surprised too, if the expression on his face proved true, "I shall endeavour to guard it closely. Do you wish for me to handle Selivus?"

"My thanks, but thou need not fret. By the time you return, the matter shall be dealt with."

"Then I shall take my leave, Princess. I will go meet up with Blaidd and retrieve what you are looking for."

She once again bid him farewell, "I shall await thou return, then."

---

Even in her slumber, she felt the moment her brother was felled. Time passed from that momentous occasion and soon she was given the Fingerslayer blade that she required, being given it by Damocles. She stared at the innocuous looking thing, resting in her hand. Truly, fate had been kind to her as of late.

She looked up to her Tarnished, saddened that it was likely the last time she would speak to any in her service, "My thanks. Finally, all the pieces are in place… Soon I will begin my journey, upon my lonely path."

She pulled out the key to her discarded flesh that had been inscribed with the Cursemark of Death, a valuable item. She did not know if it would help her Tarnished, but she hoped that it would.

"Before I leave, I shall gift you this. For thy sterling efforts, in this and other matters. A strange gift perhaps, but I am sure a use for it shall be found."

She turned back to the blade, melancholy shadowing her emotions, "I am now certain. Our reunion here was guided by fate. I thank Torrent too for his part."

She steeled herself, turning to regard Damocles with authority, "It was but brief, but thou gave me fine service. You may leave now."

Damocles brow furrowed, regarding her a bit puzzled, "Are you sure, Princess? My help is offered freely."

"It is appreciated, but unnecessary. The path ahead is dark, a burden I shall solely bear."

Seeing her resolve, he nodded, "Very well then Princess. May we meet again."

He turned and left, blue fabric and gleaming plate rustling with the movement. Indeed, she thought as she watched his back, her own Sworn Knight was nothing more than the fantasy of a foolish little girl. One such of her did not deserve such a comfort.

---

Of course, she should have foreseen this. Her fate was not the only one that was held with the stars. Her greatest enemy, the Two Fingers, had also been freed by her brother's death. That was part of the plan, but the speed at which the cursed thing had recovered from it's fall to the earth had been much quicker than she had anticipated.

It frustrated her immensely, to be so close to the end of her journey yet be unable to progress. The Baleful Shadow, the Two Finger's assassin, was doggedly blocking her way in the guise of her adopted brother. She had adopted a… diminished form for stealth which had served her well to this point, but it it was proving to be an impediment now.

Hearing the splash of movement, she quickly climbed into a casket nearby, hiding from whoever had made the sound. She waited, as the sloshing of movement of the newcomer's steps sounded out in the cavern. There was a pause, before the lid of the casket was moved, exposing her to the sky. Feigning being inanimate, she stilled completely.

"Oh? What a strange thing to find." Came a familiar voice.

A figure in a square helm and unadorned plate armour picked up her small form, holding her with surprising tenderness. Moving to the nearby site of grace, he sat down and starting fiddling with his helm. Meanwhile, she was internally panicking. Being found was the worst thing that could happen here, with this form, protecting herself would require giving her position away to the Baleful Shadows prowling this area.

But wait, could this not be another intervention of fate? The warrior was obviously moving through this underground area. Should she merely pretend to be naught but a child's toy he might take her with him. When he inevitably ran afoul of the Baleful Shadow, she could slip past in the confusion of the combat.

That thought process died a quick death when his helmet came off, revealing the grinning visage of Damocles, "Well well, fancy meeting you here Princess."

What?! How?! Why was he here? This foolish Tarnished who claimed to not want lordship but which refused to relinquish the Guidance of Grace? Her emotions were diminished by her bodiless existence, or so she thought, but having someone who was once her subordinate see her like this, so vulnerable, so weak, so… so… so cute, it left her more mortified than she could ever remember being in her life. If her emotions were not dulled, she might well have died from embarrassment.

No, no, it's fine. Her original plan held. She would merely pretend to be a normal doll, and he would once again aid her, this time unknowingly.

At her continued silence, Damocles sighed and brought out a glowing piece of starlight from his pouch, "Did you forget about this? So long as I hold it, your destiny is bound to mine. It made it rather simple to find you."

He was looking for her? For what possible reason? She had used him, then immediately discarded him upon getting what she wanted. Surely he saw that? What could he have hoped to profit?

She remained still and silent, willing to wait him out. He slumped, "I guess I was mistaken then. Perhaps this is merely a doll? In which case, I will return it to where I found it, as well as close the casket of course. Have to respect the dead."

Bastard. "Thou art like a dog with a bone." She huffed.

"Ah, so she does speak! I was beginning to wonder." His cheek was unabated.

"I hadn't expected any soul to recognize me in this guise. But now that one has, I cannot allow it it's freedoms." She stood as tall as she could, fingers tented and hands on her hips, staring down the tarnished.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, infuriating amusement still painted over his face.

"Preform for me a service, as recompense. Eliminate the Baleful Shadows that prowl these lands."

"Hmm, I don't know I should. I am no longer in your service, remember?" He threw her own actions back against her, increasing her fury.

"The name of Ranni the Witch is already sullied by thee." She seethed, "I will not brook disobedience in this matter."

The Tarnished regarded her, smile lessening as he stared her down. Eventually, in a low voice, he started to respond, "Do you know why I do not wish to be Elden Lord?"

"No. I do not." She replied.

"King Godfrey. Radagon. Who knows how many who have been lost to history. All of them Elden Lords… All of them easily replaced. Becoming Marika's consort appears to be a rather… terminal post…" He shifted, leaning forward and staring seriously at her, "Do you stand by your words to me? Will you really upend the whole of it?"

She stared up at him, as serious as her diminutive form would allow, "Yes." After all, she understood perfectly well how he felt.

He nodded, putting on his helmet and taking up his sword, picking her up and placing her on his shoulder.

"Very well then. I will defeat this 'Shadow' of yours."

---

The city of Nokstella was not so easily traversed, however. The journey to where her former master had landed was a many day affair, especially as she had opted for the more discrete underground route. The Tarnished were still creatures of flesh and blood, so Damocles rested for the night at sites of Grace. She had observed as he partook in his dinner, offering her some of his provisions but seeming unperturbed when she had declined.

The reasoning behind his lack of surprise, of course, was that she was not the only spiritual companion that he travelled with. The Ghost, Melina, was never far from his side. Ranni had noted her presence, but as she seemed content to not be involved in any of Damocles' dealings the ghost was quite easy to put out of her mind.

The conversations that the Tarnished and the Ghost held spoke of a fondness for each other, though it seemed that their relationship had not gone beyond companionable warmth. Still, as he spoke to Melina and partook in the strengthening she offered via Runes, Ranni wondered when the last time she had a casual conversation was.

There was precious little to converse about, these days, but she found herself wishing to at least reassure Damocles. He did not wish for the throne of Lord for fear of abandonment, and she had callously done just that. The least she could attempt was to explain herself to the man. After all, was it not a similar thought which had drove her own machinations, so long ago?

As he rested at the next Site of Grace in their journey, she spoke as he pulled out his provisions, "Let us speak of the past, a while."

He paused, slowly pulling his dried meal free from his pack before nodding at her, "Very well. Dinner is always better with conversation."

Melina materialised into visual form as well, kneeling and looking attentively at Ranni. She would have preferred this conversation be with Damocles alone, but she was not so boorish as to demand the other woman's absence.

She organized her thoughts and started her tale, "I was once an Empyrean. Of the demigods, only I, Miquella, and Malenia could claim that title."

Damocles paid rapt attention to her tale, making no move to interrupt, for which she was grateful, "Each of us was chosen by our own Two Fingers, as a candidate to succeed Queen Marika, to become the new god of the coming age. Which is when I received Blaidd. In the form of a vassal tailored for an Empyrean."

She could not stop her voice from turning fond as she spoke of her faithful shadow, the only good thing the Greater Will had ever done for her. Still, her tone hardened as she continued, "But I would not acquiesce to the Two Fingers and their plans. I stole the Rune of Death, slew mine own Empyrean flesh, and cast it away."

"'The Goddess Marika is blessed by Golden Grace. All those who share in her blessed family have divinity in their very veins.' I see. This Divinity that comes with being a Demigod seems to carry with it it's own price." Damocles mused, obviously quoting a passage from a tome he had read.

"Indeed." She agreed, glad that he understood the necessity of her action, "I would not be controlled by that thing."

She remembered how disgusting it was, twitching and wriggling as it dictated her entire life for her, as if it was a fact just because it decreed it. In an amusing twist of fate, though she had been reduced to inhabit a series of puppets, she was more free from strings now than she had ever been while in her flesh-carved prison.

She explained the reasoning for the foes they were to face, "The Two Fingers and I have been cursing each other ever since... and the Baleful Shadows are their assassins."

"Makes sense." Damocles responded to her tale, "The Two Fingers would need instruments to carry out their will, after all. One who explicitly rebelled against such will would surely be important for them to silence. Allowing a princess to be assassinated when I could stop it… That wouldn't do at all."

"It would not do, indeed." She rejoined.

As they spoke more into the long night, before he had to retire, she started to feel that same warmth that she witnessed between him and Melina form between him and her.

It was paltry thing, small and fragile, not like the tested bond he shared with the ghost, but still.

It was most pleasant.

---

At another rest she was in the mood to continue her story, now that she had a receptive audience, "Even when I turned my back upon the Two Fingers. Blaidd remained my loyal ally."

"He is of a rare sort." Damocles hummed, preparing a stew with some of the ants that infested this place as ingredients.

She would have turned up her nose at such a concoction when she still lived and was more naive, but she knew now that necessity made for difficult choices. Not that Damocles seemed all that put out by the unappetizing sight of the creature he was eating.

"I admit to being worried for him. He said that he had something to attend to, but it has been far too long." His brow furrowed, concern showing though his expression.

It warmed her to see. She was glad that her adopted brother had found such a good friend.

"Heh. He is of a rare sort, 'tis true." She agreed, "Though he was created a vassal for an Empyrean, he was a colossal failure on the part of the Two Fingers. Gladly aiding me against them..."

She turned introspective, thinking about her interactions with her treasured subordinates, "Blaidd… and Iji. Both art willing to give too much to me. Even though they understand that I must betray everything, to grasp what lies beyond this dark path."

Damocles remained silent, stirring his stew. Her voice faded into the surroundings, the quiet of the night moving in to swallow the conversation.

He suddenly broke it by asking, "What then? Once you have grasped whatever lays beyond, what shall it achieve?"

"I will rid the world of all that came before. Shatter this false Order that has long gripped this land."

"I would like to see that." He smiled, "Even if it ends up being worse, at least it shall be different."

"Then perhaps I should add thee to the list?" She teased, clarifying when he rose an eyebrow at her, "Another one, kind of heart. As kind of heart as they. Far too kind to me…"

At his growing smile, she realised what her words could be taken as and hastened to correct him, "Ach, this form hath loosened my tongue. I've let slip too much. Forget what thou'st heard. Forget."

"Sure." He grinned, "Consider it forgotten."

She somehow doubted that.

---

The Baleful Shadow fell, the vicious flurry of blows that it had rained down on Damocles had been utterly ineffective. Her Tarnished had elegantly dodged every attack, returning well struck blows in turn. The patience that was characteristic of his fighting style paid dividends, the warrior remaining standing triumphant.

"Beautifully fought." She commended, her mind turning to the long journey that they had undertook, "My thanks. 'Twas more of a challenge than I envisioned."

"Now I can finally stand before them, the Two Fingers..." She stood, facing the doors that lead to her fateful encounter, "Tell Blaidd and Iji... I love them."

She had no words for the one who had conveyed her here. His aid was invaluable, her dreams would be naught but fancies should he not have agreed to her unreasonable demands. She was at a loss, unsure how to pay him back.

Her inner state conflicted, she decided to trust her path to fate once again, "This is farewell, my dear."

She let her actions speak for her, fading into her spiritual form and moving away, leaving behind a key to a chest in her mother's library. Within the chest, was the one memento that Rennala had held onto even throughout her heartbreak. The ring that would have been gifted unto Ranni's betrothed. Who would have been her Lord.

She could think of no other worthy enough to wear it. She could never say as much, of course, especially not to him. But if their fates really were tied together... She would see what happened. For once, for this single action, she had no grand designs, no plans. She would be interested to see what came of it.

---

The battle was fierce. She had assumed that the Fingers would have some strength to call upon themselves, but the ferocity with which it fought was surprising to her. Her vessel, the puppet masterfully crafted by the best puppeteer that her house could call upon, was all but ruined. She could expend energy to restore it, but she was uninterested in doing so, at least for the moment.

The road had been long, but she had finally severed any hold the Greater Will could possibly exert over her. She sat, broken form perched victoriously upon the ruined carcass of her would be master. She basked in the moment, feeling relieved. Her thoughts were slow, sluggish, the exertion catching up with her.

She didn't wish to move or do anything, at least for a while. Surely, with this accomplishment, she had earned a brief rest? Soon she would have to move again, prepare to usurp the next age and abscond with her Order, but for now, she could rest. She could not influence the outome anyway, soon a Tarnished would claim the throne and only then would she be able to act.

Her thought turned to her Tarnished, the inscrutable Damocles. Remembering him left her conflicted. She hoped of course, that he understood what she was asking, what she was too cowardly to articulate directly to him. She had left him the Key, but for him to find what it unlocked, realize what it meant and find her...

She was still taken to flights of fancy, was she not? To think one such as her would be that favoured by fate...

She did desire him as a Consort. Not for affection, or love, or any such nonsense, but purely for how deeply he impressed her. His loyalty was unquestioned, even after she had hurt him so, still he faithfully aided her. That was what she desired most in a consort, after what Radagon had done she had learned that lesson harshly.

Love, unfortunately, was simply not something she ever expected to receive.

Her thoughts were broken by the roar of Adula. She had instructed the Dragon to stop anyone coming after her and it seemed that she was wise to do so. Whoever it was, she was satisfied that it was far, far too late. The Fingers were dead, all they would be able to save was it's ruined corpse. She was surprised by what sounded like Adula losing, but even then she did not move. The Dragon had expressed to her his desire to die to a worthy foe, it seemed that his wish had been granted.

She was not in any danger, even from one strong enough to fell the Dragon. Her physical form was a suggestion at this point, something she could recreate at a whim. Even if it was destroyed, it would not take any substantial amount of energy more to fix than her current state. She was truly beyond anything that could actually harm her directly at this point, bar the direct intervention by one of the Outer Gods. She suspected something like that was impossible however, due to their refusal to do so for such a long time.

The clank of armour sounded out, her pursuer following the hole in the Cathedral down to her location. Still, she merely passively observed, before being shocked by the figure that emerged. Wearing the deep blue and gleaming silver of the Carian Knights, helm in hand, was Damocles himself. His signature long thrusting sword was in its scabbard at his side, softly sounding against his armour as he came to a pause, beholding the sight that greeted him.

She supposed she must have been quite the visage, sat as she was, naked and broken in front of the mutilated cadaver of the Two Fingers. Blood had been spilt in plenty, soaking the surroundings and covering her as well. She was unsure as to how to greet him, his change in attire speaking well to his intentions but not revealing all.

He spoke, calm and confidant as always, "You are truly the most difficult of women, Princess."

She bristled at that, not that her shattered form could show it, but he continued uncaring, "Sending me to get your mother's blessing, making me fight a Dragon to rescue you, not even telling me where I could find you... truly, nothing but trouble."

He pulled out the ring, the one that was hidden within her mothers room. Her eyes locked on to it, wondering what he would do with it. The warning she had inscribed was supposed to deter anyone from doing what he had brazenly done, but she supposed that she shouldn't be surprised. Damocles' penchant for happily ignoring her was what had brought him to this point after all.

He regarded the loop of metal in his palm, considering. "The Solitude beyond the Night, huh." He smiled at her roguishly, "I would like to see that."

He got to his knee in front of her, gently lifting one of her hands. Her doll was a poor vessel for her essence, cold and unresponsive, but she could have sworn that she felt his warmth through his gloves. Uncaring for the blood and ichor that marred her fingers, he gently fit the ring onto it's proper finger, before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss unto her hand.

This incorrigible fool. Did he know what this meant? What he had just tacitly stated he would do? He did not wish to be Elden Lord, and yet he just...

She mended her broken form, materializing it over the span of a few seconds next to where he stood. Forming her heavy robes, she turned to regard the fool.

"You would be my Lord? Truly?" She asked, "Despite mine warnings and your own desires?"

"Disappointed?" Rather than be a genuine inquiry, his tone was teasing.

"Hardly, thou art a fitting choice. However, the throne did not call to thee. That you would seek it merely for my sake..." She was confused. Why? What drove this foolish Tarnished to such devotion to her?

"Should it be Marika that you object to," She wanted to get to the bottom of this, "I am hardly the only Empyrean. Miquella is beloved by all, Malenia is a warrior like yourself..."

"I choose you." He interjected, eyes serious as they bore into her own, "I choose you and only you. Should you object..."

"No!" She quickly cut him off, "I am pleased. You just make no sense..."

He laughed, a grin growing on his face at her words, "Well at least I'm interesting then. Much better company on your lonely path than just your own thoughts, no?"

"...Indeed." She sighed, giving up on unravelling his motives.

In the end, it didn't truly matter. Her mother had taught her that men would do silly things for a girl they took a fancy to, though what she displayed that earned such from him she had no idea. Still, now that she had her Lord, she could move forward even faster than she had planned.

"Very well then." She spoke, drawing herself up regally, "My fair consort, I accept thee. Travel the path of the Elden Lord and once all is done, we shall meet like this again. However, I could hardly marry one of which I know so little. Should thou wish to converse, speak to the doll that is on your person. If I can, I shall answer."

"I see." He nodded, serious once again, "If I may, what will you be doing?"

"I go to the night sky." She explained, looking up to the ceiling of the cavern, "To find mine order and ensure that thy efforts are not in vain."

Indeed, she would need to travel to the dead God, upon whose corpse she had hidden her Great Rune and assume it's power. It was the only way she could defeat the ones that lurked beyond.

"Very well. I wish you fortune on your journey, my lady." He inclined his head, bringing on a flare of warmth within her as he referred to her so affectionately.

"Mine Consort, there is one other thing." She began, calling forth a blade from where it was hidden, presenting the handle to him, "Tis a tradition of Caria, that one should receive such a blade upon courting a Princess. I know that it's shape is unlike the ones you favour, however..."

He took the sword from her, the one that she had carried with her all these years. She did not have the fortitude to tell him why she gave him the blade, what it truly meant. A Consort is a political arrangement, one between an appointed God and their favoured Mortal. It was why Marika had been so flippant in discarding hers.

Ranni could not do such, however. If she were to have a Consort, one who would join her on her long exodus... There was no switching, no second chances. The one she chose would be the one she would wed forever. That is what the sword symbolized, the one fashioned by her own hands for the one she would marry.

"I shall wield it with pride." Despite it being a great sword, unlike the large rapiers he used exclusively, he still held her creation and spoke without deceit, gratefully accepting it.

She could not respond to that. This Tarnished was far too much.

She faded from sight, travelling to the great body above, leaving behind a sliver of her essence within the vessel that he carried with him. From that, she could watch over him and maybe steal a few more moonlit moments like the ones they shared in Nokstella. She looked forward to learning more about her Consort. Her Tarnished. Her Knight.

---

Her Consort was a fearsome warrior. She knew this, of course but the rapidness at which he set out to achieve his aims was stunning to witness. The road to becoming Elden Lord was long, arduous and full of danger. At least, it was supposed to be.

He travelled from the Cathedral of Manus Celes and made immediately to the Great Lift of Dectus. Using it, he arrived upon the Altus fields, where he proceeded to cut a bloody swath through it's protectors. The Erdtree Sentinels proved no more than brief distractions, the projection of Godfrey was defeated with ease and before she knew it, he was standing facing Morgott, her lawful Brother.

It shocked her. She briefly spoke to him before he faced the Tree Sentinels guarding the way to inner Altus and when she observed him next her was halfway up the stairs to the Throne Room itself. What a terrifying force she had tied herself to.

She watched from her position upon the Tarnished as the Omen king slowly descended the steps, calling and naming all the who the ghostly thrones before him belonged to, including her.

"Wilful traitors all." He slammed his staff into the floor, causing the thrones before him to disperse.

Damocles summoned her sword to his hands, grasping it with a firm grip as he slipped into a practised stance, "I wonder, Morgott. Can someone who was betrayed truly be called a betrayer for fighting back?"

"I see." Her brother spoke, eyes narrowing dangerously, "Traitors colluding with Pillagers. No matter. Have it writ upon thy meagre grave, 'Felled by King Morgott, Last of All Kings!'"

The Omen King revealed his sword, belying how seriously he was treating the situation, before rushing towards the Lunar Consort with startling speed. Damocles met the attack head on, Sword glowing with Ranni's power as the two weapons clashed. A hectic exchange ensued, Morgott a flurry of sharp slashes interspersed with Golden Weaponry, forged by his faith in the Order he protected. Damocles responded in kind, vicious, heavy blows followed by ethereal blasts of chilling moonlight.

However, in the end, not even the King could stand up to her Tarnished, his skill seeing him through the fight victorious. He was more injured than she had ever seen him after battle, but a drink from his carried potions soon removed all evidence of it from his person.

She watches as he was rebuffed by the Erdtree and as Melina presented him with the path forward. She wondered what he will do once the price necessary to burn the Tree was revealed. Hoping to at least support him, as duty demanded, she spoke once the Ghost had faded from view.

"Consort. Wonderfully done."

"Ranni? Are you okay to speak here? The Golden Order..." He sounded a bit worried, which was appreciated, but unnecessary.

"Fret not. I am beyond their agents for the time being. But, a question, if I may?"

"Of course. What is it?" He relaxed, trusting all to easily in her words.

"I hope you are not discouraged over-much by the Thorns. Mine curiosity was piqued, however, over the matter of thine Grace." It was something she had been puzzled by for some time, but she brought it up now to allow him to unwind from the fight and relax before he set off for the Forbidden Lands.

"Ah, what about it?" He seemed happy, like he always did when they spoke. She mused that he never once regarded her with disdain, fear or hatred, merely weariness before they spoke the first time.

It was refreshing.

"You claimed to not covet the throne. Yet thou Grace has never abandoned thee. How did this come to pass?" It was true, with so many Tarnished losing the Guidance of Grace, how did the one who did not wish for the goal of Elden Lord keep it?

"Oh, I have a theory. I have no strong proof, but..." He trailed off, looking to the sky, "If all one needed to have the Guidance of Grace was desire, then none would lose it, I think. I believe the true key to it is some thing different. I think it is belief."

"Belief?" She was confused, "But thou had no belief in the Golden Order."

"No, not in that. Belief that it is possible for you to become the Elden Lord. You see, most Tarnished who lose the Guidance of Grace truly lost hope first. However, I have never doubted it once."

"Even when you did not wish for it, you were truly confident that you would achieve it should you make the attempt?" She asked for clarification, somewhat stunned at his answer.

"Yes." He said simply, as if stating a fact of reality.

She wondered if confidence like that was an asset or a detriment. She supposed that whatever it was, her Knight would not be the same without it.

---

"Heed the words of I, Shabriri."

The corpse stealer's sermon draped heavily over the air, Torrent's steady hoof beats the only sound that was made after it was uttered. Her Tarnished was sullen, withdrawn, obviously deeply considering the implications of what was revealed unto him. The snow fell gently around them, the cold and dreary surroundings fitting his mood perfectly.

She wondered if this was the end, if his resolve would fail him. She knew her Lord was fond of the Ghost, their camaraderie a thing of slight envy for her. Now that he was aware of the fact he needed to burn her, sacrificing the woman in return for burning the Erdtree, what would he do?

The Ghost in question materialised on Torrent, sitting behind Ranni's consort with her arms around his chest, chin resting on his shoulder.

"I would have words."

Damocles slumped, discouraged from reading her tone, "So it's true then."

Melina spoke, calm voice belying the conviction in her tone, "My purpose was given to me by my mother. But now, I act of my own volition. I have set my heart upon the world that I would have. Regardless of my mother's designs. I won't allow anyone to speak ill of that. Not even you."

Her Tarnished remained silent at that, Torrent's faithful gait making the only sounds between them for a while as he considered Melina's words. The crunching of snow between hooves marked the passage of time before his soft voice sounded out.

"Death is easy, in service to a cause." He spoke gently, but his voice carried true, "It's the ones living after that have a difficult time. You won't have to carry your sacrifice with you, Melina."

"All the same. This is my desire, the purpose I have chosen for myself."

"Even though it is my Lordship?" Damocles retorted, face set in displeasure, "Even though I am the one who will have to continue on in full knowledge that we sacrificed you for the throne?"

"I know it is selfish. But this is my wish, Damocles. It must be done."

His jaw tense, he continued staring out at the desolate mountains.

He asked a question after they rode in silence for some time, "What if I found a way to burn the tree without a sacrifice?"

Ranni decided to clear up the issue, "The sacrifice is not to burn the Erdtree, consort."

"What do you mean?" Her consort was subdued, understandably so due to the topic.

"The Giant's Flame is not enough to kill the Erdtree, the thorns will not be gone. The Rune of Death is sealed, meaning that no matter how damaged it is, the Erdtree will live." She knew that was enough for him to understand.

He slumped, morosely drawing the correct conclusion, "The sacrifice is to tap into the cycle of Death and use it to go to where the Rune is hidden."

"Indeed. Even I do not know where it was moved after mine theft." She did not regret said theft though, not after all she had accomplished since then.

She and the ghost gave him time after this, allowing him to digest what was necessary. What he will need to sacrifice to move forward. However, if there was one thing her Knight was not, it was someone who easily gave in.

He set his shoulders, regaining his determination before their very eyes, voice level as he declared, "Damn that notion. I will find a way to save you Melina, even should you hate me for it. Neither of us need die for this."

"You will find no such miracle. The only other path open is unthinkable, moreover..." The reproach was clear in the Ghost's tone, "This is my purpose. The one I have chosen for myself. Freely. Would you really deny me this choice?"

"He would." Ranni heard the amusement in her own tone, "Mine Lord is a tyrant true."

---

Her Lord was true to his word. Though it took time, he discovered that the young woman he had aided by the name of Millicent held within her the key to what he sought. An Unalloyed Gold Needle, crafted by Miquella himself for the express purpose of stymieing the interference of the Outer Gods. Using it while in a place tied to the Rune of Death would allow him to sever the connection between an Outer God and it's vessel.

Of course, said vessel would require extraordinary willpower to defy an Outer God and use the needle at the correct moment. Not to mention the needle was already in use. The plan was full of holes and unknowns, yet he had pressed on undaunted. She had supported her Lord, despite the Ghost's misgivings. After all, should he ascend besides her, it would need to be in a way he could be content with forever.

Twas a long time to bear regrets.

Getting the Needle and anointing it in a way she was confident could sever the link was an adventure in of itself, requiring her Tarnished to eventually stand against the undefeated swords-woman, Malenia herself. The Empyrion was unwilling to converse or bargain and attacked with a single minded ferocity. The Blade of Miquella lived up to her reputation, giving Ranni's Lord the most difficult test he had faced yet.

Still, in the end, even she had fallen before his eerie skill at arms. It was a near thing, both scoring telling blows, but Damocles proved himself the better between the two. That was, of course, until Malenia surrendered herself to the God of Rot, becoming it's willing vessel in a desperate bid to defeat the Lunar Consort.

Her gained strength was impressive, however her skill suffered under the foreign influence. It was not enough. Damocles slew her mercilessly, his initial goodwill spent in the first half of their bout. Ranni would admit to being impressed, even a little awed. The Empyrean Malenia was renowned as a warrior of peerless skill, unmatched in all the Lands except by her own brother, Radahn. Now her consort had defeated them both.

His strength was truly monstrous. It made her grateful that he was so devoted to her, but left her even more perplexed as to why that was so. The reason for his loyalty to her was never discussed between them, she feeling like it would invite tension, as if she were questioning his motives. She did not wish to give him purpose to think that of her, for some strange reason.

Watching him anoint the Needle and begin the trek back to Leyndell, she was struck by the thought of what exactly he had planned. He was going so far, sacrificing so much, all for the Ghost. She found herself jealous of the lengths he was going for the other woman. It was something that would be done for one who held one's heart. Her feelings were not rational, observing them made it very clear that their relationship was merely close, if strained, not at all intimate.

Upon thinking about it, even though Damocles had agreed to be her consort, she could not recall him showing carnal interest in anyone. It sharply contrasted what she knew of the nature of men, speaking to either a lack of interest or a tremendous will. That he possessed such will was not in doubt, but the reason he denied himself like this...

When she brought up the question of his lack of interest in the women they encountered at one of their rests, she was met by a quizzical look and a question.

"I am your betrothed, am I not?"

Such a response left her warm but conflicted. He truly was an enigma.

A sentiment Melina surely shared as she regarded him in front of the Grace they were nearby, eyes filled with anger.

"I beg you, disregard this foolishness. It is a grave risk, for no reason. The Flame of Frenzy is all consuming. It will devour you, all that you are, then all that exists to follow. Why invite disaster like this?"

Damocles merely smiled, buckles loosening as he removed his armour and clothes, "The fact that you do not understand means that this is all the more necessary."

"I am not worth the world!" She seemed desperate, the Ghost emoting more than Ranni could ever recall.

"That is not for you to decide." Was the calm response.

"Yes it is, you arrogant... Who are you to decide my life for me?"

He paused, before turning to regard his long time travel partner, voice stern, "Your Lord."

With those words, he left towards the fire scorched doors, ignoring Melina's retort.

"This is madness..." She whispered to herself, Ranni able to hear her from the pile of Damocles' belongings.

"Tis a risk, true." She replied to the muttered words.

"Why do support him in this? Surely you know how foolhardy..."

"I must admit to finding myself struck by thy lack of gratitude." Ranni finally realized what she felt to the other woman, all her thoughts clarifying in an instant.

"Pardon?" Melina blinked.

"Not all are fortunate enough to have someone willing to save them." Wasn't that the truth.

Ranni wondered, if Damocles had been in her life before the Shattering, before her desperation drove her to her dramatic acts... it was pointless to think such things of course, but the mind did not always follow reason. The fact remained that Damocles had saved her already, many times over, accomplishing the impossible time and time again, all in aid to her plans.

The least she could do was believe in him in turn.

Damocles returned, stumbling and covered in burns, obviously in immense pain. He collapsed by his belongings, panting.

"Consort? Art thine well?"

"I'm fine." He groaned out, "I just have to focus..."

"You have inherited the Frenzied Flame..." The horror in Melina's voice was plain.

"That was the plan." The attempt at levity fell flat.

"...You are no longer fit."

The words sat between them unpleasantly, causing Damocles to wince.

"Your plan is folly, you have doomed the world to save me against my wishes, against all my pleas... I can no longer be a party to this."

Damocles closed his eyes, accepting the tirade as if he expected it.

"Our journey ends here. I had hoped against all reason that you would see sense, turn back from the precipice before this but now..."

The monologue was interrupted by a cold voice, the very air chilling with it's rancour, "How dare you."

Ranni realised it herself who was speaking, as both Damocles and Melina looked shocked towards her as she continued, "Mine Consort has wagered everything, all that he has and is, on a gambit to rescue you from yourself. Your constant belittling of his efforts have not passed unnoticed. Now, after he sacrificed his very flesh, enduring great pain for thy sake, thou greet him with recrimination?"

"Nay." The word fell the gavel of a judge, causing the other two parties to the conversation to flinch, "The one who is unfit here is thou. Flee from what has happened here if you wish, but thy cravenness is something thou wilt carry to the end of thine days."

Her final words were filled with venom, "His care is wasted on you."

Melina looked struck, her expression despairing. She drew herself up shakily, speaking out with a trembling voice.

"I cannot stay. Watching this... Watching as you will slowly lose yourself... Goodbye, Damocles. Goodbye, Torrent."

She returned to her spirit form, fleeing the scene like the wretch she was.

Ranni was broken from her uncharitable thoughts by her Consort's next words, "Wow. I never thought I would hear you defend me like that."

She sniffed, "I will not apologise for mine words."

"I wouldn't ask you to." His teasing tone was filled with an undercurrent of pain, "It was very attractive."

Fool.

---

Damocles stared into the Grace, the snow swirling around him being ignored as he sat unresponsive. Her Tarnished had become more and more withdrawn as time passed, his carrying of the Frenzied flame taking a heavy toll on him. His steps were laboured and heavy, his movements portraying immense effort.

Ranni had in fact stopped focusing on her work on the Moon entirely, devoting all her time in to accompanying her knight as he struggled. She was mostly done anyway and leaving him to bear this weight alone would have been unconscionable. Still, it didn't feel like she was doing enough to aid him.

"Consort. Would you be amenable to a conversation?" She spoke, softly, not wishing to aggravate him or break his concentration should he need it.

Damoccles started, breaking off from his fugue and blinked, "Ah. Yes. Sorry, I was just... It's very distracting."

"I understand. I was hoping that talking.. It would aid in... It is foolish."

"No! No." He spoke quickly, before his brief burst of energy left him, "A conversation would be great. I love your voice. It's soothing."

She was struck by his forward words. Her voice? She noticed that he smiled every time she spoke, but she though it was his jesting nature. Was it because he enjoyed how she sounded? That was... complicated to think about.

"My thanks. I thought I should elaborate a bit on mine desired Order." She moved on, not wishing to dwell any further on that topic.

"Ah yes. I was curious." He sat up, giving her his full attention as he brought her out of his pack and sat her down next to him.

"Mine will be an order not of gold," She began, "But the stars and moon of the chill night."

"I would keep them far from the earth beneath our feet. As it is not, the Order is grossly present in the lives of the inhabitants of the Land Between. It influences their lives, constantly flaunting it's existence. Should they wish it, they could even reach out and touch the Order directly."

"I would instead have it at a great remove." She explained, "So that the certainty of faith, sight, emotion and touch... all become impossibilities."

"I see. And the Gods? Would they not be able to move in once your Order is removed?" Her Tarnished proved his quick mind, even with his current satate.

"Indeed. That is why I would take the entirety of my power with me, leaving not a speck behind for others to latch unto. With this, I would challenge them where they dwell." She admitted it freely.

Her Tarnished was like her, insane enough to challenge the very Gods, regardless of the folly others would see.

"Your thirst for revenge runs deep, Princess..." He smiled tiredly, "So long as you wish it, my sword is yours to wield in this fight."

"Should I wish it to be forever? Wouldst thou agree even then, my one and only Lord?" She asked.

"Always." Was the resolute answer.

"My gratitude." They fell silent at that.

Her Tarnished soon made for rest, closing his eyes, moving over to make himself comfortable as he tried to sleep. The snowy landscape was filled once more with silence as his breathing evened out. However, his body remained tense, relaxation elusive. She watched over him, making sure none would disturb his rest with what little power she could spare.

It was all for naught however, as he soon sighed and opened his eyes, blue and sickly yellow fighting for prominence within them.

"It seems the mad have no need for sleep. Fine then..." Getting up, he blew the reed whistle, patting and stroking Torrent as the steed appeared.

The horse chuffed, head gently butting into his chest. Damocles smiled, gently returning the affection, "I'm fine Torrent. Just... tired."

Getting his belongings situated, he soon rode once more to the summit of the Giant's Mountain. The familiar sound of hoof beats in snow was once more the only music they travelled to.

"Ranni." He spoke, voice soft, "May I make a presumptuous request?"

"It is most unlike thee to ask beforehand." She returned.

"True." He smiled, "Could I ask you to sing for me? I am sure it would be beautiful..."

"Thou truly do ask much, dear Consort. Selfishly asking to hear more of mine voice that is held in such high regard by thee..." She was heartened to feel his mood lift at her jesting, "Very well. I shall indulge you."

For a short while after, Torrent's steps were accompanied by the lullabies that Ranni remembered from her mother. Her calm voice carried far, lifting with it her Knight's spirits, as he listened with closed eyes and a smile.

---

Soon he was sitting at the lip of the Crucible, staring into the paltry fire at the bottom. He took a deep breath, holding it in before slowly exhaling.

"Ranni." He started, "This will require me giving over to the Flame. I am confident I can beat it back, but... It's not certain."

"It is." She spoke, "Thy honour is unbreakable, even by a god. That is why, I would have you swear an oath to me."

He smiled at that, "Very well. What would my Lady wish me to swear?"

She was thankful for her inability to blush as she imperiously spoke her command, "Swear to me that you will remember me. That thou shall return, no matter the distance or the interference of other. Swear that..."

Her voice trailed off as her resolve left her, but was still audible, "Swear that thou wilt always be mine."

"I swear." He got on his knee in front of her diminutive form, the farcical nature of the scene not detracting from his solemnity, "No matter where, no matter when, I shall always remember you and be the Damocles you know."

"Then it is sealed. Go on then, Mine Dear Knight. Mine only Consort. Go towards thine destiny, defeat the fell god and return to me, so that we can create a new age." She nodded, immeasurably pleased.

"By your leave, Princess." He grinned back, a small, paltry thing.

He then turned towards the flames, staring into the pit as the yellow completely swallowed the blue of his eyes, yellow sickly flames rising and agitating the embers in the bottom of the large stone bowl. The flames surged, completely swallowing him and billowing upwards. He raised his arms towards the Great Tree, the flames obeying and rushing forth eagerly to devour all in their path.

As the sky burned, her tarnished stood, his very essence consumed by flames. But he never screamed, never flinched. Stoic, he endured fighting a fierce internal battle.

His will, bent, remained unbroken.

---

Between one instant and the next, the yellow flames assaulting the Erdtree were replaced wholesale by the familiar red-black flames of Destined Death. She felt her consort reappear within the Capital, grace depositing him safely upon a bed of ash.

Materializing her miniature form near him, she saw her Tarnished lying on his back, motionless. He jerked, body realising where it was. Sitting up, his hand went to his helmet, unbuckling and removing it as he sucked in lungfuls of air.

"Consort... What news?"

At her words, pure blue eyes opened as he quickly looked around at his surroundings, before locking his gave on to her.

"Ranni... It worked! I managed to rid myself of the Frenzied Flame. It's shadow lingers in the back of my mind, but it has no hold over me. We were right."

"I am most glad. You kept thy vow. However, it has been mere moments since the Tree was burned... what happened?" She was deathly curious.

"It was hidden beyond time, in Farum Azula, guarded by Maliketh himself." Her consort revealed.

Ah, that would explain why it could not be found. In a place frozen in time, cut off from the Lands Between... No wonder his journey seemed instant from her perspective. Still, once again her Knight had accomplished impossible. Travelling to and from Farum Azula, defeating not only Maliketh, Marika's executioner, but also shaking off the influence of an Outer God...

He truly was like a legendary hero brought to life from out of the paged of a story. She regretted not being able to accompany him, but it was overshadowed by her relief at his victory.

"Well done, Dear Consort... You have once again proven thyself exceptional."

"Thanks to you Ranni." His grin was familiar and unburdened, "With my promise to you guiding me, how could I fail?"

"Thou art a knave." She sniffed, before pausing, "Thank you for returning to me... I must admit to growing fond of thee."

His smile softened, growing less rakish, "Always."

---

The remaining obstacles were of no great impediment, she surmised. She had to leave her Consort to make the final preparations for her sure ascension, robbing her of the opportunity to see the final battles. Still her confidence was unshakable and eventually vindicated, as she felt the call of her Consort echoing across space.

Materializing in her larger form, She took in the view of the inside of the Erdtree, crumbling and aflame as it was. Her Consort knelt, head bowed solemnly towards her, facing towards the broken body of Marika. The Goddess' form was shattered and in truth, altogether looked to be rather pitiful. Still, pity would not stay her hand.

"The battle is over, I see." She walked to the divine form, her steps echoing in the wide space.

Bending down, she lifted Marika's head in her hands, holding it aloft towards the Goddess' body.

"I do solemnly Swear: To every living being and every living soul."

Power flowed, The divinity that made Marika a God, the connection to the Elden Ring and her Golden order being subsumed and consumed by the Lunar Princess.

"Now cometh the Age of the Stars. A thousand year voyage under the wisdom of the Moon."

Her seat of power, The Dark Moon, the dead god she had discovered in her youth. It formed behind Marika, the surroundings fading away as a new Divinity was crowned.

"Here beginneth the chill night that encompasses all, reaching the great beyond. Into fear, doubt, and loneliness... As the path stretcheth into darkness."

The flow of power increased, visible streams of Gold turning to Carian Blue as the Moon, her new Vessel, siphoned all that allowed the Golden Order to exist and reformed it into Ranni's vision. The speed was astounding, Marika herself being consumed in mere moments. Ranni let her now empty hands drop, turning to face the man that had made all this possible, all her dreams come true. Even the one held by a silly little girl, of her own personal Knight.

She reached out her hand, extending to the one that had delivered her everything, "Let us go together. My Dear Consort Eternal."

He smiled, blue eyes twinkling in the light of her Moon, as he reached forwards to take her extended hand. Their hands neared each other, her the closest to a living being that she had ever been in the time they had spent together. She could barely feel the warmth of his glove before between the one breath and the next, he disappeared.

Gone. As if he had never existed.

---

Her rage was immense and terrible. She knew the ones responsible, The Outer Gods finally playing their hands, She came after them with all her ferocity, all her grief. The God of Chaos, still reeling from losing both it's Three Finger's and chosen Lord, was crushed ruthlessly and without mercy. It's power consumed and incorporated into her own, she tore it's realm asunder in search of who she sought, returning empty handed.

The next to feel her fury was the Greater Will, with it's Elden Ring whole and in her hands, it's major source of power was turned against it. Throughout reality, it's agents and prophets screamed as their God was mercilessly killed, their minds unable to handle the strain of the Vengeful Moon scouring them for any hint as to her lost Consort.

The God of Rot, of Flame, of Shadow, all of them were defeated and consumed. The Outer Gods realised what had been unleashed in their midst, but by the time they organised a response and put aside their own conflict to focus on her she was far too powerful. Soon, she was the only God of any great import that was connected to the Lands Between, all the others sharing the same fate as the first two.

Still, she was without her Consort. Her Knight. She would need to turn her gaze further afield. However, as she was now, so much greater than before, her mere presence could warp existence. She required a Herald, to act in her stead.

"Gloam-Eyed Queen."

The woman stiffened, her hood obscuring face, "I have abandoned that name."

"I care not for thy trifles. Mine Consort is missing. I require thee to aid in his search." Silence greeted her, the eye glowing with the power of death staring at her projection from under the cloth.

"I do not see why I should aid you in his search. As you are now, surely you have the power?"

"You have an obligation unpaid. Have you forgotten what he did for thee? Besides that, thou posses a connection to him I do not. After all, you gave him the power of runes did you not... Melina?"

"...He stole my purpose from me." Was the unsure response.

"So take it back from him. Surely you have words you would like him to hear? Besides, thou misunderstand me. I am not asking." Ranni, The Vengeful Moon, turned the barest sliver of her gaze toward this place, with nothing left to possibly interfere.

Melina, to her credit, did not quail. Still, she was smart enough to know that a God of Ranni's stature's displeasure would not end with Death. Besides, Ranni needed her alive. Her existence, should she refuse, would not be pleasant at all.

"What was it you said, on that mountain top? ...Ah, yes. A tyrant true." Melina spoke, resigned.

"I will gladly accept any labels you wish to lay upon me. So long as you preform your task." The Moon responded uncaring, watching as the ghost closed her eyes and focused, brow furrowed.

"It seems... He is very, very far away. He also feels different, lesser than he was, as if all his strength from runes has been inverted. I think... he might have reincarnated, beyond the Fog. The Damocles we knew is dead."

"You shall guide me. I will need a Herald as well, to act in mine stead." Was the command.

"Why should I agree to that? I could guide you there, but it's not him, Ranni. He is not the same man you knew, His soul might be similar, but... He will not even know us, nor remember."

"You lack understanding, ghost. He made a promise, a vow upon his very being. He will remember me." The ghost looked at her, obviously sceptical, but that was fine. She could doubt all she wanted, Ranni knew her Consort better than anyone.

"There is nothing for thee here, Melina. No reason to linger. Thou wished for purpose? I am here, offering it to you." Ranni attempted to get the ghost to see reason.

She would prefer this to be willingly done, her Consort was fond of the ghost after all. Forcing her Will upon the other woman and puppeteering her to act as her guide would destroy the other woman, something she doubted would be received well upon arrival.

"...Fine. I will go with you, and ask your precious Consort for recompense for what he did to me."

That was fine, Ranni was sure to demand recompense from him as well.

---

Catharsis, the being beyond comprehension, had spoken truthfully. The world her Consort was situated on was guarded by a being of immense power. Ranni could possibly defeat it, but not without bringing devastation unto the world it protected. Not to mention, should she force her way through the barrier, her Order would instil itself on the world.

Within her Order, Damocles was her Consort. That was right and true, but the issue is that Damocles now held no great Runes, nor had the strength in runes he possessed in the Lands Between. Should her Order institute itself, it would force him to act as her Consort, crushing his will and making him act as the role demanded.

Her rebellion was for her own free will, she would not cause her Knight to lose his. So she needed to find another way through the barrier. Catharsis had revealed to her a way, before he had left her to her own devices. Should a Lunar Deity be called upon by Damocles, she could usurp the prayer and answer it in said Deities stead. That would allow her to project some of her power into the world, as well as her Herald.

The technique used the connection between Melina and her Consort, so unfortunately she could not just usurp anyone's prayer. She had to be patient, until either Damocles himself prayed or a Lunar Deity blessed him. But that was fine, time passed differently for her, after all. She spent it contemplating what Catharsis had told her.

Her Consort, the one she interacted with all this time, had been something akin to one of her projections. Not perfect, but enough for him to control it's actions and fight through it. However, the means by which he controlled the projection was limited, and once it reached the end of the 'story', his control was severed and the projection ceased to be.

In truth, she did not fully understand it. But that was fine, what she did understand was that the Consort that had aided her, fought so ardently in her name, was the same soul as the one that now dwelt on this world. Whether he thought the projection just a dream or something else, it did not matter.

Her consort had fought for her, for their... relationship, it was time for her to do the same.

Soon enough, as she trusted it would, the opportunity presented itself. A Lunar God was entertaining a prayer from her consort, a fortuitous twist of fate. Ranni now knew, fate favoured her immensely. Wasting no time, she projected as much power as she dared into the prayer, effortlessly usurping it and allowing her to form a vessel for herself on the worlds soil, connected to her main Divinity but not bringing with it her entire order.

The more power she wielded, the more her Order would take over this reality. That was why she needed her Herald, the ghost Melina. As they materialized together, she watched as her protected words reached the combatants, and her Consort once again took up their sword.

As her Miracle started to fade, she heard the word uttered by her Dear Consort, Eternal.

"Ranni?"

She turned to the ghost, her smug feeling vindicated by the sour look that greeted her in turn.

Chapter 33: Moonlit Massacre

Moonlit Massacre

Cao Cao recovered from his shock impressively quickly, taking advantage of my own shock to dash forward into an impressively fast thrust. Reacting on the new, strange yet familiar instincts, the sword made of Moonlight twirled in my hand. Successfully slapping away the head of the spear with the flat of the blade, my body moved into a loose stance.

Guided by the sword, but hampered by my body's lack of familiarity with the movements, I slammed the edge of the blade down on to my opponent in a brutal, fast over head chop. Cao Cao blocked with the haft of his spear, being knocked downwards due to my enhanced strength.

He floated up to my level, fake wings glowing brightly, "Well, I suppose this is for the best. Killing you unarmed would leave a bad taste in my mouth."

He projected confidence, but I could tell he was on edge, perturbed by the force that my prayer had called to this world. To be fair to him, so was I. How was Ranni here? Why had she appeared? Was this some of the convoluted time bullshit the Souls series was so fond of?

In the end, it didn't really matter. I needed to dispatch of the idiot before me, only then could I figure it out. To that end, guided by the memories fed to me by the sword, I raised it slightly, the light of the moon above catching it's edge. Slowly, I poured my Demonic Power into the blade, attempting to activate it's dormant power.

The sensation was unlike anything I had felt before. I could feel a seemingly infinite well of unfamiliar energy, both present and not, matching my donation of power into the sword and feeding the growing energy contained within. The blade lit up in a brilliant hue, the subtle blue glow clashing with the gold projected by my opponent, dropping the temperature around me.

Mist swirled, the air itself condensing from the cold emanating from the blade. Despite the temperature near me rapidly dropping below freezing, ice glinting from the glow swirling in the mist, I felt comfortable, warm even. Cao Cao obviously didn't share in that privilege. Despite the area around him being free of the supernatural mist, his breath was still fogging, his body shivering imperceptibly from the cold.

The lake froze, the ice spreading eerily across the surface despite being far below me. It appeared that to the chill caused by the Moonlight sword, physics was a mere suggestion. The sword, obviously had many more abilities than I half-remembered from the game, but the only one I could recall was the ability to shoot off beams of moonlight. Assuming a stance, guided by the phantom sensations, I slashed the air in front of me, reality rending apart as a rippling blue crescents of energy shot forwards.

Cao Cao dodged the first two, but the last slammed into him, a hasty block erecting a golden shield before him. The two glows contested each other, the glow of the Moon eclipsing the holy implement briefly before the power I put into the attack waned, leaving the ragged golden dome visible. The strongest of the Longinus successfully beat back the otherworldly energy, but not perfectly.

The reality defying nature of the attack showed, a thin sheet of ice cracking off of his body as he shook himself, hissing out a breath of pain.

"I don't have time for this." I growled, creating a thin platform of air behind me which I used to kick against, accelerating into his guard in an instant.

He blocked, skill showing through, but his eyes widened as he beheld frost slowly spreading on the golden spear from the edge of the Moonlight Great-sword. The relic of God, supposedly inviolable, was being overwhelmed by the strange energy that my Demonic Power was being converted into.

"What have you unleashed…" Was his horrified whisper, seeing the impossible happen before his eyes.

I didn't reply, slashing and thrusting away at him, frost spreading at every impact. The Spear burned it off, but he had to make sure to block with a different part of the weapon every time to allow it time to do so. Something I made much more difficult by weaving in strikes towards his hands in between flurries, my clumsiness starting to dissipate as my body got more comfortable with the movements being fed to it.

The thing I learned in the Labyrinth, that Devils were first and foremost creatures of War, came into play here for sure. My already better physical abilities were allowing me to cover for the awkwardness in my movements at the start of the fight, but now that was fading due to experience I was starting to overwhelm him. His strength was still rising along with the intensifying glow of the spear, but I rushed to end this before he could reach parity with me.

The opening came as I twisted the blade across the haft of the spear, sliding it up the shaft and clipping one of his hands. The lightness of the sword compared to it's size allowed me to preform this strike, taking my opponent completely off guard. He hissed, pulling his hand back in reaction, the limb instantly being covered in frostbite as it left the weapon.

He twirled his spear in a sweep with his other arm, warding me off but leaving himself wide open, allowing me to swipe my hand up diagonally as I flipped backward to dodge. The overpowered Gale Cutter rending deeply into his body savaging the shoulder of the arm holding the spear, causing him to reel from the blow. Repeating my earlier trick, I kicked off an air platform and accelerated into him, sword punching through his chest to the hilt.

Gasping, he stilled, wings of light fading as ice spread from the point of his impalement. His arms slackened, his damaged limb dropping the spear to the lake below. In a matter of seconds, his body resembled a macabre ice sculpture. I was barely paying attention to that however.

My eyes instead followed the path that the glowing weapon traced, falling freely until landed in the hands of a figure standing on the now frozen lake. A figure wearing a familiar witches hat, with four arms.

"Mine Consort." Her soft voice spoke out, the ethereal mist swirling as if welcoming her, "It pleaseth me that thou vow has remained kept."

---

Arthur kept the point of his blade focused on his enemy, the Sagan queen floating gently amongst the trees, green hair fluttering from the wind. Her presence was one that demanded caution, all that he knew of her was from the single Rating Game the Sagan had participated in close to three years ago.

She must have picked up tricks since then, but that paled in comparison to the presence he felt bear down on the lake they just left. His ability to sense magic was fairly undeveloped, but even he could feel the sheer weight of the thing, it's alien, cold nature causing a soul deep chill. That's not even thinking about the voice, proclaiming it had found it's 'Dear Consort'.

Whatever it was, it caused Le Fay to cower behind him, shivering and pale. He manoeuvred himself to shield her from the Sagan Queen, eyes watching every move from the Devil.

"What has your Master unleashed?" He demanded, projecting confidence into his voice.

"I don't know." Came the uncaring response, "But that should be the least of your worries. Tell me, what is a Pendragon doing chasing the daughter of the Western Yokai through a forest?"

"You know who we are?" He demanded, before chastising himself, "Of course you do. Did your homework before your theft, did you?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Was the airy response, "Sounds like a problem for you, though."

"Play dumb if you want." He prepared himself to strike, "I'll just force you to talk."

"I have no intention of letting you touch me with Excalibur Ruler." Was the emotionless response, "Though I am curious about it's abilities. Tell me, can it control liquids?"

He remained silent, tensing. His wariness was rewarded as the Sagan Queen's arms glowed, before grotesquely unraveling, splitting apart with sickening tearing sounds. The tendons separating, spinning off of the bone. Veins and capillaries were exposed to the air, all of them weeping red, the sticky liquid falling to the ground and rearing up, moving as if alive.

"What madness is this…?" Was his horrified whisper before the blood, flowing copiously from the self inflicted wounds, rushed forwards, forming sharpened, solid spears.

Reacting quickly, he slashed through the spears, taking control from them, attempting to trace the ability back to the Devil herself. However, the moments his blade touched the tendrils, they detached themselves, leaving him with several sharp spears of blood under his control. He whirled his sword, sending the spears back towards the abomination, who dodged them almost disinterestedly.

He rapidly back-pedaled, realising that the devil was trying to flank him with the tide of blood, aiming at his sister, "Le Fay, help please?"

She shuddered, coming back to herself and turning green as the grisly sight that greeted her. "We can't win… it's impossible! That thing, the... the… monster that the Sagan called here! It's unbeatable, brother!"

"Help me beat the Queen, we can run." He said, knowing better to argue with his sister about matters of magic.

The blood continued to flow, forming a circular barrier, hemming them in and stopping his retreat. Probing, he attempted to slash at the band, but it merely pulled back, dodging the blade and sending out spears of the sharpened liquid for his trouble. Cursing, he broke off the offending attacks and breathed, moved back from the circle, back towards the Queen.

He looked towards the Devil, a curse on his lips. What kind of monsters had the Sagan surrounded himself with? Even the little girl was a pain in the ass! His gaze landed back on CC, who had yet to reform her arms, the circle of blood rising higher and higher. She had bled more than could be possibly be contained by her body, but still the red liquid flowed, faster and faster.

She looked almost bored by the fight, as if bleeding more than 10 grown men was an ordinary day for her. Le Fay gagged, the undulating mass of crimson quite a sickly sight. Still, his sister mustered up enough focus to blast a magical lightning bolt at the queen, a shimmering shield of yellow forming before the Devil.

Le Fey continued, blast of different elements and more esoteric magic flying towards the other woman, who merely blocked with her growing lake or shielded the less physical spells, blood still flowing out like a torrent.

Realising that the woman intended to run them through from every direction with the mass of crimson she was building up, he charged the Devil. If he could just touch her with the sword, or a pool of blood still attached to her body, he could still win this. He was taken by surprise when the ground heaved, the blood that had seeped through the soil moving at the Queen's command and grabbing his legs.

His momentum wrenched against the sudden blockages, forcing a jolt of pain up his body. He swung his sword down quickly, attempting to stab it into the earth to take command of the offending material. He was stopped and screamed in pain however, as his body was skewered in several places by bloody tendrils sneaking in from every direction. He could feel the liquid burning as it spread in his body, still under The Devil's control as she forced his arm up and hand to unclench, dropping Excalibur to the dirt.

Despite all the liquid staining the forest around her, she was spotless, he belatedly realised. There was not a single speck of blood on her.

"Stop!" Le Fay cried, despair in his little sister's voice, "Stop, please! We surrender! We aren't with Cao Cao, we didn't…!"

"That's nice for you." Was the dispassionate response from the green haired monster.

The last thing Arthur saw was that sickly sea of red.

---

"Annoying." The white haired girl clicked her tongue as she moved gracefully away from the extending staff that shot past her into the woods.

"You're pretty annoying yourself." The monkey man retorted as he alighted on a tree, staff collapsing back into his hands.

"Fuck!" Yelled Jeanne as she used a blade imbued with wind to fly forwards from behind Kasane, attacking her blind spot only to be caught in a glowing purple field and slammed down into the ground.

Kasane's knives followed the woman, who franticly defended herself, receiving only superficial cuts before Kasane's attention was once again forced to Bikou, dodging and weaving through his attacks.

"Damn girl." He whistled, staff across his shoulders, hands draped over it, "You would be all kind of dead right now without me."

"I didn't ask for your help." The blonde snarled as she leapt to her feet.

"Oh okay, I'll just leave then." The monkey was forced to leap from his perch as an entire tree collided with the one he was on, Kasane instantly closing range with him and assaulting him from all sides with her flying razor blades.

She was forced to break off the attack to preform another impossible dodge, almost as if being yanked by an invisible string to avoid the glowing golden dagger that was thrown at her.

"Looks like Mrs. Grim and Serious over here has some problems with that plan." He grinned, sweat on his brow from how close that was, several such close calls in quick succession getting to him.

"Just focus monkey, whatever the Sagan did we need to get back and…!"

"Enough." Jeanne's tirade was stopped by an echoing voice, the Knight of Sagan apparently through playing around.

A pale purple glow spread throughout the area, the purple darkening and bringing a sense of danger to it before she was stopped by a new voice calling out, "Which of you are allied to Damocles?"

Everyone paused, eyes turning to the woman who walked calmly into the battlefield, her hood obscuring her face entirely except for the glowing purple eye, that swept the assembled fighters.

"Friend of yours?" Bikou asked, tensing at the new arrival.

"I serve Damocles." Kasane responded matter of factly, keeping an eye on her two foes, "What business do you have with my King?"

"So he is a Lord here as well? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. He has stolen something precious to me, I would have him take responsibility."

"Oho, love drama? Well, that's interesting, but it can wait until after our…" Bikou was stopped by that eye turning towards him, freezing as the sense of wrongness the orb emanated made something inside him shiver.

"Are you his enemies?"

"Well, I wouldn't say tha…"

"Yes." Kasane's blunt reply took the wind out of the Yokai's sails, causing him to deflate slightly.

"Very well." The mystery figure nodded, "I will kill the male, that should allow you to deal with the girl."

"Hey now, let's not be hast…"

He was once again interrupted by the blunt Sagan Knight, "Agreed."

"Don't get cock…" Jeanne's bluster was hampered by Kasane swooping down at her, willing to take the distraction to eliminate at least one enemy.

"Don't forget about me!" Bikou called, aiming his staff only to dodge out of the way.

For someone wearing such heavy travelling robes, the new woman moved incredibly quickly, jumping and flipping through the trees to reach him in astonishing speed. He barely spun out of her grasp, her hand glowing with black and white flames that made his skin crawl to look at. He noticed that a small patch of them was on his tunic, his dodge being a bit to late. He quickly shrugged the garment off while attempting diplomacy.

"Look, you obviously don't know who I am, but it's in your best interests to…"

"It doesn't matter. All things die." Was the ominous response, the woman unclenching her fist from where she failed to grasp him.

The tunic, smoking behind him, exploded. The black and white flames spread unnaturally, before latching onto him and causing excruciating pain. Bikou screamed, quickly realising that these flames were not physical, but were instead eating away at his very life force. For someone versed in the Sage Arts, the existence of such a thing was horrifying.

Quickly deciding that taking out the caster was his best bet, he raised his staff and swung it at the eerie lady, quickly lengthening and shortening it as needed to follow her movements. Only to miss completely.

It reminded him of fighting his Ancestor, the speed and grace with which she moved. She flowed around his attacks, grabbing his arm, twisting it around his body and using his grip on the staff as a fulcrum to trap his other limb. He was already in the process of dropping the grip he had of the weapon to reverse the hold when she clung tight to his back, ignoring the black and white flame.

'Vali, this really was a stupid fucking idea.' Was what he though as a blade coated in the same unnatural black flames pierced his throat.

As his body fell to the forest floor, the woman turned, comfortable in his previous perch as if the thin branch was a perfectly level floor. Kasane floated before her, staring at her with serious red eyes.

"Will you hurt Damocles?" Was what she asked, voice completely level.

"I might slap him. Depending on what he says." Was the answer.

"That's all?"

"That's all."

"Alright." She nodded, accepting the strange woman's word for now, "Afterwards, maybe he can explain to me why he never mentioned you."

Chapter 34: Night Time Discovery

Night Time Discovery

She was familiar and yet at the same time completely alien. Her body was obviously flesh and blood, or at least her equivalent. The spiritual body that hung off her side was absent, both pale blue eyes open and staring at me. Her skin was pale and unmarked, inhuman in it's smoothness. I could remember the doll body in the game had cracks on it's neck, but it appears that this form did not have said blemishes.

"Thou art still a troublemaker, it seems. Once again, I find you fighting something Gold." She looked down to the spear in her hand, the Longinus shining brightly still.

Her brow furrowed as she stared at the Sacred Gear, before she turned to regard me, "Well, mine consort? Hath thou lost your voice?"

"Sorry…" I spoke slowly, watching her closely, "I don't exactly know how to react to all this."

The truth would not hurt to vocalize, the longer she talked the longer I had to come up with plans. Besides, I didn't even know if lying was possible here. My sense of magic was highly advanced and right now it was telling me that she was unlike anything I have ever sensed before. She existed at such an advanced level it was like trying to describe a new colour. It reminded me of looking at the ocean from a beach, the vast expanse stretching infinitely into the horizon.

"Ah." She nodded, the wide brim of her hat flopping slightly at the movement, "It appears mine appearance here is unexpected. Not surprising, I suppose."

Her hands clenched around the shaft of the spear, almost wringing it between them, "Tell me, mine Consort… You remember me, yes?"

Ah, well here is the problem. She's been speaking as if she knows me, but all I know of her is half remembered from a game I played more than five years ago. The theory that was most likely is some form of time loop, meaning her past was my future. That has some problems though, as she obviously thought I would know her.

If I met her in the future, I would have known to tell her that I would not know her at this point. Of course, it could be alternate universe time travel, but that has it's own problems. I could think on this for decades and likely not arrive at the correct conclusion.

Leaning on what I remembered, she was very partial to the Tarnished once they became her Consort. No matter what you did, she would not attack or stop you. Hopefully, that tendency continued into this situation.

"I'm sorry." I picked my words very carefully, "I know of you as Ranni the Witch, but to my knowledge we have never met."

She bowed her head at that, obviously disappointed. The light shining on us from the moon above dimmed slightly, the persistent mist swirling in agitation.

"Disappointing. Still tis well, so long as the foundation exists, anything can be rebuilt through sufficient effort…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried clear.

She looked up, her blue eyes boring into me, "Listen well. Thou art mine Consort. The being in the void explained to me that your interaction was through an imperfect medium, but it does not change the events that transpired. Thou became Elden Lord, ascending me to godhood much faster then I could achieve on mine own. After becoming my one and only Lord, thou disappeared, as if a dream. After searching through the realms for you, I could find neither hide nor hair of thee."

"Until, of course, I found a ghost who held connection to thine soul. Using that connection, I found thee upon this world." She straightened, declaring her verdict upon the Earth, "Though promised me, Dear Consort. A thousand year voyage. Should it happen amongst the stars, or upon this foreign soil, it matters little. Wilt thou still travel it with me?"

I had questions, of course. Hundreds, even. Was she sure that it was me? How? Why would she care when I am a completely different person, by definition? Just who was this 'ghost' who supposedly had a connection to my soul? Most importantly, what the fuck was Catharsis playing at?!

More pressing than any of my questions however, was the reality of the situation. An obviously eldritch entity had broken her way into the world, likely sending alarms throughout every even remotely spiritual community. Not to mention, she had done it in Japan, after one of their gods had been prayed to by me. Then she asked me to be her Consort.

Declining, even if I wanted to, would be severely deleterious to my health. I didn't want to, of course. Ranni was one of my favourite characters of all time, there was a reason she was on the List. But having her come here, before I could explain anything or set up her expectations… This could very easily blow up in my face.

One of the possible reasons for said explosion appeared from the forest, carelessly lighting the fuse of the dormant bomb.

"Damocles?" CC asked, walking through the trees, immaculate as always. She paused, beholding the figure I was speaking to, "Is this the cause of that intense pressure we all felt?"

"I am Ranni, of the Dark Moon. Who are you?" The blue witch inquired, obviously unhappy at the other woman's presence.

"CC." The witch with green hair flicked it over her shoulder, "Damocles' Queen."

---

The spear in her hands cracked. The disgusting thing was already trying her patience, a soul cage, leashed to reside throughout a succession of wielders, forced to act according to their whims. The thing's existence was an insult to her, considering her personal feelings on free will. The only reason she had not destroyed the thing on sight was due to it lacking a soul to be imprisoned.

Feeling the wretched thing reach into her psyche, or at least attempt to, trying to tempt her to act on her anger and use it against the two in front of her. Her anger ran rampant as her fists clenched tighter, her Moon's light intensifying as she overpowered the enchantments layered onto the implement.

Blue shined through the cracks as her grip tightened, before wit ha loud, soul-deep crack the spear shattered into golden flecks. Letting her fingers opened absently, the golden dust trailed through them as it drifted to the frozen water below.

That was far from her mind however, as she focused on containing her intense anger. Her Consort remembered her, yet still had a Queen? Taken this woman as his Queen, and not her? She would more easily forgive such trespass should all memory of her fled from his head, but when it very clearly was not the case…

Wait. She could be lying. Turning to the harlot, she inquired, "Oh? Thou art married to mine Consort? I see no ring upon thine finger."

"What?" the woman seemed confused at my words, "Why would we be married?"

Before her confusion progressed further, her Consort hurried to explain himself, "Ranni, CC means she is the Queen of my Peerage, the system of followers used by my people in this world. Its like… It's like Godfrey and his Crucible Knights."

"Thou remember that, but not your oath to me?" She was most displeased.

"Listen..." He sighed, "Can you tell my what the oath was? It seems unfair to blame me for something I have no way of knowing."

She mastered herself. Her consort was right. He reincarnated into this world, the fact that he knew who she was already was nothing less than a gift from fate. Regaining her composure, she informed her wayward Knight of his obligations.

"Thou swore to always remember me, to never change from the man I knew... To always be mine." She stared into his eyes, impressing on him the seriousness with which she took his words.

Her gaze was broken by a stifled laugh. She whirled upon this 'Queen' of his, "Do thou doubt mine words?!"

"Not at all." The amused light in her eyes irked her, "It is exactly the type of ridiculously corny thing that he would say."

She did not know what 'corny' meant, but the fact that her words were believable gave her hope. Her consort had not changed overly much, if his outlandish penchant for lofty declarations remained.

Still, it annoyed her that this woman seemed to know how her Lord courted his interests. Was he more of a womaniser in this world? The thought disquieted her, but it was something she was prepared to confront. Differences could be worked through.

"However," The green haired woman looked at Ranni, a confrontational aura draping itself around her, "He cannot keep that promise. He is ours, after all."

"Yours, you say?" Her voice was low, dangerous, "What say thee about this claim, Consort?"

Her knight sighed. He looked so different from what she remembered, youthful, smooth, not scarred by decades of war. His long white hair was also different, yet strangely she thought it suited him. He tensed, looking at her with determination, resolve filling him. Looking him like this, she could see the similarities from his time in the Lands Between clearly.

"My Peerage are my family, Ranni." He started to explain, "I have found them, in this world and others. They chose me, and I chose them. I will not abandon them, no matter who asks."

"Your relationship with them is carnal, I presume?" She inquired.

"Some, yes." She looked down at the admission.

Being the sole recipient of the affections of her Tarnished, it had been something she realised she cherished. Was that feeling something she cherished more than her Tarnished himself? Not even close, she realised.

"I never thought you one to take Concubines, my Lord..." She spoke softly, before a terrible thought came to her, "Have you wed in this life?"

"No." Came the response, filling her with relief.

"Very well, my plans remained unchanged." She resolved herself, declaring her intention, "Dear Consort, though our courtship has fled thy memory, it is still something I hold precious. I wish to stay with you, to prove to you my intentions are true. I have searched for thee for a long time, I will not accept failure."

"Ranni." He smiled a familiar gentle, the sight filling her with warmth, "So long as you swear to not hurt my family, you are more than welcome."

He raised his hands, showing off the Dark Moon Great-sword in his grasp, "I remember what this means to you. I accept it... again I suppose, but still."

"You remember the weirdest things." Was her response, Before she solemnly nodded, "Very well, upon my name as Ranni the Witch, I swear to bring no harm onto the ones you cherish."

"Thank you." He spoke, tension fleeing his shoulders.

"So we have a Lovecraftian God following us around now? One that is smitten with you as well, no less? At this rate, a domestic incident in our house will be a world ending event." The sarcastic words from the supposed 'Queen' made her regret her oath instantly, as she shamelessly broke the moment Ranni was sharing with Damocles.

The woman flew up to his level, inspecting him carefully before molding herself into him in an embrace, kissing him with a whispered, "I'm glad you're uninjured."

"Now is not the time." Was his muttered response.

The smug look she sent towards Ranni made her regret intensify. Keeping her promise would be harder than she thought.

Two more figures emerged from the forest, a calm looking white haired girl and her Chosen Herald. Melina stared at the scene in front of her, before she sighed.

"Oh, I see."

"Melina?!"

Of course. Her Consort remembered her too.

---

In the Domain of Night

She flew, floating through the closest thing to her lost Silence she could get on this wretched planet. She hated being here, everything was far, far too energetic. Even the very air itself was flooded with activity, different waves and particles making an unbearable racket constantly. Thankfully, Hades' friend was able to conjure a perfect night sky, a bit of space that although not empty, was vastly better than the norm of her personal hell.

She asked for this favour so she could focus. Her connection to her Silence was still in place, allowing her to feel when beings passed through. For the past couple of years, fairly regularly, she had felts a small presence flitting too and fro through her old home. She was trying to find it, something that could access that place at will would be a great help in murdering that stupid Red vermin.

The transits were incredibly fast, even by her standards, so pin pointing the location they started from was difficult. She needed to go to a place with few distractions, at around the same time the presence would make it's transit, in order to guarantee success. The time varied, but usually happened the same time every unit of measurement the mortals called a 'month'.

With that in mind, she was spending said 'month' in this lovely place created by her friend. She had decided that anyone capable of creating something so beautiful deserved to be her friend. She was tempted to just stay here, it was that much better than the noisy, smelly, bright world she had left, but this place still paled in comparison to her Silence.

So she floated, calmly monitoring her old home, patiently watching. Being here was not a chore, in fact it was almost relaxing. As she watched, something happened to the boundary between worlds. However, it didn't come from the direction she expected, in fact it seemed to reaching through to the world, instead of away from it. She looked at the being making it's entry and had her breath stolen.

Strong.

It was so monstrously, incredibly, unbelievably strong. It reminded her of the Red, how annoyingly powerful he was, strong enough to fight her to a standstill. This being was stronger than that. She watched as it's brief tendril of power, the small amount it forced through a specific point, completely dominated the world below it. It wrested away control of the Night Sky, moved the very Moon itself, even warping it in it's own image.

Yet it could do so much more. However it restrained itself. The tendril of power it sent through remained stable, unbreakable, the amount of power flooding the link manageable. Sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker, but always carefully measured.

Restraint.

Reason.

The thing could be talked to.

The sudden usurpation of the Night Sky caused the magic building the domain she was in to crumble, but it hardly mattered. Even as she returned to the bright, noisy and smelly world of mortals, she had a wide smile on her face.

Something existed that she could use to kill the Red. With the Being's power and hers combined, it would be a sure thing.

It was the best news she had ever received.

Chapter 35: A Descent

A Descent

"So you remember me too." Melina spoke, pulling down her hood.

Her red hair had darkened, looking almost black. One eye was a brilliant blue, reminding me of Ranni's, while the other glowed a dull, eerie purple. Both were locked onto me, taking in both my outward appearance and according to Information Defence, my very being.

"You are very different, Damocles." She spoke softly, "In more ways than one."

"You'll have to forgive me." I tried to joke, "I have no recollection about being any other way."

The mist started to recede, the moon losing the rune that dominated it's face and returning to it's original position in the sky. The oppressive feeling around Ranni, that had been muted up until now, receded. Now she felt like a sleeping beast, relaxed but still dangerous.

"It matters little." Melina sniffed, "You robbed me of my purpose, the life I had chosen for my own. Whether you admit to it or not, I would have you take responsibility."

"Another one?" CC murmured into my ear, causing my eyebrow to twitch.

"Agreed." I spoke, nodding at Melina's surprise, "You apparently have a connection to my very soul. That means that whatever I did in the Lands Between, it was me. I accept responsibility for those actions, as I would likely preform them again."

She mulled that over, her and Ranni both, but before they could respond a flash of yellow lit up the night, many armed figures appearing in the clearing surrounding the lake, clearly ready for a fight. My Knight reacted well, taking to the air immediately as her knives trailed her like protective spirits. Melina whirled to the ones closest to her, black flames flickering in her hands. Ranni merely braced herself, impassively observing the situation.

The Dark Moon Great-sword found itself hoisted in anger once more, as I assumed a defensive stance, allowing CC time to separate from me and prepare to fight seperately.

"Damocles!" A familiar voice called out, "What happened here?"

The form of the nine-tailed fox who presided over this land stepped out from her retainers, long golden furred tails spread out behind her. She wore her trademark skimpy kimono, but rather than the usual playfulness and seduction, she instead oozed an aura of malice.

"A group of Sacred Gear users attacked Shiro and tried to kidnap Kunou, Yasaka." She nodded at that, likely hearing that part from Shiro and Naomi, but I continued, "We killed them all."

"Truly?" She seemed both happy and perturbed by that.

It was very rare that fights between supernatural factions ended in death in the present day. The Devils wished to avoid escalating anything when they are busy negotiating with Heaven and everyone else was too scared to piss off the heavy hitters of other factions.

However, letting people proven to be hostile live was against my philosophy. An enemy you let live today will just be an enemy you would have to defeat again tomorrow. Besides, even if I captured them I had nowhere to put them without risking my Peerage should they attempt a break out.

"Yes." I answered her, pointing down to the ice sculpture of Cao Cao on the lake, "There's one. Two more have been crushed inside the lake's waters. You will find another two in that direction, and the last two were dealt with that way."

"I see." Yasaka responded, tension leaving her. She looked to her side, her aides understanding her unspoken question and splitting off to confirm my story.

"Sorry I executed them without checking with you first." I said, my tone making it clear that I was not at all sorry.

"I can't blame you." She sighed, "Thank you for protecting Kunou. You have done a great service to me, personally. I am in your debt. Kyoto will always be open to you. We should go back so I can reward you properly..."

She looked at Ranni, beholding the four armed woman, "Is what I would like to say. However…"

I was expecting this, "The Kami disagree?"

Yasaka winced, tails curing around her as she obviously didn't appreciate the situation, "I'm sorry. You have been invited to Mount Takamagahara. All of you."

Yeah, sure. 'Invited'.

"It seems mine arrival has caused difficulties for you, Consort." Ranni spoke, causing the Youkai present to jolt and stare at her incredulously, "My usurpation of the Moon God's prayer is unlikely to be received well."

That's right, she basically blitzed Tsukiyomi. Her mere existence was so absurd that that kind of fell by the wayside, but now it came back to the fore. There was a problem however.

I was pissed. I was meant to be making preparations for my final trip to the Orcus Labyrinth right now, not dealing with this bullshit. More than that, the only reason I allowed the situation that caused this fuck up to be possible is because this place was meant to be safe. I was gravely mistaken, seeing as how it's supposed guardians were acting.

"Indeed…" Yasake spoke, carefully choosing her words, unsure of how to deal with this unknown Goddess, "The arrival of a foreign God was not taken kindly by the Kami. They asked that you meet them as a show of good faith, to allo…"

I interrupted her delivering the message she clearly did not wish to give, "No."

"No?" Yasaka's ears perked at that, "You mean…?"

"My sister was attacked." I stabbed the Dark Moon Sword into a platform of air I formed in front of me, resting my hands on the pommel.

"Thou have a sister?" Ranni question, to which I nodded.

"I do." I looked up at the sky, speaking loudly and clearly towards the still watching deities, "She was attacked on your soil, while under your watch, while you did nothing. She even protected the daughter of one of your priestesses, yet still you refused to act. Only when I directly confronted you was anything done."

"Damocles, please stop." The Miko's face was pale, watching in horror as I taunted her patrons.

There was a distant rumbling of thunder, the divine rage picking up at my words, yet I continued regardless, "In light of these events, you cannot have it both ways any more. Either this area is under your aegis, in which case you can come down here yourselves and talk to us properly. Or it is not, in which case Ranni's presence here is none of your business."

"Here we go." Kasane sighed.

It might have been too confrontational, but the realities of the situation were very quickly becoming clear to me. Ranni's entry was not at all quiet. Any anonymity that I was enjoyed had been shredded, scattered to the winds. Even with just my own actions, I had antagonised the Khaos Brigade heavily, which will surely invite retribution.

In dangerous times, an uncertain ally is worse than a known enemy. It was time for the Shinto to show me if I should work with or around them.

"Well said." A voice called out across the air, a seemingly ordinary fox slipping into the moonlight from the forest.

The Youkai all started to kneel, eyes reverently fixed to the ground before the fox. By all appearances, it was merely a normal animal, but I had felt this presence before. It's not easy to forget the first God you ever meet.

"Lady Inari." I inclined my head in respect to her, my group still remaining tense.

"Lord Sagan." The fox replied, sitting on it's hind legs and regarding me, tail curing around it's paws, "My thanks for your defence of my kin."

"Kunou is precious to us well, Shiro thinks very highly of her." Was my diplomatic response.

I was pissed off at the Shinto, but the way Inari was acting it appeared like she was on my side for some reason.

"I came as soon as I received your prayer, Yasaka." The Fox Goddess regarded the Miko, who nodded in thanks, "Unnecessarily so, it seems. Another Goddess arrived before me."

Her eyes were locked on to Ranni, who was entirely unrepentant, "Mine Consort called for aid. Of course I would answer."

"I see." The Fox nodded, considering, before mimicking me in addressing the Sky, "Amaterasu-sama. The Devil speaks truth. We have lost face by allowing a guest to come into danger in our lands, treating his grievance without courtesy would only dishonour us further. This is not something that can be resolved by isolation."

The sky rumbled, almost grumbling in protest, before a female voice called down, "Very well."

A brilliant flash of light heralded the materialization of Japan's chief deity, as the Goddess of the Sun descended before us. She had the appearance of an archetypal Japanese beauty, appearing to be in her late teens and was dressed in an immaculate silk kimono. Her silky black hair was perfectly straight and went down to her mid back. Aside from her beauty and aura, the most striking of her features were the long, fluffy wolf ears that twitched on her head and the long matching tail that drooped behind her.

"Lord Damocles Sagan. This is the first we have spoken in person." Were the first words she said, eyes opening to reveal pools of shining golden light, evoking the image of miniature suns, "Would that it was in more a more friendly setting."

The dig at my impertinence was obvious, but I let it pass, "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Amaterasu."

"This is a duty, I am afraid." Was her stern answer. Her golden gaze locked onto Ranni, who stared back unflinching, "You have invoked your Authority upon Japan's soil. Usurped control of my sky. Unknown god, I would ask of you, what is your name? What is your intention here?"

"I am Ranni, the Dark Moon. Mine Sworn Consort was endangered. I merely answered his request for aid." Ranni's cool voice drifted through the clearing, steel in the tone, clearly getting annoyed at having to repeat herself.

"I see. Lord Sagan is your Consort, you claim?" Amaterasu narrowed her eyes at the other Goddess, "I was not aware that Lord Sagan had such a powerful patron."

"He was my Consort, sworn to me in a land far away, in a different time, a different providence. I have searched for him for many long ages. Upon finally finding him, his prayer called out to me like a beacon." She looked to Yasaka, then to me, "I make no excuses for mine actions."

Amaterasu tilted her head, "A different time…? I see."

The wolf huffed and crossed her arms, her serious aura lessening, "A love story? A pining across realms? Umu, I see what occurred here. In light of your part in rescuing the daughter of my Miko and your aiding of your own Consort, I forgive your actions against our sovereignty. So I decree, none of the Shinto will be supported in actions against you for this incident."

Ranni bristled, the other Goddess 'forgiveness' obviously grating on her, but she was stunned as Amaterasu steepled her fingers in front of her, a radiant smile appearing on her face, "You must have tea with me! Your story with Lord Sagan sounds terribly romantic!"

"I apologise, Lady Amaterasu." I interjected, rescuing Ranni from dealing with the insane Goddess, "But Ranni did take over the Moon of Japan. Will Tsukiyomi not seek recompense?"

"Oh, he might." She responded, her gaze snapping back to me, waving her hand airily, "But he will do so alone. If any join him, it will be of their own volition, not endorsed by the rest of us."

Ah, cutting the problem loose, 'sort it out yourselves' type deal. I understood.

"You would not face him alone." Inari spoke, her fox form still in it's seated pose, "You rescued little Kunou, regardless of your reasoning. It is a debt that demands repayment."

"Thank you Lady Inari." My gratitude was genuine, she had dealt with me fairly whenever I met her. I would return the favour.

"I agree, Inari-no-Mikoto." Yakasa spoke, bowing toward the Kami, "To that end, I invite all present to my Shrine. Allow us to offer you the hospitality of Kyoto."

"I will gladly accept. Unless you girls have something that needs doing?" I turned to my peerage, getting a chorus of shaking heads.

Descending to the lake, I offered my hand out to Ranni, smiling gently while I spoke softly to the Lunar Goddess, "Ranni, I cannot promise you that I am exactly the same as you remember. However, I have heard your feelings. Your efforts have reached me. I accept being your Consort, let us explore what that means here together."

She gently took the hand between two of hers, a small smile on her face, "Mine Consort, I will gladly agree. Now, I am most eager to meet this sister of yours."

Amaterasu, watching the scene, held her cheek in her hand, a wide grin on her face, "Oh my."

---

Thirsty.

She was so, so, thirsty…

Centuries, since she had last drank. Or so she thought.

The pain had increased over time, but thankfully it had hit a point where that had stopped.

Her agony had not subsided, it was still maddening, a throbbing pulsing fire that ran throughout every corner of her being. She had just got used to it.

Or maybe she just learned to ignore it. To be honest, it almost saddened her to lose the distraction. Getting used to the pain meant all that was left was the silence.

The room was pitch black, but of course thanks to her lineage she could see perfectly in it. She wished she couldn't. If she was a mere human, she would have died long ago, freeing her from this hell.

She was so thirsty. Her mouth was dust. Her saliva had long since run dry.

There was nothing interesting in the room, her gaze had long since glazed over. She couldn't move, couldn't use magic. She had screamed, she half remembered. For a long while she had cursed every single person involved in this farce.

She had stopped soon enough. There was no one to hear.

The only thing she was left with was her thoughts. She had designed hundreds, thousands of spells, intricately refining the circles over and over in her head. Of course without her magic she could not test any of them.

Still, it was a nice distraction.

Thirsty.

She tried to be strong. She refused to give the things that did this the satisfaction of breaking her. She tempered her will, treating this like a trial, instead of a punishment. Surely all this suffering would eventually end right?

She tried to be strong. To be fair, it was hard to cry when you had no more tears.

Just a drop…

She tried so hard.

But occasionally, although she despised herself for it. Occasionally, she was weak. Her real thoughts leaked out. When her thoughts overwhelmed her, when she could no longer take this bland existence.

A small, trembling voice whispered through the desolate room, "Someone… please…"

She hated herself. Why did she even try. There was no way her plea would ever be answered. Still, even through her loathing, even through her full knowledge of it's futility, she still finished her prayer.

"Save me…"

 

 

Chapter 36: Centuries Out of Date

Centuries Out of Date

"Oof."

The attack was sudden, occurring immediately after the teleportation back to the palace of Kyoto. Almost as soon as I finished rematerializing, the ambush was sprung, the white haired attacker latching her arms around me and burying her head into my chest.

"I knew you would win." Shiro said, pressing herself to me so hard it was like she was trying to merge with me, "Nii-san."

"For someone so sure of my victory, you are sure taking advantage of pretending to be worried." I deadpanned.

She turned her head to look up at me, making sure I could clearly see the pout on her face. Rolling my eyes, I hugged the small girl to me and started gently patting her head, causing her to bury her face into my chest again.

"So, this is thy sister?" Ranni inquired from behind me, causing Shiro to look past me and take in the cloaked form of the Moon Goddess.

"Who are you?" She asked, her characteristic bluntness shining through.

"I am Ranni, the Dark Moon. Consort of Damocles." She replied, deadly serious.

"Mhm." Shiro snuggled back into me, "I won't lose."

"Lose?" The Goddess was stunned, "Lose what? Are we in competition?"

I laughed, causing her to turn to me, "Consort? What did she mean?"

"Don't worry about it." I smiled, "We can discuss it latter."

"Very well." She was clearly unhappy, but didn't have enough time to argue further as the rest of our group finished teleporting.

"Mom!" Similar to what happened to me, Yasaka was also hit by a missile in the form of a little girl, "Did you beat the bad guys?"

"No, little flame, they were beaten before I arrived, thanks to Damocles." Yasaka softly explained, causing the little Kitsune to look over to where I was still hugging Shiro.

"They were so strong though…" She whispered, not quiet enough however as Shiro stopped hugging me to proudly put her hands on her hips.

"Nii-san is the strongest, I told you." She exclaimed, causing most present to look at her fondly, used to her constant talking me up.

"Indeed. Mine knight is unparalleled." Ranni, meanwhile, merely nodded seriously to the childish exclamation, "Thou have a discerning eye."

Oh god, I thought as they turned to look at each other appreciatively, there are two of them.

---

Yasaka had allowed us to rest in the guest rooms of the Palace, apparently she would be setting up a big song and dance to reward us for protecting Kunou tomorrow, but seeing as it was already so late, she recommended we get some rest first.

Of course, before we went to sleep, I gathered my Peerage to discuss what had occurred that night. Arrayed in front of me were Kasane and Naomi sitting next to each other on a pair of pillows, CC sitting crossed-legged on another, with Ranni and Melina standing by the wall observing. Shiro, for her part, had once again claimed my lap as I sat facing my Peerage.

"The leader was wielding the True Longinus." I spoke, making sure that we were all on the same page.

"So, fairly important then." CC explained for our guests.

"Yes," I agreed, "I don't know who was backing him. But if he had that weapon, then he was not a low level peon."

"Will we be in trouble for killing him then?" Naomi asked, looking a bit worried.

"Yes." I answered, "Him and the people with him. They were likely all part of the same group, or an alliance of them. Us killing them doesn't really affect the situation though."

"How so?" Naomi asked.

"They attacked us." Kasane spoke, her militaristic leanings shining through, "Or rather, they attacked our allies, the Yokai. Our ties with them have been public for a while now, so they either didn't care our factored us getting involved into their thought before this. Our response merely moved up the timetable of an inevitable conflict."

"Exactly. Whoever is backing them, we were going to fight them eventually." I said, "That's not even counting the other thing that happened…"

My voice trailed off as I looked to our guests, the Snow Witch and the Kindling Maiden. A quick look on my phone had been enough to confirm my fears, Ranni's arrival was large enough to attract the attention of the entirety of the Supernatural world. Even the mundane world had noticed, the 'optical illusion' of the moon changing position in the night sky something that was rather difficult to hide.

Thankfully, no pictures of her Rune had appeared in the mundane media. That would have been a bit more of a mess to cover up.

"Indeed. Apparently your… Consort's arrival here has torn fate to shreds. All the clairvoyants are whining about it." CC spoke, taking control of the conversation, "About that. What exactly is you two's relation to Damocles anyway?"

"He and I have been vowed to each other." Ranni responded, extending her hand and displaying a familiar ring sitting prominently on her finger, "He is my one and only Lord."

"I am his Maiden." Melina followed that up, "Bound to his soul."

CC narrowed her eyes at the two of them, while Kasane and Shiro bristled and Naomi looked uncomfortable.

My Queen spoke deliberately, "Those statements can be taken multiple ways. I wish to be clear. Does this mean that your relationship is intimate?"

Ranni looked my way, before a gleam entered her eye as she said, "Indeed."

At the same time Melina sputtered out a denial, "No, of course not!"

"I see." CC's gaze flicked to me, before she pointed at me and jerked her finger to point towards the door, "You. Out."

Realising an out when I saw it, I took the escape offered. Shiro let me get up without protest, staring daggers at the blue woman in white. Before I left, I made sure that they did not strain the patience of our gracious hosts.

"Don't fight." I warned, causing them to all stare venomously at me. I put my hands up in surrender, "Physically I mean. We are guests here."

"I understand." CC responded.

I looked over to Ranni and Melina, who nodded.

Satisfied with that, I slipped away from that massive explosion before it went off.

---

"Trouble in paradise?" I was asked while sitting on the wooden floor looking out to the garden of the guest quarters.

"Not really. I chose my Queen carefully for a reason, I trust her to handle it well." I replied, opening my eyes and beholding the amused Kitsune who had questioned me.

She sat down elegantly next to me, chuckling as she did so, "Must be nice, to have someone to delegate that sort of thing to."

"Trust is important in a relationship." I grinned.

"True enough." She hummed. Her face then took on a hint of melancholy, "...Thank you for saving Kunou. I was terrified when she disappeared, seeing her arrive with your sister… I was so relieved."

I thought through my response to this. It was sudden, but her approaching me in private like this was likely entirely to say this to me, to prevent herself from displaying weakness to a devil in front of her people.

"I'm not going to insult your intelligence by saying it was the right thing to do." I eventually stated, looking out into the garden and seeing her shoulders tense at my words, "I did it out of selfish reasons. We are allies, even if only by trade, so an attack on you is an attack on me by proxy. Shiro would be sad if I just abandoned her friend to die. Not to mention that would put a strain on our business relationship."

Her shoulders relaxed, "Always acting in self-interest, aren't you?"

"Always." I agreed.

I felt a tickle by my side, looking down I saw one of her tails gently poking me before it retracted. Following it with my gaze, I eventually landed on the smiling face of the Kitsune.

"You truly are dangerous. 'An attack on you is an attack on me'? You just escaped troubles with the women in your life and then you tell another that… She might get ideas, you know?" It seemed now that I indicated I wouldn't hold the rescue of her daughter over her head, she defaulted back to the teasing she frequently indulged in at my expense.

This time though, I struck back, grabbing her hand and leaning into her personal space, staring seriously into her wide eyes, "And if I wanted her to get those ideas? What would she do then?"

The night was suddenly filled with silence. My sudden aggression, in comparison to my playing her teasing off or ignoring, seemed to be extremely effective. She breathed out a shaky breath, the moist air hitting my face and smelling faintly of cherries.

"You already have so many women, yet still you aren't satisfied?" Her teasing look was fragile and uneven, the emotional night taking it's toll.

Striking while the iron was hot, I dropped my voice as low as it would go, huskily whispering to her, "Us Devils are known for our greed."

The reminder of my race, rather than breaking the air between us, seemed to intensify it. I could physically feel her heat up next to me, her eyes meeting my serious gaze. Ruthlessly exploiting the weakness she was showing, I pressed.

"Well? What sinful ideas are running through her head?" I prevented her from even attempting to regain her balance, leaning even further into her, making her have to retreat slightly, her gaze suddenly filled with both fright and something else as it darted down to my lips.

"Am I interrupting something?" A voice spoke out, snapping Yasaka out of her funk and allowing her to scramble back from me.

"You are." I responded, sighing and turning to the new visitor, "But I'm sure you already knew that, Lady Inari."

"Inari-sama!" Yasaka yelped, before taking breath and recovering her equilibrium, "How can I serve?"

The fox that Inari was projecting herself as merely tiled its head, staring at the two of us, before her voice sounded forth again, "May I speak to Lord Sagan privately, Yasaka?"

"Of course!" The Kitsune bowed, her tails wringing themselves in agitation behind her as she turned and quickly moved back to the main area of the palace.

I watched her go until I was sure she was out of earshot, before turning to the little fox that housed a god, "Coming to save one of your Miko from corruption?"

"Hardly." Was the response, "Miko do not take vows of celibacy. Finally decided to stop pretending?"

"Pretending what?" I played dumb.

"I am a God. The most worshipped Kami in Japan. Yet here you are, speaking to me as an equal." She narrowed her eyes at me, examining me, "That speaks to either overconfidence or…"

"I see." I sighed, "There's no point in dancing around any more, not after what Ranni did. Everyone is going to be treating me as if I am a major player no matter how I act from now on."

"True enough. A power of her level, descending and calling you her Consort… Many would consider you something of a God yourself just for that." She spoke.

"Perhaps." I allowed, "If I may ask, why are you here?"

"You are a rising power. Even if you are not anywhere near as strong as her, the Dark Moon's interest in you means that you will soon be more than strong enough that angering you would be detrimental." She took a breath, "Your sister was attacked on our soil, yet we did not interfere. To that end, I wished to explain why to you."

"Well, consider me interested." I leaned back, giving the Kami my full attention.

"What do you know of the Land of Reeds?" She asked.

"The Shinto version of Asgard, or Olympus. The realm of the Gods, right?" I answered.

"Yes, and no. It is our home, but influences us just as much as we influence it. All within it's borders follow it's rules, regardless of their personal power or domain." She explained, "The laws are unbreakable. It's the reason we could defeat your brethren when they tried to seize Japan."

At my raised eyebrow, she elaborated, "Not you Devils, the other ones. Angels. Yahweh's children."

Ignoring the stab of pain at one of God's true names, I thought about what she had told me, "So when His missionaries and angels arrived in your lands…"

"We sent our chosen mortals to combat his. The Angels were defeated by us personally, but they were too strong, had too much faith backing them up by then. We knew that if a full invasion were to occur, we would lose. So we shrouded Japan within a veil, that forced all who entered it to pass through to the Land of Reeds." Inari continued on.

She finished, "Even if your Christian God came personally, he would have still had to pass through the Land to reach Japan. If he did that, thanks to the Laws we would have won. He is a god of Light, the most powerful to ever exist on Earth, but in the Land of Reeds… All light stems from the Sun, Amaterasu. All the angels that entered the were subsumed and consumed by her light, unable to exist within it's borders."

I see. That explains why Japan had such a long period of uninterrupted isolation in a world as rife with mythology as this one. It seems that the 'Divine Winds' that destroyed the Mongol invasions were more literal than I thought.

"So Japan's Kami have been in a militaristic isolation since the first missionaries landed? That explains the lack of activity I suppose." I mused.

"Yes. Since the mundane side of Japan has begun integrating into the outside world, we lifted the Veil and allowed travel, but many among us still will not leave the Land of Reeds. Some believe that the Christian God will soon resume his crusade and do not want to be caught be a surprise attack." She confirmed, much to my confusion, "Others, like myself, believe that times have changed and the Kami should take a more active role than we are accustomed to."

Why would be worried about that? What the hell? It's common knowledge by now that God was… Oh wait. That's so dumb. Is that really the reason why the Shinto are still holed up in their private demi-plane like a bunch of shut-ins?

It made a twisted sort of sense. They had been completely cut off while it all happened, so of course they could not learn first hand and by the time they started slowly opened up it was old news that no one bothered to inform them of.

I guess the duty fell to me. "God is dead." I deadpanned.

The fox blinked, "What?"

"Yahweh." I emphasized, "The God of the Bible, the Christian God. He died fighting the Original Satans."

"When?!" Was the shocked question.

"700ish years ago." I must admit, the way she seemed to collapse at the news was intensely satisfying.

"So you mean… we have been…" She muttered.

"Cowering for centuries against a ghost, yes." I confirmed, causing her to bristle, "Don't look at me like that, my sister almost died because of this. I am very, very angry that you were all ignorant of this, but I don't blame you."

"Who do you blame then?" Her voice was bitter, but that was understandable.

"Michael. Azazel. All the New Satans. Every single idiot who decided to hide that fact away and pretend that everything was still running smoothly." I listed, causing her to calm down slightly.

"Those are some powerful people to hold a grudge against." She noted.

"Being an idiot, while annoying, is not a crime." I joked, earning a small vulpine smile, the earlier news weighing heavily on her. Noticing that fact, I asked, "I'm guessing you need to go speak to Amaterasu and confirm that I was telling the truth?"

"Yes. I should take my leave… You've given me a lot to consider. Before I go, I wish to confirm, what do you wish for recompense for our inaction in the matter with your sister?" She stood on her four paws, staring at me quizzically.

"I don't have anything pressing at the moment. How about you owe me a favour that I can cash in later?" Honestly, as insane as it sounded, I had bigger things to worry about.

"Gracious of you… Or very devious." She observed, before her tails spread out behind her, curing around her body, "Until next we meet, Lord Sagan."

The bundle of tails collapsed, squeezing down until the fox disappeared into thin air.

Show off.

I continued to observe the garden in front of me, not turning around as I eventually heard the sliding door behind me open.

"You sorted it out?" I asked.

"We did." CC replied as she sat down by my right side, "You really are a magnet for this sort of thing."

"Indeed, Consort." Ranni agreed with her, sweeping behind me and laying her arms on my shoulders, the cool skin feeling divine as they gently rubbed the places they touched, "Thou hath truly gathered worthy fellows. Upon that, you should be informed. I have declared thine sister a true Princess of Caria."

What. "What?!" I asked, surprised.

"It is most fitting, I thought." was the satisfied response.

Just what the hell happened in there?!

Chapter 37: Stolen Moments

Stolen Moments

"Are you sure you have to go?" The small Kitsune turned her puppy dog eyes up to their maximum setting, staring up at me as she pleaded with a trembling voice.

Ever since I arrived from the guest quarters, she had been attached to my side, much to Shiro's visible consternation. Even when a blushing Yasaka commended my peerage and I for helping to rescue her daughter, the small girl had not separated from me.

"I'm afraid so, little fox. I have a lot of obligations waiting for my in the Underworld." My answer elicited a devastating pout, but my resolve was unshaken, "Don't be scared. Your Mom is very strong, you know?"

Yasaka's ears flicked in my direction at my remark, but my attention was taken by the girl who stomped her foot at my words, "I'm not scared! I just…"

She looked down, ears drooping, "I just want you to stay."

"I'm sorry, but I can't. However, let me give you this before I leave." Reaching into a circle I conjured that linked back to the vaults of the Sagan manor, I pulled out a silver necklace wit ha brilliant blue sapphire hanging from it.

Holding it within my grasp, I weaved a familiar enchantment unto the gem, causing it to start glowing slightly. Kneeling down, I gently hefted it over her head, letting it come to a rest on her chest. She brought up a hand, letting the jewel rest on her palm as she marvelled at the colour.

"Put some of your magic into it." I directed, watching as she did so. Holding up my own arm, I showed her the bracelet that I had on it as a gem on it lit up brilliantly, "If you are ever in serious trouble, just do that and I will come running, okay? It's how Shiro called me to help you two."

"You gave one of these to Shiro? Is it really okay that I can have one of these?" She asked, eyes wide.

"Of course it is. I already came and saved you once, didn't I?" Her eyes looked down to thee gem in her hand at that, a troubled expression on her face.

"But I was with Shiro. Didn't you just come to save her?" She asked, voice small.

"Of course not. If I wanted to just do that I would have taken Shiro and left." I laughed, reaching out a hand and ruffling her hair, causing her to start and look back at me, "As hard as you apparently find it to believe, I like you Kunou. If anyone wants to hurt you they'll have to deal with me first."

Looking at the older Kitsune who was unsubtly listening to me talk to her daughter, I sent a wink her way, "After you mother is done with them, of course."

Seeing that she had been caught, Yasaka swept up and put her hands on her daughter's shoulders, looking down at the jewelled necklace her little fox was wearing, "That's quite the gift Damocles. Are you sure it's okay?"

"Of course it is. Remember? An attack on you is an attack on me." I leant in, bringing my lips close to one of her vulpine ears as I whispered, "Usually they are only for my family… If you insist on it being given properly…"

Yasaka blushed, causing Kunou to wriggle out of her grasp and put her hands on her hips in a huff, "What are you whispering about?!"

"Don't worry about it." I waved it off, laughing, "I should get going. Let me know if I can help in any way with the clean up, Yasaka."

The elder Kitsune looked at her daughter, then back to me with a calculating gleam in her eye, "I will do that Damocles. Maybe next time you visit we can talk about getting me one of those necklaces?"

The sudden return to her flirting took me a bit by surprise, but I responded quickly with a wink, "Looking forward to it."

---

I appeared from the teleportation circle, being greeted by the sight of my peerage, Ranni and Melina awaiting me. They had arrived before, having been sent ahead while I said me goodbyes.

"So, this is that tremendous presence I felt." A voice sounded out, the owner revealing itself as she walked into the lounge.

"You could tell instantly, Tiamat?" I asked, a bit disappointed.

"Anyone who is used to divinity could." She sniffed, slit eyes locked onto Ranni's form, "Her domain… it stretches beyond all reason. Reminds me of some primordials, but somehow even more so."

"Who is this, Mine Consort?" Ranni asked.

"Ah, right. Tiamat, this is my Consort, Ranni the Dark Moon. Ranni, this is Tiamat, the Chromatic Dragon. The Guardian of my family."

"Well met." Ranni inclined her head towards the blue haired woman, "My thanks for guardin my beloved's clan."

"Your thanks are… appreciated." Tiamat blinked at that, a shrewd look entering her eyes as she turned them on to me, "I see. To have garnered the attention of one so strong… You grow ever more intriguing Sagan."

"Is that a good thing?" I asked tiredly.

"Ask me again when you've gathered my treasures." She sniffed, before inclining her head in Ranni's direction, "Seeing as there is no threat, I will return to my slumber. Well met, Goddess of the Moon."

"You as well, Noble Dragon." Ranni's response earned a smile from the Babylonian, before she turned and disappeared further into her wing of the manor.

"You truly are proficient at charming all sorts of females, Damocles." Melina snarked.

"Careful." CC shot back, "That sounded dangerously close to jealousy."

"You wish." Melina denied it instantly.

"Why would I wish for that? I am the one he holds…"

I interrupted CC, "Enough."

Everyone straightened, surprised by the firmness in my voice.

I continued before they could resume bickering, "We are still in trouble. Ranni descended in Kyoto, after I left towards it for an emergency. It won't take long for the story to circulate, I'm already expecting a call from Serafall soon about this."

CC nodded, her teasing demeanour shifting to seriousness, "Do you have a plan?"

"I do." I confirmed, "It will get dicey for a while. Could you tell Rias that I have to cancel for this week? I need to get a free day as soon as possible."

"Understood." My Queen confirmed, standing up and walking out of the room, fishing out her phone from her bosom.

Kasane sighed in relief, causing me to send her a consoling look, "Sorry that you have to work with him, if you want me to…"

"It's fine." She waved off the concern with practice.

"Alright." I stopped pressing, "Ranni, Melina. I'm sorry that things have been happening so quickly. We can discuss things more soon, but I need to make sure our position is secure."

"It heartens me to see thee in thine element, Damocles. Attend to your duties, I will not begrudge thee." Ranni responded graciously.

"I wish to speak with you soon." Meina interjected, "I shall wait until a better time, but please make some space quickly."

"I will." I promised.

With the situation somewhat calmed, I moved to my office, fishing out my own phone and sliding off the do not disturb setting, wincing as I saw the dozens of missed calls that filled the screen. Sighing at some of the names displayed, I unlocked the device before it started vibrating in my hand. Narrowing my eyes at the expected caller ID, I accepted the call and brought it to my ear.

"Serafall. What a coincidence. I was just about to reply to your mother's messages." My voice was drier than a desert.

"This is hardly the time for jokes, Sagan." Came the annoyed response, "What the hell happened in Japan?"

"Family secret." I deadpanned, causing a shocked choke to echo from the other end.

"Cut the crap! The fucking moon moved through the sky! It was over India before something threw it all the way to hover directly over Japan! Over Kyoto, specifically! Where you just so happened to be!"

"Coincidence." I must admit, winding her up like this was cathartic as hell.

"The hell it was. I am the Satan of External Affairs, Sagan, no matter the personal issues between us you did something that has all sorts of people breathing down our necks. I need to be informed." Her voice was low, deadly.

"That's great for you." I responded flippantly, "The agreement I have with you four stands. I will explain myself to Falbium, not you."

"He's not the one dealing with everyone and their mother demanding answers Sagan! For the good of us all, we need to work together on this!" She started to raise her voice, my attitude breaking through her composure.

"'Work together', is it?" I muttered, "That's a fine sentiment. I agree."

"Good! Now tell me…"

I interrupted her, "When you find Falbium, you know, someone I can 'work together' with, let me know."

"You insufferable...!" Click.

Fuck me, that was satisfying.

That should buy us some time, hopefully. The chaos should keep her swamped for a while, by the time they roused Falbium to ask me some questions, I should be well on my way to get the next member of my peerage. Using this event to explain both Ranni and her at once would be ideal.

Falbium will likely show up when I am busy fetching her, so I will need Ranni and CC to deal with him. Once I am finished here, I need to track them down so we can get our stories straight.

First though, I need some answers.

---

"Catharsis. I know you're there. What the fuck?" I spoke into the empty air of my room.

No response. Of course. I sighed and brought my hands together preparing to pray, before out of the corner of my eyes I noticed an object on my bed. Walking over to it, it was revealed to be a folded letter. Opening it, in fancy, flowing writing, I was met with the following message;

'Be careful what you wish for.'

Wonderful.

A knock sounded out, causing me to look towards the door, before turning back to the note. Which had vanished into thin air.

Of course.

"Come in." I sighed.

The door opened, revealing a wary looking Kasane, "Bad time?"

"No, sorry." I took a deep breath, "Just trying to get answers about the Ranni situation."

"Ah." She nodded, "Not going well?"

"Yeah. Anyway, what did you want to talk about?" I moved on, doubting that thinking about the topic further would present a solution in the immediate.

"Ranni is your Consort." Kasane spoke, her voice serious, "Melina called herself your Maiden. You've slept with CC. My Sister loves you. You're going to go soon and pick up someone else… And I…"

"Having second thoughts?" I asked gently.

"No." She answered defiantly, "That's not it."

She reached up to her neck, pulling on the delicate chain that coiled around it. Lifting the necklace up, she displayed the ruby fastened to the links.

"Shiro used this and despite the fact that you were busy, had plans, were all set to go… You dropped it all and went to her."

I admit to being slightly affronted, "You thought I wouldn't? I didn't give you those for show."

"I know." She nodded, "But knowing and having proof are different things. You care for us. You will protect us, even when it doesn't fit into your plan. It happened at your Reveal, it happened again just now… I trust you."

I moved to speak, but she held up a hand, looking troubled, "I… I'm not good with this. Feelings. Speaking to people."

She took a breath, "I've seen how other devils treat their peerages. I've seen how other devils act. You are nothing like them. There is probably a reason for that, A reason you can't tell me, but that's okay. Instead of a servant, you treated me like a person.

She continued, "When I said I wanted to go slow, you agreed. You treated me like a normal girlfriend, not like… a thing, to use and throw away. Basically, what I mean is…. What I want to say is…"

She trailed off, shoulders stiffening. After getting to know her, I could see the signs of her getting irritated, before she swept forwards and grabbed me by my shirt, yanking me towards her where she met me with her lips on mine.

Soon they parted, allowing her tongue to venture out and meet mine. The passion was sudden, shocking, but oh so real.

My hands rose up, finding her hair and waist, pulling her even tighter against me. Her fists, bunched around my shirt, relaxed as she lay her palms on my chest, the limbs trapped by the closeness of our embrace. The world fell away, soon only consisting of Kasane, her heat, and her passion.

Our duelling muscles eventually parted, allowing us to pant out breaths of much needed air. The space between us became even hotter, moistened by our exhalations. She leaned her head forward, laying a kiss on my cheek before resting her chin on my shoulder.

"I'm ready." She spoke, softly, "Take me."

The words lit a fire within me, causing me to attack her with abandon.

Our clothes were discarded, our lips and parting only briefly to allow the fabric to be removed, before making contact again. All while moving back towards my bed. Once we reached the mattress, it swiftly devolved into a grapple.

Mirroring our spars, we struggled and jostled for the position on top. Eventually, I pinned her hands above her head, taking in the sight below me.

She breathed heavily, chest rising and falling subtly, drawing my attention to the pink-topped peaks present there. Her breasts were barely more than a handful, but they looked delectable. Giving into the impulse, I leant down and dragged my tongue up, starting at just above her ribs and slowly sliding up to the eventual prize.

Goosebumps marked my path, a sinful groan fleeing her lips as I teased her. My eyes flicked up to meet hers, a flushed face greeting my gaze. Smiling, I stilled, the tip of my tongue resting just before her nipple.

"Damocles…" She whined.

"Hmm?" I responded.

"Please…!" She pleaded, arching her back and trying to increase the contact between us.

I gave her what she wanted, giving her hard nipple a flick with my tongue, I latched my mouth over it, casing her to moan as I assaulted the bud. She squirmed below me as I did, but I thought nothing of it, as I switched to her neglected breast and gave it the same treatment.

She surprised me however, by slipping her legs out from my own and snapping them across my waist. She bucked her hips, dragging mine along as well, grinding her wet pussy along the underside of my cock. Shivering, feeling the damp warmth enveloping the sensitive skin, I bit lightly on the perfect target in my grasp.

Hearing her hiss out and buck her hips at the sensation, I pulled back and stared into her smouldering eyes. Quickly stealing a kiss from her parted lips, I whispered, "Ready?"

"Do it." Was the breathy response.

Heeding my Knight's words, I positioned myself, tip touching her damp entrance. Pushing forwards, I encountered the expected resistance, but soon the opening parted, allowing me to slip into her heated, moist insides.

Her head fell back, a moan pulled from her at the stretching, as I closed my own eyes at the sensation. As I did, she used her leg's grip to twist sideways, moving with the momentum to throw me onto my back. Any counter that I could attempt was derailed when she gyrated her hips, moving my cock, still inside, in a stirring motion.

"My turn." She spoke, the attempted gravitas undermined by her flushed, dishevelled appearance.

"Do you worst." I grinned, causing her to screw up her face in concentration as she started to lift herself.

The movement was torturous, my dick scraping against the velvet walls of her pussy, before she slammed her hips down once again. Our groins met with a thud, causing a jolt of sensation to run up my spine. Soon she was pulling back up, repeating the motion.

We fell into a rhythm, Her rising and falling and I thrusting up to meet her. Our passion surged, rising higher and higher alongside our pleasure. She started to roll her hips, moving in new directions, testing and learning through doing.

Slipping my hands from her grasp, I grabbed her hair, pulling her face down to mine so that I could taste her once again. Our tongues battled for dominance as her pace picked up, a desperate, needy whine escaping from our lip lock. Her hips jerked, the pleasure catching up her, making her movements shaky and uncoordinated.

Moving my hands down to her waist, I started to take control of the sex, fucking up into her with hard, powerful thrusts. Her head laid over my shoulder, pants and whines echoing into my ear as with one final, strong thrust, I emptied myself into her.

Our passion subsided, the exertion catching up with us. The room was filled with the sound of our breathing, as re rested on each other. Soon enough, she kissed my cheek as started to whisper.

"There, now I'm yours."

"You were always mine." I whispered back, hugging her sweaty body to mine, "That will never change."

She smiled, but the expression melted away at the sound of my Queen clearing her throat from where she stood with crossed arms in the doorway, "As adorable as this is, we do have some things to discuss."

Unfortunately, she was correct.

 

Chapter 38: Sinful Taste

Sinful Taste

The large stone doors rumbled, age weathering the hinges to just barely functional status, but their purpose was eventually fulfilled. The large edifices, which had required several of her Uncle's men to drag closed, opened once more. However rather than the team of men she expected to see preforming such a feat, instead it was single man with long flowing white hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Who...?" she didn't realize it when she had whispered to herself, how scratchy and weak her voice had become, "Who are you?"

Her voice as muted as it was still reached the intruder. He smiled in response, a confident, alluring thing.

"I? My lady, I am merely a passing thief." She sincerely doubted that, but he was not finished, "I am here to rob this maze of it's most precious treasure."

She wanted to ask what he was after, but he merely looked meaningfully at her, allowing her to realize what he was insinuating. She was sure that should she have had the blood to spare, she would have blushed.

"Tell me, what do you think of this world?" The non sequitur took her by surprise, making her blink slowly in confusion.

"This world?" She queried.

"Yes, this world." The man walked leisurely up to where she was restrained, her attention suddenly being drawn to the fact that she was completely naked, "You see, I have a way to leave this world completely, bringing along those I wish. I would like to make you an offer, but I will first free you. I am not such a brute as to..."

"I agree." He paused, his confidence faltering for the briefest moments, "Your offer, I agree to it. Take me away. Steal me."

"That's a surprise." He smiled, confidence swiftly rallied, "You have no idea what I want from you. What if I want you to be my slave?"

"That's fine." She spoke, "Kill me, abuse me if you want. Anything is better than this imprisonment."

She didn't think he would do so, however. It was a rare person who would break a 'precious treasure' so frivolously. Even should the worst come to pass, once she was free she could merely gather enough magic to destroy herself. Either way, she would be free of this torment.

Her belief was verified however, as the mysterious man merely shook his head and smiled sadly, "I would never do such a thing. I know it is difficult to trust merely my words, but I hope my actions will soon speak for me."

With that, his blue eyes suddenly glowed a bright crimson, almost looking pink as he beheld the solid cube of magic that functioned as her prison. As he did so, he knelt to her level, turning his head to the side and offering to her the wide expanse of his neck.

"I'll have you free in a moment. However, you must be thirsty. Go ahead, drink your full."

His actions stunned her. Having someone freely offer her their blood? He obviously knew she was a vampire, yet he had no fear of her whatsoever. A distant part of her warned her that this was incredibly suspicious, but the vast majority of her agreed wholeheartedly with her achingly thirsty fangs.

Baring the sharp appendages, she sank them deep into his shoulder before she could stop herself, taking a deep, heady pull of the precious crimson liquid he had offered. The first couple of mouthfuls were already speeding down her gullet, resting safely in her stomach before the taste hit her.

It was indescribable, spicy, varied, powerful, dangerous. His blood tasted of sin, the feeling she got from the liquid was titillating, as if she was partaking in something illicit, taboo. Her first desperate gulps had subsided, and now she drew long, languid sips from his body, the warm liquid travelling through her body and resting near where another ball of warmth was starting to appear.

As she did, conflicting feelings assaulted her. The feeling of relaxing lazily on a breezy day, the feeling of adoration from her previous subjects all extolling her name, the stuffed feeling of fullness from a long delicious feast, the sensation of crushing a rival and securing the prize that they had desired, the joy of her large personal collections, the thrill of a good fight, the warm tingle of beholding an attractive potential suitor...

His blood was highly addictive, she lost herself in the sensation, lazily suckling at his neck for what seemed like an eternity. She only came back to herself as he spoke, his deep voice rumbling through his body such that she could feel it against her lips.

"Lets get you of there, shall we?"

Her eyes snapped open, as she jerked her head back, realization at just how much she had drunk fulling her, "I'm sorry! I took so much and..."

His warm laughter stopped her apologies, "No need to worry. You could take 4 times as much from me and it wouldn't be a problem."

As she digested the sheer insanity that she had just heard, she watched as he held up a palm, an incredibly complex magic circle flaring to life above it. Just staring at it stole her breath away, the sheer amount of arcane understanding that one would have to accrue to create such a thing was staggering.

"What are you...?" She whispered, at a loss to explain the various feats he was preforming.

"Well." He smiled, flicking his hand and activating the circle, causing her prison to start dissolving, fading away and letting her lower her arms for the first time in centuries, "I was going to tell you before giving you my offer."

Standing up, he looked to where a shadow had been forming in the room, her hated Uncle having prepared a countermeasure for anyone attempting to do what he had just done. The strange man waved his arm, a lavish coat appearing over her shoulders as he grinned viciously.

"You see, I'm one thing you should really not be accepting offers from so easily." As he said that, two bat-like wings burst into life behind him.

They looked similar to a vampire's, but at the same time a profound wrongness suffused them.

"I am Damocles Sagan, Lord of the Sagan pillar of Hell." He shot up into the air, a purple glow surrounding his right hand, so intense that at it's centre it turned black.

Swooping down, he slammed down into the scorpion that had just finished materializing from the darkness, blitzing it before it could act, causing it to screech out in pain, blue blood flying from the crater that his attack opened into it's carapace. The giant scorpion, it's carapace encrusted with metal, collapsed lifelessly.

Demon. That is what he was, she realized. She drew the cloak around her protectively as he turned towards her, a gentle smile on his face.

"So, I will make you the offer here and now." He flew down to where she was kneeling, hand extended warmly toward her, "Join my family. Become mine and I vow to protect you, so that a betrayal like the one that befell you here will never happen to you again."

His words were in stark contrast to how he looked, his bat-like wings extended as he was framed by a defeated, conquered foe. That such words of kindness could come from a Demon was darkly amusing thing.

She resolved herself. She stated that what he wanted didn't matter, so long as he rescued her. She would make herself a liar.

She grasped his hand, "Name me."

At his raised eyebrow, she elaborated, "I agree to your terms, whatever they may be. The old me, the one that isn't yours, is dead. So give me a name, if you are speaking the truth. If this will really never happen again... then it can't happen to the person you gave a name to."

She was probably didn't explain it properly, but that was fine. The real reasoning was something she would never admit to. She was as peace with whatever he decided to do to her, but of course she would still try to make sure he treated her well.

What was it her mother said when she had found that injured bird?

Ah yes.

'Don't give it a name, or you'll get attached.'

"I see." He spoke, gently lifting her to her feet, a hand extended to softly rub her head, "Then I will say it again. You will never be betrayed like that again, Selene."

Selene, huh? She rather liked the sound of that. Her thoughts were interrupted by him sweeping her off of her feet, holding her to his chest in a princess carry. With the arm under her knees, he waved a hand, causing the scorpion to be sucked up into a summoned vortex as she blinked in surprise.

"What are you doing?!" She asked, flustered by the sudden intimate contact.

"Carrying you." He glibly replied, "You are recovering from starvation, asking you to move as quickly as we need to would just be cruel."

"I'm not weak." She was definitely not pouting as she said that.

"No, you're not." He smiled, using his arm to jostle her head to his shoulder, "So rest, drink, recover and grow even stronger. Let me handle things for a bit."

As she gave into the temptation of sinking her fangs into his shoulder, Selene thought to herself, 'He is the strangest Demon I have ever heard of.'

---

"I am most displeased."

Serafall stiffened at those words, watching as the thing in front of her steepled two of it's hands, the other two clasped on it's lap. She was really regretting insisting to come along with Falbium. Her family, the Sitri, had several contracted Magicians, as befit an old and noble house of Devils. One of them was a well renowned Diviner, his skills allowing him to look into the strings of fate and discover the past.

It was much more reliable than those that tried to prophesize the future, with significantly higher accuracy. She had reached out to him, as the moon flew through the sky, with a glowing blue sign that none had seen before shining proudly on it's surface. He had used his skills at her request, divining the past of the being that had preformed such an audacious feat.

Last she knew, he was still screaming, raving about the 'cold that devoured all light' and other such nonsense. So, with only that to go off of, it was no wonder she was flooded with queries from the other factions as soon as the rumour that Damocles Sagan was visiting Japan at the time of the occurrence spread. It could have been the Shinto, of course, but no one truly believed that those shut-ins would do something so disruptive.

Seeing as the celestial body had come to rest directly above Kyoto, it did not take a genius to put two and two together. Still, she did not expect this.

The thing masquerading as a woman was sat in one of the chairs of the Sagan Manor, her cold eyes taking in the visage of the two Satans that had arrived as soon as Falbium was roused from the hole he had hid in as soon as he sniffed out that this situation was likely to lead to work.

Serafall had spent a lot of times among gods and other divine beings, but this new one reminded her of a very specific encounter, in her early hundreds.

Ophis the Infinite.

At the time masquerading as an old man, it was summoned by a rather foolish coven, and wiped an entire landmass off the face of the Earth. It was only appeased and left after a group of diplomats fro mall the Factions gathered and spoke to it as one, allowing them to present a force strong enough for the dragon to consider them worth it's attention.

She believed the place that occurred was currently called the Bermuda Triangle.

However, the situations were not a perfect one to one. The being was not materializing completely in the world. The vessel that was visible was strong, but not anywhere near the strength of the Infinite Dragon. In a direct confrontation, it would likely lose to Sirzechs. If it's strength did not increase.

Which was a mighty big if.

The well of power that she could sense at the edge of her awareness, the very implication of it made the space around the thing feel heavy. She did not know why it was not exerting it's full will, but she fervently wished that nothing changed it's mind.

"It is most unpleasant to hear that." Falbium replied, looking absolutely done with the whole deal, "May I inquire as to the reason?"

"My Lord is being forced to participate in the charade of explaining himself due to my actions. The fact that he has been inconvenienced by mine selfishness... tis most aggravating." It tapped it's fingers against each other rhythmically, "Mayhaps I should merely retake control of my Moon, and impart the reasoning for my actions upon the entire world?"

"I would humbly request that you don't." Was her fellow Satan's response, apparently uncaring or unknowing of the thing he was speaking to truly was, "Just so that we are on the same page, your Lord is Damocles Sagan?"

"Indeed. He is my one true Lord." The wide brimmed hat dipped in a nod at the acknowledgement.

"Is this a lord you swear fealty to, or are you the Lady to his Lord?" Falbium inquired, pragmatic as always.

"The Second."

"You are aware of his relationship he has with his Peerage?" Was the polite question, that was met by the creaking protest of the chair the being was sat on.

"I am. Concubines are not a concept that is foreign to me." The words were icy, making it clear that although it was familiar with the concept, it was far from pleased at the prospect.

Great, somehow the Sagan had now seduced an eldritch monstrosity.

"How did Damocles beco..." Serafall started to ask the question, only to suddenly be forced back into her seat as frigid blue eyes glared into her own.

"Thou shalt remain silent, wretch." Serafall was dead. If she moved or made a sound, she would die. Nothing could save her.

It made her feel little again, so long had it been since she was so completely and thoroughly overpowered.

There was a cough, Falbium awkwardly attempting to rescue his colleague, "My apologies, but Serafall is the Satan of Foreign Affairs. This issue is within her responsibilities."

The blue eyes did not soften, but the pressure crushing Serafall into her seat eased. She knew that she was held in exceptionally poor regard by the Sagan Peerage, but she did not realise just how hostile they were up until this very moment.

"Very well." The being spoke, "Speak, but know that thou tread upon dangerous ice."

"Thank you for your patience." Serafall drew upon all her long experience, doing everything she could to not set off the bomb she was now aware she was sat across from, "I was merely curious how Lord Sagan came to know you, as you are clearly not of this world."

"My birthplace is a realm where time and space are twisted, folded and intertwined many times." Came the response, "In the distant past, or the distant future, My Lord shall impress me greatly. The details of which art private."

"I understand. Thank you for indulging in our curiosity." She didn't really, of course, the explanation able to be interpreted in many ways, but discerning the mechanics behind all this was something Serafall would rather leave to Ajuka, "I wish to aid you and Lord Sagan in providing a satisfying explanation to the many beings that have been disturbed by your arrival here."

Her statement was met with narrowed eyes, but she was not interrupted as she continued, "Your power was felt across the globe. If we could provide them with your goals, or what you desire, we could stop them from making assumptions and acting against you prematurely."

"Are you insinuating that I would be unable to protect my Lord from these beings?" It was clearly not trusting a word she said.

"Not at all, but seeking out battles when they can be avoided would eat up valuable time and attention from you both." She was careful to explain herself, but not as if she was speaking to someone unintelligent, a careful balancing act that she had been forced to get very good at.

"Very well. I have no interest in the Gods of this world and what they do or plan. You may assure them that I shall not interfere." The being spoke, pointedly not revealing what it actually planned to accomplish here, but Serafall sensed that pressing further would be unwise.

"That will relieve many, I'm sure." Falbium seemed to relax at it's admission.

At a certain level of strength, lying became unnecessary.

"If it is not too presumptive, might we have your name and the domains that you control? Knowledge of that will allow us to more easily explain the situation." Falbium continued asking the pertinent questions.

Serafall could feel the domains of the being through it's power, they stretched forth like a sea, multiple different colours whirling like a kaleidoscope. Getting the thing to commit to a couple would allow tensions to decrease, instead of coming out with the news that the new God had the domain of almost every other God on Earth.

"My name is Ranni, Goddess of the Dark Moon and the Chill night." Serafall felt a trail of goosebumps travel down her spine at the admission, remembering the diviner's words.

'The Vengeful Moon that devours all.'

"I do not have a land to claim dominion over, of course. Although." The being spoke, causing both Satans to tense, "There is something I wish to achieve that involves your faction."

Falbium and Serafall looked at each other, silently communicating before Falbium turned back to the extraterrestrial, "May I as what that is?"

"Indeed you may." Came the response, "Tell me, what is your marriage culture here? I wish to ratify my nuptials."

Serafall felt a pounding headache coming on.

"That's..." Even Falbium was taken aback, "I will have to ask Sirzechs to see if we have anything for inter dimensional marriage. Maybe we should discuss this with Lord Sagan?"

"Very well, I shall await my Lord's return."

About that, where was the Sagan Lord anyway?

"Might we inquire as to his current whereabouts?" Serafall hazarded to ask.

"I was drawn to this reality, reunited with my beloved by a prayer. There is someone who is fervently praying for salvation, a shining beacon of despair. He has gone to rescue them, as thanks for the aid in reuniting us."

Serafall felt her headache double in intensity. She could already sense this would turn into a whole thing. The smug grin that the Sagan Queen had been sending her way the entire meeting was not helping.

The one shining beacon in this whole mess is at least if Ranni and Damocles got married, her mother would stop attempting to throw her dear Sona at the Sagan.

Chapter 39: Ancients

Ancients

Selene, as her name now was, felt entirely lost. She was still not sure that this was all some delusion, or dream. An otherworldly demon, come to spirit her away from her prison, all to get her to join his family? The only thing that made her discount the possibility of this being a hallucination was his blood.

Damocles, as he had called himself, had the most delicious blood she had ever tasted. She must admit to having lost her restraint, especially after being starved for so long. She had taken up his offer of gorging her self, and now felt sated. In fact, she may have glutted herself, as she felt rather drowsy after her indulgence.

There was no way she could relax though, held as she was in Damocles' arms. She found the hold strangely comfortable, but the actions he was taking even with both arms occupied beggared belief.

It began when they had exited her prison and he had carried her to a large circular cavern and started to explain, "I'm short on time, I can only exist in this world for a limited period."

He grinned down at her, "So we need to move quickly. You were fairly deep here you know? Going down will be a lot faster than going up."

She had felt reluctant to part with his unfairly tasty blood, the strength that she was gaining from the liquid quickly becoming addictive. Instead she raised her eyebrow questioningly, casing him to chuckle.

Her curiosity was sated when a blue magical circle flared to life around his feet. The edges of the circle flashed and dust shot up into the air. She was shocked as they started to fall, the floor under them a perfect circle of rock acting as a platform. The circle changed colour, the dark purple once more appearing as they accelerated and she reflexly bit down in shock as the slammed through the level below them. Then the next one. And the next. And the next.

Despite her basically chewing a chink out of him, he didn't tense or react in anyway, in fact, she was not jostled at all, even with their violent smashing through solid rock. His grip remained steady, reassuring and warm.

She pulled back, wincing as she beheld his mangled shoulder, feeling her mouth water at the red covering it even as guilt welled up in her.

"Sorry…" She whispered.

"It's fine, I should not have startled someone with fangs." He joked, winking at her, "Besides, It's already healed, see?"

He shrugged his shoulder, and looking closely, she could, see that he was telling the truth. The vicious wound that her fangs had caused was already healing, and was almost completely gone. Just what the hell had he done to his body to achieve such resilience?

Staring closely at the knitting flesh, her nose was assaulted by the aroma of the sanguine liquid that was exposed by the wound. Still running off the high that his blood sent her into, she stuck out her tongue and lapped at the skin, running it over the spilt ichor and up to the crook of his neck before freezing. Her brain caught up to what she just did and she felt her own blood rush to colour her cheeks in response.

Dreading his reaction, she stared up into his eyes, meeting his intense gaze as he chuckled, "Don't start anything you wont finish little bat."

She blushed in mortification at giving into her impulses and bit back into his shoulder to avoid meeting his eyes, causing him to chuckle warmly.

After that, he had rose the stone platform through several more floors, the magic he was using preventing it from breaking due to the forces. It eventually did break, of course, but by then they had already smashed through at least 20 levels. As the thing cracked in half, he hopped off and started to charge forwards, looking for the way down into the next floor.

He was not left in peace, of course, the monsters of the area roaring in anger at the immense racket his actions had caused. Rather than be perturbed, his gait was calm and steady, making her barely feel the movement as he ran. The few monsters that were unlucky to cross their path were dealt with contemptuously, falling quickly to his magic. Occasionally he made some f the corpses disappear, like he did to that scorpion, but he did not even slow to preform these actions.

She initially marvelled at her rescuers might. The Orcus Labyrinth was the terror of the world, the lower levels were said to be the area where nightmares manifested. Yet here he was acting as if this was merely a routine jog. His magic was fascinating, but his words to her before were right. She would need to rest and recover before she could be of use, especially to one a strong as him.

She closed her eyes, attempting to feel her own magic as the blood she had imbibed from him was circulating through her system. She could feel the warmth from the liquid flowing through her, being converted to her long lost strength. The sensation was not exhilarating, like she remembered, instead it was rather relaxing…

Before she knew it, her exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep against her wishes.

---

Katrea was terrified. Her patron, the enigmatic being that Rizevim had contracted to aid in their cause had appeared before her at her manor, not even talking to her before grabbing her and teleporting them both into the air far above the underworld. Katrea had spread out her wings, flying on instinct, but was completely confused by the Infinite's actions.

Surely if the Dragon wanted her dead, it would not have moved her, merely killing her where she stood? Why would it abduct her like this?

Her question was answered by the thing masquerading as a little girl pointing to a structure far below them, "What is that?"

Katrea snapped her attention to the indicated building, straining her eyes to make out the details, "…It looks to be an ancient family Manor… If I may ask, why do you wish to know? I could help you if I know what you are looking for."

She hated this thing. How it made mockery of her race, how even the strongest amongst them were treated as no more than ants, scarcely worthy of it's attention. Still, Power was Power. She could admit that the Ouroboros was beyond her, something she could never hope to defeat. Her only way to survive it was to keep it happy with her until Rizevim's plans came to fruition.

Her heat pounded as she awaited the Dragon's answer, Ophis frowning and muttering under it's breath, "Noisy… A Manor, you said? Which family owns it?"

"I can't tell from here… I don't know where you teleported us." Katrea could have lied, but it seemed that the Dragon was after something, a very rare occurrence. Who knew how it would act if this went wrong?

Ophis merely stared at her, before extending her hand to grip the Devil by the head. Katrea panicked, starting to gather her magic for one last doomed attempt of preventing this beast from killing her, but stopped when foreign thoughts started to intrude into her mind.

A bird eye view of the underworld, starting at the Manor below them and zooming out, the lands and cities appearing in sight and then quickly shrinking, yet still paradoxically retaining perfect clarity.

The Dragon released her, causing her to jerk back with a pounding headache at the information that had been forced into her head. The whole thing was impossibly clear, she could see every single thing in the view in perfect detail.

Could the Dragon have always done this? What other powers had it never shown?

"The Manor." Came the emotionless voice, "Who lives there?"

"I…" Still reeling, the Devil shook her head and focused on surviving the conversation, "That's Lilith in the distance… judging on the spacing of the pits to the east… I think that is the Sagan Manor."

"Organise a meeting with them." Came the order, the Dragon acting more proactive than she had ever seen it, causing her curiosity to rise even higher.

"The Sagan are recluses, Ophis. They refuse to meet with any who do not come to their manor directly and make an appointment in advance. All our previous requests for Lord Sagan to meet us were rejected."

"Then make an appointment to meet with them at the manor." The tone made it clear it was order, but the way it was said made it seem like the Dragon was questioning her intelligence.

She grit her teeth, "The Sagan are only an Earl ranked house. To have a Leviathan accept a meeting at a place they demanded would make my own house seem weak. It would impact my ability to help you in the future."

"I don't care. Organise the meeting. Or I will find someone else who will." What happened to Katrea in that situation was left unsaid.

She clenched her fists in anger at the brazen disregard for her reputation, but her fear stayed her from reacting further.

"Very well, what would you like me to say in this meeting?" She just wanted to get this over with.

"Nothing. Only get them to agree to meet, then bring me with you." The Dragon answered.

Katrea stared at the being in front of her, absolutely flabbergasted.

"You want to meet the Sagan personally?!"

The incredulous question was answered by a simple nod, "Yes."

A thought occurred to Katrea. It was outlandish, ridiculous, flew in the face of every single interaction the Ouroboros was known for. The very idea seemed laughable, the ravings of a mad fool.

Still, the question sounded in the privacy of her own mind.

'Was Ophis the Infinite, the Ouroboros Dragon, attempting to be polite?!'

Just what in the name of all that was Unholy had the Sagan got involved with?

---

She stretched, feeling refreshed. She would be, of course, even after slumbering for a few centuries. No expense had been spared for her bed, after all she had planned to spend a long time asleep to avoid all the idiocy that frequently happened amongst her people. Still, she enjoyed these moments when her descendants awoke her, she liked seeing all the new cuties in her family and checking in to make sure her camels were still taken care of.

Getting out of bed, she saw herself in the full body mirror that was kept magically pristine in her bedroom. Posing, seeing the perfect curves and luscious, long red hair. Grinning at the sexy beast she saw reflected back at her, she nodded in satisfaction.

Oh yeah, she still had it.

Uncaring for her nudity, she strolled out of the room that was her sanctuary and in to the room that her family used to awaken her. She wondered what the occasion was, she did ask to be awakened whenever a new Head was declared… did little Zeo retire? She looked forward to all the juicy news she had missed!

As she walked into the circular room, she deflated as she saw a dour looking Zeoticus awaiting her with a grim expression.

So this was an emergency then.

Upon seeing her, his face heated and he quickly averted his eyes, "Ancestor, please. Why are you naked?"

"Oh, grow up Zeo." She tittered, lifting one of her perfect breasts and letting it drop and jiggle pleasantly, "It's just skin. Surely you've seen a woman unclothed before?"

"Please, I woke you up for an important meeting. You need to be decent." She sighed, shrugging before leaving the room and returning in a satin, crimson robe.

Apparently recognizing that this was the best he would get, Zeoticus merely shook his head and started to lead her towards the drawing room.

"It's good to see you too, Little Zeo." She pouted, "I'm feeling fine, thank you for asking."

"Sorry, Ancestor…" He started only to be interrupted by her petulant whine.

"Runey." He starred at her intensely as she met his gaze, before he sighed.

"Runey. The last while has been… Stressful. We woke you up because we needed you help."

She hummed, "I see. What ado you need me for, though? If it was a question of power, Sirzechs should be more than enough. So is it due to someone I knew?"

"Got it in one." He confirmed, "We've been having issues with a young Devil and you were good friends with his mother."

"Oh my." She tittered, "That's interesting. But why the long face? Surely Sirzachs and Serafall can handle a young Devil?"

She really, really didn't like the way he winced at her question.

"That's… We'll explain when we get there. We had a file prepared for you, any insight you could give would be very helpful." He seemed reluctant to share further, so she decided to let him keep hiss secrets for now.

Instead, she asked about any new members of her family and was gratified to see him light up when talking about his newest daughter. She seemed like quite the firebrand, someone Runeas would like to meet one day.

Arriving at the Drawing room, she saw an ashen faced Serafall explaining something to Sirzechs, "More powerful than even the great red, I think…"

Well that sounded important. However, knowing better than to interject into a half finished conversation, she swept forwards and opened the file on the table, perusing it's contents.

Lets see here, contract, registration, picture…

The world fell out from under her, her mind whirled. Sagan? SAGAN? Pandora's child?! He had lived through the War? How had he survived? Sweeping through the papers she saw that he had been hidden behind a powerful stasis spell. Aha, that would make sense, Pandora always was good at the more esoteric aspects of her Power.

But why had they awakened her for this?

Reading more, the reports, the news articles, going back to the contract and reading it thoughorly as well… she felt weak at the knees. She couldn't blame them, of course, they had no way of knowing just what they had wrought. But still. But still. The hints were right there! Surely Zekram had seen them?!

Did they just dismiss the idea as outrageous? Was Pandora really that good at hiding it?

Just look at the kid! The hair, the eyes!

She felt rage and despair fill he, in equal parts. This needed fixing, yesterday. These children had no idea what they were doing, what they have almost unleashed.

She slammed the folder closed, causing Zeoticus, Sirzechs and Serafall to jump, having been intrigued by her voracious interest in the items contained within.

"You idiots. You absolute, drooling morons." Was her first words about the situation, blind-siding them with her complete lack of joking tone, "This situation is almost as bad as it could be. Do you realise how close you were to potentially reigniting the Civil War?"

"What do you mean?" Sirzechs asked, his tone sullen but respectful, "The Sagan were a High Ranked house, but after so much time all their allies had fallen away. So long as we controlled th reaction of the other Pillars…"

"'Prince' is not just a title that was bestowed for no reason! It has power! The type that many would rally to and use for their own ends! That's not even including the fact that…" She breathed, calming herself, "You couldn't have known I suppose. I didn't even know for sure until I saw his picture. The only one that could have confirmed the story was Rizevim. I don't know why he hasn't, but I doubt it's anything good."

"...Why did you bring up Rizevim Lucifer?" Zeo whispered, his eyes widening as the name made him draw connection where he had previously dismissed them.

"Pandora was the Daughter of Remora Sagan. She was a good friend of mine, as you know, but that was mostly due to me also being friends with Remora herself." Runeas took a breath, "Trust me when I say this, as I am not exaggerating, Remora was the most terrifying devil I have ever met."

Sirzechs made to speak, but she held up a finger to stop him, "There was a ball to celebrate one of our battles against the angels, and a son of Valefor swore to impress her to win her hand in marriage. He declared his undying love to her, in front of all the Lords of Hell and wished to know what he could do to impress her and get her to agree to his proposal."

"What did she do?" Serafall asked, following the story intently.

"She declared that he had to defeat her in a trial of combat for insulting her. Being a Prince of Hell, there was no way he could win against her. Still, all present were shocked when she eviscerated him, killing him brutally in front of all the guests." She smiled, "The Irony is not lost on my, considering what happened at the new Lord Sagan's Reveal."

She continued, "After that, only the most brave or foolish pursued her. Anyone who expressed an interest in her romantically either died soon after or in the very next battle they participated in that she was present for. No one could prove she deliberately killed them in those, of course, but.. we all knew."

"Wait." Serafall asked, "If she was so against marriage, where did Pandora come from?"

"Where indeed." Runeas mused, "There was only one person that Remora loved, or was interested in carnally. Only one she ever allowed to touch her intimately."

Her next words sent ice down the spine of the three other Devils present, "Lucifer himself."

"So we see why I say this needs to be dealt with immediately." She smiled hollowly, "I have no proof of course, but…"

She placed down a picture of the young Sagan Lord, taken from an interview in front of the Senate. He was glaring at the camera, obviously annoyed with whatever had transpired previously, but that wasn't what had confirmed her suspicions.

Zeoticus, with trembling hands, picked up the picture, whispering what he had realised at the start of her story, "White hair… Blue eyes."

"Not blue." Runeas corrected, "Teal. The colour of light."

"Oh no…" Sirzechs groaned, realizing that his already complex mess had just got even messier.

 

Chapter 40: A Given Heart

Notes:

Announcement!
I will be giving P at re on members early access to this story. At the final tier they will have up to four chapters in advance, starting from the next one. The next chapter will be up tomorrow.

This will be rolled out for all my stories. I wanted to get this one out publicly to inform you all of the move before I dropped a chapter with an AN going, 'By the way four chapters are up on Pa tr eo n!'

The next time I post on here that will be the case, but this way feels more fair. I will try and write quickly and get the advanced chapters out by this time next week.

Further details about how this is going to work exactly are in the Tier information and on my Discord.

A Given Heart

The sleeping vampire was a source of much confusion for me. I had not expected her instant and enthusiastic agreement, intending instead to slowly whittle her down over the trip through the Labyrinth. Thinking back, she did seem desperate in the original when Hajime found her, but I guess I had underestimated just how much her imprisonment weighed on her.

We were currently in Oscar Orcus' room, past the Hydra fight. The blond gremlin had slept through all of it, as insane as that was, after she had gorged herself on my blood. That was also surprising, thankfully my body had incorporated so many monsters by now that the amount she drained from me was not an impedance, but still she had left me feeling slightly light-headed.

Still, I had gone through the entire labyrinth just fine, with plenty of time to spare. My spell that allowed me to teleport the monster's bodies into a warehouse in the Underworld still worked in this world, for some reason. Still, I was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth and due to abusing the loophole I had quite the feast waiting for me back home.

First though…

"Selene." I gentle shook her, causing her delicate face to scrunch up in consternation, "It's time to wake up."

She blearily opened her eyes, hands coming up to rub the sleep out of her eyes, "Hmm? Where are we?"

"At the end of the Orcus Labyrinth." My words caused her to jolt upright, causing me to step away from the bed I had laid her upon.

"What?!" Was her incredulous response, "How long was I asleep?!"

"About an hour." My reply seemed to deflate her.

"The Orcus Labyrinth was renowned as an unconquerable hell, full of monsters strong enough to decimate nations…" She looked down at her lap, "Were we all really that weak?"

"No." I consoled her, "I just cheated. Even the strongest of beings can lose to someone they have a bad match up against. My magic is not native to this world, so nothing here learned how to resist it."

"I see." She nodded, her expression considering, before she sighed, "I suppose this is the moment where you bind me to you?"

"Yes." I agreed, "I need to give you my mark, to denote you as a member of the Sagan Clan. But before that, I want to give you a gift for joining my family."

At her puzzled expression, I gently took her hand, lifting her off the bed and leaving behind the cloak that she had been sleeping in, leading her towards where the Magic Circle of this Labyrinth was located. I stepped into it, before turning and smiling at her. She nervously smiled back and stepped into the circle with me, gasping as it lit up when we reached the centre.

Mind Defence warned me of an attempt to interfere with my mind, but I didn't fight it, instead letting the old magic of the owner of this Labyrinth through. Knowledge flowed into me, Creation Magic's principles and applications taught to me in the span of seconds. To my surprise, aided by Soul Talent, I could already pick out ways to improve the Ancient Magic with my Demonic Power, as it was a lot less constrained than the magic of this world. If I pursued this path, it could become a deadly facet of my arsenal.

Happy at getting another tool for my repertoire, I turned to Selene, the Vampire princess having her eyes closed as her eyebrows furrowed cutely. Soon she opened them, staring into mine with wonder.

"What was that?" She questioned, awed.

"Ancient Magic. All the Labyrinths of this world were built to pass them on to people who were strong enough to defeat the challenges within, with the eventual goal of killing the evil God of this world." I answered, before waving my hand over the girl.

Flowing from my fingers, aided by the newly learned Creation Magic, I wove my Demonic Power into casual attire for her, finally covering her nakedness properly. She marvelled at the strange garments, a hoodie with a short skirt and stockings and practical boots, before stilling and turning towards me with a raised eyebrow.

"Why did you let me take this magic as well?" She asked, her voice dripping with suspicion. At my tilted head, she elaborated, "You could have just taken this for yourself, why share it? Aren't you worried I could betray you?"

"Not at all." I saw where she was coming from, having been betrayed herself and even before that surrounded by distrustful and envious courtiers, "You are going to be joining my family. I said it when we first met, but maybe I should explain further."

I grabbed her chin, gently lifting her face and staring into her crimson eyes, "I am not making you a slave, or a pet. Well, unless you want me to." She blushed, but I continued, "I don't want a doll, or a trophy. I want you to be as strong as you can possibly be, to have all that you wish to seize from the world. I want the best for you. After all, that is what being family means."

"I don't know how…" She pulled her face from my grasp, looking down at the floor, "The last family I had… I don't know how to live up to the trust you are placing in me. How to repay you."

"Don't think like that." I lightly chided her, "If you do something, do not do it becacuse you think it would satisfy some sort of debt to me. Do it because you want to. Actions that stem from sincerity are much more meaningful than those that come from obligation."

"You are the strangest Demon I have ever heard of." She smiled up at me, gaze lifting.

"I pride myself on that fact." I laughed, lightly flicking her chin up with the hand touching her face, "Now, we should get going."

"Are you going to mark me now?" She asked, appearing a great deal more comfortable with the situation.

"No, we are going to get the second part of your gift." I replied, gently lifting her up into a princess carry as my wings spread behind me, "Hold on tight."

As she tightened her grip on me, I noticed the warmth in her gaze and the slight flush of her cheeks. She really was getting attached fast, but I could hardly complain about things going well. Stepping into the circle that would teleport us to of the Labyrinth, we were suddenly relocated to a desolate area, a great canyon stretching out in both directions from the wall the circle had deposited up next to.

Feeling the weight of the world's rejection increase upon me, I also felt my information defence getting pinged. It did not feel like an active search, rather as if a passive effect was attempting to lock on to me. Deflecting the attempt with practised ease, I closed my eyes as I felt out the closest source of magic, knowing that Reisen's Labyrinth was located within this area.

Feeling the nexus of energy off to my right, I took wing and started speeding towards if, causing Selene to yelp and clutch on to me tighter.

"I can only exist in this plane for a full day." I explained to her as we flew, the distance to our target rapidly shifting, "But that time is dramatically cut short if I mark anyone. That's why I want to get you a second Ancient Magic before we run out of time."

"A second one?" She asked, eyes wide, "But how will you defeat something like Orcus in just a day?"

"A fair question. Orcus was the largest Labyrinth, but the one we are heading to now was built to be as annoying and time-wasting as possible. That's why we are not going into it, we will go through it."

"Through it?" She tiled her head, before realising what I meant, "You're going to break you way in?"

"Yes." I grinned down at her, "The Orcus labyrinth just assumed that anyone who reached the Circle was worthy, but this one has an actual intelligence guarding it. I will defeat the worst enemies, but it's time for you to stretch your legs, Selene."

She smiled at that, a small thing but present nonetheless, "Good. I want to help."

"You'll get a chance soon." I promised her.

 

Indeed she did. Once I found the entrance to the Reisen Labyrinth, I opened it by merely forcing the doors I could see with my Geass to move with telekinesis. The Labyrinth's trick was to prevent magic from being used within it, but thanks to the differences between Demonic Power and this world's magic, I was able to create a small bubble around Selene that allowed her to cast unimpeded, as the Demonic Power prevented the Dispersal of the magic within it.

As for myself… Using Geass, I decoded the enchantment that repaired and maintained the walls of this place, breaking it with an analysed counter spell. From that point on, all that stood between us and the end was distance and a bunch of stone. Stone that I easily blasted through with my power, keeping Selene safe from the debris with my own body.

Flying through the holes that I opened, we were soon on the floating platform that signified the end of the Labyrinth. The Golems, creations of Meledi Reisen, soon started to swam us. Thanks to my barrier, Selene was free to blast the smaller ones. Meledi tried to speak, but was soon overwhelmed by both of us working together. Selene used her lightning to act like a flyswatter as she quickly figured out that she had to alter her spells to influence physical phenomena and not rely of magical power and me using the Dark Moon Great Sword to carve my way through the Golem that was the primary protector of this place.

We defeated the trial and I grabbed Selene before the platform could fall, flying down to the distant floor beneath us and gently landing.

"Jeez!" A grating voice sounded out, a small golem with a smily face bouncing out from deeper in the Labyrinth. This was the Owner, Reisen herself, "You guys completely ignored the point of the challenge! This was supposed to done without magic, you know?! Not only that, you wrecked my Labyrinth so thoroughly! Do you know how long it's going to take me to fix all this?! Huh??? Do you know?!?"

"Probably instantly." Was my response, causing it to whirl on me.

"That's not the point! The point is that you didn't do this properly! Go back and…"

"My," I interrupted her, looking past her at an unassuming wall, "That's a pretty crystal. I wonder why it looks like it has a soul in it?"

The golem, stopped, motionless, staring at me, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing." I replied, "Just looks interesting is all. Maybe I should… break off a chunk of it to study? Oh, but I might slip and shatter the whole thing. I'm awfully clumsy."

"Are you threatening me into giving you my magic?" Reisen seemed incredulous.

"No, I'm extorting you." I replied in all seriousness, causing Selene to snicker, "Besides, I don't need it, but I want you to give it to Selene over here."

As I said this, I brought Selene closer to me with a hand on her shoulder, causing her to smile up at me, touched that I would give up something like this for her.

"You…" The golem observed Selene closely, obviously recognizing her, before turning to me, "I don't see why I should. There's nothing in it for me. I doubt someone like you would kill Ehit, that is what this knowledge is for."

"True. I have no intention of fighting your war for you. I plan to leave this world behind entirely soon." I gave Reisen a meaningful glance and tilted my head towards the small vampire, "Selene is coming with me. To a place that Ehit can't reach."

The golem paused at that, realising what that meant for the mad god's plans, "I see… and if I don't give you the magic?"

"I will kill you and take the knowledge from your soul." I spoke matter of factly, "By force."

"Jeez, you don't have to be so serious. You're a serious guy, you know?" She seemed taken aback by my threat, but seeing as I had used several types of magic she had never seen before she believed me, "Fine. Take the magic you brute, the sooner you leave the better."

As she said this, a magic circle like the one back at Orcus flared to life under us and knowledge started to enter my brain as before. This time, it fit into the Gravity Magic that Kasane and I had created together, but was a lot more… flexible, for lack of a better word. It allowed me to more easily combine gravity with other elements, fit it into other types of magic and spells I knew. Compared to what Selene got from this, being her strongest spells, I got comparatively little, but that was fine.

"I have a feeling you'll be fighting Ehit anyway." Reisen spoke, gaining my attention, "You're an arrogant guy, the universe is only big enough for one being with that sort of ego. Also, didn't you know? He doesn't let anything he finds interesting leave this place."

Before I could respond, she waved a hand causing water to flood into the room and down a drain that had just opened up in the floor, "Now ta ta! Have a nice trip!"

I had grabbed Selene as soon as the water appeared and merely floated up, dodging the flushing effect while staring at the golem with a deadpan. Having already got what I came for, I decided to not even give her a response before flying out the same way I came in, making sure to make a couple of extra holes on the way.

Not my fault Reisen had rebuilt the walls like that.

 

Now outside the Labyrinth and sitting on the edge of a cliff in Reisen Gorge, I contemplated maybe making a run for one last Labyrinth, before dismissing the idea. The only one that would be a meaningful boost to my power was Evolution Magic, and that one was so far away that finding it would probably take too long.

Looking to my side, I saw Selene who was having fun floating a rock with her new magic. A lot of the tension she was carrying had been released in the fight, as brief as it was. Giving her an opportunity to cut loose had certainly done her well.

"Selene." I called her, causing her to let the rock drop and look over to me, "It's time. Are you ready?"

"She squared her shoulders, turning to look out across the admittedly pretty view, "I spent so long locked up in there that I forget how the sky looked, how the open air felt… It makes me angry. I want to pay back the one who did that to me."

She turned her crimson eyes onto me, resolve filling them, "But more than that, I forgot kindness. How it felt to be treated by someone who cared about me."

She picked up my hand, guiding it to her neck. Moving it down and through the gap between her hoodie and her skin, she let me feel the beating of her heart underneath her palm. I was taken back by her forwardness, but stayed quite as the breathless girls continued.

"Even if it's a trick, even if you don't really mean it… I want more. I want this warmth that you are offering. If I can be a part of your family… If I can be treated this way forever, I will have no complaints."

I smiled gently at her, with a flex of will imprinting my stamp where my hand lay, directly over her heart.

"It's not a trick, Selene, I do care for you. You will be a member of my beloved family." She nodded at that, blushing and looking down, "In time, I hope you will believe me, but I can only prove my sincerity with actions."

"I'll…" She whispered, "I'll trust you for now. I've made my choice, so I will just have to see it through."

"You wont regret it."

With those words, colour faded from my surroundings, as the familiar interface appeared before me fore the first time in years. Quickly scrolling through the options, I felt a wide smile split my face. The boon that I had been coveting the most had finally been unlocked, Selene the final piece needed to acquire it.

Selecting it, I felt the change immediately. My magic had been strained from repeated use here, but the fatigue washed away from me as I beheld the chosen perk. One that would allow me to truly take my training to the next level, growing my power exponentially.

Inexhaustible.

 

Perks Acquired This Chapter:

Environmental Defence: Damocles is immune to environmental effects, this being any detrimental effect that is tied to a specific environment or plane. This is a conceptual defence, meaning while it applies to environment, it does not apply to effects that are directed that have similar outcomes. For example, he can exist in the Void, but will still be effected by Void Magic.

Inexhaustible: Damocles instantly regenerates his Demonic power to his maximum. This does not prevent mental and physical strain, but ensures that his well of power never runs dry. Damocles' maximum capacity remains unchanged. In a nutshell, his MP gets instantly refilled whenever he casts a spell, but his maximum MP total is the same as it was before acquiring this perk.

Talent Sharing: Damocles can share certain talents with his retinue. Passive effects like talents will be seamlessly incorporated, but are not retroactive. Active effects will be an instinct that will need to trained to be useful in combat situations.

Current Shared Talents:
Information, Mind, Stress, Fatality and Environmental Defences
Soul, Science and Martial Talents.

Chapter 41: Statement of Intent

Statement of Intent

We transitioned from the world of Tortus back into the Underworld, the lavish furnishings of my room surrounding us, causing Selene to look around with undisguised interest.

"This is my Manor within the Underworld." I spoke, causing her to look at me, hand gently feeling the silk of the sheets of my bed, "You will get to choose your own room within the manor, which will be yours to do with as you see fit. A generous allowance is given to all members of my house, should you wish to use it to purchase anything let me or CC, who you will meet shortly, know and we will do our best to procure it for you."

"I see." She responded, "Will I be allowed to leave the Manor?"

"As I said, I do not want a slave, you can leave anytime you wish. It will be dangerous, as I have many enemies out in the world who will not hesitate to strike at you to hurt me. I would feel more comfortable if you asked Kasane or CC to accompany you should you wish to go anywhere. I will give you a necklace soon, to allow you to send a distress signal that will let all of us know you are in trouble." I explained to Selene, causing her to nod as she stood up off my bed and moved towards me at my beckoning gesture.

"Now, would you like to meet your new family or do you want to rest first?" I gently hugged her to my side, reassuring her non-verbally that I did not mind which she chose.

"...I will meet them." She spoke, a look of consideration on her face, "I want to see who I'll be with from now."

"Alright." I smiled down at her, "They are waiting for me in the living room. Let's go there now, okay?"

At her accepting nod, I started to lead her through the hallways of the manor, watching with an amused air as she rapidly took everything in, eyes drinking in the plush carpets and impressively coloured walls. It wore off after living in the place for the past few years, but the Sagan Manor really was beautiful. It helped that it was filled with women with better taste than me, who I gave my blessing to decorate as they pleased.

We arrived at the living room, entering to the rest of my peerage and my two extra-terrestrial visitors looking at us, obviously pausing an ongoing conversation at our appearance.

"Anything I should be worried about?" I directed my question towards CC, who huffed and rolled her eyes.

"We have been delivered two requests for meetings that are… interesting. I was just busy explaining to your 'Consort' who the ones requesting the meetings are." My Queen responded.

"Indeed, My Lord." Ranni spoke, earning a look from Kasane and CC, "This Gremory family has been most unwise in their dealings with thee. Thou hat been most gracious to train their daughter regardless."

"I don't like political games, but that doesn't mean I can't play them." I sighed, sitting down on a couch, gently guiding Selene to sit next to me, "I much prefer to deal with others openly to mutual benefit. Sadly, a rare thing to be able to accomplish, it seems."

"A common problem amongst those who do not age." Melina opined, staring at me like hawk as she always did when I was in her presence, "They find their amusements in increasingly elaborate past times."

"A good enough explanation as any." As I replied to her, Shiro had crossed the room and claimed her space in my lap, staring at Selene who merely stared back, eyebrows raised in challenge.

"Ah yes, let me me introduce you all to Selene, our newest Peerage member." I indicated the Vampire at my side, who swept her gaze across the room before returning it to me, ignoring my new lap ornament, "Selene, this is my family. CC, my Queen; Kasane Randall, my Knight; Naomi Randall, her sister and my Bishop; Shiro Sagan, my little sister and other Bishop. The last two are Melina, the Gloam-Eyed Queen and Ranni, The Goddess of the Dark Moon."

"And thy Consort, lest they forget." Ranni spoke, causing me to grin at her.

"Of course, my Goddess." My cheeky response caused her to sniff in irritation, but a small smile appeared regardless.

"A pleasure to meet you all." Selene spoke, before questioning me, "Chess pieces. Will I also be one?"

"If you wish to be." I replied, "I can resurrect you into being a Devil like us, allowing you to access Demonic Power, magic that relies on imagination. If you agree, you shall be my Rook."

She nodded, before CC spoke up, "Another quiet lost girl, you seem to have a type Damocles."

Selene's eyes snapped to her at that comment, before taking stock of all the women in the room. She turned back to me, gaze accusatory, "Your family is only made up of beautiful woman. You didn't mention that part."

I was completely unashamed, "I am a devil. I have no compunctions in indulging my Greed."

Ranni sighed, "Mine lord has become quite the womanizer."

"If this is enough to stop you…" Shiro spoke, her small voice carrying throughout the room, "You should just give up now. My brother deserves the best."

"I'm not giving up." Selene's hackles were raised, a hidden well of confidence welling up inside her, glaring daggers at my sister, "I will win."

Well, she is certainly not shy to admit her desires.

---XXX---

"Rias-chan!" The taller redhead was dragged down into the expansive cleavage of the shorter, "It's been so long!"

"Ack!" Rias struggled to disentangle herself from the grasp of her Ancestor, "Runey! I can't breath!"

"Hee hee!" Runeas let the other Devil go, tittering into her hand, "You really know how to compliment a girl!"

"It wasn't a compliment..." She grumbled in response, before recovering her bearing, "How can I help you, Runey? Is just this only a social visit?"

"You remembered to only call me Runey!" Clapped her hands and bounced in excitement, "Don't tell anyone, but you are totally my favourite descendant! Anyway, what are you doing right now?"

Rias decided to not remind her Ancestor that she said the exact same thing to her brother the last time she was awake, and instead smiled while shaking her head.

"My training partner cancelled, so I was going to get my peerage together to train on our own to keep up the routine." She decided to just answer the bubbly ancient Devil.

"My my, you've set up a whole training schedule? Was that a suggestion of the Sagan?" Runeas seemed impressed, but her words caused Rias to stiffen.

"How do you know it was with Damocles-kun?" She asked, like a child being caught with her hands in the cookie jar.

"Oops." Runeas covered her mouth with her hands, before sighing, "I didn't want to get into the serious stuff so soon, but now the camel is out of the pen…"

Her Ancestor fixed her with a serious gaze, "Your sparring partner has caused quite the ruckus, and your father and brother have informed me that they have rather badly burnt some bridges with him. I asked Lord Sagan for a meeting and want you to come along with me, to act as a mediator."

"Why would you need me to act as a mediator?" Rias tiled her head, confused, "Damocles has always been reasonable and kind towards me. I'm sure he wouldn't treat you unfairly."

"You would know best." Runeas conceded, careful not to dispute the younger girl's words, "But he does have enmity with the older members of our House., I would rather be careful, you understand?"

"I do, I guess." Rias trailed off, before hesitantly asking, "What… Why do you want to speak with him?"

"Oh my, being protective of him already? Should I expect more cute descendants soon?" Runeas teased, causing Rias to blush, "Don't worry, I was friends with Remora and Pandora, his mother and grandmother. Enmity between our Houses would be a tragedy, so I want to re-establish that relationship with the Sagan."

Rias nodded, still bright red. A fact that Runeas picked up on, "Oh, so you really do like him? That's great! How is your relationship?"

"It's… I can't. I'm already engaged." Rias seemed sad about that fact.

"Oh? Little Zeo didn't mention that fact. Who is it to?" Runeas seemed interested, picking up on the fact that her descendant was not exactly thrilled with the arrangement.

"The Phenex Clan." Rias responded, causing Runeas to cross her arms, chin resting in her palm.
"Hmm, I can see why Zeo would go for something like that. I'm sorry you are not happy with the engagement, but it's a good arrangement considering our traits. He might have changes since I met him, but Ruval seemed like a decent Devil. I'm sure he would treat you well." Indeed, when she was awoken for Rias' birth she had met several of the Heirs of the underworld, and Ruval had made a good impression on her.

Rias, however, was confused, "It's not to Ruval, though? It's to Riser."

"Riser?" Runeas tilted her head to the side, a searching look in her eyes, "Riser… Riser… Nope doesn't ring a bell. Did something happen to Ruval for him to be Heir?"

"Oh. He's not the Heir. He's the third son." That brought Runeas up short before she recovered.

"Oh, so it's a concubine agreement? Not a full marriage contract?" Rias shook her head at that, before explaining.

"No, it's a full marriage contract. Our children are to inherit the Gremory House, but the contract is a full marriage." She looked angry as she explained this and Runeas joined her.

"That little… Do you dislike this Riser?" She made sure to get the full story before acting, "Did you consent to this match?"

"No. He's been better these past few years, but I could never imagine marrying him. He's a disgusting degenerate." Rias' nose scrunched as she thought of the libertine, "The Contract was signed before we were born."

"Hoooooo…" The First Gremory's voice was low, dangerous, "Funny. Zeo never mentioned this to me. I apologise, Rias. It seems I need to have words with him. Before I go, are you okay to come with me to Lord Sagan's Manor?"

At Rias' smiling nod, happy to finally be listened to, Runeas returned the nod and whiled on her heel, "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a child to discipline."

Rias bid her Ancestor farewell with a smile and a wave, before the joyful girl skipped off to join where her Peerage was waiting for her. Was it a good thing, she wondered, that her Ancestor was the only one who actually cared to ask her opinion on anything? Either way, she was happy to have someone in her corner in the House for once.

Her brother would argue against that, but then again he 'couldn't interfere', could he?

---XXX---

My new Rook was resting, allowing me to move on to the next part of my plan. You see, one of the problems of being as public as I have been so far, is that explaining where my Peerage members come from was something that I would need to be conscious of. Especially considering Selene was a Vampire, meaning that both the Tepes and Carmilla faction would turn hostile against me.

A sad reality of the world I found myself in, was that those with power could basically do what they want and those without would merely have to grin and bear it. To that end, if I demonstrated my power, the mere threat of it would cause many to stop asking awkward questions. That would not stop those who were my peers of course, but luckily enough Selene was a vampire.

Though I could not remember the exact details, I remembered another vampire who had a similar story to hers. One that was being held by one of the Factions that would be most upset by Selene joining me.

So it was a happy coincidence then, that I could accomplish three goals at once;

Acquire The Sephiroth Graal, denying it from the Khaos idiots
Provide a cover story for where I found Selene
Remove a Faction that would cause issues for me in the future, merely because they could.

Of course, to accomplish number two, I would need to silence anyone who could dispute my story. Luckily enough, that tied into another goal that I wanted to accomplish sooner or later.

Demonstrate that I was not to be fucked with.

There was the small matter of the possibility of innocents being caught up in my levelling of the castle in front of me, somewhere in souther n Transylvania, but collateral happened in every conflict. I just had to make sure to keep Valerie alive.

To that end, I raised my hand towards the warded gate, the gargoyles outside staring at me soullessly. Inexhaustible didn't make me immensely more powerful, I couldn't just destroy a country in a single blow. However, what it did allow me to do is use spells that would have drained me dry in a single cast before one after the other.

A massive boost to my combat power.

Thrusting my palm out, a wave of Demonic power rushed out of me towards the weakest point of the Tepes ward scheme, the full brunt of my reserves easily overcoming the defences as I spoke out, spreading my already refilled reserves to cover the entire area of the castle.

"Lock."

Happy that no one would be escaping, I twisted my outstretched hand, magic reaching out towards the metal gate that was flanked by rapidly awakening animated gargoyles. Jerking my hand towards my body, a flash of purple ripped the gates from it's moorings, a lour explosion of dust and rock ensuing.

It was incredibly loud, the whole gatehouse listing from the force, collapsing in to debris. There was no need for subtlety here. I wanted everyone to know who did this. To that end, I wore no disguises, made no attempt to hide myself as I walked forwards leisurely. The gargoyles rushed me, the magic resistant enchantments meaning that as I crushed them into the size of a pebble it was grossly inefficient, but that hardly mattered.

Dropping the new marbles I had created, I focused and blew apart the debris blocking the entrance. I was going to raze this place to the ground, destroy it so utterly that there would be no doubt as to just what happened here. Once I was done, I would engrave my sigil in the sky above the ruin, leaving a signature so they knew I did this.

As I entered the castle courtyard, guards and soldiers rushed to meet me. Annoyingly, they were rather durable to my favoured Gravity magic, their Vampire constitution meaning that they could sustain grievous wounds and merely get back up. Even if I crushed them into dust, should they get some blood they would start to regenerate.

It was one of the reasons why the Vampires were so annoying to deal with. Their immortality made then very arrogant. They could really only be killed with fire, holy implements and the Sun. Thankfully, although I favoured Ice, Lightning and Gravity magic, I could still use fire magic. It turns out, a Devil of my power feeding their entire reserves into a fireball caused a rather large inferno.

My other option to deal with them was revealed as the captain of this group, who had wisely waited until just after the conflagration ended to rush in and attempt to surprise me met the point of the Dark Moon Great Sword. As the glowing weapon dug into his chest, the light it exuded flashed and I could briefly feel Ranni's attention shift to my location before the impaled vampire burst into dust.

It seemed that her Moonlight was sufficiently 'holy' to be effective against vampires. Making a note to do something to thank her and somewhat despairing at the debt I would likely find myself in to her if this continued, I resumed my walk into the castle, flame following in my wake. Wiping out a squad with a blast of Moonlight, I grabbed the sole survivor in my gravitational grip.

"Your King, where is he?" The vampire spat at me, which I dodged with ease.

"You will regret this, Devil. Our King will flay you alive." The grin he had on his face as he said that was vicious, but I remained unconvinced.

Not bothering to exchange any more words with the peon, I immolated him and continued my march into the castle. I remembered something about Valerie being in a tower? Oh well, either I found her my looking into them or I came across the throne room first. Either way worked for me to be honest.

So the purge of Castle Tepes begun.

---XXX---

Valerie clutched her legs, shivering as she curled into a ball behind her spare bed. A short while ago, an almighty sound had echoed throughout the castle, a massive bang followed by rapid-fire explosions. She had thought it might have been an accident at first, but then the explosions continued, getting louder and louder. Was it getting closer?!

She was proven correct when whatever was causing the noise started to do so inside the stairwell leading up to her room. The voices, which had been screaming, reached a crescendo, growing louder and louder, fell silent when a soft voice spoke outside her door. She almost collapsed at the sudden silence, the wails of the dead which had tormented her ever since she helped Gasper escape finally falling blissfully silent.

Her relief was short lived as the door to her cell burst open. Standing in the doorway, wielding a glowing blue sword, was a man with long white hair and shining red eyes.

"Just to make sure, are you Valerie Tepes?" He asked, his voice surprisingly masculine for such a youthful face.

"How…" Her voice cracked from disuse, "How did you know?"

"You're the first woman I've found here who wasn't dead or shackled to a table." He deadpanned, causing her to blanch at that information.

"In any case, I am here for you." he surprised her by his next statement, "Your prayers have been answered."

She stared at him, mouth agape, before a broken laugh escaped her. The laugh fed into another, and soon she was overcome with her hollow mirth.

"I've had this dream before, you know." She spoke bitterly, "I have long ago given up praying."

"Well." The man replied, bat-like wings sprouting from his back as her waved his hand, causing her to shiver as the wall of her tower was blown away, "Good thing I am not giving you a choice here."

"What does that…!" She squeaked as he lifted her up into a princess carry, the sword fading away as it it never existed.

Clutched to his warm chest, she blushed as he grinned down at her, "It means you are being rescued. Please do not resist."

With that he flew out of the hole in the wall, floating above the castle as the gained altitude. She gasped as she beheld the view. She remembered looking down at the courtyard, before they moved her to a different tower.

That courtyard was a gone, and in it's place was a scorched crater. Underneath her abductor's feet a magical circle flared to life, glowing bright purple as it expanded until it hovered ominously over the entire footprint of the castle. The circle flared, a sickly tear in space hurtling out of it and colliding into the structure, a deep canyon forming as the spell sliced into the earth and exploded, the castle blown to pieces as the blade violently destabilized.

She gaped as the man destroyed the Tepes castle in a single spell, but shivered in fright as her eyes picked out movement within the ruins. Of course, her family were Vampires. They could easily survive something like this and after a spell like the one he had just used, this strange white haired man must have been exhausted.

She was proven wrong as he merely waved his hand under her legs, jostling her slightly as several overlapping red circles flared to life across the ruin strewn canyon that was now Castle Tepes. They exploded into bright conflagrations, fire spreading quickly and devouring the survivors. Sweeping the devastation with his crimson gaze, her captor then swooped down to where she remembered her father's throne room would have been.

There, covered in dust and broken stone, was the badly damaged and burnt body of her father, staring up at her captor with incandescent rage, "You! Sagan! Do have any idea of what you have just wrought?! I will not stand for this!"

Merely setting her down gently on a collapsed pillar, the newly named Sagan walked forwards and re-summoned his sword, stabbing it through her father's chest without even replying to him, causing him to scream as he evaporated.

Dismissing his weapon again, he turned to smile at her as if he hadn't just upended her whole life.

"Sorry about that Valerie. If you come with me, I can help you see Gasper again."

Valerie just let out a bemused laugh, "Sure at this point, why not do that too."

Ignoring her bewilderment, he emblazoned a glyph into the sky above the castle and then turned towards her, extending a hand.

As she took it hesitantly, he teleported them both to a comfortable looking room, causing her to jerk in surprise at the sudden comfort of the couch she was not resting on.

Her attention was stolen back to the Sagan as he spoke while holding her hand, "Allow me to introduce myself, Valerie. My name is Damocles Sagan. It's a pleasure to meet you. Welcome into my home."

Deciding that going with this insanity until she awoke from this dream would be easier than resisting, she merely smiled at him, "It's a pleasure to meet you too."

Notes:

This story is Four Chapters ahead on my Pa tr eo n, check it out if you want more!
/zywritings

Chapter 42: Lingering Bitterness

Lingering Bitterness

The scene was a sadly familiar one, she mused as she drifted through the wreckage. Her blessed inner light had allowed her to see the site in all it's grisly detail. A broken ruin, smoke, dust and ash filling the air. The battles and assaults that this situation evoked from her memories were long in the past, but still clear to her as if they had happened only yesterday.

More than anything, she thought as she turned her eyes skyward, the sigil emblazoned in the sky for all to see was one that she was intimately familiar with. The Sagan symbol was displayed proudly over the destruction, claiming ownership of the devastation with a brazen glee. To be fair, the Vampires that called this Castle home could hardly be called innocents, but did their victims deserve to be destroyed alongside them?

There were times, Gabriel knew, where even the Angels were forced to accept collateral casualties in their battles. Each one was a tragedy, but she doubted that Damocles Sagan felt such remorse. She wondered if she had missed her chance to influence the boy, having been denied meeting him by the Satan's of the Underworld.

The diplomatic discussions between Heaven and Hell were delicate of course, but she failed to understand how a personal meeting would jeopardise them. She had accepted the excuses that were given to her, for her Brother Michael's sake, but it seems that she would have to be more assertive in this matter.

The Angelic Host was aloof, but not blind. They knew about the slowly simmering tension in the Devil's inner structure, how the Sagan was at odds with the Satans. The Sagan were isolated, with few allies. Was that why Damocles had done this? She knew what this scene was meant to portray, of course.

Already the rumour mill was swirling, the few magicians that lived in the area having spread the word that the Last Sagan had personally appeared here, and single-handedly wiped the seat of the Tepes faction from the face of the Earth. Many were rejoicing, the Vampires not particularly popular or liked, more tolerated than anything, but others knew what to take this message as.

Damocles Sagan was strong. Strong enough to crush an entire minor faction by himself, and confident enough to take full credit for the action. Despite his rank in the Underworld, everyone would know that he was now a player to be taken seriously.

What had driven him to do this? Was it linked to that presence that they had felt overtake the Moon? The Sagan was linked to that too somehow, or so she had heard. To many, this would look like the actions of someone calculated, confident and ruthless. In fairness, the target was well chosen. Few would miss the Tepes and even fewer would risk themselves to avenge them. But, Gabriel wondered if this was something else.

Did he feel backed into a corner, to demonstrate his personal strength like this? What was he scared of, what did he wish to deter? There was much she didn't know about the grandson of her old Rival, which meant that any theories she could conjure were likely flawed from the outset.

Getting more involved than she had been already carried risks, for both her and Heaven as a whole, but looking at the ruin her inaction had fostered she believed that she had a duty to try. Damocles was on a dark path, the power he had available to him could bring great destruction to the world if not properly wielded.

She made her decision. Diplomacy had it's place, but when it came to things such as this it was time for action, decisive measures must be taken. She had the chance to save Damocles, while he was still redeemable. She would not fail.

Before that however, she needed to do her duty regarding the ruin around her. Lifting her hand, clad in the pure white of Heaven, she shed her Light to the sky, dispersing the Sagan crest above the rubble. The crest yielded to her power easily, it's purpose already fulfilled.

Turning to the ground now, she breathed in and closed her eyes, focusing. All around her, she could feel the whispers, resentment and regret palpable, the human souls of those killed in the attack lingering near the site of their murder. If left alone, this wound would fester, cursing the ground and inviting manifestations of their collective malice into the world.

It was a common problem, but thankfully she knew the solution. Her Father's system allowed Human Souls to be guided into the Embrace of Heaven, to either be rewarded for their earthly virtues or punished for their sins, then when redeemed, cycled back into the wheel of life.

Christianity had spread throughout the world, defeating the Pagan Gods and Pantheons in their wake, partly due to a great innovation from their Father. Their success laid not in their offensive power, nor in the multitude of their faithful. Instead, their greatest advantage laid within the continuous consecration of their consolidated grounds.

Human Faith was powerful, being what fed the Divine acts of the Gods. However, most of it was wasted in the rituals and prayers they preformed, only a small sliver actually feeding into the strength of their objects of Worship. Those small slices added up quickly, especially in their millions, but still it left a vast amount of power underutilized.

This was known to all the Pantheons, of course. Most merely adjusted their Temples and Holy Sites to collect the remaining faith and use it to empower their defences or other properties, such as healing and divining. However, her Father had a different idea.

Hymn.

Divinely inspired songs which were sung by the Faithful the world over, pouring their Belief into the act. Each song had a different effect, but the end result was that all the lands under their stewardship were consecrated almost daily against their enemies. Making it almost impossible to regain land once it was claimed by Heaven.

There was a reason the Angelic Host was also known by a different name.

The Heavenly Choir.

Lifting her arms, light blessing the area around her and defeating the encroaching darkness, her Angelic voice began to sing.

"Mortals, join the happy,
Which the Morning Stars began,
Father's love is reigning over us,
Brother's love binds man to man,
Ever singing, March thee onward,
Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music lead ye Sunward,
In the triumphant song of life!"

Her Light reached the poor souls who had died in the attack, gently enveloping them and promising salvation. As she sang, the Choir of Heaven joined her, the blessed music filling the air. Not all the souls present accepted her offer, of course. Their resentment too bitter, their hatred too deep. Those she would leave to the Exorcists of the Romanian Orthodox Church, either to convince them to pass on or exorcise them forcibly if they couldn't.

Those that did however, were lifted Heavenwards, to join into her Father's system and be redeemed. Her light suffused the area, consecrating the ground and banishing the Darkness, making it difficult for it to further take hold.

As she finished, she lowered her arms, a contemplative look on her face.

Indeed, she mused, redemption may only be given to those that accepted it.

---XXX---

I finally had some time to slow down, after having to react to the fast moving situation around me. The plan I had come up with was simple and was actually in place long before Ranni had arrived, which was something I still had no answers for.

Yue, who was now named Selene, was always going to be my next target, but as she was a vampire she needed a believable backstory. With my 'rescuing' of Valerie, people would automatically assume that Selene was rescued alongside her. An assumption I will do absolutely nothing to deny.

For now, the only thing left to do was watch the dust settle. I had been given the meeting requests that were worrying CC, looking them over in the study. Valerie was resting, in her separate room. She appeared to be disassociating, believing this was all some hallucination or a dream. Understandable, I suppose. Also something that would take time to address.

Her Sacred Gear was immensely powerful, but to tell the truth, I didn't really need it. It could be helpful in negotiating with the Phenex Clan regarding Rias' marriage, but that was really it. The biggest advantage of having custody over her was denying Sephiroth Graal to everyone else. My memories were fuzzy, but I remember it being used to free Trihexa in the future, something I was very much in favour of preventing.

Apocalypses tended to be detrimental.

One of the requested meetings was from Katrea Leviathan, much to my surprise. My sole interaction with the Old Satan faction had been similar to my interaction to the Great King. They had sent me summons to their manors, which I had denied and instead invited them to mine if they wished to discuss business.

Which was predictably refused. I only discussed business and contracts within my own Manor, a fact that was well known. Having a mere Earl demand that they meet me on my terms, not theirs, would diminish their own standing. The common practise for negotiations was for them to take place in the territory of the highest ranked participant.

The way I operated, I was basically telling them that I did not trust them at all with my safety. Which to be fair, was not uncommon, but my brazen openness about it certainly was.

Reputation was a wonderful weapon to wield.

The other one was from Runeas Gremory. That brought me up short. The ancestor of Rias' house spent most of her time hibernating, a fact that was common knowledge. Everyone knew that she lived, but due to her complete disinterest in Underworld politicking she had become a non-entity.

I would have to navigate this carefully. My movements thus far have been effective due to manipulation of perception and tradition. Runeas was someone who had no reputation to worry about and her disregard for tradition was well documented. On top of that being an Old Devil. She would have to be handled with great attention.That's not to mention her Clan trait... Luck was always difficult to factor in.

She stated that she would bring Rias with her to the meeting, should I accept. I would have asked for that anyway, due to the close relationship I had fostered with the girl. I had been very careful to not give any indications of romance however, as with the marriage issue still hanging over her head she would be liable to act rashly should she think she has a better prospect.

A thin line, but one I have successfully walked nonetheless.

I accepted the meetings, very interested to see where this was going. Writing the responses and sending them off to the recipients, I turned towards a piece of business that had been put aside until we had the time, that being the arrivals from the Lands Between. Both of them had requested to speak to me privately, something I was eager to grant them.

Their arrival had many questions surrounding it that needed answering and while I doubted that they would have the answers themselves, more knowledge would never be remiss.

Regardless of the implications of their appearance, I was actually rather pleased with the occurrence. I had planned to eventually travel to the Land's Between for Ranni anyway, but would have had to wait until I was strong enough to defeat almost the whole of the Lands Between in a single day to do so.

My trip to Arifureta was lucky, the magic systems of our two worlds similar enough for me to gain strength from devouring the monsters there and utilize the Ancient Magic. In fact, it would likely be my first stop once I completed Catharsis' challenge. The rest of the Ancient Magic in the other Labyrinths were tempting prizes.

However, there was no guarantee that I would always be so lucky. The magic system in Elden Ring operated by examining the movement of the stars, or giving form to inner Faith. It was uncertain whether my magic would be fully effective against the beings and Demi-Gods which inhabited that place, not to mention what the Outer Gods would do should an outsider like me get involved.

Ranni's arrival here neatly side-stepped that issue, but brought even more. She had obviously fallen in love with… I guess I should say the Other Me? Elden Me? Was he even a different person, or was he me from another timeline? Supposedly we had the same Soul. In any case, I did not possess the memories of their time together. Any relationship we built would have to be built anew.

I liked her, obviously, but our history together is non-existent. It's funny, one of my plans was to break Rias out of her arranged marriage, yet here I find myself in a situation that was strikingly familiar to one. My spouse chosen for me by events outside of my direct control.

Oh, I was under no illusions of what Ranni claiming me as her consort would entail, I would be marrying her in the future, almost certainly. She would not accept anything else.

Woe is me, my wife-to-be is a shy, awkward all-powerful Eldritch Goddess. Truly, I am cursed.

Then there is Melina. Who apparently really was the Gloam-Eyed Queen. If Elden Me managed to get Ranni to become a Goddess, the fact that Melina is still alive meant that I had taken the Flame of Frenzy in order to save her. That is most likely the reason for her animosity against me.

I don't know quite why she was still holding such a grudge over it, the game seemed to imply there was some sort of history between her and the Flame but even that alone shouldn't justify the anger she was harbouring. The sooner I got to the root of this issue, the better.

Never mind the fact that thanks to my Geass, I could see the properties of her Black Flame. A fire that burns souls directly was incredibly dangerous. Should that property become known, it would bring down the enmity of the vast majority of beings in the moonlit world. Ideally, I would be able to reincarnate her into a Devil to give her Demonic Power to use in battles, allowing her to use the Black Flame only as a last resort.

Of course I could make her weapons with Creation Magic to accomplish the same goal… but I preferred the first option. I knew what I was about.

Deciding to bite the bullet, I sighed as I got up from my desk, leaving to find the two.

---XXX---

I found Ranni overlooking Shiro's magic training. The two of them were surprisingly close, from what little interaction between them I could see. Ranni was seemingly fascinated with the Magic being portrayed by my little Bishop, the spells acting on a completely different paradigm from the Sorcery she was used to.

"How's the training?" I asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Nii-san!" Shiro called while turning towards me, a small smile on her face, "Ranni said she could teach me some Gravity Magic!"

"I see." I replied, turning my gaze towards the Goddess, "Gravity Sorcery is very powerful. It is boosted by intelligence, so I'm sure it will be terrifying once you learn it."

A smug feeling radiated from my sister at the compliment, while Ranni decided to speak for herself, "I thought so as well. The more structured nature would allow her to excel in the field. Perhaps she could even learn of the Glintstone later."

Her motivations for teaching Shiro were something to be questioned, but I would not do so now, in front of the girl in question. Certainly not at this relatively early stage in our relationship.

"Shiro should be honoured to have such an amazing teacher. Even in the Lands Between, you had very few peers." I complimented again, this time striking a different target, "Unfortunately, further training will have to wait. I'm sorry Shiro, I will need to steal your instructor for a chat."

"It's fine, Nii." Shiro replied, "I understand you have a lot to talk about."

"Thank you Shiro. Ranni?" I turned to the Goddess who seemed pleased by my words.

"Thy words are welcomed, Consort. But thou art correct, our discussion is long overdue. First however, I would have thee talk with my Herald."

"Melina?" I was surprised, "I thought you would want to talk to me first."

"The matter she wished to discuss with you is something that should be dealt with swiftly." Ranni explained, "Whereas Mine will require long deliberation."

"Alright." I agreed easily, "Let's go find her then."

---XXX---

It turns out that I didn't need to find Melina, Ranni could summon her remotely. Our conversation partner secured, we moved to a living room to hold said discussion in a more comfortable location. I summoned food and drink for us, and we got ourselves situated. Funnily enough, Ranni despite not needing to eat or drink, enjoyed the refreshments while Melina declined to partake.

Melina started the conversation, "When we arrived, I stated that you were a reincarnation. You have the exact same soul as the Damocles that we knew in the Lands Between, however you said your memories of us were not clear. What exactly do you remember?

Ranni was intensely interested in my response, as I was sure she would be. I answered honestly, "As I said, the way I interfaced with your world… it had severe limitations. It's difficult to explain exactly how it worked, but essentially I could only see milestones, important moments and triumphs. Between that, the travels and discussions were… summarized. For an example, from the Lift of Dectus to Leyndell it was about a 7 to 8 minute ride, from what I can remember."

At my words, the two looked to each other, surprise in their gaze. It seems that my suspicions that the Lands Between was much larger than what was portrayed in the game was correct. To be fair, it only made sense for that to be the case. A game could only show so much of a living, breathing world, after all.

"In that case, I might need to explain something to you." Melina sighed, "Holding a grudge that the other party has no recollection of is rather foolish. Do you remember the Forge of the Giants and what was needed to fuel it?"

"Your sacrifice or the freeing of the Flame of Frenzy." I replied, before leaning forward, "Look. You said that I have the same soul as the one you met. In that case, he likely would have made the same decisions as me in the same situations. It's unlikely I would have done everything exactly like he did, but that is the same as looking back at the past with the benefit of hindsight."

I stared into Melina's eyes, "I will take responsibility for my actions there, even those I do not remember. It was still me."

"Very well." She responded, eyes narrowing, "My purpose, the goal I devoted my life to, was the ending my mother's age. I accrued followers, fought her soldiers and marched to the base of the Erdtree. However, even after burning the tree to a husk, it still wasn't enough and I was defeated."

"I had a second chance, as the Kindling Maiden. The goal I devoted my life towards was finally achievable, destroying the symbol of Marika's power and restoring the natural order of the world, allowing Destined Death to act as it always should have. You stole that chance from me."

"And I would again." I responded simply, talking confidently, "You aren't angry at me for stopping your goals. I ended Marika's Age, The Erdtree was destroyed, and the Lands Between have been fully restored to their natural order. All your goals were achieved."

"No." I continued, "You are angry because you didn't get to sacrifice yourself. All that you wanted came to pass, yet you played only a small role in it. That is what frustrates you. You said that ending Marika's Age was your purpose? Well I have an order for you, as your Lord. Live, Melina. Live and find your own purpose, not defined by Marika for you. Sacrificing yourself achieves little but your own satisfaction."

"You truly are the same…" she mused, looked at me with an unreadable gaze, "A Tyrant true. Very well. You said you will take responsibility? I agree. Should I find my new purpose, it shall be your duty to aid me in accomplishing it."

"I gladly accept." At my response, she nodded and stood, making to leave the room.

Our relationship was not mended, her resentment and bitterness misplaced but real all the same. She would likely carry it for a while yet, but as first steps go this one was a positive one. Turning to the observer who had remained silent during this exchange, smiling through her biscuits and tea, the Goddess of the Moon spoke.

"At last dear Consort. I have thee all to mine self."

Chapter 43: Tea with Spice

Tea with Spice

"Indeed." I began, "I apologise for the delay in organising us to have this time alone, your arrival gave me an opportunity to accelerate my plans that had to be seized."

Despite sitting across from someone who could be considered a world ending entity, I felt surprisingly little apprehension or nervousness. Ever since she had descended, Ranni had been firmly in my camp, despite the situation presenting her with several facts that she obviously found distasteful.

"Dwell upon it not, Damocles." She spoke, her cool voice reassuring, "It would be most ironic to deny thee thy schemes and plots. After all, thou aided me in my own most stalwartly."

"About that." I leaned forwards, feeling slightly foolish for my words even as I said them, "The way I interacted with you… The me you knew…"

Ranni interrupted me by raising a hand, "I know what thou wish to say, Consort."

She steepled the fingers of her lower set of hands, looking at me over the rim of the tea cup she held in the top pair, "'Tis true, that although we know of each other, our relationship is built upon naught but passing memories. However, I have observed thee and my intuition hath led me true. Thou art my Damocles, thy demeanor and way of thinking are at once both refreshing and achingly familiar. Should you wish for confirmation, I would ask thee a question. I once asked thee what drove you to aid me so, what attracted you so to myself. Do you know what thee answered?"

Her question was surprising, but it made sense. If the Damocles she knew was my avatar from Elden Ring, a projection of myself, then he would have had similar tastes and personality to myself. In that case, what drew him to Ranni would be the same thing that drew me to her, when I first met her in game.

"Your voice?" I hazarded a guess.

"Indeed." Her smile was beautiful, "To be honest, I was most surprised to hear that admission. I was pleased however, that my chosen Consort finds my voice pleasing."

I felt playfulness rise within me, seeing how smug the Lunar Princess was acting, "It's not the only beautiful thing about you, you realize?"

"Hmm." She covered her face with the cup, almost ducking behind it, "Thou art aware that this is not mine original body, correct? Thine compliments art wasted."

"I'm aware," I smiled, "But I believe that makes my compliments even more truthful. You cannot change how you are born, but this is an appearance you chose for yourself, right? So you are solely responsible for how beautiful I find you."

She stared at me over the cup, eyes narrowed, "Thy Queen was correct. Thy truly hath become the enemy of all women."

I laughed, causing her to bring down the mug and reveal her small smile. Surprisingly enough, I found her easy to talk to, a sense of comfort filling me as the conversation progressed. If she was correct, and my soul was the same, perhaps it still remembered her somehow? Either way, the conversation flowed well after that. She spoke of Renna, whose body she took inspiration from for her own and prompted me to speak of my time in the Underworld, my own perspectives of the Satans and what they had done. At her further questioning I spoke of my plans for the Underworld, what my goals were.

Eventually, there was a lull in the conversation, a comfortable peaceful silence falling between us. She was a delight to speak to, an acerbic wit hidden behind her flowery speech.

A fact that was proven by her next words, "So they were right to fear thee, then. Considering that thou art wishing to usurp their power."

"True enough." I easily conceded, "However, if they were more accommodating then I would have been happy to work with them, rather than against them."

"A lie, Consort. Thou would not be satisfied with joint rulership." She retorted, "And neither should thee. As My Lord, yours is the right. I did much the same to Marika, after all. That does bring my attention to something I wished to discuss with thee."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, "What is that?"

"Thy strength is not sufficient for me to aid thee directly. Should I exert too much of my will upon this world, Our Order shall establish itself. The Order of which thou art the Lord." She spoke, staring at me seriously, both pairs of arms resting in her lap, the refreshments finished.

"I think I see the problem. Your Order would force me to act as it's Lord, regardless of my wishes, correct?" I guessed.

"Indeed. Going as far as to puppet thee. Something I will not abide. To that end, I wish to aid you in gaining the strength to take up the mantle in truth, as my equal."

That surprised me.

"Your equal? I appreciate the faith, but after your devouring of the Gods…" Even if I completed the list, it would still likely take me decades before reaching the strength of even Ophis, never mind Ranni.

"Indeed, in terms of mystical power, asking thee to become my match would be difficult. However, thou share ownership of our Order, it shall empower thee should you be able to withstand it's effects." Ranni confirmed, "I am not speaking of mystical or physical strength. Thou mental strength is more than sufficient, however the area that asks for improvement is the strength of thou soul."

"My soul?" I asked, intrigued.

"Yes, mine Consort. Thy soul is unknown to thee. With careful exploration and mine aid, we can build up this aspect of thine until you could withstand the effects of our Order." She fidgeted, very slightly, but with the amount of attention I was paying to her I caught the movement, "It would be… Intimate, mine… No, Damocles. 'Twould be an extension of utmost trust. Access to one's soul is not to be given lightly. I will await thine decision patientl…"

"I agree." I spoke up, surprising her, "You wish for us to be married Ranni. Together for the rest of our lives. If I cannot trust you, who can I trust?"

At this point, any suspicion of foul play would be foolish. She is so powerful that she has no need to beat around the bush, should she wish to damage me through my soul there is little I could do to stop her. It was still terrifying, of course, to let someone have such unfettered access to the most intimate area of my being, but my words remained true. Besides, trust is inherently reciprocal and I needed her to trust me if she were to accept the Stamp in the future.

"Thou hath a habit of pleasantly surprising me, Consort." Ranni sagged into the chair, tension having being built up throughout her explanation.

"Eternity is a long time Ranni." I replied, "If I was predictable, it would quickly turn tedious."

"'Tis True." Ranni nodded, before a contemplative look came over her face as she mused to herself, "How long has it been, I wonder? Since I was trusted implicitly?"

---XXX---

If you had told her two years ago that she would have been in this situation, CC would have been incredulous. Truly, Damocles was an enigma wrapped in an infuriating, charming mystery. Even now, she lamented the madness that had possessed her to fall in love with the damn playboy.

In her mind, she had no qualms about admitting that she had catastrophically failed in remaining detached from the Sagan. She would die before she let him know it, of course. Or rather, confirmed his suspicions. The brat was rather infuriatingly perceptive when it came to her. A fact that she both appreciated and cursed.

Her annoyance was entirely warranted of course, Damocles was just lucky that he was as blind-sided at his wife from beyond the stars as the rest of them was. If he knew this would happen and didn't tell her…

Anyway.

Now she had to deal with these two new additions to their group. The dynamic had been fairly well established and static before this, each of them comfortably slotting into their roles with ease. Now that was shaken loose and they had to find where they stood in the new layout of the complex web of relationships.

It reminded her of how much she despised these games that people played with each other. It was one of the things she appreciated with Damocles, he might have been a manipulative schemer, but he was at least upfront with his desires. He was the type to engineer a situation to ambush you by stabbing you in the front, but then claim it was all above board because he didn't do it from the back.

She knew something like this would happen, eventually. This world they inhabited was accepting of harem relationships and he was, after all, a man. If given the option, it would be a rare one indeed who would not take full advantage. However, that did not mean she had to like it, nor was he foolish enough to demand she did.

"Is this glaring serving a purpose?" Kasane asked from her exercising, having grown tired of CC's irritated observations.

"No." Was the surly reply.

"Stewing in rage will not help resolve your frustration." Was the matter of fact follow up.

"No, I should go and throw myself at him in a volatile situation instead. That will surely work out great." CC couldn't help herself, the stupidity of that decision still rankled her.

Kasane did not miss a beat, "It did work out great. I feel like I should still be limping."

"Oh, little girl you have a lot to learn. Some nights, these last two years you know, I could barely..."

She stopped, her eyes catching movement at the entrance to the gym. Kasane also dropped out of her exercise, looking towards the same direction just as the red haired member of the new pair paused after walking into the room.

"Is this a room for exercise?" She asked, taking in the strange contraptions that littered the room and the wide open space that took up the back half.

Kasane looked back at CC, an unspoken conversation taking place between them before the white haired Knight replied, "Yes it is. I can explain how to use the equipment, if you need?"

"There is no need." Melina responded, "My body does not build muscle. May I practise my movement in that open space?"

"You may. Be careful, the floor is constructed in such a way to allow you to more easily bounce." Kasane instructed, causing Melina to nod and start stretching before she started to fall into her Katas.

CC pursed her lips, her position sitting on top of the climbing wall allowing her to look down on both of the other women. Melina was going through several acrobatic combat drills, whereas Kasane was merely doing resistance training with exercise seals developed for devils to advance their own base strength.

It allowed her to draw a rather stark contrast between the two. Melina was more fluid and loose, whereas Kasane underwent her task with a stoic, militaristic dedication. That could have just been her own prejudices speaking however.

Kasane proving that she was more observant than people assumed, spoke to Melina, "Your fighting style seems very similar to CC's. You could ask her if you ever need a sparring partner."

There was no visible response, causing CC to internally smirk. She had wished to vent some of her frustrations recently, that was why she had sought out Kasane. She had wanted to ask the young girl for a spar, but had not wished to interrupt her exercise. The fact that the Knight would likely not be in any shape to spar after her session had only added to her irritation.

Being a Devil did come with some rather aggressive urges.

"Would she accept that?" Melina eventually responded.

"I don't know." CC mused from her position above the two of them, "Maybe you should ask her to find out?"

There was a scoff from Kasane, but the poker-face from the so-called 'Maiden' remained unbroken. She like to imagine that her silence and stony demeanor hid her feelings well, but honestly to CC she was like an open book.

Sensing that the conversation would go no further down that route, CC started to prod, "So, have you decided what you wish to do? You need to be Ranni's Herald, but there is no reason you can not look for other activities to occupy your time."

Melina tensed at the implication her words hid, but remained admirably unresponsive, "I am not sure what tasks would be suitable. What do the two of occupy yourselves with?"

"I provide security for the family company." Kasane responded, her breathing even, "Patrolling our warehouses, making sure the perimeter is clear and killing trespassers."

"You are surprisingly calm about Death, for one so young." Melina opined.

"There are written signs." Kasane's voice was monotone. "They were all warned."

"I see." Melina preformed a double font flip, landing into a low leg sweep, "What of the professed Queen of this castle? What duties do you preform?"

"Diplomacy." CC leaned onto her side, propping her head up with an elbow on the lip of the wall, "Dealing with the other Houses of the Underworld and all their quaint little legal traps. Our trade contracts have to be incredibly robust and examined thoroughly."

"Of the two, I would prefer to aid Kasane." Melina decided, causing CC to shrug in response.

"I'm not surprised. My work requires dedication and loyalty, after all." The goading did not pass unnoticed, but Melina's control over her reactions remained commendably tight.

"Loyalty would be required to withstand a job with such a lack of danger… excuse me, I meant excitement. My condolences, it must be boring to work as a scribe." Oho, CC thought, so she had claws after all.

"It's a mark of intelligence and maturity to be able to make your own entertainment." Was her response, not acknowledging the false pity.

Kasane had paused in her exercise, watching the exchange warily. She was well used to CC by now, but she knew that her needling could very quickly escalate into a confrontation. Should it get violent, she needed to be able to step in.

Melina also stopped, looking up at the green haired menace for the first time since she had entered the room.

"I think," The Kindling Maiden stated, "That I would enjoy that spar."

"Finally." CC flowed off the wall, her inhuman flexibility affording the action an uncanny appearance, "I thought you would never ask."

Kasane abandoned the hope of her exercise being completed that day, instead resolving herself to making sure this didn't get too out of hand.

She had the sinking feeling that this would not be the last time that she would find herself in this position.

 

Chapter 44: Past Regrets​

Past Regrets​

Shiro sat at the counter, reading a book while eating some of the delicious food that was prepared for her by her brother. He had made sure that she had anything she could want before going into his meeting with Ranni and Melina. She didn't quite know what to make of Melina, she seemed hostile to her Nii-san for no good reason, but she was rather fond of Ranni.

She remembered the conversation that had taken place in the Yokai Palace, where the Goddess had announced that she was a 'Princess of Caria', whatever that meant. After Damocles had left the room, Ranni had immediately tried to take control of the conversation, only to be rebuffed swiftly by CC.

"Who are you to order my Lor…" Ranni had said, before CC talked over her.

"His Queen. His most trusted confidante in this world." The green haired woman had replied, initiating a battle of wills between the two.

Shiro however, couldn't abide such a blatant lie, "Second most trusted."

CC rolled her eyes at her interjection, but didn't dispute it.

Because Shiro was right.

"I see." Ranni narrowed her eyes, "So Damocles hath taken thee as his wife?"

"No, Damocles remains unmarried. However, I am the leader of his Peerage, his family. His second-in-command." CC elaborated, "Let me be clear. What are you intentions here?"

"Amusing." The Goddess had answered, "I have nothing to hide. I have searched far and wide for mine Consort, all I wish is for us to have the time together that was stolen from us."

"Really, that's all?" CC was unconvinced, "Your arrival was very noticeable. You possess more power than I have ever felt. And you just want to be with Damocles? Forgive me if I find that hard to believe."

"Believe what you wish." Was Ranni's response, "My goals were accomplished, with the aid of Damocles. Now I wish to repay the favour. Thy concerns are commendable, as mine consort's companions, but I ask thee; Have I given thee a reason to distrust me?"

CC glared at the other woman, but it was Naomi who answered, "That's true. We just aren't used to someone seeking us out to make friends!"

Ranni looked surprised at the bubbly girl's attitude, but that surprise turned into shock as the blond leaned towards her, hand extended for a handshake, "I'm glad to meet you! Let's all get along!"

"I am… pleased to make you acquaintance as well?" The statement came out as a question as she shook the blonds hand delicately.

"All well and good, what about her?" Kasane tilted her head towards Melina, who had merely been observing up to this point, "What's her deal?"

"I can speak for myself." Came the stand-offish response, "As I said, I was Damocles' Maiden in the Lands Between. He robbed me of my purpose, I wish to reclaim it from him."

"My Lord saved your life." Ranni chastised, "Stop speaking of it in a way to cause misunderstanding."

CC's eyes narrowed at that, "If you become hostile, we will not show you any mercy."

Melina scoffed, "Is it wise to make threats towards one you know nothing about?"

"I don't care how strong you are, or how dangerous." Shiro spoke for the first time, staring seriously at the red head, "If you hurt my brother, I will kill you."

Melina seemed taken aback at the threat, but on the contrary, Ranni laughed at her words. Shiro bristled, thinking the Goddess was mocking her resolve, but was surprised by the next words coming from Ranni's mouth.

"Spoken like a true Princess of Caria! Thou remind me of myself, truly a remarkable resemblance. I approve of mine Consort's choice!" She smiled at the Peerage, looking at all of them with warmth that had been absent until now, "It heartens me that mine Consort hath gathered to his side such staunch allies."

Shiro didn't know what being decreed a Princess of Caria entailed, but Ranni had promised recently to teach her magic. She was looking forward to learning from someone so strong. Being cornered by Cao Cao and his group had shown her just how far she had to climb to not be a burden to her brother. She even almost had to use her secret in that fight, but thankfully she was able to eliminate the barrier master before it came to that.

The secret her Brother entrusted to her remained safe.

Her reverie was interrupted by the sound of Naomi talking to someone in the hallway, growing louder as they neared the kitchen, "And here is the dining room and kitchen, if you want to eat anything there is a store of food… Oh, hello Shiro!"

Shiro watched motionlessly as Naomi waved at her, Selene, the Vampire that her brother rescued following after her.

"Hello, Naomi." She replied, before addressing the Vampire, who had been eyeing her food, "This is mine. There is some in the storage if you want."

"Ah." Selene started, breaking out of her thoughts, "No it's… I can't eat that."

"The Evil Piece changed you into a Devil. You can eat more than just blood now." Naomi smiled at her causing her to shake her head.

"No, I could do that before. I'm just full right now." Shiro could admit to being slightly jealous, knowing just what she was full of.

She had researched Vampires ever since her Nii-san had told her that their next family members would be ones. She must admit, the idea of drinking blood did not appeal to her, but by all accounts the act was rather intimate and sensual between the Vampire and their victim. Having another girl sharing an intimate moment with her Nii-san that she was unable to…

Swallowing her jealousy with long practice, she noticed that the vampire was still staring at her, "What is it?"

"Damocles introduced you as his sister… I noticed it in the meeting but.." She sniffed, her nostrils flaring from the action, "You aren't siblings by blood, are you?"

Shiro's hackles were raised by that, "It's better this way. He chose me."

Selene's eyes narrowed at that statement, "I see."

Naomi, expertly sensing the rising tension, decided to divert the imminent collision, "I know! Why don't I show you the Gym? You should get used to your new Rook strength, Kasane would be happy to help you out with that!"

Selene stared into Shiro's eyes for a beat longer, crimson meeting crimson, before she looked away, "Fine. The sooner I can prove my usefulness, the better."

The Vampire turned and followed the other Bishop out of the room, therefore not seeing as Shiro rolled her eyes at Selene's retreating back.

'Prove her usefulness?' what utter idiocy. Her Nii-san had access to the entire universe, millions if not trillions of different planets. And he chose Selene. Just like he chose Shiro. To think that it was something that she needed to prove was beyond stupidity.

If she was not useful, Damocles-Nii would never have chosen her.

---XXX---

CC weaved around the blows, kicks and punches hitting nothing but air. Damocles had told her about the possible reasons for this woman's animus towards him, causing her to be reminded of the sensation of looking into a mirror.

She didn't appreciate the view.

Melina rushed into her guard, a purposefully left opening exploited, allowing her to respond by grabbing the other woman's arm and tossing her across the mat.

"I said it before, you are a coward." Melina sneered at her words, but that had all the effect of a puppy growling, "You are terrified to take responsibility for your own life."

"What do you know?" Melina snarled, her anger showing in the viciousness of her renewed attacks, "You have no idea what I've experienced, what I've had to endure."

"I have more an idea than most. The others are far too kind, waiting for you to enlighten yourself. I have no such hopes, so let me spell it out for you." CC Stepped into an attack, letting it land with reduced force as she grabbed Melina's collar and drew her face down into a knee, "Life has no meaning. There is no purpose for which we were born. The only satisfaction that we are able to experience is that which we forge for ourselves."

The Maiden stumbled, shaking her head and regaining her bearings, "It's not that simple, to be able to just make your own purpose. I did that! I had something I wanted desperately! The only choice I had been able to take my entire life and then…"

CC was incensed, "The only choice you were able to make? Really?!"

She rushed the red head, slithering through her defence and twisting their bodies together, tossing the stupid little girl to the floor, "This is why I said you are a coward. You have a choice."

Melina attempted to get up, but was stopped by CC's foot stepping down on her neck, the pressure lightly choking her into the floor, "You have the choice that I never had. You can die. You said that I have no idea what it's like? I've tried to die. Many, many times. Every time, I was only brought back into that hopeless existence."

She pressed down harder, causing Melina's eyes to widen as her hands leapt to hold her ankle as CC continued, "Are you that angry you are still alive? Are you that frustrated that Damocles stopped you from throwing yourself into that fire? Then die. Carry through with what you resent him so much from stopping."

CC's amber eyes narrowed, "But you won't. Because you want your death to have a purpose. To be meaningful in some stupid, abstract way. Get over yourself girl. Decide. Either live or die. No one will decide for you."

The anger building up in Melina finally exploded, black flames leaping to her finger tips in an instant. Reacting quickly, CC had slipped out of her grasp before they had even manifested. Slinking back, she dropped into her combat stance, watching warily as the woman rose to her feet.

Purple met yellow, as the two stared each other down.

"I'm not going to do it for you." CC spoke softly, her voice filled with disdain, "It's not going to be that easy."

"Do you really think you can stop me without doing so?" Melina asked, black flames burning brighter, "Besides, this isn't about that. You're wrong about it, about all of it. I will make you see that with my own hands."

"You're deflecting responsibility onto someone else again. I give up." CC sighed, before looking to her right, "Kasane?"

"Hai." The white haired girl who had been impassively watching from the sideline answered.

Suddenly, it felt like a mountain slammed into Melina's back, as she was forced to the floor, unable to even move as the force bore down on her with crushing intensity.

"I won't inform Ranni or Damocles about this bout of your stupidity." CC spoke down to her, face void of emotion, "Really, why are you even here? Do you think Damocles would just give you a purpose for free that you would be fulfilled following? Are you that weak willed?"

She shook her head, before turning around, "I don't care what you do at this point. You can't even answer any of these questions. Did they even occur to you? It's pathetic."

Speaking to Kasane, she spat out, "Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. More stupid."

She then walked away, ripping open the door and leaving the gym, stalking passed a shocked looking Naomi and a curious Selene.

Naomi peeked into the door that was left open, seeing her sister looking down at a spread out Melina.

"What is this?" She asked, tiling her head.

Kasane sighed, "A mess."

---XXX---

"Absolutely not!" Uriel's voice was emphatic, "Have you taken complete leave of your senses? Do we not remember the last time Sagan was able to speak to Gabriel?"

Michael didn't reply, neither did Gabriel. She merely stared at him after stating her plea, waiting patiently for his verdict.

Raphael was the visibly calmest members of the seraphs present, "The last time, Gabriel was alone. There is no reason to repeat that. We can send some of our numbers to ensure history does not repeat."

Uriel was not swayed, "We should be sending no one at all. This foolishness will only end in sorrow. The Underworld is no place for a Seraph."

Raphael calmly countered, "Our sister has brought to us this request. I trust her to have considered the matter thoroughly. If this is where her path leads her, what right have we to stymie it?"

"Judgement can be clouded, as it all too often has, as of late." Uriel rejoined, "That's not to mention this business with the moon, and the foreign presence that revealed itself there. There are far too many unknowns, it is much too dangerous."

The argument flowed back and forwards, neither side coming to an agreement. Of course, that was the point of meeting such as this, to examine all sides of an issue to provide their Brother with the most comprehensive understanding with which to decide upon the issue.

Michael had yet to make his position known, listening intently to his Brothers discuss the issue while keeping his eyes on Gabriel. He was examining her closely, though what he sought to discover, she did not know. So she looked back, projecting her confidence in the righteousness of her chosen path.

Should she require it, she had even prepared to bring forth the fact that the Sagan were able to Bind Angels to their principles, something that many of their brethren would not be able to overcome as she had. Was that the limit of how that Power could effect them? Remora had died before they could find out, which some might uncharitably say was fortunate.

Regardless, with his ostracization from the Satans and independent nature, Damocles Sagan was a potential threat to Heaven and the peace they sought within the Abrahamic faction. They did not know his views on Angels and the potential peace of course, something that she could find out personally, should her request be granted.

It was a risk, obviously. She was not blind to that fact. However, everything they did with the Fallen and the Devils were a risk.

Sometimes, they had to move forward on their chosen path with Faith.

Michael closed his eyes. Leaning back on the Throne of Heaven. His movement caused the other male Seraphs present to pay close attention to him, their argument put on hold while they awaited the words of their senior.

"I have never forgotten." Was how he started, "The sight of you, dear Sister. Remora's broken body in your lap, your wings a sickly, dull grey. I think that was truly the first time I ever felt fear."

"Brother." Was all she said, unsure as how to address that admission.

"I will not ask what she said. What actions she performed to put you in that state. When you are ready, I believe that you will confide in one you trust, to release the burden you have carried." He spoke softly, "There is one thing I wish to ensure. 'To help others, you must first help yourself.' Please, sister, speak true. Is this something that will bring you closure? Or are you performing this task out of obligation?"

"...I will not lie and say obligation plays no part in it." Gabriel relied, "However, I feel that this is something that will bring me closure. If my contribution could help guide the Sagan away from his current path, I wish to at least attempt it."

Michael observed her, his blue eyes considering, "Very well. I will send a message to the Sagan directly."

"Brother!" Uriel sputtered, his shock evident, "How can you be agreeing to…!?"

"You will not go alone, however. Raphael, would you please escort our sister on her journey?" Michael turned to the mentioned Archangel, who nodded at him solemnly.

"Of course, Brother. I will ensure that no harm comes to her."

Gabriel huffed slightly, a warm smile on her face at the protectiveness they were showing, "I can defend myself, you know?"

"I know, Gabriel." Michael smiled softly, "But just as you need to do this for your peace of mind, let Raphael do his task for mine."

"I understand Brother. Thank you for your care."

Uriel was the one who responded as Gabriel smiled broadly at the Ruler of Heaven, "I still think this will end in tears."

Chapter 45: Glimpse of the Divine

Glimpse of the Divine​

The customary arguments and low level bickering that was emblematic of the Council quietened as their missing member flew into the pillared throne room, his winged sandals creating a soft thrum at the speed of their movement.

"Hermes." Zeus spoke, his voice echoing in the suddenly silent room, "What news have you brought us?"

Hermes chuckled sheepishly, bringing one of his hands up to rub the back of his head while nervously gripping Caduceus in his other, "Well, Father, I ask you don't kill the messenger. She was most emphatic that I repeat her words to you verbatim."

The King of the Gods narrowed his eyes at his son, before indicating that he may speak his message. Hermes cleared his throat, "I found her exactly where you said she would be Lord Hades, I handed over the invitation like you wanted, Father. She read it, then…"

He paused, swallowing as he remembered the terror he had felt, looking into her eyes, "She told me to return and relay these exact words; 'I am not a dog to called to heel on command. Be thankful I have something more important to deal with, otherwise I would remind your father just why he ran in terror the last time he displeased me.'"

The hall was silent again after his words, but this time it was from tension rather than anticipation. A vein was pulsing on Zeus' forehead, a look of apocalyptic rage on his face as thunder rumbled throughout the room.

"Does Nyx wish for war with Olympus? Would she be that bold?" Hera asked incredulously, "Surely she knows that would be foolish?"

"We would lose." Hades replied, having slumped in his throne, a look of disinterest on his face when he realized the Primordial would not be making an appearance, "So now all we have to go on is what Artemis felt from her Moon, although with it being over India at the time…"

"The Hindu are not accommodating when it comes to sharing their domain. As perturbed as we are by what occurred, I believe that the Hindu be actively hostile to this new God." Athena opined, sharing her view with the Council.

"Either way, without Nyx, who I recommended against summoning (I would add), there is not much we will accomplish with this meeting." Hades sighed, his time being wasted by this pointless diversion.

Unlike the rest of these louts, he had an actual job to do.

"That was not the only reason we called this meeting, Brother." Zeus took a deep breath reigning in his anger, stopping Hades in his tracks from where he was arising from his throne, "Nyx will pay for her disrespect, in due time. For now, we need to discuss the fact that the Shinto are starting to move again and how we may benefit from this occurrence."

Hades nodded solemnly, but groaned out in pain inwardly. He had a feeling that this would drag on for an inordinate amount of time. A feeling that turned out to be correct, as the meeting began in earnest and the customary bickering of Olympus made it's return.

Afterwards, when day had long surrendered to night, the Great Council chambers finally stood empty. The only sound was the crackling of the flame, the great hearth still lit. Tending to it, the first fire of Olympus, was a young woman, barely out of her teens. This Hearth situated in the center of the room was special. It was lit at the first council of Olympus and thanks to it's caretaker, this Hearth had never once gone cold.

Said caretaker paused in her ministrations, before standing and turning to the entrance of the Throne room, speaking into the night, "Greetings, Nyx. It's good to see you again."

Out of the darkness, a girl appeared. Youthful in appearance, wearing stately purple robes that faintly shined with randomly appearing pinpricks of light, evoking the look of the night sky. Her hair was as black as night, and her dark purple eyes held flecks of silver within, that caused them to shine like stars when the light caught them.

The attendant smoothed her white toga, brushing her fire red hair over one shoulder as she bowed slightly towards the Primordial.
"Hestia." Nyx spoke, her voice not at all matching her current form, "It's good to see you again. How has Olympus been treating you?"

"The same as it always has, Nyx. The council that has just finished spent some time discussing you, as I'm sure you are aware." The Goddess of the Hearth replied, "If it's not to much of an imposition, may I ask for the reasoning for your current appearance?"

"Truly, the Olympians have no clue of the gem they have left languishing in their midst." Nyx murmured, "I have told you before, but my Hearth is always welcome to you, should you wish to visit. As for my appearance… I have befriended someone recently and took on this form to better connect with her."

Hestia smiled at that, genuine joy gracing her face, "I'm glad to hear that. Your isolation, though understandable, has always saddened me. I apologise that my visits have been so irregular."

"Think nothing of it." Nyx waved the apology away, an action that would have angered some of the other gods but that Hestia understood was due to their mutual fondness, "Your company has always been a gift, the time spent is treasured, regardless of how long or short it was."

The Goddess bowed again at that, "Thank you. Is this a social visit? If you have time, I just found out something about Tiamat that you would love to hear…"

Nyx grinned at her friend, the formality and tension broken easily, "I would be most interested in that discussion with you. But before that, I am afraid that this is not purely a visit to a friend. My Night was usurped by a being over Japan, who I have never felt before. I wished to ask you for any information that you could glean about them."

Hestia was surprised at that, eyes narrowing slightly, "You came to me? Surely Artemis would be a better choice, considering how it involved the Moon."

Nyx nodded, face serious, "Indeed, but I looked into the matter before imposing upon you. At the time, the only event of note happening in Japan was a scheduled visit between the Kyoto leader's daughter and the sister of Damocles Sagan. If those events are connected, then you would be the much better choice to consult."

Hestia laughed briefly at that, not surprised that Nyx pieced that together so quickly. The Goddess of the Hearth was used to being overlooked by the other Olympians, relegated to just being the tender of their Fire in their heads ever since she relinquished her throne. She doubted that they even remembered that the only reason why violence had never broken out in this room was due to all of them being under her Domain.

For indeed, before she was the Goddess of the Hearth, the keeper of Flame, her true domain was much more simple yet all the more powerful for that simplicity. Her first domain, the one that was so often forgotten. Hestia, the Goddess of Hearth, Home and Family. She did, in fact know more about what happened in Japan than anyone else in Olympus. She did not volunteer the information, not just because she was never asked, but also…

"I know you do not relish in the sharing of the private information your domain provides, so I also brought an appropriate offering for what I am asking you to do." The Night spoke, pulling to her side a covered tray, which she then handed over the junior Goddess.

Lifting the lid, Hestia found a fond look drifting to her face as the scent of pastry and cooked meat. The lifted lid revealed the contents of the tray to be a home-cooked pork pie, baked to perfection. To most, they would expect an offering from a Primordial to be a priceless artifact, or an item of great power. However, that is not considering what this seemingly innocuous pie represented.

It was home cooked, handmade by the Primordial of Night herself. It was immeasurably priceless for that fact alone, never mind the symbolism that came with it. That her friend remembered her reservations about sharing what she learned from her domain and made sure to give her a gift in return brought a warm feeling to her chest.

"Thank you, Nyx. I am glad you remembered." She spoke, putting away the pie to enjoy later, once her duty was done, "I do indeed have some information about what happened there. As you know, the Sagan has some form of protection that allows him to shield himself from our eyes. However, he dropped it some time into the fight he had, against the user of the True Longinus. He was there to protect his Sister, as you surmised, but unfortunately I was unable to see exactly what happened next, as the being who overtook your Night rebuffed all other Divine presences as they arrived."

"Thank you for the information." Nyx nodded her head, "Just that is enough. I think I know where my new friend wondered off to now. Now what is this that you heard about Tiamat?"

Hestia's eyes lit up, a fire of mischief lighting in them, "Well, you know those Devil play fights? Someone has managed to get her to act as a babysitter…"

The serious talks over for the moment, the Night was soon filled with the happy conversation between two friends.

---XXX---

Yggdrasil was not just a tree. True enough, one could traverse it's branches to move between the realms, but the World Tree shattered and twisted reality around it constantly. There were places where if you fell off the branch, you would actually fall onto another higher up. These pockets of twisted space, the unique corridors that acted like shortcuts throughout the Great Tree, were known as Wyrd Ways.

The creature that knew them the best, that had them mapped out the most thoroughly, was Ratatoskr. However, Odin was no slouch when it came to knowledge of how traverse the place between the Realms. It was far to useful to not know, seeing as you could leave Midgard, traverse a Wyrd Way and arrive back in Midgard, thousands of miles from where you left in a fraction of the time it would have taken to travel the distance normally. That went for all the Nine Realms. However, the Wyrd ways he knew to traverse Midgard were the important ones for what he was currently doing.

He was sitting on one of the Branches of Yggdrasil, resting his old bones and awaiting one of his oldest companions to arrive at the exit of a Wyrd Way. It was not often that he investigated happenings in Midgard directly, but this was certainly important enough to warrant the effort. His Seidr Workers were all clamouring for answers, seeing as their runes and bones were returning gibberish.

Indeed, even Odin's divination had become completely unreliable. Rather than panicking, however, he sensed that this might present an opportunity. Fate was in disarray, destiny derailed. It might just be temporary, or it could be permanent, but either way it was something that could be useful. Ragnarök hovered over his head, over all the Aesir like a sword waiting to fall. It was never stopped, merely postponed, at great cost each time.

Now however, with fate and destiny in flux, it's possible that it could be averted entirely. Still, as always when dealing with concepts as all encompassing as these, it paid to be cautious. He could hardly engineer the outcome he desired if he was blind to what caused it, after all. That is why, when Muninn flew out of the Wyrd Way and landed upon his outstretched hand, he was excited at the Raven's presence.

Reaching out with his power, he was gladly accepted by the enchanted corvid, who started to share it's memories with him. With long practice, Muninn and Odin were able to flit through all that the Raven saw in it's trip to Kyoto, the Shinto starting to mobilize and become active after so long. He had never seen this happen in the Runes, yet another way Fate had been altered. However, as was often the case with investigating an occurrence after the fact, there was little to point towards to what actually caused the disruption.

All he could find was the remnants of a foreign magic, dense and heavy hanging over a lake in the Yokai's forest. Odin was not easily able to discover what happened there, the spirits that inhabited the area being fanatically loyal to the caretaker of Kyoto, Yasaka. So even if he went personally to entreat with them, it was unlikely to bear fruit. Not to mention the headache that going incognito would cause were he to be discovered.

Rubbing his chin, the All-Father considered his next moves. The Sagan kid was related to the Yokai, one of their few allies that was outside their own Faction. He had already asked the Devils for information, but while he awaited their response, were there any other avenues to pursue?

His reflections were broken when Huginn cawed, appearing from Wyrd Way and leading one of his beautiful Valkyries towards where he sat.

"All-Father." The serious woman intoned, bowing towards him, a fist over heart, "I have news."

"At ease, Sigrun. What do you have for me?" Odin waved a hand, letting the Valkyrie rise from her bow.

"The Satan, Leviathan, has responded to your request for information. The Moon was moved by a new God, Ranni, self-proclaimed Goddess of the Chill Night."

As she said the name, Odin felt a shiver run down his back, as if some one had dropped ice down his collar. 'Self-proclaimed' she may be, but this new Goddess was anything but weak. Of course, to wrest the Moon from the Hindu, she would have to have strength in abundance. It was always difficult to deal with Gods who were that powerful.

Still, he had never heard of this 'Ranni' before. Rather than make him suspicious, it merely confirmed his hunch that she was the one behind the disruption in Destiny.

"Thank you, Sigrun." Odin smiled, "I know what to do next."

"For Asgard, All-Father!"

For Asgard, indeed.

---XXX---

"You look ridiculous." Wukong spoke, causing the God he was addressing to growl, "Why wear the blindfold? You have the discipline to merely keep your eyes closed, surely?"

"I can see through them." Indra spat out, "Even with them closed. The light is still blinding. The blindfold is enchanted to dim it."

"Mmhhmm." Wukong hummed, "Did we learn to not attempt to alter the Fate of an unknown deity?"

"Tch." Indra clicked his tongue, "Who could have known there was another on the level of the Infinite and the Dream? Especially one that that makes no attempt to hide itself. My Prophecy is almost completely useless now, I'll have to rebuild it carefully."

"So that's a no, then." The Monkey King sighed.

He didn't expect anything else, to be fair. With what happened to Indra, only the most narcissistic would still press ahead on their path, so it was fitting in a way. He must admit, watching from the sidelines as an enraged Indra attempted to challenge the new Goddess that had stolen the Moon was a spectacle.

Especially when his eyes had burnt out with azure blue flames as the Deva clutched them and writhed madly from the pain. The fact that the new Goddess could accomplish so much with little visible effort certainly was a cause for concern, but Wukong felt that she was likely not an enemy. If she wanted domination and conquest, there was precious little that could oppose her.

Of course, such a being did not fit into the 'Order' envisioned by the King God before him, so she had to be either subverted or removed. Indra was still operating in an old paradigm, thinking that his fated enemy was Shiva. However, with the sundering of Fate itself, Wukong felt that was no longer the case.

Still, his boss would of course do what he felt was best and the Monkey King would do what he was used to. Survive.

"I don't know why you are so smug." Indra turned towards him, "Your descendant was killed by this Goddess, after all. Are you that callous?"

Wukong carefully controlled his reactions, long practise and centuries of mastery of self being put to use as he showed no indication of his true feelings on the matter, "Death is a cost of life. Bikou knew this. You do not attempt to kill without being prepared for others to return the favour."

"Spoken like a Buddha." Indra rejoined, subtle mockery in his tone, "Should you ever rediscover your thirst for revenge, let me know."

The Monkey King would certainly not do so. Indra would act like he always did, too set in his ways and inflexible. This would backfire badly on the Deva, something that Wukong would be sure to avoid.

After all, as strong as Indra was, he had little experience in fighting someone that was even stronger than him. Wukong had no such luxury. His life had provided him ample opportunity to get well accustomed to such an occurrence.

Practise that he would be sure to put to good use, when the opportunity presented itself. The most dangerous thing he had learned from his youth, the thing that would see him victorious through this situation was something that many, even the divine still lacked.

Patience.

"We will work around the new variable." Indra spoke, "Just like we are moving around Infinity. Keep an ear to the ground, if it has a weakness, we must be the first to discover it."

That, Wukong would gladly do.

Chapter 46: Discovery

Discovery

The atmosphere at my breakfast table could be described, in a word, as 'fraught'. Melina and CC glared daggers at each other while Naomi glanced worriedly between them, Kasane kept a wary eye on the two to intervene if necessary and Shiro merely ignored it all to focus on my hand that was rubbing her head. The little gremlin had demanded head pats, and I found no reason to disagree, even in times such as these.

If I ignore it, they will either sort it out themselves or escalate it to a point where I have to get involved. I trusted CC to not take anything too far and will make a note to have a chat with Melina about what caused this friction between them. Either way, it will not be solved at the table, at this very moment.

The only thing to be thankful for is that Valerie was still passed out in bed, not witnessing this in her state. Speaking of vampires though…

"Selene?" I asked, causing the attention of the table to snap to me, "What's the problem? You haven't dished anything up."

"Oh." Selene jolted in place, startled by my words before she looked around the table, realising she was the only one with an empty plate.

Suddenly a calculating look entered her eyes, "I'm still rather full, only one thing really appeals to me. Can I eat anything at this table?"

"Yes?" I answered, a questioning tone in my voice, "Why would you ask me to specif…"

My words were cut off by her pulling back her seat, hopping out of it and walking around the table, followed by everyone's gaze as she walked up to me and straddled my lap. Ignoring the growl from the girl under my hand, Selene leaned in close and kissed my neck.

"Thank you for the meal." Her breath tickled me, before she sank her fangs in and started to drink greedily.

"Consort?" Ranni asked, unsure, "Art thy…"

"It's fine. I will replenish more than she can ever drink." I answered the unasked question, bringing my spare hand up to gently rub at Selene's head, causing the Vampire to hum into my collar.

"She could do this forever and never actually hurt me." I finished, causing a hum of agreement to emanate from the lamprey this time.

"I see. Very well then, if thou hath no objection. Incidentally, that action thou art performing with your hands, it appears pleasant. I would ask that you perform it upon me as well, when thou art finished." Her words caused the table to come to a stop, motionless as we all stared at her.

Did Ranni, the Dark Moon, Goddess of the Chill Night, just ask nicely for head pats? The silence was broken by CC's laughter, Naomi giggling along with her. Kasane smiled fondly, even Melina managed to crack a small grin.

Shiro meanwhile, glared at the Goddess.

"Dangerous." Is all she said.

---XXX---

True to my thoughts, I wanted to find Melina after breakfast to get to the bottom of what happened between her and my Queen. However, the Queen in question found me first, just as I was starting to look for the wayward Kindling Maiden.

CC grabbed my robe and started leading me towards my room, a frown gracing her features.

"May I ask what brought this on?" I asked, a wry smile on my face.

"Can I not spend some time with my lover?" She replied, tension lacing her words.

"Funny thing to call someone you refuse to admit you love." I replied, "Besides, somehow I don't think this is as spontaneous as you wish me to believe."

"Stop being so observant and go with the flow for once, you infuriating man." She snapped, "A woman is coming to you for comfort. Is this any time to interrogate her as to her reasons? Shouldn't something else be more important, hmm?"

"You are right, of course." I stopped, causing her to jerk to a halt as well, the sudden resistance taking her by surprise, "Who am I to deny my Queen when she is being so needy and cute?"

"I am not cute… Hey! Unhand me, you brute!" Her protestations were cut off by me grabbing her and throwing her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Silence, woman." I spanked her lightly on the ass, causing her to playfully struggle in my grasp, "You wanted this, don't complain about getting what you wished for."

"Barbarian." She sniffed, crossing her arms, which I could feel on my back, "Absolutely no class or tact. Such a philistine."

"This 'philistine' is your lover, as you oh so proudly proclaimed. Besides, you love this, be honest."

My words were repaid by a strike to my back, I could clearly see her pout in my mind as she responded, "Some things should be left unsaid, fool."

Opening the door to my bedroom, I tossed her onto the bed, causing a delightful jiggle as she bounced on the mattress.

"Oh, my dear Cecelia, trust me." I stalked towards her, causing her to prop herself up on her elbows and watch my advance with anticipation, "I won't be saying anything else for a while."

"I won't just lie here and let you have your wicked way with me. You do realise that?" She arched her eyebrow, attempting to remain imperious and composed.

True to my word, I did not verbalise in response, instead looming over her prone form with a grin. Contrary to her words, she let me have the first move, an expectant air about her. Leaning down slowly, I took her lips in a kiss, before pulling back slightly, just out of reach. Teasing her, as our breaths mingled and our lips ghosted over one another.

Growling, she snapped, lunging forward and attacking me lustfully. Our lips slammed together, the sudden frantic shedding of our clothes a secondary concern to devouring as much of each other as we could. Our tongues collided, greedily plundering as much as they could, the sticky wetness a sharp contrast to the heat being produced by the friction between us.

I ran my hands over the smooth expanse of her skin, the sinful silk feeling divine under my hands. She was not idle in her explorations either, but instead of caresses her touch was more akin to wrestling as she tried to simultaneously reverse our positions and meld herself as closely as possible to me. I didn't let her, instead using my greater weight to press her down into the mattress, showering her with pleasure as I did so.

Dragging my hand up her thigh, leaving a trail of goosebumps in my wake, I grabbed her arms. Struggling and fighting her every step of the way, I was soon able to pin them into submission above her head. Reaching down to line myself up with the other hand, I looked down victorious over her nude form. My Queen was spread out on her back before me, a veritable feast for the eyes.

Long, shapely legs, with thick delicious thighs leading to her hairless pussy, that itself was wet and needy. It was not alone, a thin sheen of sweat covering her body, her modest breaths and tight stomach heaving in time with her panting. Putting the head of my cock at her entrance, I thrust forward just enough to feel her begin to part before me, then paused.

Smirking down at her at the resulting whine, I raised my eyebrow. She wiggled her hips, but despite the pleasant movement, did not achieve much of substance.

"What are you waiting for?" She eventually asked, realising she was stuck.

Preemptively reinforcing my body with my magic, my smile turned cruel, "Beg."

As expected, that set her off, struggling mightily against, in earnest this time, "Are you out of your mind? Like I would ever do something that embarrassing!"

Despite being ready for it, when she suddenly threw herself towards me trying to struggle loose, the force was enough to slam our hips together, causing her to arch her back and release a sweet moan. Taking advantage of the distraction, I leaned over her, making sure to strengthen my grip on her wrists and stabilising myself properly.

Panting, she glared up at me as she recovered, "Move, you bastard. Must you make everything so difficult?"

"Yes." I kissed her, jerking my head back as she attempted to bite my lips in response, laughing as I said, "Feisty! You know what I want, Cecelia, it's only a matter of time until I get it."

"That confidence of yours is infuriating." She got her breathing under control, something I ruined by gently caressing a nipple with my free hand, "Fine then. Do your worst."

So I did.

Continuing my ministrations, I decided to place my lips somewhere I wouldn't have to worry about teeth, instead taking a hard, pink nipple between my own, gently nibbling it, causing CC to suck in a hiss of air. I let my free hand begin a journey, tracing lines and patterns all over her body as I soon switched to her other apple sized breast, giving it the same tender treatment.

She struggled, attempting to free her hands, buck into me, reverse our positions, but with my new stance I was easily able to fend off her efforts. Suckling at her tit before releasing it with a wet 'pop!', I decided to taunt her.

"I have all day, my dear Queen. When you want this to end, let me know." My words caused a fire of resistance to ignite in her eyes, as she set her mouth and glared at me.

Shrugging, I continued with my actions, turning her into a shivering moaning mess, briefly broken by repeated attempts at escape and countering. All her bucking did grant her some relief, but not enough to achieve the high she was soon at the edge of. Time ceased to exist, my focus drawn in by her silken skin, her delightful sounds, her beauty. Lavishing upon her praise and care, with hand and mouth, choosing where I pleased to kiss and caress.

I don't know how long that continued, but my haze was broken by her voice, "Fine… You win dammit."

"What do I win?" I asked, smirking.

"You know what! Take me! Fuck me! I've lost, you beat me?! Are you happy?" She cried out, wriggling her hips frantically as I still refused to grant her release.

"Hmm, I'm not hearing a particular word in all that." I mused, amusement dancing in my mind.

She pursed her lips at that, amber staring into my blue, vulnerability filling her eyes before she turned them to the side and closed them. A blush built up, this single action causing more embarrassment to fill her than anything else I did. Red filled her cheeks, before stretching downwards, so intense that it soon appeared all the way to her upper chest.

"Please…" She whispered, the word seeming to take all her effort to say.

I considered asking her to say it louder briefly, but I was but a man. Seeing my Queen acting so cute, so demure, broke my restraint entirely.

Pulling back with my hips, causing her to gasp at the friction that it produced, a wet sound filling the air as her arousal had been building for some time, I thrust forward hard, slamming our hips together again and causing the mattress to jolt from the force. Repeating the motion, I was soon rhythmically thrusting into the body of Cecelia, causing her to wrap her legs around my hips, her head thrown back as she met my movements gladly.

Reaching her hands, which snapped down to my shoulder, I reached down and found the nub at the apex of her pussy, gently rubbing it and amplifying her pleasure even higher, sending her hurtling over the abyss that I had kept her suspended over for so long.

Her moan was musical, the twitching and convulsing of her body from the powerful orgasm greatly enhancing my own pleasure from the act, I proceeded to do my absolute utmost to drive her into insanity. Employing every trick I had learned about her body, I soon sent her hurtling head-first into another orgasm, then another and another after that.

Cumming constantly on my cock, her pussy walls were soon driving me quickly towards my own climax, my thrusts growing sloppy as I neared my own release. With a final, deep thrust, I came, sending my sperm as far into her as possible, a shudder running through my body as I closed my eyes, basking in the feeling of completion.

My basking was interrupted by a whirling sensation, as I opened my eyes to see that my Queen had reversed our positions finally, resting on top of me while furiously blushing.

"You infuriating man! You… You…!" She gritted her teeth, before starting to bounce upon me, causing me to suck in a breath at the feeling of her around my sensitive dick, "You better take responsibility."

"I will." I managed to say, as her motion started to speed up, "Always."

"Shut uppp." She groaned, shuddering atop me as she reached her next peak.

From then, the sound of our bodies coming together and separating filled the room as she rode me to my second completion. Unable to accept a draw, I quickly fought back, throwing her to the bed and pounding into her from behind. She then turned the tables again, and again I responded.

Positions were flown through, but eventually I laid on my back, victorious as my exhausted Queen rested upon my chest, our naked bodies entwined with each other.

Deciding that nap wouldn't hurt, I closed my eyes, only to feel CC shifting as she weakly rose up on trembling arms and placing her lips on my neck, teeth coming into play as she sucked a prominent hickey onto my skin.

Licking the bruise, she weakly spoke, "Mine."

I laughed breathlessly, "Is that what this was about?"

She repeated her earlier advice, "Some things should… not be said…"

I smiled, "I understand. I love you Cecelia. That will never change."

She collapsed onto my chest, burrowing her cheek into me to hide her face, "…Infuriating."

---XXX---

"Thou seem distracted." Ranni's voice was free from judgement, but I felt it nonetheless, "Is the reasoning that blemish upon thy neck?"

"No." I opened my eyes, looking towards the Goddess from where I was sitting cross-legged within my Manor's garden.

Ranni had asked me to join her to attempt to strengthen my soul. Apparently, the first step was meditation, attempting to reach towards my inner self or something like that. However, clearing my mind was easier said than done. Despite spending some time, I had come no closer to feeling anything like the source of inner energy she had mentioned, aside from my own Demonic Power.

"Then what ails you, Consort?" She asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"I am worried about Melina. CC and her seem to have an issue, and I wanted to speak to her about it." I spoke, causing her to nod in reply.

"Indeed. Their strife would cause some disruption to thy house. But that is not all, is it not?" She pressed, causing me to sigh.

"Tomorrow I'm meeting with Runeas Gremory. I have no idea what to expect." I finally revealed, deciding that talking through the issue might help.

"I see. This 'Gremory' is a powerful being?"

"That's not the issue. It's the form her power takes is the issue." Seeing her interest, I decided to elaborate, "Devils from the Pillar houses each have a unique power that they can use. My own is the power of Binding, being able to lock concepts and people. It can even affect the physical world as well."

"It is this power that makes you weary? Surely you can combat its effect in some way?" She asked.

"For most of them, yes. But the Gremory are special. I'm not sure I could counter it, depending on how she uses the effects. You see, their power grants them control over Luck." Ranni's eyes widened as I continued, "Probability manipulation is always difficult to deal with. If she used the effect on me, I could likely resist it, but if she can use it on herself… Thing's will just go right for her, no matter what I attempt."

"A truly vexing issue." Ranni agreed, humming as she considered the problem, "Would you wish me to be present? I should be able to mitigate the effect should it be that pronounced."

"That would be helpful." I smiled, before sighing, "It would be a lot easier if I just knew what her goal was. It's the unknowns that are bothering me."

"I understand." Ranni commiserated, before she went to her knees in front of me, arms coming up to rest upon my cheeks, "It is unlikely that thou wilt be successful on thy own with this issue clouding your thoughts. With your permission, wouldst thou acquiesce to allowing me to attempt to guide thee?"

I grinned, "Why would I refuse?"

Her eyes stared into my own, "Most would baulk at allowing any to touch their souls. The damage that could be done…"

"I trust you." I said, simply.

"Thou art foolish, to place so much faith in one such as me." She whispered, before closing her eyes, "Allow me to be thy light, my knight. Follow me."

I closed my own, before feeling what she was talking about. A thin, wispy feeling, like a coil of mist, beckoned me within my being. Following it, I was drawn 'deeper', for lack of a better word, far into my very own being. Soon, I was beholding a vast, white orb, light shining off it and blazing like a sun, giving a feeling of intense foreboding.

However, despite the danger and violence that I could feel, I was perfectly comfortable. Content, as if this was intimately familiar with me. In a way, I suppose it was.

"Thou art beautiful. I would expect nothing less." Ranni's voice whispered, appearing in my mind, rather than my ears, "Perhaps it is not your fault thou were unsuccessful. I do not need to say more, do I? The sight alone fills me with immense displeasure."

Rather than tone, the contempt and fury she was feeling was conveyed to me directly. Of course, I was mirroring those feelings myself. Mine for more personal reasons than her. I could see why she, believing as she does in being the master of your own fate and having the freedom to act, would be incensed at the sight.

I was filled with wrath, because of the structure that was erected around my soul. Thick bars, like the cage for a dangerous animal, encased it from all sides. The cage was not containing it, or seeming to press down upon it, rather it just seemed to surround it fully.

More than fury however, I was also filled with dread, a single burning question filling my mind.

'Who the fuck put a seal on my soul?!'

Chapter 47: Giant Personalities​

Giant Personalities​

Unfortunately, answers were not forthcoming. When dealing with the soul, moving with haste was extremely inadvisable. From working together, Ranni and I were able to determine that whatever the seal was, it was not impacting me mentally or being overtly harmful. It was, as vexing as this fact is, something that could keep for now. Ranni pledged to assist me in removing it carefully over our next few sessions, something that my own Power of Binding should be able to aid with.

Focusing on it felt like it would make me go insane. It was frustrating in a way I had never experienced before. I knew, intellectually, that thinking about it would get me no closer to actually resolving the issue, but emotionally it was difficult to let the topic drop. After all, someone had messed with my very soul and I had no idea who, why or when.

Deciding that distracting myself was probably the most productive thing I could do, I set off to find Melina. I had promised myself to talk with her after all, before being distracted by CC and Ranni. Perhaps getting involved in their interpersonal situation is not wise, but I needed something to do that felt constructive.

So that was how I found myself at the base of one of the larger trees in my property, staring up at the Kindling Maiden who had perched herself on one of the higher branches. With a flex of my will, I floated up to her level, not saying anything as I stared out at the view of my lands that this vantage point offered.

It was Melina who spoke first, "Are you here to scold me?"

"Not at all." I replied, "I trust CC to fight her own battles, just as I trust you to not take your disagreement with her too far."

"You trust easily." She scoffed, "Far too easily, some would say."

"Why do you punish yourself?" I asked, deciding to cut to the heart of the matter.

She stiffened, closing off even more than she usually was, "I don't know what you mean."

"I think you do." I denied her attempt at deflection, "At the Forge of Giants, you wanted to die. When I stopped you, despite achieving the goals you ostensibly had, you were infuriated. You wanted to find meaning in your death, and I think it was also to punish yourself for something. Am I wrong?"

She didn't respond, merely staring past me at the landscape, remaining silent. I sighed, not expecting this to be easy but still a little frustrated at how difficult prying conversation was out of my Maiden.

"Was it to do with the Flame of Frenzy? I asked, causing her to stiffen further, "The thing you feel so guilty for?"

The silence continued, before she slightly relaxed with a soft exhalation, "You are annoyingly perceptive."

"I've been told." My cheek earned a half hearted glare.

She turned back away from me, melancholy colouring her form, "I don't know why you are so interested. It is far in the past."

"Yet it still affects you. I can't promise to salve your feelings on the matter, but often sharing burdens lightens them." I explained, letting her decide whether she tells me or not.

The silence stretched between up, anticipatory but not hurried. Our breathing could be heard, but aside from that an almost comforting quiet filled the air, as if the world itself was holding it's breath. The silence was breached when she spoke.

"…I almost won." She began, her voice soft, still not looking at me, "Or so I thought. My children, that I hatched and raised from the flesh of Eiglay, and I had defeated the Erdtree's forces. Without the Rune of Death, the Demigods could not die, but their minds were still vulnerable. My half brothers and sisters were flayed and bathed within my flames, shattered and driven to insanity with their minds and souls burnt to nothingness. It was the only way to defeat them."

She drew up her knees to her chest, resting her chin atop them as she continued, "After so long, after fighting so hard, I finally arrived at the seat of Marika's power, the foot of the Erdtree. It was there that my mother revealed that I had been playing into her hands all along."

"My Black Flame held a fragment of Destined Death within it, a contingency should Marika ever need to call upon it's power without risking Maliketh. Something she decided was no longer necessary. There at the foot of the Erdtree, I fought the Black Blade and lost. Decidedly." She shook her head ruefully, "As she strode forwards, so self assured and confident, ripping out my power to rejoin it with the one her shadow held… I despaired."

I remained silent, letting her get it all off her chest, watching without judgement as she started to tremble with long held anger and something else.

"I could feel it then. The pointlessness of it all. I had struggled so mightily, fought so hard… only to be effortlessly defeated by my mother's dog, all in service to one of her plans. Was I even my own person? Or was I merely dancing to her strings all the time? My whole life, every step, all by her design. In my despair, I could feel something reach out to me."

She tightened her hug around her legs, curling into a smaller ball, "I didn't care what it was. All I knew is that it was fire, it could burn down my mother's disgusting kingdom, reduce her precious mockery of a tree into cinders. And so I grabbed it. It hurt, Damocles. It hurt more than anything I can remember. But at the same time, it felt rapturous! Watching the Erdtree burn, turn to ash from the force of the flames… I could scarcely imagine a more glorious sight. It was everything I had hoped for."

"But…" Her voice dropped to a whisper, horror lacing her words, "It didn't stop at the tree. The flame spread, consuming all it could reach. I could feel what it burnt, feel it scour away all life within the capitol, my brother's, my sisters, my children. Unending, hungry, it spread and spread without restraint. I could not stop it, the being controlling the Flame using me as nothing more than a vessel."

"And so I knelt before Maliketh, taking no action as he killed me." She finally turned her gaze to me, the haunted look in her eyes striking, "My failure, my mistake, the horror that I unleashed upon the world?! The fact that was what would allow you to save me?! I could imagine no greater insult."

"I didn't know that history." I replied, making no excuses, offering no condolences.

She would likely just take them as pity.

"Of course you didn't. It was never supposed to be rediscovered." She scoffed, relaxing slightly, resting her chin more loosely on her knees.

"I do have a question, Melina. Do you know what the Flame of Frenzy actually was? What was behind it?" I decided to at least try to assuage some of that heavy blame she draped on her own shoulders.

"A malevolent force that possesses people to act as it's herald, in order to destroy the world. At least, that is what it wished to do when channelled through me."

"It's an Outer God." I spoke, causing her to look at me with widened eyes, "Like the Greater Will, like how Ranni now is. It would always attempt to gain entry into the Lands Between, always wishing to raze it to ash. You were merely one of many it seduced."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Was the bitter response, "That I was one of the many who were tricked?"

"No." I replied, "But it helps you to understand what happened. When people give over to despair, when they believe all hope is lost… It makes them want to lash out. To hurt others as they have been hurt. It's a natural urge. Most of the time, it's a passing fancy, a brief consideration. But if in that one moment, when you are thinking those thoughts, something intensified them and promised to carry out those acts?"

"It's only natural to be tempted." I finished, causing Melina to bury her face into her legs, shielding her eyes from me.

I could still hear her, however, as she mumbled, "But you weren't tempted. You took on the Flame and resisted it completely. Something I couldn't do."

I remembered the burning, the soul deep sensation that had struck me when I pulled the Dark Moon Sword from the light. It was a wound that was vicious, painful, sticking in my memory even now.

"I don't remember exactly what happened with the Flame, but I doubt it was as easy as you think it was. If I had to guess why I was able to resist…" I trailed off, causing her to look up in morbid curiosity, tears welling in her eyes, "I probably never gave into despair. The Flame preys on those who have abandoned hope, but if I took it, bore it all with the hope of saving you…"

"Stop." She spoke. Looking out upon the grounds again, "You have given me much to think about. I would like to be alone now."

"As you wish." I agreed, floating down to the ground, leaving her with my parting words, "Don't burn my tree down, please."

The wet laugh I got in response caused a small smile to grow on my face.

—XXX—

The day passed after that, me attempting to distract myself and meeting varying levels of success. The only other thing of note that happened was that I was asked to host a meeting for Gabriel, from Heaven. The request worried me, but admittedly less than it would have had it come immediately following my Reveal. The fact that they waited this long meant that it was not a hasty reaction on Heaven's part to the resurgence of my bloodline, but something more considered.

What that could possibly be, I had not the faintest idea, but I approved the meeting regardless. They went through the proper channels, and were perfectly polite. If I could build my own independent ties with Heaven, it would only benefit me. I have no quarrel with the Angels, after all, perfectly content to live and let live.

Valerie was another thing to note, the little Dhampir waking up from her rest. She did not wish to leave her room, however, still worried that this was all a trick of some sort. Rather than pressure her, I decided that this was a situation that called for delegation. Naomi was my choice, the bubbly and kind girl more likely to get through to the sheltered and shy Princess than anyone else.

Selene had more in common with her, but their personalities would clash too much to be helpful. They would likely be great friends later on, but at this stage forcing them together would only backfire, more on Valerie than Selene.

Besides, Selene had her own things to worry about, her adorable attempts at flirting with me and making the others jealous only really working on Shiro, the little Vampire trying to find her place in the new family she found herself in. I will leave her to it for a bit longer, until I start to teach her her new Devil abilities and powers. That would allow us more time together and put her mind more at ease.

Still, time marched ever onwards and soon morning came again, finding me awaiting my guests in my Meeting Room. Runeas worried me, as I had admitted to Ranni, mostly because anything that could manipulate luck was something to be highly cautious of. Even knowing that I was falling for its effect would be difficult. None of my defences were particularly suited towards this situation either, something that I should fix soon.

That meant either Stamping Ranni, which had a whole mountain of issues, or going after the sixth person on my list. That brought on its own problems, as I am unsure whether I could even survive in that place with my current level of power, especially with the unique rules that world operated on.

So no, the only protection I could bring to bear against her was Ranni. Which, to be fair, was a significant aid, more than most could count on. But, it just personally rubbed me wrong, the fact that my success here relied on someone else, not myself.

Still, this was the hand that I had been given, so I would just have to deal with it.

I looked toward the Goddess in question, seated to the left of the chair I would be holding this meeting from, who nodded reassuringly at me in response. It still felt slightly weird how she knew me so well, but it was getting easier every day.

CC my dutiful Queen would be seated to my right, but she had been given the task of leading our guests to the Meeting Room, greeting them at the Foyer where the teleportation circle would deposit them. Rias would be able to navigate her way through the Manor herself of course, but decorum had to be observed for occasions such as these.

My thoughts were broken by the door opening, CC striding through while speaking to the duo following her, "Here is the Meeting Room. Allow me to formally introduce Lord Sagan, and his betrothed, Ranni of the Dark Moon."

"Betrothed?!" A young voice came.

Entering through the door in a rush was Rias, who looked at the smug sitting Lunar Goddess with shock on her face, before she quickly schooled her features and straightened out of her surprise. She quickly tried to move past her breach of facade, by turning and thanking my Queen.

"Thank you CC." Clearing her throat, she then turned back to me and Ranni, "Lord Sagan, Lady Ranni, may I introduce my ancestor, the First Gremory, Runeas Gremory."

As she said that a short woman flounced through the doorway. She was so tiny that I almost wanted to call her a child, but she had curves that put that thought immediately to bed. She might have been the most endowed woman I had ever seen, perhaps only being beaten out by Yasaka. However, on her small frame, such endowments looked even larger in proportion.

"I really like what you've done with the place!" She spoke, completely disregarding protocol and twirling, causing the short skirt that she was wearing to flare up, gracing my eyes with an interesting sight, "Much better than when I was here the last time!"

Completing her twirl, she locked eyes with me, sending a wink my way to let me know that was wholly intentional. I could already feel the headache forming.

Deciding to follow her lead, I also did away entirely with decorum, "Based on what you're wearing under that skirt, that's not the only thing I've done that you approve of."

Rias immediately turned red, while CC rolled her eyes and Ranni sighed.

"Ah! You noticed!" Rather than be contrite at having been called out, Runeas merely lifted the front of her skirt with absolutely no shame, proudly displaying the lingerie she was wearing underneath, "I must admit, I love the feeling of the Tsuchigumo silk! Such novel material and the design was so scandalous, I absolutely had to have it!"

"Ancestor!" Rias screamed while covering her eyes.

Very aware of the fact that three women who were interested in me were present in the room, I very pointedly looked Runeas in the eyes, rather than staring at the admittedly enticing sight she was offering up.

"I am glad to hear that even a First Devil approves. However, I cannot take credit for the design, I merely provided the materials." I spoke, causing her to grin and let her skirt drop, patting it down.

"I see. The one responsible is Ria-tan's betrothed, correct? That Phenex boy." She walked forwards, pausing when I moved across the table to pull out her chair for her, "Such manners! Still, seeing as Rias is interested in breaking said arrangement and you are the only other man in her life, for you to give him praise so easily…"

"Runey…" A mortified whine came from the youngest Gremory present, "Please stop."

"Indeed." A chilly voice emanated from Ranni as I gave a reassuring smile to Rias, who blushed and avoided my gaze as I led her to her own seat, "I would ask thee cease in attempting to seduce my betrothed before mine own eyes."

"Oh, as if that was enough to sway him." Runeas waved it off, before becoming (slightly) more serious, "I am afraid I do not know a Goddess of your stature from your name, allow me to introduce myself, Runeas, the First and most beautiful Gremory."

Ranni stared at her considerately, remaining silent as I retook my own seat. Whatever she was looking for in the Elder Devil, she apparently found it by giving her a small nod.

"Well met. I am Ranni, Goddess of the Dark Moon and the Chill Night." She turned and smiled my way, apparently deciding that clam had to be staked, "Consort to Damocles."

Runeas sucked in a small breath at that, but quickly recovered, a joyful grin spreading across her face, "Glad to meet you! Please, call me Runey. All my friends do."

"Noted." I replied, before placing my elbows on my desk and interlocking my hands, staring down at the Gremory Progenitor, "So Runeas, why did you ask for this meeting?"

She frowned slightly at my choice of address, but rallied almost instantly as CC took her own seat, "For just that reason, actually. When I heard that the Sagan heir had not only been found, but that my family had put themselves at odds with him, I had to rectify the situation."

"I see." I responded, deciding to stick with my usual method when meeting with other houses directly, treating this Gremory as a completely new entity.

To that end, I would act as a calm and composed observer, allowing CC to field the majority of the conversation. Her prickly personality was well known, and allowed me to hide my thoughts while compiling a plan on how to deal with others as the conversation progressed. Rather than be detrimental, her usual caustic nature was actually helpful in this role. It made me seem as the more benevolent and understanding one, coming off as more sympathetic than I actually was.

Additionally, her skill at getting others annoyed with her usually caused them to slip, revealing either their plans or cracks in their personalities, allowing me to take ruthless advantage when I finally had an idea of how to proceed with the negotiations.

Understanding her role perfectly, my Queen began, "Our House is not at odds with the Gremory. We are neutral with yours, The only member of your family we have any contention with is Sirzechs, who as he is so keen to remind us, is a Satan, not a Gremory."

"Yeah, Sirzy completely fucked up." Runeas admitted easily, catching CC entirely off guard with her flippant response, "But isn't that odd? Ria-tan and Lord Sagan are such good friends, yet you are merely neutral with my house? You can see why I think there might be some spite involved. I read the contract, you know. The Sitri were the ones who screwed you, Lord Sagan, not the Gremory."

CC replied for me as I nodded in consideration, "The Gremory are allied with Sitri, they acted as one when trying to make deals with us. Top favour one would be to give aid to the other. We have kept up our side of the bargain, not getting involved in any Sitri and by extension, Gremory business. Something the Gremory apparently finds difficult."

Runeas smiled broadly at that, "I do find it difficult! Lord Sagan is the new kid on the block, but he's already more powerful than many houses of a higher rank than the Sagan. Both the quality of your Peerage, impeccable taste by the way, as well as your financial dealings are painting a picture of someone I very much want as a friend rather than an enemy."

"So it's just greed then? After saying you wanted to make amends, you really just want a cut of our business? Which is it?" CC leaned forwards, pressing the ancestor.

Runeas narrowed her eyes slightly in response, but replied glibly nonetheless, "Of course it's greed, as well as plain old self preservation. The Goddess Ranni is a powerful game changer, being on the wrong side of any she aids would be a bad place to be. Still, actions can have multiple motivations, you know?"

"Smart. Such instincts are to be commended." Ranni spoke, interjecting from her place at my side.

Rather than focus on Runeas' and CC's verbal spar, my attention was drawn to Rias, who had barely spoken a word. Instead, she was sitting with wide eyes, head snapping backwards and forwards between My Queen and her Ancestor. She was learning for the first time just how fraught the relationship between our houses truly were.

She thought it was just tension, rather than the almost Cold War divide it truly was. Educating her as to how bad it was would have been detrimental to me, seeing as it would have added unneeded tension into our personal relationship and make her doubt my promise to aid her in her engagement to Riser. From the Gremory side, my training had improved her Peerage in leaps and bounds, so interrupting that when Rias was clearly unaware of the situation would have been a waste.

Still, that caused me to question, why had Runeas asked her to attend? I wanted her to attend the first meeting, due to thinking it was possibly a trap or a hostile action, but from Runeas' side, what did she gain? She could have very easily used this meeting for an introduction, then set up another later to go through all this.

What did she gain by having Rias in the room while discussing the Gremory-Sagan situation? In her letter, she stated that Rias would be a mediator, but she had barely called upon her to perform that role at all, instead letting the Heiress merely observe.

"Trust has to start somewhere. It has been eroded to the point that…" CC stilled as I raised a hand, stopping her.

"A thrilling diversion, Runeas." I spoke, causing her to snap her gaze to me, mischief oozing from her grin, "Why don't you tell us what you actually want?"

"Whatever do you mean? I already told you…" She played innocent, but I cut through it instantly.

"Rias is still in the room." That caused the girl in question to start, as she was suddenly made a participant rather than a mere observer, "You asked her here as a mediator, but you have not once needed her to actually mediate. So I repeat, what do you want?"

Runeas grinned at my words, genuine joy filling her as she giggled, "Kufufu, brilliant! Yes, truly you are worthy of the Sagan name. Well to do away with all the pomp and bush beating, let me be perfectly clear: I want my family off your list."

"List? You'll need to give me more to go on than just that." I raised an eyebrow, causing her to smirk and lean forwards conspiratorially.

"Come now, Lord Sagan. I'm old. I know how this story goes. Revenge may be sweet, but we can both gain much by letting it go unrealized. Sirzy is a big hammer, but that lovely lady sitting by your side is a big hammer too, one that no one knows anything about. When they clash, it will be the people in the middle who will be squashed." She leaned back, spreading her arms out, "I want my family to not be in that impact zone. Besides, if you hurt her parents, think about how sad that will make poor…"

"Don't." I spoke, danger entering my voice for the first time, warning and malice oozing from the words, "Attempt to manipulate me."

Rias stiffened, but that was secondary to my focus on her Ancestor. Said Ancestor who grinned like the cat that had just caught the canary.

"There it is. I knew it was there somewhere" Runeas smiled now, wonder in her eyes as they locked with my narrowed ones, "It's pleasure to finally meet you properly, Damocles."

Chapter 48: Old Devils​

Old Devils​

"Rias." The suddenly serious Ancestor spoke, "I'm sorry. But you need to know what is happening."

"I…" The younger Gremory started, still tense from my threat toward Runeas, "I didn't know it was this bad. I'm sorry, Damocles."

"None of it was your fault." I replied, slightly relaxing but still keeping a wary eye on the Viper in our midst, My tone brooking no argument, "What were you looking for, Runeas? What is this meeting actually meant to achieve?"

"Your darkness. The thing possessed by all the Princes of Hell, the inborn desire to rule. I knew you had it in you. As for what I want…' She trailed off, "As I said, I want my family off your list. More than that, I want to teach some lessons."

"Lessons?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Rias is a Gremory." All joviality and joking was gone from the Ancestor as she spoke, deadly serious, "Not a Bael. Not a Lucifer. She is a Gremory. It seems many need to be forced to remember that."

I stared into her serious gaze, feeling like we have finally arrived at the point of all this, "By dragging her into the middle of this mess?"

Rias huffed, "Rather than keep me in the dark about how bad things are? So I could be taken by surprise when it all exploded?"

"How would knowing have helped?" I asked, causing her to bite her tongue, "Venelana and your Father will support Sirzechs in any potential situation, regardless of whether you knew or not."

"But I could have... I..." She sighed, looking down, "Why are you all speaking like it's inevitable? You don't have to fight my brother, Damocles."

"He is a Prince of Hell, Rias." Runeas spoke, before gently placing her hand on one of her descendant's, "Think carefully. Damocles may look your age, but he was brought up in the Civil War. He has a different vision for how Hell should look, how the Devils should act. It will lead to conflict eventually."

"In decades, if not centuries. I am still too new politically to influence things over-much." I deflected, "Which begs the question. Runeas, why force the issue now? Things are stable as they are."

"For you, maybe." She spoke, irritation crossing her face briefly, "My House is a different story. I severely disagree with several actions that have been taken in my absence. That is why, Rias; You shall become the Head of the Gremory family on your 17th​ birthday."

"What?!" Rias shouted, taken by as much surprise as the rest of us.

"That is why I wanted to speak to you, to prevent this from escalating before she can take the mantle." Runeas winked at me, causing me to sigh, "I will be teaching her for the next couple of years, making sure she knows everything she should to properly lead the House."

"So that's the play." I rubbed the bridge of my nose, a headache coming on as I calculated how this would change the political landscape, "This whole meeting was to announce that."

"Sorry!" She stuck her tongue out, "I tricked you! Want to punish me?"

"Don't tempt me." I spoke, causing a resigned laugh to come from CC.

"Consort." Ranni, who had been watching the exchange closely, said, "This Rias is one of thou claimed friends, correct?"

"Yes." I confirmed, already resigned.

"I see." The Moon Goddess hummed, "Devious."

There was a burgeoning respect in her tone, as Rias' brows furrowed, still reeling from the shock of her Ancestor's sudden announcement.

I was sure she would eventually figure it out. I have publicly claimed Rias as a friend, tacitly calling her an ally of House Sagan. When she was just an Heir, it could be chalked up to youthful relationships, but if she became Head of House Gremory, ascending as its Lady... Then the Alliance between the Gremory and the Sagan suddenly became a lot more tangible. In this one move, Runeas had blunted any aggression I could show to her house, while at the same time tying our houses together in the future.

This went completely against my plan of being an independent, neutral force in Underworld politics, by drawing me in on the side of the Gremory. Conversely, it would drag the Gremory closer to my 'side' of Devil politics, but seeing as no one knew what that even was, the perception would be heavily skewed.

I could stop this of course, by severing my ties with Rias publicly and ending my friendship with her, but that would invite retribution from Sirzechs for hurting his sister. Even without that, Runeas knew that I coveted Rias' friendship for a reason, even if she did not know what that reason was. That would mean that I would be loath to sever it.

I could always do what I was planning anyway, and launch my bid for the Underworld throne. But now I had around a two year time limit to do so without having to navigate this complicated mess.

Truly I was checkmated before the meeting even began.

For all her silliness, Runeas was quite terrifying.

"Well played." I spoke, causing her to beam at me.

"Thank you! I hope that means we can still be friends?" She had a teasing grin on her face as she asked this.

I was exasperated, but replied nonetheless, "We shall see."

---XXX---

Rias was in deep thought as she walked behind her humming Ancestor. She knew political games and schemes were a fact of life down here, but she never knew how entangled within them Damocles was. She also didn't know he was basically planning to declare war on the Underworld.

She could read between the lines. Runeas believed that was his plan, she basically all but spelled it out. Of course, implication was a terrible basis for drawing a conclusion, but the fact that Damocles did not deny it was telling.

"Runey." She spoke, causing Runeas to hum and smile in her direction, "What was that really all about? I have an idea but..."

"Wanting to start the lessons early, are we?" Her smirk turned teasing, "I always liked having an eager student. Very well, let me ask you this; How many friends has Damocles Sagan claimed among your peers?"

"I only know of Riser and I." She wrinkled her nose at the name, as she intently watched her Ancestor shake her head chidingly.

"The Sagan is very careful with his words, especially in public. He has never once called Riser a friend, only a trusted business partner. The two things are very different, especially to a Prince." She waved a finger as she made the points.

"You called him that, and so did my mother. I don't get it, I know Princes are important, but no one has actually told me why." She was tired of being confused.

"Princes were created to Rule, Rias. It's in their blood. You felt it too, didn't you? When Damocles threatened me, that twisting in your gut that a predator has noticed you, that the only way to survive is to submit." Runeas' expression turned thoughtful, "The fact that even I could feel it though, from one so young... He must be incredibly strong."

"So it's an ability Princes have?" Rias asked.

"One of many. I will walk you through them all later, but basically if a Prince is stronger than another Devil, they can force them to understand the difference spiritually. Your own survival instincts will dissuade you from angering them, or going against them. It can be overcome with effort, but it's still a potent ability."

Rias nodded at the explanation, "So him being my friend is more important than I thought?"

"Yes." Runeas agreed, "It's basically him declaring you as a part of his circle, his sphere. He would have to fight to defend you, or be seen as being weak. Your status and ability reflect upon him, despite his family Rank being lower than yours, at least to Older Devils."

"If it's such a big deal, why would he be so quick to do that?" Rias asked, eyes widening, "Unless..."

"You have something that he wants, that he gains from closeness to you. You already showed one of the benefits at his Reveal, when you called your brother off from confronting him." Runeas turned thoughtful, "That's not the only thing though, he's not just interested in protection from your brother, there's something else. Do you know what it could be?"

"No, I have no idea..." Rias felt tears prickling in her eyes, "Was he just my friend because he could gain something from me?"

"Likely so." Runeas responded flippantly, "It's not a bad thing, Rias. All relationships are inherently transactional. The reasons for it at the beginning are immaterial, it's the strength of the bond as it exists in the here and now that matters. And that is strong, seeing as he didn't sever it in that meeting."

"What?!" Rias was broken out of her thoughts at that last piece.

"You becoming Head of the Gremory will force him to get involved in politics, to assist you if nothing else. It runs against his current strategy of remaining aloof. The fact that he did not renounce your friendship means that he places a lot of value within it." Runeas smiled at her descendant.

It was reassuring to hear that, but that brought up another point Rias was unsure about.

"About that... Why are you retiring my father? Why make me Head?" Rias' question caused the smile to fade from Runeas' face.

"As I said, Rias, you are a Gremory. In everything you do, every action you take, the future and interests of the Gremory Family must be your first priority. I do not believe that Zeo is acting in this way any longer." Runeas sighed, "I love your mother, Rias, but Baels are always difficult to deal with."

"My mother?" Rias asked tired of being so confused ever since they arrived for the meeting, "What does she have to do with my Father's position?"

"Nothing. Everything." Runeas stopped staring into Rias' eyes, "War is coming to the Underworld, Rias. This is merely a fact. The Old Satan Faction is gathering supporters and strength, operating behind the scenes but visible for all who know where to look. On top of that, we have a Sagan returned, with an understandable grudge against the New Satans and a Goddess capable of ruling the world at his side. Either one of these could bring the flames of conflict back to our race."

"I'm not the only one who can see it. Even before you were born, the writing was on the wall. The Old Civil War was not won, merely put on pause. I should thank you, I was only able to piece it all together thanks to your Marriage contract with Riser." Runeas started to explain gesturing with her hands for emphasis, "The Phenex are neutral. Zeo and Fyo are close friends, but the families themselves were separated politically. As was shown in the previous civil war, mere friendship is not enough to secure allies."

"So the marriage contract was to secure an alliance for the coming war?" Rias was incredulous and rightfully furious, "A war that no one is even sure will happen? Some hypothetical occurrence that they decided my entire life around?!"

"A fool strives for peace, a wise man ensures it by being ready for war." Runeas quoted, before looking at Rias with pity, "It was Zekram that pushed for it, subtly. He and the Satans have their disagreements, but the status quo benefits him, so he will move to uphold it. He has been very, very naughty, messing with my cute descendants like this. I will punish him severely."

The anger in her ancestors' voice fed into Rias' own, "This whole thing is stupid. I don't care if it was Father, Mother, or the King of hell himself. I decide my own life, not them."

"Well said!" Runeas beamed, "That is exactly the correct attitude to take! Still, they were not wrong to be cautious, the tinder is dry and sparks are flying daily. We will need to do what is best for the Gremory, what I did in the original Civil war."

She smirked, placing a finger on her chin, a mischievous expression shielding the scheming occurring underneath, "Pick the winning side."

What she didn't tell her descendant of course, what she had kept a secret from the Sagan boy, was that there was a way for war to be avoided. It was delicate, and would require her to sadly get more involved than she would like with all the politicking and bullshit that stepping into these power games always brought with it, but there was a path where peace could be achieved.

The Devils were slaves to their natures, they needed a King. Sirzechs lacked the temperament and while Bael could try to fill the shoes, he lacked the balls to actually crown himself. Besides that, both lacked the one thing that they needed to properly cement the Hells under their rule.

Lineage.

---XXX---

Zekram Bael tapped his fingers across the arm of the chair he was reclined in, sipping at his wine as he mulled over the news that he had just received. Runeas had awoken, and quickly took her descendants to task over their bumbling of the Sagan issue. Admittedly, it was turning out to be a bigger problem than even he had imagined, the child gathering power and wealth to himself that made him quite influential.

He was used to decades-long schemes, but he appreciated the reminder that the young often lacked the patience for such things. He had been content for the Sagan to build themselves back into a position of strength, then working on rapprochement and seduction. However, a problem had occurred with his plans, one he did not foresee.

The Sagan had grown too strong.

It honestly irked him, how with the Descent of this 'Ranni' the power balance had been shattered. That would have been bad enough, but then the Sagan had gone and wiped the Tepes off the face of the map. The bloodsuckers were wretches, not a threat to proper Devils, but killing them for good was tricky.

The fact that the boy had managed to do so to the whole lot of them in a single night pointed to significant personal power. This rate of growth was unprecedented. Even Sirzechs took longer to reach this level.

He would have to reassess, especially considering what Runeas had decided to do as her first move after hearing about the situation. Going to the Sagan personally, taking Rias with her. Additionally, she had apparently been most displeased with the Marriage contract between the girl and the Phenex.

That interested him. The timing was too coincidental. Going to meet the Sagan with her unmarried descendant and immediately working to dismantle her betrothal? It pointed to a specific goal.

But why?

Why would she be so desperate to tie herself through her family to the Sagan? He was powerful and a rising star, but there was too much she couldn't know about the boy to make such a snap decision. He closed his eyes and put his mind to work, turning the situation over in his head and recalling every scrap of information he had gathered on the Sagan.

He had done this several times ever since he had heard of the new Goddess, trying to figure out what he missed. The only result was a half-formed suspicion that the Sagan Queen was a priestess of Ranni, but there was nowhere near enough evidence for that.

His ritual produced no new information that he had previously overlooked and he sighed in frustration, looking into the glass of amber liquid he held in his hand. Idly swirling it, he descended even deeper into thought.

What was he missing? There must be something.

Wait. Family.

Who was Damocles' family? They had been dead and buried for five centuries, but his memory was long.

His Father: Malefor Sargatanas, not in line to his house, caused a stir when Pandora agreed to his proposal, otherwise irrelevant. Supposedly a spell creator, began research into Devil biology. No known breakthroughs.

His Mother; Pandora Sagan, only daughter of Remora Sagan, no known father. Very well learned in the power of binding, able to basically remove entire sections of armies in the civil war. Stayed outside of politics, besides supporting the Lucifer Loyalists.

He thought through his memories of the two, quickly focusing on the mother. Something tickled him, a half forgotten fact annoying him with his inability to recall it. Finally, it clicked. There was a rumour, about Pandora's parentage. That she was a daughter of Lucifer himself, a result of his frequent couplings with Remora.

He had dismissed the rumour, believing it false after her death. She was strong enough to display the traits, the multiple wings, the corruptive light. The fact she was killed without ever showcasing them pointed against the theory.

Besides, what child of Lucifer would die so easily? Even Rizevim seemed to always escape unscathed, cockroach that he was.

However, now that he re-examined it, there was a difference between the two.

Pandora was not a coward.

If she hid it, if she refused to showcase the traits to save something she valued more than her life... A child perhaps, that had been stored in stasis? As soon as he opened his mind to the possibility, pieces clicked into place, both about Damocles and Runeas. Recalling how the boy looked, he almost kicked himself. It was right there, almost blindingly obvious to anyone who looked.

It proved that even he was not immune to willful blindness. He thought himself correct oh so long ago and so he easily dismissed the truth his eyes were showing him. Laughter filled the room, mirth filling him at the great trick centuries in the making.

Raising his glass, he tilted it in a toast, "Well played Pandora, well played."

Draining the liquid, his smile faded as he acclimatised to the new information.

"Now..." His voice was a whisper, eyes staring in a specific direction, "What exactly is your goal, Runeas?"

There was no answer, but that was fine.

As always, he would be the one to win regardless.

 

Chapter 49: Down Time

Down Time

The mild taste of gyokuro tea rolled over my tongue, the subtle warmth of the liquid seeming to seep into every corner of my being. It was actually astounding the skill with which the tea was prepared. I could match the results with Fairy Feast, of course, but to be able to reach this level through dedication and practice added something deeper to the experience.

Funnily enough, I noticed that the quality of the tea that had been served to me here has been steadily increasing over time. This cup in particular was by far the best I had yet.

"You seem tense." The voice of my host came, Yasaka's ears upright, her posture immaculate.

Idly, I checked the vague feedback I received from Mind Defence, finding it still not breached. Sighed, I smiled faintly, "I thought I was hiding it well. Is it that obvious?"

"To me, yes. I have much more experience reading people than you have in hiding your emotions." She shrugged, "Kunou had no idea, I'm sure."

"She's the only one." I laughed self-deprecatingly, "Everyone else seems to know something's wrong."

Yasaka stared into my eyes at that, completely serious, "Is it dangerous? Do you need aid?"

"No, no. It's something personal. I am the only one who can resolve it." I denied, thankful for the offer regardless.

"I see. It would be rude to pry, I suppose." She mused, looking to the side where a breathtaking view of her personal gardens lay, "I must admit, being unable to repay my debt to you has been vexing."

"I would say no debt is owed, but I would not insult you like that." I replied, following her gaze, feeling some of the tension leave my shoulders as the sound of the small stream filled the air.

Unfortunately, just because events were happening quickly in the Underworld did not mean that time stood still outside of it. My regular meetings with the Yokai still needed to be done, and Shiro enjoyed the time she spent playing with Kunou. So, that was why I was here currently, having been asked to a private meeting between myself and Yasaka once my business was completed.

She had led me here, to her private gardens, where we had been served tea and left in isolation by her attendants. Idly sweeping the area with my magical senses, it appeared that she and I were the only people nearby, which either spoke to a high degree of trust or exceptional stealth of her bodyguards.

To be fair, I did rescue her daughter the last time I was here, if anything built trust that would probably be high up on the list. Taking in the Garden, the wooden table we were sitting at was perfectly placed to give a breathtaking view of the place. Carefully cultivated plants and trees, blending into immaculate walkways and beautifully built water displays.

Feeling curious, I inquired, "Did you make this garden?"

It was truly impressive, now that I was looking at the clear effort and care that had been expended on keeping it in order.

"Not alone. This is one of the rare things I can share with Kunou, just the two of us working on creating this special place together." Her response surprised me greatly.

It explained why this was my first time visiting this particular Garden, but still, "Is it okay for me to be here? If it is a private thing between Kunou and yourself…"

Yasaka laughed, bringing up a sleeved hand to her face as she spoke, "Kunou asked me to show it to you. She's too shy to ask herself, but I think she wants her Hero to spend some time with her."

The arm fell, as did her smile as she mused, "Besides, without you…"

The sentence went unfinished, but I knew what she was getting at. Those Hero faction Sacred Gear bearers would have kidnapped Kunou without me saving her and Shiro. Of course, from what Shiro had said, they were going to kill her. It was uncharitable to think, but I was pretty sure that my actions saved me more than they did Yasaka.

Seeming to intuit where my thoughts led, Yasaka gently laid her hand over the one I had resting on the table, "The reasoning behind actions do matter. But the consequences of said actions are what ultimately linger. You saved my daughter Damocles. I have already said this, but my home and people will always welcome you."

Deciding to be cheeky, I grinned at her, "Oh? Is that what this is about, just gratitude? Here I was thinking that I had finally seduced you."

"So like a devil, always trying to tempt others into sin." She giggled in response, gently swatting my hand, "Behave. Keep flirting and I might get ideas."

"I want you to get those ideas. Was I not clear enough last time?" I raised an eyebrow towards her, causing her to blush slightly.

"Enough of that." She chastised gently, "I did not ask you here to indulge in your womanising."

I smiled at that, but let the issue go, "Oh, then what did you invite me here for?"

"I noticed your frustration while you were negotiating with the suppliers. I invited you here to start repaying my debt." She indicated the tranquil gardens, tails gently waving behind her, "Whatever your troubles, I won't pry. I trust that you will handle them in your own way. Instead, for the next moment, let them go, put them aside. Allow yourself to rest, to recover. Everyone needs to have moments of peace."

I decided to be serious, treating her offer in the spirit it was presented, "Would that I could. But even now, the back of my mind dwells upon it. I don't think I can ever fully relax until the issue is resolved."

Indeed, part of my mind was whirring, working incessantly as it had ever since my lesson with Ranni. My soul. Someone had interfered with my soul. Even beyond the plans and theories of how to remove the abomination from my being, the fears that it brought were as numerous as they were infuriating. Was it affecting my personality? Was it interfering with my thoughts? I had Mind Defence, but that was no guarantee. Even once it was removed, would I still be the same person?

I took in a deep breath, letting it out as I relaxed the fist I had unconsciously formed. Yasaka, who had seen the action, gently reached across the table with her other hand to take up my own in both of hers.

"Do you mind if I try something?" Her tails were still, ears furled slightly in nervousness, "I ask that you trust me. I only wish to help."

I stared into her eyes, finding no guile there, only an earnest sincerity. Slowly I nodded, and the Kitsune closed her eyes, focusing on the hand held between her own. Feeling something scratching at my senses, I closed my own eyes to focus on my defences. Mind Defence was the culprit. Analysing what was occurring, I saw that she was using Senjutsu to… try and share emotion? Mind state? Whatever it was, it was using her energy as a bridge between our emotions.

Seeing no hostility in the action, I allowed the connection through Mind Defence, getting a smile from the Kitsune as she perked up before refocusing on her task. Focusing, I could feel her excitement and gratitude, knowing that this was a massive display of trust on my part. That quickly faded though, as her emotions calmed and stilled, guiding my own into following.

At her beckoning, I followed the feeling deeper, soon finding myself immersed within the nature of the Garden. My awareness expanded, feeling as one with the grass, the trees, the water. The wind rustling gently across the land washed over me and I felt my tension disperse. The sense of relaxation and comfort surrounded me, soothing me and clearing my head of all thoughts.

I don't know how long I was there, brought into harmony with nature. All that existed was Yasaka, the clearing, and the world around us. I was brought back into awareness by the feeling of something stroking my hair, my position having changed while I was unaware. Underneath my head was a sinfully soft, silky feeling. Looking up, I saw Yasaka smiling down at me as my head rested in her lap, her hands gently running through my hair.

"How was that? Feeling relaxed now?" She softly murmured, "Many would kill to experience what you are right now, you know?"

"I am grateful." I spoke softly, "This is the most rested I've felt in a long time."

Indeed, all of the fatigue and stress that had built up over the past few weeks had evaporated, like it had never existed. Is this the power that masters of Senjutsu had access to? No wonder they were held in such high regard.

"I thought it was difficult for Senjutsu to interact with Devils." I mused, "We are not of nature, after all."

"Everything is part of Nature, sooner or later. It adapts, as it always has." Yasaka replied, "Of course, you are not wrong. Don't go around thinking that any old Senjutsu user can do what I just did."

I smiled at her display of pride, assuaging it with my next words, "Perish the thought. The Mistress of Kyoto is a special case, I know that."

"Good." Was her short response as we slipped into a comfortable silence, her gentle head stroking continuing as the sound of the stream once again became prominent.

I can see why Shiro likes this so much.

"If you built this place with Kunou…" I eventually asked, voice soft to not disturb my newly found tranquillity, "Surely you have stories about the experience?"

"Oh I do." She smiled, before launching into one with abundant fondness for her daughter, "The stream for example, it was built by us, but it's actually the third attempt. The first time, she didn't listen to me at all and…"

The rest of our time was spent like that, my head resting in her lap as she excitedly shared her fond memories with me. For once, no plots, schemes or worries intruded upon my every thought, only comfort and the amusement her stories bought.

Yasaka's debt she insisted she owed me seemed slightly overblown, but at that moment I was hardly complaining.

---XXX---

Rejuvenated from my surprisingly energising time with Yasaka, I moved on to my other plans for the day. It was early in the afternoon, perfect for what I hand scheduled. I had gained several members of my household, Ranni, Melina, Selene and Valerie. Although the Underworld was perfectly capable of sourcing anything you could want to buy, the markets and shops were some of the most luxurious in existence, it was also difficult to shop there.

I was rather famous and my Peerage was also well known. We were each held in different levels of regard, some of us more liked than others by the public, but we were all recognisable. That made large outings tedious, the constant gawking and petitioners tiring. To that end, I gathered everyone in my House for this outing, Kyoto being a centre of commerce that we could take advantage of.

To that end… "There are plenty on these cards, but their funds are not infinite. Have fun, but don't go overboard. If you need a refill, come find me or CC and we'll evaluate what you need it for. That said, I can see you are raring to go, so I won't keep you."

Waving at my peerage, they dispersed, anticipation filling the air. It was true, no matter how strong they were, there was something about shopping that spoke to the female creatures of this world. Naomi and Kasane went with Selene, the girl having grown to like Naomi. With them was Valerie, who Naomi was leading by her hand. CC and Melina went their own ways, while Shiro stayed by my side, her own hand slipping into mine.

Squeezing it, I smiled down at her but was spoken to by Tiamat, "I don't know why you dragged me into this, I don't like being on the surface. This human skin irritates me."

Indeed, she had taken the form of a complete human, no horn or slit eyes to be seen. Her hair was an odd colour, but that could be attributed to dye or a wig. All in all, she would stand out, but not as the Dragon she was.

"You're complaining?" I raised an eyebrow at her, "This is an opportunity to expand your hoard with anything that catches your eye, at no cost to yourself."

She crossed her arms, attempting to act like she was not tempted, "Gifts are often poisoned."

"Oh no." I deadpanned, "I gave you a lot of money so you can get anything that catches your fancy. What dastardly trap will I think up next?"

Shiro giggled at my sarcasm, while Ranni who had also remained by my side spoke to the Elder Dragon, "Mine Consort is repaying you for your good service, thou art a member of the Household and should be treated as such."

"Fine." Tiamat grumbled, "I can get the hint. Thank you, Sagan."

Taking the card, she soon also disappeared into the streets of Kyoto. Like the others, she did have her emergency beacon, but if Tiamat had to use that then it was highly unlikely I would be unaware of the commotion.

"Now Damocles, I must confess to being slightly at a loss." Was what Ranni said when we were alone, "Clothes and other material possessions are useless to me. I can merely reform mine own coverings and I am unsure what I could desire in this world."

"Mm." Shiro nodded, squeezing my hand, "I don't need anything either."

"That's fine. This was mostly for Selene and Valerie anyway." I reassured them, "Why don't we explore and if anything catches your eye we can pick it up then?"

"Very well." Ranni took my other arm between two of her own, an illusion around her to mask her obvious otherworldliness, "I must admit to being curious of this world. Many interesting technological wonders have been revealed to me, more appearing to mine eyes by the day."

"We'll do that then. Shall we see what we can find?" At their nods, we set off ourselves.

Kyoto was a marvellous city, very well suited for tourism. Thanks to magical translation and subtle hypnotism, there were hardly any places that were off limits to us. To ensure that this would go smoothly, I had acquired permission from Inari for this excursion into the Shinto territory. That allowed us to freely take in all the sights and experiences on offer.

The time was spent leisurely, window shopping leading into me convincing Shiro to try on and buy a kimono, the white and blue fabric complimenting her well and making her seem utterly adorable. Even Ranni proved to not be immune to her cuteness, the Goddess being more doting and affectionate in her distant way to the young girl.

We even visited Inari's Temple that was present in the city, although it was more a sight seeing exercise than any actual attempt to gain an audience with the Kitsune. Ranni had been curious as to how the temples of this land looked and operated and I saw no harm in indulging her. While we were wandering the ground and I was explaining the purpose of the Torii gates, I did catch the eye of the Temple's guardian spirit. The 7 tailed Kitsune didn't approach, merely giving a small bow of respect in passing.

Rather than hiking up the mountain, I did cast a small illusion and fly us up, getting an amazing view of the sprawling city below.

"Truly, the people of this world are astounding. This city is bigger than Leyndell, perhaps several times over." Ranni mused, eyes sweeping over the expanse of Humanity.

"This is one of the bigger cities in the world, but it truly is a sight to behold. From what I could remember, Leyndell had taller buildings, but without magic what the normal Humans have achieved is impressive." I responded.

"Indeed. The determination of the small folk must never be underestimated." Ranni nodded. Taking in the view for a while longer before retaking my arm in hers, "Come Consort, I wish to explore more."

So we did, visiting a restaurant which both Shiro and Ranni compared unfavourably to my own cooking, but thankfully I did bring some snacks to appease them. Shiro more than the Dark Moon. Our travels brought us to many different and interesting places, historical, ancient places blending into the modern surroundings in a unique way.

Of course, of all the things I expected from this trip, having to explain the cognito-hazard that was Anime to an Eldritch Goddess was not one of them. The two of them were mostly true to their word, not purchasing much, nothing really catching their eyes. They did pick up a few souvenirs here and there, but nothing that bore mention.

It was getting close to sundown and therefore our time to reunite with the rest of the Household, when a raven flew to the fence next to me. The birds had been a common sight all day, of course, but immediately I could tell something was different about this one. Flicking on my Geass, my suspicions were immediately confirmed, the corvid a swirling mass of mystical energy.

Ranni immediately noticed it as well, shooting a disdainful look at the avian interruption, "Truly, thou art a magnet for all sorts, my Knight."

"Sagan! Sagan!" The raven cawed, speaking my name in a scratchy but clear voice, "Follow! Follow!"

The bird then stared at me, as if awaiting an answer. Well, this was the strangest way I had ever been invited to a meeting. This was likely either a magician or a divine being attempting to speak to me on the sly. I admit to being intrigued, but I was not the only one present. Looking to my sides, I was met by a stoic Ranni and a small nod from Shiro.

"Very well. If one requires your attention, we should see why." Ranni sighed.

Shiro merely spoke softly, "I don't mind, Nii-san."

Turning back to the raven, I spoke to it, "Lead on then."

Its beak bobbed as it nodded in assent, taking wing and leading us deeper into the city. I expected its master to be a Shinto deity, based on where we were, or maybe a Tengu due to the method of communication. However, the being that the raven flew to was unmistakeable.

Tall, broad shouldered, old and wise. Resting on a park bench, gently stroking his returned familiar, next to him lying an ornate walking stick that screamed danger to my senses. Distinct Nordic features turned to regard my party as we approached, one blue eye peering at us with interest as the other was hidden behind an elaborate eyepatch.

"Well, meeting you both at the same time was not what I intended." He spoke, his dialect of choice definitely not Japanese, "But if the winds of fate decree it thus, who am I to argue?"

Stepping forwards, I spoke to the God, "I'm surprised too. I was unaware I had caught your interest, Odin."

The All-Father smiled at my words, "It's good to be recognised by the younger generation. Of course, you have brought a guest who has no knowledge of me. Allow me to introduce myself."

Standing, leaving the disguised Gungier where it lay, he nodded in Ranni's direction with respect, placing his fist over his chest, "My name is Odin, Ranni of the Dark Moon. I am the King of Asgard."

Raising his head, he fixed us with a serious gaze, "There is much we have to discuss."

Chapter 50: Uncovering

Uncovering​

She clasped her hands, staring down at the latest God that she had encountered within this world. Truly, it was so much easier when she could merely consume the deities that insisted on impeding her. To think, she was having such a pleasant day exploring this fascinating world with her Consort.

"Do we?" She inquired, "As I recall, I hath had no quarrel or cause with you or yours, Odin of Asgard."

The God's eyes narrowed at her choice of words, likely taking issue at her eschewing of his Title. She cared not for his indignation, there was only a singular entity that she would acknowledge as a Lord. It was not this God that she had only just encountered.

"I see." Odin spoke, his voice rumbling with his words, "Well, be that as it may, whether you acknowledge it or not, you have effected great change upon my realm, as well as likely doing the same to others."

Oh? Had her presence caused ripples? It was likely, but she dearly wished that the various meddling forces that infested this realm would just mind their own concerns. Damocles had enough to plan for with his plans for the Underworld, having all these outside forces get involved would merely complicate matters.

Her consort spoke, "What could have made such an impact on the Nine Realms, for you to appear to us personally?"

"An apt question." Odin turned to regard him while stroking his beard, causing her awareness to sharpen in case the God attempted anything foolish, "Your descent had consequences That were comprehensive and far reaching. What else could you call the Sundering of Fate?"

The God turned back towards her as he said his next words, "What was once inevitable became questionable. What was once impossible, became probable. You might not know what that means for us in Asgard, but I can assure you that it was a welcome occurrence. The Sagan will know why."

"Ragnarök." Her consort did indeed, sighing and saying a word she had never heard before, "The Prophesied End Times of the Asgardians."

"Indeed." Odin spoke, nodding at his words, "With Fate shattered by you, We have been granted a great opportunity. However, I thought I should meet you in person. Someone who could accomplish such a task should be treated with care."

She was highly irked by the powers that be in this world. It was as if a malaise hung over the whole lot of them that caused them to all take leave of their senses in a similar way. They hear about an immense power and they could not help themselves but to poke and prod and annoy.

"Enough." Her words cause the God to straighten, his Divinity strengthening in response to her tone, "Allow me to lay thy fears to rest. Fight thy war, Thy prophesied battle, win or lose. I care not. Thy realms, thy people, they are inconsequential to me. I do not wish to be involved."

"Very well." Odin spoke, his own voice firming, "Let us speak frankly then. Whether you wished to be involved with the wider world outside of your Consort or not, you already are. Your arrival caused a massive upheaval in the plotting of the future, something that upset and angered a great many people. You have announced your entrance into a great many ongoing games and will be a variable that many will seek to control."

"Thy warning is received." She wished for this conversation to be over.

This wearied her. These Gods, Satans, Spirits and others were all so tiresome. Barking away, as if their threats were something that held weight to being such as her. The only reason this world still existed was due to her Consort's presence upon it, as well as his stated goals for the land. He had stalwartly supported her own usurpation of her home, the least she could do was return the favour.

However, maybe she should make her position more clear.

"You yourself might not be in any danger." Odin cautioned, his endeavouring to ensure the message was properly received only serving to confirm her new course of action, "But those around you will be targets. With proper knowledge and warning, they will be less likely to be successful, so that is why..."

"Thou shalt be my messenger." She decreed, her words causing both Odin and Damocles to pause and stare at her in befuddlement, "I tire of the buzzing of gnats. I have restrained myself for Damocles' sake, but perhaps all thy actions shall be more considered should you see the truth."

"Ranni…" Damocles spoke, worried while Odin started to reach for his walking cane, his instincts warning him of danger.

"Behold, Odin of Asgard, the being with which you entreat." So saying, she released a fraction of her own Divinity, the walls of reality bending under the force of her existence.

The King of Asgard stared at her, his eye widening as he beheld the truth of her form. Instead of quailing and retreating, she was pleasantly surprised when the lure of knowledge instead enticed him to stare deeply into what she was freely revealing to him.

Grasping his awareness, immersed as it was in her being, she forced him to realise what she wanted him to. She showed him the truth. What she really was. She had started out as a Demigod, an Empyrean, but she had ascended. Becoming one with the Dark Moon had allowed her to contend with the other Outer Gods on equal footing, but even that was not the end.

Each Outer God was immense, their existences beyond most reckoning. All of them resided in their own realms, realities where their wills were law. Yet they all fell to her. The warmth drained from them, their powers consumed and folded into her own.

She was not merely a God, like they all thought. She was not even a primordial existence, like the Red Dragon which guarded this world. No, instead, she was something that they had never before encountered.

She was the End of entire Realities, made manifest.

Odin flailed, back peddling and in terror, his Spear revealing itself as it flew to his hand, its gleaming metal shining as its point was aimed directly at her.

"Dost thou think that would harm me?" She spoke, the amusement she could have garnered at the scene being swallowed by her utter frustration at the beings that insisted on meddling with her, even now.

"Sagan…" Odin spoke, horror lacing every syllable, "What have you called here?"

Her consort proved once again that he was worthy, standing unbowed by her side as he responded confidently, "I would advise, King Odin, that you consider your next actions carefully."

Odin took in a deep breath, his composure returning to him, but still his eye never left her for even a microsecond. He flinched, spear pulling back to prepare for a thrust as she stepped towards him.

"Go now, King Odin of Asgard. Go to those thou spoke of before, the ones that mine presence here offends. Instruct them what awaits this world should they succeed in making me truly angry." She commanded, Watching as he attempted to drop into a less tense stance.

He failed, her presence now sparking a soul deep wariness in him, "Very well. You've made yourself clear."

With that, he fled. Of course, he attempted to look dignified while doing so, but all present knew the truth. Once he was out of sight, her Consort released a weary breath.

"That certainly escalated quickly. Dare I ask why you were so annoyed with him?" He asked, causing her to turn to him and gently place a hand on each of his shoulders.

"You were relaxed. Today, I saw thou truly smile for the first time in a long while. Ever since we made that discovery in our first lesson, a shroud of tension has surrounded thee. I could see it dwelling upon thy thoughts in every moment. Yet, today, thou could truly let it go and enjoy thy time with me." Her voice trailed off, turning bitter, "Then he arrived with vague warnings? Interrupting our time together to impart knowledge we already had? I was most displeased."

His sister, who had merely been observing the situation until now, spoke up, "She's right, Nii-san. You were having fun."

He laughed, but Ranni could hear the tiredness in the action, "So you were angry for my sake? Thank you Ranni. It means a lot."

She was surprised by his next action as he reached up and gently removed her hat, holding it in one of his arms as he raised the other and gently stroked her head. As his hand traversed through her hair, she closed her eyes, basking in the closeness and intimacy of the action.

It was the most tender act they had partaken in so far and she relished the sensation. She could see why Shiro coveted this so much. It was incredibly comforting.

---XXX---

"Where do you want to go first, clothes or…?" Naomi trailed off, unsure as to what the two girls were lacking.

The answer of 'everything' was quaint, but unhelpful. Thankfully, the two girls agreed to start with the clothes. Stopping by a reputable boutique that highly came recommended by the Yokai, the two hesitantly started to look through the articles on offer. Thankfully, soon they got into the swing of things, trying on different outfits and happily comparing them between themselves.

She had been worried for Valerie, the poor girl seeming very meek and terrified. She thought that maybe Selene would be a bit too intense for the Dhampir, but fortunately her worries seemed to be for naught.

Seeing that their wards were preoccupied for the time being, Naomi turned to her sister and asked a question that had been bugging her for a while, "What's got you in such a good mood?"

"Hmm?" her stoic sister replied, in a parade rest as she watched the two smaller girls, hands clasped behind her back, "What do you mean?"

To most anyone else, looking at her sister, they would see someone purely focused on their task, all business and professionalism. Naomi, however, knew her sister better than any one. The slight bounces on the balls of the feet, the small swaying from side to side… Her sister was happy about something, ans she found herself deathly curious.

"Come on, Kasane. You know you can't lie to me." She smirked, poking the girl in her side and causing her to jump and squirm, "Spill."

"You let this go, will you?" Kasane asked rhetorically, before she sighed, "Fine, but I don't want you to lecture me."

"Why would I lecture you? It obviously went well, whatever happened." Naomi tilted her head in response.

"It was… Not the smartest thing." Her sister's evasiveness turbo-charged her curiosity.

"Well now you have to tell me what happened." She clasped her hands together, leaning in and putting on her best pleading face, "Please? For your favourite sister?"

Kasane rolled her eyes at her antics, but the small upturn of her lips betrayed her true feelings, "Fine. If you really want to know so badly… After Ranni and Melina arrived, but before he left to fetch Selene, I went to Damocles."

"I know that." Naomi blinked, "You asked me to cover for you for a bit then, remember?"

"Yes, but… when I went to find him, he was in his room, and then we…" The white haired girl fidgeted, red dusting her cheek as she turned to look to the side.

"Oh. My. Word." Naomi gasped, "You didn't!"

"We did." Kasane admitted, her voice small.

"Wow, you really went for it." Naomi swallowed her jealousy, her conflicted feeling regarding the Lord of the House, a constant buzz she had learned to live with, "Well done! Did it go well? I mean, obviously, but I need details!"

"I should have just said nothing." Kasane lamented, the rest of the story extracted over a ong conversation.

It was difficult, Kasane always struggled with sharing, but Naomi felt the smile that her sister had when she spoke about Damocles was worth the effort. How she felt about the actual content of the talk… that was something she would have to think about on her own.

Damocles was always hard for her to figure out, oscillating between kind and ruthless, hot and cold. It was difficult to figure out which one was the real one, what his real face was. Did he actually care about all of them, or was he just tricking them like he did with the Devil Lords?

She resolved to find out, and soon. Her sister was getting more and more attached, at this point hopelessly in love with him. Naomi had avoided this confrontation due to her own feelings for the Sagan, but that excuse no longer cut it with this new information.

The voice in the back of her head that whispered she was only this resolved because she felt she was falling behind was ruthlessly silenced. This was for her sister, no other reason.

Right?

Chapter 51: Hidden Feelings

Hidden Feelings

Yasaka could not have known, but her attempt to relax me had far reaching consequences. Her drawing me into her own meditative state was the best instruction in the art I could have ever asked for. I must admit, the ease at which I found myself meditating on my next attempt did endear me heavily towards the Matron of Kyoto.

I was overseen by Ranni, as was proper for when I was dealing with something like this, but unfortunately she could not assist overmuch. Apparently the soul was something deeply personal, any form of interference or action by an outside force could result in unforeseen consequences, even for one such as her.

Especially for one such as her.

Still, she was able to observe, to ensure that I was warned off of doing anything stupid as well as offering advice should I need it. Closing my eyes, remembering the feeling that the Nine-Tailed Fox had induced within me, I sank into the trance. Feeling the thrumming core at the centre of my being, I resumed my examination of the cage around my soul in earnest.

"It is odd…" I murmured, deeply immersed in the feeling and construction of the cage, "But not surprising, upon further thought."

"What might that be, mine Consort?" Ranni asked, her mental voice soft, not wishing to be a disturbance.

"This construction, the way the seal's magic is structured… It feels familiar." I responded.

"That is to be expected." Was the response, "The seal has been a part of thee for a while yet, my dear. Plenty of time for thou to become familiar with the construct."

"Yes, but…" I trailed off, my mind turning it over, "It feels more than that. There is something that is tickling the back of my thoughts. Let me think…"

Ranni stayed quiet as I thought it over. One of the things that irked me about this seal is who could have placed it. Currently, there were three major suspects. Serafall, Catharsis and the parents of this body. I had hoped that examining the seal would have helped me narrow it down, but it was proving frustratingly stubborn to my attempts at divining its secrets.

Even more annoying, it didn't show to my Geass, or at least I had not yet figured out how to use my Geass upon my own soul. It would be so much easier if I could just find a weak point to Lock and bring the whole thing down… Wait.

My realisation brought me out of my meditation, my eyes snapping open as I rose from where my body had been resting against the Goddess.

"Damocles? Hath thy achieved a breakthrough?" She asked, causing me to turn to her.

"Perhaps. Let me try something." I turned back to the garden, reaching for my family trait.

Pulling it into existence, I Locked the movement of the air in a wide area. Once done, I activated my Geass and examined the structure of the magic in deeper detail. I had done this before, when attempting to garner more understanding of my clan trait, but I had reached a dead end in that department. Now, the reasoning for such a stop could have revealed itself.

Looking at the construction of the Lock, I could see it. It was different, it looked unlike the seal on my soul, but the patterns… The patterns were there. The building blocks of the two different magic constructs were the same, even if their final visages differed vastly.

"I think…" I spoke, turning back to Ranni, "That the seal on my soul was a Lock, from the Sagan Clan trait."

"I see, so thy theory that it could have been placed by thine mother was correct." Ranni answered, a small smile on her face, "I am thankful that it was not an action by an enemy. It was likely placed as a safety measure, from what I could glean from the tales about her."

"Yes." I sagged, in mixed relief and frustration, "I am thankful that it is not a kill switch or something more insidious, but there is a problem."

"What is that, Consort??" Her head tilted slightly.

"I have no idea what it is Locking. And seeing as it likely is using my own Demonic Power to power itself… Fighting it blind would be unlikely to succeed."

"I see." She murmured, before rising to her feet, gently drawing me into a four armed embrace, "I am sorry, Damocles. Answers have only spawned more questions in this regard. However, I have faith that thou shalt prevail and overcome this trial."

Hugging her cool body to me in return, I mentally agreed with her. Even though I was no closer to actually undoing the seal, at least I was no longer stumbling blind in the dark.

Just that was already a large amount of progress.

---XXX---

One part of owning a successful Trading Company is the unfortunate reality that I occasionally had to actually run said company. I delegated, of course, accounting and contract enforcement being handled better than I could by Shiro and CC, but allowing someone else to have full control was not in my nature.

So I had to sit at my desk in my Office every now and then, making sure that things were going as I would want them to. I remained the final say in any decisions in regards to the company, meaning that I had quite the ever cycling pile of paperwork to go through and approve. In the past couple of years, I had grown rather competent at this task, files and documents slowly but surely moving themselves from the 'in' to the 'out' pile.

I had taken some time out of my schedule with my Peerage in order to stay on top of this, meaning that I was rather surprised by the knock on my office door. Wondering who could be disturbing me at the moment, despite knowing that I was busy with work, I called out to the mystery visitor.

"Come in."

The door opened, revealing my dutiful Knight holding a tray, upon which lay a slice of the cake I had made for lunch and a steaming cup.

"Sorry to bother you." Kasane spoke, her voice even, "I brought you something to help."

"Thank you, Kasane." I smiled at her, despite my surprise.

This was something I would expect from her sister, not the rather focused Kasane. Still, I appreciated the gesture. Kasane walked forwards and placed the tray down before stepping back. Lifting up the cup, idly glancing down and confirming its contents at tea, I took a long sip before signing the paper in front of me and moving it to the out pile.

I noticed that Kasane had stilled after placing down the tray, her body language formal and tense. Looking at her out of the corner of my eye, I saw the very slight swaying of her hips, her nervousness being betrayed by the motion.

"You can relax Kasane. I don't bite." A small bit of tension left her shoulders at my words, "Unless you want me to."

That got a small laugh out of her, the rest of her tension dissipating as she took in a deep breath and let it out.

Resolved, she turned to me, causing me to also move to face her, "Damocles, I want to try something."

I raised an eyebrow, causing her to flush, "Oh?"

"Something… intimate." She fidgeted as she admitted it, causing me to grin. Seeing my expression, her flush deepened as she pouted slightly, "I'm not good at explaining things. Don't tease me."

"Sorry, sorry." I held up my hands, "What did you want to try?"

"Well… I saw… There was a thing on the DevilNet and…" She started and stopped, her blush not abating in the slightest even as she carefully controlled her expression.

"Kasane." I spoke, causing her to stop and look at me attentively, "You don't need to ask permission or explain yourself. If you want to do something with me, just try it and if it's not something I'm into I'll stop you, okay?"

"I understand." She responded, before shocking me as she immediately dropped to her knees and started to crawl under my desk.

I had meant that in the future, she didn't have to fret about acting during our intimate moments, but as she started to undo and work down my pants, I wisely decided that the clarification could wait. Her boldness proved effective, as her warm breath quickly excited me and I was soon at full hardness.

She stared at the turgid pillar of flesh for a few moments before sighing out, "This was inside me...?"

"You sound disbelieving." I joked, causing her to look up at me bashfully.

"I didn't get a good look last time." She pouted, causing me to laugh, "Shut up."

Possibly in an attempt to force me to, she hesitantly stuck out her tongue and clumsily ran it up the bottom of my dick. I sucked in a hiss of air the sensation, gripping the edge of the desk as the pleasure ran through me. After her First exploratory lick, she stared up at me, a smug aura radiating out of her from my reaction.

I shivered a bit from the sensation of her cooling saliva, the sensation growing slightly uncomfortable.

"Surely that wasn't all you wanted to try?" My question brought a slight quirk of Kasane's lips, as she softly shook her head and leaned forward to blow on my tip.

I gripped the edges of my desk, the feeling of the rushing air on the sensitive flesh combined with the cold fluid left by her tongue almost maddening.

"Kasane." I spoke, my voice holding a warning within it.

She tilted her head, a perfect look of innocent curiosity on her face as she asked, "It's called a blow job, no? Am I doing it wrong?"

I laughed, forcing out, "You're fucking with me, aren't you?"

"Yes." She smirked, a cheeky grin on her face that quickly faded as she turned back to my exposed cock..

She took in a deep breath, steeling herself before she kissed the tip, her lips slowly sliding open as she started to feed my dick into her mouth. I closed my eyes, backing in the sensation as more and more of it was welcomed into her moist, warm mouth. Testing, she sucked, the actions sending a jolt up my spine.

Devil bodies were perfectly tuned for revelling in sin, after all.

Her tongue, which had been resting idly on the underside of my cock, started to move, lapping and moving around the flesh it could. Quickly seeing the problem, she pulled back until just the head of my dick was in her lips, lavishing licks and caresses upon it as it rested there.

Like how she approached everything, she took this task she had taken upon herself very seriously. Dutifully experimenting and testing, she soon established a rhythm of deep sucks followed by pulling back to lap around my shaft with her tongue. Still, she didn't rest on her laurels, trying out anything that came to mind, varying her speeds and intensities.

She quickly came up with a wicked idea. Not quite ready to experiment with taking me within her throat, she instead pushed me against her cheek, taking a large amount of my shaft into her mouth as her tongue went crazy flicking the side.

"Fuuuuck, Kasane." I groaned out, my grip on the desk becoming white knuckled.

I could feel her lips twitch at the sound, but our lustful moment was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Damocles?" Came a familiar voice, causing both our eyes to widen, locking together as she looked up at me with shock.

"Can we talk?" Naomi called out through the door.

"I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment." I called out, trying my damnedest to keep my voice level, "Is it urgent?"

"Not... urgent, exactly. But it is important." Kasane gave me a meaningful look, and pulled off my cock with a muted pop.

"You should speak to her." She whispered, causing me to stare at her in surprise.

I mean, I was not shy, but the idea of talking to Naomi with my cock out under the desk after just having been blown by her sister was a bit brazen, even for my standards.

"Damocles?" Naomi's voice came once again, causing me to sigh.

"Remember, this was your idea." I whispered to the white haired girl, before straightening up and moving the chair closer to the desk, said girl nestling between my legs before I called out, "Come in, Naomi."

"Thank you." The blond opened the door, walking in before closing it behind her and taking in a deep breath, facing me resolutely.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I questioned, schooling my features to make sure she had no clues as to what had just been occurring.

"You slept with Kasane." Came the unexpected statement, causing Kasane herself to stiffen up between my legs, "I want to know what your intentions are towards her."

"Are you asking if I am going to marry her? Or was your question more as to how I feel for her?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I know marriage isn't in the cards." Was her response, bitterness slipping in for the briefest of moments, "But if you are playing with her heart I won't forgive you."

"We had this conversation before. I believe it was when you asked if I was a murderer." I spoke, causing her to flinch, "But I suppose clarification won't be out of the question."

My tone turned stern, brooking no argument, "Kasane is mine. You are mine. For as long as that remains the case, I refuse to give either of you up. I know it's difficult to completely comprehend, but we are immortal, Naomi. From now on until eternity, you are stuck with me."

"What if we don't want to be yours? What if we want to be free?" The question caused Kasane to fidget, seemingly panicking her.

I brought my hand underneath the desk, gently resting it reassuringly on her head, "Do you want to be free? Do you want to leave, Naomi? Does Kasane?"

I could feel the head under my palm shake itself at the question, almost making me smile.

Naomi chewed her lips, conflict clear on her face, "No. I like it here. But, this relationship you have with CC, now Kasane and soon Ranni, who knows who else... It's wrong."

"Why?" My question was blunt, causing her to almost flinch at its curtness, "For what reason? They are all aware of the situation and accept it. I haven't forced them into anything, and I care for each one dearly. If that is your concern, you can rest assured, I cherish Kasane a great deal. She amazes me, I have come to rely on her a great deal."

The statement caused a warm cheek to rest against my thigh, the heat indicating the intense blush of its owner.

"That's..." Naomi trailed off, Her resolve and momentum dissipating.

"We are not human, Naomi." I spoke softly, my words trailing across the room, "Expecting us to hold to human morals is foolishness. The only thing we can turn to in matters such as these is our own minds and our own hearts."

Gently stroking the head of her sister, I continued, "Whatever feelings they contain, we should not feel guilt for them. So long as we are honest with each other, we will be able to work through it."

My words had the intended effect, causing Naomi to visibly start considering them, turning them over in her mind.

They also had an unintended effect, however. My dick had not completely softened, the cooling saliva stimulating it minimally as it hung in the air, but the process was swiftly reversed as I felt lips gently touch the tip.

It almost made me look down in shock, completely disbelieving that Kasane would attempt to resume our interrupted activity with her sister still in the room.

"CC was right. You are annoyingly perceptive." Naomi spoke, refocusing my gaze onto her as I struggled to not show what was happening on my face.

"She has told me so directly." I responded, clenching my free fist as I sunk once more into the depths of Kasane's mouth..

Naomi took in a deep breath, before stating, "You want to own us. Completely. That's your goal with the entire Peerage."

I wondered if Kasane was still paying attention, as instead of pausing she instead brought me deeper than she had ever gone before, just before I would start to enter her throat. I replied just as she pulled back, the soft satin feeling of her lips a pleasurable hell for my focus.

"Yes." I didn't deny it, Kasane starting to lavish my tip with licks and suckles as the conversation continued, "Is that a problem for you?"

Naomi struggled visibly for a bit, before she asked in a small voice, "You won't ever abandon us?"

Out of everything, this is what caused Kasane to stop, but for what reason I could not say.

"Never." The surety in my voice was like stating the sun would rise, "When I said you were stuck with me for eternity, I meant it."

"Okay." Naomi nodded, a wide smile forming on her face as she apparently made a decision, "So when can I expect my date?"

The words caused Kasane to jolt, almost choking herself in her shock. To be fair, they came completely out of left field for me as well.

"I wasn't aware you wanted one?" I cursed internally as the statement came out more as a question, taking in a deep breath as Kasane resumed her motions.

"Well now you do. So when is my turn?" I could recognise a strong front when I saw one, but with the determined distraction of Kasane's suckling and licking, I was in no position to delve under it.

"I'll get back to you. Expect to hear from me soon." I sent a grin her way, causing a teasing grin in response.

"I'll look forward to it." As she said that, she whirled around and opened the door, moving into the hallway and closing it behind her again, attempting for all the world to look like she wasn't attempting to flee.

As her sister left, Kasane became more animated, her movements growing bolder, slurps and sucks echoing from under desk as I tightened my grip on her head, my other hand grasping the edge of the wood.

"Damn, Kasane, what has got into you?" My question went unanswered, as for the first time she took me deeply, her throat welcoming the length as she swallowed around me.

I groaned as the sticky walls of her neck fluttered around my dick, the pulling sensation of her swallows milking my entire cock. Pulling back slightly, she started to bob and down, screwing her head into my lap. Involuntarily, I thrust up, causing a slight choke to sound out. Rather than stopping, she redoubled her effort, putting her full effort into the act.

"Kasane, I'm going to cum!" I warned, tapping her shoulder with the hand that had been on her head, wanting to warn her before the rising tide of pleasure swept me away.

In response to my words, she dove down, her lips meeting my pelvis as she repeated her swallowing trick, milking the orgasm out of me. The load rushed out in time to her swallows, disappearing down her throat and directly into her stomach.

Soon it was finished, the last of my come dibbling into her hungry maw as she pulled herself off my cock. An audible swallow was heard over the sound of my own heavy breathing, and soon the Knight made her way out from under the desk. I stared down t her as I caught my breath, but instead of the bashful girl I had become used to, Kasane instead stared back at me with naked desire.

"What the Hell was that about?" I asked, causing her to lead in and kiss my cheek, before whispering into my ear.

"You're going to ruin her. Treat Naomi well, okay?" Well now.

That was a whole can of worms that bared investigation.

Later though, as my sexy Knight was still glued to my body, arousal painted over her entire bearing. Deciding that the paperwork could also wait, I stood, vanishing our clothes as I did and sweeping her into my arms in a princess carry.

"We will continue this conversation in the Bedroom." I spoke down at her, a teleportation circle flaring to life under my feet.

Her red eyes stared up into mine, "Gladly."

Chapter 52: Lustful Thoughts:

Lustful Thoughts:

"So…" I looked down at the content white haired Knight, who was contentedly snuggling into my chest, "I'll 'ruin' your sister? Care to explain why that excited you so much?"

The naked beauty snuggled into my chest deeper at that, studiously avoiding meeting my eyes, "No."

"Kasane…" I sighed, "As adorable as that is, it is not going to get you out of this. If you have any expectations or desires for our relationship, you need to tell me about them, if only to prevent avoidable misunderstandings."

"I don't really want to say it." She mumbled, her voice quiet.

"I won't force you then, if you are really against it." I hummed in response, wrapping her tighter in my embrace and just basking in the warmth of her body for a moment.

The silence filled the room after that, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. It was still early in the day, but a nap was feeling more and more appealing as I relaxed. Our first experience was brief, but with the extended time that this intimate moment had been afforded, Kasane revealed that she was surprisingly fond of cuddles.

She had barely let me go ever since we had finished having sex, instead latching onto me and treating me like a body pillow. I was certainly not complaining, there are a lot worse things to experience than the loving embrace of an attractive lady.

Eventually, Kasane started to whisper, her breath ghosting over the skin of my stomach, "I'm not a Randall."

I stayed silent, listening as my Knight started to open up, "Naomi's parents… they only agreed to adopt me due to my powers. I was never meant to actually be her sister, just her protection."

She took in a shaky breath, her tale continuing, "But Naomi… She is always difficult to predict. She accepted me wholeheartedly, treating me as her true sister almost as soon as we met. However… It was never real. Her family was still the Randalls, not me. Eventually… Eventually she would have had to choose between us."

I could feel tears dropping onto my chest, I hugged her tighter to me as she finished, "If it was between me and her family, I don't know what would have been worse. One way, I would have lost her, like I almost did… but the other, all her resources, all her connections, everything she was came from her family. Without that, It would have been horrible."

She tilted her head, kissing the skin beneath her face, "But I didn't lose her. Thanks to you. And if you want both of us? If you take both of us into your bed? We will be together forever. We will never have to separate."

"I see." My voice was expectant, knowing, '"But your reaction wasn't one of relief, or gratitude. It was of arousal, Kasane."

She tilted her head back away from me, but from the heat of her cheeks I could feel that she was blushing heavily.

"Kasane." She tensed, "Does the thought of me bedding your sister excite you?"

Her lack of denial was all the answer I needed.

"Am I weird?" Was the soft question that escaped her little fort of embarrassment.

"Not at all." I smirked, "In fact, let me prove it to you."

I used my grip on her shoulders to move her beneath me, her red face showing shock as I loomed over her. Gently opening her legs with my knee, sliding between them as her eyes widened.

"Who knew my little knight was so kinky?" I asked, causing her to blink.

"What…? Damocles! Again?!" Despite her disbelief, she was clearly not against the idea.

"Before I absolutely ruin Naomi, as you were so eager for me to do," I leaned down and whispered in her ear, her breathing speeding up as the excitement of the situation got to her, "I wish to practise on her beloved sister first."

Kasane moaned as I once more hilted myself inside her, having not fully recovered from our previous session. She certainly had no complaints about my plan.

---XXX---

"I'm sorry we've been so delayed in this, Rias." I spoke, causing the Gremory to nervously fidget, clearly unsure how to treat me with the revelations granted to her by her Ancestor.

"We thank you for your hospitality, Lord Sagan." She decided to default to formality, causing me to internally sigh, "My Peerage and I appreciate the time you have allowed us to use your grounds."

"Oho?" Her queen ruined her attempt by leaning on her shoulder, almost bucking the redhead under her weight, "What's this? Why so stiff, Rias-chan? Trouble in paradise?"

"Your King is overthinking things." I replied to her, before looking down at the tugging at my sleeves, "Yes, yes, Koneko. I have not forgotten."

Waving my hand, a warm tray of baked treats appeared, causing sparkles to appear in the little Neko's eyes. As she took a few of the chocolate temptations from the tray, I caused it to disappear into my storage once again.

"Don't look at me like that." I chided at her affronted look, "You know the deal. Do well in your training and you get the rest."

"Stingy." She clicked her tongue causing me to smile.

"If you want them now, you should offer something in return. Do you have anything I would be interested in?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from me, "Pervert."

"It says more about you, that that was the first place your mind turned to." My teasing was rewarded with a blush.

Rias, seeing me act as if nothing had changed to her Peerage took in a deep breath, "I apologise, Lord Sagan, but-"

"Damocles." I spoke, staring at her seriously, "You are still a friend, Rias. My friend. I will not let titles change that."

"...Damocles. I'm sorry, with everything that's been happening… I was just a bit anxious. I'm sorry to do this so soon, but would you mind if we have an extra with us today?" She visibly relaxed, but still seemed a bit awkward.

"I understand. I guess this extra guest would be Runeas?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth, the teleport circle lit up again, the aforementioned bratty Devil appearing behind Rias' Peerage.

"Runey is here!" She cheered, before taking in the looks she was receiving.

She placed her index finger on her lips teasingly, "What's this? Was I a bit too early?"

"You are welcome to oversee today's training, Ancestor Runeas." I spoke to her, attempting to channel my most stuffy and overly formal impression.

Akeno giggled while Runeas pouted at me, "Damocles! I've told you that you can call me Runey!"

"I will keep that in mind, Ancestor Runeas." I spoke, in complete seriousness.

Inwardly, I felt a vicious rush of satisfaction run through me at her annoyed pout at my response.

Dropping my act, I turned to Rias and smiled, "It's not a problem Rias. Do you have anything specific you wish to cover today, or will we be doing the standard solo training?"

"The usual will be fine Damocles." She finally relaxed fully, smiling prettily at me, "Thank you."

"You are most welcome."

---XXX---

Runeas was right to come to this occasion. Watching how the Sagan effortlessly juggled Rias' Peerage's needs and personalities as if he were their King, it spoke to a level of familiarity and social manipulation that was truly impressive for one so young.

Looking at the 'training' occurring between the two Knights, she even commended him on identifying the one he had to spend the least effort on. Akeno held Rias' ear, her most trusted confidante. Remaining in her good graces was smart. The entire peerage doted on Koneko, the little rascal having the entire group wrapped around her gluttonous finger. Making sure she was fond of him engendered a large amount of goodwill from the rest of them.

As for Kiba? Well, he could safely be ignored. The boy was a lost sheep, he would go with the majority even if he personally disagreed. The Sagan had been quite sly indeed, subverting the loyalties of all of Rias' companions alongside her, such that the girl was most assuredly caught quite firmly in his web.

She could be broken out of it, of course, but being trapped like this did confer numerous benefits. The leash was long and the whip had not been used once. Besides, with what she was planning, the Sagan's actions could be beneficial to the Gremory's standing in the future.

Still, Kiba's infatuation with the Knight of the Sagan is certain to be destined for tragedy. It was a cruel irony, she thought with a grin, that the one most suited to teaching him despised him so thoroughly. Ah, unrequited puppy love was just so deliciously bitter. Still, what fascinated her most about what she could see occurring in front of her, was what the Sagan was currently teaching her descendant.

Rather than shoot out the overpowering, devastating torrents of Destruction that her brother favoured, the Sagan had instead seemingly encouraged her to focus on another aspect. It was smart, the girl dreamed of becoming a Rating Game Champion, she was unlikely to do so if she merely imitated another.

No, instead of power, her little Ria-tan had been trained extensively in speed. She condensed her Destruction into spinning black-red balls of energy, that whistled through the air at dazzling speeds and expanded upon contact with her target. She had spent quite a while trying to identify the reasoning behind teaching her in this way, but Runeas though she had it figured out.

The speed made up for the lack of raw power, which could be added in any way. The spin made the magic 'feel' more accurate and move faster, but didn't actually serve a proper mechanical purpose. Still, that in itself was its purpose. Devil Magic worked on imagination, their powers and abilities working the way they thought it should work. In theory, if a Devil was insane enough to have absolute confidence in their own conclusions, they could accomplish anything with convoluted enough reasoning.

It was only the older generation that knew this principle applied to their Powers from Blood as well, not just their normal magic. For Damocles to have figured that out at such a young age… Or, perhaps, he had been told? That struck her as unlikely, as the interference in their Powers in such a way could go dangerously wrong.

As proven multiple times, when her Descendant attempted to utilise her Destruction in new and convoluted ways, occasionally losing control of the balls of doom too soon. Before they could destabilise, they were winked out of existence by the Sagan's binding. Indeed, that seemed like an incredibly effective way to contain the fallout of any mistakes.

Runeas leaned forwards, watching Damocles as he discussed the latest attempt with Rias, controlling dozens of the little balls at once in a spread. He was training her and her Peerage. He was training them very well, in fact. They were miles ahead of what they would have been without this instruction.

Even to her eyes, she could find no signs of sabotage or incorrect advice. So, that begged the question, what did he get out of this? There were many possible options, of course, but not much evidence for any of them.

Training against the Power of Destruction? Unlikely, his own Power was pretty binary in what it allowed him to accomplish. Did he need Rias herself for something she knew or possessed? She did have the Forbidden Balor View in her little Bishop, but kidnapping would be so much easier than this charade. Besides, Gaspar had met the Sagan Lord before, but did not attend these meetings due to his extreme Agoraphobia. Rias had no infernal, dark secrets either, certainly none that she had uncovered.

Did he need a Rating Game Champion? For what? The Rating Games themselves were a side show at best, bread and circuses to distract the population while the real power brokers moved in the shadows.

That just left Rias herself. The Sagan desired her for some reason. One didn't wade into another House's betrothal contract without extreme cause, Oh, there was no mistaking that this was exactly what this training represented. Rias being strong enough to crush her future husband would make the contract untenable, with her vocal and frequent rage against the arrangement.

Not to mention said husband's complete, total and most importantly public disinterest in his betrothed. A behaviour that only emerged after the Phenex went into business with the Sagan.

Questions upon questions, little in the way of answers. She would keep an eye out as to this Devil's motivations, but at the moment she just had not gathered enough information to make any decent guesses.

What information she had gathered, however, painted a very interesting picture. Damocles Sagan was dangerous. It sounded like she was stating the obvious, but it really was not. She could see why the New Satans were so useless in handling the boy. He had connections with Tiamat, with the Yokai, a strong Peerage and now this new Goddess, Ranni. But more than any of that, even with all that removed, Damocles himself was dangerous.

He was stronger than he should be. This rate of growth was absurd. The him from the fight against Astaroth two years ago? She would have laughed him to defeat. The one standing before her now? She was unsure if she could beat him. That was coming from her, an Ancestor, one of the oldest Devils in existence.

Looking at the boy, she saw another boy, so very similar in that way, one with flaming red hair and a bright hopeful grin. But Damocles was nothing like that boy in temperament. He was shrewd, charismatic and most damningly, cunning.

She heard the theory that ridiculous Serafall espoused, that the Sagan had been aided from the shadows the moment he woke, coached to his current position by his Queen. Serafall was wrong. Damocles himself was the mastermind behind the Sagan's rise. The way he interacted with Rias and her peerage, the thought behind his actions, the consideration taken to his public image… The New Satans had their pride. She could see why they could not accept being challenged by a child.

But they forget, that is what they did. To be fair, they were decades older than Damocles when they did so, but that was but a heartbeat to their kind. None of them looked too close, none of them approached the Sagan and got to know him. She was certain if they did so, they would discover what she did.

A prodigy.

An all rounder too. Power, charisma, political acumen, calculation, ruthlessness? It was almost as if someone knew all her buttons and crafted Damocles specifically to press each of them.

Lust at the undiscovered gem she had found aside, she was very aware of the dangerous knowledge of his lineage that she carried with her. Knowledge that will come to light sooner or later and if she wanted to stay in his good graces, knowledge that it would behoove her to share quickly.

Still, there was time for her to continue her deliberations. She knew that was the responsible course of action, but she was tempted to go with one of her first plans, working with the Sagan to reclaim his birthright, the Throne of Hell. She would freely admit that attraction was influencing her thoughts, after all competence was just so sexy, especially if it was working in your interests.

She was a Devil, first and foremost. She should follow her desires.

Before she decided completely however, she would need to unfortunately consider the matter carefully. Once she committed, there would be no backing out. In either opposing this rising force or working with it, the same two outcomes were assured.

Victory, or Death.

Chapter 53: Decrees and Heralds

Decrees and Heralds

"Hmm," I said, taking in what I was looking at with my Geass, "I think the issue is in visualisation."

"But I am visualising." Rias pouted, "You told me how important that was."

"Yes," I smiled indulgently, "But what are you visualising? I'm guessing you are thinking of the orbs like they are balloons?"

"Yes?" She answered, wondering where I was going with this.

"What are the balloons filled with, Rias? Air and Water react differently to compression. If you are swapping between the two, that could be why some explode and some don't." I explained, causing her to tilt her head at that.

"I see, so if I keep the visualisation of the Power of Destruction as air…" She closed her eyes, once again forming a malevolent red bullet and sending it screaming towards the target.

Like normal, it impacted and expanded, eating into the facsimile of a person. Another bullet formed, about the size of an apple. Her brow furrowed, and it shrunk down to the size of a grape. Firing this one as well, it flew faster through the air and landed, causing the exact same amount of damage.

Her eyes opened as she grinned, "I see! Thank you Damocles! I think I've got it now."

She turned and hugged me at that, pulling her smaller body tightly towards mine.

"Good, well done." She preened under the praise, "But, you'll need to get the time to form them down if you want this to be useful in combat."

She pouted up at me, "Would it kill you to let me celebrate a bit? This has been annoying me for a while, finally figuring out the problem is amazing. Can't I just enjoy it?"

I grinned down to her, "I thought you wanted to be a Champion, Do you think that would come about without practising?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah yeah. I'll get back to it."

She released the hug, turning back to the dummy and returning to her practice. I sent an apologetic look to Ranni, who was observing from the side, who merely smiled back towards me.

Rias started to form the orbs, creating smaller and faster projectiles as she did. To be fair to her, she was supremely talented. If she had started training earlier, or took it more seriously, she would be a monster.

However, I could tell. She slacked off. Whenever not participating in these training sessions she did not push herself as hard on her own. In short, she lacked self motivation.

It made my plan for her annoying, but still achievable. If she wasn't so talented, I would have thought it to be unreasonable, but thankfully that was not the case. She wanted to be a Rating Game Champion? I will grant her wish.

My scheming was interrupted by a certain bratty Ancestor, "You know, I'm surprised at how seriously you are taking this. Surely she has plenty of time to get as strong as she wants?"

"There is no reason to be lazy." I turned to Runeas, "Her desire is to be the best. You don't get there without any effort."

"All work and no play will make you a dull boy." She tutted, wagging a finger, "You should relax and enjoy your youth more."

"I 'enjoy my youth' plenty. I just know how to separate work from play." I replied, causing her to grin.

"Oh? You enjoy yourself, you say? Why don't you sit down and tell Auntie Runey all about how you are 'enjoying' your-" She was interrupted by Naomi, wearing her working maid outfit, teleporting into the training area.

"Damocles, you have a visitor." She reported, annoyance writ over her face.

"Oh? I was not aware of any appointments. Who is it?" Her answer caused my mood to plummet.

"Sona Sitri."

"The Sitri are banned from my lands." I replied, irked.

"She hasn't set foot on the manor proper. She is waiting for you at the border." Was the reply, Naomi sharing my feelings on the matter.

I sighed, turning to my invited guests who were watching the exchange with worry and interest, respectively, "I am sorry Rias, to cut this short. I need to go deal with this."

"Sona is my friend, Damocles. I should come with and-" Rias started.

"No." I cut her off, causing her to frown, "The relationship between the Sitri and the Sagan are between us. Getting involved when you have no cause to, will only complicate matters."

"But!" She was stopped by her ancestor, who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He's correct, Rias. Should you wish to bridge the gap between your two friends, this is not the way to do it. Interfering with either of their plays without full understanding will only backfire."

I nodded to her, slightly conflicted at feeling thankful for her council to her descendant, "Thank you. I doubt I will be back in time to finish this training session, but I will leave you in good hands."

I looked towards CC, who caught my gaze and nodded, causing me to sigh, "Sorry Rias."

"It's fine. You helped me a lot already today. Just… Go easy on her? Please?" She turned her puppy dog eyes to max, causing me to laugh.

"I'll try, but no promises." With that, I walked to Naomi, taking her arm and teleporting to the border of my Manor.

---XXX---

Odin sat on his throne, Gungnir clutched tightly in his hand. It was a spectacular weapon, able to weave fate into its strikes, stabbing through the streams of the future to unerringly find its target. It had felled countless enemies in his hands, giants, gods and monsters alike. However, it was but a toothpick to the thing that Sagan had at his beck and call.

He could read between the lines. She was correct. The only reason this World was not hers is because she didn't want it. None could stop her. He briefly wondered, if that annoyingly powerful Lord of Light was still around, would he even be able to impede her? He shook his head, driving the hypothetical from his head. It didn't matter, it made no difference to his current situation.

He cursed his nature. Knowledge was his vice, he would go to any lengths, sacrifice almost anything that was his to give in order to acquire it. Sometimes, that was a mistake that cut deeply. He could still see it, the true nature of the thing taking a female form. The aurora that slowly spread across the ground, the beautiful light turned into a weapon of devastation, leaving behind nothing but frozen desolation.

All that it froze, all that it killed, was added to its own power. He had felt it, the deep, all consuming rage that drove its relentless destruction. Someone had crossed the Dark Moon and entire dimensions paid the price. Even more, he knew the true nature of what it really was, how the domains that she claimed for herself came to be a part of her. The Dark Moon was a devourer of Gods.

He would have been worried that this was the reason she was here, the goal behind her presence in this world. But that made no sense. If she wanted to eat the divinity that this world had within itself, it would not be a great task to accomplish. Maybe, perhaps, if given enough time, one of their number would be able to rise to a level where they could challenge her, or a trick to seal her away could be discovered.

Short of the Infinite and the Dream combining, nothing that this world called its own would do anything of note. Even in that outlandish scenario, the world would suffer greatly, likely being destroyed in the process. A pyrrhic victory, if that.

Thankfully, as insane as it seemed, Ranni had spoken true. She truly had no care for any of the gods or beings that called this world their own. The only thing she was interested in was her life with the Sagan, her Consort. He had no clue what the Devil had done to get such fierce loyalty from such a being, but for once, He was happy to not search out that knowledge. He felt the danger of poking that particular bee hive.

However, just because he now knew the true nature of the being that had usurped the Moon and shattered Fate, did not mean that he could leave it at that.

Her voice reverberated through his head, his very divinity remembering them, 'Thou shalt be mine Herald.'

The message had been very clear. She did not care what the Norse did, so long as it did not impact her or the Sagan. He was happy to accept that, but there were members of his Pantheon that would not leave well enough alone. He knew Loki was already looking into the matter, it would not surprise him if the Dark Moon was dragged into their affairs anyway.

It left him in quite a difficult situation. Telling Loki not to do something was the best way to make sure he would go and do it immediately. Merely leaving things as they were was a viable strategy, but as King he should do his level best to make sure that anything the Trickster did had minimal consequences for his Realm.

He cursed his son's nature. He loved the boy, as a father, but as a king the brat had caused him no end of headaches.

At the end of the day, Gods were slaves to their nature. An unfortunate truth of the world, one that he had paid a great deal to learn.

Looking up, he stared seriously at the assembled gods and spirits. He had summoned everyone he could to Asgard. Enemies and friends both, all waiting for his proclamation. The last time they were all gathered under this roof, it was to agree to the truce that had halted Ragnarok. The Christian God had forced them to delay their own fate, just to ensure their survival.

Now here he was again, to once more ensure the survival of them all.

"I have a decree. This is perhaps the most serious law I will ever pass." He started, staring down every single soul in attendance, "There is to be no negotiation, no room to argue. My word on this is final."

They all straightened. This was a tacit admission as to how seriously he was taking this. He would be fully willing to restart the averted End Times just to enforce this decree.

"Any interaction, by any who call the Nine Realms home, between the Sagan and the new Goddess, Ranni, is forbidden." That caused some murmurs and widened eyes, the rumours that Odin was looking into the matter being confirmed, "Any who do so are no longer of the Nine Realms. They forfeit their place amongst us, their Names and Deeds will be struck from all records, they no longer exist in my eye."

Shocked exclamations filled the halls at that, the unrest spreading throughout Asgard as his words were relayed to all in the city and beyond.

To the Norse, this was worse than death. Your Saga, your Deeds, the Names you earned, they were you. Proof you existed. Odin, the All-father, had just stated that he would personally erase the existence of any that broke this law. This was unprecedented, he had never gone so far.

As he started to calm the furore, assuring both his enemies and his loyal subjects that he had very good reasoning for this unprecedented step, his eye found his sons. Thor had gripped his hammer, warily looking at the restless denizens shocked at his father's announcement. However, Odin's gaze locked on the expression of his other son.

Internally, he sighed at the smile, the glint of interest in his eyes. He knew it was a vain hope, but he had wished that his son, just for once, just on this one matter, would have listened to him.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Odin prayed.

---XXX---

"Sitri." I spoke, breaking the staring contest between my guard dragon and the heiress, "To what do I owe the unannounced pleasure?"

She pushed up her glasses, "That was very clever, it must be said. Only taking visitors in your manor, refusing to meet any outside of it, yet at the same time banning my family from all your lands? Quite the ingenious move."

"Yet you have found the loophole." I crossed my arms, staring down at the nervous girl, "I appreciate the compliment, but my question remains. What do you want."

She took in a breath, "My birthday is in a month. There will be a ball at the Capitol for it. I am here to deliver you an invitation."

She waved her hand, a letter appearing in her grasp, taking a step forward to offer it towards me. Tiamat growled at the movement, eyes locked on the faintly glowing line that marked the end of my territory. Sona stopped just before it, pausing slightly.

"May I enter?" She tilted her head, hiding her shivering at the Dragon's glare.

"No." I spoke, stepping forward and stopping out of her reach, staring down at the girl, "What do you want to accomplish with this, Sitri? Do you really think that this will smooth over everything?"

"I am not my sister." She spoke, not retracting the invitation, "Nor my mother. Neither of them know that I am doing this."

I raised an eyebrow at that, "So if I show up, will it be a surprise to them? That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."

She rolled her eyes, "Obviously I will tell them about this after I go home. I'm not an idiot."

"I see." I said, "Then as someone who is not an idiot, please explain what you are trying to achieve with this?"

"Whatever your issues with my family, I had no part in it. Leaving this enmity to fester between us would be foolish." She spoke, causing me to narrow my eyes.

I could see what she was doing. She was attempting to open up dialogue, due to me completely cutting off her family from interacting with mine. This was an attempt to crack open a line of communication in an effort for reconciliation. Of course, that begged the question, why now?

Ranni. It must be, her arrival kicked over the anthill causing a flurry of activity to pick up all around. The winds from the butterfly's wings were still picking up, this just being one more thing that occurred due to that event.

"I find it interesting that you choose now of all times to do this, Heiress Sitri. In fact, this seems… opportunistic. It makes me doubt the sincerity of the act." At my words, she trembled slightly, but remained resolute.

"It does seem like bad timing. You have no reason to believe it, but I was going to do this anyway. Rias is your friend. Having us fight would hurt her." She took in a deep breath, "I don't want that. So I should at least try to avoid that outcome."

Weird as it was, I did believe her. Not because of her words, but because she was an absolutely shit liar. Green. Far, far too green. She was just a girl, trying to do what she thought was best. Stupid.

"Fine. Your invitation has been delivered." I spoke, taking the envelope from her, causing her to jolt in surprise, "I'll send my reply in due time. Take care on your way back."

"Thank you, Lord Sagan." She spoke to my retreating back, to which I did not reply.

Tiamat joined me at my side, "Well, that was amusing."

"Thank you for your service, Tiamat." I replied, causing her to grin.

"You can thank me with a big pork roast."

I laughed, "Very well, that is what we will have for dinner."

She pumped her fist in victory, making me shake my head in amusement. Looking back to the envelope in my hands, I turned it over in my hand. For an invitation to an Heiress' ball, it was rather plain.

Deciding to investigate it later, I stopped by my study in order to stash it somewhere safe, before returning to the training grounds.

Where I was greeted by the sight of a collapsed Peerage and an unimpressed Melina.

---XXX---

"Stop daydreaming." Rias' head rocked back from the magical flick, causing her to rub the impact site with a glare, "Damocles won't kill her on his grounds. Things will be fine."

"I'm just worried about my friend, okay?" She glared at the Queen of Damocles.

She always rubbed up Rias the wrong way, the woman coming off as cold and uncaring. Her cutting words and caustic attitude were just icing on top.

"I'm sure that will work as an excuse. 'Oh, I lost the Rating Game because my friend was sick and I was worried for her.' That will make it all better, I'm sure." The green haired woman rolled her eyes, proving Rias' point.

"She's got you there, Rias." Came the grinning words of her Queen, the other reason she disliked CC.

Akeno and her got on far too well.

"I get it, okay? What are we going to practise now?" She decided that distracting herself was probably the best use of her time at this point.

"Well, I was thinking-" The Sagan Queen stopped, turning towards the side of the field, where Ranni had been observing the training, "Oh? You have a suggestion?"

Rias had forgotten that the Goddess was there. She had been in Damocles' company, observing everything but rarely making herself come to attention. For how supposedly powerful she was, she was frighteningly capable of just blending into the background.

"I am merely concerned." The cool voice from Damocles'… betrothed… flowed throughout the field, "Thou art teaching them the most efficacious usages of their abilities, but without combat experience, tis would merely be theoretical knowledge, no?"

"That's true!" Runey bounced into the conversation, raising a hand in excitement, "Without actually using your abilities against an opponent, you won't know what works and what doesn't!"

"We do spar against each other, though." Rias spoke, causing the Goddess to nod at her.

"Indeed, child. However, sparring against an opponent you are familiar with gives diminishing returns. Thou learn them, they learn thee and it does not allow both to grow." She steepled both pairs of her hands, "Therefore, I have a suggestion."

As she spoke, another woman walked into the field, her red hair falling to her neck and her dull purple eyes looking over the assembly present.

CC scoffed, "I see where this is going. Very well, enjoy your games."

The Sagan Queen stepped back, letting Ranni take control.

"Ranni. You wanted me to come here?" The new woman spoke to the Goddess, completely ignoring the rest of them.

"I did, mine Herald. Thou have some repressed energy. I have found thee an outlet." The Goddess' words caused Runey to perk up in interest.

"Oh! A herald of Ranni? Pleased to meet you! I am Runeas, but you may call me Runey!" She bounded in front of the woman, hand extended.

She was completely ignored, the woman's eves solely on Ranni, "I do not wish to interact with these… people. You know that."

"Melina." The word held a command, "Thou know that is not possible. Closing thyself off will not resolve the issue."

"Fine." She crossed her arms, "Command me then."

Ranni sighed, before addressing Rias and Runeas, whose smile had faded at the rudeness of this new woman, "Mine apologies for Melina. She hath a difficult disposition. Would you do me the favour of sparring with her? It would do thee both some good."

"If you think it would help, Lady Ranni, I would gladly accept." Rias decided that offending Damocles' fiance was not a good idea, the fact that she was a powerful Goddess merely adding to her decision.

"My thanks. Melina, spar with these children, they are in need of combat experience. No Flame, if thou would." Her blue eyes drilled into this Melina, who merely sighed.

"As you command." She turned around and walked a bit further down the field, before slipping into a loose combat stance.

"I will referee." Kasane stated, walking into the middle between Rias' Peerage and Melina.

"Yeah! Kick her ass, Rias!" Runey cheered, causing her to smile.

She turned back towards her peerage, taking in their resolute expressions, "Are you ready?"

At their nods, she prepared herself before facing this mystery Herald of Ranni, interest filling her thoughts as she took in the woman's form.

"Let's do this!"

Chapter 54: Pride

Pride

She flew forward in a burst of speed, inserting herself within the sloppy formation of the group facing her. They were clearly trained, getting into position and readying themselves, but they clearly lacked experience. There was no room for lackadaisical movements on the battlefield.

Identifying the red-haired one as the leader, Melina swiftly removed her ability to issue orders. A lightning fast jab to the throat cut off her voice, as Melina spun and raised her leg in a high kick, slamming her heel into the black-haired girl, dispersing the lightning that she was manipulating and blasting her away.

Swaying away from the sword that was swung at her, she wrapped herself around the leader and interposed her body between herself and the swordsman. His thrust aborted, he had a look of indecision on his face that lasted only a moment before it shifted to surprise when she pushed the girl into him, causing him to clumsily drop the sword to catch her.

That allowed the white haired one to close in on her, obviously more comfortable in close combat than the others. They traded a small amount of blows, before she overextended, allowing Melina to throw her to the ground, placing her foot on the neck of the girl in a mirror of what that damnable CC had done to her.

"Surrender." She spoke, causing the just recently untangled duo to pause, "I have her at my mercy."

"I am prepared to grant victory to Melina." The Sagan Knight spoke, watching carefully and ready to intervene at any time.

"Yeah, we got destroyed." The leader sighed, seeming to deflate, "You won."

Melina frowned. She understood from the conversations that she had overheard that this one was attempting to become a champion of her people, to participate in fake battles and become one of the strongest of her race. Yet… she was so… green. No malice, no desire to kill. A demi-god this old in the Lands Between would have already been a veteran, having command of their own personal guard and a victor in many battles.

This display… It was almost pathetic.

"Man, that was disappointing." Rias mimicked her thoughts, rubbing her throat and looking disheartened, "We weren't able to do anything."

Was she that weak? Melina was hardly even the strongest fighter present. She had no idea how strong the champions that this girl aspired to defeat were, but they were likely even more overwhelming than her. She had not even used her most deadly weapon. If this was enough to break her resolve, then she should just give up on her goal now and save herself the trouble.

Rias took in a deep breath, before straightening and looking at her with determination, "Would you mind sparring with us again? I just want a moment to speak with my Peerage, we will tell you when you are ready to go again."

She was struck by that. She had done her best to bulldoze them, to crush them instantly and had succeeded, yet they wanted to go again? She did think that Rias needed to toughen up, but surely she had an idea that this fight was not one that was feasible for her to win at this level?

Still the earnestness in the girl's eyes compelled her to answer.

"Very well." Melina hesitated slightly, before returning back to her starting position, "If you say you are ready, make sure that you are actually in formation first. A real enemy would not give you the time to prepare."

"Thank you for the advice!" The girl who's throat she had attempted to crush smiled at her, "We would be grateful for any advice you could give us."

Confused by the kindness shown to her, Melina merely nodded as she walked. She paused at her starting spot, watching as the defeated group came together and started to discuss something. Their spirits visibly lifted as the conversation went on. As she observed, she heard the voice of Ranni speak to her.

"Thou art confused." The Goddess's tone indicated she found the situation humorous, "Thou cannot comprehend the actions of those children."

"At their age, I had already killed hundreds. They lack any sort of lethal intent." Melina replied, knowing that the Moon would expect an answer.

"Indeed. Tis a sad thing to witness. They are at peace, Melina, untouched by war. They have yet to fight for their lives, to drive the breath out of the lungs of others. Although it might be unfamiliar to thee, you are witnessing how children are supposed to act."

She thought about what the Goddess was telling her, turning it over in her head. She had not considered it before, but Ranni was correct. This world was at peace, not being forced to send their children into the crucible as soon as their powers manifested. Looking at the group with new eyes, she didn't see an inexperienced squad being led by an incompetent commander. Instead, she saw them for what they were, A group of friends struggling to get better together.

"That attitude will not bring them the power they seek. The leader wishes to stand amongst monsters. Unless they get serious, that will not happen." The words felt bitter coming from her, but they rang true nonetheless.

"Correct, mine Herald. Yet, they wish to learn. To improve. They are trusting in thee to help them do so. There is a beauty to that, is there not?" The kindling maiden mulled over the words, reluctantly agreeing to them.

"I suppose there is." She admitted, being brought out of the conversation by Rias calling out to her, the Peerage in formation this time.

"We are ready, Melina!"

They trusted her to help them improve, Ranni said? That was strange to Melina, but it did not feel unwelcome. This time, she allowed them to have the first move, deciding to trust the words of the Dark Moon.

"You may attack when you wish." She spoke, causing obvious surprise from the peerage, but to their credit they quickly recovered.

The sword wielding child and the white haired girl rushed forwards, showing passable teamwork as they engaged her and attempted to pin her in place, while the others bombarded her from a distance, taking to the air to get a height advantage. All in all, with her expectation adjusted, it was a passable attempt, but it also had many flaws.

The hand to hand fighter was too close range, preventing the sorceresses from using their full might, while the Knight was too hesitant to commit to any of his strikes. Sighing, she conjured the Blade of Calling, catching the knight by surprise as he used it to parry his sword and slipping close to the white haired girl, staying within her guard and fighting with elbows and knees.

As she did, the barrage of magic ceased, not able to be used when she was this close in, allowing her to focus solely on the close range fighters. She once again intercepted the sword of the knight, manipulating the blade to interpose it and his arm in-between her and the girl, causing her to pause her attempts to fight the Herald off. Grabbing the off balance knight, she tripped him and hopped backwards.

Immediately, the magic attacks restarted, but she merely lashed out with a kick to the white haired girl, knocking her away and granting her the space to leap into the air. Forming platforms under her, she leapt and flipped through the air, twirling past the increasingly panicky shots of magic, dodging lightning bolts and orbs of destruction by the slimmest of margins as she neared to the flying devils.

Reaching them, she ignored the blast of lightning that greeted her as she went too close to dodge, the pain being suppressed with long practice. Flipping into an axe kick, she slammed the black haired girl down to the ground before moving to once again take out the leader. She weaved around the orbs, before the child did something that surprised her.

Making a larger orb in front of her to ward Melina back, Rias shot it towards the Herald, who slipped around it before going to close in on the heiress. At least, that's what she planned to do, if the orb didn't explode prematurely, with Rias still in the blast area. Melina had reflexively shielded herself, sensing the danger, but the destruction contained in the orb still blasted her out of the air, both her and Rias falling to the ground. She caught herself, landing gently, whereas Rias was lifted gently to the ground by the purple aura of Kasane's gravity.

Melina took stock of the injuries she received, her left arm was useless, mangled beyond functionality from the orb, but it had taken the brunt of it, and the rest of her was still serviceable.

"I am able to continue." She spoke, causing Kasane to shake her head.

"Rating Game rules state if a King is removed the match is over. It is your win." The knight decreed.

"Heh." Said 'King' laughed from the heap she was in on the ground, "At least I managed to get a hit in on you."

"While sacrificing yourself." Melina retorted, "Such an action should be reserved for the direst of circumstances. Especially when you don't know the durability of the one you are fighting."

To prove her point, she briefly pulled on her faith in herself, glowing with her inner gold as her wounds healed, the disabled arm reverting to its pristine state as if time had reversed itself on the limb.

Rias slumped, "You are seriously unfair, you know that?"

Melina merely shook her head, "Bemoaning fairness is the refuge of a coward. Get better."

"You're right. Do you have any advice for us?" Rias accepted the chastisement.

"Some. Gather your warriors, I will heal you while we speak." Melina responded.

As the Peerage gathered around her and listened attentively to her instruction, the golden glow warming them and restoring their wounds, Melina was struck by a feeling of melancholy. Children… It had been a long time since she had the pleasure of interacting with them. Her own, the apostles, were not true life, but she loved them regardless.

She had taught her little brothers and sisters, in the Age before, when the world made sense. With the disappearance of her own brother, she had turned to destruction and rage, killing those same little children she had helped grow up into fine warriors.

She stopped mid sentence as the Goddess spoke into her mind, "History is not doomed to repeat itself. Thou hath a chance here, as do we all, for a different life."

She was right, Melina realised. But, did she deserve to grab such a chance?

She didn't know.

---XXX---

Apparently, Melina had then fought the Gremory Peerage multiple times after that, Healing them after every attempt to let them try again.

By the time I had returned, the score was 5-1, in Melina's favour. The time Rias had won was due to Koneko managing to grab the kindling maiden and hold her still long enough for Akeno to nail her with a lightning blast, slowing her down enough for Kiba to close in for the finish.

"I apologise if she went too rough on you." I spoke to Rias, watching as the rest of her Peerage gladly ate the lunch I had prepared for after training.

In particular, Koneko was absolutely demolishing a stack of brownies, in her own little chocolate heaven.

"Don't apologise!" Rias shook her head, a grain of rice stuck to her cheek, "We learned a lot! I'm really glad she fought with us like she did."

"Umu!" Runeas, who was sitting on the other side of Rias, spoke up, "It's good that they fought someone who did not hold back as much. It is a great experience for them!"

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed them." I spoke to Rias.

"Enjoying it is a bit…" She trailed off, looking down at that.

Understandable, I suppose.

"You are enjoying this lunch at least." I smiled, leaning over and plucking the rice from her cheek and causing her gaze to lock onto the small grain, "Perhaps a bit too much, eh?"

She blushed slightly at the tease, before her blush turned nuclear as I popped the bit of rice into my mouth.

"Oh wow." Runeas marvelled, "That was smooth. No wonder you're such a lady killer."

"Runey!" Rias shouted, flustered.

"Tis true, mine faithful consort hath transformed into a rakish rogue. Truly, it is deplorable." Ranni, seated to my other side, spoke, causing me to look at her, catching her small grin.

"I apologise, Rias is just too cute when she blushes. I can't stop myself from teasing her." I shrugged, knowing she was playing around, getting better at reading her mood.

"Indeed?" She looked down at the still blushing heiress, her amusement intensifying, "I suppose the appeal is there. Should I join in, as well?"

"Please don't" Rias pleaded, causing me to laugh.

"Alright alright, any more and she will explode." Rias looked at me with relief as I ended the free for all, "Will you need anything more Rias? I have a meeting in the afternoon, so if you do, now is the time to ask."

"Well not exactly." She looked towards her Ancestor, "Runeas wanted to ask you something."

"Yes!" Runeas cheered, "Now now, Damocles. I wanted to discuss your plans going forward."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, "I was unaware that you were involved in any of those."

"Oh, I'm not." She waved it off, "I just know you've been invited to that ball that Lord Paimon holds every year and was wondering whether you will attend."

"I was?" I blinked, surprised by that news.

It tickled something in the back of my mind. Oh that's right, I've been invited to that every year since my reveal. As it's against my stated, very public rules to attend any functions that are not held within the Sagan Manor, I decided to just start burning invitations like that after they kept coming even with my numerous denials.

"Oh yes." Remembering that fact, I raised a finger in recognition, "I won't be attending."

"Building a network is important for young Devils, especially for ones in your position. I know you enjoy your isolation, but it has allowed speculation to run rampant as to your aims. If you wish to bring others to your side, you need to dispel that ambiguity." She said, "I'm giving you this advice as an Old Devil, the longer you wait the harder it will be."

I stared at her, trying to ascertain her motivations here. Why did she decide to try and prod me out of my defensive stance this early? She knew that I would be forced to do so regardless in two years when Rias became the Head of the Gremory, So what was her angle here?

Whatever it was, it didn't matter in the end.

"Runeas, your advice is appreciated, but I could not attend the ball even if I wanted to." I spoke solemnly.

"Why not?" Rias asked, tilting her head curiously.

"I burnt the invitation." I replied, causing both of them to look at me in shock.

Runeas recovered first, bursting out laughing, "Hahaha! That's golden! Oh, I want to tell Paimon that just to see his face!"

"Damocles, that's very rude!" Rias was aghast, but a smile was on her face as she admonished me.

"So is ignoring my repeated reminders that I will not attend any functions outside my lands." I was uncaring for the rather weak complaint.

"Still!" Runeas stopped laughing, a wide smile remaining, "That's perfect! Zekky heard I was back so I got my invitation, I can take you as my plus one!"

Ah. So that was her play here.

"Runeas." I placed down my cutlery, turning to regard her seriously, talking in a no nonsense tone, "You got your win. Our families will be known to be allies in due time. That is already a marked improvement in your situation. So, this is your one warning."

"Don't." My tone cooled, staring her straight in her suddenly wide eyes, "Push it."

The noise in the dining room cut off, everyone suddenly staring at the conversation with rapt attention. Runeas, the target of my words, shivered slightly, swallowing before she replied.

"Understood, Lord Sagan."

I stared her down for a beat longer before I relaxed, releasing some of the tension in the air, "Good. I'm glad we understand each other."

Although less tense, the air was still markedly awkward.

At least until Akeno piped up from across the table, "Satans, that was hot."

---XXX---

"How are you settling in?" I spoke to the little vampire, who was currently straddling me and drinking from my neck.

Pulling back from her feast, she licked the blood of her lips and replied, "Your family is all very kind. It has been nice."

She put her head back into the crook of my neck, but did not resume drinking. Instead she merely pressed her body closer to mine, seemingly attempting to feel my body warmth.

"Damocles?" She questioned, her voice ghosting over my skin.

"Yes, Selene?" I hugged her closer, enjoying the feeling of her body on top of mine.

"Some of your Peerage are your concubines, I can smell it." She said, "Am I not attractive enough to join them?"

"Not at all." I answered, smiling, "You should feel the proof of that, from where you are sitting."

As if to confirm my words, she rolled her hips, feeling the presence of a hard object press into her in response.

"Then why?" She questioned.

"I don't know you very well, Selene. I wanted to give you time to acclimate to your new life before doing any of that." I stroked her hair, causing her to melt even further into my embrace.

"You saved me." She said after luxuriating in my ministrations for a while, "I can't imagine being with anyone else."

Well then.

"Very well, Selene. If you are sure, then after this meeting would you like to go somewhere with me? I know you've seen Kyoto, but there are plenty of other great sights in this world."

She pulled back, looking into my eyes as she slowly leaned down and kissed me, her small tongue slipping between her lips and briefly playing with my own. The action was languid rather than lustful. Interestingly enough, I could not taste my own blood on her tongue.

"I would like that." She answered, pulling back and giving me an impish smile.

Minx.

---XXX---

The meeting I had scheduled was one that I had been dreading for a while. I was used to it now, people wishing to meet with me even with the stipulations I had laid out, all due to Ranni's descent. Still if you had asked me to put money on this one, it was not one I would bet on being likely.

Especially considering this involved a descent into Hell, an event that had not happened until the last war between the Three. Angels, Seraphs, bringing their presence to the Underworld was a major deal.

The two Angels had been hosted briefly by the Satans, but now they were on the way to my Manor. I was situated in my entrance Hall, waiting for them to be guided here by CC. I had sent her and not Naomi as usual due to her ability to regenerate should this go badly. To my side, as ever these days, was Ranni.

"Be at ease, Consort." She said, "I will support thee."

"Thank you Ranni. Your aid these past few weeks has been most welcome." I replied, smiling at her and getting a small one in return.

My anticipation was not at all tempered, but no more words were spoken before the grand doors opened and I met an Angel for the first time.

Devils, as a rule, are ruled by Sin. Our instincts constantly push us to indulge in them, drawing power and sustenance from the act. The Sin many would think I was most susceptible to, especially after my display at the Reveal, would be Rage. However, that was incorrect.

Although Rage was a vice of mine, it was not the main source from which I indulged my sinful nature. No, I very deliberately cultivated and sought after a different one, much more potent and difficult to control.

After all, I Pride myself on my self control.

Said self control, that I was so proud of, was sorely tested the moment I laid eyes on Gabriel. Her pristine white robes, the brilliant shining feathers, the spun gold of her gorgeous hair.

I hated them.

Like a physical blow, my own nature slammed into me. I raged at her, standing before me so readily. I lusted after her, my blood sang for me to defile and break her, to see her get lost in pleasure. My greed lurched, wishing to possess her, to turn her into a jewel of my collection, mine and mine alone.

All the Sins, all of them tempted me to take her, to break her, to force her to fall.

The onslaught was slammed down quickly, barely a breath being taken from when our eyes first met. I struggled, railed against the desires being forced upon me by my instincts.

I was in control of my Sin, not the other way around. I decided when to indulge and when to abstain. My sin was a part of me, yes, but it was a tool under my authority and it rebelling in this way was an affront that rankled me fiercely.

I was not a mindless beast.

I clamped down, forcing my instincts and emotions to calm. I beat back the tide of madness, regaining control of myself a piece at a time, my will slamming into the sea of darkness and forcing it to part.

When I was done, taking in a deep breath, I noticed I had taken a single step towards the Seraph. Raphael, her escort, was warily watching me, hand clenched around thin air but taking no offensive actions.

Gabriel herself, however, merely smiled sadly at me with understanding in her eyes, "Well done, Damocles."

Her voice was like a hammer to my reconstructed control, buckling it inwards, but with a force of will I held a tight leash upon my baser nature.

"May I ask what I did well on, Seraph Gabriel?" I asked, consciously not gritting my teeth.

"Controlling yourself." She replied calmly, "You are the first Sagan to do so this quickly. Your mother actually attempted to disrobe me, only being stopped when the holy vestments burned her."

"I see." I spoke, before calming myself and returning to the matter at hand, "I must apologise, then, for my lapse of decorum."

"No need, Damocles." The Seraph forgave easily, "Remora… her curse lingers on most stridently."

"Still, blaming others is no excuse for a personal failing. Allow me to introduce us. As you know, I am Damocles, the Lord of the Sagan House." I bowed to the two Angels, before indicating the Goddess at my side, "This is Ranni, of the Dark Moon. My Lady and Consort. I believe you are here because of her?"

"Well met. I am Gabriel, the Hope of Heaven, and my escort here is Raphael, it's Healer. I am glad to finally make your acquaintance, but there has been a miscommunication it seems." The Archangel regarded the Goddess briefly before turning back to me, her eyes piercing deeply into my being, "Although the descent of the Dark Moon is of interest to Heaven, I am actually here to speak to you, Damocles."

Wait, what?

What did I do to get her attention?

This did not bode well.

Chapter 55: Heaven's Light

Heaven's Light

She very carefully kept her face controlled as she looked at Damocles. She had seen him in pictures, of course, but meeting him for the first time was striking. When she had first saw him, she could only see the resemblance to Remora, to herself. The cherubic appearance, the rounded face, the soft features.

He had grown, however. And without the Sagan's characteristic blond hair, he bore a striking resemblance to someone she once knew. The familiar face had changed over time, warped and twisted from his fall and descent into hate, but looking at Damocles was like looking back into the past.

Helel's face blinked, wary suspicion marring his features as he carefully asked, "I'm sorry? You wanted to speak to me?"

Her eyes flicked over to Raphael, just as he looked to her. Looking into her brother's gaze, she saw that she was not the only one witnessing what was before them. It made a twisted amount of sense, upon reflection. Helel had been made to be her twin, after all.'The Light of Hope', as the intention was. Still, this much of a resemblance, an almost perfect copy of Helel before his fall… Was the Sagan blood enough to create this effect with nothing but a change of hair colour?

"Indeed." She answered his question, "The Sagan name holds a significant history, which brings its own power with it. Your estrangement with Sirzechs and Serafall is well known, but your stance on Heaven is a mystery."

"I see. You believe I am a possible threat to your peace efforts." Damocles replied, nodding at the statement.

The peace efforts that were meant to be a secret, she noted.

"Ultimately, yes. However, there is much we have to discuss besides that, such as your visit to Transylvania." Her voice took on a more gentle tone, "Personally, I also want to build a working relationship with you. You are young, and yet were treated most unfairly, whether in truth or in perception it matters not. Hurt can easily turn into resentment and you are in a position where that can be disastrous."

He stared at her then, the familiar face holding an unfamiliar expression. Looking into his eyes, she was struck by the maturity she saw within them. It saddened her that this boy had been forced into growing so much, so quickly. Not just mentally, but in his personal power as well. How hard must he have trained, how desperate must he have been, to attain this level of strength so soon?

That's not even considering the being by his side. The blue Goddess of the Chill Night. She doubted that was the extent of her Authority. Gabriel remembered her father, what being in the presence of the strongest God of Light to exist was like, and this Goddess gave off a very familiar feeling. Not just in terms of power, but in the nature of it as well.

To be able to hold the domains of both Light and Darkness simultaneously? She was far, far more dangerous than the Devils had let on. If they even knew. How did Damocles find her? Supposedly he was her 'Consort', but what did that entail? It was most worrying, especially since there was absolutely no record in the scriptures about her.

She was right to come here. Damocles had great potential, as did the people he had surrounded himself with. However, potential could evolve for either good or ill. The greater it was, the higher the risk when it was corrupted.

Gabriel vowed to do her best to ensure it was used properly.

"I apologise if this is rude." He spoke, causing her to refocus on the conversation, "But I am unsure why an Archangel would care. That was a matter between Devils. If I caused offence by my actions within Transylvania, I will gladly pay recompense as needed. However, the internal strife between the Satans and I is a more internal matter. I can understand from the perspective of potential allies as you are, but you seem to care about this more personally than that would indicate."

"You are right.' She conceded, "Remora Sagan, your ancestor, was made specifically to defeat me. If she could not cause me to Fall, she was meant to kill me. However, even with her created specifically for that singular task, I could not bring myself to hate her."

Despite the common perceptions, Angels were allowed to hate and rage. Righteous fury was a requirement for their battle against wickedness. They only fell when they took it to the point of a vice, revelling in the negative emotions. Such as what happened to Kokabiel.

"Instead, I felt sorry for her. She was deeply attached to someone who did not care for her in turn." Gabriel continued, "It destroyed her. After his death, she went on a rampage, slaughtering hundreds of thousands, until I was forced to kill her to stop her depravities."

It was difficult to talk about that time, the piles of corpses, the desecration that the original Sagan had left in her wake. Even worse than all that, was the despair, the resentment and loss of faith that flowed from her actions. After all, those atrocities were carried out with Gabriel's face. Still, here and now, in front of Remora's descendant, she needed to make sure history did not repeat itself.

"Thy actions are due to regrets from the past? I would expect beings as old as thee to see the folly in such acts." The Goddess spoke, her voice calm but subtly disapproving, "Mine Consort is his own man, not a reflection of someone long gone and irrelevant."

Gabriel gently touched her brother's arm before he could get too upset over the admonishment. She herself was a bit irked by the way the being had put it, but the Pagan was not wholly incorrect.

"You are correct of course. Merely overlaying Remora upon Damocles would be most foolish." She turned to regard the Sagan again, staring into his gaze resolutely, "But the parallels are there. You are a rising star, one that many would follow. A symbol, an Idol, whether you want it or not. Our world is a collection of tinder, you may be one of the many sparks that could ignite it."

"And so you have come here to… what? Get my measure? Warn me off of acting? What is it that you wish to achieve here, Archangel Gabriel?" He spoke, staring at her seriously.

Thankfully, it did not seem that he had taken offence at her words so far, merely seeking to understand the reasoning behind them. She took in a breath, steeling herself for the results her next words were sure to invite.

"I wish to save you, Damocles. I saw the aftermath of your reveal, the vengeance you extracted from the Astaroth. Your assault on the Tepes was indiscriminate, killing innocents and the guilty alike. I do not know the reasoning behind the attack, but it does show you in a worrying light." Gabriel admitted, fully expecting the ridicule for an Angel wanting to save a Devil.

Even Raphael tensed at her admission. But instead of laughing or mocking her, Damocles merely stared into her gaze, analysing and curious. She did not know him well enough to decode the emotions swimming in her eyes, but they did not seem angry or dismissing.

"I see. Mine Consort's actions were done on my order." Ranni spoke, causing both Angels to snap their heads to her, "The Vampires held the daughters of their leader captive. Their prayers were desperate and indiscriminate, Damocles went to save them on my bidding."

"Many are praying to you for salvation, from the more deprived areas of the various Pantheons. Why save these Vampire children, and not them?" Raphael questioned, in genuine curiosity, not admonishment.

"They are not useful. These girls are. Doth thee imagine me merciful? A benevolent God, perhaps? I must disabuse thee of that notion." She steepled her fingers, "I saved them because they could be of use. Nothing more, nothing less."

Gabriel examined the two of them ,feeling that what the Pagan Goddess had just said was untrue. Or, at least, disingenuous. The Vampire girls were not saved because they were useful to Ranni, they were saved because they were useful to Damocles.
This just proved that he had a plan, a desire that requires a significant amount of powerful figures loyal to him.

"Do you care nothing for those offering their devotion to you?" Raphael's voice was now affronted, "Those that entrust their hopes and dreams unto you?"

"I do not." Was the cold response, "There is but one being on this world whose opinion I care for, and he is to be my equal."

Gabriel sucked in a breath at that. Damocles, the equal of the Dark Moon? She was overwhelmingly powerful. If he was truly able to reach her level… Gabriel's mission just became a lot more important.

Raphael's response was interrupted by Damocles himself speaking, "I have nothing against Heaven, no grudge or desire to see you brought low, despite what my instincts are pulling at me to do. I do not know what you mean when you say you wish to 'save' me, from my perspective there is nothing I need to be saved from. However, understanding is not required in this instance, I think."

He stepped forward, ignoring Raphael's tensing at the action and reached out his hand towards her, open in an invitation, "Whatever you mean by your desire to save me, it is apparent that this is not an attack. Nor is it an attempt to undermine me, but rather your desire is coming from a good place, a desire to help me. I will accept that spirit, and offer my hand in friendship in return. My family has a history with you, Gabriel, but I am not my ancestors. The end of this story is not yet written."

She reached forward and took his offered hand, inwardly wincing at the shudder that ran through him as his instincts as a Sagan assaulted him. All Devils wished to desecrate angels instinctively, but for most it was a passing sensation, an intrusive thought that could be easily ignored. For the Sagan, when facing her though? Damocles' restraint was truly remarkable.

"I am glad to accept that." She spoke as she shook his hand, "Your reassurances are appreciated. Although Heaven is working with Serafall and Sirzechs in bringing an end to our long conflict, I will gladly do the same with you, regardless of their wishes."

What she was insinuating was that to Heaven, the Sagan would be treated as a separate entity, not part of the New Satans. She saw that Damocles appreciated the distinction, a small smile of gratitude showing on his face at her words.

Although he did not show it in a way that would be visible to those that did not know him, she could feel Raphael's disapproval from her side. She was essentially acting as the Diplomat for Heaven without leave from Michael, after all. But she was even more certain now, standing in front of the Sagan, with his insane rate of growth and the Pagan Goddess at his side.

Faith looked like insanity to those that did not believe, at least until they saw the light for themselves.

And she believed, now more than ever, that she was correct. Damocles Sagan was dangerous, should he grow vengeful. His name, his reputation in of itself would be enough for him to throw the world into conflict should he wish to. A conflict between the Devils would have a knock on effect. All the Pantheons had grown restless, staring at each other's territories greedily. All it would take was one disruption and this hard fought peace would be shattered.

The Shinto were stirring, which would anger the Chinese and the Hindu. The Norse were poised on a knife edge, ready to carry out their End Times at the slightest push. Even the old American Gods were resurfacing, Ranni's arrival having stirred the tide the world over. The various minor gods of Africa were already falling sway to the slowly awakening Egyptians, a situation that was worrying in itself given their proximity to the Vatican.

The Greeks were still licking their wounds, the grudge of their more powerful sides being felled by her Father still smouldering after all this time. Even here, she could see all these various conflicts ready to break out and all she could think was that there were even more she likely did not see. The Celts were long gone, but were they truly dead or merely hiding? What about the Primordials, would they get involved?

The Babylonians? What did it mean for Tiamat to tie herself to the Sagan? The future was tumultuous and uncertain. Others would claim that this was merely the way history goes, an inevitable consequence of the death of her Father. But she knew them to be wrong. There was a locus of change, an epicentre from which all these disruptions stemmed.

She hoped dearly that none would force Damocles into action before she was in a position to temper his response.

---XXX---

"Michael did not permit you to set up a whole separate diplomatic relationship." Raphael's voice was chiding, as they flew through the sky, their trip to the Underworld over.

"He didn't" Gabriel agreed, "But you saw him, Raphael. You felt her presence. I will gladly explain myself to our Brother when we get back, but decisive action was the wiser choice there."

"Hmm." He hummed, his considerate and thoughtful nature showing itself, the most benevolent Archangel considering her words, "What is done is done. More importantly, his face…"

"I never thought we would see it again. The resemblance is remarkable." Her wings, brilliant white, dispersed the rain as it neared them, the tainted water not able to touch their bodies.

"More than remarkable. It is suspicious. You spoke before with Pandora, his mother, yes?" He prodded her.

"I did, once. It was a summit to discuss our reaction to the Reformation as a pantheon. She was… intense. Followed her feelings readily." She confirmed.

"Who was her father?" He inquired.

She had been considering the same thing. Pandora had been born in the waning days of the war between Heaven and Hell. The daughter of Remora Sagan had caused a mass uproar in heaven, the Power of Binding gaining a second user, something that was difficult enough to deal with when it was only used by a singular combatant.

The final battle happened soon after, of course, so the point was rather moot. Especially after Remora went mad with grief and started her bloody campaign against Gabriel.

"We don't know. Remora never married, or took a public paramour." She responded to her brother's question.

"Gabriel." His voice was slightly admonishing, chastising her for avoiding the obvious conclusion, "We know how she felt about him. We know why he made her. Looking at the Sagan, looking at that face, can you deny the obvious conclusion?"

"Conclusions reached in haste are terribly dangerous." She raised a hand to forestall his argument, "But you are correct. It lines up, far too well. I didn't feel his power within Damocles, but it might not be inherited by Remora's children. Until it is confirmed either way, it is in our interest to not give air to the theory."

"The Old Guard." Raphael sighed, "It irks me, I must admit, that we are being constrained by Hell's politics. A descendant of Lucifer, his reputation untarnished by defeat or cowardice. I can see what you are wary of."

She shuddered, wings ruffling slightly as the theory was spoken out loud, but she quickly recovered. Lucifer… Helel. If he really was the father of Pandora, if Damocles truly was his descendant… That meant that her fears were likely correct. Considering what Remora was made for, what she was made to look like… the implications were always something she was aware of, of course, but seeing the fruits of such a thing in front of her was a different thing entirely.

She would have to deeply consider this possibility when they returned to Heaven, but for now they were on a mission. A mission whose site they swiftly arrived to hover over.

Central America, like most of the American continent, was largely untouched by the strongest Pantheons of the world. Oh, they had holdings here, churches, shrines, companies, but for the most part they claimed no ownership of the land here. The Mayan, Inca and Aztec had been decimated by Heaven, but the remnants still had a significant presence here.

It meant that any fugitive of Heaven's justice would be wise to flee into the old Empires, preventing a force from the Church from pursuing them into the hostile territory. That was where the Angels came in, beings capable of defending themselves from Pagan attacks while punishing their wayward subjects.

It was rare for a single Archangel to be sent on one of these missions, never mind two, but they were out of Heaven anyway and could take care of this on their way back. It wasn't unheard of for this to happen, a small diversion while taking care of other business. After all, it fell to them to protect the Church of their Father, a task that they all took to gladly.


As they hovered over the compound, they witnessed the state of the souls of the humans below them. A priest had discovered an artefact in an excavation sponsored by the Church in Georgia. The artefact had corrupted him, or maybe brought the corruption already there to the surface. He had revelled in the power granted by the item, using it to dominate his followers and create a personal cult.

The Exorcists sent to apprehend Father Ambrose underestimated the strength of the artefact, due to it only being a very small piece of the whole. This resulted in the Father overpowering them and fleeing, eventually ending up in this compound with his new cult, according to missionary informers.

They could feel it, even up here. The waves of power emanating fro ma central building of the ramshackle camp. Whatever he had found, it was certainly worthy of their attention.

"Raphael, please see to any wounded. I will go and free the poor souls closest to the source." She spoke, demeanour shifting.

She was no longer Gabriel, amicable idol of Heaven. This was Gabriel, leader of Heaven's Host, the most deadly Archangel of the Great War.

"Yes sister." He agreed, moving down to one of the abodes.

She instead moved to the main building, her Light removing an entire wall and allowing her to walk into the main bedroom.

A rather out of shape man shot to his feet from his position in a pile of young female bodies, eyes wide in fright. However, as they found her, they instead filled with lust.

"An angel! Truly, God smiles down upon me!" Father Anderson spoke, salivating at the sight of her.

"I am Gabriel, the light of Hope." She spoke, causing him to snap out of his delusions, eyes filling with fear, "Be afraid, sinner. Repent and surrender yourself to face Heaven's justice."

"E-even you will fall before my power." He panicked, obviously not having faith in his own words, bringing up an arm that held a glowing golden hilt.

Gabriel's eyes widened at the sight of what he held, the sword was missing it's blade but she recognised it immediately. Light flashed throughout the room, blasting the hilt from his grasp, his arm following with it.

He gripped his stump, wailing in pain and collapsing in a heap, crying out with tears running down his face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, forgive me, please…" He whimpered, but Gabriel was already moving, picking up the ancient weapon carefully.

Turning to the fallen priest, she sighed. He was a broken man, fallen far from grace. There was only one absolution she could give to someone so far gone.

"I hope you find repentance in the embrace of Heaven." She spoke, raising an arm and ending his wails with a flash of golden light.

The women started waking up at this point, laying eyes upon her and screaming. Her light grew brighter, fighting off the effects of the sword and allowing them to slowly regain their minds. The crying started soon after, but that was inevitable.

After ensuring they were healed and sound of mind, they instructed any who wished to seek out the embrace of the Church for aid and departed.

"Gabriel. That was a very large number of people affected by a singular object. What was it?" Raphael asked, flying with her back to their home.

"Something I long thought lost." She spoke, before raising her hand and showing her brother the hilt.

He jolted, recognising it instantly just like she had. To beings as old as they, this was sword they knew well, it's power at its zenith when they were still young,

Clasped in the Archangels grip was the hilt of the oldest legendary blade in existence.

Ea, the Sword of Kings.

Chapter 56: Slow Growth

Slow Growth

My own training required its own attention, despite how busy my days were becoming. After meeting with Gabriel and basically being recognised as a separate entity from the rest of the Devils by Heaven, I decided to take some time to get to work on soothing my edges.

Thanks to Inexhaustible, I had basically cheated my way to standing at the very top of the world in terms of power. My reserves were far below the likes of Sirzechs and Ajuka, but if I put my all into an attack even they would have to be careful of it. Considering the fact that I could do that constantly, one after another, I was quite the force to be reckoned with.

But it's not enough.

Could I beat one of them? Maybe. Possibly. It's not impossible. But could I defeat them together? Fighting alongside Falbium and Serafall? More importantly, could I protect my Peerage from them as we fought?

I didn't think so.

Until I could, I needed to work towards that goal. That is why I was now in the training fields by myself, wishing to familiarise myself more with the most potent weapon in my arsenal. To that end, I was focusing heavily on the divine sword in my hands. The Darkmoon Greatsword, gifted to me by Ranni.

Whenever the weapon was in my hands, I could feel her attention on me. She was different from the rest of the women within my orbit, a rather obvious observation. But it bore considering, she was an extremely powerful divinity. Her presence could exist in multiple places at once, without any loss of focus. It was becoming almost familiar, the way her attention was locked onto me whenever I was near her.

It was exactly the same whenever I held the Sword. My Consort appeared to gladly take any opportunity she could get to watch over me. It was not out of desperation or pining, but rather I got the feeling that she did so out of possessiveness. I was her Consort, not anyone else's. She admired me whenever I was in her sight, like a prized treasure.

It would have been denigrating, but I was cognizant of my own conduct, how I viewed my own conquests. I was fine with her feeling ownership over me, after all I planned to own her as well. Still, thinking about how the blade made me feel brought me no closer to actually using the thing.

Thankfully, the blade itself seemed to want me to use it, guiding my swings and correcting my swings as I made them. The issue I was running into was that the sword was too big for the manuals on fencing I found in my library. It was not the weight that was the problem, but rather simply the reach and the width of the blade.

"Seeing you flail around like that is painful." A voice interrupted one of my experimental stances.

"Should you wish to assist in any way, I would welcome it." I snarked back, glancing over at the kindling maiden that was watching me embarrass myself.

"I was merely remarking on the difference between how you used to fight and how you are now. It is rather stark." She continued to jeer unhelpfully.

I paused, before lowering my sword arm with a sigh, "That me was a different person. We had different experiences, different strengths. It's no wonder that we have different ways of fighting."

"Indeed, should you have been the same level of Runic Empowerment, the current you would likely have won." At my surprised glance, she shrugged, "The magic of this world is both faster and more malleable. For solely martial fighters, it would be incredibly difficult to deal with."

"That makes sense. Wide area spells in quick sequence are very good for spacing control." I mused, focusing my Demonic Power through the blade and attempting to release a blast of light from it.

The arc flew properly, but via my Geass I could see that the edge of the magical projectile was slightly off. Even with the passive correction of the Greatsword, my muscles were not used to the movements, meaning that they were full of minute errors.

"Enough." Melina spoke, walking towards me, "I am still your Maiden. Leaving you in such a state would reflect poorly upon me."

"Oh? Will you teach me how to use the sword?" I asked, interested.


"Hardly. I do not need to." She stopped near me, before gently adjusting my grip on the Greatsword, moving both my hands to hold a firm grip upon the handle, "Besides, there is no one better to teach you than yourself."

"What do you mean-" My question was cut off by her placing a finger over my lips.

"Peace. Disregard unnecessary thoughts. Focus upon your weapon, what it represents, what it has experienced within its lifespan." I was surprised at her forwardness, but did as she bid, lowering my eyes to the cross guard of my weapon.

Doing as she instructed, I started to focus on the Greatsword. I felt my mind be guided to a strange place, a sort of semi-dream state. I could feel the sword reaching out to me, a sort of memory that was and was not mine simultaneously. My body moved according to the dream-like half-memory, slipping into a familiar guard that I had never used before.

"Well done." Melina spoke, "Now you may use that to learn the weapon. Although you have forgotten, the Ash remembers."

She turned, moving to leave, but was stopped as I dispelled the Darkmoon Sword and grabbed her wrist.

"Thank you Melina. You did not have to help me, but you did anyway. I appreciate it." I made sure to be sincere.

She had been standoffish and closed off for a long time, any breaks of that habit should be praised and rewarded.

She turned towards me, her face unreadable, "Think nothing of it."

Conflict played across her face, before she spoke again, "I was thinking about what you said to me, as well as some... others. About finding a goal, a reason for existing."

"Have you found something you want to do?" I inquired, interested in what hse had decided on.


"Not exactly. But fighting with the Gremory and instructing her... It reminded me about something I enjoyed. Although the memories are tainted, the time I used to teach my siblings was pleasant." Her voice was conflicted.

"Do you wish to be a teacher? Or a combat instructor? If that is something you wanted to pursue, I would be glad to support you with that." I offered.

"No." Was the empathic response, but then she once again became unsure, "I am still undecided. What do I want? It is not a simple thing to answer. However, the fact remains that occasionally offering guidance when needed is something that I... That I enjoy."

"That's great." I smiled gently at her, "It's a start. You've been treated as a tool most of your life, Melina, not a person. It makes sense that you would take some time to figure yourself out. If you ever need help or want to try something, don't hesitate to ask. I would gladly help."

She remained impassive, her body not betraying any of her reaction to my words. Her actions, however, spoke for her all too clearly. She gently removed her wrist from my grasp, looking away from my eyes.

"Thank you, Damocles. I will hold you to that." She muttered softly.

"Any time, Melina."

---XXX---

Valerie started as a knock sounded out in her room. It was time for dinner, so she had been expecting Naomi to arrive soon with her dinner, but what surprised her was the male voice that sounded out from beyond the closed door.

"Valerie? I brought your food. May I come in?" Damocles, the voice of the Devil that saved her, spoke through the wood.

"Y-yes! Uhm... I..." Her voice trailed off as he opened the door and walked into the room, balancing a tray as he closed the door behind him.

"Sorry, I know Naomi usually fetches you for supper, but I wanted to speak with you." He spoke, gently placing the tray down on her table.

"It's no matter, my Lord. Thank you for your generosity." She spoke softly, keeping her eyes locked to the floor.

Naomi had been incredibly kind to her, so much so that she might now be Valerie's closest friend (besides Gasper!), but this was different. Naomi was a servant, whereas Damocles was the Lord of the Household, she needed to show him the proper respect or she would be punished. She had learned that lesson well from her father.

"I see." He spoke, disappointment apparent in his tone.

She hardly had time to panic about it however, before he walked up to her and reached out with a hand. She flinched, expecting the strike but was surprised when he instead gently raised her face up with a soft grip upon her chin.

With no alternative, she was forced to look up to him and meet his blue eyed gaze, staring at her seriously.

"Valerie." He spoke, his voice causing her to tense further, "You are safe here. I did not save you to merely abuse you further. You are a valued member of my household, perhaps a future family member. Carry yourself with pride. You are worthy enough for me to go through all that trouble, just for you, after all."

That sounded nice. To be fair, he had not really given her any reason to distrust him, but then again she didn't know whether to just take his words at face value either. More than that though, there was another problem with his order.

'Carry herself with pride?'

She had no idea how to do that.

"I..." She swallowed, worried about displeasing him despite his reassurances, "I don't know how."

"That's fine." He accepted easily, surprising her with a warm smile, "There is plenty of time to learn. Take it at your own pace, there is no rush."

He released her chin, making her blink as she had forgotten that he was even touching her there, before he clapped his hands and turned to the tray he had placed down.

"Now then." His voice was jovial and welcoming, "I asked Naomi what you enjoyed, she recommended pasta. So I made us some lasagna. Let me know if you would prefer something else for dinner. We usually rotate between everyone's preferences fairly frequently."

She was confused at his words. He had cooked dinner? Surely he had just ordered his cooks to prepare it for him and she just misheard. Rather than asking him to clarify, she walked forwards, pausing slightly when he pulled out a chair for her before sitting where he had indicated he wanted her too.

"Sorry to change your schedule so suddenly, but we really don't get time to talk." He remarked, settling into his own chair.

"It's fine, My Lord." She answered in a small voice, gingerly taking her plate off the tray and moving it onto the table, carefully slicing off a piece of the layered dish and bringing it to her mouth.

Her eyes lit up, astounded at the flavour that assaulted her. There was no doubt that this was her favourite part of her stay here, the food was consistently excellent. She had been eating amazingly ever since she came here. That coupled with the gentle treatment, the lavish surroundings and the complete lack of hearing or seeing the spirits that had tormented her for much of her life left her feeling... odd.

She had been kidnapped, right? Some strange man had come in, slaughtered her family and carried her off afterwards. That was supposed to be bad. In the books she had been allowed to read, the princess was supposed to be pining for home, desperately wishing for rescue and escaping her captor.

She kind of... didn't want to, though?

Did that mean she was broken somehow? She didn't know enough to say for sure.

"I wanted to ask, do you need anything to be comfortable?' The question took her by surprise, looking up and blinking in shock at the Devil as he clarified, "You have been holed up in this room all the time. Do you need something to make you comfortable to go out? Naomi told me if you enjoy reading, you can use the Library if you want to."

"I can?" She questioned, confused.

"Of course?" The answer sounded like a question, "Naomi told me that she told you that."

"I thought she was joking." Seeing the look he gave her at that reply, she ducked her head into her chest, blushing.

"You can feel free to move as you want throughout the Manor, Valerie. I would ask that you don't leave the grounds, for your own safety, but I don't want to keep you prisoner here." He spoke softly, causing her to blurt out a question she had been wondering.

"Why did you take me then?" She asked in a rush, "You haven't hurt me, you've been so nice, you haven't forced me to do anything with the spirits... What do you want?"

Her sudden bravery left her just as quickly as it came, causing her to deflate back in on herself and start to raise her arms defensively, "Wait please, I'm sorry-"

"To save you." Was the response that caused her to still, "There are people out there who want your Sacred Gear. I don't know if you were informed, but you have Sephiroth Graal, the Longinus. There are many who would go to any lengths to possess that, to squeeze every last drop out of it they could."

She shuddered at those words. The few times she had used her power... It hurt so much. Being forced to use it over and over again like he was describing? She felt sick just imagining it.

She was surprised by the sudden feeling of warmth. She stiffened as she realised that he had left the chair and hugged her before she realised it, firmly yet slowly drawing her into a tight embrace.

"Shh, it's okay, Valerie. I won't let them have you." He spoke softly, causing her body to relax against her better instincts.

"Why? Do you want the Graal too?" she spoke bitterly, cursing herself for her own weakness even as she took comfort from the hug.

"No." He spoke, shaking his head, she could feel it rubbing the top of hers, "I don't need it. I will get strong enough to protect you and the rest from everything without it."

She believed him, for some reason. It caused a warmth to bloom in her chest. She had no idea what the feeling was, the sensation completely foreign to her. The strangeness caused tears to start to leak from her eyes, slowly at first, but then more and more quickly. Soon she was sobbing into his shoulder, still having no idea why she was feeling the way she was.

It didn't feel bad though. In fact, the last time she had felt anything like this was...

"Gaspie..."

She didn't realise she had whispered the last word before he replied to it, "I am working on organising a meeting. It's difficult to get him to leave the Gremory Manor, but as soon as it's possible I will let you know immediately."

He sounded slightly embarrassed about that. As if it was a personal failing that he couldn't instantly fulfil her most closely held dream.

She laughed in between her sobs, before a realisation hit her.

Ah, that's what this feeling was.

She was happy.

---XXX---

"Thou art stunning, Consort mine." The Dark Moon spoke, eyes drawing themselves up and down my body.

I was pleased that even in this new body, my tastes still looked good. White button up shirt, dress slacks with suspenders, a tailored waistcoat and a blue tie tying it all together.

Some fashion was simply timeless.

"You are a gorgeous sight yourself." I responded, taking in the visage that was presented to my sight.

The two pairs of arms meant that some dresses had to be tailored slightly differently, but her current style did not suffer from that problem. A tasteful, tight number, with a criss-crossing back ribbon. Rather than the usual style, this one had longer spans of the ribbon, exposing a titillating expanse of blue skin. This accentuated the sensuality of the front of the dress, which had slightly transparent lace providing a window to the Goddess' cleavage.

Her choice of jewellery was a statement, carefully chosen. A rather short necklace, with a gemmed pendant. Emblazoned within the stones, displayed proudly, was the Sagan Crest. A more emphatic statement of allegiance from a Goddess I could hardly imagine, the only thing that could make it better was that it was a complete surprise.

She had decided to wear the piece on her own.

"Thank you for agreeing to this. I know you would have preferred something more private." I said, smoothly arriving at my date's side, extending an arm for her to encircle with two of her own.

"Think naught of it, Consort. The Gremory Ancestor was correct. Thy need to become a more public figure and allowing the masses to glimpse me should put their minds at ease."She analytically laid out, before her usually flat voice took on a teasing edge, "Besides, I am finding mine self most pleased to partake in the opportunity to widely state mine claim. Thou art mine and I wish for that to be known."

"Funny, I was just thinking something similar." I replied with a smile, "the entire underworld could be powered by the heat of the jealousy I will receive once they see you."

"Thy tongue is truly silvered, Damocles. Perhaps that is how you gathered so many concubines to thyself?" She wondered, causing me to shift slightly.

"It wasn't that, I assure you." I somewhat awkwardly replied.

"Consort, do not dwell on it, I jest. I have come to terms with thy new situation. Thou can bed them as you wish and acquire lovers as thy wish. However." She coiled her arms tighter around mine, punctuating her next words, "I am the one to be thy wife. Thy one and only Lady, just as thou art mine one and only Lord. Tis non-negotiable."

I mulled it over briefly for several heartbeats. The reason came to me rather quickly. In the Lands Between, a vast amount of stock was put upon titles and positions. By claiming the spot as my Wife and Lady, Ranni felt she would be safely at the very top of the rest, the sole victor of any competitions simply by the virtue of her position. To be fair, she wouldn't exactly be wrong.

There could only be one Lady Sagan, after all.

"Of course, Ranni. I would not wish it any other way. Speaking of, I should really start the design for the ring." I squeezed her arm back.

"I hath looked into the customs of this world when it comes to courtship, so you are aware, Mine Knight." Ranni spoke, "Therefore, I understand the sentiment."

Tilting her head up, staring into my eyes, she finished, "Keep that style of speech up, and this date shall go very well indeed."

I could only hope.

Chapter 57: Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Courting Devils

As we walked, Ranni's arms in mine, I could feel the gazes we attracted. It was only fair after all, being an object of mystique as we were. Thankfully, we were in a rather high class area of Lilith, so the people around us were much too prideful to lower themselves to approaching us unprompted. They have dignity to uphold, as imaginary as it was.

"Mine understanding is that the purpose of a visit to an establishment like the one we are attending is to demonstrate one's wealth and prestige to a prospective partner." Ranni spoke, her voice light, "Seeing as I do not need to partake in sustenance and am uncaring of thy wealth, I am curious about the choice of courting location."

Rather than expecting myself to justify the choice of upscale restaurant for a location of this outing, I got the feeling that she instead wished to know how to act on this date. An all powerful Goddess she may be, but she is woefully inexperienced when it comes to romance. It's no wonder she was slightly nervous when it came to her first proper date.

"That's true, but the choice of location was more to do with how the public would perceive it." I answered, "For us, I was hoping that it would allow us to speak personally, get to know each other more in an intimate setting."

"An intimate setting, thou say? Should I be worried for mine chastity?" I was happy that she was comfortable enough for jokes.

"Only if you deem me worthy of such a priceless gift, my Lady. I would not dare to presume." I grinned at the teasing.

She squeezed my arm in light rebuke, "How uncouth, blatantly admitting thy planned deprivations. Thou should learn to more gently treat a maiden's heart."

I was getting better at reading her. She had perfect control over her face and expressions, her voice perfectly even and giving away nothing. Still, I could detect the slight hint of embarrassment hiding behind her words.

"I agree, that is something that is very important to learn. Would you be my teacher?" I teased further, "Unfortunately, in my inexperience, I might make a few mistakes. I am sure a gracious woman such as yourself would be forgiving of my missteps?"

"Thy tongue grows more honeyed by the day." She griped, voice still perfectly even, "At this point I worry that thou will charm many unintentionally. I notice thy habit of flirting with any and all that cross thine path. It blunts the effects of thy words if they are too freely given, mine Consort."

"You wound me, my lady." I dramatically grabbed my chest with the hand not in her grasp, "I only bestow such words on the truly deserving. Besides, of all these women I flirt with, might I ask which remains as my one and only Consort?"

"Thy thinking is to squirm thine way out of this with compliments?" She queried, gaze locked forward.

"Is it working?" I responded.

She did not respond, merely coming to stop in front of an ornate, overly decorated facade of a building.

"I believe we hath arrived." She spoke, staring up in palpable distaste at the spectacle before us.

"I humbly ask that you bear with it." I remarked, also not impressed.

"I am not unaccustomed to such unnecessary displays." She tightened her grip around my arm, "I am sure I shall live."

---XXX---

"This is your seat, my Lord, my Lady." The Host bowed as he indicated a lavish golden table situated towards the back of the Dining Hall.

Lucifer's Smile was the premier dining location in the Capital of the Devil Race, meaning that we were not the only Lord and Lady in attendance. Many eyes tracked our journey across the room with great interest, but at least for the time being the laws of politeness held and none made to approach us.

I swiftly moved from behind the Host and pulled out Ranni's chair, earning a regal nod of thanks from her as she sat. I turned to the Host and nodded to him, causing him to bow once more and return to greeting the next guests.

As I sat, I waved my hand with the index finger pointed out, causing a magical circle to flare to life around the table, drawing even more attention, before the circle flashed and ensured that the words shared between Ranni and I would not pass the boundary.

"There, we have some privacy. Despite the pageantry, I am actually looking forward to getting to know you better, Ranni." I spoke, lowering my hand.

"And I you, Dear Consort." She replied, before steepling her upper pair of hands, "I must admit though, now we have arrived at this point, I find myself at a bit of a loss as to what to ask."

"Starting at the basics seems to be best, I would think. I doubt that your previous adventures with me in the Lands Between gave much opportunity to discuss frivolities. What are your hobbies, Ranni? What do you like to do to relax?" I took the hint and started to lead the conversation.

"There were more times for conversation than thou might think." She smiled faintly, "But indeed, our discussions rarely wandered into the areas of recreation. I have always been fond of reading, thy library has been a great boon to me this past month."

"I enjoy reading too, especially with Shiro. We use it to bond together, it's the activity she finds the most enjoyment in. Perhaps we should set up a few reading dates of our own?" I suggested, causing her smile to widen.

"That would be most welcome. What books most catch thy fancy, when thou art in the mood?" She relaxed, allowing her steepled hands to rest more loosely in her lap as she engaged with the conversation.

"Mostly spell books and discussions upon the nature of Devil Magic. Additionally, histories of the Houses and politics of the underworld, although I have had to supplement those from the time after the Civil War." I replied.

"How practical." She lightly teased, "But I must admit to also losing mine self within mystical tomes. Still, I find mine attention drawn more to fantastical stories, rather than purely instructional ones."

"Oh? A fan of fiction are we? I find nothing odd about that, if my position did not demand so much from me I would likely find some time to indulge likewise. What sort of novels do you enjoy?" I was interested, not expecting this from her.

"Thou might think it silly, but I was always partial to romance novels. The chivalrous knight pledging his sword and soul to the fair princess… It was always something that fascinated me." She stared intensely into my eyes as she spoke her next words, "Never would I have expected that mine own knight would appear before me. Is it any wonder that I fell so hard for thee?'

"Well, earning your affection for a promise that I cannot recall making is slightly awkward, I must admit." I chuckled slightly nervously, "But, I would gladly swear that vow to you again, should you wish it."

"There is little need, Consort. Thou art keeping to its boundaries rather admirably." Her smile turned gentle, "Would thou raise thy sword in defence of me and mine aims? Would thou defend me from any that would seek my head?"

"I doubt that such protection would be truly needed." I remarked, "But I would gladly do so. Although I did not expect you to arrive here, rather expecting that I would have to travel to you, I am very glad you are here, Ranni."

"As am I." Her happiness shone through the soft response.

Our conversation was interrupted by a waiter coming to our table to receive our orders. Thanks to magic and devil sensibilities (Nobles need not wait for their food), the food was almost instantly put before us.

"I notice, Mine Consort, that thou are more partial to meat dishes." Ranni commented once the waiter was outside of the privacy ward, "Thou seem to always have it present in some form in thine dishes."

"Now that you mention it, I suppose you are right." I laughed at the observation, not realising myself, "I suppose it is a holdover from habit. I have always enjoyed meat, now that I have full control over my diet it always sneaks its way in somewhere."

"Indulgences are nothing to be ashamed about." She remarked, "I am rather partial to Gevain fruits myself. Although I have not had them for quite some time."

"Gevain fruits?" I had never heard of them before, "I am unfamiliar with them."

"Indeed, it is unlikely that they were something thou would have encountered. Tis a grape like fruit, pale blue in colour, that grew in a clusters and had a sweet taste. Here, let me show thee."

She raised her hand and projected an image from the palm, depicting a small fruit that was as she said, pale blue in colour. However, they reminded me of something that was native to Earth.

"Hmm, they appear to be similar to blackberries. That's a type of fruit that is native and grown upon this world. Would you like to try some, see if it is to your liking?" I offered.

"Similar looks do not denote similar tastes, Consort." She held a small smile as she responded.

"No, of course not. But being adventurous every now and then is not a bad thing. If you do not like them, then no harm done. Should you not at least give them a try?" I grinned.

"Very well, thou hath talked me into it." She conceded instantly, obviously interested in sweet treats just like any other person would be.

I waved down a waiter, asking them for a blackberry dessert, which was promptly delivered. Ranni broke off a small piece of it with a fork and brought it to her mouth, tasting the morsel she had secured for herself. Her eyes widened at the taste as she swiftly swallowed and recovered her small break in composure.

"Tis as I suspected, not nearly the same. However, I could easily find myself enjoying the taste of these… Blackberries, thou called them?" She checked and at my nod, returned to break off another piece of the dessert, "However, it is likely that such exotic fruits would be difficult to get. Please do not inconvenience yourself for me in order to indulge whims and luxuries that are unneeded."

"Oh? Presumptuous of you. I hadn't even offered to get you more yet." I joked.

"I know thee, Damocles. Thou would do so regardless. I am informing thee that it is appreciated, but unnecessary." She rolled her eyes in her response, her obvious enjoyment of the confection not diminished at all by the action.

"In that case, allow me to assuage your worries. Blackberries are fairly common and easy to acquire, and even if they were not I would easily be able to afford far more exotic purchases. What I am getting at, My lady, is you do not have a choice." I resolutely stated.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, her fork in-between her lips as she took another bite of the dessert.

"I will pamper you with desserts whether you want it or not." I nodded, as if laying down a law, "Now that I know it is something you enjoy, I will not let this knowledge go unexploited."

"As ruthless in love as thou are in war." She laughed lightly, "Exactly as Mine Consort should be. I must admit, I look forward to what can be wrought by thine magical hands with this fruit."

"Well then, prepar-" My rejoinder was interrupted by a loud, booming voice echoing from across the Dining Hall.

"Lord Sagan! Fancy meeting you here!" An older devil I was familiar with from my time at the Senate was the source.

It appeared that the limits of politeness had been reached.

I waved a hand, dispelling the barrier around the table before calling back, at a much lower volume and not bothering to rise from my seat, "Lord Paimon. I am here on personal business."

"Indeed, indeed." The older politician slimed his way across the room, drawing every eye, making it clear that whatever this play was he wished for it to be public, "I merely wanted to confirm your attendance to the largest event in the Underworld, happening next month. I did not get your reply to my invitation?"

His voice trailed off into a question at the end, which I promptly ignored, "Allow me to introduce my lovely companion and betrothed, Ranni, The Goddess of the Dark Moon."

Paimon blinked at the apparent complete change of subject, before bowing and extending a hand towards Ranni, "Verily? I am most pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Ranni."

Ranni spared him a glance as she took another bite of her desert, almost finished, before she turned her gaze back to me, completely ignoring the offered limb.

"Right." He recovered remarkably quickly, moving on from the rudeness with aplomb and swiftly retracting his hand, "All the more reason for you to attend, Lord Sagan. Announcing that you are accepting Betrothal agreements is a rather seismic shift for the Underworld to go notified about!"

I headed off the disaster before it could even start, "I am not. Ranni is to be my one and only Lady Sagan."

"And the eligible bachelorettes the underworld over weep in frustration, I am sure!" He laughed, falsely, "Regardless, seeing as I have yet to receive a response from yourself, I thought that perhaps the invitation had not been delivered properly. That is why I simply must seize upon this chance to ensure it reaches your hands."

So saying, he proffered a sealed envelope, waving it before me. Taking the thick paper as I debated how to deal with this buffoon, I noticed something familiar in the text on the front.

"Oh? That's rather odd." I spoke, staring at the written date, "I was under the impression that the Sitri Heir was hosting a Ball for her birthday on that date."

Lord Paimon's smile became tighter at my words, "Indeed, but I have no contact with the Sitri, as you well know. What they decide to do when has no bearing upon my own business."

Why did I even bother?

"How disgustingly petty." I raised my voice for the first time since he had called out to me, not to shout at the man, but to ensure that my voice was easily heard by the gossiping onlookers, "I would think serious rivals would not devolve to the point of snide scheduling 'conflicts'. This is pathetic."

"I would caution, Lord Sagan, that you choose your next words and actions carefully." Lord Paimon hissed, "Should you choose to attend the Sitri function, it would cause some to wonder as to where your loyalties lay."

"Indeed?" I mocked, "And just what would these 'some' do about it? Schedule pointless events to conflict with mine? The horror."

"Now see here-!" He drew himself up, but I merely tossed the envelope back at him.

"Calm yourself, Lord Paimon. I am not attending the Sitri function. Neither am I attending yours. Your factionalism bores me." I looked back to Ranni, who had a wicked gleam in her eye as she watched the confrontation.

"You are merely an Earl. I was being polite to you Sagan, but it appears that was a mistake. You do not understand your position, your family are no longer Princes. You may act as if you are above caring about Devil Politics, but you have nowhere near the standing to act as you do. It will come back to bite you, mark my words." He hissed out the words, attempting to keep them marginally less public, but was still heard by the closest tables.

"You come here to interrupt my date, to impress upon me demands on my time and have the temerity to accuse me of arrogance? Hypocrisy is an unflattering look upon you, my Lord. Your message has been received and you are no longer welcome at my table." I gave him one last chance.

That he refused to take.

"This is what I mean, Lord Sagan. Surely you can see that a mere Earl dismissing a Duke like myself can be construed as-"

"Lock."

His eyes widened as his body locked up and ceased movement. I sighed as I stood up and turned towards the frozen Lord, the entire restaurant suddenly dead silent at my actions.

"I did not imagine that I would have to teach a lesson that should have been well known on my first outing to the Underworld, but it appears as if I have massively overestimated the level of Modern Devil's intelligence and education." Paimon was slamming his might into my Lock, but thanks to Inexhaustible all it succeeded in doing was exhausting his own reserves, "Why were the Sagan Princes, Lord Paimon? Oh, excuse me, you cannot answer. Allow me to enlighten you."

I picked up my dining knife, cleaned it off on the provided serviettes and gently, tenderly, placed it on the neck of my captive audience.

Using the utensil to tilt his face up to look into mine, I continued, "You see, the original rankings of Hell were not determined by wealth, or status, or pedigree. No, the only thing that denoted where your House fell was Power, pure and simple. We were amongst the most Powerful Devils to exist and therefore rightfully had a place at the top of our Race. Tell me Lord Paimon, now that we are no longer Princes, instead 'mere' Earls, does it feel like that Power has diminished? Do you think the difference between such arbitrary distinctions as 'Duke' and 'Earl' and 'Prince' would stop me should I decide to slit your throat here and now?"

I paused, lightly pressing the sharp silver edge of the dining tool into the skin of his neck, "I wonder, what use is all that politicking to you right now? Your decades of manipulations, of deals and amassing wealth. You are unable to even argue your case. Despite your prestige compared to me, right now you are no different from anyone else."

I removed the knife, having not even broken the skin of his throat, "Rejoice, Lord Paimon. I do not kill messengers. Now, I have a message of my own for Lord Bael, I trust you will deliver it?"

I grabbed his chin and forced him to nod, "Good man, knew I could count on you. Tell Zekram, 'If you want me to join your Faction, have the balls to invite me yourself.' Can you remember that?"

Using my grip on his chin to make him nod again, I sighed, "I'm glad. Now I have a message for you. The next time you disrespect me by interrupting my dinner with my betrothed and not even acknowledging her before I force you to, it will be the last time. Please keep in mind, I do not make empty promises."

His eyes stared up into mine, almost uncomprehending at my brazenness. I paid it no mind, merely calmly returning to my seat and speaking to Ranni.

"I apologise for the interruption." My demeanour seemed to be most amusing to her.

"Pay it no heed, Consort. Such appears to be becoming the norm when we are alone. I find mine self in the mood for another of those desserts." Her words were even and controlled, but I could detect a sort of sadistic glee underneath.

"I shall make you one when we return home. Waiter! We are ready for the receipt." The pale faced young devil arrived, staring between me and the frozen Paimon patriarch in naked terror.

I paid a generous tip and rose, offering an arm for Ranni to take, which she gracefully did as she rose, "Thank you for the excellent service, my compliments to the Chef."

"I… I shall pass them on, My Lord. Thank you." He stammered, looking like he would rather be anywhere but there.

"Worry not, you may leave now." I allowed him an escape which he immediately took.

I turned back to the temporary statue in the room, speaking a singular word, "Unlock."

Paimon gasped, collapsing and scrabbling away from me. He had been fighting furiously the entire time, to exactly no visible effect. The man was haggard, on the last fumes of his Demonic Power, whereas I was completely unaffected.

Uncaring, I strode out of Lucifer's Smile, a smug, happy Moon Goddess snuggled into my side.

As I stepped onto the pavement outside the dining establishment and prepared to teleport us home, the Goddess leaned up to my ear and whispered, "Such a valiant defence of mine honour bears rewarding, Consort."

Suddenly I was looking forward to returning home even more than I already was.

Chapter 58: Uncommon Senses

Uncommon Senses

As we arrived, the sultry and teasing adopted by Ranni shifted. Her expression was still the alluring sight that she had shown me before we teleported, but her body betrayed her. She had moved her lower pair of arks to interlock her hands defensively near her waist as she watched me attentively.

Something in my eyes must have shown that I realised this fact as she sighed, "There seems to not be much that can be hidden from thee, consort."

"When it comes to those I care about, I am sure to pay as much attention as possible." I responded, gently laying my hand on her joined ones, "Do you wish to discuss it?"

"I…" She trailed off, looking away, "I must admit that when it comes to the… Carnal act… I am without much practical experience."

I was struck with the feeling that if she could blush, she definitely would be doing so at the moment. However, it appears as if she removed that feature from her body, or was suppressing it.

"That is nothing to be ashamed about." I replied, causing her to release a light huff.

"Tis vexing, I must admit. Thou art much more versed in this field, leaving me feeling as if I were a fool. Verily, tis not a state of affairs I am accustomed to, nor indeed fond of."

I could tell. I had noticed that when she was agitated, she enjoyed speaking more nobly, delving deeper into more complicated and archaic language. Releasing her clasped hands, I moved to gently caress her cheek, turning her face to look at me. I then leaned in and spoke softly.

"It's not a competition, Ranni. Let me lead and just go with the flow. Do you trust me?" As I spoke, she slowly closed her eyes.

"Always." She breathed.

Her lips were refreshing, cool and yet comfortable. The soft flesh parted, allowing me to delve deeper and taste her more fully. Soon her own tongue got involved, wresting with mine, the faint lingering taste of blackberry being shared between us. Kissing her was a different experience from what I was used to, the feeling of her soft, smooth skin on mine familiar, but the sense that I was interacting with something more tickled my senses.

Eventually, our lips parted, my own breath quickening from excitement while her own stayed controlled.

"I did not expect that to be so… enthralling." She murmured, her voice low, "Your warmth… I had imagined it, Dear Damocles, but the real thing reveals my dreams to be but pale imitations."

"There is plenty more to discover, Ranni." I whispered, "Wonders greater than this. Would you wish to learn them?"

Her eyes sparkled, while her lips curled into a soft smile, "Teach me."

---XXX---

I was sure to be gentle, treating the priceless gift that was being offered to me with care. Ranni would be the third woman I would lay with since reincarnating here, but that did not make what was about to happen any less special.

Even more so from her perspective. She was, as always, very controlled, ensuring that her emotions did not show overtly. However, the more time I spent with her, the more I could pick up the subtle clues from the way she stood, the way she held herself. Besides that, there was connection that went beyond the physical with her, her very existence a bit too large to be contained to merely the material plane.

Her nervousness charged the air, flavouring it with both the tastes of anxiety and anticipation. Moving to the bedroom, we had not been shy with our flirtatious touches and kisses, the genie now truly out of the bottle, but now that we had arrived her mind was once again dwelling on what came next.

For a plotter like her, it was difficult, but I would need to find a way to focus her on the here and now, the present, not the myriad of potential futures.

"May I?" I asked, hands moving the clasp of her dress.

She paused, looking up at me for a heartbeat before replying, "There is no need."

The dress shimmered and disappeared into blue motes of light. She had some understanding of seduction, no doubt due to the 'novels' she enjoyed sampling, so she moved slowly, not merely wishing the whole garment away all at once.

Starting from her nape and moving down, unaffected by gravity, more and more of her pale blue skin was revealed. Deciding to do some teasing of my own, I followed the trail of shimmering starlight, my arms encircling my consort and partaking in the sensation of her smooth sides. She stared into my eyes as I did so, smouldering desire reflected from each of us at the other.

Soon, she was bare, naked before me with my hands loosely resting on her widened hips. There was not a single speck of hair below her head, the entire canvas of her being an uninterrupted expanse of smoothness.

Her skin, much like her lips, was pleasantly cool to the touch, utterly blemish free. The perfect flesh was like satin, soft, tactile, sensual, but most importantly, it was undeniably Ranni. As her desire rose, so to did her presence's strength. More and more of her vast being was being drawn to this place, to this single moment.

"I hope mine body is to your liking, Consort. I fashioned it for thee after all." She spoke, projecting confidence.

"It was crafted by a master." I spoke, eyes lingering on the prominent swell of her hips and the budding mound on her chest, each capped with a dark blue peak, "Would you like me to show my appreciation for this work of art?"

Her eyes flicked away briefly in embarrassment, before returning to mine, "Perhaps I shall take thee up on thine offer, but for now I believe one of us has the other as a great disadvantage."

"Allow me to resolve that." I spoke, hands moving to lift from her waist.

"Cease." She spoke, lower pair of arms moving to stop my own as her upper pair went to caress my lapel, "I would like to disrobe thee myself, Consort."

She needed to regain her composure, therefore taking control and leading for a while was something that would allow her the space to do so. Or so my intuition was telling me. I would likely need to take the lead eventually due to her inexperience, but I was happy to give her this.

Smiling, I replied, "Who am I to disagree, my Lady."

She nodded seriously, cutely focused on the task she had set herself. All of her arms moved in unison, swiftly unbuttoning my waistcoat and dress shirt. Moving one pair to loosen my tie while the other unclipped my suspenders, she then lay my upper body bare.

My own existence was kind to my appearance, Devils by nature being seductive and attractive beings. Such a fact was born out by her actions, hands trailing up and down my exposed skin, fingers tracing each and every inch of my newly revealed musculature. Her gaze was locked onto the sight was well, devouring me with her eyes.

"I imagined scars…" She softly whispered, "Warriors are usually covered with them."

"Devils will never scar unless they wish too." I responded, causing her to nod.

"Please do not misunderstand me." She continued, in the same tone, "I am far from displeased. Mine Consort is indeed a truly handsome prize."

"And a lucky man too." I responded, causing her to finally, for the first time, blush.

"Even now, thou art insistent in thy womanizing ways." She chided.

"No. I am merely honest." I relied, with a cheeky grin.

"Cease." She repeated, pausing for an imperceptible moment before moving onto my lower body.

In short order, my slacks were unbuttoned and lowered, my boxers following with them. Finally I had the full attention of both Ranni and her entire being, as she beheld by throbbing erection that had been freed from it's confines.

"You can touch it too." I spoke, allowing her to go at her own pace while surreptitiously waving my hand and teleporting my clothes out of the way.

There was no sexy way to take off shoes and socks.

Wordlessly, she took me up on the offer, hands trailing from my chest to my pelvis, then to my cock. I hissed slightly at her first touch, the cool sensation of her touch both at one pleasant and jarring.

She flicked her gaze up at my face at the sound, before returning to her new explorations while recommending, "I believe we should make use of the bedding."

I agreed, slowly lowing myself to sit on the edge of the bed, her hand not leaving my dick of a second. Once I was situated, she swiftly moved the rest of her hands to join the bravest one, each finding a single point to explore.

One started swirling around the head, the sensitive mushroom being treated with doting care by the goddess. Another went lower, gently cupping my balls and exploring and caressing them as well. The other two established a rhythm of gently pumping the shaft, the cool touches initially timid in all these areas but swiftly growing more and more assured as she gained confidence.

I had stiffened at the combined assault, but was quickly drawn into leaning back my head and moaning out at the stimulation, causing her to speak wit ha degree of smugness, "It seems my research upon those device was not in vain, Consort. There are myriads of ways to bring pleasure to a partner."

"Your inexperience is not not showing at all." I breather out, a bit of fire sparking in my chest at being so caught off guard, "You are unfairly good at this."

I looked down as I said this, only to met with a slightly embarrassed look, her focus going into pleasuring me allowing her real emotions to be shown more easily, "There might… have been some practice with a banana."

That surprised me, but my resulting laugh seemed to have sparked a hint of irritation in the Dark Moon, as she redoubled her assault, hands moving in concert, the satin tips of her fingers swirling around my cock head, her gentle caresses of my testes growing more forceful and the speed of her pumps increasing.

"I refuse to play second fiddle, Consort. I will be the best, the foremost in thy heart." She seemed resolved, before noticing wetness appear at the point of contact, "What's this? Ah, I believe this must mean thou art close, yes?"

"No, but it means you are doing a very good job, Ranni." I spoke, causing her to to pout.

"Not good enough, it seems." She muttered, before escalating.

The hand that had been tending to my tip joined its brethren beneath my shaft, the two each lovingly caressing one half as she leaned down and parted her lips. I held my breath, watching as she completed the rest of the journey, suckling the flesh that had recently been abandoned.

My hips jerked at this. The cool touch of her fingers had been novel, but that was nothing compared to her mouth. It was cool and wet, the perfect temperature to allow me to feel absolutely everything that she was doing but not cold enough to distract. She stared up at me challengingly, swirling her tongue around her prize and suckling on it fiercely.

While doing this, her hands were not idle, instead continuing their work, stroking and driving my pleasure up higher and higher. She slowly introduced more and more of my flesh into her mouth, the space her hands to pump growing smaller until she stopped. I could feel every inch of her tongue as she drew me deeper and deeper, the muscle wriggling around my tip and driving me crazy until it was forced to switch to my sensitive underside.

I clenched my fists at this new assault, not at all prepared for the level of study the Goddess had apparently dedicated to pleasing me. Things we paused however, when she abruptly stopped pumping my shaft and retreated, lifting her self from my dick with a wet 'pop' as she moved her relieved hands to gently hold my hips.

"There is an interesting fact that thou remain ignorant of, Dear Consort." Her voice was even, hands on my balls keeping my at a simmer while she spoke.

"What might that be, Ranni?" I raised and eyebrow, catching my breath and rebuilding my composure.

"This body has no need to breathe." She responded, a sultry smile on her lips as she did so.

I had barely processed that before she put the new information into practice, swallowing my entire length in a single movement.

My head hit the sheets, not a tall prepared for this turn of events. If her mouth was heavenly, than the throat she had built was approaching nirvana. Fleshy walls constricted around me, rippling and moving with purpose, not a hint of distress or strain in them. At my base, her tongue resumed its work as she started to rhythmically swallow.

The wet 'gluk gluk gluk' of her actions sounded out from the room, her mouth swiftly filling up with copious amounts of cool, wet saliva.

The pulling, rippling motion was maddening, quickly driving me to the point I was at before she stopped and swiftly surpassing it. My already clenched fists tightened even further, my self control under immense assault.

'Let thy self go Consort.' She spoke into my mind, throat not once stopping it's assault, 'Relax. Allow me to please you.'

Regardless of her words, this was a battle I had no hope of winning thanks to the surprise with which her plan was carried out. Twitching, panting, I soon released, causing Ranni's swallowing to speed up, swiftly draining me of my seed ravenously.

'Thy essence is delightful.' Her voice sounded again, even as she slowly parted from my cock, giving it one last kiss and looking up at me triumphantly.

"I believe I hath proven my case." Her face, despite the mess it should have been from what she had just done, was perfectly unblemished, as if she had not just preformed what might have been the best blow job I have ever received.

"You've proven something alright, you little sneak." I growled, strength quickly returning to me as I pulled upon my Pride and Lust.

"Oh, whatever might that be?" She spoke, teasing.

"I was treating you carefully, worried that you might be nervous about your first time. But based on the 'research' you've apparently been preforming, that seems to have been a mistake." My voice rumbled from my low tone.

"Thy restraint and care was appreciated Consort. Thou…" She paused, before continuing, "Thou made me feel loved. Cared for. However, I must ask of thee a selfish request."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow as I lifted myself from the bed, stalking towards her like a prowling beast.

"Indeed. Thy care and consideration were appreciated true, however..." She spoke, arms coming to rest upon her knees as she knelt, unmoving, "Thou art not just my paramour. In the Lands Between, thou won me, through thy deeds."

I pounced, bundling her up into a carry before whirling around and slamming her into the bed, face down. Grabbing her hips, I lifted them up, and then reached forward as I moved on to the bed as well, grip her by her shoulders so I could lift her up and whisper into her ear.

"Oh?" I hissed, my lips caressing the soft skin below her ear, "I won you, did I? Then I suppose I should claim my prize."

It wasn't a question, as her smile concurred, "I knew thou would understand."

I thrust into her, her smooth, bald lips parting welcomingly around my length, revealing that inside she was absolutely drenched. Her body possessed no hymen and stretched to the perfect size easily, allowing me to with a single thrust, slam my hips into hers and cause her to shiver slightly.

"How naughty." I growled, "Pretending that you are unaffected by all this, in perfect control, but this tells a different story, does it not?"

I brought down one of my hands to trace the outside of where we were joined, before bringing it up to her face to show her the glistening wetness that I had collected.

She averted her eyes, "That is merely natural in the presence of thy betrothed, is it not?"

"No." I answered firmly, flicking the moisture off my hand and reaching underneath her arms, locking my hands together behind her head as I used the leverage to tile her body upright, "No more acting prim and proper. No more hiding your feelings. I am going to break you tonight, Ranni."

"Ho? Brave, art tho-" Her words were cut off my thrust, my unmoving hips jumping into action as I used the grip of her head to pull her back down into the motion.

She rippled around me, her walls massaging every inch as I pulled back, almost longingly begging me to stay. I soon return however, with another brutal thrust. This was not love making, not the romantic first time that I thought she desired.

This was a claiming.

I unclasped my hands, instead gabbing her hair to her scalp as I thrust again, a meaty 'plap' accompanying the motion. Her nectar overflowed, soon dripping down onto the bed beneath us.

"Admit it, this is what you wanted." I snarled, a thud echoing out as I thrust upwards savagely again, earning a small gasp from her, "You are loving this, being manhandled. Used. Controlled."

At the last word, she moaned, the sound coming so unexpectedly that it caused me to cease the rhythm I had been building. She also stiffened, the reality of what that action proved lying between us, thick with implication.

She broke the silence, "Only you. I would only ever trust you. My one and Only Knight. My Dearest Consort."

I noticed the lack of flowery speech, and knowing what that meant used the grip I had on her hair to turn her head to face mine so I could steal her lips. As she passionately responded, I started thrusting again. The room was filled with the wet carnal sound of the joining of flesh, her own flesh going absolutely wild around my own.

Soon, the speed at which I was moving and slamming up into her made out lip-lock awkward enough to break it, causing her to reveal that her recent broken inhibitions allowed her announce her pleasure to the world, her husky, ethereal voice moaning a sweet music to my ears as I brought us both closer to he edge.

The feral accomplishment running through me, the sense of conquest, fuelled my actions as I slammed harder, more possessively into the woman I was joined to. Her being surrounded us, her pleasure and joy feeding into my own, the infectious cocktail of emotions driving us to greater and greater heights.

The rippling, velvet sleeve soon proved too much, my end arriving all too soon. With a final room shaking, hip crushing slam, I penetrated deeply into Ranni as I unloaded. She crooned into my ear, the air around us rippling and briefly tasting blue and purple. For the briefest of moments, I could see everything, was aware of every single inch of this beautiful creature that I had just caused to come undone, before in the next blink, it was over.

I was left panting, kneeling over a shuddering blue mound of pliable flesh.

"One day…" The voice was whimsical, her tone one of longing, "That will result in an heir. What a glorious thought…"

Hearing her affection for the idea, I found myself smiling unconsciously.

However, there was a misconception that needed to be addressed, "I hope you don't believe us to be done?"

Her eyes snapped open, staring into my own in surprise, before they swiftly became lidded, "Thou truly art a beast."

---XXX---

Selene took in a deep breath. The change that had occurred in her body had effected her magic severely. Rather than hampering her, however, it seemed to be purely beneficial. Her spells were stronger, held their form easier and did not take as much of her magic as they used to. While supercharged on Damocles' blood, she was a force to reckoned with.

Or so she thought.

Growling, she revealed her trump card, that she had been working on in her spare time. A dragon made of pure lightning roared out of the ether, bearing down upon it's petite target. Said girl didn't move, a shimmering blue shield appearing in the path of the attack, causing it's charge to invert as it passed through thus rending the dragon inert.

Selene didn't wait and watch however, instead using the bright attack as cover to charge at the Sagan Bishop. Said bishop merely sighed, bringing a hand up before her eyes widened as she threw up another shield before she was slammed into the ground, the Gravity Magic of Selene's attack being unaffected and hitting it's intended target with full effect.

She immediately attempted to capitalize on the opening, rushing to confirm the match, only to grasp air as the white haired girl disappeared from under her grasp. She barely had time to react before a hand was placed on her back, glowing lines appearing around her body that prevented her movement.

Should this have been a real fight, she could have of course broken free and continued to harry Shiro until the other Devil ran out of Demonic Power.

But it was not a real fight.

"The match goes to Shiro." CC called out, dispassionately.

Selene drooped, but then set her shoulders resolutely. She would definitely get Shiro next time!

"I've seen enough." The alluring voice of Damocles sounded out, "I know what to focus on now."

Or not.

"But I haven't won a single time?" She asked, making sure her voice did not come out as a whine.

Her King smiled at her indulgently, causing her to flush, "I have been teaching Shiro how to use Devil Magic personally for close to two years at this point. If you did beat her, I would be an awful teacher indeed."

She worried her lip in response, unsure of how to answer that statement.

"You did well." Shiro spoke, causing the vampire to look at her in surprise, "But you think too much."

"Yes, I noticed that." Damocles walked over to where the two girls were, hands easily finding their places on the crowns of their heads, "You are still too bound by common sense, or at least what passed for it in your previous world. You take too long to calculate your spells, not imagine them into being."

She tilted her head at that, confused, "Imagine them into being?"

He laughed at her question, not meanly, but in a fond manner, "Devil magic is based on imagination as I told you. If you believe a spell should work a certain way and successfully justify it to you innate sense of logic, then that is the way it will work. Shiro and I have been studying physics and applying it to our spells, but that is not a tactic that works for everyone. Kasane, for example, is a lot more instinctual."

"It sounds as if insanity would be a significant advantage to Devil Mage in that case." She mused, causing him to give her a proud nod.

"Indeed. Most of the most powerful Devils have some degree of crazy to them and the way they use their Power. Would you like to join Shiro and I for our studies? If may help you come up with way s to justify the spells to yourself, instead of having to calculate it out as you are doing now."

"I would be glad to." She responded, nuzzling into the hand he had on her head.

"Good. Now, let's go over your spars and what could be improved…" She internally groaned at that, not looking forward to examining her failures. She didn't like it when she was first learning to fight with her old family and that had yet to change.

"If you are good, I will give you a treat." Damocles promised, causing her mood on the matter to quickly change.

Staring at the wide smile on her face, Shiro muttered under her breath, "Easy."

"Shush you, or do I need to bring up the chocolate brownies?" He tapped her in recrimination.

Shiro turned to look up at him with big, watery eyes, "Please don't. I love you Big Brother."

Damocles rolled his eyes, "I love you too."

Chapter 59: Outside Context

Outside Context

"How dare that little upstart disrespect us like this?" Lady Vapula's voice was low, dangerous, "Who does he think we are?"

Another lord remarked, "Letting this humiliation go unanswered would diminish our standing amongst the citizenry. Already his popularity with the reincarnated filth was high, if they see him as some sort of figure to rally behind…"

"I understand your concerns." Lord Bael spoke, attempting to project a sense of being calm and in control, "But there are matters that you are all unaware of that means we have to proceed carefully."

"And just what could that possibly be?" Lord Paimon was incredulous, "He humiliates me in public and our response is to do nothing?!"

"We will respond. However, the response needs to be measured and applied carefully. Already his power base and monopoly on several rare items has given him significant leverage. Should we push back too hard he could utilize both that as well as his senate vote to interfere with us heavily." Was the response, the Lord wishing dearly he could just be done with this meeting.

Why could these fools never follow orders?

Lord Paimon was enraged by his almost bored response, but was stopped from getting a head full of steam by the doors to the meeting room slamming open, showing an imposing figure framed by the entryway.

All present knew who he was by sight, of course, but that was hardly needed. There was only one person who had the authority to interrupt them like this.

"I wonder." Zekram Bael spoke out, his voice purposefully clear of emotion, "Which part of 'Do not interfere' was unclear to you all."

Although his words were perfectly cordial, everyone in the room could feel his displeasure at the current situation.

"My Lord." Paimon spoke, his voice shaky, "I just thought-"

"You? Thinking?" Zekram interrupted, "You should know better by now. It was never your strong suit."

Lord Bael stood, bowing to the ancestor of his house, "Grandfather. Thank you for gracing us with your presence."

"Well I hardly had a choice, now do I?" The reply was icy, the Great King glaring down at his faction, "Now tell me which one of you was the cause of this? Hmm? Did my grandson fail to convey my instructions, or did you decide you didn't need to listen, Lord Paimon?"

Lord Paimon looked like a chastised child, yet still attempted to ineffectually defend himself, "My Lord, I assumed that you wanted to bring him into our orbit. With his presence at the Ball, you would more… easily… be able to…"

He trailed off, the expression on the Elder Bael's face activating his self preservation and stopping him from talking.

"In what possible world," He spoke, his displeasure palpable, "Would I need anyone's help to talk to a child of not even two decades?"

Lord Paimon could not find an answer. Zekram stared at him, the silence becoming oppressive as he drew it out deliberately. The other Lords and Ladies around the table shuffled uncomfortably, not used to facing the ire of their patron so directly.

The first to crack was Zekram's grandson, "Grandfather, I promise that we will-"

"You will do nothing." The response was swift, the Great King not even raising his voice, merely speaking as if he was stating a law of the universe, "I will handle this matter personally."

"Of course My Lord." Lord Bael responded instantly, causing a chorus of agreements to sound out from the other gathered Lords and Ladies. All except one.

"Paimon." Zekram's tone was casual, but his demeanour was anything but, "Let me elaborate. I understand that you fail to understand you are not the centre of the universe."

He placed a hand on the other lords shoulder and suddenly every single Devil in room felt themselves bowing their heads as the aura of The Great King slammed down it's weight upon their shoulders.

"If you even so much as think of approaching the Sagan without my direct, explicit approval, You won't have to worry about the promise that he made to you when you made a fool of yourself in that restaurant." His gaze was deadly serious, impressing this decree upon the very soul of wretch he was holding, "I will kill you myself."

He released the other Devil, turning, his authority still emanating from him radiantly, making it clear that he was not to be tested on this matter.

"This is not our usual political games, the pleasant distractions you have all grown so fond of. This involved the very future of our race." His eyes swept the room, before alighting upon his grandson.

Said grandson was the only one capable of mustering up the will to ask, "May I be allowed to know why?"

Zekram did not grow angry, knowing that the other man would not have the spine to go digging if he was denied, "You may not. There are secrets too dangerous for you to be aware of just yet. This requires a delicate touch, without any competing desires or schemes to interfere."

His grandson nodded, Lord Bael accepting the disguised order for what it was, "Very well. It will be done, we shall leave this matter to you."

"It's rare, me getting involved directly in a matter like this." Zekram mused, his voice sounding as if he was talking to himself, "One would think that alone would have been enough to impart the seriousness with which my original instruction should have been treated. But no, some of you thought better."

"Now I had to come here personally to make sure that the message was properly received." He continued, before his voice turned casual, almost carefree, his aura disappearing like it never existed, "Don't make me do this again."

His piece said, he turned and left the meeting, his feet taking him through the halls of the Senate. The whole reason he had passed the Bael lordship onto his puppet of a grandson was to not have to spend anytime in this depressing place and yet, here he was regardless. Truly it was a depressing state of affairs.

Still, this setback was ripe, prime for turning into an opportunity. He was going to wait, seeing the fractures in the relationship between the Gremory and the Sagan houses coming soon, but perhaps with this latest occurrence, he should take the initiative.

He did wonder how his dear granddaughter was doing.

---XXX---

I must admit, this did take a while. I was aware that the Old Satan faction had a reputation for being pompous assholes, but I believed the issue to be exaggerated.

It very much was not.

Constant attempts to change the venue, attempting to move up the time, it was tedious in the extreme to deal with the old Leviathan, even through correspondence. Still, finally they had decided on a time that was acceptable for both parties, despite the complaining that ensued from the other side of the arrangement.

I was waiting in my meeting room, the Leviathan arriving soon. I had no idea what the meeting was to be about, my every inquiry into the matter being rebuffed, so my interest was definitely piqued.

Seeing as they did follow my rules for this meeting, albeit under duress, I was happy to grant the audience regardless. I had set myself up as a third party, a neutral party, declining a meeting purely for who the other side was would make my neutral position seem deceitful. Thankfully, despite the upcoming meeting, I had the feeling that Katerea would do something to give me the pretense to no longer affiliate myself with the Old Satan faction.

Suicidal tendencies were not my thing, it turns out. They were welcome to turn the entire world against them with their harebrained schemes all they wanted, so long as they left me out of it.

Of course, seeing as they were part of the Khaos Brigade, I would likely have to deal with them sooner or later. Hopefully later.

Ranni would not be present for this meeting, taking the opportunity to train Shiro in magic, an activity that Selene gladly joined in. I was not worried when it came to the threat posed by my guest. There was a reason Serafall was the Leviathan of the underworld and not Katerea, as much as I loathed her. She was many times superior to the old Leviathan descendant.

If Katerea wished for a fight, I would be happy to oblige her. With myself and CC, we should be more than enough to defeat her.

I was broken from my thoughts by CC announcing from outside the room before opening the door, "Katerea Leviathan, here to meet Damocles Sagan."

The open door revealed the rumoured Katerea. The first thing I thought when I saw her was that for someone attempting to bring back the dignity of her name and reclaim her title from the usurper who had stolen it, she sure liked to cosplay as a sexy librarian.

Did she think Serafall's power came from her magical girl costume or something?

Regardless of her strange choice of attire, the gaze she fixed me with was certainly stern and serious enough to befit the situation.

"Lord Sagan." Her voice was rather terse, "Thank you for meeting me so… timeously."

"You are most welcome." I smiled guilelessly, pointedly not standing when she entered the room, "I afforded this meeting all the urgency it deserved."

The corners of her jaw tensed at that, but instead of exploding as I expected her to at the slight to her pride, she swallowed her words.

"The… difficulties you have been experiencing at the hands of the Usurpers are widely known, I would have expected one of your pedigree to realise who your potential allies were." Her voice was lecturing, slightly condescending.

"I know exactly who my trustworthy allies are in the Underworld, who the Sagan House knows they can rely on. That is why I officially aligned myself with them, after all." I remarked, not rising to the bait.

Of course, the faction I had officially declared myself to be on the side of? No one.

"Being a lone wolf is appealing to youth, but it allows you to easily be picked apart by vultures, especially if you surround yourself with and confide in ones of…" Her lip curled as she looked at CC for the first time, "Lower pedigree."

"Should my King need any advice on hiding in the sewers like rats, I will be sure to advise him to seek you out." Like always, the sharp tongue of CC cut deep.

"You dar-!" She was stopped by me standing, crossing my hands behind my waist.

"Katerea. You already know I will not join your faction. You have that amount of intelligence. Should that have been my goal, I would have made moves to do so by now. You will not change my mind by coming into my house and disparaging those I choose to bring into it." I stepped out from behind my desk, my forced growth actually putting me at somewhat equal height with the other Devil, "Which begs the question. Why are you here?"

She sneered, "A shame it is, to see a bloodline so storied fall into filth. You are right, I knew that you would not be smart enough to pick the wining side, if it were up to me I would leave you to exist in blissful ignorance until our eventual ascent."

"Said winning side that got almost entirely eradicated the last time you attempted anything of worth?" My Queen raised an eyebrow in feigned confusion.

"Scoff all you want, filth. But the reason for our victory is why I'm here." Katerea took out a metal circle from her bust, allowing me to catch the sight of what looked like a depiction of a snake eating its own tail, "There is someone who wants to meet with you, Sagan."

She broke the amulet and suddenly I was behind a fur clad form. The Dark Moon seemingly arrived into existence in front of me as if she was always there, apparently sensing the being that had intruded into our home.

"Intruder." She spoke, her voice full of purpose, "State thy purpose."

The expressionless dark haired girl who had appeared in a wave of rippling purple merely stared at her with a tilted head, before in an almost bored voice she deliberately sounded out, "I… wanted to talk?"

"Thy presence is a dangerous one to mine consort. Thy entered through deceit, how may we trust thine-!"

"Ranni." I touched her arm gently, my calmness shocking Katerea who had been grinning viciously at the scene she was responsible for, "It's okay. She doesn't understand why what she did could be bad."

I stepped out from the protective barrier of the Moon Goddess, causing Ranni to tense up in worry as I focused, trying to exercise as much control as I possibly could to my Demonic Power, stilling it's movement and preventing it from leaking to the air around me.

I went to one knee, smiling at the disguised dragon, who was merely staring at me and watching my actions intently.

"Hello Ophis." I spoke softly, barely above a whisper as I reached into my storage spell, pulling out a steaming tray of baked goods, "Would you like a cookie?"

Katerea's mouth hit the floor, "Are you insane? You know who she is and the first thing you do is offer her a cookie?!"

"Loud. Annoying." Ophis's words followed the first expression that showed on her face, twisting in annoyance.

Katerea paled, "I'm sorry my lady-!"

Ophis ignored her, walking towards me and plucking off the tray one of the chocolate chip cookies. Bringing it to her mouth, she bit into it, eyes widening before she started to swiftly devour the rest of it quickly.

"You can have as much as you want." I reassured before she even finished the first one.

---XXX---

This one was less annoying than the others. He was still glaringly loud, his sound almost deafening, but it was somehow less… irritating than the other Devils. Besides, these cookies he offered her were much better than the ones that the other one gave her. She would prefer to have these than those ones.

At his word, she started to enjoy them slower, the offerings rather delicious. Why couldn't the rest of this world be able to do this?

"Its working?" The annoying one said, staring at her eating her offerings with her face in one of those weird shapes they liked putting them in, "What in the hells…?"

"Ophis." The soft voice made her pay attention to the white haired devil, who was looking at her calmly, "Katerea is really annoying, isn't she?"

"She is." Ophis nodded at him, agreeing instantly.

"Excuse-!" The shriek hurt her ears, making her glare angrily at the source.

She would have killed her for that, but the other one who gave her cookies asked her not to. She should be kind to those that were kind to her, even if it was annoying sometimes.

"Can you send her away?" The white haired Devil asked.

That was such a good idea.

"Katerea. Leave." She ordered.

"My lady, are you really going to-?'

Annoying.

"Leave, or I will kill you." She clarified.

Katerea opened her mouth, not leaving as she asked, causing her to start to raise her hand.

Quickly, she started to move to the door, saying to the White Haired one as she did, "I have no idea how you did this, but I won't forget it!"

"Good." He smiled, she knew that one, "It would be boring otherwise."

"Melina will make sure she does not get lost." The Moon ordered.

Ophis liked her voice. It was soft, not jarring like all these other ones she had been forced to hear. Of course, that was because she was not speaking normally, but rather communicating her intent directly, but Ophis vastly preferred that than making air move in those distracting waves.

She stared at the Moon while she partook in her offerings. This was who she was here to speak to, to ask the help of. She couldn't just threaten the Moon into helping her like she did the rest though. Her power, the thing that meant she could actually help Ophis reclaim her Silence, was also the thing that meant she had to do this differently.

She didn't know how, though.

As she pondered the problem, she reached for another offering, only to find that there were none left. Before she could even be disappointed, the white haired Devil produced another tray of them for her, wordlessly handing them over without her having to ask.

"White Hair." She said, "What is your name?"

"Damocles Sagan. It is nice to meet you, Ophis." He replied, again in the quiet voice he had spoken in since she arrived.

"Damocles. I like you." She declared.

This one understood her and had yet to annoy her even once since she saw him. That was some sort of new record for the things that infested this world.

"That is mine consort thou speak of." The Moon spoke.

Consort? She didn't know what that was. Thankfully the intent behind her speech allowed Ophis to figure it out.

Oh, she had claimed Damocles as hers and thought Ophis wanted to steal him away. While the thought of cookies of this quality whenever she wanted was admittedly appealing, she was unsure of adding such a loud object into her hoard, no matter how not annoying it was.

"Ah." She spoke to the Moon, "I didn't mean to claim him. Sorry."

From observation she knew that you should apologise when you didn't mean to do something, right?

"I see." The Moon replied, "You said thou wished to talk?"

Ophis thought of how to phrase this in a way that didn't come off as a demand. She knew that this would be a negotiation, not merely a decree.

"I… want to ask… you to help me." She put it together, rather proud of herself.

"Help thee? What with?" The Moon was confused.

"My Silence. It was stolen from me. With your help, I could kill the one who stole it and have it back." She explained.

In the essence of the being in front of her however, she could see that she was not understood.

How frustrating.

"The Dimensional Gap, Ranni." Damocles spoke, causing the Moon to look to him, "It is where she lived and spent most of her life. It was taken over by the Dragon currently residing there, Ophis wants to get it back."

He understood! She didn't even have to explain it and he already knew what she wanted!

How amazing.

"I see." The Moon responded, "I am sorry, Ophis of the Void. I cannot aid thee."

She felt immense disappointment at her words, "Why?"

"Mine full power if brought into conflict with the beast that resides upon the edge of the world would likely destroy not only this world, but the Gap itself." The Moon explained, causing Ophis to want to growl in frustration.

She finally found something that could defeat the Stupid Red Idiot, but if it did then her Silence would be destroyed along with him. It was almost worth it, but she would rather have her silence even if it meant longer to get it back.

"However." The Moon garnered her attention once more, "I know of one that can aid thee in your quest."

"Who?" She asked, desperate to know.

"Mine Consort.' The Moon replied.

"Damocles?" She tilted her head, examining the devil in front of her, the cage around his soul, the power that resided in his eyes, but she found nothing that indicated he could beat the Stupid Red, "He doesn't look strong enough to me."

"Not now." Said The Moon, "But in time he will grow to be mine true equal. With that power, he could destroy the Red Dragon and aid thee in retaking thine home."

"I see." Ophis responded.

She believed it. Of course she did, The Moon communicated directly through intent. She could not lie.

"I would be glad to help you in retaking your home, Ophis." Damocles spoke, staring into her eyes without fear, "But I want to ask something from you to do that."

"Oh?' She narrowed her eyes.

Here it is, the demands to give them power, to allow them to crush their enemies before they helped her. She wasn't stupid, she knew they thought they could just use her to get what they wanted then turn on her later. They didn't know that by taking in her snakes, she could directly control them. Still, the constant delays and personal dealing annoyed her to no end.

"Please stay here, with us at the Manor. I promise I will reclaim the Gap for you, but the others that said they will help you want to betray you." She knew that, but listened to him explain, "Instead of staying with people who don't really want to help you, why don't you stay here, where no one will bother you or ask you to do things for them?"

She must admit, as she took another of the offered cookies and chewed on it as she thought, the offer was certainly enticing.

Chapter 60: Heartbeats and Silence

Heartbeats and Silence

"We may speak." Ranni's voice was calm, her words allowing me to sigh in relief.

Our latest guest was a coup, an absolute gift of an opportunity. However, her sudden presence had called for some quick adjustments. A being of her level was easily able to see everything that happened on the ground of my manner should she wish to, without ever leaving the room she had claimed in the basement. I don't know why she wanted to hole up in there of all places, but it is where she had requested to stay.

If it was in the Vault, as barren as it was, I could have understood that due to her Draconic nature, but no. Instead it was in an unused room near the vault, the purpose of which had been long forgotten.

I had readily furnished the room that she had selected, despite her not seeming to care for the bed that I had brought for her to rest on. The pillows were a different story, she had demanded a frankly ludicrous amount of them that she swiftly fashioned into a fortress. After that, she had retreated into their feathered embrace and had yet to emerge, at least anywhere my peerage could see.

Just because she was not visible, however, did mean she was not listening. Thankfully, Ranni was able to solve that, shrouding the area of the training grounds we were within under a miniscule amount of her shimmering blue mist, something she assured me she could use to prevent the Infinity Dragon from looking in on our conversation, at least while Ophis was not intentionally trying to. In turn, that would allow Ranni to know that Ophis was hearing us, something that was another concern.

"You know," CC was relaxed, a cat-like grin on her beautiful features, her voice full of amusement and frustration in equal parts, "I have heard all my life about the 'Luck of the Devil', but I didn't realise that it was quite so literal."

"Wouldn't that apply to you as well?" I joked tiredly back, "After all you are a devil now as well, on top of being a witch with all the sorcery that implies."

"But I am not a pure-blood, maybe there is something to all those stories and prejudices, hmm?" She grinned.

"Although in jest, thy Concubine speaks truth, Consort." Ranni remarked, "When thou informed me what thy had planned for the Infinity Dragon, I assumed it to be far in the future. That you had an opportunity to strike so quickly is rather remarkable."

"I'm just glad it worked out so well. Thank you for playing along." I replied, smiling at the two Witches, "She requires a careful hand, but we have done almost perfectly so far."

"Well, when my job is to merely 'not be too loud and don't insult her', It's rather easy for me to do." CC snorted.

"Despite ample evidence to the contrary." Ranni's tone was dry.

"Oh my, such cutting words." CC smirked at the other woman, "IS that an undercurrent of envy I hear in them?"

"It is." Ranni admitted easily, seemingly taking CC by surprise, "The position of my Lord's future wife requires me to act in a certain manner so as to not reflect poorly upon him and bring his house into disrepute. In thy lesser position, thou art much more free to explain to the dullard that infest this world their many faults. Thy efficiency at doing so is quite a pleasing sight."

"Even when I was around nobles, I have never had someone deliver such an insulting compliment so politely." CC did not seem to take offence to the words of the goddess.

"Ladies." My words brought both of their gazes to me, but neither of them were particularly heated, "I know you enjoy needling each other, but we need to make use of the time that Ranni is providing us well. We cleared the first hurdle, but dealing with Ophis herself was the easy part, if you know how. Now that we have her, her old caretakers will be wanting her back."

"Are we ready to take on the Old Satan faction?" CC asked, seriousness filling her amber eyes as we got down to business, "We were planning to go after them anyway, but this has moved that time table up significantly."

"It depends." I answered, "The Old Satans themselves at this point are practically a non-issue, we could crush them in an open fight. However, if they manage to rally the entire Khaos Brigade to take her back… It swiftly becomes a numbers game."

Despite the immense power that could be wielded by individuals, there was still one fact that remained unchanging when it came to conflict in this world.

You cannot be in two places at once. To defeat you, or to at least make you suffer losses, your enemies did not have to be stronger than you. They just had to be strong enough to force you to respond, while they strike other targets at the same time. Like a larger animal being picked apart by a pack of wolves, damage would be taken regardless of the outcome of each individual fight and when enough of it accumulated, the entire structure would collapse.

Thankfully the avenues they had open to attack us were rather thin and narrow. You would think that the Warehouses and Distribution Centres for our Trading company would count, but not really in actuality. Despite the fact that each and every one of them was in the end, ultimately expendable and replaceable, they were situated in major cities and trade centres of the Underworld.

The New Satans and the Great King, while at odds with my house in a nominal fashion, would still move to protect those places from an open attack for me. Kasane had been patrolling them to raise the difficulty, as an act of deterrence, but if the Old Satans were the ones to launch an attack there they would be bringing both of the other factions down upon themselves.

So, that just left two targets open. Sagan Manor, which was protected by Tiamat and Ranni (although most did not know how limited she was in that role), with the second target being…

"Kyoto." CC mused, "It would be a target that we would be forced to respond to and have the potential to collapse our alliance with the Yokai."

"Yes." I nodded, "Unlike the manor, we don't have the people to defend the entire area from assault either. That would be the most likely place a strike would come from."

"Consort." Ranni spoke, curiosity in her tone, "Why doest thou not hunt these rabble down if thou art so confident in thy victory? Surely removing the problem at the root would be the most prudent course of action?"

"I don't know where they are. They are hiding from the world at large and only rarely show themselves. They aren't outlawed in the underworld exactly, but they are very much persona non grata and bring attention to themselves wherever they go." I shrugged, "So they are very rarely seen."

"I see. Should the dragon not be able to tell you their locations?" She asked then.

"Ophis? She could, but I don't think she will unless she has a reason to. If they do attack us, then it wlll be a lot easier to convince her to give up that information than if we ask for it right now. She's inexperienced, but not stupid." Was my reply.

"I see. Unfortunate then, that we are stuck in the passive position." She sighed.

"I will make a response plan and ready the Peerage to react to anything that happens. Before that though..." CC crossed her arms, turning to regard me with a raised eyebrow, "Seeing you manipulate that girl so artfully, with a gentle voice and a kind smile, it does make one wonder if you have done the same to me with the knowledge you have from your past life."

"Ah. Thou art referring to the time he interfaced with myself through a medium in the Lands Between?" Ranni's eyes shined with understanding, but then a condescending look filled them instead, "Does it matter, in truth? Knowledge can be gleaned about one's paramours in many different fashions, it is what one decides to do with said knowledge that matters."

What they were referring to was my plan to deal with Ophis should she crop up, one that went through significant revisions when Ranni showed up. I knew from half remembered stories about the later plot in DxD that she had a fondness for cookies, so I had prepared a truly massive stash of them to please the hikkimori dragon. Besides that, originally I intended to convince her that the Khaos Brigade was too unstable, too unpredictable to be trusted with her dream.

After all, if they started all the conflicts and settled all the grudges they wanted to then many of them would perish or be severely injured in the resulting battles. Meaning the mangled remains would not be able to help her take back the Gap, if they ever even attempted to. I had a plan to defeat the Great Red for Ophis with her help, one that I would have explained to her and asked her and used to convince her to defect to me instead of the Brigade.

It would have been difficult, but doable. With Ranni, however, it became a lot easier to tempt Ophis to my side. Ranni had explained to me her encounters with the Red Dragon that guarded the world, as well as her estimations of its strength and what a battle between the two of them would do. Thankfully, upon hearing that I would need to defeat the beast or at least drive it off, she offered a solution.

If she could operate through a Champion, then her power would be a lot more contained and focused, enough to prevent the collateral damage she was wary of. Doing so, however, would surely cause enough of an accumulation of her powers to assert her Order over this world. Therefore, by strengthening my soul we would kill two birds with one stone, allowing Ranni to operate more freely and with more force while at the same time working towards my ultimate goal.

Which had since shifted.

After all, if I could defeat the Great Red, I could also defeat Ophis herself. I had intended to Stamp her through trickery and deception, but if I reached that level of power, there would be no need to do so. She would willingly submit herself to me, as the stronger being. Her world-view was simple, the strong did what they wanted while the weak were there to listen to the strong or be killed.

She treated Ranni with respect, or at least attempted to, purely because Ranni was strong.

That also meant that it was easier for her to take Ranni's words at face value and trust that I could help her reclaim the Dimensional Gap. After all, what need do the strong have for lies?

"I didn't lie to her once, CC." I responded, not sure where this line of questioning had come from, "Have I ever given you reason to doubt my intentions towards you?"

"As if not lying is any guarantee when it comes to your honeyed words." My green haired witch sniffed, "After watching you play with such an innocent heart like that, how can I trust anything you say?"

After getting to know her for so long, I could tell when she was in the mood for banter. The cock of her hip, the quirk of her brow, even how she smiled. She wished to trade words and veiled insults with me, a pastime we were rather accustomed to by now. Usually when we got drawn into such a conversation the tempo accelerated until it inevitably ended in one of our bedrooms.

However, there was someone present who was not so used to her, "Art though really so lacking in conviction? Thou hath been chosen by my Consort for a most trusted position, the highest among his retinue, yet thy doubt his dedication and fealty to thee?"

CC was briefly surprised by how seriously Ranni was taking this, but then she quickly rallied, "Oh, he is dedicated alright, but to what end?"

Recognising a disaster when I saw one unfolding, I attempted to head it off, "CC, don't ant-"

She trailed hand up the curves of her body, ignoring my words as she framed her form, "I think we both know the answer, wouldn't you say?"

"I would not." Ranni firmly replied, "And I would highly doubt thy ability for insight should thou truly think that is all his courtship of thee is. Do thou truly not realise that he is after thy heart, no thy body?"

CC stiffened at the words, Ranni striking directly at one of the unspoken insecurities that dwelled within her.

The Witch of Britannia snarled out, "Do not speak of things you do not understand."

"I believe I understand it better than thou." Ranni pressed.

"Ranni, don't. This conversation will do nobody any good." My tone was firm, attempting to end this here and now.

"I apologise Consort, but this needs to be said before it continues any longer." Ranni was resolute, her conviction becoming almost palpable, rooting CC and I to our places and preventing us from interrupting, "Listen to me well, CC. Fear to confess love does not shield one from heartbreak, rather it ensures it. If thou hath any care at all, be honest with thyself at least. For my Consort's sake, and thine."

I sighed. This was a conversation I really hoped would not happen right now, but unfortunately it seems that was no longer possible.

Rather than Ranni, CC instead looked to me, an indecipherable emotion in her gaze.

I looked back at her, attempting to reassure the distraught woman. Moving towards her to offer comfort, my actions were halted when her face twisted and she whirled on her heel, storming away from me.

I wanted to go after her, but I knew I would do more harm than good right now. After all, I was the cause of her problems, but I couldn't fix them. The only one that could do so was CC herself.

All I could do was hope that I had done enough for her to do so. The Stamp would ensure it eventually, but that wasn't good enough. I cared for her and seeing her in such pain hurt me as well. I was always aware of this, even before I went to Kasane. I would get attached, I would love these girls, that is why I was so selective. We would be together for the rest of our lives.

However, together and in love did not mean in harmony, or in perfect agreement.

"Why did I have to be attracted to such strong willed women?" The spoken lament caught Ranni's attention.

"Tis a curse that thou art bearing most admirably. I apologise for my words, but I do not rescind them. Her making a mockery of thy feelings… I could not let that pass." The Goddess looked resolute and proud as she spoke those words, but I noticed how she was slightly curled up, her shoulders hunched in on herself as she looked at me, "I hope thou art not too angered by what has occurred?"

"It was inevitable, in a way." I sighed, "I do not hold it against you. Personalities such as yours will always lead to clashes."

"Still, now was not the time. I recognise that." She seemed determined to have blame placed at her feet.

"Very well then, Apology accepted. I'm not angry." I decided to give her what she wanted.

"Thank you." She smiled, but then her eyes immediately flicked over to the side.

A purple vortex opened up, a familiar black haired dragon stepping through. She looked at the swirling mists, tilting her head as they dissipated before turning to us.

"The green hair left, so… I thought… Would you... Are you done talking?" She seemd awkward, searching for the words to say, not used to talking to an equal.

Ranni looked to me briefly before stepping forward, "Our discussions have come to an end."

Ophis relaxed lightly at that, turning to look at me as I smiled at her and moved slowly towards her, "It's good to see you Ophis. Do you want more cookies?"

"Ah." A glint of greed flashed in her eyes, but it was gone just as quickly, "Later please. May I speak to the Moon?"

"Thou wishest to speak to me?" Ranni tilted her head, "What about?"

"The mist." Ophis spoke, unmoving, unblinking and blank faced in a way that showcased her excitement more than fidgeting ever could, "I couldn't hear it."

"Yes. That was mine intent." Ranni answered, succinctly.

Ophis frowned, seeming frustrated at not expressing herself, "No, you don't understand. I hear everything. Everything is way too loud. But The mist was Silent."

"Ophis." She looked at me, annoyed, but her energy turned hopeful as I asked, "Are you saying that Ranni's mist is like your Silence?"

"Yes!" She replied, "It's not as good, obviously, but it's the best I've ever seen. Can you make more?"

She directed the last part to Ranni, who frowned and waved her hand, causing the mist to swirl around us once more. After a brief moment, the direction of the blocking inverted, and I was suddenly intensely aware of the sound of my own heartbeat. My hearing was many times better than a humans, so the sensation of being in a sound-proof area was… Interesting.

Ophis however, was immensely enjoying it. Closing her eyes, she stilled, seeming to bask in the small world of stillness Ranni had constructed.

"I can remove light and smell as well." She spoke softly, causing Ophis to hum lowly.

"It's not like my Silence, I can still hear you. I can hear you louder than before, you are everywhere. But…" A small smile found itself onto the Dragon's face, "I don't hate this sound. Even the Devi… Damocles, is tolerable."

Ranni bristled at that, but I quickly headed her off by asking, "Ranni? Could you set up a way to provide this mist for Ophis' room in the basement?"

Ophis, who had started to frown at the Goddess' anger, opened her eyes wide and stared at me in surprise.

Turning to me slowly, affront still showing clearly, she slowly nodded as the anger faded from her countenance, "I can. However, I would require something from her in turn."

"What do you want? I would be willing to part with a lot for this." Ophis quickly spoke.

"Indeed?" Ranni was smiling a sly smile at this point, a plan having formed itself in her head, "Then my payment it thus. Every week, thou must spend some time listening to mine Consort in that room until thou come to appreciate his sound like I have."

Ophis frowned at that while I looked at Ranni in surprise, whose smile merely widened towards me as she laid the trap.

Which was swiftly walked right into, "Done. He's already the least annoying mortal I have heard."

Of course, to someone with her emotional range, the hidden requirement in Ranni's request flew right over her head.

Chapter 61: Teasing and Temptation

Teasing and Temptation

"I must admit, I didn't expect this of you." I remarked, looking at the blond haired maid cheerfully examining different boxes on the counter in front of her.

"Is it that surprising that I am interested in tea?" Naomi asked back, pulling some leaves from one of the samples and giving them a sniff.

"No, I was more suggesting your attire." I replied, "It is rather daring."

Indeed, the ex-heiress was rather fond of different blends and types of tea, frequently experimenting and changing up the type she prepared for the rest of us. So her being interested in a tea shop was not too much of a shock, even for a date destination. What was surprising, was the clothes she was currently wearing.

It was a French maid outfit, the provocative clothing something she had taken to wearing around the house, but the set that I was used to seeing her in was a lot more functional. This one though? This one got the blood pumping.

She grinned at me, looking over her shoulder as she bent low to pick out her favoured flavour of tea, allowing her short skirt to ride up and expose her choice of panties to me. Black lace, by the way.

"Why?" She questioned, seeing where my eyes were and giving her hips a shake, "Is it causing you some trouble?"

"More like trepidation." I responded, "You are seducing me and I don't understand why."

She paused, obviously not expecting me to call her out this blatantly, however she recovered quickly with a saucy grin, "Is it working?"

Her behaviour on this date had been very… out of character. She had been sensual, teasing, attempting to get a rise from me and flaunting her body. I had some idea of why she was acting this way, of course, but assuming wrongly in this situation could backfire badly.

Still, I was not one that enjoyed being toyed with.

"Well my little tease," I let my voice rumble, stepping close behind her, leaning over her and pressing my chest into her suddenly stiff back and whispering into her ear, "If it is, are you prepared to handle the consequences?"

Her breathing started to pick up, before hitching as my palm was placed on her inner thigh, a trail of goosebumps following it upwards as I dragged it slowly to the heat that lay at the peak. She let out a shuddering sigh when I stopped just short and stepped away from her.

"And you call me a tease." She grumbled, gripping the counter she had leant over for support.

"My question remains, Naomi. I am worried about you, and why you are acting so…" My voice trailed off, struggling to find the correct wording.

"Slutty?" She finished, giggling at my unimpressed look.

"The fact that you can call it that and are doing it anyway just proves my point." I deadpanned.

She smiled, looking down at the boxes of tea, pulling out her choice and turning back to me, "It's… Well, it's freeing. I am acting so different from the prim, proper girl I was supposed to be, it feels like I'm doing something I'm not supposed to and I like it. You make me feel safe, so I feel comfortable doing this around you, it's fun."

"I see." I hummed, taking in her words, before I moved into her personal space, putting my hands on the counter behind her and trapping her in-between me and the tea display, "Don't you know it's dangerous to tease a man like that? They are like ravenous beasts, dangle a piece of meat in front of one and he might just decide to snap it up."

"Maybe I want to be snapped up?" She breathed, her face an inch from mine, "I get self conscious you know, with you showing so much attention to Kasane and not me."

I captured her lips, giving her a short, sweet kiss before pulling back, "Does it feel like I'm not giving you enough attention right now?"

She blushed magnificently, the rosy hue of her cheeks intensifying before she gently placed a hand on my chest as she bit her lower lip, "Not at all…"

Taking the hint, I let her go, stepping back and watching as she recovered herself. She moved the hand that was on my chest to hers, keeping it there as she took in a few deep breaths.

She straightened, one last deep breath being sucked in before she stared at me with resolute eyes, "I want to speak to you about something. Its not something I'm ready to say just yet. I know it's unfair of me to do this, but could we wait a bit until I'm ready?"

Apparently my willingness to respond to her provocations was not something that she was ready for, "Of course, Naomi. It was never my intention to force you into anything."

She giggled, "That's why I feel safe around you."

So saying, she linked her arm with mine, pressing herself to my side as she held her prize. Again, I was rather surprised by her forwardness, how aggressive she had been today, but I supposed that showed just how much I had to learn about her.

After sending the tea back to the Manor, we spent the rest of the date visiting different stores and shopping around Kyoto, the city perfect for such activities in the middle of the afternoon. We received no attention, the perception wards working perfectly on the humans around us, making us seem unremarkable and not worth paying attention to.

Naomi was happy to talk as we walked, gushing over how lively and inhabited the city was, it having been a wreck of it's former glory back in her world. Although not her first time seeing it, the novelty was apparently still present for her. Our conversation meandered, her asking after my preferences as we looked at clothes, learning of my favourite colour and things like that. I learned her own as well, that being surprisingly enough red, as she modelled and showed off different outfits to me.

She was flirty and teasing, but it never escalated to the point it did in the tea shop, as I held myself back for her sake. Although that didn't stop me from flirting back at her, ensuring that she was never without a healthy hue of her favourite colour in her cheeks.

The ending had only one more event of notice.

"Damocles?" Naomi asked, pausing as she fidgeted.

"Yes, Naomi?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Do you mind if I go somewhere alone? I need to buy something… private." She asked, looking away from me as her blush deepened considerably.

"Of course. I'll wait here for you." I responded, "Do you have your amulet?"

She smiled and fished the sapphire adorned pendant out from her dress, leaving it easily accessible as she nodded.

"Be back soon." She said, before moving back into the mall we had just exited.

I waited a few minutes but was soon joined again by my Bishop, who was holding something behind her back.

"Promise not to look inside?" She asked, causing me to playfully roll my eyes.

"Do you not trust me to be a gentleman?" I asked sarcastically.

"Of course not, you are the most gentle person ever. How could I think anything else?" She teased while she grinned and handed me the oblong box that she was hiding.

"Humble too, don't forget that." I joked as I sent it through my portal back to the manor, keeping my word and not looking inside.

However, that didn't stop me from glancing at the symbol that adorned the box.

What could she have purchased from a pet store, I found myself wondering. The obvious answer was a titillating thought, but I would let it rest for now.

"Yes, oh so humble." She laughed, leaning over and kissing my cheek, "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it." I replied, holding out my hand to her to continue the date.

---XXX---

"Thank you for coming." Yasaka spoke, her tails fitfully moving behind her.

"Your request came at a good time. I had something to discuss with you regardless." I responded, getting a blink from the Kitsune, "But first, what was the issue you wanted my help with?"

"Ah, well. Its Kunou. She's been having trouble sleeping ever since that attack happened. She keeps seeing 'the man with the spear' coming after her and waking up." She looked down, a considering look on her face as her hands clenched, before she decided to share, "She wakes up screaming and crying."

I frowned, "That's upsetting to hear. But I'm unsure how I can help?"

"I had the thought that since you killed him," Yasaka spoke, "You being here would be calming to her. She looks up to you a lot, you know?"

I laughed, "Seems odd that the presence of a Devil would make her feel safer."

"You aren't just any Devil, Damocles." She spoke, her voice serious, "You have proven to be a faithful ally to the Yokai, not just in your fair dealing with us, but also by saving my daughter. There is not a soul in Kyoto that would dare badmouth you after all you've done."

"I've just been a merchant, nothing more. As I've pointed out many times, I saved my sister too." I replied, stopping as she glared at me, her tails puffing out in annoyance.

"You need to learn to accept compliments. The access we gained to the underworld's, and therefore the entire world's market was immense for us. It allowed us to expand four times as quickly than we used to. As for Kunou, we already had this conversation. Do I really need to sit you down and repeat my thanks until you accept it?"

"That's not necessary." I held up my hands in surrender, "You win. I'll speak to the little one."

"Good." She smiled, her tails once again beginning to wave behind her, "Because she's almost here."

"What?" My question had barely finished coming out of my mouth before the door to the room slid open slowly, a sleepy looking young girl being framed by the open frame.

"You called mama?" She asked, rubbing her eyes, that stopped when she saw me, her ears perking up as she exclaimed, "Damocles?! You're visiting?!"

"Yes little fox." I smiled, conscious of the intense green gaze hitting me from across the table, "I had something important I needed to talk to your Mother about."

"Oh…" Her tails and ears drooped, "Do you need to speak to her alone?"

"Not at all." She perked back up at that, a small smile being brought to her face, "although it's important, it's not immediately urgent. Why don't you sit down and chat with me for a bit? I'm interested in how Shiro's best friend is doing."

"Really?" She asked, her tails curled defensively, "You won't mind?"

"Of course not." I smiled, causing her to smile back and shuffle over to the table, sitting down and smiling towards her mother who offered her a wide one in return.

"So what have you been up to?" I asked, causing her to pout.

"Mostly studying. Learning maths and history and all that boring stuff." She sniffed, "The tutors say I'm really smart, but I think they are just saying that because they are scared of Mother."

"It's boring, huh?" She nodded emphatically at my question, ears flopping with the motion, "But it's important. I know you've been told that and are probably sick of it by now, but if you don't know your people's history then you will be taken advantage of by people who will take advantage of your lack of knowledge."

"I know." Her pout intensified, "But I wish they made the lessons a bit more interesting, like my magic class. Speaking of, I recently started learning Magic!"

She perked up in excitement at the end there, causing me to smile at her enthusiasm, "Oh really? What type of magic are you learning? I know the Yokai practice Senjutsu…"

"It's not that." She shook her head, "I'm learning that too, but I wanted to learn Ice magic! Apparently I'm really good at it too!"

"Really?" I smiled, looking at Yasaka's knowing look as I continued, "Ice magic, huh? Any particular reason you chose that one?"

Kunou paused, before she attempted and failed to act nonchalantly, "No, I just thought it sounded cool."

"I see. Interestingly enough, did you know I am quite good with Ice magic myself?" I asked, causing her eyes to widen.

"Oh?" She laughed nervously, "What a coincidence."

"Indeed." I decided to let her off the hook, "Would you like me to help teach you some tricks?"

Her ears pricked up at that, looking at me in excitement, "Would you!? That would be so cool!"

I laughed, bringing up a hand with my palm facing up, "Sure, watch closely…"

She stared at my palm with intense attention as her mother looked on happily as I showed her daughter some of my personal quirks with Ice mage.

---XXX---

"She's quite the handful." I spoke softly, not wishing to disturb the girl whose head was resting in my lap.

"You handle her well. It seems dealing with children is an innate talent of yours." Yasaka remarked just as softly, watching as I gently stroked her daughter's head.

"I've been told." I remarked, grinning cheekily at her, "Just as I've been told that that is an attractive trait. Especially to mothers."

"It is." She responded, her gaze moving up to stare into my own, "I will not lie."

"When you don't get flustered it's not nearly as fun." I complained, causing her to smile before she looked at her daughter again.

"Thank you for this, Damocles, truly." She whispered, "This is the most peaceful I've seen her in a while."

The emotions behind her words were complicated and tangled. I could imagine that as a mother, not being able to make her child feel safe must be frustrating.

"You are welcome. I enjoyed talking to her." I responded, gently scratching the fox behind the ear, causing her to let out a pleased hum.

"Still, you came here for something else and I took advantage. I should apologise." She pressed, causing me to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Apology accepted, even if it wasn't needed." I looked back down to the sleeping girl, "We should get her to bed."

"Would you mind carrying her?" Yasaka asked, causing me to shake my head.

"Not at all. Let me get up." I gently put my arm behind Kunou's knees, while gently holding her head.

Standing up, I had the little Kitsune safe and sound in a princess carry. I turned towards her mother, who was smiling at the sight.

"You'll need to lead me, I don't know where her room is." I whispered.

"This way." She responded, moving to the door and quietly opening it.

Leading me through the complex, we received looks from guards and staff, who took one glance at the sleeping fox in my arms and turned away, hiding their smiles. It seems Yasaka was not lying, at least when it came to her servants. They didn't see me as a Devil, they saw me as a friend.

We finally arrived at Kunou's room, allowing me to gently place her into her bed, as her mother held open the covers for her. She frowned as I let her go, but her expression eased as I started to gently rub her head.

"Damocles." Her mother whispered, causing me to softly hum as I turned to look at her, only to be surprised as she met my lips with her own.

The kiss barely lasted more than a second before she pulled back, staring into my eyes with a look full of meaning.

"Careful." I softly warned, "If you act that cute I might wake up Kunou with what I'll do next."

She blushed but couldn't hide her smile, "You couldn't stay serious for this?"

"Not when I get to see your beautiful smile." I rejoined, causing her to roll her eyes.

"You truly never stop." Her whispered voice was full of fondness regardless, "Do you take that much amusement from my embarrassment?"

"I do, ye-" I suddenly stiffened, my change in attitude immediately apparent to the Faction Leader.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her voice full of concern.

"Shiro's emergency amulet just activated." I spoke, causing her eyes to widen, "She should have been safe at the Manor. Sorry but-"

"Go." She said, "We'll talk later."

I had already been preparing the teleport spell as we spoke, so I merely nodded to her, "Thank you."

With those words, I vanished from the Yokai's lands.

Chapter 62: A Brother's Gift

A Brother's Gift

There was a rule that Damocles-Nii had insisted on, that anyone leaving the Manor had to have a partner with them. This was readily accepted by the Peerage, everyone well aware of the myriad threats and enemies that were just waiting for an opportunity to strike out against them. However, this did lead to several pairings to become entrenched.

Some of the Peerage simply got on with others better, or their schedules merely lined up more closely than with others. One such pairing was with Naomi and Shiro. Usually, whenever Naomi had to leave to do the shopping for the Manor, Shiro was free to accompany her, the timing matching up rather well in-between her studies. Of course, the fact that she was treated to sweets whenever this occurred made sure that her schedule remained clear for these outings.

Currently, Shiro was walking alongside Naomi, everything looking exactly the same as the last several dozen times this had happened. However, Shiro couldn't help but feel that something was wrong, something about the situation simply didn't feel correct. Remembering the advice from her Older Brother, she trusted her gut and started to subtly look for whatever was causing the feeling.

She couldn't find it. No matter how far she searched, or where she cast her gaze, everything seemed normal, ordinary. Almost too ordinary. Suddenly, she spotted an anomaly that stuck out to her like a sore thumb. That vendor on the sidewalk, the one selling fruits to a crowd that was curiously looking at Naomi and her. He was familiar. The reason for this was something she quickly remembered.

There was a person that she saw earlier on in their walk, a man who was walking with his girlfriend. Thanks to her memory, she could visualise the two men next to each other and realise that they shared the same face. Not similar features, not a resemblance, the exact same face. Her suspicions raised, she turned to the figure of Naomi who was walking by her side.

"Yes Shiro?" Naomi smiled as she tilted her head in curiosity, "What is it?"

Shiro mentally thanked her Brother for his paranoia, as when he figured out that several of the Peerage members had paired off, he had them devise a secret call sign with each other. No two were the same and the only people who knew the code were the two in the pairing, not even the other members of the Peerage.

She spoke to Naomi, staring into her face as she did so, "Nightmare."

Naomi blinked in surprise, "Pardon? Did you have a ni-."

Her words were cut off by a lance of lightning, Shiro having attacked as soon as she saw the confusion her statement generated. The attack sailed right through Naomi's head, which shimmered and distorted, fading into mist as the illusion that surrounded Shiro similarly disappeared. Instead of the nearest town to the Sagan Manor, she instead was in the Wastes, the no man's land that was uninhabited within the Underworld.

"Brutal." Came a male voice, the malice dripping off of every syllable palpable, "I can see why the Sagan chose to adopt you. You didn't hesitate for even a second."

Shiro didn't respond, stretching her senses to find where the voice's owner was hiding. There was no sign of him, apparently his usage of illusions stretched to making sure to keep himself hidden. She decided to take the lack of attack as a space to attempt to activate her emergency beacon, her hand reaching up to grab the necklace.

She dodged aside, the presence just barely being revealed before it struck, a man in chain-mail and furs grasping empty air instead of the Sagan Bishop he was aiming for.

"Fast, too. I am beginning to wonder if I picked the wrong one." He was unbothered by the scorching blast that hit him as he spoke, a floating rune dispelling the attack before it came close to him.

Shiro recalled her lessons with Ranni, the Carian Princess training her in the art of her magic. The movement of celestial bodies could not be blocked, magic not able to reach the stars. Holding that image in her mind, the movement of planets, stars travelling through the sky, she conjured her understanding of that movement, the brilliant blue shard of magic shooting out incredibly quickly, piercing through the rune and taking the man by surprise.

He barely dodged the Comet shard, the trailing blue projectile cutting into his side as his relaxed, unbothered attitude disappeared in an instant.

"You little Devil whore." He hissed, "You will pay dearly for that."

Shiro was already preparing her next spell, her hand curling around her amulet again as her other fished out an unassuming, plain metal ball from a pouch by her side. That hand was stopped, however, as her own shadow curled around her, restricting her movements. Thankfully, her other hand successfully made it to the Amulet, but she was unable to use it before a glowing green dagger was placed point first against her neck.

"I should have taken you more seriously from the start, I suppose. But that was always a problem of mine, playing with my food too much. Now, don't do anything stupid, like using that trinket to call your Brother. Wouldn't want my hand to slip, now would we?" He grinned maliciously down at her, causing her to merely deadpan in response, the amulet in her grip pulsing, the distress signal being sent almost as he finished his sentence.

"You little bitch." He cursed, "Oh well, Plan B it is."

His piece said, his hand moved, the dagger pointed unerringly at the space in-between Shiro's defenceless shoulder and neck, aiming to bite deeply into her body. The edge dripped a sickly liquid, catching the pale green glow of the metal itself. No doubt, the poison coating the blade would wreak havoc on her body, putting her through immense agony.

At least, it would, if the weapon was not stopped in its tracks by a glowing, golden barrier.

"What?!" The assailant was surprised, feeling the Holy energy dripping from the defence that now protected the Devil, "How is this possible?"

He pulled the dagger back, striking it down even harder, attempting to break past the barrier, only to be blown away by a burst of rippling purple light.

Shiro fell, no longer supported by the magic that had kept her upright, only to be caught by familiar, strong arms.

"Are you okay Shiro?" Her Brother asked, eyes flicking over her form for injuries.

"Yes." She spoke, "Now that you're here."

After all, when Damocles was there, there was nothing in the world that could hurt her.

---XXX---

Well, this had not gone at all to plan, he could admit freely. Watching as the Sagan spoke to his sister and received a nod from her as she slipped out of his grasp and flew into the air, he half-heartedly attempted to feel his connection to the Wyrd Way he used to arrive to the Underworld, not at all surprised to find that he could no longer sense the entrance.

He didn't catch when exactly the Sagan had used the Lock, but it was obviously one of the first things he would have done after arriving. Things had really gone sideways quickly. Not that he was complaining, no plan went flawlessly, after all. Still, it was frustrating to not achieve even a single one of his aims here.

When the illustrious All-Father had banned all interaction with the Sagan and his new Goddess, Most in Asgard treated it as a curiosity, nothing more. Loki, however, saw something else within his adoptive father's actions.

Fear.

That was surprising to Loki. Sure, Odin had spent most of the time since the ceasefire was declared frantically searching for a way to avert his own death in Ragnarök, but that did not mean he was weak. Odin's death was fated to occur and no matter how powerful you were, fighting against fate itself was a difficult and tricky thing.

The All-Father was called so for a reason, Loki could admit. It's one of the things about him that was so irksome, that he almost lived up to his lofty title. Odin possessed ancient knowledge, powerful relics and a keen mind. When it came to battle, he had almost no equal.

So something that could cause him fear? Of course Loki had to investigate.

He wasn't an idiot, however. Anything capable of doing such a thing to the Allfather was certainly not something that would merely bend to his whims. That's why he needed to acquire leverage. That was the purpose of this whole excursion, after spying through his animal familiars, he deduced that the most vulnerable member of the Sagan's entourage was the little Shiro. Like he had done to many others before, he lured her into his trap, preparing to imprison her and dangle her life over the Sagan's head, allowing him to guide the Devil to aid him in Ragnarök.

With the sundering of Fate thanks to the new Goddess, it was an unsure thing if even Fenrir would be enough to kill his hateful Father. That's why he wanted to get something that was sure to do the job, by the Allfather's own reckoning. He didn't expect the little bitch to catch on so quickly though, he had barely managed to isolate her before she broke through his illusion.

He moved to plan B when she signalled her Brother, stabbing her with a poisoned dagger. The poison would be excruciating, but not deadly, at least not deadly enough to kill her anytime soon. This would allow the Trickster to drip feed the antidote to her brother to keep her alive and him on a leash.

However, he hadn't accounted for one thing.

The little shit had Avalon.

If he had time, he could have devised a way around it, but taken off guard as he was, there was no way his dagger would penetrate that defence anytime soon. He knew that the Sagan had stolen the artefact, of course, but he had assumed that he had claimed it for himself. It is what he would have done, the Devil showing a personality eerily similar to his own. However, apparently that is not what he had decided to do.

The reasoning came to him rather easily, of course. He had identified the weak link in the Peerage, the same as Loki had. Therefore he had turned the weakness into bait for a trap, giving her an incredibly powerful defence that would allow her to signal him no matter who came after her.

A trap that, frustratingly enough, he had fallen right into.

Flicking his hand, stowing away the now useless dagger, He spread his now free hands into a bow, dark eyes watching the Sagan warily, "Greetings, little Devil. I don't suppose you are in a talking mood?"

Assessing the damage he had sustained from the two attacks upon his person, he annoyingly enough discovered that he had been able to block the Sagan Lord's attack very well, meaning his only wound remained the one given to him by his supposedly 'weak' target.

Damocles Sagan didn't bother to respond to him, merely curling his hands around a sword that suddenly appeared in his grasp. Loki could feel the bloodlust dripping off of the weapon, its quiet lethality reminding him of the feeling of being stalked by a great predator when hunting.

"Guess not." The Trickster God readied himself for battle.

Without the Sagan's pet goddess present, he was fairly confident of winning this fight. After all, he was only fighting a juvenile Devil, barely even two decades of age. Besides, Loki was a God of the Norse. Whatever else his domain, whatever his preferred method of fighting, there was one field upon which all those who were venerated as such excelled.

War.

---XXX---

I gripped the Moonlight Great-sword, staring down the God in front of me, keeping my breath calm and even. I knew who he was, of course, the fur, chain-mail and bones a very distinct Cultural look. The wolf scarf and the dark, slyly glinting eyes only confirmed my suspicions. To be fair, of all the potential Gods that I could have fought, at least Loki was not the one with the most upfront combat power.

He still had several annoying tricks however, a sentiment that was proven entirely correct as he grinned he shimmered and disappeared from view. I activated my Geass, seeing the weaving of the illusion in front of me, trying to puzzle out why it was not being blocked by Mind Defence.

'Consort.' The soft voice of Ranni whispered to me from the Sword in my hands, 'Thy opponent's veil is not being weaved upon thine mind, but upon thine Soul. Allow me to assist.'

The air around me got noticeably colder, the sensation not feeling uncomfortable, but rather almost relaxing. Mist started to seep from the metal of the blade in my grasp, trailing down to the ground as Loki's form reappeared, allowing me to see him position for a strike at my side.

Not reacting until the last moment to keep my newly gifted ability to see through his illusions a secret for now, I whirled the Moonlight Sword to lock against one of his daggers, tilting my head to let the other stab past it. Snapping my left hand off the hilt of my weapon, I clasped his wrist to prevent his attempt to reorient the blade into the side of my face.

Loki grinned at me, excitement in his eyes, "You have no idea what you're risking, little Devil. Even if I die here, you will only cause greater issues for yourself."

"You assume I give a shit about what you have to say." I reply, an image flashing through my head as my Demonic Power reacted.

Ripples across a moonlit pond.

"I always appreciated the arrogance of-" Whatever he was about to say was ended abruptly by the explosion of purple energy that blasted him away from me.

He flipped through the air, landing on his feet in a feat of agility, before hurriedly dancing to the side, the brilliant bolt of white light from above smashing through his shoulder instead of his heart where it was originally aimed. He snarled, a rune flickering to life as he pointed a hand to the floating form of Shiro flying above us, before he hurriedly snatched it back to deflect the blue wave of Moonlight that my follow up slash sent at him.

A whirlpool of stars, circling a sphere of Nothing.

Grasping my left hand I curled it bedside my head, a dark, black-purple lance of energy appearing in its grasp as I threw it like a javelin at the God, having to dodge out of the way of the glowing daggers he sent back in retaliation. The javelin slammed into the ground near him, having been easily sidestepped, before it darkened, the purple completely disappearing into a black void as everything around it began to be sucked into the shaft of magic.

Loki himself was not exempt from this, the sudden force almost yanking him off his feet, fouling his footing and allowing another brilliant bolt of white from Shiro to blast into his side. Floating high above the field, she was able to leisurely take her time to line up her shots, the balls of Demonic Iron being super accelerated to devastating effect.

Spreading out my hand, I caused the spear I threw to destabilize, exploding with tremendous force, having to quickly conjure up a barrier to dissolve the daggers that had changed their course to come flying at me from a blind spot. Twirling on my feet, I once again blocked a strike from the god, his speed and agility allowing him to quickly close the gap between us having dodged the explosion, correctly deducing that with him so close to me Shiro would have difficulty aiming.

He was worse for the wear, being taken by surprise between the two of us, slightly glowing red Ichor dripping from the several wounds he had sustained. It was not enough to kill him, not nearly enough, but making a God bleed was a thing of note regardless.

As shown by the simmering rage in his gaze, looking upon me with curled lips. A flurry of blows followed, the memory of the Ashes of the Sword allowing me to barely keep up with his practised slashes and stabs, forcing him to block with both daggers before he could bring his ambidextrous advantage to bear several times.

Suddenly a spear of earth arose from behind me, travelling to impale my spine, only to be stopped by a glowing blue sigil. Up above, the blond form of Naomi appeared, the one responsible for the save, briefly speaking with Shiro before giving the smaller girl a short hug.

Catching all this from the corner of my eye while barely keeping the blades of the God in front of me away, I poured my Demonic Power into the Moonlight, a brilliant flash of light blowing open his guard and allowing me to attempt to run him through.

Dispersing into a trail of mist, the God reformed a few paces away, dodging the blow, a glowing rune catching the immediate shot of bright light from above. He shimmered, an illusion wrapping around everyone present once again, allowing only me to see as he stepped back from several half-real ghosts and doppelgangers.

They spoke as one, "I must commend you, forcing me this far. Unfortunately, Blood must be paid for in Blood."

He started glowing, sickly green and blue light being hidden from those who couldn't see through the illusion. Said illusion was not just ethereal, the God leaning upon his Authority to apply substance to the phantoms, allowing their blades to score several shallow slices all over my body as I fought them off.

Deciding to utilize my hidden advantage at this moment, not keen on facing a God with their full power unleashed, I stepped, teleporting right in front of the shocked Loki, stopping his reaction with a single word.

"Lock."

My reserves hit zero instantly, the sudden sensation causing a wave of dizziness and discomfort to overcome me. Having expected it, I was still able to ram the Moonlight Great-sword through the still reeling God, his connection to his Domain's being briefly disrupted having affected him severely.

He coughed, the blade forcing itself through his chest. He raised a hand, dagger aimed at me, before it flopped, all strength leaving his form.

"What…?" His voice was tired and confused.

"Foul creature. I can feel the anchors of thy soul. Did thou thinkest that this attack upon mine Consort would go unpunished?" Ranni's voice sounded from all around us, the trailing mist from the blade in my grasp increasing in consistency, as before my eyes the God of Trickery started to writhe.

His already pale skin turned pallid, cheeks becoming gaunt and sinking in on themselves as he withered and decayed, the sword seeming to drink his essence, his body beginning to dissolve as it was drawn into the blade. Disconcertingly enough, he was smiling widely as he died.

"Ah…" His voice held immense pain, but contained a childlike wonder and glee, "So that is what you are… what… delicious Chaos… you shall bring."

His final words hanging in the air, Loki of Asgard died as his life was devoured by the Blade of the Moon.

Chapter 63: Remnants

Remnants

The raven landed on his assigned perch, cawing at his brother before turning his small, intelligent eyes towards their Master. Said Master smiled at the newly arrived raven, pulling out a perfectly cut piece of meat, which said bird gobbled down ecstatically.

"Welcome back, Munnin." The All-father's voice rumbled in his chest as he spoke, "Thank you for your assistance."

Loki, his wayward son, was not nearly as clever as he thought he was. The Wyrdways were neutral. Just because you discovered one and could traverse did not mean that it suddenly became sacred knowledge, revealed only unto you. A Wyrdway that leads right into the heart of the Devil's homeland? Of course Odin would be aware of it.

Letting him go on this mad excursion was a risk, but a calculated one. Anything Odin said, any warnings he could bestow, would only inflame Loki's curiosity higher. Besides, with the various Soul Anchors he was sure that the foolish boy had created, there were better than even odds of him surviving the encounter and heeding the wisdom of Odin's warnings from then on.

However, when his old friend merely gave him a sad, mournful caw, he realised that the coin flip had not landed in his favour.

"I see." He sighed, feeling every bit his age, "Huginn, if you could show me?"

The All-father was capable of seeing through the eyes of his faithful friends, but in a slightly different way for each of them. Munnin could show him what he had seen, whereas Huginn could show the god what he was currently seeing. However, with the connection between the two, Huginn could look into Munnin's memory for him, adding an additional layer of separation between him and the observation of the bird.

This was not his first time dealing with such an overwhelming entity, when it came to things like the Dark Moon, every ounce of caution was fully warranted. He closed his eyes, his awareness splitting, his friend welcoming his presence gladly. Then, diving into the connection he shared with his brother, Huginn guided him to watch what had occurred with his wayward boy.

He watched, his thoughts drawn to the target Loki had picked, inwardly sighing at the decision. It's true, the little sister of the Sagan was the obvious weak link of the Peerage, but then again, that was exactly the problem. She was the obvious weak link. If the Sagan had at least the slightest bit of sense, he would expect that others would target her and take the appropriate preparations.

He was proven slightly mistaken when the girl broke out of Loki's illusions, obviously spotting a discrepancy that allowed her to do so. Perhaps she wasn't as weak as she appeared to be? The measure that the Sagan had prepared soon revealed itself, the protective light of Avalon perfectly recognisable to the Old God.

It did surprise Odin, however, making him think about how long ago Avalon had been stolen. Just how long ahead had the Sagan been preparing? He didn't know, and the question gnawed at him. Soon the Sagan himself appeared, striking at Loki and engaging him in combat. The Devil soon summoned a sword, or at least something that assumed the form of a blade.

What it actually was, Odin felt even from this memory, was a fragment of that Thing that had claimed the Sagan as her consort. He didn't know if it was his brief connection to the greater whole of the being that lurked at the fringes of their world that allowed him to realise just what the sword was, as his son seemed completely unaware of exactly what he was facing. Watching as the fight progressed, Odin was again impressed by the littlest Sagan as she shot those projectiles at Loki, her speed and accuracy something to note. The girl would grow into a terror if allowed.

As his son started to delve deep into his divinity, about to bring his full divine might to bear, forgoing all subtly and stealth, Odin felt himself despair. There was no way the Satans would miss that, there were certain things that rippled far beyond the area which they occurred. A God bringing their full might to bear was not something that was discrete.

The end was sudden, the blade shoved deeply into Loki's chest. Odin felt like sighing at the sight, watching as his adopted son was devoured by the ravenous goddess. He felt a shiver pass through his being, memories of what he glimpsed flowing through his head.

The all consuming white killing entire planets, leaving nothing with even a speck of intelligence behind. The shimmering, deadly aurora, traversing the stars, frantically searching for something, beneath it all a deep, terrible, all encompassing fury-

"Herald." The voice sent a jolt of horror through the King of Asgard, the last moments of memory being unnaturally prolonged as her voice oozed from the mist of the blade implanted in his kinsman's chest, "Thou hath failed most spectacularly in thy task. Mine expectations were low, I admit, but I believed that thou could live up to the smallest of them."

"Ranni." Odin breathed, suddenly inhabiting the memory, her power reaching him even from this far away.

"Tis I." The Death of Worlds confirmed, "Did thou think that mine sight could be avoided by using thy familiars in such a way? Where the moon is, mine presence follows. When I am mentioned, I am made present. I am Ranni of the Chill night, there is nowhere that is beyond mine reach."

He shivered, not able to dispute her claims, not with the blatant proof right in front of him.

"Loki would never listen to my warnings, the only thing they did was spur him on. I had hoped that upon meeting you, he would have been rebuffed and agreed to leave you be." He explained his reasoning, getting an agreeing hum from the mist.

"Thy words ring truly. Unfortunately for thou, thy subject met mine consort in battle. There was but one outcome once that had occurred. Thou saw that, didst thou not?" Her voice was cold, "Now it is time to keep thy word. I heard you, Odin of Asgard, proclaim to thou people what the price would be for disturbing our bliss. I hope that I do not need to explain what has to happen next?"

The All-father didn't need to be told, the threat apparent from her words, "It will cause a conflict to break out, whose fires might spark others. If Loki truly is disavowed and struck from the Edda… It will not be a simple affair. Your consort may be involved."

"Should Damocles decide to intervene, I shall have no objections." Was the simple response, something that relieved Odin.

The Abrahamic faction would be drawn into Ragnarök, one way or the other. With his position, the Sagan would be heavily involved in any response from the Devils. However, as much as it pained the Old God to admit it even to himself, with Loki's death and the sundering of Fate that Ranni had caused, Ragnarök might actually be winnable for the Asgardians, the brightest the prospect had seemed in millennia.

The memory did not release him however, the Dark Moon having more to say, "Thou art labouring under a most egregious delusion, Odin of Asgard. I do not wish to consume this world, merely to be left alone."

Odin clenched his fists, his responsibility of King ensuring that he did not blindly accept this creature's word, "How can I trust that? You must know the danger you pose, the potential threat. Especially after what I have just seen you do to my son."

The rage and vitriol simmering behind his careful facade was not as hidden as it could have been, but the reply came regardless, "Because it is better than the alternative. Trust in the wisdom of this statement, for it was won with much pain and blood: Do not make enemies that thou do not have to. Leaving the stone unturned can sometimes be better than releasing what is under it into the world."

With that, Odin blinked, once more on his throne, with many more worries than he had before his friends had shared this news with him.

---XXX---

"Are you okay?" I asked the pouting girl who was on my lap, greedily bathing in my head pats and a mountain of snacks.

The sight was doing a great deal for my mental state, but the bubbling mountain of rage inside me was only slightly soothed. I was devoting the majority of my attention towards the small girl to keep myself from doing something I would regret. Something involving multiple layers of ice and a huge tree.

"Yes." Came the monosyllabic reply, causing me to raise my eyebrow at her, leaning over her shoulder to ensure she could see my scepticism and provoking a more in-depth reply, "It's… I don't like being seen as weak."

"Oh?" CC raised an eyebrow from where she was inspecting the corpse in the corner of the room, "You never cared about your reputation before. Does it bother you to be seen as the one that you Big Brother has to always protect?"

"I don't care what they think about me." Shiro snapped back, "But I was chosen by Damocles-nii. All these people thinking I'm an easy target are disrespecting his judgement. It makes me mad."

"Spoken like a true Princess of Caria." Ranni replied, having not left my side since the incident, "Disrespect must be stamped out before it can grow into sedition."

"Do you want to do the Rating Game Plan then, Shiro?" I questioned the girl, who stilled in response.

"Can we? Won't it mess anything up?" She asked.

"No. It's actually rather good timing if we do it soon." I responded, stroking her head, to which she leaned back happily, snuggling into my chest, "Considering what happened with that Paimon idiot."

"Hmm. If you're okay with it, Damocles-nii." She spoke, closing her eyes and basking in the closeness.

I hummed, pampering the girl while inwardly thinking deeply about her. Shiro was amazing, of course, easily worming her way into all our hearts, but she was also conniving. I believe that she was intentionally suppressing her physical growth. Devils could make themselves look however they wanted over time, so the fact that she had barely grown at all ever since I stamped her was rather telling. It was something I would have to address soon.

It worked well to distract me from my seething inner thoughts.

"I'm glad you've figured all that out." Came the annoyed voice of my Queen, "but what are we going to do about this?"

She poked the foot of the corpse with her own for emphasis.

"Nothing." I replied, taking some pleasure in her briefly widened eyes.

"Nothing?" She asked, rallying quickly, "We've been attacked so near to our own home and you are merely going to let it go? That doesn't sound like you."

"Indeed, it does not." Kasane spoke, arms crossed near the door.

"Who should I target if I wanted to retaliate?" I questioned, Shiro's silky hair flowing between my fingers as I spoke, "Loki was a loose cannon. Any actions he performed cannot be attributed to the realm of Asgard as a whole. Simply going to war with them will be a gross over-reaction, not to mention dangerous to us personally."

"But?" CC arched an eyebrow, knowing that there was more.

"Loki was the leader of his own faction, those that wanted Ragnarök to reignite for centuries. As weird as this sounds, he was the only one stopping them from acting. He was smart enough to not engage in a war and divide the Nine realms when there were enemies surrounding them. With him gone, those he led will be out for blood." I explained.

"I see." CC responded, frowning,

"Mine Consort speaks true." Ranni interjected, "The one before you was devious indeed. He had split off parts of himself before coming here, each able to allow him to escape and re-emerge from them within a short time. Should I not have consumed him with mine sword, he would have escaped from this encounter completely unscathed."

"I can believe the God of Trickery was intelligent." CC rolled her eyes, amber irises focusing back on me, "What I cannot believe is you allowing such an insult to go unaddressed."

"It will be addressed, just not by me." I responded, "Ragnarök has already begun. The Norse will die and I will not lift a single finger to help them. They will tear themselves in two and wolves from all over the world will come to feast over the scraps they leave behind. The Nine Realms are full of the dead already, they just don't realize it."

"I understand." Kasane nodded, "It doesn't matter where the punishment comes from, so long as it arrives?"

"No." I growled, tensing, only relaxing as Shiro turned around and hugged me, "I am trying very hard to restrain myself right now. Odin can distance himself from Loki's actions all he wants, it's his lackadaisical attitude and refusal to deal with the problem that has been brewing in front of him that caused this. Trust me, if Shiro or Naomi had been physically harmed by him, we would already be drawing up plans to reduce Asgard to rubble."

"The bigger picture precludes acting merely to satisfy temporary emotions, Knight of mine Consort." Ranni spoke, her own hands gripping my upper shoulder reassuringly. "Thy sister has suffered from this debacle, even if not physically, I understand. But I implore thee, think about who truly deserves your ire. Is the perpetrator not already dealt with?"

She indicated the dead corpse of the god, causing Kasane to release a sigh, "Very well."

"Go to Naomi, Kasane." I spoke, causing visible conflict to play across her face, "I understand why you want to be here, but she needs someone right now."

She decided what to do in a couple of heartbeats, opening the door and leaving, only pausing to look back and give me a small, thin smile, "Thank you."

The door clicked shut, leaving the room in silence. CC huffed, abandoning her inspection of the dead God and moving to the sofa, taking my unoccupied side. Without speaking, she turned her back towards me and leaned her weight into my side. I smiled at the non-verbal display of support, still gently patting the head of my adopted sister, the soft scraping sound of my hand moving through her hair the only sound in the room.

Despite the cadaver, a comfortable silence filled the space, each of us taking solace in the other's presence in our own ways. The moment felt peaceful despite the violent reason for it occurring. No one felt the need to disrupt the strange calm that had descended, content to let it linger.

For the first time since the fight, I felt my Rage slightly subside.

Unfortunately, nothing could last forever, as the low voice of the Goddess broke the serenity, "Consort, Falbium has arrived."

"Thank you Ranni." Despite the news, I didn't move, the relaxed atmosphere quickly returning as we awaited our guest's arrival.

We were not waiting long, the door opening to admit a surly Melina and an impassive Selene. Following them was Lord Asmodues himself, who paused at the threshold, eyes locking in on the body slumped against the wall.

"So it's true." He said, shoulders drooping, "I was slightly hoping that you were mistaken."

"Very much not so, I'm afraid." I replied, hiding my amusement, "I would stand to greet you, but I fear for my safety if I were to do so."

CC had smoothly slid herself to the opposite end of the couch at his entrance, leaving Selene to freely occupy the vacated space, wrapping her arms around my own and looking back at the Satan with her impassive red eyes.

He allowed himself a tense smile at that, "It's good you can make jokes. I was worried I would find you preparing to wage a full war on Asgard for this."

"Oh, don't mistake me, Falbium. I am absolutely furious." My calm voice ran counter to my words, but he apparently sensed the truth in my gaze, "But I am trying very hard to think clearly about what just happened. This is a diplomatic incident, after all."

"Right." He nodded, turning towards the body, walking over to it, idly noting how it merely had the armour still on it, no weapons in sight, "I will get this to Serafall and let you know what the decision is regarding this incident."

And like that, the Rage came back. Clamping down on it, refocusing on the safe girl in my lap, I kept my face impassive.

"I won't hold my breath." I responded, inwardly thankful that he hadn't commented on my claiming of the spoils of war.

"Despite your… tensions with her, she will not let this go easily." Falbium spoke, a hint of anger appearing in his voice, "After all, this may have been an attack on you, but he violated our borders to do so. Neither Serafall nor Sirzechs will let that just slide."

"I will take your word for it." I answered noncommittally, "But I doubt that getting anything from the Norse soon will be easy."

Falbium showed no signs of confusion, obviously knowing what I was alluding to.

Looking at the desiccated corpse of the one prophesied to begin Ragnarök, he sighed out, "I have a sinking feeling you will be proven right."

Chapter 64: Resolve

Resolve

I leaned against the wall, staring across the hallway at the closed door. Shiro had left with Ranni and Melina to the Rating Game Coliseum to make an appointment, While CC had taken Selene to go patrol our warehouses, seeing as Kasane was preoccupied at the moment. Of course, that was the reasoning she gave, but I got the feeling that she was also doing so In an attempt to avoid being alone with me. Something else I would have to deal with soon, my Queen having avoided private moments with me ever since being called out on her poorly hidden feelings by Ranni.

I sighed, also mentally marking down that I needed to meet with Yasaka again soon to warn her about the Old Satan Faction and the Khaos Brigade, seeing as we were interrupted before I could do so last time. Thankfully, I likely had time after the attack by Loki. Such a brazen assault on a Noble Devil would be exactly the sort of thing that they and their supporters would be jumping all over, regardless of their personal feelings about me.

Politics is all about opportunity, after all. No Devil worth their salt would ever let a crisis go to waste.

Those were thoughts for later however, as I had to ensure that one of my Bishops was doing okay. After all, she was present when Loki attempted his idiocy, being brought deep into his illusions and not realising that the God had taken off with Shiro, who she was meant to be protecting. She had managed to do well in the aftermath of the fight itself, helping us move the godly corpse back to the manor after Ranni ate his soul, or whatever the hell she did, but afterwards she had retreated to her room and only spoken to Kasane.

That was another thing I had to deal with, I realised with a quiet groan. Ranni eating the very essence of the god, something I could see with my Geass, was something that needed to be addressed. Did she take over his domain? Was she now connected to the Norse Pantheon? Would my holding of the Sword as she did her action have any effects on me? Many questions and as always, few answers.

"Are… Are you okay?" A small, timid voice called out from a corner to the hallway I was standing in, causing me to snap my head over to catch a glimpse of quickly pulled back blonde hair.

Still, I recognized the voice, "Valerie, is that you?"

Shifting uncomfortably, fidgeting with the long white sweater she was wearing, she walked out from the corner she was hiding behind, "Sorry. I was thinking the Manor is very quiet and wanted to find out why and well… you seemed like you were upset."

"Why are you apologizing?" I asked, smiling gently at her, "You did nothing wrong. In fact I'm glad to see you leaving the room and exploring some more."

"Oh, well, that's good?" She sputtered out, the last part coming out as a question, "But are you okay?"

Her cherry eyes stared with naked concern at me as she asked, causing me to shrug and lean back against the wall more heavily, "Shiro was attacked by a God. Naomi was with her when it happened, but he managed to take her before She could do anything about it."

"Oh no!" She breathed, hands coming up to cover her mouth, "Is Shiro alright?!"

"Yes, she managed to raise the alarm and call me to help her in time. I killed the god responsible, with some help from Ranni." I responded, causing Valerie to slump with relief.

"Oh thank goodness. I'm so happy that Mistress Ranni was there to help you with that." She turned to the door I was facing, concern once again resurfacing, "Is Naomi hurt? Is that why you are so worried?"

"Not physically. But the God used illusions and she didn't notice until it was almost too late. I think she blames herself for not doing more." I explained, causing the little Dhampir's eyes to crease in confusion.

"But Gods are really strong, right? I can believe you could kill one, but most people would be helpless against them." She spoke, her faith in me coming as a bit of a surprise, one that I let pass unremarked.

"True. But logic rarely, if ever, factors into how we fell at times. That's why I want to speak to her, after Kasane is satisfied that she's up for it." My voice was soft, my words causing her to nod.

"I see. I'm so sorry for Naomi, I wish I could help her feel better…" Valerie wrapped her arms around herself, looking down at the floor, "I feel a bit useless, to tell you the truth. You are fighting such powerful enemies and I am not able to help at all…"

I frowned at her words, my mind returning to half-remembered snippets about what her power was capable of. I know part of it is what allowed the Khaos idiots to open up Trihexa's prison, but there was another aspect that allowed her to 'modify' things, at a conceptual level. Admittedly, it was a tempting power, the ability to completely remove my weaknesses or gain abilities not native to Devils, but the cost was rather high.

Valerie's Sacred Gear impacted her sanity, the 'whispers' that even now my Lock was preventing from intruding on her thoughts getting worse and worse as she used it. By the time Trihexa was freed in a bid to end the world, she was basically comatose, able to breathe but not much else.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't care, as callous as that made me sound. Killing someone else in order to guarantee my own survival? Easily done, hardly even a consideration. But something about the whole situation rubbed me up the wrong way, the idea of slowly breaking someone while forcing them to use a caustic, ill-fitting power until their very mind was reduced to shreds… That seemed needlessly sadistic for something I was not even sure would help me too much in the long run.

I would still do it should it become necessary to protect my family or myself, of course. But to do something that cruel on the off chance of making myself stronger was an easy way to lose myself. Where did it end? Would I launch an attack on the Heavenly Court to steal their secrets of Cultivation? Would I kill Yasaka and harvest her for parts to perform rituals to empower myself with her connection to the ley lines of the world?

No.

I was too Prideful for that.

As strange as it seemed, seeing as how dangerous this world was, mere survival was not the most important thing to me. After all, what was the point in surviving if I abandoned all connections, everything that made me myself, in order to do so?

I would rather die as I am instead of living as a pale imitation, a base creature that would do anything merely to extend its wretched existence a few seconds longer.

Of course, my other Sins bubbled up at these thoughts, each with their own reasoning and motivations.

Greed, for those that I wanted to possess, the idea of breaking that which was Mine (or soon would be) was anathema to me.

Wrath, anger at the thought that I would have to stoop so low to succeed, that I would need to lean on such a crutch to live.

Lust, the delicate female form of the Dhampir inflaming such a feeling. Her mind broken from using the Graal would not be nearly so appealing, each fidget and blush bringing forth their own charm.

Gluttony, I wanted to have my cake and eat it too. My Family that I had gathered were the people I was to live the rest of my life with. If I sacrificed what made me who I am, the only thing tying them to me would be the shallow connection forged by Catharsis. Not at all satisfying.

Sloth, my own power should be enough for me. Chasing a million different sources of power, clawing and stealing every advantage I could get would certainly make me dangerous, but it would also be a lot of work to integrate each and every bit into one cohesive whole. Much easier to focus deeply on what I was already comfortable and knowledgeable about.

Envy.

Oh Envy.

This was the Sin I struggled the most with, it stinging at my primary Sin of Pride each and every time I did so. After all, to be envious of someone, you had to admit that they had something you didn't. That they were, in some way, better than you.

And the Satans, the Gods, the others that stood at the top of this world… They stroked my Envy something fierce. All that power, all the political capitol, and they did nothing with it. I wanted what they had, the position at the top of my chosen people. I would be Prince, the task that Catharsis had given me fading in relation to my own desire for the title.

This world was rotting. Sick. It was held in a fake limbo, a faux paralysis ever since God had died. Nothing had moved, no major changes had occurred, all was exactly as it had been. Oh sure, within the Pantheons, changes had occurred, such as the Devil Civil War, but between the various Powers, the scales were kept in a false, disgusting balance.

My nature called to me, to conquer, to win.

Those positions at the top? They would be mine and I refused to lose myself to the fossils that currently inhabited them.

"Damocles?" A concerned voice snapped me out of my maelstrom of emotion, "Are you… alright?"

I realised I had been staring at her as my thoughts raged, the Dhampir shrinking in on herself at the attention. Blinking, I averted my gaze.

"Sorry Valerie. I got lost in thought for a moment there." I kept my voice calm, but internally I was reeling.

What was that? I had been feeling a bit out of sorts ever since the fight with Loki, my Sins and instincts bubbling ever closer to the surface, but that was by far the most intense they had been. Resolving myself to keep a better handle on them, to watch my thoughts with much more care, I spoke to the blond haired girl.

"You were worried about not doing enough, Valerie? You shouldn't. This isn't your fight, you don't owe a debt to us. You should just focus on yourself, you have been through a lot and have only just begun to recover." I responded to her original statement, from what felt like forever ago.

"That's not good enough." The sudden firmness caught me off guard, "You saved me. I might have been scared at first, but you are really kind and gentle, letting you be hurt when I could stop it would be… I can't imagine anything more terrible."

"Valerie…" I was cut off by her continuing.

"I can't hide away forever. I need to be brave to go meet Gaspar, right? If I am brave enough to do that, I am brave enough to help the one who saved me." Her eyes locked with mine, "I want to join your Peerage."

The last words came out in a rush, her sudden confidence leaving her as a blush swiftly overtook her features.

I raised an eyebrow at her, teasing, "My, such a bold request. Are you sure?"

"Yes… Um, well… Think it over?" Before I could reply, she whirled around and fled, disappearing around the corner she had come from.

Idly, I flipped the Stamp that magically appeared in my hand as I considered her proposal and watched her go. Breaking the girl's mind with her power was too far for me, but if she could use it safely… That was an entirely different prospect wasn't it?

If only I had something that could protect minds handy…

Sensing movement from behind the door, the Stamp disappeared as if it had never existed as I turned just in time to greet Kasane as she opened the door to her sister's room.

"She will see you now." She spoke, agitation in her posture and tone.

"Kasane! No!" A petulant voice whined from behind her.

My Knight's eyes hardened as she reiterated, "She will see you now."

---XXX---

As I entered the room, I was greeted by a huddled up form, Naomi hugging her pillow to herself on her bed as she curled up into a corner. She crushed the cushion further into herself at the sound of my voice.

"Naomi. You do know that I'm not angry at you, right?" I spoke, receiving no reaction from the girl.

Kasane, who had closed the door behind me, sighed out, "You see? What did I tell you?"

There was no response for a few heartbeats, before she mumbled something into her pillow.

"I didn't get that Naomi, you'll have to speak up." I prodded, provoking a huff as she lifted her head and looked at me over her shoulder.

"I should've seen it coming." She said, her words sounding defeated.

My response was simple, "How?"

"What do you mean how?!" She snapped, releasing the pillow and whirling around to face me, "With my power!"

"I see." I hummed, "I didn't know your power was seeing through illusions."

"Stop that." She pouted, "I know what you're doing."

"Good, that means you are thinking it too." I retorted, before sighing, "Loki is a trickster God, Naomi. His whole history, every myth about him, is him tricking, deceiving or getting one over on the best and brightest the world has to offer. If it wasn't for Ranni, even I would be unable to see through his magic."

"Still…" She chewed her lip, "I should have noticed that something was off. Shiro broke out of it."

"Shiro is the smartest person on the planet." I deadpanned, "You didn't fail Naomi. As soon as you knew something was wrong, you ran toward danger to help Shiro. You did your best."

She looked down, her eyes downcast.

"But your best wasn't good enough, that's what you are thinking right?" I asked, getting a small nod, "So change that."

"Change it?' She asked, confused as her gaze rose.

"Ranni is an illusion mistress. She was able to conjure mirages of great power, even before she was a Goddess. This event showed that there is a weakness in your foresight, that you can be tricked. So train that weakness out. Work with her so that this doesn't happen ever again." I was firm, causing her to open her mouth in surprise.

"You only fail when you give up." Kasane spoke softly, walking up to my side.

"I don't think you failed Naomi, but if you do, then make sure you don't do it again." I kneeled down, pulling her into a hug and whispering to her, "Besides, I need my maid back."

She giggled, the sound turning wet at the end, "You asshole, how can you say that?"

"Easily. Even Valerie was missing you." I grinned, pulling back, "Feeling better?"

"A bit. Thank you." She smiled, tears in the corner of her eyes that she quickly rubbed away, taking a deep breath, "I will ask Ranni for help like you said. Thanks for talking sense into me. And… I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me, Kasane is the one you should be worried abou…" My words were cut off by her dragging me back into the hug, kissing me as she did.

The contact lasted for a few brief moments, before she let me go, licking her lips, "I know. I'm looking forward to our next date."

With that, she let me go, allowing me to retreat, casting a searching glance at Kasane, who was merely watching the interaction. Seeing my gaze, she merely raised an eyebrow at me, seeming to not care at all about what her sister had just done. It left me feeling somewhat off balance, the lust from Naomi's actions still flowing through my system.

Taking a deep breath, I turned towards the door, "Well then, I'll leave you two to talk."

Opening the door, I paused as Kasane called me softly, "Damocles?"

Turning, I was surprised when she moulded herself to me, her hands going to my cheeks, gently guiding me into a deep kiss. Unlike the chaste one Naomi had given me, this one was deep and passionate, her mouth parting to allow her tongue to mingle with mine. The lust that I had suppressed came roaring back, washing away my carefully reinforced restraint.

Kissing her back, I took control of the interaction, easily corralling and dominating her tongue, beating back the muscle and chasing it back into her mouth, plundering the cavern and claiming it as my own. My hands traced her back, grabbing a handful of her ass and grinding her hard into me, causing her to let out a sultry gasp.

Taking advantage of the action, I disengaged and moved down, biting down on the soft flesh of her neck as sucking, causing Kasane to moan out at the sensation. Under my hand, her hips started rolling on their own, my other arm moving up, tracing the side of her torso and reaching towards her chest...

"Wow." The exclamation brought me out of the pink haze that had descended on my thoughts, causing me to snap towards the source, Naomi's wide blue eyes taking in the sight before her.

Slowly, with a wet popping sound, I detached my mouth from its perch and started to disentangle myself from her sister.

Said sister grabbed my hand with her own, leaning up to whisper in my ear, "We'll finish this later."

My lust pulsed at the words, but being more aware of it now, I was able to suppress it, "I'll leave you to it then."

Nodding, Kasane released my hand, "We have a lot to talk about."

Sparing a glance at the quickly forming mark on her neck before turning and leaving the room, I wryly thought that she had a knack for understatement.

Chapter 65: Growing Pains

Growing Pains

"Thou were right to bring this to me, Consort mine." Ranni spoke, joining me in the visualization of my soul once again, "I am aware of the reason behind this disturbance."

"That's good." I sighed, "Because I have no idea what caused this."

Below our projected forms, lay the white orb of my soul. Like before, it was caged behind the bars of the Seal, but something was demonstrably different about the whole edifice. The ball swelled, straining against the bars that seemingly creaked and groaned before they also grew, relieving the pressure.

After my difficulty controlling myself with the sisters, I had tracked down my goddess for a supervised visit to my soul, as a hunch led me to believe that I would find the cause there. Find the cause I most certainly did.

"Tis lamentable. Mine apologies, Consort, I should have foreseen this possibility." Ranni spoke, sending her earnestness through to me from our literal soul-deep connection, "I share a not insignificant portion of the blame."

"You do?" I questioned, my attention drawn from the sun of power below me, "How so?"

"I connected thy Sword to thine soul. It will grow in power as thou do this way, but the reverse also holds true." She started to explain, "The power of a God is not something that can easily be explained, nor understood. Tis not something that can just disappear. When I devoured the foolish God that attacked you, I did so through the Sword."

I put it together rather quickly, "I see. When you absorbed Loki, the majority of his power went into the sword and is now trickling through to me. The seal seemed to have been designed to grow with the natural growth of my Soul, so this accelerated growth is outpacing its ability to keep up."

"Exactly." The Dark Moon agreed, "I can restrict the transfer, but it will still continue, albeit as a mere trickle. Thy soul will eventually grow beyond the confines of the seal. Should thou slay any further Gods or divine beings, it shall grow even faster."

"And what happens when my growth outpaces the seals ability to contain it?" I took in the information, carefully controlling myself to look at the situation practically.

"I do not know." Came the shocking reply, my reaction clear to the Goddess, "Apologies. Without knowing the purpose or the design of the seal, the effects of breaking it forcibly is impossible to determine. As there has been no pain yet, despite the strain, it is unlikely to be dangerous…"

"But it's impossible to rule out that it could be." I finished, getting a feeling of affirmation from Ranni, "Brilliant. This seal was already a thorn in my side and now it has turned into a ticking time bomb."

"Does it change much, Consort?" I was incredulous at those words, but her continuation made my indignation disappear, "Thou hath already made plans to determine the source of the seal and its effects. All this means is that it is a higher priority. There is no doubt whatsoever, Damocles. You will overcome this challenge and emerge triumphant."

I felt like grinning, her certainty in me something that was deeply reassuring, "With your help, of course?"

"Of course. Just ask, and I shall aid thee, however and wherever thou may require." She stated as if it was an immutable fact, "With my knowledge of this issue and slowing of the transfer has brought us time enough for a solution to be found. Examining how the seal interacts with thy growing essence could even allow us to glean insight that as of yet have remained stubbornly hidden."

"How long do we have?" I questioned, already throwing myself into studying the seal in more detail, closely watching the point it interacted with the representation of myself.

"I would estimate until the end of the year, Consort. But that time frame is unlikely to be perfectly accurate." Came the reply, the Goddess joining me in my study.

"So a little less than six months." I sighed, "Less, if I use the sword to kill anyone of notable strength."

"Thou fought the greatest heroes of the Age and bested them all. Thou hath slain Gods, multiple now. Thou hath garnered the attention of powers that even I struggle to comprehend." Her voice was soft, but firm, "Thou will not fall to this."

I felt a deep amusement and warmth at her words, her final statement sounding almost as if she was willing the world to bend to meet its contents.

Still, she did mention something that somewhat reassured me.

Catharsis was interested in me and my goals here. I still did not know what his reasoning was, what purpose he chose me specifically for, but I was sure of one thing.

Me dying to a seal reacting badly? That would be a rather boring end to the story. Something he likely wouldn't allow, if my reading of his personality was correct.

Still, that was only a vain hope and completely out of my hands. I had the control of this situation, whether or not it deteriorated to that point was solely my prerogative. It would not get that far.

I still had my Pride, after all.

---XXX---

Eisen Thorne was not a particularly strong Devil, neither a high ranking one. He had been resurrected to be the toy of a higher ranked Noble Lady, something he had no say over nor ability to deny, not with the power disparity between them. Truthfully, there were worse fates for reincarnated Devils, at least his 'Mistress' was not fond of needless cruelty or torture.

Still there was a sort of casual sadism that she excelled at. After keeping him as her live in entertainment for a few decades, she had grown bored of him. Retrieving her pawn piece from him, she had cut him loose, with nary a scrap to his name nor a backwards glance. It bothered him to this day, that he had no clue whether she was aware of the misery her actions had caused or not. Or whether she even cared.

It was a kind of simple-minded, absent callousness that was incredibly difficult to comprehend, never mind understand when its owner's gaze fell upon you. Despite being forced to serve a cruel and demanding Mistress against his will, it was almost worse when he had been 'Freed'.

Reincarnated Devils were not at all liked by the systems of the Underworld. They were tolerated at best, when they were members of a Noble's peerage. If they were particularly powerful, they could earn recognition, but even then, they would be treated as full Devils, not Reincarnated. The reasoning was something he understood, once he comprehended the fertility rates the Race was plagued with.

Power was something that they had to have marry into their Race, unless they wanted to die out even faster. With the ability to amass quantity either impossible through births, or societally fraught with the Evil Pieces, they were almost forced into relying on sheer quality. Still, understanding all this didn't really help him when he was forced to fend for himself on the streets of Lillith.

There was one advantage he had, his mind. Without the power or training to back it up, it was not enough to develop himself into being strong enough to gain attention and favour. His magical power was pitiful and he had no Sacred Gear. All in all, despite the innate advantages of his new race, there was not much that separated him from the Human he had been.

Thankfully, he had been an accountant in his Human life, giving him the skills he could use to scrape out a living for himself. Or it would, had he not been a Clanless Reincarnated. Thanks to the labour laws, finding a legitimate job with that background was difficult, if not all but impossible. That just left the illegitimate ones.

Such as bookkeeping for the Black Market. It was dangerous and stressful, but it gave him enough to at least not starve. Additionally, so long as he did good work, the gangs that controlled the slum he lived in were instructed to leave him alone.

Of course, criminals were not the best people to be working for, especially if they knew for a fact you were desperate and had no other options. He was paid peanuts for the amount of work he did, not nearly enough for any significant amount of savings.

Eisen had considered the immortality that Devils were gifted with a curse rather than a blessing at that point, not even knowing why he insisted on carrying on like he had. Stubbornness, maybe?

Whatever it was that allowed him to persevere, it paid off. Something happened, something that shattered the grey, stultified malaise that he had been stuck in.

Lord Damocles Sagan.

His return and subsequent introduction to the Devil Senate had caused waves. The guy was a complete selfish bastard, Eisen could tell, but he was a smart selfish bastard. Not even a year back, the little Lord had realised that the underworld was sitting on a painfully underutilized resource and he had wasted no time at all to gather it all for himself.

The Reincarnated Labour Revision Act had been brought up in the senate a few times before, but it had always been delayed and denied thanks to the gridlock of the Senate. With the Sagan vote, that gridlock had broken on the issue, allowing the Act to pass into law, loosening the restrictions on employing Clanless Reincarnated Devils. There were still several hostile provisions within it of course, such as the inability to pay such employees even half of what you paid a Pure Devil or a Clan Reincarnated.

That particular amendment had actually been what caused Eisen to pay attention. It had been suggested by the very reason the Act had passed after all, Lord Sagan himself. Most believed that it was to distance himself further from the Reformist Faction, or due to his own personal beliefs, but Eisen had noticed something odd from the wording of the amendment.

A loophole.

It wasn't based on average salary, or on market rates. The restriction on paying Clanless Reincarnated was only in effect if you actually employed Pure Devils or Clan Reincarnated in similar positions. If you had an entire workforce, or a section of it, entirely composed of Clanless, you could pay them whatever wage you wanted and still be perfectly compliant.

The wording was careful, long, winding and boring. There was no way that it was an accident. Eisen didn't trust it. What could the Sagan Lord have to gain by doing this? What was the motive?

Such cynicism had been beaten into him at this point, having long since learned to not trust anything down here. Which is why when Sagan Trading Company recruiters first came through the slum, he didn't sign up. He was surprised the second time, when instead of the previous group, instead it was several of the first batch that came back to recruit.

In a fit of madness, perhaps out of desperation or nihilism, he had signed up the third time, when even more familiar faces showed themselves looking healthier and well fed than he could remember them. Taken to a STC training centre, he had been given several tests as part of the interview process, before being given a rather surprising offer.

Head of the Gnosis Distribution Centre Logistics Division. He had double and triple checked that they got his name correct, before asking several questions about his new position. It was then, as the duties were explained to him, he realised just how devious the new Sagan Lord truly was.

Security would be provided for him, so his lack of power wasn't an issue. His job was to keep the paperwork in order, make sure that the facility was operating correctly and reporting any discrepancies to the STC in monthly reports. He wasn't required to confront any thieves, merely note down what had gone missing and when. It was this particular task, aided by his accounting background that had earned him the position.

As well as his intelligence scores.

It was then Eisen understood the long term plan that Lord Sagan had in mind. Taking the Clanless, sifting through them for talent and ensuring that they were put to productive work. The true reasoning for the loophole in the law was that the STC hadn't been fully established by the time it passed through into law, meaning that their workforce was almost entirely only top level positions. Anyone that would actually be working in the distribution centres had to be recruited after Law had passed.

Meaning that he was able to recruit exclusively Clanless, while his rivals were forced to offer lower wages and less benefits because of the already established workforces they utilized. An entire new labour pool had opened up, and only the Sagan were able to offer the incentives necessary to tap it effectively. It was ruthless, brilliant and terrifying.

Eisen had started work gratefully, the promised pay and benefits arriving exactly as promised. With a full belly and a soft bed, in a Sagan built apartment that he actually owned, Eisen had realised the last part of the Sagan's plan. Loyalty.

After tasting all this, what fool would wish to jeopardise it?

It turns out, more than he thought. He noticed several discrepancies soon enough, reporting them as ordered. The Gnosis Center was visited by Kasane, the Blade Fairy, and the discrepancies suddenly stopped.

Eisen tried not to think about what that meant.

He did wonder, if his reports were how they detected issues like theft, what was their guarantee that he was telling the truth? His question was answered when he received his first piece of mail in his new job.

Confused, he had opened it up only to be met with a copy of his latest report. Reading through it, wondering if there was a delivery error, he was met with something that stilled his blood. On the 57th page, in red marker, a single decimal point was crossed out, the result of an equation; incorrect. The correct equation and result was notated shortly besides the incorrect one, with no further writing on the whole report.

The equation had relied on several subreports from his subordinates, each of which filled in a specific part of it. The fact that someone looked through all that and noticed that the final number was off by a single decimal point… Without the equation even being in the report originally, instead being performed personally by himself?

Whoever was reading his reports, they were frightening, even more than the Blade Fairy.

Which is why, when he was locking up the office after a long, productive day and was grabbed from behind, he was asked the impossible.

"Eisen, been a long time buddy. Have time for a chat?" One of the old Black Market guards walked into his view, his partner ensuring that Eisen couldn't move without some messy results, "STC got their product locked up tighter than an Archangel's panties, but with some 'creative bookkeeping' I'm sure we will find a way to wriggle in anyway."

The hand covering his mouth moved, allowing him to reply, "That's not possible. The Sagan has a monster watching over us, I can't sneak anything by them even if I wanted to."

The Black Market guard frowned, "The Blade Fairy? She's been MIA for a couple weeks. Apparently her sister got hurt or something. There's no need to be a hero, man."

"No, not her." Eisen clarified, "There's someone who double checks our paperwork. It's impossible to slip anything by them."

There was a snort in reply, "Sure buddy. That sounds like an excuse and I really don't like people who make excuses. You are going to do what we say, or else."

Eisen stared at the guard, who had pulled out a wickedly curved knife and was idly picking his fingernails with them. He was going to be tortured if he refused, wasn't he? But then again, he would get tortured and killed anyway if he agreed. The Blade Fairy was MIA? That was news to him and was likely why these guys felt bold enough to attempt this.

However, he knew his employer by now, how they operated. If Kasane was unable to operate, there would be a backup. He was sure of it.

Therefore, there was only one answer he could give here, wasn't there?

"No." His answer earned a jolt from Knives, "I refuse."

"Thanks for that buddy." The sinister grin that spread across his face was worrying, "It's been awhile since I was able to have some fun."

The man started to move towards him, only to pause in shock as the one holding Eisen suddenly jerked. Being released, Eisen looked behind him only to be greeted by the sight of a headless corpse collapsing to the floor.

"Urk!" The sound made him turn to Knives, to see that he was being effortlessly suspended in mid air by the neck, the petite red haired woman performing the act making it look slightly comical.

"Who sent you?" Was the dispassionate question,

"Fuck… you…" Knives choked out, his knife out of his grip and lying on the floor.

The woman didn't reply, merely laying hand on his shin, before said hand suddenly exploded into a sea of black and white flames that even Eisen could tell radiated wrongness. Knives screamed, convulsed and thrashed, tortured at a level far beyond what even fire should have caused, the man instantly breaking as the black fire devoured his leg, leaving a cauterized stump behind.

"Who sent you?" The question was asked in the exact same tone.

"Janus! Janus sent us! He told us to…!" The words were cut off as she clasped his head in her grasp, the same black flames bursting out and devouring his entire body in an instant.

Eisen started, suddenly aware of her heavy gaze. He stepped back, realising he was about to trip over the first body only to be shocked at the fact that it was no longer there.

"Thorne, correct?" The words struck him, forcing a response.

"Yes ma'am!" He called out, panicking, "I'm… uh, Head of Logistics here and…"

"I know." The cold statement stopped him, "I heard what you said. I will mention it in my report. Go to the Sagan Employee complex, stay there for the night."

The rehearsed finale gave him whiplash, the bored, perfunctory way she delivered the line so at odds with her previous statement. Without even waiting for a confirmation or an answer, she disappeared, gone before he could react.

Following her orders in somewhat of a daze, he went home. When he finally had enough of a mind to check his phone, he was shocked with multiple posts about attacks on many different STC distribution centres, all of them being stopped by the red haired woman he had met.

He sighed. As if the Blade Fairy and the Observer were not nerve wracking enough, it seemed that the STC now had its own Maiden of Black as well.

At least the pay was good.

---XXX---

The seal was worrying, its presence an even bigger weight on me now, but it also put other things into perspective. There was a situation that had gone unaddressed for far too long. Stalking through my Manor, I finally found my target, lazing at the dining table while Naomi fretted over the stove.

"Hello Damocles!" Naomi chirped cheerfully as she saw me, causing my Queen to straighten up out of her slump.

"Hey." Was her monosyllabic greeting.

"Morning girls." I responded, before turning a serious gaze onto CC, "We need to talk."

Her posture didn't change, but she looked to the side, "I'm a bit bus… Hey!"

I had grabbed her, taking her by surprise and throwing her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Sorry Naomi, I have to deal with this as soon as I can." I apologised to the blonde, who was grinning widely.

"Oh don't mind me, go have fun!" She waved us off.

Nodding, I turned on my heel and left the room, CC bobbing along with me as I did. She crossed her arms and huffed.

"This feels familiar." She groused.

"Good, that means that you know better than to try and escape." I rejoined, getting another huff.

"What do you hope to achieve? Miss me that much already?" She asked sarcastically.

"I was willing to wait, but that changed. I'm fixing this, now." My serious answer seemed to take her aback, as she shifted under my arm uncomfortably.

Opening the door to my room, I tossed her onto the bed and closed it behind me, before turning back and looking into her eyes.

She must have seen something in my own gaze, as her expression quickly shifted to concern, "What is it?"

"As I said." I sighed, before grabbing a chair and sitting in it, facing her, "We need to talk."

Chapter 66: Long Overdue

Long Overdue

God's bones shouldn't be able to ache, he grumbled to himself as he watched the last few representatives trickle in. It was a silly thought, something to distract himself from his duty, but a valid one nonetheless. His believers viewed him as an old God, a wise God, something he took great pride in. But why, oh why, did it have to come with back pains?

Seeing as the last of the ones that he had been expecting arrived, he sighed. He wished he could just get this over with, but it would be better if the soon to be enemy side initiated first. He didn't have to wait long.

"Why have you brought us here again so soon, One-Eye?" Rumbled Farbauti, the Jotunn representative.

As well as the trueborn father of Loki.

"Stop being so impatient, Giant. We are still waiting for Loki to be present." Came a sly voice, Dvalinn the Dark Elf spoke and turned back towards Odin, "When should we expect the Trickster to join us?"

Thor bristled at the disrespect shown, but Odin merely sighed and stood, bringing the room to a still as Gungir appeared in his hand.

"Loki will not be joining us." His voice carried clear across the room, "I made a proclamation, an oath. I will fulfil it. Loki ignored my orders and antagonized the Dark Moon. As per my promise, I hereby strip him of his name and titles and disavow him. He is no longer an Aesir and-"

"Preposterous!" The uproar had started immediately, but Farbauti's voice thundered out over the rest, "Weakness! Cowardice!"

He could feel it before the interruption, the mere mention of the thing calling it's attention to this meeting. Like a coil in the inside of his skull, tightening ever so slightly in response to it's immense gaze.

He wondered if the amusement he felt was real or imagined.

Odin slammed the butt of his weapon into the floor, the impact reverberating like a gong and stilling the room, all but a few quailing at the legendary weapon.

"You won't cow me, Old One." Dvalinn whispered, his voice audible despite being so low, "What exactly happened to Loki?"

"…He died." Odin spoke, a feeling taking over them all, as if they all sucked in a breath at once, "In combat against Ranni's Champion."

"And you will not retaliate? Not strike back at the death of one of 'your own'?" Farbauti's voice took on a mocking lilt, "So much for him being your son. I suppose this is all a Jotnar can expect from the ruler of Asgard, after all."

"Bravery is different from stupidity." Odin raised a hand to forestall any interruptions as he asked, "Do any of you know where Ranni came from? This new god that none of us had heard of in our long histories?"

Alvar, the King of the light Elves, was the one that answered, "From beyond the Void."

"Yes." Odin nodded, causing murmurs to break out amongst the gathered delegates, "And who guards the passage that she passed? Who should she have to contend with to arrive as she did? Can you tell me, any of you, who among you thinks that they can defeat one who evaded the Dragon of Dreams?"

None spoke, causing the wizened God to sigh, "It is an unwinnable fight. Her weakness, her strange obsession with the Sagan, is not even exploitable. She will protect him, not even mentioning the rest of the Devils that will rally to his defence."

"So you will do nothing." Came the dismissive voice from the Dark Elf, causing Odin to nod.

"Nothing, except this." He raised his spear, thrusting it out to indicate his willingness to fight for what he was about to say, to put the weight of his throne behind it, "As of this moment, Loki has been struck from the Eda. His songs, his deeds, shall not be remembered. I cast him out, and deny all memory of him."

His proclamation was met with abject shock. Sure, he had stated at much previously, but to actually go this far, to essentially give up on his aeons long hope of redemption… it stunned everyone who heard it.

Before the surprise could turn into rage, Dvalinn stepped to the fore, bridging the gap between the Aesir and the rest, "Are you sure about this, Odin? Do you know what you are inviting here?"

"I do. My decision stands." Odin kept his voice firm.

"Madness." Farbauti whispered, "Madness and cowardice! Some foreign God rattles you and you abandon one you claimed as your own to her like trash? How dare you, Odin of Asgard! Loki was the only one stopping us from crushing you like we should have, all those years ago and this is how you repay him?"

"Delay is not providing a solution, merely prolonging an issue until later." Odin spoke, unbowed, standing resolute, "If this causes war… Asgard stands ready. We rule the Nine Realms, it seems it is past time to remind you all exactly why that is so."

"So be it." Came the excited hiss, before the Dark Elf erupted into laughter, "So be it! Rangarok is upon you, you old fool. The Time of the Aesir has passed, this merely proves it. Brothers!"

He turned back to the crowd behind him, getting nods and grumbles of agreement before he turned back with his verdict, "We are at war."

"So be it." Odin reflected the phrase, "When we next meet, it shall be on the battlefield."

"Oh no, we are ending this here and now." Farbauti rumbled, stepping forward, "You have insulted me for the last time, One Eye. I will have your head in recompense."

Thor stepped out from the ranks of the Asgardians, "If you want my father's head, you will have to get through us first."

Farbauti blinked, realising that his entourage was vastly outnumbered by the warriors of Asgard that were present.

"You shall have your chance to claim it, Jotunn." Odin spoke, "But not here, not now. Let us both ready our people to clash with all their strength, so that when a victor is decided, there can be no doubt as to their worthiness."

Farbauti stared at the King, eyes blazing with icy hate, before he scoffed, "Very well. But remember, old man, no wall stands forever."

"I know that all too well." Was the reply.

---XXX---

"Well, what is so desperate that you need to force me like this? I thought you were content to give me my space." My Queen's prickly nature was showing itself at full force, "Unless you have grown impatient? What, missing my body that much already?"

The saucy grin was a fragile thing, I could tell. She was defaulting, attempting to derail me by pulling me into our usual game of teasing and winding each other up. The instinctive response was difficult to stop,, especially with my sins acting upon my psyche so heavily, but with Ranni's help and my own knowledge of what was occurring, I was able to fight off the impulse.

"No. I missed you, Cecelia." I responded, completely honest and open, deciding to cut straight to the nub of the issue and leave her no room to deflect or wiggle away, "I think you know that. This is unhealthy, keeping our feelings bottled up like we have, Cecelia. We should clear the air and be honest with each other."

"Trying to have a standard relationship now, Damocles?" Came the mocking response, "A bit late, don't you think? I will never be more than a concubine, one of your many bed warmers. Trying to make it more than that… Is just silly. What, are you going to say it's different for me, that I'm special? I've heard it before."

She switched to being aggressive, trying to shut down my attempt by assaulting me verbally, but I let it flow over me. She was scared of the one thing she had always wanted, now in reach. She wanted desperately to believe what was happening was what she hoped, but at the same time she was terrified of it.

"Cecelia. There is something I am going to say to you." I sighed, "It is the honest truth, so I want you to hear it out fully, okay?"

"What, going to pry open my heart with some flowery-" She crossed her arms, huddling in on herself, turning away from me.

"I love you." My words stopped her dead, her breath catching at the simple statement, "When Catharsis approached me, I could have chosen anyone. From millions, trillions of different realities. Goddesses, primordials, dragons, sorceresses of unimaginable power, demons who feed off of sex."

"Stop…" She whispered, pleading.

"I chose you." I pressed, my tone expressing my earnestness, "Not just any version of C.C., You, specifically, out of all the countless that exist. Even then, I didn't truly know you. Didn't appreciate you fully. Now that I have had time to do so, to truly understand you? I am even more glad for my decision. You are amazing, Cecelia. Your wit, your cutting barbs, your intelligence. Your unique outlook, even your cynicism. I love it all. I don't begrudge you any of it."

I stood from my chair, the motion causing her to flinch as I walked over to her, my height allowing me to envelop the ball she had curled into.

Hugging her, I infused my voice with as much of my feelings as I could, "I accept you, Cecelia."

She started to shake, my hug tightening as she did, her limbs curling even further into herself, as if she was trying to block out the entire world. From within the curled up mess, I could hear a mumble, soft, barely perceptible.

I didn't speak, letting my words hang in the air until her green hair shifted, one golden eye glaring up at me with rage, "It's not fair."

Before I could respond, she snapped up, breaking my grip as she grabbed my shirt with two fistfuls of fabric, "You damn stupid idiot. We were having fun, it was all going perfectly, then you had to… had to go… And! And make me feel attached to you! Do you understand how agonizing it is? Your plans, your position, they're so dangerous! I'm used to losing people but…"

Tears started to flow freely, her grasp lessening as she collapsed, clinging to me as I caught her in my arms.

"If you die…" she whispered, the voice trembling, fragile, "It won't be the same as all the others. They would have only lived for decades anyway, but you… If you are with me, I never have to be alone again. If you die… I can't…"

Her honest thoughts finally made themselves known, the reason she was so afraid of what was forming between us finally in the open.

"I won't die." I spoke softly, causing her to give a wet scoff, "I am already strong enough that only a few in this world could succeed in killing me. Even then, most would not dare try due to the amount they would lose in the process. That will only be more and more true."

"Even the mightiest king can be killed by a peasant." Her voice was tired, resigned.

"True. That is why the King has guards. Advisors. People around him to ensure that he is never in that situation." I replied, gently moving one of my arms to allow me to grip her chin and look into her teary eyes, "Cecelia. I need you. Now and Forever. That will never change."

Her breath hitches, staring up into my gaze, before she closed her eyes and whispered, "Promise me."

"Anything." I replied without hesitation.

"If you face someone more powerful… If you even suspect that they could kill you…" She buried her head into my chest again, murmuring the last few words, "Escape. Run. Don't test yourself… Come back to me."

"I promise." My response was instant, making her snap her head back to take in my grin, "I was already planning on doing that. I have far much too live for."

Staring up at me in shock, she eventually huffed wetly, the sound turning into laughter, "Of course you were. Why would I suspect anything else?"

"I'm not stupid, Cece-" My words were cut off by her lips, CC deciding to shut me up before I could continue.

---XXX---

Our kiss started passionately, but quickly turned wet. Mouths opened and tongues were introduced, the muscles meeting each other and struggling for dominance. A haze descended upon me, my reason slipping away as my Lust was inflamed by the actions of my Queen.

Soon, we pulled back from each other, a string of saliva breaking between us as we did, our heavy breathing heating the space between us.

Her yellow eyes her lidded, a smouldering look in them as she stared up into my face, her voice husky as she whispered, "I knew you missed my body."

I growled, rage and lust fulling my body as I reached up and gripped a fistful of her hair, using it as leverage to muscle her face first into the bed behind her. Not that C.C. was resisting in any way. In fact, as I shoved her face into the bedding, she started to eagerly wiggle her hips, seemingly trying to entice me.

Reaching down with the hand that wasn't on the back of her head, I didn't bother with magic, instead taking a firm grip on her dress, ripping it off brutally and leaving her in just her undergarments. Not for long, as her panties soon shared the face of her dress.

"Oh my!" She turned her head, grinning up at me from over her shoulder, her green hair framing her body, "So aggressive. Have you been pining after me that much?"

"Shut up." I snarled, slapping my open palm down on her absolutely amazing ass, getting a muffled moan from the woman, "I missed you. If I have to pound that into your skull, I will."

"Promises, Promi-" She was cut off as I used my grip on her hair to shove her back into the covers, having finished removing my trousers.

Aiming briefly, I thrust forward, sheathing myself within her in one smooth motion. She shivered, her back clenching up at the sensation, her walls fluttering around me. I had been with her enough times to recognise the signs, even with her attempting to hide them from me. With a feral grin, I used my grip to pull her head up, leaning over as staring down at her.

"Cumming just after I put it in?" I smirked, relishing the blush that filled her pale cheeks, "Seems I'm not the only one who was missing this."

"Shut up." She panted, wriggling against me, attempting to move her hips, "This is your fault…"

"Don't blame your sensitivity on me." I pulled back before thrusting in brutally again, the wet squelch of your connected bodies sounding out throughout the room, "You were the one who seduced me, you minx."

"Like hell I di-" She struggled to get out, her head being thrust back into the covers as I started to pick up speed, each motion coming to a stop against her hips with a meaty 'slap'.

She clenched around me, her velvet walls warmly welcoming each intrusion, letting me go reluctantly. The delicious sensation egging me on, I growled once more, picking up speed and power. The sound out our collisions grew louder and louder, as did her muffled moans as I pressed her head down. Feeling like hearing her properly, I adjusted my grip and pulled her up by her hair, her body arching like a bow thanks to the motion.

Now free, her voice sounded out like debauched music, groans spilling from her at the assault of pleasure. I chased my finish, her motions and movements informing me that she climaxed several times before I did.

Thrusting deeply, I emptied my balls straight into her womb, kneeling down as I did so, gabbing her shoulder in between my teeth. I bit down, marking her, claiming her on the outside just as I did so on the inside. My action was met by her body locking up, a keening wail starting at the bottom of her throat and escaping into the air, her walls shivering and fluttering around my cock as we both came together.

Breathing, I released her hair, causing her collapse down onto the bed. Stepping back from her, my dick pulling out with a wet sound, she started to laugh tiredly.

"What got into you, Damocles? That was so rough~!" Her tone made it amply clear that she enjoyed it, but the teasing caused me to frown.

"Shut up." I responded, reaching down and grabbing her legs, using the leverage to flip her on to her back, her wide eyes meeting my own, "Get pregnant."

Her eyes widened but before she could respond, I used my grip on her legs to force her ankles up beside her head, thrusting into her warm depths once more. Lust, Pride and Greed running through me, I claimed her completely and utterly, eclipsing her body with my own, covering her entirely as she moaned at the insertion.

"Was…" She breathed out, "Was that an order?"

I didn't reply, thrusting again and again, battering the barrier at the end of her welcoming walls. Every time the head of my dick struck her cervix, she jolted, the pain and pleasure mixing together in a familiar, intoxicating combination. Devils were built for sex, that knowledge proving itself once again as what should have hurt only brought more pleasure to the writhing Queen below me.

I snarled, putting more power into my thrusts, my hips falling down like a hammer striking an anvil, each movement slightly forcing her up the bed before she slid back down. Soon ,my prize was granted, her grasping, suckling entrance opening and allowing me into her womb, causing her already wide eyes to shoot open even further.

Before she could even make a sound, I captured her lips, hips slamming down, once, twice, three times before I spent myself directly inside the territory I had just conquered. Our tongues clashed frantically, the pleasure crashing like waves between up, until it faded into a satisfying, gentle heat.

Breaking the lip lock. I pulled back, letting her legs go and staring down at my frazzled, dishevelled Queen. Her cheeks were red, her eyes watery, her hair an absolute mess. Sweat dripped from her, the flush dripping down her body like spilled paint, ending just below her breasts whose nipples were standing proud like two peaks. Spread out behind her, her green locks were tangled where I had grabbed it, as well as crumpled up from me forcing her to slide across the bed.

She had never looked more beautiful.

Eventually our breathing evened out, our gazes locked to each other as we came down from the highs of passion. I could see it when the teasing, haughty look returned to her, preparing for it as she opened her mouth.

"Well, that was certainly something. Were you that backed up?" She grinned.

"Hardly." I snorted, "You just have a way of driving me crazy."

"I wouldn't mind if you went crazy more often." She laughed tiredly, before she reached up wrapped her arms around me, pulling me down to rest on her chest. Holding me there, she stopped me from looking at her, "I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully."

I nodded, resting, backing in the presence of this woman, this amazing creature who I had pulled into my life.

With a sigh, she whispered something, the words soft, almost unheard. They rumbled through her chest, dripping with meaning, allowing me to hear them more deeply than if she just said it normally.

"I love you too, Damocles."

Chapter 67: A Gathering of Vultures

A Gathering of Vultures

A hush descended upon the lobby, catching the attention of Maria Naruse, reporter extraordinaire. She looked up from her notes, having just finished interviewing the current rank one Rating Game player, Diehauser Belial, who had one the championship again this year. It could be the beginning of quite the streak of dominance, the young devil becoming a seemingly unbeatable obstacle for the rest of the field.

Her eyes sped across the room, looking for the source of the disturbance. It didn't take her long to zero in on the culprit, the striking white-haired figure of Damocles Sagan walking purposefully through the floor of the lobby, his steps shadowed by the small form of his adopted sister. Maria's instincts screamed at her, just knowing for a fact that this was a juicy scoop on a silver platter.

His relationship with the Rating Games Association was an odd one. As a noble Lord with a set of evil pieces, he was automatically signed up to participate in the Circuit, a state of affairs which he had yet to even comment on. In fact, he had not even visited the organization, whose lobby he was currently crossing, even once. The most that the Sagan had been involved so far was Tiamat acting as a referee in the circuit, but even that appeared to be more something she decided than the Sagan Lord.

Of course, offers for games as well as the usual scheduled matches of the circuit were fielded to the Sagan Lord, who had yet to publicly or privately respond or attend to any of them. This led to him automatically forfeiting all the games that he had been slated to perform in the Circuit, meaning that on paper he was ranked dead last in the Rating Games Rankings.

Of course, after he had absolutely demolished heir Astaroth's peerage, no one believed that ranking to be accurate in the slightest, which led to rampant speculation as to why the Sagan Lord even bothered to remain in the Circuit at all. There was a fee that was incurred, after all, that the Association had assured inquiring reporters the Sagan had paid. So what was his aim with the whole charade?

Surreptitiously, she manoeuvred herself across the edges of the room, attempting to be close enough to pick up what the Sagan Lord had to say to the teller who was staring at him in apprehension. Such actions proved unnecessary for the reporter, it turned out, as the Sagan spoke loud enough for the entire lobby to hear.

"Greetings. Is Augustus in? I would like a private room with him." The words were unhurried, but clearly spoken, wishing for all present to know exactly what was being said.

Maria's breath caught, this was big! Augustus was the Games Broker, the one that set up custom matches between Devils outside of the Rating Game circuit. Was the Sagan going to set up a custom match? Would the illusive Sagan Peerage's first match inside the arena be done under a custom rule set?

So juicy!

The clerk stammered out a response, "Y-yes… Lord Sagan! Please wait in room 03, h-he will be there shortly!"

"My thanks." With a nod, the Lord whirled on his heel and moved towards the Private Rooms, knowing exactly where they were despite this being his first visit.

"Ah! My Lord! Lord Sagan!" The clerk called after him, causing him to turn back towards her and raise an eyebrow, "There is a match scheduled for you today, your opponent is getting ready… That is, I thought I should tell you that it's… it's starting in an hour?"

The clerk's voice got quieter and less sure as she went on, seeing the absolutely unimpressed look she was receiving from the powerful and reclusive lord. As her last words escaped, sounding more like a nervous question than a statement, an awkward, heavy silence draped itself over the lobby. It appeared everyone was holding their breath, watching for the Sagan's response. The betting section of the lobby in particular was watching with rapt interest, sensing an absolute fortune to be made if he actually participated in the scheduled match.

"Noted." Was all the Sagan responded with, after making the clerk squirm for an uncomfortable amount of time.

With that, he resumed his movement towards the private rooms, unconcerned with the scene he had just caused. Well, Lord Sagan certainly knew how to be frustratingly vague, Maria thought to herself. 'Noted?' What the hell was she supposed to do with that?! Still, this was an opportunity she couldn't let get away from her.

This could be related to the biggest recent story that the GNN had been able to break, the confrontation with Lord Sagan and Lord Paimon having been a smash hit of a story amongst the influential members of Devil society. The Network had milked it for all it was worth, having brought on experts, commentators and other Lords to weigh in on what the altercation meant for Devil Politics. Of course, with Paimon only releasing a very short statement that didn't really say anything and the Sagan not replying to a single request for comment, no definitive conclusion was reached.

Still, Maria was one of the few reporters that Lord Sagan had ever spoken to, so she had a shot here to get more from him. Or so she felt. She lost nothing by trying, right?

Watching as the Sagan Lord moved for the Rooms, she decided to wait. Sure, he might teleport back directly from the room, despite how frowned upon that was, but getting in his way when he had business to attend to would be a sure way to piss him off before the interview could even start. So, she would take the risk, waiting near the door that lord Sagan had disappeared into.

Whatever the meeting was, it seemed like it took some time to finish, as several other reporters showed up in the meantime. She gave each one the stink eye for attempting to muscle in on her scoop, but they shrugged it off effortlessly, just like she would have done in the reverse situation. Resigned, she watched as more and more showed up, her interview seeming to turn more and more into a press conference with every arrival.

Thankfully, before the numbers could get truly ridiculous, the door to the private room swung open and Lord Sagan stepped out from the meeting space. All the gathered press perked up, rushing forward in a clamouring wave, but Maria's instincts told her to hang back and wait. Trusting the impulse, she did just that and was therefore thankfully merely an observer when a wave of malice washed over the throng.

His blue eyes shining with disdain, Lord Sagan swept his gaze over the gathered crowd, his mere aura enough to still them, "What is this circus?"

"Apologies, my Lord." Augustus spoke, following the Sagan from the room, "This happens occasionally. The Arena Lobby is open to all, so sometimes enterprising journalists take advantage to ambush those who are spotted entering the premises."

Lord Sagan's eyes narrowed, "I see. I will have no part of this farce."

Shiro Sagan, who had stepped behind her adopted brother at the approach the crowd, stepped out from behind him and walked alongside him as we moved through the crowd. An almost visible cloak of annoyance draped itself over them, allowing them to part the sea With nothing but their own forward motion.

It might seem odd that none were brave enough to attempt to speak to them or stop them, but Maria remembered the look Lord Sagan had pinned her with at the end of their last interview. Despite it occurring months ago, she could remember the moment with perfect clarity. The ire of a Prince was not something that was easily borne when it was focused on you exclusively.

Still, the fact that he was able to control such a large number with seemingly no effort… He had grown stronger. Much stronger. That was not a surprise, considering that he had almost casually crushed Lord Paimon, but the rate of growth was something that the Underworld was noticing with extreme interest.

As Lord Sagan was about to exit the press, one of the reporters managed to break out of his hold, shouting out from the crowd, "Lord Sagan! Lord Sagan! Julian Altemonde, Devil's Latest! Are you here to participate in-!"

His action galvanised the crowd, who started to move again, pressing in on the two Sagan and sparking off a din of questions shouted over each other.

"Lord Sagan! Your interaction with Lord Paimon-!"

"Lady Shiro, would you say a few words-!"

"The Great King Faction has been said to-!"

Said din stilled as suddenly as it started, a bone deep chill affecting all present.

The Sagan Lord had exited the crowd and turned back to face them, a look in his eyes that brought not just the reporters, but the entire room to a standstill. It was a cold look, a dispassionate look. It was a gaze that told all present that he would visit terrible punishment upon them if they tested him.

The lowest ranked on the Rating Game circuit, but Maria took note of how other fighters in the room reacted, gaze snapping to the young Devil and staying there, bodies positioned in readiness. She wasn't a fighter, but her breath still caught in her thought, not needing their honed reactions to know that the Sagan Lord was dangerous.

"You." The Sagan pointed out a single reporter from the throng, his voice chilled, commanding, "You and you. Step forward."

The danger that had descended upon them kept the rest compliant as the pointed out reporters were pushed forward. Usually, there would be a clamour at some being given preferential treatment, but something about his demeanour said that this was anything but the start of an exclusive.

"What are the publications you work for?" He asked the first reporter, Who looked at him with equal parts fear and hope.

"Yelana Hu-"

Her answer was cut off brutally, "Did I ask for your name? The name of your publication, now."

She swallowed thickly, "Lilith Weekly."

"You." The Sagan looked to the next in line, the chill intensifying.

"Justice in Fashion."

The last only needed a single look to blurt out, "Rising Stars."

Lord Sagan nodded, committing the names to memory, "I do wonder, is there something in the water supply of the Devil society that produces such fine examples of buffoonery? Have you all forgotten any sense of decorum in the past few centuries? Is there nothing left?"

"I don't understand, My-" The reporter from Rising Stars began.

"Be." A visible ripple passed through the space around the Sagan, his rage manifesting viscerally as he revealed the full might of his Demonic Power, The reporter's breaths misting in the sub zero temperature that now surrounded the Lone Prince, "Silent."

His voice carried easily, despite how lowly, deliberately he was speaking, "You want answers? You are willing to throw away any sense of dignity, of your pride, to the ground in search of your next soundbite? The next juicy line for your latest smear piece that the Lords who own you ordered you to write? You wish this desperately enough to impede the business of a Lord, to even attempt to accost his sister while doing so?"

Maria jolted, having been so absorbed in memorising the scene to write up later that she didn't even realise what the three in front of him were signalled out for. They were the three that had shouted questions at Shiro, she belatedly remembered.

"Fine. Very well. I know how vicious you are when denied. So I will sate your curiosity just this once." The journalists breathing sped up, as their misty exhales showed, several leaning forward as he continued, "The Sagan do not care. These petty games you all play, these mock fights that should be a proving ground to sharpen our young and are instead turned into a crass form of entertainment and betting? The political games in the senate, where who are voting with matters more than what you are voting on?"

"These Factions you are obsessed with?" Here his voice turned derisive, disgust seeping, oozing from each syllable, "Weakness governed by consent. Relics holding on to past, imagined glories. Pests that scurry around, knowing that the only reason they are not exterminated is misguided mercy. I have something to say to all of you: Leave me out of it. Our race is dying. The very things that make us who we are, they are slipping through our fingers, year by year. You wish to squabble over who rules over the tomb? Be welcome to it."

He turned, stalking out of the building, leaving stunned faces in his wake. As he passed her, Maria was surprised as he pointed at her without breaking stride.

"You, with me."

---XXX---

"Thank you, Nii-san." Shiro whispered, her small hand slipping into my own, giving it a squeeze.

I sighed, releasing my pent up aggression. I could have handled the press, the ambush surprising but not unbearable, but then they had attempted to crowd Shiro away from me and force her to answer questions. It was only thanks to some quick barriers I threw up that they were unable to do so, luckily for them. Otherwise I would have left behind a much messier situation.

Still, I remember the names. Lilith Weekly. Justice in Fashion. Rising Stars.

They will cease to exist before tomorrow.

"Uhm…" A hesitant voice spoke from behind me, the reporter who had been calmly sitting to the side during the whole debacle, "You wished to speak to me, my Lord?"

"Maria, correct?" I ignored the way Shiro's grip tightened impressively at the other woman's name, the small digits showcasing surprising strength, "From GNN?"

"You remember me, my Lord?" She beamed, "I am flattered."

"Don't be. I have a good memory and a jealous fiance." I replied, causing her to blink in surprise as I moved on, "I need something to be announced and was going to release a statement, but I saw you sitting about from that gaggle of idiots and decided to get it over with."

"Oh." She recovered remarkably quickly, getting out a pad and paper and preparing to write out my statement, flipping over a page to do so, "I would be glad to take a statement, my Lord!"

I idly noticed that my previous speech was written in full on the page she flipped over, before giving my statement, "I was at the Rating Game Arena to set up a show match, between my peerage and any other who wished to rise to the challenge. There will only be three challengers accepted, but I wanted to make the rules clear before any applied."

"I am sure that many will jump at the chance to test themselves against you, my Lord." Maria beamed, "I will write down the rules."

"Thank you." I decided to offer at least some courtesy, this whole excursion being taxing, "The rules are as follows; The Sagan Peerage participating will be the King and a single Bishop. Only full sixteen piece Peerages are able to apply as challengers. The Sagan Peerage will be eliminated should either the King or the Bishop be eliminated. All usage of items that are allowed in normal Rating Games rules are allowed. The Challenger peerage is eliminated when either their King is retired or the entire peerage is eliminated. Each challenger will be able to watch the previous challenger's matches, the order to be determined by ballot. The Sagan King will not be able to act offensively for the first fifteen minutes of each match."

Maria nodded, jotting down each point as she did, before pausing at the last one. She turned her wide gaze up towards me, questioning. I merely nodded and continued.

"The prize pool will be posted in the official announcement from the Rating Games Association, but each accepted challenger will be given a hefty signing bonus."

Maria quickly jotted down the last rule and the added information, before her questioning eyes returned to me. Gleaning some sort of inference from my face, she decided to not inquire any further, much to my relief. Navigating around the reasoning for each rule would have been very tedious.

"I will publish the statement, Lord Sagan. Thank you for trusting me with this." She bowed as I nodded to her, before rising and looking slightly bashful, "I apologise for asking this of you when you clearly wish to return home, my Lord, but may ask you a few short questions?"

I sighed. To be fair, she was doing me a favour, despite how amazing this scoop was for her network. She was also polite, not crowding me with the other reporters, which is what drew my eye to her in the lobby anyway. It would be useful to have at least a genial relationship with one member of the press, my analytical mind reminded me. At least she was more tolerable than what I have seen from her colleagues.

"Very well, three questions." I allowed, wishing to return to the Manor as soon as possible, having plans for the night that had been agreed on in advance.

"Thank you my Lord!" A bright smile split her face, before a thoughtful look briefly settled as she picked her questions, "You have been seen on several dates with members of your Peerage, as well as a rather well known outing with the Goddess Ranni. Would you like to clarify the status of those involved?"

The grip on my hand increased even tighter, "Ranni is my betrothed. The Peerage is... varied and complicated, but I have a close relationship with them, with Ranni's blessing."

"You are a lucky man if I may say so, Lord Sagan. Best of wishes with your betrothal." She responded.

"Thank you." I responded neutrally.

"There was recently a disturbance in an area of the Wilderness near the Sagan Manor, where a God's divinity was felt emanating from, apparently in conflict with a source of Demonic Power. No observers were able to arrive in time to see the cause, do you know anything about the source?"

"A God was present and there was a battle. I am afraid that anything else might infringe upon national security, So I have no further comment." I raised an eyebrow at that, idly wondering what rumours were flying around in relation to that.

"Thank you my Lord, I'm sure that will be quite enough to stir a discussion." She didn't press, moving on to her final question, "Many have criticised you for forfeiting all your Rating Games. In fact, just today there was supposed to be a game between you and the Heir of the Agares clan. Would you like to clarify why you maintain your membership to the Circuit despite having no desire to actually participate?"

"Usage of the Arena is restricted to members of the Circuit." I responded, "Meaning that should I ever wish to make a… demonstration, with no permanent consequences, The Circuit is a great place to do so."

"But don't you care about the prestige that the Circuit brings? Your refusal to participate has led some to specu- Oh, my apologies my Lord, that was a fourth question!" She blushed and covered her mouth with her hand still holding the pen.

"I shall give it to you, as an extra." I replied, "I do not need to have my ego stroked. As I said back there with your colleagues, I would be most content to be merely left alone to attend to my own business as I see fit."

Maria nodded, jotting down my answer, "Thank you for the interview, my Lord. Have an excellent night!"

Her giddiness shone through, but I ignored it as the familiar feeling of teleportation deposited me in my home, allowing me to relax my shoulders somewhat.

"Nii-san." Shiro spoke, stepping in front of me and reaching up to grip my face.

I laughed, "Don't worry Shiro, I am not falling for the reporter. You are much prettier than her."

She blushed and looked away, dropping her hands from my face before I caught them with my own, "Speaking of pretty, there is something you've been doing about your looks that we need to speak about."

Her eyes widened, before she schooled her expression into the picture of innocence, "I don't know what you are talking about, Nii-san."

"I think you do." I hummed, Kneeling down and scooping her up, hands under her shoulders, "You aren't getting away from this."

She pouted, "Fine."

Chapter 68: Small Things​

Small Things

 

Shiro had the most impressive poker face I have ever encountered, I mused as I looked down upon her. Her face had not even twitched since I confronted her, remaining in the same deadpan expression that had become something of her trademark.

Unfortunately for her, her eyes betrayed her. She refused to meet my gaze, looking off to the side, a clear admission of guilt as any.

I sighed, "I'm not angry, Shiro. Just confused. Why are you halting your growth?"

My words floated in silence for a brief moment, before her wine red eyes looked into my own, "Promise you won't be mad? Or…"

Her words trailed off, apparently unable to complete the sentence, causing me to sight. Putting her down, removing my hands from their position under her shoulders, I knelt down and gently flicked her forehead.

"Ow." She spoke, grabbing the offended area and looking at me dirtily.

"You're being silly, Shiro." I spoke, drawing her into a hug, "No matter what it is, I won't dislike you, or pull away. I promise."

She nodded, her chin digging into the front of her shoulder as she did, before she whispered, "I know why you marked me. I know what it does."

I controlled my reaction, very much surprised, but at the same time it made sense in hindsight. None of the rest of the girls that I had stamped were the kind to pay as much obsessive attention to how someone in their life made them feel, unlike Shiro. That combined with her intelligence and it must have been simple for her to put together.

"So that's why? You don't want it to give you those feelings?" I questioned, trying to get to the bottom of why she was acting the way she was.

She shook her head, "No, it's not that…"

Well, considering that she is staying in my embrace and hugging me back. She mustn't feel like I was a monster for what the mark does to her. Either that or she didn't mind. It was always difficult to tell what she was thinking, even if it was really easy to pick up on what she's feeling.

"I can't read minds, Shiro." I whispered, getting a small huff from her, "I won't know what the problem is until you tell me. But this needs to come to an end soon. Stifling yourself like this, holding back the growth of your body, it will also have an effect on your magic. You know this as well as I do."

"I know." Was the soft response, the girl obviously steeling herself for what she was about to say, the silence stretching between us for a long while before a whisper was heard, "I already feel that way, Nii."

I blinked, "Sorry?"

"You're the only one I could ever like that way. You saved me, like a princess." She spoke, her long years of loneliness obviously having taken a toll on the girl, "But that's weird right? It's gross."

"No it's not." I responded, firmly, "Your feelings could never be wrong, Shiro. You'll only hurt yourself, thinking like that. But if that's not the problem, what is?"

She pulled back from the hug, my grip loosening to allow her to do so, as she looked to the floor, "I'm special."

I tiled my head, wondering what the hell she meant by the seemingly random statement, "Of course you are. I told you that when I found you, remember?"

"Yes. But that's not what I meant." She crossed her arms, withdrawing further as she elaborated, "You take care of me, protect me… Not like you do for the others. Differently."

"Ah." I made a noise of realisation, "Because you are my little sister."

She nodded, a blush on her face, "Yes."

"That's why you don't want to grow up, you don't want me to treat you differently from how I do now?" I clarified, making sure I understood fully.

She didn't respond verbally, but I could see from her expression I was right on the money.

That reasoning… It somewhat stunned me. She discovered what the Mark did, that I was gathering my future bed partners with it, the same one that I gave her. But rather than stalling her growth because she was afraid of that, she was doing so… because she didn't want to grow up in my eyes, the eyes of her big brother? She wanted to remain my little sister.

That was… refreshingly childish.

She acted so mature at times, so detached and logical, that I was slightly worried for her mental state. The realisation that the reason for her sabotaging herself like this was actually something so normal brought some strange relief to me.

I lightly chuckled, the light feeling travelling through me, earning a glare from the pouting white haired gremlin before me.

Reaching forward, I gently cupped her chin, "Shiro, I treat everyone differently."

She frowned, her pout deepening, "Yes but not…"

I shook me head and cut her off, "CC is a different person from Ranni and they are both completely unlike Kasane. If I treated them all the exact same way, it would quickly fall apart. If you like me treating you in a certain way, or you want me to stop doing something, just ask. We have eternity together ahead of us Shiro, no matter what form that future takes. Rather than be alone with worrying over something like this, just talk to me. I promise I will never turn you away."

Her eyes became wet as I reiterated that I expected to spend forever with her, but she sniffled and wiped the water away, "You really are unfair, Nii."

I laughed, bringing her back into the hug, "If you aren't cheating you aren't taking it seriously."

She sniffled at that, burying her head into the crook of my neck. I held her as she recovered, not ever quite breaking out into tears properly, but still quite emotional and latching onto the comfort I provided freely.

I felt the whisper of her next sentence across my skin, "I like being smaller than you."

The confession was sudden, but it was probably her taking my advice to heart, explaining something that was worrying her immediately.

"Devils can guide how they look, Shiro. If you don't want to be bigger than me, then you can just decide not to be." I revealed, causing her stiffen up in my hold, making me grin, "You forgot, didn't you?"

There was a long, pregnant pause, before finally…

"...Don't tease, Nii-san."

The reply brought out great belts of laughter from me.

---XXX---

She relaxed, basking in the best version of her Silence that she had ever found on this infuriating world. Truly, meeting the Moon had to be one of the best things that had happened to Ophis since that giant Red Idiot decided to make an ever bigger nuisance of himself.

Still, she was a Dragon of her word, thus why she was unable to fully relax at the moment. Her silence had been invaded. Sitting in the chair that he brought to these mandated meetings, sat Damocles, the Consort of the Moon. To be fair, it wasn't as if he was going out of his way to disturb her, but his presence did so regardless.

He appeared relaxed, reading the book in his hands, taking care to not make too much noise as he turned the page. He was even doing that thing he showcased when he met her, calming down his energy and stopping it from thrashing about like the other Devils. Still, it wasn't enough.

She couldn't block it out, the sheer insane motion this world had. The first time she visited, the assault on her senses ensured that she left rather quickly. How could these things live here, she had wondered, when the very air around them was buzzing with energy? It all vibrated, bounced around, smashed together and apart, in a chaotic dizzying whirl. Even their bodies were made up of the buzzing parts, although much more densely packed. Still, that made them worse, not better.

The condensation just made the whirr from the motion even louder, not to mention the other disgusting sounds that such beings were accompanied by. Sloshing, gurgling, squelching, all of it continuously singing a choir of wretched music into her ears. Even the way they communicated, vibrations of displaced air, was so loud and inefficient, she could scarcely believe it.

The fact that she had been forced here, to rely on beings like this… it was galling. Even if some of them were more tolerable than others. At least Damocles had not insisted on talking with her, unlike the other Devils she had been giving her snakes to. Something he hadn't even asked about, in fact, uniquely, he seemed almost completely disinterested in her power.

It was… interesting.

She idly reached out a hand, picking up one of the dark sweets off of the tray on her table and idly chewed it as she regarded his white haired form. What was it that the Moon was so invested in? What about his being could she have been so taken by that she had lowered herself to tie herself to him as a mate?

She didn't really understand what made a mate attractive, to either Devils or Moons, having never even been interested in the topic before. It seemed so confusing to her, why a being would impose on their own solitude to tie their life to an unpredictable variable like that. Of course, she knew what Dragons usually looked for in a mate, someone who could contribute to their hoard and take care of their young, while being stronger than themselves.

Ophis didn't have a hoard, had no desire for any young and the only being capable of even scratching her was something she would not willingly lay with in any reality.

However, it did give her a reference point to try and figure out the strange union. Applying it to this situation… Was confusing. The Moon also didn't have hoard and was vastly more powerful than the Devil in front of her. So having young, then? But that didn't make any sense either. Damocles couldn't provide any more security than the Moon was capable of, so why him?

Suddenly, an idea occurred.

She could ask him.

Ophis was surprised by the thought. Ask him? Willingly full this space, this refuge, with even more noise and distraction? Why?

She puzzled over the question, her brilliant mind quickly finding the answer.

Ah, she was curious. Interesting.

"Damocles." She began, watching as he jolted in surprise slightly before turning confused eyes to her, "Why does the Moon take you for a mate?"

Taking a bookmark from his breast pocket and putting it in the book that he softly closed, Damocles tilted his head at her, "Are you asking why Ranni chose me as her Consort?"

"Yes." She then stated the obvious problem, "She in much stronger than you."

"She is." He accepted easily, surprising her as the Devils that had taken her snakes had to be forced to admit that Ophis was stronger than them before they agreed to serve, "But power is not the reason she chose me. It's because of our history together."

Ophis was even more confused at that, "What history?"

Damocles was of this world, while the Moon was from outside of it. Besides that, she was much, much older than him. In fact, Ophis wouldn't be surprised if the Moon was older than even her. She was stronger, after all.

"Ranni wasn't always this way, a Goddess of such immense strength." Damocles revealed, making her blink, "She initially started as divine royalty on another world, one far, far away from this one."

Ophis knew that was possible, beings growing stronger over time. It wasn't her experience, being born the strongest in existence as she was, but she understood the concept. Still, that didn't fully answer her question. How did Damocles meet the Moon if he didn't leave this dimension?

"How do you know?" She asked for clarification.

"I used a… conduit, of sorts." Damocles revealed, "I controlled a proxy body in her world, assisting her in rising up against her Mother and becoming the God of that world. She chose me as her consort during that journey, something she never deviated from even after her ascension."

Ophis could somewhat understand that. This was 'gratitude', right? She didn't really get it herself, but it made a vague amount of sense to her. It didn't explain how Damocles used this 'conduit' to travel dimensions, but she wasn't really interested in that. She guarded the Gap from things Outside, she had no interest in other dimensions aside from that.

Still, that seemed to not quite explain just how protective the Moon was over this Devil.

"I still don't understand." She stated, causing him to move his shoulders up and down at her.

"You will need to ask Ranni herself for further clarification, but we grew very close during our struggles there. I believe that was when her fondness for me grew and entrenched itself." He said, frustrating her.

"Feelings are not effective in making decisions." She spoke, the truth blindingly obvious.

He smiled at her, a strange look in his eyes, "Perhaps you will only really understand when you find a 'mate' of your own."

Ophis doubted that such an implausible thing would ever happen.

---XXX---

The folder thumped against the desk, Serafall letting out an explosive sigh as she slumped into her chair, "Ragnarök has officially begun. I was only able to squeeze out the barest amount of concessions from them before it kicked off in truth, anything more substantial will have to wait until the conflict is decided."

Sizechs picked up the folder, flipping through it even though he had read through the contents yesterday, "What is your verdict on how we should respond?"

Serafall pinched the bridge of her nose, "It's a precarious situation. We could get some rather juicy prizes for assisting Asgard, but out involvement will prompt other Factions to get their own slice of the pie."

"Any direct Military involvement will weaken our Border in the Underworld." Falbium informed them dispassionately, repeating his words from the report in Sirzechs hands, "The Fallen would be able to take advantage of that, were they so inclined. Not to mention the Greeks."

Serafall had more to add to that, "I did speak with Gabriel and Azazel about this, considering that the ignition point occurred in our territory. Azazel is keen to get some testing done on his newest inventions, while Heaven has a vested interest in making sure their Northern border remains stable."

Ajuka summarised, "Therefore the Asgardians winning the war with our aid would be the best outcome for all of us, correct?"

"Doing so would require us to be discreet, using only disposable assets. If we decide to get involved at all, we would have to do so in a way that discourages other Factions from openly following suite." Sirzechs tapped his fingers on the table in front of him, "Not that it will stop them, of course, but keeping such involvements to as minimal a level as possible would make the whole situation a lot more predictable."

"Gabriel and Azazel agreed. They believe that if we do decide to help the Asgardians win with a group composed of various members from our Factions, it could allow us to accelerate the Treaty between us massively." She fidgeted, a distinctly uncomfortable look on her face, "She even had a... suggestion for who we could send."

"Absolutely not." Sirzechs immediately figured it out from the way she was responding, "We barely managed to suppress the story of him killing Loki, allowing him to participate in a god killing free for all? We might as well offer up Ajuka's services to awaken his bloodline ourselves."

The who in question went unsaid, but the absent figure was still the exact same in all their minds.

"I still can't believe it…" Serafall remarked, "I keep going over it in my head, I don't see how he managed to do it."

"Ranni likely assisted him. The new Goddess' powers are not something that we understand well." Ajuka pointed out, "It is almost certain that she would aid him in any combat."

"Wouldn't be enough, unless she fought for him and we know she didn't." Falbium grunted, the autopsy on Loki being rather conclusive on cause of death as well as the Sagan's report detailing the broad strokes of the fight, "Damocles said it was surprise. He was able to Lock Loki's divinity down and strike him during the backlash. A single crucial mistake was all it took, apparently."

"Even then…" Serafall ran a hand through her hair, "A God-Slayer, before even awakening Lucifer's blood… Who knows how bad it will be when he does?"

"If." Sirzechs pointed out, "If he does. Which makes it even more crucial that he not go anywhere near something that could force him into doing so. It's incredible he hasn't already, to be honest."

"Besides, Even if we ordered him to do so, would he even go? We are not exactly on friendly terms right now." Ajuka brutally pointed out.

Falbium scoffed, "He would, just wouldn't be happy about it. As much as he puts up a front, he does care about the Underworld."

"It's out of the question anyway, I agree with Sirzechs." Serafall spoke, "If we do send anyone, it will probably have to be a younger Devil looking to prove themselves. That way we could spin it as personal initiative if pressed. The main contribution that we planned was in supplies anyway."

"I would be happy to coordinate that with you." Sirzechs nodded to the Magical Girl Cosplayer, "Falbium, do you have an idea what would be the most helpful to send?"

"If we are doing this, sure." The Asmodeus shrugged, "but you know as well as I do that it will be symbolic at best if we only send a single Peerage."

"Symbolism is enough. We could use the win." Sirzechs sighed, "It will help us with the upcoming treaty negotiations. Besides, I doubt the conflict will be over quickly, it will likely take years before the momentum is clear. We will have time to re-evaluate if more is needed."

"So decent start, then wait and see, huh?" Falbuim shrugged, "Good enough."

With the Satan's all agreeing, a plan was swiftly drawn up on who to send with their provisions for the Gods of Asgard. As Falbuim had pointed out, it wasn't much in this scale of a war, but it was a start and made for a good position to begin bargaining from in the future.

Serafall left the planning session with a good feeling about the whole business. After the botching of the Sagan issue and the absolute fiasco Japan was turning out to be, she was glad that at least something appeared to be going smoothly. Sirzechs was absolutely correct, she could really do with a win right now.

Chapter 69: Obsessions

Obsessions

She let out a long sigh, rubbing her eyes as she took off her enchanted glasses. It was lucky that Devils could not get headache's from overwork, but that did nothing for the intense mental strain of non-stop study. She glanced down at her notes, frowning as she noted how many of the earlier theories and observations were now obviously falsified by her latter ones.

She glanced at the glowing screen, putting pen to paper to jot down her latest observations and resumed the recording. Ignoring the brutal sight of a Noble scion getting his head caved in by another Devil, she paid the upmost attentions to the Sagan's lips. The savage beating continued, a now familiar sight, but the Sagan's lips didn't move. He had obviously used the Power of Binding to prevent the Astaroth from surrendering, but she was still unsure of when exactly he had done so.

The way the Sagan power functioned was public knowledge, but it was even more dangerous because of that. People assumed just because they had an idea of how something worked, they knew everything about it. That was obviously not the case here.

He had locked Diodora's shield spell, but only a specific part that had caused the entire structure to collapse. That needed an immense mastery over spellcraft and magic, or an ability to pick apart magic circles at a glance.

She doubted that Lord Sagan possessed an understanding of magic that rivalled Lord Beelzebub, so that left some sort of magical sensing ability. Was it a part of his Sagan heritage as well, or something else? Perhaps a gift from the Dark Moon, an early indicator of her influence? She was unsure.

The important part was, that was not the only time the Sagan had used his family trait in that fight. He had used the surprise to completely Lock Diodora's magic, using close quarters strikes and pain inducing attacks to prevent him from focusing enough to break said lock. That left the final lock that she had already noticed. Which brought her to the problem she was facing.

Did the Power of Binding have a cool down? Could he only Lock one thing at a time, or was he able to suppress both Diodora's speech and magic at the same time? Depending on the answer, she would have to come up with different tactics and strategies. Unfortunately, she had no to get said answers. The Power of Binding allowed the Sagan to place a Lock on a concept, which sealed the thing in question but could be overcome with sufficient willpower and Demonic Power.

That was what everyone in the Underworld knew, but it wasn't exactly helpful she realised. What things? Sealed how? In what way? Could anyone fight a seal, or was that only possible by the being said seal had been placed on? Was willpower or Demonic Power more important to breaking the Lock?

Many questions, few answers. Still, that just meant that she had to approach this from a different direction. She had no way to figure out the weaknesses of the Power of Binding, so she would act as if it had none at all. Assume that everything she could do was susceptible to Lock. This meant that to overcome it, she would have to not rely on any one tactic or attack, instead bringing as many diverse and different forces to bear as possible.

Nodding to herself, she wrote down in perfect script, 'Overwhelming variety of forces' on the notes in front of her, before linking it back to her heading for the Power of Binding. There were many other possible counters, some that had been crossed out as she ruled them to be unfeasible, but that was so far the one she had the most confidence in.

Many Devils would deride her, stating that she should merely use her own Family Power and prove her clan to be superior to his. They were fools.

Relying on a singe tactic was doomed to failure. Besides, her Family Power relied of Demonic Power to be effective, something that Damocles had already proven he was able to Lock. Perhaps if she caught him by surprise… Still, having many backups was important to her chances of success.

She rubbed her eyes, placing her glasses back on her nose and moving on to his allies. The statement was that he would be using only a single Bishop, but not which one. She had looked through all the articles she could get her hands on about his visit to the Arena and had come to the conclusion that the Bishop that he was speaking about was likely his adopted sister, Shiro Sagan.

She would make plans for if it was Naomi instead, of course, but she believed her initial theory to be the correct one. She could even deduce the reasoning behind this move. It was common knowledge in the Underworld that in terms of raw Combat power, Shiro Sagan was the weakest when it came to Sagan Peerage. CC was terrifying foe her mental attacks, Kasane was an absolute monster and Naomi was a madwoman.

If Clan Sagan were to be attacked, it would be obvious that Shiro would be the most enticing target. This exhibition match that her brother was setting up was meant to be a message, a statement that Shiro was not nearly as defenceless as she seemed, in order to dissuade any from attempting to strike at her.

Why would he chose to do this now? Well, if rumours were to be believed, there was an attack near Sagan Manor by a God. This was most likely a response in order to delay or deter any further attempts. The Sagan Manor itself was sunder the protection of Tiamat and the Goddess Ranni, but outside the Peerage members were still, in theory, vulnerable.

She said in theory, because if the Sagan had really killed a God with not a single Longinus user in his peerage, then any perceived vulnerability was a blatant lie. Personally, she believed it likely that was indeed what had occurred. The reactions of the Satans and Lord Sagan himself all pointed towards it.

So why then, was she preparing to take up his offer, even though she was fully aware that the Sagan had probably become a God-slayer?

Pride.

They had a Rating Game scheduled on the very same day that the Sagan had set all this up. A Rating Game that she had put some effort in to preparing for, on the off chance that this was the day he finally decided to show up. When he did so, visiting the arena on the same day of what would have been her Rating Game Debut, she believed that it hadn't been in vain.

When he didn't actually deign to combat her, instead laying this trap and leaving as if he hadn't even considered their match, she had been incensed. She would admit to having some admiration for the Sagan Lord, how he had boldly declared his independence and built up his Clan to be a power worthy enough to keep it, but that had only made things worse.

Having the one she admired show up, apparently thinking that she was worthy of his first Rating Game, only to not even bother acknowledging that it was taking place while doing his own business…

The pen in her hand creaked in her tightening grip.

Her gritted teeth were loosened as a knock echoed through the study, a mask of perfect calm descending over her face as she faced the door, "Enter."

At her command, her Queen opened the door, pausing briefly as she saw the mountain of notes on her desk. Recovering quickly, he briskly walked into the room, arms full of a stack of folders. Placing them on an open space upon the desk, he bowed his head in a nod towards her.

"Here are the profiles for all the Pieces that are open to loaning towards us. Also, your father asked me to tell you that the bribe had been accepted. You are to go last in the Sagan's gauntlet." His eyes narrowed, observing her face intently, "When was the last time you slept?"

She waved off his concern, picking up the first of the folders, "I'm getting sufficient rest, Alivian. I've just been working non-stop on this for longer than I should have. I have a scheduled break in half an hour."

Her Queen stared at her for a beat longer, before he sighed, "I know better than to argue with you when you are like this, Seekvaira."

"Thank you." She smiled at him, before turning back to the folder in her hands.

The loopholes in the Sagan's little trap had been wide and obvious, but that was probably intentionally so. After all, you only needed a full peerage at the time of the match, nothing said they had to be permanent members. Of course, she would have preferred to have a full compliment that she had time to bring up to her personal standards, but needs must.

Damocles was arrogant, justifiably so she hated to admit. He had amassed significant power to himself very quickly, enough that he could spit in the eye of the Factions that ruled the Underworld and not be immediately crushed in response. Unfortunately for him, the Agares were not without their own power and connections. With enough resources, she was confident that she could put together a plan that would give him a run for his money.

Doubly so now that the bribe to ensure that she was last in the order had been accepted. With enough extra knowledge about how his sister fought, she was confident that she could derail this little plan of his. She just had to make sure that any game-plane she came up before the day itself was flexible enough to adapt to what the Sagan revealed.

"Seekvaira…" Alivian started, obviously uncomfortable with what he was about to ask, "Do you think that we will actually be able to win? The rules are heavily in our favour, which makes me nervous."

"Rightly so, Alivian." Seekvaira Agares, heiress of the Agares Clan, replied while smiling at her friend, "But the hunter is most vulnerable just before his trap is sprung. I promise you, we will impress everyone with this performance."

Alivian raised an eyebrow, wisely holding his tongue as his Lady started going through the dossiers he had provided.

He doubted his Lady would appreciate him pointing out that there was obviously someone in particular she wanted to impress.

---XXX---

The Australian outback was immense. When you looked at a world map, the continent of Australia didn't appear to be that large, in comparison to America or Asia, but that was a distortion. In reality, the country was huge. It was almost 4000 Kilometres wide and mostly empty. The population density outside the major cities was almost non-existent, wide stretches of the country almost completely devoid of human life or construction.

A consequence of this, was the view above us. Stretching overhead, painted in a myriad of dazzling lights, the majesty of the Milky Way bore down. With no need for the spell to filter out light pollution that I had used to show this to CC, the sight was still amazing. Something that my companion had been rather taken by. Of course, stargazing was not what currently interested her.

Instead, Selene and I floated through the crisp air of the Outback night, the land slowly moving below us as we moved lazily in random directions. One of the reasons I chose this as the location of my date showed itself here, the land below us was by no means flat, but there were no mountains or ravines, making it a relatively level surface.

Rotating to float on my back, I stared up at the sky, the land not visible at all even in my peripheries. It felt… dangerous. As if I could fall into the swirling colour in front of me, falling off the world and being swallowed by the cosmos. The sheer enormity of the emptiness all around me made for quite the impression.

The feeling, if I could describe it, was almost the exact opposite of claustrophobic. Instead of being a space that was too small, it was almost as if I instead existed in an area that was too big.

Something that Selene was relishing in, floating through the vast expanse giddily, relishing in the complete and utter feeling of freedom. Turning back to where I had last saw her, I was greeted by the view of two shining red orbs.

"Enjoying yourself?" I asked, getting a nod from the vampire, "How's the view?"

"Beautiful." She replied, eyes not deviating from mine, causing me to grin wryly, "Thank you so much for showing it to me."

"There's no need to thank me." I smiled, "I'm glad you are enjoying it."

"Mhm." She hummed, floating close to me and snuggling into my side, eyes turned up to the vista above.

A comfortable silence enveloped us as we slowly floated through the sky, a moment of peace that I sorely needed. A part of me was shouting at me that I needed to spend every single moment I could dissecting the Seal, but I knew better intellectually. Rest was important, to ensure that I could approach it from every angle and not overlook anything.

As it was, my own training had been taking a back seat to the issue as it was. I was determined to not let it interfere in my relationships.

The soft sound of passing air was interrupted by another, the now families punching of sharp teeth through delicate skin.

I sighed, moving my head further to the side, giving the lamprey on my side more space, "You really are a glutton, huh?"

She took a deep pull, the sensation on the sensitive skin of my neck causing me to shiver, before she pulled back and shot me a small blood-stained smile, "Mint. You last slept with Ranni, didn't you?"

My eyes widened, before a grin split my face, "Does my blood really change flavour depending on who I sleep with?"

She nodded, laying a kiss on the now healed punctures, my regeneration closing the small wounds quickly, "Among other things. After you killed that God, it was spicy."

"Probably because of the anger, or maybe just combat." I mused, "Why did you bring it up? I thought you would be jealous."

"I am." She muttered, biting into my offered neck and taking another deep pull, "It's always delicious, though. No matter the flavour."

"Good to hear." I murmured, "Variety is the spice of life."

She leaned up, a hand on my chest as her crimson painted lips came near my ear, "I can't wait to find out my own flavour."

I grinned, whispering back, "Oh, trying to seduce me, are you?"

"Is it working?" She breathed.

"What if it is?" I posed the question, "What if I pounced on you, right here, right now?"

"You won't." There was certainty in her statement, such a deep well of it that it took me by surprise, "You are too gentle to do that."

My immediate instinct was to deny, "I would hardly call myself gentle."

She lay her head back on my chest, vacating her spot by my ear, "Yet you are. To us, at least. There is nothing you would ever do to harm me."

"That's a lot of trust you're giving me." I remarked.

"You've earned it, many times over. We talk, you know. Shiro, CC, Kasane, the rest." She responded, matter of factly.

"I see." That was interesting to know, "Makes me wonders what tales you have been told about me."

"They were bragging, mostly." She pouted, I could feel from her lips against my skin, "But I still learned a lot about you."

"That's all tainted by their perspectives though." I didn't want her to make a choice that she will end up regretting.

She stopped any further words by shaking her head, "Maybe. But your blood doesn't lie. You would not be so appealing if you weren't perfect for me."

Well, I didn't have the taste buds to appreciate whatever it was about the liquid that she gleaned from it, so I would have to take her word for it.

"So you've made your choice?" I questioned.

"The answer hasn't changed." She affirmed, looking up, crimson eyes locking with my own, "Make me yours."

Chapter 70: Push and Pull

Push and Pull

It was a constant, ceaseless, irritating, distracting buzz. Ranni's essence was not what it once was before ascension, even as diminished as her presence was upon this world. Every mention, every offhand remark, it all pulled on her attention. A shadowed room there, two worried figures discussing her over half-filled glasses. An address there, a palace of crystal on a mountain, its peaks stretching above the heavens. Then the Satans, unknowingly letting her listen in on their war preparations.

A part of her mind was always focused, taken up by this myriad of people invoking her through their words. Many had done so, from the lowest peasant to the highest of lords. The lack of care for which they drew her attention was rather staggering. Perhaps her ability to be invoked so easily was something this world had not seen before?

Regardless, she felt a duty to keep at least a somewhat close watch on every mention and invocation of herself. After all, in this world, her name was closely tied to that of her Consort's. Should their plotting move to the form of action, she would be remiss to not inform him of it. The assault that little Shiro weathered, whom she favoured greatly, spelt that out clearly.

Unfortunately, the trickster had not discussed his plans openly, or at least avoided mentioning her while doing so. Pointing to either rare intellect, or indicating severe obsession. Either way, her divinity had not given her a warning to the assault upon her Consort. She did not take it as a failing on her part, yet it still irked. Despite the lack of results, she continued her monitoring.

The worst were the prayers. After the story of how her Consort had 'rescued' Selene and Valerie spread, others started to pray to her for assistance. Not many, only a few hundred at most, but it still was jarring. It didn't matter if you ignored them, someone shouting their plea for assistance at you was still disrupting.

Honestly, it disgusted her. This whole plane, ever since she found it, had been nothing but a constant annoyance, one after the other. If it weren't for Damocles…

Damocles.

She was so grateful for finding her Consort again, the one that had been so cruelly torn away from her grasp. She didn't regret the devastation her search for him caused, not in the least, considering it eventually led her to him. Still, her lack of ability to help him stung her.

He was so much less than he was, yet at the same time so much more. His personal power, magical and physical, was much greater than when he had been her Tarnished. However, his spiritual strength lagged, the unequal growth this world's inhabitants faced completely unlike that of the Runes that drove power in the Lands Between.

She could reach out with her greater self, not this poor little extract that she was forced to operate through. There were none to oppose her, her full weight would crush all of his enemies, the Devils and scheming Gods alike. It was a thrilling fantasy, but unfortunately she knew she could not achieve it.

Damocles was so much like his projection, the one that assisted her throughout her rise to Godhood. Indeed, the time spent together might have been swallowed by the void that had spirited him away, but his soul remained blazingly familiar. The stubbornness, the will, the sheer ability to force the world to bow to his whims. He had assisted her in her own path, now it was time for her to do the same to his.

To do so, she couldn't fight his battles for him. Even with his aid, the bulk of the preparation had been hers to bear. Crushing the last vestiges of the Dark Moon, assuming it's cloak of power for her own, stealing away the power of the Greater Will, her centuries of planning, they were all hers alone. Her Consort deserved for this victory to be through his efforts as well.

That is not even touching on the effects of what such a move would bring. There were two existences that stood above the others of this world, the Infinite and the Dream. She had met with the Infinite and sneaked past the Dream, for the results of tangling with either would be disastrous. The Infinite well from which this entire world was drawn and constructed, it's power giving the substance for existence.

The Dream had shaped that power, gods and humans alike moulding each other through the medium of the Great Red Dragon. Conflict between them would be disastrous, devastating to the entire world. Even bringing about it's complete destruction was not out of the realms of capability.

Still, even if the Dream restrained itself and the Infinite didn't interfere, victory would taste even more bitter than defeat in this case. Her Order, the structure of her Godhood, had been inviolably altered when Damocles placed the Ring upon her finger and accepted her dark and lonely path as his own. He was her Consort, she was his Goddess, such a thing was as good as a universal law at this point.

Of course, that was reflected in her Order. Should she impose her will on this world, successfully subdue the Dream and the Infinite, allow her power to reach his enemies…

Damocles would not be unaffected.

He would be tied by her Order, her very intentions and thoughts would bear down on him like irresistible decrees. His mind would be moulded by her whims, her inner self altering him into her ideal Consort. Robbing him of any agency she didn't allow him explicitly. Keeping him as he was would be impossible.

With her full self, she would be able to reinforce his soul enough to resist this effect. But such a thing would not only accelerate the process, it would rob him of the opportunity to grow as he wished, tying him to her with chains that could only be broken by death.

She remembered her own puppet master, the strings upon her forcing her hands to move in ways she didn't wish, her mouth to say things she didn't truly believe. Even now, the cold, searing hate that drove her to destroy Marika and tear down the Greater Will was still alive in her heart. Thinking of Damocles viewing her in the same light… That was no victory at all.

So she resolved to help him, accepting the annoyances as temporary compared to their eventual eternity. She had full faith he would succeed, defeat all his challenges and grow strong enough to be her true equal. That was why she so gladly followed his designs, why she gave so much power to one so much weaker than her.

One day, that weakness would fade and he would be able to take said power in truth, not just as a gift. She gladly looked forward to it, when her Consort became a King, a God in truth to match her.

His binding of his concubines was what had allowed him to get to this point, the power they granted him more than their presence would do alone. She was sure of it, watching how much he grew after finding and binding Selene. She was unsure of the exact mechanism, but she was certain that this was his path to eventually matching her.

That is why, even as Selene invoked her in the sky above Australia, cheekily inviting to watch as the vampire seduced her Consort, she was not annoyed by that particular voice.

The closer Damocles got to becoming her equal, the better, after all.

Still, such impertinence should be punished. She would make sure to do so once their dalliance was concluded.

---XXX---

Contrary to her sultry and seductive demeanour, Selene was a rather passive kisser. Likely due to inexperience, as even between kisses she started to explore and fight back. I easily overwhelmed her passionate forays, but that just seemed to excite her more.

Our duelling tongues were not the only point of contact between us as we arrived from the Outback, her arms attempting to crush my chest into hers, while my hands were taking advantage of the position to fully explore her substantial rear. Although she was short and petite, she had quite a lot of meat there, a fact that I was taking full advantage of.

She pulled back with a gasp, a thin string of saliva stretching between us before snapping as she shook her head. Reorienting her gaze upon me, a smouldering look entered her red irises. She reached up a fragile hand, gently tugging at the fabric covering my chest, before a small grin made its way to her face.

The hand left the fabric, twirling lightly through the air. A flex of magic flashed between us, fading away to reveal our clothes haphazardly piled together in the corner of the room.

I arched an eyebrow at her, "Where was this imagination when you were sparring with Shiro?"

Her facial expression didn't change in the slightest, however a flicker of something dark, something predatory lurked in her gaze as she stared at my bare form, "This was easier."

"Easier, huh?" My tone took on a teasing lilt as I remembered that visualization was easier with practice, "You spend a lot of time imagining me out of my clothe-? Ssst!"

My words were cut off with a hiss as Selene reached up and bit into my neck to shut me up. I growled, my instincts flaring as my own mouth opened, teeth meeting her porcelain skin. The feeling drew a shudder out of her, her naked flesh writhing against mine.

Like a lid was blown off, she became feral, wild. Writhing underneath me, fighting and struggling to flip us. I was planning to eventually land on the bed, but suddenly all my attention was focused on wrestling the wriggling, struggling, naked Vampire girl beneath me.

I was stronger, bigger and more skilled in grappling, but subduing her was not easily done. She bucked, ground, distracted, bit and scratched. Rather than a gentle act of lovemaking, this was unrestrained, primal. Like a fight.

My teeth didn't break her skin, but I used the point of contact as an anchor, clasping and preventing her from moving her upper body with the pressure. I scrabbled with her hands, prying them away from up and out to the side, where I kept them down with my own. This left only her hips and legs, which she had soon wrapped around me, twisting and moving in a futile attempt to flip our positions.

As soon as she realised that I had her controlled, not letting her take control, she sagged, relaxed and docile.

Pulling back my teeth, I winced as her own fangs pulled out of my neck, a small spray of crimson following the action. I could feel the sticky, cloying sensation on my back, the blood from her numerous scratches flowing freely before the wounds closed.

Selene, contrary to my expectations, was not breathing heavily from the scuffle. Instead, she was merely waiting, observing me with wide, lust filled crimson eyes. The slight glow from her feeding backlit them, enchanting me and pulling me in to her gaze.

My lust pounded, bringing attention to the fact that I was incredibly aroused. My control was hanging on by a single, frayed thread. Apparently she realised this, rolling her hips and dragging her slick, wet, tight pussy along a blazing trail up my length. Her gaze locked onto mine, lit up in a confident light, almost daring my to take action.

I growled, restraint completely snapped. In a single, brutal movement, I pierced into the target she had lined up for me, her walls shuddering at the savageness of the blow. Rather than be taken aback by the pain or the brutality, she seemed to delight in it, shivering in delight and moving her hips to match me.

Her hands surged out of the grasp I had on them, claws dragging a series of searing lines anew on my back. Rather than deterring me, it ignited my lust even higher. Selene's fangs gleamed in the light, lunging to the junction between my shoulder and neck. Faster than her, I snapped my hands to stop her. Twining one into her hair, the other moved down her hips to grant me a handle for moving her body.

She hissed, straining against my grasp, only stopping as I used the new leverage to pry our hips apart and slam them back together. Her red eyes widened, before starting to roll back as I started to set a brutal pace.

Each thrust sent a jolt of pleasure racing up my spine, the blood that Selene was still drawing from me and the feral way she was lunging for my neck filling me with a primal sense of conquest. Here was a dangerous, deadly predator, who I was completely and utterly overpowering.

It was a rush.

Selene seemed to enjoy it just as much, even as her struggles increased. Her nails cut deeper, her delicate neck strained harder, but I held my position on top of her, pounding her into a quivering mess. Each time I overpowered her, she grew wetter, tighter, her pleasure surging to match and exceed mine.

Her rippling, undulating walls fluttered, her mouth forming an 'o' of surprise instead of the snarl that had so recently filled her expression. The grip I had on her head suddenly yanked it back, her orgasm hitting her and stopping her attempts to drink from me. Seeing her head thrown back like that, I leaned down and reclaimed her neck for my own, my teeth sinking deep into the skin.

"Mine." I declared, my voice heavy with lust.

My words sent her hurtling over the abyss again, causing her to shudder in my grip, a gasp escaping her from the renewed climax. Her shaking, spasming vice of a pussy absolutely milked my orgasm out of me, a feral snarl escaping me as I slammed forward into her deepest depths.

Breathing heavily, I allowed the both of us to finally float gently down to the bed, wincing as I saw the blood that had dripped off of us to stain the once pristine sheets.

Not looking forward to dealing with that sort of wet stickiness, I focused my will and vanished it, leaving the slightly metallic taste of the substance in the air, to be washed out later. Thankful for the chance to hold her with no more concerns, I tightened my grasp on her soft shoulder, drawing her further into my embrace.

It surprised me, the feral nature that had infected Selene during our passion. Maybe it shouldn't have, it could have been a side effect of her simply ceasing to constrain her true nature. As I flipped us around, allowing the now purring vampire to snuggle into my chest, she was docile as a kitten.

Inwardly marvelling at the contrast that she had just displayed, I let out a huff of contentment and stared up at the drapes that framed my bed. Her determination had surprised me, but I could not argue that the results were satisfying.

A pinprick suddenly appeared in the side of my neck, my expression quickly turning exasperated as I looked down to the little lamprey who had taken my relaxation as permission. Instead of a full feeding, she pulled away after a single mouthful, licking the red from her lips.

"Jasmine." She said, voice smug, "That's what I taste like."

"I guess you are happy to find that out?" I asked, once again settling into relax.

"Yes." Was the simple answer, her head resting directly over my heart, "I need to make sure you taste of it more often."

"Well, I will be sure to give you plenty of opportunities to do so." I hummed, starting to stroke her hair, the purring sound returning as I did so, "You certainly seemed to enjoy the one you just had."

"Mmh." A sound of contentment flowed her lips at that, apparently lulled to sleep by the beating that she was listening to.

As I settled into join her, her purring still vibrating in my chest, my mind wondered back to the Seal once more. It's weight had growing ever so steadily in my mind, never far away. It joined a clamour of other concerns and duties left untended.

That could all wait for tomorrow, I decided as my mind was drawn to the content vampire snuggled to my chest, my eyes closing in peace.

---XXX---

The sound of water filling a hollow receptacle filled the air, slowly growing quieter until with a sharp 'clack', the process started anew.

Such water features were common within Japanese gardens, though perhaps they might be a bit cliché. Regardless of how overplayed the trope was, my eyes followed the bamboo performing its function, it's existence was undeniable.

Said existence was rather new, considering that Yasaka's private garden had not contained such a thing the last time I had seen them. Idly, I wondered what could be the reasoning for adding such a thing.

Closing my eyes, my ears could still precisely track the cycle. After the third 'clack', I frowned, realising something strange about the timing of the sounds. A sliding door also sounded out, familiar footsteps and rustling betraying who was responsible.

"Ah, you noticed?" The gentle voice sounded, Yasaka arriving from the meeting I was awaiting her to finish, "It might surprise you, but it aids me in meditating."

I opened my eyes, taking in the sight of the beautiful Kitsune walking towards me, her voluminous tails swaying behind her as she did.

"The variation in the timing? It adds a slight anticipation before it resets." I hazarded a guess at what she might be referring to.

"Indeed." She nodded, clothes rustling as she sat next to me, ignoring the position that had been set up for on the other side of the small tea table, "The slight uncertainty builds suspense, before being released. I find the sensation of that relief of tension aids greatly in relaxing my mind."

I hummed, watching as she started to prepare tea, the warmth of her body being felt even with her care not to touch me.

"I can understand that." I replied, eyes drawn to the swell of her breasts, her kimono dipping to allow me to catch a rather large eyeful, "I'm unsure how that would affect my own meditations. Perhaps I should find out some time, if I were welcome."

"You are always welcome, Damocles." She was quick to affirm, sitting back and grinning at my wandering gaze, "You know that."

Taking the tea she offered, I took a small sip before bowing my head slightly towards her, "I apologise for my rudeness last time. Shiro had been attacked and I had to go to her defence."

"To kill Loki?" She asked, taking her own sip, laughing lightly at my jolt of surprise, "It was not hard to put together. You fly off to Shiro's aid, the Trickster ends up dead and the Norse are suddenly in Ragnarök. To one with that information, the conclusion is clear."

I inclined my head at that, accepting the logic, "Still, I wish to apologise for cutting my visit short, especially without giving you the news I came to deliver."

She placed down her cup, turning and gently prying my own from my grasp. Placing it next to hers on the table, she surprised me by placing her hands on my cheeks, her tea-warmed hands heating up my face.

"Damocles." Her voice was serious, "You have yet to tease me once. Are you alright?"

I blinked, before laughter overtook me.

"Is that really what tipped you off?" She frowned, not pleased by my mirth, "Sorry, sorry. You are just too cute, Yasaka. Did you miss my teasing that much?"

She sniffed, "It is nice to feel desired."

"I doubt you have to ever worry about that." I grinned, tension truly defused, reaching out and surprising her with a quick embrace, my lips stealing a kiss from her own, "That may be the last time you let me do that, so I should savour it."

She blushed, gently placing her hands on my chest and pulling herself from my embrace, "What do you mean?"

"I've made enemies in the Underworld." I revealed causing her eyes to narrow in worry, "Influential, dangerous enemies. However, they cannot strike my Manor, thanks to Ranni and Tiamat and they cannot strike my holding in the Underworld directly thanks to the New Satans. So, unfortunately…"

She finished my statement, anger in her eyes, "That leaves us, in Kyoto. They will strike at us, in order to harm you."

I nodded, "That's what we think."

"Let them try." She snarled, hands now slipping around my chest, bringing me into the hug this time, "They will find that Japan is no longer a playground to posture within."

"...I was worried." I admitted, after a pause, eyeing her from the side.

"We Yokai do not abandon allies." She affirmed, a blush on her face, hesitating before adding, "...and Kitsune do not betray family."

"I'm family, am I?" I smiled, earning a pout from her as she pulled back, "That's news to me."

"Of course you are, Damocles. You saved my Kunou, you've allowed Kyoto to grow larger than it ever could without your help. Besides, I know for certain that if they attempt anything, with the necklaces you have gifted us, you will be here to punish them for their impudence." Her gaze was level to mine, impressing on me her seriousness.

"In that case…" I spoke, hand rising to trace her cheek, "How do I go about joining the family even closer, I wonder?"

Her breathing picked up as I leaned in, our exhalations mixing as the distance between us shrunk, this kiss to laden with greater meaning than the stolen ones we shared before.

"Mama! Shina said that Damocles was here!" A youthful voice shattered the moment, causing us to turn in unison to the direction it came from.

The sliding door slammed open, revealing a smaller Kitsune smiling excitedly, her eyes lighting up as she saw me.

"Hello, Kunou." I smiled at her.

"DAMOCLES!" She shouted, launching herself off the wooden porch, hurtling metres through the air before colliding with me, almost knocking me back.

Looking over her energetically wriggling ears, I mouthed towards Yasaka a message she seemed equal parts relieved and worried to receive.

'This isn't over.'

Chapter 71: Chess as a Game...

Chess as a Game...

Torlin Berith took in a deep breath, preparing himself. The Berith Clan heir was mentally going through everything he had planned for the upcoming fight. The Sagan had been arrogant in his challenge, but that was something that was appreciated in the underworld, not condemned, provided he could back it up.

Torlin saw through the ploy though, the trap that had been laid by the arrogant upstart. He was ready to tear down the facade and reveal that the Sagan were rightfully cast down, that they could not stand up to the might of a Duke of Hell. The rules were intricate and impressively thought out, he could admit, but the trick was obvious once realised.

It was bait. The Bishop, Sagan's mongrel sister, had demonstrated incredible avoidance and defensive capabilities in the Kingless Game against the Astaroth. The rule set meant that taking her out was a victory, something that appeared to be easier than removing the Sagan himself from the board. This was the trap that the Sagan had laid.

Utilising her defensive prowess with his support, they could exhaust the 15 minute limit and sweep away the challengers with the Sagan's power. However, that same trap could be turned around on the one who had placed it.

The Sagan was completely unable to act offensively for those 15 minutes, a significant handicap. Enough of one that Torlin knew that should he focus all his efforts on taking out the King, victory would be easily within his grasp. Damocles was using this show as a way to increase his own standing in the Underworld, while at the same time maintaining that he was 'better' than the rest of the 72 Pillars, above their petty games and politics.

It was infuriating, but it was effective. The only problem is the moment a crack was shown, the whole edifice would quickly be torn down, revealing the Sagan for what they were; Jumped up runts holding onto misplaced pride from their past glories.

Pandora died in the Civil War, the daughter of Remora not at all living up to the legend of her mother. The Sagan's star had faded, Remora's power was due to her being Remora, not a Sagan. All this rubbish about 'Princes being better' was just hot air.

Torlin would prove it.

All he would have to do is touch the Sagan once, and it would be over. The Berith Power of Transformation would once again show its might to the Underworld.

He looked over, where the white haired upstart and his filthy sister were waiting, holding each other's hands. His eyes narrowed, his regal training kicking in as he examined the body language of the two. Said tells could be faked, of course, but there were ways to see past such obfuscations, ways that his tutors had taught him.

The hand holding could be seen as reassurance, or a sign of nervousness, but Torlin saw through the surface. They were simply holding hands because they wanted to, their demeanours completely relaxed. Oh, they were alert, but there was not even a hint of nervousness or anticipation to be seen.

Torlin snorted, arrogant to the end.

Becca, his Queen, sauntered up to him, draping herself to his side as she spoke, "My King, the match is soon to begin. However, Augustus would like to have a word with you first."

He noticed that a Rating Game receptionist had walked over to the Sagan and was speaking to him, likely letting him know the same thing as well. Smirking, he took his queen's lips in a fierce kiss, groping her rear as he did so to establish his claim on her. Parting, he shrugged.

"Very well. Duty calls, it's time to meet our opposition." His Queen smiled at his words, sadistic glee in her eyes as she fell into step behind him.

They moved towards the elderly looking Devil, who was known to have chosen his appearance for gravitas. He looked more mature than Torlin's own father, despite the fact that Heir knew for a fact he was several centuries younger.

"Augustus, you asked to speak with us?" He quickly spoke, pre-empting the Sagan from talking deliberately.

Looking at the white-haired Devils reaction, all he got was a slightly raised brow.

His attention was turned back to Augustus as the Games Master spoke, "Indeed I did. The terrain layout for the games are traditionally decided by a coin toss, which is what I wished for us to do now."

"I see." Torlin shrugged, "I have no complaints."

He already knew this, of course. Major Games between the top 100 were on preset terrain layouts, but under that it was chosen by the method the Master had just spoken about. Of course, with his fear of participating, the Sagan would not have known that.

"There is no need." Lord Sagan spoke, surprising Torlin, "My opponent can select his preferred terrain."

Was he underestimating House Berith? Torlin frowned, anger rising. Very well, if the Sagan wished to play it that way then he would find no argument from him.

"Open Meadow." Torlin spoke, picking the optimal terrain for his strategy.

Open Meadow was an artificial, flat, grassland terrain. It was completely devoid of obstacles or cover, both Peerages starting with direct sight of the other. There would be nowhere for the Sagan to run, nowhere for him to hide.

"Agreed." Was all the Sagan said when Augustus looked to him for confirmation.
"Very well then, I shall let the technicians know. You should both also be aware that I shall be the Referee for this match, to prevent accusations of preferential treatment. Are there any objections?"

"Of course not, Games Master. Your impartiality is widely renowned." Torlin spoke, getting a small smile and a nod from the older Devil.

"I have no objections, Augustus. Thank you for agreeing to do so." Lord Sagan replied, getting his own nod before he walked back to the spot he had claimed for himself, his sister following closely behind him.

Becca snorted from her own spot behind the Berith Heir, "His inexperience is showing. An open field while outnumbered? Idiocy."

"Perhaps, but underestimating him could be dangerous. We will need to crush him decisively. Let us brief the others." Torlin responded, eyes still following the retreating figures.

The rest of the lead up to the Game was quick, the arena being set up efficiently and their teleportation circles prepared. Soon enough, with a flash of light, the Berith Peerage found themselves in the Artificial landscape of Open Meadow.

The grass was barely long enough to sway, the gentle breeze blowing through the open air carrying a soft, earthy smell. Torlin took in a deep breath, his chest expanding as he loosened his muscles, preparing for the upcoming conflict.

"Remember, we need to eliminate the Sagan himself." Becca spoke, getting nods of confirmation from the rest of the Peerage, "The Bishop is worthless, watch out for any tricks she might pull but otherwise focus on taking down the king quickly."

She went into further depth to their strategy, assigning roles and getting the Peerage into formation as Torlin stared at his opposition. The Bishop had just finished a whispered conversation with her brother, nodding along with a serious expression for she kissed his cheek and stepped forward. The sight was almost enough to make him retch.

Reincarnated Devils were an amazing innovation, as his own Peerage could attest, but they could never be equals. They were the property of their King, proof of his discernment and power, but still tools in the end. Adopting one? Treating them as equals? As family? It was anathema to everything they stood for.

The Pillars were better. They were the creation of Lucifer himself. To say that a human who no one had ever heard of before the Sagan decided she would make a sweet plaything was their equal, was worthy to stand among their ranks, was a slap in the face.

Arrogance. Disrespect. Hubris. All of that were words that followed Lord Sagan like a shadow, his every step calculated to be as insulting as possible. Well, that ends now. Torlin Berith would reclaim the Pride of the Devils, show everyone the this 'Lone Prince' was merely riding high on undeserved ego.

The Bishop reached into the pouch by her side, taking something out, but Torlin ignored her, focusing solely on the only actual Sagan in front of him. He would not fail.

The voice of the announcer sounded out, "Everyone ready? I hope so~! Then on your marks, Ready, Set, Go!"

The Sagan Bishop raised her hand, a single black object resting on her palm. A small flicker of energy started to build around her fore-arm, Her eyes filled with determination.

"Move!" Becca ordered.

His peerage tensed, their motions only beginning to occur, before there was bright flash from the hand of the Sagan Bishop. His eyes barely had time to widen before Torlin's world went dark.

---XXX---

She stared in the announcer's booth, hearing the rumble of Shiro's attack die down. Below her, there was carved a wide furrow from the earth, the dirt torn to shreds from the violence of the passing shock wave. Ripped up grass fluttered in the wind, drifting along the path of destruction like confetti, burning slightly from the aftermath.

The effects on the targets was even worse. The shock wave had blown the Berith pawns off their feet, tossing their bodies aside like dolls. The main pieces fared better, Shaken and knocked down, but at least not landing in painful tangles. The same could not be said for their King and Queen.

Torlin Berith had his chest blasted apart. Serafall's eyes could follow the glowing projectile as it flew, and watches as it had impacted just above his sternum, at the root of his throat. His entire upper torso had been ravaged by its effects, his head being separated from his body from the force. The grisly scene lingered for a second, showing briefly just how deadly such an attack would be outside of the arena.

The calculations that displayed just what would have occurred should the wards not have acted was plenty of proof enough.

The queen had not escaped unharmed either, being close to her King when the ball had hit, The side of her body facing towards the impact had been torn, sending her tumbling through the air, her arm flopping and useless. Just as she finished her flight, landing with a painful crack, the telltale golden glow of the wards shined over the injured Berith, removing him from the arena.

Remembering her job, Serafall's body moved towards the microphone, "The Berith King has been retired. The Sagan Peerage is victorious!"

She was thankful for the way the wards functioned, saving them from having a politically messy death on their hands. Still, this situation was plenty messy already, she mused as she stared down at Damocles Sagan.

She had wondered why he didn't protest her commentary of the match, The bad blood between them was still there, unaddressed. He wanted nothing to do with her or her family, not even accepting meeting her when Loki had attacked him, preferring to speak with Falbium instead.

She didn't wonder any longer, now she knew, just as she knew what the purpose behind this whole game he had set up was.

He looked up at her, despite the visual camouflage that covered the commentator's booth, seemingly staring directly into her eyes. Then he confirmed her suspicions through a humourless smile, his eyes reflecting nothing but cold promise.

This Rating Game he had set up? The myriad of rules and restrictions, to put himself in a disadvantageous position? It was not a demonstration, or a publicity stunt. No, it was a pure display of just what would happen should anyone else attempt to target the 'weak link' like Loki had.

It was a warning.

A warning that ha been received loudly and clearly.

---XXX---

The pen tumbled from her numb fingers as she stared at the magical display. The replay function was quickly used, the Agares Heiress frantically pouring over the footage frame by frame, desperately searching for any clue as to what the hell had just happened.

Reversing the footage, she spotted it. At the crest of the bolt of light that had struck the Berith, was a glowing shape different from the light surrounding it. Some type of projectile? Reversing to the beginning of the attack, she struggled to see just what the Sagan Bishop was doing. She appeared to be holding something up… A ball? Something round and dark anyway.

Did she shoot that at the King? Was that what had caused so much damage? How?

Going forward to the frame she had found, she could now pin down what the shape was. A heated piece of metal. So Shiro had launched it as a projectile. But that made no sense. You couldn't shoot objects that fast with pure magic, at least not without large magical circles and expenditure of energy. There must have been some trick to it.

The light before the strike… Lightning? Electricity, electricity meant magnetism, magnetism…

Seekvaira's eyes widened, her embarrassing hobby providing her the answer. Railguns, just like the ones mechas used. The Sagan Bishop had developed a Magical Railgun.

Her stunned silence did not go unnoticed, the voice of her Queen pulling her from her surprise, "Seekvaira? Are you alright?"

"Alivan." She breathed, deliberately relaxing her tense shoulders, "Shiro Sagan is a larger threat than we thought. Could you fetch Remus for me?"

Her Queen nodded, leaving to do just that, allowing her a moment to regather her thoughts. The new information that the fight had revealed might not seem like it revealed much, but it did. Holes were present in her original plans that would have been fatal without accounting for just how deadly the Sagan Bishop was.

Focusing her down within the 15 minute window was swiftly becoming the only viable strategy in her mind. How to do so was still an unanswered question, but she was coming up with ides. She picked up her pen, crossing out several things on the page in front of her, creating a new chart, but was soon interrupted by Alivan returning with Remus, as requested.

Remus would be acting as a Knight for the Agares Peerage in the upcoming Game, his master training his Peerage to be High Class fighters that were then lent out to other Peerages as mercenaries for exorbitant fees. Still, when some of their members could compete close to the top Ten of the Rating Game circuit, such a prize was more than reasonable.

"You called, Boss?" Remus spoke, the werewolf looking bored.

"I did. I must admit that my physical capabilities pale in comparison to High Class knight like yours, so I wanted to consult with you on something." She rewound the image being displayed on the wall, waiting as Remus took in the scene.

"That's the Sagan kid, so the brat next to him must be his Bishop. You watching our opponents before the fight, seeing what they are made of?" Remus asked.

"I am, any information I can get could be pivotal in winning." Seekvaira frowned, "You disapprove?"

"Nah, it's the smart thing to do. Know thy enemy and all that. I'm Not much of a planner, though. Don't know how much help I'll be here." The werewolf shrugged, muscles rippling at the movement.

"I do not need assistance planning. I merely want you to watch the attack used by the Sagan Bishop and let me know if you believe you can dodge it." She replied, hitting the play button.

Alivan and Remus watched, the attack in question happening almost instantly. She noticed Alivan tensing his jaw, but he held his tongue. Remus was not nearly so composed.

"Fucking hell." He swore, "That's some devious shit she's cooked up. That much speed and power, must be a bitch and a half on her reserves, especially as young as she is."

Seekvaira disagreed with his assessment, thinking that it was a lot more efficient than the werewolf likely thought, but she was interested in another facet of the spell.

"Can you dodge it? You are the fastest member of the team I have assembled." She reiterated her question.

The werewolf chewed his cheek, thinking, before he sighed, "I don't know. Click back a frame?"

She did so, watching his eyes as he calculated the speed of the projectile. He asked her to click forward a frame, so she did so.

"Hmm, judging by the arena camera's frame rate and the distance it travelled, you are looking at about 2 clicks a second." Seekvaira choked at that, she knew the attack was incredibly fast, but two kilometres a second?!

"Are you sure?" She pressed, panicked.

"Sure as I can be with just eyeballing it. To answer your question Boss, I can't dodge that fast. I might turn a centre mass blow into a graze, but that sort of power? I'm gonna get fucked up either way." He shrugged, unconcerned as he got paid regardless, "So blitzing the brat probably won't work, at least in open ground. Don't know how fast she can adjust her aim, so we could try that, but it would be risky."

"I thought you weren't good at planning." She sighed, sinking into the couch as she looked up at the ceiling.

Remus chuckled, "I'm good at finding and making problems. Not so much fixing the fucking things."

"Well, this is certainly one hell of a problem." Seekvaira acknowledged.

Chapter 72: ...is fundamentally not different...

...is fundamentally not different...

"The Crypts." Their next opponent predictably spoke, setting the terrain for their next demonstration.

Shiro resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the lack of imagination. Her Nii-san and her really were leading the devils arrayed against them by the nose, from start to finish. On the surface, it was smart, after all she had showcased her magnetic acceleration spell, something that seemed incredibly devastating in open quarters, but would bring the roof down on her if used in a confined space, like the Crypt terrain.

Did it even occur to the blue haired devil that they had realised that weakness? Did he think that was the only trick in her arsenal? The shallowness of the planning annoyed her. Still, she supposed she should have been grateful.

After all, thanks to his decision, she could further showcase that her Nii-san was not an idiot. He had access to millions, trillions of potential choices on this world alone, yet he had decided to pick her. That should have shown that she was not a normal child, to be so easily taken advantage of. However, it appeared that this world refused to see things as they were, instead preferring to see it as how they would like it to be instead.

With this choice by their enemy, she would be able to demonstrate that fact even more definitively. One advantage of her size and youth was that it caused the rest of her Nii-san's peerage to dote on her, making them more tolerant of her requests. She had abused this fully, bothering the most reclusive members to give her lessons and training, meaning that she was the only member that had been taught by all the rest. Even Melina.

She had yet to join the Peerage fully, but she knew it was only a matter of time. She had watched so many women fall in love with Damocles-nii at this point that she could almost write the script from memory alone. If it hadn't happened already, it would happen soon.

Before any of that, she needed to deal with the current situation. By choosing a confined, enclosed space, the rival King had supposedly neutered her offensive potential by making the Rail-gun spell she developed too dangerous to use. However, she was not only able to utilize that single spell, even if it was the fastest and most devastating she had in her arsenal. There were other options that dealt far more damage, but were not nearly as fast.

There was something to be said, however, for having too many choices.

"Nii-san." She spoke as they were waiting for the match to start, her brother and her enclosed in a room before being teleported, "I have a question."

"What is it, Shiro?" He asked, smiling at her as he did.

She felt the rush of warmth that filled her at the sight, originating from his mark on her lower stomach. She was so grateful that some facet of the magic meant that it was not dulled by familiarity, making every positive reinforcement just as pleasant as the first one.

"Should I stick to just Lightning magic, or can I show what Ranni taught me?" She asked, not wanting to disrupt his plans.

Ranni's magic was much more appealing to her, but was problematic. It was incredibly obvious that the spells that arose from the discipline were not of this world, meaning that it was not a stretch to figure out where the magic came from. The reason this was a problem was because it introduced uncertainty, whether or not her strength was really her own or she was merely borrowing it from Ranni.

"You can do whatever you feel is best in this match, Shiro. The last one is the one that will have the most impact." Her brother replied, kneeling down and giving her a hug, causing her to burrow her nose into his neck, inhaling his calming scent.

She didn't like the fact that she was attuned to lightning magic. She wished that she was more inclined towards Ice Magic, like her brother. He was amazing and able to help her with her magic regardless, but focusing on a school of magic that didn't suit her was a waste of time and effort when she had to get as strong as possible as fast as possible.

That is why Ranni's Astrology was so great. It was linked to her brother, as he was learning it as well, and she was incredibly suited for it. It relied on observations and replication of the movement of celestial bodies, which she was able to easily calculate using modern physics. Privately, she admitted that she was focusing on it to the detriment of her other magical studies, but she wasn't worried.

It was so much better than Devil magic anyway.

Unfortunately, she had to keep up appearances, thus their plan for the last match.

She would not have anyone badmouth her brother's choice again.

---XXX---

"Good Evening Gentledevils! We are back after the shocking results of our first match, this time the Sagan Peerage is facing up against a new challenger, the Extra Devil House of Genesis! Now in an enclosed space, how will the Sagan fare? Let's find out!"

Shiro kept half an ear out for the announcement, immediately forgetting the name of who she was facing. It didn't matter, they were only worth remembering as far as their abilities went. The rest was useless information. At Serafall's word, the match soon started, causing her to break out into a sprint, her brother remaining motionless in their starting area.

Red lightning flickered down her legs, her Demonic Power being cycled to increase her running speed. She would be using Astrology for attacking, but first she needed to find her enemies. The battlefield for this match was a dusty, stonewalled crypt, like the name implied.

The only light source was the flickering energy of her magic, her devil senses allowing her to see pretty well regardless. This was likely the second reason her opponents had chosen this particular location, considering the abilities of one of their knights. Making sure to keep an eye out for her, Shiro merely focused on the strongest magical signature she could sense, that obviously being the rival King.

As she ran, she became aware of three other presences in front of her. It appears that their enemy had split off his Pawns and sent them after her brother. She wasn't worried about him, but she decided to take out the foes in front of her anyway. Not pausing in her running, she swirled her arm in front of her, imagining the path that comet traced through space, flecks of it splitting off and orbiting around their greater whole.

In front of her appeared the blue glowing symbol of Caria, Ranni's family. From the mystical energy she was directing, drawn from the pulsing symbol, she forged her chosen weapons. Orbiting around her, spinning gently in the air as they pointed forwards, were twelve teal glowing daggers, made of magic.

As she sped around the corner, she was granted sight of the three other Devils. Their eyes widened, weapons rased as she approached. Shiro slightly slowed, her mind reaching out to the Glintblades she had summoned, directing four to each devil. The blades responded, swivelling on their axis as they pointed unerringly at their prey.

"Shit! Shields!" A golden haired Pawn yelled out, following her own advice, a shimmering green barrier appearing before her.

The other two Pawns managed to follow her, their own shields just barely being erected before the Glintblades shot forth. The ones at the lead of the trail slammed into the shields, penetrating through the magical barriers before shattering, turning themselves and the shields into a shower of sparkles.

The others were unimpeded, shattering just like the first, but this time in the bodies of her opponents. The sharp glints of magic acted like the ice they were imagined from, the sharp constructs slicing through flesh and bone. With wet thuds, the Pawns all collapsed, before shimmering as the Recall wards activated.

"Three Genesis Pawns have been retired in a display of yet another novel form of magic! The Sagan Bishop has been full of surprises!" The bitch commentating the match called out.

Shiro dearly wished that it was her down here getting hit by her spells, not these nobodies. But that would have to wait until she was much more powerful, powerful enough to protect her brother just as much as he protected her.

She poured more magic into her legs, increasing in speed as she swiftly left behind the scene of her last battle. She had no worry of running out, after Damocles-nii had rescued Selene, none of them had ever had a problem with their stamina. Any magic they used was replenished nigh instantly. This had intensified their training, making all of them grow in leaps and bounds, but the amount of strength Devils gained in training was minimal.

Still, it was more than enough for the ones arrayed against them here.

Such thoughts were soon put to the test as she zeroed in on the source of power she was using to guide her. They could sense her as well of course, as she had taken no measures to hide her approach. Therefore, they were ready for her with an ambush.

Chains leapt from the walls, glowing purple as they attempted to wrap around her. In a flash of red energy, she cocooned herself in her magic before expelling it outwards in a sphere of oval mystical force. The spells clashed and destroyed each other, the swirling colours giving way to the face of the Knight she had been thinking of before.

She stuck out two fingers pointing straight in his direction, the Sagan Crest floating before them as they shot out a beam of precise lightning. His eyes widened, before his features darkened, his entire form being swallowed by the shadows as he retreated into them, utilising his Sacred Gear.

Shiro raised her left hand, a red, angled shield appearing to deflect the magic that the two Bishops sent her way as their King concentrated on his own spell. With her other hand, she focused, imagining the sight of a meteor slicing through the night sky. The Carian Sigil once more gave her the desired result, a glowing blue dagger which she swiftly grasped the handle of and stabbed behind her.

Her blow struck true, the surprised eyes of the knight just having the time to widen as she emerged from the shadows, the Glintblade plunged deep into his throat. The angle was awkward, Shiro's shortness meaning he had to lean up to reach, but the strike was true regardless.

Wrenching the dagger aside, ignoring the falling body as the Glintblade easily sliced through the obstruction, she once again imagined the path of a meteor, this one streaming debris and carving a wide glowing path through the sky.

Her opponents realised that she was attacking as a Rook stepped forwards, a rune encrusted shield being raised in response, the gleaming metal a bulwark to protect the Bishops she was targeting.

Shiro swung, her small dagger growing as she did into a massive sword of blue light. It swept through the air weightlessly, its size belying its speed, before clashing against her target. The Glintsword was larger than her opponent had anticipated, its blade extending past the shield and cutting one of the Bishops in half. The blade shattered upon the shield, sending the Rook holding it stumbling with a curse.

Shiro merely thrust her hand forward again, Carian sigil once again shining as if she was holding an imaginary spear. This time, she focused on the spinning motion of the meteor, how it drilled through and pieced the heavens as another glowing armament appeared, the comically oversized rapier slamming point first into the defensive armament and stabbing straight through, impaling both the Devil behind it and the chanting bishop past him. The blade then shattered, to familiar results.

The King had finished his spell by that point, thrusting his own hands out as his two last pieces protected him with nervous looks on their faces. From the King's hands, a torrential wave of golden flame spread forth, streaming towards her as if alive. Shiro merely closed her eyes as the heat approached, her mind filling in the image of a star being obscured in an eclipse. How the light it emitted disappeared before reappearing on the other side.

She took a step into the oncoming inferno, shimmering blue motes of light surrounding her as she completely disappeared from view. The Devils watching were stunned and taken by complete surprise when in another shower of blue, she appeared before them, past the flame, palm facing the chest of the Knight. To his credit, he dodged the glowing spear of blue magic, but not well enough, as it still shredded half of his chest.

The Rook threw a devastating punch at her, which was ducked under as glowing red hand came up, Sagan Crest menacingly emblazoned on the palm that she slammed into his chest. A blast of red lightning surged through his body, lifting him off his feet and blasting him into the wall behind him with a sickening crack.

The King had drawn his Demon blade, and was attacking Shiro, his lips moving as he said something, but she had long since tuned out anything but the fight. She weaved backwards, dodging the single blade a lot easier than Kasane's swarm, as she refocused her mind on the motion of comets. Her hand threw the familiar spear of blue at the king, who, having seen it before, dodged it completely.

In her mind, Shiro crafted a series of curved shields, casting them as she continued to back away from the King. He tensed at the Sagan Crest's presence, but continued pressing the attack when no spell was incoming, trying the interrupt her concentration desperately. As he pulled his arm back for yet another thrust, he was rocked by the experience of the blue spear of magic from before slamming into his back and burrowing through his body.

Shiro had created a series of shield for it to bounce off of behind him, while at the same time leading him to step into the point that the Glintstone Comet was being redirected. Taking full advantage of his surprise, she swung her fist up, the Glintsword making its reappearance as she claimed the head of the King for her Brother, and with it, victory.

---XXX---

I sighed, the Shield I had erected fading as Serafall commentated the expected outcome of the Match.

"With the Genesis King retired, the Sagan Peerage wins the match!" To give her more credit than she deserves, you couldn't really tell whether she was happy or sad about the outcome, despite my certainty which one was the case.

The 5 Pawns that had spent the last eight minutes trying to get through my barrier slumped, defeated expressions appearing on their faces. Likely, their plan had been to promote to Queens and overwhelm me whilst the fifteen minute hold on my action persisted. Clever, but lacking flexibility.

The scene before me shimmered, before I was greeted by the sight of the lounge that had been given to me before the match, barely having time to process the shift before I was slammed into by a white-haired missile. I grinned, hand reaching up to stroke the soft hair of my littlest family member.

"Have fun Shiro?" I asked, looking down at the girl.

"Mmm." She murmured, "It was easy."

I nodded at that, not that she could see it with the way she was burrowing herself into me, while I replied, "Good. I'm glad there were no surprises."

She didn't say anything to that, causing me to shrug before kneeling down and earning a noise of protest from the girl as she was forced to release her grip before she happily took advantage of the new position to wrap her arms around my neck. I rose, carrying the little limpet with me as I made my way over to the sofa, sitting down with her in my lap as we waited out the half an hour break to the next match.

I idly traced patterns with my fingers on her small back, her warm body a comforting presence that I was always glad to feel. She, for her part, was content to snuggle me, taking full advantage of our lack of audience to see her acting so spoiled.

Our peaceful silence was interrupted by her speaking, her breath ghosting over the skin of my neck, "I… really like Astrology."

"Hmm? Is that so? Do you like it more than your Devil Magic?" I questioned, fingers still softly stroking the girl as she nodded, "I can speak to Ranni, get her to teach you more of it. I know I helped you with some of the sorceries I remembered, but she has a much deeper understanding."

"Thank you, Nii-san." She spoke, relaxing fully into my hold, completely content.

I hummed, happy to give her what she wanted. I had some suspicions about why she had latched onto Astrology like she had, all but completely stopping exploring Devil Magic in favour for it, but now wasn't the time to raise it. After this, the statement we would be making from this Rating Game, she could pursue it to her heart's content. Unfortunately, for now, She had to win the last game completely on her own merits, to completely put down any questions of her power being borrowed.

We had to appear untouchable, far beyond the reach of the majority of the beings on the planet from this. The truly strong would strike when they wished regardless, but this should at least dissuade the majority of threats from targeting her exclusively.

The sad reality is, Shiro really was the weakest link of my Peerage, due to her age rather than anything else. The capacity she had to cast spells was smaller than the rest of us, meaning that for any large scale damage she had to be clever about how she went about it. Thanks to Inexhaustible, she was able to use her entire reserve in every attack, but against the likes of Sirzechs or even Serafall, that wouldn't be enough.

It wasn't a poor reflection on her or her efforts, it was merely the fact that the rest of my family was made up of complete monsters. Expecting a young girl to match or surpass the likes of C.C. or Kasane was just absurd.

As I looked down at the happily snuggling form of my adopted sister, I once again reflected on what that meant. Even if Shiro was approached by one of those titans, she would not be alone for long. The rest of us would come to defend our littlest family member and anyone who wished harm upon her would pay most dearly.

Now it was just a matter of getting everyone else to hear that message.

Chapter 73: ...From Tic Tac Toe

...From Tic Tac Toe

The match started and the Sagans already made their move. The Bishop shot up into the air, clearing the dense foliage easily and quickly gaining altitude. Her height advantage would allow her to easily aim that Railgun attack of hers, something that Seekvaira could not allow. Thankfully, when they had discussed the strategy for this match, such a thing had been considered. Without even having to be ordered, Alivian burst into motion from her side, quickly closing in on the glowing form of the small girl.

The Agares Heiress narrowed her eyes, watching as the white haired Sagan easily dodged her loyal Queen's sword, responding immediately with a glowing blade of lightning. Seekvaira narrowed her eyes at the response, watching as the Sagan Bishop continued to glow, encircled by magic, yet no signs of that strange blue magic were at all present.

It was clear that her opponents had planned extensively for this demonstration of theirs. Such a thing was obvious, especially with the intricate rule set that they had placed upon it, but their preparation went deeper than that. For each of the possible layouts of the Rating Game Arena, they had clearly created a specific plan of action.

More than that, the level of preparation and training that Shiro herself had undergone shone through. Alivian was Queen Piece and one of the strongest combatants of his age group. The fact that a Bishop, even younger than he, was able to keep up and retaliate against him in close combat… it was as if the Sagan were training for war.

Still, she had to trust her plan. Perhaps the team she had put together could take down the girl, perhaps they couldn't but that was not her primary goal anyway. She left the aerial battle behind, making her way through the dense foliage Forest Terrain towards her own target. She had dissected the way the Sagan operated in the previous matches and thought through the rules that the challenge had been given.

She had come to the conclusion that there was a trap concealed within. With the little sister being the only one that was allowed to act offensively, it isolated her and tempted people to focus on overwhelming the Bishop. After all, she was only magically powerful, surely engaging her in close quarters combat with multiple opponents would be the easiest way of neutralizing her?

The issue is that this same focus allowed the Sagan to plan ahead. If people were going after the sister, the brother was freely able to assist whenever she became overwhelmed. In the first two matches, such a thing had not happened, but that was likely due to the Sagan's first plans working out with no need for improvisation. In fact, the underestimation of Shiro was what made those games so dominating and their opponents so predictable.

The fifteen minute time limit was meant to force even more focus on Shiro, creating a sense of urgency to eliminate her quickly. Said plan was logical, but put all the points of failure into a single area. If you were unable to defeat the Sagan Bishop, a harder prospect than it appeared before her recent performances, then it left you exposed.

No, the correct way to navigate the Sagan trap was to go for the head of the snake. After all, he may be strong in defensive magic, but without the capability to strike back, he would be easier to overwhelm. Thus, with Alivian, Remus, Etienne and Leanne focusing on keeping Shiro busy, Seekvaira led the rest of her Peerage for this match towards the Sagan's position. He hadn't bothered to try and hide his Demonic Power, standing exactly where he was when the match had started, arms crossed and relaxed.

She had similarly made no moves to hide herself, her own power declaring her approach with full transparency. After all, if he could not attack, then she had no need to fear him striking at her.

"Lord Sagan." She spoke, watching as he merely stared up at the conflict happening above.

"Agares." Was his reply, relaxed.

She waited, expecting more from him, but was disappointed.

She continued to attempt to tempt him into conversation, while focusing on the spell circle she was weaving in her mind, "I saw through your trick. Using the rules to focus attention was clever."

The words tasted of ashes in her mouth, but she knew how Devils thought, how their Pride functioned. After all, her own was driving her to act in this situation.

"Hmm." Damocles Sagan hummed, still seeming to completely ignore her, stinging her aforementioned Pride even further and causing her to grit her teeth, "One out of three is a rather poor showing. Just what is the underworld coming to?"

"Your disdain is dangerous, my Lord." Seekvaira spoke, the circle finishing forming, "Underestimating others can lead to embarrassment."

A gleaming, polished lance of earth shot from beneath her towards the white-haired Lord, who only sighed.

"Lock."

As if someone had pressed pause on a screen, her attack stilled in mid-air. Immediately, Seekvaira felt what the tomes said she would when faced with the Sagan power. It was if a solid wall had appeared in the flow of her Demonic power, preventing it from feeding her attack further. She knew, just from feeling the force that was pressing against her, that she could not merely overpower it by feeding more energy into the attack.

Thankfully that was not her plan.

A bolt of lightning shot out from behind the Sagan, emanating from Fiore, the other Bishop she had acquired for this match. The lord raised a shield, blocking the lightning from impacting him, arms still crossed. At that point, Seekvaira felt the telltale sensation of pawns promoting, causing her to grin.

"Alphonse, now!" She commanded, the rapier using Knight following her order and thrusting into a deep lunge down at the Sagan from his position in a tree above him.

At the same time, her pawns arrived, each with their own weapon or spell, stats boosted to the level of a Queen, surrounding and assaulting the Sagan from all angles. Said Devil simply took a step backwards, appearing from a newly revealed glowing stone a few feet behind him. He had prepared a teleportation spell ahead of time, leaving it away from him for just such a situation.

Seekvaira threw her arm out, the still active spell circle flaring as several more spikes of earth speared towards the Sagan, who spoke out once more.

"Lock."

The command did more than stop just her, as all her weapon wielding subordinates froze in place, struggling against the invisible force containing them. The spell users were still active, each of them attacking from a different direction attempting to pierce through his shields. Seekvaira narrowed her eyes, using the Power of Binding directly on them would be a violation of the rules, so unless the Sagan had just forfeited there must be a more esoteric application at play.

Alphonse was the first to figure it out, backpedalling to her side, "He Locked our ability to approach him. We can move in any direction except directly towards him."

"I see." She replied, "I will break the Lock, be ready to attack when that happens."

The Italian Fencing Master nodded solemnly towards her in response. The Sagan was still watching the battle up above, his adopted sister still glowing brilliantly as she fought against the four that Seekvaira had sent against her. She furrowed her brow at the sight, why was the girl wasting energy like that? She had to have some sort of plan that the glow was a part of, but the Agares Heiress didn't know what it could possibly be.

Regardless, she trusted that Alivian could handle it, whatever the scheme was. She had her own issue to deal with.

Raising her voice, she directed her spell users, "Fire!"

Their commands already described before the match even began, they reacted instantly, a great conflagration converging upon the Sagan, the temperature of the area around him spiking intensely. At the same time, Seekvaira focused inwards, applying her own Family magic upon the Lock she could feel grinding against her spells.

Imagining a digital clock face, the numbers rapidly ticking forward in time, she accelerated the relative time the Lock was under. Meaning that rather than fighting against it with her own Demonic Power, she massively increased the cost the Sagan had to pay to keep it active, many times over.

By the time she could feel it having an effect, the Sagan had already responded to the fire, a dark purple orb pulsing above him, sucking in the flames with every undulation of power. The fire swirled around the orb, resembling a black hole as it cleared away the obstruction, just in time for his Lock to break and her Earthen Spears to shoot forward once more.

Her Pawns and Knight acted as well, descending on him, only to be stymied as thick walls of ice rose from the ground to block their way. They could break through, but doing so cost them speed. As for her attack, the Sagan slapped the air in front of him, uncrossing his arms. As his hand passed in front of the tips of the spikes, her senses screamed at her. A distortion of some sort rippled from his fingers, that she could feel was linked to time somehow, and her spikes were slammed off course, violently impacting the ground in front of the young Lord.

The pillars of earth looked comical, extending from the ground in graceful curving arcs, only to be violently shunted off course at the end of their journey, forced into sharp right angles.

Alphonse struck at the moment, rapier aimed at the small of the Sagan's back. Slipping in just as an ice wall broke, his body glowing with his signature Bodily Reinforcing magic, but the Sagan deflected the tip with a gleaming, dangerous feeling sword that he was not holding a moment ago.

He wasn't looking at the swordsman, though. He was staring directly at her, looking her way for the first time in the fight. She could feel her lips curving into a fanged grin at the long overdue acknowledgement.

"Heiress Agares." He spoke, tilting his head to the side to avoid a curving bolt of lightning, twirling into the movement to dodge a dagger wielding Pawn, "I can't help but feel that this is personal somehow."

"I can't imagine why that would be, Lord Sagan." She responded, Orbs of Demonic Energy forming with a flick of her wrist that she weaved in between her attacking pieces to make dodging harder on him, "Making a mockery of my Debut Rating Game is surely nothing I would be upset about."

Of course, she was aware that this more than made up for it. The man in front of her had annihilated two high ranking Peerages before this match, making them appear as if they were amateurs. The fact she was pushing him so hard, even if she was a bit annoyed by how easily he was avoiding actually taking damage, meant that she was gaining significant prestige from her actions here.

She took in a deep breath centring herself and dissecting the Sagan's actions for any possible weakness. The air tasted strange somehow, a long forgotten part of her memory being stimulated by the sensation. Still she put it to the back of her mind for now, focused on the fight before her..

"I see." He responded, slapping an axe with the flat of his blade into the ground and causing another assailant to almost trip over the weapon, "I forgot how much importance that Devils place on childish Games nowadays. If it helps, Heiress, you are not in any way special. I make a mockery of everyone equally."

"It doesn't." She deadpanned, flexing her Power and slowing his perception of time, only to be instantly rebuffed by him flexing his own strength as he took to the air, avoiding a runic trap that had been laid in his path by her Bishop.

The flight as a whole became airborne, Devils twirling through the air as the group harried the Sagan Lord, who once more cast the orb like void above him, spells being drawn into it automatically to make their attempts to poke at him from range harder. She focused her Family Power once more, accelerating the time of the Spell and causing it to dissipate quickly, once more attempting to tag the Sagan with her arrow-like spells.

The fight paused however, as she heard an impossible statement from the commentator, the Satan Leviathan, "The Agares Queen has been retired!"

---XXX---

Remus frowned as he leant back, the glowing blade of light singing the fur on his chest as it passed over it. He had assumed his secondary job here would be the hard one to accomplish, not the cover story. At first, when his King had informed him of the opportunity to complete two jobs in one, he had been happy. After all, a little espionage and sabotage was expected in their circles, not even trying anything shady would just be downright disrespectful.

However, now that he was face to face with this scary little girl, he found himself wondering if he might not have been caught up in something a bit above his pay grade. He had been told to analyse the fighting style of the Littlest Sagan, see if there were some hints of insights he could glean from facing her and compile it all into a report to give to the client.

Easy enough, or so he thought. Beat up a kid in a Rating Game then tell some bigwig how it went? Simple stuff. Not so much in reality. No, in the present moment, all he was thinking was that he was very, very worried about what the Sagan was up to. The white haired girl raised a shield, blocking a bolt of light from the Fallen Angel Bishop, Leanne failing to harm her as Remus capitalized and attempted to swing his claws at the glowing child, only to curse and fly backwards as she grasped at the limb with sparking fingers.

The kid did not fight as if she had been trained for Rating Games. Those devils had all sorts of tics, things that showed they were only expecting to participate in play fights. They let inconsequential shit hit them, tanking small amounts of damage to focus on making their performances as flashy as possible.

Shiro Sagan had not let any of them hit her once.

She was trained for real battles. Not only that, she was trained for battles where she was hopelessly outmatched. Every single one of them was stronger and faster than her, yet she was still handling all of them. That could be partly attributed to their shit teamwork, but it spoke to another, more sinister conclusion.

This girl had been prepared for War.

He flew back into the fight, watching as Etienne struck madly at the girl with his great sword, laughing with delight as she methodically dodged and blew small chunks out of the mercenary. Remus took a deep sniff of the air, his enhanced sense of smell confirming what he had suspected throughout the fight but hadn't had time to focus on. She was doing something to the area, the air around them changed somehow, that was why she hadn't stopped glowing for a moment.

Flying next to Alivian, he decided to inform his temporary commander of the development, the Queen having been watching carefully as he formulated a plan, "She's fucking with the air somehow. It smells like just after a lightning bolt has struck."

"I know." Came the response from the bespectacled man, "I'm trying to figure out why. It's enhancing the effect of her lightning Magic, but it's not a large enough boost to be the whole point."

To illustrate his point, the Sagan Bishop had swerved away from Etienne's chop and blasted a brilliant red bolt at Leanne, who used a simple shield to deflect it before cursing and dodging as her shield shattered from the blow. Remus squinted, his senses picking up something odd from that sequence. Did the Sagan's reserves just…?

Shaking the crazy thought out of his head, he turned to Alivian, "So, glorious leader, have you got a plan?"

"Yes." He nodded, touching his throat and activating his message spell, "Leanne, blast her with a sustained burst of your Light. We will keep her pinned down she is forced to block, then when her reserves are drained I should be able to end this."

Remus tilted his head at that. Sure, it was a good plan, but weren't they just supposed to stall? Sure, taking out the little shit had proven harder than he thought, but they were never meant to succeed quickly anyway. The Boss Lady wanted to claim the glory by taking the Sagan's head for herself, something this plan would deny her.

Still, a win is a win, he supposed.

"Got it. I'll enjoy unleashing on the brat." Leanne replied.

Etienne only grunted, having too much fun keeping the girl occupied to reply verbally, but Remus supposed with regeneration powers as strong as his there were worse things to be enamoured with. Still, he knew La Hire was a battle maniac, the rumours did him justice.

"Etienne, we will be joining you now." Alivian warned, his sword gleaming as he flew into the melee.

Remus followed, not actually attacking, instead focusing on cutting off the Sagan's flight paths and forcing her to remain stationary while also making sure to not get in Leanne's way. Shiro seemed to realise what they were doing and did her damnedest to prevent them from hemming her in, but it was only a matter of time until they succeeded.

Such success was signified by a brilliant blast of white light, the Bishop shielding just in time to block it from hitting her. The beam sustained itself, grinding against the defence until it faded away. Without even waiting for the light to completely vanish, Alivian swooped in, striking at the Sagan Bishop, whose reserves of Demonic Power had emptied out just as he predicted. At the same time, Remus felt the same thing he did before, crying out a warning.

"Alivian, wait, she's-!" He was too late.

In an instant, the Sagan who had been running on empty was full again, almost bursting with magic. She whirled to meet the surprised Queen, hand encircling his wrist as his sword thrust past her. In a brilliant red flash, the Queen was reduced to ash, powdered remains floating to the forest floor as she once again emptied her reserves, this time into a concentrated burst of electricity.

Remus was stunned. How did she do that? He trusted his senses, he knew for a fact that she was on empty twice there. He felt it, sure as anything. Was she hiding her true reserves? No, he hadn't felt a flicker of such from her. There was no way she would be able to keep it up through everything. Some sort of artefact or Sacred Gear? He didn't know, but whatever it was it made their plan doomed to fail. If she could use her entire reserves in every single attack…

"Retreat." He ordered, flying towards his nominal employer to inform her of the development.

There was no way they could overwhelm the Bishop with the forces they had been given for the task with this new information, the fight was lopsided from the start, just in the opposite direction it had seemed.

Leanne followed after him immediately, pale and shaking from expending the amount she did. Her fluttering black wings shook with the effort, but her skill at flying ensured she kept up. Etienne, on the other hand…

"I do not know the meaning of the word!" He declared proudly, charging the small girl before being blown back, his head reduced to mist from the red flash of her Railgun move, finally having the space needed to deploy it.

Alone in the skies above the Forest for now, she glowed brighter and brighter, the shining ominous red light casting a hue over the battlefield like a second sun. As she did so, she enclosed her hand around the gem of the necklace she wore, the motion being caught from the corner of his eyes.

He was met halfway to his destination by a visibly disturbed Seekvaira, who informed them immediately what happened, "She must have had a teleportation spell on her, Damocles disappeared after Alivian retired. What happened?"

"Some form of artefact of other enchantment." Remus informed her, "She can use her entire reserves in one go and refill them instantly."

"What could do such a thing… No, more important than that, do you know what she's doing to the air?" She queried as he turned around, falling in beside her as she flew up towards the glowing figure.

"No, we couldn't figure it out. It reminds me of the smell after a lightning strike, though." He informed her, watching as her brows furrowed.

"After a lightning strike? Ozone? It smells of ozone, ozone in the air… Ionisation?!" Her eyes widened, "Stop! Shield, quickly! If you can summon argon, do it now! We need insulation!"

The two bishops of the Peerage looked at each other in confusion, "Argon? Why would-"

A crackle sounded out, arcing red bolts of lightning emanating from the Sagan bishop as the air around her ignited. Reaction spread quickly, soon consuming Remus' entire view in a sea of arcing red lights that reached him in an instant.

The world turned RED.

---XXX---

He tapped his remote, closing the video player as he leaned back in his chair, steepling his hands as he looked over the linked digits towards the mercenary in his office.

"The explosion destroyed the arena. An entire biome, glassed from the impact, with even the wards partially damaged. The Sagan were fine of course, insulated from the effects somehow, but the rest of the dimension was not so lucky." He informed the Rook, who shrugged.

"All I know is it wiped us in an instant. I doubt even if we managed to follow the Missy's orders it would have helped much." He replied.

Ajuka nodded, humming as he did so, "Indeed. A plasma explosion like the one she triggered gains energy as it travels through the ionised air, so it's unlikely the shields would have held."

"How big was the forest?" Remus inquired.

"About seven hectares." He responded absently to the question, thinking through the problem he had just been presented with.

Remus sucked in some air, "And if it gains strength as it travels…"

"Yes, little Shiro just performed a feat that would put her squarely at High Class. With what she displayed, destroying a city is not out of the question for her." The Satan agreed, "Now, this behaviour of her Demonic Power reserves, I need to ask you to please be as accurate as possible. Are you absolutely certain they refilled instantly from nothing?"

"Multiple times." Remus confirmed, causing the green haired scientist to sigh, "She used multiple times her max throughout the match. I am certain if it was merely an effect hiding her true reserves I would have noticed."

"I see." He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, "This complicates matters severely. On top of your other insights, this is most concerning."

"...If I may?" Remus hesitantly asked, getting a nod from the Satan, "Is there a Sacred Gear or artefact capable of performing such a feat? I have never heard of one."

"Not instantly, no. The only thing capable of doing such a thing at that speed… I cannot tell you. It is a matter of national security." Ajuka spoke, getting a solemn nod from the werewolf.

"Got it, above my pay grade. Was just curious. Do you have any other questions?" He inquired.

"No, but a request if I may. Please keep your insights to yourself for now. Word that the Sagan is drilling his peerage to levels of that expected in wartime might inflame tensions, both internally and externally." Ajuka smiled genially as he spoke, "Of course, I understand just how valuable such information is. Just as I understand exactly the number of people that have access to it."

"Got it, keep my mouth shut. You don't have to tell me. I don't want to get involved anyway. If that's the weakest member of the Sagan peerage, the rest of them must be absolute monsters." The Rook chuckled, but Ajuka didn't join him.

After he had dismissed the informant and sat back down, the Satan thought that the mercenary was mistaken. The true monster in the Sagan's corner was not in his peerage, but what was behind them. Disregarding the new mysterious Goddess that had provided him her full backing, Remus had revealed there was another entity that was supporting him.

Infinitely refilling power without apparent limit?

There was only one being who could provide such a thing. But that of course begged the question, what exactly did Damocles Sagan have to offer the Infinite Dragon of the Void to get it to agree to bestow upon him such a boon?

Whatever it was, it made one thing clear. Whether they acted or not, the Sagan would only grow ever more powerful and influential. It was past time they decided what to do about it.

Chapter 74: Correspondence​

Correspondence​

The only sound that was heard in the quiet of my study was the soft exhale of a young girl's breathing and the scratching of a pen. Soon after we had arrived home, Shiro had been out like a light. Inexhaustible was a bit of a misnomer for how it actually functioned, as mental and physical fatigue could still build. It merely allowed you to continue going, having a never ending supply of energy. Overexerting your muscles still hurt. Casting several complicated spells in quick succession was still mentally taxing.

She had been sitting with me, perched on my lap and feasting like a glutton on the treats I had baked her for her victory. Already several articles were appearing in the Underworld's publications, all talking about how 'the Little Sagan' was a High Class combatant. In truth, without the cascading effect ionisation had on plasma, Shiro would be hard pressed to cause the level of devastation that marked out the members of the classification.

Still, perception was more useful than the actual reality in this matter, the message I was intending to send having been fully crafted, thanks to her hard work. It was common knowledge, to all in the underworld, that Shiro was the weakest member of my peerage, due to her age if nothing else. However, if even she could destroy the better part of a city?

We might not be numerous, but if all of us were capable of such, then it meant that attacking us was inviting a pyrrhic victory at best. I didn't expect it to dissuade all future attacks on myself and my allies, of course, but so long as it reduced the quantity of people willing to attempt such a thing it was useful. The fewer actual threats I faced, the easier it would be to plan against them.

I turned back to my work, the reason I had laid down Shiro on the couch rather than let her sleep on top of me. She deserved her rest, to not be woken up by the motions the paperwork was making me perform. Speaking of, I had mostly finished with the drudgery, the boring yet vital reports about the functioning of my burgeoning trade empire.

The exclusive sale of Yokai and other mystical Japanese goods was an amazing crowbar with which to pry my way into the market, but it was enough to sustain my greater plans. I needed to be unassailable, both militarily and economically, should I wish to eventually rule the Underworld. The STC was reaching the position where it could sustain an expansion of its endeavours, many of which would have to be focused inwardly, at least in part.

Which meant re-evaluating the Sagan Neutrality. Phenex's Secret, the lingerie and luxury dress line that Riser operated was a good start, but it was in the grand scheme of things small potatoes. I would have to carefully assess and decide which families to approach, who would be worth the effort to carve away from their current masters.

Normally, my open disdain and disgust for the lot of them would pose an obstacle, but there was one thing that could allow any devil to let bygones be bygones:

Profit.

Why else would several of the houses that were absolutely gutted by the New Satans be their staunchest allies?

And they wondered why I scorned the lot of them, opportunistic leeches all. Still, such disgusting fickleness would soon come in useful.

I resolved to give the matter more thought in depth later, preferably once Shiro awoke and CC in attendance. Between us, we should be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. For now, the more interesting documents on my desk called to me. Correspondence, from allies and enemies both. This was the pile where the invitations to all the various balls and thinly veiled assassination attempts landed, before inevitably being burned after I had addressed them.

Just because I refused to answer them, didn't mean that knowing who was attempting to reach me was not useful. Sometimes, it was even intriguing, such as this particular pile.

A formal invitation to Kyoto from Yasaka.

A request for a meeting from the Archangel Gabriel.

Finally, most surprising of all, a request to meet at my Manor by the Heiress of the Agares Clan.

Choosing the latter to address first, curiosity being my main reason, I opened the letter and read through the words on the page.

"Lord Sagan,

Despite your victory in the Rating Game, there is something that I believe we could discuss between ourselves, to our mutual benefit. I would hope…"

The rest was typical courtly vague nonsense, dancing around the topic she wished to discuss with me precisely. How interesting.

The letter itself was the most intriguing part of the situation, the words it contained almost immaterial. To have been delivered to me so quickly, it would have to have been sent in advance, far before the Game that had just occurred. Meaning, that Seekvaira had known that I would win. She didn't strike me as someone who was throwing the Game, she truly put her all into defeating both Shiro and me both.

To no avail, but the outcome was not something she had appeared ready to accept at any point. Even before the plasma explosion that Shiro ended the match with, she had attempted her best to counter. She fought her hardest, despite the proof resting in my hands that she was perfectly aware of how doomed she was from the start.

I admit I was impressed. Signing my acknowledgement to her invitation, I dropped it into the tray to be posted later, before moving onto the rest.

Deciding to attend to my ally first, I opened the letter from Yasaka. Apparently, there were several very important people in the Japanese mythical scene who wished to speak to me personally. Reading between the lines, my being a Devil and openly working with her was apparently a decision that some disputed, thus they wished for me to present myself to take my measure personally.

I was not at all adverse to this, as rather than an obstacle, I smelled opportunity. The Shinto were stirring, rising from their long slumber. The modern outside world was completely unknown to them, meaning that if I could impress here, I would be one of their very first allies outside of their island.

As the head of a Trade company, such a thing was very appealing indeed. More than that, if I could lease land from them to be used as territory for Devils, it would smooth my creation of my own faction immensely.

I resolved to visit Yasaka soon, to give my response in person.

That only left one.

Taking the faintly glowing parchment in hand, I opened it, skin tingling from mere contact with the material. It was then that I stared in complete bemusement.

The previous two letters were flowery and discreet, couched in half-truths in order to obscure what their real intent was. This one, however?

Totally honest. To a fault, almost.

"Damocles,

It is my sincere wish that you would be able to host us again on short notice. Word has reached my ears of the altercation you had with Loki, I was most gladdened to hear that you were victorious in defending your family from his unjust attack.

Unfortunately, though it is not at all any fault of yours, such action has shattered the fragile balance that had been kept internally by the Norse. They have begun Ragnarök, a horrific war which will soon engulf the entirety of Northern Europe, right upon Heaven's doorstep.

While I understand that you are under no obligation to get involved, I wish to speak to you in person in order to impress upon you the utmost seriousness of this situation. Like all living beings, you are free to act as you wish, but should you be able to find it in your heart to hear my plea, please open the doors of your home to me once again, on the morrow.

I thank you for your consideration, regardless of the outcome.

In His Name,
Gabriel"

I blinked.

I was a Devil, a creature of Hell. How in the seven pits were the words of an Angel of all things making me feel guilty?

I haven't even done anything yet!

I leaned back, and sighed, only to start as two pleasantly cool arms snaked their way to rest on my chest.

"What troubles thee, Consort? Thy victory was total, was it not?" Ranni spoke, chin gently resting upon my shoulder, reading the letter I still held within my hands.

I had tilted it to give her a better view, smiling ruefully as I answered, "Nothing, just Fate endeavouring to drag me into something I was determined to avoid."

"I see. Tis unfortunate, to be sure, but it is mine belief that Fate smiles upon us regardless, Consort." She hummed, the sound relaxing me, "We are reunited, after all. Perhaps this too, shall lead to an advantage for us."

"It very well could." I conceded, "I just don't want to have to deal with it."

She laughed softly at my petulance, careful of the still sleeping Shiro, "Ah, that is another matter entirely, one I can understand wholly. Thou art fresh off of a victory, after all and yet to claim thy prize."

Her grip tightened as she trailed off suggestively, causing me to raise my eyebrow, "Oh, I was not aware that there was a prize for me to claim."

"Great warriors are always granted the fruits of victory, whether they know it or not. Why don't thee folly me and discover for thy-" Her sultry proposition was stalled as the door to the Study slowly opened, revealing the unhappy face of Naomi.

"Damocles, sorry to disturb you. Runeas has arrived, she's waiting in the guest lounge." My Head Maid informed me.

I tilted my head in confusion, hair rubbing against Ranni as I did, "Why didn't you bring her straight to me? She showed up unannounced, but that shouldn't change the protocol."

"She has a guest. One who is most certainly not welcome." Was the acidic reply.

Ranni glanced between us, before she released me, parting slowly, "Alas, it appears one more obstacle has waylaid thy path. Be quick, Consort, for the wait can only make the fruit so sweet before it spoils."

I clenched my hand into a fist, taking in a deep breath, "Oh, trust me, I will make this as quick as I can."

---XXX---

"Runeas." The voice of Lord Sagan was flat and as dry as a desert, "We were not expecting your arrival, let alone with a guest."

"Life is more fun when it has surprises!" She quipped back, outwardly grinning while she paid close attention to the young lord.

His performance today had been nothing short of masterful. The Rating Game demonstration was very clearly meant to showcase his power through his little sister, but the way in which it was done was rather emphatic. Long range, close quarters, wide area. For all intents and purposes, it appeared that the weakest member of the Sagan Peerage had no weaknesses. Of course, the lacking quality of her victims blunted the effect somewhat, but for those who could not take on armies by themselves it was still a rather chilling thing to watch.

"Hmm." The Sagan did not rise to her bait, merely turning his cold blue eyes to her companion, "Greetings Lady Gremory. I hope your business here today is swift and efficient."

Ouch. It appears that he was not pleased at all with her presence here. Oh well, she did try and warn the headstrong girl.

"Thank you Lord Sagan." The brunette smiled, not at all bothered, "But I am afraid that I am not here today as Lady Gremory, but rather as Venelana née Bael."

A single white eyebrow was raised in response, "Indeed? Has he decided to send a messenger with his invitation this time?"

"Not at all." Venelana responded, reaching into her impressive cleavage to pull out a perfectly unrumpled envelope, "I am here to deliver his request for a meeting, under the terms you so publicly laid out."

"Interesting." Lord Sagan drawled, taking the letter and placing it to one side on a tea table as he sat down, crossing his legs and locking his fingers as he stared down the Gremory matriarch, "I highly doubt that is the only thing that required your presence here."

Venelana looked taken aback, not expecting him to dismiss a letter from her grandfather so easily, "Are you not curious as to the contents of the envelope?"

"No." He spoke, voice steady, "Whatever the letter says, I will take it into consideration and render my response in due time."

Her amethyst eyes narrowed, "It was penned by Zekram's hand, personally. A rare occasion."

"And?" Lord Sagan tilted his head, feigning curiosity.

Venelana took in a breath, hand that was holding Runeas' clenching, "I understand how tempting it is to forge your own path, but being needlessly antagonistic is just going to end with you standing alone."

Runeas sighed, knowing beforehand that this was going to end poorly.

"We live in a very fortunate world, Venelana née Bael." Damocles spoke, "One where it is possible for a being to become so strong that no matter how much is mustered against them, the lone one can survive, even thrive. Regardless, I thank you for the advice. I would prefer to take my time with this matter, I'm sure you understand. I have learned the hard way that rushing into contracts and agreements can be very detrimental."

The older woman flinched at the reminder.

The Lord Sagan continued, "Now, unless you require an answer immediately, I believe that concludes your business at Sagan Manor. Naomi is outside, she will make sure you reach the entrance safely."

"There is one more matter, a personal one." Venelana refused the dismissal, squaring her shoulders, "I will get straight to the point. As I am sure you are aware, Rias and Sona are best friends. Rias' closeness with you has been a bit of a matter of contention, considering your actions towards her friend. Sona is not Serafall, punishing her for the actions of her sister is not just."

Damocles had no reaction to the accusation, merely staring at Venelana levelly. His face was blank, eyes icy, letting the silence drag on uncomfortably long, before he finally replied.

"At the beginning of this meeting, you stated that you are here as Venelana née Bael. This sounds very much like something that Lady Gremory should be bringing to my attention. Should she wish to contact me, she is free to do so. Please have a pleasant rest of your evening." He trapped her within her own framing, before turning his attention to Runeas, "I have something to discuss with Runeas here."

Looking like she sucked a lemon, Venelana stood, speaking as she did so, "Very well. I will not overstay my welcome. Please give thought to my words."

"I will." Was the simple reply she received.

"I'll see you when I get home, Venny!" Runeas waved her off, big grin on her face.

Really now, the silly child should have known better. Damocles was nothing but spite and barbs. Trying to lecture him was doomed to failure. Motherhood had dulled her edge.

"Funny thing." He spoke to the now emptier room after she had left, "I don't remember the conversation where I gave you permission to unilaterally invite people into my mansion."

"Come now." She chided, bouncing in her seat, noting that his eyes never once strayed to her jiggling, braless chest, "What's the point of us being friends if we can't trust each other with such things?"

"We are not friends." He denied immediately, just like she knew he would, "Rias and I are friends. You are merely useful. Be careful that you don't become more annoying than that fact allows."

"So cold, Damocles-kun!" She whined, but quickly got to the point, it seemed he was not in a joking mood, "But that brings me to my own business."

"Oh?" The word was more resigned than curious.

"Shiro-chan was so adorable, but seeing her perform like she did made me think." She put a finger on her chin, pouting as she looked up at the ceiling, "Ria-tan would not be able to beat her. Even if it was just her against the entire Peerage, Shiro-chan would easily win..."

She trailed off, trusting him to join the dots on what she was getting at. When you got down to it, the only question she had when watching the Rating game was simple.

Was he holding back on them?

His blue eyes bored into her, completely and utterly unimpressed, "Do you know how Shiro spends most of the day?"
"No, why would I?" She asked, leading him on.

"She trains. I am busy with my own training and paperwork most of the time, so my Peerage has a lot of free time to do what they wish with. Shiro trains with Kasane. She trains with C.C. She trains with Selene. Most of all, she studies with Ranni. Every day, she is either studying or sparring, without end." He revealed, causing her to shift uncomfortably.

"Sounds boring, a cute little girl should have more in her life than just work." She tried to inject some levity back into the conversation, to no effect.

"We are not in a position where frivolity can be excused for long." Was the flat assessment, "Regardless, how my family operates is not the point. The point is this: How much does Rias train on her own outside of our sessions? I promised her I would give her the tools to become the Rating Game Champion, it is up her to use them. Her laziness is not my problem."

"So harsh, Damocles-kun. I thought she was your friend?" She spoke, getting a grim nod from the far too serious kid.

"She is. That is why I am honest with her. I have told her to train on her own numerous times, her lack of doing so is no fault of mine. If the result is unsatisfactory to you, take it up with her." He emphasized.

She would definitely do so, seeing the power that her descendant was letting go unclaimed.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing she wanted to see him for. It was time to subtly inquire about the ticking time bomb in the room.

"I'll be sure to do so, Damocles-kun. Thank you for telling me all that." She grinned at him, to which he merely narrowed his eyes, expression as stony as ever, "Kufufu, you shouldn't be so serious. You'll get wrinkles!"

"I'll manage." Was his reply.

"I'm sure." She then moved to the big topic, "I heard about Loki."

Her voice was serious, completely devoid of the teasing that had tinted it the entire conversation, something that caused his gaze to sharpen, "Oh?"

"Are you going to be involved in Ragnarök? Such a bonfire could kick sparks everywhere." She decided to be straightforward with him, judging it the best way to get the answers she needed.

"I don't have plans to do so currently." He answered her, causing her to let out a relieved sigh.

It seems her secret would be able to cook slightly longer then. If he wade into a divine battlefield, it was a matter of when, not if, his bloodline would awaken. Hearing that was not the case, bought her a lot of time.

"That's good, young people like us should stay out of things like that!" She nodded, wisely, crossing her arms as she straightened up importantly.

"My youth has nothing to do with the decision." He spoke, "It seemed like a mess I have no interest in cleaning up."

"Oh, don't be like that Damocles-kun!" She squealed, throwing herself at him in a hug that he dodged absently, causing her to crash into the sofa he had just been sitting on, "You'll never get a cute wife if you act so serious and boring all the time!"

"I'm engaged." He spoke, causing her to scoff.

"Like that's stopped any of us before!" She tried to hug him again, initiating a chase across the lounge.

She laughed, enjoying the teasing and the chase. Damocles was always interesting to figure out.

You can learn a lot about people by seeing what they do, but you could learn even more by paying attention to what they tolerate.

Chapter 75: Floating Concerns​

Floating Concerns​

"I see." The voice was calm measured, the man from which it emanated giving away nothing with his body, "What happened then?"

The brunette resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, her grandfather was much too fond of his theatrics and intrigue. Usually it was amusing, but when it started to involve her it rapidly became less funny.

"I advised him to open up to Sona, pointing out his friendship with Rias makes his continued hostility with her awkward to continue." She answered, "He pointed out that was something Lady Gremory would be interested in, not a Bael, then told me to leave his Manor."

That drew out a bark of laughter from the older devil, causing her to clench her teeth, "Hah! Clever of him."

"Did you glean anything useful out of this charade? I had planned to keep uninvolved in the matter, seeing that Runeas and Rias were having greater success with the Sagan than any of us had. Now that plan is endangered due to treating me as a patsy." She groused, to which her progenitor nodded.

"Indeed, it was wise of you. I ordered you to antagonise the Sagan, to gauge what his response to such would be in an area he felt comfortable. That he stayed mostly polite and merely told you to leave reveals much." He grinned at the look on her face, "Come now, such tactics should be familiar to you by now. Runeas is most fond of them, after all."

"It's just as annoying when she does it, believe me." She bit out, "Was it worth it?"

"More than you can know. He revealed much in his words to you, even if they do not differ overtly from his public stance. That he kept to them, even in the presence of Runeas, within the walls of his fortress… It gave me many more pieces of the puzzle." Zekram leant back, staring up at the ceiling of his office, "Tell me, Venelana, what is it you need before you can negotiate with someone?"

She furrowed her brows, recalling the lesson from her youth, "Something to offer and knowledge of what they want."

"Yes." He sighed, swirling the liquor in his glass, "For most of the vultures that surround us, it is sufficient that they have our favour. That we keep them safe, at least from ourselves. Offering that has been greatly useful, these long years. It provides a stable base from which we can grow all sorts of other agreements, each one making that foundation stronger and stronger for the next. Tell me, Vene, why do you think I have not approached the Sagan before now?"

"You don't know what he wants, what you can offer him." She answered, having come to the conclusion about a year ago, "Fear and coercion are enough to bring one to the bargaining table, but a stable relationship is one built on mutual benefit."

"Indeed." He smiled, glad that at least one of his descendants remembered his lessons, "I sat back and observed, watching him make his public speeches, mock the entirety of our government, spit on all the hands offered to him. With this latest piece, the puzzle is complete. I know what Damocles Sagan wants."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, interested despite herself, "I must admit I am still in the dark."

"It's because it's brazen, his desire. Completely unreasonable. He has stated it openly, only for the possibility to be discounted." He leaned forwards, "What Damocles Sagan most desires, is time. He is truly possessed of the belief that given enough of it, he will grow strong enough to rule the Underworld unopposed."

"That's…" She trailed off, eyes wide.

"Insane? Is it truly? Think about it, my descendant. The Goddess Ranni is a complete unknown. Her power enough to cause a ripple felt across the world, but was that its summit, or merely a glimpse? Even disregarding his patrons, his 'Family' that he has gathered to his side is full of talents. Your daughter is one of the strongest Devils under twenty, should her entire peerage face against Shiro alone, who would emerge victorious?" At the question, the Lady Gremory frowned, not wishing to state the answer.

"It's true that he has grown immensely in a short time, but to think he could equal Sirzechs and Ajuka-" Her musings were cut off by a deep rumbling laugh, Zekram's amusement plain on his face.

"Even still, knowing as much as you do, you underestimate him. It's no wonder he has managed to get away with all that he has so far." He raised a hand, before raising the other above it, "He doesn't wish to equal your son, foolish granddaughter. He aims to surpass him utterly. To able to crush Sirzechs and his friends so completely that any attempt to oppose him will seem laughable."

Shock filled her. Sirzechs was a freak of nature, she could freely admit even as his mother. His strength was so absurd, so completely unprecedented, that had he declared himself the Ruler of Hell after he had demonstrated it in the Civil War, none would have argued. The only one to even approach him was Ajuka, his friend. To be confronted with that, and think that you could grow to not only match the impossible, but eclipse it? It was pure hubris.

"Arrogance. To look at the peak of our race, the strongest we have ever produced and believe that you could grow an order of magnitude even beyond that?" Zekram laughed again, eyes full of amusement at her expression, "It takes a special kind of Pride at that. An arrogance, a drive, a motivating factor that has been absent from our kind for far too long. It reminds me of someone else, long ago, who commanded his very creator to kneel before him and was affronted when he was refused."

Venelana felt a chill travel down her spine, she knew who Zekram spoke of, of course, but to make the connection in this conversation? Did he know? She had been sworn to secrecy about the possibility, but if Zekram had sniffed it out regardless…

"He trades with the Yokai, correct? They have an amusing saying, the Japanese. You have three masks, the one you show to the public, the one you show only to your close friends and the one you never show anyone. You asked me, my descendant, was your humiliation worth it?" He leaned forwards, his shadow stretching long, "It was. I have seen the third mask, the true face of the descendant of Lucifer. Thank you for assisting me to do so."

She should be glad. Her grandfather had pushed the Bael position stubbornly, but he had also always been most concerned with the survival of the Devils as a whole. So the more information he had to work with, the better, right? For centuries, he had shepherded their race from the shadows, to great effect.

Then why, did she feel a sensation of dread settling in her gut at his smile?

---XXX---

Runeas was exhausting to deal with, I mused to myself as I walked the halls of my home. She was very close to Rias, which meant that she was somewhat important to me, but that was rapidly becoming less true by the day. My plan for Rias was the key starting the conflict to overturn the current rulers of the Underworld, but with both Ophis and Ranni at my side such intricate plays were less essential.

I will stick to my chosen course for now, as this way of going about things still allowed the greatest chance for success, but I made mental note to not fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy. Simply because Rias was my best shield against Sirzechs when I befriended her did not mean that would always remain the case. If I could figure out this seal on my soul, with the empowerment given by Ranni, many paths that were unattainable would be opened to me.

It all came back to that annoyance, something that had been a thorn in my side for far too long, for all that I had only recently become aware of it. Efforts to unravel its mysteries were annoyingly remaining fruitless, but I would not give up. The more avenues I had available, the more likely I would be to succeed.

For now, I was content. My plan had gone flawlessly for the Rating Game demonstration by Shiro, the message had been quite thoroughly delivered. There were no further demands on my time that I was aware of, my next engagement being this promised meeting by Gabriel tomorrow. I had no idea what possessed her to try and get me involved in Ragnarök, but such questions would not be answered today.

I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath as I relaxed my shoulders and sent my awareness outwards, attempting to see what my Peerage was up to. I could feel two elevated magic sources on the training grounds, which I soon identified as Kasane and Melina. They had grown close after Melina had taken up Kasane's shift in protecting my properties, although I doubt she would call the younger girl her friend. She was still closed off, although her walls had lowered ever so slightly.

Selene was in the library, seeming to be spending time studying with Shiro, who had awoken from her post victory nap. Naomi was busying herself in the kitchen, her very magic radiating a feeling of focus and contentment. Tiamat was like a lighthouse, out on the grounds, lazing as she usually did. Her being prickled at my observation, before an amused wave of energy washed over my senses.

Valerie remained in her room, based on the time of the afternoon likely she was asleep. The Dhampir still had a nocturnal sleep schedule, despite the majority of the other inhabitants of the Manor not sharing such habits. That was fine, she was more than welcome to adjust at her own pace. Idly, I remembered how she had asked to join my Peerage fully. I made a note to respond to that soon.

Searching further, I brushed across the cool, calming presence of Ranni's enchantment in the basement. Ophis, the Infinite, was ensconced within, content as always. I don't know how she never got bored, the fog turning the whole room into a featureless, seemingly infinite expanse of nothing. That was just how alien she was, I supposed, that such an illusion was comforting rather than torturous as it would be for anyone else.

I furrowed my brows, looking for the last two presences, that of Ranni herself and my Queen. Almost as soon as I started my search, I felt an ethereal, feather-light touch at the edges of my mystic awareness. Following the teasing brush, I was led towards my room. Deciding to entertain my consort, I opened my eyes and moved to see where this playful trail led.

The gentle flutters on my perception continued, leading me further and further. Eventually, after traversing the long hallways of my home, I stood in front of my destination. I could almost taste the palpable feeling of amusement through the door, making me very curious about just what exactly she had planned.

As the door opened, I was not disappointed.

The sight that greeted me was nothing less than divine. My Consort was laid out upon my bed, a delightful expanse of flawless light blue skin greeting my gaze. The Goddess of the Dark Moon was entirely bare, her curves delightfully exposed, except for a sheer, scandalous teal apron she wore on the front of her body, hiding just enough to tease.

The surprising thing was that Ranni was not alone. Joining her on the bed, scowling and blushing, was my wayward Queen. She was similarly clad, a light green apron the only article of clothing she had on, allowing my eyes to drink in the enticing expanse of smooth white skin, being naturally drawn to her amazingly long legs and wide hips.

I smiled, leaning against the door frame as I feasted upon the visual banquet that they had prepared for me, "Well now, I was curious before, but now you have my full attention."

"As I said, my Consort, the victor deserves to partake in the spoils." Ranni spoke, rising gracefully to her feet and moving to gently grasp my arm.

"Get your mind out of the gutter." CC was, by contrast, her usual abrasive self, but in her current attire and with her rosy cheeks it was less than effective, "This is not what you are obviously hoping for, you degenerate."

To be fair, a man seeing two of the woman in his life in such provocative guise and laid out atop his bed would have many sordid thoughts and fantasies spring to mind immediately. Of course, I logically knew what she was saying made sense with my understanding of both their personalities, but it did not stop a small part of me from being disappointed at her words.

"Oh?" I raised my eyebrow, falling back into verbally sparring with the verdette to disguise the feeling, "Then what am I supposed to be expecting? Do enlighten me."

Judging from the knowing smile that the Dark Moon had, I was unsuccessful in my attempt, "I have been worried, Consort Mine. Thou have been overtly stressed these past weeks, they toils and tribulations taking a toll on thee, to mine frustration. Thy Queen was gracious enough to inform me of a way in which I could be of assistance."

"Indeed, what was that I wonder, CC?" I asked, only for my queen to also rise, shushing me with a gentle finger to the lips.

"Enough out of you. Simply be silent and count your blessings." So said, she started to undo the buttons of my dress shirt, quickly disrobing me of the garment and starting to do the same to my pants.

"Your actions are not helping me in thinking pure thoughts." I remarked, only for Ranni to hug me from behind, her cool body causing a wave of goosebumps to erupt on my back.

"Trust, Consort. Lay on thine bedding and all shall be made clear." She guided me gently towards the mentioned destination, directing me to lie down on my stomach.

"Of course I trust… Oh!" My words were stilled by a gasp, as CC had quickly demonstrated just what Ranni had been alluding to.

Cool, slick hands found their way to my shoulders, as a warm weight pressed itself down on my lower back. The hands pressed down, quickly and expertly finding their way into the best positions and applying just the right amount of force. Like a cascade of fire, warmth flowed from them, leaving behind a tingling, relaxing numbness.

Quickly after, I felt cooler, but no less pleasant, hands place themselves on my calves. Two full sets, working on each leg simultaneously, squeezing out the tension with focus and care.

"Thy Queen is full of knowledge, useful and esoteric. My thanks for teaching me this, CC." Came the calm, relaxed voice of the Goddess.

"Think nothing of it. I just needed this idiot to relax, or else he will do something stupid." Came CC's response, something I idly noted as I was already starting to slip into a foggy, relaxed state.

Ranni's laugh was soft and comforting, "The sharpness of thy tongue hides none of your affection."

I did not hear any reply, their hands and affections sweeping me into a quasi-meditative state. All I could feel was the soft, firm touches and the pleasant tingling looseness that they brought. CC was unnaturally skilled as a masseuse and Ranni seemed to have taken her tutelage for all its worth. As they worked, all thought left me, leaving more at ease than I could ever remember being.

The seal, my issues with the politics of the Underworld, my worries over whatever Gabriel was playing at, my plans for Valerie, my deliberation over what to do about Zekram. All of them floated into nothingness, waved away by the gentle grasp of the two lovely women tending to me. Here, surrounded by the affection of two of the closest women to me in this world, all thought disappeared, leaving behind nothing but the warm feeling of affection in my chest.

---XXX---

He was almost cute like this, she thought, staring down at the sleeping face of the menace in her lap. Despite herself, her hand threaded through his hair, the white strands parting as she stroked his scalp, gently caressing him in his slumber. He had fallen asleep during the performance that Ranni had somehow convinced her to put on for him, something she just knew would only serve to inflate his opinion of himself.

Two beautiful women doting on him in such a fashion, one of whom being a Goddess and the other being her? Of course that could give any man a big head.

"Thy eyes betray thine thoughts." The Goddess spoke, staring at the scene in front of her, "As do thy actions."

"And what thoughts are those, pray tell? What insights into my character have you gleaned from your observations, O mighty Goddess?" She replied, rolling her eyes.

Just like Tiamat. It appears that everyone and their mother was interested in poking at her, letting her know oh so cleverly that they had figured her out. It was beginning to be tiring.

The Goddess didn't reply, merely looking upon the scene for a time. Watching as she continued to stroke Damocles' hair, resting peacefully as he was upon CC's lap. When she spoke, it was with an apologetic tone.

"I must admit, when first we met, I thought you a shrew. A vile, abrasive termagant who through guile or force attached thyself to mine Consort and made him blind to thy nature. In truth, I thought him to be somewhat mad, making one such as three for his confidant in such a dangerous and treacherous world." The insults were incredibly, outrageously out of date, but the intention was clear.

"I am honoured." Her response was dry, "Is there a point to this, or should we just sit here insulting each other until Damocles wakes? I am sure that would be a pleasant sight for him."

The Goddess merely shook her head, "I was wrong. Thou truly care for him ,which you show in ways both big and small. Thy love is not conventional, but it is obvious when one is looking. I should not have doubted its strength."

CC Aired out her grievance with the statement, "You are too keen to look deeply at something that is none of your business. My feelings are my own."

"But, you forget." Ranni countered, "Thy feelings are my business, so long as you hold mine Consort in your heart. When the news that he had taken concubines was given to me, I was most displeased. However, thou art good for him. I can freely admit this now."

"Good for him?" She asked, confused, "In what way? I-"

She cut herself off. The being in front of her was dangerous, getting her to almost reveal more about herself than she was comfortable with. Her inner thoughts were brought out, far too easily. While it may have been true that she was a miserable, cursed woman who made those close to her suffer, telling as much to Ranni would be admitting too large a weakness.

"Indeed." Ranni smiled now, the expression foreign on her cold face, "Thou sharpen each other. The spars and jabs traded are in jest, but they carry with them feeling of affection and care. Damocles trusts thee, has confidence in his choice of Queen. In return, he has become your strength. Tis a wonder to see."

"You are fond of psychoanalysing others, making conclusions and enjoying your cleverness in doing so." CC decided rather than attempt to deny any of that tripe, she should let her own observations be known, "How much of that is to cover for your own feelings on the matter, I wonder? I know why you are so accepting of Damocles having concubines, it's not because you think we are good for him. It's because if you object to us, you will lose him."

"Yes." The admission was instant, "That is indeed the main reason. I have lost him before, in my moment of greatest triumph the one who delivered it to me was torn away, beyond my reach. I shall do everything possible to never lose sight of him again."

CC was shocked by how easily Ranni admitted to the weakness, the very concept of doing such alien as it was to her.

"You admit it, just like that?" She was curious despite herself.

"I have lived a very long life, CC." Ranni spoke, eyed focused on the man sleeping atop her lap, "Full of betrayal and loneliness. Every single friend, follower or paramour that I hath ever acquired, I betrayed and pushed away. For the better, I thought, T'would be for the best, for mine ambitions were grand and my path one of madness. I did the same to Damocles, once. He was useful to me and I discarded him."

"And yet." Her tone became wistful, "He refused to remain as such. Doggedly, he pursued me, to the very ends of the earth itself. Aiding me again and again, even acquiring the full knowledge of what I was attempting to accomplish did nothing to dissuade him. He accepted me, in full, just as I was despite mine fears and follies. In all my years, never had such a thing ever seemed possible. I have spent a very, very long time alone. I never wish to have to experience it again."

"I…I see." CC was shocked, "I suppose I can understand that."

She didn't know how to respond to this, this display of openness from one she had considered a rival. What was the angle here, what was Ranni's play? She both at once wanted to find out and wanted to wash her hands of the whole business.

"Thou would, tis true. Mine Consort has revealed to me that thou were long lived. Such a life, especially amongst those not so enduring, must have been difficult. If… If thou wish, could thou tell me about thy experiences?" Ranni asked, leaning forward slightly.

CC's defences were immediately raised, "Why? It is in the past."

"We shall live amongst each other for a long time hence, CC." Ranni, for the first time CC could remember, looked slightly unsure of herself, "To be at odds for such a period would be most uncomfortable. I would instead wish for us to work together, cooperatively."

She translated the meaning behind the words and goggled at the divinity, "Are you asking if we could be friends?!"

"I suppose I am." Came the confirmation.

CC was struck dumb. This was completely unexpected. Of course it could always be a trick, a way for Ranni to gather more information on her so as to more easily remove her later, but for some strange reason she did not think that was what was happening here. She, paradoxically, was leaning toward trusting the being opposite to her.

Still, trust didn't mean being stupid.

"Very well, but I will not accept an uneven exchange, If I tell you of my life, you do the same." She carefully watched for any sign of hesitancy.

She found none, "This, we can gladly agree."

Chapter 76: Radiance

Radiance

I returned to consciousness gradually, awareness bringing with it the feeling of a warm, soft body nestled up next to me. I had a good idea of who it was just from the feeling of their curves pressed against my chest, but that was confirmed as I took in a breath through my nose, the scent of flowers tinged with blade oil entering my nostrils.

"Hmm." I breathed out, for once not wishing to rush towards my duties for the day, eyes still closed as I held onto the feeling of relaxation flowing through me, "When did you arrive? Not that I am complaining, at all."

"Towards the night. They were hogging you, so I made them leave." Kasane spoke, her voice relaxed, content, "Good morning."

"Good morning." I smiled, leaning down and giving the top of her head a kiss, "If you wanted to cuddle, you could have just asked, you know?"

"I will just take them if I need to." she responded, getting a chuckle out of me, her arms tightening around my chest as I did.

A comfortable silence emerged between us, Kasane shuffling her head to lie directly over my heart. The two of us merely relaxing atop the bed. It allowed me time to reflect. The massage and relaxation given to me by my Queen and Ranni had yet to fully flee, allowing me to bask in the remnants of the feeling.

It came to my mind that this would be a great base to attempt to meditate, perhaps finding out more about my Seal. However, the thought was unpleasant. That was an act of love, a gift that they had given me. Tainting it with my worries and issues like that seemed almost sacrilegious. I was a Devil, a bade creature of greed and sin, but in my mind all that meant is that I had the freedom to choose what I found worth caring about.

Instead, I decided to use the feeling in the spirit it was intended, enveloping myself in the comfort and company that was being shared with me. Our breathing synced, Kasane also seeming content to relax within my embrace. I knew that I had an important meeting soon, but I decided it could wait.

I trailed my fingers softly up and down her hips, causing her to let out a rumble from deep within her throat, "Mmm, that feels nice."

I felt a smile come unbidden to my face at that. The 'Blade Fairy', she was a figure of fear and dread for those who she found in her duties as the STC's main security guard. Yet, here, when she was alone with me, she could be surprisingly cute and unguarded. Usually this sort of state only came after we indulged in each other, but appeared that it could surface even in situations like this.

"I'm glad." I spoke, eyes still shut, "I enjoy touching you."

She huffed, a sound of amusement warming my chest, "Of course you do. All boys love playing with their toys."

"I wouldn't exactly put it like that." I grinned, amused at her phrasing.

"I like being yours." Her frankness caused my heart to skip a beat, I will freely admit.

I didn't know exactly how to respond to that, the admission striking and touching. Instead, I moved my empty arm, fully embracing the woman and opening my eyes, greeting her shining red irises, looking up at me with a soft smile.

I leant down, softly claiming her lips before pulling back, a soft 'pop' marking my departure, "I love you Kasane."

"I love you too." She whispered back, leaning up to chase me, pressing our lips together again.

There was warmth, but no heat in the action. Passion was small part of this embrace. Instead, our kiss was soft, slow, intimate. Warmth built between us as we embraced, lips slow to part, before reconnecting again shortly after. Time fell away, the world shrinking to only her soft lips, her content gaze, her soft curves.

It could not last forever, however.

A knock sounded at my door, causing Kasane to part from my, looking like a disgruntled cat. He eyes narrowed towards the interruption, only a hiss missing to seal the comparison.

"Yes?" I called out, wondering who would knock but not just come in.

"Damocles." Naomi's voice sounded out, "I-"

She was cut off by her sister, Kasane calling out to the door, "Come in."

"Oh, okay-" She opened the door, only to pause as she was greeted by the sight of Kasane straddling me, our position undeniably intimate.

"Want to join?" Kasane teased her rapidly reddening sister.

"There's more than enough space." I joined in, grinning at the blonde.

"Uh, wha- Bwa- Both of us at once?" She stammered out, "That's not, I mean I don't want my first-"

"What are you talking about?" Kasane asked, head tilting, "We were just cuddling."

The fact she admitted that with such a deadpan delivery and no embarrassment caused me to hug her tighter, my amusement spiking.

"Yeah Naomi, are you that against cuddling with me?" I questioned, causing her to cover her blushing face with her hands, a high pitched noise escaping her.

"Stooop teasing meee, please!" She whined into her palms.

"Okay, okay." I laughed, "Sorry about that. We were just having some fun. What did you need me for?"

She pulled away her hands, revealing an adorable pout, "Breakfast is going to be ready in 5 minutes. Shiro said she wants your pancakes though, so I went to make sure you were up."

She mumbled her message out. I sighed, slapping Kasane on the rear and causing her to jump as I started to move to get out of bed.

"Sorry Kasane, duty calls." I spoke getting a look from the white haired girl.

"It's fine. I will just finish this later." So saying, she also made to get ready for the day, getting out of bed and stretching, revealing her state of dress.

Or not, as the case happened to be. Hearing a squeak from Naomi as I entered the bathroom to wash my face, I found myself grinning once again.

---XXX---

The level of guest determined the level of reception one should receive. Sending Naomi to greet all the Noble visitors from the Underworld sent a very clear message. I viewed them all as unimportant, honoured guests to enough to receive an escort, but not of enough worth to bother greeting them myself.

Gabriel, Archangel of Heaven, was not an unimportant guest however.

My interactions with her were one and the same as my interactions with Angels as a whole. Should I offend, the game I have been playing against the rest of my race would easily backfire. Choosing between abandoning me and all out war, I knew which the New Satan's would prefer. Of course, such an occurrence would force their hands anyway unless they wished to invite a revolt, causing a reignition of the war between us and Heaven.

Something that I very much would like to avoid the hassle of. With Ophis and Ranni, I was in an incredible position, but the calmer I kept things between the Devils and the rest of the supernatural world, the more predictable events would be.

Starting Ragnarök in the fashion I did was counter to those goals, but I didn't really have any regrets about that. The moment he attacked Shiro, Loki's life was forfeit.

Still, Gabriel needed a delicate touch. Which is why I was standing in my Manor's entrance hall, awaiting the arrival of the Seraph. Her letter spoke of concerns regarding Ragnarök, but it was also vague. I don't know exactly why she wanted me of all people to participate in that, but I was resolved to not get involved regardless.

Perhaps her history with Remora meant that she felt that she should guide me, nudge me away from falling into the same holes my ancestor did. If she wished to hold the lives of innocents over my head, those that would be affected by action in killing Loki, she would be sorely disappointed.

We just had too different of priorities and viewpoints.

I remembered her gently admonishment of the slaves I killed in the assault on Castle Tepes. Until she mentioned it, I hadn't even given the matter any great amount of thought. Even afterwards, I was not at all contrite.

Someone attacking me because they were forced to was still attacking me, after all. Yet somehow, I doubt such a justification would do much to sway an Angel.

As I said, too different.

My thoughts were broken by the glow of my teleportation circle, shining with an unforgettable, golden light. Accepting the connection, Soon I was greeted by the radiant sight of the Hope of Heaven once again.

It hit me once more, the desire to possess her, to break her, to defile this creature that was flaunting her purity towards me. To see that devotion shattered, twisted to my own ends instead.

Having expected it, I ruthlessly crushed the feeling, my instincts buckling under my will. Lowering myself into a bow, I offered a hand towards the smiling Messenger of God, my every action controlled.

"Lady Gabriel. The Sagan Manor welcomes you, our hospitality is yours for as long as you wish." I intoned formally.

She placed a gentle hand into mine, the softness of her skin sending a shiver down my spine, "My thanks, Damocles. I shall not impose upon you any longer than I am needed, but your offer is most appreciated."

I focused on her hand, not her kind eyes, as I gently lifted her hand to my lips, laying a chaste kiss on the back of it and rising from my bow, "The offer remains regardless, my Lady."

She giggled into the hand I had kissed, eyes shining with pride that caused a strange sensation to strike my heart, "My, Damocles. Please, call me Gabriel. You don't need to fight yourself so. I promise, I will not be offended by any slips of composure. I understand the curse that drives you and will not hold it against your person."

I shook my head, smiling at her, "Thank you for the consideration, but It would be a case of me forgiving myself. You have been nothing but courteous to me, to not return the same favour is something I would view as a failure."

"Earnest effort shall reap abundant rewards. Well done, Damocles." Her words were accompanied by a smile, one that almost made me break my composure.

Instead, I turned on my heel, an arm extended, "Please, Gabriel. This way, I have prepared some snacks and tea that we can have while we discuss your business."

"Oh my." She exclaimed, hands clasped over her chest as she walked past me in the direction I indicated, not an ounce of suspicion in her posture or voice, "This I have to see. It's incredibly rare for a Devil to offer me something they made for me personally."

"I hope it matches your expectations." I spoke, knowing it would.

I didn't trust her words either, she likely got tons of fan mail from horny devils. Although, maybe they were screened by the other Angels before they reached her.

We didn't have time to converse deeply on the way to the living room, the walk a short one. Only enough time to confirm that we were both in good health, yet another social nicety that was hardly needed between beings of our power but helped break the ice regardless.

I poured the tea and sat down, making sure to take a bite of the same type of biscuit she had chosen to show it was not poisoned, "So, Gabriel. You asked to speak to me about Ragnarök?"

"Yes, although I must admit that there was something of greater import I wished to discuss with you, the issue with our Norse friends is merely a convenient cover." She took a bite of the biscuit, eyes widening, "These are delicious. I can tell the skill that went into them."

"Thank you." I responded, I liked baking and Fairy Feast allowed me to indulge freely, "It must be something serious if it was not mentioned at all in your letter."

"It is." She nodded, turning more serious than I ever remembered seeing her, her blue eyes staring into my own, "I have a suspicion that much is being hidden from you, by the other Devils."

"Of course there is." I responded, taking a sip of my tea, "I am not well liked. Any information I have is something that I gathered for myself."

"No, you misunderstand. There is something about your bloodline that has the potential to cause great strife, but just as much potential to heal that which has been broken for so long." She spoke, cryptically, "That is what I wanted to discuss with you."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "My bloodline? You mean Remora?"

Her eyes saddened at the name, but she shook her head, her blonde hair fluttering as she did so, "No, not about her. It is about who she had Pandora with. Please Damocles, I ask for your patience. If I told you all right now, you would be put in great danger and the results could be unpredictable."

I wracked my memory. Remora's lover? Pandora's, my mother's, father? I don't remember hearing anything about him. It was not as odd as it appeared, many Devils died and were forgotten in the Great Conflict.

"Why can you not explain more?" I questioned.

"Because, there are those in the Underworld who would stop at nothing to kill you once the truth is known. What I have to tell you can change not only your fate and those of the Devils, but Heaven's as well." Her voice was serious, causing me to try and puzzle out the possibilities.

She stopped me, hand grasping my shoulder gently, "Please, I know it is difficult, but do not try and find out for yourself. It is knowledge that once you learn, it will be impossible to hide. I can see that it is being held inside you, even now."

My eyes widened. The Seal. She was talking about the Seal.

"You knew about that?" I asked, shocked.

"The cage around your soul? Only once I knew what to look for. Pandora was a genius when it came to these things, I told her before." She smiled, softly, "She didn't appreciate it. She thought I was being patronising."

"I can see that." I answered, mind still whirling, "How does this tie into Ragnarök?"

"I am here to officially request your aid in that matter, Damocles. It will provide enough confusion for the truth to revealed to you. I have asked one of my most trusted Angels to join the delegation that we are sending to the conflict, whose role will be to help you with the Seal and guide you." Her voice held a hint of pleading, subtly tugging on my heart to accept her offer.

However, this was too fast. Too convenient. More to the point, she was an Angel, but I was a Devil. We were natural enemies, even more so because I was a Sagan. I couldn't trust her, no matter how innocent she may seem, Gabriel had killed more of my race than any other Seraph, twice over.

"I see you feel deeply about this." I spoke carefully, slowly removing her hand from my shoulder, "But I cannot agree. I do not wish to involve myself further in Ragnarök. Loki attacked me, that was the only reason I was involved at all. With him dead, I have no need nor desire to interfere further."

Left unsaid was the fact that I simply couldn't trust her or the other Angel that apparently knew this information. If she could sense the seal, if could merely be a ploy in order to draw me out from Ranni and Tiamat's aegis.

Her eyes lowed with sadness, seeming to understand, "I see. Precious little reason is there for you to trust me. Of course, I would not ask you to risk so much for nothing. Every quest needs a suitable reward, does it not?"

With that, she held out a hand, power swirling above it. I could feel Ranni's attention sharpen on the room, ready to intervene at any moment, but all that happened was that an old, powerful relic appeared upon the Seraph's palm.

One that I recognised instantly, seeing as I had been searching for it for the last two years.

"I can only ask that you trust in my sincerity and my word, Damocles. I will not ask you to take such a risk for nothing." She spoke, voice firm, "Should you assist with Ragnarök and hear out the Angel that I sent there, I shall give you this. You were looking for Babylonian artefacts, yes? What greater one is there, but Ea?"

Indeed, grasped by the Archangel Gabriel, laid the weathered hilt of the Sword of Kings.

The last item I needed to find from Tiamat's stolen horde.

Chapter 77: In the Wake of Hope

In the Wake of Hope

"So?" CC asked, arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face, "Are you going to accept?"

"I haven't made a decision yet." I answered, elbows on my knees and fingers crossed as I looked at the table, "I told her I would have to discuss it with you all first. After all, if we are going to war then we all will have to participate."

We were in our usual meeting lounge, Having gathered all the residents of my Manor except for Valerie, Tiamat and Ophis. My Peerage and allies were scattered across the walls and couches of the room, Shiro having claimed her spot on my lap from a pouting Selene, who contented herself with leaning against my side.

Naomi was the next to speak, "Did she say anything about this bloodline? Why couldn't she just tell you or break the seal now?"

"She said it was unsafe to do so while I was in the underworld. I take that to mean it is something that a Devil could sense immediately. I could block people's ability to sense me, but I don't think she knew that." I mused, "That means it would be immediately recognisable. To my mind, that means that it's either Divine in some way, or Holy."

"Is that possible?" CC asked, frowning.

"No idea." I responded, shifting slightly as Shiro perked up from her perch in my lap.

"It is theorised to be." She said, voice calm but still somehow smug, "Devils' low fertility makes it hard to test, but Half-Gods or Half-Fallen should be physically possible."

I smiled, stroking her head to praise her, "Due to the contrasting energies, there have been discussions that the baby would not survive the formation of their powers in the womb. Their Devil blood will either be dominant, or they will be killed by their other energies attempting to purify them."

Kasane was the first to realise what that could mean, "Remora had the power of Binding. She could bind those powers until your mother was born."

"Yes." I nodded, "That's as far as I have thought it through. Gabriel asked me to not pursue the matter further myself. I have confirmed through study of the Seal, now knowing what to look for, that it is locked behind this knowledge."

"Why?" Melina asked, her mismatched eyes boring into me, "I would think you would brush off this Angel and pursue your own path."

"If we decide to not take her up on her offer, that is exactly what I will do." I confirmed to her, "But to do so before we make that decision will burn bridges we cannot afford to at the moment."

"Our enemies in the Satans are difficult enough to deal with." CC spoke, confirming my thoughts, "With Heaven backing them it will make our lives even harder."

"So if we can appease Gabriel, we might get Heaven's support?" Kasane considered this, her militaristic leanings shining through.

"I don't trust her." Selene spoke, nuzzling into my shoulder.

"I don't either." I agreed, softly patting her head, "This could well be an attempt to drag me out of Ranni's protection, in order to capture or kill me."

"I do not believe the Seraph wishes for that." Ranni spoke, hands gently pressing on my shoulder from her place standing behind me, "I did not feel any hostility from her. In mine estimation, she has been truthful in her dealing with thee."

I nodded, trusting her intuition, "I see. It doesn't change the fact that this is risky, however. Gabriel herself might not be hostile, but can we say the same for the rest of the Angelic Host? Supposedly she will be instructing one to teach me about whatever my bloodline is."

"It doesn't change much." Melina spoke, arms crossed and on the other side of the room from my Queen, "You will be going to war if you go regardless. One more enemy will not make a difference."

"As much as I don't like agreeing with her, she is right." CC chimed in, "More than her motivations, which we are unable to determine, we should be considering the actual effect of joining in such a conflict."

Melina looked like she had sucked a lemon, but nodded regardless.

"Do we even have a choice to avoid this?" Naomi questioned, causing me to tilt my head at her, "You killed Loki, which is what caused this whole thing to kick off in the first place, right? Wouldn't his people try and get revenge for that?"

"Eventually, sure." I conceded, "But when they have to contend with the Aesir, they don't really have time to deal with me. After the war, whoever wins would be too broken to attack for a while. Basically, the two sides would keep themselves occupied with each other and out of my way."

"If we were to aid the Aesir against Loki's faction, would that not possibly be removing a potential enemy before they have the chance to become a problem?" Kasane flicked her eyes up in thought, "Considering that we are getting the final piece of Tiamat's horde for it, it doesn't seem to have a downside for us."

"I appreciate your unwavering confidence in our ability to win." CC's voice was dry, "But this will be an actual war, involving Gods and armies. The risk will be immense some of us could easily die."

"I trust Nii-san." Shiro spoke resolutely from my lap, "He won't let us die."

"Thank you Shiro." I smiled down at the girl, "But CC is right. This will be dangerous, if we accept."

"Mine Consort, would an increase to thy forces not aid thee in this endeavour?" Ranni asked, the Goddess staring at one particular member of the meeting intently, drawing the rest of our gazes to her target.

"What are you all staring at me for?" Melina spat out, looking away from us, "I will help, of course, but that's it. I'm not letting you put one of those trinkets into me."

"Thank you Melina." My honest statement caused her to flush, but aside from slight shifting she didn't react, "But you do bring up a valid point, Ranni. If we agree to fight, I will need to go bring back the final member of our little family. I can't afford not to."

"Uhm." Naomi started, raising a hand slightly, "I am still a bit confused. If you killed Loki, doesn't that mean you've already taken out the strongest of their faction, seeing as he was the leader?"

"He was weak." Shiro answered, causing me to laugh.

"She's not wrong. All Norse gods have battle and War as part of their domains, but Loki was one of the least suited amongst them for open conflict. Even then, I only won by taking him by surprise and hitting him with a weapon he had no knowledge of. Other Gods in his group might be much more directly powerful than him, not to mention that other factions will be getting involved, our doing so will be an invitation for them to escalate as well."

"I see, thank you for answering." Naomi nodded, glad to have cleared that up.

"Anything can be killed." Selene's voice was matter of fact, "We just need to help each other find out how."

There was a beat of silence after that statement.

"Should we move on to the vote?" CC asked, causing everyone else to agree.

"To clarify;" I raised a finger, "If you vote yes, we will go to war in the Norse realms, accepting Gabriel's offers. If you vote no, we will stay uninvolved, burning our bridges with her and investigating this bloodline of mine by ourselves."

Everyone understood, so soon we counted the vote, Ranni aiding us in that role.

Ranni abstained, not able to go to war with us without bringing forth more of her power.

My reasoning for my own vote was simple.

My own experience in the Orcus Labyrinth taught me that Devils grow immensely in active conflict. This war will likely boost our Peerage's power more than months of training could do, even if we participated in a single battle. More than that however...

I wanted answers and it was darkly amusing that the only one willing to give them to me was an Archangel.

The final tally:

For: Shiro, Kasane, Selene, Melina, Myself

Against: Naomi, CC

The Sagan were going to go to war.

---XXX---

"I'm sorry Rias." Her friend smiled, although the expression was tense, "I will have to postpone your training sessions after our next one indefinitely."

She noticed that Melina, who was standing next to him, seemed more apologetic about that than he did.

"Can I ask why? Do you need help for anything?" She asked, worried about what could cause him to have to take such an action.

To be fair, she would be going without training, even in his absence. Ever since her Ancestor had returned from her visit to the Manor with Rias' mother, she had been an absolute taskmaster. Every spare moment she had was consumed by the short stack, either training her in combat directly or drilling her in tactics and politics.

It's not that she didn't understand why, she had seen the Rating Game that Damocles and Shiro had participated in. She knew her friend was much stronger than her, but seeing how stark the divide was… It was humbling and aggravating in equal measure. She had been pushing herself rather hard, or so she had thought, but apparently that was paltry in the face of Shiro's efforts.

Given the fact that she was publicly training with Damocles, people would be expecting that same level of combat from her, something she was not able to deliver just yet.

Still, she was miles better than she had been, so she wished to repay Damocles for the aid if he needed her in any way.

"I thank you for the offer Rias, but I am going to be participating in something that I am certain you will not be participating in." His eyes were cold, "As the instigator of Ragnarök, I have been dragged into participating."

She stilled at that, breath catching in her throat, "Y-you're going to fight the Norse? Why?!"

"I was asked to." He shrugged, obviously keeping a lot of the details from her, "Apparently there is a coalition of the three factions that has been brought together to aid the Aesir, I was specifically requested by one of the others to join the Devil contingent."

She furrowed her brows, worried deeply for her friend. Fighting Gods is not something to be done on a whim. Of course, Damocles had been preparing for open conflict for years at this point, that much she had put together. Still, it always seemed to her like he was defensive, reactive, not one to actively seek out battles.

Whoever had requested him must have offered something especially enticing to get him to break that pattern.

"I see. Well, any support I can give I offer freely." She swore, impressing on him that she wanted to help in any way she could.

"Thank you. Could you tell Runeas for me? The Manor will be closed to visitors, so I don't want her ripping through the wards before she realises I am not home." He asked her, causing her to nod in agreement.

"I will do that Damocles. Are you sure there is no other way I can help?" She reiterated.

"No, just stay safe and cheer for us. We will be back before you know it." He ruffled her hair causing her to pout, "Oh, by the way, don't worry. Before I leave, I will break off your engagement with Riser."

She stilled at that, eyes staring unblinkingly up at him, "Just like that?"

He laughed, mirth genuine, "No, not 'just like that'. This took a lot of preparation, you know? I wanted to surprise you for your birthday, but seeing as I will be missing that this will have to do as an early gift."

She slammed into him, hugging him with all her strength, "Damocles, thank you. Thank you so much! I know you said you would help, but it just… It didn't feel real, you know?"

"I know. It's one thing to say something, another entirely to actually do it." He hugged her back, "I know this was stressing you out, sorry it took so long."

She shook her head, nuzzling his chest, "Don't be. Just knowing that you've been putting effort into it is… I am so lucky to have you as a friend."

"...I don't know how to respond to that without making myself sound arrogant." He admitted, causing her her to pull back and hit him on the arm, making him laugh and raise his hands in mock surrender, "Alright alright, I'm lucky to have you as a friend as well, Rias."

She nodded, hands on her hips, "Of course you are!"

She was worried for her friend, but she would trust that he knew what he was doing. Besides, if he really could do what he said and free her of this engagement… something even her brother failed to do? Then that just proved that he knew how to handle himself.

Soon enough, she was sparring against Melina and no longer had time to worry about anything else.

---XXX---

"THAT FUCKING GLOWING WHORE!!!" A chair sailed overhead, causing Sirzechs to lazily dodge it, the piece of furniture shattering into pieces as it impacted the wall behind him.

"I share the sentiment!" Serafall chirped, before wincing as the withering glare of Runeas fell upon her.

"Oh don't you start. We are only in this situation because of your fuck ups. Your immense bungling of this whole mess is biting us in the ass in new and interesting ways every week." She growled, causing Sirzechs to attempt to defend his colleague and friend.

"Now, Runey, don't be too harsh of Serafall. This has spiralled beyond what could reasonably be predicted." His words were ineffectual.

"Oh, I have issues with you too, don't you worry." Her eyes turned to pierce through him, "Her mother might have gone easy on her, but I won't. Damocles has been snatched up by Gabriel right under your noses, a situation that could only occur because Serafall's saggy tits are bigger than her brain."

"Hey. I know I fucked up, but that is no excuse to be so disrespectful. I am still a Satan, you know?" She asked, room growing colder at her anger.

"Yeah?" The short Gremory replied, flippantly, "You are welcome to do something about it while I think of a way to get us out of this mess."

Scoffing, she turned around, staring out of the window of the room while she chewed furiously on her nail, her back completely exposed to Serafall. Tension briefly ramped, before releasing as the Leviathan released a breath.

"Whatever. Either way, there is no possible way whatever you come up with will involve me, so I'm leaving. Sirzechs, those folders I gave you earlier contain the shortlist for the candidates to send to Ragnarök. Falbium had a recommendation." The black-haired Satan informed him, before she stalked out of the room, waving goodbye as she did so, "I need to have a chat to Michael about messing with our internal politics."

Sirzechs raised an eyebrow at part of that, wondering who could possibly have impressed Falbium enough for him to personally recommend them. Personally, he had been thinking of recommending someone of his own, that being Sairaorg. If the commander of the military had another suggestion however, he would have to give it all possible consideration.

Turning back to the other matter at hand, he examined the still furiously chewing Ancestor. As he did so, a question came to mind.

"Do we know why Gabriel even wants Damocles to awaken to his bloodline? Do we even know that is what the goal here is?" He questioned.

Runeas snorted, "I recognised him the moment I saw him through a picture. You think the Hope of Heaven didn't immediately realise who he was when they had actually met in person? She knows. She also knows that throwing him into a Divine conflict will only have one result, no matter how his Blood has been suppressed. As for why…"

She trailed off, narrowing her eyes before continuing, "Lucifer was the favoured of the Angels. The foremost son. That must have imparted something onto him, something the other Angels didn't receive. Perhaps she thinks it can still be recovered, or wants to use it for something, even with Damocles' Devil blood? Don't ask me why though, I barely understand how Angels think in the first place."

"I see." Sirzechs had some idea, but he didn't dare voice it.

Still, if he was right, this just became a lot more complicated.

"There's no other choice." Runeas sighed, "If Gabriel gets her way, it's impossible to predict the results, or the way she could frame it, or the conclusions Damocles could come to."

"So? What do you suggest we do?" He asked, tapping his fingers on the table.

"I suggest you do nothing." She stressed, "I will go to Damocles myself and tell him of his heritage before Gabriel can."

Sirzechs jumped up in alarm, "Absolutely not! Do you want to spark an open rebellion?"

"Sirzechs. Child. Sit and listen." Runeas was unnervingly calm, "If Damocles goes to war, covers himself in glory, learns that he is the Descendant of Lucifer and returns to the Underworld, do you think a rebellion wouldn't occur? The secret is out, or will be soon, there is no putting it back in the bottle. So unless you want to march to Sagan Manor right now and erase it off the face of the earth, our only choice is to ensure that Damocles learns it in a way that we can control, that makes him sympathetic to us."

He chewed his cheek, realising she was absolutely correct. Damocles was too entrenched, likely had several escape plans and was behind two Goddesses, with a possible third one if what Ajuka suspected was true. Simply destroying him was unlikely to be successful, meaning that he had to explore other options.

Quickly, he ran through various scenarios in his mind, trying to find a better one. The only other option that appeared in his mind was using Rias to reveal the secret instead, as Damocles was closer to her, but he refused to use his sister as a pawn like that. Additionally, he admitted that he was not sure she could successfully manipulate the young devil, to ensure that he took the news well and came out with a favourable or at least neutral view of them.

In the end, he sighed, "Very well Runeas. I just hope that this won't restart the Civil War again."

"I hope it does." She responded, causing his eyes to fly open in shock, "The Great King faction is unlikely to support him given his antagonism towards them, he certainly won't ally with yours, which means the only ones that will rise up in support of his claim are the Old Satans. In which case, Damocles would join us against them."

"He would?" He questioned, before quickly figuring it out, "He accepted Gabriel's offer. That means he understands the necessity to not antagonise the other Factions. The Old Satans would want to restart the War against Heaven."

"Something Damocles would be emphatically against." Runeas confirmed, "So long as we don't poke him, he would likely return to his defensive stance, even with this new factor."

"This is such a mess." He groused, picking through the edges of the files on the table.

"There is an easy way to simplify it." She stated confidently, "Just marry him to Rias."

"Don't even joke about that." He wanted to both laugh and cry at the thought, "Besides, Ranni already claimed him."

"We are devils. He can have more than one wife." His ancestor rolled her eyes and to his horror, he could not tell whether she was joking or not.

Chapter 78: Revelation

Revelation

She hummed as she walked the light filled halls, the melodic sound reverberating and uplifting the spirits of all who were fortunate enough to hear it. The Seraph, the Hope and Wings of Heaven, God's Messenger, was in an exceptionally good mood. She had just received news that her gambit had been successful and her plan could proceed.

The Throne that she had asked to take up the delicate task had already accepted, not that she doubted him for a second. Out of all her direct subordinates, he was the one that was most trustworthy and more importantly, well suited to this task.

Her wings shone with an inner radiance, the light dancing off the Heavenly Halls. Her plan was audacious and some would say foolhardy, but she had Faith in her Father, in the Divine Spark he had gifted all his creations. Such a thing could not truly ever be corrupted. Not fully.

Gabriel continued humming as she opened the door to her personal room, the sound abruptly dying when she beheld the surprise visitor that said room held. Looking out of her window at her garden, hands held behind his back, he spoke with a gentle, kind tone.

"I am glad that you are in such good spirits, Sister." Michael expressed, still looking out and away from her, "Out of all the possible states to find you in upon your return, that is definitely a heartening one."

"Brother." She spoke, moving into the room and closing the door behind her, "I'm sorry for not informing you, but…"

"You do not need to report to me." He denied her, voice still gentle, "I do not control your actions, I cannot dictate to you whether to follow your intuition or not. In fact, I trust it more than my own, most days... However. Hearing that you have visited the Sagan not from your own lips, but those of Serafall? I must admit, it was most dismaying."

"Serafall spoke to you about it?" Gabriel was intensely surprised by that, "How would she know?"

"The Devils have yet to put forward their forces for the Ragnarök cooperation. They were intending to send a low level Peerage, you involving the Sagan has made their contributions significantly higher profile." Michael explained, still as calm as ever.

"No Brother, I understand why she would go to you over this. I am confused by how she found out. The Sagan and the New Satans are not at all on speaking terms, Damocles himself would likely only have informed them of his decision when it was already too late for them to react." She explained her confusion.

The most likely explanation was that there was spy by the side of the Sagan, one who had divided loyalties. Such a thing should be obvious to Damocles if that was the case however, meaning that the information reached Serafall because he wanted it to, otherwise he would have hidden it from the leak. Was this him posing a test? If so, to who?

"Much like you were intending to do to me?" Michael questioned, causing her to wince, "I trusted you with command over our involvement in the conflict to our north, because you are by far the most suited to warfare amongst all of us. I realise, I should have specified that I still intended to be informed of the major events, but I believed such a thing to not require such clarification."

"I apologise for acting in a way to make you have such thoughts about me, Michael." She pushed all her earnestness and honesty into her words, believing each one, "The reason I did not inform you yet was that I was waiting for confirmation from the Sagan on his involvement. Who I sent and our overarching strategy depends heavily on whether or not he will be present."

Michael considered this for a moment, before sighing, tension releasing from his shoulders as his wings ruffled behind him, "I see. I trust you implicitly, even if you were intending to hide this from me I have faith that you had good reason. I merely wished to reassure myself. May I ask who you are going to offer to aid the operation now that the Sagan has stated he will attend?"

"I do indeed." She beamed, glad that her Brother had such steadfast belief in her.

She told him who she was sending.

Michael frowned, his worry immediately resurfacing as he turned around fully, looking at her with naked concern, "I assumed that by using the Sagan, you would be able to reduce the force we needed to present so as to bolster our borders for the duration of the conflict. To send a Throne… I am worried about the implications."

"The implications?" Gabriel was confused, she had picked a powerful angel, but not one at all suited for combat.

What conclusion was her brother reaching?

Michael considered her for a moment, weighing something heavily within his mind. Eventually, he started to explain.

"The True Longinus is no longer within the Holy System. It has been removed entirely." He informed her, causing her eyes to widen, "The culprit is obvious, the Goddess Ranni. She destroyed one of Father's greatest works, barely moments after she first set foot upon the world. Do you know that people are praying to her? I can feel them, when I sit the Throne. She doesn't answer any of them. But I can feel too, that is not due to lack of ability."

He looked outside once more, to the sky rather than the garden this time, "She can answer them. No matter how far away they are from her, or how weak their Faith. Her power reminds me of the Ancient Powers, before they receded. The one thing we know about her for certain, is her obsession with Damocles Sagan. With her protecting him, any actions against him are sure to be doomed to failure."

"However." His blue eyes found hers, serious radiating from him, "Even if he were to be lured from her embrace, even if a Throne was able to kill him, her obsession will also ensure a lack of restraint in her retaliation. The world might survive, but I am uncertain whether Heaven will. Even if we succeed in felling her, it will take too much of what we have, leaving us weak for the next conflict."

Gabriel's mouth fell open, finally realising what her brother was talking about, "You assume I wish to assassinate Damocles?!"

"Do you not?" He tilted his head in query.

"No! That is why I chose the Throne I did!" She waved her hands, heart pounding in surprise, "Raphael and I informed you, did we not? He is the descendant of Helel, of the Morningstar!"

"Yes. That is why I suspected that you wanted to eliminate him, before he awoke to his heritage." Michael confirmed.

"No, well his heritage is why I am doing this, but it's not to kill him!" She took in a deep breath, steadying herself, "This is not the way I wanted to discuss this with you Michael, not at all aligning with my design. I had hoped to do this properly."

"I understand." His tone was calming, conciliatory, "Speak your mind. I will listen."

She considered how to bring up this topic, her carefully constructed arguments easily brought to the forefront of her mind. She decided to discard them and speak wholly from the heart, from sibling to sibling, trusting that her words and meaning would reach him.

"The Throne is killing you Michael." She spoke, her feelings rushing out, "You are the best of us, but you were never meant to sit it for this long. It is taking more and more from you each day and it is becoming unbearable to see. Your light is dimming."

"I know." The simple statement floored her, striking her momentarily dumb, causing him to smile sadly, "It is my burden, one I accepted willingly and gladly. However, I am not blind. No, in fact, my problem is that I see far too much. When we are called upon to give of ourselves, all that we can offer is our best. I am painfully aware that my best is not good enough, not for this."

Michael… Gabriel felt tears rise to her eyes, but she fought them down. Her brother was being so strong for all of them, carrying this burden with strength, she would be strong for him as well.

"I have given thought as to why that is, Brother. Ever since I… recovered, it was on my mind constantly. I was so preoccupied with my own issues, that when I was back, the difference in your vitality was stark to me, starker than it would be to others who experienced the change more gradually." She explained, "I believe… I have Faith that I have discovered the reason."

"Oh?' His smile turned more genuine, her concern for him warming him, "I have some theories of my own, but I am interested in yours."

"As I said before, you were never meant to sit the Throne. We know this. Helel was." Michael flinched slightly at that, but nodded anyway, "I don't say this to hurt you brother. Our Father gifted us each a piece of himself, gifts which defined us and expressed themselves in different ways. You his temperance, me his passion… Helel, his gift of Creation."

Michael nodded, resigned, "Hence his being able to create the Devils."

"Yes. But that also come with it the authority over His Creation. It is why the Devils could claim souls." Gabriel explained, causing Michael's face to light up in astonishment, his mind quickly reaching the conclusion of the argument.

"You think the Sagan can sit the Throne of Heaven." His voice was weak, breathless, the sheer insanity of the idea daunting, "You wish to allow a Devil access to Father's System?"

"I do." She answered, resolute in her answer, "Not permanently. Devils are beings that are bound to their words, some more than others. Damocles has sinned, already so young, but he has yet to break his word. Father's System without Him is flawed, Michael. It cannot continue like this, not forever. If we could convince Damocles to agree to a deal, to allow him to fix the System so that you can sit the Throne in full… It is a chance that can only be described as miraculous."

"Such a plan would indeed need a Miracle to succeed…" Michael responded, shock fading, but still very much present.

"It is more likely than it sounds." She was eager to explain, "His ostracisation from the Devils, the ability for us to guide the awakening of his powers personally-"

She was paused by the raised hand of her brother, whose face was stern and uncompromising.

"Gabriel. I said that you do not need to explain yourself to me. I hold to those words. Just answer me this one question, from all that you have considered and examined." The question was cutting and uncompromising, demanding a proper answer, "Do you truly believe that this is the correct course of action? That this is worth doing?"

"I do." Her resolve welled up, this plan having been something she had considered and resolved herself to some time ago.
Michael's eyes left her own, to look at the brightly glowing wings behind her, then he nodded.

"Then I trust you." The answer brought a true, gentle smile to her face.

---XXX---

The trick to propriety, she reflected, was implication.

It was something that Riser, the little upstart, seemed to know quite well. His line of sheer dresses, different from the lingerie he mostly offered, used this knowledge masterfully. When she had seen the piece, crafted lovingly with ancient Tsuchigumo silk, lined with fabric from Karakasa, was temptation in the form of clothing.

The best thing about it was that it was entirely chaste, showing nothing off that could be considered indecent. Her breasts were almost fully covered, her stomach was not bare, her shoulders were the most skin that showed when she was still in the dress, her legs only peeking out from the slits on the side when she was in motion.

The Dress itself hugged her figure tightly, moulded to her form as if it had been painted on. The silk that was its main component was transparent, but only partially. The dark materiel was soft and elastic, stretching over her curves and allowing any who had their eyes on her to see through to the succulent skin underneath it, but only if they looked closely. The invitation was only made harder to resist as this dress was so tight it made it impossible to wear undergarments with it. The Karakasa fabric did that function, blocking direct sight of her private parts.

A thin band acted as underwear, while some rather generous cup ensured that her cleavage was on full display without allowing anyone to so much as glimpse an inch of her breasts.

Overall, the effect was one of liquid sin, tempting the eyes to follow her body, to look closer and pierce the veil of the garment, only to fail to see what they wanted to the most.

It was her favourite piece that she had found since she awoke, being the weapon she had chosen for the coming engagement. Wearing this, she was sexy, irresistible.

She was distracting in all the right ways.

She was beautiful in a way that defied explanation.

She was prepared for the boy she was attempting to guide.

She was…

She was sitting on her bed, flipping a coin.

It was a trick she had figured out in the War with Heaven. Her power was that over luck, fortune and fate. However, there existed those that could overwhelm her ability, stripping her luck from her suddenly. She didn't rely solely on it, of course, but being used to things effortlessly going your way, then that suddenly stopping, was annoying if she had not been prepared beforehand.

Thus, this trick. Ranni had chosen to restrict herself as the Goddess of the Moon and Night, both of which were incredibly powerful and linked with magic. She could tell, from experience, merely standing before the Goddess that she could smother her Fortune as easily as breathing. So, if she wanted to be lucky in this conversation, she needed to have in a moment that was most advantageous to her.

There were those that could stifle her Power when she was before them, but if she was just using it on herself, away from their notice? There was not much anyone could do to stop her. So, she immersed herself in her power, Fortune and Fate bending to her whims, flipping a coin. As she had been doing for the past 20 minutes. Meditation, patience… they were things that were difficult for her, but she could not afford to make any mistakes here.

Flip. Tails. Flip. Tails. Flip. Tails.

Flip. Heads.

She caught the coin, looked at the surface and grinned. Her power was finicky and difficult, but it had yet to steer her wrong, if this was what it thought was the best moment for her to go, then it would be.

She stood, her dress flowing around her as she did, her hips swaying seductively as she moved to the Gremory Teleport Circle. She had been working on Damocles for a while now, yet that Seraph thought she could just swoop in and ruin all her hard work? No, the world didn't work that way.

She would not allow it.

---XXX---

The first member of the Sagan household she met was Naomi, the cute blonde maid fixing her with an unimpressed look, "You didn't inform us that you would be visiting, Lady Gremory."

"Yet, as always, there's someone here to greet me. It's creepy how you always do that, you know?" She pouted at the younger girl, "Also, didn't I tell you to just call me Runey?"

To be honest, the Bishop freaked her out. The girl had an air of expectation around her, as if every move and action anyone did was unsurprising to her, as if she had seen it all before. For someone so young, the demeanour was uncanny. Runeas had tried multiple times to sneak into Sagan Manor, only for the Maid or one of the other Peerage members to be waiting for her when she arrive. It didn't matter if she teleported or slipped past the outer wards, they were waiting for her.

The only thing she could suspect was a sort of detection ward that let them know whenever someone used the circle or approached the manor, but she couldn't sense anything like that when she was there and she felt no beacon of any sort being placed on her.

It was just another thing that the Sagan did that was inexplicable. Gods were known for prophecy, maybe Ranni was the culprit? She didn't like that explanation, as chalking everything the Sagan had accomplished up to the Goddess screamed itself as a mistake to her. The Sagan was capable, competent and dangerous. Underestimating him was folly.

"Damocles is in his study. Please follow me, Lady Gremory." The Maid sighed, turning and guiding Runeas down the myriad halls of the Manor, the path familiar to her.

"You're too uptight!" She whined, following after the reincarnated Devil, "You're going to live a long time, you know? You should enjoy it!"

"I will enjoy it when we no longer have unannounced guests." Came the curt reply.

"You know, I thought Damocles was a prude, having you dress in such a conservative maid uniform, instead of the fun frilly things I have seen. But now I think it was your preference, not his." She poked and prodded absently, mind going through how to approach the coming conversation.

"I'm not desperate for attention. Dressing like a slut is useless for me." Came the unexpectedly sharp response.

Runeas chuckled at that, shuffling in front of the Bishop and lifting her heavy breasts, waving them in the less endowed girls view, "Oh my, kitty has claws! You don't have to be jealous you know, I can help you find something that would bring out your charms!"

"Thank you for the offer. I refuse." She answered stiffly, reminding Runeas of her grandson's frigid wife, before she spoke again, "We are here."

"Thank you for the escort!" She chirped, waving at the maid as she knocked on the door in front of her.

"Come in." The commanding voice called from inside the room, prompting Runes to open the door and walk into the office.

The Master of the house was standing beside his desk, hands held behind his back loosely as he looked out the window the view of the grounds of the Manor. In the distance, the massive form of Tiamat was visible, her multiple colours shining brightly as she lounged in the sunlight. Much like her, the Sagan was dressed up, wearing what she instantly recognised as a formal Kimono. Despite his Angelic features, the rather severe clothing fit him quite well.

"You caught me at an awkward time, Runeas." He spoke, not even glancing at her reflection as she came to stand besides him, "I was just about to head out to meet with the Yokai."

"Seems I arrived at the perfect time then, if you were going to be leaving the underworld." She responded, grinning at him, "What do you think of my dress?"

His eyes flicked to her, quickly running up and down her form as she luxuriated in his gaze. It would have been nicer if he wasn't so clinical about it, though.

"It becomes you." Was his response.

It was rather short and perfunctory, but Runeas had been observing this young Devil for quite some time now. She knew that he was not nearly as unaffected by her beauty as he appeared. He made a point to not show even the slightest shred of weakness, which desire could be used as. It was part of how he constructed his image, unflappable and above the petty interests of others.

However, he was still a man, meaning that although he had admirable self control her appearance was enticing to him. Something that would be useful in this conversation.

"Why, thank you for the very short compliment." Her smile turned Impish, causing him to sigh.

"Why are you here? Rias still has a training session next week, you could have visited then. It isn't urgent, if you are dressed like that. So what do you want?" He asked.

"I have a ball that I was invited to later tonight." It even had the benefit of being true, "Could I interest you in being my plus one?"

"No." He answered, "I have a meeting that I cannot put off. One that you are currently keeping me from."

"Always so serious. It's not good for your health you know?" She questioned, before moving onto her goal here, "But, that is what I wanted to speak to you about. Rias' training, or at least the reason for the stop."

"Me going to assist in Ragnarök, yes." He nodded.

"At the behest of Archangel Gabriel." She added, causing him to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Now, how would you know that? I didn't inform Rias of who requested my presence, it could have just as easily have been Michael." He questioned.

She shrugged, "She requested it from the Satans first, that's how I know. They thought it would be too big a gesture to send you, so they were planning on a lesser known Peerage."

"I see." His tone was neutral, returning to looking out of the window.

"Now what I find interesting, is what reason could Gabriel have to ask you specifically to leave the underworld? So I did some digging." She delighted in his eyes returning to her, carefully controlled but she could sense his interest, "What I found leads me to believe it's a trap. The Angels might want to lure you out and kill you."

It was plausible even. Runeas didn't think it really was the case, of course. She remembered Gabriel from the War, should she have decided Damocles deserved to die then she would have done the deed immediately or perished in the attempt.

"What reason could the Angels have to do so?" He asked, eyes still looking into hers, "My Ancestor might have conflicted with the Seraph, but every interaction I have had with her has been perfectly cordial."

"While Remora's actions have been forgiven, at least on the part of her descendants, it's the other half of your Ancestry that is on interest." Runeas activated her ability, subtly, letting her words flow naturally to end this conversation in the most favourable manner to her, "You see, all the Progenitors of the Clans bred with each other, due to the pool of Devils being rather sparse at the beginning. Remora, however, refused all intimate company. Violently, at times. There was only one who she felt any form of affection for."

"Who would that have been?" Damocles questioned, eyes boring into her own.

"Well, she was always a daddy's girl." She giggled, causing him to frown.

"Speak plainly Runeas." He growled, "This is a serious matter."

"Fine, fine." She waved. "You are right, I should just come out and tell you."

She took in a deep breath, "You are a descendant of Lucifer, Damocles. That is why the Angels would want to kill you."

His eyes looked into hers, narrowing at the news. She expected a bigger reaction, surprise even, but all it seemed to garner was consideration from the Sagan. She faltered, completely flat-footed by the unexpected lack of any surprise.

She could sense something, a thin thing in his being, but it was not something she could identify. His motionless concerned her, causing her unease to build. Did he already know? Why had he not said anything?

"Isn't that surprising-?!" She never finished that sentence.

The world blurred. Her ears were ringing. She was completely disorientated. Why was she on her knees? When had she fallen over? Why was her Master looking at her with such rage and fury? Why was her hand cradling her cheek? Why were all the windows broken? Why was she so aroused?

Suddenly, sensation came flooding back to her and with it, cognition.

Damocles had struck her. The vicious backhand had hit with enough force to shatter the windows of the office. That by itself was surprising, but what had forced her to kneel, what was kneeing her head bowed as she gazed up at him, was his Aura.

The commanding presence of a Prince, amplified up to eleven. She had felt something like this before, when she had met Rizevim, but it was orders of magnitude more intense. She gathered her power to her, wondering why it wasn't protecting her from the influence like it should have been, only to gape as she realised that it was completely empty. He had overwhelmed her entire reserves in seconds.

It was speaking to her at an instinctual level, her very nature as a Devil commanding her to submit to the one before her.

Still, she had her pride, as a Gremory. She tried to force her body to obey her, to rise from her supine position, only for the weight on her shoulders to magnify.

Damocles, angrier than she could ever remember him being, hissed out, "You lying, duplicitous whore."

Chapter 79: Out Matched

Out Matched

I could feel it, the energy that had been bubbling beneath the surface of my being ever since I killed Loki. It surged forth, pooling both in my body and not. It was as if it was going somewhere else, somewhere deeper than I could feel, leaving me feeling more than I was before.

The energy rushed to specific areas, two points on the front of my head and pooling at the base of my spine. I also felt an itching sensation tingling between my shoulder blades, running up and down my back.

I noticed all of that, but distantly. The majority of my attention was focused on the sheer all-consuming rage that was thumping through my head.

There was a reason I was keeping Runeas around, more than the difficulty that would be involved in removing her and keeping my plans for Rias on track. She was disinterested in politics, content to sleep the centuries away, hardly ever personally acting. She had even attempted to stay out of the Civil War, only being brought into it due to a direct attack on her home in an attempt to strike against Sirzechs.

So why? Why was she so interested in me, that she broke from this pattern of behaviour? What was it about this situation that commanded her attention so? What was her goal here?

I finally had my answer.

There is just no way she had 'coincidentally' stumbled across this information after Gabriel convinced me to participate in Ragnarök. No, if she actually was telling the truth, this would have been known for years at this point. With as much of a problem I have been making of myself for the New Satans, them failing to discover this was out of the question.

Which meant she knew. Which is why she has been so interested in me. That also meant that she had not told me, for her own ends. Either to manipulate me or to use it against me later, I cared not which. I knew now, both what she had been hiding and the fact that it was hidden from me.

"Do you believe me stupid, Gremory?" I hissed, the overwhelming power settling around us like a cloak, "Some idiot who merely believes whatever is fed to him?"

"I…" She choked out, being squashed to the floor by the pressure, "Don't think that…"

"How long?" I asked, voice coming out deceptively calm.

"What?" She gasped.

"How long have you known, Gremory? How long have you kept the truth from me?" I growled out, idly noting that Ranni had appeared from my shadow, her cool hand resting on my arm, "Answer me!"

Guided by instinct, my Demonic Power leaping to fulfil my will, I reached into the squirming being before me and twisted.

Runeas panted, a pained sound escaping as she spat out, "Since I first saw you!"

I gritted my teeth, my fury spiking at the answer, My foot lashed out and dug into the soft side of the wretch before me. She was flipped onto her back, her wide eyes staring up, locked onto my own. Rather than fear or distress, the main expression I could see in the purple orbs was awe.

I scowled at that, the energy within twisting even further, causing her face to expand into a rictus of pain.

"Wow." A nonchalant voice sounded out, completely unconcerned with the swirling energy and palpable tension, "Nice horns, Sagan."

My attention was turned to the source, blinking as I was greeted with the sight of Tiamat in her human form, looking at me in appreciation. She was floating leisurely outside the windows of the office, which I only now noticed were shattered, as if a bomb had gone off inside the room. I blinked, the upward ascent of my anger paused by the surprise.

"Consort." The calm voice of Ranni sounded softly, "If thou wish to kill this Devil, I will not stop thee. However, it should be a decision that is made with a sound mind."

I took in a deep breath, heeding her advice. My emotions, my Sins, were running rampant, completely destroying the control that I had built up so carefully. I rectified that, grasping the conflicting, tangled angry ball of hate and forcing it to submit.

The power that was flowing through me was not so easily contained, the breaking of the seal apparently dumping the entirety of what Ranni had stolen from Loki into me at once. I turned back towards the Devil who was breathing heavily on the floor, sucking in large lungfuls of air as the pressure that had been weighing down on her receded.

"If she pissed you off that much, I could simply eat her." Tiamat offered, barely sparing a glance at the ancient, eyes still locked onto my forehead.

Reaching up, I felt around the area, surprised to feel the hard bone of horns jutting from the skin. Putting it off for later, I responded.

"Unfortunately, it is not so simple. It is known that she is visiting here, her disappearance would be all the confirmation they would need to know we killed her." I looked down at Runeas, whose eyes had yet to leave me, "Runeas. What was your plan? Do not lie."

The last words echoed, reverberating with more than mere sound. Runeas, the target of the command, shuddered.

"I wanted to stop you from fighting the New Satans, while placing you on the Throne of Hell." She answered,

I frowned, knowing without a doubt that she was telling the truth through this weird additional sense I had acquired. Still, her answer was proof that although I could compel truthfulness, I could not force one to give a full answer.

Why would she want me on the Throne of Hell? How would that aid her? She was very supportive of Rias, making her the new Head of the House before her time and personally tutoring the girl. Additionally, she was very supportive of the girl's training sessions with me, taking the opportunity to come with and poke and prod every time.

Tiamat had taken my introspection as permission, softly alighting in the office and gently reaching out to curiously touch the horns I was now sprouting. I let her, more concerned with the puzzle I had been given.

She wanted the Gremory to be tied to the one on the Throne? But that didn't make any sense, its current occupant was Zekram, in all but name. The Gremory were already linked to him, through Venelana's marriage. My mind turned to the last time I saw the woman, used as a pawn for the older devil. Was that it? She wanted to groom me to view her and the Gremory favourably, thus allowing her to become the power behind the Throne? That could only happen if...

"You really did believe I was a fool, or easily misled." I spat out, anger sparking once more, "Playing both sides against each other, picking one only once it was clear who would win. Then expecting to be rewarded for it? Why would you think I would possibly trust you?"

She smiled, a pained, difficult thing, "I keep my word, always. Once I make a promise, I follow through."

"Forgive me for not believing that." I spat, "Seeing as you planned to change sides opportunistically. Do you honestly believe that you could direct me, even with a formal alliance?"

"I'm still alive, am I not?" Was the sardonic answer.

I was sorely tempted to change that, but was stopped as a swirling vortex appeared near Ranni, a pale, small form stepping out and looking around curiously.

"Why did you leave?" She asked, voice flat.

"My apologies, mine consort was in distress, so I went to lend my aid." Ranni responded, "I regret that it interfered with my granting of thy silence."

"Is that the cause?" The little dragon asked, looking down at Runeas, who had finally taken her eyes off of me and was looking at the newcomer in confusion, "Should I kill her?"

She raised an arm, pausing as I interjected, "Please don't, Ophis. It would cause a lot of trouble and noise if you did."

"You're a lot noisier as well. Troublesome." She remarked, cold eyes turning my way, before her head tilted, "But it's not annoying? Strange."

"Wait. Ophis?" Runeas gasped out, eyes welling with fear and terror, "The Ouroboros?"

"Shut up." The subject of her question snapped, "I'm thinking."

"Ophis." Ranni spoke, her eyes asking me a question to which I nodded, "Let us return, so that I may provide thy silence once more."

"Very well." The dragon responded distractedly, taking Ranni's hand as both disappeared in a shimmer of blue.

I could still feel her however, the Dark Moon's attention remaining fixed on me. Thanks to my new senses, it was even easier and more detailed to feel than before.

I was surprised however, as the shaking, pale form of Runeas rose up, throwing herself at my feet, all but grovelling.

"Lord Sagan. Lord Lucifer." She pleaded, "I swear fealty to you!"

---XXX---

"So I'm staying for some time to make sure everything is settled here." She spoke, the phone in her grasp trembling despite her best efforts, "Expect me to come back sometime next week."

"Are you sure? That's a lot of time to spend away from the house, especially for you." came the worried voice from the speaker.

"I'm sure. It's better that we keep a close watch on the situation." She responded, swallowing.

"All right then. Would you like to speak to Sirzechs about it, or...?" Her descendant trailed off, unsure.

"No no, you tell him. I should get back to it." She assured him, swiftly afterwards ending the call.

She threw the phone carelessly away from her, the clattering sound it made doing little to make her feel better.

"I was supposed to take that from you." Came the dry voice of the green-haired Sagan Queen.

"I'm not stopping you." She responded, letting out a shuddering sigh.

"Cute." Her expression didn't change, but her disapproval was palpable.

CC raised her hand, bringing the phone to it magically as she preceded to stalk out of the room, leaving Runeas alone with the Head Maid. The blonde nodded to her, hands held professionally in front of her stomach.

"The guest rooms are available to you, but please don't try to leave this wing. You are here as a guest, Damocles asked us to keep you comfortable, but that does not mean you are allowed to look into our private areas." She spoke, her voice much more expressive than the rest of the Sagan Peerage, yet still full of disdain for her.

Funnily enough, despite her swearing her fealty to Damocles, a contract that even now she can feel tugging on her, it did little to warm up his other servants to her. In fact, they seemed to take it as a sign to drop the thin façade and reveal just how hostile they truly were to her and hers. Something that she thought she knew the depths of, but was apparently severely underestimating.

She bowed her head to the girl, hoping to display submission and bleed off some of that hostility, "Thank you. I will not test my new Lord's trust."

Better to keep it simple, for now.

"As you say." Naomi responded, before she turned her heel and left, not even bothering with a parting.

Runeas was suddenly the last one in the room, causing her to feel free to sink her head into her hands, considering just how to salvage this whole mess. She didn't believe for a second that they were not watching her closely, but for now, she had absolutely no intention of pushing them any further. She needed to consider just what she had learned.

Her power was that of Fortune. Luck smiled on her, events seemed to arrange themselves in her favour and if she really pushed it, she could even force a beneficial outcome from mere happenstance. She knew, of course, that her power was hardly infallible, there existed many people that could simply ignore it, or suppress its effects.

However, it had never lied. If she determined that this was the most favourable moment to act with her coin, it was the best time possible. There were limits to this, as had been shown recently.

She had almost died. The Sagan, the newly awakened Lucifer, had been perfectly willing and capable to go through with it. The only thing that snapped him out of his rage was the lucky intervention of his Goddess and Tiamat. That, more than anything, proved that her coin didn't steer her wrong. She was also fortunate that Ranni was not present for the start of the conversation, allowing her to use her Power liberally during it, at least until she suddenly appeared from Damocles' shadow and suppressed it.

Another factor was the fact that Damocles had to leave immediately afterwards to go to a previously agreed on meeting with the Yokai in Japan. Truly, this was the best possible time that she could have had this conversation.

And it went catastrophically.

She had almost been executed by the newly risen True Devil. She was stronger than him. She knew this for a fact, her reserves of Demonic Power were massive in comparison to his own. Yet, at that moment, it didn't matter in the slightest. Reaching to her breast, she laid a hand over her heart, remembering the sensation of his Power intruding into her very core and simply refusing every attempt she made at mustering resistance.

She had never felt so powerless, so totally overwhelmed. Even when he had calmed down and his hysterical strength had mostly faded, looking up at him from the place he had kicked her to, her instincts screamed at her that this was not a being she could defeat.

She always wondered why Lucifer controlled the 72 Pillars. She had seen which way the wind was blowing, but the others were all prideful and arrogant, even those created by Lucifer and his Concubine, not raised from the Primordial Demons, should have chaffed under his grasp. Yet they didn't. Could this strange hold Damocles had over her be the reason? Or was that merely the Power of Binding undergoing an evolution and Lucifer really was that charismatic?

She didn't know. In the end it didn't even matter, due to what happened next.

The Ouroboros, hiding itself in the form of a young woman.

It had simply torn its way into the meeting, perturbed with Ranni having been called away from whatever they were doing. After realising just what she was faced with, Runeas had a grim, devastating realisation.

They lost. The Gremory, the New Satans, Bael, the entirety of Hell mustering all its forces and attacking the Sagan at once? With the Infinite present and seemingly allied with the Dark Moon, they lost, easily. They had a discussion a while ago, on whether Sirzechs could defeat Ranni. He was confident that if she stayed at the level of power she was currently projecting, he could, but they were unsure of her upper limit.

Even if this really was the summit, the fact that Ophis was friendly with her meant that it didn't matter. The Infinite and the Dream was beyond reality, so ludicrously strong that the very thought of fighting them was laughable.

Worse, when the Great Dragon went to strike her down, Damocles told it to stop, and it did. It listened to him, allowing him to direct it.

That was horrifying. The implications... They were in a much worse situation than any of them realised, closer to complete destruction than any of them expected. She had been in a panic, seeing just what sort of force the Sagan had amassed to himself. So seeing him there, so powerful, commanding, six wings spread and rippling with power, horned and tailed, she threw herself at his feet and begged to enter his service.

Then, after ensuring that she was serious, he had branded her with his crest, slapping it onto her thigh almost carelessly. He informed he said it would key her into the wards, then stated that he would deal with 'this mess' after he returned, as he was already running late for his meeting.

Surely, she did arrive at the most fortunate time.

She didn't believe for a second that her brand meant she could freely come and go, no, it was more likely that they would use it to monitor her.

She was a prisoner here, at least for the next week or so. She also had some time, time with which she needed to come up with a plan. She had realised that she was labouring under a misconception.

Damocles wouldn't take the Throne of Hell because he was a descendant of Lucifer. He would take it because he was Damocles. She knew that he was preparing for conflict, but she assumed it was a play for independence or a role similar to that the current Satans occupied. Now, faced with the fact that he had a goddess of unknown power and the Infinite in his corner, she realised that his ambitions were already much higher, even without her involvement.

Her own plans to mould him into a good ruler were in tatters, now she needed to come up with new ones.

More specifically, she needed to figure out how she could save the highest number of her family members from the wrath of her new Lord, and fast.

Chapter 80: The Burden of Choice

The Burden of Choice

The Yokai of Japan were many things, but ungrateful was not one of them. Ever since I saved their princess, they greeted me with a warmness that was rather surprising due to how utterly absent it had been up until that point. They had never been outright rude since I signed the trade agreement, but I was treated coldly.

Politely, but still someone that had to be dealt with as soon as possible. When I roamed the streets of Midnight Kyoto, I received bows and deferential treatment from my guides. From the rest, they crossed the street to avoid me, the bustling life of the town disappearing the more we walked as the Yokai went out of their way to prevent themselves from having to see me.

When Kunou was attacked however, that had changed completely. I would have expected fear, considering that Ranni pulled the Moon to rest over Japan, demonstrating how insanely powerful she was, but no. Whatever Yasaka had spread to the rest apparently painted me and my Family in an incredibly positive light.

When I walked the streets now, it was to warm greetings and friendly offers. When I had Shiro with, she was showered with sweets, if I was with Kasane it was instead offers of tailored outfits. Similarly, all of my Peerage members were treated very well by the Yokai, store owners giving wide smiles and offers of samples of their wares. Several of the more martially inclined species even approached me for a retelling of the battle or to merely shake my hand and thank me for taking care of the attackers so thoroughly.

The difference between then and now was stark. For the first time, the denizens of the Mystical side of Kyoto were not greeting me with polite disdain or warm enthusiasm. No, I was currently receiving stares of trepidation, fear and uncertainty. The crowds parted around me, my steps moving through the Yokai as they stared at me, backing away and murmuring among themselves.

I knew the reason of course, the main culprit being the two protrusions of bone that even now stubbornly jutted from my brow. I had naively thought that I could hide my new appendages in a similar manner to my wings, but apparently whatever it was in Lucifer's blood that was responsible did not come with the same instinctual instruction manual.

I was already in danger of being late for my meeting with Yasaka, who had requested that I approach publicly and formally for the meeting that had been arranged. I did not know who it would be with, but with the Shinto reawakening it stood to reason that the Gods of Japan were starting to take interest in the dealings of other Factions within their borders.

So, stuck with my Luciferian features on full display, I had a decision to make. I could do one of three things: Teleport to the Palace directly and risk offending Yasaka's guests, reschedule the meeting entirely, or what I had eventually decided upon.

Hence, me walking down the paved street with fully visible Horns, multiple pairs of wings and a waving tail.

The reasoning was simple. I could already tell that my Demonic Power had fundamentally changed, becoming denser, stronger, more than it was. A process I could feel was being accelerated from the sword sheathed within my soul. Any Devil I met could instantly tell the difference, meaning that until I figured out a way of hiding my change and veiling my power, it was likely that any who had personal experience with Lucifer could instantly spot the similarities.

Even if they couldn't, some deep, fundamental part of me recoiled against the idea of hiding this change. What would even be the point? Apparently the Satans already knew, as did Heaven. It was only a matter of time until the secret was revealed, either on accident or deliberately. Luckily the timing of Runeas' visit gave me an opportunity to reveal it in a rather unique fashion.

The first to officially find out, the first that I deliberately informed, were not the Satans. Not Zekram, Rizevim or any other Devil. Not even Heaven or the Fallen were aware that I had awoken, if the Fallen were aware of the situation at all. No, instead, I went to the Yokai, my allies.

It was a large display of trust, demonstrating just how highly I thought of my relationship with them. More importantly, it would likely put whatever Shinto Kami that had requested this meeting in a much more agreeable mood. This was giving them a large amount of face, demonstrating that I placed a higher value on their opinion than those of my own race's leadership.

It didn't matter whether that was the truth or not, that was the perception.

So, rather than risk losing control of the narrative around my heritage to someone else, I decided to burn the secret in a very public fashion and in a way that would be beneficial to me, at least in the short term.

Of course, this only mattered if the Kami was one who cared for such things. If it was Susanoo, then this would likely end in a confrontation either way. Doubly so if it was Tsukiyomi, considering how Ranni upstaged him.

I was brought out of my thoughts by a tugging sensation that almost made me miss a step and stumble. Turning, I beheld a wide eyed Tengu, who was just pulling his hand back from where it had touched my tail. Before I could speak, a feathered woman came sprinting out of the nearby store front, shouting.

"Sora! I apologise Sagan-dono, I have no clue what he was thinking…" She trailed off, fidgeting slightly as her eyes locked onto my form, the entire street holding its breath as they watched the scene.

Far from being offended, I was almost glad. This was exactly what I needed to break the spell my transformation had woven around me. Holding up a hand to reassure the mother, I knelt down, staring seriously at the young Tengu.

"Sora, was it?" The kid nodded, trying to hide behind his mother's legs but stopped by her hand, "Have you seen any of the Kitsune around here?"

The young Tengu mumbled, but the older shook his shoulder, causing him to speak clearly, "Yes…"

"Would you try to touch their tails?" He shook his head, staring down at the ground, "That's right. For the same reason, you shouldn't touch the tails of anyone else, okay? They might get upset."

"I'm truly sorry Lord Sagan, if there is any way that I could make up for this offence-" Her words were cut off by my own.

"There is no need, no harm was done. I'm sure young Sora here will not do something like that again." I smiled at her, causing her to nod rapidly.

"Yes. Yes! I will make sure of it, please be certain of that!" Her voice was attempting to be firm, but trembled nonetheless.

"I have no doubt. As for you young man, take care not to worry your mother so much in the future, alright?" That got a sullen nod, making me have to hide a grin.

The boy is in for an almighty lecture, I would bet.

Resuming with my walk, taking care to watch the position of my tail, I noticed a change come over the Yokai that watched the scene and spread from there. Acting in the way I did and not taking offence to the child seemed to have defused some of the tension, not all the way but enough that some familiar faces nodded my way in greeting.

Walking with purpose, I returned the nods, not at all bothered by the attitude still persisting. I had already expected it to last until Yasaka was able to make an official statement. All I had done was blunt the edge, ensuring that no one would attempt anything ill-advised as I made my way to the Palace.

Time to see just who has called for my presence here.

---XXX---

Melina sighed, the first sound she had made ever since she entered the room. She had been called by her 'master' to discuss a matter of grave import. Or so Ranni had said.

Honestly, she was grateful that the other woman had been very sparing in yanking the leash that connected to her collar. She had been expecting much, much worse treatment from the Goddess, as the Dark Moon held her in very poor esteem. She had figured out the reason why she had not been treated as badly as she expected, of course. As always when it came to the Lunar Goddess, the reason was Damocles.

She was worried that if she mistreated Melina, then Damocles would view her unfavourably. It was a fair assumption, as her conversations with the man showed that he was as infuriatingly caring as he was in the Lands Between. Observing him, she could sometimes feel as if she was still with Damocles, the Tarnished and not Damocles, the Devil Lord.

She didn't begrudge the Goddess this, to be clear. She, more than anyone, knew how divinity weighed on one. It took an extraordinary will to retain even a semblance of humanity after attaining such heights, either that or an anchor. Miquella had Melenia, she had her children and Ranni had Damocles. Something to remind you of where you came from, to give you reason to act.

Still, Ranni's reluctance to pull her tether did not mean that it didn't exist. As proven by this instance, an insistent pull that forced her into an audience with the Goddess that she was the Herald of. If there was one thing that she could complain about, aside from her forced servitude, it was her leash holder's love for theatrics and power games.

Hence, why neither had spoken since she had answered the summons, the Goddess forcing her to make the first move. She was tempted to simply main silent, but unfortunately she had prior commitments, meaning that she had to yield this time.

"What is it you called me here for, Ranni?" She asked, causing the Goddess to place the tips of her upper hands together, fixing her with a stare above them.

"The Sagan Peerage is going to War, as you well know." She spoke ,voice carrying through the room, "As mine Herald, I wish to ascertain thy place in the conflict."

"I presume that I would go with them, to ensure your Consort's safety." She responded, wondering what the point of this charade was.

"You misunderstand, Ghost. The Peerage will enter the conflict and only the Peerage, as per the agreement with the Angel. Should thou wish to participate, you need to first join." The Goddess explained, her expression not changing, "This is not something that I can order thee to do. It is something that thou must decide for thyself."

The pieces. The tethers that bound Damocles to his Peerage and them to him. Melina could feel their presence, through her own connection to his soul. Such a thing… it disquieted her, although she could not adequately explain why.

She did not know how to feel about the whole situation, so instead she deflected, "I am surprised you are abiding by that agreement and not ordering me to join regardless, or even coming yourself."

Indeed, the Dark Moon would be sitting Ragnarok out, by her own decision.

"Damocles is unable to sustain mine Order and it's effect upon him. Should I engage in divine conflict, the barriers keeping my true self from this world will shatter. Even were that not the case, I would not participate directly regardless." Ranni spoke, causing Melina to scoff at that, making Ranni raise an eyebrow, "Thou may disbelieve me, but my words are true. Listen well, Melina, that which is given without effort is undeserved. Such victory brings with it a bitter, resentful taste, especially to men. Damocles should have the pleasure of achieving triumph through his own efforts, like I was able to."

"Such considerations disinterest me." Melina spoke, her gloam eye peering at the divinity in front of her, "I can recognise a veiled order when I hear it, Ranni. Should you wish for me to accept yet another collar, I would have it come directly from your mouth."

"I will do thee no such kindness." Ranni retorted, voice turning icy, "Relieving thee of the burden of choice, deciding for thee in a way that absolves thee of consequence… tis more than thou deserve. As is thy wont, you seek another to take up the responsibility that should be thine. Thou have given up on life, Melina, thus are unwilling to move under your own will. You died, became a puppet and were content. In truth, I despise you."

She was surprised by the venom that Ranni filled her words with, "So you wish for me to volunteer directly? Couching it in flowery language makes your intent no less clear, Ranni."

"Again, you deny advice that is given in earnest." The witch sighed, before speaking again, "Consider this, ghost, stubbornly refusing to accept reality. Damocles has of thee no expectations. He does not wish to pressure you in any way. Should thou wish, we could see him off to war with no issue, no offers of accompanying him. Thou could continue in the manner with which you have become content. Neither he nor I would begrudge you the decision."

Melina doubted the last bit, but one thing Ranni was trustworthy when it came to her word. She was speaking of taking no action, no her personal feeling on such an outcome.

The goddess finished, "However, should you do so and he falls in battle, or one of his family does, in such a way that thee could have prevented… Could thou continue to be content with thy stagnation? Could thou shrug it off? Death is no stranger to either of us, true, but would allowing such a thing come to pass sit well with thee?"

"Your feelings on the matter are clear Ranni." Melina spoke, the Goddess' words stirring a swirl of emotions in her that she stubbornly refused to address in the presence of the one in front of her.

"Good. It is my hope that thine own will soon gain that clarity." Ranni's head tilted, considering, before she added with finality, "You have been granted a great gift, from a certain point of view. A new chance at life, a way to rebuild that which was torn from you, even better than it was before. However, thou cannot do so without first releasing the stubborn grip you hold on death. This is not something that others can do for you."

"Decide, Melina: Live, or stay dead." With her final piece said, the Goddess of the Dark Moon faded away in a swirl of mist.

Leaving behind her conflicted Herald.

---XXX---

"Lady Yasaka, Lord Sagan is here." The guard announced, looking at me from the corner of his eye.

They were on high alert ever since seeing me, having asked me to prove my identity before allowing me entry and sending a messenger forward while guiding me to the owner of the Palace. I did not begrudge them the caution, it being perfectly understandable in this situation.

"Damocles." Yasaka spoke, warmth and concern warring in her tone as the door opened to admit me, "You have undergone some changes, I see."

"Yes. I apologise for the surprise, Yasaka, but it seems that someone thought it was a good idea to inform me of my heritage minutes before I left. I attempted to hide the more… eye-catching parts, to no success. To that end, could I ask for your assistance in doing so after the meeting?" I asked, causing her to nod while staring at my horns.

"Certainly, I would be glad to… Your Heritage? Then that would mean that you are a descendant of Lucifer. Should we change how we address you?" She tilted her head, ears flopping at the motion.

I shook my head, denying, "Please don't. I am a Sagan, not a Lucifer, no matter who my grandfather was. This changes nothing about our agreement or how I wish us to interact going forward."

"I am glad to hear it." She grinned a vulpine smile, shoulders relaxing at the answer, "I apologise for asking you to come out like this, but I was given no uncertain instructions."

"Do not worry, Yasaka, I am not inconvenienced at all." I reassured, resisting the urge to flirt with her given the formality of this event, "Speaking of, may I enquire as to who wished to meet me?"

"I'm sorry." Yasaka shook her head, gently taking my hand and leading me to the opposite door of the room, stopping just before it, "I was told to not inform you in any way."

"By me." A deep voice called out in archaic Japanese, the sliding door opening on its own, "Consider this a personal test, young Sagan. For one who wishes to ally themself with the Land of the Rising Sun, my identity should be obvious."

The one who spoke was clearly divine, the feeling coming off him, though weaker than I was used to, was unmistakable. Weaker in total amount, that is, the amount of power this God possessed seeming refined and sharpened to the point that even resting cross-legged as her was, I could feel danger rolling off him. Not actively, it reminded me of a big cat lounging, an apex predator at rest.

As for the God himself, he was dressed in a loose, formal hakama, hair tied into a knot at the top of his head. Beside him, a bow that hummed with power rested, while on his face rested a snarling face mask, resembling the type worn by Samurai of old. It hid the entirety of his face aside from the area around his mouth and his sharp eyes, but all I needed to identify him was the weapon at his side. On his other side rested a pair of swords, but the bow was the one that gave it away.

"Oh?" He grumbled, eyes assessing, "It appears that you recognised me at first glance."

His voice tilted at the end, leading me to answer.

So I did, "indeed I did. As you said, any who want to deal with the Shinto and Japan should know you, given your position. It is my pleasure to meet you, Lord Hachiman."

I could see his mouth smile at my words. Indeed, sitting in front of me, awaiting my arrival, was the Divine Lord Protector of all Japan.

Hachiman, the Shinto Kami of War.

Chapter 81: The Lord Protector

The Lord Protector

"Thank you, Yasaka." The Divine being opposite me spoke as the Kitsune finished pouring tea, "I am sorry, but may I speak to the Sagan alone?"

Yasaka hesitated at that, giving me the briefest of looks before she bowed low from her seated position, "Hai, Lord Hachiman. Please excuse me."

Straight backed, with perfect posture, she left the room without a backwards glance.

"She is concerned for you. Enough to hesitate when given an order." Hachiman observed, taking a small sip of his tea, "It speaks well of your character to have endeared the Miko of Kyoto so."

"I am glad to have her think so warmly of me as well." I took a sip of my own beverage, "I must admit, when I received her missive, I was not expecting it to be an invitation to a personal meeting."

"Hmm." The God hummed, eyes peering through his mask as he took in my form, "Originally it was decided that Susanoo would be the one to speak with you, however, his way of ascertaining one's nature is to cross swords with them. I humbly suggested that such an approach would have been alienating."

"I thank you for the consideration." I spoke, relaxing slightly.

From what I have heard of him and the myths surrounding him, Susanoo would have likely attacked me as soon as I stepped foot on Japan, fighting until he was satisfied then dragging me off for drinks afterward. While the trade with the Yokai is important enough to my immediate situation that I would have accepted it, it was still a source of stress I was glad that I didn't have to encounter.

Still that left the question about why they were sending someone to meet me. The fact that Susanoo was considered meant that it was for something important, considering his status as one of the big three of the Shinto pantheon.

More to the point, it brought into question why they didn't just have Inari meet me to discuss whatever it was. I was the closest with the fox deity out of all the Gods of Japan, so them deciding to send someone new implied certain things about this meeting.

Whatever his business, Hachiman was in no hurry to get to it. Instead, he was content to sip on his tea, eyes lingering on the new additions to my form, obviously taking the time to consider what my bloodline meant for the Shinto. For my part, rather than get annoyed at the power play, I decided to take the opportunity to reflect and try and calm the roiling mess of power inside of me.

Ever since the seal broke, the Dark Moon sword had been feeding Loki's power into me. It had been doing that before, but it was but a trickle compared to the flood that had occurred once the dam broke. Interestingly enough, my Demonic Power was not increasing that much, considering I was devouring the essence of a God. Instead, it felt as if it was suffusing every part of me equally, not quite increasing my capabilities yet still making me feel like I was becoming more than I was.

I would need to meditate properly to completely understand the feeling, but this brief break was enough for me to soothe the rushing flow of power, marshalling it into some form of order. The tea that Yasaka prepared seemed to be helping with the process somehow, likely a mystical blend that I have yet to learn about.

The silence that settled between Hachiman and myself was heavy with expectation, yet neither of us seemed to be uncomfortable with it, perfectly content to let the other make the first move.
The one to break it was the Shinto god, putting down his cup of tea and placing it formally on the table in front of him.

"Much has happened to my homeland since we retreated to the Land of Reeds. My people have forgotten lessons learned long ago, yet at the same time much is the same as it was. Walking the modern streets, I am at once at home and a stranger. Such is typical of the passing of time and will fade shortly, but there is one thing that we have discovered that has brought us much to consider." He spoke, the snarling mask he wore at odds with his calm, measured tone.

I nodded, careful in my reply, "The soul of a people has a long memory. Change is always difficult, but I am sure that Japan will be better off with your involvement again."

He laughed softly at my answer, a grin barely visible, "You are the first person I have heard say that and truly mean it."

He fixed me with a considering look, the mirth fading from his expression as a hand came up to softly hold his chin, "In our absence, many deals and agreements have been made, including ones with which we are not pleased with."

"Like my own with the Yokai." I guessed, earning a slow nod, "But forgive me for pointing out, such an agreement was only possible with the assistance of Inari and the approval of Amaterasu."

"You are right for doing so. However, those decisions were made when you were but a singular, ostracised Devil. Not the consort of an immensely powerful god, nor indeed, the descendant of Lucifer." He countered, "Thus, we have been taken by the need to review not just your arrangement, but all those that have been agreed upon in our absence."

"I see. Of course, changing realities must be taken into account, but I feel I must disagree with your authority in this matter." That earned a head tilt from the Kami, causing me to elaborate, "The agreement was made between myself and Yasaka, in her capacity as the head of the Kyoto Yokai. Not as the Miko of Amaterasu. As her masters, you do have the capability to break this agreement. However, doing so would be detrimental to the very subjects you wish to protect, not to mention that the penalties for breaking the contract would have to be paid in full."

"All valid points, Lord Sagan. Yet, I cannot help but feel that you are not arguing purely for business, but rather that you have become personally invested in the matter." He nodded warmly with his words, "Which is why I will be recommending that we do not interfere in the agreement between you and the Yokai."

"I'm sorry? Might I inquire as to your reasoning?" I blinked at the sudden curveball.

"One of the things that our people have forgotten is that Devils are selfish creatures. They can only be trusted to act according to their own desires. You obviously desire to make Yasaka yours, thus you will act in a beneficial manner towards her people." He poured himself another cup of tea, breathing in the aroma, "More to the point, your agreement does not cede any territory to you. All the warehouses in Kyoto are still the property of the Yokai, not you. This has made your situation much more palatable."

"I see. That is the major concern for the Shinto?" I asked, intrigued, "That Devils and other factions have gained territory upon Japan?"

The cup in his hand creaked slightly, "Two thousand years, yet not once has a single inch of the Sacred Home Islands been ceded to an invader. However, through agreements and deals made in darkness, there are now parts of our domain that are no longer beholden to us."

He relaxed, as slight as his tension had been, as he turned to regard me shrewdly, "Tell me, young Sagan, descendant of Lucifer himself. If I asked you for your counsel on this matter, would you give it truthfully?"

"I would give it freely." I responded, immediately scenting that any losses by other Devils in Japan could only strengthen my own position, "The first thing I would advise is to ask the Devils who own the territory for their copies of the agreements that gave it to them. Breaking deals weakens Devils, as it goes against our very natures, however said agreements are only as binding as their wording."

"So pour over the contracts for ways to break them?" He questioned, eyes sharp.

"No. Take advantage of the same loophole Devils do. Unless an agreement is with an entire bloodline, it is only binding so long as the one who made it is alive. A Devil can gain territory in exchange for taking care of it and protecting it, but if the one they made the agreement with dies, they are no longer bound to do so and may do what they wish in regard to the territory. However, by the same token…" I explained.

"I see. The very deal itself is no longer binding. Very devious." He smiled now, with genuine warmth, "Also something we are already doing. Omoikane-no-Mikoto gave the exact same advice. Thank you for your honesty."

I smiled back, shrugging, "Well played."

---XXX---

She looked down on the broken fragments on her desk. Drumming her fingers over the arm rest of her office chair, she felt her mind drifting, thinking over the meeting she had secured for later in the week. It was one of those moments her father had told her about, the rare points in time where the actions you take would affect the rest of your life.

She felt the weight of expectation around her shoulders. She had argued long and hard with her parents, trying to get them to accept her point of view, only for them to eventually reveal to her that they were thinking the same things. They merely wanted to see that she had properly thought through and considered her actions and what they could mean for the future of their House.

It all circled around the same material that the shards on her desk were made out of. The wonder mineral, the mining of which propelled her House to the highest echelons of power.

Agaresite.

The crystal formation was exceptionally magically resonant, allowing enchanters and warders of all kinds to perform truly wondrous feats with the mineral as a base. Even the Evil Pieces, the ultimate weapon of the Devil Race, were made from it.

At the same time, it was a noose around the Agares' necks. They were under more regulations and restrictions when it came to the riches of their territory than any of the other Pillars of Hell. Understandably so, it might seem, as their greatest asset as a race were tied to the crystals that could only be found in their territory. It seems sensible that the leaders of the Devils would want to restrict other Factions' access to such a wondrous material.

Bans on trading with other factions. Limits on the amount they could sell to other Pillars. Mandatory quotas to deliver amounts to Ajuka Beelzebub, to turn into Evil Pieces, for market rate prices. Of course, the Market Rate price was legislated, so the Agares were being underpaid for their labours, even if they received what many would consider a King's ransom in exchange.

After all, they had become one of the most powerful Houses in Hell, but for all their power, all their influence, they were still constrained and blocked from going any higher. Agaresite was a finite resource, this much is true, but even if they expanded their mining operations a hundredfold it would still be many centuries until they depleted the entire reserve of the crystal. That is not even considering the other secret about the substance that the Agares had kept to themselves.

She sighed, stretching her palm over the shards, feeling the incredibly complex spell-work from Lord Beelzebub that even now filled the shattered piece. She activated her family magic, focusing intently on only the magical signature under her grasp. As it was known to do, the Agaresite ate up the Demonic Power sent its way, allowing her Power to suffuse the entirety of it easily. More than that, it allowed her to do something otherwise impossible.

Under her hands, the pieces shivered and began to move, each part of the broken pawn merging and moulding back together, as if time reversed itself. In fact, that is exactly what was happening. She continued to focus and concentrate, not stopping even once the piece was made fully whole. She continued, winding the clock further and further back, until what remained was not the glorious wonder of spell-work created by a Satan, but instead a simple, ordinary chess piece carved from crystal.

She sighed, bringing her hand back to her side as she picked up the blue object with the other. Tilting it, she reflected on the most closely guarded secret of the Agares clan. The main reason why all the worried of them eventually running out of the crystal were almost laughable.

It didn't matter what the crystal was used for, what form it was turned into, how long it had been in use. A few mere moments with an Agares, and all the machinations of others would be wiped away, as if they never existed. The Agaresite itself would be pure, ready to be reshaped and reused, as if it had just been brought up from the mines.

The facade was useful, the non-renewable nature of the crystal in the minds of others meaning that her House gained a position of prominence and protection, after all anything finite needed to be protected and taken care of.

Now, however, the winds of change were blowing. All the pillars had decisions to make, they could all see the collision course their society was on. Or at least, they should. Too many powerful beings were rising, taking sides and declaring allegiances. None of them could abide being only one amongst many, there would be a reckoning. When there were only three sides, there was a tense but somewhat stable balance between them. However, with the rise of the Sagan, that equilibrium was a thing of the past.

Danger and opportunity were often different sides of the same coin, and she wished to ensure that when the dust settled, her House was standing higher than it was even now. To that end, she saw the utility that the Sagan represented, especially with the STC. Damocles had been buying the maximum allowable amount of Agaresite from her House that was afforded to him by his rank, but he had not been satisfied. He bought out other Houses' quotas, letting them buy the material only for him to purchase it from them, often at insane prices.

It was too much.

He was only trading with the Yokai at the moment, but the amount of resources the STC was acquiring was much too much for only that one trading partner. No, he was stockpiling, preparing. The Sagan intended to expand and if her intuition was correct, rather rapidly at that. His thinking was likely to sign several agreements with sizeable, favourable bonuses for those agreeing, rapidly and in quick succession. By the time others noticed, it would be too late to stop him through the Senate, as the deals would have already been signed.

If the Agares cooperated with him, became a partner rather than just a supplier, then her House could reap the rewards alongside the Sagan. On top of that, it would position her Family as a neutral party in the coming conflict, having agreements and at least normal relations with each side. It was not a certain guarantee, but one would hesitate to strike at a supplier of your enemies if it would harm your prospects as well.

She was brought out of her reflections by her door opening, a pale Alivan leading her Lord Father into her office.

"Daughter." The Lord Agares smiled at her, warmth and pride filling his gaze, "I must say, your intuition puts us all to shame."

She was very confused, blinking as she asked, "What do you mean, Father?"

"Ah." He chuckled, "It appears you have yet to see the news. Alivan, if you would?"

Her Queen nodded, walking around the desk and showing her the screen of his phone. The browser was open on it, showing a news article, headline large and in bold. She ignored that in favour of staring at the picture, low quality and obviously taken by a shaking hand, but considering what it showed that was no wonder.

"It appears, dear daughter, that you have secured us quite the coup." She heard her father speak, from a million miles away, "Everyone will be clamouring and rushing to gain even a speck of his attention, yet, who is it who has the first meeting with the newest descendant of Lucifer? That's right, House Agares. Well done, Seekvaira."

Indeed, right there, proudly displaying horns and a spaded tail, was the scion of the Sagan House.

Damocles Sagan.

Or should she say, Damocles Lucifer?

---XXX---

"Damocles, would you indulge me? I wish to share something with you." Hachiman asked, our conversation about to finish.

I had offered to drop the honorifics, something to which he had agreed to, with only a slight shake of the head. Nothing of great import had been decided, merely making sure that there were no misunderstandings between us.

"I don't mind, Hachiman. The next little while will be rather trying for me, I expect, so delays are welcome." I responded, flicking my eyes up to the protruding appendages.

He laughed softly, "Yes, I suppose it will be. Walk with me."

He proceeded to stand and lead me through the Palace, moving with purpose, obviously well aware of where he was going. We moved through several hallways, the winding path leaving the familiar parts of the building I had already seen, before finally arriving at somewhere completely new.

I recognised it in an instant, of course, having seen pictures of similar places multiple times. Still, this was the first time I had ever stood in a Kyudo Archery Range. The Kami walked easily, picking up a bow purposefully, stringing it with long practise. Casting an eye over the implement, he nodded before he breathed gently on it, the wood glowing faintly as he did so.

Turning back to me, he started to speak as he held out the bow, "I find that Archery is a great way to clear the mind. The turmoil within you is clear to see, I would like to assist in a small way as an apology for my suspicions earlier."

"I do not believe you have anything to apologise for, but I thank you for the sentiment and accept gratefully. However, I have never used a bow before, so I fear I might embarrass myself." I walked up to him, taking the bow from his hand.

He nodded, stepping back as he said, "Do not worry about that, my blessing will ensure that will not be an issue. Just follow my guidance and all will be well."

I proceeded to do exactly that as he guided me into the correct stance, internally thinking that this act had a lot more significance than he was telling me. Once my posture was correct, he then began to instruct me further.

"Raise the bow, with the arrow nocked. Over your head, focus on nothing but the arrow and your target. All your worries, all your pains, they are not important to this. Lower the bow, draw the arrow, and release it true, your frustrations flying free with it."

I did as he bid, the world fading away as the blessing of the bow guided me, allowing me to draw and fire the arrow with practised ease that wasn't mine. As I did, I felt a great weight release from me as the arrow left the string, as if my stress really was flying along with the arrow. With a soft thunk, the arrow impacted the target, just shy of a bullseye, but still amazing for a first shot.

Looking at the bow, the glow had entirely left it, the implement once again resembling nothing but a normal bow.

"Excellent. I trust it was helpful?" Hachiman asked.

"Very much so. Thank you for sharing that with me." I responded, handing the bow back to him.

"You are most welcome." He unstrung it and put it away neatly as he spoke, "You are only the second Devil to ever experience shooting with me, so it is something you can proudly brag about."

My curiosity was piqued, "What happened with the other Devil?"

The Kami, finished with the bow, turned to me with a visible smile, "She missed."

Chapter 82: Playing Fair

Playing Fair

 

"Focus, feel your body. Fill your awareness with your own physical limits. The horns and tail, the features you want to hide, feel them, focus on them, empty your mind, let your instincts rise." Her voice was low, soothing.

Unfortunately, her words were too much for me to resist, a smile coming unbidden to my face, "Careful, if I do that in your presence I might act inappropriately."

"I'm sure I would survive." Was the dry response, before a tap struck my nose, causing it to scrunch, "Focus. Concentrate. Once you become conscious of them, the rest should come naturally."

I chuckled, before focusing on her instructions. The stress had piled up, one thing after another as soon as Runeas revealed my heritage to me. I barely had a few minutes with which to sort things out before my meeting with Hachiman. Here, now, in the gardens of the Yokai Palace, I finally had some time to reflect and centre myself.

Just as Yasaka had said, once I focused on my body, I was able to feel the horns and the tail. Much like my hands, it was a natural part of me, something that I could move on instinct. Concentrating on them harder, I could feel a metaphysical muscle, one that I took a bit to figure out how to pull. Once I did, I could feel the strange sensation of the bones sliding back into my body, disappearing and hiding from view.

Opening my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of a smiling Kitsune, warm pride in her golden eyes.

"Thank you, Yasaka. That was a great help." I spoke earnestly, causing her smile to widen, before it was replaced with a look of worry.

"I'm glad that the Yokai method was able to be of help to you, but Damocles… what happened?" She reached out, hand gently touching my upper arm, "Are you truly a descendant of Lucifer?"

"Apparently so." I sighed, "I was under a seal that kept my bloodline contained, but once I became aware of the knowledge the seal broke itself. I was only informed just before I arrived here."

"I see. I'm sorry that my request forced you to reveal yourself so soon after such a massive upheaval of your life." Her apology was genuine, "What are your plans going forward? Are you going to take up the Lucifer name?"

"For now, my plan is to go fetch the last members of my Peerage. There are questions I need answered from the one who revealed the truth to me and I do not trust her to give them to me honestly. Thankfully, I should be able to get them from the one I'm going to meet." I answered, causing her eyes to narrow, to which I shrugged, "I don't think I will, Yasaka. I am a Sagan, it's what I have built myself up as. More to the point, I don't want the legacy that comes with the name. He was petty, deluded and not worth emulating or honouring."

"Don't let any other Devils hear you say that." She grinned, a short-lived expression, "However, Damocles, I feel I must warn you. Your bloodline will affect you, will be an important part of you. Rejecting it is not healthy or safe."

"I'm not rejecting it. I am a descendant of Lucifer, I accept that." I responded, reaching a hand up to gently grasp her own, "It's up to me to decide what that means for me, or how I live my life. Not anyone else, especially someone who has been dead for centuries."

Her smile returned at my words, stronger now, "I'm glad, you are strong, I am sure that you will conquer this. I want you to know, Kyoto is always open to you. Should your kind not accept this new you, should the Underworld itself turn against you, I offer you a safe haven."

"Thank you Yasaka. Truly." I squeezed her hand, "Knowing that you are willing to do that for me means a lot. I will try not to impose such difficulty on you, but I cannot promise it will not happen."

She squeezed back, "Good. I'm glad you are not feeding me nonsense about how you've got it all handled."

"It would be nice if I could." I laughed, using the grip to pull on her gently, enveloping her in a hug as she tilted towards me, "Thank you again. For everything."

"I wish I could do more." She muttered, hugging me tightly.

"Just this is plenty already. I won't forget it." I answered.

We held each other for a few heartbeats, before I gently pushed her back, staring into her eyes as we shared our breath.

"The chase has been fun, Yasaka." I spoke, cupping her cheek as she blinked in surprise, "But when I come back, we will need to have a serious discussion."

Apprehension filled her gaze, before it was washed away with resolve and she leaned forwards, boldly placing a kiss upon my lips and whispering, "I will have an answer for you."

"I can guess it." I grinned, stealing another taste of her before pulling away fully, "Look towards that discussion with excitement. I know I will."

"Even now, you are filled with unearned pride and confidence." She rolled her eyes, the effect ruined by her wide smile, "Stay safe, Damocles."

"I always do." Was my cheeky reply, the familiar pull of teleportation allowing me to see her just beginning to wave before the sight was replaced with the halls of my home.

Taking a deep breath, I refocused myself. I needed to meditate, to find the most likely version of the candidate to agree to join my Peerage. Hopefully I could get to her before I was killed or forced out of the world.

Moving to my room, I fell into a half-trance, pulling through different variations and parallel realities, until I found one that seemed promising. Making sure that I wasn't missing anything, I locked it in.

Opening my door, I didn't step into my room, but instead a rocky, warm cavern for the briefest of moments. I barely saw my destination for an instant before a hole in reality opened up in front of me, my momentum carrying me through it.

Instead of the realm of rock and magma I was expecting, I was greeted with an endless expanse of black, stretching infinitely off into all directions. There was only a single thing in this void, perched almost comically in the middle of nothing. A pink floral couch, upon which rested a beautiful, mature woman.

She was wearing an old style of white dress, over which she was wearing a Taoist apron, of a deep purple colour. On her head was a white, frilled cap, with a dark pink ribbon holding it to her long, blonde hair, even as she reclined on the couch.

"Well now, usually I can stop people before they arrive so suddenly like that. But nothing about this specific visitor is normal, is it, Devil?" She spoke, eyes taking in my form.

I recognised her on sight of course. The singular being who made this world the most dangerous of any I have tried to enter. The one reason why I was waiting to even attempt this.

The Lady of Gaps, Yakumo Yukari.

---XXX---

Her yellow eyes raked my form, seeming to peer both at and through me. I didn't feel anything brushing against my defences, but whether or not that meant anything against someone like her was up for debate. She was old and powerful, much more so than most beings I had met. Ophis, Ranni and Gabriel matched or even surpassed her, they too had ways of obtaining information that I doubted I was even aware of.

"Yakumo Yukari." I named her, watching as her golden eyes narrowed at my knowledge, "My name is Damocles Sagan. It's an honour to meet you."

"An honour you would gladly do without, I am sure." She responded back, quickly, "After all, you sneaked in through the window, not even bothering to knock on the door."

"I apologise for any rudeness. My way of travelling to other worlds doesn't give me any other choice. I am unsure how I could have been polite in this case." I bowed slightly to her, her blonde eyebrows raising at the gesture, "Please accept my contrition."

"I doubt your contrition is enough for you to abandon your goal here?" She questioned, huffing at my shaking head.

"I'm afraid not. But I promise, I am not here to cause any problems for you or your realm, I am here only to-" She cut me off.

"I know why you are here, Devil. You have come to pluck a flower from my garden." Her tone was final.

"Yes." I didn't bother to deny it, "I am here to make one of the denizens of Gensokyo an offer."

"An offer they can't refuse?" She tilted her head.

I put up my hands reassuringly, "Not at all. Should they say no, I will leave empty-handed."

"Only to come back to a different Gensokyo a month later and try again." Her words made me pause, something she noticed and smiled at, "Your way of travelling was novel, but not difficult to decipher. You have the force of probability on your side, thus why you are so content to accept rejection."

"True. That is also why I will not start a fight or harm anyone in Gensokyo. If I am refused, I will simply leave." I didn't deny it.

She placed a finger on her chin, "That offends my sense of fairness. Given enough tries, all attempts verge on certainty, no? Why should I let you just do as you wish, if you take no risks and aim to ensnare one of my people?"

"Is Gensokyo a prison? A place that no one can leave if they wish to? Would you really deny someone if they decide for themselves that they wish to go with me?" I asked, rhetorically.

"No." She responded, suddenly deadly serious, "Gensokyo is a sanctuary, not a prison. However, if you refine your approach over many attempts, again and again, could it really be said that whoever you are offering your deal to accepted out of their free will?"
She raised a finger as I made to respond, continuing to speak, "No. I know just what to do. I dislike killing, so instead I shall offer you a deal, Devil. Your kind like those."

"What deal?" I questioned, intrigued despite myself.

"I shall place a signature on you, one that only I can detect. You will approach this fairly, in one attempt. Should she reject your offer, you shall leave and the signature will alert other versions of me that this is not your first attempt. If you attempt to remove it, no matter where you are, I will know. Do you accept?"

"What will happen if I don't, out of curiosity?" I asked.

"I will eject you, here and now." She responded, deadly serious.

I considered her offer. To be honest, I was going to accept either way. I was certain that my target would jump on what I offered, as it was everything she had ever wished for. Yukari herself was strong, but I felt that if we came to blows, I could make her work for the victory. The outcome would likely favour her, but there is a slim possibility that I could win if I challenged her to a Danmaku match, judging by her magical power.

It seems that is why she offered this deal, viewing it as too much effort to force me to leave involuntarily.

I was right to save this for last.

"I accept." Was my response to her.

---XXX---

She reclined on her throne, uncomfortable. She wished she could get the thing remade, or add more cushions, but something about doing that to the ancient piece of furniture always seemed wrong to her. So instead, she endured it, viewing it as one more part of her duty. The denizens of Hell could enter the throne room and see her holding court, just as they should.

Of course, no one actually did so, all of them terrified of her. But still, it was the thought that counted!

She adjusted her posture, trying to find a more comfortable spot as she read her book. This was how she passed the time when she held court, the hours disappearing in between the pages of her novels. Honestly, she was almost glad that she was left alone to do so, as she had a massive library of unread books that she would never make a dent in otherwise.

Her focus was broken by the opening of the doors of the palace, footsteps echoing as they leisurely made their way towards her. She straightened herself up, slipping the book into it's hidey-hole behind the throne as she did so. Smoothing out her dress, she sat upright and regal, projecting authority and class.

The doors to the throne room creaked open, causing her to cringe and mentally note that Rin should really oil the hinges more frequently. As she saw the figure enter, she felt her breath catch in her throat.

He was certainly attractive, long, flowing white hair and piercing blue eyes on a beautiful, flawless face. His clothes were high quality, his posture one of casual confidence. As his eyes found her own, that was not what was causing her reaction.

No, instead it was what she didn't see or hear. It was the silence.

His mind was closed off to her.

"Lady Satori." His voice was smooth, suave, sending shivers down her spine with its sound, "My name is Damocles Sagan. It is a pleasure to meet you."

She narrowed her eyes. This being was powerful. Much too powerful for her to have no clue who he was. That meant that he was an Outsider. If that was the case, how did he know her name? Something wasn't right here.

"Greetings, Damocles." She responded, despite her suspicion, "Why have you sought this audience?"

"I have come to Gensokyo from far away, to speak to you." He confirmed her suspicions with ease, "I wish to offer you a deal."

Chapter 83: The One Who Sees Through Deception

The One Who Sees Through Deception

"Oh?" She spoke slowly, voice heavy, "You want to make a deal with me? When someone offers such a thing, they usually have something the other party wants. What do you know of my desires, hmm?"

The mysterious man smiled knowingly, a crooked grin that was almost unfair on his features. She was used to dealing with beautiful people, but they were almost all women. This was the first time she had ever seen a man like him, one who seemed to be crafted rather than naturally born.

"You are a powerful and important woman, Lady Satori." He spoke, tone leading, "I would not dare waste your time with offering something of low importance to you, especially considering what I wish in return. No, what I am offering you is the answer to your two deepest desires."

She bristled at the arrogance, "Who are you to speak about my deepest desires? Such arrogance is dangerous."

"This arrogance is deserved, for I know without a doubt I am correct." He responded, not seeming at all worried about her threatening words. He extended a hand, palm facing up, "I offer you your most closely held wishes. The ability to control your power, to only read the minds of those you wish to do so."

Her breath caught in her throat, before he continued, extending the other hand, "Additionally, I offer the ability to grant sight back to your sister's third eye, as well as granting her the same control over her power."

Her heart started hammering in her ears. The confidence, the surety with which he spoke… She found herself wishing to believe his words, despite how horrifically impossible they seemed. She desperately, desperately wanted them to be truthful, something that she had completely discarded appearing before her suddenly like this was incredibly disorienting.

She wanted to believe him. But she could not. Not without proof.

"You lie." She spoke, voice wavering despite herself, "Such a thing is not possible."

"You are correct. It is truly impossible. Or at least, difficult or rare enough to make no difference." He held up a finger, his other hand being pulled back to rest behind his back, "At least, it is in this world."

As he finished his sentence, inhuman features faded into existence on his form. Behind his back, spread out majestically, were six bat-like wings. On his head, fearsome curved horns pointed towards the roof. Swaying behind him, drawing her eyes to the motion, was a thin tail with a spaded tip.

"You are not a Yokai." She accused, although the statement felt pretty redundant at this point.

"I am not, no." He shook his head, unperturbed, "I am a Devil."

She felt as if she was floundering, unsure about what to do. In truth, although she was sat upon a throne, she was rather inexperienced when it came to diplomacy and discussion. Her position was more a matter of circumstance more than anything she was particularly suited for. Normally, this would not be an issue due to her power, but the Devil in front of her was completely immune to it.

The silence of his mind revealed just how much she had been relying on her curse as a crutch. Still, she would not beg him to relax his shield from her third eye, if he even could do such a thing. After all, she had her own pride.

"Well then, if I accept your words as fact, what could you want in return for such 'generous' gifts?" She hid her apprehension, straightening her back and projecting herself as strong and confident.

His hand moved, a single finger extended unerringly in her direction.

"You." Before she could process that absurd statement, he continued, "I travelled all this way not for riches, not for glory, but for you and whoever you wish to bring with you. Your powers are called a curse, hated and feared by all. However, they are special, unique and powerful. Rather than fear you, I wish to bring you up to your full potential, to bring you with me as I aim to stand at the top of it all."

Ah, she understood now. He was insane. She was far from the most powerful person in Gensokyo, if that what he was after. From that perspective, his choice of approaching her was foolish in the extreme. She could read minds, it's true, but as his own obscured thoughts proved, such a thing was far more limited than it might appear.

The fact that his words and baseless compliments caused a heat to rise to her cheeks and her heart to beat faster was irrelevant.

"Bold words and even bolder promises. However, they ring hollow." She spoke, pointing to the one flaw in his whole speech, "You say you do not fear my power, yet you only feel confident in doing so due to them not working on you. I fail to find that convincing."

This was the most simple form of attack she could use to get rid of the addled man. Either he refused to indulge her implicit request, in which case she could dismiss him for lying, or he accepted and she could prove that he was being dishonest with his own thoughts.

"I stopped you from seeing into my mind not for my own sake, but for yours." His smile took on a victorious edge, "If you truly wish to peer into my depths, however, be my guest."

She was in the process of calling him out for the evasion he had led with when the walls that surrounded his thoughts came crashing down without warning, immersing her in his consciousness with a suddenness that left her reeling. She was swept away by the tide of his thoughts and memories, the immersion deeper than she typically allowed for, having not been controlling her power as such as she usually did.

She soon regained control, her third eye focusing its sight and peering through his deceptions, perceiving the truth of his words.

He did want her, but not quite in the way he had explained. Rather than shame, it seemed like politeness is what stopped him from revealing that his desires were far more carnal in nature. He did want her for her power and the aid she could provide him for his goals, but more than that, he desired deeply to possess her.

That desire was linked to others, leading her to his feeling for several other ladies, women who he had approached with similar deals. She expected the same degree of darkly possessive lust, which was exactly what she found. But, that was not all she saw. The depth of his feelings toward the women he had ensnared were like a deep, complex tapestry. The one feeling that shone strongly, through all the swirling desire and sinful avarice, was a surprisingly tender care.

He truly cared for the women, a thin, pale imitation even stretched towards her, surprising her. The fact that he felt so strongly for someone he had just met was disconcerting, but even more surprising was that there was a complete absence of the sick note of fear. He was not at all concerned about what she was seeing, in fact rather eagerly inviting her to look wherever she wished, never for once thinking that what she was observing would cause her to decline his offer.

Peering deeper still, she found out why. He truly was insane, but so was she. Apparently, he could pick a specific version of her, from more than could be counted, all identical except for small differences, yet still containing all that made her, her. So why, then, would he choose her out of all those versions to approach?

She was broken. The worst part is that he was correct on betting on that fact.

If she accepted his deal, she would become his forever, just like all the others he tricked into doing so. He didn't lie once to her, his pieces truly could fix her sister and the blessings he received from the God would allow her to control her power if they didn't work on her. She could see it, the deep, boiling sea of his fury and pride, deep beneath the surface. Any who dared to strike at her, even in the smallest ways, he would gladly destroy. No matter who or what, he would go against the entire world to protect who and what he considered his.

It appealed to her. To be able to give up her unwanted authority, to put her full faith in another, to be protected for once instead of being the protector. To trust in someone else, someone to take control of her and allow her to stop worrying. Such a thing was a fantasy of hers, built up from her indulgence of literature themed in that direction, but it was an unobtainable fantasy.

Until he had appeared, offering her all she wanted and more. All she had to give up was her freedom, in return for her deepest desires and an eternal, fiercely protective love. She truly was the perfect target, as his possessiveness was appealing in this light, rather than repellent.

"Yukari failed to account for this." He grinned, allowing her to freely review the discussion he was alluding to, causing her lips to quirk slightly in spite of herself, "I only needed a single attempt."

---XXX---

"Rather presumptive of you to claim victory." Satori spoke, her presence in my mind like a buzz, a strange sensation allowing me to determine what she was peering at in any given moment, "I am quite fond of my independence."

"To do what?" I questioned, "A duty you never asked for? Answer me this, Satori. You are content here, but are you truly happy?"

"Happiness is a luxury, that more often than not comes with terrible cost." She countered, eyes narrowing, "Is the price that you are asking me to pay worth that cost?"

"It does not matter whether I think it is." I responded, "It matters if you do."

"And if I refuse? What then?" She queried, third eye flicking as my mind instantly supplied the answer, "Truly, you would leave?"

"Why would I force my affection on someone who is unwilling?" I questioned, "There are lines that I will not cross."

"Can you truly call them willing, when you stack the deck so heavily in your favour?" Was the instant response, her eye seeing my train of thought faster than my mouth could move.

Rather than speak, I decided to just think the answer at her, deciding to let her see the answer for herself.

The choice was always there, even if no one would reasonably expect anyone to take it with the knowledge that I had. However, should someone decide that they wanted to leave, I would argue, try to convince them to stay, but ultimately I would let them.

"Really? With as possessive as you are, I find that hard to believe." She pressed.

If they left, they were no longer mine, by their own decision.

It was a moot point in the end, as it was highly unlikely to ever happen and I worked very hard to ensure it didn't.

"With the marks as insurance, I can see why you are so confident. You would let me take Koishi and my pets? What if I refused to let you mark them?" The eye jumped between thoughts, calling the answers from my mind.

Then I would not do so. I came here for her, after all. She was the prize. The one that I named to Catharsis, so long ago.

"Truly? You hold no interest in the temptation they provide?" She was not satisfied, continuing to prod, "I can remember the disgusting thoughts of many others. You would truly pass up on them?"

Her words instantly brought to mind the thought of having her and Koishi together, but I was not embarrassed at the image. Desires are natural, more so when directly prompted like this. It mattered far more how one acted on them and if Satori was truly opposed to the idea, then it would not happen. Temporary pleasure was not enough to jeopardise what I was attempting to build with her.

"You are twisted." She declared, causing me to huff in amusement, "You truly think a loving relationship can be built like this."

"Why can it not?" I questioned, "Neither of us are normal. Should we be bound to follow the usual path that others do, or should we find our own way together?"

She frowned, slightly blushing, "You are skilled at making your base desires sound so romantic."

"All relationships are based on desire and mutual understanding. I am approaching you as honestly as I can, far more than I could be. All that is left is to see whether it is enough to convince you. Whether you desire what I am offering." I smiled at her.

There was a chance she declined, that she told me to get lost. However…

"You are impossible." She spoke, standing from the throne.

"I've been told."

---XXX---

His confidence was something that she found rather annoying. More importantly, it was something that seemed rather fragile to her. She must admit to herself, he was very, very skilled in tailoring his offer to his target. It was tempting, especially considering that she could allow Koishi the ability to unseal her eye while retaining control of her power, allowing her sister to end her long punishment. He was earnest in that he worked to keep those he cared for happy, should she accept and bring along those she cared for, they would want for nothing. He would do so because it would make her happy with him, a manipulative but refreshingly upfront motive.

However.

She was used to people lying to themselves. Her eye did not just see one's innermost thoughts, it saw that which people hid from even themselves. The issue with her power, one that she had come to recognise from hard lessons, was that she could only see that which others knew.

So, her answer was clear.

"I refuse."

The devil in front of her paused, his smile freezing in place as she focused on the shock pervading his mind.

"Excuse me?" His voice, for the first time since she met him, wavered.

"You heard me, I refuse. Your deal asks for more than I am willing to pay. Please leave." She reiterated, carefully measuring his response.

The deal was truly tempting. It was as if someone had read her deepest desires like she had so many others and built it specifically to appeal to her. Which is exactly what had happened. To be honest, she had more reasons to accept than to reject the deal. Especially considering that right in front of her, was someone who knew about her power, let her use it on him freely, yet didn't recoil from her.

But just what kind of person was he?

His mind whirled, quickly establishing and tearing down justifications and ideas for the possible reasons for her refusal. One of them was even correct, but ultimately, as he himself had opined, what mattered was his actions.

He had told himself so often that when someone he was ensnaring wanted to leave, he would let them. He had even come to believe it. However, it had never happened, would never happen. Or so he thought. So, now, faced with that impossibility, what would his reaction be?

As it turned out, it would be anger.

It was familiar to her, but its target was not. He didn't blame her, didn't rage at her, even in his own thoughts. No, he turned the anger inward, picking apart his thoughts and actions, believing that he had failed in his approach, that her denial was solely up to him, either not being persuasive enough or choosing someone who it wouldn't work on.

Towards her, there was no hatred. No resentment. There was hurt, wounded pride and bitterness, but in the end…

"I see." He sighed, his hands curling into fists as he took a deep breath, "I wish I could change your mind, put to rest any doubts that caused you to answer this way, but I made a promise. I am sorry that it ended this way, truly."

That was true, he was experiencing quite the feeling of loss. Yet, even with the strong cocktail of emotions filling him, he was still resolved to stay true to his word.

"I wish you all the best, Satori." He smiled sadly, before he turned, fully intent on respecting her wishes.

Before he could take the step to disappear, she called out.

"Damocles. Wait." He paused, tensing, before her next words reached him, "I accept."

It was a rare thing, to find someone so truthful.

Chapter 84: A Beautiful Match

A Beautiful Match

She watched as I put in the pieces, one after another, into the still form below me. I knew that Koishi was strong, but to be honest, the difference between her and Satori was shocking. Satori only required two pawns to be resurrected, while her sister required the entirety of the rest, all six. Even with the differences between our power systems, I could feel that if I hadn't broken my seal before coming here I would not be able to use the pieces on the small Yokai, even if I used all eight of them.

After Satori had agreed, she had called the younger woman to get her pieces, but only after I had given hers to her. I must admit, her little test for me had thrown me for a loop, but I was almost grateful for it. It was a useful reminder that no matter how you stacked the deck, people could still surprise you.

I had considered the idea that she was truly testing my willingness to accept defeat, but in the end it changed little. Whether she was merely judging me or declining for real, the result and therefore, the correct decision, remained the same.

"Is it done?" Satori asked, her third eye pointed directly at me, breaking me from my thoughts.

"It is." I responded, feeling slightly amused.

If she could read my mind, why did she bother with waiting for me to respond, I wonder?

"It allows people to feel more at ease with me." She answered my question, "If I merely talk without letting them respond, people start to panic."

I see, that made some sort of sense. Still, she had gone through the same process that I had just performed on her sister, so the question she asked was slightly redundant. Looking closely at her, I noticed the slight tension, the fidgeting. From everything I knew, the Pieces should fully restore Koishi's eye and mind. If it worked for Naomi, there is no reason it shouldn't for Koishi. Still, she seemed unable to fully trust in my thoughts on the matter, which I do not blame her for.

"Even if her eye is not healed from this, your new family in my home are masters at magic and science." I reassured her, "They will figure out a way to fix it."

"I believe you." She responded, "After all, your magic works on imagination, so there should be a way to save her with it. It's just…"

I didn't get to find out what it just was, as the girl on the bed opened her eyes, all three of them, looking around blearily as she did so.

"Nee-san?" Koishi mumbled sleepily, "What's going on?"

"Koishi!" Satori was instantly at her side, her third eye locked onto the other girl.

Koishi blinked, before her own third eye found her sibling as she stilled.

From the outside looking in, watching two telepaths immerse themselves in each other's thoughts was rather curious. The only indication I could have for their conversation was the expressions on each of their faces, but even that was difficult to keep up with. I had used this method of communication with Satori herself, but obviously I still needed to wait for her to speak to think of my answer.

Without that constraint, the conversation can apparently speed along at a much faster pace. The two rejoiced, apparently luxuriating in the feeling of the other's mind, that they had been missing for so long. The reunion was very emotional, with Satori giving the widest smile that I had ever seen from her so far.

Though, apparently the conversation then took a less happy turn, with both of the sisters tensing and showing displeased expressions. I was unsure what passed between them, but it did not seem to be a pleasant exchange. A few moments later, Koishi's eyes flicked towards me, her third eye still focused on her sister, before returning to Satori, who seemed panicked.

Koishi's eyes became resolved, turning towards me fully now, "You, Devil. I challenge you to a Danmaku match."

I raised an eyebrow, "Indeed? A rather odd reaction to being healed, but very well. What are the stakes?"

"If I win, you let Satori-nee-san go. I don't want her to go with someone as creepy as you." She responded firmly.

I shook my head, "I refuse. Not only did we agree to a deal, but it is her choice whether to break it. More to the point, those pieces I used to give you control of your powers are precious and difficult to replace. I am no longer able to simply leave empty-handed due to your refusal."

"Koishi, don't!" Satori instructed sternly, only for her wilful sister to ignore her.

"In that case, should you win, you can put that mark on me too. That's better than just having her, right? You will get more than you came for." She seemed smug, sure I would bite.

Not that I wasn't tempted, but there was a very good reason for me not to agree with that, "No. That will hurt Satori, as she does not wish for me to do that. I will not go against her wishes."

Satori let out a breath at that, a small smile on her lips, even as Koishi turned to her. Her smile remained briefly, before slowly being replaced by a frown as they seemed to continue to argue.

Koishi finished the mental match with a triumphant smile, crossing her arms in victory eve as Satori turned back to me with a sour look on her face, "I agree to the Danmaku match."

"May I ask why?" Her one-eighty surprised me, but I could guess what might have been leveraged for it.

Still able to read my thoughts, she nodded tiredly, "If I didn't let her do this, she refused to come with. I can't imagine a world where I left her behind and I did make a deal with you, so…"

She trailed off, apparently conflicted about her decision. I tried to discourage her sister one last time.

"Are you sure, you do know what the Mark does, right?" I went for the most likely angle to succeed.

Koishi waved her hand, "It doesn't matter. I'm going to rescue my sister from you anyway, so I don't really care."

I sighed.

Well, she could certainly try, I supposed.

---XXX---

As soon as I resolved to participate in the Danmaku match, I brought my mental defences back up fully, not even allowing Satori to view my mind any more. Partly for the reason that Koishi could pull my plans from her head, partly to allow her to not have to choose between me and her sister. If she could see my plans, the choice of whether to warn Koishi or not seemed rather cruel to force on her.

Speaking of the younger Komeiji, She was busy stretching on the other side to the large, spacious room we had relocated to. She looked my way, her arms extended far above her head as she leaned to the side.

"I know you're not from Gensokyo, do you know the rules?" She asked, causing me to nod.

"Magic only, non-lethal and need to be visually appealing, yes?" I responded back, causing her to nod while Satori shook her head.

"That last one is more implied than a strict rule, but if you want this result to be taken seriously…" Her sense of fairness apparently couldn't let that assumption be uncorrected.

I smiled in response to that, "Don't worry, it won't be a problem for me. Are you ready?"

"Are you?" Koishi shot back, smiling as she ended her stretches, her grin turning rather vicious at my resulting nod, "Good. On three, Nee-san."

Satori still didn't approve, as her tone proved amply as she did just that, "One. Two. Three."

The last sound of the final word was barely past her lips before Koishi exploded into a kaleidoscope of colour. One interesting thing about the Touhou games, the Danmaku in those have a restriction, in that they had to be conceivably dodgable by a player. In real life, no such restriction existed.

So when a veritable tsunami of glowing hearts, multicoloured beams and balls that bounced wildly assaulted me, I was not that surprised. The sheer amount of magic she was outputting was stunning, but I was expecting something at this level for inhabitants of this world.

Her attacks were devious, the hearts were under her control, able to weave around any barriers that I erected, the beams asking me to do that anyway. Should it be omnidirectional, the small balls of energy would likely bounce off the floor, walls and ceiling to skirt around it and hit me anyway.

I activated my geass, estimating the amount of power each projectile contained, internally wincing as I did so. Non-lethal did not mean painless, as was amply clear.

Just before the first beams, which were the fastest moving of her attacks, reached me as swirling, star-studded vortex manifested just above me. The beams bent, pulled inexorably into the swirling mass, the hearts and balls soon following. The tamed black hole swallowed them all, the clashing forces of magic introducing an otherworldly, ephemeral blue mist that drifted around me as spread my hands, blue shards of starlight appearing at each of my finger tips, before they shot off quickly, arcing and curving towards my opponent.

She laughed, a swirling mass of cartoon hearts swirling around her, easily disrupting my attacks before they flew towards me, arcing off and attacking from all directions as she easily summoned another veil of obscuring magic.

"Wow, sparkly!" She spoke, before a massive beam shot through the hearts, slamming to my black hole, the devouring mass eating the fuel quite happily, "But is that all you got?"

"Hardly." I responded, before massive, teal beam of light slammed through her wave of hearts, the Comet Azure just barely missing her by inches as her wide eyed dodge was successful.

"Hey! That was dangerous!" She called out, before she quickly dodged my next attack, a blackness that had spread throughout the room and crept towards her, twinkling spots of blue shining through, evoking the night sky.

She shot more bounding balls, one of them colliding with the small spots of light, making it detonate in an explosion of Glintstone magic. It blew the black cloak back a bit, but it didn't matter as it continued it's approach, sneaking it's way towards her from all angles, the wall, floor and ceiling turning dark as I fed more and more power into the spell.

Koishi waved a hand, her barrage of hearts unabated, but suddenly a wave of fire combated the wave of black, the super heated flames lighting the artificial night and beating it back.

"I'm going to overpower that unfair little spell of yours." She declared, before a truly titanic amount of magic was summoned.

It was fed into a huge beam, the veritable explosion raw magic slamming into the black hole. It fought admirably, devouring a significant amount of magic from the overloaded attack,, but the amount that was put into the spell overwhelmed it, washing over the area behind it in an explosion of multicoloured lights.

It would have been over, had I still been below the black hole.

I had used the distraction of the dark night and the mist to obscure my form as I teleported just behind the girl, Miriam's Vanishing displaying its utility once again. Showing impressive instincts, she reacted immediately, a new wave of projectiles swiftly responding to wash over my new position. They were all stopped in their tracks as I revealed my trap card, which I had yet to use in this battle.

"Lock."

The colourful assault froze, as if someone pressed the pause button.

"Wha-" Koishi's eyes went wide, allowing me to move onto the second part of my plan.

I dropped my defences, allowing her to glimpse the image I was pushing to the forefront of my mind as a light purple butterfly took flight from one of my hands.

The movement drew all three pairs of eyes to me, causing her to stutter slightly at the mental image of her and Satori in skimpy maid uniforms, revealing far more than was proper.

It was the briefest of hesitations, but it was enough for the butterfly to explode right in her face, the shimmering purple mist washing over her form.

The fire cut out, the locked projectiles stuttered and faded, as the mist was swept away, revealing the unconscious form of the unreasonably powerful Yokai on the floor.

I released a sigh of relief at the sight. I could have drawn this out and exhausted her with my infinite reserves, but that would have been the wrong way to go about things. I defeated her properly, if with a bit of trickery.

That means that she should have some more respect for me when she wakes up.

---XXX---

"Damn, you are tricky." She pouted, although her eyes sparkled, "But your spells were really pretty!"

"You are surprisingly chipper." I responded, a bit nonplussed at the tonal whiplash this girl was giving me.

After confirming my victory with Satori, I lifted the sleep spell I had placed Koishi under, allowing her to blink herself awake and realise what happened. Her first words had not been what I was expecting.

"Yeah yeah, I lost fair and square." She rolled her eyes, "I have to deal with it. Sulking and obsessing over it will just stress me out."

How refreshingly simple.

"Rude." she pouted in response to my thought, causing me to smile.

"I meant it genuinely. I am always dealing with complicated people." I grinned back, thinking back to some of the people I've had to deal with in the Underworld.

She wrinkled her nose at the memories, apparently agreeing with my opinion on the majority of them.

"So, now that you have won, are you going to mark us?" Satori brought up the elephant in the room.

She had her arms crossed in a relaxed manner, but I could notice the slight tension in her posture.

"Yeah, you are the winner, you got to have the spoils right?" Koishi agreed, surprisingly much more at ease than her sister, despite her resistance being much stronger originally.

"No." I shook my head, much to their surprise, "I meant what I said. Satori said she didn't want me to mark you, and so I won't."

They saw my thoughts, but waited for me to respond fully before reacting.

"What, am I not good enough? Your dirty thoughts definitely showed differently, mister." Koishi puffed up, acting offended.

"It's not that and you know it-" Before I could finish my reply, a much more relaxed Satori interrupted me.

"It's fine." At my look, she shrugged, "Your reluctance is very gratifying. Thank you for caring about my opinion so much. But Koishi needs to learn her actions have consequences, you won as agreed. Allowing her to back out would be unfair."

Before I could contemplate that for long, she was hugged tightly by Koishi, the green clad yokai grinning widely, "Aw, you're adorable Nee-san! Don't worry, no matter what happens, I won't leave you alone, okay?"

Ah. I see.

"You sure?" I confirmed, getting a resolute nod from both girls, "Very well then, decide where you want the emblem on your bodies. I recommend somewhere easy to hide.

Soon after, with their shoulders bearing my symbol on opposing sides, Satori summoned her pets and informed them that they were leaving Gensokyo. Both Rin and Okuu looked rather wary and suspicious of me, but accepted their mistress' words with minimal complaint. As they gathered that which they wished to bring along with, the world drained of colour in a very familiar way, a nostalgic feeling overtaking me as I was greeted with the familiar sight of the Console opening up before my eyes.

This, the most dangerous of my trips, was successful. Five down, two to go.

Perks Gained this Chapter:

Education Talent: Damocles is able to greatly increase the gains that anyone who is currently learning from him would pick up from his teachings. He is able to quickly and efficiently pick up where they are struggling and intuitively determine the best way to help them past their problems. This is not limited to just training, any situation in which Damocles is attempting to impart knowledge to others is affected, allowing those he tutors to gain more from his teachings than they would otherwise.

Fertility Calibration: Damocles now has total control over the chances of pregnancy in any sexual encounter involving him. This perk does not alter the chance of multiple fetuses relative to the chance of just one. Can fully eliminate or guarantee the chance of pregnancy from any sexual encounter, as well as grants him a sixth sense when anyone he has been intimate with becomes pregnant.

Blessed Talent: Damocles gains stronger effects from blessings and can more efficiently draw upon divine power. This counts for both his own power and those of other gods that allow him access to their well of energy. Divine abilities are able to be resisted more easily, in a similar way to other defences, with the ease proportional to his understanding of the effect and the difference in power expended.

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