Exalted
Chapter 44, Overture of Lucifaad
Sorry for the extra long delay. I'm still not getting better, but I suppose I have delayed this chapter long enough, yeah? Sorry if it isn't as eventful as others, but it's time to start setting up what will lead through the second and final arcs of this story.
I do not own anything relating to either series. Seriously. What a shocker.
[EX]
"Everyone ready?" Minato called out while looking over his shoulder, ready to open a corridor that would allow his large group to directly enter Hell. While taking the scenic route might have been preferable, Minato could honestly do without the five hour long train ride that the Gremory Peerage was to take the next day.
Koneko expressed displeasure in having to take the long train ride, but it was a tradition to the Gremory family and she wouldn't shirk her responsibilities to the two new Devils in her group. Issei and Irina had yet to be introduced properly to the Underworld, and this would be not only an educational trip for the two, but a reintroduction for the rest of the Peerage who had been gone from their true home for some time.
Minato supposed in some way, he was going home as well, but considering just how far from the Land of the Dead the Devil territory was, it was hardly the same thing.
Ophis and Lilith held either of his hands while Asia, Bennia and Xenovia stood close behind him, each excited for the few weeks they would be spending in the Underworld. Nyx, Kuroka and Le Fay were standing just behind the three followers and partners of Minato, each just as ready to see just what sort of area they would be staying in for the next week and a half.
Arthur had requested to stay behind and continue his training, having found himself spellbound with quite a few of the tomes located within the library. While Minato was initially distrustful of leaving him behind, Arthur was under an oath that would lead to his death should he chose to betray him, leaving Minato to eventually relent upon seeing the hopeful expression the usually composed man held.
Lucifer and Euclid would be staying behind to finish up the work in the laboratory, though Lucifer did promise to be on time for the taping of the Super Maou D Gang episode two.
It seems that the blond Father of Devils did not wish to get involved with the politics of the Devils once more, content with keeping his position as the Head Butler in the House of Death. When Minato questioned him further on the subject, Lucifer expounded more, explaining that should he have been revived by a Devil, he might have involved himself once more.
Now, however, Lucifer was very content with letting Sirzechs, Serafall, Ajuka and Falbium deal with the workload, as his current job was very fulfilling in its own way. The more he served Minato, the more he learned about where he went wrong in his own ruling, allowing him to cover his weaknesses not only in his character, but his abilities as well. The Son of the Morning had not slackened in his training, despite spending most of his days cleaning, cooking and educating Minato in the uses of technology thousands of years old.
Euclid was not very welcome amongst the Devils, nor was Kuroka, though Minato had gotten her to promise to remain out of sight as to not create even more reason for there to be tension between the Devils and Minato in return for allowing her to come along. Euclid was not going to receive the same preferential treatment, though he seemed to understand the logic behind Minato requesting him to stay behind and complied with grace.
The political climate of the Underworld had once more shifted after the Alliance had been formed, this time causing multiple different Pillar Families to go into overdrive as far as securing new strength went. Minato was doing his best to keep his relations with the Devils as pleasant as possible, but of course there was always the one bad apple that ruined the lot for him.
As it was, the Phenex family was no longer nearly as antagonistic with their political meandering, as Sirzechs so skillfully dubbed the way Lord Phenex attempted to throw his weight when it came to securing the Alliance between the Protogenoi and the Devils. The leader of the Family was still rather sore about his son getting so thoroughly trounced by Issei, despite the fact that Minato saved his life, resulting in a blacklisting for Minato and the rest of his Family as far as any purchasing power went towards the goods produced by the Phenex.
It was very, very annoying. Minato had no desire to have anything to do with the arrogant family any further after Minato attempted to open up communication with them to perhaps purchase a vial of tears. When all of his missives were returned to him, Minato understood just what was happening and discontinued any further attempts.
If they wanted to act in such a manner, perhaps Minato would be better off attempting to find a Phoenix in the wild. As far as he knew, the creatures were exceedingly rare due to how frequently they were hunted for their feathers, tears and blood. That said, they were not completely extinct, leaving Minato confident in his ability to later procure such a creature.
Minato was certainly not looking forward to having to brush elbows with stuck up Devils whose ego far outweighed their power, having been asked to attend multiple different gatherings already by both Sirzechs and surprisingly Serafall.
The boisterous woman that liked to dress as a Magical Girl continued to pester Minato and even Sona until he agreed, either by sending letters, magical communication circles or good, old fashioned text messages in all caps. The holographic images of the woman that would pop up and stalk him around his house were also quickly put an end to, but that didn't change the fact that she almost saw him in a very, very compromising position during his time spent in the sauna.
It was one of the most nerve wracking thirty minutes of Minato's life, having to deal with seeing her face, hearing her voice and knowing her antics on such a level. He honestly didn't know how Sona put up with such things on an almost daily basis.
Sona expressed much embarrassment for the actions of her sister, though Minato could hardly fault her for such things. The younger sister should not suffer for the sins of the elder, no matter how annoying she was.
Apparently, one of her biggest fears was her sister running off any would be suitor due to her rather strange personality and obsessive habits of stalking Sona, likely a coping mechanism from her time fighting in the Civil War between the Old Maou and the current Devil government.
Moving to Japan was more to get away from Serafall and her parents than it was to follow Rias, apparently. Minato did not blame her in the least.
Seeing Asia, Bennia and Xenovia nod their hands from his peripheral, Minato pulled himself from his thoughts of the Sitri sisters and allowed a large corridor to spring from the ground before sliding open as if it were an elevator door.
The large gathering watched as the corridor with the ability to bypass the barriers separating the Surface World from the Underworld opened up before them. It had become a common occurrence, but considering the standard usage of teleportation circles,
The large group stepped through the large doorway, ignoring the creeping chill that clung to their skin each time they traversed the darkness. Before the large group was what may as well have been classified as a castle, something that Minato was not expecting to find when he locked onto the location that Sirzechs said was now his to use as he saw fit.
Honestly, considering the sheer opulence that the Devils enjoyed, Minato should have at least expected something similar as a gift from Sirzechs. He could call Sirzechs and complain, but Minato knew that complaining about being given a castle in Hell would be rather foolish.
Of course, the upkeep of having such a large home was going to be preposterous, leaving Minato to come to a startling conclusion. He was going to have to start hiring maids if he wanted to keep the castle free from dust and build up unless he crafted a new sealing matrix, something he couldn't really afford without starting to get perilously close to having his monthly expenditures become more than a quarter of his monthly income.
That was not good at all. As much as he disliked it, money was necessary so long as he continued to live on either the Surface or in Hell, though not nearly as much for the later. Devils and Fallen alike had a monetary system that Minato was mostly able to bypass due to his many different connections. Power greased hands better than any form of money, as he had learned quickly, and having fallback plans and contingencies in place was less strenuous than it should have been otherwise.
Despite that, however, his strength was useless amongst the mundane due to the non-disclosure that was agreed upon by the many different factions. Being able to manipulate the elements was great and all, but that hardly helped him pay for the things needed to keep his growing group above water.
Minato began to think of ways to hasten his plans of opening businesses in the Human world and in Hell once more, making a mental note to scope out potential locations and buildings he could use for the many operations he wanted to get started.
The large, cathedral like building had been recently renovated, replacing quite a bit of the external masonry. Minato could tell that most of the surrounding wall and the large metal bars that kept outsiders from encroaching into the territory were brand new.
Planted all along the grounds were strange trees that grew normally from the base upwards until they started to branch out. Each of the branches were curled around what seemed to be a large orb in the center of each of the trees in place of where the leaves were usually located.
'What are these supposed to be?' Minato thought to himself as he eyed the strange trees for a few more moments before turning his gaze back to the landscape around them. The grass growing along his lawn was a light, mint green color while much of the foliage around were shaded in almost pastel colors.
It was almost plastic looking, if Minato was honest. Perhaps it was just the foliage or just the way the strange plants grew, but Minato had an inkling that they were all created in a laboratory.
"This is... nice." Minato eventually stated, his silver eyes widening slightly as he looked upwards, arching his back to get a better look. Nyx let loose a giggle as she sauntered up behind her son, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as if supporting him so he didn't fall backwards. He felt Ophis and Lilith shift about as they studied the large building, both seemingly neither impressed nor unimpressed by the grand reconstruction of what seemed to be ripped straight from the pages of history.
"Now this is a home, my child." Nyx cooed, her purple stained lips spreading into a beautiful smile, "One much more fitting of our stature."
Minato didn't agree or disagree, instead finding himself more concerned with another subject all together.
'How am I going to navigate this place...?'
As he glanced over his shoulder, he could tell each of those gathered were having similar thoughts.
"Let us stick together until we have a firm grasp on the layout, alright? Just because we are in friendly territory does not mean we can let our guards down." Minato called out, making sure that the girls understood that he wished for them to remain on alert. Bennia nodded her head while her ever faithful, floating scythe that seemed to answer as well in the form of three flashes.
Asia and Xenovia shared a quick look before they nodded as one, moving closer to one another as they did so. Xenovia had become extremely protective of Asia over the past few months to the point that she could be considered the active bodyguard of the High Priestess, despite her duties to the Sable Church laying elsewhere.
Kuroka leaned over as she passed and whispered breathlessly in his ear, something that caused him to duck his head to try and hide the heavy blush that spread across his face. Minato shook his head in the negative, causing Kuroka to pout while letting out a small whine of disappointment.
Ophis shot Kuroka a curious glance, causing the Nekoshou to give the petite Dragon God a saucy wink before sauntering forward, sashaying her hips to emphasize her waist, an obvious attempt to gather Minato's attention.
When Asia and Xenovia ran ahead of him and seemed to block his vision of her on purpose, Minato knew his next few days were going to likely be hell.
"Papa... why are they walking like that?" Lilith questioned curiously, tilting her head to the side as she noticed the three walking in a similar fashion, "Are they hurt?"
"They are competing." Minato eventually stated after amending his words in his head a few times, "For attention."
"Ah..." Lilith murmured, nodding her head as if she understood completely, "If... I walk like that, will I get attention?"
Minato sputtered and shook his head rapidly, "No, dearest, you do not have to walk like that. I would like it if you didn't."
Lilith furrowed her brows as she moved her eyes from the hips of Kuroka and up at her father, "But she has your attention, you haven't moved your eyes. I want your attention."
The sputtering grew, as did the feeling of shame and extreme discomfort in his chest. "You have my attention, darling. How about we go for ice cream?"
The daughter of Minato and Ophis furrowed her brows even further, almost making her appear to be pouting before she nodded her head sullenly, the small top hat that looked like his own not moving from its position, despite looking as if it were only resting atop her head. "Okay, Papa."
Ophis watched the interaction between Lilith and Minato with a keen eye, letting her daughter do the speaking for her. While she did not say as much, Ophis was of the same mindset. She didn't mind others spending time with him, but she had this strange feeling of what she could only describe as longing that only went away when she was in his presence. That longing often turned to possessiveness, something she would selfishly give into more often than not.
The others that sought his attention seemed to understand the pecking order, though Ophis knew without a shadow of a doubt that the competition was heating up. Her position could be usurped, and Ophis was loath to lose her place by his side.
Holding hands with him, watching him sleep, listening to him breath... everything about him had been studied and memorized to the point that she could say she knew Minato like the back of her hand, better than she knew even herself. Minato watching had become her hobby, her desire, her drive. Touching his skin, feeling his hair, the sound of his heart beating in his chest, everything about him made her insides ache and feel strange.
It was as if little creatures were bouncing in her stomach region whenever she thought about him, which was almost constantly. His face and voice had become integral to her thoughts. Ophis had even gone back to a portion of the Dimensional Gap that was free of Great Red and Cao Cao, just to see how returning to her home would feel.
It was no longer her home. It didn't call to her or welcome her into its silent embrace once more. Ironically, the Void felt empty, lacking anything outside of a deep, depressing silence as her only companion.
Lilith, the scion born as her replacement, had become another constant in her life, someone who was also always on her mind. Family had become the only thing Ophis could think about. Her Family, and being close to Minato and Lilith. If the entire world came crashing down and all life went extinct, Ophis highly doubted she would care, so long as Minato and Lilith remained by her side.
Her family was all she cared about anymore.
[EX]
Lucifaad was busting with activity, ranging from paperboys advertising the local rags and street vendors selling fruits grown in Hell. As the old Capital of the Devil territory, the city was not only ancient, but extremely well constructed.
Designed to stand the test of time, many of the buildings in the downtown area were more baroque in style than modern, giving the city an even more exotic feeling than Minato was honestly expecting from a city built by Devils.
The civilians seemed more keen on minding their own business than eyeballing Minato as he casually walked down the sidewalk with Lilith and Ophis still holding either of his hands. After sending Sirzechs a text, Minato was given directions to take the two to Lucifaad for ice cream, as the city boasted one of the largest shops with flavors that humans couldn't even imagine, or legally sell.
Minato wasn't sure just what kinds of flavors those would be and honestly didn't want to.
It took four hours of searching and exploring before Minato was confident enough in the security of his 'Castle' to leave his followers and mother alone to take Lilith and Ophis out for a small trip. Each of the Dragon God's were acting in a strange manner, invading his personal space far more than usual for the two and not letting him from their sight for longer than a few minutes before they came looking for him.
It was like the strange relationship between Ophis and Minato had been flipped, leading to the Dragon God being the one to take care of Minato. It was incredibly strange being fed by Ophis after she refused to let him eat his ice cream by himself.
"Say... ah." Ophis muttered patiently, holding the spoon full of vanilla ice cream in front of Minato's face, who was staring at the Dragon God as if she had lost her mind.
"I'm supposed to-" Minato was cut off from explaining to Ophis that it was he who was supposed be feeding her when she shoved the spoon into his mouth, forcing him to quiet down and enjoy the experience for what it was.
The mutterings of Lilith, who also held her spoon towards her father, were hardly putting his mind at ease. There was something very strange going on with the two, and Minato wanted to get to the bottom of things.
"You two are being very... forward." Minato commented before he took the bite of ice cream offered to him by his daughter, "It is unlike you."
Ophis nodded her head but didn't seem like she would elaborate, but Lilith had no such compulsion to remain silent. "We... want to see you, more."
"I see." Minato murmured, feeling as if he was just called the worlds worst dad. While he did his best to spend as much time as he could with his precious little Dragon and her mother, it seems that it was not enough. Either that, or his daughter was starting to display signs of an obsessive personality. "I am sorry, Lilith. I will try to do better."
"You... better." Lilith said plainly, leaving absolutely no room for argument with the tiny being. When Minato sent an incredulous look to Ophis, he could tell that she was of the same mindset with the strange look she was giving him.
It was as if she were sizing him up once more, though the look had a bit of heat to it. Minato tested a theory that had formed by moving his hand to the right slightly, watching from the corner of his eyes as both Lilith and Ophis snapped their attention to his movement for a split second before their attention was brought back to his face.
Accepting another spoon of ice cream from Ophis, Minato began to take notice of those around him and the colorful scheme of the place. In all honesty, everything that Minato had seen of Hell was far better than he would have imagined two years ago.
The pedestrians were capable of living normal lives, or as normal of a life one could live as a Devil. Each Devil seemed to have a rather unique taste, tailored to promote individuality while at the same time promoting a sort of unity between those that did not belong to one of the Seventy Two Pillars.
Those that served Lilith and Ophis their rather extreme cones of ice cream had large smiles on their faces, genuine smiles. They seemed to enjoy their lot in life, and despite being a race born into excessive amounts of Sin, the Devils maintained a civil society.
It was heartening to see, as it gave Minato hope to see it grow even more peaceful after everything was said and done. While the number of Fallen Angels present within the crowds were next to none, Minato could feel the presence of darkened light within the sea of slightly twisted and wild darkness of the Devils.
Turning his attention back to being force fed ice cream by two of the beings he had grown closest to, Minato relished the moment of peace and the company he could share it with. Lilith seemed incredibly content as she leaned back in her seat, satisfied with the amount of ice cream she had made her father consume. She was worried that he didn't eat enough, considering he spent most of his time during breakfast and dinner feeding both her and her mother.
The daughter of Minato and Ophis opened her mouth wide and consumed an entire scoop of vanilla in one bite, not even bothering to pretend to let it melt before it was on its way into the bottomless pit that was her stomach.
Minato reached out with a napkin and removed the large amount of vanilla dripping from the corner of her mouth, only for her to grab a napkin and do the same for him.
"Ah... better." Lilith murmured before nodding her head.
The three enjoyed quite a few bowls of ice cream before Minato motioned for them to leave, a massive cone of each flavor held in either of their free hands while they held on to Minato's once more.
Minato found himself relaxed as the three blended into the crowd of Devils, Lilith and Ophis falling into step with him as they steadily devoured their ice cream as if it were going out of style.
[EX]
"Mom... Momma. Please, why?" Minato questioned in a strained voice as Nyx once more wrapped herself around his shoulders, doing her best to invade his personal space as she helped fix his shirt. When she attempted to help tuck the shirt in, Minato spun on his heel and gave the woman an unimpressed look.
When she opened her mouth to admonish him for messing up his clothing again, Minato caught a faint whiff of alcohol on her breath. The light dusting of blush that covered her face was another sign that perhaps she was already inebriated, something that was only common when she was about to sleep.
"Hush and let your momma help." Nyx was having none of his protesting, grabbing him around the shoulders to spin him back around before retaking her position leaning over his shoulder. When Minato quickly tucked his shirt in and slipped his belt on, she gave him an annoyed huff before wrapping her arms around his stomach region and pulling him upwards and towards her. Minato found himself being manhandled once more, though he gave up his struggling and let her do as she wanted.
Being treated as an oversized doll by Nyx was becoming a frequent occurrence, whether it be from her insisting on cuddling or picking out his clothing. Most of the time, he quite agreed with her taste, though the one time she attempted to get him to wear a tunic crossed the line. As it was, Victorian styled clothing was fine as far as dealing with the supernatural went, but more modern clothing was much easier to blend in with than otherwise when mingling with humanity than older fashions.
"You have always been so hard headed." Nyx murmured more to herself than to him, her voice almost unsure as she began to rock his limp body to and fro, "I suppose you get it from me."
"I am not hard headed." Minato attempted to defend himself, though the small giggle that escaped her lips let him know that his protest was met with disbelief. "I'm not."
"Yes, you are." Nyx gave him a deadpan response more suited to Ophis or Lilith than herself, "One of the most hard headed in the world."
"... I am going to be late." Minato attempted to change the subject after a few moments of more swaying, "Seriously."
Nyx eventually relented, allowing Minato to regain his footing to finish gathering his clothing. Tonight he would be dining with Sirzechs along with a few other well known Devils, including the Emperor of the Rating Games, Diehauser Belial and Ajuka Beelzebub.
While Minato was less than interested in the idle chat they would likely be exchanging or the barely concealed barbs, he was more looking forward to hearing what the many loose-lipped Devils had to say after they have had a few drinks.
The power of information was something Minato understood very well, thus consigning himself to his fate of having to mingle with beings that would likely stab their brothers and sisters in the back just for a chance to rise in the ranks of society.
"You look fine, dear." Nyx cooed after seeing him give a sour expression upon tugging at his jacket, "Trust me."
Minato nodded his head after a few moments before turning to leave the walk in closet that now had quite a few of his many articles of clothing hung up and stored away, having returned home to grab a few of his nicer suits after realizing that he only brought along informal clothing.
Instead of wearing velvet blue, Minato had forgone most of his colorful clothing for something a bit more simple black long coat, waistcoat and pant combination with a white dress shirt and a large, black bow-tie.
Grabbing his cane and top hat, Minato gave himself another glance in the mirror before sighing deeply while sagging his shoulders. "Why did Lilith ask me to wear a top hat in the first place? Where did she learn of them?"
"That would be my fault." Nyx finally admitted sheepishly, "I was looking through a book to pick out a dress design for her when we saw one. When she asked for one, I asked Asia to make her a small one that could be held in place by a bow..."
"I see..." Minato murmured, thinking over what he just heard before nodding his head. If his daughter wanted him to wear the hat so that the two of them could match, then he was not going to say no.
As a matter of fact, just knowing the reasoning made him like his hat even more.
[EX]
The party was in full swing by the time Minato arrived, neither arriving too soon to seem interested, nor too late to be insulting. Of course, understanding such things was drilled into his skull by Mitsuru, only reinforced by Lucifer and Nyx with their continual reminders and lessons. Minato could dance with the best, and his tongue was as silver as his eyes despite his lack of desire to use either set of skills to his advantage.
He was approached by Grayfia once more, though this time she seemed far less stern than before, if the way her expression slightly lightened when she made eye contact with him was anything to go by.
"Thanatos-Dono, it is good to see you again. Have you been well?" Grayfia questioned after bowing lightly in his direction. It was not enough to show deference, but a good bit more than required to formally greet someone, and certainly the most respectful she had been towards him yet.
Minato had to resist the urge to question her strange increase in formality before he could greet her back. "It is good to see you as well, Grayfia. I have been well, and yourself?"
The silver haired wife and maid of Sirzechs seemed to consider her answer before she nodded her head as if it answered his question. "As well as can be expected. If you would come this way, Lucifer-Sama, Belial-Dono and Leviathan-Dono are waiting."
Minato nodded gratefully before following behind the gray haired Devil, his gait steady as his cane continued to rap against the marble flooring. Many of those gathered into crowds gave him furtive glances before attempting to seem aloof to his presence, but Minato could easily tell their intentions.
If they wished to emulate him in an attempt to seem more approachable, he wasn't going to tell them otherwise. It was a large improvement from the normal pretentiousness he could practically sense as its own individual emotion rather than a state of mind.
Sirzechs was almost bouncing in his seat like an overexcited child by the time Grayfia and Minato finally arrived at the large table that the current Lucifer and his guests rested at, a beaming smile on his face as if the holidays had come early.
"Finally! I've been waiting for an hour for you to show up!" Sirzechs greeted as he rose from his seat, extending his hand for Minato to take as he approached the chair to the crimson haired Devils left.
Minato grasped the offered hand firmly, giving Sirzechs the handshake he was looking for. A piece of paper was slipped from the palm of Sirzechs and into that of Minato easily enough with the exchange, letting Minato know that something was already amiss with the meeting about to be held.
A sense of negative emotion, something akin to Anger and Sadness mixed into one seemed to roil from the body of Diehauser, though the cheerful visage the man maintained would have fooled even the best of those capable of reading a persons body language.
From the glances Sirzechs sent his way, along with the desperate look he gave Minato after the two motioned to sit down also spoke volumes of just what type of little gathering the leader of the Protogenoi found himself attending.
'Well, that didn't take long at all.' Minato thought to himself ruefully as he sent the small letter in his hand a quick glance.
'Plan has moved forward. Diehauser wants in.'
Minato schooled his features into his normal apathetic visage and leaned back in his seat casually, covering the very small amount of anxiety fluttering in his stomach like an unwelcome guest trapped in a cellar. While wanting to remain as inconspicuous as possible as he let the many different conversations taking place within the massive hall began to filter through his mind, Minato only reigned in the more terrible traits of his energy while letting the bare minimum saturate the area around him.
It was amusing the first time he was approached by a no name Devil trying to act haughty but annoying by the third such occurrence. If the weaker beings wished to approach and make his night that much more unbearable, then it was only fair that he made speaking with him at least just as unbearable as their voices.
"Refreshments, Thanatos-Dono?" Grayfia pipped up, her cool voice easily reaching his ears despite the softness in which she spoke. Upon a tray balanced on her palm was an array of bubbling drinks, some of which made even Minato nervous, despite his iron stomach and high tolerance for some of the finer beverages.
"Thank you, Grayfia, this is wonderful." Minato made sure to express his gratitude as he took a slim glass of rose colored champagne, finding that it was the more subdued and less reactive than the rest.
'What the hell are you thinking, Sirzechs?' Minato thought to himself as he stared into the liquid, ignoring the curious glance Ajuka and Serafall were sending the three. Sirzechs and Grayfia shared a small look as well before the lover of the current Lucifer once more excused herself from the table.
"I apologize, I do not believe we have met yet." Minato decided to cut through the chitchat after taking a cursory sniff and sip of his drink, wanting to get directly to the heart of the issue, "I am... Thanatos, though I prefer to be addressed as Minato if at all possible."
Minato extended his hand for the Emperor to shake after turning to face the man, which he gladly did. The negative emotions he felt coming from the current head of the Belial family lessened considerably upon being addressed so amicably, perhaps indicating that the man was a bit more laid back than the other Heads of the Pillar Families.
"The pleasure is mine, Minato-Dono. Sirzechs-Sama has spoken very highly of you." The grey haired Devil had a smooth voice, one that lacked any form of indication as to his thoughts, likely a result of living for a thousand years and facing combat on an almost weekly basis. "I have been looking very forward to meeting you myself after stumbling across the... fan site dedicated to you."
"Anything that appears on that site is not moderated by myself, so I apologize for any... content the users might have posted." Minato did his best to keep the strange feeling of shame from his voice, knowing that many of his followers and fans were a bit zealous, "They mean well... in a way."
"Ha! They are as tame as kittens compared to a few of the more loyal followers I seem to have accrued, I assure you!" Diehauser let out a throaty chuckle as he waved away any form of discomfort Minato might have felt, seemingly victim of the same types of nonsense, "Honestly, I find it amusing that my place as most favored of the Devil-Net has been taken so quickly, and by an outsider no less!"
Minato gave the man an amused look as he took another drink, trying to ease into a comfortable conversation long enough to propose his 'offer' without making it seem forced. "Alas, I fear that is the nature of the business we find ourselves in." Minato offered up, knowing that Diehauser was intelligent enough to understand that Minato was willing to 'play ball'.
"Sadly, that is the case." The Emperor of the Rating Games shrugged his shoulders, showing that while it bothered him on some level, there was nothing he could do about it.
"There is always room for someone such as yourself, if you would be interested in a role?" Minato made sure to phrase the proposition in a way that sounded like a roundabout recruitment and not an acceptance of alliance proposed by the Belial Head.
"Oh? You don't fear that I might become more popular than you on your own show?" Belial questioned, a small grin on his face showing that the question wasn't meant to be taken seriously.
Minato took it seriously. "If that would be the case, would you please accept my proposition? It would be much appreciated."
Diehauser pretended to ponder the offer for a few moments before he nodded his head in the affirmative. "Sure, I think that would be the best thing to happen to me in a long, long time..."
The way his grey eyes dulled and gazed further than the hall was long reminded Minato of the small file that was given to him a few days after accepting responsibility to Kuoh. He had a sinking feeling that it was the reason behind the behavior of the number one Devil in the Rating Games.
'Sirzechs, you are going to owe me more than a small sum of money for this one...' Minato thought to himself as he turned his attention away from the Belial, taking another draft from the flute of pink liquid.
The night seemed to drag on for longer than Minato cared to admit, though the large sum of information the loose lipped crowd of Devils let loose during their mingling made it worth his while. Minato did his best to remain absolutely alert, however, his senses opened up wide as he did allow the very miniscule amount of power roiling through his veins to permeate the air twenty feet around him.
This small exposure of Aura, as Minato dubbed the technique he was currently using, prevented the weaker willed Devils from approaching him while reminding those that were seated with him that despite his mostly docile nature, he was still the biggest predator in the room.
No one tried to contest the small display of power, finding that the presence of Minato was more welcomed than not, especially after the many natures of his power have surfaced outside of his main Domain.
The large gathering of families was dwindling before he finally decided to excuse himself, Ajuka and Diehauser each rising with him. Minato eyeballed them wearily as they gave him an expectant look before he relented, tilting his head to the left in an indication for the two to follow him.
"I need to be returning home for the night, I'm afraid. Thank you for having me, Lucifer-Dono, this was a nice change of pace." Minato did his best to sugarcoat his words, something that was apparently obvious due to the flat look Sirzechs was giving him.
"I thank you for coming, Thanatos-Dono. I am sure I will be seeing you bright and early, so rest well." Sirzechs offered after rising as well and grasping the gloved hand of Minato once more. "Be careful." The warning was almost completely inaudible, Sirzechs having drawn Minato in close for a 'back clap' as more modern humans have begun to do.
Minato didn't respond verbally, instead giving the crimson haired Devil a grateful look before turning to depart. Grayfia followed Diehauser, Minato and Ajuka to the end of the Hall before bowing to the three, not speaking up. A large, pitch black door rose from the ground and opened widely, allowing the three to traverse the churning blackness to reach their destination.
As the two doors closed behind him, Minato once more heard a warning, this one more heartfelt than before.
Grayfia stared at the spot the three disappeared from before turning and beginning her walk back to Sirzechs, ignoring the less important guests that milled through the Hall still. Her gait was more subdued than before, and if one looked closely, they could almost see a small frown on the mostly schooled face of the silver haired Queen.
[EX]
"So what can I help you with, Ajuka?" Minato questioned as the three stopped walking soon after the doors snapped shut behind them, trapping the two Devils in the Abyss with Minato.
"Cut the shit and I will too." Ajuka spoke evenly, his tone perfectly schooled as he stared down at the silver eyed Primordial, "Diehauser isn't the only one who wants in."
Minato didn't speak for a few moments, instead sizing up the two standing before him.
"Are you sure of what you are asking?" Minato eventually relented, hoping to test the two Devils responses before accepting the rather firm requests.
"Of course. Do not think that the undertones of your little propaganda piece aren't obvious to those who know what to look for." Ajuka seemed insulted that Minato even had to ask, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
"And you, Diehauser? Do you know exactly what you are asking?"
"All I want are answers. You provide me those answers, and I'll eat the scum from the bottom of your shoes if I must." The tone in which the Emperor spoke let Minato know that he was being dead serious.
Minato sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought about how to address the two men further.
Ajuka was hyper-intelligent, so much so that it was terrifying. While he wasn't a direct threat on the scale of strength, Minato had no doubts that if he were to try and turn the man away now, things would go very south, very quickly.
Minato let loose an expletive loose under his breath before rolling his shoulders, standing straighter than before while the sound of leather grinding together filled the void, his grip on his cane tightening even further.
"I will say this only once, so please, listen carefully." Minato began, causing the two to give him their utmost attention. He waited only a second more before beginning once more, his silver gaze glowing heavily as he stared them down further.
"You two are trusted by Sirzechs, but you are not trusted by myself. If I feel, for any reason, that you are a threat to my end goal, you will be expunged from the annals of time and any being sharing your genetic information will suffer the same fate. Period." Minato did not wait for the two to speak, instead turning and opening a doorway to allow the three passage into his new home in Hell. "Now welcome to the Revolution, I hope you enjoy your stay."
